Vacillation

[LΞCAVALIΞR]

I. Declivity

Fred Manner | Aug. 2016

I started covering professional wrestling about two years ago. I had just graduated from Stanford’s journalism program, and I was searching for some place, any place to leave my mark. Professional wrestling coverage wasn’t my first choice, to say the least; however, I looked at it as a way to get my foot into the door.

At the time, I knew next to nothing about wrestling, professional or otherwise. My editor suggested that I scour the blog sites, find a wrestler that was constantly mentioned, and follow his or her journey. So, I hopped on Google and began to sift through blog after blog. In my searches, one name kept popping up over and over—Riley Owens. I didn’t know him from John Doe; but I figured he’d be as good as anyone to report on.

Riley had an interesting ride in wrestling. In a short amount of time, his name began to garner a great deal of attention. As far as success goes, he had that too…

And then, he just stopped, literally with no explanation. Rarely in the realm of wrestling does future star just walk away.

Now to be fair, he hasn’t completely left the Business. Shortly after Lion’s Den was opened, Riley was offered and accepted a position as trainer. So, he still involved, in one way or another.

Many wrestling fans believe that Riley owes them some type of explanation as to why he walked away from regular, active competition. I’m a big proponent of freedom of choice and free speech; therefore, I don’t think Mr. Owens needs to say anything. However, I think it would give his fans some much needed closure.

And in all honesty, that’s the purpose of this article today—to bring the fans some closure. While Riley hasn’t really spoken out about the subject, I’ve come to my own conclusions, based on interviews and research. Keep in mind, these are merely my own personal theories and conjectures; but, I imagine many of them are true and hit close to home. 

Therefore, without further adieu, let’s dive in, shall we? 

A. The Price of Fame

It’s pretty much a common fact that Riley Owens is quiet dude. Or, perhaps the correct term would be reserved. When he feels the need to say something or speak his mind, he’ll do so without issue; but, he’s not one to blabber about mindlessly. 

Nor has he ever been the type to put himself out in the spotlight.

I had the privilege of speaking to Marcela Gomez, who taught at Riley’s high school. “Riley Owens? I remember him quite well,” she said when we spoke. “He was an average student on paper, but I knew he was very intelligent. One thing that I recall is that he rarely elected to answer questions, even though he often had the correct answer. He hated having all the attention on himself. Although, when he was called upon, he’d normally rise to the occasion. Perhaps it was just teenage nerves.”

More than likely, Riley’s disdain for the spotlight spawned from home his homelife. He’s spoken on many occasions on the death of his parents, his shaky upbringing growing up, and his relationship with his sister. 

Tammy Owens was the brainchild, the straight A student, the prodigy. By default alone, she had to be out in the limelight—and she revelled in it. I’ve had the opportunity to meet her on several occasions while I was covering wrestling events. She’s lively, vivacious, and everyone is drawn to her.

Riley was almost her polar opposite. As his former teacher stated, he was the quiet, average student. In life, he did what he needed to in order to survive and maintain. He didn’t thrive, not like his sister, and so the spotlight was never on him…

That was until he signed a contract with Frontier Grappling Arts.

Up until signing with FGA, Riley had been a struggling indy wrestler. He wasn’t having bad matches, but he wasn’t doing anything that would make him stand out; and then, he went and signed a contract with one of the fastest growing promotions in North America.

Not the best option if you like to stay in the shadows, right?

Essentially, FGA placed him center stage, out in front of the wrestling world. In other area’s of his life, he’d been able to shy away from center stage. But, it was Riley’s talent that prevented him from doing so in FGA. 

The fact of the matter is, Riley was good, damn good really—and with skills like his, you can’t simply sit in the corner. His talent, coupled with FGA’s faith, thrust him out into the public eye. 

And once he was a big name in FGA, opportunities all around the world started opening up. More opportunities, more frame. Here’s a short list of what he accomplished:

• APW Survive and Conquer 2013 (Participant)
  
• FGA Pride Championship
  
• FGA Dynamic Duos Tournament 2014 (Winner)
  
• 2CW Heritage Championship
  
• 2CW Heritage Classic (Winner)
  
• PW Iron King Tournament (Participant)
  

My, that’s a lot, isn’t it? 

Now, my theory is that all the weight and pressure got to Mr. Owens. That’s not to say that he couldn’t handle it, per se. All accounts have always said that he was a consummate professional. However, the amount of success he garnered in an extremely short amount of time, it would be enough dent anyone’s resolve.

B. Stretched Thin

Do me a favor, would you?

I want you to scroll up just a bit and take another look at that list of accomplishments. Did you notice how many promotions were listed? Now, if add on four or five more promotions, and you’d have the total number of places that Riley worked in while he was progressing in FGA.

Riley had his hand in multiple pies, which isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself. The issue though, is that he became gluttonous and greedy. The man gorged himself on professional wrestling, and stretched himself out far too thin. 

“When I was working in all those places, my main goal was to get my name out there,” Riley said in an interview last year. “When I first became a wrestler, I struggled to find work; it was like pulling teeth. Then, what felt like overnight, all these amazing opportunities began to open up for me. In hindsight, I should have been more selective; but, it felt foolish to turn them down.”

In theory, Riley’s goal and plan was successful. He got his name out there, and it was buzzing. However, his plan wasn’t without flaws. No matter the scheduling, and regardless of his skill level, wrestling in eight promotions was absurd and ridiculous. And, can you even possibly begin to imagine how much pressure and strain he heaped upon his body and mind?

In short, yes, Riley became a supernova—but because of the ferocity of his attack plan, he was prematurely extinguished. 

C. Shortcomings

Riley’s run in FGA was almost the perfect fairytale if you really think about it. Let’s break down its foundation:

• Riley and Tammy lost their parents at a young age.
  
• Allegedly, they received physical and verbal abuse from their uncle, who raised them.
  
• Both siblings found success; Riley’s success came in the form of professional wrestling.
  
• He faced adversity early on in his career, but he overcame and became known as one of the best technical wrestlers in the world.
  

Not to take away from his struggle and hardships, but Riley lived out the quintessential Disney classic. He could sell the rights to his story and make millions…except, his story didn’t necessarily have that feel good moment at the end.

Let’s just go ahead and address to looming elephant in the room, the FGA World Championship.

Think about all the pain and misery that the man had to fight through. Then, imagine if he would have defeated Jimmy Page at Final Frontier to win that world belt. A victory would have been the perfect culmination of everything, the perfect ending to his fable…

And instead, he suffered defeat. 

The fact of the matter was, the man was crushed afterwards. Hell, I think anyone in his situation would be as well. That loss, coupled with everything he had gone through to get to that point, well, it was detrimental.

D. Conclusion

Riley’s odyssey is an interesting one, and sad one if you ask me. The students down in Lion’s Den are blessed to have him as a trainer. But the truth of the matter is, he should still be out there wrestling. That supernova should still be shining bright, but it’s dull and dim now…and to me, that’s a shame.

Do you disagree with my theories and assumptions? If you do, drop me an email at [e-mail]

II. Acclivity

“Fujiko, do you consider me a failure?” Riley Owens asked as he entered into West Miami Recreation Center’s lit gymnasium. He was all too familiar with that facility. His original trainer, Gavin Saint, used to rent out the center in order to teach his students the finer points of professional wrestling. Riley had spent countless hours there, painstakingly perfecting his technique and trying to prove that he deserved to be out on the indy circuit.

A wrestling ring stood erect off to the side of the gymnasium. Riley walked over and gingerly took a seat on the ring apron. “Keep that question in your mind as we move forward. We’ll come back to it later.” He kept his head fixated on the floor. “This won’t come as a surprise to you, but, I had been wrestling in Frontier Grappling Arts for a decent amount of time before you debuted there. I’m not going to lie and say FGA was my first option, because it wasn’t.” He let out a sigh. “I had been primed to work at Insurgency, but some shit happened, and I suddenly found myself without a place to work. Back then, I was unknown and untested; from FGA’s end, it was a long shot that I’d accomplish anything.”

Riley slowly lifted his head. “So, when FGA miraculously signed me, well, I knew I couldn’t fail. It was my big break...my only break. Therefore, I worked my ass off in order to prove that I belonged—not just in FGA, but in wrestling in general.” A sheepish smiled crossed his lips. “My first couple of months in the company were rocky at best; it seemed like I couldn’t catch a win to save my life. I kept pushing though; and eventually, I worked out all the kinks, and things were smooth sailing.”

Riley nodded as he leaned against the ropes a bit. “During the height of my heyday, I tangoed with the likes of Hardaway, Harter, Herrera, and Sands, just to name a few. I always held my own, and more often than not, I also found myself on the winning side of things.” A thought crossed his mind, which caused him to raise his right index-finger. “Those battles gave me a lot of confidence. I parlayed that confidence into an impressive Pride title reign; or, should I say the best Pride title reign the company seen, at least at the time. In midst of that reign, Blake Jones and I also won Dynamic Duos. 

“And of course, there were my battles with Jimmy Page. Those matches were unspeakable—it would be more beneficial to simply watch them.”

Riley paused in his tracks.

“But to be quite honest, all that shit feels like it happened decades ago. Yeah, it’s only been a couple of years, but FGA’s landscape is completely different now—and that’s not a bad thing at all. Many fresh faces have risen to the foreground and bared the burden of making this company even greater.

“One of those people is you, Fujiko.” Again, he paused for a second. “In fact, I admire you, Fujiko. I accomplished a bunch of amazing things here, but you’ve done so much more.

“You became the first woman in FGA to hold a belt when you won the Mid-Atlantic Legacy Championship. People often overlook that fact, but I haven’t. And, I want to say you are the only person to have held both the MAL and Pride belts. And of course, you fought your own battles with Page.”

There was a bit of hesitation in his eyes. “Most importantly, you never gave up...on your dreams, or on yourself. Me? I can’t really say the same thing.” Riley let out another sigh before he continued. “You see, a lot of people will say that losing doesn’t affect them. They’ll throw on some bravado and puff out their chests in attempts to fool others. But, they’re liars. They’re fakes—I’m not.” He nodded. “So here’s the truth, Fujiko. Losing to Tony Carmine was devastating to me. And, it wasn’t the fact that he defeated me for the Pride title. No champion reigns forever—that’s gospel.

“No, it was the fact that he shit upon my character. It was the fact that he shit upon that belt you are currently holding. It was the fact that he tried to systematically dismantle everything that I poured my heart and soul into, everything that I accomplished in those two years.

“And, most people will probably agree that he did just that.” Riley shrugged. “It doesn’t matter that he needed interference from Hardaway to beat me the first time. It doesn’t matter that he had to take short cuts in the title match. At the end of the day, his hand was raised—he got to re-write history. 

“But hey, so is life, right?”

He leaned forward a bit and he took his back off the ropes. “Then there was Final Frontier. That was the only time I’ve ever been awarded a world title shot, anywhere. I went through hell and heartache to earn that title shot. Based upon all the bullshit I’ve gone through in my career, in my life, winning that belt was supposed to be my shining achievement. Winning the FGA World Championship was supposed to cement my legacy in this grand sport…

“But, that didn’t happen. 

“Afterwards, I was distraught. I felt...I felt out of place. I felt like I needed to get away, so I left.

“But, you aren’t like me, are you Fujiko?” Riley shook his head and smiled. “Our stories aren’t too different. I imagine you felt a bit out of place when you lost the MAL title, anyone would. Later, you struggled and flattered in regaining it. On a daily basis, you’ve had to deal with idiots and dumbasses talking out of the side their necks; you’ve had to endure people doubting your skills and resolve.

“Fujiko, you’ve had to step your foot in the same shit as I did. However, unlike me, you had the wherewithal and ability to wipe your feet and keep on trucking. You weathered the storm, you persevered. And now, you are one of the faces of this company.”

He sat in relative silence of a few moments before speaking.

“Fujiko, I asked you this question before. Now that I’ve explained everything to you, I’m going to ask it again.

“Do you consider me a failure? Do you consider me a coward?

“If the answer is yes, then I wouldn’t blame you. I did run from this company.” He nodded once more. “But you know what, Fujiko? My legs have grown weary. I’m sick and tired of running.

“My mind and body are finally urging me to stand up and fight. This is one of the reasons why are going to do battle at First Wave. In this situation, you’re the perfect opponent.

“Fujiko, I don’t need to list off all your accomplishments. You know them, I know them, and whether they give you credit or not, our peers know them as well. You are the creme de la creme. Hell, I often point Lion’s Den students in your direction when they are looking for established wrestlers to study.

“You’ve had classics with Cannon, Karma, Smith, Zero. Huh, just about every match that you have is amazing. Defeating you is no easy task, that’s why you’re the Pride Champion. And, those who say otherwise are delusional.”

In a fluid motion, Riley pushed off the apron and landed on his feet. “On a surface level, this match will indicate who is the better wrestler on the night of September fourth...well, that’s how most people will see it. However Fujiko, you and I both know that there are greater implications at stake.

“You’ve had detractors and dissenters yapping about you ever since you started wrestling; that’s what I’ve been told. A victory in this match would quash their side-comments, for a while anyway.

“This match may also serve as one of the first steps in your ultimate goal, yeah? On Afterburn, and on several other occasions, you stated that your mission is to make the Pride Champion on par with the World Championship. This is a non-title match of course, but what better way could you accomplish that goal than to beat a former champion, right?” Riley placed his hands in his jean pockets. “As you can imagine, this match means a lot to me as well. You are a fiery, fierce competitor; there’s no doubt in my mind about that. However, I also consider you a friend, Fujiko. And in my experience, battling your friends in that ring is far more satisfying than squaring off against some random, or an enemy. Maybe it’s the rivalry aspect, I’m not sure. Those type of encounters always seem to bring out the very best in people, myself included...and you deserve the best, Fujiko.”

He turned his body in the direction of the door and proceeded to walk towards it. “And maybe, just maybe, this match with you will help restore some of my honor here in FGA. Perhaps it will prove that my time here in FGA wasn’t for nothing; that’s my sincerest wish.” Riley nodded as he approached to doorway. “Fujiko, you are one of the best; they say I used to be one of the best. For old times sake, I’d like to see if they were correct, just this once. When we meet on September fourth, I’m going to be coming at you full-force. You respected me enough to grant me this match, so, I shall deliver. I have to—there’s simply nowhere for me to run to anymore.” His own statement caused him to chuckle a bit. “Ha, I guess it’s only fitting it will be a Pride Rules match, huh?”

Riley slowly turned the door’s knob.

“Hey, good luck out there, Fujiko.”

Riley exited through the doorway as he finished that final statement. A few moments later, the lights in the gymnasium shut off.

FIN.