- Messages
- 26
- Points
- 13
“ we already got one in Mexico. ”
——
“ Yo, Javier, ‘lil homie. You’re tougher than a lot of grown men I step in the ring with, man- I should even include myself in that bunch. Fightin’ those types of battles at your age shows nothin’ more than a huge ton of real strength. That’s the kind of fight most of us couldn’t even imagine. I just want you to know I see you. Keep battlin’, keep smilin’ when you can, keep bein’ that strong kid you already are. Your heart is bigger than the arena for the show tomorrow and to your family. . . y’all are holdin’ it down like champs. I respect the hell out of every one of you for standin’ with him. This night is for Javier. Ain’t no question about it.
Last week, I had the time to explain myself on what I was feeling. I let it all out, talkin’ about how Shock Value still had me messed up in the head. I took the hit from Cosmo and went down but I ended up getting held down by the man who has a shot at becoming the Hardcore Champion- though if I’m being real wit’ y’all, it’s a slim one. But, look- look, I didn’t lose because I got beat fair and square. I lost because somebody else decided to make my match about him. That stuff ate at me. I came out last week sayin’ I needed to get back in the groove, because I didn’t fight my way up here just to keep gettin’ robbed and watchin’ other people celebrate wins they didn’t earn. I needed to remind myself why I’m still here, not to take Ls that ain’t really mine, but to start stackin’ Ws the right way again. That frustration from Shock Value is still sittin’ right here on my chest but last week, it had a name on it, you feel me?
Now, Carmen, first off- my bad on that “Señorita” thing last week, man. I was tryna be all old-school respectful to a debuter, but you shut that down quick and I hear you loud and clear. I gotta rep the same energy for everyone else, right? It’s a good point you made and if I wouldn’t call these dudes in the back “Señor” right before I call ‘em a bitch, I damn sure ain’t switchin’ up the energy for you. Lesson learned, my fault. But real talk, you came in last week and gave me a hell of a fight. I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it, you tested me in ways I didn’t expect from somebody on their first night. No matter what I hit you with, you stayed movin’ fast and you never stopped comin’- though folks will choose to believe that you walked out with nothin’ it’s clear to me that you walked out of that match with a ton of respect which is more than I did on my first match here. Glad to see that you ain’t foldin’ and you’re already pickin’ yourself up and dustin’ yourself off, already lookin’ forward to the next one. That’s the kind of heart that will take you far in this business.
I believe that’s the same type of energy and heart that you used to bring to the game, Chris. I’m sayin’ ‘used to’ ‘cause every fool wit’ their brain in their heads can tell that you ain’t the same man that you ‘used to’ be but you don’t need to be told about all that. Especially not from me. Shit, would you even listen if it came from me, after all, I’m just about as new here as. . .pffft, prolly Diego Montana. Maybe to you, at least. But it ain’t really a matter of you listenin’ to me because you want to, it’s more so the fact that you ain’t got no choice to ‘cause everyone has said that same damn thing to you over and over and over again and it’s gettin’ to your head.
I ain’t tryin’ to but the idea is already nesting up in there and gettin’ comfortable.
When I look at Chris Elite, I don’t see the version of you who’s roaming around here today. . .nah, nah, nah. I see the Hall of Famer. But I still mostly remember the fact that I pissed off a desperate Chris Elite, we don’t get that version of Elite no more. But I think your acts of desperation are more destructive now than they were when you were trying to make your name around here. To me, there are two levels of desperation. One, that need of hunger. You’ll do anything you can, beat anyone you have to, go anywhere you shouldn’t in order to climb the ranks and claim that number one sport. That’s who Chris Elite was but who he is now- all he is now is a desperate man who’s only desperate to become the man that he once was instead of becoming the man who’s better. You’re so focused on goin’ ‘back’ to your prime when you should be actin’ as if you haven’t reached it yet.
Now I don’t know a damn thing about who you’ve become but I know exactly who you were five months ago in November. Man, I still remember that multi-man match like it was yesterday, you had the win sittin’ right there in your lap and what did I do? I slid in, tossed your ass clean over the top rope and stole the victory right out from under you. I owned that moment. I took it because I saw the opening and I went for it. But you? You couldn’t let it slide. Soon as the bell rang, you jumped me from behind with that cheap shot, layin’ me out like a coward instead of handlin’ it like a man. That’s the part that still bugs me, Chris. You a Hall of Famer, you been in this game longer than most of us, but instead of comin’ at me face-to-face you chose the sneak attack route. So, you gotta excuse my hostility ‘cause my ass already sees you as one thing and that’s petty.
And I respect what you built, Chris. I really do. But can I say you earned that spot in that match the hard way five months ago?
Shit, did you even earn your spot in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at Road To Redemption last year? ‘Cause when listenin’ to Miku Sakai speak on that shit, it sounds a lot like you didn’t. See, you still show up-. . .when you can but when you do, it’s as if you’re using that Hall of Fame spot to keep the lights on. Now I can sympathize with you ‘cause I know how it feels to be screwed now. I’ve been screwed over too many times lately and I’m done lettin’ opportunities slip because somebody else wants to play games. Havin’ a Hall of Fame tag on you doesn’t make me fear you and it doesn’t mean that ain’t gonna be comin’ with my hardest hits- it means the opposite. I got something to prove and I got a couple more shit to get off my chest and there’s no other way to get it done than in a street fight.
Last time, I asked whether you’s a bitch or not.
Guess we ‘bout to find out, right?
You gonna bring that same energy you brought after our last match? Or you finally gon’ step up and prove why they call you Elite instead of garbage.
I started out here bein’ glad with the fact that I was showin’ up on TV but then I remembered that this is a dog eat dog world and I gotta be the one to keep the food on the table now. I didn’t come into this game with silver spoons or easy breaks. I came from Detroit and the only way most of us survive is by stayin’ ten steps ahead of whatever’s tryin’ to knock us down. Back home, a lot of kids who dress like me, talk like me - never even get the chance to dream bigger because somebody sees the wrong color on your shoes or the way you carry yourself and suddenly you labeled a problem before you ever had a real shot. I was that tough kid runnin’ around thinkin’ the only way to make it was to be the hardest one in the room, watchin’ too many people who could’ve been somethin’ get left behind or written off. See, that shit sticks with me and it never really leaves, like a stain you can’t get off no matter how much you try to wipe it. Even when standing in the ring or when walking around backstage, I feel it every single night - the responsibility of bein’ one of the ones who actually made it out, knowin’ I can’t reach back and pull everybody up with me no matter how bad I want to.
Detroit raised me to understand that opportunities are rare and you gotta seize ‘em when they come, because tomorrow ain’t promised and the streets will swallow you whole if you hesitate. Why I put myself into that damn Battle Royale match. Why I took that opportunity and tossed you out of the picture doing that match. Why I talked my way into the Grand Rampage match to begin with, brotha. And it’s why nights like these hit different for me, dawg. I’m not just fightin’ for a win in Oaxaca. I’m fightin’ for every kid back home who never got the fair shake, for every time I got robbed or counted out on some technicality bullshit and for the version of me that refuses to let the game keep takin’ from me without givin’ somethin’ back.
Oh, I’m fightin’ for the regular kids too - the Johns, the Marys, the Calebs, the Smiths.
And you can’t forget the special ones like Javier.
I hope you’re willing to make this one count for the right reasons, dawg. And I hope you’re as ready to throw hands like I am - this was prolly a tough promo to listen to from a dude who ain’t been in the game as much as you - and I know I’m still licking my wounds but if you think that makes my points unjustified - then you can kiss my ass.
No cheap shots after the bell this time and no wins to be stolen, let’s have it out ‘til one man is left standin’, respect. I’ll see you when I see you.
Before I go, I gotta let it be known to Javier. Cancer picked the wrong kid to mess with. . .‘cause you already winnin’ the war that matters most. Kick its ass and make sure it don’t get back up. ”
——
“ Yo, Javier, ‘lil homie. You’re tougher than a lot of grown men I step in the ring with, man- I should even include myself in that bunch. Fightin’ those types of battles at your age shows nothin’ more than a huge ton of real strength. That’s the kind of fight most of us couldn’t even imagine. I just want you to know I see you. Keep battlin’, keep smilin’ when you can, keep bein’ that strong kid you already are. Your heart is bigger than the arena for the show tomorrow and to your family. . . y’all are holdin’ it down like champs. I respect the hell out of every one of you for standin’ with him. This night is for Javier. Ain’t no question about it.
Last week, I had the time to explain myself on what I was feeling. I let it all out, talkin’ about how Shock Value still had me messed up in the head. I took the hit from Cosmo and went down but I ended up getting held down by the man who has a shot at becoming the Hardcore Champion- though if I’m being real wit’ y’all, it’s a slim one. But, look- look, I didn’t lose because I got beat fair and square. I lost because somebody else decided to make my match about him. That stuff ate at me. I came out last week sayin’ I needed to get back in the groove, because I didn’t fight my way up here just to keep gettin’ robbed and watchin’ other people celebrate wins they didn’t earn. I needed to remind myself why I’m still here, not to take Ls that ain’t really mine, but to start stackin’ Ws the right way again. That frustration from Shock Value is still sittin’ right here on my chest but last week, it had a name on it, you feel me?
Now, Carmen, first off- my bad on that “Señorita” thing last week, man. I was tryna be all old-school respectful to a debuter, but you shut that down quick and I hear you loud and clear. I gotta rep the same energy for everyone else, right? It’s a good point you made and if I wouldn’t call these dudes in the back “Señor” right before I call ‘em a bitch, I damn sure ain’t switchin’ up the energy for you. Lesson learned, my fault. But real talk, you came in last week and gave me a hell of a fight. I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it, you tested me in ways I didn’t expect from somebody on their first night. No matter what I hit you with, you stayed movin’ fast and you never stopped comin’- though folks will choose to believe that you walked out with nothin’ it’s clear to me that you walked out of that match with a ton of respect which is more than I did on my first match here. Glad to see that you ain’t foldin’ and you’re already pickin’ yourself up and dustin’ yourself off, already lookin’ forward to the next one. That’s the kind of heart that will take you far in this business.
I believe that’s the same type of energy and heart that you used to bring to the game, Chris. I’m sayin’ ‘used to’ ‘cause every fool wit’ their brain in their heads can tell that you ain’t the same man that you ‘used to’ be but you don’t need to be told about all that. Especially not from me. Shit, would you even listen if it came from me, after all, I’m just about as new here as. . .pffft, prolly Diego Montana. Maybe to you, at least. But it ain’t really a matter of you listenin’ to me because you want to, it’s more so the fact that you ain’t got no choice to ‘cause everyone has said that same damn thing to you over and over and over again and it’s gettin’ to your head.
I ain’t tryin’ to but the idea is already nesting up in there and gettin’ comfortable.
When I look at Chris Elite, I don’t see the version of you who’s roaming around here today. . .nah, nah, nah. I see the Hall of Famer. But I still mostly remember the fact that I pissed off a desperate Chris Elite, we don’t get that version of Elite no more. But I think your acts of desperation are more destructive now than they were when you were trying to make your name around here. To me, there are two levels of desperation. One, that need of hunger. You’ll do anything you can, beat anyone you have to, go anywhere you shouldn’t in order to climb the ranks and claim that number one sport. That’s who Chris Elite was but who he is now- all he is now is a desperate man who’s only desperate to become the man that he once was instead of becoming the man who’s better. You’re so focused on goin’ ‘back’ to your prime when you should be actin’ as if you haven’t reached it yet.
Now I don’t know a damn thing about who you’ve become but I know exactly who you were five months ago in November. Man, I still remember that multi-man match like it was yesterday, you had the win sittin’ right there in your lap and what did I do? I slid in, tossed your ass clean over the top rope and stole the victory right out from under you. I owned that moment. I took it because I saw the opening and I went for it. But you? You couldn’t let it slide. Soon as the bell rang, you jumped me from behind with that cheap shot, layin’ me out like a coward instead of handlin’ it like a man. That’s the part that still bugs me, Chris. You a Hall of Famer, you been in this game longer than most of us, but instead of comin’ at me face-to-face you chose the sneak attack route. So, you gotta excuse my hostility ‘cause my ass already sees you as one thing and that’s petty.
And I respect what you built, Chris. I really do. But can I say you earned that spot in that match the hard way five months ago?
Shit, did you even earn your spot in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at Road To Redemption last year? ‘Cause when listenin’ to Miku Sakai speak on that shit, it sounds a lot like you didn’t. See, you still show up-. . .when you can but when you do, it’s as if you’re using that Hall of Fame spot to keep the lights on. Now I can sympathize with you ‘cause I know how it feels to be screwed now. I’ve been screwed over too many times lately and I’m done lettin’ opportunities slip because somebody else wants to play games. Havin’ a Hall of Fame tag on you doesn’t make me fear you and it doesn’t mean that ain’t gonna be comin’ with my hardest hits- it means the opposite. I got something to prove and I got a couple more shit to get off my chest and there’s no other way to get it done than in a street fight.
Last time, I asked whether you’s a bitch or not.
Guess we ‘bout to find out, right?
You gonna bring that same energy you brought after our last match? Or you finally gon’ step up and prove why they call you Elite instead of garbage.
I started out here bein’ glad with the fact that I was showin’ up on TV but then I remembered that this is a dog eat dog world and I gotta be the one to keep the food on the table now. I didn’t come into this game with silver spoons or easy breaks. I came from Detroit and the only way most of us survive is by stayin’ ten steps ahead of whatever’s tryin’ to knock us down. Back home, a lot of kids who dress like me, talk like me - never even get the chance to dream bigger because somebody sees the wrong color on your shoes or the way you carry yourself and suddenly you labeled a problem before you ever had a real shot. I was that tough kid runnin’ around thinkin’ the only way to make it was to be the hardest one in the room, watchin’ too many people who could’ve been somethin’ get left behind or written off. See, that shit sticks with me and it never really leaves, like a stain you can’t get off no matter how much you try to wipe it. Even when standing in the ring or when walking around backstage, I feel it every single night - the responsibility of bein’ one of the ones who actually made it out, knowin’ I can’t reach back and pull everybody up with me no matter how bad I want to.
Detroit raised me to understand that opportunities are rare and you gotta seize ‘em when they come, because tomorrow ain’t promised and the streets will swallow you whole if you hesitate. Why I put myself into that damn Battle Royale match. Why I took that opportunity and tossed you out of the picture doing that match. Why I talked my way into the Grand Rampage match to begin with, brotha. And it’s why nights like these hit different for me, dawg. I’m not just fightin’ for a win in Oaxaca. I’m fightin’ for every kid back home who never got the fair shake, for every time I got robbed or counted out on some technicality bullshit and for the version of me that refuses to let the game keep takin’ from me without givin’ somethin’ back.
Oh, I’m fightin’ for the regular kids too - the Johns, the Marys, the Calebs, the Smiths.
And you can’t forget the special ones like Javier.
I hope you’re willing to make this one count for the right reasons, dawg. And I hope you’re as ready to throw hands like I am - this was prolly a tough promo to listen to from a dude who ain’t been in the game as much as you - and I know I’m still licking my wounds but if you think that makes my points unjustified - then you can kiss my ass.
No cheap shots after the bell this time and no wins to be stolen, let’s have it out ‘til one man is left standin’, respect. I’ll see you when I see you.
Before I go, I gotta let it be known to Javier. Cancer picked the wrong kid to mess with. . .‘cause you already winnin’ the war that matters most. Kick its ass and make sure it don’t get back up. ”
