When Champions collide
Ethan Murphy was aware of his unique situation right now. Losing at WrestleVersary hurt his swagger. Yeah he still had his AWS American Championship which was what truly mattered at the end of the day. He still could be called a champion, his name was in the champions section of the Asylum Wrestling Society website, still got the champions checks coming in his bank account. Ethan just had to deal with the blow to his bravado that came with losing that multiperson melee but he’ll bounce back. He knew it in his heart.
Ethan did all of the things you were supposed to do to recover after a tough loss. Hit the gym a little longer, spar a little harder, watch more film than the match before. Do all of the preparation that you were supposed to do to bounce back after a defeat. Since the belief of getting better over getting bitter was fueling him. It was the Asylum Wrestling Society way as well. If you lost a match of any kind you don’t cry about it or complain about it on social media or to the clandestine AWS leadership. You get better in the ring and learn directly from your defeats.
And this fed absolutely perfectly into his match at AWS Sunday Night Assault as he was facing off against Adam Stryker. One of his opponents in that six pack challenge at the WrestleVersary event. This technically qualified as a rematch because of it as Adam was in the six pack challenge but wasn’t the one who eliminated Ethan.
Ethan Murphy: Alright. It’s not that cheap shot artist Drake but it’ll do. Alright. Time to get back on the winning track. Alessia, get my gear ready baby! Got somewhere to be on Sunday! Yeah I know we’re supposed to be at church but my opponent is going to need Jesus for our match! I’m facing Adam Stryker. Yeah the Interstate champion and the Undisputed Heavyweight champion. No I’m not worried baby, I’m never worried.
And that was right. Ethan wasn’t worried. No match “worried” him no matter who the opponent was. It didn’t even matter that he was facing the man who had the most prestigious title in the company right now. Nothing about Adam Stryker intimidated Ethan but it made him aware of the situation at hand. Yeah he wasn’t worried. Not a man alive made him feel fear. But Adam did make him tense up. Any training or preparation he had in mind had to be doubled in intensity. Maybe even tripled! Since this was another bragging rights match so while he did carry what was seen in the eyes of the fans as a secondary title that just fueled Ethan to fight with the spirit of a champion. Even if neither the American or Interstate titles were on the line. And talk like one too!
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The scene started with Ethan, this time in full ring gear in the center of the AWS Sunday Night Assault ring. It was fully set up with cameras focusing on him with a variety of angles. Zooming on him slowly as they focus on him with a microphone in his grip and a stoic look in his eyes.
Ethan Murphy: My name is Ethan Murphy and this right here is the AWS American Championship. Holding it means that you are one of the best professional wrestlers in the United States of America and of course in the Asylum Wrestling society. That you have the grit and resilience that this country was founded on and that you are a damn good wrestler to go with it. You represent America and the Asylum Wrestling Society as a workhorse. One of the best workers among the company…but I want to be more than just that and make the title mean more than just that. My plan right now is to make this title mean more than just a workhorse title. I want to steal the thunder, take over the spotlight, and outshine every champion in the Asylum Wrestling Society. Now I can do that by defending it successfully, having the best match of the night which there’s no doubt in my mind that I can be able to do. But I can also do that by beating current champions. By beating men like Adam Stryker who doesn’t just have one title but two.
Ethan went down to business with his opening statement. He was proud to be the AWS American Champion and the title meant a lot to him but he wanted to be more than the American champion of AWS. He wanted to be the BEST champion in AWS. The one that even if he wasn’t in the main event or even if his title wasn’t on the line Ethan would steal the damn show and one of the ways he could go about doing that was beating other champions! Men like Adam Stryker. While defending his title belt of course but Adam had his full focus with a match graphic appearing on screen as well as a photo of Adam with the Interstate and Undisputed titles
Ethan Murphy: Adam you have two championship titles, I got one. That means you have two more targets on your back than usual. You’ll have twice as many challengers gunning for you and friends? Forget about them. And in my case you have two reasons why I need to beat you right there. And yeah our titles aren’t on the line which is good for us both but especially for you because when I beat you at Sunday Night Assault you’ll still have your gold, you’ll be fine. Consider that your Sunday blessing.
Ethan zeroed in with trash talk at Adam. Letting him know that because of Adam’s status as double champion Ethan was hunting him down twice as hard and was going to fight twice at hard on Sunday Night Assault to beat him as clips of a video package played to show off their skills and hype up the match that way.
Ethan Murphy: Which is why I’m keeping it simple right now and I’ll save our flash for the match when the whole world can see you Adam Stryker lose to me because I’m fighting you with everything I got