Post by zackjones on Feb 4, 2017 5:24:57 GMT
WORD COUNT: 2495 WORD
NOTE: Blue is Blake's talking, Green is Zack's.
NOTE: Blue is Blake's talking, Green is Zack's.
January 12th, 2016
Montpellier, France
“ONE! TWO! THREE!”
The bell rang and I released the young man’s leg. The audience’s cheers were deafening, but I didn’t realize how many of them were cheering until I got to my feet. The ref raised my hand and I watched as everyone in attendance was up to their feet.
The match itself? It was what it was for the first round of the Young Guns Cup. Bryce Nash was paired up with me and unfortunately, the rookie couldn’t really do much against me, allowing me to sweep him, 2-0, in our 2/3 falls match. He tried and I respected him for that, but part of me knew that I wasn’t going to lose this match.
After all, I had been the one touted as one of the favorites to win, despite not coming in the clutch over in AIR a handful of times. It was probably because I was the oldest. I would be ineligible to enter the tournament two weeks after it ended, when I turned 26, as only those 25 years old or younger could. It was probably because I had the most experience out of anyone in this tournament.
Still, it was weird as hell not being considered an underdog, but that didn’t matter to me when I entered the YGC. All that mattered to me was moving closer to that trophy, that money, and that title shot. All that mattered to me was taking on whoever managed to cross my path on my way there and putting them down for the three count twice.
Bryce was the one who got paired with me in the first round. I had no clue who would be next in the second round, but I knew one thing.
They needed to bring their A-game, because nobody wanted to win this as much as I did.
June 17th, 2016
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“The Passion of Juniors Cup finals start yet?”
My fraternal twin brother Blake rushed into the living room, not wanting to miss any of the New Kingdom Puro show. I was sitting on the recliner as he handed me my water bottle that he had brought in from the kitchen.
“No, not yet. They’re making their entrances right now. This has been a pretty impressive PPV.”
I sat up and took a sip from my water bottle as my brother took a seat in the other couch, smirking as he motioned to the SSWA World championship that sat on the table next to the snacks we had set out to watch this show.
“You look over that title like it’s one of your kids.”
“Considering how much the title is actually worth, the last thing I need is it getting stolen and having to pay for a new one to be made.”
Blake chuckled before he motioned to the TV and one of the competitors in the finals, Ravenous.
“Kind of a weird guy, right?”
“He definitely is, but maybe you’ve been gone from wrestling too long that you forgot that weird works in this business. Could be something special. He got to this point in this tournament at least.”
The second entrant then made his way out and Blake motioned to him as well.
“Think that’s my favorite to win, Zack.”
“I don’t blame you. This Cassius Reed guy is a problem.”
The audience cheered as Cassius was making his way down to the ring, looking as confident as ever, especially after what he had done earlier in the night, winning his semifinal match against one of the few people I couldn’t beat during my time in AIR.
“Why do you say that? I could’ve sworn you thought Sofia was going to win it all when we started watching.”
He wasn’t lying. When I saw the card and saw Sofia’s name on there, battling someone known as Cassius Reed for the Passion of the Juniors Cup, I thought for sure she would win that matchup. I thought she would win the whole thing because of the fact that she had outlasted me when we were in the ring together before, which was a bit egotistical of me. But it was Cassius who defeated her that night. It was Cassius who could say he defeated the first ever HKW: AIR Champion of Champions. It was Cassius that got me to remember his name from then on.
Moments passed before Blake and I said another word outside of a comment here and there. Eventually, the match came to an end, and it was Cassius’ theme that played once more as he got his arm raised and was handed over the Passion of the Juniors Cup. Blake let out a “wow” while I sat there speechless, stunned at what this guy could do. Stunned that he was this good.
“Think NKP just found a star, Zack.”
“I don’t think NKP found a star, Blake.”
He turned to me, confused.
“I think the entire wrestling business just found its future.”
CAMERA: ON
“Traditional Pankration Rules.”
Zack Jones is seen sitting on a couch, a paper in his left hand as the video begins. The Iron King quarterfinalist, likely recording this from his hotel room in Seattle, clears his throat as he continues to read off of the card.
“All submissions are legal.”
Jones shakes his head.
“Well, that’s not really my forte, but it’s good to know I can slap on a sharpshooter and won’t be docked for it or anything.”
He continues reading.
“Punches and kicks are legal, although no grounded strikes are allowed.”
Zack shrugs.
“At least I get to kick my opponent instead of having to grapple him, which I guess I did well enough at to best Flame.”
The Philadelphian then reads the final part of the rules.
“And all dirty moves are banned from competition, which means that I can’t kick Cassius Reed in the mini Reeds or poke his eyes out, but those of you who know me know that I’m a ‘boy scout’. I don’t need to rely on dirty moves to win because I know that I have the ability to win every single match that I’m in by using what anything in my arsenal. So really, when we talk about Pankration rules, we talk about a match type that shouldn’t bother me too much, like grappling rules did, which I’m fine with.”
Zack tosses the paper out of the shot before he turns towards the camera filming him.
“But I believe that as you get closer and the group left gets smaller, it gets a lot tougher. It doesn’t matter if your opponent isn’t as dangerous, or as experienced, or even as smart as your last. They’ve gotten to this point and they become a lot tougher to put away, no matter who they are. Both myself and Cassius know this.
Last time I was in a Phoenix Wrestling ring, I took on Flame. This is someone I have history with. This is someone who has bested me in the past. This is someone who is known for being dangerous and being very high risk, something many wouldn’t say about my opponent in this round, Cassius Reed.
Now, Cassius may not be as dangerous as Flame. I’m sure he wouldn’t attempt to try and freaking roast me like a goddamn Ball Park beef frank, though I can’t say that for sure since I don’t know the guy. He might not have the success that Flame has had either, but I do believe that while Cassius isn’t as dangerous or as successful as my previous opponent, he’s a lot smarter.
That’s what helped Cassius survive against Andreas Lasiewicz. No, that’s what allowed Cassius to defeat arguably one of the best wrestlers of all time. Did he do it cleanly? No. But he still did it. He still found a way to defeat a man who has won more World titles than anyone in this tournament left. He still found a way to ‘slay Satan’ as he put it. He found a way to move on to the next round to face me.”
The Philadelphian chuckles.
“And I’m no Andreas Lasiewicz. Not even close. I’ll likely never reach that man’s level and I can say that without even blinking. I have high praise for the man known as the Silver Eagle. Andreas to me is the guy every wrestler dreams of matching and even surpassing on the success level, but most of us will never get to that level. Part of me hopes to get near that type of success. And I know it sounds weird for any wrestler to say that they admire what someone else has done, and maybe it makes me look weak, but this is the truth. I want to be on the level of Andreas Lasiewicz when it’s all said and done. I want to win this tournament because I know it can get me closer to the status of ‘one of the best to ever lace them up’. That is my ultimate goal.
So no, Cassius Reed will not be facing someone with more experience than Andreas Lasiewicz. He will not be facing someone as dangerous as Andreas Lasiewicz. He won’t be facing someone as smart as Andreas Lasiewicz.”
Zack takes a deep breath before exhaling and continuing.
“Instead, he’ll get someone who’s quicker than Andreas Lasiewicz, not that it will bug him because he’s got a little speed of his own. He’ll face someone who is known for his stubbornness, which won’t be a problem for a persistent guy like Cassius who will pummel me until that stubbornness begins to fade. Cassius Reed will face someone who has shown that heart that so many people talk about, and it may not even be a problem for him. Cassius is damn good, and if he hasn’t proven it to you all already, he’ll try to prove it in a few days when he faces me.
I’m sure everyone watching this is asking why I don’t feel a lot more confident facing Cassius than Andreas. After all, I have the experience over Cassius. I arguably have the speed advantage. I’m going to get a clean fight out of him. I also survived flames being shot at me. I should be confident that Cassius will be just another person added to the list of people I’ve already beaten.”
Jones shakes his head.
“Everyone knows me knows that I try to take things one step at a time. I say I want to be Iron King, but I don’t look past anyone. Cassius is definitely someone I shouldn’t be looking past, because for the simple fact that he’s coming into this with more to prove than before.
He beat Andreas Lasiewicz. He made it to the elite 8 of the YGC tournament this year before being bounced out only two matches away from lifting a trophy similar to the one that I lifted a year ago. He won the Passion of the Juniors Cup in 2016. This isn’t someone to take lightly, especially when he sets his mind on something.”
He smiles.
“I’ll confess that I’ve kept an eye on Cassius since he won the Passion of the Juniors Cup. He beat one of the women I have great respect for in this business, despite how freaking crazy she is, in order to take that trophy home. I watched him in this year’s Young Guns Cup and I thought for a moment, he had it, only to get caught with a move from out of nowhere. And I’ve even watched him in this tournament and paid attention to what he’s done and I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s good...and he has the ability to become great. He has the ability to become ‘one of the best to ever lace them up’.
And that is exactly why I’m not oozing with confidence here, because that loss to Tommy Evans? That might be the greatest loss to ever happen to you in your career. That loss could very well be the loss that takes Cassius Reed to the next level.
I know that type of loss. I suffered that type of loss a handful of times, but when it finally clicked? I took my game to a whole nother level. I went through SIX matches to become the Young Guns Cup winner. When it clicked, I was able to come up clutch and capture not one, but two titles within days of one another, holding both for longer than anyone has ever held them. When it finally clicked, I went to the next level. Hell, I took one step closer to that Silver Eagle level.
And that’s what I think will happen with you. Will it happen just off of this loss? I don’t know. I’ll know when we meet in the ring though. If you defeat me, you’ll have earned it and you’ll know that it finally clicked. That you’re finally reaching that next level. But if you lose to me, you’ll have nothing to be ashamed of. You’ll have given me everything in that ring, I know it. It will be one of those losses that just helps drive you to that point. Drives you to it all clicking.
We’re the main event for a good reason. We are arguably the two competitors left in this thing that practically no one expected to get to this point, especially with the people we’ve faced so far.
And that is why I know we’re going to go out there and beat the hell out of each other. That is why I know that you’re going to come with that fire inside of you and I’m going to try and combat that so that I can move closer to my own personal goal of adding ‘2017 Iron King’ next to ‘2016 Young Guns Cup Winner’.
Cassius Reed vs Zack Jones is a match no one should miss because we’re both going to go out there and prove what we need to prove and if it all goes your way, I’ll gladly shake your hand knowing you were the better man that night. If it goes my way, then I hope for the same and I move on, knowing that I’m the only man to have made it to the final four of two great tournaments. Knowing that I get one step closer to being ‘one of the best to ever lace them up’.
I respect you as a competitor, Cassius, and I hope you respect me as a competitor as well. And if you do, that’s great. If you don’t, that’s fine too.
All I care is that we go out there and we show them what we can do. And in the end, the better man will win.
Best of luck to you, Cassius. I’ll see you out there.”
The video ends with Zack giving the camera one final nod.
