“Sometimes, I question if this shit even means anything.”
“For people in EAW who haven’t even gotten close to cracking the glass ceiling, I bet that most of ‘em would kill to be in my position right now. To be on the Road To Redemption, ready to take on Donovan Duke in a thirty-minute Iron Man match. And truth be told, a couple of months ago I would’ve been ecstatic as well. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great opportunity. But I’m the one who laid down the challenge. I’m the one who’s making my bed. But I ain’t gonna be laying or groveling in it. I understand now that you cannot wait for opportunities to come to you. I rightfully had a gripe with how I lost my National Elite Championship shot because of Donovan, so instead of complaining like it may be suggested. I acted on it. I grew a set and I decided to do something about it. And here I am, now. All of this shit kills me. There comes a point where every Elitist, both good and bad, gets tired of cutting their teeth to no return. I suppose this is where the world sees what I’m truly made of. The way that I handle adversity is constantly being thrown at my door. My confidence has been shot, my happiness has been snatched, and my pride has been slipping. So instead of allowing things to get worse. I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I mean, what more can I say and do at this point? Check the stat sheet. I’ve got as many draws as I have losses this season. Everything lately feels like a shot at me, as if someone in charge is just waiting for the moment that I finally snap and go scorched earth. I’m better than that, at least, I think. All of that lecturing was done to me on the road to Territorial Invasion. Would you look at that? In some wicked twist of fate, I couldn’t relate more to Charlie Marr right now.”
“My opponent this Saturday, but also the man that took a chance on me going into Territorial Invasion. This ain’t personal to me, and I know that it’s not personal to you either. The more I see myself get passed up. The more that I fall short of obtaining moments that I worked my ass off for, I get it. I understand why this is a thankless business. It makes so much sense to me why you don’t prioritize the feelings of those around you, and you just do what gets you ahead. Am I going to sit up here and act like it’s the thing to do? Not really. I’m not a cheat, I’ve done it in the past, but I get it. The actions you take to get into someone’s head. The hell that you put your opponents through, and the shit-talking. I get it. To a moron, they’d probably think I’m mindlessly singing your praises and ‘dickriding’, but nah, Charlie. This is my understanding in real-time of when a man starts to feel like they’re getting chewed up and spit out. Maybe there’s a chance for salvation, but my body is overcharged with so much rage and vitriol that all I can think about is not making change, but forcing it. What am I doing? Why am I not a champion? What part is my fault— what part isn’t? All of this shit matters to me. I’m aware of the growth that I have taken as a competitor. But maybe it all relies in my mind. Maybe the critics were right. My mentality is shit. It’s not enough to become a champion. And the last thing I need to hear going into Road To Redemption is that I’m not ready. Or another soulless lesson on how my approach is ‘wrong’. So maybe I change all of that shit. Maybe I stop thanking people who don’t deserve my thanks. Thanksgiving came and went for me. I couldn’t even enjoy the holiday because all that was on my mind was the dread of continuing to be a failure. I don’t like the state that my career is in at the moment. It’s not enough. Nothing is enough, not until I have a championship in my hands. I see people that I’ve beaten, people that I’ve outperformed, people that I’ve entered this company before with championship gold! Where is my championship– where is MY moment?! It’s nowhere to be found. The admiration, the respect, the acknowledgment of my future is starting to dwindle along with my sanity. It feels like everything I have poured out on that canvas: blood, sweat, and tears, has amounted to absolutely nothing. And as some sick joke, my match this Saturday includes the guy who gave me a chance, the woman who snatched my moment from me, and the guy who is objectively the reason why I am not the number one contender to the National Elite Championship right now. Is this a test? Is this the lengths I have to go to in order to be something in this company?! Working harder than everyone else isn’t enough— I have to be pushed beyond the means of my own mental state?! These three figures will hold some sort of significance to me in this season. I get to see them all at once like it’s a grand fuckin’ family reunion. I’m over the shit. I’m past wasting my goddamn time.”
“It’s just a shame that you had to be my opponent this week, Charlie.”
“I pinned you going into The Last Stand, but as Veena Adams said, clearly it meant nothing. I’m not Ruler. I’m not going to throw this match away when it looks like I can’t get the job done. I’m out for your goddamn neck. I don’t care what it takes, I will do everything in my power to make sure this match has a winner— and that winner will be me. Sure, I pinned you in a tag team match. Maybe it’s not as significant in the grand scheme of things. So how about I up the ante? I beat a Hall Of Famer, a multiple time world champion in a singles match? I get how people roll around here. They’ll try and deny the facts in front of them, so I’m not going to waste my breath arguing with people. I’m simply going to be so goddamn undeniable they’ve gotta find new goalposts to move. It’s simple. I beat Charlie, I beat the Cash In The Vault holder, and I move on with my career, because the last thing I’m going to do is continue to adhere to this status quo. Experience isn’t going to hold me back, I have been here for a full year and I have seen a multitude of highs and lows. I don’t need to be in this company for the length of a presidential term to make my assessment of what goes down in here. And what I see right now is a whole lot of bullshit, and I’m not interested in being subjected to it any further. I came to Showdown for a huge change in my career, and what’s happening now? After ALL of the hard work that I put in going to The Last Stand, now they want to forget about me?! I understood going into Montreal, I would be in enemy territory against Ryan Wilson. But there’s no one in their right mind who should be siding with Donovan Duke right now. Charlie, I can tell clear as day that your heart simply isn’t into it right now. You’re even focused on tag team action with Veena right now! More power to you, but it would be a waste of added momentum if I just sat here and allowed you to take the win at my expense. This week isn’t catching you off guard like in our previous match. It’s not about tagging in TLA or Veena Adams. It’s just about you and I. And really, all Donovan Duke has to sit and watch the fucking match. Do I suspect good out of this situation? Especially when Veena Adams is managing you? Especially when everyone already knows how conniving you are in that ring with or without a manager? I feel— no. I AM OUTNUMBERED. And that’s absolute horseshit. The deck has been stacked against me! But you know what, Charlie? With Donovan watching, he’s going to get a great preview of Road To Redemption when I beat you. I know I’m capable of it. I’m not gonna hold back my words, because the C&C Experience was never built on being a bitch. The time is going to come where your career rests, and someone’s going to take your spot at the top. Whether it’s being loved by the fans or hated by them. Mark my words, I will be a world champion, and I will be the guy that’ll pass you up. There is a lot on my mind right now. A lot that I don’t particularly feel very happy about. But I actually respect you. I have a lot of reasons to do so. And only time will tell if you’ll reciprocate that respect. But I kindly ask you this. Don’t be a Donovan Duke. Don’t waste my goddamn time. ‘Cause if I see an opportunity to make a nasty statement going into Road To Redemption? I absolutely will. I’m taking a good look at the climate. Changes are being made, and I’ll be damned if I end up a gatekeeper, a guy who can’t move up in the roster after a hot start.”
“Maybe I’m the only person in the world who knows how talented I am, but as long as I can turn things around ... I have no problem resting peacefully knowing that. I’m cynical about all of this. I know that deep down, all of this talking about my will to step up and beat you one on one, prove to you I was the right choice, prove to myself that I do have it; all of that can be ruined by another man’s actions. It could fall apart due to my own inability to defeat you, yeah... But I know that I can beat you. I’m already putting forth my best effort to do so. And while my focus is on you, I can’t shake off the overwhelming load of shit that a guy like Donovan Duke is trying to drop on my doorstep right now. All he has to do is stay out of our business! This is a worthy sacrifice, Charlie, whether you see it right now or not. Anyone can say that they’re next up in this company. They can make the claims that they’re going to step up and change the game. But the words that come out of my mouth, I wouldn’t keep saying them, I wouldn’t continue to build off my flaws if I didn’t believe that I had the keys to be a great. I have never been a model Elitist. I’m not the shining example for the New Breed division. The best I am is on the right side of a ‘would you rather be’ between myself and a Mig De Decker or NOVA. Even then, I have continued to fight back against all the disrespect thrown my way. No one gets to drag my name through the mud without being put through hell by me. Whether it’s in that ring or on this microphone. But that ain’t all I am. I don’t want to be reduced to the guy who you just have a ‘tough week’ against. I’m not just a tough opponent, I’m a tough guy to beat in general. I’ve only been pinned twice in defeat this entire season. I’m not about to make another no contest. I’m not about to make another defeat. Charlie, you show up. I’ll show up. But the only man showing out this Saturday is going to be me. This isn’t about ‘GrAps’, this isn’t about ‘stealing the show’.”
“It is about a VICTORY.”
“AT ANY MEANS NECESSARY.”
“Even if I’ve gotta do it to one of the most dastardly bastards in this company’s history. This is what legends are made of, ain’t it? Doing the things that no one else has the heart to do? I’ll be seeing you. You know more than anyone else that this is a business built on not allowing people to write you out. So when the result comes. You’ll understand exactly where I was coming from.”
“For people in EAW who haven’t even gotten close to cracking the glass ceiling, I bet that most of ‘em would kill to be in my position right now. To be on the Road To Redemption, ready to take on Donovan Duke in a thirty-minute Iron Man match. And truth be told, a couple of months ago I would’ve been ecstatic as well. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great opportunity. But I’m the one who laid down the challenge. I’m the one who’s making my bed. But I ain’t gonna be laying or groveling in it. I understand now that you cannot wait for opportunities to come to you. I rightfully had a gripe with how I lost my National Elite Championship shot because of Donovan, so instead of complaining like it may be suggested. I acted on it. I grew a set and I decided to do something about it. And here I am, now. All of this shit kills me. There comes a point where every Elitist, both good and bad, gets tired of cutting their teeth to no return. I suppose this is where the world sees what I’m truly made of. The way that I handle adversity is constantly being thrown at my door. My confidence has been shot, my happiness has been snatched, and my pride has been slipping. So instead of allowing things to get worse. I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I mean, what more can I say and do at this point? Check the stat sheet. I’ve got as many draws as I have losses this season. Everything lately feels like a shot at me, as if someone in charge is just waiting for the moment that I finally snap and go scorched earth. I’m better than that, at least, I think. All of that lecturing was done to me on the road to Territorial Invasion. Would you look at that? In some wicked twist of fate, I couldn’t relate more to Charlie Marr right now.”
“My opponent this Saturday, but also the man that took a chance on me going into Territorial Invasion. This ain’t personal to me, and I know that it’s not personal to you either. The more I see myself get passed up. The more that I fall short of obtaining moments that I worked my ass off for, I get it. I understand why this is a thankless business. It makes so much sense to me why you don’t prioritize the feelings of those around you, and you just do what gets you ahead. Am I going to sit up here and act like it’s the thing to do? Not really. I’m not a cheat, I’ve done it in the past, but I get it. The actions you take to get into someone’s head. The hell that you put your opponents through, and the shit-talking. I get it. To a moron, they’d probably think I’m mindlessly singing your praises and ‘dickriding’, but nah, Charlie. This is my understanding in real-time of when a man starts to feel like they’re getting chewed up and spit out. Maybe there’s a chance for salvation, but my body is overcharged with so much rage and vitriol that all I can think about is not making change, but forcing it. What am I doing? Why am I not a champion? What part is my fault— what part isn’t? All of this shit matters to me. I’m aware of the growth that I have taken as a competitor. But maybe it all relies in my mind. Maybe the critics were right. My mentality is shit. It’s not enough to become a champion. And the last thing I need to hear going into Road To Redemption is that I’m not ready. Or another soulless lesson on how my approach is ‘wrong’. So maybe I change all of that shit. Maybe I stop thanking people who don’t deserve my thanks. Thanksgiving came and went for me. I couldn’t even enjoy the holiday because all that was on my mind was the dread of continuing to be a failure. I don’t like the state that my career is in at the moment. It’s not enough. Nothing is enough, not until I have a championship in my hands. I see people that I’ve beaten, people that I’ve outperformed, people that I’ve entered this company before with championship gold! Where is my championship– where is MY moment?! It’s nowhere to be found. The admiration, the respect, the acknowledgment of my future is starting to dwindle along with my sanity. It feels like everything I have poured out on that canvas: blood, sweat, and tears, has amounted to absolutely nothing. And as some sick joke, my match this Saturday includes the guy who gave me a chance, the woman who snatched my moment from me, and the guy who is objectively the reason why I am not the number one contender to the National Elite Championship right now. Is this a test? Is this the lengths I have to go to in order to be something in this company?! Working harder than everyone else isn’t enough— I have to be pushed beyond the means of my own mental state?! These three figures will hold some sort of significance to me in this season. I get to see them all at once like it’s a grand fuckin’ family reunion. I’m over the shit. I’m past wasting my goddamn time.”
“It’s just a shame that you had to be my opponent this week, Charlie.”
“I pinned you going into The Last Stand, but as Veena Adams said, clearly it meant nothing. I’m not Ruler. I’m not going to throw this match away when it looks like I can’t get the job done. I’m out for your goddamn neck. I don’t care what it takes, I will do everything in my power to make sure this match has a winner— and that winner will be me. Sure, I pinned you in a tag team match. Maybe it’s not as significant in the grand scheme of things. So how about I up the ante? I beat a Hall Of Famer, a multiple time world champion in a singles match? I get how people roll around here. They’ll try and deny the facts in front of them, so I’m not going to waste my breath arguing with people. I’m simply going to be so goddamn undeniable they’ve gotta find new goalposts to move. It’s simple. I beat Charlie, I beat the Cash In The Vault holder, and I move on with my career, because the last thing I’m going to do is continue to adhere to this status quo. Experience isn’t going to hold me back, I have been here for a full year and I have seen a multitude of highs and lows. I don’t need to be in this company for the length of a presidential term to make my assessment of what goes down in here. And what I see right now is a whole lot of bullshit, and I’m not interested in being subjected to it any further. I came to Showdown for a huge change in my career, and what’s happening now? After ALL of the hard work that I put in going to The Last Stand, now they want to forget about me?! I understood going into Montreal, I would be in enemy territory against Ryan Wilson. But there’s no one in their right mind who should be siding with Donovan Duke right now. Charlie, I can tell clear as day that your heart simply isn’t into it right now. You’re even focused on tag team action with Veena right now! More power to you, but it would be a waste of added momentum if I just sat here and allowed you to take the win at my expense. This week isn’t catching you off guard like in our previous match. It’s not about tagging in TLA or Veena Adams. It’s just about you and I. And really, all Donovan Duke has to sit and watch the fucking match. Do I suspect good out of this situation? Especially when Veena Adams is managing you? Especially when everyone already knows how conniving you are in that ring with or without a manager? I feel— no. I AM OUTNUMBERED. And that’s absolute horseshit. The deck has been stacked against me! But you know what, Charlie? With Donovan watching, he’s going to get a great preview of Road To Redemption when I beat you. I know I’m capable of it. I’m not gonna hold back my words, because the C&C Experience was never built on being a bitch. The time is going to come where your career rests, and someone’s going to take your spot at the top. Whether it’s being loved by the fans or hated by them. Mark my words, I will be a world champion, and I will be the guy that’ll pass you up. There is a lot on my mind right now. A lot that I don’t particularly feel very happy about. But I actually respect you. I have a lot of reasons to do so. And only time will tell if you’ll reciprocate that respect. But I kindly ask you this. Don’t be a Donovan Duke. Don’t waste my goddamn time. ‘Cause if I see an opportunity to make a nasty statement going into Road To Redemption? I absolutely will. I’m taking a good look at the climate. Changes are being made, and I’ll be damned if I end up a gatekeeper, a guy who can’t move up in the roster after a hot start.”
“Maybe I’m the only person in the world who knows how talented I am, but as long as I can turn things around ... I have no problem resting peacefully knowing that. I’m cynical about all of this. I know that deep down, all of this talking about my will to step up and beat you one on one, prove to you I was the right choice, prove to myself that I do have it; all of that can be ruined by another man’s actions. It could fall apart due to my own inability to defeat you, yeah... But I know that I can beat you. I’m already putting forth my best effort to do so. And while my focus is on you, I can’t shake off the overwhelming load of shit that a guy like Donovan Duke is trying to drop on my doorstep right now. All he has to do is stay out of our business! This is a worthy sacrifice, Charlie, whether you see it right now or not. Anyone can say that they’re next up in this company. They can make the claims that they’re going to step up and change the game. But the words that come out of my mouth, I wouldn’t keep saying them, I wouldn’t continue to build off my flaws if I didn’t believe that I had the keys to be a great. I have never been a model Elitist. I’m not the shining example for the New Breed division. The best I am is on the right side of a ‘would you rather be’ between myself and a Mig De Decker or NOVA. Even then, I have continued to fight back against all the disrespect thrown my way. No one gets to drag my name through the mud without being put through hell by me. Whether it’s in that ring or on this microphone. But that ain’t all I am. I don’t want to be reduced to the guy who you just have a ‘tough week’ against. I’m not just a tough opponent, I’m a tough guy to beat in general. I’ve only been pinned twice in defeat this entire season. I’m not about to make another no contest. I’m not about to make another defeat. Charlie, you show up. I’ll show up. But the only man showing out this Saturday is going to be me. This isn’t about ‘GrAps’, this isn’t about ‘stealing the show’.”
“It is about a VICTORY.”
“AT ANY MEANS NECESSARY.”
“Even if I’ve gotta do it to one of the most dastardly bastards in this company’s history. This is what legends are made of, ain’t it? Doing the things that no one else has the heart to do? I’ll be seeing you. You know more than anyone else that this is a business built on not allowing people to write you out. So when the result comes. You’ll understand exactly where I was coming from.”
