Post by SalTal on Aug 24, 2012 7:28:42 GMT -4
Internet Explorer-*click*-Favorites-*click*-APW.com-*click*-Shockwave-*click*-Sally Talfourd-*click*-Loading...
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which fades away to a shot of a wall covered in photos and pictures and the like pinned up. Picture after overlapping picture. As we get closer to them, we can make them out. They are pictures from across modern times of those great, symbolic friendships that the world has seen grow. Robert Redford and Paul Newman as Butch and Sundance. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Bonnie and Clyde. Han Solo and Chewbacca. Dozens and dozens of pictures. Then...a voice...
[Sally] Great friends. The best of friends. And, yet, there’s still one that should be up there.
Into the shot steps the bodacious Sally Talfourd - amazing for all to see - with a picture in her hands. She holds it up to the camera and we see it’s a happy-snap of Sally and the APW World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bailey. It looks like they’re in a good mood, what with arms wrapped each other and smiles a plenty.
[Sally] Let’s just put that here.
Sally pins up the picture right in the middle, covering up a hole bunch of others.
[Sally] Now, I know what a lot of people are probably wondering why I’m doing this. You know, after last week and the weeks before when Bailey and I weren’t exactly getting along - why am I doing this? Why am I saying that we’re still friends and all.
[Shane] Yeah, I know I’m wondering.
[Sally] Well, it’s pretty simple. We got here because of the friendship. We’re not here because we hate each other. We’re not here because there’s some bad-blood feud going on. We’re not here because one of us is seeking out revenge. We’ve got here purely and simply because we respect each other. That’s it. Nothing bad, all good.
[Shane] So what does this make the match then? What are you both trying to prove?
[Sally] That’s simple too. This is a test. Our match, it’s a test. A real test that we both need to go through. Bailey - the company’s newest champion. The fresh face on the block. The newest flavour. And now, he’s looking to test himself. You see, he’s won this title. He’s won the world heavyweight title ... now what? Now he has to defend it. And who else would he want to defend it against than one of the biggest names the company has had?I don’t blame him. He’s someone who really wants a memorable reign. He’s someone who is going to want to end up in the record books. So I don’t blame him for, you know, getting all excited about our match.
[Shane] Excited? Is that what you call it?
[Sally] That’s exactly what I call it. Like, when you’re excited ... you can do some silly things. Like wrestle crazy matches or say crazy things. Somethimes you can do some crazy things like accidental chair shots. Like hitting your former tag team partner. Sometimes you get too excited to really know what you’re doing. You do that when you’re new to an APW championship, like Bailey is. I mean, it’s his first big title here. Yeah, he held a second-tier title but that’s always riding in the back seat to the front-seat world titles. Sometimes people paid attention to Bailey, but most of the time they were happy to let him entertain for five, ten minutes while they waited for the big names.
[Shane] Big names like?
[Sally] Big names like me. But that’s besides the point. What I’m saying is that Bailey is now stepping up into the big picture and he is going to want to prove to everyone that he deserves that spot. It’s cute, in a way. But it’s also admirable. Admirable that he wants to make something of himself. Admirable that he is bringing a prestige back to the belt he has since that Jason Kash has been holding it. Admirable that he wants to test himself against me. I admired Bailey before because I could see all this potential in him back before he was world champion and now it’s all coming to fruition. And that’s great for him. Really great.
Sally turns back to look at the picture she just pinned up. The smiles say it all - there’s a mutual respect here. A level of respect that is so rare to find in this business. It transcends that mentor-mentee idea that eveyone was talking about leading up. It’s something more. No, not that cliche’d romance stuff that you see every year. It was respect that brought these two together, and respect that brings them to this match. Two fan favourites, two faces, two of the ‘happy’ people, and now they’re facing off. One moment more of looking at the picture, and Sally is back.
[Shane] So what’s in this match for you? Former world champion, been at the top for a while now, so now what?
[Sally] Well, for me it’s a test too. Last year, it was a bit of a downer. This year, I’m trying to get back on top. I’m trying to show the world that I’m still as good as I once was. This year, it’s been a good one. Yeah some ups and down, but definitely more ups. Here, though, is my chance to keep on a roll. A chance to show the world that I’m still a top rate talent. I know how good I am, and the fans know how good I can be ... but they need reassurance, you know? They need to see that I’m still as good as the person they started cheering for. And, you know, I wouldn’t mind some reassurance too. I wouldn’t mind knowing if I’m still the woman I once was. If i can still roll with these young guys and girls who are coming up in the ranks.
Bailey also needs to know that there’s a certain standard expected for the world heavyweight champions in this company. That you need to be of a certain calibre of wrestlers here if you want to hold the title. And I intend to hold him to that level of skill. I’m really doing him a favour, you know? If it’s not me - someone who respects him - then it will definitely be someone else. Someone who won’t just be in there to test him, but to hurt him. Or to ruin him. Or to do a lot worse. Me? I’m just going to test him. Because I know that’s what he wants. He really wants to be tested. He really wants to be pushed. He really wants to be taken to his limits so that he knows, deep down, that he deserves that title. If he wins, then he knows he deserves to be champion. If he loses, then he knows he doesn’t deserve that title. When he can pin me, and do it off his own back, then he knows he can be the world heavyweight champion.
[Shane] What do you mean ‘off your own back’?
[Sally] Well, he needs to beat me clean. No “accidental” chair shots, no interference, no shenanigans. Just a straight, clean, win. That’s where you know if you deserve, firstly, the win and, secondly, whatever comes with that win. When he beats me clean, then he deserves to be champion.
[Shane] Are you expecting anyone?
[Sally] Oh no, of course not. Everyone on Asylum has enough brains to stay out of this. The people on Asylum know that this match is, honestly, one of the biggest that we’ve had for a long time. Asylum, right now, is a premiere show. We’re putting on the exciting matches. We’re building up the best talent. We’ve got the most exciting title matches. We’re, simply, the best part of APW right now. And what does it say that Anthony and I are in a match for Asylum’s top title?
[Shane] That you’re the best?
[Sally] Absolutely! It says that we’re the best in APW right now. Anthony Bailey is the top title holder on Asylum. I’m the woman he’s facing. That naturally means that everyone comes after us. And, even though there’s no hatred or anger going on between us, this is a match that everyone wants to see. They want to see the two most talented people face each other. They want to see if the fresh face can handle it against the old favourite. And that’s what they’re getting this Shockwave.
The fans have been waiting so long to see these two get into the ring, one-on-one. It will be the first time they have had to tango against each other. It’s been cooking for months now. Before Rasslemania even Sally and Bailey started their path to this match. Then, Asylum after Asylum, it got closer and closer. It didn’t matter who they were feuding with at the time, it didn’t matter who they were wrestling against each night. No, it was like destony was pulling them towards this match at Shockwave. Just think about it: Sally could have beat Callahan and she wouldn’t be here; Bailey could have never lost the Tap Out Championship; Sally could have won the Test for the Best tournament. See? There’s all sorts of things that could have prevented this match from happening. And yet ... they didn’t.
[Sally] Anyway, you see all of these people up here ... *Sally throws her hand towards the picture wall*[/b] ... these people are exactly the same as Bailey and I. They have their ups, they have their downs, but at the end of the day: They got to where they’re going by respect, through friendship, through that connection that so few people can form. Bailey, you knwo I respect you. That messing with you at the end of last week, it wasn’t me trying to get into your head or cost you a win or try to hurt you. It was to show you just what sort of opportunity you’ve got now. If I was anyone else, I’d have hit you. I’d have ruined your match. Instead, I showed you how ‘on the ball’ you have to be as the champion.
You never know when someone is going to come for you, Anthony. You’ve got a hell of a target on you right now, and yet ... you’re leaving yourself open for attacks. I showed you how you don’t have your eye on the ball right now. By the end of our match, we’ll all know if you’re ready to be champion. I won’t take those cheap shots, I won’t break the rules, I won’t do anything bad ... but I will show you each and every time that someone else could have. Like, I’ll break before the counts start, but I’ll quickly remind you that you had another four, five second of agony and pain in store if you were facing someone else. No, this won’t be a match all about who can bend and break the rules, it’s going to be a pure test of wrestling. Of talent. That’s exactly what your title is about, and that’s exactly how you should have to defend the title. No silly mismatch of skills. No, you’re getting a real test here with me. That way, you’ll know exactly what level of wrestling to have to bring to this belt. And, by the end of it, you’ll know what level of in-ring smarts you’ll need if you want to go on defending the belt.[/color]
[Shane] That is if he retains, right?
[Sally] Not really, Shane. Bailey will learn whether he wins or loses. He will learn if he’s good enough or not. And that’s what friends are for: To tell you the truth. The real truth. It’s easy for me to go up to Bailey when he’s lost his title and say “You know, I always thought that you needed to be a little better at such-and-such, but i never had the heart to tell you”. I’m not that kind of friend. I’m prepared to help Bailey here - help him like a true friend should. I’ll put him through the hardest test he’s ever been through. I’ll make his winning of the title seem like the easiest part of his journey. I’ll remind him exactly what a champion should be like. I’ll show Bailey the truth of this all, just like a true friend should.
The truth? The truth is a rare thing here in this business. Like it or hate it, so few people are prepared to just be honest. There’s always a reason for it. Information is power, so they say. Knowing someone’s weakness is the most powerful thing you can have. So why held Bailey? Why would Sally help Anthony in a match like this? Respect. Unbridled and unashamed respect. Another thing that’s all too rare in this business, but which Sally has more than enough to go around. Anyway, Sally seems to shift her attention from the camera to ... through the camera, as if to speak to her opponent herself.[/b]
[Sally] Anthony, in this business, these *Sally gestures to the pictures behind her again*[/b] are rare. Friends are rare. I don’t want you thinking that I’m anything but. You don’t need to be thinking that I’m your enemy in all of this. You don’t need to be afraid or worried of what I’m going to do. I’m just a friend, remember? Don’t worry about last week, or the week before, or any other troubles we might have encountered. I’m not going into this match to exact some sort of unfounded revenge on you. I’m here to test you for the title. If you’re good enough, I’ll win it from you and you’ll know you need to get better. If you retain, you’ll know for sure that you’re the best in APW. That’s it. Just you be ready ... my friend.[/color]
Sally smiles at the camera and gives a cute little wave. With Sally standing there in front of that wall of friends, how can you not trust her? Surely Anthony can trust her, right? The shot fades out on Sally staring down her supposed date with the ring tonight to
Sally Talfourd
written across the screen, which in turn fades away as the episode comes to a close.
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which fades away to a shot of a wall covered in photos and pictures and the like pinned up. Picture after overlapping picture. As we get closer to them, we can make them out. They are pictures from across modern times of those great, symbolic friendships that the world has seen grow. Robert Redford and Paul Newman as Butch and Sundance. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Bonnie and Clyde. Han Solo and Chewbacca. Dozens and dozens of pictures. Then...a voice...
[Sally] Great friends. The best of friends. And, yet, there’s still one that should be up there.
Into the shot steps the bodacious Sally Talfourd - amazing for all to see - with a picture in her hands. She holds it up to the camera and we see it’s a happy-snap of Sally and the APW World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bailey. It looks like they’re in a good mood, what with arms wrapped each other and smiles a plenty.
[Sally] Let’s just put that here.
Sally pins up the picture right in the middle, covering up a hole bunch of others.
[Sally] Now, I know what a lot of people are probably wondering why I’m doing this. You know, after last week and the weeks before when Bailey and I weren’t exactly getting along - why am I doing this? Why am I saying that we’re still friends and all.
[Shane] Yeah, I know I’m wondering.
[Sally] Well, it’s pretty simple. We got here because of the friendship. We’re not here because we hate each other. We’re not here because there’s some bad-blood feud going on. We’re not here because one of us is seeking out revenge. We’ve got here purely and simply because we respect each other. That’s it. Nothing bad, all good.
[Shane] So what does this make the match then? What are you both trying to prove?
[Sally] That’s simple too. This is a test. Our match, it’s a test. A real test that we both need to go through. Bailey - the company’s newest champion. The fresh face on the block. The newest flavour. And now, he’s looking to test himself. You see, he’s won this title. He’s won the world heavyweight title ... now what? Now he has to defend it. And who else would he want to defend it against than one of the biggest names the company has had?I don’t blame him. He’s someone who really wants a memorable reign. He’s someone who is going to want to end up in the record books. So I don’t blame him for, you know, getting all excited about our match.
[Shane] Excited? Is that what you call it?
[Sally] That’s exactly what I call it. Like, when you’re excited ... you can do some silly things. Like wrestle crazy matches or say crazy things. Somethimes you can do some crazy things like accidental chair shots. Like hitting your former tag team partner. Sometimes you get too excited to really know what you’re doing. You do that when you’re new to an APW championship, like Bailey is. I mean, it’s his first big title here. Yeah, he held a second-tier title but that’s always riding in the back seat to the front-seat world titles. Sometimes people paid attention to Bailey, but most of the time they were happy to let him entertain for five, ten minutes while they waited for the big names.
[Shane] Big names like?
[Sally] Big names like me. But that’s besides the point. What I’m saying is that Bailey is now stepping up into the big picture and he is going to want to prove to everyone that he deserves that spot. It’s cute, in a way. But it’s also admirable. Admirable that he wants to make something of himself. Admirable that he is bringing a prestige back to the belt he has since that Jason Kash has been holding it. Admirable that he wants to test himself against me. I admired Bailey before because I could see all this potential in him back before he was world champion and now it’s all coming to fruition. And that’s great for him. Really great.
Sally turns back to look at the picture she just pinned up. The smiles say it all - there’s a mutual respect here. A level of respect that is so rare to find in this business. It transcends that mentor-mentee idea that eveyone was talking about leading up. It’s something more. No, not that cliche’d romance stuff that you see every year. It was respect that brought these two together, and respect that brings them to this match. Two fan favourites, two faces, two of the ‘happy’ people, and now they’re facing off. One moment more of looking at the picture, and Sally is back.
[Shane] So what’s in this match for you? Former world champion, been at the top for a while now, so now what?
[Sally] Well, for me it’s a test too. Last year, it was a bit of a downer. This year, I’m trying to get back on top. I’m trying to show the world that I’m still as good as I once was. This year, it’s been a good one. Yeah some ups and down, but definitely more ups. Here, though, is my chance to keep on a roll. A chance to show the world that I’m still a top rate talent. I know how good I am, and the fans know how good I can be ... but they need reassurance, you know? They need to see that I’m still as good as the person they started cheering for. And, you know, I wouldn’t mind some reassurance too. I wouldn’t mind knowing if I’m still the woman I once was. If i can still roll with these young guys and girls who are coming up in the ranks.
Bailey also needs to know that there’s a certain standard expected for the world heavyweight champions in this company. That you need to be of a certain calibre of wrestlers here if you want to hold the title. And I intend to hold him to that level of skill. I’m really doing him a favour, you know? If it’s not me - someone who respects him - then it will definitely be someone else. Someone who won’t just be in there to test him, but to hurt him. Or to ruin him. Or to do a lot worse. Me? I’m just going to test him. Because I know that’s what he wants. He really wants to be tested. He really wants to be pushed. He really wants to be taken to his limits so that he knows, deep down, that he deserves that title. If he wins, then he knows he deserves to be champion. If he loses, then he knows he doesn’t deserve that title. When he can pin me, and do it off his own back, then he knows he can be the world heavyweight champion.
[Shane] What do you mean ‘off your own back’?
[Sally] Well, he needs to beat me clean. No “accidental” chair shots, no interference, no shenanigans. Just a straight, clean, win. That’s where you know if you deserve, firstly, the win and, secondly, whatever comes with that win. When he beats me clean, then he deserves to be champion.
[Shane] Are you expecting anyone?
[Sally] Oh no, of course not. Everyone on Asylum has enough brains to stay out of this. The people on Asylum know that this match is, honestly, one of the biggest that we’ve had for a long time. Asylum, right now, is a premiere show. We’re putting on the exciting matches. We’re building up the best talent. We’ve got the most exciting title matches. We’re, simply, the best part of APW right now. And what does it say that Anthony and I are in a match for Asylum’s top title?
[Shane] That you’re the best?
[Sally] Absolutely! It says that we’re the best in APW right now. Anthony Bailey is the top title holder on Asylum. I’m the woman he’s facing. That naturally means that everyone comes after us. And, even though there’s no hatred or anger going on between us, this is a match that everyone wants to see. They want to see the two most talented people face each other. They want to see if the fresh face can handle it against the old favourite. And that’s what they’re getting this Shockwave.
The fans have been waiting so long to see these two get into the ring, one-on-one. It will be the first time they have had to tango against each other. It’s been cooking for months now. Before Rasslemania even Sally and Bailey started their path to this match. Then, Asylum after Asylum, it got closer and closer. It didn’t matter who they were feuding with at the time, it didn’t matter who they were wrestling against each night. No, it was like destony was pulling them towards this match at Shockwave. Just think about it: Sally could have beat Callahan and she wouldn’t be here; Bailey could have never lost the Tap Out Championship; Sally could have won the Test for the Best tournament. See? There’s all sorts of things that could have prevented this match from happening. And yet ... they didn’t.
[Sally] Anyway, you see all of these people up here ... *Sally throws her hand towards the picture wall*[/b] ... these people are exactly the same as Bailey and I. They have their ups, they have their downs, but at the end of the day: They got to where they’re going by respect, through friendship, through that connection that so few people can form. Bailey, you knwo I respect you. That messing with you at the end of last week, it wasn’t me trying to get into your head or cost you a win or try to hurt you. It was to show you just what sort of opportunity you’ve got now. If I was anyone else, I’d have hit you. I’d have ruined your match. Instead, I showed you how ‘on the ball’ you have to be as the champion.
You never know when someone is going to come for you, Anthony. You’ve got a hell of a target on you right now, and yet ... you’re leaving yourself open for attacks. I showed you how you don’t have your eye on the ball right now. By the end of our match, we’ll all know if you’re ready to be champion. I won’t take those cheap shots, I won’t break the rules, I won’t do anything bad ... but I will show you each and every time that someone else could have. Like, I’ll break before the counts start, but I’ll quickly remind you that you had another four, five second of agony and pain in store if you were facing someone else. No, this won’t be a match all about who can bend and break the rules, it’s going to be a pure test of wrestling. Of talent. That’s exactly what your title is about, and that’s exactly how you should have to defend the title. No silly mismatch of skills. No, you’re getting a real test here with me. That way, you’ll know exactly what level of wrestling to have to bring to this belt. And, by the end of it, you’ll know what level of in-ring smarts you’ll need if you want to go on defending the belt.[/color]
[Shane] That is if he retains, right?
[Sally] Not really, Shane. Bailey will learn whether he wins or loses. He will learn if he’s good enough or not. And that’s what friends are for: To tell you the truth. The real truth. It’s easy for me to go up to Bailey when he’s lost his title and say “You know, I always thought that you needed to be a little better at such-and-such, but i never had the heart to tell you”. I’m not that kind of friend. I’m prepared to help Bailey here - help him like a true friend should. I’ll put him through the hardest test he’s ever been through. I’ll make his winning of the title seem like the easiest part of his journey. I’ll remind him exactly what a champion should be like. I’ll show Bailey the truth of this all, just like a true friend should.
The truth? The truth is a rare thing here in this business. Like it or hate it, so few people are prepared to just be honest. There’s always a reason for it. Information is power, so they say. Knowing someone’s weakness is the most powerful thing you can have. So why held Bailey? Why would Sally help Anthony in a match like this? Respect. Unbridled and unashamed respect. Another thing that’s all too rare in this business, but which Sally has more than enough to go around. Anyway, Sally seems to shift her attention from the camera to ... through the camera, as if to speak to her opponent herself.[/b]
[Sally] Anthony, in this business, these *Sally gestures to the pictures behind her again*[/b] are rare. Friends are rare. I don’t want you thinking that I’m anything but. You don’t need to be thinking that I’m your enemy in all of this. You don’t need to be afraid or worried of what I’m going to do. I’m just a friend, remember? Don’t worry about last week, or the week before, or any other troubles we might have encountered. I’m not going into this match to exact some sort of unfounded revenge on you. I’m here to test you for the title. If you’re good enough, I’ll win it from you and you’ll know you need to get better. If you retain, you’ll know for sure that you’re the best in APW. That’s it. Just you be ready ... my friend.[/color]
Sally smiles at the camera and gives a cute little wave. With Sally standing there in front of that wall of friends, how can you not trust her? Surely Anthony can trust her, right? The shot fades out on Sally staring down her supposed date with the ring tonight to
Sally Talfourd
written across the screen, which in turn fades away as the episode comes to a close.
