Post by Donovan Basch on Jan 13, 2018 12:21:56 GMT -5
Scene opens inside the home office of Donovan Basch, where we find the challenger for the West Coast Championship sitting at his computer, with only the glow of a computer monitor illuminating his features, leaning back in his chair with a coffee mug in his hand. He smiles as he takes a sip.
Donovan: Ahhh, so good. Definitely worth the pit stop to St. Croix…
He sets the mug down on a coaster before directing his attention at the camera.
Donovan: I must say, the “Basch Honeymoon Tour 2017-2018” was everything I could hope for and then some…. Zurich, Vienna, Monte Carlo, the Virgin Islands…. But don’t fool yourself into thinking I spent all of my time…
He clears his throat.
Donovan: “Sightseeing.”
He smirks, arching his eyebrows.
Donovan: Yes, that’s what I’ll call it. No, in addition to enjoying the company of the most beautiful woman in the world, I’ve been spending my time preparing for my LONG overdue shot at the West Coast Championship….
I’m sure you’re familiar with the expression, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. And it would seem that you’ve had that plan carefully thought out, haven’t you? Now, what was your master plan again, Julianna? As I recall, it went something like this:
1. Humiliate Adrien Cochrane at NGW Homecoming.
2. Defeat me at Crossroads: Ascension to retain your West Coast Championship.
3. Defeat Melina Garrison to get promoted to the NGW roster.
He shakes his head, chuckling softly.
Donovan: So far, your plan is going swimmingly…. If by “swimmingly,” you happen to swim like a lump of lead. I mean, you did SUCH a phenomenal job putting Mr. Cochrane in his place last Sunday.
He leans in ever so slightly as he stares into the camera.
Donovan: I’m sure I don’t have to explain this, Julianna, but that was sarcasm. I do need to give kudos to Mr. Cochrane. After everything you've done to that man, he could have easily let you fall into that flaming dumpster…
Donovan chuckles a bit.
Donovan: Certainly appropriate, as your career lately can be summed up with the words “dumpster fire.” No, instead, he showed you mercy, which is far more than you deserve after the way you’ve behaved.
But even as humiliating as the whole Homecoming experience must have been, you still had that fragment of hope in the back of your mind. You know, the one that would softly whisper “OK, so I had to utter the words I swore would never leave my lips. But I’m still a champion. At least I have that….”
He closes his eyes and smiles to himself.
Donovan: Soon, you won’t even have that title to act as your lifeline… to keep you from falling into a place even more frightening than the blazing inferno that you yourself had started… Soon, there will be NOTHING to stop you from plummeting into the yawning abyss that is madness.
As he says those words, he opens his eyes, and the smile quickly departs from his countenance, replaced with a soul-piercing stare.
Donovan: I’ve seen you grow so unhinged every time that you accrue a loss, DiMaria. It lends credence to every bit of derision poured upon you by a set of parents you feel that robbed you of your childhood. Every time you looked to them for approval, all you received was disapproving looks….
Tell me, Julianna, is that your excuse for becoming a vile, wretched excuse for a human being? “Mommy and Daddy didn’t give me enough love, so I’m going to try and tear down anyone that stands between me and what I want.” Is that accurate?
Since you first stepped foot in West Coast Genesis, the bile has spewed from your lips like a fountain, aimed indiscriminately at anyone unlucky enough to be in range. It became even worse when you managed to get your hands on the West Coast Championship. You claim to be so much more of a champion than Ryan Keys ever was, and yet all you did was treat it like another accessory; like merely the fact that it was in your possession meant that you were the end all, be all of this company. You could have done so much more for this company as the West Coast Champion, but you chose to make it all about you, and your constant thirst for attention.
And then, when I won the right to face you, that stream of vitriol homed in on me like a guided missile. That is, of course, when you weren’t busy making any and every excuse not to face me in the ring.
You never let a single opportunity slip past you if you felt you could get your little jabs in at my expense. The snide comments about my win-loss record, your numerous...and preposterous insinuations about my wife… and I took all of them in stride. You can say that all of them were an attempt at psychological warfare, but the fact that you kept at it long after it was proven that they were ineffective shows just how damaged your psyche truly is.
Now, it wouldn't be a lie if I was to say that part of me wants to take your championship away just to see you have the mother of all meltdowns; one that would rival the fallout from Chernobyl. However, that's NOT why I'm focused on winning the West Coast Championship.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not going after the title just to satisfy my ego. I'm not doing it to upstage my wife, either. I'm doing it because the West Coast Championship needs someone that won't ignore it like Ryan Keys did, or use it to lord themselves over everyone else like you do, DiMaria. Neither of you have elevated the title to where it needs to be. I don't want the wrestling world to see West Coast Genesis as NGW's "farm system". I want WCG to stand on equal footing, not just with NGW, but with any other promotion in the world.
And THAT, Julianna, is why your reign of terror as West Coast Champion WILL come to an end at Ascension. I have had to wait far too long and endure more than my fair share of verbal assault in order to claim what is due to me. Ever since I was named Number One Contender to your title, I have sat back and watched as you paraded around with that title, ducking me by competing in non-title matches. Yes, you've held the championship longer than Ryan Keys, but you've only defended it TWICE, once against Keys when he received his mandatory rematch, and then when you hand picked your opponent and beat Karari Makelah to retain.
How in blazes does that make you the greatest West Coast Champion in history? Because you've held the title for the longest period of time? Because you've had the most successful defenses this far? Looking at it in the proper context, you haven't accomplished much.
That isn't to say that you're completely lacking in talent, DiMaria. When you went up against Keys, you didn't need to cheat in order to win. Quite a few times, you've won your matches fairly….
But….
He holds up his index finger to punctuate his last word.
Donovan: When you went up against against clearly superior opponents, such as Billy Danielson or Alan Envy, you had to dig into that bag of tricks in order to come out ahead. If you couldn't do that, you choked. Am I on the same level as either of those gentlemen? Only time will tell. But if you think that you can use underhanded tactics to slither your way out of Ascension with the West Coast Championship belt in your possession, think again. I haven't used all this time since I earned my shot to sit around twiddling my thumbs; all the time you thought I was hiding from you was spent preparing for you, and on Saturday, all of that preparation pays off.
He rubs his hands together as a sly smile forms on his face.
Donovan: So, with what little time you have left, enjoy Pridmore’s company. Have him fill you with all of those false assurances that you've got things under control… that everything is all peaches and cream. Pump yourself up so that you're at your utmost confidence. That is the Julianna DiMaria I want to face; the one so full of herself that she truly believes that she is unstoppable.
He pauses.
Donovan: Because that will make it all the more satisfying for me when I bring you back down to reality. Nothing you do is going to stop me, not on Twitter nor inside the ring. Months of frustration will be unleashed, and every last bit of it is going to be directed at you with laser precision.
He smirks again, tenting his fingers as he rests his elbows on the armrests of his chair.
Donovan: It’s rather apropos that the name of this Pay-Per-View is called Ascension. And how deliciously ironic that it should take place in your own hometown!
He leans back in his chair and lets out a hearty laugh, delighting in the opportunity that this presents for him. After a few seconds, the laughter fades, and he resumes his icy gaze into the camera.
Donovan: But in order for me to take my rightful place and ascend as the champion that West Coast Genesis deserves, YOU have to fall. And when the dust finally settles, and you are staring up at me, holding the very thing that you shoved in everyone’s faces as you demanded that they worship the ground that you walk on, I hope that you will at least learn a little humility. However, I’m not going to hold my breath.
Donovan is interrupted an unseen voice ringing out from the telephone on his desk. After checking the caller ID, he punches a button to put the call on speakerphone.
Donovan: What is it, Cartwright?
Voice: Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Basch, but I wanted to let you know that the rest of the legal team is in concurrence about how to proceed with the matter you discussed….
That little bit of news brightens his mood for a moment.
Donovan: Good, depending on how things go on Saturday, we may be in on Monday morning to sign the necessary documents.
Cartwright: Very good, sir. We'll see that everything is in order.
Donovan: You usually do…
He ends the call and turns back to the camera.
Donovan: In case you weren’t following along, DiMaria, THAT was the head of my Legal department. I tried to give you fair warning that some of the things you were saying came VERY close to being actionable, but you just HAD to go on live television and persist with your erroneous claim that my wife is infected with the AIDS virus. Once this match is over, and I’m standing over you holding MY West Coast Championship, I’ll be expecting a full retraction. If not, you WILL be hearing from my attorneys.
Until then, take a good long look at that West Coast Championship belt, DiMaria. Memorize every little bevel in the plates and every stitch in the leather. Make sure you remember how it felt to feel the weight of that title in your hands, because after Ascension, that's all it will be…..
A memory.
A second later, we can hear the door to the room open, just before the light is turned on. From offscreen, Donovan’s wife Danielle walks up behind his chair and leans over the top. Her hands rest on either side of Donovan’s shoulders as she smiles.
Danielle: Checking out Homecoming again?
Donovan:Yes. Some things you just want to savor….
Danielle: Well, as much as both of us want to watch Julianna nearly become bitch flambé over and over again, the household staff wanted to celebrate OUR homecoming….
She looks over and sees the cup of coffee on his desk.
Danielle: Oooh, coffee….
She reaches over and picks up the mug and takes a sip. Once the dark liquid hits her lips, she recoils.
Danielle: Ugh! I keep forgetting that you never put anything in your coffee.
Donovan: As sweet as you are, I don’t need to add anything to my coffee.
Danielle: Donny, you know where flattery gets you….
Donovan: Perhaps later, my dear. Now, about that celebration….
Donovan shuts down his computer, then gets up out of his chair as he and Danielle leave the room.