The scene opened onto the set of Chris Van Vliet’s Insight Podcast. Chris Van Vliet himself sat across from “The Sky Assassin” Sean Parker. The two shook hands as the cameras started rolling.

(CVV): Sean Parker, my man, it’s been two years since we last sat down, and here we are again but this time, the stakes are higher than ever. You’re just days away from stepping into the ring at HWA’s Fatality pay-per-view, in what might be the most personal match of your career. It’s you versus Red Dragon, your mentor, your Sensei, a man who’s trained you since you were five years old. I have to ask, what’s going through your mind right now?

(Sean): To be honest, I have no f*cking idea, Chris. There’s been a whole shitstorm that’s swept through HWA these past several months, stuff that I didn’t even think possible with DreamMaster, the stuff with Senester on Netflix, Wolfy targeting Hans, so I guess it’s nice for me going into a pay-per-view with no drama and just focus on the wrestling, which is all I’ve ever wanted.

(CVV): Its such a rare thing in this business to face the very person who shaped you. You and Red Dragon have been side by side for years, but now you’re standing across from him. Was there ever a moment where you thought, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t fight the man who made me’?

(Sean): I don’t think so, to be honest. Sensei Kiriyama have sparred I don’t know how many times, so it’s not this is the first time we’ll have stood across from each other. Obviously this is different to sparring, but the foundation is the same. I’ve grown up with him competitively so there’s never been a part of me that’s thought ‘I can’t face him, you know? In a lot of ways, he’s my dream opponent.

(CVV): And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room, this isn’t just a student versus. teacher match. This could be the match that defines your career. A win here potentially puts you in line for another shot at the HWA World Championship, but a loss… well, I don’t even want to say what that could mean but you’ve obviously came up short in your last couple of matches. Is there pressure? Or is this exactly the moment you’ve been waiting for?

(Sean): There’s always pressure when I step through those ropes. If you’re a professional wrestling and you don’t feel the pressure to be the best version of yourself then you’re either lying or you’re a f*cking idiot. Yeah, the last two matches against Tobias and Wolfy didn’t go my way but things don’t always go the way you want and how you bounce back from adversity is what matters. As far as the HWA World Championship is concerned that will never not be on my radar. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about my own character from the last two matches I had when the title was at stake and I know that the next time I’m in a title match, no matter who the champion is, I will leave as the World Champion.

(CVV): Speaking of pressure, there’s another battle brewing outside the ring…HWA versus WWE. Things have been heating up, and you’ve found yourself right in the middle of it. You were just on Busted Open Radio a few weeks ago, and let’s just say your exchange with Bubba Ray Dudley wasn’t exactly friendly. What happened there? And do you think this rivalry between HWA and WWE is about to explode?

(Sean): I wouldn’t say it’s about to explode. A lot of dick-measuring has been going for god knows how many months now. Triple H took his cheap pop at us and I wasn’t one to allow that to pass. I’m proud of HWA, I’m proud to be part of the roster and being of the pillars if you will that restored it back to what it was in my uncle’s prime. And let’s get one thing straight, I have all the respect in the world for Triple H and for Bubba Ray Dudley. He’s a hall of famer and part of arguably the greatest tag team of all time. But that doesn’t mean that every word that comes out of his mouth is pure gold, you know? I said my piece, he said his. If he, or anyone else in WWE for that matter, wants to make it into something more, I’m not hard to find.

(CVV): Man, that moment had everyone talking. You went head-to-head with one of the most outspoken guys in the business. But beyond that, there’s this larger conversation happening. HWA is proving that it’s well on its way to becoming the top promotion in the industry, as it was ten-twenty years ago. Do you feel like you’re part of something bigger than just your own journey?

(Sean): One hundred percent! The whole reason I came back from Japan was to be part of something bigger. We all knew we had our work cut out for us to restore some much needed pride back to HWA’s name and in some ways I still feel like I have an obligation to do that, especially with the likes of Maniac still trying to insist on building a legacy based on blood and violence.

(CVV): So let’s bring it back to Fatality. You and Red Dragon, teacher versus. student, the past versus the future. You’ve visualized this moment, you’ve trained for it, you’ve lived it in your head. When that bell rings, what’s the one thing you want to prove, not just to him, but to yourself?

Sean exhaled deeply, puffing his cheeks out.

(Sean): I think I just want to prove I’m worthy of his teachings. I’ve looked up to him for twenty years and he’s never asked for anything in return, just that I always listened to him. He’s taught me so much and I don’t just mean martial arts or pro wrestling… he taught me how to live again, he….

Sean stopped for a moment, the words catching in his throat.

(Sean): … wow…. I didn’t expect that one to catch me…. there isn’t a prize, an amount of money, or an earthly possession that could allow me to repay the debt I owe him. And this match? This is the only way that will show the smallest semblance of what he means to me.

(CVV): Sean, every time we do this, it feels like we’re on the verge of something big. And right now? It feels like the biggest moment of your career is just days away. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Before we wrap this up, is there anything you want to say to Red Dragon? To HWA? To the entire wrestling world?

(Sean): To be honest, as far as Sensei Kiriyama is concerned, I’ve said all I've needed to say to him. As far afterwards, I have no idea but I’m sure the words will find me after the bell rings. As for everyone else, I just hope they enjoy the show.

(CVV): I’m sure they will. Now, let’s talk about something really cool. you’ve been working with Ubisoft to promote Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and not just that… did I read this right, that you’re actually a DLC character in the game. That’s wild. How did that whole partnership come together?

Sean couldn’t help but beam widely, like an excited school kid.

(Sean): Aw mate, I can’t even begin to tell you how buzzing I am for that. So obviously, my nickname is the Sky Assassin and this is actually quite funny because Maniac accused me of ripping off Assassin’s Creed when I’ve actually been officially sponsored by Ubisoft and part of their marketing crew since Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

(CVV): Really? Wow! And is that how the Sky Assassin came about?

(Sean): No, that originated from my time in Japan. I was in a sparring session with… an old partner and with Sensei Kiriyama and I did this…

Sean gestured with his hands in a twisting motion.

(Sean): … like 630 shooting star press inside the dojo and no one saw it coming… Sensei called me Sora No Ansatsusha, which translates as Assassin from the Sky. So I just put a twist on it and adopted it as my ring persona.

(CVV): So how did the whole Assassin’s Creed thing come about then?

(Sean): Well, obviously I’m a big gamer, I’m a big streamer and content creator as well. I did a whole Platinum trophy run live for AC Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla and then Mirage. People were commenting saying how cool it would be if I was in a game so I just put it out there and someone from Ubisoft got in touch and said “hey, would you be interested in promoting the games? We’ll put you on some merch and it just sort of snowballed from there.

(CVV): And is that how your Road to Ruin entrance came about? With the Altair voiceover?

(Sean): Yeah! Man, how f*cking cool was that?! And that was the voice actor for Altair, Philip Shahbaz, he originally voiced Altair in the first-ever Assassin’s Creed game so for him to be like narrating me like I’m part of the Creed was just like a complete fanboy moment for me. And yeah, the DLC is just the cherry on top, so I think they’re adding a DLC expansion pack soon for Shadows and there’s a skin you can buy from the store for like five bucks or something and you can basically look like me and they’ve added Masamune as a weapon too which is the sword my Sensei gave me for passing my third Dan karate black belt so that’s just in-f*cking sane too.

(CVV): Man, how cool is that?!

(Sean): Insanely cool! Like, apart from wrestling Sensei at Fatality, this may be the coolest thing I’ve ever done… and marrying Michelle of course!

(CVV): Of course, and I’ll get to her shortly, don't worry! But I mean, it’s one thing to play as your favorite characters, but to actually be one? That’s next level! And beyond just the in-game stuff, you’ve been helping promote Assassin’s Creed Shadows at live events, online, and with the gaming community. What’s that experience been like for you, bridging the worlds of gaming and wrestling in such a direct way?

(Sean): Aw man, it’s been so much fun! Like I got to do an advanced preview of Shadows with Roger Craig Smith, the voice actor for Ezio and play the game alongside Sam Thompson - he’s like a TV presenter from the UK, Becky Hill who’s a pop star and all these other celebs and I’m like, is this even real? I’m playing video games with people I’ve seen on TV!

(CVV): I bet they were like “I can’t believe I’m playing Assassin’s Creed with Sean Parker!”

Sean laughed.

(Sean): Haha, I doubt it but who knows!

(CVV): Now this is cool as well, you were also recently involved with Monster Hunter, but not in the way most people expected. You were named an official team captain for one of the game’s playable weapon classes. That’s such a unique role, how’d you land that spot, and what did it mean to you as a longtime fan of the franchise?

(Sean): Haha, yeah, it’s a strange one because Monster Hunter isn’t, or wasn’t a hugely popular franchise in the West before Monster Hunter World came out in 2018. Before that it was mainly popular in Japan which is probably why I was so into it. But again, like with Assassin’s Creed, I do a lot of streaming and stuff on YouTube, and I play with a weapon called the Insect Glaive, I think I’ve used it about three or four thousand times. So, for the most recent game, the developers decided they’d have team captains for each of different of the weapon classes.

(CVV): And you were picked for this… Insect Glaive?

Sean nodded with a grin.

(CVV): Well, it’s clear gaming is a big part of your brand now, and fans are loving it. Now. I can’t let you go without asking this; congrats are in order. You’re engaged to fellow HWA superstar Michelle Learner. That’s huge. How does it feel knowing you’re both building your wrestling careers and a life together outside of the ring?

(Sean): Man, it’s amazing, Michelle is amazing. We’ve been through so much together in the two years we’ve been together.

(CVV): Wrestling relationships can be tough with the travel, the schedules, the constant intensity. But you two seem to thrive in it. What’s been the key to making it all work?

(Sean): Trust. We’ve always had that trust with each other. We’re each other’s rocks. She genuinely just has to put her hand on my arm or look me in the eye and it’s like a calming wave has just washed over me. And you know, I like to think I’ve toughened her up a bit as well.

Chris leaned back with a grin, shaking Sean’s hand once more.

(CVV): Sean Parker, days away from Fatality, standing at the crossroads of everything he’s fought for. Whatever happens, this is going to be one for the history books. Thanks for doing this, man.

(Sean): Always a pleasure, CVV!

The camera slowly faded as the two exchanged a few more words off-mic as the scene faded to black.