You Wanted This
Nov 23, 2020 9:43:48 GMT -5
Jordan, “The RevolutiDaddy” Wesley, and 2 more like this
Post by Lockhart on Nov 23, 2020 9:43:48 GMT -5
‘Where do you think I went wrong?’
Back in the World of Dreams, Lockhart wandered aimlessly. Here, there was no outside noise, no distractions. Only introspection. Only the walls and mirrors that reflected one’s words back to them. Though he felt sand beneath his feat and could almost imagine the sounds of the waves crashing upon one another in a heap, the only thing he could pay attention to was the man walking beside him, cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth while he walked, both hands in his pockets. Even in this casual appearance, the mere presence of Wade Moor was enough to make lesser men choke up in anxiety, despair, or a mixture of the two. The frayed ends of Lockhart’s mind managed though, as he stared at his friend.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’
‘I wouldn’t be asking you if it was.’
Wade chuckled.
‘You don’t have any goals.’
It was Ryan’s turn to laugh now.
‘You’re not being serious.’
‘Deadly.’
Ryan went silent, his feet slowing beneath him. Although he tried to keep up, he found himself now trailing behind Wade, who carried forward with no hindrance.
‘There were three things you wanted out of your career, Ryan.’
Wade turned around, his eyes burning a hole through Ryan, who dropped to a knee, now sweating and breathing heavily.
‘Become World Champion. You managed that soon enough.’
He paused, letting each word sink in.
‘Defeat Joseph Malignaggi.’
He now looked at him with something resembling pity.
‘And defeat me. You were never given a fair chance when you were at your best, and I’m sorry for that, my friend.’
Ryan felt himself sinking into the sand beneath him, which felt cold and damp. Deeper and deeper he went.
‘There’s still more work to be done.’
‘Perhaps. But it is no longer your place.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘You don’t need to. Just rest here, with the rest of us.’
A decrepit scene. Scratched floors and stained walls. A lone wooden chair which creaked as Ryan rocked in it. Rusted weapons, shields, and a Corinthian helmet scattered on the ground beneath him. He offered up little in the way of words to begin, instead opting for a sad smile.
Eventually he spoke, while leaning forward in the chair, elbows on both knees.
‘I suppose it’s fitting that the four of us will find ourselves standing in a ring together at Turmoil, given what has transpired recently. Four men who aren’t currently where they truly want to be, but four men who will still have to put on a brave face and pretend they’re content fighting for belts that they secretly or not-so-secretly believe they’re above in terms of stature.
‘At least, that’s what I’m being told now. For every other man to walk these halls, a loss is par for the course. It is expected to come eventually. Even those who excel or are deemed as top tier talent boast records that paled in comparison to my own. But yet here I stand before you, two losses in almost as many months. An occurrence that not too long ago would have been deemed as impossible.
‘I suppose even Achilles can be brought down if you find his weak point.
‘The question now being asked of you, Following… is can you see it? How many eyes that have laid upon me can see through what was once deemed an impenetrable, indomitable defense? Why does my name no longer carry the weight it once did? Why do my footsteps no longer cause rats to scurry and cretins to hide in fear? Why am I associated as mere name value and not as the man who will bring the World Title back into prosperity, like I was meant to be when I made my return to Action Wrestling?
‘I suppose I am offering you these questions because, well… you two should have quite an extensive set of similar questions that you’ve been asking yourselves for a while now, have you not? Kyle Kemp, the hired hand. The mercenary. The man who spent years being recruited and used by others. The man who thought himself better, but a viewpoint never acknowledged by anyone but himself. A sad existence beat out only by the depressing lack of true achievements. Hollow Trios Cups, People’s Titles and being the second fiddle of Tag-Team Title reigns, but never the real focus of attention. Never what he wanted to be.
‘And Dandy, the fallen one. You knew the risk you ran by stepping in the ring with me under conditions that befitted someone of my ability… and yet you still did. And as some may have predicted… you couldn’t handle the results. The man who was passed the torch in 2019 became a pile of bone and ash the moment it was used to set fire to him in 2020. While I find myself questioning whether I am still the same man I was at the peak of my abilities, it pales in comparison to the soul searching and nut-hugging you’ve resorted to in the last couple of months.
‘It’s fitting the two of you lonely, poor husks that can’t even be referred to as acceptable human beings have found each other. I’d say the same for Wesley, but it turns out he actually has more stomach than the two of you put together, surprisingly. Perhaps you two will still have something to celebrate when you’re sent home empty handed. If you’re lucky, good Wesley may just let you kiss the Wrestler of the Year Trophy.’
He grinned, although it lacked his usual flair.
‘The whole idea of The Following is too basic. Too vague. Self-improvement is such an overused phrase in this business. The amount of men and women who have vowed to be better after failure, or after strings of failure, is too much for me to ever believe that someone as delusional as Kyle Kemp could become the messiah of supposed “lesser men” and help guide them to a future that, quite frankly, doesn’t exist.
‘You are what you are, and that’s what you will be. You can fine tune it. You can train harder. You can watch film. But there is no man alive that can preach to you about constant “improvement” that will actually give you what you desire. How many self-help books get published yearly that unhappy men and women fall back to, hoping that they will give them the answers to problems that may or may not exist, that may or may not actually be the reason they feel they are struggling?
‘This is the equivalent. Useless masturbation designed for short-term enjoyment while providing no long-term benefits or solutions. It works for a little while. Dandy DiVito scrapes by with a few wins that, a few months ago, he may have lost by one or two inches. Wesley finds himself just one match away from taking away the biggest honor 2020 can offer. And Kyle Kemp was behind it all! Such an inspiring figure.
‘Then the shine wears off. Perhaps Wesley doesn’t win Wrestler of the Year. Maybe, just maybe… Dandy doesn’t get his first taste of gold in many months at Turmoil. Kyle tells them it’s fine. They just need to believe in the improvement. This illusion that is always just out of arm's reach, floating before them. They can see it, but it is not actually tangible. It is not something they’ll ever be capable of achieving.
‘But they carry on. Kemp assures them that it is all part of the process, a process that must be trusted and adhered to. A process that must be followed that will one day lead them back onto the paths of greatness. Yeah, the 76ers already tried that, and yet they’re still fumbling around with two potential generational talents who are handicapping themselves by being involved in such a third-tier organization. Wow, it’s even more fitting than I originally thought.
‘That’s when it all falls to pieces. You don’t find yourselves striking gold again. In fact, you feel as though you’re regressing. What you thought would reinvigorate your careers only seems to be bringing you even further below what you thought was your rock bottom.
‘Then they look to you, Kyle… and what do you tell them?
‘Nothing of value, of course. No. Because once your facade is broken and the walls are breached, you’re left with nothing. This one-dimensional paradise you’ve crafted to suit the needs of your damaged clientele will fade faster than your World Title aspirations did while you were serving under Spence.
‘That’s when you’ll do what you’re actually good at. You’ll run like the coward you are. When the lights shine too bright, when the sun burns too hot, and when the expectations grow too much for you to handle, you become but a boy who cannot handle the responsibilities that are thrust upon him.
‘There’s a reason you’ve always done your best work in the backup role. You were a lethal acquisition under Jared Holmes and John Rabid, two men who could mould you into their image and cover up your weaknesses. They allowed you to shine in a federation where you would have fallen to the wayside as a forgotten soldier if you remained on your own.
‘Spencer did much the same. He didn’t need a superstar next to him. He just needed a second option. Someone to offload the pressures that he, as a true leader, didn’t need to bother with. You weren’t a project being worked upon like Lincoln Kuechly. You weren’t a true threat to the World Title like Spencer.
‘No, you were just the middle-man. A small bit of name recognition needed to build a stable centred around Spencer and a new wave of talent.
‘Under the guise of improvement and equality, you attempt the same thing. Except now you take two men far beyond your abilities and use them to elevate your own stature. You tried the same with Odin. Your attempts are pitiful. Your words are meaningless. Your message deserves to be lost in the void and forgotten about for eternity. Yet here you still stand, a challenger to myself and Spencer. You see the glitter of gold and you step forth, hoping to break this stigma that surrounds you, these chains that threaten to break what remains of your journeyman’s legacy.’
He spreads his arms now, beckoning forward with both hands.
‘Well come then. I stare you in the eye and I accept your challenge. Two men ravaged by a world that has left them behind, caught out at sea in severe storms which threaten to drown them, now cling to one another as their last grasp at relevancy. Don’t make me laugh. The fact I’ve even come close to falling down the same path the two of you have is enough to make me vomit. The fact I’m reduced to entertaining the two of you in a non main-event is just as worse.
‘I will show you that in this life, there are no mistakes. And there is no get rich quick scheme that will bring you back into prosperity. The choices you’ve made have led you into this moment, where I show you that no amount of improvement, no amount of reading, listening, praying or believing, will give you the tools that you need to emerge victorious against me at Turmoil.
‘You don’t have to like me. You don’t have to thank me. You just need to accept the truth. For the both of you? There is no escape.
‘Only failure.’
Back in the World of Dreams, Lockhart wandered aimlessly. Here, there was no outside noise, no distractions. Only introspection. Only the walls and mirrors that reflected one’s words back to them. Though he felt sand beneath his feat and could almost imagine the sounds of the waves crashing upon one another in a heap, the only thing he could pay attention to was the man walking beside him, cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth while he walked, both hands in his pockets. Even in this casual appearance, the mere presence of Wade Moor was enough to make lesser men choke up in anxiety, despair, or a mixture of the two. The frayed ends of Lockhart’s mind managed though, as he stared at his friend.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’
‘I wouldn’t be asking you if it was.’
Wade chuckled.
‘You don’t have any goals.’
It was Ryan’s turn to laugh now.
‘You’re not being serious.’
‘Deadly.’
Ryan went silent, his feet slowing beneath him. Although he tried to keep up, he found himself now trailing behind Wade, who carried forward with no hindrance.
‘There were three things you wanted out of your career, Ryan.’
Wade turned around, his eyes burning a hole through Ryan, who dropped to a knee, now sweating and breathing heavily.
‘Become World Champion. You managed that soon enough.’
He paused, letting each word sink in.
‘Defeat Joseph Malignaggi.’
He now looked at him with something resembling pity.
‘And defeat me. You were never given a fair chance when you were at your best, and I’m sorry for that, my friend.’
Ryan felt himself sinking into the sand beneath him, which felt cold and damp. Deeper and deeper he went.
‘There’s still more work to be done.’
‘Perhaps. But it is no longer your place.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘You don’t need to. Just rest here, with the rest of us.’
A decrepit scene. Scratched floors and stained walls. A lone wooden chair which creaked as Ryan rocked in it. Rusted weapons, shields, and a Corinthian helmet scattered on the ground beneath him. He offered up little in the way of words to begin, instead opting for a sad smile.
Eventually he spoke, while leaning forward in the chair, elbows on both knees.
‘I suppose it’s fitting that the four of us will find ourselves standing in a ring together at Turmoil, given what has transpired recently. Four men who aren’t currently where they truly want to be, but four men who will still have to put on a brave face and pretend they’re content fighting for belts that they secretly or not-so-secretly believe they’re above in terms of stature.
‘At least, that’s what I’m being told now. For every other man to walk these halls, a loss is par for the course. It is expected to come eventually. Even those who excel or are deemed as top tier talent boast records that paled in comparison to my own. But yet here I stand before you, two losses in almost as many months. An occurrence that not too long ago would have been deemed as impossible.
‘I suppose even Achilles can be brought down if you find his weak point.
‘The question now being asked of you, Following… is can you see it? How many eyes that have laid upon me can see through what was once deemed an impenetrable, indomitable defense? Why does my name no longer carry the weight it once did? Why do my footsteps no longer cause rats to scurry and cretins to hide in fear? Why am I associated as mere name value and not as the man who will bring the World Title back into prosperity, like I was meant to be when I made my return to Action Wrestling?
‘I suppose I am offering you these questions because, well… you two should have quite an extensive set of similar questions that you’ve been asking yourselves for a while now, have you not? Kyle Kemp, the hired hand. The mercenary. The man who spent years being recruited and used by others. The man who thought himself better, but a viewpoint never acknowledged by anyone but himself. A sad existence beat out only by the depressing lack of true achievements. Hollow Trios Cups, People’s Titles and being the second fiddle of Tag-Team Title reigns, but never the real focus of attention. Never what he wanted to be.
‘And Dandy, the fallen one. You knew the risk you ran by stepping in the ring with me under conditions that befitted someone of my ability… and yet you still did. And as some may have predicted… you couldn’t handle the results. The man who was passed the torch in 2019 became a pile of bone and ash the moment it was used to set fire to him in 2020. While I find myself questioning whether I am still the same man I was at the peak of my abilities, it pales in comparison to the soul searching and nut-hugging you’ve resorted to in the last couple of months.
‘It’s fitting the two of you lonely, poor husks that can’t even be referred to as acceptable human beings have found each other. I’d say the same for Wesley, but it turns out he actually has more stomach than the two of you put together, surprisingly. Perhaps you two will still have something to celebrate when you’re sent home empty handed. If you’re lucky, good Wesley may just let you kiss the Wrestler of the Year Trophy.’
He grinned, although it lacked his usual flair.
‘The whole idea of The Following is too basic. Too vague. Self-improvement is such an overused phrase in this business. The amount of men and women who have vowed to be better after failure, or after strings of failure, is too much for me to ever believe that someone as delusional as Kyle Kemp could become the messiah of supposed “lesser men” and help guide them to a future that, quite frankly, doesn’t exist.
‘You are what you are, and that’s what you will be. You can fine tune it. You can train harder. You can watch film. But there is no man alive that can preach to you about constant “improvement” that will actually give you what you desire. How many self-help books get published yearly that unhappy men and women fall back to, hoping that they will give them the answers to problems that may or may not exist, that may or may not actually be the reason they feel they are struggling?
‘This is the equivalent. Useless masturbation designed for short-term enjoyment while providing no long-term benefits or solutions. It works for a little while. Dandy DiVito scrapes by with a few wins that, a few months ago, he may have lost by one or two inches. Wesley finds himself just one match away from taking away the biggest honor 2020 can offer. And Kyle Kemp was behind it all! Such an inspiring figure.
‘Then the shine wears off. Perhaps Wesley doesn’t win Wrestler of the Year. Maybe, just maybe… Dandy doesn’t get his first taste of gold in many months at Turmoil. Kyle tells them it’s fine. They just need to believe in the improvement. This illusion that is always just out of arm's reach, floating before them. They can see it, but it is not actually tangible. It is not something they’ll ever be capable of achieving.
‘But they carry on. Kemp assures them that it is all part of the process, a process that must be trusted and adhered to. A process that must be followed that will one day lead them back onto the paths of greatness. Yeah, the 76ers already tried that, and yet they’re still fumbling around with two potential generational talents who are handicapping themselves by being involved in such a third-tier organization. Wow, it’s even more fitting than I originally thought.
‘That’s when it all falls to pieces. You don’t find yourselves striking gold again. In fact, you feel as though you’re regressing. What you thought would reinvigorate your careers only seems to be bringing you even further below what you thought was your rock bottom.
‘Then they look to you, Kyle… and what do you tell them?
‘Nothing of value, of course. No. Because once your facade is broken and the walls are breached, you’re left with nothing. This one-dimensional paradise you’ve crafted to suit the needs of your damaged clientele will fade faster than your World Title aspirations did while you were serving under Spence.
‘That’s when you’ll do what you’re actually good at. You’ll run like the coward you are. When the lights shine too bright, when the sun burns too hot, and when the expectations grow too much for you to handle, you become but a boy who cannot handle the responsibilities that are thrust upon him.
‘There’s a reason you’ve always done your best work in the backup role. You were a lethal acquisition under Jared Holmes and John Rabid, two men who could mould you into their image and cover up your weaknesses. They allowed you to shine in a federation where you would have fallen to the wayside as a forgotten soldier if you remained on your own.
‘Spencer did much the same. He didn’t need a superstar next to him. He just needed a second option. Someone to offload the pressures that he, as a true leader, didn’t need to bother with. You weren’t a project being worked upon like Lincoln Kuechly. You weren’t a true threat to the World Title like Spencer.
‘No, you were just the middle-man. A small bit of name recognition needed to build a stable centred around Spencer and a new wave of talent.
‘Under the guise of improvement and equality, you attempt the same thing. Except now you take two men far beyond your abilities and use them to elevate your own stature. You tried the same with Odin. Your attempts are pitiful. Your words are meaningless. Your message deserves to be lost in the void and forgotten about for eternity. Yet here you still stand, a challenger to myself and Spencer. You see the glitter of gold and you step forth, hoping to break this stigma that surrounds you, these chains that threaten to break what remains of your journeyman’s legacy.’
He spreads his arms now, beckoning forward with both hands.
‘Well come then. I stare you in the eye and I accept your challenge. Two men ravaged by a world that has left them behind, caught out at sea in severe storms which threaten to drown them, now cling to one another as their last grasp at relevancy. Don’t make me laugh. The fact I’ve even come close to falling down the same path the two of you have is enough to make me vomit. The fact I’m reduced to entertaining the two of you in a non main-event is just as worse.
‘I will show you that in this life, there are no mistakes. And there is no get rich quick scheme that will bring you back into prosperity. The choices you’ve made have led you into this moment, where I show you that no amount of improvement, no amount of reading, listening, praying or believing, will give you the tools that you need to emerge victorious against me at Turmoil.
‘You don’t have to like me. You don’t have to thank me. You just need to accept the truth. For the both of you? There is no escape.
‘Only failure.’