SINCE 2018
First Grand Rampage Participation
Best Result: N/A
No Career Championships
When it comes to the select group of Elitists part of what is known as the 'New Breeds' during Season 17, it goes without saying that Cody Maverick isn't top of the class but he's pretty close. I put him up there with Brae, both of them are better than the likes of Mig de Decker, Chiyo Guido, Vincent Mondrian, and Shisu Tategami and not that far away from Rory Slate. Facing our World Heavyweight Champion Myles and scoring a pair of dubs over me allowed the man to be noticed and he seems set to make an impact around here. He seems to want a long tenure in this company especially compared to previous New Breeds like Nyz, NOVA, Mercer McKay, and Christian Martinez who aren't on the payroll anymore. Seeing him commit the way he does makes things interesting, but for all his qualities the man isn't without fault and patience is not his strong suit. And that, my friends, might become a major problem for him.
I went through his work so far this week, and I can tell hear and feels his desire to be successful. I can tell he's motivated and hungry to make it big, to score the big wins, get titles, and bank in some good money. Cody is a hungry young wolf and he's working so he can eat well rather than settle for the scraps left in the wake of others ahead of him in the pecking order. Despite the fact he won in both solo and tag team competitions against me this season the man is letting me live in his mind rent free it seems, and I didn't ask for that. Folks, I don't blame him at all when I hear him say he doesn't want to have a career like mine. Who would? Almost seven years of service and not a whole lot to show for it. What I've done is better than fuck off, obviously, but it doesn't amount to much. Up until some time ago, my career was nothing short of a cautionary tale for what to do if you want to have NOTHING you ever wanted save for a few happy moments here and there. Who wants that unless perhaps a masochist who enjoys a life of suffering?
Not for me.
I'll give it to him, he did level up rather quickly, I hear him talk shop and sound mighty hungry for success. I respect that, and I can't help but grin when I hear him wanting to throw my ass over the top rope. That would be a statement by itself, but the bigger statement is making it as far as he can and better yet: Win. Can he do it? Maybe, he can totally go all it and give it his all, just like I and anyone else involved really. Does he have a better chance than me? I could argue I have more on account of experience but Grand Rampage history showed that even the inexperienced can win so it's not an argument I'm going to have with him. He can think and believe he can go all the way like most of us, such is his right. I think he stands a better chance to make his presence felt than most of the New Breeds, and if I was him I'd make it an objective to take them all out and be known as the best New Breed during the event this season. That wouldn't make as big an impact as winning the whole thing, but it wouldn't hurt either. The way I see it they should all do it, that would be a nice way to see who will set themselves apart and it would be yet another story to follow during an event that have plenty of them.
I've often been told I don't have the right mindset to achieve what I want, Cody needs to realize that he'll need more than simply want to stay away from the career I've had if he wants to amount to anything. Swinging my Canuck ass out of contention on Sunday, while satisfying, won't be the slingshot he wants it to be, especially if he doesn't make it far during the event. I'm going to point out that I also have no intention of letting him or anyone else use me as their stepping down. Which will lead to a point I'll bring up later. I'm not going to tell him not to think about winning, that he has no chance to do so, however, I suggest he does what I do which is have a list of other objectives to check during that match. Because something tells me that in the likely event that he leaves Grand Rampage without winning, he's not going to take it well and we'll hear him sound off louder about how he's tired of failing.
I'm going to tell him this right now: There was a time when I kept saying I'm tired of minimal accomplishments myself, I was rather annoying because of it and I was told in no uncertain terms to grow the fuck up and get over it. To find a way to handle losing better and realize that taking L's isn't the end of the world and the industry is not all about wins and losses. It doesn't matter if he's been around a year but if he's already talking the way he does and he's only just starting? How is he going to last seven years? Let me rephrase that: How is he going to amount to anything, be a success, and gain the respect of the fans and our peers if he shoot himself in the foot like that? Cody doesn't want to be another Ryan Wilson yet he is treading a very thin line and one misstep and he can end up like me quicker than he can realize.
Does that piss you off, Cody? Just a little bit? It should.
I have no qualms with you Cody, I like you too although not very much. So what I'm about to say next is not to provoke but to keep you awake because It's mighty easy to fall asleep at the wheel when things aren't going your way and with the way you talk and run your mouth chances are you can ( Doesn't mean you will ) end up in the same state I've been. The last thing you want for your career is to run around thinking you're good when you aren't. So stay vigilant, or one day you might end up losing that one match that will send you off the rails. I'll give it to you straight, while you're making it a secondary objective to eliminate me and I won't think twice about sending you flying if I have the chance I'm not going to spend any effort in looking out for you. And to be honest, you shouldn't waste time on me either.
You've got a pair of wins over me, and I heard you say you were past it now, so the more I think about it the less I see why you can be so focused on me. Why do you want to take me out so badly? I know you haven't name-dropped me in all your videos, which is a good thing but I can't help but wonder now - Are you so insecure over the possibility of wasting your career that you have to come at me in hopes of feeling better about yourself? Let me stop you right here Cody, and tell you don't bother.
Trust me when I say you aren't going to emerge a winner if you keep that in your mind. Do you even realize that through this you're showing desperation? I understand why you worry, why you're sweating this I do. But let me tell you this: You're heading down shit's creek if you think trying to keep me under your boot will do you any good. And it won't be any better if you keep worrying about ending up like me when you're still working to build a name for yourself. A long time ago, I would smirk and be happy to know you're anxious over the idea that you COULD end up a disappointment, but not anymore. I'm not feeling like that whatsoever because I want the best for my fellow elitists, no matter what they think of me. Most of them at least, and as you stand now you aren't in a position where I wish you'd get Jake Smith to destroy you verbally like he did Ronan Malosi. You don't deserve that, you haven't done so bad yet that it would feel warranted.
Take a deep breath Cody. Find a way to relax, because you're overthinking this. Overthinking is something I'm known for, unfortunately. I'm about to sound a bit contradictory here, but there is such a thing as a good fear, but what do you feel now? That's going to infect you if you let it. If you don't give yourself the time to establish yourself with a strong foundation you're never going to get where you want to be, and trust me when I tell you it doesn't get better from there UNLESS you find the way to turn it around like I did. But, If after each loss, all you think about is 'Ah fuck! Another loss, I'll end up like Ryan! I'm so sick of this shit! I don't want to be like him!' well...
Hey, Cody! Let me tell you something you need to hear: You aren't me.
But, if you keep going down that path you might end up worse, you might end up like what's her name... There was one girl who signed up here a while back and lasted a little bit but things didn't go her way, she was a rookie like you, and she was sick and tired of losing just like you. Do you know what happened? She left, and the way I see it that's worst than what I've done because she threw everything away. Instead of working to figure her shit she gave up, packed up, and left. Yes, I've been through hell for most of my time here, but no one's going to give a solitary fuck about it if I make the remainder of my career something to be proud of.
See the benefits of being patient, Cody. I get it, you want to do like Michael Machina, who won the New Breed Champion in a short amount of time after he started. Unfortunately for you, seems like you aren't ready to do like him just yet. Not for lack of trying I see that, I acknowledge it, but you need to deal with losing better. You also need to give yourself the time needed to get what you want. Grant yourself that chance, and I'm sure you won't have the career I've had. You won't have only one title to your name.
But you might if you keep being tired of losing. Change your mindset Cody, because you don't want to remain on the path you're on.
It's okay to be disappointed that things aren't going your way, it ain't okay when you let it drag you down.
Trust me, I know.
