I am a Champion
Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:14 pm
OOC: This was surprisingly difficult to write but I managed to complete it. I'm not entirely pleased with it but it will have to do.
Scene 1
Ted had been summoned to the EBWF headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri the day after Warfare. He had to meet with Stephanie McMahon regarding the KOTR PPV. Ted dressed smart for the event, wearing one of his many suits, resting his championship title on his shoulder. Going up several floors in the elevator he finally reached the floor with Stephanie's office on it. He knocked on the door to Stephanie's office and he heard a muffled voice which was Stephanie's.
Stephanie McMahon: Come in.
Ted entered the office to find Stephanie sitting behind her large desk with papers spread all around. Her role in EBWF required a lot of work and she was kept very busy.
Stephanie McMahon: Hello, Ted. Please take a seat.
Ted stepped forward and sat in the chair positioned in front of her.
Stephanie McMahon: Let's get straight down to business; you're facing AJ for the World Title on Sunday.
Ted sat silently, trying to process the information. Only last week he was knocked out of the tournament to become King of the Ring and now he was competing for the World Championship.
Ted Jr: Why put me and AJ in a match with no build? Nobody is even going to think that I'd go over.
Stephanie McMahon: Your recent work has been impressive and the fact that you've had the PTG championship shows that there is some trust in you. We believe that based on your current work and previous work with AJ will make for a passable World Championship match.
"Passable? What the hell does she mean by that? I've busted my ass for the last 3 years and all I'm capable of producing is a passable world title match?" Ted was in two minds about the match. On one hand he could become World Champion once more, but on the other hand he was only in the match because there was no one else.
Ted Jr: So am I going over AJ on Sunday?
Ted got straight down to the point. There was no point side stepping the issue.
Stephanie McMahon: That hasn't been decided yet. You'll find out on Sunday.
Ted Jr: So you just called me all the way to St. Louis to say I'm facing AJ but you won't say if I'm becoming champ or not? A simple phone call would have been easier.
Stephanie McMahon: That wasn't the only reason that I had called you here today. As you know your contract is coming to an end and I want to know if you're going to commit to EBWF for another couple of years?
Ted knew very well that his contract was almost up, and the reason he hadn't resigned yet was because he was still deciding himself. In the 3 years that he had been in EBWF he had matured as a wrestler and had lengthy championship reigns, whether it was as Path to Glory Champion or Tag Team Champion. He knew he could leave EBWF and walk into TNA or WWE and be a main eventer with ease.
Ted Jr: You know what Stephanie? I really don't think my talents are truly being appreciated here, I'm sure your daddy would love to have a guy like me as the poster boy of the WWE. Unless of course, I get several of my demands met.
Stephanie was apprehensive. She didn't want to give much but she also didn't want the PTG Champion and number one contender to the World Title to leave the company. With a grit of her teeth she answered.
Stephanie McMahon: Name them.
Ted smiled and began to list his demands on his fingers.
Ted Jr: First off, this time last year I gave a little speech about how I don't care about the money, that's not going to happen this year. I will have an increase in pay. A substantial increase.
Stephanie sat in silence listening to Ted's demands.
Ted Jr: When I arrive at every arena I want my bags delivered to my personal locker room. I am one of your champions and I deserve the best. I also want a personal driver to take me wherever I need to go.
Before Stephanie could answer Ted held his hand up, stopping her from speaking.
Ted Jr: And finally, I never want that imbecile Jonathan Coachman to conduct an interview with me ever again. How he has a job in EBWF I'll never know. Though the same question could be asked for majority of the roster here.
After Ted's comment he stood up and began to leave Stephanie's office. At the door he turned back and looked to Stephanie.
Ted Jr: I'm sure you'll be able to sort something out after the PPV for me; otherwise I might just take this with me right onto another show.
Ted tapped his title before letting out a laugh, quite similar to the trademark laugh that his father made famous. Ted left Stephanie's office and EBWF headquarters.
Scene 2
After hearing that he would be competing for the World Championship, Ted immediately thought it was some sick joke. After being overlooked for so long and being given the opportunity he thought that it was all some big joke. But then he thought that this was the perfect chance to push him into that top level, to climb the mountain and become the top dog once again. But with the thought of possibly becoming the number one man in EBWF, he remembered what happened last time.
"There needs to be less doubt in a world champion"
"Ted DiBiase is thought to be filler for the World Title"
"It was the dark ages in EBWF"
Even though his reign as champion was not the most memorable, he was still the champion. He considered it to be a massive achievement to go from being a midcard wrestler in the WWE and EBWF to being the top man in less than 6 months of joining EBWF. On the way to the Sprint Center, Ted's phone began to ring. Ted looked to see who was calling and it was his father.
Ted Jr: Hello.
Ted Sr: Teddy boy, it's your father.
Ted Jr: Hey, Dad. This has got to be quick. I'm on my way to the arena now.
Ted Sr: I heard that you were in the World Championship match. This is your time son.
Ted Jr: Remember last time I was World Champ? Did you hear what everyone was saying about my reign as champion? People called it the dark ages of EBWF.
Ted Sr: And since when did you care what people said? You have been in love with wrestling since you were a little kid. Do you remember those times when I took you with me and you got to hang around with all of the wrestlers?
Ted thought back. He always loved being backstage with his dad. Back when his father was teaming with Andre the Giant, Ted used to play around with Andre backstage. Reminiscing brought a smile to his face.
Ted Jr: Yeah, I remember.
Ted Sr: Ever since you were backstage with me I could tell that you were going to become a wrestler. When I saw you win that World Championship I was so proud. You have the skills and the ability to become a great performer. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Ted listened to his father and his feelings of doubt slowly left him. He was a wrestler competing in one of the biggest wrestling organisations in the world. He was competing for the most prestigious championships in professional wrestling that only the best of the best have held. Ted held the championship before and he knew that he could do it again.
Ted Jr: Thanks for that dad.
Ted Sr: I'll be cheering for you son. Good luck tonight.
Ted Jr: I'll talk to you after the PPV.
Ted ended the call just as he arrived at the Sprint Center. He stepped out of the car and stared up at the arena. This could be a great night for Ted; he just needed to keep his head in the game.
Scene 3
Ted was shown in a dark room sitting down on a steel chair. There was a thin ray of light shining down on Ted who had his Path to Glory Championship resting on his lap. A thousand thoughts swirled around in his brain. Was he ready for this match? Did he have what it would take to win? The camera man filming zoomed up on Ted showing his blank face staring down at his championship. Ted kept his head down while addressing the camera.
Ted Jr: It's been over 2 years since I last held the World Title. Was it because I wasn't good enough to hold it? No. Was it because of backstage politics? You can be damn sure that was why. Since I was champion, the champion has almost always been best buddies with Wes Ikeda. John Cena, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, even CM Punk in his second reign. Am I just not a likable person?
Ted lifted his head up.
Ted Jr: On Sunday everything changes. The dominant Ted DiBiase reclaims his championship. In 2010 I was the face of EBWF. I was the World Champion and Tag Team Champion at the same time. I was better than everybody in EBWF. Fast forward to the present and I am the longest reigning current champion in this company. I have held this title for five months with no challengers looking close to taking it from me. This year I have been more dangerous than ever before. I have defeated the likes of Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton with ease. My last so called challenge was the only Olympic Gold Medallist in professional wrestling, Kurt Angle. I have beaten everybody that they have put in front of me.
While Ted was listing his accolades he heard from behind the camera.
Camera Man: Umm what about the King of the Ring tournament?
Ted's eyes stared straight through the camera man. He was trying to forget his disappointing result.
Ted Jr: If I want your comments I'll ask for them.
Behind the camera a quiet apology was said.
Ted Jr: The King of the Ring tournament was designed to give the winner a World Championship match at Summerslam. I did not make it to the final four but because of that I am now challenging for the World Championship. AJ and I have some history and he knows how much of a threat I am. Did he not forget that I was the one that allowed him to win the Intercontinental Championship? I was the man that he brought into the Trilogy and I made them relevant. He left the Trilogy, good for him. Then The Miz left. Now I have the biggest, baddest S.O.B in EBWF with me. On Sunday, AJ's Cinderella story will come to an end. The newest chapter in EBWF will begin on Sunday and there will be a new King of the Ring and I will become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
The camera shut off and Ted's promo had finished.
Scene 4
Ted sat in his locker room listening to his iPod. "Who am I? I am a champion!" The words resonated with Ted and he understood the magnitude of this night. Tonight Ted could write his name in the history books. Tonight Ted could once again become the World Champion. But in order to hold the title that had eluded him for two years he would have to overcome the current champion, AJ Styles. Ted wanted to win badly. Ted wanted the championship more than everything. Not only to be shown as the best but to show everybody that he deserves it. Tonight would feature be a night that would be remembered by everybody, but the spotlight wasn't on Ted's match. The spotlight was on four individuals who had the opportunity to become the 2012 King of the Ring. Trent Barreta, CM Punk, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were set to make history. In the lead up to the King of the Ring PPV, Ted DiBiase hadn't been taken seriously and AJ Styles wasn't featured at all. The entire focus was on the King of the Ring tournament which was an advantage and disadvantage. Nobody expected Ted to win but Ted had the strong belief in his abilities. While sitting in his locker room, Ted heard a knock on his door and EBWF interviewer and commentator Matt Striker entered the room with a cameraman following close behind. After seeing Striker, Ted turned his iPod off and put it away in his bag. He turned to Striker and calmly spoke.
Ted Jr: Let’s get this over with.
Striker quickly moved himself and the camera man into position and began the interview.
Matt Striker: Welcome everybody to the King of the Ring, live from the Sprint Center. Tonight we will crown a man as King of the Ring, but before that we may be crowning a new World Champion. The man taking on AJ Styles tonight is someone who has a lot of history with the champ, Ted DiBiase.
The camera man turned to put Ted DiBiase in the picture.
Matt Striker: Tonight you will compete for the most prestigious championship in EBWF. What does winning the World Championship mean to you?
Ted Jr: It means everything to me. This week, every breath I have taken has been focused on this match. I have lost sleep thinking about holding that Championship. I have the skill, the athleticism, the looks and the knowledge necessary to defeat AJ Styles. I will not give up, and I will do anything in my power to walk away with that title.
Matt Striker: The last time you and AJ met in the ring, he managed to walk away with the win. Will the knowledge of that effect you at all tonight?
Ted Jr: AJ got a lucky win. Sure anyone can get a lucky break and roll someone up. Tonight will be different. I know for damn sure that I will not lose that way. The only way either one of us is walking away with that championship is if the other doesn't walk out of the ring tonight. I will have to be taken out by a stretcher if I lose. He will have to beat me within an inch of my life if he wants to win.
Matt Striker: On Warfare we saw a confrontation between you and Kevin Nash, where you had a very heated conversation. Can I ask what that was all about?
Ted Jr: Nash did tell me things that were definitely true. This championship...
Ted held his Path to Glory Championship up for everybody to see.
Ted Jr: This championship is holding me down. This has kept me out of the World Championship hunt which I deserve to be the front runner in. I have been defeating people left, right and centre to hold onto this title but it's nothing more than a large weight. It has stopped me from holding the World Championship and it has been a blessing for AJ Styles. He has been lucky to not have to deal with me. He can face people like The Miz and Chris Jericho, but they aren't like me. Jericho cared too much about Fozzy to ever be a credible threat to AJ and The Miz is nothing more than a whining MTV reject. I was born into this business; I have lived this business for over 29 years. AJ does not deserve that World Championship. I have beaten former EBWF legends and wresting icons. I defeated the longest reigning World Champion in history, Randy Orton. I defeated a former 4 time EWBF World Champ, Jeff Hardy. And I have defeated the only Olympic Gold Medallist in professional wrestling, Kurt Angle. And that was in the last 5 months. I won the World Championship 3 months after arriving here in EBWF. It took AJ well over a year to win the title. Hell, it took him all of 2011 until he finally won a championship. And without my help, he wouldn't have won it. I was a World Champion and Tag Team Champion at the same time. I have won a total of 6 championships since I have been here. I am the only person in EBWF history to become a two time Path to Glory Champion. As it stands, I will have held the PTG championship longer than CM Punk in a week. In August my reign will surpass his and I will be the most dominant Path to Glory Champion in EBWF history.
Matt Striker: Your history with AJ Styles has been very documented, with AJ bringing you into The Trilogy before you wreaked havoc over EBWF. The Royal Rumble was the night of the Trilogy with you becoming the Path to Glory Champion, AJ winning the Royal Rumble match and The Miz becoming World Champion. Before the Trilogy was formed it could be argued that your future in EBWF was in doubt.
Ted Jr: In doubt? I had been injured for over 4 months. Between Summerslam of 2011 until Christmas Eve of Destruction I was rehabbing and making sure that I came back stronger than ever. Look what happened. I came back and I made an impact straight away. It took me just over a month to secure the Path to Glory Championship again. Since then I have been stronger, faster and more dangerous than I've ever been. I treat every single match like it was my last. They are not standard matches. They are vicious battles. I fight with every breath in me to claw and scratch my way to victory. When that bell is rung, I have been the winner more times than I have lost and when the lights are on and the championship is on the line I am near unstoppable. Since the Royal Rumble I haven't been defeated in a singles match on a Pay Per View. So what does that mean? It means that AJ Styles is in a lot of trouble. AJ Styles' days as champion have come to an end. And so my reign as champion shall begin.
Ted was getting more and more focused. His words were becoming more intense and vicious. It was clear to everybody that Ted was determined to walk away with the World Championship, but words wouldn't win him the championship. Actions would dictate who would leave the Sprint Center with the World Championship.
Matt Striker: Any final words for AJ Styles?
The camera focused on Ted and Striker was taken out of the picture.
Ted Jr: You may have held that title since Wrestlemania. It was the culmination of hard work. But your hard work means nothing tonight. I have waited long enough for my chance to become champion. I will not let this pass me. You are the golden boy of EBWF, Wes Ikeda's little puppet. You can do your media appearances and smile for all the kids but that is not going to help you. I am the outcast, I am the black sheep. When I become champion, you'll become the afterthought. It will not be a time of despair in EBWF when I am champion, it'll be a time of enlightenment. That championship is what drives me. It consumes me. I will do anything to get that championship around my waist once again. And if that means that you need to be hurt and beaten to a bloody pulp, so be it. Tonight is not a match, it is a war. History will remember this night as the night that I resumed my rightful place on the EBWF totem pole. I was called a "filler" champion, a "terrible" champion. I was champion because no one else wanted to be. Tonight will not be the case. Tonight I will become a dominant champion. I will be the man to take out AJ Styles. I will show everybody that I was the strongest man in the Trilogy and I will rule EBWF. Change is coming.
Ted left his locker room as Striker was left to wrap up the interview.
Matt Striker: Some strong words from Ted DiBiase. Will he manage to become the World Champion tonight? Who will become the King of the Ring? Stay tuned to find out.
The scene faded.
Scene 1
Ted had been summoned to the EBWF headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri the day after Warfare. He had to meet with Stephanie McMahon regarding the KOTR PPV. Ted dressed smart for the event, wearing one of his many suits, resting his championship title on his shoulder. Going up several floors in the elevator he finally reached the floor with Stephanie's office on it. He knocked on the door to Stephanie's office and he heard a muffled voice which was Stephanie's.
Stephanie McMahon: Come in.
Ted entered the office to find Stephanie sitting behind her large desk with papers spread all around. Her role in EBWF required a lot of work and she was kept very busy.
Stephanie McMahon: Hello, Ted. Please take a seat.
Ted stepped forward and sat in the chair positioned in front of her.
Stephanie McMahon: Let's get straight down to business; you're facing AJ for the World Title on Sunday.
Ted sat silently, trying to process the information. Only last week he was knocked out of the tournament to become King of the Ring and now he was competing for the World Championship.
Ted Jr: Why put me and AJ in a match with no build? Nobody is even going to think that I'd go over.
Stephanie McMahon: Your recent work has been impressive and the fact that you've had the PTG championship shows that there is some trust in you. We believe that based on your current work and previous work with AJ will make for a passable World Championship match.
"Passable? What the hell does she mean by that? I've busted my ass for the last 3 years and all I'm capable of producing is a passable world title match?" Ted was in two minds about the match. On one hand he could become World Champion once more, but on the other hand he was only in the match because there was no one else.
Ted Jr: So am I going over AJ on Sunday?
Ted got straight down to the point. There was no point side stepping the issue.
Stephanie McMahon: That hasn't been decided yet. You'll find out on Sunday.
Ted Jr: So you just called me all the way to St. Louis to say I'm facing AJ but you won't say if I'm becoming champ or not? A simple phone call would have been easier.
Stephanie McMahon: That wasn't the only reason that I had called you here today. As you know your contract is coming to an end and I want to know if you're going to commit to EBWF for another couple of years?
Ted knew very well that his contract was almost up, and the reason he hadn't resigned yet was because he was still deciding himself. In the 3 years that he had been in EBWF he had matured as a wrestler and had lengthy championship reigns, whether it was as Path to Glory Champion or Tag Team Champion. He knew he could leave EBWF and walk into TNA or WWE and be a main eventer with ease.
Ted Jr: You know what Stephanie? I really don't think my talents are truly being appreciated here, I'm sure your daddy would love to have a guy like me as the poster boy of the WWE. Unless of course, I get several of my demands met.
Stephanie was apprehensive. She didn't want to give much but she also didn't want the PTG Champion and number one contender to the World Title to leave the company. With a grit of her teeth she answered.
Stephanie McMahon: Name them.
Ted smiled and began to list his demands on his fingers.
Ted Jr: First off, this time last year I gave a little speech about how I don't care about the money, that's not going to happen this year. I will have an increase in pay. A substantial increase.
Stephanie sat in silence listening to Ted's demands.
Ted Jr: When I arrive at every arena I want my bags delivered to my personal locker room. I am one of your champions and I deserve the best. I also want a personal driver to take me wherever I need to go.
Before Stephanie could answer Ted held his hand up, stopping her from speaking.
Ted Jr: And finally, I never want that imbecile Jonathan Coachman to conduct an interview with me ever again. How he has a job in EBWF I'll never know. Though the same question could be asked for majority of the roster here.
After Ted's comment he stood up and began to leave Stephanie's office. At the door he turned back and looked to Stephanie.
Ted Jr: I'm sure you'll be able to sort something out after the PPV for me; otherwise I might just take this with me right onto another show.
Ted tapped his title before letting out a laugh, quite similar to the trademark laugh that his father made famous. Ted left Stephanie's office and EBWF headquarters.
Scene 2
After hearing that he would be competing for the World Championship, Ted immediately thought it was some sick joke. After being overlooked for so long and being given the opportunity he thought that it was all some big joke. But then he thought that this was the perfect chance to push him into that top level, to climb the mountain and become the top dog once again. But with the thought of possibly becoming the number one man in EBWF, he remembered what happened last time.
"There needs to be less doubt in a world champion"
"Ted DiBiase is thought to be filler for the World Title"
"It was the dark ages in EBWF"
Even though his reign as champion was not the most memorable, he was still the champion. He considered it to be a massive achievement to go from being a midcard wrestler in the WWE and EBWF to being the top man in less than 6 months of joining EBWF. On the way to the Sprint Center, Ted's phone began to ring. Ted looked to see who was calling and it was his father.
Ted Jr: Hello.
Ted Sr: Teddy boy, it's your father.
Ted Jr: Hey, Dad. This has got to be quick. I'm on my way to the arena now.
Ted Sr: I heard that you were in the World Championship match. This is your time son.
Ted Jr: Remember last time I was World Champ? Did you hear what everyone was saying about my reign as champion? People called it the dark ages of EBWF.
Ted Sr: And since when did you care what people said? You have been in love with wrestling since you were a little kid. Do you remember those times when I took you with me and you got to hang around with all of the wrestlers?
Ted thought back. He always loved being backstage with his dad. Back when his father was teaming with Andre the Giant, Ted used to play around with Andre backstage. Reminiscing brought a smile to his face.
Ted Jr: Yeah, I remember.
Ted Sr: Ever since you were backstage with me I could tell that you were going to become a wrestler. When I saw you win that World Championship I was so proud. You have the skills and the ability to become a great performer. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
Ted listened to his father and his feelings of doubt slowly left him. He was a wrestler competing in one of the biggest wrestling organisations in the world. He was competing for the most prestigious championships in professional wrestling that only the best of the best have held. Ted held the championship before and he knew that he could do it again.
Ted Jr: Thanks for that dad.
Ted Sr: I'll be cheering for you son. Good luck tonight.
Ted Jr: I'll talk to you after the PPV.
Ted ended the call just as he arrived at the Sprint Center. He stepped out of the car and stared up at the arena. This could be a great night for Ted; he just needed to keep his head in the game.
Scene 3
Ted was shown in a dark room sitting down on a steel chair. There was a thin ray of light shining down on Ted who had his Path to Glory Championship resting on his lap. A thousand thoughts swirled around in his brain. Was he ready for this match? Did he have what it would take to win? The camera man filming zoomed up on Ted showing his blank face staring down at his championship. Ted kept his head down while addressing the camera.
Ted Jr: It's been over 2 years since I last held the World Title. Was it because I wasn't good enough to hold it? No. Was it because of backstage politics? You can be damn sure that was why. Since I was champion, the champion has almost always been best buddies with Wes Ikeda. John Cena, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, even CM Punk in his second reign. Am I just not a likable person?
Ted lifted his head up.
Ted Jr: On Sunday everything changes. The dominant Ted DiBiase reclaims his championship. In 2010 I was the face of EBWF. I was the World Champion and Tag Team Champion at the same time. I was better than everybody in EBWF. Fast forward to the present and I am the longest reigning current champion in this company. I have held this title for five months with no challengers looking close to taking it from me. This year I have been more dangerous than ever before. I have defeated the likes of Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton with ease. My last so called challenge was the only Olympic Gold Medallist in professional wrestling, Kurt Angle. I have beaten everybody that they have put in front of me.
While Ted was listing his accolades he heard from behind the camera.
Camera Man: Umm what about the King of the Ring tournament?
Ted's eyes stared straight through the camera man. He was trying to forget his disappointing result.
Ted Jr: If I want your comments I'll ask for them.
Behind the camera a quiet apology was said.
Ted Jr: The King of the Ring tournament was designed to give the winner a World Championship match at Summerslam. I did not make it to the final four but because of that I am now challenging for the World Championship. AJ and I have some history and he knows how much of a threat I am. Did he not forget that I was the one that allowed him to win the Intercontinental Championship? I was the man that he brought into the Trilogy and I made them relevant. He left the Trilogy, good for him. Then The Miz left. Now I have the biggest, baddest S.O.B in EBWF with me. On Sunday, AJ's Cinderella story will come to an end. The newest chapter in EBWF will begin on Sunday and there will be a new King of the Ring and I will become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
The camera shut off and Ted's promo had finished.
Scene 4
Ted sat in his locker room listening to his iPod. "Who am I? I am a champion!" The words resonated with Ted and he understood the magnitude of this night. Tonight Ted could write his name in the history books. Tonight Ted could once again become the World Champion. But in order to hold the title that had eluded him for two years he would have to overcome the current champion, AJ Styles. Ted wanted to win badly. Ted wanted the championship more than everything. Not only to be shown as the best but to show everybody that he deserves it. Tonight would feature be a night that would be remembered by everybody, but the spotlight wasn't on Ted's match. The spotlight was on four individuals who had the opportunity to become the 2012 King of the Ring. Trent Barreta, CM Punk, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were set to make history. In the lead up to the King of the Ring PPV, Ted DiBiase hadn't been taken seriously and AJ Styles wasn't featured at all. The entire focus was on the King of the Ring tournament which was an advantage and disadvantage. Nobody expected Ted to win but Ted had the strong belief in his abilities. While sitting in his locker room, Ted heard a knock on his door and EBWF interviewer and commentator Matt Striker entered the room with a cameraman following close behind. After seeing Striker, Ted turned his iPod off and put it away in his bag. He turned to Striker and calmly spoke.
Ted Jr: Let’s get this over with.
Striker quickly moved himself and the camera man into position and began the interview.
Matt Striker: Welcome everybody to the King of the Ring, live from the Sprint Center. Tonight we will crown a man as King of the Ring, but before that we may be crowning a new World Champion. The man taking on AJ Styles tonight is someone who has a lot of history with the champ, Ted DiBiase.
The camera man turned to put Ted DiBiase in the picture.
Matt Striker: Tonight you will compete for the most prestigious championship in EBWF. What does winning the World Championship mean to you?
Ted Jr: It means everything to me. This week, every breath I have taken has been focused on this match. I have lost sleep thinking about holding that Championship. I have the skill, the athleticism, the looks and the knowledge necessary to defeat AJ Styles. I will not give up, and I will do anything in my power to walk away with that title.
Matt Striker: The last time you and AJ met in the ring, he managed to walk away with the win. Will the knowledge of that effect you at all tonight?
Ted Jr: AJ got a lucky win. Sure anyone can get a lucky break and roll someone up. Tonight will be different. I know for damn sure that I will not lose that way. The only way either one of us is walking away with that championship is if the other doesn't walk out of the ring tonight. I will have to be taken out by a stretcher if I lose. He will have to beat me within an inch of my life if he wants to win.
Matt Striker: On Warfare we saw a confrontation between you and Kevin Nash, where you had a very heated conversation. Can I ask what that was all about?
Ted Jr: Nash did tell me things that were definitely true. This championship...
Ted held his Path to Glory Championship up for everybody to see.
Ted Jr: This championship is holding me down. This has kept me out of the World Championship hunt which I deserve to be the front runner in. I have been defeating people left, right and centre to hold onto this title but it's nothing more than a large weight. It has stopped me from holding the World Championship and it has been a blessing for AJ Styles. He has been lucky to not have to deal with me. He can face people like The Miz and Chris Jericho, but they aren't like me. Jericho cared too much about Fozzy to ever be a credible threat to AJ and The Miz is nothing more than a whining MTV reject. I was born into this business; I have lived this business for over 29 years. AJ does not deserve that World Championship. I have beaten former EBWF legends and wresting icons. I defeated the longest reigning World Champion in history, Randy Orton. I defeated a former 4 time EWBF World Champ, Jeff Hardy. And I have defeated the only Olympic Gold Medallist in professional wrestling, Kurt Angle. And that was in the last 5 months. I won the World Championship 3 months after arriving here in EBWF. It took AJ well over a year to win the title. Hell, it took him all of 2011 until he finally won a championship. And without my help, he wouldn't have won it. I was a World Champion and Tag Team Champion at the same time. I have won a total of 6 championships since I have been here. I am the only person in EBWF history to become a two time Path to Glory Champion. As it stands, I will have held the PTG championship longer than CM Punk in a week. In August my reign will surpass his and I will be the most dominant Path to Glory Champion in EBWF history.
Matt Striker: Your history with AJ Styles has been very documented, with AJ bringing you into The Trilogy before you wreaked havoc over EBWF. The Royal Rumble was the night of the Trilogy with you becoming the Path to Glory Champion, AJ winning the Royal Rumble match and The Miz becoming World Champion. Before the Trilogy was formed it could be argued that your future in EBWF was in doubt.
Ted Jr: In doubt? I had been injured for over 4 months. Between Summerslam of 2011 until Christmas Eve of Destruction I was rehabbing and making sure that I came back stronger than ever. Look what happened. I came back and I made an impact straight away. It took me just over a month to secure the Path to Glory Championship again. Since then I have been stronger, faster and more dangerous than I've ever been. I treat every single match like it was my last. They are not standard matches. They are vicious battles. I fight with every breath in me to claw and scratch my way to victory. When that bell is rung, I have been the winner more times than I have lost and when the lights are on and the championship is on the line I am near unstoppable. Since the Royal Rumble I haven't been defeated in a singles match on a Pay Per View. So what does that mean? It means that AJ Styles is in a lot of trouble. AJ Styles' days as champion have come to an end. And so my reign as champion shall begin.
Ted was getting more and more focused. His words were becoming more intense and vicious. It was clear to everybody that Ted was determined to walk away with the World Championship, but words wouldn't win him the championship. Actions would dictate who would leave the Sprint Center with the World Championship.
Matt Striker: Any final words for AJ Styles?
The camera focused on Ted and Striker was taken out of the picture.
Ted Jr: You may have held that title since Wrestlemania. It was the culmination of hard work. But your hard work means nothing tonight. I have waited long enough for my chance to become champion. I will not let this pass me. You are the golden boy of EBWF, Wes Ikeda's little puppet. You can do your media appearances and smile for all the kids but that is not going to help you. I am the outcast, I am the black sheep. When I become champion, you'll become the afterthought. It will not be a time of despair in EBWF when I am champion, it'll be a time of enlightenment. That championship is what drives me. It consumes me. I will do anything to get that championship around my waist once again. And if that means that you need to be hurt and beaten to a bloody pulp, so be it. Tonight is not a match, it is a war. History will remember this night as the night that I resumed my rightful place on the EBWF totem pole. I was called a "filler" champion, a "terrible" champion. I was champion because no one else wanted to be. Tonight will not be the case. Tonight I will become a dominant champion. I will be the man to take out AJ Styles. I will show everybody that I was the strongest man in the Trilogy and I will rule EBWF. Change is coming.
Ted left his locker room as Striker was left to wrap up the interview.
Matt Striker: Some strong words from Ted DiBiase. Will he manage to become the World Champion tonight? Who will become the King of the Ring? Stay tuned to find out.
The scene faded.