When I was growing up, my dad only knew how to be tough on me.
But I knew it was because he wanted the absolute best for me.
He saw a potential in me that I sometimes didn’t see in myself.
But over the years, the one thing he never really taught me was how to let go.
He taught me how to be a man, he taught me how to be a father, he taught me how to be a fighter, he taught me how to conduct myself as a champion.
Letting go and saying goodbye was always a struggle for me though.
I remember the neurologist telling me that if I didn’t put the gloves down and stop fighting that I was going to take the wrong punch one day and immediately become a vegetable.
No more playing with my kids, no more good times with my wife, nothing.
But do you want to know the sad thing?
It still took another half dozen fights and my wife threatening to leave before I finally walked away.
But even though Austin talked me into trying out the wrestling business, I never truly let go of fighting.
I never fully walked away.
Every match I won in the wrestling ring, every fan I would see wearing one of my t-shirts, every time my name came out of the announcer’s mouth, it was almost like therapy for me.
Wrestling filled the void that fighting left.
Your words continued to ring true pop, your teachings were almost interchangeable.
I won matches, I won championships, I was idolized, revered and adored.
But then something changed.
It all stopped.
It all stopped when you left.
The one constant I had in my life was gone and it was truly devastating.
Our scene shows an early morning in Lakewood, Washington at Mountain View Funeral Home.
The sun is just rising as we see a man standing in front of a headstone.
The name and other writing on the headstone is clearly visible.
“Arthur Reynolds”
“Pop”
1953 – 2016
I didn’t know what to do Pop.
Honestly I felt like I was in the deep end of a swimming pool, just treading water, trying to keep myself afloat.
The victories stopped soon after.
The cheers stopped soon after.
I quickly became a shell of the man that I knew I could be.
I had to walk away.
I turned my back to everything thinking that would solve the problem, but honestly I should have known better.
You didn’t raise no quitter.
I knew I had to come back even though my wife wanted nothing more than to see me leave the fighting behind me. Whether boxing or wrestling, she was getting broken seeing me put my body on the line every single week. I’ll never forget something she said to me the night I decided to come back to wrestling.
When do you stop being the fighter Dominic?
When do you stop being the fighter Dominic and start being the father, or the husband?
Your kids need you Dom, I need you Dom!
I love my wife and I love my kids.
But I only knew how to compete.
That defined my life for as long as I can remember.
I spent so much time training, and working to overcome all obstacles that I never really learned how to be the husband that she needed, or the father that my kids deserved.
I knew something had to change.
I knew that I had to put this behind me, not for me, not for you, but for them.
My wife and my family deserved to have the best of me in their lives.
I wanted to do this for them, but I knew that before I could really ride off into the sunset for good that I had one last thing that I needed to do.
I knew there was one last thing I needed to accomplish.
I know it’s what you would want me to do Pop.
Blade LaVigne
Saying goodbye is both relieving and bittersweet at the same time my friend.
You and I have a history more interwoven than you know.
I honestly had a feeling that our paths were bound to cross at one point or another.
I know a lot about you as I’m sure I know you know a lot about me.
The image you convey is one of casual indifference, but I know the truth my friend.
I know how you are terrified of feeling inadequate; I know how that feeling haunts you to the very core of your soul. I know how you are constantly seeking validation, whether it be from the fans of this business or the fellow wrestlers. You crave approval Blade while consistently portraying a mellow status quo.
It took you nearly ten years for you to get out of your own way, and when you did, you became the longest reigning champion our company has ever had. But since then man, you appear to have once again fallen victim to your own complacent ways.
Were you afraid of maintaining that success?
Did you tell yourself that you weren’t good enough?
The reason is moot to be honest.
You see Blade; under different circumstances I would have a much different approach to this match,
training to the point of near death, breaking you down on every possible level, doing everything humanly possible to make sure that I made your life miserable. There’s no point for none of that anymore. This all boils down to one very simple thing, I know you’re going to bring the best you have got to the ring. I know you’re going to walk through those ropes and do everything you can to try and whip my ass Blade. Just like I’m sure you know that I’m going to bring the absolute best of me to the ring as well. We both want the same thing man, but in the end only one of us can get it.
May the better man win my friend.
I couldn’t think of a better man to have my final fight be with than you.
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OOC: Due to poor WiFi, Austin wanted me to post this for him.
