The Quest to be the Best
Jan 26, 2012 20:15:14 GMT -5
Post by Adam James on Jan 26, 2012 20:15:14 GMT -5
Wednesday the 25th of January, 2012
4:13 PM EST
From the very beginning of FRONTIER Grappling Arts, Jared James returned to the East Coast with two goals in mind. The first was to return his career to a path that he felt was both comfortable and personally acceptable for him, having gone strayed away from his morals during his time as Director of Programming at Rocky Mountain PRO. The second was to obtain the first major heavyweight championship of his professional wrestling career, something which up until this point has eluded him. Currently, with days remaining to FGA’s 2012: A New Odyssey, only one of those goals is left remaining, with Jared having already placed his career back on track by going undefeated in his first five matches. All that remains… is the FGA World Heavyweight Championship…
We slowly open up to Jared James resting outside of the Whittemore Center in Durham, New Hampshire. This arena is the home to the University of New Hampshire’s hockey teams, men’s and women’s, as well as various other activities which take place within the state of New Hampshire. Jared is dressed in slightly faded blue jeans and a suede Packers jacket. His dirty blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail, and his cheeks have a reddish tint to them due to the frigid New England air. A slight small fills his face as he takes notice of us, with a slight nod of his head signaling us that we should join him over on the stone bench which he is sitting on. Once there alongside of him, we look out at a turf field and academic building that loom out on the horizon. We shift back over to Jared, who lets out a deep sigh. His breath his visible, providing us with a good idea of the temperature outside.
Jared James
“This week is the buildup to an important event for FRONTIER Grappling Arts, an event that will ultimately shape the future of FGA and the send it off in either the right, or wrong, direction. I am, of course, referring to 2012: A New Odyssey which will be taking place this upcoming Friday at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey. It is on that night that FRONTIER will witness eight of its finest fight amongst each other for the right to be named the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.
I, fortunately for me, am one of those eight men. And I must say it was an honor to be selected by FRONTIER management to be one of the first four men announced for this tournament. It signaled to me that all of my hard work over the past month or so was being noticed, that my blood, sweat, and tears that I put forth each and every edition of Combat were not being lost. Do not get me wrong though, I realize that all of the effort I put forth in the past here in FGA means absolutely nothing now. The fact that I am currently undefeated during my time here in FRONTIER, or the fact that I have already defeated the man whom I will be facing in the first round of this tournament are irrelevant from this point onward. We are now in the postseason here at FRONTIER Grappling Arts, and each and every one of the eight men, including myself, has a legitimate shot of walking out of 2012: A New Odyssey with the FGA Heavyweight Championship strap around their waist.”
With that said Jared looks out and about at the students who are hustling around him to their respective destinations. Unlike them, Jared realizes that the path to his final destination is a bit uncertain at this point. There are a lot of variables in this tournament that are currently unknown, which for some can be a little worrisome. Jared has had past experience in tournaments over the course of his four and a half year professional wrestling career, however, and realizes that he can utilize the mistakes he made in the past in order to succeed here in 2012.
“Before I go any further ladies and gentlemen, I’ll be open and honest with each and every one of you right now. Over the course of my career I have, historically speaking, had troubles in tournament settings. Now granted, the sample size is small which can skew the final statistics… but I feel it is something that I should at least own up to. Back in 2007, when I first started my professional wrestling career, I was an early exit in a tournament up in Connecticut. Fast forward three years later to 2010, when I took part in the exact same tournament, just a different year. I ended up losing in the semifinals of that tournament, after defeating a longtime rival of mine. Never have I ever reached the finals of a tournament, which some could say means that I have a disadvantage heading into this eight man tournament for the FGA Heavyweight Championship.
I bring all of this up to you, however, to point out to you that each one of these losses has seen me focus a large majority of my time and energy on my first round opponent only. That loss in 2010, for instance, saw me spend every waking minute of my time preparing to claim victory over that first opponent of mine. And clearly that cost me, as I ultimately lost to the man who went on to win the whole tournament. It was a rookie mistake, a mistake that I still regret to this day, but one I hope to build upon this year in this tournament.
And when you look at the field I am up against, you will fully understand why this is so pivotal. Each and every one of the seven other men in this tournament have a legitimate chance, as I mentioned earlier, of claiming victory and taking home the FGA Heavyweight Championship belt. I understand that in order for that man to be me, I must do a lot both physically and mentally in order to properly prepare myself for what will be taking place in Rahway, New Jersey on Friday night.”
Jared unties the ponytail that his holding back his wild hair. It falls about recklessly, which leads to Jared shaking his head about in order to make it look a little, if at all, better to the human eye. He turns over to face and smiles once more, and it is during this moment that we can see that the James looks extremely pale under the cloud covered New Hampshire skies.
“Now come Friday night, Chandler Scott, Preston Blake, Blaine Harrison, Michael Tomkins, Scott Reave, Jacques Mercier, and Jack Flener are all equally as despicable to me. Regardless of our background with one another, such as the extensive ones I have now with Scott, Blake, and Harrison or the lack of one I have with the likes of Mercier or Reave, I will treat each and every one of these men as equal. Because, when all is said and done, each and every single one of these men is in the way of me claiming the FGA Heavyweight Championship. This means, to me at least, they are all as equally dangerous as the last. After all ladies and gentlemen, it only takes one of them to stifle me on my quest to claim a victory in the finals of this tournament.
Unfortunately for me, my lack of knowledge on some of my opponents could lead to some shortcomings in a one-on-one setting inside the squared circle. For instances folks, the man known as Jacques Mercier is quite the mystery for poor ol’ Jared James at this point in time. All I really know about him is the fact that he has victory over the once mighty Scott Reave, a man who I will approach sooner than later, that he is was kind enough to assist me in a time of need when Blaine Harrison and I were ambushed by The Harvard Connection last week, and that he currently resides in the not so distant Boston, Massachusetts. Not a whole lot to go on when you participate in a wrestling match, now is it folks? But what I saw in Mercier during his match with Scott Reave is that this is a man who can get it done against the best of him. Say what you want about Reave, whether it be about his personality or recent setbacks, but that man is one hell of a fighter here in FGA… which means a victory by Jacques Mercier over him has to stand for something, now doesn’t it? So if on the off chance that Mercier and I eventually meet up in this tournament Friday night, I know that I, Jared James, will need to be on top of my game in order to take down this two hundred thirty pound heavyweight in order to advance.
But then again, couldn’t one say that about this entire field of participants in Saturday’s tournament? Take, for instance, Scott Reave. At two hundred five pounds, a Scott Reave tore through FRONTIER Grappling Arts upon his arrival to New Jersey. He showed amazing feats of ability, defeating opponents with ease. He grew tired of hearing all of the rhetoric about Jared James and James Weck, however, and then it seemed from there that Reave has never been able to deliver since. It was a perfect example of why one should allow their actions inside the ring to do the talking for them, might I add. He forced himself to carry extra pressure each and every match with those words of his, and ultimately proved to the FGA community that he was unable to handle the stress that comes with being a main event caliber talent. Now I have no doubt in my mind, now that the spotlight has shifted away from good ol’ Scott Reave, he will be primed and ready to strike once again here in FRONTIER in order to prove to all on the roster that what we saw from him over the past couple of weeks was nothing more than an aberration. And you know what ladies and gentlemen; I would not put it past Scott Reave to have been playing possum that entire time in order to have people underestimate him come 2012: A New Odyssey. He seems just like the type of manipulative individual who would do that. However, I assure you all that I will not be a victim of Scott Reave’s come Friday night in this tournament. I am aware of the extra pressure that may add on me to perform well, but I also am aware that I have a responsibility to the average fan of FGA to perform my best at all times and in all matches. If that means I put my word on the line in a match against Scott Reave then so be it… because I promise broken to the good folks of the FGA community would be enough pain to my heart as it was…”
As the time flies and it begins to grow darker, it begins to become increasing cooler for Jared James and the poor folks of the FGA community. It is with this in mind that Jared decides to get up and walk on over to the entrance of the Whittemore Center. He opens the door, allowing us through first. That sight that beholds us is nothing out of the norm for a decent sized arena like this. We currently look out at the lobby, which holds the ticket office as well as various trophies and banners celebrating the UNH hockey programs and players from the past. Jared James walks past and over to the entrance of the actual hockey rink. He opens the doors and escorts us, once more, to two folding chairs that face out at the arena. Once Jared has settled in his seat, he looks over at us with a kind smile once more.
“Those are just two of the seven men whom I could potentially face off against. There are still five other men who could swipe the FGA Heavyweight Championship from my grasp. Like Jack Flener for instance, the two hundred twenty pound light heavyweight out of Louisville, Kentucky. Now I have crossed paths with Flener before in the past, when he was known in Rocky Mountain PRO as Devin Copeland. The unfortunate part of our crossing paths though, was the fact that I was never able to meet up with him inside the squared circle due to my staff position. It was something that I regretted the entire time I was with RMP, simply due to the arrogance that a man such as Flener possesses. One could say he is the antithesis of Jared James, if you will. So the fact that here, in FRONTIER Grappling Arts, are paths have happened to intersect once more, with us both being on the active roster here… well let us just say I am more than enthusiastic to get my hands on the man now known as Jack Flener. I am aware of his incredible history in this business, having been a former world heavyweight champion in other promotions as well as going on to be nominated to various hall of fames, but not once has he crossed my path folks. And when he does… he will feel the wrath of ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ Jared James, and realize the various errors he has made over the course of his illustrious career. Hopefully, for my sake, that moment just happens to be Friday night in Rahway, New Jersey.”
Jared provides us with a quick little wink.
“Though folks, I do feel that the chances of that happening are rather slim. Oh no, instead I have a bit more confidence in potentially matching up against another man in this match… a man who, if it had not been for those elitist snobs from Harvard, would have worked with me to bring FRONTIER its match of the year winner already in January. I am, obviously, referring to my opponent at the last edition of Combat, Blaine Harrison. Now Harrison and I, well we both have a tremendous amount of respect for one another. That was on display last week both on Combat and during the buildup for our match. We both share similar ideals, and both have a desire to win the right way. We aren’t like Chandler Scott, Preston Blake, Scott Reave, or Jack Flener. We are good men, just trying to go out each and every week and win honorably. You know, the way a victory should be attained in this business. And ever since last week’s little interruption, I have been disappointed that the magical match we were both taking part in had to end… especially the way it did. Like Harrison, I hope that the men behind the scenes here in FGA get it right and put the two of us in a match once more in order to showcase once again why we are arguably the two best performers FRONTIER has to offer. Unlike Harrison, however, I want that match to be during this eight man tournament. And I must say Blaine, the fact that you do not feel the same is a bit of a disappoint. After all, if I want to really claim myself as the FGA Heavyweight Champion at the end of the night… I need to make sure I go through the man who I feel is my equal. That man would be you Blaine, and getting to face off against you in this tournament would be an honor… and, frankly, the only way a true champion could be crowned here in FRONTIER. But no, you want to face Preston Blake for the sake of revenge… for what he did to you and I last week. You forget though, Blaine, that revenge in this business can be obtained at nearly any point in time. Immediately after 2012: A New Odyssey, I fully expect FRONTIER management to place the two of us in a match as a tag team in order to face off against The Harvard Connection on Combat. That, Blaine, is the only true way for the both of us to take care of The Harvard Connection and right what they did. For now though Blaine, you are the man I want to face off against in this eight man tournament. To recreate the magic we made together inside that ring last Combat, that is what I want on what should be a very special event come Friday night. I know I plan on delivering Blaine… let’s hope you can do the same.”
Another signature James smile flashes at us, a quick little reminder for Mr. Blaine Harrison to be ready to go all out come Friday night.
“Then again, there is also the off chance that the wildcard known as Michael Tomkins has a memorable evening. Yes Tomkins, I have been paying very close attention to the path that you have been on since your arrival to FRONTIER only a few weeks ago. It has been impressive, with you beating a variety of tough opponents in recent weeks. The problem, however, as I watch you both inside the ring and out is that you can still tell you are very… very green. Now there is clearly no shame in that, we all have to start somewhere in our careers and we need to go over a few bumps on our way, but the problem is despite some of your recent rookie mistakes… you still have managed to come out of your matches unscathed. Now I can only imagine how exciting that must be for you, coming out to FRONTIER and lighting things up instantly. It is a good way to build confidence, and has seemingly provided you with some hope for this upcoming tournament. There is nothing wrong with that, and in fact I hope you manage to find some success over the course of this tournament. The only problem with all of this, Michael, is that you have yet to really go over your bumps since your arrival here in FGA. You have yet to hit rock bottom, a pivotal point in every wrestler’s career that either makes or breaks them. Now you may be saying to yourself, from the way I conduct myself these days, that I seemed to have had it easy as well… but that thinking is very, very limited. No Michael, when I entered this business back in May of 2007 I was atrocious, greener than green. In fact, from May until mid-June, I went without a win through all of my first four or five matches. I hit a low point, immediately in my career, that had me wondering whether or not I belonged in this industry. From there I have had my ups and downs, at one point contending for a world heavyweight championship then immediately crashing and burning after that loss. But now I stand here, in January of 2012… nearly five years later, ready to strike. You see Tomkins, you may think that you are the ultimate underdog in this tournament, but you would be mistaken. Despite my recent success, I still find myself the underdog for a number of reasons. Nobody thinks that I can do this, that I Jared James can hoist above my head a major heavyweight championship. They say it is due to my size, or in The Harvard Connection’s case, my ‘lack of ability’ but they all think I can’t do it.
Now do not get me wrong Tomkins, I know darn well that you will put forth one hell of an effort come Friday night in this eight man tournament. In fact, you could very well be the man who I face off against in order to claim the FGA Heavyweight Championship. I recognize your ability. Yet your real weakness, Tomkins, will be your inexperience. I will not let those rookie mistakes of yours slide, you will pay for them. And much like four of the five matches I have participated in here in FRONTIER, I will be rewarded for my attention to detail. That, Michael Tomkins, is something I am one hundred percent sure of as well.”
Jared pauses after his rant on the young Michael Tomkins, fully aware now that the only two men who he has yet to comment on are the two members of The Harvard Connection, Chandler Scott and Preston Blake. For over a month now, Scott and Blake have been massive thorns in the side of Jared James… and now, at 2012: A New Odyssey, Jared receives yet another chance to silence these two bags of hot air once more.
“Then, finally, one can’t have a vignette about 2012: A New Odyssey here in FRONTIER without commenting on two of FGA’s most pompous members of its roster. I am, of course, referring to Chandler Scott and Preston Blake of The Harvard Connection. These men, if you want to consider their recent immature actions manly at all, have been two of the most disruptive forces in FGA in recent weeks… and it has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with their actions inside the ring.
Which is why I got a good chuckle from the words of Chandler Scott, a man who really has not won a whole lot of matches by himself during his time here in FGA, proclaimed to the FGA community that him and his life partner, Preston Blake, have been impressive in the ring. I mean let us be real Scott, you and I both know that you really have not done a whole lot of anything over the course of your career here in FGA. Ever since your debut, you and your buddy Preston Blake have only participated in two matches. The first, for you, was against the ‘amazing’ young high flier known as Evan Bodom… so much for that win be credible. As for your second match here in FRONTIER, well it was a loss to yours truly. Other than that, not a whole lot can be said about The Harvard Connection other than their classless displays of aggression, ambushing people whenever they are afforded the opportunity too. While I, as I have stated time and time again, have gone out each and every week in order to put forth the best effort for these hardworking, paying customers. I am doing my job the way it is supposed to be done, and showcasing to the FGA community why I would make the best man to carry the torch as the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.”
Beads of sweat can be seen dripping down the face of Jared James, as the passion within him begins to intensify as he discusses The Harvard Connection.
“Yet what has Chandler Scott done in order to show that he, a man who possesses a Harvard education, has earned the right to represent this company and carry the FGA Heavyweight Championship? Win half of his matches, out of two, and talked a lot of trash. In fact, just this very week, you have the audacity to come out in front of the FRONTIER community and try to call me a ‘mediocre wrestler’ despite the roll I have been on or, even, the fact that I have beaten you in a rather convincing fashion. You think all of that I have accomplished since my arrival here in FGA is based on my good nature, positive attitude, and likeable? If so, well then you may want to give that Harvard degree of yours back or maybe ask for a refund because that is simply the worst reasoning I have ever encountered as a professional wrestler. No Chandler, I have reached the point that I have hear in FGA because I went out each and every week, unlike you, and showed them all precisely why I, Jared freakin’ James, am the man here in FRONTIER Grappling Arts. The words you speak are simply laughable Chandler Scott, and not only an insult to my intelligence… but to the collective intelligences of the FGA community. Because if you, for even a second, think that you are more prepared for what we will be in store for all of us come Friday… well, then we will just see how that works out for, okay Chandler?”
A sly smile encompasses the face of Jared James as he spends time imagining the amount of pain Chandler Scott would be in after Jared finishes up with him.
“But of course the most important part of 2012: A New Odyssey, above all else, is to make sure that I can beat my first round opponent in order to make sure I can at least have a legitimate shot of claiming the FGA Heavyweight Championship. In order to do that, ladies and gentlemen, I will have to go through Mr. Chandler Scott’s tag team partner and longtime friend, Preston Blake. Now Blake is somewhat in the same boat as his partner, Chandler Scott. Much like Scott, Blake has stormed into FGA and has ultimately… well, he has ultimately done very little over the course of his career. His sole victory, out of his two matches, came against the ‘amazing’ Ace Andrews… a man whose career has fallen so far that soon after his FGA debut, he was soon released by FRONTIER management. Effectively a shell of his former self, if you will. His only other match, a loss, was against me. And much like with Chandler Scott, it was a rather convincing victory. Yet for some reason, despite all of this, Preston Blake seems to feel like I have not done anything of note since my arrival here in FRONTIER Grappling Arts. That I, an average American citizen who happens to hail from Des Moines, am not on his level because he went farther in the world of academia. Let us ignore what the facts state, that I pinned him. At least that is what Preston Blake would like us to do. Instead, he would much rather have us take note of his fancy degree that he has earned over the course of his career as a scholar. All of this, despite the fact that I had already disproved Preston Blake’s point that his brains have absolutely no value when we enter the squared circle. Because it is there that we are of equal intelligence, with both of us having excellent ring presence and tremendous understanding of the psychology involved in the art form that is professional wrestling.
The only difference between Preston Blake and I, ladies and gentlemen, is our wrestling styles. His technical style, a more traditional style that is fitting with his background, was shown on ineffective against the elusive high-flying style that I bring to the table. He was no greater than any of the other technical foes that I have faced off with over the course of my career, and I fully expect more of the same come Friday night. After all, what else has changed since our last encounter, Mr. Preston Blake? What makes today, of all days, any different from Friday night? Absolutely nothing, my good sir, absolutely nothing at all. So while you may think that you have some sort of unknown edge, perhaps it is your good health or perhaps it is some irrelevant issue like your intelligence… be wary Preston Blake, because I shall be patiently waiting for you come Friday night. I know that you are the first person in my way, the man I absolutely must beat in order to continue onward towards my goal of becoming the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.
Yet I am also aware that you will not be an easy foe to take down, not at all in the slightest. I am not trying, whatsoever, to diminish the value of what you are in fact able to do inside the squared circle. Despite all of the blasting of you I may in fact do, that does not mean I do not respect your in-ring ability. You will put up one hell of a fight, you will take me to my limit, and you will make me work for this victory. So despite all of my boasting, I know that this opening round match against you will be one hell of a challenge. I know I have to be prepared in order to succeed… which is why I have been working my butt off since last week’s edition of Combat… to be prepared, to be ready to strike.”
A sigh escapes Jared James as he begins to calm himself from the over exertion of emotion that he just put forth.
“That is why, come Friday night at 2012: A New Odyssey, I plan on defeating each and every single one of the men whom cross my path on my quest to claim FGA’s most prestigious prize. Because I am willing to put forth the work, to go to extends that other men in this company will not be willing to. Because I have been working for this moment for the last four and a half years, working to finally get the chance to lift a major heavyweight championship over my head in victory. I have failed twice before, but this time… this time I can feel it, this time I know I will be able to come out with a lot of success. So I ask you, the rest of the participants of this tournament, to be prepared for what is in store for you come Friday night… and to be prepared to lose, to me… Jared James.”
With yet another wink from Jared James and then he slowly stands up. Walking over to the railing where we can see the pristine white ice of the Whittemore Center’s rink, where we watch as Jared James looks out at it. From there, we slowly fade away to black.
4:13 PM EST
From the very beginning of FRONTIER Grappling Arts, Jared James returned to the East Coast with two goals in mind. The first was to return his career to a path that he felt was both comfortable and personally acceptable for him, having gone strayed away from his morals during his time as Director of Programming at Rocky Mountain PRO. The second was to obtain the first major heavyweight championship of his professional wrestling career, something which up until this point has eluded him. Currently, with days remaining to FGA’s 2012: A New Odyssey, only one of those goals is left remaining, with Jared having already placed his career back on track by going undefeated in his first five matches. All that remains… is the FGA World Heavyweight Championship…
We slowly open up to Jared James resting outside of the Whittemore Center in Durham, New Hampshire. This arena is the home to the University of New Hampshire’s hockey teams, men’s and women’s, as well as various other activities which take place within the state of New Hampshire. Jared is dressed in slightly faded blue jeans and a suede Packers jacket. His dirty blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail, and his cheeks have a reddish tint to them due to the frigid New England air. A slight small fills his face as he takes notice of us, with a slight nod of his head signaling us that we should join him over on the stone bench which he is sitting on. Once there alongside of him, we look out at a turf field and academic building that loom out on the horizon. We shift back over to Jared, who lets out a deep sigh. His breath his visible, providing us with a good idea of the temperature outside.
Jared James
“This week is the buildup to an important event for FRONTIER Grappling Arts, an event that will ultimately shape the future of FGA and the send it off in either the right, or wrong, direction. I am, of course, referring to 2012: A New Odyssey which will be taking place this upcoming Friday at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey. It is on that night that FRONTIER will witness eight of its finest fight amongst each other for the right to be named the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.
I, fortunately for me, am one of those eight men. And I must say it was an honor to be selected by FRONTIER management to be one of the first four men announced for this tournament. It signaled to me that all of my hard work over the past month or so was being noticed, that my blood, sweat, and tears that I put forth each and every edition of Combat were not being lost. Do not get me wrong though, I realize that all of the effort I put forth in the past here in FGA means absolutely nothing now. The fact that I am currently undefeated during my time here in FRONTIER, or the fact that I have already defeated the man whom I will be facing in the first round of this tournament are irrelevant from this point onward. We are now in the postseason here at FRONTIER Grappling Arts, and each and every one of the eight men, including myself, has a legitimate shot of walking out of 2012: A New Odyssey with the FGA Heavyweight Championship strap around their waist.”
With that said Jared looks out and about at the students who are hustling around him to their respective destinations. Unlike them, Jared realizes that the path to his final destination is a bit uncertain at this point. There are a lot of variables in this tournament that are currently unknown, which for some can be a little worrisome. Jared has had past experience in tournaments over the course of his four and a half year professional wrestling career, however, and realizes that he can utilize the mistakes he made in the past in order to succeed here in 2012.
“Before I go any further ladies and gentlemen, I’ll be open and honest with each and every one of you right now. Over the course of my career I have, historically speaking, had troubles in tournament settings. Now granted, the sample size is small which can skew the final statistics… but I feel it is something that I should at least own up to. Back in 2007, when I first started my professional wrestling career, I was an early exit in a tournament up in Connecticut. Fast forward three years later to 2010, when I took part in the exact same tournament, just a different year. I ended up losing in the semifinals of that tournament, after defeating a longtime rival of mine. Never have I ever reached the finals of a tournament, which some could say means that I have a disadvantage heading into this eight man tournament for the FGA Heavyweight Championship.
I bring all of this up to you, however, to point out to you that each one of these losses has seen me focus a large majority of my time and energy on my first round opponent only. That loss in 2010, for instance, saw me spend every waking minute of my time preparing to claim victory over that first opponent of mine. And clearly that cost me, as I ultimately lost to the man who went on to win the whole tournament. It was a rookie mistake, a mistake that I still regret to this day, but one I hope to build upon this year in this tournament.
And when you look at the field I am up against, you will fully understand why this is so pivotal. Each and every one of the seven other men in this tournament have a legitimate chance, as I mentioned earlier, of claiming victory and taking home the FGA Heavyweight Championship belt. I understand that in order for that man to be me, I must do a lot both physically and mentally in order to properly prepare myself for what will be taking place in Rahway, New Jersey on Friday night.”
Jared unties the ponytail that his holding back his wild hair. It falls about recklessly, which leads to Jared shaking his head about in order to make it look a little, if at all, better to the human eye. He turns over to face and smiles once more, and it is during this moment that we can see that the James looks extremely pale under the cloud covered New Hampshire skies.
“Now come Friday night, Chandler Scott, Preston Blake, Blaine Harrison, Michael Tomkins, Scott Reave, Jacques Mercier, and Jack Flener are all equally as despicable to me. Regardless of our background with one another, such as the extensive ones I have now with Scott, Blake, and Harrison or the lack of one I have with the likes of Mercier or Reave, I will treat each and every one of these men as equal. Because, when all is said and done, each and every single one of these men is in the way of me claiming the FGA Heavyweight Championship. This means, to me at least, they are all as equally dangerous as the last. After all ladies and gentlemen, it only takes one of them to stifle me on my quest to claim a victory in the finals of this tournament.
Unfortunately for me, my lack of knowledge on some of my opponents could lead to some shortcomings in a one-on-one setting inside the squared circle. For instances folks, the man known as Jacques Mercier is quite the mystery for poor ol’ Jared James at this point in time. All I really know about him is the fact that he has victory over the once mighty Scott Reave, a man who I will approach sooner than later, that he is was kind enough to assist me in a time of need when Blaine Harrison and I were ambushed by The Harvard Connection last week, and that he currently resides in the not so distant Boston, Massachusetts. Not a whole lot to go on when you participate in a wrestling match, now is it folks? But what I saw in Mercier during his match with Scott Reave is that this is a man who can get it done against the best of him. Say what you want about Reave, whether it be about his personality or recent setbacks, but that man is one hell of a fighter here in FGA… which means a victory by Jacques Mercier over him has to stand for something, now doesn’t it? So if on the off chance that Mercier and I eventually meet up in this tournament Friday night, I know that I, Jared James, will need to be on top of my game in order to take down this two hundred thirty pound heavyweight in order to advance.
But then again, couldn’t one say that about this entire field of participants in Saturday’s tournament? Take, for instance, Scott Reave. At two hundred five pounds, a Scott Reave tore through FRONTIER Grappling Arts upon his arrival to New Jersey. He showed amazing feats of ability, defeating opponents with ease. He grew tired of hearing all of the rhetoric about Jared James and James Weck, however, and then it seemed from there that Reave has never been able to deliver since. It was a perfect example of why one should allow their actions inside the ring to do the talking for them, might I add. He forced himself to carry extra pressure each and every match with those words of his, and ultimately proved to the FGA community that he was unable to handle the stress that comes with being a main event caliber talent. Now I have no doubt in my mind, now that the spotlight has shifted away from good ol’ Scott Reave, he will be primed and ready to strike once again here in FRONTIER in order to prove to all on the roster that what we saw from him over the past couple of weeks was nothing more than an aberration. And you know what ladies and gentlemen; I would not put it past Scott Reave to have been playing possum that entire time in order to have people underestimate him come 2012: A New Odyssey. He seems just like the type of manipulative individual who would do that. However, I assure you all that I will not be a victim of Scott Reave’s come Friday night in this tournament. I am aware of the extra pressure that may add on me to perform well, but I also am aware that I have a responsibility to the average fan of FGA to perform my best at all times and in all matches. If that means I put my word on the line in a match against Scott Reave then so be it… because I promise broken to the good folks of the FGA community would be enough pain to my heart as it was…”
As the time flies and it begins to grow darker, it begins to become increasing cooler for Jared James and the poor folks of the FGA community. It is with this in mind that Jared decides to get up and walk on over to the entrance of the Whittemore Center. He opens the door, allowing us through first. That sight that beholds us is nothing out of the norm for a decent sized arena like this. We currently look out at the lobby, which holds the ticket office as well as various trophies and banners celebrating the UNH hockey programs and players from the past. Jared James walks past and over to the entrance of the actual hockey rink. He opens the doors and escorts us, once more, to two folding chairs that face out at the arena. Once Jared has settled in his seat, he looks over at us with a kind smile once more.
“Those are just two of the seven men whom I could potentially face off against. There are still five other men who could swipe the FGA Heavyweight Championship from my grasp. Like Jack Flener for instance, the two hundred twenty pound light heavyweight out of Louisville, Kentucky. Now I have crossed paths with Flener before in the past, when he was known in Rocky Mountain PRO as Devin Copeland. The unfortunate part of our crossing paths though, was the fact that I was never able to meet up with him inside the squared circle due to my staff position. It was something that I regretted the entire time I was with RMP, simply due to the arrogance that a man such as Flener possesses. One could say he is the antithesis of Jared James, if you will. So the fact that here, in FRONTIER Grappling Arts, are paths have happened to intersect once more, with us both being on the active roster here… well let us just say I am more than enthusiastic to get my hands on the man now known as Jack Flener. I am aware of his incredible history in this business, having been a former world heavyweight champion in other promotions as well as going on to be nominated to various hall of fames, but not once has he crossed my path folks. And when he does… he will feel the wrath of ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ Jared James, and realize the various errors he has made over the course of his illustrious career. Hopefully, for my sake, that moment just happens to be Friday night in Rahway, New Jersey.”
Jared provides us with a quick little wink.
“Though folks, I do feel that the chances of that happening are rather slim. Oh no, instead I have a bit more confidence in potentially matching up against another man in this match… a man who, if it had not been for those elitist snobs from Harvard, would have worked with me to bring FRONTIER its match of the year winner already in January. I am, obviously, referring to my opponent at the last edition of Combat, Blaine Harrison. Now Harrison and I, well we both have a tremendous amount of respect for one another. That was on display last week both on Combat and during the buildup for our match. We both share similar ideals, and both have a desire to win the right way. We aren’t like Chandler Scott, Preston Blake, Scott Reave, or Jack Flener. We are good men, just trying to go out each and every week and win honorably. You know, the way a victory should be attained in this business. And ever since last week’s little interruption, I have been disappointed that the magical match we were both taking part in had to end… especially the way it did. Like Harrison, I hope that the men behind the scenes here in FGA get it right and put the two of us in a match once more in order to showcase once again why we are arguably the two best performers FRONTIER has to offer. Unlike Harrison, however, I want that match to be during this eight man tournament. And I must say Blaine, the fact that you do not feel the same is a bit of a disappoint. After all, if I want to really claim myself as the FGA Heavyweight Champion at the end of the night… I need to make sure I go through the man who I feel is my equal. That man would be you Blaine, and getting to face off against you in this tournament would be an honor… and, frankly, the only way a true champion could be crowned here in FRONTIER. But no, you want to face Preston Blake for the sake of revenge… for what he did to you and I last week. You forget though, Blaine, that revenge in this business can be obtained at nearly any point in time. Immediately after 2012: A New Odyssey, I fully expect FRONTIER management to place the two of us in a match as a tag team in order to face off against The Harvard Connection on Combat. That, Blaine, is the only true way for the both of us to take care of The Harvard Connection and right what they did. For now though Blaine, you are the man I want to face off against in this eight man tournament. To recreate the magic we made together inside that ring last Combat, that is what I want on what should be a very special event come Friday night. I know I plan on delivering Blaine… let’s hope you can do the same.”
Another signature James smile flashes at us, a quick little reminder for Mr. Blaine Harrison to be ready to go all out come Friday night.
“Then again, there is also the off chance that the wildcard known as Michael Tomkins has a memorable evening. Yes Tomkins, I have been paying very close attention to the path that you have been on since your arrival to FRONTIER only a few weeks ago. It has been impressive, with you beating a variety of tough opponents in recent weeks. The problem, however, as I watch you both inside the ring and out is that you can still tell you are very… very green. Now there is clearly no shame in that, we all have to start somewhere in our careers and we need to go over a few bumps on our way, but the problem is despite some of your recent rookie mistakes… you still have managed to come out of your matches unscathed. Now I can only imagine how exciting that must be for you, coming out to FRONTIER and lighting things up instantly. It is a good way to build confidence, and has seemingly provided you with some hope for this upcoming tournament. There is nothing wrong with that, and in fact I hope you manage to find some success over the course of this tournament. The only problem with all of this, Michael, is that you have yet to really go over your bumps since your arrival here in FGA. You have yet to hit rock bottom, a pivotal point in every wrestler’s career that either makes or breaks them. Now you may be saying to yourself, from the way I conduct myself these days, that I seemed to have had it easy as well… but that thinking is very, very limited. No Michael, when I entered this business back in May of 2007 I was atrocious, greener than green. In fact, from May until mid-June, I went without a win through all of my first four or five matches. I hit a low point, immediately in my career, that had me wondering whether or not I belonged in this industry. From there I have had my ups and downs, at one point contending for a world heavyweight championship then immediately crashing and burning after that loss. But now I stand here, in January of 2012… nearly five years later, ready to strike. You see Tomkins, you may think that you are the ultimate underdog in this tournament, but you would be mistaken. Despite my recent success, I still find myself the underdog for a number of reasons. Nobody thinks that I can do this, that I Jared James can hoist above my head a major heavyweight championship. They say it is due to my size, or in The Harvard Connection’s case, my ‘lack of ability’ but they all think I can’t do it.
Now do not get me wrong Tomkins, I know darn well that you will put forth one hell of an effort come Friday night in this eight man tournament. In fact, you could very well be the man who I face off against in order to claim the FGA Heavyweight Championship. I recognize your ability. Yet your real weakness, Tomkins, will be your inexperience. I will not let those rookie mistakes of yours slide, you will pay for them. And much like four of the five matches I have participated in here in FRONTIER, I will be rewarded for my attention to detail. That, Michael Tomkins, is something I am one hundred percent sure of as well.”
Jared pauses after his rant on the young Michael Tomkins, fully aware now that the only two men who he has yet to comment on are the two members of The Harvard Connection, Chandler Scott and Preston Blake. For over a month now, Scott and Blake have been massive thorns in the side of Jared James… and now, at 2012: A New Odyssey, Jared receives yet another chance to silence these two bags of hot air once more.
“Then, finally, one can’t have a vignette about 2012: A New Odyssey here in FRONTIER without commenting on two of FGA’s most pompous members of its roster. I am, of course, referring to Chandler Scott and Preston Blake of The Harvard Connection. These men, if you want to consider their recent immature actions manly at all, have been two of the most disruptive forces in FGA in recent weeks… and it has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with their actions inside the ring.
Which is why I got a good chuckle from the words of Chandler Scott, a man who really has not won a whole lot of matches by himself during his time here in FGA, proclaimed to the FGA community that him and his life partner, Preston Blake, have been impressive in the ring. I mean let us be real Scott, you and I both know that you really have not done a whole lot of anything over the course of your career here in FGA. Ever since your debut, you and your buddy Preston Blake have only participated in two matches. The first, for you, was against the ‘amazing’ young high flier known as Evan Bodom… so much for that win be credible. As for your second match here in FRONTIER, well it was a loss to yours truly. Other than that, not a whole lot can be said about The Harvard Connection other than their classless displays of aggression, ambushing people whenever they are afforded the opportunity too. While I, as I have stated time and time again, have gone out each and every week in order to put forth the best effort for these hardworking, paying customers. I am doing my job the way it is supposed to be done, and showcasing to the FGA community why I would make the best man to carry the torch as the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.”
Beads of sweat can be seen dripping down the face of Jared James, as the passion within him begins to intensify as he discusses The Harvard Connection.
“Yet what has Chandler Scott done in order to show that he, a man who possesses a Harvard education, has earned the right to represent this company and carry the FGA Heavyweight Championship? Win half of his matches, out of two, and talked a lot of trash. In fact, just this very week, you have the audacity to come out in front of the FRONTIER community and try to call me a ‘mediocre wrestler’ despite the roll I have been on or, even, the fact that I have beaten you in a rather convincing fashion. You think all of that I have accomplished since my arrival here in FGA is based on my good nature, positive attitude, and likeable? If so, well then you may want to give that Harvard degree of yours back or maybe ask for a refund because that is simply the worst reasoning I have ever encountered as a professional wrestler. No Chandler, I have reached the point that I have hear in FGA because I went out each and every week, unlike you, and showed them all precisely why I, Jared freakin’ James, am the man here in FRONTIER Grappling Arts. The words you speak are simply laughable Chandler Scott, and not only an insult to my intelligence… but to the collective intelligences of the FGA community. Because if you, for even a second, think that you are more prepared for what we will be in store for all of us come Friday… well, then we will just see how that works out for, okay Chandler?”
A sly smile encompasses the face of Jared James as he spends time imagining the amount of pain Chandler Scott would be in after Jared finishes up with him.
“But of course the most important part of 2012: A New Odyssey, above all else, is to make sure that I can beat my first round opponent in order to make sure I can at least have a legitimate shot of claiming the FGA Heavyweight Championship. In order to do that, ladies and gentlemen, I will have to go through Mr. Chandler Scott’s tag team partner and longtime friend, Preston Blake. Now Blake is somewhat in the same boat as his partner, Chandler Scott. Much like Scott, Blake has stormed into FGA and has ultimately… well, he has ultimately done very little over the course of his career. His sole victory, out of his two matches, came against the ‘amazing’ Ace Andrews… a man whose career has fallen so far that soon after his FGA debut, he was soon released by FRONTIER management. Effectively a shell of his former self, if you will. His only other match, a loss, was against me. And much like with Chandler Scott, it was a rather convincing victory. Yet for some reason, despite all of this, Preston Blake seems to feel like I have not done anything of note since my arrival here in FRONTIER Grappling Arts. That I, an average American citizen who happens to hail from Des Moines, am not on his level because he went farther in the world of academia. Let us ignore what the facts state, that I pinned him. At least that is what Preston Blake would like us to do. Instead, he would much rather have us take note of his fancy degree that he has earned over the course of his career as a scholar. All of this, despite the fact that I had already disproved Preston Blake’s point that his brains have absolutely no value when we enter the squared circle. Because it is there that we are of equal intelligence, with both of us having excellent ring presence and tremendous understanding of the psychology involved in the art form that is professional wrestling.
The only difference between Preston Blake and I, ladies and gentlemen, is our wrestling styles. His technical style, a more traditional style that is fitting with his background, was shown on ineffective against the elusive high-flying style that I bring to the table. He was no greater than any of the other technical foes that I have faced off with over the course of my career, and I fully expect more of the same come Friday night. After all, what else has changed since our last encounter, Mr. Preston Blake? What makes today, of all days, any different from Friday night? Absolutely nothing, my good sir, absolutely nothing at all. So while you may think that you have some sort of unknown edge, perhaps it is your good health or perhaps it is some irrelevant issue like your intelligence… be wary Preston Blake, because I shall be patiently waiting for you come Friday night. I know that you are the first person in my way, the man I absolutely must beat in order to continue onward towards my goal of becoming the first ever FGA Heavyweight Champion.
Yet I am also aware that you will not be an easy foe to take down, not at all in the slightest. I am not trying, whatsoever, to diminish the value of what you are in fact able to do inside the squared circle. Despite all of the blasting of you I may in fact do, that does not mean I do not respect your in-ring ability. You will put up one hell of a fight, you will take me to my limit, and you will make me work for this victory. So despite all of my boasting, I know that this opening round match against you will be one hell of a challenge. I know I have to be prepared in order to succeed… which is why I have been working my butt off since last week’s edition of Combat… to be prepared, to be ready to strike.”
A sigh escapes Jared James as he begins to calm himself from the over exertion of emotion that he just put forth.
“That is why, come Friday night at 2012: A New Odyssey, I plan on defeating each and every single one of the men whom cross my path on my quest to claim FGA’s most prestigious prize. Because I am willing to put forth the work, to go to extends that other men in this company will not be willing to. Because I have been working for this moment for the last four and a half years, working to finally get the chance to lift a major heavyweight championship over my head in victory. I have failed twice before, but this time… this time I can feel it, this time I know I will be able to come out with a lot of success. So I ask you, the rest of the participants of this tournament, to be prepared for what is in store for you come Friday night… and to be prepared to lose, to me… Jared James.”
With yet another wink from Jared James and then he slowly stands up. Walking over to the railing where we can see the pristine white ice of the Whittemore Center’s rink, where we watch as Jared James looks out at it. From there, we slowly fade away to black.
