Post by Philip Burns on Apr 19, 2013 20:37:48 GMT -6
{After the match on Sovereign in which Burning Angels were Defeated by Team America, Philip Burns is seen backstage with Mike Honcho. An interviewer approaches him.}
“Mr Burns is I could get a moment with you I had a few questions.”
“Please. Mr Burns is my father. I'm Phil. And just who the hell are you?”
“I'm Landon Marcus. I'm a new interviewer here.”
“New? You know this place is closing down any day now right?”
“Yes unfortunately. I was unaware of that when I turned down an offer from ESPN.”
{Burns offers a friendly pat on the back that ends up being way too hard, causing him to stumble.}
“Ah. Cheer up man. I'm sure you’re not that great anyway. So get on with your questions.”
“Alright... We just say you and Angel defeated at the hands of Team America on the very night Burning Angels was inducted into the Hall of Fame. How are you taking the loss?”
“Marco, if you've been paying the slightest bit of attention to my recent return you'd know that this isn’t about one last glorious run for me. I just want a fight. And tonight That’s what Team America handed us. Maybe it was crazy to think I could come out of semi retirement and team with a guy I hadn’t seen in years to win the Tag Team Championships. It does sound a little crazy. But hell, you look back at the careers of Angel and I and crazy is just about the only word that could describe it all.
One thing to take away from this is that Angel and I may not be World Tag Team Champions right now, but we will always be a Tag Team of World Champions.”
“Is there any desire to try again?”
“There's always going to be that though in the back of my head where I will wonder if we had gotten our rust out of the way and maybe we could get it done with another chance, but no. I think we are basically done. I don’t see us teaming again in nCw. I love Angel like a brother. I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do.”
“Well said, sir. And finally do you have anything planned for A Night to Remember? As you so sadly reminded me that is the last show for this company.”
“Honestly, no. I just take it one day at a time for a swan song here. I was lucky this week had such a great match lined up but no I don’t have anything planned at all.”
{Just then Mike Honcho steps into frame. }
“I’ve got it broham. How about you grow a rockin' mustache like you had back in college, I come out of semi-retirement, and we throw out a tag team challenge and tear the place down one last time!”
“Are you kidding me buddy? A mustache? What does that have to do with anything? I'm not some teen who is so excited to have his first face pubes that I will just go all Burt Reynolds on myself. I'm a star with class.”
“I.. was just saying. You know. We could do like the old days.”
“Mike come on. If I'm the resident flake of nCw, you’re the frosted flake. Lets just see what happens and when the cameras stop rolling that last time I will buy you a beer.”
“...yea. Great.”
“Gentlemen, Thank you for your time.”
{Burns and Honcho walk down the hallway. Honcho's head is hanging low as though he is down and dejected.}
While many would be down in the dumps I am rejoicing. To still have a major match for some pretty important belts on Pay-Per-View is huge to me. To go out there and be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of a tag team I have always been proud of is phenomenal. I wouldn’t call my loss a failure; More like an opportunity to finish up a chapter that had long been left without an ending. And so I move forward, sans Burning Angels into the home stretch. For my career, for nCw, things are coming to an end.
I have always maintained that when I leave this earth I do not want my funeral to be a sad affair. With all I have accomplished I wish that those who gather to pay their last respects would take comfort in that I am a permanent memory to so so many fans and colleagues. This is how I feel about nCw and my career. With so many records broken and tickets sold I do not mourn the closing of nCw. In fact I rejoice that there was foresight to end while the product was still something to be proud of. I don’t need to rattle of impressive numbers or name Hall of Fame inductees. NCW speaks for itself. My career speaks for itself.
Before is comes to an end I face Caleb Lockwood. Here is a hungry young man who wants to compete and make a name so badly that he is booked for BOTH of nCw's shows this week. I find that very intriguing. I like the fire. When I talk about coming back for a good fight every week this is exactly what I wanted. The next stop on the road to the promised land is with Lockwood. I hope he doesn’t let the word “Former” in any of my accomplishments make him comfortable. That would be a mistake. Much like this young man there is nothing past tense about my passion for competition.
Unlike the end of my life, I can see the the end coming at A Night to Remember. I see a bright light at the end of the tunnel. But in the wrestling business, bright lights are commonplace. So I will do as I have been trained to do, as I have always done. I will walk toward the light and bathe in it once last time. From the time the bell sounds on that fateful night, and until it sounds again thereafter I will be as good one more time as I ever was. This company is made of legends, and maybe... just maybe... Philip Burns is one of them.
{Philip Burns lies in bed. His phone lights up and vibrates on the nightstand. “Snapchat from StachMaster69” The glow illuminates the whole room with a soft glow. Burns rolls over, groans, and reaches for the smartphone. He opens the app. The resulting snapchat is simply a closeup on Mike Honcho's face, more specifically his upper lip. The caption reads “think about it. LolZ”}
“You've gotta be ****tin' me.”
{Just then Burns hears a light thumping of bass and can barely hear music. He walks over to the window nearest the sound and opens it up. Mike Honcho is outside, holding a boombox above his head, standing in front of the Mustache Machine (his Scooby Doo van with a giant mustache on the front). The boombox is blaring “And We Danced” by Macklemore which really catches Burns off guard.}
“What are you doing Honcho? Its like 3 in the morning!”
“Yea it is a good morning! I just wanted to come over and let you know that I would do anything for you. I know you don’t have plans for A Night to Remember so I wanted to make some. You and me ride one last time!”
“We never really had much success together anyway man. I’ve been in some really good tag teams but that one just wasn’t one of them.”
“Come on Burnsy! You don’t want to waste the last show on some random singles match again someone else who doesn’t have a damn thing going on. Pick me Phil! You and I vs. Uncle Gerald and Cousin Billy Ray or some other equally qualified tag team.”
“Maybe you think they are on your level, But I am a former WORLD CHAMPION Mike. I wont be sitting around twiddling my thumbs at A Night to Remember. I will have something plenty worthwhile to do.”
“...So... this is worthwhile to you? Your old friend...”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just know that they will have plans for the former World Champion.”
“... No I get it. It's fine. I should go.”
“Mike...”
“No. No it's OK.”
“Come on man. Come to ringside with me this week when I face Caleb Lockwood. Let's see how this goes. Maybe we can figure something out. Let's see what happens.”
“Fine. I'll be there.”
“There he is! That's my buddy. I'm going back to bed. I'll see you later.”
{Burns closes the window and slips back into bed. Another crisis averted. Tensions are running high in these final few weeks. Personal relationships are strained over business matters and egos are tested as the staff tried to find a place for all the deserving talent on the final card. But there is no rest for Philip Burns. Not for one second does he take the challenge of Caleb Lockwood lightly. Because every veteran knows the thing to fear the most is a hungry young man. They don’t look at the man, they look at the spot he is in. It's impersonal. It's business. It's a fight.}
I like that.