A New Path

[Eddie Kingston]

Eddie Kingston is seen standing in a New York alleyway. The black and white footage is grainy, the camerawork shaky. He speaks directly to camera.

“I know what everybody’s been sayin’. Eddie Kingston sold out. He went to the juggernaut of professional wrestling and turned his back on where he came from. Well I know EXACTLY where I came from. I came from the streets. I came from not knowing when or where my next meal would come from. I came from being spat on, from being kicked to the dirt. I had to fight for everything I have right now, and any kids I have ain’t gonna have to go through that. So yeah, I sold out. I sold out for financial security. I sold out to put food on my table and to have money for the future, instead of living paycheck to paycheck, appearance to appearance, never knowing if the match I was walking into would be my last, or what I’d do if it was.

There isn’t a single one o’ you out there that would turn their nose up at a big payday, not a single fucking one o’ you. It’s way too easy to sit there and judge me. I only have one judge, and it sure as shit ain’t any one o’ you. For too long, I’ve been concerned about what the trolls over on social media have to say about it. Well not anymore. It’s time to stop listening to the haters and to start smashing skulls so God damn hard that I can’t hear the criticism over the cracking of bone. It don’t matter whose skulls I’m smashing, whether it’s some EBWF superstar or some punk in the indies. I am, always have been and always will be Eddie fucking Kingston, and nothing you marks say is gonna change that.

I’m still The King, I’m just on a different path now. A golden path full of riches, and the first person I have to face on this new path is none other than Samoa Joe. Now Joe, I have no ill intent towards you brother. I have nothing but mad respect for you and what you do, but the fact o’ the matter is, you’re standing in my way. I can’t let anyone stand in my way. So I want to take this opportunity right now to apologise in advance for what I’ve got to do tonight. I know you Joe, you’re a tough son of a bitch. Unfortunately, that just means that I’m gonna have to hit you twice as hard as anybody else to keep you down. It doesn’t make me happy to think about how far I might have to go tonight, brother. To be totally honest with you, it makes me sick to my stomach to imagine the lengths I’ll go to or the depths I’ll sink to. If you were some jerkoff like Max, it would be all too easy, but not you Joe. I’m going to plead with you, man to man, friend to friend…don’t show up tonight. Because I swear to God, I will have my hand raised in victory. They can raise my hand by forfeit, or they can raise my hand, dripping with your blood and covered in your flesh.”

Eddie stands staring at his raised fist as the scene fades to black.