Eddie Lyons entered 2024 with a new attitude. Three major PPV losses have caused some cracks to form in the Unbreakable one. Eddie has shown frustration with his Lyons Den comrades, Coach Kaiser and even himself. He’s made it known that 2024 will be the Year Of The Lyon and he will be more aggressive and dangerous than what we saw in 2023. He promises to become a champion before the years end, all while keeping true to himself, and his mantra of honor before glory.
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The Colorado air was crisp and cool but Eddie liked it that way, it felt more relaxing and helped to calm him down. He thought about his actions the past few weeks. Dodging phone calls from Coach Kaiser, and being snippy to his friends at The Lyons Den. He knew that wasn’t him, and was lucky Cleo didn’t put a foot up his ass when he mouthed off to her a few weeks ago.
His friends and supporters understood his frustrations which helped him deal with them. Even when he didn’t act like himself he had people like Coach Kaiser and Cleo Phillips who supported him. His cousins also showed him their true colors, as Victoria only wanted to use Eddies frustrations to further her own power game that she already pulled on Vincent and Alex.
He was still his own person, and he was still going to do this his way. A victory over The Troll started his 2024 off on the winning side, of course everyone beats The Troll. Speaking of someone who everyone beats…
“Bill Barnhart.” said Eddie, as he turned to his coach. “They really have pushed me to the bottom of the barrel haven’t they?”
Coach Kaiser shrugged in his response, “Does it matter? Just go out there and pick up another victory, and get some momentum behind you.”
“You’re probably right.” Eddie sighed, “But it would be nice to go against someone who can actually pick up a victory, and be at least a decent challenge. I get Bill used to be a bigger deal, but his past year just didn’t go in his favor, and it seems like perhaps he might be past his prime.”
“Well Bill is who we got, so that’s what we need to roll with.” said Coach Kaiser.
“Fair enough.” said Eddie, “At least Bill seemed credible at one point. But you are right, it doesn’t matter. They want me to go against Bill, then I’m going to make an example out of Bill.”
“Of course you are, because you’re Eddie Fucking Lyons, and you’re unbreakable.” Coach Kaiser said in a motivating tone, "Three losses can’t break you. Remember this is wrestling, not baseball. There is no striking out. All there is, is picking yourself up by your bootstraps and pushing yourself to fight even harder.”
“Damn right.” said Eddie. “Look, sorry about the past few weeks. I’ve been trying to get my mind right. Those championship losses won’t break me, but they damn sure tried.”
“I’ve lost countless championship matches in my career.” said Coach Kaiser, “More than I’ve won. But really this business is about connecting with the fans, and getting them to care about you. A championship is just a sort of added bonus. Many go through their entire careers never winning a championship, but the respect they gained from the fans made them a champion anyway.”
“Still, it would be nice.” said Eddie
“Yes, it would.” said Coach Kaiser, “But once again I tell you. It’s been less than a year since you arrived in SCW. You’ve got all the time in the world to become a champion. It’ll happen when the time is right, because you WILL be a champion one day…which reminds me. I did sign you up for a mixed tag tournament that SCW is running in April.”
“Oh?” said Eddie.
“Yeah, you get paired with a random member of the women's roster, and if you in you both get respective world championship matches.” said Coach Kaiser
“Well, I guess I have something to look forward too in April.” Eddie said with a smile.
“Yeah, and Aaron has a student entered in it too, could you imagine if you got paired with Kallie?” Coach Kaiser said
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but I think you’d enjoy that more than I would.” said Eddie, “Aaron is your friend, and my former boss. I don’t know Kallie at all. Whomever they pair me with doesn’t matter.”
“Even Alexandra Calaway?” said Coach Kaiser. “She’s signed up to take part in it.”
“Even her. She’s talented and isn’t keen on losing so I know we can work together.” said Eddie, “Plus, it would piss Alex off and there wouldn’t be anything he could do about it.”
Coach Kaiser laughed, “Well, we can worry about that in April. Let’s focus on Barnhart for now.”
“Sounds good.” said Eddie
They would spend the next few hours running, and doing various exercises to keep Eddie in fighting form, and for now it seemed Eddie was back on track and pushing past whatever negative effects his championship losses put on his mind.
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Eddie Lyons, wearing a hoodie, SCW T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, with some holes for style and sneakers sits atop a large rock overlooking the Colorado scenery, as the scene opens, the camera pan around him before coming to a stop on his face, one of determination and grit.
“Bill Barnhart.” Eddie begins “Quite the year you had isn’t it? Loss after loss after loss. But hey, you set a record for most losses in a year, that’s something right? I know those losses must eat way at your soul Bill, I know mine do and you’ve been doing this a lot longer than I have. I had some upsetting losses in 2023 as well. But not as bad as you, and the people who beat me, Peter Vauhgn, Miles Kasey, Austin James Mercer are all considered among the best in the company, and I STILL came within a hair of victory against them. But you? You just couldn’t get it together in 2023 at all could you?”
Eddie shrugs, and exhales some. It’s pretty chilly out given we can see Eddies breath upon the exhale.
“So what is it? You gonna bounce back in 2024? The whole “new year, new me” mantra we all like to press on about when January comes around. You already picked up one victory this year, and wouldn’t you know it? So did I. But who did we beat really? The Troll? Justin Smith? I think we both know we can do better than that right? SCW basically handed those victories to us. Now it’s time to make sure one of our records becomes tainted. Only one of us will be able to go 2-0 this year, and it’s going to be me Bill.” Eddie said
Eddies eyebrows furrow some, giving him an even more determined look.
“You can overpower me, that’s clear to anyone who isn’t completely blind.” said Eddie, “But you won’t be strong enough to break me. I’m younger, faster smarter and a whole lot hungrier. Your best days are behind you Bill, and mine are still in front of me. You have have the years of experience over me, but at my school The Lyons Den, we have a sort of saying…"
Eddie pauses for a moment, blinking a few times and letting out another exhale visible in the cool air.
“We’re all rookies being played with a Veterans tool.” he said, “We’re all well talented beyond our years, in large to to the training and guidance we get from Coach Kaiser. A true veteran in his own right, and the man that’s going to help guide me to my first championship. You are about to find out why I am the rookie standard around SCW. I need to claw my wy back into championship contention, and that means mauling anyone in my path. I know it’s early into my career, and I shouldn’t be so championship focused, but SCW dangled it in front of me three times. I never asked for them. I earned them. SCW simply saw me as someone they wanted to get behind. So I can’t help but make it my goal to finally capture a championship. Now it seems the company is putting me through some sort of test.”
Eddie smiles, and even laughs slightly to himself.
“Putting me against The Troll.” said Eddie, “They were testing me. They wanted to see if I would break being put up against SCW’s resident court jester. Now they want to see how I fare against the man who had the worst year of his career. You can poke at me about my losses, call me a choke artist all you want. But my year was still better than yours. I’m still being looked at as destined for great things and you have a more of a does he even still have it? thing going on.”
Eddie shrugs.
“Maybe I’m wrong.” Eddie said, “Maybe you look at your record in 2023 and are so embarrassed that you just can’t let it happen again. Maybe that will cause The Bulldog to tear me limb from limb. Then again, who would really win in a fight? A bulldog or a lion? Maybe I should take you more seriously. But if I was coming off 2023 with the same record as you, what would you think? You’d probably think a lot of the same things. It’s hard not to. I mean I fully expect the choke artist chatter to come from you in reference to me, and hey I get it. Shoe on the other foot, I’d call me a choke artist too.”
Eddie takes a moment to pause, and looks around at the natural scenery some more.
“SCW got a taste of what I can do in 2023, but I came into this in the latter half of the year.” Eddie continued on, “2024 is when Eddie Lyons is truly let loose. I will make SCW my hunting grounds, and EVERYONE is seen as prey. Everyone is an obstacle that stands in MY WAY of getting what I WANT. Your size doesn’t scare me Bill. Much like BRADDOCK learned, you are going need more than strength and power to put me away. I’ve lost four matches in this company and only one of them was by pinfall. “
Eddie pauses for a moment, he doesn’t say anything but the eyes tell a story and his eyes tell the story that those losses affect him more than he’s letting on.
“I’m going to be the first guy to give you a loss in 2024 Billy Boy.” Eddie continued, “Hopefully for you it’s doesn’t lead to another year of losses. But I guess that’s for you to worry about. I’m going to continue on doing what I do, and when the time is right, I will reap the rewards for all my hard work. If you thought Eddie Lyons had given up,then you were mistaken. I’ve only just begun. I will show Bill Barnhart, and everyone else why I am GOING to be a champion by the end of the year and it will of course be done with HONOR BEFORE GLORY.”
Eddie furrows his brow again, and gives a confident smile to the camera, as it slowly fades to black.
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