*
CLASS OF 2006 HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS *
The Theater at
As we
return from break, we see Nick Cade and Rick Madsen standing at the podium.
Cade: Alright ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to shift gears for the
night. We have seen the awards for outstanding achievement over the past 365
days in the PWA handed out, and now, it is time to honor three outstanding
individuals for achievements throughout their entire careers. Ladies and
gentlemen, please direct your attention to the video screen, and join me in
saluting six phenomenal individuals we already know as Hall of Famers, and
three outstanding grapplers, three men overwhelmingly deserving of the honor
they are about to receive.
A video then airs, set to Muse's "City of
Madsen: Well folks, now you've seen a little about what exactly this all
means, but it's now time to find out why this is all happening, who these three
elite individuals really are. But of course, since this IS being televised, we
have to make you work for a little something. We'll be right back with our
first induction!
-- COMMERCIAL BREAK --
As we return from break, we are taken back to Cade and Madsen.
Cade: Our first inductee is not a man that has been loved by the fans
unilaterally for his entire career; rather, they couldn't stomach him for
duration of his early PWA career. However, positively or negatively, this man
had a major impact on fans and other competitors both, to the point where he
has grown to become simply unforgettable. Ladies and gentlemen, let's take a
look.
A video package then airs, set to “Ruin It” by Sometimes Never,
highlighting important events in the career of "Smooth" Greg
Tantalus, taking us from his debut in CAW alongside Mike Griffin, their
formation of TFU with Mike Troha, their rise to prominence once Troha was out
of the picture, their singles success in FSW, their split in early PWA, his
rise to the top of the singles division as a member of Strength In Numbers with
Vulture, the split of that group, the rise of the new TFU as a large group that
sought to take over the company, and the subsequent run as a fan favorite he
experienced after that, growing from a despised figure to a beloved superstar
in a short amount of time. As the package concludes, we go back to the podium.
Madsen: Ladies and gentlemen, to induct Greg Tantalus into the Progressive
Entertainment Hall of Fame, here is the PWA World Heavyweight Champion and
member of the Hall of Fame, The Iceman Jason Calysto!
With that, the fans begin cheering thunderously as Jason Calysto makes his
way to the podium! Calysto walks up to it and begins to speak.
Calysto: What can I say about Greg Tantalus? Here is a guy who I never
really saw eye-to-eye with through all the years I've known him. He's arrogant,
he's controversial, he'll say absolutely anything, and he loves confrontation.
For years, behind the scenes, he and I have taunted each other back and forth,
somewhat playfully, but with an air of tension. However, it never quite carried
over to a feud in the ring. We got our chance to mix it up, at the Symphony of
Destruction,and I took him down like I knew I would. But the one thing I learned
from that encounter is something that wasn't there when I first wrestled him
four years earlier. I learned that Greg Tantalus… is a damn good wrestler. He
gave me one hell of a fight, and that's what this guy does. For all his antics,
for all the crap he used to pull when he needed you fans to boo him, any way
possible, Greg Tantalus is a gamer. He has a ton of heart, he is a tremendous
competitor, and he has a world of talent. And he didn't waste that talent
either. Very quietly, Greg Tantalus finishes PWA a three-time PWA World
Champion, along with a four-time Tag Team Champion, something that could change
to five-time tomorrow. With Mike Griffin, he formed one of the greatest teams
this organization has ever seen. He truly has done it all. So, with that said,
I must tip my hat to a man who went out of his way to make you think he was a
joke, only for you to find the joke was, sadly, on you. Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome, to the Hall of Fame, Greg Tantalus!
At
that, "Hey You" by Simon Says blares onto the speakers at The
Theater, and the fans begin cheering incessantly as a beaming Greg Tantalus
makes his way to the podium. Tantalus and Calysto shake hands, and Tantalus
then takes his position behind the podium and, at length, begins to speak.
Tantalus:
Thanks Jay. First off I want to thank myself… for being awesome. I
have done some really amazing things and I am happy I'm finally getting my
recognition. Thank you to all my fans and everybody that has followed the
most amusing career in sports-entertainment, it has been a real journey
for me. Going from possibly the most hated individual this company has
ever seen to one of the most respected superstars in recent years. Of
course most of this is due to my co-inductee, Mike Griffin. Without him here,
in this company, I would have been a nobody. He was there whenever I
needed him. Be it my greatest rival or my closest friend. Man we
really had some great matches with each other. Tonight is about three men
who, at different times, carried this company on their backs. We have me,
"Smooth" Greg Tantalus, "
The
fans cheer thunderously as "Hey You" replays and Greg Tantalus holds
his plaque high before taking his seat.
Cade:
Alright ladies and gentlemen, stay right here, because when we return, we will
induct another superstar into the Hall of Fame!
-- COMMERCIAL BREAK --
As we return, we see Cade and Madsen at the podium.
Madsen: The next superstar to be inducted into the Progressive Entertainment
Hall of Fame is someone who, in recent years, has focused more on the
"entertainment" aspect. This man, when his wrestling career
experienced a minor standstill, decided to enter the
A video package airs, set to “Age of Innocence” by The Smashing
Pumpkins, highlighting the long career of Hollywood Mike Griffin, taking us
through his TFU days, his victory of Mike "Vulture" Scarchilli at
CAW/FSW Armageddon in 2002 to essentially kick off the PWA, his early PWA days
as The Impulse Mike Griffin, leading to his heel turn and the reformation of
TFU as a large faction under the guidance of sworn Bryan Conroy enemy Jerry
Georgatos. From there, we see his transformation into Hollywood Mike Griffin,
his move to The Legacy, his second reign as PWA Champion, finally leading to
the reunion of TFU and his current fan favorite status. As the package
concludes, we return to the podium.
Troy: Ladies and gentlemen, to induct Mike Griffin into the Progressive
Entertainment Hall of Fame, here is Hall of Famer from the Class of 2004, and a
man that will battle Jackie Baccaro tomorrow night at Everlasting Epic, please
welcome Vulture!
With that, "Falling From The Sky" by VAST explodes onto the
speakers, and the fans cheer thunderously as Vulture makes his way to the
podium! Vulture removes his shades at the podium as he prepares to begin
speaking.
Vulture: When I got the call last week to induct
What
Mike Griffin has been able to accomplish since joining the PWA has been
astounding. Not many people may know this, but Mike Griffin has woken up the
PWA Champion on more mornings than any man in the history of this great
company. In fact, if you throw CAW and FSW into the mix as well,
At this, "Parabola" by TOOL blares onto the speakers,
and the fans give a thunderous ovation to Hollywood Mike Griffin as he
approaches the podium!
Griffin: You know, many years ago, my father warned me about getting into
this business. And don't get me wrong, he loved this business with
everything that he is. He still does. But when I told him I got a
call from Mike Scarchilli telling me to come try out for the new training corps
he and Conroy were putting together, telling me they wanted to see what
Pantozzi's son could do, I didn't quite get the reaction around the house that
I expected. It was so many years ago now, but I still feel the gravity of
his words as if I had just heard them for the first time. He said to me,
if you leave this house for that kind of life, don't expect to see us anymore.
And he didn't mean it in a threatening way, because anyone who's ever been in
this business knows that you sure as hell find yourself a new family, with the
boys on the road, and with the fans in…(pause for inevitable pop) with the fans
that pack every arena. It's hard to feel alone, and without family when
you hear the roar of that crowd every night. So for that, my boundless
gratitude to all of you over the years, whether you've loved me or hated me.
And lord knows that I could be here all night, thanking Greg Tantalus, thanking
Jason Calysto, thanking Jaguar, (pop grows) thanking Vulture, for all the
amazing moments, in the ring and out of the ring, by which we all helped shape
the defining milestones of this great company. But I digress. Because
over the past couple of years, I had gotten that same familiar feeling, and
it's funny how things can come full circle. In recent times I found
myself faced with the opportunity to embrace a whole new challenge, of a
different kind. And my family…my new family as I just said, the one that
I earned through all these years of blood sweat and tears, didn't seem too
encouraging. Basically, as we all know, word on the street was, I sold
out. All of a sudden rumor had it that I thought I was too good for this
business. Needless to say, the stubborn bastard I've always been…(pause
for pop) I naturally fed on it and turned it around. But now I realize,
on this night…that despite where I may be going…you people have never forgotten
where I've been, and what I've done here in the greatest pro wrestling, no, the
greatest entertainment organization around today. The numbers speak for
themselves, and I apologize with everything that I am for doubting a single one
of you about that.
So to everyone who's watching tonight...everyone to whom FSW has ever meant
something...everyone to whom TFU has ever meant something...everyone to whom my
time here in the PWA has ever meant something...thank you, so much...And I only
hope...that whether you've loved me...or hated me over the course of this
incredible journey...that you'll miss me all the same when I'm gone, half as
much as I'll miss each and everyone of you...thank you.
The
fans cheer wildly as "Parabola" replays, and
Madsen:
Stay tuned, folks, because the induction of Jaguar is up next!
--
COMMERCIAL BREAK --
Cade: Welcome back, folks. We have seen both members of TFU take
their rightful places as Hall of Fame members, and now it is time for the final
member to take his place. He is a man who has won more PWA Championships than
anyone else AND has a chance to win another tomorrow night, but he has done so
much more behind the scenes as well.
Madsen: Absolutely has. Jaguar, just by word of mouth, has opened
the door for so many members of this organization, myself included. We go way
back and I’m so proud to see him get his due on a day that’s been coming for a
very long time.
Cade: Let’s take a look back at the stellar career of James Carr,
better known as Jaguar.
A video
package set to Coldplay’s smash hit “Clocks” begins, highlighting the career of
Jaguar. It shows him as a rookie in 1985 before displaying his extremely
successful run in a tag team with Mike Scarchilli on the northeastern
independent circuit in 1992. His move to
Romeo: Wow. When you look back at all of that, even I stand here
impressed. I’ve been rollin with Jaguar for over eight years now, and in those
eight years, we have seen it all and done it all. We’ve won tag titles
everywhere we have gone and we really lit this whole country and the world on
fire in the process. But there’s more to it. We saw all the accolades he’s
gotten inside the ring, but let me tell you about what this man has done out of
it. Besides all the appearances and autograph sessions and whatnot, Jaguar has
given opportunity to so many people that have come through the PWA’s doors. And
its an impressive list. One way or another, it was Jaguar that introduced
either CAW or the PWA to myself, G.I. Jew, Scythe, Renegade, Paul Dawkins,
Kayne, Camieko, Rick Madsen, Justin Schenck, even the referee Matt Hansen, y’all.
That’s a lot of service that come from this one man. His resume is unmatched.
He’s got two CAW Championships, one CAW Hardcore Championship, two CAW Tag
Titles with me, an FSW Title with me, four PWA Tag Team Titles with me, one
with G.I. Jew, and another one with Vulture, along with becoming the first man
to four PWA Championships before any of the rest of us had three. He’s also the
first man to win Wrestler of the Year, and he enters the Hall of Fame with a
record 98 percent of the vote. He was in my wedding, I was in his, and over the
years, he’s not only been my greatest partner, not just my toughest opponent,
but he’s been the best brother a guy could ask for. New York City, I give you
the man who has, does and will always have that fire, my man James “Jaguar” Carr!
“Real
Big” by DJ Mannie Fresh hits and the crowd in the Theater rises to their feet
with roaring approval as Jaguar emerges from the back and walks out onto the
stage. A huge smile is on his face as he approaches Romeo, who hands him his
plaque before embracing him and raising his arm. Romeo then takes a seat as
Jaguar approaches the podium to speak.
Jaguar: With a reception like that, I know you aren’t tired of me
up here yet. Thanks a lot,
“Real
Big” replays and the crowd cheers passionately as Tantalus and
Cade: Ladies and gentlemen, it has been an incredible evening
tonight, but now we shift gears to tomorrow. Everlasting Epic V is on the way!
Madsen: It is and I cannot wait! It might be the final show, but
we’re going out the biggest bang since the beginning of time!
Cade: And that’s no understatement. For Rick Madsen, I’m Nick
Cade, saying thank you for joining us here tonight and we will see you tomorrow
at Everlasting Epic V. Goodnight everybody!