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Post by REDEFINE Pro on May 18, 2014 16:26:48 GMT
Singles Match: Riley Owens (1-0) vs Pat Gordon Jr (0-1)
Both men made their 2CW debuts at "Pariah vs Caliban"-and Riley Owens came out with a victory over AJ Fairchild. Gordon? Didn't fare quite so well against Rommie Sharpe. Can Gordon gain some momentum under him and take down the former FGA Star?
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Post by rileyowens on May 27, 2014 21:17:57 GMT
Line Them Up: Dream Match Series Part One
“Victory Lap” As I said before, Second City had me intrigued when I first heard that the company was opening. I would have jumped at the chance of being on the first card; but I was tired down at the time. That’s the only thing about indie wrestling that I hate. There are so many promotions out there, so many great places to work; and if I had an unlimited amount of time, I’d try to visit and work at them all.
But time isn't finite.
FGA is me main home, but at the time I was also working a bit in Inferno. In all honesty, it was a place that I really wanted to be; my mentor had warned me about working there. Now, I won’t bash the company, because it truly is a quality place. And, I didn’t have fun meeting and hanging out with some of the wrestlers. But honestly, I just didn’t fit in there.
The company just worked a different style, and while I tried to adopt, it just didn’t work out. Maybe the difficulty came because they cater their product to television. Or, perhaps it’s because of the wrestlers that work there.
I don’t know.
It’s kind of crazy though. Inferno’s TV deal is what really interested, and that’s one of the major reasons why I signed a short-term contract with them. At the time, I hadn’t had very much TV exposure; so it was a big benefit. Plus, Inferno was offering to fly me out there to Vegas; and the pay day was decent.
But hey, sometimes things just don’t work out. Everything ended amicably; that’s what is most important.
I guess it was a blessing in disguise really. After my short-term contracted ended, I was able to take more bookings; that’s how I ended up here in Second City. To be honest, my debut was kind of spontaneous. One day I randomly had a conversation with Second City’s owner; we talked for a small bit, and then he offered me a match on the card.
That was 2CW 3 of course.
It was all just perfect timing.
Ha that’s the wrestling Business. Of course, you climb up the ranks because of hard work. But many times, an opportunity opens up randomly or on the fly. You’ve got to be fluid enough to go out and get those opportunities.
That’s what I did.
I don’t know about anyone else, but 2CW 3 was a big event for me. It wasn’t because I was main eventing or competing for title; no...it was about who I was facing. At one point in time, AJ Fairchild was on top of the world. He was the FGA Heavyweight Champion, a title that only a few men have had the honor of holding. If you look at the record books, it’s really a “who’s who” of people of have held that belt: Chandler Scott, Fairchild, Sean Sands, Dom Harter.
So needless to say, it was an honor to be able to face Fairchild. My only gripe was that I couldn’t face him when he was on his “A game.” Yes, he lost his first few matches here in Second City; but I’ve also been told he has been in a slump in a bunch of feds lately.
It’s a shame—but it happens sometimes.
Regardless, it was a big win for me; and, that win brings me closer to two of my goals. First of course is to become one of the best wrestlers in the world. AJ used to be the best, and I defeated him; which is a good sign that I’m on my way to the top as well. But secondly, it brings me closer to facing people like John Pariah.
Mr. Pariah is a guy I’ve interacted a bit with on Twitter. From what I’ve gathered, he is a real humble guy, given the amount of success he’s had in his career. But more important, he’s a great wrestler. He’s seasoned, and match with him would be a big test for me.
Ha—I’d even settle for a non-title match.
But hey, I’m not the new kid on the block anymore. I’ve been wrestling four years now, so I understand how all this works. Pariah is the champion, and while a match would benefit me, I could see why he would refuse; he’d think that the match wouldn’t be beneficial to him.
So, if I want to face John Pariah, then I’ve got to keep advancing forward. I’ve got to prove myself to this new audience and to this company. I’ve got to EARN my match with him…
Same thing goes for Adam Stryker.
And that’s just what I’m going to do. I started at the bottom in FGA; but I rose quickly because of all my hard work. And I plan on doing the same thing here.
Ha—the other day I was DM’ing a few of my fans. One of them asked me how long I’d be in Second City. It was a fair question, one that I really could answer. It don’t have a contract here; just a handshake agreement. I’m a man of my word, so if I’m booked ill show up. But as far as how long I’ll be here, I can’t really say.
I know that there are a handful of people here that I’d love to face; so surely I’ll be around long enough to wrestle them all.
And then there is the Heritage Championship.
Recently Second City announced that it would be introducing a new title. Of course, I was intrigued. A few months ago I had my first taste of gold, and since then, I’ve kind of been on a quest to obtain more. I entered FGA’s Dynamic Duos Tag Team tournament; the winners get a shot at the tag team titles. Phoenix Wrestling invited me to compete in its Iron King tournament; the winner gets a title shot if I’m not mistaken. And lastly, Ultimate Japan Pro Wrestling just invited me to compete in a tournament to crown its first GEC Heavyweight champion.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not greedy or anything…
But I am hungry!
That’s why I hope I get thrown into the Heritage qualifying matches and advance to the title match. Not to be arrogant, but I feel like I could beat out three other people to win it.
Is that selfish?
Hmm, maybe it is.
But, all that is about a month away. Let’s focus on there here and now shall we.
At 2CW 4, I get the chance to step into the ring with Pat Gordon Jr. Pat’s a guy that I also met through Twitter. He’s another good guy, and overall great wrestler. Like Pariah and Stryker, he’s a good that’s I’ve wanted to square off with for a long time now.
Actually, at one point in time, Pat and I were actually scheduled to face each other. I was contacted, hmm, maybe 6 months ago by a company called Pacific Pro Wrestling. It was an upstart company; at the time the company had only had one show. I talked to the owner, and I felt I could contribute to the company. I was scheduled to face Pat on the second show.
But, as plans are made, plans change—that’s wrestling.
Pacific Pro ended up folding before that second event; so, I never got a chance to face Pat. It was a pity; I really was excited. But hey, that’s old news now; Second City has corrected everything.
Truth be told, it’s probably better that we are facing each other now, as opposed to six months ago. I don’t know about Pat, but I’m a different wrestler now. Here is my philosophy when it comes to wrestling; every time you step into the ring, you’ve got an opportunity to learn. The best wrestlers, the legends that we revere—they never stop learning and improving. So every time I enter the ring, no matter who I may happen to face, I take something away from that match.
Six months ago I was still getting my bearings together; I probably would have just had a decent match with Pat. But now…ha, we can go out there and steal the show!
“Road Trips and Such” “Are you excited?” I ask.
“Of course!” Zoey exclaims. “You know I love watching you wrestle. It’s a shame I hardly get a chance to see you work live.”
My three biggest supporters would have to be Tammy, Zoey, and Gabe.
Tammy is my sister. Because we were basically orphans since birth, we’ve always cared for each other; so when I told her I was going to wrestle, she believed in me. She believes in me when no one else in my family did; conversely, I believe in her.
We’ve built a nearly unbreakable bond.
Then there is Zoey, my girlfriend. Tammy actually introduced us; and the rest is kind of history. A lot of women act weird when you mention that you’re a wrestler; Zoey wasn’t like that. She’s a big fan of wrestling and martial arts, so we clicked right away. Zoey has pushed me to become great, greater than I was before I met her.
Gabe is my Muay Thai trainer; I met him years ago when I first started training. He’s a secret wrestling fan. MMA dudes normally have a mixed view of pro wrestling; so for a long time he couldn’t just come out and talk about. But, we talk about wrestling a lot; he’s always believed in me as well.
“Ha, it’s alright dear. You normally have to work,” I say as I stuff a bunch of ring gear into my Nike gym bag. “But, I am glad that you are free this weekend.”
“I know! We’ve both been kind of bust lately; we’ve barely had time to see each other.”
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m sorry dear. Ha, I guess it’s kind of my fault for always being gone.”
Zoey shakes her head. She walks across the room and kisses me.
“You stop that; it’s not your fault at all. I’m living my dream, and you are living your dream—and that’s we the two of us work so well together.
“You’re wrestler; and you’re a champion. I’d be surprised if you weren’t busy.”
I reach in and give her a hug.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Zoey laughs.
“You’d still be a good wrestler and a champion; but your life would just be a little less enriched.”
“Is that so?” I ask jokingly. I walk over to the other side of the room and take ahold of her suitcase handle. “Are you finished packing?”
“I’m finished packing my suitcase; I’ve just got to put a few things in my carry-on.”
“Alright,” I say as I set the suitcase by the door. Zoey tosses me my gym bag and I set it next to the suitcase.
A few seconds later, my iPhone begins to ring.
“Hey Zoey, could you hand me that phone please.”
“Sure.”
Zoey walks over to the far nightstand and retrieves the iPhone. She hands it to me; I hit the green button.
“Hello?”
“What’s up man?”
It was Flex Johnson on the phone. Flex is a wrestler that’s been around the block for years. He’s an 11-time champion, and two time Hall of Fame inductee. He saw a few of my matches and took a liking to me.
He’s been my “wrestling mentor” ever since.
“Hey Flex, how are you today?”
“I’m doing alright; I’m just chilling with Mia and the baby today.”
“Very nice. Tell the baby I said hi.”
“No doubt,” Flex says. “How about you holmes?”
“I’m doing alright. Zoey and I are packing; we’ve got to leave out in the morning.”
“Look at you,” Flex says. “Going on a weekend getaway; I see you big dog.”
“It’s not like that,” I say. “I’ve got a match in Second City; Zoey is coming along with me.”
“That’s what’s up. Tell her I said hey.”
I turn to Zoey. “Flex says hi.” Zoey smiles and yells out “Hi Flex!” I hear Flex laughing on the other end as I put the phone back up to my ear. “So, who you facing?”
“Pat Gordon, Jr.”
“Oh word?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I’m excited.”
“I bet; it’s another big match up for you. But, it seems like you are in a high profile match every week. Ha, but, you will do fine. I think you can whoop him up honestly. You’ve just go to keep in mind that Pat isn’t your homie when you are in that ring. Pat is a cool dude; hell, he supported me and you in our careers. But in this match, he is your enemy. He’ll be looking to defeat you; so you’ll need to have the same mind-set, ya dig?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good,” Flex says. “That’s your veteran tip for the day.”
“Thanks,” I say with a laugh.
“Well, I got to go feed the baby. I get hit you in a couple of days.”
“Alright. Bye Flex; hug the baby for me.”
“No doubt; peace!”
“One on One” (On Camera) “Why are you here?”
Believe it or not, that’s the question I asked myself when I walked into the arena this evening. It may sound silly, it may sound dumb; but it is something that is important to reflect upon and think about.
Did I join the company to win and hold the 2CW Championship? Hmm, that would be nice. Deep down, EVERYONE wants to be the champion; everyone wants to be the face of the company. And, while the 2CW Championship was probably in the back of my mind, I didn’t join Second City specifically for that purpose?
What about the Heritage title? I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want to compete for it; I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think I could win it.
But, that title wasn’t even in conception when I decided to wrestle here.
That may be one reason why I’m deciding to stay, but it wasn’t the reason why I decided to join this company.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; I joined Second City Wrestling because of the competition!
Hmm, my completive nature, it comes from two sources. The first is my uncle. In his younger days, my uncle went over the Ireland and became semi-famous for his Catch-as-Can wrestling skills. He later came back to the states to raise my sister and I. My uncle was a hard man; he was strict and stern. And while he isn’t my favorite person in the world, I did learn two things from the man.
The first was to never back down…
The second was to be competitive .
At an early age I learned the true meaning of competition. See, no matter how good you think you are, you can always improve. To really improve, you need to go up against people who are at least the same skill level as you; and if you really want to get better, then you need to take people who are better than you.
That’s how I became proficient in Muay Thai.
And that’s how got to where in am in wrestling!
That’s why I came here to Second City. Just look at the roster; everyone here is a current champion, or a former one. There’s so much knowledge here, so much that I can learn by facing them all…
So much that I could learn by defeating them all!
And I can’t forget; competition is a sub-goal in the grand scheme of things. Being declared one of the best in the world, that’s the ultimate goal for my; that’s my end game. And the easiest way to be considered the best in the world?
Facing the best and defeating the best!
…
This week I have the honor of steeping into the ring with you, Pat Gordon Jr. Believe it or not, you are someone that I’ve wanted to wrestle of a while; it just so happened that the star aligned in 2CW and finally made this match possible. See Pat, you are different than a lot of wrestlers; at least the one that I’m normally in contact with. You see, in FGA, I have to deal with a lot of egos, arrogance, and drama. Take Dom Harter for example. Dom has been on the top of the mountain that it has clouded his mind; he thinks he is better than EVERYONE, even when it’s clear that he isn’t. Then you’ve got people like Jimmy Page; honestly, Jimmy should probably be in a psych-ward, instead of trying to prematurely lay claim to the World title.
I could go on and on Pat, but I don’t want to bore you.
But Pat, you are different. You see, you’re a good wrestler; I don’t think anyone could deny that fact. Hell, most people would consider you great! You’ve worked all around the world at different promotions: Canadian X Pro, PW FRONTIER, EXODUS, and countless others.
And let’s not forget all the tournaments and special events you’ve participated in as well.
You’ve had all this success on the independent scene; you’ve obtained all the accolades! And yet—you are still humble. You don’t go around putting people down and making them feel like shit; you don’t talk as if you are better than the world.
You’re humble.
That’s one of the reasons why I truly respect you sir; because that’s a rare quality in wrestling. And it’s that same respect that makes me want to wrestle you…
No—defeat you!
Pat, I don’t have very many friends in this business; however, I consider you to be one of them. But, in this match there are no #Fros; in this match, there are no friends. At the end of the day, when we are standing face to face in the center of that ring, you are an opponent. You aren’t a friend or a buddy; you are an opponent.
You are fierce warrior, and ruthless competitor, just as I am. I know that you will be looking to win this match, just as I am.
I also know that you will be looking to avenge that lose that you suffered on the last card against Rommie; or at least you should be. I don’t know about you Pat, but I hate to lose. When I lose, it tears me up inside; it eats away at me. I know it’s not healthy, and I’ve been working slowly to change all of that.
But at the end of the day, I hate to lose. And it’s that hatred that drives me to do my best in the ring; it’s one of the reasons that drives me to win!
Maybe you are the same way Pat. And if you are, I expect that you will come into this match with guns blazing.
…
Pat, a few weeks ago I had the honor the honor of facing AJ Fairchild. As you probably know, the man was revered at one time. He was a former champion. Ha not just any champion, a former FGA Heavyweight Champion. It was such a joy to step into the ring with a pioneer of FGA, my main company right now.
Now Pat, we all know how the story ended. I defeated AJ; and then 2CW ended up releasing AJ.
Like I said before, it was an honor to face him. But you know what; I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a bit disappointed in the match that we had. I’m not a perfectionist; but, that match was lacking. Pat, I went out there and gave 120 percent that night; but I felt like AJ was running on fumes. And I’m pretty sure that the match tape reflects that as well.
And true, I can now say that I defeated a former FGA Heavyweight, the match was nothing to brag about. What honor is there is stating that I defeated a man who was a shell of his former self?
There’s no honor it that.
But when I defeat you Pat, that will be something to brag about! When I tell people the story how I pinned Pat Gordon Jr. to the mat, that will be something; that will actually mean something.
You see you’re in your prime Pat; and I’m almost in mine. A win over you would take me to that next level. A win wouldn’t just be another feather in my cap; it would be more proof that I’m a legit force to be reckoned with.
…
Never back down—that’s what my uncle taught me.
My entire career…no, my entire life, I’ve lived by that motto. It might be considered foolish to some, but it’s surely gotten me this far. And, it’s going to get me through this match with you Pat.
I’m not going to back down Pat; and I’m not going to tuck my tail and hide. No—I’m going to walk to that ring and face you head on. It’s going to be one hell of a match; I’m almost certain of that.
But in the end, I’m going to win.
I have to!
END
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