Post by Zack Fantana on Nov 4, 2016 1:45:35 GMT -5
Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.
Zack Fantana squints in the sunlight to study the words inscribed on the side of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
"There are few places around in which you can escape the hollow rhetoric and vitriol that's associated with the city today. This is one of them."
Fantana takes a moment to read the words one more time before turning on his heals and away from the monument.
"The rest of the city I could do without, but it is a fitting setting for my match against Carmen Cambridge and Benny Stevens.
Let's start with Cambridge. Much like a politician, it feels like she's on the campaign trail to convince anyone that will listen that she will be the first Resilience Champion, because she's been tossing the word 'resilience' around like she's got a quota to meet. I'm sure she's doing it right now, canvassing the city like a campaign staffer making up for sick leave. Even the old, senile religious zealot on the corner holding a 'The End is Nigh' sign has to be thinking, 'Okay crazy, ease up on the sales pitch.'"
Zack takes care to avoid said religious zealot by taking an abrupt turn.
"Being a salesman is an honest living, but it doesn't make you more believable. In fact, it leads me to believe your words should be taken with a grain of salt. But Carmen takes pride in her salesmanship. You want proof? She bragged about her social media presence in the same sentence that she ridiculed me for replying to a fan letter. Let's ignore the obvious hypocrisy in that statement and just take it at face value. What that says to me is that this is all for show with Carmen. She's removed the personal element with her fans entirely. Every comment, every interaction is part of her sales pitch and the fans who buy her merchandise are just faceless donors to her campaign.
That's incredibly business savvy and I'd personally like to take a moment to applaud Carmen for that commitment to the sale. I think it's great. No, really, I do. Any additional eyeball on me as I become the promotion's very first champion can only be considered beneficial. She's earnt every penny of her contract already.
See, I was never worried about your salary, Carmen. If that's what you think, you've missed the plot entirely. When I mentioned your salary, my point was that you've been given more than anyone else in this tournament and you still play the part of the little guy. You've tried to sell us on the fact that you've faced some hard times, but the struggles you've faced are the status quo in this business."
A collection of businessmen edge past Fantana, leading him to pause.
"But this city is full of liars and politicians, so let's move onto another - Benjamin or Benny Stevens, if the truth is too unsettling for you.
What you said is correct, Benny. I did make it personal in my letter. I gave you advice that I thought would help you. Would you rather have some pseudo-inspirational cookie cutter response instead? Write a letter to John Blade. No, what you should have done is heed my advice and learn from my mistakes because I'm the prototype for your success in this business. Instead you chose to lash out when confronted with the truth. Well, if my simple words angered you, that speaks volumes to me. The truth is often a bitter pill to swallow.
I wasn't lying in my letter, Stevens. I know your type. I used to be you. Like you said, we have a lot in common. Not only our fighting styles, but our family backgrounds. What interests me more is what separates us. The way I see it, the major difference between you and me is that you're always looking to play the victim. You actually want people to feel sorry for you. That's why you took those cameras to cemetery, right? You're trying to elicit a reaction. Well, that's emotional blackmail and I'm not going to fall for it."
A homeless gentleman holding a cardboard sign with "Laid off, please help" scrawled across it stops Fantana in his tracks. He quickly opens up his wallet and drops a few bills into the man's hat.
"Do you want to know a dirty secret? I don't feel sorry for you, Stevens. Based on what you've told me, I'm sure that unnerves you but it shouldn't. You should relish it. You want sustainable success in this business? Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Hold yourself accountable. And stop pining for sympathy. It makes you soft.
That's probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's what you needed to hear. See, I'm not a man of the people. Why would I want to be? Most people these days are sniveling cowards, a gutless generation raised on participation trophies and coddled by political correctness. What I am is a man for the people. I don't aspire to be relatable like you, Benny, because I don't want to be like you; I want to be more. I want to be part of the avant-garde in this company - the benchmark for success in the Alpha Wrestling Empire.
Do you think I responded the way I did to dismiss you? Far from it. It was a challenge. I want to push you. I want the best Benny Stevens and Carmen Cambridge I can get, because that means when I defeat you both and go on to become the Resilience Champion, no one will ever doubt the re-emergence of Zack Fantana. It's been nearly ten months since championship gold has been around my waist and I'm itching to get it back.
I know that you each have vowed to walk away with that championship at Massacre, but here we are in Washington, D.C., the land of broken promises. What's another two on the list?"
Zack Fantana squints in the sunlight to study the words inscribed on the side of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
"There are few places around in which you can escape the hollow rhetoric and vitriol that's associated with the city today. This is one of them."
Fantana takes a moment to read the words one more time before turning on his heals and away from the monument.
"The rest of the city I could do without, but it is a fitting setting for my match against Carmen Cambridge and Benny Stevens.
Let's start with Cambridge. Much like a politician, it feels like she's on the campaign trail to convince anyone that will listen that she will be the first Resilience Champion, because she's been tossing the word 'resilience' around like she's got a quota to meet. I'm sure she's doing it right now, canvassing the city like a campaign staffer making up for sick leave. Even the old, senile religious zealot on the corner holding a 'The End is Nigh' sign has to be thinking, 'Okay crazy, ease up on the sales pitch.'"
Zack takes care to avoid said religious zealot by taking an abrupt turn.
"Being a salesman is an honest living, but it doesn't make you more believable. In fact, it leads me to believe your words should be taken with a grain of salt. But Carmen takes pride in her salesmanship. You want proof? She bragged about her social media presence in the same sentence that she ridiculed me for replying to a fan letter. Let's ignore the obvious hypocrisy in that statement and just take it at face value. What that says to me is that this is all for show with Carmen. She's removed the personal element with her fans entirely. Every comment, every interaction is part of her sales pitch and the fans who buy her merchandise are just faceless donors to her campaign.
That's incredibly business savvy and I'd personally like to take a moment to applaud Carmen for that commitment to the sale. I think it's great. No, really, I do. Any additional eyeball on me as I become the promotion's very first champion can only be considered beneficial. She's earnt every penny of her contract already.
See, I was never worried about your salary, Carmen. If that's what you think, you've missed the plot entirely. When I mentioned your salary, my point was that you've been given more than anyone else in this tournament and you still play the part of the little guy. You've tried to sell us on the fact that you've faced some hard times, but the struggles you've faced are the status quo in this business."
A collection of businessmen edge past Fantana, leading him to pause.
"But this city is full of liars and politicians, so let's move onto another - Benjamin or Benny Stevens, if the truth is too unsettling for you.
What you said is correct, Benny. I did make it personal in my letter. I gave you advice that I thought would help you. Would you rather have some pseudo-inspirational cookie cutter response instead? Write a letter to John Blade. No, what you should have done is heed my advice and learn from my mistakes because I'm the prototype for your success in this business. Instead you chose to lash out when confronted with the truth. Well, if my simple words angered you, that speaks volumes to me. The truth is often a bitter pill to swallow.
I wasn't lying in my letter, Stevens. I know your type. I used to be you. Like you said, we have a lot in common. Not only our fighting styles, but our family backgrounds. What interests me more is what separates us. The way I see it, the major difference between you and me is that you're always looking to play the victim. You actually want people to feel sorry for you. That's why you took those cameras to cemetery, right? You're trying to elicit a reaction. Well, that's emotional blackmail and I'm not going to fall for it."
A homeless gentleman holding a cardboard sign with "Laid off, please help" scrawled across it stops Fantana in his tracks. He quickly opens up his wallet and drops a few bills into the man's hat.
"Do you want to know a dirty secret? I don't feel sorry for you, Stevens. Based on what you've told me, I'm sure that unnerves you but it shouldn't. You should relish it. You want sustainable success in this business? Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Hold yourself accountable. And stop pining for sympathy. It makes you soft.
That's probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's what you needed to hear. See, I'm not a man of the people. Why would I want to be? Most people these days are sniveling cowards, a gutless generation raised on participation trophies and coddled by political correctness. What I am is a man for the people. I don't aspire to be relatable like you, Benny, because I don't want to be like you; I want to be more. I want to be part of the avant-garde in this company - the benchmark for success in the Alpha Wrestling Empire.
Do you think I responded the way I did to dismiss you? Far from it. It was a challenge. I want to push you. I want the best Benny Stevens and Carmen Cambridge I can get, because that means when I defeat you both and go on to become the Resilience Champion, no one will ever doubt the re-emergence of Zack Fantana. It's been nearly ten months since championship gold has been around my waist and I'm itching to get it back.
I know that you each have vowed to walk away with that championship at Massacre, but here we are in Washington, D.C., the land of broken promises. What's another two on the list?"