Dipping toes into the pond.
Dec 28, 2015 14:59:07 GMT -5
Post by Anna on Dec 28, 2015 14:59:07 GMT -5
It has been a while since Pedro Gonzales stepped into a wrestling ring to actually compete.
A lot of things happened during his brief career: a surprising beginning, an even more shocking winning streak, a losing streak, getting eaten by fans-turned-zombies. Plus in his most recent former capacity (however limited it was), he didn't have to put on the tights. He was paid a bunch of money to be the defacto heir apparent to run a company that had already ran itself into the ground several times yet somehow managed to bounce back. And even though the promotion finally gasped what seemed to be its last breath, he was still under contract just in case. So in theory, he had every excuse not to step foot in between those strands. Easy money plus not being mentally scared for the rest of your life equals pretty damn awesome, right?
Except behind the scenes, there was something still eating away at the young man from Mexico City. Even when he remained dormant, Pedro still felt that there was something that remained unresolved. It's very much like reading that part in an epic novel where you see the hero bumbling blindly towards his destiny, getting to know him all the while, with the book coming to a complete stop just as the giant storyline is about to begin. That unnerved him. So he trained. Even with the strains of attempting to learn the business from a different standpoint, any spare moment he had was dedicated to either flying back to Mexico and learning from his wheelchair bound trainer or going to the depths of his basement-turned-ghetto-ass-gym and work out until he practically collapsed.
Pedro no longer had to rely solely on a pin from out of nowhere to get ahead and was in the best shape of his life. Yet there was still so much to learn and he couldn't possibly learn it from the fishbowl he was living in. Then the day came when he got the blessing of his trainer and his employers to go out in the world and stake his own claim, for better or worse. The Favored Son smiled as gratitude swelled in his heart while questions brewed in his head. Could he still do it? Is this his destiny? And most importantly, where could he go to find out?
The best place, he decided, was somewhere where nobody would've heard of him. Nobody could claim bias nor scorn him that way. Everything would be based on his words, actions, and skill alone. Ironically with the advent of social media, it didn't take too long to find what he was looking for.
What does a man say when he throws himself into Lion's Den?
He simply says “si”.
_____________
Somewhere in a shitty little convenience store in North Carolina, Pedro sits and enjoys a nice frosty drink. This is a habit of his. Perhaps it is the familiarity of the small culture of these buildings that always lures him in. There are two types of people that work here and pretty much everywhere else: the working hard and the hardly working. Being the former for most of his life, he sympathizes with the frustration etched on aged faces working out the fountain drink machine while those nearly half the age fart around and do whatever they can to avoid what they were paid to do. On this point, there doesn't seem to be any difference between the countries at all.
He wonders if only for a moment if that's how older wrestlers view some of the new. It's probably true that some rookies start out thinking that they can get gold and fame right off the bat. Yet there had to be some sensible ones too. It takes a lot of sacrifice and time to make a truly great veteran and nobody's even promised that. Anyone could be crippled tomorrow and all it takes is one mistake or messing with the wrong person to set it off. Professional wrestling as a lifestyle is a risk. One Gonzales feels strongly in his heart is worth taking.
As he finishes his drink and throws his cup away, he looks around. This was his world once, albeit one that he could scrub all day and could never get clean. He knows that the helpful cashier still remains not too far from the surface of his skin. But two years of travel and seeing more that could ever be believed have altered him irreparably. No matter if a man sinks or swims in the attempt to be better, he is forever changed. Whether that’s a blessing or a curse is completely their call.
There’s a respectful nod to the ever present cashier who grunts slightly in response. The door whooshes open, revealing the real world.
And he is free again.
A lot of things happened during his brief career: a surprising beginning, an even more shocking winning streak, a losing streak, getting eaten by fans-turned-zombies. Plus in his most recent former capacity (however limited it was), he didn't have to put on the tights. He was paid a bunch of money to be the defacto heir apparent to run a company that had already ran itself into the ground several times yet somehow managed to bounce back. And even though the promotion finally gasped what seemed to be its last breath, he was still under contract just in case. So in theory, he had every excuse not to step foot in between those strands. Easy money plus not being mentally scared for the rest of your life equals pretty damn awesome, right?
Except behind the scenes, there was something still eating away at the young man from Mexico City. Even when he remained dormant, Pedro still felt that there was something that remained unresolved. It's very much like reading that part in an epic novel where you see the hero bumbling blindly towards his destiny, getting to know him all the while, with the book coming to a complete stop just as the giant storyline is about to begin. That unnerved him. So he trained. Even with the strains of attempting to learn the business from a different standpoint, any spare moment he had was dedicated to either flying back to Mexico and learning from his wheelchair bound trainer or going to the depths of his basement-turned-ghetto-ass-gym and work out until he practically collapsed.
Pedro no longer had to rely solely on a pin from out of nowhere to get ahead and was in the best shape of his life. Yet there was still so much to learn and he couldn't possibly learn it from the fishbowl he was living in. Then the day came when he got the blessing of his trainer and his employers to go out in the world and stake his own claim, for better or worse. The Favored Son smiled as gratitude swelled in his heart while questions brewed in his head. Could he still do it? Is this his destiny? And most importantly, where could he go to find out?
The best place, he decided, was somewhere where nobody would've heard of him. Nobody could claim bias nor scorn him that way. Everything would be based on his words, actions, and skill alone. Ironically with the advent of social media, it didn't take too long to find what he was looking for.
What does a man say when he throws himself into Lion's Den?
He simply says “si”.
_____________
Somewhere in a shitty little convenience store in North Carolina, Pedro sits and enjoys a nice frosty drink. This is a habit of his. Perhaps it is the familiarity of the small culture of these buildings that always lures him in. There are two types of people that work here and pretty much everywhere else: the working hard and the hardly working. Being the former for most of his life, he sympathizes with the frustration etched on aged faces working out the fountain drink machine while those nearly half the age fart around and do whatever they can to avoid what they were paid to do. On this point, there doesn't seem to be any difference between the countries at all.
He wonders if only for a moment if that's how older wrestlers view some of the new. It's probably true that some rookies start out thinking that they can get gold and fame right off the bat. Yet there had to be some sensible ones too. It takes a lot of sacrifice and time to make a truly great veteran and nobody's even promised that. Anyone could be crippled tomorrow and all it takes is one mistake or messing with the wrong person to set it off. Professional wrestling as a lifestyle is a risk. One Gonzales feels strongly in his heart is worth taking.
As he finishes his drink and throws his cup away, he looks around. This was his world once, albeit one that he could scrub all day and could never get clean. He knows that the helpful cashier still remains not too far from the surface of his skin. But two years of travel and seeing more that could ever be believed have altered him irreparably. No matter if a man sinks or swims in the attempt to be better, he is forever changed. Whether that’s a blessing or a curse is completely their call.
There’s a respectful nod to the ever present cashier who grunts slightly in response. The door whooshes open, revealing the real world.
And he is free again.