Post by C.J. Gates on Jan 29, 2011 16:14:04 GMT -4
(The scene opens up on top of the roof of a hotel just on the outside of downtown Las Vegas. All around, bright lights beam, illuminating the dark night sky above. Standing on this roof top, leaning against the edge of it, is none other than C.J. Gates. He is wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a black dress shirt and his usual cowboy hat. His forearms are crossed on top of the ledge and he is looking in toward the bright lights. A slight smirk crosses his face as he shakes his head.)
C.J. Gates: I know some people are questioning my choices for this Pay-Per-View. Some people are beginning to think that maybe I have lost my mind. Defending my tag team titles and then competing in what will be a grueling and hellacious match. And maybe they are right. Maybe I have slightly lost my mind. But I've also realized that this week holds a great opportunity for me.
This is the week that will really test my mettle. This is the week when I can really make a statement as to who I am. Not only do I finally get competition in the tag team scene, but I also get to outlast thirty nine other men to win the Survive and Conquer Main Event. Neither match will be easy, but I expected that the moment I signed the dotted line and saw the Beautiful Disaster become the number one contenders.
But it's nights like this one coming up that really drive someone. That really show what someone is made of. It's a chance for me to shine. People have already been holding me down and calling me the weak link. Saying that I have no talent outside of tag team wrestling. But they are wrong, and this is when I prove that to them. This is when I make them realize that I have more to offer.
Last week I accomplished what I set out to do. Plain and simple. This week, the stakes are higher, but I'm sure that I will still be able to get things done. It's just going to take that little bit extra umph that was absent in other title defences.
Something I am very capable of doing.
(He pauses and smirks again. From offscreen, Rico Casteel enters the picture closing a cell phone.)
Rico: Still no answer. Think he's gone dark?
(Gates turns around so that his back is now against the ledge.)
C.J. Gates: I doubt it. I think he's just trying to get himself in check for the Pay-Per-View.
Rico: You sure about that? He's usually quick to answer his phone in the days leading up to a match.
C.J. Gates: Well, let's put it in the hope category.
(Rico chuckles.)
C.J. Gates: I hope he is getting himself in check so that when we step into the ring with those two, the disaster happens to them.
Rico: Fair enough. Though what he said has to be hitting you hard.
C.J. Gates: I don't even think it's what he said, it's what he was doing.
Rico: What do you mean?
C.J. Gates: Okay, he apologized to me for him letting me down. But he has to know that he didn't let me down. Never has. Sure, he might have had a rough patch last week against Brandon, but he still put his ass out there to give himself a chance at winning. That shows me heart. And that's the same heart that he showed me at Shockwave in that triple threat match against John Green. He proved to me that he has the guts and determination to get the job done.
Rico: But it's just the drinking...
C.J. Gates: Everyone has their demons, I understand that. Sure he's my tag team partner, but I let him do his own thing. I don't tie him down with a leash and slap his wrist whenever he starts to get out of line. He's a grown man. What troubled me about the drinking was the excess of it. Was the fact that he did that before our team got put together and was caught in that downward spiral he always talks about.
Rico: And you're worried that he'll return to that, on this, the most important show in your APW career.
C.J. Gates: Most important...
(Gates ponders that label as Rico checks his phone.)
C.J. Gates: Yeah, I guess we can say that this is going to turn out to be the most important match of my career. The matches against Sally Talfourd and Level One still rank up there as far as importance goes, however. Regardless, I am kind of worried that he'll return. That he will be sitting in a bar knocking back shots up until the bell rings.
Rico: Which is why you want to get a hold of him and check in on him.
C.J. Gates: Exactly. But that's the extreme of the spectrum. In the forefront of my mind, I am certain that Blade will hold up his end of the bargain. I am damn sure that he will pull out all the stops that he needs to. Because that is how the Exchange Rate rolls.
Rico: Well, I wish you both good luck in your match. Kaycee and Brandon aren't an easy duo to knock off.
C.J. Gates: I know that. I definitely know that. Kaycee gave me a hell of a time inside of that ring. And looking at what Brandon did to Blade, I'm sure he is just as tough.
Rico: Hopefully you guys are able to pull it out. I'd hate to be the only one pulling gold in this joint.
(Gates glares at Rico who laughs.)
Rico: Kidding, kidding. But, hey, quick question for you.
C.J. Gates: Yeah?
Rico: If you guys do lose, and with the way Blade has been acting, you think this ends the team thing?
(Gates hesitates and lets out a deep breath.)
C.J. Gates: I don't know. I hope not, but I guess that's up to Blade. Besides, what's all this talk of us possibly losing?
Rico: Just covering all the bases.
C.J. Gates: Well cut it out, alright? We have to go into this thinking positively. I'm thinking positively, so you should too, alright?
Rico: Alright, alright. Sorry I even thought of it that way.
C.J. Gates: Good. Thank you.
(Rico checks his phone again.)
Rico: Want me to keep calling him?
C.J. Gates: Naw, go grab a bite or something. I'll try him. I'll give you a call later.
Rico: Sounds good.
(Rico pockets his cell phone and walks towards the door leading inside. He opens it and waves his hand as the light washes over him. After a few moments he disappears inside and closes the door behind him. Gates pulls his own cell phone out of his pocket and dials a number before raising it to his ear. He paces away from the ledge as he waits for the other end to pick up. Cursing, he looks up to the night sky above him.)
C.J. Gates: Blade, it's Gates. Listen, sorry to be pestering you with phone calls but I thought we could talk about this week. You know, get a game plan going, make sure we're all on the same page, yeah? Sound good? Give me a call back, maybe we'll grab a bite sometime before the title defense. Hit me back.
(Gates hangs up the phone and pockets it. He looks down from the sky and rubs his eyes with his fingers before walking back to the ledge and looking back toward the bright lights.)
C.J. Gates: To go with the seeming theme that has popped up in the past few weeks, I guess I should thank you, Kaycee. After the way Derek Wellings basically told me to fuck off, you at least gave me the benefit of the doubt and gave a damn. You also gave me one hell of a match, which is all I really could have asked for. And even though Brandon might have beaten Blade, at least I managed to stop the two of you from taking all of the momentum going into this week. And that's what really matters, right? Leave a shred of doubt lingering in your minds, knowing that if I get into that ring, things could change very quickly. Whether or not you choose to believe that is up to the two of you, however.
(Gates leans against the ledge again and continues to look towards the lights.)
C.J. Gates: People around the country dream of coming to Las Vegas for the fun and the excitement that the city offers. They see the bright lights of the city when they close their eyes. And those bright lights, the ones shining out there in the distance, those lights represent peoples dreams. They represent the possibility of what could be. The possibility of success. The potential for all of their hopes to become reality. For all of their dreams to come true. They represent the possibility for someone to get their names plastered on billboards and marquees.
But you two, you don't fall into those categories. Because while there are people like me who are actually trying to make a name for ourselves, and trying to gain the recognition, knowing full well that we have yet to attain such status, you two have this air about you. This feeling like you are owed something. You're both thinking well beyond what could be and are already latched onto what should be. How you came into APW talking about how you should already have been thrust into the Main Event scene. How you were talking about already being tag team champions before you actually gained the number one contendership spot.
And sure, a little confidence and optimism is great and all, but one thing you are failing to realize is that in our business, in our little world, people need to earn their due. People need to work their way up. Even if you are top dogs in some other federation, that doesn't mean jack here. You still have to go through the gauntlet of pain to get to where you want to be.
Which you've done. You're there right now, you've earned your way to this point and this match against Blade and I. But not before it. Never before it did you deserve any accolades outside of your tag team moniker. Never before did you earn the right to be praised. Even though I have had matches against Sally Talfourd and Level One, I still don't consider myself at the top. I still don't claim I should be spoken alongside the best of the best. Sure, I proclaim that I should be acknowledged and that I should be recognized for all that I do, but I don't claim that I deserve the World title. I don't claim that I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Especially not this week, because all I am worried about, is defending my tag team title. Is walking out of Las Vegas the same way I walked in, give or take a black eye or two. I know you two will do all that you can to avoid that. To keep Blade and I from achieving those goals. Lofty goals as you would call them. But not unattainable. And that is something that Blade and I will show you first hand when we beat the two of you inside of that ring.
Because that is what we do. For the past two Pay-Per-Views, the Exchange Rate has kicked off each night with a tag match that set the entire arena on fire. For the past two Pay-Per-Views, we have done nothing but win matches and entertain the fans. Even when everyone doubted us, we still pulled out victories.
And to be quite honest with the two of you, I'll let you in on a little secret.
When it comes to APW Pay-Per-Views, yours truly is undefeated. At Shockwave, I won a triple threat match against Blade and John Green. One Night in Hell, Blade and I defeated the Sports Nutz for the very tag team titles we will fight for. At Christmas Chaos we showed the Red Shield Mafia that we were what we said we were. And I will be damned if the two of you think you are going to stop us from racking up yet another Pay-Per-View win. Because that is what we do. We win when winning matters most. You put our titles on the line and we ratchet things up another ten notches.
Which is where we find ourselves this week.
(Gates turns around and leans his back against the ledge again.)
C.J. Gates: Blade and I fully understand that to become successful we have to remain focused. We can't stray from the path that is laid out before us. Which is what makes his recent slip a bit more interesting. Because now you have the ability to throw that in our faces. Flaunt the fact that Blade doesn't look like the Blade that I've been teaming with for months. Toy with the idea that he is done and washed up. Thing is, I don't believe that for a minute. Sure, it might dwindle in my mind, but I know that come match time, Blade will be ready to go. I know that he will be putting everything he has into that match so that the Exchange Rate can shut up the Youngs.
Still, nobody is perfect, right Kaycee?
Because if everyone was perfect, than people like you wouldn't slip up the ways that you do. Oh, you can fully tell that the pleasantries have been thrown out the window this week, and rightfully so. I already know that you and Brandon don't care about anything but yourselves, and even if you let more into your little bubble, I wouldn't be one of them. Sure, you might see something to respect as far as in ring competition goes, but outside of that, you aren't exactly happy with me. And maybe that is because of what I said last week. Who knows.
But to get us back on track, I'm sure you're trying to figure out what I could possibly be thinking about when I claim you to not be perfect. To have slipped up, and quite recently too. You see, last week when you were so fueled by anger and passion and thoughts of revenge, you made the mistake of...well, not paying attention. To anything. Because if you had paid attention, you would know that my tag team partner is not the Biggs you claimed it to be. And imagine my surprise when you said you would unseat myself and Biggs. Imagine the smile that came to my mind when I realized how...ignorant you were. Granted, granted, you had more on your mind than a silly little match against me.
To mistake Biggs for Blade though...that just tells me that you aren't as interested in this whole tag team thing like you claim. That while you might be a good wrestler, other things are more important. And I agree that a loved one is more important. That someone's health and life are more important that titles and a victory. But still...to slip up like that? Just shows me that you find attention to detail to be a bit of a drag.
And honestly, what kind of person deserves to win a match when they don't even know who they're opponents are. Granted, it was last week, but that doesn't matter. It's not like you didn't know you were going to be facing the tag team champions at Survive and Conquer. Half the battle is to do your homework, and make sure that you know what is going on before you spout off this and that. Because there are more people like me out there that will make you eat those words.
But seeing as how you two deserve to be entrenched at the top, you should already know all about that, right?
If it was a case of too much going on at the wrong time, than maybe that's a sign. I'm not saying that you should get divorced or anything, but if wrestling alongside your husband Brando is going to make you that enraged and if it's going to cause you to lose the focus this week rests on, then maybe something needs to be done. Maybe you shouldn't work in the same federations. Maybe you should let Brando handle his own battles. I don't know, and I'm sorry if this is coming off as a bit of an insult, but maybe it's too much on your plate, you know? Something seems like it has to be done.
That's not to say that I lack passion and that I lack compassion, for that matter. Because I know all of what you have gone through, Kayc. If that had been Vivian inside of that ring, I probably would have acted the exact same way that you did. But it wasn't. Because I have learned to figure out that a personal life and a professional life should remain that day. The moment you crossover and blend those lines together everything goes up in smoke.
But that doesn't matter to you, right? I mean, you have been doing this thing for so long it's second nature. It's old hat.
Though just take a look at what has happened. Level One got under your skin, you got all enraged and flew off, and ended up losing your match to me last week. To any lay-person that would show me that their passion was their downfall. The desire to protect the one that they vowed to protect, that is what did you in. At least in my opinion.
(Gates smirks as he gets up from leaning and paces a few steps in front of him before turning back.)
C.J. Gates: Yes, yes, yes, I hear you out there. What does that have to do with anything. Why does it matter in the bigger picture what happened last week. Because the two of you are now more focused than you've ever been. More determined than you've ever been. Forget Level One and his cronies. Forget last weeks match.
Everyone says that, don't they?
They say it's all over, but is it? Did last week not matter, or will that doubt linger? Will Level One linger? Will the thought that he could walk down that ramp at any moment and finish what he started. If I were a betting man, I'd say that thought remains there. But, I almost want it to. I actually wish that you would keep up that mindset going into the match.
Obviously the whole situation fired you up. You threw out some words at me last week that I know you don't exactly want back, but they were words that probably wouldn't have been said under different circumstances. And I don't care. Because this is what we want. This is what Blade and I want. Competition. Something that we can actually salivate about. A team that makes us work harder than we have had to, and will push us to all new heights.
Heights that I am not afraid to reach. Heights that I have not been afraid to jump from.
Let's switch gears though, shall we?
Brandon, unfortunately our paths have no crossed. I did think that in the weeks leading up to the Pay-Per-View, you and I would have been paired off. But I was wrong, although it would have made for a great singles match, possibly better than the one Kaycee and I fought in last week. I have heard, and seen, good things about you and what you can do when trapped inside that ring. And as I have maintained, Brando, I respect what you and Kaycee have done. The backhanded compliments and what would appear to you to be a not-so-mister-nice-guy approach is just a product of getting caught up in the moment. And really, you can't blame me for getting caught up in the moment, can you?
And if you can blame me for getting caught up in the moment, then maybe I need to throw my question to Kaycee back to you. If you can't handle someone shooting from the hip and telling it like it really is, putting everything out there, then maybe you need to try something else or find a more open mind. Because that is what I do. I don't hold back even if it might offend my opponents on a personal level. They want to challenge me and my partner for the tag team titles we have worked so hard to keep, AND want to make jokes about us, they aren't going to get a sugar coated speech about rainbows and gumdrops.
You two aren't going to get a sugar coated speech.
Even when the nicest guy in the neighborhood is faced with a battle, you don't see him smiling away, complimenting everything that his opponent is doing like he was the Queen of England. Mind you, it's not often one would see the nicest guy in the neighborhood in a battle, but I can assure you that the moment he was locked up with someone else, he wouldn't hold back. He would shout out a 'hi-dilly-ho'. He'd make sure someone paid. And that is all Blade and I are doing. Because after all, that is what we do. Because this is wrestling.
This is a job, a hobby, a sport. This is something that happens in this business. And maybe you don't dig how Blade and I do things. Maybe you can't wrap your head around what he and I are capable of doing. And that is fine. It really is. But that's not going to stop me from saying what I want to say. Especially after hearing the two of you feign nice, take a jab at the champions and play it off like you're the wounded victims in it all. Don't take this as a lack of respect, though, because in no way do I have no respect for what the two of you have accomplished.
Though I will answer your question from earlier, since I never really got the chance to yet. You want to know how we are being held down, Brandon? You want to know why I continue to call out those that don't believe in Blade and myself? Name me one person, outside of Branden, that looks at us like the serious threats we are. Look at the people who look at us, and nod their heads, liking what they see. Maybe Sally, but that's about where it is. And considering we are that top tag team you speak of, we get no respect. No recognition. We don't whine because we find it to be our finishing move. We don't bitch because we have nothing better to do. We have legitimate complaints.
And that is what I was talking about earlier, Brandon. This is our chance to rewrite the perception that everyone has of us. This is our opportunity to make a serious mark. You've heard those jabs Level One takes at us? Claiming that the tag team titles are the biggest joke going? He's not the only one who says that. But those are the comments we will erase.
Honestly, Brandon? I think I've earned a little self-rightousness. I've done nothing but win match after match, and I still get held down without so much as an ounce of recognition. And after all, it doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what you want to believe because what really matters to me, and what will always matter to me.
(Gates nods and stops pacing, turning towards the lights and pointing towards them.)
C.J. Gates: They matter. All of the fans waiting to watch this big Pay-Per-View are the ones that truly matter. And as long as they are cheering us on and waiting for us to light up the air with our aerial attack, then I do not mind. Kaycee should remember. Last week they got to their feet and cheered as loud as they could when I kicked out of her pinning attempts. You don't get that if you're not a nice guy. So your opinions and your quips about how I act and how I talk, forget them. Because quite honestly, I don't care.
Outside of the fans, the only other thing I really care about is walking into Las Vegas, defeating you and Kaycee and retaining out Tag Team titles. Because that is what the Exchange Rate does.
I'll see the two of you this weekend. And then we can really see if you two are willing to go big, or if you're just going to go home.
(The scene fades to black as Gates takes one last look toward the bright lights before turning and walking to the door.)
C.J. Gates: I know some people are questioning my choices for this Pay-Per-View. Some people are beginning to think that maybe I have lost my mind. Defending my tag team titles and then competing in what will be a grueling and hellacious match. And maybe they are right. Maybe I have slightly lost my mind. But I've also realized that this week holds a great opportunity for me.
This is the week that will really test my mettle. This is the week when I can really make a statement as to who I am. Not only do I finally get competition in the tag team scene, but I also get to outlast thirty nine other men to win the Survive and Conquer Main Event. Neither match will be easy, but I expected that the moment I signed the dotted line and saw the Beautiful Disaster become the number one contenders.
But it's nights like this one coming up that really drive someone. That really show what someone is made of. It's a chance for me to shine. People have already been holding me down and calling me the weak link. Saying that I have no talent outside of tag team wrestling. But they are wrong, and this is when I prove that to them. This is when I make them realize that I have more to offer.
Last week I accomplished what I set out to do. Plain and simple. This week, the stakes are higher, but I'm sure that I will still be able to get things done. It's just going to take that little bit extra umph that was absent in other title defences.
Something I am very capable of doing.
(He pauses and smirks again. From offscreen, Rico Casteel enters the picture closing a cell phone.)
Rico: Still no answer. Think he's gone dark?
(Gates turns around so that his back is now against the ledge.)
C.J. Gates: I doubt it. I think he's just trying to get himself in check for the Pay-Per-View.
Rico: You sure about that? He's usually quick to answer his phone in the days leading up to a match.
C.J. Gates: Well, let's put it in the hope category.
(Rico chuckles.)
C.J. Gates: I hope he is getting himself in check so that when we step into the ring with those two, the disaster happens to them.
Rico: Fair enough. Though what he said has to be hitting you hard.
C.J. Gates: I don't even think it's what he said, it's what he was doing.
Rico: What do you mean?
C.J. Gates: Okay, he apologized to me for him letting me down. But he has to know that he didn't let me down. Never has. Sure, he might have had a rough patch last week against Brandon, but he still put his ass out there to give himself a chance at winning. That shows me heart. And that's the same heart that he showed me at Shockwave in that triple threat match against John Green. He proved to me that he has the guts and determination to get the job done.
Rico: But it's just the drinking...
C.J. Gates: Everyone has their demons, I understand that. Sure he's my tag team partner, but I let him do his own thing. I don't tie him down with a leash and slap his wrist whenever he starts to get out of line. He's a grown man. What troubled me about the drinking was the excess of it. Was the fact that he did that before our team got put together and was caught in that downward spiral he always talks about.
Rico: And you're worried that he'll return to that, on this, the most important show in your APW career.
C.J. Gates: Most important...
(Gates ponders that label as Rico checks his phone.)
C.J. Gates: Yeah, I guess we can say that this is going to turn out to be the most important match of my career. The matches against Sally Talfourd and Level One still rank up there as far as importance goes, however. Regardless, I am kind of worried that he'll return. That he will be sitting in a bar knocking back shots up until the bell rings.
Rico: Which is why you want to get a hold of him and check in on him.
C.J. Gates: Exactly. But that's the extreme of the spectrum. In the forefront of my mind, I am certain that Blade will hold up his end of the bargain. I am damn sure that he will pull out all the stops that he needs to. Because that is how the Exchange Rate rolls.
Rico: Well, I wish you both good luck in your match. Kaycee and Brandon aren't an easy duo to knock off.
C.J. Gates: I know that. I definitely know that. Kaycee gave me a hell of a time inside of that ring. And looking at what Brandon did to Blade, I'm sure he is just as tough.
Rico: Hopefully you guys are able to pull it out. I'd hate to be the only one pulling gold in this joint.
(Gates glares at Rico who laughs.)
Rico: Kidding, kidding. But, hey, quick question for you.
C.J. Gates: Yeah?
Rico: If you guys do lose, and with the way Blade has been acting, you think this ends the team thing?
(Gates hesitates and lets out a deep breath.)
C.J. Gates: I don't know. I hope not, but I guess that's up to Blade. Besides, what's all this talk of us possibly losing?
Rico: Just covering all the bases.
C.J. Gates: Well cut it out, alright? We have to go into this thinking positively. I'm thinking positively, so you should too, alright?
Rico: Alright, alright. Sorry I even thought of it that way.
C.J. Gates: Good. Thank you.
(Rico checks his phone again.)
Rico: Want me to keep calling him?
C.J. Gates: Naw, go grab a bite or something. I'll try him. I'll give you a call later.
Rico: Sounds good.
(Rico pockets his cell phone and walks towards the door leading inside. He opens it and waves his hand as the light washes over him. After a few moments he disappears inside and closes the door behind him. Gates pulls his own cell phone out of his pocket and dials a number before raising it to his ear. He paces away from the ledge as he waits for the other end to pick up. Cursing, he looks up to the night sky above him.)
C.J. Gates: Blade, it's Gates. Listen, sorry to be pestering you with phone calls but I thought we could talk about this week. You know, get a game plan going, make sure we're all on the same page, yeah? Sound good? Give me a call back, maybe we'll grab a bite sometime before the title defense. Hit me back.
(Gates hangs up the phone and pockets it. He looks down from the sky and rubs his eyes with his fingers before walking back to the ledge and looking back toward the bright lights.)
C.J. Gates: To go with the seeming theme that has popped up in the past few weeks, I guess I should thank you, Kaycee. After the way Derek Wellings basically told me to fuck off, you at least gave me the benefit of the doubt and gave a damn. You also gave me one hell of a match, which is all I really could have asked for. And even though Brandon might have beaten Blade, at least I managed to stop the two of you from taking all of the momentum going into this week. And that's what really matters, right? Leave a shred of doubt lingering in your minds, knowing that if I get into that ring, things could change very quickly. Whether or not you choose to believe that is up to the two of you, however.
(Gates leans against the ledge again and continues to look towards the lights.)
C.J. Gates: People around the country dream of coming to Las Vegas for the fun and the excitement that the city offers. They see the bright lights of the city when they close their eyes. And those bright lights, the ones shining out there in the distance, those lights represent peoples dreams. They represent the possibility of what could be. The possibility of success. The potential for all of their hopes to become reality. For all of their dreams to come true. They represent the possibility for someone to get their names plastered on billboards and marquees.
But you two, you don't fall into those categories. Because while there are people like me who are actually trying to make a name for ourselves, and trying to gain the recognition, knowing full well that we have yet to attain such status, you two have this air about you. This feeling like you are owed something. You're both thinking well beyond what could be and are already latched onto what should be. How you came into APW talking about how you should already have been thrust into the Main Event scene. How you were talking about already being tag team champions before you actually gained the number one contendership spot.
And sure, a little confidence and optimism is great and all, but one thing you are failing to realize is that in our business, in our little world, people need to earn their due. People need to work their way up. Even if you are top dogs in some other federation, that doesn't mean jack here. You still have to go through the gauntlet of pain to get to where you want to be.
Which you've done. You're there right now, you've earned your way to this point and this match against Blade and I. But not before it. Never before it did you deserve any accolades outside of your tag team moniker. Never before did you earn the right to be praised. Even though I have had matches against Sally Talfourd and Level One, I still don't consider myself at the top. I still don't claim I should be spoken alongside the best of the best. Sure, I proclaim that I should be acknowledged and that I should be recognized for all that I do, but I don't claim that I deserve the World title. I don't claim that I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Especially not this week, because all I am worried about, is defending my tag team title. Is walking out of Las Vegas the same way I walked in, give or take a black eye or two. I know you two will do all that you can to avoid that. To keep Blade and I from achieving those goals. Lofty goals as you would call them. But not unattainable. And that is something that Blade and I will show you first hand when we beat the two of you inside of that ring.
Because that is what we do. For the past two Pay-Per-Views, the Exchange Rate has kicked off each night with a tag match that set the entire arena on fire. For the past two Pay-Per-Views, we have done nothing but win matches and entertain the fans. Even when everyone doubted us, we still pulled out victories.
And to be quite honest with the two of you, I'll let you in on a little secret.
When it comes to APW Pay-Per-Views, yours truly is undefeated. At Shockwave, I won a triple threat match against Blade and John Green. One Night in Hell, Blade and I defeated the Sports Nutz for the very tag team titles we will fight for. At Christmas Chaos we showed the Red Shield Mafia that we were what we said we were. And I will be damned if the two of you think you are going to stop us from racking up yet another Pay-Per-View win. Because that is what we do. We win when winning matters most. You put our titles on the line and we ratchet things up another ten notches.
Which is where we find ourselves this week.
(Gates turns around and leans his back against the ledge again.)
C.J. Gates: Blade and I fully understand that to become successful we have to remain focused. We can't stray from the path that is laid out before us. Which is what makes his recent slip a bit more interesting. Because now you have the ability to throw that in our faces. Flaunt the fact that Blade doesn't look like the Blade that I've been teaming with for months. Toy with the idea that he is done and washed up. Thing is, I don't believe that for a minute. Sure, it might dwindle in my mind, but I know that come match time, Blade will be ready to go. I know that he will be putting everything he has into that match so that the Exchange Rate can shut up the Youngs.
Still, nobody is perfect, right Kaycee?
Because if everyone was perfect, than people like you wouldn't slip up the ways that you do. Oh, you can fully tell that the pleasantries have been thrown out the window this week, and rightfully so. I already know that you and Brandon don't care about anything but yourselves, and even if you let more into your little bubble, I wouldn't be one of them. Sure, you might see something to respect as far as in ring competition goes, but outside of that, you aren't exactly happy with me. And maybe that is because of what I said last week. Who knows.
But to get us back on track, I'm sure you're trying to figure out what I could possibly be thinking about when I claim you to not be perfect. To have slipped up, and quite recently too. You see, last week when you were so fueled by anger and passion and thoughts of revenge, you made the mistake of...well, not paying attention. To anything. Because if you had paid attention, you would know that my tag team partner is not the Biggs you claimed it to be. And imagine my surprise when you said you would unseat myself and Biggs. Imagine the smile that came to my mind when I realized how...ignorant you were. Granted, granted, you had more on your mind than a silly little match against me.
To mistake Biggs for Blade though...that just tells me that you aren't as interested in this whole tag team thing like you claim. That while you might be a good wrestler, other things are more important. And I agree that a loved one is more important. That someone's health and life are more important that titles and a victory. But still...to slip up like that? Just shows me that you find attention to detail to be a bit of a drag.
And honestly, what kind of person deserves to win a match when they don't even know who they're opponents are. Granted, it was last week, but that doesn't matter. It's not like you didn't know you were going to be facing the tag team champions at Survive and Conquer. Half the battle is to do your homework, and make sure that you know what is going on before you spout off this and that. Because there are more people like me out there that will make you eat those words.
But seeing as how you two deserve to be entrenched at the top, you should already know all about that, right?
If it was a case of too much going on at the wrong time, than maybe that's a sign. I'm not saying that you should get divorced or anything, but if wrestling alongside your husband Brando is going to make you that enraged and if it's going to cause you to lose the focus this week rests on, then maybe something needs to be done. Maybe you shouldn't work in the same federations. Maybe you should let Brando handle his own battles. I don't know, and I'm sorry if this is coming off as a bit of an insult, but maybe it's too much on your plate, you know? Something seems like it has to be done.
That's not to say that I lack passion and that I lack compassion, for that matter. Because I know all of what you have gone through, Kayc. If that had been Vivian inside of that ring, I probably would have acted the exact same way that you did. But it wasn't. Because I have learned to figure out that a personal life and a professional life should remain that day. The moment you crossover and blend those lines together everything goes up in smoke.
But that doesn't matter to you, right? I mean, you have been doing this thing for so long it's second nature. It's old hat.
Though just take a look at what has happened. Level One got under your skin, you got all enraged and flew off, and ended up losing your match to me last week. To any lay-person that would show me that their passion was their downfall. The desire to protect the one that they vowed to protect, that is what did you in. At least in my opinion.
(Gates smirks as he gets up from leaning and paces a few steps in front of him before turning back.)
C.J. Gates: Yes, yes, yes, I hear you out there. What does that have to do with anything. Why does it matter in the bigger picture what happened last week. Because the two of you are now more focused than you've ever been. More determined than you've ever been. Forget Level One and his cronies. Forget last weeks match.
Everyone says that, don't they?
They say it's all over, but is it? Did last week not matter, or will that doubt linger? Will Level One linger? Will the thought that he could walk down that ramp at any moment and finish what he started. If I were a betting man, I'd say that thought remains there. But, I almost want it to. I actually wish that you would keep up that mindset going into the match.
Obviously the whole situation fired you up. You threw out some words at me last week that I know you don't exactly want back, but they were words that probably wouldn't have been said under different circumstances. And I don't care. Because this is what we want. This is what Blade and I want. Competition. Something that we can actually salivate about. A team that makes us work harder than we have had to, and will push us to all new heights.
Heights that I am not afraid to reach. Heights that I have not been afraid to jump from.
Let's switch gears though, shall we?
Brandon, unfortunately our paths have no crossed. I did think that in the weeks leading up to the Pay-Per-View, you and I would have been paired off. But I was wrong, although it would have made for a great singles match, possibly better than the one Kaycee and I fought in last week. I have heard, and seen, good things about you and what you can do when trapped inside that ring. And as I have maintained, Brando, I respect what you and Kaycee have done. The backhanded compliments and what would appear to you to be a not-so-mister-nice-guy approach is just a product of getting caught up in the moment. And really, you can't blame me for getting caught up in the moment, can you?
And if you can blame me for getting caught up in the moment, then maybe I need to throw my question to Kaycee back to you. If you can't handle someone shooting from the hip and telling it like it really is, putting everything out there, then maybe you need to try something else or find a more open mind. Because that is what I do. I don't hold back even if it might offend my opponents on a personal level. They want to challenge me and my partner for the tag team titles we have worked so hard to keep, AND want to make jokes about us, they aren't going to get a sugar coated speech about rainbows and gumdrops.
You two aren't going to get a sugar coated speech.
Even when the nicest guy in the neighborhood is faced with a battle, you don't see him smiling away, complimenting everything that his opponent is doing like he was the Queen of England. Mind you, it's not often one would see the nicest guy in the neighborhood in a battle, but I can assure you that the moment he was locked up with someone else, he wouldn't hold back. He would shout out a 'hi-dilly-ho'. He'd make sure someone paid. And that is all Blade and I are doing. Because after all, that is what we do. Because this is wrestling.
This is a job, a hobby, a sport. This is something that happens in this business. And maybe you don't dig how Blade and I do things. Maybe you can't wrap your head around what he and I are capable of doing. And that is fine. It really is. But that's not going to stop me from saying what I want to say. Especially after hearing the two of you feign nice, take a jab at the champions and play it off like you're the wounded victims in it all. Don't take this as a lack of respect, though, because in no way do I have no respect for what the two of you have accomplished.
Though I will answer your question from earlier, since I never really got the chance to yet. You want to know how we are being held down, Brandon? You want to know why I continue to call out those that don't believe in Blade and myself? Name me one person, outside of Branden, that looks at us like the serious threats we are. Look at the people who look at us, and nod their heads, liking what they see. Maybe Sally, but that's about where it is. And considering we are that top tag team you speak of, we get no respect. No recognition. We don't whine because we find it to be our finishing move. We don't bitch because we have nothing better to do. We have legitimate complaints.
And that is what I was talking about earlier, Brandon. This is our chance to rewrite the perception that everyone has of us. This is our opportunity to make a serious mark. You've heard those jabs Level One takes at us? Claiming that the tag team titles are the biggest joke going? He's not the only one who says that. But those are the comments we will erase.
Honestly, Brandon? I think I've earned a little self-rightousness. I've done nothing but win match after match, and I still get held down without so much as an ounce of recognition. And after all, it doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what you want to believe because what really matters to me, and what will always matter to me.
(Gates nods and stops pacing, turning towards the lights and pointing towards them.)
C.J. Gates: They matter. All of the fans waiting to watch this big Pay-Per-View are the ones that truly matter. And as long as they are cheering us on and waiting for us to light up the air with our aerial attack, then I do not mind. Kaycee should remember. Last week they got to their feet and cheered as loud as they could when I kicked out of her pinning attempts. You don't get that if you're not a nice guy. So your opinions and your quips about how I act and how I talk, forget them. Because quite honestly, I don't care.
Outside of the fans, the only other thing I really care about is walking into Las Vegas, defeating you and Kaycee and retaining out Tag Team titles. Because that is what the Exchange Rate does.
I'll see the two of you this weekend. And then we can really see if you two are willing to go big, or if you're just going to go home.
(The scene fades to black as Gates takes one last look toward the bright lights before turning and walking to the door.)
