Happy Ending #91 - For Meltdown
Jul 13, 2013 10:24:51 GMT -4
Jason Cashe, Lord Raab, and 4 more like this
Post by SalTal on Jul 13, 2013 10:24:51 GMT -4
Internet Explorer-*click*-Favorites-*click*-APW.com-*click*-Meltdown Finale-*click*-Sally Talfourd-*click*-Loading...
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which finally fades to a shot of an office block of buildings. At the front is one of those wall plaques, the kind that doctors have. And, given that doctors usually use there, it’s of no surprise we find “Dr. Paul Lezinski, MD.” carved into it with a subtle gold font. Then, the shot fades away and comes to presumably inside the building. How do we know it’s inside? Because we find Dr. Paul in his white doctor’s coat wandering into a room with his clipboard. And who is his patient? The wonderful, the beautiful, the radiant Sally Talfourd. She sits up on the bench-table thing that doctors have in their room. He sees Shane (our trusty cameraman) filming it all and comes to a halt.
[Dr. Paul] Sorry, no cameras. This is a private consult, and the patient ...
[Sally] Oh, sorry, I should have shown you ...
Sally reaches over, takes up her handbag, and digs around. Ah-ha! She’s found it: A piece of paper. She tries to smooth it out (it got a little crumpled in the bag), then hands it over to Dr. Paul. He unfolds it, gives it a quick read, and then stares over the top of his glasses at, first, Sally and, then, Shane. He doesn’t look too pleased. The paper is a letter from APW management informing their resident doctor (Dr. Paul does all of the medical clearances for APW) that Sally’s adventures here are getting filmed.
[Dr. Paul] Fine, but I will not be held liable for anything that happens subsequent to this. *He sits down across from Sally, handing her the paper back before flipping through his own clipboard* Now, as far as I see it ... you’re all clear for Meltdown. Beyond that though, there’s a few issues I’d advise you to keep an eye on for your own health.
Sally, beaming a smile, doesn’t seem all too concerned with anything else. She’s cleared for APW - that’s all that matters right now. Stepping away from APW (THE premiere wrestling company) for six months, they’ve forced her to get a medical to make sure she’s not going to break apart in the ring.
[Sally] That’s great! And what should I watch out for? I know that my nails are a long at the moment, but I’ll cut them down for the match, I swear.
[Dr. Paul] Not really superficial things. That pain in your right knee is from your cartilage, or lack of. And your left knee isn’t far behind it. But that’s not where the left knee pain is coming from.
[Sally] What is it then?
[Dr. Paul] That’s a strained ligament. You’re going to need an operation on it within the year. And ...
[Sally] And?
[Dr. Paul] Yes, and. Your right shoulder, the rotator cuff. It’s not looking good. You’ve probably got a little longer than that knee, but ... the early you get that treated, the better you’ll be.
That smile has started to fade a little. Hearing about this brings the stark realisation of the mortality of her career into sharp focus. Medical concerns? Operations? One year? It’s all a little scary, to be honest. But, that’s not the type of thought that should be occupying a wrestler ahead of a huge show and an even huger match! Sally shakes her head, brushes her hair back from her face, and it’s back. The smile is back!
[Sally] Well, we can worry about that when it’s more important.
[Dr. Paul] What’s more important than your health?
[Sally] Meltdown, this week, of course!
[Dr. Paul] I don’t think that’s effective prioritising, Sally.
Sally hops up off the bench, looking to fix her clothes and make her appearance look as good as it can be. Not much has changed in that regard.
[Sally] That’s because you’re not a wrestler.
The scene fades out and holds on a screen for a moment, So the stage is set for a great match: Sally’s cleared for Meltdown. She ready for her match. And, in the days to come, it would be announced her opponent would be Ron Rufio - an new face to APW. But, on another level, a different stage was set with all this: The new versus the old. The inexperienced versus the experienced. The old hand and the new face. Sally, battling through a career of wear and tear, up against Rufio, a man just starting to discover everything the ring hold. Anyway, the shot fades back in, no longer in doctor’s office. Now we’re in the transit lounge of JFK airport, with Sally and Shane waiting for their flight to Mississippi.
[Shane] So, Ron Rufio?
[Sally] Ron Rufio. Rufo. The Rufinator. The Rufmeister.
[Shane] I think he had actual nicknames.
[Sally] But none as good as them, right? I mean, imagine being announced ... *Sally clears her throat and tries to throw on a deep, manly voice*... ladies and gentlemen, weighing in at 287 pounds theeeee Rufmeisterrrrr!
Sally lets out a little laugh, Shane lets out one of those snort laughs. You know the kind, where you breath a little louder out your nose when something mildly amusing deserves some sort of recognition.
[Shane] Been thinking about the match yet?
[Sally] Yet? Shane, please! That’s all I’ve been thinking about, even before I got signed on for it all. When I heard Meltdown was doing their final show .. you know, I just felt like I wanted to be part of it. I’d been all through APW, had a hand in building OverDrive and then Asylum. I just wanted to make sure I could say I was part of Meltdown, if only for a tiny, teeny bit.
I mean, don’t get me wrong: I will never say I had a part building Meltdown. That credit belongs to the wrestlers who came through here. The people who are now vying for the main event spots on OverDrive and Asylum. They should be proud of what they’ve done. They should be proud of what they achieved. Those people - from the start to the finish - who took part in making Meltdown everything it was worth ... they’re the people who can say they had a hand in building it.
[Shane] You’re just here for the end?
[Sally] Better to arrive late, than to never arrive at all, right? But, you know, it’s always interesting get get those new match-ups going. Here i am, having made most of my name on OverDrive many moons ago, and here’s Rufio one of those new signees to Meltdown. Me from the longest running shows we have on APW and Rufio from the youngest of APW’s shows. So, if anything, I’m glad I’ve not been a huge part of Meltdown if only because it makes this match-up even better.
Truth if ever there was some. Sure, Sally could never say she help build Meltdown. And, given this finale show is all about saying farewell and goodbye to Meltdown, it should be a big part. But she can help celebrate Meltdown and all it came to be, right? The new talents, the fresh faces, coming in and plying their trade. They came and did all that. They came and made something new and great. They’re not carrying around battered bodies and injured limbs. They came in fresh and bright-eyed and now we’re celebrating the mark they left on APW.
[Shane] I suppose the same could be said of Rufio. He’s supposed to be relatively new to the Meltdown ring.
[Sally] Yeah, I remember reading about his start and all that. I guess that’s about all that’s equal between us. Given how long he’s been in the ring and how long I have, there’s a bit of disparity going on between us. But that isn’t something I’ve got a problem with - nor should he? I mean, this is the opportunity for both of us. Ron to show that he can hang with the best of them and me to prove that I’ve still got it. I mean, think about it. Ron goes in, faces one of the big names of APW and wins!? *Sally looks shocked, even as she imagines it* Imagine what that would do for his career.
[Shane] And if you won?
[Sally] Well, if I won, like I said: It would be a little reminder of just what I can do. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve been in an APW ring so ... you know ... I might not be fresh in the minds of the fans and the other wrestlers here. But this is the perfect match to remind everyone about myself. To remind everyone about Sally Talfourd. To remind everyone just what it is that makes me ... me. I mean, some folks might well be doubting me in a match-up against a fresh face, a fresh body, and a fresh career given everything that I’ve been through.
There’s something intelligible said over the PA - likely some flight’s final passengers delaying takeoff. But Sally and Shane just ignore it. They’re an hour or so away from even boarding. There’s all the time in the world for chit-chat. And chit-chat they do, passing the time until they are headed to, well, ‘home (in a sense). Not Seattle, but Mississippi - where APW is this week. Because home is where the heart is, isn’t it?.
[Sally] Hello everyone! Young and old, fans and not fans (those few of you!), friends and acquaintances. I’m back! Yes, that’s right: Sally Talfourd - the wrestler you’ve loved to watch and hated to miss - is back underneath the APW banner to help farewell Meltdown.
And, on this very special episode - this last ever (well, for the time being) - I get an opportunity to give all you fans a never-before-seen, (maybe) once ever match-up with none other than one of APW’s newest and brightest stars: Ron Rufio. If I had to measure on a scale of one to on-hundred how excited I am, it would be about a three ... hundred! Yes! I cannot wait for this match. The life has come back to me. The spark has reignited. The drive has taken over.
Sally Talfourd is back. I’m back, and I’m ready to git the ground running. I’m ready for this match. I’m ready for you, Rufio. I mean, yeah, mentally and physically I’m ready for you. I’ve been training since the contract was put under my nose. I’ve been strategising and planning since they told me who I was facing. What I mean when I say ‘I’m ready for this’ is that ... I’m ready to be here. i’m ready to be waving the APW flag again. I’m ready to throw myself at the mercy of the best wrestlers, the best fans, in the best company that there is. I’m proud to be back here.
Mind you, I might not be as fresh as I was when I first walked in here. I’m older, I’m a little worse for wear. But make no mistake about it, Rufio: All of that just adds to the complications. After each match, I’ve learned something. I’ve learned something about this whole ‘wrestling’ thing. I’ve learned something about people like you. I’ve learned something about myself. And learning - in this business - is almost as good as winning.
Almost.
Now that doesn’t mean I’m going to be the favourite going into this match or anything. I shouldn’t be. Neither should you. No one should be playing that whole game when it comes to our match, should they Ron? I mean, this is a spectacle match. It’s an All-Stars game - a match that, while freaking awesome, is a match that starts and end on the night. There’s no grudge or feud leading up from this. There’ll be no sanctioned or unsanctioned rematches after this too. It’s just two wrestlers who want to show themselves off to the world. It’s just ... a match. A match to celebrate wrestling. A match to celebrate skill. A match to celebrate APW. And that’s exactly what this episode of Meltdown is about too.
And when you take all that into account, this match should be hassle-free. It should be issue-free. It should be problem-free.
But it isn’t.
You see, you’re a problem to me, Mr. Rufio. You’re my problem. Oh no, don’t get me wrong. I like you, you know, the person. I think it’s great to have new, fresh faces coming into wrestling as some of us old-ish faces get seen a little less and less. I respect you for coming into APW - the place where, you know, competition is at its peak. And I respect you for having enough guts and determination to actually start down the whole ‘wrestling’ path.
But here comes the problem: Hardcore wrestling. Blood and violence and ... ick. I just can’t get behind that. Never have, and probably never will. I look at what passes for wrestling in hardcore matches, in hardcore companies, and I just ... I just ... I just don’t get it. Like, isn’t wrestling beautiful enough? Isn’t the art of wrestling pure and magic enough to pass on its own? Aren’t we all part of something so special that it doesn’t need gimmicks and bells and whistles and all that to be appealing?
Now don’t get me wrong: I know we’re not in a hardcore match, thank gosh. But it speaks to you, Ron. It speaks to you and who you are deep down. Hardcore wrestling - as entertaining as it may well be - is often a bandage. A cover-up for some weakness. That you’ve embraced this, Ron, makes me wonder - just how good are you at wrestling? How good are you at this art-form?
Well, I’ll guess we’ll find out how good you are when our match comes to a close. Because I promise you: I’ll bring out every single bit of skill you’ve got. And then we’ll get to see where you stand. We’ll see exactly where you are with the whole ‘wrestling’ thing. Are your preferences really a cover for your weaknesses? Do you have some fundamental flaws? How good of a wrestler are you really?
Part of me thinks that’s a little unfair, you know? You’re so young and fresh in your career and you have to face up to me? Mind you, I’ve been pushed right to the edge by rookies too, so I’m no going to be taking this easy. But, honestly, preparation for a match like this is a little easier for me than it is for you. I get to do what I’ve been doing for years; you have to do something you’ve been doing for months now. I get to draw on a whole career’s worth of experience and learnings and all that. I’ve been in a situation like this before. High stakes, new talent, eyes of the world watching. That doesn’t make it any less special, though it does make it a little less stressful. And, I don’t know about you, but that makes preparing and planning for this match a whole lot easier.
And I know - we shouldn’t be making this a match about the past. About history. About times gone. But ... how can’t we? This is the final Meltdown! It’s going to be be part of history, when the APW story is done and finished. This is a chance to make history. Meltdown ... it’s done. The ride is over and, unfortunately, now we have to get off. This is a celebration of the past, of everything that Meltdown has given APW. It’s our chance to give something to Meltdown before it’s gone. Before it’s part of the history books. This is our chance to give back, not take.
So let me tell you what I’ll be giving. I’ll be giving you a contest, Rufio. And I’ll be giving the fans an unforgettable match. I’ll be giving APW a reminder. And I’ll be giving the wrestling world just a bit of a sneak preview about what’s to come. I’ll be giving this match everything I’ve got because that’s what it deserves. You deserve it, APW deserves it, and Meltdown and all those people who helped build it deserve it. They deserve the respect of a full effort, not a half effort. So the Happy Endings will be a little extra special this week. The Makeovers will be a little more dazzling. Everything I do, I’ll be putting my all into it.
And, if you’ve got the same sort of attitude to me, Ron, you’ll do the same. If you believe the same things as me, you’ll do the same. If you want to show respect to yourself and to APW and to Meltdown, you’ll do the same. This isn’t a match about you or me or our race for glory - it’s about celebrating hard work and good wrestling. That’s the attitude I’m bringing to this match, you should too. Do that, and even if you do lose the match you’ll walk out feeling like a winner. You’ll have done the right thing. WE’LL have done the right thing.
I just can’t wait to get back in that ring.
Boy does it feel good to be back.
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then
"In association with Action Packed Wrestling..."
is next to appear, holds, then fades out for
"Happy Endings T.V."
Which finally fades to a shot of an office block of buildings. At the front is one of those wall plaques, the kind that doctors have. And, given that doctors usually use there, it’s of no surprise we find “Dr. Paul Lezinski, MD.” carved into it with a subtle gold font. Then, the shot fades away and comes to presumably inside the building. How do we know it’s inside? Because we find Dr. Paul in his white doctor’s coat wandering into a room with his clipboard. And who is his patient? The wonderful, the beautiful, the radiant Sally Talfourd. She sits up on the bench-table thing that doctors have in their room. He sees Shane (our trusty cameraman) filming it all and comes to a halt.
[Dr. Paul] Sorry, no cameras. This is a private consult, and the patient ...
[Sally] Oh, sorry, I should have shown you ...
Sally reaches over, takes up her handbag, and digs around. Ah-ha! She’s found it: A piece of paper. She tries to smooth it out (it got a little crumpled in the bag), then hands it over to Dr. Paul. He unfolds it, gives it a quick read, and then stares over the top of his glasses at, first, Sally and, then, Shane. He doesn’t look too pleased. The paper is a letter from APW management informing their resident doctor (Dr. Paul does all of the medical clearances for APW) that Sally’s adventures here are getting filmed.
[Dr. Paul] Fine, but I will not be held liable for anything that happens subsequent to this. *He sits down across from Sally, handing her the paper back before flipping through his own clipboard* Now, as far as I see it ... you’re all clear for Meltdown. Beyond that though, there’s a few issues I’d advise you to keep an eye on for your own health.
Sally, beaming a smile, doesn’t seem all too concerned with anything else. She’s cleared for APW - that’s all that matters right now. Stepping away from APW (THE premiere wrestling company) for six months, they’ve forced her to get a medical to make sure she’s not going to break apart in the ring.
[Sally] That’s great! And what should I watch out for? I know that my nails are a long at the moment, but I’ll cut them down for the match, I swear.
[Dr. Paul] Not really superficial things. That pain in your right knee is from your cartilage, or lack of. And your left knee isn’t far behind it. But that’s not where the left knee pain is coming from.
[Sally] What is it then?
[Dr. Paul] That’s a strained ligament. You’re going to need an operation on it within the year. And ...
[Sally] And?
[Dr. Paul] Yes, and. Your right shoulder, the rotator cuff. It’s not looking good. You’ve probably got a little longer than that knee, but ... the early you get that treated, the better you’ll be.
That smile has started to fade a little. Hearing about this brings the stark realisation of the mortality of her career into sharp focus. Medical concerns? Operations? One year? It’s all a little scary, to be honest. But, that’s not the type of thought that should be occupying a wrestler ahead of a huge show and an even huger match! Sally shakes her head, brushes her hair back from her face, and it’s back. The smile is back!
[Sally] Well, we can worry about that when it’s more important.
[Dr. Paul] What’s more important than your health?
[Sally] Meltdown, this week, of course!
[Dr. Paul] I don’t think that’s effective prioritising, Sally.
Sally hops up off the bench, looking to fix her clothes and make her appearance look as good as it can be. Not much has changed in that regard.
[Sally] That’s because you’re not a wrestler.
The scene fades out and holds on a screen for a moment, So the stage is set for a great match: Sally’s cleared for Meltdown. She ready for her match. And, in the days to come, it would be announced her opponent would be Ron Rufio - an new face to APW. But, on another level, a different stage was set with all this: The new versus the old. The inexperienced versus the experienced. The old hand and the new face. Sally, battling through a career of wear and tear, up against Rufio, a man just starting to discover everything the ring hold. Anyway, the shot fades back in, no longer in doctor’s office. Now we’re in the transit lounge of JFK airport, with Sally and Shane waiting for their flight to Mississippi.
[Shane] So, Ron Rufio?
[Sally] Ron Rufio. Rufo. The Rufinator. The Rufmeister.
[Shane] I think he had actual nicknames.
[Sally] But none as good as them, right? I mean, imagine being announced ... *Sally clears her throat and tries to throw on a deep, manly voice*... ladies and gentlemen, weighing in at 287 pounds theeeee Rufmeisterrrrr!
Sally lets out a little laugh, Shane lets out one of those snort laughs. You know the kind, where you breath a little louder out your nose when something mildly amusing deserves some sort of recognition.
[Shane] Been thinking about the match yet?
[Sally] Yet? Shane, please! That’s all I’ve been thinking about, even before I got signed on for it all. When I heard Meltdown was doing their final show .. you know, I just felt like I wanted to be part of it. I’d been all through APW, had a hand in building OverDrive and then Asylum. I just wanted to make sure I could say I was part of Meltdown, if only for a tiny, teeny bit.
I mean, don’t get me wrong: I will never say I had a part building Meltdown. That credit belongs to the wrestlers who came through here. The people who are now vying for the main event spots on OverDrive and Asylum. They should be proud of what they’ve done. They should be proud of what they achieved. Those people - from the start to the finish - who took part in making Meltdown everything it was worth ... they’re the people who can say they had a hand in building it.
[Shane] You’re just here for the end?
[Sally] Better to arrive late, than to never arrive at all, right? But, you know, it’s always interesting get get those new match-ups going. Here i am, having made most of my name on OverDrive many moons ago, and here’s Rufio one of those new signees to Meltdown. Me from the longest running shows we have on APW and Rufio from the youngest of APW’s shows. So, if anything, I’m glad I’ve not been a huge part of Meltdown if only because it makes this match-up even better.
Truth if ever there was some. Sure, Sally could never say she help build Meltdown. And, given this finale show is all about saying farewell and goodbye to Meltdown, it should be a big part. But she can help celebrate Meltdown and all it came to be, right? The new talents, the fresh faces, coming in and plying their trade. They came and did all that. They came and made something new and great. They’re not carrying around battered bodies and injured limbs. They came in fresh and bright-eyed and now we’re celebrating the mark they left on APW.
[Shane] I suppose the same could be said of Rufio. He’s supposed to be relatively new to the Meltdown ring.
[Sally] Yeah, I remember reading about his start and all that. I guess that’s about all that’s equal between us. Given how long he’s been in the ring and how long I have, there’s a bit of disparity going on between us. But that isn’t something I’ve got a problem with - nor should he? I mean, this is the opportunity for both of us. Ron to show that he can hang with the best of them and me to prove that I’ve still got it. I mean, think about it. Ron goes in, faces one of the big names of APW and wins!? *Sally looks shocked, even as she imagines it* Imagine what that would do for his career.
[Shane] And if you won?
[Sally] Well, if I won, like I said: It would be a little reminder of just what I can do. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve been in an APW ring so ... you know ... I might not be fresh in the minds of the fans and the other wrestlers here. But this is the perfect match to remind everyone about myself. To remind everyone about Sally Talfourd. To remind everyone just what it is that makes me ... me. I mean, some folks might well be doubting me in a match-up against a fresh face, a fresh body, and a fresh career given everything that I’ve been through.
There’s something intelligible said over the PA - likely some flight’s final passengers delaying takeoff. But Sally and Shane just ignore it. They’re an hour or so away from even boarding. There’s all the time in the world for chit-chat. And chit-chat they do, passing the time until they are headed to, well, ‘home (in a sense). Not Seattle, but Mississippi - where APW is this week. Because home is where the heart is, isn’t it?.
------------------------------
[Sally] Hello everyone! Young and old, fans and not fans (those few of you!), friends and acquaintances. I’m back! Yes, that’s right: Sally Talfourd - the wrestler you’ve loved to watch and hated to miss - is back underneath the APW banner to help farewell Meltdown.
And, on this very special episode - this last ever (well, for the time being) - I get an opportunity to give all you fans a never-before-seen, (maybe) once ever match-up with none other than one of APW’s newest and brightest stars: Ron Rufio. If I had to measure on a scale of one to on-hundred how excited I am, it would be about a three ... hundred! Yes! I cannot wait for this match. The life has come back to me. The spark has reignited. The drive has taken over.
Sally Talfourd is back. I’m back, and I’m ready to git the ground running. I’m ready for this match. I’m ready for you, Rufio. I mean, yeah, mentally and physically I’m ready for you. I’ve been training since the contract was put under my nose. I’ve been strategising and planning since they told me who I was facing. What I mean when I say ‘I’m ready for this’ is that ... I’m ready to be here. i’m ready to be waving the APW flag again. I’m ready to throw myself at the mercy of the best wrestlers, the best fans, in the best company that there is. I’m proud to be back here.
Mind you, I might not be as fresh as I was when I first walked in here. I’m older, I’m a little worse for wear. But make no mistake about it, Rufio: All of that just adds to the complications. After each match, I’ve learned something. I’ve learned something about this whole ‘wrestling’ thing. I’ve learned something about people like you. I’ve learned something about myself. And learning - in this business - is almost as good as winning.
Almost.
Now that doesn’t mean I’m going to be the favourite going into this match or anything. I shouldn’t be. Neither should you. No one should be playing that whole game when it comes to our match, should they Ron? I mean, this is a spectacle match. It’s an All-Stars game - a match that, while freaking awesome, is a match that starts and end on the night. There’s no grudge or feud leading up from this. There’ll be no sanctioned or unsanctioned rematches after this too. It’s just two wrestlers who want to show themselves off to the world. It’s just ... a match. A match to celebrate wrestling. A match to celebrate skill. A match to celebrate APW. And that’s exactly what this episode of Meltdown is about too.
And when you take all that into account, this match should be hassle-free. It should be issue-free. It should be problem-free.
But it isn’t.
You see, you’re a problem to me, Mr. Rufio. You’re my problem. Oh no, don’t get me wrong. I like you, you know, the person. I think it’s great to have new, fresh faces coming into wrestling as some of us old-ish faces get seen a little less and less. I respect you for coming into APW - the place where, you know, competition is at its peak. And I respect you for having enough guts and determination to actually start down the whole ‘wrestling’ path.
But here comes the problem: Hardcore wrestling. Blood and violence and ... ick. I just can’t get behind that. Never have, and probably never will. I look at what passes for wrestling in hardcore matches, in hardcore companies, and I just ... I just ... I just don’t get it. Like, isn’t wrestling beautiful enough? Isn’t the art of wrestling pure and magic enough to pass on its own? Aren’t we all part of something so special that it doesn’t need gimmicks and bells and whistles and all that to be appealing?
Now don’t get me wrong: I know we’re not in a hardcore match, thank gosh. But it speaks to you, Ron. It speaks to you and who you are deep down. Hardcore wrestling - as entertaining as it may well be - is often a bandage. A cover-up for some weakness. That you’ve embraced this, Ron, makes me wonder - just how good are you at wrestling? How good are you at this art-form?
Well, I’ll guess we’ll find out how good you are when our match comes to a close. Because I promise you: I’ll bring out every single bit of skill you’ve got. And then we’ll get to see where you stand. We’ll see exactly where you are with the whole ‘wrestling’ thing. Are your preferences really a cover for your weaknesses? Do you have some fundamental flaws? How good of a wrestler are you really?
Part of me thinks that’s a little unfair, you know? You’re so young and fresh in your career and you have to face up to me? Mind you, I’ve been pushed right to the edge by rookies too, so I’m no going to be taking this easy. But, honestly, preparation for a match like this is a little easier for me than it is for you. I get to do what I’ve been doing for years; you have to do something you’ve been doing for months now. I get to draw on a whole career’s worth of experience and learnings and all that. I’ve been in a situation like this before. High stakes, new talent, eyes of the world watching. That doesn’t make it any less special, though it does make it a little less stressful. And, I don’t know about you, but that makes preparing and planning for this match a whole lot easier.
And I know - we shouldn’t be making this a match about the past. About history. About times gone. But ... how can’t we? This is the final Meltdown! It’s going to be be part of history, when the APW story is done and finished. This is a chance to make history. Meltdown ... it’s done. The ride is over and, unfortunately, now we have to get off. This is a celebration of the past, of everything that Meltdown has given APW. It’s our chance to give something to Meltdown before it’s gone. Before it’s part of the history books. This is our chance to give back, not take.
So let me tell you what I’ll be giving. I’ll be giving you a contest, Rufio. And I’ll be giving the fans an unforgettable match. I’ll be giving APW a reminder. And I’ll be giving the wrestling world just a bit of a sneak preview about what’s to come. I’ll be giving this match everything I’ve got because that’s what it deserves. You deserve it, APW deserves it, and Meltdown and all those people who helped build it deserve it. They deserve the respect of a full effort, not a half effort. So the Happy Endings will be a little extra special this week. The Makeovers will be a little more dazzling. Everything I do, I’ll be putting my all into it.
And, if you’ve got the same sort of attitude to me, Ron, you’ll do the same. If you believe the same things as me, you’ll do the same. If you want to show respect to yourself and to APW and to Meltdown, you’ll do the same. This isn’t a match about you or me or our race for glory - it’s about celebrating hard work and good wrestling. That’s the attitude I’m bringing to this match, you should too. Do that, and even if you do lose the match you’ll walk out feeling like a winner. You’ll have done the right thing. WE’LL have done the right thing.
I just can’t wait to get back in that ring.
Boy does it feel good to be back.
