Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2011 17:32:14 GMT -6
The sun is slowly setting in the sky, leaving a warm hazy orange glow in its wake. Darkness begins to creep through the woodlands surrounding the home of Roberto Verona, nocturnal creatures slowly stirring from their slumber. Roberto sits by himself on his balcony, a glass in one hand with ice bobbing slowly up and down on its contents surface whilst he slowly caresses his beard with the other. Verona stares for a second before Hannah appears from inside the property, carrying a clipboard in one hand. She sets it down on a small table besides Roberto before leaning up against the barrier.
Hannah Reed : They left you another message.
Roberto Verona : Let me guess, my conduct was unacceptable, my behaviour was professional…
Hannah Reed : You’re getting the hang of it now.
Roberto places his drink down and leans back in his chair and shakes his head.
Roberto Verona : Let them send all the threats they like, it really won’t make any difference.
Hannah Reed : Yeah, well clearly they don’t know how stubborn you are like I do. I don’t think I have received so many angry phone calls in one day.
Roberto Verona : Oh dear, has Leonard burst a few blood vessels?
Hannah Reed : You could say that, let’s just say a man of his age really should learn to control his temper.
Roberto Verona : Heh, he’s been riding you pretty hard I take it.
Hannah suddenly closes her eye and shudders, shaking her head quickly.
Hannah Reed : Please never say that again. Ever.
Roberto Verona : I’ll try to resist. Listen, turn your phone off for the rest of the night, I’ve had enough of Head Office’s bombardment for one day. If they think fining me and flexing the authoritative muscles will change anything they’re gravely mistaken.
Hannah Reed : That sounds like a good idea.
Roberto Verona : Well, I am full of them.
Hannah Reed : Don’t flatter yourself. We’ve had enough of your ideas for one week, they can wait for Collision.
Roberto Verona : Why did I hire you again?
Hannah sits down in the chair besides Verona and pulls a beer from the nearby cooler.
Hannah Reed : So you have somebody to deflect all the crap that gets thrown in your general direction.
Roberto Verona : Ah yes, that.
Hannah Reed : Now, if you don’t mind I want to let my hair down and drink enough until I forget about the whole day.
Roberto Verona : Classy as always.
The pair clink their glass and bottle together as they turn back away from one another, staring across the valley as the sun sets over the mountain range in the distance.
Act I – Deluded Giant
Roll up, roll up, read all about it! Xander Famularo still talks a big game and proves nothing.
Hey Famularo, have you and Todd being hanging out together much lately? Because this descent into despair followed by an inspirational reigniting of your self-worth seems awfully familiar. In fact, it seems like a Todd Williams promo with Gib and a fraction of the assclownery. That isn’t a compliment by the way Xander, I know you have difficulty keeping up with my “big words”.
So, for the benefit of those without a High School education….
Xander, you will not beat me because you are not as good as me.
Simple enough for you?
Oh, and FYI, you might not want to claim I can’t take my mind off you as an insult when you then state that I am what your mind has been aiming towards for weeks. It just makes you look like an idiot.
Listen BFG, I know you like to mock the fact I pay close attention to you as if it is some sort of obsession but the fact is I monitor threats to my title because I am a credible champion, something you wouldn’t know much about hey Harold? That’s right Xander, I do see you as a credible threat to my belt because you are persistent enough to have somehow weaselled your way into this foursome. No matter how much confidence I have in my ability to make sure any number one contendership you may gain will be about as useful as your “Gladiator” status, I am not stupid enough to ignore potential contenders for my crown.
What separates me from the rest of you is that I do my research, and I do it well. I broke Todd Williams because I knew how to torture his mind, I beat him because I knew exactly what to expect in the ring from him and I retained my belt against him because I took away his ability to fly around like a leprechaun on heat. I never go out there without an idea on how my opponent will behave inside that ring because I am not arrogant enough to think that I can just roll up to an arena and squash people just because of who I am. I prepare for every eventuality, and that is what makes me a better wrestler than you and the rest of the roster.
You are probably the odds-on-favourite to pull something out of this match, you are after all the fruit of the loins of the same man that brought us Zelda Knite. You are also the 2011 Gladiator and a former X-Champion.
However, you are also a choker.
You went through five men to earn your shot at the World title and you blew it. You tore the X-Championship from Joe Ragnal and then jobbed out to Rob Diamond.
You may put Webb, Daye and Potter away but you will most certainly fail when it comes to fighting me for this belt. Fate smiles on you only to stab you in the back when it matters.
Do yourself a favour and give up whilst you’re ahead, save yourself the heartache and me the headache of having to carry your lumbering ass towards something resembling entertainment before crushing any notions people may have of me dropping this belt any time soon.
Act II – You shouldn’t have quit your day job….
If ever there was a sign that the NCW booking committee picks names out of a hat, the inclusion of Dr Jonas Potter in a four-way match for a shot at my X-Championship is it.
Does somebody want to explain to me how a man who fails to defeat the champion in a non-title match can earn a place in a number one contenders match a week later for a shot at the aforementioned title two weeks later?
Seriously.
Anybody?
Congratulations Jonas, it appears that your previous efforts have reaped the benefits, although the less said about last week the better. Well, for you. For me on the other hand I think mentioning last week is certainly for the better. So, Jonas, where was this calculated assault you were planning to unleash on me? Was it the part where I drove your face into my kneecap and turned the lights off? Or was it the bit where the guy in the striped shirt hit the mat three times? Or maybe it was the time where I had my arm raised in the air whilst my music played?
Or maybe you just do not have what it takes to best me?
Sure, you can, and have, just claim that it was a one off, that next time you will “show me what for”. However, reality sort of spoils that whole idea Jonas. You see, Collision was not a one off. You threw everything you could at me and it just wasn’t enough. You left that ring a loser whilst I left with a bad arm and I am willing to bet that should you manage to pull off a victory this week that when we theoretically meet at Picture Perfect, you’ll still leave a loser.
Don’t get me wrong Potter, you’re a talented man and you clearly have something about you, but that doesn’t mean you have anything that will lead to you relieving me of the X-Championship. If you want to do yourself a favour I suggest that you write yourself a Doctor’s note to bring to Picture Perfect otherwise I’d make sure that your medical insurance is paid up because next time it won’t just be a minor face-off on Collision, it’ll be for my belt and I only get more ruthless when it comes to defending it.
You may well come out of this four-way looking like a promising X-Champion, but you’ll walk out of Picture Perfect looking like ****. Being X-Champion is about putting your body on the line Potter and if the NCW has its head screwed on they’ll let us bring a few toys to play with in Boston. I have proved that I am man enough to not only claim this belt for myself, but also retain it. I have proved that I am willing to do anything to be X-Champion and at Picture Perfect, I will prove exactly why I will be the best X-Champion this company has ever seen.
And that’s a promise.
Act III –You can’t spell Falcon without con.
So here we are again Falcon, only this time it is just you and me. Two weeks ago I questioned whether you had a purpose anymore, besides just racking up your kill count. It seems that perhaps you have the most prestigious purpose of all, you will be the man to crown the start of my Revolution.
Why you?
You are Leonard’s dream employee, you are loved by the masses and your market value is obscene, in fact I can think of few men in this company who can line his pockets more than you can. You are the man who first springs to mind when somebody mentions NCW, you are the man who the people crave and the biggest face of Leonard’s con.
You are marketed as a man who loves the people, a wise sage who bestows your wisdom of the business to the next handsome young man who will be pushed on the fans the same way you are. You are made out to be a person who gives a damn about the people who line up in droves to scream your name, like they are in some way a part of your success. You are nothing but a fraud.
Don’t believe me? Just take a look at your own profile on NCW.com, you state yourself that you will do “damn near anything to not only win but to start as many holy **** chants as possible”. You’re the definition of someone who throws himself into the very jaws of danger for the buzz of an arena chanting his name and let’s not kid ourselves into thinking it is for the audiences benefit.
We both know that when you jump off of ladders and do all those inventive things with chairs that it is to massage your own ego. You don’t crave the fans adoration out of respect for the people who pay your wages; you do it to feel the rush of them worshipping your every movement inside that ring.
Two weeks ago you asked me what I would do when I “found out that the purpose I think I have being living for is a hollow shell of an idea and whether I would be prepared for what stares me in the face”.
When I look at how this company markets its employees and rips-off every single one of the people it claims to serve, feeding them a product which is based on profit margins and not on value for money, conning the people who fuels it all I see staring me in the face are men like you.
It is you who helps NCW sell the lie that the “performers” in the middle of that ring genuinely care about their fans. It is you who helps oil the cogs of the corporate machine with your massive merchandise revenue. It is you who is just another corporate yes man who peddles the illusion that you do what you do for the people. My idea isn’t hollow Falcon, you are.
In the past you may have been a part of the “Revolution”, a man who caused the Board of Directors headaches. But the past is exactly that, not the present.
Now? Now you are nothing but one of Leonard’s most effective marketing tools. You are the man they plaster on t-shirts, the man whose action figure is a staple diet of parents shopping for children’s birthday gifts and the man who brings in the buy-rates for our monthly pay-per-views.
You’re the man who Leonard hopes shuts me up long before I can make any more waves in this company. You’re the man who could solve all of his headaches, squashing the upstart who threatens his financial buoyancy long before he ever opens up people’s eyes to the lies the NCW sell for extortionate prices.
Maybe you aren’t a willing party in all this Falcon, maybe you will just tell me that you’re anything but a corporate sell out, but you’re still one of Leonard’s little puppets who dance to his tune regardless of whether you like or dislike him as a human being. You still willingly allow him to market you to the masses and make a fortune off of your name. You still stroke your own ego with your ring style.
Don’t go thinking there isn’t more to this week’s booking then just throwing a veteran in with a talented newcomer. Life isn’t that simple Falcon, you are my punishment for speaking out last week, the first man on the list of corporate weapons to unleash on me for voicing my concerns with the way this business is run.
Leonard’s faith in you is misguided, you may have the record to back up his hopes of you silencing me, but I have the willpower, talent and determination to make my voice heard by shaking the foundations of this company by beating their most decorated gladiator. You are my stepping stone to greatness Falcon, and I don’t plan on passing up the opportunity of using you to make a statement.
Vive La Révolution.
Hannah Reed : They left you another message.
Roberto Verona : Let me guess, my conduct was unacceptable, my behaviour was professional…
Hannah Reed : You’re getting the hang of it now.
Roberto places his drink down and leans back in his chair and shakes his head.
Roberto Verona : Let them send all the threats they like, it really won’t make any difference.
Hannah Reed : Yeah, well clearly they don’t know how stubborn you are like I do. I don’t think I have received so many angry phone calls in one day.
Roberto Verona : Oh dear, has Leonard burst a few blood vessels?
Hannah Reed : You could say that, let’s just say a man of his age really should learn to control his temper.
Roberto Verona : Heh, he’s been riding you pretty hard I take it.
Hannah suddenly closes her eye and shudders, shaking her head quickly.
Hannah Reed : Please never say that again. Ever.
Roberto Verona : I’ll try to resist. Listen, turn your phone off for the rest of the night, I’ve had enough of Head Office’s bombardment for one day. If they think fining me and flexing the authoritative muscles will change anything they’re gravely mistaken.
Hannah Reed : That sounds like a good idea.
Roberto Verona : Well, I am full of them.
Hannah Reed : Don’t flatter yourself. We’ve had enough of your ideas for one week, they can wait for Collision.
Roberto Verona : Why did I hire you again?
Hannah sits down in the chair besides Verona and pulls a beer from the nearby cooler.
Hannah Reed : So you have somebody to deflect all the crap that gets thrown in your general direction.
Roberto Verona : Ah yes, that.
Hannah Reed : Now, if you don’t mind I want to let my hair down and drink enough until I forget about the whole day.
Roberto Verona : Classy as always.
The pair clink their glass and bottle together as they turn back away from one another, staring across the valley as the sun sets over the mountain range in the distance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Act I – Deluded Giant
Roll up, roll up, read all about it! Xander Famularo still talks a big game and proves nothing.
Hey Famularo, have you and Todd being hanging out together much lately? Because this descent into despair followed by an inspirational reigniting of your self-worth seems awfully familiar. In fact, it seems like a Todd Williams promo with Gib and a fraction of the assclownery. That isn’t a compliment by the way Xander, I know you have difficulty keeping up with my “big words”.
So, for the benefit of those without a High School education….
Xander, you will not beat me because you are not as good as me.
Simple enough for you?
Oh, and FYI, you might not want to claim I can’t take my mind off you as an insult when you then state that I am what your mind has been aiming towards for weeks. It just makes you look like an idiot.
Listen BFG, I know you like to mock the fact I pay close attention to you as if it is some sort of obsession but the fact is I monitor threats to my title because I am a credible champion, something you wouldn’t know much about hey Harold? That’s right Xander, I do see you as a credible threat to my belt because you are persistent enough to have somehow weaselled your way into this foursome. No matter how much confidence I have in my ability to make sure any number one contendership you may gain will be about as useful as your “Gladiator” status, I am not stupid enough to ignore potential contenders for my crown.
What separates me from the rest of you is that I do my research, and I do it well. I broke Todd Williams because I knew how to torture his mind, I beat him because I knew exactly what to expect in the ring from him and I retained my belt against him because I took away his ability to fly around like a leprechaun on heat. I never go out there without an idea on how my opponent will behave inside that ring because I am not arrogant enough to think that I can just roll up to an arena and squash people just because of who I am. I prepare for every eventuality, and that is what makes me a better wrestler than you and the rest of the roster.
You are probably the odds-on-favourite to pull something out of this match, you are after all the fruit of the loins of the same man that brought us Zelda Knite. You are also the 2011 Gladiator and a former X-Champion.
However, you are also a choker.
You went through five men to earn your shot at the World title and you blew it. You tore the X-Championship from Joe Ragnal and then jobbed out to Rob Diamond.
You may put Webb, Daye and Potter away but you will most certainly fail when it comes to fighting me for this belt. Fate smiles on you only to stab you in the back when it matters.
Do yourself a favour and give up whilst you’re ahead, save yourself the heartache and me the headache of having to carry your lumbering ass towards something resembling entertainment before crushing any notions people may have of me dropping this belt any time soon.
Act II – You shouldn’t have quit your day job….
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If ever there was a sign that the NCW booking committee picks names out of a hat, the inclusion of Dr Jonas Potter in a four-way match for a shot at my X-Championship is it.
Does somebody want to explain to me how a man who fails to defeat the champion in a non-title match can earn a place in a number one contenders match a week later for a shot at the aforementioned title two weeks later?
Seriously.
Anybody?
Congratulations Jonas, it appears that your previous efforts have reaped the benefits, although the less said about last week the better. Well, for you. For me on the other hand I think mentioning last week is certainly for the better. So, Jonas, where was this calculated assault you were planning to unleash on me? Was it the part where I drove your face into my kneecap and turned the lights off? Or was it the bit where the guy in the striped shirt hit the mat three times? Or maybe it was the time where I had my arm raised in the air whilst my music played?
Or maybe you just do not have what it takes to best me?
Sure, you can, and have, just claim that it was a one off, that next time you will “show me what for”. However, reality sort of spoils that whole idea Jonas. You see, Collision was not a one off. You threw everything you could at me and it just wasn’t enough. You left that ring a loser whilst I left with a bad arm and I am willing to bet that should you manage to pull off a victory this week that when we theoretically meet at Picture Perfect, you’ll still leave a loser.
Don’t get me wrong Potter, you’re a talented man and you clearly have something about you, but that doesn’t mean you have anything that will lead to you relieving me of the X-Championship. If you want to do yourself a favour I suggest that you write yourself a Doctor’s note to bring to Picture Perfect otherwise I’d make sure that your medical insurance is paid up because next time it won’t just be a minor face-off on Collision, it’ll be for my belt and I only get more ruthless when it comes to defending it.
You may well come out of this four-way looking like a promising X-Champion, but you’ll walk out of Picture Perfect looking like ****. Being X-Champion is about putting your body on the line Potter and if the NCW has its head screwed on they’ll let us bring a few toys to play with in Boston. I have proved that I am man enough to not only claim this belt for myself, but also retain it. I have proved that I am willing to do anything to be X-Champion and at Picture Perfect, I will prove exactly why I will be the best X-Champion this company has ever seen.
And that’s a promise.
Act III –You can’t spell Falcon without con.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So here we are again Falcon, only this time it is just you and me. Two weeks ago I questioned whether you had a purpose anymore, besides just racking up your kill count. It seems that perhaps you have the most prestigious purpose of all, you will be the man to crown the start of my Revolution.
Why you?
You are Leonard’s dream employee, you are loved by the masses and your market value is obscene, in fact I can think of few men in this company who can line his pockets more than you can. You are the man who first springs to mind when somebody mentions NCW, you are the man who the people crave and the biggest face of Leonard’s con.
You are marketed as a man who loves the people, a wise sage who bestows your wisdom of the business to the next handsome young man who will be pushed on the fans the same way you are. You are made out to be a person who gives a damn about the people who line up in droves to scream your name, like they are in some way a part of your success. You are nothing but a fraud.
Don’t believe me? Just take a look at your own profile on NCW.com, you state yourself that you will do “damn near anything to not only win but to start as many holy **** chants as possible”. You’re the definition of someone who throws himself into the very jaws of danger for the buzz of an arena chanting his name and let’s not kid ourselves into thinking it is for the audiences benefit.
We both know that when you jump off of ladders and do all those inventive things with chairs that it is to massage your own ego. You don’t crave the fans adoration out of respect for the people who pay your wages; you do it to feel the rush of them worshipping your every movement inside that ring.
Two weeks ago you asked me what I would do when I “found out that the purpose I think I have being living for is a hollow shell of an idea and whether I would be prepared for what stares me in the face”.
When I look at how this company markets its employees and rips-off every single one of the people it claims to serve, feeding them a product which is based on profit margins and not on value for money, conning the people who fuels it all I see staring me in the face are men like you.
It is you who helps NCW sell the lie that the “performers” in the middle of that ring genuinely care about their fans. It is you who helps oil the cogs of the corporate machine with your massive merchandise revenue. It is you who is just another corporate yes man who peddles the illusion that you do what you do for the people. My idea isn’t hollow Falcon, you are.
In the past you may have been a part of the “Revolution”, a man who caused the Board of Directors headaches. But the past is exactly that, not the present.
Now? Now you are nothing but one of Leonard’s most effective marketing tools. You are the man they plaster on t-shirts, the man whose action figure is a staple diet of parents shopping for children’s birthday gifts and the man who brings in the buy-rates for our monthly pay-per-views.
You’re the man who Leonard hopes shuts me up long before I can make any more waves in this company. You’re the man who could solve all of his headaches, squashing the upstart who threatens his financial buoyancy long before he ever opens up people’s eyes to the lies the NCW sell for extortionate prices.
Maybe you aren’t a willing party in all this Falcon, maybe you will just tell me that you’re anything but a corporate sell out, but you’re still one of Leonard’s little puppets who dance to his tune regardless of whether you like or dislike him as a human being. You still willingly allow him to market you to the masses and make a fortune off of your name. You still stroke your own ego with your ring style.
Don’t go thinking there isn’t more to this week’s booking then just throwing a veteran in with a talented newcomer. Life isn’t that simple Falcon, you are my punishment for speaking out last week, the first man on the list of corporate weapons to unleash on me for voicing my concerns with the way this business is run.
Leonard’s faith in you is misguided, you may have the record to back up his hopes of you silencing me, but I have the willpower, talent and determination to make my voice heard by shaking the foundations of this company by beating their most decorated gladiator. You are my stepping stone to greatness Falcon, and I don’t plan on passing up the opportunity of using you to make a statement.
Vive La Révolution.