07-28-2024, 06:01 PM
Two weeks ago, Impact Media corporate offices in Los Angeles
Shaun: So…
Blake: I see that your time away from SCW hasn’t lessened your flair for the dramatic.
Shaun: Ah, you know the Cruze brother’s bro, we love our drama.
(Blake laughs to himself.)
Blake: That you do… it’s endearing.
Shaun: Thing is Blake, I can’t allow the documentary to go ahead. I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t seem right. Now isn’t the time for me to be engaging in some kind of vanity project. Yes, I totally agree that it would be successful, and yes, it is an incredible story to tell. But the timing just isn’t right. And I don’t want the company to start getting a reputation for only putting out stuff that only has benefits to us. It’s not what I envisaged when I created Impact Media, and it’s not what I want for it now.
Blake: So, why not say that out there in the meeting?
(The tone of his voice gives away Blake’s irritation, and Shaun immediately picks up on it.)
Blake: I’m a big boy Shaun, I can take it when people don’t agree with me.
Shaun: Well, firstly… you’re my partner, and I wanted to discuss it with you first, and yes, I wanted to save you any embarrassment when I shot your idea down in flames. But mostly, it was because there is another option. An option that could see the documentary see the light of day.
Blake: I thought you said…
Shaun: No? Yes, I did. But I also said it’s just a matter of timing. If the situation was different for example, then I would be inclined to give it my full blessing.
Blake: I’m sorry Shaun, but I’m getting a little confused here. I’ve never been one for riddles, so why don’t you just spell it out for me.
(Shaun gets to his feet and walks over to the window which gives him a view of Los Angeles he had always loved. As he looks out over the city, Blake spins his chair around, Shaun speaking with no malice whatsoever.)
Shaun: Do you know why I started Impact Media Blake?
Blake: I’ve heard a few stories… one that seems to ring true was that you were bored.
Shaun: Yeah, that’s right. I was bored, and I needed something ‘else’ to do away from the business. But by the same token, I wanted to build something, from scratch. Something that would make Angyalka and my family proud. It was a slog, no denying that, and it was only really when you made your investment that things really got going. The Battleground: Earth original was the starting point for us and the moment it all started to happen. Yeah, I’d been in a few movies, and I enjoyed acting, but there was nothing more indulgent that writing a script that went on to thrill the box office.
Blake: OK, so why the history lesson?
Shaun: Owen… he’s the reason for the history lesson.
Blake: Owen? How so?
(Shaun turns back to face Blake but stays next to the window.)
Shaun: He’s twenty-four years old Blake… he’s still a kid and look what he has done. He’s a two-time World Champion, one of the youngest of all time. He’s already created and sold off a successful clothing brand and now runs a franchise of wrestling schools, three across America and another one to come. He has completed life, and he will never have to work again, because he has the best people around him running the show. And what’s he doing?
(Blake shrugs his shoulders.)
Shaun: He’s enjoying the fruits of his labor, and probably will do till the day he dies. He’s not missing a single thing from Ethan’s childhood, and you know what Blake, that makes me more jealous than you can imagine. I want to be home, not stuck in a board room trying to figure out what content we are going to put out next. I want to be travelling the world with Angyalka and Dorothea and leave the hard graft to others. I don’t want Dorothea to think back and remember all the times Daddy wasn’t there. And YOU can make that happen.
Blake: Me? How?
(Shaun walks back over to the table and sits on the edge, parallel to Blake.)
Shaun: Like I said, the documentary cannot go ahead whilst ever I am a part of Impact Media. It could, however, go ahead if I wasn’t a part of it anymore.
(The penny dropped with Blake in that moment, and he understood why Shaun had wanted to speak with him privately.)
Blake: You want to sell your fifty percent?
Shaun: Exactly, and rather than go through the process with a bunch of strangers, I thought it best if I gave you first refusal. I’m not looking to retain a percentage, and I don’t want a job on the board or anything like that. You buy my half, and it will give you sole control to do what you please, with no interference from me. And as a sweetener, I’ll sign off on the documentary on my family right away… it shouldn’t be a problem for me to persuade Owen to tell his and his dad’s story.
Blake: Simple as that?
Shaun: Yes, as simple as that. I could have the contracts drawn up in a day or so, the company could be yours by the end of the month.
Blake: And you’d give it away… just like that?
Shaun: Some things are more important to me now Blake. And anyway, I wouldn’t be giving it away. I know exactly what half this company is worth.
Blake: So ok, let’s say I’m interested. How much are you looking for?
Shaun: It just so happens…
(Shaun takes a folded piece of paper from his jacket and slides it over to Blake, who opens it slowly, his eyes widening as he sees the figure.)
Blake: This seems low considering how much we both know the company is worth.
Shaun: I wasn’t kidding Blake, I want a quiet life and if it means giving up a few dollars, then so be it. Plus, the added bonus, you won’t have Konrad’s goons hanging around causing trouble. Pretty pointless if the company has nothing to do with me, right?
Blake: Right
Shaun: I know you merged the family business with the Mannings… do you reckon you’re ready to get your teeth into something again? Be a nice little present for the new wife… Harper, isn’t it?
Blake: Yeah, that’s right… and you raise a good point actually. Since we merged, I’ve had nothing to do with the day to day, I’ve finally found some peace. I’m not sure I want to step back into that rat race. Not now. Not now I have Harper.
Shaun: Then get someone to run it for you… there’s a few that would love the opportunity, give them their wings.
Blake: So why don’t you do that?
(Shaun laughs, he’d known the answer to that question before it was even asked.)
Shaun: Because without that clean break, I wouldn’t be able to leave it alone. I know Blake, and I know that if I still held a stake, I’d want a say. This way is better all round.
Blake: And you’re certain, this is what you want?
Shaun: Absolutely. I’m done Blake. And I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather take the wheel. So, what do you say?
(Shaun grabs the bottle of whiskey and holds it aloft, waiting in anticipation for a response that isn’t long coming.)
Blake: I think you’d better pour us a glass Shaun… you have a deal.
(Shaun opens the bottle and takes in its aroma, before pouring a double measure in each glass. He then slides Blake’s towards him, both of them clinking their glasses together.)
Shaun: To Impact Media, and its future success.
Blake: I’ll drink to that.
Both of them down their drinks and then shake hands. Shaun then heads to the door, and shouts across the office.
Shaun: Guys, you can come back now.
(One by one they all come back in and take their seats, confusion on each of their faces. Shaun stays standing, all eyes on him.)
Shaun: I’d like to introduce you to your new boss. Blake… I’ll let you explain. Guys, thank you for everything.
(And with that, Shaun salutes the staff and heads to the door, not wanting the complications of a teary goodbye. He knew he’d be back to say them, but that would be only as a visitor once everything was signed and sealed. He walks to his office, and takes the name plate from the front door, opening it and stepping into the office for the last time. He then steps back, and closes the door behind him, heading over to the elevator. That was in, another chapter closed. All that was left now was the final piece of the puzzle… Konrad Raab. The final exclamation mark, on the Cruze legacy.)
(Scene fades.)
The final week prior to Rise to Greatness. Cruze residence Los Angeles.
(The scene opens with a shot of the old IWC Championship, a title that Shaun had kept when the company had closed its doors. Shaun had fond memories of such, especially because he had beaten his brother Orlando in one of the few times they had competed against each other for that very title. The camera pans over a box, and inside that box is most of Shaun’s memorabilia he had accumulated over his tenure, but the title shot is placed carefully next to the box, Shaun having already decided that would take pride of place in his man cave. It would serve as the only reminder of everything that he ever achieved. After placing the belt on the bed next to the box full of memories, he lifts his head and looks directly into the camera lens, mindful that this would be the very last time he ever stood in front of a camera and addressed the wrestling fraternity. He grins, this wasn’t a time for sadness, not a chance. Shaun Cruze had every intention of going out with the biggest of bangs. He sits himself on the side of the bed, and then he starts to speak.)
“You might think that I’d be miserable, putting away these things, recalling all the memories I have made in the industry. And I guess, a small part of me is, but it is by far the most prominent emotion. The things I’ve done, the places I have seen, my way of life… the wrestling industry gave all that to me, and therefore it is a time to rejoice.
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened, that’s the way the saying goes, isn’t it?
And it is more than valid here. I’ve done it all, and I’m so grateful to Supreme Champion Wrestling for allowing me to finish on one of the biggest stages, at the Grandaddy of them all, Rise to Greatness. Yeah, I wouldn’t say that the match is going to go down as a wrestling classic, my opponent made sure of that the moment he made this personal and sent his goons to destroy my offices. But it sure as hell is going to be remembered. Remembered as the night that Konrad Raab received the lesson that he sorely needed.
Now I’m not going to lie to you all, none of this was premeditated on my part. When I turned up to the show in Miami, it was quite simply to tell the company that I wouldn’t be accepting their generous offer, and instead I was going to retire. Even standing in the back, saying goodbye to the guys, it wasn’t my intention to go into that ring and slap you around Konrad. You can tell anyone who will listen to you, anyone whose ears you have yet to make bleed, that I did it to regale in the ‘spotlight’ one more time, but that would be too simplistic a situation. I came to that ring for one reason, and one reason alone. YOU were disrespecting the business that I love. YOU were doing over a company that had made you a household name. YOU were acting like a royal prick, and I wasn’t going to stand for it. You want me to be honest with you Konrad, I didn’t even notice the roar of the crowd when I headed down the ramp. I didn’t even see your lackies mulling around like the lap dogs they have become.
I only saw you.
I wasn’t thinking this is going to get a few hits on social media, I wasn’t even thinking about the hundreds upon thousands of TikTok’s that would be shared around the world. I came to that ring, to let you know my feelings. To let you know that ALWAYS, there will be someone like me around that actually gives a shit about this business and doesn’t just turn up to receive a paycheck so he can finance his hobby ‘racing’ cars. You can make it out to be a selfish act if you wish, there is some logic to that allegation at least, because I did want to kick your head off your shoulders. You can tell the world that I only came out to the ring because I was jealous of what you have ‘achieved’… there is NO logic to that by the way but each to their own. But the people that know me, and the people that matter… each and every fan that packed that arena on the night I slapped the taste from your mouth, THEY know the truth. The truth being that Shaun Cruze heard a spoilt fucking man child, spitting his dummy out the pram, and decided to go to that ring, and scold the bitch’s backside.
You used to call Owen ‘Little Boy’; can you remember that? It was about the peak of your banter, and for some reason you believed it to be the ultimate put down. And yet, virtually every single sentence that comes out of your mouth, sounds like the ramblings of a five-year-old. No one takes you seriously Konrad, not as a person anyway. You’re talented, no question about it, but when you refuse to use your skill, that skill soon gets forgotten. You’ve won your fair share of matches, and I cannot deny that, but that’s only been when individuals have bought into this whole ‘routine’, and not taken you as a threat. When Owen took you at your word Konrad, what happened? You were decimated… and history is about to repeat itself at Rise to Greatness.”
(He picks up the IWC World Heavyweight Championship and drapes it across his lap.)
“And the thing is Konrad, this wasn’t always the case, because you used to be one of the most respectful individuals on the roster, and you used to love the business. Owen and I have had conversations in the past, and he always spoke highly of you, or at least he did until you lost your mind. The whole red paint bollocks, the GIMP bullshit with Minerva, what did you think was going to happen Konrad? People were going to fear you? I’m telling you now, Owen was always more concerned facing you before you became a gimmick, before you stopped relying on your God given talent, and instead concentrated on hurting people. Tell me Konrad, you have this opinion of yourself as being some kind of badass that doesn’t follow the rules, that’s right, isn’t it? I’ve looked over your promos during the last couple of years, and on more times than I can remember, you have promised an individual’s destruction, just like you are promising the end of my career this weekend. Kandis, Kim, the list goes on and on. Newsflash sunshine… I’ve already said this is the end for me regardless… nothing to do with you. But tell me Konrad, how many people have you ACTUALLY run out of Supreme Championship Wrestling. Another question for you, how many people consider you a ‘monster’ in the same way they used to Xander Valentine, or going back even further, Blitzkrieg? Final question, when you finally hang up the tights, when you go off to race NASCAR… if they give OAP’s a license these days, who’s going to look back over your career and say, YES, that Konrad Raab was a force of nature?
No one.
And it’s got nothing to do with a lack of ability bro, nothing at all. More a fact that even after being in this business God knows how many years, you STILL don’t understand it and what an honor it is to be in your position. You’d rather find ‘another way’ of headlining Rise to Greatness, instead of not being a chicken shit, and competing in the Taking Hold of the Fame Battle Royal. You say that event is bland, boring… a cliché. Dude seriously? You are a walking, talking, cliché for a bygone area where people like you COULD exist. Could succeed. Tell me sunshine, how’s ‘finding another way’ to main event Rise to Greatness going? The only way you would get yourself a Rise to Greatness moment is if the ticker gave up on you and your wrinkled old carcass collapsed in the center of the ring. People would remember that for sure. But hey, silver lining time, people are most certainly going to remember me kicking your ass all over The Dome in Missouri. Unfortunately, Konrad, you’ve locked horns with someone more than capable of beating you at your own game.
What do I mean by that?
Well Konrad, let me make it simple for you, just in case Alzheimer’s has started to kick in and you’re struggling to remember things these days. Out of all the Cruze family, and I include Orlando if he was still alive, I am the one Cruze that you DO NOT want to be fucking with. Orlando kicked off as a wrestler, his training with Wolfe and then Russell Nash-Blade focused firstly on power, and then on technique. Owen, well you know as well as I do, was training as a High-Flying technician, before moving on to a hybrid style which brought him TWO World Championships.”
(He points to the belt on his lap.)
“You know what this is Konrad, it’s a World Championship belt for the now defunct Independent Wrestling Cartel. And before you say it means nothing, you’d should remember that I claimed the SCW version as well as the United States Championship, Tag Team Championship and Adrenaline Championship.”
(He slides the belt off his lap, and back to its position next to the box.)
“And before you get up in arms, because let’s face it, you can’t compare. But that was just me lording it over you, and nothing to do with my point. My point is my background… my background and how I got into this business. And the main reason why when Rise to Greatness comes around, you will not be prepared for the shit storm I’m bringing. I won’t go into the back story of me and Orlando, but when Orlando retired, he wanted someone to continue his legacy, and his long-lost brother was in his eyes the perfect person. I’d never wrestled a single second in my life, and those first six months were quite a learning curve. But there was a reason that in those six months, I was still competitive. At eighteen years old, the same age as when Owen won his first World Championship, I was a street fighter, in underground events all over London. Pull up a search on YouTube, and you’ll understand how brutal they can be. Spilling blood isn’t foreign to me Konrad, but it was never really a problem, because I wasn’t the person usually left in a pool of their own blood. When it came to a fight, there wasn’t many better. I was spotted, I still have no idea how, and I was signed to a MMA organization that toured the UK. More blood spilt, again not usually mine, and my first Championship belt around my waist. You can see where this is going right?”
(Shaun pauses, holding out his hands as if waiting for any answer.)
“Thing is Konrad, and I’m not trying to be dismissive here because I don’t need to be. I can tell in our interactions already that you believe the Cruze family to be soft, even claiming that Owen ‘ran away’… ran away, holding a title that you couldn’t even dream of achieving. No, Owen didn’t need wrestling anymore, and if you’d not made this personal, I’d be long gone as well, but I digress. You THINK that I am intimidated by you, and that I’m fearful of this match going the way you intend. You THINK that seeing my own blood will be some kind of eye opener that I won’t be able to recover from. Do you know what I think Konrad? I think you’re full of shit, a self-righteous prick that has done nothing to earn it. Just like I did in Miami, you need another lesson in humility, and how fucking lucky you are to even have a SCW contract after all the antics you have pulled in the last couple of years. I’ve faced bigger, and I’ve faced badder… but here’s the silver lining again, you are the oldest cunt I’ve ever faced so, swings and roundabouts. An achievement is an achievement, right? There’s a reason the EMT’s are always on tenterhooks when you step into a ring, it’s because they are ready should you keel over… I can’t even start to imagine your insurance premiums.
The thing is, you’ve not even considered your situation, because you permanently walk around blinded by your hatred of a business that has given you the world. A world that you decided to piss up the wall when Minerva did the right thing and cut you from your leash with a hearty ‘Good riddance’. She’s gone on to achieve great things once she got rid of the dead weight. Did you know that? You… you’ve stagnated. Every bit as bland and boring as the world you claim to detest. And you know what Konrad, I’d forgive you for believing that it sounds like I’m dismissing you, and not taking your threat seriously, but by the same token, it would perfectly evidence to me how little you really know. Other than the I’m going to beat you up… I’m going to make you bleed… this company sucks, waaaa, waaaaa, waaaaaaaa, how much research do you actually put into your opponents, because looking back just over the course of this year, it seems like very little. Yes, I think you are a gormless prick. Yes, I do feel sorry for the ingrates that follow you, if they actually believe you can be of any benefit to their careers. And yes, oh yes, I’m going to kick the living crap out of you in front of the captivated eyes of the world. But me… not taking a threat seriously? Dude, you’re talking to someone who was probably for a time the most prepared individual on the planet. Strengths, weaknesses… how much you’ve spent on whores in the past month, I’ll know it all about you Konrad, simply so that I can pick you apart piece by piece and humiliate you just like you have done so many others. Throughout my career, it has never been about the standard of opponent, or if it was a championship match, or a dark match that no one will ever see, my preparation has always been the same. I might not like you; I might think you are a stain on this company that needs to be eradicated, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t give you the respect as a competitor, respecting the skills that you have shown since you first stepped foot in this company. And even with all that, you may well bring up that I’ve competed once in the last who knows how many years, and perhaps ring rust may be an issue. But did I look rusty when I outlasted 32 others at Taking Hold of the Flame. 32 of the best wrestlers on the planet? I’m sorry Konrad, but you should have just taken my words as gospel and straightened yourself out. You should have ignored the saying and allowed an old dog to learn a new trick or two. Do you ever have nightmares Konrad? Do you wake up in cold sweats? Maybe, maybe not… but rest assured, at Rise to Greatness I WILL be your biggest nightmare to date. A nightmare that if you aren’t careful, you’ll never wake from.”
(Shaun gets to his feet and walks over to the window as Angyalka pulls into the driveway. As she gets out, she sees him and gives him a wave, Shaun waving back. He then turns back towards the camera, to deliver his final narrative.)
“Konrad… taking exception to my words, was a mistake. End of conversation. Sending people to my offices and scaring my staff was crossing the line. End of conversation. Coming and looking for me and asking CHBK for this match, a match that would take place in front of the eyes of the world, compounding your embarrassment still further was career suicide. End of conversation. I know you’re looking at me like some kind of next meal, a Hall of Famer on which to finally get a career defining victory at Rise to Greatness but you haven’t even opened your eyes, but due to your ignorance, you’ve not even considered this to be your last supper. Just think about it for a second. I know you’ve said you’ll probably retire at the end of this year, but that is still months away. Do you think you’ll get that far when someone literally walks off the streets and makes you look like a novice? It could be taken out your hands Konrad, but would you ever care if CHBK did? No, I don’t think you would, but then again that says it all doesn’t it?”
(Angyalka walks into shot, and kisses Shaun on the cheek.)
“For you Konrad, you need to exist. You still need to leave some in the tank for what comes next. Me… I’m putting my all into this final match, the footnote on what has been one heck of a ride, the end of a Hall of Fame inducted career…”
(Shaun puts a hand on Angyalka’s stomach, and a smile forms on his face, the indication obvious.)
“And then, the Cruze legacy will be over. The fitting conclusion of one of the most decorated wrestling families in the world. A new generation to be born without the burden that The Icon Orlando Cruze started. Dorothea, Ethan… and this little one…”
(He bends, and kisses Angyalka’s small yet visible baby bump.)
“… the beginning of a new Cruze era.
Yes, I fight for the integrity of Supreme Championship Wrestling at Rise to Greatness, but I also fight for this new era of superstars who I pass my torch to, with one clear message to them all. A message that I want the future of this company to hear, so that I can drown out Konrad’s inane ramblings. Because that my friends is all they are.”
(He nods towards the camera, putting his arm tenderly around his wife.)
“You can be as good as you want to be as long as you never forget what it means to compete for those three initials that mean the world to so many. There will always be anomalies. Those that want to rage against the machine. And there will always be those like Konrad that want to steal a living, earning good money for an industry that they care very little about, preferring to be somewhere else. But people like him, they don’t matter. As long as you ALWAYS focus on where you want to be, the rest will take care of itself. And if on that journey, you find someone who’s taken the easier path… because of what you’ll witness at Rise to Greatness, I promise that you’ll know what to do. Take care of it, just like I will in front of the eyes of millions.”
(Shaun smiles, giving the camera a final salute.)
“Just like all those years ago, when I became the Impact Player. When I first started out, and before I had made all these wonderful memories that I will take with me. We don’t leave the Cruze legacy at Rise to Greatness, we leave a legacy full stop and one that will forever be remembered. So do you want to be remembered as a Champion or be remembered as a geriatric who covered himself in red paint, so he didn’t get banned off social media. It’s not even a choice, is it?
And my final words as a member of the Supreme, I’ll reserve for you Konrad, as my opponent you at the very east deserve that. YOU chose this. YOU came to my door.
YOU.
YOU made it personal when I gave you a lesson that you richly deserved. One which your ego refused to take.
And now it is YOU, who will pay the consequences, when I don’t just beat you, but also humble you, on literally the biggest day in the wrestling calendar. In future years Konrad, people are going to remember where they were on that day. But not because it was the day Shaun Cruze inevitably beat Konrad Raab. No, they’ll remember it as the moment I called it a day. The moment I called it a day. You will be what you have been all along. An afterthought. And THAT Konrad, will rest on one person’s shoulders.”
(He winks.)
“YOURS.”
(Angyalka rests her head into his chest, Shaun never taking his eyes off the camera as the scene slowly fades.)
Shaun: So…
Blake: I see that your time away from SCW hasn’t lessened your flair for the dramatic.
Shaun: Ah, you know the Cruze brother’s bro, we love our drama.
(Blake laughs to himself.)
Blake: That you do… it’s endearing.
Shaun: Thing is Blake, I can’t allow the documentary to go ahead. I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t seem right. Now isn’t the time for me to be engaging in some kind of vanity project. Yes, I totally agree that it would be successful, and yes, it is an incredible story to tell. But the timing just isn’t right. And I don’t want the company to start getting a reputation for only putting out stuff that only has benefits to us. It’s not what I envisaged when I created Impact Media, and it’s not what I want for it now.
Blake: So, why not say that out there in the meeting?
(The tone of his voice gives away Blake’s irritation, and Shaun immediately picks up on it.)
Blake: I’m a big boy Shaun, I can take it when people don’t agree with me.
Shaun: Well, firstly… you’re my partner, and I wanted to discuss it with you first, and yes, I wanted to save you any embarrassment when I shot your idea down in flames. But mostly, it was because there is another option. An option that could see the documentary see the light of day.
Blake: I thought you said…
Shaun: No? Yes, I did. But I also said it’s just a matter of timing. If the situation was different for example, then I would be inclined to give it my full blessing.
Blake: I’m sorry Shaun, but I’m getting a little confused here. I’ve never been one for riddles, so why don’t you just spell it out for me.
(Shaun gets to his feet and walks over to the window which gives him a view of Los Angeles he had always loved. As he looks out over the city, Blake spins his chair around, Shaun speaking with no malice whatsoever.)
Shaun: Do you know why I started Impact Media Blake?
Blake: I’ve heard a few stories… one that seems to ring true was that you were bored.
Shaun: Yeah, that’s right. I was bored, and I needed something ‘else’ to do away from the business. But by the same token, I wanted to build something, from scratch. Something that would make Angyalka and my family proud. It was a slog, no denying that, and it was only really when you made your investment that things really got going. The Battleground: Earth original was the starting point for us and the moment it all started to happen. Yeah, I’d been in a few movies, and I enjoyed acting, but there was nothing more indulgent that writing a script that went on to thrill the box office.
Blake: OK, so why the history lesson?
Shaun: Owen… he’s the reason for the history lesson.
Blake: Owen? How so?
(Shaun turns back to face Blake but stays next to the window.)
Shaun: He’s twenty-four years old Blake… he’s still a kid and look what he has done. He’s a two-time World Champion, one of the youngest of all time. He’s already created and sold off a successful clothing brand and now runs a franchise of wrestling schools, three across America and another one to come. He has completed life, and he will never have to work again, because he has the best people around him running the show. And what’s he doing?
(Blake shrugs his shoulders.)
Shaun: He’s enjoying the fruits of his labor, and probably will do till the day he dies. He’s not missing a single thing from Ethan’s childhood, and you know what Blake, that makes me more jealous than you can imagine. I want to be home, not stuck in a board room trying to figure out what content we are going to put out next. I want to be travelling the world with Angyalka and Dorothea and leave the hard graft to others. I don’t want Dorothea to think back and remember all the times Daddy wasn’t there. And YOU can make that happen.
Blake: Me? How?
(Shaun walks back over to the table and sits on the edge, parallel to Blake.)
Shaun: Like I said, the documentary cannot go ahead whilst ever I am a part of Impact Media. It could, however, go ahead if I wasn’t a part of it anymore.
(The penny dropped with Blake in that moment, and he understood why Shaun had wanted to speak with him privately.)
Blake: You want to sell your fifty percent?
Shaun: Exactly, and rather than go through the process with a bunch of strangers, I thought it best if I gave you first refusal. I’m not looking to retain a percentage, and I don’t want a job on the board or anything like that. You buy my half, and it will give you sole control to do what you please, with no interference from me. And as a sweetener, I’ll sign off on the documentary on my family right away… it shouldn’t be a problem for me to persuade Owen to tell his and his dad’s story.
Blake: Simple as that?
Shaun: Yes, as simple as that. I could have the contracts drawn up in a day or so, the company could be yours by the end of the month.
Blake: And you’d give it away… just like that?
Shaun: Some things are more important to me now Blake. And anyway, I wouldn’t be giving it away. I know exactly what half this company is worth.
Blake: So ok, let’s say I’m interested. How much are you looking for?
Shaun: It just so happens…
(Shaun takes a folded piece of paper from his jacket and slides it over to Blake, who opens it slowly, his eyes widening as he sees the figure.)
Blake: This seems low considering how much we both know the company is worth.
Shaun: I wasn’t kidding Blake, I want a quiet life and if it means giving up a few dollars, then so be it. Plus, the added bonus, you won’t have Konrad’s goons hanging around causing trouble. Pretty pointless if the company has nothing to do with me, right?
Blake: Right
Shaun: I know you merged the family business with the Mannings… do you reckon you’re ready to get your teeth into something again? Be a nice little present for the new wife… Harper, isn’t it?
Blake: Yeah, that’s right… and you raise a good point actually. Since we merged, I’ve had nothing to do with the day to day, I’ve finally found some peace. I’m not sure I want to step back into that rat race. Not now. Not now I have Harper.
Shaun: Then get someone to run it for you… there’s a few that would love the opportunity, give them their wings.
Blake: So why don’t you do that?
(Shaun laughs, he’d known the answer to that question before it was even asked.)
Shaun: Because without that clean break, I wouldn’t be able to leave it alone. I know Blake, and I know that if I still held a stake, I’d want a say. This way is better all round.
Blake: And you’re certain, this is what you want?
Shaun: Absolutely. I’m done Blake. And I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather take the wheel. So, what do you say?
(Shaun grabs the bottle of whiskey and holds it aloft, waiting in anticipation for a response that isn’t long coming.)
Blake: I think you’d better pour us a glass Shaun… you have a deal.
(Shaun opens the bottle and takes in its aroma, before pouring a double measure in each glass. He then slides Blake’s towards him, both of them clinking their glasses together.)
Shaun: To Impact Media, and its future success.
Blake: I’ll drink to that.
Both of them down their drinks and then shake hands. Shaun then heads to the door, and shouts across the office.
Shaun: Guys, you can come back now.
(One by one they all come back in and take their seats, confusion on each of their faces. Shaun stays standing, all eyes on him.)
Shaun: I’d like to introduce you to your new boss. Blake… I’ll let you explain. Guys, thank you for everything.
(And with that, Shaun salutes the staff and heads to the door, not wanting the complications of a teary goodbye. He knew he’d be back to say them, but that would be only as a visitor once everything was signed and sealed. He walks to his office, and takes the name plate from the front door, opening it and stepping into the office for the last time. He then steps back, and closes the door behind him, heading over to the elevator. That was in, another chapter closed. All that was left now was the final piece of the puzzle… Konrad Raab. The final exclamation mark, on the Cruze legacy.)
(Scene fades.)
The final week prior to Rise to Greatness. Cruze residence Los Angeles.
(The scene opens with a shot of the old IWC Championship, a title that Shaun had kept when the company had closed its doors. Shaun had fond memories of such, especially because he had beaten his brother Orlando in one of the few times they had competed against each other for that very title. The camera pans over a box, and inside that box is most of Shaun’s memorabilia he had accumulated over his tenure, but the title shot is placed carefully next to the box, Shaun having already decided that would take pride of place in his man cave. It would serve as the only reminder of everything that he ever achieved. After placing the belt on the bed next to the box full of memories, he lifts his head and looks directly into the camera lens, mindful that this would be the very last time he ever stood in front of a camera and addressed the wrestling fraternity. He grins, this wasn’t a time for sadness, not a chance. Shaun Cruze had every intention of going out with the biggest of bangs. He sits himself on the side of the bed, and then he starts to speak.)
“You might think that I’d be miserable, putting away these things, recalling all the memories I have made in the industry. And I guess, a small part of me is, but it is by far the most prominent emotion. The things I’ve done, the places I have seen, my way of life… the wrestling industry gave all that to me, and therefore it is a time to rejoice.
Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened, that’s the way the saying goes, isn’t it?
And it is more than valid here. I’ve done it all, and I’m so grateful to Supreme Champion Wrestling for allowing me to finish on one of the biggest stages, at the Grandaddy of them all, Rise to Greatness. Yeah, I wouldn’t say that the match is going to go down as a wrestling classic, my opponent made sure of that the moment he made this personal and sent his goons to destroy my offices. But it sure as hell is going to be remembered. Remembered as the night that Konrad Raab received the lesson that he sorely needed.
Now I’m not going to lie to you all, none of this was premeditated on my part. When I turned up to the show in Miami, it was quite simply to tell the company that I wouldn’t be accepting their generous offer, and instead I was going to retire. Even standing in the back, saying goodbye to the guys, it wasn’t my intention to go into that ring and slap you around Konrad. You can tell anyone who will listen to you, anyone whose ears you have yet to make bleed, that I did it to regale in the ‘spotlight’ one more time, but that would be too simplistic a situation. I came to that ring for one reason, and one reason alone. YOU were disrespecting the business that I love. YOU were doing over a company that had made you a household name. YOU were acting like a royal prick, and I wasn’t going to stand for it. You want me to be honest with you Konrad, I didn’t even notice the roar of the crowd when I headed down the ramp. I didn’t even see your lackies mulling around like the lap dogs they have become.
I only saw you.
I wasn’t thinking this is going to get a few hits on social media, I wasn’t even thinking about the hundreds upon thousands of TikTok’s that would be shared around the world. I came to that ring, to let you know my feelings. To let you know that ALWAYS, there will be someone like me around that actually gives a shit about this business and doesn’t just turn up to receive a paycheck so he can finance his hobby ‘racing’ cars. You can make it out to be a selfish act if you wish, there is some logic to that allegation at least, because I did want to kick your head off your shoulders. You can tell the world that I only came out to the ring because I was jealous of what you have ‘achieved’… there is NO logic to that by the way but each to their own. But the people that know me, and the people that matter… each and every fan that packed that arena on the night I slapped the taste from your mouth, THEY know the truth. The truth being that Shaun Cruze heard a spoilt fucking man child, spitting his dummy out the pram, and decided to go to that ring, and scold the bitch’s backside.
You used to call Owen ‘Little Boy’; can you remember that? It was about the peak of your banter, and for some reason you believed it to be the ultimate put down. And yet, virtually every single sentence that comes out of your mouth, sounds like the ramblings of a five-year-old. No one takes you seriously Konrad, not as a person anyway. You’re talented, no question about it, but when you refuse to use your skill, that skill soon gets forgotten. You’ve won your fair share of matches, and I cannot deny that, but that’s only been when individuals have bought into this whole ‘routine’, and not taken you as a threat. When Owen took you at your word Konrad, what happened? You were decimated… and history is about to repeat itself at Rise to Greatness.”
(He picks up the IWC World Heavyweight Championship and drapes it across his lap.)
“And the thing is Konrad, this wasn’t always the case, because you used to be one of the most respectful individuals on the roster, and you used to love the business. Owen and I have had conversations in the past, and he always spoke highly of you, or at least he did until you lost your mind. The whole red paint bollocks, the GIMP bullshit with Minerva, what did you think was going to happen Konrad? People were going to fear you? I’m telling you now, Owen was always more concerned facing you before you became a gimmick, before you stopped relying on your God given talent, and instead concentrated on hurting people. Tell me Konrad, you have this opinion of yourself as being some kind of badass that doesn’t follow the rules, that’s right, isn’t it? I’ve looked over your promos during the last couple of years, and on more times than I can remember, you have promised an individual’s destruction, just like you are promising the end of my career this weekend. Kandis, Kim, the list goes on and on. Newsflash sunshine… I’ve already said this is the end for me regardless… nothing to do with you. But tell me Konrad, how many people have you ACTUALLY run out of Supreme Championship Wrestling. Another question for you, how many people consider you a ‘monster’ in the same way they used to Xander Valentine, or going back even further, Blitzkrieg? Final question, when you finally hang up the tights, when you go off to race NASCAR… if they give OAP’s a license these days, who’s going to look back over your career and say, YES, that Konrad Raab was a force of nature?
No one.
And it’s got nothing to do with a lack of ability bro, nothing at all. More a fact that even after being in this business God knows how many years, you STILL don’t understand it and what an honor it is to be in your position. You’d rather find ‘another way’ of headlining Rise to Greatness, instead of not being a chicken shit, and competing in the Taking Hold of the Fame Battle Royal. You say that event is bland, boring… a cliché. Dude seriously? You are a walking, talking, cliché for a bygone area where people like you COULD exist. Could succeed. Tell me sunshine, how’s ‘finding another way’ to main event Rise to Greatness going? The only way you would get yourself a Rise to Greatness moment is if the ticker gave up on you and your wrinkled old carcass collapsed in the center of the ring. People would remember that for sure. But hey, silver lining time, people are most certainly going to remember me kicking your ass all over The Dome in Missouri. Unfortunately, Konrad, you’ve locked horns with someone more than capable of beating you at your own game.
What do I mean by that?
Well Konrad, let me make it simple for you, just in case Alzheimer’s has started to kick in and you’re struggling to remember things these days. Out of all the Cruze family, and I include Orlando if he was still alive, I am the one Cruze that you DO NOT want to be fucking with. Orlando kicked off as a wrestler, his training with Wolfe and then Russell Nash-Blade focused firstly on power, and then on technique. Owen, well you know as well as I do, was training as a High-Flying technician, before moving on to a hybrid style which brought him TWO World Championships.”
(He points to the belt on his lap.)
“You know what this is Konrad, it’s a World Championship belt for the now defunct Independent Wrestling Cartel. And before you say it means nothing, you’d should remember that I claimed the SCW version as well as the United States Championship, Tag Team Championship and Adrenaline Championship.”
(He slides the belt off his lap, and back to its position next to the box.)
“And before you get up in arms, because let’s face it, you can’t compare. But that was just me lording it over you, and nothing to do with my point. My point is my background… my background and how I got into this business. And the main reason why when Rise to Greatness comes around, you will not be prepared for the shit storm I’m bringing. I won’t go into the back story of me and Orlando, but when Orlando retired, he wanted someone to continue his legacy, and his long-lost brother was in his eyes the perfect person. I’d never wrestled a single second in my life, and those first six months were quite a learning curve. But there was a reason that in those six months, I was still competitive. At eighteen years old, the same age as when Owen won his first World Championship, I was a street fighter, in underground events all over London. Pull up a search on YouTube, and you’ll understand how brutal they can be. Spilling blood isn’t foreign to me Konrad, but it was never really a problem, because I wasn’t the person usually left in a pool of their own blood. When it came to a fight, there wasn’t many better. I was spotted, I still have no idea how, and I was signed to a MMA organization that toured the UK. More blood spilt, again not usually mine, and my first Championship belt around my waist. You can see where this is going right?”
(Shaun pauses, holding out his hands as if waiting for any answer.)
“Thing is Konrad, and I’m not trying to be dismissive here because I don’t need to be. I can tell in our interactions already that you believe the Cruze family to be soft, even claiming that Owen ‘ran away’… ran away, holding a title that you couldn’t even dream of achieving. No, Owen didn’t need wrestling anymore, and if you’d not made this personal, I’d be long gone as well, but I digress. You THINK that I am intimidated by you, and that I’m fearful of this match going the way you intend. You THINK that seeing my own blood will be some kind of eye opener that I won’t be able to recover from. Do you know what I think Konrad? I think you’re full of shit, a self-righteous prick that has done nothing to earn it. Just like I did in Miami, you need another lesson in humility, and how fucking lucky you are to even have a SCW contract after all the antics you have pulled in the last couple of years. I’ve faced bigger, and I’ve faced badder… but here’s the silver lining again, you are the oldest cunt I’ve ever faced so, swings and roundabouts. An achievement is an achievement, right? There’s a reason the EMT’s are always on tenterhooks when you step into a ring, it’s because they are ready should you keel over… I can’t even start to imagine your insurance premiums.
The thing is, you’ve not even considered your situation, because you permanently walk around blinded by your hatred of a business that has given you the world. A world that you decided to piss up the wall when Minerva did the right thing and cut you from your leash with a hearty ‘Good riddance’. She’s gone on to achieve great things once she got rid of the dead weight. Did you know that? You… you’ve stagnated. Every bit as bland and boring as the world you claim to detest. And you know what Konrad, I’d forgive you for believing that it sounds like I’m dismissing you, and not taking your threat seriously, but by the same token, it would perfectly evidence to me how little you really know. Other than the I’m going to beat you up… I’m going to make you bleed… this company sucks, waaaa, waaaaa, waaaaaaaa, how much research do you actually put into your opponents, because looking back just over the course of this year, it seems like very little. Yes, I think you are a gormless prick. Yes, I do feel sorry for the ingrates that follow you, if they actually believe you can be of any benefit to their careers. And yes, oh yes, I’m going to kick the living crap out of you in front of the captivated eyes of the world. But me… not taking a threat seriously? Dude, you’re talking to someone who was probably for a time the most prepared individual on the planet. Strengths, weaknesses… how much you’ve spent on whores in the past month, I’ll know it all about you Konrad, simply so that I can pick you apart piece by piece and humiliate you just like you have done so many others. Throughout my career, it has never been about the standard of opponent, or if it was a championship match, or a dark match that no one will ever see, my preparation has always been the same. I might not like you; I might think you are a stain on this company that needs to be eradicated, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t give you the respect as a competitor, respecting the skills that you have shown since you first stepped foot in this company. And even with all that, you may well bring up that I’ve competed once in the last who knows how many years, and perhaps ring rust may be an issue. But did I look rusty when I outlasted 32 others at Taking Hold of the Flame. 32 of the best wrestlers on the planet? I’m sorry Konrad, but you should have just taken my words as gospel and straightened yourself out. You should have ignored the saying and allowed an old dog to learn a new trick or two. Do you ever have nightmares Konrad? Do you wake up in cold sweats? Maybe, maybe not… but rest assured, at Rise to Greatness I WILL be your biggest nightmare to date. A nightmare that if you aren’t careful, you’ll never wake from.”
(Shaun gets to his feet and walks over to the window as Angyalka pulls into the driveway. As she gets out, she sees him and gives him a wave, Shaun waving back. He then turns back towards the camera, to deliver his final narrative.)
“Konrad… taking exception to my words, was a mistake. End of conversation. Sending people to my offices and scaring my staff was crossing the line. End of conversation. Coming and looking for me and asking CHBK for this match, a match that would take place in front of the eyes of the world, compounding your embarrassment still further was career suicide. End of conversation. I know you’re looking at me like some kind of next meal, a Hall of Famer on which to finally get a career defining victory at Rise to Greatness but you haven’t even opened your eyes, but due to your ignorance, you’ve not even considered this to be your last supper. Just think about it for a second. I know you’ve said you’ll probably retire at the end of this year, but that is still months away. Do you think you’ll get that far when someone literally walks off the streets and makes you look like a novice? It could be taken out your hands Konrad, but would you ever care if CHBK did? No, I don’t think you would, but then again that says it all doesn’t it?”
(Angyalka walks into shot, and kisses Shaun on the cheek.)
“For you Konrad, you need to exist. You still need to leave some in the tank for what comes next. Me… I’m putting my all into this final match, the footnote on what has been one heck of a ride, the end of a Hall of Fame inducted career…”
(Shaun puts a hand on Angyalka’s stomach, and a smile forms on his face, the indication obvious.)
“And then, the Cruze legacy will be over. The fitting conclusion of one of the most decorated wrestling families in the world. A new generation to be born without the burden that The Icon Orlando Cruze started. Dorothea, Ethan… and this little one…”
(He bends, and kisses Angyalka’s small yet visible baby bump.)
“… the beginning of a new Cruze era.
Yes, I fight for the integrity of Supreme Championship Wrestling at Rise to Greatness, but I also fight for this new era of superstars who I pass my torch to, with one clear message to them all. A message that I want the future of this company to hear, so that I can drown out Konrad’s inane ramblings. Because that my friends is all they are.”
(He nods towards the camera, putting his arm tenderly around his wife.)
“You can be as good as you want to be as long as you never forget what it means to compete for those three initials that mean the world to so many. There will always be anomalies. Those that want to rage against the machine. And there will always be those like Konrad that want to steal a living, earning good money for an industry that they care very little about, preferring to be somewhere else. But people like him, they don’t matter. As long as you ALWAYS focus on where you want to be, the rest will take care of itself. And if on that journey, you find someone who’s taken the easier path… because of what you’ll witness at Rise to Greatness, I promise that you’ll know what to do. Take care of it, just like I will in front of the eyes of millions.”
(Shaun smiles, giving the camera a final salute.)
“Just like all those years ago, when I became the Impact Player. When I first started out, and before I had made all these wonderful memories that I will take with me. We don’t leave the Cruze legacy at Rise to Greatness, we leave a legacy full stop and one that will forever be remembered. So do you want to be remembered as a Champion or be remembered as a geriatric who covered himself in red paint, so he didn’t get banned off social media. It’s not even a choice, is it?
And my final words as a member of the Supreme, I’ll reserve for you Konrad, as my opponent you at the very east deserve that. YOU chose this. YOU came to my door.
YOU.
YOU made it personal when I gave you a lesson that you richly deserved. One which your ego refused to take.
And now it is YOU, who will pay the consequences, when I don’t just beat you, but also humble you, on literally the biggest day in the wrestling calendar. In future years Konrad, people are going to remember where they were on that day. But not because it was the day Shaun Cruze inevitably beat Konrad Raab. No, they’ll remember it as the moment I called it a day. The moment I called it a day. You will be what you have been all along. An afterthought. And THAT Konrad, will rest on one person’s shoulders.”
(He winks.)
“YOURS.”
(Angyalka rests her head into his chest, Shaun never taking his eyes off the camera as the scene slowly fades.)
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