Post by Adrien | Adam on Jul 22, 2018 20:28:26 GMT -5
Hello, you, how was the rest?
You made it through, but nevertheless
I got you out on a wire.
You be love and I’ll be a liar.
Tell it all and fill up the air,
But make it loud cause nobody’s there
And nobody’s there
And nobody’s there
Stop, turn, take a look around
At all the lights and sounds.
Let them bring you in.
Slow burn, let it all fade out,
Pull the curtain down.
I wonder where you’ve been?
Date: Sunday, July 22nd, 2018
Cameras: ON
“I’m going to admit something that probably isn’t too widely known about me. I mean, a few people probably know this but not a whole lot. I know Jaime does.”
Adrien Cochrane is sitting inside the empty Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. In a few hours, Dissension will begin inside the very arena where Adrien is sitting. Behind him, there is a crew of event staff that is setting up the ring and the announce table. The ramp has already been assembled and the screens appear to be the next step after the ring.
The Dropkick King is seated on the barricade, legs hanging over where the front row will be pressed as close as they possibly can to the action taking place tonight. He’s still in his street clothes for the moment: a Yellowcard t-shirt that’s covered a little bit by a red plaid button-down shirt. He’s still in a pair of blue jeans, but he does have the NGW Championship resting on his lap. Since he is indoors at the present moment, his hat and sunglasses are absent. His bag containing his ring is sitting underneath him on the ground against the barricade.
“Capturing titles...I’ve been decent at doing that. Four World Titles is a career that I’m proud to have. Even if I never get a fifth, it was an accomplishment for me to get the four that I have. I’ve racked up three lower-tier singles title and a tag title. There are people who have done more than me, yes. Alex Jones is on this roster. I hear Bill Barnhart has gotten some big-time championships in his career. I might have more World Heavyweight level titles to my name, but Jack Tillman has more overall belts under his than I do despite being younger than me. But relatively speaking, I’ve had a damn good career, and I feel like I’m just hitting my prime at thirty-one years old with more to come, but if I never get another title again, I had a damn good run that I would be comfortable with. Of course, I’m going to be in the mindset of trying to get just one more than I currently have once I’m without a title again. Otherwise, I’d retire now.
“But it’s not getting the titles I’ve had an issue with. It’s keeping them. My previous three World title reigns? I had a combined successful defense total of…one…”
The recently crowned NGW Champion allows a brief sigh to escape. This was tough for him to admit even though a few people on the roster was already familiar.
“I lost the #FSociety World Title to the very man I won it from in a triple threat match. I lost the EXODUS Pro World Heavyweight Title in a triple threat match against the same people from the previous PPV I was in. PCW was a little different. I actually had a successful defense against the former champion but lost it when another competitor cashed in his title shot after I was in another match, similar to how Caroline O’Hara Burchill lost her New Generation Title to Joshua Goldstein.
“I have a monkey on my back when it comes defending titles like these. It’s part of the reason I’m glad I was able to secure a title defense on my very next match. If this isn’t meant to be, just rip off the band-aid. Go ahead, take the title off of me now. At least it will go to someone who helped mold the careers of a handful of the competitors on the roster.
“But you know? That’s not what I’m going to do. This monkey is coming off my back. At the expense of one of my closest friends, I’m going to make this reign different than all of the previous reigns in my career. I’m equalling my career total of World Title defenses this show. And whenever the next match comes after this one, I will exceed it.
“Jaime Alejandro, my friend, you spoke about how you were improving at your tendency to run from your problems. Well, you’ve inspired me to do the same. So I’m going to headfirst into mine too. I’m admitting that, throughout my career, this is an area I’ve always fallen short. When that bell rings, it’s my chance to change that. It’s my chance to finally prove that I can have a reign that people can look upon as a great run. I can finally have a reign that lasts more than just one pay per view cycle. I can finally have a reign that will hold up the standard that most people would hold to me. And when I step into that ring behind me, amongst all the lights and sounds in this very arena, I will begin what will be the best damn reign of my career. It starts with one. It starts with Jaime Alejandro.
“It’s not easy to admit these things…”
Adrien begins looking down for a little bit. The crew has finished setting up the ring and begins working on the big screen for the fans to see backstage action. Adrien glances to the side before looking back into the camera. So much regret was in the blue eyes of the Dropkick King. So many missed opportunities. So many times where things should have gone differently.
“It’s hard for me to even admit to myself at times. I spent a lot of time, in the past, staring at a mirror and struggling to accept that I’ve let all of these reigns end with a whimper after winning them with a bang. But I have to face my past. I have to take on this pattern of mine with a full head of steam. Jaime, if I’m not meant to finally get over the hump and be the kind of champion that deserves to be called such, take this belt from me now so I can be nothing more than a footnote in the history of New Generation Wrestling. Fourteen days. No defenses. Barely remembered for what I did at WrestleForce.
“But if I am to a true champion, someone who has finally ascended to the top of the mountain, then I will know right away. I will finally know that this time is different. And Jaime, my friend, I intend to make this one different.”
The four-time World Heavyweight Champion finally stands up after sitting on the barricade the entire time. The six foot tall New Orleans native looks directly into the camera, mustering as much composure and confidence he can as he speaks his last sentence before the camera cuts to black.
“And frankly, I believe that I can.”
Make it new, but stay in the lines.
Just let go, but keep it inside.
Smile big for everyone,
Even when you know what they’ve done.
They gave you the end but not where to start;
Not how to build, how to tear it apart.
So tell it all and fill up the air,
But make it loud 'cause nobody’s there
And nobody’s there
And nobody’s there
I've got a way to work this out,
I've got a way and you know how.
Stop, turn, take a look around
At all the lights and sounds.
Let them bring you in.
Slow burn, let it all fade out,
Pull the curtain down.
I wonder where you’ve been?
You earned everything you found,
And painted faces frown.
I'll say I knew you when