Post by Cosmo Goldworthy on Apr 19, 2024 21:03:34 GMT -6
Cosmo Goldworthy is seen sitting comfortably on Dimitri Graves’ personal private jet. He sits alone in a cushy chair as he looks to the cloudy night sky en route to London, England. In the other chair is the United States Championship, which he proudly looks to.
Cosmo looks down to the table, where a letter lies. He twirls the pen in his hand and places it down to grab the letter and bring it to his eyes. Lavender’s go-to is always writing a letter and Cosmo is starting to adopt the mindset of his StrangleMania..
..Although his is much more than just that.
“Dear ‘Ma. By the time you get this, I’ll be living lavishly in London – and may even be back home. I never told you, but before my first United States Championship match I went to the hospital you told me that I was born in Oakland, and I wrote a letter to my dad. I know y’all had good times together. And I know that I told you I never wanted to see him or meet him, and I still mean that. But the greatest moment of my life, in spite of doing better than him, felt like a culmination of everything that’s happened in this miserable life of mine. This Monday means a lot to me, because I owe you my best at all times, and the last thing I wanna do is come back home to you a loser. There’s history to be made. My opponent, Lavender, writes letters like this in all of her videos but this feels very personal. I love you, ‘ma. Nothing will even change that, even if the smoke settles Tuesday night and I do become a loser, without championship gold or a single word lived up to. There still ain’t anybody in my life, so I don’t know when you’re ever gettin’ a grandkid. Suppose you’re going to have to cope with this championship belt being that, which is why it’s so important that I win every single defense. This sport ain’t easy, but damn it, I’ll keep fighting until I can’t. This is a career defining victory at stake for me and I just want to thank you for all that you’ve done. You birthed me, yes, but I don’t know where I would be without your support. I didn’t have the support of my father, but damn it, I didn’t need him. I needed you. But now, I have to go to the ring and do it by myself. I pray that you don’t think badly of me for ripping this woman to shreds, because you taught me to never let anyone walk over me.”
He takes a deep breath, placing it back down. Cosmo stares at the letter, aware of the weight that it holds. The significance of this match hasn’t been lost on the champion at all, especially when he genuinely doesn’t know if he’ll leave it the winner or not.
“Got that out of your system?” Dimitri approaches Cosmo, asking.
“What if I lose?” Cosmo blankly says.
Dimitri raises an eyebrow. “What makes you think that we came this far just for you to fall short in your first defense?”
Cosmo sighs. “Lavender had a point. Since 2022, there’s been no United States Champion to successfully defend their championship, besides her.”
“What if I’m bound to be like the rest? I can’t bring shame to my mother. I can’t make The House have even more reason to think I’m not suited to lead the group.. And think about everyone watching me at–”
Dimitri stops him before he can continue. He nods, aware that what the champion needs right now is reassurance. “I understand how you feel right now, Cosmo. This is a huge match. Lavender is a legend. But the only way you can become a future legend is by earning your first defense over her.”
“By no means am I qualified to speak for Mama Goldworthy,” Dimitri pauses. “But I don’t think there will ever be a time where she isn’t proud of you.”
Cosmo takes a deep breath and lets that sit. “I’m a businessman, Cosmo. I’m not meant to have empathy. I’ve screwed over so many men in my life, including the one who leads the very House you inhabit. But the fact you’ve freely shared your pain with me, that means a lot.” Dimitri states, genuine. “Any other CEO would scoff at me for saying this to my client, but my understanding of the world for what it truly is has improved leaps and bounds being around you.”
As Cosmo traces his hand along the linen armrest of the chair, he takes in what Dimitri is saying. The plane smoothly soars through the air, and Cosmo slowly comes back to life.
“Thank you, Dimitri. That means a lot comin’ from you.”
Cosmo holds a hand out to Dimitri. Dimitri goes to take it to shake it, but Cosmo cuts him off. “Naw. Not like that– like this.” Cosmo takes Dimitri’s hand and daps him up, a handshake that he would have for his friends in the hood, and his cousin Bruce.
“Most importantly.” He stops to admire the inside of the private jet, not taking the resources Dimitri has expended upon him for granted. “I won’t let you down.”
The two release hands and Dimitri looks down at his watch to see the time. “Get some rest.”
Cosmo and Dimitri nod to one another and Dimitri walks off. Cosmo puts his headphones and headrest on. He looks out the sky with a smile on his face for what his hard work has netted him, then slowly drifts to sleep...
The scene opens up to Cosmo Goldworthy and Dimitri Graves standing on the side of the Tower Bridge, taking in the beautiful view. As the sun begins to set, it remains busy as cars drive past them. The United States Champion looks around at life outside of America, pleased with London’s beautiful view.
“Legacy. It speaks for itself. Lavender wants to make history by being the first three-time United States Champion, whilst I want to do something that very few Rampage superstars can say they’ve done. And that’s beat Lavender in a singles championship match.”
Cosmo takes a deep breath as he begins to run his hand against the rail, looking down to the ocean below them.
“Since 2022, Lavender has gradually built a legendary resume. Two time Undisputed and United States Champion. Her reputation precedes her, and understandably so. Lavender has defeated legends like: Ace King, Melody Malone, Scorpio and so on. Lavender has all the creds in the world. Just ask Mercenary and JoJo Rush.”
As those last few names leave Cosmo’s breath, the challenger’s prowess really begins to sit with him.
“For a while, I used to think Lavender was indestructible. It never made sense to me. 5’8, 132 pounds, Lavender is disadvantaged in almost all of her matches but she turns her weakness into a strength. She had two championships in 2023 and lost neither in a singles match. You could in fact argue that she never properly lost either championship. The uproar behind Lavender losing her championship in the EWC Rumble was so bad that the Rumble isn’t even for the title this year. But funnily enough, all of these cracks in Lavender’s armor have hurt her.”
Cosmo asserts, a deeply firm expression on his face.
“Just like everyone else. Lavender thought that she would reign for a long time. Even the most accomplished can live with a sense of entitlement. She’d gotten too confident for her own good. After the EWC Rumble, I saw that Lavender can be broken. But the key isn’t to diminish her like Chris Page tried, but to see her for who she truly is – like Xavier Reid and Mercenary did.”
Cosmo Goldworthy looks down to his United States Championship and takes an extremely good look at it. He’s given up everything for this.
“The truth is that Lavender gets desperate just like me. She may not be willing to bend the rules often, or attack people from behind.. But she’ll do anything to reach the mountaintop and be recognized. Because why else would she be complaining about year-end awards? That entitlement leaked out before the Rumble when she was adamant that she’d lose her championship to the ‘better man’, not by getting tossed over the top rope. And when she reminded Xavier Reid that he didn’t actually win his championship by beating her, but by the work of twenty-nine others gunning after her. She failed to prove that point when he beat her.”
Dimitri listens intently to Cosmo. Meanwhile, Cosmo looks back over the bridge. The river feels lonely. It ebbs and flows along the stream without saying a word, while Cosmo is intrigued by that feeling.
Could it stem from the fear of being lonely if he loses it all at StrangleMania?
“Lavender started off 2023 strong, but she ended the year just a mere footnote in the events that happened in that period. She was thrown in a ‘book everyone’ fatal four way with Alexander Umbra and a now inactive Mad King and Ruthless Aggression. That was her match to win. She promised to right the wrong from the previous year’s WrestleFest of not losing another match where someone else was pinned. And what happened? Umbra won that match pinning Flip, and he did fuck all with that victory.”
Cosmo snorts, as if he’s offended that Lavender is in this position despite her recent failures. He adjusts his United States Championship, holding tight to it. His body language doesn’t match his facial expressions.
“I think that wanting to end the ‘Lavender Project’ reeks of jealousy. Lavender has earned her position and this will be my toughest championship match to date. However, part of me can’t help but feel that she’s being coddled. In what universe is a seven year veteran picking on inexperienced rookies like ZERO and Bruce Booth indicative of her right to challenge and defeat me for this United States Championship? I’ve tested myself many times this season, won some, lost some. Lavender has tested herself only once, and that was against Mercenary and she lost.”
He takes a deep breath, continuing on with his point as more cars start passing by the two. The sound of wheels sliding against the road can be heard in the background.
“So how will Lavender recover from these misfortunes in time for StrangleMania XIX? She’s being thrown into deep waters by facing me in a ladder match. My championship hangs in the balance– and that really pains me.”
Cosmo’s tight grip over his championship makes sense now. This match is all about who can get to it first.
“I’ve never competed in a ladder match before, but in a way, I feel like this plays in my favor. I’ve gotten to a point where I’m no longer afraid to get my hands dirty. These kinds of matches don’t favor me, nor Lavender. Whenever you’re in a hardcore match, it takes serious grit. And while Lavender may be damn good, the fact that she couldn’t win the Bout Of Raging Turmoil and drew with Vin Havoc in the Light-Tubes match proves that even the strong woman who overcame addiction and orphanage can struggle with adversity.”
There’s a hint of empathy in Cosmo’s voice. He knows what it’s like to feel alone like she has. But he snaps out of it, not about to feel remorse.
“Since getting here, I’ve won two War Games matches, multiple no-DQ matches and a Crazy Train match. I shine bright in stipulation matches because I approach them like any match, utilizing weapons as a compliment to my lethal, quick style.”
“Lavender doesn’t know how to plan for me because I’m one of this company’s greatest rookies ever. When that ladder is in my hands, that’s power. I can pummel you with it and continue to hurt you to raise my chances to get that title uninterrupted.”
Cosmo glances at his biceps. He may be lean, but he’s deceptively strong and aware of how to handle his weight.
“Lavender’s go-to is the Fragile Serene. But choking me out means nothing in this situation when I can still wake up and rip her off the ladder in time. Even if I get slammed through a ladder, I have gone through glass and had my face cut up by barbed wire and I STILL continue to fight because I represent my championship with pride. I have been fighting for an Undisputed Championship shot all season and to defeat the woman ranked number two in a championship match.. That propels my name higher than you can imagine.”
Both Cosmo and Dimitri look extremely happy at the thought of that, knowing what it can do for Cosmo and his championship chances.
“This is my realm. I’m no stranger to being creative and bending the rules, so imagine what I’ll do to find an advantage, knowing the referee can’t reprimand me. My attacks can come out of nowhere. Imagine if I used my proficient striking to kick a ladder in Lavender’s face! Or if she thinks the coast is clear, I grab my brass knuckles and hurt her with the 24K Magic.”
He grins at the thought of that, then looks over to his fist and kisses it. Cosmo then places his hand on the railing as he looks to the top of the tower.
“You see that?” Cosmo points up. “The ladder may not be high– but it’ll feel like we’re up that high when we get there. The pressure is going to overwhelm us both, but I need to overcome it. Even though I’m competing earlier in the night, the fact that there’s a large gap inbetween matches means I’ll have more than enough time to recover. One strike with the ladder to Lavender and she’ll be at less than 100%, just like me.”
“If I pummel your back with this ladder or throw you off the top, how will you dig deep to hit the Amity Affliction? I can spin you into the Gold Mine on a ladder, or even flip over the ropes with the Gold Rush at any given point.”
Cosmo looks around, incredibly focused.
“I’ve given my entire life to this. Without wrestling I would be dead or in jail. This championship is my livelihood and I can’t allow you to desecrate what I’ve built, to be a three-time champ when you don’t even put the work in weekly. I’ll climb that ladder, and I’ll PROUDLY leave United States Champion and finally burn the princess and her monarchy to the ground.”
He takes the United States Championship and kisses it.
“God Bless America.”
The camera fades to black as Cosmo stands there, prepared for a legacy-defining matchup in one of the world’s most prestigious venues, Wembley Stadium.