act four: saviors and traitors
When you do the math, run the numbers and all that... the F1X really don't stand a chance, do they? I mean, let's face it... two of their guys, probably not even the best of their best, against what equivalates to a NLCW class reunion, with a bit of new blood sprinkled on.
Oh yeah, and then there's that other free agent guy.
Fact remains, even if Champion didn't swoop in to save the day for the NLCW in that Battle Royale... the F1X's chances were already pretty crippled. I wouldn't put it past some of the guys in our side of the match to drop the ball, truth be told, but... come on, if F1X would have won then it'd be because the NLCW was trying to lose.
Now that Champ's entered the equation though... it's basically just an open and shut case, isn't it? I guess you might have a few folks here and there who're stubborn enough to question whether Champ can get the job done, whether he's got the same stuff he used to... whether or not he can take this new and improved Bucky Skyler that formed ever since he left, or the "new" Dazz that was born from the ashes of Delfino, or even the old Phil Castle who gave him hell in what few encounters they managed to have...
Or maybe Champion might fall to the hands of Jackson, who... okay, no, sorry, that's about as likely as Texas Tim riding bareback on Godzilla into the arena for the match.
Fact is, if there's anyone out there who is left questioning what's going to happen in the Battle Royale, they'll probably figure it out rather quickly when Champ starts making his entrance for the night. Not a chance that man's going to give up in a fight like that, there's a reason his record reads the way it does today.
So... with that said, Champion will more than likely be getting the title shot on behalf of the NLCW, taking it from the jaws of F1X's... two guys. Are we really sure these guys are more financially stable than us? I mean-- okay, anyway, moving on...
Champ gets the title shot this Sunday, I think almost all of us can agree on that one, which leaves... myself and Carmine. The hero and the traitor.
Honestly? When I got to Avulsion that night, I didn't bother talking to anyone but Midvalley, didn't bother listening in on anything said, watching any interviews... I was there to say a few words and rally the troops for this Sunday. Wasn't concerned with what Carmine had to say about our match, figured I'd catch it on replay... and having caught it on replay, I have to say, things have changed since that little speech of mine.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Carmine's still got all the potential in the world... a single night's speech on his part isn't going to rob him of that potential; however, I'll tell you what will rob him of it: a match with me after all the shit he started talking. See, when that little whimpering shit of a "roaring lion" went out there spilling out his master plan to take the NLCW's title and betray the company, defecting off to F1X? Yeah, he made a seriously fucking awful move. You could compare it to trying to sacrifice your king in a game of chess, it was just batshit retarded.
See, if there's one thing I'm fighting for right now beyond the future I know is already locked in for my family and I, it's for this company I hold dear, and for the fans who hold it dear with me. So when you tell me that your intention is to rob me of the belt that I own, that represents that very same company... and that you want to take that belt to our competitor, to the company looking to buy us out? That you want to take it there, take yourself there, and leave us in ruin...?
You tell me you'd dearly want the greatest thrashing you've had in the history of your career, and you tell me that you want me to show you exactly where your body's limits lie.
See, Carmine... when I fight to represent the NLCW, I'm fighting with a moniker that calls for me to have "no limits". When you fight to represent F1X, your little buddies you decided to go off and join forces with? You... you're fighting with a moniker that calls for you to have experience in fighting.
So congratulations, Carmine, you're now on-level with any child who's ever thrown their fist at another.
Yet still, true to form, you continue to run that little mouth of yours that you're convinced is actually the gaping maw of a roaring lion. You talk and talk and talk about how much better you are even though in every encounter we've had, you've fallen short. You backpedal and make excuses, trying to weasel in claims about why you lost, and how much it makes sense to have happened then, but now... you're different, apparently.
Now, you're capable of beating me. Hell, apparently, you were capable of beating me before, you just... had a bit of bad luck.
At least according to you.
See, Carmine, you even have said you threw all you had at me and just couldn't keep fighting after. Now, you're trying to fall back into mind games, talking about how no matter the result here, the NLCW dies... trying to claim that Champ and I would be so selfish that we'd leave this place in ruins again. See, you at least had half ot the end-result down... Champ and I are going to face off after all Sunday's dust has settled... and I'm glad to see you're willing to accept that.
But he and I aren't fighting for ourselves anymore, Carmine... we're fighting for the place that made us, the place we love. We're fighting for the NLCW.
You're fighting for some random fed that swooped in and hoped to make an easy buy-out until the inmates started claiming back their asylum. You're fighting for the same place that saw fit to send only two-- fucking two-- of their wrestlers off to represent their federation in a match that was for our World-Fucking-Championship.
Yeah, Carmine, you definitely joined the winning team on that one. Do you live to make mistakes or something, kid?
In any event... you're going into the match this Sunday basically begging for a loss, and kid, if I haven't shown you my eagerness to hand you one before then believe me, I'll be more than happy to show it to you now.
Far as I'm concerned, Carmine... third time's not somuch a charm as it is a violent massacre, and since it's me who's explaining this, you can guess who's going to be on the delivering end of said massacre, can't you?
Yeah, I thought so.
Mark your calendars, folks... because on August 30th, when NLCW's When Worlds Collide airs on pay-per-view... it's going to live up to its name, and I think we all know that's a foregone conclusion.
Looking forward to the rematch, Champ.