Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Mar 25, 2010 19:54:44 GMT -6
“Hello? Is this thing on? Son of a bitch, I have new respect for the camera crew...”
Emma steps back from the camera, ensuring her mic is firmly clipped on the collar of her shirt. Andrew looks over to her, struggling to hold in the laughter. She sighs, looking up with a tired but happy expression on her face. Andrew waves to the dozens (AND DOZENS!) of fans out there who have enough free time to see what he has to say.
“Hey there, everyone. Andrew Jacobsen back, along with your lovable liquored lady, Emma Danielson. Day Three here in Tampa, and I gotta say, we're having a BLAST. Saw Randy Angel down at the bar, and I think he was lecturing everyone on how to get drunk. Why, the world may never know. The point is, I've been splitting my time between keeping in shape for the Coliseum and enjoying the scenery. Today, I've decided to talk about the two men that actually have a snowball's chance in hell of winning: Will Washington and Paul Star. Now, I WAS going to start off with Paul, but...I just caught Will's promo.”
His eye twitches, and Emma rests a hand on his shoulder. Andrew takes a deep breath, trying to calm down.
“Okay, Will. You beat me in our only one-on-one encounter. I know that. I've never shown anything but respect towards you. Hell, I was seriously considering trying to contact you and seeing if you wanted to make a run at the tag titles. But then I tune in and listen to what you have to say to me...I guess I thought you were one of the guys that'd take the high road. Guess I was wrong.”
He shrugs, almost melodramatically, and looks over to Emma, before looking back into the camera.
“Will, just can it. There. You want me to drop my confidence? You want me to go back to being no-nonsense? How about you get off your high horse and pull your head out of your ass? You think you can tell me that I've changed? Yeah, I get bitter quicker now. I don't like it, but it happens. But the next time you say—hell, the next time you even IMPLY that I'm not in this for the fans, that's when the gloves come off. Consider my attitude adjusted, Washington. And consider your ass on the line.”
Andrew pauses, looking confused. Emma looks over to him, also confused.
“Andy? AJ. What's going on? You were on a roll there. Keep going.”
AJ chuckles, shaking his head.
“I just realized what a massive miscalculation Will made. I didn't come into the Coliseum trying to be the next Kristoff Bates—thanks for that comparison, Will, talking big certainly means I'm going to start slapping Emma around and sleeping with Carly Robins—, I just came in trying to get to what we all want: the World Title. Sometimes words are words, Punisher. You don't need to read too much into them. I guess I should go back to being all business, all the time...”
His head snaps up, eyes narrowed.
“But don't you DARE underrate me. You spout off about how I'm not memorable, how I'm not in-demand? I honestly don't care that you call me forgettable and bland, because I've heard this all before. You're just rehashing what you said to me last time we were up against each other. I don't know how you can stand up after saying what you said, because you have to have balls the size of trucks to claim I'm inexperienced. You've had 15 matches, Will. I've had 21, and I've been wrestling my heart out every week in each one. I do it not because I've got an ego to stroke, but because this is what I love. Some people love running, some love cooking. I love wrestling. When we first squared off, Will, I said that I didn't want to insult a war hero. I didn't. I still don't. You've done things that I could never imagine doing, and you're braver than me in that regard. But you're also brave enough to think you can blow me off. Rob Diamond made the mistake of underestimating me. It cost him his title. You might lose the Coliseum match if you think that way.”
Andrew continues speaking, the urgency in his voice mirroring the no-nonsense body language he's displaying.
“You made another mistake, Will. You decided to drag Emma into this. I could have taken most of your bull otherwise. But the moment you decided using her as material was okay, you crossed the line. I know this slips back into what you might consider comedy, but...”
His voice is layered with venomous sarcasm as he practically spits his words at Will.
“Forgive me, O Master. Didn't it ever occurr to you that you're not the only one that can mock family? Except...oh, that's right. Not everyone has to go that route. I don't want to do that because I still have some common courtesy. Now if you have anything else to say, go right ahead. Otherwise, shut up and let your fists do the talking. Yes, I think I can shock the world. I've done it before, and damn if I can't do it again. Will, all my life I've wanted to know how it feels to be the king. To be the guy with the top prize. I have a chance here that I'm not going to let pass me up. Don't be a tool, Will. We have enough of those. Hell, they even have their own pet name for themselves...Infamous.”
Andrew leans back, relaxing visibly. Emma lets out a low whistle, looking over at him.
“Wow. Guess he really got to you. Just remember to not let it get to you in the ring, Andrew. Will's lethal, and he'll take any opening he can get to just kill you. He took out Xavier Williams, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind crippling you to get at the World Title. Be on your guard. And bust out some more suplexes. Let the bastard know you can do impact too.”
Andrew pats her shoulder, smiling.
“Emma...you're great. You know why? You say what I can't. I can't be as blunt as you, it just doesn't work. I want to be nicer than I am sometimes., but I can't always hold myself back. Okay, enough lingering on the Patriotic Punisher. On to Paul Star. Paul, first off: congrats on both qualifying and winning last week. I know my partner got pinned, but it was a hell of a match. Paul, you may be the rookiee here, but I think you've got a lot of promise. You beat me for the X-Division Title a month ago at Crossroads, and I think I'm finally over it. Some people blow you off as just an inexperienced greenhorn, ripe for the slaughter. Ricky seems to think you're a shallow imitation. Ignore him, Paul. Rob Diamond thought I was a cheap ripoff of him, and I'm pretty sure I've proven him wrong. Did I match his X-Division Title reign? No. But with luck, I'll be able to do him one better.”
Andrew sighs, trying to come up with the proper vocabulary to say what he wants to. He may be a good wrestler, but he's not the most eloquent.
“Paul, like I said at the beginning of this, you're one of the two guys I think can really pull out all the stops and stun the world by winning this that ISN'T me. You're the one that would shock everyone the most. Even though you have almost as much ring time as Will does, you're the least 'seasoned', so to speak. Still, if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on you or Will to take it all...if I wasn't in this match. Sorry, Paul. It's not that it's not your time. It's that I've got a feeling Sovereign is when I step up and prove that I'm here to stay. I'm not some flavor-of-the-month, win-a-title-and-flake-out cookie-cutter wrestler. I'm the North Star Andrew Jacobsen. I'm a technician. I'm a submission master. I'm all-around an actual WRESTLER. Paul, you fly high. But if you get grounded, you can't go anywhere. Once again, nothing personal. You're a great guy, and I'll be the first to congratulate you if you win. But I want this more than I've wanted almost anything in my life. To be able to get a shot at putting my name amongst the greats of this business: Ryan, Kane, Awesome. That's a dream I'd like to make a reality. If I can do it—and I think I can. That's the first step. I think I can. I just need to SHOW I can—if I can do it, that would be the happiest moment of my life.”
He spaces out somewhat, indulging his imagination. Emma looks over for a second before shrugging and continuing on.
“So yeah. Paul Star and Will Washington, the guys AJ's got his—and my—eyes on the most. Good wrestlers. One of them's developed a death wish, judging by his 'handy' comments. The other one's a great wrestler and an all-around good guy. In any case, they've both got talent coming out of every opening and I'll be watching them carefully for Mr. Space Cadet over there. Well, we've got one more promo left this week. Make sure to tune in for that one, it'll be awesome. Plus, we welcome a special guest! Wonder who it could be?”
Emma grins, waving to the camera. Andrew's still staring off into space.
“I'm Emma. He's Andrew. And we'll see you later.”
Fade out.
Emma steps back from the camera, ensuring her mic is firmly clipped on the collar of her shirt. Andrew looks over to her, struggling to hold in the laughter. She sighs, looking up with a tired but happy expression on her face. Andrew waves to the dozens (AND DOZENS!) of fans out there who have enough free time to see what he has to say.
“Hey there, everyone. Andrew Jacobsen back, along with your lovable liquored lady, Emma Danielson. Day Three here in Tampa, and I gotta say, we're having a BLAST. Saw Randy Angel down at the bar, and I think he was lecturing everyone on how to get drunk. Why, the world may never know. The point is, I've been splitting my time between keeping in shape for the Coliseum and enjoying the scenery. Today, I've decided to talk about the two men that actually have a snowball's chance in hell of winning: Will Washington and Paul Star. Now, I WAS going to start off with Paul, but...I just caught Will's promo.”
His eye twitches, and Emma rests a hand on his shoulder. Andrew takes a deep breath, trying to calm down.
“Okay, Will. You beat me in our only one-on-one encounter. I know that. I've never shown anything but respect towards you. Hell, I was seriously considering trying to contact you and seeing if you wanted to make a run at the tag titles. But then I tune in and listen to what you have to say to me...I guess I thought you were one of the guys that'd take the high road. Guess I was wrong.”
He shrugs, almost melodramatically, and looks over to Emma, before looking back into the camera.
“Will, just can it. There. You want me to drop my confidence? You want me to go back to being no-nonsense? How about you get off your high horse and pull your head out of your ass? You think you can tell me that I've changed? Yeah, I get bitter quicker now. I don't like it, but it happens. But the next time you say—hell, the next time you even IMPLY that I'm not in this for the fans, that's when the gloves come off. Consider my attitude adjusted, Washington. And consider your ass on the line.”
Andrew pauses, looking confused. Emma looks over to him, also confused.
“Andy? AJ. What's going on? You were on a roll there. Keep going.”
AJ chuckles, shaking his head.
“I just realized what a massive miscalculation Will made. I didn't come into the Coliseum trying to be the next Kristoff Bates—thanks for that comparison, Will, talking big certainly means I'm going to start slapping Emma around and sleeping with Carly Robins—, I just came in trying to get to what we all want: the World Title. Sometimes words are words, Punisher. You don't need to read too much into them. I guess I should go back to being all business, all the time...”
His head snaps up, eyes narrowed.
“But don't you DARE underrate me. You spout off about how I'm not memorable, how I'm not in-demand? I honestly don't care that you call me forgettable and bland, because I've heard this all before. You're just rehashing what you said to me last time we were up against each other. I don't know how you can stand up after saying what you said, because you have to have balls the size of trucks to claim I'm inexperienced. You've had 15 matches, Will. I've had 21, and I've been wrestling my heart out every week in each one. I do it not because I've got an ego to stroke, but because this is what I love. Some people love running, some love cooking. I love wrestling. When we first squared off, Will, I said that I didn't want to insult a war hero. I didn't. I still don't. You've done things that I could never imagine doing, and you're braver than me in that regard. But you're also brave enough to think you can blow me off. Rob Diamond made the mistake of underestimating me. It cost him his title. You might lose the Coliseum match if you think that way.”
Andrew continues speaking, the urgency in his voice mirroring the no-nonsense body language he's displaying.
“You made another mistake, Will. You decided to drag Emma into this. I could have taken most of your bull otherwise. But the moment you decided using her as material was okay, you crossed the line. I know this slips back into what you might consider comedy, but...”
His voice is layered with venomous sarcasm as he practically spits his words at Will.
“Forgive me, O Master. Didn't it ever occurr to you that you're not the only one that can mock family? Except...oh, that's right. Not everyone has to go that route. I don't want to do that because I still have some common courtesy. Now if you have anything else to say, go right ahead. Otherwise, shut up and let your fists do the talking. Yes, I think I can shock the world. I've done it before, and damn if I can't do it again. Will, all my life I've wanted to know how it feels to be the king. To be the guy with the top prize. I have a chance here that I'm not going to let pass me up. Don't be a tool, Will. We have enough of those. Hell, they even have their own pet name for themselves...Infamous.”
Andrew leans back, relaxing visibly. Emma lets out a low whistle, looking over at him.
“Wow. Guess he really got to you. Just remember to not let it get to you in the ring, Andrew. Will's lethal, and he'll take any opening he can get to just kill you. He took out Xavier Williams, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind crippling you to get at the World Title. Be on your guard. And bust out some more suplexes. Let the bastard know you can do impact too.”
Andrew pats her shoulder, smiling.
“Emma...you're great. You know why? You say what I can't. I can't be as blunt as you, it just doesn't work. I want to be nicer than I am sometimes., but I can't always hold myself back. Okay, enough lingering on the Patriotic Punisher. On to Paul Star. Paul, first off: congrats on both qualifying and winning last week. I know my partner got pinned, but it was a hell of a match. Paul, you may be the rookiee here, but I think you've got a lot of promise. You beat me for the X-Division Title a month ago at Crossroads, and I think I'm finally over it. Some people blow you off as just an inexperienced greenhorn, ripe for the slaughter. Ricky seems to think you're a shallow imitation. Ignore him, Paul. Rob Diamond thought I was a cheap ripoff of him, and I'm pretty sure I've proven him wrong. Did I match his X-Division Title reign? No. But with luck, I'll be able to do him one better.”
Andrew sighs, trying to come up with the proper vocabulary to say what he wants to. He may be a good wrestler, but he's not the most eloquent.
“Paul, like I said at the beginning of this, you're one of the two guys I think can really pull out all the stops and stun the world by winning this that ISN'T me. You're the one that would shock everyone the most. Even though you have almost as much ring time as Will does, you're the least 'seasoned', so to speak. Still, if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on you or Will to take it all...if I wasn't in this match. Sorry, Paul. It's not that it's not your time. It's that I've got a feeling Sovereign is when I step up and prove that I'm here to stay. I'm not some flavor-of-the-month, win-a-title-and-flake-out cookie-cutter wrestler. I'm the North Star Andrew Jacobsen. I'm a technician. I'm a submission master. I'm all-around an actual WRESTLER. Paul, you fly high. But if you get grounded, you can't go anywhere. Once again, nothing personal. You're a great guy, and I'll be the first to congratulate you if you win. But I want this more than I've wanted almost anything in my life. To be able to get a shot at putting my name amongst the greats of this business: Ryan, Kane, Awesome. That's a dream I'd like to make a reality. If I can do it—and I think I can. That's the first step. I think I can. I just need to SHOW I can—if I can do it, that would be the happiest moment of my life.”
He spaces out somewhat, indulging his imagination. Emma looks over for a second before shrugging and continuing on.
“So yeah. Paul Star and Will Washington, the guys AJ's got his—and my—eyes on the most. Good wrestlers. One of them's developed a death wish, judging by his 'handy' comments. The other one's a great wrestler and an all-around good guy. In any case, they've both got talent coming out of every opening and I'll be watching them carefully for Mr. Space Cadet over there. Well, we've got one more promo left this week. Make sure to tune in for that one, it'll be awesome. Plus, we welcome a special guest! Wonder who it could be?”
Emma grins, waving to the camera. Andrew's still staring off into space.
“I'm Emma. He's Andrew. And we'll see you later.”
Fade out.