Do you know your opponent?

[Anthony Jordan]

INT. WUK TRAINING AREA – LONDON

The WUK training area greets the viewer. It looks more like a boxing gym than a traditional gym. There are a couple of rings set up, then there is a section with free weights and some machines. KALMIN WATTS enters the shot. He takes it all in and nods.

WATTS

A lot of fans feel like matches are won in the ring. That’s not true. Matches are won here where your only opponent is yourself. Matches are won when you keep pushing to get better, even after you’re tired and thrown up a couple of times. That’s how I find that next gear in a match after my opponent has repeatedly hit me with his best shot.

Watts walks over to the ring. He rolls under the bottom rope, then stands back up.

WATTS

If I win, then I am working hard enough. If I lose, then I need to work harder. It’s simple, and I like that. That’s what my match against Wesley Crane will be all about. He has one attack, and it’s either targeting your torso to make you double over.

(bends at the hips to demonstrate, then pats his right temple)

Then it’s In the Face. Or he’ll try to take one or both of my knees out.

(puts his right knee on the mat, then pats his right temple again)

Then it’s In the Face.

(stands back up)

Can I dodge? Can I counter him? Worst case, can I stay standing through all the violence? I won’t know until Legacy, but the work has already started. I watched his matches with Billy Fowler. I scouted him when Gavin Drake and I challenged for his tag titles. I know who Wesley Crane is.

Watts chuckles.

WATTS

I know he’s conceited, arrogant, and egotistical. I don’t like any of that, but in WUK? That makes him one of the most honest men. He’s never tried to lie about who he is or hide anything. In that way, he’s very real.

(beat)

Take the Bastards. They’re cosplay commoners. They’re rich, elites like Blood. Millionaires are crying about being oppressed by a billionaire. They act like they’re victims. It’s disingenuous. I’ll give the Devil his due: Wesley Crane isn’t fake.

Watts walks over to the corner and leans against it.

WATTS

Yeah, I know Wesley Crane. We started at the same time, and I feel as if we’ve been linked together and contrasted the whole time. He’s had a nice run. HKW West Coast Champion and Tag Team Champion. That’s two-thirds of all their titles. Of course, he’s the man in WUK. He’s the World Heavyweight Champion. He’s proof the new guard is taking over. Today, it’s him. Tomorrow, it’s me.

(beat)

Crane surrounds himself with a spineless sycophant, a bad wannabe actor, a Communist, and a walking, talking piece of nepotism. It’s like a night at the Oscars.

Watts chuckles and shakes his head. Somewhere, Industry Donzig chuckles and nods.

WATTS

That’s probably what bothers me the most about Wesley Crane.

(gets more serious in tone)

You got more money than you know what to do with. You got the good life, and you’re miserable. You had the hottest run this company’s ever seen, and all you do is complain that you didn’t get enough attention! You win the World Heavyweight Title and bemoan that it took you one match longer than you assumed it would! Is it that you can’t be happy or, deep down, do you know you’re a fraud? Do you ever think about that? Have you asked yourself if you really deserve that belt? The people don’t think you deserve it, and I don’t, either!

Watts points at the camera to punctuate his final statement. He has a look of disgust on his face. He doesn’t approve of Wesley Crane: the wrestler and Wesley Crane: the man.

WATTS

I understand why my manager complains about my match placement, but you should be better than that. I’ll fight you anytime you want! First match, last match, it doesn’t matter! I’ll come down to this ring and fight you at three in the morning. I don’t care if anyone’s here to watch it or not! Money and glory come and go, but pride lasts forever! Knowing you’re a man lasts forever!

(beat)

You pay people to hang around you and tell you how great you are. You are insecure. The fact is that you don’t know who you are. If you left this sport tomorrow, you wouldn’t know. I know who I am. I also know who you are, but do you know me?

Watts stands up out of the corner and looks straight at the camera as if it’s Crane.

WATTS

I’m the British TV Champion. I’m the longest-reigning singles champion in WUK! I’ll have my fourth title defense at Dominion. Crane will only have had his second defense on that night. I take on all comers. The so-called other “World Champion” Frank Windsor had to swindle his way to a DQ win just to avoid me. Notice that he’s avoided any talk of a rematch. He knows how tough it is to wrestle me, and he doesn’t want to do it again.

(approaches the camera and gets more intense)

Whether it’s training or wrestling, I’m all dog! Windsor? He’s a pussy in every sense of the word! I guess that’s true of the actual World Heavyweight Champion, too! I’ve asked for a one-on-one chance against Wesley Crane for months. The only way I got it is because Ronnie Long forced him into the ring with me. Crane, don’t think I’ve forgotten that! You’re too scared to fight me, and I’m going to remind you why at Legacy!

Watts pushes the camera out of his way and goes to work as the scene fades to black.