Post by Will Washington on Apr 14, 2013 5:09:52 GMT -6
"He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." - Lao Tzu
{Open up on our hero, Will Washington, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants as he jogs down a road. The first warm day of the year has everyone out enjoying the weather, and Will is no exception as he gets in some final 'Me Time' before the biggest match of his life. As he runs, you can see the wheels turning in his mind as he goes over all of the possible ways Sunday could play out. After a few moments of this, he slows down and stops, bending forward to catch his breath. He then raises up and takes a second to look around, taking in the scenary of a beautiful New England morning. A sense of peace washes over Will, but the feeling is quickly interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.}
Female: "Will... Will Washington?"
{Will spins around to greet the woman, who tilts her head to make sure she's not mistaken.}
Female: "That is you, isn't it?"
Washington: "Yeah... Can I help you?"
Female: "Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's you! You don't recognize me, do you?"
{Will, trying not to seem rude, thinks forf a moment but still comes up empty.}
Female: "It's me, Wanda. Wanda Adams. Tyler's mother."
{The woman standing in front of our hero is none other than the mother of his former best friend and fellow soldier, Tyler Adams. The man who, along with Will, were the only survivors of an ambush in Iraq, but they unfortunately suffered greater wounds, and Tyler took his own life.
Upon the realization that the woman of just who was standing in front of him, Will finds himself unable to find the words to speak.}
Wanda Adams: "I can't believe I just ran into you like this! Here I am out for my morning coffee, and who do I see? Will Washington!
Washington: "Oh wow. It's been so long that I didn't even recognize you."
Wanda Adams: "It's the new hairstyle... I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Anyway, how have you been, son?"
Washington: "I uh... I'm good. I've got a wedding coming up in a few weeks, actually. So I'm pretty excited about that..."
Wanda Adams: "Really? Oh that's so good to hear, Will! What's the little lady's name? How long have you been together?"
Washington: "Her name is Kristen and we've been dating... around two years I guess."
Wanda Adams: "Well that's lovely."
Washington: "What about yourself and Mr. Adams?"
Wanda Adams: "We're all doing fine... except for David's high blood pressure, of course."
Washington: "What brings you to town?"
Wanda Adams: "Oh William, it's the best news. Marcus goes to school here now! We're in town visiting him before he gets wrapped up in his finals and whatnot."
Washington: "Little Marcus got into Harvard? That is great news."
Wanda Adams: "Yep, yep. He takes after his brother, you know? I see more and more of Tyler in him every day."
{Everything goes silent for a moment.}
Washington: "Mrs. Adams... I know it's been a long time, and I've been meaning to check up on you all for a while, but I've been so busy."
Wanda Adams: "You don't have to apologize to us. When my baby died, you called every day for eight months. You don't owe us anything."
Washington: "I just miss him, Mrs. Adams. I still think about him every day... I think about if maybe I could have done more for him."
Wanda Adams: "Don't let yourself think like that, William. He's in a better place... he's with god now, and I know he's smiling down on us right now."
Washington: "I've never really let myself believe that heaven is a real thing, but I know that if it is, Ty's definitely up there... probably giving somebody a hard time. Haha."
Wanda Adams: "He did love his pranks, didn't he?"
Washington: "Almost as much as he loved wrestling. Whenever we had any downtime, we'd just sit and talk wrestling until someone begged us to shut up."
Wanda Adams: "Oh yeah! You're a big time professional wrestler now, aren't you?"
Washington: "Ha. I guess so. I actually have a big World Title match on Sunday that I'm a little nervous about."
Wanda Adams: "Imagine that! My boy's best friend as the World Champion! You just know he's going to be watching with a big smile on his face."
Washington: "Yeah... I just hope I don't screw it up and let him and everybody else down."
Wanda Adams: "Hey now. There's no way you can let Tyler down. He wanted to do what you're doing. I know he's proud of you no matter what."
Washington: "Funny. Kristen told me the same thing earlier this week."
Wanda Adams: "Sounds like you've got a smart woman on your hands."
Washington: "So... you really think Ty would be proud of me?"
Wanda Adams: "I know he is. You were like another brother to him. You're living the dream for both of you."
{Will smiles and feels a sense of relief.}
Washington: "Well on Sunday, I'm going to go out there and I'm going to win that World Championship for me and for my best friend."
Wanda Adams: "And whether you want to believe it or not, he'll be right there with you."
{The sound cuts after this, and we fade into the sky as our hero and the mother of another hero, share stories and laugh. Fade out.}
__________________________________________________________________________________
"It doesn't take much searchings to find out why Roberto Verona believes himself to be the best thing to happen to wrestling in the last twenty years. A few dozen men have been able to hold that NCW Title and call themselves 'champion', and he's had it longer than any of them. Think about that... there has been no man to have held that gold around his waist longer than Verona has. A fact he has no trouble sharing with you at every turn.
If matches were determined by past successes and mastery of a thesaurus, Roberto very well be the unbeatable king he claims. Unfortunately, the past doesn't really mean much when you're feeling the life being choked out of you, does it?
I am less interested in what you've done in the past one hundred and fifty or so days, Roberto, and more interested in what you plan on doing when you find yourself at your lowest point. Anyone can proclaim flawless victory from the safety of Kelly Fox's teat, but it takes a real man to do so when the chips are down and all hope seems lost. We've seen how you handle success, now let's see how you react to certain doom.
That's where the lines between fantasy and reality get blurred, don't they? Because part of you wants to acknowledge that you're in for an honest to god fight this week... but the other half of you is too damn full of it to admit that I'm actually a threat to you. So the king finds himself lying in bed with his covers pulled up to his ears, hoping to god that the bump he hears in the night is only just the wind. Your mouth can say whatever it wants, but that ever-thumping heart... the shaky knees... the crack in your voice give away what you'd never freely admit.
...You're just as worried as anybody else.
In spite of all your nonsensical references to your kingdom and your insistences to the contrary, you see the writing on the wall like every other guy backstage. Your time in the sun is coming to an end soon, and you know that once NCW is dead and buried, Roberto Verona may as hell be in the ground right next to it. See Roberto... you may have held that belt for longer than anyone else, but when A Night to Remember ends, this all goes right with it.
That's why Sunday is so important for each of us. It isn't about building your supposed kingdom anymore... it's about making sure people gave will remember it even existed in twenty years. We're building our own individual legacies, Verona. I want to win that World Championship title because it's all I've ever wanted to do. I want that belt so I can go to sleep at night and dream a new dream. I don't want my legacy in NCW to be the guy who never one the big one... I want to be the guy who did everything he could to be all that he could be.
That's what I'm fighting for at Sovereign. Not to save NCW from you, or to end your reign of terror... I'm fighting for me and for anyone like me that's ever been a pissed off kid with nowhere to go. I'm fighting for every man, woman, and child that's sick and tired of seeing someone with a big ego and a bigger mouth decide what everyone else does or doesn't deserve. I've always considered myself to be anything but 'common', but *** damn it I'll fight for the common man too. Whether I wanted to or not, I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders this Sunday... and it's all about to come crashing down on your head.
... See Roberto... That's what happens when you build your career on a foundation of weak morales and deceit. Eventually it all tumbles down, and you're left to sort through the wreckage of a once promising star. Because even though you have the one hundred and fifty something day streak, all anyone is going to remember about you is what you had to do to get there, and how incredible the fall from grace was.
You've played a dangerous game... and soon?
Game over.
For one of us, this is it. One of the two of us will go on to main event the final show in NCW history against the latest Gladiator and the other will drop back to the bottom of the pack. I've fought, scratched, and clawed every step of the way to get to where I am right now, and I'm not going back without a fight. My failures are well-documented at this point, but there's no way anyone can truly know how badly I want to win that championship gold. I'd go through hell all over again if it lead me right back to where I am right now, and where I'm going to be on Sunday.
I've faced all the challenges you've thrown at me, Roberto. Ace, Xander, Criminal Intent... I'd gladly walk through that fire again, because I know that the World Championship is waiting at the end of it. The ultimate prize in this business is just a fingertip's reach away from me, and now you're the only thing standing between me and my destiny.
I'm not foolish enough to guarantee victory, Verona. I know exactly how dangerous of an opponent you can be. You'll break any rule and use every trick in the book to hold onto that title. I respect that, truly I do. What I don't respect is a man who has to rely on help from others to stay on top, and that's all you've done. Now Xander has abandoned you.... Ace is busy with the Coliseum... and Kelly is with child. There's no one left for you to hide behind, Bobby. No more hired muscle... no more boss lady protection. It's just going to be you and me inside that 20 by 20 ring. And with all the eyes of the world upon us, I can finally prove without a shadow of a doubt that I am good enough to be World Champion, and that I am better than you.
... Deep down, you've known that all along. Just like I know exactly what I am, and what I can do. See, I don't believe in fate, champ. I believe that every day is another chance to take control of your destiny and make life whatever you want it to be. And you know... I've been talking a lot about the narrative of our lives and the story that's being told, and about how that story is still being changed each and every day. This is the last chance to alter our fate, Verona. The final chapter of NCW begins this Sunday... it's up to us to write it."
{Open up on our hero, Will Washington, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants as he jogs down a road. The first warm day of the year has everyone out enjoying the weather, and Will is no exception as he gets in some final 'Me Time' before the biggest match of his life. As he runs, you can see the wheels turning in his mind as he goes over all of the possible ways Sunday could play out. After a few moments of this, he slows down and stops, bending forward to catch his breath. He then raises up and takes a second to look around, taking in the scenary of a beautiful New England morning. A sense of peace washes over Will, but the feeling is quickly interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.}
Female: "Will... Will Washington?"
{Will spins around to greet the woman, who tilts her head to make sure she's not mistaken.}
Female: "That is you, isn't it?"
Washington: "Yeah... Can I help you?"
Female: "Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's you! You don't recognize me, do you?"
{Will, trying not to seem rude, thinks forf a moment but still comes up empty.}
Female: "It's me, Wanda. Wanda Adams. Tyler's mother."
{The woman standing in front of our hero is none other than the mother of his former best friend and fellow soldier, Tyler Adams. The man who, along with Will, were the only survivors of an ambush in Iraq, but they unfortunately suffered greater wounds, and Tyler took his own life.
Upon the realization that the woman of just who was standing in front of him, Will finds himself unable to find the words to speak.}
Wanda Adams: "I can't believe I just ran into you like this! Here I am out for my morning coffee, and who do I see? Will Washington!
Washington: "Oh wow. It's been so long that I didn't even recognize you."
Wanda Adams: "It's the new hairstyle... I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Anyway, how have you been, son?"
Washington: "I uh... I'm good. I've got a wedding coming up in a few weeks, actually. So I'm pretty excited about that..."
Wanda Adams: "Really? Oh that's so good to hear, Will! What's the little lady's name? How long have you been together?"
Washington: "Her name is Kristen and we've been dating... around two years I guess."
Wanda Adams: "Well that's lovely."
Washington: "What about yourself and Mr. Adams?"
Wanda Adams: "We're all doing fine... except for David's high blood pressure, of course."
Washington: "What brings you to town?"
Wanda Adams: "Oh William, it's the best news. Marcus goes to school here now! We're in town visiting him before he gets wrapped up in his finals and whatnot."
Washington: "Little Marcus got into Harvard? That is great news."
Wanda Adams: "Yep, yep. He takes after his brother, you know? I see more and more of Tyler in him every day."
{Everything goes silent for a moment.}
Washington: "Mrs. Adams... I know it's been a long time, and I've been meaning to check up on you all for a while, but I've been so busy."
Wanda Adams: "You don't have to apologize to us. When my baby died, you called every day for eight months. You don't owe us anything."
Washington: "I just miss him, Mrs. Adams. I still think about him every day... I think about if maybe I could have done more for him."
Wanda Adams: "Don't let yourself think like that, William. He's in a better place... he's with god now, and I know he's smiling down on us right now."
Washington: "I've never really let myself believe that heaven is a real thing, but I know that if it is, Ty's definitely up there... probably giving somebody a hard time. Haha."
Wanda Adams: "He did love his pranks, didn't he?"
Washington: "Almost as much as he loved wrestling. Whenever we had any downtime, we'd just sit and talk wrestling until someone begged us to shut up."
Wanda Adams: "Oh yeah! You're a big time professional wrestler now, aren't you?"
Washington: "Ha. I guess so. I actually have a big World Title match on Sunday that I'm a little nervous about."
Wanda Adams: "Imagine that! My boy's best friend as the World Champion! You just know he's going to be watching with a big smile on his face."
Washington: "Yeah... I just hope I don't screw it up and let him and everybody else down."
Wanda Adams: "Hey now. There's no way you can let Tyler down. He wanted to do what you're doing. I know he's proud of you no matter what."
Washington: "Funny. Kristen told me the same thing earlier this week."
Wanda Adams: "Sounds like you've got a smart woman on your hands."
Washington: "So... you really think Ty would be proud of me?"
Wanda Adams: "I know he is. You were like another brother to him. You're living the dream for both of you."
{Will smiles and feels a sense of relief.}
Washington: "Well on Sunday, I'm going to go out there and I'm going to win that World Championship for me and for my best friend."
Wanda Adams: "And whether you want to believe it or not, he'll be right there with you."
{The sound cuts after this, and we fade into the sky as our hero and the mother of another hero, share stories and laugh. Fade out.}
__________________________________________________________________________________
"It doesn't take much searchings to find out why Roberto Verona believes himself to be the best thing to happen to wrestling in the last twenty years. A few dozen men have been able to hold that NCW Title and call themselves 'champion', and he's had it longer than any of them. Think about that... there has been no man to have held that gold around his waist longer than Verona has. A fact he has no trouble sharing with you at every turn.
If matches were determined by past successes and mastery of a thesaurus, Roberto very well be the unbeatable king he claims. Unfortunately, the past doesn't really mean much when you're feeling the life being choked out of you, does it?
I am less interested in what you've done in the past one hundred and fifty or so days, Roberto, and more interested in what you plan on doing when you find yourself at your lowest point. Anyone can proclaim flawless victory from the safety of Kelly Fox's teat, but it takes a real man to do so when the chips are down and all hope seems lost. We've seen how you handle success, now let's see how you react to certain doom.
That's where the lines between fantasy and reality get blurred, don't they? Because part of you wants to acknowledge that you're in for an honest to god fight this week... but the other half of you is too damn full of it to admit that I'm actually a threat to you. So the king finds himself lying in bed with his covers pulled up to his ears, hoping to god that the bump he hears in the night is only just the wind. Your mouth can say whatever it wants, but that ever-thumping heart... the shaky knees... the crack in your voice give away what you'd never freely admit.
...You're just as worried as anybody else.
In spite of all your nonsensical references to your kingdom and your insistences to the contrary, you see the writing on the wall like every other guy backstage. Your time in the sun is coming to an end soon, and you know that once NCW is dead and buried, Roberto Verona may as hell be in the ground right next to it. See Roberto... you may have held that belt for longer than anyone else, but when A Night to Remember ends, this all goes right with it.
That's why Sunday is so important for each of us. It isn't about building your supposed kingdom anymore... it's about making sure people gave will remember it even existed in twenty years. We're building our own individual legacies, Verona. I want to win that World Championship title because it's all I've ever wanted to do. I want that belt so I can go to sleep at night and dream a new dream. I don't want my legacy in NCW to be the guy who never one the big one... I want to be the guy who did everything he could to be all that he could be.
That's what I'm fighting for at Sovereign. Not to save NCW from you, or to end your reign of terror... I'm fighting for me and for anyone like me that's ever been a pissed off kid with nowhere to go. I'm fighting for every man, woman, and child that's sick and tired of seeing someone with a big ego and a bigger mouth decide what everyone else does or doesn't deserve. I've always considered myself to be anything but 'common', but *** damn it I'll fight for the common man too. Whether I wanted to or not, I've got the weight of the world on my shoulders this Sunday... and it's all about to come crashing down on your head.
... See Roberto... That's what happens when you build your career on a foundation of weak morales and deceit. Eventually it all tumbles down, and you're left to sort through the wreckage of a once promising star. Because even though you have the one hundred and fifty something day streak, all anyone is going to remember about you is what you had to do to get there, and how incredible the fall from grace was.
You've played a dangerous game... and soon?
Game over.
For one of us, this is it. One of the two of us will go on to main event the final show in NCW history against the latest Gladiator and the other will drop back to the bottom of the pack. I've fought, scratched, and clawed every step of the way to get to where I am right now, and I'm not going back without a fight. My failures are well-documented at this point, but there's no way anyone can truly know how badly I want to win that championship gold. I'd go through hell all over again if it lead me right back to where I am right now, and where I'm going to be on Sunday.
I've faced all the challenges you've thrown at me, Roberto. Ace, Xander, Criminal Intent... I'd gladly walk through that fire again, because I know that the World Championship is waiting at the end of it. The ultimate prize in this business is just a fingertip's reach away from me, and now you're the only thing standing between me and my destiny.
I'm not foolish enough to guarantee victory, Verona. I know exactly how dangerous of an opponent you can be. You'll break any rule and use every trick in the book to hold onto that title. I respect that, truly I do. What I don't respect is a man who has to rely on help from others to stay on top, and that's all you've done. Now Xander has abandoned you.... Ace is busy with the Coliseum... and Kelly is with child. There's no one left for you to hide behind, Bobby. No more hired muscle... no more boss lady protection. It's just going to be you and me inside that 20 by 20 ring. And with all the eyes of the world upon us, I can finally prove without a shadow of a doubt that I am good enough to be World Champion, and that I am better than you.
... Deep down, you've known that all along. Just like I know exactly what I am, and what I can do. See, I don't believe in fate, champ. I believe that every day is another chance to take control of your destiny and make life whatever you want it to be. And you know... I've been talking a lot about the narrative of our lives and the story that's being told, and about how that story is still being changed each and every day. This is the last chance to alter our fate, Verona. The final chapter of NCW begins this Sunday... it's up to us to write it."
