Portrait of a Champion - Narrated by Wallace Coleman

"A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning." - Billie Jean King

(Mid level altocumulus clouds roll over the light blue skyline in slow motion. A twinkle of sunlight catches the corner of the screen.)

V/O - What makes a champion? Some would say that a chosen few are born with the "gift", the ability to be Champion, to be the best at what they do.

(Michael Jordan can be seen leading the Chicago Bulls to victory back in the golden years of the nineties.)

Others would say its something that comes to those who work for it.

(The popular Moroccan, Hicham El Guerrouj wins the 1,500m and 5,000m track events at the 2004 Athens Olympics after being known as the best middle distance runner never to win an Olympic Title.)

" "The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

(Black and white Images of WWA Champion Mal Somers are shown; grabbing Shaman around the neck and hoisting him vertically atop the King of the Hill scaffold at Labor Day Brawl. Somers then drops to his knees, implanting Shaman with the Mal Function. Somers grabs the belt, falls to his knees, and cradles it in the pouring rain.)

V/O - As 2004 draws to an end, the surprise package for many was the ascension of Mal Somers. From comedy act to World Wrestling Alliance Champion in what seemed like an instant. From watching the rise of Mal Somers from also-ran to Champion, one of the defining qualities of what it takes to be a Champion has shone through, as his surname would attest.

(Images in black and white of Somers executing a second rope Mal Function on Rocky Adams, pinning Quietus, making the Muppet Man pass out to an Indian Deathlock at Global Warfare 2004 are shown. He goes face to face with his nemesis, Tracer Bullet...)

V/O - Desire. The desire to be the best. Somers has that in spades. It's what makes Somers the reigning Champion. The desire to do weight after weight at the gym long after the others have gone home. The desire to practice each move over and over until he knows it inside out. The desire to devote himself to the sport of wrestling at the expense of friends, family and loved ones.

(Images of Miss Wise packing her bags and leaving Somers' New York apartment are shown. Dave Harley belting Somers across the face with a briefcase and shouting obsenities at the fallen Champion.)

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'' - Muhammad Ali

V/O - Somers does not have the pure skill of someone like Chance, Flyin' Brian Calvin or Tracer Bullet. The sheer strength and genetic gifts of Craven Moore, Shaman or Jackson Kraven. The ring smarts and ability of Dave Harley or the Muppet Man.

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious" - Vince Lombardi

V/O - The difference is that Mal Somers acknowleges this. Most people would be content with the fact that they have what they are given and just coast along through their lives...happy to be "up there". That isn't enough for Mal. He knows his weaknesses and has worked all his life to improve. The desire to improve...the desire to be the best...has fostered in him that ability to keep trying, keep improving...at the expense of everything else.

(Still images of Tracer Bullet placing the vial full of golden flakes at the base of the ramp...the paper airoplane...the showdown on the roof. They are all shown over and over...until they move into action. Somers' reactions range from shock to guilt to hatred. Bullet sneers and then images are shown of the duo battling it out in the ring.

Bullet locking in the Seiger Twist...

Somers gasping for air...only just escaping...

Somers hitting the Mal Function and hooking the leg for the pin.

The roar of the crowd can be heard...and then it fades just as quick.)

V/O - Lately, Somers has been distracted by the allegations of Tracer Bullet. Distractions which may have cost any other man the gold.

(Images assail the screen of Somers being accompained backstage by Agents Barr and Rooney. Somers growing increasingly unkempt and bedraggled. The apathy of the fans, unsure as to whether their hero is guilty or innocent.)

V/O - But not Somers. That desire...that will to succeed seems to blur out these distractions and spur Somers onwards. Two victories over Tracer Bullet in as many weeks have been notched up to Somers in the winners column, a rare feat for anyone in the WWA. And now Somers faces his biggest test as Champion.

(The Birthday Bash logo flashes on screen.)

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other." - Abraham Lincoln.

(Not just one man...nor four other men as was the case at Labor Day Brawl, will fight for the right to be Champion...but instead, over twenty. They will face numerous distractions, many enemies on the way to their destiny in Sunday's epic match. The man who can climb to the top and retrieve the WWA World Title will be the Champion, the man with the most desire.)

"The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. Great men are not born but become great through adversity and persistence." Fred Harteis, President Harteis International

(The vision fades into the corner of a dark, musty prison cell. Mal Somers sits on the floor, hunched over, holding his knees close to his chest, rocking back and forth.)

Who am I?

Am I Tracer Bullet?

(Somers pouts as a large rat scurries across the ground in front of him, seeking refuge in the shadows.)

No, I am Mal Somers, World Wrestling Alliance Champion. I do not drag up the past or tell tall tales to try and get an edge over my opponent. I get out there and fight for all it's worth. Win or lose, I have given my all, to the best of my ability. No smoke and mirrors, no games.

Am I Dave Harley?

(Somers takes a deep breath and exhales as he stops rocking.)

No, I am not. I am Mal Somers, World Wrestling Alliance Champion. I do not turn my back on my best friend in the pursuit of the ultimate glory. I have gotten where I am through perserverance and dedication to my craft. Not by acting as a traitor to my buddy...not by cracking him across the skull with a leather briefcase as he celebrates the payoff for all that hard work. Never.

Am I The Muppet Man?

(He shakes his head furiously from side to side.)

No, I am not. I am Mal Somers, World Wrestling Alliance Champion. I do not hide behind a mask. My foibles and quirks are in front of you for all to see. Some people think the secret to success is coming onto Insider and taking up the entire show with arty-farty segments for all to enjoy. Some people think the secret to being a great Champion is carrying the Title around like some fashion accessory. I've got news for you buddy, it's not.

(The slow and steady drip of a leaking pipe echos around the cell.)

Who am I?

Am I Jackson Kraven? No, I am Mal Somers. Am I Wes Sanders? Brian Calvin? Shaman? Craven Moore?

(Somers smirks.)

Of course not. You can do all the segments you want...you can wear the Title around the periphery of the action. But until you step into the ring, and stare that guy down like nothing else exists in this world, just you...him...and a three count away from immortality...you don't know what it's like. Since winning the ultimate prize, I have been hunted down by one of the most dogged competitors in our illustrious sport, Tracer Bullet.

I have entered into a feud with Bullet that has spanned months, and has taken all my energy just to hold onto the belt. It has cost me everything. My girlfriend, my friends...my freedom.

But is it worth it? Most of you this Sunday will never know. One will, he will walk out knowing if it is all worth it. I know it is...Bullet knows it is...Craven Moore, Jackson Kraven, Grunge, Shaman...they know it is.

It's worth everything.

(Somers fades out into blackness, as Wallace Coleman narrates.)

V/O - Just a few sleepless nights stand between today and Birthday Brawl victory for one WWA Superstar, the man who will become Champion and lead the WWA into their eighth year. As mentioned, being a Champion can be defined by many things. Desire, genetics, hard work, and God given talent to name a few.

But at the end of the day, when all the dust has settled, the smoke has cleared, and the house lights shine down atop the WWATron, there is one characteristic that exemplifies what being a Champion is all about...

(The WWA Title is pulled down by Mal Somers atop a scaffold at Labor Day Brawl.)

The ability to climb to the top, grab the World Wrestling Alliance Title, and hold on to it. For that man will walk out this Sunday as Champion.

(We fade to black as the camera zooms in on the joyous eyes of Mal Somers as he cradles in the rain, holding the Title for all it's worth.)