Post by AJ Knight on Jan 21, 2024 3:42:10 GMT
August 21, 2023
I beat him… I BEAT him… I BEAT HIM!
AJ couldn’t believe his eyes, Pollo Dorado; or rather Matt Pulver just tapped out. As he watched his hand bounce off the mat, ecstasy filled AJ. The first time in his life either in sparring or real competition he’d ever gotten one over on Matt… He just tapped out the greatest technician on the planet!
Vindication. Now the world sees the real Matt. The one only I know….
The mask slips off, the face he could see through the mask… and AJ’s stomach fell…
They’re cheering? Why? WHY!? He lied to them… HE LIED!! But he’s their hero still… why…
“Give me the mask!”
The words came out far rougher and less dignified than he’d hoped, but this was his right. Matt would not deny him this satisfaction. He could have the crowd, but the mask? That would be his. And then… It happened… The mask flew into the crowd…
No… NO!
That smug smirk of his as he left, that grin of a loser who stole the glory from his victor… it burned inside AJ’s mind…
I beat him… so why does it still feel like he won?
Present Day
It would be his first time back in the ring since his daring campaign through the Hijo Memorial. Admittedly it was a tough loss, but he had to give it to the kid. MEZA got the best of him, but AJ couldn’t take anything away from him. In some ways he was almost proud to hand the man his well earned prize. Matt’s attempted intervention on the night rubbed AJ the wrong way.
Pulver of all people should have known AJ was better than that. After all, when Pulver beat him for The King of Lion’s Title, he shook his hand. He didn’t for instance toss the belt from the ring to deny him the dignity of a hard fought and well earned victory. Meza hadn’t done anything wrong to him. So why would he do anything to him?
Matt lived in a world of black and white, and AJ was a bad guy, so to Matt there was no depth he wouldn’t stoop to. Even AJ wouldn’t deny his status as the bad guy, but even the bad guys have their reasons.
The problem was Matt could never understand that. In a just world, Matt’s experience under the Pollos’ thumb would have given him perspective. The months he was forced to lie, and hide behind a mask and go against the man he wanted to be, would allow him to understand that reality exists in shades of gray. That the men in the white hats are not as perfect as they seem, and the men in black hats, the same as them if not for circumstances pushing them in the other direction.
But Matt couldn’t see it that way. It was forgivable to lie to the fans and athletic commissions, because he was desperate to step back in the ring. It was perfectly fine that he tossed his mask to the crowd instead of handing it to AJ, because AJ was the bad guy…
…When all he’d done wrong was call out his hypocrisy.
Maybe that’s why he couldn’t just drop this. Some people always paid for their crimes. Karma had visited AJ many times over, but Matt? He got away with everything. The fans would always love him no matter what he did wrong. Even when Matt lost, it never seemed to stick.
I beat him… I beat him… Why doesn’t it matter?
If anything Matt was better off than ever before. He got everything he wanted. Sure he lost the title. Sure he’s on Los Pollos shitlist. But he’s his own man, on the path to regaining the title, with more support from the fans than perhaps he ever had…
And I gave that to him!
That’s why it wasn’t over. Why it couldn’t be…
Not until Matt understands…
“AJ… Earth to AJ!”
AJ’s ruminations are interrupted by the voice of Bastian Krull as AJ’s old beat up 1996 Volvo returns to view, zooming 10 miles over the speed limit.
“Dojo’s back there, kid! You missed it!”
AJ pulled into a parking lot for a place to turn around. AJ took a breath.
He’s going to understand… Whatever it costs me… After all, what do I still have left to pay?
I beat him… I BEAT him… I BEAT HIM!
AJ couldn’t believe his eyes, Pollo Dorado; or rather Matt Pulver just tapped out. As he watched his hand bounce off the mat, ecstasy filled AJ. The first time in his life either in sparring or real competition he’d ever gotten one over on Matt… He just tapped out the greatest technician on the planet!
Vindication. Now the world sees the real Matt. The one only I know….
The mask slips off, the face he could see through the mask… and AJ’s stomach fell…
They’re cheering? Why? WHY!? He lied to them… HE LIED!! But he’s their hero still… why…
“Give me the mask!”
The words came out far rougher and less dignified than he’d hoped, but this was his right. Matt would not deny him this satisfaction. He could have the crowd, but the mask? That would be his. And then… It happened… The mask flew into the crowd…
No… NO!
That smug smirk of his as he left, that grin of a loser who stole the glory from his victor… it burned inside AJ’s mind…
I beat him… so why does it still feel like he won?
Present Day
It would be his first time back in the ring since his daring campaign through the Hijo Memorial. Admittedly it was a tough loss, but he had to give it to the kid. MEZA got the best of him, but AJ couldn’t take anything away from him. In some ways he was almost proud to hand the man his well earned prize. Matt’s attempted intervention on the night rubbed AJ the wrong way.
Pulver of all people should have known AJ was better than that. After all, when Pulver beat him for The King of Lion’s Title, he shook his hand. He didn’t for instance toss the belt from the ring to deny him the dignity of a hard fought and well earned victory. Meza hadn’t done anything wrong to him. So why would he do anything to him?
Matt lived in a world of black and white, and AJ was a bad guy, so to Matt there was no depth he wouldn’t stoop to. Even AJ wouldn’t deny his status as the bad guy, but even the bad guys have their reasons.
The problem was Matt could never understand that. In a just world, Matt’s experience under the Pollos’ thumb would have given him perspective. The months he was forced to lie, and hide behind a mask and go against the man he wanted to be, would allow him to understand that reality exists in shades of gray. That the men in the white hats are not as perfect as they seem, and the men in black hats, the same as them if not for circumstances pushing them in the other direction.
But Matt couldn’t see it that way. It was forgivable to lie to the fans and athletic commissions, because he was desperate to step back in the ring. It was perfectly fine that he tossed his mask to the crowd instead of handing it to AJ, because AJ was the bad guy…
…When all he’d done wrong was call out his hypocrisy.
Maybe that’s why he couldn’t just drop this. Some people always paid for their crimes. Karma had visited AJ many times over, but Matt? He got away with everything. The fans would always love him no matter what he did wrong. Even when Matt lost, it never seemed to stick.
I beat him… I beat him… Why doesn’t it matter?
If anything Matt was better off than ever before. He got everything he wanted. Sure he lost the title. Sure he’s on Los Pollos shitlist. But he’s his own man, on the path to regaining the title, with more support from the fans than perhaps he ever had…
And I gave that to him!
That’s why it wasn’t over. Why it couldn’t be…
Not until Matt understands…
“AJ… Earth to AJ!”
AJ’s ruminations are interrupted by the voice of Bastian Krull as AJ’s old beat up 1996 Volvo returns to view, zooming 10 miles over the speed limit.
“Dojo’s back there, kid! You missed it!”
AJ pulled into a parking lot for a place to turn around. AJ took a breath.
He’s going to understand… Whatever it costs me… After all, what do I still have left to pay?