Post by Ulf Hednir on Jul 7, 2017 17:22:38 GMT
“A foolish man thinks all who speak him fair to be his friends;
but he will find, if into court he comes,
that he has few advocates.”
-The Havamal
...June 05, 2017…
...Sacrifice…
Backstage at Sacrifice, immediately following Ulf Hednir’s debut: “Raise Your Horns” by Amon Amarth is playing through the audio system as the crowd is still roaring over the battle that they had just witnessed between Ulf Hednir and Mr. Happy; Ulf Hednir has just walked onto the other side of the curtain with his hands to his hips, and a smile on his face-- his head is lowered toward the ground as sweat drips down from the end of his beard. He drew in a sharp breath before turning, keeping one hand still to his hip, and his other hand pulls the curtain slightly to the side so that he may see the crowd who is still chanting “Skål!” in his honor.
Victory… not only did jeg har my first match within this industry, but jeg got the sweetest taste that jeg har ever hatt: victory. I brought my hand away from the curtain allowing it to flow back, but could still hear the crowd chanting. The world was in a blur-- jeg was lost in my own mind…
Off to the side, some distinct clapping could be heard; the rookie lifted his head and looked to see a veteran standing in front of him. Xavier Cross. He continued to clap his hands together, and he looked to be in absolute awe as he stood in front of the newcomer.
Xavier Cross:
“That! Was! Amazing!”
His voice was sincere, and as he closed the distance between himself and Ulf Hednir, he stopped clapping and extended one of his hands forward for a handshake, and the other ot Ulf’s shoulder to clap him on the shoulder. Ulf Hednir was surprised by the kind words that came from the veteran, but he accepted the handshake.
The smile remained on my face, and jeg could not help but feel flattered from the kind words coming from someone such as Xavier Cross. Dette var a man det har paid his dues. But there was a quote from de Havamal that came to min mind when jeg heard his words: “A foolish man thinks all who speak him fair to be his friends; but he will find, if into court he comes, that he has few advocates.” But der was nei reason for meg to distrust him, so jeg kept a weary trust for him.
Ulf Hednir:
“Takk, Xavier Cross!”
Xavier Cross:
“How long have you been wrestling? I didn’t see you in the indies… I’m surprised that your name never came up…”
Ulf Hednir:
“Ja, det ville be surprising…”
Jeg hesitated, as Xavier Cross appeared to be lytting intenst. Jeg kunne not help but ha a smug look, and jeg chuckle before continuing-- just a little slower to say the words properly.
Ulf Hednir:
“That… would… be surprising, if you had heard my name. Tonight-- was my first night to ever step foot in a wrestling ring.”
Xavier Cross looked astonished by the reply, and hesitated to find the words.
Xavier Cross:
“Where are you from? Who trained you?”
Ulf Hednir:
“Jeg er fra Norway. It was an American who trained me… under the radar…”
Jeg said with a sly grin, but the look painted across Xavier’s face was wonderment-- possibly wondering the name of the man who trained me; possibly wondering hvat it is jeg was saying, because jeg knew jeg was, at times, difficult to understand by Americans.
Xavier Cross:
“Well, whoever trained you is one hell of a trainer! There is no doubt in my mind, Ulf…?”
He paused to wait for my verification, and jeg nodded my head to him.
Xavier Cross:
“Ulf! You are the future! It is an absolute shame that you are not going to make it to see these days… at least not here… not in the IWF.”
It was my turn to appear puzzled. The smile was torn from min face, and jeg looked at Xavier Cross with de confusion quite evident… the excitement det was in his voice after he had watched my match seemed to dissipate. Because of de tone in his voice, jeg allerede wanted å gå bort. But jeg stayed, og inquired.
Ulf Hednir:
“Hvat do you mean?”
Xavier Cross:
“All that I’m saying is that there are the people that are at the top of the food chain, and new guys are not typically getting up to that point. In all reality, they bury a lot of the new people-- bury them, Ulf. Now, I’ve tried to stop them in the past, but they go absolutely out of their way to ensure that they stay on top! Mike Laszlo-- Roberto Verona-- Cable Arcane-- Spike Kane-- Angel, Reckless Jack, Adam Knite-- even… even Steve Awesome. The list goes on and on of all these people who want to just keep themselves at top--”
Jeg shook my head to him, and began to walk away. He reached up and gripped my shoulder tightly, which made me a litt sint. Jeg managed to keep myself together.
Xavier Cross:
“Hey! You need to listen to me… they have been trying to silence me on this matter for a long time, and if I don’t speak up for the new guys, like you, no one ever will. Help me, help you.”
Ulf Hednir:
“Jeg… learned… that there are quite a lot of Americans who are quite fond of conspiracy theories. Og dette… dette er akkurat hvat det sounds like.”
Ulf Hednir brushes past Xavier Cross, who in turn turns to watch Ulf walk away; Xavier Cross shakes his head at the response he got from Ulf Hednir regarding taking the fight to the veterans.
“Jeg…” jeg started with a hesitation, and looked toward the table surface before me. Jeg considered all the way back to when Xavier Cross had first approached me; varmt off my very først match, og min først victory, within the company-- within the industry-- just to be told that it was a sham.
“Jeg did not want to believe Xavier Cross when han først approached me to tell me hvat was going on behind closed doors,” jeg raised my eyes back toward the camera, “du har people like Roberto Verona, people like Spike Kane, people like Mike Laszlo-- these veterans hvem cannot accept that the new generation is coming in! And jeg er ikke like a lot of the people that jeg har seen from the upcoming generation of people… Jeg har no problem EARNING my spot-- TAKING my spot-- at the top of the mountain, at the top of the company, at the top of the industry! It does not bother me, because jeg know that jeg can do it. But hvat jeg do have a problem with: is slowing me down.”
Jeg sniffled while looking forward to the camera in front of me. Jeg could not help but feel anger at the mere thought of these veterans robbing me from an opportunity; jeg knew that they could not rob me from Heir to the Throne, which caused me to smile, but jeg continued seemingly more appeased-- happier with the people that jeg was stepping into the ring with.
“Jeg do not take anything away from any of the accomplishments that all of you have had; former champions all around… some of you have been wrestling for over femten år! Jeg har en ære. An honor-- to step into the ring with the likes of Cable Arcane, with the likes of Mike Laszlo, and especially with the likes of Spike Kane! Du see, despite hvat Xavier Cross and de rest of The Council har told me about you; jeg know that there is a certain respect jeg must have for dere.”
Jeg took a deep breath, mine øyne lowered back toward the table as jeg twiddled my fingers together before enclosing my hands together. Jeg allowed me to regain my thoughts on each of the opponents that were going to stand across the ring from me at Sacrifice-- I raised my head and my eyes back toward the camera, and the first opponent came to my mind.
“Let me start with Mike Laszlo-- as a tenåring, jeg remember watching you on the TV, og jeg remember watching… alle your failures. Alle the times that you battles for championship, after championship. Alle the times that you stepped into the ring with people that du had no hope of beating-- jeg remember how much jeg did not appreciate hvat it is du were capable of doing because of all these failures; because your name became the epitome of failure.
But du never gave up.
Du continued to get into the ring… challenging the same people… for the same titles… and du constantly failed! Until one day-- just one day was all it took-- du defeated GOD for the Imperial Championship! It was at that time that jeg, as a tenåring, began to appreciate hvat it was du were doing. You stood out, you became the man to beat… and it made me think back to all the times that you tried, and jeg realized that nothing was handed to you. Just as nothing is handed to me. You earned your belt! You earned your legacy!
But for someone who has earned their legacy through constant failures-- you would think that you would be the først person to be on the side of the newcomers, and tell us not to give up! Tell us to keep battling for hvat it is vi er trying to earn! Jeg do not understand why it is you decide to try to bury the new generation and steal opportunities away from us…”
Jeg said with some confusion, confusion for why he would not want to help the next generation rise through the same ranks that he managed to get through, og har the opportunity to hold the Imperial Championship just as he had. Jeg paused for a moment, shrugging my shoulders, as if Mike Laszlo would actually respond to me, “Hvorfor?” jeg asked, og paused en gang til.
“It matters not, Mike, because du er going to realize that jeg, like du, am not going to give up.”
The next man that came to my mind was Cable Arcane; the very man who challenged The Council to this match in the first place.
“Allow me to move on: Cable Arcane… there is not anything that jeg can say to take away from you, because you proved to me hvorfor du earned your spot near the top of the mountain! Not only are you the only two-time Imperial Champion in IWF history, but du also had the courage to challenge not only myself-- not only Xavier Cross-- not only Jason Sandman-- og not only Kole Kaos… Du had the courage to challenge ALL of us.
Jeg admire that. Jeg really do. Although-- jeg did not want the help from The Council. Jeg do not stray away from a challenge, it is not how jeg was raised; it was not how mine folk were raised. Vi were raised to be honorable! Vi were raised to be courageous! Vi were raised to be disciplined!” It was truly part of the reason jeg aligned myself with The Council, because they fought for the same qualities that jeg fought for, “So when you think that jeg may run from a challenge… the answer is nei. Even if it means that jeg will be defeated-- especially-- if it means that jeg will be defeated. Jeg will not back down from a challenge. And jeg do not want the unfair advantage of having three other people having my back…
Derimot, it was not to be this week. Kanskje vi will fight in the future, Cable Arcane, after this war is over-- after The Council has ended this corruption once and for all, vi can fight in the ring for the same honor that du once had! But du are a tough competitor, Cable Arcane-- but your desire to become the first tre tid champion has blinded you, og it has forced you to steal opportunities away from people who have earned it.”
The last opponent for this week came to my mind. He was one that really needed no introduction-- all the years he has been wrestling… jeg var seks år gammel da jeg først så på Spike Kane.
“How long has it been, Spike? How long have you been getting in and out of the ring on a weekly basis? Out of all of the people even under contract with IWF, jeg know that du er among the oldest-- and jeg know that vi har hatt our social media battles back and forth, where jeg suggested that du should just consider retirement--” Jeg had a look of regret on my face that jeg could not help, knowing that my words may have gone a bit far, “--but there is something with my people for why jeg should not have insulted you, although the same thing applies to you as it does for Mike Laszlo, Cable Arcane, og even Roberto Verona. Do not slow me down. Do not stop me from achieving my goals! Du har already been in this industry for a very long time. Du har seen wrestlers come and go. Du har seen generations come and go. But vi er not supposed to insult our elders.
‘Jeg er gammel med god grunn.’
‘I am old for good reason.’
Spike Kane! If people had told me that jeg was going to have the chance to share the ring with you when jeg first began training to become a wrestler, jeg would have told them that they were crazy… but here vi står! A man who has earned the top title wherever he signed a contract! A man who has earned the hall of fame status! A man who, despite all the years he has on him, has set a whole record for the Man of Steel Championship by holding it for an unprecedented 245 days! A longer reign than any other singles champion-- the same number of days that Cable Arcane has held the Imperial Championship through TWO title reigns!
As people, they tend to get slower… mind you, more experienced, and you have to play by almost an entirely new set of rules. Spike Kane, du har done that. Du har learned all the new rules, and you have accomplished great things!
But… without the intent to disrespect you: hvor mye do you really think du har left in the tank?”
Jeg paused, as jeg considered the possibility myself… How much did Spike Kane have left to give?
“You are a great warrior, Spike Kane. You have battled the very best that have stepped in through those ropes! You continue to battle the very best that step through those ropes! But jeg cannot allow the stature of a legend such as yourself to intimidate me-- and it won’t…
You…
Won’t…
Jeg side with The Council to give a chance to those below me… to those who may not be able to one day sign a contract with the IWF, and stand across the ring from people like you! From people like Spike Kane! That is why jeg will also continue forward to Heir to the Throne-- free from the corruption of the veterans, free from the former champions, and the former winners-- the people who could not make the most out of their opportunity-- jeg vil win the Heir to the Throne tournament, and jeg vil become the Imperial Champion!
Then, the flood gates vil open. The world vil see that the corruption is over! The world vil see… that… the machine is broken. Vi vil see competition thrive. The veterans vil see that they are no longer at the top of the mountain! And they will no longer be able to repress the newcomers.”
Jeg stood up from my seat, feeling a fire in my stomach-- a fire that would carry The Council to victory at Sacrifice. A fire that would help us win this war. A fire that would carry me to victory throughout Heir to the Throne, and a fire that would carry me to victory for the Imperial Championship. Jeg walked toward the door, stopping in the doorway with the camera directly behind me. Jeg spoke clearly.
“Skål!”
Well howdy there pardner.