#Jimmy got his first credit card ever a couple years ago and right off the bat he got a $25k limit

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter One

     The sounds of her feet hitting the pavement barely registered in Calypso’s mind. She was just used to walking everywhere. Her current life situation meant that she just couldn’t afford a car. Thankfully, back home in the States, she could walk everywhere. Typically, she would count her steps as she took them. For that not to happen meant that there was a lot going on upstairs.

     How couldn’t there be? Her brain was still trying to process step one of how all this happened, never mind all the steps after that got her here. The chances of this concert happening in her lifetime had been slim to none, leaning heavily on none. She had come to terms with that long ago. Never getting to see her favorite band, never getting to see Led Zeppelin live, was just something she would have to live with. That was until she heard about the concert, this concert. From there, doubt had filled every step. There was no way she could snag the chance to get a ticket, no way she could afford a ticket. It wasn’t until now that she realized that she, somehow someway, had managed to do it.

     All the steps replayed in her mind. It still seemed to surreal. What dragged her out of those thoughts was a sudden and painful rubbing between her legs. She had thought that perhaps her shortest pair of shorts wasn’t the best idea. But, it was all she wanted to wear. Once the tickets were physically in her hands, she only saw one possible outfit. It had taken her ages to hand embroider the t-shirt she was wearing. In the end, it had been worth all the work. She knew it would be.

     Once she pulled her shorts back down just a bit, she can’t help but return to her previous thoughts. Nearly front row tickets for the first Zeppelin concert in like nineteen fucking years. She couldn’t believe her luck. Not only in winning the lottery, but that she could afford them. They weren’t the very first row, rather just a few rows back. It was close enough for her. The last time they played together she had been, what? Three at the most. That didn’t exactly fill one with hope. But now, she couldn’t help but float on the dream of seeing her three remaining heroes.

     Her mind constantly wondered back to the day of the announcement. It would progress naturally to when she went to register. She wanted to be one of the first ones to register. They had said that it wasn’t first come first serve, but she still didn’t want to chance it. When the site had gone down, part of her hopes had come crashing down as well. Of course thousands, if not millions of people would want to try their hand. How could she expect to win? Life hadn’t worked in her favor very often. Why might this be different?

     It had been, though. All the luck for her entire lifetime must have been used up. At the end of the day, though, Calypso had managed to be one of the chosen few. A chuckle escaped her lips at the thought of that. Chosen few. This was a full stadium. It wasn’t just going to be her and a couple fans. It was going to be a packed house, with people surely still trying to get in.

     The placement of her seat only made it better. She would have been over the moon to be in the back row with no chance of seeing any of it. To get so close? That was what felt truly unreal. Somewhere, at some time, she had apparently done something right. Getting here and affording it all had been a project in a half. No doubt she would carry the debt on her credit card for quite a while. Anything, though, to get to be here.

     The closest way she could describe what she was feeling was that it was just like floating. At least, what she imagined floating would feel like. If anyone asked her what she felt, she would be at a total loss for words. Even saying that she felt like she was floating would be an understatement. Her soul was flying off somewhere. Where? She wasn’t sure. She just knew it had left her for the moment. The sounds of her footsteps had now long left her as well. She was truly alone in her thoughts, running solely on autopilot. There was almost nothing that could make this moment better.

     Well, perhaps there were a few things that could make this better. From her mental cloud, a smirk crossed her face. Yeah, there were a couple ideas that she had that could make things better. Those things, though, were completely impossible. It had taken all her luck to get here. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to push it by asking for more.

     It wasn’t until she almost collided with someone that Calypso realized she was there. What was supposed to be a half an hour long, grueling walk had gone by just like that. Calypso honestly couldn’t remember any of it. She had receded so far into her mind; she knew she couldn’t do that again. Doubted she would, with all the excitement beginning to fill her now. She wasn’t complaining about the quick walk, though.

     As she assumed her place in line, she noticed the time. The doors should be opening now. Perfect. She didn’t want to be stuck waiting outside forever. Something told her that the long line of people in front of her had been there for a while now. Some of them likely camped out. That wasn’t something she wanted to do. She didn’t need to. It would have tired her out before the concert. She wanted to make sure that she would be ready and completely awake. There wasn’t a chance she wanted to miss a single second.

     At first, the line moved slowly. The shuffling of thousands of pairs of feet all going in through the same doors. It didn’t surprise her at all. All of these people were trying to get into the same place at the same time. Security would likely be tight as well. They would want to do everything to make sure that nothing could go wrong. In the minds of a lot of people, the events of tonight would weigh heavily on the future.

     Once inside, Calypso found herself at a completely different pace. Her ticket had to be shown to what felt like thousands of people. Security was just as tight as she expected it to be. The last thing anyone here wanted was for something to go wrong. This was a once in a lifetime thing. Everything had to be perfect.

     She was ushered this way and that way. For a bit, she wasn’t sure if she would ever find her seat. It felt so far away. How could she ever make it before the show started? Naturally, she did. The whole process only lasted a few minutes. The mass chaos gave it that special feeling of forever. As she went to sit down, she noticed how perfect her seats really were.

     Practically center stage, she knew that Robert would be in front of her for most of the night. Between her and the stage lay just two or so rows. Anything closer and she felt she would have missed something. After all, this was likely to be their only concert in her lifetime. She wanted to catch every last second of it.

     As she settled into her seat, pre-concert jitters also settled in her stomach. The excitement of it all was finally getting to her. When would they come on? If she was worried about missing a moment by being too close, getting up and doing anything else wasn’t an option. Any sort of bathroom trip would have to wait. The lines would be much too long to even chance it. Nothing felt truly real until the old news clips began to play.

     From there, she knew it would be only minutes. As they got closer and closer, showing the band more and more, she stood up. Anticipation seemed to be eating her alive now. She was sure that was the feeling they wanted to create. Everyone around her seemed to be standing on the edge of something.

     Anything besides wonder and happiness and sheer awe left her body when the first beat hit. She couldn’t imagine the show starting any other way. It couldn’t be a coincide. Someone had purposely picked the first song from their first album. They had must have. But who? That she couldn’t be sure of. Perhaps Jimmy, or maybe even Robert, but it had to be a deliberate choice. Things like that didn’t just happen with Zeppelin. Nothing just happened. Any fear of it not living up to expectations were gone the second Robert opened his mouth.

     Secretly, Calypso had hoped that Robert wouldn’t be right in front of her. She had wanted to be able to pay attention to everyone else as well. With Robert right there? She knew she wouldn’t be able to take her eyes off him. When she did glance at everyone else, she truly understood how close she was.

     The sparkles in Jonesy’s shirt were a nice touch. Almost a call back to the days when they would all dress much more outlandish. At least, that’s what it felt like to her. Seeing all of them in sort of dress pants and shirts was odd. It almost felt out of place against the music. The true gift was obvious every time she did glance back at Robert. From under his curly bangs, she could just manage to make out his eyes.

     Without a doubt, there was a certain magic in the air. She felt as if she closed her eyes, she would be transported back to 1975 again. The magic, it seemed, worked strongest only in certain pockets. Calypso hadn’t imagined it would work any other way. They were old men now. Time had changed them. She hadn’t expected them to be exactly the same, she just couldn’t. Zeppelin had always been about the change.

     The magic, though, that initial spark that set them off, was still there. It had been so long since they played together, and it still gave off the same vibe. She could hardly notice that it was Bonzo’s son rather than the legend himself. Everything felt perfect. It was perfect in an off way, different than everything else they’d done before. The change, like always, was subtle enough but there.

     What she hoped for was that this would push them to do more shows. It was unlikely, but she could hope. That was likely the hope of everyone here. Just a little taste would never be enough. She needed more. Robert, from her understanding of the band’s workings, was now the one that frequently refused to do the gigs. Now, having heard him say that it still felt pretty good, she couldn’t help hoping for more.

     Her train of thought had run off for just a second. It came back the minute Robert was clearly in front of her again. She was transfixed on him, really. That was no surprise to her. It was no secret to anyone that knew her that Robert was undeniably her favorite. Fate had decided, apparently, that she would never have to take her eyes off him. Occasionally, she would look to the others. That tended only to happen when they were next to him. Other than that, there was just something that didn’t let her look away.

     For the most part, he stayed right in front of her. All the intense staring apparently paid off, in Calypso’s mind. She could have sworn that he made eye contact with her and smiled. It seemed insane to even think. With all the people around them? There was so small a chance he could even see her. But something in her soul knew that smile was meant for her. God, she sounded crazy in her own head.

     At the end, the concert seemed to come to a slamming halt. The music was there one second. And the next, it was done. Perhaps forever? Perhaps just for a little bit, until they all met up again. There was no way of knowing. They all would just have to wait and see. Calypso wasn’t sure what to do with herself now, though. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to her lonely hotel room. While the four men on stage had disappeared, she still felt everything all around her. Others seemed to feel the same. People just sat around, a few talking to each other. It seemed like no one wanted to leave. No one wanted to believe it was over.

     She kept returning to the feeling of magic in the air. The word hadn’t seemed to leave her mind that night. It was tedious and repetitive. It was also the only way she could now think to describe everything. Screw floating. Everything around her, her included, were under a spell. Zeppelin had been the witch and their music the spell to be cast. That magic lingered in the air. Something so powerful didn’t just disappear. Anyone who wanted to say they couldn’t feel that special force in the air should be considered crazy.

     A voice broke her out of her daze when it yelled, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!” That was expected. Naturally they all couldn’t just hang around here forever. Everything good came to an end. At first, no one around her seemed to notice. Or perhaps no one seemed to care. That was changed when it was repeated again and security began to move into the crowd. That was all that was needed to break her own trance.

     There were too many voices yelling all at once. Bodies around her were beginning to move. Calypso followed them. For the most part, she was really unable to process what was around her. Post-concert high perhaps? She wasn’t really sure. It was her luck that once again her feet seemed to work without her brain being attached. It was a skill she never knew she had before. They managed to carry her out of the venue, almost on memory along. All the bodies around her aided in whatever was forgotten.

     The cool air hitting her face was a surprise. That was the real, final wake up call. Where was she going from here? The last thing Calypso still wanted to do was go back to her hotel room. It seemed to be the only option staring her in the face right now. Not a lot would be open this hour of the night, though. She paused by the building, doing her best to decide her next move. The hotel, while the only option she seemed capable of thinking of, was not what she was going to do.

     Someone walked by her and he smelled strongly of alcohol. That’s when it hit her. A bar would be likely to still be open. It would be filled to the brim with people. It wouldn’t be quiet and lonely. Where was the nearest one? That was the next question she seemed to answer. It stumped her just as much as the initial. She was hardly from anywhere around here. How was she supposed to know? Instead of stressing about it, she just began to walk. This time, in control of her own feet. There had to be one close enough that she could find. Surely, there would be others going to bars as well.

     There was a certain type of determination in her walk. It was a big city. Naturally, in her mind, any sort of big city should work the same and be littered with bars. As she walked, still adjacent to the concert venue, she heard a door to her right open. Her brain elected to ignore it. It failed to really register in her mind. It was hard at work, trying to decide where a bar might be. Surely, whoever was coming would see her and try to avoid her. That was assuming a person was even leaving the door. Someone could just as easily be going into the door.

     Calypso soon found that she was wrong about her assumption. Just as she passed directly in front of the door, she felt a warm body connect with her. There wasn’t enough time for her to process anything. All she knew next was the feeling of her ass and hands hitting the cold ground.

#the song remains the same #robert plant fanfiction #robert plant fanfic #led zeppelin fanfic #led zeppelin fanfiction

[bbclesmis]

Los Angeles Times: Dominic West on the near-erotic bond between Valjean and Javert in ‘Les Miserables’

Since the original publication of Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Miserables” more than 150 years ago, the brutal conflict between the convict-turned-savior Jean Valjean and ruthless pursuer Inspector Javert has been dramatized countless times on stage, screen and even radio.

Although most of the versions have been dramatic, the most dominant and popular adaptation of the 1862 novel is musical. The Tony Award-winning “Les Miserables,” launched in Paris in 1980, has been featured on stages around the globe, and its colorful characters, luscious ballads and rousing anthems have been embraced by millions of theatergoers.

Dominic West is not among them.

The actor who came to prominence in the landmark HBO series “The Wire” and is starring in Showtime’s “The Affair,” has never seen “Les Miserables” on stage. And he didn’t make it all the way through the 2012 film version starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

Still, he understood how immensely popular the musical is. Which is one reason he had doubts about taking on the role when he was approached about playing Jean Valjean in a new dramatic six-hour adaptation of “Les Miserables.”

“I thought, ‘What’s the point?’ ” West said as he sat in the front courtyard of a boutique hotel in Santa Monica recently. “They’ve made a very successful film, and the stage musical is so successful. Then I read the script, and I realized there was a lot more to it. In living memory there’s been no six-hour version, no long-form version of the novel. The story you’re familiar with and the characters you’re familiar with are seen in greater depth.”

The miniseries, which debuts April 14 on PBS’ “Masterpiece,” also stars David Oyelowo (“Selma”) as Javert, Lily Collins (“Rules Don’t Apply”) as the doomed seamstress Fantine and recent Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) as the abusive innkeeper Lady Thenardier. Andrew Davies, who has written adaptations of everything from “Pride and Prejudice” and “Bleak House” to “House of Cards” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” adapted Hugo’s novel for the project, which was co-produced by “Masterpiece” with BBC Studios.

The bleakness and brutality of Hugo’s vision is vividly depicted, alerting viewers immediately that there will be no catchy songs or light moments in this “Les Miserables.” “Masterpiece” executive producer Rebecca Eaton said there are compelling differences that should appeal to fans of the musical and devotees of Hugo’s work.

“The musical is great, the songs are great, but sometimes it covers up the story,” Eaton said in a phone interview. “What we’ve done is the narrative, with all its intricacies and subtleties that you just don’t get in the musical. We’re going much deeper. I love how Andrew humanizes and animates these 19th century tomes. He really went for the highs and the lows, and is making a political statement about poverty and class.”

The depiction of the virginal Fantine’s fall into degradation and prostitution, for example, is explored in chilling and horrifying detail. One of the highlights of the musical is “Master of the House,” a comic ode to the crooked operation of the inn run by the Thenardiers; in the “Masterpiece” version, the couple is much more menacing and manipulative.

And viewers who remember West as detective Jimmy McNulty from “The Wire” or are used to seeing him in various states of undress and in steamy sex scenes in “The Affair” may be startled when he is introduced as Prisoner 24601. He is almost unrecognizable, shorn of almost all his hair (“They cut my hair off with a knife and fork”) and wearing a lengthy and unkempt beard.

But it’s his performance, along with Oyelowo’s, that is at the center of this “Les Miserables,” and Eaton maintained that viewers will be captivated by how the two actors play out the life-and-death battle between Valjean and Javert: “To watch these two is just mesmerizing, My weakness is actors, and when I’m in the presence of first actors, it’s just wonderful.”

Among the most prominent film adaptations was a 1935 Oscar-nominated film starring Frederic March, a 1998 film starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush, and a 2000 French miniseries starring Gerard Depardieu and John Malkovich.

West became a believer in this latest version after reading Davies’ adaptation, and Hugo’s novel.

“Reading the book was the most pleasurable reading experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “I think it’s the best book ever written. It’s even greater than Tolstoy. Valjean is the greatest hero in literature. His story of redemption and the battle he has against his adversaries and against himself make him such a compelling hero.”

As Valjean, West had to connect with both his brutal side and his tenderness: “He’s been imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving nieces and nephews,” he said. “He knew when he went to prison that they would all die in starvation.”

He added, “What’s central to the book is Javert’s view of the criminal, which is they are born and cannot be redeemed, and Hugo’s more enlightened view, that you’re a product of the way people treat you. If you’re brutalized for 19 years, you will be a brute. His evolution from violent brute to pillar of the community and then romantic hero is what’s so extraordinary about his character arc. Behind this beast is this great compassionate soul.”

Then there’s the core of “Les Miserables” — the clash between Valjean and Javert.

“There’s an almost erotic bond between Valjean and Javert,” West said. “Javert is nuts about him. We kind of hint at it. In these things, you always look for the strongest impulse, and that’s always sex and love.”

However, there was not much love between West and Oyelowo during the shoot.

“I kept trying to get to know David; I kept asking him out to dinner, and he was very aloof,” West said with a laugh. “I thought, ‘Boy, is he unfriendly! He’s a bit snooty.’ And then at the end, we finally went out — it was his birthday — and we had this great night. I said, ‘Wow, we should have done this months ago,’ and he said, ‘No, no, I was deliberately avoiding you.’ It was very clever. You do have a rapport with someone you hang out with on a set, and he didn’t want to have that. He was bloody right.”

He laughed again. “He has everything I lack. He has immense discipline, whereas I’m incapable of not wanting someone to be my friend. He’s perfectly able for the benefit of the work to keep his distance. I admire him hugely as a person and as an actor.”

Both he and Oyelowo are executive producers of “Les Miserables.” “I had never done it before,” West said. “David was good at it. He’d watch stuff and come out with useful notes the next day. I had a lot of opinions about the production until we got into the shoot. Then the only notes I had was, ‘Could you hold on me a little longer? I think you’re missing a bit of magic.’ ” He burst into a loud laugh. “Of course they ignored me.”

West credits his role in “The Affair” with being a crucial tool in helping him prepare for “Les Miserables.” The Showtime drama, which explores the impact of an extramarital affair from different perspectives, is in the midst of filming its fifth and final season.

“There was never a light moment on ‘The Affair,’ “ he said. “It was always emotionally expensive stuff. Lots of grief and emotion. It taught me a lot. I don’t think I could have done Valjean without being on that show.”

Even then, it took time for West to understand Valjean. “What I found so difficult to understand is why he surrenders himself to Javert. Why does he feel he’s a bad guy when all he did was steal a loaf of bread? That took me a very long time, to realize what sort of psychology Hugo was anatomizing there,” West said. “He’s been so brutalized, told that he’s an animal for 20 years. He believes he’s not worthy of love, he believes he’s not worthy of living in normal society, he believes the only thing he deserves is the brutal life of the prison.”

As happy as he is with “Les Miserables,” West is also coming to grips with wrapping up “The Affair.” which also stars Maura Tierney and, until last season’s plot twist, Ruth Wilson. ”Five years is a long time for television, and I’m ready to move on, for sure.”

Although he is looking forward to new projects, he is also constantly reminded of his past — particularly “The Wire” which has only gained in reputation since its original five-season run, which started in 2002. The multilayered series about the narcotics scene in Baltimore is regarded as one of the most significant and compelling dramas in recent TV history.

“It’s really extraordinary how it’s grown in stature, and I feel very lucky to have been involved,” West said. “People always come up to me and say they’ve just watched it. If it came out now, I think it would have been lost in the sheer volume of great projects. But in some way, it can be said it catalyzed this golden age of television and to have raised the bar. For me, it’s been the gift that keeps on giving.”

#les mis bbc #bbc les mis #Jean Valjean #javert #valvert #dominic west #david oyelowo #Interviews #articles #los angeles times

[beingallelite]

Independent wrestling's ultimate bad boy Joey Janela didn't close the show at All Elite Wrestling's inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, this May. He's hoping that will come in time. But he definitely left a heck of an impression in the new promotion's opening match, the Casino Battle Royale.

Not only did he take the craziest fall of the entire night, a reckless crash through a table courtesy of a Luchasaurus chokeslam, but he also had a lit cigarette stapled to his forehead by the dastardly Jimmy Havoc.

You did not read that wrong.

I'll repeat it for emphasis—he had a lit cigarette stapled to his forehead.

Such hijinks are typical of the world that spawned him, the gritty "garbage" matches that often include much wilder stunts and decisions somehow even more questionable. But it was something new for mainstream wrestling, a level of violence not seen since the last time wrestling had a good old-fashioned war: the famed Attitude Era of the late 1990s.

The 30-year-old Janela, it turns out, isn't looking to usher in a new era of ultra-violence, instead preferring to adjust what he does for a wider audience.

Bleacher Report had a chance to sit down with him last week for a wide-ranging discussion, covering everything from his influences to the fact that he still lives at home with his mom.

Jonathan Snowden: How does it feel to be one of those overnight successes who were 10 years in the making? Did you ever think about just walking away from this life and getting a regular job? At some point, it must have been kind of disheartening.

Joey Janela: It's definitely humbled me a bit. The few times I felt like quitting when I was younger. Wrestling really wasn't going anywhere, and I was taking off work and stuff on the weekend to make $25 and putting it all toward gas. It really isn't ideal, but I stuck with it, and sure enough, I've found myself in a position where I can make a living wrestling and make it to the mainstream.

JS: What are some of the ways you used to pay the bills while trying to get to the position every independent wrestler craves: earning your living from wrestling alone? Someone told me you used to deliver pizzas a couple of years ago?

Janela: I don't know when was the last time [I delivered pizzas]. Maybe three years ago? I tried to get a job at a factory. It was going to be a job making those gold credit cards, like Visas. That didn't work out and that wasn't ideal for me. I tried Uber and delivering pizza. I had pretty much done it all or tried to. Most of the time I found myself getting fired. That was basically my run in real-life work.

JS: This must be a pretty nice change. Has your life changed a lot since signing with AEW?

Janela: For sure. There's a lot less to worry about now. I used to throw all my money to wrestling. Now I'm living comfortably. I'm still living at home, but I'm usually not home at all. Usually I'm here like once a week, so it's not a bad deal.

JS: Home, like with your parents?

Janela: I still live with my mom, but I'm never home, really. When TV starts, I'm gonna get my own place and stuff, but right now my mom, she doesn't mind, and I don't mind, either.

JS: You are so closely identified with the indy scene that I wasn't sure I'd ever see you in a mainstream promotion on a channel like TNT. Did you imagine yourself reigning as the king of the underground shows forever? Or was this always your goal, wrestling on a national stage like this?

Janela: Absolutely. If you're not in the business to make a living and get to that point, I don't know what you're doing it for. Some people say they do it for the love, but there's got to be an endgame when you're killing yourself week in and week out.

My body right now is not as bad as you think it would be, but I've been doing this for half my life now—15 years. I feel it. I have to get adjusted, get massages and all that stuff to make sure I'm good to go every week for TV and for the future.

You need to make money and you need to have an endgame to make it to a mainstream, national wrestling company. It's never been closer for a lot of these new people getting into the business.

I remember when I first started it was almost unattainable to get to that point, to get to WWE. Yeah, TNA was still in town but to get to WWE was so hard. Really just the cream-of-the-crop guys made it in: the CM Punks and Bryan Danielsons. It was almost unattainable back then.

Now there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you work hard enough and bust your ass, you can not only get to a national wrestling company, now you have your choice of them.

JS:  I know you're used to having a lot of creative freedom on the independent scene, especially in the shows for Game Changer Wrestling that you helped create and run. How has your experience in AEW been so far?

Janela: So far, they've given me a lot of creative freedom. The agents, like Jerry Lynn, have been great. At All Out, we had Tommy Dreamer. He just wanted to know where we were going with stuff and that was it. It was no different from calling a match at any company. We really haven't crossed the line yet. And we won't, especially with TV coming.

JS: I wonder where that line is? At Double or Nothing, you had the famous spot where a cigarette was stapled to your head. The match with Jon Moxley was brutal. And the three-way match (against Jimmy Havoc and Darby Allin) at All Out was beyond bonkers. Have they given you any idea yet where the left and right limits are?

Janela: The three way, I think it was good, harmless fun with some craziness in there. We were within the boundaries of a PG-14 environment. And, if we had done it without the staple gun, I think the match could work in a PG environment. For the most part, the craziness was contained.

I'm not really big on people taking chairs to the head. I know how bad concussions can be. When I was younger, I did take chair shots to the head. That's a no-no for me now.

JS: It's been funny for me to watch your ongoing feud with former wrestling manager Jim Cornette on social media. While he's been insulting you as a "mud show" wrestler, I actually think you've had one of the best years of anyone in the sport. What do you make of it all?

Janela: With my knee injury, you have to realize, I haven't even had the full year to work. So, I'm really happy with what I've done. I had two good matches at Joey Janela's Spring Break, with Marko Stunt and Jungle Boy, when I wasn't 100 percent ready to be in the ring again. But I had to get in there and do what I had to do.

For a month or so after that, I was hurting. I did a show in Alaska two weeks later and I could barely walk because of the cold and the way my knee was doing.

It lit a fire under me, and now I'm better than ever in the ring. I think I'm having a great year. Guys like Jim Cornette, of course they're not going to watch the matches that people say are great matches. They're going to watch the matches where the craziness happens and try to pull out things to engage his followers. It is what it is.

I think me and Cornette, we rub each other's back when it comes to getting each other publicity. So I have no problem with it.

JS: Every time he posts something about your belly or wrestling skill, a small army of people follow behind in the mentions. It's almost scary.

Janela: I'd rather deal with Jim Cornette than his followers, that's for sure. It's fine. I don't care if people want to s--t on my physique. I've gotten in better shape in the last year and I am looking to get into even better shape for TV. I'm starting to diet now. But, when you talk about my wrestling, that's where I draw the line. Other than that, have fun.

JS: I've been most impressed with you in the kind of old-school match that you'd think most of your critics would love. You and David Starr went an hour at Beyond Wrestling's Americanrana 19 in July, and it was one of the most incredible bouts of the entire year.

You spent almost the entirety of the first 10 minutes doing really old-school Ole Anderson-style armbars and matwork—and it was amazing. Then it became one of the best hardcore matches of the year. That's what I love about you. You never know what to expect. Are you trying hard not to have a template you follow in every match?

Janela: I don't have a set move set or a formula. A lot of these guys, they get lazy. They develop a formula which they use every match. And it makes their matches lack excitement.

I've always been a good technical wrestler. I'm pretty good at adapting to my opponent. I wrestled a match with Zach Sabre Jr. a couple years ago where we went to a 30-minute time limit draw. Thirty minutes of technical wrestling. That's the kind of match my critics are never going to watch, because they don't want to admit I have that aspect.

Starr is one of the best wrestlers in the world and easy to wrestle. And that's what happens. The crowd was very involved from the beginning of that match, because we'd built a storyline over three years. They showed us the proper respect and were into the story we were telling.

The match was organic. We didn't call it in the back. We just went out there and did it. We talked about the high points, what we were going to hit and the rest was done in the ring organically in the ring. It was one of the finest performances of my wrestling career. Fans were telling me the hour flew by, which is something that's hard to do in a one-hour match. I'm happy with it.

JS: October is coming up fast, and that means TNT and television. That's something, a production on this level at least, you've never really done. Is it daunting to try something new like this?

Janela: It's taken me 15 years to get to this point, and I'm ready to learn other phases of the business. I'm not too nervous about it. Every time I've gone out for a pay-per-view for AEW, I've smoked it. I don't think it will be any different on TV. I think I'm going to excel on TV.

A few years ago, people were doubting my ability, saying I was just a stuntman. I proved a lot of those people wrong, and they became huge fans.

Now I'm dealing with that on a larger, mainstream level. A lot of people who watch the TV show are going to be surprised at how much I grasp every element of professional wrestling. It's going to be fun doing a lot of interviews and stuff I haven't done too much of. And it's also going to be great on my body, giving it a rest and not having a crazy schedule like I've had over the last couple of years.

Outside of TV and outside the ring, I may still have a bit to learn. But, you know, these guys knew what they were getting with me. What you see is what you get. I'm not really a character. Joey Janela is Joey Janela, inside the ring and outside.

You can follow the further exploits of Joey Janela on Twitter and, starting October 2, on AEW television. Tickets are on sale for the promotion's next PPV Full Gear and weekly events across the country.

Hard Times Promo of the Week

Cody Rhodes has become one of wrestling's great heroes, not just because of his excellent body of work inside the wrestling ring, but also because of his galvanizing personality outside it. He's taken us into his life and his battle with the wrestling industry, making that fight our own.

Rhodes feels like a real person. We love his television persona, sure. But it's the real Cody, the one we've grown close to on social media, who truly shines—and that's the Cody Rhodes who was present for a sitdown interview on the latest episode of Road to TNT.

I'm admittedly biased because I saw this filmed in person when I was at Cody's beautiful home in the Atlanta suburbs for a feature profile coming soon to Bleacher Report, but it's typical of what is quickly becoming that series' signature style: just two guys having a conversation about life and sports.

It's as good as wrestling programming gets.

The Illegal Double Team Hot Take

I've seen a lot of criticism online about AEW's decision to book Rhodes into a title match against the promotion's inaugural champion, Chris Jericho, at the next pay-per-view Full Gear.

And, of course, I understand where that criticism is coming from.

Rhodes, along with his running buddies from Being the Elite, have been publicly acknowledged as AEW executive vice presidents. And that's not just in name only. I've seen firsthand just how much responsibility Cody is carrying on his shoulders as they attempt to launch a new brand into a space that has been very unwelcoming in the recent past. In a very real sense, he isn't being chosen to represent AEW at the top of the card—he's chosen himself.

But was there really any other decision to make?

I've been to each of the promotion's first four cards live and, while it's technically true that Rhodes has put himself into the main event, it's also pretty clear he and the rest of the AEW team are just listening to the audience.

He's captured their hearts in a way that doesn't happen every day. To AEW's fans, Cody isn't just another wrestler. He's family.

Rhodes, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks aren't EVPs who happen to wrestle. They've earned those positions by being some of the top acts in the world. Pretending otherwise, and refusing to promote them as AEW's top stars in the name of fairness, would just be a terrible idea—it would be promotional malpractice.

Jonathan and Kristina Snowden host Illegal Double Team, a weekly podcast about wrestling and life. Available wherever podcasts are found.

#joey ryan #cody rhodes #all elite wrestling #aew #posted on: 9.12.19 #article #bleacher report