Post by Lantlas on Nov 5, 2006 2:16:47 GMT -5
The scene was a pitch-black room, only to soon be illuminated by a single blue light. The silhouette of an Elven Warrior appeared in the darkness, his long blue hair draped over his face and his elbows rested on the inside of his knees. As the blue light grew, pictures of the past year of his wrestling career were seen surrounding him. A replica of the championship belt hung from the wall, near a promo poster from PCW’s Collision Course. Lantlas raised his head, and he spoke to the camera with such emotion, obviously from a buried nerve struck by the words of one Non Compos Mentis.
“Interesting words coming from the peanut gallery, aren’t there? So many words spewed out of the deluded mouth of Non Compos Mentis… It astounds me beyond all reasonable explanation that someone can compute the amount of semi-retarded thoughts that he does, and still manage to survive in this world. Natural selection has passed you by, NCM, but since you gave me the great pleasure of listening to you ramble incoherently about things you should check before you speak out on, I believe it’s time for a little trip to the classroom for you, NCM. Now I know it might be scary, considering Blade probably got further in school than you did, but relax… This time, I think you’re actually going to learn a thing or two.”
“You believe my success in PCW is only related to the fact that I’m apparently an “outsider”? Let’s get something straight here, you ignorant bastard… You can make fun of the hair color and the ears all you want. Has it gotten anyone in PCW anywhere? Has questioning whether or not I’m really an Elf done anything for a single career in Pure Class Wrestling the entire time I’ve been here? It’s old, it’s redundant, and it’s tiring. I really don’t care if you believe it or not. But you think I’ve been persecuted for this? NCM, unlike you, I don’t give a damn what other people think of me. It’s your insecurity that is constantly provoking you to go on these rants, criticizing everyone else’s lives and reaffirming your own success that you get into these messes. Maybe one of these days you’ll understand it… I don’t care. The only punishment for being who I am that I’ve ever taken is being forced to listen to you talk when I’m facing you.”
“But oh, I see… You’ve decided to compare your championship success to mine! What a foolish move on your part, man. Seriously, I knew you were dumb, but to this degree is just beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined. Congratulations, you’ve held the North American title longer than I held the world title. Now you’re going to sit there and tell me that holding a title that’s more important than maybe the tag titles for longer than I held the most coveted title in the business… The one everyone dreams of winning… The pinnacle of achievement in this entire industry… You’re telling me YOUR reign is more impressive than mine? I haven’t proven my skill as much as you have? Let’s examine this, shall we?”
“I have not beaten the most opponents, this may be true. But let’s take a look at those you’ve listed there… Seth Sinn, Dan Ellis, The Byrd, Anthony Douglas, James Keenan, and Kaden Keene. Do you know what you and all those people have in common, NCM? Yes, you are included in this grouping? First of all, the fact that you’re bragging about beating the Byrd is the funniest damn thing I’ve ever heard, considering that was whom I threw around here in my first couple weeks in PCW. Anthony Douglas, well… I only beat him all four of the times I was scheduled against him. I own a singles victory over James Keenan and Kaden Keene respectively. I own a tag victory over Seth Sinn. And, if you can revive this memory from your Pandora’s box, so to speak, I have a clean singles victory over you as well. And I haven’t proven my skill compared to you? What do you have on me? A count-out victory in a meaningless tag title match? A draw? Is that really worth bragging rights, NCM? I think not.”
“Now, let’s take a look at the people I’ve beaten, in comparison to your semi-impressive list. You know that guy you listed in the Hall of Fame, Ace Anderson? Interesting side note, aren’t you one of the people he beat to win that championship match? Just a thought, an accurate one at that… Although it begs the question, how many times did you beat Ace Anderson during your career, NCM? I mean, I only defeated the unbeatable champion at Collision Course, and then successfully defended my championship against him at Return to Glory… No big deal there. I took out Murdoc on more than one occasion, so that grants me a few more victories over your list of Hall of Famers. Slither… Oh yeah, I remember that guy. Beat him in a tag match in my second ever PCW appearance, and then a week later to win the tag gold. And the newest one I’m sure is Grimm… Ah yes, Grimm… The new PCW champion. It only took him five times against me to earn one victory. That’s right, NCM, the superstar held in highest regard currently has a 1-4 record against me, and in the two times he’s faced me alone, he’s been struck down like all the rest. I’ve been pinned legitimately one time, NCM, and that was against Ace Anderson. Also, I believe I own the International title as well, considering I defeated Mikey Wright in the title combination match.”
“So, in a recap, you’re bragging about successful title defenses against Seth Sinn, the Byrd, Douglas, Keenan, and Kaden; I’m posting multiple victories over Ace Anderson, Grimm, the Prophet, not to mention a clean singles victory over you. You done waving your little North American champion pecker around yet, dude? Seriously, length does not necessarily mean best when it comes to championship reigns, especially when you’re comparing the North American championship to the world title. Get over yourself.”
“The fans had nothing to do with me winning the world championship. How dare you say that? They hated me until I earned their respect by dethroning the then-hated champion, Ace Anderson. I worked my ass off and proved myself to be the absolute best in this federation for over half a year. Luck had nothing to do with it, and I was certainly no fucking pity trip, you self-righteous asshole. How can you say in one sentence that I’m an outsider pointy-eared freak, and then in the next say that I’m the one they wanted to see win the championship? And on top of that, how can you say everyone wanted me to win the championship when over eighty percent of the locker room and the fans bet against me in every single match I had up until I won the world championship, and in every single title defense I ever had? Do you listen to yourself talk?”
Lantlas glances towards a photograph of him raising the PCW championship in the air after defeating Ace Anderson at Collision Course.
“That belt… You really believe that was my most prized possession? You really think that’s what I lived for? Mentis, I really don’t know how to tell you this… That title doesn’t mean a damn thing to me anymore. At a time, I would’ve claimed it meant a lot to me, but I don’t base my life around my career’s success like you do. I really feel kind of sorry for you. You believe that piece of leather and gold is the most important thing in my life? NCM, I’m going to have a wife soon. Jade and I are going to get married after I leave this place. I’d give up my entire career before I’d ever trade what I feel for her for a leather belt. My little girl, my Emerald… She means more to me than any wrestling victory I’ve ever had combined. I have a life, I have a family, and most of all, I’m leaving this business not because I have to, but because I’ve realized that it’s not the sole purpose of my life. There is so much more to this world than a squared circle and debating with jerk-offs like you about who’s been more impressive in the last year. The truth is, nothing can break you out of your cloud of arrogance anyway, so what’s the point?”
“The last year has taught me a lot of things. When I came into PCW, my life was an absolute wreck. I was haunted by the bad memories of my ex-fiancée and the daughter I thought was dead. HHW, the place I’d known as home, had finally crumbled after seven long years, and I was in an unfamiliar place, not sure if the success I’d had there was a fluke. As prejudicial as you still are, all the people could see when I first arrived was blue hair, and all they could hear was ‘elf’. Night after night, match after match; I proved them wrong, being defeated legitimately only twice in forty matches by men far greater than you. Yet, at the end of all this… When I look back on it, what did it really mean? Would it really matter if you were right, if it were true that I’ll be forgotten after I leave this place? You know, the great thing about the answer to that question is that it doesn’t matter if you’re right.”
Lantlas rose to his feet and paced around the room. His head turned to the side and glared into the camera.
“I hope you go on to win that PCW championship one day. I hope you raise it in the air and truly believe that you’ve made the biggest accomplishment in your entire life. I want you to soak in that moment, and in the moment of your oblivion, believe you’re on top of the world. Let it be known that the championship is your prized possession. Then, once you lose it, and trust me, that title is a lot harder to keep than the North American title, I want you to watch as someone else walks around with the thing that meant the entire world to you. Maybe you’ll win it back, and spend the rest of your career fighting to keep it. You’ll get inducted into the Hall of Fame and be known as one of the greats; one of the best to ever compete in this business. In the back of your mind though, it will never be good enough. Because you’ll have to look back at the 66th edition of Trauma and realize that despite your best efforts and the odds on your side, there was one wrestler you could never overcome. One wrestler who destroyed you, despite his total apathy about the business, and proved once again that he was far better than you could ever hope to be. One wrestler out of four who will be on the winning end of the biggest match in PCW history, and his name is Lantlas Fucking Anduril. You do that, and while you’ve spent the last twenty years of your life believing that your championship reign was the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you, I’ll be watching my daughter grow up, blossom into a beautiful young woman, and eventually get married herself. I’ll likely have more children, ones who I will get to see from the very beginning of their lives, and I will love them just like I love my first. I’ll be looking into my wife’s eyes, even years from now, and I will truly know what happiness really is. Maybe one day you’ll learn that lesson too, but I won’t count on it.”
The blue light faded, and the scene became completely dark once more.
…
The last week had been a hectic one, and I was grateful to be getting out of this business. Everything that my career ever meant would be put into this final match, the War Games match, and then I would leave it all behind. A legacy, not tarnished by staying long after I should’ve retired, but one kept just long enough to preserve a legendary presence, and then fading into the distance like a comet that will likely never return in anyone’s lifetime. From there, I will probably never look back. My chances of returning to this life, to this business, and to everything that comes with it was extremely unlucky, and for that reason, I would leave everything in the ring at this Trauma. Regardless of what I’d done in PCW til that point, I knew I’d be remembered for my last match more than any other. Not only that, for all the talent that would be involved in this showdown, there was no doubt it’d be marked as the biggest match in the history of PCW. Six careers would be elevated as a result of what happened on that night, wins or losses excluded.
It had been a long hard road since Munich in 1994. I’d bled, I’d cried, and I’d seen my life take a roller-coaster repeatedly for the past twelve years, all the while trying to believe that I was the absolute best in the wrestling world. I watched my personal life collapse around me, and I saw how much it affected my career. I spent so much time believing that my career was everything that I almost lost out on the most precious of times with my Emerald.
NCM was right about one thing… An era was coming to an end. Not because a career was being laid to rest in some sort of metaphorical graveyard, but because I’d decided it was time to move on. So much had changed since the day I arrived in South Carolina for my first match in PCW, and had those things not occurred, I doubted my life would be in the same place that it has brought me. All those who made such a significant impact on my life, I’d never forget them, and I owed so much to them that I’d never be able to repay. Now, my life would move to a new place, a stable place, one filled with love, happiness, and all the sunset walks I could ever ask for. The laugh of my daughter, the hugs she’d give me, and the feeling of knowing that I have a family and that it could never be taken away from me.
Nobody could take that from me.
“Interesting words coming from the peanut gallery, aren’t there? So many words spewed out of the deluded mouth of Non Compos Mentis… It astounds me beyond all reasonable explanation that someone can compute the amount of semi-retarded thoughts that he does, and still manage to survive in this world. Natural selection has passed you by, NCM, but since you gave me the great pleasure of listening to you ramble incoherently about things you should check before you speak out on, I believe it’s time for a little trip to the classroom for you, NCM. Now I know it might be scary, considering Blade probably got further in school than you did, but relax… This time, I think you’re actually going to learn a thing or two.”
“You believe my success in PCW is only related to the fact that I’m apparently an “outsider”? Let’s get something straight here, you ignorant bastard… You can make fun of the hair color and the ears all you want. Has it gotten anyone in PCW anywhere? Has questioning whether or not I’m really an Elf done anything for a single career in Pure Class Wrestling the entire time I’ve been here? It’s old, it’s redundant, and it’s tiring. I really don’t care if you believe it or not. But you think I’ve been persecuted for this? NCM, unlike you, I don’t give a damn what other people think of me. It’s your insecurity that is constantly provoking you to go on these rants, criticizing everyone else’s lives and reaffirming your own success that you get into these messes. Maybe one of these days you’ll understand it… I don’t care. The only punishment for being who I am that I’ve ever taken is being forced to listen to you talk when I’m facing you.”
“But oh, I see… You’ve decided to compare your championship success to mine! What a foolish move on your part, man. Seriously, I knew you were dumb, but to this degree is just beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined. Congratulations, you’ve held the North American title longer than I held the world title. Now you’re going to sit there and tell me that holding a title that’s more important than maybe the tag titles for longer than I held the most coveted title in the business… The one everyone dreams of winning… The pinnacle of achievement in this entire industry… You’re telling me YOUR reign is more impressive than mine? I haven’t proven my skill as much as you have? Let’s examine this, shall we?”
“I have not beaten the most opponents, this may be true. But let’s take a look at those you’ve listed there… Seth Sinn, Dan Ellis, The Byrd, Anthony Douglas, James Keenan, and Kaden Keene. Do you know what you and all those people have in common, NCM? Yes, you are included in this grouping? First of all, the fact that you’re bragging about beating the Byrd is the funniest damn thing I’ve ever heard, considering that was whom I threw around here in my first couple weeks in PCW. Anthony Douglas, well… I only beat him all four of the times I was scheduled against him. I own a singles victory over James Keenan and Kaden Keene respectively. I own a tag victory over Seth Sinn. And, if you can revive this memory from your Pandora’s box, so to speak, I have a clean singles victory over you as well. And I haven’t proven my skill compared to you? What do you have on me? A count-out victory in a meaningless tag title match? A draw? Is that really worth bragging rights, NCM? I think not.”
“Now, let’s take a look at the people I’ve beaten, in comparison to your semi-impressive list. You know that guy you listed in the Hall of Fame, Ace Anderson? Interesting side note, aren’t you one of the people he beat to win that championship match? Just a thought, an accurate one at that… Although it begs the question, how many times did you beat Ace Anderson during your career, NCM? I mean, I only defeated the unbeatable champion at Collision Course, and then successfully defended my championship against him at Return to Glory… No big deal there. I took out Murdoc on more than one occasion, so that grants me a few more victories over your list of Hall of Famers. Slither… Oh yeah, I remember that guy. Beat him in a tag match in my second ever PCW appearance, and then a week later to win the tag gold. And the newest one I’m sure is Grimm… Ah yes, Grimm… The new PCW champion. It only took him five times against me to earn one victory. That’s right, NCM, the superstar held in highest regard currently has a 1-4 record against me, and in the two times he’s faced me alone, he’s been struck down like all the rest. I’ve been pinned legitimately one time, NCM, and that was against Ace Anderson. Also, I believe I own the International title as well, considering I defeated Mikey Wright in the title combination match.”
“So, in a recap, you’re bragging about successful title defenses against Seth Sinn, the Byrd, Douglas, Keenan, and Kaden; I’m posting multiple victories over Ace Anderson, Grimm, the Prophet, not to mention a clean singles victory over you. You done waving your little North American champion pecker around yet, dude? Seriously, length does not necessarily mean best when it comes to championship reigns, especially when you’re comparing the North American championship to the world title. Get over yourself.”
“The fans had nothing to do with me winning the world championship. How dare you say that? They hated me until I earned their respect by dethroning the then-hated champion, Ace Anderson. I worked my ass off and proved myself to be the absolute best in this federation for over half a year. Luck had nothing to do with it, and I was certainly no fucking pity trip, you self-righteous asshole. How can you say in one sentence that I’m an outsider pointy-eared freak, and then in the next say that I’m the one they wanted to see win the championship? And on top of that, how can you say everyone wanted me to win the championship when over eighty percent of the locker room and the fans bet against me in every single match I had up until I won the world championship, and in every single title defense I ever had? Do you listen to yourself talk?”
Lantlas glances towards a photograph of him raising the PCW championship in the air after defeating Ace Anderson at Collision Course.
“That belt… You really believe that was my most prized possession? You really think that’s what I lived for? Mentis, I really don’t know how to tell you this… That title doesn’t mean a damn thing to me anymore. At a time, I would’ve claimed it meant a lot to me, but I don’t base my life around my career’s success like you do. I really feel kind of sorry for you. You believe that piece of leather and gold is the most important thing in my life? NCM, I’m going to have a wife soon. Jade and I are going to get married after I leave this place. I’d give up my entire career before I’d ever trade what I feel for her for a leather belt. My little girl, my Emerald… She means more to me than any wrestling victory I’ve ever had combined. I have a life, I have a family, and most of all, I’m leaving this business not because I have to, but because I’ve realized that it’s not the sole purpose of my life. There is so much more to this world than a squared circle and debating with jerk-offs like you about who’s been more impressive in the last year. The truth is, nothing can break you out of your cloud of arrogance anyway, so what’s the point?”
“The last year has taught me a lot of things. When I came into PCW, my life was an absolute wreck. I was haunted by the bad memories of my ex-fiancée and the daughter I thought was dead. HHW, the place I’d known as home, had finally crumbled after seven long years, and I was in an unfamiliar place, not sure if the success I’d had there was a fluke. As prejudicial as you still are, all the people could see when I first arrived was blue hair, and all they could hear was ‘elf’. Night after night, match after match; I proved them wrong, being defeated legitimately only twice in forty matches by men far greater than you. Yet, at the end of all this… When I look back on it, what did it really mean? Would it really matter if you were right, if it were true that I’ll be forgotten after I leave this place? You know, the great thing about the answer to that question is that it doesn’t matter if you’re right.”
Lantlas rose to his feet and paced around the room. His head turned to the side and glared into the camera.
“I hope you go on to win that PCW championship one day. I hope you raise it in the air and truly believe that you’ve made the biggest accomplishment in your entire life. I want you to soak in that moment, and in the moment of your oblivion, believe you’re on top of the world. Let it be known that the championship is your prized possession. Then, once you lose it, and trust me, that title is a lot harder to keep than the North American title, I want you to watch as someone else walks around with the thing that meant the entire world to you. Maybe you’ll win it back, and spend the rest of your career fighting to keep it. You’ll get inducted into the Hall of Fame and be known as one of the greats; one of the best to ever compete in this business. In the back of your mind though, it will never be good enough. Because you’ll have to look back at the 66th edition of Trauma and realize that despite your best efforts and the odds on your side, there was one wrestler you could never overcome. One wrestler who destroyed you, despite his total apathy about the business, and proved once again that he was far better than you could ever hope to be. One wrestler out of four who will be on the winning end of the biggest match in PCW history, and his name is Lantlas Fucking Anduril. You do that, and while you’ve spent the last twenty years of your life believing that your championship reign was the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you, I’ll be watching my daughter grow up, blossom into a beautiful young woman, and eventually get married herself. I’ll likely have more children, ones who I will get to see from the very beginning of their lives, and I will love them just like I love my first. I’ll be looking into my wife’s eyes, even years from now, and I will truly know what happiness really is. Maybe one day you’ll learn that lesson too, but I won’t count on it.”
The blue light faded, and the scene became completely dark once more.
…
The last week had been a hectic one, and I was grateful to be getting out of this business. Everything that my career ever meant would be put into this final match, the War Games match, and then I would leave it all behind. A legacy, not tarnished by staying long after I should’ve retired, but one kept just long enough to preserve a legendary presence, and then fading into the distance like a comet that will likely never return in anyone’s lifetime. From there, I will probably never look back. My chances of returning to this life, to this business, and to everything that comes with it was extremely unlucky, and for that reason, I would leave everything in the ring at this Trauma. Regardless of what I’d done in PCW til that point, I knew I’d be remembered for my last match more than any other. Not only that, for all the talent that would be involved in this showdown, there was no doubt it’d be marked as the biggest match in the history of PCW. Six careers would be elevated as a result of what happened on that night, wins or losses excluded.
It had been a long hard road since Munich in 1994. I’d bled, I’d cried, and I’d seen my life take a roller-coaster repeatedly for the past twelve years, all the while trying to believe that I was the absolute best in the wrestling world. I watched my personal life collapse around me, and I saw how much it affected my career. I spent so much time believing that my career was everything that I almost lost out on the most precious of times with my Emerald.
NCM was right about one thing… An era was coming to an end. Not because a career was being laid to rest in some sort of metaphorical graveyard, but because I’d decided it was time to move on. So much had changed since the day I arrived in South Carolina for my first match in PCW, and had those things not occurred, I doubted my life would be in the same place that it has brought me. All those who made such a significant impact on my life, I’d never forget them, and I owed so much to them that I’d never be able to repay. Now, my life would move to a new place, a stable place, one filled with love, happiness, and all the sunset walks I could ever ask for. The laugh of my daughter, the hugs she’d give me, and the feeling of knowing that I have a family and that it could never be taken away from me.
Nobody could take that from me.