Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Pretty... / And I Will Show You The Way!

Morning… After a long night full of dreams and thoughts of the previous day, you wake up the next day and it’s almost like everything that happened in the past was merely an afterthought. Your day could have been the worst day in a while, where nothing at all went your way. But when you finally get to your room and you see that bed that you were thinking about all day, you just literally flop on it and pass out for the night. The next day arrives and it’s time to start a new. Deep inside people always have the urge to make the current day better than the day before. It’s just a way to fuel the soul and jump start life. I am no different from the rest. As a small bit of sunray creeps through the windowpane of my hotel room in Finland, I feel it trying to burn a hole to my retina which slowly cause me to open my eyes to the day. I kinda wish I knew what time it was but to me it might as well be the ass crack of dawn. I don’t want to get up. I try to muster up as much energy as I can in order to turn my lazy ass over to take a glance at the clock on the end table. As I grab it and bring it to my face, I squint hard enough to read the one followed by the three zeros looking back at me. I sigh as I take the time look up at the ceiling, cursing at the gods. Right after a long stretch and yawn while laying down I sit up and lean at the headboard of the bed to greet this day. What the hell did I do last night? Whatever it was it must have been good. I give up after a couple minutes of thinking and I look around to check my surrounding. I see some dirty clothes, bottles of liquor, and cups everywhere. Damn! I must have had some fun, huh? I keep looking around and then my eyes gaze at a shiny thing that just caught my eyes. Because standing right next to the TV, sitting up shining bright like a brand new toy, is my new best friend… my UWF Tag Team Championship. Nicely engraved with my name on the bottom everything starts to come back to me. Monday Night. After two weeks of hard work, we are finally able to get back what we should have won at the pay per view. Mr. Incredible and The Everlasting Show proved that flukes happen. Everyone loves an underdog but in the end all we proved is that it takes true talent to keep these titles. It’s the same talent that they, on two occasions, did not have. But it’s in the past. Right now it’s Manifest Destiny’s turn to hold the reigns of the tag team division. Who’s going to stand in our way? These two guys who are only a mere shadow of their own selves? If that’s the case, then we have nothing to worry about. But look at me now. I’m getting ahead of myself. So as I daydream about my future glory days as champ, I snap out of it and get up to embrace the new day. The first thing I do is try to get up from my bed and go pick up my eight pounds of new hardware. Damn its looks good! If I had hair, I would be pulling a retro Shawn Michaels and fix up my hair in front of my title. But unfortunately, the little hair that I did manage to grow I cut off a couple days after the match this week. So all I saw in the reflection of the gold is my freshly shaped Caesar cut on top of my droopy red strained eyes. I wish I could just go back to the bed. But the more that I look at the belt, the more I think about the group of happy people that are across the sea waiting for their missing link to the family. And the fact that I’m not coming home empty handed makes it better. I mean this will be the first time my kids will be able to see daddy with a title. The look on their faces will be priceless. At this point it made no sense to go back to sleep, so I went back to the edge of the bed and sat down in front of the television. I put the title down beside me and actually let reality set in for me. Now it’s great to wear gold in this business but as my predecessors prove in a matter of two weeks it’s not about winning. You can win a championship a hundred time but if you only hold each reign for a mere couple of weeks. What are you proving? Nothing at all. So I have only just done the first step of being someone. Beginning this week, is the journey of maintain these titles. Maintain it against anyone and everyone. This week… I get to prove my worth in the company against Ricky Stanton and Gary Reece. The Pretty Boy and The Hitman. They are two genuine Hall of Fame athletes. These two guys have a rap sheet probably longer than anyone in the UWF. They have paid their dues. And the respect part is not something that needs to be worried about. Cause at least on my part, it’s there. But this match on Monday is not a match of respect; this Monday, it’s a match about proving something. Hmm… I got a lot of stuff to talk about day. I could probably stay here all day and think about this match but I made plans a couple days back to promote my match with the paparazzi. So with that being said, I decided to get up and ready myself for the day ahead of me. Well it’s about 5pm over here in Helsinki and here I am, standing in front of this water tank with the tag team title draped over my shoulder. I got sick and tired of staying inside the hotel, so I decided to come here... to the Sea Life Helsinki. So here I am, checking out the shark exhibit waiting for this damn camera crew to show up. Yeah like I said before I needed to get out of the hotel… but business is business and I had a lot to say to my opponents this week. So as I am standing in front of the blue waters looking at the smooth hammerhead shark in action these guys, who are obviously running late, decide to quietly sneak up and set up their equipment while I am not looking. They are really not doing a good job cause while my eyes are busy following the movements of the shark; I get interrupted from time to time by the annoying sound of clanking from the camera stand. After a couple clanks here and there, I finally get the sense that everything is done. So with my back against the camera, switching between look at my title and waiting for something to get eaten in front of me, I do what I do best. “It’s about time I have worn some damn gold around here and you know what, it feels good. Real good. I mean at the end of the day, I don’t care about the pay raise. I don’t care about the recognition. I don’t even care about the history books. During this whole time, I just wanted to remember how it felt to at least hold something that lets you personally know that at this very moment, you are at the top of the chain. That no one can touch you.” I finally turn around and smile at the camera, rubbing my newly won title. I have this bask of confident surrounding me. Things can’t get any better. “But this is still the beginning. I have been in the company for two months. Winning one title doesn’t mean shit to me. It’s about making an impression. That’s what this Monday is all about. Impression. The Movement versus The Originators. Manifest Destiny versus Stanton Enterprise. Two guys who have been all over the federation versus two guys whose plan to do it themselves. That’s what it’s about. Stanton and Reece have literally nothing to lose. They have basically done it all. They have won Single titles… and they have won Tag Team titles. They have been at the top of the food chain… and they have been to the bottom of the barrel. You two have pretty much made your marks in the federation. To you two guys… this match is just another notch on the belt buckle, isn’t it? ” I turn my back to the camera and go back to looking at the tank. It’s feeding time. A sick smile starts to form my face as I see several unsuspecting fish being dropped into the water. Almost forgetting what was I saying I continue talking. “You see, Gary. You see, Ricky. There’s a big difference between us. Like these sharks in front of me… we’re hungry. I mean speaking for myself, I’ve only been here two months. And in this time, I have fought tooth and nail to get into this spot that I am at. I have been taking out the trash of the new breed in order to solidify a spot in the roster. And I have been rewarded nicely… *points to the title* … with this. But like everybody who gets the taste of something good, you get this urge to want more. I want more from this fed than just packing on the stats. I want to personally become someone to remember. I want this tag reign to mean something. Not just become another one hit wonder.” The fishes have no idea what going on as you see one of them swimming by the tank. I laugh as I see one of the sharks creep up a couple yards away. And in one fast swoop, the hammerhead opens up and engulfs the water as the poor fish that was swimming in it. Too bad, it never had a chance. I shake my head as I turn back around, hopefully for the final time. “Gary, you complain that all I have against you is that you’re fossil material?! That I’m going to start talking about how all you do is rock the cradle? That I have no respect for you?! Is that all? After all this time you have seen me here, that is all you think of me?! Ha ha! Let me ask you something Gary. Where is your respect? Is it lost with you sense of the English language? Or have you become so damn ignorant that you forget to do your daily research on everyone that you face? The name is Tyrone Kidd. Not Laughlin. Not Ellis. This is not the month of June and this is not an Old School versus New School match. You are facing US. We are the tag team champions and last time I checked… I think I’ve done enough. So what I think YOU need to do is take a look in the mirror. Because in order to get respect, you have to earn it and give credit to where it’s due.” My legs start to cramp up so I start to pace back and forth in the area. I would start walking away but we know good help is hard to find… and so is trying to look for mobile camera crew. “And then there is Ricky Stanton. Now if there is one person that I tip my hat to, it would be him. Mr. Personality, himself. If you want to see a good combination of cockiness and witty humor… you had to look no further. And I respect that. He said what he wanted to who he wanted and withheld nothing. It was sometimes comical and it got its point across...” Suddenly I stop in my tracks, hand covering my mouth as if I am confused about something. “…And now you’re going to tell me that all of a sudden you’re going to take the Silent Bob approach?! In a way to become tag team champion? So let me get this right. You’re silence is going to eventually produce you with the titles?! Hmph! If you ask me I think this nothing short of a smack in the face. When I thought about facing Ricky Stanton, I wanted to get ready for a balls to the wall experience. A match that is full of hits, cheap tricks and classic wit. And I’m getting none of that. NONE AT ALL! I will tell you this Ricky, if you want to have that title shot that you are oh so yearning for, you need to become… OH SO PRETTY! Because that’s the ONLY way I want it. But if you don’t have it in you anymore, I can understand… ” I lean my back onto the glass frame of the tank while a blacknose shark circles around the area. “My gripe with you two isn’t your age… or your experience. It’s that you guys are nothing short of former glimpses of your better selves. Richard. Gary. Where is all the fire at? Where’s the emotion, the hunger, the will to keep winning? There is none. You talk about the new breed walking around with their hands out waiting for title shots? Please enlighten me to know what the hell are you thinking? You have not shown me that you NEED these titles like I do. So why am I wasting my time with you? Ricky is ‘Pretty’ and Gary isn’t ‘Ruthless’ and it makes me sick. This Monday I will bring what I have to offer you not because I am entitled to. But BECAUSE I CAN! I am The Show. I am the next big superstar ready to grace the stage and at the end of the day you two will understand me. Understand my struggles and my dreams. This is because once upon a time… you guys were in the same predicament. So on Adrenaline, it will be time to get in gear. To check your watch. … Cause It will be SHOWTIME!!!” And just like I am having my mind read, the camera stand to fade to black as the crew begins to stop production. I smile to myself because in the end. I know I’m ready. Ready to step up to the place cause that what I do. Give me your TIRED, your POOR, and your PRETTY. And I will SHOW you the WAY!! :: SCENE ENDS ::