Post by Steve Sinclair on Jun 20, 2015 2:20:49 GMT
Friday night and Joe is with his buddy Nanook as the two are walking out of a gym getting in that minute workout.
Well Joe was anyways.
As they way through the parking lot Timmy the cameraman comes running up to them.
”Christ all mighty Timmy! You still at this?”
You can tell Timmy ran across the parking lot himself as you can hear him breathing hard as he is out of breath himself.
”Joe! I have been looking for you all day. Did you hear the latest from Phoenix Winterborn?”
They just happen to be near Joe’s rental, a 2014 Nissan Cube, white with tinted windows. Nanook makes this noise, not quite a laugh and not quite a grunt, it was something along the lines of “You have got to be kidding me?” Joe throws his gym bag down on the pavement and looks at Timmy, who is becoming his personal camera man.
“Yeah I heard that foul bird run his mouth. A little late to the party don’t you think?”
”What? What do you mean?”
As Nanook walks around the Cube to toss his bag in the back ”You’re kidding me right? Winterborn is the perfect example of guys who didn’t get what we tried to do in the UWL. He missed the whole point of Team Empire.”
Joe nods.{/font] “Yup. I was willing to fight for guys like him, but screw him, screw him!”
”I don’t get it? What do you mean fight for guys like him?”
“Before Angelo went and made this all about himself and his battle with the UWL, We, Team Empire were here in the UWL to change how things were handle, change how things were run. Now listen, This isn’t Japan and quite honestly I never freaking heard of Winterborn till our paths crossed here in the UWL but..” Joe shrugs “I don’t spend too much time in Japan. There are way too many guys and gals running around in this business to keep track of so you know, when someone like Winterborn spends most of their time overseas and someone like me is killing it here in the states, hey! You just go about doing what you’re doing and you never hear of those guys. I’m sure prior to him coming to the UWL he never heard of me so it’s a two way street. Much like him, I have 15 years under my belt too. Just like him I’m a multi World champion, Tag Team Champion. But you know when you sign on that dotted line in a place that is new to you, where most of the fans don’t know you. All of those titles don’t really mean too much in good old Knoxville. Those belts in all honesty did help me get hired by the UWL over two years ago because they proved I wasn’t some bum, no name hack who has no right being in that ring. I’m sure the same can be said about Winterborn. Now while I have had some success here in the UWL, former Tag Team and Heritage champion.”
Nanook just butts in.
”The same can’t be said for Winterborn. He had so much hype around that guy and he never lives up to the billing. For over a year now, all we hear about are the Birds of Prey! Oh the Birds are going to be the next great tag team in the UWL! The Birds are the team to take down Joe and Billy! The Birds are the team to push International Incident to the edge! The Birds of Prey will destroy Racing Tyme!” Nanook says as he slowly walks around the Cube. ”You know what really happened Timmy?”
Nanook stands next to Joe and crosses his arms.
“Nothing Timmy. That is what happened. Both Autumn and Phoenix just couldn’t live up to the words that were coming out of their mouths. Is it really a big surprise that they aren’t facing Sanders and Williams for those tag belts? Is it really a big surprise?”
”Not really. No.”
“Is it because they both get hurt way too often? And that is coming from someone who gets dinged up himself. Or was it because the powers that be, the front office of the UWL just don’t really like them as he says they don’t and refuse to book him right.”
”Refuse to push them. Give them the opportunities that other teams have been getting.”
“Or is it because they just suck!”
”You know what they really need? A proper manager to do the fighting for them in the front offices, to get them those marquee matches. That is what they need.”
“Or maybe they just need to start winning some matches for once. You can’t piss and moan about not getting what you think you deserve when you’re laying on your back. I think they had a shot at the Shadows Family not too long ago….refresh my memory. How did that go?”
”Same as always.”
“Phoenix, you want to stand there and bad mouth Team Empire….go right ahead buddy. You want to stand there and fall in with the train of thinking that we were here to overrun the UWL and take this place over. Go right ahead because clearly you missed what I was trying to do. There is no help for you because you’ll never get it. But like I said, Team Empire is dead and gone now and the only person I have to worry about is me. All I have to do is make sure I get what I have coming. All I have to do from here on out is fight for myself, get my slice of the UWL pie, get my title matches and championship opportunities. Between kicking ass in the ring, beating up on the Odyssey's of the world and beating nobodies who haven’t lived up to the hype such as yourself, and with this guys right here.”
Joe pats Nanook on his back.
”And trust me, With me fighting for him even when the dust settles from the fall out of this whole Team Empire mess, this guy will have championship gold around his waist once again. I promise you that.”
“And while that is happening, you’ll be sitting in the locker room thinking about how big you used to be in Japan. How awesome you were in Japan. Telling every newb that pushes that door open in the locker room how many Heavyweight titles you won everywhere else….but here in the UWL.”
”Hundred bucks says Odyssey wins a title before you do.”
“It doesn’t matter how many leaves you turn over, how many times you throw caution to the wind and reinvent yourself and declare that this week you will see a new and improved bad ass Phoenix Winterborn, the same result will happen time and time again. You get passed over and over looked because you don’t check off that first box on the checklist of getting a title shot.”
”Can he win a match? Has be beaten anyone of note.”
“Tomorrow night, You won’t walk out of that ring the victor. Neither will Odyssey. There can only be one, and that one man is me, Double J Joe Jones. And why is that?”
”He doesn’t care how big of a pop he gets from the crowd. He doesn’t sit around and reminisce about that one match he had against Monster Max.”
“Yeah such a shame I wasn’t here to see that, the one and only golden moment you had in the UWL, a match that I’m thinking you lost against Monster Max.”
”But look on the bright side Phoenix. Soon you’ll be able to add another grand moment to the old highlight reel.”
“When you lose to me. It’ll be the greatest accomplishment of your UWL career. Cherish it. Remember it. Savor it because around here, in these parts.”
Joe “adjusts” himself.
“I’m the biggest thing around here. Dare I say, I’m…..”
Joe leans towards Timmy and the camera and raises an eyebrow.
“Huge.”
Nanook pats Joe on the back and leans in towards the camera as well.
”And as former UWL Tag Team Champion Spotter used to say. If you know what I mean.”
“See you soon guys.” Joe blows a kiss towards the camera. “Real soon.”
Fade out.