Post by C.J. Gates on Apr 25, 2013 13:29:04 GMT -4
"And that's how we arrived at our decision for this weeks show." C.J. Gates nods his head from behind his desk, listening to the voice continue on the phone's speaker. "After the way things ended for you at Rasslemania, we felt that we couldn't lose anything by giving you this opportunity."
"I'm thankful for the chance," Gates says. "To be honest, I thought that my chances at a title like the World Heavyweight title were done after Level One hit me with the briefcase."
"Understandable," the voice says. "But after everything that you have done for APW, C.J., and after everything that you have been through, it only seemed fair to give you this chance to fight for the title."
Gates chuckles. "So all someone needs to do is get attacked during matches to get a title shot."
"A chance at a title shot," the voice says.
"Right, a chance at a title shot." Gates smiles. "Definitely an opportunity that I need to make the most of. I don't want to ruin this opportunity like I ruined my chance at Rasslemania. Who do I have to fight?"
"The World Heavyweight champion Michael Callahan."
Gates swallows hard. "Michael Callahan?"
"Good luck."
"Good luck.
"That seems to be all that people can say to me lately. Very few congratulate me on a good performance and no one shakes my hand after a win. They're more shocked than anything if I can pull out a victory. They all wish me good luck because none of them think I can win. None of them believe that I have what it takes to succeed anymore. Not after I came up short against Terry Marvin.
"So I know I'm going to be in for a lot of 'good lucks' in the days leading up to my match against Michael Callahan. After all, I haven't had much success against him, but I also haven't met him one on one in APW. Who knows, maybe the fact that we're not meeting on an interfed stage will change my fortunes.
"They've already begun to change, if a win over Kid Dynamo can be called change. Not many will see it as a credible win, but it still gives me confidence and momentum, it still provides me with that little something extra that I might need to topple a giant like Michael Callahan.
"And there is so much on the line, too.
"He and I have fought for money and for a spot in the sweet sixteen of the Extreme Tournament, but the fact that a victory for me will get me into the World Heavyweight title match is something else. The other matches, what was on the line didn't truly matter, but in this case, it matters.
"That's not to say that those other matches didn't really count, because I used those losses to learn a lot of the man who once referred to himself as the elected representative of APW. I used them to figure out a lot about how the man with the campaign plan operated once he was inside of that ring.
"It's a valuable asset to have when something of this magnitude is on the line.
"And I won't screw up this time.
"I won't give up until I've succeeded. I won't quit until I've shown Michael Callahan that he does not have my number. I've been given this opportunity, I've been given a new lease on my career, and I am going to make the most of it.
"I am going to be in that World title match at Mayhem.
"The Cowboy has spoken."
"So this is where you're hiding out," Vincent James says as he enters the small board room, closing the door behind him. "A bit smaller then the rooms you normally rent, isn't it?"
"It is," C.J. Gates says from his seat at the far end of the table. In front of him sits a laptop and many pieces of paper piled recklessly beside it. "But it's also got a purpose."
"A purposel?" James asks. "What purpose could a smaller room hold?"
"This is the sort of room I would rent back when I first started," Gates explains. "I figured that since we're on the road, I might as well try and revisit those roots."
"But why?" James asks, taking a seat. "You've come a long way since then."
"That's true," Gates says with a nod of his head, "but I'm hoping that something clicks and I find my success again."
"Success? Didn't you just come off a string of beating Evan Envi?"
"Before losing to Terry at Rasslemania, yeah. And then there was the loss in that six man tag team match the next week."
"And your win against Kid Dynamo last week."
Gates chuckles. "Yeah, but that was Kid Dynamo. And that win will be deemed unimportant by everyone flying an APW banner."
"You don't know that," James says.
"I know there's a possibility," Gates says, "I think I've been here long enough to know the way some of these guys think. But I'm not really worried about Kid Dynamo anymore, to be honest. That's over and done with, and now I have a new opponent to focus on."
"Who do you have this week?"
"Michael Callahan."
"Well, that should be fun," James says, swiveling in his chair. "Seeing as how much trouble he's given you in the past, this should be a great match for you."
"I detect some sarcasm there," Gates says, looking at James over the laptop.
"I was only saying that he seems to have your number."
"Which was the other reason for coming here," Gates says. "I thought that maybe if I was able to channel enough of my past, I might be able to pull out an upset."
James stifles a laugh. "You really think it's going to be that easy to find the win column again?"
Gates stays silent for a few moments before sighing. "No. God, I know it's not going to be easy, but I have to do something. Who knows, maybe one of these attempts will allow a placebo effect to occur and I'll finally shake off this losing streak and climb out of this rut."
"But isn't that what you've been trying to do since last summer?" James asks. "Trust me, I'm not trying to kill your confidence, but I don't know if it's worth killing yourself to try harness something that may or may not return to you."
Gates rests his head on the headrest of the chair. "But I have to try. I can't just give up and accept what is happening."
"Who's saying you have to? You just beat Kid Dynamo last week, and while some people will probably write it off, it's still momentum."
"It's not even that, so much," Gates chimes in. "I know it gives me momentum, believe me on that. The part that gets me is that I have to fight God damn Michael Callahan."
James shrugs. "Maybe he won't beat you this time."
"That's what I'm getting myself prepared for," Gates says, motioning to the computer and papers with his head. "I'm making sure that I'm ready for everything so that I can try and reverse the trend that seems to follow me when he and I step into the ring."
"Just add the preparation to the momentum and you should be fine."
"Maybe," Gates says.
"Maybe nothing," James replies. "Half the problem is you getting yourself all worked up over losing. You just have to shrug them off and build on what you've got before you. Build on Kid Dynamo."
Gates nods absently. "There's a bit more to it, however."
"A bit more?"
"Yeah," Gates says before taking a long pause. "If I beat Michael Callahan, then I will be added to the World Heavyweight title match at Mayhem."
James looks over at Gates for a few moments. "Seriously? You're not pulling my leg?"
"Scouts honor."
"That's quite the opportunity they're giving you, especially after you just lost to Terry Marvin."
"I said the exact same thing when I found out."
"You think they'd make you earn your way back to the top."
"Well, the way it was laid out for me, it's kind of an opportunity they're giving me because of how Rasslemania ended," Gates explains. "Since Level One screwed me over and everything."
"I guess that makes sense," James says. "Still seems odd. Maybe they're rewarding you for disposing of Kid Dynamo." James chuckles, his voice filling the small room.
"I guess that's always a possibility," Gates says. "A lot of people were a bit turned off by the way Dynamo handled himself leading up to that match, so it wouldn't surprise me. At least it wouldn't surprise me as much as when I found out that I was getting this chance."
"So you just have to beat Callahan?"
"Seems like it," Gates answers. He rifles through a few of the papers until he pulls one out. "It doesn't say anything about how I need to win, as long as I win."
"Man, I can see that not ending well."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at is this way," James begins. "Guys like Level One, Delikado and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Michael Callahan, they don't really care much for you, right?"
"Right."
"And now you're being handed this chance to be thrown into their match, which reduces their chances at walking out with the title. Right?"
"Right."
"It just doesn't sound like they're going to be ecstatic about it."
"Well, it's not like they earned their way," Gates says. "Delikado won the battle royal, but already had his title match because of it."
"Didn't that end with Level One's interference?"
"Sounds about right," Gates answers. "Which probably helped lead to the match. At least for me, if I beat Callahan I would have at least earned my way into the fold, right?"
James nods. "But they still won't care how you got there, they will only worry about the fact that you're there to begin with."
Gates sighs. "I know."
"But you don't care."
"I guess I kind of do," Gates says. "But I'm more worried about just getting there first. I can't look past the match with Callahan to what could be. He's too good of a wrestler to overlook him. Once you do, you're going to be paying the price with a big, old loss to your name."
"No one's saying you should overlook him."
"I know," Gates says, looking back down at his computer. "I was only saying that I don't want to get too focused on the future, you know? I don't want to throw away this opportunity because I was getting too full of myself."
"I've never known you to be too full of yourself."
"It has happened, I won't lie about that," Gates admits. "Though not as often as it does with others."
A long silence falls between the two friends. "So if you win at Overdrive, then you would have the chance to win the World Heavyweight title? And if that works out, you'd have held both the Undisputed and World Heavyweight titles?"
Gates nods. "It would put me in elite company, that's for sure. I think Sally Talfourd is the only other one to have done that."
"And you'd have bragging rights over some of the others."
"Well, that goes without saying."
"And you'd be able to get a little bit of revenge on Level One and Delikado."
"Bingo."
"Seems like you've got yourself set-up just the way you want to be," James says.
"All I have to do is beat Michael Callahan," Gates responds. "You know, the one thing I haven't been able to do in that whole equation."
"Yeah, that's a bit of a hurdle. But it's nothing you can't overcome."
"Right," Gates says. "I just have to put my mind to it, focus on giving Callahan everything I have, and I should have a good bet to come out on top."
"Well, here's an idea-"
A knock at the door cuts James off and before anyone can get up to answer it, the door swings inward and two men in black suits step into the room.
"C.J. Gates?" the man on the right asks with a thick Russian accent.
"Who's asking?" James asks as he gets to his feet behind the two men. The men look back at James for a moment before turning back to face Gates.
"We need to talk," the first man says again while taking a step forward.
"About what?" Gates asks, eying each man cautiously.
The first man smiles over at the second man. "About everything."
"Who are you?"
Again, the two men exchange a smile. "That's not important," the first man says.
"Let's just say your mother sent us."
"We've never really seen eye to eye, have we Callahan?
"Not that our paths have crossed all that much, but when they do, it always seems like we're at odds. It always seems as though there is something that has us going at it more often then seeing things the same way. Who knows, maybe that is just how it is between you and I. Two guys who will never really be on the same level, no matter what the circumstances are.
"It's because of that which leads me to believe that you probably aren't happy about the match this week. I mean, you're the World Heavyweight champion and the more opponents that are thrown your way, the lower your odds are at retaining the title at Mayhem. So I can only assume that you are going to do whatever you can to knock me down, to keep me down, just so I don't put myself within your circle for your title.
"Which I can understand, truly. If you're one of the ones that thinks I already had my kick at the can, one of the people who sees my loss to Terry Marvin as the end of my time at the top, then I can see why you'd be so determined to keep me out. But you can't argue with the fact that if I beat you, I would have at least earned my way into the match. It's not like I'm just getting a free pass into the title picture, I still have to at least earn my way there.
"Just like I've had to earn my way to everything I've been given in APW. Unlike some, I didn't just luck into being thrown into a title match on my first show. I had to work hard to get myself from point A to point B when I won my first title. I had to put in time before I was able to call myself a champion.
"That's not a shot at you, however. Trust me, I know that you still had to work hard in that match to come out as the Suicidal champion. It's not like you were just handed the title, that much I can agree with you on. But the fact that you didn't have to put in your dues before being put into a title match? That's what I find a bit harder to get on board with. I mean, to me, it shows me that you were just lucky enough to sign your APW contract at the right time, not that you actually earned that title show to begin with.
"Though maybe earning things is overrated.
"That seems to be the consensus anyways, since everyone just wants to be handed everything. No one wants to put in the time to actually earn their shots, because they are all so full of themselves.
"Something that you can be from time to time, Callahan. Maybe you've changed since you came over to Overdrive and began to get the C.J. Gates treatment. Since you've been the focus of a lot of attacks because you've got the target on your chest, perhaps you aren't as confident in yourself. Maybe. Though I doubt it. I mean, sure, maybe you've begun to ground yourself, but without a large sample size to compare it to, you're just continuing down that path where Michael Callahan is the best thing going.
"Where Michael Callahan is the be all, end all.
"Where Michael Callahan is the unbeatable World Heavyweight champion.
"Though maybe it's not my place to judge. You did just come from the Asylum, where everyone is attacking everyone whenever they can. Maybe you needed that kind of mindset to survive, to just get through the days. But in some cases, maybe it wasn't warranted. Sure, you won the World Heavyweight title at Rasslemania, but what happened before that? What happened at Survive and Conquer?
"You lost to Phil Atken, though I'm sure you remember that one. And I'm not going to point any fingers, but you got a lot of kicks at the can before you finally won the belt. So if you are going to sit back and claim that you are the best, claim that you are the unbeatable elected warrior, then you have to expect there to be people that will look back and point to those losses with wonder. People like me.
"It's also people like me who will tell you not to get too wrapped up in the past. Sure, it's great that you have two wins over me, but you can't rely on the past to do your work for you. You can't rely on what has happened to be successful for you. If you get too caught up in all of that, then who knows what could happen? You might get that idea in your head and then you won't try as hard. And as much as I'd like for you to get distracted by that, I also know that it wouldn't be a true win if you were.
"The other thing I can say to you is this is APW. Sure, you have wins over me. Sure I haven't been able to beat you, but those cases all occurred outside of APW. Those cases all happened in interfed matches, not here. I'm aware that my record in APW recently wouldn't have anyone screaming that a victory is imminent, but my fortunes will probably be better here then they were elsewhere.
"At least, I can hope that they will. After all, your Michael Callahan and if I want to climb back to the top, I am going to have to beat you. I am going to have to push myself to defeat you inside the ring. After all, I'd say that these past few months have shown me that I am capable of defeating people who seemed unbeatable to me.
"At Christmas Chaos I defeated Level One to earn my well documented first victory over him, and won an Undisputed shot in the process. Leading up to Survive and Conquer I managed to defeat Kurt Noble, a man who had my number since he beat me at Rasslemania a year ago. I've beaten Evan Envi, who many thought was going to become an unbeatable commodity.
"Sure, they're meaningless to you, Michael, but they mean something to me and they mean enough to give me a little something extra going into this match. It's kind of like extra fuel, something I can call upon when the moment calls for it. Something I can store in reserve until I really need to kick things into second gear.
"Even then, however, I know that I am still going to have to give it my all when that bell rings. I know that I am going to have to turn some heads if I truly want to earn this chance and make the most of this opportunity. And trust me, I want to make the most of this opportunity. I want to turn those heads.
"I want to beat Michael Callahan.
"Like I said, I need to beat you if I want to go anywhere, and this is my chance to do just that. This is the moment when I pin Michael Callahan for three seconds in the middle of the ring. This is the chance when I rewrite the books on who beats who how often.
"This is when I pull a Johnny Rebel and defeat someone that has had my number. You might not have beaten me as much as I beat Rebel, Michael, but you've beaten me enough in my mind. It might only be two times, but those are still two times that I couldn't get the job done.
"And I won't let that become a third. Not when there is so much riding on this match. Before, there was something to fight for, something worth my time, but this, this is much more. This isn't a tournament, this isn't for charity, this isn't even a guarantee. This is a chance at a chance.
"But it means so much more.
"Maybe it's because we're fighting within the walls of APW, who knows. All I know is that I am have been waiting for this match to start since it was announced. I have been preparing myself harder then before, I have been making sure that the past doesn't repeat itself. And most of all, I am making sure to prepare myself for everything that those other two yahoos are going to throw my way.
"I mean, sure, it might matter if you have a problem with me being given this chance, but think how they will feel. Think how these two men will like me encroaching on their territory. Lord knows they can't have that, so I can only assume that for this night and this night only, Level One and Delikado will be your new best friends. Forget Martinez, they will be the new weapon of choice being used to aid you in your next attempted conquest of yours truly.
"Nothing I haven't had to deal with before. Which is something that some people seem to forget. Something I have overcome and something that I surely won't let ruin this fight.
"Because that's what it's going to be, Callahan, a fight. I'll be fighting for my chance to survive, my chance to remain at the top, to get one more crack at being at the top of the pyramid. One more chance to represent the fans to the fullest of my abilities. You, you're going to be fighting to remain at the top, to continue to be seen as the best that Overdrive has to offer.
"Even in the face of this war that seems to be boiling up, there is still a fight going on between us. At one point, it's going to be as if it's just you and I inside of that ring. It will seem like no one else matters, that no one else exists. The way it should be.
"I guess, in a way, this is a chance to make up for what happened at Rasslemania. This is a moment when I can prove to the fans that I still have their best interests in mind, that I am still fighting for them, and a win this week would go a long way in doing so. Beating you, Michael, goes a long way in showing them that C.J. Gates is still the man he has always been.
"I am still a competitor.
"I am still a warrior.
"All I can offer up to you, Callahan, is the same thing that has been offered up to me on countless occassions, after countless matches.
"Good luck.
"It's time to go big or go home."
"I'm thankful for the chance," Gates says. "To be honest, I thought that my chances at a title like the World Heavyweight title were done after Level One hit me with the briefcase."
"Understandable," the voice says. "But after everything that you have done for APW, C.J., and after everything that you have been through, it only seemed fair to give you this chance to fight for the title."
Gates chuckles. "So all someone needs to do is get attacked during matches to get a title shot."
"A chance at a title shot," the voice says.
"Right, a chance at a title shot." Gates smiles. "Definitely an opportunity that I need to make the most of. I don't want to ruin this opportunity like I ruined my chance at Rasslemania. Who do I have to fight?"
"The World Heavyweight champion Michael Callahan."
Gates swallows hard. "Michael Callahan?"
"Good luck."
------------------------------------------------
"Good luck.
"That seems to be all that people can say to me lately. Very few congratulate me on a good performance and no one shakes my hand after a win. They're more shocked than anything if I can pull out a victory. They all wish me good luck because none of them think I can win. None of them believe that I have what it takes to succeed anymore. Not after I came up short against Terry Marvin.
"So I know I'm going to be in for a lot of 'good lucks' in the days leading up to my match against Michael Callahan. After all, I haven't had much success against him, but I also haven't met him one on one in APW. Who knows, maybe the fact that we're not meeting on an interfed stage will change my fortunes.
"They've already begun to change, if a win over Kid Dynamo can be called change. Not many will see it as a credible win, but it still gives me confidence and momentum, it still provides me with that little something extra that I might need to topple a giant like Michael Callahan.
"And there is so much on the line, too.
"He and I have fought for money and for a spot in the sweet sixteen of the Extreme Tournament, but the fact that a victory for me will get me into the World Heavyweight title match is something else. The other matches, what was on the line didn't truly matter, but in this case, it matters.
"That's not to say that those other matches didn't really count, because I used those losses to learn a lot of the man who once referred to himself as the elected representative of APW. I used them to figure out a lot about how the man with the campaign plan operated once he was inside of that ring.
"It's a valuable asset to have when something of this magnitude is on the line.
"And I won't screw up this time.
"I won't give up until I've succeeded. I won't quit until I've shown Michael Callahan that he does not have my number. I've been given this opportunity, I've been given a new lease on my career, and I am going to make the most of it.
"I am going to be in that World title match at Mayhem.
"The Cowboy has spoken."
------------------------------------------------
"So this is where you're hiding out," Vincent James says as he enters the small board room, closing the door behind him. "A bit smaller then the rooms you normally rent, isn't it?"
"It is," C.J. Gates says from his seat at the far end of the table. In front of him sits a laptop and many pieces of paper piled recklessly beside it. "But it's also got a purpose."
"A purposel?" James asks. "What purpose could a smaller room hold?"
"This is the sort of room I would rent back when I first started," Gates explains. "I figured that since we're on the road, I might as well try and revisit those roots."
"But why?" James asks, taking a seat. "You've come a long way since then."
"That's true," Gates says with a nod of his head, "but I'm hoping that something clicks and I find my success again."
"Success? Didn't you just come off a string of beating Evan Envi?"
"Before losing to Terry at Rasslemania, yeah. And then there was the loss in that six man tag team match the next week."
"And your win against Kid Dynamo last week."
Gates chuckles. "Yeah, but that was Kid Dynamo. And that win will be deemed unimportant by everyone flying an APW banner."
"You don't know that," James says.
"I know there's a possibility," Gates says, "I think I've been here long enough to know the way some of these guys think. But I'm not really worried about Kid Dynamo anymore, to be honest. That's over and done with, and now I have a new opponent to focus on."
"Who do you have this week?"
"Michael Callahan."
"Well, that should be fun," James says, swiveling in his chair. "Seeing as how much trouble he's given you in the past, this should be a great match for you."
"I detect some sarcasm there," Gates says, looking at James over the laptop.
"I was only saying that he seems to have your number."
"Which was the other reason for coming here," Gates says. "I thought that maybe if I was able to channel enough of my past, I might be able to pull out an upset."
James stifles a laugh. "You really think it's going to be that easy to find the win column again?"
Gates stays silent for a few moments before sighing. "No. God, I know it's not going to be easy, but I have to do something. Who knows, maybe one of these attempts will allow a placebo effect to occur and I'll finally shake off this losing streak and climb out of this rut."
"But isn't that what you've been trying to do since last summer?" James asks. "Trust me, I'm not trying to kill your confidence, but I don't know if it's worth killing yourself to try harness something that may or may not return to you."
Gates rests his head on the headrest of the chair. "But I have to try. I can't just give up and accept what is happening."
"Who's saying you have to? You just beat Kid Dynamo last week, and while some people will probably write it off, it's still momentum."
"It's not even that, so much," Gates chimes in. "I know it gives me momentum, believe me on that. The part that gets me is that I have to fight God damn Michael Callahan."
James shrugs. "Maybe he won't beat you this time."
"That's what I'm getting myself prepared for," Gates says, motioning to the computer and papers with his head. "I'm making sure that I'm ready for everything so that I can try and reverse the trend that seems to follow me when he and I step into the ring."
"Just add the preparation to the momentum and you should be fine."
"Maybe," Gates says.
"Maybe nothing," James replies. "Half the problem is you getting yourself all worked up over losing. You just have to shrug them off and build on what you've got before you. Build on Kid Dynamo."
Gates nods absently. "There's a bit more to it, however."
"A bit more?"
"Yeah," Gates says before taking a long pause. "If I beat Michael Callahan, then I will be added to the World Heavyweight title match at Mayhem."
James looks over at Gates for a few moments. "Seriously? You're not pulling my leg?"
"Scouts honor."
"That's quite the opportunity they're giving you, especially after you just lost to Terry Marvin."
"I said the exact same thing when I found out."
"You think they'd make you earn your way back to the top."
"Well, the way it was laid out for me, it's kind of an opportunity they're giving me because of how Rasslemania ended," Gates explains. "Since Level One screwed me over and everything."
"I guess that makes sense," James says. "Still seems odd. Maybe they're rewarding you for disposing of Kid Dynamo." James chuckles, his voice filling the small room.
"I guess that's always a possibility," Gates says. "A lot of people were a bit turned off by the way Dynamo handled himself leading up to that match, so it wouldn't surprise me. At least it wouldn't surprise me as much as when I found out that I was getting this chance."
"So you just have to beat Callahan?"
"Seems like it," Gates answers. He rifles through a few of the papers until he pulls one out. "It doesn't say anything about how I need to win, as long as I win."
"Man, I can see that not ending well."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at is this way," James begins. "Guys like Level One, Delikado and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Michael Callahan, they don't really care much for you, right?"
"Right."
"And now you're being handed this chance to be thrown into their match, which reduces their chances at walking out with the title. Right?"
"Right."
"It just doesn't sound like they're going to be ecstatic about it."
"Well, it's not like they earned their way," Gates says. "Delikado won the battle royal, but already had his title match because of it."
"Didn't that end with Level One's interference?"
"Sounds about right," Gates answers. "Which probably helped lead to the match. At least for me, if I beat Callahan I would have at least earned my way into the fold, right?"
James nods. "But they still won't care how you got there, they will only worry about the fact that you're there to begin with."
Gates sighs. "I know."
"But you don't care."
"I guess I kind of do," Gates says. "But I'm more worried about just getting there first. I can't look past the match with Callahan to what could be. He's too good of a wrestler to overlook him. Once you do, you're going to be paying the price with a big, old loss to your name."
"No one's saying you should overlook him."
"I know," Gates says, looking back down at his computer. "I was only saying that I don't want to get too focused on the future, you know? I don't want to throw away this opportunity because I was getting too full of myself."
"I've never known you to be too full of yourself."
"It has happened, I won't lie about that," Gates admits. "Though not as often as it does with others."
A long silence falls between the two friends. "So if you win at Overdrive, then you would have the chance to win the World Heavyweight title? And if that works out, you'd have held both the Undisputed and World Heavyweight titles?"
Gates nods. "It would put me in elite company, that's for sure. I think Sally Talfourd is the only other one to have done that."
"And you'd have bragging rights over some of the others."
"Well, that goes without saying."
"And you'd be able to get a little bit of revenge on Level One and Delikado."
"Bingo."
"Seems like you've got yourself set-up just the way you want to be," James says.
"All I have to do is beat Michael Callahan," Gates responds. "You know, the one thing I haven't been able to do in that whole equation."
"Yeah, that's a bit of a hurdle. But it's nothing you can't overcome."
"Right," Gates says. "I just have to put my mind to it, focus on giving Callahan everything I have, and I should have a good bet to come out on top."
"Well, here's an idea-"
A knock at the door cuts James off and before anyone can get up to answer it, the door swings inward and two men in black suits step into the room.
"C.J. Gates?" the man on the right asks with a thick Russian accent.
"Who's asking?" James asks as he gets to his feet behind the two men. The men look back at James for a moment before turning back to face Gates.
"We need to talk," the first man says again while taking a step forward.
"About what?" Gates asks, eying each man cautiously.
The first man smiles over at the second man. "About everything."
"Who are you?"
Again, the two men exchange a smile. "That's not important," the first man says.
"Let's just say your mother sent us."
------------------------------------------------
"We've never really seen eye to eye, have we Callahan?
"Not that our paths have crossed all that much, but when they do, it always seems like we're at odds. It always seems as though there is something that has us going at it more often then seeing things the same way. Who knows, maybe that is just how it is between you and I. Two guys who will never really be on the same level, no matter what the circumstances are.
"It's because of that which leads me to believe that you probably aren't happy about the match this week. I mean, you're the World Heavyweight champion and the more opponents that are thrown your way, the lower your odds are at retaining the title at Mayhem. So I can only assume that you are going to do whatever you can to knock me down, to keep me down, just so I don't put myself within your circle for your title.
"Which I can understand, truly. If you're one of the ones that thinks I already had my kick at the can, one of the people who sees my loss to Terry Marvin as the end of my time at the top, then I can see why you'd be so determined to keep me out. But you can't argue with the fact that if I beat you, I would have at least earned my way into the match. It's not like I'm just getting a free pass into the title picture, I still have to at least earn my way there.
"Just like I've had to earn my way to everything I've been given in APW. Unlike some, I didn't just luck into being thrown into a title match on my first show. I had to work hard to get myself from point A to point B when I won my first title. I had to put in time before I was able to call myself a champion.
"That's not a shot at you, however. Trust me, I know that you still had to work hard in that match to come out as the Suicidal champion. It's not like you were just handed the title, that much I can agree with you on. But the fact that you didn't have to put in your dues before being put into a title match? That's what I find a bit harder to get on board with. I mean, to me, it shows me that you were just lucky enough to sign your APW contract at the right time, not that you actually earned that title show to begin with.
"Though maybe earning things is overrated.
"That seems to be the consensus anyways, since everyone just wants to be handed everything. No one wants to put in the time to actually earn their shots, because they are all so full of themselves.
"Something that you can be from time to time, Callahan. Maybe you've changed since you came over to Overdrive and began to get the C.J. Gates treatment. Since you've been the focus of a lot of attacks because you've got the target on your chest, perhaps you aren't as confident in yourself. Maybe. Though I doubt it. I mean, sure, maybe you've begun to ground yourself, but without a large sample size to compare it to, you're just continuing down that path where Michael Callahan is the best thing going.
"Where Michael Callahan is the be all, end all.
"Where Michael Callahan is the unbeatable World Heavyweight champion.
"Though maybe it's not my place to judge. You did just come from the Asylum, where everyone is attacking everyone whenever they can. Maybe you needed that kind of mindset to survive, to just get through the days. But in some cases, maybe it wasn't warranted. Sure, you won the World Heavyweight title at Rasslemania, but what happened before that? What happened at Survive and Conquer?
"You lost to Phil Atken, though I'm sure you remember that one. And I'm not going to point any fingers, but you got a lot of kicks at the can before you finally won the belt. So if you are going to sit back and claim that you are the best, claim that you are the unbeatable elected warrior, then you have to expect there to be people that will look back and point to those losses with wonder. People like me.
"It's also people like me who will tell you not to get too wrapped up in the past. Sure, it's great that you have two wins over me, but you can't rely on the past to do your work for you. You can't rely on what has happened to be successful for you. If you get too caught up in all of that, then who knows what could happen? You might get that idea in your head and then you won't try as hard. And as much as I'd like for you to get distracted by that, I also know that it wouldn't be a true win if you were.
"The other thing I can say to you is this is APW. Sure, you have wins over me. Sure I haven't been able to beat you, but those cases all occurred outside of APW. Those cases all happened in interfed matches, not here. I'm aware that my record in APW recently wouldn't have anyone screaming that a victory is imminent, but my fortunes will probably be better here then they were elsewhere.
"At least, I can hope that they will. After all, your Michael Callahan and if I want to climb back to the top, I am going to have to beat you. I am going to have to push myself to defeat you inside the ring. After all, I'd say that these past few months have shown me that I am capable of defeating people who seemed unbeatable to me.
"At Christmas Chaos I defeated Level One to earn my well documented first victory over him, and won an Undisputed shot in the process. Leading up to Survive and Conquer I managed to defeat Kurt Noble, a man who had my number since he beat me at Rasslemania a year ago. I've beaten Evan Envi, who many thought was going to become an unbeatable commodity.
"Sure, they're meaningless to you, Michael, but they mean something to me and they mean enough to give me a little something extra going into this match. It's kind of like extra fuel, something I can call upon when the moment calls for it. Something I can store in reserve until I really need to kick things into second gear.
"Even then, however, I know that I am still going to have to give it my all when that bell rings. I know that I am going to have to turn some heads if I truly want to earn this chance and make the most of this opportunity. And trust me, I want to make the most of this opportunity. I want to turn those heads.
"I want to beat Michael Callahan.
"Like I said, I need to beat you if I want to go anywhere, and this is my chance to do just that. This is the moment when I pin Michael Callahan for three seconds in the middle of the ring. This is the chance when I rewrite the books on who beats who how often.
"This is when I pull a Johnny Rebel and defeat someone that has had my number. You might not have beaten me as much as I beat Rebel, Michael, but you've beaten me enough in my mind. It might only be two times, but those are still two times that I couldn't get the job done.
"And I won't let that become a third. Not when there is so much riding on this match. Before, there was something to fight for, something worth my time, but this, this is much more. This isn't a tournament, this isn't for charity, this isn't even a guarantee. This is a chance at a chance.
"But it means so much more.
"Maybe it's because we're fighting within the walls of APW, who knows. All I know is that I am have been waiting for this match to start since it was announced. I have been preparing myself harder then before, I have been making sure that the past doesn't repeat itself. And most of all, I am making sure to prepare myself for everything that those other two yahoos are going to throw my way.
"I mean, sure, it might matter if you have a problem with me being given this chance, but think how they will feel. Think how these two men will like me encroaching on their territory. Lord knows they can't have that, so I can only assume that for this night and this night only, Level One and Delikado will be your new best friends. Forget Martinez, they will be the new weapon of choice being used to aid you in your next attempted conquest of yours truly.
"Nothing I haven't had to deal with before. Which is something that some people seem to forget. Something I have overcome and something that I surely won't let ruin this fight.
"Because that's what it's going to be, Callahan, a fight. I'll be fighting for my chance to survive, my chance to remain at the top, to get one more crack at being at the top of the pyramid. One more chance to represent the fans to the fullest of my abilities. You, you're going to be fighting to remain at the top, to continue to be seen as the best that Overdrive has to offer.
"Even in the face of this war that seems to be boiling up, there is still a fight going on between us. At one point, it's going to be as if it's just you and I inside of that ring. It will seem like no one else matters, that no one else exists. The way it should be.
"I guess, in a way, this is a chance to make up for what happened at Rasslemania. This is a moment when I can prove to the fans that I still have their best interests in mind, that I am still fighting for them, and a win this week would go a long way in doing so. Beating you, Michael, goes a long way in showing them that C.J. Gates is still the man he has always been.
"I am still a competitor.
"I am still a warrior.
"All I can offer up to you, Callahan, is the same thing that has been offered up to me on countless occassions, after countless matches.
"Good luck.
"It's time to go big or go home."
