Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2011 16:31:04 GMT -5
{{Yes indeed, anticipation for tonight's broadcast of Monday Night Slam has filled the air at the Target Center in Minneapolis. That is one point on which Phillip Baines can agree with Johnny Reb. The Young Lion and reigning WCF Hardcore Champion is performing his traditional repetition of warm-up stretches in his locker room as thoughts of tonight's tag team contest between two-thirds of the Alliance and two-thirds of the Iconic Order proliferate within his conscious mind. One needs not be a mind-reader to recognize this. The look on Phillip's face says it all, that look of sheer focus and unshakeable determination. His cold, blues eyes are unblinking and unflinching as Baines stretches his long, muscular limbs.}}
Phillip Baines: "Tonight is the night. The WCF Universe will bear witness as the Alliance issues its declaration of dominance against the best of the worst that the old WCF has to offer. There has been unrest in our Universe for far too long. Unrest because of belligerence, greed, complacency and incompetence. Unrest because people in positions of power who could have made the necessary changes, decided instead to ignore these egregious circumstances and take a 'business as usual' approach. They fucked up, plain and simple. Now I am a realistic man. I recognize that certain people in the WCF Universe do not yet understand what Odin, Baines and Blake are working to accomplish. I am sure that these people view us as unwelcome intruders in the idealist fairytale of what WCF is supposed to be, what it has been, what it would continue to be if not for our intervention."
{{Baines shakes his head in pity for these unfortunate souls while wrapping both of his legs behind his neck in a yoga stretch, showcasing impressive dexterity for a man his size.}}
Phil: "I weep for these people. They are not fans. They are not WCF supporters. They are aiding and abetting a criminal element that has no place in a professional wrestling locker room, much less a civilized society. That makes them criminals by proxy. In time they may see the light and join the Alliance in its quest, but that time has not yet come. If these folks had their way then nothing would have ever changed, except for the eventual death of WCF. Gridlock and corruption would have continued to run rampant instead of being cast to the side and pounded into the ground by hammers of justice. It's safe to say that the likes of Deruty, Williams and Reb would've had no objection to continuing along their path of self-serving schemes and duplicitous deeds. Surely they never saw the error of their ways. All they ever saw was dollar signs and flashbulbs. They never realized that they were leading WCF down the path to its ultimate demise. How could they? They never bothered to take a look around and notice the sunken eyes and sullen expressions on the faces of fans and wrestlers alike."
{{Baines unwraps his legs from his neck, leans back and then springs to his feet in one swift motion. Wrapping his hands around his head, Baines torques his head to one side and then the other, a series of popping sounds are heard followed by a relieved sigh from Baines.}}
Phil: "They, much like I, bore witness to three goofballs passing around the WCF World Championship like it was a bowl of potato chips during an NFL broadcast on a lazy Sunday afternoon. That's not greatness. That's not exceptionalism. That's not leadership. It's certainly not iconic. I think that towards the end of their respective stints with this company, even Reb and Williams finally realized that something was wrong. When they witnessed the dwindling attendance numbers, pay-per-view buy rates and TV ratings for WCF events, they knew that their supposed greatness was bound to be called into question. Oh sure they probably blamed it all on the incompetence of WCF management, after all Mark Markman spent more time stuffing his face with Twinkies and ham hocks than he spent actually formulating a coherent business model for this company. But the reality is that the biggest mistake that management ever made was giving the likes of Reb and Williams the ball and expecting them to run with it."
{{Baines walks over to the backless wooden stool in front of his locker and takes a seat.}}
Phil: "Reb and Williams fumbled that shit before they ever made it back to the line of scrimmage. WCF went backwards during their time as champions and supposed 'locker room leaders'. The facts speak for themselves. WCF has only returned to big arenas like the beautiful Target Center in beautiful Minneapolis, Minnesota because of the work that Odin Balfore, Phillip Baines and Ryan Blake, collectively known as The Alliance, have done to redeem, revamp and revitalize this company. What irks me the most isn't the fact that Reb and Williams deny their complicity in tarnishing the credibility of WCF and driving this company down. What irks me the most isn't the fact that they've decided to return for the sole purpose of trying to piggy-back off of the success that others have worked to restore to WCF. What irks me the most is that Reb and Williams insist upon assailing the character of three selfless men who seek only to lead WCF along a righteous path. Under the leadership of the Alliance this company will continue to flourish and ultimately reach unprecedented heights, but you... Reb and Williams, you wish to undo all of that good work."
{{Baines hangs his head in shame. It's not shame that he feels for his or his group's actions, but rather shame that he feels for the actions of his rivals.}}
Phil: "How does that reflect upon your character, gentlemen? What does that reveal to the WCF Universe and the world at large about who you truly are as men and as wrestlers? I'll tell you what it reveals. It reveals that your true selves, your inner selves, are some slimy reptilian motherfuckers. You two and your buddy Donald can't wait to get back to the top here in WCF so that you can go right back to lining your pockets, stroking your massively inflated egos and saying fuck-all to everyone else. If that time ever came then I guaran-damn-tee that Reb, Williams and Deruty would turn on each other like a pack of wild dogs fighting over scraps. And indeed scraps are all that will be left of WCF if the three of you have your way. If the Iconic Order prevails then WCF won't be playing to hot crowds at packed arenas across this great land. WCF won't be playing anywhere because WCF won't be anything more than a faded memory. People would speak the name of WCF in the past-tense, in the same breath as WCW and ECW, formerly great wrestling companies that were killed by greed and incompetence."
{{Baines looks down at the floor. He runs his hand through his long, black hair and then looks up again, that look of focus and determination still plastered upon his face.}}
Phil: "The Alliance is not going to allow that to happen. We cannot allow that to happen. That's why tonight is vitally important to our mission. Tonight we have the opportunity to stop the Iconic Order dead in its tracks before it ever has the chance to build momentum. Just take a look at what Blake and I did to Doc and Oblivion last week on Slam. Those guys were calling themselves the Gods of Wrestling. They had terrorized the roster one week earlier on Slam. What did the Alliance do to the so-called Gods and their hype machine when push came to shove? We stifled that shit. We shut them down and closed them out. We put them out of business. This week they've been placed into separate matches. Why? Because they no longer bear any relevance to the pressing matters of the day. That's the fate that awaits Reb and Williams after tonight. You two got out of this business months ago and you should have stayed out. You should have never come back. Maybe you can fool some of the gullible 'fans' in the WCF Universe. Maybe you can fool some of the sheep in the locker room, but you cannot fool Baines, Blake and Balfore. You cannot pull the wool over our eyes, because we've seen it all before. Tonight it ends. Tonight... we bring Ragnarök to your doorstep!"
{{Baines rises to his feet with a sneer on his face and pounds his two clenched fists together in emphatic fashion. Baines promptly grabs his WCF Hardcore Championship belt from his locker and confidently strides to the doorway of the locker room. He opens the door, turns the light off in the room, walks out to the hallway and closes the door behind him. The locker room falls to darkness.}}
-----------------------------------------
{{Hank Brown is standing in front of a large backdrop that has the Monday Night Slam logo prominently displayed upon it. Hank is holding a microphone, has a cheesy grin upon his face and is wearing a neatly pressed gray suit. It's a familiar sight to WCF fans, but the intrigue builds as always when Phillip Baines steps into the frame. Baines is wearing his wrestling gear, his trademark Technicolor wrestling singlet and silver moon boots. Baines has his hands taped and the WCF Hardcore Championship belt is slung over his left shoulder. Phil's long, black hair is flowing to the back and sides of his head as the camera zooms in close to his face. It zooms in to the piercing blue eyes and unyielding expression of the Hardcore Champion, an expression that screams "Get in my way and I will kill you." The image quickly switches to Hank, who has mic in hand and appears ready to start the interview.}}
Hank Brown: "Hello, WCF Universe! This is your old buddy Hank Brown once again and I am joined by a man that we all know well, the reigning WCF Hardcore Champion Phillip Baines!"
{{Phil says nothing. He just stares into the camera with the merciless expression of a stone cold killer. Hank goes about his business like the pro that he is.}}
Hank: "Tonight you and the WCF World Champion Odin Balfore are teaming together for the first time, representing the Alliance against two returning superstars and former World Champions in the form of Johnny Reb and Jay Williams. Reb and Williams shocked the world by coming to the aid of D-Day at the end of Slam last week. Those three men have joined forces with the stated goal of eliminating the Alliance from WCF."
{{Phil finally relents with his stare. He cups his mouth with his hand and clears his throat before speaking, a calm and casual look now spread across his face.}}
Phil: "What am I supposed to say to that, Hank? It's laughable, absurd and utterly delusional?"
Hank: "Well what are your thoughts on tonight's match and the Iconic Order, as they're now known?"
Phil: "Tonight's match is very simple, Hank. Will a statement be made? Yes, a statement will be made in emphatic fashion. After tonight there will be no doubt that the Alliance is the preeminent force in WCF. There will be no doubt that the Alliance is not going to take a back seat to the ghosts of WCF's past. I love the fact that this match has come together for that very reason, Hank. I love it for the same reason that I loved and relished the opportunity to compete against the Gods of Wrestling last week. I love to expose frauds inside of that ring. I've been doing it from Day One here in WCF. I love shutting up clowns and court jesters who parade around the locker room as if they're legitimate fighters and athletes. I love assailing their person, beating them into submission and making them quit, both physically and mentally, inside of that ring. Frankly it doesn't matter to me whether tonight's match is being contested under hardcore rules or not. I've heard the claims that I cannot succeed outside of the hardcore environment. Do you know what I say to that, Hank?"
{{Hank stands there motionless, staring at Baines and holding the mic in front of his mouth.}}
Phil: "I say bull... shit! I didn't need hardcore rules to win the Classic. I didn't need hardcore rules to help the Alliance prevail over the false Gods of Wrestling one week ago. I won't need hardcore rules to expose two-thirds of the Iconic Order as the false icons that they are tonight. Baines and Balfore are permanent. We've proven that. Odin has done his time in this sport, he's put in his work. He's won the top prize in every company that he's ever competed in, taken it by force in most of those companies because management was scared to death to even give him a title shot and have their paper champions be destroyed by the Nordic Tank. Now Odin holds the top prize in all of professional wrestling. The WCF Universe cannot ignore his mission, Hank. Boo him or cheer him, they cannot ignore his greatness. They cannot ignore the fact that he's done everything that he's said that he's going to do. They also cannot ignore that their heroes such as Deruty, Williams and Reb have failed to live up to the 'iconic' hype that they've created for themselves. Deruty is already back to wrestling in clusterfucks near the bottom of the card, and after tonight I doubt that we'll be seeing Williams or Reb ever again."
Hank: "You don't believe that Reb and Williams pose a threat to you? I find that hard to believe. As I said earlier, they're both former World Champions, not to mention former Tag Team Champions."
Phil: "Former, Hank. Former. That's the operative term. Men like Williams and Reb can hurl accusations of cowardice and duplicity at Odin and I until they're blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that when they had the chance to lead this company they failed. They were the cowards who couldn't handle the pressure and the expectations. They were the schemers and deceivers who put their desires, their greedy impulses ahead of the greater good of WCF. They were cheered upon their return to Slam last week, but they should have been booed, Hank."
Hank: "Why is that, Phil? Reb and Williams are two of the most popular and charismatic superstars that WCF has ever seen!"
Phil: "Is that so? Then why did this company crumble during their respective reigns of tyranny? Why did WCF falter when men like Reb, Williams and their pal Deruty were the biggest names in WCF, headlining pay-per-views and holding World Championships? They were never the real deal, Hank. That's why. Reb has all the charisma of a bloated corpse and Williams and his '90-percent' slacker ass can't even draw flies to that bloated corpse! Those men aren't icons. Logan is an icon. Slickie T is an icon. Odin Balfore is an icon. Those are men who have defined and redefined this industry. I listened to Williams and all I hear is a man who's complaining about how nothing is his fault, Hank. Nothing. Losing the title isn't his fault..."
{{Baines rolls his eyes.}}
Phil: "Even though he was, you know, the World Champion and defending that title was his responsibility and his alone. Getting injured in that same match against D-Day wasn't his fault, even though he's the idiot who attempted the dive out to the floor in the first place. That's not Jay's fault. It's not his fault that he took a high-risk gamble that didn't pay off. It's not his fault that he was a failure as World Champion. It's not his fault that he's at 90-percent instead of 100-percent. Do you know what I think about that, Hank? I think that Jay Williams is a crybaby. I think that Jay-Jay needs his diaper changed. It is Jay's fault that his career is in the toilet and it is Jay's fault that he has a boyish-looking wife. All of that IS Jay's fault. He's the one who married her."
{{Baines shrugs his shoulders with a matter-of-fact look on his face, while Hank yanks the mic away from Baines.}}
Hank: "Uh... do you have any thoughts on Reb?"
Phil: "Oh sure, I have plenty of those, Hank. You see Reb likes to play the role of the charming, chivalrous Southern gent, but I know that all of that is a mere facade. Johnny Reb is a man who promotes an agenda of hate, ignorance and bigotry that should have ceased to exist in 1865 with the fall of the Confederacy and the conclusion of the American Civil War. Here we are in 2011 during WCF's Civil War and it seems as though the Confederacy is rearing its ugly head once again. We know how that story ends, Hank. We learned all about it in elementary school. Like I said Reb pretends to be the good guy but his track record indicates otherwise. Has Reb ever sacrificed himself for the good of this company? Has he ever reached down inside of himself to elevate his game in order to add honor and prestige to any of those championships that he's held? Far from it, Hank, and you can say precisely the same thing about Williams and Deruty. Time and time again they've stumbled when they were expected to stand tall and then they made excuses for why it wasn't their fault and how the next time will be different."
{{Baines cocks his head to the side and scoffs in disgust.}}
Phil: "In stark contrast, you can take one look at Odin Balfore and immediately recognize that he's the first dominant and credible World Champion that WCF has seen since Slickie T. Though I don't have a World Title reign to my credit, everybody knows what I've done with this here Hardcore Championship."
{{Baines slaps the shiny, gold face-plate of the belt with his hand.}}
Phil: "Tonight is not an opportunity for the Alliance to prove to the world that we're for real. We've already done that. Tonight is an opportunity for the Iconic Order to prove to the world that they're on our level. If they fail... that's it for them. They're out the door, never to be seen or heard from again. While you're thinking about that, I'm going to leave you all with one more thought before I leave to begin the final preparations for my match. I know that there are more of you in the locker room who are planning on forming your own little factions. You've seen so much activity these last few weeks and you're eager to join the party. Maybe we'll see a new faction debut tonight. Maybe we'll see one debut next week at Revenge. It doesn't really matter who, when, what or where. All that matters is that the Alliance is the one true dominant force in WCF. We are the fabric that is holding this company together. If you take up arms against us then you will be destroyed just like all the others that have come before you. Tonight it will be time for Johnny Reb and Jay Williams to feel our wrath and meet their end. When it's all said and done the Iconic Order will be down to one."
{{Baines holds up a single finger in front of the camera, his index finger to be precise. Hank nods his head and pulls the mic away from Baines.}}
Hank: "That should be one hell of a showdown tonight. Mr. Baines, thank you for your time."
{{Baines does not respond to Hank. He stares into the camera with his unflinching eyes and cold, expressionless face while still holding up that single finger. After a few moments the image disappears as the feed turns to a blank, black screen.}}
Phillip Baines: "Tonight is the night. The WCF Universe will bear witness as the Alliance issues its declaration of dominance against the best of the worst that the old WCF has to offer. There has been unrest in our Universe for far too long. Unrest because of belligerence, greed, complacency and incompetence. Unrest because people in positions of power who could have made the necessary changes, decided instead to ignore these egregious circumstances and take a 'business as usual' approach. They fucked up, plain and simple. Now I am a realistic man. I recognize that certain people in the WCF Universe do not yet understand what Odin, Baines and Blake are working to accomplish. I am sure that these people view us as unwelcome intruders in the idealist fairytale of what WCF is supposed to be, what it has been, what it would continue to be if not for our intervention."
{{Baines shakes his head in pity for these unfortunate souls while wrapping both of his legs behind his neck in a yoga stretch, showcasing impressive dexterity for a man his size.}}
Phil: "I weep for these people. They are not fans. They are not WCF supporters. They are aiding and abetting a criminal element that has no place in a professional wrestling locker room, much less a civilized society. That makes them criminals by proxy. In time they may see the light and join the Alliance in its quest, but that time has not yet come. If these folks had their way then nothing would have ever changed, except for the eventual death of WCF. Gridlock and corruption would have continued to run rampant instead of being cast to the side and pounded into the ground by hammers of justice. It's safe to say that the likes of Deruty, Williams and Reb would've had no objection to continuing along their path of self-serving schemes and duplicitous deeds. Surely they never saw the error of their ways. All they ever saw was dollar signs and flashbulbs. They never realized that they were leading WCF down the path to its ultimate demise. How could they? They never bothered to take a look around and notice the sunken eyes and sullen expressions on the faces of fans and wrestlers alike."
{{Baines unwraps his legs from his neck, leans back and then springs to his feet in one swift motion. Wrapping his hands around his head, Baines torques his head to one side and then the other, a series of popping sounds are heard followed by a relieved sigh from Baines.}}
Phil: "They, much like I, bore witness to three goofballs passing around the WCF World Championship like it was a bowl of potato chips during an NFL broadcast on a lazy Sunday afternoon. That's not greatness. That's not exceptionalism. That's not leadership. It's certainly not iconic. I think that towards the end of their respective stints with this company, even Reb and Williams finally realized that something was wrong. When they witnessed the dwindling attendance numbers, pay-per-view buy rates and TV ratings for WCF events, they knew that their supposed greatness was bound to be called into question. Oh sure they probably blamed it all on the incompetence of WCF management, after all Mark Markman spent more time stuffing his face with Twinkies and ham hocks than he spent actually formulating a coherent business model for this company. But the reality is that the biggest mistake that management ever made was giving the likes of Reb and Williams the ball and expecting them to run with it."
{{Baines walks over to the backless wooden stool in front of his locker and takes a seat.}}
Phil: "Reb and Williams fumbled that shit before they ever made it back to the line of scrimmage. WCF went backwards during their time as champions and supposed 'locker room leaders'. The facts speak for themselves. WCF has only returned to big arenas like the beautiful Target Center in beautiful Minneapolis, Minnesota because of the work that Odin Balfore, Phillip Baines and Ryan Blake, collectively known as The Alliance, have done to redeem, revamp and revitalize this company. What irks me the most isn't the fact that Reb and Williams deny their complicity in tarnishing the credibility of WCF and driving this company down. What irks me the most isn't the fact that they've decided to return for the sole purpose of trying to piggy-back off of the success that others have worked to restore to WCF. What irks me the most is that Reb and Williams insist upon assailing the character of three selfless men who seek only to lead WCF along a righteous path. Under the leadership of the Alliance this company will continue to flourish and ultimately reach unprecedented heights, but you... Reb and Williams, you wish to undo all of that good work."
{{Baines hangs his head in shame. It's not shame that he feels for his or his group's actions, but rather shame that he feels for the actions of his rivals.}}
Phil: "How does that reflect upon your character, gentlemen? What does that reveal to the WCF Universe and the world at large about who you truly are as men and as wrestlers? I'll tell you what it reveals. It reveals that your true selves, your inner selves, are some slimy reptilian motherfuckers. You two and your buddy Donald can't wait to get back to the top here in WCF so that you can go right back to lining your pockets, stroking your massively inflated egos and saying fuck-all to everyone else. If that time ever came then I guaran-damn-tee that Reb, Williams and Deruty would turn on each other like a pack of wild dogs fighting over scraps. And indeed scraps are all that will be left of WCF if the three of you have your way. If the Iconic Order prevails then WCF won't be playing to hot crowds at packed arenas across this great land. WCF won't be playing anywhere because WCF won't be anything more than a faded memory. People would speak the name of WCF in the past-tense, in the same breath as WCW and ECW, formerly great wrestling companies that were killed by greed and incompetence."
{{Baines looks down at the floor. He runs his hand through his long, black hair and then looks up again, that look of focus and determination still plastered upon his face.}}
Phil: "The Alliance is not going to allow that to happen. We cannot allow that to happen. That's why tonight is vitally important to our mission. Tonight we have the opportunity to stop the Iconic Order dead in its tracks before it ever has the chance to build momentum. Just take a look at what Blake and I did to Doc and Oblivion last week on Slam. Those guys were calling themselves the Gods of Wrestling. They had terrorized the roster one week earlier on Slam. What did the Alliance do to the so-called Gods and their hype machine when push came to shove? We stifled that shit. We shut them down and closed them out. We put them out of business. This week they've been placed into separate matches. Why? Because they no longer bear any relevance to the pressing matters of the day. That's the fate that awaits Reb and Williams after tonight. You two got out of this business months ago and you should have stayed out. You should have never come back. Maybe you can fool some of the gullible 'fans' in the WCF Universe. Maybe you can fool some of the sheep in the locker room, but you cannot fool Baines, Blake and Balfore. You cannot pull the wool over our eyes, because we've seen it all before. Tonight it ends. Tonight... we bring Ragnarök to your doorstep!"
{{Baines rises to his feet with a sneer on his face and pounds his two clenched fists together in emphatic fashion. Baines promptly grabs his WCF Hardcore Championship belt from his locker and confidently strides to the doorway of the locker room. He opens the door, turns the light off in the room, walks out to the hallway and closes the door behind him. The locker room falls to darkness.}}
-----------------------------------------
{{Hank Brown is standing in front of a large backdrop that has the Monday Night Slam logo prominently displayed upon it. Hank is holding a microphone, has a cheesy grin upon his face and is wearing a neatly pressed gray suit. It's a familiar sight to WCF fans, but the intrigue builds as always when Phillip Baines steps into the frame. Baines is wearing his wrestling gear, his trademark Technicolor wrestling singlet and silver moon boots. Baines has his hands taped and the WCF Hardcore Championship belt is slung over his left shoulder. Phil's long, black hair is flowing to the back and sides of his head as the camera zooms in close to his face. It zooms in to the piercing blue eyes and unyielding expression of the Hardcore Champion, an expression that screams "Get in my way and I will kill you." The image quickly switches to Hank, who has mic in hand and appears ready to start the interview.}}
Hank Brown: "Hello, WCF Universe! This is your old buddy Hank Brown once again and I am joined by a man that we all know well, the reigning WCF Hardcore Champion Phillip Baines!"
{{Phil says nothing. He just stares into the camera with the merciless expression of a stone cold killer. Hank goes about his business like the pro that he is.}}
Hank: "Tonight you and the WCF World Champion Odin Balfore are teaming together for the first time, representing the Alliance against two returning superstars and former World Champions in the form of Johnny Reb and Jay Williams. Reb and Williams shocked the world by coming to the aid of D-Day at the end of Slam last week. Those three men have joined forces with the stated goal of eliminating the Alliance from WCF."
{{Phil finally relents with his stare. He cups his mouth with his hand and clears his throat before speaking, a calm and casual look now spread across his face.}}
Phil: "What am I supposed to say to that, Hank? It's laughable, absurd and utterly delusional?"
Hank: "Well what are your thoughts on tonight's match and the Iconic Order, as they're now known?"
Phil: "Tonight's match is very simple, Hank. Will a statement be made? Yes, a statement will be made in emphatic fashion. After tonight there will be no doubt that the Alliance is the preeminent force in WCF. There will be no doubt that the Alliance is not going to take a back seat to the ghosts of WCF's past. I love the fact that this match has come together for that very reason, Hank. I love it for the same reason that I loved and relished the opportunity to compete against the Gods of Wrestling last week. I love to expose frauds inside of that ring. I've been doing it from Day One here in WCF. I love shutting up clowns and court jesters who parade around the locker room as if they're legitimate fighters and athletes. I love assailing their person, beating them into submission and making them quit, both physically and mentally, inside of that ring. Frankly it doesn't matter to me whether tonight's match is being contested under hardcore rules or not. I've heard the claims that I cannot succeed outside of the hardcore environment. Do you know what I say to that, Hank?"
{{Hank stands there motionless, staring at Baines and holding the mic in front of his mouth.}}
Phil: "I say bull... shit! I didn't need hardcore rules to win the Classic. I didn't need hardcore rules to help the Alliance prevail over the false Gods of Wrestling one week ago. I won't need hardcore rules to expose two-thirds of the Iconic Order as the false icons that they are tonight. Baines and Balfore are permanent. We've proven that. Odin has done his time in this sport, he's put in his work. He's won the top prize in every company that he's ever competed in, taken it by force in most of those companies because management was scared to death to even give him a title shot and have their paper champions be destroyed by the Nordic Tank. Now Odin holds the top prize in all of professional wrestling. The WCF Universe cannot ignore his mission, Hank. Boo him or cheer him, they cannot ignore his greatness. They cannot ignore the fact that he's done everything that he's said that he's going to do. They also cannot ignore that their heroes such as Deruty, Williams and Reb have failed to live up to the 'iconic' hype that they've created for themselves. Deruty is already back to wrestling in clusterfucks near the bottom of the card, and after tonight I doubt that we'll be seeing Williams or Reb ever again."
Hank: "You don't believe that Reb and Williams pose a threat to you? I find that hard to believe. As I said earlier, they're both former World Champions, not to mention former Tag Team Champions."
Phil: "Former, Hank. Former. That's the operative term. Men like Williams and Reb can hurl accusations of cowardice and duplicity at Odin and I until they're blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that when they had the chance to lead this company they failed. They were the cowards who couldn't handle the pressure and the expectations. They were the schemers and deceivers who put their desires, their greedy impulses ahead of the greater good of WCF. They were cheered upon their return to Slam last week, but they should have been booed, Hank."
Hank: "Why is that, Phil? Reb and Williams are two of the most popular and charismatic superstars that WCF has ever seen!"
Phil: "Is that so? Then why did this company crumble during their respective reigns of tyranny? Why did WCF falter when men like Reb, Williams and their pal Deruty were the biggest names in WCF, headlining pay-per-views and holding World Championships? They were never the real deal, Hank. That's why. Reb has all the charisma of a bloated corpse and Williams and his '90-percent' slacker ass can't even draw flies to that bloated corpse! Those men aren't icons. Logan is an icon. Slickie T is an icon. Odin Balfore is an icon. Those are men who have defined and redefined this industry. I listened to Williams and all I hear is a man who's complaining about how nothing is his fault, Hank. Nothing. Losing the title isn't his fault..."
{{Baines rolls his eyes.}}
Phil: "Even though he was, you know, the World Champion and defending that title was his responsibility and his alone. Getting injured in that same match against D-Day wasn't his fault, even though he's the idiot who attempted the dive out to the floor in the first place. That's not Jay's fault. It's not his fault that he took a high-risk gamble that didn't pay off. It's not his fault that he was a failure as World Champion. It's not his fault that he's at 90-percent instead of 100-percent. Do you know what I think about that, Hank? I think that Jay Williams is a crybaby. I think that Jay-Jay needs his diaper changed. It is Jay's fault that his career is in the toilet and it is Jay's fault that he has a boyish-looking wife. All of that IS Jay's fault. He's the one who married her."
{{Baines shrugs his shoulders with a matter-of-fact look on his face, while Hank yanks the mic away from Baines.}}
Hank: "Uh... do you have any thoughts on Reb?"
Phil: "Oh sure, I have plenty of those, Hank. You see Reb likes to play the role of the charming, chivalrous Southern gent, but I know that all of that is a mere facade. Johnny Reb is a man who promotes an agenda of hate, ignorance and bigotry that should have ceased to exist in 1865 with the fall of the Confederacy and the conclusion of the American Civil War. Here we are in 2011 during WCF's Civil War and it seems as though the Confederacy is rearing its ugly head once again. We know how that story ends, Hank. We learned all about it in elementary school. Like I said Reb pretends to be the good guy but his track record indicates otherwise. Has Reb ever sacrificed himself for the good of this company? Has he ever reached down inside of himself to elevate his game in order to add honor and prestige to any of those championships that he's held? Far from it, Hank, and you can say precisely the same thing about Williams and Deruty. Time and time again they've stumbled when they were expected to stand tall and then they made excuses for why it wasn't their fault and how the next time will be different."
{{Baines cocks his head to the side and scoffs in disgust.}}
Phil: "In stark contrast, you can take one look at Odin Balfore and immediately recognize that he's the first dominant and credible World Champion that WCF has seen since Slickie T. Though I don't have a World Title reign to my credit, everybody knows what I've done with this here Hardcore Championship."
{{Baines slaps the shiny, gold face-plate of the belt with his hand.}}
Phil: "Tonight is not an opportunity for the Alliance to prove to the world that we're for real. We've already done that. Tonight is an opportunity for the Iconic Order to prove to the world that they're on our level. If they fail... that's it for them. They're out the door, never to be seen or heard from again. While you're thinking about that, I'm going to leave you all with one more thought before I leave to begin the final preparations for my match. I know that there are more of you in the locker room who are planning on forming your own little factions. You've seen so much activity these last few weeks and you're eager to join the party. Maybe we'll see a new faction debut tonight. Maybe we'll see one debut next week at Revenge. It doesn't really matter who, when, what or where. All that matters is that the Alliance is the one true dominant force in WCF. We are the fabric that is holding this company together. If you take up arms against us then you will be destroyed just like all the others that have come before you. Tonight it will be time for Johnny Reb and Jay Williams to feel our wrath and meet their end. When it's all said and done the Iconic Order will be down to one."
{{Baines holds up a single finger in front of the camera, his index finger to be precise. Hank nods his head and pulls the mic away from Baines.}}
Hank: "That should be one hell of a showdown tonight. Mr. Baines, thank you for your time."
{{Baines does not respond to Hank. He stares into the camera with his unflinching eyes and cold, expressionless face while still holding up that single finger. After a few moments the image disappears as the feed turns to a blank, black screen.}}
