"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"
- - - - - - - - - -
FADE IN
Houston, TX - May 26th, 2004 - 6:14 A.M.
A gray hue fills the air - a complete sunrise still at least half an hour away.
Cars hum as they drive by in the distance.
Birds chirp up above.
DAN RYAN sits outside among the mostly peace and somewhat quiet. The swing rocks gently as his feet move it slightly, stretched out to full length in front of him.
A long week is behind him, ahead of him still and fully in his presence among it all.
Ryan: "It's been one hell of a long week for me."
"Professionally all is rosy and nice. The World title still sits snug around my waist. I haven't lost a match in months."
"However, sometimes the real world bites you in the ass and gives you a case of the blahs that you just can't shake."
"Lately there's been a general malaise come upon me."
"Maybe it's the hectic schedule I've taken on."
"Maybe it's setting a goal of defeating Windham and Southern and accomplishing it - and having nothing to continue on to, nothing to look forward to that's causing it all."
"Maybe Mark Windham was right."
Smile....
"Well, I wouldn't say that."
"The passion for the sport remains."
"In fact, very little of it has to do with what takes place in the ring at all. And yet, every bit of it does."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't really know."
"Within the last two months I've faced Hornet, Shane Southern and Tom Adler and walked out still the best the company has to offer."
"Elsewhere I've faced Christian Sands, someone I'm so well acquainted with we could practically predict each other's next move - and beaten him as well."
"I've represented myself and my status on a supercard in a promotion I don't even work for - and happily given the rub to a local boy in the long tradition of the business."
"As always, with no issue at stake - the right thing to do."
"I've broken down the wall between not only this company, but companies such as NFW, GWE, EPW and others - and A1 Entertainment - again seeking out new challenge."
"I've done everything I've said I would do and then some."
"I told everyone that I would be precisely where I am today."
"I told the world that Shane Southern was DAMN good - but not good enough to take this belt from me."
"I told the Intruders - to a man - that theirs was a losing battle. Much like the GXW invasion, it was doomed to fail."
"I've faced everyone I've been asked to face - defended this title on every Primetime or Showtime booked since I won the title."
"Tom Adler wanted a piece of the action, whether by calling in a favor or simply as luck of the draw."
"Unfortunately Tom, you didn't get the clean shot you wanted."
"Although it's hard to imagine that had not Eddie been involved, the Cutters wouldn't have come to the ring eventually anyway."
"Still, no one ever has to tell you again what it might take to put my shoulders down for the three count."
"And no one ever has to tell me what it will take to do the same to you."
"Quite the oppurtunity for scouting wouldn't you say?"
"But what does it lead me to?"
"More of the same."
"More of the 'I might be playing a mind game, I might not' - 'Don't underestimate me' and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah."
"More boredom, Tom."
"I don't mean to insult you. You've been one of the greats in the sport over a long period of time they say. Some call you one of the best ever. Some say you're formulaic, some say you're only great in your mind."
"But I've come to the point where it doesn't even interest me to try to figure it out anymore."
"You're so vanilla I'd rather you just shave a notch in your eyebrow, start doing some hokey pseudo-hip hop moves and just put an end to the outcry for you to just go all the way with it and end our agony already."
"It's like those final episodes of Moonlighting. We all knew - JUST KNEW - that Dave and Maddy were gonna get together for good."
"So here we are."
"One more match, Tom."
"Will the Diamond Cutters come down and put another shiny gold belt around the waist of Tom Adler?"
"Does the world even want to know?"
"I hear the match was clipped for television."
"How does that make you feel, Tom?"
"How do you think it makes ME feel?"
"I had a match with Mark Windham last year that was unanimously voted match of the year."
"Another against Shane Southern in New Frontier had the building literally shaking from the crowd in the place."
"And yet here I am headlining against Tom Adler - and they clip our match in favor of Tsunami-Randalls."
"That was a hell of a show, don't you think? You'll get no arguments on that from me."
"But the underlying truth, Tom is that no one gives a crap about Tom Adler anymore - not me, not the fans, not anyone."
"In a way Eddie Mayfield is doing us and the world all a big favor."
"Eddie might be 'heeling his ass off', but he's more popular than just about anyone's been in this company in a long time?"
"Who can connect with the fans more?"
"Tom Adler, who talks like he's the next coming of the FIRST coming of a classic, basic heel in the 21st century or a guy like Mayfield who manages to keep the owner of the company outside the building all night, denied access to witness HIS show and manages to single handedly become the only entertaining part of a main event not even deemed worthy enough to show all of."
"So, Tom - where's the money at?"
"With you? Or with Eddie Mayfield?"
"Would I lose the belt to him? We'd have to find that out for ourselves. As always, I'm supremely confident in what I'm capably of."
"But at least if I did lose that belt, I'd go out with a bang."
"This alone piques my curiosity, because only in popping that crowd - only in facing challenges worth my time - can I truly move forward as a champion."
"The time for looking to the past is over. Maybe our owner is right."
"If I have to be a d**k about this, I can. I have no problem with that. If I have to break legs, bust some teeth out, tear some ligaments - whatever it takes - to put myself and this belt in a position where I can do what needs to be done, I will."
"I'll do what I always do when I'm put in a position I don't particularly care for."
"I'll take matters into my own hands."
"If Eddie Mayfield knows what's good for his immediate future, he'll make sure he isn't anywhere near the ring this week."
"And if you know what's good for you, you'll make sure you have plans for after Showtime that don't involve anything to do with the World title."
"The era of Vanilla Tom and the Adlerettes is over."
FADE OUT...
- - - - - - - - - -
FADE IN
Houston, TX - May 26th, 2004 - 6:14 A.M.
A gray hue fills the air - a complete sunrise still at least half an hour away.
Cars hum as they drive by in the distance.
Birds chirp up above.
DAN RYAN sits outside among the mostly peace and somewhat quiet. The swing rocks gently as his feet move it slightly, stretched out to full length in front of him.
A long week is behind him, ahead of him still and fully in his presence among it all.
Ryan: "It's been one hell of a long week for me."
"Professionally all is rosy and nice. The World title still sits snug around my waist. I haven't lost a match in months."
"However, sometimes the real world bites you in the ass and gives you a case of the blahs that you just can't shake."
"Lately there's been a general malaise come upon me."
"Maybe it's the hectic schedule I've taken on."
"Maybe it's setting a goal of defeating Windham and Southern and accomplishing it - and having nothing to continue on to, nothing to look forward to that's causing it all."
"Maybe Mark Windham was right."
Smile....
"Well, I wouldn't say that."
"The passion for the sport remains."
"In fact, very little of it has to do with what takes place in the ring at all. And yet, every bit of it does."
"What does that mean?"
"I don't really know."
"Within the last two months I've faced Hornet, Shane Southern and Tom Adler and walked out still the best the company has to offer."
"Elsewhere I've faced Christian Sands, someone I'm so well acquainted with we could practically predict each other's next move - and beaten him as well."
"I've represented myself and my status on a supercard in a promotion I don't even work for - and happily given the rub to a local boy in the long tradition of the business."
"As always, with no issue at stake - the right thing to do."
"I've broken down the wall between not only this company, but companies such as NFW, GWE, EPW and others - and A1 Entertainment - again seeking out new challenge."
"I've done everything I've said I would do and then some."
"I told everyone that I would be precisely where I am today."
"I told the world that Shane Southern was DAMN good - but not good enough to take this belt from me."
"I told the Intruders - to a man - that theirs was a losing battle. Much like the GXW invasion, it was doomed to fail."
"I've faced everyone I've been asked to face - defended this title on every Primetime or Showtime booked since I won the title."
"Tom Adler wanted a piece of the action, whether by calling in a favor or simply as luck of the draw."
"Unfortunately Tom, you didn't get the clean shot you wanted."
"Although it's hard to imagine that had not Eddie been involved, the Cutters wouldn't have come to the ring eventually anyway."
"Still, no one ever has to tell you again what it might take to put my shoulders down for the three count."
"And no one ever has to tell me what it will take to do the same to you."
"Quite the oppurtunity for scouting wouldn't you say?"
"But what does it lead me to?"
"More of the same."
"More of the 'I might be playing a mind game, I might not' - 'Don't underestimate me' and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah."
"More boredom, Tom."
"I don't mean to insult you. You've been one of the greats in the sport over a long period of time they say. Some call you one of the best ever. Some say you're formulaic, some say you're only great in your mind."
"But I've come to the point where it doesn't even interest me to try to figure it out anymore."
"You're so vanilla I'd rather you just shave a notch in your eyebrow, start doing some hokey pseudo-hip hop moves and just put an end to the outcry for you to just go all the way with it and end our agony already."
"It's like those final episodes of Moonlighting. We all knew - JUST KNEW - that Dave and Maddy were gonna get together for good."
"So here we are."
"One more match, Tom."
"Will the Diamond Cutters come down and put another shiny gold belt around the waist of Tom Adler?"
"Does the world even want to know?"
"I hear the match was clipped for television."
"How does that make you feel, Tom?"
"How do you think it makes ME feel?"
"I had a match with Mark Windham last year that was unanimously voted match of the year."
"Another against Shane Southern in New Frontier had the building literally shaking from the crowd in the place."
"And yet here I am headlining against Tom Adler - and they clip our match in favor of Tsunami-Randalls."
"That was a hell of a show, don't you think? You'll get no arguments on that from me."
"But the underlying truth, Tom is that no one gives a crap about Tom Adler anymore - not me, not the fans, not anyone."
"In a way Eddie Mayfield is doing us and the world all a big favor."
"Eddie might be 'heeling his ass off', but he's more popular than just about anyone's been in this company in a long time?"
"Who can connect with the fans more?"
"Tom Adler, who talks like he's the next coming of the FIRST coming of a classic, basic heel in the 21st century or a guy like Mayfield who manages to keep the owner of the company outside the building all night, denied access to witness HIS show and manages to single handedly become the only entertaining part of a main event not even deemed worthy enough to show all of."
"So, Tom - where's the money at?"
"With you? Or with Eddie Mayfield?"
"Would I lose the belt to him? We'd have to find that out for ourselves. As always, I'm supremely confident in what I'm capably of."
"But at least if I did lose that belt, I'd go out with a bang."
"This alone piques my curiosity, because only in popping that crowd - only in facing challenges worth my time - can I truly move forward as a champion."
"The time for looking to the past is over. Maybe our owner is right."
"If I have to be a d**k about this, I can. I have no problem with that. If I have to break legs, bust some teeth out, tear some ligaments - whatever it takes - to put myself and this belt in a position where I can do what needs to be done, I will."
"I'll do what I always do when I'm put in a position I don't particularly care for."
"I'll take matters into my own hands."
"If Eddie Mayfield knows what's good for his immediate future, he'll make sure he isn't anywhere near the ring this week."
"And if you know what's good for you, you'll make sure you have plans for after Showtime that don't involve anything to do with the World title."
"The era of Vanilla Tom and the Adlerettes is over."
FADE OUT...