Post by James Edwards on Jul 3, 2017 18:55:24 GMT
The time after a loss is never one of sweetness and light for a serious fighter. The time after a second consecutive loss is a ticket to a personal hell that is hard to articulate. The fighter doesn't want to talk about it. He wants to be left alone to brood, ponder, or toss items across the locker room. Typically that privilege is afforded to him in the United States with its elaborate system of media handling.
Not in Japan. Not in a nation that treats professional wrestling as a national pastime on the same level as the Nippon Professional League. After a defeat, a fighter must talk, even when he is at his lowest point. Deadlines and honor demand it.
This is where we find James Edwards, moments after a heartbreaking defeat to Chandler Scott. The Burning Heart looks lost like he needs a guide navigating through whatever personal fog is putting a faraway look in his eyes. He does not notice the strobe light like effects of the flashbulbs or the rapid fire questions coming in at him in Japanese. His translator keeps nudging him in the shoulder to no avail.
A few more awkward moments pass before James motions for his translator to bend down. He whispers in the man's ear and quickly receives a towel. James wipes his face and then hangs the towel over his head with only his mouth remaining uncovered.
"I ain't gonna take any questions. Kenji will have a written summary of my statement ready in an hour or so."
The translator, now known as Kenji, rattles of James' words in Japanese. More flashes go off from the photography pool. James listens carefully for the clicks of the cameras to stop before he begins speaking again.
"I'm gonna be blunt here. I ain't happy about how things turned with my last two fights. I had a gameplan I thought was solid enough to get me past two of the more challenging fighters in the tournament. I was confident enough to guarantee victory, but what does confidence get you?"
A pause for Kenji to catch the press corp up. James takes advantage by taking a long drink for a previously unseen jug of water.
"It doesn't get you a damn thing in the long run. I don't know if I got arrogant or too rigid in my thinking. Honestly, it doesn't matter to dwell on things, because I'm in a hole right now. Four points behind on the leaderboard and on the cusp of being cut from the roster when the new homegrown talent initiative takes effect. So where does that leave me?"
Another pause complete with sips of water, clicks, and words in Japanese.
"With my back against the wall, that is where I am. If I want a chance at the title, then I have to win my next fight. If I want another call to compete on another tour, which I do, then I have to win my next two fights. This is not a black and white situation, just the way it is, and one thing I will guarantee is if I win, I'll be in good position for both.
I can understand the resentment of guys like Yuji Misawa. The company brings in a bunch of folks like me from overseas to take his job, the opportunities he thinks he has earned. So he and the rest of the native contingent stuck up for their rights, and as a result some of us foreigners are going home. I get they did it because their livelihood is threatened, but now they are doing the same shit to me. The way I see it, every fight against a Japanese wrestler from here on out is a battle for survival. Only one of us can remain. Only one of us can prove we are worth keeping around. What I want to know is if Yuji is desperate enough to wage total war with the most difficult out in this tournament? No one has been spent more time in the ring during this thing than me. No one has fought harder than me. No one has taken his losses more personally than I have. That is a helluva a storm to overcome, and it will take his best to take my place in the bread line.
I can respect Yuji's reason for fighting. I can't say the same for Terrence Tillman. You want everyone to 'remember the name,' Triple T? You want to go out with a 'bang'? What does that have to do with survival? Do you think that star power is enough to keep you around in a country where wins and losses matter? You're a waste of space, Tillman because of your attitude. I can't stomach the thought of losing my spot to a guy who doesn't even care enough to take this competition seriously. I'm gonna make it a point to knock you out. Then I hope management will take notice of the right kind of American that they need to invest in."
And with that, James leaves to seek solace in the locker room as his translator's words and the flashbulbs continue to produce a melody of attention that is on the verge of driving him insane.
Not in Japan. Not in a nation that treats professional wrestling as a national pastime on the same level as the Nippon Professional League. After a defeat, a fighter must talk, even when he is at his lowest point. Deadlines and honor demand it.
This is where we find James Edwards, moments after a heartbreaking defeat to Chandler Scott. The Burning Heart looks lost like he needs a guide navigating through whatever personal fog is putting a faraway look in his eyes. He does not notice the strobe light like effects of the flashbulbs or the rapid fire questions coming in at him in Japanese. His translator keeps nudging him in the shoulder to no avail.
A few more awkward moments pass before James motions for his translator to bend down. He whispers in the man's ear and quickly receives a towel. James wipes his face and then hangs the towel over his head with only his mouth remaining uncovered.
"I ain't gonna take any questions. Kenji will have a written summary of my statement ready in an hour or so."
The translator, now known as Kenji, rattles of James' words in Japanese. More flashes go off from the photography pool. James listens carefully for the clicks of the cameras to stop before he begins speaking again.
"I'm gonna be blunt here. I ain't happy about how things turned with my last two fights. I had a gameplan I thought was solid enough to get me past two of the more challenging fighters in the tournament. I was confident enough to guarantee victory, but what does confidence get you?"
A pause for Kenji to catch the press corp up. James takes advantage by taking a long drink for a previously unseen jug of water.
"It doesn't get you a damn thing in the long run. I don't know if I got arrogant or too rigid in my thinking. Honestly, it doesn't matter to dwell on things, because I'm in a hole right now. Four points behind on the leaderboard and on the cusp of being cut from the roster when the new homegrown talent initiative takes effect. So where does that leave me?"
Another pause complete with sips of water, clicks, and words in Japanese.
"With my back against the wall, that is where I am. If I want a chance at the title, then I have to win my next fight. If I want another call to compete on another tour, which I do, then I have to win my next two fights. This is not a black and white situation, just the way it is, and one thing I will guarantee is if I win, I'll be in good position for both.
I can understand the resentment of guys like Yuji Misawa. The company brings in a bunch of folks like me from overseas to take his job, the opportunities he thinks he has earned. So he and the rest of the native contingent stuck up for their rights, and as a result some of us foreigners are going home. I get they did it because their livelihood is threatened, but now they are doing the same shit to me. The way I see it, every fight against a Japanese wrestler from here on out is a battle for survival. Only one of us can remain. Only one of us can prove we are worth keeping around. What I want to know is if Yuji is desperate enough to wage total war with the most difficult out in this tournament? No one has been spent more time in the ring during this thing than me. No one has fought harder than me. No one has taken his losses more personally than I have. That is a helluva a storm to overcome, and it will take his best to take my place in the bread line.
I can respect Yuji's reason for fighting. I can't say the same for Terrence Tillman. You want everyone to 'remember the name,' Triple T? You want to go out with a 'bang'? What does that have to do with survival? Do you think that star power is enough to keep you around in a country where wins and losses matter? You're a waste of space, Tillman because of your attitude. I can't stomach the thought of losing my spot to a guy who doesn't even care enough to take this competition seriously. I'm gonna make it a point to knock you out. Then I hope management will take notice of the right kind of American that they need to invest in."
And with that, James leaves to seek solace in the locker room as his translator's words and the flashbulbs continue to produce a melody of attention that is on the verge of driving him insane.