Post by Robbie A on Apr 1, 2022 16:30:36 GMT -5
“It was inevitable, wasn’t it?”
Fade in, Rob Arnold is seen pacing outside of the GUNS Arena.
“As I get a little older, and some would say a little softer and sentimental, though those people would do well to fuck around and find out…” He laughs. “I’d never heard about that saying until Riley came along, along with so many weird and wonderful words, sayings, most of which challenge me as much as some of the battles I’ve had in the ring. Still, I digress. I’ve found myself looking back lately, because the last few years have been nothing short of a hot mess, and at times, quite literally a trial.”
Arnold winks at the camera.
“But I thought back to my first encounter with you. You insulted my good friend, Scorpion, and then you wanted a shot at me, but instead I slapped you so hard in the face Will Smith would weep, and I told you to earn a seat at the adults table by beating Riley Richards first. Yet when we got to December 26th, 2020, Riley Richards, in only his second ever match, beat you El Rey. Now, I’ll play fair, you were not a ring veteran by that point, you’d only been a couple months ahead, but I said at the time I wanted to see what you both had, and Riley had more that night. I foreshadowed it, I told you that you were too focused on your anger to be successful over Riley.” He sighs. “I told you that myself and Scorpion could show you the way forward, to improve, but you decided to go your own way. You decided to, in your own eyes, grow up and go solo.”
Arnold rolls his eyes.
“But you didn’t exactly get very far, did you? You couldn’t get the momentum in NLW, and that brought us to May 15th, 2021, Riley and Leon take on you and Scott Hampton. How on earth you landed with Hampton I shall never know, but it was clear to me that the pair of you were barely treading water in your own ego, even though you both thought you were swimming. You especially, were far too busy bragging about the fact that you’d taken a win over Dylan Black to see the next matches in front of you. What happened kid? That’s right, pop up powerbomb, boom, done.”
He stops pacing briefly to clap his hands together on the last two words, before recommencing the pacing.
“Remind me what happened after that, Rey? You floundered in the G1, you then took your ball and fucked off to play with some other overly-egotistical kids in the house that the Ego King built for fragile personalities. You know what Riley did? He won the European Championship, he made a damn name for himself. Leon and Riley as The Academy went to war with The Goons and anybody else that came along. You? Well from what I can tell, you and New Money must have cried into a collective lubricant bottle and circle jerked yourselves better. Once you felt better enough, you managed to get your buddy Evan the X*Crown at the expense of MYOJIN. But, inevitably he blew it almost immediately. That’s what kids like you do, you take a win, make a great fanfare around it and have no follow through, your load is already shot!”
He sighs.
“Honestly I never thought anything would be more annoying than Dylan Black saying he beat me once or twice like a mean girl with no good points left to make, but congratulations El Rey, you and your boys managed it.” He shrugs. “But, all that said, I have to give you credit where it’s due. Unlike the way your boy Evan did it, you actually went out and earned the X*Crown the hard way, you qualified for Supremacy, you beat Felix who’s no slouch, although I’m sure the NLW connection got you all excited for it, but you then went and took out some impressive names to win the Crown, Von Krauss, Constantine, Dominicus. You actually earned my respect that night. Sure, you opened your mouth again which was automatically going to annoy me and anybody with half a braincell, but for a fleeting moment I tipped my hat to you.”
He sneers.
“Here we are though, about to play out the last bit of inevitability. Here in the Arena that wouldn’t exist be it not for your dad, not that you seem to care. But you will when this guy comes and takes the X*Crown away from you.”
Riley Richards enters, and Arnold finally stops pacing to place an arm around him.
“Take a good look El Rey, this man has been living inside your head rent free for a year and a half, and now he’s about to beat you once again, and this time it’ll be for the biggest prize in the XHF Network. I Personally cannot wait for the shit fit you go through when he does, honestly, your school girl style strops remind me of my cousin when she was…well about twelve if I’m totally honest but hey, if the shoe fits, right?” He smirks. “But don’t worry, nobody will care what you’re crying about, not when the match is over. What they’ll all be caring about is the NLW Tag Team Champion, the XHF European Champion, and the XHF X*Crown Champion, Riley Richards.”
He pats Riley on the back and starts to lead him away but pauses to make one final look at the camera.
“Oh and most importantly…he is Bristol’s Finest.”
We start to fade out but still get to hear what Riley has to say:
“I only came over because I heard you ranting at a camera, didn’t want you to get in any more trouble.”
“Oh kid, you’re sweet…but we both know I’ll find a way to upset somebody sooner rather than later, in fact I probably already have...”
Cut.
Fade in, Rob Arnold is seen pacing outside of the GUNS Arena.
“As I get a little older, and some would say a little softer and sentimental, though those people would do well to fuck around and find out…” He laughs. “I’d never heard about that saying until Riley came along, along with so many weird and wonderful words, sayings, most of which challenge me as much as some of the battles I’ve had in the ring. Still, I digress. I’ve found myself looking back lately, because the last few years have been nothing short of a hot mess, and at times, quite literally a trial.”
Arnold winks at the camera.
“But I thought back to my first encounter with you. You insulted my good friend, Scorpion, and then you wanted a shot at me, but instead I slapped you so hard in the face Will Smith would weep, and I told you to earn a seat at the adults table by beating Riley Richards first. Yet when we got to December 26th, 2020, Riley Richards, in only his second ever match, beat you El Rey. Now, I’ll play fair, you were not a ring veteran by that point, you’d only been a couple months ahead, but I said at the time I wanted to see what you both had, and Riley had more that night. I foreshadowed it, I told you that you were too focused on your anger to be successful over Riley.” He sighs. “I told you that myself and Scorpion could show you the way forward, to improve, but you decided to go your own way. You decided to, in your own eyes, grow up and go solo.”
Arnold rolls his eyes.
“But you didn’t exactly get very far, did you? You couldn’t get the momentum in NLW, and that brought us to May 15th, 2021, Riley and Leon take on you and Scott Hampton. How on earth you landed with Hampton I shall never know, but it was clear to me that the pair of you were barely treading water in your own ego, even though you both thought you were swimming. You especially, were far too busy bragging about the fact that you’d taken a win over Dylan Black to see the next matches in front of you. What happened kid? That’s right, pop up powerbomb, boom, done.”
He stops pacing briefly to clap his hands together on the last two words, before recommencing the pacing.
“Remind me what happened after that, Rey? You floundered in the G1, you then took your ball and fucked off to play with some other overly-egotistical kids in the house that the Ego King built for fragile personalities. You know what Riley did? He won the European Championship, he made a damn name for himself. Leon and Riley as The Academy went to war with The Goons and anybody else that came along. You? Well from what I can tell, you and New Money must have cried into a collective lubricant bottle and circle jerked yourselves better. Once you felt better enough, you managed to get your buddy Evan the X*Crown at the expense of MYOJIN. But, inevitably he blew it almost immediately. That’s what kids like you do, you take a win, make a great fanfare around it and have no follow through, your load is already shot!”
He sighs.
“Honestly I never thought anything would be more annoying than Dylan Black saying he beat me once or twice like a mean girl with no good points left to make, but congratulations El Rey, you and your boys managed it.” He shrugs. “But, all that said, I have to give you credit where it’s due. Unlike the way your boy Evan did it, you actually went out and earned the X*Crown the hard way, you qualified for Supremacy, you beat Felix who’s no slouch, although I’m sure the NLW connection got you all excited for it, but you then went and took out some impressive names to win the Crown, Von Krauss, Constantine, Dominicus. You actually earned my respect that night. Sure, you opened your mouth again which was automatically going to annoy me and anybody with half a braincell, but for a fleeting moment I tipped my hat to you.”
He sneers.
“Here we are though, about to play out the last bit of inevitability. Here in the Arena that wouldn’t exist be it not for your dad, not that you seem to care. But you will when this guy comes and takes the X*Crown away from you.”
Riley Richards enters, and Arnold finally stops pacing to place an arm around him.
“Take a good look El Rey, this man has been living inside your head rent free for a year and a half, and now he’s about to beat you once again, and this time it’ll be for the biggest prize in the XHF Network. I Personally cannot wait for the shit fit you go through when he does, honestly, your school girl style strops remind me of my cousin when she was…well about twelve if I’m totally honest but hey, if the shoe fits, right?” He smirks. “But don’t worry, nobody will care what you’re crying about, not when the match is over. What they’ll all be caring about is the NLW Tag Team Champion, the XHF European Champion, and the XHF X*Crown Champion, Riley Richards.”
He pats Riley on the back and starts to lead him away but pauses to make one final look at the camera.
“Oh and most importantly…he is Bristol’s Finest.”
We start to fade out but still get to hear what Riley has to say:
“I only came over because I heard you ranting at a camera, didn’t want you to get in any more trouble.”
“Oh kid, you’re sweet…but we both know I’ll find a way to upset somebody sooner rather than later, in fact I probably already have...”
Cut.