Post by Travis Reinhart on Mar 21, 2021 22:44:35 GMT
Travis Reinhart pulls into the arena in Sheffield behind the wheel of a powder blue 2017 Lotus Evora, coming to a stop in front of the camera. He rolls the window down, killing the engine immediately after. He turns to the lens, his hair tied back behind his head, and begins to speak.
"Walking around backstage, talking to some of the boys, you really gain a new perspective on how important the Roulette is to everyone here. Everyone wants to be that guy standing tall at the end, having their name scribbled down in the history books as the winner..."
Travis leans back in the seat, hanging his arm out the window of the car.
"I'm different than my partner, Jessé, in some ways. J, he grew up, and all he's ever done is love this sport. He eats, sleeps and breathes it. If you don't believe me, take a three hour car ride with the man and try to change the topic for more than five minutes. I admire the man for it, though. He works damn hard at this, and I feel like if he won this match it'd be something special because he has a story a lot of people who'll be watching can probably relate to."
"I didn't grow up on this business the way Jessé did. I wanted to be an MMA fighter, and I really didn't figure that out until I was old enough to have my first legal drink in Canada. I was just a kid drifting through life, doing whatever I thought seemed like fun. MMA, that became my passion though. I wanted to be a champion. But, sometimes in life shit just doesn't work out the way we plan. Happens, right?"
Travis adjusts the side mirror so he can see his reflection.
"I look at the man I am now, and I can honestly say no regrets."
"I took the roundabout way of getting here- but now that I'm here- I can honestly say there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. This business, it hooks you. You walk out there in front of that crowd, you hear them chant your name... how do you not fall in love with that?"
He inhales deeply, and then slowly exhales.
"The point is I'm all-in on this business now. Jessé and I, our dream is to become World Tag Team Champions here. When you do something you're passionate about though, of course you've always got an eye on that big gold belt that says World Heavyweight Champion on it. If I went out there, pinned Warren Kane's shoulders to the mat for three seconds, and got to wrap that belt around my waist... I carve my name in the history books. Travis Reinhart, World Heavyweight Champion. Even if someone eventually takes that belt off me, my name is always going to be in that lineage. That's special."
He looks into the camera.
"Twenty-nine other guys... they're all going to be out there hunting that same thing in this match. When you look purely at the odds, statistically they aren't great if you're not fortunate enough to draw a high number. I recognize that. Then you look at the names involved... and there is a little of every style imaginable, all bringing something different to the table. You don't even need to be pinned to see your chance slip away. This isn't a three second and done deal, because it can all be gone in just one," he says, holding a single finger up for the camera.
"One slip."
"One shot from behind."
"One trip over the top, and to the floor."
"One unlucky break, that's all it takes."
"I'm entering this knowing full well I am going to have to grind for this if I want it, and that's fine. I want this. Tuesday morning, I'm going to wake up and I'm going to go full throttle in preparation for High Stakes. I'm telling each and every one of you now, don't sleep on me. Don't look at me as just the rookie, or just the tag guy who is going to be an easy out that you can brag about next week. If you do, I'm going to kick your damn head off and put your body on the floor."
"J, that includes you, brother. I got nothing but love for you, and you know this. Against twenty-eight other guys, we're a team... we're still Vendetta... we work together and we throw them out until it's just you and I standing. At the end of it, it has to be you OR I standing though, aye. Whatever happens, may the best man win... there will be no hard feelings on my end."
"Walking around backstage, talking to some of the boys, you really gain a new perspective on how important the Roulette is to everyone here. Everyone wants to be that guy standing tall at the end, having their name scribbled down in the history books as the winner..."
Travis leans back in the seat, hanging his arm out the window of the car.
"I'm different than my partner, Jessé, in some ways. J, he grew up, and all he's ever done is love this sport. He eats, sleeps and breathes it. If you don't believe me, take a three hour car ride with the man and try to change the topic for more than five minutes. I admire the man for it, though. He works damn hard at this, and I feel like if he won this match it'd be something special because he has a story a lot of people who'll be watching can probably relate to."
"I didn't grow up on this business the way Jessé did. I wanted to be an MMA fighter, and I really didn't figure that out until I was old enough to have my first legal drink in Canada. I was just a kid drifting through life, doing whatever I thought seemed like fun. MMA, that became my passion though. I wanted to be a champion. But, sometimes in life shit just doesn't work out the way we plan. Happens, right?"
Travis adjusts the side mirror so he can see his reflection.
"I look at the man I am now, and I can honestly say no regrets."
"I took the roundabout way of getting here- but now that I'm here- I can honestly say there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. This business, it hooks you. You walk out there in front of that crowd, you hear them chant your name... how do you not fall in love with that?"
He inhales deeply, and then slowly exhales.
"The point is I'm all-in on this business now. Jessé and I, our dream is to become World Tag Team Champions here. When you do something you're passionate about though, of course you've always got an eye on that big gold belt that says World Heavyweight Champion on it. If I went out there, pinned Warren Kane's shoulders to the mat for three seconds, and got to wrap that belt around my waist... I carve my name in the history books. Travis Reinhart, World Heavyweight Champion. Even if someone eventually takes that belt off me, my name is always going to be in that lineage. That's special."
He looks into the camera.
"Twenty-nine other guys... they're all going to be out there hunting that same thing in this match. When you look purely at the odds, statistically they aren't great if you're not fortunate enough to draw a high number. I recognize that. Then you look at the names involved... and there is a little of every style imaginable, all bringing something different to the table. You don't even need to be pinned to see your chance slip away. This isn't a three second and done deal, because it can all be gone in just one," he says, holding a single finger up for the camera.
"One slip."
"One shot from behind."
"One trip over the top, and to the floor."
"One unlucky break, that's all it takes."
"I'm entering this knowing full well I am going to have to grind for this if I want it, and that's fine. I want this. Tuesday morning, I'm going to wake up and I'm going to go full throttle in preparation for High Stakes. I'm telling each and every one of you now, don't sleep on me. Don't look at me as just the rookie, or just the tag guy who is going to be an easy out that you can brag about next week. If you do, I'm going to kick your damn head off and put your body on the floor."
"J, that includes you, brother. I got nothing but love for you, and you know this. Against twenty-eight other guys, we're a team... we're still Vendetta... we work together and we throw them out until it's just you and I standing. At the end of it, it has to be you OR I standing though, aye. Whatever happens, may the best man win... there will be no hard feelings on my end."
Well howdy there pardner.