FADE IN.....
You never get a chance to make a first impression......
Dan Ryan sits on the balcony of the Four Seasons on the Carolina shore, exact location undisclosed. The night breeze blows softly, the stars out in full force. The quiet of this beach view stretches out beneath into the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. From behind the mask, the alter ego of the Ego Buster peers out....
DRAE: "When a chance like this arises, you expect the very best from all over the world to come out of the woodwork. Despite all of the verbal maneuverings and puffed out egos and desires to prove otherwise, this is still the place where it all began. Right here in North Carolina, where two men formed the greatest and most storied wrestling company the world has ever seen."
"There were peaks and valleys and at times, it seemed like the place would close forever - but somehow it always managed to stay open."
"It's the place we all strive to be. It's the pinnacle - eighteen years of history wrapped up into one event this year that's supposed to determine whether it survives another year and brings about another golden era or closes down for good."
"Too many of these people I've seen in the last week, they wouldn't have even been considered in the good years for a spot in this promotion - much less have an oppurtunity to walk away from Anniversary with the Unified World Title. They'd be stuck on a waiting list, among the 'don't call us, we'll call you' crowd just hoping that someone would look their way and in a moment of need call their number. It would have been their honor to be on the show just to be enhancement talent, just to put Hornet over in the undercard while he tunes up for pay-per-view."
"But now, they're everywhere. Like cockroaches, a light was turned on and they ran everywhere this way and that. There are too many to sift through, but the few who truly deserve this spot always rise to the top. The pretenders always fall away into obscurity where they belong, and this week has been no different."
"Eli Flair."
"I said I'd get back to you when I had a chance to, and that time is now."
"You're one man, the only man involved in this who I've ever truly admired to any extent. You were my role model and someone who went about business the way I wanted to go about it. Your work with the young men and women in our profession dying to make their mark on the sport is what inspired me to create Empire Pro from the get-go. From EWI through my eventual debut in CSWA, I looked up to you, man. There's never been anything but respect for you from me."
"What's unfortunate is that the chance to truly see what would have happened had we met in our prime has probably passed us by. Years of wear and tear has led to your retirement, and I chose to ply my trade in Japan and in smaller companies rather than make the jump to Greensboro sooner. Had I stuck with this company in 1997 when I did my one shot deal way back then - maybe we'd have a history of conflict to draw on, something to whet the appetite and give some weight to the possibility of this match we're both going into. But such is life."
"Instead your history is with Troy Windham. And I know. I know what you desire is a chance to feel that rush one more time - the rush that you got from being in the ring with an athlete of that caliber who is your polar opposite and despises you as much as you despise him."
"But what I want, more than anything in this match except the ultimate prize is to stand in a ring with you one time and face you, and man up, and see what could have been."
"It's not the same. It's not 1998 and we're both North of thirty now, but it's something. It's worth it, I think to feel that I can stand in the ring with you and slug it out in the manner I've always done it. In the manner I've always believed it should be done, and feel right with the world."
"This is a battle royal situation, so who knows what happens? What if one of us goes early? What if there's a misstep?"
"I think we both want to make sure that Troy doesn't walk out with that belt, but I have to admit - if it's not me....if I fail, and you make a last march to glory, despite the disappointment and despite the delay it would cause in my plans, I don't think I'll be able to help but smile just a little bit - if only for a second."
"Because if there's anyone else in this thing that deserves it, then it's you."
"I can only test where I stand against you in the here and now....here in 2006. But, it'll have to do."
"Now JA...."
"You're begging....begging and pleading for my attention even though I only gave you a one-sentence mention, and you're getting all huffy and puffy over the fact that I don't think you're ready for this shot yet. And you know what? I have to say I thoroughly and completely don't care. Honestly, you're coming off like the kid who gets second place in the talent show so he starts talking s**t about the judges."
"I want you to do yourself a big favor and pull back on the little personal digs you're feeling tempted to take at me. What this is, is a chance for you to come out and show yourself as a viable force in this business. However, I already am a viable force in this business. You don't like what my opinion is of you? How about getting in the ring and proving me wrong instead of whining like a girl about it?"
"You even got the three sentence treatment from Windham, and he's more than happy to run his mouth about any given subject on any given day. Troy knows the goods, sir. And you, you aren't the goods. That's why he's on a private beach in Hawaii training for a run-in with me and spending his time on you trying to figure what you're doing not making up comedy promo shoots with Lollipop instead of trying to eat at the big boy table."
"You shut him up? That's pretty funny since he cut the heart out of your segment in less than a hundred words and as yet can't even figure out how to respond to mine."
"This isn't a game of 'I'm closer to beating Troy than you!! nu uh, I am!'. I'm not interested in bantering back and forth with you, because the truth is - I don't care about what you will do ten years from now, buddy. In the here and now, you're beneath me and that's just how it is. And besides, I'm not exactly on the retirement block myself."
"Spend more time trying to keep the belt you have, and stop wasting your time trying to aspire to the one that rightfully belongs to me. Your frame of mind, and your health will be better for it."
"JJ Deville, I'm afraid you're gonna get the same treatment your hero gives to our two-lettered friend over there."
"I'm not interested in Troy Jr. You bragging about your win over him is like Jay Smash walking into Carmen Electra's bedroom, tripping and landing his crotch on her mouth and bragging she gave him a blowjob. You're the king of the fluke pinfall, chief."
"I know what you're doing, and it's not gonna work. This whole fly under the radar crap would work wonders if this was a verbal debate, but this is wrestling. You're still the same dumbf**k little rat bastard whether you talk up a storm at the last minute or not."
"I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Surprise me."
"And Troy, one more time. Are we turning our attention away? Getting distracted by Eli a little lately it seems. I don't blame you. All of a sudden you have at least two big time threats to that title of yours and a little birdie tells me that this imminent major announcement is gonna make life a little harder on you as well."
"We could do this all day, right? But I'll say it one more time. I'm taking over, big man. It'll be me and not you who ushers this company into the next golden era, and people like you who have milked and raped this business for all that it's worth will take their places where they belong, on the sidelines where their excesses can no longer be indulged at the expense of wrestling the way it should be."
"Where Eli put down the torch, I'm picking it up and marching forward."
"Real men have to stand up sometimes and take charge. It's not over yet."
"Not if I can help it."
FADE OUT....
You never get a chance to make a first impression......
Dan Ryan sits on the balcony of the Four Seasons on the Carolina shore, exact location undisclosed. The night breeze blows softly, the stars out in full force. The quiet of this beach view stretches out beneath into the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. From behind the mask, the alter ego of the Ego Buster peers out....
DRAE: "When a chance like this arises, you expect the very best from all over the world to come out of the woodwork. Despite all of the verbal maneuverings and puffed out egos and desires to prove otherwise, this is still the place where it all began. Right here in North Carolina, where two men formed the greatest and most storied wrestling company the world has ever seen."
"There were peaks and valleys and at times, it seemed like the place would close forever - but somehow it always managed to stay open."
"It's the place we all strive to be. It's the pinnacle - eighteen years of history wrapped up into one event this year that's supposed to determine whether it survives another year and brings about another golden era or closes down for good."
"Too many of these people I've seen in the last week, they wouldn't have even been considered in the good years for a spot in this promotion - much less have an oppurtunity to walk away from Anniversary with the Unified World Title. They'd be stuck on a waiting list, among the 'don't call us, we'll call you' crowd just hoping that someone would look their way and in a moment of need call their number. It would have been their honor to be on the show just to be enhancement talent, just to put Hornet over in the undercard while he tunes up for pay-per-view."
"But now, they're everywhere. Like cockroaches, a light was turned on and they ran everywhere this way and that. There are too many to sift through, but the few who truly deserve this spot always rise to the top. The pretenders always fall away into obscurity where they belong, and this week has been no different."
"Eli Flair."
"I said I'd get back to you when I had a chance to, and that time is now."
"You're one man, the only man involved in this who I've ever truly admired to any extent. You were my role model and someone who went about business the way I wanted to go about it. Your work with the young men and women in our profession dying to make their mark on the sport is what inspired me to create Empire Pro from the get-go. From EWI through my eventual debut in CSWA, I looked up to you, man. There's never been anything but respect for you from me."
"What's unfortunate is that the chance to truly see what would have happened had we met in our prime has probably passed us by. Years of wear and tear has led to your retirement, and I chose to ply my trade in Japan and in smaller companies rather than make the jump to Greensboro sooner. Had I stuck with this company in 1997 when I did my one shot deal way back then - maybe we'd have a history of conflict to draw on, something to whet the appetite and give some weight to the possibility of this match we're both going into. But such is life."
"Instead your history is with Troy Windham. And I know. I know what you desire is a chance to feel that rush one more time - the rush that you got from being in the ring with an athlete of that caliber who is your polar opposite and despises you as much as you despise him."
"But what I want, more than anything in this match except the ultimate prize is to stand in a ring with you one time and face you, and man up, and see what could have been."
"It's not the same. It's not 1998 and we're both North of thirty now, but it's something. It's worth it, I think to feel that I can stand in the ring with you and slug it out in the manner I've always done it. In the manner I've always believed it should be done, and feel right with the world."
"This is a battle royal situation, so who knows what happens? What if one of us goes early? What if there's a misstep?"
"I think we both want to make sure that Troy doesn't walk out with that belt, but I have to admit - if it's not me....if I fail, and you make a last march to glory, despite the disappointment and despite the delay it would cause in my plans, I don't think I'll be able to help but smile just a little bit - if only for a second."
"Because if there's anyone else in this thing that deserves it, then it's you."
"I can only test where I stand against you in the here and now....here in 2006. But, it'll have to do."
"Now JA...."
"You're begging....begging and pleading for my attention even though I only gave you a one-sentence mention, and you're getting all huffy and puffy over the fact that I don't think you're ready for this shot yet. And you know what? I have to say I thoroughly and completely don't care. Honestly, you're coming off like the kid who gets second place in the talent show so he starts talking s**t about the judges."
"I want you to do yourself a big favor and pull back on the little personal digs you're feeling tempted to take at me. What this is, is a chance for you to come out and show yourself as a viable force in this business. However, I already am a viable force in this business. You don't like what my opinion is of you? How about getting in the ring and proving me wrong instead of whining like a girl about it?"
"You even got the three sentence treatment from Windham, and he's more than happy to run his mouth about any given subject on any given day. Troy knows the goods, sir. And you, you aren't the goods. That's why he's on a private beach in Hawaii training for a run-in with me and spending his time on you trying to figure what you're doing not making up comedy promo shoots with Lollipop instead of trying to eat at the big boy table."
"You shut him up? That's pretty funny since he cut the heart out of your segment in less than a hundred words and as yet can't even figure out how to respond to mine."
"This isn't a game of 'I'm closer to beating Troy than you!! nu uh, I am!'. I'm not interested in bantering back and forth with you, because the truth is - I don't care about what you will do ten years from now, buddy. In the here and now, you're beneath me and that's just how it is. And besides, I'm not exactly on the retirement block myself."
"Spend more time trying to keep the belt you have, and stop wasting your time trying to aspire to the one that rightfully belongs to me. Your frame of mind, and your health will be better for it."
"JJ Deville, I'm afraid you're gonna get the same treatment your hero gives to our two-lettered friend over there."
"I'm not interested in Troy Jr. You bragging about your win over him is like Jay Smash walking into Carmen Electra's bedroom, tripping and landing his crotch on her mouth and bragging she gave him a blowjob. You're the king of the fluke pinfall, chief."
"I know what you're doing, and it's not gonna work. This whole fly under the radar crap would work wonders if this was a verbal debate, but this is wrestling. You're still the same dumbf**k little rat bastard whether you talk up a storm at the last minute or not."
"I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Surprise me."
"And Troy, one more time. Are we turning our attention away? Getting distracted by Eli a little lately it seems. I don't blame you. All of a sudden you have at least two big time threats to that title of yours and a little birdie tells me that this imminent major announcement is gonna make life a little harder on you as well."
"We could do this all day, right? But I'll say it one more time. I'm taking over, big man. It'll be me and not you who ushers this company into the next golden era, and people like you who have milked and raped this business for all that it's worth will take their places where they belong, on the sidelines where their excesses can no longer be indulged at the expense of wrestling the way it should be."
"Where Eli put down the torch, I'm picking it up and marching forward."
"Real men have to stand up sometimes and take charge. It's not over yet."
"Not if I can help it."
FADE OUT....
