Post by A.C. Smith on May 1, 2013 20:16:47 GMT -4
Our scene opens today on one of the most majestic sights in the world of sports. We see the famous Twin Spires, located on the roof of the grandstand at Churchill Downs, and we've faded in on a gorgeous Kentucky sunrise.
It's a dark day today, which means no horse racing at one of the last great cathedrals of the Sport of Kings just a short while before the 2013 renewal of the Kentucky Derby. However, plenty of trainers are in the stands with binoculars obscuring their faces as they look out on the main track, where their horses are going through workouts and maintenance gallops under their exercise riders.
Suddenly, though, our vantage point changes as we go to the other side of the oval. This is the backstretch, where the horses are stabled, shod, and fed by their grooms. We see the horses and their handlers milling around, awaiting instructions from their bosses. These horses cost serious money, some well into the six-figures, and the animals are being treated with care, as if they're made of glass and can break if they're mishandled.
Leaning up against a back fence are three people that stick out like sore thumbs. Unlike the workers, largely Hispanic and short in nature (largely, in all likelihood, jockeys who couldn't keep their weight down), these three are Americans, and they're all wearing shirts and ties. The man in the middle, of course, is A.C. Smith, and the APW Xtreme Champion is flanked by Bobby the Bavarian Man-Bitch to our left and Stevie the Slovakian Slobberknocker to our right.
Bobby and Stevie aren't used to dressing up, and they're visibly uncomfortable with the attire that Smith has undoubtedly forced them to wear. We usually see Smith in casual attire, but he at least looks comfortable in a white shirt with black pinstripes and a matching all-black tie.
Bobby: “NOBODY else here is dressed up. Why did you INSIST that we wear this stuff?”
Stevie: “Yeah, man. Plus, it's starting to get hot, and these shoes are getting ruined by the dirt. This ensemble here is NOT cheap!”
A.C.: “Boys, boys, boys. Very few common people ever get to do what we're about to do. And I wouldn't have had you look presentable for no reason. Just trust me...because I think my boy is about to introduce himself.”
Smith cracks a smile, and we hear a man's footsteps getting closer to the trio. He cuts in front of the camera, and we see that this is a tall, pudgy man, possibly in his mid-to-late 30's. He's wearing a security guard uniform, complete with a hat that masks a receding hairline, and matches Smith's grin with one of his own as the two embrace with a “slap and wrap” handshake-hug combination.
A.C.: “Mike, how are ya? How long has it been?”
Mike: “At least 10 years. Hell of a time for you to drop by; they're running us ragged this week with all the people that are blowing into Louisville in the next few days.”
Bobby: “Wait a minute. You are...?”
Mike: “I was a couple of years ahead of A.C. in high school. Did the whole cop thing for a while, then went into security. If you know what you're doing, the pay's just as good, and the only violence you ever have to break up is alcohol-fueled, which doesn't exactly act as a performance-enhancer.”
A.C.: “Mike and I wrestled together in high school one year. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he did alright for himself.”
Mike: “Fourth in the city at 189. And my last match marked the last time I EVER made that weight!”
A.C.: “Well, why the hell do you think I only wrestled at heavyweight?!”
The four men trade chuckles as a horse gets led past them and out onto the track.
Stevie: “So our buddy here tells us that you've got something planned for us.”
Mike: “He hasn't told you?”
A.C.: “Of course not. What fun would there be in spoiling a surprise?”
Mike rolls his eyes.
Mike: “You haven't changed a bit. Anyway, what we'll be doing is called, 'The Walk.' It's what every owner of a horse participating in the Kentucky Derby does before the race. We'll be walking from here to the paddock, where all the horses get saddled and where the jockeys climb aboard their mounts for the race.”
Bobby and Stevie both have raised eyebrows and nod. They'd never let Smith hear them vocalize it, but they're impressed with what he's been able to arrange.
Mike: “Now, I was able to get you in under the guise of this being a practice run. I see you've dressed up, which is fantastic. If you'd been wearing t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, we'd likely run into some stuffed shirt who thinks Levi Strauss is the devil.”
Smith gives quick glances at Bobby and Stevie, who now understand why they had to dress up for the occasion.
Mike: “Before we start, I urge you to enjoy the experience, but don't get carried away by it. In short, act like you belong so the pains in the neck around here don't get any ideas.
Now...we good to go?”
A.C.: “Absolutely. Let's rock.”
Mike: “OK, follow me.”
The four men begin walking down a cobblestone path, making sure to sidestep several mounds of equine waste that they encounter close to a nearby barn. After a few moments, they begin walking around the outside of Churchill Downs's clubhouse turn, and it gets much quieter with the lack of horses and handlers in the vicinity.
Bobby: “So every owner makes this trip on Derby Day?”
Mike: “That's correct. Try and imagine over 100,000 people packed into the stands to see your horse run in the greatest race in America. It's a real rush, even for us, especially when we get a first-time owner or someone who wasn't expected to be there.”
Stevie: “Ever have anyone get lost on the way to the paddock?”
Mike: “No, and the reason why is why I'm able to do this. Whenever the owners come into town, we take them on a practice run of the real thing. We walk them from the backstretch to the paddock, from the paddock to their box in the grandstand, and then from their box to the winner's circle. Sheesh, if someone ever got lost on Derby Day, NBC would make SURE somebody got fired.”
A.C.: “Kinda takes part of the mystique away from it, doesn't it, boys?”
Mike laughs, clearly having heard that one before.
Mike: “You guys gonna be here Saturday? I can hook you up with seats if you'd like.”
A.C.: “Thanks for the offer, but we're actually traveling out of the country later today.”
Mike: “And where are your travels taking you this week?”
Bobby: “Brazil. Maybe we'll stay long enough to enjoy Carnival!”
A.C. shakes his head.
A.C.: “Sorry to disappoint you, but Carnival is in Rio de Janiero, and it was in February.
Besides...this is a business trip.”
Smith is still taking in the sights and sounds of Churchill Downs as he and his friends straighten out after rounding the outside of the turn, but we notice that with that last remark, he's stiffened up just a bit.
Mike: “I can't believe you're still doing what you're doing, man. That's gotta take one hell of a toll on your body when you're going THAT hard every night.”
A.C.: “You get used to it. The pain never truly goes away, but you learn to cope with it, and you learn what it takes to keep moving forward. It's the cost of doing business.”
Mike nods, sensing there may be more to the story but not wanting to make this situation awkward. The four men arrive at a tunnel under the clubhouse, one that leads to the paddock, but while Mike, Bobby, and Stevie keep walking, A.C. stops for a moment.
A.C.: “You guys go in without me. I'll be in in a couple of minutes.”
Mike: “You alright?”
A.C.: “Yeah, I'm fine. Cost of doing business.”
Smith and his buddies exchange smirks. A.C. waits for his friends to get inside the paddock, and when their footsteps become more and more distant with every step, the APW Xtreme Champion turns to the camera and opens his mouth to speak.
A.C.: “If these walls could talk, boy, what tales they'd tell. This Saturday, Churchill Downs will host the 139th renewal of the Kentucky Derby, the greatest two minutes in sports. 20 horses will contest the race, but only one will spark water-cooler talk around the country about the possibility of horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
That's right, it's been 35 years since one horse swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. Many have tried since then, of course, but they've all come up short for various reasons that more knowledgable people than myself can explain to you.
This year, though, they actually changed the rules for entry into the Derby. Instead of going by graded stakes earnings to get into the field, they installed a new points system that puts tremendous weight on races right before the Run for the Roses. It's designed to make for a more competitive, realistically-run race on the first Saturday in May, and it may also change the minds of American horse breeders, who may one again begin breeding for endurance and stamina as opposed to the magical element of speed.
Why am I bringing this up just a few days before my match with Johnny Rebel on the latest leg of APW's tour of South America? A couple of reasons, actually. See, growing up a stone's throw away from both Belmont Park and Aqueduct, I've always been a horse racing fan. And a quick examination would reveal that a successful wrestler has much more in common with our four-legged friends than you'd think.”
We're close to where we started today's scene, and we hear several horses running down the Churchill Downs stretch behind the camera as they complete their morning workouts. Once the hooves behind the camera pass us, Smith resumes speaking.
A.C.: “See, the horses that win America's biggest race aren't always the flashiest, or the best-bred, or even the best horse on that particular day. Ask any jockey that's ever won the Kentucky Derby, and they'll tell you that over a mile and a quarter against 19 other horses and riders, EVERYTHING needs to break perfectly. Your horse needs to get out of the gate well. Your horse needs to settle in a good spot. Your horse can't be bumped around or bottled up in traffic, and when the real running starts going around the second turn, your horse better have plenty of gas left in the tank.
The fact is, the trip the average Kentucky Derby winner has resembles my career and my philosophies better than just about any other metaphor I could think of. Maybe I'm never going to be flying around like an 18-year-old kid, but I know my strengths and how to use them to my advantage as well as anyone that's ever stepped inside that squared circle in front of a worldwide audience. A lot of times, that's the most important thing you can have in your bag of tricks, and it's been in mine for 11 years.
A lot of people would be intimidated by the idea of stepping foot in the ring against Johnny Rebel. He's one of the most recognizable Megastars on the APW roster, he's accomplished a lot in Action Packed Wrestling, and he's shown he'll stoop to any low to add to his list of achievements. But why would I be psyched out? I've spent the last couple of weeks going up against Michael Callahan, Evan Harrison, and Level-One, and I've more than held my own doing so. If Johnny Rebel thinks he can intimidate me with references of what he's done in months and years past, he's got another thing coming.”
Smith pauses.
A.C.: “Johnny Rebel ran Overdrive for a while, and he couldn't have been blind to what I've been able to do these past few months. I took the Xtreme Championship, which had been devoid of any pride or pageantry, and I carried it with honor, integrity, and dignity. I turned back APW Hall of Famer Michael Lively three different times, including at both Survive and Conquer and Rasslemania, and it can be argued that I sent him over the edge and off to Asylum. Delikado and Buckson Gooch also tried, and in triple threat matches where I was a marked man. They couldn't take this title off of me. Dan White gave everything he had, and HE couldn't take this title off of me.
Evan Harrison and Nathaniel Havok have both taken me for a fool. Those in power, no doubt, have tried to put me through the wringer these last few weeks, trying to make me crack when faced with tall tasks. But I've never backed down from anyone or anything in my life, and if the upper brass thinks I'm going to start now, they are sorely, SORELY mistaken.
I don't care what mind games Johnny Rebel wants to play leading up to our match this week. I've seen them all, and they won't work. That said, if he wants to dig his own grave by convincing himself he has me over a barrel thanks to two tough losses in as many weeks? Heh...he can go right ahead.”
Smith chuckles, and he rolls his eyes while shaking his head.
A.C.: “Nobody needs to tell me I've had it rough the past few weeks, and I don't feel sorry for myself for it. I learned a long, LONG time ago that I can only control what I do. Did I beat Michael Callahan, Evan Harrison, and Level-One? No. But I showed that I am worthy of standing toe-to-toe with the best talent APW has to offer on a weekly basis, something that shouldn't have even been up for debate after I knocked out Biggs and pinned C.J. Gates.
Nobody in Action Packed Wrestling, and I mean nobody, cares more about their craft than the Big Apple Asskicker. Evan Harrison can wax philosophically about real wrestling, which is ironic considering nobody stoops to more lows than him. Johnny Rebel can babble on with his usual entitlement-spurred rhetoric about things being, 'simply f'n put.' But in terms of walking the walk, and not just talking the talk, nobody leads by example better than I do.
I could have retired to my penthouse after ACW closed and counted my money. But I didn't. I cared too much about this business, and about the best fans an athlete could ever ask for, to leave it to people that didn't give two shits about either of them. I knew I still had the talent to compete with anyone in the world of professional wrestling, and in my year in Action Packed Wrestling, one that's included wins over some legends and a great showing in the Survive and Conquer battle royal, I've proven that without a shadow of a doubt.
I'm going to come into Overdrive the same way I've entered every match since my first one way back in 2002: With all guns blazing, and with every fiber of my body focused on getting the job done. Johnny Rebel is a heck of a competitor, and there's no question about that. But he's going to need to bring everything he's got to the table instead of just assuming a win is sitting on a silver platter, because, well...”
Smith shrugs.
A.C.: “Because it's not like wins have been easy to come by for him lately. The last time we saw him, he was getting beaten like a rented mule by Delikado, so it's not like he's got some recent upper hand on me. Remember, Delikado was one of the guys who had every chance to take my APW Xtreme Championship just a few weeks after I won it at the end of 2012. Did he do it? Nope. Because I wouldn't let him.
Now, Delikado is in a four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Mayhem. So to review, the man who may beat Michael Callahan, thus becoming top dog on APW's flagship brand, the man who beat Johnny Rebel like he was some green kid, couldn't beat me when all the chips were in the center of the table.
Don't be fooled by what Johnny Rebel is likely to say this week. He's not some unbeatable force, some guy who's so far above me I'm like some bug he can squash whenever he wants to. He's a man, one with strengths and weaknesses just like anyone else. If he thinks I'm going into Brazil shaking in my size-18 boots, he's dead wrong. I'm going in with my focus locked in on Johnny Rebel, and on doing whatever I have to do to earn a win that will give me immeasurable momentum going forward into Mayhem.
What you see is what you get with me. And much like the spectacle that will descend on Churchill Downs this weekend, when you're breaking it down, you want consistency. You want someone who will give you everything they have, outside circumstances be damned. You want someone who won't be intimidated by the environment or his opponents. Ultimately, you want me, A.C. Smith.
And that's...heh...about as simply as it can be put.”
Smith smirks, knowing full well what he's just said. He joins his friends in the paddock, and our scene fades to black when the quartet reunites.
It's a dark day today, which means no horse racing at one of the last great cathedrals of the Sport of Kings just a short while before the 2013 renewal of the Kentucky Derby. However, plenty of trainers are in the stands with binoculars obscuring their faces as they look out on the main track, where their horses are going through workouts and maintenance gallops under their exercise riders.
Suddenly, though, our vantage point changes as we go to the other side of the oval. This is the backstretch, where the horses are stabled, shod, and fed by their grooms. We see the horses and their handlers milling around, awaiting instructions from their bosses. These horses cost serious money, some well into the six-figures, and the animals are being treated with care, as if they're made of glass and can break if they're mishandled.
Leaning up against a back fence are three people that stick out like sore thumbs. Unlike the workers, largely Hispanic and short in nature (largely, in all likelihood, jockeys who couldn't keep their weight down), these three are Americans, and they're all wearing shirts and ties. The man in the middle, of course, is A.C. Smith, and the APW Xtreme Champion is flanked by Bobby the Bavarian Man-Bitch to our left and Stevie the Slovakian Slobberknocker to our right.
Bobby and Stevie aren't used to dressing up, and they're visibly uncomfortable with the attire that Smith has undoubtedly forced them to wear. We usually see Smith in casual attire, but he at least looks comfortable in a white shirt with black pinstripes and a matching all-black tie.
Bobby: “NOBODY else here is dressed up. Why did you INSIST that we wear this stuff?”
Stevie: “Yeah, man. Plus, it's starting to get hot, and these shoes are getting ruined by the dirt. This ensemble here is NOT cheap!”
A.C.: “Boys, boys, boys. Very few common people ever get to do what we're about to do. And I wouldn't have had you look presentable for no reason. Just trust me...because I think my boy is about to introduce himself.”
Smith cracks a smile, and we hear a man's footsteps getting closer to the trio. He cuts in front of the camera, and we see that this is a tall, pudgy man, possibly in his mid-to-late 30's. He's wearing a security guard uniform, complete with a hat that masks a receding hairline, and matches Smith's grin with one of his own as the two embrace with a “slap and wrap” handshake-hug combination.
A.C.: “Mike, how are ya? How long has it been?”
Mike: “At least 10 years. Hell of a time for you to drop by; they're running us ragged this week with all the people that are blowing into Louisville in the next few days.”
Bobby: “Wait a minute. You are...?”
Mike: “I was a couple of years ahead of A.C. in high school. Did the whole cop thing for a while, then went into security. If you know what you're doing, the pay's just as good, and the only violence you ever have to break up is alcohol-fueled, which doesn't exactly act as a performance-enhancer.”
A.C.: “Mike and I wrestled together in high school one year. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he did alright for himself.”
Mike: “Fourth in the city at 189. And my last match marked the last time I EVER made that weight!”
A.C.: “Well, why the hell do you think I only wrestled at heavyweight?!”
The four men trade chuckles as a horse gets led past them and out onto the track.
Stevie: “So our buddy here tells us that you've got something planned for us.”
Mike: “He hasn't told you?”
A.C.: “Of course not. What fun would there be in spoiling a surprise?”
Mike rolls his eyes.
Mike: “You haven't changed a bit. Anyway, what we'll be doing is called, 'The Walk.' It's what every owner of a horse participating in the Kentucky Derby does before the race. We'll be walking from here to the paddock, where all the horses get saddled and where the jockeys climb aboard their mounts for the race.”
Bobby and Stevie both have raised eyebrows and nod. They'd never let Smith hear them vocalize it, but they're impressed with what he's been able to arrange.
Mike: “Now, I was able to get you in under the guise of this being a practice run. I see you've dressed up, which is fantastic. If you'd been wearing t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, we'd likely run into some stuffed shirt who thinks Levi Strauss is the devil.”
Smith gives quick glances at Bobby and Stevie, who now understand why they had to dress up for the occasion.
Mike: “Before we start, I urge you to enjoy the experience, but don't get carried away by it. In short, act like you belong so the pains in the neck around here don't get any ideas.
Now...we good to go?”
A.C.: “Absolutely. Let's rock.”
Mike: “OK, follow me.”
The four men begin walking down a cobblestone path, making sure to sidestep several mounds of equine waste that they encounter close to a nearby barn. After a few moments, they begin walking around the outside of Churchill Downs's clubhouse turn, and it gets much quieter with the lack of horses and handlers in the vicinity.
Bobby: “So every owner makes this trip on Derby Day?”
Mike: “That's correct. Try and imagine over 100,000 people packed into the stands to see your horse run in the greatest race in America. It's a real rush, even for us, especially when we get a first-time owner or someone who wasn't expected to be there.”
Stevie: “Ever have anyone get lost on the way to the paddock?”
Mike: “No, and the reason why is why I'm able to do this. Whenever the owners come into town, we take them on a practice run of the real thing. We walk them from the backstretch to the paddock, from the paddock to their box in the grandstand, and then from their box to the winner's circle. Sheesh, if someone ever got lost on Derby Day, NBC would make SURE somebody got fired.”
A.C.: “Kinda takes part of the mystique away from it, doesn't it, boys?”
Mike laughs, clearly having heard that one before.
Mike: “You guys gonna be here Saturday? I can hook you up with seats if you'd like.”
A.C.: “Thanks for the offer, but we're actually traveling out of the country later today.”
Mike: “And where are your travels taking you this week?”
Bobby: “Brazil. Maybe we'll stay long enough to enjoy Carnival!”
A.C. shakes his head.
A.C.: “Sorry to disappoint you, but Carnival is in Rio de Janiero, and it was in February.
Besides...this is a business trip.”
Smith is still taking in the sights and sounds of Churchill Downs as he and his friends straighten out after rounding the outside of the turn, but we notice that with that last remark, he's stiffened up just a bit.
Mike: “I can't believe you're still doing what you're doing, man. That's gotta take one hell of a toll on your body when you're going THAT hard every night.”
A.C.: “You get used to it. The pain never truly goes away, but you learn to cope with it, and you learn what it takes to keep moving forward. It's the cost of doing business.”
Mike nods, sensing there may be more to the story but not wanting to make this situation awkward. The four men arrive at a tunnel under the clubhouse, one that leads to the paddock, but while Mike, Bobby, and Stevie keep walking, A.C. stops for a moment.
A.C.: “You guys go in without me. I'll be in in a couple of minutes.”
Mike: “You alright?”
A.C.: “Yeah, I'm fine. Cost of doing business.”
Smith and his buddies exchange smirks. A.C. waits for his friends to get inside the paddock, and when their footsteps become more and more distant with every step, the APW Xtreme Champion turns to the camera and opens his mouth to speak.
A.C.: “If these walls could talk, boy, what tales they'd tell. This Saturday, Churchill Downs will host the 139th renewal of the Kentucky Derby, the greatest two minutes in sports. 20 horses will contest the race, but only one will spark water-cooler talk around the country about the possibility of horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
That's right, it's been 35 years since one horse swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. Many have tried since then, of course, but they've all come up short for various reasons that more knowledgable people than myself can explain to you.
This year, though, they actually changed the rules for entry into the Derby. Instead of going by graded stakes earnings to get into the field, they installed a new points system that puts tremendous weight on races right before the Run for the Roses. It's designed to make for a more competitive, realistically-run race on the first Saturday in May, and it may also change the minds of American horse breeders, who may one again begin breeding for endurance and stamina as opposed to the magical element of speed.
Why am I bringing this up just a few days before my match with Johnny Rebel on the latest leg of APW's tour of South America? A couple of reasons, actually. See, growing up a stone's throw away from both Belmont Park and Aqueduct, I've always been a horse racing fan. And a quick examination would reveal that a successful wrestler has much more in common with our four-legged friends than you'd think.”
We're close to where we started today's scene, and we hear several horses running down the Churchill Downs stretch behind the camera as they complete their morning workouts. Once the hooves behind the camera pass us, Smith resumes speaking.
A.C.: “See, the horses that win America's biggest race aren't always the flashiest, or the best-bred, or even the best horse on that particular day. Ask any jockey that's ever won the Kentucky Derby, and they'll tell you that over a mile and a quarter against 19 other horses and riders, EVERYTHING needs to break perfectly. Your horse needs to get out of the gate well. Your horse needs to settle in a good spot. Your horse can't be bumped around or bottled up in traffic, and when the real running starts going around the second turn, your horse better have plenty of gas left in the tank.
The fact is, the trip the average Kentucky Derby winner has resembles my career and my philosophies better than just about any other metaphor I could think of. Maybe I'm never going to be flying around like an 18-year-old kid, but I know my strengths and how to use them to my advantage as well as anyone that's ever stepped inside that squared circle in front of a worldwide audience. A lot of times, that's the most important thing you can have in your bag of tricks, and it's been in mine for 11 years.
A lot of people would be intimidated by the idea of stepping foot in the ring against Johnny Rebel. He's one of the most recognizable Megastars on the APW roster, he's accomplished a lot in Action Packed Wrestling, and he's shown he'll stoop to any low to add to his list of achievements. But why would I be psyched out? I've spent the last couple of weeks going up against Michael Callahan, Evan Harrison, and Level-One, and I've more than held my own doing so. If Johnny Rebel thinks he can intimidate me with references of what he's done in months and years past, he's got another thing coming.”
Smith pauses.
A.C.: “Johnny Rebel ran Overdrive for a while, and he couldn't have been blind to what I've been able to do these past few months. I took the Xtreme Championship, which had been devoid of any pride or pageantry, and I carried it with honor, integrity, and dignity. I turned back APW Hall of Famer Michael Lively three different times, including at both Survive and Conquer and Rasslemania, and it can be argued that I sent him over the edge and off to Asylum. Delikado and Buckson Gooch also tried, and in triple threat matches where I was a marked man. They couldn't take this title off of me. Dan White gave everything he had, and HE couldn't take this title off of me.
Evan Harrison and Nathaniel Havok have both taken me for a fool. Those in power, no doubt, have tried to put me through the wringer these last few weeks, trying to make me crack when faced with tall tasks. But I've never backed down from anyone or anything in my life, and if the upper brass thinks I'm going to start now, they are sorely, SORELY mistaken.
I don't care what mind games Johnny Rebel wants to play leading up to our match this week. I've seen them all, and they won't work. That said, if he wants to dig his own grave by convincing himself he has me over a barrel thanks to two tough losses in as many weeks? Heh...he can go right ahead.”
Smith chuckles, and he rolls his eyes while shaking his head.
A.C.: “Nobody needs to tell me I've had it rough the past few weeks, and I don't feel sorry for myself for it. I learned a long, LONG time ago that I can only control what I do. Did I beat Michael Callahan, Evan Harrison, and Level-One? No. But I showed that I am worthy of standing toe-to-toe with the best talent APW has to offer on a weekly basis, something that shouldn't have even been up for debate after I knocked out Biggs and pinned C.J. Gates.
Nobody in Action Packed Wrestling, and I mean nobody, cares more about their craft than the Big Apple Asskicker. Evan Harrison can wax philosophically about real wrestling, which is ironic considering nobody stoops to more lows than him. Johnny Rebel can babble on with his usual entitlement-spurred rhetoric about things being, 'simply f'n put.' But in terms of walking the walk, and not just talking the talk, nobody leads by example better than I do.
I could have retired to my penthouse after ACW closed and counted my money. But I didn't. I cared too much about this business, and about the best fans an athlete could ever ask for, to leave it to people that didn't give two shits about either of them. I knew I still had the talent to compete with anyone in the world of professional wrestling, and in my year in Action Packed Wrestling, one that's included wins over some legends and a great showing in the Survive and Conquer battle royal, I've proven that without a shadow of a doubt.
I'm going to come into Overdrive the same way I've entered every match since my first one way back in 2002: With all guns blazing, and with every fiber of my body focused on getting the job done. Johnny Rebel is a heck of a competitor, and there's no question about that. But he's going to need to bring everything he's got to the table instead of just assuming a win is sitting on a silver platter, because, well...”
Smith shrugs.
A.C.: “Because it's not like wins have been easy to come by for him lately. The last time we saw him, he was getting beaten like a rented mule by Delikado, so it's not like he's got some recent upper hand on me. Remember, Delikado was one of the guys who had every chance to take my APW Xtreme Championship just a few weeks after I won it at the end of 2012. Did he do it? Nope. Because I wouldn't let him.
Now, Delikado is in a four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Mayhem. So to review, the man who may beat Michael Callahan, thus becoming top dog on APW's flagship brand, the man who beat Johnny Rebel like he was some green kid, couldn't beat me when all the chips were in the center of the table.
Don't be fooled by what Johnny Rebel is likely to say this week. He's not some unbeatable force, some guy who's so far above me I'm like some bug he can squash whenever he wants to. He's a man, one with strengths and weaknesses just like anyone else. If he thinks I'm going into Brazil shaking in my size-18 boots, he's dead wrong. I'm going in with my focus locked in on Johnny Rebel, and on doing whatever I have to do to earn a win that will give me immeasurable momentum going forward into Mayhem.
What you see is what you get with me. And much like the spectacle that will descend on Churchill Downs this weekend, when you're breaking it down, you want consistency. You want someone who will give you everything they have, outside circumstances be damned. You want someone who won't be intimidated by the environment or his opponents. Ultimately, you want me, A.C. Smith.
And that's...heh...about as simply as it can be put.”
Smith smirks, knowing full well what he's just said. He joins his friends in the paddock, and our scene fades to black when the quartet reunites.
