Post by Anthony Bailey on Jul 27, 2012 0:31:46 GMT -4
"All roads indeed lead to Rome, but theirs also is a more mystical destination, some bourne of which no traveller knows the name, some city, they all seem to hint, even more eternal." - Richard Le Gallienne
Since this promo was taped last week, it would be best to describe the framework of what is currently going on. Anthony finds himself in Rome, Italy to support his friend Juan Ramirez at Phoenix Wrestling’s pay per view Under The Coliseum Lights 2. Juan was present in Chicago when Anthony was crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion, so he definitely wanted to return the favor and support Juan in any capacity that he possibly could. But this trip also aimed to serve Anthony as a modest pilgrimage. His celebrity status had yet to truly transcend the Atlantic Ocean, so outside of a handful of people, he was virtually unknown in arguably the most powerful capital of the ancient world. But Anthony was fine with this. After his World Title celebration had gone sour on Asylum, he felt the need to escape the cameras and the bright lights to gather his thoughts. He had now achieved what he set out to do at Test For The Best, and since one quick move could make it all vanish at the blink of an eye, departure was the only thing on his mind.
He decided to bring his girlfriend Tasha along on the trip with him to help mend some of the tension after the fallout from the Jason Kash arrest. Tasha begged him for his forgiveness and though he forgave her, he still could not believe what she did to one of APW’s top megastars. The destination of Rome was also a reminder to Anthony that all kingdoms eventually crumble. Riding high on this wave of excitement is temporary and would only last for a moment. The Roman Empire, though powerful and ferocious, no longer exists and the dates of its rise in 27 BC and its fall in 476 AD are mere blips on a historic timeline. Anthony wanted his “fifteen” minutes to be as long as possible, but more importantly, he wanted it to mean something.
{{The scene opens to the front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Numerous tourists and Roman citizens are parading through the crowed streets on this warm afternoon. Anthony Bailey is spotted with Tasha and he is in awe of the Colosseum, one of the greatest works of Roman architecture ever. He is wearing a plain white T-shirt, black basketball shorts, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers. Tasha is wearing a pink tank top, black leggings, and black flip flops. The APW camera man makes his way over to Bailey and gets his attention.}}
Anthony "The Promise" Bailey:[/color] Hello everybody, what’s going on? As you can see, I am here in Rome feasting my eyes on one of history’s greatest pieces of architecture. But as I am physically and presently here and as much as I would like to be caught up in the moment, my mind is still on American matters. Mainly the matters of Asylum on July 29th in Las Vegas. I finally get the opportunity to get my hands on Michael Callahan, one of the most bi-polar men I have ever met. Maybe he does belong in public office after all….
Callahan, you have been a thorn in my flesh ever since I rejected your little offer of being apart of T.R.I. on national television. Is that why you cling so dearly to your fabricated political world? Hoping to finally gain some sort of approval from people after facing a lifetime of rejection? Was my disallowance to become one of your lackeys the straw that finally broke the camel’s back? I could go on for centuries speculating because it could very well be a number of those things, but the intent of the American Hero’s agenda concerning me is evident. I rejected him and since nobody in their right mind rejects the invitation of a “true” American Hero, Mikey couldn’t handle it and tried to sabotage my own aspirations of ascending to the top and becoming the World Champion. But seeing as how things played out, who triumphed and who failed? And come next Sunday Michael, you will once again fail to stop The Promise.
But if I can be honest, the word “failure” is foreign to Michael Callahan. The man is on track to become the longest reigning Pro Life Champion ever in APW, his long undefeated streak, though not intact at this present moment, is still unmatchable, and he even defeated my partner, mentor, and future APW Hall of Famer Sally Talfourd. The man’s track record speaks for itself and if you know me well enough, I give credit where it is due, and Michael Callahan is one of the finest and most talented wrestlers I have ever laid my eyes on. But I have come to learn that talent can only get you so far. Talent hasn’t stopped his T.R.I. empire from crumbling right before his very eyes and talent didn’t allow him to put away Terry Marvin at the Meltdown Supershow or to become the number one contender for my World Title at Shockwave. Callahan possesses talent but what he doesn’t have is the drive to truly succeed and persevere.
The man who deserves a seat in a future Romney Administration, if there is one come November, has belittled success to a long title reign record and trying to climb to the top of the ladder of success before everyone else does. What’s going to happen when you reach the top, Callahan? We all know good and well that you won’t extend your hand to help others up there with you, you’ll kick them off of the ladder and chuckle at their fall. That’s the kind of man you are and that’s why I gladly choose to refer to you as “scum.” You never had Dillinger or Takagi’s best interest in mind, you’ve always had YOUR own best interest in mind and used them to make sure that that depraved interest was carried out.
You claim that we are alike and that you and I have a lot in common, but that is far from the truth. We are nothing alike and are polar opposites of one another. I claim to stand for good and morality and even through my shortcomings as a young man, I do what I can to apply those beliefs in my everyday life and “walk the talk” so to speak. You also claim to stand for the same things that I stand for, but it’s obvious that you don’t. You think that you are better than everyone and that’s far from the ideals of America isn’t it Mikey? Even though the context of this nation’s legendary forefather Thomas Jefferson’s quote “All men are created equal” is highly debated, your pompous view towards others and myself couldn’t possibly be more un American.
As much as I want to go on and on about Mr. Callahan due to months of amassed hatred towards the man, I don’t want his partner Cameron Wolves to think that he is off the hook. I mean this is the same man who had the audacity to ruin my World Title celebration in Salt Lake City. Now I’ve never been one to lust after the spotlight like some other APW megastars do, I was thrust into it because the people liked what I stood for and supported my movement of positivity, but when the moment is to celebrate something regarding me, then I’ll eat it up. I’ll sit back, relax, and enjoy the show because it took months, even years, of hard work to get here. But no, I am unable to fully bask in the moment and let it all soak in because someone I’ve never even really heard of decides he wants to use my name for the sake of fame.
Cam, I get it okay, really I do. The new kid on the block wants to show the world and all of his colleagues that he’s a force to be reckoned with and nobody better get in his way. And I support all the new kids on the block, no pun intended, because my boy J-Hop is also a new face on the Asylum brand. Shoot, I myself was the newbie only seven months ago so I can definitely understand where you are coming from. But what I fail to understand is why it had to be during my time. My celebration wasn’t even going to be that long, as a matter of fact, it was wrapping up just as you decided to mosey on down to the ring and ruin it. You might have ruined my celebration Cameron, but you will not ruin me.
Ignorance is not bliss Mr. Knight in Shining Armor, because while you were over on Meltdown jousting and rescuing damsels in distress, I was here building a legacy. You wouldn’t happen to even know anything about that now would you? Sure you trained in Japan, but did they teach you what it takes to build a lasting career? Did they teach you how to make an impact and how to be talked about long after your wrestling years are a far off memory? Being the talk of the town for a short moment is one thing, but what matters most is what occurs after the talk begins to die down. I read a few of the wrestling blogs after our impromptu meeting and some were saying how you upstaged and outshined me. I snickered because if anybody knows a thing or two about upstaging someone unlikely, it’s me.
Do your research Wolves because if you want to know what upstaging looks like, watch my match with Chaz Dillinger, watch my match with Knuckles, and you most definitely need to watch my matches against Jason Kash. Both times against Kash I was the underdog. Just look at the predictions and see for yourself. I’m not glorying in the past because I have moved on from that even if he hasn’t.
Anthony indirectly refers to he and Kash’s back and forth Twitter wars post Test For The Best. Tasha deciding to press charges on Jason’s breaking and entering without Anthony’s knowledge didn’t help the matter either and it possibly strained any hopes of a potential friendship or alliance between the two.[/color]
But see the point that I am trying to make. Hype means nothing and eloquent words can only get you so far. What’ll matter most is when you and I are standing face to face inside of the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in front of thousands of screaming fans. My entourage won’t be present this time and nobody will be rolling out the red carpet for me celebrating the fact that I am the new World Champion. The only thing anybody will be concerned with is if you are the “franchise” player you claim to be. People won’t be looking for me to prove anything because the belt that is around my waist speaks for itself. The weight of glory rests upon your shoulders Wolves. Will you personify a twenty-first century Hercules and succeed or will the weight crush you because it is too much for you to carry? I guess we’ll just have to discover the outcome at Asylum.
I find it so ironic that Johnny Rebel is now apart of Asylum and the special guest referee for my match. If anybody has seen my career flourish the way that it has, it’s him. Of course he’ll deny it and pretend to forget who I am and our brief history with each other. But I’d like to go on record and personally thank Johnny Rebel for inspiring me to achieve above and beyond what I could have ever imagined. The bright eyed and bushy tailed twenty-one year old young man that he defeated that cold night in New Orleans didn’t stay down. I didn’t wallow in defeat with a “woe is me” attitude. Although it was my first professional match and I was nervous, not of Johnny Rebel but of the multitude of roaring fans watching my every move, I knew that if I kept working hard that defeat would not be my destiny. And as you can see, it hasn’t.
But as grateful and as thankful for you that I am Johnny, I’m warning you that you better call a fair match. You might have run rampant on Overdrive and defied Jeff’s authority, but here? It’s a whole different scenario. Reginald is a soft spoken guy and even passive at times so he won’t know how to deal with you. But myself, Sally, J-Hop, TJ, Johnny Sykes, and even Jason Kash believe it or not will put up with any of your foolishness. You’re journeying through unknown territory here on Asylum and it’s best to just fall in line before there’s any trouble. Really heed the words that I am saying to you Rebel, don’t let them go in one ear and out the other. I don’t know what’s crazier, me trying to reason with a man like Johnny Rebel or Johnny Rebel thinking that he’s going to run amuck on Asylum doing as he pleases. Only time will tell I suppose…
Lastly, before I head out to enjoy the rest of my day on my Roman excursion, I want to address my partner Sally Talfourd. Sally, if you are watching this, I’d like to publicly congratulate you on becoming the number one contender for the World Title. This match is a dream come true for me and will allow me to see how I handle being put up against the best that this business has to offer. But the match is still a month away so in the meantime; I just want to encourage you not to fall into the trap of the discord everyone is trying to sew between us. They’d love to see us go at it next Sunday instead of directing our energy and our efforts towards Callahan and Wolves.
These words of mine might be in vain though because you are the veteran and you are one of the individuals who told me to not let what others think about me affect me. I guess you could say the student is just relaying what the teacher taught him right back to her.
{{Anthony laughs.}}[/color]
It’s been an honor to participate in some of the profound dialogue that we have had with one another. Your words of wisdom and your guidance has benefitted me a great deal. I cannot wait to go out there with you and teach those clowns a lesson. And in due time, I also cannot wait to put on an epic match with you at Shockwave. My match with Kash at Test For The Best was by far my favorite one to date, but I have a feeling that ours could surpass that. I don’t know how to say the following statement in Italian, so I’ll just stick to my guns and say it in English…I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until next time…
{{The scene slowly fades to black.}}[/color]
Since this promo was taped last week, it would be best to describe the framework of what is currently going on. Anthony finds himself in Rome, Italy to support his friend Juan Ramirez at Phoenix Wrestling’s pay per view Under The Coliseum Lights 2. Juan was present in Chicago when Anthony was crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion, so he definitely wanted to return the favor and support Juan in any capacity that he possibly could. But this trip also aimed to serve Anthony as a modest pilgrimage. His celebrity status had yet to truly transcend the Atlantic Ocean, so outside of a handful of people, he was virtually unknown in arguably the most powerful capital of the ancient world. But Anthony was fine with this. After his World Title celebration had gone sour on Asylum, he felt the need to escape the cameras and the bright lights to gather his thoughts. He had now achieved what he set out to do at Test For The Best, and since one quick move could make it all vanish at the blink of an eye, departure was the only thing on his mind.
He decided to bring his girlfriend Tasha along on the trip with him to help mend some of the tension after the fallout from the Jason Kash arrest. Tasha begged him for his forgiveness and though he forgave her, he still could not believe what she did to one of APW’s top megastars. The destination of Rome was also a reminder to Anthony that all kingdoms eventually crumble. Riding high on this wave of excitement is temporary and would only last for a moment. The Roman Empire, though powerful and ferocious, no longer exists and the dates of its rise in 27 BC and its fall in 476 AD are mere blips on a historic timeline. Anthony wanted his “fifteen” minutes to be as long as possible, but more importantly, he wanted it to mean something.
{{The scene opens to the front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Numerous tourists and Roman citizens are parading through the crowed streets on this warm afternoon. Anthony Bailey is spotted with Tasha and he is in awe of the Colosseum, one of the greatest works of Roman architecture ever. He is wearing a plain white T-shirt, black basketball shorts, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers. Tasha is wearing a pink tank top, black leggings, and black flip flops. The APW camera man makes his way over to Bailey and gets his attention.}}
Anthony "The Promise" Bailey:[/color] Hello everybody, what’s going on? As you can see, I am here in Rome feasting my eyes on one of history’s greatest pieces of architecture. But as I am physically and presently here and as much as I would like to be caught up in the moment, my mind is still on American matters. Mainly the matters of Asylum on July 29th in Las Vegas. I finally get the opportunity to get my hands on Michael Callahan, one of the most bi-polar men I have ever met. Maybe he does belong in public office after all….
Callahan, you have been a thorn in my flesh ever since I rejected your little offer of being apart of T.R.I. on national television. Is that why you cling so dearly to your fabricated political world? Hoping to finally gain some sort of approval from people after facing a lifetime of rejection? Was my disallowance to become one of your lackeys the straw that finally broke the camel’s back? I could go on for centuries speculating because it could very well be a number of those things, but the intent of the American Hero’s agenda concerning me is evident. I rejected him and since nobody in their right mind rejects the invitation of a “true” American Hero, Mikey couldn’t handle it and tried to sabotage my own aspirations of ascending to the top and becoming the World Champion. But seeing as how things played out, who triumphed and who failed? And come next Sunday Michael, you will once again fail to stop The Promise.
But if I can be honest, the word “failure” is foreign to Michael Callahan. The man is on track to become the longest reigning Pro Life Champion ever in APW, his long undefeated streak, though not intact at this present moment, is still unmatchable, and he even defeated my partner, mentor, and future APW Hall of Famer Sally Talfourd. The man’s track record speaks for itself and if you know me well enough, I give credit where it is due, and Michael Callahan is one of the finest and most talented wrestlers I have ever laid my eyes on. But I have come to learn that talent can only get you so far. Talent hasn’t stopped his T.R.I. empire from crumbling right before his very eyes and talent didn’t allow him to put away Terry Marvin at the Meltdown Supershow or to become the number one contender for my World Title at Shockwave. Callahan possesses talent but what he doesn’t have is the drive to truly succeed and persevere.
The man who deserves a seat in a future Romney Administration, if there is one come November, has belittled success to a long title reign record and trying to climb to the top of the ladder of success before everyone else does. What’s going to happen when you reach the top, Callahan? We all know good and well that you won’t extend your hand to help others up there with you, you’ll kick them off of the ladder and chuckle at their fall. That’s the kind of man you are and that’s why I gladly choose to refer to you as “scum.” You never had Dillinger or Takagi’s best interest in mind, you’ve always had YOUR own best interest in mind and used them to make sure that that depraved interest was carried out.
You claim that we are alike and that you and I have a lot in common, but that is far from the truth. We are nothing alike and are polar opposites of one another. I claim to stand for good and morality and even through my shortcomings as a young man, I do what I can to apply those beliefs in my everyday life and “walk the talk” so to speak. You also claim to stand for the same things that I stand for, but it’s obvious that you don’t. You think that you are better than everyone and that’s far from the ideals of America isn’t it Mikey? Even though the context of this nation’s legendary forefather Thomas Jefferson’s quote “All men are created equal” is highly debated, your pompous view towards others and myself couldn’t possibly be more un American.
As much as I want to go on and on about Mr. Callahan due to months of amassed hatred towards the man, I don’t want his partner Cameron Wolves to think that he is off the hook. I mean this is the same man who had the audacity to ruin my World Title celebration in Salt Lake City. Now I’ve never been one to lust after the spotlight like some other APW megastars do, I was thrust into it because the people liked what I stood for and supported my movement of positivity, but when the moment is to celebrate something regarding me, then I’ll eat it up. I’ll sit back, relax, and enjoy the show because it took months, even years, of hard work to get here. But no, I am unable to fully bask in the moment and let it all soak in because someone I’ve never even really heard of decides he wants to use my name for the sake of fame.
Cam, I get it okay, really I do. The new kid on the block wants to show the world and all of his colleagues that he’s a force to be reckoned with and nobody better get in his way. And I support all the new kids on the block, no pun intended, because my boy J-Hop is also a new face on the Asylum brand. Shoot, I myself was the newbie only seven months ago so I can definitely understand where you are coming from. But what I fail to understand is why it had to be during my time. My celebration wasn’t even going to be that long, as a matter of fact, it was wrapping up just as you decided to mosey on down to the ring and ruin it. You might have ruined my celebration Cameron, but you will not ruin me.
Ignorance is not bliss Mr. Knight in Shining Armor, because while you were over on Meltdown jousting and rescuing damsels in distress, I was here building a legacy. You wouldn’t happen to even know anything about that now would you? Sure you trained in Japan, but did they teach you what it takes to build a lasting career? Did they teach you how to make an impact and how to be talked about long after your wrestling years are a far off memory? Being the talk of the town for a short moment is one thing, but what matters most is what occurs after the talk begins to die down. I read a few of the wrestling blogs after our impromptu meeting and some were saying how you upstaged and outshined me. I snickered because if anybody knows a thing or two about upstaging someone unlikely, it’s me.
Do your research Wolves because if you want to know what upstaging looks like, watch my match with Chaz Dillinger, watch my match with Knuckles, and you most definitely need to watch my matches against Jason Kash. Both times against Kash I was the underdog. Just look at the predictions and see for yourself. I’m not glorying in the past because I have moved on from that even if he hasn’t.
Anthony indirectly refers to he and Kash’s back and forth Twitter wars post Test For The Best. Tasha deciding to press charges on Jason’s breaking and entering without Anthony’s knowledge didn’t help the matter either and it possibly strained any hopes of a potential friendship or alliance between the two.[/color]
But see the point that I am trying to make. Hype means nothing and eloquent words can only get you so far. What’ll matter most is when you and I are standing face to face inside of the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in front of thousands of screaming fans. My entourage won’t be present this time and nobody will be rolling out the red carpet for me celebrating the fact that I am the new World Champion. The only thing anybody will be concerned with is if you are the “franchise” player you claim to be. People won’t be looking for me to prove anything because the belt that is around my waist speaks for itself. The weight of glory rests upon your shoulders Wolves. Will you personify a twenty-first century Hercules and succeed or will the weight crush you because it is too much for you to carry? I guess we’ll just have to discover the outcome at Asylum.
I find it so ironic that Johnny Rebel is now apart of Asylum and the special guest referee for my match. If anybody has seen my career flourish the way that it has, it’s him. Of course he’ll deny it and pretend to forget who I am and our brief history with each other. But I’d like to go on record and personally thank Johnny Rebel for inspiring me to achieve above and beyond what I could have ever imagined. The bright eyed and bushy tailed twenty-one year old young man that he defeated that cold night in New Orleans didn’t stay down. I didn’t wallow in defeat with a “woe is me” attitude. Although it was my first professional match and I was nervous, not of Johnny Rebel but of the multitude of roaring fans watching my every move, I knew that if I kept working hard that defeat would not be my destiny. And as you can see, it hasn’t.
But as grateful and as thankful for you that I am Johnny, I’m warning you that you better call a fair match. You might have run rampant on Overdrive and defied Jeff’s authority, but here? It’s a whole different scenario. Reginald is a soft spoken guy and even passive at times so he won’t know how to deal with you. But myself, Sally, J-Hop, TJ, Johnny Sykes, and even Jason Kash believe it or not will put up with any of your foolishness. You’re journeying through unknown territory here on Asylum and it’s best to just fall in line before there’s any trouble. Really heed the words that I am saying to you Rebel, don’t let them go in one ear and out the other. I don’t know what’s crazier, me trying to reason with a man like Johnny Rebel or Johnny Rebel thinking that he’s going to run amuck on Asylum doing as he pleases. Only time will tell I suppose…
Lastly, before I head out to enjoy the rest of my day on my Roman excursion, I want to address my partner Sally Talfourd. Sally, if you are watching this, I’d like to publicly congratulate you on becoming the number one contender for the World Title. This match is a dream come true for me and will allow me to see how I handle being put up against the best that this business has to offer. But the match is still a month away so in the meantime; I just want to encourage you not to fall into the trap of the discord everyone is trying to sew between us. They’d love to see us go at it next Sunday instead of directing our energy and our efforts towards Callahan and Wolves.
These words of mine might be in vain though because you are the veteran and you are one of the individuals who told me to not let what others think about me affect me. I guess you could say the student is just relaying what the teacher taught him right back to her.
{{Anthony laughs.}}[/color]
It’s been an honor to participate in some of the profound dialogue that we have had with one another. Your words of wisdom and your guidance has benefitted me a great deal. I cannot wait to go out there with you and teach those clowns a lesson. And in due time, I also cannot wait to put on an epic match with you at Shockwave. My match with Kash at Test For The Best was by far my favorite one to date, but I have a feeling that ours could surpass that. I don’t know how to say the following statement in Italian, so I’ll just stick to my guns and say it in English…I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until next time…
{{The scene slowly fades to black.}}[/color]
