24/05/10 - Nate Dooley
- Seeking redemption through destruction
Jimmy and I were best friends for the better part of 10 years.
Without either of us, EPW simply would not be around. And it's
fair to say that neither of us would've achieved as much as we
have in professional wrestling if it weren't for the other.
He's the greatest EPW Champion in history. Daylight is second.
But this isn't about winning belts or winning matches and
definitely not about winning fans.
As much as I enjoyed my time in EPW, having our farewell match
at Hell or Highwater 2008 allowed me to focus on life outside of
wrestling. I worked hard to create a fantastic opportunity for
myself in Canberra and packed up my life to move there.
Coming back to Perth for a short break was a welcome chance to
catch up with friends, including Jim and to see how the company
I helped to build was fairing.
It took one phone call from my best friend to change everything
that I’d worked for in my life. And it's something that I will
never ever forgive Jimmy Payne for.
I don't need to explain the dangers in professional wrestling to
any of you. People get hurt, bones get broken, ligaments tear,
tendons rip and blood gets spilled. Why my best friend would ask
me back into this world when he knows all this is something I
will never understand?
I said ‘Yes’ because I thought Jimmy had my back. I agreed
because my best mate said would he take care of me in that
dangerous world. Well the scars that I carry from that ‘one last
match’ would suggest otherwise.
Long story short, my bones did break, my ligaments did tear and
my tendons did rip. I had to leave my job in Canberra and return
back to Perth with nothing more than a burning hatred for what
Jimmy Payne has done to me. A hatred that I'm reminded of every
single day by looking at my hand. I may as well have 'Jim'
carved into it because that is all I see when I look at the
scars.
Evolution is going to be my opportunity to hurt Jimmy and take
this all away from him just like he stole my life away from me.
He's said that he will not fight his best friend, which is fine
by me, because Jimmy Payne is no friend of mine. He’s just a
selfish individual who’s about to pay the price.
And this Saturday, he is going to be staring across the ring at
a man who is going to break a cane over his body and leave him
broken and shattered, just like he did me.
