Post by Chaos Stryke on Jan 20, 2013 14:57:52 GMT -4
For the last few months, I’ve been on a pretty strong roll.
I’ll be the first to admit it’s been rather surprising. It’s all come on the heels of a brutal reality check that I received at the One Night in Hell pay per view. I walked into that match arrogantly assuming that I was going to capture gold that night and find myself as the next bright star on the Meltdown stage.
How foolish I was.
It’s been a long time since I’d won a match because I thought I deserved to win it. That seven competitor Last Person Standing match snapped me out of a fit of arrogance and presumption. I thought I’d simply get ahead because I thought I should. Michael Lively put me in my place that night… and deservedly so. It forced me to re-evaluate everything I’d been doing until that point and find a new direction and a new approach. I did so after that night. Three weeks later, I found myself in possession of the North American championship.
You might wonder what that has to do with this week though. Well, just look at where we are this week… M&M faces the Dying Breed for the Tag Team championships.
About one month ago, Aubrey and I had the opportunity to face the soon-to-be champions and Roy Speede and Donald Deruty for the championships. We came out believing that match was ours for the taking, and we started in similar fashion. We eliminated one member from each of our opponent’s teams, we had control and we’re looking like we’d take the match handily…
Circumstances didn’t hold for us though. I don’t like making excuses. Excuses just give you a reason to ignore your responsibility for a situation and keep doing what you’ve been doing. Generally that gets you nowhere. I believe the challenger I faced last week is well acquainted with that fact now. But we had so many things go wrong in such a short span at Christmas Chaos. Aubrey was chased away by unruly thugs. I lost track of one opponent briefly and was eliminated. Then while Aubrey was fighting Deruty, Hopkins was able to take both of them out at once.
I’ll give Jair Hopkins all the credit in the world for that win. He capitalized on our mistakes and won the match for his team as a result. He and Bailey will have to repeat their feat on Meltdown but Aubrey and I aren’t going to give them the same opportunities. I’m not going to be worn down from a match the previous night and Aubrey isn’t going to be sporting a broken wrist. Those aren’t excuses for our loss at Christmas Chaos though. We came with our best then, but this time we will be better. Aubrey and I have been fighting against tough odds a lot as of late, so be prepared to have us coming into this title match with our games raised that much higher. I’d like nothing more than to pull off another upset victory in January.
This match is also a chance for me to make amends for my previous failure. At Christmas Chaos, I didn’t give the Dying Breed the respect inside the ring that they deserved. Much like I did with my opponents at One Night in Hell. But then, just like now, I’ve earned another title match alongside Aubrey. I emerged with a victory back then. I plan to repeat history again in Edmonton and walk out with another victory this week.
Bailey, Hopkins… I respect the both of you as competitors in the ring and I know that you’re going to give myself and Aubrey a fight for your titles. You can expect one in return. I’m not walking into this match with any intention of leaving without your titles. I held nothing back when I had to face my own partner for the North American championship. I will do no less here. I have no intention of using any half measures. I’m coming at my best and I’m going to give the both of you every last thing I’ve got. I have the biggest match of my career next week, and I’m not taking my foot off the gas for any reason. I’ll break the both of you in the ring if that is what I need to do to win.
Before you two come out to the ring on Monday night, ask yourselves one important question. What are you willing to do to retain those titles? Then be ready to match your answer with deeds in the ring, because M&M will demonstrate to you firsthand in deed what those titles mean to us.
We open to a scene in Blackpool, England. We find the number one contenders to the Tag Team champions working out together in a gym, possibly in the hotel they are staying at, before the Asylum broadcast later in the day. With that in mind, their workout hasn’t been very intensive and has given the two of them plenty of time to talk. Logan is currently standing in front of a bench, towelling off some sweat.
So… are you feeling ready for tonight and tomorrow?
He glances at his partner, as he awaits her response.
I'm...yeah. Yeah of course I am, ha. We've been wating for this since August. A one-on-one... er... two-on-two match with the Tag Team champions and we finally got it. Beating them on Asylum tonight will just be icing on the cake...
She kneels down beside the bench and retrieves a bottle of water from her gym bag.
The real story's tomorrow night.
Of course. I can only wonder what hurdles and hoops we're going to have to jump over and through this time.
He drops his towel onto the bench.
I can't help but feel that there are only excuses to explain our loss at Christmas Chaos. It bothers me a lot. There's no good reason that we shouldn't already be the Tag Team champions.
Aubrey looks down at her wrist which was only two days free from the brace that she'd been wearing for nearly a month.
No. There are no excuses this time... there won't be any cheap shots, or any tables, ladders, or chairs. It's just us wrestling. And we're... better.
She said it slowly as if trying to build conviction and then repeated it, looking into the distance.
We're better.
Logan claps her lightly on the shoulder. She glances over at him. He nods and smirks.
That's what we're here to prove without a doubt. We're already champions and we've gotten ourselves into position for more gold. That speaks volumes of our abilities, but it says even more about our passion.
He lowers his hand and turn away to glance across the room.
Just think about it. How many other people do you see in APW that win one championship and then go get themselves into the mix for another one? Most people win one title and then sit back and are content to have that, despite the fact that there are other prizes... potentially bigger prizes to be had. I could just be sitting on Meltdown taking on the revolving door talent there, waiting for a bigger challenge, but instead, I'm now here fighting one of Asylum's brand names and one of their rising stars.
He looks at Aubrey and smirks.
We're not passively sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We're going out and making things happen. We're out rocking the boat. Everyone feels it and is taking notice.
Yeah...
Aubrey returns his smile for a moment but her gaze drifts downward and she sighs, running a hand through her hair.
Were we-
She glances at Logan and pauses.
Was I wrong I wrong for what I did at Christmas Chaos?
Logan inclines his head slightly.
For what? With Bailey?
Aubrey looks at him in silence for a long time and nods, almost uncomfortably. Logan ponders that for a moment.
I don't know. I'm not really one who can tell you if what you did was right or wrong. It was legal for the match, but it wasn't something I would have tried to do. But you're not me Aubrey. I know that you'll do what you think is best and I trust your judgment.
Aubrey smiles at Logan with a distant stare for a few seconds and then laughs a little.
Sienna and Duvall don't you to win this match... they'd hate it.
She looks down for a little and sighs.
They're gonna be relying on the Dying Breed tomorrow. There's... so much that could go wrong out there.
We've already been playing that game for three months. It's not a question of 'if' something will go wrong, it's a question of 'what' and 'when'. But neither of us have given up in the face of adversity yet. I've taken shots from about half the Meltdown roster. You've gone up to Asylum and made your mark against two former World Heavyweight champions thus far. We're only getting tougher and better because of what we have to endure... and people are finding that it's getting harder to deny us.
She moves a hand through her hair again and looks at Logan with a weak, yet anxious smile.
They're tons better than we give them credit for. Smarter too.
Logan nods.
Yeah... I gave Bailey grief for dismissing me, then I did the same thing to Hopkins and he took us out practically on his own.
He shakes his head in disbelief.
But we've learned from that experience. I'm not taking this match for granted. I'm going to step up my game and I'm going to try and be better than both of them in the ring this week. If they beat us again, it's not going to be because I underestimated them. If they want the win, they'll have to be better than our best. We'll give them a true test in that ring this time.
Her gaze still remains distant and it still travels past Logan at something intangible.
No one gets to make excuses this time...
Not this time. This time we give it everything we have and see where the chips fall.
He glances at Aubrey.
You okay?
Aubrey quickly turns her attention back to Logan and nods sharply.
Yeah! Yeah... I mean, going up against a former World Heavyweight Champion... nerves, right? Nerves.
She scoffs a bit and looks down.
Everyone hates us here, you know.
Logan inclines his head again.
Well, we haven't exactly tried to make nice with everyone. We came to APW to take care of business and get results, not win popularity contests. Don't worry about the small stuff. Most of it is jealousy... and now here we are with a chance to make people even more jealous of us. But I'm not going to aim lower just because my success makes everyone else uncomfortable or feel inferior or assume that I'm being handed opportunities.
He looks at Aubrey.
And you've done even greater things than I have.
Aubrey doesn't look back at Logan. Her uncertainty reflects that she thinks this goes beyond jealousy, and beyond uncomfortability. She doesn't say anything else for the duration of the filming... but finally gives Logan a small smile and another nod. Logan smiles back and extends his hand to help Aubrey back up to her feet. She accepts his hand and hops back up to her feet, looking up into her tag team partners' eyes as he takes a step back, slowly parting his lips to speak.
This is just one more challenge for us to overcome. Let's not worry about what might happen after this match. Let's just focus on giving the Dying Breed a bigger fight than they expect to get and see what they give us in return.
The camera continues to watch the two of them as Aubrey nods. The scene fades to black.
I’ll be the first to admit it’s been rather surprising. It’s all come on the heels of a brutal reality check that I received at the One Night in Hell pay per view. I walked into that match arrogantly assuming that I was going to capture gold that night and find myself as the next bright star on the Meltdown stage.
How foolish I was.
It’s been a long time since I’d won a match because I thought I deserved to win it. That seven competitor Last Person Standing match snapped me out of a fit of arrogance and presumption. I thought I’d simply get ahead because I thought I should. Michael Lively put me in my place that night… and deservedly so. It forced me to re-evaluate everything I’d been doing until that point and find a new direction and a new approach. I did so after that night. Three weeks later, I found myself in possession of the North American championship.
You might wonder what that has to do with this week though. Well, just look at where we are this week… M&M faces the Dying Breed for the Tag Team championships.
About one month ago, Aubrey and I had the opportunity to face the soon-to-be champions and Roy Speede and Donald Deruty for the championships. We came out believing that match was ours for the taking, and we started in similar fashion. We eliminated one member from each of our opponent’s teams, we had control and we’re looking like we’d take the match handily…
Circumstances didn’t hold for us though. I don’t like making excuses. Excuses just give you a reason to ignore your responsibility for a situation and keep doing what you’ve been doing. Generally that gets you nowhere. I believe the challenger I faced last week is well acquainted with that fact now. But we had so many things go wrong in such a short span at Christmas Chaos. Aubrey was chased away by unruly thugs. I lost track of one opponent briefly and was eliminated. Then while Aubrey was fighting Deruty, Hopkins was able to take both of them out at once.
I’ll give Jair Hopkins all the credit in the world for that win. He capitalized on our mistakes and won the match for his team as a result. He and Bailey will have to repeat their feat on Meltdown but Aubrey and I aren’t going to give them the same opportunities. I’m not going to be worn down from a match the previous night and Aubrey isn’t going to be sporting a broken wrist. Those aren’t excuses for our loss at Christmas Chaos though. We came with our best then, but this time we will be better. Aubrey and I have been fighting against tough odds a lot as of late, so be prepared to have us coming into this title match with our games raised that much higher. I’d like nothing more than to pull off another upset victory in January.
This match is also a chance for me to make amends for my previous failure. At Christmas Chaos, I didn’t give the Dying Breed the respect inside the ring that they deserved. Much like I did with my opponents at One Night in Hell. But then, just like now, I’ve earned another title match alongside Aubrey. I emerged with a victory back then. I plan to repeat history again in Edmonton and walk out with another victory this week.
Bailey, Hopkins… I respect the both of you as competitors in the ring and I know that you’re going to give myself and Aubrey a fight for your titles. You can expect one in return. I’m not walking into this match with any intention of leaving without your titles. I held nothing back when I had to face my own partner for the North American championship. I will do no less here. I have no intention of using any half measures. I’m coming at my best and I’m going to give the both of you every last thing I’ve got. I have the biggest match of my career next week, and I’m not taking my foot off the gas for any reason. I’ll break the both of you in the ring if that is what I need to do to win.
Before you two come out to the ring on Monday night, ask yourselves one important question. What are you willing to do to retain those titles? Then be ready to match your answer with deeds in the ring, because M&M will demonstrate to you firsthand in deed what those titles mean to us.
We open to a scene in Blackpool, England. We find the number one contenders to the Tag Team champions working out together in a gym, possibly in the hotel they are staying at, before the Asylum broadcast later in the day. With that in mind, their workout hasn’t been very intensive and has given the two of them plenty of time to talk. Logan is currently standing in front of a bench, towelling off some sweat.
So… are you feeling ready for tonight and tomorrow?
He glances at his partner, as he awaits her response.
I'm...yeah. Yeah of course I am, ha. We've been wating for this since August. A one-on-one... er... two-on-two match with the Tag Team champions and we finally got it. Beating them on Asylum tonight will just be icing on the cake...
She kneels down beside the bench and retrieves a bottle of water from her gym bag.
The real story's tomorrow night.
Of course. I can only wonder what hurdles and hoops we're going to have to jump over and through this time.
He drops his towel onto the bench.
I can't help but feel that there are only excuses to explain our loss at Christmas Chaos. It bothers me a lot. There's no good reason that we shouldn't already be the Tag Team champions.
Aubrey looks down at her wrist which was only two days free from the brace that she'd been wearing for nearly a month.
No. There are no excuses this time... there won't be any cheap shots, or any tables, ladders, or chairs. It's just us wrestling. And we're... better.
She said it slowly as if trying to build conviction and then repeated it, looking into the distance.
We're better.
Logan claps her lightly on the shoulder. She glances over at him. He nods and smirks.
That's what we're here to prove without a doubt. We're already champions and we've gotten ourselves into position for more gold. That speaks volumes of our abilities, but it says even more about our passion.
He lowers his hand and turn away to glance across the room.
Just think about it. How many other people do you see in APW that win one championship and then go get themselves into the mix for another one? Most people win one title and then sit back and are content to have that, despite the fact that there are other prizes... potentially bigger prizes to be had. I could just be sitting on Meltdown taking on the revolving door talent there, waiting for a bigger challenge, but instead, I'm now here fighting one of Asylum's brand names and one of their rising stars.
He looks at Aubrey and smirks.
We're not passively sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We're going out and making things happen. We're out rocking the boat. Everyone feels it and is taking notice.
Yeah...
Aubrey returns his smile for a moment but her gaze drifts downward and she sighs, running a hand through her hair.
Were we-
She glances at Logan and pauses.
Was I wrong I wrong for what I did at Christmas Chaos?
Logan inclines his head slightly.
For what? With Bailey?
Aubrey looks at him in silence for a long time and nods, almost uncomfortably. Logan ponders that for a moment.
I don't know. I'm not really one who can tell you if what you did was right or wrong. It was legal for the match, but it wasn't something I would have tried to do. But you're not me Aubrey. I know that you'll do what you think is best and I trust your judgment.
Aubrey smiles at Logan with a distant stare for a few seconds and then laughs a little.
Sienna and Duvall don't you to win this match... they'd hate it.
She looks down for a little and sighs.
They're gonna be relying on the Dying Breed tomorrow. There's... so much that could go wrong out there.
We've already been playing that game for three months. It's not a question of 'if' something will go wrong, it's a question of 'what' and 'when'. But neither of us have given up in the face of adversity yet. I've taken shots from about half the Meltdown roster. You've gone up to Asylum and made your mark against two former World Heavyweight champions thus far. We're only getting tougher and better because of what we have to endure... and people are finding that it's getting harder to deny us.
She moves a hand through her hair again and looks at Logan with a weak, yet anxious smile.
They're tons better than we give them credit for. Smarter too.
Logan nods.
Yeah... I gave Bailey grief for dismissing me, then I did the same thing to Hopkins and he took us out practically on his own.
He shakes his head in disbelief.
But we've learned from that experience. I'm not taking this match for granted. I'm going to step up my game and I'm going to try and be better than both of them in the ring this week. If they beat us again, it's not going to be because I underestimated them. If they want the win, they'll have to be better than our best. We'll give them a true test in that ring this time.
Her gaze still remains distant and it still travels past Logan at something intangible.
No one gets to make excuses this time...
Not this time. This time we give it everything we have and see where the chips fall.
He glances at Aubrey.
You okay?
Aubrey quickly turns her attention back to Logan and nods sharply.
Yeah! Yeah... I mean, going up against a former World Heavyweight Champion... nerves, right? Nerves.
She scoffs a bit and looks down.
Everyone hates us here, you know.
Logan inclines his head again.
Well, we haven't exactly tried to make nice with everyone. We came to APW to take care of business and get results, not win popularity contests. Don't worry about the small stuff. Most of it is jealousy... and now here we are with a chance to make people even more jealous of us. But I'm not going to aim lower just because my success makes everyone else uncomfortable or feel inferior or assume that I'm being handed opportunities.
He looks at Aubrey.
And you've done even greater things than I have.
Aubrey doesn't look back at Logan. Her uncertainty reflects that she thinks this goes beyond jealousy, and beyond uncomfortability. She doesn't say anything else for the duration of the filming... but finally gives Logan a small smile and another nod. Logan smiles back and extends his hand to help Aubrey back up to her feet. She accepts his hand and hops back up to her feet, looking up into her tag team partners' eyes as he takes a step back, slowly parting his lips to speak.
This is just one more challenge for us to overcome. Let's not worry about what might happen after this match. Let's just focus on giving the Dying Breed a bigger fight than they expect to get and see what they give us in return.
The camera continues to watch the two of them as Aubrey nods. The scene fades to black.
