Post by C.J. Gates on Jul 6, 2012 9:59:51 GMT -4
"You sly fox, you."
The voice causes C.J. Gates to pause in his tracks as he enters his office. He glances around but can't find anyone.
"Pardon?" C.J. asks, hesitantly as he closes the door behind him. A few moments of silence pass before the large, leather desk chair turns around to reveal the source of the voice: C.J.'s father, T.J. Gates.
"Getting involved with a married woman," T.J. says as he shakes his head with a smile on his face. "I never thought I'd see one of my sons participating in such...adultery. Alright, maybe O.J. or D.J., but not C.J. Not the wrestling God, C.J. Gates!"
"Nothing happened," C.J. says as he glares at his father. "And I'm not a wrestling God. I never said I was."
"Oh, of course you would say nothing happened," T.J. says with a wink. "Who would want to admit that kind of thing, especially with the woman's better half listening in."
"What the hell do you want?"
"I want to hear all about it. A married woman, who'd have thought?" T.J. chuckles to himself as he swivels the chair back and forth. "Besides, I want to see how this wrestling God gets himself ready for a big week."
"I'm not a God!" C.J. nearly shouts. "I've never said I was a God, just like I never said I was doing anything with Biggs' wife."
T.J. laughs some more. "Oh, can't even say her name, huh? Must be love." T.J. continues to laugh as C.J. picks up a stress ball from the coffee table and throws it at his father, missing him, the stress ball landing against the large glass window behind him.
"If you're going to take up my time, the least you could do is be helpful," C.J. scolds his father as he drops his duffel bag onto one of the couches. "I don't need you sitting in my office, acting like some representative of the Inquirer or something. I've got enough of that shit coming to me from Biggs, I don't need any bullshit from you. I have to make sure I am focused on what I need to do, but have people like you around, cracking jokes about stuff that doesn't even matter, that is what I don't really need."
"Doesn't matter?" T.J. asks. "Doesn't matter? Tell that to Biggs, I'm sure he'd love to hear that his wife doesn't matter."
"Why do I even bother with you?" C.J. asks, which causes his father to sit up straight.
"Growing a back bone, too?" T.J. says with a smirk. "Anger. Back bone. Maybe what B.J. told me is true. Have you begun to become more confident in your abilities? Have you begun to trust yourself and not leave everything up to chance?"
C.J. sighs. "Yes and no. I know that I have the talent and know that I have what it takes to win, but there is still always the possibility that chance could play a role. Besides there's always-"
"The fans, right," T.J. interjects. "Forget them, though. I'm just glad that you've finally realized what kind of potential you have."
"I always knew I had potential," C.J. adds. "What happened last year wasn't just a fluke."
"But the past, what, six months? They haven't exactly been kind to you, have they?" T.J. stands up from the chair and steps as close to C.J. as he can, so that he is leaning against the desk. "But don't worry because this week, it's your week." C.J. gives his father a quizzical look and T.J. continues. "When did everything start last year?"
"When I won Test for the Best," C.J. answers.
"Okay, yes," T.J. concedes. "But I'm talking about when it all really began. When did you win the Undisputed title?"
"Shockwave."
"Against?"
"Biggs."
"Bingo," T.J. exclaims. "And this week, you face Biggs again. Now, I'm not one for old cliches, but you know when they say that history has a way of repeating itself? It got my thinking that this little skid you've been on is going to end since there's no way history doesn't repeat itself when you face off against Biggs."
"I guess there can be some truth to that," C.J. adds. "But I don't think this is going to be the same as it was last year."
"No, you're right," T.J. adds as a smile creeps across his face. "It's going to be much easier. Biggs hasn't really wrestled in six months, his conditioning is going to be shot, and he's going to spend the entire match analyzing every thing that his wife does. If she doesn't count as fast as he wants to, he's going to flip his shit."
"Maybe," C.J. says with much hesitation. "I'm not really willing to sit back on that, though. This is Biggs we're talking about. For all we know, he's cooking something up to pull on me when he thinks I least expect it."
"But he always does that."
"Exactly why I'm going to be ready for it," C.J. says. "But I'm still not going to go into the match thinking Biggs is going to be out of shape or anything like that. If I want to have that history repeat itself, I'm going to need to treat him like the Biggs that beat Level One at last years Test for the Best. I'm going to treat him like the three time Overdrive champion that he is. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and make sure I'm ready for everything that he could possibly throw my way."
"So, you're basically going to rely on the same old tactics you always have," T.J. says as he slumps down into the chair. "You're telling me that nothing is going to have changed. You've found your confidence, but you're going to squash it for the same old song and dance."
"I didn't exactly say that, did I?" C.J. smiles at his dad who, after looking at his son for awhile, smiles back and wags a finger toward C.J. "I might be preparing myself for whatever Biggs has to throw my way, but I still know that I have what it takes to win. I've beaten Biggs three times in the past year with the Undisputed title on the line, and while he can make as many excuses as he wants, the truth is that I beat him. And I know I can do it again this year."
"You know, I might like this new version of the wrestling God."
"I'm not a God," C.J. repeats. "Would you drop it?" T.J. chuckles as C.J. sits down in a chair across from him. "I just think that I've found that point where I can still prepare myself, still wow the fans when I'm inside of that ring, but I also know that I'm not going in blind or hesitant. I am going into matches knowing I have what it takes to win."
"Maybe you've finally figured it all out," T.J. says, beaming from ear to ear. "And now, you can get yourself back on track."
"That's the aim, anyway," C.J. says. "As long as I'm not distracted by people like you acting like a complete smart ass. Not this week. I don't need to get distracted when I'm going up against the man that has become my rival, more or less. I need to keep my focus on Biggs."
"Alright, alright," T.J. concedes. "Let's take a step back, then. How do you feel about Ellie being the guest referee?"
C.J. smirks. "I'm not sure. I mean, when she came into my locker room to get me to cancel the match, I didn't believe her that Biggs wasn't cleared. But looking at it this week, I think that she has given me enough reason to think she will call the match down the middle."
"Or at least in your favor right?" C.J. looks at his father. "There's always got to be that thought that if things don't look good for Biggs she might speed up her count to give you the win and end the match."
"But it could also work the other way. Regardless, I don't think we have to worry about that. I think that Ellie will do what she can to make sure the match is fair, and at the very least, will make sure her husband doesn't do anything stupid that is going to get himself killed."
"Such as?"
"Bringing in weapons," C.J. answers. "Trying to get an advantage on me the way he usually does. And with Ellie being the referee, it gives Biggs a great excuse for his loss. I mean, he's made one for each match we've had. Kurt Noble, handcuffs, the concussion, he's always got an excuse. And when I win, he will accuse Ellie of fast counting."
"And what if you lose?"
C.J. shrugs. "Nothing. Biggs will be able to use it as an excuse when I win, but if he wins, he'll just strut around APW like he just won his second Undisputed title. What Biggs might need to worry about more than losing this match though, is his relationship with Ellie. It was already rocky when the two of them were going through counseling, and now that his comeback might rest on her shoulders? Biggs could find himself sleeping on that couch an awful lot."
"Well, I guess we'll see what happens, won't we?"
"Definitely will," C.J. says. "Worst case scenario, is that my little downward spiral continues, while Biggs gets a nice, big win in his first match back."
"And what about the best case?" T.J. asks.
"Best case is that I once again prove that I can beat Biggs," C.J. answers, staring past his father to the window behind. "Best case is that I show everyone that might have been doubting me that I am not washed up, and that losing to Kurt Noble was a case of losing to one of the best, not an occurrence of one man finally realizing he isn't as good as he thought he was."
"Then there's a lot riding on this match against Biggs," T.J. says with a nod. "A lot of things to take into consideration."
"Yeah, but it's nothing I can't handle," C.J. says with a smile. "After all, I'm the wrestling God, aren't I?"
"You could be. You know you could be."
"Who knows," C.J. adds. "Maybe my match with Biggs will be my big return to the big time. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
"Here we go again, Biggs.
"Did I think that this moment would happen? Sure I did. I knew that at some point you would get the all clear to crawl back into the ring for one more match. I knew that you wouldn't rest until you had managed to beat me at least once. Did I ever think it would happen at Test for the Best?
"Not at all. Then again, I had different plans in mind. I had planned to qualify for Test for the Best and I had planned on doing all that I could to become a two time Test for the Best winner and grab that Undisputed title shot. But, of course, you saw to it that my plan didn't happen.
"And you called it revenge. You called it payback. In your mind, I have done nothing but evil and have yet to actually by punished for all of it. The flaw there, Biggs, is that you seem to enjoy blocking everything else out of your mind. You enjoy omitting certain aspects. You did it back when it happened, and you're still doing it six, eight, twelve months later.
"I didn't deserve the Undisputed title I won at Shockwave? Why, because Kurt Noble got involved? Did you forget that Johnny Rebel also stuck his nose into our match that night. Or how about the following Overdrive when President Jeff himself told the world that Kurt Noble's count was legit. That, as the special enforcer, if the need arose, he could call the match. And if my memory serves me right, the only people who disagreed with that decision at the time were you and Johnny Rebel. That's it. No one else had an issue with that call.
"Or how about when I ruined your chance at One Night in Hell with the handcuffs. How quickly you forget that you were the one that brought them into play. How quickly you like to point the finger when you are stopped by your own tricks.
"But one of the big sticking points, is how I purposely threw you into the ramp at Christmas Chaos. How in that split second that you were coming at me, I calculated exactly how to toss you up and over the top rope so that you would land just right on the steel ramp and would get a concussion to knock you out of action. I did all of that in that little moment of sudden death because I wanted to make sure you were injured forever.
"Really?
"If I wanted to injure you that night, Biggs, I would have done so in the first sixty minutes. If I wanted to make sure you never walked again, I wouldn't have waited until sudden death. But that's a big if, because as I'm sure anyone with a brain could tell, that's never been my way. That's never been my goal when I step into that ring.
"I'm in there to compete.
"Above all of that though, there seems to be the one point that really got under your collar, the one point that really set everything to a boiling point. The one thing that seems to have driven you over the edge in the lead up to the match.
"You're accusation that there was something going on between me and Ellie. And truly, Biggs, it's nothing more then that. There was never anything going on between me and Ellie. To be one hundred percent honest, Biggs, in the two years that I have been in APW, Ellie and I have spoken and interacted twice. Once when she came to me, begging me to cancel our match so that you wouldn't get injured further, and the second was when I came out to that ring to put an end to the dispute the two of you were having. This isn't like what happened between her and Chris, because we don't even travel in the same circles. We have literally had two run ins. Two. And you were witness to both of them.
"I wasn't being the white knight, I wasn't trying to save her from anything. I was trying to save them, the fans. After all, there's no reason why they should have to sit by and watch you yell at an innocent girl. There's no reason why they should have to put up with your bullshit when they could be watching wrestling, when they could be getting their money's worth. That is why I came out Biggs, to shut you up.
"But you saw it as something completely different, just like you've seen things completely differently during every fight we've had. The handcuffs, Kurt Noble's involvement, the sudden death injury, all of it you've seen through your own pair of glasses with your own spin on it. All of it you've applied your own definition to, and really, Biggs, it's that kind of mentality that, at some point IS going to get you killed stepping into that ring. Not by me, no, I'm not here to murder anybody, Biggs, but there are others who might not be as...calm as me when it comes to wrestling. People who might get tired of your bullshit and people who might take it upon themselves to make sure that those words never leave your mouth again. People who will do anything that they can to shut you up for good.
"But I am not that sort of person.
"And you know that.
"Yet you continue to talk about me like I am some sort of malicious person, some sort of monster. You continue to run my name through the mud, and have been doing so ever since Christmas Chaos. And it's because of that, Biggs, that I've been looking forward to yet another chance to shut you up. Not injure you and end your career, just shut you up from spreading all of this propaganda against me, from slandering my name and making me look like some sort of demon.
"I got a taste of that at Asylum when you called me out, but now I get an even bigger piece of the pie. I get the opportunity to get my hands on you, one on one inside of that ring. Sure, there is still some speculation that you aren't really cleared to wrestle, and that you might not be able to compete in the match at such a high capacity because of it, but you know what, Biggs? I'm not too worried right now. Like I said on Overdrive, regardless as to whether or not you've been given the big, old thumbs up by the doctors, this match will still happen, we will still do battle inside of that ring.
"And I'm sure you haven't forgotten what that feels like. After all, you've stewed about Christmas Chaos for long enough, I'm sure you've run over what I'm capable of doing when I step between those ropes. I'm sure you've replayed everything in your head so that you can get the better of me when the time is right. I'm sure of it, and I know that because of it, this match is going to be one that no one will want to miss. This match is going to be one for the ages, one that might even rival our Iron Man match. This is going to be the sort of match that defines our directions going forward.
"One of us will move forward while the other one takes a step back.
"I'll tell you this right now, Biggs, I will guarantee that I am not going to be the one taking a step backwards. I am not going to have this opportunity presented to me, against an opponent that has had nothing but problems when it comes to facing me, and let it slip through my fingers causing me to end up starting from square one all over again. No, instead I am going to give it my all in this match, just like I did at numerous other clashes that you and I have been apart of. I am going to make sure that by the time Ellie's hand hits the mat to count the three, you are the one lying on your back looking up at the lights. I am going to make sure that I am the one to have my arm raised in victory.
"Because this week, Biggs, failure isn't an option. This week, victory is the only thing that I am seeking. Sure, in the past I've been all about having a good time and making sure that the fans are happy, but this week, this month, this Pay-Per-View, I am going to take everything I have and throw it at you. I am going to make a liar out of you, I am going to make sure that everything you have said, all of these accusations and tales are nothing more than that.
"My 2012 may not have started out as I would have hoped, but at least it's been better then yours. At least I was able to compete, doing what I love for the people that deserve it. I have been able to actually step into that ring, knowing that the next punch will not be my last. I know that I am not taking chance by the balls each time I wrestle. So, yeah, I might not have the high profile Pay-Per-View wins that some Mega Stars might have, but I have had a lot more then you. I have done a lot more then lace up the pom poms to cheer on a pair of fools in the tag team division.
"I've been doing nothing but wrestling. Honing my craft. Waiting for the moment when you would rear your ugly head and demand that we dance one more time.
"I know that you won't be holding back on your attempts to snatch victory out from under me. I know that you are going to pull out all of the stops to get the job done. After all, that's the Biggs way. That's the Biggs ideal. Lie, cheat and steal. You've already lied and made false claims on me, so all that is left is the cheating and the stealing. And looking back at our past matches, cheating is what you try and do best. Cheating is your little ace in the hole, the card you hold up your sleeve until the time calls for it.
"You will try and dent my armor, to make me seem less then stellar, to try and back up your lies. But as we saw in the past, your attempts to cheat have never worked in your favor. When it all came down to it, you were unable to pull out the victory, and instead, were humiliated inside of the ring thanks to me. And believe me, Biggs, while we might not be fighting for the Undisputed title this time, there is so much more riding on the line. Careers, momentum, hope, your marriage, all of it rides on this match. That is what we are fighting for right now. No titles or accolades, but the chance to take that step forward.
"The chance for me to take my next step forward.
"You cost me my spot in Test for the Best, so this is the next best thing to winning that tournament. After all, I've said all along that the best way to get a title opportunity is to earn it. And I'm looking to get back on track, to earn that next opportunity that I am hoping is on the horizon. And you, Biggs, are not going to get in my way. You are not going to stop me from doing what I want to do.
"There is no way that you are going to walk all over me like some people might have thought of me in the past. There is no way that I am going to sit back on my laurels when attacking you would be the better option. There is no way that I am just going to play the wait and see game when I can make my own luck.
"Do I have this one in the bag? Perhaps, though I'm not resting on that fact. I'm not going into the match thinking that this is mine to lose. Quite the opposite really, since this match is mine to win. I just have to take those steps to get there. I have to make sure that I remind you why I beat you at Shockwave. I have to make sure you remember why I won at One Night in Hell. I will damn sure make you aware of why I won at Christmas Chaos.
"I make no excuses and I'm hoping you don't either, especially when this is all said and done. Will this be the end of our saga? Well, only time can tell that one.
"But at the very least, everyone will be able to see that you are not what you say you are.
"You are not out of this world.
"You are not going to regain that spring to your step that you lost when you suffered that concussion.
"Instead, all they are going to see is yours truly doing what he does best.
"They are going to see me go big, while you go nowhere but home."
The voice causes C.J. Gates to pause in his tracks as he enters his office. He glances around but can't find anyone.
"Pardon?" C.J. asks, hesitantly as he closes the door behind him. A few moments of silence pass before the large, leather desk chair turns around to reveal the source of the voice: C.J.'s father, T.J. Gates.
"Getting involved with a married woman," T.J. says as he shakes his head with a smile on his face. "I never thought I'd see one of my sons participating in such...adultery. Alright, maybe O.J. or D.J., but not C.J. Not the wrestling God, C.J. Gates!"
"Nothing happened," C.J. says as he glares at his father. "And I'm not a wrestling God. I never said I was."
"Oh, of course you would say nothing happened," T.J. says with a wink. "Who would want to admit that kind of thing, especially with the woman's better half listening in."
"What the hell do you want?"
"I want to hear all about it. A married woman, who'd have thought?" T.J. chuckles to himself as he swivels the chair back and forth. "Besides, I want to see how this wrestling God gets himself ready for a big week."
"I'm not a God!" C.J. nearly shouts. "I've never said I was a God, just like I never said I was doing anything with Biggs' wife."
T.J. laughs some more. "Oh, can't even say her name, huh? Must be love." T.J. continues to laugh as C.J. picks up a stress ball from the coffee table and throws it at his father, missing him, the stress ball landing against the large glass window behind him.
"If you're going to take up my time, the least you could do is be helpful," C.J. scolds his father as he drops his duffel bag onto one of the couches. "I don't need you sitting in my office, acting like some representative of the Inquirer or something. I've got enough of that shit coming to me from Biggs, I don't need any bullshit from you. I have to make sure I am focused on what I need to do, but have people like you around, cracking jokes about stuff that doesn't even matter, that is what I don't really need."
"Doesn't matter?" T.J. asks. "Doesn't matter? Tell that to Biggs, I'm sure he'd love to hear that his wife doesn't matter."
"Why do I even bother with you?" C.J. asks, which causes his father to sit up straight.
"Growing a back bone, too?" T.J. says with a smirk. "Anger. Back bone. Maybe what B.J. told me is true. Have you begun to become more confident in your abilities? Have you begun to trust yourself and not leave everything up to chance?"
C.J. sighs. "Yes and no. I know that I have the talent and know that I have what it takes to win, but there is still always the possibility that chance could play a role. Besides there's always-"
"The fans, right," T.J. interjects. "Forget them, though. I'm just glad that you've finally realized what kind of potential you have."
"I always knew I had potential," C.J. adds. "What happened last year wasn't just a fluke."
"But the past, what, six months? They haven't exactly been kind to you, have they?" T.J. stands up from the chair and steps as close to C.J. as he can, so that he is leaning against the desk. "But don't worry because this week, it's your week." C.J. gives his father a quizzical look and T.J. continues. "When did everything start last year?"
"When I won Test for the Best," C.J. answers.
"Okay, yes," T.J. concedes. "But I'm talking about when it all really began. When did you win the Undisputed title?"
"Shockwave."
"Against?"
"Biggs."
"Bingo," T.J. exclaims. "And this week, you face Biggs again. Now, I'm not one for old cliches, but you know when they say that history has a way of repeating itself? It got my thinking that this little skid you've been on is going to end since there's no way history doesn't repeat itself when you face off against Biggs."
"I guess there can be some truth to that," C.J. adds. "But I don't think this is going to be the same as it was last year."
"No, you're right," T.J. adds as a smile creeps across his face. "It's going to be much easier. Biggs hasn't really wrestled in six months, his conditioning is going to be shot, and he's going to spend the entire match analyzing every thing that his wife does. If she doesn't count as fast as he wants to, he's going to flip his shit."
"Maybe," C.J. says with much hesitation. "I'm not really willing to sit back on that, though. This is Biggs we're talking about. For all we know, he's cooking something up to pull on me when he thinks I least expect it."
"But he always does that."
"Exactly why I'm going to be ready for it," C.J. says. "But I'm still not going to go into the match thinking Biggs is going to be out of shape or anything like that. If I want to have that history repeat itself, I'm going to need to treat him like the Biggs that beat Level One at last years Test for the Best. I'm going to treat him like the three time Overdrive champion that he is. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and make sure I'm ready for everything that he could possibly throw my way."
"So, you're basically going to rely on the same old tactics you always have," T.J. says as he slumps down into the chair. "You're telling me that nothing is going to have changed. You've found your confidence, but you're going to squash it for the same old song and dance."
"I didn't exactly say that, did I?" C.J. smiles at his dad who, after looking at his son for awhile, smiles back and wags a finger toward C.J. "I might be preparing myself for whatever Biggs has to throw my way, but I still know that I have what it takes to win. I've beaten Biggs three times in the past year with the Undisputed title on the line, and while he can make as many excuses as he wants, the truth is that I beat him. And I know I can do it again this year."
"You know, I might like this new version of the wrestling God."
"I'm not a God," C.J. repeats. "Would you drop it?" T.J. chuckles as C.J. sits down in a chair across from him. "I just think that I've found that point where I can still prepare myself, still wow the fans when I'm inside of that ring, but I also know that I'm not going in blind or hesitant. I am going into matches knowing I have what it takes to win."
"Maybe you've finally figured it all out," T.J. says, beaming from ear to ear. "And now, you can get yourself back on track."
"That's the aim, anyway," C.J. says. "As long as I'm not distracted by people like you acting like a complete smart ass. Not this week. I don't need to get distracted when I'm going up against the man that has become my rival, more or less. I need to keep my focus on Biggs."
"Alright, alright," T.J. concedes. "Let's take a step back, then. How do you feel about Ellie being the guest referee?"
C.J. smirks. "I'm not sure. I mean, when she came into my locker room to get me to cancel the match, I didn't believe her that Biggs wasn't cleared. But looking at it this week, I think that she has given me enough reason to think she will call the match down the middle."
"Or at least in your favor right?" C.J. looks at his father. "There's always got to be that thought that if things don't look good for Biggs she might speed up her count to give you the win and end the match."
"But it could also work the other way. Regardless, I don't think we have to worry about that. I think that Ellie will do what she can to make sure the match is fair, and at the very least, will make sure her husband doesn't do anything stupid that is going to get himself killed."
"Such as?"
"Bringing in weapons," C.J. answers. "Trying to get an advantage on me the way he usually does. And with Ellie being the referee, it gives Biggs a great excuse for his loss. I mean, he's made one for each match we've had. Kurt Noble, handcuffs, the concussion, he's always got an excuse. And when I win, he will accuse Ellie of fast counting."
"And what if you lose?"
C.J. shrugs. "Nothing. Biggs will be able to use it as an excuse when I win, but if he wins, he'll just strut around APW like he just won his second Undisputed title. What Biggs might need to worry about more than losing this match though, is his relationship with Ellie. It was already rocky when the two of them were going through counseling, and now that his comeback might rest on her shoulders? Biggs could find himself sleeping on that couch an awful lot."
"Well, I guess we'll see what happens, won't we?"
"Definitely will," C.J. says. "Worst case scenario, is that my little downward spiral continues, while Biggs gets a nice, big win in his first match back."
"And what about the best case?" T.J. asks.
"Best case is that I once again prove that I can beat Biggs," C.J. answers, staring past his father to the window behind. "Best case is that I show everyone that might have been doubting me that I am not washed up, and that losing to Kurt Noble was a case of losing to one of the best, not an occurrence of one man finally realizing he isn't as good as he thought he was."
"Then there's a lot riding on this match against Biggs," T.J. says with a nod. "A lot of things to take into consideration."
"Yeah, but it's nothing I can't handle," C.J. says with a smile. "After all, I'm the wrestling God, aren't I?"
"You could be. You know you could be."
"Who knows," C.J. adds. "Maybe my match with Biggs will be my big return to the big time. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
-----------------------------------------------
"Here we go again, Biggs.
"Did I think that this moment would happen? Sure I did. I knew that at some point you would get the all clear to crawl back into the ring for one more match. I knew that you wouldn't rest until you had managed to beat me at least once. Did I ever think it would happen at Test for the Best?
"Not at all. Then again, I had different plans in mind. I had planned to qualify for Test for the Best and I had planned on doing all that I could to become a two time Test for the Best winner and grab that Undisputed title shot. But, of course, you saw to it that my plan didn't happen.
"And you called it revenge. You called it payback. In your mind, I have done nothing but evil and have yet to actually by punished for all of it. The flaw there, Biggs, is that you seem to enjoy blocking everything else out of your mind. You enjoy omitting certain aspects. You did it back when it happened, and you're still doing it six, eight, twelve months later.
"I didn't deserve the Undisputed title I won at Shockwave? Why, because Kurt Noble got involved? Did you forget that Johnny Rebel also stuck his nose into our match that night. Or how about the following Overdrive when President Jeff himself told the world that Kurt Noble's count was legit. That, as the special enforcer, if the need arose, he could call the match. And if my memory serves me right, the only people who disagreed with that decision at the time were you and Johnny Rebel. That's it. No one else had an issue with that call.
"Or how about when I ruined your chance at One Night in Hell with the handcuffs. How quickly you forget that you were the one that brought them into play. How quickly you like to point the finger when you are stopped by your own tricks.
"But one of the big sticking points, is how I purposely threw you into the ramp at Christmas Chaos. How in that split second that you were coming at me, I calculated exactly how to toss you up and over the top rope so that you would land just right on the steel ramp and would get a concussion to knock you out of action. I did all of that in that little moment of sudden death because I wanted to make sure you were injured forever.
"Really?
"If I wanted to injure you that night, Biggs, I would have done so in the first sixty minutes. If I wanted to make sure you never walked again, I wouldn't have waited until sudden death. But that's a big if, because as I'm sure anyone with a brain could tell, that's never been my way. That's never been my goal when I step into that ring.
"I'm in there to compete.
"Above all of that though, there seems to be the one point that really got under your collar, the one point that really set everything to a boiling point. The one thing that seems to have driven you over the edge in the lead up to the match.
"You're accusation that there was something going on between me and Ellie. And truly, Biggs, it's nothing more then that. There was never anything going on between me and Ellie. To be one hundred percent honest, Biggs, in the two years that I have been in APW, Ellie and I have spoken and interacted twice. Once when she came to me, begging me to cancel our match so that you wouldn't get injured further, and the second was when I came out to that ring to put an end to the dispute the two of you were having. This isn't like what happened between her and Chris, because we don't even travel in the same circles. We have literally had two run ins. Two. And you were witness to both of them.
"I wasn't being the white knight, I wasn't trying to save her from anything. I was trying to save them, the fans. After all, there's no reason why they should have to sit by and watch you yell at an innocent girl. There's no reason why they should have to put up with your bullshit when they could be watching wrestling, when they could be getting their money's worth. That is why I came out Biggs, to shut you up.
"But you saw it as something completely different, just like you've seen things completely differently during every fight we've had. The handcuffs, Kurt Noble's involvement, the sudden death injury, all of it you've seen through your own pair of glasses with your own spin on it. All of it you've applied your own definition to, and really, Biggs, it's that kind of mentality that, at some point IS going to get you killed stepping into that ring. Not by me, no, I'm not here to murder anybody, Biggs, but there are others who might not be as...calm as me when it comes to wrestling. People who might get tired of your bullshit and people who might take it upon themselves to make sure that those words never leave your mouth again. People who will do anything that they can to shut you up for good.
"But I am not that sort of person.
"And you know that.
"Yet you continue to talk about me like I am some sort of malicious person, some sort of monster. You continue to run my name through the mud, and have been doing so ever since Christmas Chaos. And it's because of that, Biggs, that I've been looking forward to yet another chance to shut you up. Not injure you and end your career, just shut you up from spreading all of this propaganda against me, from slandering my name and making me look like some sort of demon.
"I got a taste of that at Asylum when you called me out, but now I get an even bigger piece of the pie. I get the opportunity to get my hands on you, one on one inside of that ring. Sure, there is still some speculation that you aren't really cleared to wrestle, and that you might not be able to compete in the match at such a high capacity because of it, but you know what, Biggs? I'm not too worried right now. Like I said on Overdrive, regardless as to whether or not you've been given the big, old thumbs up by the doctors, this match will still happen, we will still do battle inside of that ring.
"And I'm sure you haven't forgotten what that feels like. After all, you've stewed about Christmas Chaos for long enough, I'm sure you've run over what I'm capable of doing when I step between those ropes. I'm sure you've replayed everything in your head so that you can get the better of me when the time is right. I'm sure of it, and I know that because of it, this match is going to be one that no one will want to miss. This match is going to be one for the ages, one that might even rival our Iron Man match. This is going to be the sort of match that defines our directions going forward.
"One of us will move forward while the other one takes a step back.
"I'll tell you this right now, Biggs, I will guarantee that I am not going to be the one taking a step backwards. I am not going to have this opportunity presented to me, against an opponent that has had nothing but problems when it comes to facing me, and let it slip through my fingers causing me to end up starting from square one all over again. No, instead I am going to give it my all in this match, just like I did at numerous other clashes that you and I have been apart of. I am going to make sure that by the time Ellie's hand hits the mat to count the three, you are the one lying on your back looking up at the lights. I am going to make sure that I am the one to have my arm raised in victory.
"Because this week, Biggs, failure isn't an option. This week, victory is the only thing that I am seeking. Sure, in the past I've been all about having a good time and making sure that the fans are happy, but this week, this month, this Pay-Per-View, I am going to take everything I have and throw it at you. I am going to make a liar out of you, I am going to make sure that everything you have said, all of these accusations and tales are nothing more than that.
"My 2012 may not have started out as I would have hoped, but at least it's been better then yours. At least I was able to compete, doing what I love for the people that deserve it. I have been able to actually step into that ring, knowing that the next punch will not be my last. I know that I am not taking chance by the balls each time I wrestle. So, yeah, I might not have the high profile Pay-Per-View wins that some Mega Stars might have, but I have had a lot more then you. I have done a lot more then lace up the pom poms to cheer on a pair of fools in the tag team division.
"I've been doing nothing but wrestling. Honing my craft. Waiting for the moment when you would rear your ugly head and demand that we dance one more time.
"I know that you won't be holding back on your attempts to snatch victory out from under me. I know that you are going to pull out all of the stops to get the job done. After all, that's the Biggs way. That's the Biggs ideal. Lie, cheat and steal. You've already lied and made false claims on me, so all that is left is the cheating and the stealing. And looking back at our past matches, cheating is what you try and do best. Cheating is your little ace in the hole, the card you hold up your sleeve until the time calls for it.
"You will try and dent my armor, to make me seem less then stellar, to try and back up your lies. But as we saw in the past, your attempts to cheat have never worked in your favor. When it all came down to it, you were unable to pull out the victory, and instead, were humiliated inside of the ring thanks to me. And believe me, Biggs, while we might not be fighting for the Undisputed title this time, there is so much more riding on the line. Careers, momentum, hope, your marriage, all of it rides on this match. That is what we are fighting for right now. No titles or accolades, but the chance to take that step forward.
"The chance for me to take my next step forward.
"You cost me my spot in Test for the Best, so this is the next best thing to winning that tournament. After all, I've said all along that the best way to get a title opportunity is to earn it. And I'm looking to get back on track, to earn that next opportunity that I am hoping is on the horizon. And you, Biggs, are not going to get in my way. You are not going to stop me from doing what I want to do.
"There is no way that you are going to walk all over me like some people might have thought of me in the past. There is no way that I am going to sit back on my laurels when attacking you would be the better option. There is no way that I am just going to play the wait and see game when I can make my own luck.
"Do I have this one in the bag? Perhaps, though I'm not resting on that fact. I'm not going into the match thinking that this is mine to lose. Quite the opposite really, since this match is mine to win. I just have to take those steps to get there. I have to make sure that I remind you why I beat you at Shockwave. I have to make sure you remember why I won at One Night in Hell. I will damn sure make you aware of why I won at Christmas Chaos.
"I make no excuses and I'm hoping you don't either, especially when this is all said and done. Will this be the end of our saga? Well, only time can tell that one.
"But at the very least, everyone will be able to see that you are not what you say you are.
"You are not out of this world.
"You are not going to regain that spring to your step that you lost when you suffered that concussion.
"Instead, all they are going to see is yours truly doing what he does best.
"They are going to see me go big, while you go nowhere but home."
