* We open a few hours after the closing of the most recent HWA house show. The cameras are leading viewers through the backstage area. We stop in front of a door as a hand reaches out and knocks three times. A few seconds later the door opens and we find Michael James on the other side. He has a towel draped across the back of his neck and a cigarette between his lips. James exhales some smoke into the lens *
Michael James: Beautiful. This is the last thing I need right now.
* He says with a frustrated tone. The cameras move to the side to show HWA commentator Jason standing across from Michael James *
Jason: Trust me, James. This isn’t a picnic for me either. If it wasn’t for this interview I would having drinks at the after party. Did you get the invite that Shevington sent out?
Michael James: Of course I did. But as you can see I’m in no condition for a party right now. The only thing I’m going to be celebrating tonight is the second I get some ####ing vicodin into my system.
* He turns his back to Jason and signals for him to enter the room. He moves through the doorway and sits down on a bench directly across from the All Star Champion. James reaches down and picks up a thermos from the floor. He removes the top and makes an offer to Jason *
Michael James: Sake?
Jason: No thanks. I’m good.
Michael James: Suit yourself.
* He takes a swig from the thermos and puts the lid back on and places the thermos on the floor *
Michael James: Tell me something, Jay.
* Jason looks across at James *
Jason: What’s up?
Michael James: What the #### are you doing here? You obviously have plans for the night so I’m kind of confused why you would want to stick around just to shoot the shit.
Jason: I figured it would be a good opportunity to score a quick exclusive without the hassle we usually go through when it comes to scheduling.
Michael James: Good thinking. But do me a favor and make it quick because I got a taxi on its way.
Jason: That’s fine. This won’t take very long. The first thing I want to know is your reaction to the comments made at your expense by Wayne Heckler and Michael Kosh.
Michael James: Who?
Jason: Heckler and Kosh. H & K.
Michael James: That doesn’t help me very much, Jay.
Jason: The tag team you faced in a handicap match a few weeks after you signed with the company.
Michael James: Oh! Now I remember. Why didn’t you say that in the first place?
* Jason rolls his eyes as James takes another drag from his cigarette *
Jason: Did you have a chance to hear what they had to say?
Michael James: Of course not. Those assholes are below my class of competition so why the #### would I care what they have to say? They didn’t have the balls to respond to the Personification of Perfection when they faced me the first time so I really have no reason to waste my time on either one of them. Everyone knows they are only going to be around long enough to lose to Freddie Styles and Stu E Price so what’s the point in giving them the satisfaction of my wasted energy? Just like their efforts to become future champions, the idea of accepting Heckler or Kosh as one of my equals is a ####ing insult. I already beat them both single handedly so I have nothing to prove to either one of them. More importantly, I also managed to pin one half of the current tag team champions on Havoc. So you know what? If anyone deserves credit towards those titles, it’s Michael James. Not a couple of undeserving douche bags with zero credibility.
Jason: According to them, this is the “new and improved” version of the tag team that we haven’t seen before. What do you think about that?
Michael James: As far as I’m concerned there is nothing new or improved about either one of them. I saw exactly what they were capable of doing the first time around and I’m still not impressed. Heckler and Kosh are just like Steve Angel. They think some fancy return to the company is going to make everyone forget how much they sucked before their last departure. But you know something, Jason? You can’t erase the course of history and you can’t change the way things are meant to be. My guess is that all three of them left the company for a reason. Things got rough so instead of sticking it out to test their own limitations they decided to tuck tail and run. Trust me, Jason. I’ve seen it all before and it always has the same result. Last time Heckler and Kosh were in the ring with me it resulted with public humiliation for the both of them. A few days later the entire locker room received word that Heckler and Kosh were taking a temporary leave from the company. Just like Judas Mercury and Bryan Deas. Think about it for a second, Jay. Was it a coincidence that all of my former opponents were taking time away from the company directly after losing to me?
Jason: Probably not. In each one of those encounters you managed to inflict multiple injuries on these men that none of them could have expected.
Michael James: That’s not my problem. If Shevington wants to throw a bunch of weak mother####ers in the ring with me then I have no choice but to do what comes natural. I’m paid to defend the All Star Championship and that’s exactly what I did throughout the slaughter of Bryan Deas. When I faced Heckler and Kosh I wasn’t paid to defend anything other than my natural born ability to win. So you know what I did? I decided to make things interesting at the expense of two men that had no business in the same ring as me. I knew I was going to win the match. That was the least of my worries. But I also had a reputation to protect so I went the extra mile just to send a message to everyone else. I put on the brass knuckles and I busted open that ####er’s skull like a coconut because it was something I felt needed to be done. Was it necessary? Probably not. Was it fun? You bet your ass it was. And you know what? I would do it again in a second if I was given the opportunity. Unlike Heckler and Kosh, I don’t need someone to stand beside me due to my inability to survive the competition. After they left the HWA I went straight to the top of the mountain and so far no one has been able to knock me down. And take my word for it, Jay. Heckler and Kosh are no different from the rest of them.
Jason: What would you say if I told you they claimed all of your victories have been based on luck?
Michael James: I would tell you to put down the crack pipe because no one can possibly be that stupid. But then again, I would be wrong because Heckler and Kosh apparently strive to prove otherwise. What those two idiots need to realize is nothing I have done in the HWA has been a result of luck. You don’t crack open someone’s skull and put them on the shelf for months with luck. You don’t win the All Star Championship and successfully defend it on three separate occasions with, as they put it, “luck”. The only real way achieve those things is with pure intelligence and sheer determination to achieve constant success. I’m sure Heckler and Kosh will say whatever they have to say to try to get my attention. I said it before and I’ll say it again. They are no different than Fallen except for the fact that there are two of them. Thankfully, Steve Angel’s brother is a rotting corpse so we don’t have to worry about that anytime in the near future. If we’re lucky all three of them will leave together this time around like a packaged deal. But since none of us are that lucky I guess I will just have to deal with this problem for the time being.
Jason: And how do you plan to do that?
* James exhales some smoke from his mouth and drops his cigarette on the floor. He snuffs it out with his foot and looks across at Jason *
Michael James: How do you think I plan to deal with it? Obviously, I have better things to do. I have bigger problems to worry about so the lowest of the low will have to wait their ####ing turn. I beat them before and left them in a pool of their own blood and piss so I will have no problems doing it again. But this time around it isn’t going to be a sanctioned match. You know why? They haven’t earned it. If they wanted to face me on legal terms they should have done it when they had the chance. Neither one of them made an effort to do that. They saw my work, shit their pants and ran away in fear like so many others. In the HWA, all eyes are on Michael James. I’m at the top of my game. I’m the main event and I refuse to break my standards for people who don’t deserve it. What have they done to deserve a match with the only man with a flawless record? Nothing. To be in a match with Michael James means to be established as a franchise name in the HWA. When people come to see live events they aren’t coming to see some lowly tag team with zero creativity. They aren’t spending their hard earned dollars on H & K merchandise. You know why? No one gives a shit about Heckler and Kosh. They want to see Michael James versus Butch Parker for the World Heavyweight Championship. They want our shirts, our collector’s items and anything they can get their hands on while it’s still available. All they want from Wayne or Michael is confirmation of their termination from the company. But let’s be honest here. Who can blame them?
* He reaches down and picks up the thermos. He removes the top and takes another swig of Sake *
Jason: What about Michael Kosh’s research of your reign as the All Star Champion?
Michael James: First of all, the guy is full of shit. You know why? It is literally impossible for Kosh to conduct any kind of research when his head is constantly stuck inside of his boyfriend’s ass. I could really care less what he has to say. I’m the undefeated champ and he isn’t. As a matter of fact he isn’t a champion of any kind. Is he, Jason?
Jason: No, he’s not.
Michael James: That’s what I thought. The most he can do is talk about being a champion. I don’t have that problem and I never will. When I first signed with the company I told everyone that I wasn’t a man that was going to be pushed around. Less than a week later I put an end to the team of Heckler and Kosh for the sole purpose of my own sick amusement. If they were truly destined to be the next tag team champions they would have had no problems beating me. But it’s like I said before. They couldn’t do that because they aren’t in the same league as me. As far as I can tell they are barely in the same league as Bryan Deas. How many championships has he won in the last year? That’s right. None. As a matter of fact, have many championships have Wayne Heckler or Michael Kosh earned in the last year?
Jason: None that I know of.
Michael James: Bingo! None. Zero. Nada. So you know what, Jason? #### anything Michael Kosh has to say. His words don’t mean a thing to the All Star Champion. Just like Wayne Heckler, his entire presence in the HWA is a joke to me. They aren’t destined to be champions nor are they destined to hold a future in the company. That’s my domain and everyone ####ing knows it. When I need the advice of a clueless douche bag then I will know exactly where to go. Until then, I really have no use for either one of those assholes. I’m busy being a champion while all they can do is talk about it. I have my hands full fighting a war against Butch Parker while they’re struggling at the bottom rung. If they didn’t want to be considered to be the ass end of the roster they should have done something to prevent it from happening. But they don’t have the ability to do that just like they don’t have the ability to become the tag champions. If they did they would have done it already and we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.
Jason: Well, keep in mind they still have their chance to score the tag titles at Road to Ruin. I’m sure you would consider it to be a long shot—
* James scoffs *
Michael James: It would be a miracle. Luckily, Price and Styles aren’t going to be facing two miracle workers. They’re going to be facing a couple of mindless imbeciles so this match is going to be a walk in the ####ing park. If they were facing an invincible combination like Michael James and Senester it would be a completely different situation. Styles and Price would lose the titles and have nothing to show for their efforts. But that isn’t going to happen at Road to Ruin. You know why? Stu E Price and Freddie Styles are past the likes of Heckler and Kosh. When I faced Stu E Price at Blood, Sweat and Tears he gave me the fight of his career because he knew I demanded a quality performance. When I beat Freddie Styles he went beyond his own limitations in an effort to gain my respect. As much as I hate to admit it those are the type of people that we need in the HWA. Not a duo of lowlife douche bags like Wayne Heckler and Michael Kosh. If that was the case then Shevington would be out on the streets blowing crack heads and hobos to try and fill the roster. But she isn’t doing that. At least, I don’t think she is. What do you think, Jason?
Jason: I think what Mrs. Shevington does in her spare time is her own business. As long as I receive a paycheck at the end of the week she’s okay in my book.
Michael James: I still want to know what she was smoking when she decided to let these dipshits back into the company. We obviously don’t need them so what’s the point in having them around? I understand we require people to fill the tag team division but this kind of decision isn’t just bad for business. It’s downright stupid. If she really wanted to give Price and Styles some serious competition she knows exactly where to look. Instead of doing that she decided to confide in the same cocksuckers that left the company because they couldn’t hack it. Heckler and Kosh are what the industry refers to as a throwaway tag team. They’re simply here to fill time and space until someone better comes along to fill their positions. And you know what? Something tells me that isn’t going to be a difficult task. Chances are I could leave right now, walk down the street and find two random guys at a bar with more talent and personality than those two assholes.
Jason: I don’t know about that, James. Heckler and Kosh have managed to gain a number of accomplishments throughout their individual careers. Obviously, they’re back with good reason.
* James rolls his eyes and stands up. He picks up his jacket and slides his arms into the sleeves. He leans down and begins checking his gym bag while preparing to leave for the night. He stuffs the thermos into the bag and stands back up *
Jason: What were you saying before about your next confrontation? If it isn’t going to be a sanctioned match, how do you plan--
Michael James: How long have you known me, Jason?
Jason: A little under a year. Why?
Michael James: Then you should now that I’m not a fan of gossip. If I told you what I was planning to do it would ruin the surprise for everyone else. Is that what you want to do?
Jason: Of course not.
Michael James: Look at it this way. All you need to do at this point is keep your eyes open. Michael Kosh ####ed up by putting my name in his mouth so now I have no choice but to add him to the list.
Jason: The list?
Michael James: Yea. The list. You see, Jason, so far I have been able to make a list of numerous idiots and assholes that are trying to get under my skin. It starts with Butch Parker and goes all the way down to Michael Kosh. There are a few in between like Fallen and Stu E Price that fail to acquire my full attention but just like we’ve seen in the past, every single one of those assholes will eventually bow at the feet of Michael James. It happened to Michael Kosh once before so I will have no problem doing it again. If Bryan Deas or Judas Mercury decide to make some half assed return I will be ready for them as well. I’m always ready. I’m always prepared. That’s what makes me a better champion than Butch Parker. I know he will just try to use my words against me like usual and that’s fine. He can talk as much shit as he wants but the fact remains is he can’t deny the obvious. I’ve successfully defended my title on three separate occasions. How many times has he defended the World Championship? None. And you know what, Jay? My money says he’s going to lose it on his first defense because just like Heckler and Kosh, Butch can’t hack it anymore. He isn’t a world champion. He’s just a moronic freak parading around the HWA with a title that he hasn’t earned. Sure, he pinned the former World Champ. But who is to say the entire victory wasn’t another one of Senester’s mind games? As far as Butch knows he could be set up to relive the pathetic reign of Bryan Deas. If that’s the case he might as well hand over the title to someone worthy of defending it.
Jason: Let me guess. Someone like you?
Michael James: You’re right about that. I have already proved to everyone that I can successfully defend a championship. The only thing Butch has proven is that he can run his mouth with pointless bullshit when he isn’t hiding behind Wisdom’s jock strap. The HWA doesn’t need a world champion like that. It’s an embarrassment to the rest of us and I plan to do something about it. I’m not going to sit on my ass and pretend to smile while Butch makes a ####ing joke out of the company. I haven’t lost any matches and I haven’t lost my championship. Butch has been defeated on numerous occasions. He lost the world championship twice. Why should he be allowed to hold it a third time? Just so he can blow smoke out of his ass and lose it again in less than a month? It seems like a pointless gesture in my opinion and that’s what makes this rivalry with Butch so much fun for me. I’ve dealt with racists, scumbags and complete imbeciles my entire life. Parker is no different. He could have approached me like a professional but instead he attacked me with the usual childish bullshit I get from everyone else. Think about it, Jason. How the #### does Parker expect to be recognized as the people’s champion when he’s a ####ing racist? This isn’t the 1800’s and people don’t want to support some asshole with the same morality system as the ####ing klu klux klan. I know he wants to believe that he was granted forgiveness for his mistakes but people don’t forget that sort of blatant ignorance. It follows you around like a bad habit and that’s exactly why I refer to Butch Parker as a dying breed. His acts of bigotry and racism did nothing more than seal the metaphorical nail in the coffin that he has been looking for.
* James places a cigarette between his lips and picks up the gym bag from the floor. He places the strap of the bag over his shoulder and begins checking his pockets to make sure he has the room key to his hotel room *
Jason: So, are you trying to say you have plans to end his career?
Michael James: If that’s what it takes to successfully attain the world championship, so be it. I told everyone that I’m not in the HWA to waste time and that’s exactly what Butch has been doing since day one. He failed at numerous attempts towards a career in football, traveled to America, his rental car ran out of gas and he’s been here ever since. If I have to be the one to send him back home then I will have no problem doing that. No one will miss him or demand his immediate return. You want to know why? No one likes Butch Parker. Ever since he revealed his true nature of a cross burning chauvinist, people don’t want to listen to the words that come out of his mouth. It doesn’t take a genius to see exactly how full of shit he is. He will claim to be a champion of the people, just as long as those people are a part of the same ethnicity group. Personally, I made it a point to be open-minded towards all walks of life. I have always given people the benefit of the doubt before passing judgment. If someone portrays the personality of an imbecile that’s exactly how they should expect to be treated. Butch and Wisdom fail to comprehend common sense and this is what they get in return. To tell you the truth, I expected more from them. But you know what? I can live with the disappointment of other people. They aren’t future of the HWA so anything they try accomplish is completely irrelevant to the All Star Champion. #### Butch and Wisdom. #### Heckler and Kosh. As far as I’m concerned the entire roster can go #### themselves.
* Jason raises his eyebrows towards James giving him the “oh shit this is going to piss people off” expression *
Michael James: Yea, I went there, Jay. You want to know why? I’m the champ. I’m undefeated. More importantly, I’m the only man on the roster with a flawless record. That makes me better than the rest of them. If anyone thinks they can prove otherwise I ####ing dare them to try.
* Michael James lights the cigarette and nods his head at Jason before he makes his exit from the room. He turns down the hallway and begins moving down the hallway leading to the parking garage of the arena *
Message Thread
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