I'm Not a Champion

[Kyle]

"Don't call me a former World Champion"

"Call me the longest reigning Path to Glory Champion in history
Call me the man who has represented EBWF for over 5 and a half years.
Call me the man who has been battered, bruised, and broken and still gotten back up.
Call me one of the top talents in EBWF who has been in the ring with and defeated the top names in the world.
Call me Ted DiBiase."


The tag "Former World Champion" had haunted Ted DiBiase for 5 long years. It reminded him of his greatest achievement but also his greatest failure. Every time he hears "Ted DiBiase is a former World Champion" it is shortly followed by how much of a failure his reign was. It was a short and uneventful reign, but to get to that stage was what meant everything to him. He rose up and took on the villainous group The Family and was the hero that EBWF wanted. The Royal Rumble 2010 was the night that changed DiBiase and brought him to the top level. For a long time Ted wondered if he could be in the same ring as names like CM Punk, Randy Orton, Edge, The Undertaker. Winning the World Championship validated him and nobody thought that he was out of place taking on CM Punk or Randy Orton. It had been well documented that Ted had never reached that high point again. He had several chances, taking on AJ Styles, CM Punk, and others for the title but failed to win it again. Every year he thought the same thing, every year he wanted to become World Champion, and every year he got further and further away.

Las Vegas was a city where people won big and lost big. One day could be the best day of someone's life, the next day they could lose everything. Warfare after Wrestlemania was known as Wildcard Warfare. Every match and their stipulation was selected by random. Ted DiBiase was scheduled to face one half of the new Tag Team Champions Wade Barrett in a strap match. DiBiase arrived at Warfare and immediately walked down to Gorilla. Ted went to walk out onto the stage but a producer stopped him.

Producer: Hey! You can't go out there.

Ted Jr: Are you going to stop me? Get the hell out of my way.

Ted shoved his way past the producer and walked out. He walked down the ramp to no music, while the crowd had nearly filed into the arena. Ted walked around to the announce table and demanded a microphone. He quickly received one so he entered the ring.

Ted Jr: They tried to stop me walking out here now, but they don't know just who I am and what I have to say. I'm Ted God Damn DiBiase and I am better than all of you and everyone in the back.

The crowd reacted negatively to that and began to boo Ted.

Ted Jr: Oh go on and boo me! Boo me as much as you want because it doesn't matter. Every single one of you bought a ticket to see me. That hard earned money of yours is going straight to me. You can hate me, but my BMW was bought by all of you.

Ted motioned to his wrist, which featured a large Rolex watch.

Ted Jr: This Rolex is worth more than most of you make in a year. But to me it's just another watch.

Ted took the watch off and dropped it onto the mat.

Ted Jr: My mansion has luxury cars lined up out the front. I have people who wait on me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If I want a back massage on Christmas day, I can get someone to miss Christmas with their family just to wait on me.

The crowd booed Ted heavily now, he was getting under their skin.

Ted Jr: This is Vegas, where you all think you can win big and walk home a millionaire. I'm already there. I have more money than all of you combined. And do you know what? I'll always have more money than you all because you're all worthless pieces of trash that don't deserve to be in my presence. But enough about you people.

Ted leaned up in one of the corners.

Ted Jr: I've been here 5 years. 5 long years. I've won countless championships, beaten the best that EBWF has to offer and still I don't quite feel accomplished enough. I just don't feel that validation anymore. There was a time when wrestling Ted DiBiase meant you were in trouble. There was a time when I could go toe to toe with anyone, John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk and give them the match of their life. There was a time when every single match I was in was worthy of being Match of the Year. But every single year I've been called worthless. Whether people said I was in my father's shadow or I was a boring generic wrestler, they never gave me the respect I deserved. I held the Path to Glory Championship for 11 months, absolutely blitzing any previous championship record in the history of this company and still nothing. Still it was just a fluke or he took on easy beats. I have been in the ring with and defeated the best EBWF has to offer and still I get NOTHING!

Ted began to pace back and forth as he got fired up.

Ted Jr: When I finally accomplished my life goal of becoming World Champion, and then Tag Team Champion simultaneously nobody congratulated me. Wes Ikeda called me a paper champion. Randy Orton didn't want to win the title then. The World Championship didn't mean shit just because Ted DiBiase won it. Everyone called that time the darkest in EBWF, because they had me as champion. I wasn't good enough for the top company in the world. I wasn't John Cena or Randy Orton. I'll never be what they want. I'll never hold that title again because they don't want a guy like me as a champion. I won that World title! I earned that and nobody can take it away Sent from my iPod
Ted Jr: Tonight I'm facing Wade Barrett in a Strap match. The first Strap match in EBWF for a very very long time. Tonight everybody wants to make that impact, to show that after Wrestlemania they mean business. That's not going to happen in my match. This match is going to be an all out brawl, with only one of us walking out of here. It's not going to be wrestling and we both know it. Wade is feeling high and mighty now that he has won the Tag Team Championship, and he'll probably hold onto them for 9 months before Rated RKO decide they want the titles again. The Tag Team Championship means nothing now, and tonight you can have Ryback out here helping you but I'll still kick your ass. I'll kick Ryback's ass and if anyone else wants to come out I'll be sure to kick your ass too. I am not lying down for anyone, I am not playing nice or pandering to you people any longer and I'm damn sure not here to make any friends. I'm the Million Dollar Man of EBWF and all I need is my money and championship gold.

Ted threw the microphone out of the ring and left quickly after picking up his Rolex. He walked backstage and was greeted by Matt Striker.

Matt Striker: Ted can I grab you for a quick interview?

Ted nodded and they went to the interview set.

Matt Striker: Good evening everyone I'm Matt Striker joined by former World -

Ted grabbed the microphone and cut Striker off.

Ted Jr: Don't you dare call me former World Champion. Now get to the questions.

Ted thrust the microphone into Striker's chest. It took him a couple of seconds to recover then he continued.

Matt Striker: When I interviewed Wade Barrett earlier tonight he claimed that nothing about you stood out and that you were destined to fall down the ranks as new talent comes in. Your thoughts?

Ted Jr: I'm a third generation wrestler, not some oiled up failed bodybuilder that's walked in here. I don't need a Wade Barrett of all people telling me I don't stand out. What has he done apart from win at Wrestlemania?

Matt Striker: You just spoke to our live crowd here and had some choice words to everyone in the back as well as the fans. You showed a fire and intensity that has been missing for some time. Does this signal a change in attitude for you?

Ted Jr: I think there's only so much you can do here. Only so much that can be achieved before politics. I don't subscribe to any of that. I do what I do and that pisses people off. That's why you've never seen me as anything more than a 1 time World Champ. You see me hold the Path to Glory title for 11 months, obliterating the previous record and the second I lose it they institute the cash in clause. If that was in play when I was champion I would have beaten anyone that held the World Title. I made that title famous, but do I get credit? No. I get nothing because I'm not what they want. So tonight I'll show them what they missed out on. I'll show them why I was the one they wanted. Then I'll let them come to me and tell me how they need me. You can push me so far before I go off the edge. Just watch and see.

Ted marched off from Striker, effectively ending the segment. He wanted to inflict pain on Barrett tonight. It wasn't personal, Barrett would just be the sacrificial lamb. DiBiase was going to show exactly why he was an 11 month champion and why nobody should ever underestimate him.

[Ben M]

This is a really good RP Kyle! I enjoyed reading this :)

[Will]

Great roleplay! Kyle, I love when you write pieces like this with DiBiase. I could feel the passion. Great work here brotha.

[Juan Ramirez]

This is some of your best work, Kyle! I can't wait to read more.