“Adversity introduces a man to himself” - Arn Anderson
Should I be grateful for an opportunity at a rematch for a title I shouldn’t have lost? My emotions are still very raw about that subject. I can feel myself teetering on the edge of complete control and absolute rage. The death of a friend of thirty-six years didn’t make it any easier to take.
Too many times, we think we know ourselves. We believe in that over inflated opinion of ourselves that we are somehow indestructible. That we can deal with anything, no matter what happens. Then that thing happens that you weren’t prepared for and it puts you on your ass. The universe has a strange and twisted sense of humor. It will completely fuck you up no matter how ready you think you are. It changes you in ways that you never believed possible. When I faced Goth, he thought he was ready for me. I understand why he thought that, good ol predictable Mac. God knows that there is plenty of tape out there to study me and to develop a game plan around how you are going to go about beating me. All that footage supported his belief. What happened in the end was that….
He was mistaken in that belief.
He expected someone different in that match, someone who cared about the outcome of it more than the physicality. Someone who was out to win a match, not someone who was out there to win a fight. Certainly not someone who had reached his tipping point, when a person falls it can go either direction. They can completely collapse and become a shell of their former self. The other direction is much less pleasant. The other direction takes them down a road that is not for the weak of heart. This is not one of those, “Oh Mac’s gone all dark on us.” kind of events. No, this is one of those, I guess Sin City will just have to take the damages out of my pay events. When I don’t perform up to my level or expectation, that makes me angry. The thing that really sets me off is when I allow myself to be brought down to another person's level. That is exactly what happened the last time Alex Jones and I faced off. I was drug down to his level where he had more experience. That is what cost me.
It’s one of those moments in time, for me, where the universe decided I had another lesson to learn and so it threw this at me. You don’t really know yourself at all until you have adversity injected into your life. How you deal with that and how or if you recover from it. Those are all things that matter. I could have used excuses or any number of rational justifications as to why I lost. I didn’t do that though, accountability matters to me. What I did instead was compartmentalize it, to turn it inward as a teaching tool. Extreme pain is the best teacher and motivator. Physical pain is temporary and sometimes the lesson doesn’t stick. Pain on an emotional or even spiritual level though, that’s some lasting shit right there. That’s what I’ve lived with every day since I lost the title to AJ. This match means much more than the first one, Alex, this is where you have an opportunity. This is where you get to cement your legacy in Sin City or you can admit that you are simply keeping my title warm for me. I never make the same mistake twice Alex.
We are going to fight, and I am going to hurt you. I’m not going to do it because I have to or that I feel the need to. I’m going to hurt you because I can and because you made the mistake of so readily agreeing to this match to begin with. You’ll either go down in the history books as a fighting champion or a fool who thought too much of himself. It’s high time that you had some adversity of your own so you get to know who you really are. It’s time for the universe to introduce you to yourself. You’re looking at the man who is more than happy to facilitate that.
Information is power pt2
Unnamed Church, Port Arthur, Texas.
/Scene Opens\
[Off-camera]
My sister Abi was supremely disappointed when I wouldn’t sit with her on the front pew of the church, but I knew this is not what Aaron would have wanted. He was no more a devout christian than I was. He and I had not set foot in a church as a parishioner since we were teenagers. These teen outreach programs that they had were nothing more than attempts to brainwash kids into believing that a particular type of music was the devils work. I sneered as the pastor walked in, “unbelievable”, I muttered under my breath as I stood up. This was the same man that led those sessions, under the beating sun, berating kids for their choices in music. Without a sound I exited the back of the church. Once outside I lit a cigarette as I walked to my truck. I leaned up against it, not worried with the amount of dirt I was about to get on my clothes. “Fucking stupid shit.” I muttered to myself, mostly because there was no one around. “I thought for sure that “Brother” Jarry Shacklund would be dead by now.” I mused. That’s when I heard the unmistakable sound of a hybrid. When I say unmistakeable I mean it sounds like an angry mosquito. The sound was annoying enough as it was but when you already had a wicked headache, that made it even worse.
The car slowed to a crawl as it pulled in beside his truck. I could hear the vehicle being placed in park. I guess this guy didn’t know how to drive a stick or it only came with an automatic transmission. The driver side rear window hummed as it came down, revealing a latino gentleman of around sixty to sixty-five years old. To say I was surprised when he said my name might be the understatement of the year. “Mr. Bane, might I have a word with you?” he asked with a smoothness that surprised me further. I’ve known some smooth talkers in my time but even the best this business has to offer couldn’t match this guy. It took all my restraint not to say, “of course sir, how can I help you?”. Instead, I steeled my nerves and asked, even though I already knew the answer, “Mr. Del Gado, I presume?”. He responded with a nod and a smile. “You presume, correctly.” I took one last drag from my cigarette, tossing it on the ground and crushing it out in the peat gravel that lay there. I approached his window and the driver opened up his door. My hand immediately went to the smith and wesson M&P 40 that I carried at all times and the driver held up his hand. “Sir, I am not armed, I was simply going to open the passenger side for you.” he informed me. I nodded and released the grip on my weapon as he went around the other side of the Bentley Bentayga.
“I see you are as prudent as I had been led to believe, Mr. Bane.” He said as I made my way around the other side. With great reservation, I slid into the seat beside the patriarch of the Del Gado family. “One can never be too careful in my experience in this world.”, I replied in all sincerity. He nodded as he wrapped twice on the window that separated the front seats from the back with the dragon headed cane he carried. The car eased out of the parking space and rolled towards the main road. “If I were a betting man”, he began. “And I am most definitely that.”, he continued as he dug a silver box from the breast pocket of his jacket. He opened it revealing what appeared to be a cigarette. “Would you care for one?”, he asked as he sniffed the length of the cigarette. “A Turkish blend, but not the rip offs that you can buy in any gas station.” I nodded and accepted the offering as he extended the case towards me. It had been a couple of decades since I last had one of these. “Where was I”he continued. “Ah yes, being a betting man, I’d wager that you are still trying to figure some things out.”, he gave me a meaningful look that spoke volumes to him knowing far more about me than I likely knew about myself.
I lit the cigarette, inhaling slowly, enjoying the flavor of this cigarro. They were better than I remembered. I decided at that point for whatever reason to play dumb Texan. “I’m not sure exactly what you are referring to.” I began but he cut me off. “Don’t try to play dumb with me, Mr. Bane.”, he stated with the crispness he wanted but still smooth enough to throw me off. “I didn’t grow to become the leader of my family by accident or happenstance, Mr. Bane. I did that by making sure I was the smartest man in the room, no matter what room I was in.”, he finally said with a note of sadness in his voice. “To climb to the top of the food chain, you leave a trail behind you. A trail of broken bodies, typically, but you know all about that in your profession don’t you?” I nodded to him as I took another drag off a way too smooth cigaro. “It’s the only way to the top of professional wrestling.” I added. He seemed to ponder for a moment, “There was a packet of information delivered to you recently.” he continued on. There was that feeling again, like a man who was surrounded by sharks. That sense of hopelessness that always infuriated me. I could feel the vein in my forehead start to throb in time with my increasing pulse. I was beginning to realize that I was in over my head. “That information of course is not quite accurate. Not the boys fault mind you, they are just trying to play a game that is out of their depth.” He said in conclusion.
My curiosity was definitely piqued now, what game was this old gent trying to play with me and why? He obviously noticed my unasked question, it had to be written all over my face, and so he gave me an answer. “They have been led to believe that their father has bribed officials. Those officials allow him to have building permits, contingent on you selling your land to him. He told them that he was doing all of this just because of your father. None of that is really quite true however. You see, Thomas is tied very closely to state politics as a silent partner and financial backer. ” It made sense but it still didn’t explain what any of this had to do with myself or my family. “Mister Del Gado, what exactly is it that you want from me? I know this isn’t just a social call.” I studied me for a moment, then looked down at the head of his cane. He looked back up at me and smiled. “This was simply a chance to talk to you and to give you fair warning. If you decide to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, well as you like to say, there will be consequences.” I was taken aback by that statement, not really shocked, but when you are threatened by a patriarch of a crime family, that will get your attention. I was in the deep end, surrounded by predators who had teeth much larger than my own. When you know you are in over your head but you press on anyway, that, boys and girls is a recipe for disaster. I knew it, but for all of my adult life, I had been this defiant gladiator who took no shit from no man or woman.
The look on my face must have given him a clue as to who I was as a man, as if he didn’t know already. “Mister Bane, my suggestion to you is that you sell your land to Mr. Mixon and go back to your family in Las Vegas. Port Arthur is about to become a very dangerous place for you to be.” Now, he was just baiting me, he knew it and I knew it. Instead of taking his bait though, I flashed him a smile and nodded. “Depending on where in this city you live, it’s always been dangerous. Definitely not a country for old men.” I watched his eyes darken, but only briefly, what I had said had struck a chord with him. “With all due respect to you and your family, Mister Del Gado, you have to remember exactly who you are dealing with. I’ve been shot, stabbed and buried alive. That was just in the first year of service to my country.” I leveled my gaze at him, “Your threats mean exactly nothing to me. If you choose to threaten me again, or dare take action against my family. There will be another funeral to go to.” The car eased into the church parking lot and the driver parked next to my truck once again. “One final thing before you go, Mister Bane.”, he said quietly. I was familiar with this tactic as I use it often. The softer you speak, the more the tone becomes clear. I knew what was coming, and I knew I was in for a bad time. “All that bravado, will do nothing more than insure that you’ve gained an enemy today, I’m the last person on the face of this planet that you should choose to make an enemy of.”
I nodded my head as the driver opened my door, “Well, then we have an understanding sir.” I said as I exited the vehicle.
Fade.
Trouble In Paradise?
The Bane Home - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[Off-camera]
I had flown back to Vegas on the redeye and hadn't gotten home until around two in the morning. Instead of going to bed like a sane person, I brewed a pot of coffee. I couldn’t say for sure why I had distanced myself from my wife. Maybe I was trying to create some separation so my own sour attitude didn’t ruin hers. All I knew is I was not easy to get along with in my present state of mind. I hadn’t even talked to her since I had left town for the funeral. I think I was just trying to shield her from my anger. It was working about as well as when she attempted to do the same. It did nothing but create tension for us as a couple, and that was never a good thing. The smell of cinnamon hit my nostrils as I poured my cup of coffee, taking her cup, I filled it as well. I picked up her cup and turned, handing it to her. I gave her a smile and a kiss. “Mornin’ sunshine.” I said in jest. She took a sip of the offered coffee, “Mornin’ darl.” she said after swallowing that first mouthful of coffee.
‘How is it that you make perfect fucking coffee every time?”, she asked with a smirk and a smile. I laughed, “Well, it’s really hard to fuck up black coffee my love.” She laughed in return and we clinked coffee cups in salute to the truth. “The service?”, she asked. I sighed in return. “It was about like you’d expect, a lot of fake tears from people who didn’t really know Aaron. Surprise visitors, some of which I hadn’t seen since high school.”. “How’s Abi doing?” she asked with what I assumed was some reservation. Like me, the super religious types set her teeth on edge. “All things considered, she’s holding up pretty well.” I took another sip of coffee. She gave me a look that said, “There are some things we need to discuss.”, in return I smiled, nodding my head. I had known this was coming for a bit. I had been kind of an asshole since I lost the belt. Making snarky comments about her duties as champion, while I went and sulked in the garage, working on cars and trucks and the occasional motorcycle that came in.
“Shall we address the elephant in the room?” she asked coyly. I could feel my face turn a bit red from embarrassment. Instead of responding, I made an elephant sound as I raised my free hand, symbolizing it’s trunk. When she didn’t laugh or smile, I sighed, “Sure, what would you like to talk about Red? My failure to defend a title that I worked so hard to achieve?” My tone was full of sarcasm, lightly laced with venom. She recognized it for what it was, I knew I couldn’t snowball her and there was no sense in trying to. I could literally feel the heat behind the look she was giving me. “You’re better than that Bane.” She said quietly as she stared at her coffee cup. “Am I?”, I asked pointedly. “I think I’m just a man, who lost one of the most important things, something he worked his ass off to achieve. To a man, I should never have lost to!” She had never even looked up at me as I vented. “Is that the elephant you wanted to address? Little miss going for another record?” That got her to look up alright, her gaze was hard, not as hard as mine but pretty fucking close. Picking a fight at two-fifteen in the morning was not what I had intended to do. I sighed and set my coffee cup down. “Sorry” I said as I walked past her toward the back door.
I needed some distance and some air, not to fight with the one person who always had my back no matter what. “Why do I keep fucking things up?” I said to myself and the night air. Unknown to me, she had followed me out onto the back patio, clearly not finished with my dumb ass. She handed me my coffee cup, which I accepted and shook my head. “I’m sorry Amber, you didn’t deserve that.” In return she gave me a sad smile, “No but here we are. I know what you are doing and what you are going through. I did the same thing to you when I lost the title to Ken.” Now it was my turn to stare at my coffee cup. “Don’t you dare shut me out Mac.”. Her words hit me like a truck, I had said the same thing to her not really that long ago.
Fade
I believe in my heart of hearts you’ve made a mistake. If you were trying to use social media to provoke me, well, that’s not something that I pay that much attention to, honestly. I have been honest and forthright with you and the fans to this point. You’ve always had my respect, even back in the day in other places. When we faced one another before, I made certain that you had all the advantages. You were the Roulette Champion and that rule set played right into your wheelhouse. I did it intentionally and with purpose. I wanted to beat you at your own game but that didn’t come to pass. On my first attempt, I failed to defend the title that I worked so hard to win. I failed to deliver on the things I said. No one, and especially me, expected you to win that title. You were a huge underdog in that match but somehow still pulled a victory out of your narrow ass. I’ve had to live with my shortcomings since that night. I’ve reviewed that match over and over again in the depths of my own mind. Picking it apart, analyzing each move, each exchange and each counter. I’m not someone who says, oh well, I lost a belt and I’ll just move onto another company. I’ll leave that to other less dedicated individuals and their egos.
Not to say that I don’t have one myself, but it pales in comparison to the size of yours. The King of Wolves? Really?! More like the caretaker of puppies. I mean, sure, you fancy your organization as a world wide entity having offices all over the place. Your gym has been extremely successful. My hats off to you and the effort behind all of that. Running a business is a full time engagement. I understand it well. Amber and I spend a lot of time on our own business and I know the sacrifice involved. It’s something to be commended, not condemned, again...respect. I know you’ll be ready to defend the title with every ounce of your being. Just as you know I am coming for you with everything I have. Like you, I’m getting to an age where these opportunities are few and far between. No matter how good we are or no matter what we’ve accomplished in our careers. It’s rare air that we’ll be sharing in this match. When you beat me you ended world title reign number thirteen. I’m not superstitious but I should have seen that coming. So, now I pursue title reign number fourteen. I know this is the part where I’m supposed to tell the world why I will beat you and what I’ll do in order to make that happen.
You had said before that during your first title run, that you didn’t deserve the title. That you felt bad about it. You had taken advantage of that situation with your friend. I got the chance to work with Griff in another place. He’s a good man from what I could tell, and I can’t imagine what issue that you may have had with him. It doesn’t matter to me, that was between the two of you. What does matter to me is that, and especially here lately, you’ve become petty. Our first match was built off of respect, mutual respect. I was more than a little amused with it all to be honest. A man should celebrate title wins however he sees fit. Even if that’s taking shots at a former champion. Hell, I did it. When Cross all of a sudden retired after losing to me? You’re damn right I tore him down, just like he deserved. Unlike him, I haven’t gone anywhere, and unlike him, I have teeth. In addition to that, I have a track record of making sure that people pay the consequences for saying and doing stupid shit.
Take you for example, if we go all the way back to when you first lost that title. What did you do? Did you demand a rematch? No, you went home and sulked like a bitch. You allowed this company to put you in the Roulette Division. No chance of losing there, right? Facing the Augustino’s and Milo’s of the world in matches that are far beneath a man with your legacy right?
Right.
Sure we’ll go with that.
The point I’m making is that we are not the same, while you could have challenged Jack to win back that belt, you chose not to. I’m sure you had valid reasons, maybe you’ll even touch on them in your promotional video. I look forward to you trying to explain that one away. I’m coming for what’s mine Alex, you’d be better off just handing me that title and going back to the back like a good little boy. I know you won’t though, you’re not that fucking smart. Instead we will fight and you’ll start regretting life choices.
