Subject: Need. Vendetta II Sun Mar 24, 2024 9:16 pm
“You once told me; ‘if you wanted a shot, all I had to do was ask for it.’[/] - or something like that, do you remember? I know, you’re going to say it was out of pride, out of the humbleness of a man who not only respects the championship, but respects a good fight.”
“But from where I see it? I see it as desperation coming from a man who [i]needs this. After your win at Heart of Winter, The Iron Titan has rusted over. Weeks of nothing but talking - claiming the Prodigy championship was the most prestigious championship in this company after you heard the news of the new Valor championship - and vowed not to lose you footing in the company. You have a tough exterior Max, but I think the close-call you had at Heart of Winter has shaken your core. You can’t relent, though. You narrowly escaped Emmanuelle and Nayati with your championship; yeah, I did some research. I’m starting to get more into this, you can say…”
“The longest reign you’ve accumulated almost ended, but you walked away with the win - and I guess that’s all that matters, right? In this industry, it seems that way. A victorious champion could look like a lesser man to a challenger, but capitalized just for three seconds. Sounds like fucking bullshit to me. The winner of a fight is definite. The winner of a fight is the one left standing while everyone at their feet is knocked out or has tapped out. And then you have the nerve to talk about being the workhorse and best wrestler? From the looks of the match, you weren’t the best wrestler. That went to Emmanuelle in terms of wrestling skill. Best opportunist, though? I can’t question that one. That’s nothing close to grit and the lowest-form of talent you need to get through this industry.”
“But you're a smart man, Max. You were smart enough to claw your way from poverty, so you used the victory - proclaimed dominance - and puffed out your chest when I became the contender to that title; that one you hold so close now since you only kept it by the skin of your teeth. You went on record saying I could have just asked you for a shot if I wanted it, which we both know is bullshit. Until I knocked Gearheart into the next day and earned that shot, I wasn’t a blimp on your radar. But now that I’ve made some noise - now that I’ve come into the company and fucked a few people up, you decide it’s in your benefit to ‘get ahead’ of the kid and claim that you would have honored the challenge regardless.”
“You need this Max, because on the same night that I defeated the fucking world champion of this company, you lost to a man you swore up and down you would beat. You lost to a man that you said had no chance against you, and you promised victory. You promised that the Iron Titan would stand over the body of the ‘demon’ and continue your reign of dominance -- but you lost. Seems like the Titan wasn’t made of Iron, but of a cheap knockoff that’s now showing the dents, wear, and damage that you’ve endured. At the Heart of Winter it all began to unravel for you, at Triumph you suffered a loss that a man in your position should never have on his record.”
“You need this Max, because you have nothing without it. Just the tales of yesterday, becoming just another ‘superstar’ in this profession who has to depend on what he’s done, instead of what he’s going to do. Accolades and previous accomplishments. Do you remember?”
“I said that you and I were just alike; tough kids who had to claw from the streets and all that. I’m your mirror image, Max, without the blemish. I don’t have the loss, and I’ll tell you one other major difference that we have. I’m going into this match with absolutely nothing to lose. I’m a fighter from the street, Max. Plucked from the corner and given the chance to earn another way than slingin’ dope. If I lose this match, what’s the worst that can happen? I go back to my old stomping grounds, pick up more product and go back to the old life. You, though? You have everything to lose. That championship is everything. Without it you would just be another guy in this industry who has to fall back on ‘I was champion’ or ‘I had the longest reign’.”
“You need this more than I do because at the end of the day; I’m just here to fight. Aaron, he’s the one that pulled the strings, connected the dots and made the moves - I just went to where I was sent. I fought who I was told to fight. At the start of this, I didn’t care for championships. Hell, had one never even crossed my sight - I would have continued on without a second thought of it. But now? Now things have changed. Now that it’s been hung over my head - an object that I have to fight for - you better believe I’m coming out swinging. You better believe that I’m going to test you on all of that grit and talent that you have. I said it before; the best fuckin’ FIGHTER deserves to be the one with the championship, and if you really are the workhorse that you claim to be, then you should have no problem.”
“But can anyone actually believe the claims, Max? They’ve been nothing but smoke, especially recently. If you continue to blow smoke, you will lose more and more of your reputation - the very one that preceded you. I would hear the talks about how Maximus Steele was the baddest, toughest dude in this company from the moment I signed the contract. A few people heard Aaron talking loud about how he had this fighter he was promoting - and they would come back with ‘Maximus Steele is the toughest guy in the company’. This is your chance to back all of that up. But will you?”
“Nah.”
“More than any fight before, I’m motivated to beat you. Not just for the championship, but for that same reputation that you held. I want, when this night is over, for people to say the same damn thing about me - when some new hot shot enters the company. ‘That James Christ kid is the toughest son of a bitch in the company’. I want the Prodigy championship to not just be the most prestigious championship here, but one that actually holds some fuckin’ worth. One that only the fuckin’ toughest can hold from this point forward. You may have set the standard for what it was, but I’m going to break that image and set the standard for what it should have always been.”
“For the fucking best.”
“And…from where I see it? That’s not you. Not anymore.”
“I hope you’re ready for a fight, Max - because I sure as hell am.”
Yesterday at 12:14 am by 
Subject: Need. Vendetta II 
