It was all worth it.

by litw Fri Oct 21, 2022 10:56 pm

An exclusive interview is posted to CMV.com, hours after Dark Carnival has ended.

The Ted is seen backstage with his newly won Right of Passage Championship on his left shoulder, as interviewer Michael Michaels stands to his side. This was seemingly recorded moments after Ted’s win, considering some blood is still left over on the champion’s face. Nevertheless, this man is the happiest we have seen him in months. Seven other men, one of them being a complete surprise to everyone else in the field. Ted defeated all of them. No one was able to stop The Ted from hitting the SUPER T.E.D. on Gavin Epsilon and pinning him tonight. No one except The Ted can say they were the first ever Right of Passage Champion. Our resident interviewer looks over at the champion and gets ready to ask his first question.

Interviewer Michael Michaels

CMV Universe, I am here with the first ever Right of Passage Champion, The Ted. Ted, congratulations! How are you feeling right now?

Ted looks around the room at all the camera crew before he uses his free arm to put it around Michaels' shoulder and pull him into somewhat of a sideways hug. It’s an endearing gesture, but he also kind of needs some balance at this time. The interviewer is surprised, but he doesn't mind it. Ted is in a state of pure bliss right now, clutching his championship with his left hand.

The Ted

Michael. 18 months ago, you were the first man to interview me, right before my first match. A month after that, I was the United States Champion. To repeat something that has been said a lot before, many things have changed since then. But you… you saw me evolve the whole time, so tell me. How do you feel?

Michaels looks truly shocked at this question, and he stammers a bit before getting ready to respond. The Ted adjusts the title around his shoulder, playing it up for the camera.

Interviewer Michael Michaels

Well, I-... I'm happy, obviously! You've worked hard ever since you got here, you've constantly evolved, and now this championship, it... it gives you a guaranteed world title match. Three months ago you were a mess, with all due respect. And now you're clearly feeling on top of the world! Great job, really.

The Ted

Thank you, thank you... When I first met you, when I got here, I was a pretty naive young man. Well, I turned 28 last month, and I haven't been here that long, but my mentality has changed. The things... the things that I have done in the past few months threw some people off, you know? Sometimes even I wasn’t sure about my actions. But I was striving to change the personality that the younger me had created. I knew that to fulfill my potential, I couldn't be the man who I was previously. And it paid off, didn't it? Not only do I have this championship, but I haven't lost in the past 104 days, if we ignore bad refereeing. This championship, it IS my right of passage. I knew that I could be the biggest star in CMV ever since I got here, ever since the people voted for me to be their United States Champion. But for a long time I didn't have it in me to do what I HAD to do to reach the very top. All my past defeats, they haunted me. But I've vanquished all the ghosts from my past. You saw it last week at Octane, you saw it tonight at Dark Carnival. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and thank you even more to those who haven't. Because at one point I also didn't support myself. That's what fueled me to capture this championship here tonight. No matter what anyone thinks, I am the best version of myself. I am one step closer from becoming who I always should've been.

The Ted takes the championship into his hands and looks down on it. 12 months ago, this man was coming off his first Ascendance appearance, with the United States Championship still around his waist. But it has been a long time since The Ted has had any kind of success on his own. And he’s made many sacrifices to reach this point once again. He’s lost fans, he’s lost friends. The wall of toughness and confidence that Ted built around himself all this time contained a lot of self doubt and worries about what he was doing and what he sought out to achieve. But at this point, at least in this very moment, it all seemed worth it to him. All the violence, all the risks, all the disapproval. There was a reason behind all of that. And that reason is exemplified by the belt that Ted stares at in this very moment. Ted comes back to reality right as Michaels starts speaking.

Interviewer Michael Michaels

Beautiful words, really. But you should remember: This is just step one. You have a world title match, but you haven't won it yet. And you might just have to defend that title at some point. Are you planning on waiting to cash in your title opportunity?

The Ted

Look... I've waited a long time for this. As much as I could cherish my victory and continue my winning streak by defeating anyone who comes in my way, that's not all I want. You know that. I won't be waiting too long. I could go after Joseph Santos, or Kwame Bullet since he won that crazy cage match. The Ted has fans everywhere, maybe I could step on over to Shockwave and beat Cloudcutter or Quinn or whoever is their champion in a few weeks! My decision will be coming shortly. But for now, I'm just going to celebrate that I have this.

Interviewer Michael Michaels

Fair enough. Do you have any last words for the audience here tonight?

The Ted

Octane #24. Next week. I'm wishing an open challenge to anyone on the roster. I'll get in that ring and face the first person who comes out the entrance way in a non-title match, whether they let me know previously or not. Why not give the crowd a show? That's all I have to say.

Our champion leaves the frame of the recording as the video fades out.