Post by UWL Office on Nov 16, 2024 12:42:48 GMT -5
[The scene opens in the early morning darkness, just as the first light of dawn begins to peek over the horizon. Daron Smythe, dressed in a grey hoodie and running shorts, stands on a quiet street in his hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. There’s a quiet intensity in his eyes as he begins his run, the rhythmic sound of his footsteps echoing through the empty streets. The camera follows him, catching glimpses of his focused expression as he powers through the cool morning air.]
DARON: (Voiceover) I’ve had a lot of time, probably way too much time, to think about what I wanted to say to summarize how I’m feeling heading into this match. When Cory Chevelle challenged me for the title, it was a physical threat and there was no doubt Cory was coming full throttle. It wasn’t even personal, it was simply a battle between two men who wanted to be recognized as the best in the business.
[Smythe hits a spot in the sidewalk where he hits a red light, allows some cars to pass in front of him, then continues on his run]
DARON: (Voiceover) With Cyrus Rinaldi, he has found a way to take and twist every word I’ve said, every action I’ve taken, both in the past and present, and try to turn it against me, as though it were me personally who have held you back all these years. Your misguided and misdirected anger should not be pointed at me, Cyrus, no, it should be pointed at the man in the mirror.
[As he hits his stride, Smythe makes his way up a steep hill, pushing himself with each step. The scene cuts to the gym where he’s now in the middle of a grueling strength workout, his muscles straining with each lift.]
DARON: (Voiceover) You’re a loudmouth, gaslighting bully, Cyrus. You may think just speaking your mind in locker rooms in high school gymnasiums or dingy, run down buildings is what’s held you back all this time, but in reality, it’s simply that you haven’t been good enough to carry the ball for a company like I have.
[Camera cuts back as Smythe finishes off a set, pushing through his limits, sweat pouring from his forehead]
DARON: (Voiceover) For all your false bravado and shit talking, you may be the most sensitive guy on the roster. A few comments here and there really seem to get your panties in a bunch, don’t they? For as much of a tough guy shitalker you try to portray yourself as, the moment you get a little pushback, you resort to name calling and complaining and deflecting How dare I question your love for the TWN Championship, as though it was your lifelong goal because you were so honorable and meritorious along the way. But, let’s get away from that. You’re endless beef with me seems to stem from the fact that you deem me a quitter.
[He sets the bar down and grabs a quick drink, his breathing heavy but steady, his gaze never wavering. The scene shifts to the ring, where Smythe is sparring with a partner, working on his holds, counters, and finishing moves with precision and focus.]
DARON: (Voiceover) If that’s true, why would I even be here in the first place? Wouldn’t I have quit after losing the title to Cory Chevelle? What about our first encounter, where you used a chair to win that TWN title you claim to have loved so much? Wouldn’t I have just left the company on the spot? How about when UWL went on hiatus? Couldn’t I have just walked away, never having lost the title, and moved on? This is amongst the many hypocrisies and contradictions you espouse on a regular basis.
[Smythe is going through a series of rolls and flips in the ring, chain wrestling with a partner and going through counters and various holds]
DARON: (Voiceover) You may not give a shit, but I don’t care - I come from a small town that shaped me in a million different ways. It’s a place where you have to work at least twice as hard as the people born into money just to get regular opportunities. My family had no name to speak of - my grandmother became a single mom in the 60s, when such a thing in a tiny, Roman Catholic neighborhood, was unheard of. She worked double shifts at Marx Toys, trying to make ends meet without the support of her alcoholic, deadbeat ex-husband. Hell, one day she cut the tip of her ring finger off while making those toys and came back to work the next day! There was not an ounce of quit in that woman.
[The scene shifts to Smythe standing at the edge of a tire, breathing heavily as he flips it with raw intensity, each movement echoing his determination.]
DARON: (Voiceover) And even my own mother, who unfortunately had to deal with a husband who’d rather do cocaine with co-eds after his shifts working in the local college dining hall, rather than be home helping with his newborn son, all the while my mother never taking time off of work. That same mother who, when the closing of the steel mills finally caught up to my sleepy little town, found herself out of work in the finance industry, an industry that before 1989 didn’t really worry if you had a college degree to work in Accounts Payable, as long as the numbers matched. That same woman, who without answers and certainly without the financial support of her ex-husband either, embarked on going back to college, while lugging along her young, rambunctious son.
[Smythe is then seen whipping the ropes up and down, once again pouring in sweat, gritting his teeth with determination]
DARON: (Voiceover) And when that same son grew up, busted his ass, and finally had a chance to heal himself by doing it right - as a parent, a husband, a man - to provide for that family and be the example of hard work paying off in the end, only to have the tablecloth yanked out from under you, and you say *I* am a quitter? You know what? Fuck you.
[The camera follows Smythe as he finishes his last drill, dripping with sweat but looking more determined than ever. He finally sits in a quiet, dimly lit room, his eyes closed, visualizing the match. He sees himself executing his moves, counters, and finally, his finisher—the Ohio River Plunge—pinning Rinaldi for the win. He opens his eyes, looking directly into the camera.]
DARON: (Voiceover) Despite all of those setbacks, I re-entered the wrestling business nearly three years ago and put the work in. Yeah, I’m older, everything hurts more, and I had to take my lumps, especially in a place like the UWL, a place that reveres its history, that respects its past so much that it’s really, really hard for someone new to break through. That’s why I spoke those words to you that first night about sticking with it, because I wanted to put a hand down and help pull you up rather than push you down or hold you down.
DARON: (Voiceover) And what did you do with that? You gave me the middle finger, but figuratively and literally. In many ways, I respect it. I am on a mission to prove I am the number one man in all of professional wrestling. Some people think it’s bullshit, but then I show them the UWL World Title, the HRW World Title, the ECWF Midwest Title, the ECWF World Tag Team Titles, and the AWS Internet Championship and I say, if I’m not the best, then why in the fuck are all these companies reaching out to *me*?
DARON: (Voiceover) All of this to say Cyrus, as much shit as I’m talking, you’re good, man. You’re really good. And I’m sure you’ll read this and think I’m just making excuses but - you might just beat me. I have to prepare myself for that possible outcome. Maybe you’ll win and I’ll have to start over - again. The result of one wrestling match won’t define me, Cyrus. Because if I win, I’ll go on to possibly have the greatest world title reign this company has ever seen. If I lose? I’ll go back to the bottom of the ladder and I’ll work my way back up, I’ll become a three-time world champion and cement my legacy as the #1 man in this business and maybe in the UWL, maybe ever? The one thing I won’t do is quit. I’m in this shit for life, Cyrus.
[Smythe stands up, and the scene fades to black, his voice echoing in the background.]
I’ll see you in Knoxville, bitch.
DARON: (Voiceover) I’ve had a lot of time, probably way too much time, to think about what I wanted to say to summarize how I’m feeling heading into this match. When Cory Chevelle challenged me for the title, it was a physical threat and there was no doubt Cory was coming full throttle. It wasn’t even personal, it was simply a battle between two men who wanted to be recognized as the best in the business.
[Smythe hits a spot in the sidewalk where he hits a red light, allows some cars to pass in front of him, then continues on his run]
DARON: (Voiceover) With Cyrus Rinaldi, he has found a way to take and twist every word I’ve said, every action I’ve taken, both in the past and present, and try to turn it against me, as though it were me personally who have held you back all these years. Your misguided and misdirected anger should not be pointed at me, Cyrus, no, it should be pointed at the man in the mirror.
[As he hits his stride, Smythe makes his way up a steep hill, pushing himself with each step. The scene cuts to the gym where he’s now in the middle of a grueling strength workout, his muscles straining with each lift.]
DARON: (Voiceover) You’re a loudmouth, gaslighting bully, Cyrus. You may think just speaking your mind in locker rooms in high school gymnasiums or dingy, run down buildings is what’s held you back all this time, but in reality, it’s simply that you haven’t been good enough to carry the ball for a company like I have.
[Camera cuts back as Smythe finishes off a set, pushing through his limits, sweat pouring from his forehead]
DARON: (Voiceover) For all your false bravado and shit talking, you may be the most sensitive guy on the roster. A few comments here and there really seem to get your panties in a bunch, don’t they? For as much of a tough guy shitalker you try to portray yourself as, the moment you get a little pushback, you resort to name calling and complaining and deflecting How dare I question your love for the TWN Championship, as though it was your lifelong goal because you were so honorable and meritorious along the way. But, let’s get away from that. You’re endless beef with me seems to stem from the fact that you deem me a quitter.
[He sets the bar down and grabs a quick drink, his breathing heavy but steady, his gaze never wavering. The scene shifts to the ring, where Smythe is sparring with a partner, working on his holds, counters, and finishing moves with precision and focus.]
DARON: (Voiceover) If that’s true, why would I even be here in the first place? Wouldn’t I have quit after losing the title to Cory Chevelle? What about our first encounter, where you used a chair to win that TWN title you claim to have loved so much? Wouldn’t I have just left the company on the spot? How about when UWL went on hiatus? Couldn’t I have just walked away, never having lost the title, and moved on? This is amongst the many hypocrisies and contradictions you espouse on a regular basis.
[Smythe is going through a series of rolls and flips in the ring, chain wrestling with a partner and going through counters and various holds]
DARON: (Voiceover) You may not give a shit, but I don’t care - I come from a small town that shaped me in a million different ways. It’s a place where you have to work at least twice as hard as the people born into money just to get regular opportunities. My family had no name to speak of - my grandmother became a single mom in the 60s, when such a thing in a tiny, Roman Catholic neighborhood, was unheard of. She worked double shifts at Marx Toys, trying to make ends meet without the support of her alcoholic, deadbeat ex-husband. Hell, one day she cut the tip of her ring finger off while making those toys and came back to work the next day! There was not an ounce of quit in that woman.
[The scene shifts to Smythe standing at the edge of a tire, breathing heavily as he flips it with raw intensity, each movement echoing his determination.]
DARON: (Voiceover) And even my own mother, who unfortunately had to deal with a husband who’d rather do cocaine with co-eds after his shifts working in the local college dining hall, rather than be home helping with his newborn son, all the while my mother never taking time off of work. That same mother who, when the closing of the steel mills finally caught up to my sleepy little town, found herself out of work in the finance industry, an industry that before 1989 didn’t really worry if you had a college degree to work in Accounts Payable, as long as the numbers matched. That same woman, who without answers and certainly without the financial support of her ex-husband either, embarked on going back to college, while lugging along her young, rambunctious son.
[Smythe is then seen whipping the ropes up and down, once again pouring in sweat, gritting his teeth with determination]
DARON: (Voiceover) And when that same son grew up, busted his ass, and finally had a chance to heal himself by doing it right - as a parent, a husband, a man - to provide for that family and be the example of hard work paying off in the end, only to have the tablecloth yanked out from under you, and you say *I* am a quitter? You know what? Fuck you.
[The camera follows Smythe as he finishes his last drill, dripping with sweat but looking more determined than ever. He finally sits in a quiet, dimly lit room, his eyes closed, visualizing the match. He sees himself executing his moves, counters, and finally, his finisher—the Ohio River Plunge—pinning Rinaldi for the win. He opens his eyes, looking directly into the camera.]
DARON: (Voiceover) Despite all of those setbacks, I re-entered the wrestling business nearly three years ago and put the work in. Yeah, I’m older, everything hurts more, and I had to take my lumps, especially in a place like the UWL, a place that reveres its history, that respects its past so much that it’s really, really hard for someone new to break through. That’s why I spoke those words to you that first night about sticking with it, because I wanted to put a hand down and help pull you up rather than push you down or hold you down.
DARON: (Voiceover) And what did you do with that? You gave me the middle finger, but figuratively and literally. In many ways, I respect it. I am on a mission to prove I am the number one man in all of professional wrestling. Some people think it’s bullshit, but then I show them the UWL World Title, the HRW World Title, the ECWF Midwest Title, the ECWF World Tag Team Titles, and the AWS Internet Championship and I say, if I’m not the best, then why in the fuck are all these companies reaching out to *me*?
DARON: (Voiceover) All of this to say Cyrus, as much shit as I’m talking, you’re good, man. You’re really good. And I’m sure you’ll read this and think I’m just making excuses but - you might just beat me. I have to prepare myself for that possible outcome. Maybe you’ll win and I’ll have to start over - again. The result of one wrestling match won’t define me, Cyrus. Because if I win, I’ll go on to possibly have the greatest world title reign this company has ever seen. If I lose? I’ll go back to the bottom of the ladder and I’ll work my way back up, I’ll become a three-time world champion and cement my legacy as the #1 man in this business and maybe in the UWL, maybe ever? The one thing I won’t do is quit. I’m in this shit for life, Cyrus.
[Smythe stands up, and the scene fades to black, his voice echoing in the background.]
I’ll see you in Knoxville, bitch.