Post by C.J. Gates on Aug 21, 2012 9:19:07 GMT -4
"Are we going to tell him?" B.J. Gates asks his father T.J. as they stand outside the office of APW Megastar C.J. Gates. The patriarch of the Gates family looks to his son with a curious expression on his face.
"Tell him what?" T.J. says before opening the door.
"You know," B.J. says, screwing up his face. "It's about time we came clean about it."
T.J. shakes his head. "Do we really have to? You and I both know that if we tell him, it's going to annoy him to no end. And really do we really want that?"
"Well, no," B.J. says as he shuffles his feet. "But I feel like he should know. And if we don't tell him now, when are we going to tell him? A week from now? A month from now? He's just going to be madder if we continue to lie to him."
T.J. turns away from the door and paces across the hall. "When the hell did you grow a conscience?" He asks, wheeling around to face his son. "Up until now you were alright with lying to him and keeping that wool pulled over his eyes. What changed?"
"I was fine with it when I thought it was helping," B.J. admits, running a hand over his face. "When he was on the upswing, I thought that it wouldn't hurt. Lately, though, he's been stuck in this spiral and I can't help but think that it's all because of the lie. You heard Delikado, it's starting to bleed over, and we can't have that, can we?"
"We can," T.J. says with a smile. "If you wouldn't feel so guilty, we could go with it for the rest of his life, and no one would be the wiser."
"But mom..."
"That bitch doesn't count," T.J. says through partially clenched teeth. "He doesn't believe her, because he believes us. The moment we turn on him, it's all over. You, me, O.J., we're all finished. Do you want that?"
"I don't know, but I just don't want to be lying to C.J. anymore. He deserves to know the truth, especially before Shockwave."
"How do you figure?"
"It might clear his head so he can actually win," B.J. suggests with a shrug of his shoulders. "At the very least, it might give him some fuel for his fire so he might actually have a shot to win the title."
T.J. stares at his son and sighs. "You might have a point, but I don't want to risk it. I don't want to just walk in there and tell him when it could all be avoided."
"So..."
"So if it comes up, or if there's an opening for it, then we'll tell him," T.J. tells B.J. "But if there is no opening for it, or no room, then we won't worry about it. Okay?"
"Okay, I guess," B.J. reluctantly agrees. "I still feel bad about it."
"Well, try and put on a happy face." T.J. steps forward and opens the door to the office.
"There you guys are," C.J. Gates says as he gets up from his chair behind the desk and walks around to meet the two family members. "I've been waiting for the two of you to get here. What took you guys so long?" T.J. and B.J. exchange a quick look.
"Someone had to stop for food," T.J. answers, pointing a thumb at B.J. who gives his father a look. "But how's it going? How are you feeling going into your Overdrive title match at Shockwave?"
C.J. smiles as he closes the office door. "Couldn't be better. I'm really confident that I have what it takes to not only beat Delikado, but to walk out of that building with the Overdrive title after having overcome the scramble."
"No better way to be," T.J. states.
"There's going to be none of this interference bull, because Delikado won't have any back up," C.J. explains as he walks back around to his chair. "Terry Marvin won't be around to care about Delikado because he'll be too busy trying not to screw up his Undisputed title shot, and the other three are two...well, they're more like me then Delikado, and the wouldn't hire in outside help to get the job done. Or at least, if they did, they would look like the biggest hypocrites."
"Kind of like you did a few weeks back when you won the Overdrive title match?" B.J. asks without thinking. C.J. stares a hole through his brother as he takes his seat.
"We've already been over that," C.J. reminds B.J. "I've already had my regret for what I did then, I don't need it coming back. I'm trying to wipe that all clean because this is a new chance, a new shot at trying to make myself relevant again. It's no secret that I've fallen behind lately."
"You can say that again," T.J. says with a chuckle as he takes a seat across from his son. B.J. hesitantly follows.
"Thanks for the support."
"I'm just telling the truth," T.J. says, holding his hands up in defense. "The only real match you've won on your own was the one against Biggs at Test for the Best, and other than that you've been in a bit of a funk."
"We won last week-"
"After Delikado knocked out Mania and gave the win to Saint," T.J. answers as B.J. nods along silently.
"But I'm not worried about that," C.J. says, ignoring what his father said. "I'm shaking all of that off and I am going to go into this match with a head full of confidence. I am going to make sure that everything is pointing in my direction by the time the night is done."
"Though you've got four other guys thinking otherwise," T.J. explains. "You've got four other guys doing all that they can to stop everything from pointing in your direction."
"That's like any match though. There's always going to be people that want to watch you fail. I just have to overcome them."
"And with the way you've been going lately, overcoming that could be a bit of a hurdle."
"I'm going to overcome that, though," C.J. explains.
"Are you?" B.J. asks.
"I'm going to try anyways, and I think I can be successful. The losses I've had recently, are because of Terry Marvin sticking his nose into my business. With him out of the picture, then everything is on a more even playing field, and one where I can come out on top."
"But so can the other four," B.J. says once more.
"Who do you think is your biggest competition?" T.J. asks while shooting a look at B.J. "I'm betting Delikado is giving you the most trouble."
"Actually, it's not Delikado," C.J. answers. "Having seen what he has done lately, the only thing he has going for him is that he ended up being bedfellows with Terry Marvin. Had that little affair never started, Delikado would still be fighting over money and trying his damnedest to get himself some air time. Without Terry Marvin, I doubt Delikado even makes it onto the Shockwave card."
"But he's the champion," T.J. reminds his son.
"Yes, but he was handed the title, and he only retained it because he was gifted another win. If he was on his own, none of that would have happened. And that's why I'm not worried about him as much as I am worried about Keaton Saint."
"Saint?" B.J. asks.
"Saint," C.J. repeats. "I've seen him in action both here and in Experts competitions. He's the CWC Hardcore champion. He's been around this business for years fighting at the top of his game against some of the top acts in the business. He has all the makings of a future Overdrive champion, and really, when looking at the four of them, Keaton Saint is the one that I think could take over the match with ease."
"Not Mark Mania?" T.J. asks. "Or Slade Craven, for that matter?"
"Unfortunately, no," C.J. begins. "They're both talented, but I think they might be just a step or two behind the rest of us. Or at least, in Mania's case, he's going to be in there first against Delikado. He'll be too gassed by the time the end of the match comes around to be of any use to the outcome, and Craven...I think Craven is better off doing what his tag partner has been doing, going back to the basics and working his way back to the top, going through all of the chains."
"Remember what he said last time though, this is his time."
"To be fair, he said that the triple threat number one contender's match was his chance," C.J. says. "But that didn't come true. Just like it won't come true now. I mean, I'm aware that he's in the match and I'm aware that he could be a wild card, or at least he could be a bit of an obstacle that people need to overcome, but I'm not really expecting him to come out on top."
"Which is just when he will," B.J. pipes in.
"Which is why I'm treating him as a serious threat," C.J. responds. "It's one thing to think of him as a person unable to win the match and treat him as such. I don't think he can win, but I'm still going to make sure that I'm watching him at every step. Same thing with Mark Mania and Delikado. I'm going to make sure that I've always got an eye on them so that they can't pull anything, even though I have no doubt that this match will come down to Saint or I."
"That's a very good possibility," T.J. says. "Have you found out what spot you've drawn? When you'll come out?"
"Not quite, but I'm not too worried," C.J. answers. "Or at least no more than necessary. I've never been in a scramble match before so I was re-watching the one from Rasslemania two years ago, and if there's one thing I learned there, it's that the position might not matter. People can easily win the match out of the first spot or the last spot."
"Doesn't that go against your theory about everything coming down to you and Saint?"
"Maybe," C.J. responds. "But once I get into that ring, I'm going to make sure that everything goes the way it should. I'm going to make sure that everything goes my way. I've got the fans behind me, I've got people pushing me to do my best, and I am going to live up to all of that. I've made sure to prepare, I've made sure to get myself ready for everything that could possibly be thrown my way."
"But once that match ends, you might not be the champion," B.J. states. "Any one of the five of you could win, it might just depend on who can play against the clock the best."
"You're a bit of a downer tonight," C.J. says with a slight smirk. B.J. glances uneasily to his father and then looks back at C.J. who glances from one to the other. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing, B.J. has just forgot himself for a bit," T.J. explains as he pats his son on the shoulder. "It's been a long tiring day for him. He's a little pooped."
"We should tell him," B.J. mutters under his breath.
"Tell me what?" C.J. asks. B.J. and T.J. exchange a look again, with T.J. shaking his head slightly. "Tell me what?" C.J. asks again.
"Don't worry about it," T.J. says. "It's nothing that can't wait until after Shockwave-"
"We're dead," B.J. blurts out. T.J. lowers his face into his hands. C.J stares at his brother before bursting into laughter.
"Good one, Beej," C.J. says while chuckling.
"It's not a joke," B.J. says as he sits forward on his chair. "We've been putting off telling you because you seemed better off not knowing, but I just couldn't..."
"Come on," C.J. says with a smile, looking from B.J. to his father. However the look on T.J.'s face wipes the smile off of C.J.'s. "No. No, tell me you're lying. Tell me he's lying, dad."
T.J. shakes his head and lets out a sigh. "I told you not to tell him."
"I couldn't keep silent anymore, he deserved to know," B.J. defends himself. "He deserved to have the truth before he went into that scramble match."
"Did he?" T.J. asks, turning to face his son. "What if it derails him? What if it sends him down an entirely different path? What if he loses focus because of all of this, then what? It will be like Rasslemania all over again. It will be like Mayhem all over again. It will just be another match, nothing special, because you couldn't keep your God damn mouth shut."
"You never know!" B.J. shouts back. "Maybe he'll use it to fuel himself with some sort of blind rage that will help him win."
"Enough!" C.J. yells, his voice echoing around the room. "Both of you just....stop, alright? Just stop."
T.J. and B.J. both silently turn to face C.J.
"It can't be true, it just can't," C.J. mutters as he shakes his head.
"It is," T.J. says, sliding forward in his chair to be closer to his son. "Unfortunately it is."
C.J. looks up and meets his fathers eyes. "He's right then, isn't he?"
"Who?" B.J. asks.
"Delikado," C.J. answers. "He's right. Delikado is right. What he asked me at Overdrive, there was truth to it. There was truth to it and I told him he was a liar."
"To be fair, he is kind of a liar but-"
"He's right?" C.J. asks before leaning back in his chair. "How could he be right?"
"Well, don't worry about that right now," T.J. tries to reason with his son.
"How can I not worry about it?" C.J. asks. "When one of my rivals is basically living in my head, how can I not worry about what else he might know, about how far he will go just to get the job done?"
"How? Just look at the past!" T.J. stands up. "You've faced Sally Talfourd, Biggs, Johnny Rebel, even Kurt Noble. All of them would do whatever it took to win. You've already beaten those kind of odds once, and I'm sure you can do it all over again."
"Can I?" C.J. asks rhetorically. "Can I really, dad? Up until five minutes ago, I thought Delikado was just spouting off lies...but now...This..." C.J. shakes his head. "You can't be dead," C.J. says as he lowers his head. "It's got to be mom's doing, she put you up to this. You guys aren't dead." After a few moments he raises it back up, only to find that he is alone in his office.
"You can't."
"At some point in time, everyone will come face to face with some sort of realization. Everybody will have reality slap them in the face over and over again. To some, like myself, it comes in the form of lies being revealed to you, and to others, it will come in other forms.
"Take Slade Craven for instance. Eventually, he will realize that he doesn't belong where he thinks he belongs. Once he realizes and comes to grip with the fact that he isn't the hot shot that he thinks he is, when he realizes that he's in way over his head in just about every match that he wrestles in, then the reality will sink in. That isn't to say that he has no talent or that he's just some boring puppet, but everyone has their niche in life. Everyone has that one thing that they do so well, and for Craven, that's tag team wrestling. Put him in the ring with a partner and he's lights out.
"Put him on his own and that could be a very different story, and it has been that case in the past. Looking at the triple threat match he and I shared, he was gung ho to win, to prove that he belonged, yet failed to pull up anything. He failed to come through on his word to make himself one of the top talents in APW. He gets another chance, though, to pull himself out of the muck, but it won't be easy. And with no one watching his back, I question whether he'll be able to pull out all of the stops necessary.
"Then we have Mark Mania. His will come when the realization sets in that he is over the hill. That he is an old man in a young man's world, fighting for the chance to stand in that spotlight once more. He's been doing this so long, that rather than earn title shots, he'd prefer to talk his way into them. He'd rather strong arm his way into matches that he might not even have any right to be a part of. I can't say I blame him, though, since people who are on the downturn of their careers need to do everything to get their opportunities, but that's not the Mark Mania that I had heard about. That's not the man who earned his way into the fold two years ago under the guise of Crazy Joe. That's not the man that was so talked about upon my arrival, it almost made me wonder if he was going to be one of the top dogs around here for a long time.
"But then he stumbled. He stuttered. He tripped. You name it, and he did it. He never managed to gain any footing, he kept trying to come back into the fold, but each time something came up. The man who I thought was an icon of the business, a prominent face, hasn't really lived up to that billing as far as I've seen. Every day it seems like he does more and more to tarnish his own reputation. Is that because he's just that sort of man? No. I think it stems more from his age, more from his inability to wrestle at our level on our terms. Does Mania see it? No, not at all. But that's also because he isn't really looking for reality. He's still living in younger days.
"What about Keaton Saint? Well, in his case, his realization is one that he has seen but refuses to admit to, refuses to accept it. It's a revelation that was revealed to him months back when he tried to take on Terry Marvin for the Overdrive title at Rasslemania. Not that he could never hold the Overdrive title, but that he could never beat Terry Marvin. He says that his goal in life now is to make sure Kurt Noble is ready for what's in store for him. Can I believe that? Possibly, though part of me thinks it's all a convuluted way for Keaton Saint to best Terry Marvin any way that he can. Who knows, maybe he thinks that the Overdrive title will be some sort of medal he can sport when trying to taunt Terry Marvin.
"The point here is that Keaton Saint still needs to accept that his reality has already been thrown in his face. He isn't stunted, he won't just be a second tier wrestler for the rest of his career, he just needs to not worry about Terry Marvin so much. Hilarious since I'm saying pretty much the same thing about Marvin, but those are the facts. Until Keaton can accept his reality, accept that he just may never be as good as Terry Marvin, that no matter what he does, he will never be able to contribute to the dismantling of the Real Show. One day he will, I'm sure of that, but it might not be in time for the Overdrive title match at Shockwave. And if it isn't, then he is going to be somewhat preoccupied, trying to figure out what is going to happen if Terry Marvin beats Kurt Noble. What will that mean for Keaton Saint's chances at ever becoming Undisputed champion?
"Lastly, there's Delikado. His realization, it's one that he probably will never be able to fully accept. After all, everyone already knows that the reality that Delikado is trying to shut out, is that of his own shortcomings. It's been well documented, that's for sure, but there's always room for more prodding. Is Delikado a true Overdrive champion? No, although people like him are willing to overlook how they won a title as long as they have a title to strap around their waists. As long as they have a title to exploit for whatever they want to. In Delikado's case, he's exploiting it to get his face on every poster, commercial and drink cup possible. He's whoring it out for his television program. He's bragging about how great he is now that he has it.
"But he never won it himself. He never earned it. He never did anything more than end up in the right match at the right time. He only has the title because Terry Marvin decided to give it to him. So while he's whoring it out and making it out to be his own personal savior, what he forgets to realize is that every Tom, Dick and Harry out there knows that Delikado is nothing more than a hand picked champion. Nothing more than a sorry excuse for a champion, anything else but a fighting champion. Will he listen? No. I'm sure no one will, simply because it's coming from me. Simply because everyone pointed fingers at me for not earning my Undisputed title, even though I beat Biggs three times in my reign to win an defend it. What has Delikado done? He was thrown over top of Mark Mania, and then he and his buddy cost me my opportunity. If anything, Delikado is better off fighting for change and kitten licks then he is fighting for an actual title belt. But he has to accept and admit that. He has to welcome his reality in. He has to realize the world he is living in does not take place on Deli Tee Vee, but in the real world on Earth.
"I'm not squeeky clean either, but I never said I was. I know that I have my own reality to sort out. The point is that each one of us has something that we aren't fully accepting. Each one of us has something that has been revealed to us at one point in time, but we don't want it to be true because we don't believe it to be true. The key will be whether or not any of us actually accepts these realities so that we can actually compete with a clear head going into Shockwave. After all, Shockwave holds more than just a match for a title. Shockwave holds more than just bragging rights.
"Whoever wins at Shockwave will be the one to climb out from the funk that he's currently marred in. After all, outside of these realities we each have that we won't accept, there's also the fact that each one of us hasn't exactly had a stellar turn around since Test for the Best. Keaton Saint lost in the tournament and has been on a slight slide since. Slade Craven and Mark Mania have won the odd match here or there, but nothing that has been strung together for anything of note. Delikado? He's been winning some matches, sure, but for the most part, he's been doing the exact same thing the rest of us have.
"Taking one step forward and two steps back.
"But this is our chance to turn all of that around, isn't it? This is our chance to really make something out of our current situations. One of us will be able to stand tall, raise that title high and know that we're going nowhere but up. We can sleep easy knowing that we're going to be on the rise as opposed to swirling down yet another drain and into yet another funk.
"All we have to do is accept our realities and win the match. Outlast all of the others and walk out with the Overdrive title held high.
"All I have to do is accept, outlast and win.
"After all, there are only so many of us that will actually have a chance to win this match. If I had to make a bold prediction right now, I'd say that the likes of Mark Mania and Slade Craven don't really have a chance while Delikado is only going to have hope if he manages to talk Terry Marvin into coming to his rescue. Keaton Saint on the other hand...he's the real threat.
"A threat that I know I can overcome, and that is one reality that I can accept. Saint isn't the same man that beat me in the Extreme Tournament a year ago, and he doesn't seem like the same man that entered APW earlier this year. He seems different, beaten, defeated, as if he's ready to just roll over and give up on everything that he's trying to work toward. Regardless, he's still my top competition, and that is something that I can't overlook. Not that I'm overlooking the others, but Saint is the one to really watch out for.
"But before that, there are the layers to the match. There is the fact that each one of us has issue with Delikado and there is the fact that each one of us aside from Delikado is going to have a portion of the crowd willing them to victory. Though in that light, I like to think that I've got more of the crowd than the others. I like to think that I haven't done anything to lose their support, unlike the unreliable Mark Mania, the run down Keaton Saint or the unsure Slade Craven. I like to think that I will have the support needed to come out on top, to topple everyone else in the match.
"Including you, Delikado.
"Though that might just be because I feel more confident where I am, as opposed to where everyone else is. I am more confident in my skill than the rest of you might be in yours. I know that the moment I am in the ring, natural instinct is going to take over, and I am going to do what I do best. And no matter how many times I get knocked down, I WILL keep getting back up to fight another day. Quite frankly, I think that at this point in time I have the best skill set needed for this match. I have the ability to wrestle for long periods of time, and I have the tenacity to stay hungry for battle each and every moment of the scramble. It won't be easy, but then again, nothing of this sort is. A scramble match will test us, but I know that it is a test I will pass with flying colors.
"Another reality I can accept.
"It will test whether or not we are capable of keeping enough in the tank for those later moments, for those pushes that everyone knows are going to be integral in the decision.
"Does Mark Mania have what it takes? He could, but something tells me fatigue of his age will catch up to him and in the end, he won't have what it takes to keep going. Slade Craven doesn't have what it takes, because he's conditioned himself to rely on someone else. He's taught himself that when he's tired, he should tag out to the fresh man, only there is nobody back there to bail him out.
"Much like Delikado. He's not going to have anyone watching his back this time around, and it's really going to test whether or not he's capable of defending a title with his own talent. Does he have any? Maybe, but if he does, he hasn't exactly shown it yet. Or perhaps that's just his ego keeping it from truly shining through. Though with Delikado, I'll have to keep my eyes on him because he's going to try and pull out every trick in the book just to retain the title. After all, without the belt, he's got nothing going for him. Without it, he's simply a Cuban without a claim to fame.
"Saint might have what it takes, although that might be a very big if. Who knows, though, he could have a revelation during the match that it's just not in the cards, and could mail it in. Do just enough to get a paycheck and then bounce out of there. It's possible, although I'd be disappointed if he did, and I'm sure he'd be disappointed, too. After all this is Keaton Saint. This is a man that has taken on some of the top names in this business over the past few years. A man who always gives it his all.
"And that's the kind of man I want to fight, someone that leaves it all in the ring. In fact, I'm hoping that everyone gives it one hundred percent, because I want to make sure I earn the Overdrive title. I don't want to be like Biggs, Johnny Rebel, Terry Marvin or Delikado, I don't want to beat a lesser crowd or have the belt handed to me.
"I want to earn it.
"I want to beat everyone at their best.
"I want to realize that I'm not done yet.
"I will realize that I am still relevant.
"And to do that, I need to have a good showing at Shockwave, I need to win the Overdrive title. To do that, I need to give it my all.
"I need to go big or go home."
"Tell him what?" T.J. says before opening the door.
"You know," B.J. says, screwing up his face. "It's about time we came clean about it."
T.J. shakes his head. "Do we really have to? You and I both know that if we tell him, it's going to annoy him to no end. And really do we really want that?"
"Well, no," B.J. says as he shuffles his feet. "But I feel like he should know. And if we don't tell him now, when are we going to tell him? A week from now? A month from now? He's just going to be madder if we continue to lie to him."
T.J. turns away from the door and paces across the hall. "When the hell did you grow a conscience?" He asks, wheeling around to face his son. "Up until now you were alright with lying to him and keeping that wool pulled over his eyes. What changed?"
"I was fine with it when I thought it was helping," B.J. admits, running a hand over his face. "When he was on the upswing, I thought that it wouldn't hurt. Lately, though, he's been stuck in this spiral and I can't help but think that it's all because of the lie. You heard Delikado, it's starting to bleed over, and we can't have that, can we?"
"We can," T.J. says with a smile. "If you wouldn't feel so guilty, we could go with it for the rest of his life, and no one would be the wiser."
"But mom..."
"That bitch doesn't count," T.J. says through partially clenched teeth. "He doesn't believe her, because he believes us. The moment we turn on him, it's all over. You, me, O.J., we're all finished. Do you want that?"
"I don't know, but I just don't want to be lying to C.J. anymore. He deserves to know the truth, especially before Shockwave."
"How do you figure?"
"It might clear his head so he can actually win," B.J. suggests with a shrug of his shoulders. "At the very least, it might give him some fuel for his fire so he might actually have a shot to win the title."
T.J. stares at his son and sighs. "You might have a point, but I don't want to risk it. I don't want to just walk in there and tell him when it could all be avoided."
"So..."
"So if it comes up, or if there's an opening for it, then we'll tell him," T.J. tells B.J. "But if there is no opening for it, or no room, then we won't worry about it. Okay?"
"Okay, I guess," B.J. reluctantly agrees. "I still feel bad about it."
"Well, try and put on a happy face." T.J. steps forward and opens the door to the office.
"There you guys are," C.J. Gates says as he gets up from his chair behind the desk and walks around to meet the two family members. "I've been waiting for the two of you to get here. What took you guys so long?" T.J. and B.J. exchange a quick look.
"Someone had to stop for food," T.J. answers, pointing a thumb at B.J. who gives his father a look. "But how's it going? How are you feeling going into your Overdrive title match at Shockwave?"
C.J. smiles as he closes the office door. "Couldn't be better. I'm really confident that I have what it takes to not only beat Delikado, but to walk out of that building with the Overdrive title after having overcome the scramble."
"No better way to be," T.J. states.
"There's going to be none of this interference bull, because Delikado won't have any back up," C.J. explains as he walks back around to his chair. "Terry Marvin won't be around to care about Delikado because he'll be too busy trying not to screw up his Undisputed title shot, and the other three are two...well, they're more like me then Delikado, and the wouldn't hire in outside help to get the job done. Or at least, if they did, they would look like the biggest hypocrites."
"Kind of like you did a few weeks back when you won the Overdrive title match?" B.J. asks without thinking. C.J. stares a hole through his brother as he takes his seat.
"We've already been over that," C.J. reminds B.J. "I've already had my regret for what I did then, I don't need it coming back. I'm trying to wipe that all clean because this is a new chance, a new shot at trying to make myself relevant again. It's no secret that I've fallen behind lately."
"You can say that again," T.J. says with a chuckle as he takes a seat across from his son. B.J. hesitantly follows.
"Thanks for the support."
"I'm just telling the truth," T.J. says, holding his hands up in defense. "The only real match you've won on your own was the one against Biggs at Test for the Best, and other than that you've been in a bit of a funk."
"We won last week-"
"After Delikado knocked out Mania and gave the win to Saint," T.J. answers as B.J. nods along silently.
"But I'm not worried about that," C.J. says, ignoring what his father said. "I'm shaking all of that off and I am going to go into this match with a head full of confidence. I am going to make sure that everything is pointing in my direction by the time the night is done."
"Though you've got four other guys thinking otherwise," T.J. explains. "You've got four other guys doing all that they can to stop everything from pointing in your direction."
"That's like any match though. There's always going to be people that want to watch you fail. I just have to overcome them."
"And with the way you've been going lately, overcoming that could be a bit of a hurdle."
"I'm going to overcome that, though," C.J. explains.
"Are you?" B.J. asks.
"I'm going to try anyways, and I think I can be successful. The losses I've had recently, are because of Terry Marvin sticking his nose into my business. With him out of the picture, then everything is on a more even playing field, and one where I can come out on top."
"But so can the other four," B.J. says once more.
"Who do you think is your biggest competition?" T.J. asks while shooting a look at B.J. "I'm betting Delikado is giving you the most trouble."
"Actually, it's not Delikado," C.J. answers. "Having seen what he has done lately, the only thing he has going for him is that he ended up being bedfellows with Terry Marvin. Had that little affair never started, Delikado would still be fighting over money and trying his damnedest to get himself some air time. Without Terry Marvin, I doubt Delikado even makes it onto the Shockwave card."
"But he's the champion," T.J. reminds his son.
"Yes, but he was handed the title, and he only retained it because he was gifted another win. If he was on his own, none of that would have happened. And that's why I'm not worried about him as much as I am worried about Keaton Saint."
"Saint?" B.J. asks.
"Saint," C.J. repeats. "I've seen him in action both here and in Experts competitions. He's the CWC Hardcore champion. He's been around this business for years fighting at the top of his game against some of the top acts in the business. He has all the makings of a future Overdrive champion, and really, when looking at the four of them, Keaton Saint is the one that I think could take over the match with ease."
"Not Mark Mania?" T.J. asks. "Or Slade Craven, for that matter?"
"Unfortunately, no," C.J. begins. "They're both talented, but I think they might be just a step or two behind the rest of us. Or at least, in Mania's case, he's going to be in there first against Delikado. He'll be too gassed by the time the end of the match comes around to be of any use to the outcome, and Craven...I think Craven is better off doing what his tag partner has been doing, going back to the basics and working his way back to the top, going through all of the chains."
"Remember what he said last time though, this is his time."
"To be fair, he said that the triple threat number one contender's match was his chance," C.J. says. "But that didn't come true. Just like it won't come true now. I mean, I'm aware that he's in the match and I'm aware that he could be a wild card, or at least he could be a bit of an obstacle that people need to overcome, but I'm not really expecting him to come out on top."
"Which is just when he will," B.J. pipes in.
"Which is why I'm treating him as a serious threat," C.J. responds. "It's one thing to think of him as a person unable to win the match and treat him as such. I don't think he can win, but I'm still going to make sure that I'm watching him at every step. Same thing with Mark Mania and Delikado. I'm going to make sure that I've always got an eye on them so that they can't pull anything, even though I have no doubt that this match will come down to Saint or I."
"That's a very good possibility," T.J. says. "Have you found out what spot you've drawn? When you'll come out?"
"Not quite, but I'm not too worried," C.J. answers. "Or at least no more than necessary. I've never been in a scramble match before so I was re-watching the one from Rasslemania two years ago, and if there's one thing I learned there, it's that the position might not matter. People can easily win the match out of the first spot or the last spot."
"Doesn't that go against your theory about everything coming down to you and Saint?"
"Maybe," C.J. responds. "But once I get into that ring, I'm going to make sure that everything goes the way it should. I'm going to make sure that everything goes my way. I've got the fans behind me, I've got people pushing me to do my best, and I am going to live up to all of that. I've made sure to prepare, I've made sure to get myself ready for everything that could possibly be thrown my way."
"But once that match ends, you might not be the champion," B.J. states. "Any one of the five of you could win, it might just depend on who can play against the clock the best."
"You're a bit of a downer tonight," C.J. says with a slight smirk. B.J. glances uneasily to his father and then looks back at C.J. who glances from one to the other. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing, B.J. has just forgot himself for a bit," T.J. explains as he pats his son on the shoulder. "It's been a long tiring day for him. He's a little pooped."
"We should tell him," B.J. mutters under his breath.
"Tell me what?" C.J. asks. B.J. and T.J. exchange a look again, with T.J. shaking his head slightly. "Tell me what?" C.J. asks again.
"Don't worry about it," T.J. says. "It's nothing that can't wait until after Shockwave-"
"We're dead," B.J. blurts out. T.J. lowers his face into his hands. C.J stares at his brother before bursting into laughter.
"Good one, Beej," C.J. says while chuckling.
"It's not a joke," B.J. says as he sits forward on his chair. "We've been putting off telling you because you seemed better off not knowing, but I just couldn't..."
"Come on," C.J. says with a smile, looking from B.J. to his father. However the look on T.J.'s face wipes the smile off of C.J.'s. "No. No, tell me you're lying. Tell me he's lying, dad."
T.J. shakes his head and lets out a sigh. "I told you not to tell him."
"I couldn't keep silent anymore, he deserved to know," B.J. defends himself. "He deserved to have the truth before he went into that scramble match."
"Did he?" T.J. asks, turning to face his son. "What if it derails him? What if it sends him down an entirely different path? What if he loses focus because of all of this, then what? It will be like Rasslemania all over again. It will be like Mayhem all over again. It will just be another match, nothing special, because you couldn't keep your God damn mouth shut."
"You never know!" B.J. shouts back. "Maybe he'll use it to fuel himself with some sort of blind rage that will help him win."
"Enough!" C.J. yells, his voice echoing around the room. "Both of you just....stop, alright? Just stop."
T.J. and B.J. both silently turn to face C.J.
"It can't be true, it just can't," C.J. mutters as he shakes his head.
"It is," T.J. says, sliding forward in his chair to be closer to his son. "Unfortunately it is."
C.J. looks up and meets his fathers eyes. "He's right then, isn't he?"
"Who?" B.J. asks.
"Delikado," C.J. answers. "He's right. Delikado is right. What he asked me at Overdrive, there was truth to it. There was truth to it and I told him he was a liar."
"To be fair, he is kind of a liar but-"
"He's right?" C.J. asks before leaning back in his chair. "How could he be right?"
"Well, don't worry about that right now," T.J. tries to reason with his son.
"How can I not worry about it?" C.J. asks. "When one of my rivals is basically living in my head, how can I not worry about what else he might know, about how far he will go just to get the job done?"
"How? Just look at the past!" T.J. stands up. "You've faced Sally Talfourd, Biggs, Johnny Rebel, even Kurt Noble. All of them would do whatever it took to win. You've already beaten those kind of odds once, and I'm sure you can do it all over again."
"Can I?" C.J. asks rhetorically. "Can I really, dad? Up until five minutes ago, I thought Delikado was just spouting off lies...but now...This..." C.J. shakes his head. "You can't be dead," C.J. says as he lowers his head. "It's got to be mom's doing, she put you up to this. You guys aren't dead." After a few moments he raises it back up, only to find that he is alone in his office.
"You can't."
---------------------------------------
Realizations
Realizations
"At some point in time, everyone will come face to face with some sort of realization. Everybody will have reality slap them in the face over and over again. To some, like myself, it comes in the form of lies being revealed to you, and to others, it will come in other forms.
"Take Slade Craven for instance. Eventually, he will realize that he doesn't belong where he thinks he belongs. Once he realizes and comes to grip with the fact that he isn't the hot shot that he thinks he is, when he realizes that he's in way over his head in just about every match that he wrestles in, then the reality will sink in. That isn't to say that he has no talent or that he's just some boring puppet, but everyone has their niche in life. Everyone has that one thing that they do so well, and for Craven, that's tag team wrestling. Put him in the ring with a partner and he's lights out.
"Put him on his own and that could be a very different story, and it has been that case in the past. Looking at the triple threat match he and I shared, he was gung ho to win, to prove that he belonged, yet failed to pull up anything. He failed to come through on his word to make himself one of the top talents in APW. He gets another chance, though, to pull himself out of the muck, but it won't be easy. And with no one watching his back, I question whether he'll be able to pull out all of the stops necessary.
"Then we have Mark Mania. His will come when the realization sets in that he is over the hill. That he is an old man in a young man's world, fighting for the chance to stand in that spotlight once more. He's been doing this so long, that rather than earn title shots, he'd prefer to talk his way into them. He'd rather strong arm his way into matches that he might not even have any right to be a part of. I can't say I blame him, though, since people who are on the downturn of their careers need to do everything to get their opportunities, but that's not the Mark Mania that I had heard about. That's not the man who earned his way into the fold two years ago under the guise of Crazy Joe. That's not the man that was so talked about upon my arrival, it almost made me wonder if he was going to be one of the top dogs around here for a long time.
"But then he stumbled. He stuttered. He tripped. You name it, and he did it. He never managed to gain any footing, he kept trying to come back into the fold, but each time something came up. The man who I thought was an icon of the business, a prominent face, hasn't really lived up to that billing as far as I've seen. Every day it seems like he does more and more to tarnish his own reputation. Is that because he's just that sort of man? No. I think it stems more from his age, more from his inability to wrestle at our level on our terms. Does Mania see it? No, not at all. But that's also because he isn't really looking for reality. He's still living in younger days.
"What about Keaton Saint? Well, in his case, his realization is one that he has seen but refuses to admit to, refuses to accept it. It's a revelation that was revealed to him months back when he tried to take on Terry Marvin for the Overdrive title at Rasslemania. Not that he could never hold the Overdrive title, but that he could never beat Terry Marvin. He says that his goal in life now is to make sure Kurt Noble is ready for what's in store for him. Can I believe that? Possibly, though part of me thinks it's all a convuluted way for Keaton Saint to best Terry Marvin any way that he can. Who knows, maybe he thinks that the Overdrive title will be some sort of medal he can sport when trying to taunt Terry Marvin.
"The point here is that Keaton Saint still needs to accept that his reality has already been thrown in his face. He isn't stunted, he won't just be a second tier wrestler for the rest of his career, he just needs to not worry about Terry Marvin so much. Hilarious since I'm saying pretty much the same thing about Marvin, but those are the facts. Until Keaton can accept his reality, accept that he just may never be as good as Terry Marvin, that no matter what he does, he will never be able to contribute to the dismantling of the Real Show. One day he will, I'm sure of that, but it might not be in time for the Overdrive title match at Shockwave. And if it isn't, then he is going to be somewhat preoccupied, trying to figure out what is going to happen if Terry Marvin beats Kurt Noble. What will that mean for Keaton Saint's chances at ever becoming Undisputed champion?
"Lastly, there's Delikado. His realization, it's one that he probably will never be able to fully accept. After all, everyone already knows that the reality that Delikado is trying to shut out, is that of his own shortcomings. It's been well documented, that's for sure, but there's always room for more prodding. Is Delikado a true Overdrive champion? No, although people like him are willing to overlook how they won a title as long as they have a title to strap around their waists. As long as they have a title to exploit for whatever they want to. In Delikado's case, he's exploiting it to get his face on every poster, commercial and drink cup possible. He's whoring it out for his television program. He's bragging about how great he is now that he has it.
"But he never won it himself. He never earned it. He never did anything more than end up in the right match at the right time. He only has the title because Terry Marvin decided to give it to him. So while he's whoring it out and making it out to be his own personal savior, what he forgets to realize is that every Tom, Dick and Harry out there knows that Delikado is nothing more than a hand picked champion. Nothing more than a sorry excuse for a champion, anything else but a fighting champion. Will he listen? No. I'm sure no one will, simply because it's coming from me. Simply because everyone pointed fingers at me for not earning my Undisputed title, even though I beat Biggs three times in my reign to win an defend it. What has Delikado done? He was thrown over top of Mark Mania, and then he and his buddy cost me my opportunity. If anything, Delikado is better off fighting for change and kitten licks then he is fighting for an actual title belt. But he has to accept and admit that. He has to welcome his reality in. He has to realize the world he is living in does not take place on Deli Tee Vee, but in the real world on Earth.
"I'm not squeeky clean either, but I never said I was. I know that I have my own reality to sort out. The point is that each one of us has something that we aren't fully accepting. Each one of us has something that has been revealed to us at one point in time, but we don't want it to be true because we don't believe it to be true. The key will be whether or not any of us actually accepts these realities so that we can actually compete with a clear head going into Shockwave. After all, Shockwave holds more than just a match for a title. Shockwave holds more than just bragging rights.
"Whoever wins at Shockwave will be the one to climb out from the funk that he's currently marred in. After all, outside of these realities we each have that we won't accept, there's also the fact that each one of us hasn't exactly had a stellar turn around since Test for the Best. Keaton Saint lost in the tournament and has been on a slight slide since. Slade Craven and Mark Mania have won the odd match here or there, but nothing that has been strung together for anything of note. Delikado? He's been winning some matches, sure, but for the most part, he's been doing the exact same thing the rest of us have.
"Taking one step forward and two steps back.
"But this is our chance to turn all of that around, isn't it? This is our chance to really make something out of our current situations. One of us will be able to stand tall, raise that title high and know that we're going nowhere but up. We can sleep easy knowing that we're going to be on the rise as opposed to swirling down yet another drain and into yet another funk.
"All we have to do is accept our realities and win the match. Outlast all of the others and walk out with the Overdrive title held high.
"All I have to do is accept, outlast and win.
"After all, there are only so many of us that will actually have a chance to win this match. If I had to make a bold prediction right now, I'd say that the likes of Mark Mania and Slade Craven don't really have a chance while Delikado is only going to have hope if he manages to talk Terry Marvin into coming to his rescue. Keaton Saint on the other hand...he's the real threat.
"A threat that I know I can overcome, and that is one reality that I can accept. Saint isn't the same man that beat me in the Extreme Tournament a year ago, and he doesn't seem like the same man that entered APW earlier this year. He seems different, beaten, defeated, as if he's ready to just roll over and give up on everything that he's trying to work toward. Regardless, he's still my top competition, and that is something that I can't overlook. Not that I'm overlooking the others, but Saint is the one to really watch out for.
"But before that, there are the layers to the match. There is the fact that each one of us has issue with Delikado and there is the fact that each one of us aside from Delikado is going to have a portion of the crowd willing them to victory. Though in that light, I like to think that I've got more of the crowd than the others. I like to think that I haven't done anything to lose their support, unlike the unreliable Mark Mania, the run down Keaton Saint or the unsure Slade Craven. I like to think that I will have the support needed to come out on top, to topple everyone else in the match.
"Including you, Delikado.
"Though that might just be because I feel more confident where I am, as opposed to where everyone else is. I am more confident in my skill than the rest of you might be in yours. I know that the moment I am in the ring, natural instinct is going to take over, and I am going to do what I do best. And no matter how many times I get knocked down, I WILL keep getting back up to fight another day. Quite frankly, I think that at this point in time I have the best skill set needed for this match. I have the ability to wrestle for long periods of time, and I have the tenacity to stay hungry for battle each and every moment of the scramble. It won't be easy, but then again, nothing of this sort is. A scramble match will test us, but I know that it is a test I will pass with flying colors.
"Another reality I can accept.
"It will test whether or not we are capable of keeping enough in the tank for those later moments, for those pushes that everyone knows are going to be integral in the decision.
"Does Mark Mania have what it takes? He could, but something tells me fatigue of his age will catch up to him and in the end, he won't have what it takes to keep going. Slade Craven doesn't have what it takes, because he's conditioned himself to rely on someone else. He's taught himself that when he's tired, he should tag out to the fresh man, only there is nobody back there to bail him out.
"Much like Delikado. He's not going to have anyone watching his back this time around, and it's really going to test whether or not he's capable of defending a title with his own talent. Does he have any? Maybe, but if he does, he hasn't exactly shown it yet. Or perhaps that's just his ego keeping it from truly shining through. Though with Delikado, I'll have to keep my eyes on him because he's going to try and pull out every trick in the book just to retain the title. After all, without the belt, he's got nothing going for him. Without it, he's simply a Cuban without a claim to fame.
"Saint might have what it takes, although that might be a very big if. Who knows, though, he could have a revelation during the match that it's just not in the cards, and could mail it in. Do just enough to get a paycheck and then bounce out of there. It's possible, although I'd be disappointed if he did, and I'm sure he'd be disappointed, too. After all this is Keaton Saint. This is a man that has taken on some of the top names in this business over the past few years. A man who always gives it his all.
"And that's the kind of man I want to fight, someone that leaves it all in the ring. In fact, I'm hoping that everyone gives it one hundred percent, because I want to make sure I earn the Overdrive title. I don't want to be like Biggs, Johnny Rebel, Terry Marvin or Delikado, I don't want to beat a lesser crowd or have the belt handed to me.
"I want to earn it.
"I want to beat everyone at their best.
"I want to realize that I'm not done yet.
"I will realize that I am still relevant.
"And to do that, I need to have a good showing at Shockwave, I need to win the Overdrive title. To do that, I need to give it my all.
"I need to go big or go home."
