7 Weeks Ago
[James Harshaw sitting in a hotel room surrounded by cameras and an interviewer sat across from him. He has dark bags under his eyes. Apposed to the way he looked months ago, James has grown out a long beard. He looks weathered and beaten.]
James Harshaw: There’s an episode of the twilight zone. Jack Klugman… you know from the odd couple. He’s dedicated his whole life to pool, billiards. He plays it every waking hour, and he even sleeps on a pool table. But he’s unsatisfied because everyone is always comparing him to this legendary pool player who’s been deceased for years. It drives him crazy because he know’s he’s better than this legend. But he can’t prove it.
Interviewer [off camera]: Why does that story fascinate you?
James Harshaw: So this legend comes down from heaven to give Jack a shot, and Jack beats him cementing his legacy as the best of all time. And now Jack is in heaven waiting through the eons playing every jabroni with a pool stick and a bank shot who thinks they’re the best that ever lived.
Interviewer: And you relate.
James Harshaw: I miss climbing that ladder. I miss having to prove myself. The only thing I have to look forward to these days is other people trying to prove themselves with me. I just want to get that feeling back. That rush and excitement from having an opponent that gives me just a little twinge of fear.
[Narration begins over video of James Harshaw working out in a large empty gym.]
Narrator: James Harshaw is a man of unprecedented success. After a stint of being purely a successful professional wrestler. James conquered the box office with such successes as “Money Talks...Too Much” and the documentary “Watching Being John Malkovich”
Interviewer: Did your success in hollywood boost your career as a wrestler.
James: Undoubtedly. It gave me opportunities that I could have never gotten otherwise.
Narrator: But to James. Success has left him feeling unfulfilled. After ending the second season of RWF the world most prestigious wrestling organization, James has been all over the world defending his title.
James Harshaw: I thought, maybe I’ll go to Japan, maybe I’ll go to Mexico.
Narrator: And through a series of close and sometimes even grueling matches, James Harshaw defended his title over 19 times, in countries all over the world.
James Harshaw: It’s gotten to the point where the only reason I train anymore is because if someone does beat me, then I want to know that they beat me at my best that day.
Interviewer: You don’t even care about winning.
James Harshaw:....no, I just want to find a real challenger
Narrator: James Harshaw now finds himself back in the loneliest country in the world. North Korea.
Interviewer: You’ve been here before.
James Harshaw: Yeah we ran a pay per view here. Its uh...It doesn’t feel like coming back home that’s for sure.
Interviewer: Why North Korea.
James Harshaw: I got word from my management team there was a fighter here that was incredibly impressive.
Interviewer: And that’s Kim Sung.
James Harshaw: This is a guy who without me would never have had an opportunity like this.
Interviewer: Do you worry about. Well you hear these stories of athletes from countries with extreme leaders, where if they fail to perform they find themselves in disfavor. And the reverse to that...do you feel any pressure as an american to perform against a citizen of one of our enemies?
James Harshaw: I don’t know if anything would happen to him should he fail to beat me. But I do know that if he didn’t take the chance he would regret it. I don’t feel any pressure from my country...just myself.
Narrator: James Harshaw chose to come only with one handler to this barren and formidable country. Gone are the legions of fans knocking down his door. Gone are the chaperones and beautiful women hanging off his arm. Gone are the hollywood yes men. James Harshaw stands alone. For more on this story go to ESPN.com for more exclusive interviews with James Harshaw before and after his trip to North Korea.
2 Weeks ago
[James Harshaw is in his home in bed. It’s only 7am and the phone has rung nearly 10 times. Just has he has done all morning James rolls over and puts the pillow over his ear.]
Answering Machine: James. It’s me MacDonald. Have you forgotten all about your agent? I hear you’re back in the country. I just wanted to let you know, no hard feelings or anything. James I have a few studios interested in an action movie. This could get your career started again James. Please give me a call.
[The phone immediately goes off again.]
Answering Machine: Hey James [It’s sister Mary Elizabeths voice]
[James throws the pillow off of him and rolls towards the phone.]
James Harshaw: Hey Mary Elizabeth I’m here.
Mary Elizabeth: Still screening your phone calls I see
James Harshaw: well you know me. What do you need?
Mary Elizabeth: I assume you’ve been notified of the RWF’s third season.
James Harshaw: Yeah
Mary Elizabeth: Well I’ve got some tapes you are going to want to see. Looks like the number 1 contender has been putting in overtime.
James Harshaw: I’m listening
4 Days Ago
The room is packed with reporters from all circles. Hollywood reporters, sports reporters, wrestling reporters who are more interested in the free food and the promise of swag. It’s the first public press conference, for James Harshaw, in months. The media world is holding their breath in anticipation for James Harshaw’s next move. James has cleaned up a bit, let the staff do his makeup, but the beard remains.
James: Thank you all so much for coming. It’s an extreme honor to be held in such high regard. I suppose you are all wondering what James Harshaw’s next move is. I won’t keep any of you waiting.
James reaches into the podium in front of him and pulls out a wrestling belt. There is a slight look of disappointment in the hollywood reporters. The wrestling media jaw drops as they realize it is not the RWF belt.
Wrestling Journalist: Mr Harshaw. Does this mean you will not be returning to the RWF for it’s third season.
There are whispers through the crowd.
James Harshaw: I’ve had a lot of time to myself over the last several months. As many of you know I’ve been in countries all throughout the world defending my title against the best the world had to offer. No challenge was gone unanswered, no excuse was given. I put the RWF title and my companies legacy on the line each and every time I went out there. And having come through all of this, still undefeated, I come to present you all this new title.
Wrestling Journalist: So this is the new RWF Title?
James Harshaw: No. No this is no longer the RWF championship, it is so much more. After defending this across the globe, I am proud to reveal that this championship is the one and only true World’s Title. And when the RWF starts back up, you better believe that I am bringing the World’s Title back where it belongs. Back into the house of the most talented and dedicated wrestlers in the entire world. At let me specifically call out one man. No one who I have challenged, there was no one that I feel has a more legitimate claim to what this title signifies, than Mr. Tomorrow Troy Stone. And come Reloaded it will be he who challenges for this title.
Sports Journalist: What makes Troy Stone stand out among the rest?
James Harshaw: Troy Stone is a former FWF champion, he is a former International champion, and several months ago Stone qualified as number 1 contender against the best athletes in the business. Have no doubt ladies and gentlemen. Troy Stone’s day as the World’s Champion WILL come. The question is when. Can Stone take the title off me at Reloaded? The answer to that question has me, and it should have you very excited. Because for the first time in months I feel like I have a legitimate and worthy challenger to my claim as Word’s Champion.
Hollywood Journalist: James. Rumors about of studios who are gunning for you to star in some of their big budget actions movies. Can you confirm these rumors?
James Harshaw: As of this moment, my hollywood career is on hiatus. My single focus is professional wrestling. That is all I have time for. Thank you.
A raucous round of questions spews from the crowd, but James Harshaw is already walking off stage.