Post by Will Washington on Apr 7, 2012 21:54:50 GMT -6
{The scene opens with an overhead shot of Will Washington sitting in the middle of a dimly lit wrestling right wearing a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head. He sits, staring off into space with a look that lets you know there are a million thoughts running through his head.}
“I can almost hear them chanting.”
{He says this to himself while the sound of fifteen thousand screaming fans slowly fills his ears. It’s like he never left. Everything he’s ever wanted has slowly come back to him and made him whole again The feeling of accomplishment starts to creep in, but he knows the road isn’t over yet… it’s only beginning. Suddenly a voice comes in from the distance and snaps Will out of his trance.}
“Will? Are you in here?”
{The person rounds the corner and we see that it’s Washington’s fiancé, Kristen, with a suitcase trailing behind her.}
“If you want to make it to California in time, we’re going to have to get going.”
“I know. I was just trying to get some work in before my flight. You can never be too prepared.”
“True, but you can worry about that when you get there. You don’t want to miss your flight.”
“Alright. Let me go shower first.”
“You seriously don’t realize what time it is, do you? You’ve only got an hour to get to the airport!”
“I’m not in a hurry. I could always call Tony and have him get my plane ready.”
“You are not bothering Tony when he’s with his family right before Easter!”
“Easter is tomorrow isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t even realize.”
“You’ve had a one track mind. You’re so focused on the pay-per-view that you’re letting the whole world pass you by.”
“I’m not letting life pass me by. Things will be back to normal next week.”
“Sure.”
{Will gets his things together and moves throughout the house with his fiancé in tow.}
“Look.. I’m not super excited about being away from you on a holiday. I know your family isn’t going to look very highly on that… Why don’t you come with me to California? It could be a fun trip.”
“I’d just get in your way. You don’t need any distractions when you’re preparing for the biggest match of your life.”
“That’s true.”
{She stops walking and punches him in the arm.}
“I’m kidding! Jeez!”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Spotlight. To some it‘s just a fixture used to illuminate a darkened stage. To others, it‘s something they strive to have over them. Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone in this company is looking to have the spotlight shined down upon them. Everyone wants to be the top guy… everyone wants to be the star… everyone wants to be everything. Some demand it and some have it thrust upon them…. I’m the latter.”
“I came into NCW and shot straight through the top. Management saw something in me immediately and started forwarding opportunities my way right from the beginning. I didn’t demand the spotlight, but there I was as a fresh-faced rookie with everyone expecting great things from me. They saw how talented I was and tried to force into becoming the future of this company… and it was all too much for me. After everything I had been through, I still allowed the pressure of the expecting eyes to get to me, and it burned me out.”
“… The weight of the world crushed me.”
“I was beating World Champions before I’d even been in the company for two months and the more I did, the more they demanded from me. A kid during his first year in the business was expected to lead the next wave of talent so the established guys could move on to the twilight of their career with no worries about the men who would be filling their vacant position when they were gone… That’s a heck of a lot to pile on. People can blame me for wilting under the harsh lights placed upon me, I don’t care… but always remember when you’re the ones you thrust me into the spotlight… You’re the ones who needed me to be the best.”
“…I never asked to be great. I was born this way.”
“I’ve done my damndest throughout the years to show I belong here and earn my due respect, but the people in this company continue to downplay me and rob me of everything I’ve earned. I don’t wait around for people to hand me opportunities… I TAKE THEM. I go out there each and every time to earn the opportunities… I don’t expect anything. Yet people don’t give me credit for anything… and worse… they try to take away what I already have. They built me up so they could tear me back down.”
“…They belittle my livelihood….. They steal from me.”
“Spike Kane is trying to give away my spot, Ricky Johnson is telling me that I don’t belong, and worse yet…. Is my buddy Falcon. I consider Falcon to be one of the greatest talents to ever step foot in that ring, and I respect the hell out of him. Yet part of me thinks back to the first time I faced off with the harsh steel of that Coliseum cage. I think back to my greatest conquering moment as I stood over the lifeless bodies of five of my greatest opponents. I think back to the moment that should have been my proudest… and it isn’t. And why is that?”
“….Because Falcon stole it from me.”
“I won the biggest match of my entire life and earned the right to call myself Number One contender, and who felt it necessary to swoop down and encroach on my moment? Falcon. As I stood there with the crowd roaring my approval, you stepped in like some sort of dark avenger to take out Jimmy Zane and Kristoff Bates, and rob me of my spotlight. Now I don’t hold grudges and I don’t look down at you for getting your revenge, but the lack of respect you showed me on that night has stuck with me. I know you didn’t do it to intentionally ruin my moment, but much like you did on that night, I want to right a wrong…. I want to fix what you broke…. I want to beat you.”
“It’s not about hurting you or embarrassing you Falcon, it’s about cashing in a receipt. I still owe you one from a night long ago, and I intend on finally squaring away that little injustice. I don’t try and live in the past like some sort of has-been wrestler mugging for his last chance at glory, but for me to continue to let you slide by when there’s a golden opportunity lying at my feet…. I’d be stupid to pass it up.”
“We’ve teamed up and faced off on numerous occasions, and as far as I can remember, I’ve always come out on the victorious end. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past, we’re bound to repeat them. I know you’ve studied up and probably think you’ve figured out how to beat me. You think you’ve cracked the code? You haven’t. Despite what everyone thinks, I wasn’t here for nearly two years.”
“…. Two years older…. Two years wiser.”
“I wasn’t ever what I would consider immature, but I definitely don’t have the same mindset now. The old Will Washington was all about proving he belongs… this Will doesn’t worry about such things. I don’t have to prove to anyone that I’m the best. I know I’m the best, and I know you know the same. You may be an amazing competitor Falcon, and god knows on any other night you could beat me, but on this night, under these circumstances… I’m unbeatable.”
“I know you don’t fear me and you have no reason too. You’ve done everything this business has to offer… twice… and you’re still as hungry as ever. The young guys in this company would be right to consider you someone to look up to, but in this case, you actually have to follow my lead. You want to do something that only four people have ever done,, and I’m one of those four. You could always tell me stories about having what it takes to become NCW World Champion, but this is one of the few times when you’re trying to follow in my footsteps.”
“…Chin up kid. You’ll be alright.”
“The journey never stops for guys like us Falcon. There are always going to be guys who want to use us as a measuring stick. You for being a two-time World Champion, and me for being a two-time Coliseum winner. They’ll hit us, mock us, and drag our names through the mud, but at the end of the day we will rise above. Beating you this Sunday allows me to finally tie up an end that to this day remains loose. Win or lose that one footnote on both our careers will be erased.”
“…Best of luck.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
{Back at the Washington house, we see a driver loading Will’s bags into the back of a limousine while our hero stands off to the side with the love of his life.}
“Will you at least come to the airport to see me off? They’ll bring you right back here afterwards.”
“I can’t. Emily and the kids are coming over at any minute to color Easter eggs.”
“Haha. Oh boy. That kitchen is going to be one heck of a mess to clean up.”
“And we’re going to leave it for you to clean up.”
{She smiles from ear to ear and Will scoffs.}
“Of course you will.”
{He grabs her by the hands and looks into her eyes.}
“I know you’re still worried about Sunday, but I swear to you there’s nothing to worry about.”
“You can say that all you want, but I’m still going to worry.”
“…Just do me a favor and don’t watch Sovereign. It’ll only make you feel worse.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
{Tony the limo driver comes around and interrupts.}
“Mr. Washington. We’re going to need to get going.”
“Okay.”
{Tony moves back around and heads to the driver’s seat, giving the couple a final moment together. Kristen steps on her toes and gives Washington a loving goodbye kiss.}
“Love you.”
“I love you too.”
{Washington goes to the limo and sits down in the back seat. He closes the door and rolls down the window. The limo starts to pull away as Will looks back as Kristen waves goodbye.}
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Speaking of luck, allow me to talk about another of my Coliseum foes… The Ace. Aside from teaming up in last week’s Collision main event, I believe this is the first time we’ve ever been in the ring together. Thanks to this fact, I don’t really know what to expect from you in there Ace. I know you’re going to bring your best in hopes of recapturing a former glory, but other than that, you’re kind of an enigma to me. We’ve got no history positively or negatively. I don’t respect you like Falcon, and you don’t disgust me like Spike. So this Sunday I step into the ring with someone that basically amounts to a faceless drone.”
“…and I like it that way.”
“Our lack of a common thread makes you just another opponent. I don’t have a desire to hurt you any more or less than anyone else. Neither of us has an agenda against the other, so we can feel free to go out there and destroy each other with no personal opinions getting in the way. It’s going to be a continental brawl, and I absolutely look forward to every minute of it. Despite what some would choose to believe, I know for a fact that you’re not someone to take lightly. So just make sure you bring everything you’ve got, because I’ll do all of that and more.”
“…Not that it will make a difference.”
“No matter what you dc, it won’t be enough to beat me. You’ve got a lot of skill and a certain disposition that lends itself to success in this atmosphere, but you can never underestimate my ruthlessness and the depths I’m willing to sink to just to win this match. Like I said, I don’t need to win this match, but my desire to do so burns greater than anyone’s petty reasons. I’ll destroy anyone who stands in my way, and if that includes you Ace, so be it. When we’re in that cage you need to make sure you know where I am at all times, because if you lose track of me at any point… it could be your downfall.”
“See Ace… I know you’re a gambling man. I know you believe in games of chance… games of luck. It doesn’t take a lot of skill to do what you do, so I know you live your life with a little bit of hope and a whole lot of dumb luck leading your way. You take a few gambles every now and then hoping for the next big score… making tactical risks and educated guesses… but I don’t know if you realize you’re taking the biggest gamble of your life. I can tell you’re worried about what you’ve gotten yourself in for, so let me tell you exactly what’s going to happen.”
“…Pain….. Punishment…. Destruction….”
“This is what’s in store for us all when we enter that cage. There’s no escaping it. Much like how Spike can’t fight his future, you can’t fight the fight. Everyone will walk in there and do their best to absorb the least damage possible, but there’s absolutely no way you leave this match unscathed. You need a ridiculously high threshold for pain to withstand the toil this will take on your body… and lest we forget…. I survived bullets. I can take anything.”
“You have been to the top Ace and you’ve also seen the bottom. More than anyone else you can tell them that the fall will hurt a lot more than the climb.”
“And finally we come to the Ace’s current rival, Nathan Webb. I don’t know if we’ve met…. I’m the guy who has done what you’re attempting to do. There’s a certain amount of kindred spirit between us, so honestly I want you to succeed. We’ve both made the difficult transition from fighting for our country to trying to relate to those who know nothing of our lives. Everyone you face in this business is bound to praise your service and tell some story about how they can understand you, but the truth of the matter is that they don’t have a damn clue what we’ve been through.”
“…They’ll all lie to your face.”
“That’s not what I’m here for Webb. I’m not going to lie to you… I’m going to tell you straight to your face what you need to expect. They’re going to try and exploit any mental fragilities they can to gain an advantage. They’re going to look you dead in the eye and praise you before putting the knife in your back. None of them will ever truly understand what guys like you and I have been through, but they’ll never fail to use it to their advantage.”
“…Don’t let them.”
“You have to develop a thick skin if you want to make it in this business. I’m sure you already know this, but I’ve lived it firsthand. I’m not saying you need to follow in my footsteps exactly, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has handled the transition as well as I have… and heck… there are a lot worse people out there to pattern yourself after than me.”
“You present a new challenge for me… a welcome challenge. For so long I’ve been a man on an island, and now there’s someone in nearly the same boat as me. It’s almost like Will Washington has to find a way to beat… Will Washington. Not the genuine article because obviously I believe I’m better than you, but a difficult task nevertheless.”
“I’ve seen what you can do in the ring and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I know you come from lesser organizations so I didn’t really have high hopes for you at first, but you’ve shattered nearly all of my doubts. You’re immensely talented and it’s only a matter of time before great successes come your way…. And that’s where one doubt lingers…”
“…How will it affect you?”
“When Nathan Webb becomes a household name and the opportunities start flooding in, how will you respond? Will you still walk into arenas with your head held high with a singular goal in mind, or will you let it drag you down like so many before you? When I won this exact match two years ago, I became too worried about what the people thought of me and I let myself fall into the trap of trying to please them first, and worry about myself second. I tried to be the hero that they so desperately wanted and all it served to do was stall all of my momentum. I let Angel politic his way into my title match instead of doing the right thing and crippling him when the idea was even brought up, because I thought it was what was best for the fans… and I suffered because of it. Now you don’t have to worry about a Coliseum victory going to your head considering there’s no chance of you beating me, but I have no doubt it’s only a matter of time before lesser accolades come your way. Will you let them vault you into the stratosphere or down to the catacombs? The choice is your’s. Choose wisely.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
{We now find our hero sitting alone in his hotel room with a gigantic Easter basket sitting on the bed next to him. In his hands he holds a Hallmark card with a Bunny on the front of it. He pens a message on the inside of the card before laying it down next to him. A rapping knock comes across his hotel room door and he hops off the bed to answer it. The motion on the mattress causes the card to fall to the floor, where it lays opened. As Will stands at the door talking to a hotel employee, the camera zooms in on the opened card.}
{The door closes and Will walks back over. Looking down, he notices the card and picks it up. He stares at it and slowly he starts to not believe the words he has written. He crumples the card in his hands and tosses it in the trash. He walks across the room and looks at himself in the mirror as we fade out.}
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Allow me to leave my Sovereign counterparts with a final message. I’ve been through all of this before… The buildup, the pre-match squabbling, the brutality that takes place during the match, and the post-match excuses. None of this is foreign to me. I’ve got all of the scars to prove it and even if I could, I wouldn’t lose them. The physical and emotional wounds you’ll receive in that cage can be deep and painful, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything… because every time I look in the mirror, I can still see that on any night I can go out there and beat the greatest in the world in the harshest environments. How many people in this match can say that?”
“…Only one.”
“Someone once said: ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, and it’s certainly true. I’ve got all the power in the world to change the course of history… and I take full responsibility for doing so. I fear nothing and I‘ll regret less.”
“I can almost hear them chanting.”
{He says this to himself while the sound of fifteen thousand screaming fans slowly fills his ears. It’s like he never left. Everything he’s ever wanted has slowly come back to him and made him whole again The feeling of accomplishment starts to creep in, but he knows the road isn’t over yet… it’s only beginning. Suddenly a voice comes in from the distance and snaps Will out of his trance.}
“Will? Are you in here?”
{The person rounds the corner and we see that it’s Washington’s fiancé, Kristen, with a suitcase trailing behind her.}
“If you want to make it to California in time, we’re going to have to get going.”
“I know. I was just trying to get some work in before my flight. You can never be too prepared.”
“True, but you can worry about that when you get there. You don’t want to miss your flight.”
“Alright. Let me go shower first.”
“You seriously don’t realize what time it is, do you? You’ve only got an hour to get to the airport!”
“I’m not in a hurry. I could always call Tony and have him get my plane ready.”
“You are not bothering Tony when he’s with his family right before Easter!”
“Easter is tomorrow isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t even realize.”
“You’ve had a one track mind. You’re so focused on the pay-per-view that you’re letting the whole world pass you by.”
“I’m not letting life pass me by. Things will be back to normal next week.”
“Sure.”
{Will gets his things together and moves throughout the house with his fiancé in tow.}
“Look.. I’m not super excited about being away from you on a holiday. I know your family isn’t going to look very highly on that… Why don’t you come with me to California? It could be a fun trip.”
“I’d just get in your way. You don’t need any distractions when you’re preparing for the biggest match of your life.”
“That’s true.”
{She stops walking and punches him in the arm.}
“I’m kidding! Jeez!”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Spotlight. To some it‘s just a fixture used to illuminate a darkened stage. To others, it‘s something they strive to have over them. Whether they want to admit it or not, everyone in this company is looking to have the spotlight shined down upon them. Everyone wants to be the top guy… everyone wants to be the star… everyone wants to be everything. Some demand it and some have it thrust upon them…. I’m the latter.”
“I came into NCW and shot straight through the top. Management saw something in me immediately and started forwarding opportunities my way right from the beginning. I didn’t demand the spotlight, but there I was as a fresh-faced rookie with everyone expecting great things from me. They saw how talented I was and tried to force into becoming the future of this company… and it was all too much for me. After everything I had been through, I still allowed the pressure of the expecting eyes to get to me, and it burned me out.”
“… The weight of the world crushed me.”
“I was beating World Champions before I’d even been in the company for two months and the more I did, the more they demanded from me. A kid during his first year in the business was expected to lead the next wave of talent so the established guys could move on to the twilight of their career with no worries about the men who would be filling their vacant position when they were gone… That’s a heck of a lot to pile on. People can blame me for wilting under the harsh lights placed upon me, I don’t care… but always remember when you’re the ones you thrust me into the spotlight… You’re the ones who needed me to be the best.”
“…I never asked to be great. I was born this way.”
“I’ve done my damndest throughout the years to show I belong here and earn my due respect, but the people in this company continue to downplay me and rob me of everything I’ve earned. I don’t wait around for people to hand me opportunities… I TAKE THEM. I go out there each and every time to earn the opportunities… I don’t expect anything. Yet people don’t give me credit for anything… and worse… they try to take away what I already have. They built me up so they could tear me back down.”
“…They belittle my livelihood….. They steal from me.”
“Spike Kane is trying to give away my spot, Ricky Johnson is telling me that I don’t belong, and worse yet…. Is my buddy Falcon. I consider Falcon to be one of the greatest talents to ever step foot in that ring, and I respect the hell out of him. Yet part of me thinks back to the first time I faced off with the harsh steel of that Coliseum cage. I think back to my greatest conquering moment as I stood over the lifeless bodies of five of my greatest opponents. I think back to the moment that should have been my proudest… and it isn’t. And why is that?”
“….Because Falcon stole it from me.”
“I won the biggest match of my entire life and earned the right to call myself Number One contender, and who felt it necessary to swoop down and encroach on my moment? Falcon. As I stood there with the crowd roaring my approval, you stepped in like some sort of dark avenger to take out Jimmy Zane and Kristoff Bates, and rob me of my spotlight. Now I don’t hold grudges and I don’t look down at you for getting your revenge, but the lack of respect you showed me on that night has stuck with me. I know you didn’t do it to intentionally ruin my moment, but much like you did on that night, I want to right a wrong…. I want to fix what you broke…. I want to beat you.”
“It’s not about hurting you or embarrassing you Falcon, it’s about cashing in a receipt. I still owe you one from a night long ago, and I intend on finally squaring away that little injustice. I don’t try and live in the past like some sort of has-been wrestler mugging for his last chance at glory, but for me to continue to let you slide by when there’s a golden opportunity lying at my feet…. I’d be stupid to pass it up.”
“We’ve teamed up and faced off on numerous occasions, and as far as I can remember, I’ve always come out on the victorious end. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past, we’re bound to repeat them. I know you’ve studied up and probably think you’ve figured out how to beat me. You think you’ve cracked the code? You haven’t. Despite what everyone thinks, I wasn’t here for nearly two years.”
“…. Two years older…. Two years wiser.”
“I wasn’t ever what I would consider immature, but I definitely don’t have the same mindset now. The old Will Washington was all about proving he belongs… this Will doesn’t worry about such things. I don’t have to prove to anyone that I’m the best. I know I’m the best, and I know you know the same. You may be an amazing competitor Falcon, and god knows on any other night you could beat me, but on this night, under these circumstances… I’m unbeatable.”
“I know you don’t fear me and you have no reason too. You’ve done everything this business has to offer… twice… and you’re still as hungry as ever. The young guys in this company would be right to consider you someone to look up to, but in this case, you actually have to follow my lead. You want to do something that only four people have ever done,, and I’m one of those four. You could always tell me stories about having what it takes to become NCW World Champion, but this is one of the few times when you’re trying to follow in my footsteps.”
“…Chin up kid. You’ll be alright.”
“The journey never stops for guys like us Falcon. There are always going to be guys who want to use us as a measuring stick. You for being a two-time World Champion, and me for being a two-time Coliseum winner. They’ll hit us, mock us, and drag our names through the mud, but at the end of the day we will rise above. Beating you this Sunday allows me to finally tie up an end that to this day remains loose. Win or lose that one footnote on both our careers will be erased.”
“…Best of luck.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________
{Back at the Washington house, we see a driver loading Will’s bags into the back of a limousine while our hero stands off to the side with the love of his life.}
“Will you at least come to the airport to see me off? They’ll bring you right back here afterwards.”
“I can’t. Emily and the kids are coming over at any minute to color Easter eggs.”
“Haha. Oh boy. That kitchen is going to be one heck of a mess to clean up.”
“And we’re going to leave it for you to clean up.”
{She smiles from ear to ear and Will scoffs.}
“Of course you will.”
{He grabs her by the hands and looks into her eyes.}
“I know you’re still worried about Sunday, but I swear to you there’s nothing to worry about.”
“You can say that all you want, but I’m still going to worry.”
“…Just do me a favor and don’t watch Sovereign. It’ll only make you feel worse.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
{Tony the limo driver comes around and interrupts.}
“Mr. Washington. We’re going to need to get going.”
“Okay.”
{Tony moves back around and heads to the driver’s seat, giving the couple a final moment together. Kristen steps on her toes and gives Washington a loving goodbye kiss.}
“Love you.”
“I love you too.”
{Washington goes to the limo and sits down in the back seat. He closes the door and rolls down the window. The limo starts to pull away as Will looks back as Kristen waves goodbye.}
_____________________________________________________________________________________
“Speaking of luck, allow me to talk about another of my Coliseum foes… The Ace. Aside from teaming up in last week’s Collision main event, I believe this is the first time we’ve ever been in the ring together. Thanks to this fact, I don’t really know what to expect from you in there Ace. I know you’re going to bring your best in hopes of recapturing a former glory, but other than that, you’re kind of an enigma to me. We’ve got no history positively or negatively. I don’t respect you like Falcon, and you don’t disgust me like Spike. So this Sunday I step into the ring with someone that basically amounts to a faceless drone.”
“…and I like it that way.”
“Our lack of a common thread makes you just another opponent. I don’t have a desire to hurt you any more or less than anyone else. Neither of us has an agenda against the other, so we can feel free to go out there and destroy each other with no personal opinions getting in the way. It’s going to be a continental brawl, and I absolutely look forward to every minute of it. Despite what some would choose to believe, I know for a fact that you’re not someone to take lightly. So just make sure you bring everything you’ve got, because I’ll do all of that and more.”
“…Not that it will make a difference.”
“No matter what you dc, it won’t be enough to beat me. You’ve got a lot of skill and a certain disposition that lends itself to success in this atmosphere, but you can never underestimate my ruthlessness and the depths I’m willing to sink to just to win this match. Like I said, I don’t need to win this match, but my desire to do so burns greater than anyone’s petty reasons. I’ll destroy anyone who stands in my way, and if that includes you Ace, so be it. When we’re in that cage you need to make sure you know where I am at all times, because if you lose track of me at any point… it could be your downfall.”
“See Ace… I know you’re a gambling man. I know you believe in games of chance… games of luck. It doesn’t take a lot of skill to do what you do, so I know you live your life with a little bit of hope and a whole lot of dumb luck leading your way. You take a few gambles every now and then hoping for the next big score… making tactical risks and educated guesses… but I don’t know if you realize you’re taking the biggest gamble of your life. I can tell you’re worried about what you’ve gotten yourself in for, so let me tell you exactly what’s going to happen.”
“…Pain….. Punishment…. Destruction….”
“This is what’s in store for us all when we enter that cage. There’s no escaping it. Much like how Spike can’t fight his future, you can’t fight the fight. Everyone will walk in there and do their best to absorb the least damage possible, but there’s absolutely no way you leave this match unscathed. You need a ridiculously high threshold for pain to withstand the toil this will take on your body… and lest we forget…. I survived bullets. I can take anything.”
“You have been to the top Ace and you’ve also seen the bottom. More than anyone else you can tell them that the fall will hurt a lot more than the climb.”
“And finally we come to the Ace’s current rival, Nathan Webb. I don’t know if we’ve met…. I’m the guy who has done what you’re attempting to do. There’s a certain amount of kindred spirit between us, so honestly I want you to succeed. We’ve both made the difficult transition from fighting for our country to trying to relate to those who know nothing of our lives. Everyone you face in this business is bound to praise your service and tell some story about how they can understand you, but the truth of the matter is that they don’t have a damn clue what we’ve been through.”
“…They’ll all lie to your face.”
“That’s not what I’m here for Webb. I’m not going to lie to you… I’m going to tell you straight to your face what you need to expect. They’re going to try and exploit any mental fragilities they can to gain an advantage. They’re going to look you dead in the eye and praise you before putting the knife in your back. None of them will ever truly understand what guys like you and I have been through, but they’ll never fail to use it to their advantage.”
“…Don’t let them.”
“You have to develop a thick skin if you want to make it in this business. I’m sure you already know this, but I’ve lived it firsthand. I’m not saying you need to follow in my footsteps exactly, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has handled the transition as well as I have… and heck… there are a lot worse people out there to pattern yourself after than me.”
“You present a new challenge for me… a welcome challenge. For so long I’ve been a man on an island, and now there’s someone in nearly the same boat as me. It’s almost like Will Washington has to find a way to beat… Will Washington. Not the genuine article because obviously I believe I’m better than you, but a difficult task nevertheless.”
“I’ve seen what you can do in the ring and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I know you come from lesser organizations so I didn’t really have high hopes for you at first, but you’ve shattered nearly all of my doubts. You’re immensely talented and it’s only a matter of time before great successes come your way…. And that’s where one doubt lingers…”
“…How will it affect you?”
“When Nathan Webb becomes a household name and the opportunities start flooding in, how will you respond? Will you still walk into arenas with your head held high with a singular goal in mind, or will you let it drag you down like so many before you? When I won this exact match two years ago, I became too worried about what the people thought of me and I let myself fall into the trap of trying to please them first, and worry about myself second. I tried to be the hero that they so desperately wanted and all it served to do was stall all of my momentum. I let Angel politic his way into my title match instead of doing the right thing and crippling him when the idea was even brought up, because I thought it was what was best for the fans… and I suffered because of it. Now you don’t have to worry about a Coliseum victory going to your head considering there’s no chance of you beating me, but I have no doubt it’s only a matter of time before lesser accolades come your way. Will you let them vault you into the stratosphere or down to the catacombs? The choice is your’s. Choose wisely.”
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{We now find our hero sitting alone in his hotel room with a gigantic Easter basket sitting on the bed next to him. In his hands he holds a Hallmark card with a Bunny on the front of it. He pens a message on the inside of the card before laying it down next to him. A rapping knock comes across his hotel room door and he hops off the bed to answer it. The motion on the mattress causes the card to fall to the floor, where it lays opened. As Will stands at the door talking to a hotel employee, the camera zooms in on the opened card.}
“If you’re reading this,
you know by now why I can’t come home.
I’m sorry. I love you.
Happy belated Easter.”
you know by now why I can’t come home.
I’m sorry. I love you.
Happy belated Easter.”
{The door closes and Will walks back over. Looking down, he notices the card and picks it up. He stares at it and slowly he starts to not believe the words he has written. He crumples the card in his hands and tosses it in the trash. He walks across the room and looks at himself in the mirror as we fade out.}
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“Allow me to leave my Sovereign counterparts with a final message. I’ve been through all of this before… The buildup, the pre-match squabbling, the brutality that takes place during the match, and the post-match excuses. None of this is foreign to me. I’ve got all of the scars to prove it and even if I could, I wouldn’t lose them. The physical and emotional wounds you’ll receive in that cage can be deep and painful, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything… because every time I look in the mirror, I can still see that on any night I can go out there and beat the greatest in the world in the harshest environments. How many people in this match can say that?”
“…Only one.”
“Someone once said: ‘With great power comes great responsibility’, and it’s certainly true. I’ve got all the power in the world to change the course of history… and I take full responsibility for doing so. I fear nothing and I‘ll regret less.”
