Post by eddie on May 28, 2012 3:30:05 GMT -6
May 25th, 2012
Brilliant sunshine, green grass and warm temperatures' greet us as the scene opens up at 'The Hard Knocks' Wrestling School in Raleigh, North Carolina. With the group of upcoming wrestling stars set to graduate within a week, Odyssey Wrestling's Eddie Stitchard received a call to come and speak with the students about what it takes to succeed in the wrestling world. Eddie a former student of the school, makes appearances occasionally to speak of events in his life that led him to stardom in the very business he had always envisioned himself competing in. Eddie always has a way of letting the students know, it's never as easy as it seems, but no one should ever give up on their dream, no matter the effort it takes to get there. Eddie clad in black jeans, a white button up shirt, his snake skin boots and a pair of mirrored sunglass on his face makes his way up the concrete walk leading to the door of the wrestling school. He reaches the glass door incased in steel, pulls the door open and enters as the camera view changes to catch him inside the building. The walls covered in pictures of former students, each with a success story of their own. Eddie strides but a few step on the lightly colored tile floor before he is met by a man about half his size. The smaller man dressed in black dress slacks, a white shirt and tie, and dress shoes meets the OW star and handshakes are exchanged. The smaller man engages in a short conversation then leads Eddie to the next room out of sight of the camera.
After just a few minutes, the two reemerge and make their way down the corridor to the school's gymnasium. The two exchange a few words then the smaller man enters the gym leaving Eddie in the hall. After a few seconds more Eddie enter the gym to a thunderous ovation. As the camera swings inside the gym, Ed is seen exchanging handshakes and smiles with the students along his path to the stage area. After climbing the wooden steps to the top of the stage, a few more handshakes follow with a few teachers, coaches and the dignitaries before Eddie steps to the podium. The thunderous ovation that filled the gym for one of OW's finest finally starts to settle as Eddie thanks the crowd and the school for having him. He then pauses for a shot ovation then begins the speech he's there for to start with.
"To many, success seems to come suddenly. When you observe others and what they have achieved you usually don't appreciate what it has taken for them to get where they are. Ultimately, in failing to do this you also fail to learn what it would take for you to attain the same level of achievement and success. But, if you take the time to truly think about it, you will find that success is usually only a small step away. Yet despite that it eludes most people. It is always so near and yet so far. Let me illustrate what I mean with a short story.
"A lesson from wrestling school!!"
As I started training to become a professional wrestler allot of things came easy to me, so easy in fact, that I was usually one of the first to the ring everyday and one of the last ones to leave it. Wrestling is something I always wanted to do, I wanted to be a part of me, everything I did I told myself that somewhere down the line I would need it when I stepped in the ring, little did I know I would need everything I learned and more the last week of school. See, the last week of school is when it get's tough. Just when you think you know it all and you have every move down pat, the professionals show up to really get you ready for real in ring activity. In no way, shape or form was I expecting to fail, even when wrestling icons Dante, Andrew Bishop, 'ICEman' Moe Hunter, Grinder, and Padre Murante had shown up, I was confident I was going to show these ring legends a few things about the very sport that they shot to stardom in, but as it turned out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
As that finial week started I was full of determination and confidence. Sparring with known stars started out just like any other day of camp. My size and ability coupled with my willingness and my determination to show what I have learned was leading me to new heights, and getting praise from sparring partners Grinder and Moe Hunter boosted my already inflated ego. My confidence was brimming as I was hanging with the very wrestling superstars that were doing this weekly and making money doing what that had only dreamed about as children. The first two days of the finial week of school was going perfect and I had no problem convincing myself that I had to be one of the top students leaving class that week and had a real shot at stardom doing something I loved.
I had learned after the second day that I was scheduled to be one of two students the next day to take on Padre and Dante in a tag team match, simulating what it would be like in a real show setting and a taste of what the pro's do week in and week out. I couldn't hide the fact that I was excited, so excited in fact I sought out who was going to be my partner the next day. To no surprise of mine, it was a fellow classmate who called himself 'The Real Deal' Tony Steele in the ring. Tony was also near the top of our class and his self arrogance helped propel him there. Not only was he convinced he was better then most, but he had a special way of convincing whomever he was squaring off with that he was better. I was completely convinced that the two of us couldn't be stopped and was so self confident that we would show the pro's how it was done the next day, neither of us slept that night, we used that time to prepare as we anxiously awaited a chance to show ring legends how it was done.
As we started off that day at sunrise, I remember having a hard time controlling my emotions. My thought was that Tony and I were going to take control of our match from the start and never look back, and in the back of my mind, I was actually thinking we would teach the pros a thing or two. Of course had I actually been paying attention to the matches prior to ours, I would have realized differently. But because of my own self absorption, I was actually walking into this match blind. In my own mind though I couldn't think of any other outcome, after all, any or even a slight deviation from the path I had mapped out in my mind, and I was sure I would inevitably get lost in the pack, and my thoughts of just being an average student didn't exist in my plans to get to the professional wrestling world. So that meant that whatever obstacle we encountered on the way had to be overcome, because in my mind, my straight line to the top had be maintained at all costs.
"Just take it one step at a time"
Finally Tony and I get the call and as I stepped through the ropes I remember feeling confident that this was my path to the big time, however that feeling was short lived. As the match got underway, it was clearly not had I imagined it. Suddenly the guys that had schooled us the last week were more ruthless, more cunning and brutally sadistic. Tony and I were truly getting our butts handed to us and it felt like we could do nothing about it. I remember one situation where Dante had Tony on the mat and in a Arm Bar that he wasn't able to get out of, I thought, ok, I will just come in to save him, boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. As I stepped foot in the ring, I was met by the Boot of Padre. The force to my chin was enough to send me from the ring as I fell backward through the ropes to the floor. After a few seconds of not moving and about a moment of darkness, The match was stopped and when I was alert enough to realize what had happened, the trainers were tending to me. I can remember being asked what seemed like a hundred questions all at once, but the fun, straight shot to the top of wrestling world had been replaced by that unknown and scary world no one in this business wanted to think of. The thought of being injured and not being able to compete kept going through my mind. It was then I remembered what Dante had told me just a day prior when I spoke to him about living the lifestyle of a Wrestling Superstar, "Just take it one step at a time", he said. "Don't worry about what will happen later, just think about each step, one small step to success" That was the idea I was trying to hang on to as I lay on my back beside the ring.
"Take a break, if you must, but don't give up"
I felt like I could go no further. The pain and fatigue seemed unbearable. I hadn't taken a shot or been beaten like that before, but if I was ever going to get to the big time I had to learn how to endure this kind of punishment and still push forward. If I was ever going to win a match or a Championship I had to find a way to push through the pain. With that thought I forced myself to sit up. I knew I wasn't fine but I convinced the trainers that I could continue. I pushed through a few dizzy spells and pounded some water before returning to the ring. The match was resumed and now it wasn't about winning and loosing, it was more about survival than about dignity. Every step was accompanied by some pain in one part of the body or other. Every part of the body was crying out for attention. But we had to move on, "small steps to success." Tony and I didn't win the match that day, but we learned a very valuable lesson in never under estimating anyone at any give time. Success is something you earn and it's rarely ever given without blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice.
"The journey of a thousand miles..."
So, you see, we took small steps to success that day. Together, they added up to hundreds of thousands of small steps. If it weren't for that moment, that day, I'm almost certain I would have taken the road less traveled. If not for Dante and his words of success, I might have chosen not to take the first step. I might have stopped at any point along the way. That would have meant that I would not have gotten to my destination. I quickly learned there are obstacles along the way. But with each small step they were overcome. There were frustrations, fears and uncertainties. But with each small step they were crushed. There was hardship and spilled blood, but with each small step and focus on the desired destination it was conquered.So you see, success is no mystery. It takes only one small step to succeed.[/color]
A thunderous ovation follows Eddie's speech and as he waves to the crowd and turns to shake hands with the others on stage, the scene slowly fades out.
May 26th, 2012
Scene opens up inside the dimly lit home of OW wrestler and Southen Soilder's member Eddie Stitchard. No activity is found as the camera seems to sweep from the kitchen and dinning area through a large oak door into the plush living room. The leather furniture only occupies a newspaper and upon a closer look the paper itself, the OW show card for next weekend's Oracle is circled in red. The camera pulls back from the paper and pans across the still and silent fifty two inch TV before descending down the hallway leading towards the bedroom area. The bed in the bedroom is unmade and clothes that Eddie and presumably partner Bree had worn are seen laying in a heap on the end of the bed as the camera seems to hover in the doorway of the bedroom. Again the camera seems to pull back, then seems to turn as it head back in the direction of the living room. Once in the living room the camera seems to hover in place again panning what seems to be the empty home of Eddie. Suddenly a jingling sound, that seems to be coming from outside the house is heard and the camera slowly shifts it's focus to a large white door with a single half circled window positioned towards the top. The sound of metal connecting with other metal is heard then the door is swung open, there standing in the doorway briefly is Eddie. The big man dislodges his keys from the door then enters, his partner in close pursuit. Eddie drops a black duffel bag he carried in on the floor near a small table located just to the right of the door. Eddie turns and kicks the door closed behind his partner, tosses his keys on the aforementioned table and immediately heads for the kitchen. He pushes his way through the swinging door leading to the kitchen but the camera does not follow. Bree kicks off her shoes and heads for the bedroom, but again the camera doesn't follow. Instead it picks up the weary man re-entering the living room with a cold beer in his hand. Eddie pops the top on the beer as he makes his way to a black leather recliner positioned near the center of the room. He raises the bottle to his lips for a refreshing drink, lowering it briefly a few seconds later as he flops himself into the black leather. He takes another drink from the bottle, then lowers it again setting in on the glass top of a black metal end table. He then pulls one foot off the floor and crosses it in front of him, setting the ankle of the raised foot on the knee of the other leg. He pulls the zipper down on his snake skin boot, then pulls it off setting in on the floor by the chair. He repeats the same process for the other foot, and when both boots are resting by the chair Eddie grabs his beer from the glass top and kicks back to relax. He quickly raises the beer to his lips again for another drink lowering it only after he seems satisfied. Back in wrestling world only a few months and Eddie has seen his fair share of events already, and it's to be expected for a name as big as Eddie Stitchard. After all, Eddie was no rookie, he's been here before and if this is what he was set out to do again, he'd best get used to it. As Eddie sat at home, in his favorite chair, trying to put his mind at ease, thoughts of the upcoming match race through his head. Eddie grabs the remote to the TV off of the black end stand next to the chair and with a flick of the button the fifty two inch monster comes to life. A spot for the upcoming show fills the room with sound as Eddie sets the remote back on the stand. A slow rise of the beer bottle back to his lips as a few spots featuring Hayden Raine and then Devlin Raine play in the background as Eddie begins to think about his upcoming match.
"As I sat and watched, I suffered through the agonizing dribble and the nonsense that spewed from Hayden Raine, the self proclaimed talent in this company. It's almost sad to see the state of OW and what it counts on week in and week out to bring in a profit I thought as I listen to him ramble. That very thought caused me to shake my head in disgust. I guess what I was saying is, aside from Damage and the occasional witty comment by Vigilante and Lawson, this company was still in trouble, or at least it was till they signed the five foot 10 inch, two hundred thirty pound mastermind knows as Eddie Stitchard. Sure a few things have taken me away from the game lately, but I am back now, and no better time then the chance to prove everyone I was right, right from the beginning." A grin crossed my lips as I was clearly patting mysef on the back for throwing this company on my back and taking it to the top of the wrestling world. OW belongs there and it was very clear to me that with the some of the talent on the roster prior to signing me, they weren't getting there anytime soon. The grin sat upon my face as I shifted my thoughts just a little deeper.
"It was clear the whining and complaining from nearly everyone was getting rather annoying, but from two people, in particular Hayden and Bathory, it was getting old very fast. They both talk a whole lot of shit for someone who's been in this business as long as they both claim they have. Now neither of their words over the course of the last month were really getting under my skin like I'm sure they'd hoped it would, instead it's like that annoying little nat that continues to circle you when your outside early in the spring. Not really doing enough to make you mad, but doing enough to get your attention. And just like that nat, it never seems to get the hint no matter how many times you swat at it, it never really goes away till you squash it in the palm of your hands. Funny how my current opponents remind me of the same thing. They keep firing their so called meaningful words at everybody and anybody, but not doing enough to really piss anyone off like they way they'd hoped, but the words that they keep spitting out are beyond ignoring. And just like that little nat that keeps buzzing in your ear over and over again. Hayden and Bathory keep feeding us the same lame excuses for words of how they think they can beat whoever stands across the ring from them, and why they should beat them, as if that was ever going to happen anyway. If they have both been in this business as long as they say they have they should know better." That thought was followed by more head scratching as one thing became clear to me as I continued to think about the match at Oracle.
"Granted Hayden is a little more of a threat then Bathory, but still not worth worrying about. He was presented a golden opportunity at the last Oracle. That was his chance to bring the big one home, that was his chance to back up every word that comes from his mouth, that was his chance to prove everyone who has ever doubted him, or that he could ever win the biggest match of his career when it was handed to him on a silver platter. After all if anyone could have found out enough information to be Brooklyn or let alone a woman, you would have thought it was Hayden, but true to my words, he again proved useless and again proved that he could talk the talk, but couldn't walk the walk." "Typical of the loud mouth female that he is", I thought to myself with a grin. But then again Devlin seemed to be the biggest whiner of the two, hmmm, I thought, maybe Devlin was part female too, anything was possible I thought as I let out a chuckle.
"Sure, neither of my opponents know me, hell most of the roster still knows nothing of me. Hell Hayden had been my old friend for years and he still knows nothing of me, and since they don't seem to take the time to sit and watch and listen like I have, I guess I'll have make it as blunt as I can. They will soon find out that I'll do whatever I have to do to send anyone home with a loss, and to prove my point and to the haters out there that keep thinking it's not possible for one man to do exactly what he says he's going to do, I'll have to reiterate that point and it all starts with this match on Sunday. I keep saying it, but no one seems to pay attention, but I'm not sure how I could make it any clearer I thought. They just don't seem to understand that I for one don't care how I beat anyone, so they can save me those annoying words of how they think they're going to kick my ass, and if any of the three had any notions of walking out of the ring Sunday with the gold around their waist, they should get their heads examined. I'm sure getting either or anyone to understand is going to be the hard part, but it will be most enjoyable on my end I'm sure." The beer bottle rested on my lips again and as I took the final swig from the bottle another common thought and scare tactic crept into my mind. They all talk like they're tough and can't be beat, and even and I know they think they're real badasses, everyone in this business thinks they are, but I hope they don't think they actually scare me, like I really care, and I didn't to be honest. A win was a win I thought as I raised the beer bottle again. It was getting them to understand that I do what I got to do, and weather it's legal or not, that doesn't bother me, all I'm concerned with is the end result, a win.
Eddie pulls himself from the chair and makes his way back across the living room and through the swinging door leading to the kitchen. He reappears almost as quick as he disappeared with what looks like a fresh can of beer. Sure enough Eddie pops the top and heads back towards the black recliner. He again drops himself into the comfort of the black leather, grabs the TV remote from the stand and with another click of a button, the room goes silent. After setting the remote back where it lay, he takes a drink from the can and once again begins to ponder what lay ahead.
"Hayden is a joke, he claims he's the biggest badass that walks the face of the earth, but after a loss he's left hanging his head in the locker room, asking himself if he's cut out to be here. Well Hayden should think no more, because I have the answer for him." The guy is really humorous I thought as I continued to chuckle to myself. "The self proclaimed 'Final Fate' of what? This guy couldn't wrestle his way out of a wet paper bag that already had a hole it. He claims it's his time, well if we went by Hayden's words he'd already have the belt around his waist and there would be no need for a match." Thank God, no one listens to Hayden I thought as I rested the beer can in my lap. "He claims he was getting the shaft all this time, but it was he himself that was getting his shoulders pinned to the mat week after week. Yeah, funny I thought, no one to blame but himself, the only place this guy is a legend is in his own mind, and rightfully so, after all if he wants to believe that then the only person he need to convince is himself. It's just too bad no one else beleives it."
The beer can rises from my lap back to my lips. I almost spilled it on myself as I continued to think about Hayden and his masquerade to become a legitimate contender in the OW. A joke I thought as I nodded my head, almost as big a joke as the so called 'Destiny Dealer' thinking he even had a shot at anything in a match against me. Could be that's why he off hidding himself this week. Those thoughts went through my head as I again lowered the beer can to rest on my right leg.
"Devlin hiding? No, it can't be! I'm sure he will have some excuse for his absence, but it won't be the legitimate reason why he seems to have nothing to say this week. No sneak attacks this time, and there is no one to watch your back either. Not that he will ever claim he needs it, but that stable of Hayden's saved him plenty. He always claimed he could handle himself against anyone, but I don't ever recall him beating any real competition. And funny thing is he's the one that helped fuel this crap, and in his own words he was looking for the 'revenge'. Well Nero seemed to present him with the perfect opportunity but, he may have bitten off more then he could chew here. His words can't get him out of this mess and it may be best if he just pulled up a chair in his locker room and watched the match from there. Hell, I know it would be allot safer. He claims to know the meaning of the word 'Pain', and on more then one occasion has threatened to bring it up on his opponents, but this time it's different. This time he will know the 'Pain' that will be brought upon him by me! This isn't a tea party type match where he ends up in the ring against the lower tier in an effort for him to gain the answers hes looking for. Well this is a match for some of those very answers you are looking for Raine Brothers, and there are no gimmies here, you earn everything at this level."
In my mind he wasn't ready for a match at this level and that was proven last time he stepped in the ring with a shot at Anton, Anton dominated him and his proven unabilities to wrestle up to hhis potential with the biggest piece of the puzzle on the line. He wasn't up to that task then and won't be up to this task either, these aren't the under carders he's use to wrestling with a chance to obtain something, these were two of the best OW had to offer fighting for a different kind of prize that will vault them to the next level, it was clear to me and whomever else that was paying attention Devlin wasn't ready for any challenge at this level.
"Now, A match, against a worthy opponent, or so he considers himself. Ya know I really didn't have a problem with Hayden as a person, even if I wanted to believe otherwise. He was just a guy trying to make a living doing the only thing he knows how. I did however have a problem with him passing himself off as one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace a ring, or how about just a wrestler in general, 'The FInal Fate' my ass! And it seems I really had a problem with whatever notion or dreams he had of beating me or the next challenger to gain what he needed to know about his sister. Truth is, he's.......... well......he's just not that good, or maybe the fact that he's not as good as me is what I meant." But I couldn't help myself, in my mind he wasn't even in my league and that's taking into consideration his record and the gold he's held combined. "Sure it's easy to say what you've done and what you plan to do, but it's another thing altogether to actually pull it off. He's trying to convince himself that I don't pose a threat to him winning this match, but all he's truly doing is blowing smoke, and blowing it up his own ass to boot. His ego is bigger then he is, and kidnapping your sister with help from yours truly has inflated it even more. It's easy to take care of business when you have the best players in the game watch your back, and Hayden had just that. Who better then 'Psychosis' himself and 'THe Million Dollar Monster' watching your back, protecting you from anything that could take you down. He had it easy, and that's all about to end. I'm about to prove that Hayden and his run of gold was nothing more than a fluke!"
I sat and pondered the upcoming match and the words spoken so far and only one thing comes to mind, 'What a couple of jackasses', I said out loud as I sat in the silence of the living room. These two guys deserves what was about to happen to them, even if they try to convince the public and themselves they didn't.
Eddie lifted and pounded what was left of his refreshment then leaned forward, placed the beer can on the glass table top then kicked back in the comfort of the black leather. He closed his eyes and seemed to drift off into his own world as the camera slowly faded out.
Brilliant sunshine, green grass and warm temperatures' greet us as the scene opens up at 'The Hard Knocks' Wrestling School in Raleigh, North Carolina. With the group of upcoming wrestling stars set to graduate within a week, Odyssey Wrestling's Eddie Stitchard received a call to come and speak with the students about what it takes to succeed in the wrestling world. Eddie a former student of the school, makes appearances occasionally to speak of events in his life that led him to stardom in the very business he had always envisioned himself competing in. Eddie always has a way of letting the students know, it's never as easy as it seems, but no one should ever give up on their dream, no matter the effort it takes to get there. Eddie clad in black jeans, a white button up shirt, his snake skin boots and a pair of mirrored sunglass on his face makes his way up the concrete walk leading to the door of the wrestling school. He reaches the glass door incased in steel, pulls the door open and enters as the camera view changes to catch him inside the building. The walls covered in pictures of former students, each with a success story of their own. Eddie strides but a few step on the lightly colored tile floor before he is met by a man about half his size. The smaller man dressed in black dress slacks, a white shirt and tie, and dress shoes meets the OW star and handshakes are exchanged. The smaller man engages in a short conversation then leads Eddie to the next room out of sight of the camera.
After just a few minutes, the two reemerge and make their way down the corridor to the school's gymnasium. The two exchange a few words then the smaller man enters the gym leaving Eddie in the hall. After a few seconds more Eddie enter the gym to a thunderous ovation. As the camera swings inside the gym, Ed is seen exchanging handshakes and smiles with the students along his path to the stage area. After climbing the wooden steps to the top of the stage, a few more handshakes follow with a few teachers, coaches and the dignitaries before Eddie steps to the podium. The thunderous ovation that filled the gym for one of OW's finest finally starts to settle as Eddie thanks the crowd and the school for having him. He then pauses for a shot ovation then begins the speech he's there for to start with.
"To many, success seems to come suddenly. When you observe others and what they have achieved you usually don't appreciate what it has taken for them to get where they are. Ultimately, in failing to do this you also fail to learn what it would take for you to attain the same level of achievement and success. But, if you take the time to truly think about it, you will find that success is usually only a small step away. Yet despite that it eludes most people. It is always so near and yet so far. Let me illustrate what I mean with a short story.
"A lesson from wrestling school!!"
As I started training to become a professional wrestler allot of things came easy to me, so easy in fact, that I was usually one of the first to the ring everyday and one of the last ones to leave it. Wrestling is something I always wanted to do, I wanted to be a part of me, everything I did I told myself that somewhere down the line I would need it when I stepped in the ring, little did I know I would need everything I learned and more the last week of school. See, the last week of school is when it get's tough. Just when you think you know it all and you have every move down pat, the professionals show up to really get you ready for real in ring activity. In no way, shape or form was I expecting to fail, even when wrestling icons Dante, Andrew Bishop, 'ICEman' Moe Hunter, Grinder, and Padre Murante had shown up, I was confident I was going to show these ring legends a few things about the very sport that they shot to stardom in, but as it turned out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
As that finial week started I was full of determination and confidence. Sparring with known stars started out just like any other day of camp. My size and ability coupled with my willingness and my determination to show what I have learned was leading me to new heights, and getting praise from sparring partners Grinder and Moe Hunter boosted my already inflated ego. My confidence was brimming as I was hanging with the very wrestling superstars that were doing this weekly and making money doing what that had only dreamed about as children. The first two days of the finial week of school was going perfect and I had no problem convincing myself that I had to be one of the top students leaving class that week and had a real shot at stardom doing something I loved.
I had learned after the second day that I was scheduled to be one of two students the next day to take on Padre and Dante in a tag team match, simulating what it would be like in a real show setting and a taste of what the pro's do week in and week out. I couldn't hide the fact that I was excited, so excited in fact I sought out who was going to be my partner the next day. To no surprise of mine, it was a fellow classmate who called himself 'The Real Deal' Tony Steele in the ring. Tony was also near the top of our class and his self arrogance helped propel him there. Not only was he convinced he was better then most, but he had a special way of convincing whomever he was squaring off with that he was better. I was completely convinced that the two of us couldn't be stopped and was so self confident that we would show the pro's how it was done the next day, neither of us slept that night, we used that time to prepare as we anxiously awaited a chance to show ring legends how it was done.
As we started off that day at sunrise, I remember having a hard time controlling my emotions. My thought was that Tony and I were going to take control of our match from the start and never look back, and in the back of my mind, I was actually thinking we would teach the pros a thing or two. Of course had I actually been paying attention to the matches prior to ours, I would have realized differently. But because of my own self absorption, I was actually walking into this match blind. In my own mind though I couldn't think of any other outcome, after all, any or even a slight deviation from the path I had mapped out in my mind, and I was sure I would inevitably get lost in the pack, and my thoughts of just being an average student didn't exist in my plans to get to the professional wrestling world. So that meant that whatever obstacle we encountered on the way had to be overcome, because in my mind, my straight line to the top had be maintained at all costs.
"Just take it one step at a time"
Finally Tony and I get the call and as I stepped through the ropes I remember feeling confident that this was my path to the big time, however that feeling was short lived. As the match got underway, it was clearly not had I imagined it. Suddenly the guys that had schooled us the last week were more ruthless, more cunning and brutally sadistic. Tony and I were truly getting our butts handed to us and it felt like we could do nothing about it. I remember one situation where Dante had Tony on the mat and in a Arm Bar that he wasn't able to get out of, I thought, ok, I will just come in to save him, boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. As I stepped foot in the ring, I was met by the Boot of Padre. The force to my chin was enough to send me from the ring as I fell backward through the ropes to the floor. After a few seconds of not moving and about a moment of darkness, The match was stopped and when I was alert enough to realize what had happened, the trainers were tending to me. I can remember being asked what seemed like a hundred questions all at once, but the fun, straight shot to the top of wrestling world had been replaced by that unknown and scary world no one in this business wanted to think of. The thought of being injured and not being able to compete kept going through my mind. It was then I remembered what Dante had told me just a day prior when I spoke to him about living the lifestyle of a Wrestling Superstar, "Just take it one step at a time", he said. "Don't worry about what will happen later, just think about each step, one small step to success" That was the idea I was trying to hang on to as I lay on my back beside the ring.
"Take a break, if you must, but don't give up"
I felt like I could go no further. The pain and fatigue seemed unbearable. I hadn't taken a shot or been beaten like that before, but if I was ever going to get to the big time I had to learn how to endure this kind of punishment and still push forward. If I was ever going to win a match or a Championship I had to find a way to push through the pain. With that thought I forced myself to sit up. I knew I wasn't fine but I convinced the trainers that I could continue. I pushed through a few dizzy spells and pounded some water before returning to the ring. The match was resumed and now it wasn't about winning and loosing, it was more about survival than about dignity. Every step was accompanied by some pain in one part of the body or other. Every part of the body was crying out for attention. But we had to move on, "small steps to success." Tony and I didn't win the match that day, but we learned a very valuable lesson in never under estimating anyone at any give time. Success is something you earn and it's rarely ever given without blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice.
"The journey of a thousand miles..."
So, you see, we took small steps to success that day. Together, they added up to hundreds of thousands of small steps. If it weren't for that moment, that day, I'm almost certain I would have taken the road less traveled. If not for Dante and his words of success, I might have chosen not to take the first step. I might have stopped at any point along the way. That would have meant that I would not have gotten to my destination. I quickly learned there are obstacles along the way. But with each small step they were overcome. There were frustrations, fears and uncertainties. But with each small step they were crushed. There was hardship and spilled blood, but with each small step and focus on the desired destination it was conquered.So you see, success is no mystery. It takes only one small step to succeed.[/color]
A thunderous ovation follows Eddie's speech and as he waves to the crowd and turns to shake hands with the others on stage, the scene slowly fades out.
May 26th, 2012
Scene opens up inside the dimly lit home of OW wrestler and Southen Soilder's member Eddie Stitchard. No activity is found as the camera seems to sweep from the kitchen and dinning area through a large oak door into the plush living room. The leather furniture only occupies a newspaper and upon a closer look the paper itself, the OW show card for next weekend's Oracle is circled in red. The camera pulls back from the paper and pans across the still and silent fifty two inch TV before descending down the hallway leading towards the bedroom area. The bed in the bedroom is unmade and clothes that Eddie and presumably partner Bree had worn are seen laying in a heap on the end of the bed as the camera seems to hover in the doorway of the bedroom. Again the camera seems to pull back, then seems to turn as it head back in the direction of the living room. Once in the living room the camera seems to hover in place again panning what seems to be the empty home of Eddie. Suddenly a jingling sound, that seems to be coming from outside the house is heard and the camera slowly shifts it's focus to a large white door with a single half circled window positioned towards the top. The sound of metal connecting with other metal is heard then the door is swung open, there standing in the doorway briefly is Eddie. The big man dislodges his keys from the door then enters, his partner in close pursuit. Eddie drops a black duffel bag he carried in on the floor near a small table located just to the right of the door. Eddie turns and kicks the door closed behind his partner, tosses his keys on the aforementioned table and immediately heads for the kitchen. He pushes his way through the swinging door leading to the kitchen but the camera does not follow. Bree kicks off her shoes and heads for the bedroom, but again the camera doesn't follow. Instead it picks up the weary man re-entering the living room with a cold beer in his hand. Eddie pops the top on the beer as he makes his way to a black leather recliner positioned near the center of the room. He raises the bottle to his lips for a refreshing drink, lowering it briefly a few seconds later as he flops himself into the black leather. He takes another drink from the bottle, then lowers it again setting in on the glass top of a black metal end table. He then pulls one foot off the floor and crosses it in front of him, setting the ankle of the raised foot on the knee of the other leg. He pulls the zipper down on his snake skin boot, then pulls it off setting in on the floor by the chair. He repeats the same process for the other foot, and when both boots are resting by the chair Eddie grabs his beer from the glass top and kicks back to relax. He quickly raises the beer to his lips again for another drink lowering it only after he seems satisfied. Back in wrestling world only a few months and Eddie has seen his fair share of events already, and it's to be expected for a name as big as Eddie Stitchard. After all, Eddie was no rookie, he's been here before and if this is what he was set out to do again, he'd best get used to it. As Eddie sat at home, in his favorite chair, trying to put his mind at ease, thoughts of the upcoming match race through his head. Eddie grabs the remote to the TV off of the black end stand next to the chair and with a flick of the button the fifty two inch monster comes to life. A spot for the upcoming show fills the room with sound as Eddie sets the remote back on the stand. A slow rise of the beer bottle back to his lips as a few spots featuring Hayden Raine and then Devlin Raine play in the background as Eddie begins to think about his upcoming match.
"As I sat and watched, I suffered through the agonizing dribble and the nonsense that spewed from Hayden Raine, the self proclaimed talent in this company. It's almost sad to see the state of OW and what it counts on week in and week out to bring in a profit I thought as I listen to him ramble. That very thought caused me to shake my head in disgust. I guess what I was saying is, aside from Damage and the occasional witty comment by Vigilante and Lawson, this company was still in trouble, or at least it was till they signed the five foot 10 inch, two hundred thirty pound mastermind knows as Eddie Stitchard. Sure a few things have taken me away from the game lately, but I am back now, and no better time then the chance to prove everyone I was right, right from the beginning." A grin crossed my lips as I was clearly patting mysef on the back for throwing this company on my back and taking it to the top of the wrestling world. OW belongs there and it was very clear to me that with the some of the talent on the roster prior to signing me, they weren't getting there anytime soon. The grin sat upon my face as I shifted my thoughts just a little deeper.
"It was clear the whining and complaining from nearly everyone was getting rather annoying, but from two people, in particular Hayden and Bathory, it was getting old very fast. They both talk a whole lot of shit for someone who's been in this business as long as they both claim they have. Now neither of their words over the course of the last month were really getting under my skin like I'm sure they'd hoped it would, instead it's like that annoying little nat that continues to circle you when your outside early in the spring. Not really doing enough to make you mad, but doing enough to get your attention. And just like that nat, it never seems to get the hint no matter how many times you swat at it, it never really goes away till you squash it in the palm of your hands. Funny how my current opponents remind me of the same thing. They keep firing their so called meaningful words at everybody and anybody, but not doing enough to really piss anyone off like they way they'd hoped, but the words that they keep spitting out are beyond ignoring. And just like that little nat that keeps buzzing in your ear over and over again. Hayden and Bathory keep feeding us the same lame excuses for words of how they think they can beat whoever stands across the ring from them, and why they should beat them, as if that was ever going to happen anyway. If they have both been in this business as long as they say they have they should know better." That thought was followed by more head scratching as one thing became clear to me as I continued to think about the match at Oracle.
"Granted Hayden is a little more of a threat then Bathory, but still not worth worrying about. He was presented a golden opportunity at the last Oracle. That was his chance to bring the big one home, that was his chance to back up every word that comes from his mouth, that was his chance to prove everyone who has ever doubted him, or that he could ever win the biggest match of his career when it was handed to him on a silver platter. After all if anyone could have found out enough information to be Brooklyn or let alone a woman, you would have thought it was Hayden, but true to my words, he again proved useless and again proved that he could talk the talk, but couldn't walk the walk." "Typical of the loud mouth female that he is", I thought to myself with a grin. But then again Devlin seemed to be the biggest whiner of the two, hmmm, I thought, maybe Devlin was part female too, anything was possible I thought as I let out a chuckle.
"Sure, neither of my opponents know me, hell most of the roster still knows nothing of me. Hell Hayden had been my old friend for years and he still knows nothing of me, and since they don't seem to take the time to sit and watch and listen like I have, I guess I'll have make it as blunt as I can. They will soon find out that I'll do whatever I have to do to send anyone home with a loss, and to prove my point and to the haters out there that keep thinking it's not possible for one man to do exactly what he says he's going to do, I'll have to reiterate that point and it all starts with this match on Sunday. I keep saying it, but no one seems to pay attention, but I'm not sure how I could make it any clearer I thought. They just don't seem to understand that I for one don't care how I beat anyone, so they can save me those annoying words of how they think they're going to kick my ass, and if any of the three had any notions of walking out of the ring Sunday with the gold around their waist, they should get their heads examined. I'm sure getting either or anyone to understand is going to be the hard part, but it will be most enjoyable on my end I'm sure." The beer bottle rested on my lips again and as I took the final swig from the bottle another common thought and scare tactic crept into my mind. They all talk like they're tough and can't be beat, and even and I know they think they're real badasses, everyone in this business thinks they are, but I hope they don't think they actually scare me, like I really care, and I didn't to be honest. A win was a win I thought as I raised the beer bottle again. It was getting them to understand that I do what I got to do, and weather it's legal or not, that doesn't bother me, all I'm concerned with is the end result, a win.
Eddie pulls himself from the chair and makes his way back across the living room and through the swinging door leading to the kitchen. He reappears almost as quick as he disappeared with what looks like a fresh can of beer. Sure enough Eddie pops the top and heads back towards the black recliner. He again drops himself into the comfort of the black leather, grabs the TV remote from the stand and with another click of a button, the room goes silent. After setting the remote back where it lay, he takes a drink from the can and once again begins to ponder what lay ahead.
"Hayden is a joke, he claims he's the biggest badass that walks the face of the earth, but after a loss he's left hanging his head in the locker room, asking himself if he's cut out to be here. Well Hayden should think no more, because I have the answer for him." The guy is really humorous I thought as I continued to chuckle to myself. "The self proclaimed 'Final Fate' of what? This guy couldn't wrestle his way out of a wet paper bag that already had a hole it. He claims it's his time, well if we went by Hayden's words he'd already have the belt around his waist and there would be no need for a match." Thank God, no one listens to Hayden I thought as I rested the beer can in my lap. "He claims he was getting the shaft all this time, but it was he himself that was getting his shoulders pinned to the mat week after week. Yeah, funny I thought, no one to blame but himself, the only place this guy is a legend is in his own mind, and rightfully so, after all if he wants to believe that then the only person he need to convince is himself. It's just too bad no one else beleives it."
The beer can rises from my lap back to my lips. I almost spilled it on myself as I continued to think about Hayden and his masquerade to become a legitimate contender in the OW. A joke I thought as I nodded my head, almost as big a joke as the so called 'Destiny Dealer' thinking he even had a shot at anything in a match against me. Could be that's why he off hidding himself this week. Those thoughts went through my head as I again lowered the beer can to rest on my right leg.
"Devlin hiding? No, it can't be! I'm sure he will have some excuse for his absence, but it won't be the legitimate reason why he seems to have nothing to say this week. No sneak attacks this time, and there is no one to watch your back either. Not that he will ever claim he needs it, but that stable of Hayden's saved him plenty. He always claimed he could handle himself against anyone, but I don't ever recall him beating any real competition. And funny thing is he's the one that helped fuel this crap, and in his own words he was looking for the 'revenge'. Well Nero seemed to present him with the perfect opportunity but, he may have bitten off more then he could chew here. His words can't get him out of this mess and it may be best if he just pulled up a chair in his locker room and watched the match from there. Hell, I know it would be allot safer. He claims to know the meaning of the word 'Pain', and on more then one occasion has threatened to bring it up on his opponents, but this time it's different. This time he will know the 'Pain' that will be brought upon him by me! This isn't a tea party type match where he ends up in the ring against the lower tier in an effort for him to gain the answers hes looking for. Well this is a match for some of those very answers you are looking for Raine Brothers, and there are no gimmies here, you earn everything at this level."
In my mind he wasn't ready for a match at this level and that was proven last time he stepped in the ring with a shot at Anton, Anton dominated him and his proven unabilities to wrestle up to hhis potential with the biggest piece of the puzzle on the line. He wasn't up to that task then and won't be up to this task either, these aren't the under carders he's use to wrestling with a chance to obtain something, these were two of the best OW had to offer fighting for a different kind of prize that will vault them to the next level, it was clear to me and whomever else that was paying attention Devlin wasn't ready for any challenge at this level.
"Now, A match, against a worthy opponent, or so he considers himself. Ya know I really didn't have a problem with Hayden as a person, even if I wanted to believe otherwise. He was just a guy trying to make a living doing the only thing he knows how. I did however have a problem with him passing himself off as one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace a ring, or how about just a wrestler in general, 'The FInal Fate' my ass! And it seems I really had a problem with whatever notion or dreams he had of beating me or the next challenger to gain what he needed to know about his sister. Truth is, he's.......... well......he's just not that good, or maybe the fact that he's not as good as me is what I meant." But I couldn't help myself, in my mind he wasn't even in my league and that's taking into consideration his record and the gold he's held combined. "Sure it's easy to say what you've done and what you plan to do, but it's another thing altogether to actually pull it off. He's trying to convince himself that I don't pose a threat to him winning this match, but all he's truly doing is blowing smoke, and blowing it up his own ass to boot. His ego is bigger then he is, and kidnapping your sister with help from yours truly has inflated it even more. It's easy to take care of business when you have the best players in the game watch your back, and Hayden had just that. Who better then 'Psychosis' himself and 'THe Million Dollar Monster' watching your back, protecting you from anything that could take you down. He had it easy, and that's all about to end. I'm about to prove that Hayden and his run of gold was nothing more than a fluke!"
I sat and pondered the upcoming match and the words spoken so far and only one thing comes to mind, 'What a couple of jackasses', I said out loud as I sat in the silence of the living room. These two guys deserves what was about to happen to them, even if they try to convince the public and themselves they didn't.
Eddie lifted and pounded what was left of his refreshment then leaned forward, placed the beer can on the glass table top then kicked back in the comfort of the black leather. He closed his eyes and seemed to drift off into his own world as the camera slowly faded out.