[
Gordito emerges from a door in a parking garage. There are some bags slung over his shoulder, and he walks with signs of pain and discomfort, but a mixed range of emotions on his face. He heads towards his van looking lost in thought, but people have gathered to wait for him. His party van no longer goes unnoticed; fans have learned where and when to wait to catch The Dirty One.]
Gordito: I guess this is the next stop for The Dirty Train.
[He drops his bags.]
Gather around, friends. The Dirty One always has time for those who have time for him.
[He signs photos and shirts and chats with the fans. Pictures are taken. The group isn't very big; maybe only a dozen or so. They range from younger kids with Gordito T-Shirts to some teenagers with piercings and torn jeans.
Gordito's smiles aren't faked. He's genuinely happy to see them. After some time, the group begins to disperse.
Gordito gathers his things, says his goodbyes to the remaining fans, and heads towards his van. He slides open the side door and tosses his things inside. After slamming the door shut again, he gets in on the driver's side and then sits in the driver's seat, closes the door, and zones out for a moment.]
Baez: No man, I got time for you. Just want to let you know, you did good...
[
Gordito shakes his head and buckles up. He thinks out loud to himself.]
Those people back there...they need me to be better than this. Get it together, Juan.
[We cut to the city exterior.
Gordito is driving to his hotel for the night. The same empty look begins to crawl over his face.]
...Lets run down the contestants of this stellar contest! First up, he's fat! He's dirty! He smells like rotten cheese, it's Gordito!!! Yes, this is the man who a few weeks ago had a great showing with the reigning champ, but at the end of the day... HE LOST!!!
[
Gordito shakes his head clear again and tries to focus on getting home for the night. He comes to a stop light. He zones out again.]
...I’ve had to work my ass off since leaving Mayhem, but I don’t get the respect I deserve. I am a god-damn 4 time and longest reigning Mayhem Champion! Gordito, on the other hand, has been given opportunities on a silver platter time after time. He gets World Title shots, I am an afterthought in multi-man EurAsian Title matches. He tags with Everest and Showtime, I’m stuck facing the career loser Blade. And now, he is gifted a place in the King For a Day match while I’m on the outside looking in. I will not take this anymore.
[
Gordito comes to when someone honks at him. The light is green. He quickly pulls ahead, cursing under his breathe. We cut to the inside of the hotel room. The door opens, and
Gordito's silhouette stands in the threshold. His arm reaches out and he turns on the light, stepping in and letting the door close behind him and then turning around to lock it. Then he heads into the room, going towards the bed. He drops his bags, tosses his robe to the floor, empties his pockets onto the nightstand, and falls onto the bed. It's been a long night, with a lot of ups and downs.]
...he never beat me.
...he never beat me.
...he never beat me.
[
Gordito sits up startled. Quickly, he composes himself. After getting up to turn off the lights and get a small drink of water, he returns to the bed. Staring up at the ceiling as he lies down on the bed, he talks to himself.]
I don't need this right now. I've got Showtime to worry about...I can't let Reynolds down.
Reynolds: Dude.....it’s going to have to be you. Pick Your Poison. I’m picking you.
[This brings a different emotion to
Gordito's face; one of comfort.]
Reynolds believes in me, too. Just like those fans do. I won't let them down.
[
Gordito pulls some blankets over himself and falls to sleep. Just before he's out for the night, one last voice carries through his head.]
Ty: There is no such thing as a friend in our field of expertise. Baez has simply taken advantage of your good nature, and now he wants your spot Gordito. Do NOT let him take it without putting up a fight.
[
Gordito opens his eyes, and this time there's a new emotion found in them: determination.]
You have deserved and earned every opportunity you have received.
[A slight smile crawls across his face.]
He is the enemy, and he must be destroyed if you want to progress down your path.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[When we open again, we are backstage with
Becky Serra and
Gordito.
Gordito is dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt along with his red robe.
Becky is holding a mic, and looks to the camera as she starts to speak.]
Becky: And now we have a special treat for you guys! Joining me now is The Dirty One himself, Gordito! Gordito, we all saw what happened out there at Meltdown 51.
[
Gordito nods as Becky speaks, a smirk on his face.]
Baez turned his back on you and laid into you with a steel chair repeatedly. Then, on Ascension 27, foul play by Constantine landed you another upset by his hands. Most people know that you guys had a good friendship until all of this, and now they want to know...
[She turns towards
Gordito.]
How are you taking this all?
Listen here, baby. I learned a valuable piece of advice a long long time ago. When you've got a ton of problems on your plate, the worst thing you can do is let them all bleed into each other. You've got to break them up into bite sized pieces. Much easier to manage that way. I've got a few bites on my plate right now, but after taking some time to clear my head and focus on this, I'm confident can weather any trouble coming my way.
Let's talk about your first bite...I mean, problem.
Showtime. First up on the list is Showtime. You know, I'm not to going to go off on a guy for walking out of a match when he knows he's beat....oh wait, yes I am!
[
Gordito looks up at the camera.]
Cougar, I know you were rattled by Ty. I know it got a "little too real" for you there for a moment. I can even understand why you'd want to conserve your energy for Kingdom Come. But had you stuck around not a minute or two more, we'd have had that tag match. So what was the problem? You think you should save your energy for Ty? Afraid of showing up at the big one, Kingdom Come, and not having enough to go over the World Heavyweight Champion?! Very valid concerns, I suppose. But now you have a different problem. Now you have The Dirty One to deal with.
That's right, coming up on Meltdown 53, Showtime will be up against you in a "Pick Your Poison" match. Constantine and Reynolds have picked you two as their champions, and this match will determine who will get to pick the stipulation for their match at Kingdom Come. With the recent breakup of the Showtime Powertrip, one has to wonder whether Showtime will even care about this match or not.
Oh no, don't walk away from this one, Showtime. That'd be too easy, even for you. Take me on. Come at me, baby! I dare you to make an example out of me! Let's see first hand what the world has in store from you at Kingdom Come! No Constantine, no Reynolds, no Burna. Just you and I, mano y mano. Forget the stipulation. Forget about all of that. Let's just focus on this smaller picture for a little while together, and let's see how ready you are. Personally, I don't think you have a chance. You see, you cut John loose a little too soon. Your support structure is falling apart all around you, and you turned away the one guy who probably would've stuck by you to the end if only because he thought he'd have gotten something out of it. You've got to actually get across those bridges before you burn them, amigo.
But Showtime is no friend of Reynolds, either. Do you think that maybe that would be inspiration enough for him to take this match seriously, unlike your guy's tag match at Meltdown 51?
I hope so, baby. Man, do I hope so. You see, I've got this fire inside of me. It's what pushes me on through tough times like this. And that fire is fueled by the people who believe in me. The fans at home, boys in the back, even the guys in the offices. Everyone of them who believes that I have enough to endure this storm...everyone of them who believes in the power of will to come out on top in the face of overwhelming odds...that is what pushes me on to become better and better each and every day. We've all lost friends. We've all had people turn on us. But we keep breathing. We keep moving forward. They keep watching me, hoping for the best, and I intend to deliver.
Some of your fans may be worried that all of this is keeping you from focusing on your own match at Kingdom Come as part of the King for a Day Chamber match. Any thoughts on that?
[
Gordito looks to
Becky as he replies.]
That's the second bite, Becky. A lot of talented, capable, and powerful men will be locked up with me with only one of us able to lay claim to the throne. Make no mistake; I have every intention of being the last man standing, of rising above and taking my place as King. But unlike some of the others around here, I'm not going to take it easy from now until then. I have fought hard to get where I'm at, and none of that included taking the easy way out. There are no shortcuts for me, no easy outs like walking away. Each battle I have is as important as the last. The Dirty One only knows how to give his all, and the path to Kingdom Come is no different.
[
Gordito looks to the camera.]
And that brings me to the final bite. Baez. How long has the jealousy burned behind that mask, old friend? How long have you lied through your teeth to me about how you really felt? Does it keep you awake at night to be so duplicitous, or does it just come naturally to you? It seems we are at an impasse; I've never beaten you, but you've never broken through like I have. Now we have a date to settle this for good: Kingdom Come. Show me, Baez. Show everyone. Show us that you are indeed ready. Show us that you are here to stay. You better bring everything and the kitchen sink, baby, because I'm not just going open some Kickassery on you, I'm going to drown you in it! I will not be bullied by some two-faced brat that couldn't manage to make an impact of his own without turning on someone who believed in him. I did, too, you know? I believed in you. I looked up to you. But at Kingdom Come, I'm going to be looking down at you. I'm going to be looking down at you while I rise above your pettiness. I'm going to be looking down at you, and then I'm going to look up...
[
Gordito closes his eyes, leans his head back as if looking towards the sky, and raises his arms.]
And know that all of my hard work, all of my passion, and all of my dedication will carry me through Kingdom Come!
[He lowers his head and opens his eyes to see the camera again.]
I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of doubt, and I shall endure, baby, because I know that the WZCW Universe is with me! The Dirty Train makes no stops for traitors and liars. No stops for cowards and bullies. I am going to fight through Showtime, and then I'm coming for you, Baez. You wanted anger? You wanted rage? You wanted to get under my skin and get me to lose my cool? You don't hold that power over me! You never will! You've brought something far worse upon yourself, old friend. You've made yourself an obstacle of mine! I want you in that chamber! I only hope that you're sure that's what you really want yourself. Once that door closes, there's no going back, baby.
