(We begin with black.)
(Eventually, light and sound fades in. This becomes image and music. This becomes a scene: Daymon reclined on what looks like a wooden park bench outdoors, eyes closed and a slightly smile on his face as though he were happily dozing in the shade. A set of white earphones are in place. The only audio we hear is "So Did We" by Isis. Everything is calm.)
(But only moments after this image becomes clear, the calm is broken as a man's hand enters the frame and touches Daymon the shoulder. His eyes flip open and he looks up.)
(Cut to a shot from Daymon's perspective, showing a middle-aged man in a suit against a blue sky looking down at him, mouthing some words that go unheard behind the music.)
(Back on Daymon, the rising NEW superstar blinks at the man in a moment of confusion, and pulls the earphones out. Immediately, the music cuts out, and we can hear the depth of the surrounding world, complete with the sounds of wind and birds chirping and vehicles somwehere in the distance.)
Daymon
Huh?
Man
I said it's not very wise to lay there. You never know what's left behind on these benches...
(Daymon sits up and the camera pulls out, revealing the man standing over him and his green surroundings. He's in Central Park. It's a beautiful day in NYC, and the spot where Daymon happened to catch a quick nap is comfortably shaded from the sun. He scratches his head and looks on either side of the bench.)
Daymon
Like what?
Man
I dunno, a syringe? Wouldn't want to wake up on one of those, believe me...
(As though to check for himself, Daymon's hand slides behind his back. His eyes brighten as his fingers find something. With a satisfied smile, he holds up the flimsy rubber object to the stranger above him.)
Daymon
Nah, just a spent condom! That ain't so bad!
(With a half-disgusted shake of his head, the man walks along the path and doesn't look back. Daymon snickers quietly to himself as he tosses the rubber aside and stands up. His eyes find the camera as he stretches coming out of his nap. His hands find the earphone from his iPod fastened at his belt and jams them into his pocket.)
Daymon
On any other day, I suppose waking up to something like that would easily piss me off. But lately I don't think anything could hamper my day, with the way things have been going for me...
Career-wise, I mean.
It just so happens that I woke up today in my hotel room, and, while taking a nice, relaxing walk of the city, it dawned on me that things happen to be looking up for Rocko Daymon as of late. And, somehow, I get the feeling that if everything goes in my favor, there will be more happy days to come.
As it is, in a federation I'm currently signed to, I'm only a few steps away from solidifying myself as the federation's icon. The trials I face to become the World Champion, the man who stands above all the rest in talent and respect, will no doubt be challenging, but knowing my own abilities, I'm confident that I am capable of handling things in the ring. In a short period of time, I will overcome these trials and take the title. It would be my first big strap in six grueling years.
And then, of course, there's the matter in NEW...
(His smile broadens.)
Daymon
So yeah, I guess there's an extra skip in my step because not only do I realize that I have TWO great opportunities to become a World Champion in two seperate federations...
...but it's because I know if I stick to my guns, accomplishing those goals is only a matter of patience, focus, and time. Two things I never go into that ring without.
But ah, perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. In the case of NEW, for example, there is the challenge that awaits me to consider.
NEW's BattleBRAWL event... twenty men, one ring, and one reward to the one man left standing. Sounds simple enough, huh? But even I know in all of my experience that it isn't easy to walk out of one of these things with the win.
(Daymon takes a moment to light himself a cigarett, walking down the path into a more open area of Central Park where people are out enjoying the weather. A family is having a picnic. A few kids are playing frisbee. Daymon is in stark contrast to this scene, looking dark and foreboding, but his face still shines with an expression of confidence.)
Daymon
So why have I waited for so long to make my voice be heard? Is it, perhaps, because I don't have my heart set on this match? Well no, quite the opposite really. There are two reasons... the first being that I've been spending a lot of time working in other promotions. But that doesn't mean I haven't had my eye on the NEW airwaves. Which leads me to my second reason for holding off on speaking until now... I just wanted to see what people had to say. You know, see who will be a threat and who will be a pushover... who wants it and who could care less.
But I've seen and heard enough to know what I'm going up against, and now I will speak.
Over the past couple weeks, I've heard several names being dropped. But surprisingly, my own name hasn't popped up too much. Is it just a tad ego-centric of me to be disappointed? After all, with everything I've done in NEW since my debut, you'd think these guys would see one of the greatest threats in this battle rumble in the form of yours truly. But it doesn't seem like people are showing too much concern, either because I'm they think I'm that insignificant, or perhaps because they haven't even thought of it. Two big mistakes for a person to make going into this...
I suppose they figured, "Daymon? Well, he's not gonna promote this, so it's obvious he doesn't care about winning."
And I say, "Oh yeah? And what if you're wrong?"
And what if they are?
(His right eyebrow perks up as he says this.)
Daymon
You're looking at the man who has been on the most dominant streak of any other NEW superstar. Here I'm standing with an opportunity to blow through nineteen of the most prominent on NEW's roster and take a World Title shot in a single night--a process that's much easier and less time consuming than simply working my way there match by match.
In a match of this caliber, it would be a fatal mistake for any of you to disregard me as a threat.
You know why that is? Well, it's the one thing that seperates me from the other nineteen in this match... which is that I don't sit here and boast. I don't refer to myself in the third person, I don't use pervasive profanity to trash my opponents, and I don't organize an elaborate Western-themed skit. Simply put, I go out there and get results, and that speaks for itself.
But this is a twenty-man battle royale... a different kind of match, one that I'm no stranger to.
Most of you probably think this is just a matter of outwrestling nineteen other competitors. Doesn't sound too hard, especially when you think of yourself as God's gift to professional wrestling. But in all actuality it's a little more complicated than that. I mean, I could probably beat any of the entrants in this match in singles competition, but even I will admit that there's a possibility that I can lose if I don't have my head in the game.
There's a science to the battle rumble. There are many aspects you have to keep in mind as you stand alone amid a ring full of chaos. You have to have good conditioning... because you'll never have a moment to catch your breath or regain your strength. At the same time, you have to keep one eye peeking over your shoulder to make sure nobody jumps up on you from behind and eliminates you before you even know it's coming.
On top of that, you gotta know what your prey is. Eliminate the weak, and stay the hell away from the guys fresh out of the locker room. Trust nobody, even if at some point they help you out; there are no friends in this. It all sounds like common sense, but there's so much more that none of you probably take into account.
In my extensive career, I've been through MANY rumbles, and through them all, I've learned how to stand strong in a ring full of twenty--or sometimes even thirty or forty--other competitors. It's no wonder that the last one I had a part in, over in EUWC, I was the last man to be eliminated, and only by another man's cowardly interference.
And now here I am facing a similar challenge against a new set of opponents. Is it my day to hit paydirt, or do I face utter doom? Rather than give you some balony about how long I've waited, how much I want to win, yadda yadda... I just want you to look back over the past couple years of my career. Look at my work here in NEW. Look in other federations. Notice how hard I work to win each and every match I particpate in.
Then ask yourself... are you really ready to go head to head with something as unstoppable as THAT? Can you push yourself above the level of a TRUE professional wrestler?
Cause, in my honest and experienced opinion, I'd say the answer is NO for all of you concerned. I just don't see it from this kind of competition.
(Daymon stops at a newstand and throws his cigarette to the ground before stamping it out. He buys a wrestling magazine with NEW's BattleBRAWL featured on the cover, along with all twenty entrants' faces. Daymon looks at it and shakes his head as he continues walking, flipping through the pages.)
Daymon
You got guys on the list like John Doe and Mr. Entertainment... two wrestlers who I know can put on a hell of a fight in the ring, but still stand below my level.
I mean, when was the last time John won a match? Hell, when was the last time we even SEEN anything of him? It surprises me that he's been so quiet, especially since he has a reputation for incessant verbal bull**** on the airwaves. But who knows... maybe after laying his friend and mentor Jonathan Marx out on the anniversary show, he came to understand that DREDD is on its last legs, after I all but crippled it.
And, at the last Raucous, the world watched as I overcame the odds and beat Mr. Entertainment, the favored opponent, the Television Champion. Now I have a shot at his title, but I only intend to use it as a back-up plan in case things don't go my way at BattleBRAWL. A man with the face value and reputation of Mr. Entertainment would do well in this kind of match. But like I said to him before our match, I don't believe in "Mr. Entertainment"; I only see Stephen Forrester, simple man who thinks he's big because he can squeeze into wrestling tights.
Then there are the bright and shining few who have actually advertised their interest in the mach over the airwaves... guys like Copycat, Shawn Hart, and a few other nobodies.
But I guess they seem to think they're "somebody". Steven Shane? Man, watching a guy come in his pants as he strokes his ego on national television is about as interesting as watching an old man pick his nose. You might be tempted to think about what's running through his head, but then you'll realize that it probably doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.
Sorry, Steven... maybe after you've spent some time here and taken a few names I might actually take you seriously. In the end, this comes down to two kinds of people: the ones that will make a difference and the ones that THINK they'll make a difference.
But speaking of making a difference... I guess that's the status quo for our "mystery entrant" Ulysis Solian. I'm sure a few idle threats about wanting to cause misery and crush dreams will make a few fresh faces life Shane and Hayze wet their pants in the locker room, but frankly, I've been in this game too long to be scared by anything anymore.
The whole "I wanna cause pain cause I like it, GRRR" shtick lost its originality when EPW sent Clapper packing years ago. Now, it's just a weak angle used by mid-carders who realize they can't turn any heads by talent, and need some sort of gimmick to propel themselves into mid-level title matches. Hence, the tough guy who doesn't care about winning, but just wants to make others lose.
And yes, I'm sure the truck driver's vernacular goes over well elsewheres, but calling everybody a "****rag" doesn't prove to me that you're the cream of the crop in this match. I've never heard of you prior to your promo, and frankly, I don't care. To me, you're just another man that I will need to throw out of that ring to get to what I want.
The fact that you consider Shawn Hart as your single greatest threat just goes to show that you're nothing more than a ****ing moron...
I'm sure you'll dish out the typical "buuuuhhhh, YOU DON'T KNOW THE CARNAGE I'M CAPABLE OF, RRRAAAAHH!" kind of rant, probably call me a "lowlife, untalented ****er", but in the same light, you don't know the carnage that I'M capable of. But what draws the line between us is that I'm after victory, and you're after blood. That's exactly where you'll fail, in that you can't visualize yourself winning this match. What good are you, then?
But, when it comes to being the apathetic guy who doesn't care about winning, at least you're above HAL. Don't know what I can say about this guy, except he really does reflect the image of a typical internet nerd.
You know, the guy who lives in his mother's basement, and sits on the computer all day, flaming all the fans of the Silent Hill movie on the AICN.com boards and picking fights, writing up on his blog about all these movies and actors and directors who are nothing but hacks while he himself displays no interest to show how it's done right.
See Ben Affleck's speech in Jay and Silent Bob...
Anyhow, HAL, like I told Solian... if you don't want to win, then what's the point of showing up? I'm the kind of guy who tries to grow with every match because I push myself to overcome challenges. But based on your lack of interest in winning, I come to think that maybe you won't present a challenge. You're stunting my growth, HAL, and that pisses me off.
Then there's Jason Payne. I don't know if what I saw could be considered "preparing for a match", but eh, whatever floats his boat. I'll stick to hitting the gym, studying my opponents, and opening my mind to the challenges that await me.
I look at guys like these, and I think, if these are the few that actually take the time to cut a promo for this match, what the HELL am I looking forward to? A bunch of egos that think they're better than the rest just because they SAY they are? It would hardly be worth bragging if I walked out of this as the winner, against competition like this.
(Shaking his head in dismay, Daymon dumps the magazine into a trashcan as he walks by.)
Daymon
But ah, all is not lost. At least we've got Copycat.
Cat, can't say I've had the pleasure to compete with you before, but I've seen your stuff, and you're not too shabby. That, and I like your mindset going into this match, doing it for the fans and all. Maybe causing a few blips to appear on the Gay-dar with the whole Queen singalong and the cowboy shtick... but eh, you're having fun, right?
You might have a lot of momentum going into this thing... but the truth is, Copycat, your focus and determination to become the icon of the fans isn't going to be quite enough to put yourself over me. I fight to win because there are days where I feel like I'm professional wrestling's last true professional wrestler... the incarnate of things that have since been forgotten, like respect, courage, modesty. And maybe you represent those things to, but for me, it's not about pleasing the ticket-buyers.
I want to be the last man standing in the ring not because the people WANT to see it... but because they NEED to. The people need to be reminded of what a true athlete is like. They need to see him stand tall and wear that belt like he earned every bit of it, and didn't just rob it like our current World Champion.
I'm a fan favorite and I'm the perfect example of what a champion should be...
On top of that, I'm an experienced and heavily motivated professional wrestler that strives to win under any circumstances.
So while I may give you the slightest tip of the hat--more than I'd give anybody else in this match--you gotta know, Cat, that I'm not going to let you walk over me at BattleBRAWL. I've come to far in my career to be denied of this opportunity, and it's been a long six years since I had a shot at a World Title. The fans will simply have to live with seeing you rise to the top at a later date.
And last but not least...
(He mocks a drum trill.)
Daymon
Shawn Hart... well, what can I say about you being in this match? You face perhaps the greatest challenge of us all, entering that ring as entrant numero uno. Yet somehow, you've been gaining the most attention out of everybody else involved in this match. People seem to think that this match isn't just the BattleBRAWL Rumble, but Shawn Hart vs. NEW.
Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't respect you for your profound status as an NEW legend...
But the sad truth is, Shawn, that you're a joke. I beat you. Not only did I pin your shoulders once for the three count, but TWICE in the same night. Best of three falls, and you couldn't even get ONE over me! And suddenly you think you've got the gusto to outlast nineteen other competitors and reclaims your place at the top of the mountain?
That match still perplexes me to some degree. How is it that I BEAT you so easily? You, SHAWN HART, the favored man to win! How could you fail at the simple task of humbling an unstoppable new talent?
Could it be that you lacked the ability? Well, no, not possible. While you're still a few notches below my level, your rep sheet proves that you can at least get positive results when you put your mind to it. So you can't place the blame on lack of talent. Maybe you were just having a bad day? But then you're always so chipper whenever I see you on the air, and I somewhat speculate if Shawn Hart EVER has a bad day...
But then I realized the very reason why you allowed yourself to have your ass handed to you without me even breaking a sweat, Shawn. You didn't care enough to win. A match against me wasn't worth your time and commitment, so you blew it off, took the beating like an abused housewife, picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, and went on your merry way.
Ironically, here we are some time later, and now that there's a title shot on the line, we're hearing a lot more out of you through your promos than we did in the weeks preceding our little dance in the ring. Funny how that is, how you only show determination when it matters.
You see, Shawn, I'm not like you. I RESPECT this game. That's why every time I go into that ring, I do the one thing that a TRUE professional wrestler should. I fight with everything I have. I hold nothing back. I give all I can, and I find a way to give more. I refuse to fail, and when I fall, I pick myself up and keep on swinging. Victory is the only acceptable outcome.
So it's no wonder why looking back on the past year in my career, you don't see too many marks in the "Loss" category. Fewer than I can count on one hand, I'd imagine, and all of them insignificant and forgettable.
And, above all, none of those losses ever took place here in New ERA Wrestling. To this day, since my debut, I remain undefeated, even after the series of challenges I've faced in the likes of Shawn Hart, Mr. Entertainment, and even our own World Champion, Jonathan Marx.
This is why you will fail, Shawn... because for the bulk of your career, you sit back and step into that ring and go through the motions without a care in the world. It's not until you actually see a prize on the line when you decide to roll up your sleeves and WORK for your fame. Maybe this wasn't the Shawn Hart of past NEW fame... but I certainly see this in the Shawn Hart of today. Nothing but a hack who would rather sit back and wait for opportunities to come to him rather than seek out his own opportunities.
Not me, Shawn. When you come to cross paths with me in that ring, you'll find that I'll fight with just as much focus and energy as you saw firsthand in our last encounter. Only this time, I will give you more... just a little incentive to overshadow that pathetic boost of confident you think sets you above everybody else.
I will survive you because I am a professional wrestler, Shawn. You, sadly, don't quite fit into that classification anymore.
But don’t feel bad. Few do, these days.
(Daymon's attention wanders from the camera to his surroundings. He notices how clear the sky is. A flock of birds passes by overhead, and he takes a moment to bask in the sunlight.)
Daymon
So, in the end, it’s me against a handful of dedicated athletes. Will this be a squash for me? Oh, I hardly think so… in fact, I might go as far to say that it will be the biggest challenge of my career. But I really want that title shot, and I’m not going to let anybody stand in my way.
Like others, I won't promise a win. I'll simply say what I say every week, about how whenever I enter that ring, I give everything and more. I take punishment and deal it back in spades. I watch, adapt, and grow to overcome any and every challenge that faces me. I stride for excellence and focus, pushing for victory until my body is crippled and beaten and left lying on the mat--and even then, I will pick myself up and continue fighting. I walk the path of a man... the path of a true professional wrestler.
Funny how every time I say that I'll walk into a match with that mentality, I walk away with the win.
Hasn't failed me before, and none of you have given me any reason to think that it shouldn't this time around.
(Daymon reaches into his pocket and pulls out his iPod, putting the earplugs back on. The audio is again muted, replaced by the music of Isis. With a confident and relaxed smile on his face, Daymon continues along the path. The camera lingers on his departing form.)
(As we faded from black, the image begins to intensify in color. At the same time, the music grows in volume, until it becomes distorted and warped. The colors mesh and mix and the only thing we can see and hear is complete chaos until it finally pans out into a screen of white with a static in the background.)