[Baker] Twice The Pride...
Apr 14, 2020 9:00:43 GMT -5
Dandy DiVito, James Nightingale, and 3 more like this
Post by Graham Baker on Apr 14, 2020 9:00:43 GMT -5
When we enter on Graham Baker, he looks defeated. He slumps against a wall backstage, holding an icepack to his head as Jenna Bauer approaches him from the left. Baker tries to put a smile on and rise to his feet, supporting himself on the wall.
"Graham, I know you aren't in the best of spirits right now," Bauer begins, a slightly-sad look upon her face, "but can you spare a few words about what happened tonight in your Television Championship match?" She gives Baker a moment as he adjusts the ice pack.
"I mean, what more is there to say than what's already known?" Baker shrugs. "I'd climbed the fuckin' mountain, I called out Carnivore after he'd earned the shot. Dream, he's a guy I've beaten before. He's a guy I thought didn't deserve the championship around my waist. He didn't struggle to the top like I did, he didn't have to face insurmountable odds to get where he got. He didn't have to run through a gauntlet of embarrassment, failing in his first challenge on the main roster, failing on the biggest stage time after time before he took hold of an opportunity like a dog and didn't let it slip 'til he had it. Tonight, Carnivore proved he could have been the better man, but he let it slip and let himself win that championship through what he considers honorable means." Baker scoffs. "Honorable. He can blow it out his fuckin' ass."
Bauer nods. "I understand it must be frustrating to lose like that-"
"Frustrating?" Baker leans toward the microphone. "It's beyond frustrating. It's beyond maddening. I finally grab the brass ring. Two weeks ago, I main evented Clash to end Grayson Ward's reign. Two weeks ago, I was at the top of the mountain. My momentum was unstoppable. I was on fucking fire. Now, that fire's been snuffed out. Now, that flame's been extinguished. I've hit a harder roadblock than ever before. I thought this was a foregone conclusion, but now? Now i'm not really sure what comes next."
Bauer nods again. "You have a chance to reclaim your television championship next week on Monday Night Clash, though-that summit isn't too far away from you now. How are you preparing for your rematch?"
Baker pauses for a moment, thinking. "Well, I'd love to say I've got a gameplan in mind, but to be truthful, Jenna, I don't. I went into my match against Carnivore with a game plan, to pull the meat eater's teeth out, but that didn't quite work, did it?" Baker doesn't give her long to try and answer, before he continues. "I thought I could defang Carnivore and beat him senseless, but that doesn't appear to have worked. It feels, as each day goes on here, that I have something else to contend with. I kick out of the Burning Hammer, and Black drops me with an elbow. I kick out of the Hook, and Wesley drops me with another. I make it into Battlebowl, and Dead and Bull prove me wrong. I finally make it to a man who I can dethrone, I go face to face with Grayson Ward, and his cronies try to steal victory from my jaws. When I defend this championship, I get beaten down, and when I go in for a second defense, honorably, alone, I get dropped by some fucker who had no business interfering in my match before a clown I've disposed of many times before nails me and walks around with my belt around his waist like he earned it.
Carnivore has not earned my belt, Carnivore has not earned his place, every championship match that Carnivore has participated in to this point has ended in failure, and, outside circumstances not-withstanding, this would have been the same. I would have sent him to the unemployment line, ripped that contract up in the ring, ended his Dream, but now, here I stand. No belt around my waist, back where I started, rock-fucking bottom. Tell me, Jenna, what would you do in my shoes?"
Jenna looks at Baker, who's gotten noticeably more angry as he's gone on. She thinks for a moment.
"Well, I suppose it is a harder position than anticipated." She muses. "But I wouldn't give in quite yet."
Baker nods, and looks into the camera.
"You're fucking right I'm not giving up. Keep your eyes open, Carnivore. I'll be talking on our rematch soon."
Baker drops the icepack to the ground as he walks off down the hallway, leaving Bauer on her own to think about the interview she's just had...
"Graham, I know you aren't in the best of spirits right now," Bauer begins, a slightly-sad look upon her face, "but can you spare a few words about what happened tonight in your Television Championship match?" She gives Baker a moment as he adjusts the ice pack.
"I mean, what more is there to say than what's already known?" Baker shrugs. "I'd climbed the fuckin' mountain, I called out Carnivore after he'd earned the shot. Dream, he's a guy I've beaten before. He's a guy I thought didn't deserve the championship around my waist. He didn't struggle to the top like I did, he didn't have to face insurmountable odds to get where he got. He didn't have to run through a gauntlet of embarrassment, failing in his first challenge on the main roster, failing on the biggest stage time after time before he took hold of an opportunity like a dog and didn't let it slip 'til he had it. Tonight, Carnivore proved he could have been the better man, but he let it slip and let himself win that championship through what he considers honorable means." Baker scoffs. "Honorable. He can blow it out his fuckin' ass."
Bauer nods. "I understand it must be frustrating to lose like that-"
"Frustrating?" Baker leans toward the microphone. "It's beyond frustrating. It's beyond maddening. I finally grab the brass ring. Two weeks ago, I main evented Clash to end Grayson Ward's reign. Two weeks ago, I was at the top of the mountain. My momentum was unstoppable. I was on fucking fire. Now, that fire's been snuffed out. Now, that flame's been extinguished. I've hit a harder roadblock than ever before. I thought this was a foregone conclusion, but now? Now i'm not really sure what comes next."
Bauer nods again. "You have a chance to reclaim your television championship next week on Monday Night Clash, though-that summit isn't too far away from you now. How are you preparing for your rematch?"
Baker pauses for a moment, thinking. "Well, I'd love to say I've got a gameplan in mind, but to be truthful, Jenna, I don't. I went into my match against Carnivore with a game plan, to pull the meat eater's teeth out, but that didn't quite work, did it?" Baker doesn't give her long to try and answer, before he continues. "I thought I could defang Carnivore and beat him senseless, but that doesn't appear to have worked. It feels, as each day goes on here, that I have something else to contend with. I kick out of the Burning Hammer, and Black drops me with an elbow. I kick out of the Hook, and Wesley drops me with another. I make it into Battlebowl, and Dead and Bull prove me wrong. I finally make it to a man who I can dethrone, I go face to face with Grayson Ward, and his cronies try to steal victory from my jaws. When I defend this championship, I get beaten down, and when I go in for a second defense, honorably, alone, I get dropped by some fucker who had no business interfering in my match before a clown I've disposed of many times before nails me and walks around with my belt around his waist like he earned it.
Carnivore has not earned my belt, Carnivore has not earned his place, every championship match that Carnivore has participated in to this point has ended in failure, and, outside circumstances not-withstanding, this would have been the same. I would have sent him to the unemployment line, ripped that contract up in the ring, ended his Dream, but now, here I stand. No belt around my waist, back where I started, rock-fucking bottom. Tell me, Jenna, what would you do in my shoes?"
Jenna looks at Baker, who's gotten noticeably more angry as he's gone on. She thinks for a moment.
"Well, I suppose it is a harder position than anticipated." She muses. "But I wouldn't give in quite yet."
Baker nods, and looks into the camera.
"You're fucking right I'm not giving up. Keep your eyes open, Carnivore. I'll be talking on our rematch soon."
Baker drops the icepack to the ground as he walks off down the hallway, leaving Bauer on her own to think about the interview she's just had...