Not long after the Grace Fatsumoto vs Ramona Tyler match, the crowd were all getting themselves sat back down and ready for the next match of the card, Cameron Bizzle vs Ryback. There was a murmur amongst the crowd that something was coming up next, but officially nothing was on the schedule.
The lights flickered in the arena, causing everyone to turn and face the ring and stage, wondering what was about to happen. The flicker happened again, as the titantron showing the 'King of the Canvas' logo also went blank for a moment, before returning to normality.
There was a long pause before Black Flame by Bury Tomorrow came on to the PA system, causing a loud cheer amongst the crowd.
Here I stand, alone, with hate
Here I stand, too long, too late
All I know, is you will leave us all
Here I stand, alone, to fall
Without any stage antics, Avari Fusion stepped out to a big cheer from the crowd, already holding a microphone and ready to speak. He began to walk down the ramp, reaching out and touching hands with some of the fans, but at a decent paced walk.
Oh my Brother, how could you?
Not look into the eyes of your fellow man
Who stood with you, through it all
And feel nothing in your heart but hate
Red stain on the blade, all sense of worth has been washed away
Sacrifice was all in vain, where's the sense of guilt?
Where's the shame?
Reaching the ramp, Avari rolls under the bottom rope, getting to his feet and taking a moment to straighten out his azure jacket. The microphone stays in his hand as he puts his arms out to the side like he has wings, the crowd cheering and mimicking Avari.
As the music fades out and the microphone raises to his lips, a wry smile on his face.
"Fear not, for the Man of the Hour is here. Avari Fusion, the smoothest superstar this decade. Unwaivering, confident, arrogant, but is he unbeatable at the moment?
Damn, what a question, what a moment, and my what a crowd out there today. How are we all doing today!?"
Avari puts his arms out again as the crowd gave off a loud pop, Fusion working the crowd to great effect here.
"I'm out here tonight to remind you all that something grand is happening, something magical, something that will change the face of this industry.
Tonight, three men step in to this hallowed ring, and only one comes out as .. King. Of. The. Canvas.
Now let me tell you, spoiler alert, we already know the winner.
My first competitor, Cyrus Leone, he can barely get himself motivated enough to put on a spectacle. His matches are usually drab, dull, a little mediocre to be completely honest. I mean, can any of you honestly say that you can see Cyrus fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship?
Yeah, I thought not."
The crowd let out a chuckle amongst themselves and a small patter of cheers, but Avari continued.
"Next up we have Dean Johnson, a man of many holds, and a man who has been in the main event before. But then what happened there? If he was main eventing, then just surely he would be your World Champion right now?
Oh, right, yeah.. just like his wife at home, he can't manage to get a good finish either. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, so the saying goes.
Look, let's be honest, Dean is good. But .. is he Avari Fusion good? Is he Man of the Hour good? Or will his legacy be to just always be the man under the man?"
Avari smirked and pace up and down a little, looking between the crowd to the camera zoomed in on his face.
"The third competitor in this match will be the none other than your future World Heavyweight Champion, none other than myself, Avari Fusion.
Call me the Prince of the Canvas, if you will, because I am just one pinfall or submission away from cementing my legacy. A legacy that has been in the works since a humble defeat at WrestleMania, to creating an undefeated streak that will continue for months and years to come.
Can we just go back a moment to the quarter finals of this tournament? Put up against Brantley Summers of all people, a hallmark and legend of this business, and who comes out on top? Avari Fusion.
We can fast forward a little more to when I was pitted against a man twice my size, a man who could easily crush me between his thick thighs, the man they called Ryback. But could he stop me? Hell no!
Ryback tapped out to an arm bar like the little b***h he is, because I'm just that damn good!"
Fusion stepped back and looked straight in to the camera, pointed in to it.
"Ryback, I heard your remarks after our match, your little whining and bitching. It was your own fault you allowed yourself to be blindsided, and therefore injured. It was your own choice to still come down to the ring injured, and it was you who tapped out to my arm bar.
Strategy, vision, insight - three key parts of my own wrestling mantra. I saw what I needed to do and I implemented it with precision and grace, skill and power. What happened by the end of it all was the Prince of the Canvas booked in to the final, where I deserve to be."
Avari paused looking in to the camera, and said one last thing.
"I know you're watching, Ryback, and I also know that your match is up next. I know that you're a good guy, but excuses are excuses. Own them and move on as a man, and perhaps our paths will cross in this ring in the future again."
Walking back a little, Avari looked out across the crowd and nodded his head to their adoration, and the fact that he had been going on for a while. He acknowledged that they had been cheering him on through this promo, even if he was getting lost in his own words.
"Tonight, Avari Fusion marks his legacy. Tonight, I will be the man crowned as King of the Canvas. Tonight, the Man of the Hour proves himself again, and goes three matches undefeated.
But I do have one last thing to say, something that I was unsure on getting to. I was so set in my ways about coming out here and saying something, but then he came out to open the show and looked like a defeated speck of a man.
Hiro, the man who wanted to avenge what happened to my father, Nuke Fusion."
There was a large cheer from the crowd, a big mix for the name drops of both Hiro and Nuke.
"Hiro comes out last month and puts his name forward, says that he's going to face off against Drako Damone, and he does it with the preface that he's going to be fighting for the Fusion family name."
Avari shakes his head, his eyes closing as he squeezes the microphone.
"My family name. You didn't ask for the honour, yet you took it anyway. You wanted to make a name for yourself, to make things better for the man that you grew up respected.
Hiro, you spit on the name of my father. You spit on my family name, a legacy that Nuke Fusion single-handedly built.
We will have our meeting face to face in the future, but for now I know that you have your own demons you're facing. I will respect you enough to deal with King of the Canvas and becoming World Heavyweight Champion .. but then we're going to need to talk."
Avari's fiery eyes calmed down a little as he released his grip on the microphone a little, nodding and breathing in to compose himself.
"I will do what Hiro could not, but I will do it in the right way. Keeping my head down, winning this tournament, and taking down Drako along the way to my World Title.
Back to business tonight, and back to winning ways. Avari Fusion, Man of the Hour, will become your King tonight. I will do this for all of you. Each and every one of you adoring fans, you are why I do this.
I want to just thank you all for a moment, and I will see you all tonight."
Avari reaches over and throws the microphone to a stage hand, who manages to catch it well. Fusion takes a moment to talk to each side of the ring and makes a light bow and wave, before exiting the ring under the bottom rope.
As he walks up the ramp there is no music, but just four words on the titantron, as the crowd prepare for the next match.
Prince of the Canvas
