I have not had time to really give a good columnar update to this website; quite frankly, I have been one busy motherfucker. I was promoted at work to supervisor, on an interim basis, as of March 6. My shift went from 8:30am to 5:00pm (with Friday-Saturday off), to 9:00am to 5:30pm (with Tuesday-Wednesday off), and I took over what was literally the worst collection of rejects I have ever seen.
The previous supervisor had 16 reps, and had three quit right before I took over; I, in turn, have lost another six reps. Two of them switched to other teams (more on that, later), while the other four were fired. Although, technically, they were classified as "job abandonment" and got released ... if anything. Of the two reps that switched, one was by choice--the other by force. The latter was a psycho chick that threatened to kill me: all because I asked her to actually sit down, stop talking, and do some work.
Anyway, I don't want to go into great details about this, because it's been Hell; that, and it has nothing to do with wrestling. For the past 23 days I have been working like a dog to try and right this sinking ship ... and today that came to an end. Now that the team is down to seven reps (and the other teams in my department have also lost some reps), they decided to amalgamate some teams ... and as the "new guy" I was odd man out. It sucks that the promotion didn't last, but both the Production Manager and the Senior Manager agreed that I did the best I could with the worst possible hand a new supervisor could be dealt; as an internet poker junkie, I can relate to that. :-)
This means that as of April 1, I will be back to my old job in the Quality Department. In turn, I should be getting back to Fridays and Saturdays off, so I can get back to actively thinking about wrestling! I am contemplating heading to ECCW's pre-WrestleMania event at Towne Centre Cinema in Abbotsford, as I should be getting Sunday off to compensate for the fact I will have worked a five-day week by the time March 31 rolls around.
I kinda wished I got demoted today, though, so that I would have been able to attend the ECCW show this Friday in Surrey. At the very least, I would be there to back up my fellow Vancouver Islander, Ice, as he confronts his current nemesis, Azeem The Dream. Ice and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but us Islanders need to stick together ... regardless. Speaking of which, it's time I got caught up on my wrestling world:
Friday, March 2, I was at the Bridgeview Hall in Surrey. Initially, there was a discussion that I would be tangling with the returning ECCW Hardcore Champion, Moondog Manson; that got nixed right before the doors opened, however, as the NWA Championship Committee didn't want to jeopardize their NWA Canadian Heavyweight Title bout on Saturday ... yeah, between my last column (February 24) and Friday (March 2),the committee had recanted and given me my golden opportunity. I have no idea what the Hell was in jeopardy, because I am not afraid of Manson ... and I am confident I could hold my own against him, if (when?) the opportunity is available. Instead, I was in the corner of my new buddy, Deuce Savage, who had another showdown with Johnny Obsession.
Deuce came pretty close (again), but fell victim to a stalling reverse neckbreaker (again), that saw Johnny get the win (again). More importantly than the fact that I am now 0-3 as a manager, is that I unveiled my new Nanaimo Daily News "Athlete Of The Week" (for the week ending December 1, 2006) Trophy, to the delight of the Surrey Sugar Addicts ... and the chagrin of one Scotty Sweatervest, who had to work for has announcing dollars that weekend.
Later in the evening, I watched Freddy Funk retain the aforementioned Canadian Title by countout, when Cole Bishop was unable to return to the ring after Funk's "Gravy Train" avalanche. I've got a lot of respect for Cole (as we both faced each other at the beginning of our careers), so I was more than a little contemplative going into Saturday.
When I arrived at the
Russian Cultural Centre in Vancouver on Saturday (March 3), I was tense: I even had trouble eating. Not a lot
of trouble, but still ... have you looked at me? I never have trouble eating. There was a bigwig from
The Fight Network hanging out backstage, and Bryan Danielson was also
there for a second straight night. Bryan was mobbed backstage on Friday, so I only got to get a quick picture
with him; on Saturday, however, I got to chat for a good ten minutes with the man considered to one of the
best workers in the world today. It was sweet, to say the least.
After intermission, "Sugar Sugar" blared, and I hit the ring. Funk controlled the match early with some power, but I was able to use my brains and take control. I was working Funk's traps and neck with chops and nerve pinches, to some effect, but I could not knock the super-heavyweight off his feet. I don't know if it was the lights, the cameras, or the fact that the crowd was riding a serious Sugar High ... but I felt "Hoganesque" and went for a bodyslam.
No dice.
Freddy took over with some more power, but I was able to regain control and went to the second turnbuckle for a flying double-axehandle. Funk was there, however, and caught me in position for an F-Bomb; I tried to struggle free, but he hit me with that soviet suplex (aka, a Rock Bottom), and prepared to ascend the turnbuckles. I must've hit my head hard on the canvas, because I was too dazed to move ... and that's when I saw 350-plus pounds of humanity flying down at me. As my ribs creaked (and cracked, a bit), I was dying for a breath of air ... and succumbing to a three-count.
Funk went home with the gold that night, but I didn't just go home with bruised ribs: I gained some all-important experience, in my first-ever chance at a wrestling title. I guarantee it won't be the last.
Post-match, I was in some
serious discomfort ... but all that had to be ignored, as my fellow Vancouver Islander was injured: Ice was
suffering some serious pain and swelling in his right leg. I ended up accompanying Ice to the Emergency Room
(along with Island ref, CP), where we would be waiting for nearly four
hours for a prognosis. Originally, the ER quack said it was a minor thing ... turns out a real doctor on
the Island had a more serious outlook on things. Ice talks all about the injury on his LiveJournal, so I will just state that I wish him a speedy
recovery.
If that wasn't a big enough
downer, the March 9 show in Comox was postponed ... until April 28. That Saturday, Kid Xtreme and I will tangle with the reigning Number One Contenders to the
ECCW Tag Team Titles, Amazing Halo & El Phantasmo. Depending on what
happens in Surrey on March 30, The Kid and I might be getting a shot at the gold!
On a side note, I have to give credit where credit is due: I have not always liked and/or tolerated CP; usually, he is shit-faced and annoying when he makes the trip over to the mainland. On that March 2/3 wrestling weekend, he was a fucking champ: driving Ice's car (I don't drive, period), getting us to the first ferry on Sunday so I could get work ... doing a near-perfect impersonation of The Natural on Friday. All in all, I have gained a new measure of respect for CP ... and I owe him a huge measure of thanks. So thanks, ya bastard. :-)
Meanwhile, I am still struggling with diet and exercise: the extra workload from my short-term promotion has really done a number on both. I have been trying to focus more on my diet for the past five weeks (before things went to Hell); in the first four I had dropped a total of six pounds, only to regain nearly two of those pounds this past week. With a lesser workload in April, I should be able to re-dedicate myself to finally getting in some semblance of better shape.
Until next time, Sugar Addicts!
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