10-08-2022, 09:57 PM
10-12-2022, 06:04 PM
Owen sits on the decking of his Miami home, sipping on a beer whilst looking out over the ocean. Things were going well for him right now and barring some strange interactions with Mr. D over the past couple of weeks, his win / loss record was comparable with most in the company. As far as he was concerned, it was only a matter of time before he was once again given the recognition for his efforts, and another opportunity at a Championship that had continued to elude him since his return. Something that it seemed he was going to be constantly reminded of going forwards. It wasn’t a great surprise that Mr. D had mentioned his loss to Josh Hudson, and how significant it had been for him, but in Owen’s opinion it seemed like Olek was almost challenging him to do better. He’d seen it with Adam, and he’d seen it with Syren, it was almost as if he was being baited to take control for himself and rid himself of the baggage that Rise to Greatness had given him. So, casually dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt, he acknowledges the camera with a lift of the beer bottle, before then taking a swig. With another look over the picturesque ocean, he starts to speak, a grin etched on his face
“Not going to lie, SCW has me excited right now. Honestly, I didn’t know how things were going to go when I returned, but if someone like Olek, who I wronged more than anyone in the past… if he can attend shows specifically to see if I’m still the real deal, then surely, I must be progressing to where I want to be. If he believes that I can still be the future of the company, then surely, I have to take that at face value. When I returned, Redemption was the buzzword, as I strived to get the SCW Universe once again on my side and forgive me of my sins. Even in defeat, that redemption was realized at Rise to Greatness, and thus I could then resolve to only look forwards. From here on in, the new buzzword must be Elevation, to finally look to make the final step that eludes me, smashing through the glass ceiling that had led to all my frustrations ahead of Taking Hold of the Flame 2021. Way, I see it, there is a place at the top table, a chance to be a standard bearer and the next step now must be for me to take it. It makes me smile, knowing that even without a title around my waist, I have achieved at the very least that.
But you know, there are a few things that bring a smile to my face when it comes to Supreme Championship Wrestling. It could be the roar of approval when I step into an arena, and fans that once booed me from the rafters cheer my name in unison as I make my way to the ring. Another thing that brings a smile to my face is the spirit of competition, when you face someone where victory is the only focus, without any of the other crap that occasionally blights this company.
Yeah Konrad, I’m looking at you bro.
I could also raise a smile when you see people raise a Championship that obviously means so much to them, like Kim Williams, who lives and breathes the Underground. But recently, absolutely, the one thing that brought up the edges of my mouth and given me the most enjoyment? The look on Giovanni Aries, when once again Owen Cruze stands up, and becomes the proverbial thorn in his side. Sammy Davies, whatever name that woman is going by these days, it really doesn’t matter. Giovanni Aries constantly, consistently looks to better me, or change me… before finally resorting to attempts to destroy me. The smile on my face is brought forth by his expression, him knowing that after everything he has ever thrown at me, I’m still here and always will be. I’ll admit, I owe that man a lot, and I didn’t have to pay a dime for his enlightenment. Fact is, I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for him, and everything that he decided he had to put me through. Funny how, inadvertently he’d helped me to become the man I am today.
For free.
But do you know how I always manage to overcome? It’s because I never buy into the bullshit. Yes, I accept, there was a time when he almost turned my head, when I was going through stuff that some won’t ever endure in my lifetime. But at least now, I know my place in this industry and what I am here to do. There are many around these corridors that claim to be this or that and live their careers as a caricature. There are many that have built their careers around a particular gimmick, and fair play to them, it’s not my place to judge. That’s why when I go into Breakdown this week, I don’t see a gimmick, or a character, I see an opponent. I see someone who stands in the way of where I want to be. I see someone who has knocked over far more established wrestlers than myself… and I walk into this match with the sheer determination to ensure that I don’t become yet another victim to the Hairless Penguin.”
Owen chuckles to himself, not able to hide his amusement at that name. There was no doubt that the whole thing was entertaining, but behind that entertainment stood someone who was on a level with anything this company had to offer. Imagine that a Hairless Penguin as the World Champion, somehow, by his actions, he had made that possibility a near reality, and Owen knew that reputation had been built off people failing to take him seriously. A mistake that Owen wasn’t going to make.
“Because bro, flightless bird, whatever you identify as, I’ve felt what that feels like, to have my dream shattered by someone that I’ll admit wasn’t even on my radar until the end of Taking Hold of the Flame 2022. I’m sure there weren’t many that expected you to almost go all the way, it could have been you challenging Selena Frost at Rise to Greatness, only Adam Allocco’s experience and resiliency ensured that wasn’t to be the case. I could quite easily put it down to a distraction by Josh Hudson, I could even come out here and claim that you were lucky to catch me off guard. But I’d be kidding myself Penguin, and I didn’t get where I am today by denying the truth. I got eliminated by someone who NO ONE expected to reach the final acts of that Battle Royal.
My dream of headlining Rise to Greatness was taken from me, not by the usual suspects, but by YOU.
But I’m not going to tarnish this match as a ‘revenge’ mission, because what you did was only in the spirit of competition, and I respect that. Heck, I respect you more than most for having the opportunism to eliminate someone who no one else had been able to catch throughout that match, individuals who at the time had a much bigger name than you. But as I said to you before, I’m not going to lie to you. But if I said that this match didn’t have a little more incentive than it would usually have had, I’d be lying. Taking Hold of the Flame hurt… it hurt like a bitch, and that my friend… that’s on you. I don’t need to avenge Taking Hold of the Flame, but I’m going to make damn sure that history doesn’t repeat itself. Because right now you ARE the only aspect of my ‘radar’ I’m paying attention to. The only person that matters come Breakdown rolling around.
And that laser focus Penguin, that is what differentiates me, from everyone else that you have humbled in the past, in that I’m not going to get involved in your games. I’m not going to stand back and watch whilst you play the fool or fraternize with the rest of the barnyard. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully bro, and I hope you don’t take it that way. I’m just not going allow your antics to distract me, because there would only be one person playing the ‘fool’ if I did. I understand what you bring, I understand better than anyone that you’ve probably faced before. I know what when it comes to modern day wrestling, our industry needs people like you, people that don’t take themselves too seriously, and that the fans are knowledgeable enough to understand that behind the mask is a supremely, pardon the pun, talented wrestler. And I’m here to let you know that I’m not stupid either, I see you Penguin, clear as day. And not like Billy Madison in the film by the same name starring Adam Sandler. I see you with the clarity of a man who knows that only his best will be good enough, and as I kicked off with, not a man who will walk to the ring to face at best a gimmick, or at worst a joker.”
Owen shakes his head, clearly dismissive of that statement.
“I don’t see you as a joke bro, so your primary advantage for this last year has been rendered irrelevant, so now you quite simply must be better, that’s all. In its simplest of terms, you’re not facing Owen Cruze who allowed himself to be distracted by his real-life issues. You’re not facing Owen Cruze who didn’t have the first clue who he was, or who he wanted to be. You’re facing the current best version of myself, someone who truly believes that in this moment, he is on the cusp of something unbelievably special. You, Penguin, are going to have to be unbelievably special to beat me, anything less simply won’t be good enough. You’re good, no question… but I firmly believe that I am better.”
Owen takes another swig from his beer bottle, and for just a moment diverts his attention from the camera, and back to the beach and in particular a couple throwing a frisbee back and forth as their dog chases it. It was an uplifting sight for him and reminded him that in the grand scheme of things, wrestling however important would never again sacrifice family and relationships. It was that knowledge that ultimately had made him stronger and made him realize that even if he didn’t achieve his goals, he had achieved so much more.
“You can rest assured that I’ll have no problem taking to the air and coming at you from all angles, testing you to your limits with an aerial expertise that is very rarely seen in this company. You’d better be ready for THE single fastest wrestler in SCW, who can suffocate you with my movement… not by my reckoning, but by anyone who has stepped into that ring with me. I may not be the strongest, but neither are you. I may not be the wrestling technician that Josh Hudson is, but neither are you. I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses, but more importantly I KNOW how to take you apart, feather by feather. So, knowing that people are watching me, that’s not an added pressure, that’s recognition that I am doing something right. And whilst ever I am doing something right, then I continue to move forwards… looking forwards in fact, rather than behind me for the first time in my life. When I see the difference in me now, I feel like I can move mountains bro, and my confidence in myself is sky high, even after losing to Josh. I feel that if I got the opportunity again, I’d take it. So, Penguin, give me your best, that is all I ask. Give me that fight, and that determination. Give me those attributes that made your name, not as the Hairless Penguin, but as a bona fide SCW Superstar that should be respected by all.
Me? I’ll just fly…”
He winks at the camera, lifting the beer bottle to the camera for the final time.
“Something that Penguins can only dream of.”
Scene fades
“Not going to lie, SCW has me excited right now. Honestly, I didn’t know how things were going to go when I returned, but if someone like Olek, who I wronged more than anyone in the past… if he can attend shows specifically to see if I’m still the real deal, then surely, I must be progressing to where I want to be. If he believes that I can still be the future of the company, then surely, I have to take that at face value. When I returned, Redemption was the buzzword, as I strived to get the SCW Universe once again on my side and forgive me of my sins. Even in defeat, that redemption was realized at Rise to Greatness, and thus I could then resolve to only look forwards. From here on in, the new buzzword must be Elevation, to finally look to make the final step that eludes me, smashing through the glass ceiling that had led to all my frustrations ahead of Taking Hold of the Flame 2021. Way, I see it, there is a place at the top table, a chance to be a standard bearer and the next step now must be for me to take it. It makes me smile, knowing that even without a title around my waist, I have achieved at the very least that.
But you know, there are a few things that bring a smile to my face when it comes to Supreme Championship Wrestling. It could be the roar of approval when I step into an arena, and fans that once booed me from the rafters cheer my name in unison as I make my way to the ring. Another thing that brings a smile to my face is the spirit of competition, when you face someone where victory is the only focus, without any of the other crap that occasionally blights this company.
Yeah Konrad, I’m looking at you bro.
I could also raise a smile when you see people raise a Championship that obviously means so much to them, like Kim Williams, who lives and breathes the Underground. But recently, absolutely, the one thing that brought up the edges of my mouth and given me the most enjoyment? The look on Giovanni Aries, when once again Owen Cruze stands up, and becomes the proverbial thorn in his side. Sammy Davies, whatever name that woman is going by these days, it really doesn’t matter. Giovanni Aries constantly, consistently looks to better me, or change me… before finally resorting to attempts to destroy me. The smile on my face is brought forth by his expression, him knowing that after everything he has ever thrown at me, I’m still here and always will be. I’ll admit, I owe that man a lot, and I didn’t have to pay a dime for his enlightenment. Fact is, I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for him, and everything that he decided he had to put me through. Funny how, inadvertently he’d helped me to become the man I am today.
For free.
But do you know how I always manage to overcome? It’s because I never buy into the bullshit. Yes, I accept, there was a time when he almost turned my head, when I was going through stuff that some won’t ever endure in my lifetime. But at least now, I know my place in this industry and what I am here to do. There are many around these corridors that claim to be this or that and live their careers as a caricature. There are many that have built their careers around a particular gimmick, and fair play to them, it’s not my place to judge. That’s why when I go into Breakdown this week, I don’t see a gimmick, or a character, I see an opponent. I see someone who stands in the way of where I want to be. I see someone who has knocked over far more established wrestlers than myself… and I walk into this match with the sheer determination to ensure that I don’t become yet another victim to the Hairless Penguin.”
Owen chuckles to himself, not able to hide his amusement at that name. There was no doubt that the whole thing was entertaining, but behind that entertainment stood someone who was on a level with anything this company had to offer. Imagine that a Hairless Penguin as the World Champion, somehow, by his actions, he had made that possibility a near reality, and Owen knew that reputation had been built off people failing to take him seriously. A mistake that Owen wasn’t going to make.
“Because bro, flightless bird, whatever you identify as, I’ve felt what that feels like, to have my dream shattered by someone that I’ll admit wasn’t even on my radar until the end of Taking Hold of the Flame 2022. I’m sure there weren’t many that expected you to almost go all the way, it could have been you challenging Selena Frost at Rise to Greatness, only Adam Allocco’s experience and resiliency ensured that wasn’t to be the case. I could quite easily put it down to a distraction by Josh Hudson, I could even come out here and claim that you were lucky to catch me off guard. But I’d be kidding myself Penguin, and I didn’t get where I am today by denying the truth. I got eliminated by someone who NO ONE expected to reach the final acts of that Battle Royal.
My dream of headlining Rise to Greatness was taken from me, not by the usual suspects, but by YOU.
But I’m not going to tarnish this match as a ‘revenge’ mission, because what you did was only in the spirit of competition, and I respect that. Heck, I respect you more than most for having the opportunism to eliminate someone who no one else had been able to catch throughout that match, individuals who at the time had a much bigger name than you. But as I said to you before, I’m not going to lie to you. But if I said that this match didn’t have a little more incentive than it would usually have had, I’d be lying. Taking Hold of the Flame hurt… it hurt like a bitch, and that my friend… that’s on you. I don’t need to avenge Taking Hold of the Flame, but I’m going to make damn sure that history doesn’t repeat itself. Because right now you ARE the only aspect of my ‘radar’ I’m paying attention to. The only person that matters come Breakdown rolling around.
And that laser focus Penguin, that is what differentiates me, from everyone else that you have humbled in the past, in that I’m not going to get involved in your games. I’m not going to stand back and watch whilst you play the fool or fraternize with the rest of the barnyard. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully bro, and I hope you don’t take it that way. I’m just not going allow your antics to distract me, because there would only be one person playing the ‘fool’ if I did. I understand what you bring, I understand better than anyone that you’ve probably faced before. I know what when it comes to modern day wrestling, our industry needs people like you, people that don’t take themselves too seriously, and that the fans are knowledgeable enough to understand that behind the mask is a supremely, pardon the pun, talented wrestler. And I’m here to let you know that I’m not stupid either, I see you Penguin, clear as day. And not like Billy Madison in the film by the same name starring Adam Sandler. I see you with the clarity of a man who knows that only his best will be good enough, and as I kicked off with, not a man who will walk to the ring to face at best a gimmick, or at worst a joker.”
Owen shakes his head, clearly dismissive of that statement.
“I don’t see you as a joke bro, so your primary advantage for this last year has been rendered irrelevant, so now you quite simply must be better, that’s all. In its simplest of terms, you’re not facing Owen Cruze who allowed himself to be distracted by his real-life issues. You’re not facing Owen Cruze who didn’t have the first clue who he was, or who he wanted to be. You’re facing the current best version of myself, someone who truly believes that in this moment, he is on the cusp of something unbelievably special. You, Penguin, are going to have to be unbelievably special to beat me, anything less simply won’t be good enough. You’re good, no question… but I firmly believe that I am better.”
Owen takes another swig from his beer bottle, and for just a moment diverts his attention from the camera, and back to the beach and in particular a couple throwing a frisbee back and forth as their dog chases it. It was an uplifting sight for him and reminded him that in the grand scheme of things, wrestling however important would never again sacrifice family and relationships. It was that knowledge that ultimately had made him stronger and made him realize that even if he didn’t achieve his goals, he had achieved so much more.
“You can rest assured that I’ll have no problem taking to the air and coming at you from all angles, testing you to your limits with an aerial expertise that is very rarely seen in this company. You’d better be ready for THE single fastest wrestler in SCW, who can suffocate you with my movement… not by my reckoning, but by anyone who has stepped into that ring with me. I may not be the strongest, but neither are you. I may not be the wrestling technician that Josh Hudson is, but neither are you. I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses, but more importantly I KNOW how to take you apart, feather by feather. So, knowing that people are watching me, that’s not an added pressure, that’s recognition that I am doing something right. And whilst ever I am doing something right, then I continue to move forwards… looking forwards in fact, rather than behind me for the first time in my life. When I see the difference in me now, I feel like I can move mountains bro, and my confidence in myself is sky high, even after losing to Josh. I feel that if I got the opportunity again, I’d take it. So, Penguin, give me your best, that is all I ask. Give me that fight, and that determination. Give me those attributes that made your name, not as the Hairless Penguin, but as a bona fide SCW Superstar that should be respected by all.
Me? I’ll just fly…”
He winks at the camera, lifting the beer bottle to the camera for the final time.
“Something that Penguins can only dream of.”
Scene fades
10-12-2022, 11:44 PM
![[Image: ASrTaiG.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/ASrTaiG.jpeg)