2014.06.26: PWN - LEGACY - Vindication
Vindication; if there was one word that suited the events of Friday the 20th for Bobby Langford that would be it. In his first ever professional match he proved to Christian Othniel and the world exactly who he was as an athlete and a man. Othniel looked to provoke the Steel City Dream at every corner to expose any would-be cracks in that suit of armor but with a little sage veteran advice he weathered and survived the first of many storms in his career. Emotions were mixed after his debut, on one hand he was proud to represent the city of Pittsburgh as well as those from the Emerald Academy through hard work and dedication and it put a smile on his face knowing he fought the good fight for Tanya. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was always another way outside of “Evil Ways” to conduct yourself; that the path of honor and integrity still paid dividends in a day an age where everyone looks for the quickest shortcut to the top. At the same time his victory was bittersweet as Christian Othniel escaped defeat and lived to fight another day. Othniel’s day would come when he had to face Bobby Langford one on one to answer for his actions and if the Steel City Dream had his way he’d be the Hammer of Justice that put an end to the purge once and for all but this week he had to stay focused on an opponent he’s more familiar with.
The wrestling business at times had its own sense of humor whether it was intentional or a result of pure coincidence as he was slated to face off against fellow Emerald Academy alumni Matt Ward of WASTE. While Bobby Langford had no direct involvement with the newest faction to take professional wrestling by storm his manager Frank Washington had a brush with them earlier on Friday the 20th with Noah Adelaide. The two nearly came to blows with WASTE after the simultaneous pin fall before WASTE took a tactical retreat and as fate would have it both of Frank’s clients would be going against members of WASTE in back to back matches on Legacy’s Independence Day event. A second front was about to open up against WASTE and Bobby Langford was ready to answer the call.
Bobby Langford could be seen sitting at the edge of a bench in a locker room with a towel draped around his neck after another intense workout. The light reflected off of his sweat as he gazed in a stoic manner into the camera indicating he was all business as a hint of disappointment could be seen on his face.
Bobby Langford: Matt Ward, The Windy City Nightmare; at one time I had a lot of respect for you. Your resume speaks for itself, we trained together at the same academy, The Emerald Academy, and on Friday the 20th I saw one of the most brutal matches to ever take place right here in Legacy. You and Ian Windermear showed a ton of heart as you fought your hearts out, you hit each other with everything but the kitchen sink and still somehow found a way to keep going on. You opened a lot of eyes that may have not been on you before but the way in which you won was absolutely disgusting!
Bobby shook his head as the disappointment was clear as day on his face now.
Bobby Langford: Did your days at the Emerald Academy mean nothing to you? Since when did the Windy City Nightmare need to rely on a gang to accomplish anything? I suppose in a no holds environment anything is legal and I get that but where I come from? If you have a problem with someone you fight them like a man, you fight them one on one and you rely on your own ability. That’s not how I was taught and that simply isn’t the “Emerald Academy Way”. You tainted what was otherwise an honorable and hard fought victory because just like Othniel you tried to take the easy way out.
Bobby takes the towel and wipes some of the sweat off his head. This wasn’t the Matt Ward he knew and it certainly wasn’t the Matt Ward he trained with before. The Matt Ward he knew was certainly a monster and a force of nature in his own right and in an environment where there were no rules he was a sadistic S.O.B. but he was always a man that achieved success and failure based on his own merit and his own merit alone. Somewhere along the way Matt decided to take a detour off the straight and narrow path in search of reaching the top of the mountain. What respect Bobby Langford once had for him was rapidly vanishing by the day and like it or not this war was one he was now a part of.
Bobby Langford: What happened to you Matt, what caused you to sink to such a low? Perhaps you’re motivated by your own greed in search of the Legacy Heavyweight Championship, to reach the top at any cost but in a pack of liars and thieves such trust and cohesion is brief and fleeting. If WASTE were to ever come close to its goal it’d turn into a contest of who can cut who’s throat quickest and deepest, there can only be one Legacy Champion and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.
A grin began to form on Bobby’s face as he set the towel down and stood up from the bench. Instead of paranoia washing over him there was a sense of serene calm surrounding him. Whether or not his opponent gave his word that WASTE wouldn’t get involved or not he knew better especially having reviewed the tape on Legacy’s first event. It was almost as if this was planned for; perhaps Frank Washington got into the ear of the Steel City Dream and laid the groundwork for a counter attack or perhaps there was more to this situation than met the eye. If Bobby was nervous about the possible handicap situation he wasn’t showing it.
Bobby Langford: WASTE may very well take Legacy Wrestling by storm and try to usher in a dark new era in professional wrestling but as long as I have anything to say about it the Steel Curtain shall insure that the nightmare remains just that, a nightmare and not a reality. Bring your whole army Matt, try to take every shortcut in the book that you can – it’s no substitute for what hard work and determination can accomplish. Don’t start a war you can’t win, I’m not as alone as you might think…
Bobby heads for the door but pauses momentarily and turns back with a nod and that trademark warm smile of his.
Bobby Langford: Noah Adelaide I got your back, a friend of Frank’s is a friend of mine and at least this week we have a common enemy. I don’t expect the favor to be returned but I’m not going to sit by and let them repeat what they did to Masen Dysen and Ian Windermear again, not on my watch. WASTE… you’re in for a reality check and I’ll be the hammer to drive the message home.
With that Bobby Langford takes his leave and walks through that door. Christian Othniel had to be watching this confrontation very closely for some insight to avenge what happened during the triple threat. While this confrontation had yet to turn personal with WASTE anything was possible and an all-out war was rapidly approaching the horizon as Bobby extended the olive branch to fellow Emerald Academy Graduate and Frank Washington client Noah Adelaide. If WASTE or Christian Othniel wanted to advance their respective agendas in Legacy Wrestling they would have to do so through stiff resistance. With that the scene fades to black.
