Post by Tapioca Joe on Jan 2, 2018 16:29:37 GMT -8
A black screen is the only image for a few seconds. Then the words, SATURDAY, 12-23-17 7:57 p.m. appear at the bottom of the screen. A phone begins to ring. It rings once, twice, three times and then a voice begins to speak.
"Hey, you’ve reached the voicemail of Tapioca Joe. I’m unavailable so just leave me a message at the tone and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."
BEEEP!!!
"Hi Tap, it's Peter Roth. I just wanted to say how great it was talking to you the other day and I hope that we can get together to talk about your future plans sometime soon. I also wanted to let you know that you’ve been assigned a Triple Threat match January Fifth. Hopefully, I’ve given you enough time so you can prepare yourself. I’ll talk to you soon."
The phone hangs up. The black slowly fades away to reveal a copy of a wrestling magazine with a photo of Chris Compact and Britney Anders. The caption, “The Universe centers around Global Wrestling Division!” The camera moves to show another issue of the same magazine. This cover has a picture of Tapioca Joe with the caption, “Tapioca Joe: Just Tap!” The camera pans back until both magazine copies are in the shot. Tap's voice begins to speak again.
"Even though my inclusion into the matchup is random, this match has some pretty good stories behind it. Young up and coming stars looking to climb closer to the top versus veteran wrestler making his comeback from retirement. Two looking for their first real taste of glory and the other looking to reclaim some of it. Crusierweights versus submissionist, the ultimate contrast of styles. Wrestling purists would probably say that this matchup has all the makings of a classic and it probably will. Up until the ending."
The camera swings around and shows Tap sitting in a plain white chair. He is wearing black jeans and the newest GWD promotional “Be Prepared” tee shirt. He picks up the magazine with Compact and Anders on it, spends a moment looking at it, and then chuckles before tossing it back on the table.
"You know even though I had been retired for almost two years I didn't stop studying wrestling. I would watch any wrestling I could find. From the biggest conglomerates on all seven continents to even small independents out of New Jersey, I watched and I studied. I spent a lot of time seeing who were the rising talents in my absence. Even since I've been back, I've kept my eye out on the roster for Global Wrestling Division. In fact, I watched your arrival into the company, Compact and Anders. I think both of you have a tremendous future in this sport. I really do. I think that you both have the ability to beat any person on any given night. If a wrestler takes either of you lightly, and doesn’t prepare properly, you have them. But I hate to tell you this; I’m not taking either of you lightly. I’m prepared for you. In fact, I’ve made a career out of being prepared."
Tap slowly points to his shirt. Once to the word “Be” and then to the word “Prepared.”
"Chris, Britney, we don’t know one another. Never wrestled before and never ran into each other backstage. So you don’t really know me. Now, I don’t know if you’re the type who would go back and watch old tapes of your opponent. I can’t tell if you’re the type of wrestler who reads up on a person’s history, searching it out for any weakness you can find. So, just in case you're two are not that type of wrestler, let me tell you about myself."
"My father left my mother and three children when I was three. When I hit middle school, I started having anger issues because of it, so I joined a wrestling team. Put all my hate and energy into it and I got pretty good. Won a national championship in High School. Went on to wrestle for the University of Colorado. I won three NCAA championships, along with going undefeated my junior year. Why? Because I was prepared. I knew what I was going into with every one of my opponents. I was asked to join the Olympic squad and said no. Because I wanted to be a pro wrestler. So I spent two years training in Minnesota. Then a year in Mexico followed by two years in Japan. By that time I thought I had what it took to be a major star in the U.S. So I came home. I was offered contracts by every major federation in the States. I choose Insane Gods of Wrestling, a young fed in its second year, because I figured it would be my best chance at being a top wrestler. Wouldn’t have to climb the ladder as slowly as in older feds. I wasn’t prepared for what I found."
"I came in like so many other rookies. Arrogant and cocky, believing that I was the best in the world. I made a challenge and it was accepted by a veteran star that I thought, must be overrated, since I had barely heard of him. His name was Captain All-Star. We had a match and I thought I was a surefire winner. He promptly kicked my ass. So did a few of the other IGW stars. It took me a while to figure out that I wasn’t prepared for this. So I took two months off. Trained like I had never trained before and made my return. Ready, confident but not cocky, and I started to make a name for myself. That’s why I can come into GWD and be a big deal."
"I know you must be asking yourself, ‘why is he telling me all this?’ My past has nothing to do with this match. I am only telling you all this because I wanted to warn you. I felt that you should know that I am prepared for both of you. I’m ready."
"Look Chris, Britney, honestly, wrestler to wrestler, you’re not going to win this match. I’m not saying this to insult you. I don’t want you to think that I think either of you are bad wrestlers. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m tellin' you this because you’re not ready for me. Ask anyone I’ve wrestled, you have to beat me to the point of unconsciousness to pin me. I am not a guy that falls prey to upsets. I can’t be beat by the small package. I can’t lose to a schoolboy or a surprise roll up. I’m prepared for it all. I don’t lose to small guys that jump around and try to beat me with speed. I’m a patient man, eventually you’ll slip up, and I’ll win. Guys, if this was two years ago, you might have a chance. But not today, not the way I’m focused now. It’s not even that you can’t beat me, it's I won’t let you beat me. I know what you can bring to the table and I’m prepared. I don’t think you can say the same. I don’t think you're ready for a man that won’t stay down. I don’t think you’re prepared for someone with my focus and resolve."
"Chris Compact, Britney Anders, I’m not sayin' don’t wrestle. I think the match will be good for you. You get to see firsthand just how tough a man can be. But please believe me when I say, you won’t be winning the match. Face me, take some notes, get some good experience and go back to your mission. Maybe in a few years you’ll be on the level I’m on. That sounded bad. You’re both good wrestlers and you're going to be great. Give it time."
"I’ll see you both at Out for Justice Three - ‘Heroes and Monsters’, guys."
Tap stands and walks off. The camera pans down to the table and the pile of magazines. The mag with Compact and Anders lies on top of the copy with Tap on it. Underneath them can be seen a copy with "Your Hero and Mine" Mark Storm on it. Perhaps a sign of things to come?
"Hey, you’ve reached the voicemail of Tapioca Joe. I’m unavailable so just leave me a message at the tone and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."
BEEEP!!!
"Hi Tap, it's Peter Roth. I just wanted to say how great it was talking to you the other day and I hope that we can get together to talk about your future plans sometime soon. I also wanted to let you know that you’ve been assigned a Triple Threat match January Fifth. Hopefully, I’ve given you enough time so you can prepare yourself. I’ll talk to you soon."
The phone hangs up. The black slowly fades away to reveal a copy of a wrestling magazine with a photo of Chris Compact and Britney Anders. The caption, “The Universe centers around Global Wrestling Division!” The camera moves to show another issue of the same magazine. This cover has a picture of Tapioca Joe with the caption, “Tapioca Joe: Just Tap!” The camera pans back until both magazine copies are in the shot. Tap's voice begins to speak again.
"Even though my inclusion into the matchup is random, this match has some pretty good stories behind it. Young up and coming stars looking to climb closer to the top versus veteran wrestler making his comeback from retirement. Two looking for their first real taste of glory and the other looking to reclaim some of it. Crusierweights versus submissionist, the ultimate contrast of styles. Wrestling purists would probably say that this matchup has all the makings of a classic and it probably will. Up until the ending."
The camera swings around and shows Tap sitting in a plain white chair. He is wearing black jeans and the newest GWD promotional “Be Prepared” tee shirt. He picks up the magazine with Compact and Anders on it, spends a moment looking at it, and then chuckles before tossing it back on the table.
"You know even though I had been retired for almost two years I didn't stop studying wrestling. I would watch any wrestling I could find. From the biggest conglomerates on all seven continents to even small independents out of New Jersey, I watched and I studied. I spent a lot of time seeing who were the rising talents in my absence. Even since I've been back, I've kept my eye out on the roster for Global Wrestling Division. In fact, I watched your arrival into the company, Compact and Anders. I think both of you have a tremendous future in this sport. I really do. I think that you both have the ability to beat any person on any given night. If a wrestler takes either of you lightly, and doesn’t prepare properly, you have them. But I hate to tell you this; I’m not taking either of you lightly. I’m prepared for you. In fact, I’ve made a career out of being prepared."
Tap slowly points to his shirt. Once to the word “Be” and then to the word “Prepared.”
"Chris, Britney, we don’t know one another. Never wrestled before and never ran into each other backstage. So you don’t really know me. Now, I don’t know if you’re the type who would go back and watch old tapes of your opponent. I can’t tell if you’re the type of wrestler who reads up on a person’s history, searching it out for any weakness you can find. So, just in case you're two are not that type of wrestler, let me tell you about myself."
"My father left my mother and three children when I was three. When I hit middle school, I started having anger issues because of it, so I joined a wrestling team. Put all my hate and energy into it and I got pretty good. Won a national championship in High School. Went on to wrestle for the University of Colorado. I won three NCAA championships, along with going undefeated my junior year. Why? Because I was prepared. I knew what I was going into with every one of my opponents. I was asked to join the Olympic squad and said no. Because I wanted to be a pro wrestler. So I spent two years training in Minnesota. Then a year in Mexico followed by two years in Japan. By that time I thought I had what it took to be a major star in the U.S. So I came home. I was offered contracts by every major federation in the States. I choose Insane Gods of Wrestling, a young fed in its second year, because I figured it would be my best chance at being a top wrestler. Wouldn’t have to climb the ladder as slowly as in older feds. I wasn’t prepared for what I found."
"I came in like so many other rookies. Arrogant and cocky, believing that I was the best in the world. I made a challenge and it was accepted by a veteran star that I thought, must be overrated, since I had barely heard of him. His name was Captain All-Star. We had a match and I thought I was a surefire winner. He promptly kicked my ass. So did a few of the other IGW stars. It took me a while to figure out that I wasn’t prepared for this. So I took two months off. Trained like I had never trained before and made my return. Ready, confident but not cocky, and I started to make a name for myself. That’s why I can come into GWD and be a big deal."
"I know you must be asking yourself, ‘why is he telling me all this?’ My past has nothing to do with this match. I am only telling you all this because I wanted to warn you. I felt that you should know that I am prepared for both of you. I’m ready."
"Look Chris, Britney, honestly, wrestler to wrestler, you’re not going to win this match. I’m not saying this to insult you. I don’t want you to think that I think either of you are bad wrestlers. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m tellin' you this because you’re not ready for me. Ask anyone I’ve wrestled, you have to beat me to the point of unconsciousness to pin me. I am not a guy that falls prey to upsets. I can’t be beat by the small package. I can’t lose to a schoolboy or a surprise roll up. I’m prepared for it all. I don’t lose to small guys that jump around and try to beat me with speed. I’m a patient man, eventually you’ll slip up, and I’ll win. Guys, if this was two years ago, you might have a chance. But not today, not the way I’m focused now. It’s not even that you can’t beat me, it's I won’t let you beat me. I know what you can bring to the table and I’m prepared. I don’t think you can say the same. I don’t think you're ready for a man that won’t stay down. I don’t think you’re prepared for someone with my focus and resolve."
"Chris Compact, Britney Anders, I’m not sayin' don’t wrestle. I think the match will be good for you. You get to see firsthand just how tough a man can be. But please believe me when I say, you won’t be winning the match. Face me, take some notes, get some good experience and go back to your mission. Maybe in a few years you’ll be on the level I’m on. That sounded bad. You’re both good wrestlers and you're going to be great. Give it time."
"I’ll see you both at Out for Justice Three - ‘Heroes and Monsters’, guys."
Tap stands and walks off. The camera pans down to the table and the pile of magazines. The mag with Compact and Anders lies on top of the copy with Tap on it. Underneath them can be seen a copy with "Your Hero and Mine" Mark Storm on it. Perhaps a sign of things to come?
