Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]


We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Reawakening pt. 2
Topic Started: Oct 14 2010, 04:44 PM (99 Views)
R. McNeil
Member Avatar
....darkness and light
One week.

One week was all it took; James was always one of the greatest organizers I'd ever seen. One week after his retirement announcement, he had not only organized one of the largest retirement parties thrown by any Birmingham wrestler before or since, but he had managed to rope dang near everyone we ever knew in this business into coming along and bringing whatever family they had. He'd rented out space in a convention center for the occasion, hired workers to put the whole thing together... the guy had it all planned out, he knew just the way he wanted to leave the business and he was making sure it all came together perfect.

Me, I was just along for the ride. Sure, in all technicalities James was throwing the retirement party for the both of us, but I think he and I both knew that I was the one who couldn't keep away for very long. Much as I wanted him to be my last match, at the time there was just... there was something about the call of the ring that was going to keep me from being able to stay away for long.

Honestly, I think James knew long before I did, I think he knew it the moment he realized I said I was going to retire. There was probably a lot he wanted to say but never said, if only out of respect for my decisions at the time. Not once did he ever tell me something contrary to how I was feeling, he just... went with it. Probably because he knew where I was going to wind up in the end.

"Retire? You? Ha, you won't be able to stay away for that long."

Turns out you were right, James, but that doesn't surprise you, does it?

The party was amazing... everyone turned up, if only because of the free food. People who hated us, people who once tried to kill us in the ring... he'd even managed to get a few of the old HWA faithful together, friends from times long passed that I never thought I'd see again. The whole night, Toya and I were talking to someone about the good old days, about how funny life is and how far you can go before you finally realize the journey you've taken.

Truth is, I probably could have lasted awhile longer in my own retirement, probably made it a few years without worry and have everything be just fine... but in the end, I don't think James wanted me to. He saw something in me left to shine back then, something to do that I hadn't done, some way that I could finish my own personal story. That night, talking to those people helped strengthen my doubt of whether or not retirement was the right thing for me to do... but it was James who'd finally convinced me in the end.

James kicked off the party at around 8:00 PM and was drunk about an hour before it, which was great because it made for some of the most hilariously awkward welcomes I'd seen in my life. I don't know if Eric Stevens ever got those pants of his cleaned after what James did to them, but I do know for certain it'd be a night his nightmares would never let him live down. Tiffani was there too, seems they'd found little Isaiah a babysitter to take care of him while they were away, and James was totally living it up because of that. When Toya and I arrived, we were about an hour late and I found my soon-to-be-wife being escorted away from me by Georgina just as Chris had realized our arrival.

"CHIEF! Ya'... ya' big coffee man, c'mere! Get over here an'... get over here an' celebrate!"

"I don't drink, James, remember?"

"Thas'... thas' 'cause you're a WOMAN. Ya' wearin' a dress an'... an' ya' HEY! Hey, don'tcha... don'tcha try an' steal my drink, ya' lousy..."

I'd laughed. Beside James sat Diamond Mine, perhaps one of the only other people in the business that I know has the honor of being dubbed James's brother-in-arms and all-around wingman. At the time, he was trying to find ways to mess around with James's head, moving his drink around in circles and generally making him think his cup had came alive. James of course knew DM was moving the drink at first, but then again James never did have the memory of an elephant when drunk.

"CHIEF! Get... get over here, th'... th' cup! Iz MOVIN'! ALIVE, Chief! ALIVE!!!"

"Oh Christ, DM, you're gonna give him a heart attack."

"So long as he doesn't vomit on me, I don't care what I give him, this is hilarious."

"Ah'll... ah'll vomit on your FACE! Hahaha, but... but no, man, no. I wouldn't do that, not to ya', I l--"

The drink stopped moving when DM had let go of it to reach up and smack James upside his forehead, rocking him back and nearly off of his chair before he came back forward and slumped over on the bar, snoring loudly.

"What th--... DM! What the hell?! Why'd you hit him?!"

"I hate it when drunks start telling me "I love you, man", especially when it's James."

I remember rolling my eyes. As much as DM and James had gone through together, there were some drunken antics Chris had performed around me that could make "I love you, man" sound like a comparatively light thing to have happen by comparison. As James snored away on the bar, I made my way over next to him, sighing as I sat down. DM looked at me with a raised eyebrow but for the most part left me be. At the time, DM and I weren't as close as either of us were with James, we just sort-of knew each other through James and respected each other for all we'd done. Fact was...we didn't really know each other... we just hung out from time to time when James was around.

I think that night was the night that changed things a little for us. Changed things a little for
everyone, really.

"So, retirement." I heard him say, taking a drink from whatever was in the glass he was holding as he stared off to the side, a slight frown on his face.

"Yeah... fancy that, two of the city's greats leaving at once," I said back, looking at the downed James and shaking my head, "Never thought the day would come so early, though..."

DM laughed. There was something strong about him, something that really made him stand out from the others of the HWA back then. He wasn't just a locker-room leader, he was exactly the legend he was made up to be, the guy who defies all odds stacked against him despite whatever it is that seemed to be holding him down. The fact of the matter was, here was a guy who'd been in the business for ages, who'd seen his own fair share of hell in the ring and had been seemingly forced to hang up his boots on more then one occasion from what I recall... and I was talking to him about how soon my retirement had came.

It almost seemed silly, honestly.

"You think retirement lasts, McNeil? Not in wrestling, at least not for very long."

He turned around, putting a hand on James' shoulder and patting it as he looked down at the passed out icon, shaking his head in amusement; "Look at this guy, he's celebrating now, but you saw him say goodbye to those people. He was a wreck, the guy isn't happy to be leaving... this is comfort and peace for him, the closing of a chapter in his life. He's got a lot ahead of him, and I somehow doubt he'll keep away from the ring forever."

DM lifted his eyes up at me, a smirk on his features as he did so. Leaning back in his chair, DM took his hand off of James and crossed his arms over his chest, looking as though he were about to challenge me in some way. When the next words came out of his mouth, of course, I realized that he was challenging me, and in a very big way.

"Let me ask you something, Ronnie... James's retiring because in his world, all the stars aligned perfectly at Big Bang. His greatest enemy and friend all the same, the match he created, the WWCF World Title, and a career behind him that could put some legends to shame. This man is an icon of the business and he's finally reached a point in his life where he can look back on his career and be satisfied, not just with the ending or some points along the way, but with the entire journey. That's how James feels, McNeil... but what about you?"

DM stood up from his seat, patting James on the back as I stared down at the bar, his words ringing in my mind.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, there are a few people I'd like to be able to see before they leave tonight. Make sure James doesn't burn down the bar when he wakes up."

Wordlessly, I flashed him a thumbs up. I didn't have much of a will to talk at the time... truth was, DM had caught me out when I was vulnerable, he'd put me in a position where I was now left doubting myself more than ever before. I knew when I made my retirement announcement that I wouldn't keep away from the ring forever, and the more I talked with people throughout the night, the more I realized that it may come sooner then I thought, but DM...

DM believed I was making a mistake, and he was challenging me to see from his perspective, and... his perspective felt right when I honestly thought about it. What was I leaving for, what did I have to gain? I knew I had a game plan, and I knew that it was too late to stop now that I'd set it in motion... but what if everything I'd done up to this point, while good for my future family, was ultimately going to drive me down the path to Purgatory that I'd foreseen back before my Big Bang match? After avoiding all the pitfalls in this life of mine... what if I was pushing myself in the wrong direction after-all?

What if retirement simply wasn't the answer yet? And if it wasn't, then what could I do to right the mistakes I'd already made?

"Gotta... gotta see it through ta' the end, Chief..."

James's voice had nearly made me leap out of my seat. I remember looking down at him, a startled look on my own face and a drunken smirk on his. He was slowly pulling himself back up and I was trying to get my heartbeat to slow back down, shaking my head and tossing my hands up in frustration.

"Oh what the hell, James?! What are you, the magic drunk? How do you know I'm having self-doubts right now?!"

James, bless him, he tried laughing but nearly vomited on the bartender as he came over. That kept the man away from us for the rest of the night, but it also left me wondering why the hell James was trying to laugh in the first place. Sure, drunks find a lot of things funny that aren't normally when they're sober, but... unless James was going to crack a joke about being a magician all these years, I didn't see where the humor was.

At least, until James slurred out his response.

"Ya' jackass, I meant... I mea-- hey, shuddup, ya' gotta listen, see? I meant me bein' drunk, y'hear? Not... not about yer girly issues, I don... I don have no tampons fer ya'."

I rolled my eyes, staring back down at the bar; "Thank you, Captain Pep Talk, that was a wonderful speech."

"First a magic man... now a superhero? I'm a... I'm a jack of all spades!"

I don't remember when the act of "facepalming" became particularly popular, but I do remember practicing it on many occasions that night. James wouldn't sober up until much later into the night, around midnight or so with the party still going half-strong, and by then he'd decided it was time to lay off the drink for a bit and grace everyone else with the pleasure of his company, and without the fear of drunken vomiting. As for me, that self-doubt lasted all the way through the night, and even Toya could tell that I wasn't feeling very comfortable with myself there. She tried to keep me active and stick around me for support, and her just being there did help tremendously with how I was feeling, but...

... I wasn't getting better. My mind was in a thousand different places but where I needed it to be the most, and I just couldn't resolve the issues spinning 'round in my head. It felt like I was lost at sea, left drifting in an ocean of uncertainty and fear for the future, without any way of knowing which direction I was going.

Still, like I said... it was James who convinced me in the end, and when word got around to him that something seemed up with the way I was acting, I found my arm gripped in a vice and my body forcefully pulled away from the crowd Toya and I were in.

"Sorry Toya, me an' Chief need to have a little chat outside if you don't mind."

"Please don't kill my fiancé, James Preston West."

"Well you're no fun. Don't worry; I'll leave him bruised up but still functional."

"Ooh, I do like functional."

"What the hell is going on?! And why am I being kidnapped?!"

James smacked me upside the back of my head with his free hand, rattling my head and leaving me shocked as I raised an eyebrow at him, his attention facing forward as he drug me to the building's exit.

"No talking 'til we get outside, Chief, or I will get Toya to couch your ass tonight."

Having your best friend use that threat on you is downright surreal, to be honest.

... very intimidating, though.

It was the same old story, as it always was for him and me. One of us was the one to take initiative and give the other a verbal kick in the balls, and on this particular occasion, it was James doing the kicking. The night air was a bit chilly, enough to make me wish I'd been wearing my jacket. Funnily, James was in a short-sleeve at this point, he'd been complaining about how warm the building was and he didn't appear to feel much better on the outside either. Chances were the alcohol likely wasn't helping him much too, diminished in his system though it may have been.

"What are you doing in there?"

He didn't waste any time, James wasn't the type to do that when he was completely serious. In the ring, James would get in your head and work you around his finger, taking all the time he wanted just to enjoy himself in there. Outside of it, though? Sure, he operated the same, but if shit got too serious for him, something in that head of his clicked and he began working like a machine to correct the situation, even at the expense of his own enjoyment for awhile.
"What, being mopey and depressed about leaving the business? I guess that's what I'm doing." I'd shrugged, dismissing the situation entirely. James frowned, letting me straighten myself up after being drug out of the building, before punching me hard in the arm.

"Fuck! Jesus, what the hell James?!"

"Next one's your jaw. What's going on, Ron? Do we need to go back into that university again? You really want your ass kicked that badly tonight?"

"What the fuck are you going on about?"

"This is our retirement, Ron. You and I? We're legends in this business; the fans don't want us to leave. This party? Par for the course for me, isn't it? Go figure James would throw a party to honor himself, but you? You're sitting in there like a wrist-cutting emo kid on some faulty anti-depression pills, writing shitty poetry about how miserable you are about packing your shit and heading home. Stop me if I'm wrong here, Chief!"

I crossed my arms, a pissed off look was quickly forming on my face as I turned to face him completely, my voice raising in response to James's own.

"Well just how the fuck do you expect me to feel, James?! You just decide to leave the business on us like this? What, James, did you not think that something like that would have just a slight influence on me?! I had a game plan this whole fucking time, I was going to go through the higher-ups of the WWCF regardless of what happened between you and I, I was going to secure my family's future with Toya and I was going to turn a profit off my plans so I could be comfortable getting back in the ring and getting back to what I love! I didn't... fuck, James, I didn't want that to be our last match! I'm not fucking ready to quit, what was I thinking?!"

It felt good letting all of that out, and for a short moment I'd honestly felt like I'd had a momentary triumph in our little confrontation. I didn't mean to spill my guts out in one long-winded rant, but it just came out and it felt fucking great. I mean, honestly, I was readying myself for another volley of words when James decided to cut my plans short by re-introducing his fist to my face, knocking me back and sending me falling on my ass in shock.

The guy had one hell of a punch.

Grabbing at my jaw in stunned pain, I forced myself back up and immediately cocked my fist back, ready to reciprocate James for his actions. He stood completely still, just staring at me with a glare, his eyes never leaving mine as I held my fist back, adrenaline surging through my veins. In those few seconds that we both stood there, it took everything in my body to not just give into my urges and swing my fist forward. I was breathing heavily, trying to steady out my heartbeat as James just fearlessly stood in front of me.

I glanced away from him, my arm lowering. I couldn't do it, something in me told me that James was justified in what he'd just done, something was telling me to just man up and listen, to stop being this self-pitying jackass and actually seek out advice rather than resist it.

Looking back at James, it dawned on me. Behind him, maybe twenty feet away, there was a tall lamppost casting light out in a circle around it. The light was hitting James and me, casting our shadows out away from the lamppost... and there I stood, facing James.

Standing in his shadow.

He stayed quiet as I just stared at the ground, where his shadow trailed across and flooded over me, my fists clenching at my sides and my arms shaking in frustration. I let out a frustrated groan and lifted my hands up to entangle my fingers in my hair, pulling at the roots.

"I... fuck!" I screamed, turning around towards the building and swinging my fist at it, cracking my fist against the wall and miraculously not breaking my hand in the process of my stupidity. James crossed his arms over his chest and stared at me quietly, frowning.

"Why?! Why does it always come back to this for me?! Why do I have to feel like I'm following in your shadow, like I... I..."

"You told me you weren't retiring because I was, Ron. You told me you were being honest."

"I WAS! I... I was... I did want to stop things for awhile; I have everything planned out, and... fuck, James! It's a perfect opportunity for me to put things together for Toya and I, but what happens if I get comfortable away? What happens if all that I'm doing is just one huge mistake, and I shouldn't be leaving at all?"

"Stop your bitching, Ron... it's too late now. You made your decisions, and to be honest, these plans of yours look bulletproof. You're a planner, Chief; you don't just leap into these things without planning, if you were that kind-of person you'd never make it as my rival."

"Rival?! Christ, James... look at me! Ever since you started pulling past me in the WWCF, I've always lived in your shadow! I could never beat you, James, I mean for fuck's sake the only time back then I could get anything up on you, it took me changing everything about who I was! I betrayed you, and even after that, I still couldn't get past you! You've always been a step ahead of the game of me, and I--"

"Are you fucking kidding me, Ron?!" James suddenly roared, stepping forward as if to hit me yet again, his eyes burning in anger, "Do you have any idea just who the hell you are?! You're the only guy I've gone into the ring with when the fans are behind me, that actually splits the crowd right down the middle! You and I are equals out there, Ron; it takes more luck than skill for either of us to overcome the other. What's more..."

James lifted his fist towards me, index finger extended as he pushed it against my forehead roughly, frowning; "The only way I could ever be the best in the business is if I knew I could beat you one on one."

I'd raised my eyebrow at him as he took a step back, shaking my head; "Do what now?" I'd lamely asked him, causing him to roll his eyes.

"This isn't like you, Chief, you're more confident than this. You know that the two of us are the best in the business; you know you and I are the top dogs of the WWCF, and if either of us wanted to we could stick around and dominate the scene for years to come. You and I aren't the kind-of guys who just fall back and fade away, we always stay an ever-constant presence in the program even when we aren't a part of it. My name, your name... you can't think WWCW without thinking about either. So don't you come at me with this "I'm not worthy" shit, you've been there since nearly the beginning and we've always given each other hell, every step of the goddamn way."

I sighed, "I'm just... fuck's sake, I don't know. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing, I really am. I have my plans, everything's going according to them, but when it's all said and done... I'm going to have to leave for awhile. If I expect to have all this shit put together properly when it's all said and done I can't concern myself with what's going on in the WWCW, but I don't feel like I'm ready yet to leave! I'm--"

"-- the biggest woman I've ever seen? Well, you got that right." James interrupted, that smirk now right back on his face, "Look, Ron. You and I both know it's about time for me to hang up my boots. I've started my family with Tiffani, I fought the one guy in the one match I wanted to fight him in to cap off my career, and it's as simple as that. You know this doesn't mean I'll stay gone forever, but I don't plan on jump-starting my career again. Some matches here and there are fine, but as far as I'm concerned, you were the one to end my career, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

I smirked myself now. The tense feeling in the air had long ago passed, as we began to relax around each other a little more, safe in the knowledge that we wouldn't need to hit anyone, or anything, for the rest of the conversation.

"As gay as that sounds, James," I began, if only to give the guy a little hell, "I think I can understand your way of thinking."

"Good, then you'll understand me when I tell you to get back in that ring when these "plans" of yours are good and over. Trust me, good ideas all around on your part, but you're not ready to retire."

I raised my eyebrow. It didn't make sense to me at the time... why wouldn't James want me to retire with him? It was the storybook ending, two old friends and, well, rivals, bringing that same rivalry to an end and hanging things up right after. It seemed only appropriate that James would be the one to bring my career to an end... so why wasn't I satisfied, and why did he disagree with my retirement?

"But, why, exactly?" I asked him, airing my thoughts out for him to answer to.

"Because as similar as we are, Chief, you and I are completely different. You love that ring too much right now to leave, and as much as I've done in my career, you never got to do nearly as much as you wanted and you know it. This is something you've had in you since you were young, Ron, you've been shooting for the moon the whole time and if you ask me, you're not quite there yet. Not personally, anyway."

He laughed, shaking his head and looking up to the stars above, "Funny thing, that... you get as popular as you are and it still doesn't satisfy you in the end. You really are something, Chief. Like I said... you and I are similar, but we're different in too many ways. Me, I can look back right now and know I did what I set out to do, but you? You... you've done more than most people could dream to do in your career and it still isn't enough, you're still not satisfied. I mean, thankfully, you don't carry that shit into your personal life, or poor Toya'd never stand a chance... you take what looks to be perfect for you in this game of ours and drive to make it better. Wrestling is my life, but for you... wrestling is practically the air you breathe."
He turned back and made his way over to me, slapping my back and leading me towards the door to the building we'd left through; "And, personally, I think we'd all prefer it if you'd not stop breathing. Not unless you put me in your will, anyway."

"Oh yeah, you're in there. I've got you inheriting a post-mortem ass kicking from Toya. She's inheriting some spiked boots just for the occasion."

"Kinky. Pity I'm already in a committed relationship, I am quite the masochist."

"I never thought Tiffani to be the dominatrix type..."

"You'll be thinking about how uncomfortable the pavement is if you start thinking about the mother of my child in a dominatrix outfit, Chief. Just giving you a warning here."

"Noted."

The rest of the night went incredibly well, much better than it had been for me leading up to our little confrontation. There was something to that moment of ours that made me feel revitalized, made me start to rethink things in my plan. James was right, and honestly the only thing that kept me from seeing the message he'd given me earlier was my own stubbornness. I had spent a lot of time preparing myself for the plan I'd made... so when James decided to call it quits after our match, it threw my plan into disarray. I wasn't expecting nor did I want to adapt, but in life all you ever can do is adapt.

So if I wanted things to go well for Toya and me, I would have to adapt and make some changes to my plans.

And that, ladies and gentlemen... was the night that Faustian was born.

... but that's just another story for another time, isn't it?

Faustian was a unique experiment for me. I'd worn my face paint before when it came to taking on Violent K, as it was meant to send a message to the guy. To this day, I think I'm one of the only people to have ever gotten Violent K to actually remove his face paint for a match, no-one's ever been taken so seriously by the man before. In fact, looking over my history in the WWCF... I really have had a lot of career-defining moments in matches, some of the greatest feuds the place has ever seen... is it any wonder a guy like me would have to come back eventually? It's more than just the feeling in the ring.

It's the feeling of our family.

One of the most dysfunctional families in the world, WWCW wrestlers somehow find a way to simultaneously support one another and drag each other down at the same time. Even our greatest rivals, hated though they may be, find ways to lift us up in the end. Violent K, Kim Prince, Eric Stevens, Trent Shanahan, Deadman, Joshua Baker... the list goes on and on. Men who have stood against me in that ring looking to absolutely break me, body, spirit and mind. Men who pushed me to my limits in every encounter, demanded that I live up to their expectations every single time, and fought their damndest to keep me from getting back up again.

Some men hated me; some wanted to see me crippled in that ring. To say that they put Ronnie McNeil’s career in the gutter, that they dethroned a king of the WWCW... that was their goal, their purpose in our matches. They were looking for the glory, never actually seeing just how much they were doing to lift me up again. When I was at my weakest, I found myself fighting stronger then I ever did before, and it was because of men like these enemies of mine. They pushed me to the brink just to let me fire back again for the sake of a competitive match, and when I fired back I seldom let myself fall twice.

Yeah, enemies in this business are actually comparable to our allies in a way... the difference being that one side pushes you forward in the hope of tearing you down, and the other side just pushes you forward to see how far you go. Men like James West, Kemono, and Matt Thornhill to some extent and, before she thinks I've forgotten her...Alexis McGuillicuty.

I still regret some of my decisions back then, you know. I fought forward because it was encoded into me, but sometimes I fought forward so fiercely that I lost sight of the big picture, of the people around me that cared about me most. Sure, Toya would always support me in my matches... but what happens if I get injured? Would I really put Toya through that strain, to take care of me for the rest of my life? It was honestly thoughts like that that kept me careful and calculating in my matches, even the most dangerous ones of all.

When Big Bang came about, I'd put everything I had into it while focusing as best as I could at picking my spots and, when the tide turned against me, working with the flow of the attack so I might actually survive the encounter. When I ran a gauntlet against Kemono, Deadman, and DM... I focused on getting into each of their heads, working with them just as much as I worked against them so I might make it through these matches against the WWCW's finest. I wasn't looking to give it my all every time, I knew I couldn't make it through this career of mine if I did... but I did focus myself to try and outsmart the bastards when I could, and buy myself some time to recharge the batteries, so-to-speak.

As funny as it sounds when you look back at this dangerous career of mine... I've been as careful as I can be all along the way. I can't say it's paid off for me every single time, but I can say it did wonders for me in the long-run. Throughout all of my life I never thought I'd see the day a crowd as big as some of the ones we still draw today would all rise to chant my name in unison, that they'd almost all pay to come see me fight out there... but there they are, every single time I make an appearance they're all out there, and they're all chanting away. It's... honestly surreal, to know that I've came as far as I have in such a short span of time.

August 20th, 2003... the first night that I ever stepped foot in a ring on live television. I was in the HWA back then, my debut match against a man called "Yo Mutha Fufka" that, if you were to judge him on his name, went exactly as expected. The equivalent of a less competent Texas Tim, Fufka was an unfortunate man to debut against in all honesty... but it allowed me to start my career on a victory at least. That wouldn't last for very long though, and I soon found myself taking on some of the HWA's greats right out of the starting gate.

It took me awhile to catch up to the world title scene from there... but when I did in time; it drove me out of my mind. All my efforts seemed to be in vain, and I felt like I was losing support of the fans I'd loved to see out there in the process. At the time, I was growing desperate to hold onto the recognition that I had, refusing to just fade away and die. I should have seen how James was trying to help me...that he just wanted to see me succeed back then... but it was because of my selfishness that when it came time that he needed my help most, I drove a chair into his head.

He eventually forgave me for that, but sometimes? Sometimes... I still can't forgive myself. The end of my career in the HWA was one of the lowest, if not the lowest moment in my entire career. I felt like I'd ruined everything I could have ever achieved, that I had let go of the potential the higher-ups of the HWA saw in me, and just let it wither and die. Who would honestly accept me, after all that time? Who would support the man who turned on his best friend for just a small taste of glory?

Apparently, the best friend himself would. Apparently, the fans the man turned on would.

Apparently... the WWCW would.

It was the greatest decision I could have made in this career of mine, joining the WWCW. James brought me here because he knew I still had life left in me to keep on fighting, and he wanted to see me make up for the mistakes I'd made along the way. At the time, I didn't understand how he could forgive me so easily... but I think when it comes down to it, he knew that after I'd made that mistake once, I'd never make it again.

He trusted me, somehow, and the last thing I'd wanted to do was betray that trust. I'd made up my mind to give it my all in the WWCW, and when I set foot in the ring for my big debut against Kurt Chavez... I did just that: I gave it my all. No-one expected this kid from the HWA to come in and take on the WWCW's World Champion in his debut match and win, it was downright unheard of-- but somehow, I made it happen.

My debut rocketed me into WWCW stardom from there, and as I went through my opponents one after another I began to amass a winning streak that kept the WWCW fans on the edges of their seats. I didn't think it was possible for me to do at the time, but I was somehow going out there night after night and taking down each of my opponents before they could rob me of my record. Six matches into the WWCW and I was still undefeated, going up against the man I'd toppled on my debut for my seventh.

I lost my seventh, the streak was over before it really had the chance to begin, and I honestly credit that as the day that the rivalry between Kurt Chavez and I really did start. We never got our third match until much further down the line, but from that moment on there would always be a tension between us, knowing we stood at a match a piece and looking to one day make that tie-breaking victory.

I had my fair share of losses in the WWCW from there, none to complain about but some not to be proud of, either. The fact of the matter was though, I wasn't bulletproof, and I was only just becoming the man I am today at that point. James was an established name in the WWCW and was essentially their Golden Boy, his record nearly spotless around here. To this day he has very few losses, certainly fewer than I do, and it's because he's a strategist that only goes into situations he knows he can come out of the winner.

At least, unless he sees something greater than victory in the match, at least. I like to think that's why he wanted those matches with me, really... he knew they'd be perfect for everyone involved, and he was right.

Still, the fact does remain that my debut in the WWCW was what rocketed me into success at a much faster rate than any other WWCW debut in quite some time. Before the year's end, I'd pushed myself to the point that I was about to become the fastest World Champion the WWCW had seen, taking on Deadman only months after my debut for his title at the biggest show of the year. It wasn't meant to be at the time, but it wouldn't be long until I got my rematch from there... and history was made only months into 2006. My first world title, the first reign of two, started as unexpectedly as my WWCW career.

That says something, though: I never slowed down. In all my time in the WWCW, I never once was able to fall back and really savor my climb up the ladder. I breezed through the other championships, never once touching gold other than the highest strap. I never got to know what it was like to hold a strap in the WWCW that wasn't the World Title, and while for most that would be one hell of an achievement... it wasn't satisfying for me. It said something about my career that I didn't want to be said, that I was the guy who couldn't wait for the big time. I was the guy who pushed to make it to the top before everyone else, and who probably felt holding any other title but the World Title was demeaning to his career.

Remember how I said I still regret some decisions I made back then? Consider that one of them.
I was one of the greatest North American Champions of the HWA, and I proudly held onto and defended that title with all of my heart back then. To hold any title in the WWCW should be considered an honor, and something I should have sought out in my time here originally... but I never really had the chance to, did I? Always involved in the main event scene, always being held close to the World Title, I never really was able to just break away and try something new.

It's honestly one of the biggest reasons I've returned, actually... because James was right, there is still a lot left for me to do. As far as I'm concerned, this career of mine isn't over yet because even though I'm now technically a free agent, I just can't leave the business yet.

Not when there's still so much left to be done, especially in CZW.

And so the end of our little history lesson on this career of mine has led me to this point... Overdrive. Honestly? The show that I personally gave name and life to…yet the place of some of my most languishing failures.

2010... the rebirth of a hero.

Waylon Krew, probably one of the most talented newcomers to the CZW game that's been around in awhile. Here's a guy who isn't afraid to slow himself down and enjoy the ride along the way, a future champion who's getting all he can out of his career before he starts to make the big jump forward. To me, not just a veritable unknown and a wildcard that I'm going to have to watch out for, but a person who in what matches I have been able to see of him, shows incredible talent in that ring to a point that honestly impresses me.

If I did have to ask to face anyone in the CZW right now, it would have to be the rising stars of the future, the wrestlers who aren't afraid of what's ahead of them in their own careers. I've faced veterans and legends, even heroes and villains of the CZW alike... but to face the new blood that could one day dominate the CZW? That's something I always love to do when I've got the opportunity to, because it gives me hope for the future of this company and the hands it's going to be in.

So, that being said... here it is. Here's my opportunity. My big return to the Combat Zone was marked by a face-off between three stars, and now my first singles match back sees me taking on a part of the future of this company, a newcomer and hardcore fiend looking to defend his potential IC title shot against the returning veteran. Not only am I going into a pay-per-view that holds significance with me, but I'm going up against a guy who I'll probably face again someday around the world title scene, and not only that, but I'm doing it for a title I've never even held before.

When I came to the WWCW, I had my set goals in mind... but I didn't realize how quickly an opportunity to achieve them would present itself. I guess like all things in my career up until now, nothing can be done slowly, can it? No time for rest when you're on the move I suppose... anyone could tell you that, from Deadman, to Diamond Mine, to the "Innovator of Coolness" Kurt Chavez.

Waylon, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know you. I don't know who you are, I've never heard of you, and I don't know what I can expect out of you but what little I've seen in the videos I've been shown. I'm not saying this as though it's some sort-of insult, nor do I intend to talk down on you just because I can ask "Who?" when someone tells me your name. I am legitimately at a loss here when it comes to who you are. Consider the ball in your court on that one, you've got the edge on me in this match and I hope you use it to your advantage.

Yet consider that the reason why I even gave this history lesson today at all. I want you to know more about me, Waylon; I want you to know where I come from. I'm not trying to save myself from a beating here, I'm welcoming it. I want to be able to face a person who has me scouted because they've studied up on me and know where I'll be coming from. I want a challenge from the man who's earned the right to call himself a contender, because even though it's not the World Title... it's a CZW Title all the same and needs to be given the honor it deserves.

In this game, Waylon, it's all about surpassing expectations, and right now I don't know what to expect of you, but because you're a contender, I'm expecting something big. This is going to be my first singles match in a long, long time... and it's against “Father Hardcore”, so you sure as hell had better make me feel it. I don't want an easy match, or a quick match, or even just a "good" match... I want something that people can remember, a match that can help define your career and re-establish mine. I want a challenge, Krew, and I'm expecting you to give it to me.

So now when game time comes, Waylon, don't you dare disappoint. Don't let up for a second, don't give up partway through... stick it out to the very end and defend yourself and your status with every ounce of strength in your body, because that's exactly what it's going to have to take to stop me.


See you Monday, kiddo.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · RP Archives · Next Topic »


powered by podcast garden
Theme created by Heretic/Hawtsauce and converted by Jenny of the ZetaBoards Theme Zone.