Cheaters never prosper

Ethan Murphy had a championship mentality to the utmost extent here in the Asylum Wrestling Society and it wasn’t hard to figure out if you him and his journey to get to this point.

Ethan had been all over the Asylum Wrestling Society card in every role and standing a wrestler can find themselves in. He’d been a rising, unproven, rookie who was  trying to find his way in a place full of maniacs, masked men, and monsters. Ethan had also been a midcarder with visible talent, drawing power, who could put on a damn good match with anyone. Ethan was also a main eventer who headlined shows and put asses in seats for the Asylum…even if he wasn’t always secure in himself. Ethan always wrestled like he had something to prove to himself and it fueled his daily life. It gave him an extra purpose to get up and train every morning, to be grateful that his hot wife was supporting his life as a wrestler, and it made him happy as hell to earn gold no matter what it was.

But this time the AWS American Championship just felt right for him. Not because of how it looked or where it was on the card but his mentality fit it at this point. The AWS American Championship wasn’t the main gold true enough but it belonged to the best wrestler in the Asylum. The person who the fans, executives, and even the lunatics themselves could depend on to put on a damn good match with that workhorse mentality that embodied the grit and tenacity of the United States Of America. Which fits Ethan’s state of mind right now. He wasn’t the young and hungry newcomer or emotionally fueled world champ, he was the hard worker. That's why he earned the American Championship.

And that's why Ethan defended it with such pride. It embodied who he was and he wouldn't give it up without a bloody and brutal fight. It didn’t matter where you were on the card either. Where you were a hardnosed competitor, wrestler on the rise, or a wildcard blend of both…like Ethan’s upcoming opponent for a MASSIVE AWS Monday Night Ward show in Los Angeles, California…Dirty Dragón.

Dirty Dragón had kept his wins high and losses low…though indeed wrestling dirty. Quick pins, low blows, cheap shots to outsmart his opponent when his technical skills failed him. Dirty was in his name after all. And he clashed with Ethan in that regard. Why? Because even at his lowest Ethan would still wrestle with genuine tenacity. No tricks needed. Their ethics clashed without a doubt more than anything else.

Ethan Murphy was pissed at Dirty Dragón because of this before he even heard him speak on a pure moral level. There was no way he was going to lose his American championship at the biggest Monday Night Ward ever to someone so dishonest. It weighed on his mind more and more as the days passed until he took that long flight to California and he could finally do something about it.

So the scene started on a quiet road in Los Angeles with Ethan Murphy standing on the side of it as it gave a pristine view of Los Angeles including the crypto.com arena he will be competing in. The sun is just now rising up in the clouds. It looked like a movie scene for the AWS faithful to see as he wore an orange and white button-up shirt, blue jeans, pacific coast wind lightly sweeping through his red hair as he walked with the cameras focusing on him in wait for him to speak on his villainous, masked, AWS American Championship title opponent Dirty Dragón.

Ethan Murphy: The Asylum Wrestling Society is coming to Los Angeles for this huge Ward show later today but I checked in early to get a good feel for the city and see the people I’ve been wrestling in front of. And yeah being a champion for AWS means I have championship responsibilities. Meeting with network representatives, meeting with fans, between all of my training and match prep. Things that lunatics in the Asylum don’t like to talk about because so many people want to be a “badass” monster or some mysterious, shadowy, figure who is too cool to be real. Well I am real and I made it cool to be that way. In every time I talk, in every match I have, I put all of myself out there for the world to see. And whether you like me or you hate me I try to earn everyone’s respect by fighting with honor. With respect. No cheating. As violent as this company can be, the referee’s decision is final and nobody needs to watch the matches I’m in later to see that I won or I lost on my own merit especially for my title, unlike my opponent Dirty Dragón.

Ethan said all of this while shaking his head and visibly sighing. Showing dislike and annoyance as his brow furrowed in budding anger. Longtime “Red Rocket” fans knew that this was going to be a hot-blooded, fiery promo as Dirty Dragón’s face faced onto the screen across from the rising California sun and across from it the AWS American Championship.

Ethan Murphy: I was actually hoping that I’d battle someone like you for my title especially at Ward because lunatics like you piss me off to my core. You’re a masked wrestler, you hide your face, and back in the day that used to be enough to make me angry but not anymore. I’ve fought against plenty of masked wrestlers since who are great guys who fight fair, who fight with respect. Who doesn't cheat to win all the time, unlike you. Now I’m not naive. Your name isn’t “Nice Dragón” so I know what I’m expecting when we compete. And my American title is on the line too? Against a scumbag like you? I’m going to relish putting you down on the mat because I love putting cheaters in their place. People who love to cheat and make it their talent instead of WRESTLING. I need to retain my title against you at Ward Dirty Dragón just for that reason alone…

This was going to be a classic “Red Rocket” Ethan Murphy match. The good, clean, aggressive as shit Ethan against a masked scoundrel of a wrestler in Dirty Dragón for championship gold. These were Ethan’s favorite types of matches because this wasn’t just about wrestling and fighting for ten pounds of gold; these matches affected him on a personal level.

Ethan Murphy: And yeah, I know one day I’ll run into that one contender who will figure me out. Have me beat. But it won’t be you Dirty Dragón and you can bet on that shit. So when I beat you two falls to zero and remove any doubt that I’m the better man I’ll leave with my head held high that I put a cheater down who stands, or rather stood in your future case, against every value I have, that this company has, and that this country has…

Ethan spoke directly into the camera for this between faded shots of the AWS logo, the American title, and the United States flag on screen.

Ethan Murphy: Because I am Ethan Murphy and cheaters never prosper. Especially if they face me.