Matt Miles
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Posts : 30
Join date : 2023-06-27
 |  Subject: My Brother, Dragon Slayer - 14/07/24  Wed Jul 10, 2024 10:03 am | |
| Sometimes I forget just how long I’ve been doing this. Most days when I wake up I think I still have so much to give, that I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I can do, that I’m still new and fresh and a big rising star. Days like today I remember how that’s not as true as it used to be. At thirty-two years of age I’m still in the prime of my career but in this industry that’s usually when you find your peak and settle into the position where you belong. I’ve been doing this for well over ten years at this point — so I’ve been around the block — and I know that this is the time to step the hell up and secure my place on the top of the mountain. For years, whether it was Alex Anderson or Aren Mstislav or Matt Ryder, RAGNAROK, The Culling, Dynasty... I was still considered a future prospect, with main event potential. My journey to reaching that potential was messier than most and there’s a lot of paths I took that I’d rather not ever have to relive… but a few world championships later and here I am. So it got me here in the end.
But as I’ve stood at the mountaintop alone for the very first time, that’s when I’ve faced the reality that is my mortality — in life, sure, but more importantly, in this business. The success, the gold, won't last forever. When I’m nothing but dust and the only records of me are in the history books of the companies that I’ve won championships in, what are people going to say about me? Matt Miles the man has been a lot of things and done a whole lot more… but what about Matt Miles the idea? What about Matt Miles, the legend? Everyone knows the story about my namesake, King Midas, and how it exists as a metaphor for greed and selfishness. Once upon a time that’s all I was. I was greedy and selfish and self-serving. I wasn’t a saint. I’m still not. But if I’m to be remembered I don’t want people to look back at my career and see me as being those things because that’s not who I am at my core. I’ve given more to people — both inside and out the ring — than a lot of people probably realize. Just look at Dynasty. It may not have been my creation or my idea to break away from the antiquated identity of Phantom Troupe but I treated it as it were. I called those men my brothers. That’s because when I’m a part of something I don’t just want to be a cog in the machine. I don’t just work hard, I bust my ass every week on every show at every single opportunity. No one can say that’s not true. Just look at PCW. From its inception to now, nobody has appeared on Triumph more than I have, no one has competed on more Pay-Per-Views than I have, no one has more wins in this company than I do. Those feats are not down to happenstance. I earned every single one. So when I think about my legacy I know what I want it to be. As cliché as it sounds, I want it to be one of blood, sweat, and tears. But I also want to be remembered as an architect. Whether it’s as a member of Dynasty in OWA or holding down the fort right here in PCW or anything in between, my name will be eternally tied to some of the best wrestlers I’ve ever shared the ring with, all because of the part I played in building them up beside me.
That’s why I couldn’t deny Maximus Steele’s offer. Now that we’re officially the crown contenders for the PCW Tag Team Championships I can finally clarify what this team really means to me. It’s simple. I look at Maximus Steele and I see what I saw in so many others. That’s not to say he’s like any of them. He’s not like an Aren Mstislav or an Elijah Hampton and he’s certainly no Darkane or Graham Baker. He’s nothing like me, either, actually… but there’s one thing that he has that’s undeniable and it’s the same thing all of those other people did: Fight. No matter what walk of life you come from, that’s what sets you apart from the rest of the pack. You can rest on your laurels, allow your ability to keep your head above the water but, when the tide eventually turns and those waves come crashing in, the only way you don’t drown is with hard work.
And I dare you to find someone here who works harder than Maximus Steele.
But that brings us to now. Salvation got fair warning. They knew that Maximus and I were coming for those Tag Team Championships. We made our intentions crystal clear. So they changed up their tactics…
...But they made a mistake in putting you up against me, Golden Dragon.
The night we first crossed paths in Victory PRO feels almost an eternity ago. Especially now that I’ve had a look at you upon your return. You’re a different man now. For better and for worse. You were barely coming out of your shell when I first stepped in the ring with you and now you’ve done so much. You’ve won championships all over the world, led a faction, and created your own legacy. There’s no denying how you’ve grown into your name… but I don’t think history will remember you fondly for what you’ve done. I think you know that too. Salvation won’t save you from that. In fact, it’s only going to do the opposite in the eyes of those judging you.
Fortunately for you, I’m no judge.
Unfortunately, for as much as we’ve both changed and grown since our first encounter…
I’M STILL A DRAGON SLAYER.
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