Post by biggs on Mar 22, 2011 22:26:50 GMT -4
Sunday, March 20
7:56 pm
Elk's Lodge
Tacoma, Washington
”What the heck am I even doing here?!” I think to myself as I'm standing in the gorilla position backstage at a Pacific Northwest Wrestling show. I'm doing a favor for the guy who trained me, Dale Davis, as one half of his main event was unable to make it due to a personal issue. Dale gave me a call about two hours ago, and I'm making a surprise appearance as the replacement opponent. The PNW Champion, a fella by the name of “Your Mom's Favorite Wrestler” Danny Darling, is already in the ring, as is Dale, telling the fans that there's been a change of plans. The crowd cheers the fact that Darling's original opponent wasn't able to make it, as he was a rather despised individual, but those cheers quickly become boos as soon a “Spaceman” hits, and I walk through the curtains as Dale introduces me.
”Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the current APW Overdrive Champion, and Danny Darling's opponent for this evening, from Seattle, Washington, weighing in at 217 pounds, Biggs!” Danny yells enthusiastically as I head down the aisle. There can't be more than 100 fans in attendance in the small, dimly lit gym area of the Elk's Lodge. Bright spotlights focus on the ring, but that's as close as it gets to the production levels that I'm used to. The fans are livid and cursing me as I dance down the aisle arrogantly, really laying on smarm to try and make them hate me even more. The crowd is eating it up, booing me with all their ire. Still, I've got to question my decision to take a match like this on such short notice only a week away from what is assuredly the biggest title defense of my APW career. Why am I here after the fight that I had with Ellie?
I get a good look at Darling as I make my way to the ring. He's very similar in size to myself, just a bit bigger, probably about 225 pounds, about six feet tall. He has on dark green tights and bright white boots, and wears his dark brown hair in a ponytail. I can tell he's a bit nervous about facing a wrestler of my caliber, as well he should be. But I'm not going to let myself get overconfident, because one slip up and he could either embarrass me or cause me to get injured, neither of which I can afford heading into RassleMania. As I reach the ring, a fan in the front row throws his popcorn at me, hitting me in the back. I turn right towards him and get into his face, jawing off with him a bit before putting him in his place. I'm a little more mean than I probably should be, but I'm not in a particularly good mood at this time. When I finally make it into the ring, I take the mic from Dale, and wait for the boos to die down a bit before I speak.
”Now before I face off against Danny What's-his-name here, I just want to remind all of you here what a special privilege you are all in store for in being able to witness me compete here tonight! It's not everyday that PNW has a Mega Star such as myself grace it with their presence, and you all are getting quite the value for your money based on the mere fact that I'm even in the ring tonight! Despite the fact that the rest of this show has been complete garbage with lack luster talent, who bless their hearts, are trying as hard as they can to be somewhat decent wrestlers, the fact that the greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history is here to save this show is enough to justify the money you spent to attend this show a hundred times over!”
The fans boo my arrogance, while Danny Darling stands there with a perturbed look on his face.
”I've got a big pay per view match coming up in a week, where I defend this title against four other men in an Overdrive Championship Scramble Match, and so I thought tonight I'd come here and have a tune up match! Not to say that this Danny Darling character can even hold a candle to the worst competition I've faced in APW, but the fact is that I'm keeping myself well conditioned, and making sure I'm in tip-top shape for my big match this next Sunday!”
I turn towards Danny Darling to address him specifically.
”Danny, I make no apologizes for how badly I'm going to embarrass you tonight in this ring, just like I will embarrass my opponents at APW RassleMania VII! But unlike those chuckle heads, Danny, what I do to you tonight isn't personal, it's just business, and frankly, I'm in the business of being quite simply out of this WORLD!” I taunt him with a very confident tone in my voice.
By this point, Danny has gotten a mic, and responds, ”Biggs, why don't you shut up about how great you are, and prove it!” The crowd pops at this, beginning a “DANNY! DANNY!” chant. I give him a flippant smirk, and remove my belt and jacket, handing them to the ring crew as the ref calls for the bell, DING! DING! DING!
Danny shoots at me like a rocket, but I take a step back, dodging the attempt and step back in to give him a knee right to the face! We go back and forth for a few minutes at an extremely fast pace, but I can't help but feel like I'm a step off from normal. The whole match, I'm distracted by what happened between Ellie and I right before I left for the show, and while Darling is good for where he's at, he's not good enough to capitalize on me being off sync. It also doesn't help his cause that I'm taking my frustrations out on him, pulling on the Camel Clutch a bit harder than normal, having a bit more spice behind my Crossface Forearm Strikes. After about 20 minutes of action, I give Darling the Bigg Time, followed up with a UFO Frog Splash to put him away! ”I shouldn't be here...” I think to myself as “Spaceman” begins to play again and the ref raises my arm in victory while the fans boo loudly.
(2 and a half hours ago)
”No problem, Dale. I'll be down there as soon as I can!” I say enthusiastically as I hang up the phone. Ellie and I have just finished dinner, and she's in the kitchen doing dishes. I walk in to let her know what's up. ”Babe, I got to get down to Tacoma for a wrestling show. My trainer, Dale Davis, is running a show, and one half of his main event, Butch Bruiser, just got arrested for driving while intoxicated. I know it's short notice, and that we had plans to watch a movie tonight, but I got to go help him out.”
Ellie looks up at me with eyes that show her disappointment. ”We were going to watch Up tonight. That's our favorite movie...”
”We can watch it when I get back. I got to go get my ring gear...” I say as I exit the kitchen and head upstairs. As I load up my duffel bag in a hurry, Ellie follows me upstairs. I fold up my tights as I notice that she's there, and there's a bit of a whine in her voice as she talks to me.
”Why do you even have to go out tonight? You work for APW, not this Dale Davis guy! Plus, I really want to spend time with you tonight!”
I continue to prep my duffel bag as I respond, ”Well, Dale is largely responsible for me being as skilled as I am, as he taught me much of what I know in that ring. He's like a second father to me, and this is a chance for me to thank him. Also, the chance to get some more in-ring action heading into RassleMania can only help with my training and preparation for the big event. I can't pass up this opportunity to help him and myself.”
Ellie stomps her foot and begins to pout a bit as she replies, ”But what about helping me? This past week and a half has been all about you training for RassleMania, with very little or no time with me! You promised me one night this week that was going to be for me, and since you haven't done it yet this week, I was assuming that it would be tonight!”
”Listen, Ellie, I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. It's just that with RassleMania coming up, considering the fact that I'm defending my title in a Championship Scramble Match, I need to take absolutely every opportunity I can to make sure that I'm in the best possible place I can be heading into that match. It's going to be the greatest challenge I've faced since winning the championship, but also the greatest opportunity to prove how great of a wrestler I really am. I'm sorry that it seems like I haven't had as much time for you these past few weeks as you'd like, heck, as I'd like as well, but at this point, I've got to focus.” I zip up my duffel bag and turn around to Ellie, placing my hands on her shoulders as I look her in the eyes. ”I'm sorry that this past week has been so hard on you. I promise after RassleMania, I'll take you on a vacation to wherever you want to go! Doesn't that sound good? Is that a fair compromise?”
Ellie looks towards the ground while she answers me, ”It does, but...”
”But what?”
”But I really want to spend time with you tonight!”
”Well, you could come down to the show with me! I'll even let you come out to the ring with me, like old times!”
”I just want it to be you and me...” she answers, trying her hardest to hold back the tears. As I stand there, I begin to feel a bit guilty about changing plans on her, but the fact is that by this point, I need to get going.
”I really got to get going, baby. If you want to come, you're more than welcome to. And once I get back, I promise that it'll be just you and me for the rest of the night. And I'll even take tomorrow morning off from training! We'll talk more when I get back!” I give her a kiss on the forehead, and grab my duffel, walking past her to head towards the garage. She mumbles something that I can't hear as I head down the stairs.
(Now)
I'm sitting on the bench in the make shift locker room, in a room which looks like it's normally used as a banquet hall. A bunch of the talent comes up and thanks me for coming on such short notice, and while I'm removing my boots, Dale walks over to me, and holds out a wad of cash in front of my face. I look up at him, shaking my head as I respond, ”Dale, you know that I don't need that. I came down here to do a favor for you. You should split it up for the rest of the boys...”
”Thanks again, Biggs! Especially for coming down on such extremely short notice. You saved the show, man. Sure the fans were pissed that you won the match, but I think you really helped Danny to look the best he's looked in ages. I think in a few more months, he could be ready to make the next step up.” Dale says with a grin on his face.
”The kid has potential, that's for sure. I could talk to President Jeff about maybe getting him a tryout match next time we're in the area,” I tell him in an almost detached manner. I know that Danny Darling is probably the best guy Dale has, but my thoughts aren't on him at all. I'm still frustrated on how I let Ellie down earlier tonight. Dale seems to pick up on my detachment.
”Is everything okay, buddy?” Dale asks me as he places a hand on my shoulder.
”It's nothing...”
”Listen, Biggs, I've known you for a long time, and I know you well enough to know that it's not nothing. If you need somebody to talk to, you can totally talk to me about it. What's troubling you?”
”I don't want to talk about it in front of the guys.”
”Okay. No problem. Let's head to my office, then.”
Dale and I head over to the room next door, where Dale's assistant is counting money and straightening up the books. ”Hey Bill, could you please give us a minute?”
”No problem, sir,” Bill responds, placing a rubber band around the money he's already counted, and writing down a note of where he's at before getting up and leaving the room. Once he's gone and has closed the door, Dale turns to me and asks me, ”What's on your mind, Biggs?”
”Well, to be honest, Dale, I feel like quite the heel right now.”
”You are a bad guy in the ring, so I'd hope you feel like a heel!” Dale jokes, trying to bring some levity to the situation. It works a bit, as I chuckle.
”To tell you the truth, Dale, I really shouldn't have come down tonight. I know that you appreciate me coming down, and I'm more than glad to help out, but I should have stayed home with my wife tonight. We've been having some issues in our marriage, and I totally blew it tonight. About a month ago, we went to a counselor, and she told me that one of the things that bothers her the most is that I have a tendency to avoid dealing with problems when they arise. She didn't want me coming down here tonight, and rather than stopping to talk with her about it and resolve the situation, I just promised her to make it up later and came down in a hurry. The whole time I was in the ring, I couldn't help but think about how I ended up doing to her exactly the thing that frustrates her the most about me! Even though I was coming down to help you, I was very selfish about it...”
Dale gives me a pat on the back as he gives some thought to what I've said before giving me his opinion on the matter. ”Listen, bud, as much as I appreciate you coming down, based on what you've told me, I've got to agree with you that you blew it tonight. But you can't change the fact that you've already done what you've done, so all you can do is try your darnedest to not let it happen again, and make it up to your wife. But also, I've got to encourage you to not beat yourself up over this. I've been happily married for well over 20 years, and if there's one thing I've learned about marriage is that neither person involved is perfect. You've got to be honest and up front with your wife, tell her that you realize how you messed up, and sincerely apologize. If you just give a blanket 'I'm sorry,' it won't be nearly as effective. And while she may still be upset with you in the short term, there's no doubt that you can make this up to her. May I suggest buying some roses on your way back up home tonight?”
”She prefers petunias. But I know exactly what you're saying. The problem is that I know that I'll be sincere and really mean that I'm sorry, but there've been times where I try to apologize to Ellie, and she just doesn't even accept it. In fact, there are times where we go back and forth verbally until she gets so mad that she either slaps me or storms off and I can't find her for a few hours. I'm really worried that when I get home tonight, she won't be there.”
”Well then you need to get going as soon as you can, partner! Get a move on!” Dale exclaims as he shoos me out of his office.
”Thanks, Dale,” I say as I hurry out of the office to grab my stuff.
”Thanks again, Biggs! And tell your wife that I'm sorry!”
”It's not your fault at all, Dale. It's all on me.”
”True, but please just tell her sorry for me anyways!”
I put my sneakers back on, and throw on a T-Shirt before heading to my car. I step inside and pull out my cell phone, calling Ellie. The phone rings a couple of times before I get the voice mail message.
*”Hi, this is Ellie! Please leave a message after the beep! BEEP! Oh wait, I didn't say which beep! The next one!”* BEEP!
”Hi Ellie, it's Gary. I'm just now leaving the Elk's Lodge in Tacoma. Depending on traffic, I'll be home in about 45 minutes to an hour and a half. I just wanted to apologize for walking out on you the way I did tonight, without resolving our disagreement. I know that's one of your biggest frustrations with me, and I know that I should not have come down to Tacoma tonight. I love you, and I'm truly sorry. I'll have my Blue Tooth on, so feel free to give me a call if you want to talk about it. Once again, I'm sorry, and I'll see you soon. Love you, bye.”
I'll admit that I'm slightly worried that she didn't answer, and my mind races with thoughts of where she could be or what she could be doing that would facilitate her not answering her phone. I give her a few more calls on the way home, and each time, I get the voice mail again. I drive as fast as I safely can to get home, but traffic is surprisingly heavy for this late on a Sunday night. Traffic slows down to an absolute standstill about 10 miles out of Seattle. I give Ellie one more call. Once again, I get the message machine.
”CRAP DANGIT!” I yell out as I hang up the phone. By this point, I'm sure that Ellie isn't home, and that when I get home, I'll be walking into a empty house. Man, I really blew tonight.
It takes about half an hour for me to travel the 10 miles it takes to get to Seattle, and by that point, traffic clears a bit to where it only takes about 10 more minutes to get home. Once I park the car and close the garage door, I rush into the house, to find Ellie sitting on the couch watching Up. She's at the part where Carl finds Ellie's adventure book, and sees the page with her note. I don't say a word as I watch her sitting there, crying at the scene. I then make my way over to the couch, and sit next to her, putting my arm around her. She quits crying and looks up at me with an extremely happy look on her face. I give her a kiss on the forehead as she whispers to me, ”I got your message. Thank you...” and kisses me back. We sit back and watch the rest of the movie, cuddled up together.
Airing Monday, March 21
Depeche Mode's “Spacewalker” plays as the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background. The video then switches to Biggs in his den. He's wearing a RassleMania VII T-Shirt with his signature blue shades, and has the Overdrive Championship placed on the end table next to the easy chair he's sitting in.
”Welcome, one and all, to the absolute greatest wrestling web show on the Internet, hosted by the absolute greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history, yours truly, Biggs! Now I've got a lot to talk about, especially my big Overdrive Championship Scramble Match at RassleMania, so I'm just going to jump right in. First things first, I want to address what happened to me a week and a half ago on Overdrive, where those cowards, The Contourage, decided that they'd get the jump on me, and try to soften me up heading into RassleMania. Now I'll be the first to admit that I've used the numbers game to my advantage in the past, so I won't begrudge them doing what they think they need to do in order to try and get the upper hand on me heading into the Scramble Match. But what I do take issue with is the fact that Ryan Ruckus implied that I've just barely scrapped by my opposition this past month and a half, en route to six successful Overdrive Title defenses! Granted, to paraphrase Vin Diesel, it doesn't matter if you win by a mile or an inch, a win is a win, but for Ryan Ruckus to spout off that I just barely beat him, that I just barely beat AJ King, and that I just barely beat Terry Marvin, somehow trying to devalue my current reign as Overdrive Champion, well it's just ludicrous! While some of those matches may have been a bit closer than I would have liked, the bottom line is that I left all of them the way I entered, and that was as Overdrive Champion! Ryan Ruckus has no room to criticize how I've defended this title until he's held it himself, which despite what everyone seems to think, won't be happening at RassleMania!”
“On to the topic of Ryan Ruckus seemingly being the favorite heading into the Championship Scramble Match, I said it the first time I faced Ruckus, and I'll say it again, I don't see how he can be the favorite going into the match when I've been performing at the level that I have been! I've had six successful Overdrive Title defenses in the span of six shows! Can you tell me any other champion in APW history who has accomplished what I have these past two months? Heck, can you tell me of any other APW mega star, other than Mr. Dangerous, who's nothing more than a joke of a wrestler, who has remained undefeated this year? And yet despite all the proof of my greatness, all the proof that I am what I say that I am, and that is the greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history, Ryan Ruckus is still the favorite heading into RassleMania? Sure, he has himself a couple of lackeys in Terry Marvin and AJ King, and make no mistake Terry and AJ, that's exactly what the two of you are in relation to Ryan Ruckus, and sure, they may have gotten the upper hand on me at Overdrive a week and a half ago, but the fact of the matter is that I have defeated all three of them, and came to a draw with my other opponent in the match, one Chris Cyrus. None of my opponents in this match have been able to defeat me, and I intend to keep it that way this Sunday at RassleMania!”
“Now even if what Ruckus said about me just barely scrapping by in my title defenses is true, which it's not, the fact remains that in each and every circumstance, save for Chris Cyrus, I have found a way to win. And this ability to find a way to win, even with my back supposedly against the ropes, can only help me in a match as unpredictable as a Scramble Match. Like Cyrus said in his rousing little speech earlier, the Scramble Match is all about finding your opportunities and taking them. It's not necessarily about who wrestles the best match, or who hits the flashiest or most devastating maneuvers, it's about who wrestles the smartest match, and I fell like there's no evidence to the contrary that I am by far the most intelligent wrestler heading into this match! Chris Cyrus showed his lack of decision making capabilities the moment he turned his back on me to cheat with my fiance. Ryan Ruckus showed he has no sense by vainly holding on while Level-One made him pass out! And Terry Marvin and AJ King have shown themselves to be idiots by deciding to play second banana to Ryan Ruckus by joining the Contourage. I don't buy for a second about their all for one and one for all mentality that they espoused on Overdrive, because I know that each and every member of the Contourage won't hesitate to turn on their allies if the opportunity to become Overdrive Champion presents itself over the course of the match. Quite frankly, Marvin and King, the only reason Ruckus asked you to join him is because he knows if he didn't have the two of you under his thumb, he'd be the number two target right behind me! And while the three of you may work together in the short term of the match, I know it's only a matter of time before one of you will succumb to the allure of becoming the Overdrive Champion, that one of you, or all of you, will turn your back on one another, just so that you can become champion. I know that your group slogan is 'Honor Among Thieves,' but a more appropriate slogan would be, 'No Honor Among Cowards,' because that is what each and every one of you is. I mean, I know that I'm the greatest Overdrive Champion of all time, but the three of you banding together just in time to face me in the Scramble Match seems not only a bit excessive, but desperate. None of you are willing to stand on your own two feet to try and face me and the other men in the match, so you've teamed up, trying to do together what neither one of you could do on your own, and that is defeat me for the Overdrive Championship. It smacks of cowardice, and I'll be honest, I actually have more respect for Chris Cyrus, a man who tried to steal my wife, then fiance, from me, than the lot of you yellow-bellied scaredy cats!”
“Now I'm going to take a moment to address each one of you specifically, so I can tell you exactly what I think of you. I'm going to start with the ring leader, Ryan Ruckus! Ryan, I'll be honest when I say that of the three members of the Contourage, you're the one who put up the best fight when you challenged me for the Overdrive Championship last month. Lets face it, of all the competitors in this Scramble match, we're the most evenly matched, in terms of speed, and propensity for bending the rules to our favor. Granted, you're a self professed spot monkey, going for high flying, high risk moves with almost reckless abandon, lacking the skill and grace I have in the ring. Quite simply put, Ruckus, I am a better wrestler than you. You may have a very exciting, high octane offense, and as your performance in Survive and Conquer showed, you're very intelligent with your in-ring strategies, but the bottom line is that at the end of the day, you live and die by your ability to pull a fast one! When you fought Level-One for the #1 Contendership for the APW Heavyweight Championship, the two of you fought tooth and nail, but you were done in when you shoved the ref, allowing Level-One to low blow you and set you up for a Level-Advance followed up with the House of Pain. You set yourself up for the loss with that one. As for an example of you pulling a fast one working out, one doesn't need to look any further than your victory in Survive and Conquer. You shoved Terry Marvin off the ladder, sending him falling 16 feet through the announce table below. You were in the right place, at the right time. Same for the Fatal Four Way #1 Contender's Match, where you came from out of nowhere with the Cluster Ruck to win. They say that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and considering the up and down month you've had leading up to RassleMania, I'd say that's a very accurate assessment of you. And I know you're hoping to be extra lucky this Sunday, so you can leave Berkeley as the new Overdrive Champion, but there's a reason they only say that it's better to be lucky than good. Because when you're legitimately great like myself, you don't need to rely on luck to come out ahead! No amount of luck in the world is going to help you to be able to wrestle this title away from me, Ryan Ruckus, no matter how much you try to stack the odds against me.”
“I understand completely why you've formed the Contourage, Ryan Ruckus, because the fact of the matter is that you know that on your own, you can't beat me. You know that even in the context of a multi-man match like the Championship Scramble Match, I'm good enough to find a way to win. So you decide to go out and make your opponents in said match your allies, using your mutual disdain for yours truly as a motivating factor to band together. You claim that there's honor amongst your little band of self-professed thieves, Ruckus, but you're just saying that, convincing yourself that the three of you are merely deciding to work together to try and raise your collective profiles, trying to establish yourselves as the dominant new group here in APW. And what better way to bring prestige to your group than to bring home one of the most prestigious titles here in APW? With the way you've been talking Ruckus, it seems like you're trying to convince Terry and AJ that the three of you share of philosophy of 'anyone but Biggs' for APW Overdrive Champion, but I know that Ryan, in your heart of hearts, your actual stance is 'anyone but Biggs, who's name happens to be Ryan Ruckus!' The same thing goes for Terry and AJ, granted, with their names instead of yours, but I think at RassleMania, the three of you will find out how strong your bond really is. Ruckus, you didn't form the Contourage to benefit all three of you, just yourself. Because you know that with the other two men on your side, you stand a little bit better of a chance of being able to pull a fast one at RassleMania. But I'm here to tell you right now, Ruckus, all you've done is given me the opportunity to further prove my greatness when I embarrass the three of you individually and corporately!”
Biggs flashes his trademark smirk at this point.
”Now on to Terry Marvin. T-Marv, of all the competitors to recently debut in APW, you've probably had it the hardest of the bunch. I mean, you've been thrown right into the fire with some of the best competition that APW has to offer, and while you've shown that you're able to hang for a little bit, ultimately, you just keep coming up short again and again. Like I said heading into our match on the last Overdrive, you're a good wrestler, but not great. You need to find that spark that can carry you up to the next level, that little push that will help you to climb up in the ranks. You seem to believe that joining Ryan Ruckus is that spark you need to help you become successful here in APW, but like I said earlier, joining together with Ryan Ruckus is indicative of how desperate you truly are! Since Survive and Conquer, you've only had one victory, and that was against Criss Cassidy, the Overdrive division's resident whipping boy! In the frame of time since Survive and Conquer, you've lost to AJ King, Ryan Ruckus three times, Sally Talfourd, and myself. You clearly feel like you need help getting out of this rut, but I'm here to tell you right now that Ryan Ruckus is not the answer you're looking for! Look at the facts with me, Terry. Ryan Ruckus threw you off of a ladder on top of the Hell in a Cell! He was looking not only to win the match, but to permanently put you out of commission! It's a testament to your conditioning and good genes that you were able to recover so quickly from such a devastating fall, but the fact of the matter is that by teaming with Ryan Ruckus, you're teaming with a guy who could have killed you! I'll be honest, I'm getting some real Stockholm Syndrome vibes from your whole partnership with Ruckus. Maybe in the sick way your mind seems to work, you admire the man for the ways that he's been able to overcome you time and time again. Maybe you feel like it really is in your best interest to team with a guy who has made you to look like a fool time and time again. Or maybe you're just resigned to the fact that he's been able to be more successful than you, and are hoping that some of his success rubs off on you!”
“Make no mistake about it, Terry Marvin, no matter how much Ryan Ruckus tells you that you're on equal footing with him in the Contourage, no matter how much he tries to convince you that all of you are in it for the mutual benefit of the team, the fact of the matter is that the Contourage is the Ryan Ruckus show, plain and simple. In his eyes, you're just a bit player, Terry Marvin. He's beaten you so many times that there's no way that he thinks your even with him. Not a chance! He may tell you differently. He may say that you're the bee's knees, but considering that in the three times you two have faced off, he's emerged victorious all three times, whether he admits it or not, Ryan Ruckus looks down on you. Also, we can't ignore the fact that AJ also defeated you at Survive and Conquer, effectively making you the bottom of the totem pole in the Contourage! Ruckus has you and AJ in his pocket so that neither one of you will get in his way this Sunday at RassleMania. I have to ask you, Terry, do you really want to be playing second fiddle to Ryan Ruckus? Do you really want your fate here in APW tied to that lying, conniving son of gun who is trying to pull yours and AJ's strings to orchestrate his RassleMania moment? Or do you want to be your own man? Who win, lose, or draw, can at least take pride in the fact that he did what he could for himself! Because Terry, whether you stand for yourself or not, the end result of the Scramble Match for you will be the same, you won't be leaving with my Overdrive Championship. But what you do have the power to do is determine whether you can leave with your head held high, knowing that you were your own man, that you gave it your best for yourself, or you can leave as an insufficient lackey who was unable to help his boss achieve his goal. It's your choice, Terry. Be your own man, or be a mere henchman. You're better than that, Terry, and you know it.”
“I'm also going to pose the same question to AJ King. King, do you really want to go into your first RassleMania knowing that you're only there to help Ryan Ruckus accomplish his goal of becoming the new Overdrive Champion? Are you happy just being a pawn in Ryan Ruckus' master plan to try and relieve me of my title? I don't think that you can be! I'll be honest, of the men who make up the Contourage, your involvement baffles me the most. I see no logical reason for you to be in this group other than the fact that two of the other guys in the Scramble Match are in it. By that logic, you joined the Contourage out of a pure survival instinct, hoping to be the man who wasn't left out, hoping to not be the man that everyone targeted as the weakest link in the match. Because while you've gotten a pinfall victory over Terry Marvin at the Survive and Conquer pay-per-view, of all the competitors in this match, you've been the most inconsistent. One week, you're on fire, looking like a potential superstar that could move up the ranks real quickly if he focused on it, and the next, you look like you just barely remembered to show up! I'm guessing that you joining The Contourage was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to losing to me on Overdrive a few weeks ago. Let's face it, you don't fit with Ryan Ruckus and Terry Marvin. These two men are so dishonest, they'd sell their Grandma a box full of bricks telling her it was a DVD player! But you, AJ, you're a man of discipline, a man of honor. Your martial arts training has shaped this part of your character. Or at least it should have. By associating yourself with these two ruffians, AJ, you've shown that you're a coward, that you're too afraid to stand on your own two legs, to rely on your own skill, and that you lack confidence in your own abilities. With professional wrestling, any time you wrestle for a title belt, it's paramount that you have and show confidence in yourself, and based on your actions on last Overdrive, I can't see you being very confident in yourself, AJ King. You've submitted yourself to servitude with Ryan Ruckus, joining Terry Marvin as his little lapdog who will do his bidding. I don't need to repeat myself about what I said to Terry, other than that it also applies to you. You have the same choice Terry Marvin has at RassleMania, AJ, will you be your own man or not? Because I'll tell you one thing, you'll never have this...”
Biggs taps the Overdrive Championship belt with his hand.
”...If you don't have this.”
Biggs taps his chest where his heart is.
”And by siding with Ryan Ruckus for seemingly no good reason other than you don't want to get you butt whupped, you've shown exactly how much self-respect and heart you truly have.”
“Like I said before, the whole lot of you are cowards, either unwilling or unable to stand on your own, hoping that you'll somehow gain strength in numbers. Now had the three of you been a cohesive unit for a longer period of time, I might be a little bit worried, just a little, though. As it stands, I'm banking on the fact that each and every one of you will let your personal pride get in the way of the Contourage achieving it's corporate goal of relieving me of the Overdrive Championship. Ruckus, despite your claims, you're clearly the ring leader, clearly the head honcho of the group. Of the three, you have the most to lose to Sunday. Terry Marvin and AJ King, you're falling right into Ruckus' trap by siding with him. If you continue to support him, neither one of you have any chance of leaving RassleMania as the Overdrive Champion. Think about it.”
Biggs pauses for a moment to adjust his shades a bit, and then continues to speak.
”Finally, we come to the last piece of the puzzle, the last proof that President Jeff is hell bent on stacking the odds against me in every possible way at RassleMania, none other than Chris Cyrus! Now had this been last year's RassleMania, it would have been a non-issue. In fact, it would have been a huge asset. The fact is, at this time last year, Chris, you and I were nearly unstoppable! As the Axis of Awesome, we were the most dominant duo in APW! But then you had to go and do the hanky panky with my then fiance, now wife! Cyrus, you've talked about how you've wanted to reconcile in the past, how you wish that the Axis of Awesome had never broken up. Well, truth be told, I kind of wish the same thing. However, based on the bed you made and laid in, well, that's just not very reasonible, now is it? Not to mention the fact that you've clearly stated that your goal going into this match isn't so much as to win the Overdrive Championship, but more so to make sure that I don't leave RassleMania as the champion! Anyone hoping that we'd ascribe to the philosophy that the enemy of my enemy is my friend better not hold their breath for an Axis of Awesome reunion at RassleMania. But back to the point about you making sure that I don't leave Berkeley with my Overdrive Championship intact, well, with that mindset, you're just setting yourself up for failure, my former friend, because if your goal isn't to become the new Overdrive Champion, then what the heck are you even doing in the match? At one time, Cyrus, you were like a brother to me, but now, I can't respect you at all, not in the slightest. After what you did with Ellie, and now your implied lack of wanting to hold championship gold, well, let's just say I have an easier time respecting that pack of cowards we're going up against this Sunday!”
“Now I'm not going to stand here and demean your wrestling skills, Cyrus. I know you better than that. Your championship pedigree here in APW more than speaks for itself. You've held the Overdrive Championship before, as well as the Tag Team Titles. And let's not forget your epic, almost one year long reign as Xtreme Champion. You're good in the ring, Chris Cyrus. The argument could be made that you're great. But you're not as great as me, Chris Cyrus, and while I've been able to forgive Ellie for her time with you, don't think for a moment that I'll even consider giving you the same courtesy! You see, Cyrus, while the Contourage has been a more consistent thorn in my side as of late, you are my biggest enemy in this match. For me, my picture perfect RassleMania moment would be just me and you in the ring during the waning seconds of the match, where I bring you Crashing Down to Earth, and pin you to retain my APW Overdrive Championship!”
Biggs closes his eyes, seemingly visualizing the moment in his head, and a wide grin comes across his face. He snaps back into it, and gets back to talking.
”Forgive me for that brief moment of self indulgence, I was thinking about what my perfect RassleMania moment will be like when I get to live it this Sunday at the Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The thousands of fans in attendance, and the millions watching around the world will bear witness to me taking my rightful place as the single greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history! As if my current run of six successful title defenses hasn't been impressive enough, or the fact that I am the only 3-time Overdrive Champion ever, this Sunday, at RassleMania, I will end the argument, and remove all doubt! I am too good, too focused to falter now! Despite the fact that the odds are clearly stacked against me, in the form of not only the trifecta of trouble in the Contourage, but also my greatest enemy, well, it'll just make it all the sweeter when I win! Note that I said when, not if, because I will do whatever I have to to ensure that I walk out of Berkeley, California still the Overdrive Champion. None of my competitors can match me on their own, and though some of them will try to work together to take me out, the very nature of the Scramble Match will surely plant seeds of discontent within the Contourage. I will find my opening, I will exploit it, and I will leave Berkeley still the Overdrive Champion! Ryan Ruckus, Terry Marvin, AJ King, and even you, Chris Cyrus, I will make sure that each and every one of you finds out first hand this Sunday exactly why I am quite simply out of this WORLD!”
First Contact fades to black as “Spacewalker” begins to play again. The APW logo and copyright flash across the bottom of the screen.
7:56 pm
Elk's Lodge
Tacoma, Washington
”What the heck am I even doing here?!” I think to myself as I'm standing in the gorilla position backstage at a Pacific Northwest Wrestling show. I'm doing a favor for the guy who trained me, Dale Davis, as one half of his main event was unable to make it due to a personal issue. Dale gave me a call about two hours ago, and I'm making a surprise appearance as the replacement opponent. The PNW Champion, a fella by the name of “Your Mom's Favorite Wrestler” Danny Darling, is already in the ring, as is Dale, telling the fans that there's been a change of plans. The crowd cheers the fact that Darling's original opponent wasn't able to make it, as he was a rather despised individual, but those cheers quickly become boos as soon a “Spaceman” hits, and I walk through the curtains as Dale introduces me.
”Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the current APW Overdrive Champion, and Danny Darling's opponent for this evening, from Seattle, Washington, weighing in at 217 pounds, Biggs!” Danny yells enthusiastically as I head down the aisle. There can't be more than 100 fans in attendance in the small, dimly lit gym area of the Elk's Lodge. Bright spotlights focus on the ring, but that's as close as it gets to the production levels that I'm used to. The fans are livid and cursing me as I dance down the aisle arrogantly, really laying on smarm to try and make them hate me even more. The crowd is eating it up, booing me with all their ire. Still, I've got to question my decision to take a match like this on such short notice only a week away from what is assuredly the biggest title defense of my APW career. Why am I here after the fight that I had with Ellie?
I get a good look at Darling as I make my way to the ring. He's very similar in size to myself, just a bit bigger, probably about 225 pounds, about six feet tall. He has on dark green tights and bright white boots, and wears his dark brown hair in a ponytail. I can tell he's a bit nervous about facing a wrestler of my caliber, as well he should be. But I'm not going to let myself get overconfident, because one slip up and he could either embarrass me or cause me to get injured, neither of which I can afford heading into RassleMania. As I reach the ring, a fan in the front row throws his popcorn at me, hitting me in the back. I turn right towards him and get into his face, jawing off with him a bit before putting him in his place. I'm a little more mean than I probably should be, but I'm not in a particularly good mood at this time. When I finally make it into the ring, I take the mic from Dale, and wait for the boos to die down a bit before I speak.
”Now before I face off against Danny What's-his-name here, I just want to remind all of you here what a special privilege you are all in store for in being able to witness me compete here tonight! It's not everyday that PNW has a Mega Star such as myself grace it with their presence, and you all are getting quite the value for your money based on the mere fact that I'm even in the ring tonight! Despite the fact that the rest of this show has been complete garbage with lack luster talent, who bless their hearts, are trying as hard as they can to be somewhat decent wrestlers, the fact that the greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history is here to save this show is enough to justify the money you spent to attend this show a hundred times over!”
The fans boo my arrogance, while Danny Darling stands there with a perturbed look on his face.
”I've got a big pay per view match coming up in a week, where I defend this title against four other men in an Overdrive Championship Scramble Match, and so I thought tonight I'd come here and have a tune up match! Not to say that this Danny Darling character can even hold a candle to the worst competition I've faced in APW, but the fact is that I'm keeping myself well conditioned, and making sure I'm in tip-top shape for my big match this next Sunday!”
I turn towards Danny Darling to address him specifically.
”Danny, I make no apologizes for how badly I'm going to embarrass you tonight in this ring, just like I will embarrass my opponents at APW RassleMania VII! But unlike those chuckle heads, Danny, what I do to you tonight isn't personal, it's just business, and frankly, I'm in the business of being quite simply out of this WORLD!” I taunt him with a very confident tone in my voice.
By this point, Danny has gotten a mic, and responds, ”Biggs, why don't you shut up about how great you are, and prove it!” The crowd pops at this, beginning a “DANNY! DANNY!” chant. I give him a flippant smirk, and remove my belt and jacket, handing them to the ring crew as the ref calls for the bell, DING! DING! DING!
Danny shoots at me like a rocket, but I take a step back, dodging the attempt and step back in to give him a knee right to the face! We go back and forth for a few minutes at an extremely fast pace, but I can't help but feel like I'm a step off from normal. The whole match, I'm distracted by what happened between Ellie and I right before I left for the show, and while Darling is good for where he's at, he's not good enough to capitalize on me being off sync. It also doesn't help his cause that I'm taking my frustrations out on him, pulling on the Camel Clutch a bit harder than normal, having a bit more spice behind my Crossface Forearm Strikes. After about 20 minutes of action, I give Darling the Bigg Time, followed up with a UFO Frog Splash to put him away! ”I shouldn't be here...” I think to myself as “Spaceman” begins to play again and the ref raises my arm in victory while the fans boo loudly.
(2 and a half hours ago)
”No problem, Dale. I'll be down there as soon as I can!” I say enthusiastically as I hang up the phone. Ellie and I have just finished dinner, and she's in the kitchen doing dishes. I walk in to let her know what's up. ”Babe, I got to get down to Tacoma for a wrestling show. My trainer, Dale Davis, is running a show, and one half of his main event, Butch Bruiser, just got arrested for driving while intoxicated. I know it's short notice, and that we had plans to watch a movie tonight, but I got to go help him out.”
Ellie looks up at me with eyes that show her disappointment. ”We were going to watch Up tonight. That's our favorite movie...”
”We can watch it when I get back. I got to go get my ring gear...” I say as I exit the kitchen and head upstairs. As I load up my duffel bag in a hurry, Ellie follows me upstairs. I fold up my tights as I notice that she's there, and there's a bit of a whine in her voice as she talks to me.
”Why do you even have to go out tonight? You work for APW, not this Dale Davis guy! Plus, I really want to spend time with you tonight!”
I continue to prep my duffel bag as I respond, ”Well, Dale is largely responsible for me being as skilled as I am, as he taught me much of what I know in that ring. He's like a second father to me, and this is a chance for me to thank him. Also, the chance to get some more in-ring action heading into RassleMania can only help with my training and preparation for the big event. I can't pass up this opportunity to help him and myself.”
Ellie stomps her foot and begins to pout a bit as she replies, ”But what about helping me? This past week and a half has been all about you training for RassleMania, with very little or no time with me! You promised me one night this week that was going to be for me, and since you haven't done it yet this week, I was assuming that it would be tonight!”
”Listen, Ellie, I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. It's just that with RassleMania coming up, considering the fact that I'm defending my title in a Championship Scramble Match, I need to take absolutely every opportunity I can to make sure that I'm in the best possible place I can be heading into that match. It's going to be the greatest challenge I've faced since winning the championship, but also the greatest opportunity to prove how great of a wrestler I really am. I'm sorry that it seems like I haven't had as much time for you these past few weeks as you'd like, heck, as I'd like as well, but at this point, I've got to focus.” I zip up my duffel bag and turn around to Ellie, placing my hands on her shoulders as I look her in the eyes. ”I'm sorry that this past week has been so hard on you. I promise after RassleMania, I'll take you on a vacation to wherever you want to go! Doesn't that sound good? Is that a fair compromise?”
Ellie looks towards the ground while she answers me, ”It does, but...”
”But what?”
”But I really want to spend time with you tonight!”
”Well, you could come down to the show with me! I'll even let you come out to the ring with me, like old times!”
”I just want it to be you and me...” she answers, trying her hardest to hold back the tears. As I stand there, I begin to feel a bit guilty about changing plans on her, but the fact is that by this point, I need to get going.
”I really got to get going, baby. If you want to come, you're more than welcome to. And once I get back, I promise that it'll be just you and me for the rest of the night. And I'll even take tomorrow morning off from training! We'll talk more when I get back!” I give her a kiss on the forehead, and grab my duffel, walking past her to head towards the garage. She mumbles something that I can't hear as I head down the stairs.
(Now)
I'm sitting on the bench in the make shift locker room, in a room which looks like it's normally used as a banquet hall. A bunch of the talent comes up and thanks me for coming on such short notice, and while I'm removing my boots, Dale walks over to me, and holds out a wad of cash in front of my face. I look up at him, shaking my head as I respond, ”Dale, you know that I don't need that. I came down here to do a favor for you. You should split it up for the rest of the boys...”
”Thanks again, Biggs! Especially for coming down on such extremely short notice. You saved the show, man. Sure the fans were pissed that you won the match, but I think you really helped Danny to look the best he's looked in ages. I think in a few more months, he could be ready to make the next step up.” Dale says with a grin on his face.
”The kid has potential, that's for sure. I could talk to President Jeff about maybe getting him a tryout match next time we're in the area,” I tell him in an almost detached manner. I know that Danny Darling is probably the best guy Dale has, but my thoughts aren't on him at all. I'm still frustrated on how I let Ellie down earlier tonight. Dale seems to pick up on my detachment.
”Is everything okay, buddy?” Dale asks me as he places a hand on my shoulder.
”It's nothing...”
”Listen, Biggs, I've known you for a long time, and I know you well enough to know that it's not nothing. If you need somebody to talk to, you can totally talk to me about it. What's troubling you?”
”I don't want to talk about it in front of the guys.”
”Okay. No problem. Let's head to my office, then.”
Dale and I head over to the room next door, where Dale's assistant is counting money and straightening up the books. ”Hey Bill, could you please give us a minute?”
”No problem, sir,” Bill responds, placing a rubber band around the money he's already counted, and writing down a note of where he's at before getting up and leaving the room. Once he's gone and has closed the door, Dale turns to me and asks me, ”What's on your mind, Biggs?”
”Well, to be honest, Dale, I feel like quite the heel right now.”
”You are a bad guy in the ring, so I'd hope you feel like a heel!” Dale jokes, trying to bring some levity to the situation. It works a bit, as I chuckle.
”To tell you the truth, Dale, I really shouldn't have come down tonight. I know that you appreciate me coming down, and I'm more than glad to help out, but I should have stayed home with my wife tonight. We've been having some issues in our marriage, and I totally blew it tonight. About a month ago, we went to a counselor, and she told me that one of the things that bothers her the most is that I have a tendency to avoid dealing with problems when they arise. She didn't want me coming down here tonight, and rather than stopping to talk with her about it and resolve the situation, I just promised her to make it up later and came down in a hurry. The whole time I was in the ring, I couldn't help but think about how I ended up doing to her exactly the thing that frustrates her the most about me! Even though I was coming down to help you, I was very selfish about it...”
Dale gives me a pat on the back as he gives some thought to what I've said before giving me his opinion on the matter. ”Listen, bud, as much as I appreciate you coming down, based on what you've told me, I've got to agree with you that you blew it tonight. But you can't change the fact that you've already done what you've done, so all you can do is try your darnedest to not let it happen again, and make it up to your wife. But also, I've got to encourage you to not beat yourself up over this. I've been happily married for well over 20 years, and if there's one thing I've learned about marriage is that neither person involved is perfect. You've got to be honest and up front with your wife, tell her that you realize how you messed up, and sincerely apologize. If you just give a blanket 'I'm sorry,' it won't be nearly as effective. And while she may still be upset with you in the short term, there's no doubt that you can make this up to her. May I suggest buying some roses on your way back up home tonight?”
”She prefers petunias. But I know exactly what you're saying. The problem is that I know that I'll be sincere and really mean that I'm sorry, but there've been times where I try to apologize to Ellie, and she just doesn't even accept it. In fact, there are times where we go back and forth verbally until she gets so mad that she either slaps me or storms off and I can't find her for a few hours. I'm really worried that when I get home tonight, she won't be there.”
”Well then you need to get going as soon as you can, partner! Get a move on!” Dale exclaims as he shoos me out of his office.
”Thanks, Dale,” I say as I hurry out of the office to grab my stuff.
”Thanks again, Biggs! And tell your wife that I'm sorry!”
”It's not your fault at all, Dale. It's all on me.”
”True, but please just tell her sorry for me anyways!”
I put my sneakers back on, and throw on a T-Shirt before heading to my car. I step inside and pull out my cell phone, calling Ellie. The phone rings a couple of times before I get the voice mail message.
*”Hi, this is Ellie! Please leave a message after the beep! BEEP! Oh wait, I didn't say which beep! The next one!”* BEEP!
”Hi Ellie, it's Gary. I'm just now leaving the Elk's Lodge in Tacoma. Depending on traffic, I'll be home in about 45 minutes to an hour and a half. I just wanted to apologize for walking out on you the way I did tonight, without resolving our disagreement. I know that's one of your biggest frustrations with me, and I know that I should not have come down to Tacoma tonight. I love you, and I'm truly sorry. I'll have my Blue Tooth on, so feel free to give me a call if you want to talk about it. Once again, I'm sorry, and I'll see you soon. Love you, bye.”
I'll admit that I'm slightly worried that she didn't answer, and my mind races with thoughts of where she could be or what she could be doing that would facilitate her not answering her phone. I give her a few more calls on the way home, and each time, I get the voice mail again. I drive as fast as I safely can to get home, but traffic is surprisingly heavy for this late on a Sunday night. Traffic slows down to an absolute standstill about 10 miles out of Seattle. I give Ellie one more call. Once again, I get the message machine.
”CRAP DANGIT!” I yell out as I hang up the phone. By this point, I'm sure that Ellie isn't home, and that when I get home, I'll be walking into a empty house. Man, I really blew tonight.
It takes about half an hour for me to travel the 10 miles it takes to get to Seattle, and by that point, traffic clears a bit to where it only takes about 10 more minutes to get home. Once I park the car and close the garage door, I rush into the house, to find Ellie sitting on the couch watching Up. She's at the part where Carl finds Ellie's adventure book, and sees the page with her note. I don't say a word as I watch her sitting there, crying at the scene. I then make my way over to the couch, and sit next to her, putting my arm around her. She quits crying and looks up at me with an extremely happy look on her face. I give her a kiss on the forehead as she whispers to me, ”I got your message. Thank you...” and kisses me back. We sit back and watch the rest of the movie, cuddled up together.
***
Airing Monday, March 21
Depeche Mode's “Spacewalker” plays as the words FIRST CONTACT flash across the starry background. The video then switches to Biggs in his den. He's wearing a RassleMania VII T-Shirt with his signature blue shades, and has the Overdrive Championship placed on the end table next to the easy chair he's sitting in.
”Welcome, one and all, to the absolute greatest wrestling web show on the Internet, hosted by the absolute greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history, yours truly, Biggs! Now I've got a lot to talk about, especially my big Overdrive Championship Scramble Match at RassleMania, so I'm just going to jump right in. First things first, I want to address what happened to me a week and a half ago on Overdrive, where those cowards, The Contourage, decided that they'd get the jump on me, and try to soften me up heading into RassleMania. Now I'll be the first to admit that I've used the numbers game to my advantage in the past, so I won't begrudge them doing what they think they need to do in order to try and get the upper hand on me heading into the Scramble Match. But what I do take issue with is the fact that Ryan Ruckus implied that I've just barely scrapped by my opposition this past month and a half, en route to six successful Overdrive Title defenses! Granted, to paraphrase Vin Diesel, it doesn't matter if you win by a mile or an inch, a win is a win, but for Ryan Ruckus to spout off that I just barely beat him, that I just barely beat AJ King, and that I just barely beat Terry Marvin, somehow trying to devalue my current reign as Overdrive Champion, well it's just ludicrous! While some of those matches may have been a bit closer than I would have liked, the bottom line is that I left all of them the way I entered, and that was as Overdrive Champion! Ryan Ruckus has no room to criticize how I've defended this title until he's held it himself, which despite what everyone seems to think, won't be happening at RassleMania!”
“On to the topic of Ryan Ruckus seemingly being the favorite heading into the Championship Scramble Match, I said it the first time I faced Ruckus, and I'll say it again, I don't see how he can be the favorite going into the match when I've been performing at the level that I have been! I've had six successful Overdrive Title defenses in the span of six shows! Can you tell me any other champion in APW history who has accomplished what I have these past two months? Heck, can you tell me of any other APW mega star, other than Mr. Dangerous, who's nothing more than a joke of a wrestler, who has remained undefeated this year? And yet despite all the proof of my greatness, all the proof that I am what I say that I am, and that is the greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history, Ryan Ruckus is still the favorite heading into RassleMania? Sure, he has himself a couple of lackeys in Terry Marvin and AJ King, and make no mistake Terry and AJ, that's exactly what the two of you are in relation to Ryan Ruckus, and sure, they may have gotten the upper hand on me at Overdrive a week and a half ago, but the fact of the matter is that I have defeated all three of them, and came to a draw with my other opponent in the match, one Chris Cyrus. None of my opponents in this match have been able to defeat me, and I intend to keep it that way this Sunday at RassleMania!”
“Now even if what Ruckus said about me just barely scrapping by in my title defenses is true, which it's not, the fact remains that in each and every circumstance, save for Chris Cyrus, I have found a way to win. And this ability to find a way to win, even with my back supposedly against the ropes, can only help me in a match as unpredictable as a Scramble Match. Like Cyrus said in his rousing little speech earlier, the Scramble Match is all about finding your opportunities and taking them. It's not necessarily about who wrestles the best match, or who hits the flashiest or most devastating maneuvers, it's about who wrestles the smartest match, and I fell like there's no evidence to the contrary that I am by far the most intelligent wrestler heading into this match! Chris Cyrus showed his lack of decision making capabilities the moment he turned his back on me to cheat with my fiance. Ryan Ruckus showed he has no sense by vainly holding on while Level-One made him pass out! And Terry Marvin and AJ King have shown themselves to be idiots by deciding to play second banana to Ryan Ruckus by joining the Contourage. I don't buy for a second about their all for one and one for all mentality that they espoused on Overdrive, because I know that each and every member of the Contourage won't hesitate to turn on their allies if the opportunity to become Overdrive Champion presents itself over the course of the match. Quite frankly, Marvin and King, the only reason Ruckus asked you to join him is because he knows if he didn't have the two of you under his thumb, he'd be the number two target right behind me! And while the three of you may work together in the short term of the match, I know it's only a matter of time before one of you will succumb to the allure of becoming the Overdrive Champion, that one of you, or all of you, will turn your back on one another, just so that you can become champion. I know that your group slogan is 'Honor Among Thieves,' but a more appropriate slogan would be, 'No Honor Among Cowards,' because that is what each and every one of you is. I mean, I know that I'm the greatest Overdrive Champion of all time, but the three of you banding together just in time to face me in the Scramble Match seems not only a bit excessive, but desperate. None of you are willing to stand on your own two feet to try and face me and the other men in the match, so you've teamed up, trying to do together what neither one of you could do on your own, and that is defeat me for the Overdrive Championship. It smacks of cowardice, and I'll be honest, I actually have more respect for Chris Cyrus, a man who tried to steal my wife, then fiance, from me, than the lot of you yellow-bellied scaredy cats!”
“Now I'm going to take a moment to address each one of you specifically, so I can tell you exactly what I think of you. I'm going to start with the ring leader, Ryan Ruckus! Ryan, I'll be honest when I say that of the three members of the Contourage, you're the one who put up the best fight when you challenged me for the Overdrive Championship last month. Lets face it, of all the competitors in this Scramble match, we're the most evenly matched, in terms of speed, and propensity for bending the rules to our favor. Granted, you're a self professed spot monkey, going for high flying, high risk moves with almost reckless abandon, lacking the skill and grace I have in the ring. Quite simply put, Ruckus, I am a better wrestler than you. You may have a very exciting, high octane offense, and as your performance in Survive and Conquer showed, you're very intelligent with your in-ring strategies, but the bottom line is that at the end of the day, you live and die by your ability to pull a fast one! When you fought Level-One for the #1 Contendership for the APW Heavyweight Championship, the two of you fought tooth and nail, but you were done in when you shoved the ref, allowing Level-One to low blow you and set you up for a Level-Advance followed up with the House of Pain. You set yourself up for the loss with that one. As for an example of you pulling a fast one working out, one doesn't need to look any further than your victory in Survive and Conquer. You shoved Terry Marvin off the ladder, sending him falling 16 feet through the announce table below. You were in the right place, at the right time. Same for the Fatal Four Way #1 Contender's Match, where you came from out of nowhere with the Cluster Ruck to win. They say that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and considering the up and down month you've had leading up to RassleMania, I'd say that's a very accurate assessment of you. And I know you're hoping to be extra lucky this Sunday, so you can leave Berkeley as the new Overdrive Champion, but there's a reason they only say that it's better to be lucky than good. Because when you're legitimately great like myself, you don't need to rely on luck to come out ahead! No amount of luck in the world is going to help you to be able to wrestle this title away from me, Ryan Ruckus, no matter how much you try to stack the odds against me.”
“I understand completely why you've formed the Contourage, Ryan Ruckus, because the fact of the matter is that you know that on your own, you can't beat me. You know that even in the context of a multi-man match like the Championship Scramble Match, I'm good enough to find a way to win. So you decide to go out and make your opponents in said match your allies, using your mutual disdain for yours truly as a motivating factor to band together. You claim that there's honor amongst your little band of self-professed thieves, Ruckus, but you're just saying that, convincing yourself that the three of you are merely deciding to work together to try and raise your collective profiles, trying to establish yourselves as the dominant new group here in APW. And what better way to bring prestige to your group than to bring home one of the most prestigious titles here in APW? With the way you've been talking Ruckus, it seems like you're trying to convince Terry and AJ that the three of you share of philosophy of 'anyone but Biggs' for APW Overdrive Champion, but I know that Ryan, in your heart of hearts, your actual stance is 'anyone but Biggs, who's name happens to be Ryan Ruckus!' The same thing goes for Terry and AJ, granted, with their names instead of yours, but I think at RassleMania, the three of you will find out how strong your bond really is. Ruckus, you didn't form the Contourage to benefit all three of you, just yourself. Because you know that with the other two men on your side, you stand a little bit better of a chance of being able to pull a fast one at RassleMania. But I'm here to tell you right now, Ruckus, all you've done is given me the opportunity to further prove my greatness when I embarrass the three of you individually and corporately!”
Biggs flashes his trademark smirk at this point.
”Now on to Terry Marvin. T-Marv, of all the competitors to recently debut in APW, you've probably had it the hardest of the bunch. I mean, you've been thrown right into the fire with some of the best competition that APW has to offer, and while you've shown that you're able to hang for a little bit, ultimately, you just keep coming up short again and again. Like I said heading into our match on the last Overdrive, you're a good wrestler, but not great. You need to find that spark that can carry you up to the next level, that little push that will help you to climb up in the ranks. You seem to believe that joining Ryan Ruckus is that spark you need to help you become successful here in APW, but like I said earlier, joining together with Ryan Ruckus is indicative of how desperate you truly are! Since Survive and Conquer, you've only had one victory, and that was against Criss Cassidy, the Overdrive division's resident whipping boy! In the frame of time since Survive and Conquer, you've lost to AJ King, Ryan Ruckus three times, Sally Talfourd, and myself. You clearly feel like you need help getting out of this rut, but I'm here to tell you right now that Ryan Ruckus is not the answer you're looking for! Look at the facts with me, Terry. Ryan Ruckus threw you off of a ladder on top of the Hell in a Cell! He was looking not only to win the match, but to permanently put you out of commission! It's a testament to your conditioning and good genes that you were able to recover so quickly from such a devastating fall, but the fact of the matter is that by teaming with Ryan Ruckus, you're teaming with a guy who could have killed you! I'll be honest, I'm getting some real Stockholm Syndrome vibes from your whole partnership with Ruckus. Maybe in the sick way your mind seems to work, you admire the man for the ways that he's been able to overcome you time and time again. Maybe you feel like it really is in your best interest to team with a guy who has made you to look like a fool time and time again. Or maybe you're just resigned to the fact that he's been able to be more successful than you, and are hoping that some of his success rubs off on you!”
“Make no mistake about it, Terry Marvin, no matter how much Ryan Ruckus tells you that you're on equal footing with him in the Contourage, no matter how much he tries to convince you that all of you are in it for the mutual benefit of the team, the fact of the matter is that the Contourage is the Ryan Ruckus show, plain and simple. In his eyes, you're just a bit player, Terry Marvin. He's beaten you so many times that there's no way that he thinks your even with him. Not a chance! He may tell you differently. He may say that you're the bee's knees, but considering that in the three times you two have faced off, he's emerged victorious all three times, whether he admits it or not, Ryan Ruckus looks down on you. Also, we can't ignore the fact that AJ also defeated you at Survive and Conquer, effectively making you the bottom of the totem pole in the Contourage! Ruckus has you and AJ in his pocket so that neither one of you will get in his way this Sunday at RassleMania. I have to ask you, Terry, do you really want to be playing second fiddle to Ryan Ruckus? Do you really want your fate here in APW tied to that lying, conniving son of gun who is trying to pull yours and AJ's strings to orchestrate his RassleMania moment? Or do you want to be your own man? Who win, lose, or draw, can at least take pride in the fact that he did what he could for himself! Because Terry, whether you stand for yourself or not, the end result of the Scramble Match for you will be the same, you won't be leaving with my Overdrive Championship. But what you do have the power to do is determine whether you can leave with your head held high, knowing that you were your own man, that you gave it your best for yourself, or you can leave as an insufficient lackey who was unable to help his boss achieve his goal. It's your choice, Terry. Be your own man, or be a mere henchman. You're better than that, Terry, and you know it.”
“I'm also going to pose the same question to AJ King. King, do you really want to go into your first RassleMania knowing that you're only there to help Ryan Ruckus accomplish his goal of becoming the new Overdrive Champion? Are you happy just being a pawn in Ryan Ruckus' master plan to try and relieve me of my title? I don't think that you can be! I'll be honest, of the men who make up the Contourage, your involvement baffles me the most. I see no logical reason for you to be in this group other than the fact that two of the other guys in the Scramble Match are in it. By that logic, you joined the Contourage out of a pure survival instinct, hoping to be the man who wasn't left out, hoping to not be the man that everyone targeted as the weakest link in the match. Because while you've gotten a pinfall victory over Terry Marvin at the Survive and Conquer pay-per-view, of all the competitors in this match, you've been the most inconsistent. One week, you're on fire, looking like a potential superstar that could move up the ranks real quickly if he focused on it, and the next, you look like you just barely remembered to show up! I'm guessing that you joining The Contourage was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to losing to me on Overdrive a few weeks ago. Let's face it, you don't fit with Ryan Ruckus and Terry Marvin. These two men are so dishonest, they'd sell their Grandma a box full of bricks telling her it was a DVD player! But you, AJ, you're a man of discipline, a man of honor. Your martial arts training has shaped this part of your character. Or at least it should have. By associating yourself with these two ruffians, AJ, you've shown that you're a coward, that you're too afraid to stand on your own two legs, to rely on your own skill, and that you lack confidence in your own abilities. With professional wrestling, any time you wrestle for a title belt, it's paramount that you have and show confidence in yourself, and based on your actions on last Overdrive, I can't see you being very confident in yourself, AJ King. You've submitted yourself to servitude with Ryan Ruckus, joining Terry Marvin as his little lapdog who will do his bidding. I don't need to repeat myself about what I said to Terry, other than that it also applies to you. You have the same choice Terry Marvin has at RassleMania, AJ, will you be your own man or not? Because I'll tell you one thing, you'll never have this...”
Biggs taps the Overdrive Championship belt with his hand.
”...If you don't have this.”
Biggs taps his chest where his heart is.
”And by siding with Ryan Ruckus for seemingly no good reason other than you don't want to get you butt whupped, you've shown exactly how much self-respect and heart you truly have.”
“Like I said before, the whole lot of you are cowards, either unwilling or unable to stand on your own, hoping that you'll somehow gain strength in numbers. Now had the three of you been a cohesive unit for a longer period of time, I might be a little bit worried, just a little, though. As it stands, I'm banking on the fact that each and every one of you will let your personal pride get in the way of the Contourage achieving it's corporate goal of relieving me of the Overdrive Championship. Ruckus, despite your claims, you're clearly the ring leader, clearly the head honcho of the group. Of the three, you have the most to lose to Sunday. Terry Marvin and AJ King, you're falling right into Ruckus' trap by siding with him. If you continue to support him, neither one of you have any chance of leaving RassleMania as the Overdrive Champion. Think about it.”
Biggs pauses for a moment to adjust his shades a bit, and then continues to speak.
”Finally, we come to the last piece of the puzzle, the last proof that President Jeff is hell bent on stacking the odds against me in every possible way at RassleMania, none other than Chris Cyrus! Now had this been last year's RassleMania, it would have been a non-issue. In fact, it would have been a huge asset. The fact is, at this time last year, Chris, you and I were nearly unstoppable! As the Axis of Awesome, we were the most dominant duo in APW! But then you had to go and do the hanky panky with my then fiance, now wife! Cyrus, you've talked about how you've wanted to reconcile in the past, how you wish that the Axis of Awesome had never broken up. Well, truth be told, I kind of wish the same thing. However, based on the bed you made and laid in, well, that's just not very reasonible, now is it? Not to mention the fact that you've clearly stated that your goal going into this match isn't so much as to win the Overdrive Championship, but more so to make sure that I don't leave RassleMania as the champion! Anyone hoping that we'd ascribe to the philosophy that the enemy of my enemy is my friend better not hold their breath for an Axis of Awesome reunion at RassleMania. But back to the point about you making sure that I don't leave Berkeley with my Overdrive Championship intact, well, with that mindset, you're just setting yourself up for failure, my former friend, because if your goal isn't to become the new Overdrive Champion, then what the heck are you even doing in the match? At one time, Cyrus, you were like a brother to me, but now, I can't respect you at all, not in the slightest. After what you did with Ellie, and now your implied lack of wanting to hold championship gold, well, let's just say I have an easier time respecting that pack of cowards we're going up against this Sunday!”
“Now I'm not going to stand here and demean your wrestling skills, Cyrus. I know you better than that. Your championship pedigree here in APW more than speaks for itself. You've held the Overdrive Championship before, as well as the Tag Team Titles. And let's not forget your epic, almost one year long reign as Xtreme Champion. You're good in the ring, Chris Cyrus. The argument could be made that you're great. But you're not as great as me, Chris Cyrus, and while I've been able to forgive Ellie for her time with you, don't think for a moment that I'll even consider giving you the same courtesy! You see, Cyrus, while the Contourage has been a more consistent thorn in my side as of late, you are my biggest enemy in this match. For me, my picture perfect RassleMania moment would be just me and you in the ring during the waning seconds of the match, where I bring you Crashing Down to Earth, and pin you to retain my APW Overdrive Championship!”
Biggs closes his eyes, seemingly visualizing the moment in his head, and a wide grin comes across his face. He snaps back into it, and gets back to talking.
”Forgive me for that brief moment of self indulgence, I was thinking about what my perfect RassleMania moment will be like when I get to live it this Sunday at the Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The thousands of fans in attendance, and the millions watching around the world will bear witness to me taking my rightful place as the single greatest Overdrive Champion in APW history! As if my current run of six successful title defenses hasn't been impressive enough, or the fact that I am the only 3-time Overdrive Champion ever, this Sunday, at RassleMania, I will end the argument, and remove all doubt! I am too good, too focused to falter now! Despite the fact that the odds are clearly stacked against me, in the form of not only the trifecta of trouble in the Contourage, but also my greatest enemy, well, it'll just make it all the sweeter when I win! Note that I said when, not if, because I will do whatever I have to to ensure that I walk out of Berkeley, California still the Overdrive Champion. None of my competitors can match me on their own, and though some of them will try to work together to take me out, the very nature of the Scramble Match will surely plant seeds of discontent within the Contourage. I will find my opening, I will exploit it, and I will leave Berkeley still the Overdrive Champion! Ryan Ruckus, Terry Marvin, AJ King, and even you, Chris Cyrus, I will make sure that each and every one of you finds out first hand this Sunday exactly why I am quite simply out of this WORLD!”
First Contact fades to black as “Spacewalker” begins to play again. The APW logo and copyright flash across the bottom of the screen.
