AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[DBrunkGXW]

First round match in the King of the Cage tournament.

This match is also for the EPW Television title. Title can change hands only on pin or submission.

Post all RP here.

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[FADE IN. “The Dragon” is working at a punch-bag, his wrists and hands taped. He’s dressed as you’d expect for someone training alone in a darkened room – T-shirt and tracksuit trousers. After a few seconds, he lets the bag swing to a rest. He turns, picking up a towel which he drapes across his shoulders, and a water bottle which he sips from intermittently as he speaks. At the bottom of the screen, we can just about see the flicker of a TV screen]

Karl: You know, I never tire of moments like this. When I can sit back and think over what’s been happening. Like how at Black Dawn I proved, again, that you should never overestimate your own abilities. Layne and Erik both said they would be walking out with the TV title, but the belt came back to England with me. Was a pain getting it through the airport metal detectors, but – having an indicator of where I am right now is gratifying. Almost as gratifying as knowing that despite what people think of themselves, how they’re unbeatable and hungry, how they think they can run right over me, I’m able to dig down and show them that they’re wrong. That they’re not as good as they thought. And at the same time, prove to myself that I’m better than I was the week before. The first time I won a title in Empire Pro, it was against someone I didn’t even know I was facing until he came out at the start of the match. This time, against two people in a one-fall match. Different challenges that pushed me to my limits, and gave me the chance to move through them.

Which I hope answers one of the questions I’ve been asked in recent days. Why is the newly crowned TV champion risking it in the King of the Cage tournament, where every match is for his title? Well – to tell you the truth, I enjoy the challenge. I’ve never actually had a straight cage match since I debuted over six and a half years ago. I’ve done multi-person matches, I’ve done chain matches, I’ve done all sorts. But a cage match – a straight cage match – is a different affair. It’s a different challenge, mentally and physically. I’d’ve put my name forward even if I wasn’t the TV champion, so why should I not put my name forward because I’ve got the belt?

Am I looking forward to this tournament? Yes. Especially this first match – against Anarky. One of the people who could walk in with just their name, and walk out at the end with three titles, the way things have worked out. That probably wasn’t his reason for entering; from what I’ve heard he just likes hurting people. And he’s good at it. Which makes this match all the more interesting a challenge for me.

You see, Anarky – I have nothing against you. I saw what you did at Black Dawn in your match, and the little altercation with First. I’ve seen your CV. You are a challenge. I want to see exactly what you’ll bring to this match. The arrogance I’ve seen from dozens of opponents over the years? Or something more?

Because let’s face it, Anarky. You won’t manage to intimidate me. You won’t manage to rattle me before the match, and you’ve only got to look at the archives to see what I’m talking about. And I know that it’s pointless to try and rattle you, because you’ve got a mind and are happy to use it. If I underestimate you for a second – you’ll make mine the shortest TV title reign in Empire Pro history.

It’s going to be interesting. I look forward to seeing you in the cage, Anarky. I just hope I’m not overestimating you.

[FADE OUT]

 

[JLevinson]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

(FADEIN to a nearly empty bar. The bartender, an older bald man with a thick white moustache, watches SportsCenter with a bored look on his face. On the right side of the bar, by himself, sits Anarky, a half-full bottle of a Brooklyn Lager in front of him. He takes a swig and winces a little before the camera zooms in and he speaks quietly. The other patrons don’t seem to notice or care.)

ANARKY: “Y’know, you’ve really gotta hand it to Dan Ryan. The guy knows how to make things interesting. Right after we see Stevens manage to escape against three significant challengers, we find ourselves in what appears to be a no-holds barred tournament… in a cage.

“And now everybody’s gotta suddenly crawl out of the woodwork and into the metal for a shot at the Champ…

“You know what it means to me, Karl?”

(He smiles and takes another sip of his beer.)

ANARKY: “Lemme give you an example, Karl. Do you know what happened to the last guy who got into a cage with me? Cause I don’t, and the police are asking a lot of questions about an alleged ‘Larry Tact.’

“I’m just f*cking with you, Karl, I’m sure he’s fine somewhere in a retirement home watching Matlock or some sh*t… being abused by the help like all other retired people, but fine nonetheless…

“Y’know, Karl… I’m glad you’ve seen my CV. Glad you could get the f*cking bullet points of this presentation. It’ll save me a lot of explaining about how your pretty little trinkets mean nothing to me.

“But here’s the thing, Karl… you think you get the idea, you’ve heard about me, you know the gig, you think you understand…

“There’s no understanding, my friend. I’m not here to intimidate you. I’m not trying to make you afraid of me. To be quite honest, Karl, I would quite enjoy it if you came at me with the bravery and vigor of a naïve soldier…

“It’s not a matter of… overestimation… of… what I… bring… to a match. Of what I’m trying to prove.

“I’m not a challenge, Karl. I’m not something you need to prove to yourself. I’m not a notch on your f*cking Title.

“I’m not even right here, right now, drinking this beer, this isn’t me, this is between me, this is just space, this is just the waiting room of life until I am born again in that ring… in that cage.

“In that beautiful cage.”

(He takes another swig and finishes the beer, raising the empty one to the bartender, who brings another. Anarky leans back and sighs before he takes another swig.)

ANARKY: “People say I like to hurt people, but… that’s… only a half-truth, Karl… it’s not really about pain and suffering… though… I do enjoy that part of it, of course.

“But Karl… there is… something… you should know about me.

“It isn’t.. easy… for me… to destroy the dreams of so many men. It wasn’t really my intention from the beginning. I don’t have a grand vision… I take this sh*t a week at a time…

“But the truth is… someone has to do it. The truth is… there is no better place… you are not better every week.. you have proven nothing, and no one here will ever respect you because everyone here is so f*cking full of themselves that they can’t stop patting themselves on the f*cking back or listening to themselves talk for five motherf*cking minutes, so just get that sh*t outta your head right now…

“This place… this place is f*cking purgatory… and I’m here to guide you to your next stop… nowhere. You won’t learn anything. This won’t be a valuable life lesson. You won’t grow.

“But it will f*cking hurt. A lot more than you think. And only you can decide what that’s worth… me… well…

“I’m kinda like a blow job, Karl.. your buddies can tell ya about it, and you can nod your head and listen, but if you haven’t felt it before, it just ain’t the same.

“Oh, and Karl… don’t worry… you always remember your first time.”

(FADEOUT as he smiles and takes a swig of beer.)

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[FADE IN. “The Dragon” is sitting on a rock outcropping overlooking a vast lake. Judging by the light it’s early evening; still bright, but inevitably dimming towards night. Brown is wearing casual clothes – khaki trousers, a pair of brown trainers, and a mauve polo shirt. His eyes seem at the same time fixed on a distant point, and not looking at anything at all]

Karl: Look out there and you experience something wonderful. Or, I think it’s something wonderful. Not the scenery – I think it’s gorgeous but someone else might think it’s droll or worse. No, what you experience, looking out across… anywhere, really, is how different people experience everything differently. A place like this, for some, might hold mystic significance. Others might see it as somewhere to pass through on the way to somewhere else. A property developer might see it as a potential block of flats if you drain it. Me, I see it as somewhere pleasant to pass the time. I wonder how you experience it.

It’s the same with life – and forgive me this little tangent, there is some wrestling relevance coming up. No two people experience life the same. No two people hear something the exact same way, and no two people have the exact same hopes and ambitions.

Take Anarky and I. He thinks I won’t be able to take anything from this match. That I won’t learn anything. I see this match as another part of my career. Not a major part, it’s just another match, but there isn’t a match so bad that some merit can’t be drawn from it. Yes, I’m bastardising a paraphrase of Pliny the Elder, but you get the point. There is plenty for me to take from this match, learn from, and in the end come out the other side as… well, we’ll see.

So far, though? I’m actually… unimpressed. Unimpressed by talk of purgatory, of implications that this is going to be a massacre of a poor naïve soldier, of the attempt to portray himself as someone who destroys dreams and is the greatest in this type of match, yadda yadda. The only thing I’m kind of impressed by is how someone can think comparing themselves to a sex act has any relevance, but it worked for Joey Melton and Troy Windham for years, so – maybe it’ll work for Anarky. So far in the warm-up to this match, nothing else has.

You see, Anarky there’s a fine line between being naïve – being inexperienced or lacking full understanding of what you’re getting in to – and actually being experienced. The naïve opponent might come at you like a bull, or they might shrug you off because they don’t know better. Someone who’s experienced – a veteran, as it were – knows that ultimately what happens, happens. No use worrying about it. So, sometimes, the veteran may appear naïve. They may appear to not be caring, but – and here’s where experience and understanding shows – when time comes get to work, they throw everything they’ve got into it, in a controlled, refined manner. Before and after they can relax, lay back as much as they know they can get away with – but whilst in the ring, or on the battlefield, they know exactly what to do.

Which do you think I am? I’m just curious.

As for what else you’ve said so far – trust me, Anarky, it’s nothing special. If you think this match – this place, or whatever you want to call it – is purgatory, then… you’re talking to the wrong person. You’re the same to me, as X was. The same, to me, as Layne Winters. Talented, certainly, but just a man. Just an opponent, in what is just a wrestling match. This time may be inside a steel cage, but it’s still just a match. I know in life there isn’t much worth worrying about. Or, as the First Doctor said in The Five Doctors, at my age there’s little left to fear.

Now I sound old, don’t I? To think I’m only twenty seven.

Sorry, I really should stop these little asides to myself.

You want the truth, Anarky? I may not get better every week. And trust me, I haven’t proven anything to anyone except myself – I’ve proven I can still go in the ring, that I can still take a hit and give it back, and that my mind can still tell my body to keep pushing, keep going. But the real truth, the one singular thing you should remember as you prepare to face me inside the cage?

I don’t care what others think of me. If people want to cheer me, respect me, spit on me – that’s up to them. I’m not going to go out of my way to change their mind. I’m curious sometimes as to how other people see me, but I don’t lose sleep over it. The only person whose view of me is of any importance, is me.

What does that mean, Anarky? It means that when you and I face each other, the only thing that will stop me from fulfilling my goal, is me. My goal, my main goal, is to put everything I can into the match. If I do that and go on all the way through to walk out with two belts and the title of King of the Cage, that’s the icing on the cake. The body, and substance, the cake, is holding my head up as having done my best, and dusted myself off ready for my next match, my next challenge.

And if you think you can stop me doing that – well, I guess I will have overestimated you. But it’s better to overestimate and be prepared, than be naïve and underestimate. Just ask Brazil, they’ll agree with me.

[FADE OUT]

 

[JLevinson]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

(FADEIN to a balcony somewhere in Hartford. Anarky sits in an old plastic white chair smoking a cigarette.)

ANARKY: “I might not hang out in a lot of really pretty places… but let’s face it… at least with me, what you see is what you get. I ain’t pretendin’ to be something I ain’t, am I.

“Unlike you, Karl… oh so concerned with the arrogance of his opponents, oh so f*ckin’ unimpressed with these very same opponents. Gee, Karl, you didn’t do backflips for me? That’s weird. Cause, like, usually, people come out and shake my hand and tell me how f*cking afraid they are and they might as well not even show up, right?

“I get it, Karl. You’re just improving yourself. By beating up other dudes. It’s the path of righteousness. You probably have Bruce Lee posters up in your bedroom walls. Your Mommy and Daddy tell you it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s all about how you play the game.

“Well that’s not how the world works outside of self-help books, Karl. See, there’s a reason Alex Rodriguez gets paid more than the overworked Mexicans who pick all the produce we all enjoy. And it ain’t cause he works harder.

“I don’t need you to explain to me how people have different f*cking perspectives of the world, buddy. About how I can’t stop you from learning something.

“See, that’s what’s such a f*cking joke, man. Like, everything’s gotta be some valuable life lesson or after school special.

“Guess what. Sometimes, people just get their asses kicked. They have a bad night. They have a fever. Their girlfriend breaks up with them. Their father dies. Their limo never shows up and they have to rush to take a cab. They just found out they have herpes. They pulled a muscle in the gym. They’ve pulled too many muscles in too many days in the gym.

“You read a few too many Tony Robbins books and now you’re trying to self-actualize the paradigm shift like a motherf*cker and I just can’t have it.

“I ain’t pretending to be the master of the cage, my friend… I ain’t pretending like I can guarantee sh*t. Unlike you, I know damn well how dangerous that cage can be. This ain’t just any other f*cking match.

“There’s no DQ’s, there’s no escape… it’s just two men, alone. United by desperation. You can see who a man truly is inside that cage. A coward or a fool.

“You go on, though, man… you keep on actin’ like it’s good enough if you just try real hard… it’s fine… it’s just like any other match… no biggie… win or lose…

“You think that’ll be enough? Proving to yourself that you can try real hard? You gonna make yourself a blue ribbon for BEST EFFORT?

“You so desperately want some life lesson to present itself… you’re like one of those overweight women in Oprah’s audience, just praying she’ll tell you some secret that’ll wash over you like an awesome drug.

“Why do you care, Karl? I mean, sh*t, if you wanted to learn, you should’ve been a motherf*cking scientist. You’re a guy who gets paid to hurt people, brother.

“I’m sick and tired of listening to people lecture me about giving it their all and learning something about yourself and pushing it to the limits. This isn’t motherf*cking Top Gun, man. I’ve been doing this for too damned long for you to explain to me how important it is to grow and improve like a flower in the sun.

“Of course, I don’t know what I should expect. I’m dealin’ with a guy who compared me to Brazil, seemingly to prove how overconfident I am. Do you think Brazil and Spain are the same country, bro? Are all countries that speak Latin languages the same to you, man?

“Cause last I checked, Brazil won their first game. Of course, if I’m Brazil, that makes you North Korea, right? Which is kind of ironic.

“Because, y’know, it doesn’t matter how hard North Korea tries. If they don’t win, their Dear Leader is gonna line ‘em up and shoot ‘em. Cause that’s the kinda f*cked up world we live in.

“You go stand by a pond and talk about the majesty of the universe and life lessons and you pat yourself on the back for everything you’ve accomplished…

“You just keep tellin’ yourself that it ain’t if you win or lose… that as long as you prove something to yourself, it doesn’t matter what the bad man thinks…

“Me… I’m gonna go into that cage… and I’m gonna find the man who compared me to Joey Melton and Troy Windham… those lazy, overrated f*cks… and I’m gonna try and cave his skull in.

“It won’t be pretty, and I won’t learn sh*t, but y’know what? You can reflect upon your lessons from a hospital bed.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure the nurse will be really impressed that at least you proved to nobody but yourself that when push comes to shove… you tried real hard.”

(FADEOUT to his crooked smile.)

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[FADE IN to a brilliant white screen. Nothing else, just plain, brilliant white]

Voiceover: [a soft, resonant male tone with a soft Scottish accent] This is the world, if nothing experiences it. A plain, wide, open – well, anything you want. The painter staring at the blank canvas sees at first, this. Take away that painter’s experience, their life, and the canvas would stay utterly blank. But nobody is really like that, without experience, without a wealth of life.

[Slowly, almost burning in, is a country scene. First, a small, meandering path, then a stream in the foreground. Next, the outline of a thatched cottage]

Voiceover: Everyone is different. Everyone walks their own path, and their experiences create a unique picture. The artist will capture but a moment, and the audience will see what their experience tells them to see.

[The cottage is now fully burned onto the canvas, and we see the beginning of some hills on the horizon. Between the foothills and the stream on the left of the image, a small copse starts to find it’s way into view]

Voiceover: Our experiences help define who we are. They help define how we see the world, and they help shape what we’ll be.

But, they only, help define what we’ll be.

The artist knows this. And thus, they leave their view on canvas for all to see, and interpret how their experience sees.

[We see a small figure walking along the meandering path. Slowly, we ZOOM IN – seeing “The Dragon” dressed casually in jeans and a casual shirt. He turns as we get closer, and we see he’s wearing a dragon pendant, but the whole is nothing but casual and comfortable]

Karl: Ah, there you are. [looking around at the scene] Sorry, more nature. I guess it must really rile Anarky – he seems to think I’m somehow pretending to be someone I’m not, so I must really hate nature and just be doing this to annoy him. Just because he likes going to bars and I prefer sitting by a lake, or by a river, or in a wood – it reminds me of secondary school, actually. People thought I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t when they found out I listened to Iron Maiden and not the latest chart topping pop act. No, I said. I really do prefer listening to heavy metal than I do Gina G, and yes, I prefer reading Eddings rather than Stephen King. But, little did I think when I was eleven that I’d still be explaining that, yes, I’m different to you, when I’m twenty seven.

You think I’m posing, Anarky? Why? Because I sit backstage reading? Because I’m not bothered by what other people think of me, or because I see every part of life as something to learn from? Does my view of the world somehow seem that strange to you?

Well, I could go on at length about the reasons for my world view, but the short answer is, it’s mine. You’re welcome to yours, and I doubt you’ll fully understand my world view without some physical alteration of your brain. Same way I won’t fully understand your world view without the same. But, hey, that’s what makes life interesting – there’s a song that says “If we all looked the same and we all had the same name, I wouldn’t be better than you or you better than me.” It’s a similar principle – if we all viewed the world differently, it’d be dull and boring.

Now that I’ve established we do have wildly different viewpoints, I think it’s time to clear some things up. Because I clearly failed to keep to the first rule of communication – make sure the audience understands what you actually mean. Sorry about that, I sometimes forget that rule in the heat of the moment.

First – I’ve never heard of Tony Robbins. Most of my world view came about from my life – as different as my world view is. I’ve always seen everything as a chance to learn. Not a massive life lesson, there aren’t many of those left for me to learn, but a chance to learn and experience something new nonetheless. It’s a chance to measure my own growth and development. It’s what pushes me away from apathy and towards doing something – can I do better today than I did yesterday? For you, your motivation could be that you want to win a title and gain respect from others, but I don’t go for that. My motivation is simply outdoing what I’ve done before. If that means you see me as some self-help nutcase then… meh. Sure, I may go into a match at less than one hundred per cent – but you know what that means, for me? I’ve still got to give it everything I have, everything I can give, from the first bell to the last. I may not have as much on a Tuesday in March as I do a Sunday in September, but I still give it everything I have. If I lose having given it everything, then I know I can move forward and what I have to improve. If I win and didn’t need to give it my all, I know not to get complacent. To quote an annoying meerkat from TV, simples. Squeak.

What drives you, Anarky? A drive to be seen by others in the pack called pro-wrestlers as the best? How do you measure that? Not how do others measure it, how do you measure it? By hurting someone else physically? By winning titles? By forcing people to retire through injury? Is your identity as Anarky wrapped up in this business? What would you be doing if you weren’t in this business?

Can you answer those questions, hm? I can for me. My drive may seen strange to you – but at least I’ve identified it. It’s the same drive that saw me take up Taekwondo almost twenty years ago, saw me play rugby twice every weekend for three years, saw me take up one sport after another, saw me spend my holidays in Canada, Japan, on the Continent training to become a pro-wrestler, and outside of the sporting world, saw me complete my Bachelors, join the student radio station, complete my Masters, and have a well-paid job as a radio presenter for two years before I decided to come back to pro-wrestling. I want to reach my limits and exceed them. That’s all.

…and while I’m on the subject… you made a comment about me thinking and how that’s somehow wrong in this profession, didn’t you? Quote, if you wanted to learn you should’ve been a scientist. You’re a guy that gets paid to hurt people. End quote.

Hm. Interesting. I could try messing with you and argue semantics like I’m actually paid to make sure I don’t get hurt, and I do love arguing semantics almost as much as I like debating both sides of an argument, but – why? Why should I have become a scientist? Because I like to think? You do realise I got my Masters whilst wrestling, and that I’ll work on a PhD in a few years whether I’m wrestling or not, right? I can be an academic and a wrestler. There isn’t any law that says I can’t, any more than there’s a law that says I should go get blind drunk or make a lot of noise backstage like some of the roster does. You’re allowed to think, learn, and have interests outside the business you know. I know, it’s dangerous to even suggest such a thing, but it’s true. I love the physical challenge pro-wrestling gives, but I do have other interests. If my interests offend you, well – meh. Again.

Truth be told, Anarky? I’m aware that I’m in a physical contest every time I set foot in the ring. That’s why I do it. To test my physical limits. Can I out manoeuvre my opponent? When they hit me, will my body want to run, or can it take more punishment? I admit I’m a bit of a masochist, anyone who competes in a contact sport is, otherwise you’re right, they’d do something else. But those of us who do keep up with contact sports, also know that if something hurt the first time, you work to make sure it doesn’t hurt the next. Pushing beyond your limits.

But there I go again, thinking. Bad habit.

Seriously, though, Anarky. You’re becoming less and less unique to me with every word you say. When we set foot in that cage and the bell rings, you’ll just be another face, in just another match.

Yes, I once again called a cage match, just another match. Because it is. Sure, the cage creates unique challenges. It’ll hurt. But so does getting whipped by a chain. So does getting back dropped into the first few rows of seats in a pay per view match. So does suplexing a fellow human being from the top rope onto the arena floor. A cage is no more dangerous than things I’ve done before in Empire Pro, let alone in my entire career or things I’ve had done to me in my sporting career. I’ve seen two people taken out of the arena on stretchers because they’ve come close to breaking their necks, so a cage isn’t going to worry me. What you plan on doing, doesn’t worry me.

You’re another opponent, in another match, and I’ll prepare for it the same way. Thoroughly, properly, and totally. Then, I’ll be able to add your name to the list of people I’ve wrestled. People like Troy Windham and Joey Melton.

Speaking of whom – I’ve got wins over both of them, and you’re nowhere near good enough to be a straight comparison. I only mentioned them before because they thought it was cool to compare themselves to sex acts. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.

And sorry, again, if you misunderstood my World Cup mention. I just assumed you might have watched the match, or seen some highlights at least. You see – for clarification’s sake if nothing else – Brazil may have won, but they underestimated North Korea. They, and most of the footballing world, thought Brazil would walk that match, the same way a lot of people in pro-wrestling have thought they’d walk through me. But North Korea didn’t let Brazil play. They kept Brazil at bay, wouldn’t let them through, and created a slew of good chances for themselves. If it weren’t for two moments of brilliance, I feel the Koreans would’ve walked away with three points and the biggest upset of the World Cup since Senegal beat the world champions in two thousand and two. And Brazil had ninety minutes to create those two moments.

You won’t have that long.

I could use England and Algeria today, especially after Rooney said that England would win without having to play at their best, but the point is the same. If you underestimate, you create the very real chance you’ll wind up embarrassed. As I learnt long ago, don’t expect anything, especially from other people. That way you won’t be disappointed. Plus if things go as promised it’s a pleasant surprise, which is always nice.

I won’t ask if that makes sense to you, because it doesn’t need to. I don’t see you as a threat to my way of life. I see you as an opponent who’s aiming to win the match. Inside that steel cage, when the bell rings, you’re another opponent in a long line. I’ll be in yet another match which I hope will test my limits and force me beyond them. Another opponent that it wouldn’t surprise me was able to beat me. Another opponent, like all the others, that I won’t care if I lose to, because losing is part of life. Another opponent against whom I’m prepared for the worst to happen.

And you know what, Anarky? Another opponent who as soon as the chance presents itself, is going to find themselves flat on their back, staring up at the lights, having been nowhere near as good as I, or they, expected.

That’s the way I view you. This is me. If you don’t like it, tough. You don’t have to. At Aggression, I’m sure you’ll find dozens more reasons not to like it.

[FADE OUT]

 

[JLevinson]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

(FADEIN to another dingy bar with old, half-broken Schlitz signs on the wall, half of the sign not even lighting up. The jukebox is playing some Hank Williams. Anarky is sitting at the bar, a few empty beers sitting at his spot, watching World Cup matches and baseball on small TV’s up on a mantle.)

ANARKY: “So there I was, listening to another five f*cking minutes of Karl Brown explain to me, again, how we are all unique snowflakes of awesome uniqueness. Because nobody has ever explained this to me before. Ever.”

(He sighs and shakes his head, taking another sip.)

ANARKY: “You see, Karl, it’s not so much that I give a f*ck that you spend your time reading or painting or fancying things… this is not so much my concern, Karl. What concerns me, Karl, is that you think I want to hear about it.

“I don’t. Nobody does. I promise.

“We all get it. We all read the same Dr. Seuss books as a kid. We know we’re special and unique. You aren’t the first person to use the f*cking life-as-canvas metaphor, motherf*cker.

“The reason you’re a f*cking poser is because you’re a hypocrite. You explain yourself as one type of person, but, in reality, you’re the same as everybody else.

“Lemme give you an example so you can understand with all your fancy book learnin’. Now, you come out here and you accuse people of arrogance… now, apparently this is something you’ve had an issue with in the past. Hence the poorly executed futbal metaphors… really, man, Spain was a much better f*cking example, but no… I digress…

“Yet for all your concern about the arrogance of your opponents, you repeat to me how unimpressive I am… how I become less and less unique… how I’m nowhere NEAR good enough to even be compared to Joey Melton and Troy Windham… how I’m not as good as you’d hoped I would be…

“Do you actually know what the f*ck arrogance means? I mean, I hear you saying the word, and it’s in the right context and everything, so I kinda figured you had some f*cking clue what you were saying, but you’ve spent this whole time treating me like some kinda motherf*cking dogsh*t.

“Guess what, you arrogant motherf*cker… for all your finger pointin’, you do the same sh*t as everybody else.

“You think I’m not worth mention in the same sentence as Troy Windham or Joey Melton? Why? Where the f*ck are they, Karl? Are there here in Empire Pro, wrestling week in and week out, with the best, all these years later? Are they still giving it their ALL, KARL?

“NO, KARL, THEY F*CKING ARE NOT. And they never f*cking did because they’re overrated pieces of sh*t… and they are due none of the reverence of which their names are spoken…

“You wanna know what motivates me, Karl? ‘Cause apparently for all your f*cking brilliance, it isn’t obvious to you why I can go out here, night after night, week after week, month after month, year after motherf*cking YEAR, KARL…

“With guys like Sean Stevens… Troy Windham… Mike Randalls… well, it’s enough to wanna knock ‘em off their pedestal… to see ‘em realize suddenly how immortal they aren’t… how imperfect life is… how they are not the center of the f*cking universe…

“For guys like you, Karl… well, I mostly just don’t like you. People like you… oh, and yeah, Karl, there are others like you – a LOT of them… well, to me, it’s just a pleasure of my job.

“I promise there are plenty of people who want to punch you in the mouth every time you start talking. I just get the pleasure of receiving a paycheck to deliver such a service.

“See, that’s my perspective, Karl. That’s what you don’t f*cking get. You talk about limits… you talk about always pushing yourself.

“Well I’m sorry, Karl… but I’ve surpassed and left my limits long ago… I don’t have the luxury of being 27 anymore… I can’t recover from everything like I once did… I have to accept that…

“But on any given night, Karl… in any given moment… I know… that when it gets right down to it…

“I know I can beat anybody in the world. On any given night. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a title or not. I only need one chance. One mistake. One arrogant move.

“You’re not impressed, Karl… I know. You think this is just another match. The cage is just another stipulation for you to test yourself. To rise to the occasion.

“I’ve spent the last fourteen years dealing with guys like you… guys who thought I was just another match… who weren’t impressed… who felt I was just like the others…

“And I wasn’t that big… and I wasn’t that strong… and it wasn’t always pretty…

“But they all learned one thing, Karl.

“If you think this is just another match… just another chance to prove yourself… another blip on the radar…

“You’re going to find out that reality… is a harsh mistress. And the Chaos Breaker… is not a lesson you’ll particularly enjoy.

“But if it makes you feel any better, Karl… if you DO end up learning that valuable lesson…

“… I promise you… I’ll enjoy it enough for the both of us.”

(FADEOUT.)

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[FADE IN. A stone spiral staircase lit by occasional brass braziers attached to the thick stone walls. There’s a faint smoke in the air which, if you were able to smell it, would lead to a tickle and choke at the back of your throat. We’re walking down, step by step, as the braziers flicker in the gloom. As we descend, we start to hear something… human, yet bestial. A rage, burning through the air, that as we continue gets louder and louder, more and more violent, more vicious, as if something is trying to tear at the stone walls. Finally, the sound filling the air, we reach a massive oak door with iron hinges. In front of the door, waiting for us, is the Empire Pro Wrestling Television Champion. The snarling and thrashing is clearly just beyond this sturdy door, but the TV champ seems unperturbed by the noise, keeping his hands in his hips as he starts to talk]

Karl: Now I’ve got it. Now, I understand. Anarky has finally made clear what he is, and what he wants the world to see him as. Both things are behind this door – what he is and what he wants to be seen as. Before I show you, though, I want to apologise on Anarky’s behalf, to all the dogs out there who, without the ability to defecate, would be horribly constipated. The fact Anarky feels he’s been treated like dog excrement speaks either very highly of him, or very poorly of something that stops you being in unbearable pain and can actually be used as fertilizer in poorer areas where horses can’t be found.

To all dogs, on Anarky’s behalf, I apologise.

Yes, Anarky, I’m making fun of you, and being very open about it. But I’m not insulting you by much, it must be said, given what you’ve done over the last few days. Everything you’ve said. Because all you’ve done so far is make me wonder what all the fuss has been about. People who’ve watched you wrestle have warned me that you’re a vicious sadist who’ll stop at nothing to get what you want. That you’re a veteran of battle after battle after battle. That you’re a hundred feet tall, weigh a thousand metric tonnes, and sweat magma so hot it’d burn the sun.

[He opens the door, which moves with surprising ease, and we see a vicious set of teeth snap shut and open again. It takes a few moments for light to fill the room, but what we see is out of a truly savage mind. The best way to describe it would be a cross between a hyena, a fox, a wolf, and a basilisk. Drool drips from the gaping maw; human remains are stuck between long, pointed, blood-covered fangs that add a demonic snarl to the monstrous snout. Its fur is matted, caked in blood and dirt, and its yellow eyes burn with pure, unadulterated hate. As the light grows, we can see the beast is wearing a collar, secured no doubt at the cost of hundreds of lives, and thick, heavy chains usually seen on ships to hold onto the anchor]

Karl: This is how you want to be seen, Anarky. As a vicious beast. Something to be feared, something that will tear you limb from limb rather than look at you once. A calculating and yet mindless killer. But the reality of what you really are, Anarky? It’s over in the corner.

[“The Dragon” points inside the room, and we see, in the corner, a small blond-haired boy wearing a loincloth. He’s throwing a tantrum, arms and legs thrashing, but his screams are drowned out by the massive monster he’s sharing the room with]

Karl: Sorry, I forgot the sound.

[He clicks his fingers, and the monster disappears – and we can hear the high-pitched scream of the child]

Child: Notice me! I’m relevant! Waaah! Love me! Notice me!!

[The scene shimmers as Karl shakes his head. Once the scene finishes fading, we FADE BACK IN to a throne room, much as we’ve seen Karl in before. He leans against a wall next to one of the tapestries, just far enough over that we can’t actually see what it is. The rotter.]

Karl: That’s what it is, isn’t it? You hate being told you’re not the kind of man Joey or Troy are. You hate that your name isn’t held in the reverence by fans of them or Lindsay Troy or Dan Ryan. You want people to notice you. I think I’ve said it before, but it holds true, about the telephone – you’re the same. The phone sits on the desk, and it’s like someone’s barged into the room stamping their feet, yelling, “Speak to me now! Speak to me now! Notice me! I’m here! Woo-hoo!”

It’s rather pathetic, isn’t it? That for a man who’s head almost double the length career in wrestling I have, you still sound like a petulant child wanting to knock people off of imaginary pedestals. You throw your toys out of the pram, all so someone’ll notice you and maybe, just maybe… make you appear relevant. I was going to say loved, but that would be creepy.

There, right there, is the biggest difference between me, and you. You crave attention. You crave acknowledgement. It sticks in your throat that other people are held in higher esteem than you, people who’ve had longer careers. You hate that you’re not one of the very, very few who become Legend.

I couldn’t care whether I become Legend or not. I know that, just like finding life on other worlds, the number of people in this business who become Legend is miniscule. I also know that it’s not enough to simply, as you say, knock them off their perches. I don’t actually get along with many of that top echelon personally, but professionally, I respect that they are, or were, able to climb to the top, and stay there – not for a year, not for three or four, but consistently. To go back to football, there’re very few clubs in the Premier League that inspire awe. They do it because they’ve been doing it for years, consistently. And they, like the Legends in professional wrestling, did it not by whining about it, or complaining that life wasn’t fair, but by doing it. By going out, winning consistently, winning emphatically, and staying at the top through their own efforts. You want that to be you, but rather than doing it, you’ve been whining and complaining.

Case in point, take you and me. I came back at Aggression fifty. Layne Winters decided he didn’t like the fact my match was higher on the card than his, and he attacked me. Two matches later, I’ve won the Television Championship and beaten him and Erik Black in the process. In that time, you had a chance to take the same title by entering Layne’s gauntlet challenge. I know you’ll probably say something like the TV title doesn’t interest you, or that you didn’t want to be embroiled in something with your now former HOPE team-mate, or any other excuse – but you had the chance to take the title, and move towards your goal of recognition, and you did… nothing.

Or do you want another case in point? OK. You claim this match is dangerous. You’ve been in them, so you should know. A steel cage surrounding the ring. And it seems to disturb you that I don’t see this match with the same gravitas that you do, that I don’t see a cage match that I can prepare for in advance to be as dangerous as you do.

Do you notice what I said there? Have you heard what I’ve said since this match was announced? Have you looked back and wondered, why I might not see this match as the threat to life and limb that you obviously think it’s going to be for me?

Three reasons, really. First, I’ve been in a cage before. Not a straight cage match – that’s what I said, a straight cage. But I’ve been in a triple-tiered cage, with weapons and barbed wire. But forgetting even that, notice I said I can prepare for this cage match? It’s the old adage, the expected is less dangerous than the unknown. So let me ask you, Anarky – is it more dangerous to be inside a cage that you’ve prepared for, or facing someone you weren’t expecting and only discovered was your opponent seconds before the opening bell? What about, knowing who you’re going to be facing, but having the match-type changed from a straight one-on-one to a no disqualification chain match, seconds before the opening bell? Is it more dangerous being confined to a cage, where the worst an opponent can do is throw you into the mesh a few times, or being slammed into concrete walls, cars, windows, or suplexed through ladders?

Hell, I’d be more worried if this was the second round and I didn’t know whether I was facing one, two, or all three wrestlers in the Heirs of Wrestling. Because there, there are far more possibilities to consider. There are far more unknowns. Being able to prepare for you, prepare for the cage, means that the risks are far smaller than they would’ve been otherwise. Trust me, Anarky. I’m far happier knowing what to expect, a child throwing a tantrum in the middle of the ring, than I am not knowing what to expect. I still maintain that’s part of what made Lindsay’s turn as Dis so successful – who knew what to prepare for?

But enough about Lindsay. This is about me, and you. The man who has shown, time and again, that he can and will go beyond his limits, and the man who threw his toys out of the pram because I said he wasn’t as good as Troy Windham or Joey Melton.

Well, Anarky? Are you ready for this?

[The background fades again, and “The Dragon” is now standing on the outskirts of a forest. Behind him we can see a castle – presumably the one we were just in]

Karl: Are you ready for a match against someone you can’t bully and frighten? A match against someone who, yes, goes beyond his limits when he finds them? Or are you already planning your excuses like the press in England are for the football? Hopefully your excuse, whatever it ends up being, won’t be as ridiculous as “The ball’s bad” or “The ref doesn’t like English clubs” or “The vuvuzela’s are too annoying.”

I’ve faced men like you before, here and elsewhere. Men who made it look like they’d be bringing Lou Ferrigno out painted green again. Men who threatened to hurt me like nobody has done before, that setting foot in the same building as them was bad for my health. And without exception, they’ve proven unable to live up to that image. They portray themselves as monsters and ended up whining little children, screaming for someone to notice them. Maybe not as well as Eric Davis, but close.

So far since I’ve been back, I’ve had a tough time telling you and Layne apart. But at least Layne tries to do something when he’s through talking about it. You? In your time here I’ve not seen you do anything of note. No path of destruction. No pain and suffering. Not haven of torment. No anarchy.

Face it, Anarky. You’ve painted a picture of yourself that you can’t measure up to. How many Chaos Breaker’s did it take against Fusenhoff? Three?

Not very scary. And very, very breakable.

Yes, you could win this match, if it’s your night. If it’s not, or if you don’t end me? Well, it’s another night at the office. It’ll teach you something – besides the fact you’re not as good as you think.

It’ll teach you that the key to life, is not to care. Not to focus on becoming Legend, but to simply be the best that you can be. That may sound like a piece of self-help garbage, but it’s also true. If you give everything you’ve got and win, good. When you give everything, and lose, then you’ll know how much further you’ve got to go. You’ll know where the limit is and you can figure out how to go beyond it.

Those are some of the lessons you can learn at Aggression, Anarky. I’m not heading into that cage to tame a monster, because he’s already tame. I’m not heading into that cage worried for my safety, because I’ve been in more dangerous situations in wrestling and in life. I’m heading into that cage, the new TV champion, looking to see where my physical and mental limits are. Looking to go beyond them if you push me anywhere near them. Ready to put my body on the line to pursue my goal, of being better than I’ve ever been.

And ready to be disappointed by how easily the Anarky that’s been so highly spoken of, goes down for the count. This match won’t make you Legend, Anarky, nor will it make me that. But it will be further proof, if any was needed, that you’re not a monster, that you’re nothing the be scared of. That you’re not all powerful and won’t get unlimited rice pudding.

It’ll prove that you’re just a man, like I am, who unlike me isn’t able to accept that you’re not the man you think you are.

I guess I have to prove someone else’s heaven is just a lie.

[Karl walks towards and past the camera up the forest path, as from the castle we can hear the child screaming, still throwing his tantrum]

Child: Notice me! Wah! Notice me!! I’m great!!

[FADE OUT]

 

[JLevinson]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

(FADEIN to what appears to be a fake TV show of some kind. The backdrop has a variety of forensic designs, such as fingerprints, magnifying glasses, microscopes, and whatnot. Anarky stands in front of the screen, dressed bizarrely in a full tuxedo, his face painted a skull, a smile on his face.)

ANARKY: “Tonight, Ladies and Gentlemen… we take a look at a truly diabolical man. A man who has plagued Empire Pro for several matches now… he lurks everywhere… he may even.. be on your television.. right… NOW.”

(He drops for dramatic pause.)

ANARKY: “I speak, of course, of Karl Brown. Or, as the inmates of San Quentin know him… the Dragon.”

(The screen pans to the right and a picture of Karl Brown’s headshot can be seen in a small screen in the top right, almost like a news show.)

ANARKY: “Of course, in order to understand The Dragon, one must first come to terms with this beast. And this beast, like a chameleon, often changes colors. One moment, he seems mild mannered, even affectionate. The next… a trail of blood lies in his wake. Just ask him.

“In the beginning, for what we shall call Karl Stage One, known as Self-Improvement Karl, we are given a patient young man who seeks only to prove himself in the arena that is the squared circle. He ponders. He reflects. He considers. He hopes you won’t be arrogant. You won’t be arrogant, will you? Self-Improvement Karl would prefer you did not, and will not hesitate to write a strongly-written letter to his local Magister in order to correct this matter.

“Of course, soon, you shall find yourself on Karl Stage Two, also known as Disappointed Karl. Sadly, you do not live up to Disappointed Karl’s everlasting gaze. He’ll still find time to explain to you the subtle differences of perception while covering his naked, glistening body in butterflies, but he’ll do so with a hint of impatience in his voice. You are, perhaps, not the man Disappointed Karl had hoped for. Because Disappointed Karl doesn’t care what others think of him, unlike you… who has only disappointed Karl Stage Two.

“If you continue down this treacherous path, you will find yourself in an even more dangerous world… Karl Stage Three, known to its few inhabitants as James Earl Karl. This may seem to be a rather unassuming Karl Stage, but looks can be deceiving.

“He will lull you into a sleep with his long monologues explaining the intricacies of using winning soccer clubs in analogies about the dangers of overconfidence. He will use his soft, dulcet tones to explain how edgy he was, listening to Iron Maiden in high school and even dismissing the great Stephen King. He’ll even provide a six-week course in perception and the human mind, although we can assure you, we have found no accreditation.

“Finally… if you last long enough… if you can survive the Shakespearean efforts to pound you into the submission of accepting your fate…

“You finally hit Karl Stage Four… a monstrosity we are almost too afraid to call… I’m Better Than You Karl.

“Long you have stood against this terror, and now you have come to see its true face: exactly like the fact of every other wrestler you have ever faced. Ever.

“You hoped for an opponent who wasn’t going to spend ten minutes listing his accomplishments in a effort to prove his superiority? Well you might’ve believed that in Stage One or Two, but not here…

“In fact, if one were to make a checklist of every bullsh*t stereotype someone could use to wave their d*ck onscreen about what a big, bad, strong guy they are, you STILL couldn’t manage an entire Karl Stage Four.

“Listing of recent accomplishments including mid-level title? Check.

“Compare opponent unfavorably to perceived legends in wrestler’s own mind? Check.

“Stereotype opponent and discuss how you’ve already faced better, more dangerous opponents? Check.

“Baseless accusation that opponent obviously seeks validation and recognition from men such as himself? Oh f*ck yes check.”

(He stops and smiles before the screenshot of Karl Brown goes away and the camera centers on him again.)

ANARKY: “Y’know, Karl… I can’t lie… you haven’t been an entire waste. In some way, it’s been a pleasure. In the beginning, I was starting to think you were just like Fusenshoff… another young talent hellbent on proving to himself… something.

“I’m not entirely sure what, but the purity in your voice almost had me convinced. It almost seemed like YOU believed it.

“Now, of course, I see the lie. You are nothing like that. You don’t care about self-improvement at all.

“For you, it’s about the same thing it is for everybody else: being better than other people and having a title or a win or a d*ck-measuring contest to prove it and validate yourself in front of others.

“You come out here and talk about competition… about proving something to yourself… so why are you so concerned with if I’m a Legend, Karl? Did I ever say I was? Did I ever claim to be? Did I ever claim to WANT to be?

“My concern isn’t that I don’t rate with those legends, but that those so-called legends… just don’t rate.

“See, when I started out, it was all about Hornet, and Mike Randalls, and Lex Taylor, and Mark Windham. They were Legends. Little punks like you wouldn’t shut the f*ck up about them.

“Y’know what I realized, though, Karl? They weren’t that good. They were f*cking overrated. They stayed in leagues where they’d have a nice, soft schedule… they never risked anything to their reputation.. never left their comfort zone.

“So when you talk about people like Joey Melton and Lindsay Troy, I can’t help but laugh. It’s the same f*cking thing. I didn’t claim to be better than Melton or Troy – I just don’t CARE. Because the people who worship people like Lindsay Troy are idiots.

“Why should I be impressed? Cause she wore a mask and called herself Dis? Who the f*ck cares? That sh*t is in the past, just like my entire f*cking title history, which means nothing.

“The past is the past. Legends spend their times jerking off to pornos of themselves when they were young. Me.. I look forward…

“Every.. .f*cking week… I have to listen to this sh*t. I heard it from Copycat. I heard it from Fusenshoff. Now I gotta hear it from you.

“You keep telling me how much I care. How desperately I want to matter. How I wish I rated among the legends. The Legends According to Karl Brown, that is, anyway.

“Of course, it never occurred to you that maybe I am exactly what I say I am… maybe I really DON’T give a f*ck about who thinks I’m a legend. Maybe I just like beating the sh*t out of people who run their mouth and that’s all there really is to it.

“I mean… lemme ask you a question… who is the wrestler who was so desperate for attention that he attacked a bunch of people in the locker room… me or Layne Winters? Or who was the person who wanted to matter in front of the cameras so much that he kidnapped Dan Ryan’s wife… me or Copycat?

“The joke is on you, Karl… you want to paint me into this box because the box is all you understand. You NEED me in the box, cause that’s what you want to argue about. The f*cking box.

“Well I ain’t in the f*cking box. I’m sorry that I don’t care if I’m a champion or not… I’m sorry I haven’t actually spent a lot of time analyzing how much like Lindsay Troy I am or am not…

“I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment to you, Karl.

“But mostly, I’m sorry that you still don’t f*cking get it, and worse yet, that you are just too f*cking stupid to learn. You’ve already dismissed me. You’ve already won this match and gone on to the next round in your head.

“Just keep tell yourself that, Karl. I’m not that good. I’m not a monster. I’m nothing to be afraid of. I’m already tame. Ready to EASILY put me down for the count.

“I’ve never heard that one before.

“And I’ll never hear it again. You’re special. I promise.”

(FADEOUT as he winks at the camera.)

 

[EpyonMarx]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

[FADE IN. “The Dragon” is sitting in the branches of a grand oak tree. He’s dressed as you’d expect of him in jeans and a T-shirt. He’s reading a book, although we can’t be more precise given that he’s reading on the front-cover side at the moment. He seems happy to sit there reading, as several seconds pass with him turning the pages before he closes the book and starts speaking without even looking toward the camera]

Karl: [speaking sarcastically] Sorry. I really shouldn’t read. After all, can’t be a wrestler if you read, or actually have some intelligence. At least I think that’s what Anarky said earlier. I could be wrong about his whole “you should be a scientist if you want to think” bit that he never did answer my questions about. And it’s not the first time I’d be wrong either, but I guess in the mixed-up world of Anarky I’m intrinsically wrong, and he understands every point I’ve made.

[Swinging his legs, he places the book down on the branch before dropping 15 feet to the ground. When he speaks again, he’s careful to make sure you know he’s being sarcastic]

Karl: Ooops! I shouldn’t’ve done that! After all dropping fifteen feet to the ground, when I know what’s there, is dangerous! Not because I could’ve twisted my knee, but because someone else thinks it’s totally unsafe, actually knowing what’s ahead! How can I live with myself?

[He smiles, shrugging his shoulders, and talking normally]

Karl: I really shouldn’t try to be sarcastic, should I? It doesn’t suit me. I just thought I’d try something different, try to keep Anarky awake, and I really didn’t feel like doing the tired old name-calling bit. I did come up with a nice play on the word scuffle as a nickname for Anarky, but somehow when you pronounce the last part the same as soufflé it loses its edge. I’ll leave the name calling to people better suited. So, I guess you’re stuck with me reiterating and explaining the same points I’ve been making about Anarky all week. I suppose I could leave it at what’s already been said, but… when there are such glaring errors it’s hard not to feel compelled to fix them.

[He walks towards the trunk of the tree, leaning against it facing the camera]

Karl: Anarky, you’ve really got me sussed, haven’t you? I’m just the same as everybody else and an absolute hypocrite. Is that the case?

Pity. The one thing that you hadn’t managed to prove wasn’t the case was something a fan told me about you in an airport – that you have a kind-of mind and can actually think things through before speaking. Now? Well, you’ve missed the chance to salvage something before this match. I know you probably don’t care what I think of you, but, indulge me for a few minutes. You might learn why I’ve said what I’ve said, and you might be surprised by how wrong what you’ve said, is.

Let’s start with the one thing you’ve gotten right, the fact that you think I’m arrogant. There, you’re actually right. I am intellectually arrogant. I’ve said that for longer than I’ve been wrestling. I’ve admitted it several times over the past six and a half, seven years, so you’re not the first to know.

Now, about what you’ve gotten wrong. You think I’m a hypocrite who cares about titles. Well, you’ve clearly not been paying attention, have you? Like, how for the second year of my Intercontinental reign, I was hoping someone’d take the belt off me. I’m not the kind of person who’ll vacate a title, because I know that to those that titles mean anything to, having a strong pedigree is important. But me having the TV title? I’d be just the same without it.

You see, Anarky, you have this idea that seems to be forming that I care about validation in the eyes of others. That I want to be the Alpha, the top dog. That’s the main reason for titles in professional wrestling, to identify the current crème de la crème. You seem to have missed the times I’ve said, and proven, that it doesn’t matter where on the card I am, or who I’m facing, or what the match involves. It could be a cage match, as this week, or it could be a straight match at the start of the card, or it could be a water fight – and now I’ve said that it wouldn’t surprise me if one got booked in the future, the office are weird like that – what matters to me is that I can go out there and challenge myself. Some people, yes, they love titles. It’s their raison d’etre. Take their security blanket from them and they break out in cold sweats, throwing tantrums, desperate to get that fix of sweet, sweet title.

You’re welcome to any title if you can win it, Anarky. If you can pin me or make me submit you can have the TV title and progress through this tournament with an eye to becoming the first man to hold the TV and World Titles at the same time. Right now my concern is seeing whether you can push me to my limits or not. My money’s on no, even if you manage to win.

Because you’re not as dangerous as you think you are. As I’ve said time and again, this match, I’ve prepared for. I know what’s in front of me – I know what kind of match this is, I know who I’m facing, and that means I can prepare. I can get ready. Having to switch tracks moments before the opening bell? Makes things more dangerous because you haven’t had time to prepare. But if you really want to prove you’re dangerous, I’ll give you the choice. Of course if you take this offer up it’ll also show to the fans and the rest of the Empire Pro roster that you’re not as tough as you think, but that’s a risk you’ll have to take.

You can bring and use anything you want to this match. Some people will think I’m crazy for offering you that chance, and they may be right – but if you want to pretend that you’re dangerous, or if you want a comforter to give you an edge and make this cage match more dangerous than it is, bring whatever you want. As I’ve said time and again I will face anyone the office wants me to face, in any type of match they want to make.

Now – the biggest mistake you’ve made this week. I can sum it up in two names.

Joey Melton, and Troy Windham.

You say you don’t care about them. You’d have us believe that you see them as simply overrated losers who need knocking off their pedestals… wait a moment… why do they need knocking off their pedestals if you don’t care about them? Why do you laugh at people who talk about them, if you don’t care? Why even acknowledge their existence, if you don’t care?

Want further proof that you do actually care, that you’re angry and want the success they had?

Remember how I first mentioned Windham and Melton, and what your reaction was? To refresh your memory, I only said that the only thing I was kind of impressed by was how someone can think comparing themselves to a sex act is of any relevance – but it worked for Joey Melton and Troy Windham for years, so maybe it’ll work for Anarky. You then went on about how I’d compared you to them and were going to cave my head in.

Why did it bother you that I simply pointed out that you were like Joey and Troy in comparing yourself to a sex act? Why, if you don’t care about them, did you even notice?

Of course, it could’ve been some plot of yours, because once you said I’d compared you to them, well… I went back and did some more research into their careers, and yours. And found that, yep, you’re nowhere near the talent they were. Sure, towards the end of their careers they rested on their laurels on occasion – when they weren’t wrestling for the Empire Pro World Heavyweight Championship in ladder matches or against their ex wife. But the fact was, they’d achieved a level of success and fame that few achieve, and they’d stayed there.

Does that irk you, really? And how can it, if you don’t care about them?

Which is it, Anarky? Because you’ve given very mixed signals; on the one hand you don’t care, on the other you care enough to want to smash someone’s skull in.

You don’t want to know what I think, really, but I’ll tell you anyway. You do care. You hate that they achieved something you didn’t. You want to knock them off their pedestal to show them they’re not the centre of the universe? Maybe. But if you didn’t care about them, it wouldn’t matter to you what delusions they have. You’d be more concerned with getting on with the task at hand. You do care, because deep down, you want to be remembered as the man who took them out and toppled them. Otherwise, you’d ignore them.

Honestly, I only mentioned those two because they made a fortune comparing themselves to sex acts and were the two names that sprung to mind first. How you thought I was comparing you to them in any other manner that first time does boggle the mind. Or maybe I missed something and never got my guidebook to Scuffléville.

[He pauses, thinking about the very poor attempt at humour]

Karl: Definitely not my strong point.

Listen, Anarky. You don’t like me. Truth be told once this match is over I’ll be utterly indifferent towards you again. You can go and do whatever you want after this match. Act like a fourteen year old who thinks comparisons with sex acts are relevant. Plunge ahead in your quest to not care about people the fans respect whilst also plotting to not only knock them off their pedestals but bring the whole edifice down around their unworthy heads. Eat a ham and cheese toasty. Your life is your life, and so long as we don’t cross paths there’s nothing we need to have to do with each other.

But at Aggression, we are crossing paths. I’m giving you an advantage if you want to take it, and you might think that’s arrogant of me. You might think that because I’ve mentioned that going up against an unknown member of the Heirs of Wrestling in the second round is more dangerous than going up against a known Anarky, that I’m overlooking you. But the truth is I want you to bring everything you’ve got. I want to see why people think you’re this great beast, this monster. Because from what I’ve seen, compared with what you’ve said about you and what others have said about you, you’re very, very disappointing.

I’ve beaten beasts before, Anarky. In actual fact I was the guy who ended Marcus’ career here the first time back in two thousand six. Semi-interesting factoid and another example of a poor attempt at humour on my part.

But in all seriousness, Anarky? Yeah, you may beat me at Aggression. I may get struck by lightning or die of a massive heart attack seconds before entering the building. You may get struck by lightning or choke whilst eating the aforementioned ham and cheese toasty. I’m open to anything happening.

But the most likely outcome that I see, based on my experience of people like you? Of cowards like you who lash out at perceived insults? The most likely outcome is another name added to the list of people who’ve had the veneer peeled away from their self image and seen that the reality is totally different from what they want to believe.

You’re not a monster, Anarky. And after Aggression, the fans of Empire Pro, the rest of the roster – they’re going to know it too.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, my flight’s in a few hours, and I really want to finish this book so I can read another one on the plane.

If wrestlers are allowed to read in Anarky's world, of course.

[Karl jumps, grabbing a nearby branch as he starts to climb back to his perch. FADE OUT]

 

[JLevinson]

Re: AGGRESSION 52: KOTC/TV TITLE MATCH - Anarky vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c)

(FADEIN to an empty bar we’ve seen before. Most of the lights are off. Sitting at the bar, a Ten Penny Ale sitting in front of him, sits Anarky. All is quiet before he speaks.)

ANARKY: “Y’know, I might not be a f*ckin’ literary critic, but I remember back in high school, they made us read this book, Catcher in the Rye. I’m sure you’ve read it, smart fella like you, Karl.

“Anyway, a lotta people thought Holden Caulfield was a bit of a whiner. Complained too much. Symptomatic of a generation.

“Not me, man. I saw. I saw what he saw. A world full of phonies and hypocrites. Everything fake. It’s all an illusion.

“Guys like you, Karl… you spend so much time trying to be who you think you should be… that you can’t just be what you are.

“Why is it so f*cking important to pretend that you care about proving to yourself how good you are? I mean, really… we know, man. We know you wanna win. We know you care about that Title. We know this because you bragged to me about the fact that you won the TV Title and I didn’t – A TITLE I DIDN’T EVEN COMPETE FOR.

“It’s like slamming my face into a brick wall with you, man. What the f*ck did I do to deserve this sh*t? Is someone trying to get back at me? Is this about that Larry Tact joke?

“Cause if I wanted shots, I’d take shots. I’m the guy that got f*cked out of a World Title shot because Ice Tre decides to make a one-time appearance and cost me a match against Marcus Westcott. Do you know how long I whined about that?

“Not a f*cking day. Doesn’t matter to me, man. Sooner or later… Stevens will have to answer to me, like everybody else. It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow.

“Because in the meantime, I get the pleasure of listening you explain to me how obviously, with your degree in clinical psychology, you can clearly tell that my defensive nature regarding Troy Windham and Joey Melton is due to jealousy.

“It couldn’t possibly be that I am simply so irritated that you would compare me to those two f*cking morons that it made me want to punch you in the mouth? No? You… you don’t think that’s even… a tiny, little bit possible?

“Instead, I have to listen to you explain to me about my own career – much of which you weren’t around for – doesn’t measure up to two people who you happen to think are hot sh*t. Because YOU call them legends. Because they have Karl Brown-Approved Accomplishments, and ol’ Nark just doesn’t.

“Guess what, buddy. Legends are like gods. Everybody’s got a favorite, but at the end of the day it’s mostly just a buncha bullsh*t.

“So excuse me for not wanting to be compared to the so-called legends. Maybe some of us don’t f*cking get down on our knees and try to suck off every D-list celebrity who happens to walk into the same zip code as us…

“Hey man, be what you are. Get down there and do the job. There’s no shame in that, man.

“But what really pisses me off, Karl… what really makes me want to punch you in the throat… is that at the end of the day, you can’t even f*cking accept it.

“You have the audacity to sit there and tell me that I could have had the TV Title if only I could have tried, and then, finally, I could earn the recognition I so desperately need. The Karl Brown-Approved Accomplishments which… so much… even now.. make.. my life… sorry… I promised I wouldn’t do this.”

(He pretends to cry, badly.)

ANARKY: “It’s just that… I… I didn’t know… this whole time… I thought… I thought I was doing something good.

“I was crossing the globe and puching all of the biggest douchenozzles and arrogant twits of the world in the teeth over and over again. It was like… I WAS KARMA.

“But now I see, because you, Karl Brown, have shown me the light. It is recognition I so desperately crave. I just want to matter. I just wish people understood just how many Karl Brown-Approved Accomplishments I can get! I can do it!

“From now on, I’ll be just like you. In order to make people think I’m smart, I’ll read books on camera, no matter how many people watching at home commit suicide from boredom! Heck, I’ll start bringing my iBook to Starbucks and when people ask, I’ll say I’m writing a screenplay!”

(He can’t keep it up anymore and just starts laughing before he stops and finishes his beer.)

ANARKY: “Y’know, Karl… it’s funny. You keep talkin’ about what other people say about me. How I don’t meet your expectations.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t worry about what other people say so f*cking much, eh? Did that ever occur to you? Because I never said I was a monster or a legend or any of that other sh*t you think I am pretending to be.

“You keep callin’ me coward and child. You keep pointin’ that f*cking finger.

“I am going to f*cking enjoy this, Karl. And not because it’s going to get me fame and fortune. But because you f*cking deserve me.

“You claim to hate arrogance, yet you spend the entire time speaking to me as a child and a coward. You say you don’t care about being the alpha dog, and then you brag about winning a TV Title. You keep saying how prepared and ready you are, yet you clearly don’t know the first f*cking thing about me.

“You are a fake… a phony… a joke. You don’t deserve that title.

“But I’ll let someone else take it… someone who wants it. I only want you, Karl. Inside the cage.

“And finally… we will have our moment. And all the speculation about what kind of man you imagine I am will be over. And you will see… that you’re right… I’m not a monster…

“But in that ring, finally, you will know who I am... more than I can ever say... and who I am...is very good at very few things.

“I’m hoping to show you at least a few of them.”

(FADEOUT to his crooked smile.)