Post by Cosmo Goldworthy on Oct 23, 2024 18:31:12 GMT -6
“You don’t need to do this.” Dimitri Graves meekly says.
“Yes I do.”
The scene opens up to Cosmo Goldworthy and Dimitri Graves in Cosmo’s car, pulling up to a residence they know very well. The Safehouse in New York City. The House’s old base of operations, but Cosmo heard from residents in the area they’ve moved out.
The car surprisingly gets through the gate, and the two exit the car. Cosmo looks around at the house, frowning. So many great moments happened here, it almost feels like a shame things had to end this way.
“There was a point in my life where I used to run from my past. My entire life, my family would get killed or arrested. I trusted virtually no one, until I joined The House. I thought that was my family, yet here I am, paying for the sins they helped me orchestrate.”
“I have to be honest— I ain’t a good man. I have hurt so many this year, and the only way I can become Undisputed Champion is by being real with myself. The EWC Rumble is survival of the fittest. And I— have survived.” Cosmo’s voice falters.
He runs his hands across his face, slowly approaching the doors to the Safehouse. He digs into his pocket and pulls his old key out, staring at the door.
“Lemme ask you something.” He states, referring to the Rumble participants. “How many of you have seen a dead body? How many of you have been in a gunfight? When you talk survival, I have been fighting that game my entire life. And now I got more pressure.”
“I’m the favorite to win.” Cosmo states, but it’s certainly not something that he’s proud about.
He places the key inside the door and it still works. He breathes a sigh of relief and he and Dimitri walk in, looking for anyone inside.
“That’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.”
Cosmo chuckles, acknowledging it. “Everyone is gunning for me, but that speaks volumes to what I’ve accomplished this season, more than it says I can get eliminated. Two years ago, Rampage’s Melody Malone walked into the EWC Rumble, defending the Undisputed Champion and she walked out the winner. Everyone wanted to eliminate the champ, but no one could do it. History is going to repeat itself, cause I’m winnin’ that match, no matter what.”
Cosmo slowly walks up the steps. Dimitri slowly creeps behind Cosmo, skeptical of this. But as they make it to the second floor, a door opens and Dimitri holds his breath…
…But it’s just a mover transporting new stuff to The Path’s new HQ. “I thought you were banned from being here, Mr. Goldworthy.”
“Me too.” Cosmo shrugs. He digs into his pocket and pulls out three $100 dollar bills. “Get outta here for the day. Go treat yourself and your family to something nice.” The mover takes the money and thanks Cosmo, walking downstairs and getting out.
“Words cannot describe the importance of this match for me. I started this year with my sights on becoming the Undisputed Champion. And I have faced obstacle after obstacle. This is my final chance to compete for that championship this season, and it just so happens that the two men I’ll be meeting are JoJo Rush— the man partially responsible for where I am right now, and Lad Morales— just as responsible as JoJo is. Y’see, everyone wants to build themselves to winning the Rumble. But of everyone, including Jack Severn, I have the greatest attachment to the potential champions.”
“Lad and I are 1-1, and I still need to decisively defeat him. JoJo cost me the Undisputed Championship and took the glory for himself. He put his hands on Dimitri Graves.” Cosmo pats Dimitri on the shoulder. “And he needs to pay for that shit.”
Cosmo and Dimitri walk through the halls, looking at everyone’s room. Names have been scratched off, but he remembers it like yesterday. He stares at Bruce Booth’s old room, he glances at JoJo’s, but his eyes are locked on Severn’s room.
“Severn is another favorite to win this one.” Dimitri speaks up.
“I’m aware. He went to a draw with JoJo on Rampage, dare I even say that he had him beat. This is undoubtedly Jack’s best year, but I still don’t respect the guy. There’s been one constant in his career, and he always falls short when it matters the most. He defeated Callie Clark to become Indy Champion, but I’d already bruised her ego on Prime weeks before. He pinned Candy in the Elimination Chamber, but what happened during Prime At Sea? He got thrown over the ledge. All that tells me is that he’s capable of being thrown over the top rope. The problem with Jack is that he has the capabilities to win the whole damn thing! But he’s fallen off the map since losing the Indy Championship. 4-4 this season, what makes him think he can come back and take what everyone has been working hard for? If his choke artist ability doesn’t kill him, his entitlement will.”
There’s still fury in Cosmo’s eyes for Severn, even if they both have mutual enemies.
“I can’t have all of my hate for one man. There’s names who are seeking their big moment. Brawl’s only three participants of Ace Sky, Chelsea Skye, and Nika Kosov further illustrate how far that brand has fallen. Nika showed promise against me, but Ace and Chelsea have proved to me they lack the work ethic to make it far in this match. Phoenix Winterborn and Sunny Skye are actually accomplished competitors, but the gap between the time they actually did something worthwhile is astronomical. Winterborn is persistent, but he’s only won one match this entire season. Sunny’s performance at Parabellum was abysmal, so I expect little in another uncontrolled environment.”
“It’s a shame her boo Ozzy Gray ain’t in this match. I owe ‘em one.”
Both Cosmo and Dimitri flinch at the mention of the name ‘Gray’. Who could ever forget the impact that Alastor Gray has over Cosmo’s current motivations to win the Rumble, either to spite The Path or get revenge on them if JoJo beats Lad.
“People think bein’ a champion is great– but the people in this match without a championship are the ones to worry about. They have very little to lose. And when I look at ZERO, he’s blossomed as a competitor quickly. From a mindless savage to a beast with finesse. There’s still some cracks, considering how he lost to Amis Shelton, a guy who I’ve beaten before. I wouldn’t be surprised if ZERO guns for Amis during this match, or he tries to settle his never-ending beef with Mercenary. One way or another, he’ll lose focus and get dumped over the top. Marcu$ $t John is starting this match at number one and he’s made it his mission to win this. M$J has done it all on Paramount, but he hasn’t elevated to become Undisputed Champion unlike his competition.”
“No matter how good M$J is, he’s putting a target on his back by bein’ the only guy with an announced entry spot. The only person to win from #1 is Jay Cee in 2013. In fact, the stats show that six men have entered the match from #1 and been last eliminated. It’s near impossible to win with those odds, and I know that’s exactly why M$J wants to do it. But he didn’t get his fairytale ending at last year’s StrangleMania, he didn’t get his fairytale ending when he failed to defeat Ibuki Ito and qualify for Insanity Cage. M$J wants to be the hero of the story, but in the wrestling business– happy endings come few and far between.”
Instead of harping on the rooms, Cosmo and Dimitri move elsewhere. There’s a specific room that Cosmo has his eyes on entering, JoJo’s old art studio. He stares down, the red paint used for his masks still on the floor.
“My past with JoJo doesn’t guarantee I’ll win– but I have a lot more to fight for than others in this match. Not only has Xavier Reid needed to cheat to defeat me, not only has he used Bunny to help him defeat Ace and Lad, last year he snuck around the ring like a coward until his opportunity came to win. How do you look in the mirror, knowing that you stand for nothing? Reid may want his rematch, but the series is over. JoJo made him say I Quit. And he may quit on himself and get thrown over the top. Don’t sleep on Reid, they say, but only one of us won our matches with no technicalities needed.”
“Reid represents the old generation just like Ace King. Last year, I was elated to tie up with The Gambler, but now he’s just a remnant of the past. He will retire with some of the greatest accomplishments EWC has ever seen, but father time waits for no man and he is factually not on my level right now. Most wins, MVPs, and Matches of the Nights. These are all things Ace has done, right? HBO Broadcast Champion, multiple time United States Champion? I’m out to be remembered a legend, and I achieve that by doing what you did in 2017, and that’s win this.”
“The cowboy’s last rodeo. One more WrestleFest main event, right? Let’s see if you can get your lick back on Narumi, first.”
Cosmo leaves the room. They head upstairs to the rooftop. Dimitri is caught off guard by the wind blowing, while Cosmo is looking where the storm once resided.
“I said that I would defeat Narumi Tsutsumi on Rampage to build momentum and I did that. No matter what she said about me leaving after losing to Reid, and having my championship vacated. There’s a damn good reason everyone wants my head. I defeated the Hardcore Champion in her playground. And considering Narumi is entering the Rumble having previously wrestled, I already beat her at 100% so imagine what’ll happen at 50%. Losing in the final two of the 2022 Rumble helped prepare her for her Undisputed Championship win in 2023.”
“Losing to Reid taught me how hard I have to fight to become Undisputed Champion. And I am ready to tackle nineteen other competitors, including mysteries, to win the EWC Rumble and earn my spot. She’s trying to overcompensate for last year. She should focus on the Hardcore Championship, while I intend on doing what not even Lavender could do and leave WrestleFest with both the Undisputed and United States Championships, I’ve proven I can handle it. I am the ONLY person in this match to have pinned both Lad Morales and JoJo Rush.”
He moves closer, leaning over the rooftop. The adrenaline rush of falling over a balcony will be the exact same as fighting to be thrown over the top during the Rumble match.
“What about your fellow Rampage champion, Mercenary?”
Cosmo chuckles. “I’ve said a lot of shitty things about Mike. Some regrets, some not. One thing I stand on; no matter how good he’s been, he simply can’t succeed here. He’s Fighting Spirit Champion because I was stripped of that belt, because the whole world saw me beat him for it. There’s a lot I can say ‘bout Mike, but I just hope he brings his best. ‘Cause I’ll bring better. It’s the story of his life. Never the bride, always the bridesmaid.”
“Ibuki Ito and Candy are in the same boat for me. Future EWC legends on paper, yet they’re holding on to their brand championships for dear life because they couldn’t hack it against tougher competition. Ito’s year has been defined by losing to Apollo Polamalu three times and getting outdone by Pablo and Reid, two guys he was once on higher standing than. They bore me, in a sense. Ito’s the reason why I’m not Undisputed Champion, because his bitch ass somehow fell to the ground but not through flaming tables– but all that told me is that if it comes down to us, I can outwork him and throw him over the top.”
“Once upon a time he used to be my kryptonite. And these days he’s fighting to be respected by a useless bottomfeeder like Tanja Devereaux. Candy has had a great year, but I’ve had an even greater year. Candy had her shot at JoJo Rush and got obliterated. And regardless of the slack I throw at Jack Severn, it ain’t like she was able to win Elimination Chamber. Candy hasn’t wrestled a single match outside of Prime this year, meanwhile I’ve gone across and fought on every brand with no fear. I know how to handle everyone in this match, while Candy faltered the moment she faced tougher competition. I know she wants a second chance to be Undisputed Champion, but stay in your lane because the Rumble is mine. Even if you bring Sour, I’ll whoop her ass too.”
Cosmo smirks and he looks around, satisfied. He ushers Dimitri out and they go back inside the Safehouse. The two make their way all the way down the stairs and out the side door to a place that’s important to Cosmo. The Safehouse’s Temple.
While it doesn’t look the same as at House Party, the ring remains in the center. “They didn’t take the ring?”
“Alastor probably thought it was more convenient to buy a new one that isn’t worn out.” Dimitri shrugs.
“The House made history here. And this was the same night I pinned El Pablo. Arguably one of the biggest favorites to win this match. He’s been Tag Team Champion, North American and International Champion all in this year. Pablo has turned it around, but the Rumble couldn’t have come at a worse time as he’s still recovering from his match on Paramount last week where he was left a bloody mess. Pablo is tough, no doubt. But he ain’t tougher than me.”
“I’ve always found a way to one up him. And that’s going to continue come the Rumble. I made the final four in my first Rumble and if Moxie didn’t ambush me, I could’ve outlasted him there as well. Pablo has been on his journey to finally become Undisputed Champion. But it didn’t happen in the Insanity Cage, and he won’t get it at the Rumble. Too little, too late. This is my spotlight, and I ain’t letting nobody take it from me.”
He takes a deep breath, looking around.
“There’s no one more ready to win the Rumble this year than I am. I made a promise to become Undisputed Champion, and I WILL uphold it.”
Cosmo looks around what he once considered his home. And now the pain he associated with it is going to drive him to victory. He and Dimitri turn, leaving as the camera fades out.