Perspective

With Unbreakable Resolution mere days away, Lou Robertson has returned to host an internet exclusive edition of Project: Honor Perspective. Seated behind his desk as usual, Lou greets the viewers with a warm smile.

LOU ROBERTSON: Welcome to a special edition of Project: Honor Perspective. As always, I’m your host, Lou Robertson. With another Pay Per View event on the horizon, there are several marquee matches that deserve the in-depth treatment, but one potential confrontation in particular could use a little more…perspective.

The camera pulls back slightly, so that the video monitor next to Lou can be seen. On it is the young man named Kurtis Slayne, a member of Project: Underground who also took it upon himself to issue an open challenge for Unbreakable Resolution.

LOU ROBERTSON: Joining me in the studio tonight to help broaden our understanding of Kurtis Slayne and his request for an unsanctioned match is his agent and legal advisor, Mr. Gideon Marx. Welcome to the show.

The camera pulls back again, this time revealing Lou’s guest seated on the other side of the semi-circular desk with the video monitor in-between them.

GIDEON MARX: It’s my pleasure, Lou. I’m happy to help broaden the minds of your viewers.

Unlike the welcoming smile on the reporter’s face, the smile that Gideon presents reeks of insincerity.

LOU ROBERTSON: Let’s start off by attempting to gain a better understanding of your client. We know he’s a young man with little in-ring experience, but from what we’ve seen so far in Project: Underground, he seems to be a quick study. He’s also made unsubstantiated claims that he is the half-brother of Indy Darling, and that he is responsible for Indy’s current absence from Project: Honor. Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that relationship for our audience?

The attorney lets out a soft chuckle as he clasps his hands in front of him.

GIDEON MARX: There is no relationship to speak of. What you believe to be unsubstantiated claims are simple facts. While it’s hard to subject a dead man to a paternity test, I can assure you that Clive Darling was my client’s biological father. Acquiring those records has been challenging, but if doubters such as yourself continue to question my client’s honesty, I assure you that those documents will be made available in due time. As for his work in Project: Underground, you’re damn right he’s a quick study. What little you’ve witnessed thus far should be enough to explain why he’s seeking out bigger challenges from the Proving Ground and Fallout rosters.

Lou listens to his guest intently, reacting with a nod of understanding.

LOU ROBERTSON: He certainly did just that. On a recent episode of Proving Ground, it seemed like he was calling out anyone who supported Indy Darling in his recovery process or even wished him a quick recovery.

GIDEON MARX: There’s nothing questionable about that at all. It’s exactly what he did, because my client has no respect for anyone who would openly support a fraudulent charlatan like his half-brother. He may not have the tenure or experience of those he mentioned, but my client is a man of strong convictions. He has the confidence to believe he can stand toe-to-toe with anyone, and I tend to believe there’s a reason for that.

LOU ROBERTSON: Let’s assume for now that Kurtis has been telling us the truth about his parentage. He has made it clear that he has no adoration for his late father, his half-brother, or for the business of professional wrestling in general. So why then, has he decided to become a part of something he claims to hate?

GIDEON MARX: As he’s explained in great detail, my client feels that the business of professional wrestling robbed him of the opportunity to have a normal, nurturing childhood. Clive Darling, an absent father, chose this business over his own flesh and blood. Most of us, with a shred of moral decency, understand that there’s a time to put away childish fantasies when faced with the responsibilities of real life. Instead of facing his responsibilities, namely the birth of his son, Clive Darling chose to continue traveling the world in pursuit of a career that he was clearly not suited for. He was, to put it quite simply, a failure in the world of professional wrestling, a failure as a father, and a failure as a man in general. When Indy Darling began to perpetuate various lies about my client’s father, building him up into something he never was, my client took personal offense. Creating a tournament and a trophy in that man’s honor? Well, that was clearly the final straw…

LOU ROBERTSON: Which naturally brings us to Tara Fenix…

GIDEON MARX: That’s “The Clive Darling Memorial Tournament Champion” Tara Fenix.

LOU ROBERTSON: With such a distaste for his father’s legacy, it becomes easier to understand why he would single out Tara Fenix specifically when making his open challenge.

With his fingers still intertwined in front of him, Gideon’s grin widens.

GIDEON MARX: I’d like to say that my client has nothing personal against Ms. Fenix, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. While he holds no ill-will toward the woman personally, it’s what she represents that makes my client’s challenge truly personal. She’s been in this business for what, more than a decade? It’s not hard to imagine that she chased her professional dream up one road and down another, much like Indy Darling and Clive Darling before him. People like this, people who romanticize this illicit business, have a very specific kind of sickness. They have actually fooled themselves into believing that it’s more than just a den of debauchery, a breeding ground of immorality. They actually believe that concepts like sportsmanship and honor exist within the world of professional wrestling, while those of us on the outside see it for what it truly is.

LOU ROBERTSON: And that would be?

GIDEON MARX: The lowest form of entertainment ever conceived by man. It is violence for violence’s sake, a modern-day spectacle of arena combat not unlike what was seen in the arenas of ancient Rome. And please, don’t even try to glorify that in an attempt to defend professional wrestling. We’re talking about a sport that involved throwing innocent people to the lions.

Lou’s eyebrows raise as he tilts his head and tries to come up with a counterpoint, but his guest doesn’t give him the chance.

GIDEON MARX: Let me ask you a question, Lou. Do you think there’s another business on the face of this planet where my client could openly admit to crippling another man without fear of legal repercussion?

LOU ROBERTSON: I don’t…

GIDEON MARX: No. There isn’t one. So, while the good people who watch your show may be quick to condemn my client for his attack on Indy Darling, was it really any worse than the other acts of violence that have been put on display by Project: Honor? Did Syndicate sue Ozymandias when he was thrown off that balcony? Did Jason Long bother to press charges against Arik Holt? Is Mark Hunter pursuing a civil suit against Swindle Shelldrake for a loss of wages or emotional suffering? No, none of these things are happening. That’s because when the animals who put this business on a pedestal sign their contracts, they’re basically saying that anything that happens to them in, on, or around a Project: Honor broadcast is fair game. I will not give Rock Johnson credit for many things, but that man put out contracts that are more open to legal interpretation and loopholes than your average pyramid scheme.

LOU ROBERTSON: Now let’s not bring his name into this…

GIDEON MARX: Oh, no. We’re definitely bringing his name into this. You don’t get to question my client’s honesty and motivations and then tell me what’s off limits. My client took advantage of the unspoken code that everyone in this business seems to abide by. That being, “thou shalt not litigate”. Does that make him a bad person? If he were to break Tara Fenix’s neck and leave her as a drooling vegetable, would it make him the villain? Tara Fenix, Indy Darling, Mark Hunter, Christian DeMarco…they all get into this business knowing and accepting the risks. The fact that Kurtis Slayne is willing to take advantage of that in order to shove their beloved business back down their throats make him a very smart and dangerous man. It does not make him a liar, a coward, or any other of the derogatory names I’ve heard when the good fans of the wrestling business are brave enough to utter his name.

Lou throws up his hands in an attempt to de-escalate his fiery guest.

LOU ROBERTSON: Let’s try to get back on track here. You’ve made it clear that you and your client are not fans of the business or of the athletes within it. So maybe you can at least tell us what the ultimate goal is here?

The attorney laughs to himself, shaking his head upon hearing the completion of Lou’s question.

GIDEON MARX: The end goal has already been achieved. My client wanted to remove his brother from the business that he loved. He wanted Clive Darling’s legacy to come to an end, and with the exception of a few things here or there, he’s done that. The fact that Tara Fenix is carrying around a trophy with Clive Darling’s name on it is just a piece of side business. It just as easily could have been Emmanuelle, Brandon Hendrix, or Percival Burque. It’s not the person holding the trophy that Kurtis Slayne wants to eradicate, but the false legacy that the trophy itself perpetuates. The fact that Tara Fenix is such a lover of professional wrestling, such a well-respected and admired competitor, only makes the task more enjoyable for my client.

LOU ROBERTSON: Let’s say that Tara Fenix does accept his challenge to an unsanctioned fight, that he does defeat her or whatever he may have in mind. After that, what comes next? Will he have achieved everything he wanted? Will that be it for Kurtis Slayne in this business he claims to hate so much?

GIDEON MARX: I’m sure you’d like it if that were the case. I’m sure a lot of people who’ve caught a glimpse of my client would like that. But to be honest, it’s a question I can’t answer. I do know that my client feels a sense of satisfaction when he hurts an opponent. He enjoys it even more if he feels that his actions further tarnish the business as a whole. With that in mind, I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be sticking around a while longer, if for no other reason than to quench his thirst for violence through legal means.

Lou lets out an audible sigh as he silently remembers why he normally presents his show without special guests.

LOU ROBERTSON: You’ve echoed your client’s beliefs about professional wrestling but what about your own? Are you looking to represent another client or perhaps several of them?

GIDEON MARX: Clearly, you haven’t been paying attention. I have Kurtis Slayne. I don’t need any other clients.

As Gideon presents the host with a smarmy smile, the camera begins to pull back in on Lou’s side of the desk.

LOU ROBERTSON: Fair enough. I’d like to thank you for coming on the show and attempting to clear up your client’s motivations. I can’t say for certain whether it’s helped any of us understand him better, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s for the best when it comes to someone like Kurtis Slayne. Should Tara Fenix, or anyone else for that matter, accept his challenge to a fight at Unbreakable Resolution, it may be a segment of the show best avoided by those who are weak of heart. For Project: Honor, I’m Lou Robertson and that’s my perspective.