Post by Boxing World Online on May 26, 2017 22:00:02 GMT -6
The Man In The Hat walks through the curtain alone to stand at the center of the dais.
Man In The Hat: "Gang, you know the drill. I'm just here to make the introductions. And, ladies and gentlemen, here she is, 'The Champ', Hall of Famer Britney Jean Spears!"
Britney comes through the curtain. The Man In The Hat turns, hugs her, whispers in her ear, and walks back through the curtains.
Britney: "OK. I'm not really here to answer questions. That's Wiz's thing. I'm here to talk about the end of something. Eighteen years I've been doing this. 1999 was when I started, against Carpenter, as you all know. People have talked a lot about that this week. Did OK those first couple of years. Won my share, even grabbed a piece of the bantamweight title. And, then came the Consortium. Or, Britney's trip down the rabbit hole..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Now, don't get me wrong. I appreciate that those guys took a chance on me. A lot of people, in those days, didn't think I had what it took, didn't think I had staying power. Joke's on them, huh?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "I actually got better at HISC. They helped me. But, after a few months, I'm back in the street and some folks over there are throwing stones at my back on the way out the door. But, then came Bell Sports Entertainment. You see, I'm smiling when I say that name. I smile every time I say it..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "That's where it happened for me. Six great years and four months. Seven titles. And great fights. Girls like Alba and Simpson and Connelly, who should be in the Hall of Fame with me, and Dushku. If I close my eyes, I can see the place now. Smell what it smelled like. Hear the sounds. Every time I think about it, I think about that video of Terry Bradshaw saying he wanted to put his hands under Mike Webster's butt one more time. Well. I'd love to go down into that locker room, open up that locker, dress out, go get the gloves on, and get into that sparring ring at BSE one more time. Then, walk back down the hall into those showers. I'd love to have just one of those days back. Because, they were great days. And, those days were what got me through what came next...you all remember that, don't you?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "Bell disbanded, I shaved my head, everything fell apart. I was lost in the ring and out. Losing fights I should have won, just...a wreck. And, then came this place called Phoenix Boxing. They were going to help me turn it around. Right. They couldn't get me consistent work and they held me hostage with a contract when it was clear they didn't want to use me. And, then came another name I can't help but smile when I mention. Hour-Glass Fitness. They bought out my deal with Phoenix, got me back in the ring, gave me what I needed to succeed. Of course, by then, I was dealing with another problem. A problem in a big hat..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "OK, I kinda get it now. Kinda. He always tells me he was making my life miserable to MOTIVATE me, to turn me BACK into the BSE Britney, the best bantamweight in the world. And, I believe that. MOST of the time..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Because, if there's anything HE knows how to do, it's promote. And, what better way to promote his girls than by picking fights with me? Still, it all worked out for the best. Front Street and Hour-Glass formed the co-op and I had something as close to Bell as it was possible to get. And, then, somehow that crazy bastard got me a title shot. And, I blasted out McAdams in three and I was officially all the way back, back on top. After most of YOU wrote me off. Don't deny it!"
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, from there, wow. More stuff I'm going to remember the rest of my life. The Gauntlet with McCarthy. Going to France to fight Frege. Beating McAdams and Vandervoort and Alba. And, of course, Dani Fishel. It was taking her out in two that set up the title shot against McAdams. So much of my career has involved Fishel...and, whether she admits it or not, a lot of hers involved me. She was one of the measuring sticks for me, like Alba and Dushku and Connelly...the girls you had to prove you could beat. And, no matter who the girl was, I DID. And, I just shake my head thinking about the next part...the letter from Valmore's little group..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Our crazy owner got his hands on it before it got to me. Gee, big surprise, huh?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, he calls me in the office and hands it to me. Now, you know who we're dealing with. I've got ZERO idea what's in that envelope. And, I can remember just staring at the paper. It must have been five minutes. Reading it over and over again. All of that. Eighteen years. 153 fights. 93 wins. It went so fast, you know? There are days that I'm in the gym working with one of the girls and I'll be showing her something and I'll think, I remember when they showed ME this at Bell. And, I'll think, that was 16 years ago...and, it's like it's not real...that it can't be that long ago. And, I'll tell you, there are days that I think I'm going to wake up and I'm still going to be at Bell, that it's still going to be, like, 2004 and all the rest of this is the result of eating taco pizza too close to bed time..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, maybe that's what's going to happen. Because, you know, Front Street IS a place that can seem a little like a taco pizza dream..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "But, it's a great place, too, and, assuming this is all real, well, I'm glad to call it home and I'm glad it's still going to be home after tonight. Now, I've taken up enough of your time. But, before I go, I just want to thank everyone who was with me at HISC, Bell, Phoenix, Hour-Glass, and Front Street throughout all these years, everybody who's helped me, everybody who's bought a ticket to see me or bought a pay-per-view to watch me. I want to thank all the members of the media who've covered me all this time. And, I want to thank all the girls I've fought. Every one of them, from Carpenter to Fishel. Some of those came out better than others, but, I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything in the world. Eighteen years. And, I wouldn't trade one day of it. Thank you."
With that, the blonde rises from the dais, waives a final time, and walks back through the curtains.
Man In The Hat: "Gang, you know the drill. I'm just here to make the introductions. And, ladies and gentlemen, here she is, 'The Champ', Hall of Famer Britney Jean Spears!"
Britney comes through the curtain. The Man In The Hat turns, hugs her, whispers in her ear, and walks back through the curtains.
Britney: "OK. I'm not really here to answer questions. That's Wiz's thing. I'm here to talk about the end of something. Eighteen years I've been doing this. 1999 was when I started, against Carpenter, as you all know. People have talked a lot about that this week. Did OK those first couple of years. Won my share, even grabbed a piece of the bantamweight title. And, then came the Consortium. Or, Britney's trip down the rabbit hole..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Now, don't get me wrong. I appreciate that those guys took a chance on me. A lot of people, in those days, didn't think I had what it took, didn't think I had staying power. Joke's on them, huh?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "I actually got better at HISC. They helped me. But, after a few months, I'm back in the street and some folks over there are throwing stones at my back on the way out the door. But, then came Bell Sports Entertainment. You see, I'm smiling when I say that name. I smile every time I say it..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "That's where it happened for me. Six great years and four months. Seven titles. And great fights. Girls like Alba and Simpson and Connelly, who should be in the Hall of Fame with me, and Dushku. If I close my eyes, I can see the place now. Smell what it smelled like. Hear the sounds. Every time I think about it, I think about that video of Terry Bradshaw saying he wanted to put his hands under Mike Webster's butt one more time. Well. I'd love to go down into that locker room, open up that locker, dress out, go get the gloves on, and get into that sparring ring at BSE one more time. Then, walk back down the hall into those showers. I'd love to have just one of those days back. Because, they were great days. And, those days were what got me through what came next...you all remember that, don't you?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "Bell disbanded, I shaved my head, everything fell apart. I was lost in the ring and out. Losing fights I should have won, just...a wreck. And, then came this place called Phoenix Boxing. They were going to help me turn it around. Right. They couldn't get me consistent work and they held me hostage with a contract when it was clear they didn't want to use me. And, then came another name I can't help but smile when I mention. Hour-Glass Fitness. They bought out my deal with Phoenix, got me back in the ring, gave me what I needed to succeed. Of course, by then, I was dealing with another problem. A problem in a big hat..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "OK, I kinda get it now. Kinda. He always tells me he was making my life miserable to MOTIVATE me, to turn me BACK into the BSE Britney, the best bantamweight in the world. And, I believe that. MOST of the time..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Because, if there's anything HE knows how to do, it's promote. And, what better way to promote his girls than by picking fights with me? Still, it all worked out for the best. Front Street and Hour-Glass formed the co-op and I had something as close to Bell as it was possible to get. And, then, somehow that crazy bastard got me a title shot. And, I blasted out McAdams in three and I was officially all the way back, back on top. After most of YOU wrote me off. Don't deny it!"
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, from there, wow. More stuff I'm going to remember the rest of my life. The Gauntlet with McCarthy. Going to France to fight Frege. Beating McAdams and Vandervoort and Alba. And, of course, Dani Fishel. It was taking her out in two that set up the title shot against McAdams. So much of my career has involved Fishel...and, whether she admits it or not, a lot of hers involved me. She was one of the measuring sticks for me, like Alba and Dushku and Connelly...the girls you had to prove you could beat. And, no matter who the girl was, I DID. And, I just shake my head thinking about the next part...the letter from Valmore's little group..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "Our crazy owner got his hands on it before it got to me. Gee, big surprise, huh?"
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, he calls me in the office and hands it to me. Now, you know who we're dealing with. I've got ZERO idea what's in that envelope. And, I can remember just staring at the paper. It must have been five minutes. Reading it over and over again. All of that. Eighteen years. 153 fights. 93 wins. It went so fast, you know? There are days that I'm in the gym working with one of the girls and I'll be showing her something and I'll think, I remember when they showed ME this at Bell. And, I'll think, that was 16 years ago...and, it's like it's not real...that it can't be that long ago. And, I'll tell you, there are days that I think I'm going to wake up and I'm still going to be at Bell, that it's still going to be, like, 2004 and all the rest of this is the result of eating taco pizza too close to bed time..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "And, maybe that's what's going to happen. Because, you know, Front Street IS a place that can seem a little like a taco pizza dream..."
(Laughter)
Britney: "But, it's a great place, too, and, assuming this is all real, well, I'm glad to call it home and I'm glad it's still going to be home after tonight. Now, I've taken up enough of your time. But, before I go, I just want to thank everyone who was with me at HISC, Bell, Phoenix, Hour-Glass, and Front Street throughout all these years, everybody who's helped me, everybody who's bought a ticket to see me or bought a pay-per-view to watch me. I want to thank all the members of the media who've covered me all this time. And, I want to thank all the girls I've fought. Every one of them, from Carpenter to Fishel. Some of those came out better than others, but, I wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything in the world. Eighteen years. And, I wouldn't trade one day of it. Thank you."
With that, the blonde rises from the dais, waives a final time, and walks back through the curtains.