Post by ned on Jul 21, 2020 19:01:42 GMT -5
:: AS SEEN ON METAL ::
St. Remi: THE RAGING DEAD! THE RAGING DEAD IS HERE!
Clearwater: The signs were there all along!
Raging Dead: You may know me from such things as being everywhere for the last thirty years. Now I’m here… as your APW Lucha Bowl Champion! What does this mean? Am I here to stay? Does this title even exist after today? Only time will tell!
He drops the mic and raises his arms as "Rage 25/8" by Z Mann Zilla plays in the Pechanga Arena right from the breakdown.
St. Remi: That was it?!
Clearwater: The entire tournament started with mystery… and ends with more mystery. I love it!
St. Remi: You would. Moving on…
He left the ring and enjoyed the walk up the ramp with the Lucha Bowl Championship comfortably around his waist. Once he makes it backstage, he falls to the ground, lying down on the cold concrete. Moments later, Eli Beazley walks through the curtain and almost trips over him.
Eli Beazley: Oh my God! Are you okay?
Dead sits up against the wall.
Raging Dead: I'm okay.
Eli Beazley: You don't look okay.
Raging Dead: Gee thanks.
Eli Beazley: That was one heck of a match out there. When the finals were set… I hate to admit… but I didn't know how you'd defeat William the Behemoth.
Raging Dead: That makes two of us.
Eli looks around and grabs a bottle of water for Dead.
Raging Dead: Thanks, kid.
Eli Beazley: I should be thanking you. When I pitched this tournament… I had no idea a bonafide main eventer would sign up!
Raging Dead: Been a long time since I was a big deal though.
Eli Beazley: Are you kidding me?! You're a top guy over in Action Wrestling! Have you seen your video game rating?!
Raging Dead: I don't put much stock into video games… but it's good to hear I'm important.
Eli Beazley: You are the perfect person to carry that championship. Once I heard the backstory about your birth father… I was amazed!
Raging Dead: He's not someone I bring up often… but I already had a mask based on his own… so it seemed fitting to dive into my roots.
Eli Beazley: Absolutely! Is there anything else I can get you? You seem banded up.
Raging Dead: Just help getting back up.
Dead extends his arm and Eli helps him up. The two shake hands.
Raging Dead: Thanks, Eli.
Eli Beazley: It's my pleasure. Hey, it's good to have you here. This is a pretty young roster. We could learn a lot from you.
Raging Dead: I'll hang around as long as they will let me.
Eli Beazley: Let me, let me, let me…
Raging Dead: Huh?
Eli Beazley: Nevermind. You good to make it back to the locker room? I want to catch this main event.
Raging Dead: Yeah, I'm good..
Eli Beazley: Cool. I'll probably catch you later. I'd love to pick your brain.
Raging Dead: Not much left to pick.
Eli looks uncomfortable but he laughs once Dead does. Eli goes to watch the main ecent while Dead walks down the hall, toward the locker room. Once he walks in, he is met with a round of applause from the roster. He graciously takes a bow and then plops down on a chair by his suitcase. While beginning to change, an unknown man rushes into the room with a clipboard. He hurries over to Raging Dead. His name badge says "Assistant" but doesn't say his name.
Assistant: I'm so glad I caught you before you left!
Raging Dead: Are you now? Okay…
Assistant: Jason Zurra sent me to get---
Raging Dead: Who?
Assistant: Jason Zurra, APW Commissioner.
Raging Dead: Thanks. I'm still learning names. What does he need?
Assistant: He sent me with a standard contract for you to---
Raging Dead: Do I look like a 'standard contract' kind of guy?
Assistant: Well, he intends on booking you next week on Metal against Spartan… but not without a contract.
Raging Dead: Spartan, huh? Gimmick that contract.
He takes the clipboard and looks over some of the contract, then drops it in his suitcase. Then he finishes unlacing his boots.
Raging Dead: You tell Mr. Zurra I will have my people look this over and we'll talk on Monday. Where is Metal next week?
Assistant: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Raging Dead: Cool. I'll be there.
Assistant: Okay… but I need---
Dead stands up and gets in the assistant's face, and then pulls his wrestling tights down. The assistant is visibly uncomfortable.
Raging Dead: Don't come in the locker room unless you're okay with dudes taking their pants off. Begone!
The assistant scurries out of the locker room as quickly as he arrived. A couple of the other wrestlers laugh along with him. Dead puts his jeans on and finishes packing up his suitcase.
Raging Dead: Okay, guys. I guess I'll see you next week. Thanks for having me.
He pulls the handle of his suitcase up and heads out of the locker room as the scene fades...
What a great month it's been! I snuck into Alpha Pro Wrestling with a mask based on my father's… calling myself Ultimo Extremo… and I actually won the Lucha Bowl Championship! Now… I don't know what my future holds as champion… but I am fully committed to signing this contract on Monday to make it official. The Raging Dead has come to APW!
History has a weird way of repeating itself. When I first arrived in Action Wrestling… I was not signed to any deal… and I won their Cruiserweight Championship in my debut match. Eight months later… I work three matches in APW without a deal… and again… I hold a championship. What are the rules of this championship? Will I be defending it? Only time will tell.
What I do know… is I'll be making my fifth appearance in APW on Monday. Yeah, the first was during the rumble in January. That was the night I became a fan of APW. All these months later… I'm officially here… and I'm booked for Monday Night Metal! They've got me up against one of the major players in APW… a man called Spartan. As a fan of APW… I'm familiar with his work. Former Hardcore and North American Champion. Been in the business a whole year. He's been a staple on Monday Night Metal since his debut.
You could call him the welcoming committee… as he is the first official opponent of The Raging Dead. So far, everyone has been cool with me being here… but I haven't heard from the top guys yet. They are my main concern, as I didn't come here to just hang out and roll with the punches. If you've followed my recent work… this is my last year in the business… so I'm here to dominate and leave a lasting impression.
To do that… I cannot accept defeat against Spartan. He's a big, strong, intense, meaty, handsome, fierce competitor. He's kept a low profile for a short while… but I have a feeling he's looking to make an impact against the hottest signing in possibly the history of Alpha Pro Wrestling. That's a bold statement… and I'm damn sure gonna back it up at Metal.
Fortunately for Spartan… there's no way I will be at one hundred percent on Monday. Sunday night… I'll be in Miami for a Buried Alive Match… and it's going to be a doozy. There I will be ending a violent feud with human garbage by the name of Frank Lowe. Spartan has Frank to thank for whatever damage I walk into Metal with. Rest assured… I will not prioritize one booking over the other… and I will put forth as much effort as I'm able to.
These bookings aren't as easy to make it through as they used to be. I'm forty-five years old… and I started training when I was fifteen. I have traveled the planet for the last three decades… and it doesn't get any easier these days. Ten to fifteen years ago… in my prime… I could wrestle five times a week. Now… I'll be lucky if two matches a week don't kill me. But hey… I'm going to find a way to push myself to work for both Action Wrestling AND Alpha Pro Wrestling.
These two great organizations have a lot in common… and I don't just mean with the roster. Both shows have a similar feel. The creative directions are both top notch. One has a much larger roster than the other… but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Alpha Pro is a damn good company… and I'm happy to finally be here. I've kept an eye on things all year… and I knew I'd work here eventually. Lucha Bowl was the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet.
I think the major obstacle for me joining Alpha Pro in the past was… well… myself. I've become complacent and just happy to be working. I didn't want to just show up in Alpha Pro just to show up. Over the last few months… I've stepped my game up to a new level. It was actually Spartan's workout videos on YouTube that inspired me to get in the best shape of my life for the final year of my career.
Spartan's advice fueled me to train harder than ever. It is prophetic that he is the one to greet me at the proverbial threshold next week. I've got a long way to go physically… but I'm pretty excited to meet him in person. Is that weird? I started training for this business before he was born… and I'm the one looking forward to meeting him. Strange situation indeed.
Maybe he's looking forward to meeting me, too. If he's truly a student of the game… I literally AM the game. Well then… class is definitely in session. Spartan, please take your seat. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raging Dead. You can call me Mr. Dead. Now, I know you're good… you're damn good. One day… you might even be great. Aside from looking like a million dollars… I wonder if you've got the rest of what makes someone a total package.
Ten percent luck. Twenty percent skill. Fifteen percent concentrated power of will. Five percent pleasure. Fifty percent pain. If you've got that composition… then I will remember your name. Sparky, was it? Spatoon? Nahhh. I'm just playing around, Spartan. Nobody will ever forget your name. They might forget the difference you've made in this business… but that's entirely up to you.
I've spent three decades building my brand. I've made a lot of money… a lot of friends… a lot of enemies. It's been a wild ride… and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share the ring with you in my final lap of this thirty year race. If you think for a second that you're going to slow me down… or take me out of the race early… think again, bub. You're bigger and stronger than I've ever been… but that's not all that's important.
Until you've devoted your mind… your heart… and your soul… then you're not the total package.
As much as I've got to learn from you… you've got even more to learn from me.
Get ready, Spartan.
All your base are belong to Raging Dead.
History has a weird way of repeating itself. When I first arrived in Action Wrestling… I was not signed to any deal… and I won their Cruiserweight Championship in my debut match. Eight months later… I work three matches in APW without a deal… and again… I hold a championship. What are the rules of this championship? Will I be defending it? Only time will tell.
What I do know… is I'll be making my fifth appearance in APW on Monday. Yeah, the first was during the rumble in January. That was the night I became a fan of APW. All these months later… I'm officially here… and I'm booked for Monday Night Metal! They've got me up against one of the major players in APW… a man called Spartan. As a fan of APW… I'm familiar with his work. Former Hardcore and North American Champion. Been in the business a whole year. He's been a staple on Monday Night Metal since his debut.
You could call him the welcoming committee… as he is the first official opponent of The Raging Dead. So far, everyone has been cool with me being here… but I haven't heard from the top guys yet. They are my main concern, as I didn't come here to just hang out and roll with the punches. If you've followed my recent work… this is my last year in the business… so I'm here to dominate and leave a lasting impression.
To do that… I cannot accept defeat against Spartan. He's a big, strong, intense, meaty, handsome, fierce competitor. He's kept a low profile for a short while… but I have a feeling he's looking to make an impact against the hottest signing in possibly the history of Alpha Pro Wrestling. That's a bold statement… and I'm damn sure gonna back it up at Metal.
Fortunately for Spartan… there's no way I will be at one hundred percent on Monday. Sunday night… I'll be in Miami for a Buried Alive Match… and it's going to be a doozy. There I will be ending a violent feud with human garbage by the name of Frank Lowe. Spartan has Frank to thank for whatever damage I walk into Metal with. Rest assured… I will not prioritize one booking over the other… and I will put forth as much effort as I'm able to.
These bookings aren't as easy to make it through as they used to be. I'm forty-five years old… and I started training when I was fifteen. I have traveled the planet for the last three decades… and it doesn't get any easier these days. Ten to fifteen years ago… in my prime… I could wrestle five times a week. Now… I'll be lucky if two matches a week don't kill me. But hey… I'm going to find a way to push myself to work for both Action Wrestling AND Alpha Pro Wrestling.
These two great organizations have a lot in common… and I don't just mean with the roster. Both shows have a similar feel. The creative directions are both top notch. One has a much larger roster than the other… but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Alpha Pro is a damn good company… and I'm happy to finally be here. I've kept an eye on things all year… and I knew I'd work here eventually. Lucha Bowl was the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet.
I think the major obstacle for me joining Alpha Pro in the past was… well… myself. I've become complacent and just happy to be working. I didn't want to just show up in Alpha Pro just to show up. Over the last few months… I've stepped my game up to a new level. It was actually Spartan's workout videos on YouTube that inspired me to get in the best shape of my life for the final year of my career.
Spartan's advice fueled me to train harder than ever. It is prophetic that he is the one to greet me at the proverbial threshold next week. I've got a long way to go physically… but I'm pretty excited to meet him in person. Is that weird? I started training for this business before he was born… and I'm the one looking forward to meeting him. Strange situation indeed.
Maybe he's looking forward to meeting me, too. If he's truly a student of the game… I literally AM the game. Well then… class is definitely in session. Spartan, please take your seat. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raging Dead. You can call me Mr. Dead. Now, I know you're good… you're damn good. One day… you might even be great. Aside from looking like a million dollars… I wonder if you've got the rest of what makes someone a total package.
Ten percent luck. Twenty percent skill. Fifteen percent concentrated power of will. Five percent pleasure. Fifty percent pain. If you've got that composition… then I will remember your name. Sparky, was it? Spatoon? Nahhh. I'm just playing around, Spartan. Nobody will ever forget your name. They might forget the difference you've made in this business… but that's entirely up to you.
I've spent three decades building my brand. I've made a lot of money… a lot of friends… a lot of enemies. It's been a wild ride… and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share the ring with you in my final lap of this thirty year race. If you think for a second that you're going to slow me down… or take me out of the race early… think again, bub. You're bigger and stronger than I've ever been… but that's not all that's important.
Until you've devoted your mind… your heart… and your soul… then you're not the total package.
As much as I've got to learn from you… you've got even more to learn from me.
Get ready, Spartan.
All your base are belong to Raging Dead.
(That's a thing I say. You'll get used to it, buddy.)
