Post by hayden on May 4, 2020 20:53:19 GMT -5
“You have reached the voice mailbox of-”
Hayden sighed deep with disappointment, ending the phone call before the automated message could finish. Five missed calls, all in the span of forty minutes. He had wanted to give her space, especially given the previous night’s results, but what she looked to do know was… well, reckless.
Hayden stared forward, lost in contemplation. Given what had happened with Skye, he tried his best to check in, to avoid possible resentment in his students. Kassie was from the same class, someone who had worked just as hard to earn her place. The past six months had tested her, though, something he had kept tabs on even during his own sabbatical. She hadn’t given up on him during his low point; it was only right that he return the favor and check on her.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. There was plenty of time to talk with her, to check in and speak with her. This was the trainer in him, something that had grown more and more as he wrestled less and less. He still got ring time with his students, working them through the fundamentals and showing them the basics. But it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t a battle of wits and wills, it wasn’t a challenge.
He had willingly taken a step back when Limitless first opened, having felt accomplished with all that he did. A twelve year career spent traveling the globe, winning a fair amount of titles and meeting new people. Opening the school was a huge accomplishment for him, even moreso when he first started training his students. Five in the first class, slowly but steady growing into more. They had their own careers now, winning titles and accolades. He was proud.
So why then did he feel empty?
Because two years after he opened, he saw that there were more promotions. More opportunities and challenges. And like an addict, he had to go back.
Rocky Mountain Pro. Sentinel. BUDOKAN GAIJIN DREAM FIGHT. New opponents, new locations, and a renewed spirit. This was what he had missed those two years, being able to experience life on the road once again and throw himself into wrestling. As the year changed from 2017 to 2018, he even made a list, looking to accomplish more and find something to fill him.
And like an addict, it couldn’t. It only sated his appetite for the time being.
Even when Limitless started running shows, even when it grew from student-focused to a full fledged promotion, he still looked for challenges. Still looked for a fight.
Because there were new opponents. New ways to test himself even as he got older.
“This isn’t a debut for me.
No, I was here years ago, facing Joe Stanton in a one-off match. Union Battleground was kind enough to give us neutral ground, and we had a solid match. I enjoyed my time here, but I didn’t think I’d find my way back here one day.”
Still low, still looking off center. He barely makes acknowledgement of the camera, choosing to remain in contemplation.
“But lately, I’ve had this... itch.One that can’t be satisfied with special events and one-off shows. No, I need something that I can really sink my teeth into, something that will push me to be better than I was, because who I was before would have gotten eaten alive.”
Now he looks into the camera, a by-product of leaning back in his chair.
“Is it weird hearing that from someone? That they weren’t good enough to be part of Union?”
Shrug.
“It’s true. Being able to look at yourself critically and know your failings is something everyone should be able to do, but few actually do it. Instead, there’s a large community that like to prop themselves up, acting as though they’re God’s gift to wrestling. You know the type, you can find them on social media, bragging about the size of the company they wrestle for, how many years they’ve been around, the supposed “level of talent” that they’ve encountered and wrestled. Fucking morons if you ask me, but there’s always a few in any profession.”
Hayden rolls his eyes at the thought before looking back into the camera.
“But at the risk of sounding pretentious, I didn’t have what it took to be here the first time. My attentions were elsewhere, and had I stuck around it would have been terrible for everyone. Union would’ve had a bad investment, I would garner a negative reputation, everyone loses. Coming back now? It’s given me a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective.
See, I’m not focused solely on Joe Stanton and blind to everything else, I’m aware of what I’m stepping into. I’m fully aware of the challenges of facing people like Kaven Drell, Kaelan Laughlin, Daniel MacNamara. I know full well to avoid Dakota Smith and GHB, who should have no interest in me anyway. I’m here because I’m not satisfied with what I have now. I need more, just like I’m sure others need more than a run of the mill wrestling company. They need Union, and so do I.”
Pushing away from the desk, Hayden gets up to his feet, beckoning the camera to follow as he travels down the hallway and into the main room of the Limitless Wrestling Academy. Two separate rings are set up in the center, gym equipment in the far right corner. Two banners hang on the wall, one with the logo “NGIW” while the other boasts “FIW”. Hayden looks on with a smile, the camera turning to catch a profile of him as he continues on.
“This is what I hope my legacy can be when I’m done wrestling. This school, training up and coming talent in Southern California, making this a destination for wrestling. This is what I wanted for Limitless almost five years ago when we started. When I finally retire, when I step away for the last time and close this chapter in my life, I can look at this and know that I’m doing something good.”
A deep, satisfied sigh escapes as Hayden turns to face the camera, the smile fading as he speaks.
“But that’s not for a while. Not when I got people like Miles Lucky and Flash Kassidy to welcome me back. Not when I got two people looking to slap me down and take that victory. And if nothing else, I can respect Flash looking me in the eyes and telling me I ain’t gonna take shit from him. I have all the respect in the world for someone who tells you upfront that he’s fighting for his, and fuck you, you’re not taking anything from me.
But I’m not asking for your permission Flash. I’m not coming up to you like Tiny Tim, begging for scraps. I’m telling you flat out that I’m coming to make my name, and if that means you get less than tough shit. I’m not holding back just so you can have an opportunity, either you step up and stop me or you get out of the way. It ain’t about walking in and expecting handouts because of what I’ve done before, it’s about showing I still got it no matter what people might think.
Speaking of which. Miles.”
Hayden uncharacteristically spits on the ground, a sneer on his face.
“The pebble in my shoe, the fly that just won’t leave well enough alone. You’re an annoyance more than a threat, but by all means, talk your big game on social media. Act like this is a foregone conclusion without doing the bare fucking minimum. Tell me it’s Pigeon Day like that holds any weight. You had my attention, but you didn’t do enough to hold it for very long. Hell, I only mention you out of professional courtesy, because I’d rather act like you’re of no consequence to this match. Which, let’s be honest, you won’t be. You’ll be the annoyance, you’ll have brief moments where the audience takes notice of you and wonders if you could do more, but unlike your earlier boast, you’re no Booth. You can’t pull that trigger in D.C., no matter what you claim and how much you work to convince us otherwise. That’s the problem Miles. You just can’t pull the trigger.”
Hayden closes his eyes, a deep sigh wiping the sneer off his face and replacing it with a neutral look. Hayden raises an eyebrow slightly, looking at the camera, looking directly at his opponents.
“Come Lights Out, I’ll make believers out of both of you. You’ll witness firsthand what Haydenism is. And as the lights go out and you slip away into that blissful state of unconsciousness, try to remember this.
I am LIMITLESS.”
Hayden gives a parting smile before entering the ring, taking note of his surroundings. Exhaling slowly, Hayden begins running the ropes, warming up as the scene draws to a close.
Hayden sighed deep with disappointment, ending the phone call before the automated message could finish. Five missed calls, all in the span of forty minutes. He had wanted to give her space, especially given the previous night’s results, but what she looked to do know was… well, reckless.
Hayden stared forward, lost in contemplation. Given what had happened with Skye, he tried his best to check in, to avoid possible resentment in his students. Kassie was from the same class, someone who had worked just as hard to earn her place. The past six months had tested her, though, something he had kept tabs on even during his own sabbatical. She hadn’t given up on him during his low point; it was only right that he return the favor and check on her.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. There was plenty of time to talk with her, to check in and speak with her. This was the trainer in him, something that had grown more and more as he wrestled less and less. He still got ring time with his students, working them through the fundamentals and showing them the basics. But it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t a battle of wits and wills, it wasn’t a challenge.
He had willingly taken a step back when Limitless first opened, having felt accomplished with all that he did. A twelve year career spent traveling the globe, winning a fair amount of titles and meeting new people. Opening the school was a huge accomplishment for him, even moreso when he first started training his students. Five in the first class, slowly but steady growing into more. They had their own careers now, winning titles and accolades. He was proud.
So why then did he feel empty?
Because two years after he opened, he saw that there were more promotions. More opportunities and challenges. And like an addict, he had to go back.
Rocky Mountain Pro. Sentinel. BUDOKAN GAIJIN DREAM FIGHT. New opponents, new locations, and a renewed spirit. This was what he had missed those two years, being able to experience life on the road once again and throw himself into wrestling. As the year changed from 2017 to 2018, he even made a list, looking to accomplish more and find something to fill him.
And like an addict, it couldn’t. It only sated his appetite for the time being.
Even when Limitless started running shows, even when it grew from student-focused to a full fledged promotion, he still looked for challenges. Still looked for a fight.
Because there were new opponents. New ways to test himself even as he got older.
“This isn’t a debut for me.
No, I was here years ago, facing Joe Stanton in a one-off match. Union Battleground was kind enough to give us neutral ground, and we had a solid match. I enjoyed my time here, but I didn’t think I’d find my way back here one day.”
Still low, still looking off center. He barely makes acknowledgement of the camera, choosing to remain in contemplation.
“But lately, I’ve had this... itch.One that can’t be satisfied with special events and one-off shows. No, I need something that I can really sink my teeth into, something that will push me to be better than I was, because who I was before would have gotten eaten alive.”
Now he looks into the camera, a by-product of leaning back in his chair.
“Is it weird hearing that from someone? That they weren’t good enough to be part of Union?”
Shrug.
“It’s true. Being able to look at yourself critically and know your failings is something everyone should be able to do, but few actually do it. Instead, there’s a large community that like to prop themselves up, acting as though they’re God’s gift to wrestling. You know the type, you can find them on social media, bragging about the size of the company they wrestle for, how many years they’ve been around, the supposed “level of talent” that they’ve encountered and wrestled. Fucking morons if you ask me, but there’s always a few in any profession.”
Hayden rolls his eyes at the thought before looking back into the camera.
“But at the risk of sounding pretentious, I didn’t have what it took to be here the first time. My attentions were elsewhere, and had I stuck around it would have been terrible for everyone. Union would’ve had a bad investment, I would garner a negative reputation, everyone loses. Coming back now? It’s given me a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective.
See, I’m not focused solely on Joe Stanton and blind to everything else, I’m aware of what I’m stepping into. I’m fully aware of the challenges of facing people like Kaven Drell, Kaelan Laughlin, Daniel MacNamara. I know full well to avoid Dakota Smith and GHB, who should have no interest in me anyway. I’m here because I’m not satisfied with what I have now. I need more, just like I’m sure others need more than a run of the mill wrestling company. They need Union, and so do I.”
Pushing away from the desk, Hayden gets up to his feet, beckoning the camera to follow as he travels down the hallway and into the main room of the Limitless Wrestling Academy. Two separate rings are set up in the center, gym equipment in the far right corner. Two banners hang on the wall, one with the logo “NGIW” while the other boasts “FIW”. Hayden looks on with a smile, the camera turning to catch a profile of him as he continues on.
“This is what I hope my legacy can be when I’m done wrestling. This school, training up and coming talent in Southern California, making this a destination for wrestling. This is what I wanted for Limitless almost five years ago when we started. When I finally retire, when I step away for the last time and close this chapter in my life, I can look at this and know that I’m doing something good.”
A deep, satisfied sigh escapes as Hayden turns to face the camera, the smile fading as he speaks.
“But that’s not for a while. Not when I got people like Miles Lucky and Flash Kassidy to welcome me back. Not when I got two people looking to slap me down and take that victory. And if nothing else, I can respect Flash looking me in the eyes and telling me I ain’t gonna take shit from him. I have all the respect in the world for someone who tells you upfront that he’s fighting for his, and fuck you, you’re not taking anything from me.
But I’m not asking for your permission Flash. I’m not coming up to you like Tiny Tim, begging for scraps. I’m telling you flat out that I’m coming to make my name, and if that means you get less than tough shit. I’m not holding back just so you can have an opportunity, either you step up and stop me or you get out of the way. It ain’t about walking in and expecting handouts because of what I’ve done before, it’s about showing I still got it no matter what people might think.
Speaking of which. Miles.”
Hayden uncharacteristically spits on the ground, a sneer on his face.
“The pebble in my shoe, the fly that just won’t leave well enough alone. You’re an annoyance more than a threat, but by all means, talk your big game on social media. Act like this is a foregone conclusion without doing the bare fucking minimum. Tell me it’s Pigeon Day like that holds any weight. You had my attention, but you didn’t do enough to hold it for very long. Hell, I only mention you out of professional courtesy, because I’d rather act like you’re of no consequence to this match. Which, let’s be honest, you won’t be. You’ll be the annoyance, you’ll have brief moments where the audience takes notice of you and wonders if you could do more, but unlike your earlier boast, you’re no Booth. You can’t pull that trigger in D.C., no matter what you claim and how much you work to convince us otherwise. That’s the problem Miles. You just can’t pull the trigger.”
Hayden closes his eyes, a deep sigh wiping the sneer off his face and replacing it with a neutral look. Hayden raises an eyebrow slightly, looking at the camera, looking directly at his opponents.
“Come Lights Out, I’ll make believers out of both of you. You’ll witness firsthand what Haydenism is. And as the lights go out and you slip away into that blissful state of unconsciousness, try to remember this.
I am LIMITLESS.”
Hayden gives a parting smile before entering the ring, taking note of his surroundings. Exhaling slowly, Hayden begins running the ropes, warming up as the scene draws to a close.