The months have piled up, the weeks had gone by in what felt like the blink of an eye. City after city, arena after arena, show after show, the EBWF rolled on as if there had been nothing missing, and nothing changed. However, there was something missing.. rather someone. Mike Mizanin. Mike Mizanin is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers in the history of the EBWF. He has held every title that there was to hold. He started factions, he made waves, and he wasn't afraid to let his presence be felt every time he stepped into an EBWF arena. There were days where he was cheered, days where he was booed out of the building, but the one constant was that every time he stepped anywhere near the EBWF people were talking. In this instance, Mizanin had returned once again. He returned aligning himself with a man that he was familiar with both as an opponent and as an ally. It was a man that the last time he'd seen him, he had turned his back on him, his return was unexpected, his alliance even more so, but the fact that he had people talking remained so... ergo constant.
The scene opened up in a familiar room. It was downstairs at Mike Mizanin's home in LA. He sat at the bar alongside Ted DiBiase. Mike wore a gray t-shirt and black jeans. Ted was wearing a blue sweater with a white polo shirt underneath and light blue jeans. Both men had a drink in front of them. DiBiase a Coors Light, Mizanin a glass of scotch. The two were in conversation, sharing a candid off screen hang out, it was clear that they were happy to be working together once again.
Ted DiBiase: Well my friend cheers to you being back in the ring.
The two men clinked their drinks and each took a small sip.
Mike Mizanin: It's good to be back, it really is. Been great doing the charity work and going overseas on behalf of the company, but I miss being in the ring every time I'm out of it I can't wait to get back. I'm just glad that's finally happened, and even better that you and I are getting the chance to work together again.
Ted nodded mid sip of his beer.
Ted DiBiase: No question man, after the feud with Dwayne I had last month I think it was a perfect way to get you back in the ring. Definitely made a splash, I can see us making some serious waves over the next several months.
Mike Mizanin: Let's hope, either way it's always a blast to tell the people to kiss our asses, always more fun than sucking up for cheap pops and laughs in insert city here. Attacking Dwayne is always a sure fire way to get people to hate you, ha!
Ted DiBiase: Don't I know it!?
Mike took a sip of his scotch.
Mike Mizanin: Speaking of people hating us, you happen to catch my old friend Brian's youtube video?
Ted shook his head no.
Ted DiBiase: No, what now?
Mike Mizanin: Same song and dance. Brian Kendrick actually is a role model to me, he's a role model in the sense that he shows me what I do NOT want to do, or be. Whether he's cutting a promo or he's shooting, he's the same whiny little prick he's always been. The same "I've done this," "I've done that," and this is how they treat me.. he sounds like Allen used to sound, but worse.. he does it while smoking a cigarette so we can feel his angst more. At least Allen used to say that stuff while he was getting baked and didn't even remember what he was bitching about like an hour later.
Ted laughed as he took a sip of his beer almost having it come back out of his mouth.
Ted DiBiase: Ha ha, exactly! That's part of his charm. I always find it hilarious that Brian is so bent out of shape about dropping the title to you, like that was just an out of the blue mistreatment? I also love how he acts like what followed was a complete failure. It set up one of the better angles in awhile with you and Allen that included a killer mania match, and an iron man match the month after. Just hilarious how he's all like "how could they have made me put Mike over.. how could they have broken up the Midnight Gang." Name someone in the midnight gang besides Kendrick.. can you?
Mike thought for a second.
Ted DiBiase: Me neither.
Mike laughed.
Mike Mizanin: The beginning of the end he basically said was that match at Royal Rumble. That was the last time he felt like he truly mattered, and that by him putting me over that night, he feels that was the companies way of saying "hope you enjoyed that, because it'll never happen again." I mean I could be saying the same thing, but I won't. I've had my runs, my Intercontinental runs, my Tag Teams runs, but honestly Royal Rumble that 3-4 month period that's as much as I've had at the top of the food chain here.. but I'm not going to cry.. I'm not going to bitch.. I'm just going to keep working hard for this company like I always do. That's the only way I know how to be, I don't have an ego I just play someone on TV who does. It's always sad when people lose touch with reality, like how dare EBWF have The Miz beat Brian Kendrick.. like who the hell does this guy think he is? I've worked as hard for this business as anyone living, why does he think he's more important than me? Why does he think he deserves to be at the top of this business anymore than I do? Honestly, I know it's entertainment for the fans, but the audacity of this guy with some of the shit he says, and the way he talks about me, makes me want to kick the shit out of him for real.
Ted DiBiase: The best part is, he'd be the first guy to make fun of you for saying something like that, yet all he does behind the scenes is blur the lines between reality and in character. Sometimes I'm not sure he knows the difference, one of the least professional guys out there. If there's any reason for him to be kept down it's because of that.
Mike nodded.
Mike Mizanin: Sometimes I swear he wants this to happen to him. He wants to be kept down, so that he can act like this, and all his little troll followers can be like "yeahh Brian Kendrick he needs to get a push! The man is holding him down!" This is where he's most comfortable, being the underdog, the guy in the mail room who talks shit about the CEO, always talking about how he could do a better job running the place. What a scary place that would be if Brian was in charge.. jesus 60 minute Paul London promo's every night... oh Paul London THAT was another guy in the midnight gang!
Ted smiled, nodding furiously while sipping his beer.
Ted DiBiase: Fuck you're right! Nice memory dude!
Mike laughed.
Mike Mizanin: Anyways, we should probably finish up here and hit the road. Got to go talk about how I'm going to go over tomorrow night.. god forbid it happens.. Brian may have to go wrestle in Pakistan again out of protest..
Ted DiBiase: Ah I think it was Japan..
Mike finished his scotch.
Mike Mizanin: Like it fucking matters...
Miz raised his eyebrows as the scene faded to black. The scene reopened to a computer screen, a cursor was seen on the screen moving around. The cursor went into the search engine and typed in "Miz and DiBiase promo 2015." A couple of choices came on the screen, but the cursor found the one with the newest date. The cursor clicked the link, it took a couple of seconds to load up, but eventually it did. We were in a dark alley. Two figures were in the cameras view, both were dressed in all black attire. Black hoodies, black pants, black boots. A light from a distant street light illuminated their faces enough for the camera to see that it was The Miz and Ted DiBiase.
The Miz: I know what you are all thinking. Let's face it, I always do. You always make it clear to me JUST how you all feel about me and the things that I do. Last Monday Night, I came back, you all watched as Ted spoke to SOMEONE on the phone and when I came out through the crowd, no question all of you watching, well I shouldn't say all, some of you are pretty stupid, but MOST of you probably put it together that I was back, and that I was going to be reunited with my brother here. You were all thinking, of here we go Trilogy part 5, only a matter of time before Styles joins back up. I know what you think, I know what you assume, but the fact of the matter is, you couldn't be more wrong. I know your probably thinking, even right now that Ted and I have come to this dark alley to poke fun, to do a funny little skit mocking Brian Kendrick.. because that's what we would have done before. Let me make something clear to each and every one of you idiots that are watching this youtube video right now, this is NOTHING like ANYTHING that you could ever predict, imagine, or fathom. This is NOT LIKE BEFORE. Yes this is a face that you haven't seen in awhile, yes he's with a familiar ally, yes my voice still sounds the same, but the words that you're hearing have never been coming from a more dark and twisted place. I'm not back this time to joke around, to wear fancy suits or to ride in limos. I'm back to do one thing, and that is to dominate this business. By taking out everyone and everything in it. Ted DiBiase is my brother. He's a guy who, like brothers do, I've fought with countless times. He's also a guy I know I can trust more than anyone else, we've been through everything together in this business, and now we are going to go through some more together. We are going to run rough shot over the EBWF, if you don't see it happening, and you don't believe me.. as they say.. stay tuned. This isn't your mom and dads Miz and DiBiase.. and this will ALL become so crystal crystal clear over the course of this King of the Ring tournament.. starting on Monday Night... with... Brian.
Miz and Ted shared a glance.
Ted DiBiase: Funny how the start of a new era of dominance begins with someone who the fans are so used to seeing you dominate.
The Miz nodded
The Miz: My track record against Kendrick is a good one. I've beaten him one on one, I've beaten him in tag matches, triple threat matches, as part of a 6 man elimination chamber. I've gotten the best of him, I've owned him. I've owned him to the point that it eats away at him, at his very being. He can't even function in this business anymore the way he used to. He has poked his head up from his little groundhog hole a couple of times since the last time he and I met, but only for it to be run over by the lawn mower that is this unforgiving company.. but TRUST me Brian.. how unforgiving the EBWF has been to you.. has NOTHING on how unforgiving I will be when we meet up once again on Monday Night. The fact of the matter is simple, Ted and I are going to run over, unmercifully, guys we don't even have an opinion about one way or the other. Guys that we don't even give a shit about whatsoever. So JUST IMAGINE what I'm going to do to you, someone who the very site of makes me physically sick. Brian, you may say that seeing my face is going to ignite something in you that you've lost, an aggression fueled by your hatred of me, and what my dominance over you has done to you and your career. Well guess what Spanky, I don't friggin like you either. I don't even need to SEE you, just thinking and talking about you right now is igniting something in me that maybe I've lost as well. The fact is Kendrick, one of us is going to get the better of the other on Monday Night, one of us is going to hit that spring board towards a resurgence in the EBWF, and I know that you SAY that it'll be you, but just like every idiot watching Brian.. I know what you're really thinking.. and I know.. that you know...deep down.. that that man will ONCE again be me.
Ted DiBiase nodded.
Ted DiBiase: Why would it be you Brian? Huh? What part of your twisted little mind, thinks that we're scared of you? Why should we be? What's changed Brian? If anything you're even more pathetic than you once were. At least a few years ago, you had a little momentum. At least a few years ago, you had confidence, you had a little fire. Even though that confidence was misguided and really had no backing, you at least had something. Now what the hell are you? What do you have now? You said it yourself you're washed up, you're worthless, you're a shell of a man that was disgustingly underwhelming to begin with. You have nothing left, and if you think seeing Miz is going to bring you back to your old self, well maybe you're right.. maybe it will.. but just remember Kendrick.. your former self wasn't EVER good enough to beat The Miz.. so what the hell makes you think that's going to change now?
The Miz had a twisted smirk on his face listening to Ted's words, Miz wasn't even looking the camera as he continued.
The Miz: Too often this takes place in this business. Guys fall so far into their hole of obscurity that they are disgustingly misguided as to how easy it'll be to get out. Some guys have the drive, and eventually do make their way back into the limelight. It takes heart, it takes guts, it takes courage, and it takes perseverance. Brian Kendrick does not have ANY of those things. Brian Kendrick, doesn't care about being relevant in the EBWF anymore, just ask him yourself. Well as always Brian, I'm here to make dreams come true, because your wish is my command. You don't want to matter? You don't want success? You don't care what happens to you? Well that's a great great thing, because I'm going to MAKE DAMN SURE.. that you'll never matter, that you're never successful, and that WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU.. on Monday night is to a magnitude that will make the previous two statements a god damn certainty. King of the Ring match-ups are done at random, just names out of a hat.. but god I'm beginning to believe you Brian. I'm beginning to believe that someone really does have it out for you. It might not be the EBWF higher-ups, like you've claimed.. well pretty much since I've known you.. but it might just be god. It might just be a higher power, that does NOT want to see you be happy. You can hear it in your voice, and see it if you read between the lines of your words, you and I BOTH know that you can't win this match on Monday Night.. you and I BOTH know that if beating me up is the only thing that's going to provide you with some solace, if causing me pain is the only thing that's going to make you happy, than as usual you are shit out of luck.. but that's nothing new. Your kind of bad luck isn't a guy losing a couple of hands of blackjack at a casino, your kind of bad luck is not getting towed when you just ran in to Starbucks for a cup of coffee.. your kind of bad luck goes so far beyond that. Your kind of bad luck is having ONE THING.. ONE THING.. that YOU FEEL can make your life worth living.. one THING that if you do it can give you purpose or direction.. and having that one thing be something that you are INCAPABLE of doing. Monday Night I'm going to end much more than just your chances of becoming King of the Ring.. I'm going to end your chances of being able to look in the mirror and see anything but the failure you already seem to know that you are. LUCKY you.
Miz looked up into the camera on his last two words, it was clear he was sending a message directly to Kendrick.
Ted DiBiase: It'll be a familiar feeling Brian. An oh too familiar feeling. We know too well, just how you react in any moments of discomfort. How you react anytime the chips are down, and it gets a little tough. You fold. You fold in a grander more dramatic way than maybe anybody in the history of professional wrestling. You fold in a blaze of failure, every single time. It's a blaze of failure that is UNRIVALED by anybody else in the back. THAT, Brian is something we all know will not change. We know it HAS NOT changed, because in this way YOU have not changed. Brian you are the ultimate quitter when things don't go perfectly for you, as they so often don't. You are the ultimate example of the bully who can throw 90 insults and then cry when someone stands up and gives 1 back. You are the boxer who can throw 100 punches, and go down like a sack of potatoes the first time his opponent throws ONE back. Kendrick everything you despise Miz for, the catch phrases, the suits, the fancy rides, the Hollywood persona, the arrogance, the jokes, NONE of that is what you're going to get out of him this time around. You see Brian, this time there's no catch phrases.. just facts.. there's no suits or fancy rides, there's just focus on the task at hand, there's no arrogance.. just a confidence that Miz will have KNOWING that he's already beaten you mentally.. and is ABOUT to beat you ten times worse physically.. and Brian this time around there will be NO JOKES...
The Miz: Well.. except for you...
The Miz and Ted smirked almost in unison which gave the whole fade out of the scene a very eery feeling.