07-08-2013, 10:09 AM
Show stealer. This is a term not to be taken lightly in professional wrestling. Sure some wrestlers will call themselves a “Show Stealer", but it's the fans who pay their money to watch certain wrestlers. And the way you become one of those wrestlers that people will pay their hard earned money to see, is by Stealing The Show. And based on early returns, Shawn Steele and John Austin are prepared to steal the show this Monday night at Madness. They may not be one of the top billed matches on the card, they may have even been just filler tossed together by Paul Heyman at the last moment. But win lose or draw, these two XWF Superstars are determined to be what every fan of the X-treme Wrestling Federation is talking about come Tuesday morning.
[ .. Static .. ]
[ .. Fade up XWF logo .. ]
[ .. Fade out .. ]
The scene begins backstage in the 02 Arena where, in just over an hour, Monday night Madness will emanate live from London, England. Our focus is on Shawn Steele, in his wrestling gear and a white wife-beater shirt, as he returns from catering, steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand as he chats with an attractive young XWF employee, clearly applying the charm but, sadly, our favorite muscled superstar is striking out. Badly. Accepting his loss, he turns and is just about to head towards the locker rooms when he comes face to face with a clearly irate Steve Sayors. Stopping short to avoid running right over Sayors, Steele drops the cup of coffee where it splashes against the floor. After cursing under his breath, Shawn puts on a smile and looks down at the smaller Sayors.
Shawn Steele: Stevie! So good to see you. Glad you could make it to London, heard you had a bit of .. car troubles in California.
Sayors, his facial muscles having not moved an inch since Steele turned around, stays silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice calm despite his obvious anger.
Steve Sayors: You're an asshole.
Shawn Steele: Hey .. in my defense .. I never asked you to come with me. I never asked the camera crew to tag along either. I was there to see Mark, grab some papers and record a message for Johnny. You're the one who couldn't miss out on some quality time with yours tru.....
Steve Sayors: Quality time?! I've known you for two weeks and every moment we've spent together has been A LIVING HELL!
Shawn Steele: Whoa whoa whoa. Easy there Stevie. I've enjoyed our little get togethers. But look. Okay, I'll be the bigger man here and admit that maybe .. maybe I was wrong to leave you on the street like that. But do you know how many cabs there are in Los Angeles?! Think of the families of those poor cabbies. Do you want their children to starve, Steve? Do you?
Steve Sayors: ..... You are such an asshole.
Shawn chuckles softly, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder, clearly enjoying his misery.
Shawn Steele: Okay, okay. Look, I know what happened in Los Angeles wasn't cool. And to make it up to you .. here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you, Steve Sayors, an exclusive one-on-one interview. An exclusive interview with the man that tonight, is going to shock the world. The man that is going to drive John Austin's head into the mat right in the middle of that XWF ring. The man, that after tonight, will never be overlooked and underestimated again. You, my friend, get an exclusive, one-on-one interview, with Shawn Steele.
Steve Sayors: ....... Gee, thanks.
Shawn Steele: Look Sayors, if you don't want the interview, I've got things to do.
Shawn turns to walk away when Sayors grabs his shoulder, stopping him.
Steve Sayors: No! I'll take the interview. I mean, I was kind of curious about something anyway so...... Lets say you do beat John Austin tonight. There's a rumor that's been floating around that you're going to demand that Paul Heyman replaces John Austin in the European Championship match at Leap of Faith. Replaces him with you. Any truth?
Shawn Steele: Let me ask you a question, Sayors. Do you know who Paul Heyman is? Because I do. And I know that you don't demand a damn thing from Paul Heyman. Do you ever wonder why I didn't put my name in the running for one of the final spots in that Six Pack Challenge?
Steve Sayors: Well, yes actually. It seemed like half of the Monday night Madness roster was asking to be considered for...
For some reason this statement appears to have gotten underneath Shawn Steele's skin as he steps forward, almost bumping into the microphone that Steve Sayors is holding before he leans down over Sayors slightly.
![[Image: n2db3k.jpg]](http://i40.tinypic.com/n2db3k.jpg)
Shawn Steele: Considered?! You had guys who didn't even deserve to be on Monday night Madness in the first place begging for their fucking shot! And when they didn't get it? What happened when they didn't get it, Sayors? They whined and complained like the little bitches that they are! Jesus, at least Andrew Morrison had the common sense .. the decency, to tell Paul Heyman that he wanted in the match if he had earned it. But me? I never said a god damn word. I never said a word because, as John Austin so eloquently put it, I haven't done shit in the X-treme Wrestling Federation. I don't deserve a spot in that Six Pack Challenge at Leap of Faith. Not yet. But I will. I will soon. After tonight .. after the statement that I make tonight, when my hand is raised, then the people will begin to stand up and take notice. Paul Heyman, will stand up and take notice. He'll have no choice but to notice me after tonight. And the next time he's looking at who should get .. who DESERVES a shot at that European Championship, he'll know who to choose.
Steve Sayors: Clearly you're determined to prove your worth.....
Shawn Steele: Do they seriously pay you to ask me stupid questions? Obviously I'm determined to prove my worth. I'm determined to have that European Championship belt around my waist. I'm determined to be the very best in this company. And that starts tonight with John Austin.
Steve Sayors: Let's look at both sides of the coin for what happens tonight. What's next for Shawn Steele after a victory over John Austin, and what's next after a loss?
Shawn Steele: That's not for me to say. Or decide. The only person who can answer those questions, is Paul Heyman. He's the boss, isn't he?
Sayors pulls the microphone back from Shawn to answer his question, but Shawn pulls it right back.
Shawn Steele: Rhetorical question, jackass. Paul Heyman is the man calling the shots. He's going to be watching my match tonight with John Austin and it's my job to make .. to FORCE Paul Heyman to notice me tonight. Notice me, instead of John Austin, who gives himself a new nickname every twenty minutes and tells the world how he's a “true champion". But he wasn't a Champion at all, was he Sayors? No, he wasn't. And he won't be. At least not on July Thirteenth. Because after tonight, John Austin will be in no condition to even think about stepping foot inside of that Hell in a Cell. Now before John Austin goes and gets his panties all in a wad again, let me be perfectly clear. No, I'm not going to ‘kill John Austin with an axe'. Nor am I going to ‘blow up his home'.
Steve Sayors: I'm not going to get into the brewing legal debate here, but I have to agree with John Austin on one point here Shawn. It sounds, to me, like you're threatening to injure John Austin. Is that what you're doing? Are you promising to intentionally hurt John Austin tonight on Madness?
Shawn Steele: What are we doing here, Sayors? As professional wrestlers, what are we doing here? You want me to say it straight forward for you? Fine. Yes. Yes I am promising to hurt John Austin tonight. That's the same promise that I make every single time that I step into the ring. I don't care who I'm stepping into the ring against. My opponents, Sayors .. my opponents get hurt. That's why I'm here. To hurt people. And John Austin is no different. He may think that he is. He may think that he's not like all the rest. But he's sorely mistaken.
Again, Steve Sayors pulls the microphone away from Shawn Steele, only to have Shawn rip it from his hands this time.
Shawn Steele: Not. Finished.
Steele pushes Steve Sayors in the chest with his right hand, pushing him out of the picture before he turns to face the camera directly.
Shawn Steele: John Austin. I know that what I'm saying, my so called threats .. my promises, I know that they mean nothing to you. I know that right up until the moment that you step between those ropes tonight, you're still going to consider yourself the “alpha male" of the X-treme Wrestling Federation. But when that bell rings .. when we lock up, and I throw your “king of wrestling" ass across MY ring, then .. then you'll know. You'll know that you made a grave mistake when you agreed to this match with me. you'll know that your career has suddenly veered horrendously off course. And as you're cowering in the corner of the ring, in front of that sold out 02 Arena crowd that's making their way in right now, and you see me coming towards you .. stalking my prey. That's when you'll know. That's when the realization will finally begin to set in. That realization that five days before you even step foot into that cage at Leap of Faith, five days before you even get your shot at the X-treme Wrestling Federation European Championship, you've just lost that match. Give days before the biggest match of your career .. five days before perhaps the biggest night of your LIFE, John Austin, and you will know that this choice, this decision that you made to step into the ring with Shawn Steele, was the WORST decision that you have EVER made.
What were you thinking Austin? What in the hell was running through your mind when you accepted this match? You really are an arrogant man, aren't you John? That is the only reason that I can come up with. You're so arrogant that you thought I was just another one of these punk rookies. You said it yourself. You said this match was going to be a cake walk. Not only are you an arrogant man, John Austin, you are a stupid man. A very, very stupid man. And tonight .. tonight John Austin, you are going to find out that stupidity hurts. I'm going to leave you with this message, John.
Tonight, when you've felt my power for the first time. Felt what it's like to be dominated inside of that ring. Felt what it's like to have someone's will .. my will imposed on you. You'll want to run. You'll want to flee. To save yourself. To live to fight another day. To live to fight on July Thirteenth at Leap of Faith. So you go ahead John. You go ahead and you run. You jump out of that ring tonight, and you run. And you had better hope .. you had better pray to whatever fairytale character that you believe in that I don't catch you. Because if I do, I'm going to hurt you. Because your fate, John Austin .. your fate is sealed. Tonight, The New Age rolls on.
Dropping the microphone to the ground, Shawn turns and begins walking off down the hallway towards the locker rooms, the scene slowly fading to black.
[ .. Fade out .. ]
Instead of the usual XWF logo slowly coming into view, our scene begins to come back to life, still inside of The 02 Arena. This time we’re focused on the ring where an opening warm up bout has just come to an end and the two participants have made their way back through the curtains and to the backstage area. Just a moment after they disappear from sight, “Hunt You Down" begins to play, filling the London arena with the sounds of Saliva. The majority of the sold out crowd turns their attention to the entry way, a select few of them even appearing to know who's about to be making an appearance. Those select few begin to cheer as Shawn Steele emerges from the back, while the majority of the fans stop paying much attention at all as Shawn slowly strolls down the entrance ramp, up the ring steps and between the ropes as he climbs into the ring. He wastes no time and moves across the ring, where he's handed a microphone by an XWF ring crew member. He pauses a moment to look the crowd over, giving an appreciative nod to the few fans who are still applauding for him before bringing the microphone up to his lips.
![[Image: w8n8fp.jpg]](http://i44.tinypic.com/w8n8fp.jpg)
Shawn Steele: My name .. is Shawn Steele. And in just minutes, I'm going to step into this ring with a man by the name of John Austin. A man who has given himself a thousand nicknames, but hasn't earned even a single one of them. And that's the difference between the two of us. Because while John Austin seems to think everything is supposed to be handed to him .. that he's above stepping into the ring with the likes of me, I know that everything you get in this business .. you have to earn it.
Dropping the microphone to his side for a moment, Shawn pauses to collect his thoughts, his head dropping. His head remains hanging as he brings the microphone back up.
Shawn Steele: The reason, that I introduce myself to all of you people today, is because after what I do to John Austin tonight inside of this ring, every single one of you is going to know just who in the hell I am.
Lifting his head back again, Shawn looks out at the crowd again, his lips curled into a smirk.
Shawn Steele: After what I do to John Austin, everyone will know that Shawn Steele has arrived on the scene. And he is a threat to be taken seriously. Now John, it's nothing personal. You were just in the wrong place. At the wrong time. I'm sure you're a fun guy to hang out with. Hell, you might even pick up the tab now and again. What with all that money you're getting paid, that you love to brag about. And maybe you are, indeed, worth every penny the X-treme Wrestling Federation is paying you. No doubt they're paying me a great deal more than they're paying me. But that's the difference between the two of us. I'm not in this business for the money. I don't need the money. What I got into this business for .. why I signed my name on that dotted line, why Paul Heyman brought me to the Madness roster, is to hurt people. To hurt people like you, John.
Do I think Paul Heyman wants me to hurt you, and ruin his big match for the XWF European Championship? No. I'm sure he's hoping that you'll make it to Leap of Faith in five short days. But as we all know, Mr. Heyman likes to go to the EXTREME. And that is what's going to happen tonight. Inside of this very ring. Right here. Where my feet stand. This is where your blood is going to spill tonight Austin. You've over looked me. And maybe you're beginning to realize that now. Maybe you're not as arrogant as I think you are. Maybe you've just got a big match ahead of you, and you didn't assume that Paul Heyman would put you into a ring with an animal. An animal that, once inside of this ring, is unleashed. I, am going to pummel you Austin. But .. but that's not enough. No, I'm going to add insult to injury.
Shawn steps forward, leaning his forearms against the top rope as he smiles.
Shawn Steele: I'm going to add insult to your seemingly never ending list of injuries after tonight because, honestly, I'm a little jealous John. I mean, you have what? Three hundred nicknames now? And I don't even have one. How is that going to look to these people? When I beat you from ringpost to ringpost tonight and my night ends with my hand raised in the air, standing above your beaten body. But you're still ‘the man of a thousand nicknames' and me? I've got nothing. So tonight, after I've driven your head into the middle of this XWF ring, I'm going to take a page out of your book and I'm going to steal something that doesn't belong to me. But, seeing as how you don't actually have a Championship for me to steal, I'm going to take one of your nicknames. After tonight, I will no longer be just Shawn Steele. No. After tonight, I will be .. Shawn Steele .. The King of Wrestling. Yeah, that's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I'm looking forward to it, John. I'll see you soon.
And to everyone else .. Welcome, to The New Age. You're going to enjoy it.
Smirking again, more arrogant than evil this time, Shawn pulls away from the ropes and slowly steps back to the middle of the ring where he stops, slowly lifting his arms out from his side, holding the cross style pose for just a moment before he turns to leave. Just as he reaches the ropes and is about to leave the ring he stops, and turns back to the crowd, bringing the microphone back up.
Shawn Steele: Oh, and one more thing. Paul Heyman .. pay attention. You're going to enjoy this night almost as much as I am.
Shawn finally drops the microphone with another smirk, this time climbing over the top rope before jumping down off the ring apron and beginning to head back up the entrance ramp as the scene slowly fades away.
[ .. Fade out .. ]
[ .. Fade up XWF logo .. ]
[ .. Static .. ]
[ .. Static .. ]
[ .. Fade up XWF logo .. ]
[ .. Fade out .. ]
The scene begins backstage in the 02 Arena where, in just over an hour, Monday night Madness will emanate live from London, England. Our focus is on Shawn Steele, in his wrestling gear and a white wife-beater shirt, as he returns from catering, steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand as he chats with an attractive young XWF employee, clearly applying the charm but, sadly, our favorite muscled superstar is striking out. Badly. Accepting his loss, he turns and is just about to head towards the locker rooms when he comes face to face with a clearly irate Steve Sayors. Stopping short to avoid running right over Sayors, Steele drops the cup of coffee where it splashes against the floor. After cursing under his breath, Shawn puts on a smile and looks down at the smaller Sayors.
Shawn Steele: Stevie! So good to see you. Glad you could make it to London, heard you had a bit of .. car troubles in California.
Sayors, his facial muscles having not moved an inch since Steele turned around, stays silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice calm despite his obvious anger.
Steve Sayors: You're an asshole.
Shawn Steele: Hey .. in my defense .. I never asked you to come with me. I never asked the camera crew to tag along either. I was there to see Mark, grab some papers and record a message for Johnny. You're the one who couldn't miss out on some quality time with yours tru.....
Steve Sayors: Quality time?! I've known you for two weeks and every moment we've spent together has been A LIVING HELL!
Shawn Steele: Whoa whoa whoa. Easy there Stevie. I've enjoyed our little get togethers. But look. Okay, I'll be the bigger man here and admit that maybe .. maybe I was wrong to leave you on the street like that. But do you know how many cabs there are in Los Angeles?! Think of the families of those poor cabbies. Do you want their children to starve, Steve? Do you?
Steve Sayors: ..... You are such an asshole.
Shawn chuckles softly, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder, clearly enjoying his misery.
Shawn Steele: Okay, okay. Look, I know what happened in Los Angeles wasn't cool. And to make it up to you .. here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you, Steve Sayors, an exclusive one-on-one interview. An exclusive interview with the man that tonight, is going to shock the world. The man that is going to drive John Austin's head into the mat right in the middle of that XWF ring. The man, that after tonight, will never be overlooked and underestimated again. You, my friend, get an exclusive, one-on-one interview, with Shawn Steele.
Steve Sayors: ....... Gee, thanks.
Shawn Steele: Look Sayors, if you don't want the interview, I've got things to do.
Shawn turns to walk away when Sayors grabs his shoulder, stopping him.
Steve Sayors: No! I'll take the interview. I mean, I was kind of curious about something anyway so...... Lets say you do beat John Austin tonight. There's a rumor that's been floating around that you're going to demand that Paul Heyman replaces John Austin in the European Championship match at Leap of Faith. Replaces him with you. Any truth?
Shawn Steele: Let me ask you a question, Sayors. Do you know who Paul Heyman is? Because I do. And I know that you don't demand a damn thing from Paul Heyman. Do you ever wonder why I didn't put my name in the running for one of the final spots in that Six Pack Challenge?
Steve Sayors: Well, yes actually. It seemed like half of the Monday night Madness roster was asking to be considered for...
For some reason this statement appears to have gotten underneath Shawn Steele's skin as he steps forward, almost bumping into the microphone that Steve Sayors is holding before he leans down over Sayors slightly.
Shawn Steele: Considered?! You had guys who didn't even deserve to be on Monday night Madness in the first place begging for their fucking shot! And when they didn't get it? What happened when they didn't get it, Sayors? They whined and complained like the little bitches that they are! Jesus, at least Andrew Morrison had the common sense .. the decency, to tell Paul Heyman that he wanted in the match if he had earned it. But me? I never said a god damn word. I never said a word because, as John Austin so eloquently put it, I haven't done shit in the X-treme Wrestling Federation. I don't deserve a spot in that Six Pack Challenge at Leap of Faith. Not yet. But I will. I will soon. After tonight .. after the statement that I make tonight, when my hand is raised, then the people will begin to stand up and take notice. Paul Heyman, will stand up and take notice. He'll have no choice but to notice me after tonight. And the next time he's looking at who should get .. who DESERVES a shot at that European Championship, he'll know who to choose.
Steve Sayors: Clearly you're determined to prove your worth.....
Shawn Steele: Do they seriously pay you to ask me stupid questions? Obviously I'm determined to prove my worth. I'm determined to have that European Championship belt around my waist. I'm determined to be the very best in this company. And that starts tonight with John Austin.
Steve Sayors: Let's look at both sides of the coin for what happens tonight. What's next for Shawn Steele after a victory over John Austin, and what's next after a loss?
Shawn Steele: That's not for me to say. Or decide. The only person who can answer those questions, is Paul Heyman. He's the boss, isn't he?
Sayors pulls the microphone back from Shawn to answer his question, but Shawn pulls it right back.
Shawn Steele: Rhetorical question, jackass. Paul Heyman is the man calling the shots. He's going to be watching my match tonight with John Austin and it's my job to make .. to FORCE Paul Heyman to notice me tonight. Notice me, instead of John Austin, who gives himself a new nickname every twenty minutes and tells the world how he's a “true champion". But he wasn't a Champion at all, was he Sayors? No, he wasn't. And he won't be. At least not on July Thirteenth. Because after tonight, John Austin will be in no condition to even think about stepping foot inside of that Hell in a Cell. Now before John Austin goes and gets his panties all in a wad again, let me be perfectly clear. No, I'm not going to ‘kill John Austin with an axe'. Nor am I going to ‘blow up his home'.
Steve Sayors: I'm not going to get into the brewing legal debate here, but I have to agree with John Austin on one point here Shawn. It sounds, to me, like you're threatening to injure John Austin. Is that what you're doing? Are you promising to intentionally hurt John Austin tonight on Madness?
Shawn Steele: What are we doing here, Sayors? As professional wrestlers, what are we doing here? You want me to say it straight forward for you? Fine. Yes. Yes I am promising to hurt John Austin tonight. That's the same promise that I make every single time that I step into the ring. I don't care who I'm stepping into the ring against. My opponents, Sayors .. my opponents get hurt. That's why I'm here. To hurt people. And John Austin is no different. He may think that he is. He may think that he's not like all the rest. But he's sorely mistaken.
Again, Steve Sayors pulls the microphone away from Shawn Steele, only to have Shawn rip it from his hands this time.
Shawn Steele: Not. Finished.
Steele pushes Steve Sayors in the chest with his right hand, pushing him out of the picture before he turns to face the camera directly.
Shawn Steele: John Austin. I know that what I'm saying, my so called threats .. my promises, I know that they mean nothing to you. I know that right up until the moment that you step between those ropes tonight, you're still going to consider yourself the “alpha male" of the X-treme Wrestling Federation. But when that bell rings .. when we lock up, and I throw your “king of wrestling" ass across MY ring, then .. then you'll know. You'll know that you made a grave mistake when you agreed to this match with me. you'll know that your career has suddenly veered horrendously off course. And as you're cowering in the corner of the ring, in front of that sold out 02 Arena crowd that's making their way in right now, and you see me coming towards you .. stalking my prey. That's when you'll know. That's when the realization will finally begin to set in. That realization that five days before you even step foot into that cage at Leap of Faith, five days before you even get your shot at the X-treme Wrestling Federation European Championship, you've just lost that match. Give days before the biggest match of your career .. five days before perhaps the biggest night of your LIFE, John Austin, and you will know that this choice, this decision that you made to step into the ring with Shawn Steele, was the WORST decision that you have EVER made.
What were you thinking Austin? What in the hell was running through your mind when you accepted this match? You really are an arrogant man, aren't you John? That is the only reason that I can come up with. You're so arrogant that you thought I was just another one of these punk rookies. You said it yourself. You said this match was going to be a cake walk. Not only are you an arrogant man, John Austin, you are a stupid man. A very, very stupid man. And tonight .. tonight John Austin, you are going to find out that stupidity hurts. I'm going to leave you with this message, John.
Tonight, when you've felt my power for the first time. Felt what it's like to be dominated inside of that ring. Felt what it's like to have someone's will .. my will imposed on you. You'll want to run. You'll want to flee. To save yourself. To live to fight another day. To live to fight on July Thirteenth at Leap of Faith. So you go ahead John. You go ahead and you run. You jump out of that ring tonight, and you run. And you had better hope .. you had better pray to whatever fairytale character that you believe in that I don't catch you. Because if I do, I'm going to hurt you. Because your fate, John Austin .. your fate is sealed. Tonight, The New Age rolls on.
Dropping the microphone to the ground, Shawn turns and begins walking off down the hallway towards the locker rooms, the scene slowly fading to black.
[ .. Fade out .. ]
Instead of the usual XWF logo slowly coming into view, our scene begins to come back to life, still inside of The 02 Arena. This time we’re focused on the ring where an opening warm up bout has just come to an end and the two participants have made their way back through the curtains and to the backstage area. Just a moment after they disappear from sight, “Hunt You Down" begins to play, filling the London arena with the sounds of Saliva. The majority of the sold out crowd turns their attention to the entry way, a select few of them even appearing to know who's about to be making an appearance. Those select few begin to cheer as Shawn Steele emerges from the back, while the majority of the fans stop paying much attention at all as Shawn slowly strolls down the entrance ramp, up the ring steps and between the ropes as he climbs into the ring. He wastes no time and moves across the ring, where he's handed a microphone by an XWF ring crew member. He pauses a moment to look the crowd over, giving an appreciative nod to the few fans who are still applauding for him before bringing the microphone up to his lips.
Shawn Steele: My name .. is Shawn Steele. And in just minutes, I'm going to step into this ring with a man by the name of John Austin. A man who has given himself a thousand nicknames, but hasn't earned even a single one of them. And that's the difference between the two of us. Because while John Austin seems to think everything is supposed to be handed to him .. that he's above stepping into the ring with the likes of me, I know that everything you get in this business .. you have to earn it.
Dropping the microphone to his side for a moment, Shawn pauses to collect his thoughts, his head dropping. His head remains hanging as he brings the microphone back up.
Shawn Steele: The reason, that I introduce myself to all of you people today, is because after what I do to John Austin tonight inside of this ring, every single one of you is going to know just who in the hell I am.
Lifting his head back again, Shawn looks out at the crowd again, his lips curled into a smirk.
Shawn Steele: After what I do to John Austin, everyone will know that Shawn Steele has arrived on the scene. And he is a threat to be taken seriously. Now John, it's nothing personal. You were just in the wrong place. At the wrong time. I'm sure you're a fun guy to hang out with. Hell, you might even pick up the tab now and again. What with all that money you're getting paid, that you love to brag about. And maybe you are, indeed, worth every penny the X-treme Wrestling Federation is paying you. No doubt they're paying me a great deal more than they're paying me. But that's the difference between the two of us. I'm not in this business for the money. I don't need the money. What I got into this business for .. why I signed my name on that dotted line, why Paul Heyman brought me to the Madness roster, is to hurt people. To hurt people like you, John.
Do I think Paul Heyman wants me to hurt you, and ruin his big match for the XWF European Championship? No. I'm sure he's hoping that you'll make it to Leap of Faith in five short days. But as we all know, Mr. Heyman likes to go to the EXTREME. And that is what's going to happen tonight. Inside of this very ring. Right here. Where my feet stand. This is where your blood is going to spill tonight Austin. You've over looked me. And maybe you're beginning to realize that now. Maybe you're not as arrogant as I think you are. Maybe you've just got a big match ahead of you, and you didn't assume that Paul Heyman would put you into a ring with an animal. An animal that, once inside of this ring, is unleashed. I, am going to pummel you Austin. But .. but that's not enough. No, I'm going to add insult to injury.
Shawn steps forward, leaning his forearms against the top rope as he smiles.
Shawn Steele: I'm going to add insult to your seemingly never ending list of injuries after tonight because, honestly, I'm a little jealous John. I mean, you have what? Three hundred nicknames now? And I don't even have one. How is that going to look to these people? When I beat you from ringpost to ringpost tonight and my night ends with my hand raised in the air, standing above your beaten body. But you're still ‘the man of a thousand nicknames' and me? I've got nothing. So tonight, after I've driven your head into the middle of this XWF ring, I'm going to take a page out of your book and I'm going to steal something that doesn't belong to me. But, seeing as how you don't actually have a Championship for me to steal, I'm going to take one of your nicknames. After tonight, I will no longer be just Shawn Steele. No. After tonight, I will be .. Shawn Steele .. The King of Wrestling. Yeah, that's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I'm looking forward to it, John. I'll see you soon.
And to everyone else .. Welcome, to The New Age. You're going to enjoy it.
Smirking again, more arrogant than evil this time, Shawn pulls away from the ropes and slowly steps back to the middle of the ring where he stops, slowly lifting his arms out from his side, holding the cross style pose for just a moment before he turns to leave. Just as he reaches the ropes and is about to leave the ring he stops, and turns back to the crowd, bringing the microphone back up.
Shawn Steele: Oh, and one more thing. Paul Heyman .. pay attention. You're going to enjoy this night almost as much as I am.
Shawn finally drops the microphone with another smirk, this time climbing over the top rope before jumping down off the ring apron and beginning to head back up the entrance ramp as the scene slowly fades away.
[ .. Fade out .. ]
[ .. Fade up XWF logo .. ]
[ .. Static .. ]