Post by C.J. Gates on Nov 28, 2012 13:23:36 GMT -4
"Last week," Vincent James begins.
"Last week doesn't matter," C.J. Gates cuts in. "Last week doesn't count."
"Why not?" James asks as he sits down on the couch by the door to the office. Gates remains in the swivel desk chair. "I look at it, and I see that a lot happened."
"A lot did happen," Gates agrees, "but a lot of it also seems pointless."
"Well, at the very least you got your Christmas Chaos match."
Gates nods. "That's true. I finally get the chance to prove to Level One and to get him back for everything that he's done to me since I entered APW. It's a chance I've been waiting for, but a chance that is somewhat meaningless."
James squints at Gates. "How is it meaningless?"
"It all stemmed from Level One raging out because he didn't get his title shot that he wanted," Gates explains. "So what does Johnny Rebel do? He makes the match for the number one contender spot to the Undisputed title. Then, later in the night, Level One wins a title shot."
"So?"
"So?" Gates parrots. "So it means that the match will not matter to Level One since he has that title shot in his pocket."
"Ah, but it's a title shot to a title at the General Managers choosing," James states. "Level One could end up getting a shot at the Xtreme title for all we know."
Gates nods again. "True, true. Still, it wasn't a great night for me."
"Well, then go with your first instinct and forget about it," James says. "Or, look at the positives of the match. Look at the fact that you managed to last as long as you did with your team basically non existent. Aside from Biggs, Mania and Watson didn't exactly do a lot to help you out, now did they?"
"No, I guess they didn't," Gates agrees.
"So the fact that you were in there as long as you were, and put on as good a display as you could, that's saying something. You didn't have the title shot at the end of it all, but you've still got the bragging rights, right?"
"I guess you do make a good point."
"Damn right I do," James says with a smirk. "That's why you keep me around."
"And because you're tall. You can reach the top shelf."
"So what's on your mind?"
"Nothing," Gates reponds. "Just getting ready for my match against Chris Hart. Been looking forward to it for awhile."
"Well that should be good," James answers. "At least you won't lose because someone cheated."
"That's one of the bonuses, though there are so many out lying factors," Gates shakes his head. "Let me ask you a question."
"Shoot."
"Do you think I've been off base on Terry Marvin?" Gates asks. "Like, his attitude lately, do you think I was wrong to not believe him?"
"Wrong?" James asks. "Far from it. I think it's just a matter of time before he shows his true colors, and when he does, you will be on the front lines telling people 'I told you so'."
"Yeah, but he's been one of the guys helping me," Gates reasons. "When everyone else shits on me, Terry's been there to try and have my back."
"Unless he's trying to kill you inside of the ring. Or did you forget about One Night in Hell when he was willing to work with Level One to break your neck?"
"I guess it had slipped my mind," Gates admits. "I don't know, I keep thinking I'm right, but part of me thinks otherwise. It's not like it was with Level One back after Survive and Conquer two years ago. Then, there were obvious signs, and he didn't do anything to anyone but himself. But now, Marvin is actually showing that he's...human."
"Human?" James chuckles. "I wouldn't get too far ahead of yourself on that one, Ceej. This is Terry Marvin, the man who holds his win in that Test for the Best qualifying match over you, even with interference. The man who won the Undisputed title after Amy Noble hit her husband in the groin."
"I know, I know," Gates says, holding up a hand. "I'm not going to go and give him a hug or anything, it was just a question that had been running through my head. Nothing I'm going to jeopardize myself over."
"Good, just remember that, because you've got to keep focused. With that match with Level One coming up, you could use everything you've got. You can use that momentum that you can gain from wins against guys like Chris Hart."
"Which is where my head is at this week," Gates says. "Don't worry, I was always thinking about this match with great interest and looking at it like it truly mattered. But that's something I am able to do, put my issues behind and focus on the match at hand."
"It's what you'll need to do," James says. "It's what you'll both need to do. With Level One and Kurt Noble lurking around, nothing is certain and I'm sure you know it."
"Oh, I know it alright," Gates says with a smile. "It's my monthly story. There always seems to be someone there who wants to kick my teeth in, bash my brains in, or handcuff me to the ring ropes. I'm always putting up with it, so I am sure that I can look past it until it happens. I won't worry about it until I absolutely have to."
"So when the chair is swinging down on your head."
Gates chuckles. "I guess that's one way to look at it. But for now, I'm one hundred percent focused on Chris Hart."
"That's what I wanted to hear," James says as he gets up from his seat. "Keep yourself in that frame of mind. I'm going to step out for a moment, but when I return, we'll do some more homework on the match."
"I'll be ready," Gates says. James exits the room, closing the door behind him. A few moments later, the door opens and in steps Renshaw.
"Never thought he'd leave," Renshaw says with a chuckle. "Mr. Goodie Two-Shoes there had a good spot on this couch." Renshaw drops onto the couch as Gates stands up.
"What are you doing here?"
"What am I..." Renshaw starts. "I'm here to help!"
"I called you," Gates says. "I told you not to come. I said that I was going to try and do things on my own."
Renshaw shrugs. "I never got the message. Besides, looking at things now, I'd say you could use my help now more than ever."
"Now?" Gates asks. "Why now?"
"Level One."
"What about him?"
"You've got to take the fight to him," Renshaw says. "You've got to make the next strike so that he knows you mean business. Otherwise, Level One will be able to walk all over you and you won't have a snowballs chance in hell at winning at Christmas Chaos."
"I don't have to attack him," Gates argues.
"No, but you have to do something," Renshaw says. "You failed the first time to make an impact, you failed to truly make yourself known, and you lost at One Night in Hell. Do you really want to lose again?"
Gates shakes his head. "No, I guess you have a point there. But I don't want to..."
"Don't even say it," Renshaw yells. "I don't want to hear your love in with those fans. They don't matter in the end, because if you don't turn your act around, they're going to get bored and stop cheering for you anyways."
"But I am APW..."
"And you need to stay APW. But you also need to be relevant, and if you aren't, they are going to move on."
"If they want to that's fine," Gates admits. "I am not going to compromise what I stand for because of that. I've heard people talking, and even with the changes, I'm still seen as one of the faces of this place, and I'm not going to throw that away."
"But you need an edge."
"I need an edge," Gates says. "I do need an edge, I'm not going to deny that. Going up against someone like Level One, someone who tried to kill me, I need to be able to hold my own."
"I still can't believe that," Renshaw says. "He tried to kill you and you haven't done anything about it. You haven't even stood up to him for it."
"We fought," Gates says.
"About what? In a tag match that meant nothing. You haven't given him payback, you haven't found any revenge. You've just let him get away with attempted murder."
Gates nods his head in silence as Renshaw stares at him.
"See what I'm saying?" Renshaw adds.
"Yeah," Gates admits, swiveling back and forward.
"I mean, if you want," Renshaw begins, "I could do something on your behalf. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, that doesn't mean that I have to stay crystal clean, right?"
"What?" Gates asks, shocked. "No, that's not what I had in mind. That's not what I want at all. I don't want to do anything underhanded, I want to get my point across to Level One, to Terry Marvin, hell, even to Chris Hart, but not in any way that will jeopardize my position."
Renshaw scoffs. "Fine, have it your way. Again. But don't come crying to me when you're getting powerbombed off the stage."
"I won't get powerbombed," Gates says. "People in APW are mental, but they aren't going to start doing things like that."
"Says the guy who nearly had his neck broken."
Gates chuckles. "I guess you have a point. Still, I don't think I have to worry about that."
"Well maybe you want me to take a quick shot at Chris Hart," Renshaw offers. "Soften him up so that you have an easier ride. You know Level One will be around, so it's a matter of saving your strength for him."
"The fact that you would even suggest that makes me shake my head," Gates says. "Do I want to attack Chris Hart? No. I want this match to be an actual match, one that the two of us can compete in. If you were to compromise that, then I'd just look like some kind of hypocrite."
"One day you'll accept my offers," Renshaw says. "One day you'll see what I have been trying to tell you for the past few months. This good guy routine can only last so long before people get bored of you, and then, where will you be? You'll be flat on your ass, trying to find a federation to accept you. APW might seem like the prime real estate that it is, but once it's gone, what will you have?"
"It won't be gone," Gates says. "I'm not done fighting, and I'm certainly not done fighting for it. People rise up every day to fight for whats right, but I've been doing it since day one and until I am put in the ground, I will continue to fight for whats right and continue to represent APW the best way that I know how. And that means no cheap shot attacks before matches."
Renshaw quickly stands up but before leaving he looks at Gates one last time. "You sure?" he asks, and Gates nods his head. Renshaw shakes his own before turning, opening the door and disappearing through it, closing it behind him. Gates leans back in the desk chair and lets out a loud sigh of relief as the scene fades to black.
"You think by now I'd be used to it. Getting attacked at every turn, being counted out of every match, being looked down on because of my height, you would think I'd be used to all of that. And I am, for the most part, but every so often when it happens, I just can't believe there are people who still think that way. People like Level One who have always seen me as a lesser being, even though I've held the Undisputed title. Even though I dominated APW for an entire year.
"So I guess it's only fitting that this week, I am set to face off against Chris Hart on Overdrive. I am set to face a man that I have never faced before, but a man that has a lot in common with me. Every time I get counted out, every time I get thrown aside, told that I don't actually matter, Chris Hart is being told the same thing. I know I've been part of that, but if there is anyone in APW who can understand my frustration at being counted out of matches, that man is Chris Hart.
"Sure, he hasn't done a lot in APW. Aside from winning the tag team titles, he's kind of been struggling to get his feet under him. However, every time I see him in a fight, it's always an uphill battle for him, and most of that, is due to his size. Due to the fact that he hasn't had any big accomplishments since arriving here. A place where I find myself, even though I was a former Undisputed champion.
"But for both of us, it's not just one person, it's many. It's not just a Level One type character, who is always full of himself and who thinks that anything less than three Undisputed title reigns means jack shit, it's everyone. It's people who I've fought against multiple times, people that I've fought in the same company with for years. Guys like Terry Marvin who praise me on one hand, and then turn around to say that I don't have what it takes, much like they would say to Chris Hart. They will praise him for his heart and his resilience, but then turn around and tell him that he's a small fish fighting in a big pond.
"I know, because I've said it.
"Do I regret it? Maybe, though sometimes all you can do is look at the body of work to see what you're dealing with. That's what I did when I fought against Chris for the tag team titles, and in the elimination chamber. I looked at his body of work and realized that, while he's a name that has been around for a fair bit, I haven't exactly seen his name up in lights.
"Yet now, as I sit back and think about it, and think about my current situation and how past experiences seem not to matter, I wonder if I wrote Hart off too soon. I wonder if I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt the last two times I faced him, and I should have given him his fair chance in those matches. Instead of saying he's the weak link or that he's the place filler, I should have looked at what he was capable of.
"So now I will. Better late than never, right? Maybe it will be seen as a cop out to some, but the more I've sat back and watched Chris Hart, the more I realize that he's more than just a name. More than just a question mark about what he's capable of doing. After all, one would have to be after the kind of stuff he's had to go through lately with Kurt Noble. A former friend doing what he's doing? He would have to have some tough skin to put up with all of that.
"Of course, this week isn't about Kurt Noble, even though I'm sure that name is running through Hart's mind on all cylinders, and that Kurt Noble will make an appearance, this is a match between Hart and I. Between two men that are being written off by nearly everyone else in APW.
"I've been looking forward to this match, truth be told. I'm always looking forward to fighting against men whose name alone precedes them. Men that have been talked about, albeit in small circles. Once Chris Hart signed a contract, I wondered when it would be that he and I fought one on one. And now, that time has come and I couldn't be more focused.
"Naturally we're both dealing with people that can and will make our lives hell, but I'm sure that for at least half of the match, we can both put those issues behind us and put on one great match. I'm sure that we can do what we need to do to get the job done for the fans, and to show them that there is still good wrestling that won't boil down to violent attacks.
"And I am going into this match with an entirely new outlook. Like I said, I might have written Chris Hart off before, but now, I am going to treat him as if he was one of the most legendary legends to ever step into an APW ring. If Level One thinks he's unbeatable, if he thinks he's the best of the best, I will treat Chris Hart as if he were at Level One's level. Maybe it was the fact that he scored the pinfall in the tag team match, or maybe it was because he saved my ass at One Night in Hell, but the very least I should do is treat him like he ought to be treated.
"So really, Chris, I don't want you to disappoint me. I don't want to go into this match thinking that you are at that level, only to have you disappear off of the face of the Earth. That would go against everything I just said. That would make everything I just went on about seem pointless, since you would have negated all of it. Not saying that you will, I'm just stating it as a general fact.
"Just like it's a general fact that you don't just lie down for anyone. Like me, you fight until you can no longer fight. You put your body on the line at all costs, not stopping until the fight has been taken out of you completely. And even then, you dig down deep and pull out something that no one thought you had. I know that because that's how I am. That's what I do, and no matter how many times people try and knock that fight out of me, I keep getting back up. I keep battling back until I'm nearly immobilized. YOU keep battling back until you're nearly immobilized, as everyone saw in your casket match against Level One.
"Maybe it's just how people like us operate. It's how we get by, it's what makes us tick, this ability to continue even though the numbers might be against us. Then again, maybe we also get by because people don't see us for what we truly are, and we can fly under the radar.
"But that is not going to happen this week.
"I've been watching tape of you, Chris, and I've been making sure I'm ready for everything that you could possibly throw my way. I've made sure that I am ready for whatever you are going to throw at me, and that I've scouted your arsenal well. Maybe it's ill advised since there is always the opportunity for modification, but I still like to be prepared, because everyone has their niches. Everyone has their wells that they go to, and their moves that they like to do in succession. I can make sure I'm ready for those things will all of the homework I have done about you.
"But that is only half the battle, and the rest of the fight is going to take place once that bell rings. Like I said, there is always modification, so things can change and sometimes, certain things only truly come out in the ring. Sure, it might seem like I'm talking in circles, how I'm back tracking and making total nonsense, but deep down, it all makes sense.
"I am not going to look past Chris Hart.
"I am not going to treat him like an inferior specimen.
"I am not going to go easy on him.
"That's what it all boils down to. He and I, we've been overlooked, and that's not something that helps in a match like this. When a match like this comes around, we have to be prepared. I have to be prepared. I am not going to settle until I am, and even then, I am going to make sure I am watching what Hart does in that ring very carefully so that I can adapt.
"I will adapt to whatever you throw at me Chris. Rights, lefts, kitchen sinks, steel chairs, whatever. Though if I know you like I think I know you, weapons and cheating is out of the question. Using those underhanded tactics that others seem to thrive on, that's not the path you will take. And that's another reason why I've been looking forward to this match, because I know that there won't be a handful of tights, a foot on the rope, a pair of brass knuckles staring me in the eyes. I know that you will fight honorably inside of that ring. I know that if this match degrades into anarchy, it won't be on our heads, it will be on the heads of our enemies, on the heads of the men who can't handle the fact that there are still some men who fight by the rules, who follow the guidelines set out for us.
"But don't think this means that I am going to go easy on you, Hart. Don't think that this means I am not aiming for the win, because I am. It's the one thing that I'm gunning for more than anything, because, at this point, it's the only thing I will settle for. It's the one thing that I want to get from this week. I know Level One is going to attack me, because that's the kind of man he is. I know Kurt Noble is going to try and fuck with your mind, because that's the kind of man he is. But what I want, is this victory, at your expense.
"I'm not going to do whatever it takes to win, obviously, but I want the win. I want to show Level One that he's not the only one wanting that Undisputed title, and to do that, I need to gain some momentum. Momentum over you. But trust me, Chris, there is also respect floating through this match because this is one of those meetings that could start and end with a handshake.
"And that is something I look forward to.
"I'll see you in the ring, Chris.
"It's time to go big or go home."
"Last week doesn't matter," C.J. Gates cuts in. "Last week doesn't count."
"Why not?" James asks as he sits down on the couch by the door to the office. Gates remains in the swivel desk chair. "I look at it, and I see that a lot happened."
"A lot did happen," Gates agrees, "but a lot of it also seems pointless."
"Well, at the very least you got your Christmas Chaos match."
Gates nods. "That's true. I finally get the chance to prove to Level One and to get him back for everything that he's done to me since I entered APW. It's a chance I've been waiting for, but a chance that is somewhat meaningless."
James squints at Gates. "How is it meaningless?"
"It all stemmed from Level One raging out because he didn't get his title shot that he wanted," Gates explains. "So what does Johnny Rebel do? He makes the match for the number one contender spot to the Undisputed title. Then, later in the night, Level One wins a title shot."
"So?"
"So?" Gates parrots. "So it means that the match will not matter to Level One since he has that title shot in his pocket."
"Ah, but it's a title shot to a title at the General Managers choosing," James states. "Level One could end up getting a shot at the Xtreme title for all we know."
Gates nods again. "True, true. Still, it wasn't a great night for me."
"Well, then go with your first instinct and forget about it," James says. "Or, look at the positives of the match. Look at the fact that you managed to last as long as you did with your team basically non existent. Aside from Biggs, Mania and Watson didn't exactly do a lot to help you out, now did they?"
"No, I guess they didn't," Gates agrees.
"So the fact that you were in there as long as you were, and put on as good a display as you could, that's saying something. You didn't have the title shot at the end of it all, but you've still got the bragging rights, right?"
"I guess you do make a good point."
"Damn right I do," James says with a smirk. "That's why you keep me around."
"And because you're tall. You can reach the top shelf."
"So what's on your mind?"
"Nothing," Gates reponds. "Just getting ready for my match against Chris Hart. Been looking forward to it for awhile."
"Well that should be good," James answers. "At least you won't lose because someone cheated."
"That's one of the bonuses, though there are so many out lying factors," Gates shakes his head. "Let me ask you a question."
"Shoot."
"Do you think I've been off base on Terry Marvin?" Gates asks. "Like, his attitude lately, do you think I was wrong to not believe him?"
"Wrong?" James asks. "Far from it. I think it's just a matter of time before he shows his true colors, and when he does, you will be on the front lines telling people 'I told you so'."
"Yeah, but he's been one of the guys helping me," Gates reasons. "When everyone else shits on me, Terry's been there to try and have my back."
"Unless he's trying to kill you inside of the ring. Or did you forget about One Night in Hell when he was willing to work with Level One to break your neck?"
"I guess it had slipped my mind," Gates admits. "I don't know, I keep thinking I'm right, but part of me thinks otherwise. It's not like it was with Level One back after Survive and Conquer two years ago. Then, there were obvious signs, and he didn't do anything to anyone but himself. But now, Marvin is actually showing that he's...human."
"Human?" James chuckles. "I wouldn't get too far ahead of yourself on that one, Ceej. This is Terry Marvin, the man who holds his win in that Test for the Best qualifying match over you, even with interference. The man who won the Undisputed title after Amy Noble hit her husband in the groin."
"I know, I know," Gates says, holding up a hand. "I'm not going to go and give him a hug or anything, it was just a question that had been running through my head. Nothing I'm going to jeopardize myself over."
"Good, just remember that, because you've got to keep focused. With that match with Level One coming up, you could use everything you've got. You can use that momentum that you can gain from wins against guys like Chris Hart."
"Which is where my head is at this week," Gates says. "Don't worry, I was always thinking about this match with great interest and looking at it like it truly mattered. But that's something I am able to do, put my issues behind and focus on the match at hand."
"It's what you'll need to do," James says. "It's what you'll both need to do. With Level One and Kurt Noble lurking around, nothing is certain and I'm sure you know it."
"Oh, I know it alright," Gates says with a smile. "It's my monthly story. There always seems to be someone there who wants to kick my teeth in, bash my brains in, or handcuff me to the ring ropes. I'm always putting up with it, so I am sure that I can look past it until it happens. I won't worry about it until I absolutely have to."
"So when the chair is swinging down on your head."
Gates chuckles. "I guess that's one way to look at it. But for now, I'm one hundred percent focused on Chris Hart."
"That's what I wanted to hear," James says as he gets up from his seat. "Keep yourself in that frame of mind. I'm going to step out for a moment, but when I return, we'll do some more homework on the match."
"I'll be ready," Gates says. James exits the room, closing the door behind him. A few moments later, the door opens and in steps Renshaw.
"Never thought he'd leave," Renshaw says with a chuckle. "Mr. Goodie Two-Shoes there had a good spot on this couch." Renshaw drops onto the couch as Gates stands up.
"What are you doing here?"
"What am I..." Renshaw starts. "I'm here to help!"
"I called you," Gates says. "I told you not to come. I said that I was going to try and do things on my own."
Renshaw shrugs. "I never got the message. Besides, looking at things now, I'd say you could use my help now more than ever."
"Now?" Gates asks. "Why now?"
"Level One."
"What about him?"
"You've got to take the fight to him," Renshaw says. "You've got to make the next strike so that he knows you mean business. Otherwise, Level One will be able to walk all over you and you won't have a snowballs chance in hell at winning at Christmas Chaos."
"I don't have to attack him," Gates argues.
"No, but you have to do something," Renshaw says. "You failed the first time to make an impact, you failed to truly make yourself known, and you lost at One Night in Hell. Do you really want to lose again?"
Gates shakes his head. "No, I guess you have a point there. But I don't want to..."
"Don't even say it," Renshaw yells. "I don't want to hear your love in with those fans. They don't matter in the end, because if you don't turn your act around, they're going to get bored and stop cheering for you anyways."
"But I am APW..."
"And you need to stay APW. But you also need to be relevant, and if you aren't, they are going to move on."
"If they want to that's fine," Gates admits. "I am not going to compromise what I stand for because of that. I've heard people talking, and even with the changes, I'm still seen as one of the faces of this place, and I'm not going to throw that away."
"But you need an edge."
"I need an edge," Gates says. "I do need an edge, I'm not going to deny that. Going up against someone like Level One, someone who tried to kill me, I need to be able to hold my own."
"I still can't believe that," Renshaw says. "He tried to kill you and you haven't done anything about it. You haven't even stood up to him for it."
"We fought," Gates says.
"About what? In a tag match that meant nothing. You haven't given him payback, you haven't found any revenge. You've just let him get away with attempted murder."
Gates nods his head in silence as Renshaw stares at him.
"See what I'm saying?" Renshaw adds.
"Yeah," Gates admits, swiveling back and forward.
"I mean, if you want," Renshaw begins, "I could do something on your behalf. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, that doesn't mean that I have to stay crystal clean, right?"
"What?" Gates asks, shocked. "No, that's not what I had in mind. That's not what I want at all. I don't want to do anything underhanded, I want to get my point across to Level One, to Terry Marvin, hell, even to Chris Hart, but not in any way that will jeopardize my position."
Renshaw scoffs. "Fine, have it your way. Again. But don't come crying to me when you're getting powerbombed off the stage."
"I won't get powerbombed," Gates says. "People in APW are mental, but they aren't going to start doing things like that."
"Says the guy who nearly had his neck broken."
Gates chuckles. "I guess you have a point. Still, I don't think I have to worry about that."
"Well maybe you want me to take a quick shot at Chris Hart," Renshaw offers. "Soften him up so that you have an easier ride. You know Level One will be around, so it's a matter of saving your strength for him."
"The fact that you would even suggest that makes me shake my head," Gates says. "Do I want to attack Chris Hart? No. I want this match to be an actual match, one that the two of us can compete in. If you were to compromise that, then I'd just look like some kind of hypocrite."
"One day you'll accept my offers," Renshaw says. "One day you'll see what I have been trying to tell you for the past few months. This good guy routine can only last so long before people get bored of you, and then, where will you be? You'll be flat on your ass, trying to find a federation to accept you. APW might seem like the prime real estate that it is, but once it's gone, what will you have?"
"It won't be gone," Gates says. "I'm not done fighting, and I'm certainly not done fighting for it. People rise up every day to fight for whats right, but I've been doing it since day one and until I am put in the ground, I will continue to fight for whats right and continue to represent APW the best way that I know how. And that means no cheap shot attacks before matches."
Renshaw quickly stands up but before leaving he looks at Gates one last time. "You sure?" he asks, and Gates nods his head. Renshaw shakes his own before turning, opening the door and disappearing through it, closing it behind him. Gates leans back in the desk chair and lets out a loud sigh of relief as the scene fades to black.
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"You think by now I'd be used to it. Getting attacked at every turn, being counted out of every match, being looked down on because of my height, you would think I'd be used to all of that. And I am, for the most part, but every so often when it happens, I just can't believe there are people who still think that way. People like Level One who have always seen me as a lesser being, even though I've held the Undisputed title. Even though I dominated APW for an entire year.
"So I guess it's only fitting that this week, I am set to face off against Chris Hart on Overdrive. I am set to face a man that I have never faced before, but a man that has a lot in common with me. Every time I get counted out, every time I get thrown aside, told that I don't actually matter, Chris Hart is being told the same thing. I know I've been part of that, but if there is anyone in APW who can understand my frustration at being counted out of matches, that man is Chris Hart.
"Sure, he hasn't done a lot in APW. Aside from winning the tag team titles, he's kind of been struggling to get his feet under him. However, every time I see him in a fight, it's always an uphill battle for him, and most of that, is due to his size. Due to the fact that he hasn't had any big accomplishments since arriving here. A place where I find myself, even though I was a former Undisputed champion.
"But for both of us, it's not just one person, it's many. It's not just a Level One type character, who is always full of himself and who thinks that anything less than three Undisputed title reigns means jack shit, it's everyone. It's people who I've fought against multiple times, people that I've fought in the same company with for years. Guys like Terry Marvin who praise me on one hand, and then turn around to say that I don't have what it takes, much like they would say to Chris Hart. They will praise him for his heart and his resilience, but then turn around and tell him that he's a small fish fighting in a big pond.
"I know, because I've said it.
"Do I regret it? Maybe, though sometimes all you can do is look at the body of work to see what you're dealing with. That's what I did when I fought against Chris for the tag team titles, and in the elimination chamber. I looked at his body of work and realized that, while he's a name that has been around for a fair bit, I haven't exactly seen his name up in lights.
"Yet now, as I sit back and think about it, and think about my current situation and how past experiences seem not to matter, I wonder if I wrote Hart off too soon. I wonder if I didn't give him the benefit of the doubt the last two times I faced him, and I should have given him his fair chance in those matches. Instead of saying he's the weak link or that he's the place filler, I should have looked at what he was capable of.
"So now I will. Better late than never, right? Maybe it will be seen as a cop out to some, but the more I've sat back and watched Chris Hart, the more I realize that he's more than just a name. More than just a question mark about what he's capable of doing. After all, one would have to be after the kind of stuff he's had to go through lately with Kurt Noble. A former friend doing what he's doing? He would have to have some tough skin to put up with all of that.
"Of course, this week isn't about Kurt Noble, even though I'm sure that name is running through Hart's mind on all cylinders, and that Kurt Noble will make an appearance, this is a match between Hart and I. Between two men that are being written off by nearly everyone else in APW.
"I've been looking forward to this match, truth be told. I'm always looking forward to fighting against men whose name alone precedes them. Men that have been talked about, albeit in small circles. Once Chris Hart signed a contract, I wondered when it would be that he and I fought one on one. And now, that time has come and I couldn't be more focused.
"Naturally we're both dealing with people that can and will make our lives hell, but I'm sure that for at least half of the match, we can both put those issues behind us and put on one great match. I'm sure that we can do what we need to do to get the job done for the fans, and to show them that there is still good wrestling that won't boil down to violent attacks.
"And I am going into this match with an entirely new outlook. Like I said, I might have written Chris Hart off before, but now, I am going to treat him as if he was one of the most legendary legends to ever step into an APW ring. If Level One thinks he's unbeatable, if he thinks he's the best of the best, I will treat Chris Hart as if he were at Level One's level. Maybe it was the fact that he scored the pinfall in the tag team match, or maybe it was because he saved my ass at One Night in Hell, but the very least I should do is treat him like he ought to be treated.
"So really, Chris, I don't want you to disappoint me. I don't want to go into this match thinking that you are at that level, only to have you disappear off of the face of the Earth. That would go against everything I just said. That would make everything I just went on about seem pointless, since you would have negated all of it. Not saying that you will, I'm just stating it as a general fact.
"Just like it's a general fact that you don't just lie down for anyone. Like me, you fight until you can no longer fight. You put your body on the line at all costs, not stopping until the fight has been taken out of you completely. And even then, you dig down deep and pull out something that no one thought you had. I know that because that's how I am. That's what I do, and no matter how many times people try and knock that fight out of me, I keep getting back up. I keep battling back until I'm nearly immobilized. YOU keep battling back until you're nearly immobilized, as everyone saw in your casket match against Level One.
"Maybe it's just how people like us operate. It's how we get by, it's what makes us tick, this ability to continue even though the numbers might be against us. Then again, maybe we also get by because people don't see us for what we truly are, and we can fly under the radar.
"But that is not going to happen this week.
"I've been watching tape of you, Chris, and I've been making sure I'm ready for everything that you could possibly throw my way. I've made sure that I am ready for whatever you are going to throw at me, and that I've scouted your arsenal well. Maybe it's ill advised since there is always the opportunity for modification, but I still like to be prepared, because everyone has their niches. Everyone has their wells that they go to, and their moves that they like to do in succession. I can make sure I'm ready for those things will all of the homework I have done about you.
"But that is only half the battle, and the rest of the fight is going to take place once that bell rings. Like I said, there is always modification, so things can change and sometimes, certain things only truly come out in the ring. Sure, it might seem like I'm talking in circles, how I'm back tracking and making total nonsense, but deep down, it all makes sense.
"I am not going to look past Chris Hart.
"I am not going to treat him like an inferior specimen.
"I am not going to go easy on him.
"That's what it all boils down to. He and I, we've been overlooked, and that's not something that helps in a match like this. When a match like this comes around, we have to be prepared. I have to be prepared. I am not going to settle until I am, and even then, I am going to make sure I am watching what Hart does in that ring very carefully so that I can adapt.
"I will adapt to whatever you throw at me Chris. Rights, lefts, kitchen sinks, steel chairs, whatever. Though if I know you like I think I know you, weapons and cheating is out of the question. Using those underhanded tactics that others seem to thrive on, that's not the path you will take. And that's another reason why I've been looking forward to this match, because I know that there won't be a handful of tights, a foot on the rope, a pair of brass knuckles staring me in the eyes. I know that you will fight honorably inside of that ring. I know that if this match degrades into anarchy, it won't be on our heads, it will be on the heads of our enemies, on the heads of the men who can't handle the fact that there are still some men who fight by the rules, who follow the guidelines set out for us.
"But don't think this means that I am going to go easy on you, Hart. Don't think that this means I am not aiming for the win, because I am. It's the one thing that I'm gunning for more than anything, because, at this point, it's the only thing I will settle for. It's the one thing that I want to get from this week. I know Level One is going to attack me, because that's the kind of man he is. I know Kurt Noble is going to try and fuck with your mind, because that's the kind of man he is. But what I want, is this victory, at your expense.
"I'm not going to do whatever it takes to win, obviously, but I want the win. I want to show Level One that he's not the only one wanting that Undisputed title, and to do that, I need to gain some momentum. Momentum over you. But trust me, Chris, there is also respect floating through this match because this is one of those meetings that could start and end with a handshake.
"And that is something I look forward to.
"I'll see you in the ring, Chris.
"It's time to go big or go home."
