Post by Mark Mania on Nov 27, 2012 16:19:22 GMT -4
March 29th 1938
Berlin, Germany
“Oh, Mein Furor, you must be wary of your grand intentions. While the people that surround you are in support of your ideas, you know that you will get rebellion from the West.” Cell Leader Ley said.
Adolf Hitler sat at a long wooden table in a hidden location in Berlin. His rise to power and the rise of the Nazi party had almost reached its apex. The world was on the cusp of another giant war.
“Listen to me Robert, I do not care what the West thinks of my plans. As I gradually take over all of Europe, I will continue to expand until finally I demolish the West.”
“And what of Russia, Mein Furor?” Cell Leader Ley offers up, nervous.
“Fuck Russia! Those bastards will go down as hard as the Americans. We will get them on two fronts. The Japanese will continue to attack and they will not see the power of the Germans coming. Everything will be taken care of. Why did you request this conversation with me?”
Cell Leader Robert Ley looked at Adolf Hitler nervously, glancing back and forth at the two windows in the room. Hitler notices his unease and jumps up from his chair.
“What is going on here Cell Leader?” Adolf screams.
Just then, the left window bursts open and Mark Mania flies through the window. Hitler jumps at him and Mark blocks a punch and then lands a vicious elbow to his jaw that knocks Hitler to his ass. Mark pulls a gun from the back of his pants and looks at Cell Leader Ley.
“Thanks for your help, Rob. But frankly, you’ve allowed this to go on for too long.” Mark smiles and lands two bullets in Cell Leader Ley’s head, right between the eyes.
“And you.” Mark says, walking towards Hitler who is trying to stand up.
“Who ze fuck are you?”
Mark points to himself. “Me? I’m the one who changed history.” Mark shoots Hitler through the head and then twice more through the heart for good measure.
“Suck on that… Hitler!”
“Cut! Cut, cut, cut!” The director yells from his chair.
“Thank God! Are you kidding me with this shit?” I yell from the stage as the other two actors stand up.
“What do you mean?” The director asks.
“What do I mean? I just said ‘Suck on that’ to god damn Adolf Hitler. I mean, it’s ridiculous, why on earth would THAT be my closing line to the greatest villain in the history of man?”
“Well it really emasculates him.”
“So what, I’m telling him to suck on my dick? Yeah, that does wonders for my career.”
“We can work with the dialogue, it will look great.”
“It’s not just the dialogue, Rick. This entire thing is shit.”
“Come on, the entire thing?” Rick the director says.
“Yes. The entire thing. I mean, we’re completely changing the course of history.”
“Tarantino did it.”
“Tarantino is allowed to do it. No one knows who you are or what you do. I think this whole idea should be scratched.”
“Wait, wait, wait. What do you want to have happen? You want Hitler to kill you and then continue with the mass genocide of the Jewish people? That’s going to go over great in Hollywood!”
“This isn’t for Hollywood you moron! This was supposed to be a funny sketch to be played on Overdrive before my match with Azrael.”
“What? We’re not making a big budget picture?”
“You’ve got to me shitting me. Rosa!?” I scream.
Rosa comes over with a clipboard in her arms and an ear bud in. “What do you want, Mark?”
“I think this idea is shit. And this director thinks we’re doing a wide release with this thing, it was just supposed to be a funny, stupid idea.”
“Well, it’s too late now. Get in there and finish it.”
“What?”
“Just finish it Mark, we put a lot of money into this.”
“I don’t give a shit how much money we threw at it. I’m Mark Mania, the Overdrive Champion. If I don’t want to do something, there isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to do it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Suck on this.” I say and I take the microphone out from my back pocket and walk off the set.
Ever since winning the Overdrive Championship, I’ve been wondering how I was going to continue my legacy. I’ve wondered where my career will go from here. I couldn’t be more happy, excited, and proud to be the champion, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where this journey will take me. Being a champion is important to me and bringing glory to the Overdrive title was my main goal.
Delikado had proven time and time again that he wasn’t worthy of holding that title. He proved that while he was a dangerous competitor, he was bad for the sport, and bad for the title. I knew that once I got my hands on the title, I wouldn’t waste any time restoring glory to the title.
I’d like to think I did that, haven’t a valiant effort in essentially a handicap match against Evan Envi and Delikado, two men who seem to be on their way to Tag-Title glory, and then defeating the former Xtreme Champion John Dionysus. Last week was a gaffe, Thanksgiving caused everyone to be off their game and I admit, I didn’t bring the best I had.
But now, I get another chance, now I get to hop in the ring with the ‘next big thing’ in the APW. Azrael Goeren may have a lot of clout with his name around the wrestling world, but in the APW, he’s just a shiny new toy for all of us Overdrive competitors to play with.
For months we’ve been facing each other and battling back and forth, so obviously when a name brand talent like Azrael joins, we’re all licking our chops. I knew eventually I’d get a shot at him, so I just watched from afar as he made a pretty impressive run in the company. Win after win, knocking out big name after big name. People are already talking about how he’s going to challenge for a title any day now. People are talking about all the things he’s done in wrestling and now he’s clearly continuing his ‘dominance’ in the APW.
That’s when I step in. The same thing that happened with Evan Envi and Steve Stryker. These guys get a little momentum, they start getting people to talk about them and that’s when Mark Mania steps in and takes them down a notch. Stryker left the company I beat his ass so bad, and Evan Envi is still nursing his wounds and is sour whenever he hears my name.
So now I meet with Azrael Goeren. We will step in the ring together and we’ll see for sure just what he’s actually capable of. See how he does against a name that’s just as recognizable across the wrestling universe. See how he does when all the spotlights are on and he’s facing someone with a bigger ego than his. Let’s see what Azrael really has.
“What is your problem?” Rosa asked me as I sat down behind my desk, head in my hands.
“What…” I responded back.
“You just storm off the set like a child? You have an obligation, you paid money to set this up, we need to get it done.”
“I don’t care about the stupid sketch, Rosa. I need to start focusing on the match, the sketch was stupid.”
“It may have been stupid, but that’s no reason for you to storm out.”
“You said it. I paid for it, it was all on me. If I don’t like it, it doesn’t happen, simple as that. Pay everyone their pro-rated pay and then we’re done with it. It was just supposed to be a stupid thing to make fun of Goeren for being German.”
“I know, and I think it would’ve bothered him, given you a little help.”
“I don’t need help, Rosa. I need to not look like an idiot. What am I going to do, take the Overdrive Title from Delikado and then just become a joke like he is? I’m not going to let that happen. I take this business seriously.”
“Just because you’re taking something seriously doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it.”
“I understand that… it’s just, it’s stupid. It’s a dumb project, we tried it, it didn’t work, end of story. Attacking Goeren because he’s German is too easy of an angle. And especially doing a Hitler thing. Don’t people call Stefan Raab the worst thing to happen to Germany since Hitler already?”
“So what do you want to do then?”
“I just want to wrestle him. Simple as that. Get in the ring and see what that guy can do.”
“He’s been fighting very well lately, Mark. You want any advantage to can get.”
“I don’t need any additional advantage! I’m the Overdrive champion! I can take out this new guy in a heartbeat.”
“It’s not like he’s just any new guy. He’s been around this sport for a long time, he knows what it takes to win, he’s just as accomplished as you are.”
I glare at her. “Not in the APW he isn’t. I don’t give a shit what other titles he’s won in other federations. We could sit around all day talking about all the titles I’ve won in different places and it wouldn’t mean jack shit. Just like it doesn’t mean a damn thing when Azrael does it. In the APW, all he’s done is win a few matches and piss a few people off. He doesn’t have the history or the titles to be talking like he’s on my level.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t Michael Harris you’re going up against. You’re going up against someone who has proven himself to your peers. He’s known far and wide. He’s a solid competitor with a list of accolades that you can’t shake off. He doesn’t lack confidence either, Mr. Mania. He wants to beat you. That title puts a bulls-eye on your back.”
“Of course he wants to beat me. Everyone wants to beat me, I’m the Overdrive Champion, I’m a measuring stick for most of the people in APW. If people are trying to make some waves and trying to make a name for themselves, they need to see how they stack up against the champions. I may not be Terry Marvin, but my name still holds enough weight around here that people want to beat me.”
“I don’t think you understand. Some are saying he’s one of the best all time.”
I slap my hands on the desk and stand up.
“I don’t give a shit what people say about him. I understand he’s got an impressive resume, I understand that he’s accomplished a lot in this sport. But in the APW, all you need to see is that Mark Mania is the Overdrive Champion and Azrael Goeren is just a guy on an okay winning streak.”
“I don’t think you should underestimate him Ma-“
“I don’t think you should underestimate me.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time rising back up through the ranks over the past few years. I’ve spent many nights awake, worried about whether or not my career was over. I’ve spent too long on the outside looking in. Those days are over. I don’t need to be reminded of them, I don’t need anyone telling me stories of those days. I remember them perfectly well on my own. There’s no reason to dwell on them.”
“At One Night in Hell, I rose, I persevered, and I was back in. I proved to the world that Mark Mania isn’t too old, Mark Mania isn’t washed up, and god damn it, Mark Mania is back. Welcome to the world where Mark Mania reigns as the Overdrive Champion. A new era in the APW where veteran leadership and experience is what pays off. I’m proud to be the champion and I’m proud to face all comers.”
“This week, I have the honor of facing a man who has been as highly touted in the APW as anyone. He made an appearance at One Night in Hell and right away became a man to be reckoned with. Some thought he’d challenge for the World Title, some thought he’d have some sort of grudge with Level-One or Kurt Noble. But alas, none of the above have happened. He’s thrown himself into the APW and is trying to cover as many bases as possible. He doesn’t want to be forgotten about like so many others in the APW.”
“So he’s been winning week after week and it’s been great for his career, he’s also tried to align himself with or against some of the bigger names in APW. But he seems to be more like a rolling stone than a snowball. Each win doesn’t seem to be bringing him to anything bigger. Each win seems almost expected. It’s like the Overdrive GM, whether it’s Johnny Diamond or Johnny Rebel, just continue to give Azrael matches that he can handle. Someone with his accolades and ego clearly needs to be stroked to make sure he doesn’t go AWOL.”
“So he got his wins, he got his air time, and he seems to be happy. So now what does management do? They’ve made their whale happy, now they have to see what they actually have. Christmas Chaos is coming up soon, someone needs to figure out where he’s going to fit in. What better way than to give him a match against one of the most established stars in all of wrestling? What better way than to give him a true, honest to god, challenge?”
“I’m glad to be that for the APW. I have my Overdrive title, I have my accolades, and I have my air time, guaranteed whenever I’d like. The least I can do is give back and show the APW universe what these new guys are capable of. I showed the world that Evan Envi wasn’t ready for anything better than the Xtreme Title, I showed the world that John Dionysus still has some work to do on his comeback trail. Now, I’ll show the world that Azrael Goeren isn’t as hot a shit as everything thinks he is.”
“I’ll show the world that APW is and always will be bigger than Azrael Goeren.”
“Nothing pisses me off more than someone coming in from the outside with a big ego and a litany of accolades who just gets to waltz in and start making a difference. Maybe I hate it because I’ve been on the other side so much that I understand the circumstances.”
“I won’t say that I’ve never used my name or my accomplishments to get me places. Of course it has happened. Hell, when I joined APW more people knew about Mark Mania than they did Crazy Joe and he was the Xtreme Champion. It’s easy to get acknowledgment when you have the name. Which is why I don’t trust a damn person who only has a ‘name’.”
“I’ve flaked out before, I haven’t done my best every place I’ve ever gone, but I always got the chance. It’s not the most fair system in the world, to be sure. Which is why I’m very excited about getting in the ring with Azrael this week. I want to see if he’s for real or not.”
“I’ve been watching since One Night in Hell to see what he’s capable of and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see him succeed. But how much can you learn looking from the outside? I won’t really know if Azrael is for real until I get in the ring with him. It would be a damn shame if he came into the APW with all of this fanfare and was suddenly to disappear. I’m glad to be the test to see if that will happen.”
“Azrael, the easy angle here to take is a US versus Germany angle. I should attack your heritage and you’re desire to speak some butchered combination of English and German. I should make fun of the accent and probably make a few Nazi jokes. But I’m sure you’ve heard every single one of them. It’s like me with the old jokes. I’ve heard that I belong in a nursing home or that when I was first on TV it was in black and white. It’s all too easy.”
“Which is why all I want to talk to you about is who you really are. I want to figure out just what made Azrael Goeren a household name. I won’t lie, before you were signed by the APW, I didn’t really have any idea who you were. I was never really involved in the CWC and therefore there wasn’t any weight to the Goeren name. After you were signed, I started to look into you more. People around here seemed to be very excited by your signing. Some people said we got one of the biggest free agents in all of wrestling.”
“It peaked my curiosity. So I looked into it, found out what I could. Of course I was impressed, you’ve done some great things. But, I also know that the APW is the top wrestling federation in the world and has the best talent that I’ve ever seen under one roof.”
“So everything that you’ve done, everything that you’ve accomplished, it can’t mean much here… not yet. I feel like I’m talking to myself three years ago when I first joined the APW. But you won’t really understand it until you’ve been here for a while. I realize you’re acclimating yourself to the community and you probably feel like you’ve got a good grasp on things, but you don’t. APW is bigger than anything you can understand yet. So take all of our accolades and throw them out the door. The only thing I’m really proud about anymore is this title I have right now.”
“Even when I won the Xtreme title back in 2010, that was so long ago, the only members still around from those days are Slade Craven, Level-One, Sally Talfourd, Biggs, and Jeff himself. The talent level has jumped up so much from those days. I feel like every day APW continues to get better. Which is why this title is so important to me. To know that I’m a champion in the greatest federation on earth is truly an accolade.”
“We could go toe to toe talking about titles we’ve had and matches we’ve completed, but there is no title, no match, more important than our meeting our Thursday night.”
“I don’t want you to think that I’ve written you off or that I’ve underestimated you. Because I haven’t. I get the fact that you’re a great wrestler. But you’re not a great APW Megastar yet. That’s what I want to see on Thursday. I want to see what the APW can really look forward to.”
“I don’t know if this will be the last time we meet for a while or if I’ll have to start seeing you every week like I did with Delikado, But I know that no matter what happens, you’re not going to forget Thursday night. You’re not going to forget the first real match you had in the APW. I’m here to show you what it means to be a Megastar in this company.”
“One last thing before I go Azrael. I caught what you said earlier this week about me, and I don’t want to dwell on it, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Yes, we both take this wrestling business seriously and we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished. But if you think I have morals, you’re way off on a ledge. You just call up Delikado and see what he thinks about my morals.”
“This Thursday should be a fun and entertaining match for the APW universe, but more than that, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re actually capable of doing in the ring. All the stories and accomplishments will be washed away for the night and we can learn all we need to about each other. What will I learn about you Azrael?”
Berlin, Germany
“Oh, Mein Furor, you must be wary of your grand intentions. While the people that surround you are in support of your ideas, you know that you will get rebellion from the West.” Cell Leader Ley said.
Adolf Hitler sat at a long wooden table in a hidden location in Berlin. His rise to power and the rise of the Nazi party had almost reached its apex. The world was on the cusp of another giant war.
“Listen to me Robert, I do not care what the West thinks of my plans. As I gradually take over all of Europe, I will continue to expand until finally I demolish the West.”
“And what of Russia, Mein Furor?” Cell Leader Ley offers up, nervous.
“Fuck Russia! Those bastards will go down as hard as the Americans. We will get them on two fronts. The Japanese will continue to attack and they will not see the power of the Germans coming. Everything will be taken care of. Why did you request this conversation with me?”
Cell Leader Robert Ley looked at Adolf Hitler nervously, glancing back and forth at the two windows in the room. Hitler notices his unease and jumps up from his chair.
“What is going on here Cell Leader?” Adolf screams.
Just then, the left window bursts open and Mark Mania flies through the window. Hitler jumps at him and Mark blocks a punch and then lands a vicious elbow to his jaw that knocks Hitler to his ass. Mark pulls a gun from the back of his pants and looks at Cell Leader Ley.
“Thanks for your help, Rob. But frankly, you’ve allowed this to go on for too long.” Mark smiles and lands two bullets in Cell Leader Ley’s head, right between the eyes.
“And you.” Mark says, walking towards Hitler who is trying to stand up.
“Who ze fuck are you?”
Mark points to himself. “Me? I’m the one who changed history.” Mark shoots Hitler through the head and then twice more through the heart for good measure.
“Suck on that… Hitler!”
“Cut! Cut, cut, cut!” The director yells from his chair.
“Thank God! Are you kidding me with this shit?” I yell from the stage as the other two actors stand up.
“What do you mean?” The director asks.
“What do I mean? I just said ‘Suck on that’ to god damn Adolf Hitler. I mean, it’s ridiculous, why on earth would THAT be my closing line to the greatest villain in the history of man?”
“Well it really emasculates him.”
“So what, I’m telling him to suck on my dick? Yeah, that does wonders for my career.”
“We can work with the dialogue, it will look great.”
“It’s not just the dialogue, Rick. This entire thing is shit.”
“Come on, the entire thing?” Rick the director says.
“Yes. The entire thing. I mean, we’re completely changing the course of history.”
“Tarantino did it.”
“Tarantino is allowed to do it. No one knows who you are or what you do. I think this whole idea should be scratched.”
“Wait, wait, wait. What do you want to have happen? You want Hitler to kill you and then continue with the mass genocide of the Jewish people? That’s going to go over great in Hollywood!”
“This isn’t for Hollywood you moron! This was supposed to be a funny sketch to be played on Overdrive before my match with Azrael.”
“What? We’re not making a big budget picture?”
“You’ve got to me shitting me. Rosa!?” I scream.
Rosa comes over with a clipboard in her arms and an ear bud in. “What do you want, Mark?”
“I think this idea is shit. And this director thinks we’re doing a wide release with this thing, it was just supposed to be a funny, stupid idea.”
“Well, it’s too late now. Get in there and finish it.”
“What?”
“Just finish it Mark, we put a lot of money into this.”
“I don’t give a shit how much money we threw at it. I’m Mark Mania, the Overdrive Champion. If I don’t want to do something, there isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to do it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Suck on this.” I say and I take the microphone out from my back pocket and walk off the set.
Ever since winning the Overdrive Championship, I’ve been wondering how I was going to continue my legacy. I’ve wondered where my career will go from here. I couldn’t be more happy, excited, and proud to be the champion, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where this journey will take me. Being a champion is important to me and bringing glory to the Overdrive title was my main goal.
Delikado had proven time and time again that he wasn’t worthy of holding that title. He proved that while he was a dangerous competitor, he was bad for the sport, and bad for the title. I knew that once I got my hands on the title, I wouldn’t waste any time restoring glory to the title.
I’d like to think I did that, haven’t a valiant effort in essentially a handicap match against Evan Envi and Delikado, two men who seem to be on their way to Tag-Title glory, and then defeating the former Xtreme Champion John Dionysus. Last week was a gaffe, Thanksgiving caused everyone to be off their game and I admit, I didn’t bring the best I had.
But now, I get another chance, now I get to hop in the ring with the ‘next big thing’ in the APW. Azrael Goeren may have a lot of clout with his name around the wrestling world, but in the APW, he’s just a shiny new toy for all of us Overdrive competitors to play with.
For months we’ve been facing each other and battling back and forth, so obviously when a name brand talent like Azrael joins, we’re all licking our chops. I knew eventually I’d get a shot at him, so I just watched from afar as he made a pretty impressive run in the company. Win after win, knocking out big name after big name. People are already talking about how he’s going to challenge for a title any day now. People are talking about all the things he’s done in wrestling and now he’s clearly continuing his ‘dominance’ in the APW.
That’s when I step in. The same thing that happened with Evan Envi and Steve Stryker. These guys get a little momentum, they start getting people to talk about them and that’s when Mark Mania steps in and takes them down a notch. Stryker left the company I beat his ass so bad, and Evan Envi is still nursing his wounds and is sour whenever he hears my name.
So now I meet with Azrael Goeren. We will step in the ring together and we’ll see for sure just what he’s actually capable of. See how he does against a name that’s just as recognizable across the wrestling universe. See how he does when all the spotlights are on and he’s facing someone with a bigger ego than his. Let’s see what Azrael really has.
“What is your problem?” Rosa asked me as I sat down behind my desk, head in my hands.
“What…” I responded back.
“You just storm off the set like a child? You have an obligation, you paid money to set this up, we need to get it done.”
“I don’t care about the stupid sketch, Rosa. I need to start focusing on the match, the sketch was stupid.”
“It may have been stupid, but that’s no reason for you to storm out.”
“You said it. I paid for it, it was all on me. If I don’t like it, it doesn’t happen, simple as that. Pay everyone their pro-rated pay and then we’re done with it. It was just supposed to be a stupid thing to make fun of Goeren for being German.”
“I know, and I think it would’ve bothered him, given you a little help.”
“I don’t need help, Rosa. I need to not look like an idiot. What am I going to do, take the Overdrive Title from Delikado and then just become a joke like he is? I’m not going to let that happen. I take this business seriously.”
“Just because you’re taking something seriously doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it.”
“I understand that… it’s just, it’s stupid. It’s a dumb project, we tried it, it didn’t work, end of story. Attacking Goeren because he’s German is too easy of an angle. And especially doing a Hitler thing. Don’t people call Stefan Raab the worst thing to happen to Germany since Hitler already?”
“So what do you want to do then?”
“I just want to wrestle him. Simple as that. Get in the ring and see what that guy can do.”
“He’s been fighting very well lately, Mark. You want any advantage to can get.”
“I don’t need any additional advantage! I’m the Overdrive champion! I can take out this new guy in a heartbeat.”
“It’s not like he’s just any new guy. He’s been around this sport for a long time, he knows what it takes to win, he’s just as accomplished as you are.”
I glare at her. “Not in the APW he isn’t. I don’t give a shit what other titles he’s won in other federations. We could sit around all day talking about all the titles I’ve won in different places and it wouldn’t mean jack shit. Just like it doesn’t mean a damn thing when Azrael does it. In the APW, all he’s done is win a few matches and piss a few people off. He doesn’t have the history or the titles to be talking like he’s on my level.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t Michael Harris you’re going up against. You’re going up against someone who has proven himself to your peers. He’s known far and wide. He’s a solid competitor with a list of accolades that you can’t shake off. He doesn’t lack confidence either, Mr. Mania. He wants to beat you. That title puts a bulls-eye on your back.”
“Of course he wants to beat me. Everyone wants to beat me, I’m the Overdrive Champion, I’m a measuring stick for most of the people in APW. If people are trying to make some waves and trying to make a name for themselves, they need to see how they stack up against the champions. I may not be Terry Marvin, but my name still holds enough weight around here that people want to beat me.”
“I don’t think you understand. Some are saying he’s one of the best all time.”
I slap my hands on the desk and stand up.
“I don’t give a shit what people say about him. I understand he’s got an impressive resume, I understand that he’s accomplished a lot in this sport. But in the APW, all you need to see is that Mark Mania is the Overdrive Champion and Azrael Goeren is just a guy on an okay winning streak.”
“I don’t think you should underestimate him Ma-“
“I don’t think you should underestimate me.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time rising back up through the ranks over the past few years. I’ve spent many nights awake, worried about whether or not my career was over. I’ve spent too long on the outside looking in. Those days are over. I don’t need to be reminded of them, I don’t need anyone telling me stories of those days. I remember them perfectly well on my own. There’s no reason to dwell on them.”
“At One Night in Hell, I rose, I persevered, and I was back in. I proved to the world that Mark Mania isn’t too old, Mark Mania isn’t washed up, and god damn it, Mark Mania is back. Welcome to the world where Mark Mania reigns as the Overdrive Champion. A new era in the APW where veteran leadership and experience is what pays off. I’m proud to be the champion and I’m proud to face all comers.”
“This week, I have the honor of facing a man who has been as highly touted in the APW as anyone. He made an appearance at One Night in Hell and right away became a man to be reckoned with. Some thought he’d challenge for the World Title, some thought he’d have some sort of grudge with Level-One or Kurt Noble. But alas, none of the above have happened. He’s thrown himself into the APW and is trying to cover as many bases as possible. He doesn’t want to be forgotten about like so many others in the APW.”
“So he’s been winning week after week and it’s been great for his career, he’s also tried to align himself with or against some of the bigger names in APW. But he seems to be more like a rolling stone than a snowball. Each win doesn’t seem to be bringing him to anything bigger. Each win seems almost expected. It’s like the Overdrive GM, whether it’s Johnny Diamond or Johnny Rebel, just continue to give Azrael matches that he can handle. Someone with his accolades and ego clearly needs to be stroked to make sure he doesn’t go AWOL.”
“So he got his wins, he got his air time, and he seems to be happy. So now what does management do? They’ve made their whale happy, now they have to see what they actually have. Christmas Chaos is coming up soon, someone needs to figure out where he’s going to fit in. What better way than to give him a match against one of the most established stars in all of wrestling? What better way than to give him a true, honest to god, challenge?”
“I’m glad to be that for the APW. I have my Overdrive title, I have my accolades, and I have my air time, guaranteed whenever I’d like. The least I can do is give back and show the APW universe what these new guys are capable of. I showed the world that Evan Envi wasn’t ready for anything better than the Xtreme Title, I showed the world that John Dionysus still has some work to do on his comeback trail. Now, I’ll show the world that Azrael Goeren isn’t as hot a shit as everything thinks he is.”
“I’ll show the world that APW is and always will be bigger than Azrael Goeren.”
“Nothing pisses me off more than someone coming in from the outside with a big ego and a litany of accolades who just gets to waltz in and start making a difference. Maybe I hate it because I’ve been on the other side so much that I understand the circumstances.”
“I won’t say that I’ve never used my name or my accomplishments to get me places. Of course it has happened. Hell, when I joined APW more people knew about Mark Mania than they did Crazy Joe and he was the Xtreme Champion. It’s easy to get acknowledgment when you have the name. Which is why I don’t trust a damn person who only has a ‘name’.”
“I’ve flaked out before, I haven’t done my best every place I’ve ever gone, but I always got the chance. It’s not the most fair system in the world, to be sure. Which is why I’m very excited about getting in the ring with Azrael this week. I want to see if he’s for real or not.”
“I’ve been watching since One Night in Hell to see what he’s capable of and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see him succeed. But how much can you learn looking from the outside? I won’t really know if Azrael is for real until I get in the ring with him. It would be a damn shame if he came into the APW with all of this fanfare and was suddenly to disappear. I’m glad to be the test to see if that will happen.”
“Azrael, the easy angle here to take is a US versus Germany angle. I should attack your heritage and you’re desire to speak some butchered combination of English and German. I should make fun of the accent and probably make a few Nazi jokes. But I’m sure you’ve heard every single one of them. It’s like me with the old jokes. I’ve heard that I belong in a nursing home or that when I was first on TV it was in black and white. It’s all too easy.”
“Which is why all I want to talk to you about is who you really are. I want to figure out just what made Azrael Goeren a household name. I won’t lie, before you were signed by the APW, I didn’t really have any idea who you were. I was never really involved in the CWC and therefore there wasn’t any weight to the Goeren name. After you were signed, I started to look into you more. People around here seemed to be very excited by your signing. Some people said we got one of the biggest free agents in all of wrestling.”
“It peaked my curiosity. So I looked into it, found out what I could. Of course I was impressed, you’ve done some great things. But, I also know that the APW is the top wrestling federation in the world and has the best talent that I’ve ever seen under one roof.”
“So everything that you’ve done, everything that you’ve accomplished, it can’t mean much here… not yet. I feel like I’m talking to myself three years ago when I first joined the APW. But you won’t really understand it until you’ve been here for a while. I realize you’re acclimating yourself to the community and you probably feel like you’ve got a good grasp on things, but you don’t. APW is bigger than anything you can understand yet. So take all of our accolades and throw them out the door. The only thing I’m really proud about anymore is this title I have right now.”
“Even when I won the Xtreme title back in 2010, that was so long ago, the only members still around from those days are Slade Craven, Level-One, Sally Talfourd, Biggs, and Jeff himself. The talent level has jumped up so much from those days. I feel like every day APW continues to get better. Which is why this title is so important to me. To know that I’m a champion in the greatest federation on earth is truly an accolade.”
“We could go toe to toe talking about titles we’ve had and matches we’ve completed, but there is no title, no match, more important than our meeting our Thursday night.”
“I don’t want you to think that I’ve written you off or that I’ve underestimated you. Because I haven’t. I get the fact that you’re a great wrestler. But you’re not a great APW Megastar yet. That’s what I want to see on Thursday. I want to see what the APW can really look forward to.”
“I don’t know if this will be the last time we meet for a while or if I’ll have to start seeing you every week like I did with Delikado, But I know that no matter what happens, you’re not going to forget Thursday night. You’re not going to forget the first real match you had in the APW. I’m here to show you what it means to be a Megastar in this company.”
“One last thing before I go Azrael. I caught what you said earlier this week about me, and I don’t want to dwell on it, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Yes, we both take this wrestling business seriously and we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished. But if you think I have morals, you’re way off on a ledge. You just call up Delikado and see what he thinks about my morals.”
“This Thursday should be a fun and entertaining match for the APW universe, but more than that, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re actually capable of doing in the ring. All the stories and accomplishments will be washed away for the night and we can learn all we need to about each other. What will I learn about you Azrael?”
