Post by Michael James on Aug 18, 2013 15:43:48 GMT -5
* A white and bold text appears. It reads “2000”. Fade in to a video clip from a low rent arena back in its hay day. Music is heard blaring throughout the arena as we see a 21 year old Michael James walk through a makeshift curtain. He looks around the arena with pure disgust as the fans boo and jeer him.*
Commentator: We don’t know much about this guy but it’s clear to see that he isn’t making a good impression on the fans here…
* James takes a drag from his cigarette and walks down the aisle showing no concern for the fans negativity. A few pieces of trash are tossed his way from the audience that land near his feet. James kicks the trash out of the way and begins to verbally insult a few audience members while tossing the trash back at them. Fade to black. *
| - The Debut of Dysfunction – |
* Fade in to a video clip featuring a variety of HFW wrestlers. Michael James, Joe Max and Death Roades are seen stomping on Ryan Delashaw. His face is nothing more than a bloody crimson mask. Cut to a shot of Michael James rolling in a covered glass tank filled with water. James unlocks the cover and reveals the interior contents to be a swarm of piranha. Max and Death Roades lift up Delashaw and toss him inside the tank. James slams down the cover and locks it. Slow motion fade with a shot of Delashaw inside of the tank, punching and kicking the glass while his blood mixes with the water. *
| - Below Zero | Maximum Brutality – |
* Fade in to a video clip of the very first Maximum Brutality match at HFW’s Below Zero pay-per-view. Michael James is seen balancing himself on a ladder, merely inches away from the dangling HFW World Title. James grabs onto the belt and releases it from the cable holding it at bay. His music hits and James holds the HFW World Title as high as he can *
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner and NEW HFW World Heavyweight Champion….Michael James!!!
* The announcer’s audio has a heavy echo mixed with a slow motion shot of Michael James holding up the HFW World Title. The video clip rolls a montage of footage from James’ time spent in the HFW and other various promotions. Highlights are shown from prior promos featuring James in a multitude of ultra-violent matches with other wrestlers. Slow motion fade on a shot of James holding up a world title belt in front of a group of angered fans *
| - Michael James parts ways with the HFW – |
* Fade in to a video clip of a Michael James promo. He is standing in the center of a wrestling ring holding his contract in one hand and a microphone in the other. *
Michael James: And as far as my dedication to his promotion is concerned, I’m doing exactly what I should have done when they called me back to this rotting shit hole.
* James wads up his contract and reaches towards the back of his pants. He wipes his ass with the contract and removes it from the back of his pants. He exits the ring and walks to the commentary table. He drops the contract on the table *
Michael James: You can consider that my resignation. Effective immediately.
* James drops the microphone and walks out of frame as the commentary team show their disgust for James’ actions. Slow motion fade out with a shot of Michael James gradually making his way towards the back, making sure to insult a few fans on his way out. *
| - 2013 | Michael James signs with Extreme Anarchy Wrestling – |
* Cross fade to a blurry white background with spots of black in the center. The camera starts to focus once the image clears we gain sight of a piece of paper that has an EAW emblem at the top. The text below the emblem reads “Official Contract”. The paper moves down past all the legal information and there is a space near the bottom where signatures are found from both Michael James and TJ Pain. *
Michael James: Read it and weep, bitches.
* The contract is removed from in front of the frame. When the focus clears, Michael James is seen standing in full view of the EAW viewers while sporting his trademark sunglasses. He takes a drag from a Cuban cigar and exhales the smoke through his nostrils. *
Michael James: Read it and fucking weep.
* James places the contract aside and removes his sunglasses. He places them inside of his jacket and takes another drag from the cigar. *
Michael James: Although it may come as no surprise to any of you since I have yet to make a name for myself amongst the ranks I can assure everyone that a lot of things are about to change. To some, change is a good thing. To others who may not have the ability to hold themselves above high water like the rest of us, it means a chance at some kind of catastrophic failure that could possibly lead them towards an early retirement. I’m not one of those people. I welcome change. I encourage the ability to adapt with new situations and confrontations. I could be cliché and claim to be the best. I could say that I’m better than the rest of you. I could say I deserve a shot at the world title without having to prove a damn thing to anyone. But I’m not going to do that. Why not? The answer is simple. I have always taken great pride in being a constant professional. I have always confided in my own ability to push my opponents beyond their own limitations. Granted, in most cases these limitations were not half of what I came to expect from my experience and that is when my addiction for competition becomes sheer disappointment due to the lack of talent stemming from the douche nozzles I’m usually booked against. Coming from my standpoint as a former world champion and king of the deathmatch, I have high expectations. When those expectations fail to meet my standards it pisses me off.
* James takes another drag from his cigar and exhales through his nostrils. He ashes the cigar and continues to look into the camera lens *
Michael James: I never had to work my way to the top. From the moment of my arrival in each promotion it was clear that I was going to be the one destined to set the pace for this industry’s past, present and future success. To be completely honest I had no problem doing any of the things that were expected from me. I liked winning matches, I liked being the world champion and most of all and I liked being the one to set the pace for the future talent pool. In essence, without the knowledge of my guiding hand a lot of companies would have been nothing more right now than a pile of ash. Granted, upon any type of confrontation the promoters would never admit they lacked the knowledge or experience required to run a successful wrestling company. Lucky for them I’m still around to set the record straight.
* James takes a drag from his cigar and exhales the smoke into the camera lens. A static feeds interrupts the promo. A few seconds later the image clears showing Michael James facing a wall covered with different title belts and awards. The camera pans the wall showing framed photographs of James from different events throughout his career. James focuses his attention on a particular tile belt. He reaches up and removes it from its mount on the wall. Upon inspection of the aged belt plate, the title appears to be James’ first World Heavyweight Championship. *
Michael James: Universal…Elite…whatever they want to call it these days. It all means the same damn thing. World Heavyweight Champion.
* James places the title back onto its mount. *
Michael James: In damn near every company I’ve worked for I can’t think of one where I wasn’t considered a potential threat towards contendership for the world heavyweight title. It’s like I show up, open my mouth and BAM! I’m automatically ranked as the next guy to become the promotion’s flagship champion. Don’t get me wrong. I had no problems carrying the weight of each promotion on my shoulders without any hesitation. Being the world champion was easy. Staying the world champion was easy. But being forced to tolerate a small army of numerous lackluster opponents who constantly felt the need to get in my face? That part I could have gone without. I'm what you would call an esteemed professional. A made man in the sport of professional wrestling and it's not because I’m a nice guy. It’s because I do what I have to do in order to make things happen. If I was the type of man to sit around and let opportunities pass me by I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I’m not here to waste time or make an ass out of myself for the sake of attention. When I speak people listen and when I say I’m going to do something it fucking happens. Unlike a lot of men in the EAW, failure is not an option for me. This isn’t just some horse shit soap opera where I can put on a costume and pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m fucking proud of who I am. If not, I wouldn’t be known as the Personification of Perfection.
* Slow fade to black with the frame locked on the belt’s center plate *
| - New Orleans, Louisiana | St. Augustine Catholic Church – |
* Fade in to the outside of the St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. Michael James is found standing outside the front entrance. He takes a final drag from his cigarette and tosses it towards the street before making his way inside. James opens the front door and walks through. We follow him as he gradually walks in destination of a very unusual location for his tastes, a confessional booth. James pushes the curtain aside and steps inside the booth. He sits down and removes his sunglasses just as the priest on the other side speaks to James. *
Father: Welcome my son. How long has it been since your last confession?
Michael James: Thirty-three years.
Father: I see.
Michael James: If you want me to be completely honest with you--
Father: Of course.
Michael James: I’m not really the type of person who usually does this type of thing. I’m not a catholic. I’m not even religious.
Father: No matter. God bears no judgment to those seeking his guidance.
Michael James: But you see, that’s the thing. I’m not here seeking guidance.
Father: Then what is it you wish to confess?
Michael James: I’m seeking forgiveness for atrocious acts of senseless violence.
Father: I’m afraid I don’t understand. Please try to explain.
Michael James: It’s complicated.
Father: How so?
* James releases a frustrated sigh before speaking *
Michael James: I’m not what you would call a decent person. I have done things for my own personal gain that most members of society and religious circles would consider to be unforgivable. I have brought torment and agony towards men and women who didn’t necessarily deserve it for the purpose of my own financial development. In my eyes and moral background there was question of right or wrong. There was only win or lose and I don’t get paid to lose.
Father: Do you mind me asking what type of morality system you use to base your beliefs?
Michael James: That’s complicated too. I was taught your standard morals as a child. I just had a hard time believing the things I learned over time and decided to create my own morality system based on what was best for me. If the people in this world have taught each other anything over the course of human existence it’s the first lesson of knowing how to recognize the obvious signs that we are witness to on a regular basis. It was Hannibal Lecter who said “we begin by coveting what we see every day”, which in my opinion made a lot of damn sense.
Father: What do you mean?
Michael James: Basically I’m saying human evolution is not where I expected it to be at this point in time. If anything we seem to be moving in reverse. Over time I have learned that trust has moved past of point of being a sacred bond between two people and become literally extinct amongst general society. People double cross one another every day for what justifiable reason? Because it’s a part of their nature? I don’t buy that crap. Anyone who was born with a fully functioning brain can learn to adapt to the morals they are taught. Even if the morals they were taught are worse than the bowels of the abyss, every person has a choice with how they use those morals. Personally, I always consider the consequences before acting and never saw anything wrong with the way I used my own morality.
Father: What about the violent acts you forced upon other people? Did you consider the consequences then?
Michael James: Sure. I guess. Who knows? If I’m employed to do something I make sure to get it right the first time around.
Father: What is your profession?
Michael James: For the last four years I’ve been working in independent film production. Before that I was a full time professional wrestler. Recently I was granted an offer that was too good to refuse. Another nice little dose of irony is the fact that unlike the bullshit you see on television, the EAW encourages the ultra-violent genre of wrestling that I have perfected throughout my career.
Father: EAW?
Michael James: Extreme Anarchy Wrestling. Probably one of the last remaining promotions that will allow the type of violence the hardcore fans are hungry for. You see, unlike the standard work force we aren’t trying to climb up the corporate ladder or up one another through deceitful tactics. Instead, we are given the opportunity to prove ourselves through means of sheer brutality in some of the most depraved ways you could imagine. On one occasion in a prior company I was a part of, myself and three other men dumped the company’s fan favorite inside of a tank filled with angry piranha and locked it shut.
Father: And what were the consequences of that?
* James laughs to himself *
Michael James: I was promoted.
Father: Sorry. Let me rephrase. Other than any moral responsibility you had outside of your employment at the time. How did you feel about what you did to this man after having a night to sleep on it?
Michael James: It might sound immoral to you but I felt good about what I did that night. It was my chance to bring everything I had learned to the United States without any limitations. Sure. I knew we hurt the guy and he probably didn’t deserve it but he knew what he was getting into when he was running his mouth about how great he was. He didn’t consider the consequences of his own actions. In return, he ended up as nothing more than a bloody mass who probably still has to be force fed through a plastic tube.
* The priest on the other side of the booth clears his throat *
Father: I see.
* He says in an uncomfortable tone *
Michael James: The point I’m trying to make is that I don’t see any point in feeling remorse for my actions or any kind of moral obligation for showing mercy on those who feel the need to cross me. They all had the chance to think things through before moving forward. I think it’s a little more than obvious that a good amount of my rivals decided to act out of passion instead of rational intelligence which is what lead to their ultimate downfall. You have to understand something Father. My name recognition was not only legendary in the wrestling business. It was a subject of fear and premeditated victory over men that knew what I was capable of doing. They would see their name next to mine on the card and beg the promoters to change the lineup. Why? Because they knew they couldn’t win. They knew it was an impossible dream to steal a win over Michael James so instead of putting forth any type of effort they tuck tail and run to avoid the embarrassment of having their asses snuffed out by the best the company had to offer.
* James places a Cuban cigar in his mouth and lights it. The priest smells the burning tobacco in a matter of seconds *
Father: I hate to be a bother my son, but we do not allow smoking inside of the church.
* Silence as James’ side of the booth morphs to darkness *
Father: Hello?
* The priest gets out of the booth and checks the other side to find no one there. The scent of the cigar surrounds the area while traces of smoke are seen rising above. The priest looks around the church but finds no sign of Michael James. Slow fade to black. *
- New Beginnings –
* Fade in to a full frame exterior view of an arena of some kind. The parking lot is completely empty except for one particular vehicle, a pitch black 1967 Pontiac GTO. Cross fade to the inside of the building to find nothing but silence and empty seats. We hear the sound of footsteps in the distance. The camera pans to the empty arena floor where the ring is usually found. In its place we find Michael James standing by himself, looking around the arena. He removes his sunglasses and glares directly into the camera lens. James places his sunglasses inside of his jacket. He walks out of frame for a second. James comes back holding one of the chairs showing definitive signs of age. He unfolds the legs and positions the chair in the center of the empty arena floor. James takes off his jacket and places it on the backside of the chair. He takes a seat and leans forward *
Michael James: In all honesty, I considered the notion of making a return kind of a pointless act in light of everything I was able to accomplish with my career. But then, out of nowhere, something dawned on me. Much like the iconic psychopaths that continue to evolve the cinematic slasher genre, some legends are just made to last.
* James reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a small metal tin. He opens it and removes a finely rolled blunt. He places the blunt in between his lips and lights the opposite end. He exhales the smoke towards the camera lens *
Michael James: You see, unlike the resident douche bags stinking up the spotlight in the EAW, I’m not fucking around when I say that I’m the future of this business. And it's not just some quirky catch phrase I came up with. It’s something I feel damn serious about. I'm not hoping that people accept me for who I am and somehow award me all the praise I deserve. No. I'm planning on fighting for it. I'm planning on earning it. I'm more than willing to prove that I can make it today just as well as I did in the past no matter what opposition is placed in front of me. You can call me a bully, an asshole or whatever the hell you like because personal opinions make no difference to me. I signed with EAW to do what I do best. I don’t care who they are or what they look like...big, small, black, white...I judge no one until they think they can compete on the same level as me and that’s when reality comes crashing down on top of them. Like any other game you have to start somewhere if you expect to make it to the top. Whether it is trash talking another guy or the entire promotion, it doesn't matter. Risks must be taken and regrets must be ignored. Do I regret anything I've ever done to get where I am today? Hell no. I regret nothing. I’m not a man to waste time playing around with words to make things seem as they aren’t. I don’t back down from my convictions and what I say is exactly what I mean.
* James takes another drag from the blunt and releases a slight cough. He looks at the blunt with an impressive smirk before turning back to the camera *
Michael James: When I first stepped into this business I made it clear that my main goal was to be the center of attention no matter where I decided to seek employment. The only real problem was no matter where I went it was the same fucking thing. I looked around and saw a bunch of bullshit. I saw promoters giving their friends title shots over men who had spent their lives busting ass for a simple opportunity. I saw fraudulent men acting as flagship wrestlers simply because that’s the best these places had to offer. So naturally, I made my way in and showed them what my brand of quality competition was all about. You know what happened after that? They began to fucking worship the ground I walked on. It didn’t matter who I signed with. Within weeks of my arrival I managed to become the world champion and flagship name within every single promotion I worked for. I didn’t have to try very hard either. I had the talent so I was recognized as the best in the business. Nowadays you have a mixture of talent from all walks of life and that’s something I can truly appreciate. Guys like Jordan Caliban and Kareem Bashir are recognized as shit because they are shit. Guys like Michael James are recognized as legit competition because that’s exactly what I am. In EAW, favorites don’t mean a fucking thing. If you lose a match it’s because you failed to prove to be the better man. End of story.
* James stands up and begins to pace around before turning back towards the camera *
Michael James: When I say this business is serious to me that's exactly what I mean. When I say I'm going to fight until my last breath that’s exactly what I plan to do. I really don’t give a shit who or what they decide to throw at me. I'm ready to push aside whoever is stupid or brave enough to stand up and think they can prove me wrong. The fact is people in competition don't like it when there’s someone better out there. They can't handle the fact that there’s someone who can talk the talk and back it up without trying. They're frustrated because I exist. They're pissed because they can't beat me and want me gone but I’m not going anywhere but up. I have to establish the facts and make it clear to everyone watching what the future of this place has to look forward to. Me. Michael James. I’m more than ready to do what has to be done in order to assure victory. I'm ready to give the rest of you no talent hacks something to use as a source of inspiration. You're going to experience the essence of perfection. Above all, you're going to learn how to lose with style. As a matter of fact, you’re gonna need a fucking miracle to make it through this. Start praying, assholes.
* James takes another drag from the blunt as the picture gradually goes out of focus and fades to black *
