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Thaddeus Duke · (04-16-2017)

Saturday, April 1, 2017 | 7:09 PM | 1st of May Center | Pyongyang, North Korea

”My name is Sam Roberts, and I’ve followed this sport for as long as I can remember,” begins the voice narration as the screen fades in to a back shot of Thaddeus Duke. ‘My Name Is Human’ is playing and the fans are coming unglued. Thaddeus Duke rocks back and forth, anticipating his burst through the entrance way of Lethal Lottery. “I’ve had the great fortune of interviewing countless stars over the years. Each of them brings something unique to the table. They bring something special to the fans that love them, or in many cases, hate them. Never, in all my years as a fan have I seen anyone quite like Thaddeus Duke. He’s young. He’s charismatic. He’s charming to his fans and they love him for it. He gives everything he has to his fans. And he’s good.

“So fucking good.”

”Thaddeus,” Sam says from behind the camera. Thaddeus stops rocking and turns his head toward Sam Roberts and the camera. ”Are you ready?”

Thaddeus smiles widely. ”Oh I’m fuckin’ ready.”

“It is this moment,” Sam’s narration continues. “Highly Suspect winds up and Thaddeus Duke bursts through the curtain. The pop is amazing. Thousands and thousands of fans screaming out their approval for one of the greatest young stars to step foot into the business in generations. Thaddeus Duke, love him or hate him, is a generational talent.

“What you are about to see, XWF fans, is the chase for gold. What you are about to see, is a young man that is about to step from the shadow of greatness. What you are about to see, is the winding road Thaddeus Duke will take en route to what he and his millions of fans around the world hopes is his UNIVERSAL achievement.

“In this installment, I sit down with Thaddeus Duke on his jumbo jet. In this documentary, aptly entitled 'Grappling With Greatness', I’ll begin to peel back the layers and you will see first hand, the REAL… Thaddeus Duke.”

...Just Over Two Weeks Prior to Lethal Lottery...

The sound effects of a ring shaking with a thunderous slam. The sounds of a raucous crowd counting along with the referee, 1……. 2……. 3! Footage of Warfare is shown where the referee hands over the XWF Unified Xtreme title to Thaddeus Duke as the crowd pops loudly. The footage fast forwards a few minutes. Passed Vinny Lane’s appearance and slows to slow motion. A distracted Thaddeus Duke rolled up from behind by the man he just beat and the slow motion three count that followed. The footage fades out.

”That didn’t go as planned,” Sam suggests as the camera fades in backstage at Warfare with a view of a red hot Thaddeus Duke.

”Where the fuck is Lane?” Thaddeus blows by Sam Roberts and his camera. ”No it didn’t go as planned, Sam. They have it in for me. Because I befriended Dolly Waters. Because I’m the son of Sebastian Duke.” Thaddeus stops his advancement through the backstage area. ”See, my father was trolled relentlessly by GM’s and owners his entire fucking career. He’d retaliate with threats but ultimately do nothing about the things done to him. I’m not my father, Sam. I don’t take this sort of bullshit lying down.

“Thaddeus notices Roxy Cotton somewhere in the distance behind me and takes off. I can’t imagine what it’s like to fulfill your championship desires, and watch them taken away from you all in under five minutes,” Sam explains in a voice over.

”Roxy!” Thaddeus yells as he runs to catch up with her. “I’m not fast enough to catch up so I didn’t have the opportunity to catch whatever it is they talked about,” Sam’s narration says.

Thaddeus rushes away from Roxy and Sam with his camera runs to try and catch up. Thaddeus is out the back door and into the parking lot before Sam catches up. The camera catches a glimpse of a limousine speeding away.

”Vincent Lane?” Sam asks Thaddeus. To which the young man nods.

”I need some time to myself, Sam,” he says as a Lincoln Continental pulls up.

“I watch as Thaddeus climbs into his car and the driver speeds away. No sooner do the taillights disappear, and Vinny Lane appears with Roxy Cotton. They get into their own car and also leave the arena.

Sunday March 12, 2017 | 9:04 AM | Pittsburgh International Airport | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Thaddeus Duke, for the first time in his life, is flying commercial. First Class is nearly empty though, and the young lad is happy to sit by himself. As the plane rolls forward and picks up speed, Thaddeus finds himself beginning to drift off to sleep. It’s been a grueling week. Emotionally and physically. From the take over in Vatican City, to the meeting at the Compound gates with his father, to the hick in the Pennsylvania sticks, to nearly ending up in jail. Yeah. The kid is tired. And oh so ready to leave the real world behind and go back to the Illuminatus.

Once the plane is in the air, a lot of commotion is heard in a cabin to the rear of his. Thaddeus finds people interesting. He likes to observe them and certainly likes chatting with them. The young Duke Boy turns around in his seat, trying to catch a glimpse of what’s going on back there but his view is blocked by the curtain dividing the cabins.

Just as he’s about to turn around and face front, a large black woman bursts through the curtain with a couple flight attendants on her tail. ”No mother fucker! This ticket right here! Mines is bought and paid for! How you gon’ boot me from a flight! Nigga we 600,000 feet in the air!”

”We’re not booting you, we’re upgrading you at the request of our other passengers. Please, sit anywhere you like.”

”The fuck you lookin’ at honky?” she says as she turns toward Thaddeus. The kid starts to laugh. ”You think this shit is funny? Bitch I’ll break you in half. I don’t need know scrawny little white boy gawkin’ and laughin’ at me!”

”No, sorry. I’m not laughing at you. I just find you entertaining.”

The woman stares at Thaddeus.

”What’s your name boy?”

”Thaddeus,” he responds, extending his hand to her. She shakes his hand.

”Lucretia. Lucretia Diamond.”

”Nice to meet you.

“You wanna sit?”

Lucretia can’t take her eyes off of Thaddeus. ”Matter of fact, I would.”

Thaddeus moves over to the window seat allowing Lucretia to sit where he was sitting.

”Boy, anyone ever tell you you got eyes that trap a woman?”

Thaddeus laughs again, ”Once or twice, yeah.”

”The fuck kinda name is Thaddeus?”

”It was my great-grandfathers name. Thaddeus Leander Duke, the second, Ms. Diamond.”

”Your parents drunks or drug addicts?”

Thaddeus laughs. ”I kinda like my name. It holds a powerful meaning.”

”You don’t like Lucretia Diamond?

”On the contrary I think its a great name.”

”So, Mister Thaddeus Leander Duke the second, what’s it mean?”

”Thaddeus Leander, heart of a lion.”

”MMMMmmmmmmmmboy, I swear I’ve heard your name before.”

”I suppose it’s possible.”

”Ohhhhhh shit! Nigga you on that WFX show my boy watches! He gon’ be so jealous! Can we get a picture?”

”Of course,” Thaddeus obliges with a smile. ”What’s your sons name?”

”Roosevelt.”

”Cool name. Who’s his favorite?”

Before she answers, they snap a picture.

”Dolly Waters. He’s smitten wit her. They the same age.” Lucretia sends off the picture to her son. ”You the first person to be kind to me this whole trip.”

”What happened back there anyway?” he asks her.

”I’m big, I’m black, I’m loud and I’m proud. White folk cain’t handle all dat.”

”What brought you to Pittsburgh?”

”What is this? 21 questions?”

”No,” he says with a laugh. ”People are interesting. I lived a sheltered lifestyle. I’m just trying to get out in the world and experience things other than what I know.”

”I was here for a weddin’. Now on back to Virginia where people talk less strange.”

”Yeah Pittsburghers definitely have an interesting dialect. But there’s a problem with your story though.”

Lucretia looks at Thaddeus as her phone starts to blow up.

”This flights goin’ to Connecticut.”

”Say whaaat?”

”Neither of us are goin’ to Virginia.”

”Mother FUCKER! You mean I’m on the wrong plane!?”

”It would seem that way.”

”Oh lawd, I cain’t afford dis shit. Flyin’ first class with an FXW wrassler and now I gotta get another plane to Virginia. Not to mention, my boys gram. That woman hates me somethin’ fierce. Always claimin’ I’m an unfit mother. Well maybe, Miss Jackie, if your boy had balls to be a daddy I wouldn’t have to have a damn sitter all the time.

“The fuck am I gon’ do Thaddeus?”

”Could his grandma get him to the airport?”

”She lives about a mile from it but I don’t see how...”

”I just booked him a flight to Connecticut. My boys will pick him up. Bring him out to my place. Stay a night, relax. I have to go to Washington in two days. Y’all can fly home on my plane.”

”Your plane?

“How fuckin’ rich are you?”

Thaddeus smiles.

”Lawd I should be ashamed of myself. That was rude and you have my apologies, young man.”

”No apology necessary. I’m aware people don’t have what I have. Money is more a curse than a blessing.”

”You… are a God send, Thaddeus Leander Duke the second.”

”I don’t know about that.”

”No I’m fer real. You got a heart of gold, child.”

...Present Day...

It’s nice to see some promos dropping finally. I’m happy you all followed my lead. I’m happy you’re all finally giving the fans what they’ve been waiting for, for over a week. It only took yours truly to break the seal.

Let me start by addressing the fine specimen of an athlete that is Peter Gilmour. Pete, I don’t think you get jokes too well and that’s sort of surprising since you are, in fact, a fucking joke. Gilmour, I was kidding around in my first promo. From start to finish, I was just having some fun. When I said I was bringing down the flagship, I meant that because I hadn’t released a promo, neither had anyone else. It’s depressing that I have to explain that but he digresses.

Why does it matter that you’re the opening match? I was the opener at Lethal Lottery and you watched Doc and I steal the show. You watched my hand raised in victory. You watched ME become number one contender to the Universal title. It ain’t where you start, Pete. It’s where ya finish and due to being in a match with yours truly, you can take solace in the fact that whether we’re on first or last, it’ll undoubtedly be the best match of the night.

You can say whatever the hell you want about my father, but you’re making a huge mistake. You’re not facing him, Pete. You’re facing his boy that is undoubtedly better than him. Let me point out a fact though, you couldn’t hang with him back then. You couldn’t even hold his jock. Much like you can’t hang with me now. You can’t carry my jock.

I don’t say it to be arrogant or rude or just because “I gotta be mean to my opponent.” No, Pete. You’ve been part of this company for at least a decade. You’ve done it all. You should be proud of that fact. What you shouldn’t be proud of is the fact you still can’t hang with the big boys. Grow your beard out. Grow your gut again. It doesn’t matter. Because no matter what you change about yourself, you’re always one step behind and a few nuggets short of a happy meal.

Let me ask you something. If Scully was never the Universal champion, do you truly believe you’d have become champion yourself? Of course you’ll say yes, but the facts that add up, do not equal Peter Gilmour carrying the big gold. You’ve never been good enough to the man and you never will be. I mean you can come out here and say whatever it is you want about me not having won anything yet, but let’s be real here Pete. You’ve been here a decade or longer. You only won the Universal a few months ago. There was a bullshit champion and you were a bullshit contender. You lucked your way into a title run that ended rather quickly. And here I am, fresh, young, fit and ready. Knocking on the door to the Universal title. And I’ve only been here since October.

Say what you want about me. Think what you want about me. Underestimate me and you’ll suffer defeat like you usually do. You walk around here with an ego the size of the Western Hemisphere, yet you can’t really back up that ego. Your the god of this, the innovator of that. Right. Yet you just lost to Graves at pay per view. If you weren’t good enough to beat him, you sure as shit aren’t good enough to beat me.

You may have lost your edge and your eye of the tiger? I got news Pete, ya never had it to begin with. You never had an edge. You never had a killer instinct. You’ve always been a second rate competitor, and that my friend, will never change.

Also I never said I was the top dog, I said I was the diamond standard. The measuring stick, and I am exactly that. No one outperforms me. Whether its Warfare or pay per view, the fans get their money’s worth when I’m in a match and the bell rings. I make my competitors better for having been in the ring with me. You’ve never brought that to the table, Pete.

Thaddeus gulps a YooHoo.

That’s not a euphemism.

Mystica.

Here’s a guy that comes around the XWF once a year at best and then gets upset that no one knows who he is. Not only does no one know who you are, Mystica, they also don’t care. I’m not sure if you know this but no one gives a rats ass what you did two, three or four years ago that was so grand. Which by the way, is very little. What do you have to show for your greatness? A tag team title given to you by another competitor? An underwhelming Xtreme title run, which by the way I know all too well what that’s like. A U.S. title run.

How glorious.

I’m young, but I’m not a fool. I study up. I attempt to learn about my opponents. And you? You’re just the run of the mill stud. You’re good and full of top tier potential that you’ve never quite lived up to. What happens on Wednesday when you lose to me? Are you gonna turn tail and leave for another year or two and then come back and whine and bitch and moan because no one remembers you and “you’re on first?” Your head is so far up your own ass that even I’m calling you out on it, and I just spent 5 minutes the other day telling the world what they already knew: I’m my own biggest fan.

What’s that tell you? I mean, I know what it tells me. You’re an even bigger idiot than Pete. You’re walking back into the Xtreme Wrestling Federation after a year or two and crying on the inside that no one gives a shit who you are or what you’ve done. Cry, cry, cry Mystica. You should get used to it.

Oh boy. You’re aware of my parentage. Like that was a difficult connection to make. You may be shocked to learn that Dad and I don’t get along these days. You’ve met him. You’ve even teamed with him.

See, what you’re going to find out, Mystica, is that I’m every bit as good as I say I am. You’re going to learn, Mystica, that I’m the best fuckin’ thing goin’. And just like Gilmour, I hope you’re ready for the best damn match of the night, because when you face Thaddeus fuckin’ Duke, that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

Thaddeus Duke is the best in the business and you’ll find that out on Wednesday night.

Why?

Because no matter how good you were and how good you are…

I’m still…

Better than you.

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