Respect? Try fear..
Posted by: Mortis on 05/23/2003 at 18:06
We open in the same darkened area where we last saw Mortis. Mortis is standing in a corner, arms folded. The United States Belt lies at his feet. Mortis looks up, and begins to speak.
"It's not enough for you to respect me, Ding. There aren't many people out there who don't respect me. I don't want respect. What I want.....
Is fear.
You're right, Ding. I've been wrestling for over ten years. And in that ten years, I never got the big break that people around me did. I never main evented a pay-per-view. I've never held a World Title. Oh..but I had RESPECT.
Lemme give you a little advice, Ding. Respect means SHIT. You can RESPECT the guy that sells hot dogs, because he's trying to make a living for his family. You can RESPECT your drunk father, because he brought you into this world. You can RESPECT someone like The Brooklyn Brawler, because he is one of the best workers in the business.
When The Undertaker went out a few weeks ago and told the people that he was being disrespected, he was wrong. The Undertaker has never been disrespected. He could lose every match for the next ten years and still be respected. The Undertaker was simply saying that the FEAR was going away. Sure, people feared the man...but not like before. When Taker was going head-to-head with Kurt Angle, people were TERRIFIED to be around him. That was starting to fade away...so he decided to do something about it.
Now, The Undertaker has been my best friend in this business ever since he brought me into the FTR. Yeah, that's right Jarrett..I said he's been my best FRIEND. Because the man that you LOVE to call Mark Callaway gave me an opportunity to..well let's be honest...he gave me a chance to ride his coattails. He gave me a chance to use his success as a way to build my own success. But until recently..I haven't been doing that.
When Billy Kidman left The Fatal Army, I took it more personally than The Undertaker did. Here was this KID who was NOTHING before he joined The Undertaker suddenly thinking that his shit doesn't stink anymore...he suddenly thinks that he can just walk away. When he did that, it hit me. Something had to be done.
You see, unlike The Undertaker, I've never had people legitimately fear me. I've never been able to look a guy like Vader in the eyes and have him think twice about what he was going to do next. I decided to change that when Billy Kidman left.....and change it I have.
You see, Ding, I've built up a bit of a reputation for myself. Because I stepped up to the plate, and I challenged Billy Kidman for a one-on-one match...and dammit, I beat his ass. So then I'm pressured into giving him a rematch..because let's be honest...no one really wanted to see me as The US Champion. It's like you said, Ding...I've been in the business for ten years! The US Title isn't for washed up never-will-bes like me!
So at Genesis, I gave him the rematch..and I beat him AGAIN. I took him to his limit, and no matter what he did...he COULD NOT beat me. You hear that Jarrett? Kidman hit me with EVERYTHING, and it was NOT enough.
But still, despite all of that...I've got the people upstairs trying to get this belt off of me. They want me to put it up against a guy who has had ONE match in the FTR! Now I'm telling you straight up, without any hesitation..and I'm not saying this as a Fatal Army member..I'm not saying this as Mortis...I'm saying this as Chris Kanyon.....
That is fucking bullshit.
When Bill Goldberg signed with WCW people were happy to have him. The guy was a great athlete. No one in the locker room denied that. But when a guy who has paid NO dues in WCW or any other company, for that matter, suddenly gets to run roughshed on the entire roster...it pissed people off. Someone who was as green as grass was getting wins over guys who had been busting their asses for years. You, my friend, aren't very different.
You have paid NO dues in the FTR. But all of a sudden, you want to step up and challenge for the United States Title? I don't think so. Oh..I can't do anything about the match. You've got me there. But I can do something about YOU.
It's like you said, my friend....I made living out of kicking people's teeth down their throats. What makes you think you're different? I've seen a ton of HUGE rookies with two years of experience and a sea full of potential start to write a bunch of checks that their asses can't cash...and do you know what happens to them? They fall flat on their faces courtesy of someone like ME.
I'm going to send you back to GeniusIQ in a fucking CASKET. And then, you can tell him that Mortis says..
FUCK YOU!!!!
Because THIS BELT.."
Mortis picks up his US Title.
"...IS MY BELT. And it's going to take A LOT more than some unproven rookie to take it away from me. DO YOU HEAR ME?! IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE TEARING MY HEART OUT OF MY CHEST AND CUTTING IT IN HALF TO GET THIS BELT FROM ME!
After all of these years....after all of those wars.....I've finally learned something from The Undertaker. And Ding...you're gonna be one of the MANY to find out just what it was.........oh yeah..and as for the END of your career....
If I were you, I'd start planning for a future outside of wrestling. Because when I'm done with you at Rampage....I kinda doubt a legacy of one FTR victory and one career ending match will put food on your table.
