Corki Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 http://i57.tinypic.com/2dbpf6w.jpg ************************************************ THE RISE OF HCG ************************************************ Tape starts... http://i62.tinypic.com/20za1b5.jpg Without me... there is no Hollywood... Jerry King sits back in a recliner chair, clutching a near-empty can of Silvermere Lite. He slowly bounces back and forth in the recliner as he continues to reminisce on the humble beginnings of his brainchild. There was no help, there was no team. It was me. I was Hollywood and Hollywood was me. Brian was along for the ride but he wasn't at the helm like I was. It wasn't until August of 2014 that I had Ace, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bumpy ride until then. I had wrestlers to take care of, families to feed, people that were depending on my work ethic and my work ethic alone to put asses in seats for the bulk of our first months of operations. My reputation may have played a part in our early popularity but I'd like to think my promotional skills have improved quite some since I started this whole thing. http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg I didn't have as much time as I'd wanted to consider Jerry's offers, but in hindsight having more time would probably not have led me to where I am today. Jerry was willing to give me the shot and if I wasn't willing to take it he was gonna' find someone else who was. Ace Lomax sits on a leather sofa in front of his various awards for announcing and booking, many of which he'd earned in his time with HCG. He looks excited as ever as he can barely keep himself from leaning forward as he speaks to the camera. I was a part of something that was just seeing light for close to the first time. I'm one of the guys who can say they had a hand in making Hollywood Championship Grappling what it is today. There's three parts to that, there's the guy who built it, the guy who runs it, and the guys who do the legwork. I was the guy who ran it, but I'll be damned if I can ever say that I didn't appreciate the guys who did the legwork. They had just as much a part in this as me and Jerry did. http://i62.tinypic.com/250oykk.jpg We're the reason all of this is what it is today. We're the reason Hollywood is Hollywood, baby. Guys like Herc, guys like me and my brother, Bubba, The Walkers, you know, the OGs, we were the guys who put the faces to the name. Teddy Windham sits on a bench in his family-owned wrestling gym, watching over the next generation of graduates as they work on their cardio. Windham takes a swig from his bottle of water between sentences as he lets us in on his first few years with Hollywood Championship Grappling. Jerry, you know, him and Ace are like me and Curtis' uncles. Yeah, I'm one of those kids that still works with his dad but I don't just see it as working with my dad, this is my family business, this is where I work with my dad and this is where my dad is my boss. When I'm out in that ring, my dad's just my dad, he's not my boss, but Jerry & Ace made us all feel like that was a little family business for us too, and in turn, we turned around and gave him our loyalty.. you know? That's just the way it goes in this business, you can hate it or love it but whether you like it or not you're gonna' get close with these people that you're surrounded by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 http://i62.tinypic.com/2802qa0.jpg It was never about the wrestling for Jerry, especially not with Hollywood. It was about making a name for himself, I mean lets face it, the guy had and still has an ego and there's not much we're gonna' be able to do to change that. Bottom line is that when Jerry didn't get his way, he made a point of letting everyone know how much he hated not getting his way. And you know, one day it was just too much. Casey Skym ponders on his relationship with Jerry King prior to his leaving to form Hollywood Championship Grappling as he sits in front of a black screen. The guy's not fun to work with but he's good, I gotta' admit, the guy's good. But he's erratic, and I don't trust erratic unless it's me. Casey lets out a laugh before regaining his composure again. No but seriously, I'm glad the guy has had his success and I'm glad we were able to bury the hatchet, cause that's the only way you were gonna' be able to get me on this picture, cause man oh man were there some rough times. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud of the guy though. http://i58.tinypic.com/2a0nvp0.jpg I didn't like Casey Skym and I still don't like him, I don't care that my dad and him have gotten over their beef but as far as I'm concerned, he's not gonna' be front row at any of my shows. Me and my pops were able to do our thing without him and there's no reason for him to be around now. Brian King looks tense as he speeds through his thoughts on camera. He stands and paces down the hallways of the HCG headquarters as the camera follows him and pans towards an office door, that of road agent Owen Money. http://i58.tinypic.com/wvzxia.jpg The fact that we as a group made it as far as we have off of our hard work, not just off of the fact that people knew who we were from before, is huge to me. We got to work with guys that we had already come to know and we got to forge new relationships with people who would grow to become some of my best and closest friends in this business. I think that big event in the summer of 2014, the Summertime Slam, was the point when people really noticed that things were looking good in Hollywood, and that they were gonna' keep looking good. I had my boys working a feud with a new team, we had our tag champs and our heavyweight champ defending their belts against really tough, scary looking dudes. Money sits back in his office chair with his hands behind his back, he adjusts his glasses and goes back to his thoughts. Yeeeeep, we had a hell of a few years in front of us and we didn't even know it. And the worst part of it all is that since it all happened so fast, we didn't even get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor, we just had to keep plugging along and hope we'd get a chance to rest at some point but, hey, in this business, relaxation time is a hot commodity that not everyone often gets to take advantage of. It just so happens that for the last few years it's been me getting the short end of the stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg That first show we booked, that first show was far and away the most important. It had one of the best moments that a small, upstart wrestling show could ask for... cause that's what we were, basically, we were a show. As much as Jerry wants to say we were a company... or an organization back then, we weren't. We were a show and that's what we should've been pushing ourselves as. Herculez did an awesome job of closing the show and made a case for himself to be the backbone of the promotion as it grew, and I think people on the inside started to realize that he was most definitely our top dog in his short amount of time there. Lomax smiles as he looks upwards, remembering every moment of that evening in it's entirety. He finally looks back at the camera and gets his thoughts in order again. You know, we weren't supposed to do what we did that night. A team of individuals like that, they weren't supposed to put on a show like that; regardless if they'd had previous fan bases. Lets get real for a minute, Herculez was our only real draw. Brian King wasn't one yet, the Walkers were good but they were by no means our moneymakers, and Big Bubba just wasn't ready for that spotlight yet. http://i59.tinypic.com/w7ii6p.jpg Me and my boy ROC, we were brought in specifically for that show. That was our debut night. Reggie Brown takes a pull off of a small cigarillo as he leans his back to a jagged, brick wall. His hat tilted over his eyes, he takes another moment to enjoy the head rush, and goes back to his speech. And you know we weren't big stars back then either, we were the lowest of the low. I'm talkin' five hunnid' dollars a show, pay you out back kinda' deal. Judgin' by dat', I mean I can't say I thought we were gonna' stick around that long. I figured me and ROC were just gonna' earn a few bucks and keep payin' our dues. But they liked us and they let us stick around to show off our chops a little more. I can't thank Jerry & Ace enough for that. That first card, that Summertime Slam show, that was the beginning of all dis' for me and ROC. I wasn't much for a wrestler back then either, I was more of a talker, and I tole' Ace that but he din' wanna' hear it. He basically, you know, he basically tole' me, that, that I was gonna', you know, do what I was told to do and that I would ask questions if I didn't unnastand' my job, you know? Like, that's how valuable we were to those guys back then, we weren't worth jack. But you know, they took a gamble on us and again you know I gotta' thank those boys for puttin' us on cause ain't no tellin' where we coulda' been right this minute without Ace takin' a liking to us. http://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg I was told comin' in that I was gonna' be the breadwinner for this company. Jerry trusted me and I trusted Jerry enough that I knew what he was telling me was true. Jerry basically put me on in the beginning of my career and I felt it was only right for me to return the favor on the tail end of his. So I jumped ship because I wasn't bein' appreciated where I was and where I come from, when you not bein' appreciated you make it known. It just so happens that my way of making it known was quitting my job. I'll admit, the money wasn't as good over here when I first started, and the level of exposure I was getting was a big step below what I was used to at the AWF. But there was this good feeling that came along with being a part of a bigger picture, and I think that's what kept me at Hollywood Championship Grappling all of these years. I don't have history here, I had a part in making history here; and that all started at Summertime Slam. HCG Summertime Slam 2014 Card HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnightnick Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Roguey Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Strapped in and ready to go! HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVEFAN95 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJStark Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Great start HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhd1 Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Good luck with this, Corki HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncrewed Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs Too Famous Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen Lance Idol vs Red Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 http://i57.tinypic.com/2dbpf6w.jpg ************************************************ THE RISE OF HCG: SUMMERTIME SLAM 2014 ************************************************ http://i60.tinypic.com/1g11qx.jpghttp://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg Big Bubba walks around the backstage area with his HCG Hollywood Championship around draped over his shoulder. Fully dressed in uniform, he slowly makes his way towards his dressing room to watch the beginning of the show. He is intercepted by one of his inevitable rivals, the world's strongest man, Herculez. BB: If you're as smart as you think you are, you'll keep your mouth shut right about now, Herc. Things don't tend to go well for folks who get on my bad side. H: Listen brutha, I didn't make my way over to this dog and pony show to play second fiddle to some wannabe' tough guy. I do my talkin' in the ring, so the last thing you should be worried about is me runnin' my mouth. The two face off in the backstage area, and between the moments which they locked eyes, Herculez would take a second to gander at the Hollywood Championship. It was now in his cross-hairs. Regardless of what happened this evening, it was evident that these two would cross paths in the ring at some point in the near future, and as such, the sizing up process began early. H: I'm tellin' you that your best course of action is to get to steppin' out of my way, and step down while you're at it. BB: There ain't no man big enough to make the big man bow down, and you just don't seem to get that Herc. Watch me do my thing tonight, maybe you'll learn a few things. The reigning champion steps closer to his rival, the tension building rapidly BB: And you may think this is some kind of dog and pony show, and that's alright... but it's wrong. This is far from it, fella; it's dog eat dog. --- http://i57.tinypic.com/j0znya.jpg vs http://i60.tinypic.com/332xe6t.jpg Red Rock vs Lance Idol From the opening bell, Lance Idol looked like he was out of his comfort zone... and to be fair, not many can say they would feel comfortable in the ring with Red Rock. Unfortunately, that same lack of comfort led to his lack of ability to score any kind of offense, and Idol was forced to take a back seat as Red Rock imposed his will. Rock scores an easy win in under eight minutes, and looks dominant as ever in doing so. Red Rock defeats Lance Idol in 7:42 via pinfall --- http://i59.tinypic.com/vfjtr6.jpghttp://i61.tinypic.com/fwhudx.jpg The IRS sit in their dressing rooms discussing the show so far. Neither of the two is dressed in ring gear as they are not expecting to wrestle this evening. It doesn't take long for the gossip that is shared to move towards a more... 'fitting' subject for the brothers. HM: Boy that Red Rock sure looks like he could use a fashion consultant... I thought it was frowned upon to show up to your job in the same clothes that you slept in. RM: If those are the clothes that he sleeps in, I feel sorry for his bed. HM: I feel sorry for his bank account. The two brothers share a laugh as they continue to mock their peers. HM: Say, Robin, you know who else I really just can't stand lately? RM: I don't know Holden, but I was actually about to ask you the same thing... I know, on the count of three, why don't we both just belt it out at the same time. HM: Oh I just love it when we do this, alright. After a slow count, the two are elated to realize that they've both belted out the same answers simultaneously. HM & RM: The Poor! The Unfortunate! The two begin to cackle violently as they struggle to remain in their seats. As they laugh, both Holden & Robin begin to pull single bills out of their pockets and throw them in the air in celebration. Unfortunately for them, the laughter was a little on the loud side, and they were heard by an approaching duo... http://i61.tinypic.com/dyr42q.jpghttp://i60.tinypic.com/21bojna.jpg ROC: Well well well, look what we have here Reggie? A couple of rich, stupid ass white boys. RB: Yeaaaaah, and they' ugly too. That was enough to get the brothers' attention RM: Excuse me gentlemen, but... who are you? ROC: Oh, I'm sorry, allow us to introduce ourselves. We the neighborhood bullies that's bout to take yo' cash and run wit' it. The IRS look at each other, struggling to keep a straight face, and burst out into laughter as they look back at the imposing duo. RM: You? Take our money? Excuse me once again gentlemen but I think you have it all wrong... HM: Yes, yes you see, around here... we do the taking. RB: Yeah well things change quick, white boy. Within mere seconds the four are at each others throats and swinging punches on one another. Big ROC & Reggie Brown quickly get the advantage after throwing the first punches and as Reggie keeps Holden & Robin busy, ROC goes to work on picking up the singles. Finally, the two band together once more to drop the IRS and steal their designer loafers. Holden and Robin scream for help but to no avail, the duo known as "The Black Market" was already off and running... --- http://i57.tinypic.com/2drrm9g.jpg vs http://i62.tinypic.com/8weekp.jpg Mike Santorelli vs Riley Johansen A far more competitive match than the opener, Mike Santorelli & Riley Johansen kept things quick... but not so painless. Johansen and Santorelli trade blows back and forth for a good three minutes before the action moves to the mat. Santorelli is the first to make a major move but he's countered as Johansen, the stronger of the two, out-muscles him. In the end, Santorelli manages to avoid a big clothesline and put Johansen down with a nasty kick to the head that leaves him down for the count and prone to the pin. Mike Santorelli defeats Riley Johansen in 9:02 via pinfall --- Mike Santorelli is quick to jump on the microphone after the match is over, and he begins to go off on the rest of the HCG roster. The crowd eats it up as Santorelli keeps the entertained and focused on his every word. MS: All Night Mike is here to stay baby! Woo! The crowd follows his cheer, and a loud 'woo!' is heard throughout the arena MS: Lemme' hear it again! Woo! The crowd responds once more MS: Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah that's right. Let this be a message to all you haters backstage. Ya'll ain't ready for All Night Mike, cause nobody is baby. All Night Mike is a killer. You know it, I know it, and those who don't are gonna' learn. Woo! --- http://i59.tinypic.com/eah8bb.jpghttp://i62.tinypic.com/2rzzx1i.jpg vs http://i59.tinypic.com/357nic9.jpghttp://i60.tinypic.com/2le12lw.jpg The Professionals © vs Too Famous HCG Hollywood Tag Championships It was evident that Brian King & Famous C were not on the level of the reigning tag team champions. Granted, it's difficult to have the level of chemistry that two twins share, let alone two twins who have been wrestling as a pair for almost their entire lives. Simon & Cole Walker effortlessly jumped in and out of the ring in order to systematically pick apart their opponents; in this case, Brian King would nearly fall victim to a huge running knee, but he tagged out just in time so that Famous C would be forced to take the fall. The Professionals retain their belts in a rather one-sided affair. The Professionals retain against Too Famous in 7:55 via pinfall --- We head to the announcers desk to hear from Ace Lomax & Jerry King as they walk us through the tentative plans for next month's show. AL: Wow, what a defense by The Professionals, that's why they're our number one tag team... oooooh, I'm sorry Jerry, didn't mean to mock your son like that. JK: Settle down Ace, we all know they're the best, I just hope that one day Brian can reach their level of skill and discipline so that he can taste championship gold here at HCG. AL: And what a way to look at things pal, anyways, we've got a crazy show set up for next month. We're just getting word that the Furlong Brothers will take on The Professionals for the Tag Team Championships next month at HCG New Destiny on the 29th of September! And while we don't know who will be HCG champion when that time comes, I can assure you that we'll have one of the most explosive title matches in the history of the company as it will be a Last Man Standing match! JK: I can't wait, Ace, I really just can't! But you know what else I can't wait for? The main event, and it's comin' up next! --- http://i58.tinypic.com/wvzxia.jpg Owen Money sits in his office as his face hits the screens throughout the arena. He has something to say, and in a dimly lit room he begins his speech. OM: Tonight, my boys were attacked by the duo known as 'The Black Market'. I just want to let everyone know a few things. Me and my boys have run a legitimate, government-based business for over a decade and we have never sacrificed truth or ethics in order to do our jobs. But these... these savages, Big ROC & Reggie Brown, have made us question our business strategies and morals within five minutes of being here. The arena is filled with boos at this point, clearly nobody agrees with Owen Money. However, that doesn't stop him as he continues on with his thoughts. OM: The fact of the matter is is that The Black Market is something that has plagued the United States and the world for years and years, and I will not allow it to open up shop in Hollywood, no, not on my watch. That's why next month, at HCG New Destiny, my boys will face off with The Black Market in a tag-team match. Hopefully that teaches those sorry punks a lesson in messing with real, hardworking Americans. --- http://i58.tinypic.com/2hnavjp.jpg vs http://i61.tinypic.com/2uqfxhj.jpg Big Bubba © vs Maxim Kozlov HCG Hollywood Championship An impressive showing from both competitors as they fought hard over the HCG Championship; the company's highest possible honor. Big Bubba is on the offensive for the majority of the match, blasting Kozlov with big right hands and keeping him on the backpedal. Kozlov is forced to back into the corner where he succumbs to a barrage of rights and lefts. With his challenger seated in the corner, Bubba blasts him with a hard boot to the chest and pulls him back to his feet. When it looks like Kozlov is about to get some momentum of his own, he is cut back down to size by a huge German Suplex, allowing Big Bubba to score the victory and retain his championship Big Bubba retains against Maxim Kozlov in 12:02 via pinfall --- Big Bubba celebrates for the fans after the match, strapping his championship around his waist and throwing his hands up in elation, but unfortunately, that does not last long. Out from the back comes a raging Herculez. The big man storms the ring and the announcers stand up in shock. Bubba sees it coming and tries to brace for impact, showing that he is not scared of his rival, but it doesn't turn out well. Herculez mauls the champion with such force that they both immediately go tumbling over the top rope with the world's strongest man coming out on top. Herculez continues to pound on the champion and blasts him with rights and lefts, that is until security comes out and escorts him from the ring. He doesn't put up much of a fight, the deed is done and the champion lies motionless on the floor surrounding the ring. AL: Well, I guess we've found our contender for next month's show... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg So Summertime Slam might not have been the best show, and it may not have catapulted us into the public eye but every big rags-to-riches story has to start somewhere. I knew going into that event that we had something... you know... big on our hands. Ace takes a minute to sit back on his sofa once more, looking comfortable as ever. He's grinning ear to ear as he puts his palms out to signify just what they had on their hands after the event. Herculez, Big Bubba, The Walkers, these were our money-makers. The IRS and The Black Market had planted the seeds for a feud that would elevate at least one of the teams to the upper midcard, if not both. These guys were all names that would later on become synonymous with Hollywood Championship Grappling. But the best had yet to come, you know, we were content to treat this like a turtle race. You just can't force greatness, it just kinda has to happen. Ace looks back on all of his awards and individually points them out, it takes a couple of seconds, but he finally looks back at the camera to finish his point. All of this, it doesn't just come in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it's a slow build and sometimes you get lucky, but we weren't banking on the latter. http://i57.tinypic.com/2drrm9g.jpg Mike Santorelli sits out front of his gym, All-Night Mike's 24/7 Fitness. He's dressed as if he's either just coming out of a workout or preparing to begin one. Sweats, a big black hoodie and his trademark Italia headband. All of this wasn't easy for me. If you'da told me that after gettin' bounced from the Become a Stah' competition that I'd be a part of one of the biggest companies in the history of the sports entertainment business, playa', I'd be laughin' in ya' face. Get real I woulda' said. Santorelli lets out a laugh and plays with his almost non-existent facial hair. This is not the same Mike Santorelli that appeared at that fabled first event under the Lomax era. He was slimmer, yet more defined, and he was darker and seemingly taking himself in a more serious manner; although that trademark Santorelli charm still played peek-a-boo during the interview. I was never sposed' to make it, right. After that competition I was supposed to twiddle my thumbs at home and show up to an indy show once or twice a month. Nah brotha, Mike Santorelli wasn't gonna' play that. I'm North Shore baby, and I gotta' thank Ace & Jerry for seein' the same things in me that I saw in myself. And look at me now, I can't walk down the street without hearin' a 'Woo!' or an 'All Night Baby!', I own my own gym, for god's sake, my face is on a billboard. But I gotta' stay humble and down to earth, right. I can't let all of this get to me because at the end of the day this is still my livelihood. Yeah I've been blessed a lot more than the average Joe from the North Shore but that don't make me any different from those same boys back home. I still come to my gym every day and hang with the same guys and gals that are here every day and I do my thing like they do theirs. I go home and I call my ma' every day and tell her I love her, and I keep givin' my pops' a reason to be proud of me. Last thing I wanna' be is some bitter old shmuck who still lives his life in the glory days even though he's not in em' anymore. I live every day like it's the first day of the rest of it. That's more than I can say for a lot of those boys that started with me at HCG back in the day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 http://i62.tinypic.com/20za1b5.jpg Tell you the problem with Kevin Moore. We recognized that the guy was talented, and we appreciated how he behaved backstage. We wanted to give the guy a shot and let him maybe even have a run at the title. But when you start letting a guy know how good he is, he starts to believe it too. And some guys start to believe it too much. Jerry King shakes his head as he adjusts himself in his recliner. Moore was one of those guys that just had somethin' special about him. Like, from the moment the guy walks in the door he's nothin' but a gentleman backstage and when he got in that ring, he just... he just transformed, you know? Like it wasn't even the same person. You can't teach something like that, I mean he just had a natural ability to go deep into his character despite having lived a life that is the complete opposite. But I never realized that when I was with the AWF, I mean, no one did. He was lumped in there with so many talented guys and he wasn't going to catch a break easily. So he just kept getting passed up until he was released. Fast forward a couple years and I snatch him up to do his thing in the midcard. But he was good. Moore was noticeable here. It wasn't such a big show that... that, I mean he could really command the attention that he deserved and as a result, you know, we started to see it too. King stops momentarily, looking down and then back up once more at the camera. So we started giving him more time, more opportunities, and he just kept taking them and earning himself more, and more, and more. So you know, naturally, Kevin's not used to getting this kind of attention and favoritism from the boss so he steps up and starts to think he's the alpha dog. So much to the point that it caused tension backstage and when he wasn't given the creative control he wanted he started sandbagging it just cause he was so bitter. I haven't talked to the guy in God knows how long and I really don't plan on it. I just can't do it cause' I spent years trying to get the guy to talk with me and he just insisted on talkin' to me. So... you know, if y'all could do it then more power to you. http://i58.tinypic.com/t8m35h.jpg Ray Lisbon sits on his porch outside of his townhouse in Mexico. He's now married, with two children and has taken a hiatus from the wrestling business. I've felt really good since I've left the business. There's a lot of stuff that I just haven't had to deal with since back in those days and I've got enough saved up that I can take a comfortable break and go back when I please. I've never been one to spend beyond my means because I stayed humble through my career because of guys like Red Rock. I was the initial stepping stone, right? Cause we were put in a storyline together and he was supposed to win it in the end. I was the guy that was supposed to lift him up and take the fall for him to get his shot. So I got used to saving the money from these big paychecks because I knew that I was gonna' be in this position for awhile and I didn't have the job security to warrant that. And he was particularly awful around me backstage after that push started. He went from being a very calm, and down to earth person to this rude, vindictive, and just, generally, not fun to be around kind of person. And we didn't like it, Jerry & Ace didn't like it, and I don't know if the fans would've known about it but I'm sure they wouldn't have liked it too. When he was angry he let things go to his head, when he was complimented he let things go to head, and when someone disagreed with him, he let his big head make him stubborn. The man let himself think he was a bigger deal than he was and he forced people to re-evaluate their career choices if they were concerned with having to spend years on the road with a man like that. http://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg Oh, Red Rock? Yeah that dude was a piece of sh*t. Herculez lets out a laugh as he looks around for approval with the others in hearing distance. Yeah man, they were talkin' about him goin' up to the main event and damn, that happened fast. He was just thrown up there and next thing I know they're figuring out a way to give em' a title shot. I'm thinkin' damn I think he beat my time! No, but seriously it was quick; but it was so quick that he let it get to him. Lettin' things get to you is like number one on the "don'ts" in this business. It never turns out good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 http://i59.tinypic.com/vfjtr6.jpg New Destiny. Man, I never thought I'd ever be looking back on a small show like that. I figured that that was just me paying my dues and I'd be constantly moving forward but, but I just have this appreciation for those small shows I worked with my dad and my brother, like a soft spot. I worked really hard back then and I still work really hard right now, but I remember that show as being one of the most nerve-wracking and exciting shows I've ever done. Windham lets out a sigh of relief, and then he gets back to his speech. That match with The Black Market was a tough one. I remember getting dropped pretty hard that night and Curtis didn't come out of it looking much better than I did. It was at that point that I realized what I was committing to and what I was going to be putting myself through for the twenty-some years I planned on doing this. http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg These guys were working hard days and long nights to make sure everything was prepared for this show. Every drop of blood, sweat and tears was not to go wasted. You're only as good as your last show and if that was our bar then it was a high one. Ace Lomax sits in silence for a few moments, almost as if he was going through as much of the event in his head as he could remember. Every important moment, every strike, every throw. That was a big card for us, especially given the talent on the roster and the smaller size of our company. We were still just a show, a tiny fraction of the market but at least people on the internet knew who we were. Big Bubba & Herculez, The Professionals, Owen Money, Red Rock, these were names that people knew. They didn't know them super well, but at least Jerry brought enough name value to keep people interested enough to watch more than five minutes of our stuff. I had done my part for the first show that I booked in August, but like I was saying earlier, all of this behind me doesn't come without consistency and hard work, so even back then I knew that one good show wasn't going to gain anyone's respect, but as long as my shows kept getting better then I was taking steps in the right direction. http://i60.tinypic.com/1g11qx.jpg I went into this card knowing that in front of me was going to be one of the biggest tests of my career up until that point. Herculez was a big man just like myself and they were putting us in a match that was going to go more than fifteen minutes, and it was a Last Man Standing. That meant that they wanted us to go until we couldn't go anymore. They wanted us to be completely ragged by the end of that match. Every ounce of sweat we had in us needed to be spent on that match or else we weren't doin' something right. There were a lot of up and comers that wanted our spot and we had it, and Ace made sure we knew that every show was riding on the main event. I got comfortable with that spot and I knew that Herc was used to it just as much as I was. All of those factors, in my opinion, set the stage for what could've been the best independent match of 2014, if not the best show of that year. But unfortunately, things don't always go exactly according to plan... HCG New Destiny 2014 Card Last Man Standing Match HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Herculez HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers Robbie Martel vs Caleb Adonis The I.R.S. vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Brian King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnightnick Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Last Man Standing Match HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Herculez HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers Robbie Martel vs Caleb Adonis The I.R.S. vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Brian King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJStark Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Last Man Standing Match HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Herculez HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers Robbie Martel vs Caleb Adonis The I.R.S. vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Brian King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncrewed Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Last Man Standing Match HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Herculez HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers Robbie Martel vs Caleb Adonis The I.R.S. vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Brian King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhd1 Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Last Man Standing Match HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Herculez HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers Robbie Martel vs Caleb Adonis The I.R.S. vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Brian King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 http://i57.tinypic.com/2dbpf6w.jpg ************************************************ THE RISE OF HCG: NEW DESTINY 2014 ************************************************ http://i57.tinypic.com/j0znya.jpg vs http://i57.tinypic.com/5lbbpy.jpg It doesn't take long for Red Rock to show off his dominant wrestling abilities against the arrogant Brian King. King does manage to do some work but unfortunately, it's just not enough to stop the monster that is Red Rock. Rock blasts King with rights and lefts, so hard that Jerry King jumps to his feet at ringside and rushes the ring as if he's ready to throw in the towel. But he'd never get the chance, as Red Rock would finish the match with a huge clothesline that nearly took Brian's head off and left him prone to the pin. Red Rock defeats Brian King in 6:11 via pinfall --- http://i58.tinypic.com/t8m35h.jpg The camera pans to Ray Lisbon backstage in his locker room. He sits watching the television screen and shaking his head at the sight of Red Rock's destruction of Brian King RL: It just makes me sick sometimes... How can they let someone so vile and so... so... criminal do this? Lisbon is clearly struggling to get some of the words out, most likely due to the language barrier. He looks up at the framed Hollywood Championship belt replica in the locker room and his eyes begin to gloss over RL: It just doesn't make sense to me. It's my dream to become Hollywood champion, and I work hard to make it here but this man brags about being evil and gets my dream given' to him... Lisbon pauses and shakes his head once more as he looks back at the television screen RL: I need to do something about this... I need to stop this man before it's too late... before everyone in Hollywood starts to... to believe that this is okay and that this man is an idol. He's not anything like this... he is a villain and I will show everyone the truth. --- http://i61.tinypic.com/dyr42q.jpghttp://i60.tinypic.com/21bojna.jpg The Black Market hit the ring much to the approval of the thousand plus in attendance. ROC & Reggie Brown slap hands with some of the fans as they make their ways to the ring and are handed microphones by the timekeeper. ROC: I guess we never got a chance to formally innaduce' ourselves. My name is ROC Fresh, and this is Reggie Brown, and we the Black Market. RB: And I don't know about you guys, but I know for a fact that there's a coupla' suckas backstage that ain't down with us. Well we got a couple words for those dudes. ROC: Ay baby, you can bring it on cause we right here! With that, the lights dim and the entrance music of the I.R.S. hits, with Owen, Robin & Holden Money making their ways down the entrance ramp. Holden & Robin are in their ring gear and Owen is in his work uniform. The two boys step in the ring as ROC Fresh & Reggie Brown change into their gear. The referee signals for the bell and the match is underway! --- http://i61.tinypic.com/dyr42q.jpghttp://i60.tinypic.com/21bojna.jpg vs http://i57.tinypic.com/5doxhi.jpghttp://i58.tinypic.com/zvvhom.jpg The Black Market vs The I.R.S. These two teams have some bad blood between them after their backstage altercation last month at Summertime Slam. ROC Fresh and Holden Money started things out as the bigger two of the duos squared off in the middle of the ring. ROC blasts Holden with a couple big right hands but Money escapes potential danger with a cheap shot. After a few minutes of frantic brawling with the I.R.S. coming out on top most of the time, Reggie Brown managed to avoid a big clothesline and nearly scores the pin after a quick roll-up. The end of the match comes when Owen Money tries to bribe the timekeeper into ringing the bell to signal the end of the match during an attempted pin by Robin Money, but it is reversed at the last second by ROC Fresh as the timekeeper rings the bell, signalling the victory for The Black Market. The I.R.S. is livid and rightfully so; their own underhanded tactics backfired resulting in a successful debut for ROC Fresh & Reggie Brown. The Black Market defeats The I.R.S. in 10:01 via pinfall after the timekeeper rang the bell early --- http://i62.tinypic.com/5d5qbs.jpg vs http://i57.tinypic.com/2vluwbc.jpg Caleb Adonis vs Robbie Martel This was a competitive match that saw both Martel & Adonis take turns tossing each other around the ring. Adonis looks like he has the upper hand for the majority of the affair, but Martel shows off some strength of his own as he threw Adonis into the corner and pelted him with chops and kicks. Unfortunately for him, that would be the most offense he would be able to put out for the entirety of the match, as Adonis would take control until the very end, finishing him with a Golden Touch. Caleb Adonis defeats Robbie Martel in 8:54 via pinfall --- http://i59.tinypic.com/2qvbosl.jpghttp://i62.tinypic.com/5d5qbs.jpg Mike Santorelli makes his way to the ring as Caleb Adonis is celebrating his victory. Santorelli is already armed with his most dangerous weapon; a microphone. He immediately goes to work on verbally assaulting Adonis. MS: Impressive Caleb, real impressive. That was such a good performance, so good that it almost knocked me off of the rocking chair you put me in with your entrance. Honestly, just a riveting performance. CA: I'm sorry, but, what are you doing here again? MS: I'll tell you what I'm doing here Caleb, I'm gonna' expose you for exactly what you are: a phony, a fake, and a punk. You're nothin' bud, a tiny speck out here in Hollywood. CA: And you're such a big shot? Please Mike, save it for someone who cares. MS: Oh you're gonna' care Caleb, you're gonna' care once I'm done with you. I'll give you one shot to prove to me that you're everything you think you are, next month, you and me go one on one and you... you'll realize exactly why people call me All Night Mike... WOO! The crowd is very responsive, chanting 'woo' almost instinctively. Caleb Adonis still doesn't look too impressed, and waits for the crowd to die down before resuming the conversation CA: Tell you what Mikey, you seem like you've got something to you. Have your people call my people and we'll see what they can arrange. Ask Jerry down there at ringside, I left him a couple of their cards. But until then, it's best you steer clear of any trouble with me... I mean, if you know what's good for you. Catch ya' later pal. Adonis gives Santorelli a little slap on the cheek before he walks past him and towards the backstage area, leaving All Night Mike in the ring by himself with his microphone. --- http://i60.tinypic.com/1g11qx.jpghttp://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg Herculez walks around backstage, flirting with a couple of the ladies and building his confidence going into his Hollywood Championship match this evening against the reigning champion, Big Bubba. After their argument backstage last week, the stage was set for what could potentially be the biggest match in the history of the company, but after the champion appeared backstage in front of his challenger, it seemed the match was going to start a little earlier than expected... The two hulking men swing on each other violently, or at least they attempt to, as security is quick to intervene as they try to pull the two big men apart from each other. Herculez lands one nice shot to the head of the champion, who responded with a shot of his own, just barely missing the mark. They're fully separated shortly after, and Herculez is pulled into a room while Big Bubba remains in the sight of the camera, checking his face for blood. He wipes it off and looks directly into the camera as his facial expression goes from one of concern to a menacing look of anger as the camera fades to black. --- http://i59.tinypic.com/eah8bb.jpghttp://i62.tinypic.com/2rzzx1i.jpg vs http://i59.tinypic.com/dngk6o.jpghttp://i58.tinypic.com/63zwa1.jpg The Professionals © vs The Furlong Brothers HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championship The Furlongs and The Professionals were impressive in both defeat and victory as the two teams were competitive for all twelve minutes of this affair. Cole Walker and Hollywood Al would start the match-up as the two big men took turns connecting with big hands and throwing each other around with relative ease. The two men took turns showing off their strength before tagging in and out with their partners in order to display some of their two-man maneuvers. In the end, Harris Furlong would take the fall as Simon Walker would tag out and the Professionals would land a massive two man high-low combination that would leave Furlong out for the count. Another successful defense for the Professionals. The Professionals retain against The Furlong Brothers in 12:30 via pinfall --- http://i58.tinypic.com/15prg8x.jpg Johnny Axe makes his way down to the ring in order to vent his frustrations about not being on the card this evening. He's armed with a microphone and begins his rant. JA: I'm getting real tired of being left out. I wanna' compete too man, I can't just keep rockin' out backstage by myself. How am I gonna' make a run at that championship if nobody ever gives me a shot? Well no more, Johnny Axe is gonna' take matters into his own hands. Whoever is lookin' for a fight, you can come down here right now and get it, cause I'm not backing down fr- Before Johnny Axe can finish his sentence, he's interrupted by his opponent for the evening... One big clothesline and the timekeeper rings the bell, and it was a familiar face that Axe would be facing off with... --- http://i58.tinypic.com/15prg8x.jpg vs http://i59.tinypic.com/2cqb75u.jpg Johnny Axe vs Rick Thunder This match was as unexpected as the mystery opponent, as Rick Thunder made his way to the ring with a big clothesline to make his debut for Hollywood Championship Grappling. Thunder takes control of the match fast and due to the impromptu nature of it, Axe was never able to regain his footing. It doesn't take long for Thunder to pick up the victory as he jumps in to the pool of contenders with both feet. Thunder picks up the victory with a Thunderclap in just under six minutes. Rick Thunder defeats Johnny Axe in 5:41 via pinfall --- http://i58.tinypic.com/2hnavjp.jpg vs http://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg Big Bubba © vs Herculez Last Man Standing Match for the HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba wastes no time springing into action and continuing their earlier backstage brawl. Herculez swings back but Bubba has him beat at every turn, catching him with quick, snappy rights and lefts and dragging him to the mat when possible. Herculez manages to get his wits about him fairly quickly and begins to pick up the pace, but he spends a fair bit of time playing catch-up as Bubba is carrying a lot of confidence and anger as the match moves forward. Herculez manages to swing the momentum in his favor as he hoists Bubba up in the air and tosses him to the outside with a huge military press. Herculez follows him out and tosses him into the barricade and begins to play dirty. The two are eventually both on their feet and brawling at ringside, much to the delight of the fans in attendance, but it's clear that the pace of the match is wearing on the both of them. The two roll back into the ring and begin to fight it out once again, albeit much slower than before but they are obviously packing the same amount of power into each strike. Neither man has stayed down for more than five seconds at any given moment during the match, but it's likely that if either of them go down again, that it will be the end of it. Herculez lands a huge boot to the head but Big Bubba resists the temptation to drop, and he somehow manages to get to the ropes in time to hold himself up. Herculez follows it up with a running clothesline that takes them both over the top rope and out of the ring, leaving them both down on the mat and, potentially, unconscious. The referee begins the count and after five seconds, the crowd starts to go quiet. Seven seconds and the crowd is on their feet; a few gasps are heard. Nine seconds and there are a few begging for some signs of life from either of the two men, but unfortunately, the referee makes it to a ten count with neither men answering. The match is a draw and it although it was an exciting match that was full of tension, there is without a doubt a plethora of unanswered questions that will hopefully be addressed at next month's show... Big Bubba & Herculez fight to a draw in 16:02 after neither man was able to answer the ten count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 http://i62.tinypic.com/20za1b5.jpg New Destiny was a big step in the right direction for us. Bubba & Herc showed that they could carry a match and suddenly we knew that we didn't just have one big star to carry our company, we had at least two. Rick Thunder showing up was good for business and for a couple years, we'd have him to help boost some of the lower tier talent into that main event picture, because let's face it... the guy's best years were behind him and he was going to have to take a back seat role this time around. Lisbon & Red Rock had just started their feud and the Walker Boys and the Furlongs were picking up steam. Things were going according to plan and the wheels were in motion, we were taking steps forward every day and for the first time in the company's history, we had options. King leans back in his recliner chair and lets out a deep breath and grins for the camera Yeeeeeeeeeep, we had options. For about five minutes. http://i58.tinypic.com/24x2zgx.jpg Travis Stine sits in a locker room, and although he's inside, he's still wearing his famous sunglasses. He clears his throat before letting us in on the strained relationship between Jerry King & Cesar Kaslow. I mean bottom line Cesar was a bit of a nutcase. The guy had an attitude that really wasn't 'good' for business. See what I see as good for business is crossing bridges and keeping them there as long as possible just in case you had to go back over them later on. Cesar, well... he liked to cross bridges and spill gas the whole way so he could burn them once he got where he was going. The problem with that attitude is that once you burn a bridge it takes way longer to build it again, if it ever gets built again. I can tell you first hand, I worked for him for awhile. I was there when the tension started between Jerry & Cesar. But at that time I was on the other side and ultimately, that strained relationship is what opened the door for me to come out to Hollywood. I tried working with the big companies, I tried working with the upstarts, but in the end I realized that I didn't want to be the guy that the company was built around, and I didn't wanna' be the guy that got lost in the shuffle either. I wanted to be given my cake, have the time to eat it and then spend some time making a new one. Over at The Club, under Cesar, he expected me to go out there every week on TV and work my ass off, week in and week out. I guess the thing is that he didn't really see his employees as coworkers, but he saw himself as this big boss man when really he didn't have the means or the power to push himself like that. You saw him getting a ton of TV time instead of pushing new guys and giving them exposure, so more often than not guys were treated like pawns to push his agenda and I was lucky enough to notice that before it became my turn. http://i59.tinypic.com/2cqb75u.jpg Cesar just up and started spreading rumors and playin' dirty so basically what happened is that Jerry stopped playin' ball with him. What was once a profitable relationship between the two guys and their two respective companies stopped being friendly competition, and what was once share the wealth became picking sides. As far as Cesar was concerned, you were either with him or against him, and unfortunately some of that rubbed off on Jerry as the hostilities waged on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 http://i62.tinypic.com/20za1b5.jpg So it's bad enough that Kaslow didn't like us, I mean that guy was a loose cannon. One minute he could like you, and then the next minute you're his worst enemy. I get it, some people are bipolar like that. But it's like as soon as we started picking up some speed everyone wanted to jump at their first opportunity to hate us. Next thing I know, I've got JD Briscoe calling me and telling me that if I even think of inking one of his guys to a deal, then he'd put me in my place. I mean, we were on completely opposite ends of the country and it's the not the same wrestling scene as it was twenty, maybe thirty years ago. The territories were a thing of the past and it's like these guys wanted to throw it right back! It was just nuts! Here I am, thinking I'm doing this great thing by trying to build a direct competitor to these juggernauts that are doing everything they can to keep us down, and that's bad enough. But what's even worse is that the same guys I was fighting for were trying to keep me down! It just doesn't make any sense, to this day I still can't believe that that even went down that way... King shakes his head, almost as if he was reliving the feeling of disbelief that he felt back in mid-2014. He takes a moment before he resumes with his dialogue. As you look at him, you can tell he's trying to piece the story back together and remember every little detail of the time between New Destiny and their next event. People were starting to realize that we were a threat. I could deal with that, hell I dealt with it for so long as the booker of the AWF that I didn't even think about it half the time. Believe me, my conscience was clear every night before bed and I could easily differentiate the times for business and the times for pleasure. But it's like... it's like this time, this time my business life was creeping into my personal life and honestly, it's not a feeling I enjoyed at all. When I was with the AWF... Jerry is starting to visibly get more emotional as he ponders the past, going as far back as his time with the Awesome Wrestling Federation. When I was with the AWF... it was just never that personal. People didn't hate me. People hated where I was and what I was doing. But I just chalked that up to people being jealous and upset that they weren't in the place that I was. But when I started out with Hollywood and Ace was helping me book, people didn't hate us and our company because they were successful, because lets face it, at that point we were still trying to get on stable ground so we could become what the AWF was and do it better. No, they didn't hate us for that. They just hated us because we were doing our jobs and we were doing them well. It's hard for me to explain the feeling because there's not a whole lot of people who can relate to it. Think of it as the hippies yelling about corporate America, you know? Those guys who are out there yelling 'the corporations are ruining everything, down with the corporations'. That's what the AWF was, and to a lesser extent, that's what PWI was. Here you have these two gigantic promotions that people just hate because, well... because they can. But for the little guys, well, you have to have a reason to hate the little guy. We gave them their reason. We were doing what they either felt they couldn't, or just plain couldn't. We were putting on good shows that people were enjoying, and we were taking steps in the right direction to ensure our legacy as one of the most exciting promotions in the United States. That's exactly what we did, and that's exactly what we kept doing... http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg The hostility that Jerry and I were feeling from Briscoe & Kaslow was really taking a toll on him more than it was on myself. Jerry was in the position where he had to be the yes man, he couldn't say 'our company was having trouble' because that meant bad publicity. The fact of the matter is that New Destiny was a good show, yeah, but Herculez & Big Bubba were not nearly as impressive as they should've been. That match and the finish were supposed to build the intensity for this big storyline that was going to give us a real shot at taking this to the big leagues in 2015. Instead, all it did was prove that Big Bubba & Herculez were good wrestlers, but if they were going to be our driving forces moving forward, they were gonna' have to get on the damn treadmills and get their cardio figured out. Ace lets out a laugh as he looks to the camera man for approval. King, myself and Windham, we were the guys who kept things moving. But these guys who were going out there and putting their bodies on the line every night, they were the guys who were allowing us to keep it moving. And that's cool, I knew how this business worked before I got into it, and that's why I got into it. But there comes a point in time where you and your team have to sit down as a group and talk about how you're gonna' make things work. Sloppy performances like that can be given a pass on the regional scene, because usually there will be at least some redeeming qualities and people don't generally expect as much from the little guys as they do from the big shows. But if we were going to become one of those big shows, sloppy performances like that just weren't going to fly. That was where the problems between Jerry and I started, because he loved Herculez and there was a certain level of loyalty between the two of them. I worked with Jerry for a long time nonetheless, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a lot of tension between the two of us, sometimes almost too much and, sometimes, just sometimes, nearly enough to make me question if this was really where I wanted to be. But hey, greater heads prevailed and I remembered that this was what I had to do to put food on my plate, and even if I was reluctant at times, I did my job and kept giving those sons of bitches a reason to hate us. That's where me and Jerry differed. Jerry let the hate get to him... Me? It was what kept me going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 http://i57.tinypic.com/2e1ug5h.jpg At this point, we're goin' into our third event under Lomax's run as head booker. They were callin' it... Hollywood Uncut. I remember this one bein' big because it was right at the beginning of the tension between Jerry & the guys from Tennessee & Cesar Kaslow. Herculez chuckles a little bit before resuming Man, how you expect me to remember them names I was just there to wrestle. Anyways, basically what I can remember goin' on before that show was me feelin' real sick. I mean this was the type of sick that you didn't just tough it out, I'm talkin' like... like, man I don't even know. All I know is that on that night I was not gettin' in that ring and there wasn't nothin' nobody could tell me that was goin' to change my mind. http://i61.tinypic.com/5oefa.jpg We were put in a bit of a pickle with that show because we knew we needed Herculez on the show but he wasn't in the condition to wrestle so we wound up coming to an agreement that he'd at least appear on the show to some extent. And keep in mind, this was like a week before the show so we had our work cut out for us. So what did we do? Me, Jerry & Owen, we all got on our phones and we got down to business. We were lookin' for a new guy that could show up and save the show so we didn't have to throw Kozlov back in the main event again and didn't have to waste Thunder's momentum. I remember I was coming up short at every turn. All we had to do was ink a guy to a pay-per-appearance deal. We didn't even need any paperwork, show up to compete and you get your money. Jerry gave me and Owen a cap of $1500 per appearance and on the indies that can get you a fair bit of talent. Unfortunately, we weren't looking for talent necessarily, we were looking for some sort of name value. Owen was coming up short too, and to be honest, for awhile it looked like Rick was gonna' have to step in to the main event because we weren't gonna' have enough to time to advertise anything. Luckily, Jerry managed to pass a tip off to me on a guy that was working up north so I gave him a call, and turns out he was ready to fly down that night to sign the deal. http://i58.tinypic.com/2h6et0o.jpg My daddy always taught me to never turn down a job cause' we never had a whole lot growin' up. The man known as Ares sits on his porch steps in Toronto, Canada. Turns out he'd become accustomed to life up north after moving for work purposes in 2013 and decided to make it his permanent residence. Even in working for Hollywood Championship Grappling, he maintained his residence and his dual-citizenship as he felt 'it benefited him more than it hindered him'. And you know that's why I took the job. Travel costs was a lot but anytime someone offered me a free ride somewhere I was gonna' take it. Cause' that's what you do when you want the big paychecks. You need to make sacrifices and some of these cats comin' up in this business, they just don't get that. You don't get by without paying your dues. I paid my dues, hell the only reason you know who I am today is cause' I spent so much time paying my dues. I mean look at me, I spent five years of my career working for two of the most hardcore wrestling companies worldwide and I put my ass on the line every night, not knowing what injuries and bumps and bruises and shit I was gonna' go home with. Finally I got the chance to leave that behind me but at that time, a paycheck was a paycheck. And that's why you never saw me sign with the AWF or anything big like that, because I knew that they knew that I hadn't fully paid my dues yet. And I wasn't about to be no guy that gets lost in the shuffle because he was overeager. I knew my place and I stayed there until I felt I was ready to move on. That's why I was so down to do this when Ace called me, because he was giving me a shot at somethin' and rewarding my efforts on the front end. He told me everything I wanted to hear. Sure the paycheck wasn't the biggest I'd earn in my career but it was a start and that was all well and good. He didn't even have to promise me a title shot, all I wanted to know was that I wasn't going to be stuck in limbo with nothing to do and that I was gonna' be one of those dudes you hear about that gets stuck in a contract for the best years of their careers. So, I took my shot and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made... HCG Uncut Card HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Ares HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Fargo Korbean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnightnick Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Ares HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Fargo Korbean Bring in Big Daddy Stomp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corki Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Ares HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Fargo Korbean Bring in Big Daddy Stomp! He's on the radar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncrewed Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 HCG Hollywood Championship Big Bubba © vs Ares HCG Hollywood Tag Team Championships The Professionals © vs The Black Market Red Rock vs Fargo Korbean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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