The Hippo and the Next Generation
Sept 23, 2021 13:35:22 GMT -5
Carter Shaw, Trey Bouchet, and 2 more like this
Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2021 13:35:22 GMT -5
Harry Diderot stands on the sidelines high school football practice drilling on a muddy gridiron. Atlanta rains tore through, but they keep grinding until their coach blows his whistle. Everyone takes a knee with Harry towering over this local hero whose peppered beard and three hundred-plus pounds of hard life hold that old coach together.
“All right Tigers,” Coach says, “Got a treat today. I know many of you stressed by these drills. Can’t wait to hit the other team. I feel you. Just remember only when you practice hard do you win games.”
He gives a lengthy pep talk about the upcoming rivalry game, but these kids see is “Hippo” Harry Diderot in a tight-fitting Tigers jersey. A local legend sporting their colors.
“All right, now we have an alum in da house. Give a full Tiger’s welcome to my man, Harry Diderot!”
Applause has him grinning behind those dark Gucci shades.
“Thanks Coach. And from what I see… you gonna put a hurt on them Kennesaw Giants Friday!”
They give him some cheers and howls.
“Like Coach said, you need to focus on the game. Don’t let it run you. And never sell out for the spotlight. Be there for your brothers. Teamwork is the core of champions,” he says in powerful stance. “When me and my little bro Richie held the line—we won the league title. Missed state at the last minute—but we held that line until the last whistle. Don’t let nobody tell you cannot be a champion too. Ya feel me?”
Those kids go nuts.
“All right, put it in,” he says, letting the kids huddle around him. “Tigers on 3!”
They break, leaving him and Coach to talk when that same slimeball waits at the fence. Harry, not wanting his old coach to get tainted by this thirsty promoter approached him alone. Stewie Mendelssohn smiles wide in his oversized black and green pinstripe suit.
“Everybody loves the Hippo. All of AW,” he says, “but why are you content with being a local hero? You’re not some friendly neighborhood Spiderman®. When I could put your face on every billboard and trailer from New York to L.A. Yet you want to let Richie’s dream be a zip code pony. Such a waste.”
“I let my game do the talking, fat man.”
“You can’t be that guy that once held the TV Title,” Stewie says. “Why limit your legacy to one title reign in a dead company? You have the potential to win huge crowds. And I can get you there.”
Hippo hard passes, shaking his damn head.
“You don’t get it,” Harry grunts. “The Hippo ain’t for sale!”
He rejoins those kids lining up for autographs. Stewie watches as Harry meets, greets and gets selfies with every single kid. Mendelssohn’s devil horns burn before making an important phone call.
A shot pans overhead spoofing the Fresh Prince opening with Harry Diderot on a thrown, Biggie Smalls crown tilted to one side. Gucci glasses reflect CRT TVs stacked around him like a supermarket Budweiser beer case castle.
“Once ya TV king held a champion’s ring
Trigger blasted, outlasted UCI
Big Man on Campus, turnt that hippocampus
But all y’all remember the fall
because hit so damn hard.”
The shot stops spinning, focusing on Hippo on the throne while TV replay his UCI highlights.
“Listen up Ms. Hastings, I respect the hell outta you! You know the most important thing is family. And sincerely hope we gonna hop that pound to jolly ‘ole England so ya can hug your little niece. That’s what people are supposed to fight for, but they only see the belt. Careers are about people, not gold.
This week, I returned to my roots to see true hunger. Remember what day one was like. And what I saw was the heart and grit of champions. You’re the future of AW while men like me are just padding that fan experience. An’ Lord knows this old king's got plenty of that.”
Harry slaps his flabby 6 pack and chuckles.
“But I didn’t just walk out UCI as ‘Hippo’ Diderot without heat. People called me limited. Bacon frying in da pan. You probably heard them too that “catch wrestling” never wins here. Well, you tell them Harry told them to shut their DAMN mouths! Only the ring sorts champions!
People been ragging on your experience. But Hippo sees someone on the brink of stardom. All ya need are signature wins. Hell, you beat Claire Hawkins. I remember Claire’s early days. She used to be like you. Dropped on the scene like Reeboks. Outcast with a background in combat sports. A world of promise, but then she changed. Got greedy. Let that same TV Title change her. Because when it comes to being a champion … you can only rest ya laurels on hard work and family. Rings sort the rest.”
Those TVs swap from static to Hippo’s recent wins in AW.
“We seen each other’s games. Old meets new. Hell of a match made for TV. What better way to prove the doubters—shut down them critics and take out someone you can’t physically dominate? I challenge you be 1000% War of the Roses on this sumbitch. Because I don’t wanna take your belt, but this Soul Train is on a path to glory. Returning to where I began as that young, hungry soldier--only that will complete my comeback in Action Wrestling. And the only way I can do that is by winning your Television Title once again.
No matter how many try to stop me, I overcome. So you best be your best, Ms. Hastings, cause Hippo don’t break when he’s cruising for gold. Too many young men and women out there he’s representing. The Culture to inspire. Good people THE Hippo cannot let down EVER again!”
His TVs go into various color bars. Fade to black.
“All right Tigers,” Coach says, “Got a treat today. I know many of you stressed by these drills. Can’t wait to hit the other team. I feel you. Just remember only when you practice hard do you win games.”
He gives a lengthy pep talk about the upcoming rivalry game, but these kids see is “Hippo” Harry Diderot in a tight-fitting Tigers jersey. A local legend sporting their colors.
“All right, now we have an alum in da house. Give a full Tiger’s welcome to my man, Harry Diderot!”
Applause has him grinning behind those dark Gucci shades.
“Thanks Coach. And from what I see… you gonna put a hurt on them Kennesaw Giants Friday!”
They give him some cheers and howls.
“Like Coach said, you need to focus on the game. Don’t let it run you. And never sell out for the spotlight. Be there for your brothers. Teamwork is the core of champions,” he says in powerful stance. “When me and my little bro Richie held the line—we won the league title. Missed state at the last minute—but we held that line until the last whistle. Don’t let nobody tell you cannot be a champion too. Ya feel me?”
Those kids go nuts.
“All right, put it in,” he says, letting the kids huddle around him. “Tigers on 3!”
They break, leaving him and Coach to talk when that same slimeball waits at the fence. Harry, not wanting his old coach to get tainted by this thirsty promoter approached him alone. Stewie Mendelssohn smiles wide in his oversized black and green pinstripe suit.
“Everybody loves the Hippo. All of AW,” he says, “but why are you content with being a local hero? You’re not some friendly neighborhood Spiderman®. When I could put your face on every billboard and trailer from New York to L.A. Yet you want to let Richie’s dream be a zip code pony. Such a waste.”
“I let my game do the talking, fat man.”
“You can’t be that guy that once held the TV Title,” Stewie says. “Why limit your legacy to one title reign in a dead company? You have the potential to win huge crowds. And I can get you there.”
Hippo hard passes, shaking his damn head.
“You don’t get it,” Harry grunts. “The Hippo ain’t for sale!”
He rejoins those kids lining up for autographs. Stewie watches as Harry meets, greets and gets selfies with every single kid. Mendelssohn’s devil horns burn before making an important phone call.
A shot pans overhead spoofing the Fresh Prince opening with Harry Diderot on a thrown, Biggie Smalls crown tilted to one side. Gucci glasses reflect CRT TVs stacked around him like a supermarket Budweiser beer case castle.
“Once ya TV king held a champion’s ring
Trigger blasted, outlasted UCI
Big Man on Campus, turnt that hippocampus
But all y’all remember the fall
because hit so damn hard.”
The shot stops spinning, focusing on Hippo on the throne while TV replay his UCI highlights.
“Listen up Ms. Hastings, I respect the hell outta you! You know the most important thing is family. And sincerely hope we gonna hop that pound to jolly ‘ole England so ya can hug your little niece. That’s what people are supposed to fight for, but they only see the belt. Careers are about people, not gold.
This week, I returned to my roots to see true hunger. Remember what day one was like. And what I saw was the heart and grit of champions. You’re the future of AW while men like me are just padding that fan experience. An’ Lord knows this old king's got plenty of that.”
Harry slaps his flabby 6 pack and chuckles.
“But I didn’t just walk out UCI as ‘Hippo’ Diderot without heat. People called me limited. Bacon frying in da pan. You probably heard them too that “catch wrestling” never wins here. Well, you tell them Harry told them to shut their DAMN mouths! Only the ring sorts champions!
People been ragging on your experience. But Hippo sees someone on the brink of stardom. All ya need are signature wins. Hell, you beat Claire Hawkins. I remember Claire’s early days. She used to be like you. Dropped on the scene like Reeboks. Outcast with a background in combat sports. A world of promise, but then she changed. Got greedy. Let that same TV Title change her. Because when it comes to being a champion … you can only rest ya laurels on hard work and family. Rings sort the rest.”
Those TVs swap from static to Hippo’s recent wins in AW.
“We seen each other’s games. Old meets new. Hell of a match made for TV. What better way to prove the doubters—shut down them critics and take out someone you can’t physically dominate? I challenge you be 1000% War of the Roses on this sumbitch. Because I don’t wanna take your belt, but this Soul Train is on a path to glory. Returning to where I began as that young, hungry soldier--only that will complete my comeback in Action Wrestling. And the only way I can do that is by winning your Television Title once again.
No matter how many try to stop me, I overcome. So you best be your best, Ms. Hastings, cause Hippo don’t break when he’s cruising for gold. Too many young men and women out there he’s representing. The Culture to inspire. Good people THE Hippo cannot let down EVER again!”
His TVs go into various color bars. Fade to black.