Post by The Soul Of Philly on Jul 2, 2012 18:34:43 GMT -4
June 27th, 2012
July 1st, 2012
34 Minutes Later
Prologue
I’ve trained TJ for the last 12 years, both in and out of the ring. I knew TJ’s situation at home, more than he did. You see, I knew TJ’s father growing up, he doesn’t know that, I always felt like I should have told him, but when TJ first came to my gym and I would ask about his family, TJ wouldn’t talk about his dad. Even to this day, his father isn’t a topic that TJ talks about often, and when it comes up, it’s not very often it’s something nice. TJ really doesn’t know the whole story and as a mentor and more importantly, someone he can trust, I need to tell him. But not now, not when he’s got his mind focused on his career, but soon, or it’ll be too late.
I’ve trained TJ for the last 12 years, both in and out of the ring. I knew TJ’s situation at home, more than he did. You see, I knew TJ’s father growing up, he doesn’t know that, I always felt like I should have told him, but when TJ first came to my gym and I would ask about his family, TJ wouldn’t talk about his dad. Even to this day, his father isn’t a topic that TJ talks about often, and when it comes up, it’s not very often it’s something nice. TJ really doesn’t know the whole story and as a mentor and more importantly, someone he can trust, I need to tell him. But not now, not when he’s got his mind focused on his career, but soon, or it’ll be too late.
We open the scene inside of Philly’s Gym in the afternoon. The lights in the gym are off as the sun gives the gym enough light. We see numerous amounts of people in the gym, much more than the last time seen. In the far corner of the gym, we see a small gathering of people. The people surround the owner of the gym, “The Soul of Philly” TJ, as he finishes a set of bench press at a very high weight. He finishes it off as his spotter grabs the bar and pulls it quickly against the metal pieces designed to stop the bar from going too far back when resetting. TJ sits up to a roar of cheers and he smiles.
Gym.Member What was that?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ 545.
A roar of cheers again from the crowd as some of the girls whistle at him. He smiles again. The crowd disperses as TJ turns to his spotter and thanks him. He grabs his towel from his pocket and wipes his face and neck. He is approached by his trainer Ernie Walters.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters That’s a new record right?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I think I got up to 565 at one point.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters No, I’m talking about how big your smile got after the second set of cheers.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Oh, ha, I guess.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Come on, why are you so happy?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I honestly don’t know. Something’s different, but I can’t tell.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters You know if I could tell, I would. But really, ever since Roger talked to you, you’ve seemed to be under a lot less stress, probably the fewest I’ve seen you under since, well, ever.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ D’aw shucks Ern. You really mean that?
TJ shares a chuckle with Ernie, something the two haven’t shared in a long time.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Seriously, TJ, what is it?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I told you Ernie, I don’t know. Maybe, I’ve just moved on to a better place.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Oh, so you died and you’re body hasn’t realized it yet? I mean, TJ, between Bacon, Kiz, and Matt Turner, only Bacon’s still standing, I don’t think you’ve put two guys out of commission so quickly. Maybe you should have gotten lobotomized at a young age, may have done wonders for you.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I guess, I just…stopped thinking about stuff you know.
TJ grabs his water bottle and takes a swig out of it and spits it on the floor of the gym, a few members of the gym look at him in disgust.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ What?
The members move away quickly and TJ gives them a dirty look.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Or maybe you haven’t. Ya know TJ, I knew a guy like you once. Whenever he stopped thinking so hard, everything became easier for him to see and do.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ What was his name?
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Ah, I wanna say “Kyle Something”, but, I don’t think that’s it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Ah, shame, would have wondered if he ever stopped thinking so hard permanently, ya know? To know if it’s possible.
TJ gets off the bench and starts walking to the leg press machine, leaving Ernie standing there.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Maybe I should tell him.
Ernie coughs into a handkerchief that he puts into his shirt pocket. He follows TJ to the leg press machine where we see TJ putting on several forty-five pound plates on the machine.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Hey, TJ, I remembered that guy.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Oh, what was his name?
Ernie stands there, rethinking about his decision about his past history with TJ’s father.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Ernie, what was the guy’s name?
Ernie shakes his head, seemingly ending the self-arguing for now.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Kyle Franklin, but he died a while ago, heart attack from past drug use.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I can only hope that happens to someone I use to believe I could trust in.
TJ slams another three plates onto the machine and gets in position and starts his set. Ernie stands there shaking his head. TJ sees this and stops.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Something wrong?
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Huh? No, just, TJ, you know you’re Dad had to have his reasons.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I do, and I don’t like him because he wasn’t ready.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters I find a hard time to believe someone had three kids, but wasn’t ready for it.
TJ gets up from the machine and gets in Ernie’s face, towering over the elderly man.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Really? Have you looked at the real world lately Ernie? Have you seen the dumbasses that have more kids than pimples? The girls with more babies on their tits than they have tampons? Clearly you haven’t. He was just like them. I hate him because of that. He didn’t want the responsibility and I don’t want the association with him. Why do you keep defending him?
Ernie looks down at the floor.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ WHY ERNIE!?!
Ernie looks back up and grabs his handkerchief and coughs into it. He stares at it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ TELL ME!
TJ, breathing heavily, takes notice of the handkerchief and grabs it. He throws it to the ground and looks at Ernie again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ TELL ME DAMN IT!
Ernest.”Ernie”.WaltersI, can’t.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Why?!
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters It’s not something I can say now.
TJ tightens his lips in anger.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Fine, then don’t come to me until you can!
TJ storms outta of his gym and the scene fades away.
Gym.Member What was that?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ 545.
A roar of cheers again from the crowd as some of the girls whistle at him. He smiles again. The crowd disperses as TJ turns to his spotter and thanks him. He grabs his towel from his pocket and wipes his face and neck. He is approached by his trainer Ernie Walters.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters That’s a new record right?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I think I got up to 565 at one point.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters No, I’m talking about how big your smile got after the second set of cheers.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Oh, ha, I guess.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Come on, why are you so happy?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I honestly don’t know. Something’s different, but I can’t tell.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters You know if I could tell, I would. But really, ever since Roger talked to you, you’ve seemed to be under a lot less stress, probably the fewest I’ve seen you under since, well, ever.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ D’aw shucks Ern. You really mean that?
TJ shares a chuckle with Ernie, something the two haven’t shared in a long time.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Seriously, TJ, what is it?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I told you Ernie, I don’t know. Maybe, I’ve just moved on to a better place.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Oh, so you died and you’re body hasn’t realized it yet? I mean, TJ, between Bacon, Kiz, and Matt Turner, only Bacon’s still standing, I don’t think you’ve put two guys out of commission so quickly. Maybe you should have gotten lobotomized at a young age, may have done wonders for you.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I guess, I just…stopped thinking about stuff you know.
TJ grabs his water bottle and takes a swig out of it and spits it on the floor of the gym, a few members of the gym look at him in disgust.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ What?
The members move away quickly and TJ gives them a dirty look.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Or maybe you haven’t. Ya know TJ, I knew a guy like you once. Whenever he stopped thinking so hard, everything became easier for him to see and do.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ What was his name?
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Ah, I wanna say “Kyle Something”, but, I don’t think that’s it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Ah, shame, would have wondered if he ever stopped thinking so hard permanently, ya know? To know if it’s possible.
TJ gets off the bench and starts walking to the leg press machine, leaving Ernie standing there.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Maybe I should tell him.
Ernie coughs into a handkerchief that he puts into his shirt pocket. He follows TJ to the leg press machine where we see TJ putting on several forty-five pound plates on the machine.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Hey, TJ, I remembered that guy.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Oh, what was his name?
Ernie stands there, rethinking about his decision about his past history with TJ’s father.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Ernie, what was the guy’s name?
Ernie shakes his head, seemingly ending the self-arguing for now.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Kyle Franklin, but he died a while ago, heart attack from past drug use.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I can only hope that happens to someone I use to believe I could trust in.
TJ slams another three plates onto the machine and gets in position and starts his set. Ernie stands there shaking his head. TJ sees this and stops.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Something wrong?
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters Huh? No, just, TJ, you know you’re Dad had to have his reasons.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I do, and I don’t like him because he wasn’t ready.
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters I find a hard time to believe someone had three kids, but wasn’t ready for it.
TJ gets up from the machine and gets in Ernie’s face, towering over the elderly man.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Really? Have you looked at the real world lately Ernie? Have you seen the dumbasses that have more kids than pimples? The girls with more babies on their tits than they have tampons? Clearly you haven’t. He was just like them. I hate him because of that. He didn’t want the responsibility and I don’t want the association with him. Why do you keep defending him?
Ernie looks down at the floor.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ WHY ERNIE!?!
Ernie looks back up and grabs his handkerchief and coughs into it. He stares at it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ TELL ME!
TJ, breathing heavily, takes notice of the handkerchief and grabs it. He throws it to the ground and looks at Ernie again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ TELL ME DAMN IT!
Ernest.”Ernie”.WaltersI, can’t.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Why?!
Ernest.”Ernie”.Walters It’s not something I can say now.
TJ tightens his lips in anger.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Fine, then don’t come to me until you can!
TJ storms outta of his gym and the scene fades away.
July 1st, 2012
Prologue
I don’t know what got into me the other day, maybe it was that chair shot, knocked something loose in my head, but whatever it was, it wasn’t me. I know Ernie knows that, but it still hurts that I did that to a man I’ve considered a father figure for me. I got out of the gym, grabbed my stuff and headed over to Raj’s, grabbed him and we went to Dallas. Trying to focus on this match rather than life at the moment. I don’t think it’s going so well.
I don’t know what got into me the other day, maybe it was that chair shot, knocked something loose in my head, but whatever it was, it wasn’t me. I know Ernie knows that, but it still hurts that I did that to a man I’ve considered a father figure for me. I got out of the gym, grabbed my stuff and headed over to Raj’s, grabbed him and we went to Dallas. Trying to focus on this match rather than life at the moment. I don’t think it’s going so well.
We open the scene inside of a hotel room where we see TJ and Roger Gings sitting on separate beds. TJ is in shorts and a beater while Roger is in pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. TJ is staring at the roof while Raj is watching “Knocked Up” on the TV.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Hey TJ. Look at this.
TJ looks at the TV which Raj is pointing at.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings That’s gonna be you. Freaking out when you have a kid, asking me what it’s like.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Fuck off, I’m gonna be a cool ass dad-to-be.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings How do you know that?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I know how not to be one, just do the opposite.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings TJ.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Stop, look, it’s bad enough I went off on Ernie at the gym, I’m not here for that and neither are you.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Eventually TJ, you’re gonna have to talk about it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I will, when I get back home.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings No, you’re dad.
Silence from TJ, who returns to looking at the ceiling.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ We’ve gone over this countless times Raj. Eventually, you’re gonna realize that I don’t wanna talk about him or even thing about him.
Raj looks at TJ with a disappointed face and shakes his head.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look, I know Raj, I just, need to focus on wrestling for the foreseeable future.
Raj sighs and begrudgingly nods.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Fair enough. So, you got that Bacon guy again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Yea, in a chair match.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Chairs are legal? Sounds like fun.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Yea, but according to Bacon, not for me. Wait, we’re watching Knocked Up right?
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Yea, why?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Grab the camera and I’ll be right back!
TJ hops out of the bed and out of the room as Raj gets up and heads over to his travel bag to grab his camera.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Hey TJ. Look at this.
TJ looks at the TV which Raj is pointing at.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings That’s gonna be you. Freaking out when you have a kid, asking me what it’s like.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Fuck off, I’m gonna be a cool ass dad-to-be.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings How do you know that?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I know how not to be one, just do the opposite.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings TJ.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Stop, look, it’s bad enough I went off on Ernie at the gym, I’m not here for that and neither are you.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Eventually TJ, you’re gonna have to talk about it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I will, when I get back home.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings No, you’re dad.
Silence from TJ, who returns to looking at the ceiling.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ We’ve gone over this countless times Raj. Eventually, you’re gonna realize that I don’t wanna talk about him or even thing about him.
Raj looks at TJ with a disappointed face and shakes his head.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look, I know Raj, I just, need to focus on wrestling for the foreseeable future.
Raj sighs and begrudgingly nods.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Fair enough. So, you got that Bacon guy again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Yea, in a chair match.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Chairs are legal? Sounds like fun.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Yea, but according to Bacon, not for me. Wait, we’re watching Knocked Up right?
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Yea, why?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Grab the camera and I’ll be right back!
TJ hops out of the bed and out of the room as Raj gets up and heads over to his travel bag to grab his camera.
34 Minutes Later
We return to the hotel room now filled with chairs of all kinds. Tall ones, short ones, skinny ones, fat ones, chairs with backs, chairs without backs, chairs with cushions, and chairs without them. We see TJ standing behind them all, fifteen in total
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ We good Raj?
The camera moves up and down, Raj signaling we’re good.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ To say I’m stealing an idea from a movie would be a lie, but I think my idea will be more fun to watch. You see, unlike Seth Rogen, I’m not tripping balls; rather, I’m as sober as a nun. You see, I’ve been matched-up against Jason “Bacon” Andrews in a Chairs match, meaning, that chairs are legal to use to beat my opponent senseless. Like this one.
TJ moves over to a tall, wooden chair with a solid back and a yellow cushion.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look at it Jason, look at the detail paid attention to in making this. Listen to the sound as I knock on it…solid. Now imagine me, a seven foot, 285 pound man swinging this chair with all the force I can muster. Imagine the pain that’ll shoot up your spine as this solid wood connects with your back at a high speed. I’m going to swing it so hard, I’m going to get the SportScience guys to analyze that swing. Or maybe the swing of this chair.
TJ moves over to a standard steel chair.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Your standard steel chair. Used around the house as an extra seat at a party or a desk chair, but in my hands, this thing might as well be a gun. One swing of this chair by me, you’ll wake up in three weeks with no memory. Think about that Jason, this might be just what you need to rid yourself of that “problem” you have. Maybe I’ll hit you with this chair so hard I knock Damien outta your life. Or maybe “Damien” is telling the truth, it’s not a personality disorder, just a cry for attention.
TJ walks over to a short, orange plastic chair that looks more at home in a daycare than a hotel. He stands behind it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I use to know a kid like that, back in pre-school. Pretended that anything he did wasn’t his fault, was “Jeremiah’s” fault. His name was Jeremy. He was a smart kid, had the teachers fooled, they thought he had MPD, he didn’t. He got away with this until he was 17 when he killed someone robbing a place. He robbed a corner store and blamed it on his “alter-ego”. It was proven that he’s been lying since he was a kid. He’s serving life for his act. You, on the other hand, Bacon, won’t be so lucky with a life sentence. See, you got upset that you got your ass kicked from Sunday to Saturday, so you grabbed a chair and decided to hit me just hard enough to put me on my ass, but not hard enough to knock me out cold. It was more shock that your flap of skin on your groin has some bumps that could be considered a newborn boy’s testicles.
Raj lets a laugh out from behind the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Glad you laugh Raj. See, because here’s something funnier, he thinks Lizzy is my girl. The woman you put your penis in and impregnated, is my woman. The future mother of your child, is my girlfriend. Clearly, this guy has no idea what he’s watching on Monday nights. I mean, he thinks my last name is Soul.
The camera gets knocked over by Raj whose whole body is shaking in laughter. TJ picks it back up and holds it in front of his face.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look here Damien, Jason, Bacon, Bologna, Ham, all of you. There was no excuse that I was the better man last week; there was no question if my win was “cheap”. I’ve faced a lot of head cases in my career. You’re not the first and you won’t be the last, but you can bet your ass that you’re next. Next to be bested by me. Next to see greatness in its truest form. Next to see your nightmares in their physical form. Next to feel the beating of a lifetime courtesy of, and I’ll say it loud enough that you can say my name properly whenever they unwire your jaw after Meltdown, “THE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL OF PHILLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY” TJ!.
He drops the camera on the bed, landing on its side. TJ crouches down and looks at the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ And I don’t care if you play nice or not, because I’m not playing around anymore.
He grabs a chair and throws it through the window. Realizing what he did, he looks at Raj, who has grabbed the camera and shrugs his shoulder.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Not the first time.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Not the last time.
The scene fades to black.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ We good Raj?
The camera moves up and down, Raj signaling we’re good.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ To say I’m stealing an idea from a movie would be a lie, but I think my idea will be more fun to watch. You see, unlike Seth Rogen, I’m not tripping balls; rather, I’m as sober as a nun. You see, I’ve been matched-up against Jason “Bacon” Andrews in a Chairs match, meaning, that chairs are legal to use to beat my opponent senseless. Like this one.
TJ moves over to a tall, wooden chair with a solid back and a yellow cushion.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look at it Jason, look at the detail paid attention to in making this. Listen to the sound as I knock on it…solid. Now imagine me, a seven foot, 285 pound man swinging this chair with all the force I can muster. Imagine the pain that’ll shoot up your spine as this solid wood connects with your back at a high speed. I’m going to swing it so hard, I’m going to get the SportScience guys to analyze that swing. Or maybe the swing of this chair.
TJ moves over to a standard steel chair.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Your standard steel chair. Used around the house as an extra seat at a party or a desk chair, but in my hands, this thing might as well be a gun. One swing of this chair by me, you’ll wake up in three weeks with no memory. Think about that Jason, this might be just what you need to rid yourself of that “problem” you have. Maybe I’ll hit you with this chair so hard I knock Damien outta your life. Or maybe “Damien” is telling the truth, it’s not a personality disorder, just a cry for attention.
TJ walks over to a short, orange plastic chair that looks more at home in a daycare than a hotel. He stands behind it.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I use to know a kid like that, back in pre-school. Pretended that anything he did wasn’t his fault, was “Jeremiah’s” fault. His name was Jeremy. He was a smart kid, had the teachers fooled, they thought he had MPD, he didn’t. He got away with this until he was 17 when he killed someone robbing a place. He robbed a corner store and blamed it on his “alter-ego”. It was proven that he’s been lying since he was a kid. He’s serving life for his act. You, on the other hand, Bacon, won’t be so lucky with a life sentence. See, you got upset that you got your ass kicked from Sunday to Saturday, so you grabbed a chair and decided to hit me just hard enough to put me on my ass, but not hard enough to knock me out cold. It was more shock that your flap of skin on your groin has some bumps that could be considered a newborn boy’s testicles.
Raj lets a laugh out from behind the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Glad you laugh Raj. See, because here’s something funnier, he thinks Lizzy is my girl. The woman you put your penis in and impregnated, is my woman. The future mother of your child, is my girlfriend. Clearly, this guy has no idea what he’s watching on Monday nights. I mean, he thinks my last name is Soul.
The camera gets knocked over by Raj whose whole body is shaking in laughter. TJ picks it back up and holds it in front of his face.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Look here Damien, Jason, Bacon, Bologna, Ham, all of you. There was no excuse that I was the better man last week; there was no question if my win was “cheap”. I’ve faced a lot of head cases in my career. You’re not the first and you won’t be the last, but you can bet your ass that you’re next. Next to be bested by me. Next to see greatness in its truest form. Next to see your nightmares in their physical form. Next to feel the beating of a lifetime courtesy of, and I’ll say it loud enough that you can say my name properly whenever they unwire your jaw after Meltdown, “THE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL OF PHILLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY” TJ!.
He drops the camera on the bed, landing on its side. TJ crouches down and looks at the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ And I don’t care if you play nice or not, because I’m not playing around anymore.
He grabs a chair and throws it through the window. Realizing what he did, he looks at Raj, who has grabbed the camera and shrugs his shoulder.
Roger .“Raj”.Gings Not the first time.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Not the last time.
The scene fades to black.
