Disrespect

[Juan Ramirez]

Was Cesaro still a dark horse? Last week, during Warfare's main event, Cesaro shocked the EBWF universe when he defeated 3 other superstars to earn his spot inside the Elimination Chamber. Not content with that, he prevented the EBWF World Title to be stolen by Jimmy Havoc during the main event. As unbelievable as it might sound, and despite the sublime display of his wrestling ability, dexterity between the ropes, his superhuman strength, his unbreakable sense of honor and righteousness. Despite everything, there were still people who did not believe in him. Even his opponents thought the feat he pulled off a week ago was just a streak of luck... Well, they were in for a surprise and why not? A rude awakening... It was in order after being shown so much disrespect from the locker room.

Not satisfied with having EBWF superstars at each other's throats on a weekly basis, having them partake in extremely physical competition to show supremacy between them; A demonic, hellacious steel structure was devised to contain six superstars, four of them inside unbreakable pods; The idea of the match was to be the last man standing, to withstand unmeasurable amounts of pain, to walk through hell and back. Whoever plotted this stipulation came very, very close to catching lightning in a bottle.

The prize? None other than the highest honor in the world of wrestling in this day and age: The EBWF World Championship. The championship belt every single EBWF superstar dreams about wrapping around his waist from the moment he inks under the dotted line of his contract. Have there ever been superstars who won their first EBWF World Championship with less than a handful of matches? Definitely. Were they as strong and determined as the Swiss Superman? Not in a million years.

His rivals? Already established household names like Jimmy Havoc, Alex Riley and PJ Black. Wrestlers who have been making heads turn their way for months now. Wrestlers who have shown how thirsty they are for a sip of glory from the chalice of greatness. On the other hand, EBWF Legends like AJ Styles and Chris Jericho had already had a taste from said chalice, and had delighted their palate with the elixir of immortality. Unfortunately for every single one of Cesaro's opponents, and as long as there was an uppercut in his arms and breath in his lungs, he will do anything and everything within his reach to be the last man standing, to be the conqueror of hell itself. It seemed like a colossal task, then again... Last week, beating Sami Zayn, a Royal Rumble and King of the Ring winner, a former world champion and a future EBWF Legend seemed like a colossal task, but he managed to overcome the odds and emerge victorious. The EBWF locker room and the EBWF Universe would eventually learn there's nothing impossible for the Swiss Superman.

+++

Backstage in the Talking Stick Arena, our very European hero stood around what looked like an empty locker room... His dark brown eyes examined the place, skimming through the walls, trying to come up with a good place to place his gym bag in and just wait for the bell to ring. His train of thought was suddenly derailed by an unfamiliar voice which emerged from behind him.

Trent: Getting ready to shoot a promo or something?

Cesaro turned around, he smiled politely at the man with inspiring sideburns. He shook his head a couple of times. Cesaro was clad in a white button up shirt and black slacks, black shoes. The man across him was clad in Cargo shorts and a T shirt with a Colee pup printed upon it. He'd never seen him face to face, he'd never talked to him before but he seemed familiar, and somehow, Cesaro felt glad he had appeared from out of nowhere.

Cesaro: Not for a while, no. Are you having a match tonight?

The man of the flawless black locks shook his head. Not for nothing he was known as Trentylocks.

Trent: Nah man, not for a while... I heard you got a big match yourself! Congrats!

Cesaro: Thanks a lot.

Trent: I remember when I competed in one of those... It hurts like a mother fucker.

Cesaro couldn't help to show surprise in his facial expression.

Cesaro: You competed inside the Elimination Chamber?

Trent: I did, it was pretty cool. Actually, I competed twice inside of it.

Cesaro: Twice?

Trent: Yes, once for the World Title, then for the Tag titles. Did I say it hurts like a mother fucker?

Cesaro: Pretty sure you did.

Trent: Like a mother fucker.

There was silence. Cesaro didn't know how to follow up with this conversation. There was far too much inside his head for him to partake in conversation with young Trenton. The artist formely known as Trent Barreta, Barreta in Japan and Trent question mark cleared his throat.

Trent: It can suck if you don't know what you're doing...

Trent's voice trailed off, as if he was reliving the experience of being inside the chamber again.

Trent: Destiny 2012... I got my ass handed to myself inside that hellish cage. I was not ready. At all... But hey, don't let me scare you. I was a kid back then, I've had only wrestled for a couple of companies so far, I just wanted to have a good time on the road and have fun in the ring. I was not ready at all to carry an entire company over my shoulders.

Trent had taken a few steps towards the Swiss Sensation, patting him on the back a couple times before continuing.

Trent: On the other hand, you've wrestled for over 15 years, you've wrestled all over the globe and you've held up against the best wrestlers in the entire world; Phil, Danielson, Steen, Generico... You can lift like, a fucking house. You could even tweet a shirtless pic at the Rock and he'd probably reply to you.

Cesaro corked one of his eyebrows.

Cesaro: Was that a compliment?

Trent Shrugged.

Cesaro: You're a weird guy.

Trent: Was that a compliment?

It was Cesaro's turn to shrug.

Trent: Now Brother, I feel super weird giving a vet like you pointers, but here goes nothing... This goes without saying, but I did not know it the first time I walked out and got locked inside that chamber. Pace yourself. Remember you have to eliminate 5 other people.

Cesaro reached out to pat the former Dudebuster, longest reigning Breakout Champion, former EBWF World Champion, Tag team Champion and gaming Ace on the back a couple of times. He knew he meant well. But beyond any advice he could receive, he needed to live the experience himself. Trent was right, the Chamber was something Cesaro has never experienced before, but then again, he had wrestled and dominated his competition all over the globe.

Trent: Kick Jericho's dick off for sending me to a boarding school with Lance Storm, okay?

Cesaro Shrugged.

Trent: Oh! And if you win, I call dibs on having you on my podcast before your big ass WrestleMania match!

Cesaro: Podcast?

Trent: Popping dogs and Talking Hogs! You'd be a blast there. We'll be rooting for you... Me, my listeners, maybe even Dustin if I can find where the hell did he go to.

Cesaro: Okay...?

When he needed to lay out his thoughts and discuss with someone, Cesaro often felt alone. It was like there was no one but him living in the EBWF Universe, specially during night time, close to midnight. So having this stranger pop out all of a sudden and cheer him on for his match and to perform castration on a colleague with a swift kick to his nether regions was... Different and refreshing, to say the least. His train of thought was derailed for the second time during the night, courtesy of Trenton.

Trent: Oh wait... You're not the superkick guy, are you? You're all about uppercuts! So yeah, uppercut Jericho's dick into orbit. And Mizs Girlfriend's too... I hate Miz's toad face, I know you're facing Alex Riley... But I don't know why I feel if you Swing his ass through one of those pods, it'd be just like swinging Miz into it. Oh, and say hi to that Brit dude, he seems kinda cool... But don't let him win, just tell him I said hi and then kick his ass.

With that said, Trent disappeared through the doorway. As weird as he and his podcast name were... He had a point. Cesaro had something that told him apart and made him better than each and every single one of his opponents. In the Physique department he was unmatchable, he might be topped by Chris Jericho and AJ Styles when it came to experience, but Cesaro could outwrestle both of them and stand his ground against them in the stamina department. Havoc, Black and Riley were fast, agile, young and hungry, but Cesaro was not much older than them and TROUNCED them in the Experience department. Cesaro grew more confident by the minute... And for the first time in a while he wanted to climb to the top of a mountain and scream to the top of his lungs... Make it known to the EBWF Universe and any other Universe that might be listening that he was ready, that he had the looks, the skills, the hunger and the will to be the next EBWF monarch... Sadly for him, there was no time left to go out there hunting for a mountain to climb... Cesaro would have to do something similar.

+++

Moments prior to the Elimination Chamber match "We Are the Champions" By Queen blasted over the PA System, the crowd gave a mixed reaction, some even sang along with the powerful voice of Freddie Mercury. Cesaro walked out from behind the curtain, clad in his all red, very Swiss attire, he posed for the fans at the top of the ramp and then walked hastily towards the ring, where he would roll under the bottom rope and demand for a microphone as his music got toned down. The Arizona crowd was going wild, knowing the Elimination Chamber match was just around the corner. Cesaro smirked a little, knowing he had found something even better than climbing to the top of a mountain and scream his lungs out.

Cesaro: I'm not usually one to come out here and run my mouth... Even if I could do it in five languages, it is not my preferred method of conveying what I have in my mind. But the occasion calls for me to be a little loud, a little brash, a little more violent... And not just in the ring.

A small Cesaro chant broke from the crowd, but died down after a few seconds.

Cesaro: That's right, I have hacked my way into the Elimination Chamber. Did I deserve the shot in the first place? I like to think I did... I mean, you don't beat an EBWF Legend like Sami Zayn everyday, do you? You don't get to step inside a chamber of unforgiving steel, get locked inside a pod like a hungry and wait for your time to enter the slaughterhouse. It doesn't sound pleasant at all, does it? No, but that is the price you have to pay if you want to be EBWF World Champion. Of course, there will always be those who doubt you, who doubt your strength and ability... My advice to them is that they should hone and polish their skills before lashing out at hardworking people like me. See, I can be really fun and jolly, I can be easy going... But I can also be an uppercut machine and a merciless killer if you rub me the wrong way... So, I decided to come out here and deliver this message to you... The person sitting in this arena, the colleague sitting in the back, the person looking at me through a television... You know who you are. You know what you've said about me. I know you despise me, I know you loathe me... This message is to you.

Cesaro paced the ring for a bit, finally locking his eyes with the camera in front of him and pointing straight into the lens.

Cesaro: Do you know what it's like to leave your homeland with nothing but a dream in your suitcase, not knowing if you're ever going to make it? Do you know what it's like to wrestle for peanuts? Do you know what it's like to sleep inside a car during winter? You don't know where I have been... you don't know what I've been through to be standing here tonight... But I hope you were watching last week, where I defied all odds and not only I beat SAMI ZAYN, but I also prevented the World Title to be stolen. If you still think I am unbearable, if you think I should be deported back to Switzerland, if you think I don't have what it takes to be in this ring, in this match tonight? Please sit back, relax and open your eyes. Don't blink, don't talk, breathe just what's necessary... Because tonight I will be proving you wrong. And what better way to prove you all wrong than by decimating every single one of my opponents inside a 10-ton steel behemoth? I'm sorry, I am not sure Alex Riley knows what a Behemoth means, so... Yeah, a 10-ton Steel cage. Hell! He might not even know what a ton is! My bad.

Cesaro smiled a little.

Cesaro: Alex Riley... The man who has it all, and wants more. EBWF Intercontinental Champion, and the Miz's protege... Sorry, again with long, strange words they taught at the classes Alex Riley skipped to play football. So yeah... He thinks he's young at 35, that's good... That's amazing, after all age is just a number, what really matters is how one feels inside... Not to Scare Alex but Some competitors in this match are pushing 40, even 50... So When he gets his teeth knocked out by one of these "Old Timers", he might want to... Close his Twitter account or whatever kids do these days when they're upset. See, the thing about Alex Riley is he is 100% sure he has The Miz on his corner... And maybe, just maybe if this was a regular match, there's something Miz could do to help you, Alex... The thing is one you're inside the Chamber, once you're locked inside a pod... There's no one to help you, and Miz's advice would mean nothing, specially when there are 5 other wrestlers wanting to eliminate you as soon as possible. Do you have what it takes to put your money where your mouth is, to roll up your sleeves and go where the big boys play? There'd be a time and a place for Alex Riley to shine... Just not here in EBWF, not at Destiny, not during the Elimination Chamber match, not for the World Title and not while the Swiss Superman is inside the chamber. Who knows, maybe you could go learn the ropes with el Hijo del Ice Cream and Delirious, maybe you can go South and Run some Yellow ropes... Then I'd sit down and listen to whatever your limited IQ has to say about me... All I need is an uppercut to knock you down, Alex... one uppercut.

An "Uppercut Party" chant broke out.

Cesaro: Nothing personal, but I cannot understand why PJ Black is on the Elimination Chamber. Not like I don't respect him... He is an amazing competitor... But he's the Current Path To Glory Champion! He's been the path to Glory Champion for over a year! Now, correct me if I am mistaken, but the Path to Glory Title is supposed to grant you a World Title Opportunity? So, PJ Black has the fast track ticket to a World Championship... But he has failed to cash it in for over 365 Days. My Swiss Sense is tingling! Someone is afraid of failure... Then Again PJ, failing is just necessary to learn in life. We stand up, we dust ourselves off, we go on and try not to stumble upon the same rock the next time we're on a perilous path. But you've spent over a year HOARDING EBWF's second top tier title and the so called 'Golden Ticket' to the World Title; then again you failed at King of the Ring, you Failed at the Rumble... And trust me, you will fail tonight. You are the living, breathing example of "The Dog and the Bone" Fable... You have stuck to the PTG title like your life and your relevance depended on it... Well, I hate to break it to you, but that might be the case! Not only you've chosen to tarnish the PTG title by not cashing it in and not elevating it with memorable, high profile performances, you've failed at getting the World Title by other means. Put your hand in your heart PJ and tell me, what makes it different this time? Your lack of confidence in yourself and your lack of commitment to your beliefs will be your downfall tonight PJ. I don't think we will be seeing a 450º Splash, but an ongoing 360º Swing... So better lace up and brace yourself, because you might be in for the biggest match of your lackluster year.

He perked an eyebrow.

Cesaro: Speaking of Lackluster... Jimmy Havoc. A young man who I had the pleasure of meeting and uppercutting last week. For those of you who don't know me, I am an honorable man, a man of principles. When someone tries to take advantage of a situation for their own benefit... it makes my blood boil... Like freshly made Swiss Chocolate. Last week, I was backstage, studying my upcoming opponents when I saw him. Jimmy Havoc... Trying to steal the big one. And I thought to myself "I went through a hellacious match moments ago, I put my body on the line for this victory, for these fans... Only for some rascal to come and do whatever he pleases? Not a chance. Jimmy... What happened last week was nothing but the appetizer... Tonight the first course will be served inside the chamber, the second course would be served when you and I get to lock up during the match... And the Dessert will be when I put you in the neutralizer again... The kiss of the cold steel on your body, the crowd roaring as you get what you deserve... And just like Alex Riley, your good friends won't be able to help you. I hope that thought doesn't make you uneasy, like Circuses make Braun Strowman uneasy. Braun better not look, because when you're spiralling outta control like a circus act, he's not going to be happy.

Cesaro made a twirling gesture with his hand and smirker.

Cesaro: That only leaves Chris Jericho and AJ Styles... Two EBWF legends... Two prolific wrestlers and probably the two biggest threats on this match. Unlike us others, they have stepped inside the Elimination Chamber, more than once I can assure you. They will provide their share of experience to the match up. Jericho might be the biggest legend of the two... I think he is an Eleven Time World Champion... And let me tell you, the thought of sharing the ring with a guy like Chris Jericho can only be surpassed by the thought of beating said Legendary Wrestler, Fair and Square. Chris Jericho, if I ever want to be someone in EBWF, if I want to be the World Champion, if I want to be the next Legend in the making, sell out arenas and watch merchandise fly off the shelves from the EBWF Store... I know I have to beat you! Even if you're not the defending champion, even if you're not 100% tonight... History books will state that Cesaro beat you to win his first ever EBWF World Championship. Something very few wrestlers can say... And Something Alex Riley, Jimmy Havoc and PJ Black won't be Saying for sure. I say this with the uttermost respect Chris, because at 46, you've managed to stay relevant and fresh... You're one of the few people who could make me tap out during this match if you play your cards right, or if I play my hand overeagerly. That certainly won't be the case Chris... Because when I left my hometown, when I got my first check for 100$ for wrestling in a gym which had no locker room... I pressed that check against my chest and thought "Someday"... Well, "Someday" is today Chris, whether you like it or not, you're going to step back and enjoy the Uppercut Express.

Cesaro was holding one of the ropes now as he stood by the apron, still inside of the ring.

Cesaro: AJ Styles... Former World Champion, Former Royal Rumble Winner and a man who has seen the beast from the inside. AJ, you're a man of an outstanding ability in the ring, you're a man who has survived a thousand battles, and buried a thousand demons... But AJ, how deep are those demons buried? When will they will come back to haunt you? Sometimes I wonder if you can sleep at night, fearful that some of those fears you buried deep, dig their way out of the holes you buried them in? Can you focus properly on a match knowing you might lose control at anytime? You need a rested body and a rested soul if you want to survive the Swiss Avalanche of uppercuts coming your way. You're going to need to be faster than me, stronger than me, smarter than me... Are you still a good hunter, AJ? Or have you grown accustomed of being chased by contenders rather than chasing them? It can numb your hunger... As EBWF World Champion you're in a privileged position... Kind of. You get all the Ric Flair-esque lifestyle you adore... The only drawback is, in matches like this, you can lose your title without even getting to the end of the match. As a fighting champion, I wouldn't want my title to be sorted out amongst other wrestlers while I watch from the outside completely defeated. As sad as it sounds AJ, that is what will happen tonight if I manage to get my hands on you. It's nothing personal... I just have to make sure I neutralize the biggest threats as soon as I get the chance. Tonight we write history AJ... I'll add another name to my collection of 'Great Wrestlers I Had matches with' And hopefully, 'Great Wrestlers I have beaten'... Hope you like getting your head spun around by a Giant swing as much as you used to like getting your head spun by a giant bong.

Cesaro's smile turned into a serious expression.

Cesaro: The Elimination Chamber is no joke. Sadly, most of the wrestlers competing in this match had played it off and ignored the wildcard effect of the pods and the starting order, not to mention the hardcore surroundings, the steel walls, the steel floors and the unbreakable pods which are just begging to be broken! Your first mistake was to underestimate this match... Even if you've already been inside this structure, even if you've wrestled around the globe... This is not a one on one match, a lot of variables come into play... Someone please Explain Alex Riley what a variable is! I don't care if I am out there first or last... I am going to outwrestle every single one of you, I am going to stand tall at the end of the match, watching you all around me, completely knocked out, as I get crowned EBWF World Champion for the first time... Why am I so confident? Well, because most of you are confident and taking me for granted. I've heard it all... Apparently most of you think I earnt this spot on a raffle, kinda like Miz's role in the Marine 86... You were so busy blowing your egos out of proportion last week, that you probably chose not to watch my match... You most certainly didn't watch me knocking out Sami Zayn completely cold... A man who has beaten most of you if not all, a man who has won back to back King of the Ring tournaments, Royal Rumbles, a man who has Main Evented Wrestlemania... Well... That lack of sportsmanship, that cockiness makes my blood boil... Again, like sweet sweet Swiss Chocolate... But that disrespect you've shown will fuel me through the entire match, will give me the strength and endurance I need to take each and every single one of you down. And in the end... I will be standing tall with that spectacular World Championship belt around my waist... My first ever World Title, the first of many... And not only that.

Cesaro turned around slowly... His index finger aiming at the rafters, where the Wrestlemania sign hung up from.

Cesaro: I'll earn a spot in the showcase of the immortals... WrestleMania. Will you respect me then?

"We Are the Champions" blasted through the PA system one last time as Cesaro walked towards the neares turnbuckle to stare at the WrestleMania sign, pointing at it with his index finger as the scene faded to black.