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In the careers of professional wrestlers, everyone has highs and lows. For some, one of the two seems to be greater than the other. Which of the two completely depends on the competitor. For some, success comes easily. It's something they have a natural knack for making a reality. These are the guys who routinely win championships, and purely dominate the rankings of their organization. Inevitably, these are the same people who ultimately become the most disliked guys in the company as well, and it's all due to the fact people feel they're being given more opportunities than them. It's jealous rearing its ugly head.
On the other side of the coin, you have the guys who seemingly fall into the category of superstar who has more lows than highs. It's something most superstars have to face at some point in their career. Some face it early, and it really begins to test them and their resilience. It forces them to really question their desire to compete, and continue on, trudging through the awful times, with the goal of getting better. Others face it late in their career. These stars usually have several moments of greatness throughout their career, and in many cases, have earned accolades ranging from titles, to individual organization-specific awards. When these guys and girls reach this point, it usually means their career has reached its waning moments, and the days of glory are long since behind them. It's a reality check that most have way too late, and have allowed their careers to suffer because of it. If the star was fortunate enough to have a career laden with accomplishments, the faltering usually doesn't effect the long term perspective, but for those who had that quick moment of glory, an immediate faltering usually sends the memory of their successes to the back of their critics minds, and the failures right to the forefront. The mystery remains, however, where does Jake Starr fall into that picture? Is he someone who is simply always going to have his high moments, with very few low ones sprinkled in? Is he a superstar who has simply passed his prime, and is on the way out, and if that is the case, will his continual push for greatness ultimately hurt him, long term? These are questions that have been racing through Jake's mind incessantly since his path to greatness began to go sour, beginning with the losses to Lucas Knight and Shawn Winters. This was the turning point from Jake's firestorm that he blazed, upon his return as the OSMR, where everything began to crumble around him, and his victories began to muddle amidst several losses. He's had the daunting task of trying to convince himself that he's not past his prime, and not simply on pace for a failure, and a possibility of screwing himself out of being permanently perceived as one of the best. For those who know Jake, they know that his desire to be the best is strong, and what he craves. They know he can't accept mediocrity, and has to feel that he can still compete with the best of the best. The problem is, he's beginning to wonder if that day is going to ever come again. It doesn't mean he's willing to stop trying... In order to figure out where the flaws lie, and where he needs to improve, he's decided to see if he can find answers himself. Inside a gym sits a dark, back room, with very minimal lighting. The little light that does bleed through the darkness shines on a wrestling ring, with Jake Starr in it. He is obviously training, looking to try and recreate some of his most recent losses, using a large training bag to simulate his opponent. He body slams the bag onto the mat, near one of the turnbuckles, and ascends to the top rope. He hurls himself into the familiar Shooting Five Starr Frog Splash. As Jake crashes down on the bag, he beats his hand to the mat three times, and then immediately stands up, out of breath. He stares down at the bag with a stare that would pierce through any soul, and obviously imagines one of the opponents he's faced recently. As Jake finally finishes reliving one of the matches and losses in his head, and subsequently goes through all of the motions of feeling like he's possibly found the flaws that cost him the wins, he retreats to the corner of the ring, and sits down on a stool. He reaches down and grabs a bottle of water, and splashes some on his face. He then leans back, taking a swig for himself. After taking several more deep breaths, hoping to finally catch them, he gulps more saliva down, before splashing water on his face again. From behind him, he hears a door open. He leans back and yells, not bothering to look at who disturbed his practice. Jake Starr: HEY! This is a closed gym... He shakes his head, realizing someone obviously ignored the sign on the door, saying nobody was to enter. The defiant entrant is unfazed, and approaches Jake. Jake hears the footsteps approaching him, and he yells back, this time in a more stern manner.
Jake Starr: LISTEN! I SAID THIS IS A CLOSED GYM! The defiant entrant replies in an equally stern manner.
Male Voice: ... And OBVIOUSLY I'm saying I DON'T CARE! Jake immediately recognizes the voice, and slightly peeks back over his shoulder to see Shawn Wright approaching him. He takes another swig of water, and then cracks his neck, before addressing his long-time friend.
Jake Starr: What're you doing here? Shawn Wright: Well I could ask you the same thing, but I am pretty sure I know the answer. Jake sighs.
Jake Starr: I had work to do... Shawn lets out an audible smirk.
Shawn Wright: Yeah... I kind of figured that's what you would say. Jake shifts the subject, slightly.
Jake Starr: ... So how did you find me? Shawn finally reaches ringside, and stands behind Jake, in the corner.
Shawn Wright: Dude, I've known you for how many years now? This is one of your "safe spots," where you go to relax, train, and simply get away from everyone else. On top of that, you're a creature of habit... Jake Starr: Ah! Shawn Wright: ... I've known you through all the good and bad times, and honestly when times were rough, you came here, and you tried to fix everything. On top of it all, your car was sitting in its "normal spot," and so I figured I'd pop in and see what was up. Jake quips back at Shawn.
Jake Starr: I guess that tells me I need to start switching where I park. Shawn is quick to quip back.
Shawn Wright: Yeah, and every time you left, you'd walk to that old spot, and forget where you parked. Jake Starr: I guess we'll find out next time, when I'm trying to find some alone time, won't we? Shawn tries to comfort his friend.
Shawn Wright: Jake, I know why you're here, and I know why you're upset, but I figured I'd still check in on you. But why don't you tell me why you're here? Jake Starr: You just said you knew me, and knew why... So why are you asking? Shawn Wright: I may know, but I've never been one to put words in your mouth. Jake finally turns around, stands up, and drapes himself over the top rope. He looks down at Shawn, and responds, answering Shawn's inquiry.
Jake Starr: You want to know why? Shawn Wright: I asked, didn't I? Jake Starr: I've shit the bed lately, man... There is nothing more true then me saying that something in my "game" is completely off, and I need to figure out what it is, and fix it, fast! All of these losses lately aren't sitting well with me, and I'm honestly sick and fucking tired of them. So I'm trying to get back "to form." Shawn Wright: Yeah... That's kind of what I figured. I mean, I knew something was up... You ARE pretty easy to "read." Jake Starr: ... And now you sound like my girlfriend now! Shawn Wright: Well hell, with as long as we've known one another, it's pretty damn close to being that way. Jake Starr: Yeah, I can't say that is very far from the truth! Jake shifts back to the issues that have him going nuts.
Jake Starr: ... So you've seen my matches, has anything struck you as "off?" Shawn Wright: The only thing I've seen that could be considered "off," is the fact you haven't been winning. Have you thought about the possibility that maybe you weren't fully ready to come back from your injury? Like, maybe you came back too fast? Jake shrugs.
Jake Starr: Man, I felt good. I thought it was the right time, to come back when I did, and I wanted to jump right back into things. I wanted to get back where I was before I got injured... Shawn Wright: Well maybe that was the problem?! I can't say as I blame you about wanting to do it, and wanting to go straight for Winters, right off of the bat, but maybe you should have bided your time about that. Instead of going right for Winters, why not do like most do, and wade your way back into the "pool?" Jake Starr: Because I've NEVER been one to bide my time about ANYTHING! I was in the title hunt in SCW from DAY ONE. I started climbing the ladder before I really cut my teeth at all. So you see, biding my time isn't my strong suit! Shawn Wright: Well, it may have helped this time... It would have allowed you to get your feet back under you. It would have let you build momentum, and truthfully, it wouldn't have hurt anything. Winters would have still been there, and been ripe for the picking. It just wouldn't have been immediate. Jake Starr: Truth is, it wasn't immediate anyway... But nevertheless, I wouldn't have been happy waiting. Shawn Wright: ... But if you had done it, and it had ultimately paid off, you wouldn't have given a shit either way. Jake Starr: I just don't think it would have ever gotten to that point because of my unhappiness. I almost opted out of the whole idea of facing Winters, once it started getting drug out for so long. It just didn't seem worth it anymore, especially with the depressing flop of a finish it received. Shawn shrugs again.
Shawn Wright: Well, you know hindsight is 20/20 anyway... Jake Starr: That's true... On top of that, I've decided, AGAIN, I'm through with Infamous. They have been guilty of taking ALL of the fun out of the business for me, and several others. I have to turn my focus to what will make everything fun for me, ad ultimately enjoyable again. Shawn immediately has his curiosity peaked.
Shawn Wright: ... And how do you plan on doing that? Jake Starr: To start with, I'm in that God of Wrestling tourney. I steamrolled through some nobody in round one, and now I have my sights set on finishing round two this time. I have myself an opponent, at its next event, who might help me get back on the "good side" of the powers that be, as far as believing I'm deserving of a big opportunity. Shawn Wright: Well that sounds positive... Jake Starr: Dude... After everything I did, leading up to facing Winters, made me MORE than deserving of SOME KIND of title shot. I could give a shit if I sound greedy about it, I earned something. I beat some of the most ELITE guys in SCW, and got NOTHING! Some of the guys who got rewarded with all sorts of opportunities, had mediocre resumes. So I'm done letting those types of atrocities happen, and slip past me. I was unfairly passed over multiple times, and this time, it fucking won't happen again! Shawn Wright: You should simply go out and start competing like you know you can. You need to quit LOOKING for a reason to use as your proof that you have that desire. You should, instead, go out and simply demand it, and if someone has a problem with it, tell them to fuck off! Hell, tell them they're clueless, you're better than them, and see what happens. That's what you did in SCW the first time around, in SCW, whether anyone liked it or not, and it scored you THREE matches against James Exeter. You didn't just earn the opportunity, you went out, said you deserved it, and if they balked at you, you told them to fuck off. So, do it again! Jake nods, and begins to feel that Shawn is giving him a "pep talk" that he's needed for some time.
Jake Starr: You know... I like that idea. I think I might have to run with that for a while, and come Ammo, I'll make a statement for my first title shot since my return, and in OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR! If Christy Matthews can bitch about being overlooked, only having one shot in a specific amount of time, and say how wonderful a streak she's been on, why can't I? I think it's time I leave it to the front offices to justify overlooking me for some other pieces of garbage, rather than giving me the opportunities that I rightfully deserve! Shawn Wright: Works for me! Jake uses the talk with Shawn as a motivational tactic. After he finishes talking, and catches his breath, he looks back at the bag lying in the ring, and begins to picture another opponent. His mind races, and he immediately heads back in to work some more. Shawn leans over onto the ring apron, shouting words of encouragement, pointers, et cetera at Jake, hoping to help out where he can.
As Jake heads for Ammo, a tough task awaits, and an opportunity to rebound from a tough loss looks too. The challenge won't be easy, and Jake knows it. It's something he's taking very seriously. He knows a victory will help bolster his status amongst the various title rankings, but he also knows his opponent is looking to rebound himself. It's a battle that will sure be one to answer many questions. Will Jake return to form? Will he start making a statement that nobody will be able to ignore? Or will he suffer another, unmistakable, and heart-wrenching loss? Jake Starr: Throughout my entire career, I have had losses... Everyone does. It's not something you can avoid in this business, no matter how much you brag you will, or boast that you're immune to suffering. Having said that, there is only ONE, yes, ONE, that I can say I am ok with. There has only been one fucking loss I've ever had, that I can honestly say sat right with me, and that was at Highway to Hell. It was the thrill of beating Christy up, that made the loss as good, if not better, than a win. Every other loss on my record, all 70-some odd of them, were ones I felt I should have, and could have won. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to slight everyone who has beaten me... Just most of them... See, there are those who beat me, whom I respect a lot. I realize that these guys are or were some of the most talented individuals I've ever tangled with in the ring. I stand proud to say I got to face the likes of Kremlin, David Helms, Jesse Williams, Agent oo6, Tommy Valentine, and so-on, and some of those guys were able to best me. It doesn't mean that I believe I shouldn't have won. I am one of those people who firmly believes that every time I set foot in an arena, every time I set foot inside a ring, I should be the one emerging victorious. Call it cocky, call it disrespectful to those who did win, I particularly don't care. I believe I can and should win. I believe I can and SHOULD emerge victorious, every... Single... Time! This time, is no different. I'm not going to come out here, and try and spew 400 reasons on why I lost to Ryan Watson. I'm not going to try and give you excuses about it because deep down, I KNOW I should have won, and in the future, I KNOW I'll fix that issue. For now, though, he'll have the honor of running around being a braggart, and we ALL know he will... But if he even begins to contemplate the idea that he's better than me, or superior to me, then he can take a balls first, flying, leap, onto a burning fence, and pray his ability to procreate still, somehow, remains intact. Jake shrugs, and shows a definite sense of disdain for the fact that the loss to Watson isn't sitting well with him.
So what else can you do, you know? I can mope... I can make excuses... But where would it get me. Where would sitting here, droning on and on about another loss, get me? It sure as shit wouldn't get me very far, if anywhere at all. So I have to move on. I have to look ahead, and figure out what is next for Jake Starr, and where I can realistically believe everything is going... And if you ask me where I see it going, I see a bunch of roads, and me standing at the fork, with a decision to make. Jake looks off to his right, presumably giving the appearance he's looking at one of the many paths that are staring at him.
On one path, there's the whole idea I presented for myself, about making 2012 my Hall of Fame year. It was an idea where I figured that it would help motivate me to begin getting back to my winning ways. That path has been rocky, and quite frankly, not one that has brought me a whole lot of successes. Jake's head moves a bit to the left, still not directly looking toward the camera, as he begins to picture the next path, in his mind, looking him square in the face.
Then, there's this one... Here you have a path with thousands upon thousands of my own footprints. It's a path that I've traveled many-a-time, always hoping it is going to lead me where I want to go, but inevitably I seem to circle back to this very spot. It's the path where I try and forge my way to the top. It's where I begin fighting, scratching, and clawing my way through the rankings, reaching that pinnacle moment, and then immediately free falling right back to this very spot... Ground zero... Square one... The beginning... Starting over... Jake's head turns again, this time to the other side of the camera.
Over here, another path with a lot of foot traffic. It was the one I walked down most recently. I thought maybe it was all in my attitude. I thought maybe if I just started going back to running my mouth, calling Pete Ebdon the GIRL that he is, and mocking everyone mercilessly, it'd make everything better. This is one that's worked in the past. It's gotten me moving forward, before forcing me down a path of one of these others, but this time, it was another road to fucking nowhere. I swore it'd get my footing back under me, and get me where I wanted to go. Hell, I had been able to overcome shit like this in the past, all by simply falling back on my roots, but this time, it was to no avail. It was another effort that came up short, and lead me to another moment of falling on my face. Jake's attention goes back to the camera.
So I guess the question is, what do I do? Which path do I take? Which one do I have to go down, again, only to end up right back here in this same exact spot? Do I try and create some new "ingenious" idea that is supposed to instantly change how things have been going for me? I mean, I've tried all of that. I've tried it countless times, as stated earlier, and failed numerous times. I'm at a true impasse. I don't know if it's worth doing over, or what. It's frustrating, you know? I have felt a lot of highs in my career in SCW, and it's something everyone wants to get to again. Everyone wants to get that high again. It feels good, and it's something that you always are striving for, time and time again. I know that I can get there, and I know that I'm capable of having that high, but I just don't know how to get back there. The only thing I can figure is... Jake shrugs again.
Do it one step at a time... Jake slowly begins to nod, realizing that his decision to do it in a more "step by step" manner, rather than possibly trying to do everything at once, may be the "right move" for him.
... And it all starts, again, at Ammo. It all begins again, for me, when I step into the ring with someone who, like me, is coming off a bit of a rough outing at the pay-per view. At Ammo, my path crosses with former Adrenaline Champion, Andrew Samuel Pugh. At Ammo, I cross paths with a man who has just lost something that, I can vouch, is pretty near and dear to him. See, the ASP-hole (get it?) recently had his first run atop a mountain ended, as he lost the Adrenaline Championship, and now has to face the daunting task of getting back up atop that mountain. He's been in SCW for some time, and has constantly been craving the taste of gold. He made it a goal to become a champion in SCW in 2012, of retire, and guess what, he doesn't have to retire. Jake lifts his arms up slightly, and waves them around very sarcastically. He even commences spinning around, showing even more celebration.
Yippeeeeeeee! Jake lowers his arms, and the face returns to the original, stoic, serious look.
Now with that excitement out of the way, let's get down to business. I've faced a lot of adversity lately, and quite frankly, I've had several ups and downs. I started out hot, and I beat guys like Adam Allocco, Porno Lad, and Lucas Knight, but honestly, I didn't get a fucking LICK of a reward for it. I walked around, and I did what was asked of me, and honestly was overlooked. It's something that I had to sit through, and many just wanted me to "get over." Hell, some still think that way. These people want me to just accept my role as a mid-level talent, who is going to simply provide some excitement for the fans, and keep their attention, knowing they still have a match with Christy Matthews to sit through. But guess what, I'm not ok with that. I'm not ok with sitting back and being a mere subordinate to everyone. I've had to see guys like ASP get opportunities, simply to help him get over that hump, and keep him from having to make that desperate decision in his career. Is that what it'd take? I've done that before... I've contemplated retirement, and you know if it was just to get a championship shot, I'd feel like I was short-changing people. But hell, if it's what it takes to get a chance, it's tempting... But I won't go that route yet. Instead, I'll go about beating up former champions. It'll begin at Ammo, and it'll begin with ASP. I think he's done a lot with his career in SCW. He began as a whipping boy for everyone. His job was to go out there and be the guy everyone used as their catapult, back into the business. Now, that's not the case. Now, he's a formidable opponent and former champion. He's someone who has had his taste of greatness, and now has a chance to beat someone who could be his fast track right back to that same feeling. I, at the same time, have the same opportunity. See, it goes both ways here. ASP has earned a lot of respect amongst our peers in the back. He's lost his moniker as the whipping boy. He earned respect, and now he's trying to keep it. He's hungry. He's determined. He's not me, though. See, when you've been having all the downs I've been having, you begin to realize that your opportunities in your career are numbered. They're not going to come in droves, like they did in the past. They're not being, basically, handed out to me, and thrown my way. I have to earn them. I have to prove I deserve them. If I don't, it's not going to be something that EVER comes my way. It's not going to be something I get to help "motivate," me. So put the ideas of demanding a shot, saying what I did in the past, so give me one, and things like out of everyone's mind. I'm not going to pull a move like someone else did, to simply get recognized. I'm going to go out there, and I'm going to make an example out of a former champion. I don't particularly care what help, what backing, what assistance, or what new friendships he may have to help guide him down this path, the fact is, I'm going to prove that while he may be a more recent "former champion" to myself, he's still not the same caliber of former champion as I am. It's an opportunity for me to showcase that. Facing someone like ASP allows me to show that, while these guys have stepped up to the challenge of owning an SCW Championship, I have a chance to show that I'm still capable of overshadowing that. I have a chance to take ASP to school, and make him understand why Jake Starr is one of the best superstars SCW has ever seen. Yeah... I said EVER! As has become an almost routine for Jake, he looks even deeper into the camera, and addresses Andrew Samuel Pugh in a very direct manner.
ASP-hole, listen up... You have done a lot lately. A lot of people counted you out, and you stepped up to the plate big time, when you won the Adrenaline Championship. Hell, you impressed me! But that was then, and this is now. Just because you impressed me with what you did, and the fact you shocked the world, guess what, you didn't impress me when you couldn't really do much with it. You, like Watson, had the opportunity to impress the world, by being better than me. Neither of you have succeeded. Now I have the chance to prove why. With Watson, I let things get emotional. I let it turn back into the whole Infamous versus The Brotherhood fiasco again. If our paths crossed again, the result wouldn't be the same, and I can guaran-fucking-tee that. With you, however, there is no emotional attachment, like that. That's where these matches differ. That's where this result will differ. I'm going to make sure my focus is solely where it should be. It's on you... It's COMPLETELY on you... See, neither of you seized the moment. Neither of you seized that chance to dethrone me from being the greatest Adrenaline Champion of all time. That tells me how much better I will ALWAYS be than you both. That's why I am going to make a statement on Ammo, against you. That's why I am going to completely do everything possible to show that I am not stepping back and screwing this opportunity up, to get back on the horse, and do it against you. You'll look like an ASP-hat, when I kick your ASP from one end of the ring to the other! Fin |
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