Endorsement

[Colt Crawford]

November 19th, 2009
Lexington, Kentucky
24 Hour Fitness

A typically Thursday morning of business at the gym, from the young to the old, the healthy to the in need of a serious workout, and even one egotistical maniac in a corner all alone. Coming off of his first defeat by pin fall, just weeks before the world title bout, Colt looks determined as always as he runs on the treadmill. He has his headphones on and is immune to anyone or anything around him, until we get close enough to be able to hear him.

Filipe, you got me. The old man pulled a fast one on the brilliant young pup. You should be proud of yourself, you can go down as the first person to officially pin me. They say every squirrel finds his nut everyone once in a while, and Sunday was your nut.

I made a cardinal mistake in that match-up. Was it underestimating you? No, I still know that ninety nine times out of a hundred I will treat you like the red headed step child that you are. What I did was got myself diverted. You can thank the Moderators for your victory.

As great and deserving as it was for the Moderators to put me into the World Title five way dance, it also ended up being a distraction to me. I heard the news and I focused on all that I needed to do in order to defeat four others, so focused I forgot to defeat what was standing in front of me. That is a mistake I will never make again.

Now upon me is a five person free for all, with the winner earning the top prize, the vacant World Title. I will admit I would have enjoyed it more if I could have had another opportunity to beat Marcus T for it, but he ran off with his tail tucked between his legs. Instead I have to beat four people who the Moderators deem worthy of being title contenders, and who I deem worthy of carrying my jock strap.

Don’t get me wrong, many of you have eye opening credentials. Eno, is the first ever TWD World Champion and held the title for damn near a whole year. Then you have the undefeated Jamie Krenshaw, one half of the current tag team champions and holder of the champion’s case. Then you have Filipe, who is old, but at least at some point in time he used to be champion somewhere, at least that is what I am told to believe. And of course the winner of them all, Saber, who has done….nothing.

Saber, you still parade around your victory over me in the Bull Rope match, like it was really something to be proud of. Any poor sap could swing a heavy object and knock me out; again I go back to the squirrel and his nut. You thought that you would finally be done with me, that you wouldn’t have to deal with me ever again; that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

You see Saber, I hate you. Not a slight dislike, I completely hate you and everything that is you. And when someone has a hate as strong as mine, you never are done, at least not until that hated is gone. So whether you have beaten me once or whether I have beaten you a hundred times, as long as you are in the TWD you will never fully rid yourself of me. I may not always be in the immediate focus, but I will always be a thorn in your side, and just when you think you can let your guard down I will strike again, reminding you how great I still am.

Colt stops running on the treadmill and walks over to the juice bar. He orders a protein smoothie and before he gets it he is joined by the same young lady as we have seen in recent weeks. Still with her back turned to us and not revealing any information as to who she is. However, being in a public place she is not asking to be to desecrate.

Colt: I thought you weren’t going to be here until later in the week. What do I owe the pleasure?

Woman: I figured since you can’t seem to beat anyone recently I figured I would get up here and help you prepare for you next match, any help couldn’t hurt.

Colt: Seriously you know my last two loses have been flukes. Those two wannabes are not worthy to hold my ass cream, let alone claim a victory over me.

Woman: They may not, but the can. Fluke or not, at the end of the day if you look in the record log you have a loss to Saber and Filipe. And as ironic as it could be you now face both of them men with a lot higher stakes on the line. So instead of giving excuses, or should I say reasons for why you lost you need to focus on correcting any mistake and beating the shit out of those two. And even if you are successful in doing just that, you still may not win the belt.

Colt: No one expects me to win the belt, hell everyone probably things I am the black sheep of the title match. Vegas will have Eno and Jamie has the two favorites for the match and Saber and Filipe right behind them. Then they will slap a 100 to 1 odd on me winning the belt, but screw them that is how I like it. Let them call me the underdog, let them think I am walking into a death trap because when I strike everyone will be caught off guard and then I will stand victorious as the new World….

Woman: How?

Colt: Excuse me?

Woman: How will you stand as the new World Champion?

Colt: Will be beat all four men.

Woman: How?

Colt: What the hell are you talking about?

Woman: You are saying everything right; you are playing the underdog card to a tee and saying how you will rise up victoriously. But you aren’t telling me how you will do it. Your pure brute and strength will only take you so far, and when four men decide to attack you at once, no brute strength will be able to with stand that beating.

Colt: That won’t happen…

Woman: It may, hell anything can happen. They may all decided that they don’t want you involved in the match, so they take out the big man and make it a four way match for the World Title.

Colt: I am telling you that it won’t happen. Let them attempt it, I would dare them all. If they attempt to attack at once, I will conquer and divide. I will find the weak link first, and eliminate Filipe from the attack. Then I will turn my attention to the other fallen leg, and give Saber the quick beating he deserves. That will leave me in a three way with the favorites, and when it comes down to that let the best man win, and we all know who that is.

Woman: Probably Jamie Krenshaw.

Colt: You know you are a bitch at times.

Woman: Wouldn’t be the first time someone called me that, and it won’t be the last. Hell for the longest time that was my claim to fame, but enough about me. I am just bringing you back down to earth. I know you are confident, to the point of cockiness and I don’t want to see you go out there and fall on your face. I have a lot invested in you, and I want to make sure my investment pans out.

Colt: Don’t tell me you are turning into Brian? I can’t have another coattail rider.

Woman: I should kick you in the nuts for even comparing the two of us. First and foremost I can give you a lot more than Brian could; at least I think I can. Besides Brian wanted to hold you back and not let you shine, unless it was under his terms. We are doing things you way now, I am just making sure you do them right. I want you to be the World Champion, and then I will be the 1st Bitch of the TWD.

Colt: I won’t lie; I love it when you get fired up.

The worker behind the bar brings Colt his smoothie and takes the woman’s order. Before the two can get back to conversing a man, dressed in a suit approaches the two of them.

Man: Excuse me Mr. Crawford and Miss….

Woman: Don’t say it out loud.

Man: Right, sorry. Anyways, I would like to take a minute to introduce myself. I am Ronald Hall, the owner of this 24 Hour Fitness. I have seen you two in here a lot lately and thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce myself.

Colt: Okay, nice to meet you I suppose.

Ronald: Mr. Crawford around here you are somewhat of a local celebrity. Whether people love you or hate you, they know you and know what you are about. Mr. Crawford I would like to give you the opportunity to be a spokesman for 24 Hour Fitness. If people can connect this place with you then I am certain the enrollment will sky rocket and the money will becoming plentiful.

Colt: Mr. Hall, I don’t know what you take me for, but do I look like the type of guy who parades around here endorsing things? I come into this gym to get a workout and then leave. I am not a sucker sell out like Saber would be…

Woman: Mr. Hall please give us one second.

The woman leans in to Colt’s ear to whisper.

Woman: I think you are missing the big picture here Colt.

Colt: This guy wants me to parade around here promoting his crap and for what benefit.

Woman: Money, lots and lots of money. This isn’t a small business; this has the potential to be a huge business bringing in a enormous amount of money. And after I am done negotiating with him, you could have a part of that money, a big part.

Colt: Money, that word will change any man’s tone. You do you magic and make it worth my wild and I will do it.

The woman stands up and puts her arm over Mr. Hall’s shoulder and starts to walk with him.

Woman: Mr. Hall, I believe we have some negotiating to do.

As the two of them walk away, Colt reminds seated at the juice bar. After a few moments he grabs the camera man and turns him back towards himself.

Colt: They are gone and now your attention remains on me.

Eno, I would be stupid to dismiss what you have done in the TWD. You were the first World Champion and you held that title for a year. However, you held that title when the talent level was at a low. When Marcus T finally beat you, he exposed the fraud of a champion that you were. What have you done lately to warrant us believing that you can still handle the spotlight of center stage? All you have done lately is have your lackey go on a recruiting spree. You are afraid of what people could do to you, so you are looking for backup. You have attempted to recruit Kersh and Saber, not the greatest of backups in my opinion, especially when one of them will be gunning for you at Devil’s Dance. Eno, I challenge you to show me that you are still relevant in the TWD and not just a blimp of the TWD’s past.
Filipe, you should be on a life high right now. You pulled the upset of the year last week when you beat me. You should have taken that victory and ran away on a high note. Instead you have it in your mind that you are World Title worthy that you deserve to be involved in the five way dance. I don’t believe that and I guarantee majority of the TWD faithful don’t believe that either. They are all scratching their heads wondering what the hell the Moderators were thinking. So my challenge for you is to prove that you are relevant, not just in the TWD, but in life.

Jamie, the only man in the match that I have some respect for, but don’t mistake that respect for like. I know what you are here in the TWD to do and thus far you have done that. Your financial portfolio is increasing and your family can eat, probably more than they need to. However, there are still questions I have about you? Sure you are undefeated and are on some sort of Goldberg like streak, but why have you held back so far. If you are so powerful and dangerous why this is your first World Title shot? You earned the champions case many months ago, but were too timid to ever attempt to cash it in. What were you afraid of? Were you afraid of using it and not being successful, of being embarrassed in front of the whole world, becoming an embarrassment to your family? Or maybe I am wrong about you and you were just playing the game waiting for the right moment, but I doubt that. In the theme of challenges, Jamie, I challenge you to prove to me that I am wrong about you.

Finally, Saber, you sorry son of a bitch! I could ramble on and on about what I really think about you, but I have done that over and over again and I don’t feel like wasting my breath to tell the world again how I carried you when we were tag team champions, and how you cost me the tag team belt. Hell I could tell them about the jealousy you possessed every time you stepped into Brian’s wrestling school. The jealousy that stemmed from you knowing you were inferior to me. Saber, I am Holier than Thou and I am the Next Great Thing, cliché or not that is the truth. And when I stand across the ring from you at Devil’s Dance and that bell rings, I will quickly dispose of you and turn the match into a four way dance. You are nothing more than a pimple on my ass that I will quickly pop. The only challenge I have for you, is to survive…a challenge you won’t be able to complete.

I am done, now get the hell out of my face!