Post by Seth Evans on Jul 6, 2023 18:02:10 GMT
Sweat dripped down from the tip of Seth’s nose, but he kept his head up while committing to his workout routine; he was in the middle of another set of mountain climbers as he was preparing himself for another match that promised itself to be a battle… a war… Seth was going to have to be physically ready against a man that has earned the right to call himself the IWF Men’s World Champion; a man that has proven he can take the utmost amount of damage, and just when you think he can’t take anymore, he does. Just when you think he has nothing left in the tank, he shifts gears. The match would not only be physical– it would be mental… Seth had to be ready for some of the mind games that his opponent would try to pit against him to get in his head before the bell sounds, and even after the bell sounds.
Dean Harper.
The workout continues and throughout the entirety of it, there was no masking the determination that Seth felt by walking into this match. There was no denying that a victory here would skyrocket Seth Evans to the top of the pack, even beyond those in Heir to the Throne, to potentially challenge Dean Harper for the world championship. A title that had eluded Seth Evans throughout the course of his career.
“Since day one–” Seth’s voice resonates throughout the scene as a voiceover, “I have been here since day one, and the only thing that has ever been on my mind was how I wanted to take the grandest prize I had ever known! But it always got away… It was always… just out of my grasp. There have been many times that I thought my days were behind me– many times I tried to take off the boots for the last time, and thought that I could walk away from this business, and while I look at the likes of some of the people that are closest to me– the people that I watched… grow up… people like Jennie–” You hear a short chortle from him as the imagery shifts from the workout routine, to showing Seth Evans sitting on the bench in the locker room. The voice transitions from that of a voiceover, to him actually speaking.
“I remember Jennie coming down to the center with Tara, my trainer… the person responsible for getting me into the ring… just a thirteen-year-old girl. A girl that was just so…carefree. She didn’t quite pay attention, but she had a knack for this because, as the old saying goes: it was in her blood… She went on to become the IWF Women’s World Champion less than a year after walking through those doors. I remember Sabin– younger than Jennie! I remember teaching him everything that Tara taught me– I remember pushing him to be better… to be stronger… and more importantly, I tried–” Seth sighs and bites down on his bottom lip, clearly conflicted with something that he wishes he could say aloud, but he thinks better of it. “I watched him go on to become the youngest world champion that this company would likely ever know. I watched him take a title that, like me, eluded his biological father throughout the duration of his career.”
Seth licks his lips and adjusts his posture slightly, cocking his head a little to the side as he does, “I know a lot of you look at that kid and you see a monster… But I see Sabin. I see my friend– I see someone who is going to take that title back… I see the kid who, when my grandmother passed away, he was there for me, and he knew what I needed. He knew that I needed to be in that ring, and he gave me a fight… and he won. I remember being in that ring trying to recapture something that I thought had left me, and although I lost– he showed me that I still had it… I remember that he– he– he,” Seth fumbles a little over his words, trying to maintain his own poise in the present moment, “He held me together. Like… don’t take anything away from that kid… He was trained by the best, and this sport is in his blood. This is what he was born to do, and thanks to him, I know– I know– that it’s what I was born to do.”
There is a beaming appearance of pride shown clearly on his face, but even still, he bit down on his bottom lip while the question formulates in his mind before he forces it out.
“Why not me?” He says with a chuckle under his breath, but still beams with a smile, “Why not? Like I said– I’ve watched these people soar! I’ve watched these people come in long after me, and capture the grandest prize in professional wrestling, and– I am happy for them, okay? I am happy for them! But it just always makes me wonder: what do I have to do to bring that gold home with me? What do I have to do to finally be able to hold that gold for myself, and know that– it’s mine… I earned it… Please, please don’t mistake me and think that I’m whining and under the impression that I’m going to become a bitter brat that thinks the world owes me something– the world owes me nothing, okay? There’s another life lesson here, okay? Are you ready to hear it? That life lesson is that nothing is guaranteed… Just because something works for someone else does not mean that it’s going to work for another. We all have our own journey. You’re going to save your money and buy a house, right? Don’t worry about the people that just bought one! Don’t worry about how old they are when it happens! Some people are going to buy their houses right out of high school, right out of college– when they’re eighteen, when they’re twenty-seven, when they’re forty-three, or older! It doesn’t make it any less of an accomplishment. You should still be proud of what you did, and what you accomplished! And it doesn’t matter if someone got there faster, all that matters is that you got there…”
He takes a momentary pause to let the words sink in as he still tries to fight back the tears from the determination and confidence resounding in his tone.
“I’ve seen everybody pass me by! I’ve seen a number of people take that title for themselves, I’ve seen kids take that title for themselves, and all I can say is that my journey is not done! My journey is still going! And my journey is going to take me to become the IWF Men’s World Champion, okay? I am going to be the IWF Men’s World Champion, and no– it isn’t going to be this week. It isn’t going to be this week because this is a non-title match, but it is going to happen! Because when I do go into the ring with Dean Harper– who is just… astounding… I am going to give absolutely everything I have to walk out with my arm raised as the winner. I am going to do absolutely everything I have to do to hear Alison Valance announce my name as the winner! And– it is not going to be like what happened years ago against his father, Angel Blake; it is not going to happen via disqualification… It is not going to happen via count out. It is going to happen because I am going to put Dean Harper down, and pin his shoulders to the mat, to earn a pinfall victory! And I have nothing but love for you, Dean– I respect you, Dean– I know that you are on this journey– your journey– to step out of the shadow that Angel has cast over you… I’ve heard everybody talking. I’ve heard how everybody thought that people like you– people like Sabin– only got to where you are because of who you’re related to, and I’m going to tell you this as someone who has… no one…” Seth shrugs.
He chuckles again just under his breath while resuming, “I have no blood relation to anybody in this business, nor in this industry… Don't get me wrong! You're family. Tara is family. But not by blood. And all I have is what Tara taught me. All I have is my own heart– my own grit– my own determination– and yes, maybe I practiced this speech a few too many times in the mirror before confronting you with it, but this is what I have! So… listen to me when I tell you who this is coming from–” Seth holds his hand behind his back as if to gesture to the invisible audience behind him, “Ignore what those people say about you! Ignore what those people try to put on you! They are trying to tear you down and say that you do not deserve to call yourself the IWF Men’s World Champion– a three-time world champion! A hall of famer! They are going to try to break you down and tell you that you do not deserve any of it just because of who your family is, but damn it, Dean, you’ve earned it! You’ve earned that with your own blood! You’ve earned that with your own sweat! You’ve earned that with your own tears! And there is not one person who can take that away from you, and that is who I know I am getting into the ring with… I am getting into the ring with the sadistic bastard that has dominated so many people before. I am getting into the ring with one of the very best! I know– I know that this is not going to be an easy fight. I know that I am going to have to dig deep to prevail. I know all of that, and Dean–” Seth’s voice breaks and he pauses to take a breath.
“I want all of that. I want to be in the ring with the best person in this business! I want to be in the ring with you, and I want to– I need to beat you! Because– I know– that one day, I am going to complete my journey… One day, I am going to have that title around my waist, and I am going to be the man to beat! I am going to be the man that people chase! I am going to be the IWF Men’s World Champion, but you are that first step for me, Dean… You are the first person that I am going to have to go through to prove to everybody in the back that I still have what it takes. You are the first person that I’m going to have to beat to prove why I should be in the ring with you! And when I beat you for this first time, Dean– you are also going to be the person that I’m going to have to go through a second time to take that title away. I’m chasing my dream, Dean, and you aren’t going to stop me from fulfilling my journey. GAME! ON!” Seth shouts.
Dean Harper.
The workout continues and throughout the entirety of it, there was no masking the determination that Seth felt by walking into this match. There was no denying that a victory here would skyrocket Seth Evans to the top of the pack, even beyond those in Heir to the Throne, to potentially challenge Dean Harper for the world championship. A title that had eluded Seth Evans throughout the course of his career.
“Since day one–” Seth’s voice resonates throughout the scene as a voiceover, “I have been here since day one, and the only thing that has ever been on my mind was how I wanted to take the grandest prize I had ever known! But it always got away… It was always… just out of my grasp. There have been many times that I thought my days were behind me– many times I tried to take off the boots for the last time, and thought that I could walk away from this business, and while I look at the likes of some of the people that are closest to me– the people that I watched… grow up… people like Jennie–” You hear a short chortle from him as the imagery shifts from the workout routine, to showing Seth Evans sitting on the bench in the locker room. The voice transitions from that of a voiceover, to him actually speaking.
“I remember Jennie coming down to the center with Tara, my trainer… the person responsible for getting me into the ring… just a thirteen-year-old girl. A girl that was just so…carefree. She didn’t quite pay attention, but she had a knack for this because, as the old saying goes: it was in her blood… She went on to become the IWF Women’s World Champion less than a year after walking through those doors. I remember Sabin– younger than Jennie! I remember teaching him everything that Tara taught me– I remember pushing him to be better… to be stronger… and more importantly, I tried–” Seth sighs and bites down on his bottom lip, clearly conflicted with something that he wishes he could say aloud, but he thinks better of it. “I watched him go on to become the youngest world champion that this company would likely ever know. I watched him take a title that, like me, eluded his biological father throughout the duration of his career.”
Seth licks his lips and adjusts his posture slightly, cocking his head a little to the side as he does, “I know a lot of you look at that kid and you see a monster… But I see Sabin. I see my friend– I see someone who is going to take that title back… I see the kid who, when my grandmother passed away, he was there for me, and he knew what I needed. He knew that I needed to be in that ring, and he gave me a fight… and he won. I remember being in that ring trying to recapture something that I thought had left me, and although I lost– he showed me that I still had it… I remember that he– he– he,” Seth fumbles a little over his words, trying to maintain his own poise in the present moment, “He held me together. Like… don’t take anything away from that kid… He was trained by the best, and this sport is in his blood. This is what he was born to do, and thanks to him, I know– I know– that it’s what I was born to do.”
There is a beaming appearance of pride shown clearly on his face, but even still, he bit down on his bottom lip while the question formulates in his mind before he forces it out.
“Why not me?” He says with a chuckle under his breath, but still beams with a smile, “Why not? Like I said– I’ve watched these people soar! I’ve watched these people come in long after me, and capture the grandest prize in professional wrestling, and– I am happy for them, okay? I am happy for them! But it just always makes me wonder: what do I have to do to bring that gold home with me? What do I have to do to finally be able to hold that gold for myself, and know that– it’s mine… I earned it… Please, please don’t mistake me and think that I’m whining and under the impression that I’m going to become a bitter brat that thinks the world owes me something– the world owes me nothing, okay? There’s another life lesson here, okay? Are you ready to hear it? That life lesson is that nothing is guaranteed… Just because something works for someone else does not mean that it’s going to work for another. We all have our own journey. You’re going to save your money and buy a house, right? Don’t worry about the people that just bought one! Don’t worry about how old they are when it happens! Some people are going to buy their houses right out of high school, right out of college– when they’re eighteen, when they’re twenty-seven, when they’re forty-three, or older! It doesn’t make it any less of an accomplishment. You should still be proud of what you did, and what you accomplished! And it doesn’t matter if someone got there faster, all that matters is that you got there…”
He takes a momentary pause to let the words sink in as he still tries to fight back the tears from the determination and confidence resounding in his tone.
“I’ve seen everybody pass me by! I’ve seen a number of people take that title for themselves, I’ve seen kids take that title for themselves, and all I can say is that my journey is not done! My journey is still going! And my journey is going to take me to become the IWF Men’s World Champion, okay? I am going to be the IWF Men’s World Champion, and no– it isn’t going to be this week. It isn’t going to be this week because this is a non-title match, but it is going to happen! Because when I do go into the ring with Dean Harper– who is just… astounding… I am going to give absolutely everything I have to walk out with my arm raised as the winner. I am going to do absolutely everything I have to do to hear Alison Valance announce my name as the winner! And– it is not going to be like what happened years ago against his father, Angel Blake; it is not going to happen via disqualification… It is not going to happen via count out. It is going to happen because I am going to put Dean Harper down, and pin his shoulders to the mat, to earn a pinfall victory! And I have nothing but love for you, Dean– I respect you, Dean– I know that you are on this journey– your journey– to step out of the shadow that Angel has cast over you… I’ve heard everybody talking. I’ve heard how everybody thought that people like you– people like Sabin– only got to where you are because of who you’re related to, and I’m going to tell you this as someone who has… no one…” Seth shrugs.
He chuckles again just under his breath while resuming, “I have no blood relation to anybody in this business, nor in this industry… Don't get me wrong! You're family. Tara is family. But not by blood. And all I have is what Tara taught me. All I have is my own heart– my own grit– my own determination– and yes, maybe I practiced this speech a few too many times in the mirror before confronting you with it, but this is what I have! So… listen to me when I tell you who this is coming from–” Seth holds his hand behind his back as if to gesture to the invisible audience behind him, “Ignore what those people say about you! Ignore what those people try to put on you! They are trying to tear you down and say that you do not deserve to call yourself the IWF Men’s World Champion– a three-time world champion! A hall of famer! They are going to try to break you down and tell you that you do not deserve any of it just because of who your family is, but damn it, Dean, you’ve earned it! You’ve earned that with your own blood! You’ve earned that with your own sweat! You’ve earned that with your own tears! And there is not one person who can take that away from you, and that is who I know I am getting into the ring with… I am getting into the ring with the sadistic bastard that has dominated so many people before. I am getting into the ring with one of the very best! I know– I know that this is not going to be an easy fight. I know that I am going to have to dig deep to prevail. I know all of that, and Dean–” Seth’s voice breaks and he pauses to take a breath.
“I want all of that. I want to be in the ring with the best person in this business! I want to be in the ring with you, and I want to– I need to beat you! Because– I know– that one day, I am going to complete my journey… One day, I am going to have that title around my waist, and I am going to be the man to beat! I am going to be the man that people chase! I am going to be the IWF Men’s World Champion, but you are that first step for me, Dean… You are the first person that I am going to have to go through to prove to everybody in the back that I still have what it takes. You are the first person that I’m going to have to beat to prove why I should be in the ring with you! And when I beat you for this first time, Dean– you are also going to be the person that I’m going to have to go through a second time to take that title away. I’m chasing my dream, Dean, and you aren’t going to stop me from fulfilling my journey. GAME! ON!” Seth shouts.
END SCENE.
Well howdy there pardner.