Past, Present, Future, Repeat
Feb 14, 2021 21:33:23 GMT -5
Jordan, Lissie Hope, and 1 more like this
Post by Teo Blaze on Feb 14, 2021 21:33:23 GMT -5
“I know what you’re thinking.”
The scene that greets the viewer is one that could only be described as bizarre. Teo is sitting on a wooden bench- it’s not exactly clear where he is, but it looks as though he might be in a local gymnasium or YMCA. Teo is perched one one of the bleachers, dressed in his usual casual outfit, a red and white concession stand box of popcorn in one hand, with the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship around his waist.
“I’ve been in a lot of tag teams in my life, but I don’t think I’ve ever had odds quite as long as this week. If I were a betting man, I’d hold onto my wallet rather than putting a bet on team Blazebeef. But you know what? I could give a damn about odds. And if you could have put a bet on us last week? We just put a lot of money in your pocket.
Can I be honest? Just for a moment? I know it’s redundant since I’ve never been shy about sharing what’s on my mind, but I would like to really talk to those of you who tune me out- and I know you’re out there, don’t blow smoke up my ass.
2020 was a year of a lot of highs and a lot of lows for Teo Blaze. On the one hand I won Cruiserhavoc, won the Cruiserweight Title, King of Clash 100, and was a key player in an era where Cruiserclash elevated itself to become one of the premiere wrestling shows on the planet. And of course I’d be remiss not to mention that we’re on track to becoming the longest reigning Cruiserweight Tag Champions in the history of the company.
But I had to give up a lot to make it happen. I lost friends, I lost matches, I lost that Cruiserweight title, and I even lost the WCF World Championship. The number of my colleagues who have labelled me a failure or a choke artist for those sacrifices is something that I think about every day.
And you know what? It makes me laugh.”
Teo’s eyes wander to the championship that sits around his waist, and he looks at the camera with a warm smile.
“I came into this tournament with one goal and one goal alone, and that was because so long as this title is around my waist? I am a representative of the brand I love. Cruiserclash is more than just a paycheck or a piece of gold, it’s my home. It’s my family. Even Karlie Nash or Kaz Mazy.
People looked at Teo Blaze and Bam Beef and they laughed at us! They said that we would burn out! And we worked together to beat a team with a former AW world champion! Because god damn it, he may want to kick my ass, but when I’m on a team with someone, I will fight with that man until there’s no fight left in us! Because I may have lost a lot in 2020, but I will never lost my honor!
And now we’re up against the Hardcore Champion and the 2020 Wrestler of the year! Screw the odds, this is the kind of opportunity that most people kill for! This is bona fide proof that Cruiserclash can stand in the ring with any man or woman on that roster!! And I am not going waste it! I am going to show you two exactly what you’re sleeping on!!”
Teo smiles, standing up on the bleachers, putting his hand on his chin.
“Spencer Adams, I might know you better than anyone here on this roster. We were Trios Champions back in the People’s choice, fighting Beach Krew...man, sometimes I miss those days.
Of course, that’s not the Spencer Adams I’m up against, is it? We’re not talking about the guy whose jaw I broke with the People’s Title, my best friend in the world, who stood by me through thick and thin. That guy’s long gone.
But I get it. I can’t argue with the results. And as much as I love nostalgia, we’re just different people today.
I miss it, being the scrappy underdog. The guy nobody expects to win but who everyone hopes will pull through. Kind of puts a bit of sunshine in your step, eh?
No, Spence, we’re the cagey veterans. We have the spot that the underdogs want now. We are the establishment, we’re the guys people hope take the fall. It sucks getting old, doesn’t it? We’ve grown more in five years than most people have in a lifetime. But the big difference between us? You have always known the right horse to back. You wanted out of the dub long before I did. I stuck around that sinking ship until there was water in my lungs, while you were here building an empire in the early days of AW. Now look at you. You’ve got a reputation, a list of titles that most men could only dream of, while me? Well, no matter how many wins I get, no matter how high Cruiserclash climbs around me and no matter what I do, people just see me as that old WCF guy.
And I won’t lie, Spence. I kind of wish I had your opportunistic streak.
Part of me wishes I had your acumen, your eye to see when the wheels are falling off, and part of me wishes I knew when to jump ship.
I kind of wish we were still friends.
I miss it.
This new Spencer Adams is cold. Hardened. He has none of the qualities that made us friends in the first place. He’s obsessed with his own success. He is calculating, and he takes what he wants without hesitation or thought for the fallout.
He sold his soul, plain and simple. Oh he’ll tell you otherwise, he’ll tell you that he’s fighting for the people all the same.
But tell me, Spencer, tell me truly. Who are you fighting for? Why have you collected so many championships? What was the point of it all? How has anyone benefited from your rise to prominence, from your grabbing the spotlight at every opportunity...except you? Who are you saving us from, Spencer?”
Teo shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling. As he does, the light shines off the lenses of his glasses, off the gold of his waist. Almost like the sun itself is reflecting in his eyes.
“I am a lot of things Spencer Adams, but I was never a cynic. Even in my darkest points I believed that each of us genuinely has good inside.
But as much as we may want to be good. As much as we say that we’re the hero? At some point we have to acknowledge that heroes know when happily ever after should be the end of the story.
Speaking of…”
Teo’s eyes change from reminiscing to looking directly into the camera, his head almost snapping into place. Though his eyes are covered by red lenses, it is clear he’s staring daggers directly into the screen.
“Howard Black, why the hell are you still here?
Now that’s a rhetorical question on some level, but after a while I genuinely become curious. This is the last one, then I’m retired, I swear this time! No wait, this time I mean it!
You put on this big grand show of Howard Black, legend in his own mind, finally walking down that ramp for the last time. You let everyone know that this is the last time that they will ever get to witness the awe, the spectacle of Howard Black. Like buying a ticket to one of the great Howard Black’s matches is a once in a lifetime experience, like seeing the rolling goddamn stones.
And yet here you still are...like the Rolling Goddamn Stones.
So are you a coward or a con artist? Just let me know so I can make sure that my disgust as accurate as possible. It doesn’t work both ways, Howie, you don’t get to tell the world that you’re going to retire soon, that this is the last one… and then enter a multi-month tournament where the prize is a shot at the World Championship.
You ever hear the phrase “we can’t miss you if you won’t leave?” Well I’m honestly getting to the point of “Can’t miss you at all” because frankly I think you’re going to keep doing this till you’re a skeleton.
Does that hurt your feelings to hear? Oh, should I instead reflect on how great and wonderful the magnanimous Howard Black is, how kind he is to grace us with his presence week in and week out?
Please. If you want someone to stroke your ego, just go look in the damn mirror. I’m going to tell you exactly how I see it.
You can’t retire because you can’t live up to your own expectations. Despite being Wrestler of the Year and United States Champion at the start of 2020, you have quickly lost hold of both, one to Odin Balfore, a man who I eliminated from contention last week.
This tournament, this Battlebowl is just another exercise in frivolity. Because it’s never going to be good enough for you, is it Howard? That’s something that you just can’t look in the mirror and tell yourself. You are so quick, so eager to run down the accomplishments of everyone around you because it’s a distraction. Because if you keep telling yourself that you’re better than everyone, eventually it’ll have to come true.
Do you even know what would be a good enough ending? Let’s say you win Battlebowl, you win Havoc, and you go on to win the World Championship at Evolution. Then you relinquish that belt and ride off into the sunset, right?”
Teo’s glare seems to become even more intense, as though he were looking directly at Howard Black, and trying to force an answer out of thin air.
“It will never be enough, Howard. You will never get the ending that you dream of so much.
It was a mistake to plan your retirement. Go on, admit it. You’ll be happier.
Because you and me? We’re addicted to this. We can’t stop fighting. That’s why you’re now willing to die for someone who a mere month ago you’d be willing to kill.
It will never be good enough. That happy ending you’re envisioning? You don’t get that.
Look at all the people calling me washed up. Look at all the people saying I’m just another WCF guy.
That’s your future, Howard. That’s how it ends up. That’s how it goes. Anyone who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.”
For a moment, Teo’s expression seems to soften, as if his own words are starting to echo in his mind. He stares out at the court, the young men all imagining themselves as the next Lebron James or Michael Jordan, and every one willing to give up anything to achieve it.
“It’s a cruel game we’re playing, Howie. But the sooner you open your eyes to it, the sooner you see what the rules are, what the stakes are?
The sooner you’ll realize that this is bigger than you. Bigger than Spencer, and damned sure bigger than me.
I wish I had your spotlight, Howie, Spencer. I wish I could make people look at me the way they look at you. After this week, I’ll be back on Cruiserclash, doing everything I can to get eyeballs on something that I truly believe in with all my heart.
And you two, you’ll be at each other’s throats fighting for yourselves.
That’s what you believe in.
That’s all you are, and until you’re willing to say it, that’s all you ever will be.”
With that, Teo turns his eyes back to the court, for all he knows watching the next Lebron James or Michael Jordan.
The scene that greets the viewer is one that could only be described as bizarre. Teo is sitting on a wooden bench- it’s not exactly clear where he is, but it looks as though he might be in a local gymnasium or YMCA. Teo is perched one one of the bleachers, dressed in his usual casual outfit, a red and white concession stand box of popcorn in one hand, with the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship around his waist.
“I’ve been in a lot of tag teams in my life, but I don’t think I’ve ever had odds quite as long as this week. If I were a betting man, I’d hold onto my wallet rather than putting a bet on team Blazebeef. But you know what? I could give a damn about odds. And if you could have put a bet on us last week? We just put a lot of money in your pocket.
Can I be honest? Just for a moment? I know it’s redundant since I’ve never been shy about sharing what’s on my mind, but I would like to really talk to those of you who tune me out- and I know you’re out there, don’t blow smoke up my ass.
2020 was a year of a lot of highs and a lot of lows for Teo Blaze. On the one hand I won Cruiserhavoc, won the Cruiserweight Title, King of Clash 100, and was a key player in an era where Cruiserclash elevated itself to become one of the premiere wrestling shows on the planet. And of course I’d be remiss not to mention that we’re on track to becoming the longest reigning Cruiserweight Tag Champions in the history of the company.
But I had to give up a lot to make it happen. I lost friends, I lost matches, I lost that Cruiserweight title, and I even lost the WCF World Championship. The number of my colleagues who have labelled me a failure or a choke artist for those sacrifices is something that I think about every day.
And you know what? It makes me laugh.”
Teo’s eyes wander to the championship that sits around his waist, and he looks at the camera with a warm smile.
“I came into this tournament with one goal and one goal alone, and that was because so long as this title is around my waist? I am a representative of the brand I love. Cruiserclash is more than just a paycheck or a piece of gold, it’s my home. It’s my family. Even Karlie Nash or Kaz Mazy.
People looked at Teo Blaze and Bam Beef and they laughed at us! They said that we would burn out! And we worked together to beat a team with a former AW world champion! Because god damn it, he may want to kick my ass, but when I’m on a team with someone, I will fight with that man until there’s no fight left in us! Because I may have lost a lot in 2020, but I will never lost my honor!
And now we’re up against the Hardcore Champion and the 2020 Wrestler of the year! Screw the odds, this is the kind of opportunity that most people kill for! This is bona fide proof that Cruiserclash can stand in the ring with any man or woman on that roster!! And I am not going waste it! I am going to show you two exactly what you’re sleeping on!!”
Teo smiles, standing up on the bleachers, putting his hand on his chin.
“Spencer Adams, I might know you better than anyone here on this roster. We were Trios Champions back in the People’s choice, fighting Beach Krew...man, sometimes I miss those days.
Of course, that’s not the Spencer Adams I’m up against, is it? We’re not talking about the guy whose jaw I broke with the People’s Title, my best friend in the world, who stood by me through thick and thin. That guy’s long gone.
But I get it. I can’t argue with the results. And as much as I love nostalgia, we’re just different people today.
I miss it, being the scrappy underdog. The guy nobody expects to win but who everyone hopes will pull through. Kind of puts a bit of sunshine in your step, eh?
No, Spence, we’re the cagey veterans. We have the spot that the underdogs want now. We are the establishment, we’re the guys people hope take the fall. It sucks getting old, doesn’t it? We’ve grown more in five years than most people have in a lifetime. But the big difference between us? You have always known the right horse to back. You wanted out of the dub long before I did. I stuck around that sinking ship until there was water in my lungs, while you were here building an empire in the early days of AW. Now look at you. You’ve got a reputation, a list of titles that most men could only dream of, while me? Well, no matter how many wins I get, no matter how high Cruiserclash climbs around me and no matter what I do, people just see me as that old WCF guy.
And I won’t lie, Spence. I kind of wish I had your opportunistic streak.
Part of me wishes I had your acumen, your eye to see when the wheels are falling off, and part of me wishes I knew when to jump ship.
I kind of wish we were still friends.
I miss it.
This new Spencer Adams is cold. Hardened. He has none of the qualities that made us friends in the first place. He’s obsessed with his own success. He is calculating, and he takes what he wants without hesitation or thought for the fallout.
He sold his soul, plain and simple. Oh he’ll tell you otherwise, he’ll tell you that he’s fighting for the people all the same.
But tell me, Spencer, tell me truly. Who are you fighting for? Why have you collected so many championships? What was the point of it all? How has anyone benefited from your rise to prominence, from your grabbing the spotlight at every opportunity...except you? Who are you saving us from, Spencer?”
Teo shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling. As he does, the light shines off the lenses of his glasses, off the gold of his waist. Almost like the sun itself is reflecting in his eyes.
“I am a lot of things Spencer Adams, but I was never a cynic. Even in my darkest points I believed that each of us genuinely has good inside.
But as much as we may want to be good. As much as we say that we’re the hero? At some point we have to acknowledge that heroes know when happily ever after should be the end of the story.
Speaking of…”
Teo’s eyes change from reminiscing to looking directly into the camera, his head almost snapping into place. Though his eyes are covered by red lenses, it is clear he’s staring daggers directly into the screen.
“Howard Black, why the hell are you still here?
Now that’s a rhetorical question on some level, but after a while I genuinely become curious. This is the last one, then I’m retired, I swear this time! No wait, this time I mean it!
You put on this big grand show of Howard Black, legend in his own mind, finally walking down that ramp for the last time. You let everyone know that this is the last time that they will ever get to witness the awe, the spectacle of Howard Black. Like buying a ticket to one of the great Howard Black’s matches is a once in a lifetime experience, like seeing the rolling goddamn stones.
And yet here you still are...like the Rolling Goddamn Stones.
So are you a coward or a con artist? Just let me know so I can make sure that my disgust as accurate as possible. It doesn’t work both ways, Howie, you don’t get to tell the world that you’re going to retire soon, that this is the last one… and then enter a multi-month tournament where the prize is a shot at the World Championship.
You ever hear the phrase “we can’t miss you if you won’t leave?” Well I’m honestly getting to the point of “Can’t miss you at all” because frankly I think you’re going to keep doing this till you’re a skeleton.
Does that hurt your feelings to hear? Oh, should I instead reflect on how great and wonderful the magnanimous Howard Black is, how kind he is to grace us with his presence week in and week out?
Please. If you want someone to stroke your ego, just go look in the damn mirror. I’m going to tell you exactly how I see it.
You can’t retire because you can’t live up to your own expectations. Despite being Wrestler of the Year and United States Champion at the start of 2020, you have quickly lost hold of both, one to Odin Balfore, a man who I eliminated from contention last week.
This tournament, this Battlebowl is just another exercise in frivolity. Because it’s never going to be good enough for you, is it Howard? That’s something that you just can’t look in the mirror and tell yourself. You are so quick, so eager to run down the accomplishments of everyone around you because it’s a distraction. Because if you keep telling yourself that you’re better than everyone, eventually it’ll have to come true.
Do you even know what would be a good enough ending? Let’s say you win Battlebowl, you win Havoc, and you go on to win the World Championship at Evolution. Then you relinquish that belt and ride off into the sunset, right?”
Teo’s glare seems to become even more intense, as though he were looking directly at Howard Black, and trying to force an answer out of thin air.
“It will never be enough, Howard. You will never get the ending that you dream of so much.
It was a mistake to plan your retirement. Go on, admit it. You’ll be happier.
Because you and me? We’re addicted to this. We can’t stop fighting. That’s why you’re now willing to die for someone who a mere month ago you’d be willing to kill.
It will never be good enough. That happy ending you’re envisioning? You don’t get that.
Look at all the people calling me washed up. Look at all the people saying I’m just another WCF guy.
That’s your future, Howard. That’s how it ends up. That’s how it goes. Anyone who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.”
For a moment, Teo’s expression seems to soften, as if his own words are starting to echo in his mind. He stares out at the court, the young men all imagining themselves as the next Lebron James or Michael Jordan, and every one willing to give up anything to achieve it.
“It’s a cruel game we’re playing, Howie. But the sooner you open your eyes to it, the sooner you see what the rules are, what the stakes are?
The sooner you’ll realize that this is bigger than you. Bigger than Spencer, and damned sure bigger than me.
I wish I had your spotlight, Howie, Spencer. I wish I could make people look at me the way they look at you. After this week, I’ll be back on Cruiserclash, doing everything I can to get eyeballs on something that I truly believe in with all my heart.
And you two, you’ll be at each other’s throats fighting for yourselves.
That’s what you believe in.
That’s all you are, and until you’re willing to say it, that’s all you ever will be.”
With that, Teo turns his eyes back to the court, for all he knows watching the next Lebron James or Michael Jordan.