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Post by rileyowens on Jan 13, 2015 8:59:12 GMT -6
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." -Dale Carnegie Grey Matter (Nina PWP)
Ambitions Who am I?
I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately.
I used to know who I was. I used to be secure in myself, and secure in my career. But, as I continue to walk down this road, this journey as a wrestler―now I’m not really so sure anymore you know?
This is probably terrible, but honestly, I didn’t have many ambitions when I first got into the Business. I’m not going to re-tell my story; now isn’t the time. Nonetheless, there was a time, a long time, where I didn’t think I’d ever realize my dream.
So at first, when I was accepted in KWI and I could actually call myself a REAL wrestler...I was content.
...That feeling of being content didn’t last too long however.
I started having visions; I started having premonitions. I began to see myself as a champion; and I knew it was something that I had to achieve. World, secondary, tag-team...it doesn’t really matter to me―I want to be champion!
And honestly, it doesn’t help that other people have also seen visions of me becoming a champion. You don’t know how many times I’ve heard the following phrases: “you’ve got so much potential,” “you’re going to be holding gold someday,” “you’re going to be a world champion one day!”
When I didn’t have goals or care about winning titles, I took those comments as compliments; I enjoyed them, maybe even welcomed them. And yet, as my goals began to shift, I began to loathe those comments.
Those compliments transmuted into insults.
At this point, I’ve been wrestling just about a year now. In that short amount of time, I’ve had the honor (or misfortune) of competing in three title matches. And, I say misfortune, because each and every time there was a strong probability of me walking away as the champ.
My first title shot was in KWI. When I first got there, I was given an amazing opportunity. My first match EVER was for an opportunity to compete for KWI’s top prize. It’s was a point-bracket style tournament, and I was tossed right into the thick of things.
Was I in over my head? Hell yeah. But, the company believed I was ready.
I didn’t win the tournament, but I earned couple of high profile wins; in fact, I earned enough wins to that I was placed in a six man for the newly introduced secondary title. There were a lot of fan favorites in that match, people who shouted to the heavens that they were “better” and more accomplished than me.
One by one they all got eliminated. The final two people in the match were woman named Ryane and me of course. I could have defeated her; I probably should have defeated her. But I was fighting against impossible odds; out of everyone in that match, I had taken the most damage.
I should have won―but I didn’t.
My second title match was in HKW. Unlike a lot of people there, I actually earned my title match. I had worked a particular house show for the company; in one night I defeated four other men, and I became the number one contender. And, then next week I challenged for the title.
The champion and I had a great match; it was deemed the match of the night if you can believe that. However, at the end, two people came down and attacked us both.
No Contest.
I should have won―but I couldn’t. My last title match took place last month. Once again I had to face Hell and High Water to obtain my shot...and I did it.
And once again, someone interfered in the title match.
No Contest.
I could have won, I should have won―but I didn’t.
Now, I realized that my next match in PWP is not for a title. Hell, I wouldn’t expect it to be. I’ve had two great matches here, but two matches does not a champion make. Heck, it will probably be aged before I receive PWP title match, if ever.
However, I wanted to get all this frustration, out.
I want people to understand that when I step into that PWP ring, it’s not my goal to hurt people; but, it is my goal to unleash that frustration. For months now, I’ve been letting those emotions just sit in inside me and bubble up.
I’ve been letting those emotions brew. PWP is going to see a different Nina Stoke than what’s presented in HKW. PWP isn’t going to just be my proving grounds; it’s going to be a place where I can truly shine. What most people don’t know is that a new warrior is being cultivated as I speak. I’ve been training my ass off over the past month or so; I’m currently being groomed by some of the fiercest wrestlers in the Business today.
Now, it’s time to apply what I’ve learned.
Lotus: Part One
Opportunities…
I almost feel that’s definition and foundation of this company.
Take a look at the owner, Josh Duncan. Mr. Duncan is a savvy man; he’s been in the Business for a while. Surely, he worked and floated among different promotions behind the scenes. Eventually though, he grew tired and weary of it all.
However, an interesting opportunity came along; and, instead of floating and working for someone else, Mr. Duncan was given the chance to become his own boss. He was given a chance to build and shape his own brand; he was ultimately given the chance to spread his baby, Pro Wrestling Project, to the masses…
He made the most out of what he was given.
Mr. Duncan isn’t the only one who saw PWP as an opportunity to go to the level. Look at James Shark for example. Sure, he is insufferable, but most consider him to be a great wrestler. For years, he has been jumping from promotion to promotion; sometimes he left on his own accord, sometimes he was kicked out and shunned. But, for a breath moment, he came to PWP seeking something. The lazy answer would be to say he was only seeking gold; I see things differently however. Shark came to PWP because he saw an amazing opportunity in front of him: in that one-night tournament Shark sought to prove himself―he sought to redeem himself.
You don’t like that argument?
Well, let’s look at someone like Flex Johnson. He’s a man who has done everything that there is to do in professional wrestling. He’s won world titles, singles titles, tag team titles; he’s competed in a multitude of matches and mastered many styles. Truth is, although Mr. Johnson still amazing, he should have retired three or four years ago.
After his run in Insurgency, he probably should have gone home; however, he didn’t. He became interested and invested in PWP. Instead of just walking away from the Business, Mr. Johnson saw an opportunity to give back to it. He saw a chance to build up a new company and help it grow; and, that’s exactly what he did.
Ha, you know what’s ironic?
My opponent this week, Savannah, was in the same boat as Mr. Johnson and Mr. Shark.
Savannah, I know a little bit about your story. Yeah, you won gold in your previous promotion; but, by most accounts, your run in Insurgency is seen as a failure. Right after signing you aligned yourself with guy with the last name of Thor; I can’t recall his first name to save my life. Perhaps you knew of him before he signed to Insurgency, or perhaps you wanted elevate your status by riding on the coat-tails of a so called “monster.” The end result was the same though, right Savannah?
The end result is that people saw you as a leech; immediately you were characterized as a woman who couldn’t stand on her own two feet. You were teased, you were despised, and you were mocked.
Eventually, after this Thor guy left, you were forced to stand on your own two for a while. You made some progress…
Until you fell right back into the same trap once again.
Does the name Tim Patrick ring a bell? It does to me.
For a long time Mr. Patrick was the most hated man in wrestling, which is ironic, because his claim to fame was being a “good guy.” Well, a slightly crazy “good guy,” but I digress. At the time, Mr. Patrick was in power over in Insurgency wasn’t he?
And, you two become an item.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing; in fact love is a grand thing.
Favoritism though? Hmm, not so much, huh?
It shouldn’t surprise you that I know my history Savannah; I did used to be a teacher after all. Anyway, Mr. Patrick’s time in power was filled with allegations of favoritism and corruption. I can’t say those allegations were true; I wasn’t even in the Business at the same time. However, I can say that as a fan, he seemed shady. His best friend, Blyss, was given title shot after title shot, even though she kept losing; meanwhile, other wrestlers were passed up.
And you, ha, you received a couple of title shots yourself didn’t you love? Now, I know you are going to sit here and try to tell me you earned those title shots. Again, I wasn’t in charge of the company. Perhaps upper management truly sat down and said “Savannah has worked hard, give her a shot.”
Again though, from the outside looking in, we fans saw Mr. Patrick snap his fingers, and you were given a golden opportunity that it didn’t appear that you worked for.
Savannah, I’m not going to sit here and keep dwelling on the past. But, I’ll say this; those two instances in Insurgency tainted you. They damaged a bit of your legacy, and I’m sure you can agree with me on that.
Now, most wrestlers probably would have retired, or they would have gone to some small time promotion and kept their head down.
Nonetheless, that’s not what you did.
No ma’am, you came to PWP. You can to PWP because just like James Shark, you sought redemption. You didn’t want the fan’s last impressions of you to be ones of corruption; you saw PWP as a way to rebuild your legacy. And, Like Flex Johnson, you felt that you still had something left to give this Business.
Savannah let me be clear right now. Regardless of my tone and demeanor, I respect you. You’ve had some slip-ups and questionable choices; but, we all have. I respect you because you moved past those makes.
PWP has done you some good. No, a champion you are not. However, month after month you put on consistent matches; and, you’ve beaten many big names here.
You made the most of what you were given.
And now, I get the chance to prove myself and step into the ring with you.
Honestly Savannah, you and I aren’t too much different. The reason why I was critical of your transgressions and mistakes is because I’ve made some myself. And like you, I’ve mended them, and moved past them.
In fact I’m no different from you, or Mr. Johnson, or Mr. Shark.
The truth is, I’m here in PWP because it’s an opportunity for me. Savannah, believe it or not this is only my second year wrestling; some people are surprised by that fact. My first year wrestling was decent: I got signed to a large promotion and made a moderate name for myself; I won some big matches, and a gained tiny bit of respect.
I should feel proud, shouldn’t it? I should feel happy and accomplished.
But I don’t Savannah. I don’t feel accomplished because my first year in the Business should have been more than it was. I’ve had high profile matches, and I’ve won enough of them to garner some type of respect; and yet, I get disrespected on daily by veterans and people who claim to be my peers. I should have been a champion in my first year; I should have cemented my legacy! Nonetheless, each and every single time the belt was literally ripped away from my hands, due to interference and laxed rules.
My first year in professional wrestling should have been amazing…
To me, it was simply sub-par at best.
That’s one of the main reasons why I came to PWP. This company has one of the best rosters in the world; and I want to compete against everyone on it. Or, should I say, I want to defeat everyone on it!
You’re technically a veteran, aren’t you Savannah? Or, you could be classified as seasoned, at the very least. Wrestling as much as he or she possibly can, taking on the best of the best―isn’t that how a wrestler becomes great!?
That is my purpose here in PWP. And if you look at my first two matches, you’ll understand that I’m well on my way.
Violet is one of the toughest people you’ll ever face inside of the ring; she has no quit. Nonetheless, I was able to match her intensity in the ring―I was able to defeat her! And if you can believe it, she and I formed a bond through that mutual ass kicking.
Then there was my tag team match last month, a match that was filled with rage and hurt feelings. One person was able to block all of that out; one person was able to focus on the wrestling, and that was me.
I won that match Savannah! Furthermore, even if my partner hadn’t acted like a psycho, I still would have had the match in the bag.
Two PWP matches Savannah:
Two classics…
Two victories…
And you know what I’m going to say―you’re next!
Like I said, I respect you. And, based on that history lesson at the beginning of this promo, I’m pretty familiar with your work in the ring. I don’t expect this match to be a cake-walk; I don’t expect to roll all over you. No, I expect you to bring the fight; you wouldn’t be a four-time champion if you didn’t have a little fight in you.
At the end of the day though, I’m going to walk out of PWP 14 with my hand raised.
Out of all the hell I’ve been put through, you better believe my going to make the very best of this opportunity!
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Post by savannah on Jan 18, 2015 20:22:53 GMT -6
"Nina Stokes #bulletproof."
Fade in on a gym. It could be any gym, anywhere in the world but, from snippets of conversations picked up by the microphone,we can pretty much say it's in the Land Down Under.
Savannah gives a heavy bag a few more shots- including one massive spinning roundhouse kick that ends her set. She takes a towel and pats some sweat away before addressing the camera.
"I'm impressed, Nina. Really I am. Impressed and honored. I mean… so much research must have gone into your promo, hon.
Even if it was the biggest pile of unadulterated bullshit ever to be saved to disc! And given last year's political campaign that's saying something!
First off, you're completely wrong about SAH'TA Thor, hon. I never leeched off of him. He and I are friends from about five years back. He's the one who got me back into wrestling after I'd been laid up with an injury. HE was the one who brought ME to IWF- because he needed someone in the ring with him who would have his back- someone who he could trust, someone he knew was good enough to get the job done!
I was NEVER a leech with Thor- I was an EQUAL!
I wasn't riding anyone's coat tails, honey. Everything I accomplished at IWF I did on my own merits… "
Savannah's mood fails for a moment. She sighs and shakes her head.
"I won't bore you with what happened during my time at IWF. Suffice it to say that, after February of last year my concentration was on things other than my career. You're right, Nina, love is a wonderful thing. It can also be a bitch when the one you love is badly hurt, nearly taken from you- and you really find out who your friends are."
Savannah gives a dismissive wave.
"But you're not here to listen to me whine about my past. You're here to listen to me speak about my future- especially my future this month against you.
You talk about your two wins as if that's a big thing. I look at them and I ask 'What have you learned here?'
Savannah begins to 'pace her cage' arms moving as she talks emphatically.
"You see, a record without a loss means you're not trying hard enough. You're getting esy matches, easy wins.
It's what makes me so God damned mad about all that 'favoritism' bullshit. Do you really think that if Tim was playing favorites to advance my career he would have thrown me in with Gordon Fury?
We both knew I wasn't ready, but he did give me pointers based on his own history with the man, pointers that I tried to take to heart- but failed.
But it didn't matter, because I don't see that loss- or any loss- as a 'failure.' We all have to lose- we can't all be perfect. And if we're blowing through a fed without a loss, maybe that fed's not the right place for our kind of talent. "
She stops a moment, giving the camera a glance.
"The problem isn't the loss, honey. The problem is what you do with it, how you take it.
Every loss- EVERY loss I've ever had in any fed that I've fought in has been a lesson learned. Even if that lesson is 'never turn your back on Connor Creed.'
Yes, my record- both here and at any other federation I've fought in- has been far from stellar. But I can say that EVERY match I've fought has been, bell to bell, some of the best wrestling, some of the most competitive, hard fought matches ever seen!
Even the losses. ESPECIALLY the losses!
It's why I'm a superstar no matter where I go. It's because, when I enter a match I'm looking for a challenge. I openly make that challenge in every fed, and I'll make it here, tonight- to you, Nina.
Here's the deal. I see where you've signed up for next month's Queen of the Deathmatch tournament. So have I.
Why wait until next month? I am hereby issuing a challenge to YOU, Nina Stokes. I am hereby telling Josh Duncan that, if you agree, I want to make this month's match a little showcase of what the fans have to look forward to next month.
In other words- I want you hardcore! Any stip, you can make that call. But let's kick the challenge of this month's match up a few notches."
Savannah smiles, nearly purrs at the camera.
"Are you in? Does the thought of putting it all on the line excite you? Does it make you wonder if you have enough in you to do this?
Now you're living in the world I love.
And when you lose- WHEN you lose- you can be assured of a lesson to take home with you. Something to make you stronger and, maybe, give you the win next month!
Let Josh know either way. And either way, I'll see you in the ring.
And we'll find out if you're #clawproof!"
We fade to black.
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