Post by Deleted on May 21, 2017 23:35:22 GMT -5
The Life of a Champion
“Welcome wrestling fans! This is Gary Straum and I’m bringing you a live edition of The Powerbomb Podcast from the childhood home of Union Battleground's Dillon Shaw in Columbus, Ohio. Dillon made the decision to train back at home in preparation for what is undoubtedly the biggest match of his professional wrestling career as he challenges the very dangerous Dick Devereaux for the Union Battleground Championship. Dillon was kind enough to grant us a brief interview and also give us exclusive access to what he refers to as his “shrine.” For those who don’t know, that’s a massive trophy case that resides in his family's home. Without further ado, this is the “The Spectacular” Dillon Shaw...”
[Dillon stands in front of a well-lit trophy case in a room inside of his mother’s Ohio home. This house is where Dillon spent the first 18 years of his life. The beautiful wooden case extends from one side of the room to the other and is filled with ribbons, medals, trophies, and plaques from the storied wrestling career of Dillon Shaw. It is obvious everything in the case was placed with extreme precision and care. Dillon stares at the case with a blank expression on his face. His eyes scan up, down, and side to side as he takes in all of his accomplishments. Dillon turns his head slightly as he speaks to Gary.]
“It’s kind of funny, Gary. I was just thinking to myself...most people track their “timeline” via social media to record and remember milestones in their lives. For me, this is my timeline. You can almost chart my entire life just looking at the shrine. Everything is in perfect chronological order, from my first wrestling tournament at age four to my NCAA Championship. This is my entire life.”
“It is something to behold. Obviously, anyone who is a fan of amateur wrestling is familiar with your massive success. When did you start putting together this “shrine” as you like to call it?”
“I didn’t. All of this was my put together by my Father. He built the case, installed all the lights, and put everything inside for display. He was almost more proud of my accomplishments than I was for myself. He was very protective of the shrine and as soon as I won another piece, he already had a spot ready to place it.”
“Incredible. I know you rarely speak about the tragic death of your Father, but you have to believe that he will be in your corner in South Carolina when you challenge for the Union Battleground Championship...”
“To be honest, Gary, it won’t matter either way. I’m not doing this for my Father. I’m doing this for me. I don’t know if he’ll be watching me compete against Dick Devereaux or not, but he’s watched me wrestle more than anyone else. Dead or alive, he knows exactly what is going to happen.”
“Can you elaborate on that, Dillon?”
“My Father watched me rip through some of the most talented and skilled wrestlers in the entire world. Some of these guys would absolutely destroy Dick Devereaux. Believe me, neither one of us is sweating this match.”
“You’ve always been confident throughout your entire competitive career. You really believe you will run through Dick Devereaux with ease?”
“It’s not even a question. I’m so ready for the bell to ring so I can show the entire world exactly what I mean. I promise after a couple minutes that nobody will ever question me again. Here, come and look at this...”
[Dillon leads Gary towards the far end of the shrine. There is a bright white spotlight shining down onto an empty space inside the case. A small smile creeps onto the face of Dillon Shaw.]
“There it is…”
“What are we looking at?”
“There’s the spot. That’s the exact place where my Union Battleground Championship will sit. I’ve had it ready for weeks.”
“Your Father would be very proud of you, Dillon.”
“He should be. Even though he won’t be there in person to share this moment with me, he played such a large role in shaping me as a man. It’s because of him that I’m overflowing with talent. It’s because of him that I’m a natural winner. It’s because of him that I was raised to be a champion.”
[Dillon takes a deep breath and stares at the shrine for a few more seconds. Both men stand in silence. Dillon puts his hands in his pockets and slowly walks out of the room, leaving Gary surrounded by the life of a champion.]
“It’s kind of funny, Gary. I was just thinking to myself...most people track their “timeline” via social media to record and remember milestones in their lives. For me, this is my timeline. You can almost chart my entire life just looking at the shrine. Everything is in perfect chronological order, from my first wrestling tournament at age four to my NCAA Championship. This is my entire life.”
“It is something to behold. Obviously, anyone who is a fan of amateur wrestling is familiar with your massive success. When did you start putting together this “shrine” as you like to call it?”
“I didn’t. All of this was my put together by my Father. He built the case, installed all the lights, and put everything inside for display. He was almost more proud of my accomplishments than I was for myself. He was very protective of the shrine and as soon as I won another piece, he already had a spot ready to place it.”
“Incredible. I know you rarely speak about the tragic death of your Father, but you have to believe that he will be in your corner in South Carolina when you challenge for the Union Battleground Championship...”
“To be honest, Gary, it won’t matter either way. I’m not doing this for my Father. I’m doing this for me. I don’t know if he’ll be watching me compete against Dick Devereaux or not, but he’s watched me wrestle more than anyone else. Dead or alive, he knows exactly what is going to happen.”
“Can you elaborate on that, Dillon?”
“My Father watched me rip through some of the most talented and skilled wrestlers in the entire world. Some of these guys would absolutely destroy Dick Devereaux. Believe me, neither one of us is sweating this match.”
“You’ve always been confident throughout your entire competitive career. You really believe you will run through Dick Devereaux with ease?”
“It’s not even a question. I’m so ready for the bell to ring so I can show the entire world exactly what I mean. I promise after a couple minutes that nobody will ever question me again. Here, come and look at this...”
[Dillon leads Gary towards the far end of the shrine. There is a bright white spotlight shining down onto an empty space inside the case. A small smile creeps onto the face of Dillon Shaw.]
“There it is…”
“What are we looking at?”
“There’s the spot. That’s the exact place where my Union Battleground Championship will sit. I’ve had it ready for weeks.”
“Your Father would be very proud of you, Dillon.”
“He should be. Even though he won’t be there in person to share this moment with me, he played such a large role in shaping me as a man. It’s because of him that I’m overflowing with talent. It’s because of him that I’m a natural winner. It’s because of him that I was raised to be a champion.”
[Dillon takes a deep breath and stares at the shrine for a few more seconds. Both men stand in silence. Dillon puts his hands in his pockets and slowly walks out of the room, leaving Gary surrounded by the life of a champion.]
“Well, that didn't take very long. I have been saying since day one, the “spectacular” moniker is not a joke. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Two appearances in this organization and two flawless performances, just like I called it. I knew this latest one was going to pay off. Given the names of my competition in the triple threat match, I knew a victory would produce results. Apparently, Axel Graves has a better eye for talent than I even realized. He must already be aware he has one of, if not THE best, professional wrestler on this planet tucked away on his roster. Like I said before, my rapid rise might come as a surprise to some, but I always knew I’d get to this spot in record setting time. I'm ready to claim my throne.”
“It’s time to separate the men from the boys.”
“Who the hell ever told Dick Devereaux that he is worthy of being called a champion? All I see when I look at Devereaux is an entertaining gimmick, an interesting character. Truth is, he won the Union Battleground Championship right around the same time I signed my contract here. From the moment I watched Dick capture that gold, I knew it was only a matter of time before the gold belonged to me. I knew if Dillon Shaw was ever given a match with Dick Devereaux, I would take everything he has. I'd take his mystique, whatever image he has built for himself in this company. I would take his spot at the top of the mountain in this organization and most importantly, I would aggressively rip away the Union Battleground Championship from his grip. Have you ever lost anything, Dick? If I had to put money on it, I would bet you've never lost anything like this before. You have no idea what it’s like to lose something this important or significant. I can tell you right now...this is going to hurt.”
“Expect this to look more like a transplant than a wrestling match, because I’m planning on snatching that championship belt away from you like I need it to live. Devereaux, you can try to kill me or try to make me bleed, but I’m not like the others you’ve battled here. It’s so blatantly obvious that you are all show and I’m all go. Don’t worry, this lesson won’t take very long, but it will be decisive.”
“Not only are you going to endure the beating of your career, but I’m going to make you feel out of place in this company. Once you realize just how much better I am than you, it’ll be clear that you never deserved to hold the top title. Not in a company of this quality. In this game, styles make fights and I’ve been known to demolish your type. Dick, your shitty style consisting of little technique with a violent and unorthodox offense isn’t going to get you very far with me. Unfortunately, the book is out on you. I was able to digest enough video footage of your recent Union Battleground matches to know what you’re all about. Honestly, it’s almost a goddamn joke to me.”
“Union Battleground deserves better. Axel Graves has done an incredible job building up our brand and establishing our organization as something to watch. We are constantly growing and finding new ways to expand. Lining me up for a shot at the Union Battleground Championship was probably the smartest decision Axel’s made yet. Our stock will continue to rise and our reputation will become even stronger once a legitimate champion holds the company’s top prize.”
“Be prepared for the Spectacular Era of the Union Battleground Championship. Dick Devereaux has done a piss poor job trying to carry that title. I don’t care if he’s not medically cleared or what kind of “war” he went through almost a month ago, he needs to show his face and represent this company as our champion. Where the hell have you been, Dick? All you had to do was show up and stake your claim as the top guy, but I think we all know that’s not who you really are. Don’t worry, I’ll take it from here. From now on, Union Battleground will have a champion that will make everyone proud. I’ll represent this company any chance I get and hold the gold with honor, pride, and the mindset of a champion.”