First Or Last
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:36 pm
Sorry for the rushed one this week guys.. Totally didn't realize the deadline was tonight until Ben reminded me. Thanks Ben.. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and good luck to everyone.
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The screen began to flicker before the video cut backstage. A hallway was illuminated by the faint light of candles that lined the walls. When the show cut to the video, the camera began to move as they walked down the candle lit hallway. As the camera moved down the hallway, a picture came into view. The picture was of none other than Tommaso Ciampa. The camera continued to move and came upon another picture. This one showed the former EBWF World Champion, Edge. The long hallway continued revealing the pictures of Bobby Lashley and Chris Jericho next. The camera slowed as it turned forward. There in the center of a room lit by candles, Tommy End stood. In his hand, he held onto yet another photo. He looked down at this photo.
Tommy End
”This hallway is lined with the men of this company who believe that they are better than the man before them.. They believe that tonight will be their night. A night where everything is put aside and their true purpose in this company is shown. Are they a fighter? The one who will fight through the ranks of this company and prove themselves? Or.. Are they the stones on which the true prophet uses to aside to his rightful position.”
He continued to stare at the picture in his hand.
Tommy End
”I look at these men and I see the ones who are hopeful. I see the ones that will stop at nothing to win. The ones the would give up years of their careers just to get that shot at the EBWF World Championship.. I also see men who have been to the top of the mountain. Men who know the pressures that it takes to get to the top, but better yet.. The pressures to stay at the top. They know how hard they have to work to get there.. Lastly.. I see the men who no matter how hard they try, they will never succeed at anything. The men who no matter how hard they try, they will never make it to where they want to be. The will never be World Champion..
Tommaso.. Bobby..
The two of you.. You’re decent. The two of you.. You’re good, but you’re only good enough to remain employed. Everyone will remember you, but only because you were here, not because you actually did anything with your careers. No matter what chances you’re given.. No matter how many.. The two of you will always fall short..
I mean, look at you Bobby. Unlike with Tommaso, I know personally your failures here. You and I Bobby, we’ve been twirled in this dance that honestly, I’m getting tired of. Everywhere I look, there you are. There you are with Hardcore Holly and Lio Rush.. There you are thinking that you’re something.. Thinking that your muscle mass means that you’re the biggest and baddest man on the roster, but look at you. Look at what you have become. Whether you want to admit it or not, the truth of the matter is this.. You live in the shadow of a lot of people around here, namely Hardcore’s, but it’s not only his. Face the facts Lashley.. Since you came into this company, you have been paired against Dante and myself. And every time, we come out on top. Legion always overcomes whatever you and Hardcore plan and we will continue to do so. And that doesn’t stop with tonight.. See, Dante might not be involved.. Legion might not be at ringside.. But tonight Bobby, tonight you will meet the same fate that you always do.. You will once again come up short on everything.
But in reality.. Tommaso.. Bobby.. The two of you aren’t even a blimp on the radar in this gauntlet.”
He shakes his head as his eyes remained on the photo in front of him.
Tommy End
”Aside from the two of you, there’s a couple of men who know what they need to do in order to win this match.. Two men who have already given everything to become EBWF World Champion in the past..
Edge and Chris Jericho.
The two of you might be considered the sleepers in this match. Sure.. Lashley and Tommaso might be the weak links. They might be the favorites to be the first two eliminated out of this thing. But that’s their positives.. They’re known. The two of you however.. You’re a question mark. And I don’t like question marks.
Edge, I already underestimated your partner Randy.. He got the better of me and ended up taking the EBWF Gateway Championship right from grasps. But I’m not going to make the same mistake with you. No.. See Edge, where I messed up against Randy, I also learned from it. I learned that just because Randy is a part timer.. Just because he takes more days off than Saint Nicolas.. The Viper will also have his venom, and Edge.. Just like Orton, you might be a part timer.. You might only show up when the getting is good, like now. But even so, you’re a former champion. You’re considered the “ever opportunist”, so I know that no matter what is thrown at you.. You’ll find a way out of. No matter what you’re up against, you will try to find the best solution and nine chances out of ten, that solution ends with you being victorious. But tonight.. Tonight I will assure that this gauntlet will be that one chance that you don’t win. I will make sure that this one chance will be the one chance where you fail to find a way to advance.
But that leaves you, Jericho..”
For a second, Tommy looked up from the picture and looked at the camera.
Tommy End
”Chris.. You and I don’t get to compete against each other too much.. Especially not as much as I fight good ol’ Bobby. But when I’m in the ring with you, it’s an instant classic. Which I expect nothing less if you and I meet in this gauntlet. I expect that we will, but you just never know with what is put in front of us. As much as we want to compete against each other, there is that slight chance that you might get knocked out before I enter the match. We don’t know who enters when, so you might get eliminated by Lashley.. You may be eliminated by Tomasso.. But the most likely scenario, you could be eliminated by Edge. That’s the excitement of this match.. You don’t know what can happen.
But I hope that I face you Jericho.. I want to beat the best in this gauntlet to prove to everyone that I deserve what I earn.. I don’t want to earn a shot at the EBWF World Championship by beating Tommaso Ciampa or Bobby Lashley.. No.. I want to eliminate everyone. If I had it my way, I would run this gauntlet from beginning to end and eliminate every man in this thing. Not for pride.. Not for glory.. But to prove to the entire EBWF Universe.. To prove to all of EBWF’s brass, that I am the best this company has to offer. To prove that Legion wasn’t founded for Jimmy Havoc to run things. No.. Jimmy Havoc was a martyr for Legion. He played his part to make our arrival what it was.
Now.. Everyone is aware of who we are and what we’re here to do. What I’m here to do.. And all of that starts tonight with this gauntlet. Where I failed at capturing the EBWF Gateway Championship to get my shot at Aiden.. Tonight, when I walk through this gauntlet and come out the other side, I will have my ticket to the EBWF World Championship. And at Christmas Eve of Destruction.. I will bring the destruction that only Legion can.. And I will become the EBWF World Champion. And there’s nothing Aiden will be able to do to stop me.. There’s nothing that Chris Jericho can do to stop me. Edge, Tommaso, Bobby.. There is nothing any of you can do to stop me.
And you..”
Tommy looked down at the portrait in front of him. He turned to the wall and he placed the portrait to the wall and drove a pin through the picture and hung it in place. The final portrait was that of The Miz.
Tommy End
”There is nothing, even you can do to stop me.
I know you want your revenge on Aiden.. I know you want that EBWF World Championship again, Miz. And you think that this gauntlet is going to be your fast track back to Aiden and back to the championship, but you’re forgetting one thing. You’re forgetting me..
All the hype is behind you Miz.. You have everything going your way heading into this match. Your savior, Chris Jericho is in the match to clear the way for you. Clear the path of anything that might threaten your chances at actually completing the gauntlet and getting your shot at the championship. But Jericho won’t always be around to save you.. Especially when Jericho runs into me. After that, there won’t be Chris Jericho around to save you. After that, Jericho will be too worried about his own well being to help you, Miz. So when it comes down to it, Miz.. There won’t be any friends in this gauntlet.
I mean.. Let’s say Chris had a chance and he managed to make it through and the two of you found yourself face to face in this gauntlet at some point, whether you’re the first two out or the last two remaining.. Either way, if the two of you faced off, Chris Jericho wouldn’t be there to help you. He wouldn’t be there to hold your hand and help you get to the championship.. No.. Jericho, just like everyone else in this match. Just like you, Miz.. Jericho is in this match for himself. He’s in this gauntlet for the same reasons as you and I. He wants the EBWF World Championship.. He wants to be on top once again. So he’s not looking to help you out.. He’s looking to knock you out of this gauntlet. And if it came down to the two of you, he probably would. Not because he’s better than you.. Not because he showed you how weak you are when he helped you against Legion.. No.. If the two of you met, Jericho would eliminate you because his mind isn’t looking past this gauntlet.
He’s not looking ahead at the Aiden.. He’s not looking ahead at getting his revenge. You however.. You can’t think of anything else right now. You want that EBWF Championship back.. You want to get your revenge on Aiden so bad that it’s clouded your mind. It’s clouded your judgement. That... That right there is your downfall. That is why no matter who you end up against in this gauntlet, you’re going to fail. You don’t want this match.. You believe that you don’t need this match. In your mind Miz, you believe that you should already be in the match at Christmas Eve of Destruction. You already believe that you should be given the EBWF World Championship shot because you and Aiden have history..
Well.. that history is going to take a little longer to come around.. This little feud with Aiden, it’s going to have to be put on hold, because for the first time this year, there’s going to be a new contender for the EBWF World Championship.. All year long, it’s been The Miz and Aiden English story.. The two of you have had your moment. You’ve main evented WrestleMania. You’ve main evented SummerSlam. Everyone is done with The Miz verse Aiden English. No one wants to see it once more at Christmas Eve of Destruction.
That is why I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen.. I’m going to make sure that we will not have to go through that torment once more.”
He turned away from the picture on the wall and looked at the camera.
Tommy End
”That is why I’m going to run this gauntlet. Whether I’m out first, or I’m the last man to enter the damn thing.. I’m going to run through each man, and I’m going to walk out tonight with my shot at Aiden English and his EBWF World Championship. And at Christmas Eve of Destruction, there won’t be anywhere to run Aiden. There won’t be anywhere to hide. As much as you believe that you are the darkest being in EBWF.. You aren’t. You haven’t seen darkness until we have descended upon you. You haven’t felt the emptiness until Legion has come and taken everything from you. We did it with you little wife when Zahra took back what rightfully belonged to her and defeated your wife for the EBWF Women’s Championship. And at Christmas Eve of Destruction, everything will come full circle when I take the EBWF World Championship from you Aiden.
No matter the match.. No matter the torture that we’ll obvious endure.. No matter who you believe will be in your corner and help you. None of that will matter. None of that will save you. For when you come face to face with Legion, you will see that there is no one and nothing that can save you, or your championship.
For at Christmas Eve at Destruction, after I run this gauntlet. After I get my shot. After I beat Aiden English.. Christmas Eve of Destruction will be the end of EBWF’s year.. And it will be the beginning of a new. A new year. A new era..
A new Legion.”
Tommy stood there for a second before the screen started to flicker and the static took over. The video cut back to ringside.