Post by Thunder on Oct 11, 2013 22:59:42 GMT -5
"I need more of a life."
He said this out loud, as there was no one else in the car with him. Immediately after doing so, he was already embarrassed for himself. This was not a good revelation for anyone to make, and actually verbalizing it seemed ridiculous. But the fact of the matter was that it was true.
His life, as it was now, mostly consisted of two things. The first was long roundabout discussions/arguments with Malakai that never went anywhere because neither man could ever convince the other they were wrong about whatever the subject was they were bickering over.
He had brought this all on himself, of course. It was his decision to come back to WFWF and insert himself back into Malakai's life in the process. This was still a decision that was ultimately worthwhile, but also at the same time infuriating when it took up a large part of his time.
The other thing that had been taking up so much of his time was his sister, which was the reason he was sitting in a parked car talking to himself and trying to find a radio station that didn't play the same ten songs over and over again.
The whole reasoning for his it came to be was one that he didn't fully understand. He had actually attempted to pay attention to the full Who Shot John story, but he still ended up not being able to follow or comprehend the whole thing. Some way or another, a friend of hers had needed to borrow her car (the backstory of which is where it got complex), so now Robin needed a ride for a job interview. And her loyal brother was there to rescue.
He certainly really liked his sister and spending time with her was enjoyable. But at this point it seemed to be the only semblance of a social life, and they were seeing each other almost all the time as a result. Really, it hadn't been since they were living together growing up, sharing a wall that was way too thin that they had spent this much time together.
There had to be more to life than all of this, right?
At least in his professional life there was a chance for improvement. Before making his return, his ultimate legacy was something that was important to him. Yes, he had accomplished more in his career than most people ever had, and had become a legend in the WFWF. It was the kind of career that most people could never ever achieve.
But with how his last run ended, it was obvious that he wasn't thought of with the same reverence that he once had, and deservedly so. With returning, he had hoped to rewrite his final chapter, so it wouldn't be about a guy who once had it but lost it along the way. He had been feeling good about his performance in the ring lately, and now he had his chance to cement a better legacy.
The International Title tournament was exactly the way to do that. There was no better way to show your worth than to win a title, and by doing so in tournament, it would clearly not be a fluke of any kind. And that path started this week with Joe Bishop.
He knew what Bishop's mindset would be coming into the match, since Thunder had been there himself at one point. Watching him, he knew he was in the rut that the Thunder of 2004 had been in: lower level title obtained, and then squat after that.
The Thunder of 2004 looked at matches with guys above him who had achieved a lot as a chance to prove his worth. But the Thunder of 2004 wasn't good enough to handle the likes of ZMaster or Drakz, who roundly kicked his ass. The cream also rises to the top, so the day came when Thunder reached that higher level, and beat guys he once admired.
Bishop completely leveled off in his career, and was looking for a stepping stone. In a way, that made each guy with similar motivations coming into this match. Both had something to prove. But Thunder knew the difference was that he already knew he could beat guys at Bishop's level. Bishop, on the other hand, hadn't handled guys of Thunder's level.
Thunder knew he could handle this match. He was very well capable of defeating someone who seemingly couldn't get past a certain level.
He had been thinking all these things in the parking lot of the office complex Robin had her interview at. At some point, he must have fallen asleep, since the next thing he knew she was banging on the window while drool rolled down his face. As he had locked the doors (for no real reason), she was helpless to get in.
"Sorry about that," he said as she got into the car. "How did it go?"
"I have no idea," she said. "The guy was terrible. First he was way late and when he did show up he was so unprepared. And all he asked were stupid questions that had nothing at all to do with the job. Now the hell can I know how I did?"
"I'm sure you did well." That was, of course, the only correct answer to give.
"Who knows," she said. "I have no idea. I don't even get it. How could someone that bad have the position he has anyway?"
"The Peter principle."
"What's that?" She asked.
"You've never heard of the Peter principle?"
"Is this going to be some long explanation of something from a book that will bore me?"
"No, it's not like that," he said. "It's just the idea that in any job, a person will rise up to their level of incompetence and get stuck there. It happens all the time, even in the WFWF."
"That makes sense."
"Of course it does," he said. "I'm always right."
That got an eye roll.
He dropped her off back at her place, and was soon back alone at his place, contemplating his lack of a life. The more he thought about his career and his upcoming match earlier, the better he felt. But what was he going to do about his dismal personal life? After contemplation, he decided to do the unthinkable.
He joined a dating site.
~ ~
"As everyone knows, I've been around the WFWF a long, long time. There's been some time off at various points, but it's been ten years since I made my debut. That experience is precisely why I'm not worried at all about my tournament match with Joe Bishop. That's because I've seen Joe Bishop dozens of times over the last ten years.
I know, I know. That's sounds completely insane but there's a rational explanation. Don't worry, I'm still not nearly as delusional as most of the WFWF wrestlers. Allow me to explain.
The Peter Principle works under the idea that a person will rise up in whatever field they work in until they reach their level of incompetence and then stay in the same spot for the rest of their careers. If anyone needs evidence that this is a real thing, just watch the WFWF for any period of time. It's been going on since the beginning and it still continues to this day.
The history of this company is riddled with guys who had worlds of potential and then suddenly got shut down faster than the federal government. Every long time fan and every wrestler who's been around knows it. Ask someone who's been here a while about CBT. You know what that stands for? The Current Big Thing. Yeah, this guy thought highly of himself. And so did everybody else. When I was stuck dreaming of potentially getting titles like the Internet Title, he was hovering just below the top tier ready to actually live up to his name. He never became that big thing, though. He ended up stationary while a lot of other guys zoomed right past him, including yours truly. He became no more than a flash in the pan, but I guess going by CFITP doesn't have the same ring to it.
When I first started teaming with Kurt Burton, the conventional wisdom was that Burton was going to end up the bigger star than me. Granted, it was obvious I would end up bigger than his previous partner, Manny C (and who wasn't, really?) but he seemed to have the most potential. And when someone dominates the tag team division that early on his career like he had, it was easy to understand why everyone thought he had star written all over him. And guess what happened? He leveled out and was ultimately run out of the company by your hero.
You see, it's easy to start out real hot in this company. It happens all the time. The people that actually a modicum of success in this business are the ones that can sustain it. Very few of them do. It's sad, but that's the way it goes.
Joe Bishop is nothing more than the latest entry into the category of lost potential. That's why I'm not worried, Joe. I've seen this story countless times. The whole world knows now that they were wrong about you. They all thought you were the next superstar. And you've been stuck in quicksand ever since then.
Pop quiz time. Joe Bishop seemed destined for stardom back in 2010 when he was running roughshod through the company and won his first National Title. The question is, at one point in his career did Bishop reach the next level and continue to climb his way up the rankings of WFWF?
I'm sorry, that really wasn't fair. It's a trick question. The answer? Never! Bishop hasn't hung around the National Title scene for so long because he just enjoys it or thinks it's nifty. He's still there because that's the most he's ever going to accomplish. Sorry to say it, Joe, but you've already peaked. If you can't figure that out, then you're an idiot to boot.
It's nothing to be ashamed of. You're part of a large group of talented performers. The Hall of Lost Potential may not be as prestigious as the Hall of Fame, but you're still in good company.
If you take offense to all of this and want to prove me wrong, then now is your chance, Joe. This really is your best, and maybe last chance, to become more than a soon to be forgotten piece of this company's history. Because if you lose to me, where do you go next? I know what your fate will be, because it's the same fate of the CBTs, the Kurt Burtons and the Kronics of the world.
You'll stay stuck in the same exact spot, constantly being stepped on by guys like me on their way way up to bigger and better things. I became a Hall of Famer taking advantage of guys like you. I've run over your type for years and if I want to get back to another shot at being a champion, all I've got to do is take care of a lesser talent again. I know I can do it because that's what I did for years. I know you can't because you never have.
Feel free to prove me wrong if you feel so inclined. But you won't. You've already reached your level of incompetence."
He said this out loud, as there was no one else in the car with him. Immediately after doing so, he was already embarrassed for himself. This was not a good revelation for anyone to make, and actually verbalizing it seemed ridiculous. But the fact of the matter was that it was true.
His life, as it was now, mostly consisted of two things. The first was long roundabout discussions/arguments with Malakai that never went anywhere because neither man could ever convince the other they were wrong about whatever the subject was they were bickering over.
He had brought this all on himself, of course. It was his decision to come back to WFWF and insert himself back into Malakai's life in the process. This was still a decision that was ultimately worthwhile, but also at the same time infuriating when it took up a large part of his time.
The other thing that had been taking up so much of his time was his sister, which was the reason he was sitting in a parked car talking to himself and trying to find a radio station that didn't play the same ten songs over and over again.
The whole reasoning for his it came to be was one that he didn't fully understand. He had actually attempted to pay attention to the full Who Shot John story, but he still ended up not being able to follow or comprehend the whole thing. Some way or another, a friend of hers had needed to borrow her car (the backstory of which is where it got complex), so now Robin needed a ride for a job interview. And her loyal brother was there to rescue.
He certainly really liked his sister and spending time with her was enjoyable. But at this point it seemed to be the only semblance of a social life, and they were seeing each other almost all the time as a result. Really, it hadn't been since they were living together growing up, sharing a wall that was way too thin that they had spent this much time together.
There had to be more to life than all of this, right?
At least in his professional life there was a chance for improvement. Before making his return, his ultimate legacy was something that was important to him. Yes, he had accomplished more in his career than most people ever had, and had become a legend in the WFWF. It was the kind of career that most people could never ever achieve.
But with how his last run ended, it was obvious that he wasn't thought of with the same reverence that he once had, and deservedly so. With returning, he had hoped to rewrite his final chapter, so it wouldn't be about a guy who once had it but lost it along the way. He had been feeling good about his performance in the ring lately, and now he had his chance to cement a better legacy.
The International Title tournament was exactly the way to do that. There was no better way to show your worth than to win a title, and by doing so in tournament, it would clearly not be a fluke of any kind. And that path started this week with Joe Bishop.
He knew what Bishop's mindset would be coming into the match, since Thunder had been there himself at one point. Watching him, he knew he was in the rut that the Thunder of 2004 had been in: lower level title obtained, and then squat after that.
The Thunder of 2004 looked at matches with guys above him who had achieved a lot as a chance to prove his worth. But the Thunder of 2004 wasn't good enough to handle the likes of ZMaster or Drakz, who roundly kicked his ass. The cream also rises to the top, so the day came when Thunder reached that higher level, and beat guys he once admired.
Bishop completely leveled off in his career, and was looking for a stepping stone. In a way, that made each guy with similar motivations coming into this match. Both had something to prove. But Thunder knew the difference was that he already knew he could beat guys at Bishop's level. Bishop, on the other hand, hadn't handled guys of Thunder's level.
Thunder knew he could handle this match. He was very well capable of defeating someone who seemingly couldn't get past a certain level.
He had been thinking all these things in the parking lot of the office complex Robin had her interview at. At some point, he must have fallen asleep, since the next thing he knew she was banging on the window while drool rolled down his face. As he had locked the doors (for no real reason), she was helpless to get in.
"Sorry about that," he said as she got into the car. "How did it go?"
"I have no idea," she said. "The guy was terrible. First he was way late and when he did show up he was so unprepared. And all he asked were stupid questions that had nothing at all to do with the job. Now the hell can I know how I did?"
"I'm sure you did well." That was, of course, the only correct answer to give.
"Who knows," she said. "I have no idea. I don't even get it. How could someone that bad have the position he has anyway?"
"The Peter principle."
"What's that?" She asked.
"You've never heard of the Peter principle?"
"Is this going to be some long explanation of something from a book that will bore me?"
"No, it's not like that," he said. "It's just the idea that in any job, a person will rise up to their level of incompetence and get stuck there. It happens all the time, even in the WFWF."
"That makes sense."
"Of course it does," he said. "I'm always right."
That got an eye roll.
He dropped her off back at her place, and was soon back alone at his place, contemplating his lack of a life. The more he thought about his career and his upcoming match earlier, the better he felt. But what was he going to do about his dismal personal life? After contemplation, he decided to do the unthinkable.
He joined a dating site.
~ ~
"As everyone knows, I've been around the WFWF a long, long time. There's been some time off at various points, but it's been ten years since I made my debut. That experience is precisely why I'm not worried at all about my tournament match with Joe Bishop. That's because I've seen Joe Bishop dozens of times over the last ten years.
I know, I know. That's sounds completely insane but there's a rational explanation. Don't worry, I'm still not nearly as delusional as most of the WFWF wrestlers. Allow me to explain.
The Peter Principle works under the idea that a person will rise up in whatever field they work in until they reach their level of incompetence and then stay in the same spot for the rest of their careers. If anyone needs evidence that this is a real thing, just watch the WFWF for any period of time. It's been going on since the beginning and it still continues to this day.
The history of this company is riddled with guys who had worlds of potential and then suddenly got shut down faster than the federal government. Every long time fan and every wrestler who's been around knows it. Ask someone who's been here a while about CBT. You know what that stands for? The Current Big Thing. Yeah, this guy thought highly of himself. And so did everybody else. When I was stuck dreaming of potentially getting titles like the Internet Title, he was hovering just below the top tier ready to actually live up to his name. He never became that big thing, though. He ended up stationary while a lot of other guys zoomed right past him, including yours truly. He became no more than a flash in the pan, but I guess going by CFITP doesn't have the same ring to it.
When I first started teaming with Kurt Burton, the conventional wisdom was that Burton was going to end up the bigger star than me. Granted, it was obvious I would end up bigger than his previous partner, Manny C (and who wasn't, really?) but he seemed to have the most potential. And when someone dominates the tag team division that early on his career like he had, it was easy to understand why everyone thought he had star written all over him. And guess what happened? He leveled out and was ultimately run out of the company by your hero.
You see, it's easy to start out real hot in this company. It happens all the time. The people that actually a modicum of success in this business are the ones that can sustain it. Very few of them do. It's sad, but that's the way it goes.
Joe Bishop is nothing more than the latest entry into the category of lost potential. That's why I'm not worried, Joe. I've seen this story countless times. The whole world knows now that they were wrong about you. They all thought you were the next superstar. And you've been stuck in quicksand ever since then.
Pop quiz time. Joe Bishop seemed destined for stardom back in 2010 when he was running roughshod through the company and won his first National Title. The question is, at one point in his career did Bishop reach the next level and continue to climb his way up the rankings of WFWF?
I'm sorry, that really wasn't fair. It's a trick question. The answer? Never! Bishop hasn't hung around the National Title scene for so long because he just enjoys it or thinks it's nifty. He's still there because that's the most he's ever going to accomplish. Sorry to say it, Joe, but you've already peaked. If you can't figure that out, then you're an idiot to boot.
It's nothing to be ashamed of. You're part of a large group of talented performers. The Hall of Lost Potential may not be as prestigious as the Hall of Fame, but you're still in good company.
If you take offense to all of this and want to prove me wrong, then now is your chance, Joe. This really is your best, and maybe last chance, to become more than a soon to be forgotten piece of this company's history. Because if you lose to me, where do you go next? I know what your fate will be, because it's the same fate of the CBTs, the Kurt Burtons and the Kronics of the world.
You'll stay stuck in the same exact spot, constantly being stepped on by guys like me on their way way up to bigger and better things. I became a Hall of Famer taking advantage of guys like you. I've run over your type for years and if I want to get back to another shot at being a champion, all I've got to do is take care of a lesser talent again. I know I can do it because that's what I did for years. I know you can't because you never have.
Feel free to prove me wrong if you feel so inclined. But you won't. You've already reached your level of incompetence."