Post by coolfactor27 on Feb 17, 2022 18:40:06 GMT -5
(Scene opens outside of the Pedlam Hotel in New Orleans. Camera cuts to a shot inside the hotel building and focuses in on a man walking through one of the hallways. The man arrives at one of the doors and inserts his keycard into the slot. He opens the door and walks into the room where Willie Steen is sitting slouched in an armchair starting at the wall.)
[Man]: Willie, hey man. Come on. The car's waiting downstairs.
(Steen doesn't move. He remains transfixed on the wall, lost in his thoughts)
[Man]: Willie, did you hear me? What's the matter with you?
(Steen draws in a deep breath)
Steen: So this is rock bottom, huh Kenny?
Kenny: Huh?
Steen: This is what it feels like to truly hit the bottom. One minute, you're a wrestling Grand Slam Champion with a budding, successful film and television career. The next, you're struggling to beat wannabe instagram stars and losers named after dairy products. And now, here I am in my first NLW pay-per-view, jerking the curtain in a Strange Bedfellows match. I used to be a star, now I'm a joke, a laughing stock, a wrestling punchline.
Kenny: Uh, huh. Listen, how long is this pity party gonna last? Cuz, I'm pretty sure we're double parked downstairs.
Steen: You don't get it. This is serious to me. I spent nearly a decade building a successful wrestling legacy that established as a superstar in the sport. I came to this company because I wanted to build on that legacy and show the world that there was even more that Willie Steen had to offer the wrestling world. And with every humiliating defeat, I'm seeing that legacy be questioned and diminished. People referring to me as a has-been or worse, a never was. Lately, I've been questioning if they're right and if I really belong here.
Kenny: Woah, hey. Alright now stop the drama. Are you hearing yourself? Lemme ask you, when you decided to restart your wrestling career by signing with NLW, did you think that things were going to easy? Did you think there wouldn't be challenges or bumps in the road? Of course not. Hell, you said it yourself. You said you wanted to sign with NLW because it was one of the premier brands in professional wrestling and you wanted to compete against the very best. You had to know there would be plenty of obstacles and challenges along the way. But the Willie Steen I know didn't let setbacks and trials get him down. He didn't shy away from obstacles. He ran towards them. He embraced them. He saw a challenge as an opportunity for glory.
(Steen turns his face towards Kenny)
Kenny: And at Masquerade, you have a great opportunity. This isn't curtain jerking. You get to lead off the show. Set the tone for the night. You're gonna be the first taste of action people get that night. The world gets to watch you showcase your skills against two quality competitors. The so-called "Best in the World", Razor Blade and the masked sensation, El Chico.
(Steen raises his eyebrow at Kenny)
Kenny: Actually, I just made up the "masked sensation" part. I don't know that he has a nickname or a calling card, per se. For a masked wrestler, he's actually pretty generic.
(Steen huffs what sounds like a silent chuckle, but his stoic expression remains unchanged)
Kenny: Look man, you know you my boy, right? You know I'm always here to hype you up. But I need you to know that what I'm saying to you isn't just hype. I really do believe you are who you say you are. The smoothest operator in professional wrestling. And when you do your thing, like I know you can, there ain't nobody who can touch you. Nobody.
(Steen stares emotionless at Kenny for moment. A few silent seconds pass by and then Steen reaches down and grabs the duffel bag sitting at his feet. He stands up and, without a word, walks past Kenny out the door. Kenny nods his head approvingly and follows him out the door. Scene fades to black.)
[Man]: Willie, hey man. Come on. The car's waiting downstairs.
(Steen doesn't move. He remains transfixed on the wall, lost in his thoughts)
[Man]: Willie, did you hear me? What's the matter with you?
(Steen draws in a deep breath)
Steen: So this is rock bottom, huh Kenny?
Kenny: Huh?
Steen: This is what it feels like to truly hit the bottom. One minute, you're a wrestling Grand Slam Champion with a budding, successful film and television career. The next, you're struggling to beat wannabe instagram stars and losers named after dairy products. And now, here I am in my first NLW pay-per-view, jerking the curtain in a Strange Bedfellows match. I used to be a star, now I'm a joke, a laughing stock, a wrestling punchline.
Kenny: Uh, huh. Listen, how long is this pity party gonna last? Cuz, I'm pretty sure we're double parked downstairs.
Steen: You don't get it. This is serious to me. I spent nearly a decade building a successful wrestling legacy that established as a superstar in the sport. I came to this company because I wanted to build on that legacy and show the world that there was even more that Willie Steen had to offer the wrestling world. And with every humiliating defeat, I'm seeing that legacy be questioned and diminished. People referring to me as a has-been or worse, a never was. Lately, I've been questioning if they're right and if I really belong here.
Kenny: Woah, hey. Alright now stop the drama. Are you hearing yourself? Lemme ask you, when you decided to restart your wrestling career by signing with NLW, did you think that things were going to easy? Did you think there wouldn't be challenges or bumps in the road? Of course not. Hell, you said it yourself. You said you wanted to sign with NLW because it was one of the premier brands in professional wrestling and you wanted to compete against the very best. You had to know there would be plenty of obstacles and challenges along the way. But the Willie Steen I know didn't let setbacks and trials get him down. He didn't shy away from obstacles. He ran towards them. He embraced them. He saw a challenge as an opportunity for glory.
(Steen turns his face towards Kenny)
Kenny: And at Masquerade, you have a great opportunity. This isn't curtain jerking. You get to lead off the show. Set the tone for the night. You're gonna be the first taste of action people get that night. The world gets to watch you showcase your skills against two quality competitors. The so-called "Best in the World", Razor Blade and the masked sensation, El Chico.
(Steen raises his eyebrow at Kenny)
Kenny: Actually, I just made up the "masked sensation" part. I don't know that he has a nickname or a calling card, per se. For a masked wrestler, he's actually pretty generic.
(Steen huffs what sounds like a silent chuckle, but his stoic expression remains unchanged)
Kenny: Look man, you know you my boy, right? You know I'm always here to hype you up. But I need you to know that what I'm saying to you isn't just hype. I really do believe you are who you say you are. The smoothest operator in professional wrestling. And when you do your thing, like I know you can, there ain't nobody who can touch you. Nobody.
(Steen stares emotionless at Kenny for moment. A few silent seconds pass by and then Steen reaches down and grabs the duffel bag sitting at his feet. He stands up and, without a word, walks past Kenny out the door. Kenny nods his head approvingly and follows him out the door. Scene fades to black.)