Post by Joe Stanton on Mar 6, 2018 19:36:07 GMT -5
The scene opens on the interior of an arena, it isn't the Indira Gandhi Arena, it's far too peculiar in its style to be that. The entire aesthetic of the location is something more akin to the backdrop of a H.P. Lovecraft novel or perhaps something out of the warped mind of Stephen King than one of the premier locations for athletic spectacles in New Delhi and the camera gradually moves along the hallways of this place. Here and there are posters that initially move by a little too quickly for the average person to recognize what they say though to a certain sect of wrestling fans it might be picking at their nostalgia just a tiny bit. More and more recent the posters become and the camera slows down more & more to focus on them, revealing several of them featuring a particular newer talent to Union Battleground's roster.
The Hallowed Halls, as they were once called, are empty save these posters promoting then NGIW Champion and the present variation of the man, Joe Stanton. The camera stops suddenly when it moreso stumbles upon him than seemingly intending to come to him all along. The Scarlet Speedster's green eyes stare intently at the poster he's in front of, the moment comes and goes though and after blinking his eyes he gives his whereabouts a look around.
"It was here that I first met Michael Hayden."
Stanton states matter-of-factly, blinking and thinking back to those days of yesteryears.
"A mutual friend introduced us, though if I'm being honest I had heard of him prior to our meeting, he had some buzz to him for the amazing matches he was capable of putting on. An injury had sidelined him though and his high flying days, his buzz looked like it might've been drying up on him when I met him, why our friend brought him into our then home promotion to maybe get him a foot in the door for something when he was healed up. Because that's the kind of guy he is."
The Scarlet Speedster scoffs and smiles at the thought of Hayden's and his mutual friend.
"And, do you know what kind of guy Michael Hayden is?"
Stanton asks happily though there's some insincerity to it.
"He orchestrated so that somebody ran around in our mutual friend's mask, injuring his then teammate and framing him for numerous other underhanded things, Hayden convinced our mutual friend to let him stand at ringside with him for his match against the impostor. And, he waited, he picked his spot, and when the moment presented itself..."
His jaw clenches at the memories, his voice giving away even now he's a little angry about the entire fiasco.
"Hayden made the biggest impact he possibly could by attacking our mutual friend, he injured him, and he gloated about how he was behind the entire scheme. That's the kind of guy Michael Hayden is, repeatedly he's proven himself to be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to keep himself in the spotlight, willing to toss anyone away for the opportunity to elevate himself just a little bit more in this industry. Even when he claims to be a changed man, even when he claims repentance, it always comes back around to having to be about him and him ensuring that everything services him first and foremost. He's torched friendship after friendship, he's exploited his own students all in the name of Haydenism as he likes to call it."
Any attempt to remain neutral while talking about the manner is failing for Joe. It's apparent, he doesn't approve, he doesn't like Hayden, he's not very happy about all of this.
"The funniest thing is that I think on some level Hayden knows what anyone with half a brain knows, he doesn't have to do these things to succeed in professional wrestling, he's proven himself to have been one of the talented flyers in the industry and he's since the injury transformed himself into one of the best technicians currently plying their craft. On hard work and dedication alone he could have reached the heights he's at, and could ascend to heights far beyond but no matter how many times he feints atonement there's something inside him of that likes playing the puppet master like in the example I gave. There's a part of him that likes doing those types of things and like how when he was once the Head of Talent Relations for another company we worked for allowed himself to become drunk on his power, and abuse that power for the benefit of those willing to stroke his...ego."
Joe's lip curls in disgust when he not so subtly implies something else of Hayden's was being stoked.
"Part of me wants this to be a nice, respectable match between two of the best talents in the industry, for it to be the nice, clean dream match that fans of both of our careers have been clamoring for for the better of a decade. Part of me really wants to respect you for your skills and for how far you've come in the industry, for everything you have done for most of the students of the Limitless Academy and the shows that you've produced for that school with the students and talents like myself. Part of me wants to like you, Hayden, to see what Aaron sees in you and how he's able to forgive you even after what you did to him. But that's the big problem for me here, I don't respect you, I never have, because of the way you conduct yourself, because of when it comes down to it who you really are deep down inside."
His brow furrows and the One Punch Man tries to come to terms with how he feels about Hayden, a lot of it he kept bottled up out of professional courtesy between them in the past. He glares into the camera lens, staring at it for the first time during this promotional material, when he confesses that he can't respect his opponent and why.
"It's why when we step into the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, India I'm looking for a fight, not a dream match. I'm looking to knock that smug look off of your face, not some nice match between two competitive athletes at the top of their game. And, maybe beat some god damn sense into you."
Stanton walks out of shot to signify the conclusion of the promotional material.
