Post by levi on Apr 1, 2016 17:31:07 GMT -5
THE NEW YORK TIMES
‘Proverbial Ladders’
By the Secret Wrestler
1st April 2016
Maybe you know me, maybe you don't. But I am a professional wrestler. A good one too. I won't tell you my name, who signs my paychecks, or even those I share the ring with. But in these articles I will expose you to the dramatic, electrifying, and dangerous world of the squared circle, all through the veil of anonymity. I will breakdown the egos, the stories, the struggles, pretty much everything you fail to see when the lights go out, and the curtain comes down.
Anyway, right now I’m standing at the bottom of the biggest proverbial ladder in the business of professional wrestling. And that's a good place to be. You see, I've already climbed to the top of one ladder, I worked my through the ranks and stood tall and proud upon the rooftop it led me to, only to realise I had nowhere else to go. But it's only from that height that can you see the bigger picture. You see the other ladders, and the other rooftops, the ones that were partially shielded from my view before now, because I was so consumed with ascending the steps that lay before me. But now I'm on a different footing, and I'm looking up at a different building altogether.
But when you're at the bottom, no one can see you. Everybody's looking up, looking ahead to the next rung on THEIR upward climb. They're so consumed by their own steps they fail to see what's coming up behind them. So you have to shout a little louder, shake the ladder to the point where they don't have much choice BUT to look down. It’s all about exposure. Exposure is the key in professional wrestling. Getting your name out there, getting your face out there. And not for the wrong reasons. It's easy to get noticed with shock tactics, and cowardly schemes. But no one remembers that in the long run. No one will sit up and take notice if you just ruffle a few feathers. That's not how you do it. Words and actions, that's how you get noticed in this business. Before I've even laid hands on an opponent in this new company, I've already put myself out there. I'm already in their consciousness. And that's one foot up the ladder in my eyes. They'll be behind me now when I get back into the ring in my shorts and boots next week. Now, whichever way you look at it; win, lose or draw, I’m already moving up the ladder.
And as the saying goes; if you’re not moving forward, you're standing still.
‘Proverbial Ladders’
By the Secret Wrestler
1st April 2016
Maybe you know me, maybe you don't. But I am a professional wrestler. A good one too. I won't tell you my name, who signs my paychecks, or even those I share the ring with. But in these articles I will expose you to the dramatic, electrifying, and dangerous world of the squared circle, all through the veil of anonymity. I will breakdown the egos, the stories, the struggles, pretty much everything you fail to see when the lights go out, and the curtain comes down.
Anyway, right now I’m standing at the bottom of the biggest proverbial ladder in the business of professional wrestling. And that's a good place to be. You see, I've already climbed to the top of one ladder, I worked my through the ranks and stood tall and proud upon the rooftop it led me to, only to realise I had nowhere else to go. But it's only from that height that can you see the bigger picture. You see the other ladders, and the other rooftops, the ones that were partially shielded from my view before now, because I was so consumed with ascending the steps that lay before me. But now I'm on a different footing, and I'm looking up at a different building altogether.
But when you're at the bottom, no one can see you. Everybody's looking up, looking ahead to the next rung on THEIR upward climb. They're so consumed by their own steps they fail to see what's coming up behind them. So you have to shout a little louder, shake the ladder to the point where they don't have much choice BUT to look down. It’s all about exposure. Exposure is the key in professional wrestling. Getting your name out there, getting your face out there. And not for the wrong reasons. It's easy to get noticed with shock tactics, and cowardly schemes. But no one remembers that in the long run. No one will sit up and take notice if you just ruffle a few feathers. That's not how you do it. Words and actions, that's how you get noticed in this business. Before I've even laid hands on an opponent in this new company, I've already put myself out there. I'm already in their consciousness. And that's one foot up the ladder in my eyes. They'll be behind me now when I get back into the ring in my shorts and boots next week. Now, whichever way you look at it; win, lose or draw, I’m already moving up the ladder.
And as the saying goes; if you’re not moving forward, you're standing still.
Levi reclined back in his chair, satisfied with the final edit of his column. He forgot who it was that got him the job, a friend of a friend of a friend. It didn't matter to him. He was just happy to have a few extra bucks in his pocket.
A staple of the British independent wrestling scene, Levi had pretty much achieved all that he could in his juvenile career, but he always knew there was something more; something else out there for him. That something was America, and the dearth of opportunity that lay before his feet.
America had never been a dream of Levi's, more of a fantasy. An honour of such importance that he couldn't even dream OF it. The UK had its merits, but true notoriety would only ever be reached in the US. And with inevitable success came an upward trajectory, and it was only a matter of time before the big leagues came calling. Levi Morrissey Daniels was his own brand and there was a wealth of opportunities out there for him to explore and market himself. Much like the rest of the world, America offered the biggest market, and so began the next phase in his career.
It hadn't been an easy decision by any means. He weighed up the pros and cons and unfortunately for his fans back home, the pros far outweighed the cons. At twenty three years old he was arguably moving into his peak, and as any competitive athlete knows, the only way to get better is to face better opposition. He was coming to a point in his career where HE believed he could hang with the very best of them. Whether that was true or not only time would tell. He meant no disrespect to the boys back home, but the best was in America. Specifically, in his eyes, at Frontier Grappling Arts, and as such, became an opportunity simply too hard for him to resist.
TO BE CONTINUED