Between the Ropes with Deacon

Hi there, this is Jack Dawson, with HOWrestling.com and I recently planned to sit down with Deacon and his manager, Magdalena. I got half of them.

Jack Dawson: Ok. Welcome, Ms. Magdalena. Can you speak to Deacon’s absence?

Magdalena: He doesn’t do interviews. It’s a “Mute Freak” thing.

Jack Dawson: How are you liking your time in High Octane Wrestling?

Magdalena: I like it a lot more that I’m not talking with Brian Bare.

Jack Dawson: Yeah, so about that. Brian is an acquired taste and I’m surprised he still has a job in HOW.

Magdalena: Lee’s standards pretty low for backstage reporters?

Jack Dawson: Yes they are.

Magdalena: He should hire someone with standards and knowledge of how to welcome people into the corporate structure.

Jack Dawson: Well that isn’t Brian, maybe The Pimp Named Rufus, but not Bare. Speaking of knowledge. Give the fans out there a little bit of knowledge about yourself and Deacon.

Magdalena: We go back. He knew my parents. Deacon’s been in the business since 1998. He left about 7 years ago, never officially retired, just rode off into the proverbial sunset after a pretty stellar career. With the comeback, he decided that he needed a mouthpiece and asked if I would be willing to fill that role. I wasn’t interested in following the herd to the collegiate corral. This seemed like an interesting start to a career.

Jack Dawson: He knew your parents? So your parents were in the wrestling industry as well?

Magdalena: Nope. Went to church together. Not a lot of Coptics in the states. We get close.

Jack Dawson: How close? Would you say your relationship is more than business?

Magdalena: What’s with you people? Sunday dinner close, not Saturday night date. He’s as much an uncle as my relatives in Egypt.

Jack Dawson: What do you mean by that statement, “You people?” Seems like you get a little uncomfortable when talking about you and Deacon outside of the ring.

Magdalena: More like, it seems people can’t see a normal friendship without thinking about something more. It’d be like making out with my uncle. Where are you people from? West Virginia?

Jack Dawson: Fair enough. Now let’s talk about the LBI.

Magdalena: Sure. What about it?

Jack Dawson: When Deacon came into HOW he started off hot by winning his debut match and then he stumbled against eventually group winner, Teddy Palmer. Then he bounced back and put himself in second place after his victory over Black Mamba, but second place at the end of the day in the LBI is the first loser. How did you feel about these matches?

Magdalena: I think I said plenty about how Deacon felt this week when I was promo’ing for Deacon’s final match of the LBI against Chris Kostoff. You know, taking an L isn’t new to Deacon – you don’t do what he did for as long as he did it and not run into a few stumbling blocks. But … Teddy, the Brian Bare of the locker room, him going over stuck in Deacon’s craw. He’d dealt with guys like him from the very beginning, rookie year – “Hurricane” Eddy Love. That was something that still grinds Deacon, he never got that payback on Eddy. But now … Teddy just drives that nail in deeper. Aside from him, Deacon’s just trying to get a feel for the locker room, for the competition, for the inevitable politics that permeate this business.

Jack Dawson: Cliff notes version, you better have thick skin for the locker room because if everyone will talk crap about everyone. The competition is always tough. If you take someone lightly based on a record or how they are perceived you may have just cost yourself a win. The politics? It’s Lee’s way or the highway.

Magdalena: Coming here, we didn’t know Lee, and he didn’t know us. We’ll figure out this route or not. I’m 20 years old. I’ve seen plenty in my life, and there’s not a locker room in the world tougher than being a POC with a funny accent in rural Pennsylvania.

Jack Dawson: POC?

Magdalena: Forgot… you’re not 20. Person of color. Our tan isn’t from laying in the sun.

Jack Dawson: Right.

Jack flips through his notes.

Jack Dawson: Since you’ve been here you’ve had interactions with High Flyer and Lindsay Troy. Care to elaborate on ya’ll’s relationships?

Magdalena: You are from West Virginia. (Magdalena smirks).

Jack Dawson: What is it with you and West Virginia?

Magdalena: Know your maps. We get those rednecks coming up to visit our Dutch settlements in PA. They can make it there for vacation in their beat up trucks. To answer your original question…I didn’t know either Flyer or Troy, and after last week, I’ll be fine not to know Lindsay any better. I mean, I wasn’t in the states when Deacon ran with them in fWo, but I have seen the videos. What I can tell you is that Deacon has some thick ties to some of those in the Industry. Deacon & Flyer main evented the fWo’s Cyberslam the year after Deacon main evented Cyberslam with MJ Flair’s daddy. And believe me, you go back and watch those matches, you’ll know they weren’t exactly tag team partners. Lindsay worked the fWo during the Disney years, and Dan Ryan – Deacon and he have been in the same place at the same time, but I don’t believe they ever shared the ring. Might be an interesting match before Deacon calls it quits.

Jack Dawson: With tag teams and stables trying to establish a foothold for dominance do you think Deacon can call some old friends from The Industry up?

Magdalena: Deacon’s not calling them up. No chance of that.

Jack Dawson: Look, I’m not telling you how to do your job for Deacon, but everyone needs backup. Even Chris Kostoff, probably the toughest guy to ever compete in HOW needed backup from time to time.

Magdalena: Deacon had backup, or thought he had. It didn’t end well. He’s got his faith, a God that can move mountains. He’ll be fine, and the great thing about his belief – even if he’s not fine, he’ll be even better. That’s what Deacon holds to every step of the way as he deals with all he’s gotta deal with.

Jack Dawson: Well, the GOD of HOW will stab a pen in his eye and have a calf named Besty suck him off if he ever gets in his crosshairs.

Magdalena: (Shrugs) And Deacon’s salvation will come like the Dawn, for the Lord will go before Deacon and protect him from behind. He’ll be fine, and like I said, even if he’s not, he’ll only be better because he only has two options – live as Christ or die, and as the announcers used to express over and over as Deacon sprung over the top rope to come crashing onto the opponent outside the ring – My Death is Gain.

Jack Dawson: ChristPlow.

Magdalena: ChristPlow? The god of HOW?

Jack Dawson: It’s live in ChristPlow or die. ChristPlow is the SON of GOD.

Magdalena: You can call him Barjesus for all I care; this industry has had plenty of gods come & go. I’m sure we’ll get to Lee’s son eventually – one step at a time.

Jack Dawson: And him being better from the embarrassment of Lee doesn’t happen sweetheart.

Magdalena: Do you really think Deacon is losing sleep over Lee embarrassing him? He’s been in this industry for the lion’s share of 20 years. He’s carried the same message in some insanely difficult times. When the crowd chanted “We Believe”, he fed off their belief. When they booed relentlessly, he took it as a sign from above – live or die, it’s all to God’s, big G, father of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, Creator of the Universe, All present, all powerful. God… all to God’s glory. And if Deacon ends here, he’s alright with that. And Deacon’s God has faced plenty of gods – the fire didn’t come down for them either.

Jack Dawson: Abraham also fathered a son named….

Magdalena: Ishmael… I know. (Magdalena tilts her head, her white hair sliding over her face.) We’re cousins.

Jack Dawson: Funny. I guess Muhammad is your stepdad too?

(Magdalena shrugs and Jack shakes his head.)

Jack Dawson: You say all that theological rhetoric now until you cross the boss and that 20 year career will have one embarrassing stain on it that will leave for a lifetime. Ask anyone that had stepped foot in this company. Scott Stevens. Cecilworth Farthington. Shayne Adams. Scottywood. Black Mamba. And the names go on. Lee will sacrifice his friends. Just be careful is all I’m saying.

Magdalena: Seems a sad life. I think I’d prefer Deacon’s God who paid the sacrifice.

Jack Dawson: Just be careful is all I’m saying.

Magdalena: Two things. One – we’re not here to cross the boss. Didn’t with Merritt or Silver Fox or the freaking Mouse. Leave your Domitian-like conspiracies in Rome. Deacon has a job to do, and he’ll do it as if unto the Lord Jesus, not Lee, not Mike… Jesus. Second – there’s no embarrassment or stains that would supplant the stain already on Deacon’s life, the same blood soaked stain he’s carried for all these years. He’ll do the job he’s been paid to do and the job he’s called to do. Funny thing is – Deacon assures me they crossover quite well.

Jack Dawson: Well I’d like to thank you gentlemen for taking the time for me to ask you some questions and letting the HOW audience get to know you better.