Post by myojin on Jul 14, 2023 3:45:30 GMT
Ego.
VS Touchdown and Havertz | PARAMOUNT: Episode Two
The ego.
One's ego can be such a great liability. That's what society tells us from the moment we're old enough to comprehend moral messages and themes. Pride, vanity, hubris- whichever word you'd like to use for it, is something that all of us impressionable children at the time are told to avoid like a plague. It's considered the deadliest sin, after all.
Everyone is taught that it's wrong to be egocentric. The right way to live is to be a team player, you have to always consider what is best for the many instead of solely looking out for yourself. In many places and cultures, it is virtuous and ultimately rewarding to be selfless.
Not in professional wrestling, though.
Everything we do is in the spirit of competition and one-upmanship. We fight to prove we are superior to one another. Many have and will continue to betray each other for a chance to get ahead. Here, the ego is a powerful motivator that can lead to unlocking further potential. The desire to take what you want, to go lengths others wouldn't dare attempt, the ambition to succeed- The ego strengthens all of that. It can be both one's most powerful weapon… or the cause of their downfall.
This sport is a clash of egos to be recognized as the greatest.
It's no secret that these two have expressed their intentions at trying to take what is mine. I wouldn't be surprised if Gearheart is heavily considering my championship to be the one she challenges for- and why? Because in Infinite Pro Wrestling, the World Openweight Champion IS the greatest.
At Discovery, the return of the company that I have been leading since July 31st of last year, made its grand return. Cross Recoba, the challenger who was convinced that he had the MYŌJIN problem figured out- the man convinced a new World Openweight Champion would be crowned… ended up submitting to yours truly- and with that? My reign grows closer to a full 365 days.
Though that is not all that has happened, is it? No, a familiar face that I'm sure Alastor Touchdown is just overjoyed to see back, made his return, and earned himself a chance at my title. Not only that? The person that I now find myself partnering with in my first tag match in months, Roxie Gearheart, earned an opportunity to challenge for whichever title she wants afterward.
And what else happened at Discovery? Bea Havertz left the same match empty-handed- and Alastor Touchdown, after such a confident and boastful pre-match speech celebrating a victory before it even happened… He choked and lost the National Openweight Championship.
Do you know why you both lost that night? It isn't because of your arrogance as many believe. In reality, it's deeper than that: Your egos aren't true, they are fragile; unstable. Instead of being your greatest weapon, they have become a weapon to use against you.
Touchdown, I know that you have been hoping for this moment for a long time. After all, you've claimed so often that you were the superior champion. That you were the only success story of this company, the true face and leader of Infinite Pro. And you now believe that you have become the only real threat to my reign, practically begging for my attention and for a match. I'm sure you believe that the reason I haven't confronted you is because you think that you make me nervous, but do you want to know the real reason, Alastor?
You weren't worth responding to.
You were never in my radar- because despite everything that you've told yourself and will continue to tell yourself, you aren't as good as you think you are. And while you may have won the National Openweight title back, not by your own skills and merit but by the interference of yet another person coming to save you, you will always live in the shadow of my light. You have said for months that you led Infinite Pro Wrestling, that you somehow ruled over all. Even as recently as Discovery, where you told the world that you “were IPW”, you somehow had the delusion of being better than me. Then you failed afterward, losing to Nate Pierce.
And immediately, the moment once things didn't go your way, once you ran out of tricks, once you were faced with the reality of not being the unstoppable force you thought you were? All your ideals, ambitions, changed like the flip of a coin. Instead of recognizing your faults and deciding to improve, to rebuild yourself- You complain. You moan. In the span of one night, you go from deciding you are the face of IPW and that your championship was the most prestigious- You say that you hate this place and that the National Openweight title is worthless. Touchdown, you change your opinions and beliefs for validation. For approval, because you can't cope with not being the wrestler you envision yourself. You're a chameleon, always shifting and changing in order to compensate and justify your easily broken ego.
I know you seethe at no longer having the longest title reign with the most title defenses because I've outlasted you. I know you seethe at the forgotten partner who was seen as your sidekick being closer to a World title match than you- But what will you do about it? Will you finally rise up to the occasion? No, you'll just further complain about Long and stomp your feet at not being handed everything as soon as you ask for it.
You're talented- and I'm no fool, I know you have as many tricks and schemes you can think of to cheat for a victory- but it won't be enough. And once you finally manage to challenge for my title after you inevitably lose yours due to your own hubris again? I'll still be your superior.
Then there's Bea Havertz, the choke artist who convinced herself that she will one day be a World Champion. She's skilled, but constantly suffers from the same issue as Alastor Touchdown. Her ego doesn't motivate her, it controls her. It makes her talk up an act that her actual ability is incapable of matching. It causes her to embarrass herself in every place she's in… and yet somehow, in her precious little mind, she is still convinced she is in a league of her own.
I have a question, Havertz? If you don't care about professional wrestling, if none of this matters to you- Then why are you here? What do you hope to achieve? If you don't care at all about this, what makes you obsessed with being the best- about being a champion? …Or is it just the excuse you fall back on every time you fail? You're so scared of being confronted by the idea of being imperfect, you will lie to yourself and would rather continue running into a brick wall than change. It's disappointing, it's pathetic- because there are glimpses of a great wrestler within you, but I don't believe you'll ever reach that level until your ego is no longer your master.
The two of you will not be able to coexist, because you'll only fight over the spotlight. The both of you are more concerned with the superficial instead of doing what needs to be done- and that's where I and Gearheart differ from you.
There is no doubt, the two of us have egoes. But they drive us to be the best. Hers has brought her to a higher level, it has led to her gaining the chance of challenging for a championship. Gearheart isn't blinded by delusions, she is motivated. And while I recognize her and she recognizes me as possible enemies if she decides to come for what belongs to me, we both know what has to be done.
Like Icarus, Alastor Touchdown and Bea Havertz have flown too close to the sun- the Shining Star that Infinite Pro Wrestling has revolved around almost since the beginning of its conception. And just like Icarus, I will happily burn their wings and watch them fall back to Earth.
See you both at Paramount. Let's see what excuses you will come up with now.