12-12-2025, 04:17 AM
PREVIOUSLY…OFF CAMERA
(Shaun sits with his head bowed, a towel over his head, breathing heavily after his exertions. He’d got the finale he had wanted and finished his career in the way he had wanted, and right now his body was telling him that the time was right. Occasionally, someone walks past, congratulating him on his victory, but he remains underneath the confines of the towel, really engaging himself in this moment, drinking it in. He wasn’t listening, however, to the noise from the capacity crowd, knowing that this would be the final time this would happen, the last opportunity for himself experiences a career that had been so good for him. In truth, the only thing he believed he was truly good at. Of course, he’d had businesses, but factually it was others who had made him his money. He’d been an ‘ok’ actor, though you wouldn’t get many to agree. But it was here, in the depths of an arena, where he had truly felt alive, and now that would soon be over forever, and he couldn’t help but have at least a minimal amount of sadness. He finally pulls the towel from his head, revealing for the first time that he is grinning from ear to ear. He chuckles to himself, knowing that Konrad Raab would be raging… and yet couldn’t do a thing about it. He’d miss that too… knowing that he had proven a point yet again. As finales went, it was up there with Owen walking away as World and United States Champion.)
“Looked good out there Unc.”
(Shaun turns his head to face his nephew Owen, who had made a point of being here, having been through this himself, and how difficult it had been for him to walk away.)
Owen: I mean, I think we all knew you’d beat Konrad, but with his goons around, you could never be sure.
Shaun: Hey, it was tough, take nothing away from Konrad, the old man can still go. But yeah, it felt good. And at Rise to Greatness as well… perfect end.
Owen: And the perfect impact… pun intended
(It was a reference to Shaun and Kelcey’s tag team for a long-gone era. Shaun still stayed in touch with Kelcey, but he’d always loved her being around.)
Shaun: Proper historian, aren’t you? Doubt anyone even remembers us guys.
Owen: Don’t be daft, this place won’t be the same without a Cruze running around. Dad will be looking down with a smile, I know it. But the Cruze legacy is over now, the business will have to go on without us.
Shaun: I’m sure they will be fine.
(Owen nods, SCW had been around before them, and it would exist without, there was an inevitable certainty in that. But the Cruze family would never been forgotten, they had all made sure of that.)
Owen: So, is that it then, all loose ends tied up?
Shaun: Yeah, contract will be terminated at midnight tonight, and then tomorrow morning I’ll do the final handover to Blake for Impact Media. Come tomorrow night, I’ll be like you, a man of leisure and get to spend time with my family. And I have you to thank for that
Owen: Me? Why?
Shaun: For giving me the inspiration to walk away from all of it. It wasn’t easy, but seeing how happy you are, it made me realize it would be the right thing to do for me. If you hadn’t, I’d still be stressing about the next movie, or what the next subject of a documentary was going to be. Going forwards, I’ll only need to look out for my family instead of so many staff. Can’t wait.
Owen: And what about this?
Shaun: What, wrestling?
Owen: Yeah.
Shaun: I was just thinking, other than being a Dad, it is literally the only thing I’ve ever been good at. With Impact Media, and Acting, I always had someone helping me, but here it was always all on me. But yeah, since Taking Hold of the Flame I’ve felt more like fifty than my actual age, and if I carry on, someone will eventually do what Konrad couldn’t and perhaps cause me permanent injury. I don’t want to be a burden on Angyalka, especially since she had supported me through everything. I want to be a proper Dad to Dorothea instead of just being on edge all the time with all the responsibilities. I love wrestling, I love competing, and you know what, I’m fucking good at it. But you’ve got to weigh these things up, and walking away is the right thing to do.
Owen: Totally agree. And it’s not like you need the money.
(Shaun laughs)
Shaun: Yeah, I reckon I’ll be ok. One bottle of Jack Daniels a week instead of two
(They both laugh, turning as Chris Clay walks in. Chris was a private investigator who had done a lot of work for the Cruze family in the past and had been given a priority seat by Shaun as a thank you. He doesn’t have the look of a man who has been enjoying the show however and instead has a serious look on his face. Owen offers a fist bump which Chris obliges, never taking his eyes off Shaun, which Shaun recognizes.)
Shaun: You ok bro… I wasn’t that bad out there, was I?
Chris Clay: Could I have a word… in private.
(He turns to Owen, who then looks at Shaun.)
Owen: Hint taken… I’ll go take in the rest of the show. Find me once you’re done?
Shaun: Of course.
(Owen leaves the dressing room, Chris closing the door behind him without a single word.)
Shaun: What’s going on Chris?
(Chris still doesn’t speak and sits down on the same bench Shaun is sitting on.)
Shaun: Well, this isn’t concerning enough.
(Chris pulls his mobile phone from his pocket and holds it on his lap face down.)
Chris Clay: Sorry man, I know you are probably on a high right now, but this couldn’t wait.
Shaun: OK, so what’s going on?
(Chris takes a deep breath before continuing.)
Chris Clay: Recently I took a case, a husband who believed his wife was having an affair.
Shaun: OK
(Chris doesn’t even smirk, which unnerves Shaun still further.)
Chris Clay: So, I did the usual, followed her around, and for a while, nothing was particularly suspicious. I was just about to give up and report back, when I followed her to a restaurant, where she met up with a man.
(Chris takes another breath, before turning the phone over and showing Shaun a picture, Shaun’s eyes widening before he takes a closer look. He then looks at Chris, as if looking for confirmation of what he was looking at. )
Chris Clay: I’m sorry Shaun, but there is no mistake. That’s you, isn’t it?
(For a moment Shaun looks confused, ready to question whether it is or not. He takes hold of the phone and stares at it intently, there was no question, it was him and there was no getting away from it. He passes the phone back to Chris and eventually he manages to find the words he wanted to say.)
Shaun: There is a perfectly innocent explanation for this.
(Without saying a word, Chris scrolls through his screen, obviously hating that he was having to do this. He finds what he is looking for, before passing the phone bac to Shaun.)
Chris Clay: Press play…
(Shaun looks at the still image of a car and does what he is told. He watches as Shaun and the woman get out of the car, pausing for a moment before sharing a kiss, the kiss of a pair that were much more than friends and certainly not in the slightest innocent. He doesn’t want to but feels compelled to keep watching as they walk up to a motel room and go inside. At this point he has seen enough, not wanting to know what Chris had captured next. He hands the phone back and shakes his head.)
Shaun: Fuck
(Chris puts his phone away, understanding his friends’ emotions.)
Chris Clay: I’m sorry bro. I don’t know what you plan to do with this, but I’ll hold off on telling the husband to give you time to get your head around it and decide what you want to do. But I’ve got to tell him what’s going on, you know that right?
Shaun: I appreciate that… but what AM I going to do?
Chris Clay: I don’t know bud; I just do my job… there’s a reason I don’t give relationship advice. If you’ve made a mistake, then I suggest getting ahead of it and telling Angyalka the truth. But if you have feelings for her… well, that’s a totally different scenario. You’ve got a child, and no matter how you go about it, this doesn’t end well for you.
(Shaun sits in silence, feeling like he already knew how this was going to end for him. It was all on him, and he’d made a huge mistake and that stung. Worst still, he knew full well how Angyalka would react, and it still hadn’t stopped him from committing adultery. Once again, wrestling had exposed a Cruze marriage, the exact reason why Owen had walked away. Shaun had made his decision too late… and already knew that he had to take the entirety of the blame if their marriage was over.)
RECORDING…ON CAMERA
“They always come back.”
(Shaun appears on screen, his face covered in a stubble that didn’t seem to have been well kept, a tee shirt, jeans and a pair of scuffed trainers his attire of choice. He greets the camera with what could pass a smile but isn’t totally convincing.)
“That’s the belief, isn’t it? People walk away from this company but except for the few, they always make their surprise return months later, the lure of the lights bringing them back. It’s become one of this companies cliches that no one ever really retires, they just have a rest, recharge the batteries and then step back front and center, looking to claim former glories.”
(Shaun leans forwards and clasps his hands in front of him.)
“That is going to be the inevitable narrative that will surround me in these coming months. Orlando retired and came back three times, even swapping companies on one of those occasions. Owen even went away for a while but then came back to try and claim back some of the respect he lost when he walked away. I’ve gone away before, twice I think for varying reasons, but this time I was certain it was over. After almost winning Taking Hold of the Flame and then beating Konrad Raab, I was ready to leave it all behind. Let me make it clear, I haven’t come back because I want to. I haven’t come back to claim former glories, though I hope I am still capable. I’ve not even come back to put down a former rival or end a long-standing grudge. I’m here and back in Supreme Championship Wrestling for one reason, and one reason alone. I NEED to, because without it, I may as well not even exist. The Shaun Cruze you knew, the media mogul who literally seemed to have it all is no more. I compete now, quite simply in the same way I did when I first started. I MUST, or else it is ALL truly over.”
(He takes a deep breath before he continues, composing himself for what would come next.)
“I know right, all a little mysterious. I could just come out and say it, explain in full just how far the once mighty has fallen. It would be ever so easy for me to pull on the emotional strings of the SCW fanbase, and filter off all the sympathy I can muster, but that just isn’t me. I’m not going to come out here and bear my soul to everyone, nor do I expect people to not have opinions or make guesses as to how the last two years have changed who I am. Quite simply, I am here to compete. I am here to win matches and climb that ladder once again. I am here out of necessity. It wasn’t easy, persuading the management here to take a chance on me. I understand that CHBK has taken a risk, putting me back on a roster that has moved on from the Cruze family who are now nothing more than a distant, perhaps fond for some memory. Being back, is like getting your hands on one of those fluffy fleece blankets that come out when Winter starts to draw in. Stepping back into a SCW ring, feels like returning home, after what seems like a lifetime away. Like I say, I needed this. I wanted this. I couldn’t continue without that security that those three initials bring. Maybe, one day I will tell my story. Perhaps if I can stabilize this bullshit that has become my life, I will be able to put into words just how it went so wrong. I reiterate, with respect, to keep your sympathy, I don’t want, nor do I ask for it. My name, quite rightly, doesn’t mean a damn thing to the people that have kept this company thriving while I’ve been away. All I want to do is be left alone, to begin again, to be given the time to do exactly that. To stand at the bottom of that ladder, looking up at all those that have deservedly paid their dues, knowing that the only way to move forwards, both personally, and professionally is by stepping over each and everyone of them as I make my way back to the top. Because I literally have no choice to do exactly that.”
(He becomes aware that he has stepped right back into functioning in front of a camera even though it had been a while since he had. He had stopped short of explaining in full but didn’t want people to think he was just like everyone else and had gone back on his word. It wasn’t like it was a secret anyway, a simple search on the Internet would at least give people clues. But he didn’t want that to be the focus, he wanted his story to be about the man who once again climbed the mountain and reached the top, reclaiming more than just a symbolic championship, claiming his life back at the same time. He wanted people to talk about him again, but for the right reasons. Those were his goals, and he was going to achieve them, turning it all around.)
“So, I guess the question has to be, am I still capable?”
(A shrug of the shoulders makes his opinion clear.)
“And the answer to that is, I simply don’t know. It seems very familiar, doesn’t it? For me to be saying I’m not sure I’m still able to compete, because I was saying the same things prior to Taking Hold of the Flame, and we all know how that panned out. I wasn’t disappointed not winning, coming top ten against a bunch of people who will in their prime showed me I could still go. In my mind, I’m still the same guy that claimed the World Championship, way back whenever it was. When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m still the same man who strived to instill a sense of morality into everything I ever did. Everything you have heard from me thus far, and may in the future, hasn’t dampened my desire for a business that made me. In fact, if anything, the desire is even greater than it was before. It’s no longer just about becoming a World Champion for the first time since 2014. Eleven years, wow. It’s about being able to step into any room, and say hey, I’m Shaun Cruze. And instead of being ashamed of what I became and proud of the fact I came through.
Better than I ever was.
Let me make it clear to everyone right now, and especially my opponent on Breakdown. Even after everything I have said, no matter how it seems, I’m not coming back to Supreme Championship Wrestling as cannon fodder, or to be dragged out to romanticize this company’s story. I’ve spoken of a needs must yes, but don’t consider me weak, or someone that is going to allow individuals to make a name off the back of defeating me. I’m not a mug returning when I’m way past my sell-by date. I can still do this and be better than most. The question is, can I come back, and be better than what is one of the most talented rosters in the world. And that is one heck of a question to try and answer, because it is over a decade since I stood atop this company as its World Champion. Eleven years ago, the Impact Player ruled the roost. So much has changed in that time, competitors have come and gone. But there is one thing that remains true. The one thing that will carry me forwards, till I once again achieve those goals. NO ONE can match my heart. VERY FEW can match my courage. And when you put that together with the fact I have proven my wrestling skill time and time again, it’s clear. I CAN do this. I WILL do this. I’ll do this for myself, and for Supreme Championship Wrestling, who when asked, took the chance on me once again. There will be detractors, and there will be those who dismiss, but when all is said and done, it will be they who look foolish, not me. The only person who I need to prove all of this to is myself, the rest of it will all fall into place given time. When all is said and done, and I return to my rightful place, there is one thing that will be certain.
Once again… you WILL know, MY name.”
(Shaun nods towards the camera, determined and ready. The scene then slowly fades.)
(Shaun sits with his head bowed, a towel over his head, breathing heavily after his exertions. He’d got the finale he had wanted and finished his career in the way he had wanted, and right now his body was telling him that the time was right. Occasionally, someone walks past, congratulating him on his victory, but he remains underneath the confines of the towel, really engaging himself in this moment, drinking it in. He wasn’t listening, however, to the noise from the capacity crowd, knowing that this would be the final time this would happen, the last opportunity for himself experiences a career that had been so good for him. In truth, the only thing he believed he was truly good at. Of course, he’d had businesses, but factually it was others who had made him his money. He’d been an ‘ok’ actor, though you wouldn’t get many to agree. But it was here, in the depths of an arena, where he had truly felt alive, and now that would soon be over forever, and he couldn’t help but have at least a minimal amount of sadness. He finally pulls the towel from his head, revealing for the first time that he is grinning from ear to ear. He chuckles to himself, knowing that Konrad Raab would be raging… and yet couldn’t do a thing about it. He’d miss that too… knowing that he had proven a point yet again. As finales went, it was up there with Owen walking away as World and United States Champion.)
“Looked good out there Unc.”
(Shaun turns his head to face his nephew Owen, who had made a point of being here, having been through this himself, and how difficult it had been for him to walk away.)
Owen: I mean, I think we all knew you’d beat Konrad, but with his goons around, you could never be sure.
Shaun: Hey, it was tough, take nothing away from Konrad, the old man can still go. But yeah, it felt good. And at Rise to Greatness as well… perfect end.
Owen: And the perfect impact… pun intended
(It was a reference to Shaun and Kelcey’s tag team for a long-gone era. Shaun still stayed in touch with Kelcey, but he’d always loved her being around.)
Shaun: Proper historian, aren’t you? Doubt anyone even remembers us guys.
Owen: Don’t be daft, this place won’t be the same without a Cruze running around. Dad will be looking down with a smile, I know it. But the Cruze legacy is over now, the business will have to go on without us.
Shaun: I’m sure they will be fine.
(Owen nods, SCW had been around before them, and it would exist without, there was an inevitable certainty in that. But the Cruze family would never been forgotten, they had all made sure of that.)
Owen: So, is that it then, all loose ends tied up?
Shaun: Yeah, contract will be terminated at midnight tonight, and then tomorrow morning I’ll do the final handover to Blake for Impact Media. Come tomorrow night, I’ll be like you, a man of leisure and get to spend time with my family. And I have you to thank for that
Owen: Me? Why?
Shaun: For giving me the inspiration to walk away from all of it. It wasn’t easy, but seeing how happy you are, it made me realize it would be the right thing to do for me. If you hadn’t, I’d still be stressing about the next movie, or what the next subject of a documentary was going to be. Going forwards, I’ll only need to look out for my family instead of so many staff. Can’t wait.
Owen: And what about this?
Shaun: What, wrestling?
Owen: Yeah.
Shaun: I was just thinking, other than being a Dad, it is literally the only thing I’ve ever been good at. With Impact Media, and Acting, I always had someone helping me, but here it was always all on me. But yeah, since Taking Hold of the Flame I’ve felt more like fifty than my actual age, and if I carry on, someone will eventually do what Konrad couldn’t and perhaps cause me permanent injury. I don’t want to be a burden on Angyalka, especially since she had supported me through everything. I want to be a proper Dad to Dorothea instead of just being on edge all the time with all the responsibilities. I love wrestling, I love competing, and you know what, I’m fucking good at it. But you’ve got to weigh these things up, and walking away is the right thing to do.
Owen: Totally agree. And it’s not like you need the money.
(Shaun laughs)
Shaun: Yeah, I reckon I’ll be ok. One bottle of Jack Daniels a week instead of two
(They both laugh, turning as Chris Clay walks in. Chris was a private investigator who had done a lot of work for the Cruze family in the past and had been given a priority seat by Shaun as a thank you. He doesn’t have the look of a man who has been enjoying the show however and instead has a serious look on his face. Owen offers a fist bump which Chris obliges, never taking his eyes off Shaun, which Shaun recognizes.)
Shaun: You ok bro… I wasn’t that bad out there, was I?
Chris Clay: Could I have a word… in private.
(He turns to Owen, who then looks at Shaun.)
Owen: Hint taken… I’ll go take in the rest of the show. Find me once you’re done?
Shaun: Of course.
(Owen leaves the dressing room, Chris closing the door behind him without a single word.)
Shaun: What’s going on Chris?
(Chris still doesn’t speak and sits down on the same bench Shaun is sitting on.)
Shaun: Well, this isn’t concerning enough.
(Chris pulls his mobile phone from his pocket and holds it on his lap face down.)
Chris Clay: Sorry man, I know you are probably on a high right now, but this couldn’t wait.
Shaun: OK, so what’s going on?
(Chris takes a deep breath before continuing.)
Chris Clay: Recently I took a case, a husband who believed his wife was having an affair.
Shaun: OK
(Chris doesn’t even smirk, which unnerves Shaun still further.)
Chris Clay: So, I did the usual, followed her around, and for a while, nothing was particularly suspicious. I was just about to give up and report back, when I followed her to a restaurant, where she met up with a man.
(Chris takes another breath, before turning the phone over and showing Shaun a picture, Shaun’s eyes widening before he takes a closer look. He then looks at Chris, as if looking for confirmation of what he was looking at. )
Chris Clay: I’m sorry Shaun, but there is no mistake. That’s you, isn’t it?
(For a moment Shaun looks confused, ready to question whether it is or not. He takes hold of the phone and stares at it intently, there was no question, it was him and there was no getting away from it. He passes the phone back to Chris and eventually he manages to find the words he wanted to say.)
Shaun: There is a perfectly innocent explanation for this.
(Without saying a word, Chris scrolls through his screen, obviously hating that he was having to do this. He finds what he is looking for, before passing the phone bac to Shaun.)
Chris Clay: Press play…
(Shaun looks at the still image of a car and does what he is told. He watches as Shaun and the woman get out of the car, pausing for a moment before sharing a kiss, the kiss of a pair that were much more than friends and certainly not in the slightest innocent. He doesn’t want to but feels compelled to keep watching as they walk up to a motel room and go inside. At this point he has seen enough, not wanting to know what Chris had captured next. He hands the phone back and shakes his head.)
Shaun: Fuck
(Chris puts his phone away, understanding his friends’ emotions.)
Chris Clay: I’m sorry bro. I don’t know what you plan to do with this, but I’ll hold off on telling the husband to give you time to get your head around it and decide what you want to do. But I’ve got to tell him what’s going on, you know that right?
Shaun: I appreciate that… but what AM I going to do?
Chris Clay: I don’t know bud; I just do my job… there’s a reason I don’t give relationship advice. If you’ve made a mistake, then I suggest getting ahead of it and telling Angyalka the truth. But if you have feelings for her… well, that’s a totally different scenario. You’ve got a child, and no matter how you go about it, this doesn’t end well for you.
(Shaun sits in silence, feeling like he already knew how this was going to end for him. It was all on him, and he’d made a huge mistake and that stung. Worst still, he knew full well how Angyalka would react, and it still hadn’t stopped him from committing adultery. Once again, wrestling had exposed a Cruze marriage, the exact reason why Owen had walked away. Shaun had made his decision too late… and already knew that he had to take the entirety of the blame if their marriage was over.)
RECORDING…ON CAMERA
“They always come back.”
(Shaun appears on screen, his face covered in a stubble that didn’t seem to have been well kept, a tee shirt, jeans and a pair of scuffed trainers his attire of choice. He greets the camera with what could pass a smile but isn’t totally convincing.)
“That’s the belief, isn’t it? People walk away from this company but except for the few, they always make their surprise return months later, the lure of the lights bringing them back. It’s become one of this companies cliches that no one ever really retires, they just have a rest, recharge the batteries and then step back front and center, looking to claim former glories.”
(Shaun leans forwards and clasps his hands in front of him.)
“That is going to be the inevitable narrative that will surround me in these coming months. Orlando retired and came back three times, even swapping companies on one of those occasions. Owen even went away for a while but then came back to try and claim back some of the respect he lost when he walked away. I’ve gone away before, twice I think for varying reasons, but this time I was certain it was over. After almost winning Taking Hold of the Flame and then beating Konrad Raab, I was ready to leave it all behind. Let me make it clear, I haven’t come back because I want to. I haven’t come back to claim former glories, though I hope I am still capable. I’ve not even come back to put down a former rival or end a long-standing grudge. I’m here and back in Supreme Championship Wrestling for one reason, and one reason alone. I NEED to, because without it, I may as well not even exist. The Shaun Cruze you knew, the media mogul who literally seemed to have it all is no more. I compete now, quite simply in the same way I did when I first started. I MUST, or else it is ALL truly over.”
(He takes a deep breath before he continues, composing himself for what would come next.)
“I know right, all a little mysterious. I could just come out and say it, explain in full just how far the once mighty has fallen. It would be ever so easy for me to pull on the emotional strings of the SCW fanbase, and filter off all the sympathy I can muster, but that just isn’t me. I’m not going to come out here and bear my soul to everyone, nor do I expect people to not have opinions or make guesses as to how the last two years have changed who I am. Quite simply, I am here to compete. I am here to win matches and climb that ladder once again. I am here out of necessity. It wasn’t easy, persuading the management here to take a chance on me. I understand that CHBK has taken a risk, putting me back on a roster that has moved on from the Cruze family who are now nothing more than a distant, perhaps fond for some memory. Being back, is like getting your hands on one of those fluffy fleece blankets that come out when Winter starts to draw in. Stepping back into a SCW ring, feels like returning home, after what seems like a lifetime away. Like I say, I needed this. I wanted this. I couldn’t continue without that security that those three initials bring. Maybe, one day I will tell my story. Perhaps if I can stabilize this bullshit that has become my life, I will be able to put into words just how it went so wrong. I reiterate, with respect, to keep your sympathy, I don’t want, nor do I ask for it. My name, quite rightly, doesn’t mean a damn thing to the people that have kept this company thriving while I’ve been away. All I want to do is be left alone, to begin again, to be given the time to do exactly that. To stand at the bottom of that ladder, looking up at all those that have deservedly paid their dues, knowing that the only way to move forwards, both personally, and professionally is by stepping over each and everyone of them as I make my way back to the top. Because I literally have no choice to do exactly that.”
(He becomes aware that he has stepped right back into functioning in front of a camera even though it had been a while since he had. He had stopped short of explaining in full but didn’t want people to think he was just like everyone else and had gone back on his word. It wasn’t like it was a secret anyway, a simple search on the Internet would at least give people clues. But he didn’t want that to be the focus, he wanted his story to be about the man who once again climbed the mountain and reached the top, reclaiming more than just a symbolic championship, claiming his life back at the same time. He wanted people to talk about him again, but for the right reasons. Those were his goals, and he was going to achieve them, turning it all around.)
“So, I guess the question has to be, am I still capable?”
(A shrug of the shoulders makes his opinion clear.)
“And the answer to that is, I simply don’t know. It seems very familiar, doesn’t it? For me to be saying I’m not sure I’m still able to compete, because I was saying the same things prior to Taking Hold of the Flame, and we all know how that panned out. I wasn’t disappointed not winning, coming top ten against a bunch of people who will in their prime showed me I could still go. In my mind, I’m still the same guy that claimed the World Championship, way back whenever it was. When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m still the same man who strived to instill a sense of morality into everything I ever did. Everything you have heard from me thus far, and may in the future, hasn’t dampened my desire for a business that made me. In fact, if anything, the desire is even greater than it was before. It’s no longer just about becoming a World Champion for the first time since 2014. Eleven years, wow. It’s about being able to step into any room, and say hey, I’m Shaun Cruze. And instead of being ashamed of what I became and proud of the fact I came through.
Better than I ever was.
Let me make it clear to everyone right now, and especially my opponent on Breakdown. Even after everything I have said, no matter how it seems, I’m not coming back to Supreme Championship Wrestling as cannon fodder, or to be dragged out to romanticize this company’s story. I’ve spoken of a needs must yes, but don’t consider me weak, or someone that is going to allow individuals to make a name off the back of defeating me. I’m not a mug returning when I’m way past my sell-by date. I can still do this and be better than most. The question is, can I come back, and be better than what is one of the most talented rosters in the world. And that is one heck of a question to try and answer, because it is over a decade since I stood atop this company as its World Champion. Eleven years ago, the Impact Player ruled the roost. So much has changed in that time, competitors have come and gone. But there is one thing that remains true. The one thing that will carry me forwards, till I once again achieve those goals. NO ONE can match my heart. VERY FEW can match my courage. And when you put that together with the fact I have proven my wrestling skill time and time again, it’s clear. I CAN do this. I WILL do this. I’ll do this for myself, and for Supreme Championship Wrestling, who when asked, took the chance on me once again. There will be detractors, and there will be those who dismiss, but when all is said and done, it will be they who look foolish, not me. The only person who I need to prove all of this to is myself, the rest of it will all fall into place given time. When all is said and done, and I return to my rightful place, there is one thing that will be certain.
Once again… you WILL know, MY name.”
(Shaun nods towards the camera, determined and ready. The scene then slowly fades.)
![[Image: 270041540-258425806375597-7033161467703002046-n.png]](https://i.ibb.co/8sQWMPt/270041540-258425806375597-7033161467703002046-n.png)