Post by FPV on Dec 9, 2023 23:08:25 GMT -5
FPV RP #9 - Lies in Ruins
Ramon: You need to leave, darling. There's nothing you can do.
I hadn't been able to leave the tattered remains of my headquarters for some time. I was still aghast at the destruction caused by the former LA Johnny Stylez, so aghast it shut off all logical parts of my brain to where I could not see reason even if it stood right in front of me. Deep down I knew that everything was replaceable. The store could be refurbished and repaired, the office floors could be redone from the ground up, hell it could maybe even be improved upon. But I could not see that for the life of me. I could only see red.
I surveyed the rubble in an almost fugue state as Ramon stood behind me, trying his best to clutch my hand and comfort me, even if only a little.
Ramon: Come on darling, you need to let the professionals handle this.
FPV: I can't think of anything else, Ramon. Everything I had built up since 2016, everything I had put into this business, just destroyed. Annihilated. All because of what, jealousy? Anger because I won some award? Anger because I'm not a true representation of the city?
I turned my head to face my Ramon, trying desperately hard to hide the fact that my eyes were now beginning to grow red from pure rage.
FPV: There are people on my payroll that DEPEND on me, Ramon. Out of work until this space can be fixed.
Ramon: That doesn't mean you don't have to stop paying them! You and I both know you can afford it, just tell them it's an extended vacation while we deal with this.
FPV: You didn't let me finish, Ramon. These are just normal people, not involved with the wrestling business in the SLIGHTEST. And now their lives are turned completely upside down because their boss happens to be a wrestler some maniac doesn't like. That EATS ME UP INSIDE RAMON.
Ramon: Frank, please. You're not going to solve anything by screaming into nothing. You need a space somewhere away from here to regroup. Come home, watch some TV, read a book, hell you could even go to the studio and do your promo for the federation this week. But you can't. Stay. Here. Not right now anyways. Your wounds are too fresh.
I was mad, but deep down I knew Ramon was right. Standing here wasn't going to solve anything. And if I needed to get away from the place I felt compelled to stay at, I may as well be productive and get some work done. I gave Ramon a tight embrace, kissed him on the cheek for just a moment, and said...
FPV: Okay. I'll go do WGWF and Liberation Frequency work for now. I'm not gonna let this clown drag me to his level.
Ramon: Good. Let's go then.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My mind in as many different places as it was, the usual calm of being in the studio to cut a promo just wasn't there today. My opponnent this week was one Seth Stevens, a veritable veteran of WGWF, who has made a small comeback since the reopening of the fed. Someone I could see a lot of myself in, if I'm being honest. But I had no room for humility this week. I had an image that I needed to project, an image of confidence and strength that perhaps wasn't the closest to the truth, but going up against a man who lost to Stylez last week, it was an image that I needed.
FPV: It's not been easy, these past two weeks. Watching what that clown did to my property, I won't lie to you WGWF, it hurt. But I have to move forward. I have no other choice. I've got to put Stylez behind me for now, and look to my immediate future. A future involving a certain WGWF mainstay.
Hello Seth. It's going to be fun to match up with someone so deeply connected to WGWF. A true original to the federation, if you will. As someone who's entire career has been defined by long runs in one federation at a time, that is something I can relate to and respect. You've got the accolades to show for it as well. Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion, the works.
But that's where it ends, doesn't it?
See, you and I could not be more diametrically opposed if we both tried our hardest. You focus on the short term, that much is obvious. You come in for a tiny little bit every few years, maybe get a win or two under your belt, and then dip. You don't have the drive to consistently do what people like me do day in and day out. You are a Fairweather roster member, Seth Stevens. Me? I'm in this for the long haul. I string appearance after appearance, week after week, month after MONTH, because I am focused on building something that you just don't have the want to make, Seth.
I'm focused on building a legacy.
I stay in my federations for the long haul. I amass title after title. I build Hall of Fame Worthy careers wherever I go. Has my start in WGWF been the best? No it hasn’t, and I’ll be the first person to tell you that. But I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you today Seth, if I had quit when this same thing was happening to me on the indies before WCF. I would be just another retail drone wasting away at life.
But I didn’t. I took a year or two off, made a Hail Mary pass to get signed by WCF, and haven’t looked back since. These are the hardships that truly made me who I am today, and they’re the reason I can take my loss last Smash, acknowledge it, and move on.
That’s the kind of mindset that makes me such a champion. If I were like you, living at the bottom of society by choice in a crappy little apartment, eating the worst food imaginable and killing my body with that lack of nutrition, I’d only be a champion of bum fights and nothing else. That’s another thing I can’t vibe with when it comes to you Seth. I just have too much self respect to put myself through the garbage you do just to project this Rocky Balboa tough guy image you’re going for.
So we’ll see what Gideon King ultimately does with his win against me. Maybe he’ll go on to do great things and point to me as his springboard moment. Maybe he’ll fade away and we’ll never hear from him again. The only thing I’m concerned with right now is getting the win over Seth Stevens in an environment where he can’t use weapons or hardcore tactics, handicapping himself severely while playing right into the wheelhouse of my moveset.
And only after I deal with Stevens and put him away, that I’ll deal with the clown that destroyed my property. One thing at a time and everything.
So consider yourself lucky Seth. Lucky I’ll be holding back all this pent up frustration and anger towards a man you’ve already gone 50-50 with. Because if you were to face the full brunt of my anger…
…you’d be fucking DEAD where you stand.
—————————————————————
It was easy to say all of that in the moment. But I just couldn’t shake what Stylez had done from my mind. Not only the destruction of my property, but the fact that he called into question my character in his little video he sent to me was never going to sit well with me. A response needed to be given to what he had done.
And one would come. A well thought out and level headed response where I was going to decline his demand that I rescind my Man of the Year award and to tell Stylez if he had a problem with me that I had no problem setting it in the ring like true professionals. I was not going to stoop to his level.
I was arriving at the arena for Monday Night Smash, game plan fully in mind. And then he made his presence known.
Switches: Don’t take this laying down friendo. You already know he won’t listen to rational logic.
FPV: Not now, Switches. Not now.
Switches: You know I’m right though Franky boy! Creatures like him, pathetic excuses for clowns like him, they only respond to one thing! CHAOS! So that’s how you gotta come at him! FULLY CHAOTIC! GO APESHIT ON THAT BIT H FOR VIOLATING YOU THE WAY HE DID!
FPV: SWITCHES! STOP!
I began to yell out loud. I was so thankful no one within earshot paid attention to me. Hopefully.
Switches: YOU GOT THAT PIÑATA WHACKER IN YOUR TRUNK FOR A REASON, RIGHT? GET IT OUT!! RIP THAT MOTHERFUCKER APART AND EAT HIM ALIVE!!
I couldn’t take it any longer. The clown in my head was right.
I went to the trunk and took out my instrument of vengeance.
Ramon: You need to leave, darling. There's nothing you can do.
I hadn't been able to leave the tattered remains of my headquarters for some time. I was still aghast at the destruction caused by the former LA Johnny Stylez, so aghast it shut off all logical parts of my brain to where I could not see reason even if it stood right in front of me. Deep down I knew that everything was replaceable. The store could be refurbished and repaired, the office floors could be redone from the ground up, hell it could maybe even be improved upon. But I could not see that for the life of me. I could only see red.
I surveyed the rubble in an almost fugue state as Ramon stood behind me, trying his best to clutch my hand and comfort me, even if only a little.
Ramon: Come on darling, you need to let the professionals handle this.
FPV: I can't think of anything else, Ramon. Everything I had built up since 2016, everything I had put into this business, just destroyed. Annihilated. All because of what, jealousy? Anger because I won some award? Anger because I'm not a true representation of the city?
I turned my head to face my Ramon, trying desperately hard to hide the fact that my eyes were now beginning to grow red from pure rage.
FPV: There are people on my payroll that DEPEND on me, Ramon. Out of work until this space can be fixed.
Ramon: That doesn't mean you don't have to stop paying them! You and I both know you can afford it, just tell them it's an extended vacation while we deal with this.
FPV: You didn't let me finish, Ramon. These are just normal people, not involved with the wrestling business in the SLIGHTEST. And now their lives are turned completely upside down because their boss happens to be a wrestler some maniac doesn't like. That EATS ME UP INSIDE RAMON.
Ramon: Frank, please. You're not going to solve anything by screaming into nothing. You need a space somewhere away from here to regroup. Come home, watch some TV, read a book, hell you could even go to the studio and do your promo for the federation this week. But you can't. Stay. Here. Not right now anyways. Your wounds are too fresh.
I was mad, but deep down I knew Ramon was right. Standing here wasn't going to solve anything. And if I needed to get away from the place I felt compelled to stay at, I may as well be productive and get some work done. I gave Ramon a tight embrace, kissed him on the cheek for just a moment, and said...
FPV: Okay. I'll go do WGWF and Liberation Frequency work for now. I'm not gonna let this clown drag me to his level.
Ramon: Good. Let's go then.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My mind in as many different places as it was, the usual calm of being in the studio to cut a promo just wasn't there today. My opponnent this week was one Seth Stevens, a veritable veteran of WGWF, who has made a small comeback since the reopening of the fed. Someone I could see a lot of myself in, if I'm being honest. But I had no room for humility this week. I had an image that I needed to project, an image of confidence and strength that perhaps wasn't the closest to the truth, but going up against a man who lost to Stylez last week, it was an image that I needed.
FPV: It's not been easy, these past two weeks. Watching what that clown did to my property, I won't lie to you WGWF, it hurt. But I have to move forward. I have no other choice. I've got to put Stylez behind me for now, and look to my immediate future. A future involving a certain WGWF mainstay.
Hello Seth. It's going to be fun to match up with someone so deeply connected to WGWF. A true original to the federation, if you will. As someone who's entire career has been defined by long runs in one federation at a time, that is something I can relate to and respect. You've got the accolades to show for it as well. Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion, the works.
But that's where it ends, doesn't it?
See, you and I could not be more diametrically opposed if we both tried our hardest. You focus on the short term, that much is obvious. You come in for a tiny little bit every few years, maybe get a win or two under your belt, and then dip. You don't have the drive to consistently do what people like me do day in and day out. You are a Fairweather roster member, Seth Stevens. Me? I'm in this for the long haul. I string appearance after appearance, week after week, month after MONTH, because I am focused on building something that you just don't have the want to make, Seth.
I'm focused on building a legacy.
I stay in my federations for the long haul. I amass title after title. I build Hall of Fame Worthy careers wherever I go. Has my start in WGWF been the best? No it hasn’t, and I’ll be the first person to tell you that. But I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you today Seth, if I had quit when this same thing was happening to me on the indies before WCF. I would be just another retail drone wasting away at life.
But I didn’t. I took a year or two off, made a Hail Mary pass to get signed by WCF, and haven’t looked back since. These are the hardships that truly made me who I am today, and they’re the reason I can take my loss last Smash, acknowledge it, and move on.
That’s the kind of mindset that makes me such a champion. If I were like you, living at the bottom of society by choice in a crappy little apartment, eating the worst food imaginable and killing my body with that lack of nutrition, I’d only be a champion of bum fights and nothing else. That’s another thing I can’t vibe with when it comes to you Seth. I just have too much self respect to put myself through the garbage you do just to project this Rocky Balboa tough guy image you’re going for.
So we’ll see what Gideon King ultimately does with his win against me. Maybe he’ll go on to do great things and point to me as his springboard moment. Maybe he’ll fade away and we’ll never hear from him again. The only thing I’m concerned with right now is getting the win over Seth Stevens in an environment where he can’t use weapons or hardcore tactics, handicapping himself severely while playing right into the wheelhouse of my moveset.
And only after I deal with Stevens and put him away, that I’ll deal with the clown that destroyed my property. One thing at a time and everything.
So consider yourself lucky Seth. Lucky I’ll be holding back all this pent up frustration and anger towards a man you’ve already gone 50-50 with. Because if you were to face the full brunt of my anger…
…you’d be fucking DEAD where you stand.
—————————————————————
It was easy to say all of that in the moment. But I just couldn’t shake what Stylez had done from my mind. Not only the destruction of my property, but the fact that he called into question my character in his little video he sent to me was never going to sit well with me. A response needed to be given to what he had done.
And one would come. A well thought out and level headed response where I was going to decline his demand that I rescind my Man of the Year award and to tell Stylez if he had a problem with me that I had no problem setting it in the ring like true professionals. I was not going to stoop to his level.
I was arriving at the arena for Monday Night Smash, game plan fully in mind. And then he made his presence known.
Switches: Don’t take this laying down friendo. You already know he won’t listen to rational logic.
FPV: Not now, Switches. Not now.
Switches: You know I’m right though Franky boy! Creatures like him, pathetic excuses for clowns like him, they only respond to one thing! CHAOS! So that’s how you gotta come at him! FULLY CHAOTIC! GO APESHIT ON THAT BIT H FOR VIOLATING YOU THE WAY HE DID!
FPV: SWITCHES! STOP!
I began to yell out loud. I was so thankful no one within earshot paid attention to me. Hopefully.
Switches: YOU GOT THAT PIÑATA WHACKER IN YOUR TRUNK FOR A REASON, RIGHT? GET IT OUT!! RIP THAT MOTHERFUCKER APART AND EAT HIM ALIVE!!
I couldn’t take it any longer. The clown in my head was right.
I went to the trunk and took out my instrument of vengeance.