The Straight and Narrow

[SouthernBoy]

{{...FADE-IN: Shane Southern is standing in front of an CSWA backdrop with the US Title belt over his shoulder...}}

SHANE SOUTHERN: " Ok, there seems ta' be some misunderstandin' here. Craig Miles n' Eddy Mayfield...God help me...are PI<BLEEP>ED off at me. Craig, nobody has ever discounted either YOU or Eddy's wrestlin' ability. You two can go...flat out. N' maybe I mighta' mis-spoke when I said you were scareda' me...bad choice a words. What I meant ta' imply is that yer a lazy, selfish bastard who would go to ANY lengths ta' have tha' spotlight on HIM for just two more seconds than tha' next guy. You've got talent not many have in this sport...hell, you might even got more than me. But you channel that inta' goofy promo's and comedic sketches. Hell, if you'd even put HALF that inta' wrestlin' yer matches OR runnin' yer business...you'd be World champ and your "organization" would have overtaken tha' CSWA MONTHS ago. "

" But no, yer content cause that' fans cheer ya'. Problem is Craig, they don't do it 'cause they RESPECT ya'...they DO IT 'cause they like your promos n' they think yer funny. It overshadows yer wrestlin' talent...ask anybody. Even when Eddy Mayfield took Evan Aho to his limit, they talked 'bout tha' match fer all of five minutes, then it's right back ta'...did ya' see what Eddy SAID ta' Shane Southern yester'day? See, ya' can't have it BOTH ways mah' friend. You come out here, RAG on me 'bout Craig Miles not bein' SCARED, 'bout not backin' down from NOBODY. You play tha' real tough guy Craig, n' DEMAND respect...n' try n' shame me inta' givin' it ta' you. Then ya' go out n' stand on a street corner with yer buddies n' play tha' role of tha' <BLEEP> DAMN FOOL. Yeah, yer funny...yeah you add spice...yeah, you're liked by tha' fans...but you're NOT worthy of yer name, you're definitely NOT, a professional. "

" Now, I gotta' little request for you Craig, since you don't CARE one or tha' other, stop havin' GUNS out here tryin' ta' convince me...YOU stop tryin' ta' convince me. I'm not what you call a ratin's grabber, so there'll be NO "big buildup" ta' WILL he or WON'T he join tha' Intruders. Answer, for tha' umpteenth time, is HELL NO. I don't play yer game Craig...I don't DO things YER way. I'm doin' ta' THIS league, just like I do ta' YERS...I REPRESENT IT with PRIDE, DIGNITY and RESPECT. I fight for it even though I don't particularly CARE 'bout who runs it. Call me a company man, call me a sell out...I don't see it that way. These places LET me wrestle in their arenas. They LET me wrestle for tha' FANS. They give me the stage ta' put on MAH' style of show. Without tha' CSWA n' leagues like it...I'd probably still be wrestlin' in bingo halls down in N'Awlins n' sweepin' up bars on tha' side. These organizations gave me mah' OUT. I OWE them regardless of what they do ta' me. "

" Chad Merrit is an <BLEEP> HOLE. Plain n' simple...n' I've told 'em that to his FACE. He's already screwed me once....he'll probably do it again and again. But I'm gonna' keep makin' his ass money. Not 'cause I give two shi<BLEEP>s 'bout him, but because I LOVE tha' CSWA. Not Chad Merrit's CSWA...but tha' PEOPLE'S CSWA. But I don't 'spect ya' ta' understand that Craig. I don't 'spect Guns or Eddy ta' understand that. I don't give up easy...hell I don't give up AT ALL. It's a whole differ'nt world than yer used ta' Craig...welcome to it. "

" I really hope what I said was 'bout you Craig IS wrong. I REALLY hope we can have ourselves a match. I'll EXPECT it. I'm gonna' GIVE you tha' respect ya' think you deserve. Let's find out if I really am, that DAMN GOOD. "

" Party's Over. "

{{...FADE OUT...}}

 

[Packschmid]

Let Me Tell You Something About The People

(FADEIN: GUNS sitting in his Orlando hotel room, smirking.)

GUNS: Shane, Shane, Shane - what we have here is a failure to communicate. Listen, Shane, we're not here to drag this out. Lord knows the GXW guys have been whining about us stealing their heat enough as it is, we really don't need to replay the whole Wicked Sight "Will he or won't he?" angle. No robot voices, no phantom attacks, no swerves. In Orlando, and only in Orlando, you make your final decision. Come on board the Intruder Express as it steams on to victory, or stand on the tracks and get mowed down as we roll on through. It's that simple. You're in, or you're out. But before you make that final decision in Mickey's Kingdom, Shane, let me give you a bit of an education on the fans of the CSWA.

They suck, Shane. It's that easy. Look at Fish Fund. 104,000 strong - stadium full of inbred Sweetwater hicks. What did they cheer loudest for, Shane? Joey Melton versus a midget. A damn sideshow. And, of course, their hometown hero Mark Windham - a man whose best days were behind him over six years ago - beating the consummate wrestler Evan Aho to even further devalue the CSWA World Heavyweight title. There are three things that CSWA fans cheer for consistently, Shane. Hornet. Windham. Midgets. That's it. That's what makes their world go round. The rest they can take or leave, but if you've got Bugbrain, the Living X-File, and the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz, they're set.

The CSWA fans don't deserve anything, Shane. They don't deserve your respect, and they don't deserve your effort. The real fans who care about you, Shane, they'll watch you on TV from Boston. They'll make the trip up to the Tsongas Arena. And if you walked into that NFW arena, Shane, and asked most of the fans that pile into that building month in and month out, they'd tell you what I'm telling you right now - they don't give a damn if the CSWA lives or dies, and if they do, they welcome the day the walls of this place crumble to the ground. Those are your fans, Shane. Those are the ones you owe your allegiance to. Not the dregs of humanity that support the CSWA.

Shane, they may cheer for you now, but one day you'll make a wrong move. One day, you'll get too big. You'll get too good. And they'll all conspire to bring you down. Merritt. Hornet. Windham. Hell, even the midgets. They'll all get together and try to destroy you, Shane - and their fans will cheer for it.

The CSWA doesn't give a damn about you. Chad Merritt doesn't give a damn about you. The fans of this company don't give a damn about you. It's time to take your head out of the clouds and step into reality, Shane. The CSWA revolves around two men. Merritt and Hornet, and occassionally when the mood strikes them they let Mark Windham sit at their table in the cafeteria. That's it, Shane. That's all there is to this place. Everyone else is an outsider, Shane. Even you.

You say the CSWA made my career? (Shakes head.) I was a star before I came here, Shane - but you're right, I did leave here a legend. I also left here bitter, angry, and without any love for the sport that had been my whole life.

Shane, you've given your knee for this sport. (Smirks.) So have I. But if you let them, the CSWA will one day make sure you regret it. I'm offering you a chance, Shane, because of all the guys earning a living in this company, you're the one that stands out to me as above and beyond. You're the one who has yet to be fully corrupted by the system. Shane Southern, you can still be saved.

We're reaching out to you, Shane. All you have to do is grab on. But after Orlando, we won't ask again.

Make the right choice, Shane - or suffer the consequences.

 

[jediPREZ]

Check the facts before making yourself look dumb

(FADEIN: 'COCKY' CRAIG MILES back in front of the CSWA backdrop.)

MILES: "All that coming from a guy who has been wasting travel expenses out of my pocket to go to DALLAS and cut promos about going on the Kennedy assassination tour?"

(MILES smirks, pulls out a cigarette and lights it)

MILES: "Listen, Shane -- you want to know why I run those comedy sketches? For the past six months leading up to Fish Fund, THE PROS BEGGED and PLEADED for ANYONE to make their mark on them. And if you haven't failed to recognize, this tag division doesn't have much going for it. So I got bored, so I had extra time since the only opponents I've been facing the past 6 months are a bunch of CS Express ripoff artists. And when that got too easy, and I had even more spare time since Simply Stunning went into hiding -- well, I hope you get the idea. You, on the other hand haven't gotten any such treatment. You have decided that Craig Miles only cares about the spotlight and that's what drives him. (MILES looks around in confusion) IS this Boston? Haven't I heard this somewhere before? (MILES looks back at the camera) Listen, the fans don't cheer me 'cause I'm funny. The fans don't cheer me 'cause my spots are cuttin' edge. That's only ONE part of it, Shane. You know as well as I do that once in that ring, I give ONE-HUNDRED TEN percent. Wasted talent? Laziness? Please Southern, my trophy case is just as stacked as yours. In fact, if PWI put someone on the cover to define Tag Team Wrestling the past TEN years -- who do you think goes on? ME. Hell, think back to the UWA if you want Shane. Took a chairshot to the back of my head and a FREAKIN' miscarriage to screw me out of that World Title. Why don't you stop for a moment before you speak and THINK FIRST. Don't talk SH(BLEEP!) that you can't back up with FACTS. Hold on - there's ANOTHER reason, the fans dig us. The I's don't lie. We don't buy into the myths and smokescreens other fools do. We tell you straight up what we're comin' for and what we're gonna do about it."

(MILES blows out a smoke ring)

MILES: "You on the other hand are flipping and flopping on issues quicker than Chad Merritt dropping a load on Teri Melton. You wanna buy into the myth that Craig Miles is lazy and selfish? That's just great, Shane. You find me ONE match where that's the case. You go in that research library and find ONE match where Craig Miles 'TANKED' it. See, Shane all you're really doin' is chastising me 'cause I have a FU(BLEEP!)IN' sense of humor. Honestly, I'm gettin' REAL close to using that stupid hick line. (MILES takes a puff) So, I like to get under my opponents' skin before a match - maybe get them so upset that they make a mistake in the ring. So maybe I find some people that talk around here boring, nonsensical and full of SH(BLEEP!). There's no crime in saying something about it. But make no mistake, Shane -- once it's GO time I don't FU(BLEEP!)IN' tank SH(BLEEP!). Just remember somethin' about the I's, Shane. Whether you love our mouths or hate our mouths, you better respect what goes on in that ring. 'Cause we've backed up EVERY word we've said thus far. And THAT'S why the fans REALLY cheer us, Shane. JUST LIKE YOU."

(MILES flicks his cigarette to the ground and puts it out)

MILES: "Shane, all you're really doing is buying into propaganda. We're the 'bad' guys 'cause we don't like what goes on in the CSWA. Look around you, Shane -- NOBODY does. Evan Aho ISN'T CSWA. He's the SELFISH one. You think he cares about Shane Southern? He doesn't care about anyone except himself and his 'craft.' You think Hornet does? For the sake of not offending you with my sense of humor...I won't even LAUGH. You think any of the Windhams do? Eli Flair? The minute he sees Troy Windham, he salivates and loses his mind. What are you doing, Shane? We're not trying to DESTROY this place for the sake of DESTROYING it. We're trying to clean out the ROACHES that have INFESTED it and ROTTED it to its very last foundation. And that's all what you're defending? Shane, open your EYES. You don't have anyone to watch your back. You don't have anyone to trust. Whenever Merritt wants to snap his fingers and have someone run in on your match -- who's gonna be there to make the fight even, Shane? Who's gonna be there to make sure in your WORLD title shot that Hornet, Windham, Love and the rest of that goddamn crew are kept at bay? And you think the fans won't cheer you, still? You think you'll be turning your backs on them? This isn't about us trying to STEAL titles. This is about giving this league BACK to the people. Giving it BACK to the wrestlers that make the wheels go 'round. No more World Title matches with a Melton, Windham and Hornet family reunion - 'cause WE hate that as much as YOU do."

(MILES bows his head, shakes it and looks back up)

MILES: "Shane, I've got the feeling that no matter what I say you've already listened to the whispers in your ears. All I've got in my defense is to tell you to watch ANY match an INTRUDER has been in for the past six months. Listen, we've all got our own styles -- we might not fight the CLEANEST fight, but we're not interested in screwjobs either. Just remember, the THREE of us came together 'cause we were ALL on the ends of the screwjob stick. You watch those matches and you tell me if in the end, we aren't all one and the same - just out there giving 110% for the fans. That proverbial short end of the stick - we're offering you a way OUT of that happening, Shane. 'Cause it will, it most definitely will if you decide to fight this fight alone. There's no telling what FIVE or SIX GXW compatriots will do to that knee of yours, their mission is just like OURS...except they want this promotion crippled FOREVER. All we want is it to be reborn. Listen, you join the I's and don't want us around ringside 'till that bell rings and the Party's Over - we respect that. You don't want to be in the Masterpiece PROfessional Theatre - we respect that. You want to come out here and tell us that we're LAZY and SELFISH - you're in for a world of hurt. You tell us to FU(BLEEP!) OFF after the match in Orlando - then you're just another target. No lies, no games, Shane. Just ONE night to save yourself or to leave yourself to the wolves. Think it over, Shane. 'Cause this Party JUST STARTED."

(FTB)

 

[SouthernBoy]

I'm more right than you realize

{{...FADE-IN: Shane Southern stands in front of a CSWA backdrop with the US Title over his shoulder...}}

SHANE SOUTHERN: " Golly gee...where ta' start? {{...smiles...}} Seems like mah' names gettin' thrown 'round more n' more these days. Tom Adler thinks I suck, the Hip Hop Express want a US title shot, Wicked Sight is STILL tryin' ta' explain himself ta' somebody that doesn't givva' damn, n' Guns, no matter what I say, still is tryin' ta' convince ME ta' join tha' Intruders. Well...before I get ta' Craig Miles n' tha' REAL reason I'm standin' in fronta' this camera ta'day. Let me just address those things, in order, one at a time. Look who's talking. What are they smokin'? Nobody cares anymore, and finally I'll give ya' mah' final answer at Primetime, n' it'll sound somethin' like...NO. Well, that 'bout sums it up. Now, Miles. "

" Craig...somethin's really been botherin' me. You seem ta' think I don't have respect fer yer ability inside tha' ring. {{...shakes his head...}} Nothin' could be farther from tha' truth Craig. I know what yer capable of...trust me. What I havva' problem with is WASTED talent. You COULD be so much more Craig. I never said ya' tanked anythin'...I never said you gave it anythin' less thanna' hundred percent INSIDE tha' ring. It's what goes on OUTSIDE that affect what's yer ABLE ta' do INSIDE that I havva' problem with. I really shouldn't though should I. Yer you. Yer Craig Miles. You make money doin' what you love ta' do...WHY should it bother me tha' way ya' choose ta' do it. {{...shrugs...}} I dunno...does that get under yer skin? {{...smiles...}}

" Ya' see Craig...plain n' simple I don't TRUST ya' even tha' least little bit. Yeah, I've talked 'bout Craig Miles n' tha' spotlight before...that tell ya' somethin'? But I'm not here ta' talk 'bout that. You know mah' feelin's, I know yers. You've done NUTHIN' ta' change mah' opinion of you. It's been talked 'bout n' no 'mount of convincin' in tha' world on either of our parts is gonna' do any damn good, what-so-ever. Tha' only way you convince me of what you been sayin' is ta' pin mah' ass to tha' mat...ONE, TWO, THREE...n' we BOTH know that ain't happenin'"

" So, let's talk 'bout tha' match shall we? When was tha' last time ya' stepped into a ring n' wrestled, ONE on ONE with a competitor like ME? Last I recall wassa' guy down in Boston...n' you put a valiant effort n' that one, but you LOST Craig. For all yer talk...you LOST, n' in Orlando yer gonna' LOOSE again. This time it ain't gonna' be 'cause some conspiracy theory goof wanted you DEAD n' you two beat tha' livin' <BLEEP> outta' each other. THIS TIME it's gonna' be who's tha' better wrestler...ONE on ONE. You've seen me doin' this for goin' on two years now in yer OWN federation...You've seen me doin' it HERE, you've seen me doin' it ever'place I've EVER BEEN. "

" Forget 'bout all tha' talk, tha' distractions, tha' Intruders...you wanna' come down ta' Orlando n' show me what ya' REALLY GOT. I more than welcome tha' challenge. You got ANY other plans in mind, I'll bury you beneath your own self-made pile of CRAP. That's notta' cheap threat Craig...you KNOW I can do it. Don't think so? Try me. Party's Over. "

{{...FADE OUT...}}

 

[TWhitefield]

RE: I'm more right than you realize

Ya know, Shane, it seems that somewhere along the way, you and I got off on the wrong foot.

Hey, it's probably my fault. I can admit it. So, let me clear the air, right here and now.

I don't think you suck. But, the fact of the matter is that you got cheated out of any IMMEDIATE hopes of garnering any more respect than you went in with when the man who held that belt didn't even think enough of it to stick around and defend it.

Maybe you could have beaten Hornet for that belt. Maybe you couldn't. But, admit it, Shane, there can't be nearly as much satisfaction in beating Ryan as there would have been in beating Hornet.

Now, do I think you can return some meaning to that strap? Probably. But, from my perspective, and that of a lot of other people around here, you were left with a nice big hole to dig yourself out of and it wasn't even your own doing.

But, until you do, the CSWA is left with a World Champ that shouldn't have it, World Tag Champs that are reigning over the sorriest lot of teams in history, and a Greensboro champ that until recently was willing the trade the belt for the cost of a Happy Meal. So, forgive me if I happen to think that puts me in a little better light than most right now.

-Adler