Higher Power

It’s very early in my APEX run but I can already say it’s been a very interesting one. My first two matches I faced off against four relatively new wrestlers. And you know how it is good with the new kids, what they lack in experience they make up with passion, reflexes, healthy bodies, and so on. I have started feeling very old, but despite all that I still believe this old body can still go, and this old guy can still reach the top of the mountain. But this week, at Higher Power, it’s a different type of challenge. I won’t be going up against an up and comer, instead I’m going to face a man who I’m somewhat familiar with. Aren Mstislav.

When I started my career over a decade ago, I didn’t do it alone. There were many of us, all young and stupid but the one thing we all had in one common was that we loved wrestling. Among those names was one Aren Mstislav. Yes, we began our journeys at the same time, yet funnily enough we never quite crossed paths, not directly anyway. So last week, the moment I saw him enter the ring and demand a challenge I just couldn’t help myself. Maybe he was expecting someone different, but I was the first to answer, and don’t worry about anything Aren I’ll do my best not to bore you.

All that said, I’m really not any more familiar with Aren in the ring that I was with any of my previous opponents. We were in multiple promotions at the same time but as I said before, we only met once or twice and they were all in tag matches, there was no moment where we were both in the same ring at once, and beyond that there is also one very important point, and maybe the one reason we didn’t see each other much. You see, despite having the same start date I was very much ahead of my competition, and specially ahead of Aren Mstislav. The reason I am unfamiliar with him not just from personal experience but anything he does inside the ring, is because his career didn’t start until mine ended.

While I was main eventing shows and winning championships, Aren was still trying to find his footing in the business. Fast forward a couple years, he’s wrestled all over the world across many different companies and won plenty of titles. He’s completely different to the man I knew back in 2013. But for all the talk you’ve done about wanting to be entertained in your big return, from my point of view you’re the one who has something to prove to me. I was, after all, undoubtedly better than you at everything. And while I know nothing of the type of man you are now, could you really have changed that much? I want to see what 10 years did to you. I want you to show me how much I’ve missed, how much you’ve evolved and if you really are as good as you say.

And to answer your question, no. I’m not bored, quite the opposite actually. Everyone I’ve faced and everyone I’ve watched so far in APEX is exciting. Everyone is incredibly talented and have a huge desire to succeed. Seeing them reminds me of how we used to be, but I suppose I see things from a completely different perspective than you. I’ve been away for a long, long time. Maybe if I had been around for as long you have, I’d grow tired of it all. But as things are, you couldn’t be any more wrong. I think even after our match, you will see how talented the people here are, and you will be shocked at the fact Matt Miles has actually built something special for once.

But I know words won’t convince you, and maybe the idea of a match with me won’t convince you either. After all I’m not exactly the ideal representation of the company nor the first guy you think about when it comes to it’s wrestling style. But believe me, with what I’ve learned in the past month, I have evolved as much as I did in the previous stage of my career. I’ve had to work my ass off in order to keep up with everyone else here and at Higher Power, from one veteran to the other, I’m going to show you how time does not wait for me, it does not wait for you, it waits for nobody. It’s fine that you’re excited about a start-up company, but I hope you’re not coming in expecting the top from the very start. The world has moved on and we’ve been left behind, it’s not up to anyone else to get on your level and keep you entertained Aren. It’s us who need to catch up but before all that it’s you who needs to keep up with me. At Higher Power, I will show you just how little power you hold here, Monarch.

Welcome to APEX.