Post by jdfranchise on May 10, 2014 23:30:19 GMT -5
Soaring Eagle Wrestling School
Athens, Georgia
May 12, 2001
Athens, Georgia
May 12, 2001
Robbie “Eagle” Anderson had a hell of a profitable business going for himself. The forty year old former wrestler has turned his successful career in the Southern Territories into a school that has become a hotbed for good young talent in and around the Athens area. Everything from collegiate athletes looking for their next opportunities at sporting competition to marks thinking they have the goods to make it in wrestling. Some lasted, some didn’t. The ones that didn’t last, Robbie made sure they didn’t last with his brutal strength and conditioning program and old school catch wrestling training. Those who survived, however, were more than prepared to handle wrestling rigorous schedules and the painful grind that comes along with the territory.
In the three ring gym, several prospective wrestlers are drilling running the ropes, taking bumps and working on basic chain wrestling. In ring three Robbie is on the outside of the ring watching a three of his advanced, or ready to start taking bookings, students working a simulated three way elimination match. Robbie is intently watching the three young men, but one in particular is catching his intense gaze. A tall, skinny kid with short dark brown hair flying off the top rope and connecting with a big front missile dropkick on both of his “opponents”. The look in the kid’s eye that would later become his calling card often got him in some tough spots during these types of simulations. A bit too aggressive for his own good.
Robbie used his experience to get the most of out of his students by pushing their buttons. He knew with this kid, 15 year old Josh Dean, that he would need more than just his normal sarcastic wit to get through to him. He was a bit of a loner, and had a temper that Robbie had a hard time controlling. But boy, Josh was a natural talent. He had it all, speed, agility, strength, and the mind to pick up the skills quickly. And with that talent, it’s easy to ignore the fact that he had a problematic attitude. That’s why Robbie took Josh in to live with him and his wife Amy when he found out that Josh was orphaned three years prior and had been in the system since. He knew that he That is until Josh dove on one of his “opponents”, a Georgia Tech football player named Mark McMillion, and blasted him in the head with hard knees. Mark attempts to cover up, but one particular knee lands directly on Mark’s nose and blood begins to pour on the canvas.
Robbie: That’s enough Josh!
Patrick Karmine, one of Robbie’s more experienced students, jumps on Josh to pull him off Mark, but eats a punch to the jaw for his trouble. As Patrick spirals away, Robbie slides under the bottom rope and dives at Josh and pins him face down to the mat with his arms held behind his back as Patrick attends to Mark.
Robbie: I said that’s enough Josh!
Patrick: Hey Robbie, Mark’s nose is smashed. He needs to go to the hospital.
Robbie: Ok, grab a towel to stop the bleeding and get him over to the hospital.
Robbie pulls Josh up to his feet and pushes him into the corner. Cutting him off from running at Mark and allowing Patrick to get him out of the ring, Robbie addresses the men in the gym as they stop and stare.
Robbie: Ok, hit the showers! Not you, Josh. You stay here.
As the other perspective wrestlers exit the gym, Josh is still amped from the simulation as Robbie keeps his eyes firmly fixed on Josh. He’s trying to give him a chance to cool down before lighting into his ass. The last perspective wrestler walks out of the gym, closing the door behind him.
Robbie: Ok, so do you want to tell me what the hell that was?
Josh: Robbie, I…
Robbie: Save it, Josh! This attitude isn’t going to go over well in the locker room.
Josh: You told me that attitude was half the battle!
Robbie: Yeah I did. But having a piss poor attitude and treating a training simulation like a street fight is going get you hurt against some of the veterans you’ll meet. These guys have no problem hurting a young guy that gets out of line.
Josh: Nobody’s gonna do anything to me. They don’t know me or where I came from!
Robbie: Is that so?
Josh: Yeah!
Robbie ponders for a minute, deciding the best way to handle his pupil’s attitude. He was considering getting Josh some bookings for a local promotion, but after his display today he questioned his readiness to go against a professional already on the circuit. He walks over to the ropes and climbs out onto the apron, stepping across the walking path into ring two. Robbie motions for Josh to come to the ring and join him. Josh climbs out of the ring and joins Robbie in the ring.
Robbie: Ok, if that’s the way you want to be Josh, I guess you want to learn the hard way. Let’s see what you’ve got.
Robbie circles the ring and motions for Josh to come on. Josh charges in at Robbie, only for Robbie to sidestep him into the ropes. As soon as he rebounds off the ropes, Robbie trips Josh face first into the mat with a drop toe hold. The mat had no give like in ring three and Josh grabs his face, checking for blood. Robbie doesn’t give Josh time to breathe as he spins around and smacks him in the back of the head before standing up. Josh smacks the mat and pushes himself up to his feet. Robbie grabs him by the wrist and turns him into an arm wringer. Josh looks to reverse, but Robbie responds by sending him off into the ropes. Josh reverses and sends Robbie into the ropes and looks for a dropkick. Robbie puts the breaks on and Josh crashes back first on the hard mat. He sits up, trying to gain his breath before Robbie crashes into him with a sliding clothesline to the face! Robbie runs his forearm across Josh’s face.
Robbie: You see what happens!
Josh: What the Robbie!
Josh pushes Robbie off and returns to his feet. Out of rage he swings wildly and connects with a haymaker to the face. Robbie steps back, wiping the blood from his lip. Josh climbs to the top rope and jumps off, looking for a crossbody. Robbie kicks the ropes and Josh crotches himself on the top rope. Robbie then grabs Josh and pulls him into a reverse STO on the hard mat. Not wasting any time, Robbie floats over and grabs Josh in a camel clutch. Instead of locking both hands around the front of the face, Robbie modifies the technique by locking up a rear naked choke. Robbie sits down on the small of Josh’s back.
Robbie: Give up, Josh! You’re not getting out of this.
Josh: No! ‘Gurgling for air’ You can’t make me!
Josh fights valiantly to get out of the hold, but Robbie’s superior technique and size advantage leave him stuck with no escape in sight. The room begins to get dim as Josh tries to gasp for air. Finally the pain and lack of oxygen force him to tap out. Robbie holds it in for a couple more seconds for effect before he lets Josh go. Josh coughs as he lies face down on the mat. He’s been humbled and powerless. Robbie stands up and leans against the ropes as Josh pushes himself up to one knee, hanging his head low in humility. Robbie pats Josh on the shoulder once he finally gains his feet.
Robbie: Now, clean the canvases and sweep the gym. If I were you I’d get started. Ring three has a big ass blood stain that’s gonna take a while to get out.
Josh hangs his head and climbs out of the ring. Robbie pats his talented young protégé on the shoulder as Josh drops down off the apron. He didn’t want to show him tough love, but an important lesson in professional respect had to be taught.
******
RING! RING! RING!
RING! RING! RING!
RING! RING! RING!
Hello?
Hey.
Hey.
Are you asleep?
Nah. I was trying to, not quite there though.
Me too. It’s not the same without you here.
I know. I feel like I’m doing something wrong by coming out of retirement.
Don’t say that. You’re just down about SuperBrawl and you shouldn’t be. You were great.
It happens. No, before it was just me I had to worry about. Now I have a family.
Well… maybe we should do something that keeps us together.
What are you suggesting? Like get an RV for the road?
Yeah, that’d be good. Or you could just train me to wrestle.
You serious?
Yeah. Why not? Remember when we first got together and you taught me a few things?
I remember.
Well, I enjoyed that. And it’s a way for us to share a common passion.
If you’re serious about this, then I will.
I am.
Ok. Well listen, try to get some sleep. I’ll be on a plane home tomorrow. We’ll start then.
Ok. I can’t wait to see you.
Me either. I love you.
I love you too.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
*******
Personal Gym: Dean Residence
Atlanta, Georgia
April 30, 2014
Atlanta, Georgia
April 30, 2014
His home gym had a new old addition. Three days ago, Josh Dean and his wife Nikki bought a wrestling ring. Before he retired, Josh had a ring in his gym to prepare for upcoming matches, but in an attempt to distance himself from the sport he sold it to a gym operator out of Macon. But now that Nikki has decided to enter into professional wrestling, Josh knew that he would need to buy another ring in order to train Nikki properly. Even though he was hesitant at first, Josh secretly is glad to spend time on the road with his family.
In his career, he’s only had one opportunity to train another wrestler, a young Indian girl name Arati Raman. She was green technique wise but had heart that you couldn’t measure. Josh was instrumental in helping Arati win the BQWA Women’s title in July 2008. Sadly, she started associating herself with people who slowly eroded her career until she left the sport all together in January 2009. With Nikki, he knows this wouldn’t be a problem, since she is wrestling to grow closer to Josh. It’s an advantage a lot of their colleagues don’t have.
When Josh first retired, he still talked about wrestling quite a bit. Nikki was eager to learn, but for Josh it became too hard to teach her. Until recently, Nikki left the notion of learning the craft alone. But now seems like the perfect time. For Josh, it is another chance to make the profession that he loves again better. He’s always been a firm believer in helping those who are willing to help themselves, and Nikki’s motivation inspires him to teach her as much as he can to make the transition to the ring as easy as possible.
Josh: Ok, I’m doing to run the ropes and you are going to do either a leap frog or a drop down to evade.
Josh and Nikki have been in the ring all morning, working on the basic holds and bumps. Nikki nods and Josh hits the ropes. Nikki leap frogs over him as he comes under, and as he rebounds off the ropes, Nikki hits a drop down as Josh clears her. Her ability to pick up the small details of the techniques quickly has been particularly impressive to Josh. With such a steep learning curve ahead, it’s a welcome gift to have a protégé who listens to every word as though it were gospel. Josh puts the breaks on the ropes as Nikki leaps for a leapfrog, dropping into a split and smiling at Josh.
Josh: Up and switch!
Nikki pushes herself up and runs off the ropes. As she runs towards him, Josh leap frogs Nikki. She rebounds off the ropes and Josh drops down as Nikki clears him. Lather, rinse, repeat as they continue to work this basic element. Nikki comes off the ropes and Josh stands his ground. Changing up the timing, he uses Nikki’s momentum to hoist her in the air. Nikki adjusts in midair and snaps off a hurricanrana that throws Josh off guard!
Josh: Hello!
Nikki leans down from the mounted position and gives Josh a big kiss on the lips. Josh takes her and rolls her onto her back. He starts tickling her and she breaks out laughing before tapping on Josh’s back.
Nikki: ‘laughing’ I give! I give!
Josh rolls off Nikki and she’s still laughing. Josh sits up and crosses his feet. Nikki sits up and crosses her legs, still giggling.
Josh: You’re doing a great job, sweetheart. If I can make one suggestion on running the ropes. You’re going in flat with your back. When we drill it again, raise your right arm to where your elbow is above the ropes and you hit more under your arm. You’ll increase speed coming off the ropes.
Nikki: Ok, I’ll keep that in mind. You have no idea how excited this makes me to get in the ring and compete.
Josh: I do, but I want you to understand that wrestling’s more than just pretty moves and the show that goes along with what we do. There’s a code of ethics that wrestlers hold very dear to them.
Nikki tilts her head to the side, confused. In a world of violence and drama, what could these guys and girls know about ethics?
Josh: Ok, I probably need to explain. This job has its politics, and everyone’s trying their best to get to the position of power at the expense of others. I don’t need to explain that you’re gonna meet some people in this line of work that you just won’t like.
Nikki: I figured.
Josh: But no matter what’s said to you, if you like or dislike the person, there’s a certain level of professional respect that each person shares with each other. That respect builds trust because we we all share that common ground. That’s why when someone doesn’t give it their best effort when they’re out there, most guys can see through it. It’s a matter of pride in your craft.
Nikki: Is that why you shook David Brennan’s hand?
Josh: Yeah.
Nikki: Makes sense.
Josh: Good. Let’s get the boys some lunch and when we come back, we’ll work on the aerial stuff.
Josh leans over to the ropes and holds them open for his wife as the Dean couple exits the ring.
*******
Respect is not given, it’s earned. It’s earned through hard work and sacrifice. It also comes from acknowledging those who paved the way for you to be there. I have been there, and being humbled on national TV is not the greatest feeling in the world. But see, it’s only worse when you come in so arrogant that you think you can’t be touched. Confidence is something that’s encouraged in this sport, but a dangerous line to walk is not doing research on your opponent. That’s where my opponents in the six man tag team match are going to be in for a rude awakening. The reason why is because they’re still hanging their hats on their crowning achievements and completely forgetting that at least one of the opposing plans on showing up. And the one that plans on showing up is the most dangerous of the three that opposes them.
This isn’t my first rodeo, so I know the feeling of getting a signature win Dex. Especially over a respected veteran and legend as the man known as ZMaster. But even though ZMaster officially retired now, he was gone a long time before you pinned his shoulders to the mat. What’s really disturbing to me and is going to be a bothersome experience for you come Reborn is this identity crisis you’ve been having recently. What the hell was the point of even having a mask versus mask match when you went ahead and removed your mask? Kinda makes the whole stipulation pointless and anticlimactic. So listen, I don’t have time for your identity crisis. You better figure out very quickly which Dex is going to show up, but do you think it’s really going to make a damn difference? You’re still not in my league, but I’m going to entertain the fact that you might be a legit guy that’s worth his salt. I really hope that you are able to prove to me that you are deserving of the endorsement of our esteemed World Champion.
Speaking of endorsements, I’m almost tempted to say that I’m at the end of my wits with half the sh*t that comes into professional wrestling, especially a guy with a delusional sense of worth for holding a historically diluted belt. Ain’t that right Jayson? I don’t even have to do my research to speak my mind about you, but I went ahead and did it anyway when I can easily predict what you said about me. Something about being the greatest ever, guys he’s faced, I’m over the hill, cheap poke at my coming out of retirement and how I made a showcase of myself, followed with I’m going to beat you, insert name, oh and another cheap poke, this time at your partner about how he’s a mouse carrying emo queer. His words Chase, not mine. When I spoke about how I came back out of retirement to make this business better, it was so I could remind stupid kids like you how to respect the business. I guess I’m going to have to do that the hard way against you and your partners Jayson. So when you get an L on your record after this Reborn show, they can blame your bad attitude and trying to make it a pissing contest with a ing fire hose.
Oh and one more thing, I know you faced Shawn Malakai. You may have given him all he could handle.
I beat him.
Big difference of the level of abilities here.
FYI, at Reborn boys, you’re gonna learn some humility.