Post by jacksantore on Aug 10, 2017 16:52:48 GMT -5
Jack Santore is seen finishing a workout as he racks the bench press and sits up, dripping with sweat. He wipes sweat from his brow as he reaches down and grabs a water bottle from the floor. He opens it up and chugs about half of the bottle. Jack seems to work out pretty intensely. Or at least he seems to lift weights intensely.
”This has definitely been the most intense training I’ve done for a match since I arrived in West Coast Genesis. Not because my other matches have been easy or because they didn’t matter. Don’t get me wrong, Ruby is a beast and she’s a champion now for a reason. Tasmin is relentless in the ring and certainly a Richards in there. She’s hungry just like the rest of her family is. Izzy is well on her way to becoming a big star too. So it’s not about the people that I’ve wrestled against, but this match…”
Jack brings his hands up together with a nod.
”...it’s vital to my career. This is the first match where I don’t feel like I’m just “happy to be here.” Where I’m not just trying to get noticed. This is a match where I’m trying to make progress. Where I’ve been noticed and now that everyone is looking I need to do something that keeps people paying attention. Because if I’ve learned anything it’s that people stop paying attention really fast. You can be the “next big thing” and have everyone watching intently, but if you don’t take advantage of that, people will just turn away. Then they’re onto the next thing.”
Jack shrugs in a very “that’s the breaks” kind of way.
”I won’t allow myself to get stagnant. Last month I beat two very talented and sweet girls to get a win and propel myself into this match. But it’s not last month anymore. It’s this month. It’s Gabe Griffin and Donovan Basch that stand in my way now. Two opponents that are absolute beasts in the ring. They’re relentless and they’re talented. But I’m not scared to face them. I’m not scared of Gabe and the fact that he’s come out and been disrespectful already. You see, he thinks that by continuously getting mine and Donovan’s names wrong that it makes him get into our heads. That it’s going to cause us to not be focused and that it’ll be what makes us lose. I’ve dealt with trash talk before, Gabe. Football, MMA, wrestling. The sports are different but intent is the same.”
Jack shakes his head with a chuckle.
”Gabe, you should’ve just kept your mouth shut. Because now all I see is fear in you. You put on a front and try to come off like you don’t care. Like you’ll simply beat Donovan and I both with little effort. And all it did was reveal the games you want to play. Donovan is a damn monster. And you just may have done nothing but piss him off. That’s going to benefit me pretty well.”
Jack nods his head, rubbing his hands together. You can tell he’s growing a little more confident now.
”Donovan might be the biggest challenge for me. For Gabe too, if he were honest with himself. Donovan is a big guy. He’s got the brute strength and could easily toss us around if he wanted to. Now size is definitely an advantage but it’s not everything. No, what Donovan has is that he’s got his wedding coming up. His life is coming together. Good for him, he seems like a good guy. But that’s the very thing that makes him dangerous. He’s got a lot riding on this and on the surface he deserves it more than either of us. What better way to start a new life with his new bride than by getting a win here and getting closer to claiming some gold?”
Jack shrugs rather matter-of-factly.
”Why make a man like that angry, Gabe? Why give him the fuel to kick your ass? But I guess I shouldn’t be too angry. A pissed off Donovan that has his sights set on you ends up taking the attention off of me so that I can benefit, bide my time and wear you both down as you try to take each other’s heads off. Or maybe…”
Jack taps his finger against his chin.
”Maybe I just do what I’ve always done and compete. It sounds lame and it sounds cheesy, but it’s what I know. All I know is competing. I competed against Ruby Lance and came within an inch of beating her. I competed hard against Tasmin and Izzy and was able to build on what I learned against Ruby and get a win and get myself noticed. That’s what I’m doing here, building myself up.”
Jack takes another swig of water before setting it back down.
”I’m fortunate enough to have gained the advice of Trixie and Tornado. They’re two people that I respect very deeply. They never once denied me. They never turned their noses up at a rookie asking for their advice. Trixie has accomplished a lot in her short time in the business and she’s still climbing that ladder, building herself up. Tornado is well on his way as well, building himself up. I feel confident when I train with them. I feel like I’ve made the right choice in seeking Trixie’s advice. She’s a good coach that I want to win for. She’s taught me to never relent. Never stop coming at your opponents. Never let them rest.”
Jack nods again, pumping himself and the fans up for his triple threat match.
”So if you’ll pardon me, I have some advice for you. I know you don’t think I have any right to be giving the two of you any advice, I mean, what do I know? I’m a bigger rookie than the two of you. But my advice is to get your rest. Go to bed early. Because you won’t have a single moment to catch your breath during the match.”
And that is how we end. Jack intensely staring into the camera, completely ready for Crossroad: Rise.
”This has definitely been the most intense training I’ve done for a match since I arrived in West Coast Genesis. Not because my other matches have been easy or because they didn’t matter. Don’t get me wrong, Ruby is a beast and she’s a champion now for a reason. Tasmin is relentless in the ring and certainly a Richards in there. She’s hungry just like the rest of her family is. Izzy is well on her way to becoming a big star too. So it’s not about the people that I’ve wrestled against, but this match…”
Jack brings his hands up together with a nod.
”...it’s vital to my career. This is the first match where I don’t feel like I’m just “happy to be here.” Where I’m not just trying to get noticed. This is a match where I’m trying to make progress. Where I’ve been noticed and now that everyone is looking I need to do something that keeps people paying attention. Because if I’ve learned anything it’s that people stop paying attention really fast. You can be the “next big thing” and have everyone watching intently, but if you don’t take advantage of that, people will just turn away. Then they’re onto the next thing.”
Jack shrugs in a very “that’s the breaks” kind of way.
”I won’t allow myself to get stagnant. Last month I beat two very talented and sweet girls to get a win and propel myself into this match. But it’s not last month anymore. It’s this month. It’s Gabe Griffin and Donovan Basch that stand in my way now. Two opponents that are absolute beasts in the ring. They’re relentless and they’re talented. But I’m not scared to face them. I’m not scared of Gabe and the fact that he’s come out and been disrespectful already. You see, he thinks that by continuously getting mine and Donovan’s names wrong that it makes him get into our heads. That it’s going to cause us to not be focused and that it’ll be what makes us lose. I’ve dealt with trash talk before, Gabe. Football, MMA, wrestling. The sports are different but intent is the same.”
Jack shakes his head with a chuckle.
”Gabe, you should’ve just kept your mouth shut. Because now all I see is fear in you. You put on a front and try to come off like you don’t care. Like you’ll simply beat Donovan and I both with little effort. And all it did was reveal the games you want to play. Donovan is a damn monster. And you just may have done nothing but piss him off. That’s going to benefit me pretty well.”
Jack nods his head, rubbing his hands together. You can tell he’s growing a little more confident now.
”Donovan might be the biggest challenge for me. For Gabe too, if he were honest with himself. Donovan is a big guy. He’s got the brute strength and could easily toss us around if he wanted to. Now size is definitely an advantage but it’s not everything. No, what Donovan has is that he’s got his wedding coming up. His life is coming together. Good for him, he seems like a good guy. But that’s the very thing that makes him dangerous. He’s got a lot riding on this and on the surface he deserves it more than either of us. What better way to start a new life with his new bride than by getting a win here and getting closer to claiming some gold?”
Jack shrugs rather matter-of-factly.
”Why make a man like that angry, Gabe? Why give him the fuel to kick your ass? But I guess I shouldn’t be too angry. A pissed off Donovan that has his sights set on you ends up taking the attention off of me so that I can benefit, bide my time and wear you both down as you try to take each other’s heads off. Or maybe…”
Jack taps his finger against his chin.
”Maybe I just do what I’ve always done and compete. It sounds lame and it sounds cheesy, but it’s what I know. All I know is competing. I competed against Ruby Lance and came within an inch of beating her. I competed hard against Tasmin and Izzy and was able to build on what I learned against Ruby and get a win and get myself noticed. That’s what I’m doing here, building myself up.”
Jack takes another swig of water before setting it back down.
”I’m fortunate enough to have gained the advice of Trixie and Tornado. They’re two people that I respect very deeply. They never once denied me. They never turned their noses up at a rookie asking for their advice. Trixie has accomplished a lot in her short time in the business and she’s still climbing that ladder, building herself up. Tornado is well on his way as well, building himself up. I feel confident when I train with them. I feel like I’ve made the right choice in seeking Trixie’s advice. She’s a good coach that I want to win for. She’s taught me to never relent. Never stop coming at your opponents. Never let them rest.”
Jack nods again, pumping himself and the fans up for his triple threat match.
”So if you’ll pardon me, I have some advice for you. I know you don’t think I have any right to be giving the two of you any advice, I mean, what do I know? I’m a bigger rookie than the two of you. But my advice is to get your rest. Go to bed early. Because you won’t have a single moment to catch your breath during the match.”
And that is how we end. Jack intensely staring into the camera, completely ready for Crossroad: Rise.