Post by Markw on Sept 2, 2012 16:49:23 GMT -5
1st July 2010
Superbrawl, the greatest stage in professional wrestling, the pinnacle of this industry and there I was, in front of one of the biggest crowds every recorded, lifting high the WFWF National Championship. As a result of years of dedication, I had done it, defeated Jon O’Deeves, I was the champion, on the grandest stage of them all.
I’d given so much of my life; I had neglected all those around me, because I knew that it was my destiny to become a champion in the greatest promotion in the wrestling world. But finally on the 1st of July it had all become worth it, because I was a Champion, the National Champion. Everything I had worked for, everything I had given, every waking moment that I had spent training, was finally rewarded.
I walked back down the ramp, the gold slung over my shoulder, listening to the roar of that sell out crowd. Sure I wasn’t the Main Event, it wasn’t the World Championship, but none of that mattered, my aim was always simple, my goal was to representing the WFWF as a Champion. To follow in the footsteps of those who had come before me, to pave the way for a new generation of guys, to be someone that could be looked up to, that could make people want to emulate my success.
I believed, finally, that I was representing an honourable business, promotion, heck for a moment I even thought I was representing an honourable country *Bishop chuckles*. Fat chance.
That moment was the culmination of everything I had put into becoming a wrestler, every time I had put my body on the line, and what did I end up with? The chance to represent a company and a country where anyone who doesn’t fit in, where anyone who isn’t a ‘Real American’ is spat on. I held the title for a few days, because they couldn’t stand to see an English wrestler, a young talented guy, capable of upsetting the order within the WFWF representing them as champion. They had to take everything I had worked for away from me.
***
Bishop takes a swig of his third pint of beer, slumped at the bar of a traditional English pub; his attention is immediately drawn as a man enters the pub and begins to walk towards the bar. Bishop’s eyes are drawn as the man enters, but as he begins to walk towards Bishop, Joe’s sights return to the half empty glass of beer. Next to Bishop and the two empty glasses beside him is another full pint.
“Is that…” The man begins.
“Yeah”
“Thanks for…”
“No problem”
Bishop is obviously uncomfortable with the situation and eager to avoid getting drawn into a discussion.
“Look Joe, you don’t have to feel guilty”
“I am though”
Bishop takes another swig of beer while the man beside him continues simply to stare at his.
“Dan…” Joe begins to continue, before sighing and continuing to drink.
“Listen man I’ve got to be off in a minute, work, I just wanted you to know that I don’t blame you. Good luck with this wrestling thing.”
“Thanks” Bishop slides his fingers through his hair as his old friend has a quick drink and walks out, clearly looking concerned.
An emotionally drained Bishop leaves about five minutes later, clearly shook up by the relatively uneventful encounter.
***
20th July 2010
Just one show ago I had done what many didn’t think I could, what for years people had told me I couldn’t do. I defeated Jon O’Deeves. Then just days later I had to defend the title that I had won, the strap that I had fought for all my life, against the same man I bested. I should’ve known that something was up then and there, being forced to defend my title so soon after I had won it. Against a man who I had clearly proven myself against, pinning him cleanly, 1…2…3.
But of course, then I was naive, I didn’t realise the lengths they would go to, to limit my rise through the ranks of the WFWF. As soon as my shoulders hit the mat, I could sense something was wrong, the ref instantly started counting the fall, and within a second, at the most, it was gone.
My Championship, My Career, My Life, was gone.
I stormed down the ramp, tears streaming down my face. It was honestly the worst feeling I’ve felt in my life, and I’ve been through enough crap. But nothing felt as bad as that moment, that the referee’s hand hit the mat one two three.
The WFWF can cover it up all they like, they can show the doctored footage, they can make it look like a regular count. But I know exactly what they did to me, and there is nothing that anyone can say to change the facts. I should have remained the Champion.
I am the rightful National Champion.
***
“Ever since I was a child, it was always my goal to emulate the stars who built the WFWF. For me it wasn’t necessarily about becoming the World Champion, or the face of the promotion. But I wanted, just once, to be a WFWF Champion. To cement myself as one of those men who followed on from some of the greatest men to step in that squared circle. When I won the National Championship I realised that dream, I was following in the footsteps of Hall of Famers like ‘The Man of the Hour’ and Master Of Destruction. Sure the title wasn’t everything that it had once been, but I was, just like all of those who had gone before me, the WFWF National Champion and it felt like it was never going to end.”
“But then I found out that becoming the National Champion isn’t such an achievement, that it doesn’t lead to the glamorous lifestyle I had imagined. I quickly found out that if you aren’t in keeping with the perfect WFWF image then you don’t get to be a champion, because they’ll find away to take it off you at the first possible opportunity.”
“I guess that’s how I know that the odds are going to be stacked against me, because it wouldn’t be popular for me to walk away from the first chapter of the new WFWF, with a title that they can’t trust in my hands. They know that I am no longer about becoming a champion, that I’m not about becoming a WFWF legend. Certainly not at least for being another yes man who craves victory more than they crave making an impact. For that reason it’s ideal for them, that just like at Survival of the Fittest, I don’t get anywhere near their title or their top competitors. I know that every official, the commentary team, even the
ing time keeper is going to be devoted to stopping me walking away with the title that I never, really, lost.”“But you see Revolution is going to be a new era in the WFWF, the intention of Revolution is simply to further line the pockets of Xavier Pierce by sticking the new logo on caps, t-shirts, lunch boxes and just about anything else they can make money from. But as always my goal is clear, and with Revolution my goal is simple. I want to completely re-shape the WFWF by eliminating the higher ups, the people in power, who limit guys like me, and after Survival Of The Fittest guys too I am sure like Ripp Jackson and Mak Cross. I am sick of seeing people with talent misused because they aren’t yes men, because they don’t kiss the bosses ass. The WFWF is a political minefield and if you don’t position yourself on their side, then they screw you, like they screwed me on Loaded and like they screwed me again at Survival of the Fittest.”
“Revolution, Cameron Stone, is my opportunity to put an end to it. I’m not going to let them, yet again, screw me. Because this time, win or lose, I’m going to be focused on beating the hell out of Cameron Stone, a man who just two weeks ago I pinned 1...2…3. See on the last ever edition of WFWF Loaded me and Stone battled in a match that really had nothing to fuel the fire. To me Stone was just another guy who I wanted to stop from having to suffer what happens when you get that gold around your waist. Me? To Cameron Stone I was just the last stop before he got the chance to realise ‘his dream’, because he is just like I was, he wanted to be a Champion. So really when we went face to face at Loaded it wasn’t about winning for either of us, it was just about one being a stepping stone for the other.”
“But now, when he gets his rematch, and I get my shot at the title I never lost, it is personal, there is that incentive to beat the living crap out of that guy, and if the mood takes me, to pin his shoulders to the mat. Because Cameron Stone is now their guy, he’s another corporate asset, a representative of the WFWF as a champion, he’s the property of Xavier Pierce, and that’s something I’m never going to be. For him, the incentive is that he has that gold now, and I know exactly what it feels like to be the new WFWF National Champion.”
“The WFWF has
ed me over for two years, and now the Revolution begins, because I’m going to make damn sure I succeed in my goals. Frankly I have the advantage, because unlike Cameron Stone I don’t need to leave Revolution as the National Champion, I can succeed win, lose or draw. Because victory for me is just one of two things, it’s either going to be by crippling the promotions National Champion, taking away all credibility from the man who just won the Title live on Pay-Per-View, beating Cameron Stone from sea to shining sea.”“Or I can victor by defeating the National Champion, reclaiming the title that I never lost, from the company that screwed me out of the title. And when I do that, I can begin to disinfect the WFWF, make those who cost me pay, by doing whatever I want to their belt. I could take a sledgehammer to it, I could throw it in a bin, live on National TV. Whatever, it doesn’t matter to me, because when I get hold of that belt I can do whatever I want with it, whatever it takes, to humiliate the people who took away two years of my life.”
“No matter what happens on Loaded, the WFWF aren’t going to be welcoming Joe Bishop back with open arms, and if all goes to plan, Cameron Stone won’t even be able to walk back in front of the WFWF cameras.”
“The Revolution starts now.”
OOC: Not particullarly happy with this, a little bit more ambitious than I've tried before (Although I'm aware that's not all that impressive), but I'm not staying up all night to carry on with this, so hopefully it's alright.
