***Mohegan Sun Casino (Connecticut): May 14, 2001***
The camera fades in to what appears to be a post-match
beatdown, as three men surround the fallen form of The Phoenix.
The first figure is easily over seven feet tall and well-built as he
kicks at the knees and legs of Phoenix. The second, a cruiserweight by the looks of
it, has a side headlock on Phoenix
and is assaulting him with a set of brass knuckles. The third, obviously the leader of the group,
finally calls off his henchmen as he applies an anklelock-Phoenix’s own
finishing maneuver-to Phoenix’s
left ankle. This is held for a few
moments before the camera catches Phoenix’s
ankle bending the wrong way. The
microphone can easily hear Phoenix
scream in pain right before a faint “crack” sound can be heard. The hold is broken a moment later as the
three men celebrate in the ring, and Phoenix
is helped backstage by some officials.
The camera continues to follow Phoenix
as he speaks in a voice-over of the footage being shown.
Phoenix: It took three men to do that to me. The big man is Jacey Morgan, the
cruiserweight is “Big Daddy” Rick, and the man who broke my ankle was one of
the owners of Labbers Wrestling Federation, “Bad Ass” Jason Webb. Somehow, I managed to heal rather quickly,
and four weeks later made my return, bailing co-owner Trym Severla out of
another 3-on-1 mugging at the hands of these people, who styled themselves
“Degeneration Next.” The following week,
another surprise would occur.
***Staples Center (Los
Angeles, California): June 18, 2001***
The camera now does a transition fade, and we’re now
looking at the end of a match between Phoenix, who is wearing an ankle brace
for protection, and the LWF Intercontinental Champion at the time, Sean
Peck. Phoenix
lands his Death Valley Driver set-up, the
Immolation, and slowly makes his way to the top rope. Balancing himself, he takes a deep breath and
leaps, somehow managing to spin a full 450 degrees in mid-air and land his
Flashfire finisher. The three-count is
almost academic as a new champion is crowned for the first time in his career. As he hoists the belt while showing off to
the fans, Phoenix
speaks again in a voice-over.
Phoenix: At the time, I figured this to be my crowning
moment-my first championship, and all of the momentum in the world. I became overconfident, however, and lost
that title two weeks later in a rematch.
I would not get another shot at a singles title, but other opportunities
would arise in the tag team division. I
never expected it to happen, but when it did, I made certain I was ready to
seize the moment.
***1st Mariner Arena (Baltimore, Maryland): August 3, 2001***
Another transition fade leads us to near the end of a
tag-team match. A clothesline sends a
man known only as Graves over the top rope, leaving Phoenix and his partner, “Crazy” Chris Waits,
alone in the ring with a man calling himself The New Dynamite Kid. Waits calls out something to Phoenix, who nods once in
acknowledgment. Waits then whips the Kid
into the ropes as Phoenix
comes off the side perpendicular, and a combined spinebuster/lariat clothesline
is the result. Waits, who is the legal
man, makes the cover as Phoenix stares down Graves to make certain he cannot break up the pin. Three seconds later, the first-ever LWF Tag
Team Champions are crowned as Phoenix
receives his belt from his tag partner, and shows it off for his hometown
crowd. Once again, Phoenix’s voice cuts over the clip.
Phoenix: This was the first time that Chris and I had
ever been in the same ring together, as partners or otherwise. However, the chemistry was there, and we
never looked back. We held the titles
until the federation changed names in mid-2002.
Sometime in the midst of this confusion, I was told to abandon the mode
of talking I was using, and resort to a normalized manner of speech. That lasted all of six months, when tragedy
struck once again.
***World Wrestling Xtreme Headquarters (Charleston, South
Carolina):
December 24, 2002***
Yet another transition fade follows, and this time the
camera fades in on a staff meeting. In
the front of the room are Jason Webb and Trym Severla, both looking the worse
for wear. Sitting around the room are
the rest of the members of the WWX roster.
Although the camera isn’t picking up the sound of Webb speaking, one can
clearly tell from his body language that the news is far from good. A moment later, when both he and Trym start
to shake the hand of every person on the roster, it becomes clear that the
worst has happened, and that this promotion is no more. As this last picture fades from the screen,
we can hear the voice of The Phoenix
echo in the darkened silence that follows.
Phoenix: To learn from the past is one thing. To live there is something entirely
different. This is but a small sample of
the events of my past, for those who would care to learn the intricacies of
what makes me who I am. However, time
marches on, and so must I. Despite the
events of 48 hours ago, I must now focus on a new opponent instead of defending
a title that by all rights I should be wearing now.
The still image of a rather small man, arm extended in
a salute that would be right at home in the 1940’s “Third Reich” era of Germany,
appears on the screen.
Phoenix: This is one Charles Minister, a native of London and apparent supporter of a philosophy that should
have died with its’ creator in a Berlin
bomb shelter in 1945. A decent wrestler,
it seems…but his personality leaves much to be desired.
The image shifts to Charles’ match at Uprising, as Phoenix looks on for a few
moments.
Phoenix: Here we see a man who has elected to forsake
the future and the opportunity to become better. He would rather stay narrow-minded and remain
in the past, holding true to an ideal whose time has long since passed…and thus
become like myself in one sense: a
recluse from today’s society.
The image of Charles’ match fades from the screen as Phoenix finally turns to look at the camera.
Phoenix: The difference, Charles, is that I look to
the future. I learn from the past, what
works and what does not work, and try to make myself a better person for it. If you choose to hold to your Third Reich
ideals, then that is your choice.
At this, Phoenix gets up
and slowly walks to the door leading out of the room he is in.
Phoenix: Just do not be surprised when, come Uprising
in two weeks, you find yourself much like your Führer: defeated, with everything you know and have
worked so hard for crumbling around you like dust in the wind. So is it written, so shall it come to be
known…
Here, Phoenix gives a
wicked smile and finishes the line in German, a language he learned a portion
of during his school days.
Phoenix: …und der Phönix sieht es getan.
Phoenix turns and opens the door.
In front of him is a panoramic view, which includes both M&T Bank
Stadium and Oriole Park
at Camden Yards.
It is only a moment before the door closes behind him and the camera
fades to black.
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