Post by Anthony Bailey on Feb 24, 2013 0:09:34 GMT -4
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
{{The scene opens to a gorgeous spectacle of Hixon Lake which is located near the affluent Westchase suburban community in Tampa, FL. Westchase is where APW mega star Anthony Bailey was raised. It’s a chilly night here on the calm, barren lake as Bailey is spotted spending some time alone in the near distance. This lake was a very important location for Bailey. This is the same location that he came to weep at after his grandparents had died, the same location that helped him deal with his bout of mild depression back in high school, and the same location where he shared his first kiss with a special young lady back in the day. Clad in a black and white TDB hoodie, blue jeans, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers, Bailey turns to face the camera after spending an ample amount of time gazing out at the lake. He slowly begins to speak.}}[/color]
Anthony Bailey: Though it seems as if The Promise has been reclusive and distant, self examination has been occurring. Much time has elapsed since I last engaged in a deep personal search of my own soul. Hectic schedules and multiple obligations make that hard to do, so as my good friend and mentor Frank Cavalli has to constantly remind me, “Take your Sabbath rest, kid.” Sabbath rest sounds almost too theoretical in this profession but when one has chosen to embark on a substantial lifelong journey before the public eye as I have done, you must not also neglect the opportunity to simultaneously embark on an inward journey. To the subconscious as Freud would call it. It’s on the inside where you are reminded what truly matters. That’s why the daft words of Jason Kash don’t bother me. I feel that ninety-nine percent of what this man says is already insignificant but if the sentiments of his premature oration are widespread, then it must be addressed.
We are now one entire month removed from probably two of the worst nights in my entire career thus far. On January 20th’s edition of Sunday Night Asylum, I fell victim to Aubrey J. Parker in the five man Survive & Conquer battle royal and the following night, on Monday Night Meltdown, The Dying Breed lost the Tag Team Titles to M&M. The titles that reaffirmed our declaration to rebuild the APW tag team division from the ground up. But what was I communicating from these defeats? Sure…everyone loses from time to time but was I making an already outstanding athlete like Aubrey look superior to me? Did her remarks of me being inconsistent hold any weight? And maybe Kash actually was right; maybe I have been too busy clamoring to reinstall the dimming bulb on the limelight that I once knew as World Champion and as the “golden boy.”
The truth of the matter is that this is bigger than Aubrey, Kash, or my shortcomings. This is even bigger than the internal tussle that I have also been experiencing as of late. This is about me showing up to the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada tomorrow night and reminding the fans of this dear brand, along with my opponents Keaton Saint and Michael Callahan, of who I truly am. This industry and its accolades haven’t changed me but it has brought me a crucial revelation. The invincibility of The Promise might be on the brink of collapsing but my credibility? My credibility is stronger than ever and tomorrow’s Asylum will be the opportunity for me to set the record straight.
Usually a guru of persuasiveness, Bailey’s case was harder to prove than normal since his delivery inside of the squared circle has been somewhat lackluster these past couple of weeks. Bailey wasn’t looking to “recapture” any former glory since he always attempts to raise the bar with each win and with each title victory, but he felt that the general public had forgotten how much of an asset he had become for Asylum and APW in general.[/color]
I disagree with the viewpoint that I have “fallen” off or that my “hype” has died down. The day that I fall off and fail to be relevant is the day that I decide to walk down that ramp and to the ring just simply going through the motions. I have failed when the love that I have for this sport and this business becomes clockwork. Say what you’d like but going through this whole fiasco with Tasha wasn’t easy. Was it supposed to be? Was I supposed to flex my alpha male characteristics and appear to be unhurt by the situation? I could have very well done that but I’m authentic. I wear my heart on my sleeve and it’s just the way that I am. Don’t expect me to offer you a rendition of Terry Marvin, Evan Envi, Sally Talfourd, Kurt Noble, or CJ Gates. I can only be me…I cannot be them and I am not the least bit apologetic about it either.
{{Bailey begins to walk slowly along the lake’s pier with the camera in tow.}}[/color]
Keaton, you and I have crossed paths before and I was amazed at what you are capable of bringing to the table. Even when you were apart of the Overdrive brand and putting on the epic series of matches with Terry Marvin, the very name Keaton Saint itself intrigued you to a point of genuine interest. But since making the shift to Asylum, and with all pride aside, I haven’t honestly been impressed by you. So much hype surrounded your brand change and months later the realization of it failed to translate into something worthwhile because…it was simply hype. Now I’m in no position to be speaking of failing to impress given my current situation but this has been my reality for only one single month. One blip over the span of my year long career in no way defines me. But in your case, this has been in the making for months.
Even with The Pillars, which was a genius idea by the way, you have failed to add anything to that assembly of mega stars. To me The Pillars is like a mixture of NBA All Star and NFL Pro Bowl players all competing with one another on the same team. Sally Talfourd is Sally Talfourd. She and I were good friends at one point last year and I had the privilege of experiencing her legendary caliber inside of the ring on more than one occasion. She’s a future hall of famer and there’s no doubt in my mind about that. You can also take your tag team partner from the last Asylum, TJ. If this man is not the future of APW, then I don’t know who is. He is the current Tap Out Champion and he just hit his two month title reign mark. The commendable part of being a champion is not only winning the belt, but also successfully defending it. The only person that I can see taking the strap off of him is my friend William D. Williams, but he’s not a hundred percent at the moment thanks to Asylum’s “sweetheart” Aubrey J. Parker.
But getting back to the matter at hand Saint, you might see this as me only blowing smoke or playing the role that I was meant to play to get inside of your head for tomorrow, but your track record against members of The Dying Breed speaks for itself. On the last Asylum in Vancouver, J-Hop and WDW defeated you and TJ and let’s not forget who annihilated your chance of becoming the World Champion at One Night In Hell in the Chamber…it was yours truly when I pinned you. And since I’m beginning to regain focus and trying to let the situation with my ex resolve itself if it’s meant to be, I don’t expect the outcome for tomorrow to be any different. Keaton Saint will once again become a victim of The Dying Breed, specifically The Promise. This is in no way meant to belittle your talent, because you have a plethora of that, but history can never be neglected.
While you are engrossed with counting down the days until Rasslemania, also be counting down what it’s like to stand face to face with a man who has been counted out, with a man who has broken up with the love of his life, and with a man that could break Felix Baumgartner’s skydiving record and people still wouldn’t be impressed. That man is I, Anthony “The Promise” Bailey…the underdog. I will gladly bear that title if people like you could only see that I’m the underdog that always, and I mean always, rises to the occasion…
And to one of my biggest rivals of 2012, as well as my other opponent for tomorrow night, Michael Callahan. It has been awhile since I addressed you Mikey…how has life been treating you? That’s basically rhetorical because I’m quite sure how you would answer that. For me, life has had its ups and downs but all in all, I have been good. And just so you know, I stand by the statement that I made after Christmas Chaos. You earned my respect that night and it wasn’t too painful for me to utter. The reason why it wasn’t too painful is because I didn’t want what I said to go to your head. I know how you operate and how any little thing can easily fuel your ego so with you; I know that I have to tread extra carefully.
And if I didn’t earn your respect that night Michael, then something’s terribly wrong. Technically you “beat” me the night of Christmas Chaos and you getting that victory will be recorded in the APW record books but if you recall, I never tapped out. The referee only called for the bell after I had passed out from all of the hell that I went through with you and the Tag Team Title match. I sacrificed my career and my well being by engaging in two brutal matches on the same night but I don’t regret it. I will only regret saying what I said and extending the olive branch to you if the same isn’t done for me in return. But you are unpredictable so you might offer to have a beer with me one night and attack me the next.
But it will not kill me if I don’t gain your respect Callahan. An ounce of sleep won’t be lost and life will carry on as usual. But one gripe that I do have with you though is how you are the number one contender for the World Title but have yet to even defeat Phil Atken when I gained a victory over him with ease. Atken has raised the bar with his in-ring ability and is no longer the punch line of the many jokes that he once was so losing to him isn’t that big of a deal anymore. But failing to beat him the first time then defeating Shane Borderland of all people to regain another shot at him? That’s a bunch of rubbish to me. I get the whole “Ratings were declining” card being pulled on me by Schmidt because business is business but having Borderland headline a show for the number one contendership for the World Title, Asylum's most prized posession, is screaming for The Food Network to cancel Asylum’s television deal. Call me a hater, bitter, or whatever you’d like, all that I know is that what I am speaking is the truth.
I understand what Frank is saying to me when he emphasizes how I should rest to stay rejuvenated but I will only rest once the task has been completed and the task at hand…use Keaton Saint and Michael Callahan as catalysts to remind both my fans and my adversaries of who and what The Promise truly represents. I have done what I could in the past to show you all this and what I am about but a minor reminder never hurt anyone. I have to constantly remember who I am for myself. And thank God that I have my brothers J-Hop and The Smooth One around me to remind me of this as well. Another area in my life where I was also beginning to get sidetracked is when I started to actually believe the statements of my colleagues and their opinions about me.
But the words of Aubrey J. Parker, Jason Kash, Keaton Saint, Michael Callahan, or anyone on the unrestricted face of God’s green earth, don’t define me. I define me. When the words of other mega stars attempt to define me, I become isolated and begin to rethink my strategy. But when I’m defining who I am and setting the tone, I’m winning the Tap Out Title, the World Title, and the Tag Team Titles. I’m getting people supportive of my positive movement and jumping on the bandwagon. Lives are changed and goals are accomplished when I am the one declaring my destiny. No longer will I be a slave to the opinions of my peers. No longer will I mentally dwell in the month of January and believe that those two unfortunate nights will be the outcome of my whole career.
That’s why I love coming out here to Hixon Lake, especially when it’s quiet and nobody else is here. Realistically, it probably would have been better for me to already be up Calgary but I’m willing to sacrifice convenience for the sake of recovering and rediscovering the real me. Whenever you see me in front of this camera or inside of that ring half stepping, please know that that is not me. But when you see me like this, hungry and passionate about stepping into the ring with Saint and Callahan in front of thousands of fired up fans and planning to give my all, that is the real me. I wish that I was always able to operate to my full potential but then the fact that I’m a human being kicks in and I begin to become aware of my own limitations. But I know for a fact that the word “limitations” won’t even exist for me tomorrow. The summer of 2012 has come and gone so it’s all right if I am no longer considered the golden boy of this company. But through all the highs and lows, I have contended to remain the same because I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until tomorrow night gentlemen…
{{The scene slowly fades to black as Bailey continues to stroll along the lake’s pier with his hands placed inside the pocket of his hoodie.}}[/color]
{{The scene opens to a gorgeous spectacle of Hixon Lake which is located near the affluent Westchase suburban community in Tampa, FL. Westchase is where APW mega star Anthony Bailey was raised. It’s a chilly night here on the calm, barren lake as Bailey is spotted spending some time alone in the near distance. This lake was a very important location for Bailey. This is the same location that he came to weep at after his grandparents had died, the same location that helped him deal with his bout of mild depression back in high school, and the same location where he shared his first kiss with a special young lady back in the day. Clad in a black and white TDB hoodie, blue jeans, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers, Bailey turns to face the camera after spending an ample amount of time gazing out at the lake. He slowly begins to speak.}}[/color]
Anthony Bailey: Though it seems as if The Promise has been reclusive and distant, self examination has been occurring. Much time has elapsed since I last engaged in a deep personal search of my own soul. Hectic schedules and multiple obligations make that hard to do, so as my good friend and mentor Frank Cavalli has to constantly remind me, “Take your Sabbath rest, kid.” Sabbath rest sounds almost too theoretical in this profession but when one has chosen to embark on a substantial lifelong journey before the public eye as I have done, you must not also neglect the opportunity to simultaneously embark on an inward journey. To the subconscious as Freud would call it. It’s on the inside where you are reminded what truly matters. That’s why the daft words of Jason Kash don’t bother me. I feel that ninety-nine percent of what this man says is already insignificant but if the sentiments of his premature oration are widespread, then it must be addressed.
We are now one entire month removed from probably two of the worst nights in my entire career thus far. On January 20th’s edition of Sunday Night Asylum, I fell victim to Aubrey J. Parker in the five man Survive & Conquer battle royal and the following night, on Monday Night Meltdown, The Dying Breed lost the Tag Team Titles to M&M. The titles that reaffirmed our declaration to rebuild the APW tag team division from the ground up. But what was I communicating from these defeats? Sure…everyone loses from time to time but was I making an already outstanding athlete like Aubrey look superior to me? Did her remarks of me being inconsistent hold any weight? And maybe Kash actually was right; maybe I have been too busy clamoring to reinstall the dimming bulb on the limelight that I once knew as World Champion and as the “golden boy.”
The truth of the matter is that this is bigger than Aubrey, Kash, or my shortcomings. This is even bigger than the internal tussle that I have also been experiencing as of late. This is about me showing up to the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada tomorrow night and reminding the fans of this dear brand, along with my opponents Keaton Saint and Michael Callahan, of who I truly am. This industry and its accolades haven’t changed me but it has brought me a crucial revelation. The invincibility of The Promise might be on the brink of collapsing but my credibility? My credibility is stronger than ever and tomorrow’s Asylum will be the opportunity for me to set the record straight.
Usually a guru of persuasiveness, Bailey’s case was harder to prove than normal since his delivery inside of the squared circle has been somewhat lackluster these past couple of weeks. Bailey wasn’t looking to “recapture” any former glory since he always attempts to raise the bar with each win and with each title victory, but he felt that the general public had forgotten how much of an asset he had become for Asylum and APW in general.[/color]
I disagree with the viewpoint that I have “fallen” off or that my “hype” has died down. The day that I fall off and fail to be relevant is the day that I decide to walk down that ramp and to the ring just simply going through the motions. I have failed when the love that I have for this sport and this business becomes clockwork. Say what you’d like but going through this whole fiasco with Tasha wasn’t easy. Was it supposed to be? Was I supposed to flex my alpha male characteristics and appear to be unhurt by the situation? I could have very well done that but I’m authentic. I wear my heart on my sleeve and it’s just the way that I am. Don’t expect me to offer you a rendition of Terry Marvin, Evan Envi, Sally Talfourd, Kurt Noble, or CJ Gates. I can only be me…I cannot be them and I am not the least bit apologetic about it either.
{{Bailey begins to walk slowly along the lake’s pier with the camera in tow.}}[/color]
Keaton, you and I have crossed paths before and I was amazed at what you are capable of bringing to the table. Even when you were apart of the Overdrive brand and putting on the epic series of matches with Terry Marvin, the very name Keaton Saint itself intrigued you to a point of genuine interest. But since making the shift to Asylum, and with all pride aside, I haven’t honestly been impressed by you. So much hype surrounded your brand change and months later the realization of it failed to translate into something worthwhile because…it was simply hype. Now I’m in no position to be speaking of failing to impress given my current situation but this has been my reality for only one single month. One blip over the span of my year long career in no way defines me. But in your case, this has been in the making for months.
Even with The Pillars, which was a genius idea by the way, you have failed to add anything to that assembly of mega stars. To me The Pillars is like a mixture of NBA All Star and NFL Pro Bowl players all competing with one another on the same team. Sally Talfourd is Sally Talfourd. She and I were good friends at one point last year and I had the privilege of experiencing her legendary caliber inside of the ring on more than one occasion. She’s a future hall of famer and there’s no doubt in my mind about that. You can also take your tag team partner from the last Asylum, TJ. If this man is not the future of APW, then I don’t know who is. He is the current Tap Out Champion and he just hit his two month title reign mark. The commendable part of being a champion is not only winning the belt, but also successfully defending it. The only person that I can see taking the strap off of him is my friend William D. Williams, but he’s not a hundred percent at the moment thanks to Asylum’s “sweetheart” Aubrey J. Parker.
But getting back to the matter at hand Saint, you might see this as me only blowing smoke or playing the role that I was meant to play to get inside of your head for tomorrow, but your track record against members of The Dying Breed speaks for itself. On the last Asylum in Vancouver, J-Hop and WDW defeated you and TJ and let’s not forget who annihilated your chance of becoming the World Champion at One Night In Hell in the Chamber…it was yours truly when I pinned you. And since I’m beginning to regain focus and trying to let the situation with my ex resolve itself if it’s meant to be, I don’t expect the outcome for tomorrow to be any different. Keaton Saint will once again become a victim of The Dying Breed, specifically The Promise. This is in no way meant to belittle your talent, because you have a plethora of that, but history can never be neglected.
While you are engrossed with counting down the days until Rasslemania, also be counting down what it’s like to stand face to face with a man who has been counted out, with a man who has broken up with the love of his life, and with a man that could break Felix Baumgartner’s skydiving record and people still wouldn’t be impressed. That man is I, Anthony “The Promise” Bailey…the underdog. I will gladly bear that title if people like you could only see that I’m the underdog that always, and I mean always, rises to the occasion…
And to one of my biggest rivals of 2012, as well as my other opponent for tomorrow night, Michael Callahan. It has been awhile since I addressed you Mikey…how has life been treating you? That’s basically rhetorical because I’m quite sure how you would answer that. For me, life has had its ups and downs but all in all, I have been good. And just so you know, I stand by the statement that I made after Christmas Chaos. You earned my respect that night and it wasn’t too painful for me to utter. The reason why it wasn’t too painful is because I didn’t want what I said to go to your head. I know how you operate and how any little thing can easily fuel your ego so with you; I know that I have to tread extra carefully.
And if I didn’t earn your respect that night Michael, then something’s terribly wrong. Technically you “beat” me the night of Christmas Chaos and you getting that victory will be recorded in the APW record books but if you recall, I never tapped out. The referee only called for the bell after I had passed out from all of the hell that I went through with you and the Tag Team Title match. I sacrificed my career and my well being by engaging in two brutal matches on the same night but I don’t regret it. I will only regret saying what I said and extending the olive branch to you if the same isn’t done for me in return. But you are unpredictable so you might offer to have a beer with me one night and attack me the next.
But it will not kill me if I don’t gain your respect Callahan. An ounce of sleep won’t be lost and life will carry on as usual. But one gripe that I do have with you though is how you are the number one contender for the World Title but have yet to even defeat Phil Atken when I gained a victory over him with ease. Atken has raised the bar with his in-ring ability and is no longer the punch line of the many jokes that he once was so losing to him isn’t that big of a deal anymore. But failing to beat him the first time then defeating Shane Borderland of all people to regain another shot at him? That’s a bunch of rubbish to me. I get the whole “Ratings were declining” card being pulled on me by Schmidt because business is business but having Borderland headline a show for the number one contendership for the World Title, Asylum's most prized posession, is screaming for The Food Network to cancel Asylum’s television deal. Call me a hater, bitter, or whatever you’d like, all that I know is that what I am speaking is the truth.
I understand what Frank is saying to me when he emphasizes how I should rest to stay rejuvenated but I will only rest once the task has been completed and the task at hand…use Keaton Saint and Michael Callahan as catalysts to remind both my fans and my adversaries of who and what The Promise truly represents. I have done what I could in the past to show you all this and what I am about but a minor reminder never hurt anyone. I have to constantly remember who I am for myself. And thank God that I have my brothers J-Hop and The Smooth One around me to remind me of this as well. Another area in my life where I was also beginning to get sidetracked is when I started to actually believe the statements of my colleagues and their opinions about me.
But the words of Aubrey J. Parker, Jason Kash, Keaton Saint, Michael Callahan, or anyone on the unrestricted face of God’s green earth, don’t define me. I define me. When the words of other mega stars attempt to define me, I become isolated and begin to rethink my strategy. But when I’m defining who I am and setting the tone, I’m winning the Tap Out Title, the World Title, and the Tag Team Titles. I’m getting people supportive of my positive movement and jumping on the bandwagon. Lives are changed and goals are accomplished when I am the one declaring my destiny. No longer will I be a slave to the opinions of my peers. No longer will I mentally dwell in the month of January and believe that those two unfortunate nights will be the outcome of my whole career.
That’s why I love coming out here to Hixon Lake, especially when it’s quiet and nobody else is here. Realistically, it probably would have been better for me to already be up Calgary but I’m willing to sacrifice convenience for the sake of recovering and rediscovering the real me. Whenever you see me in front of this camera or inside of that ring half stepping, please know that that is not me. But when you see me like this, hungry and passionate about stepping into the ring with Saint and Callahan in front of thousands of fired up fans and planning to give my all, that is the real me. I wish that I was always able to operate to my full potential but then the fact that I’m a human being kicks in and I begin to become aware of my own limitations. But I know for a fact that the word “limitations” won’t even exist for me tomorrow. The summer of 2012 has come and gone so it’s all right if I am no longer considered the golden boy of this company. But through all the highs and lows, I have contended to remain the same because I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Until tomorrow night gentlemen…
{{The scene slowly fades to black as Bailey continues to stroll along the lake’s pier with his hands placed inside the pocket of his hoodie.}}[/color]
