It was Saturday afternoon in Toronto, Ontario. Spring was in full swing, the city awash with crisp sunshine and a cool breeze rolling in from Lake Ontario. Hook was staying downtown ahead of Monday’s Warfare at the Scotiabank Arena, but he’d taken a walk out to the Toronto Islands earlier in the day, wanting some space and stillness before his match.
Hook was sitting alone on a wooden bench in the shade, just off the shoreline near Centre Island Beach. The camera was perched on the bench beside him, angled slightly to catch both the water and the skyline in the distance. Hook sat with his hood up, silent at first, listening to the waves lap gently against the rocks. Then he turned, stared into the lens, and spoke.
Hook: It’s been almost a year since I came within touching distance of being crowned King of the Ring. I made it all the way to the final. I was one match away from immortality... three seconds away from glory… and then I lost. I was bested by The Miz…
Hook shook his head, showing his disgust.
Hook: But this year, things will be different. For starters, Miz has already been eliminated; Jon Moxley took him out in the very first match of the tournament. Which means the field is wide open. There is a part of me that wishes I’d drawn Miz in the first round, so I could avenge that loss from last year, but instead, I’ll be stepping into the ring with another old foe… Christian Cage.
Hook sat back for a moment, let out a sigh, then continued speaking.
Hook: Two years ago, Christian cost me my place in the 2023 King of the Ring tournament. He got me disqualified on purpose, just to screw with me, then spent weeks trying to make my life hell. Running his mouth, attacking my father, ambushing me at every opportunity… all because he didn’t think I’d earned my spot. He won a lot of battles along the way – he hurt me not just physically, but mentally too – but in the end, I won the war. We made history, competing in the first ever EBWF Fight Pit match… and there, at Gateway to Glory, I made Christian pay the “dues” he thought I needed to pay. The two of us were locked inside a cage, and I was the one that walked out victorious. I made Christian submit, and that should’ve been the end of the story… but Christian Cage never really knows when to quit.
Hook paused, glancing out at the water before turning back.
Hook: Since then, I’ve kept fighting. I don’t take shortcuts. I don’t need to. Last year, I made it all the way to the final of the King of the Ring. One match away from the crown. One match away from the next step toward the EBWF World Championship. And I have spent the past 12 months waiting for this tournament, waiting for another opportunity to go all the way… and who is waiting for me in round one? The man I thought I’d left in my past… Christian Cage.
Hook let the name hang in the air like a bad taste, then scoffed.
Hook: You weren’t even supposed to be here, Christian. You lost a Loser Leaves EBWF match to Moxley. That should’ve been it, game over. You could have walked away with your head held high, leaving behind a legacy and one hell of a career. A list of accomplishments I can only dream of. But here you are, still clinging on. You found a loophole, I guess. You always do. And now you’re walking around trying to convince everyone that you’ve changed. Like the last two years never happened. Like we forgot. But I didn’t forget, Christian. I remember everything. I remember the cheap shots, the smug grin, the gaslighting. I remember the con-chair-to you gave my dad. I remember all the god-awful things you did to Alexa Bliss last year… that was even worse than how you treated my family, Christian. So don’t think your crocodile smile fools me, Christian. You might have other people convinced that a leopard can change his spots, but I’ve seen the real Christian Cage. And I’m not convinced he’s gone. You can wear a new costume; you can paint on a smile. But underneath it all, you’re still the same manipulative, self-serving coward you’ve always been. You don’t change. You adapt. You survive. But this time, I’m not giving you the chance.
Hook leaned forward now, resting his elbows on his knees, his tone darker and more deliberate.
Hook: You tried to destroy me two years ago. Tried to take away everything before I even got started. But I didn’t go away. I got better. Stronger. Smarter. You? You lost. You left. And now you’re back, pretending you belong. But you don’t.
Hook stood up slowly, picking up the camera and holding it steady at eye level as he walked along the shoreline. His voice was calm, cold, but intense.
Hook: I don’t care if you’ve turned over a new leaf, Christian. I’m about to burn the whole tree down. This tournament means everything to me. And this year, I’m not just here to compete. I’m here to win. To finish what I started. And then I’m coming for the EBWF World Championship. So whatever version of you shows up on Warfare – the nice guy, the villain, the victim – it doesn’t matter. Because all I see when I look at you is a stepping stone. And I’ve spent the last twelve months making damn sure I’ll never stumble again. This Monday, in Toronto, you’re not just standing across the ring from me. You’re standing in my way. And after everything you’ve done, after everything you still are, you should know better than anyone... That’s not a safe place to be.
Hook lowered the camera, turning it off without another word. The sound of the water filled the silence. And somewhere in the distance, a storm was beginning to rise.
