Post by A.C. Smith on Feb 20, 2013 15:05:39 GMT -4
Our scene opens today not in the cold, wintry northern part of the United States, but on a bright, sunny morning at one of the most picturesque sights you can imagine: A baseball field that's been freshly mowed and lined for use.
An examination of the outfield grass reveals a landscape missing even a single divot or indentation, and the pitcher's mound and the surrounding bump don't have so much as a sole footprint on them. The stands surrounding the field appear brand-new, and the steel and fresh paint on the hand rails shine in the natural sunlight.
The camera catches a man in a collared short-sleeved shirt and crisp black pants leading a small tour group in the patented “walk backwards without falling and breaking your neck” position. He's a young man in his mid-20's, probably an intern of some sort, and the long hours of minor league baseball have already started to take their toll on his facial complexion, which is weathered beyond its years.
The group he's leading beyond the right field fence is comprised of three men we instantly recognize. In the middle, wearing the APW Xtreme Championship around his waist, is “The Big Apple Asskicker” A.C. Smith, and he's flanked on both sides by Bobby the Bavarian Man-Bitch and Stevie the Slovakian Slobberknocker. All three are wearing baseball jerseys featuring legendary players from the Pittsburgh Pirates; Smith's has Willie Stargell's name on the back, while Bobby's and Stevie's each have the name 'Waner' on the back, paying homage to Paul and Lloyd Waner, key members on the pennant-winning 1927 club.
We zoom in on the group being led by the tour guide, and he speaks as the foursome moves out of the shaded concourse and into the sunlight.
Guide: “You should have seen us this winter, trying to get ready for spring training. Construction crews were here all day long banging away, but thankfully, everything's pretty much ready to go for when the Pirates arrive at McKechnie Field later this month.”
A.C.: “What do you mean, 'pretty much?'”
The guide reaches for a nearby hand rail and swipes his pinky finger. It skims the steel bar, and a small amount of black paint comes off and onto his hand.”
Guide: “Watch out for these hand rails.”
A.C. and his buddies chuckle.
Guide: “Well, that about does it for the formal tour portion. Any questions I can possibly answer?”
Bobby: “Can we get onto the field?”
A.C. looks at Bobby with a quizzical look.
A.C.: “Are you insane? They've gotta get the field ready for the Pirates. You know, guys who actually get PAID to play the game.”
Guide: “No, A.C., it's OK. Just don't do anything stupid, OK, boys?”
The guide reaches down into a bag at his feet, and pulls out two gloves and a ball. Bobby and Stevie grab them before hopping down over the top of the fence and landing on their feet at the warning track. As they begin playing catch, Smith and the tour guide sit down in two seats in the first row next to each other.
A.C.: “So Kyle, you enjoying the job?”
Kyle: “Loving it. The hours suck, but it's OK because the pay's lousy.”
The two share a smile.
Kyle: “Seriously, I'm having the time of my life down here. I don't know what I can do to thank you. I'll never forget what you did for me.”
A.C.: “Oh, stop. Your dad was a hell of a sergeant. Tough, but fair, and he did a lot for me when you were a kid. This was just me returning the favor. You're a hard-working kid, and you deserve everything you get.
How's your old man doing, by the way?”
Kyle: “He's retired, actually. He moved to Myrtle Beach a year or two ago and he's on the golf course every day. He says he's going to get to a single-digit handicap or blow his back out trying.”
A.C.: “So I should have an ambulance follow his golf cart around, then? Noted.”
Kyle laughs.
Kyle: “So how are you holding up? And why the trip down here? Shouldn't you be up in Canada somewhere?”
A.C.: “Eh, the boys wanted a quick trip. Nothing wrong with stopping and smelling the roses every once in a while, plus it's nice to go outside in something less than a winter coat every once in a while.
I'm doing alright. Better now than at most other times, actually. Dunno how much you get to watch...”
Kyle: “You're the Xtreme Champion and you beat Buckson Gooch in a two-out-of-three falls match last week on Overdrive.”
A pause.
A.C.: “You don't get out much, do you?”
Kyle: “Hey! We have watch parties at the office. Plus my girlfriend, who's going for her Master's at Stetson, had a test the next day, so I had some free time.”
A.C.: “Really? Is her name Lennay Kekua?”
Smith smirks a knowing smirk, and Kyle play-punches Smith's huge left arm while chuckling. It's clear that, despite the slight age difference, these two go way back.
A.C.: “I appreciate you watching and following me. If that's the case, then you know what I've got on my plate Thursday night in Moncton.”
Kyle: “Yeah, Biggs and Kurt Noble. You nervous?”
Smith shakes his head in the spirit of good-natured mocking.
A.C.: “Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. You should know me better than that by now. Do I respect what Biggs and Kurt Noble have done in APW? Sure. Do I know that it's going to be really difficult to come out with a win? Absolutely. But am I nervous about going out there and doing what I do best? Absolutely not, and the second I am, I'll know it's time to walk away and live out the rest of my days from my New York City penthouse.
On the contrary, my friend, I'm licking my chops. And for good reason.”
Kyle: “Why is that?”
Smith pauses briefly, taking a deep breath before launching into his explanation.
A.C.: “Well, you know Biggs and I have tangled before, right?”
Kyle: “Yeah, sure. You knocked him out.”
A.C.: “So why should I be intimidated? Yes, he beat me a few weeks after that. But if nothing else in my first year in Action Packed Wrestling, I've proven that I can hang with and beat anyone that I step into the ring with.
You said it. I didn't just beat Biggs. I knocked his ass out COLD. And that's not the only big win I've gotten in APW these past few months. C.J. Gates is challenging Terry Marvin for the Undisputed Championship at Rasslemania next month. The only time we locked up, it was me who emerged victorious, not the #1 contender to the greatest prize in our business.
Ask Michael Lively what I can do in that squared circle. The guy is an APW Hall of Famer, a Grand Slam Champion, one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of this business. Was I intimidated when I ran up against him twice last month? Not in the slightest. I pinned him in a triple threat match on Overdrive, and then I did it again at Survive and Conquer, one of the biggest stages in the world of professional wrestling.
Anyone who says I don't belong in this match with Biggs and Kurt Noble? That couldn't be much more ill-advised. For 11 years, despite all I've accomplished, all the accolades I've earned, and all the fans that have rallied behind me, I've been told, for one reason or another, that I'm not good enough. That I'm just another big, dumb oaf. That I've got no business being in the ring with this guy, that guy, or the other guy.
Kyle, I've thrived on people underestimating me. I know there are a lot of people out there who read this match as, 'Biggs vs. Kurt Noble vs., wait, A.C. Smith? What's he doing out here?' But over time, I've shown that I belong in this match. I'm the best Xtreme Champion this company has seen in a while, maybe ever. And I've worked my butt off in this company to make sure people know that I mean business. This match, and matches like it, are what I get high off of. And I'm going to make DAMN sure I take advantage of this opportunity on Thursday night.”
Smith finishes that last sentence just in time, as a baseball comes careening into the camera shot and hits the chair next to Smith with authority.
Stevie: “Sorry guys!”
A.C.: “For the love of God. Eyes on the target, step, and throw!”
Smith laughs before chucking the ball out of the shot. We hear the ball settle into a glove on the field, and A.C. and Kyle resume their conversation.
A.C.: “Biggs and I have unfinished business. I've beaten him once. He's beaten me once. And this week, we've got a chance to see which one of us is best. I'm really looking forward to the match. Biggs is a guy I respect, a guy that, like me, has a large fanbase behind him. I came to APW to test my skills against guys like him, so I'm excited to have a chance to do that again.”
Kyle: “Right, but don't forget about Kurt Noble.”
A.C.: “Ugh. Noble.”
Suddenly, Smith's demeanor darkens. We still get the sense Smith is talking to an old friend, but this is no longer simply two men shooting the breeze. A.C.'s face gets slightly redder, and his nostrils flare in anger as he opens his mouth to speak once again.
A.C.: “Let me tell you something, Kyle. When I got to APW, one of the first men I saw, one of the first men I said, 'God, I respect him and what he stands for,' about, was Kurt Noble. Last spring, he was the Undisputed Champion, and by all accounts, he was absolutely unbeatable. The guy took on all comers, beat all comers, and was everything the central figure of this business should be.
The Kurt Noble I'm facing this Thursday night on Overdrive? That's a guy who couldn't be ANY more different from the man who was the face of APW when I signed my contract. This is a guy who, on multiple occasions, has hit his wife. Estranged or not, I can't tolerate violence on women who didn't sign up to be on the receiving end of it. I saw way too much of that when I was a member of the NYPD, and seeing it happen in Action Packed Wrestling made me sick to my stomach.”
Smith's face is crimson, and he pauses to take a breath and to let the last part of the previous sentence resonate in the empty section around the two men.
A.C.: “Kurt Noble had other things to do these past few months. Namely, he's had Chris Hart weighing on his mind. I've had a full plate as well, winning the Xtreme Championship and beating Michael Lively like a rented mule. But now, now I get to do something I do better than just about anyone that's ever entered the squared circle: Stand up for people that can't defend themselves.
I proved that against Lively, when I couldn't stand for the way he treated his mother and several of our backstage employees. This week, I get another chance to drive the point home. Despite what one of my opponents this week may have convinced himself of, Amy Noble never once asked for anything Kurt Noble did to her.
Noble's not facing his estranged wife this week. This week on Overdrive in Moncton, he's getting the 6'8”, 275-pound Big Apple Asskicker, and rest assured, I'm pissed off. Noble's been able to avoid me for the last few months, but later this week, there'll be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
This belt I'm wearing around my waist right now means I'm one of the toughest men in the world. Instead of picking on Amy Noble, this week, Noble gets to bite off way more than he can chew when he deals with me. And rest assured, I can't WAIT to get my hands on him.”
Smith ends with an eery smile on his face, and we can almost see the wheels turning in his head behind the steely glare formed by his eyes.
Kyle: “Sounds like you've got this all figured out. Good for you.”
A.C.: “Kyle, when I saw this match, it was music to my ears. It was almost like a baseball fan's reaction to the simple phrase, 'pitchers and catchers report.' It means something great is imminent, something you wait so long for and something that always promises to be memorable.
That's how I'm approaching this three-way dance. I'm not some rookie looking to turn heads as opposed to being sent to the minor leagues. I'm an established veteran that hasn't lost a step, and one that's looking to drive that point home against two men I've more than earned the right to go up against with how distinguished an Xtreme Champion I've been.
With Biggs, it's a matter of which one of us is best. With Kurt Noble, it's a matter of teaching that man a lesson in taking on someone his own size, a guy who can defend himself and dish out more punishment than anything he's chosen to take on these past few months. Either way, this match is something I'm salivating over.
Trust me, your watch party this week? It'll definitely get just a LITTLE more exciting when I walk out to the ring.”
Again, a baseball whizzes into the shot as Smith finishes a sentence. Smith and Kyle both duck, but the ball sails well over their heads and towards the concourse.
A.C.: “We should probably get them off the field before they kill someone.”
Kyle: “Or before I get in trouble!”
Kyle smiles, and the two men jump over the fence and onto the field to join Bobby and Stevie as our scene fades to black.
An examination of the outfield grass reveals a landscape missing even a single divot or indentation, and the pitcher's mound and the surrounding bump don't have so much as a sole footprint on them. The stands surrounding the field appear brand-new, and the steel and fresh paint on the hand rails shine in the natural sunlight.
The camera catches a man in a collared short-sleeved shirt and crisp black pants leading a small tour group in the patented “walk backwards without falling and breaking your neck” position. He's a young man in his mid-20's, probably an intern of some sort, and the long hours of minor league baseball have already started to take their toll on his facial complexion, which is weathered beyond its years.
The group he's leading beyond the right field fence is comprised of three men we instantly recognize. In the middle, wearing the APW Xtreme Championship around his waist, is “The Big Apple Asskicker” A.C. Smith, and he's flanked on both sides by Bobby the Bavarian Man-Bitch and Stevie the Slovakian Slobberknocker. All three are wearing baseball jerseys featuring legendary players from the Pittsburgh Pirates; Smith's has Willie Stargell's name on the back, while Bobby's and Stevie's each have the name 'Waner' on the back, paying homage to Paul and Lloyd Waner, key members on the pennant-winning 1927 club.
We zoom in on the group being led by the tour guide, and he speaks as the foursome moves out of the shaded concourse and into the sunlight.
Guide: “You should have seen us this winter, trying to get ready for spring training. Construction crews were here all day long banging away, but thankfully, everything's pretty much ready to go for when the Pirates arrive at McKechnie Field later this month.”
A.C.: “What do you mean, 'pretty much?'”
The guide reaches for a nearby hand rail and swipes his pinky finger. It skims the steel bar, and a small amount of black paint comes off and onto his hand.”
Guide: “Watch out for these hand rails.”
A.C. and his buddies chuckle.
Guide: “Well, that about does it for the formal tour portion. Any questions I can possibly answer?”
Bobby: “Can we get onto the field?”
A.C. looks at Bobby with a quizzical look.
A.C.: “Are you insane? They've gotta get the field ready for the Pirates. You know, guys who actually get PAID to play the game.”
Guide: “No, A.C., it's OK. Just don't do anything stupid, OK, boys?”
The guide reaches down into a bag at his feet, and pulls out two gloves and a ball. Bobby and Stevie grab them before hopping down over the top of the fence and landing on their feet at the warning track. As they begin playing catch, Smith and the tour guide sit down in two seats in the first row next to each other.
A.C.: “So Kyle, you enjoying the job?”
Kyle: “Loving it. The hours suck, but it's OK because the pay's lousy.”
The two share a smile.
Kyle: “Seriously, I'm having the time of my life down here. I don't know what I can do to thank you. I'll never forget what you did for me.”
A.C.: “Oh, stop. Your dad was a hell of a sergeant. Tough, but fair, and he did a lot for me when you were a kid. This was just me returning the favor. You're a hard-working kid, and you deserve everything you get.
How's your old man doing, by the way?”
Kyle: “He's retired, actually. He moved to Myrtle Beach a year or two ago and he's on the golf course every day. He says he's going to get to a single-digit handicap or blow his back out trying.”
A.C.: “So I should have an ambulance follow his golf cart around, then? Noted.”
Kyle laughs.
Kyle: “So how are you holding up? And why the trip down here? Shouldn't you be up in Canada somewhere?”
A.C.: “Eh, the boys wanted a quick trip. Nothing wrong with stopping and smelling the roses every once in a while, plus it's nice to go outside in something less than a winter coat every once in a while.
I'm doing alright. Better now than at most other times, actually. Dunno how much you get to watch...”
Kyle: “You're the Xtreme Champion and you beat Buckson Gooch in a two-out-of-three falls match last week on Overdrive.”
A pause.
A.C.: “You don't get out much, do you?”
Kyle: “Hey! We have watch parties at the office. Plus my girlfriend, who's going for her Master's at Stetson, had a test the next day, so I had some free time.”
A.C.: “Really? Is her name Lennay Kekua?”
Smith smirks a knowing smirk, and Kyle play-punches Smith's huge left arm while chuckling. It's clear that, despite the slight age difference, these two go way back.
A.C.: “I appreciate you watching and following me. If that's the case, then you know what I've got on my plate Thursday night in Moncton.”
Kyle: “Yeah, Biggs and Kurt Noble. You nervous?”
Smith shakes his head in the spirit of good-natured mocking.
A.C.: “Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. You should know me better than that by now. Do I respect what Biggs and Kurt Noble have done in APW? Sure. Do I know that it's going to be really difficult to come out with a win? Absolutely. But am I nervous about going out there and doing what I do best? Absolutely not, and the second I am, I'll know it's time to walk away and live out the rest of my days from my New York City penthouse.
On the contrary, my friend, I'm licking my chops. And for good reason.”
Kyle: “Why is that?”
Smith pauses briefly, taking a deep breath before launching into his explanation.
A.C.: “Well, you know Biggs and I have tangled before, right?”
Kyle: “Yeah, sure. You knocked him out.”
A.C.: “So why should I be intimidated? Yes, he beat me a few weeks after that. But if nothing else in my first year in Action Packed Wrestling, I've proven that I can hang with and beat anyone that I step into the ring with.
You said it. I didn't just beat Biggs. I knocked his ass out COLD. And that's not the only big win I've gotten in APW these past few months. C.J. Gates is challenging Terry Marvin for the Undisputed Championship at Rasslemania next month. The only time we locked up, it was me who emerged victorious, not the #1 contender to the greatest prize in our business.
Ask Michael Lively what I can do in that squared circle. The guy is an APW Hall of Famer, a Grand Slam Champion, one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of this business. Was I intimidated when I ran up against him twice last month? Not in the slightest. I pinned him in a triple threat match on Overdrive, and then I did it again at Survive and Conquer, one of the biggest stages in the world of professional wrestling.
Anyone who says I don't belong in this match with Biggs and Kurt Noble? That couldn't be much more ill-advised. For 11 years, despite all I've accomplished, all the accolades I've earned, and all the fans that have rallied behind me, I've been told, for one reason or another, that I'm not good enough. That I'm just another big, dumb oaf. That I've got no business being in the ring with this guy, that guy, or the other guy.
Kyle, I've thrived on people underestimating me. I know there are a lot of people out there who read this match as, 'Biggs vs. Kurt Noble vs., wait, A.C. Smith? What's he doing out here?' But over time, I've shown that I belong in this match. I'm the best Xtreme Champion this company has seen in a while, maybe ever. And I've worked my butt off in this company to make sure people know that I mean business. This match, and matches like it, are what I get high off of. And I'm going to make DAMN sure I take advantage of this opportunity on Thursday night.”
Smith finishes that last sentence just in time, as a baseball comes careening into the camera shot and hits the chair next to Smith with authority.
Stevie: “Sorry guys!”
A.C.: “For the love of God. Eyes on the target, step, and throw!”
Smith laughs before chucking the ball out of the shot. We hear the ball settle into a glove on the field, and A.C. and Kyle resume their conversation.
A.C.: “Biggs and I have unfinished business. I've beaten him once. He's beaten me once. And this week, we've got a chance to see which one of us is best. I'm really looking forward to the match. Biggs is a guy I respect, a guy that, like me, has a large fanbase behind him. I came to APW to test my skills against guys like him, so I'm excited to have a chance to do that again.”
Kyle: “Right, but don't forget about Kurt Noble.”
A.C.: “Ugh. Noble.”
Suddenly, Smith's demeanor darkens. We still get the sense Smith is talking to an old friend, but this is no longer simply two men shooting the breeze. A.C.'s face gets slightly redder, and his nostrils flare in anger as he opens his mouth to speak once again.
A.C.: “Let me tell you something, Kyle. When I got to APW, one of the first men I saw, one of the first men I said, 'God, I respect him and what he stands for,' about, was Kurt Noble. Last spring, he was the Undisputed Champion, and by all accounts, he was absolutely unbeatable. The guy took on all comers, beat all comers, and was everything the central figure of this business should be.
The Kurt Noble I'm facing this Thursday night on Overdrive? That's a guy who couldn't be ANY more different from the man who was the face of APW when I signed my contract. This is a guy who, on multiple occasions, has hit his wife. Estranged or not, I can't tolerate violence on women who didn't sign up to be on the receiving end of it. I saw way too much of that when I was a member of the NYPD, and seeing it happen in Action Packed Wrestling made me sick to my stomach.”
Smith's face is crimson, and he pauses to take a breath and to let the last part of the previous sentence resonate in the empty section around the two men.
A.C.: “Kurt Noble had other things to do these past few months. Namely, he's had Chris Hart weighing on his mind. I've had a full plate as well, winning the Xtreme Championship and beating Michael Lively like a rented mule. But now, now I get to do something I do better than just about anyone that's ever entered the squared circle: Stand up for people that can't defend themselves.
I proved that against Lively, when I couldn't stand for the way he treated his mother and several of our backstage employees. This week, I get another chance to drive the point home. Despite what one of my opponents this week may have convinced himself of, Amy Noble never once asked for anything Kurt Noble did to her.
Noble's not facing his estranged wife this week. This week on Overdrive in Moncton, he's getting the 6'8”, 275-pound Big Apple Asskicker, and rest assured, I'm pissed off. Noble's been able to avoid me for the last few months, but later this week, there'll be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
This belt I'm wearing around my waist right now means I'm one of the toughest men in the world. Instead of picking on Amy Noble, this week, Noble gets to bite off way more than he can chew when he deals with me. And rest assured, I can't WAIT to get my hands on him.”
Smith ends with an eery smile on his face, and we can almost see the wheels turning in his head behind the steely glare formed by his eyes.
Kyle: “Sounds like you've got this all figured out. Good for you.”
A.C.: “Kyle, when I saw this match, it was music to my ears. It was almost like a baseball fan's reaction to the simple phrase, 'pitchers and catchers report.' It means something great is imminent, something you wait so long for and something that always promises to be memorable.
That's how I'm approaching this three-way dance. I'm not some rookie looking to turn heads as opposed to being sent to the minor leagues. I'm an established veteran that hasn't lost a step, and one that's looking to drive that point home against two men I've more than earned the right to go up against with how distinguished an Xtreme Champion I've been.
With Biggs, it's a matter of which one of us is best. With Kurt Noble, it's a matter of teaching that man a lesson in taking on someone his own size, a guy who can defend himself and dish out more punishment than anything he's chosen to take on these past few months. Either way, this match is something I'm salivating over.
Trust me, your watch party this week? It'll definitely get just a LITTLE more exciting when I walk out to the ring.”
Again, a baseball whizzes into the shot as Smith finishes a sentence. Smith and Kyle both duck, but the ball sails well over their heads and towards the concourse.
A.C.: “We should probably get them off the field before they kill someone.”
Kyle: “Or before I get in trouble!”
Kyle smiles, and the two men jump over the fence and onto the field to join Bobby and Stevie as our scene fades to black.
