Post by "Iron Heart" Ethan King on Jul 30, 2017 6:04:43 GMT -5
The Ultimate Series: Episode 5 - Legend
Starring Ethan King and A Random Cemetery
Producer Note: All Episodes of The Ultimate Series were filmed prior to the 29th of July, 2017.
Starring Ethan King and A Random Cemetery
Producer Note: All Episodes of The Ultimate Series were filmed prior to the 29th of July, 2017.
The scene opens to a gravestone, one with nothing etched on it. Just a plain and cold stone that protrudes from the dirt and soil that rests beneath it. Across from this humble resting place is a line of similar looking stones, each of which bear the names of relatives, friends and loved-ones of countless people who are still alive on this planet today. The camera taking this depressing scene into account, pans over to the looming figure of Ethan King, who holds a somber and rather respectful expression over his young features, instead of the usual shit-eating grin and arrogant looks that earn the spite of many fans from around The World. He kneels above the stone with nothing on it, resting his hand lightly on its top, taking care not to budge it from its place in the earth beneath him.
“Often in my life, I’ve been criticized for not being serious enough when it came to the things I did in my life. Whether it be cruising through school, not trying hard enough to make something of myself… or even treating my career as a joke at times. While most people don’t see the countless hours and the litres of sweat that go into honing my craft, I can still see where they’re coming from. I can see why people such as you, Gravedigger, don’t treat me with the respect I deserve.
“And you know what? That doesn’t bother me, not in the slightest. I don’t need you to acknowledge me, that would earn me nothing but pointless props from a long-ago faded relic of the WCF, who seems to think that he is still of a higher status of me, even after all of the failures he has endured through his recent tenure with the company.
“But maybe it’s time I started taking you more seriously. Maybe, instead of just taking the piss out of you, I should look past everything that I bring up when it comes to you, and take into account that at one point in time, you were one of the cornerstones that helped build the WCF alongside legends such as Corey Black, Torture and Jonny Fly.”
With a frown, Ethan reaches down towards a ring that has been slid over his index finger on his right hand. No, not the Trios Ring that he and the rest of Everest had forged to signify their dominance within the Trios division, but a sterling silver ring that had been given to him by someone important from his past. He delicately takes it off, and holds it before his face, inspecting it with keen, sparkling eyes, ones that hold a hint of sympathy and compassion deep inside of them.
“My dearest mother gave this ring to me when I was but a child. And while her eventual death happened during my childhood, I still had this to carry around with me, to help symbolize her existence that I still hold to this day. It’s why I’m here tonight, actually. While I couldn’t make it to her actual resting place in Los Angeles, I thought I’d at least pay my respects to those that have fallen during our lives. Surely this is something you can empathize with, no? You’ve seen your fair share of dead men during your time.”
For the first time that night, he smiled. A cruel smile that seemed out of character in this time and place.
“And I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of dying careers. Have you not? Now, think about that for a moment, think about all those that you’ve seen reach the very top of the company. One minute, they’re regarded as one of, if not, the best. Then, moments later, they drop right off the face of the planet. It’s happened to so many superstars that have thought themselves better than everything that surrounds them, and then it all comes back around and slaps them on their face, dropping them straight down into obscurity.
“You’ve seen people come and go during your lengthy career, but you Gravedigger? You’ve always been the one to remain. You’ve endured, you’ve stuck through it all and proven yourself as durable as the best of them.
“But everything always comes full circle. It’s just the way the World works, and while at one point in time, you were the one seeing former legends come and go, falling further and further into a decline until they eventually disappear for good, now? It’s come full circle.
“Now I’m the one looking at you, seeing the exact same thing happen to a legend of the game, a legend who is desperately clinging onto his past and making it seem as though he’s still a top-level competitor in a sport that has evolved much too far along for him to ever have the same impact he may have once had.
“And what does this all boil down to, may you ask? Insecurity.
“For a man who classifies himself as a badass, if you take a moment to stop and think about it, you’re actually a man who suffers from a severe case of doubts and lack of self-confidence. Sure, you SEEM to have astounding amounts of confidence, and the way you continue to come back time and time again even after you get beat down by vastly superior competition is definitely admirable, but Digger? That façade you’re putting on? It’s really starting to fall into pieces, similar to how your career is at the moment. You’re floundering, and while you may not realize it… or you’re just simply ignoring it, the fact is, it’s there.
“And it’s not hard to see at all. It’s clear by the way you try to badmouth anybody that even throws a subtle shot your way. You immediately start falling back to your usual bag of retorts. You start spouting out all these facts which you still rely on to make it seem as though you’re still an actual threat, even though realistically your time has long since passed. You bring up how you’re a Hall of Famer, a tried and tested legend, one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, and a man who has hold more championships than almost anyone on the roster. And while all of this is true and then some, have you ever considered the fact that saying it over and over again makes it seem like an instinctive reaction whenever you’re feeling threatened by talent who could one day potentially surpass the legacy you have created?
“It’s what’s called a defense mechanism, Digger. Many animals have it, and you’re no different. Anytime there’s someone who could pose a challenge to you, you immediately drop everything you’re doing as you try and ‘set the record straight’. That’s why you constantly feel the need to remind us of your place in the WCF, but all you manage to do is show that you’re a desperate cunt who is still living off of the accomplishments he accumulated years ago, in the same federation that was experiencing at the time a dramatically different landscape. And while that doesn’t invalidate all of your achievements, and the resume that you have painstakingly built up over your years, it still means that just because you’ve reached the pinnacle numerous times in the past… it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do it again.
“Look at Jonny Fly, for instance. Two years ago, Ultimate Showdown 2015, he was the token veteran that pretty much every Showdown match needs to have. He at one point in time was the consensus best wrestler in the WCF, and that era lasted for quite a while. By many? He’s considered one of, if not, the best to ever do it. And we all remember what happened during that Showdown match, right? He couldn’t even make it to the Final Two, instead, Thomas Uriel Bates got to take that runner-up spot. Over Jonny Fucking Fly of all people. Do you realize what this means for you, Digger? Everyone, and I literally mean everyone that you’re coming up against in this match, is better than Thomas Uriel Bates. And Jonny Fly at the time? Leagues above where you are at this current point in time. Even if you compared the two of you when you were at your peaks, he was still at least an entire tier above where you currently stand.
“In that Showdown match, however? Fly was actually a contender. He was actually one of the favorites to win the entire thing. You? You’re just a name. You’re here to fill in the numbers, as a man with veteran star power to help provide that little extra kick of intrigue. You’re one of those ‘what if’ scenarios. ‘What if’ Gravedigger doesn’t fall flat on his face in another big time match in 2017 and actually manages to come out on top. ‘What if’ Gravedigger actually outlasts a decent portion of the competition? ‘What if’ Gravedigger can revitalize his career and put himself back on the map as one of the top talents to look out for?
“And that’s exactly what all those things are, just ‘what ifs’. Completely improbable. You wanna know who else have been classified as ‘what ifs’ in recent Ultimate Showdown matches? Mikey eXtreme and Alexander Richards in 2015. Neither of those men were expected to win the World Title, and what do you know? They were some of the earliest to be eliminated. That’s where you’re currently standing, and unless you actually manage to make some monumental leaps in terms of ability and mindset, you’re just going to be the veteran that gets eliminated to enhance other talent and give them a rub that’ll push their careers even further into stardom. At least you’re capable of doing that to a reasonable standard, I suppose.”
Ethan chuckles, standing up and away from the gravestone that he was knelt next to, as he takes his hand off the smooth surface of the stone which has become cold in the crisp night air.
“But let’s start diving into some specifics, shall we? Like when you and I last participated in a match together. In that match, you walked in with two men who you thought would be capable of taking the entire Trios Tournament by storm. And maybe you would’ve… if you didn’t have to come against the wrecking ball that is Everest in the Finals of that fateful tournament. Now you and Price are back for Round 2, in an even higher stakes match with the fate of all WCF championships on the line. Well isn’t this going to be entertaining? In our last match, Everest easily swept all your ideas of grandeur and reclamation of the World Championship underneath the rug. And even without the deadweight of Kevin Bishop to drag you down… I can guarantee you that you’re going to suffer from that same fate come Ultimate Showdown.
“Last time we met, I stated that you're a crybaby who couldn't take criticism. And what do you fucking know? That turned out to be completely, one-hundred percent true. You get triggered at the slightest of verbal barbs from your opponents - which is what this business is all about nowadays, and this shows a lack of discipline and control from you, someone who is so desperate to prove themselves ever after all everything they've achieved. This shows who you really are, this shows that you're nothing more than just another legend trying to hold onto past glories which have long since faded away.
“There's no doubt that at your best, you're a downright dangerous competitor. And even in your current state, you still pose somewhat of a threat - even if it's nowhere near enough to stop me from being one of the final men remaining in this match.
“You talk all about how I'm unaccomplished, and how everything I've done is invalid when stacked up against what you've done. But as so many people have said before, what does it matter what you've done in the past, if you've shown absolutely no hint of being able to do it again in the future? Let's just compare what we've done over the last eight months or so, considering we both returned to the company at a relatively similar time. Recently, you...
“Returned at ONE, attacked David Sanchez after he won Final Destination. You attacked him due to being a petty cunt that couldn't handle being called out one-on-one, and thus you cowardly pounced on him after the match. So much for being a tough guy, right? Straight after doing that, you thought it'd be a great idea to challenge for the World Title, saying that it was 'your World Championship' and that you would be the one to take it from whoever went on to win it later that night, who happened to be...
“Joey Flash. Shortly after making your challenge, you went up against Flash in a one-on-one match on a regular Sunday Night Slam. In all honesty, it was quite fitting that your biggest match in recent memory would take place on a Slam, considering it has mostly been forgotten since all you managed to accomplish was being one of the last few to end up on Joey Flash's long list of victories against old, underwhelming talent such as yourself. You did nothing you said you were going to do, you didn't walk away with the World Title, you didn't come back and leave a huge mark on the company. You did none of that, all you did was 'put up a good fight' which for a Hall of Famer (look, I even said it for you, this is how fucking predictable you are) isn't all that impressive, to be honest. But hey, you still had a chance to do one other thing you set your sights on, and that was...
“Face David Sanchez. The two of you met at XIII, and once again... you just put up a good fight. You weren't capable of winning a huge match like that, you lost that ability a long time ago. There's plenty of evidence of that in just this year alone. A blown World Title opportunity, your failure to get revenge upon David Sanchez (which happened twice, in fact), and more stuff that I will get onto later. But let's talk about this match for a moment, because it sort of sums up you in a nutshell. While you used to be able to talk a big game and back it up, you're no longer at the level where you can just talk whatever shit you'd like and then still walk away with a victory. Now, you need to carefully select your battles to make sure that you can win. That's what you did when you went up against the Very Big Alliance, you saw a weakness and you exploited it. You weren't stupid like you usually are, challenging people like Flash and Sanchez, who are so far out of your league you couldn't fucking see them if you looked through a pair of binoculars. That's the only way you win matches nowadays, when you're up against subpar talent like Kyle Kemp. You aren't at that main-event level which you once dominated back when you were in your prime. Want more evidence of this?
“Your entire Trios Tournament run. In this tournament, you basically did exactly what I described. For the most part, you took out mostly mediocre competition. A team of rookies, a team that featured FPV and two non-factors in Damian Kaine and CJ Phoenix, and then you yourself landed the killing blow that sent Zero Tolerance packing. Isn't it pathetic, that out of all the opportunities you've received this year, that's your biggest bragging right? The greatest thing you've accomplished in the whole of 2017 is getting a pinfall on a team filled with some of the most lackluster, untalented, uninspiring faggots this federation has ever seen? Are you starting to realize how far you've dipped since you were at the height of your dominance? Or are you still delusional and unaware of how far your status has lowered since you decided to make your return? It's almost hilarious how you talk this huge game, when you've pretty much done nothing in recent memory that could make anyone take you seriously - even those that have you seen you at your very best. Immediately upon coming into contact with some quality competition in Everest, you became flustered underneath the pressure, and you were the one who ended up being pinned and costing the match for your entire team. Any one of us in the Everest trio could've been the one to pin you - we all had you right where we wanted you at the end of that match. David was the one that took the honours, and at the very moment, all hopes of you ever rising back to prominence and capturing the World Title? It faded away.
“Until now. Like I said earlier, you clawed your way into this match at the last minute, by taking advantage of guys that anyone in this match could beat with their fucking eyes closed. This isn't an achievement that should be worth celebrating. This is how you became a Grand Slam Champion? After fifteen years of highs and lows (mostly lows at this point)? After all that time, you end up becoming a Grand Slam Champ off of some of the most anticlimactic, unimpressive bullshit this federation has ever seen? And yet for whatever reason, you believe you have a huge shot at taking this match home. If you haven't realized yet? This is one of the most stacked Ultimate Showdown's in recent memory. This match completely shits on last years, and even in that Showdown you would've struggled to even crack the Final Four. If you want any chance of not being completely eviscerated? You're going to have to put in an effort that is beyond human, and honestly? You're just not capable of that in this point in time.
“Let’s compare all of that, to what I’ve managed to do this year. Shall we?
“It all started in December 2016, where I had been brought back to reality by Jared Holmes who had abducted myself and Eddie Felt after the fallout that occurred during the ‘Mexico Incident’ in 2016. Now, while all you seem to do is poke fun at this happening – and rightfully so, I suppose, it doesn’t exactly have the greatest sound to it – it made me a battle-hardened and savage combatant, who in one quick moment transcended so far above your current level of ability, that you’re basically a fucking non-existent in that ring when I am standing inside of it. My speed, technical prowess and determination far outweighs your menial abilities. The only thing you have on me? Size and strength, and it’s not exactly hard to do that when I stand at 6’2 and base my entire game-plan off of being faster and more skilled than everyone I step into the ring with – which I manage to do on a consistent basis, as evident by my lack of losses this year and the fact that I am yet to take a pinfall loss within my entire career.
"But back to the point. The point is, while all you may do is suggest that I was Jared’s ‘bitch’ during that period of time, you’re missing a very vital point. That experience, and the trauma that I had been put through during my capture and eventual release, was what sharpened and refined my skills, what pushed me as an athlete and gave me an entirely new, more realistic and deadly mind-frame that has allowed me to push myself to the brink of absolute dominance in the WCF. I came from the depths of a man-made hell created by the #BeachKrew, and when I was let out? I became an animal, a monster. Since I have returned, I have had almost no equals, no competition, no challenges to my newfound abilities. And now? I’m in a match that gives me the perfect test of my abilities. I was able to work my way into this position through surviving the dangers that encompassed me, and now here I am, ready to take The World into my own two hands. But before we get to that, let’s go more in depth about my 2017. After returning, I began to reassert myself as a part of the upper-echelon in the WCF, and this fact was solidified after…
“I, along with David Sanchez and Steven Singh, formed Everest. I’ll be honest with you, and with everyone that may be viewing this, but I had been in a bit of a rut before joining Everest. Not in terms of results, since I was winning pretty much every match I walked into with relative ease. But I wasn’t being noticed the way I wanted to be noticed, I was being put against mostly subpar competition, and conquering them all, because that’s what I was bred to do, Digger. But I needed something else, I needed to take the big step into the next level, I needed to get back to where I was, and that was being a champion. And that’s why Everest ended up being the best career move I could’ve made at the time. We weren’t a team that relied entirely on me to carry them, like The Pride. We weren’t a broken, terribly formed team full of egos that would step over each other to get to the type, like Pantheon or #BeachKrew. No, we were the perfect formulation of skill, smarts, and hunger. And that? That’s why we went on to achieve things that no other team has managed to this year. For instance…
“I became a champion. Along with Steven Singh, I toppled John Rabid and The Captain. Neither of whom were capable of standing before two-thirds of the combined might of Everest at the time. After winning these belts, we were hardly challenged. No-one stepped before us to try and relinquish us of the titles, and even if they did… would they have stood a chance anyway? Every tag match Steven and I have stepped into, we’ve come out on top. There is no evidence that points to us ever losing the belts, even if we didn’t have the immunity offered to us by Ultimate Showdown. So, what does that say for your point that ‘I was never a fighting champion?’ Because if you look at the results, it’s clear that no-one on the roster could’ve challenged out tag team supremacy, and this was backed up when the two of us, along with David Sanchez…
“Conquered the Trios Tournament. We toppled various teams on our way to winning the Cup, we beat the Very Big Alliance (hey, look! We have something in common), we took out the man who at the time was carrying the World Championship in Jared Holmes, my former oppressor who wouldn’t even look me in the eyes as I quickly surpassed him and the combined might of our team as we put them out of the running for Trios contention. Then, we took out a Mikey eXtreme led team who posed literally no threat on our way to the Finals, where we… oh, that’s right.
"We came up against The Three Kings. An aptly named team, even when you consider the fact that not one of you has ever been the consensus best wrestler during your time on the roster, no matter what era we speak of. Arguably the most interesting fact about this match, Digger? Is that I did exactly what I said I was going to do. I said that Everest would be the team to come out on top, and I said that we would solidify ourselves as the top faction within the company. And you know what? We did exactly that. What significance does this have? Well, it exhibits that when I say something? It becomes a reality. I was the one who backed up everything I said and helped my team to victory, I was the one that landed one of the final blows on you before you were put out of commission by Sanchez. And you? You were once again just the guy that talked the biggest game out of all the competition, only to fall flat on your fucking face and be left looking up at the bright lights, wondering what in the world just happened when you saw yourself get dropped straight to the fucking canvas.
“And now look at you. Not even a few months later, and you’re back at it again. You’re out here making all these inane claims, acting as though you’re one of the guys to beat in this match, and that you have one of the highest chances of leaving with the World Title when it’s all said and done. But if things turn out the way they usually do? They’re going to end with you leaving with one of the smallest prizes available. Now, before you start getting all flustered, red in the face, and start sweating with anger… think about everything I’ve been saying. Do you see how it all links together? How it all points towards the same, logical conclusion; with you getting pinned early in this match, leaving the real threats for the World Title to duke it out to prove who REALLY is the best of the best?
“And look, I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to start screaming about how ‘you break the rules that have been made’ and how you’ve made a career out of ‘doing things nobody thought possible’. Save your breath, you fucking moron. The fact of the matter is, you’ve done nothing that makes anyone believe you even have the smallest flame of hope in this match. You’re going to get snuffed out quicker than a captured criminal that’s been put in front of a firing squad. This is the fate that rests before you, Gravedigger. And while I know you’re going to do everything in your power to get yourself out of this conundrum, the facts have all lined up, everything you’ve done in recent memory points to you getting your shit kicked in, and left with nothing but a tag title. And while you may consider that as underachieving, everyone else will see it for what it really is – where you belong. This is where you fit in now. You fit in spouting crap on the internet, being a ‘dominant’ gimmick champion holding a belt that isn’t worth a damn. You fit in as the fall man for an underwhelming tag-team that won’t go down in history as being legendary like Everest will. This is what you’re made for, this is your life now, Gravedigger. And honestly? It’s about time you fucking accept it. This is where your career has led you, and if you want to keep prancing around in Everest’s federation, acting as if you’re worth a damn? Then you better start learning your role and figuring out where you stand in relation to us.
“Hint: It’s somewhere in the mid-card, far away from Steven, David and I, who will be comfortably and contentedly reigning at the top of the card, week in and week out, while we take out washed-up faggots like yourself every now and again just for the fun of it.
“Am I being overly harsh now? Perhaps. As I said earlier, you aren’t terrible. You still have some of the ability that made you such a feared competitor, but you’re slowly deteriorating, and everyone else around you? They’re evolving. Nothing you do now strikes fear into the hearts of your opposition like it used to, you’re an old dog who hasn’t picked up any new tricks to keep you relevant. You’ve been on the decline for a while now, and after Showdown? That decline is going to be set into full swing.
“I hate having to watch a legend of the game such as you suffer such a severe fall from grace, Gravedigger. Because while I am undoubtedly one of the more unethical and unlikeable personalities in the federation, I still do have a small hint of respect for those that helped build this federation up from the ground up…
“…and that’s why I’m going to be the one that knocks your fucking lights out. I’m going to expose your decline and reveal it to the entire World. You shouldn’t have to go through being one of the greats, to being dropped down to such an average and mediocre level. Nobody should. Why do you think I took the time out of my day to drop Steve Orbit down a peg or two? Why do you think back when I was a rookie, I was offering guys like Jeff Purse a shot at my United States Title, so that I could show them just how far they were fallen? It’s so I could help them realize that, while at one point in their lives, they were at the pinnacle of this sport, they are no longer even close to that level… and they’ll never be able to return to it.
“That’s what I’m going to do for you, Digger. Don’t worry, I’ll make it as painless as possible. This will be my version of giving you the lethal injection that will help end your career that has been on a downward spiral. After this? You’ll hear everything I’ve been saying, and realize it to be completely true. And then? It’s up to you to decide what you’re going to do. Do you try to fight against the inevitable, and keep going on your grind that is going to land you nowhere but a hospital bed? Or do you accept reality, and lay down and die at the foot of Everest?
“I suggest the latter.
“Enjoy what little time you have remaining, Gravedigger. Cherish it. Because soon?
“It’s all going to be over.
“Gone in the wind, like tears in the rain.
“Farewell, may you finally rest after all your recent struggles.”