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Post by Josh Duncan on Jul 30, 2014 10:29:01 GMT -6
RILEY OWENS RP
Welcome to the Big Stage Mr. Owens
“Step One: The Challenge”
I can’t really describe to you all how I’m feeling right now…but I guess I should try right? Life has been…life has been good.
No, life has been great!
I guess it all started a few months ago when I had my battles with Jimmy Page over in FGA. I’ll admit it; Jimmy Page has probably been the toughest opponent that I’ve ever faced. Now, that’s not to take anything away from people like Sean Sands, Dan Herrera, Pat Gordon, Jr., Derrick Wiland, or Ryan Kidd; all of those guys provided me with a great challenge in the ring as well.
But, Jimmy Page—that man was in a different league.
Truth be told, I probably wasn’t ready to face him, at least not the first time anyway. I remember I was extremely nervous going into that match. It…I guess it was natural for me to have been nervous. At that point in time, Jimmy had basically killed everyone in his path; he had demolished the current Pride champion with ease, and became the champion himself. Then after that, everyone fell to him in ring.
Essentially it was a battle of David and Goliath.
The young and up in-coming Riley Owens vs. The fierce, unmovable Pride Champion Jimmy Page.
He beat me in that match. I’ll be honest; it wasn’t a good match. Yes, I tried hard; I fought to the best of my ability. But, at that time, I wasn’t ready to step into the ring with him—mentally or physically.
The feud between Jimmy and I continued; but as it went on, I felt a change happening. That change was happening inside of me. I was feuding with Jimmy, but I was always facing others in the company; and, I was getting big wins in other companies to boot. I ended up having another encounter with Jimmy; I lost that one as well.
But this lose was different.
You see, Mr. Page wasn’t his usual dominate self. In fact, I bested him during most of the match. Not only that, but he had to cheat and hit me below the belt to obtain the win.
That’s when everything happened; that’s when things began to click in my head. Before that match, people saw me as the underdog in every match. But, most importantly, I saw MYSELF as the underdog.
But that second match with Jimmy changed everything!
Before then, Dom Harter and Jimmy had said that they hated me in promos; and I didn’t know why. But it was revealed to me in that second match with Jimmy. The answer was actually simple; people began to see me as a threat. You see, a lot of wrestlers and management didn’t think I would amount to much in FGA. They thought I would just come, lose a couple of matches, and then be on my way. But, that didn’t happen. I came in and started to win matches; I started to win BIG matches. And the people who were positioned at the head of FGA at the time, they became afraid!
They were scared!
Once I realized that, there was really no reason to be nervous anymore. And, there was no reason to put myself down and call myself the underdog either.
That revelation gave me—it gave me confidence!
By that time, I was booked into a title match with Jimmy. That time, I went into the match knowing that I could win; I went in believing that I could win.
And I did.
I became the FGA Pride Champion!
From then on, I’ve been on a bit of a roll, in FGA and in other places. And, it’s all due to…
Confidence!
…
Ha, you know it’s funny. I recently just won the Second City Heritage Championship. It was a tough match; a wild, uphill battle. First, I had to defeat Derrick Wiland before I was even allowed to compete for the belt. Most people have never heard of him; he wrestles a lot over in the UK. But, he was trained by Adam Stryker; so that should tell you enough about him. He was amazing in the ring; we had a killer match. But, I beat him.
The actually title match was wild as well. It was a four-man elimination match; and after each elimination, the stipulation changed. In that match I took on Tim Hunt, Rommie Sharpe, and Ryan Kidd. Now, I heard all of the rumors. I heard all the chatter, read the predictions; everyone was counting me out.
But, I eliminated them all; each and everyone one of them!
I pinned Tim, understand matches rules.
I made Ryan tap out, under submission rules.
And I defeated Rommie four times under Iron Man match rules!
That night I did what others said I couldn’t do; just like when people said I couldn’t defeat Jimmy.
I defeated everyone, and become the First! Second City Heritage Champion!
Confidence!
…
This week I am competing in PWP for the third time now. This event is going to be huge; bigger than all the other events that PWP has held before. This card is full of first-time encounters in the ring.
That goes for my match as well.
You see, about a week ago I was given the green light by PWP management to issue and open challenge to anyone to come in and face me. And, it wasn’t long before than challenge was accepted—by Blyss Lockhart!
That’s right, Ms. Lockhart from Insurgency, the very company that I was originally supposed to sign with.
I guess everything comes full circle doesn’t it?
But, this is exactly what I wanted. I asked for someone who was just going to get into the ring and wrestle. I asked for someone who was going to challenge me; and I got my wish. Blyss is a friend of my mentor, Flex Johnson. Flex is an amazing wrestler; and even he has fallen to Blyss twice.
Ha, what a match this is going to be. If we were in any other promotion, this match would be the main event.
Blyss Lockhart vs. Riley Owens.
I’m going to be ready—and I plan on winning!
“Step Two: Learning from the Master”
I walk into the living room and see Tammy sitting down on the couch. She is playing a rousing game of NBA 2K online. I take a seat on the couch next to her; she smiles, but she keeps her eyes glued to the TV screen.
“Hey bro,” Tammy says.
“Hey,” I say. “Who are you playing against today? Another random person?”
“No, I’m playing against Flex.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“You and him game a lot together,” I say with a laugh.
“Well,” she says as she adjusts her headset. “You could play too. But you’re always scared.”
“I’m not scared…I’m just not very good.”
“You can’t get better if you don’t practice right?”
“Yeah, I suppose you are right.”
Tammy goes silent for a moment; she then turns to me slightly.
“Flex wants to talk to you,” she says. “Grab the headset please.”
Carefully, I reach over and grab the headset; I do my best to take it off over head with disrupting her. I then place and adjust the headset onto my dome.
“Hello?”
“What up Riley?” asks Flex.
“Hey Flex. How you doing?”
“I’m doing alright, chilling over here.”
“Cool,” I say. “How’s the family?”
“Everyone is cool; the baby misses you.”
A few weeks ago I got a chance to spend the week with Flex’s family at his house. I had met Flex’s wife before, but I had never met his daughters before. Meka is Flex’s youngest daughter; she’s only a few months old. A few times I got a chance to hold her and take care of her; for some reason she took a liking to me.
“Aww, tell her I miss her as well.”
“Will do. I wanted to talk to about something. I was going to call you later, but I can whoop your sister and talk to you at the same time.”
“Alright,” I say. “What did you want to discuss?”
“I heard through the grapevine that you were going to be facing Blyss very soon. Any truth to that?”
“Indeed,” I say. “I’m facing her at PWP 10.”
“Cool. I would ask you if you were ready; but I know you. You’ve probably been training your ass off.”
There’s not much that I can say, so I just laugh a bit.
“But man, I did kind of want to warn you about something.”
“Oh, what’s that?”
“Blyss is my friend. I care about her and love her to death. But, over the past couple of months she has been, shall we say, ‘unstable.’ A lot has been going on with her, as far as her career and what not.”
“Hmm,” I say.
“Riley, holmes, let me impart some wisdom on you. You’ve been in two title shots already; and, you’ve won them both. In fact man, you’ve won most of the big matches that you’ve had.
“But, you have tasted defeat a few times. You remember how you felt afterwards?”
“Of course,” I say. “It was a nagging feeling. First, the match plays in your head, over and over again. And each time it plays, you see something you did wrong; you see a missed opportunity that you should have capitalized on.
“And, it eats away at you.”
“Now, multiply all of that pain and anguish by about 1000, and you’ve got Blyss’ situation. She had two chances to bring home the IWF Undisputed Championship; but, she didn’t get it done. Trust me; she’s probably been obsessing over those loses. I know for a fact that she has been acting ‘strange’ as of late.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“Riley, what I’m trying to say is this; Blyss is going to come at you hard. She’s kind of bounced back over in IWF, but not all the way. AND, she’s got a lot to prove when she steps in the ring with you.”
“But…but don’t you think I’ve got more to prove in this match than she does?”
“Don’t get me wrong, this is a big match for you; and you’ve got to remember that man. Blyss is a warrior in that ring; she tested all of my wrestling knowledge, so I have no doubt that she will test yours. But, all that being said; she’s got more to prove at this moment in time.
“You man, you are the FGA Pride Champion; you’re ranked third in the entire company. Over in Second City, you are the Heritage Champion; and for a long time, you wrestled undefeated there. Over the past years you’ve wrestle a bit in Japan, and a bit in the UK. And, in the last year, you’ve been in five tournaments; and you’ve won two of them.
“In the past year or so, you’ve done a lot more than Blyss has; that’s not a knock against her, it’s just the facts. Your name is hot in these wrestling streets son, and Blyss knows that.
“You WANT to beat her, but in a way Blyss NEEDS to beat you—ya dig?”
“Yeah, I understand you loud and clear.”
“She gona’ come out guns blazing. So, you need to make sure that your Want and Will to win is greater than her Need to win.”
I nod my head.
“You’re right. That makes perfect sense,” I say. “Thanks for all the wisdom Flex; I truly appreciate it man. A lot of veterans that I’ve met, they just want to tear you down; they just want to beat you down and tell you that you are less than.”
“Yeah, that’s ignorant ‘Vet’ mentality for you. I try not to do that. If I can help someone, then I’ll do my best to.”
“Well…thanks again.”
“Yeah Yeah. Enough of this mushy talk. Now, pass the headset back to Tammy; I’ve got to talk that trash while I’m whooping her.”
“Step Three: History in the Making”
Why did in get into professional wrestling?
That should be an easy question to answer right? Most people would say something like, “it was my dream as a young kid.” It’s seems like that’s everyone’s story; it was even my mentors story.
But it wasn’t mine.
My story is one of a guy who was in search of something.
Both of my parents were killed shortly after I was born; right of the bat, I was an orphan. Me and my sister were raised by my uncle; he was a hard, surly man. When I was younger, I really didn’t have any dreams; my uncle told me that I was going to practice martial arts. So, that’s what I did. As I grew older, I still didn’t have my own dreams; but instead of my uncle, my grandparents tried to dictate things. My grandparents compared me to my dad; they wanted to me to do all the same stuff that he did. My dad was a scientist. He went to an esteemed college and got a great job. He was nearly perfect from what I’ve been told. My grandparents wanted that life for me…
But, that’s not what I wanted.
I knew I wanted to do something athletic, but I wasn’t sure what. And then, I met a man; that man’s name was Gavin Wallace. You’ve probably never heard of him, but he was essential to my career path. Gavin was a wrestler in Miami. He was good, damn good even; but, he never got that one big break. He stayed on the indies his enter career. Eventually, he decided to open up a wrestling school.
Gavin and I actually met at my MMA gym. At the time, I had been teaching Muay Thai; and Gavin came in wanting to learn. And learn he did. For whatever reason, we formed a bond. Gavin breezed through Beginning and Intermediate Muay Thai; and he decided to study Advanced at another gym.
But, before he left, he gave me his card. He told me to give him a call if I ever wanted to try wrestling.
Ha, I remember going home and looking at that card for ages.
But, eventually, I called him; I made the decision to become a wrestler. It was my decision; it was something I decided to do. My grandparents didn’t have a say; my uncle didn’t have a say. The only person I really discussed it with was my sister; and she encouraged me to follow my heart.
So, I became a wrestler.
Beforehand, I was in search of something. I guess I was in search of my own path; I was in search of my own niche. And, I found that in professional wrestling. I guess that’s why I take the sport so seriously. That’s why I train so hard; that’s why I go out there and try to wrestle my best match every night.
But, you know, when I decided to become a wrestler, I did have specific goal in mind. I wanted to become the best wrestler in the world. I know; what a daunting task huh? But, I figured if I was going to hop into this sport, then I wasn’t going to settle for being mediocre.
I want to be the best!
That’s what pushes me forward; and, that’s what drives me!
…
My first four years in wrestling were a learning experience; that’s when I learned how to work. However, the past year or so, it has been my coming out party. Over the past year or so I’ve beaten so of the biggest names in Independent Professional Wrestling…
It’s all been a part of my quest; it’s all been a part of becoming the best in the world. I’ve proven time after time why I’m great; and very soon in Pro Wrestling Project, I’m going to get a chance to prove my worth once again.
At PWP 10, I get the honor of stepping into the ring with Blyss Lockhart.
Ha, believe it or not Blyss, this match is a little different from what I’m used to. I’m an indie wrestler ma’am. There have been times on the indies where I’ve walked into the building and had never heard my opponents name, much less seen their work. But that’s not the case with you is it ma’am? With the exception of maybe Chaz Holiday, you will probably be the most “house-hold name” that I’ve faced so far.
I’m excited to face you in the ring. And, it’s not just because of your name-value or your fame. True, you are a “house-hold name,” and people are used to seeing you on TV week after week. But, I’m excited for this match because you are a damn good wrestler!
Blyss, I’m on my way to becoming the best in the world; I’m training and working hard to make it to the top. But the fact of the matter is; you are already on top Blyss. You’ve only been wrestling for a couple of years. But, you’ve already accomplished so much I this industry haven’t you?
I’m not going to run down all your accomplishments; but, let’s talk about a few of them. Blyss, in the early Insurgency days, you were a dominant force; now, that’s not to say that you aren’t still killing everyone, but it was a little different about a year or so ago. Speaking as a fan for a short moment, there were times where you looked nearly untouchable.
Your loses were few and far between back then.
You were simply amazing.
Then, at Ascension 2013 you won the Queen of Wrestling Championship. Many awesome female wrestlers held that belt before you: Anna Stone, Tiffani Michaels, Molly Reid. All of those ladies had successful reigns; but, you eclipsed them all. Your reign with that title was over 120 days. You demolished all of the women in the Insurgency; you were so good that the company decided to throw the men at you. But, you didn’t quiver; you weren’t scared—you faced those wrestlers head on. It was because of your skill and talent that the company was forced to recognize you as a “Champion,” not simply a “Women’s Champion.” The belt was changed to the Phoenix title; and then the Rising Phoenix title after the unification match with Sah’ta Thor.
Good times.
You later lost that title. But, then, you went on to have a series of matches with a man that I’ve gotten to know very well of the past year. You and my mentor Flex had a trilogy of matches; trust me, I’ve seen them all.
What a time that was.
I know a lot of people in Insurgency don’t like Flex, but people remember those matches. Maybe, it’s because they weren’t just about the wrestling. You two are world-class wrestlers, so of course the “wrestling” was important. But there wasn’t something else behind them weren’t they? Flex, well he was fighting for honor and respect; and he was fighting for his sister.
And you Blyss? Well, I’d say you were fighting for respect and honor too. But, you were also fighting for gold. You see, even though you had done great, amazing things as champion in Insurgency, people still didn’t believe in you. Perhaps it’s because the Rising Phoenix Championship was still the lowest title in the company. But, people thought Flex’s High Impact title was credible; and you wanted that credibility right?
In the end, you won Blyss; you were the victor.
…
I’m a fan of yours Blyss, not just inside the ring, but outside as well. You and I have had the pleasure of meeting once. If I’m not mistaken, it was at Dan Herrera’s birthday celebration. It was at that party that I met you and Shiloh Chapman.
You were nice, very pleasant. And, considering all of your success, you weren’t arrogant.
You see, sometimes you run across these wrestlers who have obtained a little bit of fame. Some of those people have messed up priorities; the money and fame, and being of TV all the time—it corrupts them a bit. They start to lose focus of WRESTLING.
But when I met you, I didn’t get that vibe from you.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I got the vibe that you aren’t just in this Business to get rich; you wrestle because it’s what you love to do. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to facing you. It’s not very often that I get a chance to square off against someone with a true passion for wrestling. Sure, I get to face people who are truly skilled in the ring.
But, but sometimes…their hearts just aren’t in it.
Ha, but I can heart that your heart in wrestling; and, I can tell that your heart is into this match. Maybe…maybe it’s because you are facing me; but, probably not. Most likely, you are excited and pumping to get back in a PWP ring.
Blyss, I’m willing to bet that you are looking for Redemption. The last time you stepped into a PWP was last October; that was about 10 months ago. That was PWP 3: Strength of a Woman right? Man, what a stacked card that was; I remember it vividly because it was in Miami, where I reside. I was in attendance for that match, which is how I got in contact with Mr. Duncan.
The Main Event, the Headline match of that card was you, Blyss, against Sweet Potato of Inferno Wrestling fame.
You two had an awesome match; but, in the end, you came up just a little bit short. In the end, you had to watch Sweet Potato’s hand raised in victory, as you lay defeated on the mat.
Blyss, that match burned your gears didn’t it?
It made your furious!
I know it made you made, because you were so close to winning that match ma’am. You had Sweet Potato on the ropes; you nearly had the match won! If you could have landed that belly-to-belly suplex, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation; you would have had your PWP win, and we probably wouldn’t be facing each other at this next event.
But you didn’t land that move Blyss.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I feel that you are probably a lot like me. Blyss, I’m a competitor. I’ve got a drive out of this world; and I HATE to lose. When I first started in FGA, I had a couple of tag-team loses; both of which my team lost. Now believe me, I did everything in my power to walk away with a win for my team; but, we all came up short.
Do you know what those loses did to me Blyss? Surely you do, because those loses did to me what that PWP lose did to you; those loses ate me up inside.
I know that they say losing is more valuable than winning; I know that they say that you learn a bigger lesson from losing.
But geez—losing sucks!
It’s kind of crazy, because the physical “lose” is probably the easiest part of the ordeal. The hard part comes seconds after the bell rings. That’s when the match begins to replay on a constant loop in your head. That’s also when your body’s adrenaline supply cut off. All those moves you shrugging off, all those times where you got up when probably should have stay down—you begin to feel them all.
And lastly, there is that slow, lonely walk to the back.
Like I said Blyss, I hate to lose; and I’m pretty sure you are the same way. I’m sure you thought about your match with Sweet Potato for a long time.
And, I’m sure you are probably thinking about that match now. Because, if I remember correctly, you were the fan-favorite to win that match. But you didn’t. And you’ll be walking into this match looking to right that wrong; you’ll be looking to prove to everyone that you are still dominant…
But, so will I!
…
I don’t expect this match to be easy Blyss; in fact, you will probably be one of the toughest wrestlers I’ve ever faced. Physically I know you are ready for this match; there’s really no question about that ma’am.
Like I said before, you will be looking for Retribution; I get that and I completely understand. But, perhaps one of the reasons you lost that first PWP is because you underestimated your opponents. Sweet Potato comes from magically in Inferno land where silly and wrestling ensues; but she was still a threat.
Did you threat her as such?
Will you threat me as such?
Our match at PWP isn’t just a random match Blyss. Sure, you and I are technically in the upper mid-card position; but think about this for second. If this match was somehow transported to another promotion, nine times out of ten it would be the main event; it just so happens that PWP 10 is a bit special.
I said all of that to say this; I’m a threat Blyss. I may not be Gordon Fury or Dom Harter; and I’m certainly not your “friend” Jason. But, the fact of the matter is; I’ve proven myself to be a great wrestler. I’ve beaten a lot of big stars Blyss; I’ve beaten a lot of credible people in this business.
And at this event, I’ll be looking to defeat you as well.
Hmm, now that we have established that this is a big match, how will you respond? Oh, I know you are going to hit me with everything you’ve got in the beginning of the match; but, that’s not what I’m referring to. No, I’m referring especially to the home stretch of the match.
How will you react when that match is on the line?
Recent history says that you might breakdown and crumble.
Blyss, you are still amazing in the ring; but, there is a reason I spent so much time on your past IWF matches. I spent so much time on those times, because those were the glory days.
And, while you are doing well in IWF—it really just isn’t the same.
Let’s talk about your friend Jason for a moment shall we? Up until recently, Jason was the IWF Undisputed Champion; please correct me if I’m wrong. Now, Jason held that belt for many months; while there was something to be desired in regards to his attitude, as far as wrestling goes, he was good. By most accounts, he was a great champion.
I’m a currently a champion myself; so I can relate to him. And, as a champion, you know that people are always gunning for you. It doesn’t matter if they are a close friend, an enemy, or a family member—everyone is looking to knock you off your throne.
You obtained an opportunity to do just that didn’t you? On Battlegrounds 98, you had a chance to capture that Undisputed Championship belt; all you had to do was defeat Jason.
What a task that was at the time.
You and Jason had one hell of a match! It was stiff; and it was brutal. If I recall correctly, you got busted open pretty early. Now most people who have quit; but not you. You fought through the blood; and you fought through the pain.
It was quite a match—but it ended in a tie.
You showed a great deal of heart out there; but honestly, it was all for nothing. Now, a draw may be acceptable for most; but I know it wasn’t acceptable for you Blyss. A draw in a title match is nothing more than a technical lose; and I know you hated that. I know you hated that was one of your few chances at IWF’s top title.
But, on the Brightside, that draw did earn you another shot.
And you took that second shot at IWF Homecoming; once again you stepped into the ring with Jason for that belt. Once again you two delivered in the ring. Ha, you actually had control through most of that match. But, as is the theme of this promo it seems; you came up short.
Ever since you singed with Insurgency, people said that you should be competing for the top title. After you pretty much killed all the women, people thought that you would get your shot. But, you didn’t get that shot; they were subjected to competing for the lower tier championships. And, there’s nothing wrong with the lower tiered titles; I’m holding two of them myself right now. But that’s not where I want to be; I want to be at the top and hold the title. And, you wanted to hold the top title too, right Blyss? But, it seemed like the company never wanted to take a chance on you, even when you were so dominant.
You did almost get a chance once, but Gordon Fury stopped you; he wanted that shot for himself, and he sacrificed everything with you to get it. At least, that’s how it looked like on tape…
Tell me if I’m wrong.
In short, you’re shot at Jason was really your first chance at the title. I’ve been in the Business four years now, I know how tough it is to get a title shot; I know how much work it takes to prepare. But, you had been preparing for almost a year and a half!
That title should have been yours!
But, you couldn’t get it done.
And, when you step into the ring with me, you just won’t be able to get it done either ma’am. I hate to say this; it really hurts me to do this. But, at this point, you have kind of proven yourself as a choke-artist. Sure, you can win all the bouts leading up to the big match; but when everything has been on the line, you’ve failed.
Blyss, you are going to do the same this time as well. No, there’s no title on the line. But, there is something important up for grabs. Honor is on the line; Pride is on the line. A Legacy is on the line in this match. I’ve dedicated my entire career to obtaining those prizes.
I’ve dedicated my career to becoming the best!
And when I beat you, when I defeat you—I’m going to be one step closer to that goal.
Blyss, I know you don’t know me well. And surely, you haven’t had the chance to study my catalog, like I’ve had the chance to study yours. I guess that’s the price of working for a nation promotion huh?
But let me say this Blyss; I thrive in the face of competition! Unlike you, I’m not going to choke in this match!
I’m going to walk away the victor!
…
Blyss, by this point you are probably wondering a few things. “You say that this is a big match, but what the heck have you done Riley?”
“What big matches have you had?”
“What the hell have you done?”
I know you don’t have the luxury of watching me on TV; and you probably don’t have the time to few all of my matches on DVD. So, why y don’t I tell you about what I’ve done huh?
Eight months ago I signed with FGA; it was probably the best decision that I’ve ever made. FGA probably took a huge chance on signing me. Beforehand, I had just wrestled on small-time indies shows; FGA was my first real break. I debuted in the Fleisher Athletic Center in Newark, New Jersey; at the time, a bunch of talent had just got signed, so the company booked us in a large six-man tag team match. It was my debut, so of course I went out there and left it all in the ring. But my partners didn’t have the same mentality; they didn’t want to win.
My team lost that match; and I hated the fact that we lost. But, in retrospect, it was a blessing in disguise. The company took notice of the top two wrestlers in that match: myself and a man named Jack Reynolds.
Blyss, Jack was a demented man; he thought he was sent on a mission by God to destroy the Business. Shortly after that tag match, he and I began to feud. He hated me; he was jealous of me—he was jealous of my skills in the ring. Now, although we were feuding, the company was booking us against other people. I won my matches; Jack started to lose his.
Jack and I never had our big blow-off match; he was fired from the company before that. But, my feud with him helped push me up the ladder.
I went on to have two big matches after that. The first match was against Sean Sands at International Incident. Blyss, Sean was a pretty big deal in FGA when I first signed. That year he won the Frontier Lion’s Cup tournament and earned himself a shot at the FGA Heavyweight title. He went on to win the title from Chris Q; Chris is regarded as one of the best Heavyweight champions in the company’s history.
Sean and I battled was maybe four weeks after he had lost the best; needless to say, he needed an impressive win to get back into title contention. He needed to defeat me. Me? Well, I needed a big win. I had been defeating wrestlers in single’s competition; but some people still weren’t sold on my skills.
I need to prove myself.
And prove myself I did. I defeated Sean Sands in the middle of that ring. That was big match for me, because after that people started to take notice; people started to notice that I was threat.
The next big match came against Dan Herrera. Now Blyss, you know Dan. He’s an intense guy. When Dan and I faced, he was undefeated at the time, so of course he was the odds favorite in our match. But I beat him. Some might say that it was an upset match; but honestly it wasn’t an upset to me. I knew that I had the skills to beat him, and I did.
Those matches earned my a Pride Championship title match with the then holder, Jimmy Page. Jimmy was a lot like how you used to be Blyss. Jimmy was dominant, with or without the title belt. I’m sure you haven’t heard of him, but let me tell you this. Jimmy was so good, that many thought he was better than the Heavyweight title holder. To this date, Jimmy has only lost two matches in FGA:
One to Dom Harter…
And one to Riley Owens.
Jimmy and had a singles match and a tag team match before the ultimate title match; I lost both of those matches. But, I did learn something during the course of those matches. Jimmy was nearly untouchable; but I showed everyone that he could be hurt. I also showed everyone that he could become desperate; because he had to cheat to beat me in the tag team match.
I took that knowledge into the title match.
Long story short, I’m still the FGA Pride Champion as we speak.
And, it’s all because FGA took a chance on me. After my success in FGA, I was able to go out and work in some other places. APW invited me to compete in Survive and Conquer, and while I didn’t win, I had a great showing. After that I went to the quarter-finals in RXW’s March Mayhem tournament.
I’m not going to list them, but I competed in three other tournaments; I won two of them.
Soon, opportunities began to open up everywhere. Sh!taki flew me out to Japan to wrestle for a few matches; Inferno flew me to Vegas to wrestle for a few matches. And of course PWP brought me in.
Oh, and how could I forget about Second City Wrestling. Second’s promoters got ahold of me on Twitter. He asked me to come in and do a few matches; it was supposed to be a short-term type of deal. But, I stayed because I got a chance to wrestle some great people: AJ Fairchild, Pat Gordon, Jr., Rommie Sharpe, Derrick Wiland, Ryan Kidd.
And you know what Blyss, defeated them all!
Two weeks ago I was able to capture the Second City Heritage Champion; I created history by becoming the first champion!
So Blyss, that’s my story; that’s the Tale of Riley Owens. I’m just a guy who has worked extremely hard to get to where he is. I’m a fighter Blyss; that’s what I’ve always been. I’ve taken on every challenge that is thrown in front of me; I don’t run and I don’t falter.
Blyss, you are going be challenge, mostly likely the biggest challenge that I’ve faced. But I’ll let you know this; I’m ready. I’m always ready for a good match. And I’m always ready to build on to my legacy. I’m not going to say that this match is going to “make me,” I don’t think any one match can “make” a person. But a win over Blyss Lockhart in combination with all the other names that I’ve beaten—well, that would be huge wouldn’t it?
That’s what I’m aiming for ma’am!
The way I see it, this match will come down to three things: who can take the most punishment, who can hit the hardest, and who wants this match the most.
Blyss, I know that you can take a beating. Hell, you wrestled Jason with a face full of blood. It’s not going to be easy to hold you on the mat for three seconds. But Blyss, I’m no slouch either. Years of Muay Thai—it’s made me tough; and holding the Pride title, it’s taken me to new highest. My Pride title is contested under Pure Rules: three-rope breaks, two out of three falls, etc. My point being, I can weather any storm you bring try to hurl at me ma’am.
You won’t be able to break me.
Who will be able to hit the hardest?
You practiced a little bit of Muay Thai? Well I lived Muay Thai for years.
Your BKO has knocked out many opponents; and the Blyzzard is pure perfection. But, a lot of your moves are “pretty moves,” if you understand what I mean. Blyss, my moves aren’t flashy or pretty; my moves are effective. My moves have one of three purposes: to submit you based on joint manipulation, to set you up for my White Noise, or to set you up for my devastating kick.
I hit harder Blyss.
And lastly, who wants this match more?
I guess that’s a question that will be answering during the course of that match. But Blyss, I’m looking to defeat you. I understand that you and I are connected by Flex; and I realize that you are his friend. But none of that matters. Flex may be in the crowd that night, but he isn’t in this match. It’s just going to be you and me standing that ring. You’ll be looking for Redemption, but I’ll be looking to add to my Legacy.
I’m looking to submit you, I’m looking to knock you out—I’m looking to defeat you Blyss!
You said that you were the challenge that I needed; I hope that you are right.
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Post by Josh Duncan on Jul 30, 2014 10:30:34 GMT -6
BLYSS LOCKHART RP “Haunted” Sunday, 13 July 2014
Location: Hotel room in Las Vegas, NV In such a physically demanding career, one needs to be mentally fit on top of all that body training. A wrestler, a good one at that, needs to learn the difference between luck and skill and knowing how to use both when time for either shows up. Pain is a concept that none understands completely so when one isn’t prepared at all for it, one can easily succumb to shock. And that is never a good thing. …which Blyss Lockhart knows perfectly well. The human mind is so fragile, kept in the physical shell of a brain and further protected by the skull. Every bump and fall endured becomes a step closer to the edge each time one enters the squared circle to compete. How many of them have tripped over this edge? How many of them have vowed to never come back? And how many even had a choice? The danger is real and as soon as one signs their name on the dotted line, one makes a deal with Death itself. Forever tempting fate while dancing, not with their professional rivals, but with the one true Enemy. Forever bound. Forever doomed. But perhaps it is this vulnerability of the mind that makes it so strong too. Perspective can be power. As soon as one changes position to look at what’s before them, one can see new possibilities. These possibilities then turn to opportunities which then become a symbol for hope. And hope gives this game of life satisfaction, pride and of course honor. Nobody should fight for nothing. Nobody. Lying in a fetal position beneath the covers of the queen-sized bed from the neck down, Blyss hasn’t moved for some time now. The hour has gone way past midnight but a new day it has not yet reached. It’s quiet in the dark hotel room and all other sounds outside are muted while the ones within these four walls that are so elegantly lined with gold and cream-colored wallpaper consist of only the murmur of the air-conditioning and her steady breathing. The TV has long been switched off. The curtains are fully drawn. And she lies there completely awake, just thinking. Unlike the weather outside, it’s almost freezing here. She can barely feel her toes and fingers now. Yet that’s how it has to be. She loves the cold, even if it feels almost like dead in the winter. Buzz… buzz… A dim glow lights up part of the hotel room as a new call comes through. The iPhone vibrates on the nightstand next to the bed. Only her eyes flit to it before she slowly reaches over to take it. Without even a glance at the lit-up screen, she puts it back down but instead of doing so gently, she accidentally drops it on the table. She hasn't realized how cold the room has truly gotten. It startled her a little, sending shivers down her spine, but she just continues to watch her phone intently with her right fist by her face on the pillow. Eventually, the call stops and the light from the phone screen dies. Darkness easily returns. The sound of her own breathing is all she hears once more. Again her mind wanders, this time she thinks who would be reaching her at this time. The caller could be anyone and their purpose might be urgent. She's aware of this yet she can’t bring herself to answer it. Instead, her mind scrolls through the possible faces of the caller, each one more desired than the next. They seem so far out of her reach yet so easy to will back into her mind’s eye. Like a moment forever captured in a photograph, these people look exactly as how she last saw them. Frozen. A still and stubborn collection of memories. How are they doing now? Have they changed at all? ...Or has that long been done already? Where was she when it happened then? Her head aches suddenly, making her wince and feel uneasy. For the past week and a half, she’s pretty much been sustaining on euphoria after a successful match against Zack Jones. The win earned her a spot in the scramble match at the next Insurgency Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event for the undisputed title. Interestingly, it’s the same championship she’s fought for and lost at the last PPV show. This second chance now rests in the palm of her hand and all she has to do once again is hold on to it tightly. The thought of this makes her subconsciously clench her right hand. She had been so close that she could taste it. The defeat has left her tossed to the ground, yearning to have another go at it. Just to see it one more time. That’s not wrong, no. So you see, the human mind really needs to be prepared for that. Especially when it’s already fragile as it is because it may not take much to eventually break it. And as expected, Blyss is crumbling. Oh she knows this. Her days since that last IWF match has once more become a cycle of repeated tasks and activities. Her body is slowly weakening due to lack of sleep yet her heart continues to fight back as if it simply refuses to back down. This puts her right back in that half awake and half asleep mode, just ready to snap. True enough, she wandered into the realm of Twitter a few hours earlier and ran out screaming inside. Social media can be cruel at times and like a lot of things, she just never learns. So she enters, so unsuspecting, and her tweet invited Jay Halc, the man whom she tried and failed to beat for the IWF undisputed title. The master of mental games himself. And worse… the very one who’s taught her how to play and assured her that it’s perfectly okay to listen to the voice in her head. It’s not surrendering, she had gathered from him. It’s merely listening to let the pressure pass so that it won’t drive her insane. Perhaps. But today, it seems to have taken a turn back to how it had all began as again and again, he taunts her. She thought their game has changed after confronting him a month ago. Her confidence too had grown since the huge title match loss yet just as quickly, it shattered with her begging for mercy on her knees once more. His taunts poke relentlessly at her house of guilt, this time again about abandoning her friendship with Tim Patrick. Then it escalated to him trying to confuse and further infuriate her on purpose as if he didn’t know what she’s angry about and ended with her yelling at him through text to shut up, to which he responded that she’s the one who should. He had stirred that emotional boiling pot long enough so she shut herself out. That’s when the lights go off. She wanted so badly to lash out at the very start but her mind somehow smothers that instinct. In a strange way, Jay has become almost like a mentor to her in that regard even though the feeling’s not quite mutual. In the eyes of others, she’d been stalking him as she hangs onto his every word like they’re drops of gold when really she’s just seeking for help and guidance through her journey to the top of the company. Oh how great would it be to finally be there. After all this time, the hard work and tremendous pain, it would be just… perfect. Her thoughts then fade away like the lapse of a heart beat monitor. Her right hand too begins to relax in the lull of this silence. BUZZ! BUZZ! Wide-eyed now, her attention is ripped towards another incoming call. A deep moaning escapes her lips as she slowly turns over on her back. She sees a lone spot of light on the ceiling. Why can’t everyone just leave her alone? What more do they want other than to break that deep well of guilt inside and drown her? She sits up in bed, pushing down the covers to her waist. She has nothing left to give today. Don’t they see that? BUZZ! BUZZ! She turns her body towards it, narrowing her eyes. Is there nothing else she can say that won’t make them think they’re reading her mind? Her thoughts, words and actions are hers and hers alone. Her purpose is no secret though. From the beginning, she has set out on this climb to success and she hasn’t reached it yet. In fact, she’s nowhere close to it so clearly the reasons behind her every move hasn’t changed. She has outwardly spoken about this, yelling and screaming too at times. Yet they seem to have fallen on deaf ears and sorry eyes. There doesn’t seem to be anything she does that they approve of. Due to this, she’s wanted so much to walk away without even a glance back in the rear view mirror. And it was never this hard to do just tha. Oh, she’ll show them for sure. But for some reason now, she can’t. The temptation of freedom is so great that she gets scared of it all over again. The chains have since multiplied and not just to the same source this time. She has more friends than before which makes it extra difficult to cut all ties. BUZZ! BUZZ— In a sudden fit of rage, she lunges towards the nightstand and grabs the phone that’s still vibrating away with the call. She then dives over the edge of the bed, balanced only by the waist. She pushes her left hand against the carpeted floor to support herself as she hammers the phone down. But the damn thing is like a brick plus the carpet only cushions the blow so she slides it beneath the bed. As long as she doesn’t see it, perhaps it’ll be okay. She pushes herself back up onto the bed and waits. True enough, the bed blocks out the light from the phone and she's once again comforted by its absence. As she lies on her front, she turns her head to rest her face on its left side. She breathes out a sigh of relief and closes her eyes. bzzz… bzzz… The soft buzzing upon the carpet can still be heard in the silence of the room. Her eyes open wide, searching in the darkness. Her hand rests over her face as she makes a mental plea. Please stop. bzzz… bzzz… She tenses her jaw, bed sheet in clenched fists. She tries to ignore it as she squeezes her eyes shut and covers her ears like a stubborn child. Obviously that isn’t going to work so she pulls herself over the edge of the bed again. She reaches her hand under the bed for the phone. Her hand goes further and further to the point that her body is once more balancing at the waist. In one fluid motion, she drops onto the floor and extends her arm even more to get it. But it’s too far deep and the gap is too low for her to crawl into. She needs to move the bed to retrieve it. She retracts her arm, staring from a few feet away at the dim glow of the phone screen with a troubled frown. bzzz… bzzz… Her right hand reaches for the blanket and pulls it down over herself as she continues to lie there on her side. She rests her head on the carpeted floor, tightly gripping the blanket and feeling defeated. bzzz… bzzz… Her eyes stay widened in a listless gaze. The sound grows louder and more irritating in her ears. She grazes her hair on the left side of her head with her hand before resting her arm on her face. Then she does it again, more urgently this time as if it would ease that itch. …bzzz. Staring into the void of the gap beneath the bed, she meets even more complete darkness. Silence ensues in the room as the call ends but the sound has now traveled into her mind where it continues to repeat. She could practically feel the incessant ringing pulsating through her like lifeblood coursing through her very veins. … It's getting louder and she can’t stop it. Who could be calling her? What do they want? … She just can't. … In yet another burst of anger, she pulls herself back up on her feet, rushes for the bedside lamp to turn it on and pushes the bed to retrieve the phone. She needs to get to it before it does her. Dropping to her knees, she plops down before it and picks it up. She presses a button and swipes at the screen with her right thumb to unlock it. But immediately she turns away and locks the phone again. She squeezes her eyes shut as if it would pain her just to look at the screen. Her left hand grips her right wrist so hard that she just lets the phone go. It falls so carelessly onto the floor and she pulls her knees up, pushing her hair back with both hands. She wanted to be left alone and in this moment, she’s got it. Now clearly she’s just being ungrateful… right?
I've got another confession to make
I'm your fool
Everyone's got their chains to break
Holdin' you
Monday, 14 July 2014 PWP 10 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Location: Hotel room in Knoxville, TNThe scene opens to the face of Blyss Lockhart in the middle of the screen, looking slightly worried. She’s only just frowning as she’s setting up the digital camera for this recording. She’s dressed plainly in a white tank top and black ripped jeans. She leans back in the chair she’s sitting on and pulls up her hair to twist it into a messy knot, long dark tendrils of hair framing her pale face. Her eyes look tired with dark circles underneath, their green tint almost faded to gray. The expression on her face remains intact even when she begins to speak. Blyss Lockhart
Riley Owens, at the end of this month, I will meet you at the 10th PWP show at the Alamodome. I have answered your call. I have since then prepared myself to fulfill your desire for a challenge in that ring. When I saw that video of yours, I took note of your face. Your lips were moving, your chest was heaving and your eyes gleamed with every word you spoke. I’ve seen your matches too, I wanted to see what I’m up against here. Because before that, all I knew about you prior to the challenge video was that your name is Riley, you’re trained by Flex Johnson and that you used to be signed with the Insurgency for a very short time. There’s so much great talent around in this business that it’s a little hard to keep up with everything, you know? But you… For some reason, you got my attention. Perhaps it was fate, Riley. She leans closer to the camera, her eyebrows knitted even more closely together. Blyss Lockhart
To be honest, I’m not in the best place in my career right now. It’s not that hard to find out online that I’ve just lost my biggest chance at capturing the biggest title prize Insurgency has to offer. I was THIS close to becoming champion, fulfilling my dream in that company. But that was 2 months ago and since then I’ve been picking up wins. I’ve been facing new talents who’ve just walked through those Insurgency doors too. Old, new, I got them. And now at the next PPV, I’ll be in the running for that same title though this time it would be with five other people. And the funny thing is, none of them is the guy I tried to beat. What’s even funnier is how I’ve since been accused nonstop of becoming so different that it’s horrible. Somehow they see this— this huge change in me and have deemed it as something negative. She glances away, closing her eyes momentarily, as she shakes her head in disapproval. Blyss Lockhart
You see, Riley, I have changed. That’s what disappointment does to you, when you’ve tried so hard to accomplish something but failed. And so does joy, you know? (speaks fast) And anger, excitement, envy, satisfaction and everything else. It’s called emotions. It’s called being human. (slows back down) And it’s… called… life. That’s what life does to you. You react and you adapt. You know how it is, don’t you, Riley? Her gaze turns back sharply at the camera, a troubled expression crosses her face. Blyss Lockhart
You’re an independent wrestler, constantly moving from company to company. Your contract plays by your rules. When things get too much to handle, you pack up and leave. Easy. No hassle. But that doesn’t mean you chose to give up. You just pick your battles. When nobody hears you, you make them listen from somewhere else. And perhaps THIS is why you’re always hungry for more and greater challenge. You’re never satisfied in that ring. How could you be when you keep meeting different faces that make the same old tired speech about how you’re beneath them simply because they’ve not heard much of you? No wonder you’re always looking to prove your worth as a wrestler like your career’s stuck on restart. And here you are now, issuing a challenge to anybody out there to come face you in PWP. You’re only human. Your needs are, well, justified. She lets out a soft sigh as she brushes hair away from her eyes. Blyss Lockhart
Now do you know why I answered your challenge? Like I said, I’m not in the best place right now. In fact, I’m scared to death about being in that IWF undisputed title match at the PPV next month. I’m not feeling at all good right now. Yet… You see, the last time I wrestled in PWP was last October. Interestingly, back then, I was actually feeling like I was at the top of the world looking out to the sky and reaching for what’s beyond. I could practically touch it, Riley. I was the High Impact champion. I was doing so well. I wanted to carry the Insurgency flag on my back and bring home a noteworthy victory. I wanted to do it just to show that I could. I wanted everything. But then I entered the arena in Miami that night feeling invincible… and left completely devastated. Her right hand clenches into a fist over her heart and she looks at the camera with a hardened gaze, dipping her chin a little. Blyss Lockhart
I’m not here with a clean slate, no. No matter how many times I try, I’ll always have all this baggage with me. The losses can forever haunt me for all I care. It’s what has shaped the person and the wrestler that I am. So of course I’ve changed! I had to! React and adapt! Survival! The very reason I’m still standing today. The Blyss Lockhart you might have heard of before won’t meet you in San Antonio, Riley. And definitely not the Blyss Lockhart who’s graced the PWP stage last time. The one who answered your call wants to be here simply because. She also wants to be there. She wants to be up top again and then at the bottom where the undiscovered also lay. I’m done waiting for “that” moment. You see, Riley, you may have made a challenge but the power doesn’t lie in your grasp. It’s in mine. I’m making this match happen for you, Riley. Without me, your request is null. Void. You’d go on wrestling in FGA like nothing happened because nothing has. What a waste that would have been. And I really hate that. So I heard you need someone else to play with you so that you can continue building your legacy. Here I am, Riley. She reaches over to turn off the recording when she stops, her finger hovering over the button. Blyss Lockhart
Perhaps I’m so out of place now that it’s right to face you in that ring, Riley. To cross out that last PWP loss with a win here? Well, I can’t deny that. Though I do have everything to lose once again. You know, my pride. But I’ve already walked in here without much deliberation. I just took it. And now, I can’t wait. I don’t need to show you all that I’m capable of. In fact, if you want it, I need to hear you say it. Only till I see that hunger in your eyes again, Riley. Just like in that challenge video. This match can go either way and that rush of the fall, ooh! I kinda like it. But would that be you or me? Hmm see ya out there, Riley. It’s gonna be spectacular. A grin forms on her face just before the scene cuts abruptly to black.
My heart is under arrest again
But I'll break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can't choose
I swear I'll never give in
I refuse
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