Addict

["The Aussie Icon" Croc]

(The show comes back from a commercial break and immediately “Breakstuff” by Limp Bizkit hits and the crowd erupts with cheers as the “Aussie Icon” appears on stage.)


(MTMT)
Well we are about to be joined by the Aussie Icon himself.

(VENTURA)
He isn’t the Aussie Icon. He is some kind of imposter.

(MTMT)
What are you talking about?

(VENTURA)
The real Aussie Icon would stop at nothing to get his hands on the title.

(MTMT)
That is very true. However Croc and Ripper have always had a long friendship that is hard to fathom at the best of times.

(VENTURA)
Can’t Croc just stab Ripper in the back already?


(Croc makes his way down the ramp and into the ring where he is thrown a microphone. Croc is dressed in his usual casual attire and adjusts the black baseball cap he has on and turns it around so it is sitting backwards. Croc has to wait a few moments for the crowd to quiet down. When he is ready to speak, he looks directly at the camera.)


(CROC)
Ever since my return to the AWA, I have fielded countless questions over what kind of agenda I have got going. People are just waiting for me to stab Ripper in the back in my usual quest for championship glory.


(Croc shakes his head)


(CROC)
A man who needs something to prove to himself or to others would act like that. I have nothing to prove. I have been and done it all. My record is without peers. Whilst Anthony Jordan, Sheldon Reese, Timmy Draven, MJW, Crazy Bill, Hardcore Fred and others have had a lot of success in this industry, they do not have a record that can match mine.


(Crowd cheers)


(CROC)
And along the way I have done some things that people would say are nasty, deceitful or down right rotten to the core. Do I regret anything I have ever done?


(Croc looks around the crowd as if he is explaining himself to them personally. After a short pause he looks back at the camera)


(CROC)
I don’t regret a damn thing!!!


(Croc smirks)


(CROC)
Why? Because I did what I had to do to get what I wanted. This industry is a cut throat industry. I do not kid myself… No one in that backstage area now, in the past or into the future are true friends. There are a few where there is mutual respect, but not friends. Why? Because to be vulnerable in this industry is a death wish. I have no doubt that some “friend” would as quickly stab me in the back if he or she knew that she could get an opportunity out of it.


(Croc begins to pace around the ring)


(CROC)
I don’t know how many countless people have walked that backstage area and tried to use my name, my reputation and my aura to make a name for themselves. I have lost count how many times I have heard someone utter the words “I am going to be the one who finally shuts Croc up” or “I am the one who is going to finish Croc” or some corny line about the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.


(Croc shakes his head)


(CROC)
And no I am not related to Steve Irwin!


(The crowd laughs as Croc shakes his head)


(CROC)
I came back to the AWA for one reason and one reason only… To compete! I don’t give a f**k about the bullshit politics backstage. I don’t care about my legacy or my reputation. I just want to compete because whether anyone out the back wants to admit it or not, competing inside this ring in front of all you people is like a drug… And god damn I am an addict.


(Big pop)


(CROC)
Where else can you legally beat the crap out of a work colleague on a nightly basis? And get paid to do so. Not only that you have thousands of people watching and cheering you whilst you do it. I was injected with this ‘drug’ at an early age and whilst there have been times where I have sobered up, I always fall back into the lifestyle because I am an addict.


(Croc rubs his hand over his chin)


(CROC)
But seeing as though I had such an extended period of time without getting my in ring ‘fix’, I was desperate to get back into the ring. When I spoke to management and in particular Jonas Lee, he had an offer for me to return for my first big singles match on pay per view against an up and comer in Kevin Cash.


(Loud boos for the mention of Cash’s name)


(CROC)
Now I was thrilled. Jonas had talked up Cash as being a real trouble maker and causing a path of destruction wherever he roamed. The hairs on my neck where tingling and I was getting goose bumps from my excitement. I had visions of a bloodbath brawl that will take years off my life against one tough son of a bitch. I accepted immediately and didn’t even do my research about my Mister Cash.


(Croc shakes his head)


(CROC)
What a mistake that was…


(Croc smirks)


(CROC)
Because as I said, I wanted to come back to compete… Not have a walk over where I hardly break a sweat.


(The crowd is mildly amused by Croc’s total dismissal of Kevin Cash)


(CROC)
Who the f**k is Kevin Cash? From what I have gathered he is some kind of pathetic joke of a wrestler who is out of his depth fighting a stripper in a jelly wrestling match, let alone coming up against the best this business has ever seen.


(Croc snaps his fingers and almost immediately his demeanor changes)


(CROC)
But if you think for one second that I am going to go easy on poor, pathetic Cash than you are very much mistaken. Whilst Cash isn’t in the league I strive to compete against, he has dared accept a match which deep down he knows he has no chance of victory. That is pure and utter stupidity and I will make sure Kevin Cash learns his lesson in a brutal and violent fashion.


(Roaring cheers)


(CROC)
Then moving onto my second responsibility at Grudgement Day… My duties as Special Enforcer in the main event title match.


(Croc smirks as he seems to be enjoying the thought of his role in this match)


(CROC)
Ripper and I have a mutual respect that is built on a foundation of mutual loathing and hatred.


(Croc winks at the camera and laughs)


(CROC)
But that aside, he deserves to be the Undisputed Champion. He went through a long and tortured path to get there and it would be a great shame to see that end after a very short title reign. What would be a greater shame is to see him lose that title due to behaviour of the special guest referee who seems to still be jumping into bed with Ripper’s opponent, Anthony Jordan.


(Mixed response for Anthony Jordan)


(CROC)
MJ I will make this clear… You will referee this match in an impartial fashion or else I will have no problems knocking you out cold and finishing the officiating duties myself.


(Big cheer)


(CROC)
I don’t care what kind of sick and twisted love triangle you and AJ are running at the moment and who that gothic slut Khris Heaven is jerking off on the side… The outcome of the match will not be determined by your foul play or corrupt actions.


(Croc rubs his knee)


(CROC)
As for you Anthony Jordan… You claim to be on good terms with Ripper and me. That may have been somewhat correct before you set us up with the sneak attack by Khris Heaven. I know you have been trying to proclaim your innocence but I just don’t buy it for one second. You are rotten to the core but try and hide behind an act of naivety. You saw Heaven coming down the ramp and did nothing to stop it. You aided the attack and in my books that paints you in the same brush as Heaven…


(Croc snarls)


(CROC)
I would be very careful of your future actions Anthony Jordan because you have already had two strikes against your name since my return… YOU DO NOT WANT A THIRD!!!

[theegomjw]

not more than a second passes with Crocs final word when BIG EGO hits, the fans erupt with boos as they get set to watch their former hero walk out onto the stage.

In the ring Croc looks almost pleased to see MJ, whilst there is zero love lost between these 2, he at least knows he is going to get more out of MJ than he will Kevin Cash.

As the music kicks in "The EGO" walks out, smartly dressed in a smart tailored suit, shining brogues and an open collored shirt. He does not seem to be in a real rush as he slowly puts one foot infront of the other, he gets about 4 feet onto the stage when Khris Heaven appears.


Jesse "THE BODY" Ventura
Finally, someone with some class and someone who does not pander to these disrespectful puppets! MJ is going to walk to that ring and put Croc in his place and i can not wait! And if Croc steps out of line he might just end up getting beaten up by a women again!

MTMT
Firstly, Croc was not beaten up, he was attacked and there is a difference! Secondly, to get respect you have to earn it and MJ has not been doing that lately!


MJ and Khris are not at ringside, Khris walks around and grabs a mic, meeting MJ as the stairs as they walk up, duck under the top rope and join the Aussie Icon in the ring.

MJ swaggers over to his nemisis and just looks for a few seconds until he finally breaks the tension with a smile.

The music cuts and MJ brings the mic up to his mouth


"The EGO" MJ WINDSOR
You managed to say one thing of merit amoungst that bore-fest of a promo just now pal!

You highlighted the fact that MJW has indeed enjoyed a lot of success in this business...

...what you failed to mention is, and believe me when i say this that i have no intention of racking up the past on a grande scale, but this point is too important to pass over...

...part of my success was beating the life out of your body and leaving you for dead on the biggest stage of them all...

...the night i took the man who was deemed to be the very best and i took him out!

And you know what Croc, back then it did mean something, beating you meant MJ was legit...

...im happy to admit i used Croc to push my career...

...but pal, that was then and this is now...

...and right now things could not be any different because standing in this ring you have the man that with or without the now tainted Unsidputed Championship belt stands head and shoulders above them all in terms of talent, looks, success, marketability and all round main event status...

...and then we have you Croc, a man who has come back to the business that made him a star...you have come back and are crapping all over it...

...just as well you seem not to care about your legacy because im telling you this straight, standing there dressed like some punk on a street corner...running around trying to make people laugh with that flavour of the month, useless but lucky bitch Ripper, you are doing a grade A job at smashing your legacy to pieces...

...in all honesty, the fans in this arena probably think that the man they are looking at is the same man you have always been...

...how wrong they are, once you commanded respect, you may not have been liked but respected? Yeah, you was...

...now your the fool who gets 1-upped by a women...


MJ pauses and turns his head to Khris who is nodding with a smile on her face


"The EGO" MJ WINDSOR
And the freakish show of nostalgia has run its course Croc, at Grudgement Day it is not MJ who needs to be concerned with Croc...

...it is Ripper who needs to be concerned firstly with Anthony Jordan...

...who by the way, had NOTHING to do with you getting your arse handed to you by Khris Heaven...that was ALL ME!


MJ takes great pleassure in announcing this, Crocs first tightens as he considers taking the smile off MJs face...but holds off as MJ continues to speak


"The EGO" MJ WINDSOR
...and secondly Ripper needs to be concerned with the legally appointent referee for the match because believe me when i tell you this, Anthony Jordan deserves to walk out of Grudgement Day as the Undisputed World Champion...

...and if it means leaving your body for dead once again Croc then that is exactly what ill do...

...only this time your not the same person who managed to get back up to his feet, this time your going to be put down and your going to stay down...


MJ steps forward, pushing his words directly into Crocs face...

...the fans are pumped, is all hell going to break loose or will someone else join the tension???

["The Aussie Icon" Croc]

(Croc glares at MJ who has not moved. Croc breaks the stare down by glancing over at Khris Heaven who still has an annoying grin on her face. Croc looks back at MJW)


(CROC)
Let it be known Michael Jane Windsor that I am not above beating the crap out of a woman right now in this ring…


(Croc looks back over to Heaven)


(CROC)
And then I beat the crap out of you too!


(The crowd laughs as Croc smirks right in the face of MJW)


(CROC)
I don’t know where you have been getting your sources of information Michael, but I would invest some time in changing those sources to more accurate ones. Why? Because you seem to think that I give a damn about you respecting me or as you have clearly shown, your now lack of respect for me.


(Croc shrugs his shoulders)


(CROC)
The fact that you don’t respect me does not keep me up at night. Why? Because why would I desire the respect of a person whom I do not respect myself? You see Michael, my record speaks for itself and it has and forever will stand the test of time. You on the other hand continually remind everyone that you defeated me on the biggest stage of them all. You like to remind everyone of it whenever my name appears to get a mention. And for so long I have questioned to why that is.


(Croc scratches his chin)


(CROC)
But it just occurred to me that you keep telling everyone about that match because that’s all you have. Your victory over me is the high point of your career which has since gone into a plateau.


(MJW goes to rebut but Croc cuts him off)


(CROC)
I don’t want to hear about whatever title reigns you have had… Cause quite frankly I don’t concern myself with mid-card title reigns no matter how much the likes of yourself and Anthony Jordan try and hype them up… As for your main event title reigns… Yeah sure you’ve held the belt a few times, but it always seems to be when the talent pool is at critical shallowness… In other words, you were a champion because there weren’t any real champions around at the time to prevent you from doing so.


(Croc glares at MJW who is starring daggers through the Aussie Icon)


(CROC)
But rest assured I am not in the slight bit worried about my safety come the main event at Grudgement Day. And I am sure as hell you’re not in the slight bit worried about your safety as well


(MJ nods and Croc smirks)


(CROC)
But someone in this ring should be worried about their personal safety…


(Croc looks at Heaven who just stares back at him. The crowd cheers, hopeful that Heaven gets what is coming to her. Croc looks back at MJW)


(CROC)
I suggest you watch out for your whore because no one assaults me in cheap attacks and goes unpunished. But just so you and her know, you will not be able to protect her all the time. I will get my revenge on her and it will be brutal.

[Kevin Kash]

After Croc finishes, a masked man comes out of the crown,carrying piano wire,he slides in the ring, and before "The Aussie Icon" can turn, the man quickly wraps the wire around Croc's neck,strangling him, Windsor and Heaven just stare.


MTMT: "Who the hell is the guy,and why is he attacking Croc?"


Jesse Ventura: "I don't know,but we're gonna need security if this doesn't cease."


Croc begins to gasp for air,as the man pulls tighter on the wire,Croc drops to his knees as the man puts his boot on his back to increase pressure,Crocs face and eyes are blood red,finally the man pulls croc up and puses him towards windsor,who hits an Ego Trip on Croc,who is now unconscious.

Ventura : "It must be Anthony Jordan,hes the only one with Windsor, or it could be Ripper finally getting his head out of his ass."

The man pulls the mask off of his face,and fans boo loudly as it turns out to be Kevin Cash,who glares at Windsor,who glares back,both men give sick looks before grinning and laughing,they shake hands as Cash lifts up Windsors arm.

MTMT: "No one could have seen this coming,but it looks like Cash and MJ have finally settled their differences."

Ventura : "This is definitely an unholy alliance."

MTMT: "Indeed,partner."

[theegomjw]

as the fans boo MJ picks up the mic he dropped whilst hitting the Ego Trip. He stands over the fallen Aussie Icon and looks down


"The EGO" MJ WINDSOR
Your words mean nothing to me Croc, you star does not shine bright enough anymore for you to demand my undivided attention...

...you say you have no respect for me? Funny coming from the man who held my hand high in the air after i beat you at your very best...

...can you say the same? Can you beat MJ at his best? NO...not a chance buddy...

...your done, old news who is using cheap humour to grasp some attention from these fucking idiotic people...

...and in a few short days, your comedy partner is going to get what is coming to him and Anthony Jordan is walking out with 'our' belt...

...the Connection will once again be the AWA Undisputed Champions!


MTMT
Wait a minute, did MJ just suggest that if Jordan wins the belt, he becomes 'co-champ' again? MJ is not even in the damn match as a competitor!

Jesse "THE BODY" Ventura
Matt, you really are stupid! When Anthony Jordan wins, the Connection wins. MJ shared the belt with Jordan and Jordan will return the gesture! It is common sense!


In the ring MJ drops the mic again, as it crackles on the canvas he looks up and smirks at the booing fans...

...MJ turns to Kash, about to celebrate again when the fans begin to cheer...

...MJ, Kash and Khris look towards the entrance and see AWA Champion, Ripper running out...

...not wanting to break a sweat MJ rushes out of the ring, followed by Khris and Kash...

...Ripper slides into the ring and tends to his friend as MJ, Khris and Kash shimmy around the ring and head back up the ramp out of harms way