Bojangles Coliseum – Charlotte, North Carolina
Friday Night – Go-Home Show Live on CBWL
Segment 1 – Mariska Hargitay Opening Promo
The arena lights go black. A single spotlight hits the empty plywood in the center of the floor as Mariska Hargitay’s music hits. She walks out in a sleek purple strapless dress and makes her way down to the plywood. The crowd gives her a solid reaction as she steps up and looks around.
Freddie Benson: “Welcome back to CBWL, everybody! We are live from the Bojangles Coliseum here in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it looks like we’re starting things off without a ring once again. Mariska Hargitay is making her way out right now.”
Chelsea Handler: “Yeah, no ring. Again. At this point they should just stop lying to these people and admit they don’t have one. Just throw some plywood on the floor and call it a wrestling show. Real professional.”
Sofia Vergara: (slow, slurred, heavy accent) “But Mariska… she look very serious tonight. I don’t know what she gonna say, but she don’t look happy. Something feel… different.”
Mariska lifts the microphone as the lights stay low.
Mariska Hargitay: “Charlotte… thank you for being here tonight. I know a lot of you are frustrated. And I get it. For the second week in a row… we don’t have a ring. Last week we had some issues. This week… more issues. And I know that’s not what you paid to see.”
Freddie Benson: “Mariska’s addressing the obvious right away. The fans have been very vocal about not having a ring for the second week in a row.”
Chelsea Handler: “She better be. These people paid money to watch wrestling, not whatever this is. This is getting ridiculous.”
Mariska Hargitay: “But I want to talk about something more important than just a ring tonight. I want to talk about hardworking men. Men who show up every day, do their jobs, and try to provide for the people who depend on them. Men who get knocked down, get told they’re not good enough, and still keep trying anyway.”
Freddie Benson: “Mariska’s shifting the focus here. This feels like it’s leading somewhere.”
Sofia Vergara: (slow, lazy) “I like when she talk like this… it feel important. Like something big is coming.”
Mariska Hargitay: “One of those men… is Sterling Marlin. A lot of you have been asking about him. A lot of you have been wondering where he is and what’s going on. And I want you all to know something — Sterling is still very much a part of this company. He’s still very much a part of what we’re trying to build here.”
Freddie Benson: “There it is. Mariska’s finally addressing Sterling Marlin. The fans have been wondering what’s been going on with him.”
Chelsea Handler: “Yeah, and she’s being real careful with how she’s saying it. She’s not giving too much away.”
Mariska Hargitay: “The reason Sterling isn’t out here with us tonight… is because he’s still recovering from what happened to him. Some of you may have heard rumors. Some of you may have seen the reports. But the truth is, Sterling was involved in a very serious situation. He was hurt badly — badly enough that he’s still under medical care. He’s been through surgeries, he’s dealing with significant injuries, and right now, his body simply isn’t in any condition to be here, let alone doing the job he’s always done for this company.”
Freddie Benson: “Wow… so Mariska’s confirming that Sterling is still dealing with some pretty serious injuries. That explains why we haven’t seen him.”
Sofia Vergara: (slow, drawn out) “Ay… that sound really bad. Poor guy. I hope he okay…”
Mariska Hargitay: “Sterling wants to be here. He’s told people that. He wants to be out there doing what he’s always done — driving that truck, making sure this show runs the way it’s supposed to. But sometimes, no matter how much heart a man has, his body just won’t let him do the job. And that’s where we are right now.”
Chelsea Handler: “She’s making it pretty clear that Sterling’s in rough shape right now. But she’s also making sure people know he still wants to be here.”
Mariska Hargitay: “In honor of Sterling… and everything he’s been through… I want to let you know that at Sunday’s PPV, there will be a major announcement regarding the future of CBWL. An announcement that I believe will directly involve where we go from here… and what role Sterling will play moving forward. We’re not forgetting about the people who helped build this place. And we’re not going to let them be forgotten. Now let’s have a show.”
Mariska drops the mic and walks off as her music hits.
Freddie Benson: “Strong way to open the show from Mariska. She addressed the no-ring situation, gave us an update on Sterling Marlin, and teased that there’s going to be a big announcement at the PPV on Sunday.”
Chelsea Handler: “Yeah, she did her job. Now let’s see if the rest of this show can actually deliver or if it’s gonna fall apart like usual.”
Sofia Vergara: (slow, lazy) “I just hope Sterling is okay… he always seemed like one of the good ones.”
End of Commentary – Segment 1
