The screen
is black.
For
several seconds, there is no music and no opening montage.
Then the
HCW logo appears.
It fades
away, replaced by a series of still images from the five broadcasts since the
last edition of After Dark.
Mr. X
standing across from Candace Hart.
Grayson
Ito with her arm raised after her Proving Grounds victory.
Luciana
Albano standing victorious after the fourth Women’s Convergent Championship
qualifier.
Terrible
Herse attacking Everett Dawn.
Cassius
Onyx staring toward The Rich Athlete.
“Dirty”
Dick Albano holding his Contract-in-a-Case above his head.
Titan
Briggs standing over Jax Brenner.
Phoenix
Blaze after surviving the Wildcard Fatal Four-Way.
And
finally—
Elias
Grimmstone and Alaric Grimmstone standing in the ring with the HCW Heritage Tag
Team Championships raised above their heads.
The image
fades.
The After
Dark logo appears against the black screen.
HCW
AFTER DARK
The
familiar theme begins.
The
broadcast fades into the After Dark studio.
Wally
Pressman sits alone behind the desk. Several monitors glow behind him, each
displaying a different frozen image from the past two weeks of HCW television.
Wally
waits for the music to fade.
Wally
Pressman:
“Good
evening. I'm Wally Pressman, and this is HCW After Dark.”
Wally
folds his hands on the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two weeks
ago, Dave ‘The Brute’ Kent sat across from me at this desk.”
A monitor
behind Wally briefly displays Dave from the previous edition.
Wally
Pressman:
“We talked
about the United States Championship. We talked about Mr. X. We talked about
Lazarus Blackstar. And Dave said some things that Mr. X has since heard—and
answered.”
The image
changes to Mr. X.
Wally
Pressman:
“We'll
hear that answer tonight.”
The
monitor changes again.
This time,
Luciana Albano stands alone after winning the fourth Women’s Convergent
Championship qualifier.
Wally
Pressman:
“We also
know all four women who earned places in the Women’s Convergent Championship
semifinals.”
Another
image appears alongside Luciana: Phoenix Blaze after the Wildcard Fatal
Four-Way.
Wally
Pressman:
“Although
one of those four women now knows that earning her place doesn't necessarily
mean she gets to keep it.”
The images
disappear.
Titan
Briggs appears standing over Jax Brenner.
Then
Terrible Herse and Everett Dawn.
Then
Fannie Wilkensen.
Then Polly
Mason.
Wally
glances toward the monitors.
Wally
Pressman:
“There are
other situations we'll look at tonight. Some are very easy to understand.”
Titan
remains on the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Titan
Briggs wants the Hardcore Championship.”
The
picture changes to Terrible Herse.
Wally
Pressman:
“Some are
considerably less clear.”
The
monitors go dark.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
before we get to any of that, I want to begin with something that happened over
the course of four days.”
The
monitor immediately behind Wally comes alive.
Cassius
Onyx stands in the ring on Shockwave, looking toward The Rich Athlete.
A second
image appears beside it.
The Rich
Athlete holding the Television Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
sometimes the most interesting part of an opportunity isn't whether somebody
receives one.”
Wally
pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“It's what
they decide to do with it.”
The screen
changes.
Now Possib
Lee is shown having his hand raised.
Wally
Pressman:
“Last
Wednesday on Shockwave, Cassius Onyx wrestled Possib Lee.”
Another
image appears beside it: The Rich Athlete at ringside.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Cassius made a mistake.”
Wally
turns slightly toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“He
stopped paying enough attention to the man he was wrestling.”
The
footage begins to roll.
THE
PRICE OF CHOOSING YOUR MOMENT
The
footage returns to Shockwave.
Possib Lee
is working on Cassius Onyx's leg. Cassius is still fighting, but his attention
repeatedly shifts toward The Rich Athlete.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“Let's
establish something before we go any further.”
Wally
gestures toward Possib on the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Possib
Lee won this match.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“The Rich
Athlete didn't pin Cassius Onyx. He didn't submit him. He didn't wrestle him.”
The
footage advances, showing Possib continuing his attack on Cassius' leg.
Wally
Pressman:
“Possib
Lee recognized a weakness, stayed with it and beat Cassius Onyx.”
The
footage freezes again.
Wally
Pressman:
“That
matters.”
Wally
looks back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“But so
does this.”
The
footage rewinds several seconds.
Cassius'
attention turns toward The Rich Athlete.
Wally lets
the image remain there.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
knew exactly why The Rich Athlete was there.”
The
footage resumes.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
knowing that didn't prevent it from working.”
The screen
cuts ahead to the aftermath.
The Rich
Athlete uses Cassius' loss as evidence that Cassius hasn't earned a Television
Championship match. Cassius responds by accusing the champion of continually
putting other people between them.
The
footage ends.
Wally
remains quiet for a moment.
Wally
Pressman:
“There are
two facts there that can exist at the same time.”
He raises
one finger.
Wally
Pressman:
“Possib
Lee earned that victory.”
A second
finger.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Cassius Onyx made his job easier by allowing somebody who wasn't in the match
to occupy part of his attention.”
Wally
lowers his hand.
Wally
Pressman:
“Then
Cassius made an interesting choice.”
The
monitor changes to footage from Live Wire.
Cassius
Onyx is shown before his Television Championship match.
Wally
Pressman:
“He didn't
ask for The Rich Athlete after somebody else had hurt him.”
Another
clip.
Wally
Pressman:
“He didn't
want him exhausted.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“He didn't
want an explanation waiting for him afterward.”
Wally
turns back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
wanted the champion prepared.”
The screen
shows The Rich Athlete entering for the championship match.
Wally
Pressman:
“Rested.”
The
championship is raised.
Wally
Pressman:
“And with
nowhere to hide.”
The bell
rings on the footage.
The video
moves through selected moments from the match rather than replaying it in full.
The Rich
Athlete repeatedly attacks Cassius' leg.
Cassius
answers with heavy offense.
The
champion returns to the leg.
Cassius
keeps fighting.
The clock
continues moving.
Wally
speaks over the footage.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
nearly thirty minutes, Cassius got exactly what he asked for.”
The Rich
Athlete cinches in the Luxurious Leglock.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
there's something important here if we're going to evaluate what happened
fairly.”
The
footage freezes on Cassius' damaged leg.
Wally
Pressman:
“The leg
wasn't an accident.”
The
footage rolls again.
Another
Shin Breaker.
Wally
Pressman:
“It wasn't
something Ruth Heartless did behind the referee's back.”
Another
attack.
Wally
Pressman:
“The Rich
Athlete identified it, attacked it and continued attacking it.”
The match
reaches its final minute.
Cassius
still refuses to submit.
He
counters.
Both men
scramble.
Then The
Rich Athlete catches him in the decisive pinning predicament.
ONE.
TWO.
THREE.
The
footage freezes on the referee's hand hitting the mat for the third time.
Wally lets
the picture sit.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
Onyx wanted The Rich Athlete at his best.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“He got
him.”
The
footage shows The Rich Athlete being handed the Television Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“And he
didn't beat him.”
Silence.
Then—
The
footage continues.
“Dirty”
Dick Albano's music hits.
Albano
appears carrying the Contract-in-a-Case.
Wally
watches the monitor rather than the camera.
The Rich
Athlete's expression changes.
Albano
reaches the ring.
The
footage reaches the moment Albano hands over the case.
“Dirty”
Dick Albano:
“I'm
cashing it in.”
A brief
pause.
“Dirty”
Dick Albano:
“RIGHT
NOW!”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
turns back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dick
Albano made a different choice.”
The screen
splits.
On the
left: Cassius Onyx before the thirty-minute championship match.
On the
right: Albano holding out the Contract-in-a-Case.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
Onyx had been very clear about what he wanted.”
Wally
gestures toward the left image.
Wally
Pressman:
“He wanted
to beat The Rich Athlete without qualification.”
Then
toward Albano.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dick
Albano wanted the Television Championship.”
The
cash-in footage begins.
Albano
immediately attacks the exhausted champion.
There is
no extended replay—only the critical sequence leading to the finish.
The
referee counts three.
The bell
rings.
Albano is
handed the Television Championship.
The
footage freezes on the new champion.
Wally
allows several seconds to pass.
Wally
Pressman:
“I could
sit here and tell you which man made the better choice.”
Wally
shakes his head.
Wally
Pressman:
“But I
don't think that's my decision to make.”
The
split-screen returns.
Cassius on
one side.
Albano on
the other.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
Onyx chose the circumstances under which he wanted to prove something.”
Wally
looks toward Cassius.
Wally
Pressman:
“He got
those circumstances.”
Then
Albano.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dick
Albano chose the circumstances that gave him the best opportunity to become
champion.”
The screen
changes to Albano holding the Television Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“He became
champion.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Those are
the facts.”
Wally
leans back slightly.
Wally
Pressman:
“What
those facts say about the two men depends largely on what you believe a
championship opportunity is supposed to be.”
The
monitor goes dark.
Wally
Pressman:
“Is it an
opportunity to prove that you're better than the champion?”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Or is it
an opportunity to become the champion?”
Wally lets
the question hang.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
Onyx and ‘Dirty’ Dick Albano gave us two very different answers.”
The After
Dark logo fills the monitors behind him.
Wally
Pressman:
“And only
one of them is holding the HCW Television Championship tonight.”
Wally
pauses before looking into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“When we
continue, we'll return to something that began right here two weeks ago.”
The
monitor behind him changes.
Dave “The
Brute” Kent appears.
Then Mr.
X.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave Kent
had something to say about Mr. X.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X has
answered.”
The camera
slowly pulls away from the desk as the After Dark theme rises.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
Wally
Pressman sits behind the desk. The monitor over his shoulder displays a still
image from the September 23 edition of After Dark.
Dave “The
Brute” Kent is sitting exactly where Wally is sitting now.
Wally
glances toward the image.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two weeks
ago, Dave ‘The Brute’ Kent joined me here on After Dark.”
The image
changes.
Footage
from Lazarus Blackstar's United States Championship victory over Mr. X appears.
Wally
Pressman:
“We
discussed the match that ended Mr. X's first reign as United States Champion.”
The
footage shows Titan Briggs becoming involved while Mr. X is trapped in the
Sleeper.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
before we revisit what Dave said, I want to make something clear.”
Wally
gestures toward the footage.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave did
not pretend this didn't happen.”
The
footage freezes on Titan.
Wally
Pressman:
“He
acknowledged that Titan Briggs interfered.”
The screen
returns to the previous After Dark.
Dave is
shown sitting beside Wally.
Dave
“The Brute” Kent:
“Titan
Briggs interfered. It cost Mr. X. I'm not ignoring that.”
The
footage moves ahead.
Mr. X
deals with Titan. The match continues.
Lazarus
eventually defeats him.
The clip
ends.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave's
argument wasn't that the interference didn't matter.”
Wally
turns toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“His
argument was about what happened around it.”
The
monitor shows Mr. X defeating Jett Sterling at Reign of Champions.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X
defeated Jett Sterling and became United States Champion.”
Another
image.
Lazarus
Blackstar after surviving the Contract-in-a-Case Battle Royal.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three
weeks later, Lazarus Blackstar came after that championship after spending
nearly two and a half hours in a Battle Royal the previous night.”
The
footage changes to Lazarus confronting Mr. X earlier on the night of the
championship match.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Lazarus made certain Mr. X knew he was coming.”
The
monitor returns to Dave.
Wally
allows the most important portion of Dave's comments to play.
Dave
“The Brute” Kent:
“I'm not
gonna sit here and tell you Mr. X wasn't a legitimate champion.”
A beat.
Dave
“The Brute” Kent:
“He beat
Jett Sterling. He won the belt. Nobody can take that away from him.”
The
footage advances.
Dave
“The Brute” Kent:
“But if
you're asking me what kind of championship reign he had?”
Dave
pauses.
Dave
“The Brute” Kent:
“He didn't
have one.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
looks at the image for a moment before turning back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“That was
Dave Kent's conclusion.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Six days
ago on Live Wire, Mr. X gave us his.”
The
monitor changes to the backstage area from Live Wire.
Candace
Hart stands beside Mr. X.
The
footage begins.
Candace
Hart:
“Mr. X,
last Sunday on Voltage, you lost the United States Championship to Lazarus
Blackstar. You've had almost a week now to—”
Mr. X
interrupts.
Mr. X:
“I've had
plenty of time.”
He looks
directly at Candace.
Mr. X:
“And
apparently so has Dave Kent.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
doesn't speak immediately.
Then the
clip continues.
Mr. X:
“I watched
After Dark.”
Mr. X:
“I heard
him say I didn't have a championship reign.”
A pause.
Mr. X:
“I heard
him say I had a championship win.”
Mr. X's
expression hardens.
Mr. X:
“That's an
interesting distinction coming from a man sitting behind somebody else's desk.”
The
footage stops.
The studio
returns full-screen.
Wally
looks down briefly at the desk in front of him.
Then back
toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“For the
record…”
He taps
the desk once.
Wally
Pressman:
“It is my
desk.”
The
faintest smile crosses his face.
Wally
Pressman:
“But I
don't think that's the part Mr. X was particularly concerned about.”
The smile
disappears.
Wally
Pressman:
“Listen to
what he says next.”
The
footage resumes.
Mr. X:
“I beat
Jett Sterling.”
Mr. X:
“Nobody
handed me that championship.”
The screen
changes briefly to Mr. X's victory at Reign of Champions.
Then back
to the interview.
Mr. X:
“And when
Lazarus Blackstar challenged me, Titan Briggs interfered while I was trapped in
that Sleeper.”
Mr. X
pauses.
Mr. X:
“Dave
knows that.”
Another
pause.
Mr. X:
“He
admitted it.”
Mr. X
looks directly into the camera.
Mr. X:
“But
apparently acknowledging what happened wasn't enough.”
Mr. X:
“He still
needed his clever little line.”
The
footage freezes again.
Wally
turns slightly toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“And this
is where I think the disagreement becomes clearer.”
Wally
turns back.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
Mr. X isn't correcting Dave on what happened.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“And Dave
wasn't disputing that Mr. X won the championship.”
The
monitor splits into two images.
Dave Kent
on the left.
Mr. X on
the right.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
disagree about what those facts mean.”
Wally
gestures toward Dave.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave
looked at a championship won at Reign of Champions, one defense three weeks
later and a loss in that defense.”
Then
toward Mr. X.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X
looks at a championship he earned by defeating Jett Sterling—and a championship
he lost in a match where another member of the Null Order became involved.”
Wally
folds his hands again.
Wally
Pressman:
“Neither
man has denied the other part of that history.”
The
footage resumes.
Mr. X:
“Dave Kent
doesn't get to decide whether my championship reign counted.”
Mr. X:
“He
doesn't get to erase what I accomplished because it makes for a better sound
bite on television.”
The clip
stops.
Wally
looks directly into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
think Dave said the championship didn't count.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“I think
that's important.”
The Dave
image returns.
Wally
Pressman:
“He
specifically said Mr. X legitimately won it.”
Now Mr. X.
Wally
Pressman:
“But I
also don't think Mr. X heard Dave's distinction as some harmless exercise in
terminology.”
The screen
returns to Mr. X's interview.
Wally
Pressman:
“When
someone tells a former champion that he had a championship win but not a
championship reign…”
Wally
pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“I
understand why the former champion might hear more than a vocabulary lesson.”
The
footage continues.
Mr. X:
“If you
want to analyze me, analyze me.”
Mr. X:
“If you
want to criticize me, criticize me.”
Mr. X
steps slightly closer toward the camera.
Mr. X:
“But don't
confuse sitting behind a microphone with standing where I've stood.”
A beat.
Mr. X:
“Because
those are two very different things.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally sits
silently for several seconds.
Then he
nods slightly.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
are.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“That
doesn't mean somebody sitting behind a microphone can't criticize somebody who
wrestles.”
Wally
glances around the studio.
Wally
Pressman:
“If it
did, this would be a very short program.”
He looks
back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“But Mr. X
is making a distinction of his own.”
The
monitor shows Dave.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave Kent
evaluated the reign.”
The
monitor changes to Mr. X.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X is
reminding him who actually lived it.”
Wally
pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“I'm not
going to tell you which argument should matter more.”
The
split-screen returns.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dave Kent
said what he thought two weeks ago.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X has
now told us exactly what he thinks about Dave saying it.”
Another
beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
think either man requires me to speak for him.”
The
monitor changes one final time.
The
closing portion of Candace Hart's interview plays.
Mr. X:
“Now, you
wanted to ask me about Lazarus Blackstar?”
Candace
nods.
Candace
Hart:
“Yes.”
Mr. X
doesn't hesitate.
Mr. X:
“Good.”
A pause.
Mr. X:
“Because
he's the man I'm interested in.”
The
footage ends.
Wally
waits.
Wally
Pressman:
“And I
don't think we should overlook that part.”
The
monitor displays Lazarus Blackstar with the United States Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X
spent part of that interview answering Dave Kent.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“But when
he was finished answering him, Mr. X pointed us somewhere else.”
The image
of Lazarus remains.
Wally
Pressman:
“Toward
the man who has his championship.”
Wally
looks into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“So Dave
Kent has made his argument.”
The image
changes to Mr. X.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X has
made his.”
Then
Lazarus.
Wally
Pressman:
“And as
far as Mr. X is concerned, Lazarus Blackstar remains the unfinished business.”
The
monitor fades to the After Dark logo.
Wally
shifts slightly in his chair.
Wally
Pressman:
“When we
continue, we're going to look at something considerably harder to define.”
The
monitor changes.
Joy Monroe
appears.
Then
Fannie Wilkensen.
Finally,
Polly Mason.
Wally
studies the final image for a moment.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sometimes
somebody tells you exactly what they're thinking.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
sometimes all you have is what they did.”
The camera
begins pulling back from the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“We'll
look at what Fannie Wilkensen did—next.”
The After
Dark theme rises as the broadcast fades toward break.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
Wally
Pressman sits behind the desk. On the monitor behind him is a still image of
Joy Monroe and Fannie Wilkensen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Before
the break, I said that sometimes all we have is what somebody did.”
Wally
turns slightly toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“With
Fannie Wilkensen, we've spent several weeks trying to understand what she was
doing.”
Footage
begins to roll.
Fannie
watching Joy Monroe from a distance.
Fannie
inserting herself into Joy's business.
Fannie
insisting that she was trying to help.
Joy
becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the attention.
The clips
are brief, presented one after another.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fannie
watched Joy.”
Another
clip.
Wally
Pressman:
“She
followed Joy.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“She
worried about Joy.”
The
footage shows Joy confronting Fannie.
Wally
Pressman:
“And Joy
repeatedly asked her to stop.”
The
monitor freezes on Joy.
Wally
Pressman:
“She
wanted Fannie to leave her alone.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“On
September 27, Joy finally got Fannie in the ring.”
The
footage changes to Voltage.
Joy Monroe
and Fannie Wilkensen stand across from one another before the bell.
Wally
Pressman:
“And if
you watched only the result, you might think you understood what happened.”
The match
footage advances.
Fannie
traps Joy in The Correction.
Joy
refuses to submit.
Later—
The
Correction again.
Joy fights
free.
A third
attempt.
Joy still
refuses to give Fannie what she wants.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three
times.”
Wally
looks toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fannie
tried to make Joy submit to The Correction.”
He turns
back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three
times, Joy refused.”
The
footage resumes.
Fannie's
frustration becomes increasingly visible.
Eventually
the action reaches ringside.
Fannie
uses her bag behind the referee's back.
Joy goes
down outside the ring.
The count
begins.
Joy cannot
make it back.
The bell
rings.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fannie
Wilkensen won.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“By
count-out.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
that's not the part I want you to watch.”
The
footage rewinds.
The finish
plays again.
Joy is
counted out.
The
referee signals for the bell.
This time,
the footage continues past the decision.
Fannie
leaves.
Wally says
nothing.
The clip
runs for several seconds.
Then
freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“That.”
Wally
looks directly into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
weeks, Joy Monroe couldn't get Fannie Wilkensen to leave her alone.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Then
Fannie finally beat her.”
Wally
glances toward the frozen image.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
left.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“No
celebration.”
Another
beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“No final
lecture.”
Wally's
eyes remain on the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“She
didn't even look back.”
The screen
goes dark.
For a
moment, Wally says nothing.
Wally
Pressman:
“Maybe Joy
Monroe finally got exactly what she'd been asking for.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fannie
Wilkensen left her alone.”
The
monitor behind Wally changes.
A more
recent piece of footage appears.
Polly
Mason is on the screen.
The
footage reaches the moment Fannie Wilkensen sees her.
Wally
doesn't narrate it.
He simply
lets the footage play.
Fannie's
attention settles on Polly.
The clip
ends.
The studio
remains silent for another moment.
Wally
looks from the monitor back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“I noticed
that.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“I'm
guessing some of you did too.”
Wally
folds his hands on the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“I could
tell you what I think it means.”
He shakes
his head.
Wally
Pressman:
“But right
now, I'd be guessing.”
The
monitor freezes on Fannie.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
there's a difference between noticing something and knowing what it means.”
Wally
looks once more toward the image.
Wally
Pressman:
“So for
now…”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“I noticed
it.”
The
monitor fades to black.
Wally
Pressman:
“And we'll
leave it there.”
The After
Dark logo replaces the footage.
The After
Dark logo fades from the monitor behind Wally Pressman.
Wally
remains seated at the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two weeks
ago on this program, we talked about Everett Dawn.”
The
monitor changes to footage from Everett's Proving Grounds debut against Bishop
Ripley.
Wally
Pressman:
“And what
interested me wasn't simply that Everett won.”
The
footage shows Everett attempting First Light and Ripley preventing it.
Wally
Pressman:
“Bishop
Ripley took away the thing Everett appeared to want to do.”
The
footage advances.
Everett
adjusts.
He finds
another route to victory.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Everett found another way.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“I said
then that I wanted to see what happened when the problems became more
complicated.”
The screen
goes dark.
Wally
looks into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“I didn't
expect the next problem to introduce itself backstage.”
The
monitor changes to footage from Shockwave.
Everett
Dawn is walking through the backstage area.
Terrible
Herse approaches from the opposite direction.
There is
room for both men.
Herse
nevertheless changes his path.
The two
make contact.
The
footage freezes immediately.
Wally
points toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“Watch it
again.”
The clip
resets.
Everett
walks.
Herse
approaches.
Herse
moves.
Contact.
Freeze.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
need to guess about that.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“There was
room.”
The
footage continues.
Terrible
Herse turns toward Everett.
Terrible
Herse:
“You
bumped into me.”
Everett
looks confused.
Everett
Dawn:
“I don't
think so.”
Everett
pauses.
Rather
than escalating things, he extends his hand.
Everett
Dawn:
“But if I
did, I'm sorry.”
The
footage freezes on Everett's extended hand.
Wally
Pressman:
“Everett
had several choices available to him.”
Wally
gestures toward the image.
Wally
Pressman:
“He chose
the one most likely to end the situation.”
The
footage continues.
The
tension remains.
The clip
ends.
Wally
Pressman:
“And if
that had been the end of it, I probably wouldn't be talking about it tonight.”
The
monitor changes to Everett Dawn's match with Jett Sterling later that night.
Wally
Pressman:
“Then
Everett went to the ring.”
Selected
clips from the match play.
Jett
pushes Everett.
Everett
answers.
The match
becomes increasingly demanding as the minutes pass.
Wally
Pressman:
“Jett
Sterling gave him twenty-six minutes.”
The
footage continues toward the finish.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
unlike his Proving Grounds match with Bishop Ripley, this wasn't a four-minute
introduction.”
Everett
wins.
The
referee raises his hand.
Wally
Pressman:
“Everett
Dawn beat Jett Sterling.”
The
footage continues.
Everett is
still recovering.
Then
Terrible Herse attacks.
Wally
stops speaking.
The attack
plays.
The
footage freezes with Herse standing over Everett.
Wally
looks toward the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Now the
hallway matters.”
The
backstage footage appears beside the attack.
On the
left, Herse moves into Everett's path.
On the
right, Herse attacks him after the match.
Wally
Pressman:
“One
incident can be an incident.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two makes
it considerably harder to dismiss.”
Wally
turns toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Everett
Dawn wasn't looking for Terrible Herse backstage.”
The left
image enlarges.
Wally
Pressman:
“He tried
to end that confrontation before it became one.”
The right
image enlarges.
Wally
Pressman:
“And after
Everett spent twenty-six minutes wrestling Jett Sterling, Herse came looking
for him again.”
The images
disappear.
Wally
Pressman:
“I can
tell you what Terrible Herse has done.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“I can't
tell you why he's doing it.”
Wally
leans back slightly.
Wally
Pressman:
“Maybe
he'll tell us.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Until
then, I'm not going to invent an answer for him.”
The
monitor returns to the image of Everett extending his hand backstage.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
there's one thing that has changed since the last time we discussed Everett
Dawn.”
The image
switches to Herse standing over him.
Wally
Pressman:
“His first
two matches in HCW told us something about how Everett responds when wrestling
presents him with a problem.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Terrible
Herse appears determined to present him with a different kind.”
The screen
fades to the After Dark logo.
Wally
turns back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“And our
next situation doesn't require nearly as much interpretation.”
The
monitor changes.
Jax
Brenner lies on the mat.
Titan
Briggs stands over him.
The
Hardcore Championship is in Titan's hands.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
Titan Briggs told Jax Brenner exactly what he wants.”
The camera
begins to pull away.
Wally
Pressman:
“And he
only needed four words to do it.”
The theme
rises as the broadcast heads to break.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
The
monitor behind Wally Pressman already displays Jax Brenner with the HCW
Hardcore Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sometimes
analysis doesn't require a complicated theory.”
Wally
turns toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sunday
night on Voltage, Jax Brenner faced Otto Ruthless in a non-title match.”
The
footage begins.
Selected
moments from the match play before the action spills outside the ring.
Otto
Ruthless fails to beat the count.
The bell
rings.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three
minutes.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Jax
Brenner wins by count-out.”
The
footage continues.
Jax barely
has time to process the result before Titan Briggs attacks.
Titan
blindsides the Hardcore Champion.
The
footage plays without commentary from Wally as Titan leaves Jax down.
Then Titan
sees the Hardcore Championship.
He picks
it up.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“This is
the part that interests me.”
The
footage resumes.
Titan
looks at the championship.
But he
doesn't put it around his waist.
He doesn't
raise it above his head.
Instead,
Titan lowers himself and places the championship across Jax Brenner's chest.
Titan
Briggs:
“I want
this.”
Titan
looks down at Jax.
Titan
Briggs:
“And I'm
coming for it.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
turns toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“That's
it.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“There's
very little for me to translate.”
The frozen
image remains behind him.
Wally
Pressman:
“Titan
Briggs didn't pick up Jax Brenner's championship and pretend it belonged to
him.”
Wally
glances toward the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“He put it
back on the champion.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“And told
him he intends to take it.”
The
monitor goes dark.
Wally
Pressman:
“We don't
know when.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“We don't
know under what circumstances.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“But we
know what Titan Briggs wants.”
The
Hardcore Championship appears on the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“And more
importantly, Jax Brenner knows too.”
The image
fades into the After Dark logo.
Wally
Pressman:
“We've
spent a lot of time tonight on situations that require us to look twice.”
Wally
gathers several sheets of paper from the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“Before we
get to the two developments I want to spend our final portion of the program
examining, there are a few other things from the past two weeks that we
shouldn't ignore.”
He glances
down at his notes.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
not everything worth remembering requires fifteen minutes of analysis.”
The camera
slowly pulls away as the program heads toward break.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
Wally
Pressman has several sheets of notes spread across the desk.
The
monitor changes to an image of Adam Jameson's closed folder sitting on Max
McGillicutty's desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“And there's one other thing from September 27 that we still don't have an
answer to.”
Footage
briefly shows Adam Jameson placing the folder in front of Max.
Wally
Pressman:
“Adam Jameson told Max McGillicutty that Proving Grounds would account for
ninety-nine percent of the talent he brings into HCW.”
The
footage freezes on the folder.
Wally
Pressman:
“He called this the other one percent.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“We don't know whose name is inside that folder.”
Wally
looks toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Apparently, neither did Max until Adam put it in front of him.”
The image
remains.
Wally
Pressman:
“Max said he'd review it.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“So until he gives Adam Jameson an answer, that's one we'll keep on the desk.”
Wally
Pressman:
“We still
have two subjects I want to spend some real time on.”
Wally
Pressman:
“But
first, a few things we shouldn’t ignore.”
The
monitor behind him changes to the All American Sweethearts.
Wally
Pressman:
“September
26. The Iron Maidens Tag Team Championship.”
Footage
from Live Wire begins.
Ainsley
America and LeePurty Belle defend against Sparkle and Twinkle, the Tinsel
Twins.
Several
moments from the match play.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Tinsel Twins had twenty-four minutes to prove that getting a championship
opportunity and belonging in a championship match were the same thing.”
The
footage continues.
Sparkle
and Twinkle push the champions deep into the match.
Then
LeePurty Belle connects with the Southern Hospitality Kick.
The
three-count follows.
The All
American Sweethearts retain.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
didn't win.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“But they
belonged.”
The
champions are shown with their titles.
Wally
Pressman:
“And for
all the things you may think about the way Ainsley America and LeePurty Belle
carry themselves…”
Wally
looks toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“They're
still the champions.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Arrogance
becomes considerably harder to dismiss when somebody keeps backing it up.”
The
monitor changes.
Joe “Jack
Hammer” Sanders appears opposite Iosef Koloff.
Wally
Pressman:
“Later
that same night, one-half of the Heritage Tag Team Champions stepped into a
singles match.”
The
footage rolls.
Joe “Jack
Hammer” Sanders battles Iosef Koloff.
The match
reaches its conclusion.
Koloff
submits.
The bell
rings.
Wally
Pressman:
“Joe ‘Jack
Hammer’ Sanders made Iosef Koloff submit.”
The
footage continues into the aftermath.
Krueger
Kruschev joins his partner.
Sanders is
attacked.
Noah
Murphy runs out.
He is
overwhelmed as well.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“And Iron
Syndicate made certain the final image wasn't Joe Sanders celebrating.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“That
didn't change the result.”
The screen
returns to the submission.
Wally
Pressman:
“Iosef
Koloff lost.”
The image
freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“Keep that
in mind.”
The
monitor fades before Wally elaborates.
Wally
Pressman:
“We'll
come back to Iosef Koloff later.”
The next
image appears.
Grayson
Ito.
Wally
Pressman:
“September
27. Another Proving Grounds debut.”
Footage
shows Penny Hall entering first, followed by Grayson Ito.
The bell
rings.
Ito
immediately goes for the Death Valley Driver, but Penny Hall stops it.
Wally
watches.
Wally
Pressman:
“Grayson Ito
came in aggressively.”
The
footage moves through the short match.
Penny
prevents Ito from getting what she initially wants.
Ito
changes direction and attacks the arm.
She locks
in the Arm Trap Crossface.
Penny
submits.
Wally
Pressman:
“Four
minutes.”
The
referee raises Ito's hand.
Wally
Pressman:
“Not
enough time to tell us everything about Grayson Ito.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
enough to tell us something.”
The
footage briefly shows Ito changing tactics.
Wally
Pressman:
“Her first
idea didn't work.”
Then the
submission.
Wally
Pressman:
“So she
changed it.”
The
footage ends.
Wally
Pressman:
“That's a
good habit for somebody trying to earn a place here.”
The
monitor changes to Shockwave, three nights later.
The fourth
Women’s Convergent Championship qualifier is underway.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three
nights later, however, Penny Hall got something back.”
The
footage shows Penny eliminating Grayson Ito from the Battle Royal.
Wally
Pressman:
“Penny
Hall eliminated Grayson from the qualifier.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“Grayson
Ito won their match.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Penny
Hall eliminated her when the circumstances changed.”
Wally nods
toward the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“That's
not a contradiction.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“It's
professional wrestling.”
The
monitor goes black.
Then—
Music
begins.
A colorful
graphic appears.
GROOVE
DIGGER — RETURNING NEXT WEEK
Wally
stares at it.
A beat.
Another.
He turns
toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Well.”
Another
beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Groove
Digger is returning next week.”
Wally
looks back at the monitor.
Then at
the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
have any analysis for you.”
A faint
smile.
Wally
Pressman:
“He hasn't
returned yet.”
The
graphic disappears.
Wally sets
the papers aside.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
that's where I'll stop the notebook tonight.”
He pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
there are two developments left that deserve considerably more than a note.”
The
monitor behind him displays Iron Syndicate with the HCW Heritage Tag Team
Championships.
Another
image appears beside them.
The
Brothers Grimmstone.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
weeks, Elias Grimmstone and Alaric Grimmstone demonstrated that they could
fight Iron Syndicate.”
Footage
flashes of the previous physical confrontations between the teams.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
knocked them down.”
Another
image.
Wally
Pressman:
“They left
them lying.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And there
were moments when the Heritage Tag Team Championships were right there for them
to pick up.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
looks toward it.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
didn't.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
taking somebody's championship belt doesn't make you a champion.”
The
monitor changes to the title match graphic from Voltage.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sunday
night, there was a referee.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“There was
a bell.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And this
time, the championships actually could change hands.”
The camera
slowly tightens on Wally.
Wally
Pressman:
“So the
question finally changed.”
The Iron
Syndicate image disappears.
Only The
Brothers Grimmstone remain.
Wally
Pressman:
“We
already knew they could hurt the champions.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Could
they beat them?”
The After
Dark logo fills the screen as the broadcast heads to break.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
On the
monitor behind Wally Pressman is a still image from Voltage.
Elias
Grimmstone and Alaric Grimmstone stand across the ring from Iosef Koloff and
Krueger Kruschev.
The HCW
Heritage Tag Team Championships are visible between them.
Wally
Pressman:
“There is
a difference between beating up a champion and beating a champion.”
Wally
turns toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Brothers Grimmstone have understood that difference from the beginning.”
The
footage changes.
Previous
confrontations between The Brothers Grimmstone and Iron Syndicate play in
succession.
Bodies
hitting the floor.
Iron
Syndicate being driven from the ring.
The
Grimmstones standing tall after another confrontation.
Then—
The
Heritage Tag Team Championships.
Within
reach.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“There
they are.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Elias and
Alaric could have picked them up.”
Wally
looks toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
could have held them over their heads.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
could have walked around with them.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And none
of it would have made them Heritage Tag Team Champions.”
The
footage resumes.
The
Brothers Grimmstone leave the championships behind.
Wally
Pressman:
“They knew
it.”
The
monitor changes to footage from Sunday night's Voltage.
The
Brothers Grimmstone speak before the championship match.
Elias
Grimmstone:
“We've
already had their belts sitting right in front of us.”
Alaric
Grimmstone:
“And we
left them there.”
The
footage continues.
Elias
Grimmstone:
“Because
stealing a belt doesn't make you champion.”
Alaric
looks toward his brother.
Alaric
Grimmstone:
“Winning
does.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
nods.
Wally
Pressman:
“Simple.”
The screen
changes to Iron Syndicate.
The
Heritage Tag Team Champions answer their challengers.
Iosef
Koloff:
“Now there
is referee.”
Krueger
Kruschev:
“Now there
is bell.”
Iosef
looks directly toward the camera.
Iosef
Koloff:
“No
excuse.”
Krueger
pats the championship around his waist.
Krueger
Kruschev:
“You want
belts?”
A pause.
Krueger
Kruschev:
“Take
them.”
The
footage stops.
Wally
Pressman:
“That's
about as clean a proposition as professional wrestling offers.”
Wally
leans slightly forward.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Grimmstones said fighting Iron Syndicate wasn't enough.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Iron
Syndicate told them to prove it.”
The
monitor changes to footage from the main event.
The bell
rings.
The match
begins.
Selected
sequences play.
Iron
Syndicate uses its size and experience to control stretches of the match.
The
Grimmstones fight their way back.
Tags
become increasingly important as the match progresses.
Wally
narrates over the footage.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
twenty-one minutes, neither team had anywhere else to take this.”
Iosef
Koloff and Alaric Grimmstone exchange offense.
Wally
Pressman:
“No
argument about who started a fight backstage.”
Elias
enters.
Krueger
answers.
Wally
Pressman:
“No
argument about somebody touching somebody else's championship.”
The match
continues.
Wally
Pressman:
“And no
argument that winning a fight when nothing is officially at stake is the same
thing as winning a championship.”
The
footage reaches the moment Krueger Kruschev takes advantage behind the
referee's back.
The groin
kick connects.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
looks at the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“Iron
Syndicate didn't suddenly become somebody else because the championships were
on the line.”
The
footage resumes.
Wally
Pressman:
“They did
what Iron Syndicate does.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“And The
Brothers Grimmstone still had to find a way through it.”
The
footage advances toward the finish.
Alaric
Grimmstone has Iosef Koloff.
Alaric
executes the Pumphandle Over-the-Knee Neckbreaker.
Iosef hits
the mat.
The
referee drops into position.
ONE.
TWO.
THREE.
The bell
rings.
The
footage freezes.
Wally says
nothing for several seconds.
Then:
Wally
Pressman:
“There's
the difference.”
The
footage resumes.
The
referee raises Alaric's hand.
Elias
joins his brother.
The
Heritage Tag Team Championships are brought into the ring.
Wally
Pressman:
“Not
because Iron Syndicate stayed down after a fight.”
The belts
are handed to the Grimmstones.
Wally
Pressman:
“Not
because Elias and Alaric got their hands on somebody else's property.”
The new
champions raise the titles.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
Alaric Grimmstone pinned Iosef Koloff.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“One.”
The replay
shows the first count.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two.”
The
second.
Wally
Pressman:
“Three.”
The third.
The
footage freezes on the new champions.
Wally
Pressman:
“And now
those belts belong to them.”
Wally
turns toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Remember
what I asked you to keep in mind earlier tonight.”
The
monitor changes to September 26.
Joe “Jack
Hammer” Sanders has Iosef Koloff trapped.
Koloff
submits.
Wally
Pressman:
“Eight
days earlier, Joe ‘Jack Hammer’ Sanders made Iosef Koloff submit.”
The
footage changes back to Voltage.
Alaric
pins Iosef.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sunday
night, Alaric Grimmstone pinned him.”
The two
images appear side by side.
Wally
Pressman:
“I'm not
going to tell you one caused the other.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
know that.”
Wally
gestures toward the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“But I can
tell you that in a little more than a week, Iosef Koloff suffered two decisive
losses.”
The
Sanders submission appears.
Then the
Grimmstone pin.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
second one cost Iron Syndicate the Heritage Tag Team Championship.”
The images
disappear.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
there's another part of this that shouldn't get lost.”
A still
image appears of Elias and Alaric Grimmstone holding the championships.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
weeks, The Brothers Grimmstone could say they were capable of taking the fight
to Iron Syndicate.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“They had
evidence.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
evidence isn't a championship.”
Wally
glances toward the new champions.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sunday
night, they stopped having to make the argument.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“They won
it.”
The
monitor remains on The Brothers Grimmstone.
Wally
Pressman:
“Elias
Grimmstone and Alaric Grimmstone are the new HCW Heritage Tag Team Champions.”
The image
slowly fades.
Wally
turns back toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“And that
brings us to the final subject I want to examine tonight.”
The
monitor behind him displays four women:
Korbi
Kong.
The
Stillwell Angel.
Valeria
Vex.
Luciana
Albano.
Wally
Pressman:
“Four
women won four qualifiers.”
A second
image appears.
Trinity
Bowman.
Phoenix
Blaze.
Blair
Kensington.
Lavender
Gooms.
Wally
Pressman:
“Four
other women finished second.”
The images
remain side by side.
Wally
Pressman:
“And HCW
gave those four runners-up one final opportunity.”
The screen
changes to Phoenix Blaze.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fifty
minutes later, that opportunity belonged to Phoenix Blaze.”
A pause.
Then The
Stillwell Angel appears beside Phoenix.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Phoenix has decided exactly what to do with it.”
The camera
begins pulling away from Wally's desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Women’s Convergent Championship picture is no longer simply about who
qualified.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Now it's
about whether qualifying was enough.”
The After
Dark theme rises as the program fades toward break.
The
broadcast returns to the After Dark studio.
Behind
Wally Pressman are four images.
Korbi
Kong.
The
Stillwell Angel.
Valeria
Vex.
Luciana
Albano.
Wally
turns toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
several weeks, we've been building toward this.”
The four
women remain on screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Four
qualifiers.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Four
winners.”
Wally
begins with the first image.
Wally
Pressman:
“Korbi
Kong.”
The
second.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Stillwell Angel.”
The third.
Wally
Pressman:
“Valeria
Vex.”
And
finally—
Wally
Pressman:
“And as of
last Wednesday night, Luciana Albano.”
The
monitor changes to footage from the fourth qualifier on Shockwave.
The Battle
Royal has reached its final stages.
Wally
speaks over selected clips rather than recounting every elimination.
Wally
Pressman:
“Last time
we were here, three places had been filled.”
Images of
Korbi, the Angel and Valeria appear briefly.
Wally
Pressman:
“One
remained.”
The
footage returns to the Battle Royal.
Eventually
only Luciana Albano and Lavender Gooms remain.
The action
continues.
Luciana
eliminates Lavender.
The bell
rings.
Wally
Pressman:
“Luciana
Albano took it.”
Luciana's
hand is raised.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
Lavender Gooms became the fourth woman to discover that finishing second in
these qualifiers was different from simply losing them.”
The
monitor changes.
Four
different women now appear.
Trinity
Bowman.
Phoenix
Blaze.
Blair
Kensington.
Lavender
Gooms.
Wally
Pressman:
“Trinity
Bowman.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“Blair
Kensington.”
Then
Lavender.
Wally
Pressman:
“Lavender
Gooms.”
Wally
looks into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Each one
came close enough to qualifying that HCW gave her one more opportunity.”
The words WILDCARD
FATAL FOUR-WAY appear behind him.
Wally
Pressman:
“One
match.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“One
Wildcard.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And the
right to use it against one of the women who had already earned her place.”
The
monitor changes to footage from Voltage.
The bell
rings.
The four
women begin.
Wally
Pressman:
“I could
spend the next several minutes showing you everything that happened in this
match.”
Clips
begin to roll.
Trinity
Bowman attacks.
Blair
Kensington responds.
Lavender
Gooms takes control.
Phoenix
Blaze battles back.
The
momentum moves from one woman to another.
Wally
Pressman:
“But if I
did that, I think we'd miss the most important thing about it.”
The match
clock appears periodically as the footage progresses.
Ten
minutes.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Wally
Pressman:
“They kept
going.”
The
footage continues.
Forty
minutes.
The
physical toll becomes increasingly obvious.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
going.”
The clock
moves toward fifty.
Wally
Pressman:
“Because
second place had already given all four of them something.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“This was
the match that determined whether any of them could turn it into anything
more.”
The
footage reaches the closing sequence.
Phoenix
Blaze catches Blair Kensington.
Phoenix
applies the Leg Trap Crossface.
Blair
fights.
Phoenix
keeps the hold locked in.
Blair
submits.
The bell
rings.
The clock
shows fifty minutes.
The
footage freezes.
Wally
remains silent for several seconds.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fifty
minutes.”
The
footage resumes.
Phoenix
releases the hold and rolls away, exhausted.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze entered that match with one final opportunity.”
Phoenix's
hand is raised.
Wally
Pressman:
“She left
with a choice.”
The
footage continues into the aftermath.
Phoenix
and Blair Kensington acknowledge one another.
They shake
hands.
Wally lets
the moment play without speaking over it.
The
footage ends.
Wally
Pressman:
“And that
choice is what makes the Wildcard important.”
The
monitor changes back to the four qualifier winners.
Korbi
Kong.
The
Stillwell Angel.
Valeria
Vex.
Luciana
Albano.
Wally
Pressman:
“Until
Sunday, these four women could look at their victories and know they'd done
what was required.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“They won
their qualifiers.”
The word QUALIFIED
appears beneath each woman.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
earned their places.”
Wally
looks toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Wildcard doesn't change that.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“It
can't.”
He turns
toward the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“Whatever
happens from here, Korbi Kong won her qualifier.”
Korbi
remains.
Wally
Pressman:
“Valeria
Vex won hers.”
Valeria.
Wally
Pressman:
“Luciana
Albano won hers.”
Luciana.
Then The
Stillwell Angel.
Wally
Pressman:
“And The
Stillwell Angel won hers.”
Wally
pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“What the
Wildcard changes is what that victory guarantees.”
The other
three women disappear.
The
Stillwell Angel remains alone.
Then
Phoenix Blaze appears beside her.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze had four possibilities.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“She chose
one.”
The
footage changes to Phoenix after the Wildcard match.
Phoenix is
exhausted, but composed.
Phoenix
Blaze:
“Angel
earned her place.”
Phoenix
pauses.
Phoenix
Blaze:
“I respect
that.”
The
footage freezes.
Wally
looks toward the screen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Start
there.”
The
footage remains frozen.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
didn't say The Stillwell Angel didn't deserve to qualify.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“She said
the opposite.”
The clip
continues.
Phoenix
Blaze:
“I also
fought for fifty minutes tonight to earn one more chance at mine.”
The
footage stops again.
Wally
leans forward slightly.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
there's the other half.”
The screen
splits.
On one
side, The Stillwell Angel after winning her qualifier.
On the
other, Phoenix after winning the Wildcard.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Stillwell Angel earned something.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze earned something too.”
Wally
gestures toward the two images.
Wally
Pressman:
“The rules
of this championship tournament have now put those two things in conflict.”
The
footage resumes.
Phoenix
Blaze:
“So,
Angel, when we get in that ring, this isn't personal.”
A pause.
Phoenix
Blaze:
“I don't
need to hate you to want what you have.”
The
footage ends.
Wally
remains quiet.
The two
women stay on the monitor.
Wally
Pressman:
“I think
that may be the most important thing Phoenix said.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“This
isn't an accusation.”
He
gestures toward The Stillwell Angel.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
isn't telling us the Angel stole something from her.”
Another
pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“She isn't
telling us the Angel doesn't belong.”
Wally
gestures toward Phoenix.
Wally
Pressman:
“She's
telling us that she wants the same thing.”
The
monitor changes.
Footage
from The Stillwell Angel's qualifying victory plays.
Then
Phoenix's fifty-minute Wildcard victory.
The images
alternate.
Wally
Pressman:
“One woman
earned her place by winning a qualifier.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“The other
earned the right to challenge that place by surviving fifty minutes against
three other women who wanted exactly the same thing.”
The screen
returns to both women.
Wally
Pressman:
“Nobody
has to be wrong.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Nobody
has to be a villain.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
nobody has to hate anybody.”
Wally
looks directly into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sometimes
wanting the same thing is enough.”
The screen
behind him displays:
THE
STILLWELL ANGEL
PHOENIX BLAZE
Wally lets
the image sit.
Wally
Pressman:
“When this
tournament began, the Wildcard was an idea.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“We knew
what the rule said.”
The
Wildcard graphic appears.
Wally
Pressman:
“We knew
that one runner-up would receive another chance.”
Phoenix's
image replaces it.
Wally
Pressman:
“Now we
know what that rule actually looks like.”
The
Stillwell Angel appears beside her.
Wally
Pressman:
“It looks
like somebody who did everything she was asked to do being told she has one
more obstacle.”
A pause.
Phoenix's
image enlarges.
Wally
Pressman:
“And it
looks like somebody who came up short the first time refusing to waste the
second chance she fought fifty minutes to earn.”
Wally sits
back.
Wally
Pressman:
“The
Stillwell Angel earned her place.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze earned the right to come after it.”
The
monitor fades to black.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
eventually, the ring will tell us which one of those things survives.”
The After
Dark logo appears.
Wally
looks down at his desk for a moment before returning his attention to the
camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Five
broadcasts.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Two
weeks.”
The
monitor begins cycling silently through images from everything discussed
tonight.
Possib Lee
defeating Cassius Onyx.
The Rich
Athlete surviving thirty minutes with Cassius.
“Dirty”
Dick Albano with the Television Championship.
Mr. X.
Fannie
Wilkensen looking toward Polly Mason.
Terrible
Herse standing over Everett Dawn.
Titan
Briggs placing the Hardcore Championship across Jax Brenner.
The
Brothers Grimmstone raising the Heritage Tag Team Championships.
Phoenix
Blaze.
Wally
Pressman:
“And quite
a bit has changed.”
The camera
slowly tightens on Wally.
The
montage behind Wally Pressman continues for several seconds before settling on
the After Dark logo.
Wally
looks into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“At the
beginning of tonight's program, I asked what an opportunity is supposed to be.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“I don't
think the last two weeks gave us one answer.”
The
monitor changes to Cassius Onyx.
Wally
Pressman:
“Cassius
Onyx had an opportunity to challenge The Rich Athlete, and he wanted it under
circumstances that left no room for excuses.”
The image
changes to “Dirty” Dick Albano with the Television Championship.
Wally
Pressman:
“Dick
Albano had an opportunity sitting inside a case, and he waited until the
circumstances gave him the best chance to turn it into a championship.”
The
Brothers Grimmstone appear.
Wally
Pressman:
“Elias and
Alaric Grimmstone spent weeks proving they could fight the Heritage Tag Team
Champions.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Then,
when the opportunity finally came to actually become the Heritage Tag Team
Champions, they did.”
The image
changes to Phoenix Blaze.
Wally
Pressman:
“Phoenix
Blaze lost her first opportunity.”
The
Wildcard match appears.
Wally
Pressman:
“So she
fought fifty minutes for another one.”
Then The
Stillwell Angel appears beside Phoenix.
Wally
Pressman:
“And now
she's decided where to use it.”
The images
fade.
Wally
pauses.
Wally
Pressman:
“Those
aren't the same choices.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“They
aren't even the same kinds of opportunities.”
Wally
folds his hands on the desk.
Wally
Pressman:
“But
that's why we watch what happens after somebody gets one.”
The
monitor begins cycling through the other stories from the night.
Mr. X.
Fannie
Wilkensen.
Everett
Dawn and Terrible Herse.
Titan
Briggs and Jax Brenner.
Wally
Pressman:
“Mr. X
used his opportunity to answer a criticism he believed diminished what he
accomplished.”
Mr. X
disappears.
Fannie
remains.
Wally
Pressman:
“Fannie
Wilkensen may have given us something worth watching.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“Or maybe
she didn't.”
The image
of Fannie looking toward Polly Mason appears.
Wally
Pressman:
“We'll
know when there's more to know.”
The image
changes to Everett Dawn.
Wally
Pressman:
“Everett
Dawn has somebody coming after him, even if we still don't know why.”
Terrible
Herse appears beside him.
Then Titan
Briggs.
Wally
Pressman:
“And Titan
Briggs has made sure there is no such uncertainty about what he wants.”
The
Hardcore Championship appears.
The
montage ends.
Wally
looks directly into the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“One of
the easiest mistakes to make when you cover professional wrestling is deciding
that every question needs an answer immediately.”
A pause.
Wally
Pressman:
“It
doesn't.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sometimes
the answer is already there.”
The
Brothers Grimmstone appear with their championships.
Wally
Pressman:
“Sometimes
two people can look at the same facts and reach different conclusions.”
Dave “The
Brute” Kent and Mr. X appear side by side.
Wally
Pressman:
“And
sometimes…”
Fannie
Wilkensen appears briefly.
Wally
Pressman:
“…you
notice something.”
The image
disappears.
Wally
Pressman:
“And you
wait.”
Wally
gathers the papers in front of him.
Wally
Pressman:
“That's
what we'll continue to do.”
A beat.
Wally
Pressman:
“Watch
what happens.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“Look at
what changed.”
Another.
Wally
Pressman:
“And when
the facts give us something worth talking about, we'll talk about it.”
The After
Dark logo fills the monitors behind him.
Wally
Pressman:
“For
everyone here at Heritage Championship Wrestling, I'm Wally Pressman.”
Wally
gives a small nod toward the camera.
Wally
Pressman:
“Good
night.”
The camera
slowly pulls away from the desk.
The After
Dark theme rises as the studio lights dim.
The screen
fades to black.
HCW
AFTER DARK
