Post by The Soul Of Philly on Jun 13, 2015 18:38:46 GMT -4
June 5th, 2015
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
10:45PM EST
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
10:45PM EST
We open the scene inside the Rexall Arena, emptied out as the ring crew takes down the set of EWC’s Rampage. We then cut to the backstage area, the locker room to be exact as a couple people exit with their gear in backpacks and duffel bags. As the door way clears, we see one man, lying on the floor. That one man, is none other than “The Soul of Philly” TJ, covered in ice. Ice bags wrapping his knees, taped to his ankle and elbow and resting under his neck as if it were a pillow. It seems TJ is frozen, until he lets out a groan of pain.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Fuuuuuckkkkkkk. Whhhhyyyy…..ughh….why did I come back!?!?!
As TJ continues to wonder what drove him to get back in the ring, get powerbombed by a man slightly bigger than him, and decide that his life was missing something, a young janitor comes in the locker room.
The.Janitor
Ah, TJ, it’s time to go. All the talent has left, you’re the last one. Figured you’d like a heads up.
TJ struggles to look towards the man talking to him.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Can’t you see I’m lying here on ice; I am lying here in cold regret and even colder water in its solid form!
The.Janitor
Oh, sorry. I just, ah, I’ll leave you, um, let you think yeah. Sorry.
As the man turns to leave, TJ grunts as he somehow gets up from his semi-frozen state.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Wait, what’s your name?
The.Janitor
Marcello.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
You know my name?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well, besides the fact that I work here and was cleaning up some kids vomit while you made your entrance on tonight’s show, we’ve met before.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Look, autographs signings and what not, really don’t count. I’m not going to lie, I don’t remember many people.
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, I met you long time ago. I was a kid, found you sort of like this, doubting yourself. You do that a lot.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Yeah, I do.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Why?
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Whoa, wait, you got me interested in this story, so you found me like this?
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, not lying on your back, back then, you stood tall, in spite of your self-doubt.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I like this.
Marcello.The.Janitor
I watched you on TV, beating up guys like Frank Washington, Jeff Jones, Assault and Battery, you know you’d have your battles with Chris Phenomenal and they were awesome. Then you changed. You couldn’t beat Tyson, so you joined him. You sold out.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Not quite what happened-
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, you lost to him, he beat you and you became his running buddy for a while. You were all about being in it for yourself. That having fun and being one of the fans wasn’t enough, you had to be successful.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I’m starting to regret this story.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Then, one night here in Edmonton, you met me and I don’t know, but you changed. You remembered what made you, you.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Wait, you’re from here, but your name is Marcello.
Marcello.The.Janitor
My mom is from Italy, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. So why do you doubt yourself so often? Do you feel like you’ve always chased success and settled for being loved by everyone? Is it because you try so hard to make better where you come from? You know that’s impossible, you should just accept that where you came from is not where you will end up.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What the hell, man?!? What do you have a degree in Psychology or something?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Gonna graduate in the fall, actually.
TJ simply looks at the young janitor, full of all the right answers, none of which TJ wants to admit to being correct.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Well good for you, but no, that’s not why I doubt myself.
See, told you.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well then, why?
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I don’t know.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well, unless you enjoy auditioning for the role of Elsa, I’d suggest you figure it out.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What? Audition for the role of Elsa?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Yeah, you know from Frozen, because you have so much ice, you’re gonna turn into a snowman.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
You mean Olaf!
Marcello.The.Janitor
Whatever man, I’m 18 and about to graduate from college, I don’t have time to watch that shit. Clean up your shit and get out. I have a date tonight I would like to get to. So don’t be a cock-block and get your gear and ass out of here.
Marcello then exits the locker room, leaving TJ alone, contemplating exactly what the hell just happened. As he gathers his stuff, empty all the ice bags in a sink, and throws out the bags, he looks around him and smiles.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I did miss it.
TJ then exits the locker room where he sees Marcello waiting to enter.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Sorry about that.
Marcello.The.Janitor
No problem, figured you geezers need more time.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Hey now.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Seriously though, as a fan, happy to see you back. And to be honest, that wasn’t such a bad match.
TJ signs an elbow pad and gives it to Marcello who puts it underneath his cart and the two shake hands as TJ exits the building and wanders into the parking lot. He gets into his rent-a-car and drives off into the night as the scene fades
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Fuuuuuckkkkkkk. Whhhhyyyy…..ughh….why did I come back!?!?!
As TJ continues to wonder what drove him to get back in the ring, get powerbombed by a man slightly bigger than him, and decide that his life was missing something, a young janitor comes in the locker room.
The.Janitor
Ah, TJ, it’s time to go. All the talent has left, you’re the last one. Figured you’d like a heads up.
TJ struggles to look towards the man talking to him.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Can’t you see I’m lying here on ice; I am lying here in cold regret and even colder water in its solid form!
The.Janitor
Oh, sorry. I just, ah, I’ll leave you, um, let you think yeah. Sorry.
As the man turns to leave, TJ grunts as he somehow gets up from his semi-frozen state.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Wait, what’s your name?
The.Janitor
Marcello.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
You know my name?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well, besides the fact that I work here and was cleaning up some kids vomit while you made your entrance on tonight’s show, we’ve met before.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Look, autographs signings and what not, really don’t count. I’m not going to lie, I don’t remember many people.
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, I met you long time ago. I was a kid, found you sort of like this, doubting yourself. You do that a lot.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Yeah, I do.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Why?
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Whoa, wait, you got me interested in this story, so you found me like this?
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, not lying on your back, back then, you stood tall, in spite of your self-doubt.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I like this.
Marcello.The.Janitor
I watched you on TV, beating up guys like Frank Washington, Jeff Jones, Assault and Battery, you know you’d have your battles with Chris Phenomenal and they were awesome. Then you changed. You couldn’t beat Tyson, so you joined him. You sold out.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Not quite what happened-
Marcello.The.Janitor
No, you lost to him, he beat you and you became his running buddy for a while. You were all about being in it for yourself. That having fun and being one of the fans wasn’t enough, you had to be successful.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I’m starting to regret this story.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Then, one night here in Edmonton, you met me and I don’t know, but you changed. You remembered what made you, you.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Wait, you’re from here, but your name is Marcello.
Marcello.The.Janitor
My mom is from Italy, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. So why do you doubt yourself so often? Do you feel like you’ve always chased success and settled for being loved by everyone? Is it because you try so hard to make better where you come from? You know that’s impossible, you should just accept that where you came from is not where you will end up.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What the hell, man?!? What do you have a degree in Psychology or something?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Gonna graduate in the fall, actually.
TJ simply looks at the young janitor, full of all the right answers, none of which TJ wants to admit to being correct.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Well good for you, but no, that’s not why I doubt myself.
See, told you.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well then, why?
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I don’t know.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Well, unless you enjoy auditioning for the role of Elsa, I’d suggest you figure it out.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What? Audition for the role of Elsa?
Marcello.The.Janitor
Yeah, you know from Frozen, because you have so much ice, you’re gonna turn into a snowman.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
You mean Olaf!
Marcello.The.Janitor
Whatever man, I’m 18 and about to graduate from college, I don’t have time to watch that shit. Clean up your shit and get out. I have a date tonight I would like to get to. So don’t be a cock-block and get your gear and ass out of here.
Marcello then exits the locker room, leaving TJ alone, contemplating exactly what the hell just happened. As he gathers his stuff, empty all the ice bags in a sink, and throws out the bags, he looks around him and smiles.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I did miss it.
TJ then exits the locker room where he sees Marcello waiting to enter.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Sorry about that.
Marcello.The.Janitor
No problem, figured you geezers need more time.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Hey now.
Marcello.The.Janitor
Seriously though, as a fan, happy to see you back. And to be honest, that wasn’t such a bad match.
TJ signs an elbow pad and gives it to Marcello who puts it underneath his cart and the two shake hands as TJ exits the building and wanders into the parking lot. He gets into his rent-a-car and drives off into the night as the scene fades
June 12th, 2015
Philadelphia, PA
2:32 PM EST
Philadelphia, PA
2:32 PM EST
We open the scene atop of a row of townhouses. As we look off into the center of Philadelphia, we see TJ enter the frame from the bottom. He takes a seat in a beach chair on the top of the roof.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Well, shit. Didn’t think I’d ever have this feeling again. You know the feeling. You’re sitting around waiting for the travel day before a show. Then a couple weeks ago, that changed. I’m still getting used to it too. In a little under a day, I’m gonna get on a plane and head down to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a show. A show for a company I thought I’d never see again, Action Packed Wrestling.
I had great times there. There was the time that Julius Farquhar broke my ankle. Then there was the, wait, no that was Julius Farquhar breaking my ankle again. So that was twi-nope, he did it another time, making it three times. Well, there were other times that weren’t Jules breaking my ankle, like that time Reaver threw me through about four walls. Or the time Young Mannie tried to kill me in the middle of the ring. Good times.
TJ stares at the camera
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What you don’t think those were great times? Look at me! I’m still here! That means all that happening, was not too bad, I’ll admit I did really think I was dead, I swore I saw my brother after the ninth chair shot from Mannie, but yet, here I am.
Which is a good thing, because it means I can, and will, partake in the Reunion show. Me and Saint, The Pillars will stand together once more. It’s gonna be awesome. All that stuff that happened me, nothing more cool that being a Pillar of Asylum. Sally, Strike, Saint, and me, the only non-S guy in the group. The Pillars was a surreal moment for me. To be introduced among those three, and I’m good I guess, but I didn’t understand what I had done to deserve being among them. I don’t know why a guy like me, a guy who dreamed to have the success those three had, a guy like that had no business being in that group. Yet, there I was.
Despite the inner-doubt, I persevered. I proved I deserved to be there, I KO’d Sally shortly after the Pillars became a thing. I showed up on the biggest stage of the year, Rasslemania and came away with my title in the most brutal war APW has ever seen, and I took Terry Marvin to a brink he had never seen before. Yet, here I am.
TJ gets up out of his beach chair and stands near the edge of his roof, looking out into his city.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
More than two years removed from that moment, a shell of what I use to be. You look at me and think “maybe he could have done all that, but I doubt it.” And I’d agree. Just a couple a days ago I was laying in a locker room, ice covered my body, wondering, “Why?” And I remember asking myself the same thing almost three years ago, right before I signed a contract with APW. I thought the same things: “Am I ready to return?” “Am I as good as I was back then?” “What if I ruin everything I’ve ever done?” Yet, there I was, signing the contract.
It was the greatest choice I ever made, I was more than ready to return. I was better than I was back then. I only added to everything I’ve ever done. So maybe I am ready to come back again. Maybe I am as good as I was back then, and maybe I will add to everything I’ve ever done. Maybe that starts at The Reunion Show. Me and Saint, two Pillars stand tall against The Dying Breed and The Black Hand.
I don’t know much about the Black Hand as a team, we never had the pleasure of doing battle before Young Mannie attempted to murder me live on pay per view, but Madison and Knox, I know, can give me a fight, and I’m looking forward to it. I couldn’t help but get excited a bit at doing something I never did before. Seeing TDB against as, was great, but the unknown, to me, of The Black Hand, got me excited. Don’t disappoint me you two, and I’m sure I won’t disappoint you either.
Jair, Anthony, took a little longer than anyone had hoped but a true, proper match between The Pillars and The Dying Breed. It was good that both sides saw visions of a better Asylum, an Asylum that would be regarded as the best brand of wrestling and we saw that vision through. You two, have had my respect from day one, Jair the time we matched up as a tag team, I was so excited I threw down a dropkick. Never again will that happen. Never. Again.
Then there’s tagging with Keaton. Spent a lot of time on the road with him, some cheap hotels, some disputes over who had the room service bill and over who went over the limit we put on hotel service, I swear it wasn’t always me.
TJ leans into the camera and puts his hand around his mouth
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
It was always me.
TJ leans back away and looks at the camera.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I never thought I’d standing here, mentally preparing for possibly the most fun I’ll ever have in a pro wrestling ring. And I’ve had some fun, like that time I beat the brakes off Bacon on that Meltdown. Yet, here I am.
TJ stretches his arms out wide
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Here I am, greatness in its truest form. Here I am, nightmares in their physical forms. Here I am, “THE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL OF PHILLY”. And come this weekend, APW is where I’ll be.
The scene fades as TJ turns around to look at the city of Philadelphia.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Well, shit. Didn’t think I’d ever have this feeling again. You know the feeling. You’re sitting around waiting for the travel day before a show. Then a couple weeks ago, that changed. I’m still getting used to it too. In a little under a day, I’m gonna get on a plane and head down to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a show. A show for a company I thought I’d never see again, Action Packed Wrestling.
I had great times there. There was the time that Julius Farquhar broke my ankle. Then there was the, wait, no that was Julius Farquhar breaking my ankle again. So that was twi-nope, he did it another time, making it three times. Well, there were other times that weren’t Jules breaking my ankle, like that time Reaver threw me through about four walls. Or the time Young Mannie tried to kill me in the middle of the ring. Good times.
TJ stares at the camera
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
What you don’t think those were great times? Look at me! I’m still here! That means all that happening, was not too bad, I’ll admit I did really think I was dead, I swore I saw my brother after the ninth chair shot from Mannie, but yet, here I am.
Which is a good thing, because it means I can, and will, partake in the Reunion show. Me and Saint, The Pillars will stand together once more. It’s gonna be awesome. All that stuff that happened me, nothing more cool that being a Pillar of Asylum. Sally, Strike, Saint, and me, the only non-S guy in the group. The Pillars was a surreal moment for me. To be introduced among those three, and I’m good I guess, but I didn’t understand what I had done to deserve being among them. I don’t know why a guy like me, a guy who dreamed to have the success those three had, a guy like that had no business being in that group. Yet, there I was.
Despite the inner-doubt, I persevered. I proved I deserved to be there, I KO’d Sally shortly after the Pillars became a thing. I showed up on the biggest stage of the year, Rasslemania and came away with my title in the most brutal war APW has ever seen, and I took Terry Marvin to a brink he had never seen before. Yet, here I am.
TJ gets up out of his beach chair and stands near the edge of his roof, looking out into his city.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
More than two years removed from that moment, a shell of what I use to be. You look at me and think “maybe he could have done all that, but I doubt it.” And I’d agree. Just a couple a days ago I was laying in a locker room, ice covered my body, wondering, “Why?” And I remember asking myself the same thing almost three years ago, right before I signed a contract with APW. I thought the same things: “Am I ready to return?” “Am I as good as I was back then?” “What if I ruin everything I’ve ever done?” Yet, there I was, signing the contract.
It was the greatest choice I ever made, I was more than ready to return. I was better than I was back then. I only added to everything I’ve ever done. So maybe I am ready to come back again. Maybe I am as good as I was back then, and maybe I will add to everything I’ve ever done. Maybe that starts at The Reunion Show. Me and Saint, two Pillars stand tall against The Dying Breed and The Black Hand.
I don’t know much about the Black Hand as a team, we never had the pleasure of doing battle before Young Mannie attempted to murder me live on pay per view, but Madison and Knox, I know, can give me a fight, and I’m looking forward to it. I couldn’t help but get excited a bit at doing something I never did before. Seeing TDB against as, was great, but the unknown, to me, of The Black Hand, got me excited. Don’t disappoint me you two, and I’m sure I won’t disappoint you either.
Jair, Anthony, took a little longer than anyone had hoped but a true, proper match between The Pillars and The Dying Breed. It was good that both sides saw visions of a better Asylum, an Asylum that would be regarded as the best brand of wrestling and we saw that vision through. You two, have had my respect from day one, Jair the time we matched up as a tag team, I was so excited I threw down a dropkick. Never again will that happen. Never. Again.
Then there’s tagging with Keaton. Spent a lot of time on the road with him, some cheap hotels, some disputes over who had the room service bill and over who went over the limit we put on hotel service, I swear it wasn’t always me.
TJ leans into the camera and puts his hand around his mouth
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
It was always me.
TJ leans back away and looks at the camera.
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
I never thought I’d standing here, mentally preparing for possibly the most fun I’ll ever have in a pro wrestling ring. And I’ve had some fun, like that time I beat the brakes off Bacon on that Meltdown. Yet, here I am.
TJ stretches his arms out wide
The.Soul.Of.Philly TJ
Here I am, greatness in its truest form. Here I am, nightmares in their physical forms. Here I am, “THE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLL OF PHILLY”. And come this weekend, APW is where I’ll be.
The scene fades as TJ turns around to look at the city of Philadelphia.
