HD: Maddix/Cortez interview

[King Cucaracha 0]

We rejoin HeldDOWN~! in the bustling metropolis that is Los Angeles, with the cameras taking us into the bustling metropolis that is the backstage area. Standing by is someone who has nothing to do with metropolises (metropoli?), bringing that runner to an abrupt end, one of the legion of OAOAST interview staff Tony Schiavone, alongside two more of the Battle Royal competitors.

SCHIAVONE
Landon Maddix, Todd Cortez, after varying levels of success at AngleMania you return to action tonight in the big Tag Team Championship Battle Royal. Victory tonight would mean you become the first team to win both the OAOAST and SWF World Tag Team Championships, a potentially history making night.

MADDIX
It's funny how things sometimes work themselves out in life. You know, a few months ago me and Todd here were gunning for the tag team titles. HI-YAH, OAOAST, whatever. We were after tag team gold. We came to an agreement to let bygones be bygones and leave the past in the past. Let sleeping dogs lie, don't cry over spilt milk, two heads are better than one... we followed virtually every cliché going right to the letter. Until, that is, ONE of us ballsed up our plans.

Todd's eyes narrow a little, which apparantly goes unnoticed by Landon or Megan.

MADDIX
But, as it turned out, everything worked out just fine. Instead of me and Todd going to AngleMania and challenging for those Japanese titles, Todd found himself in a high-profile AngleMania match and yours truly went on to capture this...

Reaching off screen, Landon picks a piece of paper up off the floor. Not just any piece of paper though, a contract.

MADDIX
Don't worry, it's laminated.

SCHIAVONE
Oh.

MADDIX
Yeah. Apparantly they ran out of briefcases, what with all these guaranteed title shots flying around. But briefcase or no briefcase, at AngleMania, I earned myself this Money In The Bank contract, a contract that guarantees me a shot at the OAOAST World Heavyweight Championship at any point I so choose within the next twelve months. Infact, you can just go ahead and call me 'Dinero Del Señor En El Banco'.

Silence.

SCHIAVONE
Uhm, say what?

CORTEZ
It means Mister Money I...

MADDIX
MR. Money In The Bank! Never a more fitting name than when associated with yours truly, Landon Maddix. You see, I've got this contract. (looks down at his waist) I've got this, the [i]SWF[/i] World Heavyweight Championship. I've got a lucrative endorsement deal with the good people at Pepsi.

Megan not so subtely holds a can of Pepsi Max up over Schiavone's shoulder. This blatant advertisement doesn't seem to impress Todd though.

MADDIX
Nothing like a can of Pepsi Max to prepare you for battle. And now, tonight, it's right back to where we were. Landon Maddix and Todd Cortez going right back after those OAOAST World Tag Team Championships, one more time. We've cleared the air after what happened at Syndicated and we've made it pretty clear that nobody is above this team. One of us has been warned over his future conduct... of course, in the interests of fairness, I won't say [i]which[/i] one of us, but I'm sure you can all figure it out for yourselves.

In the background, Todd's eyes narrow again.

MADDIX
But the point is, Martial Law has been RE-declared on the OAOAST! Landon Maddix and Todd Cortez are back in synch and back in pursuit of the gold. In a Battle Royal no less! It's so perfect, it almost reads like a Hollywood script! I think my track record in Battle Royals speaks for itself. And I've been training my buddy Todd here on the finer points of the art of the Battle Royal for the past week to make sure he can hold up his end, so there is no weak link on this team. You're looking at the new, history making OAOAST Tag Team Champions...

Landon holds his contract up again.

MADDIX
...the perfect thing to tide me over, until it's time to cash this baby in. And, by the way, Drek... Zack... I've got my ticket stamped for Houston and I will be there at School's Out. 

Watching.


Waiting.

*BACK TO THE ARENA*