Post by Donnie Harris on Oct 7, 2024 21:48:53 GMT -5
-The road to Hell is paved with good intentions: that is the saying. However, it didn’t matter. It was Hell.
It was to the point that Donnie could not be bothered with Deathwish Academy; even the main event slot on a Halloween show wasn’t enough.
Racism is not a joke, and Donnie was no racist. He would know, considering the variation of person and personality that exists in this crazy world.
With every shot to the heavy bag, every roll of the speed bag, it always helped with taking some of the pain away. The cuddles with Rachel helped as well; the match he just had in Daytona Beach with Bia at his side, especially with the win on his record, helped to push his stock up in FWP.
Donnie Harris was always an affirmative action sort of person: whoever wanted to stand with him, they were free to do so; whoever wanted to stand across from him, regardless of color, creed or gender identity, he was always affirmative about punching them in the face.
In the long run, it is just as easy to block, delete and otherwise cut off those people, as all they are, are toxic. But it was still extremely troubling.
Move forward, focus on what’s important: eyes on the prize; the best part was that he held that prize. Keeping it is the end goal. Maintaining his grip on supremacy is the primary objective, and it carried over everywhere he went.
Power through, maintain the strength and endurance to persevere, and do not let up, no matter what happens.
Donnie could feel his fears welling up, as he spent time in Florida, even as he spent his time with Rachel, because of this bullshit circulating. Sure, being a villain is fun, but it was one thing to play one on TV; to be one in real life, there are too many real-life villains, super and otherwise, to be actually concerned about.
He curled up more tightly to Rachel those nights, much more affectionately than just for simple comfort, because he needed the distraction, he needed to focus on her. It was the same at the gym, using that narrowed focus to get his mind on his goals, and the music helped too. Considering the variety of his musical preferences, it just hurt.
And it was all over a word choice.
There was nothing more angering, more frustrating, more painful that he has faced since dealing with his parents. At least they were gone now, and he could focus on building a family of his own, on making a family (or at least practice a lot of the time) of his own, to build that support web around himself. He just needed to be himself, to be strong. He just needed to keep being the champion that he earned the right to be, and he wasn’t going to give any ground, as long as he’s physically capable.-
-Donnie needed to keep his head down. It didn’t matter what he did either. All the distractions, all the press, all the people: it served to bog him down instead of build him up, as hard as he tried, as hard as he fought.
He trained his body, he read a few books to help build that distraction up in the form of a good story, he even prayed and meditated, to whatever would listen; it did so little to calm his anguish, his discourse. Even with all the work he did on himself to silence the background noise, all it did was remind him of how much more amplified it was in the foreground.
But the foreground was the easy part: direct competition, direct conversation, everything direct and to his face. Especially with this match against Stevie Satisfaction coming up, Donnie could focus his efforts on one target, one face, one force. Even with Alexandra Calaway trying to get all up in his face, there was nothing that would pull him away. He could glove up, stand in front of the punching bag, or whatever the hell he could stand up to and work out with, and just turn his mind off.
It wasn’t working. For all the things he has done before, for all the work he knew he could be putting in, there was a disconnection.
The harder he hit the bag, he lost his rhythm; the harder he pumped the iron, his body gave out way too soon; the more he craved the silence, the more often he lost perspective and he was interrupted by the noise of life.
At the end of the day, he checked his phone. He missed many notifications, and his hands shook from the exertion, not realizing how long he was pushing himself until he checked the time. Donnie Harris was in the gym for eight hours solid, no food and just water and the pre-workout protein he drank over seven hours ago. He shook because he was out of energy, out of the excess calories that would have helped him continue to build muscle and strengthen up.
It looked great on his endurance, considering he kept pushing and kept going, kept on fighting, but never had he felt more stupid. After a long shower, made longer by the fact his legs wanted to quit out from under him, he gets into his car and makes a phone call. He needed someone to talk to, and there was only one voice he absolutely needed to hear.-
)Rachel Demko(
Heya handsome, how’s your day been?
-The greeting was laced with a slight giggle as she answered, there was no denying that happiness and excitement as she spoke to him. Donnie sighed and smiled, covering his mouth as he swallowed a sob.
Just something about this woman’s voice took all the pain away, lightened the load, and lifted his spirits. It made him ready to cry, but, for the sake of him keeping it together, he let the tears roll down and that was it.-
)Donnie Harris(
Damn, yours is a voice I need to hear, baby. It has... it has certainly been a day. Sorry I’ve been missing your texts. I lost quite literally all track of time.
-He wrings his steering wheel, trying to fight away the shame of having spent all that time in the gym without so much as a crumb of food in his system, and the guilt that came with unintentionally shutting Rachel out.-
)Donnie Harris(
I’ve been missing you all week since I flew down to Florida, but I’ll be taking some time off after this next big show. I think I need to take us on a vacation.
-She could hear the sadness and shame laced in his voice; it had only been a few short months they had been together. However, they had taken the time to get to know one another in every way possible: she knew his work habits, she knew his routine, and the few messages that she did send him were simple reminders like to drink an extra bottle of water or eat something that isn’t blonde today. Rachel knew he’d call when he was free and now that she had him on the phone, she’d be more than happy to just listen.-
)Rachel Demko(
An us vacation, hmm? Somewhere we can just hide and be alone, possibly with a small gym for when I fall asleep?
)Donnie Harris(
No, a vacation where we can be us, just us: no gym, no expectations, no pressure.
-Donnie took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that she caught on to his feelings the second he called.-
)Donnie Harris(
I just want to spend time with you, Rachel, and we don’t need to worry about the world for a week. I know I missed your week off with being in Daytona Beach, but I want to give us a chance to play house, be the lovers we already are, show each other the simple and exquisite love we’ve been able to express with the little gestures, just like your rose.
-Donnie’s grip loosened on the steering wheel, but he hadn’t even started the engine yet. Even with the night sky encroaching with the coming of autumn that much earlier, the Eliminator needed rejuvenation.-
)Donnie Harris(
I don’t even want to consider where to go. I can set up a bulletin board with a bunch of options and we can play darts and go from there; I just need you.
)Rachel Demko(
Spontaneous, with a full seven days to do as we please when we please? You’re going to spoil me sir.
-It was in Rachel’s nature to be playful, to try her hardest to draw him out of his own head. He didn’t need to play mind games with himself; he was so much better than that, at least he was to her.-
)Rachel Demko(
You know, Thunder isn’t going to let you leave the moment you walk through the door right? He’ll want you to stay with us, and not just with me, which might not be a bad thing for you.
-Donnie just laughs, a good and hearty laugh.-
)Donnie Harris(
He warmed up to me as quickly as you did, thank God. Samoyeds have some sharp teeth in that crazy head of theirs.
-Donnie then sighs.-
)Donnie Harris(
He’s such a good, fluffy dog, and he never lets me leave willingly, unless he’s at my side. It’s like he’s more my dog than yours now; it’s like he knows.
)Rachel Demko(
Like he knows you’re his best friend and loves his mama. Yeah, he knows. The boys know too. Thunder won’t even let them within a few feet of me now: ANY of them, Donnie! He started it a day after you left. The only thing I hate is the leash on the bed... like hella early in the morning.
-She laughed again, and let out her own sort of sigh.-
)Rachel Demko(
We love you babe! I worry about you, and your hyperfocus you tend to get into.
)Donnie Harris(
That’s why I’m calling you. I can feel it setting in and it’s doing more harm than good this time. I was in that gym for eight hours, babe. Eight hours. All I’ve had is my water, basically. I’m surprised I’m still awake with how hard I train, but I think my body knew better. It’s hard to say.
-Donnie turns his engine over and, as the car warms up, he shifts the phone call from the handheld device to hands-free, so he can drive to the hotel.-
)Donnie Harris(
And I love you both too. And I worry about myself too. That’s why I have you two. Thunder is going to be a support animal by the end of my career, I bet.
)Rachel Demko(
You’re so gonna take him on the road when my contract is done here aren’t you? He’s gonna end up escorting you to ringside and do that incredible sit and stay you always manage to perfect with him.
-She paused a moment, and he could hear her tapping her nails on the table, trying to think of what was best for her man, and how to properly take care of him even if she was three time zones away, and on completely opposite sides of the country.-
)Rachel Demko(
Babe, I think you also need to get some food, so you have two options, I can have some delivered to your hotel for when you arrive, or you can keep me on the phone and go grab yourself some Chipotle with extra protein.
)Donnie Harris(
Oh my god, I’m not that into Chipotle.
-He says this with an off-hand, very bad impression of the Vine based on the popular fast food chain.-
)Donnie Harris(
I’m already on the road, and, with how late it is, I’m grabbing a quick bite, enough to at least fill my gut with nourishing food until tomorrow. Tomorrow starts my feed phase for match prep anyway, so I’ll be alright.
-Donnie sighs, and he wipes some of the tears from his eyes.-
)Donnie Harris(
I needed this. It has been difficult the last week, but how do you make it so much easier on me?
)Rachel Demko(
Because we talk every day, about the good and the bad. I could hear it in your voice that you couldn’t mentally handle the bad tonight. You’re exhausted, you’re spent, you’re doing everything you can to be okay, when all you need is the ten minutes of escape with the one you love to simply reset your mind. You’re not a bad person baby, you’re incredible, and I’m proud of you, Donnie.
-It wasn’t just the words that came out but how they came out proved she was truly proud of the wrestler and all he’s done in his career; Donnie silently, as he pulled into a parking lot, wept.-
)Rachel Demko(
You do know that, right?!
-Donnie takes a deep breath and sighs.-
)Donnie Harris(
With everything I am. I’m just at the restaurant now. Considering it’s a Sunday, it’s just McDonald’s, but it’s food.
-Donnie takes a napkin out of his glove box and wipes his eyes before blowing his nose.-
)Donnie Harris(
I love you, Rachel.
)Rachel Demko(
I love you more babe; there’s no denying you’re going to take every company you’re in by storm. Eat something my love, and sleep. I’ll text you when I am done with work, okay?
)Donnie Harris(
Fuck yeah, you will. You stay safe. I’m going to try to be gentle on my stomach.
-Donnie reaches out to press the End Call button on the screen.-
)Donnie Harris(
I love you more.
-He ends the call before she can retort, taking a deep breath as he cries a little bit more...-
-The arena was empty, but all the lights were on, with a single camera focused on the ring, which was not yet strung up and did not have its padding down at the time. Standing on the planks that made up the sub-floor of the ring, Donnie Harris, in a merchandise t-shirt and wearing the EPW World Heavyweight Title around his waist, leans against one of the ring posts.
The ring was barren, and even the extra seating was not laid out in the front rows. Of course, Donnie offered to help out to set the ring up after he was done, but, for the time being, everything was, essentially, bare bones in its preparation.-
)Donnie Harris(
This is the skeleton in the body of our work as professional wrestlers. These planks, this steel...
-Donnie slaps the ring post he was leaning on, before he straightens up and walks along the boards gingerly, as there was nothing keeping them from falling out from under him other than the pressure of his footfall. He moves to where the apron would be, and he hops down, holding the large EPW World Title plate so it didn’t dig into his abdomen or ribs when he lands.-
)Donnie Harris(
Under the canvas and thinly padded skin lays this foundation, where the sinew that is the ropes are fastened tightly around the ring, this is where we play our roles and perform for the common people that watch us put our bodies, minds and emotions on the line. We face each other with whatever you want to call it: passion; skill; luck; etcetera.
-He climbs up onto the padded guardrail, facing the camera, of course, looking out over the empty arena.-
)Donnie Harris(
Stevie, oh silly, silly Stevie Satisfaction. Stevie, Stevie, Stevie, Stevie, and this is how I intend to remember who the hell you are. You have certainly made it difficult for yourself, haven’t you? You put yourself through a war in this tournament, haven’t you? And, what’s more, you beat someone who got lucky. I have to congratulate you first, Morbid, for beating a guy like Je$TyR SeRyOuS, because that’s no walk in the park; I put the boots to him, but he still got one over on me. Honestly, I was expecting and looking forward to facing him, but, and I will take this with me to the grave, I will face anyone anywhere for this World Title, because I am the Champion, and I will remain Champion after And Justice For Brawl. What you face me with, Stevie, is nothing more than that same luck I referenced only a little while ago, and, for some, luck is all you need. However, and I hate to break it to you, luck is something that I do not lean on. Luck isn’t something I expect to work. Yeah, you had Morbid Wolf scouted enough to get out of the chokeslam, but I don’t use such things to win a match. I use something that has brought me to the combat sports dance, and that is a combination of my hands, my feet and what’s in my head.
-Donnie starts to walk on the guardrail like a balance beam, keeping himself good and stable as he traverses the narrow path, only about as wide as two-thirds of his foot size. Donnie just sticks his hands in his pockets, taking his time as he strode along the padding.-
)Donnie Harris(
You’re nimble, sure, but it was almost not enough to keep yourself ahead of someone who would consider himself a predator like Morbid Wolf. You need to remember that you faced someone who is nothing more than an Omega to me and my championship, a nobody in the grand scheme, whereas I am the man who reigns supreme. Even if SYNN was here, I have the advantage; even if Ally wants to get in my business again this weekend, I will remain the King of the EPW Elite. Clearly, Stevie, you are one of them, with how you showed up in this tournament, and I will not take that away from you. There was a decently solid set of brackets, and people like JMONT and the roughshod team that Je$TyR and Joli formed? They were merely warm-up matches. Yes, sure, I lost to J, but I still came out on top, still a champion. Besides, when you have guys like Erik Holland, who wants people feeling sorry for him over being abused, clearly this business is becoming more and more full of shit.
-Donnie sighs and shakes his head.-
)Donnie Harris(
Hate to break it to you, Erik, but you’re not the only damaged child in this business; no one wants to give you the valuable fuck you think you’re worth. Go back to NFW or Zion, where they coddle little bitches like you. I was abused too, by a father who wanted too much and a mother who did very little. They’re dead now, and buried too, so if you want to preach your cunty little clique bullshit in my home, you can go pull an Owen; only difference is that, for you, it won’t be a fucking accident.
-Donnie takes a deep breath, sitting the venomous bile out of his mouth and onto the bare floor he faced.-
)Donnie Harris(
But Erik Holland can keep his ass out of my business, because he is not worth my time or effort. It’s you, Stevie, taking the place that I held a year ago, as I stand in the place of a bigger bitch than this "Haunted” fuckwit: a man who calls himself BRADDOCK. He and I had a classic for this World Title.
-Donnie smacks the onyx-on-gold plate that bore the EPW logo, the very title that carried his name.-
)Donnie Harris(
And now, with the time gone by, with his worthless stain off of the EPW roster, the TRUE EPW roster, a real champion has taken his place, and it sure as hell isn’t Matt Knox, Justin York, or Clyde Newton; it’s “The Eliminator”, Donnie Harris. I am the original Outcast, and I bear this standard as such, as a true member of what is formerly known as Outcast Championship Wrestling. I am what elevates EPW, and that is what the World Champion does, Stevie. What are you going to do for EPW? What can any of you do to make EPW better than I have already done? I put the asses in seats, so the people can watch the real fights, whether it is against Calaway, formerly BRADDOCK, recently JMONT and Je$TyR. No one really wants to see Stevie Satisfaction, or Morbid Wolf for that matter. The product you would provide is stagnant before you even get into position; I will spend however long I need to take on October 13th in Boston, all in the name of proving myself right. I will be worth stacks of cash; you’re just worth food stamps, and there is no amount of welfare to pull you out of such a pile of shit.
-Donnie steps off the guardrail, patting the ring post opposite from where he started.-
)Donnie Harris(
And Justice For Brawl is coming, and it’s coming quickly. Soon, Boston will bear witness to a revitalization of EPW, erasing the memory of BRADDOCK and replacing it with the presence and majesty of EPW’s World Champion: Donnie Harris.
It was to the point that Donnie could not be bothered with Deathwish Academy; even the main event slot on a Halloween show wasn’t enough.
Racism is not a joke, and Donnie was no racist. He would know, considering the variation of person and personality that exists in this crazy world.
With every shot to the heavy bag, every roll of the speed bag, it always helped with taking some of the pain away. The cuddles with Rachel helped as well; the match he just had in Daytona Beach with Bia at his side, especially with the win on his record, helped to push his stock up in FWP.
Donnie Harris was always an affirmative action sort of person: whoever wanted to stand with him, they were free to do so; whoever wanted to stand across from him, regardless of color, creed or gender identity, he was always affirmative about punching them in the face.
In the long run, it is just as easy to block, delete and otherwise cut off those people, as all they are, are toxic. But it was still extremely troubling.
Move forward, focus on what’s important: eyes on the prize; the best part was that he held that prize. Keeping it is the end goal. Maintaining his grip on supremacy is the primary objective, and it carried over everywhere he went.
Power through, maintain the strength and endurance to persevere, and do not let up, no matter what happens.
Donnie could feel his fears welling up, as he spent time in Florida, even as he spent his time with Rachel, because of this bullshit circulating. Sure, being a villain is fun, but it was one thing to play one on TV; to be one in real life, there are too many real-life villains, super and otherwise, to be actually concerned about.
He curled up more tightly to Rachel those nights, much more affectionately than just for simple comfort, because he needed the distraction, he needed to focus on her. It was the same at the gym, using that narrowed focus to get his mind on his goals, and the music helped too. Considering the variety of his musical preferences, it just hurt.
And it was all over a word choice.
There was nothing more angering, more frustrating, more painful that he has faced since dealing with his parents. At least they were gone now, and he could focus on building a family of his own, on making a family (or at least practice a lot of the time) of his own, to build that support web around himself. He just needed to be himself, to be strong. He just needed to keep being the champion that he earned the right to be, and he wasn’t going to give any ground, as long as he’s physically capable.-
-Donnie needed to keep his head down. It didn’t matter what he did either. All the distractions, all the press, all the people: it served to bog him down instead of build him up, as hard as he tried, as hard as he fought.
He trained his body, he read a few books to help build that distraction up in the form of a good story, he even prayed and meditated, to whatever would listen; it did so little to calm his anguish, his discourse. Even with all the work he did on himself to silence the background noise, all it did was remind him of how much more amplified it was in the foreground.
But the foreground was the easy part: direct competition, direct conversation, everything direct and to his face. Especially with this match against Stevie Satisfaction coming up, Donnie could focus his efforts on one target, one face, one force. Even with Alexandra Calaway trying to get all up in his face, there was nothing that would pull him away. He could glove up, stand in front of the punching bag, or whatever the hell he could stand up to and work out with, and just turn his mind off.
It wasn’t working. For all the things he has done before, for all the work he knew he could be putting in, there was a disconnection.
The harder he hit the bag, he lost his rhythm; the harder he pumped the iron, his body gave out way too soon; the more he craved the silence, the more often he lost perspective and he was interrupted by the noise of life.
At the end of the day, he checked his phone. He missed many notifications, and his hands shook from the exertion, not realizing how long he was pushing himself until he checked the time. Donnie Harris was in the gym for eight hours solid, no food and just water and the pre-workout protein he drank over seven hours ago. He shook because he was out of energy, out of the excess calories that would have helped him continue to build muscle and strengthen up.
It looked great on his endurance, considering he kept pushing and kept going, kept on fighting, but never had he felt more stupid. After a long shower, made longer by the fact his legs wanted to quit out from under him, he gets into his car and makes a phone call. He needed someone to talk to, and there was only one voice he absolutely needed to hear.-
)Rachel Demko(
Heya handsome, how’s your day been?
-The greeting was laced with a slight giggle as she answered, there was no denying that happiness and excitement as she spoke to him. Donnie sighed and smiled, covering his mouth as he swallowed a sob.
Just something about this woman’s voice took all the pain away, lightened the load, and lifted his spirits. It made him ready to cry, but, for the sake of him keeping it together, he let the tears roll down and that was it.-
)Donnie Harris(
Damn, yours is a voice I need to hear, baby. It has... it has certainly been a day. Sorry I’ve been missing your texts. I lost quite literally all track of time.
-He wrings his steering wheel, trying to fight away the shame of having spent all that time in the gym without so much as a crumb of food in his system, and the guilt that came with unintentionally shutting Rachel out.-
)Donnie Harris(
I’ve been missing you all week since I flew down to Florida, but I’ll be taking some time off after this next big show. I think I need to take us on a vacation.
-She could hear the sadness and shame laced in his voice; it had only been a few short months they had been together. However, they had taken the time to get to know one another in every way possible: she knew his work habits, she knew his routine, and the few messages that she did send him were simple reminders like to drink an extra bottle of water or eat something that isn’t blonde today. Rachel knew he’d call when he was free and now that she had him on the phone, she’d be more than happy to just listen.-
)Rachel Demko(
An us vacation, hmm? Somewhere we can just hide and be alone, possibly with a small gym for when I fall asleep?
)Donnie Harris(
No, a vacation where we can be us, just us: no gym, no expectations, no pressure.
-Donnie took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that she caught on to his feelings the second he called.-
)Donnie Harris(
I just want to spend time with you, Rachel, and we don’t need to worry about the world for a week. I know I missed your week off with being in Daytona Beach, but I want to give us a chance to play house, be the lovers we already are, show each other the simple and exquisite love we’ve been able to express with the little gestures, just like your rose.
-Donnie’s grip loosened on the steering wheel, but he hadn’t even started the engine yet. Even with the night sky encroaching with the coming of autumn that much earlier, the Eliminator needed rejuvenation.-
)Donnie Harris(
I don’t even want to consider where to go. I can set up a bulletin board with a bunch of options and we can play darts and go from there; I just need you.
)Rachel Demko(
Spontaneous, with a full seven days to do as we please when we please? You’re going to spoil me sir.
-It was in Rachel’s nature to be playful, to try her hardest to draw him out of his own head. He didn’t need to play mind games with himself; he was so much better than that, at least he was to her.-
)Rachel Demko(
You know, Thunder isn’t going to let you leave the moment you walk through the door right? He’ll want you to stay with us, and not just with me, which might not be a bad thing for you.
-Donnie just laughs, a good and hearty laugh.-
)Donnie Harris(
He warmed up to me as quickly as you did, thank God. Samoyeds have some sharp teeth in that crazy head of theirs.
-Donnie then sighs.-
)Donnie Harris(
He’s such a good, fluffy dog, and he never lets me leave willingly, unless he’s at my side. It’s like he’s more my dog than yours now; it’s like he knows.
)Rachel Demko(
Like he knows you’re his best friend and loves his mama. Yeah, he knows. The boys know too. Thunder won’t even let them within a few feet of me now: ANY of them, Donnie! He started it a day after you left. The only thing I hate is the leash on the bed... like hella early in the morning.
-She laughed again, and let out her own sort of sigh.-
)Rachel Demko(
We love you babe! I worry about you, and your hyperfocus you tend to get into.
)Donnie Harris(
That’s why I’m calling you. I can feel it setting in and it’s doing more harm than good this time. I was in that gym for eight hours, babe. Eight hours. All I’ve had is my water, basically. I’m surprised I’m still awake with how hard I train, but I think my body knew better. It’s hard to say.
-Donnie turns his engine over and, as the car warms up, he shifts the phone call from the handheld device to hands-free, so he can drive to the hotel.-
)Donnie Harris(
And I love you both too. And I worry about myself too. That’s why I have you two. Thunder is going to be a support animal by the end of my career, I bet.
)Rachel Demko(
You’re so gonna take him on the road when my contract is done here aren’t you? He’s gonna end up escorting you to ringside and do that incredible sit and stay you always manage to perfect with him.
-She paused a moment, and he could hear her tapping her nails on the table, trying to think of what was best for her man, and how to properly take care of him even if she was three time zones away, and on completely opposite sides of the country.-
)Rachel Demko(
Babe, I think you also need to get some food, so you have two options, I can have some delivered to your hotel for when you arrive, or you can keep me on the phone and go grab yourself some Chipotle with extra protein.
)Donnie Harris(
Oh my god, I’m not that into Chipotle.
-He says this with an off-hand, very bad impression of the Vine based on the popular fast food chain.-
)Donnie Harris(
I’m already on the road, and, with how late it is, I’m grabbing a quick bite, enough to at least fill my gut with nourishing food until tomorrow. Tomorrow starts my feed phase for match prep anyway, so I’ll be alright.
-Donnie sighs, and he wipes some of the tears from his eyes.-
)Donnie Harris(
I needed this. It has been difficult the last week, but how do you make it so much easier on me?
)Rachel Demko(
Because we talk every day, about the good and the bad. I could hear it in your voice that you couldn’t mentally handle the bad tonight. You’re exhausted, you’re spent, you’re doing everything you can to be okay, when all you need is the ten minutes of escape with the one you love to simply reset your mind. You’re not a bad person baby, you’re incredible, and I’m proud of you, Donnie.
-It wasn’t just the words that came out but how they came out proved she was truly proud of the wrestler and all he’s done in his career; Donnie silently, as he pulled into a parking lot, wept.-
)Rachel Demko(
You do know that, right?!
-Donnie takes a deep breath and sighs.-
)Donnie Harris(
With everything I am. I’m just at the restaurant now. Considering it’s a Sunday, it’s just McDonald’s, but it’s food.
-Donnie takes a napkin out of his glove box and wipes his eyes before blowing his nose.-
)Donnie Harris(
I love you, Rachel.
)Rachel Demko(
I love you more babe; there’s no denying you’re going to take every company you’re in by storm. Eat something my love, and sleep. I’ll text you when I am done with work, okay?
)Donnie Harris(
Fuck yeah, you will. You stay safe. I’m going to try to be gentle on my stomach.
-Donnie reaches out to press the End Call button on the screen.-
)Donnie Harris(
I love you more.
-He ends the call before she can retort, taking a deep breath as he cries a little bit more...-
-The arena was empty, but all the lights were on, with a single camera focused on the ring, which was not yet strung up and did not have its padding down at the time. Standing on the planks that made up the sub-floor of the ring, Donnie Harris, in a merchandise t-shirt and wearing the EPW World Heavyweight Title around his waist, leans against one of the ring posts.
The ring was barren, and even the extra seating was not laid out in the front rows. Of course, Donnie offered to help out to set the ring up after he was done, but, for the time being, everything was, essentially, bare bones in its preparation.-
)Donnie Harris(
This is the skeleton in the body of our work as professional wrestlers. These planks, this steel...
-Donnie slaps the ring post he was leaning on, before he straightens up and walks along the boards gingerly, as there was nothing keeping them from falling out from under him other than the pressure of his footfall. He moves to where the apron would be, and he hops down, holding the large EPW World Title plate so it didn’t dig into his abdomen or ribs when he lands.-
)Donnie Harris(
Under the canvas and thinly padded skin lays this foundation, where the sinew that is the ropes are fastened tightly around the ring, this is where we play our roles and perform for the common people that watch us put our bodies, minds and emotions on the line. We face each other with whatever you want to call it: passion; skill; luck; etcetera.
-He climbs up onto the padded guardrail, facing the camera, of course, looking out over the empty arena.-
)Donnie Harris(
Stevie, oh silly, silly Stevie Satisfaction. Stevie, Stevie, Stevie, Stevie, and this is how I intend to remember who the hell you are. You have certainly made it difficult for yourself, haven’t you? You put yourself through a war in this tournament, haven’t you? And, what’s more, you beat someone who got lucky. I have to congratulate you first, Morbid, for beating a guy like Je$TyR SeRyOuS, because that’s no walk in the park; I put the boots to him, but he still got one over on me. Honestly, I was expecting and looking forward to facing him, but, and I will take this with me to the grave, I will face anyone anywhere for this World Title, because I am the Champion, and I will remain Champion after And Justice For Brawl. What you face me with, Stevie, is nothing more than that same luck I referenced only a little while ago, and, for some, luck is all you need. However, and I hate to break it to you, luck is something that I do not lean on. Luck isn’t something I expect to work. Yeah, you had Morbid Wolf scouted enough to get out of the chokeslam, but I don’t use such things to win a match. I use something that has brought me to the combat sports dance, and that is a combination of my hands, my feet and what’s in my head.
-Donnie starts to walk on the guardrail like a balance beam, keeping himself good and stable as he traverses the narrow path, only about as wide as two-thirds of his foot size. Donnie just sticks his hands in his pockets, taking his time as he strode along the padding.-
)Donnie Harris(
You’re nimble, sure, but it was almost not enough to keep yourself ahead of someone who would consider himself a predator like Morbid Wolf. You need to remember that you faced someone who is nothing more than an Omega to me and my championship, a nobody in the grand scheme, whereas I am the man who reigns supreme. Even if SYNN was here, I have the advantage; even if Ally wants to get in my business again this weekend, I will remain the King of the EPW Elite. Clearly, Stevie, you are one of them, with how you showed up in this tournament, and I will not take that away from you. There was a decently solid set of brackets, and people like JMONT and the roughshod team that Je$TyR and Joli formed? They were merely warm-up matches. Yes, sure, I lost to J, but I still came out on top, still a champion. Besides, when you have guys like Erik Holland, who wants people feeling sorry for him over being abused, clearly this business is becoming more and more full of shit.
-Donnie sighs and shakes his head.-
)Donnie Harris(
Hate to break it to you, Erik, but you’re not the only damaged child in this business; no one wants to give you the valuable fuck you think you’re worth. Go back to NFW or Zion, where they coddle little bitches like you. I was abused too, by a father who wanted too much and a mother who did very little. They’re dead now, and buried too, so if you want to preach your cunty little clique bullshit in my home, you can go pull an Owen; only difference is that, for you, it won’t be a fucking accident.
-Donnie takes a deep breath, sitting the venomous bile out of his mouth and onto the bare floor he faced.-
)Donnie Harris(
But Erik Holland can keep his ass out of my business, because he is not worth my time or effort. It’s you, Stevie, taking the place that I held a year ago, as I stand in the place of a bigger bitch than this "Haunted” fuckwit: a man who calls himself BRADDOCK. He and I had a classic for this World Title.
-Donnie smacks the onyx-on-gold plate that bore the EPW logo, the very title that carried his name.-
)Donnie Harris(
And now, with the time gone by, with his worthless stain off of the EPW roster, the TRUE EPW roster, a real champion has taken his place, and it sure as hell isn’t Matt Knox, Justin York, or Clyde Newton; it’s “The Eliminator”, Donnie Harris. I am the original Outcast, and I bear this standard as such, as a true member of what is formerly known as Outcast Championship Wrestling. I am what elevates EPW, and that is what the World Champion does, Stevie. What are you going to do for EPW? What can any of you do to make EPW better than I have already done? I put the asses in seats, so the people can watch the real fights, whether it is against Calaway, formerly BRADDOCK, recently JMONT and Je$TyR. No one really wants to see Stevie Satisfaction, or Morbid Wolf for that matter. The product you would provide is stagnant before you even get into position; I will spend however long I need to take on October 13th in Boston, all in the name of proving myself right. I will be worth stacks of cash; you’re just worth food stamps, and there is no amount of welfare to pull you out of such a pile of shit.
-Donnie steps off the guardrail, patting the ring post opposite from where he started.-
)Donnie Harris(
And Justice For Brawl is coming, and it’s coming quickly. Soon, Boston will bear witness to a revitalization of EPW, erasing the memory of BRADDOCK and replacing it with the presence and majesty of EPW’s World Champion: Donnie Harris.