| Its 12:30 am as I sit here typing this. I had come over to my computer, to start making the new flyer for the September PCW show. As I sorted through what is a huge file of JPG's on my hard drive, I came across a lot of pictures of people I have met. Looking at all the pics, remembering all these people I have known and know, Im struck the hardest by one. Richard O'Shea and his Ex-Girlfriend Jennie. I asked TOL to hook me up on a column for the site but I never sent him anything, All of a sudden I have something to say. I have known Rick longer than anyone in PCW. Its safe to say that without Rick I never would have become a part of PCW. Rick was a lot more than one of the kids I train, Rick was a friend. I met a young Rik Vandal in Antioch, Ca. back in '98'. He was a dirty looking white boy with a goofy haircut and way too much energy for a 165lb kid. Rick told me he had just had a flaming table match in his backyard that afternoon and that he wanted to know if he could get in the ring before the show and let me see what kind of moves he had. I just took one look at this kid, shook my head, and thought "A.D.D." However I took the time to actually talk to Rick and came to see that he was a good kid, slightly spazzy but overall a good kid. Rick was a successful grappler on the high school wrestling team as well as a backyard legend. I told him I didnt like backyard wrestling and did my best to steer him away from the more dangerous garbage that came with that shit. Rick impressed me by actually listening to me, He stopped doing the danger-man stunts. Rick respected this business, this game. He wanted to earn my respect and was ready to change to do it. I liked that about him right away. I liked it a lot. Right away I felt like I made a friend in Antioch. I kept up with Rick here and there over the years. I went to a few of his old BRAWL shows and got really drunk and molested underage panty droppers, Rick was always coming to shows I did in the bay area. We were what I would call pretty good friends. What I remember most about all that though was Rick, always asking me "When ya gonna train me, Skitz?". I always made some excuse or promised him "soon, soon". Then in September of 2000, Rick told me about PCW. He told me about MPT, TOL, ect. I tried to tell him, "Thats backyard Rick, Fuck that Shit!", However Rick wouldnt stop. He really wanted me to meet up with some guy named Zack Reeb and offer to train PCW. Rick wanted me to train so he could go there and be trained too. I finally gave in and decided that if Rick thought this highly of the whole thing then it might be worth looking at. The rest is history. So here I am tonight, now 1:04 am (I type slow) looking at his picture on screen. Not a wrestling pic, not a pic of Kryton Downing. I pic of Rick and Jennie. DAMN! This is a pic that was taken at Antioch High, the night I wrestled Earthquake Ferris and Fidel Garcia. I remember that trip real well. The day that pic was taken I was really bumming over some shit that had happened the night before. I remember Rick trying to cheer me up while he rode with me and my girl to get some food. I was real pissed but Rick was not going to give up on trying to lift my mood. That was Rick. Maybe slightly goofy, maybe slightly annoying at times to everyone but me, maybe a easy guy to rib, but a really good guy at heart. If Rick was your friend, everything else aside, He was there for you. As a student theres nothing to say, as far as Im concerned Rick was the best student at "The Farm". He was undersized, outweighed, blind and, the Toughest Sonuvabitch I have seen since joining PCW. I always could count on Rick. He pushed himself. If you ran against Rick you were running for 2nd place because Rick wasnt going to let himself lose. If you shot with Rick you better pack a lunch because the kid was gonna be there with you till the dogs barked. If you pushed him he pushed himself even harder to beat you. Rick was a worker. In the ring Rick was a stud, a general. MPT and TJ Wimz will both tell you the same. Rick pushed them both to their best performances. As good as both of his matches with TJ Wimz and his first title shot against MPT were, Rick was going to have better matches. I knew it. Now thats all washed away. Its 1:2am, Im sitting here looking at a pic of Rick and Jennie. Mario & Luigi, DJ Sleepy, Brett Martinez, Cannonball XXXpress, Dusty Lungs, TOL, Eye Candy, Toolbox Tony, Jose Blanco, Kid Luny, Guy Fagot, Sara Sexton, Kryton Downing..........All these pics on the hard drive.......... I have spent time working with everyone on that list. Some were friends, Some werent. I have known Jose Blanco since I was 16, to this day he is my best friend. Cannonball XXXpress went to the same wrestling school as me, after it closed I took him on and trained him another 3 years before he joined the army. but the last 3 names on that list are the ones Im thinking about now. Guy Fagot Sara Sexton Kryton Downing A sick twist of life imitating art. Two men with a women between them. Jennie and Ryan got together and Rick was alone. now all three of them are gone. Rick never made a mistake in the ring, but in his life the same could not be said. Rick started making mistakes in his life, one after another and now hes lost what everyone in PCW has whether they see it or not. Rick lost his opportunity. Opportunity with Jennie, opportunity with PCW, opportunity in general. All of you reading this that are a part of PCW need to understand one thing. You dont get any second chances in life. Look at this and try to learn from it. Dont follow this route. I understand being caught up in a good time and doing shit that can get you in hot water, just for kicks, but dont be stupid and get thrown in jail. The system is no place for you to be, it will eat you alive and your life will be worse for it. You guys need to look at what is being GIVEN to you. PCW is investing time in training you to be a part of something really good. Were giving you what no one will, a chance. An opportunity. Ask yourself if what your about to do is worth fucking off everything you have a chance for. Is spraying someone with piss that important? How much more important is taking someones cell phone? How about stealing a car? Theres no difference in any of it, Remember all it gets you a ticket to the same place as Rick. If your not trying to make wrestling your business and decide its not for you anymore, thats great. Thats ok. But if you love this and want to continue, you need to be responsible and not blow your ride here. you are being given something that people pay thousands of dollars for. Dont blow it. It kills me to see this kind of stuff happen because I dont give up on you guys. When I see one of you give up I dont trip, for every quitter Like Brett Martinez with a shit load of potential, there is a gritty Matt LaRoche or Chad Jackson ready to take up the opportunity. For every Blue Chipper that gives up because their heart isnt in it, theres a poop butt fat kid willing to work and improve in his place. But when I see one of you go down to illness, injury, or blown opportunity I feel like shit. I dont want to end this on a down note so Im going to praise a few guys who have stuck it out. Guys I abuse a lot because I give a shit. Matt LaRoche, Chad Jackson, Bear, and the guy I treat the harshest Taylor Gregory. I kick these guys in the ass harder because they need it and because I actually care about what happens to them. You guys, dont think I hate you, When I get mean with you it means I care enough about what your doing to get mad. Im giving props to you guys right now for taking it all on the chin and never being pussies and giving up on me. Thanks. Its 2am and Im looking at this picture.....wondering who is next? |