An Invitation [ZS S02]

[mosler]

Ink flows.

Could this be another list of enemies, perhaps?

No, not an enemy list, though the familiar calligraphy is of a quality that it could only spring from one hand - because the author’s other claw has been pulped. The camera begins to follow the contents of this correspondence over Zoran Sainovic’s shoulder, before pulling into a tight close-up on the writing. Panning shots let the viewers follow along with the words scrolled out from this poison pen, even as a heavily accented voice reads them aloud.

Dear Rat Bastard,

I hope this finds you well, though having observed the Supremacy line-up; I can only begin to imagine your disposition.

The opener? Now that is a tough break. Acting as the warm up act for a wealth of talent that includes Johnny Sniper, the Tilted Cartridges, The Twins, Psychotic Goth, and Spike Kane twice? You must have a very big heart to humble yourself for these younger generations stars. I can appreciate that you are writing this card placement slight off as the fickle nature of a computer randomly generating the order – that is a very mature view of the situation. You should be commended for assuming that position with a grain of salt.  Still, there has to be a voice in the back of your head that suggests you’re being made to curtain jerk so that Steve Awesome will have the maximum amount of time to recover before the main event. Charitably we could say that the XHF administrative team have set-up your borderline dark match placement to give the audience the maximum amount of time between dosages of Awesome – so that he does not oversaturate the show to an unwanted degree (like he did the entire Network during December). Bookending the show certainly helps Steve – but it is very kind of you to go along with it, Rat.

Looking back, I had a similar situation occur to me back at Night of Champions 11. Despite the first half of 2020 essentially belonging to me, by the time the global event occurred, I found myself without the requisite title belt that the show demands. Jason Long, the man I took the crown off of, found himself in a similar situation – and taking pity on us, the Network signed a rematch for the show. It was nice of them to make us feel included, only they could not justify putting us ahead of any federation title – so we two found ourselves in the unenviable position of warm-up act. It was nice to be afforded any spot mind you, but my ego was bruised far worse than anything Maverick did to me that night. You may not have seen it.  As a headliner that evening, you probably arrived long after we had finished. Funny how fortunes change in two short years.

Now when I have the book, I like the show to start with a spirited encounter, young guns busting out daring moves at fast paces. I find it gets the crowd excited, which sets the tone for the rest of the night. I try to avoid booking exhausting bloodbaths, or legacy dumps, in which the bloated stars of yesteryear try to play off their name value for a few extra pay per view buys. There is a place for both those attractions, but the opener? It insults the athletes involved, while not presenting them in the best light to perform. You are a professional, Rat Bastard, so if anyone can drag Steve Awesome to something watchable it is you – but it is an uphill battle... at least twelve steps. Personally I would consider the whole ordeal to be a slight, so I am relieved to see that you are literally a bigger man than I, Rat.

The nCw championship at the start of the show... while people are still gathering their snacks, running late to join friends, or generally getting that all important bathroom break in.  You know, so that they don’t miss anything important. Yes, for a man who has his eyes set on the X*Crown, working the opener wouldn’t matter to Steve – in fact it suits his schedule. It just seems so disrespectful to you, Rat, not to mention the nCw’s legacy. How the mighty have fallen. Why if the nCw championship was a part of the X*Crown it would always be the main event, a fond memory of a fantastic federation that is no longer with us to defend its card status. Not your fault, Rat. At some point a member of the nCw brass asked Steve not to let it join the horde. To his credit, Steve has upheld that last request. It would be noble, if he wasn’t constantly winning the X*Crown. Oh, Steve is happy to represent the twenty-three federations contained within the crown, but only as long as he has his side piece –which is too good to be part of it. It strikes me that the noble thing would be to take one's name out of title contention if he honestly believed any belt was above it.  Unfortunately his double standard creates a situation where rather than honouring the belts, Steve ends up denigrating both.

Anyone who has watched the promotional blocks leading up to Supremacy have seen Steve speak far more about the X*Crown than your afterthought opener. If not for the great fondness I hold you in, Rat, I myself would forget your match even exists. It seemed like the entire BANG Civil War, multiple interpromotional events, all the months leading up to Supremacy, were all in the service of building up your inevitable showdown. Yet for all the bad blood, the moment that Steve got a whiff of another X*Crown shot – your entire program became an inconvenience, Rat. You are now something that he was planning for, that became a rushed nuisance when something better came along.

Can we blame Steve for soundly thrashing Donzig at REIGN to represent that affiliate’s seat at the Hegemony table? Certainly not! Despite our years of villainy, I imagine it would be hard for either of us to even convincingly throw a match to that bearded fool. Should we be angry with Steve for not tanking the Hegemony tag match? He did, Rat. His heart clearly was not in the encounter; fortunately the hydraulic presses in Dylan Black’s cyborg arm allows him to carry almost anyone. No Rat, I am sure you will agree that Steve is not a good enough wrestler, nor does he enjoy the skills required to cost his stacked team the win. The line-up was just too one sided, and Steve being Steve, had no choice but to fail up. It is what he does best.  Blame the easy manner with which the Network let the Supremacy challengers into the crown picture, not Steve. Any other year, and there are a dozen quality assurance checks in place to keep characters like CopyCat in the card position you have dutifully taken on, Curtain Jerking Rat. Yes, when I think about the physical toll it took for me to work my way through the End of Days tournament, and the relative ease with which Steve was granted yet another shot – it can be frustrating. Yet it could have been worse.  It was not like Steve was being rewarded with a spot for failing to defeat Jack Diamond, that would be preposterous, but to look at his relatively easy return to my title scene - it was quite close.

No, it would be pointless to blame Steve Awesome for being relatively successful when faced with low tier challenges. After achieving the spot? That is when our current situation becomes questionable. That is when we can blame his dubious character.  What stopped Steve from winning the tag match, only to decline the reward, stating that he had a prior engagement scheduled for Supremacy and that you, Rat Bastard, and the nCw, were worth his undivided attention? As much as he loved the X*Crown, he needed to put you in your place.  Now I am sold.  Besides, with The Rumble is on the horizon, and the current champion delighting in spilling the man’s blood – other opportunities would soon present themselves for shots. Prioritize the hate you two have grown.  That would have taken integrity. Instead Steve threw himself into the title race, dedicating most of his energies to the pursuit of the X*Crown rather than focusing on your fractured relationship. Like all the time you put into him meant nothing, Rat. Speaking as an admirer, it has been difficult to watch.

I sincerely hope you defeat him, Rat, but will it matter? The way that Steve has orchestrated your conclusion, it will be a footnote to the rest of the night. I can already hear the commentary: "Look at Steve Awesome, once again striding across the championship scene to challenge The Final Boss – giving it his all, despite that brutal encounter with Rat. Yes, in spite of his weakened state, can Awesome pick up the crown against all odds?" You hear it too, don't you, Rat?  Or perhaps you have fooled yourselves into believing that his success will trickle over to you?  Let me assure you, that even if Steve walks out of Supremacy with the X*Crown, do you think he will give you another shot at the collection? No Rat, you will be old business. Your existence as it relates to Steve comes to a conclusion before Supremacy even begins.

Can you imagine Steve Awesome becoming a three time X*Crown champion before you? I can’t. It would be a far greater indignity than opening for the Twins. Worse? Cross Recoba’s HCW Diamond title, Finn Whelan’s NLW World Title, and Esmeralda von Krauss’ REIGN King of the World plate, are all viable for X*Crown conclusion. This means that the record for championships brought into the Crown – currently set at three each by you and Congo, could be eclipsed in the coming months. How much mud can Steve kick into your face? Now I don’t actually think Steve is capable of winning the crown for a third time, or absorbing any other titles, but treating you worse than a diseased rodent? That sounds like the Steve Awesome I know.

Might I offer a solution?

While Steve puts nCw on a pedestal when it suits him, you have made no such promises.

What is keeping you from calling off the 12 step match, and simply cashing in the nCw championship for an X*Crown shot? You still get to fight Steve, but at least then the card position, and the title in question, are worthy of you.  I know that Dylan, Cat, Raiden, and myself would certainly welcome the addition of a genuine XHF original. Even in defeat, you would get the last laugh on Steve – forcing his precious nCw belt into the crown regardless of victor. It would also restore nCw to the top of the card, a heroic act that Steve is incapable of. That is a story that the XHF would love to see.  You are a shrewd competitor Rat Bastard, so I can already hear your response – merging the nCw championship should entitle you to a one-on-one shot, and simply joining the Supremacy main event does you no favours. Then wait. Tell Steve that if he cannot get you to the top of the card, then he can hold off on your final encounter until it’s given the proper respect. A shame it messes his fragile schedule, but who are you his secretary?  Do not let him dictate terms when you hold all the cards. Steve doesn’t just owe you a proper blow-off, Rat, but he owes it to every participant of the Civil War that has put up with his self-aggrandizing nonsense over the past few months.

The scenario that has been put forward treats you as a speed bump on Steve's continued quest for glory.  Steve doesn't even try to insult your intelligence with his self-serving machinations.  Everyone who sees those 12 steps, are going to know that you are being treated like a chump.  I think higher of you than that, Rat.

If Steve Awesome were a better person, he would formally remove himself from the X*Crown match, and publically apologize to you, and all the former nCw stars, for his gold lusting behaviour. As this is unfortunately Steve we are talking about, it falls on you, Rat Bastard, to be the better man.

It shouldn't be hard.

Warmest regards,

Zoran Sainovic

With the seed planted, the politician removes his pen. Looking over the concluding lines, Zoran nods. The nice thing about being a face is that he can be completely honest, while respecting people’s feelings. Steve should try it sometime.