Post by Keira Hunter on Aug 21, 2017 3:19:06 GMT
There’s being ready...and there’s being READY.
You can hype yourself up and think it’s your time, and then the cold hard slap of reality strikes you down, rendering you a shell of yourself...if you let it. I’ll tell you all about being ready, but first...we go back to the beginning.
BACK THEN…
Things were different, the world had changed and there wasn’t a chance I was willing to let it pass me by, even at the young age of at the time, sixteen. I had my boyfriend break up with me and I was going through this new stage in my life that quite frankly, I didn’t know how to handle...not in the least. I was kind of stuck wandering around, going through the motions as if life was okay, not great, but okay. I had heard of wrestling, I thought it was cool. Two guys, or sometimes women would clash and while fighting, still tell a story together. That intrigued me, and still does to this day. I’m a creative person, and consider myself pretty intelligent. Telling stories is something I do just to pass the time, and, well, getting paid to punch somebody in the face, especially at a time like this sounded like a pretty fun idea.
If that’s all you think wrestling is...you’d be sadly mistaken.
The first few days had been tolling on the body. I had bruises in places that I didn’t even know existed. Having pale skin hasn’t really helped as each and every welt has shown itself to the world. It worried my parents until I explained it was simply part of the game. It worried my teachers as they thought things were going on at home despite the many times I assured them it wasn’t, even offering the principle a video of my training to prove that my parents weren’t the mean people they thought they were.
While their worry grew, my determination did the same. Wrestling was indeed the perfect medium for someone like me; someone who was outcasted by the society I was set in. It was a chance for me to let out aggressions. It was a chance for me to retaliate against said society on a platform that was totally legal. I could punch someone in the face, slam them, and beat them up with little to no recourse, other than the fact they might hit back.
Right after school every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I went and I learned. I studied what the coaches had to say, and I worked for hours to perfect it all. This quickly became all I wanted to do. My school would let out at three, and immediately I jumped in my car with my recently aquired driver’s license and take the half hour drive to the facility. Class would start at seven, I’d be there at six with a few others already putting work in. Apparently that was noticed by some of the guys in charge.
It was Thursday, the last day of my training week, my third week in total, and as I walked into the building, ready to work as usual, I got tapped on the shoulder. I turned and saw one of the head trainers, Ramon Diego, tap me on the shoulder.
Ramon Diego: Keira, can I have a word with you?
Keira Hunter: Sure.
I set my things down and follow him into his office. We close the door and standing on the other side of his desk was the head women’s trainer in the school Eliza Sloan. I had a seat in the chair as Ramon walked to the chair and had a seat, Eliza merely looking down with her arms crossed over her chest.
Ramon Diego: I want to let you know that Eliza here has told me that she is extremely impressed with your work ethic and your ability to grasp concepts. She says you’ve been here well before the opening of the class, and you stay an hour or two after, just to put in the extra work, and that you’re the only female to do so.
I was slightly humbled by his praise and tried to let that be known.
Keira Hunter: I just want to learn as much as possible sir.
Ramon Diego: Eliza thinks that you’ve learned enough and shown enough to move up a tier in the classes.
This was shocking to me. I didn’t think I had done THAT much to impress.
Keira Hunter: Um...I don’t know what to say. Thank you? I’ll try my best not to let you down.
He nodded. He knew this was a huge step for me, and to do it so quickly was really astounding, not to him as much as it was me.
Ramon Diego: The next tier isn’t too dissimilar. It’s a bunch more moves added, and we start with the promo training.
Keira Hunter: I think if I’ve surprised you so far, you’ll really be surprised when I have to talk to someone...I’ve always been told talking is a strong suit of mine.
A smile cracked his face.
Ramon Diego: I like the confidence. Trust me when I tell you though, promos aren’t just a bunch of smartass remarks. You have to connect with as many people watching as you can and make them understand your message. It doesn’t matter if the lines are complete BS, or if you are telling facts from a book. You have to make them believe that you believe in every single word you utter. You have to make them love it, or hate it. It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.
I nod in a prepared manner.
Keira Hunter: I’ll be ready.
Ramon Diego: In fact, since you’re in this little transition, we’re gonna give you an exercise. Go think of a promo that explains who you are and why you’re here. You have the entire class to do so, and with about a half hour left, come find me and we’ll see what you got, okay?
The two of us stood from our seats and shook hands as he lead me and Eliza out.
Ramon Diego: Can’t wait to see what you’ve got.
I couldn’t help but nervously nod as I walk off toward my stuff. They both went on with their classes and as I sat there with my bag, I felt each and every butterfly in my stomach fluttering around. I needed to come up with a gameplan and I had to do it quick.
NOW...
The scene comes to and you see me sitting on a chair in the higher levels of the arenas. I look down below where the ring is already set up with a barricade around it. From up here it looks like a little dollhouse accessory, and to think...I’ll be in the middle of it in a few days.
It’s been a bit since that first promo Crystal. I’m sure it’ll air at some point in my career as I know it was taped. Let me tell you something really important though Miss Hollywood...my skills have gotten so much better. It’s one of the reasons I’ve gotten as high as I’ve gotten points wise in this Heiress to the Throne. The only reason there’s someone higher is because they haven’t faced me.
A smirk comes across my face, the dark red lipstick perfectly outlining my sinister look.
A couple weeks ago, you had your chance Crystal. You tried your hardest to stop any momentum I had, and you were thwarted by the fact that it was Fiona who tapped out to me. You couldn’t do anything about it, and I know that makes you mad. I know that as a competitor, I would want to have a say in how my matches end, and if I’m going to lose, you’re damn sure I’m going to lose for a better reason than being eliminated from the equation.
I point down to the tiny ring.
Down there, in that ring, we will do battle. There won’t be a Fiona there to take the fall as there was two weeks ago. There won’t be an excuse for why one of us lost. It’ll be two girls getting in that ring, each from humble beginnings, each looking to make a name for themselves, one for the first time, the other trying to reclaim a glory from the past. Something has to give right?
I scoot forward in the chair. I clasp my hands together in front of me while staring down at the floor in front of me as I gather my next set of thoughts, remembering what I had said a couple of weeks ago.
Crystal, a couple of weeks ago I said I didn’t inspire to be you. I said that I didn’t want to just be another fish in the large, growing ocean of women’s wrestling. I wanted to be more than that. I wanted my name to go down with the greats this company has had over the years, names like Jessica Reed, names like Eternity, names like Alexis Caffrey. They each had their own part in making this division one of the tops this industry may have ever seen.
You?
You sat by on the sidelines and let it happen without you. Sure you were here...but were you really “here”. Were you a presence in this company when the bigger names were making their names scroll across the marquee?
No.
Turning and pointing into the screen, I continue with the verbal jabs.
What were you doing? Crystal, you were too busy being a footnote in their legacy. You were too busy having your name go into the record books for all the wrong reasons. Anytime you got in the ring with the “names” of the time, the word defeat always showed up.
I fold my hands back together.
I understand that these truths may be difficult to hear Crystal. I understand that these words must dig into your deepest chambers of your heart and pull at those strings. I don’t say this to belittle you, or make you feel vulnerable. Not for a single second. I say these things, I present these facts for you Crystal in order to truly get my point across of how much you’d just rather be here, and I’d rather be not just here, but at the top.
I got the phone call for this Heiress to the Throne tournament, and my eyes lit up behind the dark outlines of my eyeliner. The sparks in my head looked like the damn fourth of July as the ideas and the thoughts rattled off. I knew I had to train. I knew I had to get here, and I knew I had a point to prove to all of the viewers, and the brass who sit in their offices and watch on a television monitor. For the last few weeks, I’ve been making a name for myself. I’ve made the case that I...am here…to stay.
Now it’s time to not only continue that statement, but start another. I want the Diamonds Championship, and this is my way of getting to that goal. I won’t let you stop me. I won’t let a crazy girl stop me. I won’t let a twin stop me. My goal is to win this whole freaking tournament...and that’s EXACTLY what I’m going to do.
I stand from my seat, looking down at the arena floor, at the ring I’ll be performing in a few days from now and I smile.
That down there...is where I belong...that there...IS MY HOUSE!
Abide by the rules...or get the hell out.
I walk off out of scene.
You can hype yourself up and think it’s your time, and then the cold hard slap of reality strikes you down, rendering you a shell of yourself...if you let it. I’ll tell you all about being ready, but first...we go back to the beginning.
BACK THEN…
Things were different, the world had changed and there wasn’t a chance I was willing to let it pass me by, even at the young age of at the time, sixteen. I had my boyfriend break up with me and I was going through this new stage in my life that quite frankly, I didn’t know how to handle...not in the least. I was kind of stuck wandering around, going through the motions as if life was okay, not great, but okay. I had heard of wrestling, I thought it was cool. Two guys, or sometimes women would clash and while fighting, still tell a story together. That intrigued me, and still does to this day. I’m a creative person, and consider myself pretty intelligent. Telling stories is something I do just to pass the time, and, well, getting paid to punch somebody in the face, especially at a time like this sounded like a pretty fun idea.
If that’s all you think wrestling is...you’d be sadly mistaken.
The first few days had been tolling on the body. I had bruises in places that I didn’t even know existed. Having pale skin hasn’t really helped as each and every welt has shown itself to the world. It worried my parents until I explained it was simply part of the game. It worried my teachers as they thought things were going on at home despite the many times I assured them it wasn’t, even offering the principle a video of my training to prove that my parents weren’t the mean people they thought they were.
While their worry grew, my determination did the same. Wrestling was indeed the perfect medium for someone like me; someone who was outcasted by the society I was set in. It was a chance for me to let out aggressions. It was a chance for me to retaliate against said society on a platform that was totally legal. I could punch someone in the face, slam them, and beat them up with little to no recourse, other than the fact they might hit back.
Right after school every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, I went and I learned. I studied what the coaches had to say, and I worked for hours to perfect it all. This quickly became all I wanted to do. My school would let out at three, and immediately I jumped in my car with my recently aquired driver’s license and take the half hour drive to the facility. Class would start at seven, I’d be there at six with a few others already putting work in. Apparently that was noticed by some of the guys in charge.
It was Thursday, the last day of my training week, my third week in total, and as I walked into the building, ready to work as usual, I got tapped on the shoulder. I turned and saw one of the head trainers, Ramon Diego, tap me on the shoulder.
Ramon Diego: Keira, can I have a word with you?
Keira Hunter: Sure.
I set my things down and follow him into his office. We close the door and standing on the other side of his desk was the head women’s trainer in the school Eliza Sloan. I had a seat in the chair as Ramon walked to the chair and had a seat, Eliza merely looking down with her arms crossed over her chest.
Ramon Diego: I want to let you know that Eliza here has told me that she is extremely impressed with your work ethic and your ability to grasp concepts. She says you’ve been here well before the opening of the class, and you stay an hour or two after, just to put in the extra work, and that you’re the only female to do so.
I was slightly humbled by his praise and tried to let that be known.
Keira Hunter: I just want to learn as much as possible sir.
Ramon Diego: Eliza thinks that you’ve learned enough and shown enough to move up a tier in the classes.
This was shocking to me. I didn’t think I had done THAT much to impress.
Keira Hunter: Um...I don’t know what to say. Thank you? I’ll try my best not to let you down.
He nodded. He knew this was a huge step for me, and to do it so quickly was really astounding, not to him as much as it was me.
Ramon Diego: The next tier isn’t too dissimilar. It’s a bunch more moves added, and we start with the promo training.
Keira Hunter: I think if I’ve surprised you so far, you’ll really be surprised when I have to talk to someone...I’ve always been told talking is a strong suit of mine.
A smile cracked his face.
Ramon Diego: I like the confidence. Trust me when I tell you though, promos aren’t just a bunch of smartass remarks. You have to connect with as many people watching as you can and make them understand your message. It doesn’t matter if the lines are complete BS, or if you are telling facts from a book. You have to make them believe that you believe in every single word you utter. You have to make them love it, or hate it. It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.
I nod in a prepared manner.
Keira Hunter: I’ll be ready.
Ramon Diego: In fact, since you’re in this little transition, we’re gonna give you an exercise. Go think of a promo that explains who you are and why you’re here. You have the entire class to do so, and with about a half hour left, come find me and we’ll see what you got, okay?
The two of us stood from our seats and shook hands as he lead me and Eliza out.
Ramon Diego: Can’t wait to see what you’ve got.
I couldn’t help but nervously nod as I walk off toward my stuff. They both went on with their classes and as I sat there with my bag, I felt each and every butterfly in my stomach fluttering around. I needed to come up with a gameplan and I had to do it quick.
NOW...
The scene comes to and you see me sitting on a chair in the higher levels of the arenas. I look down below where the ring is already set up with a barricade around it. From up here it looks like a little dollhouse accessory, and to think...I’ll be in the middle of it in a few days.
It’s been a bit since that first promo Crystal. I’m sure it’ll air at some point in my career as I know it was taped. Let me tell you something really important though Miss Hollywood...my skills have gotten so much better. It’s one of the reasons I’ve gotten as high as I’ve gotten points wise in this Heiress to the Throne. The only reason there’s someone higher is because they haven’t faced me.
A smirk comes across my face, the dark red lipstick perfectly outlining my sinister look.
A couple weeks ago, you had your chance Crystal. You tried your hardest to stop any momentum I had, and you were thwarted by the fact that it was Fiona who tapped out to me. You couldn’t do anything about it, and I know that makes you mad. I know that as a competitor, I would want to have a say in how my matches end, and if I’m going to lose, you’re damn sure I’m going to lose for a better reason than being eliminated from the equation.
I point down to the tiny ring.
Down there, in that ring, we will do battle. There won’t be a Fiona there to take the fall as there was two weeks ago. There won’t be an excuse for why one of us lost. It’ll be two girls getting in that ring, each from humble beginnings, each looking to make a name for themselves, one for the first time, the other trying to reclaim a glory from the past. Something has to give right?
I scoot forward in the chair. I clasp my hands together in front of me while staring down at the floor in front of me as I gather my next set of thoughts, remembering what I had said a couple of weeks ago.
Crystal, a couple of weeks ago I said I didn’t inspire to be you. I said that I didn’t want to just be another fish in the large, growing ocean of women’s wrestling. I wanted to be more than that. I wanted my name to go down with the greats this company has had over the years, names like Jessica Reed, names like Eternity, names like Alexis Caffrey. They each had their own part in making this division one of the tops this industry may have ever seen.
You?
You sat by on the sidelines and let it happen without you. Sure you were here...but were you really “here”. Were you a presence in this company when the bigger names were making their names scroll across the marquee?
No.
Turning and pointing into the screen, I continue with the verbal jabs.
What were you doing? Crystal, you were too busy being a footnote in their legacy. You were too busy having your name go into the record books for all the wrong reasons. Anytime you got in the ring with the “names” of the time, the word defeat always showed up.
I fold my hands back together.
I understand that these truths may be difficult to hear Crystal. I understand that these words must dig into your deepest chambers of your heart and pull at those strings. I don’t say this to belittle you, or make you feel vulnerable. Not for a single second. I say these things, I present these facts for you Crystal in order to truly get my point across of how much you’d just rather be here, and I’d rather be not just here, but at the top.
I got the phone call for this Heiress to the Throne tournament, and my eyes lit up behind the dark outlines of my eyeliner. The sparks in my head looked like the damn fourth of July as the ideas and the thoughts rattled off. I knew I had to train. I knew I had to get here, and I knew I had a point to prove to all of the viewers, and the brass who sit in their offices and watch on a television monitor. For the last few weeks, I’ve been making a name for myself. I’ve made the case that I...am here…to stay.
Now it’s time to not only continue that statement, but start another. I want the Diamonds Championship, and this is my way of getting to that goal. I won’t let you stop me. I won’t let a crazy girl stop me. I won’t let a twin stop me. My goal is to win this whole freaking tournament...and that’s EXACTLY what I’m going to do.
I stand from my seat, looking down at the arena floor, at the ring I’ll be performing in a few days from now and I smile.
That down there...is where I belong...that there...IS MY HOUSE!
Abide by the rules...or get the hell out.
I walk off out of scene.
Well howdy there pardner.