Post by Jack Tillman on Jul 31, 2017 0:11:05 GMT
-The smell of sweat.....blood......bodily fluids......it fills the air of Kurt Newman's wrestling school here in Chicago, Illinois. It's 5 in the morning and I've already ran for an hour. To cool down I get the wrestling ring set up for the day so that the other students and myself can get our training in for the day. The ring post are already up. Painted blue. A fresh coat of paint was applied two years ago. The wood plank is laid down already between the post. A new one was bought last year. Before that, it had been ten years. A foam padding lays on top to help with cushioning. A canvas lays on top of that. I scrub the canvas daily to clean it from the days efforts. Nothing but soap, water, and a large scrubbing brush to clean the blood, sweat, and spit from the days work. We switch it up when it comes to ring ropes. Some promotions use natural fiber wrapped in tape. Others use steel cables that are encased by a rubber hose. I prefer the steel cable. Stiffer and hurts more when you choke someone with it. The ring is 14 feet by 14 feet. We prefer the smaller rings because that's what we're known for, close combat training. No flips. No diving. Ground and pound with technical skills.
-I've been setting up wrestling rings since my days working in the NJFC Dojo. They made it an important fundamental in our training every day to set up and break down a ring because without the wrestling ring.....there would be no wrestling. Also, if your a wrestler.....you should know how to set up a ring. I can't help but think how many active, so called wrestlers, even know how to set up a ring. Lucky enough, mostly everyone involved in the Gods Of War Ladder match know what the hell they'll be doing in that ring. I can't wait.
-Standing next to the ropes, I hunch over the top rope and look down at the ground as I mentally get myself ready for the day. A thousand squats. Push-ups. Sit ups. Training with new and current students. Working with wrestling veterans that need some tune ups with their abilities. Healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All healthy. Watching film of up coming and future opponents.
-It's boring. It's not stylish. It's not meant for everyone. But to be the best, you need to make sacrifices. I can have fun when I'm older. I can sleep when I die. I can hang out with friends and have a wife and kids when the big injury finally takes me away from the wrestling industry. I'm 21. The whole world is in front of me. Make my mark now. Enjoy life later.
-Looking up I stare at the camera and start this stupid promo. It's not highly produced. It's not filtered. It doesn't have animation in the back ground. It doesn't have some short story or movie fill in where I'm killing ninjas. I don't need that. All I need is a camera with lonely old me in the middle of a wrestling ring.....like it used to be......like it should be. Soft tones. Cadence at a steady pace. Act professional. Act like a professional wrestler.
Jack Tillman: "I can hear all the so called "experts" in the back saying that Jack Tillman doesn't stand a chance at Eternal Lucha. That he hasn't earned the right to step in the ring for an epic match such as the Gods Of War Ladder match. That I'm a child playing with adults. That Jack Tillman doesn't even deserve the right to tie the boots of such legends as Tiger Mask Red, Mark Storm, and Congressman Dragon.
I've earned that right though. It's in my blood. Second generation wrestler. I've been taking bumps since I was in diapers. My old man trained me. Kurt Newman trained me. England trained me. Japan trained me. Canada trained me. Mexico trained me. America trained me. I've stepped in the rings with legends and gave it my all. I may be 21 but I have 21 years of experience under my belt…..and that's a lot more than most can say in this industry. I've grown up around wrestlers. I know the history of this industry like the back of my hand. Hell, I've been watched over by wrestlers when my dad was wrestling in the ring.”
-I can beat most of them individually in this ladder match without a sweat……If it was one on one. Most of them are broken down. Years of taking bumps starting to take their toll on their bodies. I'm still young. I can take more damage and recover quicker. But because they know they can't beat me head on, they'll play their tricks. They'll play their mind games. They'll do what ever it will take to climb that ladder and win.
-Let them try.
Jack Tillman: “This ring…..this ring is my place of worship, this is my church. This is where I give my offering with my mind, soul, and body. I take this industry seriously because I know the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to make this industry great. That's why I don't play a gimmick to the camera. That's why I perform wrestling moves and not corny little high spots that will get views with gifs or YouTube. That's why I don't act like a weekend warrior and have another job under my belt. I'm a professional wrestler first, second and third. My mind is trained as a warrior and my soul is that of a killer.”
-Walking to the center of the ring, I sit and do my best to be at peace with myself as I shut my eyes. My tone.....it's calm and collective......like it's been this entire time.
Jack Tillman: "So when I say that I am a professional wrestler…..I mean it. And anyone that dares to say other wise…..and dares to say that I don't deserve to be in this match with all these legends…..well I'll be more than happy to prove you wrong because my chops will echo in the arena when they meet your flesh. My boots to your head will feel like cinder blocks. And when I get a submission move on you…….you'll scream out in pain before you even hear the first muscle tear in your body.”
-Laying in my back, I look up at the ceiling and get myself mentally ready for the one thousand squats I'm about to perform. Always a pain in the ass, mostly it just takes forever. But it's something that I've kept in my training regiment since my NJFC Dojo days.
Jack Tillman: "Alan Envy, Tiger Mask Red, Otaki, El Temario, Mark Storm, El Destello, Congressman Dragon, and Julian Tijerina…… I wish you all luck. I wish that your bones are in one piece after our match. I hope that your brain won't get concussed. I regret the blood that will be spilled. But most importantly……I hope you survive.”
-Alright Jack......time to train.
-Standing up, I stand ready to begin my squats.
Jack Tillman: "May what ever God you believe in have mercy on your soul.....because I will give you none."
-Deep breath in......deep breath out............
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.
.
.
.
.
Begin.
-End Scene
-I've been setting up wrestling rings since my days working in the NJFC Dojo. They made it an important fundamental in our training every day to set up and break down a ring because without the wrestling ring.....there would be no wrestling. Also, if your a wrestler.....you should know how to set up a ring. I can't help but think how many active, so called wrestlers, even know how to set up a ring. Lucky enough, mostly everyone involved in the Gods Of War Ladder match know what the hell they'll be doing in that ring. I can't wait.
-Standing next to the ropes, I hunch over the top rope and look down at the ground as I mentally get myself ready for the day. A thousand squats. Push-ups. Sit ups. Training with new and current students. Working with wrestling veterans that need some tune ups with their abilities. Healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All healthy. Watching film of up coming and future opponents.
-It's boring. It's not stylish. It's not meant for everyone. But to be the best, you need to make sacrifices. I can have fun when I'm older. I can sleep when I die. I can hang out with friends and have a wife and kids when the big injury finally takes me away from the wrestling industry. I'm 21. The whole world is in front of me. Make my mark now. Enjoy life later.
-Looking up I stare at the camera and start this stupid promo. It's not highly produced. It's not filtered. It doesn't have animation in the back ground. It doesn't have some short story or movie fill in where I'm killing ninjas. I don't need that. All I need is a camera with lonely old me in the middle of a wrestling ring.....like it used to be......like it should be. Soft tones. Cadence at a steady pace. Act professional. Act like a professional wrestler.
Jack Tillman: "I can hear all the so called "experts" in the back saying that Jack Tillman doesn't stand a chance at Eternal Lucha. That he hasn't earned the right to step in the ring for an epic match such as the Gods Of War Ladder match. That I'm a child playing with adults. That Jack Tillman doesn't even deserve the right to tie the boots of such legends as Tiger Mask Red, Mark Storm, and Congressman Dragon.
I've earned that right though. It's in my blood. Second generation wrestler. I've been taking bumps since I was in diapers. My old man trained me. Kurt Newman trained me. England trained me. Japan trained me. Canada trained me. Mexico trained me. America trained me. I've stepped in the rings with legends and gave it my all. I may be 21 but I have 21 years of experience under my belt…..and that's a lot more than most can say in this industry. I've grown up around wrestlers. I know the history of this industry like the back of my hand. Hell, I've been watched over by wrestlers when my dad was wrestling in the ring.”
-I can beat most of them individually in this ladder match without a sweat……If it was one on one. Most of them are broken down. Years of taking bumps starting to take their toll on their bodies. I'm still young. I can take more damage and recover quicker. But because they know they can't beat me head on, they'll play their tricks. They'll play their mind games. They'll do what ever it will take to climb that ladder and win.
-Let them try.
Jack Tillman: “This ring…..this ring is my place of worship, this is my church. This is where I give my offering with my mind, soul, and body. I take this industry seriously because I know the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to make this industry great. That's why I don't play a gimmick to the camera. That's why I perform wrestling moves and not corny little high spots that will get views with gifs or YouTube. That's why I don't act like a weekend warrior and have another job under my belt. I'm a professional wrestler first, second and third. My mind is trained as a warrior and my soul is that of a killer.”
-Walking to the center of the ring, I sit and do my best to be at peace with myself as I shut my eyes. My tone.....it's calm and collective......like it's been this entire time.
Jack Tillman: "So when I say that I am a professional wrestler…..I mean it. And anyone that dares to say other wise…..and dares to say that I don't deserve to be in this match with all these legends…..well I'll be more than happy to prove you wrong because my chops will echo in the arena when they meet your flesh. My boots to your head will feel like cinder blocks. And when I get a submission move on you…….you'll scream out in pain before you even hear the first muscle tear in your body.”
-Laying in my back, I look up at the ceiling and get myself mentally ready for the one thousand squats I'm about to perform. Always a pain in the ass, mostly it just takes forever. But it's something that I've kept in my training regiment since my NJFC Dojo days.
Jack Tillman: "Alan Envy, Tiger Mask Red, Otaki, El Temario, Mark Storm, El Destello, Congressman Dragon, and Julian Tijerina…… I wish you all luck. I wish that your bones are in one piece after our match. I hope that your brain won't get concussed. I regret the blood that will be spilled. But most importantly……I hope you survive.”
-Alright Jack......time to train.
-Standing up, I stand ready to begin my squats.
Jack Tillman: "May what ever God you believe in have mercy on your soul.....because I will give you none."
-Deep breath in......deep breath out............
.
.
.
.
.
.
Begin.
-End Scene