-=The camera comes on at a run down bar, upon first glimpse the bar appears to be deserted. A few waitresses stand in a back corner talk among themselves, awaiting the few patrons that still attend this rat hole. Sitting at the bar is a lone man, his head is down, and sitting beside him is a row of shot glasses and a half empty bottle of tequila. The lone man pours another shot and downs it even faster. The camera slowly approaches the man, revealing X-Rated. He sits with his head lowered, shaking in, almost as if in disbelieve. =-

X-Rated: “A Joke……….They are calling me a joke! Can you believe this? I mean do I looking like a joke, sure, I can see them hating me; I mean look at me, I have boyish good looks, more money then I know what to do with, a beautiful wife, I have it all, but for them to think I’m nothing more then a joke……….While that’s just fine by me, let them laugh, let them poke fun because in the end the joke will be on them. Sin, you are just as dumb as you sound, think about it, going into knockout I have nothing to lose. If I win, I walk away with the World Championship, if I lose what have I lost? The respect of the boys in the back? I never had it. My marriage? We are stronger then that! See Sin, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, where you, you stand to gain nothing! If you win, big deal, I’m just another Rookie looking to make a name for himself remember, but if you lose, well then you will be joke. You would be exactly what everyone has claimed you to be, a paper champion with no staying power. So think of this as a joke if you wish, don’t take me as a serious contender, I don’t care, because you are just giving me more reason to go out there and lay it all on the line, and leaving nothing behind. Spin your rhymes, tell your fairy tales, make your claims of sleeping with my wife, I have heard it all before. This isn’t the first time I have been the underdog, and I promise you this much, it wont be the last! Nothing you have said or done this week has surprised me, I expected you to make jokes, and poke fun of the situation that your mouth has gotten you into. But with each passing second the time for talk is coming closer to the end. The time of war is nearly upon us. You have taken every cheap shot you could think of, all in an effort to break my sprits and to make me second guess myself, and it worked. I did second guess myself, I wondered what I had gotten myself into, and more then once I have asked myself if I am up to the task. And each and every time I ask myself that question I keep coming up with the same answer over and over again. I have never been more ready! You see when I a man has nothing to lose that is when he is his most dangerous, because there is nothing holding him back, nothing weighing him down. So you can have all the puppet shows you want, gather your crew, because Saturday is almost here, and when that bell sounds, none of that will matter! You will be standing on one side of the ring, and on the other side you will be looking into the eyes of the hungriest Son Of A Bitch in the ICWL. You all said my debut was disappointing, that you were expecting someone great! Well you were all naïve. I may not have been one of the greats from ICWL’s past, but I am good enough for my spot on the roster, and I will prove it to each and every one of you that thinks otherwise! ”

{X-Rated gets down off of the bar stool, and slowly walks away from the bar. He heads towards the front door, he puts his hand on the door and is about to walk out when he suddenly stops, again dropping his head.}

X-Rated: “Who am I kidding? Everyone knows I don’t stand a chance of walk away with the victory, they have all already voted against me, chosen their sides. I mean, what made me think in a million years I would be able to walk away from this match with a victory, let alone the World Championship. I’m nothing more then a washed up has been trying to recapture my youth from years gone by, trying to recapture the lime light that once was mine so many years ago. It’s been four years since I did this last, what made me really think after all this time I would be able to come back and make a go of this? It’s no wonder people don’t take me seriously anymore, I mean what do I have to offer them? A gimmick that was cool and popular like seven years ago? Killah is right, I’m nothing more then a nobody with a supermodel wife at my side hoping that everyone will be to busy looking at her to notice how big of a joke I really am. So forget it, I wont even show up on Saturday night, I will save myself the embarrassment and humiliation I am almost guaranteed to receive. I should just quit and walk away well I still have some once of dignity left”

{Suddenly X-Rated’s cell phone rings. X-Rated appears startled by it’s ringing at first. He takes the phone out of his pocket and looks at the caller ID screen. A look of sheer horror comes across his face. He hastate for a moment before finally answering the phone}

Voice: “Payton? Is that you?”

X-Rated: “Yes, Jack it’s me”

Voice: “Listen man, Kasie called me, she seemed pretty upset and worried about you, said you tore up the place, before leaving. See said you seemed unusually stressed out about this match you have coming up on Saturday. What’s the deal man?”

X-Rated: “There is no deal man, I just can’t do this crap anymore! I’m not the man I use to be. I just can’t….

Voice: “Now just wait a god damn minute, What is with this feel sorry for myself crap I’m hearing? Tell me I’m picking up some sort of cross talk here, and those aren’t the words coming out of your mouth!”

X-Rated: “Hey, screw you man, I’m not feeling sorry for myself, I’m facing facts! There is no way I can go in there this Saturday and beat Killah Sin, it’s just not possible! Why should I go out there and make a fool of myself in front of the whole world? I mean everyone already thinks I’m a joke and maybe they are right I am a joke now!”

Voice: “I’m sorry I must have the wrong number or something, because the Payton Waters that I know, and trained would never accept defeat no matter how big his opponent was, or how much the odds where stacked against him. What ever happened to the kid that I found on the brink of self destruction, and brought the gift of Professional Wrestling to? What happened to the kid that would no accept no for and answer and do what ever it to just to prove everyone wrong? What ever happened to him?”

X-Rated: “I’ll tell you what happened to that kid, he grew up and got smart. I have some self respect still and I would like to be able to walk away with that at least!”

Voice: “How can you say you have self respect if you walk away from every challenge that may be just a little to hard? If you call walking away with your tail between your legs self respect, then you have more then anyone else I have ever met!”

X-Rated: “Listen Jack, I know what you are trying to do, and it’s not going to work. I know what I have to do, I know that what I’m doing is the right thing to do.”

Voice: “The right thing to do is go out there and give it your all! Hold nothing back, and leave nothing behind. If you go out there and give Killah Sin everything you have and still come up a little short, then so be it, but at least then you can look yourself in the mirror knowing full well you did everything you could to win that match, and that this time it just wasn’t enough. There is no shame in losing, only shame in quitting! I have seen you at your lowest of lows, and your highest of highs, and I know that deep down inside that sea of self pity that you are burring yourself in the idea of quitting is killing you.”>

X-Rated: “You know for such a wise old man you sure are dumb. You think you know me so well, but as it turns out you know nothing! I could care less what everyone thinks of me, like I said at least this way I don’t have to look at myself in the mirror knowing I made a complete ass out of myself….”

Voice: “YOU’RE MAKING AN ASS OUT OF YOURSELF RIGHT NOW! Listen, I can’t go out there and fight that match for you, and I can’t make you go out there and fight him either, but I can tell you this much, your not fooling anyone. You do care what everyone thinks of you. That’s why you have all of the flashy shit you have now! The expensive cars, the President suite in one of Las Vegas’s largest hotels, Kasie! Go out there Saturday night, and bring everything you have! Do everything in your power to win that match up, and walk away with your head high no matter the outcome. You were once a great competitor, you faced all challenges head on and gave every ounce of yourself in that ring. I was there when you became the CEWF Champion, leaving Universal Solider laying in the middle of the ring, no one thought you could do it then, just like they do now. But you didn’t let that stop you then, so why are you letting it stop you now?”

X-Rated: “Because then I had something to prove, that was my first world title shot of my career, and no one thought I would be able to do it, I had to prove…..”

Voice: “Exactly, it’s the same thing here! No one thinks you can, they all think you are a joke, now you have to prove them wrong! Get out there Saturday night and do it! Show them all that you are not a joke, show them all that you are everything you said you are. Go out there and show the world that you are on Killah Sin’s level, that you are able to hang in his turf, and that you should be taken seriously!”

X-Rated: “Jack, I hear what you are saying, but I don’t think I can do it anymore, I’m just not sure I have it in me anymore”

Voice: “Yes you do! I seen it in you when you entered the Ringmaster Battle Royal, and it was in your eyes when you pull Killah Sin out of the ring. And it was in your soul when you ran out and started the fight with Killah Sin two weeks ago, you still have it, you just have to find it again, I know you can!

X-Rated: “Even if your right, where am I going to find it in time, I mean Knockout is only less then 48 hours away.”

Voice: “Look deep down inside of you, because that is where it is, its not in the bottom of a tequila bottle! Think about it Payton, you have been in this exact position before, you know you have, and you have battled through it. Why should it be any different this time!? I have known you a long time, we have been in some pretty tough battles together, and you know I wouldn’t lie to you! Go out there and give it your all, go out there and bring a fight to Killah Sin that he isn’t expecting. Show him you are not afraid, if you can do that, then you’re almost assured a victory. Killah Sin has done everything he has done this week to through you off your game, to get into your head, because he knows that you are a threat. Use your head Payton, and use your Heart. You know what the right thing to do is, so go out there and do it, like I know you can!

X-Rated: “You’re right! Why should I beat myself in this match, I should be making Killah Sin beat me! He may be the champion, but I have the advantage. Killah Sin is scared, that’s why he didn’t accept my challenge to a cage match. He doesn’t want to be locked inside a cage with me, where his crew can’t save him and his world title! It’s time I start thinking like a Champion, and not like a Chump! Thank You Jack, you have always been a good friend. If you talk to Kasie, tell her to get on the plan and meet me in Anaheim, we have a championship to bring home!”

Voice: “That a boy! I know you can do it!”

{X-Rated hangs up his cell phone and places it back into his pocket. He fixes his shirt and look into the camera}

X-Rated: “Killah Sin, I hope you are ready for your greatest challenge to date, because It’s time for the X to make his mark on the ICWL! Enjoy your finial days as Champ, because your X-peration Date has been chosen and that date is Saturday April 8th, 2006!”

-=X-Rated throws the door open and walks over to his car, leaving the camera man behind to pick up his bar tab.=-