Post by Star Stormz on May 27, 2023 13:02:17 GMT -5
(The show starts up with Eddie Lopez Sr at the podium. He was wearing a nice black tuxedo with a bow tie)
Eddie Lopez Sr: Good evening everyone and welcome to the 2023 PWS Hall Of Fame! Tonight we’re gonna induct a family, something we haven’t done before but It’s fitting… I’ve known this family for years now and I’ve fought them for years as well, but this isn’t about me or our history. Tonight it’s about them, and their history, and what they meant to this business. Also, we’ll have special tribute lined up for someone special as well, so we have a lot to cover in such little time…
(Eddie Lopez Sr looks at his hall of fame ring on his finger with a smile on his face before looking back at the curtain for a moment)
Eddie Lopez Sr: I know from personal experience that they’re in the back nervous and waiting to get on stage, but I want to say something before we get to the first inductor. When I was called to do this, I responded with a “hell yeah, I’ll do it!” I didn’t know what I was going to say till 5 minutes ago, but anyway let’s bring out the president of PWS, Star Stormz to kick off our night!
(Star Stormz comes out from the back wearing an elegant black dress. She approaches the podium and is met with a hug from Eddie Lopez. He takes his leave as she stands behind the podium)
Star Stormz: Thank you, Eddie. That was beautiful. Tonight, we gather as a family to honor some of our most loyal and special into the PWS Hall of Fame. A place where they can be immortalized forever. As I stand here tonight, I have the honor of inducting 3 men who… not gonna lie… have been thorns in my side since day 1.
(She chuckles a bit along with the audience)
Star Stormz: When you think about PWS families… the names Lopez, Makarios, Madison and Phoenix come to mind. But one name sticks out above the rest. One family has dug their heels in so deep in PWS that without them… it wouldn't be the same. The first family of PWS… the Russows. The God Damned Russows.
(She smirks a little as she shakes her head gently, a slight chuckle in her voice)
Star Stormz: The legacy of the Russows began with one… the patriarch and EASILY one of the most obnoxious people I've ever met. I say that with all the love in my heart. Levi Russow… the day you signed your first PWSi contract… I knew I was in for a hell of a wild ride! Levi walked in to my office a single parent, little Jack banshee screaming his poor little lungs out. I remember picking up that infant and just… holding him… as he stopped crying. The look on Levi's face was such relief… I knew right then and there that he needed PWS as much as we needed him.
(The cameras cut to Jack in the audience with a slight smile on his face, hearing this story)
Star Stormz: Hell, I even played babysitter for his debut match. Little Jack was such a sweetheart, I didn't mind! That first match… I knew we had something special in Levi. Sure, as he got more comfortable he became literally the BIGGEST pain in my ass he could be. And I swear he did it on purpose. But I'd have it no other way.
(She laughed along with the crowd)
Star Stormz: Then along came another… another Russow came to the PWS family when Jesse Russow showed up and was making waves in PWSR. And then ANOTHER when Daniel Russow joined the mix in PWSX. They all made names for themselves, and when PWSi was the last brand standing… and they all were in one place… oh good GOD. These three are hands down my favorite pains in the ass…
(She shook her head.)
Star Stormz: The Russow name is synonymous with trouble. Chaos. Headaches. But you know what else it means? Loyalty. Respect. Honor. Dignity. Pride. And whether they like to admit it or not… kindness. I have seen these 3 men grow and expand their horizons. I've been at their weddings, held their kids… they are family to me. We may joke with each other, prank each other, and annoy the hell out if each other. But that's what family does. So i am so honored to stand here today and induct them into the PWS Hall of Fame. Levi, Jesse, and Dan… you three deserve this honor more than I can express. Everyone let's hear it for the RUSSOW BROTHERS!!!
(Suddenly the shrill string drag of Adam Dutckiewicz opening into the thrashing opening of “This Fire Burns” by Killswitch Engage as suddenly out from behind the curtain we see Jack Russow come walking out to a massive ovation…holding hands with Alanah, Alanah holding baby Rory, Mack holding both of the twins who are out cold. To everyone’s surprise…Bella Madison steps out holding onto little Aurora’s hand who’s holding onto little Zion’s hand…Charlie is all but holding Rosie back on a leash as a generic swelling orchestral music sounds as the kids get an applaud onstage until “This Fire Burns” hits again and this time Levi, Jesse, and Dan come stalking out onto the ramp and the absolute roof gets blown off the place. Levi stands center stage, Dan to his right, Jesse to his left. Massive conflicting chants of “RU-SSOW!” and ‘THANK YOU RUSSOWS!” they walk towards each other and all three of them bump knuckles and walk around the podium blowing the kids a kiss…Levi makes it a point to walk up to Bella and give her a kiss on the cheek. He turns back around and approaches the podium.)
Levi Russow: Y’know, we–
(There is another massive outburst of “THANK YOU RUSSOW!” chants as Levi blows them all a double kiss and Jesse pounds his chest while Dan nods.)
Levi Russow: I am…almost completely at a loss for words. If you would have told me when I first got here, I was so bad I swore I was gone after my first match. There coulda been no Russow Takeover before it even started! But you know me…you know all about me, you know what I’ve done, you know the empire I’ve built and how proud of it I am. Another Hall of Fame ring? I would have never seen it coming…especially not with these two assholes. Jesse can’t even brainwash giants right!
(There’s a massive OHHHHH! From the fans and a faint “WE MISS SLAPPY!” chant.)
Jesse Russow: I -I-...guys…BELIEVE me, I know. You know who I’m married to! I am…SO immensely sorry for starting so much shit just trying to make a name that…when the time came would stack UP to my brothers. And after Cam and I had a talk about it…I’m a former PWSR No Limits Champion…I’ve won a little scrilla here and there. And my legacy is all but assured, but see that’s what I didn’t BELIEVE. I didn’t believe in the HYPE and I didn’t believe in ME.
(Jesse looks around with tears in his eyes.)
Jesse Russow: My brothers did…they always have. It was never Levi and the Russows or Dan and the Russows it was always just the Brothers Russow…we were a full-on destructive unit of hilarity, calamity, riot, and rage!
(The fans pop at Jesse getting on a bit of a roll there.)
Jesse Russow: …hey I’ve read some books lately! But anyway there’s a massive…part of this…that doesn’t feel right to me. And I know he’s not here…but I don’t think it’s fair to forgive me and not him. So wherever you are, Slaps…I’m truly, honestly, heartfully sorry. That’s…that’s all I have to say, thank you all!
(There’s a smattering of applause for Jesse as Dan swaggers up to the stage. A massive “DE-VI-ANT! DE-VI-ANT!” chant breaks out as Dan holds up one finger and reaches on the inside of his leather jacket pocket and an explosion erupts when the fans see him pull out the original Rabid Deviant mask! He holds it up to the lights and then lowers it back down again before kissing it’s forehead and laying it on the podium. Dan takes a stance like he’s about to speak from the heart…until he’s hijacked by “YOU DESERVE THIS!” chants which sees him close his eyes and snarl absolutely trying not to tear up when suddenly he feels a tug at his coattails and looks down and lifts little Aurora into his arms and she wraps her arms around his neck as tough as she can patting his cheeks saying “No cry! No cry!!!” and Dan looks at her with far more love than any championship gold he could have ever held….the fanbase probably expected him to get on the mic and open fire but instead…Dan kisses Aurora on the side of the head and waves at the crowd getting her to wave too. Levi steps back up to the podium.)
Levi Russow: We are honored…THANK you…THANK you so much.
(The Brothers Russow corral all their kids and lead them offstage as the jumbotron kicks to life…)
(We cut back to Eddie Lopez Sr back at the podium)
Eddie Lopez Sr: Congratulations to the Russow brothers! Such good memories that they ran down in their speech and I remember all of them happening as well, I’m very proud of them even though they still owe me a steak dinner….anyway! I’ll be back there in a moment to pose with them and their new bling is that what the kids still call it? I’m not hip with the kids these days…. Anyway, without any further delay, let’s bring out Star again as she has a special speech planned.
(Star comes back out and hugs Eddie again as he takes his leave.)
Star Stormz: And now we move on to the heartbreaking part of the night. Anyone who knew Nic Powell knew that he was the heart and soul of this place. He put a lot of time and effort… blood, sweat, and tears… into PWS. For years, even back in the old PWS days, if you needed anything… you went to Nic. Struggling with your promo skills? Nic was your man. Need a new entrance theme? Nic was THE go to for that. Hell, my new song was picked by him.
(She took a deep breath as she began to tear up)
Star Stormz: He was a lot to many. He was a friend, a support system, an ear to listen. I will keep my words short because while he and I were close… there are 2 others who were closer to him than I. But just know this…
(She wiped a tear that had began to fall down her cheek)
Star Stormz: PWS is not the same without him. We lost a member of our family. And the hardest part was he knew it was coming. He tried to prepare us for a day without him. Of course we all shrugged it off "nah, that's a long way off". Until… it wasn't. I will never forget the tears in the voice of Laura when she called to tell me. And there is nothing any of us can do. But tonight… We honor him. We put him alongside some of the biggest names in the company. While many of you fans may not have known his name… you felt his presence.
(She takes another deep breath and wipes away another tear)
Star Stormz: So please, without any further ado, allow me to introduce the man who will be inducting Nic into the Hall of Fame… Mr Levi Russow!
(Suddenly blasting over the PA system…is “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy and we see a slightly dressed down of Levi come walking out as he walks over and kisses Star on the cheek as the fans are going absolutely wild with Iceman chants but Levi manages to steer it to “NIC! NIC! NIC! NIC! As Levi nods his head and approaches the podium.)
Levi Russow: Many of you know…a lot of you don’t. But this PWS world didn’t work without the exemplary talents of one man in particular who always opted to stay behind the scenes. We have what we call “handlers” that we report to and they walk us through the plans for the week like more hands-on producers. You wanted Nic to pick your program to work. Everything he created was gold…I was proud, I *AM* proud…to call him my absolute best friend. We traveled the world, up and down these highways bouncing ideas off each other. The funniest shit you’ve ever seen Dan, Nick, or Jesse put up to? That was Nic. He was mischievous and a little bit of a rebel. We were the yin to each other’s yang. The PWS Bash Brothers. I’ve never before have met a soul that just…CLICKED with mine like that. He was the other half of my heart, man! Nic Powell was the Silent Bob to my Jay! The peanut butter to my jelly! My hetero life mate! I would KILL to get my brother back. Everyone knows the Russow Brothers’ stories…they were nightmares. Nic taught us how to turn them into fuel to be the single most Goddamn dangerous family in professional wrestling. THAT was Nic Goddamn Powell! The entire Family protocol? The Darkest Carnival? Nic was there for ALL of that. There IS no Russow Family…without a Powell. He…truly had the biggest heart of all of us. A reluctant heart…but when it invested, man it burned til it was through. His work rate…his attitude through the Hell he had to live? He was…he was fuckin’ impressive. But take the business sense away…take the creativity away…boil it down to brass tacks, he’d still be in the trench right next to me. He put that faith and belief he had in ME…INTO what we worked on. Ladies and Gentlemen…sometimes in this world…God lets the light outlive the star. But no star shines brighter…than NIC “GODDAMN” POWELL!!!!
(The crowd absolutely explodes, stomping and slapping the walls chanting “NIC! NIC! NIC! NIC!” as Levi pounds his chest letting them pump him up.)
Levi Russow: Here to accept on behalf of Nic Powell is one of the few people I know of that might have known him better than me. Please welcome…LAURA PHOENIX!!!!
(Laura makes her way out wearing a beautiful dress in her signature color, red. She approaches the podium where she and Levi share an emotional hug before Levi exits the area)
Laura Phoenix: You meet a lot of people when you enter a world much like ours, some become acquaintances, some become friends and if you are lucky you connect with on such a level that they can easily shake the very core of your being. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation, words sometimes kind and sometimes words that will slap the shit out of you and make you see the hard truth. Nic did that a few times. We always had this running gag that while I was the hard ass bitch with the mom ability, he was the asshole dad-like figure. We made for a hell of a team. Getting to know the man himself was perhaps one of the best things that I have had happen to me and I know that seems a little selfish, but the idea of all of this is to tell the greatest stories we could possibly tell. Well Nic’s story is one of strength, even with a body that was constantly trying to battle him, like Levi said, there was never denying that man’s heart. If I could have bottled even an ounce of it for myself it still would have been unmatched to his love of PWS. You have no idea how much time he put into it, and I’m not just talking Apex. From PWSX, PWSi, PWSR...the originators of Billy C and Rick Robinson, the creators of this brand would have to bow down to a man like Nic. Without him, it would have died a long time ago. That’s not a shoot, that’s the truth.
(She paused for moment, taking in a deep breath)
Laura Phoenix: I didn’t want to come out here and feel like this was a eulogy for a man that still lives in all of us. Every single person that he came in contact with, he left a mark on. Whether good, bad or indifferent it didn’t matter because through ALL of us Nic Powell LIVES ON in every single mother fucking moment. And I know that’s some harsh language for a Hall of Fame induction but at this point, it is warranted because it’s the truth. And it’s what he would want. We had conversations, ones that I never wanted to have because he was real about what time he had left. To us, he left all too soon but to him he made the best of the time that he knew he had. There isn’t one moment in time that I do not wish to see my phone light up with his name again, but that is that selfish side of me again. I loved him as more than just a friend and a brother, I just loved him. I want you guys to continue to feel that love that he had for all of us and let PWS live on in his memory. That would be his greatest legacy, to tell your stories with all the vigor and enjoyment that he brought to his. Live your stories, love every day and never ever forget the name Nicholas Andrew Powell.
(Laura's eyes well with tears as both Levi and Star come out and join her. The three of them share a side hug as they lead the crowd in one more "NIC! NIC! NIC!" chant. The song "Life Is Beautiful" by Sixx AM plays as the screen fades to the following image)
Eddie Lopez Sr: Good evening everyone and welcome to the 2023 PWS Hall Of Fame! Tonight we’re gonna induct a family, something we haven’t done before but It’s fitting… I’ve known this family for years now and I’ve fought them for years as well, but this isn’t about me or our history. Tonight it’s about them, and their history, and what they meant to this business. Also, we’ll have special tribute lined up for someone special as well, so we have a lot to cover in such little time…
(Eddie Lopez Sr looks at his hall of fame ring on his finger with a smile on his face before looking back at the curtain for a moment)
Eddie Lopez Sr: I know from personal experience that they’re in the back nervous and waiting to get on stage, but I want to say something before we get to the first inductor. When I was called to do this, I responded with a “hell yeah, I’ll do it!” I didn’t know what I was going to say till 5 minutes ago, but anyway let’s bring out the president of PWS, Star Stormz to kick off our night!
(Star Stormz comes out from the back wearing an elegant black dress. She approaches the podium and is met with a hug from Eddie Lopez. He takes his leave as she stands behind the podium)
Star Stormz: Thank you, Eddie. That was beautiful. Tonight, we gather as a family to honor some of our most loyal and special into the PWS Hall of Fame. A place where they can be immortalized forever. As I stand here tonight, I have the honor of inducting 3 men who… not gonna lie… have been thorns in my side since day 1.
(She chuckles a bit along with the audience)
Star Stormz: When you think about PWS families… the names Lopez, Makarios, Madison and Phoenix come to mind. But one name sticks out above the rest. One family has dug their heels in so deep in PWS that without them… it wouldn't be the same. The first family of PWS… the Russows. The God Damned Russows.
(She smirks a little as she shakes her head gently, a slight chuckle in her voice)
Star Stormz: The legacy of the Russows began with one… the patriarch and EASILY one of the most obnoxious people I've ever met. I say that with all the love in my heart. Levi Russow… the day you signed your first PWSi contract… I knew I was in for a hell of a wild ride! Levi walked in to my office a single parent, little Jack banshee screaming his poor little lungs out. I remember picking up that infant and just… holding him… as he stopped crying. The look on Levi's face was such relief… I knew right then and there that he needed PWS as much as we needed him.
(The cameras cut to Jack in the audience with a slight smile on his face, hearing this story)
Star Stormz: Hell, I even played babysitter for his debut match. Little Jack was such a sweetheart, I didn't mind! That first match… I knew we had something special in Levi. Sure, as he got more comfortable he became literally the BIGGEST pain in my ass he could be. And I swear he did it on purpose. But I'd have it no other way.
(She laughed along with the crowd)
Star Stormz: Then along came another… another Russow came to the PWS family when Jesse Russow showed up and was making waves in PWSR. And then ANOTHER when Daniel Russow joined the mix in PWSX. They all made names for themselves, and when PWSi was the last brand standing… and they all were in one place… oh good GOD. These three are hands down my favorite pains in the ass…
(She shook her head.)
Star Stormz: The Russow name is synonymous with trouble. Chaos. Headaches. But you know what else it means? Loyalty. Respect. Honor. Dignity. Pride. And whether they like to admit it or not… kindness. I have seen these 3 men grow and expand their horizons. I've been at their weddings, held their kids… they are family to me. We may joke with each other, prank each other, and annoy the hell out if each other. But that's what family does. So i am so honored to stand here today and induct them into the PWS Hall of Fame. Levi, Jesse, and Dan… you three deserve this honor more than I can express. Everyone let's hear it for the RUSSOW BROTHERS!!!
(Suddenly the shrill string drag of Adam Dutckiewicz opening into the thrashing opening of “This Fire Burns” by Killswitch Engage as suddenly out from behind the curtain we see Jack Russow come walking out to a massive ovation…holding hands with Alanah, Alanah holding baby Rory, Mack holding both of the twins who are out cold. To everyone’s surprise…Bella Madison steps out holding onto little Aurora’s hand who’s holding onto little Zion’s hand…Charlie is all but holding Rosie back on a leash as a generic swelling orchestral music sounds as the kids get an applaud onstage until “This Fire Burns” hits again and this time Levi, Jesse, and Dan come stalking out onto the ramp and the absolute roof gets blown off the place. Levi stands center stage, Dan to his right, Jesse to his left. Massive conflicting chants of “RU-SSOW!” and ‘THANK YOU RUSSOWS!” they walk towards each other and all three of them bump knuckles and walk around the podium blowing the kids a kiss…Levi makes it a point to walk up to Bella and give her a kiss on the cheek. He turns back around and approaches the podium.)
Levi Russow: Y’know, we–
(There is another massive outburst of “THANK YOU RUSSOW!” chants as Levi blows them all a double kiss and Jesse pounds his chest while Dan nods.)
Levi Russow: I am…almost completely at a loss for words. If you would have told me when I first got here, I was so bad I swore I was gone after my first match. There coulda been no Russow Takeover before it even started! But you know me…you know all about me, you know what I’ve done, you know the empire I’ve built and how proud of it I am. Another Hall of Fame ring? I would have never seen it coming…especially not with these two assholes. Jesse can’t even brainwash giants right!
(There’s a massive OHHHHH! From the fans and a faint “WE MISS SLAPPY!” chant.)
Jesse Russow: I -I-...guys…BELIEVE me, I know. You know who I’m married to! I am…SO immensely sorry for starting so much shit just trying to make a name that…when the time came would stack UP to my brothers. And after Cam and I had a talk about it…I’m a former PWSR No Limits Champion…I’ve won a little scrilla here and there. And my legacy is all but assured, but see that’s what I didn’t BELIEVE. I didn’t believe in the HYPE and I didn’t believe in ME.
(Jesse looks around with tears in his eyes.)
Jesse Russow: My brothers did…they always have. It was never Levi and the Russows or Dan and the Russows it was always just the Brothers Russow…we were a full-on destructive unit of hilarity, calamity, riot, and rage!
(The fans pop at Jesse getting on a bit of a roll there.)
Jesse Russow: …hey I’ve read some books lately! But anyway there’s a massive…part of this…that doesn’t feel right to me. And I know he’s not here…but I don’t think it’s fair to forgive me and not him. So wherever you are, Slaps…I’m truly, honestly, heartfully sorry. That’s…that’s all I have to say, thank you all!
(There’s a smattering of applause for Jesse as Dan swaggers up to the stage. A massive “DE-VI-ANT! DE-VI-ANT!” chant breaks out as Dan holds up one finger and reaches on the inside of his leather jacket pocket and an explosion erupts when the fans see him pull out the original Rabid Deviant mask! He holds it up to the lights and then lowers it back down again before kissing it’s forehead and laying it on the podium. Dan takes a stance like he’s about to speak from the heart…until he’s hijacked by “YOU DESERVE THIS!” chants which sees him close his eyes and snarl absolutely trying not to tear up when suddenly he feels a tug at his coattails and looks down and lifts little Aurora into his arms and she wraps her arms around his neck as tough as she can patting his cheeks saying “No cry! No cry!!!” and Dan looks at her with far more love than any championship gold he could have ever held….the fanbase probably expected him to get on the mic and open fire but instead…Dan kisses Aurora on the side of the head and waves at the crowd getting her to wave too. Levi steps back up to the podium.)
Levi Russow: We are honored…THANK you…THANK you so much.
(The Brothers Russow corral all their kids and lead them offstage as the jumbotron kicks to life…)
(We cut back to Eddie Lopez Sr back at the podium)
Eddie Lopez Sr: Congratulations to the Russow brothers! Such good memories that they ran down in their speech and I remember all of them happening as well, I’m very proud of them even though they still owe me a steak dinner….anyway! I’ll be back there in a moment to pose with them and their new bling is that what the kids still call it? I’m not hip with the kids these days…. Anyway, without any further delay, let’s bring out Star again as she has a special speech planned.
(Star comes back out and hugs Eddie again as he takes his leave.)
Star Stormz: And now we move on to the heartbreaking part of the night. Anyone who knew Nic Powell knew that he was the heart and soul of this place. He put a lot of time and effort… blood, sweat, and tears… into PWS. For years, even back in the old PWS days, if you needed anything… you went to Nic. Struggling with your promo skills? Nic was your man. Need a new entrance theme? Nic was THE go to for that. Hell, my new song was picked by him.
(She took a deep breath as she began to tear up)
Star Stormz: He was a lot to many. He was a friend, a support system, an ear to listen. I will keep my words short because while he and I were close… there are 2 others who were closer to him than I. But just know this…
(She wiped a tear that had began to fall down her cheek)
Star Stormz: PWS is not the same without him. We lost a member of our family. And the hardest part was he knew it was coming. He tried to prepare us for a day without him. Of course we all shrugged it off "nah, that's a long way off". Until… it wasn't. I will never forget the tears in the voice of Laura when she called to tell me. And there is nothing any of us can do. But tonight… We honor him. We put him alongside some of the biggest names in the company. While many of you fans may not have known his name… you felt his presence.
(She takes another deep breath and wipes away another tear)
Star Stormz: So please, without any further ado, allow me to introduce the man who will be inducting Nic into the Hall of Fame… Mr Levi Russow!
(Suddenly blasting over the PA system…is “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy and we see a slightly dressed down of Levi come walking out as he walks over and kisses Star on the cheek as the fans are going absolutely wild with Iceman chants but Levi manages to steer it to “NIC! NIC! NIC! NIC! As Levi nods his head and approaches the podium.)
Levi Russow: Many of you know…a lot of you don’t. But this PWS world didn’t work without the exemplary talents of one man in particular who always opted to stay behind the scenes. We have what we call “handlers” that we report to and they walk us through the plans for the week like more hands-on producers. You wanted Nic to pick your program to work. Everything he created was gold…I was proud, I *AM* proud…to call him my absolute best friend. We traveled the world, up and down these highways bouncing ideas off each other. The funniest shit you’ve ever seen Dan, Nick, or Jesse put up to? That was Nic. He was mischievous and a little bit of a rebel. We were the yin to each other’s yang. The PWS Bash Brothers. I’ve never before have met a soul that just…CLICKED with mine like that. He was the other half of my heart, man! Nic Powell was the Silent Bob to my Jay! The peanut butter to my jelly! My hetero life mate! I would KILL to get my brother back. Everyone knows the Russow Brothers’ stories…they were nightmares. Nic taught us how to turn them into fuel to be the single most Goddamn dangerous family in professional wrestling. THAT was Nic Goddamn Powell! The entire Family protocol? The Darkest Carnival? Nic was there for ALL of that. There IS no Russow Family…without a Powell. He…truly had the biggest heart of all of us. A reluctant heart…but when it invested, man it burned til it was through. His work rate…his attitude through the Hell he had to live? He was…he was fuckin’ impressive. But take the business sense away…take the creativity away…boil it down to brass tacks, he’d still be in the trench right next to me. He put that faith and belief he had in ME…INTO what we worked on. Ladies and Gentlemen…sometimes in this world…God lets the light outlive the star. But no star shines brighter…than NIC “GODDAMN” POWELL!!!!
(The crowd absolutely explodes, stomping and slapping the walls chanting “NIC! NIC! NIC! NIC!” as Levi pounds his chest letting them pump him up.)
Levi Russow: Here to accept on behalf of Nic Powell is one of the few people I know of that might have known him better than me. Please welcome…LAURA PHOENIX!!!!
(Laura makes her way out wearing a beautiful dress in her signature color, red. She approaches the podium where she and Levi share an emotional hug before Levi exits the area)
Laura Phoenix: You meet a lot of people when you enter a world much like ours, some become acquaintances, some become friends and if you are lucky you connect with on such a level that they can easily shake the very core of your being. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation, words sometimes kind and sometimes words that will slap the shit out of you and make you see the hard truth. Nic did that a few times. We always had this running gag that while I was the hard ass bitch with the mom ability, he was the asshole dad-like figure. We made for a hell of a team. Getting to know the man himself was perhaps one of the best things that I have had happen to me and I know that seems a little selfish, but the idea of all of this is to tell the greatest stories we could possibly tell. Well Nic’s story is one of strength, even with a body that was constantly trying to battle him, like Levi said, there was never denying that man’s heart. If I could have bottled even an ounce of it for myself it still would have been unmatched to his love of PWS. You have no idea how much time he put into it, and I’m not just talking Apex. From PWSX, PWSi, PWSR...the originators of Billy C and Rick Robinson, the creators of this brand would have to bow down to a man like Nic. Without him, it would have died a long time ago. That’s not a shoot, that’s the truth.
(She paused for moment, taking in a deep breath)
Laura Phoenix: I didn’t want to come out here and feel like this was a eulogy for a man that still lives in all of us. Every single person that he came in contact with, he left a mark on. Whether good, bad or indifferent it didn’t matter because through ALL of us Nic Powell LIVES ON in every single mother fucking moment. And I know that’s some harsh language for a Hall of Fame induction but at this point, it is warranted because it’s the truth. And it’s what he would want. We had conversations, ones that I never wanted to have because he was real about what time he had left. To us, he left all too soon but to him he made the best of the time that he knew he had. There isn’t one moment in time that I do not wish to see my phone light up with his name again, but that is that selfish side of me again. I loved him as more than just a friend and a brother, I just loved him. I want you guys to continue to feel that love that he had for all of us and let PWS live on in his memory. That would be his greatest legacy, to tell your stories with all the vigor and enjoyment that he brought to his. Live your stories, love every day and never ever forget the name Nicholas Andrew Powell.
(Laura's eyes well with tears as both Levi and Star come out and join her. The three of them share a side hug as they lead the crowd in one more "NIC! NIC! NIC!" chant. The song "Life Is Beautiful" by Sixx AM plays as the screen fades to the following image)