What 7/9 means to me….

When I return on July 9th, it will prove a couple of things.
1) I can still do it.
2) Every single doubter will be proven wrong again.
I don’t know why, but it has always been the people that doubted me that always served as my master motivational tool. Kind of like Steve Smith, Sr. of the NFL Baltimore Ravens. He was passed on during the draft until the Panthers picked him up. His size was always the issue. He spent the last 15 seasons proving all of his doubters wrong.

I can relate in a sense. When I was 19, the idea was that I wouldn’t last more than two years, if that. At 20, I was told that I was an okay wrestler, but I’ll never be more than a referee because I’m not believable. This coming from the promoter himself, whom then wanted to manage me as a condition….perhaps to prove a point, or because he knew that I had the gift of gab and based on the reactions I got, he wanted to live out his dream of being a Vince McMahon-like character while the majority of the roster hated me because of the push that I was getting. By 21, I felt that I had earned the respect of the people that mattered, and I was able to shove that down his throat.
After that, there was Albany. How fun that was….to be held down by a then-teenager whom had an ego bigger than his body. It was there where I learned how to both politic, and stand my ground. Not sure why, but that teenager liked me at first so I used that to my advantage. I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t want to main event that place a few times. Goes back to that proverbial chip on my shoulder that was given to me with the ref comment. So I used that to my advantage as well and before I knew it, I was a “face” for the first time in my career. Side by side along with the owners son, but there was a big difference between the two. I was an adult and could get way with doing adult things. He couldn’t and because of that, the shovels came out and I began to get buried. Ultimately it led to a match between the two of us, and that was the first time I taught someone a lesson in the ring, old country way. I left shortly thereafter.
I floundered a bit. I was in UPW back when it began as the original Kayfabe Dojo, which was cool. I wrestled in their first match, against Dicky Sanchez, and was crowned the first Lightweight Champion there. I went to RCW a year later and was scrutinized by the UPW faithful. I helped launch Next Era and was de-booked from RCW because of it.
Throughout my Next Era tenure, I heard everything from how many times I was almost let go, to how many times I was considered for the main title. I had a lot of fun there, and grew up and felt that I began to earn a lot of respect from a lot of individuals state-wide. Made appearances in Vermont and PA, was a part of the infamous “Women’s Title Screw Job”, broke a pumpkin over the original Pumpokeen (not that K-Mart wannabe that is using that name in Phelps/Lyons). By the end of my Next Era tenure, I was a father and felt that I had proved everything that I needed to.
Why I didn’t leave then is something that I am not too sure of. By 2011, my body was tired, so I stopped taking multiple bookings. I felt that I was finally in the place that I wanted to be in, where I was wanted at different places. By then though, I needed to be out. Being a dad was my thing, and I no longer found joy in (with all due respect), making your kids laugh at the expense of mine. At that same time, I found out that my shoulder was messed up, it gave me the out that I needed to get away. In March of 2012, with the help of Kendall James, Killer Kumph, Andrew Mollon, and the doctor in attendance, we were able to create a moment that borderlined reality, where I used my very real injury to my advantage and I was written off of both Television, and wrestling entirely.
In December 2012, I had shoulder surgery and said that I would re-evaluate whether or not I wanted to wrestle again after rehab. In the summer of 2013, I officially announced my retirement. I was comfortable with it, and despite efforts from people and places to get me to come back, I stuck to my guns.
Then I got to thinking…..
In the back of my mind, I knew that I would come back if both the price and stories were right, but I was not confident that it was going to happen. While the world knew that I was done wrestling, I knew that I had a window of opportunity that I was allowing myself to get back in here or there before I was totally and completely done.
It almost happened in 2014. I started GERE Network, began building my podcasting brand and before I knew it, I was talking to Pier 6 Wrestling to make a brief comeback as means of shock value, and assistance with promotion. That ended up falling through.
In 2015, I was close to being a surprise entrant for that year’s Rochester Rumble, which would have marked my first appearance in a UPW ring in 11 years. Ultimately, that fell through.
So now this….OSPW and my return which indeed will be happening in 2016. Why do I need this? Why did I want to do this?
For me, honestly. I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder of people that told me that I couldn’t do it. I strived to prove them wrong.
Now, I want to do that to myself. I want to prove to myself that I can do it, that I’m not too old, and I want to go out on my terms. Not to anything like an injury.
So this takes me to Saturday July 9th. Yes, I am excited and yes, the butterflies will fly one more time but this holds a significance because it is the proverbial “do-over” that I have wanted. I get the chance to come back out there, do what I loved to do for so long one more time, and then say goodbye appropriately.
To go from being a guy that was not supposed to last 2 years or be anything other then a referee, to being a guy that, let’s be honest here, everybody is going to watch on 7/9, is a pretty cool feeling. Whether or not you’re a legend, a prodigy, a son, a shadow, a young boy, or a piece off shit Cadillac (yeah, I know you’ll be there), the one thing that is for certain is that they will all be watching to see if JC can still do it.
Get Ready, America!
Get Ready, Trip!
Get Ready, OSPW!
Get Ready, Buffalo!
One more night, one more time, I will give you everything I have. Hopefully it is good enough and hopefully I can make you all, and most importantly, make myself proud.
See you there.