Post by Zero on Jan 13, 2013 12:26:17 GMT -5
[Monday, January 14th, Shaun is backstage at the community center in Danforth, ME when his close friend and NMWA General Manager, Kale Jenson walks into the “locker room” (what used to be a classroom), with a mic, a cameraman following close behind him. That weekend, Kale struck an arrangement with a local branch of the ABC Network on Bangor’s Channel 7. Hiring a few more local wrestlers and even ongoing with the talent-exchange that he and Warren Bay persuaded Independent Wrestling Entertainment to be a part of, the Northern Maine Wrestling Alliance was going to be broadcast live on a weekly basis. The camera man set up a tripod and began rolling…]
KJ: And here we are ladies and germs, I am KJ Riot, we’re here backstage with “The Samurai” Shaun Cross. Shaun, we’re getting ready to heat up this cold winter weather with some red hot wrestling action, your thoughts on tonight’s Heavyweight Title Tournament to crown the first ever NMWA World Heavyweight Champion?
[For a split second, Shaun felt like bursting out laughing at just how strange this whole ordeal was. He’d never heard Kale’s new stage name “KJ Riot” and thought that his persona and enthusiasm was hilariously corny. Wanting to go along with the campiness he sees, Shaun leans in putting his face to the microphone and beginning to talk, doing his best Hulk Hogan impression.]
SC: Let me tell ya somethin’ Kay Jay! I got no idea how this tournament is gonna go down, brother! But I’ve been…I’ve been trainin’ hard and takin’ the vitamins, sayin’ my prayers and respectin’ my elders, brother! Ya know, Kay Jay?! I’m wrestling’s only samurai, Kay Jay…The only samurai…A culture known for prayin’, trainin’ hard, and respectin’ elders!
[He takes a moment to flail his arms, doing a few very poorly done flexing poses]
Ya see, Mean Gene…Err umm…Kay Jay, brother, brother!
[He does a few more wild poses before continuing]
Ya see Kay Jay! I’m ready for anything tonight, brother! I dunno who the unlucky saps I step into the ring with will be! But, brother ALL of the little Samurais out there are gonna be out there!
[He looks intensely into the camera and takes a deep breath, before rolling his eyes slowly as if he’s in deep thought pondering if what he just said made any sense whatsoever. KJ is close to cracking up at the sheer lunacy before him.]
KJ: Shaun! Shaun, my man I gotta cut you off for a moment! All of your “little Samurais” love ya but I gotta ask! What are your plans after tonight? I hear tell you’re in a company called Millennium Pro Wrestling as well as NMWA?! Any developments in THAT you’d like to share?!
[Shaun drops all of the gimmicky foolishness and is mute for a moment. He takes a far more serious deep breath, collecting his thoughts. He scoffs and begins to speak.]
SC: Well ya know, KJ? There might be something going on there now that you mention it…A little event called Army of One is this coming Thursday…
KJ: Oh? Army of One, tell us about that? That sounds quite militant.
SC: Oh it’s gonna be a helluva show that I’m extremely delighted to say that I’ll be a part of.
KJ: Are there any matches you’re looking forward to just watching if not being a part of them?
SC: Shit I dunno…
[He gets quiet again, thinking.]
I’d say I’m pretty excited to see Kuk Killswitch and Brandon Nytrus go at it again. They’ve been defining X-Core and having a pretty great rivalry lately, their Devil’s Deathmatch at Unsanctioned was fantastic. Oh, and of course the newer announcement in Ash Soulsfate taking on Johnny Clash for the World Title…I had a feeling it’d happen sooner or later…
[KJ nods, taking the information in before asking a follow-up question.]
KJ: Sounds like a helluva show! You said you’re going to be a part of Army of One. With who and what kind of match are you in and what is the main event at the Pay-Per-View?
SC: What was the order of those questions again?!
[The two laugh for a moment.]
What kind of match am I going to be in, and with whom? Well KJ, I’m proud to say I’m actually a part of the main event at this Pay-Per-View! The Army of One Rumble is an over the top battle royal. The winner gets a shot at the winner of the Soulsfate/Clash match, so it’s a huge fuckin’ deal!
KJ: Big deal indeed, Shaun! I wish you the very best of luck, and good luck to you tonight in the tournament!
SC: Thank you KJ, I have a feeling it’s gonna be a barn burner…
KJ: We have to take a short commercial break, but we’ll return to get this tournament under way! Shaun Cross ladies and gentlemen!
[The scene fades as (Comedian) Bob Marley’s new Subway commercial begins to play. It fades back in to see Shaun sitting on the front porch steps of his small home in Portland; it’s late that same night. He’s in his usual casual garb, but has a navy blue hoodie on due to the chilly midwinter air. Shaun has his eyes closed, his head bowed, looking between his feet at the wooden step below him. He sighs and picks his head up, looking at the camera.]
SC: What is it about underdogs that intrigues and empowers people? The 2004 Red Sox, Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII…The list could go on and on, but my point is that people love cheering for the people they don’t think have a hope in Hell of winning. This Thursday at Army of One will be my first Pay-Per-View match and my first main event in MPW…Talk about being an underdog huh?
[He scoffs.]
I love it. I love circumstances like this, the opportunity to get over as a wrestler by asphyxiating any adversity thrown at me. It’s encouraging, exciting and enthralling; I can’t wait for this match. As soon as I got word, I knew I wanted in. Anything can happen in MPW? So is it all that irrational to consider that I have a decent shot at winning the Rumble? Not really, I have just as good of a gamble as anybody I guess…Last week, in the words of the immortal Freddie Mercury, “another one bit the dust”. Chase Ramsey wanted to wrestle in MPW? He got it. On a somewhat altered note concerning last week, I will say that I’m sort of disappointed that I’ll never be able to even step into the ring with Rage, I do however wish him luck with all of his impending endeavors…But anyway I digress…Back to this Rumble…Momentum is yet on my side. Foolish in thinking I have a worthy fortune of winning at Army of One? Not in my judgment, I’m not. As I mentioned a while back to Tyler Rose, I appreciate a good contest; and a good contest it shall be...
[He looks up to the partly cloudy January sky and smiles for a moment.]
Some of you might know that I had an opportunity to come to be a world champion earlier this week…While the Northern Maine Wrestling Alliance is fun and all…that’s all it is. It’s a small-time, northern Maine promotion operated by a best friend of mine. If anyone cares, I’ll be pleased to announce that Jason Plague went on to win a tourney to become the Heavyweight Champion there. I don’t believe I’ll earn any enormous accolades there; I comfort everyone watching Thursday Night Takedown, and every overseer in the federation that MPW is without question the main concern of my career…And to every superstar on the MPW roster who’s thinking of entering the Rumble? I say: “We’ll be seein’ ya on the 17th.”
[The scene fades out as Shaun stands up and walks through the front door, going inside]
KJ: And here we are ladies and germs, I am KJ Riot, we’re here backstage with “The Samurai” Shaun Cross. Shaun, we’re getting ready to heat up this cold winter weather with some red hot wrestling action, your thoughts on tonight’s Heavyweight Title Tournament to crown the first ever NMWA World Heavyweight Champion?
[For a split second, Shaun felt like bursting out laughing at just how strange this whole ordeal was. He’d never heard Kale’s new stage name “KJ Riot” and thought that his persona and enthusiasm was hilariously corny. Wanting to go along with the campiness he sees, Shaun leans in putting his face to the microphone and beginning to talk, doing his best Hulk Hogan impression.]
SC: Let me tell ya somethin’ Kay Jay! I got no idea how this tournament is gonna go down, brother! But I’ve been…I’ve been trainin’ hard and takin’ the vitamins, sayin’ my prayers and respectin’ my elders, brother! Ya know, Kay Jay?! I’m wrestling’s only samurai, Kay Jay…The only samurai…A culture known for prayin’, trainin’ hard, and respectin’ elders!
[He takes a moment to flail his arms, doing a few very poorly done flexing poses]
Ya see, Mean Gene…Err umm…Kay Jay, brother, brother!
[He does a few more wild poses before continuing]
Ya see Kay Jay! I’m ready for anything tonight, brother! I dunno who the unlucky saps I step into the ring with will be! But, brother ALL of the little Samurais out there are gonna be out there!
[He looks intensely into the camera and takes a deep breath, before rolling his eyes slowly as if he’s in deep thought pondering if what he just said made any sense whatsoever. KJ is close to cracking up at the sheer lunacy before him.]
KJ: Shaun! Shaun, my man I gotta cut you off for a moment! All of your “little Samurais” love ya but I gotta ask! What are your plans after tonight? I hear tell you’re in a company called Millennium Pro Wrestling as well as NMWA?! Any developments in THAT you’d like to share?!
[Shaun drops all of the gimmicky foolishness and is mute for a moment. He takes a far more serious deep breath, collecting his thoughts. He scoffs and begins to speak.]
SC: Well ya know, KJ? There might be something going on there now that you mention it…A little event called Army of One is this coming Thursday…
KJ: Oh? Army of One, tell us about that? That sounds quite militant.
SC: Oh it’s gonna be a helluva show that I’m extremely delighted to say that I’ll be a part of.
KJ: Are there any matches you’re looking forward to just watching if not being a part of them?
SC: Shit I dunno…
[He gets quiet again, thinking.]
I’d say I’m pretty excited to see Kuk Killswitch and Brandon Nytrus go at it again. They’ve been defining X-Core and having a pretty great rivalry lately, their Devil’s Deathmatch at Unsanctioned was fantastic. Oh, and of course the newer announcement in Ash Soulsfate taking on Johnny Clash for the World Title…I had a feeling it’d happen sooner or later…
[KJ nods, taking the information in before asking a follow-up question.]
KJ: Sounds like a helluva show! You said you’re going to be a part of Army of One. With who and what kind of match are you in and what is the main event at the Pay-Per-View?
SC: What was the order of those questions again?!
[The two laugh for a moment.]
What kind of match am I going to be in, and with whom? Well KJ, I’m proud to say I’m actually a part of the main event at this Pay-Per-View! The Army of One Rumble is an over the top battle royal. The winner gets a shot at the winner of the Soulsfate/Clash match, so it’s a huge fuckin’ deal!
KJ: Big deal indeed, Shaun! I wish you the very best of luck, and good luck to you tonight in the tournament!
SC: Thank you KJ, I have a feeling it’s gonna be a barn burner…
KJ: We have to take a short commercial break, but we’ll return to get this tournament under way! Shaun Cross ladies and gentlemen!
[The scene fades as (Comedian) Bob Marley’s new Subway commercial begins to play. It fades back in to see Shaun sitting on the front porch steps of his small home in Portland; it’s late that same night. He’s in his usual casual garb, but has a navy blue hoodie on due to the chilly midwinter air. Shaun has his eyes closed, his head bowed, looking between his feet at the wooden step below him. He sighs and picks his head up, looking at the camera.]
SC: What is it about underdogs that intrigues and empowers people? The 2004 Red Sox, Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII…The list could go on and on, but my point is that people love cheering for the people they don’t think have a hope in Hell of winning. This Thursday at Army of One will be my first Pay-Per-View match and my first main event in MPW…Talk about being an underdog huh?
[He scoffs.]
I love it. I love circumstances like this, the opportunity to get over as a wrestler by asphyxiating any adversity thrown at me. It’s encouraging, exciting and enthralling; I can’t wait for this match. As soon as I got word, I knew I wanted in. Anything can happen in MPW? So is it all that irrational to consider that I have a decent shot at winning the Rumble? Not really, I have just as good of a gamble as anybody I guess…Last week, in the words of the immortal Freddie Mercury, “another one bit the dust”. Chase Ramsey wanted to wrestle in MPW? He got it. On a somewhat altered note concerning last week, I will say that I’m sort of disappointed that I’ll never be able to even step into the ring with Rage, I do however wish him luck with all of his impending endeavors…But anyway I digress…Back to this Rumble…Momentum is yet on my side. Foolish in thinking I have a worthy fortune of winning at Army of One? Not in my judgment, I’m not. As I mentioned a while back to Tyler Rose, I appreciate a good contest; and a good contest it shall be...
[He looks up to the partly cloudy January sky and smiles for a moment.]
Some of you might know that I had an opportunity to come to be a world champion earlier this week…While the Northern Maine Wrestling Alliance is fun and all…that’s all it is. It’s a small-time, northern Maine promotion operated by a best friend of mine. If anyone cares, I’ll be pleased to announce that Jason Plague went on to win a tourney to become the Heavyweight Champion there. I don’t believe I’ll earn any enormous accolades there; I comfort everyone watching Thursday Night Takedown, and every overseer in the federation that MPW is without question the main concern of my career…And to every superstar on the MPW roster who’s thinking of entering the Rumble? I say: “We’ll be seein’ ya on the 17th.”
[The scene fades out as Shaun stands up and walks through the front door, going inside]