Post by biggs on Aug 29, 2009 14:58:42 GMT -4
It's a bright summer Saturday, the kind of day perfect for ice cream and a trip to the local swimming hole, the kind of day Northwestern residents cherish because of their rarity. On this day, at a turn of the century church building on the top of Queen Anne hill in Seattle, about two dozen people are working diligently on the exterior of the church. Women are kneeling in the flowerbeds, planting brightly colored flowers, caked with dirt, but enjoying each others' company nonetheless. Children play in the grass as several of the men are on ladders white washing the outside of the building. Perched high atop on one of the ladders is Gary Biggerstaff. His old “Biggs” T-Shirt and worn Mariners ball cap are splotched with white paint, and he's sweating profusely. As he removes his cap to wipe his brow, he accidentally pulls the paint brush across his cheek, stopping immediately as he realizes what he's doing! Gary hears laughter coming from the next ladder over. Biggs looks over to see the church's pastor, a man by the name of Jay Whitaker. Jay is a man of average height and build, and has dark hair that's starting to gray.
Gary: (in a joking tone) Hey Jay, I'm feeling a bit sick. Do I look pale to you?
Jay: (through the laughter) As white as a ghost, my friend, as white as ghost!
The two men continue to laugh as they get back to their work. A few hours later, as the sun begins to set, and all the equipment has been put away, and everyone else has left, Jay and Gary sit on the steps of the courtyard, enjoying the beautiful evening.
Jay: This was a great idea, Gary, having a work party with the congregation. A few more days like this, and who knows how great this place will look.
Gary: Well, it's the Lord's house. I figure it ought to look at least as good as the other houses on this street.
Jay: I just wanted to personally thank you for paying for the repairs and purchasing the flowers, supplies, and everything. You've really done a lot for the church through your financial support, and I know that I speak for the entire congregation when I give you our most heartfelt thanks for all you've done.
Gary: Well, if I got it, I might as well put it to use for something that matters.
Jay: That's what I appreciate about you the most, is your servant's heart. You always put others ahead of yourself, their needs ahead of your own.
Gary looks a little uncomfortable as Jay's giving him the compliments.
Gary: Thanks for the compliments, Jay, but I don't think I deserve them.
Jay: What do you mean you don't deserve them? And don't pull the whole “It's just God using me,” because while it's true, you do have a choice whether you reply to God's plan for you or not.
Gary: It's not that, I just don't think that your compliments are completely true. I mean, if you've watched my wrestling matches, you'd know.
Jay: You know that I don't watch that stuff! It's too barbaric. And that's just a character you play on TV, right?
Gary: Hardly. When I'm competing in the ring, everything that happens in there honest to goodness really happens. It's not fake like everyone thinks it is.
Jay: Well, just because you fight for a living doesn't mean that you're in sin. It's not like you mean any real harm to those men you face, it's just business, right?
Gary: That's the thing, it used to be, but lately, I've been feeling that the line between Gary the person and Biggs the wrestler has been getting a lot more blurry. Recently I've been more violent, more cunning than normal, taking shortcuts and cheap shots. And I've justified it in my mind by telling myself that I do a lot of good through the money I make, that it's allowed me really do a lot for the church and other causes that are important to me. But the fact of the matter is that when I enter an arena, and get in my competitive mindset, I become somebody that I don't like, I become utterly reprehensible. And I do it because deep down, I feel that I need to be that man to succeed.
Jay: I'll be honest, I'm troubled by what you're saying. You always seem to be so friendly and loving around the church, and I know you do a lot for the community as well, so I just can't imagine you doing the types of things you're saying you're doing. I mean how do you get to that point?
Gary: It's easy for me to be loving and friendly and loving with the church family and with strangers, because that's just who I am. But in wrestling, the nice guys just don't make it. To fight for a living, one has to inherently be willing to cause harm to somebody else, it comes with the the territory. And in the past, I've been able to mentally block that, but my most recent feud has gotten so out of hand, so violent and personal that I really worry that I'll end up doing something I regret. Already I've left my opponent Shadow bloody and beaten, and I've been relying on pretty much gang warfare to do it. Considering that we're facing off in a Steel Cage match Sunday next week, I don't know what depths I'll stoop to in that match, and it scares me.
Jay: Why did you choose to be a bad guy in the first place?
Gary: Well, in all honesty, at first it was so that I could exercise the bad parts of who I am, get them out in a context where it would be appropriate. Also, I've been told that I have a knack for being a stinking good trash talker. And initially, it worked. But since I've come to APW, I've found myself crossing lines that I wouldn't cross before. Granted, I don't swear, I don't smoke, I don't drink or participate in sexual intercourse, but when it comes to violence and deceit, it's becoming easier and easier for me to go down paths that I didn't ever dream of going down.
Jay: Well, I appreciate your openness about this, but it seems to me that if wrestling does this to you, you ought to quit. Granted, before I can fairly suggest that, I'd like to see who you become myself with my own eyes.
A sly grin crosses Jay's face with the last bit, and the two men chuckle.
Gary: (laughing) Are you just trying to get into the pay per view for free? I do have extra tickets, so it's no problem. Just be a little more forthcoming next time.
Jay: Well, it'll definitely be interesting to see what you actually do for a living, but it's more so because I'm concerned about you, and I want to help you in any way that I can. I'll watch the show, and afterwards, we can get together and talk about it. I don't want you to make a rash decision and give up doing what you love, especially because you do use it for so much good. But I also want you to be able to stand before God on judgment day with a clear conscious. Your plight reminds me of a scripture. Let me get my Bible out.
Jay pulls a well used Bible from his satchel, as well as a small flashlight, and begins to read.
Jay: It's in Genesis 32, verses 22-30. 'That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." '
Jay closes his Bible and puts it back in his bag.
Jay: I think this scripture applies to you because you really do have to wrestle with God in this aspect of your life. At this time in his life, Jacob was afraid of seeing his brother Esau for the first time since he ran away after Esau threatened to kill him. In your case, you're afraid of what you're going to do in your upcoming steel cage match. I think that if you really pray about it, God will help you, not necessarily to win the match, because I don't feel that he really cares of the outcome, but that you can maintain a clean conscious. It'll ultimately be up to you to determine if you're capable of being who you are in your normal everyday life without becoming the character you portray on television. I'm here to help you in any way that I can, but you're the one whose going to ultimately have to make the call.
Gary: Thanks. I have a lot to think about.
Jay and Gary get up from their seated position and shake hands before departing.
***
Gary's Journal
August 23, 2009
After my talk with Jay yesterday, I gave a lot of thought to the scripture he shared with me about Jacob wrestling with God. I know that he picked it because it has to do with wrestling, that it would somehow resonate with me particularly because of that. I know that in my heart of hearts, that this should be an easy decision, that God's will for my life should be evident. I know that when I wrestle, I become one of the most despicable men alive, and yet wrestling is the thing I love to do most in this world. Also, I have been able to do many great things due to my celebrity status. I've financially supported my church, and started up an extensive after school program in Seattle public schools, among other things.
Does the good that I'm doing because of wrestling overshadow the fact that I am able to do said good by being such a heartless man, albeit at short spurts of time. Is it worth the personal guilt, the questioning of who I really am? Am an an inherently good man who temporarily lapses into evil, or is Biggs a part of me that I have become all too eager to embrace? As I think about this more deeply, another scripture comes to mind.
Mark 8:36
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
What price am I really paying to do what I love? The physical toll on my body is obvious, but the cost on my soul is very much a gray area right now. Are my good deeds outside of the ring adequate repentance for my sins in the ring, or do I condemn my eternal soul by competing at the high level that I do? The only thing that is certain is that I want to make the choice, but I do not know if I will be able to make the right choice.
***
Depeche Mode's “Space Walker” plays over the starry background as the words “First Contact” flash across the screen. It then shifts to Biggs sitting in his home office clad in his signature blue shades and a Batman T-Shirt.
Biggs: Welcome one and all to the absolute most awesome webshow on the entire Internet, of course I'm talking about Biggs' First Contact! Now regular viewers know the drill, and those of you that aren't regular viewers, well you will be soon! With Shockwave coming right up, there's a lot to talk about, so let's dive right in!
A graphic of Biggs and Shadow behind a chain link fence is shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: I figured that since APW is saving the best for first at Shockwave, it would only be appropriate for me to start my webshow by addressing my Steel Cage with Shadow. I'm going to break format a bit, and speak directly to Shadow for the next few moments, because I know he's watching. Shadow, this Sunday you have the distinct honor of facing me in arguably the most important match in my APW career thus far, and it's not because of that worthless trinket you carry around, the APW Overdrive Championship. And I don't just say that because my eventual goal is the APW World Heavyweight Championship, but because you have done everything in your power to devalue the Overdrive Championship. They say that the quality of a champion is determined by the quality of his opposition, and since you won the belt from Carl Cage on March 18, 2009 in a match that lasted only 15 seconds, you have defended the APW Overdrive Championship twice. In the five months that you have held that title, you have only defended it twice. Your first defense came a mere 11 days after your win, when you faced John Green at RassleMania V. In the second-to-last match on the card as well. But let's be honest, it was smart booking to put the match there, because it was so sleep inducing, so boring, that it made the main event seem all the more epic because of it. And your next title defense didn't come for another 98 days, when you fought Mr. Strange at Test for the Best. Quite frankly, it's insulting that you can get away with not defending your title for over three months, and still be considered a champion. And know that you'll somehow try to explain this away during your inevitable rebuttal, but the facts are there Shadow, and there's no denying that you are anything but a fighting champion. There's no way you can convince me, no way you can convince the fans, heck, there's no way you can convince yourself that what I've just said isn't the truth. Shadow, when I beat you for that Overdrive Championship, it will instantly raise in prestige due to the simple fact that you have been an inactive, pitiful worm of an Overdrive Champion.
Biggs pauses as he chuckles to himself with a sly grin coming across his face.
Biggs: With these facts in mind, it's certainly a good thing that winning my first title here in APW isn't my main motivation for winning our match this Sunday. As I've already established, you've made that title more worthless than the Russian Ruble back in 1991. No, this match is all about respect, or the lack thereof that you showed me at Mayhem. And while you've already found out the hard way why it's so dangerous to write me off as just another wrestler, let's go back to Mayhem and see exactly what you said and did to set me off.
The screen fades to a clip of Shadow's guest announcing at the match between Biggs and Mr. Strange at Mayhem.
We turn and see Shadow on the cell phone with someone.
Shadow: Hey Jerry? Yeah this is Shadow with A.P.W. listen man I just want to tell you as a long time listener, first time caller I am a big fan of your show!. Huh, what?
He hangs up the phone.
Shadow: Oh, sorry, I didn't know there was a match going on.
It quickly transitions back to Biggs.
Biggs: And let's not forget what you told Mr. Strange after the match.
The video cuts back to Shadow at Mayhem.
Shadow: Listen man, I just want to say congratulations, in a ring of weak men, you stand alone as the weakest.
The screen switches back to Biggs, who has quite the perturbed look on his face.
Biggs: I'm only scratching the tip of the iceberg with the blatant disregard you showed me at Mayhem, but these two instances stood out particularly. In the first, you tried to show how cool you are, how hip you can be by pantomiming calling in a radio show during a match. There's no way that you could really do that, and have this “Jerry” hear you with all the noise in the arena, not by a long shot. You just wanted to show that you were so unafraid of Mr. Strange and myself, that you'd just ignore the match. While you could totally get away with that with Mr. Strange, I'm not to be taken lightly. Secondly, while I do appreciate the fact that you called Mr. Strange the weakest, the fact remains that you implied that I am a weak man as well. Over this last month, you've found that out to not be true. And even after Mayhem, as I spent week after week challenging you and calling you out for a match, you overlooked me, you ignored me, you disrespected me. It wasn't until I got the monster known as The Beast involved that you even bothered to give me the time of day, and even then, I had to do horrible things to your friend Slade Craven to get what I wanted. And while I know that you're probably thinking that this Sunday will be different from this past month, where I've left you battered and bruised countless times, because I won't have The Beast there to help me, you're wrong.
Biggs rips off his shades and has a slight chuckle in his voice as he continues to speak.
Biggs: You see, Shadow, I have controlled you like a puppet over the course of our little feud. I used The Beast to get what I wanted, a match with you, and then I continued to use The Beast to wear you down, to beat you up, and to give myself the ultimate advantage heading into our match this Sunday. After the way you've been utterly destroyed by The Beast over the course of this past month, there's no way that you're walking into the Steel Cage at 100%, while I'm heading in there in arguably the best shape of my life. I'm completely healthy, and because of that, I've been able to push myself harder while training, while you've had to take it easy to allow for your body to heal up. As everyone found out leading up to my match with Level-One, nobody trains harder for a match than me! Not only have I spent this last month sculpting myself into the perfect physical specimen sitting before you, I've spent hours upon hours analyzing video of your matches, Shadow, to the point where I may very well know you better than you know yourself. And because we happen to be inside a Steel Cage, this past week and a half, I've been training with Brazilian Jujitsu masters, learning how to work from my back and use the cage to my advantage. Granted, there's only so much I can learn in a week and a half, but I've always been a quick learner. Also, because you think I need The Beast to be dangerous, I've lulled you into a false sense of security. The fact of the matter is that I've never needed The Beast, no, not at all. Rather, I wanted to use The Beast for my own ends. Again I cite Machiavelli in saying that the ends justify the means, even if it means getting a little bit of help from my friends.
Biggs has a devious grin on his face before continuing.
Biggs: If there's one thing I've proven this past month, Shadow, it is that I am smarter than you. I've been one step ahead of you at every point. You have yet to lay a finger on me. And that's why Max Carter made our match a Steel Cage match! And let's face it, this match plays to your strengths. Your size and strength advantage coupled with the enclosed nature of the match, well, it gives you a chance to finally get your hands on me. I'll have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You will undoubtedly give me a beating inside that cage that I'll feel for sometime to come. But don't forget, it also plays to mine. With my speed, I'll be able to climb the cage much quicker than you and avoid getting cornered. With my intelligence and creativity, I'll be able to use that cage as a weapon in ways no one has seen before. Shadow, this match won't be kind to either one of us, that's for sure. But to paraphrase Rorschach from Watchmen, I'm not locked in there with you, Shadow, you're locked in there with me!
Biggs pauses for a moment before replacing his shades, and regaining his composure. The logo for Overdrive appears in the upper corner.
Biggs: Now onto the rest of the card. I'll give a quick rundown with my predictions, and chime in on matches of interest. I feel sorry for the next two guys up after the Steel Cage match, Joe Martinez and Streets Wilson, because following my match will only expose how much more these two need to grow in their wrestling abilities. I will say this about Streets though, I very much like the renewed passion I've seen in him as of late, and I do give J-Mart props for his confidence border lining on arrogance, but the fact remains that these two will not put on a classic. This one is really hard to call, because both men have so much to prove, but since I've beaten Streets, and haven't faced Joe, I'm giving this one to Martinez.
Rocky Starr and Jason Royce's pictures are shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: Up next is Rocky Starr versus Jason Royce in a rematch nobody was asking for, let alone remember, from they're CWF Xtreme Title feud a few years back. Personally, I feel the title was just resurrected so Royce could feel better about himself being everybody's job boy over the past few months, and I can't say Starr impressed me in our match on Overdrive. Still, I have to give this one to Royce, just because he has shown that he can wrestle at a main event level, while Starr is just trying to hold onto the past.
The pics of the men involved in the Fatal Four Way Elimination Match pop up on the screen.
Biggs: Following that match is the absolutely meaningless, just added to the card so they'd have something to do Fatal Four Way Elimination match between John Green, The Zero, Victor Hades, and Ted Bennet. My pick is The Zero, because he's the only one of the bunch that doesn't annoy me when he talks. And yes, I know some of you out there will probably e-mail me saying that it was insensitive of me to take a cheap shot at a mute. Deal with it!
Hurricane Jeff and Michael Lively are shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: Up next is a match I've been looking forward to for some time! Pres Jeff takes on his arch-rival Michael Lively in an old school grudge match! These two men absolutely hate each other, but with Lively's APW future at stake, I think that Lively will have a little bit more to fight for than Jeff, so I'm picking Lively.
The graphic of Chris Cyrus and Slade Craven pops up, and there's an animated ball of flame behind them.
Biggs: The loser in this next match will, to quote Bon Jovi, be “going DOWWWWWWWWWWWN...IN A BLAAAAAAZE OF GLORY!” My buddy Chris Cyrus hasn't been APW Xtreme Champion for eight months for nothing, so I have no doubt that he will set Slade Craven on fire, and retain. This match is in the semi-main event slot, and for good reason, because it looks to be quite the spectacle.
Finally, a graphic of Level-One and Jesse Nunez with Pence in a ref's shirt between them is shown.
Biggs: Our last match of the evening is the third biggest reason why y'all should order the pay per view, and it's when Level-One defends his title against nearly impossible odds facing off with Jesse Nunez. Now normally, Nunez would be no problem for the champ, but add in the biased ref Pence Weatherlight, and the unfair condition that Level-One must pin Nunez for the count of 6 to retain, well, that's just stacking the deck against the champ for no good reason. Granted, Pence did prevent Nunez from delivering his finisher to Level-One as Overdrive went off the air, but I hardly think that means Pence will be an impartial ref. Pence did what he did to merely attempt to put on a facade of being an unbiased judge. Pence feels that he's the next in line for a title shot, and considering that Nunez is a much easier opponent than Level-One would be, don't expect the officiating to be on the level. Oh, I just made a funny! Ha! Still, there's nothing saying that Level-One can't win by submission, so if I was the champ, I'd try to get Nunez to tap out. But then again, Carter would probably come out and say that Level-One would have to have Nunez tap six times! Yet despite the terrible odds against him, Level-One is the champ for a reason, and I'm confident that he'll find a way to come out of this match retaining his APW Championship.
The graphic for “Biggs' Shameless Plug of the Week” flashes across the bottom of the screen.
Biggs: Well folks, that's almost all the time we have for today, but we can't go without a shameless plug! I didn't get a chance to mention it last week because of the dinner incident, but my shameless plug is for the movie District 9! Easily the second best movie of the year behind Up, this film was not only a fun sci-fi romp, but it made you think. Great film, and one I highly recommend. And while you're at it, catch GI Joe if you can. It's by no means great cinema, but it's a lot of fun. So until next week, keep watching the stars!
The APW copyright flashes across the screen as the show comes to a close.
Gary: (in a joking tone) Hey Jay, I'm feeling a bit sick. Do I look pale to you?
Jay: (through the laughter) As white as a ghost, my friend, as white as ghost!
The two men continue to laugh as they get back to their work. A few hours later, as the sun begins to set, and all the equipment has been put away, and everyone else has left, Jay and Gary sit on the steps of the courtyard, enjoying the beautiful evening.
Jay: This was a great idea, Gary, having a work party with the congregation. A few more days like this, and who knows how great this place will look.
Gary: Well, it's the Lord's house. I figure it ought to look at least as good as the other houses on this street.
Jay: I just wanted to personally thank you for paying for the repairs and purchasing the flowers, supplies, and everything. You've really done a lot for the church through your financial support, and I know that I speak for the entire congregation when I give you our most heartfelt thanks for all you've done.
Gary: Well, if I got it, I might as well put it to use for something that matters.
Jay: That's what I appreciate about you the most, is your servant's heart. You always put others ahead of yourself, their needs ahead of your own.
Gary looks a little uncomfortable as Jay's giving him the compliments.
Gary: Thanks for the compliments, Jay, but I don't think I deserve them.
Jay: What do you mean you don't deserve them? And don't pull the whole “It's just God using me,” because while it's true, you do have a choice whether you reply to God's plan for you or not.
Gary: It's not that, I just don't think that your compliments are completely true. I mean, if you've watched my wrestling matches, you'd know.
Jay: You know that I don't watch that stuff! It's too barbaric. And that's just a character you play on TV, right?
Gary: Hardly. When I'm competing in the ring, everything that happens in there honest to goodness really happens. It's not fake like everyone thinks it is.
Jay: Well, just because you fight for a living doesn't mean that you're in sin. It's not like you mean any real harm to those men you face, it's just business, right?
Gary: That's the thing, it used to be, but lately, I've been feeling that the line between Gary the person and Biggs the wrestler has been getting a lot more blurry. Recently I've been more violent, more cunning than normal, taking shortcuts and cheap shots. And I've justified it in my mind by telling myself that I do a lot of good through the money I make, that it's allowed me really do a lot for the church and other causes that are important to me. But the fact of the matter is that when I enter an arena, and get in my competitive mindset, I become somebody that I don't like, I become utterly reprehensible. And I do it because deep down, I feel that I need to be that man to succeed.
Jay: I'll be honest, I'm troubled by what you're saying. You always seem to be so friendly and loving around the church, and I know you do a lot for the community as well, so I just can't imagine you doing the types of things you're saying you're doing. I mean how do you get to that point?
Gary: It's easy for me to be loving and friendly and loving with the church family and with strangers, because that's just who I am. But in wrestling, the nice guys just don't make it. To fight for a living, one has to inherently be willing to cause harm to somebody else, it comes with the the territory. And in the past, I've been able to mentally block that, but my most recent feud has gotten so out of hand, so violent and personal that I really worry that I'll end up doing something I regret. Already I've left my opponent Shadow bloody and beaten, and I've been relying on pretty much gang warfare to do it. Considering that we're facing off in a Steel Cage match Sunday next week, I don't know what depths I'll stoop to in that match, and it scares me.
Jay: Why did you choose to be a bad guy in the first place?
Gary: Well, in all honesty, at first it was so that I could exercise the bad parts of who I am, get them out in a context where it would be appropriate. Also, I've been told that I have a knack for being a stinking good trash talker. And initially, it worked. But since I've come to APW, I've found myself crossing lines that I wouldn't cross before. Granted, I don't swear, I don't smoke, I don't drink or participate in sexual intercourse, but when it comes to violence and deceit, it's becoming easier and easier for me to go down paths that I didn't ever dream of going down.
Jay: Well, I appreciate your openness about this, but it seems to me that if wrestling does this to you, you ought to quit. Granted, before I can fairly suggest that, I'd like to see who you become myself with my own eyes.
A sly grin crosses Jay's face with the last bit, and the two men chuckle.
Gary: (laughing) Are you just trying to get into the pay per view for free? I do have extra tickets, so it's no problem. Just be a little more forthcoming next time.
Jay: Well, it'll definitely be interesting to see what you actually do for a living, but it's more so because I'm concerned about you, and I want to help you in any way that I can. I'll watch the show, and afterwards, we can get together and talk about it. I don't want you to make a rash decision and give up doing what you love, especially because you do use it for so much good. But I also want you to be able to stand before God on judgment day with a clear conscious. Your plight reminds me of a scripture. Let me get my Bible out.
Jay pulls a well used Bible from his satchel, as well as a small flashlight, and begins to read.
Jay: It's in Genesis 32, verses 22-30. 'That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." '
Jay closes his Bible and puts it back in his bag.
Jay: I think this scripture applies to you because you really do have to wrestle with God in this aspect of your life. At this time in his life, Jacob was afraid of seeing his brother Esau for the first time since he ran away after Esau threatened to kill him. In your case, you're afraid of what you're going to do in your upcoming steel cage match. I think that if you really pray about it, God will help you, not necessarily to win the match, because I don't feel that he really cares of the outcome, but that you can maintain a clean conscious. It'll ultimately be up to you to determine if you're capable of being who you are in your normal everyday life without becoming the character you portray on television. I'm here to help you in any way that I can, but you're the one whose going to ultimately have to make the call.
Gary: Thanks. I have a lot to think about.
Jay and Gary get up from their seated position and shake hands before departing.
***
Gary's Journal
August 23, 2009
After my talk with Jay yesterday, I gave a lot of thought to the scripture he shared with me about Jacob wrestling with God. I know that he picked it because it has to do with wrestling, that it would somehow resonate with me particularly because of that. I know that in my heart of hearts, that this should be an easy decision, that God's will for my life should be evident. I know that when I wrestle, I become one of the most despicable men alive, and yet wrestling is the thing I love to do most in this world. Also, I have been able to do many great things due to my celebrity status. I've financially supported my church, and started up an extensive after school program in Seattle public schools, among other things.
Does the good that I'm doing because of wrestling overshadow the fact that I am able to do said good by being such a heartless man, albeit at short spurts of time. Is it worth the personal guilt, the questioning of who I really am? Am an an inherently good man who temporarily lapses into evil, or is Biggs a part of me that I have become all too eager to embrace? As I think about this more deeply, another scripture comes to mind.
Mark 8:36
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
What price am I really paying to do what I love? The physical toll on my body is obvious, but the cost on my soul is very much a gray area right now. Are my good deeds outside of the ring adequate repentance for my sins in the ring, or do I condemn my eternal soul by competing at the high level that I do? The only thing that is certain is that I want to make the choice, but I do not know if I will be able to make the right choice.
***
Depeche Mode's “Space Walker” plays over the starry background as the words “First Contact” flash across the screen. It then shifts to Biggs sitting in his home office clad in his signature blue shades and a Batman T-Shirt.
Biggs: Welcome one and all to the absolute most awesome webshow on the entire Internet, of course I'm talking about Biggs' First Contact! Now regular viewers know the drill, and those of you that aren't regular viewers, well you will be soon! With Shockwave coming right up, there's a lot to talk about, so let's dive right in!
A graphic of Biggs and Shadow behind a chain link fence is shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: I figured that since APW is saving the best for first at Shockwave, it would only be appropriate for me to start my webshow by addressing my Steel Cage with Shadow. I'm going to break format a bit, and speak directly to Shadow for the next few moments, because I know he's watching. Shadow, this Sunday you have the distinct honor of facing me in arguably the most important match in my APW career thus far, and it's not because of that worthless trinket you carry around, the APW Overdrive Championship. And I don't just say that because my eventual goal is the APW World Heavyweight Championship, but because you have done everything in your power to devalue the Overdrive Championship. They say that the quality of a champion is determined by the quality of his opposition, and since you won the belt from Carl Cage on March 18, 2009 in a match that lasted only 15 seconds, you have defended the APW Overdrive Championship twice. In the five months that you have held that title, you have only defended it twice. Your first defense came a mere 11 days after your win, when you faced John Green at RassleMania V. In the second-to-last match on the card as well. But let's be honest, it was smart booking to put the match there, because it was so sleep inducing, so boring, that it made the main event seem all the more epic because of it. And your next title defense didn't come for another 98 days, when you fought Mr. Strange at Test for the Best. Quite frankly, it's insulting that you can get away with not defending your title for over three months, and still be considered a champion. And know that you'll somehow try to explain this away during your inevitable rebuttal, but the facts are there Shadow, and there's no denying that you are anything but a fighting champion. There's no way you can convince me, no way you can convince the fans, heck, there's no way you can convince yourself that what I've just said isn't the truth. Shadow, when I beat you for that Overdrive Championship, it will instantly raise in prestige due to the simple fact that you have been an inactive, pitiful worm of an Overdrive Champion.
Biggs pauses as he chuckles to himself with a sly grin coming across his face.
Biggs: With these facts in mind, it's certainly a good thing that winning my first title here in APW isn't my main motivation for winning our match this Sunday. As I've already established, you've made that title more worthless than the Russian Ruble back in 1991. No, this match is all about respect, or the lack thereof that you showed me at Mayhem. And while you've already found out the hard way why it's so dangerous to write me off as just another wrestler, let's go back to Mayhem and see exactly what you said and did to set me off.
The screen fades to a clip of Shadow's guest announcing at the match between Biggs and Mr. Strange at Mayhem.
We turn and see Shadow on the cell phone with someone.
Shadow: Hey Jerry? Yeah this is Shadow with A.P.W. listen man I just want to tell you as a long time listener, first time caller I am a big fan of your show!. Huh, what?
He hangs up the phone.
Shadow: Oh, sorry, I didn't know there was a match going on.
It quickly transitions back to Biggs.
Biggs: And let's not forget what you told Mr. Strange after the match.
The video cuts back to Shadow at Mayhem.
Shadow: Listen man, I just want to say congratulations, in a ring of weak men, you stand alone as the weakest.
The screen switches back to Biggs, who has quite the perturbed look on his face.
Biggs: I'm only scratching the tip of the iceberg with the blatant disregard you showed me at Mayhem, but these two instances stood out particularly. In the first, you tried to show how cool you are, how hip you can be by pantomiming calling in a radio show during a match. There's no way that you could really do that, and have this “Jerry” hear you with all the noise in the arena, not by a long shot. You just wanted to show that you were so unafraid of Mr. Strange and myself, that you'd just ignore the match. While you could totally get away with that with Mr. Strange, I'm not to be taken lightly. Secondly, while I do appreciate the fact that you called Mr. Strange the weakest, the fact remains that you implied that I am a weak man as well. Over this last month, you've found that out to not be true. And even after Mayhem, as I spent week after week challenging you and calling you out for a match, you overlooked me, you ignored me, you disrespected me. It wasn't until I got the monster known as The Beast involved that you even bothered to give me the time of day, and even then, I had to do horrible things to your friend Slade Craven to get what I wanted. And while I know that you're probably thinking that this Sunday will be different from this past month, where I've left you battered and bruised countless times, because I won't have The Beast there to help me, you're wrong.
Biggs rips off his shades and has a slight chuckle in his voice as he continues to speak.
Biggs: You see, Shadow, I have controlled you like a puppet over the course of our little feud. I used The Beast to get what I wanted, a match with you, and then I continued to use The Beast to wear you down, to beat you up, and to give myself the ultimate advantage heading into our match this Sunday. After the way you've been utterly destroyed by The Beast over the course of this past month, there's no way that you're walking into the Steel Cage at 100%, while I'm heading in there in arguably the best shape of my life. I'm completely healthy, and because of that, I've been able to push myself harder while training, while you've had to take it easy to allow for your body to heal up. As everyone found out leading up to my match with Level-One, nobody trains harder for a match than me! Not only have I spent this last month sculpting myself into the perfect physical specimen sitting before you, I've spent hours upon hours analyzing video of your matches, Shadow, to the point where I may very well know you better than you know yourself. And because we happen to be inside a Steel Cage, this past week and a half, I've been training with Brazilian Jujitsu masters, learning how to work from my back and use the cage to my advantage. Granted, there's only so much I can learn in a week and a half, but I've always been a quick learner. Also, because you think I need The Beast to be dangerous, I've lulled you into a false sense of security. The fact of the matter is that I've never needed The Beast, no, not at all. Rather, I wanted to use The Beast for my own ends. Again I cite Machiavelli in saying that the ends justify the means, even if it means getting a little bit of help from my friends.
Biggs has a devious grin on his face before continuing.
Biggs: If there's one thing I've proven this past month, Shadow, it is that I am smarter than you. I've been one step ahead of you at every point. You have yet to lay a finger on me. And that's why Max Carter made our match a Steel Cage match! And let's face it, this match plays to your strengths. Your size and strength advantage coupled with the enclosed nature of the match, well, it gives you a chance to finally get your hands on me. I'll have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You will undoubtedly give me a beating inside that cage that I'll feel for sometime to come. But don't forget, it also plays to mine. With my speed, I'll be able to climb the cage much quicker than you and avoid getting cornered. With my intelligence and creativity, I'll be able to use that cage as a weapon in ways no one has seen before. Shadow, this match won't be kind to either one of us, that's for sure. But to paraphrase Rorschach from Watchmen, I'm not locked in there with you, Shadow, you're locked in there with me!
Biggs pauses for a moment before replacing his shades, and regaining his composure. The logo for Overdrive appears in the upper corner.
Biggs: Now onto the rest of the card. I'll give a quick rundown with my predictions, and chime in on matches of interest. I feel sorry for the next two guys up after the Steel Cage match, Joe Martinez and Streets Wilson, because following my match will only expose how much more these two need to grow in their wrestling abilities. I will say this about Streets though, I very much like the renewed passion I've seen in him as of late, and I do give J-Mart props for his confidence border lining on arrogance, but the fact remains that these two will not put on a classic. This one is really hard to call, because both men have so much to prove, but since I've beaten Streets, and haven't faced Joe, I'm giving this one to Martinez.
Rocky Starr and Jason Royce's pictures are shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: Up next is Rocky Starr versus Jason Royce in a rematch nobody was asking for, let alone remember, from they're CWF Xtreme Title feud a few years back. Personally, I feel the title was just resurrected so Royce could feel better about himself being everybody's job boy over the past few months, and I can't say Starr impressed me in our match on Overdrive. Still, I have to give this one to Royce, just because he has shown that he can wrestle at a main event level, while Starr is just trying to hold onto the past.
The pics of the men involved in the Fatal Four Way Elimination Match pop up on the screen.
Biggs: Following that match is the absolutely meaningless, just added to the card so they'd have something to do Fatal Four Way Elimination match between John Green, The Zero, Victor Hades, and Ted Bennet. My pick is The Zero, because he's the only one of the bunch that doesn't annoy me when he talks. And yes, I know some of you out there will probably e-mail me saying that it was insensitive of me to take a cheap shot at a mute. Deal with it!
Hurricane Jeff and Michael Lively are shown in the upper corner.
Biggs: Up next is a match I've been looking forward to for some time! Pres Jeff takes on his arch-rival Michael Lively in an old school grudge match! These two men absolutely hate each other, but with Lively's APW future at stake, I think that Lively will have a little bit more to fight for than Jeff, so I'm picking Lively.
The graphic of Chris Cyrus and Slade Craven pops up, and there's an animated ball of flame behind them.
Biggs: The loser in this next match will, to quote Bon Jovi, be “going DOWWWWWWWWWWWN...IN A BLAAAAAAZE OF GLORY!” My buddy Chris Cyrus hasn't been APW Xtreme Champion for eight months for nothing, so I have no doubt that he will set Slade Craven on fire, and retain. This match is in the semi-main event slot, and for good reason, because it looks to be quite the spectacle.
Finally, a graphic of Level-One and Jesse Nunez with Pence in a ref's shirt between them is shown.
Biggs: Our last match of the evening is the third biggest reason why y'all should order the pay per view, and it's when Level-One defends his title against nearly impossible odds facing off with Jesse Nunez. Now normally, Nunez would be no problem for the champ, but add in the biased ref Pence Weatherlight, and the unfair condition that Level-One must pin Nunez for the count of 6 to retain, well, that's just stacking the deck against the champ for no good reason. Granted, Pence did prevent Nunez from delivering his finisher to Level-One as Overdrive went off the air, but I hardly think that means Pence will be an impartial ref. Pence did what he did to merely attempt to put on a facade of being an unbiased judge. Pence feels that he's the next in line for a title shot, and considering that Nunez is a much easier opponent than Level-One would be, don't expect the officiating to be on the level. Oh, I just made a funny! Ha! Still, there's nothing saying that Level-One can't win by submission, so if I was the champ, I'd try to get Nunez to tap out. But then again, Carter would probably come out and say that Level-One would have to have Nunez tap six times! Yet despite the terrible odds against him, Level-One is the champ for a reason, and I'm confident that he'll find a way to come out of this match retaining his APW Championship.
The graphic for “Biggs' Shameless Plug of the Week” flashes across the bottom of the screen.
Biggs: Well folks, that's almost all the time we have for today, but we can't go without a shameless plug! I didn't get a chance to mention it last week because of the dinner incident, but my shameless plug is for the movie District 9! Easily the second best movie of the year behind Up, this film was not only a fun sci-fi romp, but it made you think. Great film, and one I highly recommend. And while you're at it, catch GI Joe if you can. It's by no means great cinema, but it's a lot of fun. So until next week, keep watching the stars!
The APW copyright flashes across the screen as the show comes to a close.
