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Centurion · (04-26-2019)

(It was going to happen eventually.

Centurion’s first loss in his wrestling return was something that was expected. It wasn’t a matter of “if”, but rather “when”. No one goes undefeated – unless you The Brand from the early 2000’s – and so Centurion and his team had been preparing for the inevitable and how to adapt to when that time comes.

The circumstances around this one, however, could not have been predicted.

Crooked referees costing him the match, men in Guy Fawkes masks attacking him after the match, and the return of foe-turned ally-turned business partner-turned foe Chris Page to the XWF all made for an eventful evening for Centurion.

We open up inside the hotel lounge at the Wewak Boutique Hotel in Papua New Guinea. There, we see Centurion sitting at the bar, looking slightly worse for wear following the events of Wednesday Warfare. He has a glass of scotch in a highball glass in front of him that he is swirling around in his hand. Sitting next to him is Roxy Nova, with an unknown cocktail in front of her. She is scrolling through her phone as Centurion just looks at his drink. He takes a big sip of his scotch before placing it back down on the bar and turning towards Roxy.)

Centurion: You know…just one week, I’d like to NOT be attacked by some dudes who think they’re a part of Anonymous.

(Roxy just nods her head, barely listening to what is likely to be another Centurion rant.)

Centurion: Like, I can handle losing. Seriously. I’ve lost before and I’ll lose again. But the shitty refereeing, the beat down after the match…like, what is this place? Vinnie Lane has only been in charge for a few weeks and he’s already lost control!

(Centurion takes another sip of his drink as Roxy continues to just nod. Centurion’s eyes grow wide as he slams his drink back down on the counter.)

Centurion: Oh! And James is co-owner now? That would have been something nice to know a month ago! How long has this been a conversation? Did you know about it?

Roxy: …nope.

Centurion: If you did know about it and James told you not to tell me, would you still tell me?

Roxy: …nope.

Centurion: Fair enough. I just hope James is able to right this ship. Shane

made the XWF almost unrecognizable to what it used to be, and I don’t say that as a compliment. James knows what he’s doing. He understands history. I just also know a lot of people who want to advance their own agendas will be in his ear, as well.

(Roxy just lets out a “hmm” as Centurion takes more of his drink.)

Centurion: Thanks for coming out and chasing off those vultures, though. Where did you get a barbed wire wrapped steel chair anyway?

Roxy: Found it.

Centurion: Well…good find. It’s amazing how four guys in masks suddenly run away when one woman with a chair shows up. None of them will ever want to show up for a straight fight – I know that for a fact. If I’m going to extract my revenge, I’m going to need to find a clever way to do it.

(Centurion reaches over and pats Roxy on the shoulder, causing Roxy to be slightly startled.)

Centurion: And you’re going to help me.

Roxy: I don’t know man. We’ve got creepy pedophiles grabbing women and tossing them into vans, kidnapping them on live television and no one doing a thing about it. You sure this place is even worth sticking around anymore?

Centurion: Oh shit, I completely forgot about the Michael Graves stuff. With everything else happening in one night, it’s weird that Michael Graves kidnapping a 17 year old is low on the list of memorable events.

(Centurion just looks at his glass again and downs the contents. He looks over at the bartender and nods his head, who in turn fills his glass. Looks like it’s going to be another long night for Centurion.)

Centurion: I don’t know. I’ve asked myself every day since I’ve returned. I guess I still have hope that this place can turn around with the right people doing the right things. It can’t just be older names coming back – it has to be the right names doing it for the right reasons. People – good people – are going to need to start taking a stand against all the crap that takes place in the XWF. Unfortunately…I’m not that person anymore.

(Centurion takes a sip of his fresh drink and sighs. There is a few seconds of silence as Centurion’s eye gaze back to his drink. Confused, he looks back at Roxy, who is back scrolling through her phone.)

Centurion: Aren’t you going to say something?

(Roxy looks up from her phone and over to Centurion.)

Roxy: What do you want me to say?

Centurion: Oh, I don’t know. Something like “you are that man, Cent! You’re young and vibrant and a great person all around that can be the hero this place needs.”

Roxy: So, you want me to lie to you?

Centurion: (frowning) Kinda.

Roxy: You’re going to have to get over it. You’re not that person anymore. Stay in your lane, and you’ll have a successful return career. Try to be that superhero who existed in the mid-2000’s, and you’re going to find yourself disappointed in what you see. If you want to fix the XWF – talk to James. He’ll handle it. He knows what he’s doing. You just focus on being you.

(Cenurion nods and turns back to his drink, reflecting on the words Roxy said to him. She’s right – Centurion should be focusing on his own career, and improving his skills in order to accomplish his goals. He needs to take his most recent failures and reflect on them, not become some champion of for others. He promised himself he would not do that. He promised that his days as the hero are over, and that the person that would compete moving forward would be a bitter, old man looking for redemption.

Centurion, though…has never been good with promises.)

------And Then Produced My Rapier------

The names at the top might change, but the way this place is run continues to remain the same.

Swap them all in and out if you like – Shane

, Fuzz, Jon Brown, Vinnie Lane – in the end, you still get people who are self-serving that turn a blind eye to the horrible things that happen around them. Referee’s being bought off? Pedophiles kidnapping former champions? That’s some Shane

shit – the very kind of behavior we were told would end under the new regime, and yet Vinnie Lane is nowhere to be seen when all this goes down.

Perhaps that’s unfair. This place isn’t a steaming cesspool like it was just a few years ago. I’m not saying Lane is a BAD owner…I just don’t think he’s a terribly GOOD one, either. Maybe having James Raven as his backup will help steer things in the right direction – though, and I’m saying this as a friend, it’s not like James is immune to self-serving behavior, either. And as someone who’s been there, I can tell you I’m the last person who should be throwing stones.

Next Warfare, the XWF could have had Centurion Vs Dolly Waters for the Hart Title in the main event. It could have been a historic generational battle that saw the Hart Title be elevated to a whole new level. It would have been a clash of old school vs new school that would have brought in fans young and old to witness it. Instead, because of crooked referees and violent pedophiles, we have Tony Santos Vs Noah Jackson. Yippie. That will draw a crowd, I’m sure.

Oh well, the past is the past. I can either sit here for the next half hour and talk about how I got screwed, or I can take something from this experience and move forward. So that’s what I’m going to do. Luckily, the XWF seems to be making up for its mistake by not only giving me another Hart Title contenders match, but by doing so against…let’s just say, lesser competition.

I know, I shouldn’t be “disrespecting” a veteran like that, but let’s be honest – if it weren’t for the fact that Bearded War Pig served in the military, he would have absolutely nothing going for him. He has no skills, no charisma, nothing special about him – if it weren’t for the fact that he was helping private companies profit off the invasion of oil rich countries, he would be completely forgotten about.

Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to go all Bernie Sanders on ya.

Even his name tells you everything you need to know about him. Bearded War Pig. He has a beard, he fought in a war, and he’s a large guy. Might as well be called “Big Gun Guy.” Even “Viking Warrior” would have been more apt.

His name, though, and his lack of anything tangible that makes him interesting is the least of his problems. He’s gotten a few opportunities, but he just…loses. Like, all the time. Which is why this match is kind of odd. Why is Bearded War Pig even in a position to receive a Hart Title shot? Clearly this is an attempt at the XWF to make things right from Warfare, but I guess they couldn’t just HAND me the shot, so they book me in a match against a warm body to make it seem like I still have to earn it.

That’s fine. If they want me to run through some lower competitor in order to prove myself, again, I will do just that. It just sucks because I know what my next opponent is going to say about me. “Oh, you didn’t beat anyone. All of your opponents have been weak and lame. You suck, your career sucks, and the Phillies suck.” First of all, how dare you? Second of all, I agree – I wish I had some better competition, but I have to make due with what I have.

My mission to win the Hart Title hasn’t ended just because I lost one match. If anything, it just reminds me that I won’t be able to push my weight around and get whatever I want just because of my name and my legacy. I’m going to have to work hard, day in and day out, in order to achieve the goals I have set. I need to face every opponent like they can beat me, because taking Noah Jackson for granted was one of the reasons I was put in a position to fail.

In case you didn’t know, Bearded Wa…wait a minute. I’m not saying that anymore. That name is so incredibly stupid that I can’t keep repeating it over and over again. So, for the next two weeks, I’m not going to call you “Bearded War Pig.” I’m gonna call you “Tom.”

In case you didn’t know, Tom, that’s bad news for you. Because despite that fact that you have no skills, no personality, and nothing to offer to the general public, I’m still not going to take you lightly. Worst case scenario, you somehow catch lightning in a bottle, and my extra preparation keeps you from pulling off the upset. Best case scenario, you’re exactly who I think you are, you shit the bed once again, and I dominate you from bell to bell, proving to everyone that I deserve the praise I receive, not just for what I accomplished, but for what I can still do in that ring. You choose the narrative, Tom. It doesn’t really matter to me. Either way, I’m still going to win, I’m still going to face the Hart Champion, and I’m still going to raise that title above my head, and you, Tom will just be the next person in line to meet your…

FINAL FANTASY!

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