Post by C.J. Gates on Aug 25, 2011 22:32:15 GMT -4
"Dreams.
"Sometimes, I wonder if this whole year has been one big dream. I wonder if everything I have done will be washed away the moment I wake up. That my involvement and success during Survive and Conquer, the Ascension tournament, the Extreme Tournament and Test for the Best...all of that would just be wiped away and I'd be back to ground zero.
"Back to holding the APW tag team titles with a man that didn't deserve them. Back to fighting my way out from underneath the masses at the bottom of the ladder. If it is all a dream, it's the sort of dream that I wouldn't want to wake up from.
"The type of dream that I could stay inside forever.
"But of course, it's not a dream, it only feels like a dream. It only feels like I'm walking on cloud nine because it is territory that until now, had been left uncharted. Sure, people don't think I'll be able to capitalize, people don't think I'll be able to beat Biggs when it comes time, but to those people I only say wait and see.
"To those people I point to Survive and Conquer and how man doubters there were that I would make it anywhere close to the final fur.
"I point to the CWC Ascension tournament where I was more or less fighting from the underdog position from round one.
"I point to Test for the Best, where everyone thought Sally Talfourd would dispose of me in short order in round one.
"What more do they need? Well, the answer is obvious. The answer is that they need me to capture that big title, they need me to beat Biggs before they can take me seriously. They need to see me prove myself inside that ring so that they will take me seriously. So that they will be able to finally say that C.J. Gates is for real.
"That this North Dakota Cowboy is here to stay.
"Then again, those people that doubt me are also only saying so because they're all hoping to be able to cash in. They are all hoping that the brass will start to get cold feet about the main event of Shockwave and insert some alternative options into the mix. At least that's what it seems to me.
"But there's no need. They'll eventually get their chances. They will all eventually be standing where I am after working toward it and earning it. After going through their paces and sweating And once they've done so, they will all be able to live their own dreams.
"Because I'm not giving this one up."[/i]
Once upon a time, in a land ruled by the generous King Jeffery, a clash of champions was at the center of everyone's attention. For the majority of the past year, the battlefield was dominated by the grey knight Sir Lester Only and the Dame Sally Talfourd. Their swords sang through the air for months, fueled by full force swings filled with venom. They battled at every possible opportunity, each one looking to top the other in combat. They traded barbs back and forth with no one gaining the clear advantage, that is, not until the two of them met on the grandest battlefield of them all.
All the while, the black knight stood in the shadows, nearly invisible to the naked eye. He stood out on the lower jousts, besting the competition before all of the attention went to Sir Only and the Dame Talfourd. But the black knight waited, watching with a hungry intensity that only he knew was there. And it wasn't until an opportunity presented itself that this black knight, Sir Gary Biggs, turned everyone's heads.
After the grey knight Sir Only had finally managed to best the Dame and capture the grand prize and the honor of representing King Jeffery's realm as one of his top knights, Sir Biggs, began to plan. In due time, he would strike, seizing a foreign object and striking Sir Only in the head when his helm was off, knocking him down to the dirt while drawing hatred from the commons and officially cementing his role as the black knight of the kingdom. And it wasn't long until that one shot turned into shady success for the black knight Sir Biggs as he defeated Sir Only in their battle, naming Sir Biggs the best knight in the realm.
Word spread that this black knight had cheated in order to gain an upper hand over the grey knight, but that did not deter him from his path. Sir Biggs would parade around the kingdom with his head held high, aware that everyone's eyes were on him. He welcomed the spotlight, however, and would do anything to keep it. At times, Sir Biggs was found standing in front of a large crowd filled mostly with his own kind, Sir Johnathan Rebel and the Knight of Chaos, Sir James Coolidge among them. They loathed the black knight for standing before them because they weren't there themselves, yet they respected him for what he was able to do. Like always, Sir Biggs' hand found the hilt of his sword as he once again told the tale.
"Just when I thought that I was trapped with no where to go, an opening was spotted," Sir Gary would start, the younger listeners hanging on his every word. "I lashed out with my weapon, but Sir Lester was ready, knocking me aside and striking back. But I was just as well prepare and I parried his shot, I stepped to the side and was eventually in prime position behind the champion to lash out with my sword." Sir Gary would always unsheathe his sword and hold it before him, the sunlight striking the polished blade with a bright shine. "Sir Lester then fell to the ground in pain as I stood before him, and his only choice was to yield and declare me the winner!" A cheer would rise from some of the listeners while others simply shook their heads in disappointment. As for Sir Gary, he simply smiled a devilish smile belonging only to those that are telling lies.
Rumors circulated about how Sir Gary managed to win. Some said that he had managed to blind Sir Lester with some crafty work of the sun, while others were saying that Sir Gary had spat in the eye of the grey knight. No one knew for sure how Sir Gary had bested the best knight of the realm, but he had done so, though everyone knew that it wasn't in a gentleman's duel. Sir Gary didn't let the rumors get to him, and for everyone he heard, he would simply smile and laugh. "They start rumors because they are jealous. Because they all wish that they could be named the greatest knight of the kingdom." And no matter how many rumors were started, the smile never seemed to be erased from the face of Sir Gary.
But then came the white knight.
The white knight that everyone loved. He had been gaining quite the following in the commons through his various battles, working his way up from the bottom and inching his way closer to the top. He rode into battle gallantly and followed the stipulations laid out by King Jeffery to a tee. He had been following the situation closely, watching as the black knight stole victory from the hands of the grey knight and then watching as Sir Gary rubbed it in, bragging to anyone that would listen. Though the white knight, Sir C.J. Gates, had reasons to brag himself, as he managed to win the yearly joust, defeating three other combatants in a single night. That win didn't sit well with the black knight because it overshadowed his accomplishment.
Their first meeting came shortly after both of their victories. Sir Gates was celebrating his recent success with friends and family in a local tavern, rejoicing with people he hadn't seen for awhile. It was there that Sir Biggs and his troupe entered wearing his expensive and expertly crafted black tunic adorned with gems and tassels.
"Why are all of you celebrating his win?" Sir Biggs said loud enough to cut through the noise. "I should be the one you are cheering because I am the true hero! I am the best knight of this kingdom! I toppled the supposedly unbeatable grey knight, not him!"
The people in the tavern turned and looked at Sir Biggs, each one of them silent and unmoved by his outburst. Sir Biggs smiled his smug smile at each one before they all turned back around and resumed their conversations. "How dare you ignore me! I am the best knight. I have the kings word that no one is better than me. You should all be kneeling before me and showing me how much you honor what I have managed to do!"
The patrons parted and the white knight himself Sir Gates stepped forward with an air of confidence and wearing a white tunic. He offered his hand to the black knight, but Sir Biggs merely looked at it, then to his two squires at his side, before he laughed and shook his head. Sir Gates smiled.
"I welcome you to join us, Sir Biggs," Sir Gates said motioning to the tavern behind him. "We have both achieved great things and it's only fair that if you wish to use this tavern, then I will gladly share." Sir Biggs shook his head at the mere mention of them sharing the spotlight in the tavern.
"Share?" Biggs shook his head again. "No, see, this is my night. I'm the one that beat the giant. I'm the one that gets the celebration in my honor. The day you beat Lester Only..." Sir Biggs paused as a slight smile crept to his lips. "Oh, wait, you tried that bit failed, didn't you?" His squires laughed as Sir Biggs shook his head.
"Listen, I don't want any trouble," Sir Gates began. "I'm just here celebrating my joust victory over some meat and mead with some close friends."
"But you don't have a right to celebrate," Sir Biggs proclaimed, once again loud enough to cut through the chatter of the tavern. "I am the true champion jouster. I am the one that overcame a real challenge. You just beat three people who were already passed their prime!" Sir Biggs nodded and took a few steps away from the door where his squires still stood. "Do you all hear that? This white knight defeated three people who had no business in that joust where as I, Sir Biggs the Bold defeated the mighty Sir Lester Only of Level One!"
The patrons nearest the door got up and walked out of the tavern quickly, shaking their heads. "Don't you realize that you are only driving every away, black knight." Sir Gates turned around to return to his crowd but Sir Biggs walked after him and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, causing Sir Gates to spin around.
"You think you're better than me, is that it, Gates?" Sir Biggs asked with a smirk before shaking his head. "You would be stupid to think that."
"I don't think I'm better than you, Sir," Sir Gates responded. "More honorable, sure, but not better. After all, you have the word of the King to back up your claims. I just have a mere tournament win."
Sir Biggs turned to face Sir Gates at that point, his eyes narrow in anger before cracking a smile. "Well, that's good, because at some point your honor is going to be brought into question, and when it is, you'll have nothing going for and I'll still be the best. Let's go." Sir Biggs turned and walked out of the tavern, his friends and squires following, leaving Sir Gates and his party shaking their heads.
From then on, every time the two crossed paths, tensions grew and tempers flared. The confrontations started harmless enough, with Sir Biggs throwing stones towards Sir Gates to get his attention. "You're nothing but a drawbridge raiser, Gates!" Sir Biggs would shout, causing his entourage to chuckle in amusement.
At other times, Sir Biggs would be telling a new version of how he beat Sir Lester in battle when Sir Gates would cut in. "And let me guess? After he clipped off your armor and caused it to fall, showing the commons your undergarments, he laughed himself to death and you won by default, right?" This usually brought about laughs from anyone who wasn't part of Sir Biggs' group of friends.
Things really began to heat up between the two one day when Sir Gates was walking through the market with his squire when Sir Biggs moved in from behind, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sir Gates' squire gave a cry, allowing Gates to turn around in time to see Sir Biggs as he drew his sword and lunged. Gates dodged and pulled out his own sword, meeting Biggs' next strike with his own. The two exchanged shots back and forth before meeting on yet another and standing close to each other. "How dare you sneak up on me like that!" Sir Gates expressed, anger filling his eyes.
Sir Biggs simply flashed a cocky smile. "Just making sure you're as good as you say you are, Gates. Don't want to get shortchanged in our eventual battle. That's all." He smiled once more before flashing a wink and breaking from the stare down just as the kingdoms guards entered the area. Sir Gates watched as Sir Biggs and his troupe walked back the way they came exchanging laughs and looking back in Gates' direction.
"Are you sure you can beat him, m'lord?" Gates' squire asked as they watched the guards disperse after Sir Biggs.
"I'm confident in my abilities, B.J." Sir Gates began. "I know that if I set my mind to it I can defeat him and be named the best in the kingdom."
"But he's been a champion fighter for quite some time. Word is that all he knows is winning and how gold contrasts against his armor." The squire B.J. turned back to one of the stalls in the market.
"That is true, but I won't let that stop me," Sir Gates said with a smile, still watching the now empty space that Sir Biggs once stood in. "Don't forget, I was once a championship warrior myself, B.J. I know that I will be ready for this battle, though. If what I've heard is true, then Sir Biggs is nothing but a cheat, and I will be able to dispose of him easily. "
"A cheat? I thought cheats were executed on the battlefield?"
"Only if they get caught B.J. Only if they get caught." Sir Gates smirked and shook his head. "Is the practice dummy ready for training? I feel as though I need to get a bit more work in before this battle. I feel as though Sir Biggs might be a bit more of a handful that I had originally anticipated."
"Of course my liege. I can have it ready to go in twenty minutes after we get back."
"Good, good," Sir Gates said as he turned to leave. "Lets go back and practice our combat. I won't let that cheat beat me."
Upon arriving back on his land, Sir Gates was handed a note that arrived only moments earlier. Sir Gates opened it hastily and frowned at what he read. "What is this farce? What does he mean to gain by mocking me through simple letters?" Sir Gates crumpled the note up and tossed it into the fire.
"What did it say?" asked his squire.
"It was a note from Sir Biggs," Sir Gates paused. "He just wanted to tell me how my chances are getting slimmer. He wanted to let me know that he plans on making me feel the pain of defeat that Lester felt. That once I'm defeated he will take my land and whip my people into submission." Gates paced along the room, his hands clasped behind his back.
"What are you going to do, Sir?" B.J. the squire asked, his eyes wide. "You mustn't let him win!"
"I won't," Sir Gates said after some time. "I'll make sure to teach him that his ways don't work, and that honor is what is needed in his world. I will make him rue the day that he threatened my good nature and the safety of my people."
"Doesn't he claim that your ways won't work either? That eventually you'll have to cheat in order to get by in this world we live in."
"He does, but he would be wrong," Gates started with a smile. "He only says that because he knows nothing else. He only claims that I am bound to cheat because he can't see anything else. He knows it's his crutch, and he can't imagine a world where he's not using it to prop himself up in some way, shape or form."
Sir Gates' squire opened his mouth to speak, but Gates continued. "But he'll learn, oh he will learn. There is a way to do battle without cheating. There is a way to win a fight without having to resort to throwing dirt in the opponents eyes or hitting them below the belt." Sir Gates paced a few steps on the spot, his eyes locked on the air in front of him.
"And what if he doesn't learn, Sir? What if he continues to act the way he acts? What then?"
Sir Gates turned to face his squire, his head tilted. "If you're asking whether or not I will stoop to his level, B.J., then the answer is no. I'd rather lose a battle in an honorable fashion then win with the use of underhanded tactics like that malcontent." Sir Gates shook his head as he turned to face the fire, staring hard into the flickering flames.
Sir Gates remained at the far end of the room, staring into the fire, his eyes focused and filled with anger. His breathing was heavy as the squire B.J. stepped forward. "M'lord? Whats wrong?"
"Nothing, just lost in though, that is all. I was thinking back to his battle against the late Sir Ryan the Ruckus. You remember that?" Sir Gates smirked.
"Of course I do, but why are you dwelling on it?"
"Because of the similarities. Everyone has the one or two things that they always go back to when they're in trouble and Sir Biggs is no different," Sir Gates said as he crossed the room away from the fire. "I'm just remembering what he did then, and what he did against Sir Lester so that when he tries it against me, I'll be ready."
"But, Sir, he won both of those battles, didn't he?"
"Yes he did, but that doesn't mean he will be able to employ the same tactics to win this time. I am going to make sure that if he is to retain his status as the best knight in the kingdom, he is going to have to earn it."
"Like you've earned your way here?" B.J. questioned Sir Gates.
"Exactly. What has he done? Stolen? Tried to attack me in the market? Spoken ill about me and my family? That's not exactly the way that the best knight should act, don't you agree?"
"Indeed I do, Sir." B.J. crossed the room and took a look through the window to the yard outside. "The targets are almost ready."
"Good, good. Practice will help me out greatly in the face of this duel."
"Is it going to help you become more confident in your ability to win the battle?"
"Of course it is," Sir Gates said, as he turned to face his squire. "Now let us go. I need to practice if I am going to be on top of my game. I need to make sure that Sir Biggs loses all that he has gained in ill faith. Let's go. To the yard!" Sir Gates stormed from his spot out the door and made his way to the yard where his armor and practice sword were waiting. After suiting up, Sir Gates and his squire moved forward and exchanged shots with their swords, the metal clanging off each other as they did.
"For justice!" Sir Gates yelled as he drove B.J. back a few paces. His eyes were wide with intensity as he continued to strike out against his squire.
"For honor!" he shouted again.
"For the right of the commons!" he shouted once more as he knocked B.J. off of his feet with a powerful blow. He stood over his fallen squire, breathing heavy and hard.
After a few moments and much silence, Sir Gates returned to normal and nodded his head with a smile on his face. He sheathed his sword and turned to face the people that were watching him practice. All of the people that were all beginning to wonder the exact same thing.
Had they just seen the beast within Sir Gates, the one that would be unleashed at the shocking battle between he and Sir Biggs? Had they seen a preview of what would happen when the white knight and the black knight did battle with all eyes watching? Could this be the time when Sir Gates gets the best of his opponent?
Only time would tell.
"When I stepped foot in Action Packed Wrestling for the first time, I never would have figured that in one years time I'd be main eventing a Pay-Per-View and have a shot at one of the top belts in the business. Sure, it was a goal of mine at some point, but unlike most I do not set it as the be all end all. I do not make targets of certain championships constantly, only to come up short more often then not. That's just not my style.
"Yet here I am, a few days away from having that very scenario play out. A few days away from stepping into the ring with one of the best that the APW has to offer. Stepping into the ring with a rottweiler of a fighter who never gives up unless he physically can go no farther. I am stepping into the ring with a god damn firecracker from bell to bell.
"But I'm also stepping into the ring with a cheater. With a black knight.
"He can deny it and color it up so it looks better on paper and sounds better in everyone's ears, but the fact of the matter is that Biggs is a cheater. He cheated at Test For the Best when he took that title away from Lester Only, and he has done nothing but use the same kind of play in recent weeks on Overdrive. Sure, he might not have grabbed a handful of tights or used the ropes for leverage, but that doesn't mean he's tried. And in between each and every one of those attempts, he has also interfered in my matches, attempted to interfere, used dirty tactics like thumbs to the eyes and low blows, and just last week he walked out on his partner.
"Of course I am probably wasting my breath. Everyone has already seen what Biggs is all about, and I can only assume that everyone is as disgusted about it as I am. I mean, after all, who can really get behind a man that cheats his way to victory. And isn't in prison. No one, that's who. I've proven it each week when I came out onto that stage to roaring applause, while Biggs was constantly the target of boos, hisses and, in the odd case, a rogue peanut flying through the air. Yet, like others, Biggs still thinks his ways are solid. That he is able to use them no matter the situation because they are there to use. Regardless that they are illegal, Biggs feels it's his right to cheat as long as he uses all his cunning to get to that point in the match.
"Well it ends here. It ends this week.
"Sure, Biggs is probably sitting in whatever doctors office or in whichever lavish hotel room he has this week praising himself and shaking his head at every word I say. He's probably looking over at Elle and telling her that I am just blowing smoke, because it doesn't matter what I say, Biggs won't change. I get that. I understand that. But that doesn't mean that I can't try to bring about an honorable fight, champ. That doesn't mean that I can't stand toe to toe with you and try my hardest to force you to throw a few bombs rather then low blows, or to pin my flat in the center of the ring as opposed to getting my near the ropes.
"It might be futile, but what have I got to lose? I'm coming into this match riding a wave of momentum from not only Test for the Best, but from each of the weeks afterward, where I beat Johnny Rebel, Khaos and then the team of Khaos and Biggs. Three matches, three wins, and one of them was over my opponent for this upcoming Pay-Per-View extravaganza. And with all of this momentum, well, I'm not exactly going to be finding it difficult to get an early edge. Biggs will be in defense mode, trying to hold onto his title while I go on the attack, getting the early shots in that will help later down the road. But you know whats even better then momentum or the advantage of not having to turtle when the bell sounds?
"History.
"After all, it's my understanding that every person that has won the Test for the Best tournament, has gone on to lose at Shockwave. It's my understanding that no one has been able to string the two tournaments together. Sure, success found them eventually, but not at this show, at this event. But I am going to change all though. There will be skeptics no doubt who would rather have everyone believe that I am simply doomed to repeat the same patterns, doomed to fail yet again, doomed to be left on my back watching the lights spin in sync with the noise in my head. But to them, I simply shake my head. To them, I question if they had really been paying attention to me since the beginning of the year. Because everything that I have done shows that not only am I the underdog, yet again, but that I am also able to overcome the negativity thrown my way.
"No one thought I'd last as long as I did in the Survive and Conquer match after having opened the show with the tag team title match, but I did. I proved them wrong and nearly eliminated the man that would eventually win the whole thing. No one expected me to be remembered for my meteoric rise during the CWC Ascension tournament, but, sure enough, I overcame the odds and the doubters and ended up finishing fourth with an opportunity at the big title coming up. Need I point to this years Extreme Tournament for more proof? I wasn't given the time of day to get out of the group stages yet I managed to make it to Siberia.
"I'm not throwing these facts out there to try and impress you Biggs, since I know you could care less about anything I have managed to do. But you can't sit there and look at my body of work these past eight months and see me as anything but a threat to taking your title away. I laid out these events because I wanted to show you that I am capable of coming up big when it matters most. I wanted to show you that even though I continue to get labeled as the underdog in just about every situation, I don't let it affect me. If anything I use that tag and overcome it. I welcome the underdog nickname and status and I embrace it. And then, I prove everyone wrong when I overcome the odds, overcome the nickname and the status, open peoples eyes and carve my name into not only the record books, but the hearts of each and every fan.
"I know what you're thinking though, Biggs. Each of those items I threw your way, I didn't win them. Survive and Conquer, Ascension, Extreme Tournament, all of them saw me come up short, just missing moving on to the next rounds. And I'm sure you could have a field day tearing me down and rubbing my face in that fact. But really, Biggs, look at it this way.
"It's all just building up to something big.
"Like, say, winning the APW Undisputed title? Very well could be. I mean, I'm once again labeled as the underdog, and, in your mind, the cowboy who couldn't beat Lester Only if Lester Only only had one leg. You've labeled me as a goody goody who doesn't know when to get his hands dirty. You've basically piled up as much as you could to hold me back and keep me from achieving the greatness I know I am capable of. And who knows, maybe this is the moment that I break right on through and capture everything that is set before me. Maybe this is when I grab the match and dominate, ending up with everything that goes along with it.
"The victory.
"The bragging rights.
"And of course, your APW Undisputed title.
"Don't get confused though, Biggs. When I said that my ultimate goal at the outset of my APW career wasn't to win the APW Undisputed title, I was telling the truth. You see, that only became a realization and an actually dream I could hold close after I won Test for the Best and earned the chance to battle you. That only came about when the weeks ticked by and you and I did all that we could to one up the other at every opportunity. Now, well, now I walk into this match in St. Paul with gold on my mind. Oh, sure, I'm still fighting for those fans. I'm still going to give them a show to remember and a match that will live on in their heads forever. But I am also going to have a little golden motivation to do even better than I ever have in an APW ring. I am going to have that little extra energy going through that will allow me to capitalize early and often while you defend your precious belt.
"I won't lie though, I have been looking forward to this match for quite some time. Probably for the better part of the year, I have been waiting for an opportunity to really get a good chance to face off against you. Sure, I'd hoped that you would have cleaned up your act at some point so that we could have an honorable fight, but beggars can't be choosers right? In any case, I've looked forward to this match for many of the reasons we spoke of last week. We are similar fighters or similar heights doing battle with similar moves that deal similar punishment. Of course, we each have a slight trick up our sleeves and we each are capable of hitting the unexpected or expecting the unexpected. And of course, there's the little matter of being two of the hottest rising stars over the past little while, finally meeting on a collision course. Finally colliding at a big event with all the marbles in the middle.
"It's what the fans have been waiting for as well.
"Sure, there might be a great deal of them that loath you, and would rather see you lose this week, but there are others that want to see this match because they know it will be good. They want to see it because they know that we are two men who will give it all, and leave it inside of that ring. You, to hold onto the title, me to win it not only for me, but for the fans as well. Because, really, they haven't had that many people to cheer for around these parts over the past year or so.
"But I give them hope and in turn, they give me hope. They give me the drive I need to succeed at every possible turn. Maybe you think I'm being naive for believing that the fans can give me a needed boost, but it's worked so far, so I'm not about to turn my back on them. I'm not about to pull a Sally Talfourd and ignore them for all that they have given me over one small blip. I'm not about to follow your path and mock them at every possible avenue.
"Not all of us can avoid the Sally Talfourd-ing though, now can we? Some of us, namely yourself, see what others did before them and try to do them better. You watched Lester Only as champion and now you think you can do better. You watched as Sally Talfourd threw everything she could at me week in and week out, and yet, here I stand, ready for the next wave that you have to throw my way, knowing that you can't beat me otherwise. Knowing that if you hadn't attacked me multiple times, you couldn't sleep easy at night. I'm sure you slept fine after you drove me to the concrete last week, but you don't have to fear, because I will be in the arena, I will wrestle in our match, and I will show you that you didn't gain any extra edge by taking me out at the end of Overdrive.
"If anything, you only showed the world that you truly fear me and what I could potentially do to you this week, Biggs. I mean, I'm sure that if we took a poll, a lot of them would say that I am the one person that could take your title from you, so it's right that you fear me. But you aren't fooling anyone by hiding it under the guise of a makeshift form of violence. You aren't pulling the wool over anyone's eyes if that is even what you were trying to do. Everyone can see right through it.
"Everyone can see that Biggs fears Gates.
"That has a good ring to it, don't you think, Biggs? It might even work as a tagline for the match.
"But let's get down to business. There is one thing we know for certain though, and that is that you are about to have a fight brought to you unlike any you have ever seen before. You can try and watch tape of me to get an upper hand, but I promise that the battle we have on Sunday won't even come close to what you could study. I promise you that the fight I bring to your doorstep is going to make everything else pale in comparison. Because I'm here to not only prove to you that an honorable way of fighting can still achieve great things, but I am also going to show you that this North Dakota cowboy that everyone keeps calling gay, I'm going to show you that I am anything but. I am going to make sure you understand that this is my time and that this is my opportunity to climb to the top of the federation.
"You stole someone else's rightful spot in the match and you stole that title from around his waist. The only reason you and I are standing toe to toe is because Lester's contract ran out and he couldn't cash in for a rematch. So I guess I will have to do what he never got a chance to, and that is to make you pay for what you have done and for what you will do in the coming weeks. I am going to make sure that the title returns to an honorable waist and I am going to make sure that the fans can cheer their champion without the fear of what kind of shenanigans he is going to pull off next.
"Are you ready Biggs? Because in just a few short days you are going to have your entire world turned upside down. You are going to realize that constantly attacking me was the wrong card to play. You are going to realize that I am as talented and as much of a threat as I say I am.
"And of course, you are going to become the first champion to lose to the Test for the Best tournament winner. That's all there is to it. I might not have won a World title before, Biggs, but then again, neither had you when you stole Lester's title away if my memory serves me right. You finally broke through the glass ceiling that you had been held beneath and made a big splash with your actions. But what you seem to have failed to realize, is that eventually karma is going to catch up to you. Eventually you are going to have to answer for what you did.
"I guess you can consider me the one that will make you answer for them. I guess you can consider me karma. I will try my best to make sure that all of it comes true, Biggs. I will work hard to make sure that you don't leave St. Paul with the title. I've been waiting for this moment for quite sometime, Biggs, and I am not going to make any mistakes. I am not going to throw away this chance to finally etch my name among the elite.
"It's moments like these that I live for. It's moments like these when I do nothing but go big...
"And watch as my opponents go home."
"Sometimes, I wonder if this whole year has been one big dream. I wonder if everything I have done will be washed away the moment I wake up. That my involvement and success during Survive and Conquer, the Ascension tournament, the Extreme Tournament and Test for the Best...all of that would just be wiped away and I'd be back to ground zero.
"Back to holding the APW tag team titles with a man that didn't deserve them. Back to fighting my way out from underneath the masses at the bottom of the ladder. If it is all a dream, it's the sort of dream that I wouldn't want to wake up from.
"The type of dream that I could stay inside forever.
"But of course, it's not a dream, it only feels like a dream. It only feels like I'm walking on cloud nine because it is territory that until now, had been left uncharted. Sure, people don't think I'll be able to capitalize, people don't think I'll be able to beat Biggs when it comes time, but to those people I only say wait and see.
"To those people I point to Survive and Conquer and how man doubters there were that I would make it anywhere close to the final fur.
"I point to the CWC Ascension tournament where I was more or less fighting from the underdog position from round one.
"I point to Test for the Best, where everyone thought Sally Talfourd would dispose of me in short order in round one.
"What more do they need? Well, the answer is obvious. The answer is that they need me to capture that big title, they need me to beat Biggs before they can take me seriously. They need to see me prove myself inside that ring so that they will take me seriously. So that they will be able to finally say that C.J. Gates is for real.
"That this North Dakota Cowboy is here to stay.
"Then again, those people that doubt me are also only saying so because they're all hoping to be able to cash in. They are all hoping that the brass will start to get cold feet about the main event of Shockwave and insert some alternative options into the mix. At least that's what it seems to me.
"But there's no need. They'll eventually get their chances. They will all eventually be standing where I am after working toward it and earning it. After going through their paces and sweating And once they've done so, they will all be able to live their own dreams.
"Because I'm not giving this one up."[/i]
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Once upon a time, in a land ruled by the generous King Jeffery, a clash of champions was at the center of everyone's attention. For the majority of the past year, the battlefield was dominated by the grey knight Sir Lester Only and the Dame Sally Talfourd. Their swords sang through the air for months, fueled by full force swings filled with venom. They battled at every possible opportunity, each one looking to top the other in combat. They traded barbs back and forth with no one gaining the clear advantage, that is, not until the two of them met on the grandest battlefield of them all.
All the while, the black knight stood in the shadows, nearly invisible to the naked eye. He stood out on the lower jousts, besting the competition before all of the attention went to Sir Only and the Dame Talfourd. But the black knight waited, watching with a hungry intensity that only he knew was there. And it wasn't until an opportunity presented itself that this black knight, Sir Gary Biggs, turned everyone's heads.
After the grey knight Sir Only had finally managed to best the Dame and capture the grand prize and the honor of representing King Jeffery's realm as one of his top knights, Sir Biggs, began to plan. In due time, he would strike, seizing a foreign object and striking Sir Only in the head when his helm was off, knocking him down to the dirt while drawing hatred from the commons and officially cementing his role as the black knight of the kingdom. And it wasn't long until that one shot turned into shady success for the black knight Sir Biggs as he defeated Sir Only in their battle, naming Sir Biggs the best knight in the realm.
Word spread that this black knight had cheated in order to gain an upper hand over the grey knight, but that did not deter him from his path. Sir Biggs would parade around the kingdom with his head held high, aware that everyone's eyes were on him. He welcomed the spotlight, however, and would do anything to keep it. At times, Sir Biggs was found standing in front of a large crowd filled mostly with his own kind, Sir Johnathan Rebel and the Knight of Chaos, Sir James Coolidge among them. They loathed the black knight for standing before them because they weren't there themselves, yet they respected him for what he was able to do. Like always, Sir Biggs' hand found the hilt of his sword as he once again told the tale.
"Just when I thought that I was trapped with no where to go, an opening was spotted," Sir Gary would start, the younger listeners hanging on his every word. "I lashed out with my weapon, but Sir Lester was ready, knocking me aside and striking back. But I was just as well prepare and I parried his shot, I stepped to the side and was eventually in prime position behind the champion to lash out with my sword." Sir Gary would always unsheathe his sword and hold it before him, the sunlight striking the polished blade with a bright shine. "Sir Lester then fell to the ground in pain as I stood before him, and his only choice was to yield and declare me the winner!" A cheer would rise from some of the listeners while others simply shook their heads in disappointment. As for Sir Gary, he simply smiled a devilish smile belonging only to those that are telling lies.
Rumors circulated about how Sir Gary managed to win. Some said that he had managed to blind Sir Lester with some crafty work of the sun, while others were saying that Sir Gary had spat in the eye of the grey knight. No one knew for sure how Sir Gary had bested the best knight of the realm, but he had done so, though everyone knew that it wasn't in a gentleman's duel. Sir Gary didn't let the rumors get to him, and for everyone he heard, he would simply smile and laugh. "They start rumors because they are jealous. Because they all wish that they could be named the greatest knight of the kingdom." And no matter how many rumors were started, the smile never seemed to be erased from the face of Sir Gary.
But then came the white knight.
The white knight that everyone loved. He had been gaining quite the following in the commons through his various battles, working his way up from the bottom and inching his way closer to the top. He rode into battle gallantly and followed the stipulations laid out by King Jeffery to a tee. He had been following the situation closely, watching as the black knight stole victory from the hands of the grey knight and then watching as Sir Gary rubbed it in, bragging to anyone that would listen. Though the white knight, Sir C.J. Gates, had reasons to brag himself, as he managed to win the yearly joust, defeating three other combatants in a single night. That win didn't sit well with the black knight because it overshadowed his accomplishment.
Their first meeting came shortly after both of their victories. Sir Gates was celebrating his recent success with friends and family in a local tavern, rejoicing with people he hadn't seen for awhile. It was there that Sir Biggs and his troupe entered wearing his expensive and expertly crafted black tunic adorned with gems and tassels.
"Why are all of you celebrating his win?" Sir Biggs said loud enough to cut through the noise. "I should be the one you are cheering because I am the true hero! I am the best knight of this kingdom! I toppled the supposedly unbeatable grey knight, not him!"
The people in the tavern turned and looked at Sir Biggs, each one of them silent and unmoved by his outburst. Sir Biggs smiled his smug smile at each one before they all turned back around and resumed their conversations. "How dare you ignore me! I am the best knight. I have the kings word that no one is better than me. You should all be kneeling before me and showing me how much you honor what I have managed to do!"
The patrons parted and the white knight himself Sir Gates stepped forward with an air of confidence and wearing a white tunic. He offered his hand to the black knight, but Sir Biggs merely looked at it, then to his two squires at his side, before he laughed and shook his head. Sir Gates smiled.
"I welcome you to join us, Sir Biggs," Sir Gates said motioning to the tavern behind him. "We have both achieved great things and it's only fair that if you wish to use this tavern, then I will gladly share." Sir Biggs shook his head at the mere mention of them sharing the spotlight in the tavern.
"Share?" Biggs shook his head again. "No, see, this is my night. I'm the one that beat the giant. I'm the one that gets the celebration in my honor. The day you beat Lester Only..." Sir Biggs paused as a slight smile crept to his lips. "Oh, wait, you tried that bit failed, didn't you?" His squires laughed as Sir Biggs shook his head.
"Listen, I don't want any trouble," Sir Gates began. "I'm just here celebrating my joust victory over some meat and mead with some close friends."
"But you don't have a right to celebrate," Sir Biggs proclaimed, once again loud enough to cut through the chatter of the tavern. "I am the true champion jouster. I am the one that overcame a real challenge. You just beat three people who were already passed their prime!" Sir Biggs nodded and took a few steps away from the door where his squires still stood. "Do you all hear that? This white knight defeated three people who had no business in that joust where as I, Sir Biggs the Bold defeated the mighty Sir Lester Only of Level One!"
The patrons nearest the door got up and walked out of the tavern quickly, shaking their heads. "Don't you realize that you are only driving every away, black knight." Sir Gates turned around to return to his crowd but Sir Biggs walked after him and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, causing Sir Gates to spin around.
"You think you're better than me, is that it, Gates?" Sir Biggs asked with a smirk before shaking his head. "You would be stupid to think that."
"I don't think I'm better than you, Sir," Sir Gates responded. "More honorable, sure, but not better. After all, you have the word of the King to back up your claims. I just have a mere tournament win."
Sir Biggs turned to face Sir Gates at that point, his eyes narrow in anger before cracking a smile. "Well, that's good, because at some point your honor is going to be brought into question, and when it is, you'll have nothing going for and I'll still be the best. Let's go." Sir Biggs turned and walked out of the tavern, his friends and squires following, leaving Sir Gates and his party shaking their heads.
From then on, every time the two crossed paths, tensions grew and tempers flared. The confrontations started harmless enough, with Sir Biggs throwing stones towards Sir Gates to get his attention. "You're nothing but a drawbridge raiser, Gates!" Sir Biggs would shout, causing his entourage to chuckle in amusement.
At other times, Sir Biggs would be telling a new version of how he beat Sir Lester in battle when Sir Gates would cut in. "And let me guess? After he clipped off your armor and caused it to fall, showing the commons your undergarments, he laughed himself to death and you won by default, right?" This usually brought about laughs from anyone who wasn't part of Sir Biggs' group of friends.
Things really began to heat up between the two one day when Sir Gates was walking through the market with his squire when Sir Biggs moved in from behind, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sir Gates' squire gave a cry, allowing Gates to turn around in time to see Sir Biggs as he drew his sword and lunged. Gates dodged and pulled out his own sword, meeting Biggs' next strike with his own. The two exchanged shots back and forth before meeting on yet another and standing close to each other. "How dare you sneak up on me like that!" Sir Gates expressed, anger filling his eyes.
Sir Biggs simply flashed a cocky smile. "Just making sure you're as good as you say you are, Gates. Don't want to get shortchanged in our eventual battle. That's all." He smiled once more before flashing a wink and breaking from the stare down just as the kingdoms guards entered the area. Sir Gates watched as Sir Biggs and his troupe walked back the way they came exchanging laughs and looking back in Gates' direction.
"Are you sure you can beat him, m'lord?" Gates' squire asked as they watched the guards disperse after Sir Biggs.
"I'm confident in my abilities, B.J." Sir Gates began. "I know that if I set my mind to it I can defeat him and be named the best in the kingdom."
"But he's been a champion fighter for quite some time. Word is that all he knows is winning and how gold contrasts against his armor." The squire B.J. turned back to one of the stalls in the market.
"That is true, but I won't let that stop me," Sir Gates said with a smile, still watching the now empty space that Sir Biggs once stood in. "Don't forget, I was once a championship warrior myself, B.J. I know that I will be ready for this battle, though. If what I've heard is true, then Sir Biggs is nothing but a cheat, and I will be able to dispose of him easily. "
"A cheat? I thought cheats were executed on the battlefield?"
"Only if they get caught B.J. Only if they get caught." Sir Gates smirked and shook his head. "Is the practice dummy ready for training? I feel as though I need to get a bit more work in before this battle. I feel as though Sir Biggs might be a bit more of a handful that I had originally anticipated."
"Of course my liege. I can have it ready to go in twenty minutes after we get back."
"Good, good," Sir Gates said as he turned to leave. "Lets go back and practice our combat. I won't let that cheat beat me."
Upon arriving back on his land, Sir Gates was handed a note that arrived only moments earlier. Sir Gates opened it hastily and frowned at what he read. "What is this farce? What does he mean to gain by mocking me through simple letters?" Sir Gates crumpled the note up and tossed it into the fire.
"What did it say?" asked his squire.
"It was a note from Sir Biggs," Sir Gates paused. "He just wanted to tell me how my chances are getting slimmer. He wanted to let me know that he plans on making me feel the pain of defeat that Lester felt. That once I'm defeated he will take my land and whip my people into submission." Gates paced along the room, his hands clasped behind his back.
"What are you going to do, Sir?" B.J. the squire asked, his eyes wide. "You mustn't let him win!"
"I won't," Sir Gates said after some time. "I'll make sure to teach him that his ways don't work, and that honor is what is needed in his world. I will make him rue the day that he threatened my good nature and the safety of my people."
"Doesn't he claim that your ways won't work either? That eventually you'll have to cheat in order to get by in this world we live in."
"He does, but he would be wrong," Gates started with a smile. "He only says that because he knows nothing else. He only claims that I am bound to cheat because he can't see anything else. He knows it's his crutch, and he can't imagine a world where he's not using it to prop himself up in some way, shape or form."
Sir Gates' squire opened his mouth to speak, but Gates continued. "But he'll learn, oh he will learn. There is a way to do battle without cheating. There is a way to win a fight without having to resort to throwing dirt in the opponents eyes or hitting them below the belt." Sir Gates paced a few steps on the spot, his eyes locked on the air in front of him.
"And what if he doesn't learn, Sir? What if he continues to act the way he acts? What then?"
Sir Gates turned to face his squire, his head tilted. "If you're asking whether or not I will stoop to his level, B.J., then the answer is no. I'd rather lose a battle in an honorable fashion then win with the use of underhanded tactics like that malcontent." Sir Gates shook his head as he turned to face the fire, staring hard into the flickering flames.
Sir Gates remained at the far end of the room, staring into the fire, his eyes focused and filled with anger. His breathing was heavy as the squire B.J. stepped forward. "M'lord? Whats wrong?"
"Nothing, just lost in though, that is all. I was thinking back to his battle against the late Sir Ryan the Ruckus. You remember that?" Sir Gates smirked.
"Of course I do, but why are you dwelling on it?"
"Because of the similarities. Everyone has the one or two things that they always go back to when they're in trouble and Sir Biggs is no different," Sir Gates said as he crossed the room away from the fire. "I'm just remembering what he did then, and what he did against Sir Lester so that when he tries it against me, I'll be ready."
"But, Sir, he won both of those battles, didn't he?"
"Yes he did, but that doesn't mean he will be able to employ the same tactics to win this time. I am going to make sure that if he is to retain his status as the best knight in the kingdom, he is going to have to earn it."
"Like you've earned your way here?" B.J. questioned Sir Gates.
"Exactly. What has he done? Stolen? Tried to attack me in the market? Spoken ill about me and my family? That's not exactly the way that the best knight should act, don't you agree?"
"Indeed I do, Sir." B.J. crossed the room and took a look through the window to the yard outside. "The targets are almost ready."
"Good, good. Practice will help me out greatly in the face of this duel."
"Is it going to help you become more confident in your ability to win the battle?"
"Of course it is," Sir Gates said, as he turned to face his squire. "Now let us go. I need to practice if I am going to be on top of my game. I need to make sure that Sir Biggs loses all that he has gained in ill faith. Let's go. To the yard!" Sir Gates stormed from his spot out the door and made his way to the yard where his armor and practice sword were waiting. After suiting up, Sir Gates and his squire moved forward and exchanged shots with their swords, the metal clanging off each other as they did.
"For justice!" Sir Gates yelled as he drove B.J. back a few paces. His eyes were wide with intensity as he continued to strike out against his squire.
"For honor!" he shouted again.
"For the right of the commons!" he shouted once more as he knocked B.J. off of his feet with a powerful blow. He stood over his fallen squire, breathing heavy and hard.
After a few moments and much silence, Sir Gates returned to normal and nodded his head with a smile on his face. He sheathed his sword and turned to face the people that were watching him practice. All of the people that were all beginning to wonder the exact same thing.
Had they just seen the beast within Sir Gates, the one that would be unleashed at the shocking battle between he and Sir Biggs? Had they seen a preview of what would happen when the white knight and the black knight did battle with all eyes watching? Could this be the time when Sir Gates gets the best of his opponent?
Only time would tell.
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"When I stepped foot in Action Packed Wrestling for the first time, I never would have figured that in one years time I'd be main eventing a Pay-Per-View and have a shot at one of the top belts in the business. Sure, it was a goal of mine at some point, but unlike most I do not set it as the be all end all. I do not make targets of certain championships constantly, only to come up short more often then not. That's just not my style.
"Yet here I am, a few days away from having that very scenario play out. A few days away from stepping into the ring with one of the best that the APW has to offer. Stepping into the ring with a rottweiler of a fighter who never gives up unless he physically can go no farther. I am stepping into the ring with a god damn firecracker from bell to bell.
"But I'm also stepping into the ring with a cheater. With a black knight.
"He can deny it and color it up so it looks better on paper and sounds better in everyone's ears, but the fact of the matter is that Biggs is a cheater. He cheated at Test For the Best when he took that title away from Lester Only, and he has done nothing but use the same kind of play in recent weeks on Overdrive. Sure, he might not have grabbed a handful of tights or used the ropes for leverage, but that doesn't mean he's tried. And in between each and every one of those attempts, he has also interfered in my matches, attempted to interfere, used dirty tactics like thumbs to the eyes and low blows, and just last week he walked out on his partner.
"Of course I am probably wasting my breath. Everyone has already seen what Biggs is all about, and I can only assume that everyone is as disgusted about it as I am. I mean, after all, who can really get behind a man that cheats his way to victory. And isn't in prison. No one, that's who. I've proven it each week when I came out onto that stage to roaring applause, while Biggs was constantly the target of boos, hisses and, in the odd case, a rogue peanut flying through the air. Yet, like others, Biggs still thinks his ways are solid. That he is able to use them no matter the situation because they are there to use. Regardless that they are illegal, Biggs feels it's his right to cheat as long as he uses all his cunning to get to that point in the match.
"Well it ends here. It ends this week.
"Sure, Biggs is probably sitting in whatever doctors office or in whichever lavish hotel room he has this week praising himself and shaking his head at every word I say. He's probably looking over at Elle and telling her that I am just blowing smoke, because it doesn't matter what I say, Biggs won't change. I get that. I understand that. But that doesn't mean that I can't try to bring about an honorable fight, champ. That doesn't mean that I can't stand toe to toe with you and try my hardest to force you to throw a few bombs rather then low blows, or to pin my flat in the center of the ring as opposed to getting my near the ropes.
"It might be futile, but what have I got to lose? I'm coming into this match riding a wave of momentum from not only Test for the Best, but from each of the weeks afterward, where I beat Johnny Rebel, Khaos and then the team of Khaos and Biggs. Three matches, three wins, and one of them was over my opponent for this upcoming Pay-Per-View extravaganza. And with all of this momentum, well, I'm not exactly going to be finding it difficult to get an early edge. Biggs will be in defense mode, trying to hold onto his title while I go on the attack, getting the early shots in that will help later down the road. But you know whats even better then momentum or the advantage of not having to turtle when the bell sounds?
"History.
"After all, it's my understanding that every person that has won the Test for the Best tournament, has gone on to lose at Shockwave. It's my understanding that no one has been able to string the two tournaments together. Sure, success found them eventually, but not at this show, at this event. But I am going to change all though. There will be skeptics no doubt who would rather have everyone believe that I am simply doomed to repeat the same patterns, doomed to fail yet again, doomed to be left on my back watching the lights spin in sync with the noise in my head. But to them, I simply shake my head. To them, I question if they had really been paying attention to me since the beginning of the year. Because everything that I have done shows that not only am I the underdog, yet again, but that I am also able to overcome the negativity thrown my way.
"No one thought I'd last as long as I did in the Survive and Conquer match after having opened the show with the tag team title match, but I did. I proved them wrong and nearly eliminated the man that would eventually win the whole thing. No one expected me to be remembered for my meteoric rise during the CWC Ascension tournament, but, sure enough, I overcame the odds and the doubters and ended up finishing fourth with an opportunity at the big title coming up. Need I point to this years Extreme Tournament for more proof? I wasn't given the time of day to get out of the group stages yet I managed to make it to Siberia.
"I'm not throwing these facts out there to try and impress you Biggs, since I know you could care less about anything I have managed to do. But you can't sit there and look at my body of work these past eight months and see me as anything but a threat to taking your title away. I laid out these events because I wanted to show you that I am capable of coming up big when it matters most. I wanted to show you that even though I continue to get labeled as the underdog in just about every situation, I don't let it affect me. If anything I use that tag and overcome it. I welcome the underdog nickname and status and I embrace it. And then, I prove everyone wrong when I overcome the odds, overcome the nickname and the status, open peoples eyes and carve my name into not only the record books, but the hearts of each and every fan.
"I know what you're thinking though, Biggs. Each of those items I threw your way, I didn't win them. Survive and Conquer, Ascension, Extreme Tournament, all of them saw me come up short, just missing moving on to the next rounds. And I'm sure you could have a field day tearing me down and rubbing my face in that fact. But really, Biggs, look at it this way.
"It's all just building up to something big.
"Like, say, winning the APW Undisputed title? Very well could be. I mean, I'm once again labeled as the underdog, and, in your mind, the cowboy who couldn't beat Lester Only if Lester Only only had one leg. You've labeled me as a goody goody who doesn't know when to get his hands dirty. You've basically piled up as much as you could to hold me back and keep me from achieving the greatness I know I am capable of. And who knows, maybe this is the moment that I break right on through and capture everything that is set before me. Maybe this is when I grab the match and dominate, ending up with everything that goes along with it.
"The victory.
"The bragging rights.
"And of course, your APW Undisputed title.
"Don't get confused though, Biggs. When I said that my ultimate goal at the outset of my APW career wasn't to win the APW Undisputed title, I was telling the truth. You see, that only became a realization and an actually dream I could hold close after I won Test for the Best and earned the chance to battle you. That only came about when the weeks ticked by and you and I did all that we could to one up the other at every opportunity. Now, well, now I walk into this match in St. Paul with gold on my mind. Oh, sure, I'm still fighting for those fans. I'm still going to give them a show to remember and a match that will live on in their heads forever. But I am also going to have a little golden motivation to do even better than I ever have in an APW ring. I am going to have that little extra energy going through that will allow me to capitalize early and often while you defend your precious belt.
"I won't lie though, I have been looking forward to this match for quite some time. Probably for the better part of the year, I have been waiting for an opportunity to really get a good chance to face off against you. Sure, I'd hoped that you would have cleaned up your act at some point so that we could have an honorable fight, but beggars can't be choosers right? In any case, I've looked forward to this match for many of the reasons we spoke of last week. We are similar fighters or similar heights doing battle with similar moves that deal similar punishment. Of course, we each have a slight trick up our sleeves and we each are capable of hitting the unexpected or expecting the unexpected. And of course, there's the little matter of being two of the hottest rising stars over the past little while, finally meeting on a collision course. Finally colliding at a big event with all the marbles in the middle.
"It's what the fans have been waiting for as well.
"Sure, there might be a great deal of them that loath you, and would rather see you lose this week, but there are others that want to see this match because they know it will be good. They want to see it because they know that we are two men who will give it all, and leave it inside of that ring. You, to hold onto the title, me to win it not only for me, but for the fans as well. Because, really, they haven't had that many people to cheer for around these parts over the past year or so.
"But I give them hope and in turn, they give me hope. They give me the drive I need to succeed at every possible turn. Maybe you think I'm being naive for believing that the fans can give me a needed boost, but it's worked so far, so I'm not about to turn my back on them. I'm not about to pull a Sally Talfourd and ignore them for all that they have given me over one small blip. I'm not about to follow your path and mock them at every possible avenue.
"Not all of us can avoid the Sally Talfourd-ing though, now can we? Some of us, namely yourself, see what others did before them and try to do them better. You watched Lester Only as champion and now you think you can do better. You watched as Sally Talfourd threw everything she could at me week in and week out, and yet, here I stand, ready for the next wave that you have to throw my way, knowing that you can't beat me otherwise. Knowing that if you hadn't attacked me multiple times, you couldn't sleep easy at night. I'm sure you slept fine after you drove me to the concrete last week, but you don't have to fear, because I will be in the arena, I will wrestle in our match, and I will show you that you didn't gain any extra edge by taking me out at the end of Overdrive.
"If anything, you only showed the world that you truly fear me and what I could potentially do to you this week, Biggs. I mean, I'm sure that if we took a poll, a lot of them would say that I am the one person that could take your title from you, so it's right that you fear me. But you aren't fooling anyone by hiding it under the guise of a makeshift form of violence. You aren't pulling the wool over anyone's eyes if that is even what you were trying to do. Everyone can see right through it.
"Everyone can see that Biggs fears Gates.
"That has a good ring to it, don't you think, Biggs? It might even work as a tagline for the match.
"But let's get down to business. There is one thing we know for certain though, and that is that you are about to have a fight brought to you unlike any you have ever seen before. You can try and watch tape of me to get an upper hand, but I promise that the battle we have on Sunday won't even come close to what you could study. I promise you that the fight I bring to your doorstep is going to make everything else pale in comparison. Because I'm here to not only prove to you that an honorable way of fighting can still achieve great things, but I am also going to show you that this North Dakota cowboy that everyone keeps calling gay, I'm going to show you that I am anything but. I am going to make sure you understand that this is my time and that this is my opportunity to climb to the top of the federation.
"You stole someone else's rightful spot in the match and you stole that title from around his waist. The only reason you and I are standing toe to toe is because Lester's contract ran out and he couldn't cash in for a rematch. So I guess I will have to do what he never got a chance to, and that is to make you pay for what you have done and for what you will do in the coming weeks. I am going to make sure that the title returns to an honorable waist and I am going to make sure that the fans can cheer their champion without the fear of what kind of shenanigans he is going to pull off next.
"Are you ready Biggs? Because in just a few short days you are going to have your entire world turned upside down. You are going to realize that constantly attacking me was the wrong card to play. You are going to realize that I am as talented and as much of a threat as I say I am.
"And of course, you are going to become the first champion to lose to the Test for the Best tournament winner. That's all there is to it. I might not have won a World title before, Biggs, but then again, neither had you when you stole Lester's title away if my memory serves me right. You finally broke through the glass ceiling that you had been held beneath and made a big splash with your actions. But what you seem to have failed to realize, is that eventually karma is going to catch up to you. Eventually you are going to have to answer for what you did.
"I guess you can consider me the one that will make you answer for them. I guess you can consider me karma. I will try my best to make sure that all of it comes true, Biggs. I will work hard to make sure that you don't leave St. Paul with the title. I've been waiting for this moment for quite sometime, Biggs, and I am not going to make any mistakes. I am not going to throw away this chance to finally etch my name among the elite.
"It's moments like these that I live for. It's moments like these when I do nothing but go big...
"And watch as my opponents go home."
