Post by Xander Famularo on Oct 26, 2011 6:52:22 GMT -6
Left foot forward.
I came to this place as a hot young prospect, I was going to be the next big superstar, the son of Gib someone with a pedigree that hasn’t been matched. I came in like a firestorm, without any experience on the independent scene. I was 19, I had a gimmick and I was going to take this federation. I won matches, I defeated Fate at a pay per view and ran through the middle of the card. I was winning, I wasn’t shaking things up, and I wasn’t doing anything to turn heads.
Left foot backward…
I wrestled against Philip Burns, I felt that I had him where I wanted him and I made a rookie mistake, a mistake that any new star would have made but I couldn’t handle it, after seeing my father succeed so many times with little effort I expected to do the same. I thought for sure that this game was a simple thing, like all the other things I had conquered at that point. But I lost and I couldn’t handle it. My world ended on that day. I couldn’t do what I needed to win. So I did the obvious, I ran away.
Right foot backward…
I went to mixed martial arts to try and forge my own destiny; I needed beyond belief to prove that I was more then my father’s son. I joined and independent MMA organization and fought a few matches. Did I train boxing? No. Did I train jujitsu? No. Did I train anything? No. I expected this to be an easy transition; I was a state champion wrestler in high school. The first few matches I took my opponents down and pounded them into oblivion. After that, I met a man who was a Brazilian Jujitsu black belt, I took him down and he slipped me into a gogoplata. I passed out and ran away from mma, do you see the theme here? It doesn’t take an expert in English literature to see it.
Left foot backward…
I came back to the nCw but not as a competitor, I came for one reason. I came to destroy my father once and for all, for not loving me enough, for not standing up for me, for making me work for myself I guess. He was lined up for a world title shot and I ruined it. I stopped his forward progress and Angel and I, together we tore him apart, we reduced him to rubble we tore out his heart and we shat on it. Homeless Harold returned, my father for a month destroyed people trying to get back at Angel and he got a second chance at that world title.
Realization…
It happened when Angel put the picture of my mother on the big screen, when my father tore his mask off his head and dropped to his knees. My ears were ringing and then silence overtook my head, everything was gone, my father on his knees a chair placed in my hands. I was going to ruin my father’s legacy and take it. Then, I looked and saw my mother’s face, her loving memory and I had what alcoholics’ refer to as a moment of clarity. I took the chair and pasted Angel in the face with it. My father won that match and we, for the first time since my mother passed away shared a hug and celebrated.
I had my father back. And at that point, my road could begin.
{Scene opens, Xander sits in his locker room. The X title sits next to him on the bench. His face is emotionless as he stares at the locker. Gib bursts into the locker room, followed by Adam and Zelda. The three of them are elated, Gib carries a champagne bottle and holds the bottle in one hand and holds it right in the general direction of his genitalia, he shakes back and forth.}
Xander: Come on dad…
{He makes the facial expressions that you hoped you would never see, groaning gently until he finally removes the cork from the bottle, it strikes the ceiling and Gib points the champagne directly at Xander’s face}
Gib: The champ gets the champagne faaaacial!!!!
{Xander shakes his head but the corners of his mouth turn up and he smiles. Kelly joins them in the room.}
Kelly: The champs are HERE!!!
{Xander stands up and takes turns hugging each person in the room. Xander truly after looking serious for so long has an air of happiness about him.}
Gib: I would like to make a toast, to my son. The person who holds the longest streak of victories this federation has ever witnessed, the person who has not only been declared the Gladiator of 2011 but now also the Road to the Gold Champion, my son, Xander!
{They all cheer and clap, passing what is left from the champagne bottle to one another.}
Gib: God, my sperm should be sold for millions, I am the mother ****ing genetic jackhammer!
{silence, then chirping crickets, then more silence.}
Zelda: Well, regardless of my father’s lack of couth or understanding of appropriate social conversation. Congrats brother, we are all proud of you.
{The group chatters and regale in the celebration until Mr. Fox comes in the room, people get silent and look at him, it is obvious that most people in the room aren’t the biggest fans}
Leonard: Well, congratulations on the Road to the Gold win, I have stopped by to pick up the X title…
{Xander looks at Adam and Gib, who both look like they knew this was the conclusion to winning the road to the gold}
Xander: No. I haven’t lost this title; I am not giving it up. I will fight three people, I don’t care. I haven’t lost this title.
{Adam places his hand on Xander’s back, Xander looks to him his face a mixture of emotions}
Leonard: If a champion wins the road to the gold, then he must relinquish his title for a shot. Those are the rules, son of Gib or not.
{Xander holds the title out and Fox grabs it. He pulls it and Xander doesn’t release. Adam gets close to Xander’s ear and whispers}
Adam: You have given that title honor, you have made it full of worth and you would hold that title forever if you wanted. But we didn’t work for the X Title; we haven’t busted our asses for that one. Steve Awesome and the world title is the new goal, it is time for a new challenge.
{Xander doesn’t say anything, but he releases his grip on the title, it slides out of his hand and Fox nods}
Fox: You were a good champion, a proud champion. I wish you the best of luck with your shot at the world title.
Xander: Thanks…
{Xander slumps to the bench as the scene fades}
Right foot forward…
I found a smaller fed where I could learn the ropes; I dropped the stupid gimmick and just wrestled. I found happiness, I found excitement, I was moving up the ranks when I felt in my heart of hearts that things wouldn’t ever be right for me there, I felt that I didn’t belong there and knew that my only home was here, my only home was in the nCw.
Left foot forward…
nCw didn’t want me back, so I put on my father’s old mask and invited myself to the party. I played the game to establish myself and as soon as I knew it was time to remove the mask and let people know who I was I did. I couldn’t watch my sister suffer a fate when I faced Steve, Rob and Zelda in a tag match.
Right foot forward…
This road has been a long trip, I have moved backwards two steps to go forward one, I have covered a great deal of highs and lows and ultimately I have enjoyed each and every one of them. I have risen to the top I have fallen to the bottom. I have made friends, lost friends only to get them back again, I have forged alliances and have lived a life that most people will never be able to live.
Left foot forward…
Robert Frost once said “The road is lovely dark and deep and I have promises to keep, and many miles to go before I sleep.” I have promises I have to keep Steve. I have to keep the promises I have made to my friends and my trainers. I have to keep the promises to the people I have defeated as well. Because each on of those people fell but made me promise to try and change things.
Bates…
Verona…
Johnson…
Zane…
The people who drove me to be the best still drive me, the people who I have walked through to get to you Steve, just to show the world that a young kid can shock the world. If you haven’t paid attention the last two months Steve, it is time that you open those eyes up. I am no pushover, I am no walk in the park and you are about to have the biggest test of your career.
Or at least the biggest test since my father.
{Xander walks out to the parking lot alone. He walks towards his old 1957 ford truck and starts to get inside when the voice of Jimmy Zane is heard}
Zane: Dude, congrats on the win.
Xander: I won the road, but lost my X Title.
Zane: As long as you beat Steve, there is no problem.
Xander: But if I don’t beat him, I have nothing.
{Xander stands in silence and Jimmy after a few moments speaks}
Zane: You will beat him.
Xander: What makes you so sure?
Zane: Because you have the world behind you.
{The two slap hands shaking}
Xander: Thanks man…
{Scene fades}
My left foot and right foot no longer need to be prodded to move forward, now they walk down this road without urging, without effort. They are like an autonomous machine, one that is completely in tune with the surroundings forever pushing forward towards their next goal.
Guess what that is?
Steve I am not going to sit here and throw insults at you like everyone else has. I won’t tell you that you are the golden boy and that you have received more then your fair share of title shots because I don’t feel that is true. You have received the shots because time and time again you find yourself in the top of the card, in the best matches because, like you or not you know how to put on a show.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the thanks that I owe you, thanks that I am sure that I have never expressed to you. Feelings that I have buried deep inside of myself for fear of showing weakness, so before I start throwing the proverbial verbal barbs, before I mention the STD’s and manwhoring and all the other things that people seem to hold against you I want to say this.
Thanks.
Thanks for finding my father, thanks for giving Gib back to the world. When he targeted you, when he tore your family away from you, attacked you and nearly left you for dead time and time again you fought on, you pressed forward and finally, after being destroyed for three months you took that mask off him.
And you gave my father another chance. What was to happen after that will go down in the record books as likely the most impressive runs a man who was nearing age 50 ever had. Because of you he got his life back on track, because of you he turned a corner, and because of you he won the world title and had his going away party.
I thank you for that. Hell, I thank you for the ways that you have made this business a viable way to earn a living for all of us. See Steve, I am not like the others. I am not coming in preaching conspiracy, talking about how you are the golden boy and you get all the opportunities.
Sure you are the golden boy.
But you have earned the opportunities. And now that the verbal blow job has ended, it is time for me to introduce you to two truths.
I am not the same Xander you defeated after I became the gladiator.
And I have your number, whether you realize it or not.
I am sure you haven’t noticed, you have had issues of your own. But while you were stealing women from Todd Williams and enjoying the spoils of that beautiful woman I was slowing coming, from a distance. I started racking up a few wins, and soon those few wins turned into a dozen wins.
In that time I have stepped into the ring and defeated a whose who of nCw superstars. Each opponents has taught me something about me, each of them has taken a piece from me and ultimately I am a better man for it.
I know what my place is now, and I have learned through the tutelage of my trainers that my place is no longer as the X Champion, I know that my place is no longer as the prince of nCw.
I long to follow in Adam’s footsteps, in my father’s footsteps.
In your footsteps Steve.
I want to be the king.
I want to wear the crown.
Steve I know that you like wearing the crown and damn, you look so handsome in it but this isn’t your choice anymore. It has gone beyond your desires and your emotions. It is completely out of your hands.
I will become the nCw world champion this weekend.
And I will lead the nCw into a new era.
I came to this place as a hot young prospect, I was going to be the next big superstar, the son of Gib someone with a pedigree that hasn’t been matched. I came in like a firestorm, without any experience on the independent scene. I was 19, I had a gimmick and I was going to take this federation. I won matches, I defeated Fate at a pay per view and ran through the middle of the card. I was winning, I wasn’t shaking things up, and I wasn’t doing anything to turn heads.
Left foot backward…
I wrestled against Philip Burns, I felt that I had him where I wanted him and I made a rookie mistake, a mistake that any new star would have made but I couldn’t handle it, after seeing my father succeed so many times with little effort I expected to do the same. I thought for sure that this game was a simple thing, like all the other things I had conquered at that point. But I lost and I couldn’t handle it. My world ended on that day. I couldn’t do what I needed to win. So I did the obvious, I ran away.
Right foot backward…
I went to mixed martial arts to try and forge my own destiny; I needed beyond belief to prove that I was more then my father’s son. I joined and independent MMA organization and fought a few matches. Did I train boxing? No. Did I train jujitsu? No. Did I train anything? No. I expected this to be an easy transition; I was a state champion wrestler in high school. The first few matches I took my opponents down and pounded them into oblivion. After that, I met a man who was a Brazilian Jujitsu black belt, I took him down and he slipped me into a gogoplata. I passed out and ran away from mma, do you see the theme here? It doesn’t take an expert in English literature to see it.
Left foot backward…
I came back to the nCw but not as a competitor, I came for one reason. I came to destroy my father once and for all, for not loving me enough, for not standing up for me, for making me work for myself I guess. He was lined up for a world title shot and I ruined it. I stopped his forward progress and Angel and I, together we tore him apart, we reduced him to rubble we tore out his heart and we shat on it. Homeless Harold returned, my father for a month destroyed people trying to get back at Angel and he got a second chance at that world title.
Realization…
It happened when Angel put the picture of my mother on the big screen, when my father tore his mask off his head and dropped to his knees. My ears were ringing and then silence overtook my head, everything was gone, my father on his knees a chair placed in my hands. I was going to ruin my father’s legacy and take it. Then, I looked and saw my mother’s face, her loving memory and I had what alcoholics’ refer to as a moment of clarity. I took the chair and pasted Angel in the face with it. My father won that match and we, for the first time since my mother passed away shared a hug and celebrated.
I had my father back. And at that point, my road could begin.
{Scene opens, Xander sits in his locker room. The X title sits next to him on the bench. His face is emotionless as he stares at the locker. Gib bursts into the locker room, followed by Adam and Zelda. The three of them are elated, Gib carries a champagne bottle and holds the bottle in one hand and holds it right in the general direction of his genitalia, he shakes back and forth.}
Xander: Come on dad…
{He makes the facial expressions that you hoped you would never see, groaning gently until he finally removes the cork from the bottle, it strikes the ceiling and Gib points the champagne directly at Xander’s face}
Gib: The champ gets the champagne faaaacial!!!!
{Xander shakes his head but the corners of his mouth turn up and he smiles. Kelly joins them in the room.}
Kelly: The champs are HERE!!!
{Xander stands up and takes turns hugging each person in the room. Xander truly after looking serious for so long has an air of happiness about him.}
Gib: I would like to make a toast, to my son. The person who holds the longest streak of victories this federation has ever witnessed, the person who has not only been declared the Gladiator of 2011 but now also the Road to the Gold Champion, my son, Xander!
{They all cheer and clap, passing what is left from the champagne bottle to one another.}
Gib: God, my sperm should be sold for millions, I am the mother ****ing genetic jackhammer!
{silence, then chirping crickets, then more silence.}
Zelda: Well, regardless of my father’s lack of couth or understanding of appropriate social conversation. Congrats brother, we are all proud of you.
{The group chatters and regale in the celebration until Mr. Fox comes in the room, people get silent and look at him, it is obvious that most people in the room aren’t the biggest fans}
Leonard: Well, congratulations on the Road to the Gold win, I have stopped by to pick up the X title…
{Xander looks at Adam and Gib, who both look like they knew this was the conclusion to winning the road to the gold}
Xander: No. I haven’t lost this title; I am not giving it up. I will fight three people, I don’t care. I haven’t lost this title.
{Adam places his hand on Xander’s back, Xander looks to him his face a mixture of emotions}
Leonard: If a champion wins the road to the gold, then he must relinquish his title for a shot. Those are the rules, son of Gib or not.
{Xander holds the title out and Fox grabs it. He pulls it and Xander doesn’t release. Adam gets close to Xander’s ear and whispers}
Adam: You have given that title honor, you have made it full of worth and you would hold that title forever if you wanted. But we didn’t work for the X Title; we haven’t busted our asses for that one. Steve Awesome and the world title is the new goal, it is time for a new challenge.
{Xander doesn’t say anything, but he releases his grip on the title, it slides out of his hand and Fox nods}
Fox: You were a good champion, a proud champion. I wish you the best of luck with your shot at the world title.
Xander: Thanks…
{Xander slumps to the bench as the scene fades}
Right foot forward…
I found a smaller fed where I could learn the ropes; I dropped the stupid gimmick and just wrestled. I found happiness, I found excitement, I was moving up the ranks when I felt in my heart of hearts that things wouldn’t ever be right for me there, I felt that I didn’t belong there and knew that my only home was here, my only home was in the nCw.
Left foot forward…
nCw didn’t want me back, so I put on my father’s old mask and invited myself to the party. I played the game to establish myself and as soon as I knew it was time to remove the mask and let people know who I was I did. I couldn’t watch my sister suffer a fate when I faced Steve, Rob and Zelda in a tag match.
Right foot forward…
This road has been a long trip, I have moved backwards two steps to go forward one, I have covered a great deal of highs and lows and ultimately I have enjoyed each and every one of them. I have risen to the top I have fallen to the bottom. I have made friends, lost friends only to get them back again, I have forged alliances and have lived a life that most people will never be able to live.
Left foot forward…
Robert Frost once said “The road is lovely dark and deep and I have promises to keep, and many miles to go before I sleep.” I have promises I have to keep Steve. I have to keep the promises I have made to my friends and my trainers. I have to keep the promises to the people I have defeated as well. Because each on of those people fell but made me promise to try and change things.
Bates…
Verona…
Johnson…
Zane…
The people who drove me to be the best still drive me, the people who I have walked through to get to you Steve, just to show the world that a young kid can shock the world. If you haven’t paid attention the last two months Steve, it is time that you open those eyes up. I am no pushover, I am no walk in the park and you are about to have the biggest test of your career.
Or at least the biggest test since my father.
{Xander walks out to the parking lot alone. He walks towards his old 1957 ford truck and starts to get inside when the voice of Jimmy Zane is heard}
Zane: Dude, congrats on the win.
Xander: I won the road, but lost my X Title.
Zane: As long as you beat Steve, there is no problem.
Xander: But if I don’t beat him, I have nothing.
{Xander stands in silence and Jimmy after a few moments speaks}
Zane: You will beat him.
Xander: What makes you so sure?
Zane: Because you have the world behind you.
{The two slap hands shaking}
Xander: Thanks man…
{Scene fades}
My left foot and right foot no longer need to be prodded to move forward, now they walk down this road without urging, without effort. They are like an autonomous machine, one that is completely in tune with the surroundings forever pushing forward towards their next goal.
Guess what that is?
Steve I am not going to sit here and throw insults at you like everyone else has. I won’t tell you that you are the golden boy and that you have received more then your fair share of title shots because I don’t feel that is true. You have received the shots because time and time again you find yourself in the top of the card, in the best matches because, like you or not you know how to put on a show.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the thanks that I owe you, thanks that I am sure that I have never expressed to you. Feelings that I have buried deep inside of myself for fear of showing weakness, so before I start throwing the proverbial verbal barbs, before I mention the STD’s and manwhoring and all the other things that people seem to hold against you I want to say this.
Thanks.
Thanks for finding my father, thanks for giving Gib back to the world. When he targeted you, when he tore your family away from you, attacked you and nearly left you for dead time and time again you fought on, you pressed forward and finally, after being destroyed for three months you took that mask off him.
And you gave my father another chance. What was to happen after that will go down in the record books as likely the most impressive runs a man who was nearing age 50 ever had. Because of you he got his life back on track, because of you he turned a corner, and because of you he won the world title and had his going away party.
I thank you for that. Hell, I thank you for the ways that you have made this business a viable way to earn a living for all of us. See Steve, I am not like the others. I am not coming in preaching conspiracy, talking about how you are the golden boy and you get all the opportunities.
Sure you are the golden boy.
But you have earned the opportunities. And now that the verbal blow job has ended, it is time for me to introduce you to two truths.
I am not the same Xander you defeated after I became the gladiator.
And I have your number, whether you realize it or not.
I am sure you haven’t noticed, you have had issues of your own. But while you were stealing women from Todd Williams and enjoying the spoils of that beautiful woman I was slowing coming, from a distance. I started racking up a few wins, and soon those few wins turned into a dozen wins.
In that time I have stepped into the ring and defeated a whose who of nCw superstars. Each opponents has taught me something about me, each of them has taken a piece from me and ultimately I am a better man for it.
I know what my place is now, and I have learned through the tutelage of my trainers that my place is no longer as the X Champion, I know that my place is no longer as the prince of nCw.
I long to follow in Adam’s footsteps, in my father’s footsteps.
In your footsteps Steve.
I want to be the king.
I want to wear the crown.
Steve I know that you like wearing the crown and damn, you look so handsome in it but this isn’t your choice anymore. It has gone beyond your desires and your emotions. It is completely out of your hands.
I will become the nCw world champion this weekend.
And I will lead the nCw into a new era.