TH
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A1E's current Triple Star Champion battles one of the hottest rookies in EPW.
GREENSBORO: James Irish vs. The Sergeant
- Thread starter TH
- Start date
Linguistic
Active member
The Sergeant
Combat Tested - Mother Approved
(Scene opens to a small Korean restaurant at an unknown location... The Sergeant is using the opportunity to take a break from his recent wrestling grind, and of course eat some of his favorite types of food... He's not in his normal wrestling attire... Clean shaven and looking like a white version of the old vintage Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat while projecting a clean cut military appearance, he's wearing a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of desert combat boots... As the camera rolls, the Ol' Sarge looks at the camera and smiles...)
The Sergeant: I gotta admit, when I started my wrestling career about a month ago, I never thought I would be having this much fun. I originally thought that this was the right career choice, of course, with my military background and my desire to do something competitive on more of an individual basis. After joining Empire Pro Wrestling, though, I've learned that this is where I want to stay. In the professional wrestling environment. Testing my mettle individually against some of the best athletes in the world.
(The Sergeant pauses just long enough to get a big bite of Korean BBQ Beef, also known as "Bulgogi"... Before he can finish this portion of bulgogi, he continues...)
TS: Before I had my first match in the EPW, I got an invitation from TEAM. Seems they have been looking for some young talent to fill in the few open brackets for their First TEAM Invitational Tournament. I'm honored, mostly because I see the names of the people that are involved in it. Everyone participating is talented. Even more dangerous than that is the fact that everyone here is HUNGRY. That gives me what I need more than anything: COMPETITION.
(After taking a sip of his water, he wipes at his mouth with a paper napkin... His face is the definition of determination...)
TS: My first opponent here in TEAM is known around the country, and perhaps even the world for his unique sense of humor and his undeniable ability in the ring. I've studied some video footage of James Irish in action. I absolutely love what I am seeing. When I enter the ring for the first time, I know many people will think that I am a carbon-copy of him as far as wrestling style goes. This match is gonna be one for the record books. What I lack in smart ass sense of humor, though, I make up for in heart and determination. Watch out, cause while many people might not be looking at this match as the one to watch... it very well may be the sleeper match of the first round.
(He pauses for effect...)
TS: Make no mistake about it. This is going to be one of those events that won't be forgotten easily. The caliber of the talent is amazing. Even more amazing will be in a few short weeks when there are four men left standing and willing to do combat in the squared circle. Three of those people will be well established wrestling superstars. Of that there is no doubt. The fourth and final man will be a rookie with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Write my name down, T-H-E SPACE S-E-R-G-E-A-N-T. There's no denying it. Look at my history before joining and you will see that I am:
Not to mention I look good in a uniform.
(Short and sweet... Scene fades... )
Combat Tested - Mother Approved
(Scene opens to a small Korean restaurant at an unknown location... The Sergeant is using the opportunity to take a break from his recent wrestling grind, and of course eat some of his favorite types of food... He's not in his normal wrestling attire... Clean shaven and looking like a white version of the old vintage Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat while projecting a clean cut military appearance, he's wearing a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of desert combat boots... As the camera rolls, the Ol' Sarge looks at the camera and smiles...)
The Sergeant: I gotta admit, when I started my wrestling career about a month ago, I never thought I would be having this much fun. I originally thought that this was the right career choice, of course, with my military background and my desire to do something competitive on more of an individual basis. After joining Empire Pro Wrestling, though, I've learned that this is where I want to stay. In the professional wrestling environment. Testing my mettle individually against some of the best athletes in the world.
(The Sergeant pauses just long enough to get a big bite of Korean BBQ Beef, also known as "Bulgogi"... Before he can finish this portion of bulgogi, he continues...)
TS: Before I had my first match in the EPW, I got an invitation from TEAM. Seems they have been looking for some young talent to fill in the few open brackets for their First TEAM Invitational Tournament. I'm honored, mostly because I see the names of the people that are involved in it. Everyone participating is talented. Even more dangerous than that is the fact that everyone here is HUNGRY. That gives me what I need more than anything: COMPETITION.
(After taking a sip of his water, he wipes at his mouth with a paper napkin... His face is the definition of determination...)
TS: My first opponent here in TEAM is known around the country, and perhaps even the world for his unique sense of humor and his undeniable ability in the ring. I've studied some video footage of James Irish in action. I absolutely love what I am seeing. When I enter the ring for the first time, I know many people will think that I am a carbon-copy of him as far as wrestling style goes. This match is gonna be one for the record books. What I lack in smart ass sense of humor, though, I make up for in heart and determination. Watch out, cause while many people might not be looking at this match as the one to watch... it very well may be the sleeper match of the first round.
(He pauses for effect...)
TS: Make no mistake about it. This is going to be one of those events that won't be forgotten easily. The caliber of the talent is amazing. Even more amazing will be in a few short weeks when there are four men left standing and willing to do combat in the squared circle. Three of those people will be well established wrestling superstars. Of that there is no doubt. The fourth and final man will be a rookie with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Write my name down, T-H-E SPACE S-E-R-G-E-A-N-T. There's no denying it. Look at my history before joining and you will see that I am:
Combat Tested
Mother Approved
Not to mention I look good in a uniform.
(Short and sweet... Scene fades... )
JIrish780
League Member
Semper Fi
James Irish
Wouldn't You Like to Be a Pepper, Too?
A rest stop on the thruway going into Greensboro, we see a mid-90s model Toyota Camry pull into the parking lot. Out of it steps two people... the driver is a man in his mid 20s, with about two days worth of 5 o'clock shadow on his face, a moustache under his nose, and brown hair that looks like it's a couple days past due for a haircut. He's wearing a Fredonia State University t-shirt, well-worn dark blue jeans and some sneakers that don't look old but are hardly new, either. The passenger is a beautiful young woman, maybe a couple years younger than the man. She has long, curly red hair that goes great with her green eyes. She wears a modest beige blouse and loose, faded blue jeans that look older than Ric Flair's wrestling career.
They're James Irish and Erin Flanagan, respectively.
Erin: I'll be right back, lad, I'm going t' use the ladies room and get something for us to snack on.
JIrish: See if they have any sourdough pretzels, alright? Thanks, Erin.
Erin nods and makes her way into the rest stop.
JIrish: I realize this is a new audience for me, so let me introduce myself. The name is James Irish, master of ceremonies for the Theatre of the Absurd. You have not met a man like me before, and thank goodness for that, because I'd hate the thought of there being two of me. I'd only drive myself crazy. The young lady is Erin Flanagan, my best friend and manager/valet/whatever she wants to be called, and the only person I know who can sit through a Mr. Amazing(!) interview without falling asleep.
I'm here because, quite frankly, I've met almost everyone in my home federation of A1E and I'm starting to get a little bored. You know the feeling. You eat at the same resturant every Saturday night, and you get in a rut. You need to taste someone else's cooking or you'll go bonkers. So when I heard of this tournament and saw some of the fresh names signing up for it, I figured this was my ticket out of the doldrums. And lucky me, I have an opponent I've never even met before in the first round.
Sergeant, let me make myself absolutely clear. I have nothing but respect for the United States Marine Corps. My cousin is a Leatherneck, himself, and he just wrapped up a tour in the Middle East not too long ago. All the training I've done for my career as a professional wrestler looks like a cloudy day at Walt Disney World in comparison to what you men and women must go through at Parris Island. So I'm going to keep the corny jokes and madcap humor to a bit of a minimum out of that respect. Which admittedly puts me at a bit of a loss, but I don't mind one bit.
So now you and I are about to have our names put into history in this, the first (and hopefully not the last) TEAM Event. You're in the least enviable position, Sergeant; you're the rookie, people don't know quite what to expect from you. I'm a current champion in my own A1E, though, and I've got a high standard I need to live up to. Now, mind you, I won't feel a dang bit of shame losing to a trained military operative if it does come to that, but it's not something I'm just going to let happen if I have anything to say about it. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I usually have too much to say about it.
I'll gladly agree with you, this can and most likely will be the sleeper match of the first round. But I do have something for you to think over. A man with your background has probably worked harder and trained more efficiently than almost anyone in this tournament has in any of their lifetimes. But while Marine training does prepare you for the worst, can it prepare you for the weird? Because right now, your future in this tournament is a chip in the pot of one intense game of poker. The rules you know may apply, but you'll never know if I'm bluffing or not, Sergeant.
Ante up, or else.
Fade out, but just as we go to black, James' voice cuts back in.
I just realized Erin's been taking forever in there. Sheesh... even the toughest women still take their time in the bathroom...
James Irish
Wouldn't You Like to Be a Pepper, Too?
A rest stop on the thruway going into Greensboro, we see a mid-90s model Toyota Camry pull into the parking lot. Out of it steps two people... the driver is a man in his mid 20s, with about two days worth of 5 o'clock shadow on his face, a moustache under his nose, and brown hair that looks like it's a couple days past due for a haircut. He's wearing a Fredonia State University t-shirt, well-worn dark blue jeans and some sneakers that don't look old but are hardly new, either. The passenger is a beautiful young woman, maybe a couple years younger than the man. She has long, curly red hair that goes great with her green eyes. She wears a modest beige blouse and loose, faded blue jeans that look older than Ric Flair's wrestling career.
They're James Irish and Erin Flanagan, respectively.
Erin: I'll be right back, lad, I'm going t' use the ladies room and get something for us to snack on.
JIrish: See if they have any sourdough pretzels, alright? Thanks, Erin.
Erin nods and makes her way into the rest stop.
JIrish: I realize this is a new audience for me, so let me introduce myself. The name is James Irish, master of ceremonies for the Theatre of the Absurd. You have not met a man like me before, and thank goodness for that, because I'd hate the thought of there being two of me. I'd only drive myself crazy. The young lady is Erin Flanagan, my best friend and manager/valet/whatever she wants to be called, and the only person I know who can sit through a Mr. Amazing(!) interview without falling asleep.
I'm here because, quite frankly, I've met almost everyone in my home federation of A1E and I'm starting to get a little bored. You know the feeling. You eat at the same resturant every Saturday night, and you get in a rut. You need to taste someone else's cooking or you'll go bonkers. So when I heard of this tournament and saw some of the fresh names signing up for it, I figured this was my ticket out of the doldrums. And lucky me, I have an opponent I've never even met before in the first round.
Sergeant, let me make myself absolutely clear. I have nothing but respect for the United States Marine Corps. My cousin is a Leatherneck, himself, and he just wrapped up a tour in the Middle East not too long ago. All the training I've done for my career as a professional wrestler looks like a cloudy day at Walt Disney World in comparison to what you men and women must go through at Parris Island. So I'm going to keep the corny jokes and madcap humor to a bit of a minimum out of that respect. Which admittedly puts me at a bit of a loss, but I don't mind one bit.
So now you and I are about to have our names put into history in this, the first (and hopefully not the last) TEAM Event. You're in the least enviable position, Sergeant; you're the rookie, people don't know quite what to expect from you. I'm a current champion in my own A1E, though, and I've got a high standard I need to live up to. Now, mind you, I won't feel a dang bit of shame losing to a trained military operative if it does come to that, but it's not something I'm just going to let happen if I have anything to say about it. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I usually have too much to say about it.
I'll gladly agree with you, this can and most likely will be the sleeper match of the first round. But I do have something for you to think over. A man with your background has probably worked harder and trained more efficiently than almost anyone in this tournament has in any of their lifetimes. But while Marine training does prepare you for the worst, can it prepare you for the weird? Because right now, your future in this tournament is a chip in the pot of one intense game of poker. The rules you know may apply, but you'll never know if I'm bluffing or not, Sergeant.
Ante up, or else.
Fade out, but just as we go to black, James' voice cuts back in.
I just realized Erin's been taking forever in there. Sheesh... even the toughest women still take their time in the bathroom...
Last edited:
Linguistic
Active member
The Sergeant
Game Plan(Scene fades in... The man we know as The Sergeant has just awoke from a short nap on the futon in his modest living room at an unknown location... Seems this guy never changes his clothes, as his desert combat boots are sitting on the floor next to the futon, the black t-shirt is draped over the coffee table, and he is shirtless on the futon in blue jeans... He sits up... Looking at the time, he jumps... As he searches for the remote control, he mumbles something...)
The Sergeant: Smart. Just smart. The one day you choose to take a nap and you doze through most of the TEAM Preview Show AND your opponents first words about the upcoming match. You can be a genius sometimes.
(Grabbing the remote, he quickly flips on his small 20-inch television and flips to channel 42, The Wrestling Network... The James Irish promo is nearing and end... Ol' Sarge sighs and fixes his attention on the screen to catch the last minute of it...)
... most likely will be the sleeper match of the first round. But I do have something for you to think over. A man with your background has probably worked harder and trained more efficiently than almost anyone in this tournament has in any of their lifetimes. But while Marine training does prepare you for the worst, can it prepare you for the weird? Because right now, your future in this tournament is a chip in the pot of one intense game of poker. The rules you know may apply, but you'll never know if I'm bluffing or not, Sergeant.
(He smiles... It's not a smile that makes him look like he isn't taking this seriously... It's a smile showing how genuinely happy he is...)
TS: There is one thing that we seem to agree on and that is that this match is going to be one hell of a fight. The more I learn about James Irish, the happier I am that I was paired off against him in the first round. He has a sense of humor, which I can appreciate. There ain't nothin' in the rule book that says we can't have a little fun while we're gearin' up for this match, right? James Irish most definitely knows how to play this game and he knows how to have fun while doing it. I'm impressed with the in-ring footage I've viewed. I'm impressed with how he carries himself. I'm impressed with his sense of humor. I'm impressed with his unorthodox style. There is no lack of respect between us as we gear up for this match.
(He pauses to slide on his t-shirt and slip on his combat boots...)
TS: With the respect issue put aside, now it's time for the both of us to fully prepare for our matches. If James Irish is anything like myself, he's already prepared physically. We like to drop people on their heads, so our bodies our built for that. He no doubt runs as often as I do to build his endurance and help him retain that second wind that is a must in both the professional wrestling world and the world of war and combat. With our physical bodies prepared, now we move into more of a gray area. We now prepare our minds and our spirits. While we both know what to expect from each other as far as wrestling style goes, we view each other as unpredicatble.
I'm a rookie. Unpredictability just comes with the territory of being one. In a year... or maybe two if I am lucky, that trait of unpredictability wears away. People begin studying you and your past. You become more well known, either for what you are good at or for the opposite. James knows this and will use educated guesses to figure me out. He'll aim to exploit traditional rookie mistakes and use his knowledge of my military background to guess about more flaws.
Me, I'm not so lucky when it comes to James. He is well known for being one of the most unpredictable guys in the wrestling world. That's admirable. He can do or say anything at any given moment. While he does have a few patterns that I have found, they are difficult to exploit because he can very easily change them up and jack my game plan all to hell.
(The Sergeant stands up... He moves to the front door of his house, but before he can reach the door he looks as if he remembers something... He hurries quickly into the kitchen, looking in a cabinet that is located right next to the fridge... Reaching in, two seconds later he pulls out a box a Chewy Chocolate Chips Ahoy Cookies... Popping two in his mouth, he chews and continues...)
TS: Ah, it's hard as hell to be so tactical about things on an empty stomach!
As I was saying, we're both on pretty even ground here overall, but I understand where I am at a disadvantage. Now is where the "Poker Game" that James Irish just spoke about kicks into high gear. I like to call it chess, but the "poker" anaology works very well in this match, I think.
So, wrestling fans... are you ready for one of the most intense and entertaining matches that you have ever seen? If your in Greensboro and you haven't already bought a ticket, then you are probably too slow to understand you have the chance to view history. If, by the off chance you have just been really busy and haven't gotten around to purchasing the ticket, then hurry to your local Ticketmaster outlet and BUY BUY BUY! One of the matches you will have the privilege of seeing on that great night will be between one of the weirdest SOBs this side of... well... anywhere, and a man who has the heart and desire to accomplish anything he desires, because his name is:
The Sergeant
And he is:
Combat Tested
Mother Approved
He loves the smell of Herbal Essence, too.
(He smiles... It's not a smile that makes him look like he isn't taking this seriously... It's a smile showing how genuinely happy he is...)
JIrish780
League Member
The scene is the streets of Downtown Greensboro, and James Irish, wearing a red flannel shirt and a lighter pair of jeans than when we last saw him, is walking out of a video store. He's holding a "Greek Made Easy!" video tape.
JIrish: Took me long enough to find one of these dang things. Though I'm not sure which shows we're taping on A1E's European tour, since we're hitting almost every major country in Ye Olde World, I figured it would at least be polite to learn a few common phrases... nothing says cross cultural courtesy like knowing how to say "Where's the Beef?" in fourteen different languages. Even if they don't get the reference, the looks on their faces is priceless.
... the looks on their faces if you ask that same person a serious question without realizing you razzed them earlier... not so much.
The European tour is coming up fast, but this tournament is going to be keeping me busy in the meantime. So the first order of business has been researching my opponent. Looks like he's done a house show or two, nothing that I could manage to find off the internet to watch. That's one point in his favor, there's plenty of my A1E work on DVD, and if he looks hard enough he can dig up old MBE tapes, but only if he wants to laugh at how big a goober I was back then. Not good for me no matter which way I look at it. Fortunately, I've managed to get Erin to be good at scouring the internet for intel on fresh opponents. Took her a while on this one, but she found out some basics.
Erin: *off camera* Ye still owe me twenty bucks fer that.
JIrish: Of course, those duties aren't in her contract with me, so I have to pay her scale.
Grumbling, James pulls out a ragged $20 and hands it to Erin who just now appears on camera as the two begin to walk around downtown.
She may be my friend, but as she keeps reminding me every time I open my wallet, she's also a businesswoman.
Back on topic, I managed to muster from what she found that the Sergeant is a pretty well-versed mat wrestler, knows how to do a DDT pretty well (a move I've made a point to master in several variations) and isn't afraid to take the fight to his opponent. In fact, from the sound of it, he's turned a Reverse DDT into a funky little submission finisher, something I wish I'd have thought of in my last title defense. Against that Weston punk... ugh...
Which brings me to the big difference between the Sergeant and most of the ham and eggers I've been putting up with recently in A1E. Those guys, the Jack Gilkisons, Eddie Westons and "Two Fists" I could cut loose a little on. I could riff off of just about anything they did, and really screwball it up. Against folks like the Sergeant, I become less Artie Johnson and more... Alton Brown is probably the best comparison.
Erin: The "Good Eats" guy?
JIrish: She's learning.
My point, and I do have one, is that when respect becomes an issue, like it is here, it gets harder and harder for me to really make a good "bite" at my opponents. Getting into their heads becomes more a matter of psychology in the ring, and less of stuff that would make people think I belong in a psychiatric ward long term.
Still, isn't that when this sport is at it's purist? When you strip away the drama and the absurdity and the threats and the glamorous women-
Erin: HEY!!!
JIrish: Okay, maybe not the glamorous women, but you see what I'm getting at here. What you wind up with is the very core of professional wrestling: two opposing forces colliding with one eventually coming out on top. Now, where does this put me? As the cagey veteran, at least of some sort, it puts me in a position to act as a mentor of sorts to the Sergeant when it comes to some of the finer points of in ring performance.
Granted, it's not the most ideal mentorship. I mean, for heaven's sakes, I'm going to be trying this fellow harm! And on top of that, he's one of our nation's finest! If this were a USO tour match, I'd be booed out beyond the borders of wherever I was going to entertain the troops just for attempting such a thing, officially sanctioned match or not!
Regardless, that's what I'm hoping to accomplish as a secondary goal here. To help show this man a few things about the right and wrong ways of doing things in the ring. If he leaves that ring a stronger competitor for having faced me, then win or lose, this will have been worth my time. Of course, winning the match would be the top priority, naturally, but if making this an impromptu lesson will make things interesting, all the better.
I promise I'll at least be nicer than the drill sergeants. Now, if you camera-folk will excuse us...
James and Erin begin to talk strategy as they walk off camera. Fade out.
JIrish: Took me long enough to find one of these dang things. Though I'm not sure which shows we're taping on A1E's European tour, since we're hitting almost every major country in Ye Olde World, I figured it would at least be polite to learn a few common phrases... nothing says cross cultural courtesy like knowing how to say "Where's the Beef?" in fourteen different languages. Even if they don't get the reference, the looks on their faces is priceless.
... the looks on their faces if you ask that same person a serious question without realizing you razzed them earlier... not so much.
The European tour is coming up fast, but this tournament is going to be keeping me busy in the meantime. So the first order of business has been researching my opponent. Looks like he's done a house show or two, nothing that I could manage to find off the internet to watch. That's one point in his favor, there's plenty of my A1E work on DVD, and if he looks hard enough he can dig up old MBE tapes, but only if he wants to laugh at how big a goober I was back then. Not good for me no matter which way I look at it. Fortunately, I've managed to get Erin to be good at scouring the internet for intel on fresh opponents. Took her a while on this one, but she found out some basics.
Erin: *off camera* Ye still owe me twenty bucks fer that.
JIrish: Of course, those duties aren't in her contract with me, so I have to pay her scale.
Grumbling, James pulls out a ragged $20 and hands it to Erin who just now appears on camera as the two begin to walk around downtown.
She may be my friend, but as she keeps reminding me every time I open my wallet, she's also a businesswoman.
Back on topic, I managed to muster from what she found that the Sergeant is a pretty well-versed mat wrestler, knows how to do a DDT pretty well (a move I've made a point to master in several variations) and isn't afraid to take the fight to his opponent. In fact, from the sound of it, he's turned a Reverse DDT into a funky little submission finisher, something I wish I'd have thought of in my last title defense. Against that Weston punk... ugh...
Which brings me to the big difference between the Sergeant and most of the ham and eggers I've been putting up with recently in A1E. Those guys, the Jack Gilkisons, Eddie Westons and "Two Fists" I could cut loose a little on. I could riff off of just about anything they did, and really screwball it up. Against folks like the Sergeant, I become less Artie Johnson and more... Alton Brown is probably the best comparison.
Erin: The "Good Eats" guy?
JIrish: She's learning.
My point, and I do have one, is that when respect becomes an issue, like it is here, it gets harder and harder for me to really make a good "bite" at my opponents. Getting into their heads becomes more a matter of psychology in the ring, and less of stuff that would make people think I belong in a psychiatric ward long term.
Still, isn't that when this sport is at it's purist? When you strip away the drama and the absurdity and the threats and the glamorous women-
Erin: HEY!!!
JIrish: Okay, maybe not the glamorous women, but you see what I'm getting at here. What you wind up with is the very core of professional wrestling: two opposing forces colliding with one eventually coming out on top. Now, where does this put me? As the cagey veteran, at least of some sort, it puts me in a position to act as a mentor of sorts to the Sergeant when it comes to some of the finer points of in ring performance.
Granted, it's not the most ideal mentorship. I mean, for heaven's sakes, I'm going to be trying this fellow harm! And on top of that, he's one of our nation's finest! If this were a USO tour match, I'd be booed out beyond the borders of wherever I was going to entertain the troops just for attempting such a thing, officially sanctioned match or not!
Regardless, that's what I'm hoping to accomplish as a secondary goal here. To help show this man a few things about the right and wrong ways of doing things in the ring. If he leaves that ring a stronger competitor for having faced me, then win or lose, this will have been worth my time. Of course, winning the match would be the top priority, naturally, but if making this an impromptu lesson will make things interesting, all the better.
I promise I'll at least be nicer than the drill sergeants. Now, if you camera-folk will excuse us...
James and Erin begin to talk strategy as they walk off camera. Fade out.
Linguistic
Active member
(The scene opens to The Sergeant's living room once again... Basically, everything in the setting is the exact same as always... The room is neat, everything seems in place... Ol' Sarge is sitting on the futon, this time fully clothed and fully intent on the television... Wearing his regular blue jeans, plain black t-shirt, and desert combat boots, he has a determined look on his face... On the television, a James Irish match is being played... It's a match between him and Dan Ryan... With remote control in hand, The Sergeant hits "pause" and comments...)
The Sergeant: I've been doing my homework. The last time I spoke it was all about the "game plan". I broke down the issues that face James Irish and I as we lead into our first round match in Greensboro. Seems my opponent has done some research on me as well. I love it! I've said it before since I started in professional wrestling, and I'll more than likely say it again... such is the lot of a wrestler... that I am here strictly for the competition. From my talking to other wrestlers around the TEAM circuit, I couldn't face a better opponent.
(He hits play again just in time to see James Irish finish off Dan Ryan... The match ends and it looks as if Ol' Sarge is making a mental note...)
TS: That was Dan Ryan's second straight defeat at the hands of James Irish. I've not been around for long, so I'm not as clued in to what all of that means. However, the wrestlers I have spoken with around here have let me in on just how historical that feat is. I've heard around the wrestling world about the great Dan Ryan... one of the best that the sport has to offer. Then you have the man I will be facing in the first round seem to have his number. Amazing stuff. Especially when you consider that this very same man has shown me the utmost respect, without all of the ego that is associated with people who can do what he can in wrestling.
(He takes a deep breath...)
TS: So as we close in on Greensboro... as we close in on the first round... the moment of truth approaches. Will James Irish indeed prove to be my mentor? Or... will I show him that there is still a reason to hang around and continue proving he is at the top of his game? Do I have what it takes at this stage so early in my career to beat a top caliber wrestler in the first round of a talent-packed tournament like this one that TEAM has put on?
(He pauses for effect...)
TS: Honestly, I think that both of us have a lot to gain from this match and only one thing to lose. The only thing that either of us have to lose, you ask? The trophy at the end of this tournament. Everything else says that whether we win or lose, the two of us will take this as an experience that motivates us for years to come.
(He stands up, giving a more imposing and a little more determined look to what already looks like a very focused mug...)
TS: Don't let me come across as just chalking this one up to a learning experience. Don't be foolish. I most definitely WANT to win this match and, for that matter, the whole thing. I will dig deep for every second of that match... searching for a way to win. Whether down on the mat or with the upper hand... it makes no difference. Greensboro is the place. No matter the outcome, I doubt it will be a bad memory. This one will bring me strength. I guarantee it... cause you better believe that I am:
The Sergeant: I've been doing my homework. The last time I spoke it was all about the "game plan". I broke down the issues that face James Irish and I as we lead into our first round match in Greensboro. Seems my opponent has done some research on me as well. I love it! I've said it before since I started in professional wrestling, and I'll more than likely say it again... such is the lot of a wrestler... that I am here strictly for the competition. From my talking to other wrestlers around the TEAM circuit, I couldn't face a better opponent.
(He hits play again just in time to see James Irish finish off Dan Ryan... The match ends and it looks as if Ol' Sarge is making a mental note...)
TS: That was Dan Ryan's second straight defeat at the hands of James Irish. I've not been around for long, so I'm not as clued in to what all of that means. However, the wrestlers I have spoken with around here have let me in on just how historical that feat is. I've heard around the wrestling world about the great Dan Ryan... one of the best that the sport has to offer. Then you have the man I will be facing in the first round seem to have his number. Amazing stuff. Especially when you consider that this very same man has shown me the utmost respect, without all of the ego that is associated with people who can do what he can in wrestling.
(He takes a deep breath...)
TS: So as we close in on Greensboro... as we close in on the first round... the moment of truth approaches. Will James Irish indeed prove to be my mentor? Or... will I show him that there is still a reason to hang around and continue proving he is at the top of his game? Do I have what it takes at this stage so early in my career to beat a top caliber wrestler in the first round of a talent-packed tournament like this one that TEAM has put on?
(He pauses for effect...)
TS: Honestly, I think that both of us have a lot to gain from this match and only one thing to lose. The only thing that either of us have to lose, you ask? The trophy at the end of this tournament. Everything else says that whether we win or lose, the two of us will take this as an experience that motivates us for years to come.
(He stands up, giving a more imposing and a little more determined look to what already looks like a very focused mug...)
TS: Don't let me come across as just chalking this one up to a learning experience. Don't be foolish. I most definitely WANT to win this match and, for that matter, the whole thing. I will dig deep for every second of that match... searching for a way to win. Whether down on the mat or with the upper hand... it makes no difference. Greensboro is the place. No matter the outcome, I doubt it will be a bad memory. This one will bring me strength. I guarantee it... cause you better believe that I am:
Combat Tested
Mother Approved
And for the record, James... I can definitely appreciate a good-looking woman, either in wrestling or just in general. Ask Erin if she's got some good friends that are so interested in money. I'm new... we break into the business making minimum wage.
(laughs...)
TS: ... And all know what a soldier makes...
(Scene fades...)