Post by Seth Evans on Jul 6, 2017 18:57:02 GMT
A chain was wrapped around the doors outside of a large warehouse. The rusted chain that were wrapped through the handles hung down-- it looked as if it had seen many storms without anyone disrupting what it protected. The blades of a bolt cutter emerged from off the camera and it was placed on the chain; with one swift pull, the chain stressed under the pressure of the blades and was ripped in half before falling to the ground. The man with the bolt cutters set them on the ground next to a duffel bag, and he his hand gripped the duffel bag-- he stood up straight, and the camera panned out, revealing the man to be Seth Evans. He wore a smile on his face, determination evident in his eyes; he jingled some keys from his pocket and inserted a key into the keyhole. With a deep breath, he turns the key until the click of the lock unlocking blessed his ears, and he swung the door open. He took a couple steps into the warehouse, and reached to his right to flick the switch-- for the first time in years, electricity danced through the wires, and each row of the lights flickered on illuminating the entire warehouse that had cobwebs in many of the corners-- a thin layer of dust covered most of the equipment that was inside. Weights. A pull-up bar. Salmon ladder station. Punching bag. Most of the equipment that any athlete would need; in the center was the ring⌠Seth Evans allowed his eyes to linger on the ring for a moment, and all he could do was smile.
Seth Evans:
âFinally.â
I felt the butterflies hit my stomach the moment that I stepped foot into this facility; I reminisce of all the time I spent in this ring⌠preparing myself physically for the competition. Always physically able to step into the ring. But where was my mentality? I walked further into the room until I was at the ring-- I adjusted the strap to my bag on my shoulder and raised a hand to the rope and allowed it to rest there. There was a sudden tapping on the open door.
A shadow stretched across the ground, as Seth Evans turned toward the open door to his facility. He smiled as a familiar face was standing in front of him-- the man had a championship belt over his shoulder, and a gym bag of his own slung over the opposite shoulder. The Imperial Champion, Andrew Jacobsen.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âMay I come in?â
Seth Evans:
âAbsolutely!â
I dropped my bag to the side, and walked toward my friend as he walked into the facility; his eyes surveyed the facility briefly, and I remembered all the times both of us trained with each other to prepare for our competition. Even when we were the competition. As the distance closed, he dropped his bag and set his title down over it to keep it from touching the ground, but as friends, we embraced with a hug.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âItâs good to see you.â
Seth Evans:
âItâs great to see you, too!â
The hug ended, and Andrew Jacobsen looked into the ring, while my eyes lingered over to the championship-- one that has eluded me throughout my career, one that I felt I should have had after defeating Angel⌠by disqualification⌠alas, the past was the past, and all I could do was look forward. I lifted my head from his championship to keep any thoughts of envy from corrupting me.
Seth Evans:
âCongratulations on becoming the Imperial Champion, Andrew. Youâve earned it.â
Andrew turned his eyes toward Seth Evans, with a sincere smile as he replied back to Seth.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âThank you. Itâs about time, right?â
Seth Evans:
âAbsolutely. I am proud of you, AndrewâŚâ
Andrew Jacobsen:
âDonât keep getting all mushy. If you stick around this time, you could battle me for it⌠but I donât really like your odds.â
Seth Evans:
âWhat? I beat you all the time in our training sessions!â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âIn your dreams⌠And in either case, I bet you canât even get to the top of that thing anymore,â
Andrew says while gesturing toward the salmon ladder. Seth Evans follows the hand gesture from Andrew Jacobsen, and his eyes land on the salmon ladder-- he looks shocked, and insulted by the accusation that he could not make it to the top, so he storms his way toward the salmon ladder and retrieves the bar.
Seth Evans:
âBet?â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âIâll let you hold the belt for one minute. Probably the best thing youâll get seeing as youâll never get it off my hands.â
Seth Evans:
âHow about a title shot?â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âCome on, you know I canât bet that⌠besides, you have to earn your way to the top. Heir to the Throne is coming up.â
Seth Evans:
âAlright, youâre right. But you better keep that title warm until I earn my shot!â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âNice and warm. Now hurry up and prove me wrong, if you can. We have a lot of work to do since you havenât stepped foot in a ring in what? Three years?â
I twisted the bar in my hands, and shook my head slightly while chuckling-- Andrew Jacobsen picked up his belt first, and his bag second, moving both closer to the ring as I looked up toward the salmon ladder. I jumped as high as I could getting the bar successfully in its first locked position.
Although it has been years, I didnât feel like I missed a beat-- I felt like I was in better shape than I was years ago⌠now, the only thing I had to strengthen was my own mentality.
âI was supposed to be⌠the future..." I chuckled under my breath, and shook my head before continuing, âThe first time that I stepped foot into a wrestling ring, there was a lot of speculation about me: was the hype worth it? Was I as good as I claimed to be? Was I as good as my trainers claimed to be? There is no doubt in my mind that I have stepped foot in the ring with the very best that this industry has ever had to offer-- I have stepped foot in the ring with Alex Jones. I have been in the ring with Will Washington, Jimmy Zane... I have been in the ring with Andrew Jacobsen! Rob Diamond! Joe Everyman! I have gone to war one of the greatest to ever step foot in the ring, the man formerly known as Angel⌠now he goes by GOD.â
It still feels weird for me to refer to Angel as âGODâ, evident by the hesitation in my voice. There was one more name that I had left out, and I let the pause remain for a couple seconds before continuing.
âAnd I have been in the ring with Steve Awesome.â
I allowed that last name to linger for several seconds, knowing that he was going to be my first opponent back in the ring since I departed.
âAll of these names, all of these men⌠they were known throughout nCw, and most of them carried on to make a name for themselves in IWF. Almost all of them have gone on to become the World Champion, or Imperial Champion! All of them have made themselves a household name! Now, I have not defeated every one of them⌠there were some that we tore the roof down from whichever arena we happened to be wrestling at on that particular night, but they just did not end the way that I intended-- then, there are some that I defeated⌠after⌠we waged an entire war.
Joe Everyman; the first-ever Imperial Champion in IWF, and while he is also a short reigning champion-- there is absolutely no denying that he earned that title! There is no denying that he is an absolutely great competitor! Iâve beaten him. Where is my title? Alex Jones; all the years that this man has been in the industry, all the years that I have been able to call this man my friend, there is no denying how much he busted his ass to get to the very top of the industry-- I surprised the world by defeating him, Renee Pleasant, and Kyle Mason! Two former Man of Steel Champions, and two former Imperial Champions⌠I surprised the world by beating them. Where is my title?
I went to war with GOD for months-- months! While he was on one of the hottest streaks that has ever been seen in the Imperial Wrestling Federation. 182 days⌠182 days, thatâs how long GOD was able to hold that title. Throughout that reign, I defeated him. In a match for the Imperial Championship. But I beat him by disqualification, so I did not win the title. Where is my title?â
I allowed the question to linger, and I could not help but let myself feel discouraged⌠the people that I have stepped foot in the ring with have all made great names for themselves, while I seem to have just been forgotten. If remembered at all, I am simply remembered as the man that never was. I drew in a deep breath, and released a long sigh.
âThe fact of the matter is that I did not earn the title. All the people that I have stepped foot in the ring with, all the people that eventually went on to become the Imperial Champion, Man of Steel Champion, or whatever accomplishments they set out to accomplish successfully-- there is the difference between them and myself. They stuck around. They took the time to rise to the top of the industry. They earned everything that they gotâŚ
And I let the pressure always get to me.
The future?
I wasnât even the present.â
I grew ashamed of myself; ashamed that no matter how many times I promised that I was going to come back, and make a name for myself-- I was going to come back, and I was going to be the Man of Steel Champion. I was going to be the Imperial Champion. I was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. So many promises that I have made, and so many have been broken.
âI have taken on the very best, and I have absolutely nothing to show for it-- except for my own memories of the great matches that I put on with all of the people I ever stepped foot in the ring with. And I am not saying that Iâm going to stop going out there and leaving everything that I have in me every time I step foot in the ring.
Itâs true, Steve; you canât put much to my name⌠a former X-Division Champion, a runner-up to the Road to the Gold back in nCw. But what have I done since then? What did I do before then? The answer is that I put on a show for every person that was watching from home or from their seats! And while I intend to keep my promises, I will make one more promise that I will not break: I will NEVER give anything less than my fullest! Steve Awesome, you have been in the ring with me-- I mentioned the names of a couple of the people that I had an honor to share the ring with, and I know-- I know-- that if there was just one thing that all of you could agree on, itâs that I took every opponent Iâve had to their limits. It may have not been enough on those nights, it may have not been my time on those nights⌠but it never stopped me from giving everything I had.
When I saw that you wanted a match, I could no longer contain my desire to step back into the ring. I could no longer keep myself from entering the ring. That is why I had to take your open challenge before anybody else had the chance to! Because no matter how many years go by, Steve Awesome, there was one thing that you held over everybody else: you were the Face of the Franchise! You were at the top of the food chain at every organization I ever wrestled at-- people lined up for an opportunity to just share the ring with you. Itâs easier to get a ticket to Blizzcon than it is to get a match with you! But, as I said, this isnât our first dance. This isnât the first time that weâve stepped into the ring against each otherâŚ
And if memory serves me right, that match ended in a draw. I think itâs time we finish what we started⌠I think itâs time that we give the fans what they were waiting for. I think itâs time we give them a winner!â
My voice rose with excitement; excited for the chance to finally step back into the ring with Steve Awesome. I adjusted in my seat slightly.
âThroughout my career, people will know that I have not always been a saint⌠this match that was granted thanks to open fight night; this is a gift. It is a gift to these fans! It is a gift to myself! No matter how much time passes, Steve, I will always-- these fans will always recognize you as the Face of the Franchise! No matter how many years pass, you will always be the man to beat. You will always be the man.â
The thought caused me to smile more; I wasnât thinking about just returning to the ring⌠I was thinking about returning to step into the ring with the absolute best that this industry has probably ever known. And it made me absolutely ecstatic.
âFor the first time in years, I am returning to the ring⌠I am stepping into the ring with one of the greatest people that Iâve already had the honor of stepping into the ring with. And I am going to show the world, if it will forgive me, that I will be a man of my word! I will be at my absolute best! I will leave my absolute best! Before my time is done, I will be inducted into the IWF Hall of Fame!
The only way that I can show the world⌠the only way that I can show my peers, and this entire industry-- that I still have what it takes. That all the wars I waged with everybody else. Is by waging a war with you! Win or lose, Steve, win or lose, I know that both of us are going to show-- I know that youâre going to take me to my limits, and I hope I can take you to yours. While I try not to be selfish anymore, this is for me: I know that you are going to show the world that I still have what it takes.
Win or lose, SteveâŚ
Weâre tearing this roof to the ground.â
Seth Evans:
âFinally.â
I felt the butterflies hit my stomach the moment that I stepped foot into this facility; I reminisce of all the time I spent in this ring⌠preparing myself physically for the competition. Always physically able to step into the ring. But where was my mentality? I walked further into the room until I was at the ring-- I adjusted the strap to my bag on my shoulder and raised a hand to the rope and allowed it to rest there. There was a sudden tapping on the open door.
A shadow stretched across the ground, as Seth Evans turned toward the open door to his facility. He smiled as a familiar face was standing in front of him-- the man had a championship belt over his shoulder, and a gym bag of his own slung over the opposite shoulder. The Imperial Champion, Andrew Jacobsen.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âMay I come in?â
Seth Evans:
âAbsolutely!â
I dropped my bag to the side, and walked toward my friend as he walked into the facility; his eyes surveyed the facility briefly, and I remembered all the times both of us trained with each other to prepare for our competition. Even when we were the competition. As the distance closed, he dropped his bag and set his title down over it to keep it from touching the ground, but as friends, we embraced with a hug.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âItâs good to see you.â
Seth Evans:
âItâs great to see you, too!â
The hug ended, and Andrew Jacobsen looked into the ring, while my eyes lingered over to the championship-- one that has eluded me throughout my career, one that I felt I should have had after defeating Angel⌠by disqualification⌠alas, the past was the past, and all I could do was look forward. I lifted my head from his championship to keep any thoughts of envy from corrupting me.
Seth Evans:
âCongratulations on becoming the Imperial Champion, Andrew. Youâve earned it.â
Andrew turned his eyes toward Seth Evans, with a sincere smile as he replied back to Seth.
Andrew Jacobsen:
âThank you. Itâs about time, right?â
Seth Evans:
âAbsolutely. I am proud of you, AndrewâŚâ
Andrew Jacobsen:
âDonât keep getting all mushy. If you stick around this time, you could battle me for it⌠but I donât really like your odds.â
Seth Evans:
âWhat? I beat you all the time in our training sessions!â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âIn your dreams⌠And in either case, I bet you canât even get to the top of that thing anymore,â
Andrew says while gesturing toward the salmon ladder. Seth Evans follows the hand gesture from Andrew Jacobsen, and his eyes land on the salmon ladder-- he looks shocked, and insulted by the accusation that he could not make it to the top, so he storms his way toward the salmon ladder and retrieves the bar.
Seth Evans:
âBet?â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âIâll let you hold the belt for one minute. Probably the best thing youâll get seeing as youâll never get it off my hands.â
Seth Evans:
âHow about a title shot?â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âCome on, you know I canât bet that⌠besides, you have to earn your way to the top. Heir to the Throne is coming up.â
Seth Evans:
âAlright, youâre right. But you better keep that title warm until I earn my shot!â
Andrew Jacobsen:
âNice and warm. Now hurry up and prove me wrong, if you can. We have a lot of work to do since you havenât stepped foot in a ring in what? Three years?â
I twisted the bar in my hands, and shook my head slightly while chuckling-- Andrew Jacobsen picked up his belt first, and his bag second, moving both closer to the ring as I looked up toward the salmon ladder. I jumped as high as I could getting the bar successfully in its first locked position.
Although it has been years, I didnât feel like I missed a beat-- I felt like I was in better shape than I was years ago⌠now, the only thing I had to strengthen was my own mentality.
âI was supposed to be⌠the future..." I chuckled under my breath, and shook my head before continuing, âThe first time that I stepped foot into a wrestling ring, there was a lot of speculation about me: was the hype worth it? Was I as good as I claimed to be? Was I as good as my trainers claimed to be? There is no doubt in my mind that I have stepped foot in the ring with the very best that this industry has ever had to offer-- I have stepped foot in the ring with Alex Jones. I have been in the ring with Will Washington, Jimmy Zane... I have been in the ring with Andrew Jacobsen! Rob Diamond! Joe Everyman! I have gone to war one of the greatest to ever step foot in the ring, the man formerly known as Angel⌠now he goes by GOD.â
It still feels weird for me to refer to Angel as âGODâ, evident by the hesitation in my voice. There was one more name that I had left out, and I let the pause remain for a couple seconds before continuing.
âAnd I have been in the ring with Steve Awesome.â
I allowed that last name to linger for several seconds, knowing that he was going to be my first opponent back in the ring since I departed.
âAll of these names, all of these men⌠they were known throughout nCw, and most of them carried on to make a name for themselves in IWF. Almost all of them have gone on to become the World Champion, or Imperial Champion! All of them have made themselves a household name! Now, I have not defeated every one of them⌠there were some that we tore the roof down from whichever arena we happened to be wrestling at on that particular night, but they just did not end the way that I intended-- then, there are some that I defeated⌠after⌠we waged an entire war.
Joe Everyman; the first-ever Imperial Champion in IWF, and while he is also a short reigning champion-- there is absolutely no denying that he earned that title! There is no denying that he is an absolutely great competitor! Iâve beaten him. Where is my title? Alex Jones; all the years that this man has been in the industry, all the years that I have been able to call this man my friend, there is no denying how much he busted his ass to get to the very top of the industry-- I surprised the world by defeating him, Renee Pleasant, and Kyle Mason! Two former Man of Steel Champions, and two former Imperial Champions⌠I surprised the world by beating them. Where is my title?
I went to war with GOD for months-- months! While he was on one of the hottest streaks that has ever been seen in the Imperial Wrestling Federation. 182 days⌠182 days, thatâs how long GOD was able to hold that title. Throughout that reign, I defeated him. In a match for the Imperial Championship. But I beat him by disqualification, so I did not win the title. Where is my title?â
I allowed the question to linger, and I could not help but let myself feel discouraged⌠the people that I have stepped foot in the ring with have all made great names for themselves, while I seem to have just been forgotten. If remembered at all, I am simply remembered as the man that never was. I drew in a deep breath, and released a long sigh.
âThe fact of the matter is that I did not earn the title. All the people that I have stepped foot in the ring with, all the people that eventually went on to become the Imperial Champion, Man of Steel Champion, or whatever accomplishments they set out to accomplish successfully-- there is the difference between them and myself. They stuck around. They took the time to rise to the top of the industry. They earned everything that they gotâŚ
And I let the pressure always get to me.
The future?
I wasnât even the present.â
I grew ashamed of myself; ashamed that no matter how many times I promised that I was going to come back, and make a name for myself-- I was going to come back, and I was going to be the Man of Steel Champion. I was going to be the Imperial Champion. I was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. So many promises that I have made, and so many have been broken.
âI have taken on the very best, and I have absolutely nothing to show for it-- except for my own memories of the great matches that I put on with all of the people I ever stepped foot in the ring with. And I am not saying that Iâm going to stop going out there and leaving everything that I have in me every time I step foot in the ring.
Itâs true, Steve; you canât put much to my name⌠a former X-Division Champion, a runner-up to the Road to the Gold back in nCw. But what have I done since then? What did I do before then? The answer is that I put on a show for every person that was watching from home or from their seats! And while I intend to keep my promises, I will make one more promise that I will not break: I will NEVER give anything less than my fullest! Steve Awesome, you have been in the ring with me-- I mentioned the names of a couple of the people that I had an honor to share the ring with, and I know-- I know-- that if there was just one thing that all of you could agree on, itâs that I took every opponent Iâve had to their limits. It may have not been enough on those nights, it may have not been my time on those nights⌠but it never stopped me from giving everything I had.
When I saw that you wanted a match, I could no longer contain my desire to step back into the ring. I could no longer keep myself from entering the ring. That is why I had to take your open challenge before anybody else had the chance to! Because no matter how many years go by, Steve Awesome, there was one thing that you held over everybody else: you were the Face of the Franchise! You were at the top of the food chain at every organization I ever wrestled at-- people lined up for an opportunity to just share the ring with you. Itâs easier to get a ticket to Blizzcon than it is to get a match with you! But, as I said, this isnât our first dance. This isnât the first time that weâve stepped into the ring against each otherâŚ
And if memory serves me right, that match ended in a draw. I think itâs time we finish what we started⌠I think itâs time that we give the fans what they were waiting for. I think itâs time we give them a winner!â
My voice rose with excitement; excited for the chance to finally step back into the ring with Steve Awesome. I adjusted in my seat slightly.
âThroughout my career, people will know that I have not always been a saint⌠this match that was granted thanks to open fight night; this is a gift. It is a gift to these fans! It is a gift to myself! No matter how much time passes, Steve, I will always-- these fans will always recognize you as the Face of the Franchise! No matter how many years pass, you will always be the man to beat. You will always be the man.â
The thought caused me to smile more; I wasnât thinking about just returning to the ring⌠I was thinking about returning to step into the ring with the absolute best that this industry has probably ever known. And it made me absolutely ecstatic.
âFor the first time in years, I am returning to the ring⌠I am stepping into the ring with one of the greatest people that Iâve already had the honor of stepping into the ring with. And I am going to show the world, if it will forgive me, that I will be a man of my word! I will be at my absolute best! I will leave my absolute best! Before my time is done, I will be inducted into the IWF Hall of Fame!
The only way that I can show the world⌠the only way that I can show my peers, and this entire industry-- that I still have what it takes. That all the wars I waged with everybody else. Is by waging a war with you! Win or lose, Steve, win or lose, I know that both of us are going to show-- I know that youâre going to take me to my limits, and I hope I can take you to yours. While I try not to be selfish anymore, this is for me: I know that you are going to show the world that I still have what it takes.
Win or lose, SteveâŚ
Weâre tearing this roof to the ground.â
Well howdy there pardner.