Post by Teo Blaze on Aug 28, 2022 13:08:57 GMT -5
“Imagine it. Really think about it. I wonder if you even can. If you could hold it in your hand.
The world.
What would you do?
Would you hide it away in a jug, or maybe just squash it like a bug.
The world.
What would you do?
What. would. you. do?”
The dimly lit stage that the Cruiserweight Champion stands upon is a rather unusual venue for the man, but one that he was not unfamiliar with. After all, what was their lot if not a show?
“But therein lies the rub, eh? Or rather, that’s the problem. All that power, all that control, the ability to, without a shadow of a doubt, control your own destiny. To call your shot!
Just imagine the high of knowing that with the flick of a briefcase latch, that you could snatch away the world whenever you want. To sit like the proverbial scorpion on the frog’s back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It’s intoxicating, isn’t it?
That power, that control, that prize is what drives each of us to push ourselves beyond our breaking point, to climb the ladder, both literally and metaphorically, ever higher, to ascend to heights we can barely conceive of!
But then I’m stating the obvious, aren’t I? We all are in the same boat after all. Well…all but one of us, and I’ll get to him. Right now each of you, each man and woman standing in the way of me and that briefcase is asking themselves the same question. What would I do with that kind of power?”
Teo chuckles to himself, walking around the empty stage, seeming to consider the question carefully.
“You know, there’s a saying in life that I’ve heard quoted many times. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And while it can certainly seem that way, I’ve never really liked that idea. To suggest that power can never be wielded responsibly is…well it’s just kind of defeatist, isn’t it? It suggests that we have this inherent belief that everyone around us is rotten to the core. Inherently flawed, unable to control themselves, and that they’re just waiting for an opportunity to let out all that evil.
But me? I just can’t bring myself to see the world that way. Oh don’t get me wrong, I know there’s people out there rotten to the core, But power is not the cause of that rot. You see, I don’t believe that power corrupts, oh no. I think that power reveals.
And speaking of revealing…”
Teo spins with a flourish towards the stage, which all at once becomes illuminated with a swirl of color and sound, where before the stage had appeared almost completely devoid, the light now reveals a series of strange and unique items, objects, and tables set up in a row- and in front of each is a small wooden placard with eight very familiar names.
Teo looks at the camera with a grin, and reaching seemingly from behind his back, he pulls from out of nowhere a wooden cane and a flattened tophat, which springs open as he whirls it onto his head.
“Hey, nothing wrong with a little showmanship, am I right? Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, step right up! Prepare to have your senses assaulted and your hearts stopped by the greatest sideshow you’ve ever seen in your life! I will show you eight twisted and foul creatures, curiosities, and exhibits the likes of which you’ve never seen!”
Though the theatre is empty, a rousing sound of applause and laughter seems to fill the entire room as Teo laughingly walks to the first exhibit, turning towards the camera.
“You’d be amazed what you can do with special effects these days. But then a magician never reveals his secrets, does he? Now I don’t wanna spook you folks too early, so why don’t we start with something easy?”
Effortlessly twirling the cane, Teo walks in front of an exhibit all too familiar to anyone who has ever been to a carnival. A wobbly piece of reflective glass.
"Ah yes, the funhouse mirror. A perfect descriptor for our little friend Serenity, no? After all, it shows you a version of yourself that is distorted, strange! One moment you're a perfectly average fairgoer, the next you've been stretched into a ghastly monster! Not unlike dear Serenity.
Now I've already examined how daddy's little girl has inherited his hair trigger temper that pushed him out of the business, and the fact that her lack of self-control almost cost her the contract that she'd worked so hard to get. But it's not the tantrum that I'm going to dwell on, after all, why state the obvious?
But you know the funniest thing about funhouse mirrors? If you have confidence, you feel comfortable with yourself, they're a lot of fun! But...if you have even the slightest insecurity? If you feel the slightest twinge of self-consciousness, then the image you see in that distorted glass- it's a scary thing.
And that's what I see when I look at Serenity Holmes. A little girl who saw something in the mirror that she didn't like- something that maybe hit a little too close to home. I couldn't exactly tell you when it happened, but the moment that things started to go wrong for Serenity, she changed, became distorted. Like the image in a funhouse mirror, her worst qualities became exaggerated to the point that she was unrecognizable from the original.
The impulsiveness, the entitlement, the impatience. It all bubbled right to the top until it was all anyone could see, and now we are left to wonder what happened to that sweet little girl who just wanted to live up to her father's legacy. Did AW kill that little girl, or did she ever truly exist in the first place? And what would this version of Serenity do with that briefcase in her hand? Because at this point it would be obvious.
The distorted, funhouse mirror version of Serenity that we see would squander it. The first opportunity she saw she'd pounce on a wounded champion...and underestimate just how good she actually is. Because this version of Serenity Holmes, this twisted thing? She'd stumble like she always does.”
Teo walks slowly over to the next display on the midway, the circus music mixing with the intrigued sounds of the invisible audience. The next display is a small pyramid of milk bottles placed next to a baseball.
"Ah yes! And who doesn't love a good carnival game? Put a few dollars on the counter, and you could win a prize!" Teo picks up the baseball, "Of course each of us also realizes that the game in question is rigged. After all, that's the secret! Make it look like an easy win, and then snatch away the mark's money once the realize how much skill is actually involved.
Take Alice Gemini. Or...maybe don't? Your call buddy, but my point is that many people would look at Alice and smell blood in the water. She just lost her women's title to Jill Park, after all. Underestimation is a weapon, and one Alice knows how to use well. People look at her and they think "Look at this goofy nutcase! I think that I'll just roll over her without even trying! What's the worst thing that could happen?" And the next thing you know they, just like every one of those marks at the fairground, suddenly find themselves embarrassed by just how seriously they failed to take the challenge in front of them.
Of course, anyone who knows me knows that I have faced wounded animals before. Frankly, I think Alice Gemini might be the most dangerous competitor in this match, which is exactly what Alice doesn't want. Every time a competitor has taken her seriously, which by the way is what Serenity failed to do, Alice stumbles. Every time someone doesn't just brush her off as a hot topic reject relying on unnerving imagery to try and play elementary school mind games, she ends up being the one staring at the lights.
Bit of a pattern developing, wouldn't you say? The more you take Alice as a serious threat, the less of a threat she becomes. Kind of funny how these things work out. And if there's one thing people know about yours truly? It's that I treat every single opponent exactly the same. Mind games don't work on me, because I always assume that I'm facing a genuine threat to my title. And that is exactly the Achilles heel for Alice. Screw the horror, the intimidation, screw the fear, dig down to what's underneath of it."
With that, Teo hurls the baseball, blasting all 3 milk bottles off the table as he looks to the camera with a smirk.
Teo continues walking along the stage to the next exhibit, humming to himself as he does so.
"And what do we have next on the midway...Ah! Take a look here! We're getting to what is commonly referred to as "the freak show" although I frankly think it's a dated term, I didn't invent it...but why don't we pop in and see what acts we have?"
Rather than a genuine performer, Teo has set up a series of tawdry posters, each advertising an attraction. The first one he points to is labelled "The Pig Lady"
"Do I have to even explain the connection here? Oh Regan, how the mighty have fallen. You know a part of me was truly rooting for you to claim the world title. You would be, well, the first one ever to have gotten their start on Cruiserclash and ascend to the world title if I'm not mistaken. What a story it would have been! But...looking at how it actually played out? Well, let's just say that I think you should look into other meats. Pork is good and all, but you seem to be rather good when it comes to flounder.
Because that's what you've done since jumping ship from the Cruiserclash family. You left with all the momentum in the world, and I was genuinely happy to see what you'd do with it. And Regan, I am just outright disappointed. Much like that porcine pal at the epicenter of your enterprises, you've allowed yourself to get fat. Complacent. Confident in your role and your position in the company, you waddle from match to match, letting your ego dominate every sentence. You know, I wonder what it's like sometimes to be a pig raised for slaughter. You know, they must think they're the kings or queens of the world! They've had every little thing their hearts could desire handed to them. Lavish meals, a place to lay their heads, maybe even a cute pig to be their mate. It all seems like paradise, right up until the fateful day someone shoves an apple in their mouth.
And that paradise? That little slice of heaven? All it's done is to make them fat, unable to run away as their feet are tied together. And the last thing they remember is the smell of smoke and the sound of those who turned out to be hungrier than them."
Teo shrugs, walking to the next poster. This poster is labelled "Danny, the Two-Faced Boy!" and displays what appears to be an unfortunate young man with a separate face on either the left or right side of his head. The two faces are looking at each other, angrily shouting as if in argument.
"Now I know what you're thinking when it comes to Daniel- two-faced as in a liar! A cheat! Someone who can't be trusted! And while I can see why that would be the first thing that comes to mind, no no, that's not what I'm thinking when I see two-faced. I see someone who is conflicted. Someone who is unfocused, arguing within themselves. That's where I see Mr. Downfall. In fact I saw it in our match this week. I'm under no preconceptions that Mr. Fehl has anything for me other than contempt. But at the same time, I see a part of him that realizes just how counterproductive all that spite is. There really is a part of him that knows he can do better, hell he's proved it before as both a World Champion and with the Vanguard.
But Downfall now finds himself on his own, and he finds that old version of himself starting to slip through, and he doesn't know who he wants to be. Just how far does that spite go? Can he truly use it to fuel himself forever? Or did he start to get a taste of something different, something stronger? What if there's something to this whole honorable warrior schtick?
He doesn't know what he is or what he wants to be, and anyone can see that from the way he carries himself, the way he operates. That unpredictability belies an instability that will undermine him every single time. If he could lean into one or the other, he'd probably be stronger, but right now? He's at war with himself, even if he doesn't realize it.
And that is why he can't be trusted with the briefcase. Because he doesn't know what he wants to do with it. He's already been to the top of the mountain, and he sees this as his shortcut back. But we know what Downfall looks like at the top of the mountain, and even with a guaranteed shot, as long as he's at war with himself, he's going to keep sliding back down."
Teo walks to third and final poster, which appears to be advertising "Sam the Neanderthal!" A large and ugly man dressed in a caveman outfit.
"Now come on, that's not right. Who named the ancient, ugly, relic of the past after Kidsgrove?"
Teo winks at the camera before continuing.
"Gods, this is rough. I like the man, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't owe him a favor for bringing Jenson back into my life, but by the same token, this isn't the kind of match to be relying on favors, is it?
Sam, you must realize that this is not easy for us to watch. You've got a hall of fame career, but you're just not happy with a gold watch. You're synonymous with the United States Title, but you have no interest in riding off into the sunset.
Honestly, I kind of respect it.
But then you leave my no choice, Sam. You don't give me any other option but to be yet another reminder of just how far this business and this company have surpassed you. The fact that your greatest accomplishments just keep being further and further away, replaced with a series of stumbles and what-if's? So what if Sam Kidsgrove finally did it, eh? What if he finally got the chance to have the All-in Briefcase?
The Sam Kidsgrove of Old would be a ruthless sonuvabitch, go right for the throat and hit the champion at his weakest before taking the title back and walking down hollywood boulevard with it and Zooey on each shoulder. But something's changed, that energy, that anger, that intensity has slowly ebbed away.
Maybe you're just getting older, Sam. Hell, we all are. But it's hard to keep that energy, that edge up. Especially as you are, deep down, still a good person. A right Gent, and I should know. That intensity that drove you to where you are, you're kind of frightened of it, afraid it might lose you everything you've gained. But Sam, without it- well...
Complacency breeds weakness, Sam. Simply put, like that caveman, you have become a bit of a relic. You don't fit in to this new company. It's grown, and the level of competition has grown with it. It's nice to have you around, one of the true originals. But that clock is ticking, and frankly I wonder how much sand is left in the hourglass."
Teo walks to the next exhibit, which features a sign advertising a new performer, the "Strong Woman"- etched onto the poster is a woman lifting a comically large dumbell with a title belt hanging off each side.
"And I'd be remiss talking about Sam Kidsgrove without talking about the woman who unseated him mere minutes after his big comeback win- Mrs. Jill Park. Now, I know that I talk a lot about ego, but Hoo boy! Right now Jill Park is riding higher than she's ever been, maybe even more than when she challenged the world champion!
We use the word momentum quite often in this business, and if you were basing this match on Momentum, you'd be hard pressed to find someone with more of it than Jill. But here's the thing, the same little flaw that Dandy Divito exploited the last time she was in the conversation for the World Title...Jill gets cocky. She wins matches and she starts to get a little inflated. She gets in her own head. Not that there's anything wrong with being confident...but confident and cocky are two different words.
A confident person will throw himself off a building because he knows the parachute will open.
A cocky person will forget to check if they're wearing a parachute or a backpack.
And I'll give you two guesses which one describes Jill better. We are talking about a high level match here, the kind of match that can end a career if you let it, and there is zero! Room for error. We're talking about a chance to hold the world in your hands. Any slip, any slight wobble, and people capitalize. They yank it away from you!
That is Jill's biggest weakness going into this match. She can't possibly conceive of a world where she doesn't walk out with that briefcase in her hand.
And that kind of cockiness is what always leads to a reality check."
Teo continues his walk around the midway, coming to not an exhibit, but an image of a father holding a child on his shoulders, the child looking at the midway with a gleam.
"You know, it's always nice to be the next big thing, isn't it? CJ Phoenix has been on the cusp of it time and time again, so much so that he's caught the eye of Spencer Adams. When you're being propped up, held up by someone, it can make everything around seem so exciting, so interesting and new!
But you've still got a lot of growing up to do before you can stand on your own. CJ Phoenix is without a doubt one of the most promising talents we've ever had on this roster, bar none!
But match after match, he's been breaking those promises. Time and time again he's given an opportunity on the basis of being the next big thing just waiting to break through, and time and time again we're left with the consolation of "You'll get him next time."
For every big moment he's had, there's been one where he bit off more than he could chew. He's got the sympathy factor going, and for a while that's all he had. But now? He's got Spencer Adams to try and instill something new in him, an edge, an X-factor, something to refine him into something other than "that kid we all want to break through to the next level!"
Because he's had more opportunities to break through than just about anyone in this company, all based on that promise, that idea of what could be. We never stop to think about what he is right now, and what he is right now is nothing more than an uncut, unpolished gem. This match is destined to go down in history as another broken promise for CJ Phoenix, until he's given yet another chance to live up to what we all allegedly see in him.
Promises, promises."
Teo reaches the end of the midway, where rather than an exhibit, we instead see a small man, hunched over a cashbox, a devious grin on his face as he counts out his earnings.
"And of course, we have the man himself. The man who has actually not only won All-in, but who has had the chance to hold the world in his hands as well.
Kyle Kemp. A man who I know better than just about anyone on this roster, a man who I have won tag titles with and who I have fought tooth and nail to overcome. Without Kyle Kemp, there may not be a Teo Blaze standing in front of you right now, and though he'd never admit it, without me there may be no Kyle Kemp.
We made each other, and that rivalry is just as sharp as day one. But lest we forget, when Kyle Kemp held the world in his hand, he lost to someone. To yours truly. It was the beginning of the end for that title reign when I eliminated him from Wrestler of the Year, and ever since then he's been trying to climb that mountain again. He's regressed. He's fallen. He has slipped down into something different, something perverse. A shell of what he once was. Oh, he's still dangerous- even an old viper still has venom after all, but he's wild. Unfocused. Trying to get every advantage he can, attacking us during our match to try and get an edge. Planting seeds of dissension.
I remember when you were truly a threat, Kyle. When you, despite your own ego, managed to rise above the murky Beach Krew waters to carve your own identity as someone truly unique and special. Someone you couldn't look away from. That's why I chose you for the Trios team, after all. When you're at your best, you're unbeatable.
But this isn't your best. Much like so many veterans, you're coasting on your name alone, struggling to maintain relevancy as the waters get higher and higher around you. And that in and of itself would be forgivable, but the way in which you let yourself regress into a desperate, vile man is unforgivable.
I will see to it personally that you never hold the world hostage ever again, Kyle. I can promise you that."
Teo walks back to the center of the midway, cane and top hat in hand, the spotlight taking center stage as the rest of the scene fades away.
"So I guess there's only one question left to answer, isn't there? What would I do with the world in my hands. The chance to control my destiny, a practically guaranteed path to the top of the mountain?"
Teo smirks, pushing his sunglasses up the brim of his nose as he looks at the audience.
"Oh, it's going to be good. You see, what so many people often forget is I know what it is to be at the top of that mountain. I know what it is to hold the world in your hand. To be the one with every eye on you, to be the one who people look to as the gold standard.
And I want it again.
God damn it all, I want it again.
But why?
You already know why. It's painted right on my face, in my words, in my actions, in every single thing I do.
I want it because I want to share it. With each and every person who ever gave enough of a damn to believe in me.
This whole match is a midway, a sideshow.
But without the people, none of it means anything.
This isn't my ascendancy, at the end of the day.
It's theirs.
So come Uprising, I hope you enjoy the show.
Because it's going to be a good one."
With that, Teo smiles, giving one more flourish as the lights snap off, leaving the stage in darkness.
