“I cannot let my defeat at War Games get the best of me. Just as it did not happen last time, it shall not happen now. I must be the Universal Champion that the XWF deserves! HYAH!”

*SPLASH!*

These were the thoughts of the Lion as he slammed his fist into the waterfall that ran in front of him, his skin now feeling refreshed amidst the heat of the California sun.

*SPLASH!*

“And in order to do that, I must come back from the loss at War Games. Once more Angie and the Ring Master, and once more shall they go down. For there is no other way! HYAH!”

His other first goes into the immutable and unchanging cascade. The Escondido Falls, deep inside the Santa Monica Valley, was a fine place for Raion’s own special training. The Lion was found shirtless, dressed only in black jogging pants, pounding endlessly at the water in mounting frustration.

“Still can’t do it, eh, Raion?”

Laying a hand on the solid rock wall that hides behind the waterfall, Raion lowers his head, letting the cascade soak up his wild mane and refresh his face.

“No, master!”

“Oh, no need to call me that. How long have you been here for?”

The Buddhist Monk from the West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple that accompanied him sits on a rock overlooking the valley. As always, Ryleigh Dixon keeps the Lion company.

“Two hours, and I’ve made no progress at all!”

“Tsk tsk. Even within a day, a chick may learn to fly… and you’re telling me you can’t reverse the flow of a waterfall?”

“What you’re asking me to do is impossible. It goes against the laws of nature!”

Amusement written on his face, the master lets out a hearty chuckle.

“Hmph! Nowhere in the laws of nature is it written that something must flow from high to low, or from highest to lowest. Did you know that reverse waterfalls exist?”

Rubbing the water out of his eyes, Raion looks up at the monk with a dumbfounded expression and his eyes blink as if the words had just gone over his head.

“They… do?”

“Are you not the man that speaks about humans performing miracles? This is just something like that but from nature itself!”

Visibly - and rightly - chastened after that initial question, the young Lion takes his hand to his chin in thought.

“How would something like that be possible?”

The whisper of a gust of wind precedes the monk’s answer.

“Sometimes, Raion, a strong wind can blow a waterfall upwards. It’s not a sight that happens every day, but it’s been recorded plenty. Still, that’s not the point of why you’re here.”

“Then what am I here for?”

“Is not reversing the flow of a waterfall what you’ve done all this time? You’ve risen from the bottom to the highest echelon in wrestling - soaring through the heavens like a mighty dragon! You’ve literally done the impossible! Will you let that be forgotten because of this one loss? Will you let all that work you’ve done be in vain?”

Closing his eyes and clenching his fists, Raion meditates on the monk’s words. During that time, the wind’s howl begins to increase and progressively rise. Once he reopens his eyes, his resolve is clear.

“No, master!”

“Then get back at it, child! Let the whole world know that the dragon shall take flight once more!”

“But I’m the Lion!”

“You know what I mean, kid! Now get to work!”

*SPLASH!*

And again Raion goes back to striking the wall of water that runs, relentlessly, before him.

“HYAH!”

*SPLASH!*

“HAAH!”

*SPLASH!*

With each blow, the wind continues to blow faster and harder, as do the strikes of the Lion that go into the waterfall. Straights, hooks and kicks all pound the water, leaving small dents in the rock behind. Finally, as the wind blows at its fiercest, Raion draws from the mounting pressure and frustration within, and channels it all into one single blow…

“Ready or not, here we go! BURN, COSMOS!”

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!”

*SPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!*

… whether by the force of the sudden wind, the strength of the Lion’s strike, or a combination of both, a huge splash of water shoots from the waterfall into the sky. The face of the immutable stone cliff is now visibly soaked up. Smiling bright, Ryleigh stands up and claps! The monk nods, smiling knowingly.

“Good thing the wind blew up when it did, eh, Raion? I, too, would have thought it was impossible!”

Exhausted, the Lion collapses in the stream beneath his feet, observing the waterfall resume its normal flow. A smile appears on his face as he looks toward the monk.

“... You knew the wind would eventually do this, right?”

“What I knew, or didn’t know, is irrelevant, son. The point of this was the lesson within - and you seem to have learned it in full. The dragon has finally risen - now you must soar towards the Heavens yourself!”

With his rest done, Raion gets up and scoops up some water from the falls in his hands for a refreshing drink.

“Will do, sir. Let me just get ready - there is a message to send.”

With a knowing little smile, Ryleigh’s eyes focus on Raion.

“See? I told you training without your shirt on would work.”

She playfully winks and he blushes deeply…


“It is well known that a waterfall flows from highest to lowest. It is a constant through nature, and so has it been since the beginning of time.”

The sun shining on his shirtless chest, and his wild hair now floating in the wind, the Lion begins his speech from the bottom of the waterfall.

“And yet, on occasion, a waterfall may flow in reverse. This is a rare sight, and yet, it serves as a reminder that even the laws of nature may eventually be defied.

I say this, ladies and gentlemen, because that’s where I’ve come to be. Here I stand after having reversed the flow of a waterfall - and there is yet another comeback I must perform. That is why I shall be at Savage Saturday Night, and there I have the Ring Master, who keeps asking for me, and my fellow teammate Angie Vaughn.

I may have been the runner-up at War Games, but I am still XWF Universal Champion, and that means, ladies and gentlemen, that it is time for me to set an example. I did not win this title for nothing, and I do not intend for my reign to be cut short before it even begins.”

A smile appears on Raion’s face, but the glint of his eyes makes his intentions unmistakable. The time had come for the cosmos to ignite.


“So, Miss Angie, here we are again. Fellow finalist, and the only other one in the Meat Clowns to see this through to the end! As you know, I don’t hold any ill will towards you, but things have taken… quite a few turns, haven’t they? Here I am, the Universal Champion, but I just come from losing War Games.

And as you should know by now, as well as everyone else, every time a Saint of Athena gets knocked down, they rise up once more.

That is a tenet that I’m enforcing next Savage Saturday Night, because of the responsibility of the title I now carry. Because there’s Mark Flynn and the North Korean War Criminal watching, and there’s Nickles trying to put me down for doing what he twice failed to do. To be ready for that once Relentless comes, I must make my comeback where it is meant to be - at Savage Saturday Night!”

A mighty roar follows these words, not born out of any hatred, but rather, of pride.

A pride not just his own - but that of the entire XWF.

“And here we come to the core of this - you may have won a three-way match, but you face a man that has won a six-way, and a four-way after that. Not only that - you face a man that has made his comeback against both of you, and this time is going to be no different. The Cloth of Andromeda that you donned for War Games does you credit, but now I shall show you that, to be where I am now, it takes an entirely different level.

Just to clear up any misunderstandings, that doesn’t mean I’m not taking you seriously. Au contraire - it’s exactly because I take you with the seriousness that you deserve, that I’m coming at this to show you the level which you need to attain in order to win this match.

Because this match, Ms. Vaughnemous, is founded on the premise that not only is it the chance for me to make a comeback, but for you and Ring Master to get your payback. Much like the first time, this match is once again a test for you. To pit you against the waterfall that flows from upside down, and for you to reverse its flow. For that is just what it is for me - to come back as the Champion that I am supposed to be, and that the XWF Universe deserves!”

After all, was that not his charge? He had not won the XWF Universal Title in vain, and no matter how many naysayers would eventually arise, he would be ready.

“And that is why, Ms. Angie, I hope that you come to this match the way you’re supposed to do it. When I gave you the Cloth of Andromeda, I did it because I saw in you the selfless and resilient woman you are, much like the lady of myths that gave it its name.

And I will come at you, precisely, like the Saint that I am - to face a fellow Saint and test not just her skill, but also her resolve. The Television Title match may be the Main Event as per Savage tradition, but the focus of the XWF Universe in this match shall be placed on us. I have the entire XWF Universe looking at me, and I’ll be damned if I do not perform on the level which they’ve come to expect of me.

So tell me, against that, what shall you do? It isn’t enough now to put up the best resistance that you possibly can, it’s not going to be enough now to be a nice girl. It’s time to be the hero that Ruby might have taught you to be, worthy of the cheerleaders that sing your praise. To learn the lesson that this Gold Saint has tried to impart, to find your own inner universe within, your own cosmos… and to make it burn.”

The Lion now grins ear to ear as he clenches his fist. Angelica Vaughn deserved his very best, and this was what he was going to bring. For her, for the XWF, and for those in whose place he now stood.

“Because that is exactly what I’m going to do, Miss Angie - and if you cannot withstand it, well… you’ll just be swept in the descent of the waterfall.”

But of course, Angie was not alone. There was someone else in this match, and it was time to address him.

“And speaking of getting swept, we come back to our old friend. What now, Ring Master? In what could have been the break of your lifetime, you were the first one to be eliminated from a team of much better men, against whom Angelica herself held on her own.

But that has never stopped you, has it? When you first lost to Nickles you wanted to hold that up over my head as if I was somehow flawed. What shall you say now that I’ve beaten him for a title greater than the one he held, and that he failed to capture twice?”

Raion’s grin now turns mischievous, like that of a predator toying with his prey. If he had not learned his lesson, the Lion was happy to explain once more.

“Listen, Ring Master. For someone with that name, you’re showing mastery of absolutely nothing. The first time we met I distinctly remember saying you needed to master yourself. Before we faced at War Games, I told you that you were in the team to which I belonged, and even under those circumstances, Angie and I made it to the finals of the entire event.

Not only did you fail to make it past the first round, you also decided to strike out for yourself in an effort to call me slimy. And for what? To pass through another event unremembered, your dream of being ‘the next big thing in the nation’ once more trampled to dust?”

The smile is now gone - giving way to a grave expression. A sigh, and a look to the side, precede the following words - an admonishment that the Ring Master would do well to hear.

“I’m trying my hardest not to demean you, but it seems to be impossible - every time you appear on the airwaves, you demean yourself. In the end, the worst enemy of Ring Master is none other than Ring Master. All these emotional speeches about World War II and MLK, all of it wasted, and ultimately worthless. You want to have this spirit, but you do nothing to put it into practice.

The worst part of it all is that you should be aware of this already. Was that not what you were saying about Elijah Martin? Competitors say too much and end up looking foolish. These were your words, now see them turned towards you. How exactly do you think you are looking now? What exactly shall you do to change that?

I mean, look at this match we have! You’re booked against the two survivors of the team that beat yours, and one of its members is the very Universal Champion! This may be a non-title match, but if I were you, I’d be gunning exactly for myself, especially given our last result!”

This time, the Lion raises an accusatory finger at the camera. So many times had his opponent made brags that ultimately were proven to be empty, and there was one more chance given to him.

A chance that the very XWF Universal Champion himself would show the Ring Master how to seize.

“And before you want to claim I merely escaped, allow me to remind you that you were rendered powerless. But now, my friend, there are no special gimmicks. There are only three competitors and I’ve already proven I can go against both of you. What do you think is going to happen now that the only way to end this match is to put one another down?

Don’t worry, you won’t have to strain whatever is left of your brain. The only way this ends is with the Lightning Bolt stopping your heart for three seconds. Because that is my charge, not just as Universal Champion, but as the very man from which the XWF seeks an example. Is that not what you want to be? Soldiers and athletes of the U.S. looking at you for guidance. Not only has Ring Master 2.0 given them no reason to do so, but they are now looking at me. Look no further than the repercussions of my Cannabis Cup victory.

That, Ring Master, is that very thing with which you fill your mouth, put into action every single time that Raion Kido appears on the airwaves, and as you wish to imitate, it works, if done the right way. Therein, my friend, is your failure, and the reason why you’ve fallen short of every endeavor of import you’ve attempted to undertake.”

A silence this time, to emphasize the importance of the Lion’s words, carried forth by the blowing wind throughout the valley.

“But, as I expect you well know by now, there’s always the next chance. You’ve been through one after another, but now there it is again! Consider this match, therefore, not just as the huge test that it is because it is, but rather, as the fight of your entire life.

Every principle, everything you’ve ever said is going to be tested - a waterfall descending upon your very self. And it is your charge to reverse its flow - to make it flow upward into the very sky - and then, perhaps, will you be ready to set in motion that which you’ve stated numerous times you mean to achieve.

Like a mighty dragon, ascending towards the heavens.”

The XWF Universal Champion points his finger to the sun in the clear sky - before bringing his arm down and clenching his fist once more. It was time to end this.

“And with that, Angie and Ring Master, I’m done with words, and it’s now time for deeds. For me to prove once more the quality of the man that came to hold the XWF Universal Title. For me to show you both the power that it takes to reach the heights I have, and hopefully, should you heed the lesson that I shall try to teach at Savage Saturday Night, for you to realize your full potential.

I come to the Crypto.com Arena with the force of a waterfall descending upon both of your heads, to perform the comeback that the XWF expects and deserves. For those looking to take the XWF Universal Title to be noticed, that Raion Kido will be a challenge for which they are unprepared.

And for the XWF Universe as a whole, to witness…”

The Lion thrusts his clenched fist upward one more, and with his movement, a stream of water shoots with it through the waterfall, spilling from his bare fist into the stone bed below.

*SPLASH!*

“... the flight of the Dragon!”

Fade to black.