I can't look weak

Matt Goddard was doing good for himself right now but he didn’t get complacent because of that. He knew there was still work to do as his time as an AWS Lunatic was still young…though he was on an undeniable roll.

Consider the following. Nobody in AWS so far had beaten him in a one-on-one match in a company full of violent, dangerous, and talented wrestlers; that was no easy feat and he had respect and fear for it. This was good for the state of the Centre Of Attention and good for him individually. He embraced the attention and knew there were targets on his back now and people were expecting him to make big moves.

As if his status as the Wild Card contract holder wasn’t enough to cement that fact right there that people were looking for him to strike and strike hard. But he wasn’t cashing it in just yet. It wasn’t the right time. Not when there were some non-title scores to settle and targets to handle like Hector Venegas at the upcoming Ward show in Japan whose wrestling style intrigued him. Well, what wrestling he did do anyway. Hector could grapple well enough but he was known for his striking. He was arguably the Asylum’s best brawler who nobody wanted to trade strikes with which excited Matt. He wanted to see if his submission game and joint manipulation would work on Hector and how he could adapt to it. This match at Ward intrigued him.

Luckily Mason Hurst (who also had a match on Ward in Osaka-Jo Hall) was there to be his sparring partner and help him focus on dealing with brawlers while he had to fight a technically skilled wrestler in Mike Dimter in his own match. Iron sharpening iron and all that. 

But Matt didn’t want or need Mason’s help with a promo. He had that handled all on his own with his own thoughts, energy, and genuine excitement and Matt Goddard was eager to let it be known in the comfort of his asylum cell.

Matt Goddard: Here is a question that you people at home should pay attention to especially if you’re a wrestler or an aspiring one. How do you stay hungry and ready for a match when you already have something good in your grip already? It can be a title match, a trophy, or in my case…a contract.

Matt patted the Wild Card case that held his contract for emphasis of his words.

Matt Goddard: I don’t need to wait in line to get a title shot. I can take my opportunity whenever I damn well want. I don’t have to grind to earn my spot as a contender. I shouldn’t even care if I lose to Hector Venegas tonight here in Osaka. 

Matt shook his head at the end of his sentence.

Matt Goddard: But here’s the thing…I DO. Because I’m not just here to win championships I am here to be the scariest bloody lunatic in this fucking place! I want every champion here to fear and respect me so when I do get title gold I’d make it important and not the other way around. That means I can’t afford to lose to you Hector even with the Wild Card contract!

And that was Matt’s mentality coming into the match. Yes he had nothing to tangibly gain from beating Hector but pride and his image but that was all that he needed to give everything he had going into the match. Matt had no interest in looking weak with a loss. Like he was one of those wrestlers that got lucky to win a ticket to relevancy in the form of a Wild Card contract and have to weasel his way to victory on some unexpecting champion.

Matt Goddard: And Hector I know you are in a similar case too. That’s the funny thing about all of this. You have a guaranteed shot at the AWS Pinnacle Heavyweight Championship. You’re a thuggish lunatic and thus you’re not hard to read. I can tell you want to look dominant and strong too. So when you fight for the Pinnacle title you’ll feel like you earned it. We’re not different in our situations I’ll admit.

Then Matt raised his right index finger to show the number “one”

Matt Goddard: But there's only one thing that sets us apart and it’s a big one but it’s simple. It’s that I’m better than you in every single way. I am closer to being championship-worthy than you. I’m the better wrestler, the better fighter, I have the aggression that a Lunatic needs to succeed! And I need to set a message to all of the champions here, not just the Pinnacle, that I am the most dangerous man in the Asylum Wrestling Society and that is a fact I will let everyone know when we fight tonight Hector! Perhaps I should go for your hands first. You can’t throw those feared hands if you can’t make a fist after all…

Matt made this clear before the promo ended with the Centre Of Attention eyeball logo fading onto the screen.