OPULENCE has come to Greensboro
(FADEIN: To an opulent penthouse suite overlooking Greensboro in the O.Henry hotel. This suite takes up a large portion of the top floor, and is decorated in warm browns and creams, with several oak tables outfitted with freshly-cut flowers and a tray with just-eaten breakfast and a newspaper folded into eighths. From the left, a pair of French doors slide apart and out steps BLAINE HOLLYWOOD, shirtless and wearing silk, grosgrain Versace pajama bottoms in a brown-maize-white candystripe design. He picks up a matching shirt and starts putting it on, flipping up, than down his collar as he addresses the camera. On the heart of the shirt – the HOLLYWOOD family crest.)
BLAINE HOLLYWOOD: (Looking around, sneering) “Very good, Dan Ryan. Very good. I’ve seemed to have – shall I say ‘gotten your hackles up’ by leaving you hanging on my addressing of you – better yet, the soon-to-be VERBAL UNDRESSING. You see, Blaine Hollywood has decided to come to CSWA to bring some RESPECT to this armpit of wrestling, this disgusting sewer of puffery that you’re so quick to bellow that you are the standing champion of. It is … (looks to the side, smirking) UNFORTUNATE, that you happen to be standing here at this moment of time, because you will unfortunately be the greasy stain left behind after our eventual, fateful introduction in the ring at SHOWTIME, the thirtieth. And you may very well be correct on a few matters – yes, this IS a field trip for me, but I’m planning on acquiring a token of my stay while I’m here – (casually pantomimes the CSWA belt across his stomach) your CSWA World Championship.
“Of a litany of issues I have with this godforsaken city, one of it being that I had to make some phone calls to get my own personal cleaning service to show up and subcontract housekeeping duties – as I couldn’t FATHOM having an immigrant, who’s so poor, they wound up IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA CLEANING PEOPLE’S TOILETS – that they must have NO OPTIONS left in life – that they couldn’t even find their way to a half-decent city for poor people, like, say – San Diego, or Houston Texas. I believe you’re from Houston, right, Ryan? (chuckles to himself) and with that, that I – yes, you are correct- AN OXONIAN, must be subjugated to being in this rat’s nest of a city just long enough to beat you within an inch of your life, Ryan, BREAK YOUR BACK and leave you laying. You saw the opening strike when I danced all over your match against Troy Windham. I DAMN NEAR KILLED TROY WINDHAM. He holds no weight here. Sean Stevens is NOT in your face, right now – it’s Blaine Hollywood – the FUTURE PERFECT. And there’s no jokes, or punchlines. You're not dealing with my bloodline, or my third-generation legacy, OR my father here: There’s just a 6-foot 8, 290 pound, brilliant athletic wunderkind, with some ‘minor’ rage issues and a thirst for gold. That’s all going to drop on your head, and then break you in half at SHOWTIME. Keep the rest of those surface things close to you at night if it comforts you - if it makes you feel better about meeting the HEIR APPARENT in the physical. No cartoon character, no man that FEARS DAN RYAN.
“So you want to talk about ‘ghosts’, Ryan? Mayhaps you’d like to talk about what’s going to become of you after our Ironman match. That spectre you’ll see when you open your eyes in a hospital bed after you’re revived, and in convalescence – you will be visited by the ghost of your CAREER PAST, Dan Ryan. Of dominating men who were BENEATH YOU, but I am not one of those men. I am planning on taking what’s around your waist, and ENDING YOU IF I MUST. It would (inhales) BEHOOOOOOOVE you to pay attention to what’s happening here. Don’t worry about what fork I use to eat my meals, prepared hourly by the world’s greatest chefs. Don’t concern yourself about my associations in other companies and with whom I do business with, or how to tie a cravat. Your usual run about how rich and successful and this and that rant won’t stick to me, Dan Ryan. You have the nerve to speak in my air about who is or isn’t BORING? (laughs!) HA!
"If I’ve seen one of your spots holding a microphone and pushing air through your mouth, I’ve heard ALL of them, Ryan. Black Shirt. Black Boots, Black knock-off Raybans, KICKING ASS, right? Well you’ve already been introduced to my special brand of entertainment, Ryan, when I snatched you by the face and dropped back and EXPLODED MY KNEES THROUGH YOUR BACK. THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT, Dan Ryan, and I can’t wait to do it again… (eyes get wide!) AND AGAIN. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?! (smiles and composes himself, looking around and smoothing down his shirt)
"Don’t flatter yourself, Daniel. I give you all the respect in the world. I’m not those OTHER people who you have issue with – I’m another level, and I am NOT one to be trifled with, or marginalized. You will see that firsthand . . . (smiles and sits down on a long couch, and picks up the Los Angeles Times) when we can see who can SURVIVE the Ironman. My words are GOSSAMER STRANDS to your ears, and what an OXONIAN SAYS – is AS GOOD AS GOLD. BEGONE.”
(FADEOUT as BLAINE turns his attention to his paper, reaching for his tea)