On Friday, November 11th I wrestle my last match as The Lethal Litigator.
To most, that’s not a big deal at all. I wasn’t any kind of in-ring talent of note. I did my job, worked hard in matches, but The Lethal Litigator was a comedy heel. I’d commentate matches live, work the crowd up, work a match (which I’d invariably lose) and often do a big stunt – fall through tables, big falls off of balconies, etc. What’s strange is as a wrestling trainer I wouldn’t let anyone I train do the crazier things. It was the 90’s and the escalation of what was expected as far as physical danger was in full effect. I did what I had to do to get work.
Looking back, there’s two things that I’m very proud of – I’m proud that I managed to not have a serious injury over a multi-year career, and I never injured anyone else in the ring. I’m also proud that when I was allowed to book matches, I didn’t take advantage of the position. I really did my best job not putting myself over and really emphasizing the whole card and what we were trying to accomplish.
That said, Lethal Litigator was who I was. I worked heel the entire time. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have tried something else for a gimmick for a time. When you are getting booked and promoters seem reluctant to have you change anything, you have a choice to make. I probably made the easier and safer choice (financially) and didn’t try anything else. I wish I would have taken a chance. I would have made a dynamite never-say-die babyface. Or a different kind of heel that could garner serious heat.
I really hit home that this was going to be my last match as Lethal Litigator when I had to find my black Lethal Litigator jacket with the red “Lethal Litigator” embroidered on the back. I had a number of jackets (by the way, I’m amazed that wrestlers nowadays who want to do this for a living don’t invest in gear and a look…that was damn near priority #1 when I wrestled from 1993-2000) but this one was my first one, and the only one I still have. I found the jacket thanks to direction from my wife (“it might be in the basement. Or in a drawer full of your stuff that you don’t wear anymore. Or it might be tucked on the side of the kid’s big closet of clothes.” That’s where it was, next to my 4-year old’s costumes) and took a look. It was literally covered with dust, having not been worn or used since late 2000.
When the dry cleaners commented on the state of the jacket, and how hard it was to restore it, it made me realize that me wrestling as Lethal Litigator wouldn’t be easy. It will be fun, for sure. It was fun showing the regular Platinum Championship Wrestling crowd (many of whom have hounded me with bringing up Lethal Litigator for months) video clips last Friday of me wrestling Jake Roberts, chopping women (I worked heel to the hilt, I must emphasize) and generally looking younger. They responded well, and I think they’ll have fun watching me work as Lethal Litigator one last time. I even got permission from my former valet to have a new version of herself at ringside. You really can’t have Lethal Litigator without his Executive Level Assistant, Miss Stilletto.
I hate the word “retirement” when it comes to wrestling. Not only do wrestlers seem to never fully retire (see: every wrestler except Gorilla Monsoon) often it is guys who never had a real career that “retire.” I had a career as Lethal Litigator, as in I actually made money from being Lethal Litigator, and counted on it as my primary source of income…but I never really made it to the big time. I stopped wrestling actively when I was 30, certainly a far cry from the decades-spanning career others have had. Once I captained my own ship I never looked back. Save for the occasional foray into the ring for fun (as a Warhorse, for example) I don’t book myself. I think it’s bad form, for one thing, and PCW certainly has the roster that doesn’t need me on it.
Once I started training wrestlers in Georgia in 2001, and running my own promotion I never looked back at my in-ring wrestling career. I love booking and running PCW. But I can’t lie…the thought of getting to put on the red and black jacket, the thought of bumping around and being a jerk in the ring again (and having the crowd cheer for it no less) is appealing. It’s all the more reason to be Lethal Litigator just one last time. PCW is a young league full of talented younger wrestlers. If Lethal Litigator had a time, it’s clearly done. I know that Friday I’ll go out with a bang. It will be fun showing the newer wrestlers a little of what I used to do, and getting to show off one last time while I’m still physically able to pull of what I want to do with energy and competence.
After that, the Litigator jacket hangs back up. The green jacket I wear as Stephen Platinum, booker is the only one I’ll need. But the red and black jacket will always have its place – not in wrestling history really, because I was less than a blip on the wrestling radar…but with me. And for one night, with the PCW fans. And that’s not bad at all.
The video clip of me at Lethal Litigator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLoWwUfsm4E&feature=youtu.be
Platinum Championship Wrestling at the Academy Theater on Friday! Bell is at 8:00 p.m.
www.academytheater.org
119 Center Street
Avondale Estates, GA 30002
$8 a ticket
There have been 126 shows in the history of PCW since we started January 15th of 2010. But never has a main event meant so much.
A ten person versus ten person elimination match. The Empire and PCW will each field a team. The team that has a person or people remaining on their team after the other team has been completely eliminated will be the winner, and the company will be theirs, lock, stock and barrel.
The Empire Team:
(Captain) Miss Rachael
Dany Only
Union Jack
Sylar Cross
Master Jae
"Wildchild" Joey Kidman
"The Main Attraction" Michael Hirsch
"Awesome" Zach Daniels
Zackary Blane
Mr. Eric
The PCW Team:
(Captain) The Lethal Litigator, Stephen Platinum
PCW World Champion Mason
"The Sensational" Jay Fury
"The Revelation" Shane Marx
"Record Breaking" Tommy Daniels
Mr. Xcitement
"Do Or Die" Chip Day
The Phantom
The Washington Bullets (Jon and Trey Williams)
In addition to that match, a very special semi-main event has been announced:
Vordell Walker will take on "The Tokyo Monster" Kahagas, managed by Ron Niemi -- if you don't know who they are, Google them, folks. It's going to be a barnburner of a match
Aesha answers Pandora's challenge for a strap match on December 15th at the Masqerade!
Also: The Konkrete Gorillaz! Simon Sermon! Marko Polo and Nina Monet! Supernatural! And more, much more! This event is not to be missed!
No comments:
Post a Comment