Pressure || RP #1 vs Mondae Chaos

[Bear Reynolds]

We find Bear in an unusual setting – a graveyard. The sun lights up the headstones and the trees cast shadows across the mausoleums. Bear sits underneath a willow tree, occupying a bench that commemorates someone long gone. Despite the weather, he sits in one of his best black suits.

“Unfortunately, I wasn't invited to my own funeral. Though considering the current state of the company, I wouldn't be surprised if it was less my funeral, and more RSW's. Mondae Chaos and the cronies she calls the MGM would love to believe that the Revolution is over, but I won't let it fail. If I did that, RSW would be dead within the next few weeks, and it's already on its last legs when you consider who the current champions and owners are. Hanalei lost to Arianny, but I prevailed and I will not allow the Revolution to fall. Even if I have to carry it on myself, I will, if only to bring change to RSW. 'That's a lot of pressure', you may be thinking. Well, I'm used to pressure.”

“At Screamfest, I stepped into the ring with thirteen other people and walked away with a shot at the Bay Area Championship. All whilst keeping my composure. But now I have to deal with a different kind of pressure – the pressure of competing in the main event against the Supreme Champion. Ever since the card was revealed, people have been asking me how I'm going to handle going up against Mondae Chaos. After all, she's a tough opponent, and didn't become the champion through sheer luck.”

“Unlike her boyfriend,” Bear's face twists into a grimace as Jace O'Brien is mentioned, “whom I will have the pleasure of taking the Bay Area Championship from in due time,” back to a calmer, more neutral expression, “Mondae serves as a challenge. I'm aware of her love of underhanded tactics, her lack of self-control, and also her in-ring ability – if she chooses to use it. She has made no effort to conceal the advantages she has over me in terms of speed, strength, power...but she is unaware that I have defeated people before with similar attributes. Yes, my only victory prior to Screamfest was against Sammi and Zach – both of whom had strength, speed, and power advantages over me – but I've also faced off and beaten people who are ten times tougher than I am. I've beaten men who could kill you with one punch, I've caused people faster than me to fall. And how have I done that? With one submission hold.”

“You see Mondae, you may have a speed, power, and strength advantage, but you lack one of the fundamentals of wrestling – composure. When you realise that I take more than a few punches to be taken down, you're going to lose control. And as you reach for that lead pipe, I will grab your arm and bend it back. I'll break it, if I have to. Though considering your submission defence is much lower than other competitors I have faced, I imagine it won't take long for me to make you tap. You'll try to fight out of it, use your power over me, but from that point on you will know that I'm not going to take the abuse from you. I'm a gentleman, but I'm not a doormat.”

A pause, and Bear's face falls into a more serious expression. It's one of the darkest he's used since his debut.

“You say you'll beat some respect into me? It's you who needs to be taught a thing or two about respect. As the Supreme Champion, I would have expected more from you, but I suppose expecting kindness from a disease is asking too much. It's unfortunate, because you're so young and have so much potential to make RSW better than it is. Yet you force it to suffer.”

Bear takes a moment to compose himself, taking a few deep breaths.

“I apologise for my choice of words, but there's only so far you can bend something before it snaps – something I will show you in our match. For now though, let's celebrate my funeral. Because if I die at Vendetta, then RSW will perish with me. But just know that it will be resurrected when I win the Bay Area Championship. After all, people may fall, but revolutions don't die.”

Bear looks out at the graveyard, leaning back against the bench as the scene fades out.