Closing [June 16, 2020]

[Dave D-Flipz]

*The haunting vocal intro for "The Hard Sell" by Coheed and Cambria hits the speakers and Death Trap steps onto the SWAT stage in his wrestling tights and a DT Main Attraction t-shirt with his MCCW World Heavyweight Championship title around his waist. He smirks and looks around the crowd as they cheer voraciously. DT heads to the ring high fiving the fans as he goes. He rolls into the ring and is tossed a mic as the music fades.*

: "I want to first and foremost apologize to you all SWAT faithful."

*The crowd begins to murmur about what he means*

: "I want to apologize because apparently I upset your ‘top star’ with my earnest heartfelt beliefs about being a good person. I want to apologize because apparently you all would rather here a man talk about his own talk show from before the XHF Network era and how he ate bugs and spun wheels and ate mops and such. You all need to hear how he wanted to reboot his failed show for you all and didn’t even get a Philly celebrity on the show. Hell I’m sure Seth Dillinger could have come out and the banter alone would have been glorious. I apologize. Because I didn’t know you all DIDN’T want to resolve an open thread from the LAST time Caffrey addressed me. You all DIDN’T care about Death Trap as a person and how his family has adapted to being dragged into his wrestling career by Zoran and Caffrey. God forbid someone show a bit of character that isn’t in line with the desires of the X*Crown Champ."

*he bows his head and nods*

: "And I apologize because after the main event tonight, you will not be seeing that title mask or crown or whatever for a while. I also want to apologize because apparently you are getting Death Trap at less than the top of his game. Yes according to the great purveyor of wisdom Anthony Caffrey, DT is on the decline. Yes I am 40 and apparently father time has come for me as well."

*The crowd again begin to murmur about what DT is after*

: "Meanwhile Anthony Caffrey is at the top of his game. Ignore the bum shoulder he can’t use to life people, ignore the equally frightening history of concussions. Ignore that this was meant to be his last run and only came about because retirement didn’t get him enough attention. He is at the TOP of his game. And hey he’s the X*Crown champ so who am I to argue that? But for someone at the top of his game you sure did lay out a bunch of ready-made excuses for when I beat you. ‘Well my bum shoulder was an easy target. Well he is so much bigger than me, stronger than me, more experienced than me, look at his heavy hands! How could I compete?’"

*DT smirks and lets the words sink in with the crowd.*

: "It’s the oldest trick in the book, you build me up so you can look better breaking me down. Look what an advantage I had and you still came out better. When you lose there’s all the excuses. An iron man match gives me too many chances to use my size, my stamina, my strength. It was unfair to you really. If you beat me Caff? No excuses. Like I said I will admit you outwrestled me and I will absolutely shake your hand provided you can do it with honor. And I am willing to give you that chance because despite my harping on you … I want you to change. But the thing is … even if I’ve declined in some sense, as you so elegantly stated I have changed my game in other ways. I’ve STAYED on top for this long for a reason. Whatever level my game is at now? It’s still better than your game. I address my weaknesses and continue to become more well-rounded and efficient in the ring."

*He begins to walk around the ring as he talks to the crowd*

: "Meanwhile, you covered up for your flaws with numbers and dirty tactics. So you can excuse me if I wait for proof of your game being so good. Prove me wrong. Please do, because then at least the Crown is in good hands. But from what I’ve seen it’s the same Caffrey as always just with a new shiny paint job. You’re all about the fast results and self-gratification. You ‘flipped a switch’ and became better. You got cheered once and thought, ‘well I need that now.’ But building respect and trust take time and people don’t change overnight. And that’s what you wanted, the overnight flip. You found cheering agreeable to you and now you want to do whatever it takes to get it. Fine. Honestly I understand. It took me YEARS to learn that and then build the trust with these fans so they cheer me even here in SWAT. Even here in Dallas."

*He pauses for the cheap pop as DT chants start up.*

: "But if you really want them to respect you, cheer you the way they do me? You need to stop the classic Caffrey punching down at those you feel are ‘beneath’ you. It’s what you always do. You couldn’t even go two promos at me before going back on your own words building me up as this threat you need to take seriously to suddenly being a joke. MCCW doesn’t matter? No it doesn’t matter TO YOU because you aren’t there. You constantly talk down at us but why not actually come see a show for yourself. Hell why not grab a partner and come guest appear against Top of the Class? Before you belittle us because we haven’t had the X*Crown you need to remember there are limited chances to win it and only one can win it at any time. Having the X*Crown isn’t REQUIRED to make a fed good and respected. J-Rok has been around WAY longer and never won but people show it the respect it deserves. It took SWAT until Zoran to get hold of it. But go ahead keep showing that ‘becoming’ is the key word in becoming a better man."

*He twirls the microphone in thought with a look of disgust on his face*

: "You can call MCCW out all you want. Or talk about my End of Days tournament. If it WAS weak it’s only because everyone else didn’t want to be bothered. And I’ve proven time and again that I could have won it against ANYONE. But for someone so obsessed with me focusing on you instead of my family at the rest home, or my partner in MCCW, or my hat … you sure do love talking about all of that yourself. But you want my attention SOLELY on you so be it. Your heart is still full of bile and malice. Even when getting the crowd on your side you still spit fire at anyone who tries to step up to you. It’s all about being superior to everyone for you Caff. The fans cheering you? Well isn’t that spitting in Zoran’s face, or the rest of SWAT that they’d warm up to you so quickly. Even as you rip the fed you claim to love apart for not stepping up at Call to Arms. Even as you say you are dedicated to helping SWAT grow and loving it the way you once cared for AXW. Tough love is one thing but you berated people because it made you look bad representing SWAT if the best and brightest couldn’t be bothered to also do it."

*He steps right up to the ropes and leans over to get close to the camera*

: "I don’t need to be in a dick measuring contest with you over who is the better man Caffrey. I don’t need to use this match as a proving ground. I already KNOW I’m a better man than you. But this is a wrestling match not the goddamned Nobel Peace Prize committee. I’m not after awards. They’re nice and all, don’t get me wrong … other wrestlers supporting me as a role model for my personality and outside the ring good deeds and such. But it isn’t why I do this. I’m not after a trophy calling me nice. I’m building a lasting legacy, backing up my words with actions, and giving every bit of me to these people."

*Cheers erupt again as he points at the crowd.*

: "That’s what I’m about. I’m not out here trying to make you look bad or put words in your mouth, they’ve always been there Caff. You just seem to be unable to stop spitting them out. It’s called self-awareness. What do you want out of this Caffrey? I’m here because I want to be. I love doing this, win or lose. I love being entertaining and giving my energy to helping these people forget the troubles of life for a short while. I can donate money and use my soapbox here to talk about change and such. But as one man, a wrestler, there’s not a whole lot I can personally do other than keep talking, keep donating, and keep offering myself to them as long as they want to see me. You tried to retire, you stepped away, because you didn’t want to rehab an old shoulder injury. You got pissed at the world for not giving you what you wanted and said it wasn’t worth it. And then when you came back it was to prove your own superiority, revenge on those you felt betrayed you, getting the attention your show didn’t garner. You couldn’t stand being a failure so you fell back on something you had. Me?"

*he points to himself and straightens up*

: "They dragged me kicking and screaming into retirement. XHF closed and there was nobody who would sign me. My concussions were too damning to me. But as soon as I found doctors to help and clear me I was right back here again using my clout to help a company in its infancy. I admit, we love to piss you off with the AXW comments but let’s be frank for a second. AXW died because they couldn’t get people to fill the roster and put in the work. And blaming the guy on top for being too good or too dirty to feel you had a chance to win is a bad look. Did it contribute to the demise? Sure. But no you didn’t kill your beloved AXW. As for MCCW, well you seem to think I’m killing it but its reputation and attention on the network has never been higher. I used my notoriety to bring it into the spotlight and its crew and roster are keeping it there. The fact that I have benefitted from it is amazing but I never intended to be back here on the global stage on top of the world. It was always about giving back. But MCCW got my fire going again. I WANT to be here, I WANT to wrestle and entertain. Can you say the same? Maybe …"

*He backs off the ropes and steps to the center of the ring.*

: "But you asked me a question and it’s rude to leave it unanswered. What will I do if I don’t tap? Well I find a way out of the hold Caff. Ankle locks are mid-tier at best to escape from, you leave too many limbs free. A good technician can find a way out. And if you get me on one good ankle? Or zero? I keep going. Always. I keep … going. And what do you do when you’ve GOTTEN me on those bad ankles and your main weapon is proven ineffective? What do you do when a hobbled ‘old man’ won’t let you get a point? And gets to you? How do you deal with DT when he gets that second or third wind? Past history says you get angry, you get malicious, you prove to everyone here you haven’t got this good guy schtick down. And then you see me close the door on your title reign and go back to my ‘not good enough’ fed with my ‘not good enough’ tag partner to celebrate with my ‘not good enough’ hometown. And I close my eyes on a restful sleep … with 2 titles on my dresser."

*He soaks in the crowd noise and leans his head back with his eyes closed patting his world title. He then looks back at the camera*

: "See if you did your research the way you said you’d know closing has NEVER been my problem. When you’ve had a career as long as mine with as many big matches you are gonna lose a few. Yes I lost the Supremacy main event and the rumble but otherwise I’ve been winning big matches and titles this whole time. If you really followed me you’d know my issue is always the follow-up, when the adrenaline and victory high wear off. But that doesn’t apply to tonight. I can sort that out once I’ve closed on you."

*He points to the camera as the crowd goes nuts wanting this match now!*

: "I only need to close one thing tonight Anthony. I place my arm around your neck, your arm under my other arm, and I close your carotid artery. JUST long enough to put you to sleep. One. That’s all it’s going to take."

*The low intro to “The Hard Sell hits as DT steps out of the ring and drops to the floor and looks around the arena*

: "I’d make some closing remarks about death traps being sprung and main attractions showing or some catchphrase but … I wouldn’t wanna disappoint you by ‘closing’ early now would I?"

*He tosses the mic over his head and holds his title in the air as we fade on him moving up the ramp to the cheers of the crowd.*