Down goes Aria Jaxon, down goes the so-called World Champion. Because of one single shot to the skull, I can hear the loud boos from the so-called fans of this show because they’re like music to my ear. To you people I ask… have I shown that how much hate-filled venom I have or how I will do anything to prove to the world that I will a merciless killer till I get my spotlight, till I get one more opportunity for the EAW Women’s Title. Do I have to show more of my hatred for all of you to realize
 
Truth be told, I don't care about Astrea Jordan. I don't need to care and I never will care about her. She's not someone who I have to prove my abilities to, she's not someone that has doubted the fact that one of the best we’ve got on Empire. No, I don’t simply need to care. If anything I just need to walk in and win and move on towards my real goal of claiming my rightful spot at the top. I don’t need to waste my time while the opportunities are given to the same people who that Empire will brand as the so-called “best” and yet the ones who are the ones that fit with the system that Tarah Nova. If Empire is where a female wrestler can succeed then it’s also the place where the greatest hypocrites that a wrestling promotion can have. Are you one of those kinds of people? Are you one of the hypocrites who fill up this brand’s so-called stars?
 
Has this little initiation into  Gawd Complex started? Has this so-called entry into becoming as painfully annoying as Ryan Adams. See I never needed anybody’s approval of my talent because it’s self-belief, it’s self-respect that I have when it comes to myself to actually believe that I can rise up through everything that Empire has thrown at me and stand alone at the mountaintop as Queen.
 
I’ve never needed someone who can mold me into their image of a wrestler because I will forever be the who went on to create her own legacy without needing propaganda like Gawd Complex or needing the support of people in this company. I fight, I will continue to fight the system of Empire which has created doubters for countless months. Like you, like Consuela and like any other so-called righteous hero. The same ones who say stuff like how that all of this is a lifelong dream, who worked hard, who clawed through everything to get here but yet you lie, you lie to the same people that you attempt to inspire.
 
The real one who fought through everything that this world has thrown, the one who gave up everything she had to become a wrestler, who grew up aspiring the women she would watch is right here. The one who survived, and work through everything, the one that went through every single doubter is me. I wasn’t deemed some sort of natural talent because of my performance at a combine of all things. I fought my way through everything because that’s who I am Astrea. I always fought for what I have believed in and that's I am The Ace Of The World if there are those who doubt. Then I fight back, but in the end, I won't need to care about you as a person because you’re not worth the time and effort regardless of who you are, regardless of how much of a pet project you are for those around you, I don’t care who you are because, in the end, I will continue to fight against everything that doubts who I am. I will continue showcase that regardless of how much you doubt me, I will forever be a fighter. Regardless of how much of the same crap that I hear from the likes of you, Consuela, Aria and anyone else wants to doubt me that I will stand unbroken and still a fighter.
 
So take your best shot at trying to break the unbreakable and fail because I will stand here with my belief, my abilities in that ring, and everything that makes me who I am and still the best wrestler on Empire. That's something called believing in myself, something that you might not have considering it's other people who tell you how good you are. While I stand on my own declaring as the best. If you want to talk about failed opportunities then go for it, Talk about how I failed at defeating Aria Jaxon then go right ahead but realize this, every time I have lost and every time someone like you has said isn't worth giving a shit about, that's when you lose the real battle. You become exactly like the rest of the women, you become a copy, just with a different look. You become the same old crap, and you become IRRELEVANT in my eyes.


If you want to showcase how much potential that DEDEDE sees in you then go right ahead it still won’t make a difference in the end result with me beating you. But if you dare to become a roadblock for my road to the top then expect defeat regardless of how tough or how strong you think you are.

I don’t like the holiday season very much. They remind me too much of what I have lost instead of what I’m supposed to be grateful for. When everyone else is celebrating with their families and their friends, all I feel is a bit of emptiness and bitterness that should be reserved for people much older than I. With both of my parents deceased and my list of friends drastically shortened after I left the military and mercenary lifestyle behind, I have been truly alone. It’s been a bit more than a year since I joined this place, Elite Answers Wrestling. When I first arrived, I was nothing more than an afterthought. Someone brought in to know their role and fill time. Nothing was really expected from me from the outside world. The only expectation of doing anything came from myself. I knew that if I could keep winning, keep working, that someday that would eventually bear fruit.

What do I really have to be thankful for though? I must ask myself this. Money? I have a military pension and enough money from private contractor work to last me as long as I live. I don’t care about that. Good health? Heh, in wrestling good health is just being able to walk and not feel pain to the point you’re not stuffing yourself with painkillers. Friendships? Even in EAW, what kind of friendships have I developed? I’m not cool, edgy, or nice…and honestly, I’m not the most exciting person to be around. I know who people in the locker room gravitate towards and I’m not one of them. Grateful for this opportunity to wrestle for the Specialists Championship again? Why? People were handed immediate rematches like candy before I was champion. I lose it and I have to win a stupid, convoluted match against two women who with all due respect are not in my league yet.

I don’t really feel all that thankful. If that makes me look like the Pilgrim wife with a frown on her face despite surviving the harsh New World winter, so be it.

I have a lot of emotions about this match, and about how I feel about my first year in Elite Answers Wrestling.

Doubt. For months, I stood by my skill in the ring, but even now after having beaten Madison, Haruna, Azumi, Megan and Sydney, I just feel something. The departures from Empire all have something in common: they forced me to realize that I had to take things to another level, each of them in their own way. One person in particular stood above all of them in terms of talent. I think you all know who I mean so I will not utter the name. Even though she is gone, something about losing to her bothered me most of all. The first time I faced her, I was simply not prepared. I was overpowered, overwhelmed. The second time…I was outsmarted. The fact that this happened stuck with me for some time. And the fact that I cannot face her again to show how much she inspired me to improve fills me with another emotion.

Sadness. I have had my share of frustration and sadness in life. Losing people you love and people you care about in just everyday life is one thing. Losing them in the line of duty is another thing. But nothing I have ever felt feels like the sadness that I feel with every loss I’ve suffered in EAW. While Consuela compared me to a punching bag, the record books show that I win about seventy percent or so of my matches, especially if those are straight up singles competition. The seventy percent of wins, as wonderful as they are, don’t make up for the feeling of losing those other thirty. Each loss I take personally. I pride myself on being a bit more emotionally attached, but I invest far more into this business emotionally than most of you realize. Every day that I train, I think about the people who made it possible to be where I am. Wrestlers before me, my family, the Air Force. Everything that happens in life happens for a reason I believe, so even though I still carry losses to people like Aria, Cloud, Cailin…that one person who passed away far before her time, especially her….and you.

Rage. This is what the negativity fuels. When management decides to slight me, overlook me, openly call me a jobber even when I smash my way through competition like a bull in a china shop, this is what you create. You’re not the only person who feels a pit in their stomach after a defeat, Consuela. Even though She was involved in that match, losing to you was an extremely bitter pill to swallow. I’ve felt it before. It didn’t sting quite as much as losing to your sister in the Empire Cup, but it was a painful defeat nevertheless. I feel so much anger, more than you can comprehend. Some of it is directed at you, especially when you mention how I have let people down. That stung. You want to know why? Because I thought about all the people that I DID let down. My brothers and sisters from the Air Force. My parents. Her. Aria. Stephanie. Tarah. Even you. I had visions of becoming a great champion, and maybe they went to my head a little bit. And I failed. I failed all of you. I wanted to be a champion that people could embrace and look at the same way that they saw Cailin…. the same way they see Matsuda and Jaxon now. The same way that they saw your sister and her tag team partner, the legendary Heart Break Gal. The way they begin to see you now. But knowing that I failed, FAILED to hold that title with the intent and integrity that I wanted makes me sick. I think about it with every passing second, every kick that I throw in the ring, every submission I lock in, every rep on the weights in the gym. I am obsessed with it. So, to bluntly answer your question: HELL YES, I AM EXTREMELY UPSET THAT YOU BEAT ME. IT STILL HURTS. AND EVEN IF I DO BEAT YOU, PART OF THAT HURT WILL REMAIN! YES, IT FUCKING PISSES ME OFF THAT YOU RUB MY NOSE IN IT…but, in truth, a part of me isn’t all that mad about it. It’s actually thankful that you did. I may have let my guard down before if you had said nice, glowing things, but now that you have brought it up the way you have, you have my attention.

I am NOT the same person that won the Specialists Championship. Not even close. There was always ability, there was always the preparation aspect, the focus. But being defeated for that title unlocked something that I’ve been missing for far too long: Hunger. Not for food, but for something that’s really hard for me to put into words. I haven’t felt this starved, this engaged, this focused since my early days as a jujitsu-ka growing up. This is the first time in a long, long time that I feel an actual hunger, have competition, a rivalry if we must go there. The great thing about rivalries in sports is that people can come from so many backgrounds and styles but still bring out the best…and in some ways the worst in each other.

Heh.

It’s weird, but I’ve had an epiphany mid-video. How crazy is that? I’ve been sitting here this whole time wondering about what I should be grateful for and here it is, all right under my nose: people like you. And I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way and certainly not a romantic sort of way. Wrestlers have pushed me to a new level as an athlete and have made me reevaluate myself as a person. Wrestlers, even with jokes and ridicule, took me in when no one else would. Wrestlers have humbled me. Wrestlers have made me stronger. Wrestlers have shown me a fighting spirit that is rare even in the ranks of the military. And now I have a chance to pay you back, by showing you what I have learned from you. Losing hurts, but over the last few weeks I have learned that in the long run losing doesn’t really mean anything. I’m not going all Zen here and I’m damn sure not going all Haruna by finding a side gig or something, but there is much more to life than wins and losses now. Yes, this match is about pride. It’s about championships, it’s about the continuation of one of Empire’s long-winding sagas of 2017.

But it’s just a match.

I am grateful for wrestling. I’m grateful for life. I’m grateful for a worthy opponent. And I’m grateful for the memories and lessons that have been taught and given to me by so many people for so long. It seems like in so many ways it was leading to this very day. I will take back the Specialists Championship, not just for myself, but to honor my family and the tradition of this sport that’s warriors have become a surrogate family.

Your racist jokes, your maid friends at ringside, any other peripheral chatter you offer do not and will not mean anything to me.

The only thing that matters to me right now is proving that while our last match was certainly not a fluke, the three encounters previous weren’t flukes either.

Dynasty Promo #1: "Born Extreme"

Extreme is what I live and die for. I stepped into this business as an extremist when everything was original. I was born to be under the extreme. Risking my body, and risking my life just to show everyone that I belonged in this business. Now, we are under elite, but I will always be the man to show that I was made for extreme. I started off in this business with one thing in my eye and that was to show that I was one of the best to ever do it, and I made sure that I made a statement. This was when the EAW Hardcore Championship could be taken at any time, and any place if a referee was around. I was the last of my generation to take that EAW Hardcore Championship and retire it with respect because no one else deserved to hold it and now it is back. I've seen others run with it but they never had to go through what I went through. Now, I want what is mine. I want the respect that I deserve in this business and I am going to show that I still have what it takes to build my legacy and earn the gold that is always going to be labeled under me. That EAW Hardcore Championship will be mine after this upcoming Friday and everyone will see that I am the real legend of my era. Darkane, do you truly think you deserve to hold that title? First, you were so afraid and full of shit that you were going to deny me my opportunity to even step into the ring with you. Why were going to deny me Darkane? Did you truly think that I did not deserve that chance? I stepped back into this ring a few months ago and I have already felt my ups and my downs, but through my ups I know everyone has seen that I have made a statement. I may not have gotten that chance to take you down first after House of Glass, but trust me when I say this Darkane: I'm far from below. And I sure as hell am not you. You see, a real champion does not back down from a fight. I held title after title and competitors would always come up and I would always give them their opportunity just to show them that they did not have what it takes to take me down from my throne. But you, you're just a bitch, but hey, I would be afraid too if I had to step into the ring with one of the best with my title on the line. When I was actually holding that EAW Hardcore Championship Darkane, I had to watch my back all twenty four hours everyday because you could have that championship taken from you at any time of day. You see, you do not have to worry about that. You have it easier than what it really was. You did not grow in the era that I grew in. I evolved through this company as an extremist and I will always be an extremist. You took that championship from Scott Diamond, and honestly, I do not find that impressive at all. I took Scott Diamond down at Road to Redemption in that Extreme Elimination Chamber and I've done it time after time in the past. You just do not know who you're messing with. Right now, I'm a fiend. I'm hungry and I'm looking to make my own feast after I step into that ring for my first championship opportunity coming back. I may not have gotten what I exactly wanted on Dynasty to prove my statement, but trust me, that championship lifts the bar up. I have championship DNA in my blood. I started off with a championship, just days after I joined in this company and made my debut at Pain for Pride II. That EAW Hardcore Championship was the first thing that motivated me and it is only right to come back to its rightful owner. Am I really supposed to be impressed by that win that you got over Brayden Wolfe? That made me laugh because I just did the same thing last week. You want to say that I'm below? How about we actually take a look at the things that I've done in this business and then you tell me who is actually below who. You are no where near my level of greatness Darkane. You get a EAW Hardcore Championship and then you want to act tough and think that you're some hot shot when really you're just a piece of shit holding a piece of gold that is not his. The only thing that's going to end is your reign as the EAW Hardcore Championship because I am going to take it from you on Dynasty. I'm nowhere near the end of my career because I still have a lot left that I have to conquer. You are not going to end me.. and I sure as hell am not going to do it myself. You can talk a lot of game on my career, but with everything that I have solidified you cannot touch me. The thing is, if there is something I want to end, it's you. I will do you just like I did Eclipse and I'll make you regret ever stepping into an EAW ring with me. You act like just because you've been "driven into thousands of thumb tacks" that you must be some Hardcore God, but you have not been to where I have been. 

You do not even know the definition of hardcore. 

You haven't felt anything that I have been through that it is labeled of extreme. What you've been through Darkane, that's just pussy situations. You can sit here and you can tell me that you were not scared, but someone that really isn't afraid would be ready for battle on sight. Now it's time for you to actually grow some balls and prepare for a real fight because none of these men that you stepped into the ring with know what it's like to be a REAL Hardcore Champion. I've dedicated my life and my body to this business and I'll just show you exactly what it's like to be a real extremist when we step into the ring on Dynasty. The only peculiar thing in this situation Darkane is you, and I am going to step right over you. To me, you're just a small obstacle that I'm going to smack out of the way. What you're going to taste is regret. You're going to regret ever coming to Dynasty and you're going to regret every word that you speak to me. I was made for this. In this, I'm the underdog. A lot of people believe that you're just going to step into Dynasty and walk through me because I have not been my best. I've been having my wins and I have been having my losses, but this, I will not fail. There will be no mistake. I have been here far too long to fall again. I had my chance at Road to Redemption and I fail to get what I wanted, but with this Darkane, it's just me and you. Time after time, I have risen back to my feet. I still am on a revenge path and if that means I have to take you down, I will not regret anything that I do to beat you for that EAW Hardcore Championship. I do not care if everyone believes that you're going to gain success over me, I am going to prove everyone else wrong. No support just gains more motivation for me. I am addicted to this position. This position where I am SO close to the top and I am so close to gaining what I truly want and all I have to do is keep pulling on the string until I get it into my hands. I've been sitting in this position for the past few months and I know have not gotten anything yet but believe me, I will this Friday. This Friday, I am going to pull on that string and this time.. I will not have it taken from me. Darkane, you're messing with a man that is on a mission. A man that is looking to destroy anything that stands in the way of his success. Right now.. that's you. You're going to taste what real hardcore is. You're going to see the extremist inside of me. The Hurricane Hawk that ran through this business with nothing but success and respect. You might not have wanted this match, but you got it. This is the man that gained those world championships. You're pulling out the savage in me, and once I bring him completely out, the only thing that you'll be doing on Dynasty Darkane, is running. I trenched myself in success and this is just another piece to the puzzle. Darkane, this extremist is just going to be your worst nightmare, but you'll see that losing your title to me.. is your reality. 

(The camera opens to Cloud sitting in lotus position, towards the end of her meditation. She is in her gym, which was empty during the early Sunday hours. A slight smile creeps on the right side of her face, as her eyes narrow slightly)

Thank you for showing me who you really are Chelsea Crowe. I knew there were more to you than a bad makeup job and cheap lipstick. You got so used to wearing your mask that I figured you would go around being a poser forever. But luckily for me, you’re smarter than that. Before I go into discussing my own mask, I should offer a retort to the things you’ve said. This how it goes, right? The War of Words, the battle of wits before the fisticuffs (leans forward). I knew I could rely on you, sweets. With each day that passes, my excitement for our second date grows. I haven't been this happy since I took Monica to the Poconos. You did acquire a cute little streak for yourself, yes. But Mi Amor, you’re forgetting one simple fact: while you technically won against Aria and Sheridan, you did it because they beat themselves. You just happened to be there. In your match with Sher, she would’ve pulled the same tricks had it been someone else. Tarah has always had it out for her anyway. And Aria? She made a stupid move and paid for it. So here you are, Jack the Giant Slayer, skipping around like you actually defeated two titanic monoliths with your bare hands (laughs). I’m the one who beat Sheridan without the help of a GM, sweets. I’m the one who forced Aria to a draw. This match we’re about to have is your real test. You ever wonder why I don’t get as many matches as the other members of the roster? Because I shoot to kill, Chelsea. I break people into bits and pieces of their former selves. Sher should have defeated you without even thinking. But, she didn’t. Who do you have to thank for that? You’re looking at her. Until she can avenge her EOE loss, she’ll never be able to aspire to the heights she once stood at. Her ego won’t allow for such things. And remember that redhead that everybody thought was the best? She was at one point the longest reigning Specialist champ? I broke her. As far as she’s concerned, I’m her Blasian Boogeywoman. 

(Cloud stands up and walks over to the towel rack. She wraps it around her neck and heads to the locker room)

I’m that one egg you can’t crack, huh? Sure you destroyed Kimi until she can no longer fight. Girls like her weren’t built to thrive in The Empire. And, she indeed won’t survive in MY Empire. You may have noticed me using that term a lot lately, huh? I’ll get to that in a minute. You’re right - it did crush me that I didn’t win the big one against Marx. But, just because I felt like crap doesn’t mean I don’t know the reality of the situation - caving in my head was all that he had left. By the way, that was the second time he put me in that position. I defeated myself, Chelsea. I was so determined to continue that match that my ambition blinded me. I’m a grown woman; I can admit my own mistakes. That realization is what showed me that I have my priorities all screwed up. We could argue all day about whether or not my title shot was an act of pity - hell, you know what? Let’s go with that! Tarah and Aria felt sorry for my ass, and they give me a title shot in hopes to pacify me. This theory that ran through my head the moment I saw our match card, not gonna lie. I thought to myself - ‘why was Aria so adamant about having this match, now?’ Hell, if I beat four other women at the same time, I’d think I was invincible too, hence her foolhardy actions as of late. There’s no doubt in Aria’s mind that she will walk out of Bloodletter the women’s champion - a sentiment I’m sure Tarah holds too. I don’t fault them for it - nobody expects me to win. Why am I going through with this? Because I’m taking advantage of an opportunity. Aria would rather risk her career and reign than take time off to recover. Even soldiers of war need time to replenish their energy and supplies. Make no mistake Ms. Crowe - this is war.

(The camera follows Cloud into the locker room. She walks into a shower, behind a curtain. Her yoga outfit - both shirt and pants are thrown on top of the shower rack. The water is turned on, but Cloud’s voice can still audible)

I appreciate your compliments on my fighting ability. Do I have what it takes to end Aria’s reign? On paper, yes. Would I be able to? If you were to ask me a week ago, I’d agree with you, Chelsea. But now, plans have changed. Aria’s not thinking straight - you even saw that with your own eyes. Empire doesn’t need a queen who is following her heart at the moment - it needs one who can think logically for the betterment of the division. I will always love her, but relieving her of her duties will be a blessing in disguise. So, I have to do whatever it takes to ensure that I am victorious. Beating you is just the first step, Chelsea. Next, will be subjugating The German. I don’t intend on having an easy road to Bloodletter. I want there to be roadblocks along the way. I want to fight and crawl my way to that goddamn ring and show the world who I am with my mask on or off.

(The water is turned off, and a moment later Cloud walks out with a towel wrapped around her body. The camera follows her out the locker room and towards her office)

The same woman I am when my mask is off. Stephanie Mia Matsuda is Cloud Matsuda. Cloud Matsuda is the Sky Princess,  Sword, and War Queen all in one. Thursday night will be a demonstration of not only my fighting ability but my philosophy: accept everything and seize the moment. Accepting the truth of your skill is the first step toward improvement. Regardless of who was going to win in our last meeting, I am more versatile now than I was then. I don’t need to take advantage of Aria in our match - she will beat herself before that second bell rings. In fact, you could say I’ve already won. She’s going to do everything in her power to get into my head - but she’s so clever that she’s tricking herself into believing that she can half-ass our match and still walk out champ. When I think about it - most of Empire has grown entirely predictable. Maybe that’s why you intrigue me Chelsea - you’re not like the others. You’re still a fake ass bitch, but now I wonder why? Is the phony bitch a mask you wear? Then who’s underneath? Someone who only graves money and glory? Do you even like what you do for a living? You don’t have to like something to be good at it. I have a friend who is a painter - ironically enough, she hates art. But, she has high-power executives throwing thousands of dollars at her, so she continues. Are you so good at wrestling that you’re like ‘screw it, why not?’ The more I question your reason for being here, the more I want to fight you again. This time, it’s not out of anger, but curiosity.

(The camera follows Cloud into her office. She opens up a closet, with the door hiding her body. She takes off the towel and starts getting dressed)

You claim I haven’t changed because it’s in your best interest that I don’t. The difference between me and everyone else who came and gone is that I’m never afraid of change. This disparity is why Aria and I are the last of the ‘Girls of Summer.' This why I have yet to take time off from EAW. I take whatever comes my way and turn coal into diamonds (laughs). I can tell you’re already losing steam dear. You were doing great until you started going into my past again just like everyone else. Come on Chelsea - I have high hopes for you. I’m not naive - When I win that title, there will be a day where one of you will beat me for it. Nothing lasts forever, sweets. You probably have the greatest chance of taking that title off my shoulders. As sweet as she might think she is, it’ll take Aria time to recover from her loss to me, both physically and emotionally. She will hate my guts for the first month or two - but she’ll soon realize the error of her ways. When we meet, I will be battle-hardened, possibly weakened from by defenses. You will take advantage and voila! You’re the captain now.

(Cloud closes the closet. She’s wearing a black ‘Team Matsuda’ shirt with a gray unzipped hoodie and blue jeans. She puts on her glasses and grabs a black peacoat as she walks out the office)

You go on and on about me staying in shadows because it’s all you got, sweets. I’m learning more about you by being quiet and listening to you ramble on about how you think I’m this or that. My “family first” initiative is about protecting the people I love. Even my growing desire to take the title off Aria is well-intentioned. She can’t handle the responsibility right now. One day, she’ll win that belt back, but as I’ve said, ‘Her Empire’ is just a pipedream. The sky has grown dark and cloudy, and it’s going to need someone who is accustomed to darkness to lead it back into the light. I know the shadows better than anyone of you - even more so than that Marilyn Manson knockoff you were talking about. Until My Empire crumbles into dust, it’s my responsibility to keep the revolution going - by any means necessary. I’m willing to wear any mask to get the job done - because I am who I am.

(Cloud puts on the pea coat and walks outside. She locks the door of her gym, as Monica is seen in the background, leaving their apartment building next door. She gestures to Cloud where their car is parked who nods and turns back to the camera.)

You asked me what I will do to get out of Aria’s shadow, yes? I don’t need to do a thing because it wasn’t there in the first place. I supported her because I believe in her, not because I was leeching off her. I’m past those anxious feelings. Despite our differences, I still trust her. But, if she wants a fight, I’ll give it to her. If the board wants Empire to do better, I’ll do what I can. You only win when you get under people’s skin, Chelsea. The last time we faced, I had a lot on my mind. I was going up against a man who knew how to pull my strings. You could say Marx trained me to fight the likes of you. Keep thinking I’ve grown dependent and comfortable - to that I’d say you’ve become repetitive (shrugs). If that means you’re going to pull the same tricks you did the last match; then this Thursday will be a cakewalk. Come on Chelse - like that, Chelse - you can do better than that. You’re a piece of trash, but I can recycle you into the woman you’re supposed to be. I mentioned earlier about ‘My Empire.' As we continue in our war of words, I’ll reveal more about what that means for you and our roster as a whole. I’m sure there some things I’ve overlooked in your cute little speech, but I’ll be sure to get back to that. 

(Cloud watches Monica get into a blue Prius and waits for her start the engine)

You don’t think I believe in myself because you know that’s the only way you will be able to walk out of Mississippi the winner. Thank you for your honesty - because you just admitted to the EAW Universe that I’m better than you, without realizing it.

(Cloud makes a sideways peace sign)

See you in the funny papers. Stay woke.

(The camera stays on until she gets into the car and drives away)

You know what, I don’t know who Axl Willow is. I don’t know why he was brought from NEO to Voltage. I honestly don’t give a shit. I don’t know why this match is taking place. Carlos Rosso did NOT rehab for almost a year to wrestle in some disgusting Mississippi backwater. The fucking EMPIRE roster got to go to Oxford, Mississippi. Hell, Starkville has a decent barn we could use for a show, but this speck of sand Voltage came to this week? It’s absolutely disgraceful.

As much as it’s a waste of my precious prime years, as much as these drunk rednecks in Mississippi don’t deserve it, I’m obligated to put on some sort of show for them. I’m obligated to myself and Mao to bounce back from the Elimination Chamber. I fought like hell to win that World Heavyweight Championship, but I couldn’t quite get it done. Piledriving the fuck out of Lars Grier through a bunch of steel is a nice consolation prize, but I’m on the hunt for something a little more golden and interesting now.

Will I get what I’m looking for by beating Axl so badly he packs his bags and goes home? Probably not. But I will keep quiet, keep a low profile and watch all these idiots bicker and run their mouths about how great they are. How they are entitled to this and entitled to that.

I’ll take everything by force…while they sit around and tweet.

Changes are coming to Voltage….you could say that certain individuals who are comfortable in their perches are in for quite a shock. Axl Rose or Axl Rotten or Axl Willow, whatever your name is, you are only in for a beating, a humiliating defeat, and a first-class flight back to whatever backwater you come from.


I need rest. I have a match tomorrow. Fuck you all, and have a pleasant evening.

Stay retired and get away from this show. 

They say that Hall of Famers’ legacies are eternal, but I busted that theory on Voltage last week.  I demonstrated why this company doesn’t need these antiques coming back for “one more shot at glory”!  I broke Kevin Devastation’s attention-grabbing habits by sending him a personal message from my fists and feet.  I loved the feeling of smashing his head against the concrete; it felt so fulfilling!  He couldn’t even fight back throughout this debacle, so there goes any chance of him returning to the ring.  I’m sure he’s at home, on a breathing machine because of the damage I inflicted on his fragile skull.  Apparently, this wasn’t a popular move and I was slammed on commentary, but who cares?  This company is full of yes-men who will say anything that’s fed to them on those headsets.  My name slandering came directly out of Mr. DEDEDE and his other ass-kissers, so who gives a damn?  I’m not afraid of some corporate suits and their paper threats.  If they really wanted to settle this issue with me, they would just come into the ring and tell me this to my face.  However, they aren’t real men, so they’ll use their puppets to push their agenda against me.  This doesn’t matter to me, though.  I proved my point and no one will do anything that’ll make me regret my actions.  

Now, let’s get to the big star that I’m facing this week-oh, it’s you Azrael.  If you couldn’t tell, my voice and being are full of disappointment, a word you hear daily.  Azrael, you are one of the most arrogant and annoying people I’ve had to encounter in my time here in EAW.  You have been in developmental for months and while you were there, you managed to do absolutely nothing important.  Others surpassed you and made names for themselves on the main roster.  Meanwhile, you were in NEO and on the feed with pre-school English.  Yes, I mentioned your English because honestly, it’s atrocious.  Everyone has been mentioning it because you take the reality as an attack on you.  Man the hell up; everyone has been called out for one thing or another.  You have been the butt of these jokes for so long and now you’re on Voltage, losing away.  Instead of being so butthurt, you should actually take your reality and accept it.  People like you are so difficult to manage because you believe the world is wrong and that you’re always right.  Maybe if you didn’t put yourself up on a pedestal so much, you would actually be someone in EAW. But alas, the stubborn never learn.  

You are not a threat to me and I will destroy you with ease.  You will learn to respect my name and not call me “Fifi”.  Calling names is the best thing you could do at this point, though.  You’re heading to your own funeral, trying to piss off the man who had no problem with smashing a Hall of Famer’s skull.  You will be Kevin Devastation this week and I’ll finish you off whenever I feel like it.  If I’m feeling like ending you quickly tomorrow night, that’s what’ll happen.  However, If I want to take my time with tearing you limb from limb as the world watches you fail once again.  No one expects you to leave this match in one piece and with a win.  If you don’t know what real fear is, you will know it after my first strike in this match.  Hey, pain is a good substitute for boredom.  Oh, and just know, I’m not Finn.  He must’ve given you a chance, but I’m not one for giving you opportunities.  He’s the New Breed Champion, but he’s no former Hardcore Champion like me.  He hasn’t faced legends like I have.  I’m a man who has accomplished a lot in this business.  Remember that you are no one.  Your words have no authority and reputation behind them.  My nickname should be taken seriously by chumps like you and Kevin Devastation.  

After this match, I will move away from you and continue to move to more accomplishments while you continue to lug around, taking losses week after week.  This will be a regular cycle until you decide to leave and retire, leaving no impact whatsoever.  Sweet blood allows for pride while sour blood never thrives.

Azrael no this is for reality…

Oh my bad, I must’ve used the Azrael dictionary for that sentence.

Ahem.

Azrael, this is your reality.  Believe it.

The promo open with Azrael clapping the hands with repetition without a smile on his face as usual.

Azrael: I don't know who should I applaud? Finnegan for winning over us or for my opponent on his week Fifi? Normally I would have done my «  Joker skit » but not today, I am not in the mood. Something has been bugging ever since my debut in the EAW. The fact that my English has been the subject of Mockery. A few wrestler like to point out that my English writing sux, that I don't have an English or American accent everytime I speak to the microphones. I don't know if it's some kind of initiation or maybe it's the fact that they feel threatened to lose their spotlight over the new guys who tried their BEST!!! To make a name for themselves. I'm aware then I'm new around here, I'm aware that is the Jungle and you gotta do whatever it takes to be the stronger.

Azrael chuckles a little bit.

Azrael: Unfortunately for all of you Wolves of Voltages, there nothing you could do to intimidate me. I can't be bullied!! Making fun of the way I speak or the way I write on the Social Media is a little pointless. What are you all expect of me? That I'm gonna cried? That I'm going to be scared of those petty insults?.....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Let me allow to laugh about this because THIS IS STUPID!!! I was expecting to be victimized in the ring, I was expecting to suffer. All I see is a bunch of kids who want my lunch money to buy some McDonald shit.

I have the impression to be back at the elementary school when I was a little Julio. If it's their definition of not being able to survive at Voltage, then I have the feeling that I will be there for a very long time to spread chaos and madness into his show. I have met a wolf once and he made me who I am with his ferocious brutality. The Violence that he inflicts on myself shows me a path that I never see before, a path that I was able to survive. The definition of pain and suffering in Voltage is nothing more than a joke that I could laugh around the table with Wilsy.

You can all keep pretending to have a hard time understanding me or keep repeating the same garbage about my second language that is English, it's won't make a difference to me. I will keep look at you with my beautiful and laugh at your stupidity because this is just fucking words. If you want me to experience fears, do it in the ring will all your might. I'm the kind of wrestler who believes the best adaption that you can all get to have the experience that you need, is the ring with your two fists.

Said the Mad Trickster while showing his fist on the screen.

Azrael: With these, you can bring the pain, creating a reputation to be the toughest in the ring and make them experiencing fears to anybody. Even the stubborn one like Finnegan, who believe that he's untouchable. Unfortunately, he was the one that has the victory. It's not the first time that I lost a match and it's won't be the last.

Whether you like it or not, Voltage is now our new playground. We will make us known via our actions and violence. It's only just the beginning of our adventure.

He stays silent for a few seconds before changing the subject.

Azrael: I'm looking at you Fifi, I have the feeling that you say everything that is obvious about me. I have the feeling that you will do the same thing that Grumpy Wakefield like to do. It's might be your way to show that you have no mercy but to me, it's simply the same song that I've heard billions of time. If your mindset is focusing on the way I talk, it's will lead you nowhere. It will also show you that you have nothing to offer to end this boredom that I want to get rid off.

I think I'm going to dress a list of how many times that someone makes the same material about my second language maybe I will become rich. For now, I think I have at least 5 dollars of just hearing the same stuff since my Voltage debut. What do you think Fifi? You want to make myself rich or you want to prove that I need to fear you, just like the poor Kevin that you beat him senseless in the ring on the last show.

Some chuckles can be heard from Azrael.

Azrael: That's the kind of brutality that I'm expecting for you.If you don't take me seriously because I'm a clown that like to have fun. Everyone will laugh at you including myself for the fact that I always knew that you have nothing to offer, that you're just an easy target that I will have fun to clown around. I remember that you have a hard time finding something intelligent to say on the social Media.

Know that I'm in the big league, the game is over for you. You will be just a preview of what is going to happen anytime someone decides to push me because I'm different and I'm not from Australia, England or ANY COUNTRY THAT HAS HIS GODAMN LANGUAGE AS A THEIR MOTHER TONGUE!!!!

Azrael raises both arms in the air.

Azrael:  You better bring your worst tomorrow because I won't fool around like you expect to see from me.

And the promo end when he is leaving with nothing but frustration as the screen fade in the black.

(Stephanie Matsuda is sitting in her apartment, looking at her webcam. She’s wearing a Brooklyn College T-shirt and black square rimmed glasses. In the background, her s/o & EAW interviewer Monica Vaughan is sitting at the dining table drinking tea)

People say this is the time of the year where we begin to reflect upon the essential things in life. With Thanksgiving on the horizon and the holiday season just around the corner, we wonder what we’re thankful for and who is family. (sighs) Unfortunately for my sweetheart, this will be the first time in a long time she won’t be spending Thanksgiving or Christmas with her sister. I have to do what I can to support her, just like I did with my best friend, Aria Jaxon. As much as I care about her, she seems to have a death wish, putting herself in unnecessarily dangerous situations leading to a concussion. Maybe with the recent loss, she seems hellbent on showing the world she can endure - I can relate to that. In fact, her walls remind me of the ones I see around Chelsea Crowe. In my eyes, Chelsea has presented herself as the woman who knows more than she lets on. She has shown Sheridan Müller that she’s a force of nature; someone to never underestimate. Chelsea went blow for blow with Aria Jaxon, leading the champ to put her career on the line with a foolhardy decision that may cost my chance to win the title at Bloodletter, Empire’s first ever official FPV. She’s not to blame for that  - just like you’re not to blame for Sheridan’s foul play. What you are responsible for is the development of your skill these past few months; you’re more dangerous than I thought you would be. She defied everyone’s expectations these two weeks. Chelsea is a powerhouse in the making - something I’m very much aware. But alas, we have unfinished business.

There is no Kimi Hendrix to interrupt our match this time around. There is no Ryan Marx to take up space in my mind. There are only Ms. Crowe and me in your run-of-the-mill exhibition match, to prove who is currently the better woman. I will do whatever it takes to determine that woman is me. I don’t need to resort to high-risk or shady tactics to prove my point - I’ll be right there in her facing unleashing absolute hell upon my opponent. Everywhere she goes, I’ll be there. I will follow her from the middle of the ring to ringside. Whenever she attempts a Dreamkiller, I will be there to knock her off. Whenever Chelsea tries her ‘Smile,' she will find herself in the air and taken to Cloud City on the way down. If she wants to take this match slowly, we can do that. That wouldn’t be the first time I will take it easy on a woman (winks). But, before she accuses me of not taking things seriously, she needs to know and understand this:

Every fight with Stephanie “Cloud” Matsuda is different.

I don’t stop coming at my opponent. I can hit my foes at any angle, at any moment. Men twice my size hide from my wrath. What was supposed to be a sacrifice turned into a back and forth slugfest at Road to Redemption? I expect the same to occur next week, even if it is on a weekly show. I can take the fight anywhere, with anyone. Win or lose, I leave scars to remember me by.

(Stephanie pauses for a moment while taking a sip from her cup. Her eyes stare at the camera for a moment, as if she’s about to address Chelsea directly)

I will never like you Chelsea Crowe, but I respect your skill. A woman like you would thrive in My Empire. Once I pay my debt on December 9th, I foresee our paths crossing once more. Until then, get used to being a prime example of how The War Queen dismantles her opponents. You will serve as a demonstration of what’s going to happen to my best friend because she flew just a little too close to the sun. I only ask for your forced submission Chelsea - on your knees before me, beaten and broken. That is the only way any of you will acknowledge my strength - and rightfully slow. I don’t want my ass kissed - just yours kicked. I wish for nothing more than for each and everyone woman on the Empire roster to come at me with everything they have and fall. I can admit that these past few weeks have been tiring - the landscape is nothing like it was when the season first began. The Coven is but a memory - I’m what remains of its existence. I’ve broken the German and the Texan - but yet Goldilocks is back, airing her grievances to everyone but the woman who put her on the shelf. I’ve sent The Philosopher with a lasting impression. Empire no longer has an Empress, but there exists two queens - one who governs war, and one who leads the new guard. In the history of the world, an emperor rules over an empire consisting of multiple kingdoms. Every woman sits in the comfort of her metaphorical castle - which will soon fly under my banner. I’ve taken some consideration of the words that are coming out my mouth and realized that to revitalize this brand I’ll have to drag you all into the fire. To become that fire I must do something I didn’t think I was ready for…

I must reawaken The War Queen.

The selfish fool inside of me wanted glory for myself. While I chased after brass rings on Showdown, Empire began to falter. This brand thrives and grows through competition - the Aria/Cailin saga was the highlight of last season. Now, here we are in territory unknown. I’ve heard the talks about whether or not Empire will live to see another season; girls come and go, and there are not enough stars to justify its existence. How we make stars is through incredible matches, Chelsea. I’m making it my business to push the entire roster to its limits - that may be presumptuous of me, but I don’t have time to reflect on my actions. If I need to be the bad guy in Aria’s story, so be it. If I need to be the woman who made Chelsea eat crow, then I accept the responsibility. This isn’t about my ego - it’s about addressing an issue that will only grow shortly. Empire needs to thrive on. If Aria keeps putting herself in vulnerable situations, she won’t last long enough to see the product thrive.

(Stephanie takes a sip)

We have unfinished business Chelsea Crowe. This time, you will fall to Empire’s queen…

(Stephanie stands up)

...soon to be its Undisputed Empress. Stay. Woke.

(camera off)

The Ryan Wilson Show presents: The Book of Wilson
A peek at the life of an up and comer.
This week: Week Two - Promo Two
Voltage Record: 0 Win 1 Loss 0 Draw
[size=13]Opponent: Amadeus[/size]
No. of words: 1,469
Reading time: 5m
Chapter Title: Awwww! 

I'm sowwy Amadeus did I disappoint you? Was my backstory not up to par with the idea you conceived yourself of me? Was my work not satisfactory and up to your standards? What you should ask youself is this; Do I care about what you think of my past and my promos? You said it yourself you didn't care about anything I have to say. You talk like you have me all figured out. So to see you believe my background is mundane and pale is kind of contradictory. 

You know what actually disappoints me?
The fact that you sound like everybody else. Lars talked about how hard it will be for me to survive on Voltage, Finnigan threw about the same thing at me no later than last week and now join in with the same garbage with the learning curve argument. Don't you realize you're all stating the obvious? Don't you know you keep emphesizing on something I already know? Something, must I add, that I already stated I am ready to deal with? But nah, you decide to keep on using the same disk only spin it differently hoping it sounds good. Sorry Amadeus, but you're music this week sucks.

In the end, all you keep telling me is that I am not ready, that I have alot to learn and that I am heading towards a whole world of pain, that I must change and adapt for a chance to survive. 

I have one word to sum it up: BORING. 

I KNOW I have to pay my dues here on the Voltage brand.
I KNOW I am probably lower mid card status or less at the moment.
I KNOW I will not be given title shots right away. I wouldn't want one right now anyway.
I KNOW I will be hurting alot. I may even get injured, but that never stopped me... Too long.
I KNOW I will be facing thougher opponents that I have faced so far in my career.
I KNOW It will be difficult to move up the ladder because the talent pool here is incredible.

But you know what I also know?

I KNOW I am able to surpass the obstacles that stands in my way.
I KNOW I am able to go through the hardships that stands before me.
I KNOW I am able to step up to the plate and measure up with the best.
Because I have faced the best of every single federations I signed with before. The only difference? The difficulty level. The EAW is THE place to be with the top talents and the biggest challenges in my young career. Because let's not forget: I've been doing the wrestling thing since only 2015! I just happen to be good at what I do! Sure I didn't win very of matches, nobody wins all of their matches we all have loses. Now? I have to be even better! 

My objective? To have a better record than Shaker Jones. (Oh Snap?) Nah Mister FourthWall, not oh Snap. I don't mean this to jab at the guy, I'm saying I aim at better for myself. 4 wins 14 losses? Even with the talent here on Voltage I KNOW I can do better! Sorry Shaker, don't take it personal, meh, who am I to tell you what to do. I have excelled everywhere I went, and everywhere I went there was one constant: It was never easy! And I always had to start over. To put in the effort, to get my name known, to pay the dues needed in order to get rewarded in the form of victories and eventually title matches. No matter how hard it will be here in EAW and on Voltage I plan to excel on this brand as well, like I did in other federations. Will I get alot of wins at first? More than likely not, who knows right? Will I have a hard time? Maybe! But the more a challenge I get the better I become! The more difficulty I have to go through the more I work to conquer said difficulty and that no matter how painful or how much blood I spill! It happened during my 9 month feud with the man I will talk about in a future promo, and it happened also against a man leading a faction that reminds me of the Sanatorium. 

They were called 'Le Bestiaire' and the enemy I faced had a name that said it all: DarkSide. (Not DarkSeid, DarkSide, we are not in a comic book. I'm a Marvel fan anyway.)
Picture Hayden Christensen with a guru attitude and that was actually able to act the evil bad ass part he was supposed to in Star Wars with aims to destroy the federation instead of ruling it like the Empire would. (If only he stuck around this year his vision would've become reality Ryan. Remember the Sanctuary was des...) WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT HERE FOURTHWALL!!! Christ man have a bit of respect for those that died during that event! (Sorry...) 

Damnit it why did he have to die. At least the shit stain responsible is in prison. Sigh... Anyway... Sorry about that. 
The group was build around the idea that each member, brainwashed by DarkSide, took the name of a mystical creature of legend to empower them. There was this one guy, shaped kind of like you in fact, that joined them and like you when you joined the Sanatorium he came in under a different name. While you were named Oni, he was called Cerberus. Or was it something else, no matter. While he was in Le Bestiaire, Yungsung well, how can I put it simply... He sucked! Given the wrong end of the stick and always on the short end of any situations. He soared however when he decided he was tired to be DarkSide's bitch and became what he was meant to be: The Long Dragon Yan Yungsung. And my god did the Dragon flew high! From the darkness he rose to become the federation's World Champion. It was a sight to see. You on your end? You were right when you said you changed, but you didn't really change: You crashed. You didn't adapt, you ... Well you didn't give but but clearly your attitude is bordering emo and that tells a lot. Listen, I can't say I don't understand how you feel somehoe. I mean Brody's passing even if I didn't know her much affected me as well. And I suffered a great personal loss myself earlier this year which is a story I might share one day. But do you see me go mask off, dress in black depressive clothing and talk all grim, gloomy and all like you do? NO! 

I decided to grab life by the balls and go GIDDY UP BITCH! We're pressing on!  
You got screwed by Eclipse? You felt abandoned by Solomon Caine? Brody's passing crushed your soul? Do you seriously think she'd want to see you in such a state man? Is this a way to honor her memory? By acting the way you do? Talking the way you do? Living your life the way you do? Of course not! 

Maybe you never heard this expression before, but I'll share it with you: Don't mourn the loss of a close one, instead, celebrate it's life.
This is what I've done ever since ... Since his passing. I didn't mope and cried missing the past I walked on and even ran charging in life full force remembering the good times spent with the departed. 
For me it's the ultimate sign of respect, keeping living life to the fullest with no remorse or regrets! This is what you should do, this is what you need to do in fact!

And maybe one day, you're going to overcome this and become Dynamo Go once more.
Until then? You and I we have a match this Sunday, that's in a few hours if you've been keeping count. And you know what? I think I decided to kick the life back into you! I will motivate you to get out of that goth-esque phase of yours! I will make you care about yourself and the world again! Will this lead into a feud? Heck if I know! But if I can beat some sense into you then It'll make my day. Winning will also make my day.

You want to bring the pain? You want to make me feel like I never felt before? Do your worse!
Deep down, you are still Dynamo Go. Amadeus is just a phase, a phase I want to crush for you.

I feel like doing you this favor. In the end, it's for your own good.
You're welcome.

(We start this promo off with a rumbling and tumbling but they're not headed towards the end zone. No, he's headed towards the RAD Betting agency. Who is this mess of a... Human? Yeah, we'll go with human. Why it's none other than the one, the only, The Interviewer, in all his body odor, sweaty pits, balding disgusting liver spot scalp, over weight, lazy eye, oompa loompa glory. Smugly walking with a purpose. He has a mic in his hand.. And when I say a mic you must know that this isn't an ordinary mic, it's one that kids get in like High School use for the High School news. There's no reason for him to have it either, the wire isn't attached to anything, he doesn't even know how to work it. He's just a mess, and he's making his way walking fast, faces pass and he's home bound.. doo doo doo doo doo. and I... Sorry that's a song from the early 2000's it's goat. No idea who sings it, don't judge me. But yeah he's walking to the front door of the agency when he hears someone talking inside. Just one solid single voice.. He can't tell who it is. He's scared. It can't be any of the High Rollerz for it's 11 AM, David is sleeping like a champ per usual, and Jack is eating raw eggs or something else dope. He's got to stay ripped, got to keep those gains brother brother, he's a body guy after all. But yeah Interviewer puts his cauliflower ear to the door to try and take a listen. The voice is muffled, but he can make it out.. It's none other than the one, the only, the incomparable, Top Shelf Jack Ripley. Interviewer is relieved, he thought that maybe it was a ghost, but knowing it's his good friend Jack he takes a deep breath and exhales. He barges in because he's really rude and intrudes on peoples lives on the reg.)

Interviewer: Jack?

(Interviewer can see that Jack is in fact talking, but no one else is there.. What is this? Is Jack going insane? Interviewer being an Interviewer is on the hunt for answers to his questions. He approaches Jack, and sticks his fisher price microphone in Jacks face, and asks his question.)

Interviewer: What cha doin?


(Jack stops talking, he just stares straight forward. The joy in his face has turned into somber depression, his world is crashing down all around him. This is the last thing he wanted on a day like today, the absolute last thing. He slowly turns to the interviewer with a blank stare on his face. He slowly brings his hand up into camera frame, and just slaps the shit out of the Interviewer. And goes right back to talking to nothing)

Jack: Why are you still here?

Interviewer: HAHA nice slap Jack! Really let me have it! And well, because you and David are my bff's. My BFFLS... OOOOOHHHHH WELLLLL We're three best friends that anyone can have, yes the three.... Come on Jack you know the song! The three best...

(Jack again turns to the Interviewer, this time he gets right up to his feet. Jumps up on the table, and starts making himself look bigger by puffing up.)

Jack: Leave now! I'm a big scary predator!

Interviewer: Jack please, you're scaring me, why do you do this?

Jack: Oh, well it works on bears, thought it would work on you seeing you have the same.. Or less... brain capacity than a bear.

Interviewer: Well, I was in a lot of special classes in high school, so you'd be pretty wrong with that one Jacko.. Remedial Math, and English, get at me!

Jack: Oh.. How'd you do in that remedial english class?

Interviewer: Well it was really hard seeing it was a special class, for special people. I could've done better, but why do you ask?

Jack: No reason, but they were right, you sure are special.

Interviewer: Thanks man I really appreciate it..

Jack: Yeah sure.. But I wasn't talking to you surprisingly.. I'm talking to this old woman that won't leave me alone.... YES BECAUSE YOU WONT LEAVE YOU STALKER!

Interviewer: Oh but no one is here except you and me.

Jack: What are you talking about? David and I saved this old woman from a burning building a few years back, and now she won't leave me alone.

Interviewer: OH you mean the woman you two murdered


(Jack puts a disgusted look on his face, how dare this sloot say something so fake. Fake news indeed. Jack will not stand for this.)

Jack: We're heroes, we saved her... She's literally over there.


(Camera pans to the other chair where no one is.)

Interviewer: Yeah.. No one is there.

Jack: Ok but let's not forget the fact you're blind, and don't see anything.

Interviewer: Huh? I wear glasses but I'm not blind.

Jack: Just foreshadowing.. 

Interviewer: What?

Jack: What?

(We now see things from Jacks perspective, and can hear with the old woman is saying. This is ghost technology, cutting edge stuff. That's what happens when you're apart of the greatest team in wrestling history)

Ghost old woman: I'm haunting you Jack, please stop, you're making yourself look crazy. No one will believe you

Jack: You're not dead for the thousandth time, we saved you.

Interviewer: Saved who?

Jack: Her!

Interviewer: No one else is here!

Jack: You're right! *Clap Clap* Chives!


(All of a sudden this giant man with tattoos for sleeves walks out from the shadows)'

Interviewer: Where the hell did that guy come from?

Jack: He's been around, don't ask questions.. Chives if you'll be so kind to escort this unwanted guest from our residence

Interviewer: Now wait just a damn minute. I'm head of security around here! Jack you can't do this, I'm going to protest. I'm going to stand outside RAD Betting agency and I'm going to protest. Everyone will be so stoked on me for standing up for my rights, that they'll listen to me, and not come back. I am a very powerful person Jackathy, listen to me or you will pay.

Jack: Jackathy? Yeah buh bye, ya gotta go hoe.

Interviewer: I ain't no hoe yo.

Jack: Oh you a hoe, fo sho.

Interviewer: Bro, I ain't no hoe, and I ain't gonna go.

Jack: Hoe, if you don't go, I'm going.. To fuck you up real bad fam for real.. CHIVES NOW! GET HIM!

(Chives grabs the scruff of the interviewers neck, and throws him out on da stoop... Which consisted of him taking him out the front door, walking him over to the stoop, walking up the stairs, and then throwing him down the stairs.)

Interviewer: OWWW OH GAWWDD... That's it, a protest is happening. Jack I love you, but it has to be done. I"m way too important to be treated like this. I am a world renowned superstar the world over. You'll BE hearing FROM MY lawyer.

(Jack is just staring from the front door.)

Jack: What the hell was that? Did you never learn how to scream?

Interviewer: I don't get angry very often... I don't know how to yell..

Jack: Alright..

(Jack slams the door and shuts Interviewer out to the cold cold world of the hallway.)

Jack: Alright then..

Old Lady that's dead: Hey I'm still haunting you.

Jack: Oh cool, but can you chill on that for a sec, gotta talk to a dumb fuck.

Old Lady: Oh ok, I'll just go over there.

Jack: Where's there?

Old Lady: I don't know, the ghost world... Or your fridge.. Have any Beer?

Jack: Oh maybe, you can check.. But I gotta do this.

Old Lady: Alright haunt ya later.

Jack: Ok bye.... 

Have you ever talked to a human being before Rex? I'm just asking because it doesn't seem like you know how an average conversation with what we call homosapiens go. If I did say, I'm better than you, and that's it would you accept that as a statement? Of course you wouldn't. After I let those words leave my lips, and deposit them into your hearing receptors, aka ears, you'd question it. You'd ask, why? That's a very common word uttered, why. People have a fascination with the word why at an early age, as a matter of fact it's one of those words that kids love to say all the time. Daddy where are we going? To the store. Why? Because we need groceries. Why? So we can eat, drink, and be merry. Why? So we can live. Why? I don't know you emo little shit, because we don't want to die. Because if I didn't feed you child protective services would come and put me in jail. Is that what you want you little asshole? HUH? NO? oh.. Hey, what's up. Anyways of course you wouldn't have accepted that as an answer, and it's foolish of yourself to think otherwise. The human mind is 1. Way too curious to let such a statement go without an explanation, and 2. Way too stubborn for someone to let someone differing views pass by. We as humans are also very argumentative when alternative view points are thrust upon us.. As you can see from example A.. Aka you. All I said was that I'm a legend, I gave you the reasons why I thought that, and that should've been the end of it right? Nope, instead you harp on it all week trying to discredit what I've done. Just badgering the point, over and over, and over again, the conversation has gotten quite dull. Do I need to say why I think I'm a legend again? I don't think it's necessary, because if you haven't gotten the picture yet then you won't, but I'll do it just to hear myself talk. Well Rex, The High Rollerz accomplished an historic feat, they became 3 time Tag Team Champions, something that's never been done before. Not only has it never been done before, we actually accomplished this within a year! So that being said, accomplishing multiple things that has never been done before, I believe that would make the legendary things that we've accomplished legendary, thus making me legendary. After the year that we've had why wouldn't I think this way? Whether you believe it or not, it's still going to be my mindset. I'm still going to keep myself to legendary standards, and make sure I adhere to those standards. It's that extra motivation that keeps you going when you're getting up at 3 AM every day to work out. It's that motivation that keeps you going when you spend so much time away from your wife. It's that certain motivation that keeps you going when a little shit that couldn't even tie your boots saying that you ain't legend. If I keep the mindset that I am a legend, whether others believe it yet or not, doesn't matter, I'll change their minds eventually. The High Rollerz will be in the Hall of Fame someday, you can mark my words. Write it down, put it in a time capsule, pick your favorite patch of dirt under that old tree that your grandpops planted back when he was a youngin, and in 3 years when the High Rollerz are being inducted into the Hall of Fame, you can dig that note up and read it at our induction ceremony. That is if you're still here because the jury is still out on that, I don't know if I fully put my trust into you. If this weeks any indication on the future you're not going to make it. We've been running around in circles due to you not being able to move onto anything new, it's annoying. 

Rex you said it yourself, whether it was by design or not, we set the blue prints on how to be successful here. Whether it was a shortcut or not we got our names out there and we accomplished something that nobody else in the entire world can claim. Think about that, you can go anywhere in the world that you want, and you will not find anyone else on gods green earth that has done what we've done. Again, we are legends. That just makes us smart, there's no other way to explain it. We did exactly what we set out to do, so how could you discredit that? When we grew up dreaming of becoming the Tag Team Champions, we didn't think of World Championships because we weren't able to share that with each other. What could be better than sharing success with your best friend? Now that we're older we're trying to find ways around things so that we can continue our success in other ways, such as co World Champions. Something that has never been done before, but if you know the High Rollerz, you know that they break trends. They take there own path, and break down barriers. That's how we became legends, by having an alternative way of looking at things. The way you perceive a legend is someone that has busted there ass for years in EAW, and accumulated a reputation of being consistent. We didn't need years to prove what we are, we only needed a year to beat the best. We only needed a year to achieve what we wanted. Don't you see Rex? There isn't a template to how things need to go in EAW, people can go about things in a completely different way, and wind up with the same result. I don't know for sure, but if you look at the Hall of Fame, you look at the names on that list, were all of them in EAW for 4 years straight? Or were some fired, and came back to prove something. Were all of them looked at as these giant stars right from the beginning? Or was there some that was a work in progress that got to where they wanted to be down the line. You're just a naysayer trying to stifle my beliefs because either you're jealous of the bonafide facts, or flat out refusing to see whats right in front of your face. By you talking Rex, you're continually just proving my point, and I don't understand how you can try and spin this in a negative light. "See, I don't care what you've done over the course of a year, because it's what you do over the course of a career that defines you not one great year, but you're ignorance somehow allows you to save face and take no shame in painting a picture believable enough for you and said commentators to feel good about what you've accomplished when you've only just begun, and that's just as a tag team". That's just the thing Rex, this year, is our career. That's it, that's all we've been here for, and you honestly think that this pace will cool down? You think that we'll just stop being as good as we are? I get that you think that we won't last as a tag team because "no tag team in the history of the business has ever stayed together forever", which is false of course. Granted about 95% of tag teams do break up, but they're not the High Rollerz. But again this is a topic that I've spoken on again and again and again, and I'm quite sick of talking about it. But you live in the Rex bubble and don't listen to anything that doesn't come from your own head. How many teams can you say were friends since they were 4 years old? How many teams can say that this is all they ever dreamed about since they were kids? There is no animosity between us, no jealousy, none of that. We want the other to be as successful as possible, that's why I said that the High Rollerz have 2 chances to win this tournament, because we're basically the same person. But back to your quote, the commentators see just how good we are, so it's really not just us. We have believers in our corners knowing exactly what the future holds for us, and that is utter domination. They see it, they choose to accept it, I don't understand why your feeble little mind won't accept it. I don't care if you don't see it because our future isn't up for you to decide. The people that decide our future is ourselves.. And management... But mostly ourselves. We dictate our future, we dictate our present. If we say that we're going to be Hall of Famers then you damn well believe it because as you can see by my waist, what we say holds a lot of weight in the truth department. And then to top that quote off you say, and that's just as a tag team. Yeah, that's extremely impressive right Rex? Everything that we've gotten, every piece of notoriety that we've gotten has been just as a tag team, isn't that crazy? If David and I did try for singles success we'd already have an upper leg on the accolade competition. As I've stated before 3 Tag Title reigns is unheard of, so just imagine what we'd do. 3 titles in one year, unheard of. 3 tag titles in a year even more unheard of. Just imagine what the future will hold we basically put in a cheat code when we got here and really put our mark on this company. Whether you choose to accept how much of a mark we've left already or not doesn't really matter., facts are the facts. 

Tell me Rex, who was the last legitimate tag team to main event a Showdown? Who was the last tag team to main event an FPV? Can you even name something that happened so long ago? Well I can tell you who did it last, and that was the High Rollerz, before us? No clue, probably never been done before in all honesty. We do like to make history, it's kind of our thing. Retiring legends, winning tag titles, main eventing shows, it's kind of our thing. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure we've main evented, and faced better competition than even you have this year. But you'd never admit it because you can't admit something that makes The High Rollerz, and specifically me.. Look good. You're pretty pathetic Rex. a dude loses a few main events and suddenly thinks he's hot shit. I can't even imagine how awful your ego would become if you actually won a damn title. I know, I know, you think that's rather hypocritical of me to say such things right? But the truth is, and I know you don't like hearing the truth, but my ego is actually deserved and justified. And if you did actually win a World Title one day, then yeah I'd agree you should be egotistical about life, but not now. You haven't accomplished what you set out to do, and you after this tournament is all said and done, you won't be any closer to your ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal will be achieved, and you can stand on your soap box and tell us how impossible it is, that's just even more motivation. There hasn't been a tag team like me and David before, there hasn't been a tag team that is as committed as us before. I've said it a thousand times but you don't get it, WE ARE LEGENDARY! What do legendary people do? They do things that haven't been done before. Holy shit I'm a broken record, not by design, but because you don't let me say anything else. You bring up the same topics over and over.. Sigh. Point is, yes, there hasn't been a team that has purely just been a team there whole careers, we get it. That's why we want it so bad, I don't think it's a hard concept to grasp. Whether the High Rollerz have singles success or not, doesn't matter, we're never breaking up. 

You act as though keeping this up for years and years is scary, or a big deal. Like it wasn't our plan all along to continue doing what we're doing. We know we have to do this for years and years, and we plan on doing it. This isn't a job for us, this is fun. Putting you in your place and exposing you for the one trick pony you are, is fun. Showing the world how little Rex McAllister has to offer to EAW when faced with real competition is fun. Honestly I was expecting a lot more out of you, and I was disappointed. It's been a one sided conversation, and you've just embarrassed yourself the entire time. I mean like this classic line.. "first off, are you really inspired by becoming co-world champions? I mean, you know that's not even possible, so why even bring something like that up?" Oh no? It's not even possible? Maybe you should brush up on your EAW history, because although it wasn't a world title, there has been co champions before. "Adam & Speedy won the match with a draw and thus, both men would be co-champion". Oh would you look at that? Co Champions.. But wait, there's more! "Jon Kelton & CB Cool defeated the co-champions, thus becoming co-champions themselves". Holy shit, two times? We had co champions at least two times? That's crazy man. You know Rex you should really brush up on your EAW history because now you look pretty stupid. This is professional wrestling, you know? We have a huge cast of characters that wouldn't be able to cut in in real life. We have illegal things happen on the regular, and no one gets punished. THIS IS EAW... ANYTHING IS POSSIBLLEEEEE. Like you being placed in this tournament. You say that it was revealed that TLA didn't evolve, and that's why he had a hard time getting to that next step. Which begs the question to you, how have you evolved? Since your last two title losses, what have you done different to change? I don't see this big drastic Rex McAllister change, I see the same guy that lost to Tiberius twice. Or has it been more? A change in attitude perhaps? I don't think so, I believe you've been an asshole all your life, you've just decided to show it a few months ago. Even still it was before you even challenged for the World Title I believe, so that doesn't even count, hmmm. Rex, you're a hypocrite. You haven't changed, you're the same guy that lost last time. I don't care what your body of work has been before you lost, you lost. Could you imagine an election being run this way? Trump has been an utter failure of a president, right? Imagine him losing the election, but people say well he won 4 years ago, so let's give him another shot. No. That's not how it works. You lose, you lose, earn it again. Go back to square one and try to get back to where you were once before, because that's what is fair. You don't like that thought though because you don't want to have to earn it again, that's why you rest on your laurels and say fuck it I proved it 2 months ago. Like really? Let's say the Houston Astros don't make the playoffs next year.. Wait hold up we got to put them in the play offs... Why? Well because they won last year, so that still counts. Fuck no that doesn't still count, but whatever makes it easier for you Rex. But don't worry, you have your chance to actually earn it in this tournament. For if you do win, then I will give you your just due, but until then I will continue to say that you're not worthy. And you probably think the same of me, the only difference is, I've never had a singles match to prove how I can do in such a high stake match really. Honestly it doesn't matter if you think I can cut it or not,  because Ripley's believe it or not, you and I are in the main event of Showdown this week. Obviously someone believes in my singles ability enough to put me in this position. Up until this point I haven't even cared to even try a singles career, but if an opportunity presents itself why not go into it full force. I'm too competitive as a human being not to care, that part of my brain doesn't exist. I always strive to be the best in everything that I do, mediocrity is not an option like it is for you. Complacency isn't an option for me, like it is you. Now I know that you find me being in the tag division and racking up tag titles as complacency, but is it? With every title win, with every day we reign as champion our stock rises, and our ultimate goal of being one of the first tag teams in the EAW hall of fame gets greater. The High Rollerz have a goal in mind, we never roam aimlessly through life, because that's when you get bored, and that's when you slip up. 

You can't treat championship matches like they're a given, nothing is a given in this industry. They don't just hand them out to anyone that signs on the dotted line. Championships are essentially our awards you know? They're our Emmys, our Grammys. Unless you count those end of the year awards.. Which, is true, but I feel like titles mean more. They should be an accomplishment our reward, they should be earned. Not anyone just gets them, but you don't seem to understand that. You don't understand that you have to prove yourself again, and again, and again. Winning matches from a month or so ago don't matter anymore. How about now? What are you doing to earn it? How did you earn entry into this tournament? Well according you a few matches from months ago prove that, but I disagree. When you got your first title opportunity that was you earning it, that was your reward. When you lost it, you hit a reset button. To me instead of feeling entitled about something, pointing at the past, you should be able to point at the present. Continue to grow, no one is at a point where they can stop learning. The High Rollerz are as close to a finished product as you can possibly be, but we're always trying to prove ourselves. We're trying to go outside the box and show just who we are as competitors. You won't go for the tag team titles because you think they're beneath you. Well maybe it would be good for you to get a reality check, a cold hard hit to the mouth to wake you up out of this stupor you have going on. Somewhere along the line you forgot what it meant to earn things, and it's sad. In all actuality, you coming to the tag Division might be the kiss of death on your career, or could be a wake up call. You fight the High Rollerz and find out that you can't actually hang in the low ceiling, you could ruin all your credibility. After nonstop dirt being thrown on top of this division by you, you lose? Where does your credibility go? You talked on and on about how it's just not that hard of a division, you ruin everything you work for. Maybe you have thought about that, and you're scared. I mean weren't you in a very short lived tag team with Chris elite yourself? How did that go? I see you're not the champions so I guess not too well. How pathetic are you that you couldn't win in this division that you yourself think is pathetic? Now don't get me writing Rex, I know what this match, this tournament, might mean for me. I go out there and win, I show that the High Rollerz aren't just a tag team. They're two individually incredible wrestlers that can go with anyone, who just so happen choose to be in a tag team. Or I show that yeah, maybe they're just tag wrestlers that can't cut a singles career. But what I don't do, is what you do, and that's rest on my laurels. Yeah I'm a three time tag team champion, a legend in this industry, but that won't stop me from professing. Like I said there's always room to grow. So I really can't comprehend why you would ever think that bringing up "falling back on a title" as an option. That is something that would cross your mind though isn't it. That is something Rex McAllister would do, just sift through life accepting failure because he already accomplished something. I mean it's basically when you've been saying all week. So I'm done talking Rex, I'm going to show you just how little a failure like you, stacks up to a legend like myself. I'm going to embarrass you, and show the world exactly what this "tag team specialist" can do when given a spotlight. 

I can already tell that I've gotten to you Rex. You're so obsessed in trying to prove that I'm not a legend you've lost sight of what is important this week. We are trying to show that we are worthy of gaining the World Championship opportunity. Your main objective it seems has been to show me that I'm not what I claim to be. But with that you've lost sight of what we're actually doing here. You didn't even have the attention span to notice this isn't even a part of the tournament. And you want me to think that you're World Champion worthy? More than me? If anything I have more wins than you this season, I have more accolades to my name, I'm the one that's worthy of being called Co World Champion. Not you. Had you just had once chance at the title before, I might've been more lenient with my stance of where you are in this company, but no, you've had multiple, and it's time for you to step aside. I might not have cared about this tournament when it was first announced, and I didn't ask to be in it. But when life gives you lemons, ya know. Especially when it comes to knocking off a loud mouth egocentric, narcissistic, horse toothed, repetitive, overrated, sack of donkey shit like you. Keep obsessing over my words, it's cool. I didn't know it was going to be this easy to get in your head and throw you off your game. If calling myself a legend could throw you off for a week long tangent about why I'm not, then I did my job. That's crazy how much of a mental midget you are. If I knew I could make you this upset over words I would've said something even more offensive. I can just see it now, I'm going for my finishing move, and you're about to stop it but then you stop... And think.. HE THINKS HE'S A LEGEND HE'S SO WRONG! Thus moving your arms, and you getting kicked in the face. 1.. 2.. 3.. It's over. And you can think about how I'm not a legend while you stare up at the lights. 

Ghost Lady: Oh hey back to haunt you.

Jack: Cool.. Wanna gamble on stuff?

Ghost Lady: Sure, got lots of ghost dollars.

Jack: Cool cool.


(Old Lady whips out some hard candies that apparently counts as ghost monies. Camera fades to black)

(We start this promo off with that strange interviewer that does strange things. He does stranger things than the stuff that happens on the show Stranger Things, k cool. He’s wandering around backstage, trying to find either Jack or David because his life has no other purpose but to talk to them.. He checks everywhere. Catering, janitor’s closet, locker room, men’s bathroom, women’s bathroom to get slapped because he’s a perv but he doesn’t mind it because a woman finally touched him, Brian Daniels’ office, etc. Then it hits him, The High Rollerz always reserve a spot backstage to put their dope stuff. For instance their R..A.D. Betting Agency door, their stoop..yes we have a stoop, and both of those get moved from arena to arena because why not? So the interviewer goes there and sure enough, there is David. Laying in a fancy hammock with a blanket covering him. So they got a hammock back there now too. Add that to the budget.)

David: BLANKETS!

(The interviewer is confused by David’s demand since he already has one. A person rushes over and puts another blanket on David, who is shivering..)

David: MORE BLANKETS! 

(Another person rushes over and puts a blanket on top of the other two. But that won’t cut it.)

David: MOOOOOORE BLANKETS! NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE! Ha person caring over that blanket remember when LeBron James said that when he joined the Miami Heat? Yeah you remember! He said he was going to win all these titles with his best friend D-Wade and he did! It’s like me winning these tag titles all over again for the third time with my best friend, Jack. Good times, good times indeed. All right I think that’s enough blankets. How many are there? Seven? Seven layers? I’m like a human version of Seven Layer Dip. Look at me, I’m all snuggled in. I feel like I’m in a cocoon. I can’t even move. 

Interviewer: Perfect. 

David: What? Who said that? Interviewer is that you? Yeah, unfortunately it’s you. What you said was very weird and creepy. When you talk out loud, people near you can hear you. You do realize that don’t you? 

Interviewer: Oh yes, I’m quite aware. It’s just that whenever you see me, you usually walk away and it hurts my feelings because I want to chat with my friend. And now, since you can’t move, you have no other choice but to hang out with me! 

David: I hate everything you choose to be. 

Interviewer: Ha classic Dave! You’re so silly. So what’s going on right now? Why all the blankets? 

David: I’m feeling a little under the weather. 

Interviewer: Oh god how bad is it? D-do you need anything from me?! I’ll donate blood or any organ to get you better. 

David: I just have a cold, chill. 

Interviewer: Riiiiiiiiiiight, “a cold”..I’m sure! That’s code for a hangover huh? I know how you Vegas people get down. 

David: No..no you don’t. 

Interviewer: Yeah you’re right. So a cold huh? How did that happen? 

David: Jack and I, we are big deals. Big deals with big goals. And at Road to Redemption, we reached a milestone, by becoming three time Unified Tag Team Champions. No other team has ever done that. So obviously, we deserved a pat on the back for our efforts…and that’s exactly what happened. When we won, we slapped hands with the fans. Kissed babies. Took pictures after the show. All of that. Why? Because we are men of the people! We are just good dudes. Never done a single thing wrong. We are angels! And even angels get sick. Now I know that I have a match this week and by no means, am I trying to use my current condition as some excuse if I lose. Nah, I’m confident in my abilities and I’m confident that this Saturday night in Little Rock, I will do what The High Rollerz continue to do and that’s win. That’s good enough right? You’re an interviewer so obviously you’re going to ask me some questions. There, I did it. Now leave me be, someone is gonna bring me a TV so I can watch The Punisher. 

Interviewer: Nope, gotta ask you more questions. 

David: Whhhhhhy?! Can’t you interview someone else? 

Interviewer: Actually, last week I was going to interview Lannister and Athena. The news about their baby was leaked through the grapevine and I asked them if I could interview them after their big announcement and they agreed. When I got their verbal agreement, I saw Ares was lurking and I could tell he was jealous. He obviously wanted me to interview him. It’d be an honor for him. So long story short, he gets mad and pretty much kills Lannister. I feel bad, David. I shoulda been more stealthy. This is all my fault. 

David: Agreed. You almost got someone killed. 

Interviewer: Yeaaaah…so your match this week. Facing James Ranger in this King of The Elite Tournament preview. Thoughts?

David: My thoughts? I’m clearly not ready for an interview. Just look at me. I have to get myself together. 

(David uses his superhuman strength to get the pile of blankets off of him. David has been wearing a three piece suit this entire time and has his title resting on his shoulder.)

David: Just kidding, I’m always together. So tell me interviewer, has it not been enough? Since November 25th, 2016..we’ve taken over a division. We’ve pretty much held these titles for a year. Sure, we’ve had some hiccups along the way and sure, we’ve taken our bumps and bruises. Our time here hasn’t been perfect. This journey hasn’t been smooth sailing from the very beginning to now. There are a few blemishes on our record. RoViper, The Triumvirate.. are those two specks of dirt. But if this was college football, they would be considered quality losses. It took two legends with nothing to lose by not having to worry about tomorrow, to take our titles the first time. The second time, it took a fucking super team to stop us…momentarily. Oh yeah, that was in a six man tag match by the way. But hey, we got up, brushed our shoulders off and we won them back in quick fashion. The first time, it took what? A week? And the second time, a month. So I think it’s fair to say that when it comes to this tag division, it starts and ends with us. But now, it seems like our GM, Brian Daniels is trying to spice things up. He now has Jack and myself in this King of Elite Tournament. Which may be a head scratcher to some. And when I say “some” I mean the ignorant. 

They think we won’t be able to advance very far, if at all in this tournament because in order for us to succeed, we need the other to hold our hand through a match. My opponent for this week, James Ranger, shares this sentiment. Something I will go more into detail about in a few minutes. So why are we in this tournament? Jack and I have gone on record to say we don’t care about singles success. And I still don’t. Which I know, is an odd thing to say because the most common goal for every elitist in the back is to one day hoist one of the three world titles in the air and get their nameplate drilled into that beautiful golden plate. But not me. I’ve never once asked Brian Daniels for this opportunity to be in the KOE Tournament. Even if I did, he most likely would have declined my request after the hell we put that man through. But to me, it’s quite clear that Brian has his hands tied here and he must put his personal feelings aside to do what’s best for Showdown and this tournament. Props to corporate Brian. It’s just funny that for so long, we’ve been told that the tag division is weak. That it’s on the brink of death. Opponents that have lost to us say this nonsense. They briefly come into our world, thinking it’ll be easy to take over, that these titles are candy and Jack and I are babies. Thinking they can take these away with no effort and in the end, it’ll be an easy accolade to add to their name. That’s right, just an accolade. They just want it so they can one day be called Triple Crown Champion or Grand Slam Champion. I apologize for that tangent. 

The point I was trying to make is that the singles division isn’t as stacked as they want you to believe..it needs some help. So much so, they are calling for the tag champs to step in and take over..that right there goes back to my original question, interviewer, when I asked you, hasn’t it been enough? You want us to take over another division? A division we have no desire to compete in? But I get it, you need Showdown’s brightest stars to participate in Showdown’s side of the KOE bracket. Well, for the most part. There are some names in this that really makes you think, why? Why on god’s green earth were they handpicked to be a part of this? But then again, Brian wrestled for many years before he hung up his boots, which means he was likely dropped on his head repeatedly. So I’ll cut him some slack. But back to The High Rollerz. I’m sure you want to ask me, “If you’re so against singles competition, then why have you agreed to be in this tournament?” I’m not going to lie, I’ve been asking myself that exact question for a while now. But after discussing this with Jack, we came to an agreement. We will not only participate in this tournament, we will win. “We? How are you both going to win?” Like Jack has said all week long to Rex, we have double the odds of becoming King of Elite, because whether I win or Jack wins, it’s a High Roller win and that’s all that matters. 

For so long we’ve faced tag teams that aren’t really tag teams. Just two wrestlers trying to tolerate one another to win titles. Two singles guys trying to pass it off as a legit team. Guys like Lannister and Ares come to mind. So now we return the favor and take opportunities away from you. Sure, this may be a new world to us. Some may say we are now small fish swimming in an ocean, rather than being big fish in a small pond that is the tag division, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m not going to just dip my toe and be cautious with this new opportunity, nah I’m going in head first and make the most of it. It’s really all I can do. But before the official tournament gets under way, I must first compete in a preview against James Ranger, aka The Black Mamba! Yeah, still not calling you that. That’s Kobe Bryant’s moniker, not yours. Get your own, thanks. Well James, we meet again..and I wish I could say that this match isn’t personal for me whatsoever, because truth be told, most of my matches aren’t. But this is a different story. Because yes, it’s true, we have faced off once before. I believe it was The High Rollerz versus you and Lance Hart. What an interesting duo you were. Lance would always talk about how much he despised you and how his intentions were always to just let you hang out to dry. But you guys kind of teamed together for a little while afterwards. Yeah, very odd. But anyways, we beat you guys in that match and afterwards, we of course shook hands and became great friends! We’ll probably even exchange Christmas cards this year! Nah, that’s not what really happened.

 I recall Ares and Lannister making their way to the ring and then you and Lance attacked us with steel chairs. So brave of you! You’re such a tough guy. You sent your message loud and clear alright! A message that stated that you and Lance aren’t here to play games! That you two will be taken seriously moving forward! At least that’s what you thought at the time. In reality, the only message you sent is you’re a massive recreant. See, most people probably would have called you a pussy just then but I never understood that line of thinking. Why compare you to something I like? Anyways, yeah, I fully plan on getting some revenge this week and hopefully while I’m just annihilating you and extirpate your hopes and dreams of pulling off the upset, you take a moment to realize that you’re a horrible decision maker and that your shitty actions always have consequences. And no, you aren’t just going to get a slap on the wrist like a LiAngelo Ball. Now I could go on and on about your actions and just grill you for the next five minutes…at least, that’s what the old me would do, but I’d like to think I’ve matured at least a little since the first day I got here and for a moment, I’m going to try to understand your perspective. So allow me to put on your shoes for a second. So you brutally blindsided us with chairs, just a selfish act. An act that almost ended my career when Ares decided to join in on the fun and temporarily wrap a chair around my neck and could have very well stepped on that chair to snap my neck into two. Something he should have clearly done because since he didn’t, I took his title away and led to the downfall of The Triumvirate. Very fitting, in a way, but I digress. So you tried to make a name for yourself that week, I get it. Because so far, you have done nothing to separate yourself from the pack and it’s just laughable that Brian decided to put you in this tournament in the first place. Now to you, you probably think this opportunity is a blessing, when really it’s more of a throwing the new guy to the wolves kind of thing. You don’t like wolves? Fine. Let’s go with throwing you in the deep end of shark infested waters. You’re just a body in this scenario, James. You aren’t some special snowflake. You aren’t unique. You aren’t flashy. You aren’t some big draw because if you were, you wouldn’t have been sitting at home for the past month like you said. So yeah, you and Lance are in this to make it an even eight. I think I made that perfectly clear. Crystal even. 

What’s funny is how you don’t even have an answer for your recent struggles and lack of screen time. I even wrote down your full quote on this piece of paper so hold on. And I quote, “But, where is all this cockiness and reassurance coming from James Ranger, you might ask? I didn’t see you at a FPV, featured as the National Elite Champion, not competing for the EAW Championship. I didn’t see you last week to help Lance Hart. Just where was James Ranger during all of this?” I paraphrased some of it, sure. But then you never answered those questions. You just go on to say how you’re going to hurt me this week. Just a very weak transition. I mean if you want, I could sugarcoat this and say something like maybe Brian wanted to keep you fresh this entire time because he has big plans for you in the future! Or I could tell you the truth and say overall, you’re forgettable. You’re the low man on the totem pole. Sure, you’re the new guy, I get it. I’m not expecting you to have all these accolades or achievements to your name. I’d say that excluding yourself, most have low expectations for you and yet, somehow..someway, you failed to reach that very low bar. You didn’t even come close. The funny thing is, I’m trying my hardest to give you the benefit of the doubt, even if it doesn’t seem like it. I’m trying to find ways to hype you up so people will actually tune in for this match, even though the ending is very predictable. I’m trying to relate to you. But I can’t. When Jack and I first got started here on Showdown, we didn’t do what you’re currently doing…and that’s waiting for opportunities to fall in your lap. Instead, we challenged for the tag titles right away, seconds after Matt Squared won the Grand Prix Tourney about a year ago. I don’t know you too well, James. Nobody does because well, you’re not exactly a regular on EAW programming as of late but it appears to me that you have no drive, that you just want to coast during your time here and oh my god, do I hope that comment lights a fire under you because I want to see some real emotion from you. 

Instead, we get this impassive look on your face and empty words and threats from your loud mouth. It’s true, your words mean nothing to me. Like for instance, when you insinuate that I may be the weakest champion on my own, I don’t even have to brush that comment off. It never successfully reached me or my feelings. Maybe it would have done more damage if you were wreaking havoc. But you’re not. You’re just a NEO guy that got called up too soon and people are quickly realizing your worth to this company, which is zero, and that you are fungible in every sense of the word. So yeah, you have no right to be so censorious. Or when you say I need to demonstrate what makes me such a great champion against you this week…HAAAAAAA! Do you really think I have to prove anything to you? I just finished up a war against The Triumvirate and now here I am, against you. Don’t you see? You have it all wrong. I have nothing to prove this week. The pressure rests on your shoulders…spoiler alert, your back will snap because you aren’t ready for this encounter. Even at my worst, which I’m close to being after the match I had against Ares and Lannister not too long ago and suffering from this cold or flu, which I’m fine with because I’m going to go all Michael Jordan on your ass and have a flu game like performance of my own — so even with all of that, I’ll still be able to make you look like a complete and utter amateur in between those ropes, which you are, while I fight with calmness, intelligence and confidence, you’ll struggle to find your footing by tripping all over your feet as your legs shake — and you’ll quickly come to the realization that just like every other Showdown, this just isn’t your night. And to be clear, you have nothing to prove to me this week either. Not even to yourself. But to the higher-ups, you most certainly do. You have to prove to the suits that you’re even worthy of a roster spot — because as of right now, they’ve got to be leaning towards no. 

(The camera fades to black.)