Post by Speede on May 13, 2011 20:49:00 GMT -5
”It’s always too early to quit.”
Wednesday, May 11, 2011. 1.32 pm.
Speede Youth Wrestling Academy in Richmond, Virginia.
The scene opens in a well-lit training facility, with a larger than life ceiling and a full-size wrestling ring. The ceiling sits at least twenty feet high, and the ring stands at regulation height. There are guard-rails blocking off a section of about two dozen chairs placed in two rows along one wall, and the other visible wall has several windows high up, about a foot tall and placed against the ceiling, letting in some of the afternoon sun. Also along the same wall, there are double-doors that stand higher than most doors, perhaps nine feet high, in a blue color that makes it hard to tell what material the doors are made of. To the close side of the wrestling ring, weights and workout machines are present.
Among the machinery, the camera shows Roy Speede and Alex Haden in their ring gear, training. Roy is laying flat on his back, bench pressing a large silver bar with big black plates on the ends; three gigantic weights on each side. Alex is running on a treadmill, making glimpses over at the bench every few seconds to make sure Roy is still in control of the bar, and that it hasn’t slipped. After several reps, Roy racks the bar, and Alex steps off of the treadmill. They begin chatting as they take a breather, both breathing heavily, causing them to pause every few words to inhale.
Roy Speede: Getting a good... workout on the... treadmill?
Alex Haden: Yeah man... endurance is... really... important... in an I... an I quit match.
Roy Speede: But you know... no amount... of endurance... is gonna pre... prepare us... for this match.
Roy picks up a bottle of water off the ground, which was sitting well below the view of the camera. Alex bends over, and grabs a similar looking one. Roy downs the entire bottle in a single gulp, while Alex chooses to take slow, small sips. Their breathing settles as they drink, and they finally reach a point of being able to speak without elongated breaths every few words.
Alex Haden: Watch the chugging man. Cramps aren’t going to help you get ready either.
Roy Speede: Alex, I don’t think there’s anything that will get be fully ready for what’s gonna go down at Thirteen. I don’t care if Gravedigger and Brad Kane each come to the ring in wheelchairs with their legs in casts and bandages wrapped around their skulls, it will not be easy to get either of them to give up. Think about it. Gravedigger took over control of the WCF at one point. He never would’ve gotten that far if he’d given up, and he never gave up afterward, otherwise he wouldn’t have held the WCF in his hands for more than a minute. And Brad Kane; do you ever remember him giving up? Like that match he had with Kevin Hardaway, the... what was it called? Horror match or something of the sort?
Alex Haden: The Master of Horrors match?
Roy Speede: Yeah, that’s the one, at Till Death do us Part in 2009. It’s just one of the historic matches Kane’s had that proves my point; he doesn’t give up easily. But the same way, I’m not giving up either.
Alex Haden: I don’t intend to give up either. I intend to protect the fans from those two washed-up bags, and convince them they aren’t capable of returning.
Roy Speede: But there’s the thing that still puzzles me, Alex. Both Brad and 'Digger are less than three months removed from their full-time wrestling careers. Their retirement hasn’t been even as long as the average injury hiatus. That thought leads me to believe they’re still at a high level of performance capacity. They are still probably as good as they were when they left the ring.
Alex Haden: Exactly. The hype behind their one-night-only return is only that; this match will be another match for us. Think of it as being a tag team I quit match against TnT or Organized Violence. Think of it as a match against just another team. That’s what it’ll feel like when we get into the ring.
Roy Speede: That may be, but I still want to get as much work in as I can before flying out their tomorrow. Spot me.
As he speaks, he grabs two fifty-pound weights off the stack near the bench. He loads one onto the right-hand side of the bar, and steps around to the other side of the bench to load the left. After he is finished fastening the clamps onto the bar to secure the weights, he lays back down on the bench. Alex steps to the head of the bench, and helps Roy lift the now much heavier bar off the rack. Roy takes the bar down to his chest, and heaves it upward, and repeats the feat several times.
Roy Speede: More weight
As he grunts ‘more weight’, Roy racks the bar. He sits up, and grabs a twenty-pound weight from the stack. Alex grabs another, and they each rack a weight, one onto each side of the bar. Roy lays back down and Alex once again helps Roy get his grip. Roy takes the bar down, and shoves the bar with all his strength upward. He manages to get the bar up the one time, and racks it.
Alex Haden: Roy! Dude! Were you paying attention? That was four-fourty! You just broke your max by like twenty pounds!
Roy Speede: Really? Oh hell yeah! All the more power to use against Brad and Gravedigger!
Alex Haden: Here, you spot me.
Alex takes the twenty-pound weights off the bar, and lays down in the spot Roy was moments earlier. Roy helps Alex lift the bar off the rack, and after taking the bar down to his chest, Alex struggles to straighten his arms and get the bar back up, but manages to do so. Roy pulls the bar back onto the rack, Alex’s hands still holding the bar until it was safely secured.
Roy Speede: Speaking of breaking maxes, that was four hundred, Alex!
Alex Haden: You’re kidding!
Roy Speede: Nah, man. You’re getting stronger too. And we’ll need it for Gravedigger and Brad, too.
Alex Haden: Alright. I’m gonna go clean up a bit, then we can grab some lunch before the flight.
Alex and Roy remove the weights from the bars as the converse, and after stacking them, Alex walks past the camera, to the shot’s right, and after a moment, running water, possibly a shower, can be heard. Roy sits on the bench, both of his feet resting on one side of the bench. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and looks down at the ground. After a few moments, he looks back up, and directly into the camera.
Roy Speede: Brad Kane and Gravedigger, there are just a few things left in my head that I need to say to you. Your words have really made a mark on me lately, and it’s your words that make me wish I was more respectful to other wrestlers, like I am with the fans. Truth is, I looked up to the two of you when I was younger, and now that I’m in the WCF, I guess I’ve just been trying to compensate for the arrogance that you two really could’ve asserted a lot more than you did, and I’m sorry. I really am excited to step into the ring with both of you this Friday, though.
The fact that I’ve idolized the two of you isn’t going to stop me from doing what I have to do, though. I’m going to go into Thirteen knowing fully that I’m gonna get beaten up, that I’m going to suffer a great deal of pain, and that I’m going into this match with the odds stacked against me to the highest degree. I’m looking forward to our match, but I honestly am not looking forward to the possibility that I could lose my career because of my stubbornness toward not giving up. But as I just said, I’m stubborn to the point where I will never say the two words that signify my resignation from the match.
Brad, Gravedigger, you two are legends in this business, but if you don’t bring your A-Game, I’m going to look to capitalize. I can honestly say that if I win this match, I’m going to be stunned, but I’m not going to give in easily. I’m going to shoot for the fences; if you’re there to rob me of a homerun, then I’ll be satisfied in knowing that I got the opportunity to wrestle with you two on one of the most anticipated shows in the WCF thus far. But if you back down, I will go deep. If you fuck up, you can expect that I will be there to capitalize, and it won’t be I that winds up in excruciating pain howling those two simple words of resignation.
Eliminating either of you will be difficult, but I’m not going to step aside for you two to shine in the spotlight one last time. I will go all-out to try and beat you two, and I don’t expect anything but your best either. I don’t give up. It’s like the saying goes, “It’s always too early to quit.” And I won’t quit.
Roy reloads several weights onto the bar, and resumes his lifting as the scene fades to black.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011. 1.32 pm.
Speede Youth Wrestling Academy in Richmond, Virginia.
The scene opens in a well-lit training facility, with a larger than life ceiling and a full-size wrestling ring. The ceiling sits at least twenty feet high, and the ring stands at regulation height. There are guard-rails blocking off a section of about two dozen chairs placed in two rows along one wall, and the other visible wall has several windows high up, about a foot tall and placed against the ceiling, letting in some of the afternoon sun. Also along the same wall, there are double-doors that stand higher than most doors, perhaps nine feet high, in a blue color that makes it hard to tell what material the doors are made of. To the close side of the wrestling ring, weights and workout machines are present.
Among the machinery, the camera shows Roy Speede and Alex Haden in their ring gear, training. Roy is laying flat on his back, bench pressing a large silver bar with big black plates on the ends; three gigantic weights on each side. Alex is running on a treadmill, making glimpses over at the bench every few seconds to make sure Roy is still in control of the bar, and that it hasn’t slipped. After several reps, Roy racks the bar, and Alex steps off of the treadmill. They begin chatting as they take a breather, both breathing heavily, causing them to pause every few words to inhale.
Roy Speede: Getting a good... workout on the... treadmill?
Alex Haden: Yeah man... endurance is... really... important... in an I... an I quit match.
Roy Speede: But you know... no amount... of endurance... is gonna pre... prepare us... for this match.
Roy picks up a bottle of water off the ground, which was sitting well below the view of the camera. Alex bends over, and grabs a similar looking one. Roy downs the entire bottle in a single gulp, while Alex chooses to take slow, small sips. Their breathing settles as they drink, and they finally reach a point of being able to speak without elongated breaths every few words.
Alex Haden: Watch the chugging man. Cramps aren’t going to help you get ready either.
Roy Speede: Alex, I don’t think there’s anything that will get be fully ready for what’s gonna go down at Thirteen. I don’t care if Gravedigger and Brad Kane each come to the ring in wheelchairs with their legs in casts and bandages wrapped around their skulls, it will not be easy to get either of them to give up. Think about it. Gravedigger took over control of the WCF at one point. He never would’ve gotten that far if he’d given up, and he never gave up afterward, otherwise he wouldn’t have held the WCF in his hands for more than a minute. And Brad Kane; do you ever remember him giving up? Like that match he had with Kevin Hardaway, the... what was it called? Horror match or something of the sort?
Alex Haden: The Master of Horrors match?
Roy Speede: Yeah, that’s the one, at Till Death do us Part in 2009. It’s just one of the historic matches Kane’s had that proves my point; he doesn’t give up easily. But the same way, I’m not giving up either.
Alex Haden: I don’t intend to give up either. I intend to protect the fans from those two washed-up bags, and convince them they aren’t capable of returning.
Roy Speede: But there’s the thing that still puzzles me, Alex. Both Brad and 'Digger are less than three months removed from their full-time wrestling careers. Their retirement hasn’t been even as long as the average injury hiatus. That thought leads me to believe they’re still at a high level of performance capacity. They are still probably as good as they were when they left the ring.
Alex Haden: Exactly. The hype behind their one-night-only return is only that; this match will be another match for us. Think of it as being a tag team I quit match against TnT or Organized Violence. Think of it as a match against just another team. That’s what it’ll feel like when we get into the ring.
Roy Speede: That may be, but I still want to get as much work in as I can before flying out their tomorrow. Spot me.
As he speaks, he grabs two fifty-pound weights off the stack near the bench. He loads one onto the right-hand side of the bar, and steps around to the other side of the bench to load the left. After he is finished fastening the clamps onto the bar to secure the weights, he lays back down on the bench. Alex steps to the head of the bench, and helps Roy lift the now much heavier bar off the rack. Roy takes the bar down to his chest, and heaves it upward, and repeats the feat several times.
Roy Speede: More weight
As he grunts ‘more weight’, Roy racks the bar. He sits up, and grabs a twenty-pound weight from the stack. Alex grabs another, and they each rack a weight, one onto each side of the bar. Roy lays back down and Alex once again helps Roy get his grip. Roy takes the bar down, and shoves the bar with all his strength upward. He manages to get the bar up the one time, and racks it.
Alex Haden: Roy! Dude! Were you paying attention? That was four-fourty! You just broke your max by like twenty pounds!
Roy Speede: Really? Oh hell yeah! All the more power to use against Brad and Gravedigger!
Alex Haden: Here, you spot me.
Alex takes the twenty-pound weights off the bar, and lays down in the spot Roy was moments earlier. Roy helps Alex lift the bar off the rack, and after taking the bar down to his chest, Alex struggles to straighten his arms and get the bar back up, but manages to do so. Roy pulls the bar back onto the rack, Alex’s hands still holding the bar until it was safely secured.
Roy Speede: Speaking of breaking maxes, that was four hundred, Alex!
Alex Haden: You’re kidding!
Roy Speede: Nah, man. You’re getting stronger too. And we’ll need it for Gravedigger and Brad, too.
Alex Haden: Alright. I’m gonna go clean up a bit, then we can grab some lunch before the flight.
Alex and Roy remove the weights from the bars as the converse, and after stacking them, Alex walks past the camera, to the shot’s right, and after a moment, running water, possibly a shower, can be heard. Roy sits on the bench, both of his feet resting on one side of the bench. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and looks down at the ground. After a few moments, he looks back up, and directly into the camera.
Roy Speede: Brad Kane and Gravedigger, there are just a few things left in my head that I need to say to you. Your words have really made a mark on me lately, and it’s your words that make me wish I was more respectful to other wrestlers, like I am with the fans. Truth is, I looked up to the two of you when I was younger, and now that I’m in the WCF, I guess I’ve just been trying to compensate for the arrogance that you two really could’ve asserted a lot more than you did, and I’m sorry. I really am excited to step into the ring with both of you this Friday, though.
The fact that I’ve idolized the two of you isn’t going to stop me from doing what I have to do, though. I’m going to go into Thirteen knowing fully that I’m gonna get beaten up, that I’m going to suffer a great deal of pain, and that I’m going into this match with the odds stacked against me to the highest degree. I’m looking forward to our match, but I honestly am not looking forward to the possibility that I could lose my career because of my stubbornness toward not giving up. But as I just said, I’m stubborn to the point where I will never say the two words that signify my resignation from the match.
Brad, Gravedigger, you two are legends in this business, but if you don’t bring your A-Game, I’m going to look to capitalize. I can honestly say that if I win this match, I’m going to be stunned, but I’m not going to give in easily. I’m going to shoot for the fences; if you’re there to rob me of a homerun, then I’ll be satisfied in knowing that I got the opportunity to wrestle with you two on one of the most anticipated shows in the WCF thus far. But if you back down, I will go deep. If you fuck up, you can expect that I will be there to capitalize, and it won’t be I that winds up in excruciating pain howling those two simple words of resignation.
Eliminating either of you will be difficult, but I’m not going to step aside for you two to shine in the spotlight one last time. I will go all-out to try and beat you two, and I don’t expect anything but your best either. I don’t give up. It’s like the saying goes, “It’s always too early to quit.” And I won’t quit.
Roy reloads several weights onto the bar, and resumes his lifting as the scene fades to black.
