Post by James Stall on Aug 13, 2011 20:56:00 GMT
Here’s how things were supposed to be.
From the start I was always supposed to establish myself as the dominant half of the New Direction. We were supposed to win and hold the tag team championships for a few months, establish ourselves as one of the greatest tag teams of all time and then go our separate ways. I was always supposed to win Jealousy then the World Title. THEN I was supposed to begin an incredible feud with Marcus Thomas Brody. During this feud we would both cement ourselves as household names and I would forever remind people that I am indisputably the better of the two. By now I should be on my way to cementing my name into the minds of millions of people. Of course that hasn’t happened yet. Instead I’ve been struggling to escape the midcard. I’ve been held back by family and my tag team partner. Still there have been a few victories recently.
Here’s what actually happened.
It was July Seventh. My contract with FWF was set to expire in two days, and I had put myself out there for free agency the day before. I walked into the flat in Manchester that I share with Adam Foulds after a long day at the gym. I notice my cellphone, which I accidently left behind, is lit up. I check the voicemail and receive this message.
“Hello I’m calling on behalf of New Era Wrestling. We’ve seen your work and would like to offer you a contract with us. Please contact us at-“
Perfect. That’s what I thought I was in for a fresh start. I’d sign with a company where could make a name for myself without all the baggage that comes with being in FWF. I made sure to make the fact that I was signing with NEWera a big deal on the internet so my uncle would be sure to see.
Sure enough he contacted me later that day, and penciled me in for a meeting the next morning. For that I dressed up in a custom tailored black suit with a white shirt and orange tie and headed to the FWF offices at our arena in Manchester. I walked into Uncle Pain’s office and was greeted by him sitting behind his desk in a gray suit with a white shirt and blue tie. As usual a glass of scotch was in his hand. It was eleven in the morning.
“So.”
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t see that we do. I’m perfectly happy with just letting my contract expire and walking away from here. I’ve already gotten a new contract elsewhere.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Oh did you? Yes. I’m a signed with New Era Wrestling now. I have my debut match there in two weeks. Several other new additions are debuting as well, all in dark matches. I’m debuting right on tv. They see my potential.”
“You would leave this company after everything we’ve done for you?”
“This company has done nothing but hold me back. There I can get a fresh start. There I can get respect.”
“You still have so much to learn.”
“Not from you. Not anymore. If I’m going to learn anything it has to be away from here.”
“That’s a mistake and you know it.”
“The mistake was staying here too long.”
I turned around.
“So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”
I headed toward the door.
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t even faced Marcus yet.”
I turned back around. I stepped toward my uncle in a methodical fashion. I leaned over his desk.
“So?”
“So I guess everyone will keep on thinking he’s better than you.”
I poked my finger into his chest.
“Don’t you try to manipulate me.”
“You walk away and you’ll never get the chance to prove them all wrong.”
“It won’t work.”
My whole body tensed as my breathing became louder and more shallow at the same time. My heart sped up.
“And what about Marcus? He could probably find a new tag partner and keep holding those belts. Aybe they’d become the greatest tag team of all time. Or her could go single. He certainly has the talent for that. The Universal title picture is pretty open right now. Oh then there’s Jealousy. Yes. Marcus could certainly win that. He could beat your grandfather for the World Championship.”
“I’m leaving.”
I turned to leave, but I let his next few words stop me in my tracks.
“Why in four or five years he could be in the Hall of Fame. Everyone will remember his name. They’ll probably put him right up there with the greats of all time probably better than his dad. And then where will you be? You’ll still be a second thought, struggling in the midcard of a company that isn’t FWF, somewhere far from home and forgotten.”
I spun around and slammed both my fists into his desk as hard as I could. I chipped a piece off the edge and walked away with what would turn out to be a fairly nasty splinter. I raise my left hand and practically shoved my index finger into his eye. I could feel the heat in my face.
“You shut the fuck up right now! I am ten times the wrestler Marcus is! Do you hear me? I’ll prove that to you. I’ll prove that to everyone. I’ll make my name somewhere else. I’ll put this whole damn company behind me. In five years I’ll be bigger than this company.”
He simply looked right at me and was completely deadpan.
“How are you going to do that without beating Marcus?”
I stood there in complete silence. How could I possibly respond to such an infalible statement.
“At least take a look at the new contract I’m offering you.”
I looked over the piece of paper. The figure that I was being offered was almost staggering even though it wasn’t completely unexpected.
“This is a lot of money.”
Uncle Pain simply smiled and nodded. He knew he had me.
“It’s a hundred thousand more than what we offered Marcus, and that’s not counting the signing bonus.”
“That’s very generous.”
“Well, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t play favorite every once in a while.”
He handed me a blue and silver pen.
“You know it’s never been about the money. It’s been about respect.”
Unfortunately I work in a business where respect is often measured in dollars.
“Right. It’s about making a name for yourself. That’s why I can assure you that you an Marcus will both be placed at opposite ends of the Jealousy brackets. Imagine beating Marcus Thomas Brody in the Jealousy finals. Then going on to beat your grandfather for the World Championship. That’ll certainly help you make a name for yourself.”
I looked at the contract, and it took all my restraint to not smile and laugh. You see my uncle is a master manipulator. Yes. I’ve certainly learned a lot from him, but controlling any given situation has been the most important thing I’ve taken away from my studies. The key to dealing with my uncle is to let him believe he’s in control, and don’t be afraid to play hardball. As I signed my contract I thought of Marcus. Some people need agents for this stuff. And some of us can do it all by ourselves.
Of course my spot in Jealousy was lost to me. My own grandfather cost me that shot. Disgusting. But maybe it’s for the best. I’ve got all the time in the world now. I’ll still be breaking bones and putting people in the hospital at NEW while in FWF I get to finally face off against Marcus Thomas Brody in what I’m sure will be the first of many, many matches. Win or lose it’s only a matter of time before I prove to the world once and for all that I’m better than him. I will beat his face in come Jealousy because I’m James Stall, and that’s what I do.
From the start I was always supposed to establish myself as the dominant half of the New Direction. We were supposed to win and hold the tag team championships for a few months, establish ourselves as one of the greatest tag teams of all time and then go our separate ways. I was always supposed to win Jealousy then the World Title. THEN I was supposed to begin an incredible feud with Marcus Thomas Brody. During this feud we would both cement ourselves as household names and I would forever remind people that I am indisputably the better of the two. By now I should be on my way to cementing my name into the minds of millions of people. Of course that hasn’t happened yet. Instead I’ve been struggling to escape the midcard. I’ve been held back by family and my tag team partner. Still there have been a few victories recently.
Here’s what actually happened.
It was July Seventh. My contract with FWF was set to expire in two days, and I had put myself out there for free agency the day before. I walked into the flat in Manchester that I share with Adam Foulds after a long day at the gym. I notice my cellphone, which I accidently left behind, is lit up. I check the voicemail and receive this message.
“Hello I’m calling on behalf of New Era Wrestling. We’ve seen your work and would like to offer you a contract with us. Please contact us at-“
Perfect. That’s what I thought I was in for a fresh start. I’d sign with a company where could make a name for myself without all the baggage that comes with being in FWF. I made sure to make the fact that I was signing with NEWera a big deal on the internet so my uncle would be sure to see.
Sure enough he contacted me later that day, and penciled me in for a meeting the next morning. For that I dressed up in a custom tailored black suit with a white shirt and orange tie and headed to the FWF offices at our arena in Manchester. I walked into Uncle Pain’s office and was greeted by him sitting behind his desk in a gray suit with a white shirt and blue tie. As usual a glass of scotch was in his hand. It was eleven in the morning.
“So.”
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t see that we do. I’m perfectly happy with just letting my contract expire and walking away from here. I’ve already gotten a new contract elsewhere.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Oh did you? Yes. I’m a signed with New Era Wrestling now. I have my debut match there in two weeks. Several other new additions are debuting as well, all in dark matches. I’m debuting right on tv. They see my potential.”
“You would leave this company after everything we’ve done for you?”
“This company has done nothing but hold me back. There I can get a fresh start. There I can get respect.”
“You still have so much to learn.”
“Not from you. Not anymore. If I’m going to learn anything it has to be away from here.”
“That’s a mistake and you know it.”
“The mistake was staying here too long.”
I turned around.
“So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”
I headed toward the door.
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t even faced Marcus yet.”
I turned back around. I stepped toward my uncle in a methodical fashion. I leaned over his desk.
“So?”
“So I guess everyone will keep on thinking he’s better than you.”
I poked my finger into his chest.
“Don’t you try to manipulate me.”
“You walk away and you’ll never get the chance to prove them all wrong.”
“It won’t work.”
My whole body tensed as my breathing became louder and more shallow at the same time. My heart sped up.
“And what about Marcus? He could probably find a new tag partner and keep holding those belts. Aybe they’d become the greatest tag team of all time. Or her could go single. He certainly has the talent for that. The Universal title picture is pretty open right now. Oh then there’s Jealousy. Yes. Marcus could certainly win that. He could beat your grandfather for the World Championship.”
“I’m leaving.”
I turned to leave, but I let his next few words stop me in my tracks.
“Why in four or five years he could be in the Hall of Fame. Everyone will remember his name. They’ll probably put him right up there with the greats of all time probably better than his dad. And then where will you be? You’ll still be a second thought, struggling in the midcard of a company that isn’t FWF, somewhere far from home and forgotten.”
I spun around and slammed both my fists into his desk as hard as I could. I chipped a piece off the edge and walked away with what would turn out to be a fairly nasty splinter. I raise my left hand and practically shoved my index finger into his eye. I could feel the heat in my face.
“You shut the fuck up right now! I am ten times the wrestler Marcus is! Do you hear me? I’ll prove that to you. I’ll prove that to everyone. I’ll make my name somewhere else. I’ll put this whole damn company behind me. In five years I’ll be bigger than this company.”
He simply looked right at me and was completely deadpan.
“How are you going to do that without beating Marcus?”
I stood there in complete silence. How could I possibly respond to such an infalible statement.
“At least take a look at the new contract I’m offering you.”
I looked over the piece of paper. The figure that I was being offered was almost staggering even though it wasn’t completely unexpected.
“This is a lot of money.”
Uncle Pain simply smiled and nodded. He knew he had me.
“It’s a hundred thousand more than what we offered Marcus, and that’s not counting the signing bonus.”
“That’s very generous.”
“Well, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t play favorite every once in a while.”
He handed me a blue and silver pen.
“You know it’s never been about the money. It’s been about respect.”
Unfortunately I work in a business where respect is often measured in dollars.
“Right. It’s about making a name for yourself. That’s why I can assure you that you an Marcus will both be placed at opposite ends of the Jealousy brackets. Imagine beating Marcus Thomas Brody in the Jealousy finals. Then going on to beat your grandfather for the World Championship. That’ll certainly help you make a name for yourself.”
I looked at the contract, and it took all my restraint to not smile and laugh. You see my uncle is a master manipulator. Yes. I’ve certainly learned a lot from him, but controlling any given situation has been the most important thing I’ve taken away from my studies. The key to dealing with my uncle is to let him believe he’s in control, and don’t be afraid to play hardball. As I signed my contract I thought of Marcus. Some people need agents for this stuff. And some of us can do it all by ourselves.
Of course my spot in Jealousy was lost to me. My own grandfather cost me that shot. Disgusting. But maybe it’s for the best. I’ve got all the time in the world now. I’ll still be breaking bones and putting people in the hospital at NEW while in FWF I get to finally face off against Marcus Thomas Brody in what I’m sure will be the first of many, many matches. Win or lose it’s only a matter of time before I prove to the world once and for all that I’m better than him. I will beat his face in come Jealousy because I’m James Stall, and that’s what I do.