Blood and Bone Part 1
“Feuds are forgiven, if not forgotten, in the hour of death” - "The Watcher O' The Dead" ― John Guinan
The Recap
I have literally hundreds if not thousands of hardcore, or extreme matches under my belt. I’ve fought in two of the Taipei death matches in my career. They were very early on in my career and like this one, they were with people I hated. They were people that the fans hated. Back in that time, people were bloodthirsty, they loved the spectacle of it all without understanding the reasons behind the match itself. They didn’t understand the psychology behind wanting the match, or how much we wanted to end each other.
After those matches, both men retired from this sport. The first one was with a man named Chris Andrews. Chris was a wild man, fought a lot like you do. I bled him dry because I could. That was not for a world title, that was for the mid-Atlantic title. A hardcore title, we had fought over it for six months and this was the last time we would face each other in that company. You’re not him though. Does that mean I think that Knox will retire afterward? I doubt it, but I can guarantee he will be considering his life choices as he watches his life flash before his eyes. Most of our history is well known by now, so I won’t delve into it again and bore you guys to death. The purpose of this soft intro is to explain a few things. Knoxie at one time was one of my favorite people in this business. His life had been such a trainwreck you couldn’t help but pull for the guy. You wanted him to succeed in the worst way. I mean, seriously, how can you not cheer for a guy who beat a ten-year addiction to drugs? That wasn’t even the worst he was put through but that’s enough, isn’t it? I mean it should be, a couple of years ago he was a very different person. The problem was he started experiencing success and I loved that he had but it really sent him into a spiral in his personal relationships. When someone like Centurion, a legend in our business says that you make Chris Page feel like a warm blanket. Maybe it’s just me but that seems like a huge step back for some reason.
Back on topic, I digressed ever so slightly. That’s the reason that when he left Carnage Wrestling to seek fame and fortune elsewhere, we supported his decision. There was a guy here, he only stayed for a cup of coffee, but JC went to the same place that Matt was in. The struggle he was having with SuMa caught our attention, so Amber and I went there in order to see if we could help him. We stayed for a bit, before leaving. In that time, you’ve heard me talk before about how we pulled him from in front of a car driven by Cam Roth. I won’t regurgitate that story here. That’s when our problems truly began. He felt so thoroughly that he and Amber were kindred spirits that he went out of his way to try and manipulate her into what he thought she should be. That’s how he ended up being thrown through a trophy case in our home. She did that to him, not me. This kind of behavior continued when he joined Sin City. He tried to interfere with what Amber was working on with Masque. To him, I was a coward for not stepping in and putting a stop to it. In my opinion, he was sticking his nose in mine and Amber’s business.
What really happened is that he tried to manipulate Masque, and found himself one on one versus a true master manipulator. He was in over his head, and she found out information about him that could destroy everything. It could literally destroy everything that he’s worked so hard to put together. To be fair and honest, I wouldn’t want that for anyone, not even an enemy. That is where we find ourselves today, enemies, because of his arrogance, hard-headedness, and lack of control. In the meantime, he’s beat me for the Sin City World Title and gone out of his way to try and humiliate me in public. He believes in his heart that Masque never lied to him at any point. Even though he was sure that when Masque decided to attack Amber that it was just going to be a show of force. It was that, wasn’t it? A show of force that was so violent that it killed her. So violent that it caused my evolution to go backward to a more primal and vicious version of myself.
For those that know me well, they know that I’ve spent most of my career trying to be a good man. Fighting for those that were without a voice, whether it be a young wrestler that was being bullied or homeless veterans. One thing they didn’t count on is the fact that I can go there too. I have been otherwise, I have been the bastard that didn’t give a shit whether someone walked away under their own power after a match with me. I’ve been that motherfucker that made sure they couldn’t. The asshole that did everything in their power to cripple people that pissed me off. It appears that is who you want, Matthew, congratulations, you just got a fucking bingo.
{The Hotel Lobby - Long Beach, CA - “The Call”}
Several Weeks Ago
I stood in the hotel lobby, already having gathered my gear in a bag slung over my right shoulder. The smells of hotel breakfast hit me and I remembered I should have eaten something. As I headed towards the exit I felt my phone begin to vibrate, so I stepped to the side where comfortable seating could be found. I checked my phone, a Twitter feed had blown up. I had a couple of missed calls from Matt Knox, which was odd since we hadn’t been on speaking terms in a hot minute. The Twitter feed from Masque though, that’s when I felt that sinking feeling in my gut. The cryptic tweets from Masque and the missed calls from Matt were a bad sign. I called him back, and at first, I couldn’t understand anything he was saying, he was trying to talk but his speech was stuttered and frantic. “Matt, calm the fuck down, take a breath and tell me what you’re trying to get across to me.” There was a long pause, so long that I pulled the phone away from my ear to check and see if it was still connected. Then I heard him trying to speak again. Matt, (stuttering) It..it’s Red….sh she she’s been hu hur hurt bad dude.” My mind was racing a million miles an hour, “Where is she?” again a long pause from Matt, “At the arena, Masque…she hurt her bad.” I shook my head, all the warnings, all the things I was trying to tell Amber about this woman. “I’m on my way!”
I wasn’t sure how many laws I broke or bent to the point of breaking, but the weaving in and out of traffic got me there much more quickly than I expected. I didn’t remember the actual drive to the arena but I’d figure that out another day. I didn't remember parking the damn thing or where I parked, there was no time, my mind was frantic about what I’d find. I ran down the nearest stairwell into the underground storage. I raced along the path until I found the room I was looking for. As I burst through the door, my senses were bombarded with the smell of blood. I raced around the equipment to find Cassie, holding Amber’s head in her lap. She was crying softly as she rocked back and forth—the smell of copper, the blood on the floor where she lay. I still can’t quantify this, there was no reason for this to happen. Why the fuck would she do this to Amber? When I found myself again, I was at Cassie’s side. She kept repeating, “All my fault, it should have been me”. Over and over again she said it. I touched her arm gently, “Cass, I need you to tell me what happened here.” She was still rocking, so I dug out my phone and dialed emergency services. I explained to the dispatcher what I had found. As we waited on the paramedics to get there, she explained what she saw. The things that Masque had said and done and the fact that Matt couldn’t interfere or Masque would do what she threatened to do.
I brushed the hair out of her face as she lay there. Her eyes would flutter open and then close again. She would cough occasionally and she would strangle slightly as she wasn’t able to spit it out. The bloody froth collected on the corners of her mouth. I rolled her on her side to make it easier. The hot tears ran down my face, at times blurring my vision. I furiously wiped the tears away, if only for the momentary relief. That’s when I saw the damage to her throat and I realized that she wasn’t breathing very well. Thankfully the EMTs arrived shortly after that. I listed off the injuries as I could under the circumstance. Crushed trachea, I could see the shoulder had been forcibly separated and there was a stab wound there. Her hand was swollen, so I knew she had fought back with all she was worth. They took the information in and went to work. I had spent a lot of time learning from combat medics when I was in the service, so I knew what I was seeing. A field tracheotomy was what they were doing. Like a good combat medic, they used a hard plastic sleeve to puncture the skin below the injury to allow her to breathe. It was ragged at first but then her body adapted to it and her breaths became less ragged and more smooth.
I could have prevented this! my mind screamed at me.
Then they began on the wound in her shoulder and hooked up IV bags to try and stabilize her best they could. They brought the gurney out and I helped them load her on it. I checked on Cassie again and she was still in shock but at least she wasn’t repeatedly blaming herself. She just sat there with dead eyes that were looking down at the blood around her. I scooped her up like a baby and with the help of the emergency personnel, we were able to get her into the back of the ambulance as well. They tried to tell me that I couldn’t ride in the ambulance at first. “I’m her husband, I’m fucking going,” I almost screamed through the tears and the anguish of the guilt I was feeling. There was no more conversation about whether I could or not after that. I sat to the side in the back, making sure to keep my legs and feet out of the way should a need arise for them to work on her more.
Stay with us baby, you have to.That’s when the love of my life died on that gurney. I watched her face go from healthy to an ashen grey within moments. The medic in the passenger seat jumped back where we were and began performing CPR on her. Every few minutes I would spell him so he could catch his breath and then we would switch out again. She had been dead for three and a half minutes while we worked on her. She finally coughed and her heart began to beat again. I leaned down close to her ear, “Don’t you give up on me Amber, we got shit to do.” Despite her being unconscious and maybe it was my imagination but I could have sworn she gave me a curt nod. The medic that saved my wife’s life, who I would find out later his name. Jon Stewart said to me, “I’m sure it was just a nervous system thing.” I tiredly smiled at him, “Sure, we’ll go with that.” He smiled at me as he climbed back up in the front. I was thankful that the rest of the ride had been uneventful and we arrived at the hospital. We were met with emergency room doctors who rushed her off and into an evaluation room. The rest of that night was a blur, I don’t really remember much of it. All I could remember was the hate that had been building. The hate for Masque and more importantly the hate I had for the man who stood by and watched someone try to kill my wife.
A friend my ass, I’m gonna kill you Knox
Two weeks laterI had just arrived back at the hospital and I was walking by the nurse's station. The ladies there stopped me to inform me of the misbehavior of my wife. Nurse Hunter, “Mr. Bane, it’s your wife. She has been caught walking around without someone and we even caught her in the elevator trying to escape.” I listened diligently and nodded in the appropriate spots as she continued to prattle on. She finally took a breath and so I inserted myself at that point. Looking at her name tag, I thought it should probably say Nurse Cunt but that was a story for another day. “Nurse Hunt, I can assure you she was not trying to escape.” She sighed a long sigh, “Why are you so sure of that?” I smiled in response, “My wife loves to push the envelope with people, she was fucking with you.” I made my way past the Nurse’s station and into her room. Another nurse was hot on my heels, “Mr. Bane, you should also know that she threatened to pull her sutures out when your friend Kat was here.” That one stopped me cold, “I will speak to her about that, I think I know why, and there will be no other visitors other than myself going forward.” She nodded and smiled in appreciation. After all that, I was able to enter the room where my wife was resting. I watched the rise and fall of her breasts as she slept. I quietly, as I could, made my way to the visitor chairs and sat down slowly. Her injury to her throat was well on its way to healing up and she was able to talk in short bursts.
That is when she wanted to, which wasn’t very often. “I remember everything up until the very end,” she said to me in a raspy voice. I nodded in response, “Not surprising love, you’ve been through so much.” So, I relayed the complete story to her as told by Cassie and from my own perspective after the beating had occurred. “The paramedic should have let me die.” She said it in such a flat tone and looked out the window to avoid eye contact with me. So, me being me, I moved back into her field of vision, taking her hand (on the noninjured side), I held it gently. “You are the love of my life, please don’t say that.” Hot tears began running down my face, “Don’t give up on me, Amber. I don’t think I could bear it if you did.” Even with my heart laid bare, she seemed to withdraw further. After a few long moments, I let go of her hand and kissed her softly on top of her head. I stood there looking out the window, “The nurses have been complaining about you, that you were being a difficult patient.” From behind me, I hear her snort in amusement. “I told them that you were just fucking with them, pushing the boundaries. “You’re not supposed to be giving away my trade secrets,” She said softly. “Yeah, I know,” I said equally as soft, “But I kinda felt bad for them.” In the window I could see her reflection, she was trying not to but slowly she allowed a small smile to appear.
Victories with Amber, no matter how small are still victories. The ability to make her smile, warmed my heart a little, it also lightened the mood, albeit only a fraction but a win is a win. Still halfway looking out the window and studying her reflection in the window, “I’m sorry, love, none of this would have happened, if I’d just…,” she cuts me off. “Not your fault, this was my choice, Mac. I chose Cassie as the one to move on and accepted a fate that was of my own making.” I shook my head in disgust, holding onto the window frame with my right hand. “I could have ended her life, I wanted to, with every fiber of my being, I wanted to.” I sigh as I straighten back up, “But I couldn’t pull the trigger on it.” She studied me for a long moment, “And you think you can do that to Matt?” I shook my head, indicating that I didn’t think I could. “No, but I can put him as close to that door as I can without actually killing him.” She nodded along with my sentiment. I turned around and faced her, “I know you probably don’t blame him for what he’s done or not done in this case, and that’s your call. I don’t know that I can forgive him, Red.” I was trying to keep her talking in hopes of breaking down a few of the walls she had put back up. She didn’t say much in response, only, “I’m not sure, Mac, I haven’t decided.” Although I knew she probably wouldn’t be receptive, I broached one last subject. “I know you don’t hate Kat, but threatening to rip out your sutures?”
I waited a minute and looked back at her, “I never asked them to come here, they wanted to come to check on you in person. I do understand that you are not very social.” There was the full-on Amber smile. “Aww, you noticed,” she said in a voice so heavy in sarcasm it was really over the top. “Yes ma’am I did, believe it or not, however, it’s just that whether you like it or not, there are people in this world that love you, Red.” She thought about that for a minute and shook her head in denial, “Not possible, I’m a terrible person.” I smiled at her, “Well, not everyone sees it that way.” Kat, Kim, Whisper, Chloe, and Jas were just a few of the people that had come by to check on her condition. She was having a hard time wrapping her head around it, and I knew that. I wouldn’t push too hard, because that would turn into an argument. “I mean, I understand your perspective, I’ve felt the same way for a long time. Even Ken, Kyra, Adina, Goth, Melissa, and many others stopped by when you were still out of it.”
She gave me an incredulous look, one of those have you lost your damn mind looks. “Why would you let them in?” I laughed, “Well not at the same time, like I said you were still unconscious when a number of them came by.” I smirked at her and she hated it, it was my way of saying, “See!? People love you” and that may be the most disgusted I had seen her in a while. It warmed my soul a little bit.
Fade
{SCW Corporate Offices - “Karma”}
I sat in the offices of Sin City, I hadn’t even been home yet. This place always smelled very clean. The secretary looked apologetically at me, she could probably see that I was extremely jetlagged from the trip back, and the wear and tear on my body from all the nights of sleeping on a hospital chair. “I’m sorry Mac, their schedules are awful this week. Is there something I can do?”. I stood slowly and walked towards the desk, “Actually, yeah.” I slid the contract across the desk to her. “What’s this,” she asked as she slipped the reading glasses on. “Make sure that Knox signs that, would ya? That’s the revised contract for our title match. Once that is done, I need you to fax the contract to his number and I’ll take care of the rest.” I smiled a most polite smile.
She looked it over, briefly, then nodded moving it to the right side of her desk. “He’s supposed to meet with Christian in the next hour, so if you wanted to hang around?” I smiled again, “No ma’am, that won’t be necessary, just shoot me a message when it’s done, if you don’t mind?” She smiled once again, “that’s no problem at all Mac. How’s Amber doing?” I shook my head, “Some days are better than others.” “oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” I nodded, “it’s okay, we knew when this happened that recovery would be tough. Mentally, she’s as strong as they come, but this is new territory for her and she’s struggling.” I looked at my watch, “I’m sorry I have to get to her speech therapy session, thank you again.” She nodded and waived as I left the building. I wasn’t lying to the woman, Amber’s speech therapy was coming up….in a couple of hours. I wanted to exit before Knox could get there. I sat in my truck and began smoking a cigarette.
Earlier this year, Knox had signed Amber’s name to a contract for a tag tournament. He was trying to keep her from home, and more importantly away from Masque. Thing is that he never asked her, in addition to the fact that he dumped the tag team partner he had chosen already for the thing. I found that shady as fuck. So, I thought I’d return the favor. I had signed up for a tag tournament in OCW. My contract was already signed, that’s what the secretary had in her possession now. For the layman, it appeared that this was a revised copy of the contract for our title match. What it was actually was a contract for the OCW tournament as my partner. I watched as he walked into the building. I finished my cigarette and took a swig of the water I had with me. Roughly five minutes later I got the message that it was done. I smiled, “Not even gonna ask me why it needed to be faxed to another number instead of just filed with us?” My smile blossomed even more, “Good girl”. I started the truck and pulled out of my parking spot, headed for home to pick up Amber for her session.
Before I got very far, my phone started ringing. The caller identification showed as “Thad” and I smiled. I picked up the call. “Are you sure you want to do this, with him?” I laughed, “I’m sure, and you know it was an opportunity for a bit of Karma that I just couldn’t pass up.” “Lord this is going to be the most dysfunctional team in the history of OCW.” I laughed, “Yeah but we put the fun, in dysfunctional”.
Fade
{Hell’s Gate Dojo - Grand Junction CO - “Chloe and Whisper”}
When I was in the area, you could often find me with a cup of Kat’s coffee on the tailgate of my truck with a cigarette. We had landed yesterday and spent the night at Kat’s place. Chloe was already inside talking to Kat and Kim, prepping her for the meeting with Whisper, who had come out to talk to me. “The number of miles you must be getting for your travels.” I chuckled, taking another drag from my smoke. “I’ve been a little busy, I’ll admit, but it’s worth it.” She smiled at me coming forward, I gave her a kiss on the cheek and a deep hug. “Thank you for taking time with Chloe. That young woman has a ton of potential.” She smiled, “And baggage, but then we all do, don’t we?” “That we do, I hope you can help her unpack all that.” I crushed out the cigarette under my boot. “What’s on your mind, Mother of Archangels?”
“I’m worried that you are spreading yourself too thin.” I nodded, “Yes, yes I have. I’m going to start slowing down soon. Bring it back down to this side of chaotic.” She nodded, “probably a good idea, can’t have you burning yourself out.” I nodded in return, I knew this was always a risk when you’re working this much. “I know the dangers, no doubt about that, sometimes I ignore them because people need to be dealt with. Far too many to be dealt with in the season of settling scores.” She studied me for a moment, “It can be dealt with in more than one season you know?” I cracked a smile, “Yes Mother of Archangels, thy will shall be done.” In true Hell’s Gate fashion she slapped me in the back of the head. That moment caused me to laugh out loud. “That’s fair and deserved.” She nodded at me with a small smile, “I’m glad you agree. You are my Archangel of Violence and you wear it well, Mac. Now I need to go talk to our guest.” I smiled back at her, “I hope you are able to help her.” She raised her hand up with the thumbs up, “I’ve not met one yet that I haven’t been able to.”
She stopped at the door as she was reaching for the handle. “You’re a good man, Mac, don’t worry so much about people and what they think.” I nodded, “I know, but these kids are killing my reputation as a bastard.” That’s when I got a genuine laugh from Whisper. “You and Amber both think you’re terrible people, thankfully neither of you is correct.” I shot an eyebrow up causing her to laugh again. “You can argue with me if you want, I can’t prevent that, nor can I make you right either.” I shook my head as I laughed. I started to say something in response but she had ducked inside before I could make my retort. “I guess that means we’re on the right path then.” I finished my cup of coffee and had another cigarette and sat comfortably on the tailgate of the truck. I leaned forward, talking to myself. “What’s the plan, Mac?” I smirked at my internal commentary coming out in the open. “Well Mac, the plan is we start with the legs and ankles. The last time, he beat you with a roundhouse kick. That bird won’t be able to kick if he can’t fucking walk. It really is as simple as that.”
I nodded my head, agreeing with myself. “I’m ready, the work I’ve put in with Kim and my old teacher. It’s a difference maker, a game changer if you will. The manipulation of ligaments and joints, if applied correctly. That’s the edge I need right there, I can do this, I don’t need anyone's help inside that ring to get this done. I love my friends and my family but this one is on me. This is something I have to do for myself. No one else can do it for me. I’ve already gotten a small measure of revenge on him. He mistakenly thinks I’ve already taken a pound of flesh for his inaction. I told him we were just getting started. This could turn out to be the match that ends the war. Or just a primer for a bigger explosion.”
{The Bane Home - Las Vegas NV - “Blood and Bone”}
This would be the first time I have addressed this to the Sin City faithful. I didn’t want to discuss it because doing so gave Masque and Knox a feeling of power. That feeling would be brief, oh so brief. I stood at the microphone with the camera already recording. My red-rimmed eyes were clear for the first time in a while. My thoughts were clear and my mind was sharp. I was still very angry, angrier with a man or woman than I had been in a long long time.
“I’ve been told that I needed to learn to forgive Matt for what happened. That forgiveness is for the person who’s been injured. That the path I am headed down right now, can’t have a proper ending. That this match will only lead to more hate and more emotional suffering. Know what? I’m good with that. The best part of me has already been injured to the point that I don’t know if she will ever wrestle again. I have faith that she will, because I know she never leaves a receipt on the table. That always gets paid in full. Many believe that I robbed the fans of a strong follow-up match. That I should have waited for the bell to begin the match. They can kiss my ass! They didn’t ride in the back of that ambulance and watch their wife die. They didn’t have to watch an EMT have to resuscitate their wife. I’ve actually had people ask me why I’m so angry. That she’s a trained professional and that all is fair in this business. Some of the more religious types asked me what would Jesus do in this scenario. I’m fairly certain he would set them both on fire and send them to hell. If any of that actually exists, I’ll find out someday I’m sure. That leads me to one of the questions he so crassly asked on social media. The question asked by Matt Knox, had I made peace with my maker.” I looked down at my shoes, collecting myself before I continued.
” Matthew I made peace with my maker when I was nineteen years old. I get it, you are a devout catholic, you and I don’t have the same belief system. Yet when I asked him the same question, he started talking about the rapture. Not the biblical version of the rapture, but the Masque version. I digress, so here is why, at nineteen years old I become a non-believer, I joined the Navy and became a part of the construction battalion, more commonly known as Seabees. I was involved in forward operations, not an experience for the faint of heart, but we were sailors who would do anything for our country. When you are in combat, as part of a forward team, you learn the true meaning of fear. I have watched men die before my eyes. I’ve held the hand of a friend that had been shot, he died in my fucking arms. I’ve taken the lives of men who had no idea who I was or why I was there. It was at that point that I realized the human race was on its own. No God, other than a hateful, vengeful God would allow his children to destroy each other.
That is the reason I have zero fear of any man, woman, or beast on the face of this planet. Haven’t you ever wondered why I had no fear of SuMa? Speaking of him, you’re welcome. My lack of fear and his sense of superiority is what was a small part of his demise. You said on social media that you have no fear. Yes, you do, ya fucking coward, you fear Masque and the information she has been holding over your head. Furthermore, it simply reaffirms something that I said a long time ago to you. The reason that ravens follow wolves is so they can soften up the carcass for the ravens. I’ve done that twice for you over the years. First, it was Satha Tor in Carnage and SuMa here. Tor was easy, far too easy. He was an easy man to hate, all that arrogance, maybe that’s partly where you get it from. Since he was your father-in-law and all. Or, maybe, just maybe, it’s your long exposure to Tom. His arrogance, or hubris as you boys like to call it was ultimately his undoing at my hands. You got what was left over. I made that pretty easy for you, huh? Shaking my head in disgust, I pause long enough so that my eyes become level with the camera lens. I want everyone to understand the level of anger and grief that I’ve been going through over the past three weeks.
“I know that you don’t get it. You don’t understand who I am as a person, a competitor, or as a man. What you found out the last time you saw me was just a small portion of what I’m capable of. What I did to Masque was nothing near the level of the things I’m willing to do. I know that Matthew will use against me, the confrontation with Masque, who was in my locker room without my permission. She goaded me into attacking her, and who am I to turn down the request of a lady. That I attacked a one-armed woman. I damn sure did, watching her bleed was the highlight of my fucking night. I should have done us both a favor and ended her life on the spot. That would have you let you off the hook with her and then Mr. Nixon could remain a buried speed bump in your past. I’ll be honest with you Matt, I couldn’t, I couldn’t just take the life of someone in cold blood. Although I’ve done it before, something stopped me. So, the beating I gave her was just a small part of what she deserved. Like the one that I gave you not so long ago. Your reaction to that was fucking hilarious. You had the nerve to tell people on social media that I couldn’t get the job done. You do remember that yeah? Yeah, the problem with that is like usual, you’re a fucking liar. It took the owners of this company, security, and half the roster to pull me off of you. The bell never rang for that match. It will for this one, you deserve every ounce of glass that I embed in your fucking face. Every drop of blood, every moment of anguish. You deserve so much more and this Taipei death match allows me to deliver that, in full force. Make sure that all receipts are paid in full with interest. Delivered with velocity to make sure that you don’t ever make this mistake again. Delivered without remorse, without mercy. I allow a small smile to come to my face, it doesn’t change the harsh look that I present to the camera. It appears more predatory than anything.
“Now having said that some might wonder if it’s all worth it, to go to this extreme to settle something? My response to that is, have you ever had someone try to take the best part of your life from you? For me, it’s worth it, I won’t speak for Matt but his opinion doesn’t fucking matter. They tried to take my hurricane from me, and I want them to understand how big a fuck up it was on their part. Matt, I want you to understand most of all, how badly you fucked up. This quit being a rivalry a long time ago. The man I once called brother, is now public enemy number one. You have graduated my man, to the on-site club. No quarter will be given and none will be accepted. This is the match to end it all. For the people that will be ordering this event or attending in person, this will not be for the faint of heart or those easily sickened by bloody displays. For everyone else, this will be your dream come true. I’ll be trying to kill a cur dog and hes’ just going to try to survive. Considering everything that’s happened, especially recently, I wouldn’t bet on it.After having said all that, I smirk at the camera, mostly because I know Knox hates it.
“I enjoyed your match against Max, Mister Burke is a good man. A man who’s not quite ready for primetime but he tries really hard. God loves a trier but that won’t win you a title. “God loves a trier”, has been said quite a number of times around here lately. Mostly by people who don’t know what it actually means. Being of Irish descent and having heard it most of my life from my Irish father, what it means is well you made complete and utter balls of that, didn't you!? Something for you to remember Matthew, for you and I both. We both feel guilty for what happened to Amber, even though she keeps telling me it’s not my fault. I think she would tell you that it’s not your fault either. At a very basic level, I understand why you did nothing. Unfortunately for you, my heart doesn’t buy it. So, get ready bitch, I’m going to do my best to rip your heart out of your chest. That’s what Masque tried to do to me, I want to return the favor. I will make no other promise other than this. For every tear I’ve shed, you’re going shed one hundred. I’m going to hurt you, by the time I’m done, you’ll regret more than your life choices. That is my only prediction for this match. You will bleed, you will cry to the point that you beg me to stop kicking your ass all over that fucking ship, son. This is the version of me that Masque wanted, so this is what you get in return. This is the me you’ve never seen before, Matt, and it will be the last thing you see as I shut your eyes forever. I know you will say that these words are hollow and that I’m still the same as I’ve always been. I’m looking forward to seeing you try to test that assumption. Trying and failing, getting up and trying again and failing again. At that point, when all seems lost and you try to dig into your reserves to make a comeback, you’ll find that you have nothing left. I will have taken it all from you.”
