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Post by Shaun Hart on Jan 16, 2023 19:21:39 GMT
(Aiden Cain looks to keep up his momentum going as he takes on Knox and looks to spoil Aiden's hot streak.)
Match Two Standard Singles Match Aiden Cain vs Knox
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Post by Aiden Cain on Jan 27, 2023 22:42:21 GMT
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
Psalms 10:17
And so it came to pass that Aiden began down his path. The victory over Michael Hunter had come easy enough overall, but it had left him feeling hollow. Michael had been someone he had respected in the business as he had grown up, but when he finally had the chance to live out a dream, he found that Michael was no Hunter. Instead, he found a washed-up, broken shell of a man. There had been a distinct feeling of putting down an old dog. Aiden knew he hadnt put him on the shelf permanently. Hunter would still be around. The difference now was that he saw him for what he was. He didnt have time to reflect too deeply on the matter. Now that he was here, with a victory under his belt in his debut match, things were starting to move quickly. Much quicker then he had ever expected. Fans were already starting to recognize him when he was out and about. The requests for photos and autographs. The ones that said “Im your biggest fan” always made him laugh after the fact. How big of a fan could they really be after one appearance? He took it in stride, though. He had known this came with the territory, and he did his best to remain humble. Truth be told, he hardly felt deserving of the attention he had received. Hunter wasnt what people thought he was, and his victory over him had hardly been noteworthy. The powers that be seemed to think otherwise, however, and a new course had been laid out in front of him…
The scene opens and we see Aiden in a small gym, alone, working out. He finishes a set of arm curls and sets down the dumbbell, grabbing his towel and water as he takes a short break before moving onto the next exercise. A large man comes out of the nearby office and walks over to Aiden, holding a paper in his hand and looking slightly confused.
Aiden: Hey boss, what’s up?
Man: *Looking at the paper* I dunno…you tell me…Did you see the rest of what happened on Mayhem after your match?
Aiden furrows his brow a bit, trying to think of what the man could be talking about
Aiden: Im not sure what you are referring to, Mel. I mean, I was still backstage, but I’ll be honest, I didnt pay much mind to the rest of the night. Figured it didnt have anything to do with me.
Mel: Thats where you’d be wrong. You should probably take a look at this…
Mel hands the paper over to Aiden. Aiden takes the sheet and sits down on the bench. After a moment, he looks up at Mel with his mouth hanging slightly open
Aiden: This cant be right. Did you double check this?
Mel: Its legit. I checked the footage myself to confirm.
Aiden stammers for a moment
Aiden: This is insane! How did this happen?! Im not ready for something like this! I mean, yeah, I beat Hunter, but he was way easier then I think people realize. This is…This…I mean…
Mel puts a hand on Aiden’s shoulder
Mel: Relax. You got time. Focus on one thing at a time. That match is gonna come one way or the other. If you dont win it, you dont win it. You’ll be right where you are now. Try not to stress it too much and focus on your next opponent.
Mel motions to the page again, urging Aiden to continue reading.
Aiden: They have me facing Knox this Mayhem? What do you got for me on him?
Mel: Not much to be said, but to be fair, I didnt dig much into this one. He seems to be running with The Purge.
Aiden: Those the cultists?
Mel: Yeah. Pretty much standard fare for these things. Something something “my soul is darkness” something something apocalypse. Knox should certainly give you a better run then Hunter did but nothing you shouldnt be able to handle.
Aiden: Can we stop using Hunter as any kind of benchmark, please? I had hoped for a more…memorable debut, but thinking about what Hunter is now just makes me depressed.
Mel: Wasnt using him as a benchmark. The footage from the match let me see you going full speed against a real opponent. You did well out there, dont kid yourself. We always need more polish and refinement, but you proved you got a solid foundation. This will be a good next step for you. Knox is still active, and doesnt seem nearly as desperate as Hunter was.
Aiden: Alright, so whats the game plan?
Mel: Knox had a bad night on Mayhem. Got the taste smacked outta his mouth by Russell Wayne. Cant use the footage for much of an idea of him in the ring, but with how short the match was, and how utterly one-sided it was, it gives you an in. Russell Wayne made him look like a fool, and if Knox is running with The Purge, he’s probably gonna be real pissed off about that and looking to take it out on you. Keep a level head and outlast him. Get him frustrated and he’s gonna lose his cool. After that, you just use the momentum against him. Wait until he’s off balance, get yourself rolling and then its a done deal. Another win in the books.
Aiden: Simple enough, I suppose.
Mel: I’ll let you get back to it. Tune out the noise and focus yourself. You’ll be just fine. I’ll see you when you get back. Make sure you lock up when you leave.
Mel turns to walk out of the gym, waving over his shoulder to Aiden as he goes.
Aiden: Thanks Mel
Aiden sits in silence for a moment with a long sigh as he stares at the sheet and the camera fades out.
—-
Our next scene shows Aiden backstage leading up to Mayhem, once again joined by Michael Morrison
Michael: Hello IIW Fans, Michael Morrison backstage as we get ready for Mayhem joined once more by IIW newcomer Aiden Cain. Aiden, thank you for joining us here again as you prepare tonight. Now, last week you made a good impression with your debut against Michael Hunter, and tonight you are set to square off against Knox. How are you feeling going into this match tonight?
Aiden: *looking a bit offput* How do I feel? I feel fine, I suppose. Look, last Mayhem, yes. I defeated Michael Hunter. But c’mon…
Aiden gestures around. Michael Morrison doesnt seem to follow so he continues.
Aiden: The guy definitely isnt who he was before. Am I happy I got a win last week? Oh hell yeah. But to chalk a win up against Michael Hunter as something to hang any kind of hat on…oookay, too many metaphors together there…anyways, you get my point. That guy isnt a measuring bar of any kind of standard. I appreciate his work and Im thankful I got to get in the ring with him for my debut. Checked that off the old bucket list. But that was just a start. Nothing more.
Michael: Say what you will about your match last week, and while it certainly was just the start for you, it was enough to catch the attention of the higher-ups, with Shaun Hart naming you as an entrant into the Keys 2 Success match, so it must have counted for something.
Aiden: Sure, and thats fantastic. Im stoked that I was impressive enough to be entered into that match, and you’re right, that has to count for something. But thats a huge challenge. And Im certainly the greenest one in that group. So thats going to be a massive challenge at the least, but those are future problems. I’ll deal with that as the time gets closer. I’d say if you asked me to go into that tonight…I’d probably get my ass kicked. I think there's a fair chance that happens anyways. But I’ve got time, and these matches now show me what I can do. That match will sort itself out one way or another when the time comes. Until then, one step at a time. This week, that step is Knox.
Michael: Yes, that brings us to the topic of your opponent, Knox. Thoughts on your opponent?
Aiden: Yeah, Knox…that was…that was a real bad look last week, wasnt it? I mean, at least Knox can take some comfort in knowing that its not likely that I can beat that time. I know Im a rookie, but even I feel fairly confident I can take Knox. Im not going to try and make this into something personal. With the Keys 2 Success match on my plate now, I got way bigger things to focus on. Tonight is just the next step forward for me and Im not going to let him slow me down. After his embarrassment last week, he should probably get his head on straight. Im not Russell Wayne, but I still am going to prove quite the challenge. I really hope he doesnt end up being another Michael Hunter kinda thing. I like to have a win with some Merit…Im sure that Knox will have some kind of gas in the tank. I’d be pissed off about something like that. None of it is going to matter though. Im going through Knox, just like I went through Hunter, and then on to the next and so on and so on. Whatever Knox has to say, I dont really care. He’s been dead silent so I can only assume he’s still stinging from his misadventure last Mayhem.
Michael: Do you have any concerns about outside interference from The Purge during your match?
Aiden: In a word, no. I’ve dealt with those kinds of people before. I know all too well how they operate. Its mostly a game of intimidation, and its simply not going to work on me. I like to think that Knox is better than that, but what do I know? I always expect a fight, and if Knox feels like he needs to plan some kind of ambush to make sure he can win one, then that speaks more on him then me. Ill be ready, and if his friends decide to stick their nose in my business, well they can get some too. Im not backing down, Im not going to be intimidated. Come Mayhem, I’ll be ready to go. Knox, bring your A game. I’d hate to see you take another loss like you did, but I wont stop in handing your ass to you if you underestimate me. If you’ll excuse me, I think were done here. I have a match to get ready for…
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