Mr. Harber's Correspondence
Disappointments occasionally come for William Gwynn. It Months Ago It was a dark room, and the diagnosis was grim. His “Dear Mr. Harber, I have saved a copy of this letter for my records, and I William Gwynn will provide for you a name that is both If you wonder whether he will join you for such a sum, rest /s/ Where’s the catch? August would have pondered that question For August, the hope was that Harber would accept. Because
might be his great idea that is shot down at the board
meeting, or a glare shot by Chelsea at one of his more
colorful sentences. This one stung a little more, though.
Nevertheless, he attended to his business after his match.
He was to meet with this Murphy and determine what it was
that he could do to help. As Gwynn has noted in the past,
particularly in this competitive businesses, any exposure is
good exposure. A loss can be mitigated by its immediate
handling. Just like going to work in the midst of a tragedy,
continuing to operate to the best of your ability after a
loss is unexpected and therefore it can only attract
attention, and much of that attention will be favorable.
All of this is to say that William Gwynn is dealing
with his loss at the hands of Van Isaac Price quite well.
Such things typically happen upon the return of a rusty old
veteran. The rise from a devastating DDT can be just slow
enough to run into a finishing move. The reluctance after a
strike of your own, that inability to “go for the kill,” if
you will, can sometimes cost a solid competitor an
opportunity to end the match earlier. William Gwynn cannot
point to anything specifically, however, but his own poor
performance. More time at the gym will be in order; he must
watch and relive that match in its entirety each night in
the next week to see his missed opportunities and where he
went wrong. This has always been his routine habit after a
loss, but perhaps more importantly, after a win. Because
William Gwynn has never had a perfect match, and he would be
skeptical of anyone claiming that they have themselves.
In that spirit, he quickly requested a match the
following week. T.A. Giles would be his opponent, and he
would not be as successful as Van Isaac Price. Progress will
be made, William Gwynn has promised. Victory is not certain,
to be sure, but abysmal, embarrassing failure can be
avoided, and must be avoided at all costs. William Gwynn did
not return, and August did not see him return, to be
embarrassed, to be defeated and to be humiliated. If he is
truly not ready for a return to the ring, or for whatever
reason it cannot be done successfully, it would not have
happened. Things would not be this far along. Fate would
have intervened.
future widow was weeping in another room, having just heard
what August would tell her only after three distinct
opinions. Acceptance crept into August’s heart after the
second doctor. There was a fight left in him, but it was
David sans slingshot versus Goliath. August would face his
Goliath, and he would do so as bravely as he could manage.
That did not change the fact that he would do so after
getting his affairs in order. And so, in a candlelit den, he
writes. The first one he thinks about is his retired nephew,
29 years old. Despite all the great achievements he has had
in the community, August expects more of him. The question,
then, is how to motivate him to return to those things that
make him competitive in the marketplace. A great individual
is proven great by his value in the marketplace.
have also enclosed a check for you upon my death, which the
doctors tell me is imminent. There are conditions upon your
cashing of this check, but I believe them to be more of a
gift than the check itself would be. I understand that you
are beginning the endeavor of breathing new life into AWC.
For a while, a young man who I helped raise thought very
highly of your company. His years at Core and Ringside have
made him a rich man, and he has engaged himself in his local
community. At 29 years of age, however, I believe he has
much more to offer. And so I have enclosed a check to
compensate you for his salary, which in 2007 was $116,000.
recognizable and respected. His accolades are numerous, and
his like are difficult to bring in on such precarious
circumstances. I urge you to take a look at the history of
Core and Ringside, to find his name riddled amongst the
absolute greats. These great facts must be mitigated by the
truth that he has been out of the profession for several
years. His mind has been turned to cooperation and
collaboration, rather than the great productive spirit of
competition. Primarily, this must be restored. Please do so
for him. I would be in your debt.
assured. If it is my guidance given, he will follow it for
any sum of money. I only desire for him to have a healthy
employment environment and for it to renew that competitive
spirit that reminds him so much of me.
August Gwynn
Enclosure”
had the read the letter. The offer is clear and the services
offered were strong. Years ago, well-established wrestling
companies would have killed one another after a talent like
William Gwynn. These days, the newer talents have
overshadowed the nostalgia for the veterans. William Gwynn
was not just a name, though, he was a dominant technical
wrestler who, at times, was absolutely unbeatable by anyone.
The last time he was unbeatable was early on in Ringside,
and then much of late Core. He went deep in the toughest
tournaments and downed some highly-esteemed up-and-comers as
well as some of the biggest names in the industry. William
Gwynn is not a memorable name, though. His accolades weren’t
on the biggest TV shows. He wasn’t on TV for years at a
time.
that was his first choice. He doesn’t want to turn to anyone
else. He doesn’t want to have to go down the list, because
William’s interest would diminish with it. No, Harber needed
to say “yes,” or this whole idea might be wasted.
Back