"I'll Play Your Game" 03.

[ZƎRO]

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Let me take you back to when this all started.

August 11th: Miles Larsen instructed me - moments before my match - that I was to lay down for Arianny Blake. That in doing so I would be granted an Absolute Championship match and it would jump start my American career. It was against my better judgement. I could have won and did things my way. But I put my career in his hands.

Also on that night, Bryce Albright savagely attacked myself and Arianny after our match, ripping my mask off in the process. Humiliating me in front of everyone, and spitting on the tradition that I have fallen into being a Luchador.

It was perhaps a sign when Bryce Albright won the Absolute Championship on the following event. A chance for me to have my revenge against the man who tried to ruin my career.

But I have not received the title opportunity that was promised. Arianny Blake failed to keep her end of the deal and Miles’ actions have relegated me to a tournament. A tournament to determine the next challenger for the opportunity that should be mine. I defeated Bear Reynolds to make it to this round and now I’m face to face with a man that Miles wants me to call my “partner”.

Issak Otto. Issak defeated Zerotine, who was as talented as a piece of cardboard. This is Issak’s second match in this company. This is my seventh. I have defeated people that were said to be better than me. I have broken arms and ended careers. I shouldn’t have to waste time with a tournament. Promise or not - deal or not - the contendership should be mine.

But I’ll play your game, Shawn DeLise.

I don’t traditionally step into Deathmatches. They’re an abomination in this industry - one that I try to revive every time I step into the ring, but I’ll play your game.

Bryce Albright has been selected as the special referee for this match and I could easily for-go this match and have my revenge on Bryce tonight. I could disregard the contendership match and take out Bryce, but I won’t. Instead I will focus on this match. I will win this match. And my revenge will be that much sweeter when I destroy Bryce and take his championship.

Issak may not have the same mentality that I do. Issak may not be able to focus on the match and opportunity in front of him because Miles Larsen isn’t here to direct him. Issak looks to Miles for validation and direction. With Miles absent, Issak could very well go off of the deep end and ignore what’s right in front of him, blinded by the motive of revenge

If he’s focused, then I am ready. His strength and technical prowess doesn't intimidate me. For where he is strong, he has his weaknesses. He lacks focus and composure, two fundamentals of successfully defeating me. His speed is lackluster and he will have a hard time moving to avoid my strikes. While he can lock submissions with the best of them, it’s a skill that I am not rivaled in. But perhaps the biggest strike against him is his experience. I’ve been in this business five years longer than he has. In those five years you learn a lot about, not only yourself as a competitor, but how to get passed challenges such as Issak Otto.

I will use all of these tools to my advantage in just minutes in order to claim what is rightfully mine - that number one contendership. Sorry, Issak but I deserve this more than you do. And I deserve to have Bryce Albright for myself given everything he’s done to me and to Miles in the last two months.

This is my match to win.

And I will win.

====================

“ZERO; are you ready?” Lauren asked. ZERO sat on a steel chair backstage at The Arena. ZERO looked up, eyes meeting Lauren’s, before he shot up to his feet in a quick motion. Lauren watched the masked fighter of Larsen International approach her. And then something she never expected to happen, happened. ZERO spoke. “Tonight, Isaak. Next: Bryce.”. It took Lauren by surprise to the point where she remained silent and motionless even as ZERO walked past her. Leaving us with the sounds of his entrance music...

“TO THE SOUND OF THE MONSTRANCE CLOCK…”