Post by Will Washington on Mar 23, 2013 21:17:03 GMT -6
"If I am what I have and if I lose what I have, who then am I?" - Erich Fromm
{Open up on an exterior shot Will Washington's house before fading inside where we see our hero sitting with his laptop in his lap while watching some opening round March Madness games. He quickly switches over to the official New Championship Wrestling website and sees some big news.}
Will Washington: "Angel and Rob Diamond are both coming back? And Burns is coming back, too? Awesome."
{As Will switches back over to the game playing on his laptop, his fiance comes into the room.}
Kristen: "If you're watching on TV, why do you have to watch online too?"
Will Washington: "Because they're different games. There's like... five games playing at the same time right now, and my bracket is depending on them."
Kristen: "You get so wrapped up in basketball."
Will Washington: "It's March Madness. The best time of the year for basketball fans."
{Kristen moves in closer and looks over her shoulder before lowering her voice, so not to be heard by visitors.}
Kristen: "Would it hurt you to ask your dad to watch with you? I'm sure he'd love to watch, and the awkward silence in the kitchen is crazy."
Will Washington: "My dad only watches golf... and you think it's awkward in there? We just started talking for the first time in years. You have to ease into this kind of thing."
Kristen: "Well you had better ask him to watch with you, or I'm going to do it for you. There's only so many times I can hear his fly fishing stories."
Will Washington: "No. Just let me have th..."
{Before he can finish, Kristen raises her voice and calls out toward the kitchen.}
Kristen: "Mr. Washington? Will wants to know if you want to watch the basketball tournament with him."
{Will glares at his future wife as his father walks into the room, wearing your typical old man khakis and a sweater vest. He has a goofy smile on his face as he looks over at Kristen.}
Michael Washington: "Kristen, dear. Call me 'Mike', 'Michael', or 'Dad', but don't call me 'Mr. Washington'... and never call me late to dinner, either!"
{The older man laughs heartily as Kristen awkwardly chuckles along and Will facepalms.}
Kristen: "Okay, Mike. Do you want to watch the games with Will?"
{Will's father looks at him with a glimmer of hope.}
Michael Washington: "Is that true, son? You want me to watch the games with you?"
{Will cranes his neck and cracks it before relenting.}
Will Washington: Yeah.... Yeah dad. Watch the games with me."
{The older man claps his hands and moves around, sitting on the couch a few feet from Will. Kristen smiles and leaves as the two sit silently. After a player from Butler makes a deep three, Michael lets out a cheer.}
Michael Washington: "What a shot! Three points all right!"
Will Washington: "... I've got Bucknell in this game."
Michael Washington: "Oh. Then that's bad. Play some defense!"
{The father and son sit on the couch with more silence as the games continue, but neither is really paying attention. Finally, Will mutes the television and speaks up.}
Will Washington: "What are we doing here dad? You don't like basketball, and this is just really awkward."
Michael Washington: "I'm just watching a little March Madness with my son."
Will Washington: "You're trying to bond with me."
Michael Washington: "Is that wrong?"
Will Washington: "It's awkward. After not talking all this time, now you and mom are staying with us?"
Michael Washington: "Kristen invited us. I thought you were okay with it."
Will Washington: "You're trying too hard, dad. It's too much, too soon."
Michael Washington: "Do you want us to leave? If it's making you uncomfortable..."
Will Washington: "You don't have to leave, but if you're here, I think we're going to have to talk before we we can sit around and shoot the breeze."
Michael Washington: "Well what do you want to talk about, Will? We didn't see you for six years. All I know is what I saw from you on TV and what your sister told us. I mean... you never even gave us an explanation of why you shut us out of your life in the first place."
Will Washington: "You know why, dad. You wanted me to follow in your footsteps and I wanted to blaze my own path. I wanted to be my own man... I wanted to be Will Washington, not Michael Washington's son."
Michael Washington: "I never tried to make you be like me."
Will Washington: "Come on. You had my future all planned out for me. Harvard law, just like dear old dad. Throughout my entire childhood all I ever talked about was being a wrestler, and yet, you never even seemed to notice."
Michael Washington: "You know how kids are. When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. When you get older, you find new dreams and realistic goals."
Will Washington: "What kind of parent doesn't encourage their child to be anything they want to be? It's never made any sense to me. You wanted to protect me from the real world, but you wanted me to have a realistic job... you didn't want me to chase my dreams, but you had me living in a fantasy world."
Michael Washington: "The world is harsh, son. You know how many cases I come across every year that make me question my faith in humanity? I never wanted to stifile you. I wanted you to be happy."
Will Washington: "You can't be happy all of the time. Sometimes you have to face reality to truly appreciate all that you have. When I got out there in Iraq and saw how bad life can truly be... that changed me. Since you and mom did everything to keep me from seeing the real world, I lashed out."
Michael Washington: "Will. We never wanted you to be unhappy or sheltered. The opposite is true. Your mom and I would have done anything for you to be happy, and I guess we did the wrong thing. But now when I watch you on TV every week, I know that you're truly happy. Even when you hated the world, I still knew that you loved wrestling and were only happy inside the ring. For years I've wanted to tell you how proud of who you are, and say I'm sorry for causing you to live such an angry life."
Will Washington: "Yeah, dad. I know.... I know I overreacted. I know I was wrong for keeping you guys away for so long, but I'm not going to try and make it up to you... and I don't expect you and mom to try and make anything up to me either. I want to forget the past and move on with the future, and I'm about to start that future with Kristen.... and I'm happy you guys are back in my life."
Michael Washington: "Well we're happy to be back... and I'm even happier that even after all these years, you're still calling me 'Dad'."
{Will chuckles.}
Will Washington: "What can I say, old habits die hard I guess."
{The two sit silently for a moment, letting the discussion sink in. Will looks over at his dad and nods to him before reaching for the remote.}
Will Washington: "So. You want to watch some basketball?"
Michael Washington: "Of course I do."
{Will turns the volume back on the game as the father and son turn their attention back to the game. As the camera turns, we see Will's fiance and mother watching intently from the doorway before we fade out.}
__________________________________________________________________________________
"There's always been debate over what defines a man's life. Some say it's possessions and wealth that determine the type of man you are. Others say it's about accolades and accomplishments. If either of these things are truly the measuring stick of what makes a man, then Xander Famularo is the man we should all aspire to be. You've had it all and done it all, Xander. Born the son of a wrestling legend, you had this business in your blood. While some children of stars fall to the vices of drugs and alcohol and lose their way, you managed to live up to everyone's expectations. Hell, you may have even surpassed the legacy of your father."
"I mean... how many twenty-something year old Hall of Famers can you think of? It took Gib decades to do what you managed to do, and you're not even close to hitting thirty yet! So if you're the epitome of mankind, then I guess the rest of us have a lot to try and live up to. If your accolades are the bar I have to cross to be the 'best' in this business we all love so much, then chances are, I'm never going to be on this mythical level that so few have ever reached."
"But I don't see things that way. Accomplishments should be applauded and celebrated, sure... but it's what you do after you've built your legacy that I believe to be key. It's never easy to win that World Championship... I know that better than anyone. I've been chasing that belt since 2009. But yet... just winning that championship... it has to be a hollow feeling. You sit there with the belt in your hands, overjoyed with what you have, before realizing that you still have to go out there and make your title reign mean something. Your reign was impressive Xander, that much is certain. You were unbeatable for a time, and I'd have to be stupid to not respect that. What I don't respect... is what you did afterwards."
"You're part of the reason this place is as much of a mess as it is now. You, Kelly, Xander, Gib, and Adam developed a 'Hierarchy' to rule over NCW. You all deemed who you thought deserved to be a leading force in this company, and anyone that didn't fit your mold was cast aside or forced to comply. The Hierarchy handpicked Roberto Verona to be our World Champion, and you personally made sure he'd hang on to the belt no matter what. You helped Verona sully that belt each week while making sure that anyone who came near him was reduced to nothing more than a muffled voice beneath your boot heel."
"Now you've realized what I've been saying for months... you were nothing more than hired muscle for people who couldn't care less about what happened to you. How many times did you stick your neck out and risk having it seperated from your shoulders just to keep our champion safe? So you've changed your ways and you've dedicated yourself to making right all that you helped ruin in the first place. You're trying to clean up the mess that's developed at your hands. It's admirable enough, but you have to understand that what you're saying is falling on deaf ears."
"See... I'm not leaving it up to you to fix your mistakes... I've been doing that job for months now. While you sat at the feet of Verona's throne and watched as the world beneath you went to hell because you refused to take proper action. Now when the phoenix, Will Washington, rises from the ashes to help rebuild NCW to prior glory, you decide it's your time to step in and get in the way. You want the glory? Take it. You want that World Championship? Well the line starts behind me."
"If you want to make everything right, that's all well and good, but there's a time and place for everything. As a matter of fact, what you're doing right now is the same thing you've been doing for the last year. You're trying to insert yourself into a situation where you don't deem someone worthy. You believe you're the only one capable of getting that belt away from Verona based entirely on your track record. The great, unbeatable Xander Famularo is surely the only man who can ever do anything in NCW, right? I mean, that's what we've been programmed to believe over the last few years. The problem with that, Xander, should be obvious by now."
"... I can beat you. I HAVE beaten you."
"You have had your chances to do something about the Roberto Verona problem and you failed to do so. Now it's my time to do something you refused to do time after time. You gave up and became complacent. I've never stopped fighting and I'm not about to now. Not when I'm this close. I'll own up to it and admit that I lost at Crossroads... I'm not afraid of my failures. I live with them every day, but I don't let them hold me back. I promised the world that I'd be the one who ended Verona's reign once and for all, and I fully intend on delivering on that promise. You're trying to stand in the way of that... I understand. You're back to trying to be the man you were before you wasted it all away. You want to be the old Xander again, the man you should have been all along."
"We're both on a quest for redemption, Xander. I'm trying to redeem this company... that championship... and you're trying to redeem your image. Your 'unbeatable' image has faded and you're desperate to get that back, and honestly, I hope you do. The man I look at today is the man I respected once before. You can get it all back if you truly want it enough, but that World Championship? It's not your time. But I'm not asking you to step aside at my expense... I'm telling you that I'll go through you yet again if I have to."
"So if accomplishments are the measurements of a man, then I guess Xander Famularo is what we should all strive to be. Me? I've never wanted to be anybody else. I've wanted to prove that I'm BETTER than everybody else. Sunday, I do just that."
"In the end, the one thing that I believe to be the measure of a man is the one thing that is truly immeasurable... desire. And what I desire is to be World Champion and to end the reign of Roberto Verona."
{Open up on an exterior shot Will Washington's house before fading inside where we see our hero sitting with his laptop in his lap while watching some opening round March Madness games. He quickly switches over to the official New Championship Wrestling website and sees some big news.}
Will Washington: "Angel and Rob Diamond are both coming back? And Burns is coming back, too? Awesome."
{As Will switches back over to the game playing on his laptop, his fiance comes into the room.}
Kristen: "If you're watching on TV, why do you have to watch online too?"
Will Washington: "Because they're different games. There's like... five games playing at the same time right now, and my bracket is depending on them."
Kristen: "You get so wrapped up in basketball."
Will Washington: "It's March Madness. The best time of the year for basketball fans."
{Kristen moves in closer and looks over her shoulder before lowering her voice, so not to be heard by visitors.}
Kristen: "Would it hurt you to ask your dad to watch with you? I'm sure he'd love to watch, and the awkward silence in the kitchen is crazy."
Will Washington: "My dad only watches golf... and you think it's awkward in there? We just started talking for the first time in years. You have to ease into this kind of thing."
Kristen: "Well you had better ask him to watch with you, or I'm going to do it for you. There's only so many times I can hear his fly fishing stories."
Will Washington: "No. Just let me have th..."
{Before he can finish, Kristen raises her voice and calls out toward the kitchen.}
Kristen: "Mr. Washington? Will wants to know if you want to watch the basketball tournament with him."
{Will glares at his future wife as his father walks into the room, wearing your typical old man khakis and a sweater vest. He has a goofy smile on his face as he looks over at Kristen.}
Michael Washington: "Kristen, dear. Call me 'Mike', 'Michael', or 'Dad', but don't call me 'Mr. Washington'... and never call me late to dinner, either!"
{The older man laughs heartily as Kristen awkwardly chuckles along and Will facepalms.}
Kristen: "Okay, Mike. Do you want to watch the games with Will?"
{Will's father looks at him with a glimmer of hope.}
Michael Washington: "Is that true, son? You want me to watch the games with you?"
{Will cranes his neck and cracks it before relenting.}
Will Washington: Yeah.... Yeah dad. Watch the games with me."
{The older man claps his hands and moves around, sitting on the couch a few feet from Will. Kristen smiles and leaves as the two sit silently. After a player from Butler makes a deep three, Michael lets out a cheer.}
Michael Washington: "What a shot! Three points all right!"
Will Washington: "... I've got Bucknell in this game."
Michael Washington: "Oh. Then that's bad. Play some defense!"
{The father and son sit on the couch with more silence as the games continue, but neither is really paying attention. Finally, Will mutes the television and speaks up.}
Will Washington: "What are we doing here dad? You don't like basketball, and this is just really awkward."
Michael Washington: "I'm just watching a little March Madness with my son."
Will Washington: "You're trying to bond with me."
Michael Washington: "Is that wrong?"
Will Washington: "It's awkward. After not talking all this time, now you and mom are staying with us?"
Michael Washington: "Kristen invited us. I thought you were okay with it."
Will Washington: "You're trying too hard, dad. It's too much, too soon."
Michael Washington: "Do you want us to leave? If it's making you uncomfortable..."
Will Washington: "You don't have to leave, but if you're here, I think we're going to have to talk before we we can sit around and shoot the breeze."
Michael Washington: "Well what do you want to talk about, Will? We didn't see you for six years. All I know is what I saw from you on TV and what your sister told us. I mean... you never even gave us an explanation of why you shut us out of your life in the first place."
Will Washington: "You know why, dad. You wanted me to follow in your footsteps and I wanted to blaze my own path. I wanted to be my own man... I wanted to be Will Washington, not Michael Washington's son."
Michael Washington: "I never tried to make you be like me."
Will Washington: "Come on. You had my future all planned out for me. Harvard law, just like dear old dad. Throughout my entire childhood all I ever talked about was being a wrestler, and yet, you never even seemed to notice."
Michael Washington: "You know how kids are. When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. When you get older, you find new dreams and realistic goals."
Will Washington: "What kind of parent doesn't encourage their child to be anything they want to be? It's never made any sense to me. You wanted to protect me from the real world, but you wanted me to have a realistic job... you didn't want me to chase my dreams, but you had me living in a fantasy world."
Michael Washington: "The world is harsh, son. You know how many cases I come across every year that make me question my faith in humanity? I never wanted to stifile you. I wanted you to be happy."
Will Washington: "You can't be happy all of the time. Sometimes you have to face reality to truly appreciate all that you have. When I got out there in Iraq and saw how bad life can truly be... that changed me. Since you and mom did everything to keep me from seeing the real world, I lashed out."
Michael Washington: "Will. We never wanted you to be unhappy or sheltered. The opposite is true. Your mom and I would have done anything for you to be happy, and I guess we did the wrong thing. But now when I watch you on TV every week, I know that you're truly happy. Even when you hated the world, I still knew that you loved wrestling and were only happy inside the ring. For years I've wanted to tell you how proud of who you are, and say I'm sorry for causing you to live such an angry life."
Will Washington: "Yeah, dad. I know.... I know I overreacted. I know I was wrong for keeping you guys away for so long, but I'm not going to try and make it up to you... and I don't expect you and mom to try and make anything up to me either. I want to forget the past and move on with the future, and I'm about to start that future with Kristen.... and I'm happy you guys are back in my life."
Michael Washington: "Well we're happy to be back... and I'm even happier that even after all these years, you're still calling me 'Dad'."
{Will chuckles.}
Will Washington: "What can I say, old habits die hard I guess."
{The two sit silently for a moment, letting the discussion sink in. Will looks over at his dad and nods to him before reaching for the remote.}
Will Washington: "So. You want to watch some basketball?"
Michael Washington: "Of course I do."
{Will turns the volume back on the game as the father and son turn their attention back to the game. As the camera turns, we see Will's fiance and mother watching intently from the doorway before we fade out.}
__________________________________________________________________________________
"There's always been debate over what defines a man's life. Some say it's possessions and wealth that determine the type of man you are. Others say it's about accolades and accomplishments. If either of these things are truly the measuring stick of what makes a man, then Xander Famularo is the man we should all aspire to be. You've had it all and done it all, Xander. Born the son of a wrestling legend, you had this business in your blood. While some children of stars fall to the vices of drugs and alcohol and lose their way, you managed to live up to everyone's expectations. Hell, you may have even surpassed the legacy of your father."
"I mean... how many twenty-something year old Hall of Famers can you think of? It took Gib decades to do what you managed to do, and you're not even close to hitting thirty yet! So if you're the epitome of mankind, then I guess the rest of us have a lot to try and live up to. If your accolades are the bar I have to cross to be the 'best' in this business we all love so much, then chances are, I'm never going to be on this mythical level that so few have ever reached."
"But I don't see things that way. Accomplishments should be applauded and celebrated, sure... but it's what you do after you've built your legacy that I believe to be key. It's never easy to win that World Championship... I know that better than anyone. I've been chasing that belt since 2009. But yet... just winning that championship... it has to be a hollow feeling. You sit there with the belt in your hands, overjoyed with what you have, before realizing that you still have to go out there and make your title reign mean something. Your reign was impressive Xander, that much is certain. You were unbeatable for a time, and I'd have to be stupid to not respect that. What I don't respect... is what you did afterwards."
"You're part of the reason this place is as much of a mess as it is now. You, Kelly, Xander, Gib, and Adam developed a 'Hierarchy' to rule over NCW. You all deemed who you thought deserved to be a leading force in this company, and anyone that didn't fit your mold was cast aside or forced to comply. The Hierarchy handpicked Roberto Verona to be our World Champion, and you personally made sure he'd hang on to the belt no matter what. You helped Verona sully that belt each week while making sure that anyone who came near him was reduced to nothing more than a muffled voice beneath your boot heel."
"Now you've realized what I've been saying for months... you were nothing more than hired muscle for people who couldn't care less about what happened to you. How many times did you stick your neck out and risk having it seperated from your shoulders just to keep our champion safe? So you've changed your ways and you've dedicated yourself to making right all that you helped ruin in the first place. You're trying to clean up the mess that's developed at your hands. It's admirable enough, but you have to understand that what you're saying is falling on deaf ears."
"See... I'm not leaving it up to you to fix your mistakes... I've been doing that job for months now. While you sat at the feet of Verona's throne and watched as the world beneath you went to hell because you refused to take proper action. Now when the phoenix, Will Washington, rises from the ashes to help rebuild NCW to prior glory, you decide it's your time to step in and get in the way. You want the glory? Take it. You want that World Championship? Well the line starts behind me."
"If you want to make everything right, that's all well and good, but there's a time and place for everything. As a matter of fact, what you're doing right now is the same thing you've been doing for the last year. You're trying to insert yourself into a situation where you don't deem someone worthy. You believe you're the only one capable of getting that belt away from Verona based entirely on your track record. The great, unbeatable Xander Famularo is surely the only man who can ever do anything in NCW, right? I mean, that's what we've been programmed to believe over the last few years. The problem with that, Xander, should be obvious by now."
"... I can beat you. I HAVE beaten you."
"You have had your chances to do something about the Roberto Verona problem and you failed to do so. Now it's my time to do something you refused to do time after time. You gave up and became complacent. I've never stopped fighting and I'm not about to now. Not when I'm this close. I'll own up to it and admit that I lost at Crossroads... I'm not afraid of my failures. I live with them every day, but I don't let them hold me back. I promised the world that I'd be the one who ended Verona's reign once and for all, and I fully intend on delivering on that promise. You're trying to stand in the way of that... I understand. You're back to trying to be the man you were before you wasted it all away. You want to be the old Xander again, the man you should have been all along."
"We're both on a quest for redemption, Xander. I'm trying to redeem this company... that championship... and you're trying to redeem your image. Your 'unbeatable' image has faded and you're desperate to get that back, and honestly, I hope you do. The man I look at today is the man I respected once before. You can get it all back if you truly want it enough, but that World Championship? It's not your time. But I'm not asking you to step aside at my expense... I'm telling you that I'll go through you yet again if I have to."
"So if accomplishments are the measurements of a man, then I guess Xander Famularo is what we should all strive to be. Me? I've never wanted to be anybody else. I've wanted to prove that I'm BETTER than everybody else. Sunday, I do just that."
"In the end, the one thing that I believe to be the measure of a man is the one thing that is truly immeasurable... desire. And what I desire is to be World Champion and to end the reign of Roberto Verona."