After the frenetic events of Havoc, losing out in the first night of official intergender action in HWA, Sean Parker was keen for a much-needed pick-me-up. Fatality was just around the corner and although he longed to be the HWA World Champion, this match with Sensei meant more to him than any championship belt. But he needed to get back to winning ways and the Fatality go-home episode of Havoc in Mississippi was a prime opportunity to do so, against Wolfy.

Despite Stu-E Price being World Champion, Sean took pride in being Butch and Wisdom’s go-to guy for flying the flag for HWA when it came to representing the company in the media.

Being a friendly and endearing face and a likeable public figure, he was an ideal candidate for public speaking. So, when Butch told him he’d been invited to appear on Busted Open with Dave LeGreca and Mark Henry, he was absolutely pumped. Although, after the recent rumblings with shots fired from WWE, and the lack of an official HWA statement on Triple H’s comments, Butch had asked Sean to be tactful if pressed on his opinion, something they both know he would be, given Mark Henry was a WWE guy.

(Dave LaGreca): Alright, Busted Open Nation, listen up! We’ve got an absolutely massive show for you today! You know we don’t mess around when it comes to bringing you the biggest names in wrestling, and today is no different. Joining us is one of the hottest stars in the game right now, a guy who’s been setting the Hardcore Wrestling Alliance on fire since he was a teenager, ladies and gentlemen, the Sky Assassin himself, the man without fear, Sean Parker!

(Mark Henry): You betcha ass, Dave. Sean Parker is the real deal, man! Whether it’s his explosive matches, those unforgettable promos, or the way he connects with the fans, this man is a force to be reckoned with. I’ve seen a lot of talent in my time, but Sean? He’s on another level right now.

(Dave LaGreca): Absolutely, Mark. We’re talking about a guy who’s made his mark not just in the ring but in the industry as a whole and he’s only been a pro for just under a decade. And today, he’s here to talk about everything; his rise in the HWA, his knee injury, his heartbreak of just missing out on winning both HWA’s premier pay-per-view event, Ring Master as well as the HWA World Championship, his upcoming retirement match with longtime mentor, Red Dragon and what the future holds for him now. Trust me, you’re not gonna want to miss a second of this one!

(Mark Henry): So grab a seat, Busted Open Nation, and get ready. This is gonna be one of those episodes that you’ll be talking about for weeks. Let’s do this, the Sky Assassin is in the house!

(Dave LaGreca): Let’s f*cking go! Welcome, Sean.

Sean smiled as he adjusted his seat on the couch across from Mark and Dave.

(Sean): Great to be here, guys, thanks for having me. Mark, I’m such a huge fan of yours, man, legit legend!

(Mark Henry): Appreciate you, my guy. Much respect. You doin’ big things in HWA, and we can’t wait to chop it up with you about it!

=(Dave LaGreca): Alright, Sean, we’ve got a lot to get into today, but first things first, we’ve gotta talk about the big moment that’s had everyone buzzing. You and Michelle Learner, the HWA power couple, got engaged in Disneyland Paris! I mean, come on, man, that’s storybook-level stuff right there. What was that like, and how did it all come together?

(Mark Henry): Yeah, Sean, you really set the bar high with that one! Disneyland? That’s next-level romance, my guy! Was it tough pullin’ that off, or did you have everything locked in down to the last detail? Break it down for us, how you make that magic happen?

(Sean): Well, firstly, I wouldn’t say we’re a “power couple”, there’s only one power couple in all of pro wrestling, not just HWA and that’s my aunt and uncle, Butch and Wisdom. As for how it went down, I wanted to propose to Michelle for a while. As cliché as it sounds, she’s genuinely my soulmate and my best friend. Obviously, I would’ve loved to have done it with the World Championship around my waist too but…

Sean held his arms out as if it say “what can you do?”

(Sean): … things didn’t exactly go my way on that front. But I think it sort of made my mind up for me that I wanted to propose, you know? Like the thing about Michelle, you guys only see her on TV as this shy, bubbly, goody-two shoes girl but she’s so much more than that. The first thing she wanted to do was make sure I was ok. She knew how much being champion means to me and she knew just what to say or what not to say, you know? Like, when we got backstage, she didn’t try to give me that infuriating “you’ll get ‘em next time!” speech. She just sat next to me, put her arm around my shoulders and didn't say a word. I knew then.

(Dave LaGreca): Sometimes you just know she’s the one, right?

Sean acknowledged Dave’s point with an affirming nod of his head.

(Sean): Exactly.

(Mark Henry): So, you went the traditional route, huh, Sean? Asked her pops and everything? Did all that old-school jazz?

Sean involuntarily smirked.

(Sean): Oh yeah man, of course! I’m old school! One of her brothers helped me pick a ring and I spoke to her parents, asked her dad for his blessing which wasn’t easy. Michelle’s parents are very protective of her and they’re… I won’t say old-fashioned, but they’re very religious, everything’s gotta be done a certain way and it’s taken a lot of work and effort to convince them I’m not just some boneheaded wrestler trying to corrupt their little girl, y’know? But after everything that happened before with Fallen and the match he and I had, it showed them just how much Michelle means to me. So yeah, I asked for their blessing and they were more than happy to give it.

(Dave LaGreca): Now, sticking with Michelle, Sean, you guys made some history at Havoc just last week with HWA doing pretty much an entire card of intergender tag matches.

Sean nodded again, taking a sip from a bottle of water on a small tabletop next to him.

(Dave LaGreca): I know it didn’t exactly go your way against Tobias Clarke and Starlight Kid, but how do you feel in general looking back on it and your aunt and uncle finally allowing the girls to go at it with the guys.

(Sean): I think it speaks volumes to how much Butch and Wisdom have their ears to the ground and giving the fans, and our roster, what they want even when you’ve got idiots like Maniac accusing them of trying to make HWA into the next WWE or AEW despite the fact that either of those companies will give the same level of trust and opportunity to their female competitors. As for our match, of course Michelle and I would’ve loved to have won but did you see her out there? Did you see all the girls? Michelle…

Sean held out his hand, extending his fingers to punctuate and emphasise his point.

(Sean): Starlight, Alexis, Sarah, Erica and Luna who just returned. Every single one of those ladies brought their absolute A-game at Havoc and showed why this should’ve been a long time ago.

(Mark Henry): For real, Sean! We saw your girl go crazy in there! That Alexis chick? Man, she still got it! And Sarah Callahan? Bruh, she straight gold! Olympic gold!

Again, Sean nodded in agreement.

(Sean): Man, honestly, all these ladies can go. I’ve sparred with Sarah so many times in the HWA Academy and she’s put me on my ass more than once lemme tell ye. and Alexis? Jeez man, she’s an absolute unit. To come back from the injury she had, and to go toe-to-toe with a guy like Stu-E Price? Not a lot of people can say that.

(Dave LaGreca): Interesting to hear you almost compliment the World Champ, Sean, because I know things ain’t exactly been rosy between you two since Ring Master.

Sean tried his damnedest not to roll his eyes but failed miserably, drawing laughter from both Dave and Mark and he puffed his cheeks out.

(Sean): Look man, Stu… ah f*ck…

Sean stuttered, causing more laughter to emanate from all three men.

(Dave LaGreca): I love that you’re trying so hard to be polite, Sean!

(Sean): You're not wrong man. Look, cards on the table, I don’t like the guy, right? I’m just gonna put it out there. He said a lot of shit that really rubbed me the wrong way in the build-up to our match at Road To Ruin, telling me he’d let me become champion when he was ready to. Then he tried to act like he was just selling the match and that he respects me. But…

Sean screwed his face up, shaking his head.

(Sean): …If you believe that then you’re just plain gullible.

(Mark Henry): So, you don’t think he was just playing to the masses, Sean? Trying to get a rise out of you?

(Sean): Come on, man, you’ve been in this business long enough to read between the lines of kayfabe and being in character. In HWA, there’s no characters. We’re not sports entertainment, we’re not WWE. When you see us cutting promos on each other, it’s f*cking real. Every word I said? I meant every f*cking word. So yeah, when you hear someone saying “I was only trying to sell the match”, there’s no pinch of salt big enough for me to take it with.

(Mark Henry): Wow, for real? So there's genuine heat with you guys?

(Sean): I don’t know if you can call it heat. I just don’t have time for people who try to pretend to be something they’re not. And I don’t care if he’s friends with Steve Austin, Ric Flair or anyone else, I don’t care if he’s Dad of the Year, he’s a piss stain on the prestige of that championship.

(Dave LaGreca): So, you’re team Maniac at Fatality then?

Sean raised a single eyebrow in Dave’s direction as Mark Henry slapped his thigh in laughter. Sean couldn’t help but laugh too.

(Sean): The day I’m on “Team Maniac” is the day you need to put me in a straight jacket and throw away the key.

(Mark Henry): Come on now, Sean, you know you gon’ be watchin’ that match for real. You tryna tell me you ain’t interested in seein’ what go down between Maniac and Price? Stop playin’!

(Sean): Of course I am. But I said the other day in the interview, when it comes to the World Championship, I don’t care who holds the belt. Both men are world class bell-ends and the World Championship deserves better than either of them holding it.

(Dave LaGreca): In all seriousness, Sean, and I don’t mean this as a sleight against you…

(Mark Henry): Oh shit, here we go!

(Dave LaGreca): No, seriously, we’re talking candidly here, Sean knows this. You’ve been staking your claim that you’re the man that’s destined to win the HWA World Championship, which is now arguably the biggest prize in all of combat sports. You’ve had two bites at the cherry and, to use your own words, you’ve hit the post on both occasions. Some have questioned whether you can actually get it done on the big stage when it matters. And believe me, this isn’t disrespect, Sean, I respect the hell out of you, your uncle and the legacy of your family in this business. But there have been question marks put over your ability to get it done in championship matches; something your uncle Butch had no issue with him. So, do you think you can do it? Or will you be synonymous with being second best?

Sean didn’t immediately answer but actually smiled at Dave’s question. It was a fair one. Sean had fluffed his lines on the two occasions where he had a chance to make history. Odds on him breaking the duck on a third attempt down the line weren’t exactly in his favour.

(Sean): You know what? It’s a fair question, Dave. And you’re absolutely right, I haven’t exactly set the world on fire in championship matches and as much it would be easy for me to blame that on Erica and Starlight Kid, I let both chances slip through my fingers. But if you’re asking me if I have what it takes to be a champion, I can hand-on-heart tell you, yes. A couple of bad chapters doesn’t mean my story is finished when it comes to the HWA World Championship and I promise you, there’s plenty of blank pages to fill.

Mark Henry erupted into a big, rowdy round applause at Sean’s comment.

(Mark Henry): Let’s f*cking go, Sean, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!

Dave pursed his lips in acknowledgement at Sean’s response.

(Dave LaGreca): You know what? Fair play Sean, hats off to you, dude. Now, obviously you’ve got a huge personal match coming up at the next major HWA show, Fatality where you’re facing your longtime mentor, Red Dragon in his last-ever match. Was this something you ever envisioned happening?

There was a moment of silence before Sean responded. He was suddenly conscious that he’d never really openly talked about his relationship with Sensei and the impact he’d had on his life.

(Sean): Look, everyone close to me and everyone who knows HWA, knows just how much Sensei Kiriyama means to me. You all know him as Red Dragon and he may not have had the career he deserved to have in HWA but that wasn’t by his own doing. People seem to forget that after he won the US Title that he was taken out of the game for years. If it wasn’t for what happened, he would’ve been a surefire World Champion but he didn’t get that opportunity. And that’s why I’m so thankful he’s been able to have this retirement tour, to finally get his flowers.

(Mark Henry): Oh, I feel you, bro! I’m old school, I know all about Red Dragon. Man, his early days in New Japan? That boy was a beast! And he was trained by the Great Muta, right?

Sean couldn’t help but smile in affirmation as he nodded.

(Sean): He sure was.

(Dave LaGreca): And you’ve know him since you were a kid?

(Sean): Yeah, I was five, I think? Yeah, five. He and my Uncle Butch met in an old school indie wrestling company and that’s where they met Hans von Richtoven as well. They all hit it off very quickly and the original Imperium was born. But yeah, my Uncle Butch invited him and his daughter over to stay with us in Scotland for a while whilst their company did a UK tour and man, I was just awestruck. Even back then, he had this presence about him that just commanded instant respect. So yeah, he became my teacher and more than that. I lost my dad when I was just a toddler but I’ve had two fathers in my life in Sensei Kiriyama and my uncle Butch. When I had my accident at Ring Master all those years ago, he was there for me, didn’t let me lose help, he helped me with my rehab. I can’t honestly remember a time in my life when Sensei wasn’t part of it.

(Dave LaGreca): And you went to Japan with him, did I read that? You went on some sort of pilgrimage?

(Sean): Of sorts, yeah. I hadn’t long learned to walk again after my surgery and HWA wasn’t what it was now. I was feeling lost, maybe even resentful and Sensei Kiriyama was travelling back to Okinawa. I asked if I could go with him, I needed a break from everything - all I’d known for the past two years was people looking down on me, or pretending to feel sorry for me, ye know? So, it was more about self-discovery; my back head was healed but my soul wasn’t.

(Mark Henry): Man, that’s deep. And did you ever think you’d get the chance to wrestle Red Dragon? Especially in circumstances like this?

(Sean): Never. Of course we’ve sparred together plenty of times sure but you know as well as I do that there’s a big difference between that and the real deal. So, to be able to step into the ring with him, let alone for his very last match, I can’t even begin to describe what an honour that is.

(Dave LaGreca): Man, I can’t tell you how f*cking stoked all of us are for that match. Some are even saying there’s more clamour than the World Championship and that you guys should be main-eventing the pay-per-view.

(Sean): I don’t know about that. The World Championship, regardless of who is competing, is always the draw. I’m not gonna sit here like CM Punk and say I think we should be the main event because to me, we’re already main-eventing in our own way.

(Mark Henry): So what happens after Fatality then, Sean? What’s the deal, my guy?

(Sean): What do you mean?

(Mark Henry): What’s next for the Sky Assassin?

(Sean): To be honest, I haven’t even thought. There’s some much going on right now and I remember, before I can even think about my match at Fatality, I have a match at Havoc.

(Dave LaGreca): That’s right, Wolfy, isn’t it? The guy?

(Mark Henry): Ain’t he some kinda zookeeper or somethin’? That’s a first for me! I ain’t never seen nothin’ like that in pro wrestling before! And that Zoo match? Man, that was some straight-up wild shit!

(Sean): Yeah, he’s a zookeeper. And he’s not really the new guy anymore, maybe comparatively experience-wise but he’s been in HWA a good while now.

(Dave LaGreca): Wait, isn’t he the one you have a little beef with over Michelle?

(Mark Henry): Yeah, back when you was recoverin’ from surgery, she got attacked by that psycho Erica and man, you was heated!

More laughter emanated and Sean himself couldn’t help but smirk a little, shaking his head as he did.

(Sean): I’ve moved on from that but yeah, I was pretty steamed at the time, I won’t lie.

(Mark Henry): Steamed? My guy was about to go full-on medieval on his ass!

(Dave LaGreca): So what was it? Did you think Wolfy was sweet on Michelle or what?

(Sean): I didn’t think he was sweet on her, no. What pissed me off was that he felt that he had this moral obligation to protect her, that he was willing to put his life on the line to save her because of some pathetic guilt trip he had. And I didn’t think he had a right to do that. Michelle wasn’t ever his responsibility, so in my eyes he overstepped his boundaries.

(Dave LaGreca): So, is it safe to say this is a match you’ve been craving?

(Sean): I wouldn’t say craving, I told Wolfy before that as long as he kept mine and Michelle’s names out of his mouth, we wouldn’t have a problem. This match at Havoc is just the perfect opportunity to tune me up for Fatality… that’s if Wolfy shows up that is.

Both Dave’s and Mark’s respective expressions to change to that of confusion at Sean’s last statement.

(Mark Henry): Whatchu mean, if he shows up?

(Sean): Well, apparently according to some newspaper in Ohio, he’s gone missing. So, we’ll actually see if he turns up or not. I’m not the kinda guy who likes to take a forfeit win so I hope for his sake, he turns up.

(Dave LaGreca): Well here’s hoping everything is alright with him and you get your match, Sean. Now, it would be remiss of me to have you on the show, Sean if I didn’t bring up the elephant in the room…

Sean couldn’t help but afford himself another smile whilst rolling his eyes knowingly.

(Sean): And what elephant would that be, Dave?

Dave also laughed and smiled.

(Dave LaGreca): You know damn fine well what elephant I’m talking about, Sean! The WWE-sized elephant! What’s happening here, man? I thought your uncle and Triple H were old friends?

(Sean): They are. But you know, when Cody Rhodes showed his true colors, bullied my niece, and his bitch of a wife tried to launch a smear campaign against my family, and then my uncle embarrassed him, things have been somewhat strained.

(Mark Henry): I gotta watch myself here, man. You know I got mad respect for your uncle, Sean, no doubt. But you know I’m a Triple H guy. And what your uncle did all those months ago, invading Raw, goin’ after Cody like that? I don’t know, man… that might not have been his smartest move.

(Sean): I know you’ve got your loyalties in Stamford, Mark, but come on. Cody’s wife plastered paparazzi pictures of Butch all over the internet after his anxiety attack out of pettiness. And ever since Butch showed the best of WWE can’t hold a candle to the one of the greatest of all time in HWA, your boy Hunter seems to have gotten bitter.

(Dave LaGreca): Wow… that’s some statement, Sean.

(Sean): Well, to quote another WWE legend, tell me when I’m telling lies, Dave. At the end of the day, and I said this on HWA television, so don’t think I’m not scared to say it in a public forum either. I took it personally when Triple H took that veiled swipe at us and that tweet he put out was nothing but a cop-out in my opinion. HWA, for years was the top promotion in professional wrestling and WWE couldn’t get a look in, and the minute what happened to us happened, the vultures, including Triple H, descended and couldn’t wait to pick at the carcass. So yeah, I’m not going to sit here and say nice things and pretend this is some kind of a work when it’s far from it.

(Dave LaGreca): Whoa! Alright, Sean, you’re coming in hot today!

Before Sean could respond, an unmistakable voice rang out off-mic, cutting through the air.

(Bubba Ray Dudley): Oh, give me a f*cking break!

The energy in the room shifted as Bubba Ray Dudley stepped onto the set, shaking his head in frustration. Sean sat back in his chair, folding his arms, watching Bubba with a calm but knowing expression.

(Bubba Ray Dudley): You know, Sean, I’ve been sitting in the back listening to you run your mouth, and I gotta say, kid, you’re full of it.

(Sean): Oh? And what exactly am I “full of,” Bubba?

(Bubba Ray Dudley): This whole “WWE is out to get us” narrative you’re spinning. Give me a break, man. HWA had its time. It was great and yeah you guys are doing just fine. But WWE didn’t kill it. They didn’t need to. Business is business. That was your old boss, Senester, bleeding the company dry. And the way you’re talking? It sounds like you’re just bitter because you weren’t good enough to begin with and ended up in a goddamn wheelchair because you were too arrogant to know you were in over your head.

Sean sighed, rubbing his chin before shaking his head slightly. He knew Bubba was just trying to get a rise out of him and he needed all of Sensei’s teachings to stop himself from ramming his elbow into Bubba’s jaw.

(Sean): Bubba, I get it. You’ve spent a lot of time over there. You’re a Hall of Famer, you’ve got your connections. I’m not knocking that, you’ve paid your dues and earned your spot. But don’t come out here and act like what happened to HWA was just “business as usual.” WWE did pick at the bones, and if you can’t see that, maybe you’ve been around them for too long.

Bubba let out a sarcastic laugh, stepping closer to Sean.

(Bubba Ray Dudley): You think you’ve got it all figured out, dontcha, kid? Look at you, sitting there all smug, acting like you’re the only guy in this business who knows the truth. Let me tell you something, Sean; you’re living in a fantasy. You talk about legacy, but the only reason people care what you have to say is because of your last name!

Sean’s expression remained unreadable at first, but there was a flicker of something behind his emerald green eyes. He then slowly stood up, meeting Bubba eye to eye or as much as he could given their height difference.

(Sean): You know, Bubba… I came here to have a conversation, not to get into a pissing contest with you. But since you brought it up, let’s set the record straight. I’ve worked my arse off to build my own legacy. Yeah, my family paved the way, but I never took the easy road. I’ve fought, I’ve bled, and I’ve earned my spot. And whether you like it or not, I represent the future of this business.

Suddenly both men squared up, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Dave quickly stepped between them, while Mark Henry placed a hand on Bubba’s chest, urging him to take a step back.

(Dave LaGreca): Alright, alright, let’s cool it down, guys! We’re not about to throw hands in the Busted Open studio!

But Dave’s words barely registered. Bubba took another step forward, going nose to nose with Sean, their foreheads pressing together in a tense standoff. The room felt like it was about to explode as neither man backed down, their breathing heavy, fists clenched at their sides.

(Bubba Ray Dudley): You wanna talk about respect, kid? You wanna run your mouth about my business? Then you better be ready to back it up.

(Sean): Oh, I’m always ready, Bubba. Question is… are you?

Just as it looked like things were about to explode into chaos, a massive hand shot between them, shoving both men apart.

(Mark Henry): That’s enough!

Mark Henry’s voice boomed through the studio, his sheer presence enough to force a moment of hesitation. He stepped between Sean and Bubba, glaring at them both.

(Mark Henry): I don’t care what history y’all got, and I don’t care what this sudden beef is between you but this ain’t the place for it. Bubba, you a goddamn legend in this business, we all know that, Sean knows that. You also know much of a legend Butch Parker is, you know how much Vince wanted him and how much respect the Parkers have in wrestling. Just ease up, guys.

Bubba gritted his teeth, breathing heavily as he stared past Mark at Sean, his jaw tight. Sean, for his part, slowly exhaled through his nose, shaking his head but keeping his cool.

(Bubba Ray Dudley): This ain’t over.

(Sean): I didn’t say it was.

Bubba held his glare for another long moment before finally stepping back and walking off the set. The silence that followed was deafening as Sean sat back down, adjusting his mic, his smirk finally returning.

(Sean): Well. That was fun.

(Dave LaGreca): Fun? You nearly gave me a damn heart attack!

(Mark Henry): Man, I swear, y’all are gonna make me put my boots back on just to keep the peace.

(Sean): I’m sorry for that guys, I genuinely didn’t mean to cause any issues. For what it’s worth my Uncle Butch is probably going to haul me over the coals after he asked me to be tactful…

The tension finally eased as a few chuckles broke the silence and the scene faded to black.