Post by Josh Eagles on Mar 19, 2011 19:27:34 GMT -5
One day away from redefining my entire career, from once again stepping into the ring and leaving it all on the line in an attempt to defend the Valiant Championship. Once again stepping into the ring with a man who was looking to destroy me, an occurrence that seemed to happen often in my career. When I looked down the roster list I just saw names pop out of people who were looking to destroy me for which ever reason. Dru the Merc, Stephen Callaway, Eddie Nash, Jason Phoenix ... the list could go on. That was part of being a champion and a par that I embraced like I did everything else. Now I walked through the arena as I always did the day before a big match to concentrate and focus myself on the task at hand. But today I was not alone as I looked down the hall and saw none other then Alex Avice heading toward me.
Avice seemed to make it his business to know where I was at all times. Sometimes you wanted to go a week without actually being accosted by the man, but I knew he was just doing his job. I knew he just wanted to feel like he was a part of something bigger and I wanted to encourage that feeling, the man worked hard, he worked tirelessly. He reminded me of myself, always working, never stopping, well other then the other night. Now he approached me with his usual zeal.
"I'd pretend to be surprised but I guess when someone falls into habit then you'd eventually figure it out."
"Well Josh, it's kind of my job so I guess it would be."
It maybe his job but it didn't look so today as he was in his afternoon slacks, which made me believe this was going to me an article not an interview. Made me feel more comfortable as I certainly wasn't ready for a photo shoot.
"Well what gossip do you have on the menu today Alex? I am sure it is more then just me facing off against Phoenix for the championship tomorrow because I think we know that drill. I'm nervous but excited, I'm going to leave it all out there and bring honor to this title."
"To be fair Josh I believe you've finally done enough to prove that your going to do that every time you step out there and you don't need to say it. The bigger question is ... how do you feel being a god among men?"
"A what ...?"
"A god among men?"
Alright Alex had pulled a lot of crazy stuff in the time that I knew him but considering me on the level of a god was ludicrous.
"Alex, I won't go out with you."
"Huh?"
"Flattery and ass kissing can be good sometimes but, ya it's not going to work."
"NO! I wasn't trying to flatter you. I figured you would have heard, but that is how Jason Phoenix is referring to you."
Now that was confusing. I looked at Alex closely trying to judge and see if he was pulling my chain. Why would Phoenix consider me a god among men?
"I think you're getting old and senile."
"It makes sense though. Jason Phoenix has somehow managed to upset everyone he has ever come up against, the only man he can't beat is you. No matter how hard he tries, no matter how much better he gets he can't beat you."
"And god's don't lose yet I've lost ... seven times!"
"You know just as well as I do some of those aren't true losses. You have three tag losses where you weren't part of the decision and that stunt pulled by Tic Tic that gave CK a win."
"Either way that leaves three other losses including one recently. The facts are facts, I am a normal man, nothing special. I win because I can take a beating and I manage to capitalize on my opponents mistakes not because I am some sort of god, the thought of it is appalling."
This conversation felt like it was going nowhere. I had enough problems with people thinking I was superior to them without some guy spouting that I was a god among men more so if they thought beating me would elevate them to that kind of level.
"Well if it makes you feel better it's not stopping him. He's been training relentlessly, studying new fighting styles. Trying to find some way to figure you out."
Now that made me smile, that was a mark of a true competitor. Don't focus on the fact you haven't beaten them, but focus on what you can do to beat them.
"Good it's what he should be doing. Phoenix has impressed me every time we've stepped into the ring together and he's taking steps in the right direction. But he's not there yet."
"Why is that?"
"Because being able to compete at the level I have competed at and stay at that level has nothing to do with figuring out your opponents, but figuring out yourself. The most important thing is creating your own style, creating your own game... before you can focus on an opponent and what they are doing you have to be confident in your own talents."
"And you feel Phoenix isn't?"
This is where being around a long time has helped me and made me be able to hang among the tops of companies for as long as I do. I recognize what an opponent is, I recognize who they are and what their issue is.
"He's not there yet, no. If Jason Phoenix was confident in his abilities he wouldn't refer to me as though I was an engima or unbeatable. He wouldn't be pursuing changing his own game so much for just one match, he'd be confident that he had the skills and talent to beat me. I am confident that I can weather whatever storm he brings my way and find away to overcome it. Not because I think I am better, but because I am confident in the abilities that have brought me to the game."
"That makes sense."
"I know it does. Trust me when I say you need to watch this match because Phoenix is going to be a large part of the future here in the Kingdom of Pride, but it is not going to start quite yet. I made it my goal to become champion and now I'm going to make it my goal to have it mean something, to have my reign mean something. I also imagine that this will be Jason's final lesson ... after this match Phoenix will understand what it means to be a champion, to be a competitor, and to be a main event attraction. This is about more then being a champion, this is about becoming a better wrestler and getting to the next level."
I walk away confident that in 48 hours I was still going to be Valiant Champion and that I was going to help craft one of the next great stars in the KoP.
Avice seemed to make it his business to know where I was at all times. Sometimes you wanted to go a week without actually being accosted by the man, but I knew he was just doing his job. I knew he just wanted to feel like he was a part of something bigger and I wanted to encourage that feeling, the man worked hard, he worked tirelessly. He reminded me of myself, always working, never stopping, well other then the other night. Now he approached me with his usual zeal.
"I'd pretend to be surprised but I guess when someone falls into habit then you'd eventually figure it out."
"Well Josh, it's kind of my job so I guess it would be."
It maybe his job but it didn't look so today as he was in his afternoon slacks, which made me believe this was going to me an article not an interview. Made me feel more comfortable as I certainly wasn't ready for a photo shoot.
"Well what gossip do you have on the menu today Alex? I am sure it is more then just me facing off against Phoenix for the championship tomorrow because I think we know that drill. I'm nervous but excited, I'm going to leave it all out there and bring honor to this title."
"To be fair Josh I believe you've finally done enough to prove that your going to do that every time you step out there and you don't need to say it. The bigger question is ... how do you feel being a god among men?"
"A what ...?"
"A god among men?"
Alright Alex had pulled a lot of crazy stuff in the time that I knew him but considering me on the level of a god was ludicrous.
"Alex, I won't go out with you."
"Huh?"
"Flattery and ass kissing can be good sometimes but, ya it's not going to work."
"NO! I wasn't trying to flatter you. I figured you would have heard, but that is how Jason Phoenix is referring to you."
Now that was confusing. I looked at Alex closely trying to judge and see if he was pulling my chain. Why would Phoenix consider me a god among men?
"I think you're getting old and senile."
"It makes sense though. Jason Phoenix has somehow managed to upset everyone he has ever come up against, the only man he can't beat is you. No matter how hard he tries, no matter how much better he gets he can't beat you."
"And god's don't lose yet I've lost ... seven times!"
"You know just as well as I do some of those aren't true losses. You have three tag losses where you weren't part of the decision and that stunt pulled by Tic Tic that gave CK a win."
"Either way that leaves three other losses including one recently. The facts are facts, I am a normal man, nothing special. I win because I can take a beating and I manage to capitalize on my opponents mistakes not because I am some sort of god, the thought of it is appalling."
This conversation felt like it was going nowhere. I had enough problems with people thinking I was superior to them without some guy spouting that I was a god among men more so if they thought beating me would elevate them to that kind of level.
"Well if it makes you feel better it's not stopping him. He's been training relentlessly, studying new fighting styles. Trying to find some way to figure you out."
Now that made me smile, that was a mark of a true competitor. Don't focus on the fact you haven't beaten them, but focus on what you can do to beat them.
"Good it's what he should be doing. Phoenix has impressed me every time we've stepped into the ring together and he's taking steps in the right direction. But he's not there yet."
"Why is that?"
"Because being able to compete at the level I have competed at and stay at that level has nothing to do with figuring out your opponents, but figuring out yourself. The most important thing is creating your own style, creating your own game... before you can focus on an opponent and what they are doing you have to be confident in your own talents."
"And you feel Phoenix isn't?"
This is where being around a long time has helped me and made me be able to hang among the tops of companies for as long as I do. I recognize what an opponent is, I recognize who they are and what their issue is.
"He's not there yet, no. If Jason Phoenix was confident in his abilities he wouldn't refer to me as though I was an engima or unbeatable. He wouldn't be pursuing changing his own game so much for just one match, he'd be confident that he had the skills and talent to beat me. I am confident that I can weather whatever storm he brings my way and find away to overcome it. Not because I think I am better, but because I am confident in the abilities that have brought me to the game."
"That makes sense."
"I know it does. Trust me when I say you need to watch this match because Phoenix is going to be a large part of the future here in the Kingdom of Pride, but it is not going to start quite yet. I made it my goal to become champion and now I'm going to make it my goal to have it mean something, to have my reign mean something. I also imagine that this will be Jason's final lesson ... after this match Phoenix will understand what it means to be a champion, to be a competitor, and to be a main event attraction. This is about more then being a champion, this is about becoming a better wrestler and getting to the next level."
I walk away confident that in 48 hours I was still going to be Valiant Champion and that I was going to help craft one of the next great stars in the KoP.
