The Wallflower That Grew From Concrete

The scene opens up with Frankie Cocheese, once again, in the chair with the light shining above him. However, he's dressed differently today. He's wearing a white fitted hat backwards, a white t-shirt with a spoof of The Godfather logo on it reading 'The Cocheese', denim jeans and white Vans shoes.

"So many men have entered the cup... and that's cool. I like that. I actually like that and I'll talk about why later. But let me address right now, again, that I'm not being predictable tonight. I'm willing to bet people out there think I was going to do some freestyle, or I would be out in the streets, or regardless of where I am, what I'm going to do is take every single word everybody had to say and throw it back at them but no. I'm just going to give it to you how I feel. I'm just going to talk. Oh sure, I'm going to address everyone, but I'm not going to make it a back and forth. I'm just going to tell you how I feel. WHAT I feel."

Frankie leans forward, elbows on his knees and hands on his head. He lowers his head for a moment. "I've come to a point in my career... in my LIFE... where I've realized something... It's not what you are, it's what you've done to BECOME what you are, you understand? And I've done a lot of despicable stuff in my life. I remember once, I got on TV, drunk as hell, and I pissed on a man's grave. I pissed on my enemy's grave for the whole world to see. I then later became the champion over there and I had to deal with a lot. Things went south and... well... I'm no longer there anymore. You all know the deal, I'm sure. I'm going to drop the man's name, because fuck it. Tristan Kruise. He and I never saw eye to eye but... Rest In Peace. There's a lot of things I've done, that I know I'm going to hell for, if there even is one, and I've said it many times. But like I said... it's not who you are, but how you got there. And at the Dusty Rhodes memorial cup, I'm going to prove that I can get there the right way this time. See, you've got guys like Reed Williams who'll talk about wanting to stick with Drew Stevenson, and how Drew's got the power to take anybody out, write a check and they won't go to prison. He wants to talk about getting close to the Champ to eventually achieve his level of greatness but let me tell you, you get there and you won't be remembered as the man who earned it. You feel me? You get it through your own work, your own sweat from your brow, and you'll be remembered for how great of a champion you were because of it. It's not hard to understand. It make take you years. Hell, it took me years, but one day or another, you'll look back and realize I'm right."

Frankie laces his fingers together, bowing his head again and putting his hands against his forehead. He taps his forehead a few times, looking as if he's thinking deeply, or praying. "I may be here for a while or I may be here just for Golden Gate but you'll realize one day or another that I'm right.

He eyes the camera now. "And I wish he would enter because I have a feeling I can make him realize that sooner than later. Then you got a guy like Showtime, and after watching what he had to say. Well... I agree with every word of it. Every word. I'm not going to put up with Drew and his new crew. Deep down in his heart, Drew knows his crew can't do it like the old crew used to do it, and you know which crew I'm talking about. The crew that people still act like is together but look at us all and where we sit now. Showtime's got the heart. He's proved that. He's got a bum shoulder because the Badtime Rascal and I got jumped from behind. You look at me last time, slumped and bleedin, but look at me now. See.." He leans forward in his seat, putting two fingers to his eyes and then pointing them at the camera. "And I'm talking to who jumped us. You see me here now, still. You remember the man whose grave I took a piss on? I jumped him with a pipe. I beat him so bad he had to quit the industry and went to Mexico to look for his brother, only to get shot and killed. I used to BRAG that if it hadn't been for me, he'd still be around! That was the old me, that's how I used to jump people. You don't want to see the old me again..."

He makes a drinking motion to someone off camera. A hand comes in and gives him a bottle of water. "Thank you..." He turns his attention to the camera now. "Back to Showtime. Showtime has got the fire. He's got the HEART! He's got what I was talking about before but Showtime, brother, I need this. I need this more than anything. I need to PROVE myself! And I'm not going to let anyone stop me. Not even you."

He twists the bottle cap open, tossing the bottle cap to his feet and starting to drink the cool, refreshing water. "Wolf Parker. He's one people are forgetting about. The man isn't all there. I've had a little bit of interaction with him before. And while he's destined for greatness, it's not going to be at Dusty's cup. Not if I have anything to say about it. It's not a slight against him, it's just how it is. And you've guys like Bradford, who the only action he's seen is in a Schwarzenegger film, wants to run his mouth about me, talking about how I turned on Stevenson when if you look at it, Stevenson turned on himself. Again, I wish Stevenson would toss his hat in but I know he won't, because he would have by now if he wanted to. But there are two more I want to mention. Connor Kelly and Tony Rich. Connor... I'm sure you will make Dusty proud. You're another one that..." He pauses, "Like Showtime... has the heart. You made a promise to people back home, but the thing is..." He jabs his left hand's forefinger into his chest a few times. "... I've made a promise to my people back home, too. I've made a promise to the fans of GGW. Tony Rich. I want to thank him, because his words actually motivated me even more. Before I mentioned how everybody is a somebody, and this man is returning to the ring, and it's his first time in GGW. He said it and it's been what I've been saying. He said just because he hasn't been in THIS ring." He points down at the ground. "That doesn't mean he hasn't been in a ring before. See? It's what I've been trying to say. He's a SOMEBODY. I'm a SOMEBODY. Just because you step somewhere else that you haven't been, doesn't automatically mean you're a nobody, no matter what you've accomplished. You've got the heart. The courage. The BALLS... to enter new territory. He mentioned that those that weren't mention he considers a wall flower. Well like Tupac and The Rose That Grew From Concrete, I'm the Wallflower That Grew From Concrete! Because you see... I've come up through, and I know this has been said a lot, but hard times. I've pushed through the concrete. People said it's impossible for a guy like me from the streets to be where I am now, but I've pushed through that concrete and proved them wrong. Heh, who would've thought Cocheese would be comparing himself to a flower... A Rose by any other name..." He pauses, taking another sip of his water.

"Black Fly. I haven't seen this guy before but..." He suckles on his front teeth audibly. "There's not much I can say other than... this cup, I'm not going to treat it like a joke, you understand? I'm going to cherish it. I'm not going to squander it and neglect it. I'm never going to forget the moment. I'm not trying to get this cup to impress women and dance around in my underwear. You and I both know this cup deserves more than that. The cup is coming home with me, to the greatest city in the Nation, our CAPITAL... Washington DC. Now LC, thanks for the shoutout. You were always entertaining, but I think you've got your mind in the wrong place. You need to put your gameface on and realize this is serious. Not gallivant around the ring, trying to impress the ladies and worry about if your momma is watching. You, Magnus, and everybody else need to realize. This is OUR chance. This is our chance to prove ourselves. This is our chance to prove who wants it more. And what a cast of characters we've got, each one of us going through our own troubles and trying to rise above them, just like The Rose That Grew From Concrete. Speaking of Magnus. He's one that reminds me of me. He's a man who wanted to give it up, but now he's motivated. Now he wants to break EVERYONE!.... But Magnus... You can't break the unbreakable. You can't break me. I've been broken too many times myself, by my own thoughts and actions, and I've got something to prove. I don't want this. I NEED it. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I NEED THIS CUP! I NEED THIS VICTORY! I NEED REDEMPTION!" He stands up suddenly, right hand crushing the water bottle, causing it to spurt out some water. He tosses it to the ground.

"AND NONE OF YOU ARE GOING TO STOP ME! Everyone who has put their hat in. Everyone who STILL HAS YET TO DO IT!..... Good luck, because you're going to need it....."

His right hand forms a gun now. "See you when I see you....." He says softly as he pulls his hand back as if he's firing the gun. ".....Pow.....!"

The camera fades.



As many times as I've felt like giving up, I'm not going to! I can't! I WON'T!