(EAW intro plays.)
(The camera opens up to show a quick recap of the EAW Hall of Fame red carpet that took place before this, with various Elitists seen arriving and being interviewed. We then go to show a view of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. There’s an area reserved for the ceremony with guardrails secluding the fans that have come to watch to the various Elitists who have also arrived. After a while a voice is heard booming through the speakers of the venue.)
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you all… to the 2022 EAW HALL OF FAME CEREMONY!!!
(The crowd cheers loudly before the announcer continues on.)
Announcer: Please welcome this year’s Hall of Fame host, who was also the host of the 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony, ONE-THIRD OF THE DYNASTY COMMENTARY TEAM, JAKE MERCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(‘We Getting Money’ by Sheff G is heard blasting through the speakers of the arena as the camera goes over to show Jake Mercer jogging out from the back to the podium. He has a smile on his face as he waves around at the people in attendance while decked out in a black tailored suit. ‘We Getting Money’ begins to come to a close while Jake adjusts his tie and looks at his notes, before looking up and beginning to speak.)
Jake Mercer: Wow, it’s great to be back! I’m glad that Elite Answers Wrestling decided to bring me in for the second year in a row to host this prestigious event for the masses. It’s funny how I was talking about the return of this event back in 2020 and how it’s been two years since the last one, and here we are, two years since the last one! Don’t you love this??? But I’m glad that we’re having one in the first place because the two years during its absence have created a group of Elitists that are more than deserving of the spot that they have been honored with tonight. I’ve looked on the internet and I’ve seen everyone in this class being praised and how this could be the most deserving group of Elitists to be inducted, and I couldn’t agree more having been around all of these people and seeing what they have done for this company. They deserve all of this, and tonight we’re going to give it to them the only way we know how.
(The crowd cheers loudly.)
Jake Mercer: It truly is some exciting times for Elite Answers Wrestling as a whole. A landmark 15th Season and a… speculated… deal with the Mouse, there’s a lot to be excited for. Pain For Pride is right around the corner and it’s shaping up to be one of the best yet, and it’s truly exciting. But before that, we take the time to appreciate the people that have made that possible. Before all four of these Elitists wage war inside the ring, tonight they’re honored with joining a highly esteemed class of Elitists as newly minted Hall of Famers. But you’re not here to hear me describe it are you? Let’s get this show on the road ladies and gentlemen with our first inductee!
(We see Jake Smith in a confessional.)
Jake Smith: It’s amazing to see the impact that Charlie Marr has had on Elite Answers Wrestling these past few years. There’s no doubt that he’s done some pretty amazing things inside the ring and overall is one of the most vilified and hated people in this company. From fighting against an entire roster whilst being EAW World Champion, to being one of the funniest people you’ll ever see watching his promotional videos. He truly is someone to marvel and there is no better place to immortalize that than in the Hall of Fame.
Jake Smith: I remember when I first joined he was someone I always wanted to face. He was truly something remarkable and the chance to have gone toe to toe against the dude especially a month or so ago in the Grand Rampage match is something I’ll never forget. Charlie Marr is Charlie Marr and it’s safe to say that there is never going to be another person like him in the years that follow. Congratulations my man, enjoy this!
(The camera cuts to TLA in a confessional wearing sunglasses.)
TLA: Yo my bald homie Charlie Marr a real homie for real. He getting that shiny Hall of Fame ring to match he dome. Like shit is blinding for real I had to protect them ojos. I thought after our last match that I had dealt with him but now he is back and just as much of a menace as always.
TLA: Charlie is one evil type gringo out here you ain’t know what he be scheming he prolly going to assault whoever inducts him so good luck to Veena. Chica going to need it to survive the night. Charlie going to release poison gas on us or something kill off the whole audience. If this is the last time y’all see me send this tape out let the streets know who done did it.
(TLA is shown feeling his way out of the confessional because he can’t see.)
(We see Terry Chambers in a confessional.)
Terry Chambers: Never in a million years would I think I’d be praising you in a video. :mjgrin: One of the best bad guys in the business. Insults that would have you thinking outside the box. You are always one of my favorites to go up against no matter the situation. Congratulations man.
(We see Ms. Extreme in a confessional.)
Ms. Extreme: Wait, who’s this for? 🤨
Producer: (off-screen) Charlie Marr.
Ms. Extreme: :noah: Ugh, fuck that guy. I really gotta say nice things about that gremlin, right? 😒
Ms. Extreme: Nah, I’m kidding. 😂 Charlie Marr, I love to hate you. I assume that the IWC does too, but when they’ve seen you backstage, they’ll begin to see why the locker room likes to be around you. You are hands-down one of my favorite opponents to be in the ring with. You made my first season on Voltage so memorable with the Beating Hearts versus you and Veena — which won ‘Feud of the Year’ that year and honestly, I could see why because you were nothing more than the perfect foil for the Beating Hearts, especially, a perfect foil for Ms. Extreme.
Ms. Extreme: I think that whenever we clashed in the ring, it was just brutal. It was grimy and it made Barbed Wire Massacre II? That is my all-time favorite match because I think that we were on fucking point that night. We really created something out there that really elevated the two of us to a different fucking level. It’s totally a match that I cherish in my heart and it made me fall in love with the concept of deathmatches again which kind of disappeared during my reign as PURE Champion. You are just that perfect ‘heel’ in anyone’s story.
Ms. Extreme: You have that special ability to bring the hero out of any one of us and for anyone to do that, it’s amazing and something that deserves a ton of credit. Just the methods that you have tried to use to get underneath our skin have been fucking gold. As long as you have some kid in the front row booing your guys, you feel on top of the world and you will amp up your character that much higher. Your induction was a surprise, but at the same time, I should have known better and seen it coming because you are one of the best villains that we’ve had in this company and if you want to look at a textbook heel, look at Charlie Marr. Congratulations, Charles. 🍺
(We see Malcolm Jones in a confessional.)
Malcolm Jones: It wouldn’t be right if I didnt give any remarks for Charlie Marr. Congrats lil bro you did it. You and I have a lot of history and we go way back to NEO, I knew back then you had it in you to be a main event level talent as you continued to make a name for yourself and found your footing. I’m very proud that you’ve lasted this long over the years to be able to have this moment, before all of the kids of todays era came along you were my original young lion and its been a pleasure to watch you evolve and become what you have.
Malcolm Jones: I’m gonna take this time out to be petty now. #Neverforget when I booked you to beat Moongoose McQueen on NEO and a certain group of dickeaters complained about it, where is he now and more importantly where are THEY now? Certainly not in the EAW Hall of Fame, aka the only Hall of Fame that actually means anything so RIP bozos gg. Thank you for the promo wars over the years and being one of my greatest rivals ever, I’d lose the world title to you 10 times over if I could. Never stop being you and keep applying pressure.
(We see Jack Ripley in a confessional.)
Jack Ripley: Charlie Marr, you are a terrible, horrendous human being, and deserve nothing but the worst. And that is the biggest compliment I can give you. You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, and the way you can get under people’s skin is a talent most wish they could have.
Jack Ripley: We will forever be linked together I feel, and that is due to your efforts of being able to say the most heinous things imaginable to me. You deserve this induction for everything you’ve done, but I’m sure everything you do in the future will be just as good. I hope you die, but congrats on being inducted into the hall of fame. You deserve it.
(The Hall of Fame reopens back to the stage.)
Announcer: Here to induct Charlie Marr into the Hall of Fame, please welcome… Veena Adams!
(“7 Rings” by Ariana Grande begins to play as Veena walks from the backstage area and crosses the stage towards the podium. There’s a rare smile on her face and her blue eyes are full of pride.)
Veena Adams: There’s no bigger honor for an Elitist than being inducted into the EAW Hall of Fame. It truly represents the very best of the best and in my humble opinion, Charlie Marr’s inclusion in it has been written in the stars for a while now. He’s a Triple Crown champion, but beyond that, he has been involved in some of the wildest and most memorable feuds and matches in EAW history. Not to mention, the things that Charlie says and does somehow manage to just stick with you because he’s that polarizing of a personality. Who can forget the infamous social post from four years ago when MarrKade was set to battle my Uncle Ryan and Cameron Ella Ava for the Unified Tag Team Championships at the Pain for Pride Festival?
(Veena motions to the giant video screen behind her where the first image Charlie ever posted on social pops up.)
Veena Adams: :mjlol: I’m pretty sure he created his account JUST to post that picture. But that’s just who Charlie is as a person. He’s someone who just truly does not give a fuck and will do or say whatever he can to get under the skin of those who oppose him. I love him for that, for many reasons actually, but the thing that truly stands out about Charlie is just how far he’s come as an Elitist. I don’t think anyone truly thought he would blossom into one of the most callous and ruthless motherfuckers this place has ever seen, and I know the vast majority of you never thought he would become the EAW World Champion and reach the top of our sport. I believed in him, though. From the very beginning, I knew there was something special about Charlie Marr and it had very little to do with his brilliant, gorgeous blue eyes and sexy beard :troll:. He just had all the tools that you can’t teach in training gyms these days and it’s those intangibles that truly make someone a star.
Veena Adams: When a Charlie Marr video is posted to EAW, you rush to it. You want to see what outlandish thing he has to say. You want to see who he is directing his ire at, and you find yourself hanging on his every word. Through all of his ups and downs, and I would be doing him a disservice if I didn’t mention that he’s had his down periods too, Charlie has been able to captivate the members of the EAW Universe and his peers just by opening his mouth to speak. It’s a truly remarkable quality to have; the gift of gab. EAW is full of eloquent speakers, unique personalities that aren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their respective sleeves, and pure, unabashed shit talkers who can make you stop and think twice about yourself. That’s why this place works and has worked for 15 years now. There is a place for everyone and it’s my opinion (which is the right one, by the way), that Charlie has separated himself from the majority and put himself in a very exclusive club. It’s part of the reason why he is getting this Hall of Fame induction. He’s not afraid to push the envelope. He doesn’t worry about the repercussions of his actions. He takes his lumps, along with his victories, and never once in the years I have known him has he uttered a single complaint over anything that has happened to him. He’s used the setbacks to get better. He’s used the triumphs to catapult himself into superstardom.
Veena Adams: Charlie is a special talent for all of those reasons, but what seals the deal for me is who he is off-camera. I know what he went through last year, and it is not my story to tell so I won’t. But if you never trust anything that comes out of my mouth, do me this one favor and believe this. What Charlie dealt with last year would have broken most people and he has been pretty candid and open about the demons he had to face. For whatever reason, he found solace and comfort in this sport, and even though it’s treated him so unkindly at times, he remained strong and continued to give it whatever he could at the time. Charlie wasn’t able to give a hundred percent last year, and he will admit that himself. But he tried, and if any of you knew what he was fighting through, you would be on your feet right now and clapping for him. The fact he is here today and reigning as the Hardcore Champion is a fucking testament to how dedicated he is to EAW.
Veena Adams: I am going to step out of character for a brief moment and speak for the entire board. We are all so proud of Charlie for sticking with everything despite what he had to deal with away from this world we have all worked together to create for one another. While EAW is an escape from real life, it doesn’t get to become a substitute for your real-life (lesson in there, and one that hits me pretty close to home), and Charlie never once let what he was dealing with negatively impact his time here. He did his thing, minded his own business, and came to me when things got to be a little too much. He had to go be an adult and there was never a doubt that his place here would forever be held. Personally, I was excited when he was ready to return and Season 15 has been nothing short of wonderful for the man I am proud to call my friend…
(A devilish smile crosses Veena’s face.)
Veena Adams: …among other things 😏. Charlie, I could not be more proud to see you getting this honor. As I said, you have provided EAW with some incredible moments, matches, feuds, and promos. I have loved every single thing I have ever gotten to be a part of with you, and the behind-the-scenes aspect goes without saying. I want to stay in character for this, but believe me, I’m far from finished fangirling over you so just stick around. For now, I am going to turn the podium over to you because there’s no doubt I could talk for hours about how much you mean to this place, and what a muse you have been to everyone who’s ever had the pleasure of booking you. You’re one of the good guys and I fucking dare anyone to challenge me on that. So with that being said, I want all of you to get on your feet and welcome the blue-eyed devil himself to the EAW Hall of Fame… CHARLIE MARR!!!
(‘Praise The Lord’ by Bandokay is heard while the camera goes over to show Charlie Marr making his way out to the stage from the backstage area. He has a fancy suit on as he makes his way over and brings Veena in for an embrace. The two of them share a kiss before Veena takes her leave towards the backstage area, while Charlie makes his way onto the podium in her place. ‘Praise The Lord’ begins to come to a close while Charlie begins to speak.)
Charlie Marr: In this situation, most people would come out here and show their appreciation. They would say thank you to the EAW fans, thank you to EAW management, and thank you to their fellow roster members. I am not going to do that. I am going to take a brief moment to thank one person and one person only. It is no surprise that the one person I want to thank is the incredible woman that inducted me tonight, Veena Adams.
Charlie Marr: I won’t ramble on too long because Veena knows what I think about her but I will show some appreciation to someone who truly deserves it. Veena has stuck with me and supported me through thick and thin since we began our partnership a few years ago. Veena embodies loyalty and a hell of a lot of people here could learn a few things from her. Veena has supported me and pushed me to ensure that I reach that next level. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Veena Adams.
Charlie Marr: Rather than give any more thank yous, I am going to give fuck you’s to all of those who have wronged me over my illustrious EAW career. There are so many pathetic losers here that have criticized me and slandered my good name during my time here, now is my opportunity to rub it in all of their faces. This has been a hell of a long time coming. This is my moment and I deserve to laud it over all of you. You are all going to sit up, pay attention and listen to me as I take my victory lap.
Charlie Marr: Jack Ripley, I think I will start with you. Consider the fact your name has been mentioned in a Hall of Fame speech as a blessing, it will be the only time your name is called on this podium. You are one of my biggest rivals in my EAW career. I know we haven’t faced off in a long time but don’t think for one second I have forgotten about you. You talked all that shit and what did it accomplish? A measly victory that nobody remembers.
Charlie Marr: Meanwhile, I took your sister away from you. I then made her my girl to hurt you and then tossed her when she wasn’t useful to me anymore. I captured a World Championship before you and I am a Hall of Famer while you’ve been relegated back to being a tag team wrestler. My career is only on the up while you’re just another elitist once again. Fuck you, Jack Ripley.
Charlie Marr: Terry Chambers, let’s move to you. You haven’t actually wronged me much per se but I simply cannot pass up an opportunity to make fun of you. You’re an easy target because you’re such an insecure little bitch. I simply cannot comprehend being so insecure that you get a procedure to sort out your body weight. Just hit the gym bro, it really isn’t that hard.
Charlie Marr: You have been in EAW for about 10 years and have not made even a slight impact on this place. If your name was expunged from the records, nobody would even notice. Oh no, we lost that legendary Terry Chambers vs Korey Gaines match at Bloodsport 2019! What a shame! You are EAW’s charity case. Anyone else would have been let go by the company now but you are constantly given opportunities because people feel sorry for you. You’re a pathetic loser and I know my success hurts you. Fuck you, Terry Chambers.
Charlie Marr: Daryl Kinkade, I had to dedicate a bit of time to you didn’t I. I’ve spent all week talking about you but I just had to get in one final kill shot. Let’s just make this clear for one final time. You are nothing without Charlie Marr. Your entire career success is down to me, there is a reason you vanished once I disposed of you.
Charlie Marr: I carried you to two title victories and sent you spiraling after. I broke you as a man and it took you three years to bounce back. This isn’t the fairytale you think it is going to be. You aren’t going to return as a hero and stand tall over your biggest rival. There will be no revenge. It will just be the final sad story in the humiliating life of Daryl Kinkade. When you inevitably quit again, never forget that it was Charlie Marr who made you do it.
Charlie Marr: This may be my victory lap but I am far from finished. This is just the beginning of the Charlie Marr story.
(‘Praise The Lord’ begins to play up again while the crowd begins to boo loudly for Charlie. He has a big grin on his face, taking a sarcastic bow while wiping invisible tears from his eyes. From there he then makes his way towards the backstage area.)
Jake Mercer: :wow: What a motivational speech by Charlie Marr. You know, I remember when we first met, we had tea and crumpets and he tried to give me some of those dry ass biscuits the British always eat. I was like, hey, you seem about early 30’s, why the fuck do you look like you’re in your 50’s? And he just stares at me like he’s about to kill me, and I’m like hey dude, calm down. Did you know you’re going to be inducted into the 2022 EAW Hall of Fame? :mjlol2: That was back in 2014, I’m such a prophet. Anyway, let’s go onto our next inductee into the EAW Hall of Fame and my Gawd do the hits keep coming.
(We see Jake Smith in a confessional.)
Jake Smith: Andrea Valentine is one of the most unappreciated people in this company, I mean, she has done A LOT that goes under the radar that truly deserves its flowers. She is never afraid to help out when asked and when she is given a task she puts her all into it. She is truly a one-in-a-million person and that’s not a term to throw around so lightly. There truly is nobody like her in this company and that’s something that deserves to be emphasized to the fullest degree.
Jake Smith: Inside the ring, Andrea has possibly one of the biggest success stories that this company has ever seen. There have been a lot of times when shit hit the fan and things were looking bleak, and although most would’ve complained about it, Andrea never did. She kept a smile on her face and she kept going and persevered through all of that and over time that showed results. From EAW World Champion to Universal World Champion, it goes without saying she has earned each of those and many more through hard work and determination. She is truly a model Elitist and seeing her in the Hall of Fame makes me happy, congratulations Andrea!
(The camera cuts to TLA in a confessional.)
TLA: Andrea be one of the realest mamis in the whole fed. Mostly because she is the whole reason that this fed is alive to begin with. Cuz if she ever decides to sue Banks for sexual harassment this whole place is done for. We going to be having a real Vince McMahon type situation on our hands then.
(The door to the confessional opens and a suit hands TLA a piece of paper which he reads.)
TLA: Oh my bad. It looks like I will be fired if I don’t read the following statement. “Andrea Valentine is a delightful member of the EAW universe and her beauty and talent is truly unmatched. She is a true Hall of Fame tier talent who will live forever in the heart and soul of the EAW faithful for years to come”. Damn the dickeating is cr-
(TLA is shown being dragged out of the confessional as it ends.)
(We see Terry Chambers in a confessional.)
Terry Chambers: Congratulations Andrea. From our very first match I knew you were special and one day you were going to get here. Somebody who takes whatever she’s given and runs with it the best she can. Definitely one of my favorite opponents. Congratulations.
(We see SOSA Henderson in a confessional.)
SOSA Henderson: Andrea Valentine has always been something special. There’s nothing negative you can really say about her. She comes to work and gets the job done with zero complaints. I loved working with her and she absolutely deserves this spot in the Hall of Fame. And perhaps she will go down as one of the greatest female Elitists in our business.
(We see Malcolm Jones in a confessional.)
Malcolm Jones: I think from the very beginning everybody knew you had it in you to become something special in EAW as you pretty much hit the ground running. I remember Brody hyping you up and always talking about you and how good you are and when you finally came here it was like a huge thing and you lived up to expectations and then some with your work. I know Brody would be extremely proud of everything you’ve been able to accomplish here.
Malcolm Jones: For me personally, I joke around a lot and troll but that’s usually because you barely talk in the chat so I try to solicit a reaction but all of that aside I am extremely proud of you and the efedder you’ve blossomed into while in EAW. I wanna take this time out to thank you for sticking with EAW when I’m sure you were probably being tugged in another direction and seeing things through and becoming the huge presence that you are today. Thank you for all of the backup writing you do and everything else that you contribute that people don’t even realize. I know this is just the beginning for you, congrats goat!
Malcolm Jones: … and before I go…
(The Hall of Fame reopens back to the stage.)
Announcer: Here to induct Andrea Valentine into the Hall of Fame, please welcome… Consuela Rose Ava!
(The crowd cheers loudly upon hearing ‘We Appreciate Power’ by Grimes playing up while Consuela is seen making her way out from the backstage area and to the podium. She looks around with a smile from ear to ear before beginning to speak.)
Consuela Rose Ava: Hi.
Consuela Rose Ava: I’ve been gone for about a year, so I really didn’t know what to say to all of you. 😬
Consuela Rose Ava: But, I do know *exactly* what I wanted to say about the woman I am inducting tonight. Andrea Valentine, my lord, it’s about damn time to see you in the Hall of Fame. Am I right, everyone?
Consuela Rose Ava: Honestly, I have been out of tune with the world of professional wrestling for about a year. I have been focusing on my family, my two kids, and just doing some soul searching about where the next chapter of my life was going to take me, but it seems it seems like it’s led me back to EAW and for Andrea, I don’t mind that at all. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for this woman. I mean, I’ve put this woman over on a couple of occasions with a smile on my face. One of those occasions led to Andrea tying Brody Sparks — may God rest her soul — as the longest-reigning Specialists Champion in EAW History.
Consuela Rose Ava: I think that’s just poetic there since Brody was the one who introduced me to Andrea back in 2017 and my first impression was: “wow, I found someone timider than me.” A girl from Orlando, Florida; the daughter of a pastor and one out of four siblings in a very religious household, and when I learned all of that, I felt the motherly instinct to protect her at all costs. I wasn’t sure if it was because I had adopted Chloe around that same time, but I had the vibe that I needed to look out for Andrea and make sure that she kept that positive, innocent aura throughout her time in this company. I’ve seen the world of professional wrestling change people for the worse. I’ve seen many people stab each other in the back to get ahead of this business and I didn’t want the same to happen to Andrea. I knew that this woman was money. I knew that she was going to take women’s wrestling and perhaps, wrestling as a whole to the next level. Despite being dubbed ‘White Aria’ when she first arrived on the scene, I was confident that she was going to pave her path to be the first Andrea Valentine.
Consuela Rose Ava: She had the look, talent, and charisma and she was probably the nicest woman in the back. From our time on Empire in 2017, there were a lot of women who didn’t have just a fraction of the talent that she had being thrust into the spotlight and I’m like: “helloooo! Andrea Valentine is here! Don’t forget about her!” And despite the Board of Directors having the faith that she was going to be a vision of the future, it wasn’t happening at the pace I wanted to. It felt like just waiting for her to win her first championship seemed to be the longest process ever because you can’t have someone as good as her, taking a back seat to anyone. Just like you don’t put Baby in the corner, I’ll be dammed if someone put Andrea in the corner.
Consuela Rose Ava: When Brody passed away and Aria left, I felt like I needed to step up and be the person to look out for Andrea. I wanted to make sure that she got the things that she deserved. I wanted her to get all the titles, I wanted her to get all the endorsements and deals and I wanted her to turn around, knowing that I’d beat the ass of any guy who would touch her drink at a club. Backstage, I didn’t want any of the men flirting with her. Despite her being able to beat all of their asses, I still felt the need to protect her because in the words of Candice Blair Ava, “Relationships in professional wrestling NEVER last” —unless you’re Jamie O’Hara and Cameron Ella Ava.
Consuela Rose Ava: And honestly, I know from experience.
Consuela Rose Ava: While relationships in professional wrestling never last, friendships do.
Consuela Rose Ava: And I consider Andrea Valentine to be my best friend; not only in professional wrestling but in life. Honestly, I’m never too keen on making friends with co-workers. I think the entire concept is strange, but Andrea, had this ability never to make things feel like work. Whenever we hung out backstage on Empire or FPVs, she had always the ability to change the energy of the locker room and make things fun. She’s always kept out of the loop. She’s always kept to herself, but always felt a sense of comfort when going up to me about questions or concerns that she had. It went from a dynamic is us having small, positive interactions to her being the godmother of Chloe. If my daughter loves you, then, that’s a win there, and honestly, it doesn’t hurt that Andrea Valentine is her favorite female Elitist and that she was rooting for her to win at Pain for Pride last year. 🤦🏻♀️
Consuela Rose Ava: She was rooting for Cameron, Candice, and Camille, but she’ll be dammed if Andrea lost. “Hey, Chloe. Who are you rooting for in the Beating Hearts match at Pain for Pride?” And with no hesitation, “Andrea!”
(Consuela Rose Ava jokingly shakes her head, being caught off guard.)
Consuela Rose Ava: Where do I go wrong as a mother? Nah, but I’m joking. If I wasn’t in that match, I’d root for Andrea, and no offense to Kassidy Heart, who has been fucking killing it and changing the game. I got a lot of love and adoration for Kassidy, but I’m rooting for Andrea to retain this weekend. If there is someone who is entitled to another Pain for Pride moment and one where the fireworks are going off in the background, it’s Andrea. For years, this woman has been holding things down — on Empire, on Dynasty, on Showdown, and Voltage. This woman has basically been carrying women’s wrestling on her back. Her in-ring psychology and ability to tell a story is something that I have always been envious of. Whenever we have a match, she has made me into a better wrestler. There are only two women who have made me step up my game and made me better in the process. One is Kassidy and two is Andrea. Like, I get so comfortable with my wrestling style, but these two have made me want to try out different wrestling styles, see what works out for me. Being in the ring with someone as talented as Andrea has caused me to get better at my craft and to really focus on the little details within my character. I look at her, what has worked for her and it gives me that bit of encouragement that things may work out for me in the end. I may not be the one with a personality that sticks out like a sore thumb. I’m not going to be the one to wear the shades and bedazzled jacket or have that one thing that people recognize them with, but Andrea never needed to rely on anything to get herself over. She got over from her hard work, dedication to her craft, and being the most genuine person backstage. She really got over it by being the one to step up to the plate whenever they needed someone in that certain championship picture or a character to fit a story. Each time, Andrea has nailed the role on the head. She has been able to be that character that is needed and while there were certain stories where I had my concerns on whether Andrea could execute the role, she has nailed it each and every time. I mean, helloooo, does anyone remembers that mental breakdown story last season? 🙋🏻♀️
Consuela Rose Ava: While those types of angles have never been my cup of tea, the stories with Andrea conquering the odds have been some of my favorite stories to watch as a wrestling fan. One of my favorite showings of that was the Pain for Pride Festival back in 2018. It was Andrea Valentine facing three of REVOLT! Pro Combat’s champions and she walked in with zero championships, but walk out as the champion of the match. I was watching the entire match backstage and I completely marked out from that moment because the moment couldn’t have gone to a better individual. She had been busting her ass off since returning around… mid-2017? My estimation might be off, but Andrea had been putting in the work. She had always had this potential and I was upset when she got sent down back to developmental in her first tenure on Empire. Like, I understand that the EAW life wasn’t for everyone. It’s a ton of time and sacrifice and honestly, the ones who are able to handle the time away from their family and friends are going to be the ones to handle it better than those that are leaving something behind. For Andrea, she had thought the EAW life wasn’t for her, and honestly, I would have understood if she had left and decided to go to another company with a lighter schedule, but I’m glad she stuck with us. Even when things got really complicated, I’m glad that she remained in this company because this woman is a gem to this company. My lord, her ability to tell a story, is something that I am jealous of. If you guys and girls ever have a match produced by Andrea, you’re in for a treat because there is something special about the direction that she always seems to go with. She is able to make every match that she creates into something important. She has a great job at making everything a big match feel and that’s something that you need in wrestling. While wrestlers will do their best to sell the matches in their videos and whatnot, it’s a producer’s job to make sure that all the angles are being hit or the camera is getting the facial reactions of the wrestlers and making sure that it looks good for television. Within the two seasons, Andrea has grown into that role and become someone who has helped Voltage, and then, the Dynasty brand has some of the highest quality matches possible. All hits, no misses from her.
Consuela Rose Ava: She’s participated in some of my favorite matches in this company. Andrea versus Camille, War Games 2019, the Extreme Elimination Chamber in 2019; her ability to go from a beautiful technical wrestler into someone who can compete in cage and deathmatches, it’s mind-blowing to me because when I competed in my first deathmatch, I almost died, but I suppose, that’s where the ‘death’ in ‘deathmatch’ means. At the same time, I’m not surprised that Andrea was able to stand her own because this woman is flawless in everything that she does. She is one of the classiest women that you will ever cross paths with and honestly, her goal is goes out there and put everything on the line. She wants to make sure that everything is being delivered to the best of her abilities and has the best match possible. Constantly, she is always wanting to go out there and not let anyone down. Whenever she believes that she has given in less than stellar performance, there’s always that concern on whether she’s let people down and I think that’s the purest thing ever. What she needs to know is that we’re all supportive of her. We all want what’s going to be best for her, at the end of the day. Now, what else is there to say about Andrea? Nothing really; you can look at any of her videos and see ‘Shadrea’ at her best. You can see our sassy queen do our thing and I have been LOVING the confidence that she’s been having over the past three seasons. I love that she’s kept that going and seeing her find herself as not only a character, but a person has been amazing.
Consuela Rose Ava: Now, I didn’t want to ramble on, but for Andrea, it’s deserving. So in closing…
(Consuela Rose Ava takes a deep breath before continuing.)
Consuela Rose Ava: Adrienne, girl, you know how much I love you. You have been unconditionally you since day one. You have always made it aware if things got overwhelming for you. You never pushed yourself to do anything that was outside of your limits. Your bubbly personality is always contagious to be around and from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being one of my good friends in this crazy world that we call ‘professional wrestling.’ Not only that, but thank you for being a good friend to my family and for treating them with the love and respect that they deserve. Thank you for being that vibrant light in our lives. You deserve the fucking world. You deserve this Hall of Fame induction. It should have been a no-brainer to put you in and I have been more than waiting for this moment to happen…and I think the EAW Universe is too. So, I’m gonna wrap this up before I get someone tapping my shoulder, asking me to wrap it up.
Consuela Rose Ava: I am so honored that you chose me for this, Adrienne. I have been practicing these words in a mirror for about two weeks now, so I hope I don’t butcher it. :lupe:
Consuela Rose Ava: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s more than my honor to introduce to you the newest inductee in the EAW Hall of Fame, Class of 2022. Give it up for…ANDREA VALENTINE!!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻🎉🎉🍾🍾🎊🎊
(‘Roll With Me’ by Charli XCX begins to play up as the camera goes over to show Andrea Valentine making her way out to the stage. She has a smile on her face as she waves around before turning around and heading over to the podium, with her and Consuela pulling one another into a hug for a long moment. Consuela then heads to the backstage area while Andrea turns around and stands on the podium, with ‘Roll With Me’ beginning to fade out from there.)
Andrea Valentine: First of all, I just want to say thank you so much for any and all the consideration that went into this decision. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be my year but seeing the rest of the class and who all else makes it up as well, I’m really glad that I get to be a part of it. 😌
Andrea Valentine: Not to be cliché or whatever but there were times that I wondered very early on if I’d ever find a spot in the Hall of Fame, mostly because I really had no idea what the hell I was doing or if I was even doing it right. I really wondered, would I even win anything important? This whole promo thing was new to me, the e-feds I’d been on before weren’t like this at all, and when I was trying to get a start in EAW, I had very few people to turn to for advice on what I should do or how I should do it.
Andrea Valentine: Fortunately for me, one of those few people included Brody Sparks who I could speak to and give me advice on what kind of direction I should take things in. We’d been friends since 2012, having met on some other fed that’s long since been inactive – so I knew that for her to have joined EAW in 2016 and stayed there with as much interest that she had in it that this had to be something to at the very least tryout. At first, she’d done a whole lot of pushing me toward it and I just didn’t think it was for me, at one point having even worked together to make this quick little character that we decided to name Andrea Valentine. To say that she was an incomplete character was an understatement; partly because I still couldn’t get into this whole new style and just as much because I had no real clue as to what was already happening. I was gone shortly after.
Andrea Valentine: It wasn’t until months later when she and I had been talking, hardly even a mention of EAW, that something just compelled me to even bother to check the site out. It looked like Empire had just finished the promoing for a show they were doing and having read over a few of them, I was actually becoming a little bit more interested. I’m not sure what it was about it all, but something just seemed different this time and it was shortly after that I had my mind made up to actually try this time — even if that time honestly wasn’t planned to be for long. The way I saw it at the time, what could really be the harm in seeing what happens this time? If nothing comes from it, at least I’ll have given it a chance. With a pic base I knew no one else would want, mostly because I didn’t think I’d ever accomplish anything and didn’t want to hold a PB someone could actually do something with, and also because I was one of Legend Legend’s biggest fans 😌, it was decided. I wasn’t expecting much, maybe just a small throwaway feud or storyline that didn’t amount to much; I was sure that after about 2 or 3 months as the amount of time that I’d relied on as some sort of time frame for myself for this, that I’d be done with this again by then. 😅
Andrea Valentine: Brody didn’t know that though. With Brody excited once I told her that I was actually interested in coming back and her trying to get me settled in, I actually started getting anxious – shortly after I had started promoing again she was telling me how some people named Banks and Cameron had apparently taken notice of me. Even in coming back, I had no honest clue who these people were since I’d never spoken to them, but apparently, I’d just spent a few minutes interacting in the main chat with who she’d end up telling me was the same person who had a role in founding EAW. 🙃 And as she put it, Cam had been around since forever. I didn’t want to get my hopes up knowing what I did about how long I intended to stay in case things didn’t work out, but something like that was exciting for me to know. It seemed with that, she was telling me that I could find myself in the Specialists Championship scene but I really just thought she was being nice and trying to say things that would motivate me to actually stay.
Andrea Valentine: I didn’t think I was ever going to actually get anywhere close to that, or ever even have the chance to so much as win that same title. 💀
Andrea Valentine: But somehow, the intended 2 or 3 months turned into being here 6 months later. 6 months eventually turned into a year, and a year had turned into three just to become 5 all of this time later. To think back on that conversation I had with her and what’s all happened since then, I couldn’t have anticipated what was going to come from giving myself a chance to actually see where my renewed interest in EAW could actually go. A lot of the time, I was just looking at what everyone else was doing and trying to fix it up in a way that any kind of messy mesh of those styles could work for me, hoping that maybe by trying to figure out how I could find a tone or voice to make my own with it all that it’d get me anything to latch onto. 😭 I was constantly looking at what Cameron had written, reading over Rex, Raven, and Kassidy’s work since I started trying to follow them as examples I could look at to try to get my own shit together so that maybe it could at least look like I had some idea as to what I was doing. I just knew that I really wanted things to work out and for me to actually win something, somehow finding this motivation for something I wasn’t all that confident in.
Andrea Valentine: Maybe at the worst of times, it was just difficult trying to find what worked and what didn’t – but I was still wanting to work with whatever situations I’d ever find myself in. Trying to impress people but still being so critical of my own work knowing that I struggled with being sure of what I was doing, was this difficult thing for me. Though, winning the Openweight Championship and the Specialists Title gave me something of an impression that maybe I wasn’t as entirely hopeless when it came to this game as I might’ve initially thought. 😌 Also being involved in fun feuds with people like Madison, Charlie, or ending up in events like War Games and the EEC – I felt like I was really growing as a writer and trying to take on those situations with whatever the expectations were.
Andrea Valentine: It took some time to actually understand that and be even somewhat comfortable with it in a way – as much as I tried as time went on, it still made moments like going up against people like DEDEDE, Malcolm, and Rex for the EAW World Championship this exciting, nervous, and kind of stressful experience for me all at once. I really had to stop myself from asking Kassidy that season why she’d ever think to put anyone through something like that because I didn’t know what the fuck I was gonna do knowing that I hadn’t ever thought to prepare for any of what the hell was going on :mjcry:. “I never would’ve thought…” or “If someone would’ve told me years ago that I’d be…” probably seem typical or expected for things like this, but for me, it’s true. I had the thought of how 3 years prior to any of that with them or Charlie, I hadn’t had even the slightest bit of a feeling I’d be doing any of that nor having planned for it constantly in the back of my mind, and while they were moments that I hadn’t once assumed could come my way back in 2017, I couldn’t be more grateful for it all now :wow:
Andrea Valentine: For someone who hadn’t thought I’d be doing a whole lot, I’m really glad that I actually did let this all play out and stuck around. I really got to learn a lot that I wouldn’t have otherwise, whether that was on the promo page or in the process of getting to help write with shows. I know I told Cameron at one point years ago that I would absolutely never write segments or matches, but somehow I let myself get talked into it by Banks when he came looking for writers going into Season 14 :mjgrin:. Getting to write for Voltage was a great way to start and by the end, I was really proud of some of the segments I’d written. There was being asked to write for Ms. Extreme, Darcy, Malcolm Jones, and Minerva, then looking like :krabs: this season when I saw I’d been asked to write a Mr. DEDEDE or Jamie O’Hara segment, and there was also finding myself writing main events for FPVs that I took on really to see what maybe I could do since I’d come along this far in the process of everything.
Andrea Valentine: It’s really made me appreciate what work anyone could have ever done in writing for me over my time here in EAW, appreciate the process of getting to see how everything could come together for a lot of the shows and segments – it’s really been nothing short of a ride that’s gotten me to points even in having some hand in other people’s journeys I didn’t think I’d be a part of like that. Getting to contribute and wanting to give back in some way knowing what time was invested in me even despite other things that I had going on at other times – it’s another added experience. But for me personally, that really doesn’t do Empire writers the justice that was really deserved for the work that went into trying to help me, especially towards the end of it, or truly speak to the credit due to the Season 13 Voltage writing team led by Kassidy who really brought a whole bunch of amazing stories together in ways I hadn’t expected (not that I’d ever doubt another fan of wrestling legend and icon Kelly Kelly :wow:!!!) – and the consideration that went into any and all decisions that allowed me to get to this point haven’t ever gone unappreciated. Not to mention all the video editors! You truly deserve the Medal of Honor for going through all that, all things considered when it comes to me 😅; but also, I never let those go overlooked or unwatched knowing that 😭 We love a headscissor/handspring montage in this house 👏
Andrea Valentine: I know I don’t ever seem to have a whole lot to say here and this just might go down as the most I’ll have ever said off the promo page itself :mjgrin:, but when I think about how I started, I truly appreciate every little thing. Had I not taken this chance, I would’ve never gotten to know all that could happen and what EAW could mean to me; I knew what it was to someone like Brody when she was randomly adding me to big EAW group chats on Skype even when I wasn’t a part of EAW, telling me how excited she was to have won over people like Cameron and Kendra for a title in the EEC while having done it with a barbed wire dildo which honestly made me question what kind of place this was 💀, so even then I knew it was different and obviously unique.
Andrea Valentine: Getting to experience EAW for myself has been exactly that – something different and unique for me, and I really wish she could’ve been here to see it beyond the few weeks I’d been back before she passed. I’ve thought so many times during so many moments about what she would say, now what kind of hype she’d be going on about this with, and while nothing could ever beat having her say any of it for herself, actually making it in the same place she’d been successful in and knowing she’d hoped I’d be able to do the same has really hit close. While I thought on it by myself, eventually coming to see that Cameron had a similar thought about this and what Brody would think was a reassuring thing for me. After all, without Brody having been here and being so encouraging about me coming back, I’m not so sure I even look EAW’s way again and sign up to come back – but having gone forward wanting to do something for myself here has been a really rewarding experience.
Andrea Valentine: I had really just come back with the thought to “try” and was cautiously optimistic; if I ended up thinking it wasn’t for me again, it’d be no problem to just leave one more time and let Andrea Valentine be forgotten without having done anything. But now I’m going into the Hall of Fame and it feels like the amount of real, actual trying that went into this beyond what I thought it’d initially be has paid off in a bigger way, so to have that be recognized now is something I’ll always be grateful for.
Andrea Valentine: Thank you so much. 💙
(‘Roll With Me’ once again begins to play up while Andrea raises her hands in the air. She has the biggest smile in the world on her face while she mouths what she last said one more time before turning around and beginning to make her way towards the backstage area.)
Jake Mercer: Andrea Valentine is someone that radiates a ‘never give up’ sort of attitude. Something that you can feed off of and kinda absorb as your own energy in a way. I feel like that’s done me some good… except for when I tried to ask that girl out… she really did almost try to call the police, huh…? Well anyway, enough about that, we’ve got our foot on the gas and we’re not stopping so let’s get to our next inductee!
(We see Ryan Wilson in a confessional.)
Ryan Wilson: You know when you say something but you end up being proven utterly and completely wrong? We all know what I once said of three specific individuals one day, one of which being Xander Payne and BOY was I in the wrong when I said what was back then basically a try to get attention. If there is one thing Payne is not it’s a piss break wrestler, I’ve known it from the match we had together back in Season 11th and ever since then he has shown me and everyone week after week after week through the good and the bad, though the great times and the worse times why he is more than deserving of the Hall of Fame award that has been bestowed upon him today.
Ryan Wilson: Xander, I will say this: I apologize for what I said, truly and sincerely. Your career has been the stuff of Legends and your place in immortality is more than deserved. My cap goes to you, and I acknowledge you as one of the all-time greats. May no one thinks or say any different. Felicitation pour ta place au Temple de la Renommé Xander! ( Congratulations for your place in the Hall of Fame Xander! )
(We see Donovan Duke in a confessional.)
Donovan Duke: Xander Payne is a hell of a competitor to be in the ring with. He’s tough in the ring and you know you’re in for a fight. He also works just as hard outside of it. The work he has put into all the graphics and the videos he’s had a hand in helping create is astounding and the end results are always a sight to behold.
Donovan Duke: Nothing but respect for the guy. He’s shown time and time again why he’s had a successful career and there’s no signs of it slowing down in the slightest. He’s earned this monumental achievement.
(We see SOSA Henderson in a confessional.)
SOSA Henderson: Xander Payne is one of my favorite rivals. The man is a blessing to this company. No matter what he put his hands on, he has always produced some of the great memories in this business. I’m proud to have competed against him and hopefully there are more opportunities in the near future.
(We see Terry Chambers in a confessional.)
Terry Chambers: Words can’t express just how happy I am for you. Everything you do is beautiful and you’ve grown to be one of the most important assets here. Here’s to hopefully many more years of accomplishments. Congratulations.
(We see Jordan Payne in a confessional.)
Jordan Payne: I am not a pro wrassler, but my EAW run was more eventful than some who are. I main evented Showdown and beat DDD with prolly the least amount of words of anyone in history – but even despite both those things there’s only one name that defined my time here.
Jordan Payne: Xander, your existence always infuriated me in general. You compete every week yet you’re still somehow built like Gunna, you wear the same black fucking wifebeater *in the middle of the summer*, you use words like Ubiquitous and you worst of all, you proudly enjoy BROCKHAMPTON, Lil TJay and Attack on Titan. It’s sickening.
Jordan Payne: Above all else though, the slander of you was necessary to humble you because I always knew how good you were. Your work ethic is something special, your abilities as a creative is unrivaled in so many different facets & over the past year it was a joy to see that all finally come together in a manner that truly elevated you from great to legendary. I’m truly proud to have been a part of your journey, and congratulate you on your induction into the Hall of Fame. Please get better taste though like omg.
(The camera cuts to TLA trying to sit in the confessional uncomfortably.)
TLA: Damn it be real crowded in here I can barely even fit to give my comments and respects. Oh wait this is Xander Payne that explains why I can’t fit all up in here. Imma have to make this confessional real quick cuz I can already feel the gravitational pull tryna yank a vato out. Xander stay reppin’ Canada you know he is one of the finest high flyers in EAW history.
TLA: Hitting them triple moonsaults, hurricanranas, and phoenix splashes. Ain’t no move that he can’t do. After I done whipped he culo and won King of Elite was really a career defining moment for me and I want Xander to know how much I appreciate him.
(Suddenly the door to the confessional blasts open and the force sucks TLA out of it.)
(We see Jake Smith in a confessional.)
Jake Smith: :comeagain: You want me to say nice things to this dude?
Jake Smith: Fine, whatever. Who does it like Xander Payne huh? The amount of work that you’ve put into EAW for five years is something that will forever be remembered. Everyone has said it at some point, but it deserves to be said that you are the reason that so many of us have come around. People like me, people like Drake, people like Myles, people like Andre, and from there a whole domino chain of people that have grown to be some of the best talents that EAW has ever seen.
Jake Smith: Despite that none have been able to touch the level of impact that Xander has had on this company as a whole. Seeing him win the World Heavyweight Championship off of Lethal Consequences was so fucking fulfilling and furthermore seeing him thrive as the World Heavyweight God was the cherry on top. Now we’re here, and wow. It’s truly something, and I’m so glad out of everyone, it was you that gets to join such a class of Elitists. Enjoy this my friend, and thank you for everything.
Jake Smith: And enjoy the free McDonalds backstage you fat motherfucker!!!
(We see Drake King in a confessional.)
Drake King: Xander Payne has always been amazing at what he does, and it’s not at all a stretch to say that many people wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him. It takes a lot of influence to do for this place what Xander did, and that just speaks volumes to the kind of person he is and how much he means to this place.
Drake King: In a way EAW is the way it is today because of him, and that alone is a huge accomplishment, but that’s not all he’s had to offer. Beyond his influence Xander Payne has been one of the best there is for a very long time, and as long as he is around that likely is not going to change. He’s someone I’ve had a great time facing multiple times, and somebody a lot of people could learn from.
(We see Myles in a confessional.)
Myles: You know, when I first heard that Xander Payne was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, my first thought was “with this fat fuck around, how are they gonna have space for any other inductees?!” and then my second thought was “damn it I have to edit a video to that mid artist Grandson’s song :francis:”, but then my THIRD thought was finally “wow, this is so, SO deserving”. Truthfully, it’s crazy how much of a reliable guy you really are for EAW, and although some people point it out often, I STILL don’t think it’s mentioned nearly as much as it should be. Your talent as an Elitist speaks for itself, and the improvement you’ve created in EAW’s graphics division as its head editor is truly impressive, but even past all that, you’re the reason so many of the top competitors in EAW today are even here, including me. Without you, me and so many others from our community would’ve probably still been in the place that shall not be named, so thank you.
Myles: Thank you for being too lazy to edit the rest of the 2018 Intro, which is how I was welcomed into this place since you needed someone to finish the job for you. Thank you for being the rival that I always needed to get me going in EAW. Thank you for all the fun you’ve brought into my life. Thank you for every contribution of yours that has made this federation what it is today. Thank you for being you, Xander, cause everyone knows that we’ve had our fair share of differences in that ring, from headlining the final Battleground show against each other to you betraying me and then powerbombing my ass out of the company, but even though we had all those differences, behind the curtains I still always considered you one of my closest friends in the industry.
Myles: I mean, we were Unified Tag Team Champions together and I even got the privilege of having my name forever etched in the illustrious history of Payne for Pride with “Payne for Pride 2 ft. Myles” which not many people can say they’ve done, so it shouldn’t be surprising to say that we definitely have had a lasting impact on each other’s careers. Enjoy your induction, and keep excelling at everything you do, brother.
(We see Cameron Ella Ava in a confessional.)
Cameron Ella Ava: I look at Xander and I can’t help, but see Meagan’s impact on him.
Cameron Ella Ava: Like if Brody never met Xander, I don’t think that we would have this wave of talent like Drake King, Myles, Jake Smith, Andre Walker, and Limmy Monaghan, coming into the company and changing the landscape of this place. While Meagan is the reason for Xander’s existence in this company, he is responsible for the connections that he’s established around his circle of friends. Whenever Xander brought in some of his friends, they were either going to sink or swim, but with the ones that swam, I am so glad that they did because I have been introduced to such an amazing group of men who share his hunger and determination to be the best in this company.
Cameron Ella Ava: Xander is the reason why the future seems so clear and bright. His ability to do so many things backstage—from producing matches to working in the graphics and video departments and his eye for detail is something that people need to aspire to have. He has really changed the game when he first arrived backstage and basically, got heat the entire night before being kicked out by Eclipse Diemos, but I’m glad that he found his way in somehow and totally stayed because I don’t think that many wrestlers would have stayed after getting that same amount of treatment that he got. Not only that, but he became someone with a shit ton of potential and eventually, a Grand Slam Champion!
Cameron Ella Ava: Just looking at everything he’s accomplished, brings a soft spot in my heart because I know that Meagan would be proud of him. I know he sometimes wishes that she were here to see him evolve the Xander character, but I know that she’d be hyping him the entire journey. I know that she’d want nothing more than to see Xander have fun and kick ass out there. Xander, congratulations and I know that she’s looking down on you as proud as she can be. 💙
(The Hall of Fame reopens back to the stage.)
Announcer: Here to induct Xander Payne into the Hall of Fame, please welcome… Ronn Banks!
(‘Shock The World’ by Lloyd Banks is heard blasting through the speakers of the arena as Ronn Banks is seen making his way out. He heads over to the podium while the crowd cheers loudly for him. ‘Shock The World’ then begins to come to a close while Banks begins to speak.)
Ronn Banks: It’s been a very long time since I’ve been up here to actually induct someone into the Hall of Fame, which honestly says a lot about the person I am about to be speaking about because it’s not every year that I find myself doing this, but it’s 100% worth it. Some know him as Pehrox, others know him as Xander Payne, I know him as “little fucker”, this is a guy who has been an integral part of this industry, this culture, this company for the past five years and somebody who changed the game in so many different ways and solidified a legacy long before this induction even came about. In the ring or out of the ring, the guys solidified and very few things in this game has been as pleasing as it has been to witness his growth and evolution over the years. Most people have probably heard about the infamous story of his first day here in EAW, a few people might have actually even been on the chat to witness it go down firsthand and I must say that had to go down as one of the most hilarious nights in EAW history.
Ronn Banks: A random 12 year old kid comes to the chat after being invited by the late great Brody Sparks who met him in the A2E chat and fearlessly joins the convo with a bunch of 20 something year olds, starts talking about his videos and eventually that becomes the main topic. Next thing you know he’s roasting and shitting on several video editors in EAW and all hell breaks loose. Well, he called it “critiquing”. Everybodys going crazy whether they’re trolling and egging him on linking several videos for him to critique, laughing hysterically, or in the case of the people he’s roasted, acting extremely triggered. Of course you had some pretentious stuck up dickheads like Eclipse talking to him like he’s an adult and not just a little kid who didn’t know any better, you had Tomi Venus threatening to fight him and bragging about his real life job because he was so triggered over a 12 year olds jokes about his videos that in actuality were pretty mid. Half of the chat is amused the other half is pissed then there’s me and Brody just trying to save him from being banned before somebody gets mad enough.
Ronn Banks: Throughout all of this madness one thing that I noticed was the kid wasn’t intimidated or shaken up at all. Lost in everything that was going on is the fact that the trons that he was linking in the chat were actually fucking fire. His work at the time especially for EAW’s standards looked very professional let alone the fact that this was stuff made by a 12 year old, between that and the way he carried himself I knew we had a potential generational talent on our hands.
Ronn Banks: I made sure to message him privately and try to put him up to speed with how things worked in EAW and gauged his interest in making videos for the fed and joining as a member, the latter which he declined at the time. He spent his first few months in the community making custom trons and videos for a few EAW characters and eventually he finally got interested enough to want to join under my NEO brand where he could develop there and learn the ropes, insert Sinister Ace.
Ronn Banks: I remember hoping to be able to be his first real program because there’s no better way to teach somebody than hands on training and straight up facing them but unfortunately he opted to pursue tag team action instead and to this day him and I never had an actual match against one another, but that’s changing soon :demonmask:. A little bit later some things occurred that resulted in me leaving EAW and starting my own company REVOLT. I was lucky enough to have him join alongside me and make videos and participate as an active competitor, although the competitor part didn’t last very long. For as short as Sinister Ace’s tenure in REVOLT was, he left us with some classic memorable moments like his misusage of the thesaurus and words like “circumscribe” and “bequeath”!
Ronn Banks: But in all serious, although he did not deliver at the time.. that was only the beginning. A few months later, Xander Payne came about. I don’t know what mans was doing over the prior months but he came back with a different style, a bit more polished, still abusing the thesaurus like a mf but his promos were more thought out, more consistent, longer, he was actually looking like a competent promoer and somebody with potential to do a lot more as time went on and that potential was definitely saw through. Not too long after the introduction of Xander Payne in REVOLT, another major event in the industry happened which resulted in a merge between REVOLT and EAW and we were all back to where it all started. This time in particular was very crucial.
Ronn Banks: As a lot of people know, EAW lost some members, gained some members and was still a relatively huge place, but there was a lot of spots for the taking when it came to rising stars and main eventers. We knew immediately that the objective was going to be to start recruiting as many people as we can and trying to build for the future so that down the line things look way better than they did at that current time. It was then that I started seeing another side of Xander, a side that showed a leader and somebody who could not just be a great promoer and competitor one day, but somebody who could be a person of power here in EAW. Places like TPW were incredibly innovative, mixing the EAW style of promo/script efedding with the A2E/BFC style of the video competitions, he ended up unintentionally(or intentionally?) bridging the gap between EAW and the editing community, this brought us the likes of so many people. Guys like Drake, Myles, and Jake find their way to EAW and over time the likes of Bronson, Limmy, and Andre as well.
Ronn Banks: From there you get everything that came from those individuals whether it be the success or the irreplaceable contributions they’ve made to EAW in the form of writing, graphics, editing, or some of their own lineage of recruits. It all trickles down from Pehrox. So people like Serenity, ARIA, Triple J, Harley, Nariko and unfortunately.. Abel Itami :francis: all have Pehrox to thank for being the catalyst. But now that I realize Abel is a part of that lineage I’m starting to wonder if it was all worth it :patrice:.
Ronn Banks: Nonetheless, the mans evolved into something that back in 2017 I didn’t even know he would. He’s become a jack of all trades and truly a quadruple threat of a efedder from the promoing, to the graphics, to the videos, to the recruiting, to the writing. The man has a serious bag, he’s like TRE if he wasn’t a lazy sack of shit and actually lifted a finger for once!
Ronn Banks: But in all seriousness, Xander’s contributions to this place are not to be slept on or taken for granted. He has elevated this place in ways that maybe only two or three other men can say they have and has quite literally breathed new life into EAW in a time when it was most needed. Thank you for everything you’ve done for EAW and everything you continue to do for EAW, the time you’ve sacrificed out of loyalty and passion.
Ronn Banks: There’s no words to truly express my gratitude for it all. I know that I can be tough on you and cranky, but there’s a reason for everything and sometimes your CTE acts up and annoys me :wow:.
Ronn Banks: But frfr congrats, there is truly nobody more deserving of this honor than you, it’s been a long time coming and a helluva journey and I hope it’s all been worth it. You are truly proof of the “trust the process” slogan. A slogan that is not always a matter of “plz dont complain about losing I promise your character is going to win a title or a big feud after this loss” like some people misinterpret it to be. To me, the process is watching somebody go from a complete newcomer to this game who has no idea how anything works to over time showing potential to be a star, to becoming a star down the line, improving so much that he’s a person who gives others advice now and mentors people and that is what happened with Xander.
Ronn Banks: Newcomers should look at this as an example to follow. It might not seem realistic for some because of some intangibles like his editing skills or whatever but that aside, just look at his evolution as an efedder, look at how he went from a zero to a top promoer. If he can do it, I know anybody can if they truly want to.
Ronn Banks: Now before I go I’d be remiss if I didn’t activate Ronn Banks mode and mention our match at Pain for Pride. So listen up you fat fuck I’m going to beat the shit out of you and make bacon strips out of you, you fucking pig!! Okay Ronn Banks mode deactivated.
Ronn Banks: Thank you and RIP Brody it was all worth it in the end sis! That being said, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen….. YOUR 2022 EAW HALL OF FAMER……. XANDER PAYNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
( “It Follows” by Cane Hill echoes throughout the venue as it is accompanied by an ear-deafening pop. Xander Payne jerks the curtain, and steps onto the stage. He wears a completely white suit. He stands stoically right on the entranceway, and looks around the venue. He smiles, pops his collar, and approaches the microphone on the podium. )
Xander Payne: Wow. We have come a long way, haven’t we? That might be the most cliche way someone could start an induction speech, but we have.
Xander Payne: I would start babbling about my infamous first day here in this company, but I believe we need to go way back first. I am a man who believes that a simple decision, that a mere action can be so impactful to where you end up in the future.
Xander Payne: Two years before Elite Answers Wrestling, I was just another kid with the dreams of getting popular on YouTube. I was obviously a wrestling fan, but my YouTube content mostly consisted of Minecraft. Bedwars. Survival. Skyrim as well! I am pretty sure I even played a math game on my channel as well. Pretty odd.
Xander Payne: It wasn’t until the day that I felt risky, a little rebellious, and I decided to upload a full episode of Bob’s Burgers. I didn’t think any of it. I knew beforehand you could illegally upload content onto YouTube, but I did not foresee that it would’ve led me to this.
Xander Payne: When I say I led to this, I say that if the moment never would have happened, then chances were; I would have never taken the path of being a custom titantron editor. As a result of uploading the episode, I got a copyright strike. Me being naive, I went ballistic and thought it was the end of the world. I let something as small as a copyright infringement strike make me think that my career as a content creator was over.
Xander Payne: I don’t exactly remember what happened after that, but I remember a time where I gradually started to finally create custom titantrons. For anyone who doesn’t know what a custom titantron, it is just a custom entrance video that I edited. I began to take my inspiration from the likes of CheeZe, Paroxysm, AJ Universe, Freakin’ Adam aka Bronson Daniels, eventually GoldenSkulls aka Myles, and finally started to make them custom titantrons. I made my impact known on forums such as MvZone, and Addicted2Editing.
Xander Payne: Those are our sponsors by the way, which I don’t even think a majority of EAW knows about.
Xander Payne: Custom titantrons then turned into music videos, and then led into those free-per-view previews. I remember the days where I literally dished out like twenty custom titantrons a month, and look at me not even being able to publish that amount of trons in the past three years.
Xander Payne: You may ask! What is the relevance of what I did before Elite Answers Wrestling and why am I talking about it right here, right now?
Xander Payne: I mention my video editing origins because if not for that Bob’s Burgers episode, and me deciding to boot up buggy ass Sony Vegas 14, then I wholeheartedly believe that the landscape of Elite Answers Wrestling would have been extremely different. The bridges that were formed during that video editing journey led me to this point.
Xander Payne: It was that one night. I was chilling at my computer desk, doing god knows what, and I saw someone join the Addicted2Editing discord server at around midnight.
Xander Payne: This person would be Brody Sparks. Rest in peace.
Xander Payne: This is what I call one of the most important moments in even the history of this company. Nothing was going on. I just so happened to be the one person present that greeted Brody Sparks when she joined the A2E server. II had already had some experience with e-fedding with some discord server beforehand, so when Brody mentioned this concept to me, I was immediately intrigued.
Xander Payne: Brody warned me beforehand. I was oblivious. I was naive. I was just a little kid. I didn’t know what I was going through, but I knew I was entering a new environment as the toxic little child that I was.
Xander Payne: Once I joined the server, it was fucking hellfire.
Xander Payne: Even though Brody warned me what was going to happen, I decided against my better judgment as I usually did, and my interactions with Elitists that day were not so friendly. I remember my first day here in this discord chat. If anyone was there to witness the fucking pandemonium that unfolded, they can tell you first hand that I should have been banned. Not only was I disrespecting people left and right, I was not so nicely shitting on anyone who edited a video for this company.
Xander Payne: Anyone who knows me knows that I am fairly harsh with my feedback, so imagine that rudeness multiplied by ten. I was an edgy kid, with an edgy vocabulary, with an edgy mindset.
Xander Payne: I remember calling Mr. DEDEDE’s editing the quality of potato, and I remember shitting on Tomi’s editing. Everything that I did on that day broke everything in the rulebook, and management at that time had complete justification to banning me.
Xander Payne I look back at that day, and I believe that I should have been banned, but there was that one man. There was that one man who was interested in my abilities, and I say he is the man who was responsible for defending me and keeping me in this company.
Xander Payne: Sometimes I believe he protected me from those dickheads because he wanted to use me to edit videos for NEO, but I know he saw potential in me. It was the man who I trusted with the task of personally inducting me, so you probably know who I am talking to.
Xander Payne: Banks! CM Bank$! Who, in addition to Brody, is the man that convinced me to stay here in Elite Answers Wrestling. I had already burned bridges before they were even formed with people here. I have already established myself as that one edgy child who couldn’t shut his fucking mouth!
Xander Payne: CM Bank$ is the man responsible for pushing and motivating me into the man that I am. If it wasn’t for him, then there would be no Xander Payne. If it wasn’t for him, then I wouldn’t even be going to college for graphic design. Your posters and banners wouldn’t have looked like that. Your video previews would have remained stale. You would not have been to able to see all these video editors turned efedders come to this place, which in turn brought future legends like Alex Myers, like Jay Jerry Johnson, like Sagwa, like Serenity Valdez, like AbEl AtAmi, like De La Rosa, like Joso, like Olivia Tate, and many, many more!
Xander Payne: If it wasn’t for CM Bank$, then my life would have turned out much more. I probably would have ended up as one of those Last Breath followers, which I am eternally grateful for not becoming. CM Bank$ is responsible for a lot of things in my life. He led me into the right direction, with drama with that whole editing community, and he taught me how to be mature. In many ways, he was a father figure. But, I don’t think I want to label him as that. Albeit, there are many countless moments where I am a complete fucking idiot. Just look at #eaw-memes, or even ask Dyllan for the receipts. It surely could’ve been worse if I wasn’t here, right?
Xander Payne: While I have always had my good and bad moments with this dickhead. While he may have burned my fucking wrestling academy to ashes, there is still a lot of love for that guy. If there was a man that I was most grateful to be friends with in the past few years, he is number one out of this entire company.
Xander Payne: I remember when he started to convince me to e-fed. I was in eight grade. I remember telling him that I had to figure it out. I wanted to see if I was able to balance my last year of elementary school with e-fedding, and who knew that it would lead to all of these great moments.
Xander Payne: My time here in EAW started with NEO. There, I would create Sinister Ace and share the ring with the likes of Daryl Kinkade, Charlie Marr, Malcolm Jones, and Ryan Wilson. That character had his moments, but it wasn’t until I reached my full potential and changed lanes and decided to go with Xander Payne.
Xander Payne: Not to brag about it, but I won the EAW New Breed Championship within two months of debuting at the inaugural Payne For Pride. Kinda cool.
Xander Payne: I would go on to defend it against people that I don’t even think go here anymore.. But, that was when I started to show people what the Paynekiller is all about… Months after losing it, is when I would feud with the likes of Drake King and Myles.
Xander Payne: I will get to Myles in a second, but Drake King… Man, what a fucking glow-up he went through. When it comes to a close friend that I am most proud of his body of work here, there is no way that I do not give my flowers to Drake King.
Xander Payne: I am sure many people know already that there are a plethora of people that I have brought into this company myself. My influence is what brought a lot of the top Elitists you see here today. Whether it was by their own merit, or I held them by gunpoint, many of them waddled their asses over here to see if they could hang. A lot failed, but a lot succeeded.
Xander Payne: Drake King, Myles, Andre Walker, Jake Smith, Bronson Daniels, Maxwell, Mark Macias, Mitsubachi, and Limmy Monaghan; they are all video editors turned e-fedders.
Xander Payne: I could say that I am not the type of guy to constantly toot his own horn. That would be a lie. As a matter of fact, This is my induction and I am going to fucking honk the shit out of it. You are welcome for the fact that you get to see those brilliant men work their ass off and put their blood, sweat, and tears into this company. I may have not held their hands at every step of the way, but they would have not been here if it were not me.
Xander Payne: You are welcome. I knew they were all coals that could be squeezed into a diamond. I knew they were all destined for greatness.
Xander Payne: When I had my first feud with Drake King. He was a man that I brought into Elite Answers Wrestling. His first experience in this company was actually joining the server during my New Breed Championship victory, and cheering for me. Which is pretty cool if you think about it.
Xander Payne: He was a CM Punk character in my video editing e-fed, and I had a feeling he would have seamlessly transitioned into this company. Ironically so, his experiences in the chat could have gotten him easily banned. Spamming “OK” and shit. I brought him into this company like all of those creative geniuses. I am proud to see him and everyone else improve like the way they have.
Xander Payne: That piece of shit has the nerve to immediately surpass me! Which is OK, no hard feelings…
Xander Payne: I am proud of the way that he has etched himself into this company as I believe as the top five Elitists of all time.
Xander Payne: Myles is a fucking star, and I know that EAW World Championship is just the beginning of his greatness.
Xander Payne: Andre Walker may have murdered me many times during this season, but I wish the best for that man, and I know he deserves to be a world champion eventually.
Xander Payne: Jake Smith is probably the weirdest friend that I have, but that is what makes us the same. Jake Smith is an uber talented man, and I know he will get his flowers eventually and get his break as world champion.
Xander Payne: Bronson Daniels, Maxwell, Mark Macias, and Mitsubachi might not be with us; but they deserve an honorable mention.
Xander Payne: Limmy Monaghan is the future of this company. He is the next up. He is going to be the face of this company faster before you even know it.
Xander Payne: I could not be any more prouder than these people. This induction is not only a celebration of Xander Payne. I am going to use this platform to give those people their well-needed attention, so give them a damn round of applause.
Xander Payne: I went on a tangent like always. Where was I? Right, I was giving a timeline of my career. After my feud with Drake King, I would go on to have one of my most entertaining phases of my career. I have not just had the pleasure of seeing Myles grow as a video editor, as a designer, as a person, as an e-fedder, but I have had the pleasure of teaming with him. Neither of us thought we were going to be a well-oiled machine and hold the EAW Unified Tag Team Championships, but we did exactly that. We actually dethroned The Jaded Hearts for the titles, which is a pretty nice accomplishment in itself.
Xander Payne: We would defend it at Payne For Pride 2 and drop it to Heavenly Hell. Apologies. Heavenly Heck*. After losing the tag team championships, we lost a poker game and I just decided to backstab Myles. Just kidding. I decided that it was time to go solo, and dumped Myles.
Xander Payne: After this, this is where it felt like where The Rise Of Xander Payne kicked off. I apologize to Myles for sending him to unemployment for a long amount of time, but it just had to be done. I would bury Darkane six feet deep under the soil where he belongs.
Xander Payne: I looked at my second season with this company as a breakout season. I may have not succeeded where it mattered most, but I proved that I was a threat, and that I am the future of this company. I would make legendary moments and sequences with the likes of Cameron Ella Ava, Jamie O’Hara, and Ryan Adams.
Xander Payne: Not to mention, Jordan Payne, who I hate with an undying passion. I proved myself this season. This was the part of my career where I had no choice but to cement myself as a mainstay talent.
Xander Payne: I remember having my first taste of the King Of Elite tournament during this season, but I have since personally chosen to forget about the fact that I got spanked by Jamie in the first round.
Xander Payne: I won the EAW Intergender Match Of The Year award in 2020 in a losing effort with Cammy and Adamo at Grand Rampage. I unsuccessfully chased the EAW Answers World Championship, but it wasn’t like I ended the season on a bad note. Sienna Jade got mad at me for a reason that I actually completely forgot about. CTE moment. Impact would teleport and get into my business, and for his problems, I spanked him at Odyssey.
Xander Payne:I would then fall into the crosshairs of Jake Smith. Who was a man that had impressively won the EAW Pure Championship two times, and he needed someone to face at Payne For Pride 3.
Xander Payne: His second championship reign would succumb to the same result to every thing that comes out of his microwave. Burnt into pieces. Ash to ash. Dust to dust. Rendered useless. I took the EAW Pure Championship away from him in a convincing fashion.
Xander Payne: When I thought that my career couldn’t get any better, that is when I started to underestimate anyone and everyone. That is when I let the ball go. That is when I started to get lazy, and that is when I started to lose sight of everything.
Xander Payne: Everyone loves to tug on me for this championship reign. I hide the existential pain by sugarcoating this reign as the greatest EAW PURE Championship reign of all time-
Xander Payne: -But we know it wasn’t that. I lost my PURE Championship to Dray Fontana on my first defense, and that is where everything crumbled. Everything fell apart to me. I got too cocky. I got too egotistical. I thought I could have coasted through everything as the PURE Champion, and I got caught.
Xander Payne: Losing that championship on my first defense is probably one of the most humbling moments of my life, not even my career. It took me a while to get back on my feet. I showed up to work looking like shit. My promos were not up to par. I was still being eliminated second in those elimination chambers. I was not myself. I was not in my element for the first half of my third season in this company. I did beat Chris Elite at a free-per-view, which is a man that iI have been wanting to run it back with for a long, long time now. I still can’t let that Bizzy Banks lyric go.
Xander Payne: The beginning of my third season was absolutely dogshit. I was able to pick myself up. I was finally able to get a sense of myself, a hold of myself, and learned what it was like to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I got tired of myself. I got tired of that sad expression in the reflection of the mirror every morning. I woke up one day and decided to cut the shit. I decided to grow up, to grow some balls, and finally show these people who Xander Payne really is. My second season was proving myself. My third season was establishing myself. I rummaged through the Dynasty bracket of King Of Elite. Although Kassidy Heart defeated TLA and myself in the finals, I wasn’t done yet.
Xander Payne: I went on to Reckless Wiring, the following free-per-view after King Of Elite, and won something that has evaded me my entire career. I was finally able to get that one accomplishment that I chased throughout the entire of the prior season. I won the one thing that crushed my spirits over and over again. I beat Lethal Consequences for the EAW World Heavyweight Championship. That is when I established the Paynekiller. That is when I proved that I was a fucking world champion. I proved everyone wrong, and I couldn’t be happier with what I accomplished as your World Heavyweight God.
Xander Payne: My first challenge as a world champion was my fellow inductee into this class, Charlie Marr. I defended the championship against him, and I really had a lot of fun going one on one with him, and I would love to do it again. I then proceeded to main event Payne For Pride 4 with someone that I idolized, that I respected, that I so strongly revered.
Xander Payne: Many don’t have the opportunity in their lifetimes to main event the biggest show of the year with someone that you looked up to. I defended this championship against Impact, and I did what many could not do, and that was beat him at such a huge platform. Not only did I defeat him to defend that world championship, but I put him to sleep. That is probably one of my proudest accomplishments to date.
Xander Payne: After that, I would have programs with two people. Andrea Valentine, which was such a special moment for the both of us seeing that we were introduced into this environment by Brody Sparks herself. Congratulations to Andrea, she deserves her induction. I successfully retained the world championship against her.
Xander Payne: I apologize for powerbombing you onto the tank, Andrea, but it had to be done.
Xander Payne: I also had a program with SOSA Henderson. A man that has been an annoying piece of shit since the very beginning of this season, but I am honored to have been able to share the ring with one of the pupil’s of Heart Break Boy. Hell, I am even proud to know that I was able to defeat a HBB character on an occasion, even a man who was editing videos way before me, so it is always a pleasure to share the promo thread with him.
Xander Payne: After all of these successful defenses, I would then drop this EAW World Heavyweight Championship to The Visual Prophet. I am going to be honest with everyone. Jeffery Rogers was the perfect man to follow my legendary championship reign. He has done absolutely marvelous with that championship so far, and I am excited to see the result of The Visual Prophet vs. Andre Walker. I had a joy sharing the ring with that man, and I hope I get to revisit our feud in the future.
Xander Payne: And that has been the rollercoaster of my career so far here in Elite Answers Wrestling. The scary thing is? I got a lot more in my tank. I got a little feeling inside of me that the impeccable season that I had here in Elite Answers Wrestling was merely the beginning of things to come. I have a lot more dream matches to do. I have a lot more things on my bucket list to fulfill.
Xander Payne: If you really think about it, everyone who has been here for me, and has watched me improve my artistic and writing skills; you all saw me grow up. You all saw me mature before your very own eyes, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to grow up in than Elite Answers Wrestling. Truly a welcoming environment. Truly a great climate. Truly a family with a bunch of people that I love.
Xander Payne: I would love to thank a couple of people before I go. I would like to thank the immensely talented group of video editors, graphic designers, and artists that have helped me as head of design grow this place into something much more than it was previously. I have already named most of you, but if I haven’t, you know exactly who you are. All of you have helped me in making this place look absolutely fucking sexy, and I don’t know if I could’ve had any better crowd of geniuses to work with.
Xander Payne: I would like to thank the various writers, bookers, and fellow promoers into helping me make this journey as an e-fedder as entertaining and smooth as possible. To the writers and bookers that have assisted in making my character a huge success and helping me bring what I envisioned for him to light. To my fellow e-fedders that have given me feedback, and have guided me into the right direction, and helped me grow as a creative writer, and shown me exactly what to do and what not to do in an extremely competitive climate.
Xander Payne: If I want to be more specific, I would like to thank Kassidy Heart for my time as a Voltage writer. Similar to Banks, to Scott, and to many others, Kassidy Heart was instrumental in showing me the ropes. She gave me the nuts and bolts, the fundamentals into being the nonsensical and batshit crazy writer that I have become before your very own eyes. She was a phenomenal leader to the Voltage writers, and I wish her the very best, and I think he absolutely deserves her induction. Congratulations, Kass
Xander Payne: Continuing the topic of writers and bookers, I would like to thank Jamie O’Hara and Terry Chambers for letting me pick their brilliant minds during their short tenures booking Showdown.
Xander Payne: I would like to thank Kassidy Heart again, CM Banks, Cameron Ella Ava and Jake Smith for being responsible for the rise of Xander Payne, and having him written in probably the best way I could’ve imagined.
Xander Payne: Thank you TLA for always coming in clutch and commentating my matches. You are the best.
Xander Payne: I want to thank Omar. Now, you have so many characters that I do not know who to refer to you as. However, you have been ridiculously badass and awesome in your role. You have been marvelous succeeding Jamie and Terry, and I have learned a lot under your wing and enjoyed writing matches for you. I have enjoyed becoming friends with you, and hopefully hope to work with you more again in the future. That also applies to every character and booker that I have written for in the very past.
Xander Payne: Fuck segments though. :troll:
Xander Payne: If I may have not mentioned you by name as of yet, I apologize that I am not able to touch down on everyone. You know who you are. You know what type of influence you are to me. Thank you to every friend and foe that I have made in this business. I love everyone in this business. I love this business. I love Elite Answers Wrestling. I love all of you from the bottom of my heart.
Xander Payne: Thank you CM Bank$.
Xander Payne: Rest In Peace to Brody.
Xander Payne: Finally… We will save the best for the last. I actually want to thank someone else for making this great..
( …… )
Xander Payne: I was thinking of being the master heel by saying “myself,” but nah. I want to take the last few seconds of this to pay respects to the one thing that has helped my career prosper.
( Xander Payne unbuttons his collar, and reaches into his inner pocket. He pulls out a familiar book. )
Xander Payne: Thesaurus.
Xander Payne: :mjlol: I am just kidding.
Xander Payne: Looking back, I was just a short chubby kid in Canada who just so happened to like wrestling. I saw Rey Mysterio in a SVR game and decided to watch his matches. I stanned Rey, to stanning Eddie Guerrero, to stanning Batista because he was Filipino, to stanning Randy Orton because I hated Daniel Bryan, to stanning Kevin Owens because he is so fucking sexy and talented.
Xander Payne: I liked wrestling so much that I even started to make video edits of them! Now, I like them so much that I even roleplay as wrestlers!
Xander Payne: If you asked me five years ago, if this is how my life would turn out to be…
Xander Payne: I would be fucking horrified.
Xander Payne: From a boy who was scared to be called up to the main roster back in NEO as Sinister Ace, to putting Impact to sleep in the main event of Pain For Pride for the world championship. I have grown up here. I have done what I thought was impossible. I couldn’t be any more thankful and grateful than what this place has offered me
Xander Payne: I am going to forever cherish the moments that I have in this company. From the moments where either SK, Elite, or myself absolutely botches a single word, to even the quarantine radios where you all ashamedly went past your bedtime just to see me parody various songs, to my many concussions, to planning those EAW previews, to promoing against people that I love, to just being myself. I will forever cherish this place. I guess this is it!
Xander Payne: Brody Sparks forever. Xander Payne forever. Pehrox forever. EAW.. FOREVER!
( Xander Payne raises his fist after speaking his final words of the speech. “It Follows” plays again as it is almost overpowered by a standing ovation. Xander waves goodbye and walks to the back. )
Jake Mercer: I remember pulling up to this obscure wrestling school in Ontario, coming in and seeing this 5’11” 150 pound 18 year old training there. I look at him and I say hey kid, you’re going to be the future of the wrestling business, but fuck man put some weight on… telling him to put some weight on was the biggest mistake of my life. But hey, I guess it kinda worked out in the end? I don’t know, but speaking of inductions that I predicted, I don’t think there is any doubt that this one wasn’t going to happen at some point. So let’s roll the footage!
(We see Donovan Duke in a confessional.)
Donovan Duke: Kassidy Heart is one of the best. The intensity that she brings in the ring is matched with the dedication she has for this company outside the ring. She’s goal driven and she gives 110 percent to everything she does and I have the utmost respect for her. Just being able to watch Kassidy do what she does best is an amazing feeling because I feel watching her has helped me get better.
Donovan Duke: It’s an honor to finally get the opportunity to compete against her in the ring. It’s a privilege to be able to talk with her behind the scenes and witness her dedication first hand. It’s an even bigger honor to watch her go into the Hall of Fame. It’ll be said many times, but Kassidy Heart truly does deserve it.
(We see Terry Chambers in a confessional.)
Terry Chambers: Kass, you’re the embodiment of what it means to be the heart and soul of this place. You have done so much for so many people and you don’t get told enough just how great you are inside the ring and out. Much deserved and congratulations!
(We see Cleopatra in a confessional.)
Cleopatra: I absolutely love Kassidy. Since day one ever since I met her I knew she would get to this level in her career. And to continue to flourish like she has is something special. It’s scary to wonder where she will end up in a couple of years because she’s going to be at the top for a very long time.
Cleopatra: This is a very well-deserved honor for her. She is a true legend. She always lights up the room. She is one of the best talkers in the history of this business. I always remember Kassidy Heart telling the world that I was her idol. She doesn’t know how much that means to me but right now I think the tables have turned. Right now I get to call her my role model. Love you, Kass! ▲; )
(TLA is shown in a confessional holding a barbed wire baseball bat.)
TLA: Chica out here gettin’ that ring for that other finger that Mr. DEDEDE ain’t put one on. She gettin’ married to the company out here we gotta kidnap her ass and tie her up so she ain’t get away. She getting that induction in but it ain’t going to be by choice. :ufdup: With this induction you know we be inducting Kassidy into all of our hearts fr.
TLA: :wow: Kassidy be beasting in that promo booth and she be beasting in that writer’s booth. Pumping out that Voltage and you know that shit be filled with that violencia. So we gotta give her that tribute make Voltage proud out here all respectfully.
(TLA is shown hitting himself in the head with the barbed wire baseball bat as the confessional ends.)
(We see Jake Smith in a confessional.)
Jake Smith: Hi. I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what to say that I haven’t already said about this extraordinary woman, but I’ll try my best. I’ve met a lot of people in this company, but none have done more for me than Kassidy Heart has. She is the person that sees the best in everyone and will always push them to reach their full potential, and that’s what she’s done for me and without her, well I don’t know where the fuck I’d be.
Jake Smith: She’s done so much for me and I always try to reciprocate that every chance I get. Now we’re here… and I don’t know what to say. It’s so easy to shower her with praise behind closed doors, but now that I’m here, I find it hard to speak about her without repeating what anyone else has said. Because the fact of the matter is, the name Kassidy Heart and how much that means to EAW is self-explanatory.
Jake Smith: It’s been an honor having a chance to call you a friend, a fellow 2000’s pop-punk enjoyer, and a mother :troll:. And I’m so glad to get the chance to witness such a historical moment here in EAW that nobody is going to forget. Ily, and thank you.
(We see Ahren Fournier in a confessional.)
Ahren Fournier: Kassidy Heart, you’re welcome for boosting your career, and making you the person you are today. I give myself a pat on the back, and it’s as if I’m getting inducted into the Hall of Fame a second time.
Ahren Fournier: But for real. I must say that you have to be the hardest worker in EAW. Every single week you give it your all, and always produce the greatest content. Whether that is for all 20 of your characters, or writing for Voltage, you give it your all, and it always shows. I’m so happy that you messaged me randomly for an intergender tag team tournament that I don’t even think wound up happening anyway. I could tell you were destined for great things as soon as we started doing those joint promos together.
Ahren Fournier: You always doubted yourself, and I have never understood why. You’re one of the most creative, most talented writers this place has ever seen, and the way you sky rocketed up the ranks and maintained your efforts is pretty much unheard of. I’m proud of you, and I’m happy to be able to call you my friend.
(We see Theron Nikolas in a confessional.)
Theron Nikolas: I’ve spent the entire week thinking about what I was going to say here. The truth is that I’ve never really been one to submit one of these. I’ll usually give my congratulations on being inducted into the Hall of Fame behind closed doors. I like to give people the chance to focus on their own moment and the things that they want to say, rather than putting my two cents in and highlighting the things that everyone either knows or says. But, it would be a dishonor to stay quiet instead of giving my public appreciation for someone who didn’t really know if she was going to last in EAW, let alone be inducted into its Hall of Fame. I’ve listened to you doubt the possibilities of what you could achieve here. I’ve listened to you doubt how far you were going to be able to push yourself here. I had to convince you to take your first steps into involving yourself in all facets of EAW and I’m always going to be glad that I did.
Theron Nikolas: There have been countless names in EAW that have managed to find a way to stand out. The merit of their work. Their personality. The work that they put into this place that nobody really gets the chance to see. But, there are few people that walk through the doors of EAW and manage to tick all of the boxes in it all. You’ve managed to turn yourself into someone who barely spoke – to becoming someone who is undeniably irreplaceable. I can’t put into words the amount of time and effort that you put into this place. This is the one moment that makes the entire experience that is EAW absolutely worth it.
Theron Nikolas: The ups and downs, the hardships, the self-doubt, the hours stuck in your own mind, and the times where you’ve questioned whether you’ve either wanted or should stay around. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but I’m glad that you were the person that beat my record at Reasonable Doubt. There wasn’t anyone more deserving in doing so than you were. But, you have always held the potential to make that only the tip of that proverbial iceberg. There has never been a ceiling when it comes to what you can achieve and how big you could become. Don’t ever convince yourself that there isn’t anything that you can’t do for or in this place. Congratulations, Kassidy. You have gone the distance.
(We see Andre Walker in a confessional.)
Andre Walker: Without Kassidy Heart, I wouldn’t still be here. She navigated my route in EAW all the way from match writing years before I even signed up, to finally becoming an elitist. She’s never stopped supporting me and has always taught me immensely valuable lessons as a person. She’s watched me grow and has been a source of light, kindness, compassion, and love in EAW. Don’t ever stop being the gem that you are to EAW and to me personally, there’s nobody more earning of this accolade and I hope you enjoy your moment. With love, Elite.
(We see Cameron Ella Ava in a confessional.)
Cameron Ella Ava: I’m only doing this, so stan Twitter can shut the fuck up about me and Kassidy having beef.
Cameron Ella Ava: With that out of the way, there are so many things that I could say about Kassidy Heart, but one thing that you can’t say is that she doesn’t deserve to be part of the EAW Hall of Fame, so when she was announced to be part of the 2022 Class, I couldn’t be happier for her because we’ve had conversations in the past and knowing with Kassidy, she really never saw herself having this moment. While she has all of these amazing aspirations for herself, she really didn’t believe it was going to happen.
Cameron Ella Ava: Like, I would remember having a conversation with her, it was me, her, Ronn, and a couple of Elitists talking about ‘Triple Crown Champions’ and who was close to reaching that. Kassidy was congratulating and wishing luck to those who were close to reaching it and I remember saying something like: “you’ll get there one day” and damn, I must be psychic because she not only did that, but she’s in the Hall of Fame. She is one of the most decorated female Elitists in history; a member of the All Women’s Decade Team with me, Kendra, Andrea, and Sabina. She is one of the most amazing storytellers that I have ever met and when she dies, I feel like we should donate her brain to science, so we can figure out what goes on in her mind outside of all of those serial killer documentaries, makeup, Starbucks and giving Ryan the gluck-gluck 9000 until she vomits.
Cameron Ella Ava: But, she is such a standard-bearer when it comes to character development and if you’re anyone in wrestling who needs to see an example of how to be a well-rounded character and person, I would look a Kassidy Heart’s way because she’s fucking amazing. Kass, congratulations on this induction and I promise to be nicer to you. 🙏🏻💜
(We see Myles in a confessional.)
Myles: Stop bullying me and shipping me with Elite. Nah, but truly Kass thanks for everything you’ve done for EAW and I truly appreciate being able to be under your wing all this time. I wish I could speak more, but I want to keep it sweet and short because I hope you already know just how much you deserve this. You’re an amazing person and you’ve motivated me so much over the years, so I hope you know you are one of my favourite people here. Congratulations goat… and does this mean I can win my match tommorow pls???
(We see Drake King in a confessional.)
Drake King: There is never going to be another Kassidy Heart. It wasn’t too long ago that she went on one of the longest reigns and undefeated streaks this place has seen, and accomplishments like that are really rare for a reason. Kassidy has achieved so much and it’s all been because of how much she has put into this place since she arrived.
Drake King: You rarely see the kind of effort Kassidy has consistently put in for years. Kassidy is more than just talented, she is one of the greatest ever and there was never any doubt that she’d reach this point seeing how dedicated and passionate she has always been about this. This was a long time coming for someone who’ll go down as one of the best to ever do this.
(The Hall of Fame reopens back to the stage.)
Announcer: Here to induct Kassidy Heart into the Hall of Fame, please welcome the Chairman of Elite Answers Wrestling… Mr. DEDEDE!
(‘Range Brothers’ by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar is heard blasting through the speakers as the camera goes over to show Mr. DEDEDE making his way out from the backstage area to an array of cheers and boos that follow. He scans the audience in attendance for a moment before making his way over to the podium. ‘Range Brothers’ begins to die out while he thinks to himself for a moment before looking up and beginning to speak.)
Mr. DEDEDE: I bet some of you don’t remember this but believe it or not I was supposed to induct Jacob Senn into the EAW Hall of Fame… like we even had an entire program at Pain for Pride about it. So you can probably see where I’m going with this :mjgrin:
Mr. DEDEDE: Contrary to the rumor mills which I’m guessing is going crazy right now with all of the so-called news coming out, the person I am inducting into the 2022 Hall of Fame is not…I repeat…is not an Alabama resident. I don’t know where people even get this shit from I swear to god. :shrug:
Mr. DEDEDE: No but seriously. The beautiful, gifted, amazing woman that I am proud to call an EAW Hall of Famer after today is going to join me on this stage in a couple of minutes. I’ve gotten to be up here with a lot of the greats over the years and honor their accomplishments. I’ve gotten the chance to be inducted by a future 6 time World Champion only to find myself inducting him the year later. I’ve been up here to induct a total of 19+ World Championships among all of the inductees..
Mr. DEDEDE: But with all due respect to every one of them, being lucky enough to induct Kassidy Heart into the EAW Hall of Fame is the highest honor I’ve had in the history of this event.
Mr. DEDEDE: It gives me so much personal pride to see what Kass has become. I could talk about that all day, I could gloat about Kassidy for the rest of the evening because there are a lot of things to brag about. The biggest impression that her story here over the last four years leaves on me is the concept of inherent self worth. It’s a much bigger topic than World Titles, rivalries, accolades, or even wrestling, but that’s the story that Kass has told through her actions over the last four years more than anything else.
Mr. DEDEDE: One thing Kassidy may not realize is just exactly how many people she’s taught along the way through her example. Through simply being “her”. I don’t know if any of us quite understand the lasting impression we ourselves all make on the people around us. It’s easy enough for me to say it, and to remind her of that, but her authentic self is somebody who loves what it is we do here. Her authentic self, to her core, loves everything about being EAW, even when it is guttingly painful. Even when it pits you head to head with people who love you and want you to succeed, who want EAW to succeed as much as you do. The core at the end of the day always goes back to love, the love of the game. That matters more than anything else.
Mr. DEDEDE: I’ve gotten to see how much it hurts on a physical and emotional level to do this at the level that she does, which by the way is as good as we’ve ever seen from anybody over the last 15 years… and I can tell you for a fact that it’s going to be part of the process. The Hall of Fame preceding “Pain for Pride” isn’t just coincidental. The name “Pain for Pride” isn’t just a Marquee event, it’s literally required to feel fulfillment in life. You name the all-time greats who are still around like Banks, Kendra, Impact, Cam, Andrea, Cage, Chris Elite, among others; you’re not here for as long as they’ve been here and enduring as many obstacles as they’ve endured if you don’t love this place and want it to succeed. Kassidy has endured all the same obstacles and has permanently changed this place because of it.
Mr. DEDEDE: Through the endless hours of giving outside of herself to this place, of leaping at opportunities to instill a level playing field for everybody in EAW, the endless hours dedicated to improving herself at every level of this game. All the soul searching, all of the deliberating of details relating to what we see in front of the curtain and what goes on behind the screens. I know what that’s like and I don’t know if more than a handful of people in EAW history knows what it’s like to give as much of yourself if not more to this place as you do anywhere else in your life. And I can tell you from first hand experience, Kassidy is on that exclusive fucking list.
Mr. DEDEDE: But Kassidy isn’t on that list because she was just born perfect, trust me I get how that can be hard to believe. But she wasn’t born with the answers to all of life’s mysteries and the rulebook to how to be an amazing promoer, an amazing creative, an amazing member of the EAW family, and change the game. No, there is no rulebook. Kassidy had what everybody else in EAW has within them right now, no matter where you are on the Pain for Pride card. What Kassidy had was something that she has made great use of, and that is immense inherent self worth.
Mr. DEDEDE: Her story in EAW began with REVOLT! back in the early months of 2018, just prior to the merger. There may not be much to expound on as far as her time there’s concerned, you could tell she was talented and from the point of view of staff at the time you could only hope that she’d be willing to keep her journey going long enough to rise through the ranks. However as we approached and entered the merger and the EAW landscape went ‘Texas Twister’ on all of us, somebody who saw something in her was none other than Sienna Jade. We all know what became of that, the accolades are still around to show for it.
Mr. DEDEDE: But anybody in Kassidy’s shoes could have become overwhelmed by the merger in and of itself and I’m saying this because we literally saw it overwhelm them. I owe Kass a shot by the way for every time I use the word ‘literally’, make sure somebody keeps track of that.
Mr. DEDEDE: Anybody in her shoes could have allowed Sienna to carry the weight of their team, rather than turning it into a success story of equal merit. Anybody could have rested on their laurels and not tried to go outside of the box following the EAW-REVOLT! merger. We all have the potential to accomplish amazing things and equally we all have the same potential to sit on our hands and hide from the opportunity to do what we love.
Mr. DEDEDE: It’s easy to have that happen to us, because we see what other people accomplish and it starts to feel unattainable. We see amazing champions and brilliant wordsmiths on the microphone who rack up victories like it’s nobody’s business, who have catalogs on catalogs of rewards to show for it. It is so fucking easy to feel overwhelmed by it all and ask ourselves what do I even have to offer that’s meaningful here? A lot of us are guilty of questioning ourselves to some degree, and any time anybody comes to me with a sense of doubt or questioning themselves, the number one person I have been able to point to as an example has been Kassidy.
Mr. DEDEDE: “But I can’t create promos like Kassidy”, “I don’t have the same kind of status as Kassidy”, I can assure you that once upon a time, neither did she. She arrived in an EAW that was well established and she established herself. Is she gifted and blessed on a talent level? Absolutely. But we’ve seen many talented people with original ideas come and go for the last 15 years. There are a ton of talented people, there is only one Kassidy Heart.
Mr. DEDEDE: All she did to become Kassidy Heart as we know and love her is give everything her all. She has left an amazing impression on so many of the others for her work ethic, for her genuine care and concern about so many of the other people on the roster. She has put EAW first and put other peoples’ needs first and she has done everything humanly possible to allow other people the same opportunities that she would want if she were in their shoes. She has taken on so many roles, worn so many hats, sometimes admittedly more than she probably should have. Hell, she will tell you that.
Mr. DEDEDE: I know exactly what it’s like to care so much that it feels like you care too much. I jump at the opportunity to provide any sort of comfort or council that I can. Our relationship has been a two way street, I’ve been able to learn so much from her ceaseless example. There is a base level standard of quality and perfection that she holds herself and the people she admires to. She knows when you aren’t giving it your all, she knows when you could have cut that third promo, or when you could have stayed up a little later or gotten up a little earlier to fulfill that obligation. She knows it because she’s done it countless times.
Mr. DEDEDE: Kassidy is somebody who wants “more” in all levels. She wants the absolute most out of her EAW career and she is one of the most goal oriented people I have ever met. Like, Imp, Banks and Jamie O’Hara level of goal oriented fucking geniuses. The absolute best ever, no coincidence there. She wants the world and she’ll go to the ends of the earth to have it, because when it’s 4 in the morning and everybody’s sleeping she’s going out and getting it. When she won her first Elitist of the Year award, she was thinking about her next one. When she won the Women’s World Title, she knew a Heavyweight title was on the docket. Every milestone isn’t a badge, it’s a stepping stone to the next great accomplishment. That’s not a talent, that is a lifestyle.
Mr. DEDEDE: That can be you no matter who you are or what you’re doing in life. You have the opportunity if you are within an earshot of my voice or can transcribe what I’m saying, to live that way. Does it mean ignore the moment? Of course not. If there’s anything I always tell her it’s to be present with the moment in all things. But comfort is a killer, and Kassidy works her way out of her comfort zone every single fucking day with everything she does, with every fiber of her being. It’s invigorating and inspiring, and there is no denying that just being around her as much as I am has helped me bring myself to further levels in my own life. So I’m thankful, Kass, I am beyond grateful to have the lifelong bond that I have with you.
Mr. DEDEDE: EAW is thankful to you as well queen, in the same way you make me better in all respects. You have added to this place not just because of your God given gifts, but because of the lifestyle you have set for yourself to be able to share those gifts. You are the example EAW member not because of the things you can’t control. Because we can’t control our abilities, we can’t control our intellect, we can’t control a lot about ourselves. But what makes you such a perfect example is all of the things that you can control.
Mr. DEDEDE: The effort you put into all things, the standard you set for yourself and the people around you, the attention to detail, the willingness to be a student to the game and know everybody else’s careers like the back of your hand. The willingness to watch other shows, to watch other peoples’ matches, to listen to their promos, even if they have nothing to do with you, even when you know you never have to so much as associate yourself with them. There’s not a person on this roster who can’t set their day up to learn and grow incrementally, the way you’ve done at such an exponential neverending rate for over the last four years. You are the model Elitist, and as of now, you are the model Hall of Famer.
Mr. DEDEDE: That’s more than enough from me I think. Sincerely Kass, thank you. I love you. I’m proud of you. Everybody here is. There’s so much more to accomplish, but drink this moment in for yourself, you only get to experience this once. I’m shutting up now I promise, but please if you can all put your hands together for our latest edition into the EAW HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 22’s OWN, KASSIDY HEART :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
(“Partition (Smearcase Remix)” by Beyonce begins to blast across Caesar’s Palace as Mr. DEDEDE steps back from the podium. A confident Kassidy Heart walks across the stage as everyone gets to their feet and applauds her. Her eyes are locked on Mr. DEDEDE though and it’s clear that EAW’s Chairman is beaming with pride. As soon as Kassidy reaches him, he folds her into his arms and kisses her in front of the world. They break apart a few moments later with Kassidy reaching into the pocket of Mr. DEDEDE’s pants and pulling out some papers he had been holding for her.)
Mr. DEDEDE: (off-mic) I love you.
Kassidy Heart: (off-mic) I love you too. Thank you.
(She moves past him and takes her place at the podium. After carefully unfolding her papers, she takes a look at the crowd. It’s a truly humbling experience for her.)
Kassidy Heart: I have to be completely honest with everyone. I really waited until the last minute to try and come up with something to say.
(Kassidy bites down on her bottom lip and looks back at Mr. DEDEDE, who gives her an encouraging nod.)
Kassidy Heart: First I want to say thank you to Daddygawd for the induction. I’m obviously going to go into more detail about just what you mean to me and what you’ve truly done for me in a little bit, but your words always have a way of reaching my heart and truly leaving an impression on me. I love you so much. Lily, Justin, Emogen, Jessamyn and I are very lucky to have you as our patriarch and leader. I could not ask for a better person to walk through this life with. You have given me the family I never thought I would have which is why…
(A rare and genuine smile crosses Kassidy’s face and everyone takes note that Mr. DEDEDE is grinning like a fool.)
Kassidy Heart: Ryan and I are beyond excited to announce that we are expecting again! Our gestational carrier is currently pregnant with our third child and Baby Adams will be arriving November 2022 just in time for the holidays!
(Husband and wife share loving looks with one another while the audience shouts their congratulations to the couple. After taking in the moment, Kassidy looks down at her speech and takes a deep breath.)
Kassidy Heart: As you guys know, there’s not a single bitch in this place who loves the sound of her own voice more than I do, and I have a feeling that the words I have written down for tonight just won’t be able to say all that I want. So I’m going to go ahead and warn you all that I will likely go off script. I’m probably going to spend a lot of time up here tonight because there’s a lot on my mind. I’m pretty sure that’s what took me so long to finally take a moment and write some thoughts down on paper. I have four and a half years of experiences, conversations, lessons learned, and blessings to sort through before I could try and put everything in perspective. My resume speaks for itself and all of my accomplishments warrant me this induction. I have worked my ass off to become the very best this place has ever seen, and love me or hate me, none of you can deny that I belong in that Hall of Fame with all the rest of the all-time greats. However, I’ll leave all of that for my promotional videos. You guys can go to my stats page and look at all my titles and awards if you want. There is so much more that matters and this is my chance to truly speak from my heart.
Kassidy Heart: I’m not going to conduct this Hall of Fame speech in character. As much as I love Kassidy, her voice isn’t the one that needs to be heard tonight. It’s my voice that needs to come through, and that’s why I have decided to do the majority of this from an out of character standpoint. I have done a lot of thinking, reflecting, and soul searching recently, and so many things have come to my attention that I never truly stopped to think about. I wear my heart on my sleeve and cloak myself in my emotions, and that isn’t always the best way to handle yourself. I had a pretty great talk with Kendra yesterday, being honest with her about some things and admitting some faults of mine. It was not easy for me to open up to her, as I don’t like to be wrong or be vulnerable. Shocking, I know.
Cue Banks and DDD: :mjgrin: no, not u! :troll:
Kassidy Heart: But she was kind and very thoughtful, and gave some great perspective. I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a woman who has selflessly given her cast of characters over the years to various people in order to help elevate them. Kendra herself will tell you that she’s not perfect and she’s made her fair share of mistakes, but to me she has always been great. I can’t say the same thing in return, which is when it came to choose someone to induct me, I only asked DDD. I didn’t feel right asking Kendra to kiss my ass and praise me when I haven’t always given her the same amount of respect. I’m wrong for that, but luckily for me, she loves me anyway. I don’t know if you guys know this, but neither one of us were going to come over in the merger unless the other person did. I wanted to go, but I just didn’t want to join unless the Jaded Hearts could still be a thing. She came here for me, and I am pretty happy we got to experience a lot of stuff here together. Let’s be honest. I was a shitshow in REVOLT, half-assing my promos and not really giving a fuck about what happens. Kassidy wasn’t a serious character for me and I just wanted to be in a place where I didn’t know anyone and there were no expectations. She reached out to me, though, and we really have a ridiculously long PM chain on the forums where we talked. Before I knew it, I was in a tag team and the rest is history.
Kassidy Heart: I will never know why you decided to message me, Kendra, although I have my own theory. I’m pretty sure after I got accused of being another Alabama efedder and yelled at a certain Chairman who is not named DDD, damage control was put into place so I didn’t pack my bags and run away :wow:. But ultimately, I’m glad you did. You are every bit as responsible for Kassidy Heart being who she is as anyone else who’s had a hand in actually booking her. Our two queens will forever be intertwined thanks to what we did together. Without Sienna Jade, Kassidy Heart is probably somewhere feuding with the Jordyn Aces of the world and losing random matches to Elisa Stafford because I just couldn’t be fucked to post that extra promo. She certainly wouldn’t be a history making character who is about to headline a second straight Pain for Pride. I know that I have been a pain in the ass at the best of times, but you’re still here, the Jaded Hearts almost got a reunion tour (coming soon anyway bitches), and I think we both have a newfound appreciation for each other. I’m grateful for that, and come winter time, it’s fucking on.
Kassidy Heart: Kendra isn’t the only person I want to thank tonight. A lot of people have contributed to my success here and helped enhance the experience of being a part of this community. I think it goes without saying that every person who’s put their time and effort into the Kassidy character deserves to share this induction with me. At the end of the day, I’m just her handler. I write based off of what you guys create for her and the stories you put in place for her. Last season was special for me for a multitude of reasons but one of the biggest things for me was getting a chance to have my e-fed dream match. When I got to this place in 2018, Jamie was headed on a break. I didn’t get the chance to fully immerse myself into his work but when he came back, I became one of his biggest fans. The beauty he writes with is unmatched and I’m truly envious. I like to think I am pretty good with words, but nothing I can possibly say will do his ability to create any justice. Artistic, poetic, clever, and towards me, he was extremely giving. Jamie held off on shelving his character in order to give me the match I wanted more than anything. It was extremely selfless for him to do that and he handled everything about it. Each week I found myself rushing to read the segments and seeing what twists and turns our story would take. It was captivating and truly everything I could have possibly wanted. The match itself was something else entirely, and my jaw literally hit the floor when it reached its conclusion. I had absolutely no words and even now a year later, I still can’t believe he sacrificed his character like that for me. For the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for that Jamie. You were never obligated to do anything like that. Hell, you didn’t have to do the storyline at all. But you did, and it was perfect, and it meant the absolute world to me. I credit you with taking Kassidy to that next level, and when you handled Showdown, you were the one who first began to truly tap into her DID and explore that. The little flashes of The Mauler have given me so much to work with and lead me into the next step of my evolution of this character. You’re the absolute best, you fucking cunt. I appreciate you and I thank you.
Kassidy Heart: Another booker I have to tip my hat to is Omar. You picked up in the middle of a season and that is not something that’s easy to do. But you rolled with the punches when it came to my character and continue to allow me to explore the other, more darker side of her. I love The Mauler persona, and you have done some really fun things with it. The taser incident on the last Showdown of 2021 sticks out in my head, and the banger of a match you wrote for the Elimination Chamber and King of Elite are definitely things that mean a lot to me. The King of Elite match against TLA is especially meaningful because the two of us have faced each other so many times. You came up with the perfect way to cap that story off and give the hero that is TLA his much deserved moment. It was beautiful to see that kind of destruction and story-telling and was a fitting end to a title reign that was very special and made a lot of history. You better than anyone how much of a detail-oriented person I am, and I will never forget that match and its nuances and how intricate it was for as long as I play this game. You and I have spent many hours talking about ideas, not for our characters, but for our shows and I have really enjoyed doing that with you. You are one of the most talented and gifted writers to play this game, and it obviously shows when you consider how well you handle your own characters. But what truly sets you apart as a special talent is your ability to write for others. It’s the hardest part of this game, and you have truly shown how versatile and multi-talented you are with handling all you do for Showdown. As a roster member, I thank you for that. As a board member, I appreciate you and your work. As your friend, I’m just grateful to have you around.
Kassidy Heart: There are other people who have contributed to Kassidy in terms of her matches and how she’s written in segments. Cameron, you have written stuff for Kassidy since Empire and you have given me some of her most memorable matches and moments. I don’t think you truly get enough credit as a match writer, so I want to tell you a little story. In 2018, I sat in discord for my first ever live show. It was Pain for Pride and the whole concept of a live show was something very weird to me. I kept an open mind and it was fun. There were some AMAZING matches for the Pain for Pride Festival. Scott versus Darkane. Malcolm Jones versus Chris Elite. MarrKade versus The Sheriff :mjlol: and Cameron Ella Ava. The pride parade is an entrance I will never forget. Obviously it goes without saying that Cage versus Rex McAllister is one of the greatest matches of all-time and the atmosphere in the discord that night is still the most fun I’ve ever experienced during a live show. But one match in particular actually opened my eyes to how creative this type of match writing could be, and that you could still tell a story this way. The feds I came from had a totally different style of match writing. We did not do things through commentary. We did it through description. That being said, your Astraea versus Madison match was something else entirely. It showcased both women so well and had a lot of twists and turns. You have created some beautiful pieces of writing since then, off the wall creative masterpieces that have tested your boundaries, but it was your Madison/Astraea match that made me want to give match writing a try, and I have to say that’s worked out pretty well for EAW and all the people I’ve had the privilege of writing for. This is a true story too, just like it’s a true story that Xav looked at my first ever match for EAW which was weirdly enough Cameron Ella Ava versus Jack Ripley for Dynasty and basically told me it was trash. That did not get used, lol, but I learned from that and Ronnald Nathan Bankerson gave me Voltage not too long after that, lol. I appreciate what you give to the people you write for.
Kassidy Heart: Like I said, I appreciate all the people who have contributed to Kassidy over the years. Some of the most talented writers we have here have given my character things that I still use for her and reference to this day. I remember Vizzy-Boo being one of the first people I tried to explain The Mauler too. He was so receptive and one of my favorite ever segments for Kassidy is when she stapled Serena’s hand to the ring :mjlol:. Only Viz. Truly a generational writer. There is no one like you in this game, Viz, and I loved our feud on Dynasty so much during Season 13. Nevermind that to this day, those little shits Drake and Jake will not tell me who wrote that stupid pumpkin spot :mjlol:. The match was amazing, and I hope that our paths cross again.
Kassidy Heart: DD, Raven, Terry, Andrea, the aforementioned Drake and Jake, Rex, and so many other people have helped shape my character into someone truly unique. Xav, you wrote the first ever Kassidy match that truly made me see her as someone special, and to this day, it is still one of my favorites. War Games was an incredible experience all around and promoing for that match is the most fun I’ve ever had here. I remember discord literally lighting up whenever DDD would promo. He was at his Gawdzilla best during that time, and I remember absolutely dreading reading his stuff because I just knew he was going to destroy me. Low and behold, Gawd didn’t mess with lil ole me 🥰. Part of his long-term master plan, I’m sure, hehe. But you, my friend, wrote a match that truly showcased Kassidy as a future star. I love you for that, and you want to know something else? To this day I am still grateful that you reached out to me during the Pain for Pride Festival to congratulate Kendra and me on our Empire Tag Team Championship win. You were the first EAW person to speak to me, and I have never forgotten that. It’s because of your random act of kindness and curiosity that I still put up with your weird pic base ideas and all the other chaos that comes along with you. It’s been up and down for us lately, and we don’t talk that much anymore, but you’re always going to mean something to me. I respect how you’ve overcome your personal struggles and I am currently in the process of working on my own, and thank you for being a big part of my experience here in EAW as a friend, as a writer, and as a tag team partner. Xavlow forever.
Kassidy Heart: I have been very lucky to work with some talented partners in this place. Jack, I think you know that you are a big part of this. I reached out to you myself to ask you to team with me during that Intergender Tag Team charity thing Kendra and I tried to host. And for the record, we wrote the first episode and it was great. It was Layla Lockhart being the low point and never turning in his stuff that made that shit fizzle out, so at least all of your promo efforts weren’t completely in vain. That Pain for Pride Festival, it was your trojan goat entrance that sold me on Ahren Fournier. I became a fan, and to this day, I still love that character. I had an absolute blast promoing with you. Our collabs are some of the most fun pieces I have ever written. The way your brain is wired is truly unique. You have a wicked sarcastic wit and your creativity is impeccable. Some of the segments you wrote for Voltage this season were absolutely brilliant, and thank you for helping us with the show, by the way. Your characters have been a tremendous source of inspiration for me as a booker. The Charlie/Jordie/Jack mess is one of my favorite Voltage angles ever and you and Charlie handled it all beautifully. You have been a great friend and were a great partner. Magnum Opus will forever have a special place in my heart and Ahren Fournier can truly be credited with bringing out that dark side of Kassidy. When you slap someone across the face, shove their head in a toilet, and piss on their dead grandmother’s grave, something dark is bound to emerge. You awoke The Mauler. I’m sure this fed thanks you 😄!
Kassidy Heart: Talking about Jack’s contributions to Voltage obviously has me thinking about what has truly become my passion project in terms of what I do for EAW. I have a lot more to talk about in terms of other stuff and other people to thank, but I have got to talk about Voltage. I don’t think anyone in the history of this place has written a show for almost four straight years, and I’ll be brutally honest. If not for the writing teams I have had, and more specifically Drake King and Jake Smith, I would not be handling Voltage right now. It is time consuming. It is often frustrating. It is a lot of work and when your time is limited, it is fucking hard to handle. But damn, yall. I truly get the most pleasure out of this place when it comes to that brand. For four years I have been able to do nothing but tell stories and add layers to the wonderful people you have trusted me with. I can’t even begin to tell you guys how much joy I have gotten out of that. Storytelling is my passion. I truly believe it is what I was put here on Earth to do. I truly believe that my calling in life is writing books, and some day, I’m going to give that a try again. I don’t really remember if it was before EAW or during that I submitted a partial manuscript to a well known romance publishing house and it got denied, lol. Humbling experience and probably why I try and couple up so many characters :mjlol:. Voltage has certainly served to fill the creative void that got taken from me when I got rejected, and I have so many great memories of the absolute fuckery we all created.
Kassidy Heart: Drake, you have been my partner since the very beginning and you are obviously the heir apparent. There’s not enough thanks in the world that would properly express my gratitude towards you and the time you have given to our brand. On a personal level, the character of Drake King has become a huge source of inspiration for me. I absolutely love writing for him, and you handle him perfectly. I have had a few muses during my Voltage tenure; Mr. DEDEDE, Charlie Marr, Rex McAllister, and obviously, Drake King. There is something special about a character who is just so disgusting and has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and I just enjoy writing that. I enjoy creating that. I look at the names I just said and Rex McAllister just doesn’t go on that list :mjlol:. He truly was everything pure and wholesome about Voltage, with the fighting spirit that an Elitist on our brand needed to embody. He will forever be a pillar of Voltage, along with Ms. Extreme. Those two were the Voltage OGs for me, and characters I have taken very good care of and held close to my heart. I love writing. I love character development. I have people over the course of the last four years that I have personally handled in big-time storylines when they were in my care:
Jack Ripley
Charlie Marr
Daryl Kinkade
Impact
Hikari Kanno
Myles
Minerva
Dr. Bethany Blue
The Beating Hearts of Voltage
Rex McAllister
Drake King
The Visual Prophet
Donovan Duke
Mr. DEDEDE
SOSA Henderson
Terry Chambers
Malcolm Jones
Kassidy Heart: Each and every one of you brought something remarkable to the stories that you were given and you made my job so easy. It has been an honor to book Voltage and to handle so many wonderful characters. I truly believe what I have managed to do for Voltage is one of the biggest reasons as to why I am getting this honor, and in a lot of ways, that is so fulfilling to me. Of course my in character achievements are important too, but when it comes to talking about them, that is where a lot of my regret comes in. I hate admitting this, but it needs to be said because it was brought to my attention not too long ago that whether I see it or not, I am a leader in this community. I have absolutely NOT been a good handler, or person for that matter, and I have already addressed this with various people. I do want to touch on it on a much broader scope, though, because it had me questioning whether or not I should accept this induction or not. The love and support I got from you guys truly caught me off guard. I did not expect that and believe me, I’m not being humble right now. I am not looking for people to message me and be like omg u deserve this tho! In character, yes. Kassidy has done it all, but I haven’t always seen that and I sure haven’t done my part to practice what I preach, which is ‘trust the process’. I have not been nice sometimes and more often than not two specific people had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with the brunt of my anger.
Kassidy Heart: Hi, Banks.
Kassidy Heart: I don’t know what to really say to you at this point. For four and a half years you have been a friend, a mentor, a creative partner, a pain in my ass, a voice in my ear, a source of reassurance, and unfortunately a sparring partner, and yes at times, a punching bag. It has not been all sunshine and rainbows because we both have alpha personalities and extremely different perspectives. But through it all, you continued to try and support me and believe in me, and deal with more from me than you ever should have. And believe me, I’m trying to keep my emotions in check right now. If I didn’t have to finish my promo I would go pop a Zoloft right now :mjlol:. But it is just hard to properly convey my feelings right now. You know why. No one knows why but you, and perhaps no one knows how truly fucked up I am more than you. We have had so many conversations over the years, especially the last year or so. You know the ones I’m talking about. You know I love sending you novels :wow:. There has never once been a lack of effort on your part and believe me, I respect that. You have done everything in this game you could possibly do for me, and the one regret I have here is that I let you down. I’m sorry for that, and for a lot of other stuff. Neither one of us are perfect, that’s for sure, but you definitely don’t get the credit you deserve for literally all you do and what you have to put up with. I realize so much more now than I have in the past, and perhaps you see that in me. If you don’t, then I sure hope that one day you will. Either way, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the things you have done for me. I thank you for all the times you have listened to me complain and vent. I thank you for trusting me enough to handle Voltage when you stepped away. After all, that show was your baby and you had put a lot of work into it. I thank you for what you have done for Kassidy and what you tried to do. I never look at her from an unbiased perspective and I truly despise that about myself in terms of this game. You have spent countless hours trying to explain shit to me that I wasn’t always willing to hear, and again, thank you for that. At the root of your core, I truly believe that you are one of the good ones. I appreciate my place here in EAW and once again, thank you. I’m not going to disappoint you again.
Kassidy Heart: Of course, I have to turn my attention to you, DDD. You are the person on here who knows me the best and for whatever fucked up reason you have chosen to still be here with me. I couldn’t have imagined that our first conversation back in September of 2018 would lead me to finding my creative soulmate and someone who has truly become one of my best friends. The hours we have spent creating Kassidy and DDD’s world is time that I truly cherish. God, I could literally talk about how fucking incredible you are for literal hours. What you have done for me in this game is enough of a reason for me to place you on a pedestal but it’s truly what you have done for me as a person that truly makes you special to me. I won’t go into details because our world is just that… ours. But you mean the absolute world to me, and I can not tell you thank you enough for everything you have given me. You have given me your friendship, your advice, your opinions, your musings, your writing, your conspiracy theories, and everything else in between. You have left a mark on Kassidy that goes without saying. We started talking in September and literally in December we had already decided they were gunna get hitched right after Pain for Pride. We plotted and planned for months and the reaction in chat is something I will never, ever forget :mjgrin:
“Guys. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. If this super gross shit is the kind of storyline that goes on here, if this is a ‘tame’ example, and if I’m the problem if it makes me uncomfortable, I can’t play here. I’m sorry if I wasted people’s time but I just can’t do it.”
Kassidy Heart: :mjlol: It really makes me laugh thinking of the line I wrote for my promos this week that I sent to you about Kassidy wanting to play with chloroform and relive their wedding night, :mjlol2:. We have truly had some of the best times and you have been here for me through some truly dark times. You know my story and what I truly deal with on a daily basis and you have always stayed patient, kind, and incredibly supportive even when everything has been taken out on you. I know you used to get frustrated with me because you didn’t think I was listening, but I have always listened to you and respected you, and I truly credit you for being one of the reasons why I am still here. You are a beautiful person in my eyes, and someone who has come a long way. I appreciate the care you put into your work and your writing is a fucking gift to this place. I will never not support you. I will always be here for you. I will continue to make you proud with my own writing and rest assured the time and effort you have spent with me on Kassidy will not be in vain. You already know I’ll flood our box with more praise and sunshine towards you, so I’ll wrap this up here. A simple thank you is not enough. A picture of my pedicure is not enough. A suggestive picture of Bobby Lashley is not enough. Nothing will ever be enough to fully express how much I care about you. But I do, and I will continue telling you that every single day for as long as we both play this game.
Kassidy Heart: I know I need to wrap this up, but I have to turn my attention to the people I am sharing this honor with tonight. Pehrox, you are one of the biggest brats I have ever come across but you do such good work that most of the time, I don’t even care. You’re so fucking talented and you have a lot of gifts you can give to this world. Your match writing is truly a spectacle and what you have done for EAW in terms of writing, editing, recruiting, and designing can never be duplicated. You truly are a jack of all trades and someone who has it all. I’m constantly impressed with you. I firmly believe that you have everything necessary to go extremely far in life. Please continue to be the incredible little goat that you are and never forget just how truly remarkable you are.
Kassidy Heart: Andrea, you are one of the most underrated writers here in EAW. I have lost count over how many times you have sent me a segment and it has truly blown me away. I’ll say it and put it out there for the entire world to see. You are hands down the best segment writer here in EAW. You have set a bar in terms of that that not many people can reach, let alone surpass. You’re impressive. You’re creative. You have an unmatched ability to write for everyone in this place and it truly looks like they wrote it themselves. Your matches are on another level too. You get it. You get everything about this game and that is why I have nothing but love and respect for you. You deserve to be in this Hall of Fame for not only your promo page contributions but for who you are as a handler and writer. I feel blessed to know you just a little bit and I truly feel grateful that I have a friend in you that I can count on. You always help me, even when you have so much other stuff to do, and I hope everyone opens their eyes and realizes just how precious of a hidden gem that you are. I love you.
Kassidy Heart: Okay. This could be another 5,000 words in itself because no one loves Charlie Marr like I love Charlie Marr. You are absolutely wonderful in so many ways, and you are a muse to me. There is no character here I have written more than Charlie and surprise, my goat, I’m writing Charlie versus Daryl for Pain for Pride :blessed: :blessed: :blessed: Ugh I can’t wait to sink my teeth into that match and write the latest and perhaps the greatest installment of the Charlie Marr and Daryl Kinkade saga. I’m truly your fangirl. I can’t say enough wonderful things about you. I will always be your biggest fan and I have even more respect for you knowing your story and all that you have gone through. If you ever need anything, you know I’m here for you.
Kassidy Heart: ^^^ Best graphic this fed has ever had, to be honest.
Kassidy Heart: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few other people who truly mean a lot to me. Elite, you have become one of the very best writers here and working with you on Voltage is truly my honor. Your matches leave me breathless and you have brought my visions to life so many times. You honestly deserve all the props and credit in the world, especially with how amazing you have handled New Eden. That Elimination Chamber you wrote back in December still leaves me breathless. What a beautiful, wonderful piece of work and I really fucking hate that we don’t get a chance to nominate chambers for MOTY. You would surely have another trophy on your mantle if we could, but something tells me you’re gunna get that regardless.
Kassidy Heart: TLA, you are my greatest adversary here along with Consuela Rose Ava. I have battled TLA more times than anyone else and you have always left me befuddled and out of sorts. You are incredible at writing, especially your own person, and I truly respect your dedication, loyalty, and creativity. Thank you so much for the memorable battles we have had this season, and on another note, for the help you have given me with Voltage. Who can forget the fucking action movie you wrote for freeing Azrael? You just have a gift and EAW is very lucky that you have decided to share it with us.
Kassidy Heart: A couple of other people who have left an impact on me for different reasons are well, Impact, SOSA, and Limmy. Limmy, you were my adversary for one of the very best and most fun feuds I have ever had here. I loved our storyline going into TI and I think you have all the potential in the world to go very far in this game. You know that I am here for you for whatever you need. I believe in you and I know you’re gunna do big things next season. Impact, you are someone who’s writing I have read and studied since REVOLT. Your way with words is special and there is no one else like you around here. I hope that one day we do get to have that one-on-one match because it is on my efed bucket list and I already know just how hard that match will be for me. You always leave me puzzled and questioning myself whenever we are opponents and for as frustrating as that is, it is also humbling, and it makes me want to be better even at this stage. HBB/SOSA/Cleo… you really gave me my first real push back on Empire for a purely in character standpoint. When you decided to have Cleo lose the Vixen’s title to Kassidy that really got to me. It was another selfless act, just like you did for Drake as HBB, and you are just one of the good ones, and someone I really like. Thank you for that push all the way back when, and you have given me writing help before, and I appreciate that as well.
Kassidy Heart: I have to shout out all my Voltage teams, both past and present. You guys are solid, and like I always say, it takes a village. Voltage is much yours as it is mine and Drake’s and someone else who gets nothing but love and respect from me is my mini-me. Yes. That’s you, Jake. You really irritate the shit out of me more than anyone else on this game, but it’s really because you are just like me. You have all my good qualities, thankfully, and not a whole lot of the bad. You are the sweetest, most helpful, and kindest soul in this place and I would go to bat for you any day. I mean damn. I practically flew to Finland or wherever the fuck he lives to beat the shit out of SKA for sending you weird creepy fan fic. You are everything right about this game and you truly are the best board member we have here. I wouldn’t survive as a showrunner if not for you and your brother, and even though Drake is still my favorite, you are the are the one who will always stand out to me. Not just for your kind heart, but for your determination too. You never give up and roll with the punches, and you don’t mind being being the butt of the joke. You have always had the ability to recover and make Jake special, and that is why whenever it is time for me to call it quits, you are the person I want to have my last ever match with. That is what you mean to me, and I thank you for everything you do. You are truly a wonderful person and I hope you never, ever change.
Kassidy Heart: I guess that about wraps it up. I know I have talked your ears off but I can’t help it. This was my chance to truly tell you guys what this place means to me and how truly grateful I am for all the time I have spent here. I love you all. Thank you to everyone who has ever helped me in any way. Ronan… SK… Donovan… Ryan… ARIA… the list goes on and on. Every single one of you are truly wonderful people and with that I wish you all goodnight!
(“Partition (Smearcase Remix)” by Beyonce once again begins to blast through the speakers of the arena while the crowd erupts into absolutely thunderous cheers. Kassidy has a smile on her face as she allows the moment to sink in before mouthing her thank you’s as she begins to take her leave. DEDEDE is seen in the background clapping proudly while Kassidy continues to wave at the crowd. It’s the last shot seen before the camera from there completely fades to black.)
(EAW logo buzzes.)
