NEON

NEON has the confidence of someone who has already pictured the poster. Bright green, a name made for lights and absolutely no intention of blending into the background. The rookie is a character role, not a claim that the other seven have a competitive head start: every published record on this card begins at zero.

That makes the swagger more interesting. There is no result to point at, only the appetite to be noticed and the nerve to act as though the biggest stage is exactly where this character belongs. NEON stands for the glorious gap between introducing yourself and finding out what that introduction will cost.

RAMPAGE is an appropriately unfriendly welcome. The villain wants a reaction; the rookie wants a moment. NEON’s tension is whether confidence can survive being questioned without turning into an even bigger performance. Back this corner if you remember arriving somewhere new and deciding, perhaps a little early, that you were ready.