Post by AJ Knight on Jun 28, 2024 3:49:16 GMT
AJ paces the floor of the Krull dojo furious at the card announcement.
"Opening match!? Are you serious? I'm opening the card against some newcomer? What am I the welcoming committee? I was the champ not long ago, but it seems ever since I unmasked Pulver last year Duke's done everything in his power to keep me down! This is utter bullshit!"
Bastian Krull rolls his eyes at AJ.
"Adam, frankly after that rant you went on in your last interview with Sam Hewitt you should be thankful you didn't get suspended. Hell they didn't even post the rest of that interview. Duke's not going to put up with your shit the way Nelson did, and I've told you that. Especially not now that Pollo Bucket's not mandating that he keep stars for brand recognition. And frankly you haven't given much reason to book you any higher."
AJ glares at Bastian Krull.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?
"It's been almost a year, and you're still obsessing over Matt Pulver, who's spent more time injured than he's spent in the ring since then. You've made no progress since then towards any kind of goal, you've not made any waves and not gotten anybody talking about that anything besides an issue that was resolved almost a year ago. Frankly your issues with management aren't being helped by acting like Pulver's bitter jealous ex."
AJ knows Bastian's right, but he can't really admit it.
"So what, you just want me to drop it?"
Bastian gives him the mother of all "No Duh" looks.
"I don't get why you haven't already. You exposed him, you took his belt and you made him tap. YOU WON!"
"Then why don't I feel like I did? Why are they still cheering him? Why does everyone still treat me like public enemy #1? Why do people keep acting like I'm some mastermind because I told them the truth they didn't want to hear? WHY DID HE GET EVERYTHING HE WANTED, AND I'M STILL STUCK WHERE I AM!? WHY DID HE STILL WIN!?"
Bastian actually starts to get mad. It looks like it's tough love time.
"Because you let him win! Because you've been letting him win for the last 5 years. Because you can't just let shit go! You're a world class wrestler, whose spent the better part of 6 years acting like a pouty teenager! Everything you don't have right now is on you! You don't make it better for yourself. If you would just put the same kind of energy into winning titles as you did into your petty revenge against Matt, you'd have beaten Cutlass' record by now!"
AJ takes a breath.
"So, what this guy's a wrestling robot or some shit?"
"I figure it's like how the Pollo's weren't actually chickens but claimed to be. it's mind games. He's going for the cold detached approach. But that's not what wrestling's about. It's a mental game sure, but it's about passion. It's about spirit. Looking at wrestling based on raw numbers, it makes no sense. A guy like you, should never have made it this far. This is a new era of wrestling in the Great Lakes, and this is the first match of that era. You've got to figure out how you want it to be defined. A clinical numbers game based on data and figures, or the art you love."
AJ pauses to think. He knew that Bastian Krull was right as usual. His emotional nature had always driven his whole career, it helped him survive the ordeal with the Red Army. It led him to be able to defeat greats like Julian Cutlass. When he controlled them. Lately it had seemed to be the opposite unlike before when he used his intellect to channel his emotions, he'd let his emotions override his intellect, and do things he'd objectively known were dumb. NEXUS' detachment from everything was perhaps something he could perhaps learn something from but the ideas he and the professor had for wrestling were unacceptable to him.
"I think I can handle that Bastian."
"Alright, let's get you focused. Back to basics. Run the ropes."
AJ rolls his eyes but goes to do as Bastian says. After all there's a reason AJ still came to him.
"Opening match!? Are you serious? I'm opening the card against some newcomer? What am I the welcoming committee? I was the champ not long ago, but it seems ever since I unmasked Pulver last year Duke's done everything in his power to keep me down! This is utter bullshit!"
Bastian Krull rolls his eyes at AJ.
"Adam, frankly after that rant you went on in your last interview with Sam Hewitt you should be thankful you didn't get suspended. Hell they didn't even post the rest of that interview. Duke's not going to put up with your shit the way Nelson did, and I've told you that. Especially not now that Pollo Bucket's not mandating that he keep stars for brand recognition. And frankly you haven't given much reason to book you any higher."
AJ glares at Bastian Krull.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?
"It's been almost a year, and you're still obsessing over Matt Pulver, who's spent more time injured than he's spent in the ring since then. You've made no progress since then towards any kind of goal, you've not made any waves and not gotten anybody talking about that anything besides an issue that was resolved almost a year ago. Frankly your issues with management aren't being helped by acting like Pulver's bitter jealous ex."
AJ knows Bastian's right, but he can't really admit it.
"So what, you just want me to drop it?"
Bastian gives him the mother of all "No Duh" looks.
"I don't get why you haven't already. You exposed him, you took his belt and you made him tap. YOU WON!"
"Then why don't I feel like I did? Why are they still cheering him? Why does everyone still treat me like public enemy #1? Why do people keep acting like I'm some mastermind because I told them the truth they didn't want to hear? WHY DID HE GET EVERYTHING HE WANTED, AND I'M STILL STUCK WHERE I AM!? WHY DID HE STILL WIN!?"
Bastian actually starts to get mad. It looks like it's tough love time.
"Because you let him win! Because you've been letting him win for the last 5 years. Because you can't just let shit go! You're a world class wrestler, whose spent the better part of 6 years acting like a pouty teenager! Everything you don't have right now is on you! You don't make it better for yourself. If you would just put the same kind of energy into winning titles as you did into your petty revenge against Matt, you'd have beaten Cutlass' record by now!"
AJ takes a breath.
"So, what this guy's a wrestling robot or some shit?"
"I figure it's like how the Pollo's weren't actually chickens but claimed to be. it's mind games. He's going for the cold detached approach. But that's not what wrestling's about. It's a mental game sure, but it's about passion. It's about spirit. Looking at wrestling based on raw numbers, it makes no sense. A guy like you, should never have made it this far. This is a new era of wrestling in the Great Lakes, and this is the first match of that era. You've got to figure out how you want it to be defined. A clinical numbers game based on data and figures, or the art you love."
AJ pauses to think. He knew that Bastian Krull was right as usual. His emotional nature had always driven his whole career, it helped him survive the ordeal with the Red Army. It led him to be able to defeat greats like Julian Cutlass. When he controlled them. Lately it had seemed to be the opposite unlike before when he used his intellect to channel his emotions, he'd let his emotions override his intellect, and do things he'd objectively known were dumb. NEXUS' detachment from everything was perhaps something he could perhaps learn something from but the ideas he and the professor had for wrestling were unacceptable to him.
"I think I can handle that Bastian."
"Alright, let's get you focused. Back to basics. Run the ropes."
AJ rolls his eyes but goes to do as Bastian says. After all there's a reason AJ still came to him.