Post by biggs on May 29, 2013 17:51:48 GMT -4
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Level-One is standing above me as I kneel atop the steel Cell. By this point, we’ve been fighting for over a half-an-hour, forty-five minutes, I have no clue, and I just know it’s been a long match. I can feel the heat of the bright lights right above us. My head is spinning, my body feels like jelly, and I know that Level-One is feeling the same exact way that I do. Whoever can hit that one last big shot will win this match.
I’m trying to bring myself up to my feet, I’m trying to fight on, but my body just won’t let me. My joints are sore, my muscles are on fire, I just cannot stand anymore. Level-One whispers right into my ear.
”And now I say it’s over.”
While my body isn’t letting me stand, Level-One’s body is. I see him get to his feet, I see him rushing at me. Next thing I know, he wraps his arms around my midsection, positions my head between my legs, and instantly, I know I’m in trouble. Before I can even react, we’re sailing through the air, and the last thing I remember thinking is ”Well this is going to hurt…”
CRASH!
Almost Two Months Later
I find myself in a place that has become all too familiar over the past couple of years, a doctor’s office. This particular office is in the University of Washington Medical Center. The sterile lights, the bright orange counters, the rough paper covering the brown and orange bench I’m sitting on. I’ve told the doctor several times that I still think they should have decorated it purple and gold, because it is the University of Washington hospital, after all. And while Dr. Mann has let out a polite chuckle every time, this time, I haven’t cracked the joke yet today, because today is serious. Very serious.
Today is the day that I find out whether or not I can get back in the ring.
I hear a knock on the door, and a few seconds later, Dr. Mann enters the room, clad in his white doctor’s coat. He’s just as bald as ever, although his eyebrows seem bushier since I came in last week for concussion tests.
”Mr. Biggerstaff, we have the results from your tests in,” Dr. Mann says in his thick, German accent.
”Please tell me that it’s good news, doc. Please tell me that I can get back to wrestling.”
”Well, here’s the thing, physically, you are fine. There are no more signs of the after affects from the concussion you received last March in Toronto. That being said, with your history of concussions, it only becomes more and more likely that you will suffer another concussion at some point. This is the second concussion you have suffered in your career, is it not?” he asks me, lowering his glasses a bit, and giving me a concerned look.
”Third, actually. There was the one at Rage in the Cage against The Beast back in ’05. There was the one against C.J. Gates at Christmas Chaos 2011. And the one I just got at RassleMania makes three. However, I did recover from this one a lot faster than I did the last one! That should count for something, shouldn’t it?”
”It doesn’t work like that. Dealing with a concussion isn’t a matter of being a tough guy or not. You can’t will yourself to recovery, or stick it out through the pain. These things take different times to heal, depending on the severity, depending on how many you’ve had. It is of my personal opinion that you should consider retirement.”
”Yeah, but what about your professional opinion? You said that I’m fine physically. Can I wrestle or not?”
Dr. Mann furrows his brows, and the disappointment on his face is evident. He’s looking at me like my dad would when he was upset with the choices I made. He shakes his head a bit as he responds, ”There is nothing wrong with you to the point to where I couldn’t clear you for in-ring competition.”
”YES! UP TOP, DOC!” I yell out, raising my hand for a high-five. I hold it up there awkwardly for a few moments before pulling it back down. Dr. Mann obviously doesn’t share my enthusiasm.
”You are cleared for in-ring competition. Just beware that your next concussion could be your last…” Dr. Mann says sternly as he signs a note and hands it to me before leaving the room.
I look at the Doctor’s note in my hand. I’ve been waiting two months for this day, the day that I finally get to return to wrestling.
Depeche Mode’s “Spacewalker” plays as the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background in bold, blue letters. The screen transitions to Biggs standing outside the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Shuttle Launch pad can be seen in the distance behind a chain link fence. Biggs has on a C.J. Gates T-Shirt and his signature shades.
”Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, one and all, to Biggs’ First Contact! Overdrive emanates from Houston, Texas, this week, and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to film First Contact than the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. I am the “Spaceman” after all! And while it would be cooler if there was shuttle launch within the next day or two, I’ll take what I can get.”
“Now I know that it’s been quite some time since y’all got your weekly fix of Biggs, both online and on television, but after the number Level-One did to me at RassleMania IX in Toronto, Ontario, Canada inside, or rather outside of, Hell-in-a-Cell.”
“The past two months, folks have asked me what it was like to take the Canadian Destroyer, falling over 20 feet to the ground, and crashing through the announce table, and I’ve got to be honest, I don’t remember it. Heck, I don’t remember about three hours following the incident. At one moment, I’m thinking, ‘Well this is going to hurt,’ and the next moment, I’m in a hospital bed, with all sorts of doctors holding their hands up, asking me how many fingers I see, asking me who the first President of the United States was, even though we were in Canada, and with all sorts of bandages and tubes going this way, that way, whatever way there is. The bottom line is that Level-One did a real number on me.”
“In fact, he gave me another concussion.”
“Now in the old days, if you were a wrestler, or a professional football player, or some other guy who made his living doing some sort of violent or heavy work, a concussion was just an inconvenience, something you fought or played through. Now, this day in age, we know more about concussions and their long-term effects, just how dangerous they can be. Believe me, I did not want to miss two months of action after RassleMania, I didn’t want to have to sit at home on the sidelines like I had to following Christmas Chaos 2011.”
“But at the same time, I knew that I couldn’t rush back to the ring, because unlike a broken arm or bruised muscle, a concussion isn’t something that you just tough out. APW doctors would not allow me to compete until I successfully passed a litany of tests, and in all honesty, there’s no way to cheat these tests. I wanted to be back sooner, really, I did, but there was no way that I would be allowed to.”
“And while it would be easy for me to come out here and say that it’s Level-One’s fault that I got the concussion in the first place, that wouldn’t be the whole truth. Prior to RassleMania, I have suffered not one, but two concussions that have caused me to miss time, and it’s a well-known fact that every time you get a concussion, it makes it that much easier for you to get another one. It’s what happened to Steve Young, it’s what happened to Troy Aikman, and heaven forbid, it might just happen to me.”
“So naturally, while I’ve been out, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, asking myself questions about whether I need to continue to wrestle, whether I even should continue to wrestle. If I come back, will I still be able to compete at a high level or will my body and abilities regress? And while I’d be lying if I said the thought of retiring never crossed my mind, the fact of the matter is that all I could think about while I stayed at home, recuperating, watching more Doctor Who then I probably should have, is that I couldn’t wait to get back into the ring!”
“Of course, I’ve been through all of this before, and not too long ago, even. It was just last August that I returned from my prior concussion. And while all my doctors, friends, heck, even my ex-wife, have all put in their two cents, asking me to hang it up for good, I just can’t bring myself to that.”
“Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that I’m invincible, it’s not like I don’t think that a concussion won’t happen again, it’s just that I just can’t go about my life, living it in fear of something that may or may not happen. In hindsight, was it the best idea to face off against Level-One inside Hell-in-a-Cell? Probably not. We both took years off of our careers with that match, although I probably lost more than he did. After all, his win at RassleMania was his ticket into the World Heavyweight Championship match at Mayhem, while I’ve spent the last two months being subjected to vision charts and getting lots of little flashlights shined right in my eyes.”
“Still, I’m back, and I happen to be back just in time for the Test for the Best Tournament! Now for those of you who are new to APW or wrestling in general, Test for the Best is a single elimination tournament, where the winner gets to face off against their show’s champion at Shockwave in August. And seeing as how Level-One is the current APW World Heavyweight Champion, I can’t think of a better time for me return. Because if I can win Test for the Best, then I will get my shot at revenge on Level-One. So far, Lester, when it comes to one-on-one matches, you’re up 2 to 1. But in Title Matches against you, I’m undefeated! And I can’t think of any better way to return then to fight my way into the tournament, win three matches in one night, and then move on to Shockwave to defeat Level-One to earn my first APW World Heavyweight Championship!”
“Now don’t think that I’m counting my chickens before they hatch, not in the slightest! Because while my ultimate goal is to reach Level-One, I know that there’s 14 other Mega Stars on the Overdrive roster, not to mention the folks on Asylum and Meltdown, who are trying to fight their way through the tournament and be crowned the winner of Test for the Best. Only one person a year can win the tournament, only one person a year can make a claim at being the Best. I’ve been in the tournament twice, and I’ve got to tell you, there is no night on the APW calendar that is more exciting, more fun than Test for the Best for me! Because every single match in the tournament has the big match feel, every match is do or die! I love it, I absolutely love it! And I will do everything in my power to make sure that I get to be a part of it.”
“This brings me to my opponent this week, Shadow. Now Shadow, you and I have had a storied history, going from bitter rivals to respecting one another. I wouldn’t be the Mega Star I am today had we not squared off for the Overdrive Championship all those years ago. Facing you, and more importantly, defeating you, is what initially put me on the map. And while I have nothing but respect for your in-ring ability, even though I’m grateful for the fact that we’ve had to opportunity to face off so many times over the years, I can’t help but feel like our rivalry has lost a lot of steam. And not because we’re both technically fan favorites, but because in all honesty, things have been incredibly one-sided between us. Every time that we’ve faced off since 2010, I have defeated you. You haven’t pinned me, you haven’t made me submit, you simply haven’t gotten the job done against me.”
“It’s easy to see that you’ve been frustrated lately, Shadow, especially considering your constant insistence on letting Anarchy Reign. I’ll be honest, the first time I heard you say that, it brought a certain scene from Talladega Nights to mind. Roll the clip.”
”You see, Shadow, I think you’re a lot like Texas Ranger in that clip, to where you don’t know what true anarchy is, but you love it anyways. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that anarchy is the same thing as chaos, but it’s not. Anarchy simply means there’s a lack or denial of a governing authority. Yes, there can be chaos in a state of anarchy, but anarchy in and of itself does not guarantee a state of chaos. So unless you’re advocating that we do away with any form or structure of authority in APW, you’re not really using the right terminology to express the ideas you want to get across. You must think it sounds cool, so you just went with it.”
“But just as you are confused by the meaning of anarchy, I think you’re equally confused as to how you have arrived to the place where you’re at now in APW. Sure, you generate a pretty good pop when you come through the curtains, and you’re certainly competent in the wrestling ring, but more often than not as of late, you just can’t seem to finish things in the ring. You can’t figure out why you’re in such a funk.”
“And believe me, Shadow; nobody is rooting for you to succeed more than I am. Well, perhaps your mother is, but I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with her, so I probably shouldn’t make that claim. Still, when I look at you, Shadow, I see a guy with all the potential, all the upside in the world! You’re big, powerful, and you know what you’re doing inside the ring. It just feels that ever since our epic rivalry, which won Feud of the Year in the APW Year End Awards for 2009, our career trajectories have gone in opposite directions. You have had middling success at best, with a run as the APW Xtreme Champion being your only taste of championship gold in years. It’s like you’ve been in a four-year funk.”
“Now I realize that a win in our match tomorrow night will do more than just snap you out that funk, it would be what the so-called experts like to say is a statement win. Because even though I’ve been out of action for two months with a concussion, even though I haven’t been able to train with my usual vim and vigor due to my injury, for some reason, my name happens to carry a lot of weight here in APW. I’m kind of a big deal.”
“This isn’t to say that I think our match tomorrow night will be a cakewalk for yours truly. I know it won’t be. You have a chip on your shoulder, and that’s a good thing. You shouldn’t be satisfied where you’re at. You should be full of piss and vinegar, angry about the fact that your career has seemingly stagnated. I sincerely hope that you can ignite that spark that gets your career back on fire! I’m just going to tell you right now, it’s not going to be against me! Because unfortunately for you, Shadow, we both have the same goal tomorrow night, and that is to advance in the qualifying rounds of Test for the Best. We both want to make it to the Pay-Per-View, we both want to be a part of the field of four Mega Stars that represent Overdrive, but the cold, harsh reality is that only one of us will be able to make that far, Shadow. Only one of us will have the opportunity to prove that we are the Best, and it’s not going to be you.”
“Because all you’re motivated by is the fact that you want a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. The fact is, Shadow, everyone in APW wants a shot at either the World Heavyweight Championship or Undisputed Championship. If somebody said they didn’t, they’d be a bold-faced liar.”
“You see, Shadow, I’m motivated by good, ol’ fashioned revenge. Level-One cost me two months of my career. Because of him, there’s a three hour period of my life in which I have no recollection of what the heck happened! For me, Test for the Best is personal.”
“Do I still have what it takes? Can I still challenge for the top prize industry, despite suffering my second concussion in less than two years, my third one overall? Test for the Best is my opportunity to answer these questions. It’s also my opportunity to get back at Level-One.”
“The simple fact of the matter is this, Shadow, I’m not going to let you stop me from advancing to the next qualifying round. I’m not going to let you pin my shoulders to the mat, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of making me submit. Because as much as you want to win Test for the Best, I want it more. I simply want it more.”
“Tomorrow night, Shadow, I hope you bring you best. I really do. But no matter how hard you fight, no matter how much you try to keep me down, I will be moving on in Test for the Best. Why? Because I’m quite simply OUT OF THIS WORLD!”
First Contact comes to a close. “Spacewalker” begins to play again as the APW logo and copyright flash across the bottom of the screen.
Level-One is standing above me as I kneel atop the steel Cell. By this point, we’ve been fighting for over a half-an-hour, forty-five minutes, I have no clue, and I just know it’s been a long match. I can feel the heat of the bright lights right above us. My head is spinning, my body feels like jelly, and I know that Level-One is feeling the same exact way that I do. Whoever can hit that one last big shot will win this match.
I’m trying to bring myself up to my feet, I’m trying to fight on, but my body just won’t let me. My joints are sore, my muscles are on fire, I just cannot stand anymore. Level-One whispers right into my ear.
”And now I say it’s over.”
While my body isn’t letting me stand, Level-One’s body is. I see him get to his feet, I see him rushing at me. Next thing I know, he wraps his arms around my midsection, positions my head between my legs, and instantly, I know I’m in trouble. Before I can even react, we’re sailing through the air, and the last thing I remember thinking is ”Well this is going to hurt…”
CRASH!
***
Almost Two Months Later
I find myself in a place that has become all too familiar over the past couple of years, a doctor’s office. This particular office is in the University of Washington Medical Center. The sterile lights, the bright orange counters, the rough paper covering the brown and orange bench I’m sitting on. I’ve told the doctor several times that I still think they should have decorated it purple and gold, because it is the University of Washington hospital, after all. And while Dr. Mann has let out a polite chuckle every time, this time, I haven’t cracked the joke yet today, because today is serious. Very serious.
Today is the day that I find out whether or not I can get back in the ring.
I hear a knock on the door, and a few seconds later, Dr. Mann enters the room, clad in his white doctor’s coat. He’s just as bald as ever, although his eyebrows seem bushier since I came in last week for concussion tests.
”Mr. Biggerstaff, we have the results from your tests in,” Dr. Mann says in his thick, German accent.
”Please tell me that it’s good news, doc. Please tell me that I can get back to wrestling.”
”Well, here’s the thing, physically, you are fine. There are no more signs of the after affects from the concussion you received last March in Toronto. That being said, with your history of concussions, it only becomes more and more likely that you will suffer another concussion at some point. This is the second concussion you have suffered in your career, is it not?” he asks me, lowering his glasses a bit, and giving me a concerned look.
”Third, actually. There was the one at Rage in the Cage against The Beast back in ’05. There was the one against C.J. Gates at Christmas Chaos 2011. And the one I just got at RassleMania makes three. However, I did recover from this one a lot faster than I did the last one! That should count for something, shouldn’t it?”
”It doesn’t work like that. Dealing with a concussion isn’t a matter of being a tough guy or not. You can’t will yourself to recovery, or stick it out through the pain. These things take different times to heal, depending on the severity, depending on how many you’ve had. It is of my personal opinion that you should consider retirement.”
”Yeah, but what about your professional opinion? You said that I’m fine physically. Can I wrestle or not?”
Dr. Mann furrows his brows, and the disappointment on his face is evident. He’s looking at me like my dad would when he was upset with the choices I made. He shakes his head a bit as he responds, ”There is nothing wrong with you to the point to where I couldn’t clear you for in-ring competition.”
”YES! UP TOP, DOC!” I yell out, raising my hand for a high-five. I hold it up there awkwardly for a few moments before pulling it back down. Dr. Mann obviously doesn’t share my enthusiasm.
”You are cleared for in-ring competition. Just beware that your next concussion could be your last…” Dr. Mann says sternly as he signs a note and hands it to me before leaving the room.
I look at the Doctor’s note in my hand. I’ve been waiting two months for this day, the day that I finally get to return to wrestling.
***
Depeche Mode’s “Spacewalker” plays as the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background in bold, blue letters. The screen transitions to Biggs standing outside the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Shuttle Launch pad can be seen in the distance behind a chain link fence. Biggs has on a C.J. Gates T-Shirt and his signature shades.
”Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, one and all, to Biggs’ First Contact! Overdrive emanates from Houston, Texas, this week, and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to film First Contact than the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. I am the “Spaceman” after all! And while it would be cooler if there was shuttle launch within the next day or two, I’ll take what I can get.”
“Now I know that it’s been quite some time since y’all got your weekly fix of Biggs, both online and on television, but after the number Level-One did to me at RassleMania IX in Toronto, Ontario, Canada inside, or rather outside of, Hell-in-a-Cell.”
“The past two months, folks have asked me what it was like to take the Canadian Destroyer, falling over 20 feet to the ground, and crashing through the announce table, and I’ve got to be honest, I don’t remember it. Heck, I don’t remember about three hours following the incident. At one moment, I’m thinking, ‘Well this is going to hurt,’ and the next moment, I’m in a hospital bed, with all sorts of doctors holding their hands up, asking me how many fingers I see, asking me who the first President of the United States was, even though we were in Canada, and with all sorts of bandages and tubes going this way, that way, whatever way there is. The bottom line is that Level-One did a real number on me.”
“In fact, he gave me another concussion.”
“Now in the old days, if you were a wrestler, or a professional football player, or some other guy who made his living doing some sort of violent or heavy work, a concussion was just an inconvenience, something you fought or played through. Now, this day in age, we know more about concussions and their long-term effects, just how dangerous they can be. Believe me, I did not want to miss two months of action after RassleMania, I didn’t want to have to sit at home on the sidelines like I had to following Christmas Chaos 2011.”
“But at the same time, I knew that I couldn’t rush back to the ring, because unlike a broken arm or bruised muscle, a concussion isn’t something that you just tough out. APW doctors would not allow me to compete until I successfully passed a litany of tests, and in all honesty, there’s no way to cheat these tests. I wanted to be back sooner, really, I did, but there was no way that I would be allowed to.”
“And while it would be easy for me to come out here and say that it’s Level-One’s fault that I got the concussion in the first place, that wouldn’t be the whole truth. Prior to RassleMania, I have suffered not one, but two concussions that have caused me to miss time, and it’s a well-known fact that every time you get a concussion, it makes it that much easier for you to get another one. It’s what happened to Steve Young, it’s what happened to Troy Aikman, and heaven forbid, it might just happen to me.”
“So naturally, while I’ve been out, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, asking myself questions about whether I need to continue to wrestle, whether I even should continue to wrestle. If I come back, will I still be able to compete at a high level or will my body and abilities regress? And while I’d be lying if I said the thought of retiring never crossed my mind, the fact of the matter is that all I could think about while I stayed at home, recuperating, watching more Doctor Who then I probably should have, is that I couldn’t wait to get back into the ring!”
“Of course, I’ve been through all of this before, and not too long ago, even. It was just last August that I returned from my prior concussion. And while all my doctors, friends, heck, even my ex-wife, have all put in their two cents, asking me to hang it up for good, I just can’t bring myself to that.”
“Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that I’m invincible, it’s not like I don’t think that a concussion won’t happen again, it’s just that I just can’t go about my life, living it in fear of something that may or may not happen. In hindsight, was it the best idea to face off against Level-One inside Hell-in-a-Cell? Probably not. We both took years off of our careers with that match, although I probably lost more than he did. After all, his win at RassleMania was his ticket into the World Heavyweight Championship match at Mayhem, while I’ve spent the last two months being subjected to vision charts and getting lots of little flashlights shined right in my eyes.”
“Still, I’m back, and I happen to be back just in time for the Test for the Best Tournament! Now for those of you who are new to APW or wrestling in general, Test for the Best is a single elimination tournament, where the winner gets to face off against their show’s champion at Shockwave in August. And seeing as how Level-One is the current APW World Heavyweight Champion, I can’t think of a better time for me return. Because if I can win Test for the Best, then I will get my shot at revenge on Level-One. So far, Lester, when it comes to one-on-one matches, you’re up 2 to 1. But in Title Matches against you, I’m undefeated! And I can’t think of any better way to return then to fight my way into the tournament, win three matches in one night, and then move on to Shockwave to defeat Level-One to earn my first APW World Heavyweight Championship!”
“Now don’t think that I’m counting my chickens before they hatch, not in the slightest! Because while my ultimate goal is to reach Level-One, I know that there’s 14 other Mega Stars on the Overdrive roster, not to mention the folks on Asylum and Meltdown, who are trying to fight their way through the tournament and be crowned the winner of Test for the Best. Only one person a year can win the tournament, only one person a year can make a claim at being the Best. I’ve been in the tournament twice, and I’ve got to tell you, there is no night on the APW calendar that is more exciting, more fun than Test for the Best for me! Because every single match in the tournament has the big match feel, every match is do or die! I love it, I absolutely love it! And I will do everything in my power to make sure that I get to be a part of it.”
“This brings me to my opponent this week, Shadow. Now Shadow, you and I have had a storied history, going from bitter rivals to respecting one another. I wouldn’t be the Mega Star I am today had we not squared off for the Overdrive Championship all those years ago. Facing you, and more importantly, defeating you, is what initially put me on the map. And while I have nothing but respect for your in-ring ability, even though I’m grateful for the fact that we’ve had to opportunity to face off so many times over the years, I can’t help but feel like our rivalry has lost a lot of steam. And not because we’re both technically fan favorites, but because in all honesty, things have been incredibly one-sided between us. Every time that we’ve faced off since 2010, I have defeated you. You haven’t pinned me, you haven’t made me submit, you simply haven’t gotten the job done against me.”
“It’s easy to see that you’ve been frustrated lately, Shadow, especially considering your constant insistence on letting Anarchy Reign. I’ll be honest, the first time I heard you say that, it brought a certain scene from Talladega Nights to mind. Roll the clip.”
”You see, Shadow, I think you’re a lot like Texas Ranger in that clip, to where you don’t know what true anarchy is, but you love it anyways. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that anarchy is the same thing as chaos, but it’s not. Anarchy simply means there’s a lack or denial of a governing authority. Yes, there can be chaos in a state of anarchy, but anarchy in and of itself does not guarantee a state of chaos. So unless you’re advocating that we do away with any form or structure of authority in APW, you’re not really using the right terminology to express the ideas you want to get across. You must think it sounds cool, so you just went with it.”
“But just as you are confused by the meaning of anarchy, I think you’re equally confused as to how you have arrived to the place where you’re at now in APW. Sure, you generate a pretty good pop when you come through the curtains, and you’re certainly competent in the wrestling ring, but more often than not as of late, you just can’t seem to finish things in the ring. You can’t figure out why you’re in such a funk.”
“And believe me, Shadow; nobody is rooting for you to succeed more than I am. Well, perhaps your mother is, but I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with her, so I probably shouldn’t make that claim. Still, when I look at you, Shadow, I see a guy with all the potential, all the upside in the world! You’re big, powerful, and you know what you’re doing inside the ring. It just feels that ever since our epic rivalry, which won Feud of the Year in the APW Year End Awards for 2009, our career trajectories have gone in opposite directions. You have had middling success at best, with a run as the APW Xtreme Champion being your only taste of championship gold in years. It’s like you’ve been in a four-year funk.”
“Now I realize that a win in our match tomorrow night will do more than just snap you out that funk, it would be what the so-called experts like to say is a statement win. Because even though I’ve been out of action for two months with a concussion, even though I haven’t been able to train with my usual vim and vigor due to my injury, for some reason, my name happens to carry a lot of weight here in APW. I’m kind of a big deal.”
“This isn’t to say that I think our match tomorrow night will be a cakewalk for yours truly. I know it won’t be. You have a chip on your shoulder, and that’s a good thing. You shouldn’t be satisfied where you’re at. You should be full of piss and vinegar, angry about the fact that your career has seemingly stagnated. I sincerely hope that you can ignite that spark that gets your career back on fire! I’m just going to tell you right now, it’s not going to be against me! Because unfortunately for you, Shadow, we both have the same goal tomorrow night, and that is to advance in the qualifying rounds of Test for the Best. We both want to make it to the Pay-Per-View, we both want to be a part of the field of four Mega Stars that represent Overdrive, but the cold, harsh reality is that only one of us will be able to make that far, Shadow. Only one of us will have the opportunity to prove that we are the Best, and it’s not going to be you.”
“Because all you’re motivated by is the fact that you want a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. The fact is, Shadow, everyone in APW wants a shot at either the World Heavyweight Championship or Undisputed Championship. If somebody said they didn’t, they’d be a bold-faced liar.”
“You see, Shadow, I’m motivated by good, ol’ fashioned revenge. Level-One cost me two months of my career. Because of him, there’s a three hour period of my life in which I have no recollection of what the heck happened! For me, Test for the Best is personal.”
“Do I still have what it takes? Can I still challenge for the top prize industry, despite suffering my second concussion in less than two years, my third one overall? Test for the Best is my opportunity to answer these questions. It’s also my opportunity to get back at Level-One.”
“The simple fact of the matter is this, Shadow, I’m not going to let you stop me from advancing to the next qualifying round. I’m not going to let you pin my shoulders to the mat, I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of making me submit. Because as much as you want to win Test for the Best, I want it more. I simply want it more.”
“Tomorrow night, Shadow, I hope you bring you best. I really do. But no matter how hard you fight, no matter how much you try to keep me down, I will be moving on in Test for the Best. Why? Because I’m quite simply OUT OF THIS WORLD!”
First Contact comes to a close. “Spacewalker” begins to play again as the APW logo and copyright flash across the bottom of the screen.
