Post by The Soul Of Philly on Jul 14, 2012 15:25:38 GMT -4
July 9st, 2012
July 11st, 2012
Prologue
It’s over. My time on Meltdown. Like that, a month goes by and I’m getting drafted to Asylum. What they saw after that match was me: authentic, true, genuine. And if they think that’s all they have no idea.
It’s over. My time on Meltdown. Like that, a month goes by and I’m getting drafted to Asylum. What they saw after that match was me: authentic, true, genuine. And if they think that’s all they have no idea.
We open the scene backstage of the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City where we see “The Soul of Philly” TJ walking in faded green cargo shorts and a black t-shirt with “#SorryNotSorry” on the front. He exits the building with his duffel bag over his shoulder and he walks towards his rental car parked across the lot. TJ looks around, the surroundings being very quiet for the minutes after a show. He shrugs his shoulder and almost as if it was a signal, he is rushed by several fans with papers, posters, programs, shirts, hats and other merchandise for TJ to sign. He goes into his bag and grabs a silver sharpie and a black sharpie out of the bag and pops both caps. He starts signing several items in succession. He looks at a young boy with an Anthony Bailey shirt on. TJ crouches down to look at the boy in the face.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Cool t-shirt there kid. You see Anthony win last night?
Young.Boy Yea! I saw you too! You were very fair.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks. What you want me to sign?
Young.Boy Well all I got is this shirt. My mommy accidently threw out my program because she didn’t think anyone would sign it.
TJ looks up at the mother and chuckles.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ So you want me to sign the shirt?
Young.Boy No, only the champ can sign it!
TJ’s smile hides the sting of the fan’s rejection. TJ gets an idea and holds his finger up at the kid.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I got an idea. How about my sweaty, gross, stinky elbow pad?
Despite the mom’s head shake and almost-vomit, the kid excitingly nods.
Young.Boy YEA!
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Well here you go.
TJ reaches into his bag and hands it to the boy and stands back up and starts signing the merchandise again. For the next ten minutes or so, he continues this until a worker comes up.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Tony?
The worker was a man TJ met the other night, Tony Carvealino, a low-on-the-totem pole camera man employed by APW.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Shhhh. Excuse me, folks, TJ needs to head to the APW offices in Toronto to sign some papers before this Sunday. We at APW apologize.
The crowd disperses as TJ puts his hand on Tony’s back.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks, I kept thinking they would eventually stop asking, but more people came over.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino No problem man, I figured when I walked out and I saw you surrounded. You heading to Toronto for real?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ No, I’m going home, I was told I could just do it over the phone.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Well now I feel like an asshole. Can I get a ride.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Tony, I told you earlier in the night, I would give you a ride to the airport.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino I wasn’t sure if you were lying.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Why would I lie to you Tony? I really don’t have a reason.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Thanks TJ. I thought you would be a good friend, and my first impression wasn’t wrong about you at all. You’re a good friend, TJ.
TJ stops in his tracks.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks Tony.
TJ smiles and keeps walking to the car. He opens the car and gets in the car as Tony gets in the passenger seat. The scene fades as TJ pulls out of the spot and drives out of the parking lot.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Cool t-shirt there kid. You see Anthony win last night?
Young.Boy Yea! I saw you too! You were very fair.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks. What you want me to sign?
Young.Boy Well all I got is this shirt. My mommy accidently threw out my program because she didn’t think anyone would sign it.
TJ looks up at the mother and chuckles.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ So you want me to sign the shirt?
Young.Boy No, only the champ can sign it!
TJ’s smile hides the sting of the fan’s rejection. TJ gets an idea and holds his finger up at the kid.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I got an idea. How about my sweaty, gross, stinky elbow pad?
Despite the mom’s head shake and almost-vomit, the kid excitingly nods.
Young.Boy YEA!
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Well here you go.
TJ reaches into his bag and hands it to the boy and stands back up and starts signing the merchandise again. For the next ten minutes or so, he continues this until a worker comes up.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Tony?
The worker was a man TJ met the other night, Tony Carvealino, a low-on-the-totem pole camera man employed by APW.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Shhhh. Excuse me, folks, TJ needs to head to the APW offices in Toronto to sign some papers before this Sunday. We at APW apologize.
The crowd disperses as TJ puts his hand on Tony’s back.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks, I kept thinking they would eventually stop asking, but more people came over.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino No problem man, I figured when I walked out and I saw you surrounded. You heading to Toronto for real?
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ No, I’m going home, I was told I could just do it over the phone.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Well now I feel like an asshole. Can I get a ride.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Tony, I told you earlier in the night, I would give you a ride to the airport.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino I wasn’t sure if you were lying.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Why would I lie to you Tony? I really don’t have a reason.
APW.Camera.Man Tony.Carvealino Thanks TJ. I thought you would be a good friend, and my first impression wasn’t wrong about you at all. You’re a good friend, TJ.
TJ stops in his tracks.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thanks Tony.
TJ smiles and keeps walking to the car. He opens the car and gets in the car as Tony gets in the passenger seat. The scene fades as TJ pulls out of the spot and drives out of the parking lot.
July 11st, 2012
Prologue
They say that the first impression is everything. I know on Meltdown the first impression was that I’m a force to be reckoned with. On Meltdown, I was a big dog the minute I stepped inside the building. Asylum brings a change. I have another chance to make a first impression. A chance to make sure that anything seen on Meltdown was only the start of something special and that my beginning on Asylum is the continuation of it.
They say that the first impression is everything. I know on Meltdown the first impression was that I’m a force to be reckoned with. On Meltdown, I was a big dog the minute I stepped inside the building. Asylum brings a change. I have another chance to make a first impression. A chance to make sure that anything seen on Meltdown was only the start of something special and that my beginning on Asylum is the continuation of it.
We open the scene in a board room where we see“The Soul of Philly” TJ standing at the end of a table with a chart stand to his right. He is wearing a black business suit with a red tie and a red Phillies hat, representing his city despite his professional attire. TJ adjusts his tie before he speaks.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thank you for coming here today. Before I get to the reason why we’re here, let me introduce myself for those of you who don’t know. I’m “The Soul of Philly” TJ. I am seven feet, six feet eleven inches to be exact, and two hundred and eighty pounds of the City of Brotherly Love. I breathe my city, I live my city. I represent my city wherever I go. And when I’m in that ring, I do not give up; just like the city I call home. Hit me with everything you got, I’ll get back up asking if that’s all you got.
TJ walks to his left, towards the windows of the board room. He looks out at the city of Philadelphia, the city he’s been talking about.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ If you question that, look no further than two weeks ago when I took a chair to both sides of my head and still walked of that match as the winner. But does that answer who I am? No, not entirely. You see who I am is one of the three newest Asylum Megastars, along with Jair Hopkins and my opponent this week, Cameron Wolves. Who I am is the fastest rising Megastar in APW. I have the proof too.
TJ walks over to the chart stand and removes the blank card and puts it on the ground revealing a line chart that is titled: “TJ’s Stock”. The line starts in the bottom left corner and gradually rises before falling back down to the bottom before rapidly climbing to the top of the chart.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see, this is why I’ve brought you here today: to tell you who and who not to invest in. Starting with this chart, which represents my time on Meltdown, I’m going to tell you why I’m the best choice. You see here…
TJ grabs an extending pointer and smacks the chart where the line begins.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ When I started in APW, I had no stock in me. Sure, there was a past to me, one filled with notable accomplishments, but I had been outta the ring for a two years, I had lost any stock I had gained. I knew that and accepted the fact that I had to make myself known from the bottom. I beat Khaos and Dita Morgan in my first two weeks and that’s where the first peak is because then I was told about the Test for the Best tournament and remembered a promise I made to my late brother. I put too much emphasis on the tag matches and I got too far ahead of myself and I ended up failing in both attempts to reach the Battle Royal to represent Meltdown at Test for the Best. That’s where this low stops though as you see here.
TJ follows the rise after the low with the pointer to the top and smacks the chart again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I always wanted to do something like this. Anyways, you see, this rises starts the minute I failed to qualify. This rise continues with my victory over Young Kiz, who was fired immediately after I beat him. The rise doesn’t stop there, in fact, it starts to grow steeper with a triple threat win over Matthew Turner and Jason Andrews, the former hasn’t been seen since I beat him then followed with a victory in a Chairs Match over Jason Andrews who, despite the best efforts of Asylum’s very own and the current APW Tap Out Champion, Julius Farquhar, I won. In my last match on Meltdown, I beat Dante who did what no one else in Meltdown and actually stand a chance.
TJ pulls the pointer away from the chart and puts it on the table.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see, I come to Asylum with a wave of momentum behind me. Four straight wins against the hungriest Megastars that APW have to offer, four straight matches that I walked out with a win and no loses. Only a few men can say they are currently on the kind of roll I am, but no one has done it as convincingly I have. I’ve powered my way to wins and I’ve outgutted my opponents. A normal man would have fallen to the challenges that I’ve faced in the last month. A normal man like Cameron Wolves.
TJ pulls his chart off the stand and reveals another line chart, this one titled: “Cam’s Stock”. This one starts the same as TJ, on a rise except, shortly after it starts it plateaus before slowly rising into a steep incline before peaking and falling a good bit.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You’ve see, my opponent is a normal man. Normal size. Normal hair. Normal “My shit don’t stick” attitude that I’ve seen so many times in my life I’m more surprised when I see someone new who admits their shit sticks. There isn’t anything that make this guy stand out to me, except when you look at his track record, and while its impressive there are a few trouble spots in his history.
TJ grabs the pointer and smacks the board where the plateau is.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see this plateau here. It was a two week stretch where Cameron found himself facing Benny Horrowitz and failed to beat Horrowitz. He had to cheat at first to win but thankfully the decision was righted and the following week, he took himself out along with taking Benny out. Admirable, going the necessary lengths to get the win, but you weren’t doing that. Not at first did anyone notice it, but the following weeks, you were fascinated by Benny’s love, Dita Morgan, obsessed, in harming her. You have a mean streak, and that’s one thing that stands out to me. The fact that you don’t care who it is, you are going out there to hurt them.
TJ puts the pointer on the table again, this time putting his hands on the end of the table, leaning into the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Let me ask you Cam, what are going to do when you can’t hurt your opponent. I’ve taken falls from cells and been able to stand afterwards, I’ve taken chair shots straight to the skull and stayed standing, hell, I’ve been tased, what are you going to do? Shoot me? I hope you try, because if you miss, best believe that you would have wished you put the barrel to your own head and pulled the trigger.
TJ leans further in to the camera, which zooms in on TJ’s face, the fire in his eyes evident.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ This match is the first impression either of us will make. My first impression will be as a winner, a dominant one at that. And yours will be that of a loser, a hyped-up, self-centered loser. I will show everyone that I am greatness in it’s truest form, that I am your nightmares in their physical forms, and most importantly, I will make damn sure that first impression of, “THE SOOOOOOOUUUUUUULLLLL OF PHILLY”, is a lasting one.
TJ stands straight up off the table. Grabs the pointer, closes it, and puts it in his inner-jacket pocket and leaves the board room.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Thank you for coming here today. Before I get to the reason why we’re here, let me introduce myself for those of you who don’t know. I’m “The Soul of Philly” TJ. I am seven feet, six feet eleven inches to be exact, and two hundred and eighty pounds of the City of Brotherly Love. I breathe my city, I live my city. I represent my city wherever I go. And when I’m in that ring, I do not give up; just like the city I call home. Hit me with everything you got, I’ll get back up asking if that’s all you got.
TJ walks to his left, towards the windows of the board room. He looks out at the city of Philadelphia, the city he’s been talking about.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ If you question that, look no further than two weeks ago when I took a chair to both sides of my head and still walked of that match as the winner. But does that answer who I am? No, not entirely. You see who I am is one of the three newest Asylum Megastars, along with Jair Hopkins and my opponent this week, Cameron Wolves. Who I am is the fastest rising Megastar in APW. I have the proof too.
TJ walks over to the chart stand and removes the blank card and puts it on the ground revealing a line chart that is titled: “TJ’s Stock”. The line starts in the bottom left corner and gradually rises before falling back down to the bottom before rapidly climbing to the top of the chart.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see, this is why I’ve brought you here today: to tell you who and who not to invest in. Starting with this chart, which represents my time on Meltdown, I’m going to tell you why I’m the best choice. You see here…
TJ grabs an extending pointer and smacks the chart where the line begins.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ When I started in APW, I had no stock in me. Sure, there was a past to me, one filled with notable accomplishments, but I had been outta the ring for a two years, I had lost any stock I had gained. I knew that and accepted the fact that I had to make myself known from the bottom. I beat Khaos and Dita Morgan in my first two weeks and that’s where the first peak is because then I was told about the Test for the Best tournament and remembered a promise I made to my late brother. I put too much emphasis on the tag matches and I got too far ahead of myself and I ended up failing in both attempts to reach the Battle Royal to represent Meltdown at Test for the Best. That’s where this low stops though as you see here.
TJ follows the rise after the low with the pointer to the top and smacks the chart again.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ I always wanted to do something like this. Anyways, you see, this rises starts the minute I failed to qualify. This rise continues with my victory over Young Kiz, who was fired immediately after I beat him. The rise doesn’t stop there, in fact, it starts to grow steeper with a triple threat win over Matthew Turner and Jason Andrews, the former hasn’t been seen since I beat him then followed with a victory in a Chairs Match over Jason Andrews who, despite the best efforts of Asylum’s very own and the current APW Tap Out Champion, Julius Farquhar, I won. In my last match on Meltdown, I beat Dante who did what no one else in Meltdown and actually stand a chance.
TJ pulls the pointer away from the chart and puts it on the table.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see, I come to Asylum with a wave of momentum behind me. Four straight wins against the hungriest Megastars that APW have to offer, four straight matches that I walked out with a win and no loses. Only a few men can say they are currently on the kind of roll I am, but no one has done it as convincingly I have. I’ve powered my way to wins and I’ve outgutted my opponents. A normal man would have fallen to the challenges that I’ve faced in the last month. A normal man like Cameron Wolves.
TJ pulls his chart off the stand and reveals another line chart, this one titled: “Cam’s Stock”. This one starts the same as TJ, on a rise except, shortly after it starts it plateaus before slowly rising into a steep incline before peaking and falling a good bit.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You’ve see, my opponent is a normal man. Normal size. Normal hair. Normal “My shit don’t stick” attitude that I’ve seen so many times in my life I’m more surprised when I see someone new who admits their shit sticks. There isn’t anything that make this guy stand out to me, except when you look at his track record, and while its impressive there are a few trouble spots in his history.
TJ grabs the pointer and smacks the board where the plateau is.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ You see this plateau here. It was a two week stretch where Cameron found himself facing Benny Horrowitz and failed to beat Horrowitz. He had to cheat at first to win but thankfully the decision was righted and the following week, he took himself out along with taking Benny out. Admirable, going the necessary lengths to get the win, but you weren’t doing that. Not at first did anyone notice it, but the following weeks, you were fascinated by Benny’s love, Dita Morgan, obsessed, in harming her. You have a mean streak, and that’s one thing that stands out to me. The fact that you don’t care who it is, you are going out there to hurt them.
TJ puts the pointer on the table again, this time putting his hands on the end of the table, leaning into the camera.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ Let me ask you Cam, what are going to do when you can’t hurt your opponent. I’ve taken falls from cells and been able to stand afterwards, I’ve taken chair shots straight to the skull and stayed standing, hell, I’ve been tased, what are you going to do? Shoot me? I hope you try, because if you miss, best believe that you would have wished you put the barrel to your own head and pulled the trigger.
TJ leans further in to the camera, which zooms in on TJ’s face, the fire in his eyes evident.
The.Soul.of.Philly TJ This match is the first impression either of us will make. My first impression will be as a winner, a dominant one at that. And yours will be that of a loser, a hyped-up, self-centered loser. I will show everyone that I am greatness in it’s truest form, that I am your nightmares in their physical forms, and most importantly, I will make damn sure that first impression of, “THE SOOOOOOOUUUUUUULLLLL OF PHILLY”, is a lasting one.
TJ stands straight up off the table. Grabs the pointer, closes it, and puts it in his inner-jacket pocket and leaves the board room.
