Disrespect

[Billy]

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EBWF.net Exclusive “Aiden and Raquel a match made in…”
Posted 11/23/2020
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“Kingdom” by All Good Things was playing in the background as the video opened on Renee Young backstage. Aiden English, Raquel Diaz, Chavo Guerrero and Elias Samson walked into frame on their way back from the entrance ramp at the close of Warfare. Renee held up a hand.

Renee Young: Aiden, Raquel! Can I have a moment of your time?

Aiden and crew stopped. Raquel whispered something in his ear that prompted him to glance down at the title around his waist and nod. She smiled. Aiden turned around to see Renee.

Aiden English: Absolutely! You guys don’t have to hang around for this.

Aiden exchanged handshakes and shoulder bumps with Elias and Chavo before they left the scene. Aiden took Raquel’s hand and lead her over next to Renee who was guiding them into the perfect spot for an interview.

Renee Young: First, I’d like to congratulate you on your in-ring return tonight Raquel! Your win over Alexa Bliss has some heads turning.

Raquel Diaz: Gracias, Renee. I think I’m just what this division needs to find its feet and regain some of the luster it has lost over the last year.

Renee Young: Well, I know I’m excited to see how things shape up! And Aiden, now that you’ve reclaimed the EBWF World Championship, you’re set for a collision with the Rock at the last pay per view of the year.

Aiden English: I guess that’s the thing with automatic defenses, the fans get to watch the Rock fail twice before he tucks his tail and returns to Hollywood. Maybe he will do better if someone decides who wins the fight in a script or something.

Aiden smiled.

Renee Young: You just stepped out at the conclusion of Rock versus Tomohiro Ishii, why do that?

Aiden English: Rock fashions himself as the People’s Champion. They worship him and he allows it, false idol he is. So, I needed to remind him that he’s not the People’s Champion, in fact he’s not even a Champion anymore. If the EBWF Universe needs a Champion, they need look no further than the King.

Renee Young: During the match I received word that you’re going to be taking on the Breakout Champion, Tomohiro Ishii, next week on Warfare. With all the focus on championships Kingdom has, what are your thoughts on facing a fellow Champion?

Aiden English: It’s interesting isn’t it? Management loves these little mirror matches. Rock faces Ishii, Aiden faces Ishii. Then, the fans can sit at home and ponder over who fared better in their showing and what that means for the title match at the Pay Per View. This same set up has been dragged out before the masses a thousand times before because it makes Wes happy. Now normally this match doesn’t rope in another title holder. Best to no tarnish one title in the pursuit of building another and all. This time though Ishii is fed to the wolves. It’s disrespectful to everyone involved. It’s disrespectful to the EBWF World Title and it’s damn disrespectful to the EBWF Breakout Title!

Renee Young: Can you explain how it’s disrespectful?

Aiden English: Well this match tonight was a gamble. A risky gamble. Ishii wins and you no longer have a confident contender to the EBWF World Title. Rock wins and you devalue one of the pillars of the company. It’s a no-win situation for the EBWF and the fans. Now Ishii suffers a loss, the Breakout Championship looks like a joke and it does so little except boost the Rock’s already massive ego. Now you’re telling me they’ve booked another losing match for Ishii on next week’s Warfare? Can the Breakout Title even survive these continued losses? How long before management decides that it’s time to unify the Breakout and Gateway titles? How long? All in service to mirror matches.

Renee Young: Okay, so you’re saying that there is no chance for Ishii to beat you?

Aiden English: Have you been watching me since my return? Are you here at Warfare week in and week out? Do you know what this means?

Aiden pointed at the title around his waist.

Aiden English: I’m the best wrestler in the World! Not the best wrestler in EBWF, not the best wrestler in the United States, not the best wrestler in North American, not the best wrestler in the Western Hemisphere. IN THE WORLD. Kingdom’s reign over this industry isn’t going to be lessened by a loss to someone like Ishii. Not next week or any other week!

Renee Young: Despite recent losses, Tomohiro Ishii is a great wrestler. He’s the EBWF Breakout Champion, a title you held in your time with the company.

Aiden English: Absolutely. And, I was a great Breakout Champion. Maybe the greatest Breakout Champion. In fact, Renee, maybe you can remind me who I lost my Breakout title to?

Renee was about to talk.

Raquel Diaz: You can’t chica! Because, Aiden didn’t loose his Breakout Championship to anyone. He relinquished it because he moved beyond it. Put it in his past.

Renee Young: Yeah, I know but Tomohiro hasn’t…

Raquel Diaz: Hasn’t what? Hasn’t lost the Breakout Title? Sure. What happened at Fanniversary when he faced the Gateway Champion?

Renee Young: Randy Orton beat him.

Raquel Diaz: Yeah! What happened when mi esposo, Aiden, faced the Gateway Champion while holding the Breakout Title?

Renee Young: He won the Gateway Championship. I’m still not seeing…

Aiden English: It’s simple Renee. I was a better Breakout Champion, I was a Gateway Champion and I AM the World Champion. I’m just head and shoulders better than Ishii. And I don’t need fancy words to say that for me!

Renee Young: It’s not like you to so thoroughly discount an opponent, do you think the threat of Rock looming has you distracted?

Raquel placed her palm on Aiden’s chest and tapped it gently. He nodded.

Raquel Diaz: Just because Aiden has come to understand his value, his worth, his importancia you think he’s lost sight of what’s before him? You couldn’t be more wrong! This is how you tell a professional from an amateur. Aiden takes stock of the opponent laid before him, measures them against a standard and then decides how much attention he’s going to need to set aside for the task at hand. Mr. Tomohiro dictates very little of Aiden’s time. He has little value in defeat and poses an insignificant threat. For that reason, we have little concern about his second main event in as many weeks. In fact, if my husband didn’t respect the EBWF Breakout Title, he would care even less about how this is being handled. Afterall, a King doesn’t waste his time stomping out every ant hill he comes across.

Renee Young: Did you just refer to Tomohiro Ishii as an ant hill.

Aiden and Raquel locked eyes. She smiled at him before reaching up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

Aiden English: You want some typical Aiden flair laid on that upcoming main event matchup?

Renee Young: Yes, I would LOVE that.

Aiden English: Well, Renee, I’m happy to do you a favor and increase the impressions this post garners. Afterall, I’m the top draw in the industry. Just, make sure you put Kingdom in the headline.

Renee Young: Oooooo kay, I’m sure we can accommodate that request.

Aiden kissed his wife’s hand and stepped forward toward the camera. He paced a moment, running his hands across his shaven head. He sucked in a deep breath and stopped, center screen, cutting Renee out of the shot and leaving Raquel in frame to his left.

Aiden English: Tomohiro Ishii. I’m going to try and keep everything I’m about to say short and simple. I don’t want anything getting lost in translation. I want the language to come across as I intend. And so, I’m going to choose each word with careful consideration. This discourse between two Champions is owed a respect you have yet to earn. A respect this crowd, this country, this company doesn’t have for you. That title is owed respect, you aren’t. Or, to put it colloquially, you suck.

Aiden shrugged.

Aiden English: Language defines. The words we use, the way we talk, says everything anyone needs to know about us. Defining you is simple. It requires a vocabulary so shallow that I think even you could manage it. Opening act. Since I vacated the Breakout Championship it’s passed from nobody to nobody. In the lexicon of EBWF, that title is seen as worthless. Some of that falls on you but equally on Holly, Moxley and Rush who drove the poor thing to an early grave. Since my reign, that title has served no purpose, save to define the top rung of the lowest hanging fruit.

Aiden held his right hand out with his palm up.

Aiden English: Even the jargon has changed in the locker room. Breakout star used to mean something. It used to lead to something. It used to define the person holding that title as the next big thing. The Breakout Championship was a launching pad that skyrocketed careers into orbit. On a typical journey, your next step would be the Gateway Champion. A title you proved you weren’t ready for when Randy Orton dominated you at Fanniversary. A title that seems so far out of reach that you’re stuck in a sort of title purgatory. And so, where Breakout used to define the starting point of a career it now defines the glass ceiling that is your upper limit.

Aiden held out his left hand with the palm facing up.

Aiden English: Now we stand on the precipice of your final chapter. For a second Warfare in a row you’ve been booked unfairly against men you have no business being in the ring against. Men who define what a superstar looks like, how a superstar wrestles, what a superstar says. Men who have as much skill in the ring as they do with language. And sadly, one thing is abundantly clear, anytime Ishii says more than two words. He’s as much a failure on the mic as he is in the ring. All this time wrestling in different small ponds and he’s barely picked up enough of the lingo to ask for a hotel room, a cab ride or where the bathroom is. No, it’s obvious to everyone in the EBWF Universe that he struggles with English.

Aiden pressed his hands together tightly and rung them.

Aiden English: You better get used to reading, hearing, being told that. Because it’s damned sure a tag line you’re going to see on every wrestling website, magazine and youtube page next Tuesday. It’s going to lead into every major industry blog, podcast and review.

Aiden opened his hands up, mocking a marquee.

Aiden English: Tomohiro Ishii struggles with English. And, despite years of practice, he comes up short on all accounts.

He covered his mouth in feigned shock, his eyes wide.

Aiden English: Ishii, I’m sorry that you’ve been placed in this position. I’m sorry for what you might do to the man translating this to you. I’m sorry for the disrespect I’m laying at your feet. But, my friend, you’ve earned it all. The Stone Pitbull is nothing but a pebble in the stream that is my reign. Allow me to explain it in more visceral terms. If you’re representing the great nation of Japan like your handler indicated last week about facing the Rock. Well,

Aiden clinched both of his fists in front of him.

Aiden English: I’d like to introduce you to “Fat Man” and “Little Boy”. Monday night, is going to be explosive!

Aiden opened his left and then right hands, making a mock explosion sound with each. He shot a glance back at Raquel who was smiling.

Aiden English: LONG LIVE THE KING.

Aiden turned and walked backwards out of frame. Renee’s expression made her shock at his statements evident. Raquel started across the frame.

Raquel Diaz: ¡Venga nuestro Reino!

Raquel winked at the camera before leaving Renee alone on screen.

Renee Young: Well, there you heard it. This Warfare is going to be expl…. Tune in Monday as EBWF World Champion Aiden English takes on EBWF Breakout Champion Tomohiro Ishii!

The scene faded to black.