Post by Nick Watson on Jun 13, 2012 18:53:46 GMT -4
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Conspiracy? More Like Reality
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*Philadelphia, Two Days Ago*
If there had been any doubt within his mind if he had been cheated out of his opportunity to go to Test For the Best it had evaporated a long time ago. Two weeks had passed since the utter embarrassment that he had felt at the hands of John Dionysus and the feeling of the loss still stung much more than it should have for Nick. He had felt loss before, he had felt dread, and he had felt remorse, but nothing could describe the feeling he felt from the loss he had received. His strained muscles had healed over the course of the two week absence of Overdrive, but the wounds of the reality of his situation continued to exist, and cause harm to him. His mind had been plagued by a series of doubts like no other. Doubts that had caused him to look deeper at the situation than most people would, to look beneath the outer layer of the match that had taken place on APW Overdrive, and as he dug deep beneath he found something startling.
If he had felt cheated then everyone in his upcoming match should feel the same way. Smith had a chandelier fall on him and had been forced to compete, Mania was still very rusty from an extended leave from APW and had been forced to compete, and Slade had a difficult match against Level One and Rebel at Mayhem and had been forced to compete as well. It seemed to him and maybe only him that there was some form of string pulling going on. And John Dionysus said his conspiracy theories were wrong? Maybe he needed to get his eyes checked then. To Nick Watson, everything was part of the plot, and everything was working in Jeff's favor. Financially, Jeff had who he needed to have in the second round, and he could easily sell any potential Main Event that was coming from this tournament. It was convenient, wasn't it? But, he was wrong...no conspiracy there, just a nice coincidence that everything that a guy who had money invested in a show would want happened all in one night.
But he had another opportunity, didn't he? He had a chance to win a very difficult match to qualify, which would exhaust, injure, and ware him down for a potential match for a guy that Jeff hand picked to move on. Hooray for ladder matches! Was he being set up for all of this? Maybe. Was this all just a big coincidence? Probably not. Nick, who had been having his share of doubts in his personal ability, and his over all potential talent, had recently gone full circle. He no longer had any doubt that he could handle anyone in APW, but right now he was in a difficult stretch, a stretch created by a self-serving management that was out for blood, his blood. It had become very clear to the Sensational One that he had rubbed the President, his staff, and even a few other athletes the wrong way. He was too much like Pence and that didn't go over well with Jeff because Jeff just wanted someone he could manipulate into doing his bidding. Nick wasn't that type of guy. He was a free spirit and did what he saw fit. It was why he attacked the Sindicate referee to invoke some form of justice on a show that it had lost its' way and why he had been mugged by Sindicate at Mayhem.
But should he be penalized for being who he was by not kissing Jeff's ass? Jeff probably thought so. After all, Jeff wanted a group of brown noses on his show who would be more than willing to accept his inept approach to dealing with Sindicate, which had of course finally been realized as a threat two weeks ago. Funny in the sense that Nick had been the only one to think they were a threat, but now Kurt, Chris, and C.J. were fighting them now. Why not? They didn't have anything better to do now with C.J. and Hart being eliminated and Kurt being the Undisputed champion who finally decided to get off his ass and leave a legacy.
Pence: Hey! Earth to Nick!
Nick, who had been silent, and to some extent, unaware of his mentor's presence had been looking off into space as he had thought things over. Nick realized he had his fists clenched, his teeth were grinding, and his eyes were staring dully off into the distance corrected all of this quickly, and then replied.
Nick: Sorry about that....I was just thinking about things.
Pence: Thinking things over is never a bad thing. I'm assuming you're still feeling the effects of that defeat two weeks ago?
More than you will ever know, Nick thought to himself as he nodded his head in admittance before speaking up again.
Nick: Yeah, but I'm still confident I can pull out a win this Overdrive. I'm up against some pretty stiff competition though and to my knowledge they more than likely all feel wronged to some extent. And who can blame them...they deserve this match as much as I do and I'm going to really need to pull out all the stops to win in a match like this.
Pence: Just remember...don't underestimate your foes like you did last time. Underestimating Dionysus gave him a huge advantage right out of the gate and this time you are going to need to have your head in the game.
Nick nodded, but couldn't help but think that it hadn't been his arrogance or pride that cost him, but the fact that he had been injured. Now that he was fully healed, the problem had righted itself, but then again Pence was right as well. This time he would view his opponents in a different light, as real competitors, and not just walking talking money bags. Though corporate was more than likely salivating that Dionysus had advanced over him, after all John had a following, he had a real group of fans, and Nick, well Nick didn't have a following, but that was because of the lack of high marquee match ups. Nick had been pushed to the way-side so people like Chris Hart could get pushed. After all, why not appeal to a female audience that was only interested in eye candy?
Pence: Alright, get up...time to get back to work! We have a long way to go to prepare you for a ladder match and I will be damned if you will be unprepared for this opportunity that Jeff has given you!
An opportunity to injure myself so I can be picked off, Nick thought to himself, but I'm not going to let that deter me from trying, I'm going to win in spite of the cards I have been dealt, and rise above my competition. If only to be a fly in management's ointment. Nick grinned and stood up, stretching, and then warming up a bit, Nick entered back into the warehouse that had been rented out for Pence's training methods. Nick enjoyed the method, it tested him physically, and mentally, but above all else it pushed his limits. Pence's training was unlike anything he had done before and this training batch definitely had no comparison to anything he had undergone before. Nick started out the day with some basic work outs: sprinting, weight lifting, and gymnastics to increase his flexibility, his over all strength, and his stamina. Next he would go through an hour of extreme training. This training involved: Obstacle courses, arranged sparring, and randomized exercises which would utterly exhaust him after completion. Nick would then break for twenty minutes to cool down before going back to finish up the training with specialized work outs that focused on stipulations or certain opponents. Pence's contacts within the fighting underworld and the regular fighting world allowed him to pick opponents for Nick from a large possible list of athletes.
However, this week was all about ladder matches, and as Nick entered into the warehouse, the four ladders standing up, and ready to be used stood as daunting figures in an almost pitch black warehouse. Nick, who knew the task in front of him, took a deep breath, and began his speed climbing and acrobatic training immediately. Acrobatic training was first. This mostly consisted of Nick jumping from one ladder to the next and then being forced to do a lap if he made a mistake or fell off the ladder. Nick had learned over the course of the last week of how to land on the ladder in the right spot to avoid him falling off and had learned how to judge distances a bit better as well. The fact that the warehouse was nearly pitch black also helped Nick. It allowed Nick to learn via guessing instead of using his eye sight and forced him to develop an instinct for jumping from ladder to the next. Instinct would always trump his senses and to develop that instinct would help him.
After doing acrobatics, speed climbing was next, and this Nick dreaded. Nick had to climb ladders in set times to reach the top and if he slipped, if he didn't make time, or if he slacked off in the least he would have one repetition added on to his work out the following day. He remembered that over the course of a week and a half he had gathered at least twenty added repetitions and each one had drained him a bit more, but Pence's training worked. He could now easily jump from different ladders and could fearlessly scale them in a decent speed. The training was working miracles, but Nick still would need to make some stellar improvements in the ring to become the real deal in professional wrestling. As the camera zoomed out on the training and panned up to the sky the scene would begin to fade to black.
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Something to Prove
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*Audio Recording*
Nick: Another chance. That is what management wants me to believe that this is, but I see it differently. This is managements chance to smash me around some more, make me look like a retard, and above all else humiliate me for not wanting to kiss Jeff's ass. Its the only reason I'm here, not because management thinks I'm good, but because they want me to feel worse than I already feel. Let me tell you that is impossible though. I feel bad, I feel cheated, and I feel used, but I don't feel bad for just myself, oh no...I feel bad for the APW community and my competitors in this ladder match. I feel bad for the community because they are being, once again, brain washed into cheering for people who could give less than a crap about any of them, and more about earning that next big shot and that next big bonus. And I feel bad for my fellow competitors in this match because they are here with me when clearly they each deserved a real shot at advancing in this tournament two weeks ago. But that is life isn't it? When you deserve something so much you get it stripped from you by some higher power that is looking to give other people, less qualified people, opportunities before you.
And who am I to challenge the way things work around here? I mean I've been here for barely a month and a half and have had no big accomplishment to show for it. I've received no opportunities except for two weeks ago and I wasn't even close to prepared for that match because of my injuries and of course my flawed approach to the match, but that is not important. What is important is that if something doesn't change then nothing will get done. Test for the Best is about change, it is about revolutionizing the company, and bringing upon a new generation of top tier athletes. Or it was...until management decided to make this all about their already champions and their greed to win another strap. Ridiculous. But this isn't about them...this is about us. Right guys? This is about proving our worth to this company by competing in a brutal ladder match to join the rest of the APW Test for the best participants. And boy do I have my work cut out for me.
The people in this match clearly all deserve to qualify, they all deserve this second chance, and there is not a weak link among them. These three men, much like myself, were screwed out of their opportunity to make a splash by already cemented athletes in an unfair, and unjust manner. I won't bore the fans at home with talks about how it was unfair and how it was unjust because it would just be me rambling on about how APW management put all four of us in matches where it was clear we could not win because of either physical health or ring rust. Not important though, what is important is the caliber of the competition I am up against this Thursday. I mean we have a hall of famer, an ex-main eventer, and a guy with a huge championship pedigree. Out of the four of us, I'm the only one with something to actually prove here. I mean, to be honest out of all of us I have the least amount of accomplishments, and clearly all the pressure to succeed is on my shoulders, because if I don't succeed then that is game over for me. I will lose out on any opportunity of making a difference and any chance of actually changing things for the better.
And I don't want to lose that opportunity again. I lost it once already because of my personal health and my own arrogance and pride and I just don't think I can do that again or rather I don't want to do that again. Sure, everyone in this match deserves to advance, and they deserve opportunities to make some form of splash in some regard, but in the end I feel I deserve it more. Take Slade for example. Slade has had his turn in things, he is a hall of famer for Christ's sake. He has held a few APW belts, he has tagged up in one of the most dominating tag team forces in APW history, and has put the APW on notice multiple times through out history. He has achieved the highest of highs through hard work and determination and his never say die attitude has allowed him to become not only one of the most loved wrestlers in history, but also one of the greatest all around guys in APW. He is well known, well respected, and in many ways is an icon for many younger athletes to follow in the foot steps of, but he has had his run.
Slade represents APW's past, the Golden era, back when wrestling was so entertaining, and back when the odds of winning a match were fifty, fifty, almost all the time. Slade has had a wonderful career and a wonderful life, he has achieved so much, and has done so many wonderful things, but in the end has Slade ran his course? I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but Slade, you're not getting any younger. You have accomplished so many wonderful things, climbed some of the most dangerous mountains in APW history, and you did it with pure force of will, but in the end your body is scarred because of it. It is obvious you're rusty and have something left in the tank, but are you Undisputed Title bound? No. Are you a guy who I would love to see qualify if I lose? Yes. I mean you no disrespect, I'm honored to be here with you in this match, and honored to have the opportunity to compete against one of the greatest APW has ever had, but in the end is it not time for the younger generation to have its' course? Is it not time for a guy like myself to prove his worth by climbing equally dangerous mountains and at the same time making his mark on the APW that you love so dearly?
I would like to think that maybe you understand what I'm getting at and can respect the fact that I want to make changes to this landscape and make this place good again because at the moment, it is clear that APW only has three guys who constantly main event who are actually decent people, and even they have been corrupted by power, greed, and lust. I would like to think you would wish me luck and that if it is not you who advances that you would root for me because I am clearly rooting for you. I just can't afford to lose to you, though Slade. I just can't. I have too much riding on this. My future, which is completely uncertain, and the future of the APW itself are things I see simply hanging in the balance and riding on me pulling a victory off here to establish myself as a real force and make a statement. I have too much to prove to lose to even you Slade, but you're not the only big time guy here though...A.C. Smith and Mark Mania are also here. And though both of them dislike me greatly for who I am and what I represent, I have nothing, but the deepest respect for them.
That's right, I said it Smith...I respect you. I respect you for your accomplishments, your power, and the talent that you have. If there is one man in this match who represents the greatest threat to my chances of winning, it would be you, and that is because unlike anyone in this match you have a raw force that can't be countered with any amount of training. You have a natural gift when it comes to power wrestling and that is only just part of what makes you so gifted in the ring. You have trained hard and long to reach the level of epic that you are and it shows. As far as your intelligence goes...I don't think I called you stupid, and if I did...I apologize. I do vaguely remember saying you don't have a sense for strategy, but that doesn't mean that you are stupid nor does it mean that you are a big dumb oaf. It simply means you have a short coming in the form of making formulated battle plans.
You are more about grabbing a hold of someone and beating the hell out of them until they either lose or black out. It has worked through out your career and has made you into a respectable superstar, but it really doesn't have a place in a match like this. You're bigger than everyone in this match and size in a ladder match is a non-factor. It is all about speed and knowing when the best time to start climbing up that ladder is. To be fair you have probably been in more ladder matches than me, but to also be fair you also have a bulkier frame which will get in the way of any sort of climbing you want to do. Sure you are stronger than me and that goes without question, but when it comes down to being able to move, and have high mobility, you just can't cut it. In any other type of match up, you would have a hands down advantage, because of your skills, and talents, but in a match where the ladder is...a fliers wet dream, I might add...you don't have much of a chance.
But that doesn't mean I'm selling you short! I think you are a wonderful athlete and in time will receive a much needed direction in this company. I know with a list of accomplishments like yours the chances of you not getting a chance at some title some time is almost zero to none! But you, much like Slade have had opportunities to be the top dog. Your chances were in other federations and Slade's were here. You have proven that you are one of the best in the business, but being the top dog in APW takes more than a championship pedigree and an impressive skill-set. It takes a willingness to admit your faults and weaknesses and a never say die attitude. And I hope that this Thursday...I can exhibit that I have the right amount of everything necessary to be the champion of this show. I'm by no means selling you short though, you are one hell of a competitor Smith, and I hope you get over this dry spell soon, but I will not let you rain on my parade.
Then of course we have Mark Mania and to be honest this guy is a grade "A" talent that has been misused by APW management, no surprise there. Him being in this match is an honor because at one time he tagged with my mentor, Pence Weatherlight, and even fought him. But you never did beat him did you Mark? I can sense in the way you speak about me a bit of frustration at the fact that I'm being trained by the man that you can not beat and never will since he is retired. You say I don't matter, but in the end...I do matter. Because I'm the closest you are ever going to get to beating Pence Weatherlight. What ever happened to you by the way? You sort of just up and disappeared on APW and left it to rot after you were beat by Pence. I'm guessing it was humiliation at losing to the future hall of famer.
Can't say that I blame you nor can I fault you for losing to him. Pence Weatherlight was and still is one of the best competitors in APW history and he did it through hard work and training. He did research, he pieced together information, and he made sure his speeches were well thought out. To live up to his legacy would be almost impossible, but I hope one day that I can do that. Pence speaks highly of you by the way, though you deserted him, and the APW he says that you are one of the greatest men he has the privilege of working with, and coming from him I hope that means something to you. Anyway, enough about Pence, this is about us. As far as ladder match crash courses go, I assure you Pence has taught me a great deal already. He made sure I will be ready for this match in only a way that he can do, an extreme way, and I just hope that the training that I have done will pay off in some way shape or form.
As far as everything goes Mark, I know you feel wronged, and I know you feel like ring rust inhibited your chances of winning your match, but Mark you aren't ready to be the big name in wrestling again if you're rusty. You need time to prepare and that is obvious from the way you are reacting to me without even knowing me. So...for now I'm going to leave all three of my competitors with a final statement:
It has been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to compete against you all, but I can not let that honor or privilege interfere with my hopes and dreams. I want to change APW, I want to bring entertainment, and justice to Overdrive again, but to do that...I have to go through you. I just hope, when I'm walking out of the ring with my head held high, you can come to respect me, as I respect each of you. Because this Thursday...I have something to prove!
*End of Audio Log*
Conspiracy? More Like Reality
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*Philadelphia, Two Days Ago*
If there had been any doubt within his mind if he had been cheated out of his opportunity to go to Test For the Best it had evaporated a long time ago. Two weeks had passed since the utter embarrassment that he had felt at the hands of John Dionysus and the feeling of the loss still stung much more than it should have for Nick. He had felt loss before, he had felt dread, and he had felt remorse, but nothing could describe the feeling he felt from the loss he had received. His strained muscles had healed over the course of the two week absence of Overdrive, but the wounds of the reality of his situation continued to exist, and cause harm to him. His mind had been plagued by a series of doubts like no other. Doubts that had caused him to look deeper at the situation than most people would, to look beneath the outer layer of the match that had taken place on APW Overdrive, and as he dug deep beneath he found something startling.
If he had felt cheated then everyone in his upcoming match should feel the same way. Smith had a chandelier fall on him and had been forced to compete, Mania was still very rusty from an extended leave from APW and had been forced to compete, and Slade had a difficult match against Level One and Rebel at Mayhem and had been forced to compete as well. It seemed to him and maybe only him that there was some form of string pulling going on. And John Dionysus said his conspiracy theories were wrong? Maybe he needed to get his eyes checked then. To Nick Watson, everything was part of the plot, and everything was working in Jeff's favor. Financially, Jeff had who he needed to have in the second round, and he could easily sell any potential Main Event that was coming from this tournament. It was convenient, wasn't it? But, he was wrong...no conspiracy there, just a nice coincidence that everything that a guy who had money invested in a show would want happened all in one night.
But he had another opportunity, didn't he? He had a chance to win a very difficult match to qualify, which would exhaust, injure, and ware him down for a potential match for a guy that Jeff hand picked to move on. Hooray for ladder matches! Was he being set up for all of this? Maybe. Was this all just a big coincidence? Probably not. Nick, who had been having his share of doubts in his personal ability, and his over all potential talent, had recently gone full circle. He no longer had any doubt that he could handle anyone in APW, but right now he was in a difficult stretch, a stretch created by a self-serving management that was out for blood, his blood. It had become very clear to the Sensational One that he had rubbed the President, his staff, and even a few other athletes the wrong way. He was too much like Pence and that didn't go over well with Jeff because Jeff just wanted someone he could manipulate into doing his bidding. Nick wasn't that type of guy. He was a free spirit and did what he saw fit. It was why he attacked the Sindicate referee to invoke some form of justice on a show that it had lost its' way and why he had been mugged by Sindicate at Mayhem.
But should he be penalized for being who he was by not kissing Jeff's ass? Jeff probably thought so. After all, Jeff wanted a group of brown noses on his show who would be more than willing to accept his inept approach to dealing with Sindicate, which had of course finally been realized as a threat two weeks ago. Funny in the sense that Nick had been the only one to think they were a threat, but now Kurt, Chris, and C.J. were fighting them now. Why not? They didn't have anything better to do now with C.J. and Hart being eliminated and Kurt being the Undisputed champion who finally decided to get off his ass and leave a legacy.
Pence: Hey! Earth to Nick!
Nick, who had been silent, and to some extent, unaware of his mentor's presence had been looking off into space as he had thought things over. Nick realized he had his fists clenched, his teeth were grinding, and his eyes were staring dully off into the distance corrected all of this quickly, and then replied.
Nick: Sorry about that....I was just thinking about things.
Pence: Thinking things over is never a bad thing. I'm assuming you're still feeling the effects of that defeat two weeks ago?
More than you will ever know, Nick thought to himself as he nodded his head in admittance before speaking up again.
Nick: Yeah, but I'm still confident I can pull out a win this Overdrive. I'm up against some pretty stiff competition though and to my knowledge they more than likely all feel wronged to some extent. And who can blame them...they deserve this match as much as I do and I'm going to really need to pull out all the stops to win in a match like this.
Pence: Just remember...don't underestimate your foes like you did last time. Underestimating Dionysus gave him a huge advantage right out of the gate and this time you are going to need to have your head in the game.
Nick nodded, but couldn't help but think that it hadn't been his arrogance or pride that cost him, but the fact that he had been injured. Now that he was fully healed, the problem had righted itself, but then again Pence was right as well. This time he would view his opponents in a different light, as real competitors, and not just walking talking money bags. Though corporate was more than likely salivating that Dionysus had advanced over him, after all John had a following, he had a real group of fans, and Nick, well Nick didn't have a following, but that was because of the lack of high marquee match ups. Nick had been pushed to the way-side so people like Chris Hart could get pushed. After all, why not appeal to a female audience that was only interested in eye candy?
Pence: Alright, get up...time to get back to work! We have a long way to go to prepare you for a ladder match and I will be damned if you will be unprepared for this opportunity that Jeff has given you!
An opportunity to injure myself so I can be picked off, Nick thought to himself, but I'm not going to let that deter me from trying, I'm going to win in spite of the cards I have been dealt, and rise above my competition. If only to be a fly in management's ointment. Nick grinned and stood up, stretching, and then warming up a bit, Nick entered back into the warehouse that had been rented out for Pence's training methods. Nick enjoyed the method, it tested him physically, and mentally, but above all else it pushed his limits. Pence's training was unlike anything he had done before and this training batch definitely had no comparison to anything he had undergone before. Nick started out the day with some basic work outs: sprinting, weight lifting, and gymnastics to increase his flexibility, his over all strength, and his stamina. Next he would go through an hour of extreme training. This training involved: Obstacle courses, arranged sparring, and randomized exercises which would utterly exhaust him after completion. Nick would then break for twenty minutes to cool down before going back to finish up the training with specialized work outs that focused on stipulations or certain opponents. Pence's contacts within the fighting underworld and the regular fighting world allowed him to pick opponents for Nick from a large possible list of athletes.
However, this week was all about ladder matches, and as Nick entered into the warehouse, the four ladders standing up, and ready to be used stood as daunting figures in an almost pitch black warehouse. Nick, who knew the task in front of him, took a deep breath, and began his speed climbing and acrobatic training immediately. Acrobatic training was first. This mostly consisted of Nick jumping from one ladder to the next and then being forced to do a lap if he made a mistake or fell off the ladder. Nick had learned over the course of the last week of how to land on the ladder in the right spot to avoid him falling off and had learned how to judge distances a bit better as well. The fact that the warehouse was nearly pitch black also helped Nick. It allowed Nick to learn via guessing instead of using his eye sight and forced him to develop an instinct for jumping from ladder to the next. Instinct would always trump his senses and to develop that instinct would help him.
After doing acrobatics, speed climbing was next, and this Nick dreaded. Nick had to climb ladders in set times to reach the top and if he slipped, if he didn't make time, or if he slacked off in the least he would have one repetition added on to his work out the following day. He remembered that over the course of a week and a half he had gathered at least twenty added repetitions and each one had drained him a bit more, but Pence's training worked. He could now easily jump from different ladders and could fearlessly scale them in a decent speed. The training was working miracles, but Nick still would need to make some stellar improvements in the ring to become the real deal in professional wrestling. As the camera zoomed out on the training and panned up to the sky the scene would begin to fade to black.
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Something to Prove
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*Audio Recording*
Nick: Another chance. That is what management wants me to believe that this is, but I see it differently. This is managements chance to smash me around some more, make me look like a retard, and above all else humiliate me for not wanting to kiss Jeff's ass. Its the only reason I'm here, not because management thinks I'm good, but because they want me to feel worse than I already feel. Let me tell you that is impossible though. I feel bad, I feel cheated, and I feel used, but I don't feel bad for just myself, oh no...I feel bad for the APW community and my competitors in this ladder match. I feel bad for the community because they are being, once again, brain washed into cheering for people who could give less than a crap about any of them, and more about earning that next big shot and that next big bonus. And I feel bad for my fellow competitors in this match because they are here with me when clearly they each deserved a real shot at advancing in this tournament two weeks ago. But that is life isn't it? When you deserve something so much you get it stripped from you by some higher power that is looking to give other people, less qualified people, opportunities before you.
And who am I to challenge the way things work around here? I mean I've been here for barely a month and a half and have had no big accomplishment to show for it. I've received no opportunities except for two weeks ago and I wasn't even close to prepared for that match because of my injuries and of course my flawed approach to the match, but that is not important. What is important is that if something doesn't change then nothing will get done. Test for the Best is about change, it is about revolutionizing the company, and bringing upon a new generation of top tier athletes. Or it was...until management decided to make this all about their already champions and their greed to win another strap. Ridiculous. But this isn't about them...this is about us. Right guys? This is about proving our worth to this company by competing in a brutal ladder match to join the rest of the APW Test for the best participants. And boy do I have my work cut out for me.
The people in this match clearly all deserve to qualify, they all deserve this second chance, and there is not a weak link among them. These three men, much like myself, were screwed out of their opportunity to make a splash by already cemented athletes in an unfair, and unjust manner. I won't bore the fans at home with talks about how it was unfair and how it was unjust because it would just be me rambling on about how APW management put all four of us in matches where it was clear we could not win because of either physical health or ring rust. Not important though, what is important is the caliber of the competition I am up against this Thursday. I mean we have a hall of famer, an ex-main eventer, and a guy with a huge championship pedigree. Out of the four of us, I'm the only one with something to actually prove here. I mean, to be honest out of all of us I have the least amount of accomplishments, and clearly all the pressure to succeed is on my shoulders, because if I don't succeed then that is game over for me. I will lose out on any opportunity of making a difference and any chance of actually changing things for the better.
And I don't want to lose that opportunity again. I lost it once already because of my personal health and my own arrogance and pride and I just don't think I can do that again or rather I don't want to do that again. Sure, everyone in this match deserves to advance, and they deserve opportunities to make some form of splash in some regard, but in the end I feel I deserve it more. Take Slade for example. Slade has had his turn in things, he is a hall of famer for Christ's sake. He has held a few APW belts, he has tagged up in one of the most dominating tag team forces in APW history, and has put the APW on notice multiple times through out history. He has achieved the highest of highs through hard work and determination and his never say die attitude has allowed him to become not only one of the most loved wrestlers in history, but also one of the greatest all around guys in APW. He is well known, well respected, and in many ways is an icon for many younger athletes to follow in the foot steps of, but he has had his run.
Slade represents APW's past, the Golden era, back when wrestling was so entertaining, and back when the odds of winning a match were fifty, fifty, almost all the time. Slade has had a wonderful career and a wonderful life, he has achieved so much, and has done so many wonderful things, but in the end has Slade ran his course? I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but Slade, you're not getting any younger. You have accomplished so many wonderful things, climbed some of the most dangerous mountains in APW history, and you did it with pure force of will, but in the end your body is scarred because of it. It is obvious you're rusty and have something left in the tank, but are you Undisputed Title bound? No. Are you a guy who I would love to see qualify if I lose? Yes. I mean you no disrespect, I'm honored to be here with you in this match, and honored to have the opportunity to compete against one of the greatest APW has ever had, but in the end is it not time for the younger generation to have its' course? Is it not time for a guy like myself to prove his worth by climbing equally dangerous mountains and at the same time making his mark on the APW that you love so dearly?
I would like to think that maybe you understand what I'm getting at and can respect the fact that I want to make changes to this landscape and make this place good again because at the moment, it is clear that APW only has three guys who constantly main event who are actually decent people, and even they have been corrupted by power, greed, and lust. I would like to think you would wish me luck and that if it is not you who advances that you would root for me because I am clearly rooting for you. I just can't afford to lose to you, though Slade. I just can't. I have too much riding on this. My future, which is completely uncertain, and the future of the APW itself are things I see simply hanging in the balance and riding on me pulling a victory off here to establish myself as a real force and make a statement. I have too much to prove to lose to even you Slade, but you're not the only big time guy here though...A.C. Smith and Mark Mania are also here. And though both of them dislike me greatly for who I am and what I represent, I have nothing, but the deepest respect for them.
That's right, I said it Smith...I respect you. I respect you for your accomplishments, your power, and the talent that you have. If there is one man in this match who represents the greatest threat to my chances of winning, it would be you, and that is because unlike anyone in this match you have a raw force that can't be countered with any amount of training. You have a natural gift when it comes to power wrestling and that is only just part of what makes you so gifted in the ring. You have trained hard and long to reach the level of epic that you are and it shows. As far as your intelligence goes...I don't think I called you stupid, and if I did...I apologize. I do vaguely remember saying you don't have a sense for strategy, but that doesn't mean that you are stupid nor does it mean that you are a big dumb oaf. It simply means you have a short coming in the form of making formulated battle plans.
You are more about grabbing a hold of someone and beating the hell out of them until they either lose or black out. It has worked through out your career and has made you into a respectable superstar, but it really doesn't have a place in a match like this. You're bigger than everyone in this match and size in a ladder match is a non-factor. It is all about speed and knowing when the best time to start climbing up that ladder is. To be fair you have probably been in more ladder matches than me, but to also be fair you also have a bulkier frame which will get in the way of any sort of climbing you want to do. Sure you are stronger than me and that goes without question, but when it comes down to being able to move, and have high mobility, you just can't cut it. In any other type of match up, you would have a hands down advantage, because of your skills, and talents, but in a match where the ladder is...a fliers wet dream, I might add...you don't have much of a chance.
But that doesn't mean I'm selling you short! I think you are a wonderful athlete and in time will receive a much needed direction in this company. I know with a list of accomplishments like yours the chances of you not getting a chance at some title some time is almost zero to none! But you, much like Slade have had opportunities to be the top dog. Your chances were in other federations and Slade's were here. You have proven that you are one of the best in the business, but being the top dog in APW takes more than a championship pedigree and an impressive skill-set. It takes a willingness to admit your faults and weaknesses and a never say die attitude. And I hope that this Thursday...I can exhibit that I have the right amount of everything necessary to be the champion of this show. I'm by no means selling you short though, you are one hell of a competitor Smith, and I hope you get over this dry spell soon, but I will not let you rain on my parade.
Then of course we have Mark Mania and to be honest this guy is a grade "A" talent that has been misused by APW management, no surprise there. Him being in this match is an honor because at one time he tagged with my mentor, Pence Weatherlight, and even fought him. But you never did beat him did you Mark? I can sense in the way you speak about me a bit of frustration at the fact that I'm being trained by the man that you can not beat and never will since he is retired. You say I don't matter, but in the end...I do matter. Because I'm the closest you are ever going to get to beating Pence Weatherlight. What ever happened to you by the way? You sort of just up and disappeared on APW and left it to rot after you were beat by Pence. I'm guessing it was humiliation at losing to the future hall of famer.
Can't say that I blame you nor can I fault you for losing to him. Pence Weatherlight was and still is one of the best competitors in APW history and he did it through hard work and training. He did research, he pieced together information, and he made sure his speeches were well thought out. To live up to his legacy would be almost impossible, but I hope one day that I can do that. Pence speaks highly of you by the way, though you deserted him, and the APW he says that you are one of the greatest men he has the privilege of working with, and coming from him I hope that means something to you. Anyway, enough about Pence, this is about us. As far as ladder match crash courses go, I assure you Pence has taught me a great deal already. He made sure I will be ready for this match in only a way that he can do, an extreme way, and I just hope that the training that I have done will pay off in some way shape or form.
As far as everything goes Mark, I know you feel wronged, and I know you feel like ring rust inhibited your chances of winning your match, but Mark you aren't ready to be the big name in wrestling again if you're rusty. You need time to prepare and that is obvious from the way you are reacting to me without even knowing me. So...for now I'm going to leave all three of my competitors with a final statement:
It has been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to compete against you all, but I can not let that honor or privilege interfere with my hopes and dreams. I want to change APW, I want to bring entertainment, and justice to Overdrive again, but to do that...I have to go through you. I just hope, when I'm walking out of the ring with my head held high, you can come to respect me, as I respect each of you. Because this Thursday...I have something to prove!
*End of Audio Log*
