▶Next Man Up
Savior is relaxing in his hotel in Brazil, soaking in the street life. He steps out onto the balcony of his room, the sun rays beaming down on him, and takes in the sound of Brazil coming to life below — people playing fútbol, crowds moving through the streets, music spilling out from every direction.
He enjoys the scenery a while longer, then heads back inside to scout his opponent for his second match in UTA. He sees the name — Kaine — and opens his laptop to study.
But as he works, his mind drifts back to the phone call with his parents in Puerto Rico. As much as he cherished his debut match, he still can’t shake the feeling of them simply not seeing how happy he is with his life. With his dream.
“I just don’t get why… why won’t you be proud of me…”
He says it in a tone of quiet disappointment — wishing, more than anything, that they were.
He tries to clear his head. He decides to address his opponent, to psych himself up for the next match, and sets up his camera.
“Man — what a fucking DEBUT, am I right? I mean — chasing a dude around who looked like he was seeing a GHOST? That was a night to remember, that’s for sure!”
He remembers his UTA debut with fond memories.
“Now — the energy of that match was something SPECIAL. A night I won’t forget. But now… it’s next man up. Next man up, as I climb the ladder of UTA. We’re in BRAZIL now — where I get to face Kaine. And he’s a very interesting guy, for sure.”
He leans into the read.
“Full of face paint. Demons. Reinventing himself. And most importantly — he looks like a man POSSESSED. But not by demons… by his LOSS record. Because I’ve noticed you’re on a bit of a losing streak, Kaine. And I mean — what better way to get rid of it than to face a guy who’s moving on UP? Well — Kaine, for your information — I really don’t plan on helping you out with that loss streak.”
He smiles at the camera.
“When you’re facing me, you’re facing a guy who DEMANDS a lot out of you. Because when I beat you — you will not have any excuses. Every match I fight is a match where I show people exactly who I am. I’m a guy who fights hard and wrestles hard — because wrestling is ALL I have. And as cheesy as it sounds, it’s TRUE. That ring is my sacred coliseum, and it shall be treated as such.”
His tone sharpens into something generous and fierce all at once.
“Now — I KNOW you want to get this horrible moment off of you, Kaine. So I WELCOME you to bring all that frustration. Because when you do, it’s going to be a match where I KNOW you’ll go all out. And I’ll go all out too. So let’s give these fans something to look forward to as we start off the show — because I’ll make sure we start it with a BANG!”
The signature rises.
“I’m not what’s new — I’m what’s next!”
“And what’s next is a JOURNEY for me in UTA. There’s a lot I want to get into — and well, I’ve got to start somewhere. So we’re going UP from here. The road to excellence begins NOW. And the people in Brazil, Kaine, and all of UTA are about to find out what it means when I say — the standard of EXCELLENCE!”
It all crests into the finish.
“IT’S FUCKING SHOWWWWWTIMEEEEEEE!”
Savior ends the recording and goes back to studying, losing himself in the film room of his laptop — trying, once more, to keep the distraction going.