Post by Anthony Bailey on Oct 27, 2013 10:11:56 GMT -4
”We have a hope of succeeding if we learn from our past mistakes and pull together to make the hard choices.” – Carl Levin
“You can’t do this Bailey, just scram already!! You’re taking up room for the people who actually belong here!”
Positioned on my hands and knees and gasping for any remaining fragment of oxygen that I could, I looked up at my opponent as he continued to taunt me. The sweat from my brow stung my eyes and made it hard for me to clearly see him. But my ears allowed me to “see” everything I needed to.
“My purpose is to crush boyhood dreams and break the news to you that this isn’t the place for you!”
{{As his leather boot associated itself with the front of my neck, I wound up flat on my back dazed and looking at the roof of the gym. As long as I have volunteered here, who knew that the gym had a retractable roof and that you could see the stars in the sky? Wait…those weren’t the stars that I thought they were after all. And yes…I am THAT messed up.}}
Was he right though? Maybe I should have found other extra curricular activities to get involved in while a student at Flagler. Two years would fly by and before I knew it I would be off to begin my career in the corporate world. Surely there had to be a safer way to obtain community service hours. Not to mention, I was growing weary of constantly explaining to my teachers how I acquired the fashionable bruises that adorn my face.
“Come on Bailey, you’ve got this! Get your head back in the game kid!” Frank screamed from outside of the ring.
Frank Cavailli had a…oh what’s the word that I’m looking for? He had a unique way of motivating his talent.
”I can’t go out like this,” I thought to myself as I began to show some signs of life. To my surprise, the spectators commenced a few cheers to spark something in me. Cheers were good and all but they probably weren’t sufficient enough for me. Maybe an EMT or some pain killer medication would be more appropriate.
{{I seized the middle rope to help me rise to my feet but this was difficult as my opponent was relentless and didn’t want to see me walk out of that ring the same way I came in.}}
I wasn’t the biggest or strongest competitor in F.A.W.A., but if I had one thing I had heart. F.A.W.A. was the real deal and a place that had no gimmicks. My opponent showing his frustration towards me wasn’t apart of a script or anything of that nature, it was authentic. Had I not found favor with Frank and a few others and it was up to this guy to help me harvest and accomplish my dreams of one day becoming a professional wrestler, I’d have taken up another hobby immediately.
Endeavoring to fend off his physical onslaught verbally, I mustered up the courage to ask “Is that all you got big guy?” It seems as if Satan himself entered his body right then and there and took control of his very soul because my sarcasm made him even more angry.
“Oh you think you’re tough don’t you? I’ll show you what this big guy is truly all about!” he pronounced.
Not quite sure knowing which direction this already awkward in-ring conversation could go, I responded with “Nah that’s okay, I don’t swing that way. Did you forget about my lovely girlfriend Tasha?”
{{He charged at me full speed pursuing a clothesline but I ducked and began to fire back with some punches. Frank taught me the right spots to attack on the face to effectively daze your opponent. I wasn’t the biggest guy but these little tricks of the trade gave me the tenacity I needed. On any given day and under the right conditions, I could probably spar with King Kong himself and win with ease.}}
“That’s it Bailey! Stick it to him!”
Frank liked it when I showcased a little confidence inside the ring. He said that it gave me more of an edge but honestly, it was likely the result of me staying up all night the night before watching old Muhammad Ali or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. videos on YouTube. I wasn’t into biting or borrowing styles or anything like that. I just felt that studying the great fighters, even the ones outside of my sport, would help me become better overall. I had finally gained the upperhand after getting my behind handed to me for the entire match. No was my time to seize the opportunity for the win.
The Savate Kick, DDT, and European Uppercut dominated my list of moves since I was still so inexperienced. Frank vowed to teach me some submission moves but we just had not gotten around to it yet. But my limited moves list was enough to put away my opponent with my “Promise Me This” finishing move and get the pin. My current finisher, the Word of Promise, is just a refined version of Promise Me This.
{{The referee raised my hand in victory and congratulated me on a job well done while everyone else, including Frank, cheered on from the outside. I dropped down to the mat and utilized whatever bit of energy that I had left to roll outside of the ring. Frank met with me a clean towel and a bottle of cold Gatorade.}}
“You’re getting better with each match, kid. A bit more honing and you’re on your way.”
”Really? You think I can go to the pros one day?” I asked while catching my breath.
“Oh yeah and a lot sooner than you think. Just continue to grow and continue to stand tall no matter what.”
That remark from Frank inspired me and I still remember what he said ‘til this very day.
“We just need to work on you and your moves. You were more repetitive than Jay Leno out there,” Frank said with a laugh
”Gee, thanks!” I said while shaking my head and failing to conjure up a witty comeback.
The infamous One Night In Hell event has been weeks in the making. Not just the anticipation around the incomparable gimmick match that I am apart of, but the angst in J-Hop and myself to continue this historic Tag Title reign of ours that we are extremely grateful for. As relentless as The Unforgiven have been to take us out of action with their constant sneak attacks and as hungry as NewGen Rising have been for the inessential but inexplicable vengeance that they have towards us, they have failed to realize something. First of all, they have failed to take a quick glance at the APW Title History and review the account on the Tag Titles. Hopkins and I don't take it lightly that we have the longest reign in APW history, but the evident hunger in the eyes of our opponents seems to have blinded them. Do you honestly think that we're just going to pull a Rihanna and take a graceful bow out? Not at all. We're willing to fight 'til the death of us if we have to. And by the looks of things, we're going to have to...
I fully know what Zachariah Blood, Sentinel, Jace Savage, and Brian Hollywood are capable of. Blood and Sentinel aren't just former henchmen of AJP and Savage and Hollywood aren't just two pyromaniacs who couldn't get enough of New Year's Eve, July 4th, and Labor Day as children. These are four tough competitors that are number one contenders for a reason. Stefan Raab's agent would be pleased to know that their title shots weren't handed out on silver platters either, they were earned. But as much as the naysayers want to see The Dying Breed fall flat on our faces and relinquish our reign, this is the fuel that we have learned to abide by. Are we invincible? That is obviously a trick question. Are we the Terry Marvin of the tag team division? We still have a way to go to even be in that conversation. But most importantly, have we persevered? Yes we have.
You cannot disregard how we as a unit have successfully navigated through the year 2013 with our personal problems being on the forefront. The blogs and social media made mincemeat out of our private struggles. From my breakup with my ex to Jair's overdose incident to The Smooth One deciding to take a step back from active competition and move towards a different career path, we have been on the receiving end of numerous taunts and childish jokes. Our adversaries expected it to destroy us and be our downfall and even to affect how we performed inside of the ring, but it didn't. Like a broken record, The Dying Breed rose to the occasion. We used our circumstances and translated it into success and seven months later, we stand tall. One Night In Hell will simply be an overflow of what he have become so accustomed to. You think a few abrasive weeks with you guys will make us waver? Re-adjust your thinking and make it pronto.
Zachariah, I admit that I crossed the line when I came to your locker room a few weeks ago and sought to collaborate with you and Sentinel on taking AJP out and making her "pay up." Unsurprisingly, I was double crossed and brutally attacked. But you reciprocated that line crossing when you started to sow seeds of discord with NewGen Rising behind our backs. They can be bitter at us all they'd like, but we had their best interest in mind. They weren't our enemies like you two were. We were beginning to view them as good friends. The T-shirts and classroom style strategization wasn't meant to insult them, they were only gestures of trying to encourage them and "show them the ropes." Do you know what I'd have given to have a seasoned tag team take Jair and I under their wing and show us the path? We were two singles wrestlers that just happened to be friends but who didn't have a clue about what it took to make an imperishable tag team.
We had to blaze our own trail but we did it willingly and we did it with no regrets. All we wanted to do was to pass whatever knowledge that we gained along the way down to Savage and Hollywood but nooo. They chose to bite the hands that graciously attempted to only feed their starving bellies. I saw the hunger in their eyes and how bad they wanted to be the Tag Team Champions. So instead of feeling threatened like a normal champion should feel towards his or her competitors, I decided to go against the grain and cultivate their desires. Call me foolish but at the time I felt that it was the right thing to do. I knew that this had the potential to come back and haunt me. Hopkins warned me to be careful but I didn't listen. Little ol' naive Anthony Bailey failing to see the depravity in humanity again eh? When will I ever learn to stop being an optimist and learn to be a realist instead?
I hope that I never lose faith in humanity, and being the type of person that I am, I don't believe that that characteristic will ever depart from me. But the next time I won't be so quick to befriend my opponents and become "buddy buddy" with them. There's a reason why I can count my close friends on one hand. I have many acquaintances and a few enemies and I would prefer if things remained that way. I came into this business almost two years ago hoping to find favor with any and everyone that I came across and I promptly realized that I was in for a rude awakening. I had to learn that this line of work was about changing lives and making your presence felt and that it was not about winning the “most popular person” award among your colleagues. Respect for a fellow human being is one thing, but given the circumstance in light of this little juncture with NewGen Rising, the olive branch won’t be so quick to get extended in the near future.
I don’t want to let the unfortunate events of the past change who I am as a person or allow me to grow bitter, I want them to be building blocks in what enables me to turn these sort of things around for the good. But what could possibly be “good” about any of this? Well for one it has made the bond with my brother from another mother Jair and I stronger and like I said before, it has allowed me to persevere. When people see Anthony “The Promise” Bailey, they see a young man with a career marked by success. Titles and “status” among the who’s who of APW illuminate my resume and though that is an aspect of who I am and what I have experienced for almost two years in this business, that is only what the public sees. You see the sparkling finished product but you don’t see all that went on behind the scenes to get it to that level of quality.
I sacrificed a relationship that could have very well turned into marriage one day with ex girlfriend. I sacrificed a less physically demanding career and more quality time with my friends and family. All for what? To be accepted by my peers? No. I sacrificed it all because this, this sport, is what I love. This is my passion. The titles and traveling around the world and what not is just the icing on the cake. The events that will occur in the Tokyo Dome will be the testimony that Hopkins and I were cut from a different cloth. Not to belittle The Unforgiven or NewGen Rising in any capacity, but we were built for this. We thrive in these kinds of predicaments and I feel with all of my heart that we will go on to continue our reign as Tag Team Champions after One Night In Hell. Our four opponents did all that they could to distract and deviate us these last couple of weeks, but even their best efforts will have proven ineffective at the end of the day. Because at the end of the day, Hopkins and I both will look back on the road that led up to tonight’s Japanese Death Tornado Tag match and think to ourselves “They thought that they had us beat but we showed up once again.” If you can count on The Dying Breed for anything, you can certainly count on us to show up and give it our all. Confidence and not cockiness has come forth from my mouth for one reason and one reason only. I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until tonight…
{{The scene slowly fades to black.}}
---------------
“You can’t do this Bailey, just scram already!! You’re taking up room for the people who actually belong here!”
Positioned on my hands and knees and gasping for any remaining fragment of oxygen that I could, I looked up at my opponent as he continued to taunt me. The sweat from my brow stung my eyes and made it hard for me to clearly see him. But my ears allowed me to “see” everything I needed to.
“My purpose is to crush boyhood dreams and break the news to you that this isn’t the place for you!”
{{As his leather boot associated itself with the front of my neck, I wound up flat on my back dazed and looking at the roof of the gym. As long as I have volunteered here, who knew that the gym had a retractable roof and that you could see the stars in the sky? Wait…those weren’t the stars that I thought they were after all. And yes…I am THAT messed up.}}
Was he right though? Maybe I should have found other extra curricular activities to get involved in while a student at Flagler. Two years would fly by and before I knew it I would be off to begin my career in the corporate world. Surely there had to be a safer way to obtain community service hours. Not to mention, I was growing weary of constantly explaining to my teachers how I acquired the fashionable bruises that adorn my face.
“Come on Bailey, you’ve got this! Get your head back in the game kid!” Frank screamed from outside of the ring.
Frank Cavailli had a…oh what’s the word that I’m looking for? He had a unique way of motivating his talent.
”I can’t go out like this,” I thought to myself as I began to show some signs of life. To my surprise, the spectators commenced a few cheers to spark something in me. Cheers were good and all but they probably weren’t sufficient enough for me. Maybe an EMT or some pain killer medication would be more appropriate.
{{I seized the middle rope to help me rise to my feet but this was difficult as my opponent was relentless and didn’t want to see me walk out of that ring the same way I came in.}}
I wasn’t the biggest or strongest competitor in F.A.W.A., but if I had one thing I had heart. F.A.W.A. was the real deal and a place that had no gimmicks. My opponent showing his frustration towards me wasn’t apart of a script or anything of that nature, it was authentic. Had I not found favor with Frank and a few others and it was up to this guy to help me harvest and accomplish my dreams of one day becoming a professional wrestler, I’d have taken up another hobby immediately.
Endeavoring to fend off his physical onslaught verbally, I mustered up the courage to ask “Is that all you got big guy?” It seems as if Satan himself entered his body right then and there and took control of his very soul because my sarcasm made him even more angry.
“Oh you think you’re tough don’t you? I’ll show you what this big guy is truly all about!” he pronounced.
Not quite sure knowing which direction this already awkward in-ring conversation could go, I responded with “Nah that’s okay, I don’t swing that way. Did you forget about my lovely girlfriend Tasha?”
{{He charged at me full speed pursuing a clothesline but I ducked and began to fire back with some punches. Frank taught me the right spots to attack on the face to effectively daze your opponent. I wasn’t the biggest guy but these little tricks of the trade gave me the tenacity I needed. On any given day and under the right conditions, I could probably spar with King Kong himself and win with ease.}}
“That’s it Bailey! Stick it to him!”
Frank liked it when I showcased a little confidence inside the ring. He said that it gave me more of an edge but honestly, it was likely the result of me staying up all night the night before watching old Muhammad Ali or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. videos on YouTube. I wasn’t into biting or borrowing styles or anything like that. I just felt that studying the great fighters, even the ones outside of my sport, would help me become better overall. I had finally gained the upperhand after getting my behind handed to me for the entire match. No was my time to seize the opportunity for the win.
The Savate Kick, DDT, and European Uppercut dominated my list of moves since I was still so inexperienced. Frank vowed to teach me some submission moves but we just had not gotten around to it yet. But my limited moves list was enough to put away my opponent with my “Promise Me This” finishing move and get the pin. My current finisher, the Word of Promise, is just a refined version of Promise Me This.
{{The referee raised my hand in victory and congratulated me on a job well done while everyone else, including Frank, cheered on from the outside. I dropped down to the mat and utilized whatever bit of energy that I had left to roll outside of the ring. Frank met with me a clean towel and a bottle of cold Gatorade.}}
“You’re getting better with each match, kid. A bit more honing and you’re on your way.”
”Really? You think I can go to the pros one day?” I asked while catching my breath.
“Oh yeah and a lot sooner than you think. Just continue to grow and continue to stand tall no matter what.”
That remark from Frank inspired me and I still remember what he said ‘til this very day.
“We just need to work on you and your moves. You were more repetitive than Jay Leno out there,” Frank said with a laugh
”Gee, thanks!” I said while shaking my head and failing to conjure up a witty comeback.
---------------
The infamous One Night In Hell event has been weeks in the making. Not just the anticipation around the incomparable gimmick match that I am apart of, but the angst in J-Hop and myself to continue this historic Tag Title reign of ours that we are extremely grateful for. As relentless as The Unforgiven have been to take us out of action with their constant sneak attacks and as hungry as NewGen Rising have been for the inessential but inexplicable vengeance that they have towards us, they have failed to realize something. First of all, they have failed to take a quick glance at the APW Title History and review the account on the Tag Titles. Hopkins and I don't take it lightly that we have the longest reign in APW history, but the evident hunger in the eyes of our opponents seems to have blinded them. Do you honestly think that we're just going to pull a Rihanna and take a graceful bow out? Not at all. We're willing to fight 'til the death of us if we have to. And by the looks of things, we're going to have to...
I fully know what Zachariah Blood, Sentinel, Jace Savage, and Brian Hollywood are capable of. Blood and Sentinel aren't just former henchmen of AJP and Savage and Hollywood aren't just two pyromaniacs who couldn't get enough of New Year's Eve, July 4th, and Labor Day as children. These are four tough competitors that are number one contenders for a reason. Stefan Raab's agent would be pleased to know that their title shots weren't handed out on silver platters either, they were earned. But as much as the naysayers want to see The Dying Breed fall flat on our faces and relinquish our reign, this is the fuel that we have learned to abide by. Are we invincible? That is obviously a trick question. Are we the Terry Marvin of the tag team division? We still have a way to go to even be in that conversation. But most importantly, have we persevered? Yes we have.
You cannot disregard how we as a unit have successfully navigated through the year 2013 with our personal problems being on the forefront. The blogs and social media made mincemeat out of our private struggles. From my breakup with my ex to Jair's overdose incident to The Smooth One deciding to take a step back from active competition and move towards a different career path, we have been on the receiving end of numerous taunts and childish jokes. Our adversaries expected it to destroy us and be our downfall and even to affect how we performed inside of the ring, but it didn't. Like a broken record, The Dying Breed rose to the occasion. We used our circumstances and translated it into success and seven months later, we stand tall. One Night In Hell will simply be an overflow of what he have become so accustomed to. You think a few abrasive weeks with you guys will make us waver? Re-adjust your thinking and make it pronto.
Zachariah, I admit that I crossed the line when I came to your locker room a few weeks ago and sought to collaborate with you and Sentinel on taking AJP out and making her "pay up." Unsurprisingly, I was double crossed and brutally attacked. But you reciprocated that line crossing when you started to sow seeds of discord with NewGen Rising behind our backs. They can be bitter at us all they'd like, but we had their best interest in mind. They weren't our enemies like you two were. We were beginning to view them as good friends. The T-shirts and classroom style strategization wasn't meant to insult them, they were only gestures of trying to encourage them and "show them the ropes." Do you know what I'd have given to have a seasoned tag team take Jair and I under their wing and show us the path? We were two singles wrestlers that just happened to be friends but who didn't have a clue about what it took to make an imperishable tag team.
We had to blaze our own trail but we did it willingly and we did it with no regrets. All we wanted to do was to pass whatever knowledge that we gained along the way down to Savage and Hollywood but nooo. They chose to bite the hands that graciously attempted to only feed their starving bellies. I saw the hunger in their eyes and how bad they wanted to be the Tag Team Champions. So instead of feeling threatened like a normal champion should feel towards his or her competitors, I decided to go against the grain and cultivate their desires. Call me foolish but at the time I felt that it was the right thing to do. I knew that this had the potential to come back and haunt me. Hopkins warned me to be careful but I didn't listen. Little ol' naive Anthony Bailey failing to see the depravity in humanity again eh? When will I ever learn to stop being an optimist and learn to be a realist instead?
I hope that I never lose faith in humanity, and being the type of person that I am, I don't believe that that characteristic will ever depart from me. But the next time I won't be so quick to befriend my opponents and become "buddy buddy" with them. There's a reason why I can count my close friends on one hand. I have many acquaintances and a few enemies and I would prefer if things remained that way. I came into this business almost two years ago hoping to find favor with any and everyone that I came across and I promptly realized that I was in for a rude awakening. I had to learn that this line of work was about changing lives and making your presence felt and that it was not about winning the “most popular person” award among your colleagues. Respect for a fellow human being is one thing, but given the circumstance in light of this little juncture with NewGen Rising, the olive branch won’t be so quick to get extended in the near future.
I don’t want to let the unfortunate events of the past change who I am as a person or allow me to grow bitter, I want them to be building blocks in what enables me to turn these sort of things around for the good. But what could possibly be “good” about any of this? Well for one it has made the bond with my brother from another mother Jair and I stronger and like I said before, it has allowed me to persevere. When people see Anthony “The Promise” Bailey, they see a young man with a career marked by success. Titles and “status” among the who’s who of APW illuminate my resume and though that is an aspect of who I am and what I have experienced for almost two years in this business, that is only what the public sees. You see the sparkling finished product but you don’t see all that went on behind the scenes to get it to that level of quality.
I sacrificed a relationship that could have very well turned into marriage one day with ex girlfriend. I sacrificed a less physically demanding career and more quality time with my friends and family. All for what? To be accepted by my peers? No. I sacrificed it all because this, this sport, is what I love. This is my passion. The titles and traveling around the world and what not is just the icing on the cake. The events that will occur in the Tokyo Dome will be the testimony that Hopkins and I were cut from a different cloth. Not to belittle The Unforgiven or NewGen Rising in any capacity, but we were built for this. We thrive in these kinds of predicaments and I feel with all of my heart that we will go on to continue our reign as Tag Team Champions after One Night In Hell. Our four opponents did all that they could to distract and deviate us these last couple of weeks, but even their best efforts will have proven ineffective at the end of the day. Because at the end of the day, Hopkins and I both will look back on the road that led up to tonight’s Japanese Death Tornado Tag match and think to ourselves “They thought that they had us beat but we showed up once again.” If you can count on The Dying Breed for anything, you can certainly count on us to show up and give it our all. Confidence and not cockiness has come forth from my mouth for one reason and one reason only. I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until tonight…
{{The scene slowly fades to black.}}
