In the heart of the storied arena known as Lincoln Financial Field, we are about to witness a clash of four of the most powerful and revered warriors on Olympus and in OWA itself, a battle of wills determined to be tested in a brutal Falls Count Anywhere Match, and a convergence of paths that will shape the very future of professional wrestling. As I have listened and waited for the night to arise where we will do battle and I only have to wait one more week before I can get into this match. One more week for my opportunity of redemption and be one step closer to redeeming my sins by reclaiming the championship I lost as a tyrant of demonic nature. One more week… and I’ll reach the one word standing out as what we all will reach at Final Destination.

Crossroads – it's a word that carries immense weight, and it's the one central theme encapsulating the essence of our encounter at Final Destination 5. You see, in life, we all come to these pivotal moments, these intersections of fate where choices made and actions taken will chart the course of our existence. Our war is such a moment, my fellow gladiators, and the implications are staggering. In this match, there are four men, each with a different path to walk, and the outcome will dictate their destinies.

Elijah Hampton, a symbol of heroism and hope, stands at a precipice, torn between his innate goodness and the darkness threatening to consume him as the lust for the soulstone grows larger with every longing stare. Does he emerge as the beacon of light this world once again and doesn’t let his desire for vengeance eat him alive, or does he succumb to the shadows that lurk within?

Darkane, a man who embodied ruthless dominance during his reign as Omega Heavyweight Champion, now seeks a resurgence, a chance to rewrite his legacy with broken bodies and bloodied canvas. His path is one of rebirth, but can he truly atone for past sins, or will he be forever haunted by the ghosts of his own creation?

Finally Lazarus Arjen, a cunning strategist and master manipulator, envisions a world sculpted by his design of cataclysmic destruction to pale in comparison to the wishes he once had, should he claim the soulstone as his own. His path is one of ambition and power, but will his bid for supremacy lead to salvation or damnation, not just for himself, but for all who tread in his wake?

But it's not just our individual fates that hang in the balance; it's the fate of Olympus, and indeed, the entire wrestling world. The repercussions of this match will ripple through the annals of history. The Omega Wrestling Alliance, the very institution that has been a pillar of this industry, teeters on the edge. Will it emerge stronger, renewed by the lessons learned, or will it crumble under the weight of its own turmoil?

Our battle isn't just about personal vanity or championship glory; it's about the essence of competition, the soul of this sport. It's about proving in the face of darkness, in the midst of our deepest struggles, we can rise above, evolve, and find our way to a brighter future. It's about illustrating that redemption is not an abstract concept, but a tangible, achievable reality.

So, as we step into that ring, as we clash in a symphony of violence and determination, remember that this is more than a match; it's a defining moment. The choices we make will echo through time, shaping the destiny of not just the four of us but of every fan, every wrestler, every dreamer who believes in the power of professional wrestling.

Those dreams can certainly meet a dead end, a harmful fate, left in ruin as the ashes of hope and optimism lie around it. Darkane, do you truly believe my dream of redemption will be such a horrible demise? You have always had a way with words, you know? It's amusing, really, how you can stand there and accuse me of having hidden motives, of being a cagey fuck, and yet in the same breath, you question why I don't destroy the Soulstone. Irony seems to be lost on you, my former brother, while you stand in the middle of the crossroads. Let me make one thing abundantly clear to you and the rest of the world – I don't destroy the Soulstone because I understand its power, its significance, and the potential consequences of such an action more than any other person in this entire world because I was consumed by the force inside of the prison the soulstone serves as. You see, unlike you, Darkane, I don't rush into things blindly. I've learned the hard way that actions have consequences, and I won't repeat the mistakes of my past. I hold this artifact because I recognize the responsibility that comes with it, a responsibility I intend to bear with the utmost care, and a responsibility you wouldn’t know what to do with. You, just like Lazarus and Elijah, cannot seem to look past your nose when you continue to ask the question grating against my brain: why? Why keep the soulstone of Belial under lock and key instead of destroying the stone? None of you understand what you ask, do you? Telling me to destroy the soulstone is like telling me why not bulldoze a supermax prison with the prisoners inside with an opportunity of freedom for each and every one of them because of it? That’s what you ask when you claim to destroy the soulstone, but don’t worry as none of you will take the soulstone away from me.

You claim that I'm living in the past much like Elijah claims, that I'm regurgitating history like a tour guide on a pontoon boat telling you about the history of the land we travel on. Well, let me enlighten you. History is not something to be discarded or forgotten; it's a teacher, a harsh one at times, but a teacher nonetheless. I bring up The Dynasty not to relive its glory days, but to remind everyone of the lessons we should have learned. The Dynasty began as a joyous brotherhood, but it quickly turned into a dark chapter in which I accept my role in it. However, I refuse to let it define me forever. I bring it up because it serves as a cautionary tale, a reminder of what unchecked ambition and power can lead to, and what the road you seek to walk down upon will have for you in terms of consequences and tribute. You speak of my strap match with Elijah as if it were some meaningless encounter, but it was about revealing to the world the Jacob Senn they forgot about is alive and ready to reclaim his legacy. And as for your near victory, Darkane, let's not forget how that match ended – with you lying unconscious in the ring. Near doesn't count for much in this business as this isn’t horseshoes or hand grenades.

You call me a gutless coward, but I've faced my demons head-on. I've confronted my own darkness, and I've made amends where I could. Redemption is not about erasing the past; it's about acknowledging it, learning from it, and striving to be better. I won't pretend to be a saint, but I won't wallow in my mistakes either. Your pride in having me on your side, Darkane, I can assure you that the feeling is far from mutual now. You question my authenticity, my sincerity, but I stand here before the world, unapologetically owning my past and working tirelessly to ensure it doesn't define my future. Can you say the same? You claim to have never hidden behind anyone, but your actions speak otherwise. Lazarus Arjen is evidence enough of that.

So, Darkane, continue to see me as the embodiment of all your grievances. But remember this – I am a man who walks the path of redemption, not because it's easy, but because it's right. And at Final Destination, when the dust settles and the echoes of our clash fade, the world will see that this weathered husk has the strength to rise once more, not only as a Punisher, but as a man who seeks to make amends and forge a brighter future, even in the face of those who doubt him.

Lazarus Arjen, your words are as venomous as ever, and your perception of me remains as distorted as ever. You speak of disingenuity, of lies, and yet it's you who wears a mask of nihilism and destruction. You see, I've never claimed to be a saint, but I've recognized my past mistakes and sought to make amends. I’m not here to wipe the slate clean and allow the world to forget the sins I committed while under the influence of Belial. The redemption I seek is about carrying the weight of one's actions and striving to be better. Perhaps that's a concept you'll never understand. You question whether anyone believes in my path to redemption. Well, belief isn't something I seek from others. I'm on this journey for myself, to reconcile with the darkness I once embraced as the tyrant you once aligned with. Whether you see it or not is inconsequential. As for saving Olympus, it's not about playing the hero. It's about preventing the cataclysmic chaos you intend to unleash. I don't seek forgiveness; I seek to stop your madness.

You claim that I couldn't survive the true power of Belial, but you underestimate my resolve. I've faced Belial's influence, and I've emerged with my sanity intact. Your arrogance blinds you to the fact that your bigger picture is a path paved with chaos and destruction, one I won't allow to come to fruition. You speak of my past failures, of moments where I supposedly dropped the ball. Yes, I've made mistakes, and I've faced the consequences head-on. But unlike you, I don't flee and hide from my past. I confront it, I learn from it, and I grow. Your obsession with the future you believe you're destined to create blinds you to the present. You claim to serve a new purpose, but all I see is a man consumed by his own delusions of grandeur. Delusions of grandeur I was inflicted with and only grew stronger when Belial claimed its vessel, something I know you’re not prepared for based on the words I’ve listened to, but my intention is to ensure that you will never walk out with the soulstone to achieve it.

Lazarus, you may have a point about the desire for immortality.

It's a fundamental aspiration shared by many, not just in the wrestling world but in the hearts of people throughout history. We all yearn to be remembered, to leave a lasting legacy, to be immortalized in the annals of time. However, it's the way we pursue that immortality that defines who we are. For me, the desire for immortality isn't about wielding demonic power or leaving a trail of destruction. It's about being remembered as one of the greatest to ever set foot in that ring, as a legend who transcends eras and generations. I want my legacy to shine as a beacon of what can be achieved through dedication, hard work, and the ability to confront one's own demons. While you've chosen a path marred with violence and demonic influence, I've chosen a different one. I seek to be immortalized for my skill, my sportsmanship, and my ability to evolve as a person and a wrestler. That's the kind of immortality I strive for – one that doesn't come at the expense of others or the world around me.

You may have a distorted view of our shared history, but one thing remains clear – I brought you into OWA, and now I'll be the one to stand against you. I'm not the savior or hero you accuse me of pretending to be, but I'm a man who recognizes the gravity of the situation and is willing to confront it, even if it means facing a former ally turned foe. Your vision of the end of the world won't come to pass, Lazarus. I'll do whatever it takes to stop you, even if it means facing the darkness within myself. So, bring your chaos, your destruction, and your venom. I'll be here, standing in defiance, ready to protect Olympus from the catastrophe you intend to unleash.

Elijah, as much as you might have valid points on what you said about me, you still need to recognize the man staring at you in the mirror throughout all of this. You're right; we are on different pages, different books, and maybe even different series altogether. A profound chasm separates the both of us to the point where we are living completely separate narratives between each other. We've traveled vastly different paths in our careers and our lives, and that has inevitably shaped our perspectives. The fundamental outlooks on life we both hold into our hearts and our very motivations to why we stepped into the wrestling world are fundamentally incongruent. You see, I don't expect you to like me, and I don't particularly like you either. We've clashed more times than I can count since the moment I drove a knife right into your back with a smile on my face at the time, and there's a deep-seated animosity between us. Anyone that has watched OWA, Olympus, and seen us two at each other's throats since the dissolution of The Dynasty? It is no mystery to them of the hatred shared between the both of us and I don’t intend to sugarcoat that for a moment. But let's not pretend that our rivalry exists in isolation. We have been playing into a grand narrative here, even if our personal animosity is undeniable, and it plays an effect on the wrestling world as we know it today. The fate and future of this business depends on how we resolve this moment, this Falls Count Anywhere Match, and where this rivalry between the both of us ends. My belief? I’m leaving you lying where you’re forced to see the man that you once knew has died with the legend he was told around the world to be returned once more.

You brought up a pivotal moment – our clash for the Immortal Heavyweight Championship with that sword pressed against my neck. I remember it well. It was a defining moment in both our careers, a crossroads where decisions had to be made, and destiny hung in the balance.I remember the choice you made vividly and I must admit it left an indelible mark on me. You, with that sword inches away from sealing my fate, chose not to deliver the final blow. You showed mercy when you could have ended me. In the world we inhabit, where brutality often reigns supreme, your act of mercy stood out as a testament to your character. It was a stark reminder even in the heat of battle, there can be moments of humanity and compassion. It's not just about what you saw in me on that fateful night, but what I've seen in you throughout our careers.

Elijah, there's something crucial I want you to understand as we stand on this crossroads. I've been where you are, faced the allure of power and the seductive whispers of false promises. I know the temptation of letting darkness consume you, and I've seen firsthand how it can lead to a descent into chaos and despair. I don't want that for you. Belial is cunning and manipulative. He preys on the vulnerabilities and desires of those he touches. I've felt his influence, seen the destructive path it can lead down, and I don't want you to fall victim to the same allure. I pray for you to not be ensnared by the promises he offers. It's a treacherous road only leading to a place of darkness and isolation. I hope you can see that the vengeance you seek, the path you're on, it's not your own. It's Belial's plan to corrupt you. He thrives on chaos, on the suffering of others, and he's using your anger and desire for retribution as a means to his own ends.

You've shown resilience and strength throughout your career, Elijah, and I believe in your ability to resist this insidious influence. I hope you recognize the path of vengeance he leads you down is a trap. It's a web of lies and deceit, designed to keep you under his control. I hope you find clarity. I want you to see through the veil of darkness Belial has cast upon you. I want you to reclaim your purpose, be the force for good that Olympus needs, as the hero who vanquished me. Be a beacon of hope, not a pawn in Belial's game. Our history is complicated, filled with pain and conflict, but I still see the potential for greatness in you. I want you to break free from the chains that bind you to vengeance. I want you to be the hero this industry deserves, not the instrument of its downfall.

This is our crossroads, and the world watches with bated breath. When the dust settles and the final bell tolls, one truth will remain: the fate of Olympus, OWA, the wrestling world, and our own souls hinges on the outcome of this battle. So, let it be known that at this crossroads, we will not merely be participants in a contest, but architects of our destinies. And as we face our defining moment, we ask you, the faithful fans, to stand with us, to witness the birth of legends, and to be a part of the legacy that emerges from this unforgettable encounter.

 
 
(At his private home, outside on a spacious balcony, DT The Ruler was shown sitting in a chair, ending a business call, and turning the phone face-down on a table. Right next to where his phone was, the OWA World Championship shined in a display case. The camera focused on him from behind as he sat with his hands folded in front of him. In the background, Stevie Wonder’s “As” could be lightly heard in the background)

I want to continue speaking to everyone more candidly, less distractions and interruptions than usual... hopefully. But the match we’re all waiting for: we’re getting there. But we’re also getting to another place, and I don’t mean to Philadelphia with that one. I’m talking about my upcoming World Championship match with “The Authentic” Raivo. The Raivo that I NEED to face in the ring in order to further solidify my campaign as OWA World Champion, the Raivo that everyone has grown accustomed to throwing their hatred at: he’s starting to show, and I can tell because that air of confidence I recognize is rearing its head. As I continue through the Tale of the Tape for this coming contest, understand that despite us not wanting to outright murder each other, the stakes are still sky high.

(A maid walked out onto the balcony where DT The Ruler sat and brought out a tray with lemon water in a pitcher, pouring it into a glass and leaving it next to his phone. She then walked away and went back into the mansion)

You may see me here now, relaxing a bit, reclining in a chair, and admiring the sky transition to dusk, but best know that outside of this, I am preparing for Final Destination. After the season I’ve been through and the accolades I stacked, I earned the right to not strain myself to oblivion for once. Hell, even fictional workhorses like Goku know you have to give yourself adequate recovery time, though I will admit that ever since January, I’ve gone nonstop in ugly fights, constant battles, just for access to opportunities akin to what myself and Mr. Raivo have now. I deserve at least a massage, but Beach Chairing like Jay-Z planned to will suffice for the time being.  I will also admit: my current situation going into Final Destination V as World Champion feels... weird. Well, if there’s a better word I can attach to this feeling, “different” may sound better, though meaning the same thing in context. I’m reclining here right now, listening to Songs in the Key of Life, and this feeling isn’t normal for me going into any big match, making this match more of a mental challenge than others. I’m so used to fighting extreme antagonism that this is... odd. Hate is easy to motivate any man for combat, but despite my desire to win being the same, the determination isn’t stacked on top of rage like usual. It’s not to the point that it weakens me in any way; it's just different than any time previous.

If I can compare my feelings now to anything or anyone else, it may be to the feeling Thanos experienced after finger-snapping away half of existence. Though not accurate to his original character, in that Avengers: Infinity War film that recently came out, his main life mission was complete, and after such, he got to rest while all the roaches that interfered with his goal had to scurry and recover from the death and destruction somehow. He was the reigning champion of the Universe, holding the golden glove of near infinite power, and he was shown, basking at the peaceful setting away from the bloodshed and darkness he created. I’m sure if you were to ask Diantha, the aftermath of The Great War for our group is similar. Despite a truce being forced by her, many of our adversaries were left in shambles, either by death or by their own egos forcing themselves against each other in toxic fashion.

(DT The Ruler took a sip of his lemon water and took a deep breath. The maid inside the house walked to the sound system and changed the song playing to “Pastime Paradise”)

Still an odd feeling... However, unlike Thanos in that movie, I understand that any singular battle does not means the end of war. You may have to fight again and again and again and again, as that is part of the life both myself and the Mad Titan chose. Our individual stance will always be challenged by others who believe in the contrary, and I am preparing for this weird feeling to end.

That’s where experience kicks in; that’s where knowledge of how it is being a Champion comes back and reminds me that there are no safe or definite “calm periods” as Thanos learned, because of the adversaries he knew of, not only did his infamous Infinity Stone Special not completely eradicate them, but ones he never faced arose to challenge him. Every match as champion tests not just my abilities but the validity of the journey to this point, with each contest proving whether my preparations were good enough to further mold an elite competitor or are just a series of questionable circumstances. That continues into why this match is important. I’ve been part of the Omega Wrestling Alliance for the better part of a year and a half, and there are still many people I have not even faced on my own brand, and that includes a person I’m aligned with. And as World Champion, it’s important I face everyone at their strongest, at their best, at their most urgent and motivated.

Raivo is one of those competitors, a man taking steps to prove many wrong as well as prove them inferior, a man who wants to prove to himself that he is everything he believes he is, a man willing to take the risks in order to ensure he advances to where he should be. Our noted ancestors were no different. When it came to bringing themselves and their associates and loved ones towards any idea of a Promised Land, they made plans and took chances. When something did not work, big or small in scale, they would take the hit and adjust. It is very much like myself when I started in this business. I made many risky moves in order to be respected, including stepping to anyone who thought I didn’t deserve to be amongst the wrestlers considered the best in the industry. While none were to the extreme of spitting on a man’s dead body, I came close to spitting in the face of those who thought I either deserved nothing or to be left as the forgettable half of some makeshift team-up. Even in my non-Wrestling business affairs, I took life-endangering risks in order to be where I am. Playing safe gets you close to nothing. You must take those challenges as they are presented, you have to take the lead in forcing the issue, or else you’ll get behind in this fast-paced, Capitalistic environment.

But with everyone I face: I give no special treatment.

Does not matter whether they were friend or foe, humble or insolent, well-mannered or degenerate.

As Raivo is showing himself to be the Raivo I know, I must make sure to be The Ruler of Men that everyone should have a better understanding of now. Part of that understanding is that The Ruler they know is not just a suit and tie, nor is he too old and out of shape to contend with anyone in OWA after being away from the ring for a long time. When you look at any event and see my name, you best believe that the wrestler or wrestlers I’m facing are not going to be taken lightly, even if they don’t deserve much effort. They go against me in any form, I will make them feel like a mere one-on-one, with no titles on the line, is a fight for their life. They go against me, they’re not just going against some guy they’ll forget about after they leave the arena, whether it be by whatever is left of their own strength or with the assistance of a Medical Staff. Like when crossing the path of a Mad Titan, a battle against myself can leave you broken but stronger than ever before...or completely traumatized. And with Raivo, he understands that we are going to fight in that ring... respectfully. 
 
(DT The Ruler placed the glass back on the table)

I will address one thing specifically, though...


Hearing Raivo’s words about me being “relieved of my duties” as OWA World Champion gave me a good reminder of one of the best aspects of For The Minorities as a collective. Unlike a lot of the other Black-Centric groups people have heard of, whether it be the Foundational Black Americans on Social Media, the NAACP, the Nation of Islam, The Black Panther Party of old and new, The Bloods and the Crips... all of them have their designated leader, their Red Ranger, the person who gets the credit and takes on the biggest burdens and responsibilities by default. You see, for FTM to work at its best, none of that nonsense needs to be present. As you see with even sports teams like whatever one LeBron happens to be on, the efforts of everyone, especially if well done, point back to him. In my business affairs, the efforts of everyone in my company’s successes and failures start at the top where I am. Because we don’t move that way in For The Minorities: the members of For The Minorities can take actions based on Meritocracy. Meritocracy was one of the main things myself and Mr. Raivo fought for on Kingdom, and in this business: things are best that way. As good as it felt to win two major title defenses, fact of the matter is: my work is not done as a man restoring order and greatness to a championship that was starting to appear tarnished, not just because I stand contrary to Raivo’s thoughts, but also because I’ve been at the mountaintop before. I understand as a champion, the idea of being a good one must be better defined than just a few triumphs. I have less title defenses than fingers on my hand, and that tells me I need to do more. I need to win more. And I WANT TO WIN MORE. And as a man who fought hard to be here, for Mr. Raivo to invoke any form of honorable discharge, he’s going to have to earn it, and my grip on this championship is of an iron clamp. Raivo is going to have to bring an arsenal like the Jaws of Life to come close to a victory.

Yes, I said come close to, not win.


I may be a soldier on the front lines against similar enemies as Mr. Raivo, but I am nowhere near a blind one. I may be part of the FTM Coalition, but I am no red shirt, nor am I low level infantry. I am not brainwashed enough to believe our individual success is on a timer until we’re told to sit on the bench and let someone else get some burn. No. This Championship, like any other, is not going to be taken with ease because my opponent feels like it will. My Championship won’t leave my possession simply because someone said so. If I’m willing to bleed to near unconsciousness for the Tag Team Championships, a set of titles most of this roster loves to act like is scraping for crumbs in the Land of Milk and Honey, then for a title that continues to put definition to my career and can turn the tide for anyone else that obtains it: I will go to any necessary length to ensure I leave Final Destination V with it. And Raivo at this point understands that very clearly.

So I will continue with this...
The confidence, the swagger, the unapologetic arrogance is continuing to reveal itself from deep inside. The Raivo I know won’t remain buried for the sake of keeping our alliance, our business deal as brothers-in-arms, from falling apart. As we both assured that we aren’t going to be petty and break up over this Championship match, I will take you on your word as you will take me up on my own. As ever since we started working together as a team, all we had was our word. Our services weren’t bought and paid for; there is no blood contract, either. But we understood in order to get what we want from this business and be where we are, we had to work as if we made a pact like cultists say they do. We never did, but after what we’ve been through, some may believe it. And I will continue to emphasize this until we come face to face in that ring.

To continue this idea of “being relieved of my duty” ... understand Raivo, as a Champion: in order to make this title worth something again, in order to assure that people look at this championship as the highest one in the land, I can’t allow my vice grip on the belt to loosen; it drops the value on all fronts. Not because YOU would win it, Mr. Raivo, but because the reign overall was not long enough, was not detailed in enough successful defenses, and the belt was once again passed off like a hot potato. We don’t want that, nor do we need that. The OWA World Championship staying in my hands ensures my duties are being fulfilled, and that the champion is everything he says he is. I may have been World Champion before, but like the late great Kobe Bryant, my motivations to stand as my definition of successful have not changed. My motivation to be the best in this organization and to continue carving out my legacy amongst the other big names doesn’t stop here, and if I must be a roadblock for the time being, it is unfortunately what it is. And being that roadblock at this moment in time is not about disrespect or marginalization, Mr. Raivo, as your time will come eventually. But I will do all in my power to make sure that time is not at Final Destination V. As I told Mr. Sabertooth and Arata, my story with this championship is just in its infancy.  I am fortunate indeed to be given the capability to be a shining example of a comeback story others can look at as a rubric for success. I am also very fortunate that we are both able to go into the ring for the first time against each other as the biggest match at the biggest show of the year. But as you already know: nothing about our contest will be easy in Philly. I may be comfortable for a moment in time, but unlike Thanos, I understand that this comfort is temporary and will be non-existent when we stand across from each other in the ring. After that referee holds up the OWA World Championship and signals for the contest to begin, you already know about what to expect from me. And I know you. You can go many avenues; you have many bases covered with how you move and attack in the ring. Your abilities allow for a versatile and sometimes surprising offense many others have been caught off-guard with. You are indeed a Jack-of-all-Trades amongst a sea of very sad attempts at Lucha Libre and Strong Style I have crossed from many others.

But know that in this business: not much surprises me in the ring.


(DT The Ruler took another sip of his lemon water and continued)

And I appreciate you understanding that our match will be more of a fight that tests your will to continue vs. a test of how studious you were in Wrestling School. Despite being knowledgeable of many holds and approaches, I enter the ring and take up an approach that guarantees brutality. Every single impactful slam, every single submission I trap my opponents in: I make sure nothing is wasteful or for the sake of cheap entertainment. I’m not complicated in how I approach wrestling matches, but I can leave my opposition helpless and stupefied by my abilities. And against me, you must make every single maneuver count, because you know better than most that one mistake will guarantee I continue my duties as the best Wrestler on Kingdom.
 
And I know you, Raivo. You wouldn’t accept OWA’s Master and Ruler any other way. But if I have to go to that ring and beat you to the point that you respectfully accept that my time is now, a man has to do what a man has to do.

 
 

The local cemetery was well maintained.  Around the many tombstones were lovely stone benches, with some large maple trees lining many of the walkways.  The sun was out, the sky was blue, and there was not a cloud to spoil the view.  It was simply a perfect afternoon in Denver, Colorado.

As the camera comes into focus, we see Poet standing behind what looks to be a small pulpit.  Next to him is a fresh tombstone and a wooden coffin.  Standing around him are a variety of different people, many dressed in black, dabbing at and wiping away as many fake tears as their handkerchiefs can get their silk on.

Poet, today, has his hair out and is dressed in a dark suit with a red tie.  He is making an effort to put on a face that reflects grief but has instead ended up doing nothing but slightly smirking down the camera lens.  He shuffles the papers in front of him and begins to address the people around him.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of not just an average human being, but an average wrestling career.  While it may bring us to tears and we may wonder ‘what if’, what is not up for debate is the fact that when it came to wrestling, Brody was simply not up to it.  He was just a sheep in a land of wolves.  The crab amongst the sharks.  The boy amongst men.  And because of this, at Final Destination, we will see the end of a meaningful wrestling career for Brody.”

“Will that career come to an end?  Of course not.  But what we have all struggled with here today is why the man is rated backstage.  There are some who believe he may actually beat me at Final Destination, thus getting his hands on the Prestige Championship.  Have they been watching the last few months?  The last time I checked, I won my title match, while Brody once again came up short.  He was huffing and puffing after just 10 minutes in the ring with his opponent, so how is he going to last a 30-minute iron man match?  The simple reality is that he won’t.  He will fall short once again and, for the second time in his short OWA career, he will fail in his quest to put some gold around his waist.”

“So today, we are here to lay his relevance in OWA to rest.  He might have won a few matches, patted a few backs and conned a few into hitching their wagon to his star, but the wheels of the wagon are about to fall off in dramatic style, and I’ll be there to watch it all unfold.  With that in mind, I’ve prepared a rather lengthy elegy for Brody, which reminisces about his entire life up to this point.  It’s shocking, it’s unbelievable and, most of all, it’s the elegy of a man who burnt his wings flying a little too close to the sun.”

“Let us not delay any further.  My friends, let us reflect on the journey Brody has taken to get here today….”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poet then begins to wipe away a few mock tears as he folds the papers up and places them inside his jacket pocket.  He then motions to some mourners on the side, who begin to lower the coffin down into the grave.  As this is done to the camera then zooms in on the tombstone that stands above the grave, the inscription saying:


Once the coffin is lowered into the ground, other ‘mourners’ come forward and begin to pile the dirt on top.  As this is done, Poet reaches into the pulpit and pulls out the Prestige Championship, which he sits neatly over his left shoulder.

“Well Brody, at Final Destination, the outcome is really very simple.  The deck has generally been stacked against me – the fans are behind you, some of the wrestlers are behind you, and even the powers that be have seen fit to give you another shot at some gold even though you’ve already had a crack and failed – but say one thing for Poet, say that he likes a challenge.  I’m quite happy being the underdog, and I’ll take great joy in sending you back to the lower mid card where you and your father belong.”

“Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I need to go and check in on my brother to see if he has actually bought that truck, or if he has spent the money on yet another case of beer.  Brody – I’ll see you soon.  I can’t fucking wait.”

With a smile, Brody then steps out from behind the pulpit and walks off camera while the mourners continue to ‘cry’ and fill in the grave that houses the remains of Brody’s relevance in OWA…

Oh man I’ve got goosebumps. Nostalgia is a hell of a feeling now isn’t it folks? Another year. Another Final Destination. It’s a bit delayed compared to previous ones. But you know what they say. That age old saying about how you can’t rush perfection? And I must say, It really takes me back. I have fond memories heading into this event…and some bitter ones too. When you’ve experienced the wide array of things in this industry as I have, that’s just bound to be the case. I remember the early days when we were all tossing around ideas for what our big season ending show should be. The one night…or well multiple nights I suppose…to put the perfect exclamation point on our promotion every year. I remember giving Scott Oasis the idea for the name being Final Destination and how he enjoyed the name. And it’s stuck ever since. As a matter of fact the hard work dozens and dozens of men and women both in and out of the ring have put into this particular event over the last going on half a decade now have made it into THE greatest show in Professional Wrestling HISTORY! I’ve waged some epic wars at this event myself. But NOTHING compared to the challenge that stands before me this time. In some ways it’s a miracle I’m even standing here right now. Truth be told I should probably not be here at all. And no, I’m not even referring to just being booked for FD 5. Or even signed to the Omega Wrestling Alliance once more. No what I’m saying is after all the damage I’ve done to myself over the course of my career…I should probably be dead. But my heart keeps on beating, which means I must keep on fighting for what I believe in. You see my heart went wayward along the way. I was always an idealistic person. Even as a young child who was inspired to enter this business the first opportunity I got. As a young wrestler journeying through the industry hoping to get noticed. Being signed to major promotions, but being utilized as an extra talent. Finally breaking through glass ceiling after glass ceiling. Finally reaching the pinnacle of this profession. Gaining more power and influence, but then my soul becoming corrupted by all that power that came with the positions I moved into. It’s one hell of an adventure from start to finish…except it’s not finished yet! I’ve made a living and etched out my legacy out of proving the doubters wrong time and time again! And this will just be the latest chapter in the story of Nasir Moore! Whether people really want to question my convictions at this point or not, if I really wanted to still rule over all and make the Omega Wrestling Alliance a living hell for all of those who occupy it and don’t agree with my rule…why would I not have sided with Tribunal instead of desiring to defend the promotion as it is now? Really consider that. Given my mostly positive history with most of the members and our shared experiences over the years. And their sentiments now sound scarily similar to what my corrupted self declared in years past. I mean rationally think about it. Objectively speaking it only makes sense that I would have to seriously mean what I say now to be doing what I’m doing. 

Now is our team a unified front of completely like minded members trying to achieve the exact same thing for our mutual benefit at the end of the day. Well not exactly. We’re not the Justice League. Lord knows I’m far from being Superman or Batman or even Green Lantern. Maybe Flash? He was always my favorite. Superheroes aside, I’m simply fighting to defend what I wholeheartedly believe to be right! As I’ve said before, isolation is a hell of a thing. It’ll make you reflect on every life decision you’ve ever made. Being ostracized by the entire rest of society is a truly humbling experience. All I want to do is be the Nas that my younger self desired to be. That child who watched the titans of yesteryear inspire the hearts of thousands if not millions to chase after their greatest dreams! And the Tribunal stands in the way of that. They will sow the seeds of chaos throughout this entire industry and corrupt all those who come into contact with them. I mean just look at young Tyler Kulina! This young kid has ALL the potential to be everything I wanted to be before the evils of this world corrupted my brain and my actions. He has a chance to set things right. He has the opportunity to be the hero of the next generation! But now he’s fallen for this mental trap constructed by you all. I honestly don’t even know which one of you to blame for this! In my mind I’d like to think Kenny Drake, Nate Cage, and JD Damon are at the eye of this storm given their history with cult factions like this. But if I’m being honest…I think the one calling the shorts here is Jason Long. Which is even more unfortunate to me because that kid has been someone I’ve wanted to share the ring with for an extremely long time. Someone who I saw in his formative years and thought he’d share a similar outlook to the business as the younger version of Nasir Moore too. And I knew Havoc and Abholos got their dark clutches upon him at one point. But I figured working with men like Jeff X and Michael Bishop would break him free from that curse. That he’d be able to be the hero I envisioned him having the potential to be. Maybe I’m still just a stupid kid at heart with all this talk about heroes and inspiring others and such. But I can’t help it. Like it or not this is who I am. And I can promise you someone who has liked it before…the Professional Wrestling FANS! They believed in those words. Even when I didn't…even when I lost my way and was consumed by greed and sin…THEY found others who represented the values I formerly did. Even if they were different personalities to me and not so um…morally righteous. That was the Frontline. I never interacted with them, but I look back and can’t help but immensely admire the hard work they tirelessly dedicated themselves to keeping the peace here in the Omega Wrestling Alliance. They put their own bodies and their own livelihoods on the line for the betterment of this entire industry! THAT is what it truly means to be a hero and fight for what is right. And now I’m looking to make them proud by replicating their efforts. Just as I’m looking to make younger Nas proud too. Because once again…and quite possibly for the final time ever…Nasir Moore ASPIRES TO INSPIRE!

As I said in my fight with Moongoose McQueen. I don’t care about actually proving I’m the literal Best Wrestler Alive anymore. There are FAR more important things to me now. Things I hope to protect. Values I hope to uplift. A Company I hope to protect with my very being! And I’ll go down fighting for what I believe in. That’s not just an empty threat either! THAT’S A MUTHAFUCKING PROMISE! But best believe if I have to go, I’m not going alone. I will take each and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WITH ME ON MY WAY TO THE AFTERLIFE! I truly hope that all of this was worth it for you all. Tyler. I hope this latest turn in your psyche was worth it. I don’t want to do this to you. Truth be told I don’t WANT to do this to any of you. Because I know all of you have some semblance of good in you deep down. In particular you Ty. I mean you’re the son of Jeff X! The single greatest hero in the history of the Omega Wrestling Alliance! That’s a guy that Inspires hope everywhere he goes! And is he a perfect human being? No. Absolutely not. And I’m not even saying that as an insult or indictment upon the man. He’d probably tell you far faster than I just did. We’ve all made our fair share of mistakes in life. Being a good person has literally nothing to do with being a perfect person in life and never making any mistakes with this existence we have. Being a good person means being able to open up and accept the mistakes you have made, and making up for them. And I bet everything I have that Jeff X would love the opportunity to make up for lost time with you Tyler. So why go down this road where now YOU are the one denying yourself the one thing you wanted more than anything else in your life. I for one was also an orphaned child. That’s why I had to look towards television and Pro Wrestling for my heroes. For the men who’d inspire me to achieve my dreams. Because I didn’t have a father. So I for one will tell you. You’ve got the chance to build that bridge with the man. And I know he won’t turn you away. So why do this? Why link up with the Tribunal? Why not finally get what you wanted? I promise you whatever empty promises Jason Long has spewed to you about how he can do better for you are absolute BULLSHIT! But I guess it’s too late to convince you before the match huh? Well then I’ll just ask you this. Fight me with all your heart and spirit! Prove your convictions to me! Show me the absolute best that this new Tyler Kulina can deliver! But I want you to reflect upon my words as well as whatever words Jason Long has given to you Ty. I want you to weigh out both sides against one another. And I want you to truly decide within your heart of hearts what the best option for you is. But you’re far from the only wayward spirit I wish to try and reach out to.

Aria Jaxon. This one truly hurts deep down. We’ve got so much history with one another. Your husband and the father of your child is my best friend and brother in this business. I inducted him into the Hall of Fame. I actually remember the day I informed you that YOU’D be entering the Hall of Fame. I remember how grateful you were. I remember how emotional you were about it. I remember how we shared so many great laughs and memories over the years. I don’t want to fight you. Part of me actually wishes to refuse to fight you. But…I know I can’t do that. And it’s not because I know you won’t refuse to fight me unfortunately. It’s that…if the roles were reversed…if I was a part of the Tribunal. And if you were defending the Omega Wrestling Alliance like you have in the past against similar threats…then I know you’d do what was most right for the world of Wrestling. Which would be to fight me with all you’ve got regardless of your personal relationship to me. So I must be strong. I must be unwavering. I must do the exact same thing. I HAVE TO DEFEND THE COMPANY YOU HELPED BUILD INTO THE UTOPIA OF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING IT NOW IS! I cannot allow you to tear down what YOU’VE put in tireless and thankless hours into making the greatest company to ever exist. I absolutely refuse to allow you to damn yourself like this just because you’re blinded by whatever visions Jason has you seeing. Because I know if you were in position to do the same to me years back when I was like this…you would have without a doubt! It makes me sad…to the brink of tears as a matter of fact. I remember first meeting you. Aren Mstislav and I were training. And our mutual mentor at the time had introduced you to us as his newest pupil. The three of us hit it off immediately. It was undeniable we all had a strong connection to one another. Aria you believed in my words Aspire to Inspire more than anyone else. So why are you doing this?! WHY ARE YOU MAKING THE EXACT SAME FUCKING MISTAKES I ALREADY HAVE?! WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS?! WHY DO THINGS HAVE TO BE THIS WAY?! I want that Aria Jaxon from before back. I want to fight alongside you! Not against you! I want you to be the inspiration for that little girl of yours. And if I gotta knock some sense back into you to make you that Icon for everyone once more…then that’s exactly what I’ll do!

And speaking of those I’ve spent many years with and forged brotherhoods with. Kenny Drake. You were right there with Aria, Aren, Fiora, Myself, and a few others. We were like family! Not on television. But behind the scenes. Up and Down the roads. The days, weeks, months, years! We spent on the fuckin grind! Whether Ideologically I agreed with you throughout your career or not, or vice versa for you. We always had a mutual respect for one another. And I still do for you…but now I fear you don’t for me any longer. I know exactly why Jason Long picked you Kenny. I believe your ability to talk others into following you based on your words is being taken advantage of by him for his own pursuits. I’ve been down this exact road before. Not just from personal experiences but also witnessing it for years from others. You don’t think groups like Phantom Troupe weren’t based on a selfish leader promising influential performers success they wouldn’t receive so the leader can benefit from their cooperation? Kenny much like Aria, I don’t want to fight you. But as I said before I will die for the Omega Wrestling Alliance at this point…just as you did against Abholos. You of all people should know I’m being dead serious. My convictions are unwavering, I promise you. But I see your old friends have tagged along with you. And this is exactly what I mean when I’m saying your skill set is being taken advantage of by Jason Long. Nate Cage and JD Damon stand right alongside you in Jason Long’s Tribunal. Cage, it doesn’t surprise me that you of all people are one of the few unwilling to give me a chance. But I bet you if I was in support of the Tribunal and fought on your side you’d be talking about how my return to this company was long awaited and how much you’ve always appreciated me. Just say and do whatever you believe toa advance yourself forward. But unlike me who was being manipulated by evil, you have embraced it. Whereas I broke free from the shackles of corruption and have come out the other side as a greater man for it. If you, Moongoose, or whoever else still doubt it and don’t want to listen to me…at this point I can’t be bothered to bicker back and forth with you lot over it. I know what is to be true about myself. And the ones who truly are willing to hear me out either have realized that or are at least willing to give me that chance to prove myself! Stadium Stampede is the golden opportunity!

And as for my allies. I’ve waged wars with several of them as well. And I know just my sheer history makes many weary of me. I’m not fucking stupid. I’m not blind to my own immensely complicated history within OWA. What I am, however, is open and willing to explain my current outlook and situation to anyone with an open ear. As I just said a few moments ago, trying to explain myself to you Moongoose is obviously an exercise in futility. So if my actions alongside you in Stadium Stampede against the Tribunal aren’t even enough, then we can finish what we started before. Nathan Fiora and I have battled it out and have been diametrically opposed more times than just about anyone else that’s ever stepped foot in the Omega Wrestling Alliance. Yet now the two of us are both older and wiser. We both have experienced a lot of life in this business and our priorities have shifted. We’ve been openly admitted to our mistakes and wrong doings and are looking to make up for them. I’ve got a lot of love for Nathan Fiora. If this is my final war, then I’m glad I get to fight it alongside you. And as for Taniguchi Sena and Arata Asakura, it is an honor and a privilege to defend both the brand of Kingdom and the entirety of OWA alongside you two. And last but certainly not least that brings me to Stark. I know exactly what you're capable of in an all out war too. I’m hoping you can bring the fight to the Tribunal the exact same way you brought it to me in the Battle of the Gods from Final Destination Three. I’m here to make up for my wrongdoings with my life. And you should know how precious life is. We literally killed each other multiple times back in that war. And I know you’re about that action. So I expect to see nothing less. Let’s give them hell together brother. The Tribunal’s sick and twisted influence over OWA will be short lived! I’ll personally ensure that is the case. My very existence is tied to the Omega Wrestling Alliance at this point…So as far as I’m concerned Team Kingdom MUST WIN! AND WE FUCKING WILL!

Off Camera:

(A day that Hendrix never thought of has arrived- his little girl starting her first day of school. Something a parent fears at first for their children, now Brandon got to go through it as well. Pulling up to the Howard Early Childhood Center is the Hendrix's family in a 2023 Ford Bronco, parking at the entrance of the school with the rest parents that are dropping off their children as well. Brandon exits out of the driver seat and walks to the back of the car, opening the door which allows his daughter to jump down out of the car with her Barbie backpack. She takes her father's hand and they walk into the school. Hendrix squats down towards his daughter to speak to her.

"Alright sweetheart. I'll be back here when school ends to pick you up. Remember, listen to your teachers, make some friends, and have fun. Bye sweetheart."

"Bye daddy."

Hendrix gives her a kiss on the forehead and watches as his little girl runs off to join the rest of the students. Brandon stands to his feet before leaving the school. Brandon enters the car and drives off with the rest of the parents. After a thirty minute drive back to the house, Brandon leaves the car running so the AC is on blast, and closes his eyes for a "moment".

Continued:

Anthony last spoke to her the day before she left Raelynn asking him to meet up at a coffee shop to discuss something, and when he arrived, a little girl that turned out to be his daughter walked in with a note from Hope telling him that she is his daughter and she cannot take care of her anymore and that was it. It's been almost a year since that happened, and to see her now…. He doesn't even know what to feel. When she heard her name from the man, she knew the tone… and recognized the voice.

"....Anthony? Wh…what are you doing here? I thought you sobered up?"

Anthony sighs as he takes off his sunglasses, setting them on the counter.

"You of all people wouldn't understand. No actually, let me ask you something. What the fuck is wrong with you?! You left my daughter to walk into that coffee shop alone? What happens if I didn't show up? Are you that far gone to think about that?"

"Far gone? Don't you remember, Anthony? Don't you remember how we met? Doing a line at junior prom in the bathroom of the school? Do you remember sneaking off from class senior year to go to the woods to fu-"

Anthony stops her from continuing on that statement as he downs his next shot.

"That's not me anymore Hope. I am a businessman now, I have a responsibility to my daughter-"

"OUR DAUGHTER! Jesus Christ Anthony you haven't changed a bit. You truly sit here, and think you're better than everyone here because you got money, but you're not. You're just a self-centered asshole like you always been. It's why I cheated on your pathetic ass."

Anthony stands up from the bar and tosses a hundred down for the bartender. He stares at Hope before shaking his head and leaves the bar, his emotions getting the best of him as he walks into an alleyway and kicks the bar's big metal dumpster.

"AH FUCK!"

Anthony grabs his foot as he limps his way over to a brick wall of an apartment building. He holds his leg, until hears a voice from the entrance of the alley.

"Hey Doll, everything okay over there?"

Anthony looked up to see the bar waitress, with a needle in her hand…..

Brandon suddenly jolts up when he feels his body shaken from the real world. He comes to and sees Angelo standing at his side with the driver door opened.

"Angelo? How long was I out?"

"Too long Brandon, you got fifteen minutes before Raelynn gets out of school!"

Brandon's eyes goes wide and he quickly puts his seat belt on. Angelo closes the door and Brandon speeds out of the driveway and speeds down the road. By the time he gets to the school, the school ended almost ten minutes before his arrival. Outside stands a teacher with his daughter, Raelynn. Hendrix parks in the entrance of the school and runs over to Raelynn.

"Raelynn sweetheart I am so sorry. Thank you for watching her Miss…"

"Kara. And thankfully I was still here. I found her in the hallways. She was in a real panic, calling out for her father."

Brandon looks down to seeing Raelynn holding onto his leg, almost crying.

"Please don't leave me again daddy. Please don't leave me again."

"It's going to be okay sweetheart. I promise you."

Brandon picks Raelynn up, thanking the teacher again and brings her to the car. Brandon can't speak at all. He wasted an opportunity to be there his daughter…. For a nightmare at the past.

To Be Continued!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

On Camera:

"I have an opportunity of a lifetime here with this match at Final Destination Five. And I've been in almost every match imaginable: cages, ladder, Ultimate X, Death Matches, Iron man matches. But I never been in a match…. Like Wrath Of The God's Thunderdome. Four people stuck in pods, and surrounding the outside is explosives, fire, barbed and razor wire, glass, nails, and guaranteed nobody will leave that ring more than fifty percent at best. Thing is, I've gone my whole career fighting at fifty percent or less. And knowing that this match… could very well be the last thing I do on this earth…. I will do whatever in my power it takes to make it my greatest performance and my greatest win in my entire career. Thank you OWA for the…..

OPPORTUNITY.

Reginald, you and I share a little bit in common. In every promotion we've stepped in, we would get all the praise in the world from everyone for how we can manipulate this microphone and create scenarios that we can make everyone believe- no matter if they liked it or not. But the situation is different. I've become a master at the craft of using a microphone to make not only myself, my match, my opponent look good… but I could make people believe that a match like me versus El Landerson of all people could be main event worthy. You speak to be heard. You try your absolute best, but let's face facts homie- in ten years people say when I say I'd become World Champion, they'd say I sound nuts. So you who's been here longer than me, what does that say about you? And I saw your vignette about how badly I'm so worthless, how you can't wait to get your hands on me, and my response? This Reginald Dampshaw ain't gonna do shit. Where was that badass Reginald that was tearing through Kingdom's mid card? Someone that was tearing it up in VictoryPro as a dominant force? You see the difference between you and me is you make it anywhere near the top, you stop. When I made it to the top, I fought day and night to stay there. This Reginald Dampshaw III ain't going to gut me like a fish, ain't going to set me on fire, ain't going to send me over to the explosion side, ain't going to do anything but get ripped right through with the deadliest spear in the game and get eliminated. Also, turned my back on family? Family doesn't hold trials and find someone guilty, holding their place in said family over their head for a mistake. Fuck you and your family, because I got mine, and trust me when I say this- my shooters are better than yours, and my family's blood will never stain the streets while yours will be splattered on walls.

Mark, I never blamed you for being in Tres Comas Club. My decision was mine entirely for the reason of my daughter. You were unfortunately forced into the group and you managed to get free. But do not sit there and say "I'm getting pissed off about getting blamed". I was the reason you got your job back, if we're being honest now. If I decided to stay in Tres Comas Club after how I was treated, I would of climbed that ladder and took your contract away. But yet, I'm still to blame for everything they did. I'm still to blame by the locker for people getting screwed out of title matches, titles themselves, main events, and so on. I still get blamed for something I had no control of. You're getting pissed about your blame? Mine drives me to do better. And whatever happens at the end of th Thunderdome match, just remember that at the end, when you and I shake hands, yeah the best man will win, but you must remember that I have to win. I need to win. I must… finish my story I started ten years ago and I must become Immortal Heavyweight Champion.

You.. made me, Remington? Do you really think that? Look how the kettle turns in an instant. Not long ago, you said that I made myself into one of the most destructive and best wrestlers on Olympus. That I made myself into the greatest Don that ever graced Italian Mafia history. But, as soon as I get fed up with you trying your best to push me down the ladder of the group WE created, that's when the flip happens? Come on Remy, thought you were smarter than that. But I guess not because you think I'm done being a "meanie head"? Oh nah cuh, I'm still the most ruthless son of a bitch to grace this company. I will chain your ass to the sky and force you to watch your family become the next Mafia massacre. I'll start with your parents, watching the bullets rip through their bodies, then move to any cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, they will all become target practice as well. Then, we'd move on to Ms. Graves. And don't worry, I'll put the bullet in her skull myself, because that's what The Don does. And at Final Destination Five, the Don will end what he started. Everyone wants you to fall, but I need to make sure that I crush the Tres Comas Club empire as well. And if it's the last thing I ever do on this earth, I kill the Tres Comas Club.

Nobi, as much credit as I have given you, I wasn't knocked out. Your Attitude Adjustment never in the select couple of times we've been in the ring together ever knocked me out. But, if it helps you sleep better at night, then yes, out like a light aye, shout out Drake. But you have yet to realize that I still am being blamed for something that isn't my fault. You credit me then absolutely blame me. Every single person here has blamed me for something going wrong in their lives. Mark blamed me for him thinking I blamed him, Reginald blamed me for turning on a family worse than the Watts family, Remington blames me for costing him money when I bought every single suit that covers my Greek God like body. Ryo blames me because he still can't lose his virginity. And you blame me for you finally realizing that losing to me meant you were on a bad path. Let's keep it real, the only reason you say that is because you for being so different from everyone else is exactly the same in saying that losing to me is the biggest downfall of their career. So, when I beat every single one of you five in that death trap, what then? How horrible does your life become then?

"Seriously… what more do I have to do to be taken seriously? I've tried my entire career, actually no, my entire life trying to be taken seriously in everything I do. When I was in middle school and tried out for the basketball team, I had players and coaches tell me I couldn't do it, and that I would be a joke. Football, I was told I would be a joke on the field. Professional Wrestling, management made me to look like a joke. And I'll be damned to let it continue. I'll be damned to my rotting heart if I let this go on. I'm placed on the show to make performances of the year because nobody expects me to win! Everywhere I look, it's "Oh Brandon Hendrix on the card! Can't wait to see him look good in defeat!". And I'll be DAMNED if I didn't come back from nearly DYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE SPORT THAT I FUCKING LOVE AND CHERISH THE MOST WHILE BLOOD SUCKING LEECHES LIKE YOU ARE HANDED EVERYTHING YOU OVERRATED BITCH! I'LL BE DAMNED IF I BUST MY ASS EVERY GODAMN DAY OF THE YEAR TRYING TO PERFECT MYSELF! PERFECT MY CRAFT! TO MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF! TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES SO THAT WAY WHENEVER I DIE, THAT THERE WILL BE KIDS, TEENAGERS, AND ADULTS THAT SEE WHAT I'M DOING AND BE INSPIRED TO FIGHT WHEN EVERYONE SAYS YOU WON'T WIN! I'LL BE DAMNED IF CRUSH TRIES TO TAKE MY SPOT IN IIW THAT SPENT THE LAST YEAR DOING MY FUCKING BEST TO EARN!!! I REFUSE!!! I REFUSE!!"

"..... How fucking dare all of you? I thought I left the world of favoritism in a professional wrestling company, but this? This is the same case as before. People sending 'GOATs' to me to make them look good because they're expected to beat me. Because "I suck". Because "all you do is lose the big matches". All that hatred towards me use to make me want to quit my dreams of being a professional wrestler. Why would someone suffer the tortures of everyday criticism because he losses more matches then he wins? Because he hasn't won a title? Because he isn't in with the boys like most others? Because he isn't ass kissing bosses like some? Why do I inject myself to the poison that's killing my career at this moment in time? Because I know that I Can Do It. I don't need that clown Ryo Sakazaki telling me I can't do it. I don't need Nobi telling me I can't do it. I don't need Mark Michaels telling me I can't do it. I don't need Reginald telling me I can't do it. And I especially don't need lazy ass Remington Ivory Prescott telling me I can't do it. Because I KNOW I CAN! I KNOW I CAN BEAT CRUSH! I KNOW I CAN WIN THE IMMORTAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP! I KNOW I CAN THE BE THE MAN THAT EVERYONE WHO PUT THEIR CHIPS ON ME IN THE PAST BELIEVED I CAN BE!

Boys, you better pray that someone, something, or GOD HIMSELF COMES RUNNING DOWN TO AID YOU IN OUR MATCH BECAUSE I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING I LOVE YOU'LL NEED A FUCKING ARMY TO PUT ME DOWN! I AM KICKING YOUR ASS BOYS! I AM KICKING YOUR SKULL BOYS! I AM PINNING YOU BOYS! I WILL SEND YOU PACKING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LINE WHERE YOU BELONG! This isn't the rise of anyone else anymore! No no! This is rise of

Brandon…

FUCKING….

[B]HENDRIX!

Also a little side offering, Jason Ryan. I saw that you're now in OWA again. Good. Because the next time you have my name or my family's name in your fucking mouth, your name will be removed from the website faster than last time, frocio.

A conference room in an expensive Los Angeles hotel is host to a gathering of reporters, journalists and broadcasters from an assortment of media outlets. Everything from the most prestigious broadcast news channel to the lowliest tabloid rag is represented within the audience.

Suddenly, an explosion of flashes from the assembled photographers in the room heralds the arrival of the greatest, most talented man in Hollywood: Chad Ecclestone. Despite his recent trend of failures inside the ring, the continuing strikes in Hollywood shelving most of his projects, and the seemingly never-ending string of scandals surrounding his name, he’s still as relevant and famous as ever, and the reporters are desperate to get the best shot possible.

The man of the hour wastes no time in getting to the point. Instead of indulging in his usual trademark brand of grandstanding and glad handing, Chad moves directly to the podium and adjusts the microphone as he pauses briefly to survey the crowd behind the tinted lenses of his designer sunglasses. He’s flanked on one side by a moderately attractive redhead in business-casual clothes, a member of his newly-hired PR team dedicated to fixing his slightly tarnished public image.


Several hands shoot up in the audience, eliciting a sigh from Chad as he shakes his head wearily.


Chad pauses, singling out one journalist in the back of the crowd and pointing a finger right at him. The man looks confused, glancing from left to right in the vain hope that the actor is pointing at someone else.


He stops himself mid-insult as the public relations specialist at his side leans in to whisper something in his ear, presumably a reminder that he’s trying to navigate a face turn here. Chad nods, takes a moment to gather his composure anew, and carries on.



“Chad, surely you can understand why people might be a little hesitant to believe you’ve changed your ways, right? You’ve been in the Omega Wrestling Alliance for over a year at this point, and you’ve spent the entire time cheating, lying, and talking trash on not only your fellow wrestlers, but management, the fans, and the entire concept of professional wrestling as a whole. And now we’re supposed to believe that you’ve done a complete 180? You’re a new man? That you just woke up one day and decided to change your whole outlook on life? Do you see how we might have a hard time swallowing all that, and instead see it as obvious meddling from your new publicists and public image rehabilitation team?"


The redhead is about to respond, but Chad waves her off and carries on as though the information itself were entirely inconsequential.


Chad points to a journalist sitting in the center of the front row, who introduces himself without missing a beat.

“Mr. Ecclestone, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us today. I’m with CNN – the Chad News Network – and the question that people everywhere want to ask is… how is it possible that you can be so brave, so charitable, so great, and such an inspiration to the nation, if not the entire world?”

The actor tries to act as humble as he possibly can in the face of this planted question from the journalist he himself employs. He places one hand over his chest, takes a step back from the podium, and does his best to look emotional.


“Chad, we didn’t come all this way to hear you grandstand and brag. What do you have to say about your chances in the upcoming Ascension to the Heavens match? Vegas – and every legitimate wrestling pundit – has you labeled as the underdog going into this. I believe your opponent Jacob Striker has even said as much.”


The woman at his side leans in to correct Chad’s error. Something along the lines of ‘it’s actually a briefcase’ is whispered to him.


“...did you really not know you were competing from a briefcase? Have you never seen any of the other Ascension to the Heavens matches in the past?”


“Speaking of Jacob Striker, he also claimed that while you may have some killer instinct, you lack the ruthlessness that the others in this match have. Anything to say in response?”


Chad takes a half step back from the podium, a smug, satisfied smirk on his face as he lets his barrage of fighting game puns settle in. Unfortunately, it’s completely lost on the cultureless reporters gathered here today.  Despite the lack of reaction, Chad can’t help himself, and he leans back into the microphone to deliver one final line:


The only response from the audience is a series of confused murmurs and blank stares. Shrugging his shoulders to dismiss this entire line of thought, Chad soldiers on.


“Alright, Mr. Ecclestone, your other opponent Hana Nakajima has taken aim at you in her recent statements, claiming your charitable ventures are only a cover for your own terrible, inconsiderate behavior. That any good acts you do are outweighed by the awful things you say. Any comments?”


For the first time, there’s a murmur of general agreement from the assembled reporters. After all, only an idiot would think someone in league with demons is somehow worse than a mildly problematic white man.


“April Song, the most storied competitor in this match, claims that you’re hiding something. Anything to say about that?”


“Actually, she’s only–”


Before Chad can point at the next member of the audience, someone gets to their feet and interjects.

“Wait a minute! If you’re so busy, spending every waking hour leading to Final Destination in training, honing your skills with the Catch Sports Academy as you yourself said… what are you doing wasting your time here? Why take time out of your supposedly grueling training schedule to hold a pointless press conference?”

Chad grins and laughs in response, snapping his fingers and pointing at the reporter, not even upset by the rude interruption.


The redhead at his side steps to the podium.

“My pleasure, Mr. Ecclestone. As you likely know, my employer here has done commercials for PresCorp in the past… well, behold their newest prototype, the mobile holographic disguise unit.”

She pulls out a remote control and presses a button, and the face of Chad Ecclestone flickers and fades to reveal the true visage of the individual standing before the crowd: Thaddeus Fiora, super intelligent primate and the greatest professional wrestler (that isn’t named ‘Chad’) ever.

“OOH OOH… AH, AH…” says the monkey, gesturing with his hands in a disturbingly human, articulate way.

“Mr. Ecclestone is, in fact, back at the Catch Sports Academy, doing cardiovascular exercises while Thaddeus stands in for him here. His voice has been broadcast through these speakers at the base of the holograph unit around the monkey’s neck. Right… here…”

The public relations expert leans towards Thaddeus, her finger brushing the speaker around the collar unit that he’s wearing. Unfortunately, there’s a small discharge of static electricity as she touches the metal. Thaddeus roars as he receives a small shock, and swats the woman aside with the immense strength of a full-sized simian. He knocks the podium away, tears the suit jacket apart to reveal its hairy ape chest, and leaps into the audience snarling and swiping. The reporters and journalists scream in terror and begin to back away towards the door, as shouts of “GOOD GOD NO!” and “STAY AWAY YOU DAMN DIRTY APE” echo throughout the room.


“OOH OOH! AH AH!” bellows Thaddeus as he rips the face off of a female reporter in the front row.


“OH THE HUMANITY!”

The mass of people press against the conference room’s locked door, attempting to find some escape from the enraged athlete/thespian/simian who rampages through the crowd, tearing off limbs while the scene slowly fades to black.

Act II: World On Fire

The newly christened now Ivory Tower continues to loom over the Omegaverse in a manner quite befitting of such a place that is looked at as villainous and tyrannical when the reality couldn't be farther from the truth. At least, from the perspective of those that exist inside the tower.

We're no longer on the quiet rooftop of the same building with a new name. Instead, we're inside the illustrious office that belongs to none other than the man of every hour: Remington Ivory Prescott.

The man himself is seated at his desk as he should be considering this is another day of making a few billion dollars by simply being the CEO of PresCorp. As monotonous and droll as his life as a businessman is, it allows him to live the lifestyle that he's never not lived. His entire world is never wanting for anything and he will continue to live in that world even if it kills everything around him.

Yet another remarkably fitting and stylish suit is his chosen attire for the day. The jacket is hanging on a rack near the window behind him as he flips through piles of paperwork on his desk. His eyes skim each page before a signature or initials are added to the mix to the printed text. So many deals to be finalized, so many offers to be made, so many takeovers to make hostile.

Business is good.

Prescott signs a final paper and pulls himself up from the desk. There's a moment where he turns to look out of the giant window that's always behind him. A chance to look out at the city that belongs to him. For a moment, all he can see is fire. Flames erupting from everywhere all at once. He watches with a neutral expression on his face as everything he's created and built for the peasants below is burned down. The flames seem to be unstoppable and no caped hero seems to be swooping in from the skies.

Another moment and Prescott's eyes close. When they open again, the city is just as it always is. Fine. Pristine. Safe. No more flames, no more people running and screaming. No more pain and anguish. Everything is just as it should be and in their proper place.

No knocking is needed as Ms. Graves saunters into the office. Her hair is down for once but she's still rocking her heels and glasses, all to make sure that she continues to look professional through these long days and nights. It's always about keeping everything as professional and above board as possible. Especially when she has to deal with someone as on the edge as Remington Ivory Prescott seems to be lately.

Her focused and driven steps bring her right over to the huge desk of Remington's and she drops a fairly thin envelope onto his desk. "This just came by courier. For your eyes only, apparently."

Prescott raises an eyebrow as he turns back to see both Ms. Graves and the folder. "You are my eyes."

"Apparently not for this. I had to threaten the courier just to get it out of his hands."

Prescott smirks. "And?"

Ms. Graves returns that same smirk. "He'll live."

Prescott grins as he reaches for the envelope. He flips it over to see a Tres Comas Club seal on it. His grin fades almost immediately. There's even a roll of his eyes that leads the way to that envelope being held over the trash can and dropped inside.

"Uh, sir?" Ms. Graves is almost headed for the trash can. "That's from--"

"I know."

"But aren't you part--"

"For now."

"Then shouldn't you--"

"No."

The rapid fire question and answer game has Ms. Graves confused. So much so that she has to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Mr. Prescott. You're going to have to let me in a bit here. I can't protect us if I don't know what's going on." Ms. Graves is on the edge of her seat and she looks almost worried. "What's the play here?"

Prescott shrugs slightly in the middle of all this. It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts as he turns back towards the window. Looking at this city helps him put things into perspective, it seems.

"Do you know why I hired you, Ms. Graves?"

"The red skirt? You like that skirt."

"I love that skirt. But no. That's not it." Prescott hovers a finger away from the mutable glass window. "I hired you because you wouldn't let me buy you. You were working for whatever company that was. I wanted you to work for me and you refused. No matter what I said or what I offered you, you stuck by your company and you didn't let me take you away from somewhere you wanted to be. You can't buy that kind of loyalty. I know. I've tried."

"So you bought the company."

"I did."

"And then you fired everyone but me."

"Correct."

"And made the company a defunct failed project of PresCorp."

"It's barely a paperweight." Prescott's grin returns as he looks back at Ms. Graves. "And now who do you work for?"

Ms. Graves is impressed enough to relax in her seat now. "You son of a bitch." She never really put it all together until this moment, it seems. "You won."

Prescott is fully facing her again now. His fingers on the top of his desk. "That's what I do, Ms. Graves. I win. I find something that I want and I do whatever it takes to get that thing or accomplish that goal. I don't let anything stop me. I will do whatever I have to and it can take however long it needs to... but I will be victorious. Because that's what I do. That's how I run my business. That's how I kill it in my career. And that's how I live my life."

Ms. Graves nods along. She's getting it. "So what does this have to do with...?" She gives a nod towards the trash can.

“I don’t think they share the same philosophy. Not anymore. These people are so wrapped up in their own egos and personal vendettas that they can’t see the forest for the trees. And when you have leadership that would much rather grant the enemy’s wishes instead of smiting them where they stand? Well. Let’s just say I’m not in the business of helping my competitors. That’s not how I want to do business.”

Ms. Graves gets a bit of a pensive look on her face. “So what’s the move? They put you in a position to be where you are now. If you turn your back on them, that’s just making more enemies. They’ll come for you. With everything they have.”

“I know.”

“So what’re we going to do? Are we going to war?”

Remington looks out the window once again to see the flames have returned. His kingdom, once again, burning. He closes his eyes like before and takes a moment to open them once again. This time, though, the fire rages on.

* * * * *

You people disgust me. All of you. You ride around on your high horses with your fans and your catch phrases and you get everyone so far up your ass that they should be paying rent. You go away for a while or you “play bad guy” for a bit to get some buzz. But you always go back to your roots, don’t you? You always go back to your nasty selfish habits that are heralded as some great story of adversity and triumph. When in reality?

That’s my story.

I came from the trenches of professional wrestling, clawing my way from the abysmal stain that was Kingdom Pro to the mountaintop of OWA. Here I found a home on Olympus and never once did my loyalty waver. Not once did I even consider jumping from what had been, let’s admit it, from time to time a sinking ship. I refused to give in or give up. I gave the entire second leg of my career to this brand and now that I have finally found the success that I deserve… you jealous fucks want to take this away from me?

No.

This is not some story for you to tell your uninterested grandkids where you make me out to be some vile human being that used every dirty trick in the book to hold you down. No, I did what anybody in my position would do to remain at the top of the food chain. I’m not nice. I’m a dick. I’m a liar. I’m a cheater. Yes, you’re right. I agree with all of that. But there’s a reason and a motivation behind every move that somebody makes.

I do the things I do because they are the things that need to be done. You do the things you do for revenge or comeuppance. We are not the same.

I've spent my entire life being judged before I could even say a word because my life was filled with money, fancy cars, amazing clothes and more money. People assume just because I can buy and sell them backwards and forwards that I'm some kind of monster. That all I'll ever do is use them up and leave them in the gutter when I'm done. When in reality, all I've ever done is whatever I must to get to where I want. You can call them shortcuts or unethical or whatever you want but how are any of the things I've done different than you lazy bums Oliver Twisting your way up to the front of line with your little beggar hands out to the Olympus Wish Granting Society of Foolishness crying: "please sir can i have some more?"

That's not what OWA is about. That's not what Olympus is about. And you fuckers know it.

But we're here now. Around the corner from Final Destination. A time when the entire world stops spinning so that all eyes can be on the Omega Wrestling Alliance as we put on yet another show for the ages. Where even the Never Gonna' Bes like Rafael Barrera might actually do something worth paying attention to. Where even the likes of Rebecca Filth might actually use a condom. Where even the Bosom Buddies of Noah Reigner and Graham Baker have a chance to relive their tired glory days.

This is a moment where anything can happen.

Except what you want to happen.

So, Ryo, if you need me to reiterate just how badly you're outclassed and outmatched in this match, I can do that. If you need me to be the bad guy in your story of rage and confusion, I can be that. If you need to use me as your excuse for your consistent inconsistency of victories here on my brand, then do what you need to do. The fact of the matter is that you will never take anything away from me again. You keep bringing up your one win from what, has it been a year now? But what you fail to realize is that you didn't win that match... I just lost it. There's a difference between beating Remington Ivory Prescott and Remington Ivory Prescott losing. The sooner you accept the fact that you simply are not good enough, the faster we can all move on from this obsessive, one-sided rivalry that even the great El Landerson is tired of hearing about. Don't you have an anime you need to steal your next bit from or something? Go do that.

Nobi. The man the Omegaverse thinks I screwed over to keep my belt. Did I? That's debatable. As I've said before, I only do things that need to be done and putting the belt back around my waist was something that needed to be done. I couldn't have this flip-floppy jorts jockey representing Olympus! We'd be laughed out of the industry. We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard and unfortunately, the "White Knight" doesn't fit the bill. In fact, a white man calling himself the "White Knight" seems a little suspect, if I do say so myself. Now I'm not standing here calling this man a racist but I'm simply asking why does the Knight have to be White?

Alright, it's your turn, Dampshaw. I know you probably have a reason or some unflattering excuse for why you're trying to take a shot at my Immortality. Or at least one of the voices in your head or your personalities or whatever does, anyway. I'm sure it's up in there somewhere but I can tell you right now I don't care. I don't need to know why you're standing in my way and pouring gasoline onto a fire that was already too damn wild to begin with. What I need you to know, though, is that you're not that important to begin with. You never were. You are, and always will be, a means to an end. When you, or whatever you decide to dress up as, get stretchered out of FDV for having the audacity to reach for what's mine, I want you to know that these moments right here? These are the most I've ever thought about you. The only time you've even crossed my mind. You're an afterthought. A place holder. A glorified fill-in that's getting his only shot at greatness like a chef heating up a tv dinner. You're there but you're not what anybody wants.

So what should I call you now, Hendrix? What's your heritage this time? Are you changing your hair too? What's your new deal because I gotta' be honest here, man, that mafia shit wasn't really your bag. You're too big and broad to be all squeezed up in a suit like that. You look like those little kids stacked on top of each other in a trenchcoat to sneak into a Rated R movie. So thank you. Thank you for not wasting anymore of my money on overworked tailors and bad measurements. But now you're still in my face. You make sex workers look horrible, you know that? At least they actually do what needs to be done for their cash. You? You just fuck up. I was literally giving you piles of money to fuck up. Even Monster Truck was a better person to work with than you and his IQ was about as low as your win ratio.  So yeah, while it's cute that you think that I'm going to allow you to throw rocks at the throne and not put you in a triple XL sized pine box, then I haven't taught you a damn thing. But you can bet that at FDV, you're definitely gonna' learn a few damn things.

Finally, we're back to Mark Motherless Michaels. A man that has been gunning for me and my career since I arrived here on Olympus. Since almost the moment I stepped foot in OWA, this dog has been nipping at my heels. We've gone toe-to-toe more times than I care to count. Regardless of how we feel about each other you can't deny that there's a history here. A history of this man manipulating and gaslighting the entire Omegaverse into believing that he's the 'hero' in all of this. This man has done more underhanded shit to me and my career than I've even thought of! And because he throws his hands up in the arena and calls himself a king we're supposed to all just accept this? Do you know what a king is, Mark? Hm? A king is a monarch. A dictator. An individual that makes all the decisions for an entire collective of people whether they like it or not. I don't know, man, that sounds pretty damn close to being a tyrant. And is that what you really are? Is that what you've decided to let everyone see? Something that I saw in you the first time we stood across from each other in that ring. Something that I know is inside you. Something that I know you're going to want to unleash if you get your hands on this belt. So I'm not going to let that happen. It is my duty to those people and to this brand to keep you from becoming the very thing that you swear you're against. What I'm doing is not just for your own good but for everyone's own good.

The Omegaverse needs someone to hate. Olympus needs someone to be the villain. It might as well be me.

Tres Comas Club. Don't think you're getting away scot free here. Things are bad and I don't know if there's enough of us left to fix it. Our own leadership has demonstrated that they do not care about us. They only want to push forth their own agenda and make our lives worse in the process. I know and understand that by saying this, I may be putting myself in danger or making myself a target...

What the fuck else is new?

I don't know what the future holds for me. Right now my focus is on Final Destination. On retaining the Immortal Heavyweight Championship. On proving to this entire god forsaken company that I am everything I always said I was. I knew my potential. I knew I was bound for glory and greatness. I knew I could put this entire company on my back and carry it across the goddamn country if I had to.

When nobody else believed I could.

As I stand here as the Immortal Heavyweight Champion, poised to defend my own honor against five hungry mongrels that could never do what I can do, each one looking to set the World On Fire just to stop me... what am I supposed to do besides...

Let it burn.

The sound of the EKG monitor beeping kicks off the scene as the camera pans around a hospital room. Sitting at the bedside is none other than Christopher Sabertooth, with a beer in his hand and another can placed on the table. Chris was here to check on his friend, hoping he’d see a sign of improvement. Jeff had been in a comatose state for over a week at this point. 

Chris takes a swig of his beer before looking at his friend.

Nobody likes a lukewarm beer. I’ve got a pack of Marlboro Reds in my jacket and it’s got your name on it. Get your ass up, man… Come on. We’ve got a lot of shit to do. It’s FD season. If there’s anybody who can claim to be Mr. Final Destination-- It’s you. We can’t do this without you, man. Think about all the cheesesteaks we could be having right now! I’ve seen the movies-- I know that you can hear me. It’s pretty fucking lame that your bitch ass don’t want to move right now. 

Chris lets out a loud sigh as he takes another swig of his beer. Jeff had been unresponsive to everybody who had come to visit so far. Chris had hope that he’d be able to get his best friend back but with every passing moment, his hope was dwindling. Frustration was sinking in as he saw his best friend in an unconscious state and felt helpless about it.

Shit man. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have run down to the ring a lot sooner. The whole thing with The Tribunal has been a whirlwind to deal with. Kenny going back to his old ways-- Jason continuing down the path of self-destruction. The biggest is the revelation of Tyler being your kid. The worst part is, I always liked that kid too. I never imagined that he’d go this far. I want to beat the fuck out of that kid-- Stomp a fucking hole in his chest. No offense-- Not that you would care. Your bitch ass didn’t even know he existed! Bro, do you even know what condoms are? You having a kid is the least surprising thing to me in this situation. But his hatred for you, to the extent of nearly taking your damn life… Now that’s something I didn’t see coming. 

I just can’t believe that both you and Mike have been put on the sidelines. We are the Frontline, man! We’re supposed to be out there every second of the fucking day, trying to keep this place from burning down. Listen, Arata is leading the charge against The Tribunal. I wanted to join the fight-- Especially after what they did to you. But they wouldn’t hear it. Edward told me it would be better for me mentally and physically to continue on the path I am on. I wish you could have seen me become the OWA World Champion at Burning Sky but that didn’t happen. So, I have decided to change my approach to this redemption I am after. 

I think you’d like this. I am going to win the Spartan’s Championship at Final Destination. I know, you’d probably say that I am trying to copy you bar for bar. But listen, it’s something that I haven’t held in all my time in OWA. You’d probably bring up the time that you beat me to retain your Spartan’s Championship but we both know your ass got lucky with all the added distractions in that match that you could easily beat instead of me. If that was one-on-one as it was supposed to be, it would have been a different story! And since you can’t say anything right now, I will take your silence as confirmation to make myself feel better.

Chris scoffed, thinking about the old times. A lot has changed since then. From acquaintances to bitter rivals that turned into a life-long friendship. Jeff and Chris had been through a lot together.

Would I rather be fighting in the main event of Final Destination with the OWA World Championship in my hand? Sure. I don’t think anybody would pass up on that opportunity. But that doesn’t mean I don’t take this new outlook-- new opportunity with just as much passion and determination. You’ve done a lot with the Spartan’s Championship. You made it the work-horse belt. I thought you had the best match at FD1 all those years ago contending for that very belt. A match that gave birth to the moniker of Mr. FD. I guess, there’s an added sense of motivation for me knowing that I could do something to make you proud. When I do win the belt, I will dedicate my win to you. To your health. To your recovery. And to your legacy. 

Nah, this shit is corny eh? You probably don’t even care. If anything, you’d want a piece of the belt when you get better. Maybe finally we can have our one on one match. Jeff, we’ve literally been through hell together. I am pretty sure nobody else in the world can say that with confidence. There were times when we should have died. And then, there were times when we did. And yet, we came back, every single time. A lot of your friends are worried about you. Some have been crying their ass off. Some haven’t been able to even come here cause they can’t see you in such a state. But I know better than that. There’s nothing that you can’t overcome. Tyler has earned himself an ass-whooping worth a lifetime. I know that you’re about to turn that boy’s world upside down the moment you return to the ring. Beat him back to his senses so that he can never be misguided the way he has been by The Tribunal. 

You better fucking wake up soon. I am not letting your ass go until we figure out who’s better between the two of us. Our careers cannot end before that match. So, better get back in shape. Because I am going to walk out of Final Destination as a champion. Shit, once I get rolling, I might shoot for the OWA World Championship too. I am not going to stop for anybody. Not even you. So, if you don’t want to be left behind, you better come back stronger than ever. If somehow The Tribunal is still a problem after FD, we’ll deal with them together. As we always do. Bro, we died doing this shit before. Being in a coma is a bitch move. Call me when you fucking wake up, aight? I’ll see you soon. 

Chris gets up and walks out of the room as the camera slowly pans to the can of beer lying on the table beside Jeff, before fading to black. 


Grateful. 

I couldn’t be more grateful for the life I have lived to be in the position I am in. Sure, there were a lot more downs than ups in this journey. But who knows how different everything would have turned out if I hadn’t walked down the path that I did.

I am grateful for the woman I love. Hana. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today. 

I am grateful for the friends I have made along the way. Jeff. Mike. Theo. Arata. I trust them with my life. 

I am grateful for who I am in this industry. Most people don’t make it out of the high school gyms and backyards when it comes to this business. But I could make the money I made and live the life that I lived, doing what I love the most. What’s not to be grateful about that?

And I am certainly grateful to OWA. Being a Grand Slam Champion. Being an ambassador for the company since its very existence. I have been given opportunities to live my dream to the fullest and at the highest level. So, when it comes to Final Destination, I am very grateful for the championship opportunity that lies ahead of me. A chance to start afresh. A new beginning. 

… What I fail to understand is when people, who have all the talent in the world, fail to be grateful for what they have. You know me-- I have been nothing but praiseful of the Spartan’s Champion. Noah Krieger’s rise in this company is undisputed. Hell of a rookie year!

But… Would he even be at Final Destination this year if it wasn’t for me? We have seen what The Tribunal is capable of. Michael Bishop hasn’t been able to return to OWA after Jason Long’s attack. Jeff X is in a coma. If I hadn’t run out to the ring and saved Noah Krieger, who knows where he would be today? Anywhere between a hospital bed and six feet under. Take this from a person who has been to the afterlife-- Be grateful for what you have been afforded. When you presented the Spartan’s Championship opportunity to me, don’t think of it as your debt being paid off. That wasn’t my thought process when I accepted this challenge. I am sure you value your life more than that championship, right? You’re a young man who has yet to experience the ups and downs of the world. Be grateful for everything you’ve got, Noah. I know I am.

I don’t want to sound rude… But do you think you’re the only one in this company with a dysfunctional family? I am not invalidating your experiences with them, but we don’t care, Noah. We’ve all been through shit! Arata and Jeff nearly got killed by their own kid. I had to leave my family when I was fifteen years old because they couldn’t support me and my dreams. Their aspirations and vision for my future were more important to them than my own. We’ve all been through that shit! It’s how we move on from it that defines us. And I am glad that you have the same outlook on this matter. I am glad that your family will not be a hindrance to your growth as a wrestler or a human being. In the grand scheme of this match at Final Destination, I couldn’t care less about your family. 

What I do care about… Is you. I know that this match means a lot to you and your future in this company. One big win is all that you need to elevate yourself up to the status of the greats. You confuse me, Noah. You do. I hear all this talk about how you’ve been ready for this moment since you stepped into the company. But come on! That’s not true, is it? Every time you stepped into the ring with someone that is worth anything in this business, you lost. Jason Long. You lost. Michael Bishop. You lost. Jeff X. You lost. If you were as ready as you claim to be, your rise to the top would have been as immediate as possible! It’s good to be confident about yourself but don’t be delusional, Noah.

You’re really fucking good… But you’re not good enough! Not yet. Let’s not pretend like every single loss you’ve had to deal with didn’t send you down a spiral of self-doubt and hatred. It was these moments that clouded your sense of judgment and let you join factions as disappointing as the Catch Hound. You surrounded yourself with people who had potential at one stage of their lives but have squandered it away by letting loose. If anything, they benefited from associating with you. You were the golden goose! Their ticket to success… And what have they done ever since? You would have been the Spartan’s Champion, with or without them. That was your first mistake.

Your second mistake was doubting me and my greatness. Sure, I have racked up a couple of losses in my time, but that does not mean that I am not one of the best ever to do it. There’s no blood in the water for you young sharks out there. It’s all a lie. The moment you sense any weakness, you try to pounce on that opportunity and use my name to establish yourself as a credible star in this company. The legacy you’re trying to build is on the foundation that I set up! Plenty of other wrestlers tried the same trick on me, Noah. They thought that I was weak. That I was washed. And the moment they stepped into the ring with me, it all came crashing down. Reality struck them right in the fucking face as they lay flat on their backs as I raised my hand in victory. I have outlasted practically everybody at this point. And despite what you want, I am not going to step away anytime soon.

I know that eats on you because, in your mind, it’s your time now. The spotlight should be yours. You want to revel in your greatness and be at the top of OWA. But as long as people like myself are still here, you’re never going to get there. Because I haven’t slowed down a single bit. Even when I stumble at the top of the mountain, I find a way to climb back up. The spotlight never left me. I have been front and center of everything in OWA since the moment I stepped foot in this company. And I am not leaving. Not until every single bone in my body tells me otherwise. I am not leaving till I am satisfied with what I have done. 

Call me greedy all you want! I have every right to be wanting the success that Havoc had. I crave that feeling because Havoc stole that shit from me. I am glad that my friends got their career-redeeming moments but I am yet to have one of my own. One that I could be proud of. Forget about the Spartan’s Championship, Noah. You’ve done everything you could have with that championship. It’s time that you move on. Don’t hold on to the past for longer than it’s needed. If you want to prove yourself-- Rise up to the highest level. Do it! I would be happy for you to find more success in your career. But what I can’t accept is success coming at the expense of me. I am not your stepping stone. I am not your ladder to the top of the business. I am not your friend, Noah. I like you. I sure do. But if you were to fail, somewhere down the lie, I’d be disappointed… for about a minute. You’ve not done anything to make me care about you. You’re just another wrestler with heaps of in-ring talent-- But I’ve seen a fuck ton of those come and go. You’re not special. 
Sure, I sense the passion in you. But there’s always something missing when it’s time to step up. The reason most of us ‘Day Ones’ are still here is that none of you rookies have what it takes to move us off our position. I am sure it bothers you to no end that the biggest thing you ever accomplished in your career will be nothing more than a footnote in my list of accolades. The Spartan’s Championship is very important to Kingdom. But it would feel incomplete without having my name etched in the annals of history along with those who changed the very landscape of this company.

So, today’s lesson is about being grateful. Be grateful that you could live your dreams through OWA. Just know that it was people like me who came before you that even made it possible. I should be hearing all the praise for all that I have done for you, Noah! I saved your career and possibly your life. I helped build the platform that you stand on today that made it possible for you to succeed. And today, I give you the most important match in the history of your young career. I have practically changed your life for the better. I hope you can be grateful at Final Destination when I stand over you as the new OWA Spartan’s Champion. When the crowd is on their feet, cheering me on for yet another great accomplishment in my career, I want you to whisper into my ear. And tell me how thankful you are for what I have done. And if time permits, I will raise your hand and let the people know that you’re the real deal. You’re the future. But until that future comes, it is still MY time to shine. 

There’s plenty for you to learn, Noah. You should be grateful that I am sharing these morsels of wisdom with you for free. I am doing what Finnegan Wakefield failed to do for you. I will make you into the star that you were promised to be, Noah. You will be a better man after tasting defeat to someone like me. If you prove me wrong, I will happily eat my words and praise you as the deserving champion. But-- it’s just not going to happen. Not against my will. Not against everything I have to fight for. Not against my chance at redemption. A chance at a new beginning. Noah Krieger, I really don’t have any personal vendetta against you. You’re a good kid. I am not trying to kick you down the card until your fire sizzles out. But you’ve got me fucked if you think I’d let you take my name and my credibility and use that to become your stepping stone to greatness. 

At Final Destination, Noah Krieger, I will teach you how to be grateful. 

Be grateful that the end wasn’t as bad as it could have been

Be grateful that in the end, you lost to someone as good as me. 

I need to do what is important to me. Everybody else comes after that.

Noah Krieger. Be grateful that you get to witness what REAL legacy in this industry looks like. You will be part of my story. Not everyone is as fortunate. 

09/04/2023.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
KRIEGER RESIDENCE

The camera feed slowly opens up onto an unfamiliar location, it looked to be a broken-down looking residence, one that didn’t look to be cared for in the slightest, which was clear by the broken glass scattered all over the the front porch, the windows being effortlessly patched up by numerous rolls of duct-tape, and the overall presentation of the location only adds to this assumption. And yet, the lights were still lit within the home, and by the sound of the chaotic nature occurring inside of it, it didn’t look to be a vacant property — which made it clear as day. In a moment’s notice, the camera began to pan over in the left direction, slowly but surely, where it caught wind of the mailbox, which was quite difficult to transcribe due to the lack of care that had been put into it, but upon zooming in on it, it read… KRIEGER.

“I always knew I’d have to return.”

With this vague choice of words heard loud-and-clear, Noah Krieger is seen outside of the Krieger residence, his approach is awfully hesitant this time around, with his facial expressions matching those of his body, which expresses an uneasy feeling surrounding him. For the last five years, there hasn’t been a single conversation between himself and his family, not even an attempt at one, and clearly, that’s been intentional on his part. And for the most part, it turned out to be a constructive experience, but realistically, even in his own mind — he knew he’d have to return some day. After years away from his family, and an incredible year of trials and tribulations to add to those experiences, he felt comfortable enough to accept his father’s invitation to their Sunday evening dinner, and in his mind, this might be the only chance he has to do so.

The biggest night of his career is rapidly approaching, and if enough time has passed, and mends have been able to be made, sharing that moment with his family is something that he still dreams about. With this being said, that thought is quickly interrupted by his father, who comes out to meet him by the front porch, he doesn’t show any sense of joy or pride, neither of them do, but instead they proceed to nod at one another, signifying that this night is important to both of them. From there, they head inside of the house, the exterior isn’t much more appealing than the interior, but still nothing is said, not until they all sit at the dining room table. At this moment, as he sits down, there’s so much unraveling in his mind, the past isn’t lost on him, and even if he’d like to forget how much pain has been brought on him in this household… he can’t. But he tries to not focus on that, and instead looks around the table, before one familiar voice speaks up…

MOTHER: 

“So tell me Noah, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen my baby boy, how are you?”

NOAH KRIEGER:

“I appreciate you asking. I’ve been alright, I suppose.”

MOTHER: 

“That’s good to hear! How’s life in general, anything new?”

NOAH KRIEGER:

“It’s been challenging. I’ve just been trying to do my best with this whole wrestling thing.”

MOTHER: 

“...You’re still trying with this…wrestling shit?”

(Noah refuses to say a word, and instead just continues poking at his food.)

MOTHER: 

“ I just figured you would’ve given that up by now, that’s all.”

NOAH KRIEGER:

“Yeah, Mom, I’m still doing it, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. ”

Silence starts to slowly fill the room with each second passing, it was deafening to say the least, but this was expected from these two, as years of miscommunication only added to the current situation. The clearly awkward setting was just that, an unhelpful feeling in the air, between two individuals who haven’t been able to share the same airspace in over half a decade. With that, Noah looks over to the other side of the table, where his brother sits, and looks to move on with the conversation, knowing that continuing the previous one will only lead to undesired trouble, but that wouldn’t stop his mother from chiming in once more, in a disappointed tone.

MOTHER: 

“ That’s a real shame, Noah. There’s so much more to life than this fantasy one you seem to live in.”

NOAH KRIEGER:

“Enough, alright. Can we… Please change the subject?”

As this is said loud-and-clear, Noah desperately looks over to the other side of the table once again, clearly hoping that someone will respond to his dire plea — but nobody does. Instead they all remain silent, letting the tensions in the room only grow with each second, almost as if they were taking pleasure in Noah’s disdain for the situation, but this didn’t last long. As he starts to finally grow impatient with the antics, he proceeds to look back over to his mother, who’s no longer looking at him with a blank expression, but instead with a huge smirk upon her face. She knows how much this is eating at him, and she loves every second of it, and now waiting for the perfect moment to open her mouth once more — she asks yet another question, the one that she’s been waiting all night to ask.

MOTHER: 

“ Tell me, what do you have to prove for it?”

(Noah sits in silence, trying to calm himself down, as all of the emotions of these past five years collectively coming together, and pushing him over the edge. However, he isn’t even given a moment to breathe, as his brother looks over at him, and pats him on the back, before speaking directly to him.)

BROTHER: 

“ Leave him alone, Mom, will you? If he had anything, he wouldn’t be back here.”

Right in that moment, Noah had just about enough, as he immediately pushed his brother’s arm off of him, and emphatically stood up from his chair. He'd tried to be patient for a while, but as he had originally expected, they couldn’t control themselves, and they had to continue prodding — and now it’s been taken too far. As he now stood behind the chair, he proceeded to lean up against it, looking at all of them, before speaking his mind, for the first time in a very long time.

NOAH KRIEGER:

““You all are actually unbelievable, I didn’t come back here because I failed, not at all. All I wanted tonight was to reconcile with my family, but none of you are even capable of the bare minimum, and that’s why this has never worked — you’ve always made me feel like an outsider…ALWAYS.”

MOTHER: 

“ Hold on a second, that’s no–”

NOAH KRIEGER:

“DON’T INTERRUPT ME. For so long, I’ve tried to move on from you guys, but still felt drawn to this family, because the love was still there, but it’s obviously not. You haven’t changed, just like back then, you are incapable of believing in me, and treat my dreams as one big joke, well screw that.”

“I’m a champion in spite of all of you, and by the time next weekend is over, I’ll be the same. That’s my proof.”

And that was it. Noah’s expression didn’t change one bit, with his facial expressions only showcasing a man constantly hurt by those who should love him, but the opposite is usually the case. Nonetheless. This might’ve served as even more motivation to succeed next weekend, because now there’s even more of a point to prove, to Chris, to his family, to the world. Eventually, he heads for the back door, which he exits through, before looking back at his family once more, before shaking his head in utter disappointment, but he knows he needs to move on.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since the very start of the season, every individual who has an ounce of care about this place, they’ve been waiting for this moment, and for most, it’s all they’ve looked forward to all year long, and why wouldn’t it be? Final Destination is supposed to be our reward for months and months of sacrifice, where we’re able to showcase our abilities on the grandest stage possible — but that’s the thing — simply making it there isn’t good enough for me, not with all I’ve put my body through to reach this point. But yet, all I’ve heard this week is how we’ve managed to make it, that making it to the premiere event in professional wrestling isn’t anything to scoff at, and while I do agree to an extent, there’s a little part of me that believes I haven’t made it …not yet. And if I were to believe anything other than that, I’d be nothing more than a fool, who’s trying to convince himself of something that’s just…not true. All year long, I’ve dedicated everything to reach this point, to make it to this stage that so many spoke so highly of — but making it here was only a part of the journey.

Last year at Final Destination, I was given my first chance to prove myself, to make a lasting impact on this industry and I successfully did that, but I still wouldn’t refer to it as a success. Despite ranking ahead of so many others in this season’s first BOB Games, I still didn’t walk out as the victor, and since then, my mind hasn’t been able to let that go. I didn’t join this sport to be known as just another participant, to be labeled as anything less than the best, and the same applies this time around. No matter the year, no matter the stakes, I’m not built to be second-place, but still, so many many instances tend to point to the opposite being the truth. I’m humble enough to admit that I’ve had my number of setbacks in the past calendar year, I’ve come up short to some of the very best this promotion has to offer, whether that’s someone like Micheal Bishop, Jason Long, or even Jeff X — but you don’t see them walking around representing this company do you? No matter the reasoning for this, there’s a reason that I’m the OWA Spartan’s Champion, and it isn’t out of pure luck, but rather nothing less than, pure determination.

For an entire year, I’ve been the heart-and-soul of this promotion.

And that doesn’t just go away, simply because you want a redo, Chris.

It’s one thing to seek change in your own career, and it’s almost admirable in that sense, but just like you said, you aren’t going to do it off my name, in my division… for my championship. You can bring up my past all you’d like, and I can promise, you aren’t the first one to do so, but do you really think that I’m not familiar with the losses I’ve endured? This isn’t some fantasy game to me, this is my life’s work at the end of the day, so every loss that I face is on me, bit-by-bit, every failure tarnishes the legacy I’m trying to build, and if it continues, everything that I’ve put myself through, all that I’ve sacrificed — it won’t matter in the slightest. Why do you think this championship is so important to me? This company is everything to me, and this belt represents my dedication to it, and for the past half a decade, I’ve put my entire heart-and-soul into this sport, not for my own benefit, but to leave a lasting impact that'll last a lifetime. But still, whether you’d like to admit it or not, you’re here trying to take my spot, just because this sport hasn’t been kind to you lately — welcome to the club.  In only the last couple of months, I’ve put my body through unimaginable torture, simply to ensure that neither Jason Long or JD Damon of The Tribunal could get their hands on this title, nor to take away what I’ve rightfully earned — and that’s a spot on Final Destination V.

So don’t tell me that I’m not ready. I’ve BEEN ready.

If you’re not starting to get it, allow me to elaborate, I was ready the moment I stepped inside of the squared circle, this is all I know, Chris, and it has taken me setback after setback, to prepare me for a battle of a lifetime — and it ends with you. Frankly, I don’t have any other choice, you might understand the importance of this match for yourself, but that’s because, you’ve been on top of the mountain once before, you’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve found the respect of your peers, you’ve overcome the best of the best, and are now known as one of the Best In The World, but I’ll tell you something — you know nothing about the importance of this bout for me. I can assure you that this isn’t a win-win scenario for me, simply sharing the ring with you is something I did once dream of, but right now, we’re far past dreams, and this is as real as it gets. And the reality is, if you’re able to beat me, your legacy only continues, you've been able to rewrite your first mistake in this promotion, and you finally capture what’s always eluded you in your career. But, where does that leave me? It leaves me completely empty inside. If I were to fail on a big stage once again, against yet another elite-level competitor, I might not be looked at any worse, but there’s no way that I’m put in a brighter light — and that’s not what I represent, not at this stage.

From the day I stepped foot into this company, I’ve never wanted to be anything less than the best, and failing in the biggest moment of my career, there wouldn’t be any gratitude on my part. To some, they might be content with coming up short against someone who’s perceived as someone miles ahead of him in terms of longevity, but that’s not me, I’m not going to be a helping hand in your quest to gold… to MY GOLD — that’s not what I joined this line of work for. I don’t envision myself as any other ordinary name, someone who’s just there to allow those who came before me to have their last moment in the sun, enough of that shit. There’s never been a moment where I’ve wanted to be freed of being the champion, I’ve carried this title with the utmost of honor for over 150 days, taking on all comers, who want this title, who have the desire to rip it away from my possession — but do you know what they all have in common? None of them have succeeded.

…And you won’t be the man to do it, either.

Admittedly, I’m aware of how much you want this, you even crave it to a certain degree, with the only thing left in your mind is to become a champion once again. However, After failing to do so twice in a matter of months, I can’t fault you for that, but you know what I can absolutely fault you for? Thinking that the third time will be a charm. You’ve been given chance after chance to alter your situation, to fix what you’ve lost, but you’ve chosen the wrong route to travel on. Y’see, just because you’ve run out of options, that makes you think that you’re going to do it at my expense? Not if I have any say about it. You chased after the wrong man, the wrong championship… and on the wrong night.

You don’t know anything about hunger. In your definition, you believe it’s a last resort because all of your other options have failed, but that’s not it, not at all. True hunger is when you realize it’s your only shot, your only opportunity, and if you manage to miss — you’re shit out of luck. Which is why when you speak of your past failures at Clash and Burning Spirit, I understand the significance behind it, but not even for a moment, will it take me out of my mindset — which is proving once and for all that I belong. And if there was any hunger within you, even if it was deep inside, you would've found a way to ensure victory, but instead you lost TWICE…to the same man. It’s not because you weren’t good enough, and not even because DT was all that much better, but simply because your head isn’t in the game, and if we’re being honest, it hasn’t been in a very long time — but once again, that’s not my damn issue. But you know what is? Making sure you realize who’s division this truly is.

Final Destination is the single most important night in my career thus far, and there’s no way that I’m allowing it to end with me on my backside, staring at the lights, without a victory in sight. At the end of the day, I’m not coming to Philly to be taught a lesson by anyone, you aren’t my mentor, you’re just yet another competitor trying to unseat me as champion — and it won’t stand. I won’t be known as your last step to redefining yourself, to redeeming your character, and finally escaping the rut you yourself have been put in. You want to try and relieve me of my duties as champion? Feel free, Chris. But it’s now my job to keep you away from this part of the story, and continuing my reign, by defeating one of the best — in order to BECOME the best.

Next weekend I’ll solidify my legacy.

I’ll do it in spite of my family, of all of those who have chosen to doubt me, and you…

This is your last dance, make sure your laces are real tight.

I want to make it clear as Final Destination 5 is approaching, my resolve is getting bigger and stronger. Winning the Immortal Heavyweight Title is what I want to do. Extending my FD winning streaks is another thing I want to do. Trying to live up as a “legend” as people call me that recently, is another thing that makes me want to get the happy ending at FD 5.

But all I've been saying is "what I want to do".

That's what I want but can I do it all? Can I accomplish all the goals I'm trying to achieve at FD 5? Especially looking at our stipulation, the Wrath of the Gods ThunderDome? The match where I was eliminated first before?

Let me say first that there's 4 dangerous areas in this structure: Warzone, Inferno, Zeus, and Glasshouse. You fall on one or even all of them, you'll get hurt. Potentially an injury or even ending our careers. That's why it's called the Wrath of the Gods ThunderDome isn't it?

I failed to win the first ever ThunderDome match and that's why I know how dangerous it is.

Obviously I'm not a Superman, but in my career as a pro wrestler, I've done a lot of dangerous matches, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but the moral of the story is, I'm still here. I'm still performing as a constant presence and I'm actually heading this match to win the Immortal Heavyweight Title as one of the healthiest competitors in this match. I'm 100% fine tune-in right now and this is why I said I have an advantage to win this match.

Some are also as healthy as mine of course and others are not so much which would put them into a disadvantage, but I know things are not going to be easy. I have said it I have the strongest and logical reason why I'm here but others are also fighting to be the Immortal Heavyweight Champion. RIP still wants to be the Champ too.

But I'm also fighting for my goals and the thing is, I don't need to hold myself back. I'm ready to do all I can to be the Champ and that's included delaying or even stopping their respective goals at FD 5.

After all, they made their decision to be in this match, so even if I have to hurt their respective feelings, I'm sorry, but I'm more than willing to do that because everyone knew this is where I was going to be ever since Clash of Titans. They chose to get into my way and I'm willing to give them the consequences by becoming the Immortal Heavyweight Champion.

Ever since they found a way to get the title stay on RIP, I know one thing: That I'm already on a higher level than I was before. They know I can't be stopped under normal circumstances. That's why Jaywalker manipulated Ryo to be a stupid angry kid once again. That's why the third owner convinced both Brandon and Mark Michaels to get into this match. That's why Dampshaw chose to cash-in his Icarus Title because both Dampshaw and Presscott know, if he is by himself, Prescott can't stop me. Hell, he already failed at Clash of Titans. Him, Dampshaw, and Brandon actually.

This is why I don't want to lose and why I can't back down right now.

I didn't need to be manipulated and I didn't need some convincing. I know where I stand, I know where I wanted to be, I know this is where I belong, and this is what I have wanted to do since the beginning: to win the Immortal Heavyweight Title.

What I mean by "beginning" is not even since Clash of Titans 2023. What I mean is since I joined OWA. I don't have the best natural abilities so I know it's going to be a long process for me to win an OWA World Title and FD 5 is the best event to finally win the Immortal Heavyweight Title. This is where I'm going to make a statement that "I'm your World Champion''. I could have made that statement earlier if Tree Commas Club didn't pull off their agenda on me where I would have been heading to FD 5 as your Immortal Heavyweight Champion, but now I can have a more impactful story and inspired others guys that as long as you don't give up, no matter how long will it take, you can win the big one eventually.

So what would I do if I fail to win the Immortal Heavyweight Title at FD? I'll just keep fighting to be on the top like usual because I don't want to stop nor I can't be stopped. People can beat me, people can find a way to delay things for me but they can't stop my desires. I'm always ready for a fight to reach my goals.

And this is FD, the biggest OWA event, possibly in our business today and this is where I want to complete my scenario where I become the Immortal Heavyweight Champion and also make it 4-0 at FD. To be the "Mr. Final Destination" where I also continue my perception of me as a legend as people already claimed me to be.

I understand a record is meant to be broken, Mark Michaels, but there is no limit where the record would be broken. I know my FD streaks can be broken, but I have no intentions of breaking it now. Especially with the Immortal Heavyweight Title also on the line. I don't forget my previous FD matches, otherwise, why would I bring up my FD streaks record in the first place, Mark? Why did I mention "I retained my title, I won a title, and I pinned one of my opponents"? I let Teddy Mac pin one of our opponents at FD 2 because I was and am the veteran and he was a newcomer at that time. I let him pin our opponents because he needed it more than I did. I already established my name long before that and I was giving Teddy Mac a chance to get some recognition. What happened when he decided to betray me? Teddy Mac is no longer in OWA right now because he challenged me to a career on the line match and I beat him. I personally said "you're fired" to Teddy Mac because he wanted to put his career on the line and that was my farewell to him. He thought he was better than me and that's what happened to him when he arrogantly challenged me. So no, I wasn't riding Teddy Mac's coattails, he was riding mine and that's where you are wrong. Once at the moment. I clearly said "I pinned one of my opponents" because that's what I did at FD 4. Unlike Teddy Mac, Cage was and is already a veteran and unlike Teddy Mac where me and Teddy only defended our tag belts because it was our duty , that tag match with Cage was a personal one and I pinned one of my opponents because Bad Boy Know and Maggall decided to mess with me first. Now that's where you are wrong…twice, Mark. I still don't agree with the words of "riding the coattails" but I'll play your game. Well, first off, you were also riding The Awakenings' coattails too and what happened? You lost your title…to me. Noah Quinn lost. Eon Blue lost. Where are they right now? Eon Blue made his return but he got hurted not long after. Noah Quinn hasn't made a presence for a long time ever since his last match. I "rid Reigner's and Liz's coattails" and where are they right now? Noah Reigner made his return, ready as ever and is in the American Dream Title match and Liz Karlson is preparing for a Deathmatch. Funny thing was, you, Eon, and Quinn were a unit and yet, The Awakening still lost at FD 2. But it wasn't riding a coattail, it was simply the GM put the three of us to take on The Awakening and we did the job. And the best part is, you begged for me, Reigner, and Liz not to hurt you at FD 2. At least Eon and Noah Quinn tried. I know right now this is a match for ourselves, hell, I already stated why I want to win the Immortal Heavyweight Title and I was the first one out of all of us stating why I want to win this match. Congratulations on making it to the Final Destination poster despite you being out for a month, whoever is in charge of making the poster needs to remind the fans you're back to OWA and you're not the only one in there anyway, so if it isn't from my spotlight, certainly from somebody else. I don't need to be in a poster. Everyone knows who I am. Every cheer that follows me for countless years is proof of that. You get cheers too Mark and that's a great thing, but I have been getting a lot of cheers longer than you do. Much longer. And don't get my words twisted, when I asked you why not join the brawl, I mean why it wasn't at Clash of Titans? Oh, because in your words, "you gave me a World Title". You counted for me which I'm thankful for, but I already told you that I already did beat Prescott before you even showed up. He was saved by Reginald Dampshaw III indeed, but that was the moment where I knew I beat him. This is why you said it's better to talk to the wall than talk to me because unfortunately, you're not capable of critical thinking, Mark. Or maybe sometimes you don't even remember the things you said before. You said, "time for talking is over" in your very first video, but apparently you bothered to make a second one? If it's better to talk to the wall than talking to me, you wouldn't bother to make a second video. Or at least you wouldn't talk about me in this second video. But why did you do it? It's another case you want to be in my spotlight isn't it? And I don't get your logic at all, Mark. You will drop your last blood and last breath at Final Destination 5……so if you are out of blood and breath, how could you fight Darkane and Lazarus Arjen afterward? I mean, I know I most likely will be bleeding too and I'm more than ready to use everything I have to win this match, but if there is no tomorrow, what's the point? That's why I said I'm looking forward to the day after Final Destination 5 is over where people see me as the Immortal Heavyweight Champion as long as I can. And if it's going to be between you and me as the last two, you want to make sure you beat me because you're a King and I'm a Knight? Well, Knights always fight, Kings always sit down. Not in your case, Mark, you obviously can and know how to fight, but to borrow King Arthur's quote, "a King is only as strong as his Knights". Obviously I'm not your Knight but King Arthur implied no Kings is better than his Knights and I'm going to prove it to you at Final Destination 5 as the new Immortal Heavyweight Champion.

Now first off, I did give you credit for beating me, Brandon Hendrix. As a matter of fact, I said you were waking me up after I lost to you. I remember you challenged for the Immortal Heavyweight Title at Civil War but don't forget, everyone, myself included, did challenge for not only the Immortal Heavyweight Title, but also the Icarus and Apex Title at Civil War day one before you did challenge Elijah Hampton at the second day. Fast forward to Clash of Titans where you were a Tree Commas guy. Definitely a month or so after you beat me. I was able to fight you back even when I apparently wasn't 100%. Now, I'm not underestimating you at all, it just happened. I was motivated at Clash of Titans and now I have even more fuel to go to Final Destination 5 to win the Immortal Heavyweight Title. Now, Hendrix, you certainly helped me but it wasn't your intention. Your intention was to hit me. After all, you said it to Prescott yourself that even if you managed to create a successful Mafia organization, you never wanted to throw Prescott over. So yes, one: I think indirectly, I helped you to open your eyes and grow your balls by dodging your spear and two: If not because of me dodging your spear, you wouldn't be in this match at all. Long before this, you said you wanted to stay at Tree Commas Club after your trial. I did you a favor too. That one miscalculation spear was the key factor of changing your way and it was all because of me, Hendrix. And now you know how stubborn I was at Clash of Titans, somehow still managed to get an upper hand over you and Prescott with my broken body, and again, that was me with a broken body. Now I'm 100% fine, both physically and mentally. You'll give me a tough fight as usual for sure, maybe more than ever, that's for sure, but respectfully, if you want to hit me with a spear again, I'm more than willing to give you a Clash of Titans Dejavu and hit you with an Attitude Adjustments….again.

I want to say "thank you" to Reginald Dampshaw III for confirming where he stands. So you're not going to be Presscott's second fiddle? Well, either way, I do think I can stop you. I have done it….countless times, so that's why I have the right to be so arrogant to you right now, Dampshaw. I do know how tough you are and yes, I need to give my focus to you too because otherwise, you'd be able to manage to cause some damage to me. If I don't give you my focus, I wouldn't be able to stop your goals. You got my words that I will give you my focus which I always intend to do…and that's not a good thing for you, Dampshaw. Everytime I gave you my focus, I always managed to beat you. Don't worry, you're not a hurricane, you're not a lion, you're Reginald Dampshaw III and you're someone that I managed to stop before and I'll do it again in this match where I beat you and the other guys to win the Immortal Heavyweight Champion.

Finally, I heard things from Remington Ivory Prescott. I think you're afraid of me and that's why you forgot something. I'm one out of two original World's Finest members since Wrestleworld days. But I get it you were never in Wrestleworld but I already rejoined World's Finest in OWA before Clash of Titans. I joined them before I beat you. You were the ones that always cried to the three owners. No wonder why Brandon Hendrix turned on you. No wonder why Reginald Dampshaw III isn't 100% protecting your ass. And the list goes on. Maybe everyone loves me but everybody hates you. Everyone wants a piece of you. Yes, this is most likely the last time we're going to do this where I want to prove to you that I was, am, and always be better than you, Prescott and I think deep down you realize I'm better than you. Ever since Clash of Titans obviously. Yes, I do think I'm better than you. If you think you're better than me, you would ask me for a rematch and fight me like a man instead of pulling the stunt you and Tree Commas Club did. You said I need attitude adjustments? Well, you need ass-kicking after everything you did to the Immortal Heavyweight Title. You never won it in the first place. You carved up Elijah Hampton after he beat you fair and square. You attacked Carlos Rosso when he was still making his entrances when he challenged you. And you managed to "retain" against me because of an agenda. No, you're the worst OWA World Champion that I know. You're disgusting. You want to prove people wrong heading on to this match, but it's too late for now, Prescott. Everyone in this match wants to kick your ass, including Dampshaw even if it's just business from his part. You're certainly tainted the Immortal Heavyweight Title with every shenanigans you and Tree Commas Club did but it's going to be over at Final Destination 5 where that will be your final destination as the Immortal Heavyweight Title. I'm ready to take that belt from you…once again. At this structure, I don't think anybody else from Tree Commas Club could save you. Not even Dampshaw. You only have yourself to depend on, Prescott. But you're not going to deal with God's Wrath. You're just going to deal with mine. You need to deal with my Wrath. This is what I've been waiting for and FD 5 is where your shenanigans stop.

I don't forget you, Ryo Sakazaki. I'll say it again. It's hard for you to understand things. You're stupid because if you're actually angry at Cloud Matsuda, you'd ask to be in the American Dream Title match instead. But you're here, so I'm ready to give you another hard lesson. You can tap-out to me once again, or maybe you'll be knocked out 1-2-3. Either way, you're not ready for this match, Ryo.

I'll win this match to become the new Immortal Heavyweight Champion and cement myself as "Mr. Final Destination" with 4-0 winning streaks.

“The week leading up to Final Destination is always a fascinating one. Amusing, too, due to many factors, such as fragile egos being on full display and reputations being challenged from every which way. And the bickering — it becomes excessive, while the tension and drama only continue to build. With what’s on the line for most of us, it only makes sense. Because of how important an event Final Destination is, you notice a change in a lot of people’s demeanors around here as they walk on pins and needles. Being anxious, nervous, whatever you want to call it. And they try to suppress the outside noise with their go-to routine and treat it like any other week. But it’s not. They become more focused. And hopeful, that they’ll either continue their winning ways or turn their luck around. They walk with confidence and purpose. Their voice has more bass to it. And their words have a little more substance to them — or so they think. They give more effort. And they floor it into a second gear. And once Final Destination is all over, they go back to resting on their laurels. Meanwhile, I’m in that gear 24/7, no matter what the event is or how many people are in the arena or who my opponent is or who my opponentSSSSSS are, I’m going to bring it and I’m going to leave it all out in that ring. Every. Single. Motherfucking. Time. I don’t know how to give any less. Nor do I know how to not care. Could the same be said about my opponents? We both know the answer to that. While on the topic of my opponents, truth be told, I’ve known for quite some time that it would be the four of us at Final Destination. One way or another, it was bound to happen. I think Senn saw a different variation of this going down at first. Most likely us teaming up against the 7th Ward for the tag team championships. But I kinda shot that idea down with the quickness. Because in case you haven’t realized by now, I don’t really fuck with the dude. Don’t really fuck with Darkane or Lazarus either. And that’s probably the second biggest reason as to why I decided to tag along in this match at the last second. To squabble with some enemies. It’s always a fun time. And I want to hurt them. Bad. And at Final Destination, I get to do exactly that." 

"As for the first? The stipulation. It’s what swayed me into making this a four-way dance — and that is of course Belial’s soulstone. I want that shit, only to destroy it. Becoming the number one contender for the Immortal Heavyweight Championship would be the cherry on top, no doubt. But I believe wholeheartedly and even half or a third-heartedly, I could get that regardless in the near future — even with TCC’s three owners calling the shots. I always find a way. Besides, having that soulstone, it pretty much guarantees a world title reign. Just look at the blueprint that Jacob laid out. And because of that, I can’t afford for that stone to fall in the wrong hands for a second time. Or I guess third time? Eon had it at some point, I think, right? Doesn’t matter, if he did, he didn’t do shit with it. But we have seen what Jacob has done with it. And what he’s become. A gutless tyrant ruling over Olympus with an iron fist. Or to overly simplify it, a bitch. A Charmin soft, baby-back bitch. Holding the world title hostage for months and months. Don’t really feel like living through that era again. It was a chore to sit through. So let’s keep that chapter closed. And if Darkane or Lazarus got a hold of it, not much would be different. They too would use the stone for their own selfish gain because — well, because it’s Laz and Darkane, the fuck? Not caring who they hurt along the way, as long as they are on top, they are satisfied. And if that’s the case, it would be game over. I, on the other hand, don’t want it. I don’t want Belial by my side. Or anyone’s side. I see what happens when he engulfs a soul and makes the host his own. Fortunately, I was able to live through it and am able to tell the tale. Barely. Yeah, so like I said, I kinda want it gone. Only this time, for good. Because that stone brings nothing of value, really. Think about it, if you really need to rely on Belial and his spooky supernatural powers to get you over the hump, instead of sticking to your own talent, just admit you’re not good enough, that it’s a skill issue — or for some in this match, admit you’re not as good as you once were, and move on.”

“You could have an endless debate over who needs to win this match the most. Maybe even get Skip and Stephen A. involved. But for Senn, to sum it up in one brief sentence, it’s to return to his nearly unstoppable and untouchable ways of ruling an entire brand under his thumb, whether he wants to admit it or not. For Darkane, ditto for the most part, since he hasn’t really been doing much these days, given his once-in-a-generation talent. For myself, to protect Olympus from Belial. Because I feel like there are some people out there that are either downplaying his impact, or just flat-out forgot about the destruction and the stack of bodies that he left in his wake. And then there’s you, Laz, the least proven of the bunch and that’s not really a knock against you. You’re up against former world champions. Guys who put this brand on their backs. And still are. Stepping up while the current champ has done fuck all really. And I’m well aware that you aren’t in this for the titles or even victories. I said as much the last time I spoke about you and you reiterated the point yourself. You want to shave years off of people’s careers and lives. You want people to fear your name and presence. And live rent-free in their heads for decades to come. But — at the same time, at a certain point you should want more. Not for just yourself, but for these ‘misfits’ you proudly represent. Because from what you’ve shown, some could argue that you’ve already peaked this early on in your OWA career. Becoming stagnant. Or I guess, waiting. Waiting for the bigger picture to be unveiled. Because you think your day is finally coming! And the world as we know it, will end. Just like Y2K and 2012."

"You view yourself as some leader. As the leader of rats. But you’ve been stuck in your little maze since you’ve gotten here. You’ve made some progress here and there. Some moments that people talk about — but the focus usually shifts toward the other person, rather than yourself. Darkane, Elijah Hampton, Mark Michaels. And how they would respond, rather than what you would do next. Because we already know what there is to know about Laz. Him and his lead pipe trick. It’s been shown one time too many. If it ain’t broke — I guess. Then again, you’ve done plenty of damage with it. You’ve damaged bones, you’ve killed dreams — mine included. It’s true, you’ve weakened me — but you haven’t broken me. And we both know you never will. Because I keep coming back. And I keep passing you by — then again, you were never once ahead of me, whether I have a clean bill of health or not. I come from The Dynasty, so it should come as no surprise that one of my main focuses is championships. It’s the competitor in me. I want the biggest prize. I want the main events. I want the legacy. That’s what keeps me going. Even with everything I’ve accomplished, I want more. And this goes back to you wanting more. You want that power. You want that soulstone. And that’s so on-brand for you because you always need that boost to help you get ahead. Whether it be a peer or a weapon. You need that advantage to even the playing field for yourself. But even then, you’ve shown that’s not enough to get you over the hump. That’s why you need this win. And that’s why you need Belial. Because unlike yourself, Jacob has shown he can get it done on his own. So has Darkane. So has myself. The jury is still out when it comes to you, Laz. Maybe one day that changes. And that’s all you have for the time being. Your maybes, your what ifs. Clutch onto those. Daydream away about your bigger picture. But the irony is that the bigger picture has never included you.”

“To some, it might seem as though I’ve been down on my luck. When nah, luck has never had anything to do with it. I didn’t luck my way into OWA. I didn’t luck my way into The Dynasty. And I didn’t luck my way into my two Immortal Heavyweight Championship reigns. I earned that shit. By being in the lab, day in and day out, improving. Physically and mentally. But — even I know I haven’t been my sharpest. I’ve set a high standard for myself and I haven’t been meeting it. I’ve been in my own head and as a result, off my game. But even on an off night, I like my chances against anyone that OWA has to offer. I’ve been open about my frustrations. With myself mainly, but with the brand I’ve bled buckets for as well. Feeling as though I’ve been in a loop. One moment it’s Project Smile, then it’s Tres Comas Club. One moment it’s Rich Gatsby, then it’s Remington Ivory Prescott. One moment it’s the 7th Ward, then it’s — nah, it’s still the 7th Ward. At least they’ve been consistent in that regard. Point is, it’s all the same, even if their names are different. And for the longest, I’ve kept it bottled up, deep inside. I just kept my head down, rolled with the punches, and chugged away. But then — then Jacob Senn appeared out of thin air, to match the hot air in his head, and uncorked the anger that was always there. Seeing his face, listening to his ‘I’m a new me’ speech, the same speech he’s used countless times since he’s been back — it was the final straw. And all I’ve seen is red ever since. And hopefully, I’ll see even more red at Final Destination when I drench the canvas with their blood and smear the w— yeah, I need to relax a bit. Much like Darkane has been relaxing — for most of this season. And it’s puzzling. It’s still the same Darkane. He’s still one of the best in the entire world. Many may even have him number one overall and it’s not a controversial opinion by any means. And yet, I feel as though he’s been collecting dust for months. The dust belonging to the dead division he’s chained himself to. Maybe he’s just biding his time. Because holding the tag titles ain’t it — shit, they’re not even on the line at the biggest show, because most of the three rosters have something better to do. And the APEX World Championship wasn’t it either."

"But, this was the choice you made. Joining Laz at the hip. It was a no-brainer, right? No seriously, no brain was present when you made that decision. But it’s because you guys get each other. You know what the other is thinking. You finish each other’s sentences. You’re soulmates we get it. As long as you’re content, then more power to you. Power. It hangs in the balance at Final Destination. Power. It’s what Belial would give to you if you were to win the soulstone and choose to use it. We’ve made our intentions known and where we stand. Or have we? Maybe, some of us haven’t been as truthful. Because there are a few loose cannons in this match. And some of y’all are convinced that I’m slowly becoming one of them. Acting as though I’ve been struggling to keep my composure as my inner demons, which I thought I drowned, were able to swim above the surface. Maybe Laz isn’t the only one that’s been playing the long game. Just waiting. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Maybe I’m not some clean-cut, aww shucks goody two-shoes angel. Maybe, much like Belial, I’m a demon on demon timing. It’s as if some of you forgot how I used to act on Kingdom. When I was teaming with Shea. When I was in the Ashes of the Wake. I wasn’t too popular because I didn’t make popular decisions. I did what was best for me. Anything that would get me ahead, I did. To make my life and career easier. Belial would check all those boxes for the old, or who knows, maybe the REAL, Elijah. With Belial, I would no longer have to worry about TCC. I would no longer have to worry about the 7th Ward. I would no longer have to worry about Jacob Senn. Look at what I’ve accomplished on my own — now imagine what Elijah Hampton and Belial could do together. But there’s no way I would actually go through with it — right? I haven’t given off the vibe that I’m slowly becoming fed up. Nope, not at all. Just like the fact that some of the fans were actually booing me for not showing Jacob fucking Senn of all people, mercy, during our strap match, totally hasn’t been on my mind ever since. I’m not spiraling out of control. I’m good. I’m chillin. I’m going to destroy the soulstone. And that’s that…”

“The bigger picture is something that all four parties in this match have been chirping about.   But we seem to be framing it differently. Given our values and motivations, it’s to be expected. Just like Jacob and I being on completely different pages is to be expected. Shhhhiiiit, we ain’t even in the same book or the same series, but it is what it is. Earlier today, or I guess yesterday by the time this video gets posted, you thought you did something, didn’t you? I can tell. I can tell you were really proud of yourself by attempting to turn the tables on me. Me personally, I have no problem with flipping that bitch over completely so I can hear you a little clearer. Because truth be told, you didn’t say much of anything. If we boiled down your main counterpoint, it would just be a ‘no you.’ Right? That I’m the one that needs to move on, while you try to make me out as this hypocrite. Perhaps at times, I am. Everyone can be a little hypocritical. Even me. But when it comes to this match? Not really. This is going to come as a shock to you — but our situation isn’t just black and white. And it isn’t just about you either, while you desperately want it to be. When I see you walk the halls, does my jaw clench? Do my fists ball up? Sure. I don’t particularly like you. I don’t like you being around. But you aren’t the only one that I have problems with. If anything Jacob, you overrate the impact you have in my daily life. Because if I truly hated you with every fiber of my being — and it’s close, to the point I wanted to get rid of the Senn problem — I woulda chopped a little off the top when we faced each other for the Immortal Heavyweight Championship with that sword. But I didn’t. In that moment, while you pleaded for your life — I saw a former mentor. A former friend. And I spared you simply because I don’t know what it’s like to have Belial be my dark passenger while driving on the track that we call life. I don’t know if he had full control like this is Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ or if it was a 50/50 partnership. You still made the decision for him to be a part of you in the beginning, though. But Belial — that’s the reason why I’m in this match. Just earlier in this message I talked about the two biggest reasons why I threw my hat in the ring. Belial is the biggest one. Therefore, when it comes to the grand scheme of things, I’m not in this match because of your betrayal, Jacob. This isn’t about The Dynasty either. Those are all small potatoes. Because while it’s true I don’t know what it’s like to have Belial be a piece of my fabric, I know what it’s like to face him. The physical toll it took on my body. Wounds that still haven’t recovered. And probably never will. Because of my encounter with Belial and potentially yourself, I’ve come to terms that I sacrificed many years of my prime to overcome him or the both of you at Boiling Point. And I don’t think you fully understand that. You can say you do, but you don’t. And yet, I have no regrets. While you live with enough for the both of us. Or so you say. I stepped up back then while the vast majority of the roster cowered in fear. And I’m going to do it again, by getting rid of the stone that you brought back for whatever dumb fucking reason — but this time, it’ll be for good.”

“Heh, you’re kidding, right?”


“What makes you think that I am?”


“I mean, you have to be. Why would you bring that up this soon after I just got you back?”


“Well, I’ve been doing some thinking. I know we agreed to settle down with the ones we agreed to-“


“Which is what I want-“


“But, before you do, you have to go through with this one. Especially after that misunderstanding you told me about.”


“You just want the juicy details, don’t you?”


“Yes. So, before you win us another world title baby, go and finish what you started. Finish-“


“No.”


“The-“


“No!”


“Story!”


“Ugh. I didn’t think my own wife was this corny. So, just to reiterate before we cross the line of no return, you’re okay with this?”


“She’s your hall pass. Why wouldn’t I?”


“Alright. I’ll…reach out. If she falls for me, then I gotta be responsible for that, which means we add another one to the fold.”


“I’m willing to take that chance. I was rescued from corrupt billionaires by my crime fighting wrestling wife. Life is kind of wild right now.”


“So…”


“Yeah. You and her. Finally. And I want to know everything.”


“Ugh, I hate you.”


“Love you more.”


“I don’t know if she’s even into women. Could be the influence of that ‘thing’.”


“Can she separate that…from her?”


“I think so.”


“So go for it. This is my reward to you, baby. Before you make all the other girls cry, go put a smile on this one’s face.”


“You know what? I think I will, sweets.”





When I started the season at the Odyssey commentary desk, I didn’t think for one moment I’d be ending the season competing for the American Dream Championship on the Olympus brand. Then again, I thought my wrestling days were done. Then, an old flame left a gift. Ironically enough, that “gift” wasn’t given out of goodwill, but a string of events led to the healing of my condition working out in my favor. I couldn't pass up this second chance at establishing my legacy. I had the likes of FTM challenging the legitimacy of my career - hell my very ethnicity. We butted heads, got screwed over in a tag match, and ruined any chance of becoming two-time tag team champions. I wanted to separate myself from that so I decided to explore the uncharted mountains of Olympus.

And then…The Deviones decided to appear with their bullshit. 

April and I didn’t ask to get pulled into that first American Dream Championship match. After the actions of the Ghost Organization, I was more than happy to leave everything behind me. My time in Wrestleworld taught me to be a hero - when I need to - but I’m no hero. I try my best to do the right thing, but when push comes to shove, I’ll do whatever it takes to win. I’m a competitor, a champion. When Ally McDevastation decided to pull me back into his bullshit, I thought I needed to become a people’s champion to get the job done. And guess what? It worked! I won the American Dream for a second time, and thanks to Scott Oasis, that win became my seventh title win and my second world championship win in OWA, an accolade shared only by a handful of people.

Rebecca Filth.

Azumi Goto.

Jacob Senn.

Noah Reigner.

And technically, yours truly.

In the history of OWA, only five people have reached this far on the path to immortality. This doesn’t take away from other people’s accomplishments. Chris Sabertooth and Jeff X will likely go down as KIngdom’s most accomplished warriors. Diantha Rosso will be celebrated as Odyssey’s greatest women’s wrestler.

Despite me being the only woman she can’t take a title from.

I could’ve stayed away. I could’ve stepped away when Tres Comas Club made their demands. I could’ve kept Monica safe by doing what the enemy wanted. But, alas I wouldn’t be me.

My wife knows this.

My allies understand it.

And my fans? They understand it. 

It’s these three factors that keep me from second-guessing my decisions. The three things that helped me lay out a plan to take down Tres Comas and get everybody what they wanted. And now, with my wife safe and Allesandro against the ropes, I can go back to my regularly scheduled program of being a goddamn pro wrestler. I didn’t want to challenge for the AD Championship at first. While I wanted Ally’s head on a silver platter, I had my eyes on the Immortal Heavyweight Championship. But then I remembered something.

This asshole kicked my wife while she was down. He and his cronies abused her for their amusement. Now my wife told me she didn’t want dead lives on my hands, so I’ll grant her request of letting you live, Allesandro. But know and understand this:

I’m kicking your ass and taking back MY American Dream Championship.

I don’t give a fuck if my own allies are in my way. I appreciate what The Corsairs and Emmanuelle have done for me. And for that, I’m giving them a chance of a lifetime. Emmanuelle gets a chance to win her first world title in OWA, Graham his second, and Noah…if you win this, you’d be the only wrestler in OWA history to win three different OWA world titles. I’ll be blunt: I hate that we’re at this crossroads right now, sweets. I respect the fuck out of the Corsairs and everything you’ve brought to the table. The two of you take over every promotion you’ve ever walked into and it took the combined efforts of Aria Jaxon and myself to take the SSW Tag Team Championships off you in what many call the greatest tag match ever. Despite the respect I have for Emmy and the Corsairs, I can’t let anyone else but I walk out of there with the title. Despite what the World’s Finest have accomplished, I‘m riding into this match with only one mission: to win. Forget about being the hero or the leader of Olympus’ last line of defense. Everyone did what they were supposed to do.

Now that we’re here, let me talk to ya. Ally, I’m addressing you first. Your ego has grown to astronomical levels. You and your father walked through these halls thinking you couldn’t be touched - But that’s actually what you wanted people to think. I’m familiar with your game, Ally. You drill that whole “Dream” bit into people’s heads until they can’t associate that title with anything else. That’s your whole brand. It’s your fucking identity and outside of that red, white, and blue strap, you have nothing else to show for anything except for that accursed sapphire briefcase that you traded for with Jacob Senn. Do you know who puts hands on someone’s wife? A fucking punk-ass bitch whose claim to fame is getting fucked up by at least two Asian women half his size twice a year. (Asian accent) “Is that good Mr. Devione? Love you long time Mr. Devione. A kick in your little dick Mr. Devione, sir!?” Pfft, and to think I wanted to respect the work you put in when we had that triple-threat match. Then again, any rich kid could probably hold his own after his parents enroll them in enough karate classes. You’re obsessed with this idea of an “American Dream” like some billionaire’s son getting his own promotion and treating it like some Discord efed: it’s the only thing you have. Outside of it, what do you have!? NOTHING. Nothing else to make you stand apart from your peers because it’d take actual work, blood, sweat, and tears to accomplish what the rest of us have! I can say that everyone else in this match has earned their place in this match. And as much as I wish I was on the sidelines rooting for them, I find myself in the difficult position of ruining their dreams. It won’t be easy - Reigner is a fucking maverick. Emmanuelle is a fighting prodigy. And Graham!? HE’S LITERAL FUCKING DEATH! But, that won’t deter me. I’ve beaten my fair share of prodigies, mavericks, and death gods. I’ve seen things most normal people have not, and you know what? That shit excites me. I wouldn’t trade this life for anyone. Neither would my wife who had her own well-being put in danger by some weak ass ninjas who can’t step to me like real men. Because in my eyes?

Real men are few and far in-between.

That must be why I didn’t marry one, huh? Maybe it's because I’m the realest man I know. Yeah, let’s put that on the record. Mon and I knew the risks when I talked to her about coming back. Yeah, she was mad at me and I slept on the couch for a week. But as time went on, she realized why I had unfinished business. I spent nearly fifteen years establishing a legacy in this business. And at the end of OWA Season 4…it felt weird It felt like something was forcing me to retire - which of course was my condition at the time. I didn’t end things on my terms. Just like Tres Comas wanted me to back away on their terms. My career has been filled with people trying to tell me what to do. Male producers who thought they knew how female wrestlers should be, female veterans, telling me I should “wait my turn”, and of course the big bads of the community telling me to “stand down” when I don’t “play my role”. Nah, this ain’t that kind of story. This is the tale of the second coming of The Sky Queen. This is the second half of my career where I become the best to ever do it while keeping wrestling as a place where those who live life on the edge can make a living. The business has maintained its carny roots over the years, and there’s nothing I can do to eliminate it. But what I can do, the one thing I do have control over, is go into that ring and win. And my chances? While not perfect, I’m feeling very confident.

Emmanuelle, you spent the better part of this year trying to build something while I was watching from the sidelines. I’m sorry things fell apart with Ty and maybe you see getting your shot at Ally and my title as a way to move on. But alas, sweets you have the unfortunate luck of standing in my way. Em…this isn’t just a match for me. It’s the culmination of a saga whose book should’ve stayed closed. I need to tie this knot sweets, and it’d be all for nothing if you win what was originally mine in the first place. A title I’ve fought over nearly died over, almost lost my wife over. I can’t imagine what you must’ve felt when Ty turned on you, but I can understand his frustrations. From the beginning, he communicated his feelings to you and Sena, but either of you properly addressed his concerns. This was a young man at a major crossroads, but yet you were ineffective.  This is more of an observation instead of a judgment because I’m no angel myself. I’ve gotten my students in situations they should’ve never been involved in. But yet, I found a way to bring everyone home. I think what I’m trying to say Emmanuelle is that you could benefit from more meditation. Listen to your inner voice because right now your eyes are bigger than your stomach, chasing after gold that isn’t yours. You’re a side character in my story - something I didn’t intentionally do to you, sweets. In fact, you’ve been a side character in everyone’s story. From Tyler to Sena, and everyone else in between. When has Emmanuelle existed for herself? You have so much potential Em, but it’s wasted on pointless pursuits. You have a great career, but as of lately, it seems like you’ve been a special guest in everyone’s life.

I don’t want a special guest Emmanuelle, I want a a challenge. This is something I can expect the Corsairs to give. Graham, it’s funny how fans associate us with each other in our respective tag teams. We are the heavies of Corsairs and Queens of Wrestling respectively, which means we’re built to take the same level of punishment that we dish out. You and I are destined to have smash-mouth-level matches against powerful opponents and epic tag matches with our destined partners. What I’d do to have QoW and Corsairs go at it again, sweets. Every time I think of our rivalry, it sends shivers up my spine. But now, I stand alone against you and Reigner. You’re both coming into this match with the advantage of being allies, but that only motivates me to fight harder. You and Noah both had time to reign over Olympus as world champions. But now you’re fighting against Stephanie Matsuda who’s looking for her ninth world title reign. I’m already carrying a world title from another company, and my belt is feeling kind of lonely. I’m on the verge of my 2020 flow. A time when I was draped in gold, a period of my life that defined my career. I want another golden age, sweets. You and Noah have always enjoyed the top of the card, so you know what it feels like to run shit. Hell, you ran the underworld more or less. But, I’m not looking to kill you, Graham.
‘
I’m looking to win.

Speaking of winners, Noah Reigner embodies a winning spirit. He leaves it all in the ring, much like his QOW counterpart, Aria Jaxon. Here’s the thing, though. When an “Aria” and a “Cloud” share a ring, things get intense. They push each other to their very limits, to the point of no return. The last time Aria and I fought, it went to a double KO draw. I’ve learned a lot since then, and I’ve learned a lot since we shared a ring, Noah. My desire to regain my title, MY American Dream, it’s a feeling I don’t know if you’re familiar with. Maybe you are, because like me you’re a lifer. You eat, sleep, and shit competition. Beating you and Graham is that bonus objective I get the opportunity to check off while collecting my gold. 

That’s what’s great about these kind of matches. It’s electric…you know it’s bigger than you could ever imagined it to be. This is how a Final Destination match should feel. I’m sure Ally is cooming in his pants right now. And as much as I want to pin him, the rules states otherwise. In a way, it’s more suitable, you know? Climbing above all of my haters to capture the belt that made me the face of an entire company.

You know Graham, I never had that luxury. To be the face of something, at least up until winning the belt the first time. Sure I’ve shared the starring role with others, but when I dethroned Claudia Michaels, I knew this belt was meant to co-exist with me.

Now I have to earn it.

I’ll admit – I’ve been neglectful, maybe even a bit off my game when I came back into the game. Graham, you and I spent time doing our own thing before coming back here and it’s a much different world than when we left it. But, that’s what I love about OWA – it ceases the stay the same. It’s like its own living organism that evolves whenever it deems necessary. I hope I haven’t taken that luxury for granted, sweets. Because, as I count the days, I’m dying to find out who’s the best “heavy” in their respective team? Graham Baker or Stephanie Matsuda? It’s the kind of shit that keeps me up at night with goosebumps. I’m glad Final Destination V is the place where this dream encounter is reignited. 

Speaking of which, I’d like to address something. I’m willing to do whatever it takes in this TLC match to get my hands on that belt. If I have to get ruthless against me own allies, if I have to expose everyone to the kind of danger that alters one’s career for good, then so be it. After the events that transpired these past few months, I’m tired of walking around a shell of who I was. Back then, I was a goddamn killer, an in-ring predator who wastes no time going for the kill shot when need be! And you know what? I beginning to think it’s time I reintroduced that Cloudy to the rest of the world.

I did the hero shit. 

Me and the bois brought down Tes Comas.

Now it’s time to get mine.

Know it.

Understand it.

Believe it.

Hello. 


Considering the recent state of affairs on Odyssey, I’ve not had as much time to talk to you, the OWA fans as I typically would. I wanted to interact with YOU, the people, the OWA Universe, to make some things very clear as we head towards Final Destination V. I’ll get to my respective opponents fully in due time, but we have plenty of time to talk about them. I want to talk to all of you, to address my vision of OWA and Odyssey, to address the great match that I have in front of me, and to address the outcome that you all can expect.


To start us off, I have a question for you all: who do you think tells the truth in OWA? Who do you think of when you hear the word “Truth”? Whose word do you take as their bond, unbreakable and unflappable? 


If the answer is not Diantha Rosso, you’re a damned fool. 


I told you all over a year ago once my place was decided in the Ascension to the Heavens match that I would win, that I would overcome the best that Kingdom AND Odyssey had to offer. I told you all that I would bide my time until the Promethean Chamber, defend it against insects who dared to dream of things far beyond their faculties. Heh, I did you all one better. I defended the briefcase and cashed it in during the same fucking Pay-Per-View event. I told you all that I would be the first three time world champion, and that this reign would be the one that forged my legacy and makes me without question the greatest female wrestler that OWA has ever employed, delusions of the likes of Aria Jaxon, Stephanie Matsuda and that fool Emmanuelle on Kingdom and Olympus aside. 


I told you all that For the Minorities would rule: we have two of the three world championships- and no, Allesandro’s American Dream’s farcical world championship status is not recognized in my mind- and we will leave Final Destination V with those same two titles.
 
I told you all that Marie Bouchard could not stop me. 


I told you all that the Banshee would be broken.


I told you all that Thotyssey would disintegrate under the pressure of trying to topple The Lioness. 


I told you all that Skylar was a pretender, a useful lackey for a time but only that. I beat wisdom into her apparently since she sees the Sparks Championship as a more appealing option to fight for than the Women’s World Championship. 


I told all of you that there would be nothing but blood, pain and despair for everyone who questioned my authority and status as Odyssey’s unquestioned champion.


Everything that I have promised, I have performed. 


I never said that this was going to be fair. Why? Because with the way that I was treated, there’s no need for fairness and respect anymore. I’m not talking about the useless women that I have to fight for the THIRD AND SECOND TIME respectively over this title. It’s you. The little worms sitting at your keyboards in your run-down apartments and mother’s basements. The mouthbreathers who couldn't even run the ropes properly but have everything to say about how I’ve claimed my place in OWA. 


I told you all that I would have my revenge. I told you that every person that you put on a platter I would utterly decimate them and I have. I told you before Last Year’s Final Destination that I would be the Ruler of the Odyssey landscape and it has come to pass. But no! Llorona and Captain Suck N Fuck himself, Scott Oasis, have deemed it necessary to give your favorites extra chances. 


Chance.


After chance.


After chance.


After chance.


After chance….


Why? 


Because they’re pretty? Because a few fanboys on Instagram and Discord are obsessed with this “Finish the Whorey” crap? Because the division was so utterly lacking with me away from the title that it found itself temporarily in the hands of the decrepit April Song? Why are people given so many opportunities that do not earn them? 


“But Filth won the Clash!”


ONLY BECAUSE OF MY CHARITY.


It’s a concept that Filth should be familiar with. Because of her incompetence and stupidity, the pages that should read of dominant champions like myself and the soon-to-be Hall of Famer Jonetta Stone are soiled with the names of The Banshee and April Song…and Felix Hartley. Yes, I was defeated by Niki Khan, but at least Khan had fighting spirit and talent. All of those that I have mentioned have none and it is obvious. 


For allowing that little cretin’s name to even be on a list with mine in the OWA record books she should never be even allowed to go NEAR another title. What’s next? She fucks up and we’re stuck with Angelina Magnum holding this title? Alyssa Grace? Hana Nakajima? Devi Krysis? No. Not on my watch. Not on my television program. Not in my ring. 


Remember the lies that were told by the two who are challenging me? They all told you that they would be the one to unseat me. Both of them have failed. They told me that their sisterly bonds couldn’t be broken, but greed and small bits and pieces of manipulation have seen to their being so hopeless their own underling found a new set of coattails to ride to glory. And both of them have told me that they are better than me.


I have beaten the both of them in total three times, but I wake up to hate mail from you, YOU bastards and whores, on social media telling me how they’re going to kick my ass and then take the title. That Filth is going to have a repeat of that impressive run she had to the Undisputed Championship. That Felix will finally have her precious moments in the sun to be free of my torment once and for all. That Diantha Rosso is going to finally fall and look like the aging veteran that she has become! 


Lies. 


Vicious lies. And if you’re living in anything remotely resembling reality, you see how stupid it is. 


You’re probably wondering what the thought process was to have Hartley disqualified. Other than her being below me and being a waste of my time, I was looking forward to having another one on one encounter with Filth..not because I think she’s a worthy opponent or a threat to me, but because I was going to enjoy breaking her. You all already watched as she lowered her standards of sexual conquest- attempted or otherwise- all season from Jeff X and Christopher Sabertooth to Scott Oasis or Abholos or Chubby McChubface or whatever the fuck that broken avatar calls himself now. I wanted to see how low, how desperate she would become for another crack at me. 


Just imagine…beating her at Final Destination, forever cementing myself as OWA’s greatest champion…AND THEN CLOSING EVERY AVENUE AVAILABLE to her getting another match with me. Entering the next Clash and throwing her out personally. Winning the Athena’s Cup just because I want it on my mantle. Exterminating the poor sap that wins the Ascension to the Heavens just to have it as an insurance policy should some lucky fool manage to score a cheap win. 


I would not only be the Undisputed Champion, but having the Gutter Whore on a leash would be an exquisite bonus definitely worth the trouble. And what if Kenny Drake’s team wins their match and he’s installed as the new power in OWA? He was the one who saw the potential for brutality that I have unleashed in the five years since we exchanged messages on social media.


Would he allow his greatest find, the diamond that he found in the rough and help lay the foundation for, to deal with any more of this nonsense they provide?


I think not. I will relegate and subjugate Filth just like I’ve done Skylar. Rules will not apply in this triple threat. I can do whatever to whomever I please. 


And Poor Felix. It’s…regrettable what has happened to her this year. Losing TWO titles due to my planning, one out of necessity and another as simply a warning to stay away. But things have persisted…and she’s only lost more and more and more. She was choked unconscious and surrendered the World title to myself and For the Minorities. She lost her other Championship as I tried to make sure she understood that there was no way forward for her in pursuing me. She lost our mandatory rematch at OWA 5. 


She lost out on the Clash to Rebecca Filth…with me giving Filth the slightest of assists, of course. 


She lost her boyfriend and her friends because she’s just as obsessed with holding this title as I am. Does no one else understand but me that she’s not cut out for this? Does she not understand that I’m trying to do her a favor? This title is not for people of weak spirit or low intelligence and Felix’s actions for the better part of the year have demonstrated both. No matter how many fanboys and fangirls want her to be the One, that’s not in her future. The moment that I won the Ascension to the Heavens briefcase that should have been an immediate signal for anyone daring to dream that they would not know a moment of rest if they came to possess the title or pursue me for it. 


She has not heeded my many warnings. And now, it appears that she’s going to have to suffer one more time just to make sure my point is made clear to her. 

People…..we are closing in on a historic moment. WIth another successful defense, I will have retained the World Championship more often than anyone else in the history of this title and I will have held it the longest. There are some that say that the “numbers are inflated”, that my record will not have the same impact. Nevermind I was on pace to shatter the defense record anyway before Llorona and Oasis focused more on his campaign and giving Kingdom and Olympus hours-long anime battle nonsense while I was subjected to simply waiting. It also doesn’t help matters that there were none necessarily willing to challenge me. 


Why should I, as champion, have to bother with seeking out opponents? Anyone who wanted this title while Odyssey was on break could have easily asked for a title match on one of the other brands’ air. I would have given it to them and broken their leg for their troubles. 


When I win at Final Destination, it will be the capstone of a year of dominance and resilience like none other. As I’ve told you before, I’m the only one who can go into this match and tell you things that are true and fact. I’ve beaten both of these women. I’ve successfully defended this title against BOTH of them already. What’s going to be different now? Just because they’re angry and want the belt this is going to be some magical cakewalk now? 


I have plenty of weapons at my disposal. The all-powerful Maggall will be lurking about, and with this being a Triple Threat match there is nothing to stop my giant from ragdolling the both of them while I watch. Being a veteran of so many of these matches before, I have a variety of tricks at my disposal. My wrestling ability, of course, is beyond contestation and questioning by anyone in the company. Fair or foul, I’ve bested almost every recognizable name in this brand’s history.


These are facts. 


But there is one thing that I know for sure will be my greatest weapon against Rebecca Filth and Felix Hartley: 


Themselves. 


From the very beginning of this saga, I told you all that they would eventually turn on each other. I preached that their unity was nothing more than a farce and I was proven correct. You don’t see such bickering within FTM. All of us support and build on each other, even in times of conflict. DT, the great Champion and man that he is, demanded that I tap into a part of me and prove that I could find a way to beat him and the rest of the ATTH field last year. I did that…but without his prodding I may have not. He and Raivo are set to face each other for Kingdom’s greatest prize, and even though there is heavy tension before the two Black Titans come to blows ...there is no jealousy. 


There is no animosity. 


We brace for civil war, but in the end we build on each other. We uplift each other. This is why FTM is still standing and The Golden Dawn is a shell of its former self, why Thotyssey is no more, and why every other group in OWA is chasing the standard that WE have set. We were not handpicked by others to get to our positions. We were not the chosen ones of the OWA Universe.


EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE TAKEN BY FORCE! 


That is what makes us unique to all the groups in OWA. We are not mercenaries, we are not random people strung together for a common cause. We are like family. And we will rule like a dynasty for the days, months and years to come. 


But you know what? Go ahead. Continue to doubt. That’s what you all are good at, right? None of you ever believed in me and certainly none of you thought that I would shatter the dreams of half a dozen people this season and break the hearts of millions of minimum-wage working simpletons along the way. And even though I’m standing on the precipice of history, some of you may still doubt. That’s fine. It’s all the sweeter that you think someone’s fairy tale is going to come true, or that lightning is going to strike twice for some whore who caught two doddering women on a lucky night. 


One of them rattles off the names of people that she has bested AS IF I HAVE NOT BEATEN MORE FORMER OR CURRENT WORLD CHAMPIONS THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE HISTORY OF THIS FUCKING FEDERATION…including her, coincidentally enough. She’s no wrestling champion…no more than that abomination she was fucking a few weeks ago is a man. 


There is delusion and bravado on display for this match, but it’s not from me. I’m well aware that I have never conquered the Final Destination main event. It’s the one place where I have not screamed a battle cry to the heavens and had confetti fall for me to close the show. That ends now. You all want to know what else ends? The “Whorey”. I am sick of playing with Barbie dolls. I want real challengers. Real combat, Real wrestlers worthy of possibly taking this title from me someday.


And after Final Destination, I’ll have that.


At Final Destination, I’m going to emphatically close the book on this glorious season by finishing this one how I left the last one: victorious. All of you, and the both of them, you’ll be humbled. So, those of you who are going to be there…I want you to cheer as loud as you can. Back your sentimental favorite. Cheer for Rebecca Filth to return to her former glory after finally cornering me. Cheer for Felix to turn herself around after suffering so much heartbreak and agony all season. Hell, cheer for them to work together to beat the hell out of me and make sure I don’t leave Final Destination alive, let alone with the title! All of you are thirsty for blood anyways, so why not? Cheer louder than you ever have for every match that I’ve ever been in.


JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IT….WILL….NOT…..BE…Enough. 


OWA belongs to me. This title does too, by deed and by right. I’ll give it away when I’m done with it, but as long as there are records to set and boundaries to push and doubters to turn into ardent converts, I still have use for this title. But as challengers go, Felix and Rebecca, I have no further use for you. The energy that I have put forth to make both of your lives a living hell has been great…and I’m simply tired of you both. I don’t care if I have to cripple you both or cripple myself trying, all of this ends at Final Destination. 


My vengeance against OWA and the cesspool of rancid humanity that makes up our “fans” will be complete, and there will be nothing to do but respectfully clap in humble acknowledgement of what I have accomplished. My grip on the OWA Undisputed Women’s World Championship will become even more oppressive. My place in the history of OWA will be confirmed, and any other women watching would learn well that challenging me only leads to suffering. 


Two women that have been seeking me all season, trying to take what is mine…two women who will leave Final Destination empty handed and have nothing to console them but the equal levels of pain and frustration that I brought to them. For months these two rattled on and on about how OWA is theirs, how Odyssey was their playground…until I was the one who beat them at their own scheming games. 


They bullied the roster, but they cannot and will not bully me. All of you and the two of them should take notice of one thing I have left to say that is absolute fact…and remember that I am the only one who speaks the truth: 


These two women….I will shatter them and the delusions they so pathetically embody. I will break your would-be champions.


They will taste no victory.