Baldwin IV of Jerusalem

What about the third option? What about Christianity's footprint in the Middle East? What if there's a character or faction that features a Franco-Levantine crusader king, along with his Christian warriors seeking to secure the Holy Land and bring about the rule of, of the only living God worldwide? There's definitely a lot of material to cut promos with the subject and tie with the current events and real life ongoing tensions conflict.

The Leopard King, King Baldwin IV seems pretty badass.

Just look at his portrayal in the movie City of God.

Why not cross that over to the wrestling ring somehow? I wonder how such a gimmick would interact with a character like MJF at AEW.

in due course but that hasn't happened yet

no i mean he does try though he tries in in 1183 he marches an army to karak he besieges it uh at this point the the leper king uh baldwin he musters the army of jerusalem to go and head this off chases salad and off basically it relieves the siege But it doesn't seem to stop Reynold.

He keeps provoking.

He keeps just needling at him.

And whilst this is going on, there's a little bit of politics happening, which I think is important background to what's going to happen in the final chapter of this story for Reynold.

So...

The Leper King, he dies, and there's basically two factions at the court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

There's one that kind of wants to do as best it can to keep the peace with Saladin.

The invincible Sultan Saladin has crossed the frontier with an overwhelming army, poised to assault the city.

Standing in the castle courtyard, surveying his badly outnumbered garrison, is 16-year-old King Baldwin IV.

Baldwin's body is a prison.

Leprosy is eating him alive from the inside out.

And he attacks Saladin.

the Kingdom of Jerusalem with an army of 20,000 men.

Baldwin IV is here.

He's got 500 knights and some spearmen, some archers, stuff like that.

From the day he commanded on Mount Lebanon.

From Lebanon's forests to Galilee's wave, the sands of Samar drank the blood of the brave, till the knights of the temple and knights of St. John, with Salem's King Baldwin against him, came on.

The war cymbals clattered, the trumpets replied, the lances were couched and they closed on each side.

And horsemen and horses Count Albert overthrew, Till he pierced the thick tumult King Baldwin unto.

Against the charmed blade which Count Albert did wield, The fence had been vain of the king's red cross shield, But a page thrust him forward, the monarch before, And cleft the proud turban the renegade wore.

so fell was the dint that count albert stooped low before the crossed shield to his steel saddle-bow and scarce had he bent to the red cross his head bon grce notre dame he unwittingly said sore sighed the charmed sword for his virtue was o'er it sprung from his grasp and was never seen more but true men have said that the lightning's red wing did waft back the brand to the dread fire-king

We'll talk about that in a second.

What is on your sweatshirt? Leper King? I am Jerusalem.

Just heard of it.

Not too familiar.

What is the cord bracelet on your wrist? Oh, you're just watching me, huh? You're just watching me, huh? Yes, this is King Baldwin, the shirt.

The shirt is King Baldwin.

He's the leper king.

You're right, 100%.

New book actually, which is coming out with Yale in 2028.

It's called The Last King of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV and the Fall of the Crusader States.

It's the true history behind the film Kingdom of Heaven.

It's about Baldwin IV, the King of Jerusalem who has leprosy and he's trying to hold his kingdom together as he fights both Saladin and the advance of his illness.

So that's the next thing to come.

Excellent.

We'll talk about that in a second.

What is on your sweatshirt? Leper King? I am Jerusalem.

Just heard of it.

Not too familiar.

What is the cord bracelet on your wrist? Oh, you're just watching me, huh? You're just watching me, huh? um the yes this is king baldwin the shirt the shirt is king baldwin uh he's the leper king you're right 100 percent uh very uh very valiant smart strong king um that's who that is from the movie uh i think it's uh what is the movie i am jerusalem that's what he says i forget what it's called uh kingdom of something something or other from that movie.

He's great.

It's played by Edward Norton in that movie.

He wasn't kissing leopards, um, because they would have scratched his face off.

It was lepers, uh, like King, like literally like King Baldwin.

This is a King that had leprosy.

Uh, he died young because of it.

And then you get these incredible figures.

Baldwin IV, the Leper King, fighting brilliantly despite his disease.

Saladin, who recaptures the city in 1187 with surprising mercy.

And Richard the Lionheart, who sees Jerusalem from a hilltop but never actually enters it.