Post by RevolutionJones on Jul 8, 2020 4:09:26 GMT -5
It’s a scorching summer day in southeast Missouri, with clear blue skies and the early afternoon sun shining at juuuuust the right angle to absolutely blind the camera. The frame shakes, we hear tires rolling over sand, and when we get to some shade, we can finally see enough to orient ourselves. The camera hangs out the window of a worn-down Chevy pickup, with the crystal-clear waters of the Black River flowing close by. A.J. Morales sits in the bed of the truck, his two-tone hair frazzled from the humidity, a cold glass bottle of Coke in his hand. We see him watch the river in silence, but after a few seconds, he catches the camera out of the corner of his eye and turns to look our way.
“What’s good, Union Battleground? Thanks for having me back.”
Morales takes a swig of his Coke, then sets the bottle down.
“Bueno...I know I have a bit of a...reputation, let’s just say. I sign too many contracts, I’m always in a million feds at once, yadda yadda yadda. So lemme just start by making it clear exactly which letters I’ll rep when I step into Poplar Bluff, Missouri on the 31st for L!GHTS OUT 39.”
Morales reaches down next to the bottle and pulls up a title belt. He holds it up for the camera, letting the silver plates and green accents shine in the summer sunlight.
“This right here is the NVR R!ZE Championship. Qué hermosa, ¿no? This belt is a lot of things to me—the first new gold I’ve picked up this year, the last piece I needed to complete my Grand Slam—but more than anything, it’s my reminder that if I want a shot at being NVR World Champion again, I need to be prepared for it. I spent 10 defenses with that belt sailing the most dangerous waters, fighting the toughest competition I could find from After Dark, Iron Japan, NOW, you name it. So if I only get half as many defenses with this R!ZE title before I gotta cash this in for a world title shot, I need these rapids to run twice as fast.
“And when I found out they booked me in the main event against Dakota Smith and American Tommy, two of the greatest wrestlers 4CW ever produced...I’ll admit, I got chills. This is exactly the platform I was looking for. These are the sharks I wanted to swim with. If I win here, flying NVR’s flag, carrying their gold, our whole tide rises and everyone’s boats lift with it. And if I take the fall, then whoever does the deal can hit me up whenever they want, and I’ll tell Caleb Jackson they’ve got the next shot at my title.”
Morales subtly puts the belt back down, leaving it face-up.
“But that’s if you beat me. And even if it wasn’t a triple threat, I’ve got my reasons to doubt the both of you. I mean, first of all...Dakota, as much of a roll as you’re on this season, as much as I respect your 4 Corners accomplishments—the Grand Slam, the 54 wins, God knows how many show-stealing matches—it’s the gold you had here that sends me a bad omen.
“See, when I was watching from backstage at Guerrilla Warfare III last year, and I saw you take out Indi Rhyder to become Union Battleground Champion, that felt like the dawn of a new era. And I know it wasn’t just me being petty that the person who eliminated me finally got beaten—I studied your 4CW high points a long time ago, back when I was gearing up for Tag Team Into the Future and I had to prepare for the possibility of me and Bianca facing you and Cyrus in the semis for the tag titles. I saw how you chained those XTV and 4CW title runs together, how you and Cyrus tore through Bad Company IV, how you survived things that would’ve killed most people on the spot. No matter how much weird shit you do with people’s corpses, you’ve gone on title reigns most wrestlers would kill to have.
“So here’s my question: how the fuck does a guy like you end up turning in a zero-defense Union Battleground Championship reign? I mean, it wasn’t for lack of trying, but...Jesus, even Spooky Eli got one in before he dropped it, and he was the biggest paper tiger to ever hold that belt. If that’s the kinda wave your title reigns are riding these days, then that’s all the more reason to knock you out of contention before you even get the chance to take this gold from me. God knows this belt doesn’t need you picking it up just to drop it to Squiggly the Clown or some shit on your first defense.”
Morales scoffs at having to even mention the man who’d served as the Revolution’s last obstacle to a successful cash-in for that R!ZE Championship.
“And then there’s you, Tommy...what a way for you to come back, huh? I mean, you get to fight the guy you intercepted to grab the 4CW tag titles and the guy that pinned you to take those belts away, all while Perry gets distracted making feet jokes instead of calling the match.”
Morales has to stop himself from cracking up so he won’t lose his own train of thought.
“For real, though, having you in this match is almost like seeing an old friend again. That trilogy our teams had last year kept the tag division on people’s minds in the parts of the year where it usually faded out. It threw me into the deep end in a way none of my other title chases ever have, and when I finally dropped you with that Liberator at Bad Company, it made all those months of struggle worth it.
“But there’s a problem...well, two problems, really. But one of ‘em’s not gonna matter, ‘cause if this fight leads you into my title scene and you take my spot, the 5 defenses rule means you won’t be able to clear out the whole division and then abandon the belt entirely like you did with the Octane Championship.”
There’s no tea around for Morales to knowingly sip, but the Coke is still here, so he sips that instead and puts it back down.
“When you step into that ring at the Black River Coliseum, this won’t be the same world you left after Bad Company last year. This is a world where Liam’s first solo record flopped, ‘High Hopes’ got ruined for everybody thanks to that shitty Mayor Pete dance, and JK Rowling’s replaced Glinner as the most famous dumbass who whines about trans people on Twitter all day. And I’m not saying your cred’s gonna fall off a cliff like all of theirs did, but you’ve got 11 months of ring rust to shake off, and if I can knock you out with another Liberator before you get back in the groove? If I take up even more rent-free space in your head? I just might have you singin’ ‘Drag me down to the ocean floor, ‘cause I don’t wanna fight no more’ until sometime next June.”
Morales sits up a little straighter now, pushing a lock of hair out of his face.
“Look, y’all can get on the mic, break out the sabermetrics, go on for ten whole minutes calculating exactly how much better your 4CW runs were than mine. That’s your right. But it’s not gonna shake me, because I’ve made peace with my role in that story. I was way too late to be the OG who started shaping the place before Adrenaline ever toured outside the Southwest. I was too established to be the homegrown star who shot up the ladder out of nowhere. But I still got to be the outsider who refused to drown in the undertow, kept swimming against the current, and finally surfaced after all that effort to claim half of a million-dollar jackpot and a place in the Hall of Champions. Maybe it wasn’t always the most glamorous part, but it was always a part worth playing, and I’m just thankful I got to do it for as long as I did.”
Morales picks his gold up again, holding it high for the camera as he starts to stand up...
“And hey, now I get to come to Union and try on a new role: the guy who dangles a shiny golden opportunity in front of your faces and dares you to come take it. I mean, Tommy, this R!ZE title could be your ticket to your first world title! And Dakota, your boy Danny already claimed one NVR belt for GHB—surely you can one-up him and claim two back-to-back, right? Right? C’mon, drink it in, you know you want this!”
The Revolution holds the gold out closer, ever more tantalizingly, letting the sunlight dance on the front plates...and in a flash, he yanks it away behind his back.
“But if I get my way, y’all won’t even get to follow me back to NVRLand. And honestly? The two of y’all being some of the best in the business is just gonna make it even more satisfying to win the match, slam the door in your faces, and make sure you never rise to this Revolution’s level.”
As A.J. puts the belt on diagonally across his chest, he kicks the tailgate down with the heel of his foot.
“And to whichever Graves brother is running the Battleground right now...thanks again for letting me into these rough waters. It’ll be my honor to dive in.”
On that note, A.J. bounces a bit on the truck before launching off with a backflip and hitting the water with a SPLASH! After a second or two, he rises up from the water, raising his fist with one hand and holding up the R!ZE title belt with the other, and leans back to float out of the frame as we fade out.
“What’s good, Union Battleground? Thanks for having me back.”
Morales takes a swig of his Coke, then sets the bottle down.
“Bueno...I know I have a bit of a...reputation, let’s just say. I sign too many contracts, I’m always in a million feds at once, yadda yadda yadda. So lemme just start by making it clear exactly which letters I’ll rep when I step into Poplar Bluff, Missouri on the 31st for L!GHTS OUT 39.”
Morales reaches down next to the bottle and pulls up a title belt. He holds it up for the camera, letting the silver plates and green accents shine in the summer sunlight.
“This right here is the NVR R!ZE Championship. Qué hermosa, ¿no? This belt is a lot of things to me—the first new gold I’ve picked up this year, the last piece I needed to complete my Grand Slam—but more than anything, it’s my reminder that if I want a shot at being NVR World Champion again, I need to be prepared for it. I spent 10 defenses with that belt sailing the most dangerous waters, fighting the toughest competition I could find from After Dark, Iron Japan, NOW, you name it. So if I only get half as many defenses with this R!ZE title before I gotta cash this in for a world title shot, I need these rapids to run twice as fast.
“And when I found out they booked me in the main event against Dakota Smith and American Tommy, two of the greatest wrestlers 4CW ever produced...I’ll admit, I got chills. This is exactly the platform I was looking for. These are the sharks I wanted to swim with. If I win here, flying NVR’s flag, carrying their gold, our whole tide rises and everyone’s boats lift with it. And if I take the fall, then whoever does the deal can hit me up whenever they want, and I’ll tell Caleb Jackson they’ve got the next shot at my title.”
Morales subtly puts the belt back down, leaving it face-up.
“But that’s if you beat me. And even if it wasn’t a triple threat, I’ve got my reasons to doubt the both of you. I mean, first of all...Dakota, as much of a roll as you’re on this season, as much as I respect your 4 Corners accomplishments—the Grand Slam, the 54 wins, God knows how many show-stealing matches—it’s the gold you had here that sends me a bad omen.
“See, when I was watching from backstage at Guerrilla Warfare III last year, and I saw you take out Indi Rhyder to become Union Battleground Champion, that felt like the dawn of a new era. And I know it wasn’t just me being petty that the person who eliminated me finally got beaten—I studied your 4CW high points a long time ago, back when I was gearing up for Tag Team Into the Future and I had to prepare for the possibility of me and Bianca facing you and Cyrus in the semis for the tag titles. I saw how you chained those XTV and 4CW title runs together, how you and Cyrus tore through Bad Company IV, how you survived things that would’ve killed most people on the spot. No matter how much weird shit you do with people’s corpses, you’ve gone on title reigns most wrestlers would kill to have.
“So here’s my question: how the fuck does a guy like you end up turning in a zero-defense Union Battleground Championship reign? I mean, it wasn’t for lack of trying, but...Jesus, even Spooky Eli got one in before he dropped it, and he was the biggest paper tiger to ever hold that belt. If that’s the kinda wave your title reigns are riding these days, then that’s all the more reason to knock you out of contention before you even get the chance to take this gold from me. God knows this belt doesn’t need you picking it up just to drop it to Squiggly the Clown or some shit on your first defense.”
Morales scoffs at having to even mention the man who’d served as the Revolution’s last obstacle to a successful cash-in for that R!ZE Championship.
“And then there’s you, Tommy...what a way for you to come back, huh? I mean, you get to fight the guy you intercepted to grab the 4CW tag titles and the guy that pinned you to take those belts away, all while Perry gets distracted making feet jokes instead of calling the match.”
Morales has to stop himself from cracking up so he won’t lose his own train of thought.
“For real, though, having you in this match is almost like seeing an old friend again. That trilogy our teams had last year kept the tag division on people’s minds in the parts of the year where it usually faded out. It threw me into the deep end in a way none of my other title chases ever have, and when I finally dropped you with that Liberator at Bad Company, it made all those months of struggle worth it.
“But there’s a problem...well, two problems, really. But one of ‘em’s not gonna matter, ‘cause if this fight leads you into my title scene and you take my spot, the 5 defenses rule means you won’t be able to clear out the whole division and then abandon the belt entirely like you did with the Octane Championship.”
There’s no tea around for Morales to knowingly sip, but the Coke is still here, so he sips that instead and puts it back down.
“When you step into that ring at the Black River Coliseum, this won’t be the same world you left after Bad Company last year. This is a world where Liam’s first solo record flopped, ‘High Hopes’ got ruined for everybody thanks to that shitty Mayor Pete dance, and JK Rowling’s replaced Glinner as the most famous dumbass who whines about trans people on Twitter all day. And I’m not saying your cred’s gonna fall off a cliff like all of theirs did, but you’ve got 11 months of ring rust to shake off, and if I can knock you out with another Liberator before you get back in the groove? If I take up even more rent-free space in your head? I just might have you singin’ ‘Drag me down to the ocean floor, ‘cause I don’t wanna fight no more’ until sometime next June.”
Morales sits up a little straighter now, pushing a lock of hair out of his face.
“Look, y’all can get on the mic, break out the sabermetrics, go on for ten whole minutes calculating exactly how much better your 4CW runs were than mine. That’s your right. But it’s not gonna shake me, because I’ve made peace with my role in that story. I was way too late to be the OG who started shaping the place before Adrenaline ever toured outside the Southwest. I was too established to be the homegrown star who shot up the ladder out of nowhere. But I still got to be the outsider who refused to drown in the undertow, kept swimming against the current, and finally surfaced after all that effort to claim half of a million-dollar jackpot and a place in the Hall of Champions. Maybe it wasn’t always the most glamorous part, but it was always a part worth playing, and I’m just thankful I got to do it for as long as I did.”
Morales picks his gold up again, holding it high for the camera as he starts to stand up...
“And hey, now I get to come to Union and try on a new role: the guy who dangles a shiny golden opportunity in front of your faces and dares you to come take it. I mean, Tommy, this R!ZE title could be your ticket to your first world title! And Dakota, your boy Danny already claimed one NVR belt for GHB—surely you can one-up him and claim two back-to-back, right? Right? C’mon, drink it in, you know you want this!”
The Revolution holds the gold out closer, ever more tantalizingly, letting the sunlight dance on the front plates...and in a flash, he yanks it away behind his back.
“But if I get my way, y’all won’t even get to follow me back to NVRLand. And honestly? The two of y’all being some of the best in the business is just gonna make it even more satisfying to win the match, slam the door in your faces, and make sure you never rise to this Revolution’s level.”
As A.J. puts the belt on diagonally across his chest, he kicks the tailgate down with the heel of his foot.
“And to whichever Graves brother is running the Battleground right now...thanks again for letting me into these rough waters. It’ll be my honor to dive in.”
On that note, A.J. bounces a bit on the truck before launching off with a backflip and hitting the water with a SPLASH! After a second or two, he rises up from the water, raising his fist with one hand and holding up the R!ZE title belt with the other, and leans back to float out of the frame as we fade out.