[Joshua Acquin]

 DING DING DING

Joshua reached the edge of the ring not enough to be counted in and the match ended in a double count out.  He hangs his head and slaps the mat in frustration.  He looks over at Samuel McPherson and for a minute you can tell Joshua is thinking of attacking him as the official in the match is telling him to go to the back.  Joshua puts his arms up and walks to the back.

On the other side of the curtain is Pussy Willow with a microphone in hand.  She runs up next to Joshua as you can tell he was trying to avoid her.  Joshua looks down at her as she starts to talk.

“Joshua tonight you went to a double count out with Samuel McPherson.  How do you feel on a draw?”

Joshua looks even more annoyed than before.

“How do you think I feel.  I go out there everyday to win.  Drawing with someone is like losing.  It’s like kissing your sister, thank goodness, we are not in Alabama or else we would have people expecting people to do that.  But honestly, I would rather lose than get a good game or a participation award.  That’s what is wrong with the generation I am part of.  By my birth year 1982 I am a millennial, but in my work ethic and such I am a generation X.  That’s why I want to face Samuel again but this time make it a no count out to avoid this mess and have a winner.  If you don’t mind I need to get out of here.”

With that Joshua bushes past and goes to the locker room area.

=======

Joshua is at his home sitting on the couch watching football when Sonia comes and sits next to him and changes the channel.

“Really are you going to do that when I am watching a game?”

“It’s the same thing the run into each other and try to score a touchdown.  Besides my show is on.”

Joshua shakes his head.

“Out of all the TVs in this house you have to change the one I am watching?”

“Yep I do and what are you going to do about it?”

Sonia sticks her tongue out at Joshua.  Joshua goes over to her and puts her over his shoulder and takes her to the bedroom and throws her on the bed and acts like he is pining her.

“One…Two…Three.  Ding ding ding Joshua wins the remote back.”

Sonia laughs.

“Okay you win.  You know Joshua I still haven’t gotten my dress for your friend’s wedding.  I think her name is Amy.  Anyway when can I do that?”

“Sweetheart you can do that at any time you would like.  You should take Maddi with you and both get dresses for it.  As for me I already have my suit and tie for it?”

“What about a gift?”

“I have already thought of  a big gift for them.  One they will enjoy, but you are more than welcome to get one for her since you probably know what women like more than I do.”

Joshua hugs Sonia and goes to leave the room.

“So what car can I take Joshua?”

“Take whatever car you would like we need to go shopping for your own car soon.”

Joshua leave the room and walks back to the couch, looks at his watch, and changes it back to the football game he was watching.

======

Joshua is in his gym at his house along with his brother Austin going through a workout.  Madison walks into the gym.

“Hey dad, hey Uncle Austin.”

Joshua goes over and tries to give her a hug.

“Ew dad you are all sweaty from working out.”

“I thought that’s what you were coming down here to do.”

“Yeah but I don’t want your sweat on me, ew what are you thinking.”

Joshua goes over to a notebook on the table and looks through it.

“Alright sweetheart you are working upper body today so that is bench press, inclinced press, and all the others that we went over.  Need me to set up anything for you?”
Madison walks over to the bench press and starts to take the weight off that was on there.  Joshua walks over and helps her out.

“How much did you want on?”

“I want a 45lb plate on each side.”

Joshua puts the weight on for her.

“Alright you ready to lift 135 today.  That would be a record for you.”

Madison gets into position and Joshua spots her as she starts to lift it.  He counts out the rep she is on.

“Eight…Nine…Ten, your good to rack it and take a break good job sweetheart.”

She racks it and lays on the bench.  Joshua can sense something is wrong with how she has been since she stepped into the gym.

“Is something wrong sweetheart?”

Madison sighs and sits up.

“There is a boy that is giving me a hard time at school and won’t leave me alone even
though I have shown no interest in him.  I have told him no and now he is coming here he said.  I don’t want him to see me I don’t like him, he isn’t even my friend.”

Joshua shakes his head and sits on the bench next to her.

“Alright I will take care of this.  Thank you for telling me I have to make a couple calls one to the gate guard and one to the school.”

Joshua gets up and as he does Madison says more.

“Also dad can I get my nose pierced?”

“Ask your mom I know these games.”

Joshua walks out of the room and Austin follows suit.

“What are you going to do Joshua?”

“Oh I think I am going to scare this boy when he comes here and I think her issues will over with him.”

======

Joshua is seen behind a podium that has his hockey team logo on it.

“Ladies and gentlemen as you know this season the Las Vegas Wranglers have gone dark this season to give the NHL’s newest team the Vegas Golden Knights the ability to be showcased during this time the players under a direct contract with the wrangler will have their normal salary and we still maintain the rights to them after this year.”

Joshua clears his throat.

“With that we will also be pulling out of the ECHL since they have focused more on central and eastern parts of the US.  I will be forming a new league that will be at the same level as the ECHL.  As of now we do have some teams that we have played against and some we haven’t.  I can tell you a few of the teams.  We will have the Alaska Aces, who were a team we played in the ECHL that were moved by the ECHL to the east coast.  We had some great games with them before and hope we can maintain the great games next year.  Ontario Reign will be another team that we will bring back with the new league, Arizona Sundogs will make a comeback.  The San Diego Gulls will be coming back after a 12 year ceasing of operations.  A team that folded during a season will come back, that team is the San Francisco Bulls.  Also we will have the Stockton Thunder coming back as well.  That is the teams that we have snagged we are in talks with other locations and teams to get them to come to our league.  My goal for this league of course is to develop players but on top of that give the fans of hockey a place to watch a game and not have to save up for a huge ticket price.  I would like to have a family of four be able to go to the game get food and drinks and spend less than 50 dollars.”

Joshua takes a sip of water before continuing.

“Now would we be in competition with the ECHL.  The short answer is yes we would be.  What I would hope is to have this league be able to compete and maybe have some cross league games.  How will this affect the NHL with choosing a minor league team?  I hope to get all the teams in the league a NHL parent team and none to the ECHL.  Am I bitter about how they are moving more to the east?  Hell yes I am I think it makes more sense to have teams all over to spread the love on hokey as well as with other sports out there.”

====

Joshua is backstage before he goes out to the ring when a SCW reporter comes up and asks him a question.

“Joshua why do you still wear Vegas Strong stuff now?”
Joshua looks at the person and shakes his head as in disbelieve.
“Now as you see on my arm I still have a Vegas Strong armband.  I think people may have forgot about this but I will tell you something.  That the week following the mass shooting in Vegas, we came together as a city and people that wouldn’t be together normally came together.  I have donated my own money to the victims of the attack.  I must say that SCW themselves have donated quite a bit to the cause.  But I wear this band every match I am in because I want to remember how it brought our city together.  I know it is just a saying but we are Vegas Strong.  We are a city that is still healing and stars like the ones here in SCW get to put on a show to help people out during that time.  I want to tell you who the real heroes are.  They are the ones who are going the opposite way of people trying to get out of harm’s way.  They are the ones who risk their lives for us all.  They are the ones who hug and kiss their spouses and they don’t know if they will be home.  Am I a hero?  No I am far from it, I am an entertainer that people want to look up to.  To that I say please don’t look up to me as your hero, go find your policeman, firefighter, medical staff, or your military service members.  I am one that goes out of my way to thank people like that.  It takes them by surprise when I do stuff for them that they see me here in SCW as a character and not who I really am.  That’s why I am still wearing this Vegas Strong stuff.

====

Nightmare hits the PA and Joshua comes out from the back.  He is wearing jeans and a black Vegas Strong shirt.

“I know, I know.  I said the Nightmare era was over but this week I need to tap into that.  Thank goodness, we are not forced to wear mask.  I wish we would stay in the black and white era though because there will be blood in this no holds barred match.  I can take Samuel and take him from one corner to another beating the shit out of him.  I can take him up on that ramp and smash his face into it.  I have faced bigger opponents and have won.  I will show everyone here in Tucson Arizona that I am a winner.  When I was growing up I learned how to say Tucson by saying tuck-son and it stuck.  I have had a great time here in Tucson.  I have friends that live here so I have been out an about.  Even here on the U of A campus I saw the Arizona State Museum.  The best is climbing on Mount Lemmon that towers over Tucson.  Enough on that this week I will finish what I started two weeks ago.  This time it is in a match that has to have a winner.  The hopefully I can close the Nightmare era on a high note.”