Choke - 05/05/24

I don’t care that I lost.

That sounds crazy, right? Out of character, even. Especially for me. You’d be hard pressed to find someone in the PCW locker room who doesn’t care about match results and the Matt Miles of four months ago — before this whole charade with AZAZEL started — would have been the first man to tell you you won’t get anywhere with that mentality. Hell, the Matt Miles of two weeks ago would’ve called you crazy himself. But this isn’t four months ago. It’s not two weeks ago. It’s not yesterday. Maybe tomorrow it’ll bother me that Tomi got one over on me… but it’s not tomorrow either. What matters is how I feel right now. In the present. What’s important to me is that I’ve got what I wanted from Nick Baxter and Alan Friedman and DeShane Wilson: A dog collar match. That means no more cheap tricks, no more attacking me from behind, and most importantly of all it means no running away.

Because ultimately, as much as AZAZEL likes to dress up as this vicious, deadly, sinister demon, he’s anything but.

AZAZEL is a coward.

He’s taken every opportunity to stab a knife into my back when I’m turned away. Just about every loss I’ve been handed has involved his interference. But guess what? The moment he was forced to face me head on he showed his true colours clear as day, running down his leg like he was the one who’d seen a ghost all because I put my hands on his mask. I kicked in his fight or flight, that much is evident, but since when does a demon need to escape a mere man like me? It makes you think. And then you look at what happened leading up to the Chamber of Valor. AZAZEL just decides he doesn’t want to be a part of it for no real, tangible reason, and thus Tomi got a free pass. That alone would be enough to raise some suspicion, right? But here’s the kicker: AZAZEL made sure I was in the Chamber of Valor, far away from him. Even El Landerson can see what AZAZEL has been doing. As much as he thinks he can mess with my head, he knows he can only do that if he keeps ducking me. He can’t look me in the eyes because he knows I won’t blink when I stare into the abyss.

That’s not to say I shouldn’t be afraid. I have every right to be afraid of what AZAZEL could do to me, especially under such an extreme stipulation… but I’m not. You wanna know why? It’s the same reason I stood up to him the first time. I’ve faced forces like him before. Maybe not demons, I’ll give him that, but I’ve crossed paths with those claiming to be supernatural and otherworldly before and I’m still here. I was a little bit scared of what might happen to me before the bell rang, sure, but bravery isn’t about being fearless; it’s about conquering the fears you do have. I conquered my fear of beings like you long ago, AZAZEL, and if you think your continued pursuit of my demise is going to lead you to anything other than your own then you have woefully misguided Kasey.

The first time we squared off, I didn’t want to hurt Kasey. I still don’t, honestly… but I know now that sacrifices are going to be made. Sophie’s choice, picking between letting you continue to cause chaos and mess with the career I’ve worked years to build up or hurting Kasey just a little bit to finally put you out of your fucking misery? My decision is already made.

I didn’t just ask for a dog collar match between us. I demanded it. And there’s a reason Alan Friedman didn’t even hesitate to accept. It’s because he knows I am that guy. Injury after injury, broken bone after broken bone, torn muscle after torn muscle, the Matt Miles train has kept on chugging down the railway. It’s taken some stops in its time, absolutely, but looking at my list of accolades you’d never even realise. Multiple time world champion, multiple time tag team champion, beating some of the very best this industry has to offer, all while rarely even running at one-hundred percent.

That’s something Kasey and I had in common. It’s why I respected him so much, despite how different we are.

But you’re not Kasey.

You’re not even a shell.

I demanded this match with one motive in mind: To make sure that you can’t escape.

You’ve ran from me for long enough, so now I’m going to make sure there’s nowhere left for you to go, nowhere for you to hide. You might have everyone else convinced you’re a real threat — and maybe you could have been — but compared to the Man with the Midas Touch it’s you who the world will be remembering as Fool’s Gold.

This Sunday, at the Prudential Center, in the great city of Newark, New Jersey, I get to prove to you once and for all that by coming after me, by costing me my World Championship and months off of my career, you barked up the wrong tree.

And when that dog collar is wrapped nice and tight around your neck, I’m going to make sure no one will ever forget the image of me choking you with it..

Because I’m going to make you my bitch.