Post by The DVC on Jan 22, 2018 0:47:55 GMT -5
FADEIN: .. to the the most basic, generic setting you've seen. A simple white backdrop, with a black chair in the middle. Christian Connolly, dressed in a black suit with the Intercontinental title draped across his waist, sits there waiting to get his cue.
Connolly: "You know, part of me what thinking about giving you guys some elaborate production to hype up my match at the West Coast Rumble. But I decided against you cause I'm sure you're gonna get alot of that from everyone else. I wanna just sit talk for a second about fear.
See, everyone fears something. It can be petty or it can be massive. It can be failure, death, or perhaps even just love. Everyone has a fear, everyone feels that chill that runs down your spine. It doesn't matter who you are, you will always live in fear. You may not feel it, you may not realize it until the day you think on it comes to you, but it's there.
We're wrestlers, not Gods.
So many people believe that I have a gimmick, so many people believe I'm too determined to show fear. Some people believe that after everything I've gone through I must have nothing left to fear, and at one time I would have even agreed with them. But there's fear, there's fear everywhere. It's something none of us can escape, and it's something that I've found worming it's way into my thoughts recently.
Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of death, something that only a few years ago I probably would have welcomed.
People still think I'm something that I'm not. They think I'm larger then life, they think I'm the real deal, they think that of all of us. We're judged on who we are on camera, we're judged by what we do in the ring. The fans respect me, the fans cheer for me, but the fans don't know me.
At least, they don't believe that they do.
I give them who I am when I go out there, and some of them just throw it back in my face. "So what's your gimmick, anyway?" or "You act just like you do on TV, trying not to break kayfabe eh?"
Fuck. Kayfabe.
I'm just another person in this world, I just so happen to be a wrestler. I still laugh, I still cry and I still feel pain just like everyone does. It's my personality that sets me apart from people, just as theirs do from everyone else. There's that little something, that spark that sets you out from everyone else.
These people believe my spark is wrestling, they believe that because I'm doing what they're watching, because they're seeing the man they've cheered for, that I'm a human god.
We're not gods, people. In fact sometimes we're driven to become the devil himself.
I'm afraid right now, you know. I'm afraid of losing at the West Coast Rumble, I was afraid of losing last week. I'm afraid of alot of things, but they're all temporary. They're all there and gone the next day. Temporary fears, things that I hardly pay much mind to.
And yet I'm still afraid right now. I'm afraid of losing my family. I'm afraid of failing my dream. I'm afraid of ending my career or even worse--dying.
They're all there and still remain the next day. They never let me go from their grasp, they are the fears that drive me out of my mind. The fears that make me fight so hard not to let them come true, and fears that
I fear losing myself.
The day we lose fear is the day we come closer to God.
There are times where I don't feel fear, there are times where I forget all of it and allow God to touch my face, to give what I was fighting for that much more meaning.
I face my fears every time I step into that ring, and win or lose I've never walked out with those fears on my shoulders. I've lost plenty of matches in the WGWF, but I'm still undefeated against my fears. No matter how many nightmares I've had, no matter how many times I've felt that chill, I still have pulled through the fear.
In my life, there are two wars that are always raging battle. In my heart they fight in trenches, in my mind they do guerilla warfare, and in my soul the final battle lines have been drawn out for years. But no matter how hard they try, neither side can beat the other so long as I am alive. I'm only a human, I'm not a God.
And when you're human, the battle of fear and faith is a never-ending cycle.
I say all that because this match, means so much to me. Because it's not all about facing James Raven. It's about what it represents. For years, people within this community, this business have done their best to stay away from me. They've considered me toxic. The same guys that I know make sure they watch every single one of my promos, but I digress.
But none of the so-called "legends" of the past, have wanted to step in a ring with me... until now.
But why?
Why now? What's changed? I'm still labeled a cheater, right? Ya'll still think I'm toxic, right?
I'll tell you why. Despite what's happened, I've worked my way back up from the ashes of despair. I've fought my ass to make my name relevant again. I've done what it takes to be a champion again. And now, Mr. Raven wants to come in and make a quick buck off my hard work. He wants to get some shine off the name that I made valuable again.
See James, I know that you're using me. You could of faced anyone else, but you chose me. You think I'ma easy mark. You know that if you faced anyone else, you'd probably take a loss and that's not good for business. So you make a deal with the devil and get a match with me. You think that you'll stroll in here, get an easy win off an old, broken down Suntan Superman who always needed supplements anyway, and it'll get your "Legends" tour off and running.
Amirite?
But what you overlook is that inside that ring, you have never been on my level. Supplements or not, I have always wrestled circles around you. That's why you ain't been here in years. You can't hang. Now sure, ya got me beat when it comes talking on a microphone & being in front of the camera. I mean, look at me. I'm sitting in front of a bland background. Doesn't scream entertaining, eh?
But I don't need to do all that. I have always done my best talking in the ring. I'm one of the most well-rounded wrestlers ever. I got so many ways to put you down, you won't know what's coming. This is gonna be so much fun for me.
I can’t contain my emotions at the moment. I'm so fucking ready for this. I feel stronger. I feel faster. I feel better than ever, and I’ve felt pretty fucking good in the past. I’m pretty sure that no matter how many times I get hit in the face nothing will take this smile away from me. But does that put me at a disadvantage?
Well, perhaps it might put most at a disadvantage, but I’m going to use it and play to my strengths.
Ever since a young age, I’ve possessed fantastic skills of being able to make the most of out any given situation. My mother used to tell me that my intellectual powers were so great that I could do absolutely anything in the world with my life. Thirty years down the line, my successful career in the wrestling industry pays testament to that fact. So, once again, I’m going to make the most of the situation, allowing my emotions to consume me on Monday night… and actually turn that into a strength itself.
Feeding off the sheer belief that I am now in fact a superhuman, I’m going to bounce into that arena with an adulterated confidence buzz unlike anything before. Given events of the past few years, I do not believe that there’s nothing beyond me in life. I’ve been a winner for so long now. I’ve done just about everything I ever dreamed of doing as a small boy…
And I just can’t see that changing tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night though, it’s about James Raven realizing who the man is.
I've made some pretty stupid mistakes over the years, but I can assure yout when I step inside that ring, I won't making any of them. I owe you that much James. Just me vs. you. One on one. No interference. Let’s do this homie.
I’m about to live up to my name one more time."
Connolly grabs the title and raises out of the chair. He dusts off his suit, and walks off.
FTB.
Connolly: "You know, part of me what thinking about giving you guys some elaborate production to hype up my match at the West Coast Rumble. But I decided against you cause I'm sure you're gonna get alot of that from everyone else. I wanna just sit talk for a second about fear.
See, everyone fears something. It can be petty or it can be massive. It can be failure, death, or perhaps even just love. Everyone has a fear, everyone feels that chill that runs down your spine. It doesn't matter who you are, you will always live in fear. You may not feel it, you may not realize it until the day you think on it comes to you, but it's there.
We're wrestlers, not Gods.
So many people believe that I have a gimmick, so many people believe I'm too determined to show fear. Some people believe that after everything I've gone through I must have nothing left to fear, and at one time I would have even agreed with them. But there's fear, there's fear everywhere. It's something none of us can escape, and it's something that I've found worming it's way into my thoughts recently.
Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of death, something that only a few years ago I probably would have welcomed.
People still think I'm something that I'm not. They think I'm larger then life, they think I'm the real deal, they think that of all of us. We're judged on who we are on camera, we're judged by what we do in the ring. The fans respect me, the fans cheer for me, but the fans don't know me.
At least, they don't believe that they do.
I give them who I am when I go out there, and some of them just throw it back in my face. "So what's your gimmick, anyway?" or "You act just like you do on TV, trying not to break kayfabe eh?"
Fuck. Kayfabe.
I'm just another person in this world, I just so happen to be a wrestler. I still laugh, I still cry and I still feel pain just like everyone does. It's my personality that sets me apart from people, just as theirs do from everyone else. There's that little something, that spark that sets you out from everyone else.
These people believe my spark is wrestling, they believe that because I'm doing what they're watching, because they're seeing the man they've cheered for, that I'm a human god.
We're not gods, people. In fact sometimes we're driven to become the devil himself.
I'm afraid right now, you know. I'm afraid of losing at the West Coast Rumble, I was afraid of losing last week. I'm afraid of alot of things, but they're all temporary. They're all there and gone the next day. Temporary fears, things that I hardly pay much mind to.
And yet I'm still afraid right now. I'm afraid of losing my family. I'm afraid of failing my dream. I'm afraid of ending my career or even worse--dying.
They're all there and still remain the next day. They never let me go from their grasp, they are the fears that drive me out of my mind. The fears that make me fight so hard not to let them come true, and fears that
I fear losing myself.
The day we lose fear is the day we come closer to God.
There are times where I don't feel fear, there are times where I forget all of it and allow God to touch my face, to give what I was fighting for that much more meaning.
I face my fears every time I step into that ring, and win or lose I've never walked out with those fears on my shoulders. I've lost plenty of matches in the WGWF, but I'm still undefeated against my fears. No matter how many nightmares I've had, no matter how many times I've felt that chill, I still have pulled through the fear.
In my life, there are two wars that are always raging battle. In my heart they fight in trenches, in my mind they do guerilla warfare, and in my soul the final battle lines have been drawn out for years. But no matter how hard they try, neither side can beat the other so long as I am alive. I'm only a human, I'm not a God.
And when you're human, the battle of fear and faith is a never-ending cycle.
I say all that because this match, means so much to me. Because it's not all about facing James Raven. It's about what it represents. For years, people within this community, this business have done their best to stay away from me. They've considered me toxic. The same guys that I know make sure they watch every single one of my promos, but I digress.
But none of the so-called "legends" of the past, have wanted to step in a ring with me... until now.
But why?
Why now? What's changed? I'm still labeled a cheater, right? Ya'll still think I'm toxic, right?
I'll tell you why. Despite what's happened, I've worked my way back up from the ashes of despair. I've fought my ass to make my name relevant again. I've done what it takes to be a champion again. And now, Mr. Raven wants to come in and make a quick buck off my hard work. He wants to get some shine off the name that I made valuable again.
See James, I know that you're using me. You could of faced anyone else, but you chose me. You think I'ma easy mark. You know that if you faced anyone else, you'd probably take a loss and that's not good for business. So you make a deal with the devil and get a match with me. You think that you'll stroll in here, get an easy win off an old, broken down Suntan Superman who always needed supplements anyway, and it'll get your "Legends" tour off and running.
Amirite?
But what you overlook is that inside that ring, you have never been on my level. Supplements or not, I have always wrestled circles around you. That's why you ain't been here in years. You can't hang. Now sure, ya got me beat when it comes talking on a microphone & being in front of the camera. I mean, look at me. I'm sitting in front of a bland background. Doesn't scream entertaining, eh?
But I don't need to do all that. I have always done my best talking in the ring. I'm one of the most well-rounded wrestlers ever. I got so many ways to put you down, you won't know what's coming. This is gonna be so much fun for me.
I can’t contain my emotions at the moment. I'm so fucking ready for this. I feel stronger. I feel faster. I feel better than ever, and I’ve felt pretty fucking good in the past. I’m pretty sure that no matter how many times I get hit in the face nothing will take this smile away from me. But does that put me at a disadvantage?
Well, perhaps it might put most at a disadvantage, but I’m going to use it and play to my strengths.
Ever since a young age, I’ve possessed fantastic skills of being able to make the most of out any given situation. My mother used to tell me that my intellectual powers were so great that I could do absolutely anything in the world with my life. Thirty years down the line, my successful career in the wrestling industry pays testament to that fact. So, once again, I’m going to make the most of the situation, allowing my emotions to consume me on Monday night… and actually turn that into a strength itself.
Feeding off the sheer belief that I am now in fact a superhuman, I’m going to bounce into that arena with an adulterated confidence buzz unlike anything before. Given events of the past few years, I do not believe that there’s nothing beyond me in life. I’ve been a winner for so long now. I’ve done just about everything I ever dreamed of doing as a small boy…
And I just can’t see that changing tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night though, it’s about James Raven realizing who the man is.
I've made some pretty stupid mistakes over the years, but I can assure yout when I step inside that ring, I won't making any of them. I owe you that much James. Just me vs. you. One on one. No interference. Let’s do this homie.
I’m about to live up to my name one more time."
Connolly grabs the title and raises out of the chair. He dusts off his suit, and walks off.
FTB.