Post by C.J. Gates on Mar 9, 2014 18:58:35 GMT -4
"Rasslemania X.
"This show marks the end of the line, the last show that the APW holds. APW has become an institution in the world of wrestling. For years, it set the standard for what everyone wanted to achieve. Longevity, success, and home to some of the biggest names in the business. What APW did during its tenure is what some companies can only ever dream of doing. It's hard to believe that APW is closing its doors.
"It's also hard to believe everything I've been capable of doing sine entering the federation. Sure, when it happens it's big news, but it never really sinks in because you're always looking ahead to what is to come. I'll admit, however, that between One Night in Hell and now, I've walked down that road of nostalgia. I've taken a look at all that I've done here, and at times, I can't really believe it.
"Is it right to call my time in APW a dream? Not at all. If anything, the past three and a half years is better summed up as a dream come true. I took the chance to sign a deal with APW, and I never regretted it for a moment. Unlike some who saw it as a chance to flew their muscle and their ignorance, I saw it as a moment to do what I've always wanted to do. Put on good matches for the most important people in this business. The fans.
"And I get one more chance to do just that.
"Johnny Rebel and I have had our differences over time, that much is no secret, but what might be a secret, is that I wouldn't want to have this match against any other person. With all the animosity between he and I, this is the moment where we can put it all behind us. With one match, we can settle scores and see which one of us is the better man.
"Early on, that better man was me, but as time went on, Rebel has been showing me that he is not the same man I fought the first few times. He's never the same man I've fought. If there's one thing Rebel has going for him, it's that he's always capable of bringing a new surprise to each match.
"So why not? Why not go out in style, taking on one of the men that has given me so much trouble as of late. One of the men who, despite everything we've been through, still sees me as a chump. One of the men who still needs a bit of a reality check. One of the men who has still learned nothing throughout his time in APW.
"It won't be an easy fight, but then again, who wants an easy fight? Who wants to have their final match in a place like APW be against someone who won't fight back? Not I, and I'm sure not Rebel. Instead, we wanted a challenge. I'm sure of it. Rebel probably wanted to prove to me that he's still got a lot left in the tank, that he's still the big man on campus that he's always claimed to be. While me, I want to show him that I still have his number. That no matter how much he wants to discredit me, I'm still capable of beating him.
"Overall, I wanted a challenge.
"And I got one."
"So this is it, huh?" Vincent James asks as he looks over a copy of the cards for Rasslemania X. "This is how APW goes out. With one big bang."
"Well, technically three," Gates responds from behind his desk. His usual cowboy hat sits on a table just off to his right. "But yeah, Jeff really pulled everything together to give his company one big send off with some top tier talent. Jack Benevolence, Rex Evans, Adrien Specter, hell, even Kurt Noble is back for one night."
"It's a hell of a show he's got here," James says as he places the card down on the desk top.
"And night two is headlined by a match that should have taken place almost two years ago."
"A No Disqualification match for the World Heavyweight title?" James asks.
"The ending to a bitter rivalry," Gates answers. "It's the one thing Johnny and I never really had. Not a real ending anyways."
"Alright, you've lost me."
Gates smirks. "Rebel and I have put each other through hell in various matches at various points of our time in APW. But after all that we did, after all that he did, we never really got that chance to settle the score once and for all."
"Until now."
"Until now," Gates repeats. "It's one of the reasons I jumped at the chance. Getting Rebel one on one in what could be the final opportunity? It was too good to pass up."
"Wait," James interjects. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Is this it for the North Dakota Cowboy?"
"Well," Gates begins before pausing. "I was really making reference to the fact that Johnny is no spring chicken and sooner or later he's going to have to hang the boots up, but, yeah, I had been thinking I'd do the same."
"That kind of came out of nowhere."
"Maybe, but I've accomplished a hell of a lot during my time in APW," Gates says with a sigh. "Maybe it's just that time."
"But there's so much left to do," James says. "More titles, more accolades, more adventure."
"Yeah, but you don't want to burn yourself out," Gates says as he gets up from his desk and walks toward the far wall and picks something up. "I mean, you can always try something new to try and inject new life into things." Gates tosses a wrestling mask designed to look like a wolf into the empty chair beside James. "But even that only does so much to put a new perspective on things."
"True, but-"
"But what?" Gates asks. "I've won championships, I've had some pretty memorable matches and I've left the fans in awe on more then one occasion. Basically, if this is the last match I wrestle, I would be alright with it. I'd be going out on top."
"Unless Johnny Rebel buries you in the match," James offers.
Gates chuckles. "I guess there's that. But Johnny knows me well enough to know that it's not going to be easy to put me away. After all, this isn't just some random match. This is the end of an era. This is the finale that we've been waiting for. Or at least the finale I've been waiting for."
"You really want that World Heavyweight title, don't you?" James says before snapping his fingers. "Hey! That's an accomplishment you can aim for."
"To be honest, it's not about the title," Gates says. "Mind you, if I was able to win the belt, it would be an honor and it would make me the last ever APW World Heavyweight champion. But that's not really what this match is about. It's just an added bonus."
"So then it's about?"
"It's about beating Rebel at his own game," Gates begins, "or trying to anyways. It's just one of those things that you have to do. Go out there and give it your all." Gates sits back down behind the desk. "Showing him that I'm not afraid of anything he has to throw my way."
"But if you've faced off a lot in the past, wouldn't he already know that?"
"He might," Gates says with a slight smile. "But if I've learned anything during my time in APW, it's that stuff like that, common sense, is not always prevalent."
"Too true," James says. "Too true."
"It will be a good match though," Gates says. "We're both competitors, we're both resilient and we're both seasoned in this federation. We might not be as high profile as Sally Talfourd and Level One, or Terry Marvin and Adrien Specter, but this will still be a great match. Just like all of those."
Gates motions to the wall where a collection of photographs hang. Photographs showcasing many of Gates' favorite matches against Biggs, Terry Marvin, Level One, Sally Talfourd and Kurt Noble, among others. He takes a few moments to look at the pictures before shaking his head.
"Man, it's just not going to be the same."
"I know what you mean," James says with a nod.
"How do you?" Gates asks. "You weren't in APW."
"No, but now you've got nothing to complain about," James says. "Things won't be the same without your weekly complaints. I'll grow to miss them, I know I will."
"You know what I'm going to miss the most, though?" Gates asks. "The fans. I'm going to miss their cheers, I'm going to miss the way they energize me when I am in the ring. Hell, I'm going to miss fighting for them against people trying to hold them back. If there was one place that had the best fans, it's APW."
"That's a bold statement considering some of the other federations out there."
"Possibly, but it might also be the truth." Gates shrugs. "Would I be where I am today because of them? Maybe, maybe not. I mean, nothing against the fans elsewhere. I've fought in front of a lot for them, and I praise them for my success just as much. The fans in the Trans-Atlantic cup were electric, backing me at every turn. But nothing will beat the fans of APW."
Gates takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "Well, I guess, at the very least, I can make the most of my last match for them. I can make the most of what we have left. I can make the most of headlining night two's action."
"And walk out with the APW World Heavyweight title in the process."
"Like I said before, that's not the main aim," Gates says. "I mean, it would be great, sure, but that's not my primary concern. Going out there and giving the fans one last match, one last spectacle, that's the real intention."
"Well, good luck."
"Thanks," Gates says. "I might need it."
"Fitting that this is how it would end, isn't it Johnny?
"At the final APW show, at the final Rasslemania, you and I are slated to end night two. You and I are set to do battle three years after we first went to war. I'm sure it's been forgotten about by a lot of people, but believe me, I haven't forgotten.
"July 3, 2011. We were both entered into the Test for the Best tournament, and after I managed to get by Sally Talfourd to advance, I got the pleasure of sitting back and watching you and Khaos take each other to the extreme. I watched as the blood was spilled and I watched as you put Khaos through all sorts of torture. And it was then that I realized you weren't the sort of guy to come into a federation, kick dust into peoples faces for a few months and then leave. You were something real.
"You were something I wasn't going to get rid of. Like that rash that keeps coming back, I knew that you were going to be a pain in my side for years and after our first meeting, after I beat you to advance in the tournament I eventually won, I knew I was right. Sure enough, at every moment, you and I butted heads. Whenever there was a big prize on the line, I would turn around to see Sir Simply Put strutting down the ramp.
"And it would bring a smile to my face.
"So I guess it's no surprise that I'm looking forward to this match. I'm looking forward to having my last APW match against the man who became one of my biggest rivals. I'm looking forward to standing across from you one last time. Competing against you one last time. Beating you one last time.
"After all, it's only fitting. Not the beating you part, the match itself. 2011's Test for the Best was, arguably, the night that saw the announcement of the North Dakota Cowboy as a real time player. It was the night that put me on the map here, as well as the night that put me on the map abroad in places like the Experts and CWC. But I wasn't the only one to have my coming out party that night.
"Sure, Biggs beat Level One for the Undisputed title at that time, but the man I'm talking about right now, is you Johnny.
"Prior to that, what were you? You were a name I'd never heard of, that's for sure. You were a man that had so much history, a seasoned veteran of the business, yet I had never really heard a thing about you. But in that one night, and the weeks prior, you managed to put yourself out there as a force to be reckoned with. A man that wasn't going to be pushed around. A man that wanted everything and anything he could get his hands on.
"And you've succeeded at just that. It's something about you that never seemed to fail. You wanted something, you went out and got it. You wanted to defeat Kurt Noble to get your Overdrive title back? You did it. You wanted to make my life hell going into our Rasslemania fatal four way match? You did it. You wanted to prove yourself to be the true Captain of Team APW? You did that, too. You didn't let opportunities go to waste. Even when things seemed stacked against you, you still found a way to overcome things.
"But you're still a prick. Sure, I can sit here and talk about how much you've done to impress me. I can sit here and talk about how much I admire what you were able to do during your time in APW. I can even sit here and say how jealous I was that you were able to capture a few of the titles I couldn't. But that's doesn't absolve you from being a total piece of shit.
"That comes with the territory, though. You wouldn't have been able to make Khaos bleed if you weren't. You wouldn't have been able to push Biggs, Kurt and myself aside if you weren't. You wouldn't have been able to turn that Rasslemania loss into something positive if you cared about anything. After all, you're Johnny Rebel. Simply F'ing Put, you're the sort of man who doesn't care what other people think about him.
"And I should know. As someone that has been in the ring with you in countless matches, I know just what kind of heartless son of a bitch you can be. I know what you're capable of and the places you're capable of stooping to. I know what makes you tick, but as I've shown over time, I also know your weaknesses. Your Achilles heel. I know how to beat you.
"But that doesn't mean I always will.
"This week alone there were a few people that told me I had this match in the bag. There were people who told me that I had nothing to worry about, history was on my side, things were looking good for me. But I knew better. I know better. I know that you aren't the same beast you were when we last fought, or even the same beast you were when you beat Level One for the World title. I know you are capable of turning things around on a dime. Sure, I've had my wins over you, and you've had some over me, but our overall record against one another does not tell us anything.
"What will tell us something, is Rasslemania X when we step into that ring with no rules. No limits. No disqualifications. Am I stupid to have accepted this match? Not really. Like I said, it was when you were bloodying Khaos that I knew you were going to be a rival of mine for years to come. So why not go out in a similar fashion. We can't kid ourselves, this could very well be the last time we face off against one another, maybe even the last time we wrestle. So why not go back to our roots. Go back to when we both put the APW on notice.
"Go back to when Johnny Rebel was making bitches bleed.
"We've both had successful APW careers, and this is the capper to all of that. This is the finale to everything that we have done. This will be the end of an era not just for APW, but for you and I as well, Johnny. After all the anger, all the aggression, all the animosity we've had for one another over the years, all of that will come to an end at Rasslemania.
"It's time for us to put everything we have on the table, Rebel. It's time for us to give it our all and leave everything in the ring. I know beating you is not easy, and I plan to give all the blood, sweat and potential tears that it might take to come out on top. To give the fans a match to remember forever. Better yet, we give it all because this is it. There's no next APW show. This is it.
"So, Johnny, it's time to finish what we started.
"It's time to go big and go home."
"This show marks the end of the line, the last show that the APW holds. APW has become an institution in the world of wrestling. For years, it set the standard for what everyone wanted to achieve. Longevity, success, and home to some of the biggest names in the business. What APW did during its tenure is what some companies can only ever dream of doing. It's hard to believe that APW is closing its doors.
"It's also hard to believe everything I've been capable of doing sine entering the federation. Sure, when it happens it's big news, but it never really sinks in because you're always looking ahead to what is to come. I'll admit, however, that between One Night in Hell and now, I've walked down that road of nostalgia. I've taken a look at all that I've done here, and at times, I can't really believe it.
"Is it right to call my time in APW a dream? Not at all. If anything, the past three and a half years is better summed up as a dream come true. I took the chance to sign a deal with APW, and I never regretted it for a moment. Unlike some who saw it as a chance to flew their muscle and their ignorance, I saw it as a moment to do what I've always wanted to do. Put on good matches for the most important people in this business. The fans.
"And I get one more chance to do just that.
"Johnny Rebel and I have had our differences over time, that much is no secret, but what might be a secret, is that I wouldn't want to have this match against any other person. With all the animosity between he and I, this is the moment where we can put it all behind us. With one match, we can settle scores and see which one of us is the better man.
"Early on, that better man was me, but as time went on, Rebel has been showing me that he is not the same man I fought the first few times. He's never the same man I've fought. If there's one thing Rebel has going for him, it's that he's always capable of bringing a new surprise to each match.
"So why not? Why not go out in style, taking on one of the men that has given me so much trouble as of late. One of the men who, despite everything we've been through, still sees me as a chump. One of the men who still needs a bit of a reality check. One of the men who has still learned nothing throughout his time in APW.
"It won't be an easy fight, but then again, who wants an easy fight? Who wants to have their final match in a place like APW be against someone who won't fight back? Not I, and I'm sure not Rebel. Instead, we wanted a challenge. I'm sure of it. Rebel probably wanted to prove to me that he's still got a lot left in the tank, that he's still the big man on campus that he's always claimed to be. While me, I want to show him that I still have his number. That no matter how much he wants to discredit me, I'm still capable of beating him.
"Overall, I wanted a challenge.
"And I got one."
--------------------------------------
"So this is it, huh?" Vincent James asks as he looks over a copy of the cards for Rasslemania X. "This is how APW goes out. With one big bang."
"Well, technically three," Gates responds from behind his desk. His usual cowboy hat sits on a table just off to his right. "But yeah, Jeff really pulled everything together to give his company one big send off with some top tier talent. Jack Benevolence, Rex Evans, Adrien Specter, hell, even Kurt Noble is back for one night."
"It's a hell of a show he's got here," James says as he places the card down on the desk top.
"And night two is headlined by a match that should have taken place almost two years ago."
"A No Disqualification match for the World Heavyweight title?" James asks.
"The ending to a bitter rivalry," Gates answers. "It's the one thing Johnny and I never really had. Not a real ending anyways."
"Alright, you've lost me."
Gates smirks. "Rebel and I have put each other through hell in various matches at various points of our time in APW. But after all that we did, after all that he did, we never really got that chance to settle the score once and for all."
"Until now."
"Until now," Gates repeats. "It's one of the reasons I jumped at the chance. Getting Rebel one on one in what could be the final opportunity? It was too good to pass up."
"Wait," James interjects. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Is this it for the North Dakota Cowboy?"
"Well," Gates begins before pausing. "I was really making reference to the fact that Johnny is no spring chicken and sooner or later he's going to have to hang the boots up, but, yeah, I had been thinking I'd do the same."
"That kind of came out of nowhere."
"Maybe, but I've accomplished a hell of a lot during my time in APW," Gates says with a sigh. "Maybe it's just that time."
"But there's so much left to do," James says. "More titles, more accolades, more adventure."
"Yeah, but you don't want to burn yourself out," Gates says as he gets up from his desk and walks toward the far wall and picks something up. "I mean, you can always try something new to try and inject new life into things." Gates tosses a wrestling mask designed to look like a wolf into the empty chair beside James. "But even that only does so much to put a new perspective on things."
"True, but-"
"But what?" Gates asks. "I've won championships, I've had some pretty memorable matches and I've left the fans in awe on more then one occasion. Basically, if this is the last match I wrestle, I would be alright with it. I'd be going out on top."
"Unless Johnny Rebel buries you in the match," James offers.
Gates chuckles. "I guess there's that. But Johnny knows me well enough to know that it's not going to be easy to put me away. After all, this isn't just some random match. This is the end of an era. This is the finale that we've been waiting for. Or at least the finale I've been waiting for."
"You really want that World Heavyweight title, don't you?" James says before snapping his fingers. "Hey! That's an accomplishment you can aim for."
"To be honest, it's not about the title," Gates says. "Mind you, if I was able to win the belt, it would be an honor and it would make me the last ever APW World Heavyweight champion. But that's not really what this match is about. It's just an added bonus."
"So then it's about?"
"It's about beating Rebel at his own game," Gates begins, "or trying to anyways. It's just one of those things that you have to do. Go out there and give it your all." Gates sits back down behind the desk. "Showing him that I'm not afraid of anything he has to throw my way."
"But if you've faced off a lot in the past, wouldn't he already know that?"
"He might," Gates says with a slight smile. "But if I've learned anything during my time in APW, it's that stuff like that, common sense, is not always prevalent."
"Too true," James says. "Too true."
"It will be a good match though," Gates says. "We're both competitors, we're both resilient and we're both seasoned in this federation. We might not be as high profile as Sally Talfourd and Level One, or Terry Marvin and Adrien Specter, but this will still be a great match. Just like all of those."
Gates motions to the wall where a collection of photographs hang. Photographs showcasing many of Gates' favorite matches against Biggs, Terry Marvin, Level One, Sally Talfourd and Kurt Noble, among others. He takes a few moments to look at the pictures before shaking his head.
"Man, it's just not going to be the same."
"I know what you mean," James says with a nod.
"How do you?" Gates asks. "You weren't in APW."
"No, but now you've got nothing to complain about," James says. "Things won't be the same without your weekly complaints. I'll grow to miss them, I know I will."
"You know what I'm going to miss the most, though?" Gates asks. "The fans. I'm going to miss their cheers, I'm going to miss the way they energize me when I am in the ring. Hell, I'm going to miss fighting for them against people trying to hold them back. If there was one place that had the best fans, it's APW."
"That's a bold statement considering some of the other federations out there."
"Possibly, but it might also be the truth." Gates shrugs. "Would I be where I am today because of them? Maybe, maybe not. I mean, nothing against the fans elsewhere. I've fought in front of a lot for them, and I praise them for my success just as much. The fans in the Trans-Atlantic cup were electric, backing me at every turn. But nothing will beat the fans of APW."
Gates takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "Well, I guess, at the very least, I can make the most of my last match for them. I can make the most of what we have left. I can make the most of headlining night two's action."
"And walk out with the APW World Heavyweight title in the process."
"Like I said before, that's not the main aim," Gates says. "I mean, it would be great, sure, but that's not my primary concern. Going out there and giving the fans one last match, one last spectacle, that's the real intention."
"Well, good luck."
"Thanks," Gates says. "I might need it."
--------------------------------------
"Fitting that this is how it would end, isn't it Johnny?
"At the final APW show, at the final Rasslemania, you and I are slated to end night two. You and I are set to do battle three years after we first went to war. I'm sure it's been forgotten about by a lot of people, but believe me, I haven't forgotten.
"July 3, 2011. We were both entered into the Test for the Best tournament, and after I managed to get by Sally Talfourd to advance, I got the pleasure of sitting back and watching you and Khaos take each other to the extreme. I watched as the blood was spilled and I watched as you put Khaos through all sorts of torture. And it was then that I realized you weren't the sort of guy to come into a federation, kick dust into peoples faces for a few months and then leave. You were something real.
"You were something I wasn't going to get rid of. Like that rash that keeps coming back, I knew that you were going to be a pain in my side for years and after our first meeting, after I beat you to advance in the tournament I eventually won, I knew I was right. Sure enough, at every moment, you and I butted heads. Whenever there was a big prize on the line, I would turn around to see Sir Simply Put strutting down the ramp.
"And it would bring a smile to my face.
"So I guess it's no surprise that I'm looking forward to this match. I'm looking forward to having my last APW match against the man who became one of my biggest rivals. I'm looking forward to standing across from you one last time. Competing against you one last time. Beating you one last time.
"After all, it's only fitting. Not the beating you part, the match itself. 2011's Test for the Best was, arguably, the night that saw the announcement of the North Dakota Cowboy as a real time player. It was the night that put me on the map here, as well as the night that put me on the map abroad in places like the Experts and CWC. But I wasn't the only one to have my coming out party that night.
"Sure, Biggs beat Level One for the Undisputed title at that time, but the man I'm talking about right now, is you Johnny.
"Prior to that, what were you? You were a name I'd never heard of, that's for sure. You were a man that had so much history, a seasoned veteran of the business, yet I had never really heard a thing about you. But in that one night, and the weeks prior, you managed to put yourself out there as a force to be reckoned with. A man that wasn't going to be pushed around. A man that wanted everything and anything he could get his hands on.
"And you've succeeded at just that. It's something about you that never seemed to fail. You wanted something, you went out and got it. You wanted to defeat Kurt Noble to get your Overdrive title back? You did it. You wanted to make my life hell going into our Rasslemania fatal four way match? You did it. You wanted to prove yourself to be the true Captain of Team APW? You did that, too. You didn't let opportunities go to waste. Even when things seemed stacked against you, you still found a way to overcome things.
"But you're still a prick. Sure, I can sit here and talk about how much you've done to impress me. I can sit here and talk about how much I admire what you were able to do during your time in APW. I can even sit here and say how jealous I was that you were able to capture a few of the titles I couldn't. But that's doesn't absolve you from being a total piece of shit.
"That comes with the territory, though. You wouldn't have been able to make Khaos bleed if you weren't. You wouldn't have been able to push Biggs, Kurt and myself aside if you weren't. You wouldn't have been able to turn that Rasslemania loss into something positive if you cared about anything. After all, you're Johnny Rebel. Simply F'ing Put, you're the sort of man who doesn't care what other people think about him.
"And I should know. As someone that has been in the ring with you in countless matches, I know just what kind of heartless son of a bitch you can be. I know what you're capable of and the places you're capable of stooping to. I know what makes you tick, but as I've shown over time, I also know your weaknesses. Your Achilles heel. I know how to beat you.
"But that doesn't mean I always will.
"This week alone there were a few people that told me I had this match in the bag. There were people who told me that I had nothing to worry about, history was on my side, things were looking good for me. But I knew better. I know better. I know that you aren't the same beast you were when we last fought, or even the same beast you were when you beat Level One for the World title. I know you are capable of turning things around on a dime. Sure, I've had my wins over you, and you've had some over me, but our overall record against one another does not tell us anything.
"What will tell us something, is Rasslemania X when we step into that ring with no rules. No limits. No disqualifications. Am I stupid to have accepted this match? Not really. Like I said, it was when you were bloodying Khaos that I knew you were going to be a rival of mine for years to come. So why not go out in a similar fashion. We can't kid ourselves, this could very well be the last time we face off against one another, maybe even the last time we wrestle. So why not go back to our roots. Go back to when we both put the APW on notice.
"Go back to when Johnny Rebel was making bitches bleed.
"We've both had successful APW careers, and this is the capper to all of that. This is the finale to everything that we have done. This will be the end of an era not just for APW, but for you and I as well, Johnny. After all the anger, all the aggression, all the animosity we've had for one another over the years, all of that will come to an end at Rasslemania.
"It's time for us to put everything we have on the table, Rebel. It's time for us to give it our all and leave everything in the ring. I know beating you is not easy, and I plan to give all the blood, sweat and potential tears that it might take to come out on top. To give the fans a match to remember forever. Better yet, we give it all because this is it. There's no next APW show. This is it.
"So, Johnny, it's time to finish what we started.
"It's time to go big and go home."
