AGGRESSION 64: Adrian Willard vs. Larry Tact
- Thread starter DBrunkGXW
- Start date
Starbreaker
Member
Reflection: Boiled Down.
FADE IN.
(San Juan, Puerto Rico. We find ourselves inside a penthouse apartment of one of the buildings overlooking the beachfront area. It isn't too extravagant-looking a place-- there is a tiled-floor kitchen space; nearby, a table on artistically-stained stone floor, connected to the living room; a couple sofas, landscape and scenic destination paintings, a wall-mounted HDTV; a breakfast bar on the wall dividing the kitchen and living room; wall-length windows and doors behind one of the sofas and table, leading to a balcony. There is a door and hallway near the television-- presumably leading outside and to the bedroom/washroom, respectively.
The television has some news coverage on about the primary elections, but it seems to be going unwatched. The kitchen is dormant for now, and the table is unoccupied. Which leaves the balcony...
CUT TO: a shot on the balcony. The blue-green Caribbean waters and clouds that appear deceivingly almost level with the apartment act as a serene backdrop, and leaned back on some railing is Larry Tact. He has on a pair of khaki shorts; a tan "Bacardi 150th Anniversary" t-shirt; and his arm and shoulder are secured in a light-blue sling. Despite that, his expression is one of unconcern and rejuvenation.)
LARRY TACT: "I probably could have spoken up sometime sooner, in the past couple days. But anyone who has followed my career is probably aware that I take solace in reflection, from time to time."
"Before I do say anything else, though, I want to get a few things 'on the record'..."
"One: there should be no shame in straight up losing to the better man, any night."
"Disappointment? Damn straight."
"Bitterness? Sure, a little sting."
"A desire for retribution? Nope."
"A desire for a rematch? No..."
(He smirks.)
"Doubt."
"About."
"It."
(He chuckles.)
"Which brings me to..."
Two: Impulse said that I 'outwrestled' him at Russian Roulette. That's subjective, and I won't bother to join that discussion. Let the internet forums and wrestling 'expert analysts' have at that one. What is fact is that I didn't get the job done. Impulse deserves a lot of credit, he has skill and he worked through a curveball thrown at him, too. But there's no use denying that he walked out the better wrestler, that night. And there's no use denying that a rematch could produce a different outcome."
"Doesn't need to be for a title. Doesn't need to be at a Pay-Per-View, although that's for EPW brass to decide. The real gold of that match was in the pride and drive of the competitors, and the passion for wrestling. You could tell beforehand, and when that happens, it should never let people down. In this case, even without Copycat, the match still stole the show."
"But having said that..."
"Three: If I did what I set out to do, then I would be in the Six-Man Tag match at Aggression."
"I appreciate EPW putting me in the other match on the card, but by no means satisfied."
"Any haters who want to hate should take their shots now. You have the right to criticize and critique Russian Roulette. If you really want to pile on, there's even still unfinished business with Copycat. That did not receive a resolution."
"I can accept the haters, though, they will always be out there. I'm not going to go away because of them. I took a couple days, which I will get to in a minute... but I'm here and I'm ready for the next match. While the Intercontinental Championship would have been a great to have, the fact is I still have a match coming up. That doesn't change, and I'm looking forward to getting back in the ring."
"Four... or Sixty-Four. Aggression 64. Let's go."
"I know the obvious question is this...(glances down at the sling)... and how exactly I'm going to compete at Aggression. Much less against someone who was just EPW Television Champion."
"Adrian, I could play a game with you all week. I could challenge you to think about what this sling really means. Is it legit? I'm sure you heard or saw what went down in my match with Impulse. I guarantee you it hurt like a b**ch."
"But then again, I found a solution to the problem and pushed through it. I stood toe-to-toe with a man people are calling the best wrestling in EPW today. And while consolations and 'coming close' are no different than being beat down in my book-- if you end up staring at the lights, in the end-- there's this chatter going around that I would have had my hand raised if it were Rich Mahogany across the ring, and not Impulse."
"This isn't the first time we've been around each other in the industry, Adrian, but it's the first time we'll be in the ring, one-on-one. And while I once would have played that game, and could do it now, that isn't what I want to be."
"Like I told Impulse before our match, I'm not looking to parse words and challenge people on nuances. I don't need to do that to win. So I'll make this real simple for you..."
(He reaches over and tears off the sling with his other arm. He rotates the arm in a full range of motion.)
"I haven't just been sitting on my ass since Russian Roulette, either. I went to the doctor, through the evaluations, and it all checked out. So the goods news is, you won't be facing me plus any excuses. The bad news is, I'm not short any of my arsenal."
"Judging by who showed up after my match, though, you may not be alone. It seems a couple of my former running buddies decided to hold a reunion without me. I'll address that at Aggression, but for now Adrian, you have my attention. Take that how you will."
"Truth is, I'm feeling the need to shed a lot of excess I've had on for years. I feel like I need to boil things down to the core. When you've been around this industry for over a decade, there are times when you need to take a look at yourself. You need to ask some questions. I'm doing that now."
"The questions aren't anything to do with desire or measuring up, though. It's all about perception. How do I want to be perceived? What do I believe in? You're still on that road, Adrian, and you've already been a Champion in EPW. Like Impulse and I are, Adrian, the two of us are also a contrast in career points. We were both coming off good runs leading into Russian Roulette."
"In our case, you and I are both coming off of losses, but opportunity is right in front of us. It will also be what divides us, because only one of us will walk away in the right direction."
"Something I didn't say before Russian Roulette is that the winner will be viewed as potentially the best wrestler in EPW. But the loser won't be far from another shot at gold, simply due to the match we would put on. With the match in the books, and the outcome not on my side, now I need to make good on that."
"That isn't disrespect to you, Adrian. I'm not pulling a Cameron Cruise and bragging on how I'm going to beat you with ease. I just know there's no point treating you like a rookie. A former EPW Television Champion deserves better. Instead, I'm treating you like a man, and a quality wrestler. That's what you've earned."
"But you won't be earning anymore than that, not at this Aggression. I'll see to that."
FADE OUT.
FADE IN.
(San Juan, Puerto Rico. We find ourselves inside a penthouse apartment of one of the buildings overlooking the beachfront area. It isn't too extravagant-looking a place-- there is a tiled-floor kitchen space; nearby, a table on artistically-stained stone floor, connected to the living room; a couple sofas, landscape and scenic destination paintings, a wall-mounted HDTV; a breakfast bar on the wall dividing the kitchen and living room; wall-length windows and doors behind one of the sofas and table, leading to a balcony. There is a door and hallway near the television-- presumably leading outside and to the bedroom/washroom, respectively.
The television has some news coverage on about the primary elections, but it seems to be going unwatched. The kitchen is dormant for now, and the table is unoccupied. Which leaves the balcony...
CUT TO: a shot on the balcony. The blue-green Caribbean waters and clouds that appear deceivingly almost level with the apartment act as a serene backdrop, and leaned back on some railing is Larry Tact. He has on a pair of khaki shorts; a tan "Bacardi 150th Anniversary" t-shirt; and his arm and shoulder are secured in a light-blue sling. Despite that, his expression is one of unconcern and rejuvenation.)
LARRY TACT: "I probably could have spoken up sometime sooner, in the past couple days. But anyone who has followed my career is probably aware that I take solace in reflection, from time to time."
"Before I do say anything else, though, I want to get a few things 'on the record'..."
"One: there should be no shame in straight up losing to the better man, any night."
"Disappointment? Damn straight."
"Bitterness? Sure, a little sting."
"A desire for retribution? Nope."
"A desire for a rematch? No..."
(He smirks.)
"Doubt."
"About."
"It."
(He chuckles.)
"Which brings me to..."
Two: Impulse said that I 'outwrestled' him at Russian Roulette. That's subjective, and I won't bother to join that discussion. Let the internet forums and wrestling 'expert analysts' have at that one. What is fact is that I didn't get the job done. Impulse deserves a lot of credit, he has skill and he worked through a curveball thrown at him, too. But there's no use denying that he walked out the better wrestler, that night. And there's no use denying that a rematch could produce a different outcome."
"Doesn't need to be for a title. Doesn't need to be at a Pay-Per-View, although that's for EPW brass to decide. The real gold of that match was in the pride and drive of the competitors, and the passion for wrestling. You could tell beforehand, and when that happens, it should never let people down. In this case, even without Copycat, the match still stole the show."
"But having said that..."
"Three: If I did what I set out to do, then I would be in the Six-Man Tag match at Aggression."
"I appreciate EPW putting me in the other match on the card, but by no means satisfied."
"Any haters who want to hate should take their shots now. You have the right to criticize and critique Russian Roulette. If you really want to pile on, there's even still unfinished business with Copycat. That did not receive a resolution."
"I can accept the haters, though, they will always be out there. I'm not going to go away because of them. I took a couple days, which I will get to in a minute... but I'm here and I'm ready for the next match. While the Intercontinental Championship would have been a great to have, the fact is I still have a match coming up. That doesn't change, and I'm looking forward to getting back in the ring."
"Four... or Sixty-Four. Aggression 64. Let's go."
"I know the obvious question is this...(glances down at the sling)... and how exactly I'm going to compete at Aggression. Much less against someone who was just EPW Television Champion."
"Adrian, I could play a game with you all week. I could challenge you to think about what this sling really means. Is it legit? I'm sure you heard or saw what went down in my match with Impulse. I guarantee you it hurt like a b**ch."
"But then again, I found a solution to the problem and pushed through it. I stood toe-to-toe with a man people are calling the best wrestling in EPW today. And while consolations and 'coming close' are no different than being beat down in my book-- if you end up staring at the lights, in the end-- there's this chatter going around that I would have had my hand raised if it were Rich Mahogany across the ring, and not Impulse."
"This isn't the first time we've been around each other in the industry, Adrian, but it's the first time we'll be in the ring, one-on-one. And while I once would have played that game, and could do it now, that isn't what I want to be."
"Like I told Impulse before our match, I'm not looking to parse words and challenge people on nuances. I don't need to do that to win. So I'll make this real simple for you..."
(He reaches over and tears off the sling with his other arm. He rotates the arm in a full range of motion.)
"I haven't just been sitting on my ass since Russian Roulette, either. I went to the doctor, through the evaluations, and it all checked out. So the goods news is, you won't be facing me plus any excuses. The bad news is, I'm not short any of my arsenal."
"Judging by who showed up after my match, though, you may not be alone. It seems a couple of my former running buddies decided to hold a reunion without me. I'll address that at Aggression, but for now Adrian, you have my attention. Take that how you will."
"Truth is, I'm feeling the need to shed a lot of excess I've had on for years. I feel like I need to boil things down to the core. When you've been around this industry for over a decade, there are times when you need to take a look at yourself. You need to ask some questions. I'm doing that now."
"The questions aren't anything to do with desire or measuring up, though. It's all about perception. How do I want to be perceived? What do I believe in? You're still on that road, Adrian, and you've already been a Champion in EPW. Like Impulse and I are, Adrian, the two of us are also a contrast in career points. We were both coming off good runs leading into Russian Roulette."
"In our case, you and I are both coming off of losses, but opportunity is right in front of us. It will also be what divides us, because only one of us will walk away in the right direction."
"Something I didn't say before Russian Roulette is that the winner will be viewed as potentially the best wrestler in EPW. But the loser won't be far from another shot at gold, simply due to the match we would put on. With the match in the books, and the outcome not on my side, now I need to make good on that."
"That isn't disrespect to you, Adrian. I'm not pulling a Cameron Cruise and bragging on how I'm going to beat you with ease. I just know there's no point treating you like a rookie. A former EPW Television Champion deserves better. Instead, I'm treating you like a man, and a quality wrestler. That's what you've earned."
"But you won't be earning anymore than that, not at this Aggression. I'll see to that."
FADE OUT.
John Doe
The Anorexic Ethiopian
Standards
FADEIN..
(Adrian Willard is sitting in a empty room, one chair off center, camera titled slight as Adrian’s hands are together fingers interlaced.)
A lot of people will tell me I am a fool. Just like the people in Vegas that win over the house then lose all their winnings and then some.
I could have taken the double pin, the draw and walked out with the belt. I could have, but I didn’t. Because I owe the fans more, I own them a decisive and clear match.
I gave them that. I wanted to be the champion people will remember even if it was a short run. I want people to see that I stick by my word and when I said I would defend that belt to any challenger anytime, I did.
Sure Rich Mahogany has the belt, he won because he cheated. I pummeled him, beat him up and down the ring, and the only way he could win, the only upper hand he had was to hold my tights.
Again, that is the past, the belt is his and I am sure a worthy opponent will put an end to his childish reign.
I can’t stress it enough that I may have lost the title, but my will, my motivations are not. Some wrestlers in this business have a hard time bouncing back after a loss especially after losing the title they worked religiously to earn.
The way I see it is that opportunity is knocking, and I am answering that door with a vengeance. Larry, you just wrestled the best wrestler in this company bar none. And I will say that with total conviction. There is no shame in losing to Impulse; there is no shame in busting your ass and going toe to toe with the best in the industry.
My hat is off to you in every respect. You have the years, the notches on the belt, you are polished.
But there is one thing that I have that keeps me on the better edge; I have the hunger and passion. Don’t misunderstand me everyone has a bad night, everyone trips up and falls.
It’s just a matter of how we get up and continue to fight for what we want. I want more, I want to be the where Impulse is, where you were. Now, I don’t want it all like a spoiled brat, like a Rich Mahogany. That would just lead to ruin and failure.
I want to earn it and to earn it I need to overtake obstacle after obstacle, wrestler after wrestler. And you Larry are the biggest challenge as of yet. Having fought hard against Impulse and being where you were in this business you aren’t a person to be swept under the rug.
Aggression Sixty-Four will prove I need it, I want it. I want to challenge the First one day or whoever happens to be the champion at the time, I want my shot at the big belt.
But as they say, baby steps. Now isn’t my time to shout for a championship belt, it isn’t my time to shoot for the best when I am not deserving of it.
I have to meet the standards first and foremost, and the standard comes with beating you Larry. And I expect to exceed the standard.
FADE OUT
OOC: sorry is there are grammar issues and such in this. My laptop charging port is fried out and ion repairs with Best Buy so I am writing this off my HTC Evo =/
FADEIN..
(Adrian Willard is sitting in a empty room, one chair off center, camera titled slight as Adrian’s hands are together fingers interlaced.)
A lot of people will tell me I am a fool. Just like the people in Vegas that win over the house then lose all their winnings and then some.
I could have taken the double pin, the draw and walked out with the belt. I could have, but I didn’t. Because I owe the fans more, I own them a decisive and clear match.
I gave them that. I wanted to be the champion people will remember even if it was a short run. I want people to see that I stick by my word and when I said I would defend that belt to any challenger anytime, I did.
Sure Rich Mahogany has the belt, he won because he cheated. I pummeled him, beat him up and down the ring, and the only way he could win, the only upper hand he had was to hold my tights.
Again, that is the past, the belt is his and I am sure a worthy opponent will put an end to his childish reign.
I can’t stress it enough that I may have lost the title, but my will, my motivations are not. Some wrestlers in this business have a hard time bouncing back after a loss especially after losing the title they worked religiously to earn.
The way I see it is that opportunity is knocking, and I am answering that door with a vengeance. Larry, you just wrestled the best wrestler in this company bar none. And I will say that with total conviction. There is no shame in losing to Impulse; there is no shame in busting your ass and going toe to toe with the best in the industry.
My hat is off to you in every respect. You have the years, the notches on the belt, you are polished.
But there is one thing that I have that keeps me on the better edge; I have the hunger and passion. Don’t misunderstand me everyone has a bad night, everyone trips up and falls.
It’s just a matter of how we get up and continue to fight for what we want. I want more, I want to be the where Impulse is, where you were. Now, I don’t want it all like a spoiled brat, like a Rich Mahogany. That would just lead to ruin and failure.
I want to earn it and to earn it I need to overtake obstacle after obstacle, wrestler after wrestler. And you Larry are the biggest challenge as of yet. Having fought hard against Impulse and being where you were in this business you aren’t a person to be swept under the rug.
Aggression Sixty-Four will prove I need it, I want it. I want to challenge the First one day or whoever happens to be the champion at the time, I want my shot at the big belt.
But as they say, baby steps. Now isn’t my time to shout for a championship belt, it isn’t my time to shoot for the best when I am not deserving of it.
I have to meet the standards first and foremost, and the standard comes with beating you Larry. And I expect to exceed the standard.
FADE OUT
OOC: sorry is there are grammar issues and such in this. My laptop charging port is fried out and ion repairs with Best Buy so I am writing this off my HTC Evo =/