On February 21st, Jay Taylor will take part in a match that he has been dreaming about six months. But the man he will face has been preparing for this match for much longer. Former mentor and protégé will collide as Bobby Marshall faces JT in what can only be described as a good old fashioned grudge match.

In 2008, as he prepared for his assault on the EPW championship, Bobby Marshall decided that he would take two young, up and coming wrestlers under his wing to mould them in his image. To be perfectly honest, it appeared to be little more than a little insurance policy to back him up in situations that he felt he couldn’t handle.

When offered the chance to train with Marshall, a young Jay Taylor jumped at the opportunity.

“I was floundering at the time,” JT said in a recent chat. “Then Bobby Marshall starts showing interest in training my career. He was considered the best wrestler in Australia at the time. I would have been stupid to say no to training with him.”

Marshall helped JT achieve a level of success that he had been unable to attain by himself. And being associated with the EPW champion gave the youngster a profile that he had no previously experienced.

“People started taking of things I was doing,” said JT. “Before I joined Bobby’s team, people just saw me as a loser. They took me more seriously once I was standing next to him.”

JT’s improvement was swift and he was turning heads. His performance in the 6 man street fight at Hell or Highwater last year, really cemented his name as one to watch. But as he improved, he noticed Marshall’s attitude towards him change.

Bobby seemed more reluctant to help Taylor and was often throwing JT in as the sacrificial lamb only for Marshall to gain an advantage over an opponent. When Jay questioned his trainer, Bobby accused Jay of not showing loyalty to him.

As JT contemplated leaving Marshall’s stable, he was pushed.

Marshall booted Jay in favour of Damian Slater, thinking that the more experienced South Australian could bring the Invitational Tournament trophy to his group. But Jay’s ejection from the group would cost Marshall more than a soldier. JT would be directly involved in Marshall dropping the EPW championship to Davis Storm.

Marshall was furious and swore revenge but was too busy spinning other plates to get to JT.

Bobby is claiming that he is rested and ready to bounce back from his form slump that saw him drop four big profile matches in a row.

If form were the only determining factor, JT would have to be the favourite coming into this match. But it isn’t. Marshall was the most dominant wrestler of 2008 and has shown time and time again that it will take more a determined foe to stop him from getting a win.

Marshall knows that JT has an EPW championship match up his sleeve and would love to halt Jay’s progress and advance his own title agenda all in one fell swoop.

On February 21st, no matter what the result, one man’s huge success will come at the expense of the other. Will the student pass the master? Or does the mentor have one final painful lesson for his pupil?

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