We click play on the video and as we do, a small loading icon appears in the middle of the blank screen, turning slowly as the video buffers for a split second before it disappears and the video begins to play. And now that it's playing, the first thing we see is none other than Supreme Championship Wrestling star and Hall of Famer himself, David Helms, sitting behind the desk in his home-office in the Hollywood Hills, his feet up on the desk, one leg crossed over the other. He wears a charcoal grey shirt with the #BANG Self High Five logo on the front, paired with blue ripped jeans and trademark red Converse sneakers, as he brings a finger up to his brow to knock off a casual salute to the camera and those watching at home. As he does so, a date stamp appears in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, reading 06.15.2020, before fading out again as he lowers his hand again to knot his fingers together in his lap. “Sup guys,” he says with a grin on his face as he begins to speak. “And… well fuck, I didn’t expect to be standing here in my first video after Taking Hold of the Flame in the position I find myself in right now, you know?” he asks, looking a little sheepish as he continues to grin into the lens of the camera. “I have to admit, I didn’t walk into Taking Hold of the Flame expecting to win the thing! It’s like I said in my live stream the evening before the pay per view, my only aim was to go into the battle royal with the hopes of redeeming myself, given my failures the last time I competed at Taking Hold of the Flame. Winning couldn’t have been any further from my mind when I arrived at the Prudential Center that night, it didn’t even cross my mind when I discovered what my random entry number was going to be, even if the number I ultimately got gave me a pretty good shot at doing so… I just wanted to redeem myself. I wanted to show myself as well as others that I’ve still got something left in the tank, I guess. But here we are, in a position I can’t say I’ve ever found myself in before. I’m about to headline Rise To Greatness, bro!” he says with so much enthusiasm and excitement that he looks like a small child on Christmas, almost. His grin goes from ear to ear and causes wrinkles to form in the corners of his eyes as he can’t contain the pride and happiness coursing through him. “I’ve finally done it. Almost eleven years after joining the company… I’m finally in the main event of the biggest show in the world of professional wrestling, a show second to none, and I earned it the right way! I had a Trio’s that I could have used, but I wasn’t planning on crashing the main event, because it doesn’t sit right with me to do that, but I’m heading there anyway because somehow, I outlast thirty nine other people to win Taking Hold of the Flame and earn my place in the spotlight. And that blows me away. Whether it was skill, luck as some suggest, or whatever… David Helms is going to Rise To Greatness to face World and United States Champion Bree Lancaster and hopefully he comes home a two time SCW World Heavyweight Champion!”

David almost looks shocked as he lets out a surprised laugh, shaking his head for a second or two before he puffs out his cheeks and exhales. “Jesus, it still feels weird saying that,” he adds with another chuckle. “And I don’t want that shit to sound like a humble brag or that I’m painting myself as better than everyone or anything because I truly don’t mean it that way, I’m just blown away to be in a position I never thought I’d be in ever again, standing here as the number one contender. I’ve seen my son in this position, I’ve seen my daughter in the same position in EMERGE, I’ve seen my wife pushing for it, people I respect… but I never in my wildest dreams believed that I would be in this position again and yet here I am. And now I have to prepare myself for, what, six weeks of bullshittery, mind games and probably some random attacks to get us to Greatness? I mean, that’s how it usually goes, right? We’ll see. I think we can probably all predict the kind of shit I’m talking about, I mean it happens most years, doesn’t it? We already saw Bree trying to get in my head last week when I got camera time at the head of the show… but you know, I’m not doing what she no doubt wants, guys. I’m not going to stand here and rant and rave about Bree Lancaster, I’m not going to give her the attention she craves, because it only fuels her fucking ego. There’s a time and a place, and we all know when that’s going to be, so I’ll save it for then!” David explains, giving the camera a little wink before he swings his legs from the top of the desk and sits up, rolling his chair a little closer so he can lean his arms on the edge of the desk in front of him. “Because Greatness is weeks away yet, and I know I’ve got to even get there before I can concentrate on Ms. Classypants and everything that’s on my mind where she’s concerned. I’ve got the biggest target painted on my back imaginable right now, because we’ve eventered the most important season of the SCW year, and it’s me that’s popped up in the picture that many - including myself - didn’t think I’d be in. And I can think of one or two people who would leave to try and ensure I don’t get to that main event in one piece, names I’m sure I don’t have to spell out in order for you to follow my line of thinking. Take a look at the final three from Taking Hold of the Flame and I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about. But I’m up for the challenge. And you know what? I’m going to enjoy the ride. I’m not getting any younger, and I never expected to be in the position in the first place, so I’m going to enjoy every single second of this journey and then see where the chips fall. That’s what this run was, really… one last roll of the dice, one final hand to play while there’s still something there. It’s time to see if I can get that pair or sixes, whether I’m holding pocket aces. And hopefully in the end, the pot comes my way.”

David mimes the act reaching forward and sliding a mountain of poker chips back towards himself, for extra emphasis, before chuckling. “So here we go, huh? Last week was week one, and apart from Bree feeling the need to interrupt our little celebratory toast in the ring last week, it passed without too much bullshit… but I’m smart enough to know that you never go all in when it’s the first hand. Bree is smart enough to know that too. And as we head into the second week of seven, it’s time for me to step in the ring and I guess I need to check those eyes in the back of my head are still working as good as they used to, huh? Because this Wednesday night I’ve got a date with a guy that has the most fitting nickname in the world, because it’s a guy that truly puts the ass in Assassin. Clyde Sutter, come on down!” he says, chuckling at his own terrible joke and luckily he has a fantastic editor as the music from The Price Is Right plays briefly for a second before David turns his attention back to the task at hand. “You made your return at Taking Hold of the Flame, huh bro? That’s a gutsy play Sutter, I’ll give you that. One of the toughest matches in the SCW calendar and you use it to make your return, knowing it could go horribly but you went for it anyway. Got to hand that one to you, it takes some balls. Not the most original return, but hey, you’re looking at a guy who wrestled under a mask for more than six months so who the fuck am I to judge, huh?” he asks, laughing at himself; if you can’t laugh at yourself from time to time, you end up unable to laugh at anything, and there was no way David intended to end up like Bree Lancaster. Allergic to fun. “Gotta say though man, you’re a real piece of work… calling young kids like Aaron Blackbourne and Owen Cruze smiley lowlifes? Wow bro, did you wake up on the wrong side of bed and forget to eat your Fruit Loops the morning you filmed your promo for the flame? Or do you just have a stick wedged so far up your own ass that it did something to your brain and now you can’t feel basic human emotion? Because fuck me bro, you don’t seem to like anyone, be it Aaron and Owen or people like Bree and Blake. Is it a personal thing or are you just a grumpy bastard all the time, Sutter? Because I’m one of the older members of the roster these days dude, I’m very nearly fourteen years older than you are… but of the two of us, you’re the one who sounds like a cranky old man screaming ‘get off my lawn’ at the neighborhood kids, while I’m more likely to be one of those kids just by virtue of knowing how to crack a smile! Then again, when you roll out a nickname like “The Assassin”, I guess you were never gonna be known for your friendly demeanor and your fondness for cuddling, huh? We’ve had a few Assassin’s in SCW over the years. One in particular sticks out in my mind… he was an asshole too, and people thought he had his head up his own ass as well, so I guess you’re in great company!”

“But I dunno why I expected anything different anyway bro, when you have a guy like Mason Van Stanton doing the talking for you,” David says, shrugging his shoulders theatrically. “It’s like expecting a wallflower when Silas Mason announces a new client, or someone with a face that couldn’t even launch a rubber dingy let alone a thousand ships to get signed by the Beautify Factory. You can judge the calibre of a man by the company he keeps, isn’t that the old saying? So already I knew you were probably a slimeball with little to no morals whatsoever before I even heard you speak.Turns out I wasn’t wide of the mark, huh? I may never have wrestled there, but the stories about what kind of man Mason Van Stanton is, they get around Sutter, and the fact that you chose him as your manager speaks volumes about your character… if you think he’s going to do you any favours though, you may want to think again, because his stock isn’t exactly all that high to begin with after recent events, and it’s even lower in SCW and that is going to reflect on you bro, regardless of whether you care! But I’ll give him his dues, he knows how to spin a story, bro… listening to him, you’d almost be forgiven for assuming he was a decent human being! Talking about the excitement of Taking Hold of the Flame, about how much he loves this time of year? Shame you took a dump all over it the minute you opened your big mouth, huh? Seriously Sutter, do you know the importance of a coherent message or do you just talk and to hell with the consequences? We’ve had a few people like that over the years here in SCW… some of them succeed, some of them actually back up their words and go on to dominate. Or something akin to dominating anyway, as far as that’s possible in a company like SCW… but not all of them, Sutter. Not all of them can talk crap and get the job done. And your own manager pointed out that you’ve struggled as far as the ol’ wins and losses are concerned… he threw you under a bus pretty much as soon as he started talking, in fact. So tell me Sutter, why should the people in this company listen when you start shit-talking everyone, huh? To truly talk the talk in this business, sooner or later you have to walk the walk! Talking a big game is great, but anyone can brag! If you never put up when it matters then you need to shut the fuck up, Sutter” he says, as he slides his chair out and walks around to the front of the desk to stand in front of it. “This company doesn’t just expect great wrestlers, it demands it! This is a company that has built a legacy over almost two decades, built on fantastic talent and amazing shows and it has an amazing ability to weedle out those who have it and those who wished they did! There’s no denying you’re in great shape bro, doesn’t take much research to see you clearly work hard in the gym, and you’re clearly a tough bastard too, based on what I’ve read about you… but be it bad luck, arrogance, interference or whatever the reason in your eyes - because you don’t strike me as the kind of person to even know the meaning of self-reflection - you haven’t stacked up to the opinion you have of yourself! And that shit is fine in the beginning, you may get away with it for so long, but hear me now bro, you need to start showing you justify those fucking wages you earn in this company or you’re going to turn into nothing more than a target for people to mock every time you step in the fucking ring!”

“And from what I understand bro, with your anger issues… that’s probably not a good thing, huh?” He asks, leaning back on the desk and folding his arms across his chest. “But hey, who the fuck am I to talk, huh? I’m David Helms. I was either born into this business or had it handed to me on a silver platter, didn’t I Sutter? Jesus Christ bro, do you realise how much of an arrogant fuckhead you sound like at times?! I don’t know a thing about having to work hard for what I want? I don’t know about fighting to survive? Did you do any fucking research on this company and the people who wrestle in it before signing on that dotted line, or did you just assume that you knew everything you needed to based on who’s succeeded in the company and just expect we all got success handed to us?! Here’s an education, asshole… I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, asshole, I grew up in a relatively poor part of New Jersey, until the age of eight when my parents were killed in a tragic accident that wasn’t their own doing a little before my ninth birthday! But I didn’t have the luxury of having another home to go to, some family to welcome me with open arms, I ended up in an orphanage run by the state, where I stayed until I was granted emancipation at sixteen and I moved to Boston! I lived in a squat for six months, working cash in hand on the docks until I could afford the dankest fucking appartment you’ve ever seen, and I counted myself lucky! I had to drag myself to this point, Sutter, I had to drag myself from the ground up, because I couldn’t get any lower at one point, and I earned every single bit of the success I’ve had, and sure, maybe maybe my legacy in this company affords me a bit of respect from the board, maybe it grants me some freedoms that not everyone is afforded, but that’s because I earned those too!” he says, pointing into the camera for a moment before glaring into the lens as he prepares to finish up. “Twenty one years, Sutter… twenty one years I’ve been a part of this business now, nearly twenty two thinking about it. Did you think I was born into a wrestling family? They followed me into it! My brother started because he wanted to follow in my footsteps, my kids the same with me and Regan. And if my ten year old boy Jay wants to do the same then we can discuss that when he’s old enough, but I stand here testament to what you can do regardless of the hand that life deals you! I went from wrestling in a bingo hall three nights a week for fifty bucks a night to main eventing the biggest show in the world in a few weeks, and it put countless scars on my body that these tattoos cover,” he says, showing his arms, “and countless scars in here too,” he adds, tapping himself on the side of the head. “But nobody can tell me I don’t deserve to be here, asshole! Nobody can tell me I was born with every fucking advantage and didn’t have to work to get where I am, and that’s your fucking mistake Sutter, you assume everything about everyone! But me and you… well, from what I’ve read, we’re not all that dissimilar with what we’ve been through, bro… yet we’re the polar fucking opposite and should be seen as examples of the right way and the wrong way of dealing with life! See Sutter, I saw the hand I was dealt from being a kid and I fought tooth and nail to improve it, to better myself and make something of my life. You? You blame life for everything that’s happened to you and then just expect it to change of its own accord! You haven’t worked to fix shit bro, you’ve just bitched about it, you’ve let it turn into a chip on your shoulder and you expect anger to be enough! Well fuck you Clyde, because that chip isn’t going to be your undoing this week, I am! You made big claims about winning Taking Hold of the Flame, I said I probably wouldn’t. We were both wrong. But this week, I’m making a claim. I’m putting you on your back and scoring that victory, whether it wakes you up to what an arrogant douche nozzle you are or not. Then you can add a loss to me to your list of shit to complain about! BANG!” he finished up, not even bothering to play up to the camera with a Self High Five as he just shakes his head to bring the video to a close, the final frame dimming as the replay button appears in the middle of the screen.