“We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
* The cameras open with a wide angle shot of a private medical facility. There is a black stretch limousine parked aside from the rest of the vehicles in the front lot that appears to stick out like a sore thumb. We move past the lot and through the entrance of the two story building to a lavish interior fitting the complete opposite of a hospital. The cameras move past the lobby and guide viewers toward the end of a narrow hallway. After taking a right hand turn into the appointed emergency room we gain sight of the NEW HWA World Heavyweight Champion and current All Star Champion, Michael James. Much like Butch Parker, he is found laying on his back while a doctor is seen stitching up an open gash in his forehead. We move closer to reveal a collection of injuries that James suffered in his match at Fatality. His forearms are wrapped with thick bandages while he appears to have individual ice packs attached to his biceps. His chest is covered with gauze and his midsection is wrapped all the way down to his waistline. The cameras move away from James and slowly reveal both championship belts lying on top of a small table. The doctor cuts some of the stitching and uses a white rag to wipe away a stream of blood from Michael’s forehead *
Doctor: Alright Mr. James. It looks like we’re all done here. Call me a miracle worker but I think you’re going to be okay.
Michael James: I thought you were a snake charmer. That’s what some of the interns were saying.
Doctor: Which interns? What are you talking about?
Michael James: Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Just do me a favor and let me know when I can get back to work because I can’t afford any down time right now.
Doctor: Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you but I wouldn’t recommend any serious physical activity for the next month or so. You suffered a massive amount of cuts, bruising and not to mention a possible concussion. If you really want these wounds to heal you’re going to need to stay home and get plenty of rest.
Michael James: And what if that isn’t an option for me?
Doctor: Then if that’s the case things aren’t going to be any easier for you. Are you really going to try and go back to work when you can barely walk?
Michael James: I’m going to do what’s right for me, Doc. I can’t afford to take a leave anytime in the near future so I’m just going to have to push through the pain. I obviously had no problems making it here on my own.
Doctor: Actually, you were rolled in by a crew of EMTs since you were too weakened to stand on your feet. Chances are you aren’t going to be able to use both of your legs correctly until you give them a chance to heal.
Michael James: Then thank God for medicinal marijuana.
Doctor: That’s not what I meant, Mr. James. You need to start taking the antibiotics I’m prescribing instead of trying to mask the pain with illegal drugs.
Michael James: And you need to mind your own ####ing business. Just do me a favor and let me know when my visitors arrive.
Doctor: Visitors?
Michael James: Yea. I told you I had to get back to work. Some of us have to make an honest living that doesn’t involve robbing people blind.
Doctor: Is that what you think we do here? Rob people?
* A cellular phone begins to ring from the pocket of Michael’s jacket. The doctor hands James the jacket and allows him to remove the cell phone. He checks the caller identification and answers the call in Japanese. A few seconds later he motions for the doctor to leave and the older man turns his back to James while rolling his eyes into the back of his head. He exits the room the same time we take notice of a camera crew entering the room. A nurse calls out to the crew and motion for them to approach the check-in desk *
Nurse: Listen, I don’t know what you think you’re doing with those cameras but you aren’t filming anything in here.
* We hear the sound of crutches moving along the floor. The camera pans up to reveal Michael James slowly moving towards the crew. He has the HWA World Championship draped over his right shoulder and the HWA All Star Championship draped over the other. He calls out to the nurse *
Michael James: Its fine, Nurse Ratchet. They’re with me.
* The nurse glares at James with an annoyed expression, clearly catching his sarcasm in reference to the close minded tyrant nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest *
Nurse: Well I don’t care who they’re with. The law’s the law and if they try to shoot a single shot they’ll be arrested on sight.
Michael James: And that’s why we’re going outside. Is that okay or do you have a few more useless laws you can pull out of your ass?
* He waits for her reaction. She doesn’t have one *
Michael James: No? Great. Come on guys. Follow the champ.
* James moves past the camera crew while insulting the nurse in Japanese. They make their exit from the emergency room as we hear the nurse call out to James, replying to his insults in her native tongue of Mandarin Chinese *
Michael James: Wrong language, b###h. Nice try.
* A few of the crew members laugh at the expense of the nurse as they walk through the frame. A few seconds later we cut to what appears to be an area outside of the medical facility reserved for employees on their appointed breaks. There are several round tables and chairs set up with plastic ash trays placed on each one. James pulls out one the chairs and carefully positions himself into the seat. He places the crutches aside and leans back in the chair making sure the camera gets a focused shot of both championship belts draped across his shoulder. James places a Cuban cigar between his lips and uses a match to light the tip. He exhales a cloud of smoke his mouth and glares into the camera lens *
Michael James: Earlier today I had to chance to hear what the former World Champion had to say about our match at Fatality. And to be completely honest with you it wasn’t half bad. As a matter of fact, it was probably the best thing that Butch has ever done in his life next to losing to me in HWA’s first ever Taipei Deathmatch. Instead of trying to insult me he was actually starting to make sense. That’s not something we’re used to seeing out of Butch Parker. He admitted defeat, stated the obvious truth and accepted his loss like a champion should. So as far as I’m concerned Butch Parker did exactly what he was supposed to do. Granted, his ugly cock eyed #### of a wife couldn’t do the same but what can you really expect from a ##### like Wisdom? She had no class when Butch took her away from the trailer park and not much has changed since then. She’s still running her mouth about the man she can’t get out of her head and I can’t really blame her. To make matters worse, now I’m the same man that defeated her husband for the HWA World Heavyweight Championship. What’s she going to do next? Who knows? All I know is I don’t want to have anything to do with Wisdom or any of her fatal infections. I’m the World Champion so I have bigger things to worry about now. I’ve been here for over a year and now I’m at the top of the ####ing game. I surpassed everyone that got in my face and made sure they understood why it wasn’t a good idea to question my capabilities. Right now, Butch Parker is at the lowest point in his life thanks to me. Sure, it could have been avoided but since he decided to push me I made an example out of his mistakes. Unlike the Parker family, I can do all of the things I say I’m going to do. I end careers. I make history. I accomplish the impossible with ####ing ease.
* The tip of the cigar begins to glow red as James takes a few puffs from the opposite end. He grits his teeth together and closes his eyes while struggling with a sharp pain shooting down his back. After the pain passes he pulls the cigar away from his mouth *
Michael James: I don’t need to gloat about my win over Butch because everyone knew it was going to happen. I told people what was going to happen months before the match was booked. So why should people be surprised when they find out I was telling the truth? Man of my word doesn’t mean I’m full of shit like Fallen or Freddie Styles. It means I’m the most reliable source in the entire company and people count on me to tell them how things are meant to be. Don’t get me wrong. Butch Parker gave me a fight that’s going to go down as one of the most brutal matches of my career. He showed up with his head held high and pushed me further than anyone has since I arrived in the company. After a year’s worth of trying to kill each other at every turn Butch Parker finally has my respect. But despite the fact that I respect Butch, it’s still safe to say that he has a ways to go before he can earn my approval. He might have been a good champion but he’s still a lousy human being. No matter what Butch wants to believe his consecutive losses to me aren’t going to change the fact that he’s still an idiot. He’s still the same guy that married a hooker out of desperation. He’s still the same guy that accepted the responsibility of raising a child that has nothing to do with him. It’s no secret that Butch is not an intelligent man. Sure, he can fight but that’s only going to take him so far. Obviously, it didn’t do much for him in this case since I’m the current HWA World Champion and he’s not. We still have two matches to go and if they are anything like the massacre we had at Fatality only one of us will be walking out of this war in one piece. I might be bruised right now but I’m far from broken. Butch on the other hand is completely broken. He’s a busted leg. He’s out of the game. He’s a dying breed.
* He ashes the cigar into the tray on the table. He looks down at both championships laying across his chest and James grows a devious smirk of satisfaction *
Michael James: I’m the complete opposite of Butch Parker. I’m the future of the company and a symbol of flawless perfection. I have the ability succeed where others have failed because unlike most of the douche bags on the active roster, I’m always going to be a step above the rest. I refuse to option failure and that’s why I have been able to defend my All Star Championship for over a year now. Fast forward twelve months from now and I’m going to be saying the same thing about the World Championship. And despite what he wants to believe I already know what Butch is going to say. He’s going to say I’m in denial of accepting him as my equal. And that’s fine. Let him come out and say everything I predict because we’ve seen it all before. You need to understand something, Butch. Despite the disgusting fact that I have a small amount of respect for you, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop insulting your family. Coming from my point of view, respect doesn’t have anything to do with mercy. I know that’s probably what you’ve been searching for but unfortunately you aren’t going to receive any pity from me. I would be lying to say our match at Fatality was a walk in the park because we both know it wasn’t. We both received an equal amount of suffering for the cost of two championships that are never going to leave my side. You gave it your best and it just like Road to Ruin, it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Even with Wisdom giving you support from the sidelines you couldn’t manage to pull through. You know what that tells me, Butch? It tells me that your career is over. Pack it up, move it out and get the #### out of my way. It’s like they say, asshole. You don’t have to go home but you sure as hell can’t stay here.
* James exhales a cloud of smoke from his nostrils and removes the HWA World Championship from his shoulder. He holds the title up with the breastplate facing the lens so viewers receive a focused image of the championship *
Michael James: For anyone out there who thinks they can do the impossible by taking this championship from me, I ####ing dare you to try. The Era of Perfection has begun so you want to guess what that means for the rest of you? It means everyone who doubted me in the past will have to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. Everyone saw what happened to Butch Parker and now his career is a nothing more than a bad memory. My guess is he’s going to require Wisdom’s help to wipe his own ass for the next month. I don’t know about the rest of you but that isn’t how I want to end my career. But then again, I don’t have to worry about that because I’m not a helpless sack of shit like Butch Parker. I’m the HWA World Champion and it’s going to be a LONG time until I can consider taking a step away from what I do best. If any of you feel the need to try and step up and do what Parker couldn’t, I encourage your bad decisions. I challenge you to come at me with everything you have just to have it all jammed back down your ####ing throats. That’s what happened to Parker so what makes any of you different from him? Nothing, that’s what. As far as I’m concerned the entire roster can kiss my ass. I have beaten everyone there is to beat and proven why I deserve to be recognized as the face of the company. Parker said it best in his last promo. I’m better than the rest of you because I operate on a completely different level. Why else would I be sitting here with not one but TWO championships that none of you assholes have been able to take from me?
* He holds up two fingers while looking into the lens with a cynical expression *
Michael James: I’m the only undefeated dual champion in the HWA for a reason. I have the skill, talent, ambition, pride and intelligence required to slice through the competition. Bryan Deas thought he could take my All Star Championship with “heart” and the help of his devoted supporters. So, in spite of his pathetic words, I ripped his heart out of his chest and stuck it right back up his ass. A few months later I did the exact same thing to Freddie Styles when he thought he had “earned” the right to call himself the next All Star Champion. I told him that pissing me off was not a good idea but he didn’t want to listen. He wanted to earn his time in the spotlight at my expense and I made him think twice about chasing his impossible dreams. Do I feel remorse for the things I have done? Of course not. If I could go back and do it all over again I wouldn’t change a ####ing thing. I would b###h slap Wisdom twice as hard and relive the moment I created the downfall of Butch’s career at Road to Ruin. I can’t live with remorse or regret because I have no desire to live in the past. I told people a long time ago that I was the future of this company. I told them I would surpass the old, destroy the new and become the next World Heavyweight Champion. Yet, here we are in the same place one year later and most of those assholes are nowhere to be found. But it’s like I said a long time ago. I don’t need the approval of idiots and assholes to do what needs to be done. They’re long gone and I’m still here. I’m the World Champion and they’re ancient ####ing history.
* James ashes the cigar once again and drapes the HWA World Championship over his empty shoulder. He leans back in the chair, exhales a cloud of smoke from his mouth and props his feet up on the table *
Michael James: For anyone out there wondering how long this era is going to last, allow me to put your minds at ease. I’m going to be the HWA World Champion for a VERY long time. It took me an entire year to get where I am today so I’m not going to allow a bunch of no talent assholes destroy everything I’ve worked to achieve. I don’t care who they throw at me. It could be Parker, Dranconis, Price or even the self appointed company “legend” Michael Dredge. I don’t sweat any of you pricks. You don’t have the talent or the skill to stand toe to toe with the World Champion. This isn’t the past. This isn’t the old HWA where dinosaurs walked the earth and were considered to be valuable competition. This is my HWA, mother####ers. If you don’t like the way I do things I suggest you do something about it. But we all know that isn’t going to happen. You know why? It’s because no one on the roster wants to end up like Butch Parker. No one wants to be the victim of their own mindless self destruction. Granted, you have your exceptions of unique stupidity like Steve Angel and Freddie Styles who are gluttons for punishment, but neither of them have any desire to be forced into retirement. Parker is practically begging for his own death right now and the way I see it you can’t really blame him. All he has to do is say the word and I’ll be there to put a bullet in his head.
* A conversation is overheard between a few of the crew members. The camera operator turns to see what the noise is about and find the two men watching something on a cellular phone. He joins the two men and calls out to Michael James after having a few seconds to view the phone *
Camera Operator: Hey, champ! They’re talking about you on TMZ.
Michael James: What?
* The small man moves away from behind the camera and hands the phone to James. He refreshes the video and allows it to play from the beginning. A few seconds into the video feed James grows a smile on his face and hands the phone back to the camera operator *
Michael James: To be perfectly honest with you guys I’m not surprised to see the news of my victory over Butch Parker going viral. It’s been a very long time since anyone dared to host a deathmatch in the states so chances are Senester probably had to break a few laws to make it happen. Sure, it might not have been a good idea seeing how the athletic commission tends to disapprove situations involving possible death. But, Senester didn’t care about that. The fans wanted blood and we were more than willing to give it to them. You wouldn’t be able to see that kind of ultra-violence anywhere else but the HWA so of course it’s going to make headlines. The first time I beat Butch Parker there were only a limited amount of people that were aware of my victory. This time around the entire world is going to be informed of Parker’s disgrace. For me, it’s kind of like receiving an added bonus when I’m already standing on the top of the world. I’m sure Butch and Wisdom don’t appreciate being picked at by a bunch of paparazzi dick bags but that isn’t my problem. If they didn’t want it to happen they should have kept their mouths shut.
Camera Operator: So you didn’t have anything to do with the prior allegations of TMZ exposing Wisdom Parker as a racist?
Michael James: Of course not! What kind of champion do you think I am? Everything that has happened to Wisdom has been a result of her own stupidity. It’s like I have always said. She’s a #####. And what do #####s do in the face of adversity? They lie on their backs, spread their legs and accept whatever disgusting fate they have coming to them. That’s exactly what Wisdom has been doing for the last year. I don’t think she knew it would cost Butch his place as the World Champion but I don’t really care. I’m not going to lose any sleep worrying about the opinions of a pig faced skank. Since Butch and Wisdom decided to test my patience, the foundation of their family tree has been chopped and hacked until it lost the ability to stand. I have crippled everything that was once good and decent for the sake of my own amusement. Sure, from your point of view I probably sound like an asshole. And I’m okay with that because you don’t know what its like to be me. You don’t have the weight of the world on your shoulders or the hope of a million strong in your back pocket. I accept these responsibilities because I’m capable of doing the impossible. I can walk through fire and I won’t get burnt. I can make lightning strike anytime I want. And now that I’m the World Heavyweight Champion, I’m going to show you assholes a side of Michael James you have never seen before.
* James leans to the side and snuffs his cigar out on the ash tray. He reaches forward and grabs hold of the crutches and carefully moves to his feet. With both championships draped over his shoulders, Michael James makes an exit from the frame and the image gradually cuts to a black fade *
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