Post by Michael Callahan on Jun 16, 2012 13:33:16 GMT -4
It's been a while since Michael Callahan has done one of his youtube blogs and in a situation of such importance as to change the anatomy of not just his immediate circle of friends but the entire APW roster, this is most definitely the right time for a one to one confrontation. With his sleeves rolled up and a lit cigarette pressed between his lips on this dreary, overcast Washington afternoon our hero looks once again uncharacteristically off of his exuberant, arrogant perch. With his sleeves rolled up as he signs off on some final pieces of paperwork what with his recent return to admin duties after a stern dressing down by the Washington contacts at the RNC, Callahan can barely keep his eyes open to assess the full contents of the document that he's putting his name on.
Reluctantly Callahan sighs and sweeps his desk clear and reaches up for the camera because he has something he needs to say and it simply will not do to keep it locked away.
Michael Callahan: Brotherhood. Kinsman-ship. The unity between men. A bond so strong between two men that it supersedes any kind of friendship that you will ever have. When you stand shoulder to shoulder with another man, a battle-hardened soldier in the battlefield you form a bond unlike any other. You may not have been born together but if push comes to shove then deep down in your heart of hearts you know that you will almost certainly die together. It's a certain camaraderie that can only be evoked by devoting your life to the service of a grand cause, a higher power unlike other. That is the kind of relationship I have with Steve Fukuyama and Vikki Lahm. That is the kind of relationship I have with Gubayama Takagi. That is the kind of relationship I have... with Chaz Dillinger.
It's a sincere sentiment and while I know you're all begging to make some kind of homo joke, the fact that Callahan is so self-conscious over any attempts at highlighting his homosexual tendencies and yet is readily willing to admit just how much he admires Chaz is a testament to that respect.
Michael Callahan: Chaz Dillinger is a brother in the battlefield to me as a member of the Traditional Restoration Initiative and so much more. This is a man I eat with in awful highway diners, the man I train with and travel with almost daily, one of only two men who I can confide recounts of my darkest hours to. Chaz Dillinger is very much the man I rely on and he relies on me too. Our bond as united soldiers in the war against hardcore wrestling and the corruption that afflicts Asylum goes beyond anything physical or tangible, it's something more spiritual than that. Blessed in the eyes of God, we both fight strong for the cause.
Back on the old bible thumping is Callahan who's recent successes has captivated his usually unflinching faith in the almighty once more.
Michael Callahan: So what happens when as the Lord Almighty would have it, there's a fork in the road? Suddenly, behold. Our objectives are the same. We both share the same mindset. We want to claim the honour and the prestige that we believe is rightfully ours. We both NEED that moniker, to know that we passed the test to be called the best with flying colours. So what happens when through the ever-winding parallel roads to wrestling stardom that is our career, we end up crossing paths? The man I once battled alongside is now my adversary and he now sports instead of the bold and true camo's we wore as TRI soldiers, he's wearing his own brand of clothes. As I will be too. This match is built entirely on self interest rather than the alliance that we hold so dear and so it is imperative we put that aside for the sake of this one match.
Callahan casually sweeps the back of his dampening brow with his hand. It's a warm day today in Washington despite the grey skies and it's reflecting in the moist state of Callahan's forehead. Though this could of course be the tension in his chest, coiling up like a serpent and tightening like the stone inside a cherry.
Michael Callahan: However that won't be possible. There's a lot more on the line in me facing Chaz Dillinger than there would initially seem. Alliance factors WILL play a part in this. Although I consider myself one amongst equal as part of the The Initiative, it's not exactly a well-kept secret that there are many people out there who consider me to be one of the top competitors on the brand. My unquestionable sovereignty over the roster speaks volumes. I am some three weeks away from being the longest reigning, most dominant Suicidal and Pro Life Champion of all time. Meanwhile Chaz is struggling to catch a break. As much as I admire and respect that man, his luck has been nothing short of abysmal and I know that deep down he wants to set himself out as the leader of the TRI, a true ring general worthy to command the respect of our supporters and I know that'll be playing on his mind throughout the entire match.
Callahan takes a long drag of his cigarette, sucking it in real deep before billowing the vague white fog into the sky. Never one to reach for the cancer sticks, Callahan's need to destress from this humdinger of a situation combined with his recent exhaustion of the getting totally wasted option left only tobacco products to ease his trembling mind.
Michael Callahan: Now you're probably wondering why I'm talking exclusively about Chaz Dillinger. It's because I have so much to say about one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of Asylum and a man who will push me to the limits like never before. So far I've almost made it sound like a foregone conclusion that I'm going to face Chaz Dillinger but I know that's not the case. I know there's three other very capable adversaries that I could potentially be facing. A rowdy Scot, a man who just recently underwent a near-death experience and the hero from the orient that we all do love so dearly, a man who's very life is entrenched in the rich traditions of his homeland.
There's a brief pause as Callahan deliberates internally over which person he should discuss first. Formulaicly he decides to go with people in terms of least relevance to him and then to most relevance.
Michael Callahan: Calvin Ingram, the Scottish harbinger of hatred is a man who I've taken a lot of notice of lately. Having lost his face paint and his creeper of a personality, he's really come into his own as the most talented Scottish wrestler since Phil Atken. Admittedly that's not setting the bar very high but it's still a worth name call. By the same token it's not just his in-ring work that's impressed me either. On Twitter, the social networking site which got me into way more trouble than I can hope to account for since January he's seemed to show that he wants to support me in my APW campaign which is support I duly welcome. This is where I differ with Chaz and Ingram differ. They are revolutionaries who want a violent overthrow of the system. I'm not like that. I'm too staunch a conservative. Instead I seek to remedy the problems facing APW today with gradual changes for the embetterment of everybody. Ingram, I admire your efforts but you are not on my level just yet. I'd be glad to teach you the way of the warrior, my son, but you are not quite up to scratch with a tried and tested wrestling genius like me.
Callahan's evolution as a human being through his wrestling career has lead to a certain amount of humility being instilled into his system. It's finally nice to see him admire someone else accomplishments for a change and he's about to deliver some more of that as he goes on to talk about Warren Peace.
Michael Callahan: I have great admiration for men of true natural toughness and if I were to pick a real darkhorse to upset what many predict to be the obvious me against Chaz confrontation then it would have to be this man, Warren Peace. Peace, your resilience is phenomenal and I know I'm really going to have to do something special to unhinge you. Less than a month ago you had your skull plated together and yet already you're back in the ring with the big boys, gunning for Test for the Best when you should be in the hospital bed. I honestly think you should be given a championship match on principle just for being that devoted to coming back but that's not the way the cookie crumbles. Sadly though, you're injured, you're beat and you're hurt and it's picking at your wounds that I excel at. You're clearly not at 100% and while I admire your commitment, your recent rhetoric about surviving your experience falls flat. While what you went through must've been horrid and traumatic, life is not the suffering olympics. We're not lucky to be alive. God graces us with life, not random tangibles such as “luck” and “chance. When you realise this, you'll truly be a stronger man.
Despite everything Callahan so far being fairly connected with reality and not utterly insane, the way in which he makes such an off-kilter and unfair remark about Warren is quite unfair. No doubt the outrageous level of resilience demonstrated by Warren since his accident will be a decisive factor.
Michael Callahan: Finally there's Isamu Suzuki, a living embodiment of the little engine that can. We've tangled before in tag matches and I've been pleasantly surprised by your skill levels. You're a real master of your high-flying craft and your unique and jarring arsenal is something to be both feared and respected. As a man who's beaten me twice, albeit in tag matches, I should be fearing you. The only difference is that I wasn't the one to take the fall. My partner was. I'm a whole different ball game and you'll see that if I get my hands on you one on one.
Chalk one up to the Asian? No way. Callahan sighs and takes a final drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out into the Insane Clown Posse ash tray that one of his friends in college bought for him as a joke.
Michael Callahan: If I'm being honest with you all, I think that all four of you fine gentlemen have it in you to bring your a-game and try to upset the man who has never lost on Asylum, the Pro Life Champion and the duly elected wrestling representatives. You all are exceptional individuals in the ring but after enduring a brutal first blood elimination match only to then have to face me? Failure is all but assured. I am well refreshed, I've been training harder than ever and I'm ready to claim my throne and claim that championship match not because I'm a better wrestler or because I've got the credentials to do it but because I'm a duly elected wrestling representative appointed by God and appointed by the people. None of you can claim to wield that level of power and in my hands? There's not a damn thing more dangerous. … and that's a promise.
And with that said the scene fades out to Callahan leaving to go find a bottle of whiskey. In wrestling it's never considered an even match with Callahan. Either he's going to get murdered by one of APW's big dogs or he's going to be committing the act of wrestling homicide. Ultimately though as we've seen odds mean nothing, only as ammunition to fuel his relentless campaign of hatred for APW.
Reluctantly Callahan sighs and sweeps his desk clear and reaches up for the camera because he has something he needs to say and it simply will not do to keep it locked away.
Michael Callahan: Brotherhood. Kinsman-ship. The unity between men. A bond so strong between two men that it supersedes any kind of friendship that you will ever have. When you stand shoulder to shoulder with another man, a battle-hardened soldier in the battlefield you form a bond unlike any other. You may not have been born together but if push comes to shove then deep down in your heart of hearts you know that you will almost certainly die together. It's a certain camaraderie that can only be evoked by devoting your life to the service of a grand cause, a higher power unlike other. That is the kind of relationship I have with Steve Fukuyama and Vikki Lahm. That is the kind of relationship I have with Gubayama Takagi. That is the kind of relationship I have... with Chaz Dillinger.
It's a sincere sentiment and while I know you're all begging to make some kind of homo joke, the fact that Callahan is so self-conscious over any attempts at highlighting his homosexual tendencies and yet is readily willing to admit just how much he admires Chaz is a testament to that respect.
Michael Callahan: Chaz Dillinger is a brother in the battlefield to me as a member of the Traditional Restoration Initiative and so much more. This is a man I eat with in awful highway diners, the man I train with and travel with almost daily, one of only two men who I can confide recounts of my darkest hours to. Chaz Dillinger is very much the man I rely on and he relies on me too. Our bond as united soldiers in the war against hardcore wrestling and the corruption that afflicts Asylum goes beyond anything physical or tangible, it's something more spiritual than that. Blessed in the eyes of God, we both fight strong for the cause.
Back on the old bible thumping is Callahan who's recent successes has captivated his usually unflinching faith in the almighty once more.
Michael Callahan: So what happens when as the Lord Almighty would have it, there's a fork in the road? Suddenly, behold. Our objectives are the same. We both share the same mindset. We want to claim the honour and the prestige that we believe is rightfully ours. We both NEED that moniker, to know that we passed the test to be called the best with flying colours. So what happens when through the ever-winding parallel roads to wrestling stardom that is our career, we end up crossing paths? The man I once battled alongside is now my adversary and he now sports instead of the bold and true camo's we wore as TRI soldiers, he's wearing his own brand of clothes. As I will be too. This match is built entirely on self interest rather than the alliance that we hold so dear and so it is imperative we put that aside for the sake of this one match.
Callahan casually sweeps the back of his dampening brow with his hand. It's a warm day today in Washington despite the grey skies and it's reflecting in the moist state of Callahan's forehead. Though this could of course be the tension in his chest, coiling up like a serpent and tightening like the stone inside a cherry.
Michael Callahan: However that won't be possible. There's a lot more on the line in me facing Chaz Dillinger than there would initially seem. Alliance factors WILL play a part in this. Although I consider myself one amongst equal as part of the The Initiative, it's not exactly a well-kept secret that there are many people out there who consider me to be one of the top competitors on the brand. My unquestionable sovereignty over the roster speaks volumes. I am some three weeks away from being the longest reigning, most dominant Suicidal and Pro Life Champion of all time. Meanwhile Chaz is struggling to catch a break. As much as I admire and respect that man, his luck has been nothing short of abysmal and I know that deep down he wants to set himself out as the leader of the TRI, a true ring general worthy to command the respect of our supporters and I know that'll be playing on his mind throughout the entire match.
Callahan takes a long drag of his cigarette, sucking it in real deep before billowing the vague white fog into the sky. Never one to reach for the cancer sticks, Callahan's need to destress from this humdinger of a situation combined with his recent exhaustion of the getting totally wasted option left only tobacco products to ease his trembling mind.
Michael Callahan: Now you're probably wondering why I'm talking exclusively about Chaz Dillinger. It's because I have so much to say about one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of Asylum and a man who will push me to the limits like never before. So far I've almost made it sound like a foregone conclusion that I'm going to face Chaz Dillinger but I know that's not the case. I know there's three other very capable adversaries that I could potentially be facing. A rowdy Scot, a man who just recently underwent a near-death experience and the hero from the orient that we all do love so dearly, a man who's very life is entrenched in the rich traditions of his homeland.
There's a brief pause as Callahan deliberates internally over which person he should discuss first. Formulaicly he decides to go with people in terms of least relevance to him and then to most relevance.
Michael Callahan: Calvin Ingram, the Scottish harbinger of hatred is a man who I've taken a lot of notice of lately. Having lost his face paint and his creeper of a personality, he's really come into his own as the most talented Scottish wrestler since Phil Atken. Admittedly that's not setting the bar very high but it's still a worth name call. By the same token it's not just his in-ring work that's impressed me either. On Twitter, the social networking site which got me into way more trouble than I can hope to account for since January he's seemed to show that he wants to support me in my APW campaign which is support I duly welcome. This is where I differ with Chaz and Ingram differ. They are revolutionaries who want a violent overthrow of the system. I'm not like that. I'm too staunch a conservative. Instead I seek to remedy the problems facing APW today with gradual changes for the embetterment of everybody. Ingram, I admire your efforts but you are not on my level just yet. I'd be glad to teach you the way of the warrior, my son, but you are not quite up to scratch with a tried and tested wrestling genius like me.
Callahan's evolution as a human being through his wrestling career has lead to a certain amount of humility being instilled into his system. It's finally nice to see him admire someone else accomplishments for a change and he's about to deliver some more of that as he goes on to talk about Warren Peace.
Michael Callahan: I have great admiration for men of true natural toughness and if I were to pick a real darkhorse to upset what many predict to be the obvious me against Chaz confrontation then it would have to be this man, Warren Peace. Peace, your resilience is phenomenal and I know I'm really going to have to do something special to unhinge you. Less than a month ago you had your skull plated together and yet already you're back in the ring with the big boys, gunning for Test for the Best when you should be in the hospital bed. I honestly think you should be given a championship match on principle just for being that devoted to coming back but that's not the way the cookie crumbles. Sadly though, you're injured, you're beat and you're hurt and it's picking at your wounds that I excel at. You're clearly not at 100% and while I admire your commitment, your recent rhetoric about surviving your experience falls flat. While what you went through must've been horrid and traumatic, life is not the suffering olympics. We're not lucky to be alive. God graces us with life, not random tangibles such as “luck” and “chance. When you realise this, you'll truly be a stronger man.
Despite everything Callahan so far being fairly connected with reality and not utterly insane, the way in which he makes such an off-kilter and unfair remark about Warren is quite unfair. No doubt the outrageous level of resilience demonstrated by Warren since his accident will be a decisive factor.
Michael Callahan: Finally there's Isamu Suzuki, a living embodiment of the little engine that can. We've tangled before in tag matches and I've been pleasantly surprised by your skill levels. You're a real master of your high-flying craft and your unique and jarring arsenal is something to be both feared and respected. As a man who's beaten me twice, albeit in tag matches, I should be fearing you. The only difference is that I wasn't the one to take the fall. My partner was. I'm a whole different ball game and you'll see that if I get my hands on you one on one.
Chalk one up to the Asian? No way. Callahan sighs and takes a final drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out into the Insane Clown Posse ash tray that one of his friends in college bought for him as a joke.
Michael Callahan: If I'm being honest with you all, I think that all four of you fine gentlemen have it in you to bring your a-game and try to upset the man who has never lost on Asylum, the Pro Life Champion and the duly elected wrestling representatives. You all are exceptional individuals in the ring but after enduring a brutal first blood elimination match only to then have to face me? Failure is all but assured. I am well refreshed, I've been training harder than ever and I'm ready to claim my throne and claim that championship match not because I'm a better wrestler or because I've got the credentials to do it but because I'm a duly elected wrestling representative appointed by God and appointed by the people. None of you can claim to wield that level of power and in my hands? There's not a damn thing more dangerous. … and that's a promise.
And with that said the scene fades out to Callahan leaving to go find a bottle of whiskey. In wrestling it's never considered an even match with Callahan. Either he's going to get murdered by one of APW's big dogs or he's going to be committing the act of wrestling homicide. Ultimately though as we've seen odds mean nothing, only as ammunition to fuel his relentless campaign of hatred for APW.
