Paracelsus [X*Crown 2/2]

[Cross Recoba]

CROSS RECOBA: THE SECOND RESTORATION ERA

---

Ross Smith | Wednesday, November 15 2023

---

“I’m not looking to discount anyone or find a reason to exclude a company from the X*Crown, we’ve all watched as the prestige of the title was eroded by this being the way Champions act for the last eighteen months or so.”

To say Cross Recoba is a contradiction is an understatement. As he delivered his philosophy of equality he did so in The Montagu at The Sands, a club with exacting demands to become a member. While no defined rules are available to the public it's been rumored that they include no influencers, no one who has holidayed in Dubai and if you’ve spent money on X (formerly Twitter), you’ve no chance of being accepted here. What is certain is that the judge, jury, and executioner for petitions of entry to this exclusive club is sat opposite me.

His peers have described him as “living down to every stereotype about Italian Americans” and “the lowest rung of the wrestling ladder” and that’s just his last two opponents but Recoba is quick to brush the jibes aside.

“I’ve spent my life being looked down on. Try being a blonde Italian-American in an Illinois High School or stepping aside for your partner to enjoy their time in the spotlight and enduring three years of being made to feel small for it.”

With the X*Crown victory finally extinguishing what he hopes are the comparisons to his former partner, Cross appears to be in a buoyant mood as he hosts me in this exclusive club. Only too happy to indulge my questions about the decor of the bar. The chairs, recovered Koa that boosts their green credentials. The paintings on the walls, a local artist with an exhibition at The Sands in the New Year. Even the wine came with a story, the bottle of Tignanello came from a case gifted to Cross by a Russian oligarch sometime back and can be yours for 40% of the average American’s weekly paycheck. The choice wouldn’t surprise some.

“Everyone has a little brother that tries too hard, mine just pushes it to the nth degree.” His elder brother, Turi would be the first to admit he’s not his biggest fan but, “He looks after Mom and stays out of my way.” The Chicago policeman refused to comment beyond that.

In between drinks from the Sangiovese, Cross can be self-effacing about his success.

“When it came to gold on the Network, I didn’t see it coming my way in Ascension. I focused on making myself memorable without holding a title, not bad for a kid whose only hope of escaping Cicero was a football scholarship.” On the future of Tap Out, he’s quietly confident but reserved, “We’re picking up traction but we’re not going to start touring America, we’re in Vegas, it sells itself for a destination.” Even the length of his reign is served with a degree of pragmatism. “If I could just have one-on-one matches, I’d be looking at beating Dylan’s first run but it’s hard to look past the Rumble without some finality.”

Where he seems most animated, most enthusiastic is about what he wants to achieve while he still has the X*Crown in his possession.

“When I joined the Network, there was a vibrant scene and given I had a defunct title to cash in, it appeared open to all. Sadly, Zoran had a full dance ticket and when Caffrey won, there were talks for a match but it just never panned out and I fell out of the conversations. The Rumble aside though, it’s seemed to be a closed shop for most on the Network and I want to change that. I’ve got the date in Wrestle: UK coming up and while I think they missed a trick with leaving money on the table; ultimately, it’s my job as Champion to bring the gate. I won’t always be facing people like Fox or Death Trap…”

He laughs as if thankful that isn’t the case.

“And when I’m not, the pressure is there to not just win but to put on a show, that’s what’s expected of the XHF Box Office Smash. I took HKW from its hardcore roots to now being the first company you see on the XHF website, if I can do that then putting in a late claim for Match of the Year against Kasper Van Zant isn’t too outlandish.”

Recoba spots my raised eyebrows at the last claim and is quick to clarify.

“I’m not judging this run on longevity; if I beat Dylan Black’s record, it’s a bonus but when I look back, I’ll be looking for who I helped to create or raise and whether or not it renewed interest in a title that’s been neglected. This match with Kasper is a great opportunity for me to increase her profile and get people who wouldn’t normally tune into Wrestle: UK to do so. It’s a spotlight on my opponent very early on in their career and you can’t fault them for taking the match. I’d have done the same, but they might need to temper what’s achievable.”

This time it’s my host who raises his eyebrows as he returns back to the red wine.

“I’d be using it as a yardstick for where I am in the grand scheme of things, working out where the holes are in my game and what translates well no matter who the opponent is. I’ll give them something for free, their End of Days match told me they rely far too heavily on l head kicks and if someone took away their legs….”

The detail he provides is no surprise, one unnamed Tap Out source told me “when he’s in the office, it’s for sixteen hours minimum. He wants to find the hidden detail wherever he can.”

“If it was a Tap Out wrestler challenging,” The X*Crown Champion continued, “I’d be looking forward to the increased interest in my wrestler, seeing how they respond after a high profile match like this. Sam Sawyer competed at Night of Champions for the X*Crown and took that experience and learning curve to give Random McConalogue her first singles loss in Tap Out. That’s what Kasper could do, get a confidence boost like Sawyer did and Wrestle: UK could have a bankable star but I’m not holding my breath…they’ll continue to book her in Battle Royales and eight-man tag matches regardless.”

Recoba pauses for a moment, the idea that what he considers a gift-wrapped opportunity for Wrestle: UK will go begging.

“I’m looking beyond the match in some ways. If I get past KVZ, it’s a defence in HKW to close out the year and then Supremacy. If I survive that far, SCCW and CAR have yet to see a defence on their shows and then we’ll see…”

I take the pause to ask if Tap Out could feature on what some cynical people call his pilgrimage to Dylan Black, it raised a laugh.

“I think it’s no secret that Xtraction events might be making a return to the Network in 2024. I said at the outset that I wouldn’t compete on a Tap Out show, that’s not my role there, but if these crossover events returned…well…”

A match with Jack Diamond has often been mooted on forums and social media but could this be the clearest sign that it might take place, title or not? Before I can press further, an aide of Recoba’s is there to remind him he needs to leave shortly, a HKW spot show on the east coast his next destination.

“Go there, drive up interest for Hardkore Helloween ahead of the event and while I’m there, get some scouting done for Tap Out if I can.”

Before he takes his leave, I ask him what would define a successful X*Crown run for him.

“How many stars I create along the way.”

*****

[20th November 2023]
[New York, New York]

Watching from backstage, Cross heard the bell ring to close out the main event and sighed in relief. The last twenty-three minutes had been enjoyable wrestling soundtracked by a monotone Billy Mays pitch from the promoter. Everything from his meal-ticket’s pre-match food to his family’s view on the chances of success had been laid out for Recoba, as he tried to concentrate on evaluating the talent without the sell, sans spiel.

“Cross, you need to see this.” The aide had earned his paycheck with the interruption, a perfect excuse to exit from the monologue he was hearing.

“Excuse me.”

Heading to a small room inside the VFW Hall; Cross sees a laptop set up on the table, a chair pulled out for him.

The aide pressed play and the swollen face of Kasper Van Zant came into view, her take on the events that had happened at the HKW House Show made public. Hearing her attempt at a parting shot, Cross pressed pause.

“She needs to make a name for herself and if that’s trying to play mind-games with me, then that’s her choice. Not one I’d make in her shoes, I’d be rallying against Wrestle: UK putting Psychotic Goth’s next failure at capturing gold above our match but that’s her prerogative.” Cross’ tone was neutral, trying to keep the matter to the facts alone.

“Without the context, it looks like you just assaulted her unprovoked!” The aide seemed almost alarmed.

“She’s playing damage limitation because she thinks she needs to. She’s spent most of that time talking up my record and playing down her chances. It’d be a fine idea but what she needs now is people watching her talk and wanting to find out more about her. Wanting to know what she’s like in the ring and tracking down her matches on the Network, listening to her promos to find out what she’s like outside the ring. That wouldn’t be asking much, her career is so young that a fan could watch everything she’s done on the Network in an afternoon…”

Recoba paused for a moment, noticing one of his team had decided to record.

“...When our match came around in Cornwall, she’d have picked up some fans and be seen as the underdog and the agent of change but instead, she’s chosen to put all the focus on what a loss would mean to me, not how life-changing it would be for her. Where did the message of empowering women disappear to? From being in a position to be the first-ever female X*Crown Champion to being the plucky underdog, it’s almost as if she’s unsure who she is or wants to be…”

Or thinks she needs to be.

“It’s that hesitation that’s going to let her down inside that ring, not knowing what the right play is in EVERY situation. The margin for error in these matches is infintessimally small compared to what she barely knows. Bloodied Fox didn’t think twice when the opportunity for Submaxiswear and SEIRIOS to get involved came about, Dylan knew whether it was time for the Dynamic Outro or Ragnarök, and Zoran didn’t hesitate to bring in foreign objects to level the playing field or end the match. She’s heading into a week where she has two shots at XHF gold and yet it seems like we’re only a sentence or two away from her reverting to cock jokes…”

Recoba reached below the table for a bottle of still water.

“She’s in a position which people would kill to be in and yet I don’t think she’s worked out that THIS is the biggest match she’ll have for a long time. To go out in the opening round of End of Days and two months later still be getting a shot? People like Jack Diamond, Jason Long, and Steve Awesome who all got further than her would KILL to be in the spot she finds herself in and the reason they’re all former X*Crown Champions is BECAUSE they recognize what’s at stake!”

Stop lessening the loss and embrace the opportunity.

“She’s treating the match as a secondary concern to the Hardcore title fight with Awesome and maybe, at her stage of her career, a Feel the Burn match seems a more attainable win but that’s spurning the platform she’s been given. Fourteen thousand fans in attendance, countless Network viewers that she could be trying to win over but instead, she focuses on what a loss means for me. I know what’s at stake, it’s what drove me to beat Death Trap because my work isn’t done, it’s barely even started.”

Recoba shakes his head.

“I’m going into this match knowing that the victory over Bloodied Fox got me the belt, the match against Death Trap proved it wasn’t a fluke and this one…this fight defines the rest of my reign! Kasper should be using this to set the tone for her time in Wrestle: UK. Don’t tell people you answered my challenge because no one else did, you tell people you accepted it because you were the only one who wasn’t afraid to step up. Outside of Spike Kane, Eron Hunter and Lord Dominicus, you’re not going to get a chance to put yourself to the test against people who’ve done it on a Global scale inside your company!”

If they wanted you facing those three they’d have put you against them already and not just in eight-man tags and Battle Royales.

“I’m using you, Kasper, to show that IT DOESN’T MATTER who is facing me inside that ring, I will make people care about the X*Crown again. Why am I the XHF Box Office Smash? Because everytime I step into that ring, it’s the best match on the show and Goth and Eron need to know that they might have the main event slot but I’ll be the person the fans talk about when the event ends!”

But then who talks about minivans when a supercar is available?

“You could at least try and make people sit up and pay attention to what the first female Van Zant can offer to a wrestling promotion on the Network, I hope you do. Because I’m not going to feel sorry for you, I’m not going to take it easy on you, and I’ve not intention of losing and becoming the answer to the inevitable trivia question. I’m going to showcase exactly what Cross Recoba is about with the X*Crown and why I’m the deserving Champion. You took on board I’ve lost once in the last year, I did so after promising the HKW crowd I was taking their title on my first appearance and since then, I’ve followed up on every promise I’ve made…”

Recoba grabs the arm holding the phone and drew it towards him.

“So hear this, I promise to put you down with a finality that means that EVERY open challenge I make is met with fear from ANY roster. I promise to beat you with a show so great that Fulton, Torchwood, and Tucker can’t even convince themselves that their main event is worth watching, and I’m going to beat you because you might think I’m heading into a Louisiana Swamp but I won’t be the one thrashing to keep my hopes alive!”

*****