Down...But Not Out!

[Troy "The Baller" Franklin]

[glow=red,2,300]Down...But Not Out! Part 1[/glow]

Sometimes in life things happen and you have absolutely no reason why it did. In life you win some battles and you lose some battles. What's important is how you come back from those battles you lose.

(The scene opens up on a Thursday morning in Washington DC. We are inside of a home...a familiar home. A young boy is seen moving around the kitchen fixing himself a bowl of cereal. After fixing his cereal, he takes a seat at the table and turns on the television. The morning news is on and it just some happens to be the sports segment and the news anchors just so happens to be talking about wrestling. The young boy turns the television up.)

Anchor: To me it was a great match...well all the way up to the end it was. We're not used to seeing our hometown wrestling star go down but on this night that;s exactly what he did.

(Footage is shown from the past Freedom show. We see Phantom picking up the win over The Baller. After the match you see a very distraught Baller leaving the ring and then later leaving the arena. Things cuts back to the anchor now.)

Anchor: It was hards seeing Baller lose that match. He was on such a roll and if he won that match he would have had a Title shot at this weeks pay per view. Instead he's once again fighting on the undercard. Not used to not seeing The Baller in the Main Event but if that's going to happen we're going to have to wait to see it. Now this week the USPW has a pay per view and even though Baller's not in the Main Event he's still in a very important match. If Baller wins this match at the pay per view he will be allowed a shot at any title the USPW has to offer. Im sure Baller is getting ready for this match, or is he? Baller has not been seen since losing at Freedom. He hasn't been seen in the streets of DC or at his establishment, Soldier's Palace. USPW had a house show this week and he wasn't there neither. No one has seen The Baller. I sure hope he's okay and I hope he can rebound from the loss and get right back into the mix of things. I'm guessing only time will tell. That's all for Sport Extra...see you next time.

(The young man sitting at the table has a disturbed look on his face. He slams his spoon into his cereal bowl and gets up from the table. He walks downstairs and there we see him...The Baller. He's sitting there looking at film of his match with Phantom. Well the match is on but who knows if he's looking at it. He looks to be in a daze.)

Boy: Dad

(Baller just sits there looking at the television, not saying a word.)

Boy: Dad! Snap out of it!

(Finally Baller realizes his son is downstairs, talking to him.)

Baller: What is it son?

Boy: Dad you have to come up from down here. Excuse me for me language but he smells like freetos and ass down here. You've been down here since the weekend. No one knows what to do. Keita is all stressed out...I'm stressed out...grandma and grandpa are stressed out and most of all you're stressed out.

Baller: I lost son.

(The boy looks down because he can't stand the look of pain on his fathers face.)

Baller: I had it all right there and I lost. I blew my damn chance.

Boy: You blew one of your chances. Many more chances are going to come, pop.

Baller: I shouldn't have needed many more chances. I had Phantom right where I wanted him and next thing you know, I look up and the ref is raising his hand. I mean it's like I blacked out or something.

Boy: No one knows what happened. It was like we blinked and you lost.

Baller: It's not like I took Phantom lightly neither. I can't say why I lost.

Boy: I hate to ask this question but do you think it's because Phantom is better than you?

(The look that came over the face of Baller would scare the piss out of any grown man let alone a young boy.)

Boy: Sorry...guess I shouldn't have asked that.

Baller: No you shouldn't have but to answer your question...Hell No Phantom Is Not Better Than Me! Not on his best day and my worse.

Boy: Well on this day he was better than you.

(Baller looks down in shame and shakes his head.)

Baller: You're right.

Boy: What are you going to do to fix it?

Baller: I don't know son. I don't even know if I want to fix it.

Boy: Are you crazy? I know you're not quitting on me. Quitting is not in our vocabulary.

Baller: I was on so much of a roll.

Boy: Get right back on that roll. You're The Baller...better yet you're my father. You and I both know you can do it. You're the best at whatever you do. THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!

(A look of encouragement comes over Baller's face, followed by a look of determination.)

Baller: You know what son...you're right. I don't know why the hell I'm down here tripping. I can't let that loss get to me. That loss doesn't define me or my wrestling career.

Boy: Exactly

Baller: Here I am mixing out on spending time with my loved one. Not out here running my business and making that money. I'm tripping and I need to snap out of it.

Boy: Now that's more like it. I was upstairs in the kitchen watching the news and they were talking about you. I just had to come down here and say something to you. You might think you let your fans down with the loss but think about how let down they would be if you keep this mess up.

Baller: You're right son. Do I have a match this week?

Boy: So much has changed with the USPW.

Baller: What do you mean?

Boy: Management has changed. Faces left and new faces appeared.

Baller: Hold up. You said management changed?

Boy: Yeah. You knew about that didn't you? That happened before the last Freedom.

Baller: What?

Boy: Stop playing dad.

Baller: I'm not playing...I'm dead serious. I was so focused with my last match that I didn't pay any of that any attention.

Boy: Wow

Baller: Yeah wow. So what happened to the old management and who's the new management?

Boy: That's for you to find out. I don't know what happened with all that.

Baller: Let me get up out this basement and find out what is up.

Boy: Do me a favor first though pop.

Baller: What's that?

Boy: A shower please.

Baller: Ha ha...for sure. I need me a three s.

Boy: Three s?

Baller: Shit...Shower...Shave.

Boy: Ha ha...

Baller: And son...

Boy: Yeah pop?

Baller: Thanks!

Boy: Anytime pop.

(About a hour or so passes. Things pick back up with Baller leaving the house. When he pulls his car out the garage, a storm of reporters rush his car.)

Reporter: Baller....are you okay?

Baller: I'm fine.

Another Reporter: Are the rumors of your retiring from wrestling true?

Baller: Not even a little bit.

Another Reporter: So is it safe to say you're back?

Baller: I never left. Just do one thing and tune in this weekend and watch me dominate at the pay per view.

(Baller speeds off, leaving the reporters chasing his car. His son is seen standing in the front window with a huge smile on his face. Baller cruises along the local interstate. Who knows where he's headed but will driving he decides to make a call.)

[shadow=red,left,300]***Ring***Ring***Ring[/shadow]

Voice: USWP Headquarter

Baller: How are you doing? This is The Baller.

Voice: I'm good. How are you doing today, sir?

Baller: I'm doing great actually.

Voice: How may I help you today?

Baller: Let me speak to the man in charge please.

Voice: He's in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message?

Baller: Is he in a meeting with the rest of the new management?

Voice: Actually he is.

Baller: Do me a favor. Tell them I would like to talk to all of them on speakerphone.

Voice: Okay hold on for a second.

(A few minutes pass and then...)

Mischoff: Baller...one of our top talents. How's it going?

Baller: It's going great. I just wanted to talk to you guys since we have yet to meet.

Cleo: We were hoping to talk with you in person this week.

Baller: We can make that happen.

Ray: So what can we help you with today?

Baller: As you probably heard I was in a little funk after my loss at Freedom. You even probably heard rumors of me retiring. Well I'm calling to put an end to all those rumors and to tell you soon and very soon I will be in control of your fed.

Mischoff: Is that right?

Baller: I found out a little earlier about my match this week. After I win this match I will be in control because I will be able to decide which title I want. And I say want because when I get my shot...whichever titles I go after...it's mine and THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK!

Mischoff: Is that right? Well I think there are a few people in your match who feel the same way.

Baller: Let's see...The Brian Magnum, I'm familiar with this guy and he's no joke...that I can say for sure. Will he be able to withstand what I'm bring to Forsaken? I don't think so. But I do know this...I'm not at all going to sleep on this guy. I know he's very capable and I know I have to bring my "A" game with him being in the ring. With that being said he's not going to be the only man in the ring that I have to beat. We've faced off a time or two before and it's going to be nice getting to dance with him once again. Then you have my man Izzy. Man me and Izzy used to be boys. For reason not known by me we aren't as close as we used to be. With that being said this match isn't going to help with that. He wants the same thing that I want and one thing that might separate us is I'm stopping at nothing to get what I want. Does Izzy have that same desire? I guess we'll find out at Forsaken. Hopefully Izzy and I can stay cool after this match because I will not allow him to get in my way.

Cleo: You sound very confident about yourself.

Baller: I have to do whatever I have to do at Forsaken. This match is huge to me.

Mischoff: Well you have yet to talk about they guy I think you really need to be worried about.

Baller: Who? Mark Force? Me worry about a Mark Force...now that's funny. How about this? Mark Force won't be a force come Forsaken.

Cleo: Are you saying Force isn't capable of beating you? He was once World Champion.

Baller: That was then and this is now and no Mark Force isn't capable of beating me. When I put my all into something...no one is capable.

Ray: Phantom was capable.

Baller: Don't know you well but you can go to hell.

Cleo: The truth hurts huh?

Baller: Not at all. I I'll tell you the truth...I'm going to win this match.

Mischoff: You still haven't mentioned the guy.

Baller: Can't talk about the other guys...I really don't know much about them. Which one are you talking about, Fred Westboro? I ordered a little film on him and I'm still waiting for it to arrive.

Mischoff: Not talk about Westboro even though he's pretty good. I'm talking about The Predator.

Baller: I've heard a lot about the guy. Heard he's very good and you're not the only person who's told me I need to worry about him. Well guess what...he better worry about me. If you don't know me well you will soon learn that Im damn good myself. The Predator is going to bring his "A" game and so am I. I guess we're going to have to see who's game is better.

Mischoff: I will say this. I think it's going to come down to one of you two. With that being said the USPW is looking very good...now and for the future. I'm a hell of an owner and if you give me your all, I promise to give you mine.

Baller: Well you're going to get my all.

Mischoff, Ray, Cleo: Let us guess...THAT WE CAN TAKE TO THE BANK.

Baller: Indeed!

(The scene fades to black with Baller hanging up the phone.)