Looking At Your Past......
Nov 17, 2019 23:17:03 GMT -5
Shadowlove, W A L T E R, and 1 more like this
Post by Kyle Kemp on Nov 17, 2019 23:17:03 GMT -5
Sweat pours down Kemps face as he speed walks towards a room in the back of the casino after his match with Ryan Elias. His eyes dart around, smiling and nodding at various crew members that congratulate him. He wishes he could stop and talk with them but he has to get in front of a TV. He finally finds a secluded room and rushes inside. The TV in the room like most of the others is set to the action in the ring. Kemp locks the door behind him and stands in front of it. On the screen is the Walter Corey Black match. Kemp just stares and says nothing as the action continues.
With every passing punch he gets more and more nervous. He has done his part. He just needs one man to do his. The nerves cause Kemp to shake and the anticipation makes his heart rate skyrocket. All he wants is one more chance. One more shot. He wants it almost more than he wants to win this tournament. He knows that beating Walter would be the perfect cap on a great year.
As the match reaches the climax Kemp can sense what’s coming. He has seen it in their past battles. Walter has another gear that just catches up to you if you’re not ready and when he hits the sit out chokeslam, well he knows it’s almost over. He is smiling but his eyes bulge when Corey Black kicks out. They don’t bulge out of surprise. They bulge because of fear. “Oh no Corey…..”
Kemp has kicked out plenty of times against Walter and he seems to never get frustrated. He just gets angrier. Sure enough he picks up Corey Black and hits the Culling. Kemp knows it’s over. Walter get the three count and then just stares into the camera. Some might think that he’s looking like some kind of creepy sociopath but Kemp knows better. Walter is staring at him.
“That’s right you dumb son of a bitch. It’s me.” Kemp stares at the TV like he’s directly in front of Walter having a stare down. Kemp smiles. He knows he’s in Walters head. That last moment with no celebrating and just staring let’s Kemp know that Walter knows what’s coming. He knows that a match with Kemp is going to take everything out of him. He knows that Kemp is the one person that can beat him. He walks out of the room as we fade away.
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It is the next morning and Kemp is sitting in a chair in his hotel room. He’s staring at his laptop, unsure of what to write for his next journal entry. No idea what exactly to say. He’s supposed to work out his insecurities and his relationship problems in these journal entries but today he’s got nothing. He just can’t put into words how much this week means to him. How much he wants to beat Walter. His thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. His head perks up. He knows who it is.
He walks over to the door and opens it. Jenna Bauer stands there and has a serious look on her face. “Hey Jenna.”
“Hey Kyle. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kemp takes a breath. “Yeah. I need to see it.”
Jenna nods. “Ok….well follow me.”
Kemp flips off the lights and they walk away.
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No fear. Remember those dumb shirts that every guy wore in the 90s? They were all the rage and guys like to say that they weren’t afraid of anything. The reality was they were scared. They were scared of being perceived as a wimp or as they would say a “pussy.” They had to be as masculine as possible. This was the same era was where you were considered a bitch if you hugged your mom in public. All of these guys were truly fearful of everything. I say this because when I say that I have no fear facing Walter, I expect all of you to say the same about me.
I’m sure there are plenty of critics who will say my lone victory over Walter was a fluke. An occurrence based on Walter not taking me seriously. In fact I expect all of you to say that but there’s one inexplicable fact you can’t take from me. I and I alone out of the top guys in this company can say I’ve beaten Walter. Can Dandy say he’s beaten Walter? Lissie Hope? FPV? No. None of them can. Only me. That’s why I have no fear facing Walter.
The difference in this match lies right there. I don’t fear you and you fear me. Isn’t that right Walter? Every time you try to tell yourself you’re the “Monster” you remember that there’s one man that has stood up to the monster and you can’t escape him. You can’t escape me. I’m right here….again.
Again. Every time we think that it’s over fate brings us together Walter and this tournament was fate at it’s finest. On the top of the bracket was me and you were on the bottom. I bet you noticed that right away but you figured that I would be eliminated pretty quickly. You thought I’d get stopped by Roger Payton Jr. who took you to the brink. If I survived that I’d get crushed by Ryan Lockhart in the second round. That’s what you kept telling yourself, hoping you wouldn’t have to see me again. Then things began to play out. You saw me crush Payton. You saw Lockhart fall and saw me snuff out the Cinderella story of Ryan Elias. You saw all of that right before you went out for your match with Corey Black and you knew that you had a problem on your hands. A familiar problem.
When you stood up after your match last week you stared into that camera and I knew you were staring at me. Your thoughts immediately turned to me. Check that. They were already on me. You and I both knew you would destroy Corey Black. I was sure of it. You were sure of it. The only thing you aren’t sure about is if you can beat me. Talk about beating me at Execution and Uprising all you want. Carnage is still fresh in your mind. The fading of the crowd noise. The dimming of the lights. The blur of everything fading away as you went to sleep in my arms. You can feel it all and it scares you. I scare you.
Last time we faced off you said that I was a slave. A slave to the front office, expectations and the people. I laughed when I heard that. I may be a slave to these things but you’re a slave to me. I own you Walter. I may not beat you every time in the ring but I own your thoughts. Not a day goes by where you don’t think about me. Whether it’s laying down at home, training or wrestling others, You always think about that day I choked you out.
You say that you use it to make sure it doesn’t happen again but in every match we’ve had I’ve sunk in that choke. You can be damn sure I’m going to do it again. You can’t muscle out every time. You can’t get lucky and escape every time. You will get choked out by me again and this week is that time.
When you stared into that camera after the match you were trying to send a message. A message that makes me laugh. You can’t intimidate me. That’s what happens when the mystique is gone. That’s what happens when you’ve been beaten. Your message falls on deaf ears. However I’ve got a message of my own. I’ve got No Fear! Kyle Kemp is not scared of Walter. Walter is scared of Kyle Kemp!
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Jenna Bauer and Kemp are now in the car and are driving somewhere but we haven’t figured out where yet. Jenna is driving and Kemp is looking out of the window, running through the various scenarios that could play out in the match through his head. There’s so many. When you’ve fought someone as many times as these two have then you need to be ready for anything. Kemps thoughts are suddenly interrupted by Jenna. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kemp doesn’t look at Jenna but continues to look out the window. “I just have to do it.”
“But why? You’re getting what you want. You’re getting a shot at Walter. Why bring up the past?”
“You’ve got to look at your past to move on to the future.”
“That sounds like something you hear in a bad movie.”
Kemp snickers. “That may be true but I don’t know. It just seems like something I’ve got to do.”
Jenna continues to drive and doesn’t say anything. She can feel the weight of the moment bringing Kemp down. She knows how important this must really be to him.
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Over the past couple of months I’ve done so much. I’ve grinded through WrestleSeason. I beat Corey Bull. I went punch for punch with Corey Black. I won the Trios Tournament. I worked my ass off to reach the semifinals of this tournament. I’ve continued to be the fighting face of this company as darkness has taken over. I have been the light as monsters, psychos, conceited douchebags and all of the other evils have taken over. I have literally traveled around the world doing all of that and yet I’m still in the same place that I was when I stepped into that damn cage at Execution.
I’m not saying I’ve been spinning my wheels since then but every time I take a step forward I can feel my body falling backwards. Backwards as I think about that night in that cage. Backwards not because I lost to you Walter but because I know I lost because of a stupid fluke occurence. I could crash into that cage like I did at the end 100 times and only one time would I get trapped perfectly with you right behind me to put in that choke with me perfectly trapped. I know it and you know it. I had you on the ropes. I saw your eyes as I kicked out of that chokeslam in the middle of the ring. You couldn’t believe it. Not only could you not believe it but you didn’t know what to do.
It was me that handed you one mistake and you ran with it. You locked in that choke and while I was passing out I could feel the relief in your arms. You knew that I was going to win and I had given you a second chance. A second chance to keep that title. A second chance to be the monster. You got all of that from me but what did you do with it? I’ll tell you what you did. You did absolutely nothing. You pissed on that title and you pissed on all of the fans. Before that match you said I wasn’t worthy to be United States Champion. You said that I was wrong with America. What a joke.
You only defended that title once after that match. Once. And do you know what’s hilarious? It was more important that you sleep with Roger Payton Jr’s sister than be the champion. You claim to be an evolved man but the truth is that when a pair of tits are flashed in your face you are just like any other guy. You’ll do whatever it takes to get laid. Am I wrong Walter? I mean all you did was put Roger Payton Jr. in the hospital. I may have beaten him in the first round of this tournament and retired him but we both know you are the one that broke him before he faced me. You did that. You thought that doing all of that would make her fall more in love with you but I don’t see her on your arm right now. I see her playing more games with you. I see her leading you around like you’re a dog on a leash. You aren’t evolved. You are just like everyone else.
And that’s what makes you unworthy to be United States Champion. That’s why you had the title stripped. It wasn’t because you were hurting people or you were staring into the camera like a sociopath. It was because you weren’t fit to be United States Champion. It’s because management realized you aren’t as evolved as you claimed to be. The truth is that you are what’s wrong with America. Not me. I’m what’s right with not only America but in professional wrestling itself.
I don’t complain when guys like you get all of the shots. I don’t complain when I’m left off the card so a couple “hot” girls can have a cheap segment to boost ratings. I don’t complain when I take a loss. What I do is fight and I continue to fight until the last breath leaves these lungs. Not only do I fight but I make my own path rather than the one given to me. Do you think management thought I would make it this far Walter? I don’t. I bet they wanted this to be the big matchup between Ryan Lockhart and Walter. They wanted this to be what they thought was a war between two of their best. Instead I’m the one that stepped up! I’m the one that brought it at the beginning of this tournament and I’m the one that’s going to beat you and go on to the finals. Why? Because I’m worthy and I prove it every day. You just prove every day that you are not.
After I’m done with you we are going to be left with nothing. No United States Title. No World Title. No Wrestler of the Year. No girlfriend because she won’t want to love a loser. You’ll have nothing and I’m finally going to prove that good guys finish first. Understand this Walter. Your run ends here. You’re about to end in the one place that you have always feared to be. All alone.
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Jenna and Kemp finally arrive at their destination and you wouldn’t think twice when seeing the building. The building is just a warehouse you wouldn’t think twice about passing as you drove by. You’d never expect their to be anything worth a damn inside. Kemp follows as Jenna walks up to the door with her keys. He is nervous. He can feel his heart beating quickly as he knows what is inside. Everything he wants to see. Everything he needs to see. All he needs is for her to open the door.
She finally gets the door open and Kemp walks inside as she holds the door open. All we see is darkness and he stares ahead. Jenna walks over and Kemp hears her flip the light switch on. A giant thud is heard as the rows of lights turn on one at a time until the entire warehouse is fully lit. Kemp looks around and smiles at the site. It’s the Action Wrestling storage warehouse where all of the different sets and equipment are held while they are not needed. Kemp starts to walk down the aisle and as he walks he sees various memories from the last year. The banner from Revolution II: War Games is on his left. “Remember that?” He asks Jenna as he passes it.
“How could I forget? #FightSmart and #BeachKrew. Two dominant factions. Plus you had Torture on your team!”
“Yep. How far we’ve come since then. God that was the beginning of the change for me. That was when I really felt the need to change.”
“We all saw it but I’m not gonna lie. None of us thought it was gonna last.”
“Really?”
Jenna laughs. “Oh no. I had it pegged that you’d spit in a fans face by St. Patricks day at that point.”
Kemp smiles. “Wow didn’t even give me two months.”
“Nope.”
They keep walking and Kemp smiles as he passes the Battlefield II banner and the ring apron from Evolution II. Two nights that he and Spencer Adams will remember forever. Two nights that cemented to the fans that he wasn’t just blowing smoke up their asses. He had really turned over a new leaf. He stops as he gets to a pile of posters that are scattered on a table. He picks one up and looks at it for a second before handing it over to Jenna. It’s a poster for Glory. “God remember this?”
“Oh yeah. I remember thinking how much of a risk it was to go all out for a Fourth of July event. I wasn’t sure on the ratings. I remember that and the United States Title Tournament of course. I was so unsure of that title scene. We had just gone through Dandy and Kidsgrove for so long and we all weren’t sure who was going to be able to pick things up after they got hurt.”
Kemp smiles. “You saw that but I saw an opportunity. I had been hanging out in the midcard, waiting for a chance to shoot up the card and that was my ticket. That’s what I needed! I went into that tournament and got a wake up call. I thought I could be a little less serious and that’s why I did that barbecue segment. I thought getting people to laugh more would make me seem more relatable. Instead it just came off as lame.”
“Your words, not mine.”
“Well it’s true and I may have beaten Kennedy Matthews that night but I also got my first taste of fighting Walter.”
“What did you think at that time?”
“I thought he was a monster.” Kemp laughs. “But the reality was that I saw he was beatable. I had a couple close falls in that match which is more than what some other people could say at that time and I knew if I faced him down the road I could beat him.”
“You can say that after you’ve beaten him but did you really believe that?”
“I did! I may treat people right now but I still have some of that cockiness. I can beat anyone but after that match I was sure that I could beat Walter.”
They keep walking until Kemp stops. There are two banners next to each other. Carnage and Uprising. “Talk about two different stories right there. On one hand is the best night of my life and on the other is the worst. I'll never forget that night at Carnage. Holding that title for the first time. Really feeling like I had made it. Hugging Chris Avery never felt so good."
“It was amazing but can you really call Uprising the worst? You gave it everything you had.”
“Yeah but I left a lot on the table. I should have won. It should have never gotten to Execution. I should have ended this rivalry right then and there.”
“But you didn’t…..”
“No I didn’t and that brings us too.” Kemp stops and stares at the set in front of him. In front of him is the Execution Cage. He stares at it and the memories of a war between him.
“Have you….”
Jenna is cut off with Kemp putting up his hand. “Can you give me a minute?”
She nods. “I’ll wait for you by the front door.”
Kemp nods at her and Kemp stares at the cage. It’s set up in the corner of the warehouse and he just continues to stare at it. Obviously there is no ring under it but the cage itself is set up. Kemp walks up to the door and opens it. He walks inside and sits down in the middle. He looks around and can feel his heartbeat start to race. The memories of the match begin to hit him just like they do at home.
He has thought about this match every day since it happened and he can tell you what happened at every turn. He stares at the side of the cage that Walter tossed him into after he missed the punt. His eyes turn to the corner where Walter hit that back suplex off the top rope. He smiles as he remembers throwing Walter into the different sides of the cage. Finally he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. This spot is where he had him. Right here in the middle is where he had Walter with the rear naked choke.
Kemp stands up and opens his eyes. This is where the mistake happened. Kemp should have never let go. He should have never went for the punt. He should have just choked him out. He got cocky. He wanted to prove that he could beat Walter without choking him out. It was the ultimate mistake. He glances over to the corner where Walter finished him off and he grimaces.
Kemp walks to the door to the cage and takes a look back. He needed to see it one last time before he went to fight Walter for the final time in 2019. He needed the closure. He needed the reminder that he had Walter that night and it was his fault he lost. It wasn’t because Walter was better. Kemp smiles as a feeling of acceptance washes over him. He needed this. He needed to get the bad taste of this cage out of his mouth before Monday night.
Kemp closes the door and taps the door one last time as if to say goodbye before he walks towards the front door. Jenna smiles at him as Kemp walks out as she turns the lights off.
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I have one final thing to say to you Walter. This Sunday has all the storylines you could imagine. Bragging rights. Another chapter in a storied rivalry. A chance to fight for the World Title. A chance to be the Wrestler of the damn Year! All of that means so much and could mean the world to the winner but none of it compares to the real storyline of our match. As much as everyone is going to chant “Fight Forever” at us as we inevitably beat the holy hell out of each other one more time, the real story is about who is better. That’s what it has all been about during this past year.
Throughout this entire thing I have told you that you aren’t as good as you think you are and I continue to stand by that. Why? Because I refuse to believe a guy like you is better than me. I refuse to believe that just because you are bigger, stronger and all of that other shit means you are better than me in that ring because you aren’t. You are not an evolved man. I’ve poked so many holes in that boat that it’s sinking quickly and on Monday I am going to sink the rest of that ship.
You aren’t better than me Walter. Not by a longshot. The reality is that I’m better than you. I always have been and I always will be. I won’t let you pull one over this time. I’m going to lock in that choke. I’m going to beat you in the middle of that ring. I’m going to make you watch me wrestle in the finals while you are at home, wondering where it all went wrong. Do you know why? I know that I don’t say this anymore but I’ll make an exception just for you Walter. It’s because I’m Kyle Kemp and I’m better than you!
With every passing punch he gets more and more nervous. He has done his part. He just needs one man to do his. The nerves cause Kemp to shake and the anticipation makes his heart rate skyrocket. All he wants is one more chance. One more shot. He wants it almost more than he wants to win this tournament. He knows that beating Walter would be the perfect cap on a great year.
As the match reaches the climax Kemp can sense what’s coming. He has seen it in their past battles. Walter has another gear that just catches up to you if you’re not ready and when he hits the sit out chokeslam, well he knows it’s almost over. He is smiling but his eyes bulge when Corey Black kicks out. They don’t bulge out of surprise. They bulge because of fear. “Oh no Corey…..”
Kemp has kicked out plenty of times against Walter and he seems to never get frustrated. He just gets angrier. Sure enough he picks up Corey Black and hits the Culling. Kemp knows it’s over. Walter get the three count and then just stares into the camera. Some might think that he’s looking like some kind of creepy sociopath but Kemp knows better. Walter is staring at him.
“That’s right you dumb son of a bitch. It’s me.” Kemp stares at the TV like he’s directly in front of Walter having a stare down. Kemp smiles. He knows he’s in Walters head. That last moment with no celebrating and just staring let’s Kemp know that Walter knows what’s coming. He knows that a match with Kemp is going to take everything out of him. He knows that Kemp is the one person that can beat him. He walks out of the room as we fade away.
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It is the next morning and Kemp is sitting in a chair in his hotel room. He’s staring at his laptop, unsure of what to write for his next journal entry. No idea what exactly to say. He’s supposed to work out his insecurities and his relationship problems in these journal entries but today he’s got nothing. He just can’t put into words how much this week means to him. How much he wants to beat Walter. His thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. His head perks up. He knows who it is.
He walks over to the door and opens it. Jenna Bauer stands there and has a serious look on her face. “Hey Jenna.”
“Hey Kyle. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kemp takes a breath. “Yeah. I need to see it.”
Jenna nods. “Ok….well follow me.”
Kemp flips off the lights and they walk away.
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No fear. Remember those dumb shirts that every guy wore in the 90s? They were all the rage and guys like to say that they weren’t afraid of anything. The reality was they were scared. They were scared of being perceived as a wimp or as they would say a “pussy.” They had to be as masculine as possible. This was the same era was where you were considered a bitch if you hugged your mom in public. All of these guys were truly fearful of everything. I say this because when I say that I have no fear facing Walter, I expect all of you to say the same about me.
I’m sure there are plenty of critics who will say my lone victory over Walter was a fluke. An occurrence based on Walter not taking me seriously. In fact I expect all of you to say that but there’s one inexplicable fact you can’t take from me. I and I alone out of the top guys in this company can say I’ve beaten Walter. Can Dandy say he’s beaten Walter? Lissie Hope? FPV? No. None of them can. Only me. That’s why I have no fear facing Walter.
The difference in this match lies right there. I don’t fear you and you fear me. Isn’t that right Walter? Every time you try to tell yourself you’re the “Monster” you remember that there’s one man that has stood up to the monster and you can’t escape him. You can’t escape me. I’m right here….again.
Again. Every time we think that it’s over fate brings us together Walter and this tournament was fate at it’s finest. On the top of the bracket was me and you were on the bottom. I bet you noticed that right away but you figured that I would be eliminated pretty quickly. You thought I’d get stopped by Roger Payton Jr. who took you to the brink. If I survived that I’d get crushed by Ryan Lockhart in the second round. That’s what you kept telling yourself, hoping you wouldn’t have to see me again. Then things began to play out. You saw me crush Payton. You saw Lockhart fall and saw me snuff out the Cinderella story of Ryan Elias. You saw all of that right before you went out for your match with Corey Black and you knew that you had a problem on your hands. A familiar problem.
When you stood up after your match last week you stared into that camera and I knew you were staring at me. Your thoughts immediately turned to me. Check that. They were already on me. You and I both knew you would destroy Corey Black. I was sure of it. You were sure of it. The only thing you aren’t sure about is if you can beat me. Talk about beating me at Execution and Uprising all you want. Carnage is still fresh in your mind. The fading of the crowd noise. The dimming of the lights. The blur of everything fading away as you went to sleep in my arms. You can feel it all and it scares you. I scare you.
Last time we faced off you said that I was a slave. A slave to the front office, expectations and the people. I laughed when I heard that. I may be a slave to these things but you’re a slave to me. I own you Walter. I may not beat you every time in the ring but I own your thoughts. Not a day goes by where you don’t think about me. Whether it’s laying down at home, training or wrestling others, You always think about that day I choked you out.
You say that you use it to make sure it doesn’t happen again but in every match we’ve had I’ve sunk in that choke. You can be damn sure I’m going to do it again. You can’t muscle out every time. You can’t get lucky and escape every time. You will get choked out by me again and this week is that time.
When you stared into that camera after the match you were trying to send a message. A message that makes me laugh. You can’t intimidate me. That’s what happens when the mystique is gone. That’s what happens when you’ve been beaten. Your message falls on deaf ears. However I’ve got a message of my own. I’ve got No Fear! Kyle Kemp is not scared of Walter. Walter is scared of Kyle Kemp!
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Jenna Bauer and Kemp are now in the car and are driving somewhere but we haven’t figured out where yet. Jenna is driving and Kemp is looking out of the window, running through the various scenarios that could play out in the match through his head. There’s so many. When you’ve fought someone as many times as these two have then you need to be ready for anything. Kemps thoughts are suddenly interrupted by Jenna. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Kemp doesn’t look at Jenna but continues to look out the window. “I just have to do it.”
“But why? You’re getting what you want. You’re getting a shot at Walter. Why bring up the past?”
“You’ve got to look at your past to move on to the future.”
“That sounds like something you hear in a bad movie.”
Kemp snickers. “That may be true but I don’t know. It just seems like something I’ve got to do.”
Jenna continues to drive and doesn’t say anything. She can feel the weight of the moment bringing Kemp down. She knows how important this must really be to him.
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Over the past couple of months I’ve done so much. I’ve grinded through WrestleSeason. I beat Corey Bull. I went punch for punch with Corey Black. I won the Trios Tournament. I worked my ass off to reach the semifinals of this tournament. I’ve continued to be the fighting face of this company as darkness has taken over. I have been the light as monsters, psychos, conceited douchebags and all of the other evils have taken over. I have literally traveled around the world doing all of that and yet I’m still in the same place that I was when I stepped into that damn cage at Execution.
I’m not saying I’ve been spinning my wheels since then but every time I take a step forward I can feel my body falling backwards. Backwards as I think about that night in that cage. Backwards not because I lost to you Walter but because I know I lost because of a stupid fluke occurence. I could crash into that cage like I did at the end 100 times and only one time would I get trapped perfectly with you right behind me to put in that choke with me perfectly trapped. I know it and you know it. I had you on the ropes. I saw your eyes as I kicked out of that chokeslam in the middle of the ring. You couldn’t believe it. Not only could you not believe it but you didn’t know what to do.
It was me that handed you one mistake and you ran with it. You locked in that choke and while I was passing out I could feel the relief in your arms. You knew that I was going to win and I had given you a second chance. A second chance to keep that title. A second chance to be the monster. You got all of that from me but what did you do with it? I’ll tell you what you did. You did absolutely nothing. You pissed on that title and you pissed on all of the fans. Before that match you said I wasn’t worthy to be United States Champion. You said that I was wrong with America. What a joke.
You only defended that title once after that match. Once. And do you know what’s hilarious? It was more important that you sleep with Roger Payton Jr’s sister than be the champion. You claim to be an evolved man but the truth is that when a pair of tits are flashed in your face you are just like any other guy. You’ll do whatever it takes to get laid. Am I wrong Walter? I mean all you did was put Roger Payton Jr. in the hospital. I may have beaten him in the first round of this tournament and retired him but we both know you are the one that broke him before he faced me. You did that. You thought that doing all of that would make her fall more in love with you but I don’t see her on your arm right now. I see her playing more games with you. I see her leading you around like you’re a dog on a leash. You aren’t evolved. You are just like everyone else.
And that’s what makes you unworthy to be United States Champion. That’s why you had the title stripped. It wasn’t because you were hurting people or you were staring into the camera like a sociopath. It was because you weren’t fit to be United States Champion. It’s because management realized you aren’t as evolved as you claimed to be. The truth is that you are what’s wrong with America. Not me. I’m what’s right with not only America but in professional wrestling itself.
I don’t complain when guys like you get all of the shots. I don’t complain when I’m left off the card so a couple “hot” girls can have a cheap segment to boost ratings. I don’t complain when I take a loss. What I do is fight and I continue to fight until the last breath leaves these lungs. Not only do I fight but I make my own path rather than the one given to me. Do you think management thought I would make it this far Walter? I don’t. I bet they wanted this to be the big matchup between Ryan Lockhart and Walter. They wanted this to be what they thought was a war between two of their best. Instead I’m the one that stepped up! I’m the one that brought it at the beginning of this tournament and I’m the one that’s going to beat you and go on to the finals. Why? Because I’m worthy and I prove it every day. You just prove every day that you are not.
After I’m done with you we are going to be left with nothing. No United States Title. No World Title. No Wrestler of the Year. No girlfriend because she won’t want to love a loser. You’ll have nothing and I’m finally going to prove that good guys finish first. Understand this Walter. Your run ends here. You’re about to end in the one place that you have always feared to be. All alone.
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Jenna and Kemp finally arrive at their destination and you wouldn’t think twice when seeing the building. The building is just a warehouse you wouldn’t think twice about passing as you drove by. You’d never expect their to be anything worth a damn inside. Kemp follows as Jenna walks up to the door with her keys. He is nervous. He can feel his heart beating quickly as he knows what is inside. Everything he wants to see. Everything he needs to see. All he needs is for her to open the door.
She finally gets the door open and Kemp walks inside as she holds the door open. All we see is darkness and he stares ahead. Jenna walks over and Kemp hears her flip the light switch on. A giant thud is heard as the rows of lights turn on one at a time until the entire warehouse is fully lit. Kemp looks around and smiles at the site. It’s the Action Wrestling storage warehouse where all of the different sets and equipment are held while they are not needed. Kemp starts to walk down the aisle and as he walks he sees various memories from the last year. The banner from Revolution II: War Games is on his left. “Remember that?” He asks Jenna as he passes it.
“How could I forget? #FightSmart and #BeachKrew. Two dominant factions. Plus you had Torture on your team!”
“Yep. How far we’ve come since then. God that was the beginning of the change for me. That was when I really felt the need to change.”
“We all saw it but I’m not gonna lie. None of us thought it was gonna last.”
“Really?”
Jenna laughs. “Oh no. I had it pegged that you’d spit in a fans face by St. Patricks day at that point.”
Kemp smiles. “Wow didn’t even give me two months.”
“Nope.”
They keep walking and Kemp smiles as he passes the Battlefield II banner and the ring apron from Evolution II. Two nights that he and Spencer Adams will remember forever. Two nights that cemented to the fans that he wasn’t just blowing smoke up their asses. He had really turned over a new leaf. He stops as he gets to a pile of posters that are scattered on a table. He picks one up and looks at it for a second before handing it over to Jenna. It’s a poster for Glory. “God remember this?”
“Oh yeah. I remember thinking how much of a risk it was to go all out for a Fourth of July event. I wasn’t sure on the ratings. I remember that and the United States Title Tournament of course. I was so unsure of that title scene. We had just gone through Dandy and Kidsgrove for so long and we all weren’t sure who was going to be able to pick things up after they got hurt.”
Kemp smiles. “You saw that but I saw an opportunity. I had been hanging out in the midcard, waiting for a chance to shoot up the card and that was my ticket. That’s what I needed! I went into that tournament and got a wake up call. I thought I could be a little less serious and that’s why I did that barbecue segment. I thought getting people to laugh more would make me seem more relatable. Instead it just came off as lame.”
“Your words, not mine.”
“Well it’s true and I may have beaten Kennedy Matthews that night but I also got my first taste of fighting Walter.”
“What did you think at that time?”
“I thought he was a monster.” Kemp laughs. “But the reality was that I saw he was beatable. I had a couple close falls in that match which is more than what some other people could say at that time and I knew if I faced him down the road I could beat him.”
“You can say that after you’ve beaten him but did you really believe that?”
“I did! I may treat people right now but I still have some of that cockiness. I can beat anyone but after that match I was sure that I could beat Walter.”
They keep walking until Kemp stops. There are two banners next to each other. Carnage and Uprising. “Talk about two different stories right there. On one hand is the best night of my life and on the other is the worst. I'll never forget that night at Carnage. Holding that title for the first time. Really feeling like I had made it. Hugging Chris Avery never felt so good."
“It was amazing but can you really call Uprising the worst? You gave it everything you had.”
“Yeah but I left a lot on the table. I should have won. It should have never gotten to Execution. I should have ended this rivalry right then and there.”
“But you didn’t…..”
“No I didn’t and that brings us too.” Kemp stops and stares at the set in front of him. In front of him is the Execution Cage. He stares at it and the memories of a war between him.
“Have you….”
Jenna is cut off with Kemp putting up his hand. “Can you give me a minute?”
She nods. “I’ll wait for you by the front door.”
Kemp nods at her and Kemp stares at the cage. It’s set up in the corner of the warehouse and he just continues to stare at it. Obviously there is no ring under it but the cage itself is set up. Kemp walks up to the door and opens it. He walks inside and sits down in the middle. He looks around and can feel his heartbeat start to race. The memories of the match begin to hit him just like they do at home.
He has thought about this match every day since it happened and he can tell you what happened at every turn. He stares at the side of the cage that Walter tossed him into after he missed the punt. His eyes turn to the corner where Walter hit that back suplex off the top rope. He smiles as he remembers throwing Walter into the different sides of the cage. Finally he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. This spot is where he had him. Right here in the middle is where he had Walter with the rear naked choke.
Kemp stands up and opens his eyes. This is where the mistake happened. Kemp should have never let go. He should have never went for the punt. He should have just choked him out. He got cocky. He wanted to prove that he could beat Walter without choking him out. It was the ultimate mistake. He glances over to the corner where Walter finished him off and he grimaces.
Kemp walks to the door to the cage and takes a look back. He needed to see it one last time before he went to fight Walter for the final time in 2019. He needed the closure. He needed the reminder that he had Walter that night and it was his fault he lost. It wasn’t because Walter was better. Kemp smiles as a feeling of acceptance washes over him. He needed this. He needed to get the bad taste of this cage out of his mouth before Monday night.
Kemp closes the door and taps the door one last time as if to say goodbye before he walks towards the front door. Jenna smiles at him as Kemp walks out as she turns the lights off.
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I have one final thing to say to you Walter. This Sunday has all the storylines you could imagine. Bragging rights. Another chapter in a storied rivalry. A chance to fight for the World Title. A chance to be the Wrestler of the damn Year! All of that means so much and could mean the world to the winner but none of it compares to the real storyline of our match. As much as everyone is going to chant “Fight Forever” at us as we inevitably beat the holy hell out of each other one more time, the real story is about who is better. That’s what it has all been about during this past year.
Throughout this entire thing I have told you that you aren’t as good as you think you are and I continue to stand by that. Why? Because I refuse to believe a guy like you is better than me. I refuse to believe that just because you are bigger, stronger and all of that other shit means you are better than me in that ring because you aren’t. You are not an evolved man. I’ve poked so many holes in that boat that it’s sinking quickly and on Monday I am going to sink the rest of that ship.
You aren’t better than me Walter. Not by a longshot. The reality is that I’m better than you. I always have been and I always will be. I won’t let you pull one over this time. I’m going to lock in that choke. I’m going to beat you in the middle of that ring. I’m going to make you watch me wrestle in the finals while you are at home, wondering where it all went wrong. Do you know why? I know that I don’t say this anymore but I’ll make an exception just for you Walter. It’s because I’m Kyle Kemp and I’m better than you!