The Secret Life Of a Pro-Wrestler Part 4: The Image!

"The Secret Life of a Pro-Wrestler" takes you inside the trials and tribulations of a pro-wrestler. You will see the good and bad.

If this is your first time reading "The Secret Life of a Pro-Wrestler" and you'd like a better understanding of the life, check out part 3:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/145405-the-secret-life-of-a-pro-wrestler-personal-experience-part-3-the-training

You can also read parts 1-2 to get the full picture.

But without further ado, to part 4:

It took four months of training, eating right, and gaining muscle to finally get my chance. The trainers and bookers told me I had a few months to train before they put me in the ring for my first match.

I wanted my chance, badly. I didn't care who it was against. I just wanted it to be soon.

I knew I had to get the trainers to say I was ready. They asked if I had experience on the mic, as they wanted to try an image out on me.

I told them I did not know what "experience on the mic" meant. It was a confusing term.

They asked if I had done public speaking, TV, radio—stuff like that. I told them that I did have experience in TV and radio. I also had done some public speaking before, so I figured that was a plus.

Some of the best wrestlers of all time have been great on the mic. Some have made their living because of mic skills alone.

Look at Santino, for instance—He is great on the mic, and funny too.

John Cena, The Rock, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley. They all had one thing in common: All can really work a crowd on the mic, and that has helped them out in their careers.

I knew if I honed in my skills on the mic in the wrestling world, I could be exciting enough to move up.

Some, I was told, have had to stay down in FCW because of the lack of mic skills. I knew I did not want to be one of them.

The image they wanted me to pursue was not exactly my favorite, but I thought if it helped me get noticed, then I had no problem.

They wanted me to be a fan favorite, sort of an "I am one of you" persona, and who was I to argue?

I was plucked from nothing and made into a pro-wrestler. They saw me at a show, and that is where it all started. So I had to think in giving me this image to work with, they knew what they were doing.

It was hard for me to make my image work because being a face and that has fans behind him isn't good enough.

I needed something better, an image I could develop and bring to the next level.

I knew that if I went to ECW, SmackDown, or RAW, I would not do well with this "I am just like you" thing. But I had to use it, so I decided to build on it.

I wanted to use an image I was familiar with, a "savior" image, one where I could come out and say "I am going to be just like you, the fan. But I will be more than you."

Sort of a dwarf among midgets, if you will.

I could not tell the fans I was better than them. If I did, they would all turn against me. No, I had to really think about how to present myself in this image.

I never knew so much went in to it. You really have to think about what you will say or do, so it will work.

My next step was working on a finisher, a signature move I could use at the end of matches to finish guys off.

I had to have a clear image first, so I talked to FCW writers to get an idea for a name. They seemed to like the my ideas, but they clearly wanted me too use their ideas, too.

So we agreed to combine parts of both names, keeping them and myself happy. It was the best of both worlds.

I asked my first trainer, Eric Escobar, to help me. He said he was ok with it, and wanted to throw around ideas.

Writers could easily come up with a name, but I had to come up with the move. And Escobar really helped in that department.

If I wanted a good finisher, it needed to be exciting. I had to make it something fans looked forward to in every match, something I could build my whole match around.

We tried suplex ideas, high risk moves, DDTs, and other ideas. But we weren't coming up with anything I thought would work.

The bookers told me I had a match the next week with FCW. I was excited, but I still lacked a signature move to make an impact.

The trainers said I could just go out and do regular stuff, and work on a finisher for next time, which was fine. But I wanted to do something that would get me noticed as a real competitor in FCW.

So Escobar and I worked and worked on an idea. Then it finally hit us.

I had to show strength, because I had to be a guy that people saw as more than what they could be. They needed to see this move and know they couldn't do it.

It had to be something where I picked up the opponent.

I first had the idea for a standing fireman's carry, sort of what John Cena does with his finisher, the Attitude Adjustment formally the F-U. But Escobar figured people would see it and relate me to much to Cena.

Then he and I thought of trying a suplex again. But this time, I would not do a regular one.

Instead, I would pick the opponent up just like I would in a normal suplex, then move the opponent's arm from around my head and drop him head first into a DDT.

It would make a huge impact on the audience, and people would look forward to it.

I would keep him in the air to show off my strength, holding him there for four to five seconds at the most, depending on who it is.

Then instead of dropping him on his back like a normal suplex, I would get my arm underneath his shoulder fast and DDT him, dropping him on his head while he is the air from the suplex.

I had to make it tricky though, so audiences thought it looked like it hurt him bad, but the opponent was not really hurt.

I stopped the opponent from hitting his head too hard when I dropped him by using my strength to hold him under his arm, allowing him to put his hands down, and possibly dropping on his forearms.

It was high impact and fans would love it. It looks good, and no one gets hurt. I showed the trainers, and they loved it.

I just needed a name.

Many names went through my head, but it had to relate to the image I had built. Then it hit me.

"The Saving Grace."

It worked, my image was complete. I had a finisher.

Now, I had to get ready for my first match.

But who would I face?