Opening in an empty theather hall. All you can see are the lonely seats, fans that came to be entertained long gone from the last show to be seen. Theather. The original form of live entertainment. People flock to be amused by those talented enough to take a stand on stage. However this peculiar stage is weighed down today by live entertainment's most peculiar sub-genre. A ring stands on it. Representing professional wrestling. The long standing oddball of the entertainment world. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality. It is shunned for it's shameless exploitation of real life emotion through what many call "fake" combat. But make no mistake about it. Nothing "fake" exists between the lines. For every bodyslam, Suplex and Armbar, true anger, frustration and sorrow is seen as the best brush to paint in this 20 by 20 canvas. It is not easy to paint works of art on it for years. Let alone decades. Yet a few some have managed. And just like with many forms of art, one's works of art in between the ropes, is often a reflection of their souls.
Introducing first! From Southwestern, Puerto Rico! He is The Killjoy!
============60 by 60: Matt Tastic============
==========Every Man Seeks Validation==========
Directed by Robert Romero
Matt Tastic is a mere 3 months away from reaching 8 years in WZCW. While many others have wrestled for a lot longer, he holds the distinct honor of never seeing his profile in the "Released Wrestlers" section of the WZCW website. But despite a long list of accomplishments, he's also had a long history of ups and downs. To this very day, the man people call the most accomplished wrestler in WZCW still falls under criticism for shortcomings.
Matt is seen walking slowly into the theater. He studies his surroundings before sitting on a director's chair. Surrounded by cameras as he's miked up.
Robert Romero: Just to start things up, the obvious question has to be when it all started. When were you hooked on pro wrestling?
Matt Tastic: As a kid. I was like, 10 maybe. I saw Bruiser Hanson fighting it out with like Carlos Savinovich on top of a f**king scaffold. There was just something that caught my eye about it. You know, growing up with limited resources around you, you sit down and watch all this fantastical stuff like Power Rangers, Dragon Ball, then you see a real life battle. Two larger than life characters. And one's trying to carve another one open. With, with a G**damn spoon! Haha. You know. It blew my mind.
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Titus: I remember the first time I saw him. He was this masked guy. Goofy mask too. I remember that because they weren't that many masked wrestlers, right away people were pointing at me. Or Red Mask. And it just lingered for like two years. Then we fought. But in those two years, he had a hilarious attitude about him. Acting like he was a big star. It wasn't the usual bragging either. It was along the lines of like a kid pointing at adults and screaming: "You'll see! One day I'm gonna be just as big, if not bigger than you!" He was confident to say the least.
Romero: Do you think he was right?
Titus: Was he right? I mean, I guess. His resume points to it. But I gotta ask. Is it a good thing that it took him so long to get to the top? I mean, believe it or not, most people would tell you he got here just by outlasting other people. Maybe that's a good thing in it's own merit. Maybe it says just how truly devoted he is to the business. But if you ask me, I feel he took too long given his level of talent.
====
Chuck Myles: When Matt first came in, he was Mayhem Champion within weeks. Not only was he Mayhem Champion, he won it just before the biggest Pay-Per-View of the year. Kingdom Come II. So he had to be in a high profile match. ..........He lost the title. Like right away. And I remember just how badly in denial he was when lost it. Twice. In the same match. He kept insisting "oh, that means I have TWO rematch clauses." He would not shut up about it. In the end, we gave him two rematches. The second time he won the title back. Then promptly lost it again. You see today that selfish and kind of entitled streak loud and clear on television, but before then it was mostly implied.
====
WZCW 10th Anniversary Show said:
Following the match, Matt grabs a mic and sits on the turnbuckle, waiting for the crowd to calm down.
Matt: This is nice. A win. Yay, me.
The crowd pops as Matt looks on waiting for them to calm down.
Matt: I came out here earlier tonight. I stuck up for you people. I'd kinda like you to return the favor now and let me bare my soul here for a bit. See, it's 10 years this company has been around. I came in on February 2010. That's 7 of those 10 years and I've only been gone for 4 months in all that time. I've been through highs. I've been through lows. And it burns me, deep in my fiber. It pisses me the f*ck off to say it. But I am at a low. It's a slump. I have hit a slump. Matter of fact, I almost ended up not being in this card. Imagine that. I think the problem this whole time has been that I pander. Now don't get me wrong, boo me, cheer me, I'm not really concerned with that anymore, but deep inside, I used to feel this very weird feeling. This feeling to make people laugh. And maybe it was all just a mask to cover that deep inside, I have been getting more and more frustrated. I mean, how was I preparing for my match against Mark Keaton? Why playing with a godamn goat, of course.
*You're The Goat! You're The Goat! You're The Goat! *
Matt: Well, I didn't think the Bay area could be that clever. But the jokes stop now. If I am "The Goat", I've got to prove I am "The Goat". That doesn't stop after you rack up a resume, it never stops. So I am going to make this perfectly clear. I am fixing to raise hell and take names and for that, I don't know how, I don't know when, I'm looking for gold. And to whatever son of a bitch I grab that happens to hold gold, know that I WILL NOT LET GO!! Happy 10 Anniversary, WZCW!
Matt slams the mic down and drops off the turnbuckle as he makes his way up the ramp.
====
Matt: That I'm selfish and entitled? Haha. If that's what Titus said, I'm not gonna go out of my way to correct him. I never felt that way, but I guess that's how he see's me.
Romero: What do you think caused this, I don't know, "entitled" attitude?
Matt: I don't know, really. I never saw it that way. Maybe it's something about how I was raised. I remember as a kid, living first with my mother. Then with my dad. They'd always tell me how I had to be helpful. How if I wanted to get something, I had to earn it. Through hard work. Every day. I would do chores. I would do whatever they told me. Help with labor, name it. I helped. But when it came time for me to get help in return, I'd never get it. "Oh, you need to learn to be independent." "You can't keep depending on us." "We can't help you." Every day. Give. Give. Give. But no one ever let me take. Then I came to WZCW and I told myself I would not allow anybody to treat me the same way. I would not let myself be stepped over by other people. I mean, it wouldn't bother you if you're working for a while but its the newer toy in work getting all the benefits? The number of times it happened to me in WZCW.
I mean think about it. You grow up your entire life being told you have to work hard. Hard work pays off. You have to work towards your reward. And then you wait and you wait and you wait. You're told over and over again, you have to work harder and harder and harder but they just keep making you jump through hoop after hoop. Don't you think that after a while, you would not get angry and demand what you feel is owed? I mean, I get it. I actually have to win matches if I want to win titles. But you know. I've developed that sense of aggression in me because of that.
====
Granpa Tastic: His parents were separated. They did love him, but it was a case with him, coming from a lower middle class broken home. Both parents wanted to make sure he grew up responsable and independent. But in doing that, trying to teach him, they accidentally took advantage of him. They werent cooking. He was. They weren't doing laundry. He was. Then it started being bills. He was paying bills, rent and then it became a case about what has he getting in return for having to do all that? And the answer was being told he wasn't good enough "yet". And now he applies the same thing to wrestling. He's sick of hearing "yet".
====
Tyrone Blades: One of the things that held Matt back so many times, probably had to be how he would forget that you had to perform at a certain level at all times if you want to win something. A title. A match. They aren't gifts given to you because you earn them. They're rewards you win at a moment's notice. You could work really really hard for one second. But then the next, you drop your focus and lose. Who do you blame for that? The company? For something that is 100% your own fault? How? But Matt would forget that. Often. He always leaned on his time here as reason. I mean, I get the frustration. I went through it too. I know that feeling of frustration, that you aren't getting what you deserve. But in pro wrestling, you don't get what you deserve. You have to take it. He remembers it now. I see him very focused now on winning his matches and he just happens to mention who he is.
Romero:
And what is he?
Tyrone: An all-time great.
====
WZCW Ascension 73 said:
Baez freezes in his tracks as S.H.I.T.s music hits. The champ looks around for the robotic menace, but he is nowhere to be found. Suddenly Fallout attacks and grabs Baez from behind, before he slams his head into the ring post and throws him back to the ring. Before Fallout is able to capitalize, Baez again rolls out of the ring, but this time he is met my S.H.I.T. at the foot of the ramp. As Baez scrambles back to the ring, he runs into Half-Life by Fallout! He hooks a leg..
.
.
One!
.
.
Two!
.
.
Three!
Here is your winner, and the NEW WZCW Elite X Champion, Fallout!
Cohen: No! Baez was robbed!
Tyrone: But it's human nature. We learn lessons. We forget them. It happens. I just think it's funny its the same one with him.
====
Mikey Stormrage: When Matt beat me for the Eurasian title I remember him apologizing to me. Saying that he wanted to be in my spot. He regretted taking the title. After a while, that same night, Live Mas basically came to be. It was a golden time for both of us. It made us be the top stars in all of wrestling. All the money. All the fame. But what mattered was that Matt and I finally were treated as the top wrestlers. Like we wanted. Matt, promised we would both get to the top together. And we did it. It was like he saw me and saw, I don't know, himself. And he didn't want me to fall behind because of him. But at the same time, when I beat him at Kingdom Come, I remember. He was REALLY frustrated. Even mad. Him saying that he did not want to lose his spot. But he would also tell me he was so happy for me. He always had that lingering sense of, I don't know. Jealousy? Envy? I wouldn't be able to name it. He wanted that top spot. To be seen as the best. And when he loses the sense that people see him that way, he gets mad.
===================================
Ascension 122 said:
Clark: I am the champion. You may have bled in this ring but don’t kid yourself, Matthew. This is Ascension, this is my show and that means that you’re standing in MY RING!
We cut to Matt walking around, outside of what looks like an abandoned building of sorts.
Matt: It's kinda funny because I used to be like that. Pumping myself up. Trying to sound as high and mighty as I could. I wanted to measure up to the elite even though I was clearly outmatched. Eventually, it worked I guess. But up until a few days ago I was looking at my title match against Callie Clark as almost like a cake walk. I've never known what the hell that is, but I saw it easy. But the more I sit and talk about it, the more I kinda realize that fact. Me and this goofy little girl are very much alike. Just headstrong, brash. When she loses that title, she is gonna be very angry and will do anything to get it back or win something else. It's pretty clear, she craves that validation. I do too.
=====
Mark Keaton: Before I came to WZCW I saw Matt Tastic as kinda like this everyman who found success. The guy you look at when you sit and watch and you say "hey can do that too!". And I wanted to be like him. Then I did come in. And I wrestled against him. It was great.
====
Constantine:
When you look at all the wrestlers in WZCW, the characters I guess you could say, all had some sort of thing that made them larger than life. Titus is an actor, Ty was into the occult, I'm a politician and so on. He's not the first and he's not the last, but Matt Tastic has been the most outstanding wrestling with no real outstanding characteristic. I mean, he used to wear a mask. That's about it with him. And yet, look at all the stuff he wins.
====
WZCW Apocalypse 2017 said:
Copeland: MATT TASTIC! He’s back! Go on, Matt! Finally, someone has stepped up to stop this madness.
Connor: Can you blame people? Vis Imperium is in with Mr. Banks and any action against them could get you fired. Tastic doesn’t care though. He sees his friend in need and here comes the second half of Live Mas!
Cohen: I thought he was retired. What's he doing here? This is none of his damn business.
The sudden appearance of Matt Tastic causes Keaton to sprint around the ring and through the crowd. Tastic gives chase until he reaches the barricade and Keaton is up in the stands. Tastic signals for Keaton to come back down but Keaton shakes his head and continues to leave the area. Tastic then goes back to Mikey, yelling for someone to get some help as medical officials begin to come down to the ring with a stretcher.
Copeland: Mark Keaton has scattered following the return of Hall of Fame superstar, Matt Tastic. If he thinks he can get away with this disgusting act than I think he is in for a surprise.
Connor: That’s in the future but tonight we have to worry about the condition of Mikey Stormrage. They’re loading him onto the stretcher but I don’t think he has moved since suffering that brutal Jackhammer Suplex on the ring apron. His career could be over.
Cohen: I wouldn’t expect to see Mikey in the ring anytime soon. He messed with the power of Vis Imperium and has paid the ultimate price. Keaton has ascended to greatness tonight and it appears that Matt Tastic is the next so called legend to feel the power of Vis Imperium!
We see Mikey being taken up the ramp on the stretcher with Matt Tastic by his side looking concerned. The crowd give a standing ovation but we see no movement from Mikey. His career in jeopardy following the assault by Mark Keaton. His back not only injured but broken and the image of Keaton's million dollar smile and golden locks burned into the mind of Mikey Stormrage as he is taken away.
====
Mark Keaton: He was every bit as amazing as I thought he was. But he was clearly distracted. I don't know why.
Romero: Really?
Mark Keaton: OK, maybe I know. But you'd think a guy after revenge would be more, I don't know, focused on revenge. He seemed off that night.
====
Mikey Stormrage: So I got injured a few months ago and it happened to be the day he came back. In his mind, it was like it was his fault. He kept blaming himself. I had to talk to him because it wasn't a case of him getting all revenge hungry. It was like him being alone left him confused
====
Constantine: For such an everyman, or whatever he was called, he's never been that social. Stormrage was really his only friend. He always kept to himself. Alone in a corner, playing his games or watching his shows. I kinda think that when he saw Mikey get injured he kinda figured he was alone.
====
Matt: In a way, yeah. I guess. Mikey pulled me aside. He told me I was letting myself get lost, worrying about him. So I stopped. It seems to have worked. It had better work.
====
Mikey: He was losing a lot. Then he took time off, saying he had to refreshing himself. He came back. He wasn't. It felt like he was worse. Just more lost than ever. I kinda figured it was because I wasn't around. I told him. You need to stop letting your wander. If you want something, you got to take it.
====
Matt: So I started to take things seriously. Not letting anyone get ahead of me. Again. Like when I started. And now, I'm about to face Callie Clark for the Elite Openweight title. I held that thing for like, a heartbeat. I lost it so fast. It was an embarrassment.
====
Titus: Not even a round and he lost it. It was hilarious. But that's just like him. One minute he's on top of everything. The next, he's on the ground, complaining about not getting opportunities.
====
Matt: I'm gonna redeem myself. I have to.
====
Keaton: Do I think he can beat Callie Clark? Sure. He's the most decorated wrestler in the whole company. He's capable of winning anything. I don't think the match rule matters. Hell, I think putting rules on the match is worse for Callie 'cause it lets him cheat more. He's a crafty one. Especially when he's got his head on straight.
====
Titus: Pure Rules aren't that difficult as long as you follow the ref's instructions. If anything it would make Callie frustrated. That girl seems to have shorter temper than him.
====
Tyrone: If it's Pure Rules, he'll figure out how to win. If it's Iron Man he'll do something crazy to win. If it's Mayhem, well that's just a silly idea. He just did that and he won.
====
Constantine: On paper, this is a match he should win. Easily. Callie is a talented girl. But Matt is more talented. He's way more experienced. And he's also very unpredictable. Callie will have her day if she keeps it up. But in theory, it should not be at Unscripted. But it's all up to Matt Tastic to pull himself together. He seems to have it. All these weeks of flatout beating people. Frog Splashes through tables. Throwing people over things. He's in the zone. If he can stay in it, he wins.
====
Mikey: I would so kick him in the d**k if he loses. Like really hard.
Romero: You can't say that.
Mikey: Well, I just did. Sorry.
====
Matt returns to the ring, in the theater. This time, there are no chairs in it. No camera. He just paces in it. As we hear his voice.
Matt: I've had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. I've made a lot of enemies and surprisingly enough, little friends. I love this business. I love it so much. It means everything to me. I don't picture myself doing anything else. But every single time I step through that curtain, I feel a pressure. That I have to prove myself. I have to validate myself. And what I did before, every title I won, every prize, even a Hall Of Fame plaque, they mean nothing if I go out there tomorrow and suffer a loss. I can never look myself in the mirror and say I'm great enough. I can't. I call myself scum instead. I think I'm worthless. So now, I go out and hurt people. I rage. I rage at myself. And tell myself that I am great. But I don't feel it. A title is validation to me.
Matt drapes his arms over the ropes, panning to show the theater from afar.
Matt: Is Callie talented? I mean she has to be. She won a title. Do I think I'm better? Well yeah. But how many times have I gone out there, say I'm the best, and then end up flat on my back wondering where it all went wrong? It's a vicious cycle. They bill it as "old vs new" but how exactly am I old? 7 years is that old? It's that long? I'm barely in my 30's and they talk about me like I'm gonna need a respirator or something. They miss the point. This isn't young vs old. It's the frantic vs the restless.
We cut Matt in a recording studio, doing voice over. For this very scene.
Matt: Callie, frantically begging people to eliminate Mayhem Rules matches. She misses the point. I'm way more than that. Meanwhile, I'm so good I got inducted into the Hall Of Fame, I haven't won a damn Pay-Per-View match IN YEARS. Gold Rush 2016. April 2016. The last time I held a title was October 2015. And I'm supposed to tell myself I'm the best? How the hell? How the fuck am I supposed to stand here and let that slide? I want that validation. I NEED that! I have to beat Callie Clark because otherwise, what in the fuck am I?!
Romero: Matt, calm down now. I need you to watch the language.
Matt: I don't care, Romero. Censor them. Find a way around the rules. Do something to make it work. Whatever the fuck you can. That's what I have to do. To make sense of what the fuck am I. I want to tell myself that I am the best. But how do I do that if I haven't won anything recently? If I'm just talk and no action? If I can't follow up? I have to do whatever it takes to take back control of my career, Goddammit.
???: MATT!!
In the distance someone yells and comes in to the room as Romero tries to calm things down.
Mikey: Fucking shit, man. You're not allowed to curse here.
Matt: Fuck off. I already told him to bleep them out. It's cheap, short editing. For Christ sake we rented a theater and a ton of lamps for this. It can't be that hard.
Mikey: Focus. Focus. It doesn't matter if it's hard or not. You. Have. To. Do. It. Forget other people. No one is working for you. You have to work for them. See. This is why you lose matches.
Matt: How?
Mikey: Because you start to think you deserve it. You think you deserve your words to be censored. You just said, you've gone so long without winning on PPV. Or a title. Why is that? You let yourself get frustrated. You think you're owed something. You're not. You gotta work for it. You don't get it yet? You work for it more. It takes too long? That's fine. Work more. When you finally achieve your goal, it'll be so much better. And if you think you're taking too long, look at your resume. The longest in WZCW. How did it get like that? Patience. Which you'll need if 30 minute Iron Match is picked. Inteligence. Which you're gonna need if Pure Rules is picked. And that sexy ferocity of yours if Mayhem is picked. Matt, you have the tools. You have to motivation. You have everything you need to go out there and break that streak of losses. And let the world know. Live Mas, man. Now, I think we should finish filming this thing.
The two turn to Romero who looks on, exasperated. But then he just turns to a smile suddenly.
Romero: Fuck it. I'm letting that in. That was too great.
Mikey: But, how's that supposed to be a documentary?
Romero: Documentaries are people discussing a real life story, correct? I guess Matt is just gonna have to win.
Mikey: Or be REALLY embarrassed.
Matt: Fuck off. Lets go.
Mikey: To win a title?
Matt: No. To Taco Bell. I'm hungry. I'll Deliver Kickassery later.
Mikey: Live Mas.
Romero: I am so marking out, bro.
====== (c) Copyright Masacote Productions, WZCW, WrestleZone Ent.=====
Thank you to all parties involved that allowed their self (character) for this production.
