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Thomas Nixon · (05-26-2017)

The scene opens up to the locker room of the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The room is predominantly empty, but there’s a large duffel bag on one of the many benches. The bag is opened up and next to it is the ring gear, including the cape featuring the lizard insignia, of Thomas Nixon. Nixon looks down at his gear; he is still wearing his jeans and gray V-neck from his drive to the arena. The XWF Television Championship, looking recently polished, is wrapped around Nixon’s waist. Nixon raises his gaze to the camera.

“So this is where I find myself? I’m hours away from my big title defense, and I feel the need to respond to Cadryn Tiberius’ words. I thought I was done talking about Cadryn; I was ready to close my mouth, finish my studying, and meet him in the ring.

But Cadryn completely mischaracterized what I had to say. He took all of my thoughts and words drastically out of context. He made it sound like I was attacking his accomplishments. He made it sound like I doubt his abilities, like I’m trying to tarnish his ‘legacy’.

I was in no way, shape, or form slandering him. Everything I said was completely factual. All of the examples I gave happened, and Cadryn did not doubt that. I am legitimately concerned for Cadryn’s mental health, but he took that as some sort of negative attack about his wrestling career. And he overcompensated for that when he talked about all of his achievements.

You can’t blame Cadryn. He thought I was talking about him in a negative fashion, so he tried to take it the other way. He was fired up, caught in the moment, and he ended up saying some far reaching things. He got so heated that he referred to himself as a legend.

Now don’t get me wrong, Cadryn does some amazing things in the ring, but he’s no legend. He’s been in this company for some six months, he has a slightly above five hundred record, and he has yet to win a prominent singles championship. You can call yourself a legend, but being a second generation wrestler does not inherently make you a legend. At least when Gilmour calls himself a legend he has some credentials to back up his name. I’m a two time Television Champion, and I wouldn’t call myself a legend, and I don’t think Cadryn would argue he’s more qualified than I am.

I’m not going to get carried away with that one sentence, but Cadryn seemed to go about his accomplishments for a bit. So since he listed his recent accomplishments completely unprovoked, I am going to do a bit of the same.

So Cadryn beat Jack Cain? I beat Jack Cain and Danny Imperial to recapture this Television Championship.

Cadryn beat Barney Green? I pinned Barney Green; he was one of the three other men that I pinned in a single match to win this belt the first time.

Cadryn is ranked #10 on the Xtreme power rankings? I’m #6 on the power rankings.

Cadryn has two championship shots in a week? This is my fourth week in a row in a title match. And I add parenthetically that I’ve won the last three.

Then I can add a few more things. I beat the tar out of Michael McBride in a dog collar match, and I had a pretty solid reign as Television Champion until I lost the belt to the current Universal Champion. So you can act accomplished, and you can call out your recent wins. Your hot streak is impressive, but you have to look at the context. Because I’m on one hell of an impressive run as Television Champion. And I don’t have to give myself a corny nickname like the ‘Essence of Excellence’ for people to know that I’m a talented athlete.

But I don’t want to get caught up in talking about my accolades. That’s a trap that most wrestlers make, and if you get caught up in what you have done, you don’t look forward.

I do want to take a moment to take about a concept that I value, reputation. You see, Cadryn had some interesting thoughts on reputation and perception. He thinks that it’s something you can’t control. That people who hate you are jealous and losers. He thinks that you can’t control it. That’s one of the most short-sighted stances I’ve heard on the topic.

For some reason, we live in a world where the world ‘judgement’ has a negative connotation. People say things like ‘don’t judge me’ when they do something stupid or silly. But there are good types of judgement. When somebody does something I like, I judge them favorably, I decide that I like them. And judgement is a cognitive process that everyone does at all times. You see someone and you judge them on their appearance. You meet someone and you judge them off their characteristics.

Cadryn, you control what people think of you because you control how you act! And your actions lead to their reaction. Of course, you can’t make everyone like you, but if you truly believe that people will arbitrarily hate you because they are angry or pathetic, then you are just making up bullshit as you talk. Even decent human beings don’t like some other people for one reason or another. Once people form judgements, they form perceptions of others.

When fans see Cadryn talking to a sock on his dick, they make judgements and they perceive you accordingly. They see a delusional man. That’s why it undermines your credibility when you go from talking to your male sex organs to talking about why you’re a talented athlete. If you want to explain it slower, I can, but I think that’s a pretty simple concept.

I, personally, care about how others perceive me, and I have good reason to. In order for me to bring forth a social revolution in the United States, I have to be a reputable person. People have to have faith in my words. When I was looking for a sponsorship deal, I didn’t care about the money. I wanted a real company to support my words in the same way that I support their products.

That’s why I sighed when Michael Graves reached out to me. He made an offer to financially fund me every time I mention his company, Candy Van Daycare. The problem is, I don’t care about the money. I don’t care that he is willing to pay me every time I say ‘Candy Van Daycare’. His company has no reputation, and I want a reputable company to support my goals. And I don’t think that will be achieved by partnering with Candy Van Daycare, a business that is likely associated with child sex trafficking.

I’m not a shill trying to bring people into a pyramid scheme or involved in a crime ring. I want a brand to support my values, and that brand has to be a reputable company. One that can reinforce my image.

But you know what Cadryn, you don’t need to worry about your image. You aren’t trying to win fans and you aren’t trying to change the world. You can talk to your cock and call yourself the ‘Essence of Excellence’. No matter what people think, you just have to win enough to keep your job and bring money home to your family.

But I stand by my views and my claims. Cadryn, you have a problem. I implore you to ask your friends. Ask any of the Kings if they think you’re doing okay in the head. Even ask Michael Graves who bailed you out. Nobody can look you in the eyes and tell you that you’re mentally stable. If you want to prolong your delusions, I won’t stop you, but I want you to be in a healthy place.

To put it simply, I have nothing against you. I think you’re a talented guy. I don’t doubt your dedication and I don’t doubt your work ethic. I’ve studied up on you just like I study for my other title matches. You may have gone a little overboard talking about yourself at the end there, but you aren’t an arrogant mess like most wrestlers here.

That’s why I’m overlooking some of the bad things you said about me. I’ll chalk it up to the heat of the moment. Because you don’t really think I’m a hateful vindictive fuck. You know that I’m not suffering from loneliness. You even called me a nice guy earlier this week! The only thing I’m mad about is the oppression of the shape shifting lizards! Otherwise, I’m not hateful or spiteful.

Cadryn, you’re talented. And I’m ready for you to push me to the limit just like you said. I hope you push me to a new gear. I hope that you make me compete at a level I didn’t know I was capable of. I’ve watched your matches. I saw the look in your eye after you connected with a desperation superkick on Chris Chaos. You have heart, and you bring out the best in your opponents.

That’s why I’m here early. I’m the first one in the locker room, so I can warm up. So I can pull out my laptop and watch more footage while I review the notes I took watching your matches. I’ve done my homework, and I want to make sure this belt isn’t leaving my side. After my loss to Caedus, I don’t want to lose to some small counter; I’m watching everything.

Even though I think you’re one hell of a competitor, Cadryn, I want to make this last thought very clear. When the match ends, one of us will be Television Championship. The other person will be shit out of luck. Either way, you’re going to walk to the center of the ring and offer your hand to me. And you know what Cadryn, I’m not going to take it. It’s not because you’re a member of the Kings. It’s not because you aren’t good enough because you know I’ll respect you if you put up a fight.

I won’t shake your hand because you have serious issues. And if I shake your hand, I’m enabling your instability. I can’t support a person that believes in their delusions to such an extreme. As a person that fights to end injustice and inequality, I can’t stand by and let you live a lie. I can’t let you, a talented guy, shift from a schizophrenic state to a serious tone in a seamless fashion. It’s unhealthy. And if I shake that hand, I’m putting my own reputation at risk. So after you get help, after you admit that you have a problem that needs to be fixed, I will shake your hand and welcome you to the real world. That’s not slander, that’s the truth. Take me to court and you’ll get the same ruling.

Good luck, buddy. May the best man win.”

The scene fades to black as Nixon pulls out his laptop and a notepad and takes a seat next to his gear.

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