Opporunity's Knocking Boys...
FADE IN
We enter room 1914 at Manhattan's Doubletree Guest Suites on the corner of 48th and Broadway. For the next two weeks, this is the residence of one Troy A. Douglas, professional wrestler. On this late February morning, the man himself sits upright in his bed, intently watching his television, which he immediately turns off when he notices the camera. Obviously dressed for a workout, he wears a pair of simple black sweatpants and a GXW Battleground Britain t-shirt. A discarded copy of the New York Times rests on the night stand next to the bed. He casually brushes some loose hair out of his eyes, looks pointedly at the camera, and begins to speak.
Troy Douglas:
Well, seems the ol' master plan didn't quite work out the way I thought it would. Nope, my good friend Monsieur Wescott took care of that in Philly last week. Marcus, in front of the people who cheered for me back in the NFL, the fans who embraced a smart aleck Carolina kid, you stole my World Title shot with a backslide. You won, Marcus. You got the better of me. You won, but you did not beat me. The battle is yours, the war between us is far from over. One day, Marcus, you'll know what it's like to walk in my shoes. One day, you'll meet the End of the Road head on. But, that's not what I'm here to talk about.
It's an old adage, one door closes, but another opens. I lost, and it hurts, but that ain't it for me. Nope, I got a shot to move on to Black Dawn, taking place just 14 blocks from this hotel room, to be the very first Empire Pro Intercontinnental Champion. But first, I got a hell of a task on my hands just to get to Adam Benjamin at M....S....G. That task is not one, but two fine competitiors, Karl Brown...and Rocko Daymon. And, whilst I have been silent for the past several days, I have not been idle. I've been doing a little homework. Let's take a look, shall we?
Troy pulls two very thick beige file folders from underneath the newspaper. He opens the first, which has a picture of Rocko Daymon, along with several sheets of information on the inside.
Troy Douglas:
You see, Rocko, Karl, I like to know a little about my opponents before I step between the ropes with them. These two folders are your complete, and I do mean complete dossiers. All of your histories, your tendencies, the move by move summary of every match you've ever had, it's all here. As Yogi Berra said, ninety percent of the game is half mental, and this boy likes to come in prepared. I'll start with you, Rocko. Let's see...Robert James DeLion, alias Rochester "Rocko" Daymon. Hmm...rather sordid past, I see. But we'll not get into the personal stuff just yet. Style...Japanese/Asian influences mixed with technical skill, with a bit of good ol' Memphis style wrasslin' thrown in for kicks. Good, very good. I'm impressed, Rocko, that's a hell of a place to be comin' from.
Troy picks up the second folder and opens it.
Troy Douglas:
Now, let's move on to opponent number two. Karl Brown...AKA "The Dragon". Hails from Nottingham, England and...my, my, a ring rat like myself if there ever was one. According to this, you, Karl, make up for your deficiency in size with quickness and techincal superiority. This is good stuff, boys, very good. I must say, if you've never had a college research department analyze your opponents for you, go and try it. But you know something, kiddos, all the facts in the world, they won't make a lick of difference once the three of us step into the ring in East Rutherford for Aggression. No, once we get into that squared circle, it's all about which one of us is willing to put the most on the line in order to walk into Black Dawn for a shot at the IC title.
Hmm. Putting it all on the line. That's something I think I might know a little bit about. Let's go to the tape.
Troy clicks the remote, and a highlight reel from the X-treme Title 'I Quit' match at Battleground Britain. CUT TO: Troy hitting David Black with a piledriver onto a chair. CUT TO: Troy falling through a table littered with thumbtacks, blood gushing from his back. CUT TO: Troy being dragged along by Clapper's moving Jaguar. CUT TO: Troy hitting an Implant DDT on Clapper. CUT TO: Troy's back breaking a bathroom sink at Millennium Stadium. CUT TO: Troy whipping Clapper with a length of barbed wire attached to a piece of timber. CUT TO: Troy hitting the End of the Road on David Black, and locking in the "Fool Me Once" Scorpion Deathlock. CUT TO: Troy passed out in the parking lot, the victim of Clapper's "Black Noose" hold. CUT TO: Clapper turning to Troy Douglas and handing him the X-treme Title. CUT TO: Troy, blood and tears streaming down his face, a weary smile on his face as he cradles the gold to his chest.
Troy Douglas:
THAT folks, is leaving it all on the line. That match took me to places I never thought I'd go, physically and psychologically. I nearly broke a man's neck, twice. I nearly broke my back against a sink, fell through a table and had 274 thumbtacks sticking out my back, and got dragged around on concrete by a speeding car. Finally, I withstood the most devastating hold in wrestling today and PASSED OUT COLD before I would utter the words "I Quit". Because I will never quit. Not in one match, not in my quest to be Empire Pro world champion. I left once, and it killed me to be away from the ring. I'm not running away any more. I'm right here, right now, ready to face two of the finest competitors the wrestling circuit has to offer.
Rocko, though we've never faced each other, or even really met, I feel you and I have something in common. A past of loss, pain, and sh*t neither of us would rather talk about. The difference between the two of us is, that right now I'm the one whose got his attention focused on the ring. And hey, that ain't your fault. In three weeks with this company, you've gone from a bye in the world title tournament, to facing one of the most dangerous men in the industry, to finding out that a couple hours after you lose to him that this very same man had quit the company. I mean, that's a lot to go through!
But Rocko, right now, you gotta focus kid. This match has a lot at stake for all three of us, so you had better damn well know that going into it. Personal problems mean nothing when you walk into the sacred square. That's your channel for escape, Rocko. You got stuff to deal with, deal with it. But in that ring, you gotta realize what you're up against. And that just ain't me, Rocko, it's the party in our little triumvirate at the Continnental Airlines Arena.
That brings me to you once again, Karl Brown. Let's make it simple. You impressed me against Sands, but first, I don't care whether or not you kicked out, and second, just because you impressed me doesn't mean you'll get any slack. You'll go somewhere big someday, Karl. But, if I have anything to say about it, you won't be going to Black Dawn for a shot at the Intercontinnental Title. That, my British friend, I will do everything in my power to ensure will be my distinct honor.
You see, I've been listening to our friend Mr. Benjamin talking about how he gets no respect from anyone around here. Adam, you've got my respect, because you're the man standing there at the finish line, blocking me from my victory. In life, or in wrestling, if you don't respect your obstacles, you'll never overcome them. But right now, you don't mean sh*t to me Adam Benjamin. Next week, if and when I face off with you, then you'll be important. Right now, I got Rocko Daymon and Karl Brown to worry about.
You two boys, you're both deserving of this. Hell, all three of us are deserving of being in the main event this week. Each of us has our own story to tell, and this is mine.
He pulls out one last file folder, this one with a picture of himself on the inside.
Troy Douglas:
Troy Douglas ... born 7th June 1976, Greensboro, North Carolina ... former All-State wrestler, football player, and basketball player ... retired from an NFL career after a back injury suffered 19th December 1999, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ... 3 times a World Heavyweight Champion ... 17 overall singles and tag titles ... first multi-time GXW X-treme Champion ... well versed in mat and power wrestling, with the ability to go aerial ... Favors an "old school" style of wrestling, brought upon by his years of studying his childhood wrestling idols, Hornet and Mark Windham ... Mother, Nancy Lowe Douglas, deceased 8th June 1976 ... Father, Jacob Michael Douglas, deceased 5th February 2003 ... Fiancee, Lauren Anne Bennett, deceased 5th February 2003 ... returned from 4 1/2 month absence from wrestling in December 2003 due to "unspecified personal situations".
That's me, kids. Just the facts, and I told 'em all to both of y'all, and the entire world. That just proves one thing. That all the studyin' y'all can do, t'ain't important once you go between the ropes. That's when training, and wishing, and studying can't do none of y'all no good anymore. That's when heart, and guts, and instincts come in to play. That's when the survivors come out. That, gentlemen, is my time. I give it all I got every time for two reasons, because I expect of myself, and because my fans expect it of me. They'll never get a bad performance from me, no sir. I sure as hell hope not we don't get one from either of you in East Rutherford.
So, Rocko and Karl, bring what you got to Jersey, and I'll bring what I got. Then we'll see whose got what it takes. If it ain't me, good luck to the victor. If I win, that IC title's dead in my sights, and it's just the stepping stone to the big prize. Jersey's gonna be fun, boys, always is.
That's my part, the next move is left to one of y'all. See ya at the end of the road.
...FADE TO BLACK