Post by The Brothers Holland on Nov 25, 2010 19:07:19 GMT -6
Is it really worth it?
What we do to each other...
What we do to ourselves...
All to prove what we each believe...
What we each know in our hearts...
That we're the best.
Is the glory worth the suffering?
Is the joy worth the hate?
Is the self-validation worth the scrutiny?
Is this golden belt really worth all the envy
All the scorn that gets poured onto those holding it?
......
Of course it is.
Why else would I be the one holding it?
*The scene opens as we look out across the desert. There are many people walking through it so we must be looking out from a city or some other kind of settlement. The way they are dressed suggests a location in the middle east and also that this is a historical setting. There is a light wind that whips up the top layers of sand, forming snaking patterns that slither across the surface in the breeze. In the middle distance are some mountains and dotted about are the occasional desert shrubs.*
*The camera turns away from the vista. It finds the face of Dave Holland, cast in profile against the blue sky.*
I don't know why I never came here before. As a self proclaimed man of the people you'd have thought I would. This place is a focal point for most of the world's population. It has been for centuries, for generations. There isn't a person on this earth who hasn't heard of it, who hasn't thought of it. This place started out as an ideal. The jewel in the crown of one of the greatest kings of all time. His city. The place where he rested, the place where he ruled. A place that is respected, a place that is adored... but above all it is certainly a place that is coveted.
Wars have been waged over this place. Great wars. Small wars. Every one of them brutal and savage. Because they all wished to claim it. They all needed to claim it... they all had to claim it. And yet, they all wished to keep it. They all needed to keep it. They all had to keep it.
This city is holy. Beyond words, beyond measure and beyond belief is it holy. To a man who may not believe in God it may be difficult to understand. To the Jewish it is home. To the Christian it is the end of the beginning and the beginning of something new. The greatest sorrow and the greatest joy. To the Muslim it's where the greatest Prophet received the greatest of visions.
Battles still rage to this day over who has claim.
If ever there was a place that could be described as the heart of humanity, this is it. The place where we defend what we love above all, where we fight to take what we love above all.
*The angle changes again so we can see where Dave is. Some of the buildings behind him look familiar but to the untrained eye it could look like any middle eastern city. The architecture is various, from the three major cultures in the region. Dave himself is actually wearing a chainmail shirt and a knight's tabard. He spreads his arms wide to the camera making a gesture of welcome.*
Welcome to Jerusalem.
*Dave has now changed his outfit as we cut away to a part of town that is crowded. The large place at the one side is a vast wall. there are scraps of parchment prised into various cracks. What we're walking along is none other than the Western or Wailing Wall. Dave's new clothes are a plain white robe and a Jewish skull cap. His feet are bare, a sign of respect for the place he is at.*
Some people might wonder why come to Jerusalem now? It's simple. I wanted to show how hard people fight. He's not unique. He's not alone. In fact, he's not even all that special. Sure he's more determined than most, but at the end of the day he's doing what any of us do regarding something we crave as much as he. He's being completely human. In fact, Jerusalem is perfect as a direct comparison of the nCw world title.
It started out being built as the utmost pinnacle of the civilised world. The place where the great and the good were to be found. Then over time the place became more and more significant to more and more people. Just as the nCw world title has become more and more significant to a greater proportion of wrestlers in the wide world. There are many wrestling companies, and they all have their own world title, as the many countries in the world have their own crowning cities. But none want any title as much as men want the nCw crown.
Am I then to think of myself as King David? The one that built this great city for his Jewish people? I'm an nCw founding father. I was here when nCw opened its doors, I hope to never see those doors close. I did my utmost to help make nCw the truly glorious place it has become today. When Lance Ryan was losing faith in nCw, in himself as a champion, I restored it. I showed him that true competition existed, that there were still great men looking to do great things. And from my example he became legendary.
*An elderly gentleman stumbles in front of Dave towards the wall. He proceeds to prostrate himself before it and chants a prayer in his own tongue. He is also writing on a parchment as he does so, conveying his prayer into written text.*
But I am but a part of the great legacy. Like you said, I am a legend in this place. Possibly the greatest legend in this place. But legends are nothing without the people to tell them. Legends are just stories without proof. Legends... are nothing more than history, if they do not step forward and pronounce that they exist. That they live and breathe. That they have not fallen from grace. That they have not abandoned the world in which they became as such.
*The old man rises gingerly to his feet. He then slowly reaches out his hand and places the parchment in a crack of the wall. He smiles a little before apparently fainting, though why we don't know. A crowd forms around him, helping him*
That's what I am doing right now. That's what I have been doing since returning. And that's what I shall continue to do until I can do it no longer.
*Dave glances towards the old man's parchment. He touches his fingers to his lips, kisses them and then places them upon the wall near the parchment. He bows to the wall slightly before beginning to walk backwards away from the wall, as is customary.*
*We're now watching Dave stood outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque within the Temple mount. There are hundreds of muslims inside all preparing for prayer, though the prayer itself hasn't yet started and people are still arriving. Dave stays out of the way as best he can.*
And then, many years later came the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. He had a vision that transported him instantly from Mecca to this place. He spoke with the major Islamic prophets the majority of which are also prophets and patriarchs from across the other religions of Jerusalem. In this vision he was instructed by Allah himself to lead the people in prayer fifty times a day. Moses argued that such a number was not physically possible by human standards, and so Allah reduced the number to five. And thus was one of the central tenets of the Islamic faith born.
His ascension to heaven was traced to this place. not exactly here but within the bounds of this holy sanctuary, otherwise known as the Temple Mount. The site of the temple built by Solomon, son of David.
They may not have been here first, much like those that came around the time I stopped competing those years ago. I don't mean the new breed, I mean people like Angel. Like Falcon. Names that have about them a legacy of their own. That have had a direct hand in the direction of nCw and continued to make it great. Am I then to think of myself as one of these?
*The call to prayer begins properly adn the people inside take their formal positions. Dave doesn't disturb anyone, he just walks away, leaving them to their solemn practice.*
I have been away for a long time, and then returned with a new vision. Returned as a new man. Few can argue that while I have roots in the man that people think of when they say Dave Holland, I am different to he. I have evolved. My legacy is different, and when I am finished it will be greater. Greater than before.
Greater than ever.
*The crowd begin their first bow as we fade away from them.*
*Dave is kneeling in the middle of a great cathedral. He's now back in his knights outfit from the opening, holding a crusader sword before him like a cross. He is praying in this single holiest place to the Christian faith, The Chruch of the Holy Sepulchre.*
Also to Jerusalem came Christ. He came to teach, he came to preach, and ultimately he came to die. Within these walls lie the grounds upon which he was crucified, buried, and resurrected. As a Christian myself, this power in this place is overwhelming. Here, more than the other locations I can feel the true calling of Jerusalem. I can feel what brought them all here.
The Jews, The Muslims, The Crusaders. The most dramatised time of this place was during those crusades of Richard the Lionheart. The brutal times when men fought and killed in the greatest of holy wars. All.. for this.
Now, then. Here I draw the greatest comparison to the modern situation. Everyone feels the call to the world title. Some more than others. Some are more capable of taking it than others. But they all give everything they have to claim it. They give everything that they have to defend it. To do otherwise would show weakness. To do otherwise would show disrespect to their opponent. To do otherwise would show disrespect to the very title itself.
*Dave rises to his feet. His armour and sword slowly fade away as many people start to fade in. They are tourists. Among them are those with large cameras, but many of them seem to be pilgrims. A mixture of Jews, Muslims and Christians all come together to pay respects to their prophet or messiah depending upon their religion.*
So who has claim to it? Who has the right to even attempt to claim that which all others crave? Those who came first? Those who came after? Those who fight hardest? Those to whom it means the most?
All have claim. If they cannot take it, then the Champion has claim above all others. That was the way of things in Jerusalem, that is the way of things with me. If you beat me, I will respect the outcome. But do not think it will be easy. Do not presume that the walls can be easily broken or scaled. The defences are strong. The armour is thick and mighty. And my sword is sharp and true.
So truly... truly what does this title mean to me?
Everything.
And I'll defend it with just that...
Everything.
*Dave turns and starts heading out of the church as the scene fades to black.*
*We're back at the breakfast table. The one where we saw last time Melanie telling her husband that she was pregnant. It looks like a continuation of the same scene.*
Mel: Dave...? You ok?
Dave: ... Err.... yeah... yeah I think so.
Mel: You look like you zoned out for a second there.
Dave: Yeah... I think I did. How long?
Mel: Oh, just a few seconds...
Dave: No, how long have you been pregnant?
Mel: Best guess... about four weeks.
Dave: Four weeks..... wait... you mean...
Mel: The after world title party party. The one just you and me.
Dave: ...... Wow....
Mel: You ok?
Dave: I'm better than that.
*Dave goes over to Mel and they share a kiss.*
Dave: You have no idea what this all means to me.
Everything.
What we do to each other...
What we do to ourselves...
All to prove what we each believe...
What we each know in our hearts...
That we're the best.
Is the glory worth the suffering?
Is the joy worth the hate?
Is the self-validation worth the scrutiny?
Is this golden belt really worth all the envy
All the scorn that gets poured onto those holding it?
......
Of course it is.
Why else would I be the one holding it?
*The scene opens as we look out across the desert. There are many people walking through it so we must be looking out from a city or some other kind of settlement. The way they are dressed suggests a location in the middle east and also that this is a historical setting. There is a light wind that whips up the top layers of sand, forming snaking patterns that slither across the surface in the breeze. In the middle distance are some mountains and dotted about are the occasional desert shrubs.*
Everything
"Nothing! ... ... ... Everything!"
-Saladin's judgement of Jerusalem's worth, Kingdom of Heaven.
"Nothing! ... ... ... Everything!"
-Saladin's judgement of Jerusalem's worth, Kingdom of Heaven.
*The camera turns away from the vista. It finds the face of Dave Holland, cast in profile against the blue sky.*
I don't know why I never came here before. As a self proclaimed man of the people you'd have thought I would. This place is a focal point for most of the world's population. It has been for centuries, for generations. There isn't a person on this earth who hasn't heard of it, who hasn't thought of it. This place started out as an ideal. The jewel in the crown of one of the greatest kings of all time. His city. The place where he rested, the place where he ruled. A place that is respected, a place that is adored... but above all it is certainly a place that is coveted.
Wars have been waged over this place. Great wars. Small wars. Every one of them brutal and savage. Because they all wished to claim it. They all needed to claim it... they all had to claim it. And yet, they all wished to keep it. They all needed to keep it. They all had to keep it.
This city is holy. Beyond words, beyond measure and beyond belief is it holy. To a man who may not believe in God it may be difficult to understand. To the Jewish it is home. To the Christian it is the end of the beginning and the beginning of something new. The greatest sorrow and the greatest joy. To the Muslim it's where the greatest Prophet received the greatest of visions.
Battles still rage to this day over who has claim.
If ever there was a place that could be described as the heart of humanity, this is it. The place where we defend what we love above all, where we fight to take what we love above all.
*The angle changes again so we can see where Dave is. Some of the buildings behind him look familiar but to the untrained eye it could look like any middle eastern city. The architecture is various, from the three major cultures in the region. Dave himself is actually wearing a chainmail shirt and a knight's tabard. He spreads his arms wide to the camera making a gesture of welcome.*
Welcome to Jerusalem.
I never said you didn't belong, Charlie. Now who's being quick to assume.
I might not approve of your method to finally get the shot but not once did I say I agreed with management's decision not to give you the shot. If you had sat back and cruised through this last month, if I had heard not a single word from you and then saw I was facing you to defend my world title you know what I would've said?
It's about damn time.
Our match, was the single toughest fight I have ever had. It deserved to be repeated with the belt on the line. Curtis was tough, our match was amazing... but nothing compared to what we did to each other.
Match of the decade contender... that's my opinion.
My only issue is that I like doing things by the book. Standard procedure is that once you beat a champion and take his belt, that man is entitled to a rematch. But as soon as I heard you had your sights set on this match I figured it might well be a triple threat. But then somehow Curtis fell by the wayside. Honestly, this doesn't surprise me either. Because you asked me, Charlie if I ever thought I could win Road to the Gold. If, after I saw my name on that list and compared it with the others, I ever dared to believe I could win my shot at the gold. And as I said to you before our match... I looked at the list and knew that there was only a few names that could give me trouble.
But the thing about me, Charlie, is that usually I take each match as they come. I took Maniac... someone I take great to you calling an easy draw... and I beat him. It was tough... but I did it. And then I started to dream. Dream that victory could be had.
Then Freakke... and then I started to believe. Believe that I could go all the way, but knew there was still your name to overcome. Believe in myself, believe in my destiny...
And then Evan... and then I started to understand. Understand that I have every much of a chance as you of beating Curtis for the belt. But that I had to get past you.
And then... then, right before I made you shut the hell up, if only for 3 damn seconds... then I knew. I knew I had you. I sized you up... I took my shot... and I took your damn head off. Call it luck if you will. Call if whatever the hell you want, you're only fooling yourself. And that's dangerous. Take your eye off me for a second and you'll regret it for the next three, and that's all I needed.
It's still all I need.
I might not approve of your method to finally get the shot but not once did I say I agreed with management's decision not to give you the shot. If you had sat back and cruised through this last month, if I had heard not a single word from you and then saw I was facing you to defend my world title you know what I would've said?
It's about damn time.
Our match, was the single toughest fight I have ever had. It deserved to be repeated with the belt on the line. Curtis was tough, our match was amazing... but nothing compared to what we did to each other.
Match of the decade contender... that's my opinion.
My only issue is that I like doing things by the book. Standard procedure is that once you beat a champion and take his belt, that man is entitled to a rematch. But as soon as I heard you had your sights set on this match I figured it might well be a triple threat. But then somehow Curtis fell by the wayside. Honestly, this doesn't surprise me either. Because you asked me, Charlie if I ever thought I could win Road to the Gold. If, after I saw my name on that list and compared it with the others, I ever dared to believe I could win my shot at the gold. And as I said to you before our match... I looked at the list and knew that there was only a few names that could give me trouble.
But the thing about me, Charlie, is that usually I take each match as they come. I took Maniac... someone I take great to you calling an easy draw... and I beat him. It was tough... but I did it. And then I started to dream. Dream that victory could be had.
Then Freakke... and then I started to believe. Believe that I could go all the way, but knew there was still your name to overcome. Believe in myself, believe in my destiny...
And then Evan... and then I started to understand. Understand that I have every much of a chance as you of beating Curtis for the belt. But that I had to get past you.
And then... then, right before I made you shut the hell up, if only for 3 damn seconds... then I knew. I knew I had you. I sized you up... I took my shot... and I took your damn head off. Call it luck if you will. Call if whatever the hell you want, you're only fooling yourself. And that's dangerous. Take your eye off me for a second and you'll regret it for the next three, and that's all I needed.
It's still all I need.
*Dave has now changed his outfit as we cut away to a part of town that is crowded. The large place at the one side is a vast wall. there are scraps of parchment prised into various cracks. What we're walking along is none other than the Western or Wailing Wall. Dave's new clothes are a plain white robe and a Jewish skull cap. His feet are bare, a sign of respect for the place he is at.*
Some people might wonder why come to Jerusalem now? It's simple. I wanted to show how hard people fight. He's not unique. He's not alone. In fact, he's not even all that special. Sure he's more determined than most, but at the end of the day he's doing what any of us do regarding something we crave as much as he. He's being completely human. In fact, Jerusalem is perfect as a direct comparison of the nCw world title.
It started out being built as the utmost pinnacle of the civilised world. The place where the great and the good were to be found. Then over time the place became more and more significant to more and more people. Just as the nCw world title has become more and more significant to a greater proportion of wrestlers in the wide world. There are many wrestling companies, and they all have their own world title, as the many countries in the world have their own crowning cities. But none want any title as much as men want the nCw crown.
Am I then to think of myself as King David? The one that built this great city for his Jewish people? I'm an nCw founding father. I was here when nCw opened its doors, I hope to never see those doors close. I did my utmost to help make nCw the truly glorious place it has become today. When Lance Ryan was losing faith in nCw, in himself as a champion, I restored it. I showed him that true competition existed, that there were still great men looking to do great things. And from my example he became legendary.
*An elderly gentleman stumbles in front of Dave towards the wall. He proceeds to prostrate himself before it and chants a prayer in his own tongue. He is also writing on a parchment as he does so, conveying his prayer into written text.*
But I am but a part of the great legacy. Like you said, I am a legend in this place. Possibly the greatest legend in this place. But legends are nothing without the people to tell them. Legends are just stories without proof. Legends... are nothing more than history, if they do not step forward and pronounce that they exist. That they live and breathe. That they have not fallen from grace. That they have not abandoned the world in which they became as such.
*The old man rises gingerly to his feet. He then slowly reaches out his hand and places the parchment in a crack of the wall. He smiles a little before apparently fainting, though why we don't know. A crowd forms around him, helping him*
That's what I am doing right now. That's what I have been doing since returning. And that's what I shall continue to do until I can do it no longer.
*Dave glances towards the old man's parchment. He touches his fingers to his lips, kisses them and then places them upon the wall near the parchment. He bows to the wall slightly before beginning to walk backwards away from the wall, as is customary.*
I never left you, Charlie.
More specifically, I never left nCw. I couldn't ever truly leave. I just stopped wrestling. Did I stop to sort out my life? Did I stop because I had more important things to do? In a way I guess you could say so. But the real reason I stopped is because of a promise I made to my wife and child. I promised my wife a long time ago that I would stop wrestling as soon as I could physically bring myself to do so. And then when my son was born the very night I lost to Lance Ryan, I made the promise to him also.
What did I mean by physically able to stop? I think you know, Charlie. You're experiencing it right now. You've been experiencing it since long before I arrived and the feeling has only gotten stronger every day since I returned. That drive that you need to do something. That you need to win the world championship. You at least know what it is you have to do to achieve some rest. To get some peace. Me, I had no idea. Turns out it was as simple as facing and overcoming my past. My history.
Looking back it's kinda obvious now. I'd spent my entire adult life trying to forget and move on. To overcome it without acknowledging it. And yet I couldn't help drawing on the strength that it gave me. The instincts it had taught me... the grim determination that I had forced myself to accept. To endure with stoic resilience like the ancient stones of Jerusalem itself.
Inevitably, I was confused. I was a mess inside my own head, something I never revealed to the world. I'm still trying to untangle the threads of my own mind. But I can do it. I will do it. All in time. But that's not relevant to this.
The point is, I left because I found resolution. There was no drive to fight. There was no desperate need to hurt and be hurt in kind. No instinct to prove myself in the field of combat every single week I possibly could. And coupled with the fact I didn't want my son to grow up without really knowing who his father was, I made the difficult decision.
I just stopped.
It was the right decision. And faced with it again I'd do exactly the same thing.
So why come back right? Why go back on my promise and come back to nCw? Because in the end, as many people keep saying, this business... it's like the hotel california. You can check out, but you can never leave. My mind, relaxed and free, continued to untangle. And then, right in the core of the mess... I found a knot. One big thing that I needed to do. And the drive came back.
Seriously, what kind of person could perform like I do without having that drive? I had to be world champion. And i had to be a great one. Not a transitional one. Not a good one. Hell, not even a great one really. I had to be the best one. I had to make damn sure that every time the words are even spoken the first name you think of would be Dave Holland.
You don't think I earned my place in Road to the Gold? I'm not surprised. Because you're envious. You've been overlooked for this shot that you earned, time and again, because no one respects you. because your name isn't the one that people want to see defending the world title. Your name isn't the one they want to see challenging for the world title. Whereas me... yeah, it's true. People love me. People love what I do, and they love the way I do it. You think about what you said about Brad Kane being the champion you most respect for his reaction after winning the belt.... You go back and find the tape from the Road to the Gold pay per view. You go back and watch the reaction.
Not mine.
The reaction of everyone else.
That's what I needed to happen. That's what I wanted to happen. It's never been entirely about me. It's always been about the symbiosis. The link between me and them. I'm the one they wanted to see champion. I'm the one they needed to see champion.
I'm still the one.
More specifically, I never left nCw. I couldn't ever truly leave. I just stopped wrestling. Did I stop to sort out my life? Did I stop because I had more important things to do? In a way I guess you could say so. But the real reason I stopped is because of a promise I made to my wife and child. I promised my wife a long time ago that I would stop wrestling as soon as I could physically bring myself to do so. And then when my son was born the very night I lost to Lance Ryan, I made the promise to him also.
What did I mean by physically able to stop? I think you know, Charlie. You're experiencing it right now. You've been experiencing it since long before I arrived and the feeling has only gotten stronger every day since I returned. That drive that you need to do something. That you need to win the world championship. You at least know what it is you have to do to achieve some rest. To get some peace. Me, I had no idea. Turns out it was as simple as facing and overcoming my past. My history.
Looking back it's kinda obvious now. I'd spent my entire adult life trying to forget and move on. To overcome it without acknowledging it. And yet I couldn't help drawing on the strength that it gave me. The instincts it had taught me... the grim determination that I had forced myself to accept. To endure with stoic resilience like the ancient stones of Jerusalem itself.
Inevitably, I was confused. I was a mess inside my own head, something I never revealed to the world. I'm still trying to untangle the threads of my own mind. But I can do it. I will do it. All in time. But that's not relevant to this.
The point is, I left because I found resolution. There was no drive to fight. There was no desperate need to hurt and be hurt in kind. No instinct to prove myself in the field of combat every single week I possibly could. And coupled with the fact I didn't want my son to grow up without really knowing who his father was, I made the difficult decision.
I just stopped.
It was the right decision. And faced with it again I'd do exactly the same thing.
So why come back right? Why go back on my promise and come back to nCw? Because in the end, as many people keep saying, this business... it's like the hotel california. You can check out, but you can never leave. My mind, relaxed and free, continued to untangle. And then, right in the core of the mess... I found a knot. One big thing that I needed to do. And the drive came back.
Seriously, what kind of person could perform like I do without having that drive? I had to be world champion. And i had to be a great one. Not a transitional one. Not a good one. Hell, not even a great one really. I had to be the best one. I had to make damn sure that every time the words are even spoken the first name you think of would be Dave Holland.
You don't think I earned my place in Road to the Gold? I'm not surprised. Because you're envious. You've been overlooked for this shot that you earned, time and again, because no one respects you. because your name isn't the one that people want to see defending the world title. Your name isn't the one they want to see challenging for the world title. Whereas me... yeah, it's true. People love me. People love what I do, and they love the way I do it. You think about what you said about Brad Kane being the champion you most respect for his reaction after winning the belt.... You go back and find the tape from the Road to the Gold pay per view. You go back and watch the reaction.
Not mine.
The reaction of everyone else.
That's what I needed to happen. That's what I wanted to happen. It's never been entirely about me. It's always been about the symbiosis. The link between me and them. I'm the one they wanted to see champion. I'm the one they needed to see champion.
I'm still the one.
*We're now watching Dave stood outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque within the Temple mount. There are hundreds of muslims inside all preparing for prayer, though the prayer itself hasn't yet started and people are still arriving. Dave stays out of the way as best he can.*
And then, many years later came the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him. He had a vision that transported him instantly from Mecca to this place. He spoke with the major Islamic prophets the majority of which are also prophets and patriarchs from across the other religions of Jerusalem. In this vision he was instructed by Allah himself to lead the people in prayer fifty times a day. Moses argued that such a number was not physically possible by human standards, and so Allah reduced the number to five. And thus was one of the central tenets of the Islamic faith born.
His ascension to heaven was traced to this place. not exactly here but within the bounds of this holy sanctuary, otherwise known as the Temple Mount. The site of the temple built by Solomon, son of David.
They may not have been here first, much like those that came around the time I stopped competing those years ago. I don't mean the new breed, I mean people like Angel. Like Falcon. Names that have about them a legacy of their own. That have had a direct hand in the direction of nCw and continued to make it great. Am I then to think of myself as one of these?
*The call to prayer begins properly adn the people inside take their formal positions. Dave doesn't disturb anyone, he just walks away, leaving them to their solemn practice.*
I have been away for a long time, and then returned with a new vision. Returned as a new man. Few can argue that while I have roots in the man that people think of when they say Dave Holland, I am different to he. I have evolved. My legacy is different, and when I am finished it will be greater. Greater than before.
Greater than ever.
*The crowd begin their first bow as we fade away from them.*
Emotion's good Charlie.
I like seeing emotion in people. For a long time there i wasn't even sure you had any. Turns out I was looking in the wrong places. I was looking for emotion in you when you speak. And the truth is your emotions aren't in your words. They might sound emotional sometimes but that's a by-product. No, your emotions show in your eyes.
You look at your wife, and I see your emotion now. You look at your brother and mother, I see emotion. You talk about how much you need to win and now I know just where to look, I see emotion. I no longer see just determination mingled with a little desperation... but true emotion. And most telling of all, I see it when you even talk about me or mention my name.
I know why. I'd be a damn fool not to. You haven't shut up about it for near enough a month and a half now. You can't stand anyone but you being champion. You don't approve of me holding the belt. My belt. Some people might look at this as a challenge and go out to try and gain your approval.
I know better.
You are your father's son. You will never approve until perfection has been attained. And your version of perfection only has one end. And that's not with me as champion. Does it bother me? No. Am I going to look over my shoulder from now until eternity, waiting for you to jump me and take what I rightfully deserve? No.
I don't fear you Charlie. I don't fear anyone. I don't fear anything. Not anymore. Now my future has been laid to rest, there is nothing I can't do. So you keep on trying. Time after time after time, you do what you have to, because I'm not backing down. I'm not going away.
And I'm certainly the biggest threat you've faced in your entire career.
I like seeing emotion in people. For a long time there i wasn't even sure you had any. Turns out I was looking in the wrong places. I was looking for emotion in you when you speak. And the truth is your emotions aren't in your words. They might sound emotional sometimes but that's a by-product. No, your emotions show in your eyes.
You look at your wife, and I see your emotion now. You look at your brother and mother, I see emotion. You talk about how much you need to win and now I know just where to look, I see emotion. I no longer see just determination mingled with a little desperation... but true emotion. And most telling of all, I see it when you even talk about me or mention my name.
I know why. I'd be a damn fool not to. You haven't shut up about it for near enough a month and a half now. You can't stand anyone but you being champion. You don't approve of me holding the belt. My belt. Some people might look at this as a challenge and go out to try and gain your approval.
I know better.
You are your father's son. You will never approve until perfection has been attained. And your version of perfection only has one end. And that's not with me as champion. Does it bother me? No. Am I going to look over my shoulder from now until eternity, waiting for you to jump me and take what I rightfully deserve? No.
I don't fear you Charlie. I don't fear anyone. I don't fear anything. Not anymore. Now my future has been laid to rest, there is nothing I can't do. So you keep on trying. Time after time after time, you do what you have to, because I'm not backing down. I'm not going away.
And I'm certainly the biggest threat you've faced in your entire career.
*Dave is kneeling in the middle of a great cathedral. He's now back in his knights outfit from the opening, holding a crusader sword before him like a cross. He is praying in this single holiest place to the Christian faith, The Chruch of the Holy Sepulchre.*
Also to Jerusalem came Christ. He came to teach, he came to preach, and ultimately he came to die. Within these walls lie the grounds upon which he was crucified, buried, and resurrected. As a Christian myself, this power in this place is overwhelming. Here, more than the other locations I can feel the true calling of Jerusalem. I can feel what brought them all here.
The Jews, The Muslims, The Crusaders. The most dramatised time of this place was during those crusades of Richard the Lionheart. The brutal times when men fought and killed in the greatest of holy wars. All.. for this.
Now, then. Here I draw the greatest comparison to the modern situation. Everyone feels the call to the world title. Some more than others. Some are more capable of taking it than others. But they all give everything they have to claim it. They give everything that they have to defend it. To do otherwise would show weakness. To do otherwise would show disrespect to their opponent. To do otherwise would show disrespect to the very title itself.
*Dave rises to his feet. His armour and sword slowly fade away as many people start to fade in. They are tourists. Among them are those with large cameras, but many of them seem to be pilgrims. A mixture of Jews, Muslims and Christians all come together to pay respects to their prophet or messiah depending upon their religion.*
So who has claim to it? Who has the right to even attempt to claim that which all others crave? Those who came first? Those who came after? Those who fight hardest? Those to whom it means the most?
All have claim. If they cannot take it, then the Champion has claim above all others. That was the way of things in Jerusalem, that is the way of things with me. If you beat me, I will respect the outcome. But do not think it will be easy. Do not presume that the walls can be easily broken or scaled. The defences are strong. The armour is thick and mighty. And my sword is sharp and true.
So truly... truly what does this title mean to me?
Everything.
And I'll defend it with just that...
Everything.
*Dave turns and starts heading out of the church as the scene fades to black.*
*We're back at the breakfast table. The one where we saw last time Melanie telling her husband that she was pregnant. It looks like a continuation of the same scene.*
Mel: Dave...? You ok?
Dave: ... Err.... yeah... yeah I think so.
Mel: You look like you zoned out for a second there.
Dave: Yeah... I think I did. How long?
Mel: Oh, just a few seconds...
Dave: No, how long have you been pregnant?
Mel: Best guess... about four weeks.
Dave: Four weeks..... wait... you mean...
Mel: The after world title party party. The one just you and me.
Dave: ...... Wow....
Mel: You ok?
Dave: I'm better than that.
*Dave goes over to Mel and they share a kiss.*
Dave: You have no idea what this all means to me.
Everything.