Post by James Gilmore on Sept 16, 2021 2:07:57 GMT
”RUMOR HAS IT.., PART 2”
One week later...
“Nick, if you're on Zoom and are seein' this message? We need to have a l’il man-talk, heart-to-heart, that kind of thing.”
James Gilmore sat behind his desk, looking quite solemn as he takes a sip from a bottle of Lipton green tea.
“You ain’t gonna believe what I’m about to say...but when we first saw you, we didn’t know what to think at first. Here you were, Nick Danger, tryin’ to make a livin’ in this gig. You were strugglin’, itchin’ to find your footin’ in this business. I remember callin’ Fiona up and sayin’ ‘hey, I have a feelin’ that this kid’s gonna be somethin’ special.’ That you were gonna be part of this gig’s future.
Do ya remember when we decided to train you, remember that first day we had?! You had your struggles out in the field, but ya stepped up and persevered. You worked your ass off, you rebuilt that place on Wolf Creek Drive and made it your own. It was an honor -- a privilege -- to watch ya learn what it truly means to grow, what it truly takes to succeed in this business.
When it came time to step into that ring against Almir?!
When it came time to learn how to stand on your own two feet?!
You did really good and put him in his place.
Yet after that...somethin’ happened along the way. Ya got complacent, ya got to thinkin’ that ONE MOMENT was gonna take you to that special place you’ve been searchin’ for. Ya started half-assin’ things and thinkin’ that you’re gonna hit harder than a Caleb Lockwood, Warren Kane, or Dean Harper?!
Yet let the one big moment get into your head, and for what?!
‘Cuz ya wanna be a savior of wrestlin’ or something?!”
JJ’s voice grew more stern, more intense with each beat.
“Lemme tell ya somethin’ that ya already know.
Wrestlin’ ain’t like ridin’ rides at Six Flags and havin’a good time -- in fact...to those who actually operate the rides or help keep the joint clean, they’ll tell ya that it ain’t exactly sunshine and rainbows! The real-life, workin’ world ain’t like that one bit! It’s a very mean, vile, and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you THINK you are, the world will beat ya down to your knees and keep ya there permanently if ya let it.
You, me, or NOBODY is gonna hit as hard as life.
It ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you get GET HIT and keep movin’ forward. How much you can take and keep on truckin’ -- that’s what REAL winnin’s all about. That’s why Fi had the incredible idea of startin’ the Academy in the first place -- and why I took on the mortgage for the damn place from dday one! Not simply ‘cuz we wanted to prepare you to earn a livin’ on your own.
More than that...we want you to understand that the greatest thing in this livin’ ain’t success...it’s failure.
It’s about what happens when ya DON’T succeed at whatever ya wanna accomplish.”
The Islander alum paused, taking a deep breath as several clips from his greatest matches play out on his computer screen.
“Look at Warren Kane.
We didn’t split the Hero of the Year trophy last year ‘cuz of whatever titles we won or whatever. Nah...it’s ‘cuz we both went through the grinder, got our asses kicked, and came back roarin’ to life! Took him...what, five years...for him to win the big one! Oh, he won the big one alright -- at my own expense. When nothin’ went his way, he didn’t blame his legendary father or half-ass it on a promo.
He came back and then some.
Look at Dean Harper. I might not like what he’s known for in a ring, but here’s a twenty-somethin’ year-old dude who’s earned his place in the Hall of Fame. When the Pack was broken up, Dean didn’t go and hide in a tornado bunker like Roberto Verona did. He regrouped, refocused, and...well, my first-ever World title reign ended at his hands.
Aaliyah couldn’t have sang that song any better, right?!
Warren and Dean could've stood back and sat on the sidelines when they lost their titles, but they didn't...they didn't 'cuz they STILL had somethin' to prove. They STILL had that somethin' special, the tiger in their tank, that needed to be brought out in full force.
Just like you, Nick.
The point is, bud...this gig -- much like the world itself -- ain’t easy. It’s filled with egos and pretenders and quitters, those who struggle yet decide to lash out at others or simply phone it in ‘cuz they ain’t gettin’ the result they’re seekin’. If you truly wanna be a savior of wrestlin’, then by golly GO FOR IT! But ya gotta be ready and willin’ to take the hits! And ya can’t afford to hold back and be complacent just ‘cuz of that one big moment on the biggest stage of ‘em all.
Cowards do that -- AND THAT AIN’T YOU!
YOU’RE BIGGER THAN THAT!”
JJ stopped for a moment before pulling out the test results he got from Dr. Lionel Messo, his personal physician over at Baylor, Scott, & White.
“Look at me, okay?!
I got this from my heart doc the other day...an’t it ain’t good. It ain’t good at all. It means I’m havin’ problems with my heart, that I’m gonna have a bigger issue down the road if I don’t hang up my gear. I’m gonna be forty freakin’ years old next year, and this hurts me -- it hurts a lot. But I ain’t about to let that be a death sentence.
I’m gonna go on, and I’m gonna keep on watchin’ and workin’ with you. ‘Cuz you’re the type of person wrestlin’ really needs. After all...a legacy ain’t about the things you’ve done while in the livin’. It’s about what happens after you’re gone. Just like my kids...you’re the best blessin’ that’s ever come into my life.
No matter what happens, I’ll be there to see you make good.
But until ya start believin’ in yourself?! You ain’t gonna have a legacy.
You ain’t gonna have a life…”
One week later...
“Nick, if you're on Zoom and are seein' this message? We need to have a l’il man-talk, heart-to-heart, that kind of thing.”
James Gilmore sat behind his desk, looking quite solemn as he takes a sip from a bottle of Lipton green tea.
“You ain’t gonna believe what I’m about to say...but when we first saw you, we didn’t know what to think at first. Here you were, Nick Danger, tryin’ to make a livin’ in this gig. You were strugglin’, itchin’ to find your footin’ in this business. I remember callin’ Fiona up and sayin’ ‘hey, I have a feelin’ that this kid’s gonna be somethin’ special.’ That you were gonna be part of this gig’s future.
Do ya remember when we decided to train you, remember that first day we had?! You had your struggles out in the field, but ya stepped up and persevered. You worked your ass off, you rebuilt that place on Wolf Creek Drive and made it your own. It was an honor -- a privilege -- to watch ya learn what it truly means to grow, what it truly takes to succeed in this business.
When it came time to step into that ring against Almir?!
When it came time to learn how to stand on your own two feet?!
You did really good and put him in his place.
Yet after that...somethin’ happened along the way. Ya got complacent, ya got to thinkin’ that ONE MOMENT was gonna take you to that special place you’ve been searchin’ for. Ya started half-assin’ things and thinkin’ that you’re gonna hit harder than a Caleb Lockwood, Warren Kane, or Dean Harper?!
Yet let the one big moment get into your head, and for what?!
‘Cuz ya wanna be a savior of wrestlin’ or something?!”
JJ’s voice grew more stern, more intense with each beat.
“Lemme tell ya somethin’ that ya already know.
Wrestlin’ ain’t like ridin’ rides at Six Flags and havin’a good time -- in fact...to those who actually operate the rides or help keep the joint clean, they’ll tell ya that it ain’t exactly sunshine and rainbows! The real-life, workin’ world ain’t like that one bit! It’s a very mean, vile, and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you THINK you are, the world will beat ya down to your knees and keep ya there permanently if ya let it.
You, me, or NOBODY is gonna hit as hard as life.
It ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you get GET HIT and keep movin’ forward. How much you can take and keep on truckin’ -- that’s what REAL winnin’s all about. That’s why Fi had the incredible idea of startin’ the Academy in the first place -- and why I took on the mortgage for the damn place from dday one! Not simply ‘cuz we wanted to prepare you to earn a livin’ on your own.
More than that...we want you to understand that the greatest thing in this livin’ ain’t success...it’s failure.
It’s about what happens when ya DON’T succeed at whatever ya wanna accomplish.”
The Islander alum paused, taking a deep breath as several clips from his greatest matches play out on his computer screen.
“Look at Warren Kane.
We didn’t split the Hero of the Year trophy last year ‘cuz of whatever titles we won or whatever. Nah...it’s ‘cuz we both went through the grinder, got our asses kicked, and came back roarin’ to life! Took him...what, five years...for him to win the big one! Oh, he won the big one alright -- at my own expense. When nothin’ went his way, he didn’t blame his legendary father or half-ass it on a promo.
He came back and then some.
Look at Dean Harper. I might not like what he’s known for in a ring, but here’s a twenty-somethin’ year-old dude who’s earned his place in the Hall of Fame. When the Pack was broken up, Dean didn’t go and hide in a tornado bunker like Roberto Verona did. He regrouped, refocused, and...well, my first-ever World title reign ended at his hands.
Aaliyah couldn’t have sang that song any better, right?!
Warren and Dean could've stood back and sat on the sidelines when they lost their titles, but they didn't...they didn't 'cuz they STILL had somethin' to prove. They STILL had that somethin' special, the tiger in their tank, that needed to be brought out in full force.
Just like you, Nick.
The point is, bud...this gig -- much like the world itself -- ain’t easy. It’s filled with egos and pretenders and quitters, those who struggle yet decide to lash out at others or simply phone it in ‘cuz they ain’t gettin’ the result they’re seekin’. If you truly wanna be a savior of wrestlin’, then by golly GO FOR IT! But ya gotta be ready and willin’ to take the hits! And ya can’t afford to hold back and be complacent just ‘cuz of that one big moment on the biggest stage of ‘em all.
Cowards do that -- AND THAT AIN’T YOU!
YOU’RE BIGGER THAN THAT!”
JJ stopped for a moment before pulling out the test results he got from Dr. Lionel Messo, his personal physician over at Baylor, Scott, & White.
“Look at me, okay?!
I got this from my heart doc the other day...an’t it ain’t good. It ain’t good at all. It means I’m havin’ problems with my heart, that I’m gonna have a bigger issue down the road if I don’t hang up my gear. I’m gonna be forty freakin’ years old next year, and this hurts me -- it hurts a lot. But I ain’t about to let that be a death sentence.
I’m gonna go on, and I’m gonna keep on watchin’ and workin’ with you. ‘Cuz you’re the type of person wrestlin’ really needs. After all...a legacy ain’t about the things you’ve done while in the livin’. It’s about what happens after you’re gone. Just like my kids...you’re the best blessin’ that’s ever come into my life.
No matter what happens, I’ll be there to see you make good.
But until ya start believin’ in yourself?! You ain’t gonna have a legacy.
You ain’t gonna have a life…”