Re: AGGRESSION 56: KOTC TAG: Karl Brown & Beau Michaels vs. Shawn Hart & Cameron Crui
[FADE IN. “The Dragon” is standing in front of an Empire Pro Wrestling backdrop, dressed fairly casually. He’s rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, but he’s stuck to jeans and a brown leather belt with dragon belt buckle]
Karl: Here we are again. Another King of the Cage style tournament, with the twists being tag teams, and partners picked at random. And would you look at what the draw has given us? The World Champion and the man who beat Sean Stevens, Copycat, teaming together – two men who history has shown just love beating the snot out of each other. That should be, for many people, the strongest of the put-together teams of this tournament.
But… there’s something wrong with that assumption. Sure, Anarky and Copycat are two of the greatest of all time, and they’re professional enough to get along for a time, but I’m much more interested in two of the other teams that have emerged. One is myself and Beau Michaels, which makes sense since it’s the team I’m on, and the other is a team made up of two former Intercontinental Champions, who conveniently happen to be mine and Beau’s first opponents.
Shawn Hart, and Cameron Cruise. Add me in and you’ve got a reign that’s over half of the time the Intercontinental Championship has been in existence. That’s a lot of pedigree, a lot of talent, and a lot of expectation from the fans. Throw Beau Michaels into the mix as my tag team partner, and well… you’ve got huge potential to make this not only the most well received match on Aggression, but in the entire tournament.
Cameron and I have wrestled before, but I’ve seen that he’s come on in leaps and bounds since my first Intercontinental title defence. Shawn’s new to me, despite us having been around for a number of years – it’s the first time I can think of that one of the two of us wasn’t wearing gold when we were both here. Beau… well, I have to trust he’s as good as he looks, but if hearing comments backstage is anything to go by then I don’t have much to worry about there. He’ll hold his end of the bargain – and Cameron’s if Cruise isn’t careful.
Sorry. I really shouldn’t try the innuendo stuff, it’s not me. I’ll leave Beau to handle that kind of thing, and I’ll stick to what I’m best at.
But, I can guess what Cruise is going to say. Either, that he’s better than me at what I’m best at, or that I’ve lost a step and the Dragon of old wouldn’t’ve gone this long between victories. Yes, I’ve gotten one win since coming back. Yes, I’ve just lost the Television title. And yeah, I’m kind of irritated that I’ve not been up to the standards I aspire to. But I look at it this way.
Back when I was Intercontinental Champion, I had the same high expectations for myself. Anyone who can walk back to the locker room after a match and be totally satisfied with the effort they’d put in hasn’t put in enough effort as far as I’m concerned.
Now, I know Cameron somewhat, and I’ve watched enough tapes of Shawn. They’ll both be confident. One or other, or both, of them will claim this is going to be a reality check that Michaels and I just won’t like, that it’s going to be no challenge for them. You know something, Shawn, Cameron?
If you think either to be true, then you’re either more delusional than Stalker, or Erik’s been giving you something from his private stash. Because, and Cameron this is for you, being shown what my limits are, while mildly irritating, is precisely what I’m after. I want people to push me, to force me into going further and further. Losses happen – that we both know. The reality check doesn’t come with the loss, but how you handle yourself after. And the reality there is something Cameron Cruise has no control over.
And as for this match not being a challenge for you two… well, I may not have won in a while, but I’ve not been soundly defeated, either. I can’t say whether Beau’s going to be the same man who took Empire Pro by storm a couple of years back, but I highly doubt he’s turned into a big softie.
Which means that you two are in for a fight.
I know this isn’t going to be an easy match; two men who between them have held three of the titles here, and been so, so close to winning the world title, are a fearsome combination. But… as tough as you two may be… inside the cage at Aggression, anything can happen. Beau and I may be total strangers, and you two probably have the edge over us there, but in everything else? In power, in experience, in speed and athleticism, I’d say we’re damn near even as teams.
It’s going to be a very, very interesting contest, wouldn’t you say?
[FADE OUT]