Post by UWL Office on Jun 28, 2024 20:39:53 GMT -5
Walking through the backstage of “The Addy” as Orlando locals call it, we see the UWL Heritage Champion Billy Danielson. He has his Heritage title around his waist but doesn’t have his usual cocky grin on his face. Quite the opposite. Billy looks frustrated and mad as if he had been stewing over something for a long time. He makes it halfway down the hallway before he slaps his cheek, takes a deep breath, and looks down. Something is bothering him. Danielson closes his eyes now and takes another deep breath before acknowledging the camera.
Billy Danielson - “I won’t lie. I’m a little disheveled. A little distraught. A little disgruntled. A little disheartened.”
He opens his eyes now, staring directly into the camera.
Billy Danielson - “And why wouldn’t I be? I spent nearly a decade trying to finally beat Cory Chevelle, which meant almost nothing.”
Billy grits his teeth and balls his fists. Two weeks ago, he had achieved something that should have felt like a career goal for him and was supposed to be as fulfilling as beating Caleb Hart and Craig Williams. However, not being able to capitalize on the opportunity to win the UWL World Championship soured the moment for Billy. He felt like it didn’t matter anymore, or that it didn’t even count for him.
Billy Danielson - “I’m the reason why we have a new UWL World Champion, and yet I am not the new UWL World Champion. I could be a title away from creating a modern-day UWL Triple Crown Championship, and yet here I stand holding only one championship, rather than two.”
Still, he tries to keep his cool, despite having thought and overthought about the results of the last UWL Eruption.
Billy Danielson - “And it’s not that I don’t love my UWL Heritage Championship.”
He slaps the faceplate of his championship.
Billy Danielson - “It’s that I want more. Every major opportunity I have had this year, I have been runner-up. The Universal Stamped, The Coronation Cup, Double Jeopardy, and even the quarterly rankings all say Billy Danielson is the Runner-up.”
In moments like this, where Billy feels like he isn’t doing as well as he should be or getting the recognition he feels he has earned, he is reminded of the occupational hazard of calling yourself “The Greatest of All Time”. Sometimes some people are more successful, despite them not necessarily being better wrestlers or orators.
Billy Danielson - “Despite all of that, though. I feel like in some way I have proven these last few weeks that I am NOT this second-place trophy these matches have made me out to be.”
The other side of that same reminder is that it reminds you that even if you’re not necessarily “ranked” number one, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t the “G.O.A.T”. There is a margin for error, and that’s okay. There are times when you don’t win, or you don’t achieve everything all at once, and that’s okay too. The feats that you have accomplished will always outweigh the feats you failed at.
Billy Danielson - “I am still the man that beat Cory Chevelle when it counted most. I’m still the champion who went the farthest in the Coronation Cup. I’m still the only champion in constant contention for the UWL World Championship.”
He throws a finger up.
Billy Danielson - “And if we ever bring back the quarterly rankings, I have a feeling I will also be the #1 wrestler, rather than the #2.”
The smirk finally appears on his face as we get a flash of the usual Billy Danielson. However, almost as fast as it appeared, Danielson changes his tone, waving his hands as if to signal that he’s cutting himself off.
Billy Danielson - “But I can’t focus on all of that now. No, I have to focus on this main event tonight where, following me beating Cory Chevelle for the first time, I will be his tag team partner for the first time.”
There is a look of excitement on Billy’s face as he thinks of how amazing the potential of him and Chevy as team could be. The dominance and success alone could feed their families for generations.
Billy Danielson - “At one point, Cory and I were almost a tag team called “The Bully Club”. We were supposed to be this dominant duo that could take on any combination of wrestlers you could come up with. There would be speed, strength, and intelligence… and also Cory Chevelle!”
He laughs at his joke, but instantly throws his hands out in front of him to negate what he said.
Billy Danielson - “Obviously I’m joking, the man is a beast.”
Billy continues to smirk, knowing the potential this team has at winning at nearly every phase in their career.
Billy Danielson - “But Prime Cory and Sophmore Billy Danielson had a lot of potential. Grizzled Cory and Prime Billy though? Unstoppable.”
He shakes his head.
Billy Danielson - “Not that we don’t have tough opponents though.”
Danielson pauses for a moment as he switches gears with his commentary. Instead of hard on himself or excited about the potential of the UWL’s version of the 2016 Golden State Warriors, he was focused now on the task at hand. A hard pairing of elite wrestlers that Billy and Cory both knew very well.
Billy Danielson - “It feels like every week I say the same thing about Daron Smythe and Jackson Burnside. We’re all bonded by the same blood we have spilled in that ring. We are all men who are willing to break each other's faces and then go out for drinks afterward. We are all the pillars of UWL.”
He smirks one last time.
Billy Danielson - “Ultimately it doesn’t matter if I’m teaming with Burnside against Daron and Chevy, teaming with Daron to face Burnside and Chevy, or teaming with Chevy against Daron and Burnside. It’s bound to be the best thing on the card, and that’s why we’re the main event night after night.”
Billy throws a fist up and waves it around, trying to rally the fans that have packed “The Addy”
Billy Danielson - “So get ready Orlando, you are in for a TREAT!!!”
Billy Danielson - “I won’t lie. I’m a little disheveled. A little distraught. A little disgruntled. A little disheartened.”
He opens his eyes now, staring directly into the camera.
Billy Danielson - “And why wouldn’t I be? I spent nearly a decade trying to finally beat Cory Chevelle, which meant almost nothing.”
Billy grits his teeth and balls his fists. Two weeks ago, he had achieved something that should have felt like a career goal for him and was supposed to be as fulfilling as beating Caleb Hart and Craig Williams. However, not being able to capitalize on the opportunity to win the UWL World Championship soured the moment for Billy. He felt like it didn’t matter anymore, or that it didn’t even count for him.
Billy Danielson - “I’m the reason why we have a new UWL World Champion, and yet I am not the new UWL World Champion. I could be a title away from creating a modern-day UWL Triple Crown Championship, and yet here I stand holding only one championship, rather than two.”
Still, he tries to keep his cool, despite having thought and overthought about the results of the last UWL Eruption.
Billy Danielson - “And it’s not that I don’t love my UWL Heritage Championship.”
He slaps the faceplate of his championship.
Billy Danielson - “It’s that I want more. Every major opportunity I have had this year, I have been runner-up. The Universal Stamped, The Coronation Cup, Double Jeopardy, and even the quarterly rankings all say Billy Danielson is the Runner-up.”
In moments like this, where Billy feels like he isn’t doing as well as he should be or getting the recognition he feels he has earned, he is reminded of the occupational hazard of calling yourself “The Greatest of All Time”. Sometimes some people are more successful, despite them not necessarily being better wrestlers or orators.
Billy Danielson - “Despite all of that, though. I feel like in some way I have proven these last few weeks that I am NOT this second-place trophy these matches have made me out to be.”
The other side of that same reminder is that it reminds you that even if you’re not necessarily “ranked” number one, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t the “G.O.A.T”. There is a margin for error, and that’s okay. There are times when you don’t win, or you don’t achieve everything all at once, and that’s okay too. The feats that you have accomplished will always outweigh the feats you failed at.
Billy Danielson - “I am still the man that beat Cory Chevelle when it counted most. I’m still the champion who went the farthest in the Coronation Cup. I’m still the only champion in constant contention for the UWL World Championship.”
He throws a finger up.
Billy Danielson - “And if we ever bring back the quarterly rankings, I have a feeling I will also be the #1 wrestler, rather than the #2.”
The smirk finally appears on his face as we get a flash of the usual Billy Danielson. However, almost as fast as it appeared, Danielson changes his tone, waving his hands as if to signal that he’s cutting himself off.
Billy Danielson - “But I can’t focus on all of that now. No, I have to focus on this main event tonight where, following me beating Cory Chevelle for the first time, I will be his tag team partner for the first time.”
There is a look of excitement on Billy’s face as he thinks of how amazing the potential of him and Chevy as team could be. The dominance and success alone could feed their families for generations.
Billy Danielson - “At one point, Cory and I were almost a tag team called “The Bully Club”. We were supposed to be this dominant duo that could take on any combination of wrestlers you could come up with. There would be speed, strength, and intelligence… and also Cory Chevelle!”
He laughs at his joke, but instantly throws his hands out in front of him to negate what he said.
Billy Danielson - “Obviously I’m joking, the man is a beast.”
Billy continues to smirk, knowing the potential this team has at winning at nearly every phase in their career.
Billy Danielson - “But Prime Cory and Sophmore Billy Danielson had a lot of potential. Grizzled Cory and Prime Billy though? Unstoppable.”
He shakes his head.
Billy Danielson - “Not that we don’t have tough opponents though.”
Danielson pauses for a moment as he switches gears with his commentary. Instead of hard on himself or excited about the potential of the UWL’s version of the 2016 Golden State Warriors, he was focused now on the task at hand. A hard pairing of elite wrestlers that Billy and Cory both knew very well.
Billy Danielson - “It feels like every week I say the same thing about Daron Smythe and Jackson Burnside. We’re all bonded by the same blood we have spilled in that ring. We are all men who are willing to break each other's faces and then go out for drinks afterward. We are all the pillars of UWL.”
He smirks one last time.
Billy Danielson - “Ultimately it doesn’t matter if I’m teaming with Burnside against Daron and Chevy, teaming with Daron to face Burnside and Chevy, or teaming with Chevy against Daron and Burnside. It’s bound to be the best thing on the card, and that’s why we’re the main event night after night.”
Billy throws a fist up and waves it around, trying to rally the fans that have packed “The Addy”
Billy Danielson - “So get ready Orlando, you are in for a TREAT!!!”