Not long ago I was a man who came in as a complete unknown. I joined APEX as someone with no accolades, no championships, no hype, or, well, a career at all, really. I was just a young man from England, with nothing more than a dream and a desire to somehow make a difference. Somehow, despite my inexperience, I found my way here. Matt Miles was gracious enough to accept me into this wonderful promotion. Whereas others would've been turned away because on paper they may not match up to the high-caliber level of talent presented, he, for some reason, saw something special in me and decided to give me a chance. Since then, my career has undergone a rapid metamorphosis that many weren't expecting. I've beaten the rising stars and the multi-time champions with my only loss thus far coming at the hands of one particularly determined and vengeful Diantha Rosso. But in that loss, I've learned so much. Such lessons have no doubt served to my benefit ever since I found myself as a participant in the Sovereign Cup.
The first in what will certainly become a prestigious tournament, there is so much to gain and an equal amount to lose. It goes beyond just mere bragging rights or giving oneself airs. As it has been made abundantly clear for the past few weeks, the winner gets to go after a championship of their choice. A chance to reach the summit. An opportunity that they can make the most out of, and in the end, be able to succeed lest their actions were all for naught. It's an amazing accomplishment given just how cutthroat the competition is. In fact, not many people thought that I would make it far.
After all, me being in this finals makes absolutely no sense.
How can I be the one that made it to the finals? How can someone that is the furthest thing from royalty somehow topple a king in Harvey Kennedy? How can I, a mere mortal, take down a god of destruction in Jacob Senn? It's not far-fetched to understand why people doubted me. In every conceivable scenario, someone like Jacob or Harvey should've moved on. Someone with more experience, more accomplishments, more familiarity in big-time situations such as these... just anyone besides me. It's understandable. Trust me that I do not hold ill will towards anyone who may still be apprehensive about me being able to win this whole thing. However, the reason that I've been able to topple giants and conquer those that had been thought to be unconquerable all this time is simple. In spite of my inexperience, in spite of every other aspect I may lack that so many have held against me, there is one thing that has helped separate me from the rest:
Hope.
Hope is the driving force behind everything I do. It is why I am able to get right back up when I should've been down and out for good. It is why I am able to face everyone without a single shred of fear in my being despite them being more well-versed in this art that we call wrestling. It is why I can stand here, undeterred and motivated more than ever before to win this tournament. Hope has carried me this far because, above anything else, I want APEX Wrestling to be in a good place. I want professional wrestling to be in a good place. The ego, the cheating, the politics - it all has to end. This sport has suffered long enough, and no one else has taken the initiative all this time to make the necessary change. I refuse to stand by and let these atrocities continue to unfold.
You may think it to be childish, foolish, or even pretentious on my own account. However, I am one step closer to cleansing this sport. I am one step closer to making what was once deemed impossible, possible. This last step will be the justification for my efforts and prove that this mission isn't something baseless. Most importantly, though? This isn't some self-centered crusade to make me look good. This is bigger than me. All of this is bigger than me. For as long as I have been wrestling here, many of my opponents have tried to spin my intentions around as me looking to hide my own ego in order to make myself look good. They claim that I am no better than them in that I have my own selfish aspirations that I wish to achieve. So many have tried to push this narrative onto me, and each time, I simply cannot help but laugh. Is it truly that surprising that someone genuinely enjoys this sport? Is it that much of a befuddling thought to have that someone isn't in this to fill whatever shallow void they have within themself? I figured such concepts would be easy for many to grasp, but alas, so many of you have been caught up with the materialistic aspects for too long that the mere, humble notion of someone having far simpler goals and desires confuses you lot. In my pursuit of gold, it is not to validate my own self-aggrandizement but rather to serve as an inspiration for many to follow. To show that the good guys can win. That you don't have to sink to unfathomably low levels just to prove you are the best at what you do. And, hopefully, I can change the minds of those that are deemed to be far from redeemable.
I can perhaps be the one to save Arata Asakura.
In saying that, I have likely incurred your wrath, Mr. Asakura. How dare I make such a foolhardy declaration? How could I be the one to change you, or even make some kind of lasting impression upon you? Who am I to think that I could ever have a chance against a man of your caliber? Like the silver-tongued serpent you are, you're likely ready to cut me down with your words and claim that you will cut me down physically inside the ring come Sunday night.
Also, I apologize for spoiling the festivities of you and Senn meeting in the finals. Sometimes, life can be funny at changing how fate works. Still, if I am to accomplish everything in APEX, I am going to have to play the role of the disruptor. As I have done all this time, I've shattered people's expectations. I've forced everyone to take note of me and recognize that this movement of mine was not born out of naivety. It was born out of necessity. People like you have made it necessary for someone like me to step up and get rid of everything that is ruining wrestling. After all, you aren't just some simple raging egomaniac that's over their head. People can't brush you off to the side and think, "well, he'll have to learn the hard way. He'll be humbled, surely". If you were only that, then the situation at hand wouldn't be such a dire one.
Instead, I am faced with a man who has no qualms about brutalizing and punishing anyone that is in his way. You have ruined many careers and lives. With your pack to Izanagi, you have brought about a level of destruction the likes of which have never been seen before in this sport. And here I thought that Jacob was bad, but you? You have him beat, and it's not even close. So much blood has stained your hands since you decided to undergo this mission of yours to defeat those that have abused their powers while, ironically enough, abusing your own. At first glance, it could be mistaken as honorable, in a way. But as we delve deeper, it's clear this isn't the tale of someone getting back at others that have wronged both him and his people. It is a horrific tale of someone who wants to batter as many people as possible out of some sick sense of revenge... and even then, such a desire has little to no sincerity to it in my eyes. All in all, Arata, you want to be a world champion. You've stated it time and time again ad nauseam. You want to be a champion that sits on his throne and looks down upon the carnage he himself has caused. You wish to embarrass Matt Miles by conquering APEX Wrestling by every despicable means you see fit. In fact, you are so set on your conquest that APEX isn't the only place you want to have underneath your rule. If you were to emerge victorious, then that would only grant you the chance to be a double world champion.
At this point, the fight against injustice isn't the sole focus for you anymore. No. Instead, you wish to live in this sick, twisted power fantasy you have created for yourself. You speak with such pride and almost a baffling glee whenever you bring up your own past sins. You're unapologetic about everything. Even when your methods have gone too far, you do not care. No longer is this about fighting fire with fire. This is you fulfilling this destiny, this supposed fate of yours to be a champion and carry on with your reign of terror. And the most insane part is that you have changed so much in just a few years. You were once a humble man, looking to get into this sport to find a purpose to live after having a horrible childhood. You needed something to keep you going, and something that would help out those you love and cherish after you have gone through so much with them. Wrestling wasn't some gateway for you to line your pockets. It was something you've grown to be passionate about. Yet, we are not faced with the Arata Asakura that wants to fight for what he loves. Instead, we are faced with a nefarious tyrant in the making that's deluded himself into thinking that his actions are beneficial means to an end.
Gone are the days were you only cared to motivate others into putting in the work and proving that anyone can succeed despite their background. Now, you don't want to remember your harsh upbringing. You want to forget about it all. You, like so many others, don't care to remain grounded after they have had a taste for gold. But Arata, I am here to remind you of everything. I am here to make you remember. I want you to think back to that time when you were that kid that needed that way out. I want you to reimagine the young man that fell in love with professional wrestling and saw it as a means of escape. I want you to remember the man that wanted to make his family proud and finally give them a comfortable life where they no longer had to worry about when the next paycheck will come in. I want to bring you back to being the Self-Made Man. The man that wanted to live. The man that wanted to succeed. And, above else, I want to bring back the man that loved professional wrestling.
Because at one point, Arata, you too were once a kid that had dreams. That had desires. That had hope.
I want to bring that hope back. To you, to APEX, and to this sport as a whole. It may seem like an impossible task, but I have proved everything I've done to be possible. The surreal is now real. At King of the Mountain, Arata, I will show you that hope triumphs everything, and in doing so, you will come to see the light again.
by MinaAizawa Thu Oct 13, 2022 3:46 am
Subject: "A New Hope." 
