Post by Richard Garcia on Mar 9, 2019 23:27:20 GMT -5
Richard Garcia, who? He knew that people would question his very involvement in WGWF's closing show. The answer to the trivia question; who was the other half to Lucas Felix's Tag Team Championship reign. After all, Lucas Felix went on to great things. He was a former World Champion and four-time Television Champion whereas Richard Garcia, well, he pretty much vanished off of the face of the professional wrestling Earth the moment those Tag Team Championships were extracted from around his waist. But nonetheless, here he stood, in the center of a tattered, old wrestling ring in the backyard of his family home. No longer did the 'Garcia' family live at the residence, instead, the property had been converted into a professional wrestling school. The tattered wrestling ring was a constant reminder of what used to be. A whole new set of wrestling rings had been set up inside the freshly re-designed home, the tattered one on the outside had been memorialised.
'Standing inside this ring again feels bittersweet' Richard Garcia says, his hands placed firmly upon the top rope as he leans forward. 'I know, for a brief moment, I turned my back on the one thing that was there when I needed it the most. This ring holds a special place in my heart for it was here where it all began. This is where I took all the bumps, this is where I formulated all the bruises. In fact, if you look towards the corner of the ring over there you can still see an indent of where I landed hard on the corner of the apron'. Richard Garcia points behind him and over to the far corner of the ring where, indeed, the outside of the apron slouched ever so slightly in one particular place.
'This is where my journey began in this unorthodox journey we call professional wrestling' Richard Garcia says sliding his hands along the ring ropes. 'And I know I am not the first name that comes to the tip of people's tongues when you think of a WGWF reunion show. The fans, the men and women in the locker room, management, I am sure they would have all preferred the original over the sequel. I am certain they would have preferred to see the first ever Grand Slam Champion, the second-ever Triple Crown winner, the man who consistently took MDK to his limit, who defeated Famine Of The Vile in the Devil's Playground and the man who, for the longest time, reigned as the longest tenured Intercontinental Champion. However, I am ever-appreciated, regardless, that the olive branch was offered my way and that I was welcomed back to WGWF for one night only. WGWF holds a special place in my heart, even if my tenure was only brief, and it will be an absolute honour to represent the brand one last time'.
Richard Garcia climbs up onto the nearest turnbuckle and nestles himself on the top turnbuckle, hands placed firmly into his lap as he looks down towards the center of the tattered ring.
'I left the promotion rather abruptly. But I knew, at that period of time, I needed to walk away from the industry and clear my head. And that I did. It took me until 2017 before I stepped back between those ring ropes and even then I struggled to re-acquaint myself with an industry that had held special importance with myself and my family for my entire life. As you all may, or may not, remember, it was my father who introduced me to this business the moment I was able to walk on my own accord. My father, Eddie Garcia, had been a well-known name among the Australian territories and he continued to make a name for himself abroad. He wrestled matches in the States, he wrestled matches in Mexico, everywhere he went it was imperative to him that people remembered the name of Eddie Garcia, but more importantly, the last name 'Garcia'. This is why I have been ever proud to represent the Garcia name, it held such importance for my father and, hopefully, I continue to do the 'Garcia' name proud, even if the darkness reared its ugly head and tore me away from the industry I loved for several years'.
'However, despite not being a part of the professional wrestling scene I was still training. I was forever training. It was important to me that I assured that I was at my physical and mental peak. For the longest time I grieved over my father's death, it tore me up inside, it consumed me and if it wasn't for my wonderful mother, it may have even been the direct result of my untimely demise. However, I couldn't leave my mother to fend for herself in this cold, dark world. I couldn't break her heart even more than my father's passing did. And I knew, if I met my father at the pearly gates he would be forever disappointed that I called it quits at the moment when I needed to be at my absolute strongest. There was no way I could live an eternity with my father forever disappointed in me. So I trained in mixed martial arts, I ensured I kept myself busy and active, both physically and mentally for I knew, one day, the itch to wrestle again would come calling and before long I would step back between those ring ropes once again'.
Richard Garcia had considered WGWF as an option when he was good and ready to return to the industry. WGWF would always be an option, but he wanted to start anew, he wanted to start fresh within a new promotion, among the fresh faces of new locker-mates, in front of a new audience who didn't just see him as 'the protege of The Iceman'. Because, after all, that was the extent of Richard Garcia's WGWF run. He was introduced to the WGWF by the Hall Of Famer and, in turn, he was forever associated with him as long as he remained within the WGWF walls. Not that that was a bad thing, necessarily, he respected the man and appreciated everything he did for him, but he wanted to pave his own path. Richard Garcia was well aware of the comments that would follow, he was to be considered a traitor for turning his back on the WGWF locker room when it was in dire need of familiar faces to fill its ranks. Whilst others stuck around through the good times and the bad, he high-tailed it.
However, Richard Garcia would not apologise for putting himself first beyond everything else. If that made him selfish, if that made him a traitor, then so be it. His departure from WGWF wasn't a middle finger to the promotion, however, he thoroughly appreciated everything WGWF afforded him. Without the WGWF, many of the doors that had been opened for him would have been slammed shut. Many of the opportunities he had been presented would have been null and void. Hell, he wouldn't have had such an easy transition back into the industry if it weren't for the good references of the WGWF who, despite him leaving the promotion, still supported him. Richard Garcia had traveled the world and had visited some of the most beautiful and illustrious locations the world had to offer and that was due in part to the time he spent with the WGWF.
Richard Garcia jumps down from atop the top turnbuckle and casts a gaze across the ring.
'My departure from WGWF was still on the best of terms, despite how abrupt it was. I don't quite understand the need to burn bridges. And now that Wrestle Wars is on the horizon I am ever excited to be back, even only for one night, and with an opportunity to compete in War Games, no less. The War Games structure is an intimidating structure, it gives blood-thirsty men a free pass to maim and destroy their opponents with no repercussions and no remorse. The winners of their respective matches on the Wrestle Wars card will be afforded an opportunity to compete in War Games and they will be divided up into teams. Considering those booked for the Wrestle Wars card, the potential pairings for War Games are endless.
'However, in order for me to get to War Games I need to win my qualifying match first. And what a qualifying match it is. I have been booked against a WGWF Hall Of Famer, a former Internet Champion and the inaugural and three-time Television Champion. That, of course, is The Sentinel, a six foot eight giant from Jakarta, Indonesia who is one of the longest and most consistently tenured wrestlers in WGWF history. The Internet Championship, for example, was retired long before the majority of the wrestlers competing on WGWF's final card were even a blip on the WGWF radar. n order for me to qualify for the War Games main event, I have to slay a literal giant. I won't pretend to be the David to The Sentinel's Goliath but I have slain a giant or two during my long tenure in the professional wrestling industry. Some may pass The Sentinel up as just a giant buffoon, but not I. Sure, his success rate may be insanely sporadic, but he has a history of being consistently successful. He, after all, slew the seven-foot giant and former two-time WGWF World Champion, Jason Creed, in order to become the inaugural Television Champion and he repeated that success twice over by defeating Mikel Batriani and Heat respectively. I, however, am well prepared for the challenge of slaying the giant. It has been a long journey to get back into the position I am in and I will be damned if I allow The Sentinel to derail the train of momentum I have been on since my return. It hasn't been all pleasantries and rainbows, however, but I am in a good place right now and I plan on continuing that trend'.
'I feel the theme for this event is going to be nostalgia. How can it not be? This is potentially the final time all of us will be under the same room. Wrestle Wars is being promoted as one night only and I get it, I understand wanting to put those nostalgia goggles on one last time and reminisce over the good old times when everything seemed a lot more clearer and a lot grander. I was only here for a brief moment, but during that brief moment, I made some great memories. I was a Tag Team Champion with Lucas Felix. And for those who were here a lot longer than I, I understand why having this one last moment and taking a step back into the past is of the utmost importance. That is why the most dangerous structure in professional wrestling, War Games, is of the utmost importance because, at the end of the night, there can only be one team standing at the end of that thing victorious. The last image everyone will have of WGWF is those curtains drawing on whoever manages to walk out of War Games with their hands held high. I want to be a part of that team because that moment, that is something special and something I will cherish for the rest of my career. As threatening and as menacing as the War Games structure is, I am prepared to put my body through as much punishment as imaginable to ensure I end up standing victorious at the end of the night. After the night is over no longer will I be known as a turncoat to the WGWF, no longer will I be known as the sequel to The Iceman's original, no longer will I be known as the lesser half to Lucas Felix. I will be known as Richard Garcia, War Games victor, War Games survivor, War Games conqueror'.