Post by skyslayers on Jul 18, 2008 8:55:02 GMT -6
(Images flash across the screen. A PWW ring, one man stands in each corner. Maniac, World Heavyweight title firmly planted on his shoulder, faces the left of the ramp arms raised above his head in triumph. To the right of the ramp is Faith, holding the U.S. title above his head and a condecending grin on his face. Next to him, facing the crowd on the right is Talon, albeit a little smaller then than he is now, also the only one not holding a title, because PWW only had three singles titles. Opposite him is Falcon, standing with his arms outstretched like wings, holding the World Cruiserweight title. A picture of happier times for all involved. One man is dead, the other three are going to be bitterly at one anothers throats this Sunday. The images flash faster. Maniac battling Adultman. Falcon battling Ethanol. Faith battling Plague. Talon battling Dakkon. Battles fought, Wars engaged.. all won, with smiles a mile wide. Seems that things always seem to change, and yet stay the same. The images fade and the voices take over.)
Falcon: Now, I know nobody at home really cares about any of that. If they know it, they're probably tired of seeing it. If they don't, then they probably don't care to see it either. But this wasn't for your benefit. As much as I like doing things for your benefit, occasionally I need to do things for other reasons. Sometimes, I just do things just to do them. But, we needed something to remind us as to why we felt the way we did about Chris.
Talon: Something to use as motivation to self justify everything we've said.. not only this week, but last week, and last month.
Falcon: We took a trip last week to a place that was rumored not to exist. A place we should have known well. I went searching for an answer that I thought I needed.
Talon: To be honest, I could have used that answer as well.
Falcon: But as I sit here right now, in front of this microphone, I realized that it might have been futile. Even had I gotten that answer, it probably wouldn't have helped. I didn't find the time to admit this yesterday. But Chris surprised me last week. Believe me, I'd seen enough of his matches to know what he has in his repetoire. But it wasn't the moves he used, it was the way he used them. He used to be so angry all the time, and that's where his motivation came from. He simply overpowered you mentally into thinking you wouldn't win, and then overpowered you physically in that ring so you'd believe you couldn't win, and then you wouldn't. But now.. he's become much more than that. He's calculating. His eyes take in everything. Nothing escapes his gaze. When a man acts like that..
Talon: He's beyond tough to beat. He just lays in waiting. Watching your every move, and planning twelve steps ahead of you all the time. So few wrestlers are like that. It takes years of training your mind to keep your anger in check, and your focus in your back pocket.
Falcon: I watched the tape of that match after we taped yesterdays promo Chris. It reminded me of something that literally made me shiver with rememberance. Something that, not only I, but all of us went through approximately four years ago. I think you already know what I'm going to show you. This is a visage very few outside of our history together have seen. Just us.. and well, Adam Knite.
(The image of Tyrant comes on the screen. One of his old promo pictures, the ones designed to make him look like the unstoppable juggernaut he almost was.)
Talon: Tyrant.. we all remember that name.. that face...
Falcon: Now before you go accusing me on using that image to try and piss you off, let me explain. Tyrant was possibly the greatest competitor to step through the doors of PWW. He only showed up during two of PWW's cycles. During the first he systematically destroyed the roster. Nobody even came close to touching him. When he left at the end, declaring he was finished with the lot of them, Orange immediately placed him into the Hall of Fame. He was seldom heard from anywhere since.
Talon: Until four years ago. A mysterious woman named Emma showed up, claiming she could take Falcon to the next level. Week after week she left cryptic messages for him, trying to inbed herself inside his brain. Then one night, after a grueling match, Falcon was assaulted by a masked wrestler named Solace. Solace and Falcon traded words and blows backstage for weeks. When it was decided that they would end it in a match in May, Solace warmed up by first going through me.. then Fixxer... then Faith. Then, Falcon and Solace battled for well over a half hour.. until Solace prevailed. He took the mask off..
Falcon: And revealed that face. Tyrant had used me to justify his return. He revealed then that he had returned because of us.. the Social Enemies. People he had watched from the shadows until he decided that he had found new blood to feast on. A month later he faced off against you, Chris. You put your career on the line, and as you yourself said, you caved into the pressure and lost. You were forced into retirement.
Talon: I remember the way the earth shook that night. I remember looking out at the crowd and seeing the sheer joy on their faces as this dream match went on. And then, just like that.. in three seconds.. it was over. Tyrant had defeated possibly the greatest wrestler to ever exist. After that, everything fell apart. The Social Enemies disbanded. And we were forced to go our seperate ways. In some ways, that made us stronger idividuals, and thus, a stronger team.
Falcon: True. I know why you were disapointed Chris. You simply thought I would try to recreate what we had, with new faces. But you don't see what was there. Ed was no longer going to help. Angel at the time was indifferent, he didn't care enough to help. So that left the two of us. It didn't feel right to walk into that locker room, grab two random schmoes and say we're now the new Social Enemies. I went from having a group of people I could trust.. to just one. I thought fighting for the ideal was enough. But apparently you didn't think so. So, that said.. I'm sorry.
Talon: But that's not all...
Falcon: No.. you see.. the point of that whole history lesson was to get at this point. What I saw in you last week, was the same I saw in Tyrant that night in May. By putting aside your rage, by letting your logical mind take the wheel and drive, you became just as strong, just as powerful and just as focused as Tyrant. I know you've spent years thinking about Tyrant and how you were bested. But you need to realize a vital fact.. as good as Tyrant is...
Talon: You've become better.
Falcon: You didn't pin me because of any weakness on my part. You pinned me because you became better than you ever realized. That's why I warned Ricky about you. That's why I warn John and Ricky about you now. Make all the jokes you want about me hanging on you like a prom date or something, but I felt you needed to know.
Talon: You're going to need that attitude should you become Tag champions. But I'm no fortune teller.
(Images come back, flashing fast. It starts with Rob Diamond when he first came to nCw. Then stills from his early matches, showing his skill, not the fact if he won or lost. Then his joining of Social Distortion, and how his expressions and gestures changed. More from his matches. Then a still from his last promo, Rob standing there with that crazed expression on his face.)
Talon: Something tells me the future does not bode well for me. I never set out in this business, here or anywhere else I've worked, to create some kind of mortal enemy.. or blood fued. I just wanted to wrestle as my heroes did. It's funny to say the word hero as I look at this picture of you Rob. I remember a time when you would make a comic reference, tell me how evil I was, and then proclaim how you would rid the world of my evil influence.
Falcon: But it seems our friendly neighborhood Diamond has pulled a one eighty. Finally realizing what we've been telling him all along. We didn't try to label ourselves as some kind of heroes, we only represented what was right. We didn't try to change you, all we wanted was to show you that what you thought was up, was actually down.
Talon: I knew that one day you would see the light, or something like that. I just hoped that when you did, you would ditch Spike and his negativity and strike it out on your own. But it seems that you chose a different path, one thats leading you down into.. I guess you could say madness.. though you'll call it clarity. But just remember about all the other times I tried to tell you something and you ignored it. Thinking back.. "Maybe I should have listened."
Falcon: You were an unmolded ball of clay Rob, it was just a matter of who got to you first. That would depend on who you would become. A beloved legend who could make the crowd erupt in cheers with a single gesture, or a miserable wretch who was hated no matter what he did, said, or tried to do. We tried to show you the path we went down, the one we felt you would be better suited for. But you listened to the devil in the other ear, promising you the fast road to glory. Look where it got you. You can't trust Spike, Xavier, Tyler.. or Manson. You don't even seemingly spend any time with your brother anymore, someone who actually looks out for your health.
Talon: I suppose I should just sit back, watch the show, and hope that you'll be alright when it's all over. But I have a feeling that you won't let me. You might not have Chris's blood within you. But you definately have his attitude. You'll feel the new power you've found will give you the chance to settle the old score you have with me. I don't have to like it, but if that's the way you have to have it, then I guess I'll have to deal with it. I may grumble about it, but at least you know I'll show up.
(The screen fades in out of the black. Falcon and Talon are sitting in front of a television, the camera behind the t.v. A studio microphone sits between them, recording what audio we were just listening to. Everything about the scene appears normal, except Falcon is not wearing his facepaint.)
Falcon: Ricky.. John.. I want you to listen to me. All we've ever asked from you, was to admit that you needed help to get where you are. But all I hear from you is how you won those titles, and you're going to keep them. And that cavalier attitude is precisely why you didn't beat us a couple weeks ago, when you had the chance to keep us out of title distance. Thats exactly why Ricky felt an Aerial Spike last week. I'm aware he might have kicked out, but chances dictate that he more than likely wouldn't have. That cavalier attitude is what happens to weak people who "bust their asses" and get a little bit of glory, falter in the end. Because you don't have the strength to ascend from one level into another.
Talon: Winning a title is cake. Keeping it is another matter entirely. Look at Ricky's history. He wins titles like a fiend, but he holds them only for a short time, showing that once he gets into that gold zone, he becomes comfortable and thinks that it will last. And then someone else's hand comes down with the determination and drive that he used to have and everything he worked for is snatched away in three short seconds. You guys haven't shown why you are the tag champions.. because maybe you shouldn't be.
Falcon: We gave you the opportunity. It should have been a simple matter. Walk to the ring, beat rare tag team of Falcon and Talon, and show the world your validation. You walked in with the same attitude that you're taking now, and if you're not careful, it will cost you again. We're not asking out of some fascination for you guys to succeed. We're simply asking you to change the way you're acting, because it's the only way you're going to have half a chance.
Talon: The two of us are only half of what awaits you. In case you haven't been listening, Chris Diamond is not someone you just dismiss because he's lost a couple matches. From personal experience, we could both tell you just how bad ring rust is. If Ricky didn't believe it before last Collision, he'd damn well better believe it now. The ring rust is gone from Chris Diamond. He's become the man he once was when he was called the Greatest of all Time. And as we've just discussed, he's ascended past that in his own right. And Rob is growing exponentially by the day. This is not something you can just pass off as us disrespecting your talent.
Falcon: All we're trying to do is prepare you for what's coming. Neither one of us have ever entertained the thought this would be easy. I'd hope you'd know that by now. But you're setting yourself up for epic failure. Smart the two of you may be, but you seem to be lacking the listening and reasoning skills needed to get by. Maybe a little common sense as well. You KNOW who we are, and what we'll be bringing. It's about time you start acting like it.
Talon: It's not much to ask really. Though I do hope you people stop calling it "Team Skyslayer".. makes us sound like a dodgeball team at summer camp.
Falcon: I knew we should have come up with a different name.
Talon: (shrug) what can you do?
Falcon: ...Right..
Talon: Two days man...
Falcon: I personally can't wait..
Talon: Me neither..
(Fade)
Falcon: Now, I know nobody at home really cares about any of that. If they know it, they're probably tired of seeing it. If they don't, then they probably don't care to see it either. But this wasn't for your benefit. As much as I like doing things for your benefit, occasionally I need to do things for other reasons. Sometimes, I just do things just to do them. But, we needed something to remind us as to why we felt the way we did about Chris.
Talon: Something to use as motivation to self justify everything we've said.. not only this week, but last week, and last month.
Falcon: We took a trip last week to a place that was rumored not to exist. A place we should have known well. I went searching for an answer that I thought I needed.
Talon: To be honest, I could have used that answer as well.
Falcon: But as I sit here right now, in front of this microphone, I realized that it might have been futile. Even had I gotten that answer, it probably wouldn't have helped. I didn't find the time to admit this yesterday. But Chris surprised me last week. Believe me, I'd seen enough of his matches to know what he has in his repetoire. But it wasn't the moves he used, it was the way he used them. He used to be so angry all the time, and that's where his motivation came from. He simply overpowered you mentally into thinking you wouldn't win, and then overpowered you physically in that ring so you'd believe you couldn't win, and then you wouldn't. But now.. he's become much more than that. He's calculating. His eyes take in everything. Nothing escapes his gaze. When a man acts like that..
Talon: He's beyond tough to beat. He just lays in waiting. Watching your every move, and planning twelve steps ahead of you all the time. So few wrestlers are like that. It takes years of training your mind to keep your anger in check, and your focus in your back pocket.
Falcon: I watched the tape of that match after we taped yesterdays promo Chris. It reminded me of something that literally made me shiver with rememberance. Something that, not only I, but all of us went through approximately four years ago. I think you already know what I'm going to show you. This is a visage very few outside of our history together have seen. Just us.. and well, Adam Knite.
(The image of Tyrant comes on the screen. One of his old promo pictures, the ones designed to make him look like the unstoppable juggernaut he almost was.)
Talon: Tyrant.. we all remember that name.. that face...
Falcon: Now before you go accusing me on using that image to try and piss you off, let me explain. Tyrant was possibly the greatest competitor to step through the doors of PWW. He only showed up during two of PWW's cycles. During the first he systematically destroyed the roster. Nobody even came close to touching him. When he left at the end, declaring he was finished with the lot of them, Orange immediately placed him into the Hall of Fame. He was seldom heard from anywhere since.
Talon: Until four years ago. A mysterious woman named Emma showed up, claiming she could take Falcon to the next level. Week after week she left cryptic messages for him, trying to inbed herself inside his brain. Then one night, after a grueling match, Falcon was assaulted by a masked wrestler named Solace. Solace and Falcon traded words and blows backstage for weeks. When it was decided that they would end it in a match in May, Solace warmed up by first going through me.. then Fixxer... then Faith. Then, Falcon and Solace battled for well over a half hour.. until Solace prevailed. He took the mask off..
Falcon: And revealed that face. Tyrant had used me to justify his return. He revealed then that he had returned because of us.. the Social Enemies. People he had watched from the shadows until he decided that he had found new blood to feast on. A month later he faced off against you, Chris. You put your career on the line, and as you yourself said, you caved into the pressure and lost. You were forced into retirement.
Talon: I remember the way the earth shook that night. I remember looking out at the crowd and seeing the sheer joy on their faces as this dream match went on. And then, just like that.. in three seconds.. it was over. Tyrant had defeated possibly the greatest wrestler to ever exist. After that, everything fell apart. The Social Enemies disbanded. And we were forced to go our seperate ways. In some ways, that made us stronger idividuals, and thus, a stronger team.
Falcon: True. I know why you were disapointed Chris. You simply thought I would try to recreate what we had, with new faces. But you don't see what was there. Ed was no longer going to help. Angel at the time was indifferent, he didn't care enough to help. So that left the two of us. It didn't feel right to walk into that locker room, grab two random schmoes and say we're now the new Social Enemies. I went from having a group of people I could trust.. to just one. I thought fighting for the ideal was enough. But apparently you didn't think so. So, that said.. I'm sorry.
Talon: But that's not all...
Falcon: No.. you see.. the point of that whole history lesson was to get at this point. What I saw in you last week, was the same I saw in Tyrant that night in May. By putting aside your rage, by letting your logical mind take the wheel and drive, you became just as strong, just as powerful and just as focused as Tyrant. I know you've spent years thinking about Tyrant and how you were bested. But you need to realize a vital fact.. as good as Tyrant is...
Talon: You've become better.
Falcon: You didn't pin me because of any weakness on my part. You pinned me because you became better than you ever realized. That's why I warned Ricky about you. That's why I warn John and Ricky about you now. Make all the jokes you want about me hanging on you like a prom date or something, but I felt you needed to know.
Talon: You're going to need that attitude should you become Tag champions. But I'm no fortune teller.
(Images come back, flashing fast. It starts with Rob Diamond when he first came to nCw. Then stills from his early matches, showing his skill, not the fact if he won or lost. Then his joining of Social Distortion, and how his expressions and gestures changed. More from his matches. Then a still from his last promo, Rob standing there with that crazed expression on his face.)
Talon: Something tells me the future does not bode well for me. I never set out in this business, here or anywhere else I've worked, to create some kind of mortal enemy.. or blood fued. I just wanted to wrestle as my heroes did. It's funny to say the word hero as I look at this picture of you Rob. I remember a time when you would make a comic reference, tell me how evil I was, and then proclaim how you would rid the world of my evil influence.
Falcon: But it seems our friendly neighborhood Diamond has pulled a one eighty. Finally realizing what we've been telling him all along. We didn't try to label ourselves as some kind of heroes, we only represented what was right. We didn't try to change you, all we wanted was to show you that what you thought was up, was actually down.
Talon: I knew that one day you would see the light, or something like that. I just hoped that when you did, you would ditch Spike and his negativity and strike it out on your own. But it seems that you chose a different path, one thats leading you down into.. I guess you could say madness.. though you'll call it clarity. But just remember about all the other times I tried to tell you something and you ignored it. Thinking back.. "Maybe I should have listened."
Falcon: You were an unmolded ball of clay Rob, it was just a matter of who got to you first. That would depend on who you would become. A beloved legend who could make the crowd erupt in cheers with a single gesture, or a miserable wretch who was hated no matter what he did, said, or tried to do. We tried to show you the path we went down, the one we felt you would be better suited for. But you listened to the devil in the other ear, promising you the fast road to glory. Look where it got you. You can't trust Spike, Xavier, Tyler.. or Manson. You don't even seemingly spend any time with your brother anymore, someone who actually looks out for your health.
Talon: I suppose I should just sit back, watch the show, and hope that you'll be alright when it's all over. But I have a feeling that you won't let me. You might not have Chris's blood within you. But you definately have his attitude. You'll feel the new power you've found will give you the chance to settle the old score you have with me. I don't have to like it, but if that's the way you have to have it, then I guess I'll have to deal with it. I may grumble about it, but at least you know I'll show up.
(The screen fades in out of the black. Falcon and Talon are sitting in front of a television, the camera behind the t.v. A studio microphone sits between them, recording what audio we were just listening to. Everything about the scene appears normal, except Falcon is not wearing his facepaint.)
Falcon: Ricky.. John.. I want you to listen to me. All we've ever asked from you, was to admit that you needed help to get where you are. But all I hear from you is how you won those titles, and you're going to keep them. And that cavalier attitude is precisely why you didn't beat us a couple weeks ago, when you had the chance to keep us out of title distance. Thats exactly why Ricky felt an Aerial Spike last week. I'm aware he might have kicked out, but chances dictate that he more than likely wouldn't have. That cavalier attitude is what happens to weak people who "bust their asses" and get a little bit of glory, falter in the end. Because you don't have the strength to ascend from one level into another.
Talon: Winning a title is cake. Keeping it is another matter entirely. Look at Ricky's history. He wins titles like a fiend, but he holds them only for a short time, showing that once he gets into that gold zone, he becomes comfortable and thinks that it will last. And then someone else's hand comes down with the determination and drive that he used to have and everything he worked for is snatched away in three short seconds. You guys haven't shown why you are the tag champions.. because maybe you shouldn't be.
Falcon: We gave you the opportunity. It should have been a simple matter. Walk to the ring, beat rare tag team of Falcon and Talon, and show the world your validation. You walked in with the same attitude that you're taking now, and if you're not careful, it will cost you again. We're not asking out of some fascination for you guys to succeed. We're simply asking you to change the way you're acting, because it's the only way you're going to have half a chance.
Talon: The two of us are only half of what awaits you. In case you haven't been listening, Chris Diamond is not someone you just dismiss because he's lost a couple matches. From personal experience, we could both tell you just how bad ring rust is. If Ricky didn't believe it before last Collision, he'd damn well better believe it now. The ring rust is gone from Chris Diamond. He's become the man he once was when he was called the Greatest of all Time. And as we've just discussed, he's ascended past that in his own right. And Rob is growing exponentially by the day. This is not something you can just pass off as us disrespecting your talent.
Falcon: All we're trying to do is prepare you for what's coming. Neither one of us have ever entertained the thought this would be easy. I'd hope you'd know that by now. But you're setting yourself up for epic failure. Smart the two of you may be, but you seem to be lacking the listening and reasoning skills needed to get by. Maybe a little common sense as well. You KNOW who we are, and what we'll be bringing. It's about time you start acting like it.
Talon: It's not much to ask really. Though I do hope you people stop calling it "Team Skyslayer".. makes us sound like a dodgeball team at summer camp.
Falcon: I knew we should have come up with a different name.
Talon: (shrug) what can you do?
Falcon: ...Right..
Talon: Two days man...
Falcon: I personally can't wait..
Talon: Me neither..
(Fade)