Post by The_Aviator_GB on Mar 17, 2018 15:59:12 GMT
Hours before the first matches of the Young Lion's Cup, Graham Baker sits in front of a camcorder, his hands clasped. He's wearing casual workout clothing, clearly fresh from a local gym and trying to get something out before the show starts. The sounds of movement and present, but Graham is alone in the room. He coughs, and begins speaking.
Later today, I face off against James Saturn in the opening of the Freedom Pro Wrestling Young Lion's Cup. If I beat him here, I take on another Young Lion tomorrow in the semi-final, and another after that in the final match to claim the Young Lion's Cup for myself. Many of you have seen my debut in Freedom Pro against MDE, and may see me as having less of a chance than the other competitors...but the truth is, win or lose, having a match here gives me a distinct advantage. I've learned my pacing, to calm myself instead of diving headfirst into things, and when to pull back and push on. MDE's a smart man and a brilliant competitor, and he learns most of his improvements from studying tapes and old matches...i've done the same. I can see where i've slipped up, where I've made mistakes when I should've pushed, where i've pushed when I should've pulled, and so on.
James, you may have said that we're on an even playing field here in FPW, that what we've done before we got here doesn't matter...but the truth is, it does. If you faced Graham Baker a year ago on the independent scene, you would've put up a good fight, but you would've eventually taken a loss. If you faced me last month in my FPW debut, you would've met the same result, maybe come out with a win due to my lack of familiarity...but the truth is, right now, you're facing a Graham Baker who's taken steps to improve himself, to master every submission that he knows, that has plans to get you into every armlock, every leglock, every sleeper hold, and plans to double down if you get out while escaping your own holds. You're no longer just facing The Aviator, you're facing the future Ace of Freedom Pro Wrestling, a man who knows his way in and out of every ring he's been in, both a master technician and an expert of ring psychology.
Perhaps you'll show more promise than I can think of right now, but what I know is this: you're meeting your hardest challenge in the first round. I'm going to take you to the limit, James, and if you're not ready to keep up...then you're going to get shut down. Good luck, we'll both need it, but you'll need it a damn slight more than I will.
Graham sits for a moment before the camcorder stops filming.
Later today, I face off against James Saturn in the opening of the Freedom Pro Wrestling Young Lion's Cup. If I beat him here, I take on another Young Lion tomorrow in the semi-final, and another after that in the final match to claim the Young Lion's Cup for myself. Many of you have seen my debut in Freedom Pro against MDE, and may see me as having less of a chance than the other competitors...but the truth is, win or lose, having a match here gives me a distinct advantage. I've learned my pacing, to calm myself instead of diving headfirst into things, and when to pull back and push on. MDE's a smart man and a brilliant competitor, and he learns most of his improvements from studying tapes and old matches...i've done the same. I can see where i've slipped up, where I've made mistakes when I should've pushed, where i've pushed when I should've pulled, and so on.
James, you may have said that we're on an even playing field here in FPW, that what we've done before we got here doesn't matter...but the truth is, it does. If you faced Graham Baker a year ago on the independent scene, you would've put up a good fight, but you would've eventually taken a loss. If you faced me last month in my FPW debut, you would've met the same result, maybe come out with a win due to my lack of familiarity...but the truth is, right now, you're facing a Graham Baker who's taken steps to improve himself, to master every submission that he knows, that has plans to get you into every armlock, every leglock, every sleeper hold, and plans to double down if you get out while escaping your own holds. You're no longer just facing The Aviator, you're facing the future Ace of Freedom Pro Wrestling, a man who knows his way in and out of every ring he's been in, both a master technician and an expert of ring psychology.
Perhaps you'll show more promise than I can think of right now, but what I know is this: you're meeting your hardest challenge in the first round. I'm going to take you to the limit, James, and if you're not ready to keep up...then you're going to get shut down. Good luck, we'll both need it, but you'll need it a damn slight more than I will.
Graham sits for a moment before the camcorder stops filming.
