[Open on a small, musty gym on the outskirts of Las Vegas, NV. Inside the gym are only two people, an athletic looking young man pounding away on a large punching bag and a taller, slightly older man supporting the bag with his weight, shouting words of encouragement to his counterpart. John Doe, the man unloading on the bag with fists and feet, is sweaty and fatigued. Troy Douglas, his "mentor", looks tired but encouraged. Doe slams the bag with a roundhouse kick one last time and falls to his knees with exhaustion.]
DOUGLAS: Alright, kid. One more round and hit the showers.
DOE: More! C'mon, Troy, I've been at this for hours already! There's nothing more that this can do. If I keep going, there's no way I'll make it to my match against Benjamin!
DOUGLAS: Wrong, John. This type of exercise is exactly what will give you an added edge against Adam. You've got talent, kid, but right now, there's no way in hell you can outwrestle Adam Benjamin. Did you see what he did against Beast?
DOE: Yeah.
DOUGLAS: Then, you see, building up your endurance is your only shot, if you want to do this...
DOE: ...the right way. I know, you've been pushing it into my skull for the last month.
DOUGLAS: If you can't outwrestle him, outlast him. Stand your ground, don't give in. If you can tire him down, go for the kill. Read, react, and progress John. It's not just about running straight ahead and attacking, kid. Know thine enemy, and know thyself.
DOE: Fine. But, Troy, I'm dead on my feet out here. No more workouts until after Aggression, please.
DOUGLAS: Alright. This time, John.
DOE: Great! Meet you at the poker table!
DOUGLAS: Ehhhh...not so fast, John.
DOE: What now?
DOUGLAS: Homework.
DOE: Homework? You have got to be sh*tting me, Troy. I'm not a junior high schooler!
DOUGLAS: Tonight you are, John. It's all in the bag, and believe me, kid, I'll know if you've done it.
DOE: Fine. This is total bullsh*t, but fine. What is it?
DOUGLAS: Open the bag, all will be revealed.
[Doe grabs a light blue duffel bag, and opens it to reveal several CDs, DVDs, and a couple of books. He has a confused look on his face.]
DOE: Uh, Troy?
DOUGLAS: Yeah?
DOE: I think you confused this with your airplane carry-on bag. This has nothing to do with wrestling, it's just a bunch of books and movies! You might want to call the airline.
DOUGLAS: Nothing to do with wrestling?
DOE: Nope. None at all. Dark Side of the Moon? Led Zeppelin IV? The Catcher in the Rye? This has absolutely nothing to do with wrestling!
DOUGLAS: Really?
DOE: Yeah, and you know it!
DOUGLAS: Wrong again, Johnny. This is the path.
DOE: Again with this "path" bullsh*t! I don't get you, Douglas!
DOUGLAS: This stuff, John, is inspiration. This is focus. I watched, read, and listened to each of the things in that bag multiple times during my recovery. The philosophies I got from these materials combined with months of rigorous training got me back. When you accepted my help, you told me you were lost. This is the path back to success, and perhaps, back to your original identity.
DOE: This is crazy, Troy. Books aren't going to help me remember who I was before Black Water.
DOUGLAS: Are you really so sure about that, John?
DOE: I, uh, uh...
DOUGLAS: Of course, you could just hit the bag for a few more hours.
DOE: Damn you! Fine, I do the damn homework!
DOUGLAS: You want to walk the path, John?
DOE: [whispering] Yes.
DOUGLAS: Excuse me?
DOE: YES DAMNIT! I'll read your f*cking books! Just let me out of here!
DOUGLAS: Good, John. Very good.
DOE: What are you talking about?
DOUGLAS: You're walking the path.
DOE: What's with the Yodaspeak, Troy?
DOUGLAS: You are beginning to understand your anger. Take your pain and redirect it as your passion. Your anger can be the source of your greatest accomplishments, if you learn why you are so angry, so filled with hatred, then you will have something to work from.
DOE: Huh?
DOUGLAS: You have to discover what you are so furious about. That is the key to both you're past and future.
DOE: Oh. Yeah. That.
DOUGLAS: Take the bag. You'll thank me later.
DOE: Maybe. Maybe not.
DOUGLAS: Get a good night's sleep, kid. Every ounce of energy helps. Pretty soon, you'll get it.
[Doe slings the bag over his shoulder, and grabs a towel from the bench, wiping the sweat glistening on his face before stuffing the towel in the bag on leaving the room, grumbling under his breath]
DOE: Books? This is sh*t. I am John Doe, I don't need this. But if "Mystic Sensai Douglas" wants to run his little kingdom this way, so be it. If it helps, it helps. This is bullsh*t, but what else is there? Back to Black Water? I'll be damned if they take me back.
[Doe exits. The camera pans back to Douglas who continues to have a knowing smile on his face. He watches Doe leave the room, hearing every one of his protégé's muttered protestations.]
DOUGLAS: You're beginning to learn, Isaac. Beginning to learn. I pray to God you don't take this for granted.
...Fade back to the ring, where Tony Fatora awaits.
TONY FATORA: Th’ following contest is set for one fall.
[CUE UP: "Crashing Around You" - Machinehead. The crowd jeers as Kin Hiroshi stalks down the ramp, jumping unceremoniously into the ring.]
TONY FATORA: Introducing first... He hails from Tokyo, Japan... He weighs in at two hundred and thirty pounds... KIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN... HIIIIIROOOOOOOOSHIIIIIII!!!
DT: Hiroshi here looking to avenge a drubbing last week at the hands of “The Dragon” by taking out one of the few men who’ve picked up a win over the Brit in Sebastian Dodd.
DM: I’ve seen Kin a lot back in GXW and, all muffin puns aside, he’s talented. Last week was probably just lack of foresight on his part, although he’s been much too silent for my liking.
[“Crashing Around You” fades into “Stellar” by Incubus. Sebastian Dodd walks through the curtain, standing on the ramp-way with his nose turned up to the fans slightly in disgust. He walks down to the ring with his usual arrogant gait]
TONY FATORA: His opponent, weighing in at two hundred and forty five pounds, and hailing from New York City, “Your Hero”...SEEEEBASSSSTAAAANNNNN.....DOOOOOOOOODDDDDD DD!!!
DT: Dodd sliding in under the ropes now... Hiroshi with a hard shot there, blindsiding Dodd.
DM: After last week seeing how Brown used that to his advantage I’m not surprised. Those stiff lefts and rights hurt and at the start of the match that’s all you need to do.
DT: Dodd now fighting back, trading blows with the man from Japan
MN: Poet.
DT: Hiroshi staggered here, as Dodd sends him off the ropes. Big elbow there taking Hiroshi down, and Dodd looks less than happy with that attack, stomping away now. He lifts Hiroshi up, taking him down with a quick snapmare. He lifts him up again, locking in his hands behind him... HUUGE German Suplex there has Hiroshi folded like an accordion.
MN: Analogy-type person thingy.
DM: Is it me or are your insults getting worse?
MN: I didn’t have much time to plan this week; too busy with da’ ladies
DT: You mean those hens you keep in your yard?
MN: Hey, haven’t we got a match going on here!?!?
DT: Joking aside, Dodd is really taking Hiroshi to the cleaners. A hard whip into the corner, followed up by a Dragon’s screw out of the corner. Dodd holding onto the leg now, locking in a spinning toe hold as Hiroshi slaps the mat in frustration and pain.
DM: I REALLY don’t know what’s gotten into Hiroshi recently, but he’s not had the fire I expected when I saw his name on a contract a few weeks back.
DT: I don’t think Dodd is interested in where that fire’s gone, as he releases the toe hold, holding the leg... OUCH!!!
DM: Now THAT’S how you put a hurtin’ on someone. That somersault flip whilst holding a leg can easily tear a hamstring, and that elbow drop fixed into it there by Dodd adds even more impact. Great innovative move there that you’d come to expect from someone on our roster.
MN: Yep. What he said.
DT: Dodd sniffing disdainfully at Hiroshi, as he kicks the Japanese athlete out of the ring. Dodd follows after him, and a HARD Irish whip into the security barrier. Dodd now, like a predator, picks up Hiroshi, driving him spine first into the ring post.
DM: Just watch, he’s setting him up for a big finish.
DT: Dodd now rolls Hiroshi unceremoniously into the ring. He follows him in... HARD chop from Hiroshi, who looks to try and fire back now. Hiroshi with a kick to the leg, and the whip to the corner. Charging in... NO, as Dodd gets the foot up. Dodd now setting Hiroshi up on the top... SOMERSAULT KICK almost knocks Hiroshi off the top!! Dodd going up with Hiroshi now, hooking him in a face lock... BIG superplex.
DM: Any time now. He’s working that back extremely well.
DT: Dodd now moving to the feet of Hiroshi, picking them up and... HERO’S END!!! That elevated Texas Cloverleaf Dodd’s made his own is locked in centre of the ring!!!
MN: Kin’s fighting it, fighting it....
DM: And there’s the tap out. Told ya.
[SFX: *dingdingdingding*]
TONY FATORA: The winner of this match by submission.... “Your Hero”....SSSSSSSSSSSEBASTIAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN......D OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!
DT: Well I've gotta tell ya. Kin Hiroshi hasn't been quite himself since coming over from GWE. He doesn't even look like the man who was tearing up the main event scene last year.
MN: Ganja muffins'll kill a career.
DT: Folks, we've got to take a break, but we'll be back in just a few moments! Don't go away!
[Cut to a commercial for BJ Stinger energy drink.]