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With every moment that has come his way, Jake Starr has pretty much gone to whatever extremes it took to finalize the deal, and capitalize. He's faced title matches, he's represented SCW against the famed IWC and subsequently emerged as its World Champion, and he's continually proved to be one of the best superstars at performing in this business. It's a career many would dream of having, and Jake is getting to live the dream.
The question is posed, though, what is left? As the age old saying goes, "What could the man who has everything, possibly want?" How could one man think there is something more to this business, than that which they've already achieved? For Jake, the answer is simple. He just wants more. He knows he's done a lot of what people strive for time and time again. He knows he's achieved goals many spend an entire career trying to achieve, and he's done it on a limited amount of time. He knows there are many out there who loathe him for it, and feel he's simply taking the spotlight away from those who deserve it. He knows many are critical of him, but it's something he's dealt with since day one. So if people are, or were, now, then it would be just like any other day at the office. So there's the answer. Jake simply wants more. He wants another chance to shine, and he wants to do something very few have ever been able to achieve. He wants to scale the steepest of mountains, he wants to swim to the deepest depths, and he wants to do so with a lot of flash and bravado. It's all because of this desire, and this want, that Jake continues to push forward, and take on new challenges. And... Little does Jake know a challenge that fits that very mold is about to come knocking on his front door... As Jake lounges around his house, firmly planted in the beautiful neighborhoods of Des Moines, IA, he enjoys a day where nothing has been on his schedule, no PR appearance have been needed to be made, and no promos have been having to be shot. On his television scrolls the channel listing, and it's subsequent programming, as Jake toils on what to watch next. As he quickly realizes there isn't much on at this moment, he finally settles on the old fallback, "The History Channel," since apparently it is right in the midst of one of it's monthly renditions of renaming itself, "The Hitler Channel." Many of these shows, like most who watch TV, Jake has already seen multiple times. Nevertheless, The Third Reich never ceases to amaze him, mainly due to their complete inability to understand the atrocities they committed. As the show progresses, Jake is interrupted by the sound of his doorbell ringing. He sighs, not really wanting to move, and yet, finally convinces himself he needs to go answer the door. At the same time, from the bedroom, Jake's wife, Roeper, hears the doorbell ring at the same time. Knowing what happened last time the doorbell rang, Roeper doesn't give Jake the opportunity to yell at her, and subsequently also makes her way toward the door. As the both arrive almost simultaneously, both are quite shocked to see the other there. Roeper is shocked Jake got up, and Jake is shocked Roeper decided to just come all the way from the bedroom in order to answer the door. Roeper Hart: Surprised to see you here! Jake is a bit shocked.
Jake Starr: Oh? Why is that? Roeper Hart: The last time the doorbell rang, you were sitting in there lounging on the couch, and literally YELLED all the way to the back to get me to do it. So I figured, this was just another one of those times! Jake Starr: Yeah, but this time is different! Now Roeper looks a bit shocked.
Roeper Hart: How so? Jake Starr: See, I'm not incapable of doing it... This proves it! The last time was simply because I was feeling lazy! Roeper rolls her eyes.
Roeper Hart: Oh... Gee... Thanks! Jake chuckles.
Jake Starr: I loooooove you, honey! Jake throws a cheesy grin her way, receiving yet another rolling of the eyes, but at the same time receives a smile from a wife who knows his humor well enough to "get the joke."
Jake reaches out toward the handle of the door, and twists it open. On the other side stands a mailman, emotionless look and all, staring right at Jake. Mailman: ... Are you Jake Starr? The monotonous tone in his voice really solidifies Jake belief that all mail carriers are, in fact, robots.
Jake Starr: The last time I checked, I was... Mailman: Please sign here, sir... The mailman reaches out and points to a "signature confirmation" for delivery. Jake grabs a pen from the table next to the front door, and signs the receipt.
Jake Starr: Don't go trying to sell that on eBay... You'll pay more in their stupid fees! The mailman just stares at Jake, seemingly clueless.
Mailman: Excuse me? Jake shakes his head, realizing the man is a dunce, or an Earth invading, alien, robot.
Jake Starr: Never mind... The mailman reaches the letter out, and Jake takes it from him. He begins to wonder who it could be from, having not been expecting any letters of such importance, that a signature would be needed. As the door shuts behind him, he begins to scratch his head. He looks at the envelope with a defined state of confusion on his face. He then begins to hold it up toward a light source, which completely throws Roeper off.
Roeper Hart: Umm... What're you doing? Jake Starr: I'm checking for anthrax, what's it look like I'm doing? Roeper looks at Jake like he's lost his damn mind. It's a facial expression Jake picks up on rather quickly, and offers up some, would-be, explanation to his actions.
Jake Starr: Hey... You can't be too careful nowadays. Those tourists could be after me! now Roeper is confused.
Roeper Hart: Tourists? Jake Starr: Yes... Tourists... I heard ex-President Bush talk about them once. They're those people he went out to fight, and all. Remember, he wanted to fight "tourism in the Middle East!" He also talked about anthrax in that same speech, so I figure that since I'm a "high profile target," I should be careful. I mean, I am high profile, and on top of that, I am notorious for putting a target on my back. It's those comments that force Roeper to show a lot of self restraint, so that she doesn't act on her desire to slap Jake. Instead of following through with the violence, she simply reaches out and snatches the envelope out of Jake's hands. She rips it open, and pulls the letter out. As she does so, Jake immediately inhales a deep breath, and holds it, jokingly doing everything he can not to inhale any potential "spores."
When Roeper sees Jake do this, she cocks an eyebrow his way, and proceeds to smack him upside the head "NCIS style." She flips the first flap of the letter up, and notices the words "Majestic Wrestling" on the letterhead. She begins to wonder what this is about, and if Jake maybe has opted to move to another organization, outside and away from SCW. Roeper Hart: It says it's from some company called Majestic Wrestling. Jake immediately releases his breath, and his eyes go wide. He grabs the letter out of Roeper's hands, and begins to frantically unfold the letter the rest of the way.
Jake Starr: Really?!?! now Roeper's confusion grows. Why is her husband so excited?
Roeper Hart: What's this about? Jake doesn't directly acknowledge Roeper's question, but does let out another exclamation as his eyes finish reading the letter.
Jake Starr: Holy shit, I'm in!! Roeper is still completely lost.
Roeper Hart: Ok? Congratulations? Now, what are you in? Jake turns toward Roeper, and flails the arm around with the letter in it, trying to convey the excitement of what he just found out.
Jake Starr: Honey! I got in! Roeper shakes her head, becoming a bit perturbed at Jake's lack of acknowledgement of her inquiry.
Roeper Hart: You're making no sense! Jake Starr: Honey! I got into the tourney! Roeper's confusion continues to mount, having heard nothing about any tournament.
Roeper Hart: What tournament? Is this something you're going to take time away from SCW to do? Jake's excitement continues to pour out in his voice.
Jake Starr: No! This is the "God of Wrestling" tournament, put on by Majestic. It's become a pretty prestigious event to participate in, let alone, win. Roeper Hart: Oh... Ok... Well then how did you get in? Jake Starr: Well, in a nutshell, SCW asked everyone who'd be interested in representing them. I said I would, if SCW wanted me to do so, and I guess they decided I was the right pick, because I'm in! Roeper isn't extremely impressed by all of this.
Roeper Hart: That's nice... So what do you get out of this whole ordeal? Jake Starr: Mostly, I'd get bragging rights. That's really what I'm in it for, anyway. Getting to emerge victorious in something like this is what sets people apart from one another. I entered it when I first came back to the industry, and let's just say it didn't go so hot. I'd like to see if I could really do the damn-near impossible, and run the table this time around. That's why I applied... Roeper Hart: What else is in it for you? You said it's MOSTLY about bragging rights... Jake Starr: Well, for one I'd get a really pretty trophy. It's big too! And if I decided I wanted it, I'd also get a title shot in Majestic, too. Roeper Hart: Ah... There it is... Roeper feels Jake may have let a few of Greg Cherry's "bad traits" kind of sink into how he acts, and isn't in the least bit shocked that a championship of some kind was involved in the "prize fund."
Jake catches onto Roeper's tone, immediately, and this time takes a more subdued stance with her. Jake Starr: Listen... It wasn't about the gold, for me. Last time, it was. I wanted to rule as many organizations at one time as I could. I wanted people to worry that ANY DAY, Jake Starr could waltz into their organization, get a shot, and take the World Championship, or equivalent title from their "top guy." This time, not so much. This time, it's about restoring the honor to my name, back to what it should be. The ability to say that I beat out other stars like Syren, Ace Marshall, and so-on, would reinforce the notion that I'm still as strong as ever. I was hoping for this opportunity to do just that, and now, it's all come through... Roeper senses a definite feeling of urgency in her husband's voice. It's definitely a bit different from the old school "title glory" sound she was used to hearing.
Jake Starr: ... I mean, I knew a lot of the guys in the back wanted in on this spot. SCW had a set amount, and had to pick it's "best" to represent them, and obviously they're showing some faith in me for letting me have it. Roeper Hart: Well... That's good! Jake Starr: ... It's an opportunity I felt like I NEEDED to take on. I NEEDED to push myself again. This will test me, and most importantly, push me. If I can't use this as a good springboard, along with the fact I'm happy being myself, I might as well give it up, because it's not going to be happening. Roeper Hart: But Jake, why are you always looking for something to "springboard" and "launch" you back to the top? Why don't you just launch yourself on your own? Jake Starr: Roeper... Something "good" NEEDS to happen before I can have that feeling that I'm able to do it myself again. I've tried everything to see if I can figure out the right formula, and I haven't found anything yet. I'm just going to keep trying until something finally clicks, or I die, whichever comes first. It's these final words that have Roeper worried that Jake is trying to find an answer to a question that truly is in his soul, and isn't one someone else can give to him. She hopes that with the happenings in SCW, and this tourney, Jake will begin to realize that the answers all lie within him, and not within him doing something else special on top of everything else.
For Jake, this tournament marks a chance for him to go out and face new competition. It's also a chance to face both people he's beaten, and who've beaten him, for a chance to call themselves "God of Wrestling." The way the brackets are setup, Jake definitely has the opportunity to showcase himself. The question is, how will he transition between SCW and Majestic, during this tournament? Will Jake use his knowledge from the last tournament he entered, to help him down the road? How will these new superstars handle what it is that Jake Starr brings to the table? The truth is, there can only be one "God," and in two months time, one man or woman will stand tall as that deity over the world of professional wrestling! Jake Starr: Question for you all... What does it truly mean to be a, quote, "God?" Hell, for that matter, what does it truly take to be even CONSIDERED a "God?" It's kind of an awkward question, isn't it? I mean it's such a question that would spur different responses from different people, wouldn't it? The answer is simple... Yes! Let's start off with the whole concept of the "deity," shall we? A deity is defined as "a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers." Basically a "God," right? Ok good, nomenclature can now be thrown out the window, and used interchangeably between one another! You have to be someone who, theoretically is divine, and ultimately has done something unexplained, and have others bask in the shear emotional response that said event had on them. Michael Travassser, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite, these are guys who used the power of psychological influence, to garner people into believing they were holy, and in fact, spoke for "God." It was their ability and understanding of the mind, that lead them to be able to manipulate MANY people to follow them, and believe in their divinity, yet, everyone knows better. In the case of the latter two, the belief in their righteousness was so devout, followers were more than willing to allow their own lives to be taken as a show of their loyalty. In the case of Michael Travasser, he's a known child molester, adulterer, and all around creepish, ghoul, who has a whole community believing that what he's doing, what he's done to children, and what he believes, is, in fact, right! It's one of those things where you wonder how they can believe in themselves enough, to proclaim their holiness, but at the same time convince others of the same thing. Then you have those who're even more over the top with their proclamations. You have the likes of Chad Evans and Ace Marshall, who love to walk around and do exactly what those other three do, yet have nobody around to worship their every move. They are like how cult leaders are assumed to begin. They seek out the weak minded to proclaim their specialness, get pouty when those with more than 12 brain cells laugh in their face, and then move onto the next person to spew their BS to. See, these men all have something in common... They have ZERO proof of who they claim to be. They can't prove that their speaking for a higher being, or a "God" in bed, because nobody else CREDIBLE has ever stepped forward. Everyone who may actually offer up ANY opinion on the matter is brainwashed already, and those who were smart enough to get away, are immediately attacked by all of those within the cult still... Or if none of them exist, Chad himself will do everything in his power to simply lambaste someone into submission, pout, or vanish into thin air. Jake begins his, almost required, set of pacing and talking.
But there's another way to view "Gods" or "deities." It's not like the literal way. It's not viewing someone as a deity, or believing their somehow akin to the higher being you might believe in, but instead viewing them in a more figurative sense. It's seeing someone as having that "Godlike" ability to emerge as the top dog in some form of event, game, or tournament... ... And that's what we have here! Welcome everyone to God of Wrestling 2012. It's an event I have participated in one time before, and I'll be honest, my experience with it wasn't as stellar as I would have hoped. To put it bluntly, it sucked! There was controversy, collusion, politics, and all-in-all shenanigans going on everywhere, so when I was eliminated, it was almost like a breath of fresh air. So it begs the question, why would I do this again? Why would I want to subject myself to something that, the first time around, was kind of a farce, a shitty experience, a turd in a punchbowl, if you will? Who, in their right mind, outside of a masochist, would torture themselves all over again? Well the answer is simple... Me! Yes... Me! Back then, when I first competed, things were a lot different. Hell, attitudes were a lot different. Things have changed, mentalities have changed, and overall, most people have grown up. Keyword, MOST! I am one of those people, or so I like to tell myself. I like to think that I am a better, and more mature, being than I was back in 2009, and I feel I've learned a lot about, both the business, and this tournament since then. So I figured, why the hell not? Why not give it another go? It's one of those things you only get an opportunity to pull off every so often, and I have to say, I feel I have a good shot to do it this time around. So when I got the call, I jumped at the chance. I figured it was worth that second effort, and I also wanted to get a chance to face some of those people who I may have never encountered otherwise, and test the limits my body and abilities can go. Seriously, it's nice to get a taste of beating some other new guys every once in a while. Beating up on the likes of Infamous kind of gets boring after a while. At least, that was my thought until I looked at the brackets, and all of the entrants that have signed up, and I wondered, "where are all the new people?" I looked at the tournament bracket, and first thought that it was constructed by officials in the Big 10, seeing as how each section is named, but then looked closer, and I saw names like... As Jake begins to rattle off the names he recognized, he freezes, and stands still as their picture shows up in a "news box" beside Jake's head.
Shaun "Who Am I" Cruze, Ace "I'm Liable to Not Show Up If I'm Not Guaranteed A Win" Marshall, Lucas "Tune In To Friday Knight InfAmmo in SCW" Knight, David "Hey It's My Budd-ay" Helms, Stacy "Y'all Come Back Now, Ya Here" Kissinger, Katie "MEE MEE MEE MEE MEE" Steward, Syren... Oh wait she doesn't have a last name, so we'll go with Sy-"Did You Hear About InfAmmo Yet, If Not, I'm Not Dignifying You With A Response"-ren... ... And it was at this point I began to wonder where I was going to be. I mean, I didn't see my name, and I figured I'd been duped. I thought, maybe they just wanted to tease me into thinking I was invited, then have me look like a tool when I showed up. Then, though, the "Legends Bracket" was thrown into the fray, and LOW AND BEHOLD, more familiar names! I also get to see Shilo "Look How Mysterious And Dark I Am When the Lights Are Off" Valiant, and Brittany "Doesn't Anybody Like Me" Lohan! I mean, the amount of SCW/former SCW/SCW decided to go with other talent therefore you opted to represent someone else, talent, is quite remarkable. Hell, I feel like it's an "old school" SCW tournament. Next thing I hear will be James Exeter's name, and be all kinds of confused. I'm not kidding you, I literally saw this lineup and went, "Do I know that many people, or are we really the cream of the crop?" Jake pauses with a quizzical look on his face, then shrugs
Oh well... After I finished all of this deep thought about who I knew, what I knew, and why the division wasn't called, Jake, Shilo, and the rest, I started to look at the rest of the competition. I looked and I saw names that made me go, "who?" I mean these weren't names I just had never crossed paths with, these were genuinely people who were complete mysteries to me. They were literally that wrestler that you had in your hometown that you knew as "Fred Jones," but in the ring he competes as "Milkman Dan." You don't know the name, and they wear a mask, so you don't know them then either. That's the boat I'm in for round one. Dead serious, I'm against a guy who I had to literally Google to figure out who he was, what he was, and how good he was. It was one of those times I praise Google, and their complete lack of ability to care about protecting your personal info... And get this, the info I found was a HOOT! So the guy's name is Nathan Buster... The camera man correct's Jake, calling him Blaster.
Blaster? Buster? Butt Blaster? What? You hear the camera man sigh, and then reiterate that his opponent's last night name is Nathan Blaster, not Nathan Buster.
Really? The camera nods, as if confirming Jake's inquiry.
Wow... I feel like Lloyd Christmas in "Dumb & Dumber," now. Oh well... So this guy prides himself, apparently, on being FAT. Now listen closely because I used a homophone... And before certain "Godly" wannabes start getting their panties in a wad, it doesn't mean what they think. Anyway, this cat calls himself a "Fat Ass Wrestler." It was a name that caught me quite off guard. I mean, when I first heard it and saw it, I swore there was a misspelling. I figured they meant PHAT, and he was kind of a ghetto, thug buy, from the hood. I figured they meant that he was that kind of phat... But no... Apparently, he's not. Apparently he's fat in the corpulent variety. Isn't it my job to insult my opponent, and make a mockery of something? Why is he doing it for me?! I mean, I'm supposed to be able to come out here, call him fat, and tell him to eat cake... Jake goes to continue, but cuts himself off immediately.
No Ace, I said CAKE... Not COCK... Don't get so excited! Jake regains his train of thought, and continues on again.
Ok... Now where was I? Oh yeah... Fat guy eating cake... So my opponent comes from the "New Era" of professional wrestling. New Era? SCW has fallen off of the map, and is still the premier establishment in this business, so how can he be a member of the "New Era?" That's right, he can't. See, the New Era is simply a catchphrase, something others can yuck it up about, trying to tell others how special they are. He's walking into the tournament representing an organization that can't even hold a candle to SCW. Sure, they have championship belts just like SCW, but the fact is, their best couldn't hang with ours. This tournament is simply to showcase that, in my opinion! Nathan is a guy, who to his credit, has been a "champion" before. But you know what, I know several others who have too! I know people who walked around with toys they made at home, or payed $1700 bucks to have made for them, JUST so they could call themselves a champion. The fact is, that is where he stands. He may have won a SINGLE championship in his world of the "New Era," but he won't even scratch the surface of making it past round one... ESPECIALLY against me! This tournament is one where I feel I have a lot to prove. It's not like the last tournament. I'm not green in SCW, trying to earn my credibility. I have that credibility. I've earned two World Championships, have the LONGEST reign as the Adrenaline Champion in SCW history, and dammit, I've proven time and time again that when the odds are against me, I shine bright. I'm out to rid the foul taste in my mouth from the first time I participated, and represent SCW with pride. It's something I've done in the past, in similar inter-organizational events, and I plan on doing it again. Jake steps forward toward the camera, then cracks his neck from side to side.
So make note tubby... You may come in thinking you're representing the "New Era" of professional wrestling, but the fact is, you haven't a CLUE what the level of the current era is right now. You're going to find out, and you're going to find out the hard way. You're in the bracket with, arguably, the two most favored guys to win this whole thing, and you're facing one of them in round one. It's shitty luck if I ever heard it. See, When you walk into that ring, you're going to hear an eruption like you've never heard. You're going to see a crowd bigger than you've ever seen. You're going to witness the biggest damn event of your mundane career. More importantly, you're going to walk in and witness greatness standing across from you. It's going to give you butterflies, and you're going to be nervous. I know, I've been there. But the fact of the matter is, it's inevitable that you're going to get your ass beat. This tournament isn't called "Next Era's God of Wrestling," because nobody gives a shit about what the "next era," the "next evolution," or the "next wave," of stars brings. They can't worry about it. They have to sit right here, right in the present time, and they have to enjoy what is there for them NOW! You're not "now," kid... You're still more on the side of "down the road, with potential." This tournament will be a solid learning experience for you. It'll show you how far behind the curve you still are. It'll give you a new perspective about how "new age" you may think you are. The fact is, you were given the short straw. You're going up against someone who is trying to rebound, and willing to go through ANY MEANS FUCKING NECESSARY to make sure it happens. The dust WILL NOT settle for you, until you're simply finished. You won't be emerging victorious... I'm moving on to round two... I'm steamrolling through ANYONE and EVERYONE in this tournament, and it begins with you. So eat a good meal before hand, rotund one. It'll be the last decent meal you get to eat for while, because I'm going to stomp your pearly whites down your ghoulish little throat. Too-da-loo! Fin |
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