Post by Soulfire on Dec 27, 2009 17:20:13 GMT -5
January 31st, 1999
I was on top of the world, I was Tag Team Champion with one of my best friends Jun Akiyama, I was doing what I loved with all of my friends, Misawa, Kobashi, Tsuruta, Baba, Taue, Mossman, Kikuchi, Fuchi, in a country I loved.. But then, this day came.. The kick was harder than any I’ve felt from Kawada.. I couldn’t believe it.. He was gone.. The man responsible for not only my success, but so many of the men around me.. Gone….
May 13th, 2000
More than a year before, he retired.. We all knew it was coming, but it was still a hit to the soul to see him go.. Then he got pushed out of the position he deservantaly held.. The groundwork, the roots were built that day.. But the day came, that Saturday morning.. He was gone.. Two heavy shots in little more than a year.. I’d always felt more close to him, I don’t know if it was the age, or the fact he loved Texas, he was always a friend…
May 2000
“Are you coming?” as all I heard.. Do I leave the place that made me what I am? Would I be lost in the scramble? Mossman was staying, and was about to boom huge, I knew it, do I stay and ride with him? But all the injustices, the hits.. After a slight hesitation, all I could say was “Of course”.. He did what was right.. Maybe it was underhanded to some degree.. But what led to it was underhanded also.. He was stepping up, and being the man he was supposed to be.. I admired him for that.. I could have never done it..
June 13th, 2009
I had just wrestled a tag match with Akiyama.. I was concerned for Akiyama.. His back was terrible, he couldn’t even move.. I was helping him, keeping one eye on the monitor, watching the tag team title match that was underway.. Everything went normal in the match.. Belly to Back Suplex…… “Misawa usually gets up after that, that’s kinda weird….” He didn’t move… Still not moving.. The look on Saito’s face was heartbreaking.. The sudden urgency on the screen was mind numbing.. “Something’s wrong…” …”What happened?”… “I gotta get out there..” and I ran…. I vaguely remember hearing screaming, but I don’t know where it came from.. I got out there, I got in the ring.. He was turning colors.. Saito looked stricken.. Shiozaki was pale.. He wasn’t moving… He wasn’t breathing…… “MEESAAWWAA!! MEEESAWWWAA!! MEEEESAAWWAAA!!” was all I could hear from the crowd.. More people flooded out, as the lights come on.. I walked back.. It was sobering.. They were doing the best they could.. I looked up at the face of Takayama, a good friend.. The look he returned was chilling.. I walked back to where I was.. Akiyama was in terrible pain trying to get up, but he just couldn’t.. He was stuck where he was.. I fell against the wall and slid down.. Akiyama was saying something… I couldn’t hear anything he said… I was in my only mind.. He was leaving…. He was already gone… Even though there was only a 12 year difference in age, I’d always felt him as something of a father figure, something I hadn’t had since I was 14.. He was a great friend, a great mentor, a great person, and the best at what he did…. And he was gone……
Now is my time.. There’s no more time to waste.. It’s time.. it’s the time for ME to stand up, and be the man should be.. I’ve gotta get on with my life, and I won’t be a disappointment.. I will not fail, not anymore.. I will be what I should be..
And it starts now..
I was on top of the world, I was Tag Team Champion with one of my best friends Jun Akiyama, I was doing what I loved with all of my friends, Misawa, Kobashi, Tsuruta, Baba, Taue, Mossman, Kikuchi, Fuchi, in a country I loved.. But then, this day came.. The kick was harder than any I’ve felt from Kawada.. I couldn’t believe it.. He was gone.. The man responsible for not only my success, but so many of the men around me.. Gone….
May 13th, 2000
More than a year before, he retired.. We all knew it was coming, but it was still a hit to the soul to see him go.. Then he got pushed out of the position he deservantaly held.. The groundwork, the roots were built that day.. But the day came, that Saturday morning.. He was gone.. Two heavy shots in little more than a year.. I’d always felt more close to him, I don’t know if it was the age, or the fact he loved Texas, he was always a friend…
May 2000
“Are you coming?” as all I heard.. Do I leave the place that made me what I am? Would I be lost in the scramble? Mossman was staying, and was about to boom huge, I knew it, do I stay and ride with him? But all the injustices, the hits.. After a slight hesitation, all I could say was “Of course”.. He did what was right.. Maybe it was underhanded to some degree.. But what led to it was underhanded also.. He was stepping up, and being the man he was supposed to be.. I admired him for that.. I could have never done it..
June 13th, 2009
I had just wrestled a tag match with Akiyama.. I was concerned for Akiyama.. His back was terrible, he couldn’t even move.. I was helping him, keeping one eye on the monitor, watching the tag team title match that was underway.. Everything went normal in the match.. Belly to Back Suplex…… “Misawa usually gets up after that, that’s kinda weird….” He didn’t move… Still not moving.. The look on Saito’s face was heartbreaking.. The sudden urgency on the screen was mind numbing.. “Something’s wrong…” …”What happened?”… “I gotta get out there..” and I ran…. I vaguely remember hearing screaming, but I don’t know where it came from.. I got out there, I got in the ring.. He was turning colors.. Saito looked stricken.. Shiozaki was pale.. He wasn’t moving… He wasn’t breathing…… “MEESAAWWAA!! MEEESAWWWAA!! MEEEESAAWWAAA!!” was all I could hear from the crowd.. More people flooded out, as the lights come on.. I walked back.. It was sobering.. They were doing the best they could.. I looked up at the face of Takayama, a good friend.. The look he returned was chilling.. I walked back to where I was.. Akiyama was in terrible pain trying to get up, but he just couldn’t.. He was stuck where he was.. I fell against the wall and slid down.. Akiyama was saying something… I couldn’t hear anything he said… I was in my only mind.. He was leaving…. He was already gone… Even though there was only a 12 year difference in age, I’d always felt him as something of a father figure, something I hadn’t had since I was 14.. He was a great friend, a great mentor, a great person, and the best at what he did…. And he was gone……
Now is my time.. There’s no more time to waste.. It’s time.. it’s the time for ME to stand up, and be the man should be.. I’ve gotta get on with my life, and I won’t be a disappointment.. I will not fail, not anymore.. I will be what I should be..
And it starts now..
