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Casting Aside the Masks
Topic Started: Jan 22 2010, 12:10 AM (58 Views)
Deleted User
Deleted User

“It seems to be a strange quirk that most every human being shares; the desire to be something greater than we are. I consider it to be associated with the sins of greed and envy. We want this fantasy to become a reality more than anything, and we can hold it against others who, in our eyes, have just that which we desire. That jealousy causes us to put these individuals on a pedestal. We read about them in the tabloids, we watch them on their mind-numbing television shows, we buy their albums, go to their movies. We emulate these people, from their hairstyles to their clothing brands. They are idols to us. What I’ve realized is that most of these individuals…the actors, musicians, artists…each one of them a person behind a mask, each one pretending to be more than they are. Humanity loves to don masks. We act tough to impress our peers, we act sensitive or cute to attract the affections of another. Each of these faces is just another layer of the mask. But, take away the mask, and what have we left? Flesh and blood, just another face in the crowd of millions. But even ordinary people can be viewed as idols. Parents to their children, school teachers, fire-fighters, doctors…ordinary people who do extraordinary things each day. In our business of entertainment, it is rare to find individuals who don’t hide behind some sort of mask or another. Each of us dances like a marionette in a play, each with some flashy role or another. And oh, how we dance, tied to our strings for the amusement of those gathered before us. Well, eventually the dance grows tiresome and the mask becomes uncomfortable. For us, the time has come. The strings are now cut and the masks discarded, and henceforth we will be idolized not for how we play our roles, but instead for whom we genuinely are.”

-Crystal Marie


+ ACT I +
-The Same Dance Upon a Different Stage-


The roar is deafening in the brightly lit arena; a packed house in Tokyo, Japan. Panning across the audience and into the ring, we bear witness to an incredibly fast-paced match-up pitting two Americans against two native Japanese wrestlers, the signs of fatigue evident on all four competitors. Here in the closing moments, Evan Tyler and Kyle Riley set up their opponent, Yoshi Nagasawa for a double Irish whip, and on the rebound Kyle catches Yoshi with a drop toe-hold with Evan catching the falling man with a reverse STO. Yoshi’s partner, Sansuke Miyoto attempts to make the save with a roundhouse kick to Kyle, however Riley is able to duck under the attack. Off-balance, Miyoto is left vulnerable to a spinning back kick to the midsection from Tyler, and then is immediately snared by Kyle who snaps him over quickly with the Riley Stinger, scooping him over his shoulder and dropping down with a stunner. Sansuke pops back up to his feet, completely unaware of his surroundings as Evan fluidly moves in and locks in a ¾ facelock, snapping forward with a snap-mare driver, his new patented maneuver that he has dubbed ‘Character Assassination.’ With Miyomoto completely neutralized and the fans loudly cheering on their feet, both members of Idolized signal for the end. Evan grabs Nagasawa as he tries to struggle back to his feet, and hoists him up on his shoulders, spinning a quick 360 before dropping down with an Electric Chair Drop, his partner leaping up as Yoshi falls, catching him with a double-knee face-crusher, the final piece to a picture-perfect Limo Wreck. Kyle rolls Yoshi over and the three count at that point is academic.


“After we were so abruptly raped of our titles and dignity in CZW, we had a lot of time to heal and just sit back and watch. And quite honestly, what we saw was the rapid decay of the single greatest American wrestling promotion. Everyone could see how things were going, it was just that nobody wanted to admit it. CZW had become the chicken that runs around after losing its head. No real direction, no brain to actually assert control. Just one big, long death-throe. Sponsors lost, big-name stars falling off the grid…it was like there were half a dozen people left all trying to keep a sinking ship afloat by bailing with holey, rusted buckets. It wasn’t pretty. Even after we healed up enough to return, we basically saw the writing on the wall, and just decided that it would be best if we left quietly.”
-Evan Tyler


A series of slowly transitioning photographs flips by, run with various zoom and fade effects. The first shows the team as they just return to action in the American independent circuit. They wear their sunglasses and green longcoats, their valet attired in a simple yet elegant dress. As the montage moves forward, a slow change seems to take place. First, the coats end up being traded in for more simple track jackets or t-shirts. Kyle adopts a do-rag to tie back his growing hair. Evan crops his hair short, removing the bleached-blonde portion that has been his trademark. Their ring-gear strays from the green theme to incorporate other colors and styles, with Kyle going so casual as to begin wearing a pair of baggy cloth shorts. Even their manager transitions, most noticeably by dying her hair to a light blonde and attiring herself in simpler blouse-and-pants outfits. The most recent pictures of the trio make them now look less like movie stars and more like your normal, everyday folk.

“I think it was one big reality check, you know? We were on the sidelines watching the product and it just became annoying to see how ‘unreal’ so many of these people were. On that same token, it made us pretty hypocritical to go out there acting like we were, because we were really doing the same thing. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, huh? I mean…the whole ‘Hollywood’ bit? Yeah, sure, it was entertaining but like…I’m actually from Oregon, you know? It got to the point where we didn’t want to be known for who we were pretending to be. We just wanted to go out there as ourselves and do what it is we love to do. No frills or gimmicks. Just three people who love the sport.”
-Kyle Riley


+ACT II+
-Death and Rebirth-


The following airs as a CZW.com special video segment. Various images show candid backstage and press conference photos for the resurgence of CZW, as well as all the major hype for the ‘Reunited’ show. At this point, interspersed with the various photo clips, the three members of Idolized are shown seated as if being interviewed for a documentary.

-Crystal Marie-
“We were contacted about the Reunited pay-per-view, but there were a few factors that prevented us from becoming involved. The first one being our overseas commitments. We were signed on for a tour of Japan during that week, and though we likely could’ve worked it out, it would’ve been very tough to balance commitments.”

-Kyle Riley-
“Add to that the fact that a lot of people were still unsure of the future of CZW. There were a lot of people who were expecting this to be the ‘farewell’ show, and though it sucks to say this, we were pretty much all disenchanted with the company by that time. I’ll be the first one to admit that we figured it was over, you know? It sucks, but that sort of thing happens. Even the biggest companies can go under in a heartbeat if their luck runs out.”

Several highlight photos from the pay-per-view run by: McNally posing after annihilating SJ Funk; Brian Kirkland regaining the Ultraviolent Championship; Godzilla Sawyer retaining the Television title during his record-setting title reign; Monrowan and Disasterpiece collectively celebrating after their draw in the ladder match…

-Evan Tyler-
“We did actually watch the event on pay-per-view from…I believe it was Osaka…and I can just remember watching it and instantly regretting not agreeing to take part. For one, it’s in LA, which actually is my home town, but I think even more than that is that…it really just had that old-school feel to it. We were watching it and even through the big spots and everything I don’t think any of us marked out once. Heh, we were all just like…. ‘damn, why didn’t we do this!”

…Maynard O’Toole regains the Intercontinental Championship in Toole Shed III; Jesse Montana regains General Manager status by defeating Eric Collum; Alan Fiscus cashes in his case immediately after being defeated, thereby becoming World Heavyweight Champion in dramatic fashion to end the show.

-Kyle Riley-
“I think before the show was even over that we’d all silently agreed we were coming back. We could tell that the old CZW was back in business. Everyone just had that spark again, and it was beautiful to behold. We missed out on the big reunion show, but fortunately, the next big opportunity was just on the horizon. The big year-two show was coming up and I can say with no shame that I was on that phone with Derek Damage the next day, fully prepared to BEG to be a part of it.”

All three share a collective, light-hearted laugh.

-Kyle Riley-
“Fortunately it didn’t come to that though!”

-Evan Tyler-
“Yeah, nobody likes to see a grown man beg.”

A slow-moving pan from left to right over the promotional banner for ‘There Will Be Blood’ is shown.

-Evan Tyler-
“Here’s where we wanted to make the big ‘comeback’ as it were, but we wanted to make an impact, just like we did when we arrived on the scene and won the straps. At the same time, we needed to fix some peoples’ perceptions.”

Again we roll over an image, this time promoting the six-man barbed-wire match between the alliance of Mortius and Total Mayhem and the Brothers of Misery.

-Kyle Riley-
“Look, I know this is CZW and it’s famous for its ‘extreme’ style and all that, and I can respect the hardcore environment to an extent. I’ve done my share of extreme environment matches, but what people need to understand is that this wasn’t a wrestling match that was scheduled to take place here. Someone was likely to literally get killed in this one.”

-Crystal Marie-
“We’ve had a well-documented rivalry with Total Mayhem that essentially started right when we arrived. I’d venture to say that we know them better than anyone else in this organization, and I can assure you that they were really close to just losing it completely with these guys. They were taking things past the point of this being a competitive sport. The same can be said of Mortius. Here you have three individuals whom everyone knows have had some issues with mental health in the past and you have them heading into what can only appropriately be called a ‘death match’ in a very literal sense. Not a person in the back would stop them, either, because they were either more focused on the draw, or they were too afraid to get in between these men, so we decided to intervene on their behalf.”

-Kyle Riley-
“Our long standing feud with Total Mayhem has always carried respect with it, and when you step back and look at the big picture, we’re essentially working together as well as against eachother. Our jobs depend on the fans going home happy as much as it depends on wins and losses…probably even more so. We felt it would be in the best interest of everyone if this match didn’t take place, even if it left a few of the more blood-thirsty fans in attendance a bit disappointed.”

From ‘There Will Be Blood’…

Out of nowhere, the house lights darken and various flashes of green and blue lights flash and strobe as ‘Hysteria’ by Muse blares loudly throughout the arena. Confusion runs rampant and the crowd cheers loudly, mostly out of anticipation. These cheers grow even louder as three figures emerge on the stage, and louder yet as realization dawns on those in attendance. Idolized have returned.

Daniels: “I don’t believe it! They’re back! Idolized, who have been out of action since being assaulted prior to a title-defense back in September of last year!”

Masters: “And they were put on the shelf by none other than Total Mayhem! Coincidence, Daniels? I think not!”

The trio stands at the top of the ramp, both Kyle and Evan each holding a microphone. Evan Tyler and Kyle Riley are both dressed in jeans and button-down shirts. Their valet has changed her look a bit, however. Where once she appeared solely in lavish dresses, she now appears very casual in a pair of khaki pants and a short-sleeve blouse. Her hair has also been dyed from dark brunette to a light blonde. In the ring, the Brothers glare back up the ramp, infuriated by this intrusion.


-Evan Tyler-
“It really just took a phone call to the mental-health folks and Total Mayhem and Mortius ended up getting detained and essentially just barred from the arena.”

-Kyle Riley-
“I’m sure they weren’t happy about it. Hopefully they didn’t hurt too many people!”

-Evan Tyler-
“Ha, even if they did it just further proves the point that they need help. And not only that, but it gave us time to go in there and point out some ugly flaws with how business has been going down lately.”

Kyle: “Bum deal about your match, but you see…Total Mayhem, and Mortius for that matter, well…they left us with some unfinished business. You see, it wasn’t that long ago that Mortius got his walking papers courtesy of us. Seems the vacation we sent him on did wonders for his mental health, but we decided he needed another little break to keep him in check. And Total Mayhem? Well, it’s because of them we’re not still holding gold here to begin with. They don’t seem to grasp the concept of ‘wrestling’ a match. That’s why we’re here. We’re not here for barbed-wire snuff-films! We’re here to compete in matches!”

Evan: “Look here, boys. We know you’re so caught up in your Live-Action Role-playing to understand that you’re NOT the grave digging, devil-worshipping freaks you claim to be, and you feel the need to prove to everyone that you’re the ‘real deal’ by entering into matches that make the worst Van Damme film seem like quality entertainment, but personally, we’ve had enough of it. Since we’ve been out, Total Mayhem, and yourselves, whom I like to refer to as ‘Diet Total Mayhem,’ have made a mockery of the tag-team division…a division WE worked our asses off to elevate to greatness. And since we’ve been gone, what has happened? It’s fallen to shambles!”


-Crystal Marie-
“It’s going to sound really arrogant until you step back and look at it, but it’s true. We were the driving force behind the division. We made people pay attention to it, and we made other people care about being a part of it. Without us, it just got placed on the back-burner like it does in so many other organizations nowadays. It’s sad, really. We’re purists like in the old days when tag-team titles were every bit as important as your singles champions.”

-Kyle Riley-
“Now, we’re not trying to say that there aren’t any other good teams here…far from it. They just don’t seem to have the same passion for it, and whether it’s just to shut us up or prove us wrong, something about our presence just seems to light a fire under some asses, and really, it just goes to show that our name is appropriate. We are idolized.”

The feed fades out after a wide shot showing all three members, finally displaying the CZW.com logo.


+ACT III+
-Clear Intentions-


“Hysteria” by Muse thunders out through the arena in Yonkers, New York, and the fans gathered for this particular house show cheer ecstatically for this unadvertised appearance. The trio makes their way out onto the stage, casually dressed with both Kyle and Evan wearing new Idolized t-shirts. They appeal to the fans for a moment before heading down, taking time to tag hands on their way down the aisle. Each member is handed a microphone as they enter the ring and appeal a bit more, soaking up the applause. Finally, the music cuts, but the cheers continue. Kyle looks about to speak, and then just regards his companions with a sidelong grin as the crowd still refuses to quiet themselves. Finally, he presses a finger to his lips, still grinning, and they lower the level to a dull roar.

-Kyle Riley-
“Well…thank you for that! It’s been a while since we’ve actually set foot in a CZW ring, and I have to say, it’s great to be back. You see, much has changed since last September when we were so unceremoniously relieved of not only our titles, but our competitive status. Total Mayhem really did a number on us…fracturing my ankle before the big match, leaving my partner here to fend for himself against three other teams…”

Loud jeers are heard by this point.

-Kyle Riley-
“…as well as giving him a concussion after falling to insurmountable odds. The only silver lining in that story is that they weren’t the ones taking the straps from us.”

-Evan Tyler-
“You know, while we were out, it really gave us time to think of the state of things. You had Total Mayhem and all of their theatrics…you’ve got the Brothers of Misery who showed up as an even more ridiculously over the top Total Mayhem knock-off…hell, even Mike King started wearing masks and face-paint. It got to the point where it seemed like everyone was a pretender. But hey, it gave us pause, made us look in the mirror and realize that we weren’t any different. But you can’t change anyone else, you can only change yourself. So we did just that. All of the Hollywood antics, the flashy outfits, the fancy cars, dance clubs…”

-Crystal Marie-
“…the ‘exotically’ spelled names…”

A good chuckle comes from the crowd as well as the trio themselves.

-Evan Tyler-
“Yes, the ridiculously spelled names…D’Spayre. I swear, every time I read that name on paper I think of someone who put a funk spin on the title of his profession of ‘fixing’ female pets.”

-Kyle Riley-
“Ha! That’s funny, cuz whenever I see the name ‘EOI’ it makes me think of Eyore.”

-Evan Tyler-
“It always makes me think of Edward James Olmos.”

-Crystal Marie-
“Guys…we have a time limit out here…”

-Kyle Riley-
“OH! Right, so…as we return, you can consider us heralds of the return of the tag-division to CZW as we burn right through the competition on the way to Road to Glory to fight for the straps that we damn sure would’ve kept if we hadn’t been jumped pre-match. Our ‘road to glory’ starts off in Albany as Idolized make their first return to competition against the Brothers of Monotony!”

-Evan Tyler-
“You see, it’s like this. You have us in one corner…the true definitive tag-team in this sport. The guys who were champions 10 minutes into their CZW careers, the guys who kept the division alive. Then you have a team who represents EVERYTHING wrong with it. Three guys with horrible face-paint and their manager with a horrible boob-job holding séances and snuggling zombies in an attempt to prove to everyone that they’re THAT hardcore. In a way, we have to thank you guys for being so over the top and ridiculous, because without you showing up, we may not have had the reality check that we did. So in return, we’ve got a gift for you. A real lesson on how it’s done.”

The fans pop a bit at this more aggressive tone.

-Kyle Riley-
“This isn’t some Cynthia Rothrock movie with horrible characters and even worse action, not to mention your sub-par acting. This is wrestling, homies. What we bring to you in the ring is not something you can be prepared for by dressing up and playing your Mind’s Eye Theater.”

-Evan Tyler-
“You know, ask your Ouija board if you’re going to get your asses handed to you on Monday. Bet you five bucks it says yes.”

Another good chortle from the crowd.

-Kyle Riley-
“So bring your face-paints and your horrible gimmicks. We’ll meet you head on and send you packing all the way back to your home in mama’s basement. If anyone is in need of a good reality check, it’s you geeks, and what better way than getting your Larping asses handed to you by the BEST damn tag-team this company has ever seen!”

-Crystal Marie-
“Perhaps it will be a wake-up call for you as well, one to drop the charades and the games just as we have. One can hope, however if there is one thing you have no hope for, it would be leaving Overdrive victorious. Consider this a learning experience and watch how it is truly done, friends. We are the artists and this ring is our canvas and this will be a portrait of your failings. I suppose to put it into terms you can understand…we’re going to kick your poser asses.”

A massive roar of applause and cheers sounds off at this unexpected remark as “Hysteria” plays once more. The trio shares a grin before posing for the cheering fans a bit more, then making their exit up the ramp and to the back.

-Fin-
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