Post by Cross Recoba on May 6, 2023 8:53:35 GMT
[5th May 2023]
[Las Vegas, NV]
The camera panned up from the floor to bring the Old English Gamay leather of the Chesterfield sofa into view alongside the light gray suit of Cross Recoba. In his hand he nursed an aged bourbon over ice. Behind him, magazine covers that detailed his career from Vegas to Venice, from California to Chile and countless stops in-between.Beside him on the couch lay two titles and a cloth, presumably ready to be polished.
“Breaks can be a funny thing, before Infinite Pro went on hiatus I was on a tear. I proved time and time again that I deserved a shot at the World title, that I was the undisputed Number One Contender to that belt. Yet I had to watch as challenger after challenger was given a shot they hadn’t worked for and were summarily embarrassed by MYŌJIN.”
Saving you the effort here of being your own pitch man, ‘Champ’.
“Perhaps he was hoping that in the break between February and now that I’d go off the boil, that I’d be someone like C or Tarrah Nova, a curiosity that failed to show up when it mattered. Maybe MYŌJIN hoped that I’d be too busy to return with my commitments to Tap Out Wrestling and the XHF Network. Sadly for him, I’ve kept up the run…”
Cross lifts up a title to show the new addition, the HKW World Heavyweight title.
“But no doubt, your faithful Champion, will tell you that he already knows he’s going to beat me in Santa Clara. He told you all that I’m not on his level and not a threat at our last show and because of that, in his head it’s been decided. Much like it was decided he’d win the NLW G1 tournament last year…”
Thespian says hello.
“MYŌJIN, you spend so much time telling us that you’re some kind of prodigy. That you went from scratching around in the indies to the major leagues in two years and what a sensation you’ve become but, like most of your claims…it’s a pretty one-eyed view. The way you tell it, MYŌJIN isn’t so much a wrestler but an ever-improving force but that only works if you take the headline facts.”
But you win titles everywhere you go you say…except in places where you don’t.
“You pick and choose your facts like you do your matches and whilst I appreciate the self-preservation and the ability to shape your own narrative; the pattern more seems that you shirk matches where you don’t see yourself as the favorite or where you haven’t got an out. I thought I’d maybe see you enter the XHF Rumble but that’s a ridiculous thought, you NEVER enter any title match that isn’t a direct and clear shot.”
But keeping your belt at Night of Champions was SO much harder.
“Though going through your time in Infinite Pro, it’s laughable that you call most people you face misguided and arrogant. That you come into the ring to take what you’re owed and yet you don’t seem to realize that everytime you open your mouth I just hear ‘I know best, please sit under my learning tree and I’ll lecture you’. Whilst I was having to put myself through match-after-match to ‘earn’ this title-shot, you were given matches that we both know were far beneath you…even if you didn’t have to put your title on the line.”
Were you annoyed you didn’t get to pad your record or relieved you didn’t have to balance that belt over the ever growing chip on your shoulder?
“What I have over your other opponents, besides the obvious, is that I’ve seen you wrestle up close. I can’t take away the fact you beat Tap Out’s own Danni Anderson and you beat her handily but it wasn’t perfect in its execution, I spotted gaps that if they appear at Discovery, I’ll make you pay for every last one! I’m not doubting your talent, MYŌJIN, it’s just obvious that if you were half as talented as your ego claims, you’d be the most famous wrestler in the world.”
If we looked at a fair comparison, I destroyed Tommy Hate whereas your win was labored.
“It’s a shame that your one XHF achievement that stands up, your Junior Heavyweight reign, was eclipsed by it being ended by the longest-reigning Champion, Bloodied Fox. It’s a shame that the bigger achievement, the X*Crown win, was in a year where no-one really held onto it for longer than two or three defences. Like I said, on the surface your record is impeccable but if you just prod a little, it crumbles into dust.”
But sure, we can pretend you’re still the Best in the World.
“It’s obvious, MYŌJIN, that what you really want is to take this reign to a magical three-hundred-and-sixty-five days but now that I’ve finally got my shot, does it really seem like the formality it was when you faced off against Judith, C, or Bianca? You talked about the roster needing to be hungrier, that’s what you’ve got waiting for you in Santa Clara. You want to be challenged? That’s what you’re getting when that bell sounds at IPW Discovery!”
Cross took a sip from the bourbon, his other hand still resting on the two titles to his side.
“Every MYŌJIN promo is the witterings of a kid who is waiting to run into someone who’s bigger and better than him to give him the beating he needs. You’re going to tell me I’m not on your level but you’ve said that to so many opponents, true or not, that it’s starting to come across like you need to convince yourself rather than anyone else. You tell people you’re the future of professional wrestling and as true as that might turn out to be, you’re ignoring the now. You’re ignoring that we both know you couldn’t beat Rebecca Brookes in either of your matches that counted! That whilst you won that X*Crown title you came undone when you faced someone who knew what to expect of you and in case you haven’t worked it out - I don’t go into a match without doing my homework!”
But I know, you won a match once with glass in your back…and the screwdriver really beat you to lose that X*Crown title.
“You compared Touchdown ending my Openweight reign to your own title win but here’s where you’re missing the obvious. Each time I lost to him it was because of outside interference, who’s in your corner? After you’ve spent the best part of ten months telling everyone on the roster how much better you are than them, who’s going to come give you a big Touchdown assist? There’s no weapons in this match, no stipulations…just you and I inside that ring.”
Cross puts down the bourbon and leans forward.
“When that bell rings you lose everything about you except your in-ring ability and, like I’ve said, I can’t take that away from you. No more hype, no-one to blow smoke up your ass, just you and me in that ring. I had to go through Aubrey Mack, Mstislav, Gunner and Tommy Hate to get this shot, I’m not coming into this match to make up the statistics. Not one of them could get near me, not one of them could put me down and you’re no different to them, no matter what you think. I’m not Tarrah Nova, C, Judith, Haggard or Ana Somnia because when I say I’m the IPW Box Office Smash, I back it up in the ring!”
You called me just a chapter, you’re right - the final one in your reign.
“I know you can get a pin from something as innocuous as an arm-drag, I know you most likely have the deadliest feet on the IPW roster but what no-one has seen is what happens when someone takes the fight to you. What happens when you realize that I know every area inside that ring, from how to eke a hold out to maximize its damage or working in those gray areas of the rules, I’m well-versed. How well will you handle it when you look into my eyes across the ring at the start of the match and realize that I don’t view you as a grappling deity but instead a Champion whose reign needs ending? You’ve proven what you can do on the biggest stages, MYŌJIN, but I haven’t seen it for a long-time. You’re coasting in third gear and I’m all too happy to be the one to take advantage of that.”
Whatever semblance of a smile that existed has long since evaporated.
“MYŌJIN, I’m coming into Discovery for your belt and to prove to everyone why I was chosen to headline the first-ever IPW show. The fact that I get to show the world that you wear your title like the Emperor’s New Clothes is just an added bonus.”
[Las Vegas, NV]
The camera panned up from the floor to bring the Old English Gamay leather of the Chesterfield sofa into view alongside the light gray suit of Cross Recoba. In his hand he nursed an aged bourbon over ice. Behind him, magazine covers that detailed his career from Vegas to Venice, from California to Chile and countless stops in-between.Beside him on the couch lay two titles and a cloth, presumably ready to be polished.
“Breaks can be a funny thing, before Infinite Pro went on hiatus I was on a tear. I proved time and time again that I deserved a shot at the World title, that I was the undisputed Number One Contender to that belt. Yet I had to watch as challenger after challenger was given a shot they hadn’t worked for and were summarily embarrassed by MYŌJIN.”
Saving you the effort here of being your own pitch man, ‘Champ’.
“Perhaps he was hoping that in the break between February and now that I’d go off the boil, that I’d be someone like C or Tarrah Nova, a curiosity that failed to show up when it mattered. Maybe MYŌJIN hoped that I’d be too busy to return with my commitments to Tap Out Wrestling and the XHF Network. Sadly for him, I’ve kept up the run…”
Cross lifts up a title to show the new addition, the HKW World Heavyweight title.
“But no doubt, your faithful Champion, will tell you that he already knows he’s going to beat me in Santa Clara. He told you all that I’m not on his level and not a threat at our last show and because of that, in his head it’s been decided. Much like it was decided he’d win the NLW G1 tournament last year…”
Thespian says hello.
“MYŌJIN, you spend so much time telling us that you’re some kind of prodigy. That you went from scratching around in the indies to the major leagues in two years and what a sensation you’ve become but, like most of your claims…it’s a pretty one-eyed view. The way you tell it, MYŌJIN isn’t so much a wrestler but an ever-improving force but that only works if you take the headline facts.”
But you win titles everywhere you go you say…except in places where you don’t.
“You pick and choose your facts like you do your matches and whilst I appreciate the self-preservation and the ability to shape your own narrative; the pattern more seems that you shirk matches where you don’t see yourself as the favorite or where you haven’t got an out. I thought I’d maybe see you enter the XHF Rumble but that’s a ridiculous thought, you NEVER enter any title match that isn’t a direct and clear shot.”
But keeping your belt at Night of Champions was SO much harder.
“Though going through your time in Infinite Pro, it’s laughable that you call most people you face misguided and arrogant. That you come into the ring to take what you’re owed and yet you don’t seem to realize that everytime you open your mouth I just hear ‘I know best, please sit under my learning tree and I’ll lecture you’. Whilst I was having to put myself through match-after-match to ‘earn’ this title-shot, you were given matches that we both know were far beneath you…even if you didn’t have to put your title on the line.”
Were you annoyed you didn’t get to pad your record or relieved you didn’t have to balance that belt over the ever growing chip on your shoulder?
“What I have over your other opponents, besides the obvious, is that I’ve seen you wrestle up close. I can’t take away the fact you beat Tap Out’s own Danni Anderson and you beat her handily but it wasn’t perfect in its execution, I spotted gaps that if they appear at Discovery, I’ll make you pay for every last one! I’m not doubting your talent, MYŌJIN, it’s just obvious that if you were half as talented as your ego claims, you’d be the most famous wrestler in the world.”
If we looked at a fair comparison, I destroyed Tommy Hate whereas your win was labored.
“It’s a shame that your one XHF achievement that stands up, your Junior Heavyweight reign, was eclipsed by it being ended by the longest-reigning Champion, Bloodied Fox. It’s a shame that the bigger achievement, the X*Crown win, was in a year where no-one really held onto it for longer than two or three defences. Like I said, on the surface your record is impeccable but if you just prod a little, it crumbles into dust.”
But sure, we can pretend you’re still the Best in the World.
“It’s obvious, MYŌJIN, that what you really want is to take this reign to a magical three-hundred-and-sixty-five days but now that I’ve finally got my shot, does it really seem like the formality it was when you faced off against Judith, C, or Bianca? You talked about the roster needing to be hungrier, that’s what you’ve got waiting for you in Santa Clara. You want to be challenged? That’s what you’re getting when that bell sounds at IPW Discovery!”
Cross took a sip from the bourbon, his other hand still resting on the two titles to his side.
“Every MYŌJIN promo is the witterings of a kid who is waiting to run into someone who’s bigger and better than him to give him the beating he needs. You’re going to tell me I’m not on your level but you’ve said that to so many opponents, true or not, that it’s starting to come across like you need to convince yourself rather than anyone else. You tell people you’re the future of professional wrestling and as true as that might turn out to be, you’re ignoring the now. You’re ignoring that we both know you couldn’t beat Rebecca Brookes in either of your matches that counted! That whilst you won that X*Crown title you came undone when you faced someone who knew what to expect of you and in case you haven’t worked it out - I don’t go into a match without doing my homework!”
But I know, you won a match once with glass in your back…and the screwdriver really beat you to lose that X*Crown title.
“You compared Touchdown ending my Openweight reign to your own title win but here’s where you’re missing the obvious. Each time I lost to him it was because of outside interference, who’s in your corner? After you’ve spent the best part of ten months telling everyone on the roster how much better you are than them, who’s going to come give you a big Touchdown assist? There’s no weapons in this match, no stipulations…just you and I inside that ring.”
Cross puts down the bourbon and leans forward.
“When that bell rings you lose everything about you except your in-ring ability and, like I’ve said, I can’t take that away from you. No more hype, no-one to blow smoke up your ass, just you and me in that ring. I had to go through Aubrey Mack, Mstislav, Gunner and Tommy Hate to get this shot, I’m not coming into this match to make up the statistics. Not one of them could get near me, not one of them could put me down and you’re no different to them, no matter what you think. I’m not Tarrah Nova, C, Judith, Haggard or Ana Somnia because when I say I’m the IPW Box Office Smash, I back it up in the ring!”
You called me just a chapter, you’re right - the final one in your reign.
“I know you can get a pin from something as innocuous as an arm-drag, I know you most likely have the deadliest feet on the IPW roster but what no-one has seen is what happens when someone takes the fight to you. What happens when you realize that I know every area inside that ring, from how to eke a hold out to maximize its damage or working in those gray areas of the rules, I’m well-versed. How well will you handle it when you look into my eyes across the ring at the start of the match and realize that I don’t view you as a grappling deity but instead a Champion whose reign needs ending? You’ve proven what you can do on the biggest stages, MYŌJIN, but I haven’t seen it for a long-time. You’re coasting in third gear and I’m all too happy to be the one to take advantage of that.”
Whatever semblance of a smile that existed has long since evaporated.
“MYŌJIN, I’m coming into Discovery for your belt and to prove to everyone why I was chosen to headline the first-ever IPW show. The fact that I get to show the world that you wear your title like the Emperor’s New Clothes is just an added bonus.”
