Post by Chaos Stryke on Apr 6, 2013 21:27:54 GMT -4
We open with a panning shot across the cityscape in Montevideo, Uruguay, from one of the elevated balconies of one of the hotels in the heart of the city.
Wow… this city looks like quite an impressive place.
The camera takes its time moving back and forth, catching sight of as much from this view point as possible.
It certainly has to appearance of a location in transition, doesn’t it? Building designed with classical and modern architecture through the city. You get a good mixing of the new and the old here. You can see the way things used to be in the ‘Old Town’ sections without having to look too hard to see the way things are with their World Trade Center or Telecommunication Tower.
I admit I feel the same way to a degree. I’m in… transition as well.
The scene fades to black, and when the scene comes back into view, Logan Alexander is sitting before the camera, with the sliding door leading out to the balcony in behind him. He’s sitting calmly and composed on the couch, wearing black jeans and a red and white jersey with a maple leaf logo containing the letters M&M in the center of it. He has his hands clasped together in front of him and had one leg crossed over the other before him. He nods slightly to the camera before he begins.
Looks like I’ll be getting back into things tomorrow night. I’ve had lots of time to reflect on what has happened, and now I’m going to have to be ready for what comes from here on out. You needed to be prepared for what you’re going to be engaged in and you need to be committed to what you’ll do as well. I think I’ve been shaky in those areas as of late. I generally seem to lack one or the other in my crucial encounters as of late. Either I haven’t been prepared for the unexpected when it has come my way, or when I had a tough or unsavoury choice placed before me, my resolve wavered just enough to keep me from getting the job done. It hasn’t been a problem when everything is taken into consideration… but I’m more concerned with what happens when I reach crunch time. Those are the times that small mistakes carry the biggest costs.
It reminds me that not matter how far I’ve come in my time here in APW that I still have so much further to go. I’m no longer one of the brightest stars on the roster, much like I’d gotten used to in companies during much of my time in competition going back six or even seven years. It’s not the case here and now I’m left to try and find my place and make my way.
I think I let my time on Meltdown go to my head. I beat the best it had to offer, but the best that Meltdown has to offer isn’t necessarily equal to the best that APW has to offer as well. I’ve done well to not falter horribly in my time on Asylum, but I haven’t be as sharp or as good as I’ve needed to be. That is something I wish to fix as quickly as possible going forward. I’ve stepped in the ring with my betters, against those lesser than myself, and even with some that I could consider possible equals.
Now… on a show populated with so many who may easily be my betters, I need to rise up to be able to meet them. My first major encounter with one has resulted in a defeat, regardless of how it came to pass the result is still the same and I have to deal with the after effects of it as well. Whatever claims to success I once had are all gone. Everything that I have accomplished thus far in APW is now quite possibly a moot point. My championship success was gained on a different brand, I am somewhere else and the same rules and distinctions no longer apply. I need to go beyond what I’ve done to this point. I need to be better. I need to be able to do whatever it takes to succeed.
If I am unable… or unwilling to do that, then all is lost for me already.
He looks off to one side, seeming uneasy with that possibility. He appears to dwell on it for a short time before turning his attention back towards the camera, looking a bit less composed now. His foot moves in a slow rhythm as though keeping time, as he resumes.
I make my Asylum singles debut tomorrow night. It’s my first singles match since February. It’s my first singles match since I was ‘beaten’ for the North American championship. Fighting against two opponents in the ring, being attacked by three people who had no business getting involved, and getting battered with several different weapons really didn’t help matters that night, even if they did cushion the blow of losing that night a little. So this match tomorrow night holds a double importance for me in that it’s my first chance to rebound on the singles’ front of competition while also showing what I can do on my own to Asylum. I’m not even going to consider the further implications of this match determining positioning for something like a title match… There’s only so much I can concern myself with and solo championship aspirations are sitting on the backburner for the foreseeable future while I get other priorities sorted out.
My first priority is Jair Hopkins. We’ve been seeing a fair bit of each other in the ring with a side trip in the backstage area within the last several weeks on Asylum. We’ve fought side-by-side, we’ve fought toe-to-toe, and we’ve been on opposite sides of the Aubrey J. Parker story. This week though… it’s just about us Hopkins. You and I are facing off one-on-one, with nothing but beatings and bragging rights on the line. It’s simpler that way, and it’s probably the way it should be with some of the convoluted messes we’ve had to go through during the last little while, isn’t it?
We’ve both been tied up in the confrontations with Kaylyn Evans and Christian Kane that have done nothing but detract from the M&M and Dying Breed showdown. We don’t have to worry about what other people on either side of this fight might be planning or have anyone else out there to watch out for. You and I aren’t caught up in any of the trappings surrounding this kind of competitive life, or busy perpetuating grudges through other media. No, you and I just go out there each week for our own reasons… and mostly that’s just because we’re both looking for a good fight, or looking to settle a grudge in the ring where it should be done.
He narrows his eyes, growing more focused on the camera. He uncrosses his legs, planting both feet on the floor, then puts his hands on his knees and leans forward.
But let’s look at this realistically Hopkins. What experience do you have when it comes to running these battles solo? When you’re the captain of the ship and making all the calls in the ring, just how successful are you? Heck let’s chalk this up to a simple number that you should be able to tell everyone. How many times have you been able to claim a championship all on your own? How many singles championships have you ever held in this business? I know you’ve been to those dances a few times in your career here. You led an interesting chase during the summer looking to put some gold around your waist for the first time, but time after time, you’d come up short. Look at your performances as of late when you aren’t being accompanied to the ring by another member of the Dying Breed or having someone else in your corner there to watch your back, what have you been able to accomplish?
Go ahead and take your time answering that one Hopkins, I’ve got time to wait for you to call up Bailey and have him spin an answer in order to make something out of nothing for you again.
He snorts softly at that and leans back against the couch.
You might fancy yourself as some sort of lone crusader in the ring, but you were never cut out for that kind of job. Frankly you’ve just never been capable of getting the results desired or required to have any sort of impact in the grand scheme of things. It’s why you’ve only been a Tag Team champion. It’s not for a lack of effort of course. I’ve seen you go to crazy lengths to try and get the Suicidal title off of Jason Kash’s waist. But you seem to lack the ability and the killer instinct required to get the job done. I, on the other hand, have used that skill to great effect over the course of my career. When I’ve had the opportunity to rise to the occasion, I have a pretty good track record even if it isn’t a flawless one. And not only have I shown that I can get there but I’ve also shown that I can stay there. Heck, outside of your title match victories, I can even think of a match that you and Bailey have won together in four months.
So, you both seem to catch a good break every once in a while, think you’re the greatest things going, and then promptly return to your previously unimpressive state and cough losses after poor performances. That sounds about right, doesn’t it? It certainly tracks with the showings that you two produce week after week. No one knows what they’ll see from you until after you show up in the ring. You’re capable of spectacular Hopkins, you really are. You did a good job at Christmas Chaos and you had another good showing some time ago against the Pillars. But those outings have been few and far between. You got one of those in you this week, bad ribs and all? You might very well need something better than your best given your condition. I’m not in a mood to be handing you another freebie this week.
I’m used to carrying the solo burden. I’m able to fight in your condition. I know how to exploit someone unfamiliar to being in that situation Hopkins. You were able to cope at Rasslemania, but you didn’t have to carry the load on your own either. You don’t have a crutch to rely on this time around against me. You can’t just bail out of the ring and have a partner come in to help you when the going gets tough. Even at your best, you’ve had a hard time coping when crunch time has rolled around.
You see Hopkins… you have some advantages over me. I can credit them to you easily. You’ve got youth, speed, and agility on me. Those are excellent advantages to have over a person. Unfortunately, they mean squat for you in this match. Your speed and agility don’t mean that much against me because I have those attributes as well, I just don’t rely on them as much. The next problem you have is that you’re going to have to get close to me in this match, so one way or another you’re going to have to deal with my technical skills. How fast do you move when you’re face down on the mat Hopkins? Shall we see what you say tomorrow in the ring?
All things considered, we’ll have to see just how well you strengths hold up when you’re on your own with no breaks in the action and you’ve got that damage to your ribs to cope with. You’ve had four weeks since the initial encounter but you’re not at peak yet. You’ve probably gotten much better with the light competition schedule, but we’ll have to wait and see how well you hold up. I doubt your aerial stunts and impact move set are going to do you much good in the ring once those ribs start hurting again. I know first-hand what that’s like.
He crosses his arms over his chest and he smirks slightly.
Finally Hopkins… you’re going to have to find a way to best me in the duel of wits that accompanies this kind of match. I’m not going to get sucked into a brawl with you or take this into a high speed contest in and around the ring. I’m going to make this slow and methodical. I’m going to force you to beat me in a wrestling contest if you want to win. Are you up for that kind of challenge? You’re going to have to trump my ability and experience in the ring all by yourself. There will be no distractions for you from Aubrey, but you’ll also have no support and guidance from Bailey either. You’re going to have to stand or fall on your own merits. Are you ready for that? I’m curious to see just how well you cope.
He lets out a breath and seems to deflate slightly, his confidence ebbing away from him.
For me… this week is up in the air. I have no certainty about what is going to happen between us. I certainly have the ability to break you in half in the ring. I know that you are quite capable of pulling out some surprising feats in the ring. But this week… are you really ready to go all out? Or are you sitting there feeling smug and superior because your partner scored a roll up victory against the weakest team at Rasslemania? You should reflect on that carefully Hopkins. You’re not someone whose track record offers them the luxury of presuming that it’s going to be easy or clear sailing for the next leg of their journey just because they got one big win in a less than decisive manner.
He straightens up and looks down towards the camera.
I’m motivated by defeat and I come looking for victory. If I have to leave you laying and bleeding again this week… so be it. I’ll do what needs to be done.
The camera remains focused on him for a few moments more and then the scene fades to black.
Wow… this city looks like quite an impressive place.
The camera takes its time moving back and forth, catching sight of as much from this view point as possible.
It certainly has to appearance of a location in transition, doesn’t it? Building designed with classical and modern architecture through the city. You get a good mixing of the new and the old here. You can see the way things used to be in the ‘Old Town’ sections without having to look too hard to see the way things are with their World Trade Center or Telecommunication Tower.
I admit I feel the same way to a degree. I’m in… transition as well.
The scene fades to black, and when the scene comes back into view, Logan Alexander is sitting before the camera, with the sliding door leading out to the balcony in behind him. He’s sitting calmly and composed on the couch, wearing black jeans and a red and white jersey with a maple leaf logo containing the letters M&M in the center of it. He has his hands clasped together in front of him and had one leg crossed over the other before him. He nods slightly to the camera before he begins.
Looks like I’ll be getting back into things tomorrow night. I’ve had lots of time to reflect on what has happened, and now I’m going to have to be ready for what comes from here on out. You needed to be prepared for what you’re going to be engaged in and you need to be committed to what you’ll do as well. I think I’ve been shaky in those areas as of late. I generally seem to lack one or the other in my crucial encounters as of late. Either I haven’t been prepared for the unexpected when it has come my way, or when I had a tough or unsavoury choice placed before me, my resolve wavered just enough to keep me from getting the job done. It hasn’t been a problem when everything is taken into consideration… but I’m more concerned with what happens when I reach crunch time. Those are the times that small mistakes carry the biggest costs.
It reminds me that not matter how far I’ve come in my time here in APW that I still have so much further to go. I’m no longer one of the brightest stars on the roster, much like I’d gotten used to in companies during much of my time in competition going back six or even seven years. It’s not the case here and now I’m left to try and find my place and make my way.
I think I let my time on Meltdown go to my head. I beat the best it had to offer, but the best that Meltdown has to offer isn’t necessarily equal to the best that APW has to offer as well. I’ve done well to not falter horribly in my time on Asylum, but I haven’t be as sharp or as good as I’ve needed to be. That is something I wish to fix as quickly as possible going forward. I’ve stepped in the ring with my betters, against those lesser than myself, and even with some that I could consider possible equals.
Now… on a show populated with so many who may easily be my betters, I need to rise up to be able to meet them. My first major encounter with one has resulted in a defeat, regardless of how it came to pass the result is still the same and I have to deal with the after effects of it as well. Whatever claims to success I once had are all gone. Everything that I have accomplished thus far in APW is now quite possibly a moot point. My championship success was gained on a different brand, I am somewhere else and the same rules and distinctions no longer apply. I need to go beyond what I’ve done to this point. I need to be better. I need to be able to do whatever it takes to succeed.
If I am unable… or unwilling to do that, then all is lost for me already.
He looks off to one side, seeming uneasy with that possibility. He appears to dwell on it for a short time before turning his attention back towards the camera, looking a bit less composed now. His foot moves in a slow rhythm as though keeping time, as he resumes.
I make my Asylum singles debut tomorrow night. It’s my first singles match since February. It’s my first singles match since I was ‘beaten’ for the North American championship. Fighting against two opponents in the ring, being attacked by three people who had no business getting involved, and getting battered with several different weapons really didn’t help matters that night, even if they did cushion the blow of losing that night a little. So this match tomorrow night holds a double importance for me in that it’s my first chance to rebound on the singles’ front of competition while also showing what I can do on my own to Asylum. I’m not even going to consider the further implications of this match determining positioning for something like a title match… There’s only so much I can concern myself with and solo championship aspirations are sitting on the backburner for the foreseeable future while I get other priorities sorted out.
My first priority is Jair Hopkins. We’ve been seeing a fair bit of each other in the ring with a side trip in the backstage area within the last several weeks on Asylum. We’ve fought side-by-side, we’ve fought toe-to-toe, and we’ve been on opposite sides of the Aubrey J. Parker story. This week though… it’s just about us Hopkins. You and I are facing off one-on-one, with nothing but beatings and bragging rights on the line. It’s simpler that way, and it’s probably the way it should be with some of the convoluted messes we’ve had to go through during the last little while, isn’t it?
We’ve both been tied up in the confrontations with Kaylyn Evans and Christian Kane that have done nothing but detract from the M&M and Dying Breed showdown. We don’t have to worry about what other people on either side of this fight might be planning or have anyone else out there to watch out for. You and I aren’t caught up in any of the trappings surrounding this kind of competitive life, or busy perpetuating grudges through other media. No, you and I just go out there each week for our own reasons… and mostly that’s just because we’re both looking for a good fight, or looking to settle a grudge in the ring where it should be done.
He narrows his eyes, growing more focused on the camera. He uncrosses his legs, planting both feet on the floor, then puts his hands on his knees and leans forward.
But let’s look at this realistically Hopkins. What experience do you have when it comes to running these battles solo? When you’re the captain of the ship and making all the calls in the ring, just how successful are you? Heck let’s chalk this up to a simple number that you should be able to tell everyone. How many times have you been able to claim a championship all on your own? How many singles championships have you ever held in this business? I know you’ve been to those dances a few times in your career here. You led an interesting chase during the summer looking to put some gold around your waist for the first time, but time after time, you’d come up short. Look at your performances as of late when you aren’t being accompanied to the ring by another member of the Dying Breed or having someone else in your corner there to watch your back, what have you been able to accomplish?
Go ahead and take your time answering that one Hopkins, I’ve got time to wait for you to call up Bailey and have him spin an answer in order to make something out of nothing for you again.
He snorts softly at that and leans back against the couch.
You might fancy yourself as some sort of lone crusader in the ring, but you were never cut out for that kind of job. Frankly you’ve just never been capable of getting the results desired or required to have any sort of impact in the grand scheme of things. It’s why you’ve only been a Tag Team champion. It’s not for a lack of effort of course. I’ve seen you go to crazy lengths to try and get the Suicidal title off of Jason Kash’s waist. But you seem to lack the ability and the killer instinct required to get the job done. I, on the other hand, have used that skill to great effect over the course of my career. When I’ve had the opportunity to rise to the occasion, I have a pretty good track record even if it isn’t a flawless one. And not only have I shown that I can get there but I’ve also shown that I can stay there. Heck, outside of your title match victories, I can even think of a match that you and Bailey have won together in four months.
So, you both seem to catch a good break every once in a while, think you’re the greatest things going, and then promptly return to your previously unimpressive state and cough losses after poor performances. That sounds about right, doesn’t it? It certainly tracks with the showings that you two produce week after week. No one knows what they’ll see from you until after you show up in the ring. You’re capable of spectacular Hopkins, you really are. You did a good job at Christmas Chaos and you had another good showing some time ago against the Pillars. But those outings have been few and far between. You got one of those in you this week, bad ribs and all? You might very well need something better than your best given your condition. I’m not in a mood to be handing you another freebie this week.
I’m used to carrying the solo burden. I’m able to fight in your condition. I know how to exploit someone unfamiliar to being in that situation Hopkins. You were able to cope at Rasslemania, but you didn’t have to carry the load on your own either. You don’t have a crutch to rely on this time around against me. You can’t just bail out of the ring and have a partner come in to help you when the going gets tough. Even at your best, you’ve had a hard time coping when crunch time has rolled around.
You see Hopkins… you have some advantages over me. I can credit them to you easily. You’ve got youth, speed, and agility on me. Those are excellent advantages to have over a person. Unfortunately, they mean squat for you in this match. Your speed and agility don’t mean that much against me because I have those attributes as well, I just don’t rely on them as much. The next problem you have is that you’re going to have to get close to me in this match, so one way or another you’re going to have to deal with my technical skills. How fast do you move when you’re face down on the mat Hopkins? Shall we see what you say tomorrow in the ring?
All things considered, we’ll have to see just how well you strengths hold up when you’re on your own with no breaks in the action and you’ve got that damage to your ribs to cope with. You’ve had four weeks since the initial encounter but you’re not at peak yet. You’ve probably gotten much better with the light competition schedule, but we’ll have to wait and see how well you hold up. I doubt your aerial stunts and impact move set are going to do you much good in the ring once those ribs start hurting again. I know first-hand what that’s like.
He crosses his arms over his chest and he smirks slightly.
Finally Hopkins… you’re going to have to find a way to best me in the duel of wits that accompanies this kind of match. I’m not going to get sucked into a brawl with you or take this into a high speed contest in and around the ring. I’m going to make this slow and methodical. I’m going to force you to beat me in a wrestling contest if you want to win. Are you up for that kind of challenge? You’re going to have to trump my ability and experience in the ring all by yourself. There will be no distractions for you from Aubrey, but you’ll also have no support and guidance from Bailey either. You’re going to have to stand or fall on your own merits. Are you ready for that? I’m curious to see just how well you cope.
He lets out a breath and seems to deflate slightly, his confidence ebbing away from him.
For me… this week is up in the air. I have no certainty about what is going to happen between us. I certainly have the ability to break you in half in the ring. I know that you are quite capable of pulling out some surprising feats in the ring. But this week… are you really ready to go all out? Or are you sitting there feeling smug and superior because your partner scored a roll up victory against the weakest team at Rasslemania? You should reflect on that carefully Hopkins. You’re not someone whose track record offers them the luxury of presuming that it’s going to be easy or clear sailing for the next leg of their journey just because they got one big win in a less than decisive manner.
He straightens up and looks down towards the camera.
I’m motivated by defeat and I come looking for victory. If I have to leave you laying and bleeding again this week… so be it. I’ll do what needs to be done.
The camera remains focused on him for a few moments more and then the scene fades to black.
