Post by The Ace on Jun 18, 2017 15:23:26 GMT
The Union Jack hangs across the wall, serving as the backdrop as we join Jake Conway standing in front of it. He is wearing shades, his customised leather jacket and blue jeans. This is the only reintroduction we are given to the man who reemerged two weeks ago to challenge the new Imperial Champion, Andrew Jacobsen.
Resilient.
Perserverant.
Tenacious.
Unbreakable.
Ordinarily, I could use any one of these words to describe any one of the men who will be sharing the ring with me on Monday Night. As I stand here today on home soil however, it is neither the former two time Invictus Champion Jayson Matthews, nor the current Invictus Champion Bob Pooler or even the new Imperial Champion Andrew Jacobsen that first comes to mind when I invoke these words...
Jake solemnly shakes his head.
No, right here, right now, today, standing in the heart of this city, my words are not for my opponents, my partner or any of my colleagues in the Imperial Wrestling Federation. Today, my words are for you, the people, my people, my fans. My fans not only here in Manchester, but across the country.
There is no greater example of virtue to the rest of the world right now than Great Britain.
Few things will ever match the Great British resilience, the Great British perseverance, the Great British tenacity or the remarkable unbreakable spirit of our nation in these trying times. Each and every single one of you have proven that in recent months, and each and every single one of you continue to do so every time you attend one of our shows, including this coming Sacrifice.
Each and every one of you who will be in attendance this Monday are a shining example of the values that have been a part of the very fibre of my being for my whole life. Values instilled in me by two of the most loving people I have ever known, two people who have always supported me and two people I know will continue to do so even as they will sit in the front row at Bloody Assizes in a couple of weeks - my parents.
My mother and my father.
I live a very privileged and blessed life these days, but it was not always that way.
I have never forgotten where I came from, and I never will.
For nearly fifteen years now, I've worked hard, I've worked smart, and now I am here - not only in the best professional wrestling company in the world, the Imperial Wrestling Federation - but also in a position of privilege - a position that I have held ever since I whooped Roberto Verona's piddly ass last August, and a position I have been denied since last May...
The right to be considered the absolute best professional wrestler in the world today.
For over a year now, I have sat with the distinction of ending the reign of the single most dominant Imperial Champion in this company's history, and rather than be given my due by the man who has always been in the perfect position to do so, not only as the former Champion but also as the God damned COO of IWF, all I've gotten is absolute denial and unfounded accusation.
Denial of my victory by former Imperial Champion, Roberto Verona.
Accusation of my cowardice by former two time Imperial Champion, Cable Arcane.
Two men, who by all accounts should know better than to question my character and value. Two men who are so utterly consumed by arrogance that they will lie to everybody, including themselves, as they scramble to hold on to the one moment that has already passed them by.
The one moment the rest of us spend our entire careers working towards.
The one moment that makes every drop of blood, every bead of sweat, every bitter tear all worth it.
The one perfect moment spent at the pinnacle of our industry as a Champion at Night of the Immortals.
Some of us, like Andrew Jacobsen, manage to seize it. Others, like Bob Pooler, manage to hold on to it. For men like Jayson Matthews and myself however, our moment is denied and our value tested as we are forced to take another road - a longer and less ideal road.
What separates the best of us from the rest of us is that through every roadblock, every diversion and every setback, the best of never lose sight of the destination, no matter how arduous those around us make the journey.
Jayson Matthews has never lost sight of the prize.
Bob Pooler has never lost sight of the prize.
Andrew Jacobsen has never lost sight of the prize.
I have never lost sight of the prize.
So you see gentlemen, on Monday Night, the four of us may be divided into teams of two and forced to defend different corners of the same ring, but as long as we all keep our eyes on the bigger picture, we will never be opponents. The four of us only become antagonists if we do exactly what men like Roberto Verona are banking upon when they book matches like this.
They want us to show the world that we really are no better than the men we condemn.
They want us to to show the world that when given the opportunity, we will eat each other.
Roberto Verona needs the world to know that deep down, for every virtue we demonstrate, in the end it doesn't matter because we are all the same. Roberto Verona needs the world to know that in the end, we are just like him - and whilst I cannot speak for Jayson Matthews or Bob Pooler any more than I can speak for my own partner Andrew Jacobsen this week, I can say that I am not, nor will I ever be like Roberto Verona.
I am better.
I will always be better.
I will compete in every match, I will earn every opportunity and I will take my rightful place on top of the mountain when the time comes, but most importantly I will relinquish my place to the next best man when the time comes - and I will do it with all the grace that a man like Roberto Verona never could.
The problem is that time is not yet upon us, and as far as the reigning Invictus Champion Bob Pooler and his determined challenger are concerned this week, that problem is a most unfortunate one. I have no doubts that it would all be so much easier if I were to give in, give up and betray every British value that runs through my veins, thicker than blood, but as Roberto Verona found out at Legacy last year, and as Andrew Jacobsen found out two years ago at that very same event...
I have no illusions of dying a hero.
But the three of you should know that whilst I have no intention of dying, I have every intention of living in the moment.
My moment.
My perfect moment.
This Monday represents so much more than a home coming, this is the last stop on a road that has been diverted since January 2016. After this Monday on Sacrifice, nobody will be able to divert me from that moment, and nobody will be able to deny me that moment any longer...
Not Roberto Verona.
Not Cable Arcane.
And certainly not Andrew Jacobsen.
Resilient.
Perserverant.
Tenacious.
Unbreakable.
Ordinarily, I could use any one of these words to describe any one of the men who will be sharing the ring with me on Monday Night. As I stand here today on home soil however, it is neither the former two time Invictus Champion Jayson Matthews, nor the current Invictus Champion Bob Pooler or even the new Imperial Champion Andrew Jacobsen that first comes to mind when I invoke these words...
Jake solemnly shakes his head.
No, right here, right now, today, standing in the heart of this city, my words are not for my opponents, my partner or any of my colleagues in the Imperial Wrestling Federation. Today, my words are for you, the people, my people, my fans. My fans not only here in Manchester, but across the country.
There is no greater example of virtue to the rest of the world right now than Great Britain.
Few things will ever match the Great British resilience, the Great British perseverance, the Great British tenacity or the remarkable unbreakable spirit of our nation in these trying times. Each and every single one of you have proven that in recent months, and each and every single one of you continue to do so every time you attend one of our shows, including this coming Sacrifice.
Each and every one of you who will be in attendance this Monday are a shining example of the values that have been a part of the very fibre of my being for my whole life. Values instilled in me by two of the most loving people I have ever known, two people who have always supported me and two people I know will continue to do so even as they will sit in the front row at Bloody Assizes in a couple of weeks - my parents.
My mother and my father.
I live a very privileged and blessed life these days, but it was not always that way.
I have never forgotten where I came from, and I never will.
For nearly fifteen years now, I've worked hard, I've worked smart, and now I am here - not only in the best professional wrestling company in the world, the Imperial Wrestling Federation - but also in a position of privilege - a position that I have held ever since I whooped Roberto Verona's piddly ass last August, and a position I have been denied since last May...
The right to be considered the absolute best professional wrestler in the world today.
For over a year now, I have sat with the distinction of ending the reign of the single most dominant Imperial Champion in this company's history, and rather than be given my due by the man who has always been in the perfect position to do so, not only as the former Champion but also as the God damned COO of IWF, all I've gotten is absolute denial and unfounded accusation.
Denial of my victory by former Imperial Champion, Roberto Verona.
Accusation of my cowardice by former two time Imperial Champion, Cable Arcane.
Two men, who by all accounts should know better than to question my character and value. Two men who are so utterly consumed by arrogance that they will lie to everybody, including themselves, as they scramble to hold on to the one moment that has already passed them by.
The one moment the rest of us spend our entire careers working towards.
The one moment that makes every drop of blood, every bead of sweat, every bitter tear all worth it.
The one perfect moment spent at the pinnacle of our industry as a Champion at Night of the Immortals.
Some of us, like Andrew Jacobsen, manage to seize it. Others, like Bob Pooler, manage to hold on to it. For men like Jayson Matthews and myself however, our moment is denied and our value tested as we are forced to take another road - a longer and less ideal road.
What separates the best of us from the rest of us is that through every roadblock, every diversion and every setback, the best of never lose sight of the destination, no matter how arduous those around us make the journey.
Jayson Matthews has never lost sight of the prize.
Bob Pooler has never lost sight of the prize.
Andrew Jacobsen has never lost sight of the prize.
I have never lost sight of the prize.
So you see gentlemen, on Monday Night, the four of us may be divided into teams of two and forced to defend different corners of the same ring, but as long as we all keep our eyes on the bigger picture, we will never be opponents. The four of us only become antagonists if we do exactly what men like Roberto Verona are banking upon when they book matches like this.
They want us to show the world that we really are no better than the men we condemn.
They want us to to show the world that when given the opportunity, we will eat each other.
Roberto Verona needs the world to know that deep down, for every virtue we demonstrate, in the end it doesn't matter because we are all the same. Roberto Verona needs the world to know that in the end, we are just like him - and whilst I cannot speak for Jayson Matthews or Bob Pooler any more than I can speak for my own partner Andrew Jacobsen this week, I can say that I am not, nor will I ever be like Roberto Verona.
I am better.
I will always be better.
I will compete in every match, I will earn every opportunity and I will take my rightful place on top of the mountain when the time comes, but most importantly I will relinquish my place to the next best man when the time comes - and I will do it with all the grace that a man like Roberto Verona never could.
The problem is that time is not yet upon us, and as far as the reigning Invictus Champion Bob Pooler and his determined challenger are concerned this week, that problem is a most unfortunate one. I have no doubts that it would all be so much easier if I were to give in, give up and betray every British value that runs through my veins, thicker than blood, but as Roberto Verona found out at Legacy last year, and as Andrew Jacobsen found out two years ago at that very same event...
I have no illusions of dying a hero.
But the three of you should know that whilst I have no intention of dying, I have every intention of living in the moment.
My moment.
My perfect moment.
This Monday represents so much more than a home coming, this is the last stop on a road that has been diverted since January 2016. After this Monday on Sacrifice, nobody will be able to divert me from that moment, and nobody will be able to deny me that moment any longer...
Not Roberto Verona.
Not Cable Arcane.
And certainly not Andrew Jacobsen.
Well howdy there pardner.