Post by C.J. Gates on Jun 13, 2015 7:19:14 GMT -4
The last time you saw me, I was getting beaten by the better man in my Rasslemania X match. There's no way around that, Johnny Rebel beat me and left me out cold. It took awhile for all of that to settle in. The APW's last show. Johnny Rebel finally getting one over on me. Losing my chance at the World title.
Then I got the text, the one that told me that APW was holding a reunion show. And admittedly, I was torn. I didn't know if I wanted to walk back into that ring after having been away from it for so long.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who had those thoughts. Any of us who have been away from the ring for a long time, they probably had the same thoughts as well. Would we still have the drive? The heart? The desire to put our bodies on the line?
But when you dig down deep, you realize that the reason you fought week in and week out is still there. It might be dormant, but it's still there, just waiting to be unleashed.
This is the moment for it to be unleashed.
This is the APW Reunion Show.
"Hello there, my name is Robert Lynch and tonight, I am joined by former APW Megastar C.J. Gates. Thanks for joining me, C.J."
"Thanks for having me, Robert."
"Let's jump right into it," Lynch says. "The APW's renuion show is coming up, how excited are you?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited," Gates responds. "It will be great to see some of the people that I've kind of lost touch with over the years, see some of the people I never could stand, cheer my friends, boo the guys who always gave me a hard time and never could show anyone respect."
"So you're looking forward to reconnecting with your Space Cowboys brethren Biggs?"
"Biggs and I still keep in touch from time to time. I mean, you do tend to forge a few really great friendships, and he is one of them."
"As I'm sure you know," Lynch begins, "there has been talk of APW re-opening its doors. What's your take on that?"
"Am I excited for the prospect of APW re-opening? Sure." Gates nods. "But if you're asking whether or not I would climb back into the saddle and give it another shot on a long term basis, well that's hard to say. A lot has changed since the last time I walked down the APW ramp."
"But you could say the same for a lot of the people on the card for this reunion show."
"True, I don't deny that," Gates says. "Some of them have kept things going while others took the time away. For me, I think I needed the time off. I was going non-stop for months on end, never taking a break, never backing away from a challenge. And believe me, there were plenty of challenges that I probably should have backed away from due to health."
"Are you saying you weren't healthy in APW?"
Gates chuckles. "It's more like I wasn't smart."
"I see," Lynch says. "Well, as for the show itself you take on Mark Mania. Thoughts?"
"I couldn't be happier."
"Truly?"
"Yes. Mark and I have a respect for one another and, sometimes, having a mutual respect for them is much better then hating their guts. Instead of wanting to murder them, you want to out perform them. To one up them. To show them that you are as good as you say you are."
"Would you say you're better then he is?"
"That's up for debate. I think Mania has a lot of untapped potential. He could have been a true star in this company, in this business, but I think his mind was always looking at the businesses he was running and stuff like that. Took him away from time to time and he never really got hit footing. I know that he is talented and capable of great things when given the chance. Hell, he's probably chomping at the bit to get into that ring and show the world he has what it takes to win."
"And go toe to toe with one of APW's greatest."
Gates holds up his hand. "There are many greater than me. As long as I was putting on a good show for the fans, that's all I really cared about."
"And now?"
"I still want to put on a great show," Gates says. "But I also want to prove to myself that I am still capable of getting into that ring and putting on that great show."
"Fair point," Lynch says. "Next question. How does it feel to have lost to Johnny Rebel at Rasslemania X? You seemed to have his number up until it mattered most."
"I'll never live that down, will I?"
"So here we are again.
"If you would have told me a year ago that I would be back in an APW ring, I would probably tell you that it was a crazy idea. Not because APW was terrible, but because, at that time, all signs pointed towards the doors being closed for good.
"But now, just over a year later, here we are, on the cusp of a reunion show. Some of the biggest names to dance down that steel ramp are scheduled to take part. Rivals of mine in Terry Marvin and Sally Talfourd. Friends of mine in Biggs and A.C. Smith. Men I never got to fight against, truly, in Evan Envi. All the usual suspects are here.
"So naturally, when word of this reunion started to circulate, people began to speculate as to what matches would happen. Everyone I know seemed dead set that the only way I would get back into an APW ring, was if I was standing across from Johnny Rebel. A rematch for the ages. Two men who hate one another going toe to toe.
"Instead, I'm facing Mark Mania. Or at least, the fans might see it as an 'instead'. To me, it's a great match. A dream match, even. Not everyone will see it that way, of course. Mark Mania didn't exactly leave the crystal clear impression on anyone so I can understand if I'm in the minority. But if there's one thing Mark Mania had, it was heart.
"He loved this business and he loved APW. Every time he went out to the ring, he tried his best to put on the greatest show he could. He made sure everyone in attendance remembered the name of Mark Mania.
"Besides, my career might not have turned out the way it did if it weren't for Mark Mania. Sure, maybe it's not the greatest way that he wishes to view his own career. But early on in my time here in APW, my good friend Blade and I were partnered up on a whim and one of the first teams we fought against was Mark Mania and John Green. A match that we won, and that gave birth to a tag team run that would culminate with winning the tag team titles and becoming one of the top teams in APW history.
"Like I said before, though, it's not necessarily the way Mark wants to be remembered. He'd rather be remembered for all that he did in the ring during his victories and by all means, he had a lot of them. I don't deny that he put on some great matches and for that brief moment when he and I teamed up, it was a joy to fight alongside him.
"Which might be the real truth to why this is a dream match. It's not that Mark is the bitter hated enemy that I would love to get one more crack at. That spot is reserved for Johnny Rebel or Level One. No, the relationship between Mark and I is one built on respect. Or at least, that's what it was the last time the APW had a show. He and I respected what one another did inside of the ring, and nothing is more enticing then to face off against someone you truly respect.
"There was no hesitation to sign up for this match. I didn't try and haggle my way to a different opponent, a better spot. The minute I heard that I would potentially be facing off against Mark Mania, I jumped at the chance.
"But, really, no one should be too shocked by all of this. I'm sure Mark isn't.
"Right, Mark? I don't want to speak for both of us, but I can awesome that you feel the same way. That you saw the chance to take on a man you respected, a man you knew would be able to go toe to toe with you, to put on a great match. And you jumped at that chance. And maybe that's because we're similar people.
"We wrestled and fought all over the world. Not against each other, but in promotions, and we kept up successful business while doing so. We had our trials and tribulations but at the end of the night, our names were ringing in the ears of the fans. Hell, I remember when I would go to other promotions for events, the minute they heard the name Mark Mania, the memories and stories would flood in.
"And I stood in awe.
"Especially early on in my life, I would listen and take it all in with the hopes that one day, I would be as recognized as Mister Mark Mania. You set the tone, Mark. You set the bar for me.
"And now here we are, facing off at the reunion show. A possible re-opening on the horizon and I can't say if either of us has stepped into a ring since our last match. Did we moonlight elsewhere or were we loyal to APW? The minute they shut down, we shut it down.
"I can tell you that my moonlighting didn't last. My time as El Lobo Grande was short lived after APW closed, but that was okay. It gave me time to focus on me, something I was rarely able to do when wrestling every week for years. It gave me time to be with my family, to start a family. It allowed me to grow.
"And now we will see how much I've grown. Am I the same guy who was flying around this ring without a care in the world, putting my body on the line every chance, or am I more reserved, more conservative in how I wrestle. Obviously I still need the speed to take someone like yourself down, but the real question is, will I dive outside the ring to gain that edge? Will I jump from the top rope every chance I get?
"These questions will be answered in time.
"The one thing we can be sure of is that no matter how we act in the match, we will still put on a good show. We will still show signs of vintage APW. Signs of the good old days, of what the fans have been missing since the federation closed its doors.
"I might not be the same C.J. Gates that dazzled crowds as the Undisputed champion or the C.J. Gates that was getting his skull bashed in on a bi-weekly basis.
"And even if all of the risk taking isn't there, the elements of the past still remain.
"I will still give it my all.
"I will still put on a good show.
"And by the end of the night, I'm going to go as big as I can. After all, I wouldn't be me if I didn't do all that I could in my power.
"Mark Mania, you know the drill.
"It's time to go big or go home."
Then I got the text, the one that told me that APW was holding a reunion show. And admittedly, I was torn. I didn't know if I wanted to walk back into that ring after having been away from it for so long.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who had those thoughts. Any of us who have been away from the ring for a long time, they probably had the same thoughts as well. Would we still have the drive? The heart? The desire to put our bodies on the line?
But when you dig down deep, you realize that the reason you fought week in and week out is still there. It might be dormant, but it's still there, just waiting to be unleashed.
This is the moment for it to be unleashed.
This is the APW Reunion Show.
-------------------
"Hello there, my name is Robert Lynch and tonight, I am joined by former APW Megastar C.J. Gates. Thanks for joining me, C.J."
"Thanks for having me, Robert."
"Let's jump right into it," Lynch says. "The APW's renuion show is coming up, how excited are you?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited," Gates responds. "It will be great to see some of the people that I've kind of lost touch with over the years, see some of the people I never could stand, cheer my friends, boo the guys who always gave me a hard time and never could show anyone respect."
"So you're looking forward to reconnecting with your Space Cowboys brethren Biggs?"
"Biggs and I still keep in touch from time to time. I mean, you do tend to forge a few really great friendships, and he is one of them."
"As I'm sure you know," Lynch begins, "there has been talk of APW re-opening its doors. What's your take on that?"
"Am I excited for the prospect of APW re-opening? Sure." Gates nods. "But if you're asking whether or not I would climb back into the saddle and give it another shot on a long term basis, well that's hard to say. A lot has changed since the last time I walked down the APW ramp."
"But you could say the same for a lot of the people on the card for this reunion show."
"True, I don't deny that," Gates says. "Some of them have kept things going while others took the time away. For me, I think I needed the time off. I was going non-stop for months on end, never taking a break, never backing away from a challenge. And believe me, there were plenty of challenges that I probably should have backed away from due to health."
"Are you saying you weren't healthy in APW?"
Gates chuckles. "It's more like I wasn't smart."
"I see," Lynch says. "Well, as for the show itself you take on Mark Mania. Thoughts?"
"I couldn't be happier."
"Truly?"
"Yes. Mark and I have a respect for one another and, sometimes, having a mutual respect for them is much better then hating their guts. Instead of wanting to murder them, you want to out perform them. To one up them. To show them that you are as good as you say you are."
"Would you say you're better then he is?"
"That's up for debate. I think Mania has a lot of untapped potential. He could have been a true star in this company, in this business, but I think his mind was always looking at the businesses he was running and stuff like that. Took him away from time to time and he never really got hit footing. I know that he is talented and capable of great things when given the chance. Hell, he's probably chomping at the bit to get into that ring and show the world he has what it takes to win."
"And go toe to toe with one of APW's greatest."
Gates holds up his hand. "There are many greater than me. As long as I was putting on a good show for the fans, that's all I really cared about."
"And now?"
"I still want to put on a great show," Gates says. "But I also want to prove to myself that I am still capable of getting into that ring and putting on that great show."
"Fair point," Lynch says. "Next question. How does it feel to have lost to Johnny Rebel at Rasslemania X? You seemed to have his number up until it mattered most."
"I'll never live that down, will I?"
-------------------
"So here we are again.
"If you would have told me a year ago that I would be back in an APW ring, I would probably tell you that it was a crazy idea. Not because APW was terrible, but because, at that time, all signs pointed towards the doors being closed for good.
"But now, just over a year later, here we are, on the cusp of a reunion show. Some of the biggest names to dance down that steel ramp are scheduled to take part. Rivals of mine in Terry Marvin and Sally Talfourd. Friends of mine in Biggs and A.C. Smith. Men I never got to fight against, truly, in Evan Envi. All the usual suspects are here.
"So naturally, when word of this reunion started to circulate, people began to speculate as to what matches would happen. Everyone I know seemed dead set that the only way I would get back into an APW ring, was if I was standing across from Johnny Rebel. A rematch for the ages. Two men who hate one another going toe to toe.
"Instead, I'm facing Mark Mania. Or at least, the fans might see it as an 'instead'. To me, it's a great match. A dream match, even. Not everyone will see it that way, of course. Mark Mania didn't exactly leave the crystal clear impression on anyone so I can understand if I'm in the minority. But if there's one thing Mark Mania had, it was heart.
"He loved this business and he loved APW. Every time he went out to the ring, he tried his best to put on the greatest show he could. He made sure everyone in attendance remembered the name of Mark Mania.
"Besides, my career might not have turned out the way it did if it weren't for Mark Mania. Sure, maybe it's not the greatest way that he wishes to view his own career. But early on in my time here in APW, my good friend Blade and I were partnered up on a whim and one of the first teams we fought against was Mark Mania and John Green. A match that we won, and that gave birth to a tag team run that would culminate with winning the tag team titles and becoming one of the top teams in APW history.
"Like I said before, though, it's not necessarily the way Mark wants to be remembered. He'd rather be remembered for all that he did in the ring during his victories and by all means, he had a lot of them. I don't deny that he put on some great matches and for that brief moment when he and I teamed up, it was a joy to fight alongside him.
"Which might be the real truth to why this is a dream match. It's not that Mark is the bitter hated enemy that I would love to get one more crack at. That spot is reserved for Johnny Rebel or Level One. No, the relationship between Mark and I is one built on respect. Or at least, that's what it was the last time the APW had a show. He and I respected what one another did inside of the ring, and nothing is more enticing then to face off against someone you truly respect.
"There was no hesitation to sign up for this match. I didn't try and haggle my way to a different opponent, a better spot. The minute I heard that I would potentially be facing off against Mark Mania, I jumped at the chance.
"But, really, no one should be too shocked by all of this. I'm sure Mark isn't.
"Right, Mark? I don't want to speak for both of us, but I can awesome that you feel the same way. That you saw the chance to take on a man you respected, a man you knew would be able to go toe to toe with you, to put on a great match. And you jumped at that chance. And maybe that's because we're similar people.
"We wrestled and fought all over the world. Not against each other, but in promotions, and we kept up successful business while doing so. We had our trials and tribulations but at the end of the night, our names were ringing in the ears of the fans. Hell, I remember when I would go to other promotions for events, the minute they heard the name Mark Mania, the memories and stories would flood in.
"And I stood in awe.
"Especially early on in my life, I would listen and take it all in with the hopes that one day, I would be as recognized as Mister Mark Mania. You set the tone, Mark. You set the bar for me.
"And now here we are, facing off at the reunion show. A possible re-opening on the horizon and I can't say if either of us has stepped into a ring since our last match. Did we moonlight elsewhere or were we loyal to APW? The minute they shut down, we shut it down.
"I can tell you that my moonlighting didn't last. My time as El Lobo Grande was short lived after APW closed, but that was okay. It gave me time to focus on me, something I was rarely able to do when wrestling every week for years. It gave me time to be with my family, to start a family. It allowed me to grow.
"And now we will see how much I've grown. Am I the same guy who was flying around this ring without a care in the world, putting my body on the line every chance, or am I more reserved, more conservative in how I wrestle. Obviously I still need the speed to take someone like yourself down, but the real question is, will I dive outside the ring to gain that edge? Will I jump from the top rope every chance I get?
"These questions will be answered in time.
"The one thing we can be sure of is that no matter how we act in the match, we will still put on a good show. We will still show signs of vintage APW. Signs of the good old days, of what the fans have been missing since the federation closed its doors.
"I might not be the same C.J. Gates that dazzled crowds as the Undisputed champion or the C.J. Gates that was getting his skull bashed in on a bi-weekly basis.
"And even if all of the risk taking isn't there, the elements of the past still remain.
"I will still give it my all.
"I will still put on a good show.
"And by the end of the night, I'm going to go as big as I can. After all, I wouldn't be me if I didn't do all that I could in my power.
"Mark Mania, you know the drill.
"It's time to go big or go home."
