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Post by [APB] on Nov 17, 2013 18:26:32 GMT -5
"I'm not going to lie. I'm disappointed."
I look the interviewer directly in the face. he's some scraggly bearded twenty something from a local community college. Some kid sent here to review PURE's opening night. While others of his ilk are out chasing down the winners, he's sitting here in my locker room with the loser.
"Disappointed? You put on a good match."
I sigh to myself. Then take a deep breath before correcting the kid.
"Look, it's not losing that I'm disappointed in. Hell, it's not even HOW I lost. It's that the match ended way too soon."
I stare off into the distance for a while. Trying to think of the best way possible to say this.
"I've been out of the ring for a while. I thought I've lost everything that makes it my home. I was certain the fire was gone. But tonight... Tonight it all came flaring back to life. The torch is re-lit."
The reporter looks at me, I can tell he's not into this. He's talking to the loser.
"What about the way Ash won the match?"
"What about it? Look, she showed her stuff. She went into this match with a game plan and showed that she's worth it. She's on a mission for respect? She's earned it."
The kid doesn't seem convinced.
"You respect her? Even after the way she won? You're not out for revenge? Or to prove it a fluke, or anything like that?"
He just doesn't get it.
"Look, a win is a win. Am I happy with how it went down? No. Do I want a rematch sometime down the line to prove myself? Sure. In the end, does it take away from her? No.”
I shake my head.
“Look, this isn't like other sports. 'Cheating'? Come on, there is no real cheating. It's part of the game here. Feet on the ropes is the least amount of cheating one can do. Christ, the way I view it, winning that way is just as legitimate as pinning me flat. She's earned her respect. Now let's see what she does with it. See the direction she goes in.”
The reporter obviously doesn't give a shit. He's just here because he was asked to be. Who'd want to talk to the loser?
“So, you're really not upset at how things went tonight?”
“Did I say that?”
I get just slightly irritated.
“Look, I'm irritated, yeah. I lost and that's just flat out not what I wanted. I wanted to win. I know I'm not as well known outside my little 'bubble' of wrestling, but I'm better than I've been showing the last few years. I'm flat out better. I'm f'n pissed that Ash beat me. But, does that mean I can't accept it? I know the vast majority in this sport, despite their physicality, are little children in grown up bodies. They have egos that demand constant feeding, but I'm not that way. I accept reality, and it is what it is.”
The kid jots down some notes, then continues on.
“What about next week?””
What about it? I think for a few moments before answering.
“Next week is next week. I've a different kind of fight going on. It's not all about who's the best or the strongest or anything like that. This time it's three people setting foot in the ring. This time it's about being the smartest, being the craftiest.”
I shake my head.
“Both my opponents are great performers. Jair is somebody I haven't had interaction with, but I know about him and I expect a challenge. Maverick I've heard of more. And again he's a great wrestler. But, in the end, I'm going to walk out on top.”
I stand up, and offer the kid my hand. He looks at me funny.
“Why is that?”
He shakes my hand as I smile.
“Because, that's just the way it is.”
As I walk off, I can already tell, the Kid didn't really listen to a word I said. He's just there to do a job...
Just like me. The difference is, my job involves pain. My job involves violence. My job involves the fans yelling and screaming.
How could you ever work any other kind of job?
I look the interviewer directly in the face. he's some scraggly bearded twenty something from a local community college. Some kid sent here to review PURE's opening night. While others of his ilk are out chasing down the winners, he's sitting here in my locker room with the loser.
"Disappointed? You put on a good match."
I sigh to myself. Then take a deep breath before correcting the kid.
"Look, it's not losing that I'm disappointed in. Hell, it's not even HOW I lost. It's that the match ended way too soon."
I stare off into the distance for a while. Trying to think of the best way possible to say this.
"I've been out of the ring for a while. I thought I've lost everything that makes it my home. I was certain the fire was gone. But tonight... Tonight it all came flaring back to life. The torch is re-lit."
The reporter looks at me, I can tell he's not into this. He's talking to the loser.
"What about the way Ash won the match?"
"What about it? Look, she showed her stuff. She went into this match with a game plan and showed that she's worth it. She's on a mission for respect? She's earned it."
The kid doesn't seem convinced.
"You respect her? Even after the way she won? You're not out for revenge? Or to prove it a fluke, or anything like that?"
He just doesn't get it.
"Look, a win is a win. Am I happy with how it went down? No. Do I want a rematch sometime down the line to prove myself? Sure. In the end, does it take away from her? No.”
I shake my head.
“Look, this isn't like other sports. 'Cheating'? Come on, there is no real cheating. It's part of the game here. Feet on the ropes is the least amount of cheating one can do. Christ, the way I view it, winning that way is just as legitimate as pinning me flat. She's earned her respect. Now let's see what she does with it. See the direction she goes in.”
The reporter obviously doesn't give a shit. He's just here because he was asked to be. Who'd want to talk to the loser?
“So, you're really not upset at how things went tonight?”
“Did I say that?”
I get just slightly irritated.
“Look, I'm irritated, yeah. I lost and that's just flat out not what I wanted. I wanted to win. I know I'm not as well known outside my little 'bubble' of wrestling, but I'm better than I've been showing the last few years. I'm flat out better. I'm f'n pissed that Ash beat me. But, does that mean I can't accept it? I know the vast majority in this sport, despite their physicality, are little children in grown up bodies. They have egos that demand constant feeding, but I'm not that way. I accept reality, and it is what it is.”
The kid jots down some notes, then continues on.
“What about next week?””
What about it? I think for a few moments before answering.
“Next week is next week. I've a different kind of fight going on. It's not all about who's the best or the strongest or anything like that. This time it's three people setting foot in the ring. This time it's about being the smartest, being the craftiest.”
I shake my head.
“Both my opponents are great performers. Jair is somebody I haven't had interaction with, but I know about him and I expect a challenge. Maverick I've heard of more. And again he's a great wrestler. But, in the end, I'm going to walk out on top.”
I stand up, and offer the kid my hand. He looks at me funny.
“Why is that?”
He shakes my hand as I smile.
“Because, that's just the way it is.”
As I walk off, I can already tell, the Kid didn't really listen to a word I said. He's just there to do a job...
Just like me. The difference is, my job involves pain. My job involves violence. My job involves the fans yelling and screaming.
How could you ever work any other kind of job?
