Post by Joe Stanton on Mar 19, 2018 22:11:32 GMT -5
The pitter patter of rain hits against the overhead Joe Stanton stands under outside a hotel, staring up at the gray murky skies as if he's going to divine some type of answer from it about whatever it is that's on his mind today. Could be his mind is crawling towards thoughts of a recent match for him, or maybe of recent events that have transpired for his girlfriend, Izzy Van Doren. It's hard to say with a man that is making as hardened of an expression as Stanton is making and his ever present signature sunglasses that are hiding his green eyes behind them. His right hand reaches up and it wipes his mouth, not that there's anything particularly there and he lets his hand drag across his face and contort it into something of an odd expression.
"A big french man in this business once said that there's a certain mentality that develops for larger dudes, especially in our line of work, after a while and sometimes it's only a subconscious level but it's never failed to be there from his experiences. Even the most insecure big men get a certain swagger to them, an unique confidence to them when they're dealing with other people because of what those other people do and like with the big men sometimes it's on a subconscious level on their parts too. The knowledge that when you're a big man in pro-wrestling and you start walking down a hall, people get the hell out of your way, and when you're a big man in pro-wrestling and you're working for a promotion? There's a fair few guys that feel that chill on the back of their necks and in the back of their heads start thinking about different promotions or different lines of work when they see your name next to theirs on that night's card."
The faint shadow of a smirk forms when Stanton references a legend in the business and he brings his hands up to tap on his skull to illustrate the subconscious thoughts that wrestlers have, and to just generally be animated with his gestures. He points straight ahead of him as if an imaginary hall is there and does a parting motion with his hands as if he's dividing the Red Sea when he speaks of what people do when a big man is walking down the hall.
"I get it too, there's a natural fear there when something bigger than you is around, and in a combative sport like ours a bigger guy with the right look can do a number of most psychologically. To the average person watching that might not be as educated on the matter as most, they're betting all their chips on the bigger guy to wreck house and storm out the winner of the match. For a lot of folks in the industry, they have to change up their ring game completely to take into account a person of that size. Certain moves they can't do, certain moves they have to rely more on, it can change them practically into a completely different wrestler for that one specific opponent. It's a lot of pressure."
Shrugging his shoulders, Stanton confesses he gets where people are coming from with this sort of view on giants. He gestures at the space in front of him as if two fighters are there when he talks about how your average run of the mill person might view a match like...well, like his on the upcoming Lights Out for example. He pantomimes maneuvers and strikes when he talks of how it can shake things up for a wrestler. The entire time he's eerily calm about this whole topic, as if it's not him stepping into the ring with the likes of Reyes.
"But me?...Me...?"
The Scarlet Speedster scoffs and now more than a shadow of a smirk is forming on his face, it's teetering the line between a smirk and a grin. Giving it a nice little shark toothed quality to it that's almost as bloodthirsty looking as the gleam in his left eye the camera catches for a moment when he's in motion to turn and face it properly.
"There's something entirely...freeing about facing big guys to me, always has been in all my years in the business, you don't have to usually worry about them wanting to do things more technically or them flying all over the ring so much that you feel like you're trying to hang onto the soap with wet hands in the shower. They usually want the same exact thing I want when that bell rings and we're in there together, for us to get in nice and close with each other and throw soup bones till somebody buckles or you see the whites of somebody's eyes. They typically can take a hit and there's no concern about things ending early or, and this is the best part in my opinion, things ending because they're easy. Big men, they make you work for that win, they make sure that fight makes you feel something, because if you're stupid and not giving them your full attention they might just pop your head like it's a grape."
Wetting his lips, the Guy in Shades gets a little more excited sounding when he's describing how he feels about fighting someone like Reyes and how he views the inner workings of fighting a big man.
"Right here, right now, this is the type of fight I desperately need too, so I thank whoever set this little match-up together and I thank Reyes for having the well earned reputation that he has. Because I want us to beat each other black and blue into oblivion. And, based on the footage I've seen of Reyes? He may normally be a tag team specialist but I think I can safely say he can grant me what I want. We can punch each other and slam each other into the mat till we're on the brink for the sport of it, and for the enjoyment the fans will get out of it."
There's an edge that slinks into his tone, a need to release some pent up emotions from the previous week. He doesn't ever let it fully overtake him but he clenches his right fist & nods his head when he thanks management and Reyes for providing him with this type of match.
"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to rumble, Reyes."
Even Stanton can't keep a fully straight face on that bad pun. But he doesn't have to worry too much because it's what closes out the piece.
