The Conquest of Rocko Daymon Part 1: Breaking the Ice
(Fade into a studio set. On a small platform before a NEW/EPW WRESTLESTOCK backdrop, we find two seated individuals sitting before the camera. On the left is NEW reporter, Sam Baxter. Across from him is Rocko Daymon, wearing jeans, a black dress shirt, and a pair of sunglasses.)
Sam Baxter
Thank you for joining me this afternoon, wrestling fans! For those who don’t me from New ERA Wrestling, I am Sam Baxter, and with me now is a man I’m sure MANY of you are familiar with… ROCKO DAYMON.
Rocko, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to participate in this interview.
Rocko Daymon
Not a problem, Mojo.
Sam Baxter
It’s Sam.
Rocko Daymon
Right, right… sorry, sometimes I can’t tell the difference between you backstage reporter types.
Sam Baxter
Okay…
Well, Rocko, over in NEW, you’ve been on a pretty dominant streak as of late. You’ve gone toe to toe with some of the federation’s very best, new and old, and you’ve been victorious against virtually every one of them. All that hard work has finally paid off as you find yourself in the second night main event of the Wrestlestock Pay Per View event. Certainly, you must feel proud of yourself and all you’ve accomplished.
(Rocko smirks and shrugs, as though it were no big deal.)
Rocko Daymon
Meh… since the day I first stepped into a NEW ring, I knew it was only a matter of time until I got to this point.
Sam Baxter
Now I’m sure there’s a lot of questions on everyone’s mind right now concerning this match… I think the biggest question is… you and the Phantom Republican… what’s up with you guys?
Rocko Daymon
Was it not made obvious at the last Raucous? The Republican and myself have formed a partnership, of sorts.
Sam Baxter
It seems kind of odd, considering the both of you are competing for the same title. And just what do you have in common with GOP?
Rocko Daymon
Well, when it comes to politics, we’re practically polar opposites. But what we do have in common is superior talent, compared to the rest of the NEW line-up. As such, we want to see that World Title go around the waist of a man that deserves it.
Out of everyone in NEW, the Phantom Republican is the only man that gains my respect. And why is that? Because he’s the only one who managed to out-do me.
Sam Baxter
Well, actually, one could also say that Shawn Hart out-did you at BattleBRAWL—
(As Baxter says this, we see a brief stock footage clip from the Pay Per View event of subject. We see the final second of the match replayed in slow-motion, finally coming to a pause at the moment where it appears as though both men, tumbling over the ropes, touch the ground at the same time. But as it comes to a still frame at the final moment, it is clear that Hart’s foot is on top of Daymon’s.)
(Rocko interrupts him mid-sentence, and we cut back to the studio.)
Rocko Daymon
Baxter, you know damn well that Shawn Hart didn’t out-do jack that night. Falling out of a ring and having your foot just HAPPEN to fall on top of the other man’s… that isn’t beating someone. That’s just getting lucky.
Now you look back to a few shows ago, in that crème de le crème battle royal…
(More stock footage begins to play, showing highlights from the match Daymon is referring to. Namely, we see certain spots including Rocko tossing Hart across the ring with a belly-to-belly suplex, and drilling Jean Rabesque with the Brain Rocker before dumping him over the top rope. We hear Rocko’s voice-over.)
Rocko Daymon
Shawn Hart got his ass handed to him… and Rabesque didn’t fare much better.
But the Phantom Republican?
(We see clips of Daymon wrestling with GOP, including hitting him with the Phantom Train, being on the receiving end of the Tax Breaker, and finally, GOP flipping over Daymon from their position on the top rope, and dropkicking him to the ring floor, earning the victory.)
Rocko Daymon
I really gotta tip my hat to the guy. He put up a good fight… a little more than I expected… and in the end, it paid off. There’s really nothing more I can say about it; on that night, he was the better man.
(Cut back to the studio.)
Rocko Daymon
Granted, I doubt he’ll get that lucky ever again, but that’s beside the point…
Because the Republican’s the only man in this federation who can actually beat me, he’s the only man worthy of my respect… and therefore my trust. So we formed this alliance as a means of bringing ourselves closer toward a common cause.
Both GOP and myself want that title to go to a man that truly represents an outstanding professional wrestler. As it is, we’re the only two men in the federation who meet that standard. Those other four guys?
(Daymon shakes his head.)
Rocko Daymon
Huh-uh. They don’t make the cut. One way or another, the Phantom Republican and I are walking out of that ring victorious, one of us with the World Title, and the other with a title shot.
Sam Baxter
And with the two of you on the same side, I’m sure your chances of pulling that are significantly greater than any of your opponents’.
(Rocko smiles.)
Rocko Daymon
NOW you’re beginning to understand things, Baxter. Any of those other four are walking into this ring against five others. But GOP and me? Working together, it’s only four on two. Two to one odds are significantly easier than five to one… and when you consider our superior ability, any idiot can see that we have the edge in this match.
This “Dueling Ladders” match… involves six men, and two briefcases hanging over the ring, one holding a title shot, and the other holding the title itself. Personally speaking, I’ve never been a big fan of a match that involves a lot of people and some ridiculous gimmick; I’m more the type who likes to watch two men settle it one-on-one. But then I figure this is a decent way to weed out this federation’s true elites from all the other wannabes and hacks.
As it is, this match requires two winners, and GOP and I are two men. Our plan is to go into that ring, lay waste to the opposition, and walk out with both briefcases. Then, at a future date, he and I would meet in the ring, one-on-one, and we’ll settle it like men.
And wouldn’t that be great, Baxter? To see the two best in this federation fighting for that title? Isn’t that what Joe B. Everyman who goes out and busts his ass in the workplace deserves to see when he comes home, turns on the TV, and expects to see a damn good fight between the two very best the industry has to offer?
Sam Baxter
Well… I suppose. But what makes you think that you and the Phantom Republican are the two very best?
Rocko Daymon
Do I really need to explain it to you, Baxter? Have you not seen the polls? The rankings? Have you not looked back on events in the past YEAR?
Jonathan Marx and Shawn Hart…
(We see stock footage from events at Worcester and Uniondale, notably Daymon respectively pinning Marx and Hart.)
Rocko Daymon
I’ve beaten both of them in singles competition.
Jean Rabesque?
(We see footage from events San Juan, and St. John’s, particularly Daymon tossing Jean Rabesque out of the ring where he is either incapacitated until count-out or eliminated from the match.)
Rocko Daymon
To be honest, I can’t even remember the last time I saw Jean Rabesque in any position other than being on his back outside the ring.
And Larry Tact?
(We see footage from Raucous at Santiago, including Daymon nailing MWG with the Brain Rocker, dumping him over the ropes to be subsequently counted out, and the look of rage crossing Tact’s face as he realizes the match is over.)
Rocko Daymon
Heh… poor Larry. He didn’t think GOP and I could work together, but in the end, he ended up with a face as red as a baboon’s ass when all that bad blood ended up costing him the victory.
(Cut back to the studio.)
Rocko Daymon
Sure, he might have came back and got even with that cheap shot a few weeks ago… but little does he know that that’s the only time he’ll ever be standing tall over Rocko Daymon. Only when my back is turned can he put me to the floor… which really goes to show you just how much of a coward he is.
Sam Baxter
Yes, it seems as though you and Larry Tact have developed quite a rivalry through recent months.
Rocko Daymon
It seems that way, Baxter… strange as it is.
Sam Baxter
What’s strange about it?
Rocko Daymon
Well you see, it’s like this… over the past week, I’ve been going through the past year of NEW promos and shows. And through all that time, I’m still just a little confused as to why Larry Tact thinks that yours truly pissed in his coffee one morning.
Was it something I said? Was it something I did? Since day one in NEW, I’ve done nothing but be myself. Sure, I might have made a few enemies in envious jobbers like HAL and Mr. Entertainment… but WHAT did I do to piss off Larry Tact?
It’s a question that’s been bothering me for a while… but I think I have the answer.
Sam Baxter
You do?
Rocko Daymon
Yeah. You see, Tact is simply starved for attention. That’s why you can’t watch a single Raucous without seeing him two or three times backstage. That’s why he made his return running that ridiculous masked man gimmick. He just wants the spotlight.
And it tears him up inside to see it going to somebody else. Tact is a NEW veteran, and it pisses him off that after all the time and effort he put into this federation, this newer, better talent walks in and goes straight to the top. Suddenly, nobody cares who Larry Tact is or what he’s done… because Rocko Daymon is the talk of the town.
But what Tact fails to realize is that I didn’t get here by whoring myself on camera by wearing masks or pissing off the bosses. I got here by being an unstoppable force in that ring!
Sam Baxter
Some would argue that Tact feels your ambitions are merely to further yourself, and not for the well-being of the federation. Perhaps he feels that if you managed to become the World Champion, you would care more for the legacy of Rocko Daymon as opposed to the legacy of NEW.
Rocko Daymon
You say that like it’s a bad thing, Baxter. Simply put, before I came here, the title of “NEW World Champion” was something that mattered only to the small pool of NEW fans back in that era. I mean, look at how many times it’s been handed off in the past year alone! Every one of this federation’s supposed “top talents” have been playing hot potato with that belt, which, in my opinion, leaves the World Champion looking like little more than a place-holder for the next guy to come in and hold it for a month or two. Hell, look at our current champ, Jonathan Marx… The man has run from more title defenses than he’s beaten challengers!
It’s damn time a TRUE professional wrestler stepped up, took that title, and REPRESENTED this federation as it’s best talent! My coming to this federation has brought some much needed prestige, and I think it’s safe to say that I put the “New” in “New ERA Wrestling.”
The fans may not like it, but damnit, even they can’t deny that when I go into that ring, I give them a damn good show. Like it or not, they need me as their champion, and maybe then, some of the talent around here will actually pick up their slack and start wrestling like professionals.
Larry Tact may not see it that way… but then, that’s expected. His time is coming to an end, and he knows it. I can sense his desperation. He’s like a cornered predator, scared and pissed off… and waiting to lash out. I know he’s going to fight like hell to cling onto that old era for just a bit longer.
But if he honestly believes that I’m not prepared to fight just hard, if not more, just to finish him off and usher in a new legacy of NEW World Champions, then he doesn’t know what’s in store for him.
Sam Baxter
But how do we know who really wants it more? Tact seems pretty dead-set on putting that World Title around his waist for another run. But what motivates you to win this match? What sets you apart from say, Tact or the current World Champion, Jonathan Marx?
(Daymon is quiet for a moment. Then he removes his sunglasses and looks directly into the camera.)
Rocko Daymon
I’ll be as direct as I can in saying this, Baxter…
I’m the only man in this match without a NEW World Title to his credit. In fact, it’s been seven years since I’ve last held a World Heavyweight Title in any federation. I haven’t even BEEN IN A MATCH for a World Title in all that time.
Now there are many reasons why that is. Sometimes it’s backstage politics… or the occasional screw-job… or an unforeseen injury that keeps me on the shelf for a few months, or anything like that. But finally after seven years of busting my ass and being the best damn professional wrestler in the industry, I’ve come across the right time and conditions to earn the pay-off.
I could have easily settled for the Television Title when I fought Mr. Entertainment many moons ago… but I passed up on that opportunity to be this federation’s best. In my eyes, this isn’t Empire Pro, or A1E, or TEAM, or EUWC. New ERA Wrestling stands out from all the other federations I’m in. This is a place where I can set my mark and pioneer an era of prestige and professionalism to the wrestling industry as a whole!
This match is the genesis of that era. Looking at recent events, it’s clearly evident that I hold the advantage in talent. With the Phantom Republican at my side, I hold the advantage in numbers. And considering how damn long I’ve been waiting for a title shot, I obviously have the advantage in motivation. I guess when you consider all that, I could easily slack off and act like I’ve already had this thing won…
But at this point, I don’t slack off. I kick it up another gear and show the opposition that I’m there to do business.
Larry Tact brought me into this match as a means of settling the score, and to beat me to win that title… but he dug his own grave the moment he gave me this opportunity. He has no idea how far I’m willing to go to be the champion. He says it’s time for me to “put up or shut up.” Well, I’ve been putting up for the past seven years… but none of that mattered until NOW.
Jonathan Marx won’t be able to run away this time…
Shawn Hart won’t be able to fall onto my foot and walk away with the win…
And last I checked, there’s still a perfectly nice concrete floor outside the ring for Jean Rabesque to lay his head on.
I’ve been waiting for this match for over seven years, and I’m NOT about to let this opportunity to slip by. What would happen in that case? Would I be forced to wait another seven years? I’m not going to let that happen.
That answer your question, Baxter?
Sam Baxter
It does. Thank you for your time, Rocko. And also, good luck at Wrestlestock.
Rocko Daymon
Luck is for the losers, Baxter. I don’t need it to win.
(Daymon gets up from his seat and walks off camera as the camera fades to black.)