Post by C.J. Gates on Nov 14, 2012 17:10:49 GMT -4
"Change.
"It's everywhere, and APW is seeing it in spades. From new roster members switching brands, to mental degradation and the breakdown of alliances, to other alliances forming, new champions being crowned and, to top it all off, the change in the General Manager carousel.
"There is so much going on that we need to keep up with, it's a wonder that only one person has lost their head over it. The only way to keep your head above water in a time where change seems to be around every corner, is to adapt.
"Make sure you're ready for whatever is going to come your way. Always be ready for the unexpected and the expected. Because even in a time when change is at the forefront, there are still things that will never change.
"Am I afraid of change?"
"Not at all. In fact, I welcome it. I always have and I always will. I welcome all of the challenges that come with it and all of the new opportunities that will be presented to me. There might be a few hurdles that come with something new, something unseen before, but that's all part of change.
"Change helps define us.
"Change helps to show us who we truly are.
"And by using our adaptability, it allows us to stay afloat, to keep moving forward.
"It allows us to stay relevant."
"I just don't get it," C.J. Gates says to Vincent James as the two men walk down the residential street. "Less than a year ago, Johnny Rebel was pushing his JRPW campaign and Jeff was batting it away, telling him to grow up and earn a spot, and now, he's pretty much handed Johnny Rebel his dream."
"His dream was to have a federation named after him?" James chuckles.
"I don't know if that's it, but that's not the point." Gates shakes his head. "The point is that something doesn't seem right. It's not like Johnny Rebel was well regarded and held the best interests of APW in mind. He's anything but that."
"It could always be nothing," James suggests. "Could just be that Jeff saw an opportunity for a man with experience to take the reigns for a bit and he jumped all over it."
Gates once again shakes his head. "I don't buy it. Something's not adding up to me. If Jeff got taken out of action by getting attacked then I could understand how Rebel weaseled his way in there, but he didn't. Jeff handed the reigns over willingly."
"Just don't worry about it," James says. "What does Rebel being in charge have to do with you?"
"Well," Gates begins with a smile, "he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. We've had our run ins with one another and I don't think Rebel's been able to swallow the fact that he hasn't been able to beat me."
"Run ins are run ins, nothing more than that."
"I cost him his Overdrive title," Gates says with a shrug. "But I'm not worried about the past, it's the future that bothers me. I've tried so hard to get out of this funk, and after a strong showing at One Night in Hell, I get this nagging suspicion that Rebel's going to squash me back down to where I was."
"You never know," James suggests. "Maybe he's changed."
"Changed?" Gates laughs. "That man? No way in hell does that man change. He's always looking out for himself no matter how you slice it. He was like that over on Asylum, too."
"Yeah, but that's then. Maybe he's going to put things right?"
"Maybe," Gates says. "I just, I don't know. But as long as he's there I'm going to have to keep my eye out."
The two continue to walk, turning down a side street and passing by one house after another. "So why'd you want to come here? Of all the places in North Dakota, why here?" James looks around at the houses lining the streets.
"It doesn't look familiar?" Gates asks.
"Should it?"
Gates nods. "This is the old neighborhood. You know, where we grew up."
James casts a glance at Gates and shakes his head. "No way, I'd remember the neighborhood, and this isn't it. Where we grew up, there was a park that had soccer fields and baseball diamonds and a jungle gym for crying out loud. This," James stops and looks across the street at a condominium building. "This isn't a park."
"No, but it used to be," Gates says, folding his arms over his chest. "They ripped it all up for this condominium project."
"What?" James shouts. "Why the hell would they do that?"
"Because that's what happens. Things are always changing, and sometimes it's not for the better."
"So that's why you're so concerned about what Rebel might do? Because of a condo?"
"No, Rebel's eventual actions are because I know what he's capable of," Gates answers. "The condo just shows me that no matter what it is, there's always something that can be changed. Whether it's a park to a condo, a man to a woman, or the change that's going on with the APW roster, change is always possible, even if we don't expect it."
"You're really hung up on this change bit," James says.
"Why not?" Gates asks. "If being hung up on it allows me to see it all as it happens, then I'd take that over realizing it after being smacked in the face by it."
"But it couldn't have changed that much, could it? Not enough to make a field trip out of it. This isn't the Magic School Bus."
Gates shakes his head. "It's not that it's changed in every aspect, it's more so that the roster has changed as drastically as it has. I mean, eight months ago, Kurt Noble was the Undisputed champion, Terry Marvin was trying to keep his head above water and Azrael Goeren was lost in who knows where, and now, now it's all different."
"Isn't that a part of the business?" James asks. "Don't hold me to it, but I can only assume that new members to a roster are part of what makes wrestling what it is. You can't expect everything to stay status quo forever, can you?"
"No, I know," Gates says. "It's more about the rapidity at which it's happening. With a building, it happens over time and you can see the progress. With the roster, it just happens and all of a sudden you're surrounded by new faces that don't even know who you are."
"Ah, so that's it," James says, nodding. "You're all worried about change because you're afraid that you've been forgotten, afraid that you've been tossed aside like yesterday's newspaper."
"Not really," Gates begins, but James shoots him a look that causes him to stop. "Okay, fine, I am kind of worried about it, but you can't blame me. With the way the roster is now, especially Overdrive's, the chance to get lost in the shuffle is even greater then it was before. And I'll be damned if I'm going to be 'that guy' that ends up going from Undisputed champion to irrelevantly unemployed in one year."
"But that's on you. If you want to stay relevant, you've got to get out there, put your face in peoples minds and just keep doing what you did to get to where you were. Starting this week, because you've got a huge opportunity in front of you. If you want to talk about change and being relevant in the face of it, prove that this week."
"I know," Gates says as he resumes walking, James falls into place. "I plan to. After all, Marvin is the other guy who tried to end my existence at the Pay-Per-View, and that's not something I've forgotten."
"Yeah, but you're thinking revenge, right?" James asks. "I'm not talking about revenge, I'm talking about just making sure you survive and keep your head above water."
"And I will," Gates says. "Trust me, Vinnie, I've had to put up with this before. I'm quite capable of getting revenge in a positive way. If I wanted to just get revenge, I would have run out and bashed Marvin in the head. But I'm not that kind of person."
"So you want revenge by beating him?"
"Essentially. I'm going to try and teach him a lesson while we're in there, but the main goal is to beat him and show him that I'm not about to sit back and let him do whatever the hell he likes."
"Seems rather harsh," James says with a shrug. "From what I've seen, he seems like a down to Earth guy. Seems like he's trying to better himself and APW as a whole."
"That's because you're naive," Gates answers. "You're new to the scene. You weren't watching when Marvin was pulling out every dirty trick in the book, and then forcing Kurt Noble to go into his tailspin, using it against him, and building the fans in his favor."
"You're blaming Marvin for Noble?"
"I always have, though Noble's at fault, too. It was bound to happen eventually, given the stress on him, but Marvin put him over the edge." Gates pauses and takes a breath. "But that's not why I'm getting revenge on Marvin, so it doesn't matter. If Noble is still bent out of shape about it, which I don't think he is since he's already moved on to beating up his best friend, he can fight his own battle. I'm dealing with the fact that Marvin and Level One nearly broke my neck."
"I know, I know, I was just saying." James pauses at the corner, looks back to the condo and shakes his head. "At the very least, you might need to watch your back. I'm sure there are people that will be gunning for you."
"Isn't there always?" Gates asks with a smile. "But I don't know if we have to worry about it too much. Rumor has it that Rebel has banned people from ringside so hopefully no one will get their nose stuck in the match."
"People? Like, every one on the roster, people?"
"No, just Level One and Biggs."
"Oh," James asks with a nod. "What does that matter?"
"I guess Biggs is a bit upset with Marvin, and Level One feels the title shot should be his...truly, nothing has changed in that regard. We still have a bunch of people squabbling over the title."
"Aren't you among them?"
"I guess," Gates shrugs. "I mean, I never outright said that I was, but after what happened last week, and the fact that Level One and Biggs are banned, I guess in some way I've been pulled into this little scuffle."
"Which is great news if it's true," James says. "Would show that, at the very least, you're not irrelevant."
"True, but it's Rebel who's calling the shots," Gates reminds Vinnie. "I'm sure he'll pull the rug out from under me sooner or later."
"Well, enjoy it while you can, I guess. Who knows when you'll get another chance."
Gates glares at his friend. "You sure know how to keep things positive, don't you."
"Well what do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and keep building you up as a possible title contender? We don't even know what's going on, save for the fact that you're fighting Marvin and Level One and Biggs are banned. That's all we know."
"I guess that's true," Gates admits. "Just got to take things one week at a time until everything becomes clearer. I've just got this bad feeling..."
"About Rebel, I know," James finishes. "If you keep worrying about him, you'll never focus on your opponents, and isn't that the one thing that you're always sure to do? Focus on the task at hand, and make sure to fight for the fans?"
"It's what I do," Gates says. "I worry about Rebel now, but come match time, I'm all about my opponent. And with the amount of shit that Marvin has pulled on me, I'm going to make sure that he doesn't get off easy."
"Dude, is this your house?" James asks, as if Gates had never spoken. "It looks much different then it did before."
"It changed," Gates says with a smirk. "Just like the old bat who lives inside."
"What? Did your mom move out?" Gates shakes his head and James chuckles. "I take it she's been badgering you a bit?"
"A bit?" Gates yells. "She tried to have me committed!"
"What?!" James shouts as he glances back at the house. "What happened?"
"It's a long story."
"No matter how many times the fans cheer for you, Marvin, I still don't believe a single thing about you has changed. I can't. I've seen the same schtick too many times before to suddenly believe that you're a changed man, a man that is actually trying to fight for the people.
"And maybe you're not. Maybe you're still riding that high you got from the fans as you routinely bashed Kurt Noble. Maybe you're just taking what they're giving you and waiting for your moment to strike and turn your back on them, because I know it's going to happen.
"It's simply a matter of time. After all, what man can accept all the cheers he gets for what they are, how can he play all of that up, when he tries to kill someone inside of the ring. How is that even possible. And before you say that it was just a part of the match, don't forget that it all could have been avoided. Don't forget that if you weren't the conniving piece of shit that you are, you wouldn't have let it escalate to the realm that it did. I mean, sure, the elimination chamber is dangerous, but beating someone is one thing.
"Killing them is an entirely different matter.
"That's the line that the two of you crossed. That's the place where you and Level One entered at One Night in Hell, and it's not going to be something that I will soon forget. Biggs and I managed to pick up the win over Lester last week, but, for some reason, I'm still not satisfied.
"And none of this is fueled by anger, Marvin, or at least, it's not clouded by it. I've watched everything that you did since day one. I watched you worm your way out of the Survive and Conquer ring and pull a Ruckus, avoiding everyone until you saw fit. I watched you handpick Delikado as the champion because you wanted to, throwing away the integrity of that title match. I even watch as you cost me not only a shot at the tag team titles, but also a shot at the Overdrive title. And after that?
"Well, I think everyone knows that story by now, right?
"Or at least they should, because it's not like it's been hidden anywhere. Terry Marvin, using the power of his own words, the power of manipulation against Kurt Noble to paint the former Noble One as the bad guy in every possible light. I saw it, I witnessed it, and then I stood up against it. And until I stood up against it, nothing bad had happened.
"But then I got attacked. And as much as I thanked you for stopping Noble from taking my head off with that steel chair, I can't help but think that he only did it because of you. I can't help but feel that without you goading him into that kind of mind frame, he wouldn't have nearly killed me. He wouldn't have taken a chance on my life.
"So maybe I blame you for all of that, too, and not just with what happened with Noble. Maybe I can attribute two near death experiences to one man, proving that you are just doing whatever you can to be the last man standing.
"'But that's what you need to do to survive' I hear you saying, and to that, I call bullshit. After all, look at me. I've never played one of those games, I've never taken liberties like you have, cheated like you have, forced someone to go crazy like you have, and I'm still standing. I'm still fighting. And at the top level that I was before.
"And maybe that's the prideful downfall you spoke of at One Night in Hell. Maybe that is my tragic flaw as a person, that I want to play by the rules. That I want to do what is right, I want to stand up for the fans, and show them that they don't have anything to worry about. That there is still someone who is actually fighting for them, someone who has never turned his back on them, someone who has never lied to them.
"Someone who isn't Terry Marvin.
"Because let's face it, eventually your facade is going to crack, and everything of the old Terry Marvin is going to spill out of you. You are going to show your true colors, and everyone is going to be shocked that you weren't as good as they thought you to be. Everyone but me, and I'll be there to point it out. Who knows, maybe it will even crack this week against me, as you do all that you can to keep me down but I keep getting back up. As you knock me down, but I claw back up to my feet.
"Maybe you will lose it, and maybe you will finally show the true colors that run deep within you. And then you will do what your kind does well, you will look to the back for help, look for that ally who is willing to run down and screw me over, and it's going to happen. Because even though you seem to have lost Level One as an ally, there are still others. There are still the Evan Envi's, the Delikado's, the Azrael Goeren's, men that I'm sure you could pay off to come down and clock me one. Allies not named Lester who are begging for the chance to play as your right hand man.
"Hell, maybe I should be honored by the fact that you would need help to beat me. Seems like a lot of people do, and the fact that you'd be recognizing that, well, let's just say that it goes to show just how worried about me you are. But it's not going to change anything for me. Whether you bring down one, two, three men I'm still going to go at the match like I planned. I'm still going to make sure that my focus is on you at all times.
"Because no matter who else is out there, you're the only one that matters.
"Not because you're the champion. Not because you're Terry Marvin. But because you're my opponent. You're the man that I have to get through. Even if you were Shadow or Young Mannie, I'd still be going into the match with the same mindset because that's what I do. I make sure that I look at everything, I make sure I'm prepared for everything, and after I've done all of that, and after I've exhausted every possible source, then I get ready to do battle.
"And battles with me are never easy, are they Terry? Or at least, they never end the way they should. It seems like every time we step in the ring, something happens to rob us and the fans of a great match. But that just goes back to your weaseling ways, doesn't it? It doesn't provide anything new, and it definitely doesn't show that you've changed in any way because if you had, you would have turned over a new leaf.
"But you haven't, and that's really telling, Terry. At least to me, anyways.
"The fact that Biggs is banned from ringside doesn't bother me at all. While he and I have worked together in the past, it's not like I relied on him to survive at any point. It's not like I need him to win, like someone would need a crutch to walk. I know that I've got what it takes on my own to get the job done, just based on what I've been capable of. Based on how much of a thorn in your side I am, I know that I'm on pace to at least make you take notice that I'm more than just some high flying daredevil. Sure, I take risks and yeah, they cost me matches sometimes, but it's nothing that I don't know as I climb those ropes.
"Just like at One Night in Hell, when I was climbing up to that pod. I knew that if I jumped and you moved, I was toast. I knew that if I didn't connect, I could kiss my hopes at the Undisputed title goodbye, but I also knew that if it connected, you weren't going to be getting up from it anytime soon. I factor all of that into what I do, even though some people just see it as unwarranted risk. They see it as me not knowing what I'm doing.
"But it's better to go big, isn't it? It's better to do something knowing that if it's successful, its going to be successful in grand fashion, and if it's not, then you went down in a blaze of glory. But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that way.
"And if I am, I don't really care. It's worked in the past, and this week, it's going to work one more time.
"This week, I'm all about the win, Terry. I'm all about getting the job done, shutting you up, and showing you that no matter what you do, no matter how many times you try and cheat your way to victory, it's not going to work. No matter how many times you try, I'm always going to be there to thwart your attempts. I am going to be there to continue to be that thorn in your side, that annoyance that just doesn't go away.
"And who knows, maybe by the end of the night, I will have proven to you that I am not a nobody.
"Proven that I am a talented son of a bitch.
"Proven that no matter how many people enter APW, no matter how much change goes on around us, I am still gunning for the top. I am still relevant. I am still a top contender for the Undisputed title. Others decide to change brands to get their point across, to show that they are still on people's minds, but me? I just give it my all, I fight until I can't fight anymore, I leave everything that I have inside of that ring, and still power on thanks to each and every one of those fans.
"Fans that will be cheering for me on Thursday night.
"Fans that won't care about Terry Marvin when C.J. Gates is in the ring.
"But maybe you'll prove me wrong. I kind of hope you prove me wrong.
"It's time to go big or go home."
"It's everywhere, and APW is seeing it in spades. From new roster members switching brands, to mental degradation and the breakdown of alliances, to other alliances forming, new champions being crowned and, to top it all off, the change in the General Manager carousel.
"There is so much going on that we need to keep up with, it's a wonder that only one person has lost their head over it. The only way to keep your head above water in a time where change seems to be around every corner, is to adapt.
"Make sure you're ready for whatever is going to come your way. Always be ready for the unexpected and the expected. Because even in a time when change is at the forefront, there are still things that will never change.
"Am I afraid of change?"
"Not at all. In fact, I welcome it. I always have and I always will. I welcome all of the challenges that come with it and all of the new opportunities that will be presented to me. There might be a few hurdles that come with something new, something unseen before, but that's all part of change.
"Change helps define us.
"Change helps to show us who we truly are.
"And by using our adaptability, it allows us to stay afloat, to keep moving forward.
"It allows us to stay relevant."
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"I just don't get it," C.J. Gates says to Vincent James as the two men walk down the residential street. "Less than a year ago, Johnny Rebel was pushing his JRPW campaign and Jeff was batting it away, telling him to grow up and earn a spot, and now, he's pretty much handed Johnny Rebel his dream."
"His dream was to have a federation named after him?" James chuckles.
"I don't know if that's it, but that's not the point." Gates shakes his head. "The point is that something doesn't seem right. It's not like Johnny Rebel was well regarded and held the best interests of APW in mind. He's anything but that."
"It could always be nothing," James suggests. "Could just be that Jeff saw an opportunity for a man with experience to take the reigns for a bit and he jumped all over it."
Gates once again shakes his head. "I don't buy it. Something's not adding up to me. If Jeff got taken out of action by getting attacked then I could understand how Rebel weaseled his way in there, but he didn't. Jeff handed the reigns over willingly."
"Just don't worry about it," James says. "What does Rebel being in charge have to do with you?"
"Well," Gates begins with a smile, "he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. We've had our run ins with one another and I don't think Rebel's been able to swallow the fact that he hasn't been able to beat me."
"Run ins are run ins, nothing more than that."
"I cost him his Overdrive title," Gates says with a shrug. "But I'm not worried about the past, it's the future that bothers me. I've tried so hard to get out of this funk, and after a strong showing at One Night in Hell, I get this nagging suspicion that Rebel's going to squash me back down to where I was."
"You never know," James suggests. "Maybe he's changed."
"Changed?" Gates laughs. "That man? No way in hell does that man change. He's always looking out for himself no matter how you slice it. He was like that over on Asylum, too."
"Yeah, but that's then. Maybe he's going to put things right?"
"Maybe," Gates says. "I just, I don't know. But as long as he's there I'm going to have to keep my eye out."
The two continue to walk, turning down a side street and passing by one house after another. "So why'd you want to come here? Of all the places in North Dakota, why here?" James looks around at the houses lining the streets.
"It doesn't look familiar?" Gates asks.
"Should it?"
Gates nods. "This is the old neighborhood. You know, where we grew up."
James casts a glance at Gates and shakes his head. "No way, I'd remember the neighborhood, and this isn't it. Where we grew up, there was a park that had soccer fields and baseball diamonds and a jungle gym for crying out loud. This," James stops and looks across the street at a condominium building. "This isn't a park."
"No, but it used to be," Gates says, folding his arms over his chest. "They ripped it all up for this condominium project."
"What?" James shouts. "Why the hell would they do that?"
"Because that's what happens. Things are always changing, and sometimes it's not for the better."
"So that's why you're so concerned about what Rebel might do? Because of a condo?"
"No, Rebel's eventual actions are because I know what he's capable of," Gates answers. "The condo just shows me that no matter what it is, there's always something that can be changed. Whether it's a park to a condo, a man to a woman, or the change that's going on with the APW roster, change is always possible, even if we don't expect it."
"You're really hung up on this change bit," James says.
"Why not?" Gates asks. "If being hung up on it allows me to see it all as it happens, then I'd take that over realizing it after being smacked in the face by it."
"But it couldn't have changed that much, could it? Not enough to make a field trip out of it. This isn't the Magic School Bus."
Gates shakes his head. "It's not that it's changed in every aspect, it's more so that the roster has changed as drastically as it has. I mean, eight months ago, Kurt Noble was the Undisputed champion, Terry Marvin was trying to keep his head above water and Azrael Goeren was lost in who knows where, and now, now it's all different."
"Isn't that a part of the business?" James asks. "Don't hold me to it, but I can only assume that new members to a roster are part of what makes wrestling what it is. You can't expect everything to stay status quo forever, can you?"
"No, I know," Gates says. "It's more about the rapidity at which it's happening. With a building, it happens over time and you can see the progress. With the roster, it just happens and all of a sudden you're surrounded by new faces that don't even know who you are."
"Ah, so that's it," James says, nodding. "You're all worried about change because you're afraid that you've been forgotten, afraid that you've been tossed aside like yesterday's newspaper."
"Not really," Gates begins, but James shoots him a look that causes him to stop. "Okay, fine, I am kind of worried about it, but you can't blame me. With the way the roster is now, especially Overdrive's, the chance to get lost in the shuffle is even greater then it was before. And I'll be damned if I'm going to be 'that guy' that ends up going from Undisputed champion to irrelevantly unemployed in one year."
"But that's on you. If you want to stay relevant, you've got to get out there, put your face in peoples minds and just keep doing what you did to get to where you were. Starting this week, because you've got a huge opportunity in front of you. If you want to talk about change and being relevant in the face of it, prove that this week."
"I know," Gates says as he resumes walking, James falls into place. "I plan to. After all, Marvin is the other guy who tried to end my existence at the Pay-Per-View, and that's not something I've forgotten."
"Yeah, but you're thinking revenge, right?" James asks. "I'm not talking about revenge, I'm talking about just making sure you survive and keep your head above water."
"And I will," Gates says. "Trust me, Vinnie, I've had to put up with this before. I'm quite capable of getting revenge in a positive way. If I wanted to just get revenge, I would have run out and bashed Marvin in the head. But I'm not that kind of person."
"So you want revenge by beating him?"
"Essentially. I'm going to try and teach him a lesson while we're in there, but the main goal is to beat him and show him that I'm not about to sit back and let him do whatever the hell he likes."
"Seems rather harsh," James says with a shrug. "From what I've seen, he seems like a down to Earth guy. Seems like he's trying to better himself and APW as a whole."
"That's because you're naive," Gates answers. "You're new to the scene. You weren't watching when Marvin was pulling out every dirty trick in the book, and then forcing Kurt Noble to go into his tailspin, using it against him, and building the fans in his favor."
"You're blaming Marvin for Noble?"
"I always have, though Noble's at fault, too. It was bound to happen eventually, given the stress on him, but Marvin put him over the edge." Gates pauses and takes a breath. "But that's not why I'm getting revenge on Marvin, so it doesn't matter. If Noble is still bent out of shape about it, which I don't think he is since he's already moved on to beating up his best friend, he can fight his own battle. I'm dealing with the fact that Marvin and Level One nearly broke my neck."
"I know, I know, I was just saying." James pauses at the corner, looks back to the condo and shakes his head. "At the very least, you might need to watch your back. I'm sure there are people that will be gunning for you."
"Isn't there always?" Gates asks with a smile. "But I don't know if we have to worry about it too much. Rumor has it that Rebel has banned people from ringside so hopefully no one will get their nose stuck in the match."
"People? Like, every one on the roster, people?"
"No, just Level One and Biggs."
"Oh," James asks with a nod. "What does that matter?"
"I guess Biggs is a bit upset with Marvin, and Level One feels the title shot should be his...truly, nothing has changed in that regard. We still have a bunch of people squabbling over the title."
"Aren't you among them?"
"I guess," Gates shrugs. "I mean, I never outright said that I was, but after what happened last week, and the fact that Level One and Biggs are banned, I guess in some way I've been pulled into this little scuffle."
"Which is great news if it's true," James says. "Would show that, at the very least, you're not irrelevant."
"True, but it's Rebel who's calling the shots," Gates reminds Vinnie. "I'm sure he'll pull the rug out from under me sooner or later."
"Well, enjoy it while you can, I guess. Who knows when you'll get another chance."
Gates glares at his friend. "You sure know how to keep things positive, don't you."
"Well what do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and keep building you up as a possible title contender? We don't even know what's going on, save for the fact that you're fighting Marvin and Level One and Biggs are banned. That's all we know."
"I guess that's true," Gates admits. "Just got to take things one week at a time until everything becomes clearer. I've just got this bad feeling..."
"About Rebel, I know," James finishes. "If you keep worrying about him, you'll never focus on your opponents, and isn't that the one thing that you're always sure to do? Focus on the task at hand, and make sure to fight for the fans?"
"It's what I do," Gates says. "I worry about Rebel now, but come match time, I'm all about my opponent. And with the amount of shit that Marvin has pulled on me, I'm going to make sure that he doesn't get off easy."
"Dude, is this your house?" James asks, as if Gates had never spoken. "It looks much different then it did before."
"It changed," Gates says with a smirk. "Just like the old bat who lives inside."
"What? Did your mom move out?" Gates shakes his head and James chuckles. "I take it she's been badgering you a bit?"
"A bit?" Gates yells. "She tried to have me committed!"
"What?!" James shouts as he glances back at the house. "What happened?"
"It's a long story."
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"No matter how many times the fans cheer for you, Marvin, I still don't believe a single thing about you has changed. I can't. I've seen the same schtick too many times before to suddenly believe that you're a changed man, a man that is actually trying to fight for the people.
"And maybe you're not. Maybe you're still riding that high you got from the fans as you routinely bashed Kurt Noble. Maybe you're just taking what they're giving you and waiting for your moment to strike and turn your back on them, because I know it's going to happen.
"It's simply a matter of time. After all, what man can accept all the cheers he gets for what they are, how can he play all of that up, when he tries to kill someone inside of the ring. How is that even possible. And before you say that it was just a part of the match, don't forget that it all could have been avoided. Don't forget that if you weren't the conniving piece of shit that you are, you wouldn't have let it escalate to the realm that it did. I mean, sure, the elimination chamber is dangerous, but beating someone is one thing.
"Killing them is an entirely different matter.
"That's the line that the two of you crossed. That's the place where you and Level One entered at One Night in Hell, and it's not going to be something that I will soon forget. Biggs and I managed to pick up the win over Lester last week, but, for some reason, I'm still not satisfied.
"And none of this is fueled by anger, Marvin, or at least, it's not clouded by it. I've watched everything that you did since day one. I watched you worm your way out of the Survive and Conquer ring and pull a Ruckus, avoiding everyone until you saw fit. I watched you handpick Delikado as the champion because you wanted to, throwing away the integrity of that title match. I even watch as you cost me not only a shot at the tag team titles, but also a shot at the Overdrive title. And after that?
"Well, I think everyone knows that story by now, right?
"Or at least they should, because it's not like it's been hidden anywhere. Terry Marvin, using the power of his own words, the power of manipulation against Kurt Noble to paint the former Noble One as the bad guy in every possible light. I saw it, I witnessed it, and then I stood up against it. And until I stood up against it, nothing bad had happened.
"But then I got attacked. And as much as I thanked you for stopping Noble from taking my head off with that steel chair, I can't help but think that he only did it because of you. I can't help but feel that without you goading him into that kind of mind frame, he wouldn't have nearly killed me. He wouldn't have taken a chance on my life.
"So maybe I blame you for all of that, too, and not just with what happened with Noble. Maybe I can attribute two near death experiences to one man, proving that you are just doing whatever you can to be the last man standing.
"'But that's what you need to do to survive' I hear you saying, and to that, I call bullshit. After all, look at me. I've never played one of those games, I've never taken liberties like you have, cheated like you have, forced someone to go crazy like you have, and I'm still standing. I'm still fighting. And at the top level that I was before.
"And maybe that's the prideful downfall you spoke of at One Night in Hell. Maybe that is my tragic flaw as a person, that I want to play by the rules. That I want to do what is right, I want to stand up for the fans, and show them that they don't have anything to worry about. That there is still someone who is actually fighting for them, someone who has never turned his back on them, someone who has never lied to them.
"Someone who isn't Terry Marvin.
"Because let's face it, eventually your facade is going to crack, and everything of the old Terry Marvin is going to spill out of you. You are going to show your true colors, and everyone is going to be shocked that you weren't as good as they thought you to be. Everyone but me, and I'll be there to point it out. Who knows, maybe it will even crack this week against me, as you do all that you can to keep me down but I keep getting back up. As you knock me down, but I claw back up to my feet.
"Maybe you will lose it, and maybe you will finally show the true colors that run deep within you. And then you will do what your kind does well, you will look to the back for help, look for that ally who is willing to run down and screw me over, and it's going to happen. Because even though you seem to have lost Level One as an ally, there are still others. There are still the Evan Envi's, the Delikado's, the Azrael Goeren's, men that I'm sure you could pay off to come down and clock me one. Allies not named Lester who are begging for the chance to play as your right hand man.
"Hell, maybe I should be honored by the fact that you would need help to beat me. Seems like a lot of people do, and the fact that you'd be recognizing that, well, let's just say that it goes to show just how worried about me you are. But it's not going to change anything for me. Whether you bring down one, two, three men I'm still going to go at the match like I planned. I'm still going to make sure that my focus is on you at all times.
"Because no matter who else is out there, you're the only one that matters.
"Not because you're the champion. Not because you're Terry Marvin. But because you're my opponent. You're the man that I have to get through. Even if you were Shadow or Young Mannie, I'd still be going into the match with the same mindset because that's what I do. I make sure that I look at everything, I make sure I'm prepared for everything, and after I've done all of that, and after I've exhausted every possible source, then I get ready to do battle.
"And battles with me are never easy, are they Terry? Or at least, they never end the way they should. It seems like every time we step in the ring, something happens to rob us and the fans of a great match. But that just goes back to your weaseling ways, doesn't it? It doesn't provide anything new, and it definitely doesn't show that you've changed in any way because if you had, you would have turned over a new leaf.
"But you haven't, and that's really telling, Terry. At least to me, anyways.
"The fact that Biggs is banned from ringside doesn't bother me at all. While he and I have worked together in the past, it's not like I relied on him to survive at any point. It's not like I need him to win, like someone would need a crutch to walk. I know that I've got what it takes on my own to get the job done, just based on what I've been capable of. Based on how much of a thorn in your side I am, I know that I'm on pace to at least make you take notice that I'm more than just some high flying daredevil. Sure, I take risks and yeah, they cost me matches sometimes, but it's nothing that I don't know as I climb those ropes.
"Just like at One Night in Hell, when I was climbing up to that pod. I knew that if I jumped and you moved, I was toast. I knew that if I didn't connect, I could kiss my hopes at the Undisputed title goodbye, but I also knew that if it connected, you weren't going to be getting up from it anytime soon. I factor all of that into what I do, even though some people just see it as unwarranted risk. They see it as me not knowing what I'm doing.
"But it's better to go big, isn't it? It's better to do something knowing that if it's successful, its going to be successful in grand fashion, and if it's not, then you went down in a blaze of glory. But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks that way.
"And if I am, I don't really care. It's worked in the past, and this week, it's going to work one more time.
"This week, I'm all about the win, Terry. I'm all about getting the job done, shutting you up, and showing you that no matter what you do, no matter how many times you try and cheat your way to victory, it's not going to work. No matter how many times you try, I'm always going to be there to thwart your attempts. I am going to be there to continue to be that thorn in your side, that annoyance that just doesn't go away.
"And who knows, maybe by the end of the night, I will have proven to you that I am not a nobody.
"Proven that I am a talented son of a bitch.
"Proven that no matter how many people enter APW, no matter how much change goes on around us, I am still gunning for the top. I am still relevant. I am still a top contender for the Undisputed title. Others decide to change brands to get their point across, to show that they are still on people's minds, but me? I just give it my all, I fight until I can't fight anymore, I leave everything that I have inside of that ring, and still power on thanks to each and every one of those fans.
"Fans that will be cheering for me on Thursday night.
"Fans that won't care about Terry Marvin when C.J. Gates is in the ring.
"But maybe you'll prove me wrong. I kind of hope you prove me wrong.
"It's time to go big or go home."
