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WWF Tough Enough by The Cubs Fan

23.8.1

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Greg was part of a Tough Enough conference call this past week - the Torch has a summary. He still hasn't gotten his back in order, in case you were wondering. 

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Previously on Tough Enough: Maven's tells us that his mom has bone marrow cancer. Josh is more in love with her (Jamie - the captioning says "Gina" for whatever reason) that he can even imagine. Chris Ni. is not any good. Josh calls Chris Ni. a "career killer" and Chris No. doesn't want to wrestle with him. Greg's gone and his chair joins the others.

Chris Ni. tells someone on the phone that his name is now Career Killer. Awesome. He's been making life painful for the rest of the kids. Chris says the name is actually "CK" for short, for all the things he's accidentally done. Accidental knees in a calf, rolling off wrong on a kickout, accidental punch in the ribs, Chris' list goes on and on. Chris No. takes us through an example (with footage!) where he called a leapfrog spot, but instead instead of doing the leapfrog like CK Chris was supposed to, he went low and they both rammed heads. Chris No. says he's CK for a reason and he won't accept getting hurt and losing because CK Chris hurt him. CK Chris says at first he was upset about these mistakes because he didn't mean to do them on purpose, but now he's one with his CK-ness. That's not a comforting thought - if I were the other people, I'd rather him still care that he's screwing up so much.

Trax. Chris No. and Al are working ropes spots. Hey, here's Mick Foley (w/book). Slow motion of Josh being surprised. I hope he's not leaving this week - I'd be missing those reactions. Nidia explains that she was in the ring, supposed to be refereeing that match and heard "Chris" (I dunno which) say "Holy shit, it's Mick Foley." Chris No. says that he was just doing the match and all the sudden Mick Foley's standing outside the ring.

Highlight reel. Or maybe's Mick's video when he first came back to be commish - chock full of No Way Out (vs Triple H) and Wrestlemania (Four Way) clips, though they threw in Mick doing a spit take on Al that's not even close to fitting in the time period. Ah, who knows. No falling from high places, though.

Everyone shakes Mick's hand. Foley calls Josh "Jonathon" by mistake, but Josh corrects him. Tazz is here this week. "In all honesty, whether you like him or hate him (and most guys hate him) they know [stops to laugh] no, you know that Mick has come up the hard way because nothing came easy to him." "Right, I roomed with Al." Mick says he heard about Triple H coming up before, and being kinda rough on them. So, he's gonna be nice - "this can be the most difficult business in the world. There's nothing fun, I don't think, about being slammed and being beat up. When I started, I thought 'I can't believe I got myself in to this!'" That's nice?

Mick wants to know what the kids plan to do if they aren't the winners - how are they going to feel? We get CK Chris Ni.'s answer - "If I don't make it, I'm gonna re-evaluate what I've learned. There's a few things in the ring that I haven't mastered yet-" Mick: "There are only FEW things?" Al offers to start a (long) list. Mick says it's not about how many moves you know, it's about how you use them. But, at the same time, it's important to keep learning, because you'll be up against people who do know a lot of moves. "Unless you want that thing to be an all time four finger stinker, you need to learn some technical wrestling to get by." Al (to Mick): "Why don't you get in the ring - you don't have to do anything, you'll be happy about that, as I'm sure detailed in Mick Foley's new book [holds book up for camera], Foley Is Good, on sale everywhere!" Ah, the book plug.

They get in the ring and Mick demonstrates some low impact and watches and comments about other stuff. Nidia says she was really excited, and there's something comforting about Mick Foley. Did Maven just bust out a Majistral Cradle? Awesome! Mick explains to CK Chris Ni. that he's got to show that the move hurts, because otherwise no one will know that it's supposed to. There's a bell to end the montage, and signal Mick's exit. Nidia hugs him goodbye and Mick wishes him good luck. Chris No. says it was really cool to see him.

Later, the same day (or everyone needs more gym clothes), Tazz tells Al that he hasn't worked out with "CK" (even the trainers are calling him that, that's harsh) so Al goes to. CK tells us that Al tells him to slow down, but it took a while for CK to realize he meant slowing down mentally, not physically. They work a few spots - shoulderblock, drop down, leapfrog, hiptoss (CK taking it - I think better), your normal Jakked opening sequence. Then Al goes for a snap mare, and CK completely blows it, hesitating (a little bit), landing on Al (a little bit) and making it look horrible (a whole lot.) Replay, Al pushes CK's face into the mat, snaps on an armbar and smashes CK's face into the mat with a knee. Miss Jackie gives a great "Uh oh, he's in some real trouble now" expression. Al, almost growling and very pissed: "You sat there and could have hurt us both, correct? Right?" CK: "I can't hear you." He's being pressed down into the mat and the knee is on his ear. "You anticipated and could have hurt us both, correct?" CK: "I'm sorry!" Al: "Now we don't do that anymore, do we? Because if I had got hurt, I'd be a lot more upset than I am right now! Because how many weeks have I told you not to do that? Six weeks, correct?" CK tries to respond to the questions but he's in too much pain, I think. Calm, cool, collected and voice-overing Al says he lost his temper because CK was not listening and obviously gonna injury someone - namely Al. Al tells Chris that he needs to be listening and aware. CK stands outside, wincing (or at least blinking) in pain. That scene made Al look more like a tough guy than anything Tazz has done this show, you know? 

Mansion. Josh and Jamie are talking - Jamie tells Josh that she misses him all the time. Josh tells Jamie that he misses her, but Jamie says it's not the same. They discuss about it. Jamie: "Do you still smell me in you room?" Josh: "Uh huh." Jamie: "Promise?" Josh: "Uh huh." Jamie: "Oh man, I'm such a wreck right now." I think we only got a small slice of Jamie last week - I don't know if we could handle the whole thing.

Meanwhile, by the computer, Maven checks his e-mail. I guess it might be tough to do that elsewhere. Maven explains that his mom has been in the hospital for a week in a half, and she's battling bone marrow cancer. Maven just received an e-mail from his aunt that his mom isn't doing to well. Maven explains that his aunt isn't going to "sugarcoat things" about his mom. And they don't keep people in the hospital for small things, so he's worried.

At the dinner table, Josh and Maven talk about his situation. Maven says one part of him feels it's stupid to put his mom on the backseat for a TV show, but on the other hand, what if he leaves the show, goes home, and finds out that it's nothing major. Maven tells Josh "it would be great if I could leave for just, like, two days." Josh doesn't want him to leave. Maven says he knows. On the other hand, if Maven wants to go, Josh will help him pack his bags - but he'll packs his own too.

Later, at the phone, Maven talks to his dad. Maven's relaying a lot of information to his dad, which seems to say his parents aren't together. The line that's really bugging Maven in the e-mail was aunt (Donna, we learn) saying "I don't want to throw out the red alert, yet" and Maven's really worried about that yet. He's scared and doesn't know what he should do. If his dad has answers we don't hear him - commercial time.

Trax. Maven explains the situation to Big and Al. Maven says that he "couldn't live with himself if he was here" and something happened to his mom. Al says he has the option to go home for a couple weeks and come back - he does? I didn't know that - seems like Maven was unaware as well. Big says he has an obligation to go back home and take care of things there and worry about this second - he wants Maven to go if feels he needs to. Maven says he feels like he has to go see her, and next thing we see is him arriving at the Washington National Airport. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there.

Back at the mansion, it's Friday. CK Chris Ni. tells us that Big uses their Fridays as a scare tactic, not telling them what they're gonna have to do till they're there. Chris just hopes it's not mud wrestling again. What happened to all the other Friday activities? Who knows. Big shows up and they go...

To an indoor rock climbing place. They're gonna have there contests to see who can do the best, and it's part of the physical and mental challenges they talked about way in the beginning of the show but didn't really get around to doing much about. First contest is to climb an out cropping and see who can get the farthest up the difficult area. Everyone has problems getting past the area where the rock goes mostly horizontal - except for Josh, who gets to the hard part, loses his grip but manages to hang on with one arm and then right himself before heading up even higher. Chris No. says the second part was a speed competition on a vertical wall. Chris No. loses hi grip and never finishes. Taylor says Josh was Spiderman. Nidia says Josh was really good. Here's Josh, really good. Play Alien Ant Farm! Josh won two pairs of Nike shoes and apparently had to buy them at Foot Locker so we could zoom in the big logo. 

Maven goes tot he August Medical Center (Fisherville, Virginia - hmm, Maven was previously listed as from Oregon.) He brings flowers and says the first thing he wants to do is hug his mom and tell her how much he loves her. They hug and talk. Maven tells his mom that he was scared and his mom doesn't seem to be happy about what his aunt said, but Maven says he needs to know all of that. He needs to know the truth about everything. We don't, so let's move on.

Josh says the only person he really hangs out with is Maven. Nidia and Josh are bored and miss Maven. Josh says it would be hard to the daily stuff if Maven didn't come back, because he makes it a lighter atmosphere. Nidia says you can feel the difference with Maven gone. They all go to a restaurant (well, I think Chris No. is sitting at the table but they don't bother to show him for whatever reason), get those crayons that come with the kids menus and start to act goofy, deciding to write "we miss you" letters to leave for Maven when he comes back. Nidia and Taylor debate if Maven has two eyebrows or just one long one. Josh says it'll suck if Maven has to leave because of outside reasons he can't really control.

Mansion. CK Chris Ni. is talking on the phone about being stretched by Al. "As soon as I was in the air, I knew I was gonna get cinched up on." Has this happened before? Chris talks about it not picking up stuff like he thought he would. "It's not my time for this...in three weeks, it's not gonna be my time either."  

Josh climbs rocks and wanders out in the forest behind the house. He's homesick, misses his girlfriend, and hanging out with her. And now he calls her. Josh says he doesn't like being in the house anymore, and he's gonna come home today. Jamie: "Why? You only have three weeks left!" You'd think she'd be happy. Josh says he doesn't like it and Jamie wants him to rethink it. Josh says he used to like it, "and now I miss you unbelievable everyday. I'm way more sensitive than I'll ever admit." You just did. Jamie sighs loudly and then tells Josh to wait till Maven comes back - he'll settle Josh down. Maven is the voice of reason! (So is Jamie, weird.)

Maven has his own problems to deal with right now - we see him cell Big and tell him that things went okay for the first two days, but his mom got really sick the third day and they had to readmit her. Big says he has to take the time he needs and he should wait to come back till he feels it's right. Maven tells us that he's said from day one that he'll quit if something goes wrong with his mom and he still believes that. Commercial.

It's not weird that he's a blue alien (from outer space), but it is weird when you can hear the music in his headphones through a stethoscope.

Mansion. Three weeks till they're done. CK Chris Ni. says it could be three years and he's gonna be the same way - "I'm not ready." Chris tells the girls  that even if he did get the contract, he wouldn't take it because "I have more growing up to do." Josh is there too, with a spacey look on his face. CK Chris points out that some of the guys took 9, 10, 13 years to get there (to the WWF) and they're trying to get all that in 9 weeks. They're missing out on a whole bunch, especially him. Josh: "I just wants to go home."

Big tells us (in voice over form) that he was worrying about Josh and Chris Ni.'s attitude, and felt now would be a good time to talk to the rest of the house. Group meeting. Well, except for Maven. And if Chris No's here, they're hiding him again. Strange. Anyway, Big does a pep talk - they've all grown up so much since they started this contest, bad things happen but how you deal with them is the true measure of yourself, everyone feels lonely or depressed or angry, but how you respond shows what kind of person you are. It doesn't look like Josh was paying much attention but the thought was there.

Vans. Trax. Chris No. shakes hands with everyone as if he's been gone for a long weekend. Perhaps he has. Who knows anymore. The camera resists showing us the kids as Al points out that they're gonna have to talk to someone, since they're not dressed for working, and sends the others to go get ready. Al, Big and the person we don't want to show go over to a corner to talk - it's CK Chris Ni. Watch the boom mic guy walk right in to the shot and scramble out, then listen to Chris Ni. and see if you can make since of it: "I've lost something that I had when I started this, and I've been fighting it for a while - it's not a quick decision I've had - but I just don't feel what I've used to. I don't know what it is I lost, but I don't feel it's my time yet." Al says that if he doesn't feel he's tough enough to go on, then he's made the right decision to not go on. I think Al was trying to challenge Chris to go on, but he's mentally done and that's it. Chris says goodbye to everyone (boom mic drifts into the shot again) and it's sad but not tearful as past ones - maybe because it was a choice and not forced out. 

Chris' parting words: "I finnaly made a decision - I feel really clear in my head right now. And I can smile. I think Shawn Michaels one time said he lost his smile, and I kinda feel that way. I don't know if he said it for the same reasons, but I kinda know what he meant when he says that." Beyond the inside sillyness there, this time you can see them in the reflection. It's not the camera crew's day. Caption called him "Sean." Goodbye, CK.

Hospital. His mom is happy that tonight's his last night - she's already been cleared to leave then. Maven's mom says that he just needed to see that she was okay, so it's good that he came and she's doing better.

Mansion, and Maven's already back - his mom gave him permission. She wants him to finish, and he feels more comfortable after knowing, with his own eyes, what was keeping her in the hospital. Maven reads the cards the other kids left for him as he talks about looking forward to seeing Josh again.

Meanwhile, at Trax - Oh boy, they're learning crucifix roll ups. Miss Jackie sandwiches Al on the roll up in the example and they only get more painful looking. The kids don't get the hang of this right away, by any means. They seem to do okay when it's with Al or Miss Jackie (Taylor and Josh especially - Nidia almost rips out Miss Jackie's arm by mistake) but by themselves, it's not pretty. Still, they're only a bulldog away from being a WOW wrestler. Al puts Josh in an anklelock for fun. Chris No.'s goes forward instead of backwards when trying with Al and about breaks his back.

Mansion. Maven is sitting on the front steps, wondering when anyone will get there. He says hi to the rest of the kids as when they show up, but doesn't really hug them because he's too sweaty. Maven finds out about CK quitting - Chris No. (who will be just Chris next week - hooray!) tells Maven he didn't understand what happened as we zoom in on a note - left by Chris Ni.? Can't tell. It's down to five now - Chris, Maven, Josh, Taylor and Nidia. Maven thinks them for their "thoughts and prayers" and Nidia says they missed him a bunch - especially Josh. Josh tries to beg off but Maven says he talked about Josh a lot too. Maven's wearing a Virginia Tech shirt and hat here which confuses where he's from even more, but that's okay.

Maven and Josh talk outside. Maven: "I'm gonna be perfectly honest - my mom isn't really doing that good. And I came back. I'm here. And I mean I should be - I should probably be at home. You know know what I figured out? We leave, two weeks from this Friday. And I'm telling you, when it gets hard, we've got to..." "put a happy face on it." "You don't quit for me, and I ain't quit for you. I can do anything for two more weeks. Two more weeks." "Yea."

Next Week on Tough Enough: Like last time it seemed we were rapidly losing people, it's time to go to the WWF. This time, they get to meet all sorts of people - should be interesting. Also, Taylor gets drunk of her...mind, kisses Maven and feels like a loser later. If you were wondering where those plots where this week, the stupid MTV people can't play the right commercial for the right week, apparently. Figures.

The Cubs Fan
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