It's Still Personal
Jul 21, 2016 22:58:22 GMT -5
Post by Chandler Scott on Jul 21, 2016 22:58:22 GMT -5
July 19, 2016
New York, NY
◉ OFF-CAM
The scene opens to the SiruisXM Studio inside the Rockefeller Center. Chandler Scott enters the studio and greets the host, Lenny Lanez, before taking a seat across the table from him. After sliding on the studio provided Beats headphones, Chandler and Lenny make a little bit of small talk while the last bit of commercials play. The familiar bumper music begins to play in their headphones, which signals to Lenny that they’re back on air. Once he’s given the okay, Lenny gets the introductions underway for hour two of his program.
Lenny Lanez: What up, world? It’s your boy Lenny Lanez here on “Piledriver Radio”, courtesy of Sirius XM. With me right now is a man that needs no introduction… but I’mma give it to him anyway. ‘Ol boy is one of FGA Wrestling’s biggest stars. After coming off a great performance at their Showdown 5 pay per view, he’s going to be one of the sixteen wrestlers in the 2016 Frontier Lions Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, Chandler Scott is in the building.
(various claps, horns and other celebratory sound effects play as Chandler is welcomed onto the show.)
Lenny Lanez: Welcome, welcome! It’s good to see you.
Chandler Scott: It’s good to be seen.
Lenny Lanez: You had a match with Jimmy Page just a few weeks ago. Now I bought the show. That match was crazy. You guys used everything that wasn’t bolted down on each other. How are you feeling after all that?
Chandler Scott: I’m… I’m getting there. That match… it was insane. Whenever you’re in a match like Chivalry is Dead, you expect a ton of physicality and that’s what you saw in that match with Page. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still feeling the effects from that match. But not in the way that a lot of people would think. Sure, I’m still hurting. But it wasn’t just from the physical nature of the match. There was… there was a lot of emotions that went into that match. You know? I’ve been in the ring with a lot of great athletes were emotions were high. Guys like Cordy or Tony or Karma, just to name a few. But this… it was different. It was personal. Very personal. So when it was all said and done, I was pretty exhausted. But not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. But I’m back now and I’m ready to get back in there and show people why I’m the best at what I do.
Lenny Lanez: You’re gonna be back in the ring this Saturday on Vertigo, which you can all catch live on WGN America at 8pm Eastern, 7 Central. In this match coming up, it’s a… qualifier?
Chandler Scott: Qualifying Match.
Lenny Lanez: Right, it’s a Qualifying Match against a returning Chris Bond. It’s kind of surreal seeing you two both coming back around the same time. There’s been a lot of talk about you two and your redemption stories. So I wanted to ask you while you’re here, what’s your redemption story?
Chandler Scott: I’m sorry, come again?
Lenny Lanez: What’s your redemption story?
Chandler Scott: Redemption story… redemption story… I’m sorry, but what exactly would I be redeeming myself from? Last time I checked, I spent the last year solidifying myself as the greatest wrestler in FGA’s history. Last time I checked, I spent the last year breaking record after record. Last I checked, it was me taking home awards. It was my matches being held in high regard. Last I checked, it was me that set the bar that people are still trying to reach to this day. So when you say “redemption story”, I’ve got to pause because I don’t need to redeem myself from a damn thing. Now if you’re talking comeback story, then that’s something entirely different.
Six months, man. That’s how long I was on the sidelines. Six months without being able to do what I do best. Six months without being able to pursue my passion. You love this radio thing, right?
Lenny Lanez: Best job in the world.
Chandler Scott: Could you imagine the mic being taken away from you for six months?
Lenny Lanez: I… I can’t.
Chandler Scott: Well that was my reality. There’s a lot of bragging and boasting in my line of work. A lot of guys make themselves out to be better than what they actually are. But when I say that I was great? I was great. And I don’t care how arrogant that comes off. It’s the truth. Man, I was on a run the likes of which that even I could never have imagined. And I’m a pretty confidant guy. I was at the top of this business. But when you go hard for as long as I did, there are consequences to those actions. Because of that, I accumulated a variety of injuries and my body reached its breaking point last year. Being out on the sidelines was the last thing I wanted to do. But when your own doctor is advising you against wrestling and FGA doctors won’t clear you to perform, I had no choice in the matter. That choice was made for me. And it sucked. It absolutely sucked.
Six months was taken out of the prime of my career. No matter what I do, I can never get those six months back. I had to sit and watch people occupying my spot. I had to watch people walking around with my championship. The difference between then and now is that I’m not helpless anymore. My arm isn’t confined to a sling anymore. I’ve been cleared to perform. I can actually get in the ring and do something about it. And trust me, I’m going to do something about it and it all starts on Saturday when I stomp Chris Bond into the canvas...
◉ OFF-CAM
Save me the apology, Chris. Save me the “I’m sorry”. Save me the “Coulda”, “Woulda”, “Shoulda” when it came to my sister. You can lie to yourself. You can lie to those kids that you allegedly train. But don’t lie to me. I can smell BS from a mile away. And the words that have been coming out of your mouth?
(Chandler waves his hand under his nose in a circular motion)
They aren’t passing the sniff test.
You know what else isn’t passing the sniff test? Spencer Burke’s words about our last encounter. What was it that our roving reporter had to say? Something to the effect of... “for a match that featured two huge stars, it’s one of the least remembered contests ever”? Well that’s funny, because I vividly remember that match. I also remember the leadup to that match very well. I remember telling you that a man with your career and with your credentials didn’t need to trot himself back out here for one last run. I remember telling you that this business had nothing to offer you anymore. I remember telling you to go home, be a family man, and be the Father that your son desperately needed. Those weren’t just words of wisdom I was giving you. I was giving you a word of warning. But in typical Chris Bond fashion, you had to be hardheaded. You didn’t heed my words. You ignored them. In turn, you gave up the chance to walk away from the ring under your own power. And you didn’t walk away unscaved because on that fateful February night, you got the breaks beaten off of you to the point where you weren’t seen for months.
But once again, you just couldn’t stay away, could you? You couldn’t leave well enough alone. Your addictions to alcohol and painkillers are well documented. But there’s one habit of yours that you’ve never been able to kick and that’s your addiction to the spotlight. That’s the one vice of yours that you’ve never been able to ignore. You scratch uncontrollably whenever that itch flares up. You come running whenever it calls you. And it called you last May during the Dynamic Duos tournament. You came back under the guise of helping an old friend’s punk kid. But your return last summer was less about helping him and more about helping yourself to the limelight. To the surprise of no none, your little makeshift team didn’t make it very far in the tournament. After being one of the many teams that Whiskey Dex stomped out en route to the titles, you would think that would’ve realized that you weren’t long for in-ring competition anymore. Everyone saw the writing on the wall.
Everyone, that is, except for you.
So instead of staying behind the scenes and training the youth, you decided to get in the ring with them. Getting in the ring and sparring with them? That would’ve been one thing. But staying behind the scenes and away from the camera was never your thing. Instead, you decided to get in the ring with them on one of LDFC’s biggest shows of the year. In the weeks that lead up to 2nd Impact, you let a couple of smart mouthed Germans - Ze Germans, to be precise - get inside your head. You let them easily manipulate you. You let them talk circles around you. And at 2nd Impact, the two of them wrestled circles around you and that Bronco kid. Two trainees, who ended up being total washouts not even a month later, ended up having their way with you, the two-time Pride Champion. Maybe THAT should’ve finally clued you in that your time as an active wrestler was finally up.
But of course it didn’t.
Instead, you jumped back to the major leagues with what seemed to be a deathwish. First, agreeing to a hardcore match with Laurel Anne Hardy. Then when that wasn’t enough, you willingly participated in a Deathmatch Invitational. But you were only able to cheat death but so many times. On the last show of the year, Death came knocking at your day. And it wasn’t leaving without your career in tow. In that match against Johnny Cannon, you suffered a career ending injury to your already surgically repaired knee. That was it. It was over. In an instant, The British Mamba put the final nail in your coffin.
Or so we thought.
Like a cat on its sixth or seventh life, here you came racing down to the ring not even two weeks ago. Maybe it was by the grace of God. Maybe it was thanks to modern medicine. Who knows. But here you are looking to return for the upteenth time. When you returned two weeks ago, the crowd came alive. They jumped out their seats and screamed at the top of their lungs. To some, your story is one of inspiration. To some, your story is that of perseverance. That “never say die” attitude resonates with FGA Nation, as you affectionately call them. The fact that you continue to defy the odds make you a fan favorite. When you’ve had plenty of reasons to stay down, you continued to stand back up and keep on fighting. To some, they admire the hell out of you. Me? I just shake my head.
What in the hell is wrong with you, Bond? Seriously, how stupid are you? What part of this do you not understand? YOU. DON’T. HAVE. IT. ANYMORE. You’re not that fresh-faced kid that broke into the business in the late 90s. You’re not even the guy that burst onto the FGA scene back in 2013. Calling you a shell of your former self wouldn’t even be doing it justice. Didn’t you learn anything from your litany of diminishing returns last year? Apparently not, because here you are back in 2016: older, slower and with a knee that’s even in worse shape than it was in three years ago. Congratulations, dumbass, I’m sure you’re gonna set the world on fire!
I mean, that’s what you’re gonna do, right? You’ve got all these grand plans. First, you’re gonna work your way back up the ladder by winning the Frontier Lions Cup. Then, you’re gonna get your hands on Johnny Cannon and then finally, become World Champion. Heh. Now I’m sure that all sounds well and good on paper. But do you ever say any of these things out loud? Because if you did, you’d realize that you sound like a fucking idiot. Forget Johnny Cannon. Forget the World Championship. There’s one huge roadblock standing in the way between you and the Quarterfinals of the Frontier Lions Cup.
You’re looking right at him.
I’m not these fans that you have eating out of the palm of your hand. I’m not these trainees that hang onto your every word. I’m not your peers in the locker room that welcomed you back with open arms.
I don’t like you.
I don’t respect you.
When I came back and said that I had to deal with personal matters before turning my attention back to the business at hand, I wasn’t just referring to Jimmy Page. You may be an idiot. But you’re smart enough to read between the lines. A few months back, you screwed up. You screwed up in a major way. For that, you will pay and oh, will you pay dearly. You know the hell that’s coming your way at Vertigo. And there’s nothing that you can do to stop me from putting my fist through your face.
Spare me all the fake praise. It won’t save you. So please spare me the “oh, Chandler Scott is such a great athlete. He’s such a phenomenal wrestler. He’s this, that and the third.” I know how great I am. I don’t need you kissing my ass by stating the obvious. And if you truly understood just how great I am, then you would’ve realized that you were fucked as you as you saw your name next to mine on the card. I don’t care who's left in this field. We could have broken bread together. We could have shared drinks together. We could have even shared intimate moments together. I will go through each and every last one of you to get what I want. And if you think some cripple like yourself is exempt from that? Then you are in for a rude awakening come Vertigo.
You may have been gone from FGA for the past seven months. But what happened then is still happening now. What rung true then still rings true to this day. Every head is still bowing… and every tongue is still confessing… that CHANDLER… REIGNS… SUPREME!
New York, NY
◉ OFF-CAM
The scene opens to the SiruisXM Studio inside the Rockefeller Center. Chandler Scott enters the studio and greets the host, Lenny Lanez, before taking a seat across the table from him. After sliding on the studio provided Beats headphones, Chandler and Lenny make a little bit of small talk while the last bit of commercials play. The familiar bumper music begins to play in their headphones, which signals to Lenny that they’re back on air. Once he’s given the okay, Lenny gets the introductions underway for hour two of his program.
Lenny Lanez: What up, world? It’s your boy Lenny Lanez here on “Piledriver Radio”, courtesy of Sirius XM. With me right now is a man that needs no introduction… but I’mma give it to him anyway. ‘Ol boy is one of FGA Wrestling’s biggest stars. After coming off a great performance at their Showdown 5 pay per view, he’s going to be one of the sixteen wrestlers in the 2016 Frontier Lions Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, Chandler Scott is in the building.
(various claps, horns and other celebratory sound effects play as Chandler is welcomed onto the show.)
Lenny Lanez: Welcome, welcome! It’s good to see you.
Chandler Scott: It’s good to be seen.
Lenny Lanez: You had a match with Jimmy Page just a few weeks ago. Now I bought the show. That match was crazy. You guys used everything that wasn’t bolted down on each other. How are you feeling after all that?
Chandler Scott: I’m… I’m getting there. That match… it was insane. Whenever you’re in a match like Chivalry is Dead, you expect a ton of physicality and that’s what you saw in that match with Page. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still feeling the effects from that match. But not in the way that a lot of people would think. Sure, I’m still hurting. But it wasn’t just from the physical nature of the match. There was… there was a lot of emotions that went into that match. You know? I’ve been in the ring with a lot of great athletes were emotions were high. Guys like Cordy or Tony or Karma, just to name a few. But this… it was different. It was personal. Very personal. So when it was all said and done, I was pretty exhausted. But not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. But I’m back now and I’m ready to get back in there and show people why I’m the best at what I do.
Lenny Lanez: You’re gonna be back in the ring this Saturday on Vertigo, which you can all catch live on WGN America at 8pm Eastern, 7 Central. In this match coming up, it’s a… qualifier?
Chandler Scott: Qualifying Match.
Lenny Lanez: Right, it’s a Qualifying Match against a returning Chris Bond. It’s kind of surreal seeing you two both coming back around the same time. There’s been a lot of talk about you two and your redemption stories. So I wanted to ask you while you’re here, what’s your redemption story?
Chandler Scott: I’m sorry, come again?
Lenny Lanez: What’s your redemption story?
Chandler Scott: Redemption story… redemption story… I’m sorry, but what exactly would I be redeeming myself from? Last time I checked, I spent the last year solidifying myself as the greatest wrestler in FGA’s history. Last time I checked, I spent the last year breaking record after record. Last I checked, it was me taking home awards. It was my matches being held in high regard. Last I checked, it was me that set the bar that people are still trying to reach to this day. So when you say “redemption story”, I’ve got to pause because I don’t need to redeem myself from a damn thing. Now if you’re talking comeback story, then that’s something entirely different.
Six months, man. That’s how long I was on the sidelines. Six months without being able to do what I do best. Six months without being able to pursue my passion. You love this radio thing, right?
Lenny Lanez: Best job in the world.
Chandler Scott: Could you imagine the mic being taken away from you for six months?
Lenny Lanez: I… I can’t.
Chandler Scott: Well that was my reality. There’s a lot of bragging and boasting in my line of work. A lot of guys make themselves out to be better than what they actually are. But when I say that I was great? I was great. And I don’t care how arrogant that comes off. It’s the truth. Man, I was on a run the likes of which that even I could never have imagined. And I’m a pretty confidant guy. I was at the top of this business. But when you go hard for as long as I did, there are consequences to those actions. Because of that, I accumulated a variety of injuries and my body reached its breaking point last year. Being out on the sidelines was the last thing I wanted to do. But when your own doctor is advising you against wrestling and FGA doctors won’t clear you to perform, I had no choice in the matter. That choice was made for me. And it sucked. It absolutely sucked.
Six months was taken out of the prime of my career. No matter what I do, I can never get those six months back. I had to sit and watch people occupying my spot. I had to watch people walking around with my championship. The difference between then and now is that I’m not helpless anymore. My arm isn’t confined to a sling anymore. I’ve been cleared to perform. I can actually get in the ring and do something about it. And trust me, I’m going to do something about it and it all starts on Saturday when I stomp Chris Bond into the canvas...
◉ OFF-CAM
When you’re a man in my position, you always have to keep your ear to the ground. I may not be as active on social media like I used to be. But trust me, I’m always watching what’s going on. Potential threats will come from any and all directions. From your “friends” and co-workers… to rival companies… to even our own developmental pipeline. LDFC isn’t just conditioning these trainees to be the stars of tomorrow. More importantly, they’re giving these kids the belief that they can take our spots. All you need to do is see Skylar Cloud’s debut at the last PPV for example.
I’ve had my eyes on LDFC since it’s inception. But I really began to watch with a keen eye when my sister decided to enroll. Now I could’ve publicly given her the seal of approval. I could’ve championed her every time a camera or mic was in my face. But I didn’t. If she was going to make it in this business, it wasn’t going to be because of her famous brother. She was going to sink or swim on her own merits. Seeing as how the feeling was mutual, I knew her head was in the right place. So I sat back and watched to see just how well she would do.
Well it didn’t take long for the claws to come out and for drama to come her way. I heard the rumors. A bunch of this and that about how she was getting a raw deal, Bond wasn’t impartial, he was biased, etc. I rolled my eyes. I figured an old school guy like Bond was simply giving her tough love. You know, letting her know that life isn’t always fair. So I was perfectly fine with his handling of things. But the more these “incidents” starting happening to her and her friends and the more he continued to look the other way when it came to a certain Baroness, it didn’t take long for me to put two and two together.
From his perspective, I understand it perfectly. The pickings are slim for a late 30s, over the hill, worn out, broken down, disheveled recovering addict. So when a marginally attractive 20 something is throwing it at you behind closed doors, why shouldn’t he jump on it? He’s a man with wants and needs. He let her run amok because she let him get his dick wet. I get it. But when he continued to sit on his hands whenever her and her buddies beat up Emily? When he continued to screw over Emily while giving his Crimson buddy and others a free pass? Yeah, that’s when I started to become annoyed.
With that being said, it still wasn’t enough for me to travel down there and put hands on him...
However, what he allowed to happen on April 1st is more than enough reason to kick his shit in.
Let me be clear. Jimmy Page is responsible for his own actions. He’s the one that carried out that barbaric attack. While no one would ever describe Page as someone that’s all there in the head, he knew exactly what was doing that night. But Bond is just as much to blame as he’s the one that let it happen.
Yes, he let it happen.
Since when does a chop block leave you incapacitated for ten minutes? He’s supposed to be the “Battled Hardened” veteran, right? He’s the one that bounced back from a hardcore match with Laurel Anne Hardy, right? He’s the one that took part in a Deathmatch Invitational, then bounced back like it was nothing, right? Yet he gets a chop block to the knee and suddenly, he acts like he’s been shot?
Yeah, uh huh.
Let that have been his son that was getting the shit kicked out of him all around that gym. What’s that little fucker’s name? Ryan? Randy? Rhys! Yeah, that’s it. Let that had been RHYS that was being attacked by Jimmy Page... You can bet that Bond would have been fighting to protect him with every fiber in his being. Or hell, let that had been his little Crimson buddy that was viciously assaulted. You can bet that Bond would’ve been outside that hospital room holding a candlelight vigil. But Emily? Eh, who cares about her, right? The man didn’t even have the decency to visit her. No phone call. No card. Nothing. But remember, Bond cares so much about each and every one of his trainees.
Ha.
For most people in my position, this match on Saturday would be about advancing in the tournament and future opportunities. But to me, it’s every bit as personal as the match with Page was. Everyone saw what I did to him at All-Star Showdown. You think I’m not above doing the same to Bond?
I’ve had my eyes on LDFC since it’s inception. But I really began to watch with a keen eye when my sister decided to enroll. Now I could’ve publicly given her the seal of approval. I could’ve championed her every time a camera or mic was in my face. But I didn’t. If she was going to make it in this business, it wasn’t going to be because of her famous brother. She was going to sink or swim on her own merits. Seeing as how the feeling was mutual, I knew her head was in the right place. So I sat back and watched to see just how well she would do.
Well it didn’t take long for the claws to come out and for drama to come her way. I heard the rumors. A bunch of this and that about how she was getting a raw deal, Bond wasn’t impartial, he was biased, etc. I rolled my eyes. I figured an old school guy like Bond was simply giving her tough love. You know, letting her know that life isn’t always fair. So I was perfectly fine with his handling of things. But the more these “incidents” starting happening to her and her friends and the more he continued to look the other way when it came to a certain Baroness, it didn’t take long for me to put two and two together.
From his perspective, I understand it perfectly. The pickings are slim for a late 30s, over the hill, worn out, broken down, disheveled recovering addict. So when a marginally attractive 20 something is throwing it at you behind closed doors, why shouldn’t he jump on it? He’s a man with wants and needs. He let her run amok because she let him get his dick wet. I get it. But when he continued to sit on his hands whenever her and her buddies beat up Emily? When he continued to screw over Emily while giving his Crimson buddy and others a free pass? Yeah, that’s when I started to become annoyed.
With that being said, it still wasn’t enough for me to travel down there and put hands on him...
However, what he allowed to happen on April 1st is more than enough reason to kick his shit in.
Let me be clear. Jimmy Page is responsible for his own actions. He’s the one that carried out that barbaric attack. While no one would ever describe Page as someone that’s all there in the head, he knew exactly what was doing that night. But Bond is just as much to blame as he’s the one that let it happen.
Yes, he let it happen.
Since when does a chop block leave you incapacitated for ten minutes? He’s supposed to be the “Battled Hardened” veteran, right? He’s the one that bounced back from a hardcore match with Laurel Anne Hardy, right? He’s the one that took part in a Deathmatch Invitational, then bounced back like it was nothing, right? Yet he gets a chop block to the knee and suddenly, he acts like he’s been shot?
Yeah, uh huh.
Let that have been his son that was getting the shit kicked out of him all around that gym. What’s that little fucker’s name? Ryan? Randy? Rhys! Yeah, that’s it. Let that had been RHYS that was being attacked by Jimmy Page... You can bet that Bond would have been fighting to protect him with every fiber in his being. Or hell, let that had been his little Crimson buddy that was viciously assaulted. You can bet that Bond would’ve been outside that hospital room holding a candlelight vigil. But Emily? Eh, who cares about her, right? The man didn’t even have the decency to visit her. No phone call. No card. Nothing. But remember, Bond cares so much about each and every one of his trainees.
Ha.
For most people in my position, this match on Saturday would be about advancing in the tournament and future opportunities. But to me, it’s every bit as personal as the match with Page was. Everyone saw what I did to him at All-Star Showdown. You think I’m not above doing the same to Bond?
Save me the apology, Chris. Save me the “I’m sorry”. Save me the “Coulda”, “Woulda”, “Shoulda” when it came to my sister. You can lie to yourself. You can lie to those kids that you allegedly train. But don’t lie to me. I can smell BS from a mile away. And the words that have been coming out of your mouth?
(Chandler waves his hand under his nose in a circular motion)
They aren’t passing the sniff test.
You know what else isn’t passing the sniff test? Spencer Burke’s words about our last encounter. What was it that our roving reporter had to say? Something to the effect of... “for a match that featured two huge stars, it’s one of the least remembered contests ever”? Well that’s funny, because I vividly remember that match. I also remember the leadup to that match very well. I remember telling you that a man with your career and with your credentials didn’t need to trot himself back out here for one last run. I remember telling you that this business had nothing to offer you anymore. I remember telling you to go home, be a family man, and be the Father that your son desperately needed. Those weren’t just words of wisdom I was giving you. I was giving you a word of warning. But in typical Chris Bond fashion, you had to be hardheaded. You didn’t heed my words. You ignored them. In turn, you gave up the chance to walk away from the ring under your own power. And you didn’t walk away unscaved because on that fateful February night, you got the breaks beaten off of you to the point where you weren’t seen for months.
But once again, you just couldn’t stay away, could you? You couldn’t leave well enough alone. Your addictions to alcohol and painkillers are well documented. But there’s one habit of yours that you’ve never been able to kick and that’s your addiction to the spotlight. That’s the one vice of yours that you’ve never been able to ignore. You scratch uncontrollably whenever that itch flares up. You come running whenever it calls you. And it called you last May during the Dynamic Duos tournament. You came back under the guise of helping an old friend’s punk kid. But your return last summer was less about helping him and more about helping yourself to the limelight. To the surprise of no none, your little makeshift team didn’t make it very far in the tournament. After being one of the many teams that Whiskey Dex stomped out en route to the titles, you would think that would’ve realized that you weren’t long for in-ring competition anymore. Everyone saw the writing on the wall.
Everyone, that is, except for you.
So instead of staying behind the scenes and training the youth, you decided to get in the ring with them. Getting in the ring and sparring with them? That would’ve been one thing. But staying behind the scenes and away from the camera was never your thing. Instead, you decided to get in the ring with them on one of LDFC’s biggest shows of the year. In the weeks that lead up to 2nd Impact, you let a couple of smart mouthed Germans - Ze Germans, to be precise - get inside your head. You let them easily manipulate you. You let them talk circles around you. And at 2nd Impact, the two of them wrestled circles around you and that Bronco kid. Two trainees, who ended up being total washouts not even a month later, ended up having their way with you, the two-time Pride Champion. Maybe THAT should’ve finally clued you in that your time as an active wrestler was finally up.
But of course it didn’t.
Instead, you jumped back to the major leagues with what seemed to be a deathwish. First, agreeing to a hardcore match with Laurel Anne Hardy. Then when that wasn’t enough, you willingly participated in a Deathmatch Invitational. But you were only able to cheat death but so many times. On the last show of the year, Death came knocking at your day. And it wasn’t leaving without your career in tow. In that match against Johnny Cannon, you suffered a career ending injury to your already surgically repaired knee. That was it. It was over. In an instant, The British Mamba put the final nail in your coffin.
Or so we thought.
Like a cat on its sixth or seventh life, here you came racing down to the ring not even two weeks ago. Maybe it was by the grace of God. Maybe it was thanks to modern medicine. Who knows. But here you are looking to return for the upteenth time. When you returned two weeks ago, the crowd came alive. They jumped out their seats and screamed at the top of their lungs. To some, your story is one of inspiration. To some, your story is that of perseverance. That “never say die” attitude resonates with FGA Nation, as you affectionately call them. The fact that you continue to defy the odds make you a fan favorite. When you’ve had plenty of reasons to stay down, you continued to stand back up and keep on fighting. To some, they admire the hell out of you. Me? I just shake my head.
What in the hell is wrong with you, Bond? Seriously, how stupid are you? What part of this do you not understand? YOU. DON’T. HAVE. IT. ANYMORE. You’re not that fresh-faced kid that broke into the business in the late 90s. You’re not even the guy that burst onto the FGA scene back in 2013. Calling you a shell of your former self wouldn’t even be doing it justice. Didn’t you learn anything from your litany of diminishing returns last year? Apparently not, because here you are back in 2016: older, slower and with a knee that’s even in worse shape than it was in three years ago. Congratulations, dumbass, I’m sure you’re gonna set the world on fire!
I mean, that’s what you’re gonna do, right? You’ve got all these grand plans. First, you’re gonna work your way back up the ladder by winning the Frontier Lions Cup. Then, you’re gonna get your hands on Johnny Cannon and then finally, become World Champion. Heh. Now I’m sure that all sounds well and good on paper. But do you ever say any of these things out loud? Because if you did, you’d realize that you sound like a fucking idiot. Forget Johnny Cannon. Forget the World Championship. There’s one huge roadblock standing in the way between you and the Quarterfinals of the Frontier Lions Cup.
You’re looking right at him.
I’m not these fans that you have eating out of the palm of your hand. I’m not these trainees that hang onto your every word. I’m not your peers in the locker room that welcomed you back with open arms.
I don’t like you.
I don’t respect you.
When I came back and said that I had to deal with personal matters before turning my attention back to the business at hand, I wasn’t just referring to Jimmy Page. You may be an idiot. But you’re smart enough to read between the lines. A few months back, you screwed up. You screwed up in a major way. For that, you will pay and oh, will you pay dearly. You know the hell that’s coming your way at Vertigo. And there’s nothing that you can do to stop me from putting my fist through your face.
Spare me all the fake praise. It won’t save you. So please spare me the “oh, Chandler Scott is such a great athlete. He’s such a phenomenal wrestler. He’s this, that and the third.” I know how great I am. I don’t need you kissing my ass by stating the obvious. And if you truly understood just how great I am, then you would’ve realized that you were fucked as you as you saw your name next to mine on the card. I don’t care who's left in this field. We could have broken bread together. We could have shared drinks together. We could have even shared intimate moments together. I will go through each and every last one of you to get what I want. And if you think some cripple like yourself is exempt from that? Then you are in for a rude awakening come Vertigo.
You may have been gone from FGA for the past seven months. But what happened then is still happening now. What rung true then still rings true to this day. Every head is still bowing… and every tongue is still confessing… that CHANDLER… REIGNS… SUPREME!