INT.HOTEL BATHROOM - NIGHT

The bathroom lights are off. The only light source is from a
lamp in the hallway.

SPIKE HANNIGAN is washing his face over the sink.

He looks up and looks at himself in the mirror. He looks
tired, beat up, angry.

SPIKE:
Look at you. Is this what you
wanted? Is this what you aspired to
be?

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
And here I thought that you wanted
to go out and beat the best in the
world...

SPIKE:
I'm working on it.

SPIKE:
You're working on it? Is this what
you call working on it? Getting
your ass kicked week after week?
Even in your own backyard in
Detroit?

SPIKE:
I know...

SPIKE:
You've been in this company now for
how long? A couple of months? And
where are you now? Right where you
started. The bottom.

SPIKE:
I'm working my way up.

SPIKE:
LIKE HELL YOU ARE!! YOU HAVEN'T
STEPPED UP YOUR GAME ALL!

SPIKE:
I can show them what I'm capable
of.

SPIKE:
YOU HAVEN'T SHOWED ANYBODY SHIT!
YOU HAVEN'T IMPRESSED ANYBODY! CAN
ANYBODY REMEMBER THE MATCHES THAT
YOU'VE BEEN IN? CAN THEY REMEMBER
ANYTHING THAT EVEN HAPPENED IN YOUR
MATCHES? DOES ANYBODY EVEN KNOW WHO
YOU ARE?

SPIKE:
Shut up...

SPIKE:
Face it, Spike, you not showing
anybody ANYTHING!

SPIKE:
I can improve.

SPIKE:
Really? How?

SPIKE:
I'll train harder.

SPIKE:
Yeah, that'll solve ALL of our
problems. You'll train harder. That
can only get you so far. But I
don't think that it's your skill
that needs to be improved.

SPIKE:
What?

SPIKE:
That's right. You heard me
correctly. You don't need to
improve your skills. What was your
goal when you got into this
business?

SPIKE:
To become the best wrestler that I
can.

SPIKE:
Yeah? What else?

SPIKE:
To beat the best.

SPIKE:
Right. To beat the top dogs in this
business. How's that going for you
so far?

SPIKE:
Shut up...

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
Those guys that you're facing; the
guys that are kicking your ass
every week? They have ambition.
They have a strong desire to make
it up in the card. And upper
management knows that. You? I don't
think that you're showing them
shit.

SPIKE:
Yes, I am.

SPIKE:
Really? REALLY? You're showing them
the passion that you've had since
you were a kid; the passion that
made you strive to become the best;
the passion that nearly KILLED you
to get you where you are today?
You're showing them that?

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
Where did it go, Spike? Where's the
passion; the flame that burned
inside of you? Did it just flicker
and fade away?

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
You need to take a really good look
in the mirror, Spike. Is this the
guy that wants to be champion?

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
Shut up!

SPIKE:
Oh, I'm sorry. Did I strike a
nerve? Well, then I whole-heartedly
apologize for telling you how it
really is.

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
You know it's true. You lack the
ambition. You lack the passion that
you once had. And, most
importantly, you lack aggression.
Both you and I know that you have
them in you, but somewhere down the
line, they faded. The Spike
Hannigan that you see in the mirror
is not the same guy that wanted to
be at the top. That Spike Hannigan
would go the distance to make it to
the top. That Spike Hannigan needs
to come back.

SPIKE:
So what would you propose that I
do?

SPIKE:
I'll tell you. You go out there,
and you do exactly what you wanted
to do. Fight to become a champion,
and beat down any opposition. But
don't just do enough to get the
pin. Beat them. Break them. Make
them bleed. Kick 'em when they're
down, and make sure that they stay
down. Make them submit to YOU!
Because YOU want this more than
anything. YOU want to be the top
dog! YOU want to be the guy that
everybody wants to see! YOU want to
be champion!

SPIKE:
...

SPIKE:
Am I making myself clear?

SPIKE:
Yeah.

SPIKE:
So you know what you have to do?

SPIKE:
Yeah. But on one condition.

SPIKE:
What's that?

SPIKE:
When I go out there, I'm gonna do
it my way. Not yours.

SPIKE:
What are you saying?

SPIKE:
I'm saying that I'm taking the
wheel. Not you. I know what'll
happen when you take over. You and
I don't want the same thing. I want
to be the top dog. I want to be
champion. You just want to fulfill
your own sick agenda. You just want
to inflict punishment on everybody
because you love seeing them in
pain.

SPIKE:
And what's wrong with that?

SPIKE:
I'm not gonna go out there and
potentially hurt someone because
you wanna spill their blood.

SPIKE:
Well, if you wanna be the top dog,
you're gonna have to bite more than
you bark. And by the looks of
things, it looks like I'm the only
one that'll bite.

SPIKE:
We're doing it my way.

SPIKE:
Hey, I'm only offering a suggestion
to help you. All I'm saying is that
I'm not gonna sit here and watch
you get your ass handed to you week
after week.

SPIKE:
I'm not gonna let that happen
anymore. You're right in that I'm
not the man that I once was. I
don't know what happened, but it's
gonna change. Mark my words, the
Spike Hannigan of old will come
back. When I go out to the ring,
I'm gonna give it my all. I'll show
everybody what I'm capable of. I'll
go the distance to show it, but I'm
not crossing the line.

SPIKE:
Well, we'll see what happens...