Post by Phoenix Nitro on Jul 10, 2015 15:32:40 GMT -5
It's been a long day without you my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sounds of gunshots rang through my ears, "Welcome home." I thought to myself. For the first time in months I was walking the streets of Atlanta, Georgia and within a hour nothing had changed. It was the same old kill or be killed attitude that drove me away from the city in the first place, hell it drove me to Japan. Never once within eight years of being in a foreign land did I hear a gunshot, yet I hear three back to back to back after only being home for two months. It really brought the question of why am I back to my mind, though that was a easy question to answer. I know that I made all I could in Japan, now it was time to make my name in the US. While the first two months of being home weren't that difficult given my indy bookings, these next months coming were surely going to be a pain. A pain that i'm not too sure if I want to experience again.
Every single time I make a debut in a new promotion with any worth, I screw something up. Why? Who knows honestly, maybe the pressure? It's not really something I try to think about but rather I try to think of the solution. Something I honestly feel like there just isn't in existence. However in a few weeks I get to prove it to myself. I get to show myself that I can overcome what I couldn't in my youth. The WFWF is the place to be, it's the big time and now it's my time to show just what I have learned. No longer am I a young boy, come Osaka, I prove that I am a man.
Now as I walk these cold streets of Atlanta, I face obstacles. Obstacles that those before me have faced time and time again. Maybe I have been desensitized to the situation that was my past life. Honestly I try to forget these streets, these people. I haven't had to face these struggles, sure I had my own when it came to Japan. I wouldn't really judge learning another language to facing getting shot by walking the streets at night though. Clear as day the Atlanta night scene was dangerous when the right people were on these streets, but i'm not out here to just lollygag. No, i'm out here walking the dangerous turf with a purpose.
Specifically i'm out here in the streets looking for a specific location to film at. If the WFWF is going to get a first impression, I am making sure that it is a damn good one. So what in the hell did I think of? It's funny, i'm shocked that the gunshots happened earlier yet i'm not at the same time. I knew that i'd probably hear police sirens for that reason, but I never thought i'd hear the shots myself. What better way to exclaim my come up to the world than hearing police sirens in the background while seeing a more than ghetto area behind me? Don't have a better answer? Neither do I, because that answer is the perfect one.
So once I arrived at the abandoned warehouse I would pull my backpack off of my shoulders before moving the bag down by my feet in front of me. Within seconds i'd bend down to unzip the bag before pulling out a old camcorder that my dad have given me eight years ago. Though could you call him my father? Sure he wasn't the man that got my mother pregnant, but he was the man who took me in. When I was kicked out at seventeen he was the man who basically saved my life from these streets. Regardless if you consider him my dad or not, the camcorder was the last thing he ever gave me before his passing, and you best believe I captured almost eight years worth of footage while I was away. It was in his honor really that I captured the footage, because I know that I have no plans of watching it anytime soon. Now I would be faced with doing what I had done time and time again, setting up my little tripod and hitting the record button. This time though, this time it meant so much more as to what exactly I was to say or do on that camera.
I had never been the type to write a script or jot down my thoughts on paper. It all rather flowed naturally, something a good friend from the wrestling school here in Atlanta taught me. Neither let a script take over what your heart has to say because your heart is the best script in the world. With that thought burning through my brain I would hit the record button on my camera and now the feed would start to record. I'd let a deep breath go and then slowly I would walk in front of the camera. I didn't plan on using this footage however, more so just wanted to get the feed recording so I could make the intro cut at the start when I got home later. Now the time had finally come though, the time to make an impact in the WFWF.
With the camera recording I would take a firm stance in front of the abandoned warehouse and let yet another deep breath go. The thoughts would continue to pass my brain as i'd think of an intro line to say. Surely I had to open with something that would hook, line, and sink the audience. Do I even know what they like? I mean the wrestling audience I have been entertaining for years now had been Japanese, surely I could get over in front of an american audience though. It was almost a eureka moment when I finally after a few minutes thought of the intro line. Now it was time to do my job as a professional wrestler, it was time to put some butts in the seats.
"The clock has finally ticked around for it's final time. You see because the time has finally come that Phoenix Nitro is here in the WFWF and now it's official! The debut of hashtag broke strong style will finally come and it's got me cracking up." I'd pause ever so slightly just lean back into the brick wall behind me. Slowly I would bring my right foot up to rest against the wall while my hands would move into my pants pocket. A small chuckle would leave my lips as I would start to speak again. "Want to know why i'm all laughs? Because my dream as a little boy was to make it to the big times in pro wrestling! But you see as I got older, I got a bit more wise. I started figuring out how this world works and I knew that these good looks and this mouth wasn't going to be the only tool to get me here. So what did I do? For eight years I left my home! I left this place for a foreign country, Japan. Why though? Why? Why did I go to Japan for eight years when clearly I wanted to be an american wrestler on american television? Because I knew that I needed to get better in that ring. So that's exactly what I did, but you know when I finally was confident... When I finally was ready to come home and show everyone what I learned! I get told that i'm going to Japan for my debut." Again i'd pause this time though I would push myself off of the wall and quickly bring my hands from out of my pants pockets. With my right hand i'd almost point at the camera with an angry tone before going on to say "I DON'T WANT TO BE IN JAPAN ANYMORE! But if that's what the WFWF wants, that's what they get. You see i'd do anything for this spot that I have, and don't you think for one second I am going to take this shot for granted. I just wanted to wrestle on american soil, but hey if we want to go to Osaka! Then I don't mind lacing my boots up in that building again. Hell! You could even say that Lucas Crowe is going to be facing me on my homecourt! Because the awful streets of Atlanta are not somewhere I want to call home!" Quickly I would spin myself around before balling my right hand into a fist. Without a second thought I would send my right hand forward towards the wall before punching the bricks in front of me. The pain would set in but i'd just laugh and now I would hear the sounds of those police sirens raining over the Atlanta night life. While hearing this i'd slowly turn around to face the camera again before pressing my back into the wall. At an even slower rate I would begin to slide myself down the wall before i'd find myself in a seated position. My head was down and still i'd have a laugh coming from my lips. Suddenly though that would stop as i'd slowly look back up directly at the camera. "You know Lucas, i'm glad you don't know me... I'm glad going into this little tango of ours that you have no idea what i'm going to bring to the table. It's on the flip side of the coin for you though, because I know exactly what you're going to do. See unlike most of these new guys I actually care for the product I wrestle in. A student of the game some may say, but I like just saying it's me covering my own ass. So come Osaka when you walk through that curtain to Stranglehold, I want you to do me a favor Lucas. Use all eight minutes of that little song of yours to think to yourself. I want you to ask yourself the question when you are looking at me in the ring and it's simply this, do I really want to be the one this kid makes his name off of? Because hey, I have nothing against you Crowe to me you're just the first person I need to step over to get to where I need to go." I'd pull myself back up to a vertical position before walking slowly towards the camera. With my right hand outstretched I would grab the camera before pulling it off the tripod. With a smirk on my face i'd slowly start to speak again "Come Osaka, come Lucas Crowe, and come my WFWF debut I want you all to realize that the Phoenix... will.. rise."
Feeling good as ever I would stop the feed on the camera, and soon after i'd let out a deep sigh. Sure I had my fair share of confidence issues with my work. I had no clue how the WFWF audience would react, or for that matter if it'd promote the match as well as it should. Maybe I had made a good first impression, but it sure didn't feel like it yet. Regardless though it was time to walk back home so I would power down the camcorder and then put that along with the tripod into the bookbag. Looking back and forth gathering my wits about my surroundings I would slowly rise back to my feet before pulling the bag back over my shoulder. Now it was time to walk home so I could edit what I just recorded. It was funny though, I actually was getting excited about stepping into the ring again. Compared to the other dozens times I had stepped into the Osaka building, this time was going to be the most important. When it came to pro wrestling and Phoenix Nitro, it simply was time to see you again.
The sounds of gunshots rang through my ears, "Welcome home." I thought to myself. For the first time in months I was walking the streets of Atlanta, Georgia and within a hour nothing had changed. It was the same old kill or be killed attitude that drove me away from the city in the first place, hell it drove me to Japan. Never once within eight years of being in a foreign land did I hear a gunshot, yet I hear three back to back to back after only being home for two months. It really brought the question of why am I back to my mind, though that was a easy question to answer. I know that I made all I could in Japan, now it was time to make my name in the US. While the first two months of being home weren't that difficult given my indy bookings, these next months coming were surely going to be a pain. A pain that i'm not too sure if I want to experience again.
Every single time I make a debut in a new promotion with any worth, I screw something up. Why? Who knows honestly, maybe the pressure? It's not really something I try to think about but rather I try to think of the solution. Something I honestly feel like there just isn't in existence. However in a few weeks I get to prove it to myself. I get to show myself that I can overcome what I couldn't in my youth. The WFWF is the place to be, it's the big time and now it's my time to show just what I have learned. No longer am I a young boy, come Osaka, I prove that I am a man.
Now as I walk these cold streets of Atlanta, I face obstacles. Obstacles that those before me have faced time and time again. Maybe I have been desensitized to the situation that was my past life. Honestly I try to forget these streets, these people. I haven't had to face these struggles, sure I had my own when it came to Japan. I wouldn't really judge learning another language to facing getting shot by walking the streets at night though. Clear as day the Atlanta night scene was dangerous when the right people were on these streets, but i'm not out here to just lollygag. No, i'm out here walking the dangerous turf with a purpose.
Specifically i'm out here in the streets looking for a specific location to film at. If the WFWF is going to get a first impression, I am making sure that it is a damn good one. So what in the hell did I think of? It's funny, i'm shocked that the gunshots happened earlier yet i'm not at the same time. I knew that i'd probably hear police sirens for that reason, but I never thought i'd hear the shots myself. What better way to exclaim my come up to the world than hearing police sirens in the background while seeing a more than ghetto area behind me? Don't have a better answer? Neither do I, because that answer is the perfect one.
So once I arrived at the abandoned warehouse I would pull my backpack off of my shoulders before moving the bag down by my feet in front of me. Within seconds i'd bend down to unzip the bag before pulling out a old camcorder that my dad have given me eight years ago. Though could you call him my father? Sure he wasn't the man that got my mother pregnant, but he was the man who took me in. When I was kicked out at seventeen he was the man who basically saved my life from these streets. Regardless if you consider him my dad or not, the camcorder was the last thing he ever gave me before his passing, and you best believe I captured almost eight years worth of footage while I was away. It was in his honor really that I captured the footage, because I know that I have no plans of watching it anytime soon. Now I would be faced with doing what I had done time and time again, setting up my little tripod and hitting the record button. This time though, this time it meant so much more as to what exactly I was to say or do on that camera.
I had never been the type to write a script or jot down my thoughts on paper. It all rather flowed naturally, something a good friend from the wrestling school here in Atlanta taught me. Neither let a script take over what your heart has to say because your heart is the best script in the world. With that thought burning through my brain I would hit the record button on my camera and now the feed would start to record. I'd let a deep breath go and then slowly I would walk in front of the camera. I didn't plan on using this footage however, more so just wanted to get the feed recording so I could make the intro cut at the start when I got home later. Now the time had finally come though, the time to make an impact in the WFWF.
With the camera recording I would take a firm stance in front of the abandoned warehouse and let yet another deep breath go. The thoughts would continue to pass my brain as i'd think of an intro line to say. Surely I had to open with something that would hook, line, and sink the audience. Do I even know what they like? I mean the wrestling audience I have been entertaining for years now had been Japanese, surely I could get over in front of an american audience though. It was almost a eureka moment when I finally after a few minutes thought of the intro line. Now it was time to do my job as a professional wrestler, it was time to put some butts in the seats.
"The clock has finally ticked around for it's final time. You see because the time has finally come that Phoenix Nitro is here in the WFWF and now it's official! The debut of hashtag broke strong style will finally come and it's got me cracking up." I'd pause ever so slightly just lean back into the brick wall behind me. Slowly I would bring my right foot up to rest against the wall while my hands would move into my pants pocket. A small chuckle would leave my lips as I would start to speak again. "Want to know why i'm all laughs? Because my dream as a little boy was to make it to the big times in pro wrestling! But you see as I got older, I got a bit more wise. I started figuring out how this world works and I knew that these good looks and this mouth wasn't going to be the only tool to get me here. So what did I do? For eight years I left my home! I left this place for a foreign country, Japan. Why though? Why? Why did I go to Japan for eight years when clearly I wanted to be an american wrestler on american television? Because I knew that I needed to get better in that ring. So that's exactly what I did, but you know when I finally was confident... When I finally was ready to come home and show everyone what I learned! I get told that i'm going to Japan for my debut." Again i'd pause this time though I would push myself off of the wall and quickly bring my hands from out of my pants pockets. With my right hand i'd almost point at the camera with an angry tone before going on to say "I DON'T WANT TO BE IN JAPAN ANYMORE! But if that's what the WFWF wants, that's what they get. You see i'd do anything for this spot that I have, and don't you think for one second I am going to take this shot for granted. I just wanted to wrestle on american soil, but hey if we want to go to Osaka! Then I don't mind lacing my boots up in that building again. Hell! You could even say that Lucas Crowe is going to be facing me on my homecourt! Because the awful streets of Atlanta are not somewhere I want to call home!" Quickly I would spin myself around before balling my right hand into a fist. Without a second thought I would send my right hand forward towards the wall before punching the bricks in front of me. The pain would set in but i'd just laugh and now I would hear the sounds of those police sirens raining over the Atlanta night life. While hearing this i'd slowly turn around to face the camera again before pressing my back into the wall. At an even slower rate I would begin to slide myself down the wall before i'd find myself in a seated position. My head was down and still i'd have a laugh coming from my lips. Suddenly though that would stop as i'd slowly look back up directly at the camera. "You know Lucas, i'm glad you don't know me... I'm glad going into this little tango of ours that you have no idea what i'm going to bring to the table. It's on the flip side of the coin for you though, because I know exactly what you're going to do. See unlike most of these new guys I actually care for the product I wrestle in. A student of the game some may say, but I like just saying it's me covering my own ass. So come Osaka when you walk through that curtain to Stranglehold, I want you to do me a favor Lucas. Use all eight minutes of that little song of yours to think to yourself. I want you to ask yourself the question when you are looking at me in the ring and it's simply this, do I really want to be the one this kid makes his name off of? Because hey, I have nothing against you Crowe to me you're just the first person I need to step over to get to where I need to go." I'd pull myself back up to a vertical position before walking slowly towards the camera. With my right hand outstretched I would grab the camera before pulling it off the tripod. With a smirk on my face i'd slowly start to speak again "Come Osaka, come Lucas Crowe, and come my WFWF debut I want you all to realize that the Phoenix... will.. rise."
Feeling good as ever I would stop the feed on the camera, and soon after i'd let out a deep sigh. Sure I had my fair share of confidence issues with my work. I had no clue how the WFWF audience would react, or for that matter if it'd promote the match as well as it should. Maybe I had made a good first impression, but it sure didn't feel like it yet. Regardless though it was time to walk back home so I would power down the camcorder and then put that along with the tripod into the bookbag. Looking back and forth gathering my wits about my surroundings I would slowly rise back to my feet before pulling the bag back over my shoulder. Now it was time to walk home so I could edit what I just recorded. It was funny though, I actually was getting excited about stepping into the ring again. Compared to the other dozens times I had stepped into the Osaka building, this time was going to be the most important. When it came to pro wrestling and Phoenix Nitro, it simply was time to see you again.