Post by Xavier Cross on Mar 24, 2010 23:25:09 GMT -6
March 23rd 2010
12:01 am
Xavier stands up, the first notable motion thus far. The room is small, the same little bedroom we’ve seen in various other promos. He slowly removes his shirt, leaving only a muslce shirt covering his torso. He pops open a small wooden box, and pulls a tightly wrapped cigar from it. He motions to the same box and pulls out a metal lighter. A small metal ‘click’ is heard, and a metallic scraping noise followed by a flicking of a small flame.
After a few puffs, smoke rolls off it. Xavier moves to the window lifting it up before sitting back down in his chair. He leans back and sighs.
Xavier takes a deep inhale of smoke from the cigar, blowing it out. He laughs a bit.
Xavier takes a deep inhale of the cigar once more, because putting it out in a glass ashtray. He leans back and slowly lets the smoke exit his mouth. A smile slides across his face as he stands up. He goes to remove his pants before a light knock comes on the door. Xavier reapplies his pants before slowly opening it, we see that its his son, Landon. He’s holding a small poorly wrapped gift. Xavier slowly picks his son up and walks to the bed.
Landon: “I couldn’t sleep Daddy…I wanted to give you this…”
Xavier looks down at the gift, it’s a small rectangle, a box lay underneath the paper. Xavier grins and slowly opens the package. His hands shake when he holds up the box, the camera pans over to show what it is.
Two plastic n.C.w action figures lay inside, simple design but the box is shaking as Xavier starts laughing a bit. The camera gets a better view underneath the toys it reads, “Xavier Cross vs. Brad Kane” Shaking his head the camera pans out to show Xavier hugging his son, a new smile washing over his face.
Landon: “Grandma helped me pick it out…”
Xavier: “Why exactly did you pick this buddy?”
Landon: “You always told me to believe in heroes…a lot of kids say superman, and batman…but I know they aren’t real…But you and Mr. Kane are…”
Xavier kisses his sons forehead, who immediately wipes it away with a look of disgust. Xavier laughs and ruffles his hair.
Xavier: “Thanks bud…go back to bed, we’re going out tomorrow.”
Landon smiles, hugging his father before running off to bed. Xavier lays back on his head, holding the box of the plastic version of himself, and Brad.
“We all need Heroes Brad…I’m just glad my son found his earlier than I found mine…”
12:01 am
“Twenty nine years ago, I was just a few minutes away from the world as we know it. Nine months prior, I was just a attempt. Here I stand, an accomplished athlete still climbing to the top of my sport. I enter the business a few days prior to my 24th birthday at a small company.
I walked out and faced a man named JT Stone, it ended in a draw, double count out. The thing that sticks in my mind the most was walking to the back and seeing a man I had heard of, but when I saw him it all made sense. Back then he went by a different name, an alter ego of sorts.
A man who didn’t care. That is a way to sum it up the best, he didn’t care. He put his body through hell, and back, blood, sweat, and tears. A man I would go on to admire, and respect. For all the wrong reasons, and up until about a year ago I never recognized, realized how terrible influence it was on an early part of my career.
Watching that man be so…Reckless. It was a eye opener for a green horn. I tossed my body, dove off anything, used any weapon. To get a reaction from the crowd, I shed blood, and bled out to please the masses, not realizing the toll it takes on the body. But no matter what, I just wanted him to acknowledge me, to respect me. To just look at me. I don’t get many pleasant looks from the back, that doesn’t bother me though. But this one man, I just wanted to acknowledge my abilities, everything. I wanted him to be a…mentor.
However there wasn’t a part of his lifestyle I could follow. The straight edge, the whole idea of not drinking, smoking, and at the time, drugs. Pain killers, weed, it becomes a nice little mind numbness for a while was a pleasant thing back then. Eventually it led to a huge personal problem. But that’s not the point.
I looked up to the wrong man…Sort of. After a few months, I saw more to Reckless Jack than I expected. What was under the bloody exterior was a man not to far off from an average Joe. A man who lost more than the world could imagine, more than anyone should ever have to lose.
That was the day I met Brad Kane.”
I walked out and faced a man named JT Stone, it ended in a draw, double count out. The thing that sticks in my mind the most was walking to the back and seeing a man I had heard of, but when I saw him it all made sense. Back then he went by a different name, an alter ego of sorts.
A man who didn’t care. That is a way to sum it up the best, he didn’t care. He put his body through hell, and back, blood, sweat, and tears. A man I would go on to admire, and respect. For all the wrong reasons, and up until about a year ago I never recognized, realized how terrible influence it was on an early part of my career.
Watching that man be so…Reckless. It was a eye opener for a green horn. I tossed my body, dove off anything, used any weapon. To get a reaction from the crowd, I shed blood, and bled out to please the masses, not realizing the toll it takes on the body. But no matter what, I just wanted him to acknowledge me, to respect me. To just look at me. I don’t get many pleasant looks from the back, that doesn’t bother me though. But this one man, I just wanted to acknowledge my abilities, everything. I wanted him to be a…mentor.
However there wasn’t a part of his lifestyle I could follow. The straight edge, the whole idea of not drinking, smoking, and at the time, drugs. Pain killers, weed, it becomes a nice little mind numbness for a while was a pleasant thing back then. Eventually it led to a huge personal problem. But that’s not the point.
I looked up to the wrong man…Sort of. After a few months, I saw more to Reckless Jack than I expected. What was under the bloody exterior was a man not to far off from an average Joe. A man who lost more than the world could imagine, more than anyone should ever have to lose.
That was the day I met Brad Kane.”
Xavier stands up, the first notable motion thus far. The room is small, the same little bedroom we’ve seen in various other promos. He slowly removes his shirt, leaving only a muslce shirt covering his torso. He pops open a small wooden box, and pulls a tightly wrapped cigar from it. He motions to the same box and pulls out a metal lighter. A small metal ‘click’ is heard, and a metallic scraping noise followed by a flicking of a small flame.
After a few puffs, smoke rolls off it. Xavier moves to the window lifting it up before sitting back down in his chair. He leans back and sighs.
“I read your blog Brad, I did a little digging and I found that…promo you talked about. I had to shake my head a bit. I was a douche back then, though I still have my doucher moments, I like to think I matured a lot. I can thank you for a lot of that. There is only so much a guy can do on his own without friends. I came to you when I had no one to rely on. Would I even be alive right now without Brad Kane’s help….
You said something in your blog I wanted to point out. “You should be fighting for a World title shot, not wasting your time with me.”
I laughed a bit when I read that because it put my career in perspective. As much glory and admiration comes with these titles. Two of the vary factors that I’ve craved since lacing my boots up, they fall by the wayside. Especially when I saw the card. Brad Kane vs. Xavier Cross. Growing up, a lot of kids had heroes, I never really did…Maybe its weird that at the age of 24 I finally found that Hero. It was you. Fighting you is better than any world title shot in my eyes. Fighting against the man I aspired to be, the only person I want to look me in the eyes as an equal, the only opinion that mattered to me.
So happy late Birthday Brad. I don’t mind things being short, its your day and you deserved to spend it with the ones who love you the most. I figure if I wanted to give you a present I should wait after Sunday to give it to you. Don’t expect it to be the National Title either.”
You said something in your blog I wanted to point out. “You should be fighting for a World title shot, not wasting your time with me.”
I laughed a bit when I read that because it put my career in perspective. As much glory and admiration comes with these titles. Two of the vary factors that I’ve craved since lacing my boots up, they fall by the wayside. Especially when I saw the card. Brad Kane vs. Xavier Cross. Growing up, a lot of kids had heroes, I never really did…Maybe its weird that at the age of 24 I finally found that Hero. It was you. Fighting you is better than any world title shot in my eyes. Fighting against the man I aspired to be, the only person I want to look me in the eyes as an equal, the only opinion that mattered to me.
So happy late Birthday Brad. I don’t mind things being short, its your day and you deserved to spend it with the ones who love you the most. I figure if I wanted to give you a present I should wait after Sunday to give it to you. Don’t expect it to be the National Title either.”
Xavier takes a deep inhale of smoke from the cigar, blowing it out. He laughs a bit.
“Don’t think you’re going to kick my f***ing head in again Brad. I got those legs of yours scouted this time. Once I figure out what exactly I’m doing up at twelve in the morning I’ll never know. I don’t sleep well much after Cari passed away. Tonight is no different. I’ve handled it well myself Brad, I haven’t turned to sleeping pills, pain killers, or heavy drinking. I have an occasional drink here and there, but it’s the kids, its keeping me going. I may need you one last time, not as an opponent, or a mentor. But as a friend. You’ve gone through hell, I know you’ve buried portions of your past away, and I don’t want to bring up the ghosts.
But you know the pain. You know the hurt. You know me too well, both as a fighter and a man, because at the end of the day, there is only one thing we truly care about. The people we love, our families. When I see you across that ring Brad, you’ll still be the man I look up to. Which may make me fight harder than anything else. My motivation isn’t to keep this title, its to prove to you that I’ve become at least half of what the potential you saw in me was. I’ll fight this match with all my heart, until I can’t stand any longer.
Many martial artists, fighters, and combat specialist believe that you never truly know a person until you’ve exchanged blows, fists. Then Brad, on Sunday, I want you to know everything about me. I want to stand up to you, and give you everything I have in the tank. I want to take my abilities to that next level, shift gears. I need to give it my all Brad, because when I let it out. I know that I can beat the problems in my life.”
But you know the pain. You know the hurt. You know me too well, both as a fighter and a man, because at the end of the day, there is only one thing we truly care about. The people we love, our families. When I see you across that ring Brad, you’ll still be the man I look up to. Which may make me fight harder than anything else. My motivation isn’t to keep this title, its to prove to you that I’ve become at least half of what the potential you saw in me was. I’ll fight this match with all my heart, until I can’t stand any longer.
Many martial artists, fighters, and combat specialist believe that you never truly know a person until you’ve exchanged blows, fists. Then Brad, on Sunday, I want you to know everything about me. I want to stand up to you, and give you everything I have in the tank. I want to take my abilities to that next level, shift gears. I need to give it my all Brad, because when I let it out. I know that I can beat the problems in my life.”
Xavier takes a deep inhale of the cigar once more, because putting it out in a glass ashtray. He leans back and slowly lets the smoke exit his mouth. A smile slides across his face as he stands up. He goes to remove his pants before a light knock comes on the door. Xavier reapplies his pants before slowly opening it, we see that its his son, Landon. He’s holding a small poorly wrapped gift. Xavier slowly picks his son up and walks to the bed.
Landon: “I couldn’t sleep Daddy…I wanted to give you this…”
Xavier looks down at the gift, it’s a small rectangle, a box lay underneath the paper. Xavier grins and slowly opens the package. His hands shake when he holds up the box, the camera pans over to show what it is.
Two plastic n.C.w action figures lay inside, simple design but the box is shaking as Xavier starts laughing a bit. The camera gets a better view underneath the toys it reads, “Xavier Cross vs. Brad Kane” Shaking his head the camera pans out to show Xavier hugging his son, a new smile washing over his face.
Landon: “Grandma helped me pick it out…”
Xavier: “Why exactly did you pick this buddy?”
Landon: “You always told me to believe in heroes…a lot of kids say superman, and batman…but I know they aren’t real…But you and Mr. Kane are…”
Xavier kisses his sons forehead, who immediately wipes it away with a look of disgust. Xavier laughs and ruffles his hair.
Xavier: “Thanks bud…go back to bed, we’re going out tomorrow.”
Landon smiles, hugging his father before running off to bed. Xavier lays back on his head, holding the box of the plastic version of himself, and Brad.
“We all need Heroes Brad…I’m just glad my son found his earlier than I found mine…”