Post by Ryan on Jun 30, 2021 22:59:50 GMT -5
“One last page in the chapter.”
With the opening camera shot beginning inside of The Matthews Household, we’re greeted with the sight of the former AWF wrestler in his natural habitat, within the kitchen as Ryan begins to shake a baby’s bottle. Filled to the brim with hot milk before placing it down onto the counter, reaching down for a moment before standing back up and holding his newborn daughter, Lucy Amelia Matthews. Her beady eyes looked around the room and then into the camera before her father could bring her bottle to her mouth.
“It ain’t gonna be easy, man. Though nobody said it would be either. It’s hard to stand here and speak about the Ascension Wrestling Federation once again after all this time. I've not been inside of their ring since the last Clash of The Icons and to be frank, I never thought I’d make it to the next but here we are. For what it’s worth, I’ll forever -- much like anyone else -- call this place home. It’s where I completed an entire career renaissance for myself after fifteen years of being inside the ring and competing in the small promotions of California.” A lighthearted chuckle comes from The Messiah. “And I’ll never forgive myself for going the distance and winning the big one when I had the chance, it took a whole lot out of me and left me wondering if I should just quit, and eventually… I did. Right after Night of Champions last year, I left and I went home. I worked a few dates here and there for Project: Honor but-”
There’s a slight pause for Ryan, gathering himself after the reminder of what happened last year that caused him to go missing and off-the-grid for what was about three or four months. Tears began to form in his eyes but using his free hand, he was able to wipe them away before they fell from his face.
“-but the main deal is I am back for one final match here in AWF. Am I excited to see myself stand in the ring again for their final show? Of course I am, because I’ll have my family with me too.” Ryan gently grabbed onto Lucy’s finger and shook it a little. “Facing a man that once defeated me in singles competition last year as well, and someone I respect very well for their tenacity within the ring, Vincent Draven. To be quite honest with you, I am very much excited to have you back for this one match and to face you in this rematch. When it came down to Supremacy last year, I had a whole lot on my plate. Defending the Tag Team Championships and even making sure that LGBTKO would walk out with all of the gold. I was prepared but I was also out of focus and eventually- it led to my downfall. But we’ve been aware of what went down afterward, Vincent. We all know the history of the LGBTKO star that fell apart. That crumbled under the pressure when he couldn’t get the job done.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard it all before. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before too. ‘Vincent is a vampire? Get the garlic!’ and any other kind of vampire-ritualistic fantasy that people seemed to believe in because of movies like Dracula or Twilight. Vincent, it's such a sight to see how far you came along since then and to be frank, I’m proud of you heading into this match. I know what it’s like to come out of an injury and hope that everything works out after but I know you, I’ve been in the ring with you, and I need you to be on your A-Game. Not even that, but I just need you so I can prove myself again.” Taking a deep breath through his nose. “I now understand what you meant when you said it’s hard to admit something.”
“You’re a man that’s been going around naming yourself ‘The Vampire Prince’ or even ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and it’s just so weird seeing someone with those royal monikers because they’ve been done to death. Beaten like a dead horse. But what actually makes you a prince, Vincent? Much like how you had doubts of myself back then, what makes you think I should believe you’re a ‘Prince’ and what makes you the unique one of them all?” Glancing down to peek at his daughter. “I’m fighting a Vincent Draven who’s not been able to compete for almost a whole year, and I had time to think and reevaluate everything that I’ve been through, so you can imagine how I feel right now going against someone that’s beaten me to a bloodied pulp before. I know how violent you can get, so I expect this to be a bloodied war between us both, but dammit--I’m going to beat the living hell out of you. Payback for being a bitch, but no hard feelings, babes. It’s hard to come by someone who’s got the same sort of thirst for blood, I’m just happy to have you for this finale.”
Ryan stepped around the counter, finding himself in front of the counter and close to the camera that records him, but he continues to look down at his daughter. “It’s going to be weird because the last time I’ve been inside of an AWF ring, I was focusing on becoming the future and being the prodigy that this company needed. A year later and now I stand here with my own future, and with no goals but to have a good time, no being the try-hard self that I once was. No being the self-absorbed dickhead that I once was before in the past. But being the man that I always was. No faking the bullshit, no need for a gimmick, no need for a persona. When it comes down to Clash of the Icons and the final chapter for me, Vincent, I come bearing nothing but honor. Nothing but pride… and nothing but respect.”
“It’ll be fun to share the ring with you once more, Vincent, and It’ll be fun to meet you after all this time. This might be the final time we ever see AWF again, this might be our last time ever being an ‘AWF Wrestler’ but I know the journey’s been worth it. I guess the question that’s left is…” Again, Ryan takes a deep breath. “...what’s next for The Messiah? To be honest, I have no clue. But I have a fight within Next Level Wrestling, and I’m hoping to chase their championship, but at the end of the day. I know that I need to prepare myself. I need to make sure I’m ready for the next chapter, and I’m not going to use you like you’re a stepping stone, but this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. A moment I’ve prepared for and it’s time to move on. So, Draven, let’s tear the fucking house down. One last time, because I’m going to bring my all, and I hope you do the same… but just remember this, Draven, the one thing that’s not changed about me.”
A final deep breath. “I’m just that damn good at what I do.”
“And, for the final time, AWF… Thank you, next.”
With the opening camera shot beginning inside of The Matthews Household, we’re greeted with the sight of the former AWF wrestler in his natural habitat, within the kitchen as Ryan begins to shake a baby’s bottle. Filled to the brim with hot milk before placing it down onto the counter, reaching down for a moment before standing back up and holding his newborn daughter, Lucy Amelia Matthews. Her beady eyes looked around the room and then into the camera before her father could bring her bottle to her mouth.
“It ain’t gonna be easy, man. Though nobody said it would be either. It’s hard to stand here and speak about the Ascension Wrestling Federation once again after all this time. I've not been inside of their ring since the last Clash of The Icons and to be frank, I never thought I’d make it to the next but here we are. For what it’s worth, I’ll forever -- much like anyone else -- call this place home. It’s where I completed an entire career renaissance for myself after fifteen years of being inside the ring and competing in the small promotions of California.” A lighthearted chuckle comes from The Messiah. “And I’ll never forgive myself for going the distance and winning the big one when I had the chance, it took a whole lot out of me and left me wondering if I should just quit, and eventually… I did. Right after Night of Champions last year, I left and I went home. I worked a few dates here and there for Project: Honor but-”
There’s a slight pause for Ryan, gathering himself after the reminder of what happened last year that caused him to go missing and off-the-grid for what was about three or four months. Tears began to form in his eyes but using his free hand, he was able to wipe them away before they fell from his face.
“-but the main deal is I am back for one final match here in AWF. Am I excited to see myself stand in the ring again for their final show? Of course I am, because I’ll have my family with me too.” Ryan gently grabbed onto Lucy’s finger and shook it a little. “Facing a man that once defeated me in singles competition last year as well, and someone I respect very well for their tenacity within the ring, Vincent Draven. To be quite honest with you, I am very much excited to have you back for this one match and to face you in this rematch. When it came down to Supremacy last year, I had a whole lot on my plate. Defending the Tag Team Championships and even making sure that LGBTKO would walk out with all of the gold. I was prepared but I was also out of focus and eventually- it led to my downfall. But we’ve been aware of what went down afterward, Vincent. We all know the history of the LGBTKO star that fell apart. That crumbled under the pressure when he couldn’t get the job done.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard it all before. I’m sure you’ve heard it all before too. ‘Vincent is a vampire? Get the garlic!’ and any other kind of vampire-ritualistic fantasy that people seemed to believe in because of movies like Dracula or Twilight. Vincent, it's such a sight to see how far you came along since then and to be frank, I’m proud of you heading into this match. I know what it’s like to come out of an injury and hope that everything works out after but I know you, I’ve been in the ring with you, and I need you to be on your A-Game. Not even that, but I just need you so I can prove myself again.” Taking a deep breath through his nose. “I now understand what you meant when you said it’s hard to admit something.”
“You’re a man that’s been going around naming yourself ‘The Vampire Prince’ or even ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and it’s just so weird seeing someone with those royal monikers because they’ve been done to death. Beaten like a dead horse. But what actually makes you a prince, Vincent? Much like how you had doubts of myself back then, what makes you think I should believe you’re a ‘Prince’ and what makes you the unique one of them all?” Glancing down to peek at his daughter. “I’m fighting a Vincent Draven who’s not been able to compete for almost a whole year, and I had time to think and reevaluate everything that I’ve been through, so you can imagine how I feel right now going against someone that’s beaten me to a bloodied pulp before. I know how violent you can get, so I expect this to be a bloodied war between us both, but dammit--I’m going to beat the living hell out of you. Payback for being a bitch, but no hard feelings, babes. It’s hard to come by someone who’s got the same sort of thirst for blood, I’m just happy to have you for this finale.”
Ryan stepped around the counter, finding himself in front of the counter and close to the camera that records him, but he continues to look down at his daughter. “It’s going to be weird because the last time I’ve been inside of an AWF ring, I was focusing on becoming the future and being the prodigy that this company needed. A year later and now I stand here with my own future, and with no goals but to have a good time, no being the try-hard self that I once was. No being the self-absorbed dickhead that I once was before in the past. But being the man that I always was. No faking the bullshit, no need for a gimmick, no need for a persona. When it comes down to Clash of the Icons and the final chapter for me, Vincent, I come bearing nothing but honor. Nothing but pride… and nothing but respect.”
“It’ll be fun to share the ring with you once more, Vincent, and It’ll be fun to meet you after all this time. This might be the final time we ever see AWF again, this might be our last time ever being an ‘AWF Wrestler’ but I know the journey’s been worth it. I guess the question that’s left is…” Again, Ryan takes a deep breath. “...what’s next for The Messiah? To be honest, I have no clue. But I have a fight within Next Level Wrestling, and I’m hoping to chase their championship, but at the end of the day. I know that I need to prepare myself. I need to make sure I’m ready for the next chapter, and I’m not going to use you like you’re a stepping stone, but this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. A moment I’ve prepared for and it’s time to move on. So, Draven, let’s tear the fucking house down. One last time, because I’m going to bring my all, and I hope you do the same… but just remember this, Draven, the one thing that’s not changed about me.”
A final deep breath. “I’m just that damn good at what I do.”
“And, for the final time, AWF… Thank you, next.”
