Post by Anthony Bailey on Nov 9, 2012 0:15:00 GMT -4
"Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be." – Marsha Petrie Sue
The sentiments after Bailey had lost the Tap Out Title were similar to the feelings of the present. He enjoyed being the World Heavyweight Champion although his identity wasn’t wrapped up in holding the title. Many former champions go through seasons of life where they feel as if they have to rediscover themselves or do some soul searching because they never imagined what life would be like if they weren’t a champion. They were under the false notion that their title reign would last forever and when it didn’t, they seemed to be disoriented and unable to find their way.
Bailey wanted to feel this way but he couldn’t bring himself to actually do it. Seeing this autobiography get published and made available to the public most likely served as a distraction from all that went down at One Night In Hell and that wasn’t a bad thing. Bailey always wanted to proceed whenever he hit a rough patch in this road we call life. He wanted his mind to be occupied with the possibilities of the future and not the failures of yesterday. This young man was bound to remain hopeful even through the most difficult circumstances.
{{The scene opens to the inside of Anthony Bailey’s luxurious townhouse located in St. Augustine, FL. Anthony, who is home alone, is seated on his black leather couch in front of the television. The TV is serving as background noise with its low volume and Anthony not even paying attention to what channel it’s on. Wearing a white wife beater and gray sweatpants, his feet are propped up on the coffee table beside a stack of papers that appear to be a rough draft for his first book that he is currently trying to get published. Feeling very relaxed and relieved to be in the confines of his own home, he slightly leans back and exhales before beginning to speak.}}[/color]
Anthony "The Promise" Bailey: The struggle to get this book published and the struggle of feeling the need to re-brand myself have been looming somewhere on the horizon. I escalated to the highest peak that one could reach this past summer on Asylum but according to some, somewhere along the way I grew “stale,” I plateaued, and One Night In Hell was the beginning of the end for me. I was defeated for my World Title so that translated into the golden boy finally losing his luster, The Promise being reneged, and Anthony Bailey never again becoming who he once was. Talks of me not being a true champion also arose because I couldn’t hold my own against this company’s elite.
Take away the eloquent words and the endorsements of some fellow megastars backstage and you just have a rookie who got a lucky break. As much as I want to lend my ears to all the babble or buckle under that kind of weighty pressure, I realize that these are the very same critics who said that I would never even make it in the first place. I lacked the experience or the star quality of a Kurt Noble or a Sally Talfourd, so my chances were slim from the get go. Not to mention this underlying awkward frustration with the General Manager Reginald Schmidt. I don’t agree with the whole not being in the main event but getting booked against Johnny Knuckles instead ordeal, but that’s life. When you are dealt a hand, you don’t complain about the cards you receive. You use what you have and still try to win the game.
If my life didn’t contain all of these ups and downs, then there wouldn’t have been anything to write about or put in the book. I own up to losing my title fair and square that night in Tokyo, but you should always know that my losses are really gains. I’m glad that I have comprehended to see any and every single loss as a learning experience so early in my career. And one must not forget that my success is still so very premature. If I accomplished all the things that I have by God’s grace in one single year, what will the future years have in store? Congratulations to Sally for walking out of the Tokyo Dome the new World Heavyweight Champion. No, I wasn’t triumphant but I was everything that people weren’t expecting me to be. They were expecting me to fall flat on my face and get dominated inside that Elimination Chamber but I didn’t. Yeah I left with a few scrapes and bruises here and there but I outlasted seasoned veterans like Michael Callahan, Johnny Rebel, and Keaton Saint. I left One Night In Hell with my head held high, what is there to be ashamed of?
This alone was enough to satisfy Bailey. People expected him to be eliminated from the Elimination Chamber earlier than the majority of his opponents. But after being the cause of elimination for both Michael Callahan and Keaton Saint, he was pleased with his end result and how he measured up with some of the most talented megastars on the entire roster.[/color]
My opponent for this Sunday night Johnny Knuckles is catching me at a unique place in my career. The first time he and I squared off in the ring, I was riding high and basking in the momentum of the moment. All the attention wasn’t going to my head but it felt good to know that people believed in what I was doing and what I brought to the table. I was the rising star, I was the one people were watching closely and the odds were against Knuckles. I had just beaten his long time rival Jason Kash for the first time so I was the “it” guy…but now? The catalyst of The Promise has slowed down, I haven’t had a win in weeks, and I am no longer the “it” guy. I am just another face in the crowd on a brand called Asylum who is awaiting his next opportunity to shine. So if anything, the odds are against both of us now. Both of us are coming off of tough losses at the last pay per view according to the APW website so a win is just the thing that you and I both need right about now.
Well to be honest, because that’s just the type of person that I am and Knuckles is well aware of this, you need this a lot more than me. You my dear friend haven’t aroused the attention of anyone since…what? Survive & Conquer? It was a great night and it was an epic match but that was nearly nine months ago. You can only ride that wave for so long because that wave will eventually crash onto the shore. And if you thought that hanging around with midgets, not that I have anything against individuals that are vertically challenged, or having some repulsive Donkey Punch drink on your resume made you relevant, then you are sadly mistaken. I chuckled on the inside when you made the claim that Asylum was your domain…when has that ever been the case?
Your domain is more like the dugout or the bench because you are in no way, shape, or form cut out to be playing on the field or the court with the big boys. We all have a calling in life Knuckles and any place that includes your whereabouts being other than far off in the distance solely spectating is not your calling. I don’t mean to degrade or belittle you; I’m just doing you a favor by telling you the truth. If only somebody had been honest with you twelve years ago when you made your debut then you could have been spared more than a decade of shame and being an embarrassment to the pro wrestling world. That’s what this world needs Knuckles, people who speak the truth no matter what it may cost them. Fame, fortune, friendships, whatever is at stake; we all need the truth in our lives.
The fire you had walking out of Survive & Conquer rubbed off on me? If that were the case, those flames would have consumed me and transformed me into the new Mr. Dangerous. How dare you try and take the credit for what I have done. You were nowhere to be found as I spent those late night hours in the gym lifting weights and building my lung capacity. You were nowhere to be found as I spent hours upon hours watching old wrestling DVD’s trying to learn any and everything I could. You were nowhere to be found as I was training in that old moldy building in Jacksonville, Florida with Frank “The Tank” Cavalli night after night then driving down the highway back to my dorm room to finish writing papers for class.
You want a fight Knuckles and that’s what you’ll be getting this Sunday night. You are a fighter because it wouldn’t have taken the average person or me twelve long years to see that I’m not the best that this business has to offer. Maybe around the second or third year I would have called it quits, hung up my boots, and taken a different career path so that definitely proves to me that you possess the quality of perseverance. And as you know perseverance is needed to endure in this business. We both have the spirit of fighters inside of us, but in my opinion I have just a little more. This is not about who has accomplished what but this about who we are at the core.
But these are familiar trails because I have navigated them before. I know what it’s like to get in a ring with Johnny Knuckles and I know what it’s like to stand over him victorious as well. You and I both desire this win but unfortunately for you, you’re going to have to work a little bit harder to outsmart me for it. I know what your weaknesses are. I know just the right moves to rob you of all of that fervor and zeal that you are showcasing. I know how to frustrate you by throwing my victories over Kash in your face. I know you better than you know yourself and this Sunday in Lexington, I will show you just how acquainted I am with you. My career has been laced with more than enough hurdles and you are just another one of those tiny impediments that I will leap right over to get to the bigger and better. You are the appointed obstacle from Reginald and I have never once faltered at anything that he has brought my way.
No fire was lit under me that made me go win the Tap Out Title or the World Title. That fire was present with me at birth and it is manifesting right before our very eyes. After what happened at One Night In Hell, it appears as if my fire is about to be extinguished. But just the mere exposure to lighter fluid will have any fire rising tall once more. This Asylum will be my own version of lighter fluid to ignite the flame once more. I feel as if the best is yet to come. The Tap Out Title was only the beginning and the World Title was only the icing on the cake. What do I have waiting for me during the days to come? Stay tuned because this broadcast is about to become more exciting than ever before. And let’s get the facts straight Knuckles, I am not some punk rookie, 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 as Anthony grabs the remote and begins to raise the volume on the television.}}[/color]
The sentiments after Bailey had lost the Tap Out Title were similar to the feelings of the present. He enjoyed being the World Heavyweight Champion although his identity wasn’t wrapped up in holding the title. Many former champions go through seasons of life where they feel as if they have to rediscover themselves or do some soul searching because they never imagined what life would be like if they weren’t a champion. They were under the false notion that their title reign would last forever and when it didn’t, they seemed to be disoriented and unable to find their way.
Bailey wanted to feel this way but he couldn’t bring himself to actually do it. Seeing this autobiography get published and made available to the public most likely served as a distraction from all that went down at One Night In Hell and that wasn’t a bad thing. Bailey always wanted to proceed whenever he hit a rough patch in this road we call life. He wanted his mind to be occupied with the possibilities of the future and not the failures of yesterday. This young man was bound to remain hopeful even through the most difficult circumstances.
{{The scene opens to the inside of Anthony Bailey’s luxurious townhouse located in St. Augustine, FL. Anthony, who is home alone, is seated on his black leather couch in front of the television. The TV is serving as background noise with its low volume and Anthony not even paying attention to what channel it’s on. Wearing a white wife beater and gray sweatpants, his feet are propped up on the coffee table beside a stack of papers that appear to be a rough draft for his first book that he is currently trying to get published. Feeling very relaxed and relieved to be in the confines of his own home, he slightly leans back and exhales before beginning to speak.}}[/color]
Anthony "The Promise" Bailey: The struggle to get this book published and the struggle of feeling the need to re-brand myself have been looming somewhere on the horizon. I escalated to the highest peak that one could reach this past summer on Asylum but according to some, somewhere along the way I grew “stale,” I plateaued, and One Night In Hell was the beginning of the end for me. I was defeated for my World Title so that translated into the golden boy finally losing his luster, The Promise being reneged, and Anthony Bailey never again becoming who he once was. Talks of me not being a true champion also arose because I couldn’t hold my own against this company’s elite.
Take away the eloquent words and the endorsements of some fellow megastars backstage and you just have a rookie who got a lucky break. As much as I want to lend my ears to all the babble or buckle under that kind of weighty pressure, I realize that these are the very same critics who said that I would never even make it in the first place. I lacked the experience or the star quality of a Kurt Noble or a Sally Talfourd, so my chances were slim from the get go. Not to mention this underlying awkward frustration with the General Manager Reginald Schmidt. I don’t agree with the whole not being in the main event but getting booked against Johnny Knuckles instead ordeal, but that’s life. When you are dealt a hand, you don’t complain about the cards you receive. You use what you have and still try to win the game.
If my life didn’t contain all of these ups and downs, then there wouldn’t have been anything to write about or put in the book. I own up to losing my title fair and square that night in Tokyo, but you should always know that my losses are really gains. I’m glad that I have comprehended to see any and every single loss as a learning experience so early in my career. And one must not forget that my success is still so very premature. If I accomplished all the things that I have by God’s grace in one single year, what will the future years have in store? Congratulations to Sally for walking out of the Tokyo Dome the new World Heavyweight Champion. No, I wasn’t triumphant but I was everything that people weren’t expecting me to be. They were expecting me to fall flat on my face and get dominated inside that Elimination Chamber but I didn’t. Yeah I left with a few scrapes and bruises here and there but I outlasted seasoned veterans like Michael Callahan, Johnny Rebel, and Keaton Saint. I left One Night In Hell with my head held high, what is there to be ashamed of?
This alone was enough to satisfy Bailey. People expected him to be eliminated from the Elimination Chamber earlier than the majority of his opponents. But after being the cause of elimination for both Michael Callahan and Keaton Saint, he was pleased with his end result and how he measured up with some of the most talented megastars on the entire roster.[/color]
My opponent for this Sunday night Johnny Knuckles is catching me at a unique place in my career. The first time he and I squared off in the ring, I was riding high and basking in the momentum of the moment. All the attention wasn’t going to my head but it felt good to know that people believed in what I was doing and what I brought to the table. I was the rising star, I was the one people were watching closely and the odds were against Knuckles. I had just beaten his long time rival Jason Kash for the first time so I was the “it” guy…but now? The catalyst of The Promise has slowed down, I haven’t had a win in weeks, and I am no longer the “it” guy. I am just another face in the crowd on a brand called Asylum who is awaiting his next opportunity to shine. So if anything, the odds are against both of us now. Both of us are coming off of tough losses at the last pay per view according to the APW website so a win is just the thing that you and I both need right about now.
Well to be honest, because that’s just the type of person that I am and Knuckles is well aware of this, you need this a lot more than me. You my dear friend haven’t aroused the attention of anyone since…what? Survive & Conquer? It was a great night and it was an epic match but that was nearly nine months ago. You can only ride that wave for so long because that wave will eventually crash onto the shore. And if you thought that hanging around with midgets, not that I have anything against individuals that are vertically challenged, or having some repulsive Donkey Punch drink on your resume made you relevant, then you are sadly mistaken. I chuckled on the inside when you made the claim that Asylum was your domain…when has that ever been the case?
Your domain is more like the dugout or the bench because you are in no way, shape, or form cut out to be playing on the field or the court with the big boys. We all have a calling in life Knuckles and any place that includes your whereabouts being other than far off in the distance solely spectating is not your calling. I don’t mean to degrade or belittle you; I’m just doing you a favor by telling you the truth. If only somebody had been honest with you twelve years ago when you made your debut then you could have been spared more than a decade of shame and being an embarrassment to the pro wrestling world. That’s what this world needs Knuckles, people who speak the truth no matter what it may cost them. Fame, fortune, friendships, whatever is at stake; we all need the truth in our lives.
The fire you had walking out of Survive & Conquer rubbed off on me? If that were the case, those flames would have consumed me and transformed me into the new Mr. Dangerous. How dare you try and take the credit for what I have done. You were nowhere to be found as I spent those late night hours in the gym lifting weights and building my lung capacity. You were nowhere to be found as I spent hours upon hours watching old wrestling DVD’s trying to learn any and everything I could. You were nowhere to be found as I was training in that old moldy building in Jacksonville, Florida with Frank “The Tank” Cavalli night after night then driving down the highway back to my dorm room to finish writing papers for class.
You want a fight Knuckles and that’s what you’ll be getting this Sunday night. You are a fighter because it wouldn’t have taken the average person or me twelve long years to see that I’m not the best that this business has to offer. Maybe around the second or third year I would have called it quits, hung up my boots, and taken a different career path so that definitely proves to me that you possess the quality of perseverance. And as you know perseverance is needed to endure in this business. We both have the spirit of fighters inside of us, but in my opinion I have just a little more. This is not about who has accomplished what but this about who we are at the core.
But these are familiar trails because I have navigated them before. I know what it’s like to get in a ring with Johnny Knuckles and I know what it’s like to stand over him victorious as well. You and I both desire this win but unfortunately for you, you’re going to have to work a little bit harder to outsmart me for it. I know what your weaknesses are. I know just the right moves to rob you of all of that fervor and zeal that you are showcasing. I know how to frustrate you by throwing my victories over Kash in your face. I know you better than you know yourself and this Sunday in Lexington, I will show you just how acquainted I am with you. My career has been laced with more than enough hurdles and you are just another one of those tiny impediments that I will leap right over to get to the bigger and better. You are the appointed obstacle from Reginald and I have never once faltered at anything that he has brought my way.
No fire was lit under me that made me go win the Tap Out Title or the World Title. That fire was present with me at birth and it is manifesting right before our very eyes. After what happened at One Night In Hell, it appears as if my fire is about to be extinguished. But just the mere exposure to lighter fluid will have any fire rising tall once more. This Asylum will be my own version of lighter fluid to ignite the flame once more. I feel as if the best is yet to come. The Tap Out Title was only the beginning and the World Title was only the icing on the cake. What do I have waiting for me during the days to come? Stay tuned because this broadcast is about to become more exciting than ever before. And let’s get the facts straight Knuckles, I am not some punk rookie, 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 as Anthony grabs the remote and begins to raise the volume on the television.}}[/color]
