Southern Justice 07-20-2013

For the past two weeks, Southern Justice has reigned supreme in their matches on Raw. The first week James Storm and Gunner defeated the colossal team of Mark Henry and Big E Langston. In their second week as a team the duo trampled over the team of next generation wrestlers, Curtis Axel and Bray Wyatt. Coming into the third week Gunner finds himself in a one on one fight against one of the toughest superstars in the WWE, Shane Helms. Gunner has yet to compete in a singles match on Raw since his debut. How will he fare on his own without James Storm in his corner? July 20th 2013 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Black clouds covered the sky as the rain began to pour down onto the streets. The wind was blowing harshly causing the trees to bend and the rain to flow to the side as it was falling. The scene looked like a monsoon outside as Gunner was standing inside his hotel room looking out the window in silence. Looking at the scene was rather calming in a way. The thunder rumbling could be heard in the distance and a flash soon after of lightning could be seen over the city. Gunner stood hands in the pockets of his blue jeans, white t-shirt clinging to his body in a tight fit and hair falling lightly over his eyes, thinking. Life has its twist and turns. One day you are lucky to be making a few bucks just barely paying the bills and the next you are making enough money to put back enough to live out your life without having to worry about money at all. This had been my life. Working around the Indy circuit never having a constant job to pay all the bills, it wasn’t unfathomable to go months without being booked. Ramen noodles became a normal dinner. Sleeping in the back of my truck was my bed. It’s not a life I envy or wish upon anyone. It’s almost like being homeless. Hell, I guess I might as well chalk it up to being homeless. The worst part was not having someone. Though, who would want to be around in that kind of situation. I had someone I cared about at one time. I had a good job working for a company and everything seemed to be fine. Then the company had some setbacks and had to let people go. I was one of those people. It doesn’t take long for life to change though. When the money stopped coming in and paying the bills started getting harder, the relationship got stressful. When she couldn’t take it anymore she left looking for someone who could take care of her. Looking back, it really upset me at the time that she would just give up and leave. The one thing I had to realize and make myself believe is that if she had truly loved me, and loved us together, then she would have stuck it out even if we were going through a hard time. I haven’t really been with anyone since then. I don’t think I wanted to be with anyone else. How could I commit to someone else when I couldn’t even take care of myself. I couldn’t even face my parents. They sacrificed a lot just so I could do what I loved. How could I tell them that things weren’t going great. How could I tell them the conditions I was living in. They would have understood and helped me out of course, but that doesn’t mean that they should. I couldn’t take advantage of my parents like that. They deserved better and the best thing I could do for them was to let them keep thinking that everything was going fine. This one of the reasons why I am the way I am today. Having to live through life like that toughened me up. You would think maybe it would soften to the world. Make me feel more toward others having had to go through hard circumstances. Life makes you see different things however. I can’t feel bad for those people who haven’t had to go through the hardships I have and yet I hear them whine and complain. Let them live a week in my shows back then, let alone years. Funny how a single phone call can change your whole life. I remember the day James called me and asked me if I would want to come to the WWE and team with him. It took some convincing for me to believe that I wasn’t dreaming. In James’s case, that meant a little bit of swearing until I came around. I had met James back at the old company I had worked for all those years ago. We shared a bond in a way. We both grew up knowing what it meant to work. We always had to work for we wanted. Growing up in the south around the countryside is a different life than growing up in the city. They say that the North and the South are like two different countries. I believe that is true after seeing how people are raised in both places. As different as the North and South are though, living the city in the South and living in the country are also two different worlds. Some of my fondest memories growing up are waking up when the sun was coming up so I could go out and start working before it go too hot in the middle of the day. Then at the end of the day I would head down to the pond and jump in to cool myself off. I can admit as well, there is nothing like a home cooked meal that came from the food you had to grow yourself. But, having to work for food, work for money, work to survive, taught me many lessons early on in life. It helped me to survive during that hardship in my life. James went through much of the same growing up. That is why we understand each other. That, and our passion for a nice cold beer or six at the end of the day. When I got that call from James, my whole life changed. I went to Stanford Connecticut and talked with Vince myself. He told me how James had vouched for me and told him how hard a worker I was. Vince told me he had also talked to some other people and watched some tape of my matches and agreed I had the look and drive he wanted for his company. Hearing that was like music to my ears. It wasn’t long after that I had my contract signed. One of the first things I did was call my parents and tell them the good news. I had a long talk with my dad explaining everything to him, and thanking him for the man he made me to be. It’s been three weeks since I have signed my contract. Three weeks with two victories. How could I possibly ask for more? Then I hear that this week I will be main eventing Raw against Shane Helms. Not with James Storm in my corner but all alone, standing on my own two feet. This is one of those dreams come true type of moments. I don’t know if Shane Helms realizes what he is getting ready to step in the ring with. I don’t know if he sees the man I am. The man who is still hungry. A man who still has a lot to prove to himself and to the world. I could say I’m doing this for everyone who ever had live like me, was in that same situation, but it would only be a little bit of the truth. The true fact is that I’m doing this match for me. When I step through those ropes on Monday night and stare Shane in the eyes, it will only be then that he could truly understand that he is in for the fight of his life. This will be a fight he will have to be willing to kill me if he wants to win. He will have to ask himself a question, do I have it in me to kill someone? I have had to ask myself that question before, if it came down to me or someone else, could I do it, and the answer was that yes I could. I have been associated with having ruthless aggression, and there is no doubt that comes from my past. That fire that burns down inside me to survive. I have always worked hard for what I wanted. I have struggled and fallen as far as I could possibly fall and now it’s my time to rise. It’s my time to stand on my own two feet and declare that I am here to stay. It’s like the storm that is going on outside right now. While there was a slight show of rain earlier then there was quiet, a peaceful moment. It’s what’s called the calm before storm. Right now is the calm before the storm for Shane Helms. On Monday the storm arrives at full force and there will be nothing that can stop it. I don’t need to ask myself if I am ready. I know I’m ready. Shane are you ready for what is coming? A slight smile crept across the face of Gunner as all of a sudden the rain began to pour down from the Heavens. Thunder boomed down and lightning streaked across the sky, the storm had arrived. He stared out into the storm for a few more moments before there was a knock at the door and he turned away to answer leaving his thoughts echoing in his mind.