Can A Lepoard Say I Quit?

[The Soul Of Philly]

8:30 AM local time, Toyko Japan, October 26th, 2012

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We open the scene inside of an almost empty hotel gym as we see “The Soul of Philly” TJ running on the treadmill while the only other person in the gym leaves. TJ turns the speed up on the treadmill and is in a full sprint now. Thud, thud, thud. TJ’s large feet hitting the treadmill vertibrates through the gym. He slows the speed on the treadmill after he can no longer sprint. He hops off the treadmill and walks around a bit before going onto an incline bench and begins a set of crunches.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Not this time. Not going to blow it.

Up and down, up and down, over and over, sweat pours down TJ’s face as his shirt is already drenched in sweat.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I can’t blow it. He can’t beat me. He knows it. They know it. I know it.

He finishes up his set and makes a move towards the boxes and he begins to hop up from the right and down to the left and hop up from the left and down to the right. Up and down, up and down, bringing his knees to his chest. The big man getting up large from up into the air.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Only I can beat myself. I won’t do it. I will not fail.

Up and down, side to side, he continues to hop on the boxes.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I can’t fail. If I fail, everything I’ve done is a waste.

He stops hopping the boxes. TJ makes his way towards the bench, which has been set to 275 pounds he begins to pump out the reps.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Everyone backing me will be disappointed. I don’t disappoint.

Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen reps. Rep after Rep, only dropping in quickness of rep a bit, never the fierce diminishing.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I can’t disappoint. That was the old TJ, setting people up to be disappointed. Setting myself up for failure.

He racks the bar and sits up, his quick breathing a result of his workout routine.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I’ve set myself up for success. For victory.

He grabs a towel and heads towards the showers as the scene fades.

1:53 PM local time, Tokyo, Japan, October 26th, 2012

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We open the scene inside of TJ’s hotel room. He is wearing a Cliff Lee Phillies shirt and black basketball shorts as he sits on his bed, the only one in the room. He is flipping through the tv, trying to find something that he could understand. There is a knock at his door.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Who is it?

It’s the guy you gave a ticket to for the event asshole.

TJ gets up and opens the door to his room as Trey Gings is standing there in jeans and a striped polo with his bags. TJ walks back towards his bed and flops on it.

Trey.Gings TJ, the fuck is this? Is that a fucking cot?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Yea.

Trey.Gings I thought you got a two-bed room

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ It is twp beds.

Trey.Gings No, it’s a bed and a fucking cot!

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Well it was just two cots.

Trey.Gings And you only got yourself a bed?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Do you have an “I Quit” match this weekend?

Trey.Gings Fact. Alright well, what’s the move then?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Well, figured hit up Ribera Steak house. Last time I was in Japan, I didn’t really have time to make a stop.

Trey.Gings That’s the place with the jacket and pants right? Do I get one?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ No.

Trey.Gings I don’t want to go then.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Well you can venture around Tokyo by yourself then.

Trey.Gings Fine. Hey what happened with Kelli

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I ended it for good. Made sure she knew I didn’t want anything.

Trey.Gings Wait, so you were bitching about having you heart broken a month ago and she comes back to you and say no?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Yea.

Trey.Gings MY MANS! Love ‘em and leave ‘em

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Trey, she was more than your normal relationships.

Trey.Gings The fuck does that mean.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Trey, you’re longest relation was 6 hours. You met her at 10 PM, by 4 AM, you two were broken up.

Trey.Gings Dude, the sex was great, but her brain had too much teeth. Can’t have that. But I see you’re point. That’s why you’re a better man than most TJ. You ain’t like that. And that’s why I look up to you. Most look up to you because you wrestle and are down for the hood, but I look up to you because you’ve always been a man with incredible strength, not just physical strength either.

Trey clears his throat

Trey.Gings Aside from you and Raj, I don’t have many people to talk to about stuff and I thank you TJ. I know you know I got your back, and Sunday I got your back.

TJ tilts his head in confusion.

Trey.Gings I know you got a problem with Julius’ lackey attacking you from behind, I got you Sunday.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ No, Trey, you’re not getting involved, I’m going to do this by myself, I got into this by myself. I’ve gotten this far without anyone helping me. The last thing I need is for someone to get involved in this without needing to.

Trey.Gings TJ…

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Nah, Trey, I just need you to stay in your seat during the match.

Trey.Gings You sure?

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Yea, let’s head out. Bring the camera though, I want to shoot some stuff after we eat.

Trey goes into his bag and grabs his camera as the two friends leave the hotel room and head down the hall.

11:08 PM local time, Ribera Steakhouse, October 26th, 2012

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We open the scene just outside of the Ribera Steakhouse where we see TJ standing in front of the legendary Japanese restaurant in his new Ribera Steakhouse jacket, a tight fit, but the honor is shown.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I came to Japan with two things on my mind, one was coming to Ribera Steakhouse and getting myself one of these awesome jackets. Many wrestlers have walked through these doors and got a jacket, I’ve only been in Japan once before and didn’t have the time to make it here, so this was a big thing on my list. It was an honor to be given the jacket and I’m very appreciating of the gesture.

TJ bows towards the camera.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ The other thing I came to Japan to do was what I get paid to do: wrestle. Now, as many of you know, I’m facing a man I’ve been embattled with for the last five or six months, I plan on making it the final battle, the final fight in this war. Many times in life you are able to see the end of the tunnel. In relationships, in jobs, and sadly, in life. I see the tunnel between me and Jules, our war will come to an end at One Night In Hell, when one of us makes the other utter the words, “I quit” it will be the end. Consider those words our Treaty of Paris. Ironic as Jules represents England and I the city of Philadelphia, the two sides of the Revolutionary War. I mean, that should show you how much I dislike Jules as a person, as a wrestler, that comparing our war to a modern day Revolutionary War, with a man who is the personification of England takes on a man who is the personification of Philadelphia. Blue blood vs blue collar. Oppressing vs oppressed. Haves vs Haves Not.

TJ pauses.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ You see, Jules is a admitted blue blood, a man who feels he is above myself solely because of his birthplace. He looks down on me and many others in due to his home. Where as I know that no matter where you come from, no matter the color of your blood, you gotta work for whatever you want. You want a spot on the roster, you gotta work your ass off to prove that you deserve a spot more than another. I prove that when I was drafted to Asylum as apart of the first class to be drafted from Meltdown. You want to prove that you BELONG on the roster? You gotta work when you get that chance, I got a chance in a street fight against Julius and I proved I belong. You want a title shot? You gotta not only earn it, but you need to deserve it. I earned this title shot among many people questioning if I do or not. I hear them, I’m not deaf. I hear, “TJ had a chance and he lost, whether fair or square or not, he lost and Reginald gave him a shot.” I hear them. I hear Stefan Raab talking shit about how I don’t deserve this second chance at the title and I hear how others claim that didn’t deserve the first one in the first place. I hear Evan Envi saying I don’t even deserve this “15 minutes of fame” I’m getting. I hear all the doubters and questioners.

TJ clears his throat.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ I don’t listen to them though. Listening to doubt only creates doubt. I hear all the trash being thrown my way whether in hatred, spite, or jealousy. I understand that, I understand that people feel the way they want to feel, and that includes Julius, who feels I am wicked in my cause where as he is righteous. I hear how he feels that strength and might are on his side in his battle for a Quintessentially English Empire filled with Quintessentially English Justice. I hear how he fees that One Night In Hell shall be his defining night. The night that defines his empire as the most powerful empire ever and as the empire that takes over Asylum and molds it into his image.

TJ fixes his Ribera jacket.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ And I feel the same way. One Night In Hell will be his defining moment, it will be the night and the match that defines his empire as a sham. And I agree that strength will always side with right over wicked. See strength will always side with the side that works for everything the want. The side that puts in hours in the gym, in the ring, working on every aspect of their craft, from power, to conditioning, to submission wrestling, to defending themselves, strength will side with that side. It will side with the side that spends days upon days better themselves not only as a wrestler, but a person by taking negatives out of their life. Not the side that buys himself a win, not the side that punishes sides not involved in a war.

TJ walks into the restaurant and orders a water, he is handed a water bottle and comes back out towards the camera.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Julius isn’t dumb, and if you heard him, you can see it and hear his intelligence. His awareness of what I have done is there. His awareness of my ability is there. His awareness of my stubbornness is there. But what is missing is the understanding of what is going to happen. For months, Julius has run away from me only to attack me when my back is turn. And when I bring the fight to him, he finds a way to put himself in a position to win. As soon as the match was made official, he was put in a position where he couldn’t win. He underestimates what is going happen. You see the man thinks that even with all my strength, my brute power, the same power that, and this is coming from him, “makes some of the finest athletes look like pre-pubescent schoolboys in comparison” will not be enough to beat him for he holds the ability to “break a man in two like a matchstick with a single hold”.

TJ pauses to gather himself.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ So why haven’t you? All these months you’ve had this ability yet here I stand in one piece. Oh? My ankle? Yea, its been busted since the street fight, but if I recall correctly, I made you tap out with it. Do I expect you to target it? Hell yes, you’d be a dumbass for not. But you’d be a dumbass to think I wouldn’t do everything to make sure you don’t come near it unless I’m stopping my foot into your face. I may look like a fool to you and other Julius, and maybe I am, but inside that ring, I’m just as smart as you. I know what works and what doesn’t. I have the same gameplan that I had when we faced off at Shockwave. The same one that caused you to tap out in the middle of the ring. It will be the same one that forces you to not just say I quit, but scream it. Scream it loud enough that even in his slumber, Godzilla hears it.

TJ holds his arms up by his sides.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ As far as “pandering to the crowd” goes? Do I tell them what they want to hear? Yes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t say what I want to say, what I mean to say. When I say that you can’t nor won’t force me to utter “I quit” I mean it. You on the other hands say what you want to say, but not what you mean. You want to say that your strategy has been successful each and every week, but you don’t mean that. You know that it hasn’t been working the way you wanted it to, but it’s been working for you. See what you’ve wanted all this time is to just be rid of me. Break my body enough to break my will. You’ve broken my ankle, you’ve beaten me down, you’ve jumped me with your buddies, but here I stand, ready and willing to fight you. To make you pay, not pay homage, but pay for you actions.

TJ brings the camera to closer to him.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ Because come Sunday, it will not be greatness in its truest form saying “I quit”. It will not be your nightmares in their physical forms screaming “I quit”. It will not be “THE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUL OF PHILLLLLLLLLY!” even thinking about “I quit”. The only thing I’ll be thinking about is how I want to make your empire truly be represented.

TJ pushes the camera back to his it’s original position.

The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ You nor your empire will be Quintessentially English, because when my music plays and I stand holding the APW Tap Out Championship in the air, I will exposed you as the Quintessential Quitter.

TJ snorts and walks away as the scene fades to black.