Post by s2k on Apr 27, 2023 4:32:30 GMT
A vignette, a montage of memories, flash upon the screen, displaying significant milestones belonging to the duo known as Strike 2 Kill. Moments, though fleeting, that come in an abundance, as they pose with a variety of different championship belts from several different promotions, one after the other, whilst their appearances simultaneously upgrades along the way.
Suddenly, a pause.
We're taken elsewhere, an empty dimly lit locker room that has a steel chair situated in the middle of it.
From the darkness emerges a figure, dressed in a Dark coloured jacket with a recognizable beige shirt and purple spotted tie, which he adjusts before taking a seat. His hands connect as he crosses on leg over the other and gazes into the camera lens, allowing a sleezy smirk to plaster over his lips.
MURPHY: "My name is Gregory Murphy and I've managed Strike 2 Kill for the last three years, known the pair for the last five, give or take."
As Murphy finishes his sentence, the scene switches.
A moment, two photographs, align next to each other displaying two juveniles, recognizable yet different.
The duo in their adolescence.
MURPHY: "When I found them they were these uncut gems, these raw diamonds ready to burst onto the scene. Both of them started on very different paths, with Liam Richardson learning his trade in his hometown of London, England - whilst Miles Watson was fighting his way through the system here in the States, competing heavily in the New York independent scene and cage fighting in the octagon. They come from two different backgrounds."
Fragmentations of the past flicker on the screen, a past belonging to Liam Richardson.
MURPHY: "Now Liam would tell you himself, he was a troubled kid when I met him. He still kinda is, but he's maturing as the years go on, finding himself, that sort of thing. To come from a wealthy background and decide that you wanna become a pro wrestler... it's a bold move, especially when your wealthy parents are breathing down your neck hoping you'd become an investment banker or something. But the kid made his decision pretty early and there was no turning back once he did.
"Back in the beginning they used to call him 'The Soulless Assassin', because of the way he'd come down to the ring, eye-balling people with this vacant look in his eyes... soulless. And then when the bell rung, pure assassin. He was ruthless, like he had something to prove to the world, because he felt as though it rejected him. His parents had rejected his decision to become a pro wrestler. He felt like the industry was rejecting him because of his background and unorthodox approach. It truly was, him against the world at that point."
There's another switch in the film reel and we're transported to the past of Miles Watson.
MURPHY: "Miles on the other hand, he was a kid from Brooklyn. Came from a good home, but still it's Brooklyn, so it wasn't easy for him. His Dad passed when he was 14, so he had to become the man of the house a lot sooner than he would've wanted. It was tough on him. Being the oldest kid with younger siblings, it's tough, for anyone for that matter. But Miles knew what he wanted to do and he and his Dad used to watch wrestling shows together whenever he wasn't at work. And he'd tell his Dad that one day, he'd be in that ring, competing.
"He was quite a quiet kid when I met him -I didn't really think much of him, I'll be honest. But then the lights went down and his music hit and he had this aura, when he stepped out from behind the curtain. I don't know you could just sense it, in that moment, that this kid had IT. And then I saw what he could do in the ring and it all clicked. They called him 'The Technical Marvel' as he made his way down and I could see from the way he moved in the ring that this guy had seriously honed his craft to a tee. He'd spent hours on end, on his movement, the little details in reversals and holds, everything was just beautifully timed and executed, and you couldn't dispute it... the kid was going right to the top."
A sudden halt. A single light flickers and we're back in the locker room, in the company of Gregory Murphy, who rubbing his hands together, quiet and reminiscent.
MURPHY: "At the start of their careers, when they were singles athletes and hadn't been introduced to one another, you could see that they had all the potential in the world to do something special in this industry. Natural charisma, charm and talent. That's three things you can't teach, you either have or you don't and these two, they've had it from the very start."
"I could get all sentimental right now talking to you about this... talking about the humble beginnings, and all the hurdles and obstacles these boys had to overcome to get here. The teams they've had to face, the personal demons they've had to tackle. In New Frontier, Zion, UPRISING... in the last two years, Strike 2 Kill have managed to become accumulate championship after championship, in promotion after promotion - becoming journeymen of the tag team scene. They've defied the odds when they were stacked against them, delivered on the international stage and basked in the sweet taste of glory. They've done it all but their journey's only just beginning."
Murphy has a grin that grows on his face, with a sleaziness about him that's discouraging yet optimistic.
MURPHY: "What stuck to me about them was their desire, their hunger to be the best team in the world. They still have that passion, it's burning brighter than ever before and now, they're going after the CULT Double Homicide Championships. A title which has revived the interest of tag team wrestling, inviting challengers from all over the world... a title which has become synonymous to the team of Three Ring Barney. Titles they've already in the past tried to attain but they couldn't. But since then, they've only grown as a team. They've only enhanced and now their eyes are set firmly on securing those championships and making them the most prestigious tag titles in the industry! Another title to add to the already illustrious collection, another accolade to boast in their claim of being the best team in the world. That's what this is all about.
Let's not beat around the bush here. Combat Unlimited Lethal Trials has already built a reputation of being the home not for the faint hearted. This is a place that will chew you up and spit you out if you let it, and there's been plenty of great names, that have come and gone, seeking to etch their names in this company's history. But they didn't. They failed, and they'll be forgotten, like those who tried before them. S2K's legacy is about never being forgotten. It's about etching their names in history, as one of the greatest to ever do it. And in doing so, they felt obliged to come back to CULT. To become Double Homicide Champions."
Murphy's enthusiasm quickly fades as a figure slowly emerges onto the scene. Voodoo has her eyes set on the head of Murphy, who watches her with unease and curiosity.
MURPHY: "You're not seriously gonna do this now, are you?"
VOODOO: "There's an aura about you... I can sense it. I don't see why not, now is as good a time as any."
She slowly brings her head closer to his, curling her fingers round a patch of his hair.
VOODOO: "This will only take a moment..."
She plucks out strands of Murphy's hair and he winces, biting his lip as she examines the strands.
VOODOO: "Hmmm... I think this should go well in the collection."
MURPHY: "You're not seriously gonna do this now, are you?"
VOODOO: "There's an aura about you... I can sense it. I don't see why not, now is as good a time as any."
She slowly brings her head closer to his, curling her fingers round a patch of his hair.
VOODOO: "This will only take a moment..."
She plucks out strands of Murphy's hair and he winces, biting his lip as she examines the strands.
VOODOO: "Hmmm... I think this should go well in the collection."
She places the strand into a clear plastic bag, already containing more strands of hair from a variety of unknown participants. Murphy cringes at the sight of it.
MURPHY: "Ya think?!"
VOODOO: "Yes, I do, actually."
MURPHY: "Well great for you then."
He holds onto his head, milking his anguish.
VOODOO: "I suppose it is... now onto why I'm really here...can I see them?"
MURPHY: "See what now?"
VOODOO: "Can I see your clients, Strike 2 Kill. That's the whole reason why I'm here in the first place. You kinda just went off on a tandem before I could even ask, but, yeah, are they available?"
VOODOO: "Is there anything you'd like to directly say to your opponents at Heaven Sent?"
Liam Richardson stands in the middle of a ring, with sweat slivering down his forehead and a towel wrapped around his neck, looking exhausted. He holds onto a water bottle which he briefly pours over his head before handing it over to Gregory Murphy, who stands beside him. Richardson turns to the camera, flicking his hair upwards and smirking.
RICHARDSON: "Oi, oi, dickheads. We're back. Back from the graves, Heaven fuckin' Sent!
Watson steps foot into frame to alongside his partner, his eyes glued to the lens.
VOODOO: "Is that all you have to say?"
RICHARDSON: "What... did you think you'd seen the last of us? You probably all thought we were rotting away in those graves that Three Ring Barney dug for us... but as you can see, we're very much alive and still fucking standing. Live and in the flesh. We've walked this road before and came up short. We're not disillusioned from our past, nor do we try and run away from it. So now here we are, back in the thick of it in Combat Unlimited Lethal Trials, taking our shot at the Double Homicide titles, once more. We're running towards our shortcomings, facing them head on and wanting to correct some wrongs."
He inhales the air, shutting his eyes for a moment as he exhales, reopening with a frantic look in his eyes.
RICHARDSON: "Deathmatch in Dallas was an eyeopener. That was a long time ago but since then, we acknowledged that CULT is a different beast entirely. Combat Unlimited Lethal Trials truly is a prestige promotion and the division has only strengthened since our last outing... and so have we. But we're aware of the threat, we're aware that the teams we're up against, aren't gonna be slouches. You can't be a slouch if you beat Three Ring Barney and that's exactly what you guys did, The Walkers.
They did the unthinkable, what people deemed unfathomable, and beat the team that put those titles on the map. It's commendable. It's highly impressive, it's the win of the year, but now you have to carry those titles into another level. Now, you have the world coming after you - and a team, desperate, to right their wrongs. All eyes are on the champions making waves, but we're surging through the undercurrent, ready to pounce. A team that has come a long way since Dallas. Your first championship defense has the potential of being your last and that's something you'll have to bear."
WATSON: "And to the Heartkillers, don't think for a second we've forgotten about you, nah, that ain't the case. We always got time for a couple of scumbags, no doubt. Respectfully. They've been about doing their thing too. They've beaten teams, gone through opponents, did all the nasty work that others ain't tryna do and now they've got an opportunity at the gold... they're gonna be hungry, just like us. They're young, just like us and they wanna leave their mark here in CULT... just like us. The difference is, you've been showing out here and we haven't even scratched the surface... we're only just getting ourselves back in the fold, but already our intentions are crystal clear."
As Miles finishes his sentence Voodoo raises her hand, and he nods towards her.
VOODOO: "Your intentions being the same as the last time you were here... which you failed at accomplishing?"
WATSON: "Everything happens for a reason, B."
VOODOO: "Is that your explanation for every loss?"
She's quick with her response, snappy which catches Watson off-guard.
WATSON: "No... but losses are part of the journey and our time wasn't then. It wasn't meant to be. We weren't up to the task, even though we thought we were, we choked under the pressure. That's the be all and end all in this sport. It can make you or break. But we ain't lying down in the dirt, or rotting in the mud, nah, we back up ready to run shop for round two, except this time we're getting our hands on what's ours. I ain't gonna lie to you, we took that shit personally.
Dallas, it was personal. Since then, we've been watching, we've been waiting, biding our time and watching this division rise into becoming one of the best in the world... but it never left us. That feeling of resent, that feeling of anguish and pain, it stayed with us up until now. It's fueling us right now, more than ever, to ensure that this time round, we get the job done. I'm sick of half measures. I'm sick of reminiscing on past failures. But we ain't gonna sit around and wallow, it's time to get to work and do somethin' about it. At Heaven Sent, Strike 2 Kill make their return and we're ready to cap it off in the finest of ways. We're ready to take this division."
The scene gradually fades.
