Post by Cross Recoba on Oct 11, 2022 19:27:44 GMT
We open up in Borough Market, London. If we were to hazard a guess, it’s early morning given that traders are unlocking their spaces within the markets and setting up. Cross walks out of the Northfield Farm butchers, a bag of their produce in hand.
CROSS RECOBA
Life’s funny isn’t it, TJ. After all, I imagined that given that we had semi-finals that it was only natural that we’d have a chance to go one-one-one before I got to face Alastor Touchdown in a one-on-one match…for once. But instead, here we are about to go into a Triple Threat and I’ll tell you something for free…you’re not ready for what’s to come.
Rounding the corner, Cross shakes hands with a gentleman outside of Gastronomica. He nods to the man who begins to slice guanciale, mortadella, and prosciutto as if this was his normal order.
CROSS RECOBA
I mean, from what I’ve seen I’ve hardly been impressed. You put Konstantine away with a roll-up? Why not Game Over or The Kidd Driver? Oh yeah, because you weigh a hundred pounds less. But not even a Crash Landing or Game Changer?
The Butcher places the meat on the counter and Cross nods towards the cheese counter.
CROSS RECOBA
You keep saying that you’re the Gold Mine, that Battle Royals are clusterfucks and it’s almost like you don’t have anything worth saying. Didn’t you say that at some point we’d witness what you’re capable of? Surely, your first singles match is that occasion? Even if it didn’t need to do more than a roll-up to put him away. I’d have used something to make people sit up and take notice of TJ Alexander, make my opponents fear what I can do…after all, aren’t you meant to be ‘The Game Changer’?
Parmesan, Taleggio, and Pecorino are placed on the counter. Cross hands over a black credit card.
CROSS RECOBA
I’m just struggling to see what you bring to the match apart from a YouTube reel of moves that only tell me you’re illogical in the ring given that you seem to have chosen them for their flashiness instead of helping your finisher put people away. Have you ever heard the saying ‘If you keep your mouth shut, people may suspect you’re an idiot. Open it and you’ll confirm their suspicions’? That’s how you come across in your promos. You keep saying you’re the Gold Mine for IPW but surely you missed the word Fool’s in there somewhere?
The items bagged up and card back in hand, Cross makes his way to Shellseekers Fish and Game.
CROSS RECOBA
You’re nothing but a hindrance in this match, TJ. I read somewhere you hate tag-team matches, so I can’t even rely on you to work out that the man we need to focus on is Touchdown because I imagine your teamwork skills are up there with your ability to communicate. You’re going up against a man who thrives on these kind of matches, each time he defends that title, it’s not one-on-one…always with the multi-man matches and you know why? Because Touchdown has very few qualities beyond the ability to take advantage of chaos. How did he beat me? When his partner came down and was joined by people they’d managed to get on the wrong side of, the rightful IPW Openweight Champion is currently speaking. What happened at Royal Crown? You wasted everyone’s time in the main-event but in the match of the night? Once more, Touchdown capitalized on being there at the right moment. Star of the match? Yours truly but it didn’t get me the win.
Arriving at the counter, Cross slides a piece of paper containing a list to the man behind the counter.
CROSS RECOBA
At House of Horror, I get a chance to regain that belt. A chance to wipe the shit-eating grin from a man who if he was only half as talented as he thought he was, he’d be a World Beater. I get a chance to remind the world why I’m the IPW Box Office Smash! You, TJ, are the equivalent of bad collision detection in a video game - I know you exist and I have to live with it but it’d be a lot better if the designers just left you out altogether.
The Game dealer slides over packages containing scallops, venison, wild boar and pheasants. Cross nods and slides over the black card again.
CROSS RECOBA
That way I wouldn’t have to hear the boos of the Welsh who famously hate the English. That way I could just focus on what I wanted to do at the end of the tournament, put Alastor Touchdown out for the count and out of my mind. I want him to realize that when it’s just the two of us and he has no-one to save him, he’s outmatched. I want him to learn that he’s all talk with nothing to back it up. I want him to remember where his place really is in IPW - popping the IPW YouTube channel views with his tag partner and their trove of fans who mentally peaked at thirteen.
Cross walks down an alley of the market across to Borough Yards. He stops outside Paul Smith where a shop worker hands him several suits. Cross begins to walk down the street as the camera tracks.
CROSS RECOBA
I’ve jumped through every hoop that Long and Diamond have set me since I lost that title, I’ve held my tongue when my rematch became a five-way ladder match and I went through this tournament without even a cross word to them. When that bell rings in Newport, that’s when you see what bringing out the big guns means. They’ll be an Up All Night in Dakota, maybe even Garibaldi’s Guillotine and if you’re lucky, or unlucky, The Fall of Valachi. One thing that is certain though - it’ll be the Fall of Touchdown!
CROSS RECOBA
Life’s funny isn’t it, TJ. After all, I imagined that given that we had semi-finals that it was only natural that we’d have a chance to go one-one-one before I got to face Alastor Touchdown in a one-on-one match…for once. But instead, here we are about to go into a Triple Threat and I’ll tell you something for free…you’re not ready for what’s to come.
Rounding the corner, Cross shakes hands with a gentleman outside of Gastronomica. He nods to the man who begins to slice guanciale, mortadella, and prosciutto as if this was his normal order.
CROSS RECOBA
I mean, from what I’ve seen I’ve hardly been impressed. You put Konstantine away with a roll-up? Why not Game Over or The Kidd Driver? Oh yeah, because you weigh a hundred pounds less. But not even a Crash Landing or Game Changer?
The Butcher places the meat on the counter and Cross nods towards the cheese counter.
CROSS RECOBA
You keep saying that you’re the Gold Mine, that Battle Royals are clusterfucks and it’s almost like you don’t have anything worth saying. Didn’t you say that at some point we’d witness what you’re capable of? Surely, your first singles match is that occasion? Even if it didn’t need to do more than a roll-up to put him away. I’d have used something to make people sit up and take notice of TJ Alexander, make my opponents fear what I can do…after all, aren’t you meant to be ‘The Game Changer’?
Parmesan, Taleggio, and Pecorino are placed on the counter. Cross hands over a black credit card.
CROSS RECOBA
I’m just struggling to see what you bring to the match apart from a YouTube reel of moves that only tell me you’re illogical in the ring given that you seem to have chosen them for their flashiness instead of helping your finisher put people away. Have you ever heard the saying ‘If you keep your mouth shut, people may suspect you’re an idiot. Open it and you’ll confirm their suspicions’? That’s how you come across in your promos. You keep saying you’re the Gold Mine for IPW but surely you missed the word Fool’s in there somewhere?
The items bagged up and card back in hand, Cross makes his way to Shellseekers Fish and Game.
CROSS RECOBA
You’re nothing but a hindrance in this match, TJ. I read somewhere you hate tag-team matches, so I can’t even rely on you to work out that the man we need to focus on is Touchdown because I imagine your teamwork skills are up there with your ability to communicate. You’re going up against a man who thrives on these kind of matches, each time he defends that title, it’s not one-on-one…always with the multi-man matches and you know why? Because Touchdown has very few qualities beyond the ability to take advantage of chaos. How did he beat me? When his partner came down and was joined by people they’d managed to get on the wrong side of, the rightful IPW Openweight Champion is currently speaking. What happened at Royal Crown? You wasted everyone’s time in the main-event but in the match of the night? Once more, Touchdown capitalized on being there at the right moment. Star of the match? Yours truly but it didn’t get me the win.
Arriving at the counter, Cross slides a piece of paper containing a list to the man behind the counter.
CROSS RECOBA
At House of Horror, I get a chance to regain that belt. A chance to wipe the shit-eating grin from a man who if he was only half as talented as he thought he was, he’d be a World Beater. I get a chance to remind the world why I’m the IPW Box Office Smash! You, TJ, are the equivalent of bad collision detection in a video game - I know you exist and I have to live with it but it’d be a lot better if the designers just left you out altogether.
The Game dealer slides over packages containing scallops, venison, wild boar and pheasants. Cross nods and slides over the black card again.
CROSS RECOBA
That way I wouldn’t have to hear the boos of the Welsh who famously hate the English. That way I could just focus on what I wanted to do at the end of the tournament, put Alastor Touchdown out for the count and out of my mind. I want him to realize that when it’s just the two of us and he has no-one to save him, he’s outmatched. I want him to learn that he’s all talk with nothing to back it up. I want him to remember where his place really is in IPW - popping the IPW YouTube channel views with his tag partner and their trove of fans who mentally peaked at thirteen.
Cross walks down an alley of the market across to Borough Yards. He stops outside Paul Smith where a shop worker hands him several suits. Cross begins to walk down the street as the camera tracks.
CROSS RECOBA
I’ve jumped through every hoop that Long and Diamond have set me since I lost that title, I’ve held my tongue when my rematch became a five-way ladder match and I went through this tournament without even a cross word to them. When that bell rings in Newport, that’s when you see what bringing out the big guns means. They’ll be an Up All Night in Dakota, maybe even Garibaldi’s Guillotine and if you’re lucky, or unlucky, The Fall of Valachi. One thing that is certain though - it’ll be the Fall of Touchdown!
