Post by Avery Miles III on May 4, 2018 2:25:20 GMT -5
Avery: Rivals.
A smile begins on the face of Avery Miles III as he looks into the camera. Standing just outside of his Macon, Georgia-based wrestling school, he prepares himself both physically and mentally for his next New Generation Wrestling match against a familiar foe.
Avery: What exactly is a rival? For me, it is someone that pushes me to be the best competitor that I can be. It is something that has a chance to beat me, as well as me beating them. It is the conditions set forth by two people that know each other inside and out, often guessing what the other will do, and try to play the one up game. For me? That man is Charles James. Well, you might know him as Dead Eye.
Avery pushes off of the wall as he heads inside of the wrestling school. The door slams behind the camera as three rings were in operation, each with trainees and trainers at various stages in their career. Some of these students may be future stars, champions, and legends; others may be nameless, faceless people that you will never hear of. It was on them to do everything in their power to step up and make themselves known. For Avery, making himself known was giving it his all and putting on one hell of a display against two rivals early on. One of which, it his best friend and opponent, Dead Eye.
Avery: Come on, keep up.
He nods towards the camera as they weave through the maze of students, equipment, and rings set up in the Peach State Wrestling School. The gym was filled with modern equipment of the highest caliber, but it has that old school, rough around the edges feeling to it.
Avery: We are almost there.
The gym contracts as they head down a long hall in the back of the school. Avery turns a corner as he heads into a storage closet. On the far wall is a collection of old lockers with handwritten names on pieces of tape. Avery runs his hand over the pieces of tape, one by one.
Avery: Johnson. Kelley. Young. Chavez. Nguyen. Miles.
Avery holds his hand to the final locker.
Avery: This is where it began for me. Training in the same gym my father trained in. Using the same locker. I could not bring myself to getting rid of it. Often we are defined by moments in our past. By memories of where we were or what we had done to become just who we are. For me? I learned a lot early on. I learned the feeling of defeat. I learned how to take a hard loss and come back stronger. I was this close to winning some huge matches early on.
Avery holds his pointer finger and thumb closely, emphasizing how close.
Avery: And the funny thing, those two rivals are in vastly different places. And me? I’ve achieved some success that I can be proud of. This time around? We are in two different places, Charles. I have all of the confidence in the world. I saw your match, and I saw you freeze. I felt for you man. I have been there. I’ve come up short. You should know that better than anyone.
He crosses his arms as he turns back towards the camera.
Avery: But that is not going to change me. Or my gameplan. I have a job to do. And I have momentum on my side. This time around will be different. I am not the same man that I once was. I’ve spread my wings. I’ve soared. Super Falcon Cup. A tag team championship run. A singles title in NGW. And one in your old company, IPW. And I was the guy in Guerreros of Lucha when I won the Rey de Reyes Championship. I’ve done all of this in the time that you were rehabbing and recovering. I am not the same Avery that I was two years ago. I’ve done a lot. I’ve succeeded. And I have developed my skills. I am not demeaning you or what you’ve done. You have held something that I only imagine to hold onto, but I know that it will happen. I’ve got a Spotlight Championship title shot in my back pocket, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I will succeed. I will become a two-time champion for that title lineage. And this time, it is just the first step. It is the first step towards something bigger. Something better. I have plans. Plans of using a Spotlight Title run as the basis for a much larger plan. Plans to being an NGW Champion. A Grand Slam Champion. To main event WrestleForce. Lofty? Sure. But if we do not dream big, what do we reach for? You know that, CJ. We dream big. The both of us.
Avery lifts his head up a bit, almost as if he knew something more. Avery was a much more confident man than Dead Eye wrestled in late 2015.
Avery: You go big, or you go home. And that can be both your success or your failure. Just remember that, CJ. When you climb up that corner next time, remember that it is all in your head. I want to face the best version of Dead Eye. The man that I know, who won what was the Unified Heavyweight Championship. The man that put his own demons and failures behind him, and succeeded in front of the fans. The same man that, once he is back to being his old self, is going to give anyone and everyone in this company a run for their money. Some things have stayed the same, but some have changed as well. This company is more stacked than ever; Alex Jones, Matt Shields, Kayla Richards, Adrien Cochrane. Rising stars such as Jazmyn Rain, Jack Tillman, and both Aurora and Damon Graves. You have your work cut out for you, but before you get there, you have me to go through. I learned a lot from you, and from Karin. I do not bring up the name to make anything sting. You know better than anyone that I love you like a brother. You and I have always been there for each other. If you had not gotten hurt, we both could be the face of NGW. But things happen. It is what it is. I bring her up because the both of you made me better. You pushed me. You taught me how to take a beating, smile about it, and offer thanks. You both made me realize who I was. And how hard I needed to work. And I owe you both for that. This time around? I will be the one giving the lessons. You will be the one learning something. I am not the same man inside of the ring, Charles. No. Far from it. Me? I’ve grown. I’ve gotten experience. I’ve gotten better. And I know just what it takes to win. It started back here…
He puts his hand on the piece of tape once more.
Avery: And it continues with you. My brother. My friend. My… Rival.