Post by Joe Everyman on Jun 26, 2011 1:48:46 GMT -6
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
- John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy
Words that every man should live by. But also words that I have failed in the past. So much in my past... that's just it... my past. I bring up my past so much, and look where it's gotten me. Nowhere. If I bring up a past match, my opponents either disregard it or try to over do it. They are never frightened by it... never intimidated by it. I beat Milo... I beat Spike... I beat Lance... I beat James... I beat Falcon... I took Angel to the limit... I was a second away from winning the World Championship... none of that matters to anyone else. But even now, I am looking past this match this weekend at Reborn. Not because I am not worried about it... but because in my mind, I have already won. I am looking into the future, at either Spike Kane or Chris Gardner, whoever walks out of Reborn as the Honor Champion. But really, it doesn't matter to me. I've beaten Spike. He's far past his prime; hell, I made sure of that. And Gardner is a pushover compared to the other champions in this place.
Nathan Webb hasn't been here long enough to know his place yet. He still thinks in terms of the past as well. Your biggest victory was over me, and even after this Sunday, that will still be your biggest. For me, from now on, my biggest victory will be my next one. But for you, and even Pooler, your biggest concern is that Webb managed to pin me. Pooler showed video of my match... Webb did too. But come Sunday night, that won't be the only thing you have in common. Regret, broken dreams, blood pouring down your faces... both of you will share that as well. These are all things in the future... and all of these things I guarantee. I will not... I can not let myself down. I can not let my fans down. I can not let anybody down. And to succeed in this, I must put you two down.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
- John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy
I will live by my words for the rest of my life. When I say I'm going to do something, I'm damn sure going to do it! I mean, where else do I have to turn? If I lose another, people are just going to say "Oh, that's just Joe being Joe". How can I ever respond to something like that? If I keep losing, people will never respect me, and the jokes will continue. But if I can pull off one big win, like the one I am going to do on Sunday, maybe people will finally say... maybe he can really do it. Maybe it really is his time again.
But now... it has to be. I stand by my words, my guarantees, my actions... I will win at Reborn. I will be one step closer to capturing gold once again. I have to do this... I don't know where I could possibly go if I lost again. I know I would be booked next week, but what would I say? "I was really damn close to winning it this time! Maybe next time?". It just wouldn't work. But if I win... when I win... I can finally say I was right for once. And it'll be about same time too. I deserve this more than any of you. I am more skilled than any of you. I am more determined than any of you. I am more hungry than any of you. I have more to prove. But even more simple than any of this... I will just win. I will show all of you. All of your bold words will mean nothing. All of your strong lines and lyrical sayings will be just lost into the pages of time. While mine will move me forward, stronger than ever. They will move me forward, and further cement my legacy as one of the greatest to not only wrestle in nCw... but in the entire world. You can bank on it. The phoenix will rise... the echoes will rise... my heart will be covered in gold. You can try to... but never question my heart and expect to live.
The scene somberly opens up inside of the oval office inside of the White House... yes, that oval office. Joe Everyman is sitting behind the president's desk, arms up on the top with his hands interlocked. A smile is on his face; a proud smile. Fanciest of suits, red, white and blue tie. Patriotic music playing in the background. After a few moments, Joe finally speaks.
Joe Everyman: My fellow Americans... this coming Sunday evening will be the night of nights; the very one I have been preparing for these many months. Finally, I have a chance to bring a little bit of gold and a little bit of honor back to our noble country in the name of liberty and freedom. The only thing I regret is that I must accomplish this task across seas in London, England. I am deeply saddened that I couldn't complete such an undertaking on United States soil, but something the things we want the most don't come easy. History has taught me that. But, as our former president John Kennedy once said, "History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside". I am moving into the future, and I hope that all of you will come with me on this journey.
This noble undertaking will be one for the ages. But to do so, I will have to vanquish three of America's biggest threats to come in some time. First is a man from our neighbor to the north, Canada... a man by the name of Robert Pooler. This man has been repetitive, annoying and just a burden upon our society. This man may seem confident on the outside, but on the inside, he is just a scared little boy, full of maple syrup and Justin Beiber lyrics. If you see him on our golden streets, remind him that Canada is a lesser country. Remind him that he is a lesser man. But most of all, remind him that he lost to me at Reborn. The United States of America is a melting pot and a good start for anybody in the entire world... except Canadians. They have no honor, no respect and no sense of right and wrong. This Robert Pooler keeps thinking that he will become the number one contender for the Honor Championship this weekend... but he is sadly mistaken. It will be my American duty to show him how wrong he really is.
And this brings me to another man trying to get his way at Reborn, Nathan Webb. I must first ask you, how much did you bribe the poor girl Carly to call me a Hall of Fame loser? She is a nice girl, a little misguided, but she has always been a fan of mine. She voted for me when the votes truly mattered. But Nathan, many of the things you said this week are just fallacies. It's amazing how much time you spent on the fact that I am the joke of this great country of ours. You see, you are still young in your career here... you have alot of time to craft your own future like my past was; as the laughing stock. I didn't want to be it, but I took the torch from Davey Ortega, and it is finally time I pick my heir-apparent. And lucky for you, Mr. Webb, I have chosen you. I hope you carry this honor with pride and dignity. After all, with all of the jokes, all of the jabs, all of the losses, all of the heart break, you will need some sort of crutch to fall onto.
I held this title for nearly three full years now, and it's an Atlas like burden I will gladly step down from. I would say that I am sorry for having to do this to you Nathan... but that's not the American way! We go in, we take what we want, leave what we want, and then we come back! Nine times out of ten, it's successful. And thankfully you aren't from Vietnam, so I won't have to worry much about it. You have been here roughly two months or so, and you seem to have created a small following... at least, according to you, you have. But, Pooler did say one thing correct about you. After this match, you will be beat so badly that you will have to hang up your boots and walk into the sunset while the theme from the Hulk plays. But it won't be Robert who does it... it will be me. I have had a career full of legacies that I have conquered. So, why not add yours to my list? Maybe because your name doesn't belong. Not because I won't complete my goal... but because the men on my list meant something to this company. At the end of the day, they are still known as some of the best this world has ever seen. But for you... you will mean nothing. Just like when people remember Nazi Germany or Osama Bin Ladin... people will just get a bad taste in their mouths the moment they think about you.
That being said... this brings me to America's favorite father, Kristoff Liam Bates. Already, I don't like you because of your name; never did in fact. It just sounds so damn... foreign. I'm so terribly sorry that I forgot a few small details about your life. I said you were gone for two years because I was honestly hoping it had been that long... but sadly, it was only one year. And I know about your wife and kids. You drove them away because you were a terrible father. And your other girlfriend left you because you were a terrible boyfriend as well. Most people can be forgiven for the things that they did here in the USA, but ask your ex-wife and see what she says. See if she thinks you have any chance in hell of winning this week. Ask her who she thinks will win. Because I can guarantee that it's me.
I'm the safe bet. I'm not the nut case like you, Kristoff. I'm not the spider caught in the ice tray like you, Nathan. I'm not the man who has done and seen it all, except defeat me, Bob. I am just the most honest man in this match. When I say I'm going to win, I will. When I say I am going to beat you three within an inch of your respective lives, you can bet I will follow though on it. I hold the most courage, I hold the most fortitude, but most of all, I hold the most honor. After all, isn't that what we are fighting for? I am already honored... so this match already belongs to me.
Joe then scoots his chair back and stands up. He looks around the room for a second and then turns around. He places his hands down on a table sitting behind the desk. He looks out through the window and then back down at the table.
Joe Everyman: When I say 'don't question my heart', I am almost baiting you into questioning it. You see, whenever someone has done it in the past, I have put them down. It's not just some slogan, it's a way of life. It's who I am. When I say it, it is me signing on the bottom line of my victory. All three of you have managed to question my heart, wither directly or indirectly. For this travesty, you all must pay. I will restore honor to this country. I will restore honor to this company. I will restore honor to myself. I will give the fans someone to look up to. I will give them the Joe Everyman that was dominate before. I will give them the Joe Everyman that will be dominate for years to come. I will give them the Joe Everyman who will be the greatest of all time; the Hall of Famer. I will give them the Joe Everyman that I have finally become. The best that will ever be.
The scene then slowly fades to black and white and freezes. The picture on the screen holds for a few moments, and then finally fades out.
To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future nor indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust.
- John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy