Post by Maxwell Mason Stone on Sept 27, 2023 19:33:04 GMT -5
Maxwell Mason Stone in…
The moon tonight is not quite full but is luminescent enough for one to easily navigate this dirt trail we find ourselves at. Approaching from around the bend and into view is a shadowy figure whose boots are crunching the pebbles and twigs below his feet. The figure makes his way towards a shrub on the side of the trail, pulls it apart, and squeezes his body through it. He comes through the other side and tiptoes his way down a slope and catches himself on a large boulder resting on the hillside that's flat enough to plop down for a rest.
Voice: Wow.
His face catches enough light to reveal that this is Maxwell Mason Stone. He makes himself comfortable and admires the scenery that this elevated view provides of the city of Hollywood and the surrounding area. Stone pulls out his phone to snap a photo and is reminded of something. He uses the phone to illuminate the rock's surface and laughs to himself. Carved in the stone is a heart with the letters "MS" and "SP" and " '09" placed there when Maxwell and his now ex-wife were at the peak of their powers.
Maxwell shifts his focus back to the incredible view of the lit up city and smiles. Stone extends his arm outwards with his palm facing the sky and positions his arm in front of his face. He stares down the barrel of his arm to create the illusion that he's got the city of Hollywood resting in the palm of his hand.
"A gesture of power.. control… confidence."
We're in the familiar setting of Dr. Lee's office where we see Maxwell recreating the gesture he did that evening in the hills above Hollywood.
MMS: I guess you can say that. It felt good, y'know? I used to go up there back when everything was firing on all cylinders and just feel like I had the world by the balls.
Dr. Lee: I must say you have a different air about you today. A little pep in your step.
Stone laughs and nods his head in agreement.
MMS: Things are clicking again. I'm more motivated than ever and I'm seeing opportunities the likes of which I never thought I would see again to be honest. Keys are within reach and I need to snatch those keys and start walking through doors. The goal is starting to look like it can finally be reality.
Dr. Lee: The goal of becoming the greatest wrestler to ever live?
Stone reacts with a playful eye wink and a pop of the mouth.
MMS: You know it. For years I thought it never had a chance of happening again and I beat myself down every day for it. I couldn't even stand to be reminded of all the good I once had. All the magazines, fanmail… all that stuff was just mocking my failure every time I looked at it so I locked it away. I wanted to burn it all to dust but I didn’t so I guess that means I never really lost hope. I kept hanging on to that little sliver that was left and it’s gotten me all the way back here to where I deserve to be.
Dr. Lee: Maybe retrieving those items you discussed can be a part of your healing process as you reconnect with what drives you and motivates you to be the best possible version of yourself.
MMS: Not a bad idea…
We’re taken to an outdoor self-storage facility where blue roll-up doors are lined as far as the eye can see. A brand spanking new silver Corvette pulls up in front of one of the many storage lockers and Stone emerges from his car and approaches the locker. Pop goes the lock and the door rolls up into the locker’s ceiling to reveal a hodgepodge of items that have been deemed unworthy of sharing space in a residence. Stone pops the top off of a plastic storage bin to reveal dozens of rolled up posters held together by rubber bands. He picks one up and unrolls it to reveal a young Max Stone with an autograph placed over a championship belt around the shoulder.
MMS (to himself): Look at that kid.
He rolls the poster back up and cracks open another bin that reveals Max Stone DVDs, t-shirts, event programs and other old memorabilia. He sifts through the contents to reveal some old ring gear and even a championship belt but it’s one of those cheap ones that pop up on Google when you search for “wrestling belts.” Something towards the bottom of the bin catches his eye and he reaches in and pulls out a golden chain but it doesn't seem to want to come out of the bin. He pulls a bit harder and dislodges a golden pocket watch at the end of the chain. Stone dangles it in front of his face, examining it for a moment and notices an inscription etched into the back:
He stares intently into the face of the pocket watch and we transition to Stone in his living room hooking a DVD player up to the TV so he can watch "The Authorized Max Stone Collection." He fiddles with some wires and the video starts to play. Stone takes his place on the couch with excitement to take this little trip down memory lane.
We’re presented with grainy digital footage, the kind you’d expect from a 2000s consumer video camera. The scene looks to be a public access studio with just two chairs and a fake plant in the middle. A punk rock looking woman is sitting with a mid twenties Max Stone.
Jess Danger: What up y'all, it’s your girl Jess Danger here again with another “Danger Zone” wrestler chat. This time I got a guy here who looks to have a really bright future in pro wrestling if he wants it… Max Stone, how ya doing?
Max: I’m good, Jess. Thank you for having me here.
Jess Danger: So what’s your story, Max?
Max: Well I’ve been wrestling since 1999. I was doing a lot of losing but I decided it was time to make a change and go off around the world. I went to Japan and the UK to further develop my skills and now I’m back here in the states ready to hit the ground running.
Jess Danger: You told me a cute story earlier that your goal is to become the greatest pro wrestler that’s ever lived. Can you share it with our viewers?
Max: Yeah… when I was 8 years old I stood up in front of my 3rd grade class and proclaimed that I was going to be the greatest pro wrestler ever. Everyone laughed at me and my teacher even said that was an awful idea. That desire has only gotten stronger and stronger and I’ll finally get my dream within my reach when I beat Matt Knox and Larry Tact at the next Friday Night Fury.
WHAT? Maxwell picks up his remote control and clicks a few buttons to rewind. Surly he’s trippin’ right now.
Max: When I beat Matt Knox and Larry Tact at the next Friday Night Fury.
Max: I’m finally back in the main event where I belong and I need to win this match if I want to stay there but nothing about it will be easy. You’d be hard pressed to find two vets who have more experience in this business than my upcoming opponents. At this point in our lives, we fight for our legacies. We are of the age where we’re closer to the end of our careers than we are the beginning but we ain’t done yet.
Jess Danger: It’s a tale as old as time. Three competitors that have everything to prove and will do whatever it takes to get it. Why do you deserve to get a shot at the TPW International Championship?
Maxwell holds his cellphone up and places a call.
Max: I worked so hard to get to the top and I threw it all away because I wasn’t mature enough to handle it. I’ve spent the past year rising up from obscurity once again and the top is back within my reach. Wrestling is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve lived it… breathed it… dreamed nightly about my legacy I need to leave behind. Tact and Knox have children that will carry on and honor their legacies but that opportunity has passed me by so I have to leave a big enough impact to where I will be remembered forever.
“Hello, this is Brenda Lee, MD. I am unavailable at the moment but please leave a voicemail.”
Max: I may be an unwelcome intrusion around here… someone that’s appeared and knocked the natural order of things upside down. Logic would have Larry Tact winning on Fury and having a nice, happy ending to his quest. The Cabal took Larry’s championship and I know he has revenge on his mind. Unfortunately for the man who bleeds for Thunder Pro Wrestling and carries its banner proudly, I have to halt his comeback and beat him for this golden opportunity. I have to uproot logic and the natural path because that’s what I do.
“Dr. Lee… it’s Maxwell. I think I’m slippin’ hard here.”
Jess Danger: You also have Matt Knox. I don’t know what to make of this guy. I saw him set a man on fire…
Max: Matt Knox seems to be a guy that likes playing with fire. Tossing matches everywhere seeing what will ignite. Knox appears to be the self appointed leader of the movement against the Cabal and I don’t know if he’s doing it because he genuinely wants to do the right thing or if it’s because can’t bear the pain of not having all eyes on him. Matt Knox loves him some Matt Knox and he constantly does everything in his power to make sure everyone can’t walk ten steps without being reminded of the little Raven boy. This guy uses social media more than a 14 year old K-Pop fan and starts little beefs everywhere because he’s hooked on that reaction he gets knowing that someone’s thinking about him. God forbid this man lets a thought in his head go unshared with the world. The quiet moments must be unbearable.
Jess Danger: Aren’t you supposed to be on the same side though?
Max pulls out a very familiar looking pocket watch and stares into it.
Max: I think the Cabal is scum and I gladly stand on this side of the fence in this battle but that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything and everything in my power to get to where I need to be. The stars are turning and time is presenting a new age that will come upon the wrestling world and it doesn’t give a damn if you’re ready for it or not. Tact, Knox and I will do battle with each other and then they will understand why things have to be the way they are as I complete my ascent. It will be a better world for all. A unified world that the children of my opponents can be proud that their fathers helped usher in. Our stars may soon fade but when the time comes for Maxwell Mason Stone to hang up the boots, mine will explode in a supernova leaving all to admire the beautiful light…
Maxwell pauses the video and presses the eject button on the DVD but it won’t open. He rips the wires from the TV and grabs the entire DVD player and leaves the apartment.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Maxwell…”
Stone and Dr. Lee both hover over her laptop with the video playing. On-screen young Max speaks a completely different set of words than he was earlier.
MMS: I don’t understand… this has to be some kind of a joke, right? Some kind of mind games by my opponents?
Dr. Lee: Okay, so there’s two things I’ve picked up on. There’s the stuff I’m accustomed to hearing from you. Becoming the greatest, talking about your opponents and those types of things.
MMS: Go on..
Dr. Lee: In this experience you’ve had, you mentioned the younger self of you talked about your opponents children and I believe you mentioned something about a happy world where they can be proud of their fathers.
Stone sighs.
Dr. Lee: And then there was the pocket watch. You saw yourself stare into it. May I ask… that chain coming from your pocket…
Maxwell knows what she’s asking and pulls out the pocket watch. She examines it and nods.
Dr. Lee: We’ve never touched on the subject here because you’ve never volunteered any information that would lead me to ask but I’m finding ourselves here in a situation where I feel like I should.
Dr. Lee points at the inscription on the watch.
Dr. Lee: S.C…. you never met him, right?
MMS: Who?
Dr. Lee: Your father.
A PATH FORWARD
The moon tonight is not quite full but is luminescent enough for one to easily navigate this dirt trail we find ourselves at. Approaching from around the bend and into view is a shadowy figure whose boots are crunching the pebbles and twigs below his feet. The figure makes his way towards a shrub on the side of the trail, pulls it apart, and squeezes his body through it. He comes through the other side and tiptoes his way down a slope and catches himself on a large boulder resting on the hillside that's flat enough to plop down for a rest.
Voice: Wow.
His face catches enough light to reveal that this is Maxwell Mason Stone. He makes himself comfortable and admires the scenery that this elevated view provides of the city of Hollywood and the surrounding area. Stone pulls out his phone to snap a photo and is reminded of something. He uses the phone to illuminate the rock's surface and laughs to himself. Carved in the stone is a heart with the letters "MS" and "SP" and " '09" placed there when Maxwell and his now ex-wife were at the peak of their powers.
Maxwell shifts his focus back to the incredible view of the lit up city and smiles. Stone extends his arm outwards with his palm facing the sky and positions his arm in front of his face. He stares down the barrel of his arm to create the illusion that he's got the city of Hollywood resting in the palm of his hand.
"A gesture of power.. control… confidence."
We're in the familiar setting of Dr. Lee's office where we see Maxwell recreating the gesture he did that evening in the hills above Hollywood.
MMS: I guess you can say that. It felt good, y'know? I used to go up there back when everything was firing on all cylinders and just feel like I had the world by the balls.
Dr. Lee: I must say you have a different air about you today. A little pep in your step.
Stone laughs and nods his head in agreement.
MMS: Things are clicking again. I'm more motivated than ever and I'm seeing opportunities the likes of which I never thought I would see again to be honest. Keys are within reach and I need to snatch those keys and start walking through doors. The goal is starting to look like it can finally be reality.
Dr. Lee: The goal of becoming the greatest wrestler to ever live?
Stone reacts with a playful eye wink and a pop of the mouth.
MMS: You know it. For years I thought it never had a chance of happening again and I beat myself down every day for it. I couldn't even stand to be reminded of all the good I once had. All the magazines, fanmail… all that stuff was just mocking my failure every time I looked at it so I locked it away. I wanted to burn it all to dust but I didn’t so I guess that means I never really lost hope. I kept hanging on to that little sliver that was left and it’s gotten me all the way back here to where I deserve to be.
Dr. Lee: Maybe retrieving those items you discussed can be a part of your healing process as you reconnect with what drives you and motivates you to be the best possible version of yourself.
MMS: Not a bad idea…
We’re taken to an outdoor self-storage facility where blue roll-up doors are lined as far as the eye can see. A brand spanking new silver Corvette pulls up in front of one of the many storage lockers and Stone emerges from his car and approaches the locker. Pop goes the lock and the door rolls up into the locker’s ceiling to reveal a hodgepodge of items that have been deemed unworthy of sharing space in a residence. Stone pops the top off of a plastic storage bin to reveal dozens of rolled up posters held together by rubber bands. He picks one up and unrolls it to reveal a young Max Stone with an autograph placed over a championship belt around the shoulder.
MMS (to himself): Look at that kid.
He rolls the poster back up and cracks open another bin that reveals Max Stone DVDs, t-shirts, event programs and other old memorabilia. He sifts through the contents to reveal some old ring gear and even a championship belt but it’s one of those cheap ones that pop up on Google when you search for “wrestling belts.” Something towards the bottom of the bin catches his eye and he reaches in and pulls out a golden chain but it doesn't seem to want to come out of the bin. He pulls a bit harder and dislodges a golden pocket watch at the end of the chain. Stone dangles it in front of his face, examining it for a moment and notices an inscription etched into the back:
A PATH FORWARD TO TOMORROW THROUGH YESTERDAY
-S.C.
-S.C.
He stares intently into the face of the pocket watch and we transition to Stone in his living room hooking a DVD player up to the TV so he can watch "The Authorized Max Stone Collection." He fiddles with some wires and the video starts to play. Stone takes his place on the couch with excitement to take this little trip down memory lane.
We’re presented with grainy digital footage, the kind you’d expect from a 2000s consumer video camera. The scene looks to be a public access studio with just two chairs and a fake plant in the middle. A punk rock looking woman is sitting with a mid twenties Max Stone.
Jess Danger: What up y'all, it’s your girl Jess Danger here again with another “Danger Zone” wrestler chat. This time I got a guy here who looks to have a really bright future in pro wrestling if he wants it… Max Stone, how ya doing?
Max: I’m good, Jess. Thank you for having me here.
Jess Danger: So what’s your story, Max?
Max: Well I’ve been wrestling since 1999. I was doing a lot of losing but I decided it was time to make a change and go off around the world. I went to Japan and the UK to further develop my skills and now I’m back here in the states ready to hit the ground running.
Jess Danger: You told me a cute story earlier that your goal is to become the greatest pro wrestler that’s ever lived. Can you share it with our viewers?
Max: Yeah… when I was 8 years old I stood up in front of my 3rd grade class and proclaimed that I was going to be the greatest pro wrestler ever. Everyone laughed at me and my teacher even said that was an awful idea. That desire has only gotten stronger and stronger and I’ll finally get my dream within my reach when I beat Matt Knox and Larry Tact at the next Friday Night Fury.
WHAT? Maxwell picks up his remote control and clicks a few buttons to rewind. Surly he’s trippin’ right now.
Max: When I beat Matt Knox and Larry Tact at the next Friday Night Fury.
“I’d been doing so good lately…. Just when I get this crap under control…”
Max: I’m finally back in the main event where I belong and I need to win this match if I want to stay there but nothing about it will be easy. You’d be hard pressed to find two vets who have more experience in this business than my upcoming opponents. At this point in our lives, we fight for our legacies. We are of the age where we’re closer to the end of our careers than we are the beginning but we ain’t done yet.
Jess Danger: It’s a tale as old as time. Three competitors that have everything to prove and will do whatever it takes to get it. Why do you deserve to get a shot at the TPW International Championship?
Maxwell holds his cellphone up and places a call.
Max: I worked so hard to get to the top and I threw it all away because I wasn’t mature enough to handle it. I’ve spent the past year rising up from obscurity once again and the top is back within my reach. Wrestling is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve lived it… breathed it… dreamed nightly about my legacy I need to leave behind. Tact and Knox have children that will carry on and honor their legacies but that opportunity has passed me by so I have to leave a big enough impact to where I will be remembered forever.
“Hello, this is Brenda Lee, MD. I am unavailable at the moment but please leave a voicemail.”
Max: I may be an unwelcome intrusion around here… someone that’s appeared and knocked the natural order of things upside down. Logic would have Larry Tact winning on Fury and having a nice, happy ending to his quest. The Cabal took Larry’s championship and I know he has revenge on his mind. Unfortunately for the man who bleeds for Thunder Pro Wrestling and carries its banner proudly, I have to halt his comeback and beat him for this golden opportunity. I have to uproot logic and the natural path because that’s what I do.
“Dr. Lee… it’s Maxwell. I think I’m slippin’ hard here.”
Jess Danger: You also have Matt Knox. I don’t know what to make of this guy. I saw him set a man on fire…
Max: Matt Knox seems to be a guy that likes playing with fire. Tossing matches everywhere seeing what will ignite. Knox appears to be the self appointed leader of the movement against the Cabal and I don’t know if he’s doing it because he genuinely wants to do the right thing or if it’s because can’t bear the pain of not having all eyes on him. Matt Knox loves him some Matt Knox and he constantly does everything in his power to make sure everyone can’t walk ten steps without being reminded of the little Raven boy. This guy uses social media more than a 14 year old K-Pop fan and starts little beefs everywhere because he’s hooked on that reaction he gets knowing that someone’s thinking about him. God forbid this man lets a thought in his head go unshared with the world. The quiet moments must be unbearable.
Jess Danger: Aren’t you supposed to be on the same side though?
Max pulls out a very familiar looking pocket watch and stares into it.
Max: I think the Cabal is scum and I gladly stand on this side of the fence in this battle but that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything and everything in my power to get to where I need to be. The stars are turning and time is presenting a new age that will come upon the wrestling world and it doesn’t give a damn if you’re ready for it or not. Tact, Knox and I will do battle with each other and then they will understand why things have to be the way they are as I complete my ascent. It will be a better world for all. A unified world that the children of my opponents can be proud that their fathers helped usher in. Our stars may soon fade but when the time comes for Maxwell Mason Stone to hang up the boots, mine will explode in a supernova leaving all to admire the beautiful light…
Maxwell pauses the video and presses the eject button on the DVD but it won’t open. He rips the wires from the TV and grabs the entire DVD player and leaves the apartment.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Maxwell…”
Stone and Dr. Lee both hover over her laptop with the video playing. On-screen young Max speaks a completely different set of words than he was earlier.
MMS: I don’t understand… this has to be some kind of a joke, right? Some kind of mind games by my opponents?
Dr. Lee: Okay, so there’s two things I’ve picked up on. There’s the stuff I’m accustomed to hearing from you. Becoming the greatest, talking about your opponents and those types of things.
MMS: Go on..
Dr. Lee: In this experience you’ve had, you mentioned the younger self of you talked about your opponents children and I believe you mentioned something about a happy world where they can be proud of their fathers.
Stone sighs.
Dr. Lee: And then there was the pocket watch. You saw yourself stare into it. May I ask… that chain coming from your pocket…
Maxwell knows what she’s asking and pulls out the pocket watch. She examines it and nods.
Dr. Lee: We’ve never touched on the subject here because you’ve never volunteered any information that would lead me to ask but I’m finding ourselves here in a situation where I feel like I should.
Dr. Lee points at the inscription on the watch.
Dr. Lee: S.C…. you never met him, right?
MMS: Who?
Dr. Lee: Your father.
