Post by Teo Blaze on Jan 28, 2024 13:16:23 GMT -5
“Clarity.”
The scene comes slowly into view, obscured by darkness- the minimal light dancing over an interwoven web of silvery metal in the darkness.
“It seems so easy, doesn’t it? Ask any name on the roster and they’ll tell you with a confident wink that they’ve got it all figured out. That everyone else is simply living in a world of fantasy, preoccupied with their own delusions and simply unaware of the beautiful formula that will carry them to victory.
And yet…”
Another glint of light through the steel reflects a pair of round, red glasses, catching the light like the eyes of a demon in the shadows.
“To see the world as it really is, to understand it? And to use that knowledge to seize it. To hoist high the championship which represents everything.
We all think we know the formula.”
A sharp exhalation of breath belies a twisted, almost sadistic glee in the suggestion. The idea that so many would lay claim to that concept leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I am walking into that cell, the most career-threatening, dangerous structure that our business has ever dreamed of, and I have five other competitors looking to make me an afterthought. Each of them is different, and yet they all have that same common factor: right this moment they all know without a shadow of a doubt that they are going to win.”
Another glint of light reveals a sharp grin etched beneath the glowing red, as though Teo has just realized the punchline of a particularly funny joke.
“And speaking of Shadows…why not start with the Hollywood Lazarus, Shadowlove. Coming back from the dead to show us the true man that he was destined to be. To swoop in and have his Hollywood ending by hoisting aloft the World title that has always eluded his grasp!
You know, people accuse me of preferential treatment Shadow, but I mean god damn! You’re going to put the red carpet industry out of business with how many they have to roll out for you every single week. Barely returned a month before you’re handed a shot at the World Championship one on one.
But then that’s par for the course, isn’t it? All sizzle no steak, all flash and no substance. For every model-worthy glamor shot that you throw up onto the screen each week, you’ve crumbled time and time again under any real sort of challenge.
It’s kind of a shocking thing to witness really, defying the laws of nature. You’re a diamond that turns back into a lump of coal under pressure! And to be clear, I don’t just mean the result of the match. I’m talking about that fragile little ego of yours- the kind that walks into the room with a cloud of promises and perfume, only to disappear the moment that things don’t go your way, leaving behind only the vague memory of what you previously accomplished.
It's sad, really. You're like an expensive vase crafted by the finest artisans - beautiful, priceless, and fragile. You come back from the dead, claiming to have found a new purpose, a new resolve.
You talk about destiny and Hollywood endings, but I've been around long enough to know that success isn't handed out on a silver platter. It's earned through blood, sweat, and tears. And that's where you fall short.
And Shadow? In that unforgiving cell, no Hollywood script will save you. No director can yell "cut" and call for a retake when the steel grates against your skin, when the pain sets in. There's no stunt double for the agony you'll feel when you realize that the shadows you hide in can't protect you from the storm I'm bringing.
I've faced my own demons and conquered them, not just for the applause of the crowd, but for the sheer love of this brutal, beautiful sport. And while you're playing your Hollywood role, I'm living and breathing the reality of the squared circle.
So, Shadowlove, enjoy the spotlight while it lasts. Revel in the glitz and glamor because tonight, when the cell door slams shut, and the cheers of the crowd turn into roars of battle, your Hollywood fantasy will collide with the unyielding force of reality. And in the end, when the dust settles, the true champion will emerge, not the Hollywood mirage, but the relentless fighter who thrives in the chaos, Teo Blaze!”
As he let the words hang in the air, he let his focus shift, wandering among the potential victims to see who was next. After a moment’s pause, he let the next words escape.
“But enough about Shadow, god knows he talks about himself enough already. Why not talk about the lump of ego who is too dense for light to penetrate his cranium- the man who is a living embodiment of impotent rage given form, Mr. Roman Gunn. Now I am not one to hold a grudge, but the fact that this clod of a human who can barely string two sentences together saw fit to attack me? He wrote a check that his ass can’t cash, and I’ve got a receipt for him that’s a long way coming.
I would congratulate him on moving on from developmental to the main roster, but the fact is that the only thing he has developed is a chip on his shoulder and a vast inability to evaluate the threats in front of him. He looks at Teo Blaze, Cruiserweight Icon, and he only hears the word ‘Cruiserweight’.
He should have considered the whole story. You don’t get to be called an icon without a lot of blood on your hands, Roman. You don’t get to rise through the ranks if you crumble at the idea of fighting someone bigger than you.
Roman, you're stepping into the ring with someone who's faced giants and monsters, someone who's danced with the best and tamed the wildest! Your rage filled ranting might make for good soundbites, but when you're locked inside that steel cell with me, there won't be any place for hollow words. The echoes of your bravado will fade away as the reality of the fight sets in.
You are locked in the ring with a man who does not give a damn about anything other than that World Championship. Someone who does not care about his body, about pain, about anguish. Someone who only has one speed when that bell rings, and who has shut up better assholes than you a hundred times over.
So, Roman, you can bring that chip on your shoulder, bring your misguided aggression, because in that cell, there's no running away. You wanted a piece of Teo Blaze, the Cruiserweight Icon? Well, tonight, you'll get more than you bargained for. And when it's all said and done, you'll understand that the legacy you dismissed as hype is the very force that will leave you questioning your decision to step into the ring with me, you dumb sonuvabitch!”
Teo’s hands slammed against the steel mesh, barely restraining him. As he leaned in, the camera finally sees his face in full, wild and full of energy. The playful facade truly giving way to whatever lies beneath, and the intensity with which he bangs his hands against the cage, like a wild animal trying to escape- is belied with a controlled but measured coldness, a calculating stare behind an otherwise wild face.
“Enough of the appetizers, let’s get to the meat of the matter. Gerard Angelo, the man who thinks he has the entire world in his pocket. If ever there was someone whose picture you could put next to the word ‘smug asshole’ in the dictionary, Gerard would be right there.
You thought you were rid of me, didn’t you Gerry? That you had managed to sneak away with that briefcase by beating Dake Ken and that would be the end of Teo Blaze. You hoped that I would go back to Cruiserclash and continue fighting for the brand and show that I believed in with every breath of my being.
Only to find out that I had no home to go back to.”
The words seem to give Teo pause, calming the storm as the pain of the words clearly leaves him.
“I gave away my Championship, Gerard. The Tag Team titles that had defined my career. It tore my heart out! But I knew! I knew the moment that I saw that look in your eyes, when you saw me across the ring from you.
I knew that there was something more to fight for.
You and everyone else on that roster seems to think that I have nothing left to fight for without my brand. That Clash has won and that Teo Blaze failed. That for all his words, for all of the bluster, Cruiserclash went out with a whimper…”
A deep sound now begins in Teo’s gut, quiet at first, but then rumbling upward into his throat before erupting in a pained, vicious laugh, so loud that it drowns out all other noise, coming forth in a guttural sound.
“Cruiserclash goes out with a Roar! A roar of fire, of destruction, a mighty blaze! The show may be gone, but so long as I draw breath, the spirit of Cruiserclash fights on! I am her vengeance, her revenant! I am the one she chose! And to have that clarity, to realize my true mission, I had to lose everything that I ever cared about!
And when people ask me what brought this about, what made me realize what had to be done, I will simply answer with bated breath- Gerard Angelo. When I saw that look in his eyes, that crack in his facade, when the man who thought he had the whole world in his pocket blinked, Teo Blaze was reborn. He saw with true clarity that for his brand to survive, it would have to die.
You always talk about the Legend of the Phoenix, Gerard. Rising from the Ashes…You cannot rise if you do not burn.
I can help with that.”
The phrase elicits a genuine smile from Teo, the intensity subsided for only a moment, but the smile carrying in it a genuine sharpness, like the edge of a knife. Gleaming in the dark, he lets his focus shift once again.
“How do we address Tatiana…she is a unique opponent; I am so used to my opponents trying to deride my choices, my persona. To look down on me. Truth be told it makes it all the sweeter when I separate them from consciousness. I always imagine waking up in the ring to hear my music, the feeling of bewilderment that must come when someone with such a strong ego realizes that they’ve been shown up by the very one they look down on.
But with Tatiana, it’s different. While I would hesitate to go so far as to expect respect, she seems to genuinely consider her opponents’ strengths. And not only that, she has proved her persistence, fighting against tremendous odds to win her world championship.
But that strength, that single-minded determination? It’s also her greatest weakness. Her quest for the world championship truly meant everything to her, giving her the monomania needed to grab onto Jill Park’s throat and squeeze like a bulldog, never being shaken off.
I have no doubt that she wants to be World Champion again, that she needs it. She has no other choice, after all. She has defined herself by her quest to be world champion again. But let’s call a spade a spade- she also stumbled when reaching the top of the mountain, and I think I know why…”
Teo pauses, his scowl deepening, the anger palpable as he prepared for the dissection that would come next.
"Tatiana, your strength is undeniable, and I respect that…but that relentless pursuit always blinds you to the pitfalls along the way. You stumbled not because you lack skill or determination, but because the weight of your own expectations became too much. The pressure to be the champion, to define yourself by that title, led you to a moment of vulnerability. That Championship that you imagined as the height, the pinnacle? The weight of carrying the world on your shoulders slowed you just enough for the wolves on your heels to catch up.
Now, don't get me wrong—I appreciate a good fight, and I know you'll bring everything you've got. But tonight, in that cell, you're not just facing opponents; you're grappling with your own shadows. The shadows of doubt, the echoes of past stumbles, they'll be your constant companions.
And Tatiana, it's not personal. It's the nature of the business, the unforgiving reality of the sport we love. The ring is a place of triumph and heartbreak, and in that cell, your determination will be put to the ultimate test!
Because my shadows? My monsters? I have lived with them as constant companions. Every day I wake up with the entire world, the entire roster, calling me everything from fraud to failure and back again. No championship erases them, no matter what you tell yourself, at the end of the day the only comfort you have is in the mirror!
And I am just not convinced you like what you see.”
As Teo pauses, a slow exhale belies what he knows comes next. The maelstrom of emotions he carries within crash together all at once- anger, frustration, and perhaps even a twinge of jealousy… but he collects himself. Barely restrained, he allows himself to speak.
“Final Chapter. Fitting name, isn’t it? It could be the last time that we see Downfall in an Action Wrestling Ring. And I might be the man to make it happen.”
Even with all of the bad blood, the rivalry, the harshness of Downfall’s words, the thought gives Teo pause, considering the magnitude of the circumstance.
“Downfall is a man who never stops fighting. It’s who he is. He eats, sleeps, and breathes competition, and he will tell you to your face exactly why he is better than you. Chasing greatness is in his blood, and he has spilled that blood over and over again in the name of his obsession.
And now it comes to this. He has reached the top of the mountain, only to prepare to throw himself from the summit.”
Teo’s focus breaks for a moment as a slight chuckle comes from within his belly.
“You know, I think I’ve had one thing wrong about Downfall in all of our previous encounters. He might not admit it, but the simple fact is that I think that truly deep down, the thing he wants more than anything is for someone to outpace him. He is a man who needs something to chase.
And Alexander wept, for there were no more worlds left to conquer!
But Downfall, I won’t let that overshadow my mission. I know what it’s like to have an entire roster look up to you, both as an inspiration and a target. I stood as the Champion of Cruiserclash, and have been called the undisputed greatest.
So I can only imagine what is going through your mind as you consider your final chapter.
You have been my white whale for so long. We have faced each other in Turmoil and both times you have stopped me from reaching the pinnacle that I fought, that I bled for.
You have broken my heart, Downfall.”
Teo's cold laughter fades, replaced by a steely resolve and a burning determination. His gaze is unwavering, a reflection of the countless battles and disappointments.
“So I will not hesitate to be the one. The one that finally overtakes you, the one that ends your journey by taking the very thing that you chased for so long.
Downfall, your declaration that you'll retire if you lose the title, it's not lost on me. But let's be honest, retirement is just a fancy word for surrender. You've dominated the landscape for so long, and now, the prospect of someone taking it all away, it gnaws at you.
You’ve beaten me before Downfall, but this time? It's different. This time, the stakes are higher, and the hunger within me burns brighter than ever. I've tasted defeat at your hands, but I've also tasted redemption. And tonight, in that unforgiving cell, I'm not just fighting for the championship; I'm fighting to rewrite the narrative.
You've been the ruler of this kingdom, but every reign must come to an end. The crown you wear, it's heavy with the weight of expectations, and tonight, I'm going to be the one to relieve you of that burden! I'll be the one to shatter the illusion of invincibility that surrounds you and write your final chapter in the blood of every man who ever dared to call you king!
Downfall, your legacy may be one of conquest, but every empire falls. This isn't just about championships; it's about breaking free from the chains of the past, about forging a new legacy.
Prepare yourself, Downfall. The storm is coming, and in its wake, a new era will dawn. An era where Teo Blaze stands as the World Champion, unburdened by the ghosts of defeats past, and you, my friend, will bear witness to the flames that consume your kingdom to ash! A legacy snuffed out in an instant by the man who you knew would never be the one to do it.”
Teo presses his face against the steel mesh now, so hard that it looks as though he might burst through it.
“This match is for more than the world championship. This match, this moment, will go down in history.
And the clarity it provides will show exactly what that World Title truly means.”
With that, Teo pulls suddenly away from the mesh, disappearing into the darkness as the camera lingers on the silvery web of steel.