Post by Terry McKenna on Apr 25, 2016 22:19:01 GMT
The sun had set and rested calmly over Tokyo, Japan; casting a purple hue over Shinjuku Gyoen. It brought back memories – good ones. Planting his forearms on a railing that separated the water from the garden, Terry took a deep breath and looked out into the horizon. This was where he spent a lot of his time during his stint in Japan.
He had barely been in Tokyo for two hours, and with Ainsley fatigued with jet lag and taking a nap, Terry saw this as an opportune time to return to his place. Hours before he made his debut in Japan, a nervy trek throughout Shinjuku brought him here, and the tranquil atmosphere helped ease his butterflies; after he defeated SHŌTA for his first ever Junior Heavyweight Championship, rather than going out with the lads and the sponsors, this is where he came to celebrate; and days before he was set to make his debut for New Japan Fighting Championship, along with Ana, where else would he have gone?
A lot was weighing on Terry’s mind; he had just turned twenty-six, but still found himself searching for happiness. There was a lot for Terry to be happy about, after all he was doing what he loved for a living, and this past year with Ainsley had given him a new lease on life. But a lot of the time, he was left feeling empty, and wrestling was his escape – in 2009, he escaped to Japan.
“I owe a lot to Japan, after all, this was the place where I cut my teeth in the wrestlin’ industry.”
A smile slowly formed on Terry’s face, as the memories rushed to him. The battles he had weren’t always pretty, but the memories will stay with him forever, and the scars severed as a constant reminder.
“In 2007 I was just a young boy who made ‘is debut at the age of seventeen. I wasn’t any good – too naïve to be consistently successful – but I made it a rule of thumb to never say no to a bookin’ or an opportunity. Two years later, this scrawny lad from Bermondsey was on a twelve-hour flight to Tokyo. Truth be told, I ‘aven’t got a clue why HONOR showed interest in me, but I owe them my career for it. So you can imagine just how ‘ard it was for me to leave in 2013.”
Terry ran his hand through his neatly cropped hair and lowered his head slightly, focusing on his reflection in the ripples of the water.
“Back then, I was constantly on a mission to prove myself, to prove that I was the best technical wrestler in the world – the best wrestler in the world. And in 2013, I felt that I ‘ad accomplished everythin’ I was gonna do in Japan. But I ‘adn’t; there was one thing that ‘ad managed to escape me, not just in Japan, but my entire career. I’ve never been a tag team champion.”
Turning around, Terry leaned his back up against the railing, but continued to stare off into the distance.
“Truth be told, I’ve never really wanted to be a tag team champion. I’ve never really liked the idea of being in a team. But then I saw Ana wrestle, and I knew she was special. More than that, I knew that, together, we could be special. And with New Japan openin’ their doors for tag teams across the globe, I knew we could be special ‘ere.”
Taking a moment to pause, Terry thought about the tournament at hand. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he wouldn’t have signed Ana and himself up if he didn’t think they could win.
“I knew—I know we can be the GPC World Tag Team Champions.”
Once again, Terry takes a deep breath.
“This is a huge opportunity for us both. Tag teams from all across the globe convene this Saturday, all-vyin’ to become GPC World Tag Team champions. There are gonna be teams with years of experience and partners that ‘ave been friends for years entering, but Ana and myself? We don’t ‘ave that; we’re different. We’ve barely been friends for two minutes, and if you were to ask ‘er, she’ll probably tell you she ‘ates me. But talent always finds a way to rise to the top, and Ana and I have tonnes of talent.”
Ana and Terry weren’t your typical team, they barely knew one another, but Terry knew what he was doing when he signed the two up.
“We don’t ‘ave years of experience – we’ve teamed together once. We ‘aven’t been friends for years – I can barely get two sentences in before settin’ ‘er off. But there is no doubt in my mind that once that bell rings, all the animosity between us disappears. There is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be able to coexist Saturday, because Ana and I are fighters, and we fight to win, just like everyone else in this tournament. So take the experience and years of friendship that other teams posses, and they can shove it up their arses. The decidin’ factor this Saturday wont be ‘ow much experience one team ‘as, or ‘ow long they’ve known one another – it’ll be talent. The most talented team will win.”
Tilting his head slightly, Terry turned to face the camera for the first time. The early origins of a confident smirk could be seen forming on his lips.
“And Ana and I just happen to be the most talented wrestlers in this bloody tournament.”
A full smirk now appears on his face, and without saying another word, he steps out of view of the camera. The scene pans around to the back of Terry, walking off into the distance, as the scene fades to black.
He had barely been in Tokyo for two hours, and with Ainsley fatigued with jet lag and taking a nap, Terry saw this as an opportune time to return to his place. Hours before he made his debut in Japan, a nervy trek throughout Shinjuku brought him here, and the tranquil atmosphere helped ease his butterflies; after he defeated SHŌTA for his first ever Junior Heavyweight Championship, rather than going out with the lads and the sponsors, this is where he came to celebrate; and days before he was set to make his debut for New Japan Fighting Championship, along with Ana, where else would he have gone?
A lot was weighing on Terry’s mind; he had just turned twenty-six, but still found himself searching for happiness. There was a lot for Terry to be happy about, after all he was doing what he loved for a living, and this past year with Ainsley had given him a new lease on life. But a lot of the time, he was left feeling empty, and wrestling was his escape – in 2009, he escaped to Japan.
“I owe a lot to Japan, after all, this was the place where I cut my teeth in the wrestlin’ industry.”
A smile slowly formed on Terry’s face, as the memories rushed to him. The battles he had weren’t always pretty, but the memories will stay with him forever, and the scars severed as a constant reminder.
“In 2007 I was just a young boy who made ‘is debut at the age of seventeen. I wasn’t any good – too naïve to be consistently successful – but I made it a rule of thumb to never say no to a bookin’ or an opportunity. Two years later, this scrawny lad from Bermondsey was on a twelve-hour flight to Tokyo. Truth be told, I ‘aven’t got a clue why HONOR showed interest in me, but I owe them my career for it. So you can imagine just how ‘ard it was for me to leave in 2013.”
Terry ran his hand through his neatly cropped hair and lowered his head slightly, focusing on his reflection in the ripples of the water.
“Back then, I was constantly on a mission to prove myself, to prove that I was the best technical wrestler in the world – the best wrestler in the world. And in 2013, I felt that I ‘ad accomplished everythin’ I was gonna do in Japan. But I ‘adn’t; there was one thing that ‘ad managed to escape me, not just in Japan, but my entire career. I’ve never been a tag team champion.”
Turning around, Terry leaned his back up against the railing, but continued to stare off into the distance.
“Truth be told, I’ve never really wanted to be a tag team champion. I’ve never really liked the idea of being in a team. But then I saw Ana wrestle, and I knew she was special. More than that, I knew that, together, we could be special. And with New Japan openin’ their doors for tag teams across the globe, I knew we could be special ‘ere.”
Taking a moment to pause, Terry thought about the tournament at hand. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he wouldn’t have signed Ana and himself up if he didn’t think they could win.
“I knew—I know we can be the GPC World Tag Team Champions.”
Once again, Terry takes a deep breath.
“This is a huge opportunity for us both. Tag teams from all across the globe convene this Saturday, all-vyin’ to become GPC World Tag Team champions. There are gonna be teams with years of experience and partners that ‘ave been friends for years entering, but Ana and myself? We don’t ‘ave that; we’re different. We’ve barely been friends for two minutes, and if you were to ask ‘er, she’ll probably tell you she ‘ates me. But talent always finds a way to rise to the top, and Ana and I have tonnes of talent.”
Ana and Terry weren’t your typical team, they barely knew one another, but Terry knew what he was doing when he signed the two up.
“We don’t ‘ave years of experience – we’ve teamed together once. We ‘aven’t been friends for years – I can barely get two sentences in before settin’ ‘er off. But there is no doubt in my mind that once that bell rings, all the animosity between us disappears. There is no doubt in my mind that we’ll be able to coexist Saturday, because Ana and I are fighters, and we fight to win, just like everyone else in this tournament. So take the experience and years of friendship that other teams posses, and they can shove it up their arses. The decidin’ factor this Saturday wont be ‘ow much experience one team ‘as, or ‘ow long they’ve known one another – it’ll be talent. The most talented team will win.”
Tilting his head slightly, Terry turned to face the camera for the first time. The early origins of a confident smirk could be seen forming on his lips.
“And Ana and I just happen to be the most talented wrestlers in this bloody tournament.”
A full smirk now appears on his face, and without saying another word, he steps out of view of the camera. The scene pans around to the back of Terry, walking off into the distance, as the scene fades to black.
