In my entire career as a journalist and professional wrestling interviewer, the two people I can say I have the longest working history are Steve Jason and Andy Cortinovis. I can also say that I alone among all the XWF staff first witnessed the professional debuts of both men. In the wake of the coming clash between both men, I felt I could offer xwf99.com a good overview of precisely what this match is.

Steve Jason and Centurion entered Carver Championship Wrestling Federation in 2001 as neophytes - Centurion was twenty-four, Steve was twenty-three, and it was Centurion who had taken Steve under his wing as part of a rag-tag group of headstrong rebels opposing - well, just about any source of authority there. That's a far cry from the two men of today, I know - it's actually quite hard to believe Centurion went on to become a billionaire businessman and Steve adopted the mannerisms of a modern-day samurai.

The two men have associated and been friends ever since - they were footsoldiers in the CCWF Invasion of the XWF, they were members of the Wildcards, of New Wave, both were figureheads of the XWF Diamond Era movement Steve implemented in mid-04, then New Wave again, the Prophecy - and then the final culmination of both men winning the XWF Tag Team Championships last year. In fact, if you examine the XWF's history, it could be said that Steve Jason and Centurion were probably the only two men not to turn on each other at one point or another in their lives. Steve in particular has been betrayed by a lot of people in the past once they got what they wanted out of him - or through personal differences- but the one man who has remained trustworthy is Centurion.

It's absolutely astounding to me that this is the first time in nine years these men have fought mano-a-mano. They have undoubtedly the longest histories with each other, have associated with each other continually, and yet they have never fought one on one. Right up until now. The XWF Universal Championship tournament continues, with Steve Jason defeating Hunter Ryan and Centurion defeating Peter Gilmour, and that puts the two friends on a collision course with a shot at the highest prize in the game in the balance. That alone changes this match - this isn't just a friendly match. This is serious business - one man is going on in the quest for the championship, another will have to wait for another day.

Put simply, the friendship between Steve Jason and Andy Cortinovis is going to be put to the ultimate test. One man has to snuff out the path of another, there's no going around that. Both men have personal stakes - Steve seeks redemption and a return to glory, while Centurion chases the title that has eluded him for so long - and that so many feel he is long overdue to hold. Friends have betrayed one another for less. Alliances have ended over this kind of thing - and Steve is no stranger to that, the Universal Championship nearly ruined his friendship with Jem Williams in the past.

There's been a lot of debate as to how this one will go, but one way or the other, this Thursday an XWF Legend will progress one step closer to the title in what many people are calling a dream match that has been coming for nine years. I just hope their friendship will survive the clash.

-Steve Sayors, for xwf99.com

Location: Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, Turkey
Date/Time: Sunday 22 August, 2010

Cast

Marcus Enderton	Steve Jason	Talia Richards

Istanbul was one hell of a city - and one that Steve had wanted to visit for quite some time.

More than just a recent city like New York or Sydney or Perth itself, the history of this city went back thousands of years. It was originally known as Byzantium - and had been a Greek colony back in the 7th Century BC, it was said. Later on, it became Constantinople - capital of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which eventually became the Byzantine Empire - right before falling into the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Truly, this was a city upon which the backs of multiple empires had been built. Steve had always had a thing for ancient history and empires, drawing inspiration for some of them - and so it was that Istanbul appealed to that side of his nature. To finally see Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul, was a thrill indeed.

Steve Jason, Talia Richards and Marcus Enderton were all located in the heart - and one of the most famous parts of Istanbul, Sultanahmet Square. An ancient part of the city, it was a tourist trap, with all kinds of historical monuments from Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman in plain sight. The large, multiple domes of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia cathedral towered above the square underneath the blue sky. Emerald lawns and hedges were visible in all directions, along with a broad, crystal-blue fountain. Ironically, this would have been the place Steve would have fought in ancient times, formerly known as the Hippodrome, the sporting hub of Constantinople.

"If there's one thing I love about travelling with you, Steve, it's getting to see places like these..." Talia said in wonder, looking around at the place. She'd tied her honey-colored hair back into a ponytail today, and wore a light green summer dress - in stark contrast to the more utilitarian Steve, who wore a white shirt, tan combat pants and leather utility vest, and Marcus, who wore a khaki jacket, black tanktop and jeans.

"I know, not too shabby, right?" Steve replied, "There's a reason I decided to stay back in Turkey for a bit before moving on to Milan. Right here we're in a fusion of cultures going back millennia. Turkey's got a pretty rich history to say the least - and once the Ottomans hit the road, it actually made itself one hell of a place to visit."

"Yeah, just a shame that they treated the Kurds and the Armenians like sh..." Marcus got no further than that as Steve suddenly cut him off, turning to regard him with a steely gaze. Talia, Steve had noticed out the corner of his eye, had gone somewhat pale, her eyes widening a little.

"I've got this, Tal," Steve assured her, before turning back to Marcus, "I need to have a word with you, Marcus. Immediately. Down that side-path will do."

"Huh? Bru, what's the prob..."

"Just do it, Marcus. Please."

Marcus' look was odd and confused, but nevertheless he did what was asked of him, breaking away from the crowd to follow Steve towards a small side-path in the gardens. As soon as they were in the clear, Steve looked around left and right to ensure nobody else was around, then spoke in a low voice.

"You've got to watch what you say around here, Marcus. You can't just say that in plain sight here in Turkey. I know you're sensitive about this issue because of what happened to you in Zimbabwe. And I understand and empathise, I really do. What happened to the Armenians was horrible. What happened to the Kurds was horrible. And once we're outside this country, I will gladly take a stand with you against it. But it's dangerous to talk like that here in Turkey. They blocked YouTube for talking smack about Kemal Ataturk. Any book criticizing the Armenian Genocide is banned. What do you think is going to happen if you talk the way you..."

"Why the bloody hell are you defending them?" Marcus snarled, "Somebody's got to speak the truth. You of all people I would expect to understand that."

"I do. Once we are safely on a plane out of here, we can say whatever we want about it - and I'm on your side. I don't like that they pretend it never happened, but believe me, there is nothing you or I can do about it. If you go around the streets of Istanbul broadcasting outrage over Armenia, something could happen to you - and if it does I may not be able to bail you out of any trouble you get into. I'm saying this for your safety, Marcus. Please be careful of what you say here. In San Francisco - or Italy, for that matter - you can say whatever you want."

Marcus' expression was sour - like that of somebody being told something he really didn't want to hear. He paced to the left briefly, then glowered at Steve.

'Alright. Fine. I'll keep my trap zipped. But I don't like it."

"Neither do I, Marcus. Neither do I. C'mon, let's get back to it."

The two men quickly headed back down the path to rejoin Talia in the main gardens. Nothing was said between any of them, save for a quick nod between Steve and Talia, communicating without words that the problem had been solved. They began to walk along the gardens, but got a grand total of about ten feet before Marcus' phone suddenly began ringing. The young man held up his hand.

"Gotta take this, bru."

"Can't you just do it while we walk? We haven't got all day here, Marcus..." Steve sighed.

"Nope. I want privacy. Woman-related matters, y'know?" Without even allowing Steve or Talia time to refute, he made his way off along the gardens again, talking into his phone. Steve and Talia shared one glance, then made their way over towards the main fountain where Marcus was sure to find them. As they sat down, Steve laughed sharply.

"He's got a woman. Already. We've been residing in San Francisco for like a week and most of that's been on the road! How in the world did he get time for that?"

"It's the accent. And his persona. He stands out from the crowd, he's got an aura of mystery about him, and he's got the accent. I imagine all he had to do was open his mouth and he had a girlfriend."

"Heh. I almost forgot about the accent factor. Yeah, you American girls do love the Australian accent - I imagine that probably extends to Anglo-Zimbabwean."

And for a period, that was all that was said. Steve and Talia both sat on the edge of the fountain in silence as Marcus went about his business, until finally Talia broke the ice.

"Talk to me, Steve." she said finally.

"...eh?" Steve replied in confusion.

"C'mon, Steve, don't give me that. I know you well enough to know when something's on your mind. It's been hanging around you all day. We can talk about it, or I can pry it out of you eventually."

Talia had been right. There had in fact been something on Steve's mind recently - something that was fairly heavily weighing on him for the past several days. It was something he was sure he had in hand, but nevertheless it had been bothering him considerably. If Talia wanted to know... well, it probably couldn't have hurt. He turned his head to regard his soulmate, looking deep into her eyes.

"Picture this. In ten years of work, you have had a lot of friends and associates and grown quite close to a lot of them. Eventually most of them prove themselves to be fake - or using you - or betray you, and that causes cynicism in you. Now imagine that there's one friend who has never, ever betrayed you - who you can arguably say is the most loyal friend you've ever had - and you've just been ordered to destroy his dream."

"Oh." Recognition began to dawn in Talia's dark eyes, "You're talking about Centurion, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I've gotta fight him, that much is clear. Thing is, Centurion's been passed over for the Universal title so many times in the past. Everybody thinks it's a damn shame and that he's long overdue a title run..." He paused, "...and I'm one of 'em."

"Yeah, but you've fought friends before, haven't you? And been triumphant? It's just business, right?"

"Yeah, but by and large those were people who weren't that close - or had proven unworthy of my trust before. Cent's different. I mean, this man is my best friend in the industry. He's right up there with Dougy - and you for that matter. It's a damn sight easier to terminate the path of somebody you're indifferent to - or somebody whose mouth you'd get a kick out of shutting."

"You aren't considering throwing the match, are you?"

"God, no! That would be worse than beating him. Among people of our caliber, that's considered an insult. It would cheapen his victory. Andy wouldn't want that and neither would I. I guess it just makes this match tough. If I fight well enough, there will be a position where he's defeated and prone, and I'm going to have to pull the trigger and pin him - and then that's it, Andy's hopes of the big one are snuffed out. I guess I just don't want to be the one to crush him, you know? The one man who's been loyal to me over nine years, and I have to snatch his chance away. I'll do it in the end, but I don't think I'm going to like it very much."

A long stretch of silence passed as Steve and Talia sat in silence on the edge of the fountain, the sparkling sound of dropping water all that could be heard. Finally, Talia spoke.

"Andy will understand, Steve. I don't think you'll be doing him quite the harm to his dreams you think you'll be doing if you defeat him. For all you know, it might make the achievement of when he finally does capture it all the sweeter. Sure, it would be great if things were different - but they aren't. You always want an interesting and exciting fight - Andy can provide it for you. And his dreams won't end if you win. Hell, if you win the title, you might even be in a position to give him a shot yourself. As it is, like you said, you haven't got a choice, so you might as well make the most of it. Andy wants to prove himself - give him the chance."

Of course, that had always been the cold hard fact. One way or the other, Steve would have to snuff out Centurion's path for his own to proceed. He'd more or less said the same to Hunter Ryan and the stakes hadn't changed. Centurion did deserve the title shot - but Steve also knew that Centurion was the kind of man who would value it more if he overcame Steve giving it everything he had. To be honest, all Talia had done was say aloud what Steve already knew - but it was good to hear it.

"As usual, you have a point, Tal." he admitted with a small smirk.

"Of course I do. I'm always right." she replied with a toss of her head, "Honestly, I don't think it'll be as bad as you think. Andy will probably thank you for a great match, and you'll go back to being the best of friends. I imagine the harshest person in this whole deal is you - on yourself."

"I suppose." Steve paused briefly, then smiled back over at Talia, "Thanks, Tal. As usual, you've been the one to go to."

"Just happy to help, Steve. To tell you the honest truth, I've missed having that opportunity. You don't know how..." Before she could go on however, Marcus came trundling back to join them.

"Alright, gang, taken care of. That wasn't so hard, was it? What's the plan now?"

"All things considered, I think it's about time we headed back to the hotel and got ready to leave. Marcus, you go back to San Francisco. I'm giving you the rest of the week off - go have some fun with that lady of yours. Talia and me are gonna go on to Milan by ourselves."

"Serious? Thanks, SJ, I really appreciate the break, but... how come you guys aren't going back to Frisco? There's still a few days..."

"Nah, I think I'm gonna take the scenic route to Milan. I'd rather not go back to San Francisco and get caught up in distractions. If I go straight to Milan, I can keep my eye straight on the prize."

"Alright..." the young man said, shrugging his shoulders, "I guess I'll see you when you get back to SF. You gonna want a lift back from the airport when you do?"

"All things considered..." Steve chuckled quietly, "Might be a good idea. If I know Andy - and I do - one way or the other, I'm gonna need a long, long rest once I get home."

-Promo: The Undeniable Words - 23/8/10-

Mood Music: "Heaven's Devils" - Starcraft II Wings of Liberty Soundtrack

...well, I guess that answered the question of whether or not I can still go, don't you think, people?

I stated that Steve Jason versus Hunter Ryan would be an epic contest. Some believed me, some heckled me. I imagine that my match on Thursday left quite a few hecklers backstage a little red-faced. The likes of your Jason Mudds, Dante Anglais, etcetera probably all look just a tad silly now. I'm not one to brag - usually - but I'd just like to take this opportunity to make a moral out of this story - assuming somebody's 'not the man they were' or that they're gonna inevitable choke or blah blah blah may make you look like a wiseguy on live television - but when it's proven otherwise, you kind of look like a retard in front of the whole wide world.

Plus, it's practically admitting that 'the man they were' would tear your head off in a contest. I'd like to thank Jason Mudd for his candor in admitting that, and look forward to potentially rubbing his face in the admission in the future. As for Dante... well, about all I can say is that I hope you enjoy your new position in this company as a mid-card sideshow until this tournament is over.

Yeah, I can be a prick sometimes. For what it's worth, the one man I don't have a bad thing to say about in that regard is Hunter Ryan. Hunter, what can I say - you brought it, man. You brought it hard, you gave me a good wake-up call, and while you may not have won, I personally think you brought a superb performance to the table. I imagine we'll meet again soon - possibly sooner than we think - but until then, I thank you for a good fight.

No time to rest on my laurels though. One obstacle is cleared, but I have three more to go before reaching the ultimate goal - and to boot, this match is one that the critics have been waiting on for a very very long time. For the first time in our respective nine-year careers, I'm going up against my regular ally and friend Andy 'Centurion' Cortinovis. Needless to say, this is going to be a huge fight for me to say the absolute least. There are already a lot of people calling this a match for the ages - the kind of thing that should be seen on a pay per view.

There are generally two types of long-term Classics and Legends in this business - the first type is what I like to call the 'flavour of the year'. They do forge a legacy for themselves - one that will last for a long time - but they get complacent in that legacy. They continually re-live the heydays of 1999 or 2000 or wherever and simply cannot accept the fact that the XWF is an evolutionary business. Now all those kinds of classics and vets do is sit around moaning about how the old days were so much better without anything to prove it. They're usually the kind that when they do try to come back, they get wrecked.

Then there's the second class - a rarer, but far more resilient class. These men understand that as history changes, so do they. They understand that professional wrestling is not static and not fluid, and that yesterday's curtain-jerker can just as easily be tomorrow's Universal Champion in the right condition. He continually adapts and changes to match the evolving face of his federation - the new faces, the new styles of wrestling, the new atmosphere and administration.

Why am I talking about this? Because Centurion and I are of this second class - and damn proud of it. We have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the past, present and future are not mutually exclusive. We have been major players consistently for the last seven years - which is more than any other XWF Legend can lay claim to - because we evolved and absorbed the XWF's evolution. We took the ignorant idea that the 'old days' are superior and the equally ignorant idea that 'old wrestlers can't go' and threw it right out the damned window. And because of this, it will be interesting to finally get to take him on.

In a way, Andy, I think this might be the right time for us to finally confront each other. If it were in 2001 it wouldn't have even meant anything to folks, in 2003 it wouldn't have had the same impact as it had now. Now is the right time for it - when we're both titans in our own rights. We both started our journeys at the same time, we've both established things that will see us embedded in the annals of history. We're both older and wiser than what we used to be. Win or lose, this will be a match that will have people talking for a long time. We will do what we're known for doing - stealing the goddamn show, win or lose.

That's right, I said win or lose. Because I don't rule out the possibility you could beat me, Andy. You've watched me for so long that if anybody knows any weaknesses or gaps in my game, it's you. I know you've touted me as one of the greatest of all time, but I also think you are one day destined to hold that Universal Championship. This may be the time, it may not, but it's going to happen, mark my words. And I hope to encounter an Andy Cortinovis that is ready to take that title and enter the annals of history. If I face that and lose, then so be it. And if I face that and win, and you go on to win the title again another day, I'll be honored to know I helped you get there. No matter what happens, Andy, you'll always be my friend and ally. If I lose, I can wear that. And if I win, I hope you can forgive me.

Now let's go and show these folks why we're the two toughest, long-lived sons of bitches in this federation - and why one of us come hell or high water is going to be the next XWF Universal Champion.

And that... IS UNDENIABLE!