Cole Savage formally introduces the new European Champion

The crowd comes to life when Leo Cruz’ theme blasts through the speakers early on into this episode of NXT. A fancy car, no doubt worth millions of dollars drives onto the stage, and for a moment the previously deafening crowd if brought to silence, to tears, at the sight of it.

The engine shuts off and out of the passenger’s side pops Leo Cruz. He does his signature pelvic thrust on the stage, mimicked by every man, woman child and everything else. His manager, his buddy, his partner in crime Cole Savage exits the vehicle as well, and with a microphone in hand, he doesn’t waste any time getting down to business.

-Cole Savage-
All right, so here’s the deal. The biggest show of the year is over. The after-after-after parties are over. The dust has settled. We are in the dawn of a new, a promising era in this industry. The pay per view was about letting that moment sink in. Of letting you all take the pictures that you’re no doubt sold for thousands by now. Of letting you all bask in the glory that is Leo Cruz as your brand spankin’ new European Champion.

Savage slightly lifts his signature shades with one hand of that he can wipe a tear away from his eye.

-Cole Savage-
Leo Cruz...European Champion...those words sound so beautiful together don’t they? Hell, forget the European part. Leo Cruz and Champion go together like peanut butter and jelly, like beer and tailgating, like Jaxon Jordan and failure. It should be accepted that just like rain and taxes, it’s a Universal Truth that no matter when, no matter how long it takes or what he has to do, Leo Cruz will ALWAYS find his way back to championship glory.

Savage and Cruz have entered the ring by now, and together they stand proudly in the ring.

-Cole Savage-
I’ve been preaching this since day one, ever since I was blinding by the potential and the talent of the man standing next to me and decided that I would do whatever I could to make him the most successful wrestler in the history of our business. And hey, I’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t all smooth sailing, but if it was, that would be one boring story, like listening to your wife tell you about her day at work. No, we went to hell and back, together with our backs against the wall fighting against impossible odds and the most bias of management, but that only made us more dangerous. Trying to keep us down only made us rise up even higher!

Savage pauses for a moment and gives Cruz a friendly, and also manly, pat on the shoulder.

-Cole Savage-
We’ve gone through such a painfully long period where this title didn’t matter. I won’t lie to you all, before the pay per view, I forgot the belt even existed! Things are different now. Blizzard realized that, and he took his ball and went home leaving that rematch clause to collect dust in some ramshackle motel room he can barely afford. But I have to give credit where credit is due. Why embarrass yourself willingly? Why try to take a fight that he knew he’d lose? Blizzard is proof that sometimes when you see a better man doing things you could never do, it might just be better to run away.

Savage stops speaking realizing that his words sent chills down everyone’s spine.

-Cole Savage-
It’s a good thing for the prestige of this belt that Leo Cruz is the complete opposite of that. He’s going to be a fighting champion. He’s going to be THE champion. Anyone, anyplace, anytime, he will fight. He will win. He will survive. He will thrive. And then when it’s all said and do--

What feels like days pass before Savage finally lifts the mic back up to his mouth so that he can address this intruder.

-Cole Savage-
How dare you…HOW DARE YOU?! Who in the blue hell do you think you are waltzing out here, interrupting ME of all people, and having the balls to stand there and spew all of that crap like a broken toilet?

Probably without realizing it, Savage has been running his fingertips down the length of his mustache.

-Cole Savage-
This mustache is a national treasure! I have it insured! The last thing I’m going to do is shave it because some punk kid climbed up out of some hole and doesn’t seem to REALLY understand who he’s standing in the ring with. If I wasn’t such a busy man, I would lace up my boots, take the ol’ egyptian cotton shirt off the golden hanger and SHAVE a couple of years off your career! Yeah! How does that sound?

The crowd cheers and soon break out into a chant of “One More Match!” Savage smirks a little bit, but quickly shifts gears.

-Cole Savage-
But this isn’t really about me, is it? Sure, I’ve gotten a lot of mail over the months from wrestlers who’ve kinds drifted by the wayside hoping to make a big splash here begging me to take them under my wing, willing to sell their mother or a lung to have me save their careers. Unfortunately, I’m not a greedy man, and I’m also not a miracle worker. I can’t save them all, but when I find the diamond in the rough, the Leo Cruz’s who have all the potential in the world but are constantly denied the opportunities to shine, that’s when I’m willing to stick my neck out on the line.

Savage sizes up the newcomer a bit before continuing.

-Cole Savage-
I’ve heard rumblings about you, it’s my job to have at least the faintest idea of what’s going on outside of NXT. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? This is NXT, and you’re trying to be coy about it, playing down Leo Cruz like he’s nothing to you, but you’re dealing with Cole Savage, and I see right through you. There’s a reason why you choose here and now. There’s a reason why you decided that you would choose to share the spotlight with Leo Cruz. People invest so much worth into the titles, that sometimes the man holding it doesn’t even matter.

He smirks as he turns to look at Cruz.

-Cole Savage-
But that’s not the case with Leo. He’s a case of the man making the title, never the other way around. That’s why people are still talking about his Television Title reign, because for just a brief moment it was the hottest title in the company. Just like clockwork we find ourselves in the same position. There’s a World Title, a Light Heavyweight Championship, hell they even brought in a brand new belt, yet still all eyes are on Leo Cruz and the European Championship, to the point where somebody like you, who has apparently made waves outside of this business, has made Leo your first target before you’ve even formally introduced yourselves to me, to Leo and to this NXT audience.

Savage begins pacing back and forth in the ring.

-Cole Savage-
Schmidty...Schmi..dty....Schmidty...Schmidty...

Savage repeatedly pronounces the name with different inflections as though it were a foreign word from a language he had never heard of until this very moment.

-Cole Savage-
Schmidty. Okay. Nice name. A one-word name trying to be iconic like Madonna or Beyonce. It’s cool, I get it. The problem that I’m having, believe it or not, that you say Schmidty, but all is shitty. There was a word on the tip of my tongue that I’ve been wanting to use to describe you from the very moment you walked out here, but it just wasn’t coming to me. Now I have it, because everything about you, from what you’re wearing, to the dated music you can an entrance theme, to the asinine things that have been flowing out of your mouth as though your lungs were a septic tank just. plain. STINKS!

Savage has a hearty laugh to himself over that one. It takes him a while to settle down and continue.

-Cole Savage-
You try to play me and downplay who I am by calling me an old man, as though age ever stopped anyone. There’s a reason why you’re coming out to classic tunes and not the latest trash on the radio that makes my ears bleed. There’s a reason why bottles of wine decades old can sell for thousands while the stuff you drink comes from the discount bin. Sometimes older is better. Hell, the last time some guy tried to write me off as some senile, decrepit past-his-prime wrestler, and old Timmy is still riding on coattails much longer than his will ever be after I personally shut down his singles career. You know you’re not cut out for this business when you can’t make yourself a star after beating somebody like me.

Savage pulls off his glasses so that he can look Schmidty dead in the eyes.

-Cole Savage-
I’ve done this business the biggest favor imaginable by taking a backseat. When I was still lacing up my boots, the spotlight was GLUED on me. I didn’t need titles, I didn’t need the arm candy, all I needed was to be Cole Savage and all eyes were on me. I’m not going to say that I made Leo Cruz what he is, because there are certain things that not even I can teach and those intangibles are what Leo here excels at. It’s why he’s been champion in NXT while you were standing on line waiting to get through the doors.

Savage starts punctuating his words by pointing his finger in Schmidty's direction..

-Cole Savage-
And now that you’re here, you realize that a character like you doesn’t have a long shelf life, which is why you’ve come gunning for the best right out of the gate. If you left right now, the company would probably make money and gain ratings. Forget the fact that he’s a champion, if Leo Cruz left today, Sampson and Kane would fall to their knees in despair wondering how NXT would survive without him. They say have their hand favorites, but choosing to align yourself with Sunshine or that Aaron guy is like when you asked your parents to bring you home Cinnamon Toast Crunch and they bring home the store brand. Sure, it’s not you’re first choice for breakfast, but it’s not like you have better options. Leo Cruz is the better option, buddy, while you’re the store brand. You’re generic. Fools like you who doubt me or my friend and what we’re capable of are a dime a dozen.

Savage takes a step toward Schmidty.

-Cole Savage-
It’s a good thing you have that shovel ready, but you’ve been digging your own grave, and, if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself in a whole you’ll never be able to climb out of wondering if X-Gen has some spare room in their shadow for you too. You say you want Leo Cruz with the title on the line? I say..

Savage looks over toward Cruz, and the champ merely shrugs.


-Cole Savage-
Maybe.

Savage laughs as he and Cruz exit the ring leaving the newcomer to just watch as they head up the ramp and disappear through the curtain.