Post by defunctlies on Feb 15, 2009 8:00:07 GMT -6
The scene opens on Jack Hammond, now looking all healed and fit, for once not sitting in his car, instead taking a stroll through the streets of Toronto, his eyes roaming the cityscape and skyline as the sun sinks behind the taller buildings, light bleeding a ruddy red glow along the streets. He smiles, exhaling a frosty breath as he shoves his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. He grins at the camera.
"For the past month or so, nCw has been touring Canada, its culmination coming to Crossroads, here in Toronto. As much as I like the US, Canada seems to be a bit more...mellow. It was once called 'a loft apartment over a really noisy party'..."
He pauses.
"...y'know I tend to think this is more like a really nice cheese and wine dinner party."
Jack chuckles and shrugs.
"Not that I've been to many in my time. Mindy likes that sort of thing, but I usually mope around and she has to take me home after I've drunk too much of the wine and starting singing, of all things, the Bee Gees...badly and loudly for that matter."
He grins before coughing and looking off to one side of the camera, gathering his thoughts quietly.
"I think I need to reflect upon a couple of things. And it's not going to be me calling my opponents silly names again, I've done plenty of that. No, this is about me."
He sighs, pausing.
"About a year ago, I was a rookie...I figure in some ways I still am; a wet-behind the ears kid and as green as green can get. I was told I would never amount to anything and for those first few weeks, when I faced nothing but losses, I began to think that they were right. I began to resign myself to being a jobber, nothing more than someone who would stay away from the spotlight. Then I won the second ever nCw Showcase match."
He smiles to himself.
"I managed to defy the odds and overcome five other wrestlers and I had the crowd chanting my name as the show went off air. That feeling, that sensation of being cheered by that many people...it's indescribable. I began to grow more confident, I picked up more wins, I got more respect."
He frowns.
"But I had a problem. I could never quite push myself to be the best. I had a few opportunities to grab gold, and each time, I let myself down. I became loved by the fans, but I was a choke artist; I was adored for being a bit of a screw-up. And that did not sit well with me...for a while I managed to convince myself that I didn't need to have victories to be successful, that I didn't need a belt around my waist to make myself a success."
Jack chuckles.
"I became the 'Hamster'; cutesy, but not really a threat. Someone to look at, go 'aww' and then stomp all over and you wouldn't worry, I'd still be smiling, singing and dancing."
Jack pauses for a moment, once more gazing at the sky.
"But I changed. I made friends, and they gave me respect and helped show me what I could do; they showed me I had the potential to go further than I ever thought possible. Of course, I also made enemies and through each and every harsh lesson they taught me, be it a loss, a blow to the head, I managed to regain some semblance of focus. And then it just so happened that one month ago, I found myself in a match for the nCw World Championship."
His eyes narrow.
"People still have the gall to say I'm still unfocused. They say I'm a paper champ and that this Sunday at Crossroads, it will be proven once and for all I don't deserve to be holding the title when either Xavier Williams or The Ace relieve me of my burden."
Jack pauses.
"Well, that may be. Perhaps I'm not the champion that this company needs nor deserves at this moment in time and no doubt someone like X or Ace will be able to better weather the storm that is the Age Of The Revolution."
He glances off to one side, the sun sinking even lower now, the sky dimming as streetlights around him flicker on. Jack grins to himself, turning back to the camera as he strides forwards through the streets.
"But when I step into that ring...politics, facts and figures, records, ego and humility, who's the champ and the challenger, jokes and tears...all of that is forgotten the instant that bell rings, leaving just three men to battle it out to see who will be left standing. Every time I do go out there, I put everything I have into making sure that the man left with his arm raised is me. Sometimes, obviously, that doesn't happen."
Jack sighs, shaking his head.
"And this Sunday, it's within reason that there's a chance I will not be that man. Xavier, you want this win in order to regain what you lost, hungry for the chance to be on top again. Ace, you want to be able to lead this company with a worthy 'banner' you can wave over your head to rally the troops behind you."
Jack stares hard at the camera.
"I fight for my pride, my very existence in this match. I make no promises, no guarantees aside from the fact I will not give up, I will not quit until that bell rings. The two of you have vowed to hold that title in your arms again come Sunday's end...first thing's first lads, you've got to pin someone first, and that's what I'm looking to do; not retain a title, but to win a match. I'm not trying to defy the odds, trying to spit in the eye of a broken authority, looking to break a record, wanting to impress the crowd, needing to make myself a hero; I just want to win, plain and simple, to be the best man between the three."
Jack grins confidently.
"It will not be easy, I've no doubt. But the chance to go toe-to-toe with two of the best this company has to offer has me shaking with anticipation and I'm counting the hours, the minutes, the seconds that it will be until I'm able to face off and decide which one of us is truly the best."
Jack shrugs.
"I'd like to say I'm betting on me, but we never know now, do we?"
By now, the sun has set, Jack looking around, his eyes alighting on the arena he'll be in tomorrow night, the 'nCw' banner hanging proudly over the entrance, spotlights picking it out. He smiles broadly, nodding to himself.
"...we never know."
He turns to the camera, the lit up arena acting as his backdrop.
"Ace, tomorrow you face a man you have never lost to; I will be the first to admit I've never beaten you before. It seems no matter what I say to placate you or enrage you really has any effect with the word being that you're looking forwards to hammering my head into the canvas."
Jack sighs.
"Well, I guess I'm a bit sad that we can't be friends, Ace 'ol chum. And I'm sorry you don't appreciate the name calling; it's something I tend to do if you hadn't noticed. Though I do think mentioning with some barely disguised glee that AotR left me in that ring more whipped than pancake batter and in a similar physical state was a little harsh. And for the record, seeing where I got hit most of the time, I think that big target you were talking about was painted squarely between my eyes."
He shrugs.
"Oh and yes, well done on beating Steve Awesome to get to this stage, but just beating up a slightly bigger berk doesn't cancel out your 'berk' status, Ace. I know that being a berk doesn't change your ability in the ring any, but you must understand that it gives me a nice, warm, fuzzy sensation in my stomach whenever I say it."
He grins cockily.
"Xavier, I think I've said all I can say up to this point. You want this title as badly as anyone could ever want something. You just have to make sure you can go all the way and pin two men who are both just as desperate to win as well; I just hope that you're not too busy breaking me to forget that."
He smirks.
"And the day I moved out of my parent's home was the last day I wanted anyone to tell me I was or wasn't ready for something. I can make up my own mind on what I want to be and what I choose to do, X. Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but I have been the man who's been carrying this cross, this stigma of World Champion for the past month. Admittedly it's been hellish, what with people accusing me of being a fraud, then the attack last Sunday. I'm beginning to understand what it takes and while you may not believe in me, I don't think you've given me a chance. Hell, nobody has...but come Sunday, if I win on my own, I'd like to think that you will see that I can be the man you think I'm not."
Jack's expression suddenly softens somewhat.
"But you can be guaranteed that no matter who wins, I will want to shake your hand too, X."
Jack nods, walking off to one side, his car coming into shot.
"Finally, I will wish both of my competitors 'good luck'. Whatever happens, it will be something not quickly forgotten. One of us will walk away not just as the nCw World Champion, not just as the figurehead of the company, but as I've been saying, the better man."
He opens the door to his 911, before stopping to flash a confident 'Hamster' grin at the camera.
"And I just want it to be me...after all, how hard can it be?"
He chuckles and steps into his car, the engine starting up soon after before he roars off into the night in a cloud of tyre smoke as the scene fades to black on the arena.
"For the past month or so, nCw has been touring Canada, its culmination coming to Crossroads, here in Toronto. As much as I like the US, Canada seems to be a bit more...mellow. It was once called 'a loft apartment over a really noisy party'..."
He pauses.
"...y'know I tend to think this is more like a really nice cheese and wine dinner party."
Jack chuckles and shrugs.
"Not that I've been to many in my time. Mindy likes that sort of thing, but I usually mope around and she has to take me home after I've drunk too much of the wine and starting singing, of all things, the Bee Gees...badly and loudly for that matter."
He grins before coughing and looking off to one side of the camera, gathering his thoughts quietly.
"I think I need to reflect upon a couple of things. And it's not going to be me calling my opponents silly names again, I've done plenty of that. No, this is about me."
He sighs, pausing.
"About a year ago, I was a rookie...I figure in some ways I still am; a wet-behind the ears kid and as green as green can get. I was told I would never amount to anything and for those first few weeks, when I faced nothing but losses, I began to think that they were right. I began to resign myself to being a jobber, nothing more than someone who would stay away from the spotlight. Then I won the second ever nCw Showcase match."
He smiles to himself.
"I managed to defy the odds and overcome five other wrestlers and I had the crowd chanting my name as the show went off air. That feeling, that sensation of being cheered by that many people...it's indescribable. I began to grow more confident, I picked up more wins, I got more respect."
He frowns.
"But I had a problem. I could never quite push myself to be the best. I had a few opportunities to grab gold, and each time, I let myself down. I became loved by the fans, but I was a choke artist; I was adored for being a bit of a screw-up. And that did not sit well with me...for a while I managed to convince myself that I didn't need to have victories to be successful, that I didn't need a belt around my waist to make myself a success."
Jack chuckles.
"I became the 'Hamster'; cutesy, but not really a threat. Someone to look at, go 'aww' and then stomp all over and you wouldn't worry, I'd still be smiling, singing and dancing."
Jack pauses for a moment, once more gazing at the sky.
"But I changed. I made friends, and they gave me respect and helped show me what I could do; they showed me I had the potential to go further than I ever thought possible. Of course, I also made enemies and through each and every harsh lesson they taught me, be it a loss, a blow to the head, I managed to regain some semblance of focus. And then it just so happened that one month ago, I found myself in a match for the nCw World Championship."
His eyes narrow.
"People still have the gall to say I'm still unfocused. They say I'm a paper champ and that this Sunday at Crossroads, it will be proven once and for all I don't deserve to be holding the title when either Xavier Williams or The Ace relieve me of my burden."
Jack pauses.
"Well, that may be. Perhaps I'm not the champion that this company needs nor deserves at this moment in time and no doubt someone like X or Ace will be able to better weather the storm that is the Age Of The Revolution."
He glances off to one side, the sun sinking even lower now, the sky dimming as streetlights around him flicker on. Jack grins to himself, turning back to the camera as he strides forwards through the streets.
"But when I step into that ring...politics, facts and figures, records, ego and humility, who's the champ and the challenger, jokes and tears...all of that is forgotten the instant that bell rings, leaving just three men to battle it out to see who will be left standing. Every time I do go out there, I put everything I have into making sure that the man left with his arm raised is me. Sometimes, obviously, that doesn't happen."
Jack sighs, shaking his head.
"And this Sunday, it's within reason that there's a chance I will not be that man. Xavier, you want this win in order to regain what you lost, hungry for the chance to be on top again. Ace, you want to be able to lead this company with a worthy 'banner' you can wave over your head to rally the troops behind you."
Jack stares hard at the camera.
"I fight for my pride, my very existence in this match. I make no promises, no guarantees aside from the fact I will not give up, I will not quit until that bell rings. The two of you have vowed to hold that title in your arms again come Sunday's end...first thing's first lads, you've got to pin someone first, and that's what I'm looking to do; not retain a title, but to win a match. I'm not trying to defy the odds, trying to spit in the eye of a broken authority, looking to break a record, wanting to impress the crowd, needing to make myself a hero; I just want to win, plain and simple, to be the best man between the three."
Jack grins confidently.
"It will not be easy, I've no doubt. But the chance to go toe-to-toe with two of the best this company has to offer has me shaking with anticipation and I'm counting the hours, the minutes, the seconds that it will be until I'm able to face off and decide which one of us is truly the best."
Jack shrugs.
"I'd like to say I'm betting on me, but we never know now, do we?"
By now, the sun has set, Jack looking around, his eyes alighting on the arena he'll be in tomorrow night, the 'nCw' banner hanging proudly over the entrance, spotlights picking it out. He smiles broadly, nodding to himself.
"...we never know."
He turns to the camera, the lit up arena acting as his backdrop.
"Ace, tomorrow you face a man you have never lost to; I will be the first to admit I've never beaten you before. It seems no matter what I say to placate you or enrage you really has any effect with the word being that you're looking forwards to hammering my head into the canvas."
Jack sighs.
"Well, I guess I'm a bit sad that we can't be friends, Ace 'ol chum. And I'm sorry you don't appreciate the name calling; it's something I tend to do if you hadn't noticed. Though I do think mentioning with some barely disguised glee that AotR left me in that ring more whipped than pancake batter and in a similar physical state was a little harsh. And for the record, seeing where I got hit most of the time, I think that big target you were talking about was painted squarely between my eyes."
He shrugs.
"Oh and yes, well done on beating Steve Awesome to get to this stage, but just beating up a slightly bigger berk doesn't cancel out your 'berk' status, Ace. I know that being a berk doesn't change your ability in the ring any, but you must understand that it gives me a nice, warm, fuzzy sensation in my stomach whenever I say it."
He grins cockily.
"Xavier, I think I've said all I can say up to this point. You want this title as badly as anyone could ever want something. You just have to make sure you can go all the way and pin two men who are both just as desperate to win as well; I just hope that you're not too busy breaking me to forget that."
He smirks.
"And the day I moved out of my parent's home was the last day I wanted anyone to tell me I was or wasn't ready for something. I can make up my own mind on what I want to be and what I choose to do, X. Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but I have been the man who's been carrying this cross, this stigma of World Champion for the past month. Admittedly it's been hellish, what with people accusing me of being a fraud, then the attack last Sunday. I'm beginning to understand what it takes and while you may not believe in me, I don't think you've given me a chance. Hell, nobody has...but come Sunday, if I win on my own, I'd like to think that you will see that I can be the man you think I'm not."
Jack's expression suddenly softens somewhat.
"But you can be guaranteed that no matter who wins, I will want to shake your hand too, X."
Jack nods, walking off to one side, his car coming into shot.
"Finally, I will wish both of my competitors 'good luck'. Whatever happens, it will be something not quickly forgotten. One of us will walk away not just as the nCw World Champion, not just as the figurehead of the company, but as I've been saying, the better man."
He opens the door to his 911, before stopping to flash a confident 'Hamster' grin at the camera.
"And I just want it to be me...after all, how hard can it be?"
He chuckles and steps into his car, the engine starting up soon after before he roars off into the night in a cloud of tyre smoke as the scene fades to black on the arena.