Post by Anthony Bailey on Jul 14, 2013 0:59:25 GMT -4
”A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” – Duke Ellington
{{The scene opens to a splendid afternoon outdoor shot of the Parkway Place Mall located in Huntsville, AL. Anthony Bailey’s silver 2013 Acura TL is spotted in the valet parking area as the scene transits to the inside of the opulent commercial building. Bailey, along with his two close peers and APW megastars Jair Hopkins and William D. Williams, have gathered a small following of enthusiasts as they parade from store to store hoping to make some wise and worthwhile purchases. Bailey didn’t pack much clothing this time around and was looking to see if the Heart of Dixie offered any alternative fashion than his usual Floridian selection of apparel. Bailey, clad in a black and white Dying Breed tanktop, camouflage shorts, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers, being a man of the people that he is invited the suggestions and input of his growing shadow of admirers and onlookers. The last thing that he wanted to do was to “Kanye” the situation and mistreat the people who just wanted some time, and possibly some autographs, from him and his peers.}}
Anthony Bailey: So what stores do they have in here?
Williams: Hmmm, let’s see…
{{Williams thumbs through the compact mall directory.}}
Well, we got Aéropostale, Foot Locker, Hibbett Sports, Hollister…
{{Bailey unintentionally interrupts him.}}
Anthony Bailey: How is the Aéropostale here?
{{Bailey asks as he turns to face a young male who appears to be in his mid teens.}}
Teenage Boy: It’s pretty good.
Anthony Bailey: Looks like that needs to be added on the list of stores to check out then.
Teenage Boy: I’m sure you’ll like it. I’m planning on doing the majority of my shopping here next month when all of the back to school sales start.
Hopkins: Ahhh, back to school shopping…remember those days fellas?
{{Hopkins grins as he and his peers revisit some unspoken nostalgic memories.}}
Williams: Of course I do! I wasn’t looking forward to any of the assignments one bit though. I had to be the freshest guy in school the first day back. What I wore that day set the tone for that entire year.
{{Bailey nods at Williams’ slight exaggeration.}}
Anthony Bailey: I couldn’t agree more with you Smooth One. What school do you go to bro?
{{The boy stumbles over his words as Bailey seems to take a genuine interest in his life.}}
Teenage Boy: Le, Le, Lee High School.
Anthony Bailey: Well tell all of your friends when you go back that The Dying Breed had a minor role in you being one of the best dressed guys on campus. I’m sure that the girls will go crazy too…
{{Bailey reaches into his pocket, grabs his wallet, pulls out a crisp $100 bill, and hands it to the boy whose eyes have grown in shock.}}
Teenage Boy: Oh my goodness!!! Are t hese for me??!! Thank you so much Anthony!! Wait until I tell my mom about this, she’s not going to believe it!
Anthony Bailey: Don’t….
{{Bailey reaches into his pocket once again and pulls out two shiny cards attached to lanyards.}}
I will tell her myself…
{{The camera zooms in on what Bailey is holding in his hand and it appears to be two backstage passes to tomorrow night’s Raab-A-Mania. He hands it to the young boy who quickly defies the mall’s rule of no running and excitedly takes off in the other direction. The Dying Breed’s unofficial mall entourage all laugh as the three men carry on. Soon after, a young lady in the masses seizes her opportunity to chime in.}}
Young Woman: Hey, so where are the Tag Team Titles at? Are they heavy in real life?
{{Hopkins answers the improbable question.}}
Hopkins: No, they aren’t heavy at all and they are at our hotel. We have to polish them up a bit before tomorrow though, they are looking kind of dingy.
Young Lady: Oh wow! That is like so cool!! Good luck tomorrow by the way!
Anthony Bailey: Thank you sweetie, we appreciate that.
{{The giddy young girl blushes.}}
Young Lady: Oh and happy early birthday too!!
Bailey’s birthday is this coming Wednesday, July 17th. He’ll be turning 23 years old.
Anthony Bailey: Wow, thank you. Come here and give me a hug.
{{She hastily freezes as Bailey stops and leans in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes tear up with joy written all across her face as Bailey redirects his attention to Hopkins and Williams.}}
Where to now guys?
Hopkins: Hmmm…how about Ben & Jerry’s?
{{Hopkins points at the popular ice cream chain nearby.}}
Williams: Sounds good to me. What do you say Champ?
Anthony Bailey: That’s fine with me, let’s go.
{{The caravan of people make their way over as the employees look worried about the amount of their imminent customers. Dying Breed walk in as their guests patiently wait outside.}}
Ben & Jerry’s Employee: Hello and welcome to Ben & Jerry’s, may I help you?
{{Bailey looks up at the menu and then turns around to look at everyone watching his every move outside.}}
Anthony Bailey: Yeah….let me get about thirty waffle cones. Make fifteen of them vanilla and fifteen of them chocolate. Would you guys like anything?
{{While looking at the menu, Williams responds.}}
Williams: I’ll just take a waffle cone…
Hopkins: Me too, thanks Ant.
Anthony Bailey: No problem, it’s my pleasure….
{{The scene begins to fade out as Bailey starts to invite everyone that was following him inside to pick up their free waffle cones. Dying Breed is showered with multiple thank you’s and handshakes by the Huntsville civilians. The scene then shifts to the parking lot as Bailey stands beside his car holding a couple of bags. Williams and Hopkins are still inside making their final rounds as Bailey embraces this brief moment of withdrawal. Looking directly into the camera, he lightly exhales before he proceeds to speak.}}
Anthony Bailey: I know that I cannot be the only one, but who else sees the irony in Zachariah Blood being apart of a tag team called The Unforgiven? I know I do for the simple fact that the statements he had for me going into the eight-man tag at the Meltdown SuperShow were for a lack of better words….unforgivable. How do you claim to not know who I am but then you go and rattle off some of the things that I have done around here during my seventeen month tenure in APW? Now there is a difference between actually knowing a person and knowing about a person, but the fact that you down play both already gives me insight into the type of person you are. Either someone is lying or someone is very aware of the truth and who I am but chooses to suppress it out of fear.
Fear is a beast isn’t it Zechariah? Growing up, I remember hearing in Sunday school from time to time how the Bible character Zechariah, son of Barachias, was put to death by the nation of Israel for prophesying against them. An Old Testament prophet typically wasn’t a bearer of what we would label “good news,” but they didn’t just let him be. A man coming in the name of the Lord was put to death for simply fulfilling his mission and what he was called to do. And The Most High truly sent this man. He wasn’t a delusional phony like Jerry Matthews; this man was the real deal. But you are antithetical to this archaic giant. You are taking on the role of his assassins. You are trying to assassinate my character and put me to death for coming in the name of truth and morality, a banner that Hopkins and I had proudly been waving before you ever set foot in an APW ring.
Our folly isn’t failing to take you seriously; our folly could be in giving you too much credit without ever earning it. What noteworthy things have you done in Action Packed Wrestling? Living in the past has never benefitted anyone, but the past is usually a good indicator and a good gauge of what to anticipate for the future. Either I’m ignorant or the past of The Unforgiven is too desolate to even undertake. But you Blood and The Sentinel are in this position for a reason. I can come up with a million and one ways about your initial approach towards me and how unwise it was, but you were booked in this match for a reason. Sang Réal was booked in this match for a reason. Dying Breed is just going to have to roll with the punches and we’re fine with that. We’re coming up on month number four as the reigning Tag Team Champions and truthfully, we aren’t ready to relinquish the titles just yet…but then again…who ever is ready to do such a thing like that?
Of all things, title relinquishment has been a hot topic in APW as of late. Level-One “giving” up the World Heavyweight Title on the last episode of Overdrive and the contingency of the Overdrive Title with Evan Envi departing the company any day now has left many scrambling for answers on the whereabouts of these championship belts.
I can’t speak on the situations of Level-One or Evan Envi because it’s not my place, but I feel that the reason that many maintain the death grip on their pieces of gold is oftentimes pride. We care about our titles as both The Unforgiven and Sang Réal will find that out tomorrow night, but Hopkins and I desire to win our match tomorrow and retain our titles because we’re just scratching the surface of this tag team division rebuilding phase. Roy Speede, Donald Deruty, Sons of The South, M&M, etc…they pushed us further than we ever thought that we could go.
But they were just the exteriors of the infinite depths that Dying Breed plans on taking the tag team division. Call it egotism if you may, even venture to call it deception on our end, but it’s something that we are determined to do and that determination will remit us to the victorious side at Raab-A-Mania. The Unforgiven’s lack of tag team experience and them never competing for the same company until now will be their deluge. If the only thing binding them together is their sibling managers, then they have already fallen to the mat and taken the three count. Talent alone doesn’t win matches. If that talent stands isolated and lacks chemistry, then your chances of a positive outcome are slim to none.
Murphy…Krown….I respect the roots that you both possess with your lineages in this business, but tomorrow no genealogy or family tree in the entire universe will save you from The Promise or from Hopkins. You don’t get us or why we call ourselves what we do? At times, things that are beyond you can be hard to fathom. God…time…space…how the pyramids in Egypt were constructed and how they still stand to this day…all of these things are beyond my limited comprehension. I love things of the intellectual nature but at the end of the day, I’m just human. Are we beyond you guys in talent? Maybe not…but in scope? Definitely. While you are focused on riding the coattails of your fathers, we are focused on building something novel, something innovative. Something that only Dying Breed can do.
The thing about silver spoons is that they become tarnished over time. They are pleasurable at first but once the rust sets in, the savor becomes callous. A plethora of rust awaits you tomorrow night in that squared circle Sang Réal and it’ll be just the reality check that you two need. Daddy’s legacy can only get you so far in this world. A foundation by its lonesome is worthless. Who ever got excited or marveled over an unfinished edifice? Drooling over plywood isn’t my cup of tea. Your daddies understood this concept so take a page from their books and educate yourselves. The foundation is meant to be built on and the architecture of Connor Murphy and Gabriel Krown haven’t even begun. Is it in the process? I wouldn’t doubt that it is because you two have bright futures ahead of you. ACW was only a small taste of what you guys are capable of bringing to the table but the arrogance you two possess will not propel you to where you’re destined to be. It’ll hinder you until you’re reminded that humility goes a lot farther than disdain.
As the late, great musician Duke Ellington once said “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” The problem of Dying Breed being pit against not two but four competitors who are looking to make their mark as a tag team is just that…a problem. But Hopkins and I are looking to capitalize on this as an opportunity for us to do our best. Not to try and prove to four other megastars that we are superior but to prove that we are a premier tag team that has stood the test of time. Forged by fire and adversity, we have withstood some of the toughest contention. Many didn’t think that we could do it or that we had it in us. Neither of us had backgrounds in tag team competition but we sacrificed and came together for the greater good.
The greater good was taking this tag team division to a whole nother level and that goal is what has allowed us to keep tunnel division throughout the situation. Why do I even have the nerve to say this? It’s because I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Now that’s a royal and unforgivable statement that you can take with you to the bank. Until tomorrow…
{{The scene slowly fades to black as both Hopkins and Williams appear on screen holding some bags.}}
{{The scene opens to a splendid afternoon outdoor shot of the Parkway Place Mall located in Huntsville, AL. Anthony Bailey’s silver 2013 Acura TL is spotted in the valet parking area as the scene transits to the inside of the opulent commercial building. Bailey, along with his two close peers and APW megastars Jair Hopkins and William D. Williams, have gathered a small following of enthusiasts as they parade from store to store hoping to make some wise and worthwhile purchases. Bailey didn’t pack much clothing this time around and was looking to see if the Heart of Dixie offered any alternative fashion than his usual Floridian selection of apparel. Bailey, clad in a black and white Dying Breed tanktop, camouflage shorts, and a pair of black and white Nike sneakers, being a man of the people that he is invited the suggestions and input of his growing shadow of admirers and onlookers. The last thing that he wanted to do was to “Kanye” the situation and mistreat the people who just wanted some time, and possibly some autographs, from him and his peers.}}
Anthony Bailey: So what stores do they have in here?
Williams: Hmmm, let’s see…
{{Williams thumbs through the compact mall directory.}}
Well, we got Aéropostale, Foot Locker, Hibbett Sports, Hollister…
{{Bailey unintentionally interrupts him.}}
Anthony Bailey: How is the Aéropostale here?
{{Bailey asks as he turns to face a young male who appears to be in his mid teens.}}
Teenage Boy: It’s pretty good.
Anthony Bailey: Looks like that needs to be added on the list of stores to check out then.
Teenage Boy: I’m sure you’ll like it. I’m planning on doing the majority of my shopping here next month when all of the back to school sales start.
Hopkins: Ahhh, back to school shopping…remember those days fellas?
{{Hopkins grins as he and his peers revisit some unspoken nostalgic memories.}}
Williams: Of course I do! I wasn’t looking forward to any of the assignments one bit though. I had to be the freshest guy in school the first day back. What I wore that day set the tone for that entire year.
{{Bailey nods at Williams’ slight exaggeration.}}
Anthony Bailey: I couldn’t agree more with you Smooth One. What school do you go to bro?
{{The boy stumbles over his words as Bailey seems to take a genuine interest in his life.}}
Teenage Boy: Le, Le, Lee High School.
Anthony Bailey: Well tell all of your friends when you go back that The Dying Breed had a minor role in you being one of the best dressed guys on campus. I’m sure that the girls will go crazy too…
{{Bailey reaches into his pocket, grabs his wallet, pulls out a crisp $100 bill, and hands it to the boy whose eyes have grown in shock.}}
Teenage Boy: Oh my goodness!!! Are t hese for me??!! Thank you so much Anthony!! Wait until I tell my mom about this, she’s not going to believe it!
Anthony Bailey: Don’t….
{{Bailey reaches into his pocket once again and pulls out two shiny cards attached to lanyards.}}
I will tell her myself…
{{The camera zooms in on what Bailey is holding in his hand and it appears to be two backstage passes to tomorrow night’s Raab-A-Mania. He hands it to the young boy who quickly defies the mall’s rule of no running and excitedly takes off in the other direction. The Dying Breed’s unofficial mall entourage all laugh as the three men carry on. Soon after, a young lady in the masses seizes her opportunity to chime in.}}
Young Woman: Hey, so where are the Tag Team Titles at? Are they heavy in real life?
{{Hopkins answers the improbable question.}}
Hopkins: No, they aren’t heavy at all and they are at our hotel. We have to polish them up a bit before tomorrow though, they are looking kind of dingy.
Young Lady: Oh wow! That is like so cool!! Good luck tomorrow by the way!
Anthony Bailey: Thank you sweetie, we appreciate that.
{{The giddy young girl blushes.}}
Young Lady: Oh and happy early birthday too!!
Bailey’s birthday is this coming Wednesday, July 17th. He’ll be turning 23 years old.
Anthony Bailey: Wow, thank you. Come here and give me a hug.
{{She hastily freezes as Bailey stops and leans in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes tear up with joy written all across her face as Bailey redirects his attention to Hopkins and Williams.}}
Where to now guys?
Hopkins: Hmmm…how about Ben & Jerry’s?
{{Hopkins points at the popular ice cream chain nearby.}}
Williams: Sounds good to me. What do you say Champ?
Anthony Bailey: That’s fine with me, let’s go.
{{The caravan of people make their way over as the employees look worried about the amount of their imminent customers. Dying Breed walk in as their guests patiently wait outside.}}
Ben & Jerry’s Employee: Hello and welcome to Ben & Jerry’s, may I help you?
{{Bailey looks up at the menu and then turns around to look at everyone watching his every move outside.}}
Anthony Bailey: Yeah….let me get about thirty waffle cones. Make fifteen of them vanilla and fifteen of them chocolate. Would you guys like anything?
{{While looking at the menu, Williams responds.}}
Williams: I’ll just take a waffle cone…
Hopkins: Me too, thanks Ant.
Anthony Bailey: No problem, it’s my pleasure….
{{The scene begins to fade out as Bailey starts to invite everyone that was following him inside to pick up their free waffle cones. Dying Breed is showered with multiple thank you’s and handshakes by the Huntsville civilians. The scene then shifts to the parking lot as Bailey stands beside his car holding a couple of bags. Williams and Hopkins are still inside making their final rounds as Bailey embraces this brief moment of withdrawal. Looking directly into the camera, he lightly exhales before he proceeds to speak.}}
Anthony Bailey: I know that I cannot be the only one, but who else sees the irony in Zachariah Blood being apart of a tag team called The Unforgiven? I know I do for the simple fact that the statements he had for me going into the eight-man tag at the Meltdown SuperShow were for a lack of better words….unforgivable. How do you claim to not know who I am but then you go and rattle off some of the things that I have done around here during my seventeen month tenure in APW? Now there is a difference between actually knowing a person and knowing about a person, but the fact that you down play both already gives me insight into the type of person you are. Either someone is lying or someone is very aware of the truth and who I am but chooses to suppress it out of fear.
Fear is a beast isn’t it Zechariah? Growing up, I remember hearing in Sunday school from time to time how the Bible character Zechariah, son of Barachias, was put to death by the nation of Israel for prophesying against them. An Old Testament prophet typically wasn’t a bearer of what we would label “good news,” but they didn’t just let him be. A man coming in the name of the Lord was put to death for simply fulfilling his mission and what he was called to do. And The Most High truly sent this man. He wasn’t a delusional phony like Jerry Matthews; this man was the real deal. But you are antithetical to this archaic giant. You are taking on the role of his assassins. You are trying to assassinate my character and put me to death for coming in the name of truth and morality, a banner that Hopkins and I had proudly been waving before you ever set foot in an APW ring.
Our folly isn’t failing to take you seriously; our folly could be in giving you too much credit without ever earning it. What noteworthy things have you done in Action Packed Wrestling? Living in the past has never benefitted anyone, but the past is usually a good indicator and a good gauge of what to anticipate for the future. Either I’m ignorant or the past of The Unforgiven is too desolate to even undertake. But you Blood and The Sentinel are in this position for a reason. I can come up with a million and one ways about your initial approach towards me and how unwise it was, but you were booked in this match for a reason. Sang Réal was booked in this match for a reason. Dying Breed is just going to have to roll with the punches and we’re fine with that. We’re coming up on month number four as the reigning Tag Team Champions and truthfully, we aren’t ready to relinquish the titles just yet…but then again…who ever is ready to do such a thing like that?
Of all things, title relinquishment has been a hot topic in APW as of late. Level-One “giving” up the World Heavyweight Title on the last episode of Overdrive and the contingency of the Overdrive Title with Evan Envi departing the company any day now has left many scrambling for answers on the whereabouts of these championship belts.
I can’t speak on the situations of Level-One or Evan Envi because it’s not my place, but I feel that the reason that many maintain the death grip on their pieces of gold is oftentimes pride. We care about our titles as both The Unforgiven and Sang Réal will find that out tomorrow night, but Hopkins and I desire to win our match tomorrow and retain our titles because we’re just scratching the surface of this tag team division rebuilding phase. Roy Speede, Donald Deruty, Sons of The South, M&M, etc…they pushed us further than we ever thought that we could go.
But they were just the exteriors of the infinite depths that Dying Breed plans on taking the tag team division. Call it egotism if you may, even venture to call it deception on our end, but it’s something that we are determined to do and that determination will remit us to the victorious side at Raab-A-Mania. The Unforgiven’s lack of tag team experience and them never competing for the same company until now will be their deluge. If the only thing binding them together is their sibling managers, then they have already fallen to the mat and taken the three count. Talent alone doesn’t win matches. If that talent stands isolated and lacks chemistry, then your chances of a positive outcome are slim to none.
Murphy…Krown….I respect the roots that you both possess with your lineages in this business, but tomorrow no genealogy or family tree in the entire universe will save you from The Promise or from Hopkins. You don’t get us or why we call ourselves what we do? At times, things that are beyond you can be hard to fathom. God…time…space…how the pyramids in Egypt were constructed and how they still stand to this day…all of these things are beyond my limited comprehension. I love things of the intellectual nature but at the end of the day, I’m just human. Are we beyond you guys in talent? Maybe not…but in scope? Definitely. While you are focused on riding the coattails of your fathers, we are focused on building something novel, something innovative. Something that only Dying Breed can do.
The thing about silver spoons is that they become tarnished over time. They are pleasurable at first but once the rust sets in, the savor becomes callous. A plethora of rust awaits you tomorrow night in that squared circle Sang Réal and it’ll be just the reality check that you two need. Daddy’s legacy can only get you so far in this world. A foundation by its lonesome is worthless. Who ever got excited or marveled over an unfinished edifice? Drooling over plywood isn’t my cup of tea. Your daddies understood this concept so take a page from their books and educate yourselves. The foundation is meant to be built on and the architecture of Connor Murphy and Gabriel Krown haven’t even begun. Is it in the process? I wouldn’t doubt that it is because you two have bright futures ahead of you. ACW was only a small taste of what you guys are capable of bringing to the table but the arrogance you two possess will not propel you to where you’re destined to be. It’ll hinder you until you’re reminded that humility goes a lot farther than disdain.
As the late, great musician Duke Ellington once said “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” The problem of Dying Breed being pit against not two but four competitors who are looking to make their mark as a tag team is just that…a problem. But Hopkins and I are looking to capitalize on this as an opportunity for us to do our best. Not to try and prove to four other megastars that we are superior but to prove that we are a premier tag team that has stood the test of time. Forged by fire and adversity, we have withstood some of the toughest contention. Many didn’t think that we could do it or that we had it in us. Neither of us had backgrounds in tag team competition but we sacrificed and came together for the greater good.
The greater good was taking this tag team division to a whole nother level and that goal is what has allowed us to keep tunnel division throughout the situation. Why do I even have the nerve to say this? It’s because I am Anthony Bailey…APW’s only Promise…the only Promise that can't be broken. Now that’s a royal and unforgivable statement that you can take with you to the bank. Until tomorrow…
{{The scene slowly fades to black as both Hopkins and Williams appear on screen holding some bags.}}
