Post by Centurion on Jan 8, 2022 22:22:54 GMT -5
His career has spanned 21 years, and yet, there has never been a match this big in his entire career.
Centurion did exactly what he planned to do – he defended the Conquest Title on five occasions, which granted him a UGWC World Title match. On the same show as his fifth defense, Donovan Hastings, the longtime champion and the one man Centurion has been unable to defeat in his UGWC run, retained his title, setting up a showdown of legendary proportions.
Then came the holiday season.
Defeats at the hands of Chris Page, Larry Tact, and Elijah Martin have sent Centurion spiraling, and have damaged Centurion both physically and mentally – not something that needs to happen on the eve of a World Title match. Now, bruised and banged up, Centurion prepares for what may be his final opportunity at grabbing World Championship gold. Centurion didn’t know what to do…but he knew he needed to get out of Chicago, and away from everyone.
We open up outside of a cabin somewhere in the snow covered Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. There, we see one loan parked car in front of the cabin. There is a fire burning in a firepit several yards away from the building, and Centurion, clad in a knit hat and larger winter jacket, is taking an ax to a downed tree. The branches of the tree are already off, and half the tree has been chopped and stacked in a pile next to the fire pit, as Centurion continues to hack away at what is left.
Pulling up through the gravel road, clashing with the white of the snow, is a black Rolls-Royce Wraith. The noise alone is enough to stop Centurion, who takes one big swing of his ax into the tree in order to keep it stable and secure. Centurion bends over and tosses a few loose pieces of bark into the fire as the Wraith comes to a stop next to the other car that has been parked there. Stepping out of the vehicle is a face that has not been seen in quite some time – Centurion’s former manager and business partner, Walter Crowe.
Centurion does not look shocked or confused at Walter’s arrival – instead, he just straightens his back out and stands next to the fire in order to keep warm. Walter walks through the snow and approaches Centurion.
“Your daughter is in Greece right now.” Walter says in a matter-of-fact tone. “I informed her that there was no way you’d be there, but she insisted on going.”
Centurion lets out a slight laugh. “Yeah, well I’m sure it’s a great excuse to hang out at the beach with Erin for a few days, as well. I’m sure she’s super worried about me.” Centurion lets out a slight sigh as he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes.
“She actually is.” Walter says in a serious tone. “But not nearly as worried as Ruby is. She’s new to this whole “Centurion up and vanishes” thing that you tend to do when your mind is going at a million miles an hour. She wants to give you your space, but you need to let her know where you’re going when you do stuff like this.”
“If I told her where I’m going, she’d come find me.” Centurion responds as he takes one of the cigarettes out of the pack. “And kind of the whole reason I’m here is so I can get away from everyone and NOT listen to what they have to say. I was hoping that would have worked on you, too.”
“I know you better than that.” Walter says with a smile. “I know this is where you went the last time you disappeared on us.”
Walter’s words bring up a flashback in Centurion’s mind. This same cabin, five years ago, when Centurion felt like the entire world had crumbled around him. He was sitting at a table only a few yards from where he stands now, with a Colt .44 in his mouth, just looking for the courage to pull the trigger. It was the lowest point in his life.
“Where did you get the log?” Walter asks, changing the subject and pointing to the tree that Centurion has been cutting up for the past hour or so.
Centurion points off into the woods opposite of the dirt road path that leads to the cabin. “Old lumber road. About 20 years ago, some company went back there and started to cut down the trees, but the company went under not long after. Technically it’s still their wood, but I think the old owner is dead now. Either way, the shit’s been laying back there for two decades, so I doubt anyone is coming for it.”
“I figured it had to be something like that.” Walter says with a smile. “There’s no way you would have chopped down a tree on your own. Not with that rusty ax you’ve got there.”
Centurion turns and faces the ax, and the two just look at the chopped log for a few seconds. Centurion sighs before turning back towards Walter.
“Alright.” Centurion says in a resigned tone. “Spit it out. Say what you came here to say.”
Walter just looks down at the ground and shakes his head. “I didn’t come here to say anything to you. At least, not what you expected to hear. Not what your daughter wants me to say, at least.”
“Oh yeah” Centurion asks with a level of curiosity. “What did she want you to say?”
“She wanted me to say that this match you have coming up is just like every other match.” Walter says. “She wanted me to say that you can easily bounce back from your recent disappointments, that there are so many more opportunities ahead of you, and that you shouldn’t put any pressure on yourself. But I’m not saying any of that because it’s all lies.”
“Well, you sure know how to make someone feel comfortable.” Centurion says, sarcastically.
“It isn’t what you need to hear.” Walter says in a sympathetic tone. “And you know it would all be bullshit anyway. This is a do or die match for you. Your back is against the wall, and the only way to get out of the position you’re in is to defeat the man that has had a stranglehold on a federation for months and become that company’s top champion. Nellie, Ruby…none of those girls understand what’s going through your head right now.”
Centurion takes a deep breath as he turns to face the fire. He goes to light his cigarette, but Walter snags the cigarette out of his mouth and tosses it into the fire. Centurion doesn’t even flinch – instead, he takes his gloves off and shoves them in his pocket before holding his hands out in front of him in an effort to get warm.
“I just don’t think there is any place for me in this business if I lose this one.” Centurion says, ominously. “Both of my special attraction matches turned into failures. I lost my title belt. I’ve got an entire group of wrestlers laughing at me on social media on a constant basis. Do you know what it feels like to have built a legacy over 20 years, only to have a bunch of punks say the most random shit to try and diminish your accomplishments? And it was one thing when I felt like I could kick their asses in the ring, but if I lose four in a row…well, I’d just be lying to myself at that point.”
“It’s an almost impossible situation.” Walter says in agreement. “The pressure would destroy any normal human being. But if there’s anything you’ve proven over the past three years, it’s that you’re not a normal human being. Hell, you should be dead right now, and instead, you’re fighting for a World Championship. And you want to know why I know you’ve still got it? Why I know you are and always will have the heart of a champion? It’s because after all these years, after all the things you’ve seen and done…you still get this nervous before a title match. You never lost that fire that burned in you when you started in this business. The fact that this match means so much to you shows me that you’re willing to do everything you can to win, and when you get in that mindset…you’re really hard to beat.”
Centurion smiles as he walks over and pats Walter on the shoulder. “Thanks man. But did you really come all this way just to say that?”
“Well…” Walter says, slyly. “That, and I have a cooler full of beer in the back of the car. I figured you have a couple of options. Option number one – you can tell me to go fuck myself, I can leave, and you can keep chopping away at this log in silence until your hands fall off. Option number two – you can get in the car, we can head to the airport, and the two of us can go back to Chicago, where you can tell everyone that you’re safe and sound, and preparing for your match. Or, option number three – I can grab that cooler, bring it inside, and we can sit around and try to solve all the world’s problems like the good old days.”
Centurion lets out a slight laugh as he pats Walter on the back. “Come inside, you old son of a bitch.”
------The Hurt Doesn’t Show, But The Pain Still Grows-------
We open up once more, this time in a room of pure black. The only thing that can be seen is Centurion, in one of his high-priced suits and hats, standing under a spotlight. He looks directly into a camera as he speaks.
“It’s interesting, the twists and turns this life can take. Just when you think everything is figured out, something happens that throws everything off balance, and your life goes down a whole new path. For some, it could be a new job, or a new relationship. Perhaps an accident or winning the lottery or going “viral” on the internet. Those moments in your life that can take everything you knew about life, and completely rearrange it.
For me, that moment was WrestleStock 2020.”
Centurion begins to walk forward towards the camera, and as he does, the image of Walter Crowe standing in front of a car in a gas station comes into view.
“I came here as an outsider. I knew nothing about the UGWC, and honestly, I did not care. As far as I was concerned, this was about two things – making money, and boosting my value. I figured the UGWC faithful was going to boo me. I figured they were going to hate me, and try to run me out of the federation, and in turn, I expected to turn my back on these folks the moment I could cut my ties and take my money. Who would have thought that two years later, I’d be the one called upon to try and save that very federation?
That’s right, Donovan. This match, while it is incredibly important to me and to my career, is far more important to the UGWC. This place has stagnated. There is no new blood coming in. The buzz is completely dead, and it’s all thanks to you…
…well, I take that back. It’s all thanks to you and your enablers, but I know most of them are spineless morons who just let you do whatever you want anyway. So, really, it’s you. Just you. This place is a barren wasteland because of you.”
Centurion continues to walk toward the camera, and as he does, a new image appears. This one is of Nellie Cortinovis sitting at a baccarat table, wearing a replica of one of Centurion’s formal outfits.
“You have called yourself the most dominant champion in UGWC history. That may be true. Hell, you may be the greatest wrestler to ever step foot into this company. Twenty years from now, wrestling historians may talk about Donovan Hastings as the man who was the undisputed face of the UGWC. A man who could slay any challenge in front of him. A man who always carried the World Title, and of whom the very fabric of the UGWC exists. All of this is likely…
…but if you don’t drop that title soon, you’ll also be known as the man who single handedly destroyed the UGWC.
Your constant desire to be the man at the top of the ladder has made it so young talent avoid this place like the plague, and thus, the UGWC is stuck with the same matches featuring the same contenders week after week after week. Your run as champion has literally snuffed the life out of this place, and the only reason it continues to exist is because there’s a whole lot of wrestlers on this roster who have no where else to go, and therefore are forced to stand behind you while you continue to stroke your own ego.”
Centurion continues to walk forward, and an image of a shadowy figure sitting at a chess table comes into view.
“I don’t know if I truly believe in destiny, Donovan. I’d like to believe that such a thing does not exist. That life is not predetermined, and that we all have our paths to walk. I’d like to think that coincidences are just that – coincidences, and that the events that take place in our lives are directly related to the decisions we make.
I will say, though – if destiny does exist, then it was always my destiny to defeat you for the World Championship.
It had to be you. It had to be the poster child for the old guard. And it had to be me, the so called “outsider” who has endeared himself with the UGWC faithful in a short amount of time. There wasn’t a person in that building last month that wasn’t rooting for Sloane Taylor to kick your ass, but I think, in our heart of hearts, we knew the outcome already. You were always going to win because your defeat has to be more memorable than that. You can’t just lose gracefully – you need someone to rip the torch out of your cold, dead hands. Sloane Taylor is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but the person to finally slay you needed to be someone who was going to lead this company into a new era, someone who was going to bring shine and star power to this place, someone that was going to open the door and yell “come on in, one and all!” The UGWC doesn’t just need a new champion – it needs a complete overhaul, and I am the only person on this roster that can do that.”
Centurion continues to walk forward, and an image of Ruby, dressed in football pads and a football helmet, crouched over a playbook, comes into frame.
“You want to know what the most fucked up thing is about this match, Donovan? Despite the fact that you’re the defending World Champion, you don’t REALLY have anything to lose in this match. No matter what happens, you’re still going to be Donovan Hastings. You’re still going to have more World Title reigns than anyone in the history of this place. Hell, it may even be to your benefit, because you have to lose number 6 in order to win number 7. Got to pad those stats, right? This place will always have a spot for you, no matter how many losses you suffer.
But me? This may be my last opportunity. I had to go through hell to get here, Donovan.”
Centurion takes his final steps forward, and as he does, an image of Erin Morgan appears. She is holding a golf club and standing over a broken dollhouse.
“While you were making it look easy, I had to fight back the entire roster in order to win and maintain the Conquest Title. I had to listen to wrestler after wrestler tell me how unimpressive I am. How I’m old, and washed, and no matter how hard I’ll try, I’ll never be “one of the boys” in this company. While you had to listen to everyone tell you how amazing you are, and how awe inspiring you are, I had to prove myself week after week, and I did exactly that.
Gabriel Baal? Lucy Wylde? Sebastian Everett Bryce? Rogan MacLean? Hide Yamazaki? All these all-time great wrestlers who were supposed to stop me and my rise to the top? The wrestlers that I have been told I will never measure up to? All defeated by me. And now, here you stand, the last rung of the ladder that I must climb. And if I am unable to do so?
Well, it’s more than just back to the bottom. It’s even further than that. There’s no way in hell the UGWC will ever allow me to get this close to their god ever again, and no other federation will take me seriously after the horrendous run of bad luck I have had to close out 2021. So, you want more stakes, Donovan? Here they are – you’re title…
…or my career.
That’s right, Hastings. Out of all the wrestlers who have promised to end my career, you can finally be the one to actually do it. I know the bookers are going to kill me for this, since they would have liked to know this weeks in advance, but that just wasn’t going to do. Instead, you get to hear it now. If I am unable to win the UGWC World Title this Monday on Synergy, I will walk away from this business.
I am doing this for a multitude of reasons. For starters, I don’t want to stick around in the UGWC if Donovan Hastings is going to continue to keep his fat, sweaty hands on that title until we all die. I’ve seen enough boring promos and lackluster wrestling to last me a lifetime. Not that it would matter much anyway – if I’m unable to take the belt off of Hastings, I doubt anyone is, and this place will not be long for this world. Reason number 2 – I will no longer be anyone’s stepping-stone. I have been a mid-card champion long enough that I deserve my own spotlight, even if it is brief. And if it isn’t going to be now, then I doubt it will ever happen. Reason number three, and perhaps the biggest reason of them all – I am THAT confident that I am going to win this match.
All signs point in your direction, Donovan. I admit that. Your background is legendary. You have my back against the wall. I’m coming in banged up, off the heels of a couple of high profile, embarrassing losses, and I have to quickly suck it up and refocus in order to take down the World Champion. If I was someone else, I’d run to the nearest casino and put all my money on you.
But here’s the thing – you’re going to have to do more than beat me in this match. If this is the last time I’m going to step into that ring, you’re going to need to put me through more physical pain than I’ve ever been in in my life. You’re going to have to introduce me to horrors I’ve never known possible. Quite frankly, you’re going to need to bring me to the brink of death if I’m going to let you walk away with this match, and I’ll be honest with you, Donovan.
I don’t think you have the balls to do that.
I think I’ve stood nose to nose with demons that would make you piss yourself, and I have come out the other side. I think, while you’ve been busy getting fanned with fig leaves and fed grapes, I have been crawling through broken glass and barbed wire against some of the toughest bastards this industry has ever seen. I could give you a laundry list of reasons why I hate Chris Page and Larry Tact…but then I can also give you a list of reasons as to why I respect the hell out of them. I don’t have that same respect for you, Donovan. Not by a long shot. So if we’re going to live in a world of professional wrestling where Donovan Hastings can have his name sitting next to the likes of Chris Page, well, then that’s just not a world I want to be in anymore.
There it is, Donovan. There is everything laid out in front of you. You know now what you must do. Drip my sweat. Spill my blood. Unleash everything you have inside that body of yours, and see if it’s enough to put me in the grave permanently. If you’re unable to do so, though, Donovan. If you’re anything less than perfect in this match. If you give me even the slightest opportunity to cave your skull in, I will pounce like a predator you’ve never faced before. And if for one second you think anything I’m saying is a lie, and you underestimate me even in the slightest, then I will list you over my shoulders, drive you to the mat, and make sure you meet your….
FINAL FANTASY!!!