Post by Dave D-Flipz on Apr 28, 2020 11:01:18 GMT -5
*We fade in on a dark room. It appears to be a film study room. There is a screen pulled down in front of a white board which is blank. There’s a few chairs and desks around the room. There are shelves with books and on the opposite side of the room shelves with film reels. A few of them are missing. We hear the sound of a tin being opened and something being rustled. A click is heard and the projector flashes to life. On the screen is projected a black and white scene. Two boxers are going at it, one floors the other then stands over him mouthing off.*
: Muhammad Ali, iconic standing above Sonny Liston. Taunting him. An image we all think of. And a man we all know as one of the best ever.
*The projector clicks off and another reel is loaded up. This time we see an older gentleman at a podium surrounded by teammates and a stadium full of fans.
“I consider myself … the luckiest man … on the face of the Earth”
: A speech about how Lou Gehrig will appreciate being remembered by the Yankee faithful. One of the best players in the game, who did things the right way and will be respected through time.
*Another click, another reel being loaded up. This time it’s the iconic “flu game”. Michael Jordan lands a huge three pointer and celebrates appropriately. *
: A man remembered for being the best player of a generation, illness couldn’t even bring him to the levels of the mere mortals on the other team. But it isn’t just these icons of their industries I want to talk about.
*Another click. This time the projector is wheeled out to the side of the frame and another digital one is placed into the center of the room. The projector is switched on and we get some XHF Archival footage. We see a man standing over Mongo the Destroyer and mouthing off in his face before posing with a title belt.*
: Destruction, a twisted son of a bitch who caused all kinds of havoc for Mongo. A legend in his own right he eventually became commissioner because Mongo just wanted him out of his hair.
*Click, next short clip is a tall, evil looking biker man. He is seen crushing multiple opponents to the mat. The Coral Reesh, one of the deadliest finishers in the XHF. The man is XHF Legend Reeshi, considered by most to be one of the best champions of all time.*
: The sickest, most evil bastard to walk the XHF. And yet a name to this very day stated with respect and reverence.
*Click, it’s now a small Japanese man in a montage of contorting his opponents into uncomfortable positions and his signature finisher the jujigatame armbreaker. Ishnari, the XHF submission master and innovator of strong style in XHF.*
: The best submission in XHF, the man I could never beat. He is the only man to ever make me submit. And today he is so revered that people seek him out to counter other technical wrestlers. Michael Storm found him and learned enough in a short time to overcome Chris Card, one of the top AWF stars in recent memory.
*Click over to a bald man giving an interview to a small Japanese man. He laughs and speaks as if unencumbered by silly side thoughts. The montage is of his promos.*
: Gravedigger, my best friend and the best talker in XHF History. The man could outtalk anybody. He single handedly drove Reeshi, Mongo, Rage, and others crazy. You couldn’t pin him down. He was the master of unpredictability and is considered one of the best to ever wrestle in the XHF.
*He turns the projector to a clip of Death Trap escaping the steel cage to win the MCCW title. Then to him tapping out Allen Vastrix to win the End of Days Tournament.*
: So where does that leave me? Is this how people will remember me? See Supremacy has me thinking a lot about the legacies we leave, how will we be remembered? In what context will we be immortalized? Sure, people talk about me as an XHF Legend, and with all sincerity. And who am I to deny that? I have been around here since 2003 and I have won every top title I needed to. I was constantly the target of men trying to make their names. Beating me was a badge of honor. Chris Kanyon never could. I took Reeshi, Venom, and Rage to their absolute limits. I had an all-time classic rivalry with Ishnari and with Gravedigger. I singlehandedly dismantled the original incarnation of Mongo Corp. No sane man would argue I wasn’t a top star in XHF. And prior to that …
*Cut to a video of Death Trap winning the ECF Championship from Smash. Then to him pinning Hardcore Harry to retain it and save ECF from the EWO invasion Harry had led.*
: I was a God in ECF. I was THE top star there. I was the king of the roost. I saved ECF from the invasion, I kept us in the fight so we could eventually merge over here. I saved the careers of Slash, Funaki, MBB, Gravedigger and Dagger. I held that title for months. Defended it every week. I hit something like 30 defenses. Granted I lost it to GD before the end of the ECF and few who only knew XHF would ever know I was better than him because it is obvious he eclipsed me. He was my superior. I couldn’t keep up with his meteoric rise. The fact remains however that my name will forever be etched as the greatest wrestler in ECF History. Too bad it was so short lived.
*Flip to a slide of DT wrestling Apollyon for the X*Crown in 2004.*
: Apollyon was a fluke. He beat Harry somehow. And I took the very same X*Crown title I wrestle for in one week from him. I held it for two months before I was taken out by a neck injury by Rat Bastard. Before that I held the Phoenix title for a month. A belt I worked very hard to earn and Harry took it from me. I worked my ass off, and back then yes we defended on basically every show or at least one of the two every week. But still … My reign as X*Crown champ was forgettable. But I came back better than ever. A mean streak took over me. I was a massive ass to be around … I was basically Anthony Caffrey. Mouthed off to everyone but still kicked ass. Nobody could touch me. And when Magnus came into town with the XHF World Title …
*Click to a new clip of DT putting Magnus down with his old forgotten move, the One of a Kind (F5)*
: Yeah I was on a bit of a power trip. I originated in ECF as a high flier and as I matured I bulked up and turned to just using power. Honestly it was all about the kicks and the big moves. But I was on top of the world and I made sure to make no friends. The fans hated me, the wrestlers hated me, the world hated me … and it broke me down.
*Cut to DT being dogpiled by all 8 other competitors in a nine man match with Venom as ref. DT is buried and everyone just piles on*
: Mongo made alliances with men who hated his guts to get the belt off me. He didn’t want me representing his company despite the fact that I was the best at the time. Two months … 63 days. After a reign of half a year plus in ECF with more defenses than I could count, in XHF all I was good for was being a transitional champ.
*Finally we see DT pinning Kevin Hardaway for the European title … and quickly cut to Reckless Jack pinning DT 28 days later to take it away.*
: My last gasp before my head injuries forced me away from the game. 2006. My last XHF branded title. 28 days. Just to pass the belt from Kevin to Jack.
*He turns off the projector and turns on the light before sitting in the chair looking at the camera now and folds his hands together holding them in front of his mouth. He lowers them slightly to speak over them.*
: What is my legacy? Who am I to all of you? Do you all know me as the guy who keeps finding his way to the top? Am I the legendary fighter who just keeps pushing through? I’m the guy who works his ass off to get to the top. I always make it there. I am ALWAYS the man the others want to knock off because it means something. I am not an easy win, I am not a stepping stone, I am the measuring stick. … … Or … … am I the guy who can’t keep himself at the top. Do I have all this natural talent for the game and just squander it. Is it impossible for me with my abilities to avoid making it to the top by sheer ability and luck alone? Only to be unable to keep it there against people more driven? Does getting my hands on the top prize neuter me and leave me apathetic? I don’t think it’s the case but … for someone known as a legend who has held every belt of worth in this fed … I sure don’t have nearly as much time total with those belts as even some of the mid level guys. Chris Kanyon never defeated me … seven tries, seven losses. He was only a world title contender for a short time and was usually one of the most respected high European/IC title level guys. And yet … he had more time with his titles than me by leaps and bounds. Nobody would doubt that I had more ability and rose to higher heights … but it was always fleeting. And then I was gone …
*He adjusts himself as if deep in thought. He fixes his bowler hat and crosses his legs*
: And then I reappear here at the Network … broken … not myself … shattered in mind and going grocery shopping at Home Depot. Good for a laugh ol’ DT is. Let’s bring him in for a match to get that legend credibility and pop. Did that tarnish who I am? Will I be remembered as that goofball who could only barely beat Jeffrey fucking Viper? The struggle I went through is nothing to laugh at and yet that’s what everyone did. Nobody stopped it, nobody helped me. They all forgot me. And so when I finally had a moment of clarity and somehow lost to a corpse at End of Days 2018 … I finally knew I needed to stop deluding myself and stop letting myself linger in that limbo. I took action. I went and I again busted my ass. I tried experimental techniques and drugs to get my mind back. I needed to get back to being Death Trap circa 2002. I needed to be the guy who dominated. I need to be the guy who saved an entire fed, carrying it on his back for a year. I need to be the guy who the fans respect and cheer. I wanted that adoration. I want that spotlight again. I NEED that rush of endorphins and adrenaline I only get from entertaining at the highest level and leaving it all in the ring.
*He stands up*
: I got myself right. I trained in the gym for a months. I took a hard look at who I was and the legacy I want to leave. And it all crystallized. I joined MCCW … to be the workhorse to bring it mainstream. I joined to take a small federation just starting and make it grand. I was its … Main Attraction. AWF didn’t need Death Trap. AXW probably could have dragged on longer with me but let’s be real I am not the guy who was going to topple Anthony Caffrey at that point. I was not going to save that place if names like Dreadvan and Draven couldn’t. Spectacle and youth and talent and originality. With AWF and SSS and AXW and the other feds having perennial X*Crown competitors like Ai Moe, Subject #42, Caffrey, Card, Dillinger, Storm, the Icons, Maverick, Kanyon etc. I wanted to put a fed on my back and show I was the Death Trap who could bring them to the top of the XHF Network. My legacy was going to be that of the XHF Legend who brought MCCW to the top of the XHF Network. And now I have that chance.
*He turns his back to the camera and starts pacing*
: It hasn’t been easy. I once again got my hands on a world title only to lose it in 29 days. Not even one successful title defense. I wasn’t DT 2002 yet, I was still DT 2006. So I need to get DT 2020 to be the pinnacle of this sport. Fifteen years … it has been fifteen years since I held that belt in my hands. My legacy would be ironclad if I could carry it one more time. The longevity of my career would add to the legend of DT. The prestige, the glory, the adoration, the notoriety … all mine. MCCW would have its TRUE first X*Crown Champion and be at the top of the network. All thanks to the hardest worker in the game. Coming back from being a vegetable, coming back from a crippling loss of his MCCW title. Nobody would ever doubt my credentials again.
*He sits down and looks into the camera, staring into it like the eyes of a long lost friend. He is serious as ever.*
: My legacy is being written. I will earn that title of legend once again. I will be remembered as the guy who keeps fighting, never surrendering. One man … one man has ever made me tap out. And that will not change. My legacy is to be the man with the longest time between reigns with the X*Crown. My legacy is to be on top of the XHF in 2005 … and in 2020. When people look at the biggest names in XHF history … Gravedigger, Destruction, Scorpion, Reeshi, Ishnari, The Guns, The Icons, Kanyon … I want them to have my name on their mind now and forever. I want them to remember that Death Trap, well and truly, was the Main Attraction.
*He leans back in his chair.*
: And what is your legacy? How will you all be remembered? Mike Lio … The Lion of Destiny Wrestling. Former DW Heavyweight Champion, Wildman and crazy fighter. You came out swinging and beat two world champs from SSS and LXW. Congrats. What do you leave in the ring? I’ve seen you working those fists in a match but … honestly leaves something to be desired. There’s no nuance, subtlety. There’s no strategy in throwing hands man. Where’s the finesse, where’s the artistry? No no, Lio let me tell you something. There is no legacy to be had in being a brute. People won’t be talking about that majestic punch you threw, that big splash you hit. So tell me … what do you want people to remember you for? When people think of Destiny Wrestling … do they see Mike Lio in their mind’s eye? I don’t know that they do! A fed that produced two parts of the Saga, Vincent Draven, Subject #42 … honestly I expected to have to game plan for that monster. Does Subject even know HOW to tap out? Let me explain it to you Mike. I am a master technician in the ring. I am well versed in multiple martial arts styles and I use my targeted strikes to great effect. I don’t waste energy or motion. I read my opponents and I bend them and break them with my multitude of submissions. And frankly your style is not a threat to me. When this is all over … your legacy will be that of the runner up. A valiant showing … but with little to show from it.
*He shifts in his seat again.*
: Zoran Sainovic … now here’s an interesting case. An old soul. A fellow elder statesman in the game. There’s a lot to you isn’t there? A former mad scientist eh? No that isn’t what people will remember. Your history is fairly well written. From what I hear around SWAT you are the feared businessman. People fear your more outside the ring than in. A legacy of fear. A legacy of making those in your charge better … and a legacy of underhanded tactics. You are the one I will need to be most aware of won’t I Zoran? The suits are just your way of hiding your true desires in plain sight. I’ve seen many a greedy managerial type in my time get pulled into the ring for a bigger piece of the pie. But you actually made it work didn’t you? I’ll be honest here Zoran. I think in this match you are the wild card. I know what I get with Maverick and Lio is easy to read as a children’s book. But you … you intrigue me. Your whole story is one of cunning and strategy. You use the shadows and the underestimation of your opponents to score your wins when they least expect it. And with a single pinfall deciding this match I need to be on my guard. You clearly want to add this to your resume. Be known as the commissioner, the kommissar … and the guy who brought the top title in XHF to SWAT. Much respect. We are in a similar position. I’ve seen what you guys in SWAT bring to the table and rest assured I am not taking this lightly. But you don’t know me. You only know what the network knows. You don’t know of my career here before all that. My legacy is a complete story of the ups and downs through twenty years of fighting. Evolving. Growing. Strategy is the name of my game. Knowing my foes before I jump in and picking apart their weaknesses. It’s what I do. And I will have no problems contorting that old Slavic body of yours beyond its breaking point.
*He stands up again and steps to the camera showing off his abs beneath his suit jacket, he isn’t wearing the full suit, just the coat and pants for effect.*
: And then … then there’s Maverick. Would talking about Legacy even matter to you? You are still young, on the upswing of your career, a bright shooting star sure to be remembered as every bit the legend as myself … someday. Not today. The accolades do speak for themselves after all. AWF US champion, XHF Tag Champ, XHF X*Crown Champ… and a reputation for always being the second best. It must have really made you smile to finally win that title Jason. No more settling for being the bridesmaid. After all the tests. Losing to Bobby at End of Days. Losing to Jack Diamond. Losing to Seth Dillinger. Losing to Chris Card. Losing to Anthony Caffrey. Always good enough to dance but never good enough to win. Until now. I know that feeling Mav. I do. And sure as shit you overcame that unwanted moniker as the runner up. Always getting close but never taking it home. The endless well of energy and resilience that made you a huge thorn in the side of Seth and Hyperion. But an endurance that always got you JUST to the end but never put you over the top.
*He smirks*
: At least my negative reputation is to get to the top and fall not to always fall short. I give you credit, that resiliency is well known and it speaks well of you. It got you to keep climbing that mountain and finally overcome that Sisyphean load and get the boulder rolling down the other side. Listen Mav, you may of all the four guys in this match have the most of your legacy left to write. But that is just more reason for me to set mine in stone. You are the challenge that will put me back on top. And then I will hold that title through the rumble, three months … more than any reign I’ve had in XHF. And then … I will win the whole rumble, a feat I have never accomplished. I now have an EOD win under my belt. Next is to regain the top belt in the network … all that remains then is to win the rumble.
*He approaches the camera*
: Maverick, Lio, Zoran … this match is not a game, this is not playing with toys. This match is my coronation. This is the match that FINALLY announces to the world that Death Trap is back on top. This is the one and only main attraction. Showing one more time, one last gasp, one more run with the gold, one more bit of glory … one legacy to boost … one career to cap off the right way. And for you all? This match is just another trap … to knock you down a peg. One more time stepping into the death trap. Take it seriously because I’d hate for this to be too easy. ….. What kind of match is this anyway?
*he looks behind him on the wall were the ad is posted … Lego Minefield Deathmatch*
: … Oh god damnit Mongo for fuck’s sake …
*He turns off the camera*
: Muhammad Ali, iconic standing above Sonny Liston. Taunting him. An image we all think of. And a man we all know as one of the best ever.*The projector clicks off and another reel is loaded up. This time we see an older gentleman at a podium surrounded by teammates and a stadium full of fans.
“I consider myself … the luckiest man … on the face of the Earth”
: A speech about how Lou Gehrig will appreciate being remembered by the Yankee faithful. One of the best players in the game, who did things the right way and will be respected through time.*Another click, another reel being loaded up. This time it’s the iconic “flu game”. Michael Jordan lands a huge three pointer and celebrates appropriately. *
: A man remembered for being the best player of a generation, illness couldn’t even bring him to the levels of the mere mortals on the other team. But it isn’t just these icons of their industries I want to talk about.*Another click. This time the projector is wheeled out to the side of the frame and another digital one is placed into the center of the room. The projector is switched on and we get some XHF Archival footage. We see a man standing over Mongo the Destroyer and mouthing off in his face before posing with a title belt.*
: Destruction, a twisted son of a bitch who caused all kinds of havoc for Mongo. A legend in his own right he eventually became commissioner because Mongo just wanted him out of his hair. *Click, next short clip is a tall, evil looking biker man. He is seen crushing multiple opponents to the mat. The Coral Reesh, one of the deadliest finishers in the XHF. The man is XHF Legend Reeshi, considered by most to be one of the best champions of all time.*
: The sickest, most evil bastard to walk the XHF. And yet a name to this very day stated with respect and reverence.*Click, it’s now a small Japanese man in a montage of contorting his opponents into uncomfortable positions and his signature finisher the jujigatame armbreaker. Ishnari, the XHF submission master and innovator of strong style in XHF.*
: The best submission in XHF, the man I could never beat. He is the only man to ever make me submit. And today he is so revered that people seek him out to counter other technical wrestlers. Michael Storm found him and learned enough in a short time to overcome Chris Card, one of the top AWF stars in recent memory.*Click over to a bald man giving an interview to a small Japanese man. He laughs and speaks as if unencumbered by silly side thoughts. The montage is of his promos.*
: Gravedigger, my best friend and the best talker in XHF History. The man could outtalk anybody. He single handedly drove Reeshi, Mongo, Rage, and others crazy. You couldn’t pin him down. He was the master of unpredictability and is considered one of the best to ever wrestle in the XHF.*He turns the projector to a clip of Death Trap escaping the steel cage to win the MCCW title. Then to him tapping out Allen Vastrix to win the End of Days Tournament.*
: So where does that leave me? Is this how people will remember me? See Supremacy has me thinking a lot about the legacies we leave, how will we be remembered? In what context will we be immortalized? Sure, people talk about me as an XHF Legend, and with all sincerity. And who am I to deny that? I have been around here since 2003 and I have won every top title I needed to. I was constantly the target of men trying to make their names. Beating me was a badge of honor. Chris Kanyon never could. I took Reeshi, Venom, and Rage to their absolute limits. I had an all-time classic rivalry with Ishnari and with Gravedigger. I singlehandedly dismantled the original incarnation of Mongo Corp. No sane man would argue I wasn’t a top star in XHF. And prior to that …*Cut to a video of Death Trap winning the ECF Championship from Smash. Then to him pinning Hardcore Harry to retain it and save ECF from the EWO invasion Harry had led.*
: I was a God in ECF. I was THE top star there. I was the king of the roost. I saved ECF from the invasion, I kept us in the fight so we could eventually merge over here. I saved the careers of Slash, Funaki, MBB, Gravedigger and Dagger. I held that title for months. Defended it every week. I hit something like 30 defenses. Granted I lost it to GD before the end of the ECF and few who only knew XHF would ever know I was better than him because it is obvious he eclipsed me. He was my superior. I couldn’t keep up with his meteoric rise. The fact remains however that my name will forever be etched as the greatest wrestler in ECF History. Too bad it was so short lived.*Flip to a slide of DT wrestling Apollyon for the X*Crown in 2004.*
: Apollyon was a fluke. He beat Harry somehow. And I took the very same X*Crown title I wrestle for in one week from him. I held it for two months before I was taken out by a neck injury by Rat Bastard. Before that I held the Phoenix title for a month. A belt I worked very hard to earn and Harry took it from me. I worked my ass off, and back then yes we defended on basically every show or at least one of the two every week. But still … My reign as X*Crown champ was forgettable. But I came back better than ever. A mean streak took over me. I was a massive ass to be around … I was basically Anthony Caffrey. Mouthed off to everyone but still kicked ass. Nobody could touch me. And when Magnus came into town with the XHF World Title …*Click to a new clip of DT putting Magnus down with his old forgotten move, the One of a Kind (F5)*
: Yeah I was on a bit of a power trip. I originated in ECF as a high flier and as I matured I bulked up and turned to just using power. Honestly it was all about the kicks and the big moves. But I was on top of the world and I made sure to make no friends. The fans hated me, the wrestlers hated me, the world hated me … and it broke me down.*Cut to DT being dogpiled by all 8 other competitors in a nine man match with Venom as ref. DT is buried and everyone just piles on*
: Mongo made alliances with men who hated his guts to get the belt off me. He didn’t want me representing his company despite the fact that I was the best at the time. Two months … 63 days. After a reign of half a year plus in ECF with more defenses than I could count, in XHF all I was good for was being a transitional champ.*Finally we see DT pinning Kevin Hardaway for the European title … and quickly cut to Reckless Jack pinning DT 28 days later to take it away.*
: My last gasp before my head injuries forced me away from the game. 2006. My last XHF branded title. 28 days. Just to pass the belt from Kevin to Jack.*He turns off the projector and turns on the light before sitting in the chair looking at the camera now and folds his hands together holding them in front of his mouth. He lowers them slightly to speak over them.*
: What is my legacy? Who am I to all of you? Do you all know me as the guy who keeps finding his way to the top? Am I the legendary fighter who just keeps pushing through? I’m the guy who works his ass off to get to the top. I always make it there. I am ALWAYS the man the others want to knock off because it means something. I am not an easy win, I am not a stepping stone, I am the measuring stick. … … Or … … am I the guy who can’t keep himself at the top. Do I have all this natural talent for the game and just squander it. Is it impossible for me with my abilities to avoid making it to the top by sheer ability and luck alone? Only to be unable to keep it there against people more driven? Does getting my hands on the top prize neuter me and leave me apathetic? I don’t think it’s the case but … for someone known as a legend who has held every belt of worth in this fed … I sure don’t have nearly as much time total with those belts as even some of the mid level guys. Chris Kanyon never defeated me … seven tries, seven losses. He was only a world title contender for a short time and was usually one of the most respected high European/IC title level guys. And yet … he had more time with his titles than me by leaps and bounds. Nobody would doubt that I had more ability and rose to higher heights … but it was always fleeting. And then I was gone …*He adjusts himself as if deep in thought. He fixes his bowler hat and crosses his legs*
: And then I reappear here at the Network … broken … not myself … shattered in mind and going grocery shopping at Home Depot. Good for a laugh ol’ DT is. Let’s bring him in for a match to get that legend credibility and pop. Did that tarnish who I am? Will I be remembered as that goofball who could only barely beat Jeffrey fucking Viper? The struggle I went through is nothing to laugh at and yet that’s what everyone did. Nobody stopped it, nobody helped me. They all forgot me. And so when I finally had a moment of clarity and somehow lost to a corpse at End of Days 2018 … I finally knew I needed to stop deluding myself and stop letting myself linger in that limbo. I took action. I went and I again busted my ass. I tried experimental techniques and drugs to get my mind back. I needed to get back to being Death Trap circa 2002. I needed to be the guy who dominated. I need to be the guy who saved an entire fed, carrying it on his back for a year. I need to be the guy who the fans respect and cheer. I wanted that adoration. I want that spotlight again. I NEED that rush of endorphins and adrenaline I only get from entertaining at the highest level and leaving it all in the ring.*He stands up*
: I got myself right. I trained in the gym for a months. I took a hard look at who I was and the legacy I want to leave. And it all crystallized. I joined MCCW … to be the workhorse to bring it mainstream. I joined to take a small federation just starting and make it grand. I was its … Main Attraction. AWF didn’t need Death Trap. AXW probably could have dragged on longer with me but let’s be real I am not the guy who was going to topple Anthony Caffrey at that point. I was not going to save that place if names like Dreadvan and Draven couldn’t. Spectacle and youth and talent and originality. With AWF and SSS and AXW and the other feds having perennial X*Crown competitors like Ai Moe, Subject #42, Caffrey, Card, Dillinger, Storm, the Icons, Maverick, Kanyon etc. I wanted to put a fed on my back and show I was the Death Trap who could bring them to the top of the XHF Network. My legacy was going to be that of the XHF Legend who brought MCCW to the top of the XHF Network. And now I have that chance.*He turns his back to the camera and starts pacing*
: It hasn’t been easy. I once again got my hands on a world title only to lose it in 29 days. Not even one successful title defense. I wasn’t DT 2002 yet, I was still DT 2006. So I need to get DT 2020 to be the pinnacle of this sport. Fifteen years … it has been fifteen years since I held that belt in my hands. My legacy would be ironclad if I could carry it one more time. The longevity of my career would add to the legend of DT. The prestige, the glory, the adoration, the notoriety … all mine. MCCW would have its TRUE first X*Crown Champion and be at the top of the network. All thanks to the hardest worker in the game. Coming back from being a vegetable, coming back from a crippling loss of his MCCW title. Nobody would ever doubt my credentials again.*He sits down and looks into the camera, staring into it like the eyes of a long lost friend. He is serious as ever.*
: My legacy is being written. I will earn that title of legend once again. I will be remembered as the guy who keeps fighting, never surrendering. One man … one man has ever made me tap out. And that will not change. My legacy is to be the man with the longest time between reigns with the X*Crown. My legacy is to be on top of the XHF in 2005 … and in 2020. When people look at the biggest names in XHF history … Gravedigger, Destruction, Scorpion, Reeshi, Ishnari, The Guns, The Icons, Kanyon … I want them to have my name on their mind now and forever. I want them to remember that Death Trap, well and truly, was the Main Attraction.*He leans back in his chair.*
: And what is your legacy? How will you all be remembered? Mike Lio … The Lion of Destiny Wrestling. Former DW Heavyweight Champion, Wildman and crazy fighter. You came out swinging and beat two world champs from SSS and LXW. Congrats. What do you leave in the ring? I’ve seen you working those fists in a match but … honestly leaves something to be desired. There’s no nuance, subtlety. There’s no strategy in throwing hands man. Where’s the finesse, where’s the artistry? No no, Lio let me tell you something. There is no legacy to be had in being a brute. People won’t be talking about that majestic punch you threw, that big splash you hit. So tell me … what do you want people to remember you for? When people think of Destiny Wrestling … do they see Mike Lio in their mind’s eye? I don’t know that they do! A fed that produced two parts of the Saga, Vincent Draven, Subject #42 … honestly I expected to have to game plan for that monster. Does Subject even know HOW to tap out? Let me explain it to you Mike. I am a master technician in the ring. I am well versed in multiple martial arts styles and I use my targeted strikes to great effect. I don’t waste energy or motion. I read my opponents and I bend them and break them with my multitude of submissions. And frankly your style is not a threat to me. When this is all over … your legacy will be that of the runner up. A valiant showing … but with little to show from it.*He shifts in his seat again.*
: Zoran Sainovic … now here’s an interesting case. An old soul. A fellow elder statesman in the game. There’s a lot to you isn’t there? A former mad scientist eh? No that isn’t what people will remember. Your history is fairly well written. From what I hear around SWAT you are the feared businessman. People fear your more outside the ring than in. A legacy of fear. A legacy of making those in your charge better … and a legacy of underhanded tactics. You are the one I will need to be most aware of won’t I Zoran? The suits are just your way of hiding your true desires in plain sight. I’ve seen many a greedy managerial type in my time get pulled into the ring for a bigger piece of the pie. But you actually made it work didn’t you? I’ll be honest here Zoran. I think in this match you are the wild card. I know what I get with Maverick and Lio is easy to read as a children’s book. But you … you intrigue me. Your whole story is one of cunning and strategy. You use the shadows and the underestimation of your opponents to score your wins when they least expect it. And with a single pinfall deciding this match I need to be on my guard. You clearly want to add this to your resume. Be known as the commissioner, the kommissar … and the guy who brought the top title in XHF to SWAT. Much respect. We are in a similar position. I’ve seen what you guys in SWAT bring to the table and rest assured I am not taking this lightly. But you don’t know me. You only know what the network knows. You don’t know of my career here before all that. My legacy is a complete story of the ups and downs through twenty years of fighting. Evolving. Growing. Strategy is the name of my game. Knowing my foes before I jump in and picking apart their weaknesses. It’s what I do. And I will have no problems contorting that old Slavic body of yours beyond its breaking point.*He stands up again and steps to the camera showing off his abs beneath his suit jacket, he isn’t wearing the full suit, just the coat and pants for effect.*
: And then … then there’s Maverick. Would talking about Legacy even matter to you? You are still young, on the upswing of your career, a bright shooting star sure to be remembered as every bit the legend as myself … someday. Not today. The accolades do speak for themselves after all. AWF US champion, XHF Tag Champ, XHF X*Crown Champ… and a reputation for always being the second best. It must have really made you smile to finally win that title Jason. No more settling for being the bridesmaid. After all the tests. Losing to Bobby at End of Days. Losing to Jack Diamond. Losing to Seth Dillinger. Losing to Chris Card. Losing to Anthony Caffrey. Always good enough to dance but never good enough to win. Until now. I know that feeling Mav. I do. And sure as shit you overcame that unwanted moniker as the runner up. Always getting close but never taking it home. The endless well of energy and resilience that made you a huge thorn in the side of Seth and Hyperion. But an endurance that always got you JUST to the end but never put you over the top.*He smirks*
: At least my negative reputation is to get to the top and fall not to always fall short. I give you credit, that resiliency is well known and it speaks well of you. It got you to keep climbing that mountain and finally overcome that Sisyphean load and get the boulder rolling down the other side. Listen Mav, you may of all the four guys in this match have the most of your legacy left to write. But that is just more reason for me to set mine in stone. You are the challenge that will put me back on top. And then I will hold that title through the rumble, three months … more than any reign I’ve had in XHF. And then … I will win the whole rumble, a feat I have never accomplished. I now have an EOD win under my belt. Next is to regain the top belt in the network … all that remains then is to win the rumble.*He approaches the camera*
: Maverick, Lio, Zoran … this match is not a game, this is not playing with toys. This match is my coronation. This is the match that FINALLY announces to the world that Death Trap is back on top. This is the one and only main attraction. Showing one more time, one last gasp, one more run with the gold, one more bit of glory … one legacy to boost … one career to cap off the right way. And for you all? This match is just another trap … to knock you down a peg. One more time stepping into the death trap. Take it seriously because I’d hate for this to be too easy. ….. What kind of match is this anyway?*he looks behind him on the wall were the ad is posted … Lego Minefield Deathmatch*
: … Oh god damnit Mongo for fuck’s sake …*He turns off the camera*
