Major History
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:41 pm
As Zack Ryder walked to the ring, he recorded his surroundings on his handheld camera. For once, he wasn't recording his life for the latest episode of Z! True Long Island Story. This was something different; a history lesson, you might say. Ryder had returned to the New York Wrestling Connection - the place where he first made his name alongside his former tag team partner and upcoming opponent, Curt Hawkins. After Ryder had entered the ring, he turned the camera on himself and began to speak.
Zack Ryder: Hi. I'm not going to start this video by introducing myself as the Internet Champion and I'm not going to end it by telling you to take care, spike your hair. That's not what I'm here for today... I'm here to set the record straight. In case you didn't notice the logo in the centre of the ring, or if you aren't familiar with my history, this is the place where it all began for Long Island Iced Z. In 2004 I wrestled my first match in this ring for the NYWC and not long after that, I began teaming with Curt Hawkins. Back then he called himself Bryan Myers and I worked under the name Brett Matthews, but I knew him as Brandon and to him, I was Matt Cardona. Two years later, we were teaming in Deep South Wrestling as the Major Brothers and brothers are what we were - not in blood, but in bond. Curt and I trained together, we travelled together, we won together and we lost together. For the first five years of my pro-wrestling career, Curt was my tag team partner and we made it in this business together. No matter how much success I have as a professional wrestler, whether that's singles success, success with Trent Barreta or another tag team partner, I will always remember those early years of my career. And I will always be grateful to Curt for how much he helped me get to where I am today.
Ryder stopped speaking for a moment. He held up a picture to the camera.
Zack Ryder: I called by my dad's house earlier and I found this picture stuck to my bedroom wall. Curt and I were 19 or 20 years old when this was taken - I can't remember exactly when it was, but I know this picture will always mean a lot to me. Which is why despite Curt playing the victim card, it hurts me to hear him going around telling people that I abandoned him. I never abandoned you, Curt. I never forget about you and I never betrayed you. If I did anything wrong, I did what anybody who wants to be successful does - I was selfish. I was presented with an opportunity to advance my career and I took it. If I hadn't taken it, I'd probably still be wrestling on Superstars every week, or worse, be working in TNA as Robbie E's cousin. So while I'll admit to being selfish by signing for the EBWF when they wanted me and not Curt, anything else he accuses me of is straight up bullshit. When I got the call from St. Louis, they weren't asking for Curt. They wanted me at a time when Curt and I weren't even working together. I was in ECW, beginning to show the personality that you now know and love and Curt was back in FCW, doing some more training. What was I supposed to do, Curt? Did you want me to turn the EBWF down and request to be placed in FCW with you? Did you want me to set up a meeting with Vince McMahon and ask him to put you on ECW with me? If that's what you wanted, then I'm sorry but you're a worse friend than you make me out to be. We both know that more often than not, people regret the opportunities they don't take far more than the ones they do take. And I had to try my luck in the EBWF, because I knew it was my best chance of success. It still wasn't easy; after a brief successful run, I ended up back in the WWE, where I was known more for Z! True Long Island Story than anything they booked me to do. That was enough to get me a second chance here and since that happened, I haven't looked back. No one has asked us to work together since we split three years ago, Curt. Not Vince, not Wes; we haven't even asked for it ourselves. We had a great run as a tag team but we've both had success as singles stars and in new tag teams. I can't exactly say you and Vance Archer were something special, but you and Tyler Reks seem to work well together. The fact that Trent and I are the EBWF Tag Team Champions speaks volumes about how good of a tag team we are. Curt, here you and I are in 2012, eight years after we debuted, and we've accomplished great things both together and separately. We're fighting for a chance to advance in the historic King of the Ring tournament and in an ideal world, I'd want to shake your hand and hug you after the match. Whether I win or I lose, that's the way it should be. Instead I have to listen to you talk about how badly you're going to hurt me and hear concerned whispers questioning your mental state. And it makes me sad, Curt... it really does. Why are you so bitter and twisted? Why are you reeling over the fact that we did what just about every tag team does and went our separate ways? Are you really upset that I didn't use my success to help you, or are you just jealous of the fact that I was successful without you? I've never had enough pull in the EBWF to ask Wes if he'll hire one of my friends and even if I was in that position, wouldn't you rather earn your contract? You did that and you should be pleased about it; I couldn't be happier that I earned my place here without someone calling in a favour for me. If you really think that I'm responsible for any of your failures, Curt, then you have failed to grasp one of the most important lessons about this business. I've had a few helping hands on my way to the EBWF and so have you, but I still believe that the person who is most responsible for my success is me. It should be the same for you. Instead of complaining about how I've wronged you by not holding your hand and taking you to the top with me, you should be looking at what I've done to get where I am and asking yourself what you can learn from it.
Ryder stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. He could feel himself getting more worked up with every word he spoke. It wasn't a feeling he was used to; for most of his time in the EBWF, his work had been much more light-hearted than this.
Zack Ryder: I can't be responsible for both of us Curt; I have to look out for me and put myself first. Instead of carrying out Kane's orders, you should be doing the same. You held the Breakout Title for seven weeks earlier this year and you did that without the help of Kane or Tyler Reks. Since Kane took you under his wing you haven't even come close to accomplishing anything. You've beaten Trent up a couple of times, hurt Cody Rhodes and came dangerously close to attacking a defenceless AJ Lee... but where is your next title reign going to come from? If you're crowned King of the Ring at the end of this month, you'll get a World Title shot at Summerslam, but is that part of Kane's plan? Or does he want you to help him become King? I'd put good money on Kane being more interested in winning this tournament himself than on helping you win it and Curt, if that's the case, you can forget about ever being successful with his "help". I could understand you doing his dirty work if you needed the exposure, like we did when we were Edgeheads, but you've come a long way since then. Or at least, you should have.
Ryder sighed and exited the ring. He took a seat on the steel steps and continued to film himself with the ring behind him in the background.
Zack Ryder: I wish I could talk to you, Curt. I wish we could work out the issues you seem to have created for us. But it seems our friendship is too far gone for us to ever reconcile. So go ahead... keep being angry, making your threats. Tell people that I tried to ruin your life and that you're going to beat the living hell out of me, because to me they're just empty words. I don't need to hurt you to beat you Curt and I sure as hell don't need to hurt you. I just need to keep doing what I've been doing since we split; I need to fight for me and I need to keep fighting until I'm at the top of this business. And you know what? Being crowned the 2012 King of the Ring could be my bridge to being the next EBWF World Champion. If I have to step over you to make that happen, that's just fine... after all, you already think I have, so why not make your delusions become reality?
Ryder turned the camera off and the scene faded.
Zack Ryder: Hi. I'm not going to start this video by introducing myself as the Internet Champion and I'm not going to end it by telling you to take care, spike your hair. That's not what I'm here for today... I'm here to set the record straight. In case you didn't notice the logo in the centre of the ring, or if you aren't familiar with my history, this is the place where it all began for Long Island Iced Z. In 2004 I wrestled my first match in this ring for the NYWC and not long after that, I began teaming with Curt Hawkins. Back then he called himself Bryan Myers and I worked under the name Brett Matthews, but I knew him as Brandon and to him, I was Matt Cardona. Two years later, we were teaming in Deep South Wrestling as the Major Brothers and brothers are what we were - not in blood, but in bond. Curt and I trained together, we travelled together, we won together and we lost together. For the first five years of my pro-wrestling career, Curt was my tag team partner and we made it in this business together. No matter how much success I have as a professional wrestler, whether that's singles success, success with Trent Barreta or another tag team partner, I will always remember those early years of my career. And I will always be grateful to Curt for how much he helped me get to where I am today.
Ryder stopped speaking for a moment. He held up a picture to the camera.
Zack Ryder: I called by my dad's house earlier and I found this picture stuck to my bedroom wall. Curt and I were 19 or 20 years old when this was taken - I can't remember exactly when it was, but I know this picture will always mean a lot to me. Which is why despite Curt playing the victim card, it hurts me to hear him going around telling people that I abandoned him. I never abandoned you, Curt. I never forget about you and I never betrayed you. If I did anything wrong, I did what anybody who wants to be successful does - I was selfish. I was presented with an opportunity to advance my career and I took it. If I hadn't taken it, I'd probably still be wrestling on Superstars every week, or worse, be working in TNA as Robbie E's cousin. So while I'll admit to being selfish by signing for the EBWF when they wanted me and not Curt, anything else he accuses me of is straight up bullshit. When I got the call from St. Louis, they weren't asking for Curt. They wanted me at a time when Curt and I weren't even working together. I was in ECW, beginning to show the personality that you now know and love and Curt was back in FCW, doing some more training. What was I supposed to do, Curt? Did you want me to turn the EBWF down and request to be placed in FCW with you? Did you want me to set up a meeting with Vince McMahon and ask him to put you on ECW with me? If that's what you wanted, then I'm sorry but you're a worse friend than you make me out to be. We both know that more often than not, people regret the opportunities they don't take far more than the ones they do take. And I had to try my luck in the EBWF, because I knew it was my best chance of success. It still wasn't easy; after a brief successful run, I ended up back in the WWE, where I was known more for Z! True Long Island Story than anything they booked me to do. That was enough to get me a second chance here and since that happened, I haven't looked back. No one has asked us to work together since we split three years ago, Curt. Not Vince, not Wes; we haven't even asked for it ourselves. We had a great run as a tag team but we've both had success as singles stars and in new tag teams. I can't exactly say you and Vance Archer were something special, but you and Tyler Reks seem to work well together. The fact that Trent and I are the EBWF Tag Team Champions speaks volumes about how good of a tag team we are. Curt, here you and I are in 2012, eight years after we debuted, and we've accomplished great things both together and separately. We're fighting for a chance to advance in the historic King of the Ring tournament and in an ideal world, I'd want to shake your hand and hug you after the match. Whether I win or I lose, that's the way it should be. Instead I have to listen to you talk about how badly you're going to hurt me and hear concerned whispers questioning your mental state. And it makes me sad, Curt... it really does. Why are you so bitter and twisted? Why are you reeling over the fact that we did what just about every tag team does and went our separate ways? Are you really upset that I didn't use my success to help you, or are you just jealous of the fact that I was successful without you? I've never had enough pull in the EBWF to ask Wes if he'll hire one of my friends and even if I was in that position, wouldn't you rather earn your contract? You did that and you should be pleased about it; I couldn't be happier that I earned my place here without someone calling in a favour for me. If you really think that I'm responsible for any of your failures, Curt, then you have failed to grasp one of the most important lessons about this business. I've had a few helping hands on my way to the EBWF and so have you, but I still believe that the person who is most responsible for my success is me. It should be the same for you. Instead of complaining about how I've wronged you by not holding your hand and taking you to the top with me, you should be looking at what I've done to get where I am and asking yourself what you can learn from it.
Ryder stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. He could feel himself getting more worked up with every word he spoke. It wasn't a feeling he was used to; for most of his time in the EBWF, his work had been much more light-hearted than this.
Zack Ryder: I can't be responsible for both of us Curt; I have to look out for me and put myself first. Instead of carrying out Kane's orders, you should be doing the same. You held the Breakout Title for seven weeks earlier this year and you did that without the help of Kane or Tyler Reks. Since Kane took you under his wing you haven't even come close to accomplishing anything. You've beaten Trent up a couple of times, hurt Cody Rhodes and came dangerously close to attacking a defenceless AJ Lee... but where is your next title reign going to come from? If you're crowned King of the Ring at the end of this month, you'll get a World Title shot at Summerslam, but is that part of Kane's plan? Or does he want you to help him become King? I'd put good money on Kane being more interested in winning this tournament himself than on helping you win it and Curt, if that's the case, you can forget about ever being successful with his "help". I could understand you doing his dirty work if you needed the exposure, like we did when we were Edgeheads, but you've come a long way since then. Or at least, you should have.
Ryder sighed and exited the ring. He took a seat on the steel steps and continued to film himself with the ring behind him in the background.
Zack Ryder: I wish I could talk to you, Curt. I wish we could work out the issues you seem to have created for us. But it seems our friendship is too far gone for us to ever reconcile. So go ahead... keep being angry, making your threats. Tell people that I tried to ruin your life and that you're going to beat the living hell out of me, because to me they're just empty words. I don't need to hurt you to beat you Curt and I sure as hell don't need to hurt you. I just need to keep doing what I've been doing since we split; I need to fight for me and I need to keep fighting until I'm at the top of this business. And you know what? Being crowned the 2012 King of the Ring could be my bridge to being the next EBWF World Champion. If I have to step over you to make that happen, that's just fine... after all, you already think I have, so why not make your delusions become reality?
Ryder turned the camera off and the scene faded.