"A CUT Above the Rest." Collision Course One.
Aug 12, 2021 20:39:49 GMT -5
Roy "The Sorrow" Harlowe (NJC), ulvendagoth, and 1 more like this
Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2021 20:39:49 GMT -5
“Some people are so oblivious. Willfully ignoring all of the signs that are all around them. Foolishly trudging into battle when the payoff doesn’t benefit them, obsessing over revenge plots, redemption arcs and fairy tale endings.”
Lazarus Arjen’s words dripped with venom as he spoke.
The Southern States Champion sat outside of the empty venue. Behind the building in the loading bay, there was a several foot drop from the receiving door to the ground - elevated for the tractor trailers that would back into this bay to unload the gear used for the upcoming Collision Course event. Lazarus sat here in this lowered area, his back to the cement wall. One leg stretched out in front of him, the other bent with his foot planted firmly on the pavement. His Southern States Championship lay on the ground next to him laying next to a lead pipe - the same that he used at Eve of Champions. In his hand is a switchblade knife that he twirled and spun around his hand and fingers almost effortlessly.
“Graham Baker; I have to admit - I like your moxie. Still coming out swinging, the big bad Kaiju spitting fire, stomping around and destroying metaphorical cities all because --- you lost. True, you were never pinned. True, you weren’t involved in the final decision; but you knew the risk. Just like any champion knows the risk of going into a multi-man match. You were so confident that you would retain your championship that you mailed it in. In the weeks leading up to Eve of Champions, you were so confident in your abilities that NLW and the Southern States Championship took a backseat to whatever you have going on in OWA, SSW, Action and it burned you. You become complacent; you didn’t come into the match like the classic Graham Baker would, and we noticed. A man who would cast fear into anyone that stood before him, was nothing more than a shadow of what he once was. The championship wasn’t held tightly in your clutches, which is why I was able to remove it from you - from David Goon, who had no business in the ring with us in the first place and for that, I left his brain matter covering the pipe.”
“But your actions speak volumes Graham. You come out and interrupt me, angry and upset, because you lost the championship. Clearly indicating that it is success that drives you, not the passion for the fight. Indicating that all you’re after is meaningless championships, which is why you hop from company to company. I know you, Graham, I know all about you. Now you’ve decided to slink your way into Kingdom Pro as you’ve done here, OWA, SSW, Action and Murderhaus - for the sole purpose of adding championships to your resume. You’re a glory hunter, a stain on the industry, and are the exact reason why I’ve sliced, stabbed, and burned my way through Kingdom Pro. It’s people like you that have ruined what could be; and it’s people like me that have stood up to fight against you. I am the reason Kingdom Pro lives and breathes. I am the reason that NLW will have future success. I’m someone they can build a company around - not a big name like you who’s only here for a fuckin’ paycheque. All you’re here to do is {No Means No} and plunder this company for everything that you can take before you walk off into the sunset. Graham, you lost the championship at Eve of Champions because you didn’t care about it then - and you will fail at re-capturing it because you truly don’t care about it now.”
Twirling the switchblade in hand, stopping it with the handle in the palm of his hand - blade pointed downward.
“But you’re not the only one hoping for a fairy tale ending. Thanks to loopholes from the governing body that presides over NLW, Adam Sanders gets to waltz his way into a title match without any question. I’m not going to get into the level of bullshit this is - it won’t change the fact that you’re here. However, if you think you’re going to have the wildcard advantage - like I had at Eve of Champions - I want to stop you there. Graham Baker and David Goon had issues and they either overlooked my presence, or rested on their laurels - and that is why I’m the champion now. Me - I’m not so foolish. I know you exist, I know you strive to be the champion - all because you never claimed your match elsewhere. Well - Adam- that’s not my fuckin’ problem, and there’s no fuckin’ chance you’re taking this from me. If you try to take the title, then I will have no problem putting you in the fucking ground like I plan to do to Graham Baker.”
“The wildcard route isn’t going to work. I don’t care what you’re capable of nor do I care who you’ve beaten - I can promise you that I am not them. And most importantly; I can promise you that I am more violent than any of them. Believe me when I say that no one is removing this championship from my clutches at Collision Course - and I have no problem cutting the eager little hands off of any limbs that reach out for it, either.”
His next movements were quick, fluid. He moved to his feet - to an old, tread-less tractor trailer tire that lay against the building. And with a quick stab of his blade, he punctured the hard rubber - dragging the knife through the material.
“What I said before Eve of Champions, I meant. I said I would burn down the city to capture the title. You don’t want to know what I will do to keep it. After I am finished, though, it will no longer be a secret - it will be a known fact. That I’m a CUT above the rest.”
Lazarus Arjen’s words dripped with venom as he spoke.
The Southern States Champion sat outside of the empty venue. Behind the building in the loading bay, there was a several foot drop from the receiving door to the ground - elevated for the tractor trailers that would back into this bay to unload the gear used for the upcoming Collision Course event. Lazarus sat here in this lowered area, his back to the cement wall. One leg stretched out in front of him, the other bent with his foot planted firmly on the pavement. His Southern States Championship lay on the ground next to him laying next to a lead pipe - the same that he used at Eve of Champions. In his hand is a switchblade knife that he twirled and spun around his hand and fingers almost effortlessly.
“Graham Baker; I have to admit - I like your moxie. Still coming out swinging, the big bad Kaiju spitting fire, stomping around and destroying metaphorical cities all because --- you lost. True, you were never pinned. True, you weren’t involved in the final decision; but you knew the risk. Just like any champion knows the risk of going into a multi-man match. You were so confident that you would retain your championship that you mailed it in. In the weeks leading up to Eve of Champions, you were so confident in your abilities that NLW and the Southern States Championship took a backseat to whatever you have going on in OWA, SSW, Action and it burned you. You become complacent; you didn’t come into the match like the classic Graham Baker would, and we noticed. A man who would cast fear into anyone that stood before him, was nothing more than a shadow of what he once was. The championship wasn’t held tightly in your clutches, which is why I was able to remove it from you - from David Goon, who had no business in the ring with us in the first place and for that, I left his brain matter covering the pipe.”
“But your actions speak volumes Graham. You come out and interrupt me, angry and upset, because you lost the championship. Clearly indicating that it is success that drives you, not the passion for the fight. Indicating that all you’re after is meaningless championships, which is why you hop from company to company. I know you, Graham, I know all about you. Now you’ve decided to slink your way into Kingdom Pro as you’ve done here, OWA, SSW, Action and Murderhaus - for the sole purpose of adding championships to your resume. You’re a glory hunter, a stain on the industry, and are the exact reason why I’ve sliced, stabbed, and burned my way through Kingdom Pro. It’s people like you that have ruined what could be; and it’s people like me that have stood up to fight against you. I am the reason Kingdom Pro lives and breathes. I am the reason that NLW will have future success. I’m someone they can build a company around - not a big name like you who’s only here for a fuckin’ paycheque. All you’re here to do is {No Means No} and plunder this company for everything that you can take before you walk off into the sunset. Graham, you lost the championship at Eve of Champions because you didn’t care about it then - and you will fail at re-capturing it because you truly don’t care about it now.”
Twirling the switchblade in hand, stopping it with the handle in the palm of his hand - blade pointed downward.
“But you’re not the only one hoping for a fairy tale ending. Thanks to loopholes from the governing body that presides over NLW, Adam Sanders gets to waltz his way into a title match without any question. I’m not going to get into the level of bullshit this is - it won’t change the fact that you’re here. However, if you think you’re going to have the wildcard advantage - like I had at Eve of Champions - I want to stop you there. Graham Baker and David Goon had issues and they either overlooked my presence, or rested on their laurels - and that is why I’m the champion now. Me - I’m not so foolish. I know you exist, I know you strive to be the champion - all because you never claimed your match elsewhere. Well - Adam- that’s not my fuckin’ problem, and there’s no fuckin’ chance you’re taking this from me. If you try to take the title, then I will have no problem putting you in the fucking ground like I plan to do to Graham Baker.”
“The wildcard route isn’t going to work. I don’t care what you’re capable of nor do I care who you’ve beaten - I can promise you that I am not them. And most importantly; I can promise you that I am more violent than any of them. Believe me when I say that no one is removing this championship from my clutches at Collision Course - and I have no problem cutting the eager little hands off of any limbs that reach out for it, either.”
His next movements were quick, fluid. He moved to his feet - to an old, tread-less tractor trailer tire that lay against the building. And with a quick stab of his blade, he punctured the hard rubber - dragging the knife through the material.
“What I said before Eve of Champions, I meant. I said I would burn down the city to capture the title. You don’t want to know what I will do to keep it. After I am finished, though, it will no longer be a secret - it will be a known fact. That I’m a CUT above the rest.”