<The opening bars of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ blast through the Cheesedome speakers as a pyrotechnic charge blows at the top of the ramp...>Marcum: Whoa!
<A bank of spotlights pan to the top of the ramp as the smoke clears, revealing none other than Captain Sammitch! The crowd goes wild as the Number One Contender makes his way to the ring in a black gi
, clutching a black-painted bo
staff and looking rather serious...>Monroe: Maybe now we’ll finally hear an answer to Joe Mama’s chilling statements earlier tonight!
Marcum: Though I’m not sure
what Sammitch could say to all of
that!<Sammitch enters the ring and accepts a microphone from James White. He takes a deep breath and begins...>Captain Sammitch: I thought you
knew me, Joe. For a long time I really thought you
knew me. We’ve fought each other enough times, certainly. Ours is one of the most legendary feuds in the history of the RDCW. We’ve fought wars of
words as vicious as
anything we’ve done to each other in the ring. We’ve even battled it out
beyond the ring on a number of occasions. And yet, after all this time, after having been given
so many chances to figure me out, you still don’t really know
who I am.
Marcum: Actually
we’re still puzzled over
that one!
Monroe: 
CS: You’re convinced that I get into this ring night after bloody night and risk my life and my livelihood all because I crave a little attention. You’re convinced of this… why? Because I take time to acknowledge everyone who’s supported me all this way? Don’t you get it after all this time?
<Sammitch reaches into a pocket inside his black gi and retrieves a handful of opened envelopes. He pulls a sheet of paper from one and reads aloud...>CS: “Dear Captain Sammitch… I’m Cody and I’m seven years old. You are awesome! How can I be just like you? Write back soon!”
<Sammitch reads from another letter...> “Captain Sammitch, thank you for setting a
positive example for my children. I’m glad that no matter how many vulgar, violent egomaniacs share that ring with you, you refuse to sink to their level.” Or here’s one… “Sammitch, you’re already
our champ! No matter what happens in that ring, keep your head up, because you’re the guy everybody wants to be!” I
could go on. But I won’t.
<Sammitch returns the letters to his pocket...> My
point is that it has next to
nothing to do with
attention or
praise. Whether you’re willing to realize it or not, as athletes, as
performers, we have a
responsibility to everybody out there.
<Captain Sammitch makes a sweeping gesture around the Cheesedome...> CS: There are people in this arena who have saved their hard-earned money for
months to be here. They’ve brought their
friends here. They’ve brought their
children here. Why? So you can tell them how little they matter to you? So they can watch you strut around the ring and prattle on and on about how
great you are? I think not. No matter who they’re cheering for, the people in this arena are here because they look up to us. We have people watching us who are looking for something or someone to
believe in. We have
children watching us who want to be
just like us. We’re in a business that too often has been touched by drug scandals and domestic violence and all manner of other scandals
beyond the ring. Right here,
in the ring, we have our best chance, our golden opportunity, not just to give these people bread and circuses to shake their minds off of what’s troubling them, but to
set an example and to
give them something to believe in. And that’s one of many differences between you and me. When
you’re in the ring, people see a skilled and experienced, but nasty and ruthless fighter, who in the end just
entertains them. When
I’m in the ring, I give one hundred and ten percent, I fight fair, but I fight hard, and I
inspire people.
<Captain Sammitch begins pacing around the ring...>CS: That is why the people in this arena matter to me. The fame and praise are great, but as you said yourself, they won’t last forever. The
material benefits of this job are wonderful, but in the end, it’s only money. The opportunity to have a positive impact on the people around you, the chance – even if it’s just for a little while – to be the one people look up to and strive to emulate… now
that’s something worth fighting for. But I’ll admit – that’s not the
only reason I’m here tonight.
<Sammitch looks around the arena...> Even if this place were
empty tonight, I’d have
several good reasons to step into the ring with you – reasons you’d understand better... if only you really
knew me.
<The crowd seems curiously silent, waiting to hear what Captain Sammitch will say next...>CS: Tonight’s match isn’t just
any match. Tonight, I’m stepping into the ring with a chance to win the
title, the title of titles, the only title I haven’t already won. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I
want that belt, and I want it
badly. I’ve been through a lot to get it, despite your nonsense about ‘dodging opponents’. Look, if you’re in a match with very clear objectives for winning, it’s just plain
stupid to waste time and energy outside those objectives. For all your talk about ‘doing what it takes to win’, you’ve proven yourself more than willing to do just that time and time again, and it’s cost you on more than one occasion. But I digress. This title match isn’t even about the
title so much as it’s about
you and
me.
<A video montage begins playing, featuring numerous clips from the many Joe Mama/Captain Sammitch battles...>CS: We’ve got quite a history, like I said. You double-crossed me in the ring after a reasonably successful tag partnership, back when I was just an upstart. Good business decision, as far as you were concerned. But you neglected to consider just how much potential I had. So I came back and beat you, and everyone was shocked. You didn’t like that very much. We fought, and fought again. At one point, you came very close to ending my career, and you
would have had Penwing not surrendered the tag title match. But I came back. And no matter what you did, you
still couldn’t get rid of me. We’ve beaten the hell out of each other as much as any two wrestlers that have ever stepped into the ring. Now here we are. And you attempt to scare me out of the ring by... attacking my fan base? To me that just reeks of
desperation.
Marcum: Hey! He’s got no right talking to the champ like that!
<The previously silent crowd begins coming alive again, and cheers begin to pour out of the stands...>CS: I mean come on… I
know what you’re capable of. You’re no pushover. You could have mentioned any number of reasons why you’re just too overwhelming a fighter for me to ever hope to measure up to, or something like that. I think you touched on something or other like that near the end, when you started talking about yourself a whole lot. I don’t remember. I tend not to pay much attention to you when you get to rambling like that. But did you really think you could discourage me from this fight in
any way by disrespecting the very same crowd that came to
watch it? Again, it seems to me you don’t know me that well. Just like the Bastardo Family didn’t know
their opponents well enough to
adapt, which is why
we are here tonight and
they are not.
<The cheers intensify...>Monroe: Sammitch is on a roll!
CS: I’m not as naïve as you seem to think I am, Joe. I know full well that I won’t
always be everyone’s favorite, that sooner or later someone new will come along. I know that I could very well injure myself
tonight and be forced to call it quits. I know that any number of things could happen that would bring an end to the life and livelihood I’ve fought hard to create for myself and for those around me. It’s a simple truth that nothing lasts forever. But I think you inadvertently made one of my most important points
for me, when you mentioned tonight’s Hall of Fame inductees. What sets
legends like thedoctor or Nowhereman or Louie Bastardo apart from everyone else? They
refused to compromise
who they were for
anything. And
I won’t compromise
who I am either. I think, ultimately, that you can’t stand me because I’ve accomplished so much
without cutting corners, or fighting dirty, or doing anything else that might compromise who I am. I know where I came from, and I’ve always made sure to recognize all the people who helped get me from there to here. I
know what you’re capable of... but I also know what
I am capable of, and I won’t
cheat just to gain a temporary advantage when I’m capable of
beating you my way. You say you’re gonna do what you want to do when you want to do it. I say
I will do what
I will do, and
I will do what’s
right, and I am more than confident that’ll be enough for me to prevail.
<Many in the stands are now on their feet, and a sizable portion of the crowd begin cheering Sammitch’s name again...>CS: Nothing lasts forever, Joe. Titles, fame, money… all fleeting. What will I do when it’s all over, you ask? What
I want to know is… what will
you do
tonight? Because that’s all we have, and that’s what I’ve been preparing for for a very long time. You tried to cut me down to size with a lot of nonsense about how I don’t have the
will... and you failed. You tried to take the wind out of the sails of these
fans... and failed. Time to quit stalling, Joe. Suit up and get ready to step into the ring. I told you all along I was on my way to
this moment. Now it’s here. And when it’s passed, only one of us will be the champion. I’ve trained physically, I’ve prepared mentally… I’m ready for you. Are
you ready for
me? By the end of tonight, one way or another, you’ll know.
<Sammitch points to the crowd...> And so will you.
<‘Kashmir’ blares again, and the crowd erupts into thunderous and nearly unanimous applause. Captain Sammitch returns the microphone to James White and makes his way out of the arena, exchanging high-fives with some fans and waving to others, all the way up the ramp, until he disappears from view...>Monroe: Joe Mama came out earlier and got in a couple good words. But Captain Sammitch has
electrified this crowd once again! This blood feud is speeding like a runaway train toward what promises to be one of the greatest title matches of! all!! time!!! Stay tuned!
<Fade to black...>
