Post by Johnny Rebel on Jun 28, 2011 15:55:58 GMT -4
Saint John Regional Hospital
Emergency Room
June 16th, 2011
Emergency Room
June 16th, 2011
[It’s a cold rainy night in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Overdrive has just come to a close and thousands of satisfied customers have begun funneling out of the building. Teenagers are high-fiving at the action of the evening and a select few can’t believe their luck – catching Lester “Level-One” Only t-shirts from the cannon shot during an intermission.]
[/center]“Can you believe this? I’ve got a Level-One t-shirt! And for FREE! BEST. NIGHT. EVER!"
[His friend points toward his replica APW Undisputed championship belt wrapped around his waist. He makes a motion with his hands to highlight the belt.]
[/color][/center]“Check me out! I’m the APW Undisputed Champion!”
[Meanwhile, the other side of town is the Saint John Regional Hospital. The hospital seems calmer than usual. Normally, you can find any number of patients walking the hallways attached to a host of monitors and IV fluids. However, tonight is different. There is a buzz growing in the emergency room wing. The faint sound of an ambulance siren is heard getting louder and louder. Several hospital employees – physician assistants and emergency room nurses – dressed in blue scrubs begin to scatter in preparation for an arrival.]
[/color][/center]“Alright folks – we’ve got limited time here. Patient is believed to be in his early forties and has suffered severe head trauma. All hands on deck!”
[The “Ambulance Entrance Only” door comes flying open as several paramedics come rushing in with a man on a gurney. The man has several rolls of gauze covering his face and seems to be unconscious. The hospital staff ushers the man and his paramedic aids to an empty bed and pulls a curtain behind them closed giving them the privacy they need to treat the man and his injuries. Shortly after the get the man situated a woman and two children come stumbling in to the emergency waiting room.]
[/center][/color]“Is daddy going to be okay, mommy?”
“The doctor’s are doing the best they can to help daddy. Just sit there and play with your sister, okay?”
[The mother walks up to the desk – asking questions and completing paperwork as they await news on their loved one. Meanwhile, the buzz that slowly built in the emergency room has long since passed. The quiet lull has returned and all is back to normal, or so it seems. However, the concern is growing for the man who was rushed in. The doctor appears and blurts out a name that we can’t quite make out as the mother pops up quickly and rushes over to the desk.]
[/i][/color]“I’m sorry, ma’am. There isn’t anything else we can do right now. It’s a waiting game.”
[The woman hunches over in the news she’s just received. The doctor puts his hand on her shoulder as she begins to compose herself.]
[/center]“Can we go see him?”
“Yes. Just take a second and prepare yourselves. He won’t respond to your cues and even if he was conscious, he probably wouldn’t be able to recognize you.”
[The family walks to the back and crumple at the sight of their loved one laying on the bed.]
[/i][/color]Beep * Beep * Beep * Beep
[/i][The “beep” of the equipment keeping the man alive is loud and overpowering. The only visible part of his face is his eyes. The mother immediately drops everything she’s carrying and runs over to grab his hand and throws herself on top of him. His children are slowly warming up to the idea that this is their father laying on the bed but are cautious about approaching him. The older sibling grabs his sister’s hand as they walk slowly to the foot of the bed. Their mother is trying hard to hold it together but is approaching a hysterical level at this point.]
[/center][/i]“I can’t believe they let him do this to you! You’ve always been about yourself and this time it cost you. I told you to quit years ago! Why did you have to go back? WHY?”
[/center][/color]
“These things are delicious! Hey, Nurse! Get me another pudding cup!”
[The camera pans over to the other side of the curtain where “Simply Put” Johnny Rebel is sitting up in his bed, finishing what’s left of a pudding cup apparently. The nurse shakes her head and pulls the curtain shut, obviously annoyed at Rebel in the short time he’s been under her care. Rebel has a large gash across his forehead but other than that seems fine.]
[/color][/center]Rebel: The service here is terrible! I only get three channels on this TV and I’m out of pudding!
[Rebel pulls the hanging TV closer to his face and thumps it on the side to try and get better reception.]
[/color][/center]Rebel: You would think with all the money and Obamacare, we’d at least have a TV that gets decent reception!
[/i][/color]
Nurse: Sir! Please have some respect!
Rebel: Oh get over it already! He’ll be fine! Unless you have pudding, I suggest you mosey on out of here!
[The thumping of the hanging set has given Rebel a little better reception. He motions with his hands for the nurse to leave. He leans back as he’s caught an immediate replay of Overdrive from earlier in the night. He’s reliving the carnage from the triple-threat match he took part in against Nova and Khaos. The last scene he can stomach is the blood raining from his forehead and Khaos’ sinister grin as Overdrive goes to commercial.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: What a night.
[Rebel takes a deep breath.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: Over the past several months, Johnny Rebel has run wild over the APW. Everything and everyone that I’ve crossed paths with has ended up with the same fate. A victory in the win column and another rung climbed in the ladder to the top. One would call it a meteoric rise. In just a few short months of competition, and return to the world of professional wrestling, I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined. I came back because I had a void to fill. That competition gene was throbbing and I needed someone to release the pressure. I found it here in the APW. President Jeff gave me the opportunity to “scratch the itch” if you will. I was fine with that. I was ready to ride off in to the sunset without any regrets or hesitations. I was done with all things wrestling yet again. Until this week at Overdrive when suddenly, it became more than competition. It was no longer something that I just do to “scratch my competitive itch,” to continue the metaphor. It became personal.
[Rebel runs his hand across his forehead where several stitches are holding what’s left of it together.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: I thought I was walking in to a normal, everyday match with Khaos - whom I had soundly defeated just a few weeks ago and Nova – a relative unknown the APW realm. I was pretty confident that I had this one in the bag. Neither one of these men have the gaul to hang with me inside the ring. And why would I think otherwise? All I had to do was tell a little joke about Khaos’ female friend and he was so out of it I didn’t know if he was ever going to come back down to earth. But I thought I might have a shot to be a part of the Test for the Best tournament – so when President Jeff came knocking with an opportunity to compete in this match against these men on Overdrive, my reaction was probably just as you expected.
[Rebel snorts.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: TERRIBLE! On what planet does Johnny Rebel have to prove himself worthy of some ridiculous tournament? I should be handed title shots on a silver platter!
[Rebel’s blood pressure begins to rise as his monitor starts beeping repeatedly. A nurse comes by and checks to make sure he’s all right.]
[/color][/center]Rebel: However, if I’ve proven anything, I’m always up for a fight. It’s what I was born to do and how I ended up back here; in this hospital. So, I took the fight – thinking what’s the worst that could possible go wrong? I’ll put both of these fools in their place. That obviously didn’t happen the way I had hoped it would be. Instead of walking out of that arena with my hands raised, Khaos operated his sinister plan perfectly. Not only what I lose the match and my perfect record be forced to put an asterisk next to the loss column – but also by following Khaos outside the ring, little did I know that I would be walking right in to his trap. I feel right in to the middle of his master plan without thinking twice. As I was illegally choked out in the middle of the ring, I was awoken to the excruciating pain of having a screwdriver ripping the flesh off of my forehead. In that moment I can remember thinking to myself that this is the end. I’ve got nothing left. The opportunity to participate in the Test for the Best tournament slipping out of my grasp. Gone was the chance at the APW Undisputed Championship. Instead of doing what I love – I’d be caught up in this hospital bed watching from a distance.
[/i][/color]
"Jeff: You think so huh? Well, I got some news for you. As you should be well aware. I’ve been keeping a close eye on everyone. Keeping tabs, and you we’re on of the guys on my radar to be in the Test for the Best tournament."
[Rebel slaps his thigh in disgust.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: This it the type of action that gets rewarded around here? The mentality of “it is what it is!” There is no remorse for his actions! Look at his face, look in to his eyes! He just doesn’t give a rip. And why in the world is President Jeff not more fired up? The guy just tried to maul one of his MegaStars in the middle of his TV show and he’s not the least bit wound up? The guy took a screwdriver to my skull for God’s sake! He didn’t win a match. He couldn’t have been impressed the “higher-ups” of the APW with his consistent and repeated losses in the ring. Instead, a vicious and uncalled for attack on yours truly and President Jeff is rewarding him with the opportunity of a lifetime. Unbelievable! I try to put my best foot forward – I try to make the best of my opportunities and when I try to do the right thing I consistently get screwed out of that chance. I’m not crying over spilt milk here but this is an injustice! I surely don’t have a lick of regret for anything I’ve ever done inside the squared circle but this is one where I’m struggling. If this is the way Jeff is going to treat our MegaStars than I’m out!
[As soon as Rebel can get the last words out of his mouth – he catches the second part of the interview with President Jeff and Khaos.]
[/color][/center]"Jeff: That is so. So you will be in the Test for the Best tournament, but don’t think of this as a reward for your actions here tonight. Because your first round opponent. Will be….JOHNNY REBEL."
[/i][/center]
Rebel: I knew it!
[Rebel’s monitor again goes off as nurses come rushing in to check on him. They caution him to calm down and relax. Rebel puts both hands behind his head and leans back.]
[/i][/color]Saint John Regional Hospital
Emergency Room
June 17th, 2011
Emergency Room
June 17th, 2011
[It’s the start of a new day and looks like Johnny Rebel has been moved to a private room. Rebel is sitting at the foot of his bed – packing up what is left of his belongings. A doctor comes in taking a look at his forehead.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: It’s time to get out of here.
Doctor: Trust me…it can’t come soon enough.
Rebel: Hey! What does that mean?
Doctor: Any questions for me?
Rebel: Could you tell me how to find the clitor….
Doctor: [Interrupting] Medical related questions!
Rebel: That is a medical related question!
[The doctor shakes his head and signs his name a few times on the clipboard sitting at the foot of Rebel’s bed.]
[/center][/color]Doctor: Get some rest over the next few weeks. Absolutely no training for the next 48 hours.
Rebel: That certainly won’t be a problem!
Doctor: And Johnny…do me a favor and try and stay away from screwdrivers from now on, okay?
A Local Pool
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
June 19th, 2011
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
June 19th, 2011
[It’s a beautiful day – the sun is shining way up in the sky and there isn’t a cloud in sight. It’s a bit colder outside than it looks but “Simply Put” Johnny Rebel is sitting poolside somewhere in Halifax, Nova Scotia.]
[/color][/center]Rebel: First pool day of the year! But damn … it’s cold up here!
[Rebel shivers.]
[/color][/center]Rebel: Perfect day to relax; catch what little sun there is around here and enjoy the view!
[He scans for all of the mothers who were brave enough to bring their kids to go swimming. Rebel is lying on a chair on the second level – there is a game of volleyball going on about twenty feet to his right and there are several women playing with their children in the kiddy pool to his right.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: In case you were wondering – I’ve already scoped out the babe situation. Hot blonde over there [Rebel points] with two kids – two brunettes [points again] over there and a ridiculously good-looking redhead straight ahead.
[Rebel gets up from his chair and walks over to the pool. He sticks in his right foot and grimaces at the temperature of the water. A few kids swim up and give him the stare down.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: Can I help you?
Kid #1: Why don’t you get in?
Rebel: Ever seen a turtle?
Kid #1: Yes.
Rebel: If I get in right now the turtle is going back in his shell!
[Rebel chuckles in amusement at his own joke. The kids obviously don’t understand and seem confused.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: Get going. I have work to do!
[Before he can finish shooing the kids away with his hands, the blonde woman Rebel pointed out earlier comes walking up and yells to the two kids.]
[/color][/center]Blonde: You two leave this man alone.
Rebel: Do these belong to you?
Blonde: Just the little girl – she’s my daughter. The other is my nephew. My sister is always dumping her kids on me!
Rebel: Sounds like you could use some help. Sit down – relax. I’ll keep an eye on them.
[Rebel snickers at enacting his master plan. The blonde woman sits down on the edge of the pool as Rebel dives in chasing after the two kids. The young girl immediately falls in love with Rebel as he tosses her in the air. The nephew patiently waits his turn as Rebel tosses him up next – this time throwing him halfway across the pool. Rebel winks over at the blonde watching.]
[/i][/color]Kid #2: Are you single?
Rebel: [coughing] What?
Kid #2: [pointing at her Rebel] I like this one. Why don’t you ask him out!
[Mom gets real nervous at the thought of her 9-year old daughter playing matchmaker. It’s obviously the blonde woman is attracted to Rebel but Rebel isn’t showing his cards just yet.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: Wait a second. Your mom is cute enough but I don’t even know if she can cook yet! I don’t think she could keep up with me...in the kitchen.
Kid #2: My mom is a great cook!
[Rebel laughs at the reaction; the young lady obviously missing the innuendo. The blonde starting to gain some confidence snaps back…]
Blonde: Oh, I wouldn’t worry. I can easily keep up with you.
[Rebel isn’t the smoothest of operators so the thought of his shtick actually working almost causes him to choke. The sexual chemistry between the two is startling. Suddenly, the mood of the blonde woman begins to change as she cocks her head sideways staring at Rebel.]
[/i][/color]Blonde: Wait a second. Where have I seen you before?
Rebel: Running through your dreams?
[Yep. That’s the end of Rebel’s smooth pickup. He puts his hand over his head knowing he’s messed up and ruined any chance of landing this woman.]
[/center][/color]Blonde: You’re on TV, aren’t you?
Rebel: I may have been on a few times.
Blonde: [speaking to her nephew] What were you watching the other day? That wrestling show?
Kid #2: APW Overdrive!
Blonde: That’s it! You’re a professional wrestler!
[Obviously, his cover is blown. Rebel sinks at the fleeting thought of going through one day without having to deal with his somewhat celebrity.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: That’s me.
Kid #2: I knew you looked familiar! You’re Johnny Rebel! The biggest asshole in the world!
Blonde: Jacob!
Kid #2: Well it’s true!
[Rebel laughs at the kid and his response to uncovering the mystery. He shrugs his shoulders at the thought.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: If the shoe fits. What can I say?
Blonde: You looked bigger on TV...
Rebel: Well, that's the end of this conversation...
Blonde: Wait...Aren’t you scheduled to wrestle in some tournament? Test for the Most Awesome or something like that?
Kid #2: Test for the Best!
Blonde: That’s it! I can’t wait. I love Sally Talfourd! She’s going to win!
[The blonde immediately recognizes the weight of her statements as Rebel groans and rolls his eyes. She continues despite Rebel’s obviously objections.]
[/i][/color]Blonde: She’s taken on a role that’s nearly impossible to pull off with such class! She’s a role model for all women everywhere – how many other women compete in a man’s world and with such great success? She’s got star quality! There are all kinds of ways to define star quality but the way she appears completely natural in an unnatural situation; wrestling with such brutes and completely dominating them on their turf! She’s so strong. She gives away such great vibes and energy! She is always moving at 120 miles per hour trying to accomplish her purpose. Her work ethic is so abundantly clear!
[Rebel clears his throat.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: Are we talking about the same person? Sally? Sally Talfourd?
Blonde: Of course!
[Rebel shakes his head yet again in disbelief.]
[/i][/color]Blonde: She’s beautiful. She has great arms - have you seen those things? I’d kill for a body like that! But when I compliment her looks – I’m also referring to the way she is so comfortable in her own skin! She is a warm face in a cold world!
Rebel: This is getting ridiculous. I have to stop you here.
Blonde: I’m sorry – are you getting a little…jealous?
Rebel: Jealous of what? Sally? HA!
Blonde: You sound like you might be a little bit…
Rebel: But…she’s a….woman.
Blonde: And what is that supposed to mean?
Rebel: Everybody knows that women can’t hang with men in the wrestling ring.
[The woman flashes a devilish grin.]
[/i][/color]Blonde: I think what you meant is that everyone knows she’s going to wipe the floor with you…if…you ever get in the ring with her.
Kid #2: Everybody is picking her to win! I like Shane Borderland!
Rebel: Under the radar – just the way I like it.
Blonde: I wouldn’t say you were under the radar – I don’t think you’re anywhere near it!
[Rebel laughs as he obviously disagrees with her statement.]
[/color][/i]Rebel: I'm going to go back over to my chair now that you've got things under cover here. Nice to meet you ... um, what was your name again?
Blonde: Michelle. Don’t be a stranger – and good look at the Test for the Best!
[Rebel gets out of the pool and returns over to his chair. He dries off with his towel and stretches it out while lying over top of it. He pulls out a pair of sun glasses and slides them over his face; grimacing as he brushes over the gash left from Overdrive on his forehead.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: The time for training has ended. In just a short time, the Test for the Best tournament will begin and all eyes around the professional world will be locked in to Halifax, Nova Scotia. “Simply Put” Johnny Rebel, Khaos, Sally Talfourd, C.J. Gates, Roxy Rayner, Shane Borderland, Bobby Bodacious and Blade. Quite possibly the best crop of talent to ever compete in this tournament; and honestly, we all know that we can chalk that accolade up to Rebel. Each with a chance to walk away as the number one contender to the APW title of their choice and a chance to win bragging rights for the rest of the year until the next champion is crowned in 2012. At the risk of sounding too cocky, I honestly believe that I’m as ready as I’ve ever been for this thing. I know that I’m walking in to that ring as prepared mentally than I have ever been for anything. I won’t be one hundred percent physically – no thanks to Khaos but I’ll address that in a minute.
Always being a man of preparation, I’ve gone back and done some scouting. I had a lot of time this week of lying around in a hospital bed. I watched the top stars of Action Packed Wrestling compete in previous Test for the Best tournaments. Some of the best athletes that professional wrestling has ever seen. Way back in 2008, at the inaugural Test for the Best tournament saw guys like Vin E. Lambardo, former APW Heavyweight Champion “The Icon” Doctor Phate, Ace Daniels and Victor Brander compete for the crown. It takes an awful lot to come out on top of one of these things. Every last bit of blood, sweat and tears that you have stored up. But watching these guys go at it – it only makes one thing clear: Simply put, I’m better than all of them and it’s not even close. If you go back and look at my body of work, I’d be willing to put it up against anyone else in the business today. They just don’t compare!
[Rebel nods in agreement to his own statement.]
[/color][/i]Rebel: When I first found out about the Test for the Best tournament and the prize it carried; I had my doubts that President Jeff would do the right thing and give me a spot. I was pretty confident that yet again he’d screw Johnny Rebel. I know his affinity for guys like C.J. Gates and Lester Only. It’s not very likely that a guy like that would have the guts to lean on guys like me. This time though President Jeff made the right call. He knew it and the world knew that Johnny Rebel was the ONLY choice. The tournament is meant for the top talent in the APW and when you begin to scan through the roster – it’s obvious which names stick out and which names just fall flat. Names like Shane Borderland or Blade don’t give you the warm willies. They don’t scream championship material Simply put – they don’t draw the crowds that Johnny Rebel does. The fans love to hate Johnny Rebel. They can’t keep their fat mouths shut as my music plays over the loud speakers. I’ve been dedicated to the APW at a time where some of its biggest names are out fighting in some other tournament.
[Rebel snickers.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: And that brings me to round one where I’ll get my chance at revenge. You thought you had it all figured out, didn’t you, Khaos?
Hannah set you up with quite the compliment when she said you lost a hard-fought battle against me several weeks ago. Let me let you in on a little secret though, Khaos; it wasn’t much of a challenge. You go on to claim that it was the best thing to happen to you and that you were in a “bad” place. Quite frankly, I’m sick of hearing about it. We all are aware of your girlfriend’s talents and your best friend passing away. It’s the same old woe-is-me crap that we’ve been subjected to for weeks! That crap about “losing is sometimes exactly what a person needs to get their focus back” is just that…crap. That’s what people say to make themselves feel better when they can’t get over the hump. If you can’t get yourself excited and focused for one of the biggest matches of your life without getting pummeled in the middle of the ring then what are you doing here in the APW? Clearly, you don’t have the slightest clue on what it takes to climb to the top. What’s important in this business is one thing and one thing only: winning.
And If the beating you received, legally, a few weeks ago from me wasn’t enough – you had to go and run your mouth again to Jeff. I can almost imagine the conversation now.
“Whine, whine, mumble, mumble…Can I please have another shot at Johnny Rebel? This time I’ll try real hard!“
I can almost picture you down on your hands and knees praying for the answer that you so desperately seek. In a fleeting thought of pity from Jeff, he decided he’d give you another crack at taking on Rebel in the ring on Overdrive. I don’t agree with the decision but he thought maybe you could use an extra hand. He thought maybe he would throw in someone to distract me from getting my hands around your tiny little neck. How convenient that he had the little Mexican jumping bean hopping around in the locker room and looking for a place to debut. He was trying to protect you from what happened previously and he did a good job this time around. He provided just enough of a distraction to keep me away from taking you out of this business forever. It wasn’t because he thought you had a shot at actually getting some revenge and pinning me in the ring just like I did to you a few weeks before. He needed somehow to protect himself from a lawsuit in case I ended your career.
So, you did what any self-respecting man would do and you took me on fair and square in the middle of the ring. Wait a tick. That’s not how it happened? Let me give you the account of what really happened: you couldn’t keep up and you knew that you were headed for a loss for the umpteenth time in a row and decided since you couldn’t win legally, you’d do whatever you could to make sure I wouldn’t win. Daring me to chase you to the outside of the ring and doing your best to keep me out for those ten seconds. What can I say? I enjoy a good fight so I followed you and that’s when you went off the deep end. You lost your ever-loving mind! Khaos, I’m not going to let the same thing happen again. You fooled me once, congratulations to you; color me honestly impressed. I won’t let it happen again. You won’t be able to put together your elaborate hoaxes. Forgive me for wanting to put on a honest exhibition in the squared circle – not running around poking people with screwdrivers.
[Rebel takes a deep breath.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: You’ve proven several times to the APW that you are weak mentally and physically. I’ve exposed you for the fraud you are. Winning this tournament requires a number of different skills that I’m not so sure you have laying around in your toolbox. You have to be able to handle the challenges that come your way. It didn’t take long for me to get underneath your skin and push all the right buttons, did it? All it took was a cardboard cutout and a high-pitched voice and you caved faster than Sally Talfourd in a room full of chocolate donuts. After our match it didn’t take long for you to start crying foul. “Did you see what he did? He hurt my feelings. Blah, blah and more blah!” Nova doesn’t deserve a whole lot of credit for his role this past week but I’ll give him one thing he got right. He declared that the match between the three of us was really simply a match of David vs. Goliath. Yours truly playing the role of the giant, Goliath, undefeated in every challenge put before him; and Nova playing the role of David, the puny forgotten soldier who would make a feeble attempt to slay a giant. Now tell me if I’m wrong there but I didn’t see a role for you to play? Innocent bystander? What does that tell you, Khaos? It seems to me that the answer to that question is screaming out to you loud and clear: YOU DON’T MATTER!
[/i][/color]
Rebel: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Zip. None. Jack! Not worth a damn. Normally, I’d be wrestling with the worth of you even being included in this tournament but it’s a clear path for me to straight to the next rung and one step closer to accomplishing my goal.
[Rebel reaches down and grabs a water bottle from inside his bag.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: If it wasn’t enough that I had to comprehend the idea of Khaos being in this tournament, it gets worse with the inclusion of everybody’s favorite hero, C.J. Gates. The ultimate underdog! Always overlooked but will give you one hundred percent in the ring and never settles for anything less! He’s the guy everyone loves to root for - almost like a bigger version of “Supersonic” Branden Harvey: The little engine that could. Some describe him as the most passionate professional wrestler in the world today. You’ll always find him in a competitive match and in the process displaying the utmost professionalism. C.J. Gates! What a guy!
[Rebel busts out in laughter.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: I practiced that for a while. I was almost to a point where I could get through the whole thing without laughing! All this garbage about being respectful and wanting to do things the right way is a crock. There is only one-way to get to the top: lying, cheating, and stealing. Nobody ever made it in this business without scratching and clawing their way past everyone else and if they tell you otherwise, they’ve got you fooled. I live by one motto and that is: “if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’!” That’s the difference between C.J. and myself. I’m not interested in earning anything. I’ve been in those shoes and it really didn’t get me that far. I know what it’s like to sit back and try to do the ring thing to get what I want. You know where that gets you in the long run though? Absolutely nowhere. You’ll always continue to be where you currently. Sure, with your perfect sportsmanship and love for the game you might get the opportunity to cozy up to Presidente’ Jeff and get a few moments in the limelight but eventually that will fade and your inability to ever move on in your current place will either cause you to give up or the APW to give up on you.
[He raises up to get a glimpse at a woman across the pool.]
[/i][/color]Rebel: The old adage is true. Nice guys always finish last. Lucky for you, I’m able to diagnose all your problems for you. Isn’t that nice of me? You have such little self-esteem that you sell yourself out to these pathetic fans in order to get a cheap pop for just a few quick seconds. It makes you feel good about yourself, doesn’t it, C.J? When the lights turn on in the arena, it’s like a drug, and you get to the point where you crave their attention. For just a quick second, these people are invested in you and have bought what you’re selling: hard work, determination and success. You get a little bit of kick out of that, don’t you? It makes you feel all warm inside and like you’ve really accomplished something. “They are cheering for me – they must accept me!” Pishaw. They don’t accept you, C.J! All you are to them is the little lost puppy dog that won’t leave their feet and who would kick out a lost puppy dog? I’ll tell you who: “Simply Put” Johnny Rebel. I’ve chosen to go on to bigger and better things without the host of idiots that call themselves “fans” riding my coattails. I don’t need them way back when and I certainly don’t need them now.
The hero in peril who somehow finds his way out of each difficult scenario is old and played out. Only in the comic books will you find anything close to that in reality. If you want to have success in this business like I have, you have to stop being so agreeable and be straightforward and honest in your assessment of the lowlifes. The sad reality is that these people nowadays are dying for some true honesty. They are dying for something real! They need someone who is able to paint a clear picture for them to understand and to tell them how it really is. It’s not always puppies and gumdrops, C.J. That’s not reality – it’s a fictional life. These people get enough of that in their everyday world where they live in constant fantasy. It’s up to us to show them the way!
You can ask around about me from those who have been in this business along time and they will tell you all you need to know about me. They will tell you that I’m a straight shooter and I hold nothing back. I wear everything on my sleeves and out in the open. You could stand to learn a little bit from someone like me. I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not. I tell the world exactly how it is and you know how I know I’m right? They put my advice in to action. These people that boo and hiss when I come out to the ring are really cheering deep down in their soul. They know I’m right and they know I have what they are looking for. It’s a sad reality to have such an enlightening that is chained deep down in to their soul. I’m on a mission to set them free and you could be a part of that, C.J. However, my assumption is that you’ll continue on the same beaten bath you’ve been running on for how many years now. You’ll always be shooting for the stars and each time you’ll come up just a little bit short because you naïve spirit won’t allow you to change your ways. Unfortunately, you will waste all that potential that is wrapped up in you and you will simply be just another chapter in the story of Johnny Rebel.
[Rebel uses his index finger as a pen as if he’s writing in the air.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: Then this is everyone’s favorite for this tournament, Sally Talfourd.
[Rebel’s shakes his head.]
[/center][/color]Rebel: What is there to say about her that hasn’t already been said?
[He stretches his arms out.]
[/i]Rebel: I hesitate to say anything at all knowing that going by recent history in your matchups against C.J., that the chances you even make it to the second round are slim-to-none. In the rare chance you capitalize on an opportunity – your reward will be have the distinct privilege of standing in the ring with me.
With every second that passes, Sally is gaining in confidence. She likes to give off the vibe that she doesn’t care what the rest of the world thinks about her but deep down inside, I think it’s starting to catch up with her a little bit. I think, Sally, you’ve got a lot of C.J. Gates inside you – no pun intended. Those little insecurities that creep on up every time you lace up those boots to get inside the ring. Deep down inside you fit the bill of every other woman who was tried to navigate the muddy waters of professional wrestling. I’ll tip my cap to you ever so slightly for finding the success that you have so far here in the APW. Wearing the Undisputed Championship around you waist is nothing to shake a stick at. What gets you off though isn’t the belt itself or knowing that you are the champion and standing at the top of the heap. It’s the attention and the spotlight that come with the championship that does it for you, isn’t it, Sally?
What happens when that attention is taken away? You start to lose focus on the things that once seemed important. It certainly would explain the string of losses from the as equally insecure C.J. Gates, wouldn’t it? Let’s be real for just a second: you don’t just need that attention to be successful – you crave it! That need is alive in every woman but for you – it’s your lifeblood. It’s what keeps you ticking and driving you forward to accomplishing your goal. It almost makes you wonder how you got that way, Sally. Was daddy not around enough? Did he not bounce you on his knee enough times? It’s proven that women love attention for attention’s sake but I wonder where it comes from. Is it natural as if they are just born with it? Is it created by the void that someone or something has left in their life?
The question is how do you beat a woman like that? If the basic need is for her to crave attention, than surely I’m doing myself a disservice by actually paying attention to her. I’m feeding right in to the most intimate parts of her emotions, right? Which is why I’m going to give you the pleasure of hearing your name roll off of my tongue one time and one time only. Unfortunately for you, the story of Sally Talfourd’s meteoric rise to the top ends here. When you read through the APW annuals, the only remembrance of her will be from a fluke win over Level One and a brief championship win. However, the name of Johnny Rebel will continue on. The difference between you and me is simple: you need this - I don’t. This is just something to hang on the wall at the end of the day to say I’ve accomplished something else in this business. I have the championships and the magazine covers. I’ve been in the bright lights and nursed the wounds. Simply put, your need for attention isn’t enough to outweigh my boredom in this business. My suggestion is to walk away why you still can because come Test for the Best, you may not have an option.
Khaos, C.J. Gates, Sally Talfourd. That is:
#SIMPLY
#F’N
# PUT!
[Fade out as Rebel’s signature “Simply F’N Put” dances across the screen and a copyright logo follows underneath.]
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