Post by Mongo the Destroyer on Apr 25, 2022 23:07:38 GMT -5
*We fade in on the golden face of one Anthony Caffrey. His punchable visage seems to have been captured in some sort of sculpture. The sound of Nelly Angel comes in the form of a voiceover.*
"In the story of Daniel from the Bible, one of the kings has a vision- a dream. He is troubled by this vision, and calls for all of the fortune tellers to not only interpret the dream, but also guess as to what it was. Only one man, the title character of Daniel is able to do so. He recounts to the king,"
*The slowly camera pans down the Caffrey statue, indeed the golden face gives way to a silvery torso.*
*Indeed, the statue of the former X*Crown champion is slowly losing its luster the deeper we follow the camera.*
*As in the verse we can see the bottom of the statue is much different from the top. The camera pans out to let us see the whole metallic rainbow on display across the body of the metal FIRESIDE owner. As we gain some distance, Nelly Angel, the XHF Junior Heavyweight Champion, walks into the frame while throwing and catching a small rock.*
Nelly: “While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken into pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:31-35).
*He watches the stone as he throws it up and catches it.*
Nelly: Now, Caffrey, I’m not a religious guy or anything. But for this instance, and in this circumstance, I felt that the situation was fitting. You’ve built your name and your reputation on great moments. Holding the AXW Championship for an incredibly long time, a short but impactful run as the X*Crown Champion, your time in the XHF Tag-Team division, Fireside. But what happens to your legacy when you can’t keep up the wins, when you can’t keep up to the standards you set way back when?
*The former interviewer catches the rock and holds it tight in his hand while the Caffrey statue still towers in the background. He thinks for a moment.*
Nelly: Have you ever heard of Jake “The Ace” Conway? No of course you haven’t, he hadn’t done anything that’d qualify to be on your radar. But during his time in the XHF he had a notorious reputation for his poor attitude and his competitive spirit. And when he went to the XHF’s main rival he found great success with them. After the XHF closed some of us ended up over there- in NCW. And to say I felt like an outsider in that land would be a bit of an understatement. Many of the XHF workers who had left for NCW did so under less than friendly circumstances; so those of us who remained loyal to the end were not really welcomed with open arms.
*He tongues the inside of his mouth, remember those days.*
Nelly: Pretty early into my time there, maybe my second or third match, I can’t recall, they had a big special episode of their show. It was dedicated to Jake Conway. He was celebrating some big anniversary of his in the wrestling world and they gave him this gimme of a match.
*Our protagonist uses his hands to accentuate the bright lights of the signage.*
Nelly: “Jake ‘The Ace’ Conway vs. Nelly Angel in a Submission Match!” Now I’m a much more rounded wrestler than I was back then. Back then I was just some high flyer, without even a submission move to my name, and he- like you, Caffrey- was a technical master. I was being used as kindling for Ace’s ego. And I didn’t like that.
*He throws the stone up again and looks back at the statue.*
Nelly: He never really recovered from that loss. Now here we are coming into FIRESIDE’s final show, your big finale. And word on the street is that this might very well be your personal finale- and how have you chosen to spend it? Trying to get one last big win- over an opponent you wouldn’t give the time of day to normally- or if you’re really lucky, somebody you actually care about. Another hit for the old Caffrey ego machine. And I don’t like that.
*The Champion examines the stone in his hand.*
Nelly: I’m not one of those larger-than-life personas. I’m no king, no god, no- heh- emperor. Most people would say that I’m some kind of every-man. And as a member of the “everyone else” category I must say that you are the most pompous, self-serving, auto-fellating pile of human excrement that there is. And I’m not sure you even get it, that’s the really sad part.
*He shakes his head.*
Nelly: Don’t know what I’m talking about, do you? Look at your final FIRESIDE show, what’s the meat of the card, everyone facing off in a massive tag match ala the very first show, right? What a better way to tribute all of your... “booking genius” by paying tribute to your first main event? Except…
*With a single finger he scratches his temple, trying to figure something out.*
Nelly: Except that only Mistress Discipline was in both. Also the original five-on-five had winning stakes for the whole team- this time most of the team members are just filler to support two members on each side. Most of the people on these teams have no connection to each other and no reason to work together except that you threw them in this match. From the standpoint of a casual observer it seems like you don’t actually give a crap about anyone in your company- well, except for yourself.
*He throws his arms up in frustration.*
Nelly: I mean really? You decide to not give any attention to the ongoing feuds between your wrestlers, ignore their goals, their wants and their needs and just shove them into some big f-off match where- again- most of them have no real motivation to fight outside of collecting their last paycheck. Meanwhile, you?
*A sharp look pierces the camera.*
Nelly: You managed to grab at the one piece of gold that’ll still be around after FIRESIDE- never mind that you might not be. Never mind that a lot of your roster would qualify for the title. So instead of a tribute to the people who you built FIRESIDE on, the final show is a tribute to you. And, AND-
*The defending champion chuckles to himself.*
Nelly: AND you managed to add in Seth Dillinger, who doesn’t even work in FIRSIDE in as a ringer of some sort. So you’re not only screwing over most of your own roster, but you’ve put an outsider into the global title match on the card. Oh sure, you can say the board forced you to do it, but com on man- you should have titled this PPV “Go F-Yourself, Roster.”
*He turns around and looks up at the statue behind him before turning back.*
Nelly: You had a golden opportunity to go out with a bang. Instead you’ve gathered up the few people who’s bridges weren’t burned enough to quit like most of the early roster and showed that you never really cared about them by ruining their own big sendoff, making it a tribute to the GREAT ANTHONY CAFFREY and his INCREDIBLY SMART BOOKING- and his WONDERFUL TALENT as you try to hand yourself a tired XHF Junior Heavyweight Champion. One last piece of gold for the monument to yourself. Or to some other company that you used to tell your team were a rival.
*The normally friendly Nelly licks his teeth with a rage that he’s trying very hard to repress.*
Nelly: So I’m here; nice guy Nelly- the guy who just wants to have a good match for the crowd. I’m here to tell you that since you’re so intent on ruining FIRESIDE’s big finish for everyone else- I’m more than happy to play the villain in your little production and ruin your big finish too. It looks like the troll-y fans with their signs and their hashtags might be right this time because Caffrey, I am going to do everything in my power to mess up your self-serving plans.
*Once more he up the stone, turning between the camera and the statue.*
Nelly: Emperor Anthony Caffrey the Great? Meet Nelly Angel the lesser.
*He tosses the rock, striking the statue and bringing the monument to arrogance that is Anthony Caffrey’s entire existence in the XHF Network down to unrecognizable rubble.*
Nelly: I’ll see you in the ring, Caff- and in the unread footnotes of history.
*The champ lets that sink in a few moments before looking back at the rubble again.*
Nelly: I suppose though Seth that this is a sight you’ve gotten used to seeing. Your own legacy smashed by yourself as you lost your mind, and then ultimately your body.
*He looks pensively towards the camera.*
Nelly: Seth, I don’t have any beef with you. You’ve been given a second chance and if the El Chico persona is any indication, it seems to me that you’re trying to rediscover your roots, your original passions for this greats sport. I am excited to be one of your earlier matches back and honored to work with you.
*The “other guy” in a match with two huge names bites his bottom lip before speaking again, concern in his eyes.*
Nelly: All that said, you stuck your nose into a match where you don’t belong. And sure, like Caffrey maybe you can come up with excuses that take it out of your hands- bureaucratic nonsense that doesn’t give you a choice. But I bet, I suspect- that at some point during the setup for all of this at some point you could have said no. You could have let the FIRESIDE challenge be just that, the FIRESIDE challenge. But you didn’t. I get it, you want to get away from all this...
*He vaguely gestures to the pile of nothing that will eventually be forgotten.*
Nelly: ...To get started back on the road to the Seth Dillinger of old. But don’t forget what that got you last time. Regardless you’ve put me into a difficult position. I’m up against two X*Crown Champions- two Rumble-winning X*Crown Champions. And here I am, little old Nelly that nobody remembers most of the time. And my position as defending champion requires me to defend as booked. So I’ve got two huge names that’ve backed me into a corner.
*Angel smiles.*
Nelly: That’s where I thrive. That’s the position I’ve been booked in since my debut. The underdog, the guy nobody expects, the designated loser. I’ve made a career out of proving people wrong when I’m not even a considered factor. You two though? Caffrey is trying to go out on top and you’re trying to rebuild that which once was. You two have everything to lose from this match. And me? Well the XHF Junior Heavyweight Championship is close to my heart. And my title is better this farce of a setup and joke of a show that spits on the TRUE legacy of FIRESIDE. I’m going to fight with all my might to make sure that neither of you get what you want, and that this show doesn’t end up in the title history records.
*He looks one last time at the rubble and then to the camera.*
Nelly: See you guys in the ring. Bring your best, and don’t forget about little old me.
*The man who’s given his life to making the XHF better winks at the camera and walks off. As we zoom in on the remains of Caffrey’s legacy, Nelly’s new theme music starts to play before we finally fade to black.*
"In the story of Daniel from the Bible, one of the kings has a vision- a dream. He is troubled by this vision, and calls for all of the fortune tellers to not only interpret the dream, but also guess as to what it was. Only one man, the title character of Daniel is able to do so. He recounts to the king,"
“You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue – an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver…”
*The slowly camera pans down the Caffrey statue, indeed the golden face gives way to a silvery torso.*
“…its belly and thighs of bronze…”
*Indeed, the statue of the former X*Crown champion is slowly losing its luster the deeper we follow the camera.*
“…its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of backed clay.”
*As in the verse we can see the bottom of the statue is much different from the top. The camera pans out to let us see the whole metallic rainbow on display across the body of the metal FIRESIDE owner. As we gain some distance, Nelly Angel, the XHF Junior Heavyweight Champion, walks into the frame while throwing and catching a small rock.*
Nelly: “While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken into pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:31-35).
*He watches the stone as he throws it up and catches it.*
Nelly: Now, Caffrey, I’m not a religious guy or anything. But for this instance, and in this circumstance, I felt that the situation was fitting. You’ve built your name and your reputation on great moments. Holding the AXW Championship for an incredibly long time, a short but impactful run as the X*Crown Champion, your time in the XHF Tag-Team division, Fireside. But what happens to your legacy when you can’t keep up the wins, when you can’t keep up to the standards you set way back when?
*The former interviewer catches the rock and holds it tight in his hand while the Caffrey statue still towers in the background. He thinks for a moment.*
Nelly: Have you ever heard of Jake “The Ace” Conway? No of course you haven’t, he hadn’t done anything that’d qualify to be on your radar. But during his time in the XHF he had a notorious reputation for his poor attitude and his competitive spirit. And when he went to the XHF’s main rival he found great success with them. After the XHF closed some of us ended up over there- in NCW. And to say I felt like an outsider in that land would be a bit of an understatement. Many of the XHF workers who had left for NCW did so under less than friendly circumstances; so those of us who remained loyal to the end were not really welcomed with open arms.
*He tongues the inside of his mouth, remember those days.*
Nelly: Pretty early into my time there, maybe my second or third match, I can’t recall, they had a big special episode of their show. It was dedicated to Jake Conway. He was celebrating some big anniversary of his in the wrestling world and they gave him this gimme of a match.
*Our protagonist uses his hands to accentuate the bright lights of the signage.*
Nelly: “Jake ‘The Ace’ Conway vs. Nelly Angel in a Submission Match!” Now I’m a much more rounded wrestler than I was back then. Back then I was just some high flyer, without even a submission move to my name, and he- like you, Caffrey- was a technical master. I was being used as kindling for Ace’s ego. And I didn’t like that.
*He throws the stone up again and looks back at the statue.*
Nelly: He never really recovered from that loss. Now here we are coming into FIRESIDE’s final show, your big finale. And word on the street is that this might very well be your personal finale- and how have you chosen to spend it? Trying to get one last big win- over an opponent you wouldn’t give the time of day to normally- or if you’re really lucky, somebody you actually care about. Another hit for the old Caffrey ego machine. And I don’t like that.
*The Champion examines the stone in his hand.*
Nelly: I’m not one of those larger-than-life personas. I’m no king, no god, no- heh- emperor. Most people would say that I’m some kind of every-man. And as a member of the “everyone else” category I must say that you are the most pompous, self-serving, auto-fellating pile of human excrement that there is. And I’m not sure you even get it, that’s the really sad part.
*He shakes his head.*
Nelly: Don’t know what I’m talking about, do you? Look at your final FIRESIDE show, what’s the meat of the card, everyone facing off in a massive tag match ala the very first show, right? What a better way to tribute all of your... “booking genius” by paying tribute to your first main event? Except…
*With a single finger he scratches his temple, trying to figure something out.*
Nelly: Except that only Mistress Discipline was in both. Also the original five-on-five had winning stakes for the whole team- this time most of the team members are just filler to support two members on each side. Most of the people on these teams have no connection to each other and no reason to work together except that you threw them in this match. From the standpoint of a casual observer it seems like you don’t actually give a crap about anyone in your company- well, except for yourself.
*He throws his arms up in frustration.*
Nelly: I mean really? You decide to not give any attention to the ongoing feuds between your wrestlers, ignore their goals, their wants and their needs and just shove them into some big f-off match where- again- most of them have no real motivation to fight outside of collecting their last paycheck. Meanwhile, you?
*A sharp look pierces the camera.*
Nelly: You managed to grab at the one piece of gold that’ll still be around after FIRESIDE- never mind that you might not be. Never mind that a lot of your roster would qualify for the title. So instead of a tribute to the people who you built FIRESIDE on, the final show is a tribute to you. And, AND-
*The defending champion chuckles to himself.*
Nelly: AND you managed to add in Seth Dillinger, who doesn’t even work in FIRSIDE in as a ringer of some sort. So you’re not only screwing over most of your own roster, but you’ve put an outsider into the global title match on the card. Oh sure, you can say the board forced you to do it, but com on man- you should have titled this PPV “Go F-Yourself, Roster.”
*He turns around and looks up at the statue behind him before turning back.*
Nelly: You had a golden opportunity to go out with a bang. Instead you’ve gathered up the few people who’s bridges weren’t burned enough to quit like most of the early roster and showed that you never really cared about them by ruining their own big sendoff, making it a tribute to the GREAT ANTHONY CAFFREY and his INCREDIBLY SMART BOOKING- and his WONDERFUL TALENT as you try to hand yourself a tired XHF Junior Heavyweight Champion. One last piece of gold for the monument to yourself. Or to some other company that you used to tell your team were a rival.
*The normally friendly Nelly licks his teeth with a rage that he’s trying very hard to repress.*
Nelly: So I’m here; nice guy Nelly- the guy who just wants to have a good match for the crowd. I’m here to tell you that since you’re so intent on ruining FIRESIDE’s big finish for everyone else- I’m more than happy to play the villain in your little production and ruin your big finish too. It looks like the troll-y fans with their signs and their hashtags might be right this time because Caffrey, I am going to do everything in my power to mess up your self-serving plans.
*Once more he up the stone, turning between the camera and the statue.*
Nelly: Emperor Anthony Caffrey the Great? Meet Nelly Angel the lesser.
*He tosses the rock, striking the statue and bringing the monument to arrogance that is Anthony Caffrey’s entire existence in the XHF Network down to unrecognizable rubble.*
Nelly: I’ll see you in the ring, Caff- and in the unread footnotes of history.
*The champ lets that sink in a few moments before looking back at the rubble again.*
Nelly: I suppose though Seth that this is a sight you’ve gotten used to seeing. Your own legacy smashed by yourself as you lost your mind, and then ultimately your body.
*He looks pensively towards the camera.*
Nelly: Seth, I don’t have any beef with you. You’ve been given a second chance and if the El Chico persona is any indication, it seems to me that you’re trying to rediscover your roots, your original passions for this greats sport. I am excited to be one of your earlier matches back and honored to work with you.
*The “other guy” in a match with two huge names bites his bottom lip before speaking again, concern in his eyes.*
Nelly: All that said, you stuck your nose into a match where you don’t belong. And sure, like Caffrey maybe you can come up with excuses that take it out of your hands- bureaucratic nonsense that doesn’t give you a choice. But I bet, I suspect- that at some point during the setup for all of this at some point you could have said no. You could have let the FIRESIDE challenge be just that, the FIRESIDE challenge. But you didn’t. I get it, you want to get away from all this...
*He vaguely gestures to the pile of nothing that will eventually be forgotten.*
Nelly: ...To get started back on the road to the Seth Dillinger of old. But don’t forget what that got you last time. Regardless you’ve put me into a difficult position. I’m up against two X*Crown Champions- two Rumble-winning X*Crown Champions. And here I am, little old Nelly that nobody remembers most of the time. And my position as defending champion requires me to defend as booked. So I’ve got two huge names that’ve backed me into a corner.
*Angel smiles.*
Nelly: That’s where I thrive. That’s the position I’ve been booked in since my debut. The underdog, the guy nobody expects, the designated loser. I’ve made a career out of proving people wrong when I’m not even a considered factor. You two though? Caffrey is trying to go out on top and you’re trying to rebuild that which once was. You two have everything to lose from this match. And me? Well the XHF Junior Heavyweight Championship is close to my heart. And my title is better this farce of a setup and joke of a show that spits on the TRUE legacy of FIRESIDE. I’m going to fight with all my might to make sure that neither of you get what you want, and that this show doesn’t end up in the title history records.
*He looks one last time at the rubble and then to the camera.*
Nelly: See you guys in the ring. Bring your best, and don’t forget about little old me.
*The man who’s given his life to making the XHF better winks at the camera and walks off. As we zoom in on the remains of Caffrey’s legacy, Nelly’s new theme music starts to play before we finally fade to black.*