[Dallas, Texas. A view of the production of the Rise to Greatness stage is seen from a high view. That's because Max Kane is holding his own camera, showing himself on top of the tron. Which means we see the crew work on setting up the ring and the ringside.]
Max: This is a pretty good seat. Everything just looks fucking small from up here. Any of you ever feel that way when you're sitting up as high as I am?
[Max is heard chuckling.]
Max: This is where the madness happens. This is how everyone's set up. I remember last year I sat and I watched the crew set things up. A part of me was just watching them, thinking to myself "shit, I'm really going to be wrestling at Rise to Greatness." Do you guys know how many wrestlers would literally kill to get to this point? And I mean actually kill because some of them don't have it in them to gut it out, grind, fight, get knocked down, run back full speed over and over and over again until you get the break you need. For some people it's a wish, you know. For others it's a dream.
[Max is heard sighing.]
Max: For me it's...it's what I wanted. I'll always remember someone telling me you can always tell what a man or woman wants by what they go after. What they talk about. I always talked about making it. i wasn't going to wrestle for peanuts for the rest of my life. It's fun. There's nothing like pro wrestling. Nothing like it. But, eventually, you want to cash in and you want to make some headway towards something big. So you keep working and you keep taking random days and driving ten hours just to wrestle for like ten minutes and clean up the arena afterwards because if you don't, people give you shit for it, ice your knees and ankles and did drive all the way back home. You keep doing that because eventually, you want to be in the big matches. You want to be here. You want to be in SCW or GCW or EMERGE. One of those places.
[Max pans the camera from the left to the right.]
Max: I always wanted to come here. I always wanted to wrestle at Rise to Greatness. I didn't know how or how long it would take or how much i had to do, but I knew. I knew. My dad knew. Mara knew. Sticks knew. Franklin Myers knew. I wanted to be on this stage. I wanted to be on Rise to Greatness. And sooo
[Max pauses.]
Max: Last year it was like, "shit, I fucking made it....I wish I could share that with my Mom. I know if she was here, she would have bought a ticket...actually...fuck that. I would have bought her a ticket to come see her son do what he's always wanted to do. That's all she wanted me to do. That's always my Dad wanted me to do. You gotta remember, my parents were hippies. They tried everything at least once. But no she was always like..'Maie...whatever you do, you do it because you want to do it. And because you have the freedom to do so."
[He's heard laughing again.]
Max: I wasn't that free last year. Besides the fact of being turned on by people who lie to you over the fucking phone!
[Max's voice is heard being raised.]
Max: I made the mistake of putting money over my freedom. I just was trying to make it to SCW. So it was natural to take the Network's offer. The first chance I got to make actual money and jump off shit in front of million every week, I mean come on people, I was going to take that everyday. They couldn't control me, they couldn't censor me, they couldn't tell me what to do, they couldn't make me be what they wanted me to me. I called my own shots and unfortunately, I put making money over what i wanted to do. I paid for it. I failed epically in front of everyone. Then I got my ass kicked for screwing it up. That was my fault.
[Max is heard moving around.]
Max: This year? I'm fucking coming for it all!
[Max pauses.]
Max: No Network, no people trying to tell me how i'm someone to act and shit like that. I'm not on the main show but fuck that, when i came out last year and all the people were cheering for me, 75,000 fucking people, I knew the choice I made was right. i knew that the thing that i wanted was for me. Wrestling. Wanting to be on Rise to Greatness. Jumping off baloncies had a purpose. It brought me here. And I'm fucking good at what i do. I piss off your most hated wrestlers and I call my shots. I fuck myself up on a few drives. But when my music plays and I walk down to the ring, you know what time it is. You know you're going to get. You know that you don't have an idea of what's going to come from me next. But you do know is that anyone wrestling me is going to have to be willing to empty out their arsenal because it's going to be a long night of me kicking their ass all over the ring. They're going to be huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with me.
And you know that I'm not going to hold anything back.
Not from you guys. The fans. the people who pay for my checks. Not for the people who expect me to deliver every single time you buy a ticket. Making it to SCW was the goal. Wrestling on Rise to Greatness was what I wanted. But I'm fucking greedy. I want more.This can't be the end, my friends. The Magical Mystery Tour can't just end when we're getting started. And personally, if you asked me, am I happy about everything I've gotten to see, and do and be apart? I would say "yeah, it's a cool gig. Nothing like it.'
[Max pauses.]
Max: but I would also say it's not enough. We gotta go higher. We gotta go to places not many can go. We gotta dig deeper. We need to keep finding the next thing that everyone doesn't want to touch and just fucking going for it. I see the promotion buses, I read the programs for this year's show. it's nice and cool. But there's not much there about me. And that's understandable. My performances haven't earned myself a place on that bus or that cup that you're going to be drinking from. I have my fun and I bring the party to every SCW show but what pays the bills and what separates the boys from the men is the results. Are you taking every moment to get better.
[Max chuckles.]
Max: I like to think that the way i do things eventually will get me to headlining this show. it will. I know my worth and I know what i can do. People in the back know what I can do. Everyone at this point knows there's not many people who can match me as far as what I'm willing to do or the type of crazy shit that comes from my brain. Live television. Nothing like it. I'll keep crashing, I'll keep burning, I'll keep throwing my entire body at anyone who wants to step up to me. It'll turn out well or I'll be carried to the back. There's no in between but when it comes to winning and losing, that's what separates it. Take for example. This battle royal on the Pre-show. Before Rise to Greatness. Ten people. Winner gets a US or Adrenaline title shot. I like the sound of that. The idea of trading blows with Regan Street or Datura for the Addy or taking Bree Lancester's spot or finally beating Aaron Blackbourne for the Untied States title? Sounds fun. Sign me up.
[Max turns the camera to his face as he smiles. He turns it back to the production.]
Max: But, that shit won't be handed to me. Besides, anything you get for free is either cheap, a bad decision or both. I don't want that;. But what I do want is a chance. And this is my chance. I make it to the end, I throw somebody over, boom. Title shot is mine. And I get to pick too. Options. A lot of options. but it's starts with me. Like everything in my life. it starts with asking that man in the mirror, how much are you willing to give of yourself to get what you want? And I don't mean selling my soul like some of these ball bags in the back, desperate for even one moment of attention. I'm talking about, despite the pain, despite the failures, despite knowing there's a chance it might be your final match ecause you can land on your neck or break your ankle or become paralyzed, are you willing to do it/
[Max pauses.]
Max: i want to make sure when my life is over that I lived a life fulfilled. When my Mom died, she told me she didn't regret anything. That stuck with me. She lived a good life. She had a lot to look forward to. Grand children, hopefully. Growing old. She didn't get that that chance because of cancer but yet, she said she didn't regret anything. I don't want to regret never becoming a face in this business. i don't want to regret never becoming something in this business. That's assuming I'll ever have that amount of time but the time I do have? I'm going to use it. i'm going to take advantage. i'm not going to cheat all of you and I'm not cheating myself. i'm going for everything, going for everyone, including the elite. i'll fuck all of them up. Thre's nothing I wn't do. And if you consider that stupid or brave, well, that's your choice because I'm not saying my code for anybody.
you know what it is.
[Max is heard laughing.]
Max: Take nine, give out ten.
So for the other nine people in this battle royal, I'll gladly take what you have to dish out. Smile, might have to wipe off some blood and ask for another offering. And then after's that, then it's my turn. Only I won't ask for permission. I'm just going to go after you and you're going to have to do something about it. I see legends like Alexis Quinne and Adam Allocco in this thing and i know people feel like they have to respect people like that, but fuck that. Adam Allcco is a fucking baby boomer, pimping himself out on twitter to appear as if he has his finger of the pulse when actuality, he doesn't know what he's walking into. You've done a lot, good sir. A hell of a lot in this business. But shit, we want the same thing and like I told God and like I told the Devil,two Hall of Famers who wanted me to bow down because of their name, I'm not bowing down to you or shit like that.
Nor am i going to butter your fucking biscuit.
The people know who you are.
they know how good you've been.
they know what you've won.
i do too. And I also know you're trying to take food from my table. Money out of my pocket. And chances for me to become someone in this business. It's not personal but there can only be one winner. And that's going to be me so that means I'm going to have to remove you from my way. And I know your son's in the main event, and you want to make this a family affair of success. But you're going to have a better chance of storming into Area 51 than you're going to have eliminating me.
[Max pauses.]
Max: I guess I would have to worry too about you Dante and Jack and all the boys f fucking me over again. But you don't give a shit about this who thing. you have no passion. You're fucking soulless and I swear to God, if you and that man meat LEO try to pull anything funny, its curtains for all of you fuckers. I'm not playing around this time. I'll slash through every one of you once and for all. And as for Quinne and Crissy Gardner, whoever is in this fucking thing...
[Max pauses.]
Max; Ikiro and even the Expandables, it's the same time. I'm going for it all. And it won't look pretty. But who wants anything pretty? The Rock N Roll Unicorn is rolling up his sleeves, embracing the moment of being at Rise to Greatness and then doing the fucking thing. That's winning this Battle Royal, getting my title shot, taking nine, giving ten and getting one step closer to become a face of this business. I could fuck up. Absolutely. But is it worth it to you? Is failure enough to stop you from getting what you want? Is knowing that one false move could end everything enough to stop you?
It's not for me.
[Max puts the camera on him.]
Max: Life comes at you fast. And you all know how the rest of that ends. So I'll add a new one. If tomorrow's the end of me, it'll be of my choice, not anyone else's. If I'm going to win, it's going to be because of my hard work, no one else's. If Rise to reatness tomorrow night becomes the biggest party ever seen, it's going to be because of me and no one else. Max Kane is ready fuckers. Are you?
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