Jock Reasoning Weekly Press Conference

[Marcus Welsh]

~We cut to the Press Conference room contained within the OCW Arena. It’s been cleaned, thoroughly. Several months of inattention wiped away by the fervent hands of underpaid individuals with questionable citizenship. Classic OCW. Jock Reasoning stands behind the podium...he toys with the mic a bit. A number of reporters sit in front of him...spaced appropriately apart. They are all wearing masks. Jock gets the mic in the desired location and clears his throat~

Jock Reasoning: Alright. Thank you all for coming. I’d like to open things up by wishing Tatum Coe a very speedy recovery from his bout with Covid-19. It was a great shock to us that he contracted the virus just days after joining the field for Manifest Destiny 2. Thankfully, we had a star of equal caliber lined up to take his place. Regardless, best wishes Mr. Coe. Maybe we’ll see you back at some point in the future.

~Reporters hands fly into the air. Jock calls on one~

Question 1: About Tatum’s replacement, Skye Hill. Nobody has seen or heard from her since No Limits in the summer of 2000 after she beat Celeste The Sorceress for the OCW Women’s Title. What shape is she in? Is it safe for her to be competing?

Jock Reasoning: Skye Hill has been planning on a comeback for awhile now. Rest assured she is in great shape and ready to compete at the highest level within this field.

Question 2: Lilith and Sarah Twilight have been very adamant about avoiding each other in this tournament. Are there measures being taken to ensure they are on opposite ends of the bracket or with this truly be luck of the draw?

Jock Reasoning: I don’t know what dream world they are living in where they have zero chance to catching one another in this field. It’s a tournament. If you keep winning you’re eventually going to run into one another. And, yes, the drawing will be 100% luck. I know they hate to hear this but we could very well see Sarah Twilight against Lilith in the first round.

Question 3: And if they protest?

Jock Reasoning: Then they’ll both be eliminated from the tournament. I hope that isn’t the case but we cannot cater to any member of this tournament. There are sixteen competitors all looking to earn some cash. They must be treated equally.

Question 4: What’s with Jason Chase? He’s another name that’s fallen into obscurity over the years. Is he capable of competing with today’s talent?

Jock Reasoning: Again. Do you really think we’d accept someone who was incapable of competition? Jason Chase was a victim of bad booking and immature closures during his run as an active competitor. He’s had all the talent in the world to be a champion. We are very eager to see Chase make an impact in Manifest Destiny 2.

Question 5: Speaking of ghosts...Andrew Logan. That’s a name we haven’t heard or really expected to hear ever again. Where’d you dig him up and is he, also, in shape to compete?

Jock Reasoning: I guess you guys didn’t hear me the first time. Nobody in this tournament is out of shape, fat, or in danger of dying. They are all in top form. Andrew Logan made enough money in the early 2000s to retire forever. However, I think being a big achievement away from slipping into the OCW Hall of Fame bothers him. Manifest Destiny 2 could be that accolade that puts him over the top.

Question 6: And PerZag?

Jock Reasoning: The same goes for PerZag. If Logan is 1a on the next in line for the Hall of Fame, PerZag is 1b. A strong showing by Zag could get him in.

Question 7: Lots of familiar names...some old, some young. But one name stands out due to its unfamiliarity. Cheyenne Tabernacke. Who is she and what are your thoughts on her inclusion within this field?

Jock Reasoning: Cheyenne is a unique female competitor who adds a lot to this field. This company has always been about uniqueness. She certainly fits that bill. I’m very, very excited about her inclusion. Cheyenne has a chance to make a lasting impact very quickly in a company that’s been around for twenty years.

Question 8: Be honest. You’re going to pair Roach up against Cheyenne in the first round.

Jock Reasoning: Again, the drawings will be completely random. If that happens, do not look at me.

~The sound of every reporter writing 'Roach vs Cheyenne' fills the room. Jock rolls his eyes~

Question 9: I see Mike Zybala is competing. Wasn’t he the owner? What happened there?

Jock Reasoning: I’m not privy to the details of what took place. All I know is what I’ve heard...I heard Zybala sold his ownership of OCW to further fund Outsiders. If you want the truth about what happened, you’ll have to ask Zybala.

Question 10: So who owns OCW right now?

Jock Reasoning: That’s not for me to say. I’m sure when the owner wants to be revealed they will step into the light.

Question 11: I hope Chelsea LeClair wins.

Jock Reasoning: I’m sorry. Is that a question?

Question 12: She’s great.

Jock Reasoning: Look, we all like Chelsea. I think she’ll do great but...can we get some questions?

Question 13: Noah Hanson has won titles in multiple promotions all over the world. He’s never seemed to find his footing in OCW, though. Do you think this could be Noah’s chance to make an impact in OCW?

Jock Reasoning: He’s got as good a chance as any. I’m a huge Noah Hanson fan. I think he’s one of the more underrated legends in our sport. If Noah were to win this tournament, I’d be very happy for him.

Question 14: Duce Jones returned, but not Krayzie. Will we see Krayzie or is Duce going to roll solo? You have to think R.O.S.E. will be looking to get revenge on Duce. He might need some help.

Jock Reasoning: This is professional wrestling. It’s battle. Some might call it war. If Duce wants his father in his corner during his matches, I have no problem with that. Krayzie is an OCW mainstay. As far as the grudge between R.O.S.E. and the current tag team champions...we’ll have to see how that plays out. Once the show begins, I’m going to let the chips fall where they may. Chaos is what this place has been about from Day 1. That will not change.

Question 15: Four Hall of Famers, by my count. That comprises ¼ of the field. Are they the favorites? Could we see a final four of all Hall of Famers?

Jock Reasoning: Maybe. I think you’d have to make them the favorites. Bifford, Vargas, Grenier, and TIO are as legend as the term intends. They are the backbone of this company. Whenever an event takes place, these are four faces you can depend on. That, plus their talent, is why they are in the Hall of Fame. As far as the final four...we’ll see how things come out during the draw. All four could square off within the first two rounds. Wouldn’t that be something?

~Reporters ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’~

Question 16: What about Awe.Some? Were they seriously considering returning or was that just HYPE? And, did they give Tatum COVID as a way to continue their feud which has lasted nearly five years?

Jock Reasoning: Awe.Some was made aware of the tournament. As far as their issues with Tatum, I have no idea...but I doubt they’d infect anyone, on purpose, with Covid.

Question 17: Some people think naming this tournament Manifest Destiny 2 is in poor taste. What do you say to those people?

Jock Reasoning: I think those people care too much about what others think. The original Manifest Destiny was a joke. We like to poke fun at dumb shit. Hence Manifest Destiny 2. It’s OCW in it’s purest form...making fun of something while making it better.

Question 18: What’s with the rumors of Pine Bluff being scouted as a potential location? Any news?

Jock Reasoning: What? We can’t have any intrigue these days? Look, we’re going to host most of the matches from the OCW Arena. However, we do plan on securing a unique location for, if not the final four, definitely the final match. Could Pine Bluff be the spot? Possibly. We’re looking at several locations.

Question 19: Some people are comparing this run to 2015. What say you?

Jock Reasoning: I think it’s a bit premature to call this a run. But, if we did, trust me...we’d aim higher than 2015.

~Jock and the entire room laugh~

Question 20: Gimmick matches? Will we see any?

Jock Reasoning: I think you can assume the entire first round will be standard. After that, who knows. I could envision giving each round its own stipulation. Cage, Chamber, Cube...something like that...across the board, making it fair for everyone. But nothing is set in stone. Just figuring this out as we go.

Question 21: How often will you be doing these press conferences?

Jock Reasoning: Once a week.

Question 22: Will we see angles? Storylines? Or is this going to be nothing but matches?

Jock Reasoning: Oh, you’ll see angles and storylines. No doubt.

Question 23: The future of OCW beyond this tournament...any insight?

Jock Reasoning: All we have on the books is Manifest Destiny 2. Outside of that, I can’t confirm or comment. But I will say there are some creative conversations happening. OCW has been close, in the past, to evolving the profession of wrestling. If you’ll remember, in 2018 OCW reopened under a very innovative concept. That concept gave way to greed. We could see the failed concept return...in some form.

Question 24: So a more story-based promotion?

Jock Reasoning: Perhaps. But, again, it’d be reckless to talk about a future until this tournament is nearing its end.

Question 25: We might as well end on an even number like 25 so...what’s your favorite color.

Jock Reasoning: Whatever color my name appears in on the forum. That’s it, everyone! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and make sure you’re in attendance tonight at 7pm Central as we unveil the brackets!

~Reasoning heads off as the reporters chant “OCW!” for some reason. We fade out~