You imitate the ostracized, put your head beneath the sand
Your cup it runneth over, must be rough to live so grand
You reap what you sew, you pay what you owe unless you bathe yourself in greed
You rob and you take, your world is fake
There's no honor amongst the thieves
Scene One:You’re ready to go..
Off Camera
New York, New York.
Last Week.
”Now, raise your arm and rotate”
He gave a grunt, pushing his left arm in the air, rotating his shoulder up and around and down, before doing it again and going backwards, an older woman with her hair tied in a bun wearing light blue scrubs stands behind him, her hand on his shoulder blade and the other clamped near his collarbone. Austin sighed as she manipulated his arm and studied the way the joints moved, the way the muscles tensed.
He had been away from the ring too long, but it had been a blessing in disguise. While not injured in any significant way the toll of being the champion was obvious on Austin’s body, media commitments,training seminars, the matches themselves. He had taken on anyone who SCW asked, defended the title and fought everyone in his way. And the bruises and nagging pain had needed to be taken care of.
So that is exactly what Austin had done.
He had taken a step back, he had watched as Alex went after Vinnie, as Alicia had stayed on top of the mountain and other members of the Wolfslair gym kept the ball rolling. But Austin hated it. It flared inside, it turned his stomach and even though he needed the time away he wanted competition. He wanted to be back in the ring. ”Arm down please” He stood up, adjusted his shirt and gave a small nod as the doctor moved around and grabbed a pen scribbling around in a file.
”All good?” His voice boomed, he stood over the doctor by at least a foot and a half, she sighed and looked over at him with a small nod. ”Your shoulder is stable and strong, you needed the physical therapy, keep going your stretches and you won’t have any problems.” He smirked and gave a small nod turning and grabbing his jacket moving out into the hallway.
He moved out to the door feeling his phone vibrate, Austin sighed and pulled his phone out reading the message, his eyes widened and he let out a small sigh.
His eyes moved across the words reading them under his breath with a shake of the head. It was from his sister Amy.
Aus, we need to talk. Back in New York. I love you
He hadn’t seen her in years. Amy went off to find herself. She hadn’t even come back for their father’s funeral. He stood outside the doctors office, his hand gripping his phone as he stared off for what seemed to be an eternity before snapping out of it. He typed a message back as fast as he could before sending. His mind moving a million miles an hour. A buzz again, this time from SCW HR.
Austin, Card changed, can you be in Phoenix, Arizona this week?”
A smirk flashed across his lips, he replied with a smile.
It was time to go back to work…..
Promo: How quickly they forget.
On Camera
Phoenix, Arizona.
Present Day
”How quickly people forget…”
His voice boomed. The deep tones and slight New York accent of Austin James Mercer. The six foot six former champion rang out. His long brown hair tied back away from his face as his large arms stayed folded across his chest.
”My rise through the ranks has been meteoric. Not just in SCW, not just in Honor and before that the total hole of laziness that was WWH. I mean the wrestling world at large. And for the most part I have been humble. A champion that wanted to elevate the title because I understood it was not the belts that made me. It was me who had to make the title. And as I stand here and laugh to myself about the utter stupidity I keep seeing I can’t help but wonder, is there anything I could have done differently?”
“I mean, if I am taking the criticisms of someone like Jake Raab seriously. What could I have done?. Despite the fact I defended the title. I took on all comers, I did all I could to keep the title at the same level as Fenris had. And almost everyone agreed that is exactly what I did. But someone like Jake Raab wouldn’t understand that and since getting his ass handed to him by me all he has done is run his mouth. And it seems that losing to Vinnie then Ty means it’s open season on me. That people seem to think I’m slipping. After all the dominance...after winning the SCW title and beating the best of the best….a few losses and people have forgotten about me…”
“I didn’t take an automatic rematch for the SCW title but now, to be honest. I should have. I should have taken my rematch, I should have got back in the ring with Vinnie. Because to be honest...as good as he is, even though he beat me one on one….he isn’t a real champion…”
“I know that might seem harsh, I know not everyone will agree with me. But hear me out.”
“As a champion I got into it with anyone. I promoted the shows, I promoted matches, even if I wasn’t “on” the shows I still brought eyes on the product. And people respected me for it. I was always me, I never backed down, I never hurt the product and I made the championship mean just as much as Fenris did. But what about Vinnie?. Since becoming champion he has turned up and claimed a win over Alex that was never a win, made excuses and made himself look like a weak champion, he beat Ty West who to be perfectly honest didn’t look like the same Ty West and then, the only thing he has really done of note was beat Alex in a no DQ match...one thing...ONE THING that has mattered in two and a half months….”
“People have forgotten about the title, about what it means. He has taken the title down to a level that it hasn’t been before. And that makes me sick.”
Austin pauses for a moment and grinds his teeth together
”This company deserves to have a champion that will be visible and work hard, not someone who barely turns up and when he does decide to promote the matches he’s in or the company he puts his big foot in his mouth. And you know, I have been sitting at home,l healing up after the hectic schedule I was on to make the title and SCW look good and I noticed that people seem to forget me, I have barely been booked or mentioned, I have barely been thought about and even this week….even this week I was an afterthought…”
“This match with Griffin was announced after the card had originally gone up as a replacement match. Sure, it got thrown in the main event but...I’m not a goddamn replacement for anything. But last time you saw me in a ring I beat Kedron Williams, I beat Kedron, I went home and I have got my body right. And as I sat there and had all those thoughts going through my head I got angry, I got frustrated. And I realised...I need to let that out…”
“I need to start doing this for me. Not for the company, not for the fans...for me…”
“And that starts at Climax Control 252. It starts with gaining entry into that six pack challenge at December 2 dismember 4. And to do that, well I have to face a man who has been one of the best in SCW for the longest time….Griffin Hawkins…”
Austin smirks and shakes his head.
”I like and respect Griffin Hawkins. He is a likeable guy, he’s funny, he’s smart and he is great in the ring. He loves the wrestling business and he loves to perform and is the current SCW Roulette champion. He’s a man who has been a champion basically everywhere he’s gone and continues to be a man who many people look to and follow. So yes, I do like Griffin Hawkins, I do believe Griffin is a great wrestler…”
“But he’s not as good as me…”
“I’m sorry Griffin, but it’s the truth. As good as you are, as talented as you are, you’re not good enough to beat me. I’m bigger than you, I’m stronger than you and now, well, now I’m in a place I have never been before. See Griffin, while you’re content with being the Roulette champion I’m not. While you’re content with playing with people like Bill Barnhart and Teddy Warren, I’m not. I am a world champion, a heavyweight champion and last time you and I stepped in a ring I beat you and walked away and the sad truth is….it’ll happen again.”
“And it’s not that you don’t have the talent because you do. It’s the same thing I said about Ty, I told him what he would have to do to beat me, I told him where he would need to go and I told him the lengths he would have to go...and he did it. He pulled that trigger. But you Griffin?...you don’t have what it takes to do it. And to get into that title match, to have a chance to get the title back and right this ship, I have to beat you. But you’ll be fine Griffin, you’ll be great. You’ll hold the Roulette title...you’ll go beat Barnhart or Teddy or...I don’t know...John Blade might come up from SCU…”
“But this is a new me, a new moment and I need that championship back. I need to hold it in my hands and hold it over my head and rebuild it back up to where it needs to be…..”
