Post by Daniel Holiday on May 27, 2020 13:00:02 GMT -5
[He was thought to have been done with wrestling. A man, who's legacy was written in stone, left with nothing to prove in this industry. His status in the annals of time sealed and immortalized, having done everything there is to achieve. He had been at the top most of his career and earned every right to leave the industry on his terms. Without any regrets.
The hall of fame ceremony and celebration of his career is a formality, the questions only being "when would the induction occur?" and "which federation would he be inducted into the hall of fame with first?". The ride off into the sunset the final piece needed for everything to fall into place. For the ceremonies. The celebrations to begin being mapped out. Induction speeches to begin being penned...
Only for him to state three simple words. Three words that have put all plans pertaining to his retirement and subsequent Hall of Fame ceremonies on the backburner. Those three words? "Not Done Yet".
A simple message, but one that took everybody by surprise. Especially when the last time he was seen in the ring, he appeared to have given a non-verbal farewell to the fans, just with a singular nod of the head. Much like he had most of his career.
He had even simply vanished from the spotlight for eight months, the longest break he had taken from wrestling at any point of his career. Further fueling the speculation; fanning the flames of his retirement.
That was until he suddenly appeared out of nowhere with the very three words mentioned. Words that informed the world that he had merely been lurking in the shadows. Waiting for the right time to announce his return. The right moment, to step into the spotlight once more.
Prepared to lace up his boots and merely add further to an already accomplished career. Attain more notches on his belt. His name? Daniel Holiday.]
[It's a quiet Friday morning in the Holiday family residence in Toronto. The house having been renovated back in November in order to accommodate Daniel's return to the role of father and husband, as well as his wife Ciara's mother moving in with them, following the passing of Ciara's father in September last year.
The house itself had been built in 1967 with the original owners having not done any significant work on it, nor had any of the three families that lived in the house before Daniel moved in. That was on June the 19th, 2014. As such, it had been in a state of disrepair and decay, with flakes of cream paint falling onto the worn thin navy blue carpet. Causing a health hazard if either of his three children got a hold and ingested one of the flakes.
Fortunately, that has yet to occur, as Daniel has always been vigilant enough to vacuum the flakes up as soon as he saw them on the floor. Though the renovations have helped allay that fear and ensured the walls are freshly painted.
The rest of the house was also modernized in the renovations, including the freshly polished marble bench near the right-hand side window. The sun's reflection gleaming off the surface. In front of the table, is a jet black cushioned steel stool, which Daniel Holiday is seated atop of.
Wearing a midnight black plain t-shirt, denim jeans with a brown leather belt as well as slate white and wine Reebok sneakers. His ocean blue eyes staring across the bench and toward a blank spot on the wall, an icy cold expression across his face, he sits as if he was a statue. Meditating. Reflecting.]
Daniel Holiday-"They thought I was done. They assumed that my nod. My wave at the IXCW show was me saying goodbye for the last time. That after 15 years in the ring, my rodeo. My dance had finally had its curtains drawn. I don't blame them...There aren't a lot of wrestlers that can last this long and still compete at the top level.
Not many who have the mileage that I do. Not many who have suffered the injuries I have and still find it within themselves to compete. To step between those ropes and continue the cycle. Night in and night out. To continue giving the fans the entertainment. The hero, the role model that they need.
...Just like a comic book...
Only this is real life. It's not for everybody. It's not something that you can simply wake up and say you're going to do it. If it were that easy. If it were that simple, then many more would have accomplished it. They haven't."
[Daniel takes a deep breath, his eyes still intently focused on the wall. His body unmoving from its statue-like state.]
Daniel Holiday-"They haven't done it, because it's not who they are. It's not what they're about. To them, the mileage. The injuries get to a point where one must question whether or not it's worth the risk. Whether or not the reward justifies potentially putting your livelihood on the line. Family or money?
That is the question they find themselves having to answer. A question that for the past eight months, I have had to ask myself. What holds more value? Which one is more important? Once that question is answered, it is then that the next step can be taken.
Whether that be to focus on your family and step away from the ring or to continue along the wrestling path and juggle both responsibilities. Grind your teeth together and break through the pain barriers that are there.
Just as I have my entire career. I've wrestled through injuries that most people would retire from. I've kept going even when most would have turned around and said 'enough is enough' and gone back to their families. Nor can you blame them for making that decision. I very nearly made the same choice. I very nearly did walk away from the industry.
Leaving everything behind and just spending time at home with my wife and children, without the worry or stress of if this paycheck would be my last. Or if I would eventually helplessly watch as everybody lapped me. As wrestling grew beyond what I could provide to it."
[Another breath, as Daniel feels his facial muscles beginning to droop downwards. The realization of his wrestling mortality beginning to hit him hard. It's a feeling that began to take hold in August after he walked away from NWL's "Legion" Pay-Per-View without his world title. Defeated and with pain pulsating throughout his body.
It took him four days to physically recover from that bout and has admitted that he nearly left the industry there and then. That he needed time to consider whether he deep down, could still compete at the top of his game. The first time the thought of his own mortality in the ring had struck him.
As dominant as he has been throughout his career, he had noticed the talent starting to catch up to him. Each day, a new wrestler who he would have been seen as far superior to in his prime would wrestle at his level. Compete toe-to-toe with him.
For him, it was a reminder of the harsh reality of wrestling. It evolves and you have to either innovate to find a way to swim or sink and be left behind.]
Daniel Holiday-"Did I still have it? Could I still perform at my peak, even as the sport ushered in the new wave? At one point during my time away, I would have answered
...No...
I can admit that. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, because it had. I knew it as well. I knew as much as I had been denying it. Pushing it to the back of my mind, that I was lying to myself.
That I had been lying to each and every single person in the crowd. Trying to convince them that I was still at the top of my game. That it was all just a flesh wound that would heal with time.
It was more than that and deep down, I think everyone knew it. Especially me. Yet I kept telling myself that it would be alright. That it would all sort itself out eventually.
...That was the biggest mistake...
I should've known that it wouldn't simply 'sort itself out'. I should've stepped away from the ring the moment the thought had even begun to cross my mind and reflected. Posed the question that I had been ignorin' and truly consider if it was all worth it. If the pain was worth the gain. If I had anything else to give.
If the best choice was to continue wrestling. To go out there and perform, even when my heart and soul truly isn't in the ring anymore. Even when there's nothing more to achieve.
...I've done everything I set out to do in wrestling...
I've been at the top of the mountain. I've done everything a wrestler can do in this industry. I've been a part of some of the biggest matches in wrestling history. I've stood upon the stage and smiled. Soaked in the adulation.
The cheers every single fan has given me. Countless times. I've won championships. I've been the man everyone wanted to be and the man everyone wanted to beat."
[Sighing, the man best known by his moniker of "The Hallmark" raises his right hand, slowly running it through his hair. His face a portrait of a man conflicted. A man, who doesn't truly know the answer to the question.
Who doesn't know what more he has within him. Who doesn't know how much mileage he has in his body. How much longer he can truly compete at the level he's been renowned for. The standard that he has set for himself inside the ring. Pulling his hand back down, he softly exhales.]
Daniel Holiday-"I still am the man everybody wants to beat. The man they call to when they want their names up in lights. When they want somebody they know will have eyes upon them, in order to prove themselves. I did the same thing when I started out in this industry. It's how you ensure people know exactly who you are and what you want from this business.
Regardless of if they agree with you. It's always been that way. Now, it's my turn to be the one used as the tool. The device to elevate. To 'pass the torch' as we call it to the next era. To the new crop of wrestlers, rising up the ranks. A task I am more than willing to fulfil.
Just as those who came before like Ryan Andrews and Andre West did for me. Just as Nick Bush did for them. The lineage of wrestling continues to evolve. Continues to grow with each and every generation that steps between those ropes.
That is why I'm not done yet. That is why my role in this industry hasn't been completed. Why there is still something I still need to scratch off my list."
[He curls the right side of his mouth upwards.]
Daniel Holiday-"That doesn't mean I intend on just laying down and letting the new generation walk over me. No. It'd be foolish and would not serve any purpose for me to do that. All it would do is prove them right. Prove those who thought I was done. That I couldn't compete with the new wave, right. I'm not here to do that. I'm not here for one last meal ticket before I ride off into the sunset.
If I was, then I would never have come back. I would have stayed here and told you I was done. That the risk. That the agony was no longer worth the reward for me. That the new generation now had the torch. That they have the ball and now must run with it. That the ring was now theirs.
That is not the case just yet. Eventually, the torch. The ring will be theirs, to uphold the natural order of wrestling. To continue breeding the generation that shall come after them, but that time is not now.
The moment is not theirs. Not as long as I still stand here. Not as long as I can still step between the ropes. Not as long as I can still perform to the standard you all know and love."
[Gently laughing, Daniel places his hands gently atop the table, using it as a means to push himself up into a vertical position, careful so as not to push too hard that the table tips over. Especially with how fragile the marble surface is. Stepping back as he stands, he pivots his body around. Allowing himself a glance at the pristine nature of the kitchen. The fruits of seventeen hours spent polishing and cleaning each and every single appliance.
From the fridge to the oven. Scrubbed and washed, each to the point where they are virtually spotless. The surface shiny enough to act as a mirror. Such is the level of Holiday's perfectionism. A personality trait that runs deeper than just his attitude inside the ring.
You can ask Ciara about how obsessive he is with cleanliness and making sure everything is neat and orderly. To him, it's imperative that everything be in order, so that either the children cannot reach it if it's dangerous to them, or easily accessible should they need to access a particular item.
Slowly walking, his feet echo with each step, gently hitting the oak floorboards before he reaches the Forest green painted wooden doorframe, leading him into the hall. A hall that runs from the north of the house to the front door, branching off into seven separate rooms. Exhaling, Daniel pivots his body to the left as he steps atop the wine-coloured nylon carpet, calmly walking toward his lounge room.
His mind focused on ensuring that everything pertaining to his return. To the comeback, flows as smoothly as his entire career to this point has. Simply put, he wants to ensure that people see that he is not done yet. Not by a long shot.]
[Outlaw Pro Wrestling, or OPW for short. They are the company that Daniel made the decision to make his return to the ring for. A promotion, who is trying to find their way in the industry. A company, built on a foundation of both youthful talent and those who are just like Daniel. Those, who are there in order to partake in ensuring the new generation have foils. People who they must pry the torch of wrestling from the cold, dead hands of.
Much like every other company in the nation. Every other company in the world. So, why did Daniel choose them? What drew him to OPW, over the thousands of companies who would kill to have a talent. A personality like him on the roster?
It's a question that Daniel has stated 'has an answer' but that 'you'll find out what that answer is when the time is right' and no sooner. A response that in itself, poses even more questions. Yet at the same time, that's how Daniel has always operated. He knows that it is those questions, that keep people hooked. It is those questions that keep people wanting to see what happens next. Just like a movie.
If you already know what will happen, what's the purpose of watching? What's Daniel's purpose of stepping between the ropes, if he already knows how it will all play out? Part of the fun when it comes to wrestling is figuring out which journey you're going to take and venturing down each road as it comes. Especially when you've been in the industry as long as Daniel has.
When you've already journeyed down enough roads to last a lifetime. He's been there and travelled those roads many times, yet here he is. Preparing to travel down another road. Preparing to once again, dance in the middle of the ring with some of the best talent this industry has to offer. Both old and new.
Starting with Alexis Skye this week, in a city that he has called his 'third home' in the past. The location where he began his famous 410-day reign as PWZ World Champion. A reign that to this day remains the longest in promotion history. Miami Beach, Florida. It makes sense that he would return to a city that has given him some of the fondest memories of his career. Memories, that he can add to with a victory over the younger Insurgance member this week.
Even if her faction partners wish to interfere and interject themselves into the match. Attempt to assist her, much like Daniel has done in the past for factions like The Rising and The RainFlowers. It's one of the perks of being in a faction. The unity and knowing there'll always be support at ringside. Whether that be moral or physical support, willing to offer as much aid as they can so that you can attain victory.
Daniel knows, however, that Alexis is also extremely dangerous in her own right. They don't call her the Vampyrus of Horror for nothing. Even if you remove Insurgance from the equation, she is the one stepping into the ring against Daniel. Not Michael Maddox. Not Enforcer and not Necra Octavia Kane. If he cannot solely focus on Alexis, he will lose. Just as he lost at "Legion".
Not the first impression he would wish to make on the OPW audience, and not the impression he wants to give to those who thought he was done. He doesn't plan on losing though.]
[It's a tranquil Monday afternoon, as Daniel sits atop an Aegean blue painted steel chair within an otherwise vacant, empty room. Attired in a midnight black cotton t-shirt, black polyester tracksuit pants and snow-white Adidas sneakers. A room, that is five meters by eight meters in diameter and has slate white painted plaster walls, along with crimson red woollen carpeting.
Although barren and usually unoccupied, the outward appearance and cleanliness of the room would give the impression that the owners strive to keep it well maintained, in case they do desire to use it at some point.
Or maybe, the items that would usually find their home have been removed, simply for the purposes of the message, Daniel intends on sending. The commentary that he has in store. Slightly clearing his throat, he glances in front of him at the northern wall, a slight smile across his face.]
Daniel Holiday-"Do you see it, Alexis? What does this room represent to you? What does me sitting atop this chair represent to you? I want you to close your eyes and think about it. Allow the imagery you see before you marinate inside of your mind. Tell me what you believe this room represents."
[Daniel exhales, then inhales. Using this as a breathing exercise or meditation. Much as he had meditated in the past. Describing it as a 'calming mechanism' that he uses to relax and attain a sense of 'zen'. At least on a psychological level. Exhaling, Daniel continues with his discourse.]
Daniel Holiday-"To me, this room represents a fresh and clean slate. A state of rebirth, if you will. A means for me to walk through the doors and realize that everything I have done in the past. All the titles I have attained. The legacy that I have built for myself, means nothing. That I am the same as everybody else that has set foot between the ropes. Everybody else who has walked through the doors of OPW.
...Just as it should be...
I don't want people to assume that the only reason I'm at the pinnacle. The only reason why I'm heralded as an icon is because of who I am. That I'm only in the position I am because of what I have done in this industry. I've never held that opinion. It's naive and relies on people being in awe. Afraid to hold you to account, due to the consequences involved, should you not have the accolades to stack up against your foe. When it comes to facing me
...Most don't have the accolades to stack up...
Though I have sixteen years in the ring. Multiple promotions worth of prestige and history behind me. I have a myriad of championship gold that I could use in order to elevate my name. To make it appear as if I'm above you, but I'm not about to do that. It doesn't serve any purpose.
What would it do for me, if I was to claim you were beneath me? That you weren't worthy or valid as the opponent for my triumphant return to wrestling? For my beginning within a new promotion?
...Nothing...
It would make it so that if I do defeat you, it means absolutely nothing. I was supposed to beat you, yet it would only serve as an embarrassment to me if you are able to best me. If you are able to defeat me, it would be the greatest achievement of your career. To be able to state that you defeated a man who has attained more gold than a jewellery store. That you beat the "Hallmark". Rightly so."
[Calmly smiling, Daniel glances around the room. Knowing that just as he stated, this room represents an empty slate. A new promotion for him to set about building his identity within. A place, where his history. His previous successes hold zero weight.
Just as he wishes for it to be. Just as in his eyes, it must be if he is to prove he still 'has it'. That much as he stated on Friday, he can still hold the torch. Even as its flame begins to fade into nothingness. Waiting for the next generation. For wrestlers like Alexis to grasp it. To make it theirs. He tilts his head back forward, focusing once more on the wall directly in front of his body.]
Daniel Holiday-"It'd be that notch in the cap you seek. Your means of making a statement. Sending a message that you are the future of the industry. Of the promotion. That you aren't here to mess around. Just like your faction partners in Insurgence.
I look at you and I see that future, Alexis. I see your vampiric nature. Your viscous but refined skill in the ring and it portrays the image of a girl that I would be naive and foolish to overlook. A woman, who has the capability to become iconic, as long as she keeps her mind focused and ensures the chips fall her way.
...That won't be this week...
I respect you, Alexis. You've still got a lot of time in this industry. Age is on your side, but this week, I'm sending a message. This week won't be the week you take the step you desire. Not at my expense. You have all the tools to hold the torch. To carry forth the cycle of professional wrestling, but I'm still here.
I'm still the one who has the torch in their grasp. Clutching it to ensure that everyone understands. So that OPW realizes that as much as they might believe I'm just another jaded veteran. Another member of the 'old guard' looking for a paycheck before riding off into the sunset, that I am still the Hallmark.
That as much as they believe I should step aside, that I can still step between those ropes and teach them that as old school as I am, I am still standing. That as much as my legacy is sealed. As much as my accolades stand and speak for themselves, they are not my crutch. That I can stand perfectly fine without them. Just as I always have."
[Animated in his tone, Daniel feels the sense of unbridled passion flowing through him. A passion that he has carried throughout the duration of his career, and a passion he admitted he had been missing in recent times.
That it was one of the primary reasons he needed to step away. Contemplate whether it all was truly worth it. Consider whether it was the time to hang up the boots. Or if he had more runs left in him. If his body could still handle the rigours of day-in and day-out wrestling.]
Daniel Holiday-"I want your best, Alexis. I want you to bring the Vampyrus of Horror I know you can be. I don't want you to be timid. I don't want you to feel like you have to be in awe of me, because that does neither you or I any favours. That doesn't serve any purpose but to give you a 'get out of jail free' card, should I defeat you. I promise you'll be getting my absolute best.
You'll be getting "The Hallmark". "The Dying Breed" come showcase. I wouldn't have it any other way. Bring your Insurgance friends along too. I want them to watch. To learn that this old dog, can learn some new tricks. Good luck Alexis. I will see you at Showcase."
[Placing his hands on his calves, Daniel pushes himself up. His statement made and his message sent. He's not done yet and come Showcase, Alexis will be the first to learn. The first OPW talent to experience first-hand, just why Daniel is known as "The Hallmark". The standard-bearer when it comes to professional wrestling. He wouldn't have it any other way.]
The hall of fame ceremony and celebration of his career is a formality, the questions only being "when would the induction occur?" and "which federation would he be inducted into the hall of fame with first?". The ride off into the sunset the final piece needed for everything to fall into place. For the ceremonies. The celebrations to begin being mapped out. Induction speeches to begin being penned...
Only for him to state three simple words. Three words that have put all plans pertaining to his retirement and subsequent Hall of Fame ceremonies on the backburner. Those three words? "Not Done Yet".
A simple message, but one that took everybody by surprise. Especially when the last time he was seen in the ring, he appeared to have given a non-verbal farewell to the fans, just with a singular nod of the head. Much like he had most of his career.
He had even simply vanished from the spotlight for eight months, the longest break he had taken from wrestling at any point of his career. Further fueling the speculation; fanning the flames of his retirement.
That was until he suddenly appeared out of nowhere with the very three words mentioned. Words that informed the world that he had merely been lurking in the shadows. Waiting for the right time to announce his return. The right moment, to step into the spotlight once more.
Prepared to lace up his boots and merely add further to an already accomplished career. Attain more notches on his belt. His name? Daniel Holiday.]
[It's a quiet Friday morning in the Holiday family residence in Toronto. The house having been renovated back in November in order to accommodate Daniel's return to the role of father and husband, as well as his wife Ciara's mother moving in with them, following the passing of Ciara's father in September last year.
The house itself had been built in 1967 with the original owners having not done any significant work on it, nor had any of the three families that lived in the house before Daniel moved in. That was on June the 19th, 2014. As such, it had been in a state of disrepair and decay, with flakes of cream paint falling onto the worn thin navy blue carpet. Causing a health hazard if either of his three children got a hold and ingested one of the flakes.
Fortunately, that has yet to occur, as Daniel has always been vigilant enough to vacuum the flakes up as soon as he saw them on the floor. Though the renovations have helped allay that fear and ensured the walls are freshly painted.
The rest of the house was also modernized in the renovations, including the freshly polished marble bench near the right-hand side window. The sun's reflection gleaming off the surface. In front of the table, is a jet black cushioned steel stool, which Daniel Holiday is seated atop of.
Wearing a midnight black plain t-shirt, denim jeans with a brown leather belt as well as slate white and wine Reebok sneakers. His ocean blue eyes staring across the bench and toward a blank spot on the wall, an icy cold expression across his face, he sits as if he was a statue. Meditating. Reflecting.]
Daniel Holiday-"They thought I was done. They assumed that my nod. My wave at the IXCW show was me saying goodbye for the last time. That after 15 years in the ring, my rodeo. My dance had finally had its curtains drawn. I don't blame them...There aren't a lot of wrestlers that can last this long and still compete at the top level.
Not many who have the mileage that I do. Not many who have suffered the injuries I have and still find it within themselves to compete. To step between those ropes and continue the cycle. Night in and night out. To continue giving the fans the entertainment. The hero, the role model that they need.
...Just like a comic book...
Only this is real life. It's not for everybody. It's not something that you can simply wake up and say you're going to do it. If it were that easy. If it were that simple, then many more would have accomplished it. They haven't."
[Daniel takes a deep breath, his eyes still intently focused on the wall. His body unmoving from its statue-like state.]
Daniel Holiday-"They haven't done it, because it's not who they are. It's not what they're about. To them, the mileage. The injuries get to a point where one must question whether or not it's worth the risk. Whether or not the reward justifies potentially putting your livelihood on the line. Family or money?
That is the question they find themselves having to answer. A question that for the past eight months, I have had to ask myself. What holds more value? Which one is more important? Once that question is answered, it is then that the next step can be taken.
Whether that be to focus on your family and step away from the ring or to continue along the wrestling path and juggle both responsibilities. Grind your teeth together and break through the pain barriers that are there.
Just as I have my entire career. I've wrestled through injuries that most people would retire from. I've kept going even when most would have turned around and said 'enough is enough' and gone back to their families. Nor can you blame them for making that decision. I very nearly made the same choice. I very nearly did walk away from the industry.
Leaving everything behind and just spending time at home with my wife and children, without the worry or stress of if this paycheck would be my last. Or if I would eventually helplessly watch as everybody lapped me. As wrestling grew beyond what I could provide to it."
[Another breath, as Daniel feels his facial muscles beginning to droop downwards. The realization of his wrestling mortality beginning to hit him hard. It's a feeling that began to take hold in August after he walked away from NWL's "Legion" Pay-Per-View without his world title. Defeated and with pain pulsating throughout his body.
It took him four days to physically recover from that bout and has admitted that he nearly left the industry there and then. That he needed time to consider whether he deep down, could still compete at the top of his game. The first time the thought of his own mortality in the ring had struck him.
As dominant as he has been throughout his career, he had noticed the talent starting to catch up to him. Each day, a new wrestler who he would have been seen as far superior to in his prime would wrestle at his level. Compete toe-to-toe with him.
For him, it was a reminder of the harsh reality of wrestling. It evolves and you have to either innovate to find a way to swim or sink and be left behind.]
Daniel Holiday-"Did I still have it? Could I still perform at my peak, even as the sport ushered in the new wave? At one point during my time away, I would have answered
...No...
I can admit that. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, because it had. I knew it as well. I knew as much as I had been denying it. Pushing it to the back of my mind, that I was lying to myself.
That I had been lying to each and every single person in the crowd. Trying to convince them that I was still at the top of my game. That it was all just a flesh wound that would heal with time.
It was more than that and deep down, I think everyone knew it. Especially me. Yet I kept telling myself that it would be alright. That it would all sort itself out eventually.
...That was the biggest mistake...
I should've known that it wouldn't simply 'sort itself out'. I should've stepped away from the ring the moment the thought had even begun to cross my mind and reflected. Posed the question that I had been ignorin' and truly consider if it was all worth it. If the pain was worth the gain. If I had anything else to give.
If the best choice was to continue wrestling. To go out there and perform, even when my heart and soul truly isn't in the ring anymore. Even when there's nothing more to achieve.
...I've done everything I set out to do in wrestling...
I've been at the top of the mountain. I've done everything a wrestler can do in this industry. I've been a part of some of the biggest matches in wrestling history. I've stood upon the stage and smiled. Soaked in the adulation.
The cheers every single fan has given me. Countless times. I've won championships. I've been the man everyone wanted to be and the man everyone wanted to beat."
[Sighing, the man best known by his moniker of "The Hallmark" raises his right hand, slowly running it through his hair. His face a portrait of a man conflicted. A man, who doesn't truly know the answer to the question.
Who doesn't know what more he has within him. Who doesn't know how much mileage he has in his body. How much longer he can truly compete at the level he's been renowned for. The standard that he has set for himself inside the ring. Pulling his hand back down, he softly exhales.]
Daniel Holiday-"I still am the man everybody wants to beat. The man they call to when they want their names up in lights. When they want somebody they know will have eyes upon them, in order to prove themselves. I did the same thing when I started out in this industry. It's how you ensure people know exactly who you are and what you want from this business.
Regardless of if they agree with you. It's always been that way. Now, it's my turn to be the one used as the tool. The device to elevate. To 'pass the torch' as we call it to the next era. To the new crop of wrestlers, rising up the ranks. A task I am more than willing to fulfil.
Just as those who came before like Ryan Andrews and Andre West did for me. Just as Nick Bush did for them. The lineage of wrestling continues to evolve. Continues to grow with each and every generation that steps between those ropes.
That is why I'm not done yet. That is why my role in this industry hasn't been completed. Why there is still something I still need to scratch off my list."
[He curls the right side of his mouth upwards.]
Daniel Holiday-"That doesn't mean I intend on just laying down and letting the new generation walk over me. No. It'd be foolish and would not serve any purpose for me to do that. All it would do is prove them right. Prove those who thought I was done. That I couldn't compete with the new wave, right. I'm not here to do that. I'm not here for one last meal ticket before I ride off into the sunset.
If I was, then I would never have come back. I would have stayed here and told you I was done. That the risk. That the agony was no longer worth the reward for me. That the new generation now had the torch. That they have the ball and now must run with it. That the ring was now theirs.
That is not the case just yet. Eventually, the torch. The ring will be theirs, to uphold the natural order of wrestling. To continue breeding the generation that shall come after them, but that time is not now.
The moment is not theirs. Not as long as I still stand here. Not as long as I can still step between the ropes. Not as long as I can still perform to the standard you all know and love."
[Gently laughing, Daniel places his hands gently atop the table, using it as a means to push himself up into a vertical position, careful so as not to push too hard that the table tips over. Especially with how fragile the marble surface is. Stepping back as he stands, he pivots his body around. Allowing himself a glance at the pristine nature of the kitchen. The fruits of seventeen hours spent polishing and cleaning each and every single appliance.
From the fridge to the oven. Scrubbed and washed, each to the point where they are virtually spotless. The surface shiny enough to act as a mirror. Such is the level of Holiday's perfectionism. A personality trait that runs deeper than just his attitude inside the ring.
You can ask Ciara about how obsessive he is with cleanliness and making sure everything is neat and orderly. To him, it's imperative that everything be in order, so that either the children cannot reach it if it's dangerous to them, or easily accessible should they need to access a particular item.
Slowly walking, his feet echo with each step, gently hitting the oak floorboards before he reaches the Forest green painted wooden doorframe, leading him into the hall. A hall that runs from the north of the house to the front door, branching off into seven separate rooms. Exhaling, Daniel pivots his body to the left as he steps atop the wine-coloured nylon carpet, calmly walking toward his lounge room.
His mind focused on ensuring that everything pertaining to his return. To the comeback, flows as smoothly as his entire career to this point has. Simply put, he wants to ensure that people see that he is not done yet. Not by a long shot.]
[Outlaw Pro Wrestling, or OPW for short. They are the company that Daniel made the decision to make his return to the ring for. A promotion, who is trying to find their way in the industry. A company, built on a foundation of both youthful talent and those who are just like Daniel. Those, who are there in order to partake in ensuring the new generation have foils. People who they must pry the torch of wrestling from the cold, dead hands of.
Much like every other company in the nation. Every other company in the world. So, why did Daniel choose them? What drew him to OPW, over the thousands of companies who would kill to have a talent. A personality like him on the roster?
It's a question that Daniel has stated 'has an answer' but that 'you'll find out what that answer is when the time is right' and no sooner. A response that in itself, poses even more questions. Yet at the same time, that's how Daniel has always operated. He knows that it is those questions, that keep people hooked. It is those questions that keep people wanting to see what happens next. Just like a movie.
If you already know what will happen, what's the purpose of watching? What's Daniel's purpose of stepping between the ropes, if he already knows how it will all play out? Part of the fun when it comes to wrestling is figuring out which journey you're going to take and venturing down each road as it comes. Especially when you've been in the industry as long as Daniel has.
When you've already journeyed down enough roads to last a lifetime. He's been there and travelled those roads many times, yet here he is. Preparing to travel down another road. Preparing to once again, dance in the middle of the ring with some of the best talent this industry has to offer. Both old and new.
Starting with Alexis Skye this week, in a city that he has called his 'third home' in the past. The location where he began his famous 410-day reign as PWZ World Champion. A reign that to this day remains the longest in promotion history. Miami Beach, Florida. It makes sense that he would return to a city that has given him some of the fondest memories of his career. Memories, that he can add to with a victory over the younger Insurgance member this week.
Even if her faction partners wish to interfere and interject themselves into the match. Attempt to assist her, much like Daniel has done in the past for factions like The Rising and The RainFlowers. It's one of the perks of being in a faction. The unity and knowing there'll always be support at ringside. Whether that be moral or physical support, willing to offer as much aid as they can so that you can attain victory.
Daniel knows, however, that Alexis is also extremely dangerous in her own right. They don't call her the Vampyrus of Horror for nothing. Even if you remove Insurgance from the equation, she is the one stepping into the ring against Daniel. Not Michael Maddox. Not Enforcer and not Necra Octavia Kane. If he cannot solely focus on Alexis, he will lose. Just as he lost at "Legion".
Not the first impression he would wish to make on the OPW audience, and not the impression he wants to give to those who thought he was done. He doesn't plan on losing though.]
[It's a tranquil Monday afternoon, as Daniel sits atop an Aegean blue painted steel chair within an otherwise vacant, empty room. Attired in a midnight black cotton t-shirt, black polyester tracksuit pants and snow-white Adidas sneakers. A room, that is five meters by eight meters in diameter and has slate white painted plaster walls, along with crimson red woollen carpeting.
Although barren and usually unoccupied, the outward appearance and cleanliness of the room would give the impression that the owners strive to keep it well maintained, in case they do desire to use it at some point.
Or maybe, the items that would usually find their home have been removed, simply for the purposes of the message, Daniel intends on sending. The commentary that he has in store. Slightly clearing his throat, he glances in front of him at the northern wall, a slight smile across his face.]
Daniel Holiday-"Do you see it, Alexis? What does this room represent to you? What does me sitting atop this chair represent to you? I want you to close your eyes and think about it. Allow the imagery you see before you marinate inside of your mind. Tell me what you believe this room represents."
[Daniel exhales, then inhales. Using this as a breathing exercise or meditation. Much as he had meditated in the past. Describing it as a 'calming mechanism' that he uses to relax and attain a sense of 'zen'. At least on a psychological level. Exhaling, Daniel continues with his discourse.]
Daniel Holiday-"To me, this room represents a fresh and clean slate. A state of rebirth, if you will. A means for me to walk through the doors and realize that everything I have done in the past. All the titles I have attained. The legacy that I have built for myself, means nothing. That I am the same as everybody else that has set foot between the ropes. Everybody else who has walked through the doors of OPW.
...Just as it should be...
I don't want people to assume that the only reason I'm at the pinnacle. The only reason why I'm heralded as an icon is because of who I am. That I'm only in the position I am because of what I have done in this industry. I've never held that opinion. It's naive and relies on people being in awe. Afraid to hold you to account, due to the consequences involved, should you not have the accolades to stack up against your foe. When it comes to facing me
...Most don't have the accolades to stack up...
Though I have sixteen years in the ring. Multiple promotions worth of prestige and history behind me. I have a myriad of championship gold that I could use in order to elevate my name. To make it appear as if I'm above you, but I'm not about to do that. It doesn't serve any purpose.
What would it do for me, if I was to claim you were beneath me? That you weren't worthy or valid as the opponent for my triumphant return to wrestling? For my beginning within a new promotion?
...Nothing...
It would make it so that if I do defeat you, it means absolutely nothing. I was supposed to beat you, yet it would only serve as an embarrassment to me if you are able to best me. If you are able to defeat me, it would be the greatest achievement of your career. To be able to state that you defeated a man who has attained more gold than a jewellery store. That you beat the "Hallmark". Rightly so."
[Calmly smiling, Daniel glances around the room. Knowing that just as he stated, this room represents an empty slate. A new promotion for him to set about building his identity within. A place, where his history. His previous successes hold zero weight.
Just as he wishes for it to be. Just as in his eyes, it must be if he is to prove he still 'has it'. That much as he stated on Friday, he can still hold the torch. Even as its flame begins to fade into nothingness. Waiting for the next generation. For wrestlers like Alexis to grasp it. To make it theirs. He tilts his head back forward, focusing once more on the wall directly in front of his body.]
Daniel Holiday-"It'd be that notch in the cap you seek. Your means of making a statement. Sending a message that you are the future of the industry. Of the promotion. That you aren't here to mess around. Just like your faction partners in Insurgence.
I look at you and I see that future, Alexis. I see your vampiric nature. Your viscous but refined skill in the ring and it portrays the image of a girl that I would be naive and foolish to overlook. A woman, who has the capability to become iconic, as long as she keeps her mind focused and ensures the chips fall her way.
...That won't be this week...
I respect you, Alexis. You've still got a lot of time in this industry. Age is on your side, but this week, I'm sending a message. This week won't be the week you take the step you desire. Not at my expense. You have all the tools to hold the torch. To carry forth the cycle of professional wrestling, but I'm still here.
I'm still the one who has the torch in their grasp. Clutching it to ensure that everyone understands. So that OPW realizes that as much as they might believe I'm just another jaded veteran. Another member of the 'old guard' looking for a paycheck before riding off into the sunset, that I am still the Hallmark.
That as much as they believe I should step aside, that I can still step between those ropes and teach them that as old school as I am, I am still standing. That as much as my legacy is sealed. As much as my accolades stand and speak for themselves, they are not my crutch. That I can stand perfectly fine without them. Just as I always have."
[Animated in his tone, Daniel feels the sense of unbridled passion flowing through him. A passion that he has carried throughout the duration of his career, and a passion he admitted he had been missing in recent times.
That it was one of the primary reasons he needed to step away. Contemplate whether it all was truly worth it. Consider whether it was the time to hang up the boots. Or if he had more runs left in him. If his body could still handle the rigours of day-in and day-out wrestling.]
Daniel Holiday-"I want your best, Alexis. I want you to bring the Vampyrus of Horror I know you can be. I don't want you to be timid. I don't want you to feel like you have to be in awe of me, because that does neither you or I any favours. That doesn't serve any purpose but to give you a 'get out of jail free' card, should I defeat you. I promise you'll be getting my absolute best.
You'll be getting "The Hallmark". "The Dying Breed" come showcase. I wouldn't have it any other way. Bring your Insurgance friends along too. I want them to watch. To learn that this old dog, can learn some new tricks. Good luck Alexis. I will see you at Showcase."
[Placing his hands on his calves, Daniel pushes himself up. His statement made and his message sent. He's not done yet and come Showcase, Alexis will be the first to learn. The first OPW talent to experience first-hand, just why Daniel is known as "The Hallmark". The standard-bearer when it comes to professional wrestling. He wouldn't have it any other way.]