Post by SalTal on Aug 28, 2010 19:38:41 GMT -4
Last hours of thought. The last chance to make your peace with the world out there before you go into that match. For me, it's about those important last words. It's about laying it all out on the table. Unfiltered and unbiased. Totally honest. It's a breath of fresh air, honesty is. There's few enough people around here that can claim to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I know Level-One doesn't, because he didn't once acknowledge that I might win this match. I wonder if he is so disillusioned to think that he is unbeatable? Or is it that he is just so ignorant of those around him that he thinks he can't be beat by a woman like me? I really wonder if he's all there upstairs. And I wonder if that's how a champion should be walking around, thinking he is unstoppable. Because if you think that long enough, then you start to think you can do whatever you like and nothing will happen. Like taking out your number one contender, or bribing off a stable that is out to cause chaos. You start to do things that are very unbecoming of a world champion. And then you start to slip ...
I guess we'll find out if Level-One is truly unbeatable at the end of Sunday. I'm not saying that if I can't do it no one can. But I know that no one has worked harder than me for the past month to get the chance to take his precious title and to lead APW like me. No one. I look around, and I've broken away from the pack. I've step ahead to do it all on my own. That's because I don't need the distractions, and I don't honestly think I need the help. People have tried to stop me from trying, and some have even got as far as slowing my progress down. But look at me! I'm still standing. I'm still after you, Lester. I've picked myself up and dusted myself off every time someone knocked me down and I've gone right back to hunting you and your title, Lester. That's what this match is going to be like. It's going to be me coming after you without pause or break. I'll pick myself up off the mats, off the floor, off the apron every time you knock me down just to keep coming after you.
Maybe then you'll realise that you're not as untouchable as you think you are. Maybe you'll realise that there are people out there who can knock you off your perch and take your place. You might not know it yet, but everywhere you look, there's going to be someone coming after you. I want it to be me each time, but I'm not going to hold others back from getting their shot against you. Everyone deserves a chance to wrestle for that title, and tonight is my chance.
Of course, they won't be coming after you if I do knock you off your perch on Sunday ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Explorer - *click* - Favorites - *click* - APW.com ...
Welcome to Action Packed Wrestling!
Videos - *click* - Megastars - *click* - Sally Talfourd - *click* - Videos - *click*
Welcome to Happy Ending T.V.!
Recent - *click* - Episode #16: Cooking up a storm - *click*
Recorded the 27th of August, 2010. 27th of August, 2010. Sally shoots a promotional appearance for her new line of recipe books and might have just discovered a new line of work if this whole 'wrestling' thing doesn't pan out. She travels to the arena, and gives her final words on the match, her opponent, and of course herself. A must watch!
Starring: Sally Talfourd, Shane the Cameraman
*click* - Loading ...
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then the camera comes in on a shot of a recording studio with a kitchen setup. Into shot walks Sally Talfourd! And she's dressed up like a chef. Some cheesy infomercial music plays over the scene as she takes up place behind the counter where there's a set of cooking ... things set up.
[Sally] You know, a lot goes in to making a world-class wrestler. Much like a lot goes in to making a world-class meal. And to be a champion, you have to eat like a champion. So today, I'm going to show all my fans how to cook up a storm. A simple dessert cake that is fit for anyone: from the lowliest of jobbers to the world champion. So to start with, we're going to mix together all the ingredients to get ready to bake. I like to call this the Level-One. Now, I'll run through the ingredients as we go along, so try and keep up. First, we need to get some flour. I'd use two cups, and that will be enough to serve a cake that could feed, say, ten adults or Level-One's ego. So adjust accordingly. Next, we need to add some eggs. Now, I like to use sour eggs, because it adds that extra taste to the cake that you only get from my personal recipe. And it's the same taste you can look forward to whenever you think of the Level-One. *Sally cracks a pair of eggs into the bowl with the flour with a smile across her face* Next, we add the butter and sugar. Now we need the butter to give it the texture that we want, but we're going to add a lot. Same with sugar.*Sally lumps in a lot of butter, spooning it all in from the container she holds*
Now we all know that butter and sugar is bad for us. So eating this cake, having some of the Level-One, means that it's not going to be good for us. Never mind though, I don't think you're going to actually want too much of it anyway. So get it all in there and then we're done. After that, we need to add a cup of water. To make it an authentic Level-One, I would add a pinch of salt to the water to make it taste like tears. Those really salty tears, like you get when someone is crying over having such a hard time of things. Because that's another thing you'll be thinking of when you think of the Level-One. So pour that in and you're almost ready to start stirring it all up. *Sally tips in the water, then reaches over for the salt and throws in a dash* Ok, so grab a wooden spoon that you have handy, get in and start stirring. Now, be careful not to stir too hard, because the Level-One is very delicate. You don't want to upset the ingredients or, you know, injure the flavours. If you do, then the cake won't be any good. I mean, if the cake could talk, it would complain all day if you hurt it. Non-stop, it would go on and on about you stirring too hard or being too rough. And then, it won't rise, it won't bake through, and you'll be left with a useless mixture. Of course, there's a chance that will happen even if you're gentle with it. So I don't know, just do your best.
*Sally stirs the mixture up, mixing together all those ingredients* Ok, once you've done that, pour it into a cake tin *Sally does so* and then throw it into the oven. Now, you want to pre-heat that over to about 280 to make sure things are nice and warm. The Level-One has to cook at a high temperature. You want to really light a fire underneath it because if you don't, you just get a mediocre, half-assed cake. And no one wants to see that. You you really have to get the oven warm. So slide it on in *Sally opens up the oven door and pushes the cake tin in* and shut it up and wait. Of course, you will have to wait a while. And when I say a while, I mean about a month. It won't be ready to be eaten for about three to four weeks. That's because it takes a long time to rise to the occasion, this cake. Don't worry if it takes longer, it just means the cake is delaying the inevitable. You might as well turn the heat up if that happens. Eventually it will start to bake. But here's one I prepared earlier ...
*Sally reaches underneath her counter and pulls out an already cooked cake!* and as you can see, it's looking quite sorry. *Sally puts down her cake which, in all honesty, looks pretty bad* But don't you worry. If we put on a nice layer of icing, and tell everyone that it's a good cake, people will really think it's good. That is, until they eat it. But if you just hold off to the very last minute to serve them, I'm sure not too many people will be disappointed with it. Ok, so the icing. You can go out and buy the Sally Talfourd pack of icing mix to do this. All you need to do is add water and presto! You have the Sally Icing that you can just throw all over the outside to save this cake. Remember, anything with the Sally name can save a sorry situation. And I promise you that Sally is going to save this Level-One. It doesn't matter how sad and pathetic this cake might be, the icing is the key. People will say "Wow, this icing is amazing! but the cake just sucks. Where can I get more of this icing?" You tell them that it's a secret recipe.
*Sally winks at the camera, then reaches down and pulls out a sachet and tips it into a bowl. A cup of water follows it in, and Sally is back to stirring* Now unlike the cake, you don't have to be gentle with the icing at all. In fact, the harder and rougher you are with it, the better it gets. It gets tastier, sweeter, and just better the more you put it through. So really put your shoulder into it. *Sally stirs vigorously, then comes to a stop* And the amazing thing about this is that you can just pour it on, let it set and you're done. So pour it on *Sally pours the icing over the sorry looking cake* and then throw it in the refrigerator *Sally picks up the plate, turns to the fridge, opens the door, and throws the cake in* and then you're set. You have to wait, oh, half an hour maybe for the icing to save that cake. But that half an hour will be so worth it. So kick back, relax, make take a load off your feet and rest a while.
Sally removes her chef's hat and her apron, She walks out from behind the kitchen counter to walk around, off the set and back towards the production area. The camera changes from a clean, crisp feed from one of the commercial cameras to Shane's dinky little hand-held that has been through the wars. It follows Sally as she heads off the stage, and back to the prep area. She dumps her apron and hat, then turns to find Shane still in tow.
[Sally] Hi guys. Hope you enjoyed my little home cooking tip. I just thought that I could really show everyone that I'm a down-to-earth, regular girl who knows her way around a kitchen. This is, of course, your latest episode of Happy Endings TV and I am your regular and loving host Sally Talfourd. And before I begin, I thought I'd get something out of the way. "Sally Talfourd, why don't you stay in the kitchen?" "Look, woman be in the kitchen, she'd best stay in there!" and "About time Sally remembered her place in this world." There, I thought I would save someone else the trouble of interjecting with the stereotypical, somewhat expected, and sooo *Can you feel the sarcasm there?* funny sexist comments. Now that they're out the way, we can continue.
[Shane] Continue with what, Sally?
[Sally] Talking about me, silly! Talking about my match. You know, I went back and thought about what I said in the previous episode, about how this match is actually for more that the APW Title and I realsied something Shane. I realised that Level-One is putting more than his title on the line. He's putting up his massive ego and his mountain of pride. He really has something like three things to lose in this match. wonder how that weighs on his mind? I wonder if it weighs on him at all. Surely it must. I mean, come on! He's not just the APW Champion, but he might just become the first person to lose the APW World Heavyweight Championship to a woman. He might just become the first man to lose to Sally Talfourd to start her long anticipated title run in APW. And he might just become the first man to lose everything to the most dominant woman in APW right now. There's no way that Lester hasn't been thinking about those things. Because I know I have. I know that every now and then I toy with the idea of Shockwave being my night.
[Shane] Your night? As in you win the title?
[Sally] Not just win the title Shane. Make that night my night. Where I go out there and show to the world that I deserved every good word said about me in the run up to Shockwave. That I deserved that title. And that I deserved to be the woman (yes, the woman) who ended Level-One's latest title reign. Where I go out there and show that I can battle through injuries and attacks and the odds simply to get my own job done. What is that job you might ask? It's to bring some respect back to the APW Title and to APW itself. It's to have someone standing on top of the mountain that people can look up to. Of course, I'll make sure I'm not wearing a skirt when I'm standing up above everyone; but that should just show even more my dedication to what I want to do to this company! I don't want to change APW. I want to move it up with the times. I want APW to truly look like the company that it is: Where everyone has the same rights to the company, the same opportunities in the company, and the same pride in working for APW. I want people to know that if they come to APW, they can have their own personal success story play out before them.
Sally's reached what looks like the exit. She pushes through those security-type double doors (you know, with the lever for the handle?) and continues through to a car park. The daylight bursts through those doors, flooding the camera with a flare. Shane loses Sally for a moment, but quickly catches her as she heads towards her waiting car - a black town car (do you guys even know what that is?) with the driver look smart with his little hat on, waiting by the door. When he spots Sally, he opens it up for her, gives a nod, and holds it for Shane as well. Everyone on board, the driver walk around, drops in behind the wheel, and sets off. Sally sits across from the camera, buckling up, and then taps herself on the chest.
[Sally] People will know that their own story can play out in APW because they will look at me and be able to have seen mine play out. I came here, what? A bit over three months ago? And look at me now? I've gone undefeated at pay per views. I've won the biggest tournament APW puts on. I'm not main eventing the second biggest show that the company puts on and if I win my match then I become the APW World Heavyweight Champion. How could that story go any better? Whenever someone walks through the doors of APW for the first time, no one wants to be thinking that it will take them years and years of paying dues and kissing the right asses and sucking up to the bosses just to get off the opening match. No no no, they want to know that if they put in the hard effort, if they go the extra nine yards, and they work their butts off that they will be rewarded. APW is the kind of company that rewards hard work. And no one has to look further than me. I worked hard to get here. I don't care what Level-One tries to say, I did work hard. I worked harder to get into this match than he did, that's a fact. All he had to do was turn up with his belt. I had to battle every main eventer and their dog to get here. I had to win Test For the Best. And I had to fend off not once, but twice! those buffoons from Red Shield Mafia and Sports Nutz just to survive to the night coming up.
That's not me, like, complaining. But just pointing out the facts. I did work hard to get here. I didn't work hard just to get here though. I worked hard so that the APW benefited. I worked hard so that Level-One benefited. And I worked hard so that this whole industry benefited. Because now, people are talking about Sally Talfourd. People are talking about Level-One again. And people are talking about APW in a new way. And imagine what they will be saying if I won that belt!? Oh my gosh, it would be off-the-charts crazy. Everyone would sit up and look at the company that has a woman who beat Level-One for their top belt. Ratings would skyrocket. Pay per view buys would soar to new heights. APW would be a trending topic on Twitter, the top news story on Google News, and the most blogged about story in the blogosphere. Everywhere you turn: APW! APW! APW! It wouldn't just be wrestling magazines covering my win either. From the sports section to the fashion section to the boys and girls magazines. Everyone would be scrambling just to get a hand on the all-conquering Sally Talfourd.
Sally is visibly excited. The beaming smile. The tremor in her voice. The slight shake that's taken over her body. Just the thought of being able to headline the company for even one day is exciting enough. While Leila and Sally might have put their collective eyes on the tag team titles, Sally knows that there's more prestige and more pride in the World Heavyweight Championship. That's why that's her first goal. That's why Leila and Sally know that if that belt were to find its way to Sally's waist, the tag titles take a back seat. Sally's only goal at the moment is to win the APW Title. Not by whatever it takes, but by whatever she can do. Nothing compares to being able to wear the World Title of a company. Nothing at all. Sally's done it before, but it's never been like this. Not like taking the belt from Level-One. Not like making history in a company that has had every opportunity to have had a first female champion before. All that is exciting to anyone watching, much less Sally herself.
[Shane] Don't get too excited there Sally. You still have to actually go through the match and win it, remember?
[Sally] Of course I remember. Gosh Shane, that's all I've been thinking about for the past week. This match. How I can win it. What I can do to turn the tables on Level-One. He expects certain things out of me. He expects me to use my speed and my technical skills and my endurance. What can I do to upset him then? I mean, I'm going to use all them to my advantage, of course. I sort of have to. It's not like I can put on a hundred pounds of muscle before the match and suddenly out-power him. I have to come up with something that throws him off his game. Do I walk that line between clean wrestling and dirty wins? Do I sucker in the ref the same way I can sucker in any man I want? Do I ramp up the mind games so far that not even I know what's going on? Do I wrestle this match so slow that Level-One is going to be on his back foot because he expects me to suddenly speed things up? I have to find some way to get under his skin and just freak him out.
[Shane] You know, you could just look at him. That would freak anybody out.
[Sally] Ha-ha Shane. Always the comedian. You know, I could just cut off your pay.
[Shane] And I could just cut off your camera.
[Sally] Like I couldn't work a camera. *Sally looks a little nervous, as if she's tried before in the past and it hasn't been all that successful* But please, one annoying person in my life at a time. I have to think about Level-One and his tantrums, not you and yours. Because Level-One's have a bit more, ummm, force behind them. He can pack quite the punch, and he can make sure I don't end the match all too comfortably if he wants. I mean, I think I've walked out of one of the last three OverDrives? And that would be thanks to my loving opponent at Shockwave. He really is a sweetie, isn't he? Twice he made me take his fall. I mean, back in "the day" *Sally quotes with her fingers* he would be branded a coward and less of a man for not taking his own beating. I took it three times in the past month. He didn't even get it once from them. That's not all that fair in my books. But, who am I to say what's fair or not. *Sally throws up her hands in defense* All I know is that he might have been able to avoid getting clobbered by those apes running around as part of their monkey stable, but he won't be able to avoid me on Sunday. I promise him, every hit he made me take from those clowns will come back to him five-fold from me. I remember how much each one stung. They won't sting for Level-One. They will hurt. The will hurt him to his core. And he will beg to have it stop. And I'll just keep going and going and going. Because he deserves that. He really does. I don't think anyone attending the pay per view or watching it from home feels sorry for him. They want to see him get slapped around, and all the more so if it's done by me.
So I'm not just doing that for me. I'm doing it for the fans too. I'm paying back Level-One for them. I'm winning the APW Title for them. I'm helping this company for them. I'm making this industry better for him. Because they deserve it. They've stuck by us through the good and the bad. They're paid t o see us night and night again. And they've made it their purpose to cheer or boo us as they see fit. They deserve everything we can give them. And I know that for me, I like to give them everything I've got. I don't leave a single ounce of anything in the locker room. All my determination, all my effort, all my grit I take into the ring. I make sure that I bust out every move and every bit of wrestling knowledge I have to make the best match of the night. It doesn't matter where I'm wrestling on the card or who I'm wrestling or what I'm wrestling for. The fans will be seeing a genuinely classic match. That's instantly what the fans think when they see my name on a card, and rightly so. It's our jobs to wrestle. Not to go out and go all Ke$ha and 'blah blah blah' on the camera, wrestle a half-assed match, and then raise our hands in victory after you've cheated to get a win. No. We owe it to the fans to give them everything we've got. I don't mind doing that. In fact, I love it. That's the best part of my job. I somehow think that it's not Lester's favourite part. In fact, it's probably his least favourite.
I think if I could get in his head, he would say that matches are for teaching lessons and proving points and getting personal glory. You know, I haven't once heard him say that he's not in a match just for himself. I've never heard him thank the fans not for cheering or booing him or for forking over their money, but for actually spending the time to listen to him speak and watch him wrestle. No, he's all about the selfish approach to this business. I can't stop that, but I can prove my own point. That doing that is wrong. I can prove to Lester that if he's not in this business for that fan then he's not in this business for the right reasons. On this issue, it's pretty black and white. You're either doing the right thing or you're not. And the fans get to decide for us.
[Shane] You say black and white on this issue? What isn't black and white in wrestling?
[Sally] We'll we're not playing chess here, are we? And even then, it's not just black and white. A lot of people make the mistake of looking at a chess board and seeing only black and white. They forget about all the other colours they'll be seeing when I slap them across the face hard enough to make them see things. Wrestling for the right and wrong reasons might be clear cut, but a lot of other things aren't. When do you go too far? When do you not go far enough? How good is too good, and how bad is too bad? These things, which we all face every time we step into the ring, aren't black and white. Because they always change. But there's one thing we do know about them: Level-One is hardly ever right. He is never good enough for the fans or for himself. And he never knows when he has gone too far. I guess I'm sort of banking on him not knowing what he's doing again inn our match. Maybe he will push himself too far, or he will go that extra move, and lose all control of the match. If he does that, I am not about to let that opportunity slip. Like, if I even get a foot in the door, I'm opening it the whole way. That's how you've got to be when it comes to matches like this. You can't become champion if you don't take every opportunity available to you. I got here by doing that and, well, if that's how I have to win the title then watch me do it again. That's more than my personal goal on Sunday.
[Shane] If I can speak frankly for a minute for a moment Sally ...
[Sally]No, I won't allow it.
[Shane] Serious for a minute now Sally.
[Sally] Oh, sorry. Please, go ahead.
Sally gestures to the camera, as if to throw the attention to Shane for the moment.
[Shane] I've been following you around for long enough now to know about your goals and whatnot. The thing is, I've seen you achieve all your goals. Every time you've had something on your list to get or do or win, you've got it in the end. This goal-list of yours, does it ever end?
[Sally] You know Shane, every once in a while you have a redeeming moment an you remind me why I have you as my camera-come-interview man. Yes, the list ends. In fact, it probably ended before I ever came to APW. Now it's about something more. It's about establishing a legacy for myself. It's about establishing a reputation. I came into this business eight years ago. In that time, I've been a world champion, I've been a figured head for a company, and I've been the face of the future before. I've won all sorts of titles and all sorts of awards. I wanted to be recognised as one of the best women wrestlers in the business and I did that before I came to APW. Now it's about doing things for more than checking them off my goal list. It's about making memories for myself. It's about making a collection of memories for myself that make me and my fans happy. APW might just be my last hurrah in wrestling. I mean, I can't do this forever. And if it is, I want to sit back and be able to think about the last company I was in and remember not doing things for glory but doing it because it was right. Because it made my fans happy. Because it made me happy. Memories are more important than dreams now. I'm over dreams. I've done my dreams. I'm in APW - if that isn't a sign I've done everything I've wanted to, then I don't know what is. Now, it's about making a collection for me that just makes me happy. If I can sit back and remember the time that I wrestled my heart out, made the fans absolutely ecstatic and gave them the match of the year, and just so happened to win the APW Title then that would really make me happy when I'm an old lady.
[Shane] Ok Sally. What do you rate your chances then? Do you honestly think you'll win?
[Sally] Well, I definitely think I stand a chance. I thought I stood a chance against Leila, and I won that match. And I thought I stood a chance in Test For the Best and I won that. Even down to the likes of Bryan Payne. Since I got here, I've always thought I stood a chance to make something of myself. I never knew how far I'd get, or if I was ever going to be, you know, capable of making it to the main event and to the spotlight of this company. I'm not the most modest of people, but I knew I had enough skills to at least get some sort of attention form the right people. There's been companies I didn't have to say anything, but just stand in the ring to get head turning haha. So did I think I would get this far? Did I think I would actually make it to the main event of Shockwave to wrestle for the APW Title? I didn't really know, but I knew I'd put everything into getting as far as I could. I would strive to put on the best matches and to do the best interviews and to be, like, the best employee. I would try every day I was here, and I have. I haven't stopped. And I'm not about to stop now. This match isn't the end. It's a new beginning for me if I win that title. A new beginning for me and APW.
[Shane] Your opponent, Level-One. Do you think he thinks you can win.
[Sally] Despite everything Lester says, I think he knows that I can win. I think he knows it and is worried, so to cover up he denies it. I respect him for that I guess. I mean, not everyone is as up-front as me and is prepared to measure and weigh a match for every possible option. I don't want to be blind to the fact that I might not win. So yeah, I respect Level-One. I imagine most of the locker room does as well. He's done a lot for himself and he's done a heck of a lot for APW. But I've maintained something since I walked in here. It's time for a new set of faces to represent APW at the top level. Level-One has had his title, he won it time and again. And each time, he had his chance to be 'the' person. He's gone on to reign for months and months, and he's had his chance to put his mark on the company. And he has at times. He's had the opportunity to craft APW into an image he wants and he has. It's more competitive, it's tougher, and it's more recognised. And he's had his chance to pull up APW as far as he can. And he's done it. He's done it all. But it's time for the starts of last year to move on. This business is always changing, and Level-One doesn't represent who APW is becoming. It's about this new wave of stars who can make it.All he has to do is look behind him to see the line of these capable megastars who are prepared to take his spot. And first in line is Sally Talfourd. I fight for all my chances, and I made one heck of a fight to get here. I've earned my way to this point. Hard work and effort got you that title, Level-One. Hard work and effort are going to get it to me. Hard work and effort won me the Test For the Best tournament. Your talent and your skills have built you one of the best careers you could have in this company. My talent and my skills are building my career here in APW. I've shown that I'm not just another blow-in. I'm not some diva looking for the spotlight. I'm here to wrestle and I'm here to earn my place.
[Shane] But it takes a lot to earn Level-One's place ...
[Sally] Hold on. I know Level-One is out there, getting ready to say that I couldn't even beat him before. Let's take a look at the end of that match again, shall we? I went move-for-move and hold-for-hold with Level-One like few others here can claim. And we get to the end and what happens? Bryan Payne costs me the win in that match after he came down and beat Level-One down like he deserves. The ref thought Bryan was doing me a favour, so fine. I get DQ'd. Whatever. Maybe I looked like I was down and out. But how many times in this business has someone found that last burst of energy or spirit and dug out the win? It only takes three seconds to do, and Bryan stopped me from doing that. Bryan won't come down and make that mistake again Sunday. Bryan won't lose me that match. You can't bank on getting your skin saved by Bryan, Lester. Nor the Red Shield Mafia. Or the Sportz Nutz. Young Mannie and Shaun Kilgore don't have it in them to ruin this match. And just you remember that. It's just us and no corners to cut and no saving circumstances. You and me, Lester. You and me.
I have to at least match you to stand a chance. I don't bother trying to match you strength-for-strength. That would just be crazy silly. But I will match you move-for-move. I'm lighter. I'm faster. I'll just wear you down to the bone. I'll keep this match as a crazy pace. If you want to actually lay your hands on me, you'll have to catch me. If you want to catch me, you'll have to run. And then, when you're starting to wonder where this match is going, I'll get a chance. I'll work a part of you over. It might be your arm, it might be your shoulders. It could be your whole leg, or just your knee. But something is getting punished. That's when it happens. You have to start compensating. You have to try harder because it's not coming easier. You're starting to get a little tired because you have to put in that extra effort. And then … bam! I'll come at you faster than you expect, I'll put you on your heels and everything will make sense. I'll lock on the COTS and you'll be wishing I hadn't worked you over and you'll be tapping in seconds. You'll hold on, and credit to you. But not for long. Or maybe I'll have worked over your neck and given that split second, I'll take you down with The Makeover – which you desperately need – and that will be the last straw for you already aching neck. Everything that leads up to that point is the process. Pinning you, or making you tap, is the result that I'm working towards.
[Shane] We're nearly at the arena. Any final words before you go in and get ready?
[Sally] Yes. Actually, I thought about this long and hard. Good luck, Lester. Not because you'll need it or because I want to try and get in your head. Because this is our match. It's our chance to show what we're made of. If wishing you luck at least brings you to the table of mutual respect and this match takes two steps towards being the greatest match that has ever been waged for the APW Title, then that's only a great thing. You and i have a great responsibility here, and I know I can carry it. We're carrying a lot of weight. It's fine by me to have to carry it. I've been carrying it before I came in and I'll carry it after I'm finished with you. I just hope that there's a little bit of extra weight. About as much extra as a title belt weighs. I won't stop in this match, Lester. I won't stop and I'll show you that I deserve that title. I have things planned for you. No games, nothing fancy. Just exactly what I need to do to win this match. I'm not going into this distracted or pent up or mad or confused like you clearly are. I don't have the shadows of my past coming out to hurt my chance. I might be injured, but mine is temporary. Your injuries aren't going anywhere anytime soon. You know this and, well it's going to weigh on your mind. This match, if you're not careful could be your last. The state of your body, of your neck, might come to be too much if you push yourself past the point of no return against me. I'm not making that threat. It's not my job to put people out oft he business. But it is my job to put on great, hard-fought contests. And you had better be ready for that. I doubt that you are, because you've rated me as now chance of winning and with paid me half as much respect as I deserve. But you know what? Everyone loves a good underdog story, and I really am the underdog at Shockwave. Thanks for tuning in guys, and wish me all the best. I somehow think my opponent won't be too sincere when he starts off by wishing me luck next time you see him ...
Sally blows a kiss to the camera, gives it a cheeky wink, and then turns to look out the window. There's the Scottrade Center, the sight of this monumental battle. The fans are already lined up to get in, stretching for miles. The broadcast trucks are starting early, and the air of anticipation around it is infectious. As Sally gets nearer, and the fans spot her, the cheers get louder and more wild. It's time. The screen fades out to black, and then
"Sally Talfourd"
is written across the screen, which then fades out itself and the episode comes to a close.
I guess we'll find out if Level-One is truly unbeatable at the end of Sunday. I'm not saying that if I can't do it no one can. But I know that no one has worked harder than me for the past month to get the chance to take his precious title and to lead APW like me. No one. I look around, and I've broken away from the pack. I've step ahead to do it all on my own. That's because I don't need the distractions, and I don't honestly think I need the help. People have tried to stop me from trying, and some have even got as far as slowing my progress down. But look at me! I'm still standing. I'm still after you, Lester. I've picked myself up and dusted myself off every time someone knocked me down and I've gone right back to hunting you and your title, Lester. That's what this match is going to be like. It's going to be me coming after you without pause or break. I'll pick myself up off the mats, off the floor, off the apron every time you knock me down just to keep coming after you.
Maybe then you'll realise that you're not as untouchable as you think you are. Maybe you'll realise that there are people out there who can knock you off your perch and take your place. You might not know it yet, but everywhere you look, there's going to be someone coming after you. I want it to be me each time, but I'm not going to hold others back from getting their shot against you. Everyone deserves a chance to wrestle for that title, and tonight is my chance.
Of course, they won't be coming after you if I do knock you off your perch on Sunday ...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Explorer - *click* - Favorites - *click* - APW.com ...
Welcome to Action Packed Wrestling!
Videos - *click* - Megastars - *click* - Sally Talfourd - *click* - Videos - *click*
Welcome to Happy Ending T.V.!
Recent - *click* - Episode #16: Cooking up a storm - *click*
Recorded the 27th of August, 2010. 27th of August, 2010. Sally shoots a promotional appearance for her new line of recipe books and might have just discovered a new line of work if this whole 'wrestling' thing doesn't pan out. She travels to the arena, and gives her final words on the match, her opponent, and of course herself. A must watch!
Starring: Sally Talfourd, Shane the Cameraman
*click* - Loading ...
"Sally Talfourd presents ..."
is written across the screen, fades out, then the camera comes in on a shot of a recording studio with a kitchen setup. Into shot walks Sally Talfourd! And she's dressed up like a chef. Some cheesy infomercial music plays over the scene as she takes up place behind the counter where there's a set of cooking ... things set up.
[Sally] You know, a lot goes in to making a world-class wrestler. Much like a lot goes in to making a world-class meal. And to be a champion, you have to eat like a champion. So today, I'm going to show all my fans how to cook up a storm. A simple dessert cake that is fit for anyone: from the lowliest of jobbers to the world champion. So to start with, we're going to mix together all the ingredients to get ready to bake. I like to call this the Level-One. Now, I'll run through the ingredients as we go along, so try and keep up. First, we need to get some flour. I'd use two cups, and that will be enough to serve a cake that could feed, say, ten adults or Level-One's ego. So adjust accordingly. Next, we need to add some eggs. Now, I like to use sour eggs, because it adds that extra taste to the cake that you only get from my personal recipe. And it's the same taste you can look forward to whenever you think of the Level-One. *Sally cracks a pair of eggs into the bowl with the flour with a smile across her face* Next, we add the butter and sugar. Now we need the butter to give it the texture that we want, but we're going to add a lot. Same with sugar.*Sally lumps in a lot of butter, spooning it all in from the container she holds*
Now we all know that butter and sugar is bad for us. So eating this cake, having some of the Level-One, means that it's not going to be good for us. Never mind though, I don't think you're going to actually want too much of it anyway. So get it all in there and then we're done. After that, we need to add a cup of water. To make it an authentic Level-One, I would add a pinch of salt to the water to make it taste like tears. Those really salty tears, like you get when someone is crying over having such a hard time of things. Because that's another thing you'll be thinking of when you think of the Level-One. So pour that in and you're almost ready to start stirring it all up. *Sally tips in the water, then reaches over for the salt and throws in a dash* Ok, so grab a wooden spoon that you have handy, get in and start stirring. Now, be careful not to stir too hard, because the Level-One is very delicate. You don't want to upset the ingredients or, you know, injure the flavours. If you do, then the cake won't be any good. I mean, if the cake could talk, it would complain all day if you hurt it. Non-stop, it would go on and on about you stirring too hard or being too rough. And then, it won't rise, it won't bake through, and you'll be left with a useless mixture. Of course, there's a chance that will happen even if you're gentle with it. So I don't know, just do your best.
*Sally stirs the mixture up, mixing together all those ingredients* Ok, once you've done that, pour it into a cake tin *Sally does so* and then throw it into the oven. Now, you want to pre-heat that over to about 280 to make sure things are nice and warm. The Level-One has to cook at a high temperature. You want to really light a fire underneath it because if you don't, you just get a mediocre, half-assed cake. And no one wants to see that. You you really have to get the oven warm. So slide it on in *Sally opens up the oven door and pushes the cake tin in* and shut it up and wait. Of course, you will have to wait a while. And when I say a while, I mean about a month. It won't be ready to be eaten for about three to four weeks. That's because it takes a long time to rise to the occasion, this cake. Don't worry if it takes longer, it just means the cake is delaying the inevitable. You might as well turn the heat up if that happens. Eventually it will start to bake. But here's one I prepared earlier ...
*Sally reaches underneath her counter and pulls out an already cooked cake!* and as you can see, it's looking quite sorry. *Sally puts down her cake which, in all honesty, looks pretty bad* But don't you worry. If we put on a nice layer of icing, and tell everyone that it's a good cake, people will really think it's good. That is, until they eat it. But if you just hold off to the very last minute to serve them, I'm sure not too many people will be disappointed with it. Ok, so the icing. You can go out and buy the Sally Talfourd pack of icing mix to do this. All you need to do is add water and presto! You have the Sally Icing that you can just throw all over the outside to save this cake. Remember, anything with the Sally name can save a sorry situation. And I promise you that Sally is going to save this Level-One. It doesn't matter how sad and pathetic this cake might be, the icing is the key. People will say "Wow, this icing is amazing! but the cake just sucks. Where can I get more of this icing?" You tell them that it's a secret recipe.
*Sally winks at the camera, then reaches down and pulls out a sachet and tips it into a bowl. A cup of water follows it in, and Sally is back to stirring* Now unlike the cake, you don't have to be gentle with the icing at all. In fact, the harder and rougher you are with it, the better it gets. It gets tastier, sweeter, and just better the more you put it through. So really put your shoulder into it. *Sally stirs vigorously, then comes to a stop* And the amazing thing about this is that you can just pour it on, let it set and you're done. So pour it on *Sally pours the icing over the sorry looking cake* and then throw it in the refrigerator *Sally picks up the plate, turns to the fridge, opens the door, and throws the cake in* and then you're set. You have to wait, oh, half an hour maybe for the icing to save that cake. But that half an hour will be so worth it. So kick back, relax, make take a load off your feet and rest a while.
Sally removes her chef's hat and her apron, She walks out from behind the kitchen counter to walk around, off the set and back towards the production area. The camera changes from a clean, crisp feed from one of the commercial cameras to Shane's dinky little hand-held that has been through the wars. It follows Sally as she heads off the stage, and back to the prep area. She dumps her apron and hat, then turns to find Shane still in tow.
[Sally] Hi guys. Hope you enjoyed my little home cooking tip. I just thought that I could really show everyone that I'm a down-to-earth, regular girl who knows her way around a kitchen. This is, of course, your latest episode of Happy Endings TV and I am your regular and loving host Sally Talfourd. And before I begin, I thought I'd get something out of the way. "Sally Talfourd, why don't you stay in the kitchen?" "Look, woman be in the kitchen, she'd best stay in there!" and "About time Sally remembered her place in this world." There, I thought I would save someone else the trouble of interjecting with the stereotypical, somewhat expected, and sooo *Can you feel the sarcasm there?* funny sexist comments. Now that they're out the way, we can continue.
[Shane] Continue with what, Sally?
[Sally] Talking about me, silly! Talking about my match. You know, I went back and thought about what I said in the previous episode, about how this match is actually for more that the APW Title and I realsied something Shane. I realised that Level-One is putting more than his title on the line. He's putting up his massive ego and his mountain of pride. He really has something like three things to lose in this match. wonder how that weighs on his mind? I wonder if it weighs on him at all. Surely it must. I mean, come on! He's not just the APW Champion, but he might just become the first person to lose the APW World Heavyweight Championship to a woman. He might just become the first man to lose to Sally Talfourd to start her long anticipated title run in APW. And he might just become the first man to lose everything to the most dominant woman in APW right now. There's no way that Lester hasn't been thinking about those things. Because I know I have. I know that every now and then I toy with the idea of Shockwave being my night.
[Shane] Your night? As in you win the title?
[Sally] Not just win the title Shane. Make that night my night. Where I go out there and show to the world that I deserved every good word said about me in the run up to Shockwave. That I deserved that title. And that I deserved to be the woman (yes, the woman) who ended Level-One's latest title reign. Where I go out there and show that I can battle through injuries and attacks and the odds simply to get my own job done. What is that job you might ask? It's to bring some respect back to the APW Title and to APW itself. It's to have someone standing on top of the mountain that people can look up to. Of course, I'll make sure I'm not wearing a skirt when I'm standing up above everyone; but that should just show even more my dedication to what I want to do to this company! I don't want to change APW. I want to move it up with the times. I want APW to truly look like the company that it is: Where everyone has the same rights to the company, the same opportunities in the company, and the same pride in working for APW. I want people to know that if they come to APW, they can have their own personal success story play out before them.
Sally's reached what looks like the exit. She pushes through those security-type double doors (you know, with the lever for the handle?) and continues through to a car park. The daylight bursts through those doors, flooding the camera with a flare. Shane loses Sally for a moment, but quickly catches her as she heads towards her waiting car - a black town car (do you guys even know what that is?) with the driver look smart with his little hat on, waiting by the door. When he spots Sally, he opens it up for her, gives a nod, and holds it for Shane as well. Everyone on board, the driver walk around, drops in behind the wheel, and sets off. Sally sits across from the camera, buckling up, and then taps herself on the chest.
[Sally] People will know that their own story can play out in APW because they will look at me and be able to have seen mine play out. I came here, what? A bit over three months ago? And look at me now? I've gone undefeated at pay per views. I've won the biggest tournament APW puts on. I'm not main eventing the second biggest show that the company puts on and if I win my match then I become the APW World Heavyweight Champion. How could that story go any better? Whenever someone walks through the doors of APW for the first time, no one wants to be thinking that it will take them years and years of paying dues and kissing the right asses and sucking up to the bosses just to get off the opening match. No no no, they want to know that if they put in the hard effort, if they go the extra nine yards, and they work their butts off that they will be rewarded. APW is the kind of company that rewards hard work. And no one has to look further than me. I worked hard to get here. I don't care what Level-One tries to say, I did work hard. I worked harder to get into this match than he did, that's a fact. All he had to do was turn up with his belt. I had to battle every main eventer and their dog to get here. I had to win Test For the Best. And I had to fend off not once, but twice! those buffoons from Red Shield Mafia and Sports Nutz just to survive to the night coming up.
That's not me, like, complaining. But just pointing out the facts. I did work hard to get here. I didn't work hard just to get here though. I worked hard so that the APW benefited. I worked hard so that Level-One benefited. And I worked hard so that this whole industry benefited. Because now, people are talking about Sally Talfourd. People are talking about Level-One again. And people are talking about APW in a new way. And imagine what they will be saying if I won that belt!? Oh my gosh, it would be off-the-charts crazy. Everyone would sit up and look at the company that has a woman who beat Level-One for their top belt. Ratings would skyrocket. Pay per view buys would soar to new heights. APW would be a trending topic on Twitter, the top news story on Google News, and the most blogged about story in the blogosphere. Everywhere you turn: APW! APW! APW! It wouldn't just be wrestling magazines covering my win either. From the sports section to the fashion section to the boys and girls magazines. Everyone would be scrambling just to get a hand on the all-conquering Sally Talfourd.
Sally is visibly excited. The beaming smile. The tremor in her voice. The slight shake that's taken over her body. Just the thought of being able to headline the company for even one day is exciting enough. While Leila and Sally might have put their collective eyes on the tag team titles, Sally knows that there's more prestige and more pride in the World Heavyweight Championship. That's why that's her first goal. That's why Leila and Sally know that if that belt were to find its way to Sally's waist, the tag titles take a back seat. Sally's only goal at the moment is to win the APW Title. Not by whatever it takes, but by whatever she can do. Nothing compares to being able to wear the World Title of a company. Nothing at all. Sally's done it before, but it's never been like this. Not like taking the belt from Level-One. Not like making history in a company that has had every opportunity to have had a first female champion before. All that is exciting to anyone watching, much less Sally herself.
[Shane] Don't get too excited there Sally. You still have to actually go through the match and win it, remember?
[Sally] Of course I remember. Gosh Shane, that's all I've been thinking about for the past week. This match. How I can win it. What I can do to turn the tables on Level-One. He expects certain things out of me. He expects me to use my speed and my technical skills and my endurance. What can I do to upset him then? I mean, I'm going to use all them to my advantage, of course. I sort of have to. It's not like I can put on a hundred pounds of muscle before the match and suddenly out-power him. I have to come up with something that throws him off his game. Do I walk that line between clean wrestling and dirty wins? Do I sucker in the ref the same way I can sucker in any man I want? Do I ramp up the mind games so far that not even I know what's going on? Do I wrestle this match so slow that Level-One is going to be on his back foot because he expects me to suddenly speed things up? I have to find some way to get under his skin and just freak him out.
[Shane] You know, you could just look at him. That would freak anybody out.
[Sally] Ha-ha Shane. Always the comedian. You know, I could just cut off your pay.
[Shane] And I could just cut off your camera.
[Sally] Like I couldn't work a camera. *Sally looks a little nervous, as if she's tried before in the past and it hasn't been all that successful* But please, one annoying person in my life at a time. I have to think about Level-One and his tantrums, not you and yours. Because Level-One's have a bit more, ummm, force behind them. He can pack quite the punch, and he can make sure I don't end the match all too comfortably if he wants. I mean, I think I've walked out of one of the last three OverDrives? And that would be thanks to my loving opponent at Shockwave. He really is a sweetie, isn't he? Twice he made me take his fall. I mean, back in "the day" *Sally quotes with her fingers* he would be branded a coward and less of a man for not taking his own beating. I took it three times in the past month. He didn't even get it once from them. That's not all that fair in my books. But, who am I to say what's fair or not. *Sally throws up her hands in defense* All I know is that he might have been able to avoid getting clobbered by those apes running around as part of their monkey stable, but he won't be able to avoid me on Sunday. I promise him, every hit he made me take from those clowns will come back to him five-fold from me. I remember how much each one stung. They won't sting for Level-One. They will hurt. The will hurt him to his core. And he will beg to have it stop. And I'll just keep going and going and going. Because he deserves that. He really does. I don't think anyone attending the pay per view or watching it from home feels sorry for him. They want to see him get slapped around, and all the more so if it's done by me.
So I'm not just doing that for me. I'm doing it for the fans too. I'm paying back Level-One for them. I'm winning the APW Title for them. I'm helping this company for them. I'm making this industry better for him. Because they deserve it. They've stuck by us through the good and the bad. They're paid t o see us night and night again. And they've made it their purpose to cheer or boo us as they see fit. They deserve everything we can give them. And I know that for me, I like to give them everything I've got. I don't leave a single ounce of anything in the locker room. All my determination, all my effort, all my grit I take into the ring. I make sure that I bust out every move and every bit of wrestling knowledge I have to make the best match of the night. It doesn't matter where I'm wrestling on the card or who I'm wrestling or what I'm wrestling for. The fans will be seeing a genuinely classic match. That's instantly what the fans think when they see my name on a card, and rightly so. It's our jobs to wrestle. Not to go out and go all Ke$ha and 'blah blah blah' on the camera, wrestle a half-assed match, and then raise our hands in victory after you've cheated to get a win. No. We owe it to the fans to give them everything we've got. I don't mind doing that. In fact, I love it. That's the best part of my job. I somehow think that it's not Lester's favourite part. In fact, it's probably his least favourite.
I think if I could get in his head, he would say that matches are for teaching lessons and proving points and getting personal glory. You know, I haven't once heard him say that he's not in a match just for himself. I've never heard him thank the fans not for cheering or booing him or for forking over their money, but for actually spending the time to listen to him speak and watch him wrestle. No, he's all about the selfish approach to this business. I can't stop that, but I can prove my own point. That doing that is wrong. I can prove to Lester that if he's not in this business for that fan then he's not in this business for the right reasons. On this issue, it's pretty black and white. You're either doing the right thing or you're not. And the fans get to decide for us.
[Shane] You say black and white on this issue? What isn't black and white in wrestling?
[Sally] We'll we're not playing chess here, are we? And even then, it's not just black and white. A lot of people make the mistake of looking at a chess board and seeing only black and white. They forget about all the other colours they'll be seeing when I slap them across the face hard enough to make them see things. Wrestling for the right and wrong reasons might be clear cut, but a lot of other things aren't. When do you go too far? When do you not go far enough? How good is too good, and how bad is too bad? These things, which we all face every time we step into the ring, aren't black and white. Because they always change. But there's one thing we do know about them: Level-One is hardly ever right. He is never good enough for the fans or for himself. And he never knows when he has gone too far. I guess I'm sort of banking on him not knowing what he's doing again inn our match. Maybe he will push himself too far, or he will go that extra move, and lose all control of the match. If he does that, I am not about to let that opportunity slip. Like, if I even get a foot in the door, I'm opening it the whole way. That's how you've got to be when it comes to matches like this. You can't become champion if you don't take every opportunity available to you. I got here by doing that and, well, if that's how I have to win the title then watch me do it again. That's more than my personal goal on Sunday.
[Shane] If I can speak frankly for a minute for a moment Sally ...
[Sally]No, I won't allow it.
[Shane] Serious for a minute now Sally.
[Sally] Oh, sorry. Please, go ahead.
Sally gestures to the camera, as if to throw the attention to Shane for the moment.
[Shane] I've been following you around for long enough now to know about your goals and whatnot. The thing is, I've seen you achieve all your goals. Every time you've had something on your list to get or do or win, you've got it in the end. This goal-list of yours, does it ever end?
[Sally] You know Shane, every once in a while you have a redeeming moment an you remind me why I have you as my camera-come-interview man. Yes, the list ends. In fact, it probably ended before I ever came to APW. Now it's about something more. It's about establishing a legacy for myself. It's about establishing a reputation. I came into this business eight years ago. In that time, I've been a world champion, I've been a figured head for a company, and I've been the face of the future before. I've won all sorts of titles and all sorts of awards. I wanted to be recognised as one of the best women wrestlers in the business and I did that before I came to APW. Now it's about doing things for more than checking them off my goal list. It's about making memories for myself. It's about making a collection of memories for myself that make me and my fans happy. APW might just be my last hurrah in wrestling. I mean, I can't do this forever. And if it is, I want to sit back and be able to think about the last company I was in and remember not doing things for glory but doing it because it was right. Because it made my fans happy. Because it made me happy. Memories are more important than dreams now. I'm over dreams. I've done my dreams. I'm in APW - if that isn't a sign I've done everything I've wanted to, then I don't know what is. Now, it's about making a collection for me that just makes me happy. If I can sit back and remember the time that I wrestled my heart out, made the fans absolutely ecstatic and gave them the match of the year, and just so happened to win the APW Title then that would really make me happy when I'm an old lady.
[Shane] Ok Sally. What do you rate your chances then? Do you honestly think you'll win?
[Sally] Well, I definitely think I stand a chance. I thought I stood a chance against Leila, and I won that match. And I thought I stood a chance in Test For the Best and I won that. Even down to the likes of Bryan Payne. Since I got here, I've always thought I stood a chance to make something of myself. I never knew how far I'd get, or if I was ever going to be, you know, capable of making it to the main event and to the spotlight of this company. I'm not the most modest of people, but I knew I had enough skills to at least get some sort of attention form the right people. There's been companies I didn't have to say anything, but just stand in the ring to get head turning haha. So did I think I would get this far? Did I think I would actually make it to the main event of Shockwave to wrestle for the APW Title? I didn't really know, but I knew I'd put everything into getting as far as I could. I would strive to put on the best matches and to do the best interviews and to be, like, the best employee. I would try every day I was here, and I have. I haven't stopped. And I'm not about to stop now. This match isn't the end. It's a new beginning for me if I win that title. A new beginning for me and APW.
[Shane] Your opponent, Level-One. Do you think he thinks you can win.
[Sally] Despite everything Lester says, I think he knows that I can win. I think he knows it and is worried, so to cover up he denies it. I respect him for that I guess. I mean, not everyone is as up-front as me and is prepared to measure and weigh a match for every possible option. I don't want to be blind to the fact that I might not win. So yeah, I respect Level-One. I imagine most of the locker room does as well. He's done a lot for himself and he's done a heck of a lot for APW. But I've maintained something since I walked in here. It's time for a new set of faces to represent APW at the top level. Level-One has had his title, he won it time and again. And each time, he had his chance to be 'the' person. He's gone on to reign for months and months, and he's had his chance to put his mark on the company. And he has at times. He's had the opportunity to craft APW into an image he wants and he has. It's more competitive, it's tougher, and it's more recognised. And he's had his chance to pull up APW as far as he can. And he's done it. He's done it all. But it's time for the starts of last year to move on. This business is always changing, and Level-One doesn't represent who APW is becoming. It's about this new wave of stars who can make it.All he has to do is look behind him to see the line of these capable megastars who are prepared to take his spot. And first in line is Sally Talfourd. I fight for all my chances, and I made one heck of a fight to get here. I've earned my way to this point. Hard work and effort got you that title, Level-One. Hard work and effort are going to get it to me. Hard work and effort won me the Test For the Best tournament. Your talent and your skills have built you one of the best careers you could have in this company. My talent and my skills are building my career here in APW. I've shown that I'm not just another blow-in. I'm not some diva looking for the spotlight. I'm here to wrestle and I'm here to earn my place.
[Shane] But it takes a lot to earn Level-One's place ...
[Sally] Hold on. I know Level-One is out there, getting ready to say that I couldn't even beat him before. Let's take a look at the end of that match again, shall we? I went move-for-move and hold-for-hold with Level-One like few others here can claim. And we get to the end and what happens? Bryan Payne costs me the win in that match after he came down and beat Level-One down like he deserves. The ref thought Bryan was doing me a favour, so fine. I get DQ'd. Whatever. Maybe I looked like I was down and out. But how many times in this business has someone found that last burst of energy or spirit and dug out the win? It only takes three seconds to do, and Bryan stopped me from doing that. Bryan won't come down and make that mistake again Sunday. Bryan won't lose me that match. You can't bank on getting your skin saved by Bryan, Lester. Nor the Red Shield Mafia. Or the Sportz Nutz. Young Mannie and Shaun Kilgore don't have it in them to ruin this match. And just you remember that. It's just us and no corners to cut and no saving circumstances. You and me, Lester. You and me.
I have to at least match you to stand a chance. I don't bother trying to match you strength-for-strength. That would just be crazy silly. But I will match you move-for-move. I'm lighter. I'm faster. I'll just wear you down to the bone. I'll keep this match as a crazy pace. If you want to actually lay your hands on me, you'll have to catch me. If you want to catch me, you'll have to run. And then, when you're starting to wonder where this match is going, I'll get a chance. I'll work a part of you over. It might be your arm, it might be your shoulders. It could be your whole leg, or just your knee. But something is getting punished. That's when it happens. You have to start compensating. You have to try harder because it's not coming easier. You're starting to get a little tired because you have to put in that extra effort. And then … bam! I'll come at you faster than you expect, I'll put you on your heels and everything will make sense. I'll lock on the COTS and you'll be wishing I hadn't worked you over and you'll be tapping in seconds. You'll hold on, and credit to you. But not for long. Or maybe I'll have worked over your neck and given that split second, I'll take you down with The Makeover – which you desperately need – and that will be the last straw for you already aching neck. Everything that leads up to that point is the process. Pinning you, or making you tap, is the result that I'm working towards.
[Shane] We're nearly at the arena. Any final words before you go in and get ready?
[Sally] Yes. Actually, I thought about this long and hard. Good luck, Lester. Not because you'll need it or because I want to try and get in your head. Because this is our match. It's our chance to show what we're made of. If wishing you luck at least brings you to the table of mutual respect and this match takes two steps towards being the greatest match that has ever been waged for the APW Title, then that's only a great thing. You and i have a great responsibility here, and I know I can carry it. We're carrying a lot of weight. It's fine by me to have to carry it. I've been carrying it before I came in and I'll carry it after I'm finished with you. I just hope that there's a little bit of extra weight. About as much extra as a title belt weighs. I won't stop in this match, Lester. I won't stop and I'll show you that I deserve that title. I have things planned for you. No games, nothing fancy. Just exactly what I need to do to win this match. I'm not going into this distracted or pent up or mad or confused like you clearly are. I don't have the shadows of my past coming out to hurt my chance. I might be injured, but mine is temporary. Your injuries aren't going anywhere anytime soon. You know this and, well it's going to weigh on your mind. This match, if you're not careful could be your last. The state of your body, of your neck, might come to be too much if you push yourself past the point of no return against me. I'm not making that threat. It's not my job to put people out oft he business. But it is my job to put on great, hard-fought contests. And you had better be ready for that. I doubt that you are, because you've rated me as now chance of winning and with paid me half as much respect as I deserve. But you know what? Everyone loves a good underdog story, and I really am the underdog at Shockwave. Thanks for tuning in guys, and wish me all the best. I somehow think my opponent won't be too sincere when he starts off by wishing me luck next time you see him ...
Sally blows a kiss to the camera, gives it a cheeky wink, and then turns to look out the window. There's the Scottrade Center, the sight of this monumental battle. The fans are already lined up to get in, stretching for miles. The broadcast trucks are starting early, and the air of anticipation around it is infectious. As Sally gets nearer, and the fans spot her, the cheers get louder and more wild. It's time. The screen fades out to black, and then
"Sally Talfourd"
is written across the screen, which then fades out itself and the episode comes to a close.
