Post by dukeandrews on Apr 2, 2016 2:53:33 GMT
OOC: Sorry, work was more important than online the last couple days. But I'm here...better late than never!
April 1, 2016
Las Vegas, NV
Stepping off the plane this afternoon wasn’t what Duke had envisioned, but storms had delayed him flying from Grand Rapids to anywhere. But it was what it was, and there was nothing we could do about it now if we complained. Wearing a charcoal grey t-shirt with the words “The Fresh Coast” on the front that looked similar to the North Face logo, he carried his black travel bag as his rental car was parked behind the T-Mobile Arena. Duke slung a camouflaged Under Armour back pack over his shoulders as he proceeded to walk into the building. Smirking as people were taking pictures of the superstar as he entered the venue for the first time.
“I haven’t even signed my name on the dotted line with this company, and along with Javen, we might be the two most known stars to step foot in the building.”
A few people tried stopping Duke, but he had other issues at hand. First was getting a few words in on tonights five way match against Gabriel Ellis, Johnny Gillman, Avery Miles III and Landon Dalmon. A whole roster of people he hadn’t known, or the ones he did, barely knew. This was the fun for Duke, stepping into a new place against new talent, to show that he is the best technical wrestler in the world. He paused, staring into the camera.
“Since I’ve had the chance to listen to each and every one of the so called ‘wrestlers’ in this match with me, I found that they all had one thing in common…”
A brief pause by Duke.
“They all sit and say that they’ve never heard of me.”
Duke points to his chest with his thumb inward, his hand closed.
“The Epitome of Perfection, Michigan’s Favorite Son, the best technical wrestler in the business. That’s fine, act that way. Act as if you’ve never turned your television on and seen any wrestling promotion over the past decade in the United States. Act as if you’ve never seen wrestling in Mexico, Japan and England. Every single continent that offers the business that I love, professional wrestling, I’ve competed. I’ve faced off against the best in the world. I’ve beaten the best in the world. I’ve stood tall on the mountain in Mexico, in Japan, and in the United States. What you’re looking at when you look at Duke Andrews in the ring, is the greatest talent that VSW could have thought of signing.”
Duke was never the braggadocios kind, but this seemed like it was the right time to offer the information.
“When you think you can step into the ring with me, Landon, and use your so called looks and talent and beat me…you’re sadly mistaken. You can’t just say you’re going to win based on talent. You haven’t proven a damn thing anywhere, and you think you can handle stepping inside the squared circle with me one on one? Let alone with three others in there?”
Duke paused as he shook his head. Standing with his back to the wall.
“Landon, you can just go ahead and stay in the casino or club that you’re at. Sit there with the paid escorts while I do what I do best, and take down the rest of the people in this match. Landon, you’re stepping into the ring with people that are here because they poured their life into this business. Not because they think it’s some fad. You come at me with that attitude and I will have no problem knocking you down a few pegs. Have you wrestling in the dark matches, where no one sees you because they’re too busy standing in the back by the parking lot looking for my autograph.”
Duke clears his throat briefly.
“Gabriel, you’re going to have to come at me with something more original than what you said the other day during your promo. You haven’t impressed me with the whole ‘bashing the perfection’ gimmick. You don’t just self gloss yourself the ‘Epitome of Perfection’. What that is, is earned. It’s earned by not being perfect with a win-loss record, but with the perfection of a craft. Of pouring your life, your heart, your soul, your blood, your sweat, and your tears into a business to become the best that there is. Bret Hart said he was the best there was, the best there is, and the best there ever will be. Shame he still thinks that because he hasn’t stepped foot into the ring with me. He hasn’t gone to battle with the names of today that I have. He hasn’t gone ‘round and ‘round with people like Javen and his big brother.”
Duke shakes his head as he looks down at his hand, counting off the people in the match.
“It’s starting to feel as if this promo is a bit redundant. I’m here because I want to be here. I’m here because I wanted to face new people in a new place. Not because I have to. I’m gathering that most people are here because they want to move up into a bigger role in a new place. Because they want to claim that they can hang with the big boys. People like Johnny Gillmen who are so full of spunk and pep in his voice.”
Duke pauses, holding three fingers up on his hand, but his hand lowered down almost out of view of the camera.
“Don’t you ever question my heart and desire for this industry. I’ve stated this before…if you rewind and rewatch you’ll see what I’m talking about. I’m the best that this company has to offer. You’re a three, I’m a five star megastar in this company. I’m the one you’re going to look up at after this show and realize that you’re the one that has to find the heart and desire to better yourself, to make yourself the best you can be. But I’ll tell you, and I’ll tell Landon, Gabriel and Avery the same thing, don’t think of using me as your stepping stone. I’m the standard bearer of this company. I’m the measuring stick.”
Duke pauses again as he cracks his neck. Hearing people cheering for him in the background as more fans show up.
“Avery…”
Duke holds up his right hand, pointing to the spot below his pinky, where the crease runs across.
“Now you know. Now you know that when I was in Professional Wrestling Today, one of the two best companies I’ve ever been apart of, that and one in North Carolina, that was my yard. Literally that was my backyard. That’s where I grew up, that’s where I took my skills and began honing in on what I am today. But let me answer a question you had…’Who knows how things will play out?’
Duke shakes his head, raising his index finger on his right hand.
“I know how things play out around here. I know that at the end of the night it’s my hand that’s raised in the air as the winner of this match. That’s my name you’ll hear after you hear “And the winner is…” that’s me standing there victorious as you, and the other three are wondering what you can do different.”
Duke raises his right hand in the air.
“That’s Duke Andrews. That’s the Epitome of Perfection. That’s your winner tonight.”
Fade.