January 27th, 2012...
That uneasy sensation around his neck, that lack of air which increased progressively, that feeling he had a snake coiled up around his neck, progressively cutting out his air supply. He reached for his neck, trying to break the sleeper hold free, he struggled to free his neck from the painful sensation of being choked... For a moment he swore he'd never choke guards on Metal Gear Solid ever again... Just by the time his fingers were able to wrap around...
Kurt Schneider: Send her in.
Greg raised his eyes to meet Kurt's, before going back to reading his contract... Greg was expecting an extension to his developmental contract, but soon he realized as he read the document they wanted to bring him in as part of the EBWF Roster. By the time Greg was done reading, Stephanie McMahon was standing behind him.
Stephanie McMahon: Has he signed yet?
Greg stood up and greeted Stephanie, shaking her hand.
Greg Marasciulo: I was just reading this... So you guys want to bring me in?
Stephanie McMahon: Yes, I think it is time...
Greg Marasciulo: What if it ends up just like last time?
Greg kinda regreted to have said that out loud.
Stephanie McMahon: Sometimes in business we got to make last minute calls... You know what happened to Caylen would ultimately lead to his release.
Greg nodded.
Stephanie McMahon: You were left wandering without much to do... And as a young man we believed you could be polished a lot more before returning. We've been watching your work and as you probably read by now you are hereby an EBWF Superstar, if you sign the contract... That is.
Greg looked at the contract quickly again... He wasn't expecting to be called to the main roster that day.
Stephanie McMahon: We put you on a 6 month contract, that way we can reunite and tweak the terms of our agreement if by the end of June...
Greg ran a hand along his hair. The offer was hard to refuse... It was by far better than any ROH or TNA offers he has had the previous months, plus he felt like a douche walking out on EBWF after they took him under their wing... Greg reached for his pen in the pocket of his shirt and inked the contract... Stephanie smiled.
Stephanie McMahon: Welcome aboard... Again!
Greg smiled and nodded.
Stephanie McMahon: And don't worry, just be yourself out there... The EBWF fans need some new faces to cheer for.
Probably Stephanie was hinting at Greg that he should be a babyface, after all he was a heel on his last EBWF tenure and that didn't end well. Fast forward 6 months now... Greg choice was definitely the wisest one... Tag Team Champion, Breakout champion, over with the fans, seeded in the first round of the King of the Ring Tournament. His opponent? Someone who already has faced him although never on one on one action, "The Cowboy" James Storm. They locked horns prior to WrestleMania, in an over the top rope battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Breakout title, a match where Trent endured being the smallest of the 7 men involved to the very end... It was James Storm the man he eliminated last... and the man he needed to pin in order to continue on the tournament.
That uneasy sensation around his neck, that lack of air which increased progressively, that feeling he had a snake coiled up around his neck, progressively cutting out his air supply. He reached for his neck, trying to break the sleeper hold free, he struggled to free his neck from the painful sensation of being choked... For a moment he swore he'd never choke guards on Metal Gear Solid ever again... Just by the time his fingers were able to wrap around...
The elevator chimed and the doors swung open. He looked at his reflection on the mirror and adjusted his tie a bit... What a pain in the ass it was to wear a tie! Greg was dressed in a black suit with a light blue shirt and a light blue tie... His hair combed back and held in a ponytail, his bear finely groomed for the occasion. Walking out of the elevator he was immediately greeted by a woman on a desk who had a headset over her ears... For a moment he wondered if she was playing Counterstrike or something on her computer. Trent has spent the past year on EBWF's developmental territory, and he even has had a couple of dark matches in EBWF Warfare and Aggression, he was offered to work a match for Christmas Eve of destruction... Trent was loving how things were going at the moment.
Secretary: Welcome! Mr. Schneider has been expecting you.
He nodded a little.
Greg Marasciulo: Thank you kindly.
Secretary: Right down the aisle!
Greg followed down a blue, fine looking carpet that lead to a big door. By now you should have already guessed we are in EBWF Headquarters in St. Louis Missouri. More specifically at the Chief Financial Officer: Kurt Schneider... It has been about 6 months since Greg has been in this office. The doors opened automatically and he could see Mr. Schneider dressed in a brown suit, sitting on his desk. He offered him a smile and extended his right hand as he walked in... Greg shook his hand and smiled.
Kurt Schneider: Welcome Greg! Good to see you!
He smiled and nodded, he was going to reply but he saw Kurt turned his attention to a couple of drawers, where he rummaged for some stuff, he didn't mean to disturb... After a few uncomfortable seconds, Kurt pulled out a paper envelope and opened it in front of Greg. He had been here before, alongside Caylen Croft about a year ago.
Kurt Schneider: As you know your developmental contract is due soon... I was given a green light to start negotiating a new on with you... First of all, is there anything bothering you with your current contract?
He had been signed under a developmental contract after ending up by himself after Caylen's release, with creative having nothing for him... It was a quick rise and fall as he managed to capture the Tag Titles with him and get some minor on air time plus a PPV appearance and a bonus in cash... He really felt EBWF cared for him after handing him a developmental contract instead of leaving him out of a job...
Greg Marasciulo: No... Not at all. Everything's fine with it...
Kurt handed him a set of papers.
Kurt Schneider: Well, this is our first offer for a renewal... Look at it thoroughly and feel free to ink it right now, if not we can set another appointment where you present a counter offer to us...
Greg skimmed through the contract slowly... There was a beep on the intercom.
Secretary: Mr. Stephanie McMahon is here.
Secretary: Mr. Stephanie McMahon is here.
Kurt Schneider: Send her in.
Greg raised his eyes to meet Kurt's, before going back to reading his contract... Greg was expecting an extension to his developmental contract, but soon he realized as he read the document they wanted to bring him in as part of the EBWF Roster. By the time Greg was done reading, Stephanie McMahon was standing behind him.
Stephanie McMahon: Has he signed yet?
Greg stood up and greeted Stephanie, shaking her hand.
Greg Marasciulo: I was just reading this... So you guys want to bring me in?
Stephanie McMahon: Yes, I think it is time...
Greg Marasciulo: What if it ends up just like last time?
Greg kinda regreted to have said that out loud.
Stephanie McMahon: Sometimes in business we got to make last minute calls... You know what happened to Caylen would ultimately lead to his release.
Greg nodded.
Stephanie McMahon: You were left wandering without much to do... And as a young man we believed you could be polished a lot more before returning. We've been watching your work and as you probably read by now you are hereby an EBWF Superstar, if you sign the contract... That is.
Greg looked at the contract quickly again... He wasn't expecting to be called to the main roster that day.
Greg Marasciulo: I don't know...
Stephanie McMahon: We put you on a 6 month contract, that way we can reunite and tweak the terms of our agreement if by the end of June...
Greg ran a hand along his hair. The offer was hard to refuse... It was by far better than any ROH or TNA offers he has had the previous months, plus he felt like a douche walking out on EBWF after they took him under their wing... Greg reached for his pen in the pocket of his shirt and inked the contract... Stephanie smiled.
Stephanie McMahon: Welcome aboard... Again!
Greg smiled and nodded.
Stephanie McMahon: And don't worry, just be yourself out there... The EBWF fans need some new faces to cheer for.
Probably Stephanie was hinting at Greg that he should be a babyface, after all he was a heel on his last EBWF tenure and that didn't end well. Fast forward 6 months now... Greg choice was definitely the wisest one... Tag Team Champion, Breakout champion, over with the fans, seeded in the first round of the King of the Ring Tournament. His opponent? Someone who already has faced him although never on one on one action, "The Cowboy" James Storm. They locked horns prior to WrestleMania, in an over the top rope battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Breakout title, a match where Trent endured being the smallest of the 7 men involved to the very end... It was James Storm the man he eliminated last... and the man he needed to pin in order to continue on the tournament.
June 11th 2012, Key Arena, Seattle, Washington.
The Megaman Theme (Remix) Hit over the PA systems and the crowd greeted the EBWF double champion Trent Barreta with cheers. He walked down the ramp with both of his belts over his shoulders... Tag team Title belt over his right shoulder, Triforce Breakout title on his left shoulder. Walking up the steps and into the ring... Trenton was wearing dodger blue and black tights which read TRENT on the back, a couple of triforces on his wristbands, and a NES gamepad printed on his wrestling boots. He had a shirt that read "ARRIVE. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED. LEAVE". The crowd soon settled and Trent grabbed a hold of a mic.
Trent Barreta: Six months... Soon it will be six months since I returned to the EBWF. If you don't know who I am, or what I am up to... You might have been hiding under a rock! To put it simply... I've been earning my paycheck rightfully month after month... I've been showing the world my passion lies withing these four turnbuckles, my tears, my blood and my dreams have been constantly put on this canvas I am walking on... And I am proud to look back 6 months from now and say: It has paid off... Do you disagree? Look at the babies on my shoulders and think again...
Trent smiled a little at his two titles.
Trent Barreta: It wasn't an easy and swift ride, let me tell you that. I haven't been always on the driver's seat... I've been backstabbed, hit with a Cane across my back, denied from beautiful girl's kiss, I lost one of my oldest and dearest friends in Curt Hawkins... But not everything has been bad.
Trent looked at himself on the EBWFTron.
Trent Barreta: I am one half of the tag champions... I am the Breakout champion... I met the most amazing girl in the universe... I am yet to be pinned! Crap, I play Xbox with the World Champ AJ Styles every week! If that is not cool tell me what is! Back in January I had the chance to prove myself by winning the Royal Rumble, sadly I wasn't able to capitalize... Now I am involved in the King of the Ring tournament... And it would be nothing but logical to say I am pretty much one of the favorite superstars to win it? Just think about it for a moment... A man who hasn't been beaten on 1 on 1 competition for Seven months... Breakout champion... It makes sense doesn't it? It makes perfect sense to me!
Trent circled the ring before continuing to speak.
Trent Barreta: Tonight I am here to share a thought that struck me earlier this week... The time has come again for me to prove myself before you, the EBWF Universe... The time has come to show the world how much I want to go down in the books of history as one of the EBWF greatest talents ever! I am some kid from New York, without any actual wrestling background whatsoever... I am more on the cruiserweight side of the scale... Hence why Vinnie boy put muscled meatheads over guys like me.
He shrugged a bit.
Trent Barreta: I wouldn't be the first small boy who wants to leave a mark here... Chris Jericho, Syxx and Shawn Michaels weren't huge, yet they got the work done... And look at our World Champion! He is the reason I am out here tonight... He inspires me! Six months ago, before the rumble got on it's way would any of you Trentheads guess he was going to win it? Were any of you one hundred percent sure he was going to headline WrestleMania? Were any of you one hundred percent sure he was going to become a World Champion? You guys can be honest... NONE! NONE OF YOU GAVE A PENNY FOR AJ STYLES! And with hard work and talent he made it! He became the EBWF World Champion... That is exactly where I am heading... I want to complete my legacy as an EBWF Breakout Star by winning King of the ring, earning my ticket to Summerslam's main event and capturing the World Title! It starts tonight!
Trent nodded to himself.
Trent Barreta: Tonight I have been pitted against a man who I have already matched up against... James Storm. Him and I we participated at Fallout, in the opening match! A seven man over the top rope battle royal. Him and I we were the two last men standing... And had it not been for Curt Hawkin's insistence, resiliency and his unwillingness to let go of the fact I beat him fair and square... James Storm would have been the safest choice for a number one contender... However he went on to become the Number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship... Which is pretty damn good too. Sadly Storm failed to beat the Intercontinental Champion... And we haven't heard from him ever since.
Trent rubbed his head.
Trent Barreta: Now don't let his loss record fool you... I was in the ring with this guy and he's a steamroller! His super kick can really knock your teeth out! I am impressed he hasn't done a lot in EBWF as of late, because he has everything needed to be one of the top guys here... James Storm is poised to become King of the Ring, as I am poised to own a Wii U. I'm sorry to break this cowboy's heart -and face-, but my time to shine has arrived! The time to prove myself and the world how much I really deserve my undefeated streak, my two titles... The time to show the world I am really, truly an Ace! An ace in the ring, an ace with the gamepad on my hands! An ace on the mic! An ace on selling Merchandise... My one and only goal is to take EBWF and make it my playground for the summer! And I'm not letting anyone spoil it... Not James Storm, Not Curt Hawkins... NO ONE!
Trent took a breath before he continued.
Trent Barreta: I know my chances... I've known them from the moment I signed my contract: Trenton Eugene Barreta... I am a geeky small guy from New York... I can't bench Press James Storm, nor powerbomb him... But that didn't stop me from beating him last time we met did it? It won't stop me now either... I am going to be lightning fast in this ring and as soon as I get a chance to beat him I will do it... I don't care if it is with the Shinning Barreta, The Dudebuster DDT... Who knows! If I eat a can of Spinach during the match I might be able to Scoop Slam James Storm into a double knee Facebreaker... I Call it The Gameshark! So guys... Sit back, relax, have some pop corn and enjoy, because tonight I am going to show everyone who is going to become the next King of the Ring... Without the help of any Nintendo Power Magazine, Cheat codes, Turbo controllers, Power leveling... Just a GAMESHARK...
Trent threw both of his fists in the air and smiled as his Megaman Remix theme hit over the PA system he posed on a turnbuckle with a belt on each hand.
Trent smiled a little at his two titles.
Trent Barreta: It wasn't an easy and swift ride, let me tell you that. I haven't been always on the driver's seat... I've been backstabbed, hit with a Cane across my back, denied from beautiful girl's kiss, I lost one of my oldest and dearest friends in Curt Hawkins... But not everything has been bad.
Trent looked at himself on the EBWFTron.
Trent Barreta: I am one half of the tag champions... I am the Breakout champion... I met the most amazing girl in the universe... I am yet to be pinned! Crap, I play Xbox with the World Champ AJ Styles every week! If that is not cool tell me what is! Back in January I had the chance to prove myself by winning the Royal Rumble, sadly I wasn't able to capitalize... Now I am involved in the King of the Ring tournament... And it would be nothing but logical to say I am pretty much one of the favorite superstars to win it? Just think about it for a moment... A man who hasn't been beaten on 1 on 1 competition for Seven months... Breakout champion... It makes sense doesn't it? It makes perfect sense to me!
Trent circled the ring before continuing to speak.
Trent Barreta: Tonight I am here to share a thought that struck me earlier this week... The time has come again for me to prove myself before you, the EBWF Universe... The time has come to show the world how much I want to go down in the books of history as one of the EBWF greatest talents ever! I am some kid from New York, without any actual wrestling background whatsoever... I am more on the cruiserweight side of the scale... Hence why Vinnie boy put muscled meatheads over guys like me.
He shrugged a bit.
Trent Barreta: I wouldn't be the first small boy who wants to leave a mark here... Chris Jericho, Syxx and Shawn Michaels weren't huge, yet they got the work done... And look at our World Champion! He is the reason I am out here tonight... He inspires me! Six months ago, before the rumble got on it's way would any of you Trentheads guess he was going to win it? Were any of you one hundred percent sure he was going to headline WrestleMania? Were any of you one hundred percent sure he was going to become a World Champion? You guys can be honest... NONE! NONE OF YOU GAVE A PENNY FOR AJ STYLES! And with hard work and talent he made it! He became the EBWF World Champion... That is exactly where I am heading... I want to complete my legacy as an EBWF Breakout Star by winning King of the ring, earning my ticket to Summerslam's main event and capturing the World Title! It starts tonight!
Trent nodded to himself.
Trent Barreta: Tonight I have been pitted against a man who I have already matched up against... James Storm. Him and I we participated at Fallout, in the opening match! A seven man over the top rope battle royal. Him and I we were the two last men standing... And had it not been for Curt Hawkin's insistence, resiliency and his unwillingness to let go of the fact I beat him fair and square... James Storm would have been the safest choice for a number one contender... However he went on to become the Number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship... Which is pretty damn good too. Sadly Storm failed to beat the Intercontinental Champion... And we haven't heard from him ever since.
Trent rubbed his head.
Trent Barreta: Now don't let his loss record fool you... I was in the ring with this guy and he's a steamroller! His super kick can really knock your teeth out! I am impressed he hasn't done a lot in EBWF as of late, because he has everything needed to be one of the top guys here... James Storm is poised to become King of the Ring, as I am poised to own a Wii U. I'm sorry to break this cowboy's heart -and face-, but my time to shine has arrived! The time to prove myself and the world how much I really deserve my undefeated streak, my two titles... The time to show the world I am really, truly an Ace! An ace in the ring, an ace with the gamepad on my hands! An ace on the mic! An ace on selling Merchandise... My one and only goal is to take EBWF and make it my playground for the summer! And I'm not letting anyone spoil it... Not James Storm, Not Curt Hawkins... NO ONE!
Trent took a breath before he continued.
Trent Barreta: I know my chances... I've known them from the moment I signed my contract: Trenton Eugene Barreta... I am a geeky small guy from New York... I can't bench Press James Storm, nor powerbomb him... But that didn't stop me from beating him last time we met did it? It won't stop me now either... I am going to be lightning fast in this ring and as soon as I get a chance to beat him I will do it... I don't care if it is with the Shinning Barreta, The Dudebuster DDT... Who knows! If I eat a can of Spinach during the match I might be able to Scoop Slam James Storm into a double knee Facebreaker... I Call it The Gameshark! So guys... Sit back, relax, have some pop corn and enjoy, because tonight I am going to show everyone who is going to become the next King of the Ring... Without the help of any Nintendo Power Magazine, Cheat codes, Turbo controllers, Power leveling... Just a GAMESHARK...
Trent threw both of his fists in the air and smiled as his Megaman Remix theme hit over the PA system he posed on a turnbuckle with a belt on each hand.