True Talks

Bright lights flash across the screen, and upbeat music starts playing as a camera pans across a live studio audience, before turning to face a man and woman sitting behind a desk. Behind them is a beautiful view of the New York City skyline, and the words “True Talks” are seen in bright lights above them.

Mike Davis: “Hello again, and welcome back to True Talks with Mike and Hannah.”

Hannah Osmond: “Thanks Mike. Now, we have two very special guests on today’s show, and they’ll be starring in the latest film by award-winning director Mason Clark, Sex Sells.”

Mike Davis: “They’re being hailed as the hottest couple on television, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Alison Williams and Chuck Matthews!”

The band starts playing heavier rock music as Chuck Matthews emerges from one side of the stage, with Alison on the other. Alison smiles when she sees him, and runs towards him, jumping on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing his cheek. Chuck smiles, and sets her down on the armchair nearest the desk. He shakes hands with Mike and Hannah before taking his own seat next to Alison. The crowd applauds at Chuck and Alison, who smile, waving at the crowd.

Mike Davis: “Man, what was that? The whole jumping and catching and kissing you two got going on?”

Alison Williams: “Just having some fun.”

Chuck smirks.

Chuck Matthews: “She says the same thing when we meet up in the hotel room later.”

Alison slaps his arm as the crowd makes a collective “OHHHH!” Mike and Hannah laugh.

Mike Davis: “Good to have you on the show, Chuck. Alison.”

Chuck Matthews: “Good to be here.”

Hannah Osmond: “So, I think that may have answered my question, but I want to know for sure…are you two together?”

Chuck and Alison look at each other.

Chuck Matthews: “Nah.”

Alison Williams: “Nope.”

Hannah Osmond: “Seriously?”

Chuck Matthews: “I got my own girl back home.”

Alison Williams: “I…don’t.”

The crowd “Aww’s” at this, as Alison makes a pouty face.

Mike Davis: “Alison Williams, single? Remind me to give you my number after the show.”

The audience laughs.

Hannah Osmond: “So…wow, I really don’t know where to start here. I mean, Chuck, you own your own company. You’re a professional wrestler…and now you’re an actor?”

Chuck Matthews: “Yeah, that’s wild. I never figured acting was my gig. But life likes to mess with you sometimes. Just gotta roll with it, do what you think is best, I guess.”

Hannah Osmond: “And then Alison…you’re retired from the ring, but you were a multiple-time champion, and I understand you’ve recently gone into modeling?”

Alison Williams: “Yeah. I mean, I’ve done some shoots here and there for some magazines. It’s right there in Sacramento, so it’s usually just a matter of finding a sitter for the baby so I can go and get the pics taken.”

Mike Davis: “That’s unbelievable. I wish my mom looked like you.”

Alison Williams: “Weren’t you just hitting on me a few minutes ago?”

Chuck Matthews: “OWNED!”

More laughs.

Mike Davis: “So, alright…I’m a guy, so I gotta be the one to ask. Chuck. Wrestling. Talk to me.”

Chuck Matthews: “I go in. I kick ass. I go home. It’s a pretty sweet life.”

Mike Davis: “You’ve had numerous injuries thoughout your career. Have you ever thought maybe you’re past your prime? Maybe it’s time to hang it up and call it quits?”

Chuck shakes his head.

Chuck Matthews: “Not a chance. I think, a few years back, there was a time I had definitely thought I should maybe quit while I was ahead. I had my company, and it was going very well. Everything was kinda going my way…and that was really the point where I could have easily left the ring, and not worried about where my next paycheck came from. Problem is, it’s not what I wanted to do, you know? I mean, wrestling is really all I’ve ever known. I’ve been competing for…Christ, I’m going on nine years now. I started professionally when I was seventeen, and haven’t really looked back. It’s been a crazy ride, but I’m in my mid-twenties. I got a lot of life left in me, a lot of fight left in me…It’ll be a while before I hang it up for good.”

Mike Davis: “So how exactly does someone do what you’ve done? I mean, how do you go from wrestling to business to Hollywood, almost seamlessly?”

Chuck laughs.

Chuck Matthews: “You make it seem easy.”

He pauses for a minute.

Chuck Matthews: “Well…it kinda was. But I mean, I’ve had some failures thrown in there as well. I mean, it’s not like I decide to get up and try something, and suddenly become awesome at it. My life is not some fairy tale written by a lonely writer on an island. I think part of it is definitely attributed to luck. I think I’ve got a lot of God-given talents…and I know how to use them.”

Mike Davis: “Out of curiosity, what are some of these failures you mentioned?”

Chuck Matthews: “I can’t play the guitar, which shot down any hope of getting a band kicked off. I tried learning a few new styles of fighting a while back. I did alright, nothing spectacular. Figured it was smartest to just stick to what I knew.”

Mike Davis: “There are some who have said you might have had a career in MMA had you not gone into wrestling. Would you have done it?”

Chuck Matthews: “No.”

Hannah Osmond: “Wow. No hesitation at all.”

Mike Davis: “Why is that?”

Chuck Matthews: “It bores me to tears. No joke, that’s exactly the reason. Wrestling is exciting. It gets people pumped up. There’s just a lot more that’s going on in a wrestling show. It’s not Fighter A against Fighter B. It’s Fighter A, smashing Fighter B over the head with a wooden stick, then getting bodyslammed through a flaming table by Fighter C. It’s unpredictable, it’s wild…it’s awesome.”

Mike Davis: “Is there anyone in MMA now that you wish you could fight?”

Chuck Matthews: “Not really. I mean, there have been a lot of crossovers. I’ve seen guys go from wrestling to MMA, and get their asses kicked. I’ve seen guys go from wrestling to MMA, and plow through everyone in their path. But the same goes the other way. I’ve seen MMA guys come to wrestling. Brandon Macdonald is really the only one who’s had any success. I think that speaks volumes.”

Mike Davis: “I think there are a lot of people who will disagree with you.”

Chuck Matthews: “I think there are a lot of people who haven’t had twelve world titles in their career, too. Just saying.”

Hannah Osmond: “Alison…what about you?”

Alison Williams: “What about me? I’m amazing.”

Hannah Osmond: “You’ve gone from pro wrestler, now you’re breaking into the modeling business…and all while raising a child alone.”

Chuck Matthews: “Oh my God, it’s like an episode of Oprah!”

Alison rolls her eyes.

Alison Williams: “Whatevs.”

Hannah Osmond: “Your daughter’s name is Claire?”

Alison Williams: “Yes.”

Hannah Osmond: “And we have a picture of little Claire Williams…can we see it, please?”

A picture of a baby appears on the screen behind the desk. The crowd “Awww’s” again, and even Chuck smiles a bit at the sight of her.

Hannah Osmond: “What a beautiful baby.”

Alison Williams: “We know where she gets it from.”

Chuck Matthews: “It sure as hell ain’t her daddy.”

Alison frowns, but shrugs.

Alison Williams: “It’s true.”

Hannah shakes her head.

Mike Davis: “Alright…so, you two have a movie coming out.”

Chuck Matthews: “Sex Sells!”

Alison Williams: “Hells Yeah!”

She and Chuck slap high five. As if on cue, they reach into their pockets and pull out their own pairs of sunglasses, putting them on.

Alison Williams: “”

Chuck Matthews: “”

Mike Davis: “…..okay…”

Alison Williams: “Don’t judge. ”

Chuck Matthews: “She’ll bitch-slap the taste out of your mouth. ”

Alison Williams: “True talks ”

Hannah laughs.

Hannah Osmond: “As much as I would love to see that…tell us about the movie. Sex Sells. What exactly is this about?”

Alison Williams: “It’s a romantic comedy, starring the hottest couple on TV.”

Mike Davis: “Even though you’re not really a couple?”

Chuck Matthews: “We don’t make up the names.”

Alison Williams: “Don’t hate us, hate the tabloids.”

Hannah Osmond: “See, this is what I love. You two. Just like…there’s this chemistry or something. I mean, I don’t know what you two are like when the cameras are off, and for all I know, you two hate each other’s guts. But here, when you’re on TV, when you’re in the ring, when the spotlights are on you…you’re fun to watch. I would expect to see more of that in your movie.”

Chuck Matthews: “Oh yeah. I mean…Alison and I have butted heads in the past.”

Alison Williams: “Our first day on the set. So, Chuck is a nerd and got there super early and stuff. He was in costume and everything. And me, being me, was fashionably late. I get there, and Chuck sees me and is like ‘Oh God, really? She’s part of this movie?; And Clark was like ‘She’s your co-star.’ Chuck’s face was so priceless.”

Hannah Osmond: “But you two seem to get along great.”

Chuck Matthews: “She tends to grow on you.”

Alison smiles widely.

Chuck Matthews: “Kinda like cancer.”

Alison’s smile vanishes immediately.

Alison Williams: “Asshole.”

Mike Davis: “So tell us a bit about it. What is this movie about?”

Alison Williams: “I play…well, I play a stripper.”

Chuck Matthews: “SURPRISE SURPRISE!”

Alison punches Chuck again.

Alison Williams: “K, anyway…Yeah. I’m a stripper, but I’m super hot. Kinda like real life. Chuck is this businessman, and he’s trying to find some stupid pretty girl to be the new spokesman for his company, even though his company plans to destroy this historic part of the city to make room for his new superstore. So like…he finds my character, and then loves her and stuff. It’s cute.”

Chuck Matthews: “Leave it to Alison to make the entire movie sound totally lame.”

Alison Williams: “It’s a good movie!”

Hannah Osmond: “It does sound good. It sounds like something my boyfriend and I can curl up on the couch and watch with a big bowl of popcorn.”

Mike Davis: “Chick flick.”

Chuck Matthews: “Yup.”

Mike Davis: “Which I guess leads to the question I’m sure every guy wants to know the answer to now…Chuck, how does Mr. Big Shot Wrestler get involved in a chick movie?”

Chuck Matthews: “Besides my devilishly handsome looks? It’s not really a chick movie, as much as it’s…”

Chuck pauses.

Chuck Matthews: “God damn it, who am I kidding? It’s a chick movie. I’m involved really because I thought it might be fun. I mean, why not, right? If it sucks, so what? Go back to wrestling. If it’s awesome….maybe I can retire early. Who knows?”

Mike Davis: “Now, we know that fellow wrestler Jason Hawk makes an appearance in the movie.”

Alison Williams: “Oh my God, I love Jason!”

Chuck Matthews: “Really?”

Alison smiles.

Chuck Matthews: “Jason was teaching me some stuff for the ring. Helping me learn a few new moves and stuff. I got him involved in the movie. He’s a cool guy, and he’s started to become a good friend of mine in and out of the ring. So he makes an appearance as my character’s best friend, who really just kinda screws things up and makes everything complicated. He’s the comedy aspect of the film.”

Mike Davis: “Now, in the ring, you and Jason are called Apex. Why Apex?”

Chuck Matthews: “Apex is the top. The highest point of anything. That’s exactly what Jason and I are. We’re the Highlights of Sunday Nights. We’re the top of the food chain. We are, hands down, the best. Nobody in that locker room can prove otherwise.”

Hannah Osmond: “We’re about to go to commercial. When we come back, we’ll get to talk with Mason Clark, the director of Sex Sells, and get his thoughts on working with two egos like Alison and Chuck. We’ll be right back.”

The red light above the camera goes off, and Hannah relaxes in her seat.

Hannah Osmond: “Ugh…It’s hot.”

Alison Williams: “Thank you.”

Chuck smirks. Typical Alison. Mike looks at him. Chuck quickly reaches into his pocket before he can start talking. Truth be told, Chuck didn’t really want to talk to Mike. He knew it was just going to be more wrestling questions. Chuck had come to the show to talk about his movie, not discuss wrestling. Yet, wherever he went, wrestling followed him…no matter what career path Chuck tried, wrestling would always be at the forefront.

Chuck Matthews: “I gotta take this call.”

Mike nods, and leans back in his seat. Chuck hurries off the stage, holding the phone up to his ear as if answering a call. As if on cue, his phone suddenly starts vibrating. He glances at the screen.

[Incoming Call]
[Anna Stone]

Chuck raises an eyebrow, and picks up.

Chuck Matthews: “Wow, nice timing.”

Anna Stone: “What?”

Chuck Matthews: “It’s a commercial. I got a minute to talk. What’s up?”

Anna Stone: “Watching the show.”

Chuck Matthews: “How do I look?”

Anna sighs.

Anna Stone: “….hot…”

Chuck smiles.

Chuck Matthews: “Yeah!”

Anna Stone: “Damn it, no! Chuck…I need to talk to you when you get home, okay?”

Chuck Matthews: “You sound angry. Are you angry?”

Anna sighs at the other end.

Anna Stone: “…I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out. Chuck, just…please, call me after the show, okay?”

Chuck Matthews: “Yeah…sure, no problem. You sure you’re okay?”

Anna Stone: “I hope so.”

Before Chuck can get a chance to reply, she hangs up. Chuck stares at the phone.

Chuck Matthews: “Okay…”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chuck Matthews: “So I heard the funniest joke today. It was….

Uh….

Well, I don’t really remember how it went, but the punchline was “Chuck Matthews vs Stygian.”

I chuckled.

See, because…I don’t really understand it. Who did you piss off, Styg? Who hates you so much, that they decided to put you up against a guy like me?

I mean…I think, in a sense, we’re a lot alike. I’m no monster in that ring. I’m not some freakishly tall, overweight jackass who can manage to pull off a flip piledriver.

I can do some cool aerial tricks…better than you can, at least…but it’s not by big style.

No, the reason why you’re going up against the odds this week is because I am, quite simply, one of the best.

End of story.

No room for argument.

Too lazy to go through the list again.

The Smartest Man in Wrestling. I mean, you thought my list of in-ring feats was long, wait until you see all the reasons I can prove exactly why I’m smarter than every other person whose ever stepped into a ring.

But you see…that’s what makes this interesting. That’s why I’m so excited about this match. Because you seem to think the same thing, don’t you? You think you’ve gotten everything figured out. You think you’re the smartest guy to ever step between the ropes.

You’re wrong, of course. But that’s later.

I mean, I look back at my career, I look back at all the people I’ve fought, all the rivalries I’ve had, the matches…everything. I think of all of my plans. All of my plots, my schemes, my little tricks to get to the top of the pedestal…and I think of all those people who have tried to stand in my way. People who have tried….and failed…

I planned to win my first world title. To get myself noticed. To make people see me as a threat. I returned from a neck injury in 2006, interfered in an RWF title match. I got my name out there. I forced people to look at me, to notice me, to realize I wasn’t fucking around.

Two months later, I had become a world champion, for the first time in my career.

I tried to regain my belt later on, and plotted and planned to get it back. I had won the RWF Briefcase, which allowed me a title match, anytime, anywhere. But I wanted more. I was dating Lauren Taylor at the time. The General Manager gets her for a night, and I’d have my match. Done.

I became the first and only man to ever hold the RWF briefcase and title at the same time.

Frank Hart? A man who made a nice little name for himself by beating me twice when I was getting my start back in NLWF. I planned. I thought out my next move. I formulated a plan to face Hart in an I Quit match. I fought him in a Triple Cage match. I fought him in a Devastation match.

Simply put, I upped the ante. I cranked up the violence, knowing fully well that he could never match up.

Frank Hart never beat me again.

I came up with a plan to become the World Heavyweight Champion. To convince people to vote me into a title match against Corey Casey. To convince people to vote to ensure that no matter what, I would leave with the belt around my waist.

I manipulated the people. I convinced them that we wanted the same thing. Convinced them that Corey was the true enemy. They voted me into the match. Voted me into a Hell in a Cell. A match that would later win the award for Match of the Year for 2009.

I won, and became the first NLWF Triple Crown champion in the company’s history. The first man to have held the NLWF, Undisputed, and World Heavyweight championships. But more importantly…I had done exactly what I planned to do. I had beaten Corey Casey, and become the World champion.

Fast forward a bit. I plan a return to NLWF, following a nasty injury. I come back to a TLC Open. I win the tag titles, and go on to go undefeated for the next month and a half.

I plan to defend my world title. Something that I had failed to do in my previous eight attempts. I form a plan to team up with the one person nobody expected me to get along with. I sided with the man I had just taken the belt from. I teamed up with Corey Casey.

One week later, I had my first title defense under my belt.

I formed a plan to take over the company. My ambitions were at their highest. An entire company, to fall under my control. I plotted. Manipulated. Turned the entire fanbase, the entire locker room, against one person.

Three months later, NLWF belonged to Chuck Matthews.

I sold the company. NLWF became FTW. They claimed they had won the war, that I had given in.

And I got to sit in my cozy armchair, laughing my ass off when FTW failed after three weeks. Harder than NLWF ever could have.

I wasn’t done yet. A few months later, Corey calls me up again. Tells me there’s problems in NLWF. Surprise, surprise. As soon as I leave, the whole world falls to shit. So we plan some more. We plot to end it, once and for all. We plan to find a new place, where we wouldn’t have to deal with the ego of some incompetent owner. My dream of the perfect promotion would become a reality.

Welcome to IWF, by the way.

And when I step back, and look at all the people who have tried to stand in my way? There’s not a name on the list that I couldn’t beat.

David King? Beat him.
Keith Axel? Beat him.
Jacob Jericho? Beat him.
Corey Casey? Beat him.
Frank Hart? Beat him.
Nick Ridicule? Beat him.

I’ve said it before. There is only one man in my illustrious career that I’ve fought numerous times, and who has defeated me, every single time. And, as I’ve stated before, that man just so happens to be my tag team partner.

Fuck, look at the most successful guys in IWF today.

Corey Casey, a two-time IWF Champion. I’ve beaten him more times than Occupy’s been beaten by the local police.

Brandon Macdonald, the current IWF Champion. The last time I faced him, we fought to a draw. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep me down. He couldn’t beat me.

Dan Alexander, the man you love to brag about? Same scenario. The last time we fought, it was a draw.

And…..you think you’re going to be different…because…?

Because Dan got himself disqualified? Congratulations, you managed to get inside his head. You’ve managed to break him down from the inside out.

Which is basically what I’ve made a career out of doing. Like I said. I’m the Smartest Man in Wrestling. I’ve created a style that only I can pull off. Why? Because I’m the only one with the intelligence to think it up. I’m the only one who can invent these brilliant counters, these innovative moves, and do it at a moment’s notice.

I mean, I can go on and on. At the end of the day, it all means the same thing. We enter that ring at Battle Grounds. And when the dust settles, I’ll be walking up the ramp, victory under my belt, thinking ‘Cool beans, another week, another paycheck.’ While you go down like a cheerleader on prom night. But hey. You can go home to your pretty little postcard picture mountain resort and have all the wild sex you…..wait…

Are you just an oversized ripoff of Chuck Matthews?

Let’s break this down.

Claims to be one of the smartest in the ring? Check.
Talks about his sexual prowess, a la Sex Icon? Check.
Brags about his ability in several different styles? Check.

Man, you’re like a carbon copy of Chuck Matthews, if you took away the in-ring success and replaced it with a whole lot of dark, mystical bullshit that sounds like something out of a shitty World of Warcraft fanfic.

Hey look, Chuckie can make little pop culture jabs too!

That won’t win me the match, though. My shoulder to your gut, hitting you with a Hollywood Impact so hard, Fraggle Rock won’t take you, let alone a place called Blackrock.

Which is one unfortunate misspelling away from becoming the setting for Gunther’s next porn flick with Kalvin Muamba.

Or are you not interested in seeing “Cookies & Cream: The tale of Kalvin and Gunther’s Sexiness Atop Blackcock Spire”

On second thought…you might be onto something there. That’s a bit sick.

But it’s not about your inbred hometown, or the fact that you’re just striving to become the next Chuck Matthews, or that you can sit there and claim all you want that you’ve been living under a rock for the past eight years, and have no idea who Chuck Matthews is…

It’s about the better man.

It’s about who wants to win more.

Let’s not fool ourselves here. It doesn’t matter that I’m on a team with Hawk. Doesn’t matter that I’m the tag champion. What matters is WHY I’m the champion. WHY I’m the smartest man in the business. WHY I’m one of the best wrestlers who’s ever competed. WHY I’m going to win this Sunday night. WHY Apex is the most dominant team in IWF’s history.

Because I’m Chuck Fucking Matthews.

And I’m better than you.”