Post by Austen Blackwell on Feb 7, 2018 11:58:12 GMT -5
Austen Blackwell sits on the edge of the pool; his feet inside of the pool. His normal bright smile absent as he seems to be much more calm and collected. He looks out to the water as the movement of his legs causes ripples in the water. The ripples extend out across the pool as the sounds of traffic was off in the distance. The nearby neighborhood was quiet except for the sound of some kids a few houses over obviously having a raucous time. Austen looks up as his demeanor is one that we had not seen in some time. It was obvious that something was weighing on his mind.
Austen: Two losses to start 2018. Sitting at five hundred for wins and losses in my West Coast Genesis career. And to think, I could have been the South Bay Champion numerous times.
He shakes his head slowly, clearly defeated.
Austen: I went from someone in this company that was a known commodity, to someone that has been pushed down the ladder because of my own failures. I blame no one except myself. I got too big for myself. I wanted to fight the good fight, but that is something that one cannot do if they are not in the right frame of mind. Or they are losing like I have been. I do not blame Shawn Young for our loss, that was on me. It was my fault. And it is something that I need to contend with. After Unscripted, I was not in a good place. And I am still not. Mercedes has done what she could to cheer me up. To help bring me out of this funk. I think that the only thing that will work is to see a glimmer of hope. A glimmer of success. And that is my focus at Hype. I am taking on a man named Zakari Phoenix. A man that battle with a man claiming to be a pirate. A man that is long gone. Zakari has been struggling to find his place here in WCG as well. But at the same time, I do not see us as two peas in a pod.
Austen pauses as he kicks his legs up a bit more. A soft wind blows through as a few more ripples are seen across the top of the pool. His fiancee, Mercedes Carter, was seemingly not around. Austen and her seemed inseparable, but it appeared that for this moment that Austen was going at it alone for the promo video.
Austen: We both view things very differently. I don’t think that we view how to act inside of the ring the same. I watched the matches you had with Blackbeard. Neither of you were someone that people could entrust to do the right thing. And that is something I have battled for some time. Both outwardly and internally. The likes of Julianna, Jason, Nite Stalker… hell dating back to The Messiahs. I simply cannot stand for people that bend or re-work the rules in their favor. I am someone that does things by the book. I do things the right way. There are guidelines in place, and for a good reason. Call me a square. Call me whatever. For me? Doing the right thing is the right way of living. It is how I operate, and it is how I feel great once things go right. Now the argument can be that “but does it get the job done?” Well looking at your record, your way has not done wonders for you either. I would much rather win or lose on my own talents instead of cheating or cheapening my wins; I win and lose on my own morals. I take each victory or loss on the chin, and I reflect on what I did that succeeded and work on my weaknesses.
Austen decides to push off of the edge of the pool and dives in. He dives under the water and swims from one side to the other of the pool. The camera spins around the pool to get a view of the house and a view of the scene in the distance. Austen swims back up to the surface and grabs the edge of the pool, lifting himself out of it. He sits on the opposite side of the pool as his body drips water.
Austen: I get that one match is not going to make or break anything. But for me? I’ve been in a dark place. And I am going to do what it takes to leave Hype as the winner of the match. I am going to risk limb and life. I am going to put my body on the line. It is not a huge match, a Pay-Per-View, or even a title match. But I am going into it like it is. Like it has this entire meaning. How much is matters. Because if I don’t then I will feel like I did not give my all. It is on my to lose this match. It is on me to win this match. I am not going to let Zakari decide the fate. I am not going to allow the Gods to meddle. This match? This is where things begin to turn back in my favor. This is where my momentum begins. And this is exactly where I start working my way up the Long Beach division rankings. I took it upon myself to work up from the bottom. To give others a chance where I have failed. This is my time to jump into the fire and find a way out. This is my time. This is my chance to rise above my own mistakes. Losses to Ruby and Danni. A chance to take a title and instead save a friend. A chance to be the face of the South Bay Division, and always came up short. This is not who I am. I know it is not. And Zakari? You will be the first one in 2018 to see who I truly am.