Quote:---Flashback: Thursday, November 25, 2004---
Centurion: Ok, ok, as most of you know, I had a big announcement to make today. Well, in the past week, I have been searching for a family for Nellie.

(Nellie begins to smile.)

Centurion: Unfortunally, I couldn’t find one.

(The smile quickly fades, as she puts her head down.)

Centurion: So, I talked it over with many people, including Misty and Walter, and after much deliberation, I have decided to adopt Nellie myself…that is, if you want me to, Nellie.

(Nellie jumps up and runs to Centurion.)

Nellie: Oh yes! Oh yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

(The others around the table start to clap and do their “awe’s”. Misty walks over, as she and Centurion hug Nellie. Centurion holds Nellie back.)

Centurion: I believe in second chances, and I think that this is actually the life you deserve.

Click here to read the full RP, "Thanksgiving Feast", from 2004

(2019 has been a wild ride for Centurion. He began this year hiding in rural Pennsylvania, trying his best to stay off the radar and disconnect himself from the people he had wronged in the past. His career was over, his family was gone, and he was content with just living the rest of his life alone in an old coal down.

At the end of 2019, Centurion is the XWF Hart Champion…and now he’s sitting in his gym with his daughter.

We open up inside Centurion’s gym. There, we see Nellie and Centurion sitting on the apron of the ring. Nellie is holding Athena, Centurion’s new cat. Walter and Erin have cleared out, leaving the two of them alone.)

Centurion: I didn’t expect you to show up.

Nellie: You can blame Erin. She has been pushing this for a while. She said it would be a good thing to bury the hatchet on Christmas.

Centurion: Erin’s a good person.

Nellie: You think so? Even though she’s a former sex worker? Even though she works in a grocery store?

Centurion: I don’t care what people do. The world is Hell. It will do whatever it can to destroy you. I can’t judge anyone for doing what they need to do to find a place in this world and be successful. Besides, she’s good to you…and that’s all I really care about.

(Nellie smiles as she puts her head down and faces the floor. There is a few seconds of silence before she speaks up.)

Nellie: I was just…so damn angry. For a while, all I could think about is how mad you made me. Then, after a while…I forgot why I was angry. All I could think about was you helping me when no one else would. I thought about the day I showed up…in this very gym. I thought about the carriage ride we took when you decided to adopt me. I thought about the trip to Greece we went on after you and Misty broke up. I knew I was angry at you…but when I tried to remember why, the only thing I could remember was the good stuff.

Centurion: I wanted to give you your time. I wanted you to be able to forge your own path without me.

Nellie: But if it wasn’t for you, I never would have gotten that opportunity. And that’s what I kept thinking of most of all. I want my own path and my own legacy, sure…but it wouldn’t even be remotely possible if you didn’t help me.

(Nellie takes a deep breath as she looks to the side. Centurion looks to the ground, and the two sit in silence for a few seconds.)

Nellie: I’m sorry about Nikita.

(An emotional looking Centurion lifts his head and leans it against the ring ropes.)

Centurion: That was my biggest mistake of all. I’ll never get the opportunity to make things right with her. She was the one I hurt the most, and she’s the one I’ll never make it up to. That’s one that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Nellie: …maybe that’s a good thing.

(Centurion goes from being emotional to confused. He arches an eyebrow and looks over at Nellie.)

Centurion: How can that possibly be a good thing?

Nellie: Learning from one’s mistakes only works if those mistakes have consequences. You were off the grid for eight years, and yet you’re almost to the point where everyone is back in your life. Those memories of Nikita, though…that will allow you to remember. It will fuel you to be a better person.

(Centurion doesn’t say anything. All he can do is look at his daughter, who is giving out more wisdom than he could fathom. Centurion always knew that Nellie was intelligent, but it’s amazing to him to see her above and beyond anything he could have imagined.)

Centurion: You’re right.

Nellie: You’re not the only one who has suffered loss, Dad. Don’t you remember how I came to you in the first place?

Centurion: Heh…I’ll never forget it. I was so mad at Jessica that day. She just randomly sent this poor orphan girl to my house. I thought she was out of her mind.

Nellie: Well…I may have had a hand in that. She used to tell me so much about everyone – you, Walter, Misty…I was so jealous. My aunt was a total bitch, and she was the last family I had left.

Centurion: Hey, don’t use that language. She’s since passed away. You shouldn’t talk bad about the dead.

Nellie: Yeah, well, dying was the best thing she ever did in her life. And I knew she was sick, and loading herself with drugs was only going to accelerate her ultimate demise, so I asked her if she could set me up with you. Honestly, the original idea was for Walter to adopt me.

Centurion: Walter?!

Nellie: Right?! I’m really happy that didn’t happen. Could you image me putting up with his nonsense?

Centurion: I’ve known the man for 30 years, and I’m surprised I’m still able to put up with his nonsense. I always wanted a family. This was going to be my opportunity – marry Misty, adopt you, and settle down once and for all…

(Centurion just trails off, knowing how different live has turned out since then. Nellie scrunches up the side of her mouth as she just nods. Centurion hasn’t spoken about his ex-wife Misty is many years.)

Nellie: Do you know what she’s doing now?

Centurion: No clue. After she left, she moved back to Korea. That was 15 years ago. I honestly hope she’s happy, though.

(Centurion and Nellie, once again, sit in silence for a few seconds. Centurion clearly doesn’t know what to say, and is allowing Nellie to control the conversation. There’s also clearly something bothering Nellie. After sitting in silence for a moment, Nellie speaks up.)

Nellie: Dad…do you have a son?

(Centurion sighs. He knew he would eventually get this question. For a few weeks, a man named Roman has been roaming the halls of the XWF and publicly declaring himself to be Centurion’s illegitimate son. Centurion had not spoken about it, but it can not be denied that the kid does have an eerily similar look to him. Also, Centurion couldn’t lie to Nellie. Not after all they’ve just been through. So he needed to give her a straight answer.)

Centurion: …no, I don’t have a son.

Nellie: You have you admit, he…

Centurion: Looks a lot like me? Yeah, I know. I had to go back and do some thinking, but it just doesn’t check out. He was born in New Jersey in 1997. I was still in college in Erie at the time. Either his mother gave him really bad information, or he’s just trolling everyone. Regardless, I’ve just been ignoring him. Eventually he’ll tire himself out…or he’ll get so mad that he fights me, and then he’ll lose.

Nellie: That’s just a “you” thing to say.

Centurion: I can’t be bothered by idiots and trolls anymore. I’m too old for this shit. A lot of these new cats, they really don’t like me. Some respect me, but some hate my existence.

Nellie: That’s different than any other time in your life…how?

Centurion: Alright, shut up. Point is, these kids are fueling this whole thing. They think it’s hilarious.

Nellie: You have to admit, though…if it wasn’t you, it WOULD be hilarious.

Centurion: No, it wouldn’t. It’s just another bad pro wrestling stereotype. There’s always an illegitimate son, or a long lost brother, or a legendary “uncle” you claim to be related to but the family tree is vague at best. I’m pretty much seen it all at this point. Remember when Cyren was supposedly my brother?

Nellie: Oh yeah! What ever happened to that guy?

Centurion: He’s currently being sodomized by a psycho pirate clown.

Nellie: (cringing) Oh. Ew.

Centurion: Some of these newer kids, they try to throw everything in the book at me, when they don’t realize I helped write a lot of those pages. Half the roster is younger than you, a fact I still haven’t gotten over and likely never will.

Nellie: Yeah, but…you’re old.

(Centurion shoves Nellie, who just laughs. Centurion shakes his head, but he’s also able to laugh, as well. After a few seconds, Nellie lays her head down on Centurion’s shoulder. Centurion pats the side of her head, just like he used to do when Nellie was younger.)

Centurion: You’re not my little girl anymore.

Nellie: No…I always will be.

------Don’t Put The Blame On Me------

Dumbasses. I’m surrounded by dumbasses.

This isn’t a new phenomenon . We’ve always had dumbasses in the XWF, but lately, it seems like the dumbasses are not only louder, but are being propped up more. It’s like we’re celebrating dumbassery. I guess this was the inevitable side effect of the Trump Administration.

Chris Chaos watches my promo, but only pays attention to every third word, and doesn’t understand the subtle art of sarcasm, so he goes on these long rants about something I not only didn't say, but I do not give a fuck about. He then makes my own point for me, and contradicts himself, all in the course of five minutes. It’s some truly remarkable stuff. The fact that this dude was once a “top guy” in this place really shows how much the XWF has lacked in depth over the years.

Chris, I wasn’t actually suggesting Lux or Sarah Lacklan should be legends. I don’t think they’ve put in enough time. That was my point. They are on the same level as Unknown Soldier, as Jim Caedus, as…well, as you. You’ve all had a couple of good months in this place. Cool. Difference is, Lux and Lacklan are still doing well, while only one of you is even remotely relevant, and that’s only because he was just lying on his back in a Universal Title match. But that’s neither here nor there.

Legends don’t need months. They need YEARS. They need to do shit that is awe inspiring. They need to be memorable in ways very few people are. They need to have a career so spectacular that they’ll be invited to red carpet events and reunion shows from now until the end of time.

Chris…that ain’t you.

And yes, I admit, there are some people in the Hall of Legends who you could probably beat. Killjoy, for example, wasn’t any damn good. But he made people laugh. He was always up for anything. And he didn’t make a big deal out of himself, especially after getting his ass absolutely handed to him by Robert Main.

You had yourself a nice little plan, didn’t you, Chris? Stay low for a while, wait for people to forget about your title match, watch as some of the bigger name folks leave and the newer superstars jump up and start getting put into title contention, and come back like some living legend here to save the XWF from declining ratings and mediocrity. You were hoping to be showered with roses and champagne, and for everyone to thank you for coming back and returning to prominence. Only…two problems.

You didn’t plan on Robert Main returning at the exact same time. And you didn’t plan on me.

Robert Main coming back the same time as your return just implants everyone with the memory of the last match you had before you decided to sit at home and lick your wounds. Now HE’S the one showered in roses and champagne. HE’S the one everyone is excited to see. You? Well, you’re just an old hat.

As far as me, and where I fit into that equation, well…I was never going to fall for your shit. I was always going to call you out as the fraud you are, and make it known to the entire wrestling world that you don’t deserve praise, and that you’re nothing but hype and hair. That would be fine for you if I was some senile old man struggling to get in the ring and getting my ass kicked by Jim Jimson every night, but that’s not the case, is it?

See, you’re right when you say this is a “what have you done for me lately” business. In fact, I’m pretty sure I made that same exact point in my last promo. Yes, actually, my exact words were “my most impressive wins were my most recent.” That’s why you have to pay attention, Chris. Yes, I have over 150 wins. Yes, I have a long, impressive resume that I could absolutely bury you with. But what’s most important to you, and what you should be super concerned about, is the fact that I’ve been unbeatable since I ended Tony Santos’ legendary title reign. I’m not knocking down dudes from ten years ago that you never heard of. I’m beating folks who are the best in the business TODAY.

I’m not one of the greatest of all time because I beat a bunch of folks over 18 years. I’m one of the best of all time because I can crawl out of a gutter after nearly 8 years out of the ring, walk back into the XWF, and be one of the best damn wrestlers in this world. There is a lot in my wrestling career that I accomplished that no one else has, but the most impressive is what I’ve done in 2019. No one has come back from as much adversity as I have. No one has seen his entire empire fall around him, only to restore it block by block over the course of eight months. THAT’S what a fucking legend does, Chris, not repeat the word “Apex” over and over again while beating off into an old gym sock.

By the way, do you have a crush on James Raven? It’s ok if you do, ole’ Jimbo is a handsome man, but it would be best for you to just admit it rather than hide from those feelings. I ask because, out of all the nonsense you decided to spew, and trust me, it was a LOT of nonsense, the very first person you decided to go on a rant about is Jimmy. Why? Is it supposed to impress me that you’ve beaten James Raven? News flash for ya kid – I’m not impressed. James Raven is a remarkable athlete, but go ahead and ask him next time you see him – if he isn’t busy bashing your head into a wall – who steered him on his path to greatness. Apex isn’t just a faction of friends looking to fuck shit up – it’s also an evolutionary diagram. Ned Kaye was created by Drew Archvile, who was created by Robert Main, who was created by James Raven, who was created by…

Well, I’ll let you take a guess at that one. Point is, you have to work your way up the food chain. You’ve beaten Raven a few times. Great! Congrats! Have a cookie. You beat Ned Kaye. Wow! Wonderful! I’m so proud of you! I’ve seen you in the ring with Bobby, that was pretty embarrassing, and I don’t know if you ever got to face Drew, but given he was yelling something about being undefeated before sailing off on a 16th century pirate ship, I would bet, even if you had, you lost.

But now you get the top. You get the apex of Apex. And let me tell you something, Chris…I’m going to fuck you up. This isn’t some cocky, “oh, I’m such a badass” smack talk you normally hear from other pro wrestlers. No, this is an absolute fact. You’re strutting your way into this ring, acting like the cock of the walk, thinking you’re the greatest thing to ever happen to this business, when in actuality, you’re nothing more than a house of cards built on top of an IKEA table. So many others have come before you, acting like you, talking like you, thinking like you, and so many others have shared the same fate.

But this time? Oh, I’m going to enjoy this one.

One last thing, Chris, before I move on from you permanently – that Top 50 list you’ve mentioned quite a few times? You’re “impressive achievement” is being ONLY 12 spaces behind me. You understand I’ve been away from the XWF for eight years, right? You know I’ve never won a Universal Title, right? The fact that you were not only here, but you were the top guy for a bit when they decided to redo those rankings, and you only managed to barely break the top 50 is pretty sad, my guy. It means, even with recency bias, no one gives a shit about you. This wasn’t the first Top 50 list, by the way. There was another one that came out sometime around 2011. I was number 13 on that list. So I’ve barely wrestled from one list to another, and I still managed to stick around.

And I see some of the names above me on that list, and they aren’t worth a shit. Sewaside? I’ve already beaten him a bunch of times. He’s only on that list because he was one of Shane ’s bag handlers for a while. Trax? Please, that burnout had one decent run before fading into obscurity. Sebastian Duke? Don’t get me fucking started. Dude couldn’t tie my laces. So ask yourself this question, Chris – if they redid the Top 50 list today, knowing all the accomplishments I have had in the past year…do you still think I would only be number 30? Or do you think they’d move me up a couple of spots.

Honestly, this match is only down to two people – one and a half, if you want to get technical, because I am NOT losing this match, but if some weird fluke were to occur, the person taking the belt off of me would be Robbie Bourbon…but more on him in a bit.

I guess it would be bad form not to mention Barney Green, because he is still in this match…but I mean, come on! This was funny at first, but is there anyone out there who seriously thinks Barney is going to contend for this title? Of course not. Not only is Barney going to lose, but he’s going to be absolutely brutalized. The last time Barney took a beating this bad, he was tied to a bed and getting smacked with a riding crop by Tiffany Starr.

Think about that and try to sleep tonight.

Barney’s only role in this match is to help Robbie Bourbon. That’s it. He is to be the human pin cushion and soak up all the punishment I’m going to deliver in hope I tire myself out and Robbie is able to make the pin. Problem is, I know how much pain Barney can withstand…and it isn’t much. Not anymore, at least. Dude may get 30 seconds of actual wrestling time, but he’s going to get bounced incredibly quickly.

And Michael Archer Junior, well, he won’t be far behind. Despite all the “psych outs” and all the screaming and foaming into the mouth, Archer is walking into this match like a wounded cow walking into a gladiator pit. I almost feel bad for the guy – for this to be his first match in the XWF, to have to undergo this amount of punishment? I almost wonder if this is going to be one and done for Young Archer here. After this match, he may sit back and think “this is bullshit” and step away from the business completely.

Wouldn’t be the first person to have that happen. Anyone seen Mark Brooks lately? How about Kris Von Bonn? I beat those boys so bad they’re now selling used cars in Ypsilanti. Maybe they have an opening for you, Mike. I would avoid slapping yourself in the face repeatedly, though. That’s not really a good sales tactic. Oh, and make sure to “never back down” – don’t take no for an answer! Get them to buy that five year warranty! That’s money in the business’ pocket.

At least, we get to Robbie. I’m going to be honest, I went in to this match with a different kind of expectation about Robbie Bourbon. I thought I would be completely annoyed by him. I figured he was just another relic of a dying era that will continue to scream about how bad things in the XWF are now until he gets put into a home, but as this week has gone by, I’ve noticed something…

…I kinda like the guy.

No, not in a “I’d like to grab a beer with him” kind of way. He’s still a cocky asshole who believes his own hype and surrounds himself with glad handed yes men who suck onto his nipples to get any sort of relevance or exposure as possible. He’s still someone I will have no problem putting down, and feeling no remorse for it in the morning.

But he’s also feisty, and I like feisty. He puts thought into some of the things he says. He’s not talking just to like, like Chris Chaos and so many others seem to do around here. He tried to cut you deep. And his most recent stuff against Chris Chaos – woah boy, that was an absolute burial! Dude fileted Chaos so bad it was almost painful to watch.

But when it came to me, though, I was almost disappointed with what I heard. A few lazy tropes and a poem? That’s supposed to be what gets me all revved up for this match? Dude went HARD after Chris Chaos. He also got quite a few shots in to Michael Archer, too. But his punches to me barely landed.

I’m insulted, Robbie. I know you have it in you to deliver more. Come on, where’s the fire? You know this match is coming down to the two of us. That’s not even a “bold prediction” at this point – it’s an absolute fact. The last two people standing in the middle of that chamber are going to be you and I, and the only thing you can do is make a vague reference to retiring me and talk about how short I am?

My biggest problem with you, Robbie, is that you can be so much more than you are, but you already think you’re hot shit, so you stop trying. A little more effort, a little more training, a little more focus, and you’d be back on top like you were a few years ago. Instead, you have your one title reign, and you think that makes you feared and respected, when in actuality, the rest of this place is passing you by. Wrestler after wrestler are making their debuts, and they are working their way up the ladder quickly, and they are stepping over you in the process. And you’re either oblivious, or you don’t give a shit. And I don’t know which ones worse.

I don’t know what your future holds, Robbie. If you start to put some actual work in, drop those anchors you call “friends”, and actually start to take some pride in this business, you may be a star once again. I can promise you, though – you’re ascent to the top, if it is to happen, will not begin this week. Your destiny does not include “beating Centurion for the Hart Title”. The same can be said for Chris Chaos, and Barney Green, and Michael Archer Junior.

I want to say two little words to the entire XWF viewing public – X-Mas X-Treme. The old school fans know what that is, but for you newer kids, let me explain: X-Mas X-Treme was a yearly pay per view the XWF put on every year. It was a tradition. The last week of December would hold this show, and it would be the real big sendoff before the new year. I never lost on that show. I was undefeated at X-Mas X-Treme, and I beat some folks that are now considered legends in the process. December has always been my month, and that doesn’t change now. That X-Mas X-Treme winning streak rolls into the Christmas episode of Wednesday Night Warfare.

Yippee Ki Yay, Mother Fuckers