The scene opens with Sanctum’s music hitting, with all three Sanctum lads making their way onto the stage. With a firm handshake to both Fraser and Andrews, OWEN releases them both to the back as he makes his way down to the ring triumphantly.

He retrieves a microphone from a runner outside the ring, walking a few paces around the ring before beginning to speak.

OWEN: Last Saturday night did not end how I wanted. In my mind, the night should have ended with the exchange of respect. The match was hard and competitive. We both gave it our all.

OWEN: So, Doc, I’m giving you one last opportunity to put things right. To show me the respect that I gave you, and that I earned at Summercide. Come shake my hand.

‘Audacity’ hits, responding to the call that OWEN made. DOC, with a look of steely determination in his eye as he storms down to the ring, microphone in hand.

DOC: You’re right, bruv. At Summercide, we both left it all in the ring. I’m happy to admit that on that night, you deserved to win.

DOC: But then you start running that mouth about how you showed me respect, are you taking the piss big man?

DOC: I’m sorry if you thought I was gonna come out here with my tail tucked between legs like when one of your Sanctum boys steps out of line, ‘cuz that ain’t happening. How about instead you take that handshake, stick it right up your arse, and get out of my ring.

OWEN: We established at Summercide that this is my ring.

OWEN: Now, are you going to shake my hand or not?

DOC stares at OWEN’s hand for a minute,before looking up to face OWEN eye to eye. OWEN’s smile is wide, his presence palpable in the middle of the ring.

OWEN: Well, go on then. Do it, shake my hand, DOC.

Irate, DOC slaps the hand away and steps in closer, so the two are now almost forehead to forehead.


DOC: Maybe you didn’t get it the first time, bruv. You’re good, OWEN, and don’t you just know it. But you’re not great, OWEN. The difference between you and me is that I defined what greatness means in this era of OCW. First Rookie World Champion? Me. King of OCW? Me. And you?

DOC: You’re just fucking rotten.

The two stay still, staring daggers through each other as the scene fades out.

Colin Locke is backstage, checking the name on every door he passes, until he finds the one he is after: the locker room of Maxx Edwards. He knocks a rhythm on the door, one that seems similar to the rhythm of the lock sounds effects in his entrance music before he hears a soft response from inside.

Maxx: Come in

Colin opens the door and sees an empty, but spotless room, with the only blemish being the man he was looking for, Maxx Edwards, sitting in a steel folding chair in the middle of the room.

Colin: Er… Maxx? I was gonna come check in, but… You alright?

Colin steps inside, looking around the room, a look of utter confusion on his face as he takes in the barren surroundings.

Colin: Mate, this is not your style, what’s wrong?

Maxx: I mean…

Maxx raises his eyebrows as Colin postures up after realizing what he's referencing.

Colin: Oh...right.

Maxx: I still feel terrible, feel like I just let everybody down.

Colin: Nah, you did what you could, no one’s let down.

Maxx: I had OCW on my back but I couldn't bear the load.

Colin: So did Quartz and Terra, not to mention the fact that John Carter and Harri Etiquette could’ve-

Maxx: -No no no, like I literally had OCW on the back of my shirt.

Colin: Ah yeah, that’s something that can always backfire.

Maxx: Yeah, probably won't do that specifically again but that's besides the point.

Colin: Exactly, you will go for that title again, and you’ll go in knowing more than you did before, with a better chance at winning the thing.

Maxx: I just don't know if that's true. There’s no way of knowing if THIS is my ceiling.

Maxx: I just can't shake the feeling of…

Maxx: What's that word people say on the internet now?

Colin: Mid?

Maxx: Yeah. I feel pretty MID right now.

Maxx: I can tell myself that I'll get another opportunity and that my moment will come but I've been here long enough where I've seen that spotlight pass people by.

Maxx: Guys like Justin Jehst and Solomon Caine, they were here for years and they never got their moment.

Maxx: And those were two guys I could never beat so why should I think that I'm any different?

As he listens to Maxx, Colin shakes his head, almost out of pure instinct, rejecting every word he’s saying. Colin takes a deep breath, choosing his words carefully, and responds slowly.

Colin: Maxx, after that match with Mugen, after I talked to the crowd, they heard a song that hadn’t been played in an OCW arena in a long time.

Maxx looks up at Colin as the realisation slowly dawns on him.

Colin: Yeah, you know the one. The Gravedigger’s Chant. You’re the only one who’s ever been able to get past me on a night that song played.

Colin: You want to sit here calling yourself mid with that under your belt? If that’s the case, what’s El Parca, Quartz, Mugen, DOC? Shit, just before we met in the ring, Harvey barely survived me, guy took two scoops and fired a lucky shot out of desperation that managed to hit.

Colin: Don’t get me wrong, it hit hard, and you know exactly how hard. But, I’m not gonna stand here and watch the one guy who took me on at my best say he’s anything less than what he is.

Maxx: Way to put yourself over!

The two share a laugh as Maxx continues.

Maxx: No, but seriously, do you not hear yourself?

Maxx: You stood in that ring and beat not A but THEE Living Legend Larry Mugen.

Maxx: You went blow for blow with some of this company’s best and you came out on top. Can I say that for myself?

Maxx: You know twice over, how hard it is to hold that Big White Strap but it’s not like I fared much better?

Maxx notices the concern in Colin’s face and clenches his fist in frustration.

Maxx: But I don’t want you to think that I’m like…giving up or anything. It’s just when you scrape your knee as hard as I did at Cide it’s not as easy to get back up on that bike again and start all over.

Colin: Nah, I get that, it’s tough. But, you know, back then, I wasn’t the first guy you challenged for the International title. So many people here took a break after they lost out, or just retired, and you’re still here. That counts for a lot more than you might give it credit for.

Maxx: And I DON’T wanna go anywhere.

Maxx: It’s just that when I go around calling myself “The Man”, “The Superstar”, “The A-Lister” whatever it may be, there comes a time where I need to prove it, not to anyone or anybody but to myself.

Maxx: Cause if I’m NOT any of those things, then I really just don’t know who I am.

Colin: Nah, I kn-

Maxx: -The thing is, Colin, you DON’T know. Ever since you got here you’ve been “Colin Locke Whether You Like Him Or Not”. Sure not everyone has liked you, but you were your own person.

Maxx: When I got here, I had to deal with nothing but comparisons. No matter how I looked, the clothes I wore or how I did my hair, my background has made sure that I’m always gonna be compared…to Justin Jehst.

Maxx: Whether I was a “B-Lister” or a “Knock Off” or some dumb internet fans calling me “Justin Jehst From Wish.Com”, I was always below him.

Colin tries to hold in a laugh out of respect for his friend.

Maxx: And at last year’s Wrestlution, I had a chance to put those comparisons to rest. If I beat him, HE would get compared to ME.

Maxx: …and I came up short.

Colin: b-

Maxx: -And before you even start, I DIDN’T let that stop me. I KNEW there was another way. So I began to work myself for over a whole year and it all led to that one fateful night.

Maxx: I had to do what he couldn’t do.

Colin: Win the world title?

Maxx nods in agreement.

Maxx: But everything was so different that night.

Maxx: For one of the first time’s in my career I was no longer the underdog. I was the house favorite.

Maxx: Picture that, ME as the favorite against a FOUR TIME OCW World Heavyweight Champion.

Maxx: And the worst part is, people weren’t counting on me to win that match.

Maxx: They were counting on me to save them.

Maxx: And I couldn't do it.

Colin: This time. Next time if when you need support though? You know where you can find me.

Colin offers his fist to which Maxx promptly bumps as Colin makes his way towards the door leaving the room exactly as it was, the segment fading to black as the door closes behind Colin.