[SSIX] TEAM Invitational Final: Ravager vs. Mike Randalls

[TH]

Ravager defeated:
Ronaldodinho
Cameron Cruise
Larry Tact
Jonathan Marx
Olvir Arsvinnar

Mike Randalls defeated:
Wong-Pei the Circus-Trained Monkey
Dean Hobkirk
Dusk
Chip Friendly
Troy Douglas

The Shooter vs. The Devastator. New-school Champion vs. the UNIFIED Title's benchmark. The Challenge Champion vs. The Phoenix. For all the marbles.

And then some. Everybody gets dangerous in this match.

One fall to a finish, all regular RP rules apply. RP deadline is Thursday, June 26th @ 11:59:59 PM, give or take a second.

 

[Ravager]

Ravager sits on the floor of the locker room. He is Calgary, (dramatic pause) Alberta, Canada. he has just won a huge match. One that has taken a toll on his still injured throat. But that's not going to dampen his spirits. Not after tonight. And not after his match with Olvir...

Ravager: (his voice still raspy) They said it couldn't be done. But here I am. One win away. One win from being the TEAM Invitational winner. One win from silencing critics. One win from erasing every self-doubt I ever had. Granted, most of those doubts went out the window after beating Olvir. A man twice my size, with more experience. A man most people picked to win the match.

I hope nobody's disappointed. I mean, by now people should expect more from me. In NAPW, people thought I was a choke artist when I lost the title the first time. So what do I do? I win it back, and hold it longer, and defend it more than anybody else ever did, or has since. In TEAM, when I failed to lead Team NAPW to victory in the Dupree Cup, most people saw me as the weak link. What did I do? I go and win the TEAM Challenge title, a belt I still wear a year later. And a belt I'm going to wear a while longer. Your title shot will come Fusenhoff, but first things first: I have a tournament to win at the next Supershow.

Mike Randalls. We haven't formally met. Never stood across the ring from each other. No matter. When the bell rings, I will break you. Not because I hate you. But because you will be trying to crush my dreams. I have never expected mercy from an opponent, nor have I given any. Not to a gentleman like Jonathan Marx. Not to someone as honorable (and odd) as Olvir. And not to you Mike. I've said enough times that I treat every match I'm in like a main event, World Title, Big Money match. Well, this time, we really are in a Big Money match. We've both fought for months to get to this point. But the question we need to ask is: Who wants it more?

I can barely talk right now. I should have taken time off, but instead I got into the ring with Olvir. I'm not the first man to fight hurt, granted. But I'm not going to "wait until next year". I don't want to be known as the guy who "keeps coming so close, only for..." I don't like excuses. I don't like hearing them, I don't like having to make them. I don't want anyone making them for me. The only way to prevent excuses? Make sure there's no reason to make them.

Mike, this is my third year in TEAM. I've never had any luck in TEAM tournaments... until now. Like I said before: One match left. One opponent to overcome. I'm dangerous enough when there's nothing on the line. Imagine what I'm going to do to win this match?

Ravager smirks.

Nothing personal, Mike. Just business.

Fade to Black.

 

[jediPREZ]

Too many starless nights leave you blind

“Ravager…the sooner you realize this isn’t Canada, the sooner you should start running back.”

(FADEIN: Inside the ring of the PHILLIPS ARENA, ‘The Wolf’ MIKE RANDALLS standing with his back to the camera under a couple of house lights. His familiar auburn hair hangs over his shoulders from out of a dusty cowboy hat. RANDALLS is wearing a black t-shirt with a lighter, grayscaled Troy Douglas tapping out to the Santa Fe Cloverleaf and “I’M YOUR DADDY” in big, block gold letters underneath. ‘The Wolf’ is also barefoot and donning torn and frayed blue jeans. RANDALLS takes his hat off, tosses it out of the ring and starts turning around to face the camera.)

“Every moment you breathe, every moment you can see…I am going to hunt you.”

(RANDALLS’ eyes focus intently on the camera for a long pause. The front of his t-shirt has the TEAM SUPERSHOW IX logo w/ “WHO’S YOUR DADDY?” in the same gold letters.)

“Every moment you crawl until the moment you fall…I am going to stalk you.”

(RANDALLS pauses again…now a smile starts creeping slowly from the corners of his mouth.)

RANDALLS: “Each minute I kick you, every instant I blitz you…you WILL start asking yourself how much more you do want ‘IT’. You want to talk about a f*cking joke of a Viking ACTING as a wrestler? You want to talk about Jonathan Marx, who’s nothing more than a third-generation traditionalist clinging to an antiquated style that I like to call SH*T?”

(RANDALLS shakes his head, and then tugs at his shirt.)

RANDALLS: “I don’t have time to stake false judgments or influence perceptions in an effort to deceive. Troy Douglas promised he could never live with himself if he TAPPED because he was fighting for his dad who’s DECEASED. I’m not here to give any man pity, I’m not here to give you an illusion to behold. From the moment I’ve stepped into this tournament, I’ve fought for TEAM as my home. If you’ve failed to listen or understand what that means to me, then your inevitable loss won’t surprise the critics that don’t mean a f*cking thing.”

(RANDALLS looks around the arena, staring up at the rafters. RANDALLS looks back down, gritting his teeth.)

RANDALLS: “Your historical subtexts regarding past NAPW subjects are a disrespect to what core beliefs I’ve upheld since I took off my Faceless mask. Your lack of research is a surprise considering the pride you’ve defined by your hiring price. (laughs) I could bore you to tears with more tales of World Championship matches than you’ll EVER wrestle in your CAREER. You’re proud to be part of some Canadian indy-cred heritage, but this isn’t some summer f*cking episode of Star Search.”

(RANDALLS starts pacing around the ring, visually snapshotting the surroundings of the ringside area. The dim lighting and shadows come into effect, RANDALLS’ face fading from the view variably.)

RANDALLS: “You’re underestimating how PERSONAL this match is to a man that was recognized as a NUMBER ONE seed in TEAM by wrestling TWO NIGHTS compared to your THREE YEARS. That type of faith and belief means EVERYTHING to me considering the honor and redemption I’d feel to hold the Merritt Trophy.”

(RANDALLS ascends the turnbuckles peering over the barely illuminated arena…)

RANDALLS: “You can choose to deny it…you can try and fight it, but this is MY time to shine. I don’t need to talk about heroics, I just show it when I look you dead in the eye. You focus on your struggles in ignorance, setting up the doomed deliverance of a locomotive steamrolling over you. Your injured throat isn’t your worst condition, it’s just a recognition of your symptoms showing through.”

(RANDALLS stands in place for a moment, the camera panning around to display the cavernous Phillips Arena.)

RANDALLS: “Regardless if you accept this truth, even if you think I’m completely aloof…in this ring you’ll get your judge and jury, but you won’t find me questioning if I’m guilty.”

(RANDALLS hops back down and starts walking around the ring with the camera following him.)

RANDALLS: “When that bell rings, this is my match of the century. Anywhere else, nothing before this will mean a thing. You’re walking into a den with 20,000 fans waiting to welcome you to a valley of discovery, where you’ll find the face of true sacrifice.”

(RANDALLS stops on the center TEAM logo in the ring, kneeling on it and tracing his fingers along it.)

RANDALLS: “You are going to stumble, in my presence you will crumble and you shall become undone. When that moment comes you will finally know a life forever empty has got to be wrong. Greater wrestlers than yourself have claimed it’s nothing personal, but in this ring Ravager…I’m going to touch you like murder.”

(RANDALLS looks up at the camera, and then slowly stands up as the camera closes in on his face. His trademark emerald pupils staring intently ahead…)

RANDALLS: “Words cannot be STACKED against a mountain, and no matter how high they rise the further they will be carried off by the wind. This is my one warning regarding your forthcoming defiance that’ll be defined as horrifyingly subjective and ingrain within you an eternal, retrospective cringe.”

(The camera stops at a contrasting shot of RANDALLS’ face diagonally split from the overhead arena lights. One half shadowed, one accented by a dim white glow.)

RANDALLS: “The irony is that your words play a final role to complete the circle because you will learn everything about this sport is personal. Maybe you don’t realize that now, maybe you’ll never realize it in time…there was a wrestler…a man more famous than you that once tried to tell me that same line. Instead, he drowned himself in painkilling pills because he couldn’t accept the chilling finality in his mind. I took ADVANTAGE of that, Ravager…for my own misguided resolutions. I used his weaknesses to destroy Chad Merritt’s institution for my own sadistic revolution.”

V/O: “Merritt...remember when I said it was 'nothing personal?' I LIED.“

(RANDALLS looks upwards for a moment as if the voiceover is echoing throughout Phillips Arena…then returns his gaze straight-on at the lens.)

RANDALLS: “If this match is about who wants it more, it won’t last more than a second. This tournament is my career’s REDEMPTION…my SOUL opportunity to begin the resurrection of my wrestling evolution. The Merritt Trophy is my fuel…and your notions of luck are better off being served to a feast for fools. It doesn’t matter who you’ve buried in your backyard, it doesn’t matter that I’ve left dozens of iconic legends battered, shattered and scarred.”

(Slowly, another smile forms on RANDALLS’ face…his eyes slitting like a snake…)

RANDALLS: “You can try to dig yourself out of the hole you’re now in…keep talking about some hard road you ride, when it’s selling half of nothing. Even with new schemes or belief in some pipe dream, it does not mean you will beat me. That’s why you’re predictable, Ravager…your game’s the same and there’s no wishful dream that will save your day. You think you can BREAK me?”

(RANDALLS shakes his head slowly)

RANDALLS: “…It won’t even matter if you PRAY. For too long, I hated myself and I know that surrender was easy. I’ve found a way to let that poison go, so I can return this sport to VICTORY. There’s nothing up my sleeves…just my heart and the crimson scars covering me. That is The Way and if you can’t believe this truth than the darkness hides a hole in front of you…”

(FADETOBLACK)

”…It’s six feet deep and you can fight the fall…but the light will show your name engraved on its tomb.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*​

…

…

Like a slow, rolling thunder the shrilled screams of a horrified crowd permeate in the darkness…

(FADEIN: ANNIVERSARY 2K – DEACON © vs. MIKE RANDALLS, CSWA World Championship post-match Claimstakers inception. The camera is singularly focused on DEACON lying on the mat motionless just as he takes a jarring kick to his face, while the crowd loudly boos. DEACON’S lolled eyes, broken nose and crimson flooded saliva causes the camera to cut away. QUICK CUTTO: HORNET standing over the fallen champion, ELI FLAIR and MIKE RANDALLS behind him – FLAIR looking out at the crowd emotionless as RANDALLS smiles like a shark, watching HORNET stomp on DEACON again. QUICK CUTTO: CHAD MERRITT ashen, heartbroken…watching in disbelief as the only hero of the CSWA destroys everything they’ve built together…FADETOBLACK.)

HORNET V/O: “Merritt...remember when I said it was 'nothing personal?' I LIED.“

 

[Ravager]

Re: Too many starless nights leave you blind

"It won't even matter if you PRAY"

Indeed it won't...

Fade in on Ravager, standing in front of a TEAM Invitational Tournament Banner.

I'm not going to pray, Mike. Not because I don't believe in God. I'm not going to pray because I'm not that desperate. I want to win the TEAM Invitational. That much should be obvious. I've said it enough times, and you seem to have listened. I've fought for months to get to this spot. I've fought for three years to get some level of respect. Apparently, I still have a ways to go there, but I digress. For me to pray over this match, it would mean that I have given up all hope of winning. it would mean that I have no faith in my abilities. it would be me telling God "The skills you gave me weren't enough, how about some more help?"

You really think God's going to answer that prayer?

Mike. I deny you nothing. You have wrestled in World Title matches. So have I. Winning the Merritt Trophy is personal to you. You think it'll mean nothing to me? You think I'd keep coming back if TEAM success wasn't personal to me? You think luck has played any part in me getting this far?

People think I'm predictable, and they got surprised with a roll up and taken out of the Tournament.

People think I don't want this enough, and I make them tap out in the center of the ring.

People think I haven't fought hard enough or long enough, and they get pinned and have their dreams shattered in an instant.

People think they can break me? They wind up planted into the mat, counting the ring lights, wondering what they did wrong.

Forget the career retrospectives. What we've done up to this point means little when we face. You undermine the NAPW, I could care less of who you've left laying. We both have different views on who's an "icon", and it would be a waste of our time to debate semantics and opinions. Not when cold hard facts work so much better.

I have made my reputation in TEAM by being able to win in any type of match, against opponents of various styles, skill levels, and sanity. I have been mocked. I have had opponents try and brush me off. I have had heartbreaking defeats. But I keep coming back, even when I've been told to give it up. You've wrestled in more World title matches than me? Who gives a f*ck? Until you've beaten me, you're nothing. I haven't beaten you yet, so of course my words mean nothing. But they will. But not as much as the actions I'll take in the ring. You can stalk me. Touch me like "murder". Just remember, more often than not, the hunter is being hunted. Especially when he's underestimated his prey. Your touch may be murder, but every blow I connect will be like a large dose of Apocalypse. Death is final. But I don't want to just kill you. The physical body may die, but memories and the soul live on. And I want to crush that. Erase it from existence. I will end you. Whether it's through the Last Resort, Instant Karma, or any other move I choose to use, I will make every chop, punch, kick, hold, driver, cheap shot or desperation counter count more than anything I've ever done before. Because you're right.

I should be taking this personally. Business is business. But wrestling is life. And my life won't be complete unless I can say:

I beat Mike Randalls. I took down a man who has crushed "icons". I took down a man who destroyed some "institution". I denied Mike Randalls his redemption. I stopped Mike Randall's wrestling revolution. I won the TEAM Invitational Tournament. Despite the fact the Mike Randalls wanted it more. I am not a man to make things personal with Mike. I make my living with vendettas, and I thrive on conflict. You think you want this more than me? You think you deserve this more than me?

Then you don't know the danger I'm in. because you're forcing me to work harder to prove myself. You're edging me closer and closer to that line that most wrestlers don't dare cross. You're asking for a war, but you're sending one soldier against a weapon of mass destruction. Basically, you're beyond prayer. Last rites are all you have to look forward to. May God have mercy on your soul. ... If there's much left after I crush it.

Fade to Black.

 

[jediPREZ]

Convictions of a TEAMmate

”You cannot pray because you cannot understand conviction.”

(MUSIC-UP: ‘Animal’ – Pearl Jam)

”And you will not win with a simple dismissal of mine.”

(FADEIN: An overhead fly-by shot of the Sonoran Desert edge during mid-day. Beyond the dunes, a small pueblo village is nestled in a valley before several lush, forested mountains. The camera pans circularly revealing beaches and the Gulf of Mexico past the mountain range.)

”It may not matter where we’ve come from, but now I know there’s limits in your mind.”

(QUICK CUTTO: TEAM cameramen riding happily in the back of a pickup truck, pointing as well as filming villagers, children and farmers waving to them from the fields and dirt-covered roads.)

”You may think your glory is imminent, but that’s the beauty of unyielding sacrifice.”

(CUTTO: ‘The Wolf’ MIKE RANDALLS looming tall over the camera, an orange/red sun setting in the background and spraying rays across the horizon. His long, auburn hair is soaked in sweat, his chest is slightly heaving and it is apparent he is in the middle of a daily workout. The vantage point shadows his bearded face, but his eyes are dancing in joy and his smile is unmistakably large.)

RANDALLS: “I am not fighting only for myself, but something much larger than the scope of your cocoon-wrapped head. This isn’t for my own pride, this isn’t so I can sleep better at night. This isn’t to prove to the world that there is no wrestler that can match my might.”

(RANDALLS backs up a few steps, his whole body coming into focus under the fading sunlight. His hands and shins are profusely bleeding, but become unfocused as the camera raises and peels back the scene. There’s dozens of wooden boards surrounding RANDALLS, matching him in height and width. All of the boards are splintered, shattered, cracked and stained crimson red.)

RANDALLS: “The world’s watched me long enough to ALREADY have that belief. I was foolish enough for many years to fight them venomously. From Chad Merritt’s name on that trophy to the MILLIONS of fans I’ve left heartbroken in their seats. I’ve got those chips on my shoulder, but before I get any older I will fight for this SPORT with a tenacity that NOBODY has ever seen.”

(RANDALLS brushes back his slightly stained hair from his face, his smile fading as he quickly veers around with a vicious sidekick to the bottom of a wooden board, and a few small pieces are sent flying.)

RANDALLS: “I didn’t believe in God for a long time, but there was ONE point in my life I thought I reached my BREAKING point.”

(RANDALLS stares at his inner forearms and the long, jagged, delta spread scars along them.)

RANDALLS: “I was given wings, Ravager. Trying to fight or find God, I flew up through the heavens until I became engulfed in flames. I named myself the Phoenix until I crashed and burned…I gave up all thoughts of glory and victory, destructively surrendering to atone for my committed atrocities.”

(RANDALLS smiles…looking at his body, shaking his head at it.)

RANDALLS: “Through those times, God taught me that I cannot even break myself.”

(RANDALLS starts viciously rapid-firing kicks against the board several times each and finishes off with a strong, sidewinding chop that leaves a crack in the top ‘head’ portion. RANDALLS staggers away, focusing on the board for a couple of seconds.)

RANDALLS: “Taking my metaphors and molding them for your benefits does not mean anything when you ignore the simple semantics. You can STILL talk about NAPW for half your time before telling me to pay it no mind…you can TRY to ‘forget’ you mentioned the upcoming Fusenhoff match and falsely claim to me two-times over how none of it matters.”

(RANDALLS looks back at the camera, his emerald eyes staring back intently.)

RANDALLS: “Ravager, the first step of NOT becoming a walking contradiction is to never follow in someone else’s direction.”

(RANDALLS turns around, leans down and picks up a bucket and starts showering the dirt with its contents. The camera lens starts reflecting the glimmering sparkles of the sunset shining on a pile of broken glass.)

RANDALLS: “I walk the path of The Way, I’ve wrestled my whole life without any fear. This line you seek, this danger you don’t want to show me…I’ve walked the black side of that moon FAR longer than you. I’ve seen the blood, the broken bones and the darkness it breeds. Unlike you, my divine spark into the Phoenix allowed me to see a light …only to witness how my fallen ashes only kept this sport BEHIND.”

(RANDALLS bare feet step on the glass and start twisting and turning in them…his eyes don’t move and his face remains calm.)

RANDALLS: “I am the Wolf because I am built to kick your tail between your legs, then turn you over and make your rotten bones shatter UNLESS…you BEG for the end. I have taught myself humility, honor and mercy in the names of those greater than me for this sport. I am God’s unbreakable right hand built from the salt of this earth, turning your jaw to dust and showing how much you’re REALLY worth.”

(RANDALLS kneels down picking up the glass in his hands, clenching his fists as he stands up…he claps them together and than leaves a smacking handprint on one of the wooden boards. As the glittering glass falls out of his hands, RANDALLS looks at the one with the ‘NOVA’ inscription.)

RANDALLS: “There are differences between us that are evident… (RANDALLS holds up his hand w/ ‘NOVA’) Whereas I know who you have dropped on their heads your choice to distinguish yourself blissfully ignorant is unabashedly prevalent. You proudly proclaimed to not care about anything I’ve ever done in the ring or even the words I’ve said…”

(RANDALLS dusts off his sparkling glass-dusted hands with a smile…)

RANDALLS: “Your mistaken definition of one’s underestimation is a continued correlation to my prior prediction of your game being one and the same. You are just another man claiming that I am the hunted and that I am the prey…another wrestler without the comprehension of the convictions I fight with today. Simply grasping onto the words I say…twisting, turning and using them until you throw them away.”

(RANDALLS looks up into the camera, his smile fades…the sun’s tip cascades as dusk awakens.)

RANDALLS: “It’s good medicine to help you swallow your symptoms. Unfortunately, Instant Karma’s gonna get you…NOTHIN’. Any last rites are just a prelude to my resurrection. Your Last Resort will fail in your final moment of desperation, you can conjure some hope of becoming mass destruction and you will STILL NOT defeat Wrestling’s Weapon-X Evolution.”

(RANDALLS starts wiping his hands along his chest, making straight lines outstretched from his heart as if it’s the center of the sun.)

RANDALLS: “If you truly wish to cross this line, if you desire to bring a danger you’ve never felt in your life…then, you must blindly dive into the energy of COMPLETE sacrifice. You should listen to my words and what they entail because if you wish to walk The Way you must first find the trail. You should NEVER utter the letters NAPW starting today…you will forget Fusenhoff, D!, any title and every reign…you will give up everything else that matters because TEAM means more than you and me.”

(RANDALLS looks up into the camera, it slowly starts closing in on his face…)

RANDALLS: “If you CANNOT do this, if you cannot give everything up…than you are NOT willing to sacrifice. You are not willing to hear anything snap, you are not willing to feel anything completely tear…you are not wrestling this match as the last of your LIFE. You will NOT tap me out because the Merritt Trophy is the ONLY SINGLE THING in my career that I care about. I’ve studied your shooting style, I’m ready for some flash roll-up. If you play dirty and want to take a swing at my nuts you’ll find out I wear a cup.”

(The camera stops at showing the top half of RANDALLS’ body, the last seconds of the sunset ending.)

RANDALLS: “In THREE YEARS, you have FAILED to see the destiny of this whole scene. You have completely underestimated and undervalued what our match in Phillips Arena means. In the passion for your own glory and your selfish notions regarding this trophy, you’ve forgone the one rule that supersedes everything.”

(RANDALLS slowly smiles…he clenches his hand, cracking his knuckles…)

RANDALLS: “There is no I in TEAM. That is the Way, where HONOR and SACRIFICE shall reign supreme. Far from selfish, glorified dreams…”

(FADETOBLACK)

”…and straight into every nightmare you’ve feared inside any wrestling ring.”

 

[Ravager]

Re: Convictions of a TEAMmate

There is no I in TEAM.

Yeah. I can spell, Randalls. I can read. I can listen. I can understand everything you say. You seem to be trying to teach me come kind of lesson, here. But all I can think of is:

Why would your winning the TEAM Invitational mean so much more than if I won it?

Fade in on Ravager. He is at the NAIT gym in Edmonton, preparing for a match tomorrow night. A practice ring is set up, and he watches as some trainees go through the paces.

I remember my first match for TEAM. It was the Tournament of Champions. I thought I was the best in the World, until Professor Tremendous dropped me on my head in the first round and sent me home empty handed. I learned a lot that day. Basically, keep coming back until you get things right. So I signed up for the first TEAM Supershow. Came up short in an elimination match. But I turned a few heads, and came back again for the Dupree Cup. Unfortunately, I was not able to be a team player. It cost me dearly, but in the end, it made me a better wrestler. You see, I've been selfish in the past. I've hurt people. I've said and done things that have caused a lot of damage. Maybe not to your levels, Mike, but I've done my fair share. So I've kept coming back to TEAM. For every Supershow. For last year's Invitational and Tournament of Champions. I've defended the Challenge title for over a year. And now, I'm in the finals with you. And you think I'm being selfish, wanting to win. You think you deserve it more because you're fighting for the sport? You're trying to make things up to the fans for your actions? That's fine and noble, but what do you think I've been doing every night for the last three years? I have given my life to this business, just as much as you have. You may have had bigger audiences, but I have busted my ass for every fan that has bought a ticket to see one of my matches. And I have done my best to make up any heartbreak I have caused. The difference is, being an "Indy" guy, I could see the heartbreak on their faces. Hell most of them knew where I lived, so they could find me and tell me personally how they felt. I know atonement, Mike. And I know about doing what's best for this sport we both love. From my first Supershow where I was a curtain jerker, to when we face in the Main Event in Atlanta, I have wrestled with pride, passion, and dignity. I have treated every opponent with respect, even if he never rewarded me with the same. I have given my all for the fans, whether they cheer me or boo me. And I have always answered the call for TEAM. Even when I was injured. Even when I was at my lowest points as a person, and should have taken time off, I have answered the call.

Because I can be a team player Mike. There's only so long a man can go thinking he's alone at the centre of the universe before he gets a reality check. I've learned a lot in three years. It may not seem like a long time to you, but to me, it's been a lifetime. And just think, I still have a lot more living to do.

Ravager smirks.

You may have wrestled far longer. You may have disappointed more people. Hell, you may need redemption more than I do. I can accept that. But, do not think for a minute that I consider myself bigger than TEAM. Do not think for a second that I am selfish. And don't even bother thinking that I don't understand sacrifice. Most wrestlers who don't understand sacrifice leave the business after their first road trip. They don't live out of a suitcase. They don't spend three quarters of their day in a plane or on the road, only to wrestle a huge match, get four hours of sleep and then be back on the go to your next show. I may not be the most experienced warrior in this match, Mike, but do not think of me as some novice who needs to be educated. I am always willing to learn, but I don't think you have a lot more to teach me. You're yet another man who preaches non stop about what's good for the sport. But let me ask you, if you win the match, are you going to raise shake my hand afterwards in a show of respect? That would be good for the sport, especially for the younger wrestlers, who don't see a lot of sportsmanship. But hearing your words, I don't hear respect there. You demean the company where I got my start, and where I still wrestle to this day. You undermine my skills, despite the fact that I've shown you respect from the beginning. Sure, my words have been nasty at times. I've made threats. But I never once said that you weren't a worthy opponent. If the honor I feel to get to wrestle you hasn't come through, I apologize. But do not think for a minute that I don't have the utmost respect for you as a wrestler.

It's just you're also my opponent, and I have to beat you. Add to the fact that this is the biggest match of my life, and call me selfish, but I want to win it. I want to put on the best show I can for the TEAM fans. I want to help increase the stature of TEAM by putting on a match that will be talked about for years. I want the younger wrestlers to look at our match and think "That's what I want to do. I want to be that good. I want to be like them". I want what's best for everybody.

But why do this if I don't want that trophy to be handed to me after the match?

Make whatever atonements you want or need Mike. Just don't think you'll use me to make them. I am your opponent, and I am damn worthy to be in this position. And I'll be damned if anybody tells me that I am not ready to win the TEAM Invitational. I think the fact that I've made it through five opponents to this match says I'm worthy. But if you need further proof...

I'll be more than happy to give it to you in the ring. You think you're ready for all my big moves? Don't worry, I got a lot of smaller ones to chop you down with. It may take longer, but it'll still be worth it. Because I'll have the honor of being in the ring with you. And the satisfaction of beating you.

I'll do it for TEAM. I'll do it for the NAPW. I'll do it for wrestling fans. And I'll do it for myself. (he smirks again) It's not selfish if I share with everyone.

Soon, Mike. very soon.

Fade to Black.

 

[jediPREZ]

Lies, everywhere is Lies

“I’m not trying to teach you, but it’s blatantly obvious you’re about to get schooled.”

(FADEIN: The Sonoran Desert illuminated by blinking stars and a harvest moon. Coyotes howl, reptiles croak and night birds caw faraway in the distance. There’s a bonfire burning, where ‘The Wolf’ MIKE RANDALLS sits cross-legged in meditation. It can’t be too much longer from his previous workout, his white drawstring shorts are stained and splotched by blood. His hands and shins are dirty, scabbed and freshly scarred. His eyes remain closed as he begins to speak…)

RANDALLS: “Tell me Ravager, do you enjoy mouthing the words of a complete and total hypocrite? Do you think I am so ignorant to ignore your comments on FORGETTING career retrospectives, only to listen to a dozen half-truths about your 3-year TEAM stewardship? In the last 9 months, exactly how many times have you spilt your blood for the Challenge Championship? I’ll give everyone watching a hint, I can count the number pointing at my D*CK. If you want a standing ovation for TWO title defenses in the last year, go find someone dumb enough to get off their rear. Otherwise, you’re just barking more bullsh*t into the wrong man’s ears.”

(RANDALLS’ eyes open, his emerald pupils glowing and dancing from the flickering flames behind him.)

RANDALLS: “One could ask if you defended during the Dupree Cup shows and the answer would be a resounding NO…or ZERO. Wouldn’t your honor and respect for the title implore you to do so? Certainly, a man who failed in being a teammate would’ve found time to rectify that with a title defense during that time, or at least ONCE in 2008. Is this answering some call? Is that giving it your all? That is your desire and level of sacrifice for TEAM to look at in awe?”

(RANDALLS shakes his head in disgust…)

RANDALLS: “Ravager…you can try and fool everyone with illusions of grandeur, but you cannot break the truth nor what it stands for. The Challenge Championship was conceived as a touring title and you’ve left it at home to collect dust on your mantle. Those days spent living out of a suitcase just show much you’ve debased, defaced and turned it into a proverbial waste.”

(RANDALLS uncrosses his legs and slowly stands up, looking at the starry night.)

RANDALLS: “Don’t take time making excuses regarding the facts, you simply should’ve listened to yourself when you said we should both stop talking about the past. The 365 days, 52 weeks and 12 months you devote to Canada are admirable, but when you step into Phillips Arena’s ring…you’re going to be standing across the ring from a different breed of character and animal. Whether you admit this or not, I don’t really care… your three years to the fifteen I’ve walked hardly compare.”

(RANDALLS looks back down at the camera, shakes his head with a small smirk and starts walking around the fire…)

RANDALLS: “That’s not to prop up what I’m about, we’ve walked different paths and this type of sanctimonious bullsh*t you shoot out of your mouth proves your head is stuck in the clouds. There’s only so many ideals you can steal from me before I show the world how much you’re lying through your teeth. Why am I going to shake the hand of a man that’s already grandstanded the fact he’ll take any cheap shot necessary to gain an advantage? Do these continuing contradictory statements you’re making prove anything besides your failure to make me believe in what you’re saying?”

(RANDALLS picks up a long wooden stick and starts stoking the embers of the bonfire.)

RANDALLS: “These are the questions you should be asking yourself, ‘cause your pitiful and mind-numbing diatribes aren’t fooling me and hopefully nobody else. I commented you’re proud of your indy-cred heritage, you claim I’ve demeaned it. I’ve admitted you’ve defeated some greats, but you want to focus on the slaps to your face. Whether you find this to be my lack of respect for yourself doesn’t matter because those principles don’t necessarily belong in this place. You’re talking to the same man that just told his last opponent he should’ve dedicated his matches to his dead father while he was alive, then tapped him out without blinking an eye.”

(RANDALLS throws the stick into the fire…)

RANDALLS: “Should I treat you differently, Ravager? Am I here to make your symptoms feel better?”

(RANDALLS turns to the camera and smiles…)

RANDALLS: “You’ve completely flip-flopped between whether this match is personal or business, but your biggest underestimation is failing to realize it’s NOT some switch you can flip. You’ve proven yourself flappable when I’ve confronted your threats of crossing unspoken lines and have chosen to spin your wheels, backtrack completely and leave those notions far behind. Instead, you chose to rehash your history while hiding several highly important inaccuracies. Is that what you call honor? Is this the example you want younger wrestlers to follow?”

(RANDALLS spits on the ground, then looks back up...)

RANDALLS: “Don’t bother explaining the life of a wrestler, Ravager… there were 63 others in this tournament, I think the rigors you describe are clearly prevalent. I could probably count at least twenty on the road just as much as you, so don’t think you’re some angel walking some impossible road ‘cause it just makes you sound like a fool. Yes, I’ve been on that particular road longer than you, but I have the respect for our match and this tournament not to give you a fifteen years summary of what I can do…nothing in the past means anything anymore, but our match means everything and that’s what I will ALWAYS live for.”

(A smile creeps along RANDALLS’ mouth, his eyes slitting in a slightly sinister fashion.)

RANDALLS: “From the future to the past, I want to hear every opponent of mine willing to wrestle their match as their last. I want to hear it’s your biggest moment, I want you to believe that with every word you proclaim in your envisioned omens. I hope you can cross that line and show me your limits, so I can show you a fighting spirit you’ve never imagined.”

(The camera closes in as RANDALLS’ smile widens even further.)

RANDALLS: “I will not back down and you cannot break me. That line you fear to cross is where I have defined myself as Champion. I walk the Way beyond what you seek, where danger and your anger finds something it cannot defeat. You can challenge this belief and you can call me prey, but I am not the hunted nor do you understand The Way. It is where you can find the top of this sport’s mountain…only to plummet defeated and broken. There is no throne and you will not be its King, this is the oath I’ve sworn to EVERY wrestling ring.”

(The camera starts fading away as RANDALLS’ face remains confident.)

RANDALLS: “My redemption, TEAM’s evolution and progression will be marked by my Merritt Trophy victory. Your fingertips may touch the peak and you may get a glimpse of the horizon, but your fears have you looking down below at your final destination. That is the Way and perhaps you will survive the fall, when I push you off … Trust me, I’ll be more than intrigued for your fifth title defense in 15 months against your fourth different challenger in Fusenhoff.”

(FADETOBLACK)

“Of course, that is if you can even WALK after our match…although, even if you can I’ll be proud to have given TEAM a Challenge Champion that won’t metaphorically jerkoff on the title’s credibility to feel like a bigger man.”

 

[Ravager]

Re: Lies, everywhere is Lies

We fade in on the TEAM Challenge title, displayed on a table. We hear Ravager's voice but we don't see him.

I need to defend myself right now. But I can't, not really. I mean, after what has been said about me, I should be in front of a camera, spewing obscenities, denying everything, confronting everyone, making rash challenges I have no business making, promising title matches I have no power to grant. I should be angry.

And I am. I'm angry because I let you into my head Mike Randalls. Your words have had an effect on me. They've taken me off my game. I have to defend myself at every turn against your accusations, your insults, your threats. You raise some fine points. You've given me a lot to think about.

To the fans of TEAM. I apologize for the lack of Challenge title defenses. I have endeavored to defend it on every TEAM Supershow, and so far I have. I am well aware that this belt was meant to be a touring title. As of yet I have not heard any interest from other federations for me to defend it. That's the truth Mike. I don't make the title matches. Pure and simple. I get told when to put the belt up, and I do. And I win. Not enough to impress you, but hey, nothing I've done has impressed you, so really, what can I do? Right now, all I can do is focus on the match at hand. Which is the most important match of my career.

I insinuated that I would do anything to win. I always have. I always will. I use match stipulations to my advantage. I exploit weaknesses. I win. If I get a fair fight, I fight fair. If my opponent wants to bend the rules, I can bend them just as well as the next guy. If you're as honorable as you say, Mike, then you don't have a problem. I respect you Mike. No matter how mad you're making me. No matter how much you're trying to bury me, you're still a veteran. You're still a former World champion. And you're still my opponent. So that means you deserve every ounce of respect I can give. You will get the full brunt of my pride, passion, and dedication I have for this sport. And as long as you're willing to keep it clean, I will too.

I have watched as men enter this sport, only to leave after a few months, when the big paydays don't come their way. I have watched others get success right away, then crumble when they hit a losing skid. I have seen the best in the business snap under pressure. I have seen the worst come out on top and shock the world with a title win. I have had many highs and lows Mike. Here in TEAM especially. It wasn't until I treated every match like a main event that I achieved success. You want me to wrestle every match like it's my last? Damn it man, I've been trying to do that since I got my start! The opponent I don't treat as the biggest threat to my career is the opponent who pins me to the mat. And Mike, have I not said again and again that this is the biggest match of my career? That makes you the biggest opponent of my career. That makes you the boogeyman who haunts my dreams at night. The monster who is always following me, reminding me of my shortcomings, telling me I don't have what it takes. I was wrong, you do have a lot to teach me. You've taught me not to define myself by the title belt I wear, because there's always somebody with a more "prestigious" title, that has a few more diamonds on it, or more letters in the fed name.

The Challenge title is taken off the table.

So I won't bring that baggage into our match. We have an empty slate here. No past accomplishments in NAPW. Forget anything I've done so far for TEAM. It's just you and me, Mike. You are looking for redemption. You're looking for TEAM's evolution. And me?

The camera pans up to Ravager.

I want to beat you more than any other opponent I've ever had. I want to redeem myself. Because after everything you've said about me, you've given me a lot to prove. You have a real way with words, and you've used them to paint me in a bad light. People will be thinking that I'm lazy. Unworthy. A liar. A cheat. And those words do not describe me. I did not cheat to get this far in the Invitational. I did not slack my way to the finals. I earned the title belt you say I overvalue, and I've never ducked anyone. So there's a lot for me to do when we meet in Atlanta. I want the World to see the passion I bring to the ring. I want the fans to see how much they mean to me, by the performance I put on in the ring. I want every promoter out there to see what the TEAM Challenge champion can do. I want them to be burning up the phone lines trying to get me to defend the TEAM Challenge title in their promotion. I want to hold the Merritt Trophy, and see my name etched on it with all the other greats before me.

I want what's best for TEAM. And really, how bad will it look if the Challenge Champion couldn't answer yours'?

So I thank you Mike. Thank you for the new focus. Thank you for the words. I promise I will give you everything you want. I will give you a Challenge Champion who's worthy of the title. I'll give you an opponent worthy of the Merritt Trophy. I'll give you the match that'll make TEAM better. I'll give it all to you.

Just be careful what you wished for.

Fade to Black.

 

[Ravager]

Re: Lies, everywhere is Lies

Backstage at TEAM Supershow IX. Ravager steps out of the locker room and looks around. The hallway is pretty much empty right now. He wasn't expecting a huge sendoff, but... He doesn't dwell on it too much. He makes the long walk down the hallway. His steely blue eyes catch sight of the curtains that cover the ring entrance. He stops and stands near it. He is ready to fight. Eager even. He starts to pace back and forth. He has the TEAM Challenge title around his waist. He stops again, and takes a deep breath. He has his eyes shut as he waits for his music. He is trying to stay loose, but there is a lot on his mind right now...

So much to prove. And really, my last chance to prove it. I'm not going to "wait until next year". I'm not going to dress up any loss as a learning experience. I'm not going to take solace in what I have or what I've had. None of that matters right now. Where I've fought is irrelevant. Who I've faced means nothing in that ring when I face Mike Randalls. Right now is about the finals of the TEAM Invitational. Right now is about me getting my hands on the Merritt Trophy. Right now is about me being the best TEAM has to offer.

Mike. I've said stuff this week. Some of it I regret. Some of it I don't. I hate that I insinuated that I would cheat to beat you. But I will not lose pride in being TEAM Challenge champion. You can criticize me all you want, but I have defended this belt as often as the Championship of Championships or the Free For All title, and I've been successful in all my defenses, the only TEAM Champion to do so. You think I've devalued this belt, well, once I beat you, the value will go up, I guarantee it. Because the Challenge Champion winning the TEAM Invitational will do nothing but bring make the champion look better. Like a World beater. And that's good for TEAM, whether you want to admit it or not. Not you seeking redemption. But a champion answering the call of an opponent, and succeeding against the odds. TEAM will evolve because the champions step up and make the promotion special. One reason TEAM will be better will be because of Nova. James Varga. Otaku. And me. Now, you are setting a fine example. You have a passion that few can match. And you have made some fine points this last week. But in the end, all you've done is given me more to prove. You've spurred my passion. You've increased my dedication. You're making me the wrestler you want me to be. And I thank you. Your veteran insight made me the man you're about to face in mere minutes.

The Shooter.

The Last Resort.

The All Business Ass Kicker.

And the next winner of the TEAM Invitational.

And you're right. Everything I've done up till now will mean very little once we get in that ring. All that's going to matter is the winner is the man who'll take TEAM above and beyond. The winner is the man who has found redemption. The winner is the man who loves this sport more than life itself.

I want to be that man. I deserve to be that man. I have sacrificed. I have lost the important battles only to learn how to win the even more important ones. I have let lesser men get in my head so I'll be more prepared for one the true greats try to find their way in. You did a good job Mike. You almost broke me before I got into the ring. But almost isn't going to cut it. It never has for me, and I'm sure it won't for you. But you can rest easy knowing this:

When I beat you, you won't need excuses. You won't need to be angry. You won't need to be ashamed. All you'll need is the integrity you've shown so far. And the will to keep going. Because your redemption is out there. I hope you find it. It's just not going to come tonight. Not at my expense.

We hear the opening strains of "Path" by Apocalyptica, and Ravager puts his game face on.

Biggest.

Match.

Of My.

Career.

Thank you for sharing it with me, Mike.

Ravager steps through the curtains as we fade to black.

 

[jediPREZ]

Victory

“Ravager…you shouldn’t be ashamed for being average. After we meet in the ring, you’ll understand why your impending humility was never going to be salvaged.”

(…a black screen…the voice echoes for a few moments…)

“Do you believe I feel some overwhelming sense of pride? Do you think I found joy in your admission that I’m right?”

(…a tall, rectangular white light slowly develops in the center from a door opening…)

“You think you understand everything so easily, when we’ve proven most of what you say means nothing in reality.”

(FADEIN: A dim, rotating ceiling light illuminates and cascades the Phillips Arena lobby in a subtle disco-ball shimmer effect…an increasing, voluminous light shining in the middle.)

“You erased a slate of your own words, the only past accomplishments degenerating in meaning are yours.”

(The beacon directly centers on the Merritt Trophy inside an honorary glass case, which reflects sparkling gold rays towards the large bay windows. Outside, a faint white moon illuminates the night sky while a shadow stands in the distant doorway.)

“I told you the excuses would come out of ignorance, now more than ever if you think you’ve been granted forgiveness.”

(CUTTO: ‘The Wolf’ MIKE RANDALLS strides along the red carpet…He’s wearing a black collared short-sleeve shirt with a white dragon imprint, frayed blue jeans and dirty brown boots. His auburn hair hangs to his shoulders, slightly covering his face as the camera watches him walk straight towards the trophy.)

RANDALLS: “It doesn’t matter if you offer me mercy, gratitude or apologies. Your doubts seal your initially feared destiny of me crushing your dreams. I’ve never wished once while I’ve spoken and now your hope is to recover from your mind being broken.”

(RANDALLS gets close to the trophy, taking off his hat and gently holding it over his chest…)

RANDALLS: “There is a difference when I say I WANT this more than anything in my life. There is a conviction and solid context to how much I will SACRIFICE.”

(RANDALLS lowers his head, closing his eyes as he stands close to the glow of the trophy case.)

RANDALLS: “I will embody the sport’s karmic retribution against your egotistical and historical annotations. The ironic and slightest pain in our encounter is your psychological assassination…but when that bell rings you will find my words are the least of my weapons, for I am the forthcoming harbinger of your physical destruction.”

(RANDALLS’ eyes open, their emerald glare transfixed on the trophy.)

RANDALLS : “I’ve outwrestled puroresu legends, strong-style strikers with reckless abandoned discipline and been known to devilishly dare suicidal tendencies within the world’s wildest lucha-libre kamikaze pilots. You can keep this match clean, you can hit me with a chair. You can drive me through a flaming table and I will NOT care.”

(RANDALLS smirks…his hand gently grazing the reflecting sparkle from the Merritt Trophy )

RANDALLS: “Just don’t let your chosen weapons fall in my grasp because that mistake may be your last. Each man that’s vowed I am the match of his life has defined The Way’s existence. Each world I’ve turned upside down, in your case a business acumen suffering its first unequivocal personal attrition.”

(RANDALLS’ smile fades…)

RANDALLS: “How can you wrestle with nothing to lose, when you’ve never lost everything? How can you wrestle with everything to lose without understanding what it’s like to be reduced to nothing?”

(RANDALLS backs up from the trophy and looks up towards the windows.)

RANDALLS: “You want to be heard, but nothing about your life is reflected in your words. If you want to wrestle as fearlessly free as me, you should stop speaking like a slave to me. You are a 15-month long champion that never defended your title because you waited for decisions of businessmen wearing suits.”

(RANDALLS starts shaking his head angrily, his eyes slitting as they stare back at the gleaming trophy.)

RANDALLS: “The worst is the truth because your half-assed apologies secretly accuse TEAM’s own virtues. You willingly assume that TEAM would not approve a title defense chosen by YOU? Is that the limited scope of your rifle, Ravager? You are going to come out and place BLAME on the SAME institution you’ve supposedly sworn to have sacrificed yourself in that ring for three years?”

(RANDALLS closes his eyes, seemingly to calm himself down. They slowly open as he chuckles and smirks.)

RANDALLS: “I’m not going to sing Blame Canada, but the thought can be one little laugh before I mercilessly break your back. You have chosen the destiny to lose your business and innocence ruthlessly, so you can try to appreciate a loss you’ll never forget personally.”

(RANDALLS starts nodding in approval of the thought…looking out at the moonlit Atlanta sky.)

RANDALLS: “You may not believe me, you may think I’m lying or crazy…but you WILL tap or get knocked the EFF out for that is the Way. See, there’s a magic bullet slicing through the air at your empty head that will let me show you what the f*ck you STILL don’t get. Ravager, this match was NOT about taking things OFF the table…its about putting more ON THE LINE. You are the one hiding and demoralizing what’s right for your title, because you don’t even offer to DEFEND it in your life’s GREATEST BATTLE.”

(The camera closes in on RANDALLS’ face as he returns his intent glare to the Merritt Trophy.)

RANDALLS: “I would’ve eagerly accepted the challenge, for it would have shown you fearless to be completely ravaged. Instead, you leave something for your future to lose while proclaiming your mindset as something new. Although, it is not too late to show your heart to the proper authorities…”

(RANDALLS looks at his hand reading ‘NOVA’…)

RANDALLS: “…perhaps my fate is to become TEAM’s first TRIPLE CROWN Champion starting with my upcoming victory.”

(RANDALLS smirks and slowly lowers himself to a seated meditative position on the ground, in front of the Merritt Trophy.)

RANDALLS: “A fractured mind has left you blind, but you won’t make it right by leaving the baggage behind. In defeat, you will realize that just like your words…the arrogance in your skills shows your ignorance of this world. Not you, not anybody in this world can stand between my destiny to win the Merritt Trophy. Men putting more on the line than you did not alter their fate, no matter how much they believe theirs aligned. It’s not only my redemption in the face of your backtracking respects, this is the birth of TEAM’s evolution in spite of your half-assed regrets.”

(The camera now circles around RANDALLS facing the trophy as he closes his eyes…)

RANDALLS: “You’re a desperate man that obviously knows he’s meant to lose to a superior Warrior. You can hammer down an unimaginable quantity of empty syllables, but the quality of The Way will rip you like a rabid animal. You can reverse your logic and lie about leaving a title behind, then you can show the world twice you do not have the COURAGE to put it ON THE LINE. You can pack the airwaves 48 hours on the dime, but there is nothing you can magically muster to avoid what happens in time.”

(The camera focuses on RANDALLS’ face smiling, the glow of the Merritt Trophy illuminating it…)

RANDALLS: “If you’re willing to believe James Varga is good for this company, I now know that 25,000 fans will ROAR when you’re tapping because you’re willing to galvanize that retarded monkey. If you believe your last pitiful resort makes you TEAM’s leader, you should really know this truly makes me TEAM’s SAVIOUR. You are lost against The Way and you’re in far too deep. You see the dark water above your head and the noose tied around your feet. It’s cinched so tight you feel the blood cut off from your legs, now its only moments until the last atom of oxygen leaves your head. Your conjecture is hollow, your continual use of lower mid-card wrestlers shows your shooter’s scope to be very narrow. The Merritt Trophy is not something you will touch today or tomorrow because only a foolish hitman would try to snipe a head it can’t follow.”

(RANDALLS’ eyes flash open staring at the trophy.)

RANDALLS: “As your cartilage tears from the bone and you feel a pain you’ve never known…your allegiances to Canada and the TEAM Challenge Title will flash before your mind. Mark my words THAT is when you will comprehend that The Merritt Trophy is MINE. You can rip my eyes out, you can grind my bones to powder…there is nothing else for me anywhere, just this match without a foreseen future. I will fight you tooth and nail, off the track and off the rails. No matter how long it takes for the time to draw near…eventually, The Way will surpass anything you’ve ever feared. You will see my eyes at that moment and see the one thing I shall not share in TEAM’s ring…”

(FADETOBLACK)

” The oath to give the TEAM’s Merritt Trophy its GREATEST victory.”