Post by fdcm on May 18, 2007 23:48:02 GMT -6
The scene opens with FDCM standing in front of the trusty POW banner. No bells and whistles. No women. Not even the UWL title. Just FDCM with an intense look on his face.
FDCM: There's a lot of talk in this business...about "greatness." About "champions." About "legends." About men who will be remembered long after their active years in that ring end...and only the memory of their exploits remains.
But in an era where every promotion under the sun claims to include a "world champion," and usually half a dozen other "champions" as well...the meaning of the word has become diluted. The awe and reverence that was once inspired by hearing the phrase "Heavyweight Champion of the WORRRRRRRRRRLD"...has faded away.
And why not? We've got JOHN CENA walking around with a "World Championship." JEFF JARRETT and TRIPLE H are multiple time world champions. Hell, you need look no further for evidence of this phenomenon, then one Triple H vs. one Ric Flair. When Ric Flair tells you he's a 16-time world champion, it means something. But Triple H's gazillion title reigns? Who gives a damn?
So this raises two questions...one is, what does it mean to be a champion? And two is, who in this sport of a thousand title belts is a TRUE champion? In the actual sense of the word?
Who is a champion? Is...is this a champion?
FDCM reaches down and holds up a picture of George Duke.
FDCM: Time-honored, tough as nails and still kicking after all these years! But no. This is no champion. This is "Pasticus Primus"...the has-been. The crazy old fart who was great back in his day, and refuses to let go of the glory. He stomps around the wrestling world complaining about loud music and flashy ring attire, but in reality, he's hiding the fact that he no longer has any place in our world. A sick, sad shell of what was once a great competitor.
Unceremoniously, FDCM drops the picture to the floor.
FDCM: Some among you, may feel that this is a champion.
FDCM now holds up a photo of Shawn Stevens holding the Midwest championship.
FDCM: Sure! A fast-rising star, the cat's meow. He's on the cover of every magazine. His poster is on every kid's wall. He signs the autographs, he kisses the babies, he does his little media tours...but no. This is no champion, either. I call him "Flashinnus Panus." The Fad Champion. Sure, his title reign is no fluke, to be sure. But does he have the STAYING POWER to remain on top for decades? Will he ever be mentioned in the same breath as the true founding fathers, the true legends, the true all-time greats?
The simple answer is "no." Sure, right now, everybody loves him. But what about five, ten years down the line? When the glory is gone, when the gold is gone? When the money and fame and lights have all gone elsewhere, and the former people's hero is now just a middle-aged, half-crippled nobody with a missing tooth and a drinking problem? Will he be the pretty Hollywood champion then? Will he even be the Has-Been!? No...he'll just be another loser.
With a smirk, FDCM allows the picture to join Duke's on the floor.
FDCM: But maybe...maybe THIS is the champion!?
FDCM now holds up a similar photograph, this time of none other than Tito Capaci.
FDCM: Sure! The Sicilian Badass, Tito Capaci! The OWNER of Power On Wrestling, the longest-reigning champion in UWL history, and one of the most dominant professional wrestlers and promoters in the modern era of our great sport! Why, just saying that gets me all excited! Dammit, this HAS to be the meaning of "champion!"
...but no. Not quite right. This may be a man that many, many people see as an example of what it truly means to be called "champion." But it isn't the case. You see, Tito Capaci has become what I call "Greedius Crookus"...the corporate businessman. The glory of being a champion, the honor of a fair fight...none of it means a thing to him anymore. He hides behind his army of employed workers and his little desk in his corner office, plotting and scheming how he can sell DVDs and house seats. Nothing else means a damn thing to him!
And the truth is, it's always been that way. Listen to the man speak. Watch his damn interviews! He tells you right to your face..."It's strictly business." It's all just about the almighty dollar to him. And still he is embraced as a great champion!? A man who admittedly just wants to line his pockets - not his waist - with gold!?
Well I say, f**k that!
FDCM tosses Tito's picture atop the others.
FDCM: I say that the people need a REAL champion! A champion they can rally behind! A man whose only goal, whose only driving obsession, is to achieve the highest level of greatness he is physically capable of reaching! To smite all challengers, and to rise above as the only true immortal of the sport of kings!
THIS is what it means to be a real champion! To sacrifice everything, ignore all else, in order to achieve greatness. Perfection. Absolute victory! THAT, ladies and gentlemen...is a champion!
It isn't about ratings, or sales, or magazine covers or media coverage or even memories of greatness long past...it's greatness NOW. TODAY. It's winning the title and defending it at all costs.
And as for what a champion looks like...
FDCM raises one final photograph. It's of himself, battered and beaten, wearily yet triumphantly raising the UWL Championship immediately after winning it from Tito Capaci.
FDCM: This...my friends...is a true champion. A nothing kid from nowhere, who came from absolute dick to become the legend you see before you today! A man who fought the odds, who fought the adversity of not ONE other human being believing in him a single day in his life...never given a break...never given any help...not even a shred of faith.
But one man did have faith in me...and that was MYSELF! I never once stopped believing that I would reach the apex of this industry, the pinnacle of pugilism, the epitome of excellence...that I would become, the WORLD...HEAVYWEIGHT...CHAMPION.
And earlier this year I did just that! I got into the ring with Tito Capaci, a man many called the greatest champion the UWL had ever seen...and in two matches, I shattered his delusions of grandeur! The first time, we fought tooth and nail to a one-hour time limit draw. And just days later, in two out of three falls...I did what many had called impossible.
The joker, the nobody, the goofball...won the big one. Slayed the giant! Defeated the evil overlord! And went home with the UWL Championship! TITO CAPACI'S UWL Championship!
But a champion's journey does not end when he wins his title. No. That is only the beginning.
We fight to defend what is ours, and not just from challengers...but from crooked promoters that close their promotions and revoke their sanctions without a moment's notice! From corrupt businesses that move on as if there's nothing at all the matter with that! From fickle fans that forget you exist just as quickly as they jumped on your bandwagon! And from opportunistic undercarders who scramble to pick up the pieces and jump into your "spot" while you're still trying to figure out what the hell is going on!
As he speaks, FDCM finally reveals his always-present UWL Championship belt. But instead of holding it high and proud as usual, he stares into its reflective surface almost questioningly. Almost as if he's searching for answers. He turns and holds it out towards the camera.
FDCM: Go on! Tell me I'm not the real UWL Champ! Tell me Josh Eagles runs that show now! Tell me that the belt I hold in my hand isn't worth shit! Tell me I've never held a POW-sanctioned title!
After a moment, FDCM finally calms down and slings the belt to its usual perch on his shoulder.
FDCM: Because in less than a week...none of that matters. In less than a week...FDCM does it one more time. Defies the odds! Silences every critic! And ANNIHILATES...Tito...Capaci!!!
Then...and only then...will I have an opportunity awarded to only a precious few in our business. The chance to be an UNDISPUTED...UNQUESTIONED...WORLD...HEAVYWEIGHT...CHAMPION! The first World Champion in POW's young history! And then...there will be no choice...no excuses...and everyone in POW...no, in all of professional wrestling...will BOW...to the REAL...World...Champion.
There's one more thing I forgot to mention, that we champions must do...
FDCM solemnly slides the photograph of himself into his pocket, and in its place pulls out a lighter and a pack of smokes. Placing one in his mouth, he lights up and takes a therapeutic drag, but keeps the lighter out.
FDCM: We seek out fake champions...false idols...wherever we can find them. And we do our solemn duty.
FDCM flicks the lighter to life, and as the camera pans down to the stack of POW superstar photos on the floor, FDCM drops it on them, igniting the entire stack.
FDCM: ...we destroy them.
FDCM now hunches down so he's facing directly into the camera, the stack of burning photos still visible on the floor behind him.
FDCM: Remember just one thing...I...am the champ. And after SuperMania...there won't be a doubt in anyone's mind. Not anymore.
Blowing a final puff of smoke, FDCM steps out of the frame and walks off as the camera zooms in on the stack of burning photos...with the image of a slowly disintegrating Tito Capaci right on top.
FDCM: There's a lot of talk in this business...about "greatness." About "champions." About "legends." About men who will be remembered long after their active years in that ring end...and only the memory of their exploits remains.
But in an era where every promotion under the sun claims to include a "world champion," and usually half a dozen other "champions" as well...the meaning of the word has become diluted. The awe and reverence that was once inspired by hearing the phrase "Heavyweight Champion of the WORRRRRRRRRRLD"...has faded away.
And why not? We've got JOHN CENA walking around with a "World Championship." JEFF JARRETT and TRIPLE H are multiple time world champions. Hell, you need look no further for evidence of this phenomenon, then one Triple H vs. one Ric Flair. When Ric Flair tells you he's a 16-time world champion, it means something. But Triple H's gazillion title reigns? Who gives a damn?
So this raises two questions...one is, what does it mean to be a champion? And two is, who in this sport of a thousand title belts is a TRUE champion? In the actual sense of the word?
Who is a champion? Is...is this a champion?
FDCM reaches down and holds up a picture of George Duke.
FDCM: Time-honored, tough as nails and still kicking after all these years! But no. This is no champion. This is "Pasticus Primus"...the has-been. The crazy old fart who was great back in his day, and refuses to let go of the glory. He stomps around the wrestling world complaining about loud music and flashy ring attire, but in reality, he's hiding the fact that he no longer has any place in our world. A sick, sad shell of what was once a great competitor.
Unceremoniously, FDCM drops the picture to the floor.
FDCM: Some among you, may feel that this is a champion.
FDCM now holds up a photo of Shawn Stevens holding the Midwest championship.
FDCM: Sure! A fast-rising star, the cat's meow. He's on the cover of every magazine. His poster is on every kid's wall. He signs the autographs, he kisses the babies, he does his little media tours...but no. This is no champion, either. I call him "Flashinnus Panus." The Fad Champion. Sure, his title reign is no fluke, to be sure. But does he have the STAYING POWER to remain on top for decades? Will he ever be mentioned in the same breath as the true founding fathers, the true legends, the true all-time greats?
The simple answer is "no." Sure, right now, everybody loves him. But what about five, ten years down the line? When the glory is gone, when the gold is gone? When the money and fame and lights have all gone elsewhere, and the former people's hero is now just a middle-aged, half-crippled nobody with a missing tooth and a drinking problem? Will he be the pretty Hollywood champion then? Will he even be the Has-Been!? No...he'll just be another loser.
With a smirk, FDCM allows the picture to join Duke's on the floor.
FDCM: But maybe...maybe THIS is the champion!?
FDCM now holds up a similar photograph, this time of none other than Tito Capaci.
FDCM: Sure! The Sicilian Badass, Tito Capaci! The OWNER of Power On Wrestling, the longest-reigning champion in UWL history, and one of the most dominant professional wrestlers and promoters in the modern era of our great sport! Why, just saying that gets me all excited! Dammit, this HAS to be the meaning of "champion!"
...but no. Not quite right. This may be a man that many, many people see as an example of what it truly means to be called "champion." But it isn't the case. You see, Tito Capaci has become what I call "Greedius Crookus"...the corporate businessman. The glory of being a champion, the honor of a fair fight...none of it means a thing to him anymore. He hides behind his army of employed workers and his little desk in his corner office, plotting and scheming how he can sell DVDs and house seats. Nothing else means a damn thing to him!
And the truth is, it's always been that way. Listen to the man speak. Watch his damn interviews! He tells you right to your face..."It's strictly business." It's all just about the almighty dollar to him. And still he is embraced as a great champion!? A man who admittedly just wants to line his pockets - not his waist - with gold!?
Well I say, f**k that!
FDCM tosses Tito's picture atop the others.
FDCM: I say that the people need a REAL champion! A champion they can rally behind! A man whose only goal, whose only driving obsession, is to achieve the highest level of greatness he is physically capable of reaching! To smite all challengers, and to rise above as the only true immortal of the sport of kings!
THIS is what it means to be a real champion! To sacrifice everything, ignore all else, in order to achieve greatness. Perfection. Absolute victory! THAT, ladies and gentlemen...is a champion!
It isn't about ratings, or sales, or magazine covers or media coverage or even memories of greatness long past...it's greatness NOW. TODAY. It's winning the title and defending it at all costs.
And as for what a champion looks like...
FDCM raises one final photograph. It's of himself, battered and beaten, wearily yet triumphantly raising the UWL Championship immediately after winning it from Tito Capaci.
FDCM: This...my friends...is a true champion. A nothing kid from nowhere, who came from absolute dick to become the legend you see before you today! A man who fought the odds, who fought the adversity of not ONE other human being believing in him a single day in his life...never given a break...never given any help...not even a shred of faith.
But one man did have faith in me...and that was MYSELF! I never once stopped believing that I would reach the apex of this industry, the pinnacle of pugilism, the epitome of excellence...that I would become, the WORLD...HEAVYWEIGHT...CHAMPION.
And earlier this year I did just that! I got into the ring with Tito Capaci, a man many called the greatest champion the UWL had ever seen...and in two matches, I shattered his delusions of grandeur! The first time, we fought tooth and nail to a one-hour time limit draw. And just days later, in two out of three falls...I did what many had called impossible.
The joker, the nobody, the goofball...won the big one. Slayed the giant! Defeated the evil overlord! And went home with the UWL Championship! TITO CAPACI'S UWL Championship!
But a champion's journey does not end when he wins his title. No. That is only the beginning.
We fight to defend what is ours, and not just from challengers...but from crooked promoters that close their promotions and revoke their sanctions without a moment's notice! From corrupt businesses that move on as if there's nothing at all the matter with that! From fickle fans that forget you exist just as quickly as they jumped on your bandwagon! And from opportunistic undercarders who scramble to pick up the pieces and jump into your "spot" while you're still trying to figure out what the hell is going on!
As he speaks, FDCM finally reveals his always-present UWL Championship belt. But instead of holding it high and proud as usual, he stares into its reflective surface almost questioningly. Almost as if he's searching for answers. He turns and holds it out towards the camera.
FDCM: Go on! Tell me I'm not the real UWL Champ! Tell me Josh Eagles runs that show now! Tell me that the belt I hold in my hand isn't worth shit! Tell me I've never held a POW-sanctioned title!
After a moment, FDCM finally calms down and slings the belt to its usual perch on his shoulder.
FDCM: Because in less than a week...none of that matters. In less than a week...FDCM does it one more time. Defies the odds! Silences every critic! And ANNIHILATES...Tito...Capaci!!!
Then...and only then...will I have an opportunity awarded to only a precious few in our business. The chance to be an UNDISPUTED...UNQUESTIONED...WORLD...HEAVYWEIGHT...CHAMPION! The first World Champion in POW's young history! And then...there will be no choice...no excuses...and everyone in POW...no, in all of professional wrestling...will BOW...to the REAL...World...Champion.
There's one more thing I forgot to mention, that we champions must do...
FDCM solemnly slides the photograph of himself into his pocket, and in its place pulls out a lighter and a pack of smokes. Placing one in his mouth, he lights up and takes a therapeutic drag, but keeps the lighter out.
FDCM: We seek out fake champions...false idols...wherever we can find them. And we do our solemn duty.
FDCM flicks the lighter to life, and as the camera pans down to the stack of POW superstar photos on the floor, FDCM drops it on them, igniting the entire stack.
FDCM: ...we destroy them.
FDCM now hunches down so he's facing directly into the camera, the stack of burning photos still visible on the floor behind him.
FDCM: Remember just one thing...I...am the champ. And after SuperMania...there won't be a doubt in anyone's mind. Not anymore.
Blowing a final puff of smoke, FDCM steps out of the frame and walks off as the camera zooms in on the stack of burning photos...with the image of a slowly disintegrating Tito Capaci right on top.