Well, I won’t back down
No I won’t back down
You could stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won’t back down
Rise to Greatness: The absolute pinnacle of sports and entertainment, the trademark event of Supreme Championship Wrestling. To some, it may be a meager weekend. But to the men and women of SCW, it’s the climax of the year. It is the venue where men are made Kings, and Kings are transformed into immortals. For SCW, this is the Big One.
For me, the 2023 edition means so much more. Yes, I am Gavin Taylor – All-Star, professional wrestler extraordinaire, and for today, your narrator.
After seven months in self-imposed exile, I made my surprise return at Taking Hold of the Flame, managing to end up runner-up and knowing that, had the winner been rendered unable to fulfill her duties, I could have found myself responsible for her duties. Don’t believe me? Look up Miss Universe rules. Still, to return to the greatest wrestling company in the world and end up in such a high-ranking position was all the motivation I needed to ensure my return was not a one-off. See, I told the company I was contingent on eliminating one person, something I fulfilled when I threw Ravyn Thompson – because I still won’t call her Taylor – to the floor. It felt serendipitous.
See that? Spelling!
But this event was going to be the biggest one. Bigger than the time I went in and faced Syren in an Iron Person match that no one thought I would win. Because this was a match that was 14 years in the making.
And then I blew it.
Yeah, we could debate until we’re blue in the face the merits of what happened with the referee. Did Simon intentionally put him in harm’s way? Was it an accident? That’s not important anymore, except that my perfect Rise to Greatness record has been taken away. But all this, everything going on with Simon the last three months, has me a tad reminiscent…
February 28, 2011
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
“So you mean I get to keep this?”
Once upon a time, I – Gavin Taylor – was a selfish man. I know, try to contain your shock at this revelation. But it’s true. I was conceited. I was arrogant. But, I mean, like Kid Rock opined once, “It ain’t bragging motherfucker if you back it up”, and I was more than able to back it up. So as I held my CWF Canadian Championship at the end of the Shootclub Wrestling Alliance and, by extension, the Canadian Wrestling Federation, it wasn’t what was to come next that had me in a bind, It was my property.
“Technically, that Championship is property of the CWF,” my father-in-law, Broderick Chase, was quick to point out. Yes, I married into a family with brilliant law minds who decided to exercise those minds in the realm of corporate professional wrestling. “But seeing as though I am the registered owner of CWF, what I say goes. So enjoy it, son.”
I loved having family in charge. Not that I ever needed nepotism to get ahead – look at my career in Mexico, Australia, and… ugh… Texas. But I would be lying if having the wheels of success be frequently oiled wasn’t something that I could get used to.
Losing CWF was always going to be a hit. But hey, I was the All-Star, wasn’t I? If anyone was going to be able to survive the fallout, it was going to be me. The only question was, where would I go? And there were always the other questions about loose threads. I had a lot of people running for me when CWF died. They would probably come after me wherever I went. And then there were targets that I would want to go after myself.
Simon Lyman for one. At this point, I had been waiting for two years to tango with “Simply Sensational”. Oh sure… we had our house show exhibitions, but no one really counted those. We wanted the spotlight, the big dance. And we never knew how far we’d go…
“It really is too bad,” I said as I polished my property. “Braeden and I probably could have lit the world on fire. But then…”
“I know where you’re going with this, Gavin,” Broderick probably read my mind. After all, there was no way I was that predictable. “I know you’ve got professional aspirations to surpass Simon.“
“Who wouldn’t?” I asked. It was a fair (and correct) statement, after all. At the time, Braedon was a bona fide main event star. A former World Champion. Hell, he and Donovan (Kayl, if you forgot him) could breathe and become World Tag Team Champions. They were the greatest Tag Team of all time… and he was one of the greatest talents. “I know what I’m worth. You know what I’m worth. You know I could get there, right?”
Broderick hesitated, and I understand why. Well, now I understand why. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t taken back by the hesitation. Professional insults are one thing. But this was my father-in-law.
“Something wrong, son?” Broderick was always able to tell when something had gotten under my skin. Looking back, I would guess that his hesitation was planned – something he set to see just how badly I really wanted it. I looked down at the CWF Canadian Championship. My Championship. Unlike Simon, I was now in possession of something I could never lose. The company going defunct would render me the forever Canadian Champion. And still, it felt like something of a compromise. As I adjusted my left hand on the strap, hugging my belt, I caught a glimpse of my wedding ring, and calm washed over me.
“No, sir,” I responded, partly lying. But hey, who would that lie hurt? Not Broderick. Certainly not Maddie. I smiled as I looked at him again. “No, Dad.”
Broderick matched my smile, immediately ending my anxiety. I think back to that often and ask myself why? Why was it important for me to name Simon… Braedon… directly? What did I think I was gaining? I guess time has a funny way of playing with us.
“Have you ever sat back and wondered what it was all for? I mean really for? I say ridiculous things sometimes, I know. After all, I know you have, Simon. I know this because you and I are alike in a lot of ways. You know this. I know this. Anyone who knows the two of us knows this. So, I really do hope you understand that what I say here, it both isn’t personal at all, and is extremely personal to me, because what I say to you I might as well be saying to myself as well.
Simon – I never hated you. Not once. Not when you were the top dog in the SWA and I was looking up the ladder, waiting to figure out how to crack the nut that was Standing Room Only so my wife and I could become World Tag Team Champions. Not when we were foes by proxy in Florida as you stood by your wife while she attempted to victimize my wife, something I couldn’t allow to happen. Not while you were sitting in the commentary booth going through your retirement phase knowing that the two of us were always destined to clash. Not even when you decided the time to return was when my own future was uncertain.
I never hated you, because I saw myself in you. The first time you went out for the SWA World Championship, you failed. Yes, you can look back at that and laugh now, but the fact remains: You tried to best Derek Clix and in the end, you weren’t quite able to get the job done. That’s something that I’ve experienced over my career many times. And I’m not alone. There are all-time greats in every sport that never kissed the ring of Championship greatness. Dan Marino, Darryl Sittler, Ty Cobb, Karl Malone… all titleless. The only difference is I still have time on my side. I still have time to make things right, just like you did. After falling to HeroClix, you fought back and eventually became World Champion. And I was happy for you, I really was. Jealous? Sure. But happy just the same. But there comes a time in every man’s career when he wonders when his turn is. I’ve been doing this shit for 15 years now… Mexico, Australia, Texas, Canada, Tennessee, Florida, back to Canada, and globally… I have spilled blood in countries most people can’t point out on a map. I have given of myself… sacrificed my time, some would say my prime, time from my marriage… for this sport. We can talk all day about the sacrifices we make… I’m sure your stories might even outdo mine.
But Simon… this… your desperation… that’s where we’re most alike right now, isn’t it. You want to get back to being King of the Mountain again, just as badly as I want to get there. And our clash at Apocalypse is your way to get there, just like it’s mine. But Simon… in the last few weeks, I’ve noticed something about you. Frankly this is probably the best place to talk about that since you’re not standing in front of me to knock some teeth out when I say something you don’t like: You are approaching this match in a VERY Gavin Taylor way. You want a shortcut. You want as clear a path to the Championship as you can muster. And me? Well… I guess one way to counter Gavin Taylor is pretty clear out there…
So you go out there, Simon. Go out there and be the best Gavin Taylor you can be. And I’ll be the best Simon Lyman I can be, because Simon… I will be the one LEADING the REVOLUTION!”
"The All-Star" Gavin Taylor 