Post by The Human Cancer on Aug 3, 2012 23:24:30 GMT -5
Empty. Isolated. Dimly lit. The locker room seemed devoid of everything down to the lockers themselves, the other wrestlers, and even the bench Kevin Steen sat on. The only thing that even felt real to him anymore was the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla title he held in his grasp. Even with the warm lights of the camera crew on him, he paid no heed. A deep breath escaped his lungs and found its way out through his lips, making a loud huff. Steen had been in the WWE for three weeks, but only wrestled two- he felt as if the McMahons and their suits were trying to force him out- they wouldn't win. They had put Brock Lesnar then Mark Henry in his path, and came out the victor both times. Now, in his third match, he faced The Big Show; if he won, he'd get the opportunity to become Mr. Money in the Bank and get himself a WWE Championship shot in the process of doing so. If he failed... Well, failure wasn't an option. It didn't even cross his mind. His vision was set on that briefcase and Chris Jericho, or whoever may hold that belt after the pay-per-view. It didn't matter if Mother Theresa herself held that belt, he would tear through her as if she were a banner in front of a NCAA college football team's tunnel.
He had tried his hardest to ignore the lights, but now he had no option to finally turn his glare from the PWG Championship title in his hands to the WWE camera crew that stood before him, seemingly waiting- nay, hanging- on the first word to leave his mouth, presumably in reference to his upcoming match this Monday. Taking one last long look at the PWG Championship, another breath made its way out, accompanied by a sigh. Finally, his eyes changed their aim from the strap on his lap to the lens of the camera, and the burning bright lights surrounding it.
KEVIN STEEN: "Wrestling isn't just entertainment. It isn't just a sport. It's a living breathing thing that will take as much as you give, and give as much as you take. When I left Ring of Honor to come to World Wrestling Entertainment and I left that belt on Jim Cornette's desk, that's when that revelation had struck me. I've been busting my ass for years to get to that point and just because I try to feed my family, wrestling takes the one thing that's meaningful to me in this business."
Kevin's hand slid over the embossed front of the title before raising it into view of the camera, front and center.
KEVIN STEEN: "But Excalibur, the man behind the scenes told me, 'It's OK Kevin, hold onto this. Come back and defend it.'; I had it cleared with the office, as long as I didn't mention them by name, or even show the title. I am the PWG World Heavyweight Champion, and I had to fight for my right to even defend my title, let alone talk about it."
Instead of laying it back across his lap, he placed it on his shoulder so the faceplate would be in view as he continued to speak. The bright lights behind the camera bounced off of it, almost making it sparkle in the eye of the camera. Steen looked at the title on his shoulder and smiled as if he were a proud father looking at his newborn child. This look, however, dissipated as his gazed once again affixed itself to the lens.
KEVIN STEEN: "Now I got a letter- in an official WWE Headquarters envelope- that started with, 'Dear Mr. Steen, we regretfully inform you that...' and stopped. I knew in my gut what they were going to say without having to actually read it. They were going to tell me to send this belt back..."
His fingers wrapped around the leather strap right before the faceplate. The title slowly raised from his shoulder, then was put back in a readjusted position. Kevin's face had seemingly went from complacent to one of a combination of anguish and anger during the time he spent readjusting the title.
KEVIN STEEN: "... with one warning. They told me in that letter that I had until the day of RAW to package it up and send it back to Excalibur with a letter telling him, 'Sorry man, but Vince and the suits don't want me to be a champion if I can't be theirs.'. That's why I have it out now. That's why you people get to see this belt once and only once on WWE television. That's why I say wrestling is a living, conscious creature that give and takes. I just happen to feed the one subspecies that was on the top of the food chain. I WILLINGLY give my blood, my sweat, and my time with my family for this company and face three monsters and all I ever ask in return that I'm able to defend my PWG title without a word or sight of it ever hitting WWE events or television. So what happens? They decide that now Kevin Steen, 'Mr. Wrestling', is now a member of the WWE grinder. Kevin Steen has to abandon all sense of himself only to get fed to these giants. I don't know about you people, but it seems to me that WWE wants to either force me into their mold, or break me trying."
Mr. Wrestling abruptly grabbed the PWG strap, brought it in front of him, spit on the faceplate, and tossed it to the ground with a loud clang. Kevin stood quickly and the camera followed him; his expression had forced the anguished half out, which was now placed with more anger.
KEVIN STEEN: "You know what? Fine. FINE! You want me to be Kevin Steen, WWE Superstar and not Kevin Steen, PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER?! God help you Vince. Gold help you, Johnny. God help everyone on the board of directors. If you want to break me, I'll give in- not because I'm giving up, but much like cancer, I will kill this god damn company from the inside out! I KNOW that you put me in this match with Big Show on Monday in hopes that he'd utterly destroy me, and when I recovered, I'd be working NXT and dark matches. But you know what? It won't happen! Come Monday Night, I will drop that fat motherf----- like a bad habit. No, it won't be Kevin Steen sent back to the drawing board, it will be every naysayer that sits around that conference table on a weekly basis trying to figure out how to f--- Steen over! It will be Big Show sitting in a mouth-operated wheelchair staring at the drawing board, figuring out his plan of attack after- or if- he walks again."
The term "so angry he could spit" definitely applied to him, and that's exactly what he did- the only thing that broke his stream of speech was a mouth full of saliva, which he emptied out onto the floor, and presumably onto the PWG title.
KEVIN STEEN: "Big Show, make no mistake that you are just a patsy for Laurinaitis. They hold you in no sort of high regard because you're just something they can put in the way of someone like me to stop them from obtaining what they want. If it weren't for your size big man, you'd be jobbing with the rest of the dark matchers while the guys of real talent go out and into the ring while the cameras and bright lights are on them. I'm not afraid of you. Why should I be? The two matches I've had in my time here on RAW have been against two men who are more decorated than your large, bulbous ass will ever be. Brock Lesnar is a former UFC and WWE Champion. Mark Henry is a former World Heavyweight Champion. You, however, have one exactly one match at WrestleMania in your entire time with the WWE. How is anyone supposed to be afraid of someone who can't even garner but one victory on the grandest stage of them all? Let me make it clear, Show. I'M the one you should be afraid of. I'M the one they should put in people's ways if they want them stopped and at RAW, that's what I plan to do. I plan on stopping you from ever seeing those ladders and that case. I plan on putting an end to the reign of Chris Jericho or whoever holds the WWE Championship's reign. I plan on putting an end to the long, ever-changing list of WWE Championship holders. It ENDS with Kevin Steen. My name will be the last name on that list until I get lowered into the ground and they're forced to vacate the title. Understand this, Big Show; you are NOT a threat. You never were. I will break you like I did Brock Lesnar and Mark Henry. I will break you like I did to Davey Richards and Jim Cornette in Ring of Honor. I am prepared to destroy you physically and mentally, Big Show. And when I cash in that case after I take what you presume to be your spot in Money in the Bank, you can point to that moment in time and for generations of Wights to come you can say, 'that's the man that put your father, your grandfather, and your great grandfather in this nifty wheelchair that I'm bound to until- much like a beached whale- die and environmental services are called in to move the corpse out of the way. If Kevin Steen can't have his happiness, then World Wrestling Entertainment can't have a champion they support."
Upon ceasing his verbal tirade, Kevin stormed out of frame while the cameras attempted to keep up. They managed to trail him all the way to the door until it slammed shut on the locker room, forcing the scenario to fade to black. It seems like the powers that be over the WWE had finally forced Kevin to completely unravel by suddenly and unexpectedly revoking his right to defend the PWG World Heavyweight Championship. Any who thought that it was the case before had now had a new light shone into the mind of a madman. With his mission of becoming the WWE Champion and destroying the company only to rebuild it in his design- what he claims it "could be"- only a short three matches away, it seems like an even more sadistic side of Kevin Steen was beginning to see the light. If he could beat the Big Show on RAW and topple a third giant, it would be clear that he was certainly a force to be reckoned with as well as someone who could deliver on their threats. Then, as Kevin stated, it would be time for the WWE higher-ups to hit the drawing board.
