The scene opens inside the visitor centre of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, in Nevada; visible in the background, beyond the visitor centre, is the Mojave Desert.
In the foreground of the shot, sat at one end of a blue metal bench, is Simon Jones, who is again dressed in clothes that differ from his usual apparel: this time, Simon is wearing a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt - over which, he is wearing a black leather look jacket - a pair of black leather look finger-less gloves, and a brown wig. Sat towards the other end of the bench, and looking in Simon's direction, is Pussy Willow, who is wearing a tight yellow dress.
Pussy is the first to speak, as she turns to address the camera.
Pussy: 'In a mere two days' time, Sin City Wrestling - in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation - will stage Into The Void III. The card for the event is well and truly loaded, with fans having fourteen matches to look forward to. One of those matches will feature a man making his final appearance before leaving SCW. And so to discuss his match at Into The Void, as well as to reflect on his time in SCW, I'm joined now, by Simon Jones.'
Pussy looks towards Simon.
Pussy: 'Firstly, Simon, thank you for providing me with this opportunity.'
Simon smiles politely.
Simon: 'No problem.'
Pussy turns to look behind her, at the Mojave Desert.
Pussy: 'This is a rather picturesque setting that you have chosen as the location for this interview.'
Simon also turns to look at the desert in the background.
Simon: 'Indeed; it is quite a backdrop.'
Pussy and Simon both turn back to look in the direction of one another.
Simon: 'The Mojave Desert is spread across Nevada, California, and Arizona - just like SCW; it also occupies part of Utah - the next state for SCW to expand into, perhaps?'
Simon shrugs, not expecting a response to his question from Pussy Willow.
Pussy: 'Okay, now, Simon, as I've already mentioned, this Sunday, at Into The Void III, you will be competing in your final match, before you leave SCW. It has been almost four weeks since you made public your decision to leave SCW. When you made the announcement, you said that you had to do what is right for your family - but I was wondering if I could get you to go into a bit more detail, regarding your reasons for leaving SCW.'
Simon: 'Sure.'
Simon nods his head.
Simon: 'I assume most people watching this are aware that I'm a married man; there might be a few that don't know that, as, unlike the partners of some professional athletes, my wife chooses to keep herself away from the glare of the spotlight - although if you follow me on Twitter, you'll have the seen the photo of her that I tweeted last Wednesday. Jacqui and I have been together for the better part of fifteen years - and a week tomorrow, we will celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary.'
Simon smiles to himself.
Simon: 'I also assume most people watching this are aware that earlier this year, I became a father for the first time: back on the first Sunday in January, while the majority of the SCW roster was in Laughlin, for Climax Control, I was at a hospital, over two thousand miles away, as my wife gave birth to our beautiful baby daughter, Matilda.'
Simon's smile grows wider, with pride.
Simon: 'With us having been together for as long as we have, some people may wonder why myself and Jacqui waited until last year to start a family - I know for a fact that our friends and family wondered what took us so long. There's no specific reason why we waited so long to have a child; we had known for several years that we wanted to have children - I guess we just chose to put it off, until it felt like the right time. But then, early last year, we agreed that it was finally time for us to start a family, as we both felt more content with life than we had in years. And what was the thing that, at that time, had recently re-entered my life, and was contributing to those feelings of contentment? The answer is simple: wrestling.'
Pussy: 'When you debuted in SCW last year, it was around six months after you had joined ACW.'
Simon: 'That's correct.'
Simon nods his head again.
Simon: 'I think most people will already know that I was a member of the ACW roster, before I arrived in SCW - and that after signing a contract with SCW, I continued to compete in ACW, until its closure. But what most people probably won't know, unless they've followed my whole career closely, is that until I joined ACW, I had been on a hiatus from wrestling, which had lasted for over nine years.'
Simon leans forward slightly.
Simon: 'You see, when I was younger, during the first phase of my career in wrestling, I had something of a love-hate relationship with the sport. Thirteen years ago, as my desire to become a professional wrestler brought me here, to the US, it took me away from the UK - and away from the woman that I loved. But mid-way through the following year, I left the US, and the promotion that I was working for, so that I could return to the UK, to be with Jacqui. It was then that I took my first break from wrestling - although it was only a few months before I was in the ring, competing in a British promotion. However, by the following summer, I had become disillusioned with wrestling again, this time for other reasons, and so I took another break from the sport - one that lasted far longer than I would have imagined.'
Simon lowers his gaze, looking away from Pussy Willow, and towards the ground.
Simon: 'Then two years ago, in early November, JJ Dixon managed to lure me into making a return to wrestling, to join ACW - because of which, Jacqui and I left the UK. By March of last year, the two of us were settled in Canada, content with our lives - and it was then that we decided the time was right for us to start a family. But as first-time parents, we weren't fully prepared for how our lives would change, once our daughter arrived - any parent can tell you about the impact that a newborn baby has on a family, but until you experience it for yourself, it's not something that you can properly appreciate. And having a child of our own, has made us miss our own parents, and our siblings - not to mention our closest friends. So that's why I'm leaving SCW: so that Jacqui and I can return home, to raise Matilda in the UK - so that our little family, can be with our extended family, and our friends.'
Simon raises his head, and looks back to Pussy.
Simon: 'I'm sorry, Pussy - I know that you asked me to go into detail, but that was probably a longer explanation than you were expecting.'
Pussy: 'No, Simon, it's fine. You mentioned that on the previous occasions you've taken breaks from wrestling, it was because you were disenchanted with the sport - but as far as I can tell, you're not suffering with those same feelings this time.'
Again, Simon nods his head.
Simon: 'That's right: I'm as happy in wrestling as I've ever been, so it's a shame that I'm going to be leaving SCW. But my family will always come first - and I have to do what's right for them, which means returning home to the UK.'
Pussy: 'I'm sure the vast majority of people would put their family first too, Simon.'
Simon: 'I would hope so.'
Pussy: 'We'll talk about your match at Into The Void III later, but now I want to look back to your debut in SCW, in May last year, when you were one of the participants in a gauntlet battle royal, to determine the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship. Although the match was an open invitational, it still came as a surprise to many, when you entered yourself into the match.'
Simon chuckles slightly.
Simon: 'It came as a surprise to me - let alone anyone else. I mean, at the start of that week, I saw the announcement regarding the match from - I think it was Christian Underwood - but at the time, I didn't give any consideration whatsoever to entering myself into the match.'
Pussy: 'So what changed - what led to you becoming a participant in the match?'
Simon shrugs his shoulders.
Simon: 'Nothing changed, per se, it was just that as the end of the week neared, I found myself without anything significant planned for the weekend. I was then reminded of the gauntlet battle royal, and after actually giving it some thought, I decided to take a chance, by leaving my comfort zone up in Canada, to compete in the six-sided ring of SCW for the first time; it really was an eleventh hour decision - I caught the last flight that could get me to San Diego, in time for Climax Control.'
Pussy: 'On the subject of San Diego, last week you stated that you would have liked to have had your final match in SCW be there - had you been given the choice. Why is that?'
Simon: 'It's simple: I've got nothing but happy memories of the city. San Diego was where I debuted in SCW - successfully; it was where - four weeks later - I won the SCW Heavyweight Championship for the first time; and I was also on the winning side in a tag team match that took place in San Diego, last summer - which at the time, was a rare occurrence for me.'
Pussy: 'Fortunately for you, your record in tag team matches has improved since then.'
Simon nods his head once more.
Simon: 'Indeed it has. As I sit here now, given what had gone before, it's hard to believe the amount of tag team matches that I've won in the past six - or even twelve - months. The highlight for me, as far as tag team wrestling in SCW is concerned, was of course winning the Blast from the Past tournament alongside Brandi Shotze, earlier this year. But I've also enjoyed working with some of the other tag team partners that have been given to me - most notably Roxi Johnson, and Ben Jordan; after Roxi and I successfully reprised our tag team, twelve days ago, hopefully Ben and I can do likewise on Sunday - against Jeremiah Hardin and his yet-to-be-named partner - so that I can end my time in SCW on a high.'
Pussy: 'Okay, well, going back to the beginning of your time in SCW, after winning the gauntlet battle royal, to become the number one contender for the heavyweight title, you then went on to defeat Jordan Williams to win the title, four weeks later - as you just mentioned - at Into the Void II. However, your first reign with the title came to an end after only eight weeks, at Summer XXXTreme II.'
Simon looks at the ground, as he lowers his head, in shame.
Simon: 'That match, at Summer XXXTreme II, is the one blemish on my time in SCW; it could have been one of the best nights of my career - instead it was the worst. And I don't say that simply because I lost - it's because of the manner in which I lost. If I lose a match, having given it my all, then I can accept that I lost to the better man. However, the thing that I always try to avoid, is not doing myself justice in the ring - but that's what happened on that Sunday night last August, at Summer XXXTreme; it was the single worst performance of my career. In fact, referring to it as a performance is being kind - a more accurate description, would be to call it a non-performance.'
Pussy: 'Things then went from bad to worse for you, as two weeks later, you became the only person in SCW history to lose a match by forfeit, after failing to appear for your scheduled match against Gabriel. And the week after that, Casey Williams...'
Pussy is interrupted by Simon.
Simon: 'Casey Williams injured my left knee.'
Simon raises his head, showing a grin, as he looks at Pussy.
Simon: 'But out of adversity, came triumph. The week after my knee had been injured, I was forced to compete in a mixed tag team match, with Roxi Johnson, against the pairing of Goth and Gothika - and as I battled on one leg, I managed to overcome the then-Heavyweight Champion; four weeks on from the worst performance of my career, I put in one of the best of my career. But back to Casey.'
Simon rubs his chin, in contemplation.
Simon: 'I'll avoid going over everything that Casey put me through - it's not all pleasant memories for me. But suffice to say, when it was all over, I got the last laugh - and Casey's career as an active wrestler, was finished.'
A satisfied smirk creeps across Simon's face.
Pussy: 'After defeating Casey Williams at My Bloody Valentine, in what was the culmination of your seven month long rivalry, you then turned your attention to participating in the second annual Blast from the Past tournament. Now, you've already mentioned that you went on to win the tournament, but how likely did you think that would be, prior to the tournament commencing?'
Simon: 'I didn't have any expectations. Everyone that participates in the Blast from the Past tournament hopes that the draw will give them a good partner - and in Brandi Shotze, I certainly got one. But even with Brandi as my partner, I still didn't have any expectations - simply because of the unpredictable nature of a tournament that features sixteen tag teams, which have been put together at random. I mean, when I saw the draw in full, I had Giani Di Luca and Emma Rose down as the favourites to go on and win the tournament - as I think did everyone else.'
Pussy nods her head, in agreement.
Pussy: 'Yes, you certainly weren't alone in thinking that - but as it turned out, Emma and Giani were eliminated in the first round; when did you start to believe that yourself and Brandi could be potential winners?'
Simon: 'Once the tournament reached the semi-finals; I still didn't necessarily see us as being the favourites - but with two matches down, and two more to go, it was as if things were falling into place for us to be the winners: I had just gotten my hands on a belt - now I wanted a trophy to go with it.'
Pussy: 'The belt that you are referring to, is of course the SCW heavyweight title. In between your first round match and your quarter-final - in the Blast from the Past tournament - you defeated Giani Di Luca, to regain the title, six and a half months after you had lost it.'
Simon lets out a sigh.
Simon: 'I had bided my time, as I waited for my return match for the title; some former champions demand that they be given a rematch, almost immediately after losing their title - but not me. It was my intention to wait until at least after the conclusion of the Blast from the Past tournament, before finally asking for my return match; had I not been the champion, when Brandi and I won the tournament, then I would have been the automatic challenger for the title at Chaos In Cape Town, anyway. But the powers that be had other ideas, and so at Blaze Of Glory III, with the Blast from the Past tournament over, I found myself stood in the ring, holding a belt and a trophy - and at Chaos In Cape Town, I would find myself defending that belt, while trying to win another.'
Pussy: 'As you just alluded to, usually the male half of the winners of the Blast from the Past tournament would then go on to challenge the Heavyweight Champion for their title - but as you were already the Heavyweight Champion, you were instead given the opportunity to choose who you would defend the title against, at Chaos In Cape Town; the man that you chose to be your opponent was the ACW Champion: Sean Jackson.'
Simon: 'It had to be Sean Jackson. He may have lost his past few matches in the six-sided ring, but this time two months ago, his record in the the period since he arrived in SCW, was second only to me; he had put Drake Green out of wrestling - or so it seemed - and he could legitimately be looked upon as being the real World Heavyweight Champion. As for the ACW title, with ACW itself dead in all but name, I had little interest in winning that title - but as an ACW alumnus, I did at least take pleasure from being the one to retire the title, after I had defeated Sean Jackson.'
Pussy: 'Well, to bring us up to the present, it was in the days following Chaos In Cape Town that you made up your mind about leaving SCW - although it would be a couple more weeks before you made your decision public. And now, in two days' time, you will compete in you final match in SCW, as you team with Ben Jordan, to take on Jeremiah Hardin, and a mystery opponent.'
Simon opens his mouth to respond, but pauses for a couple of seconds before he says anything.
Simon: 'I don't really have much to add to what I had to say about the match last week. It should go without saying that I want to end on a win - but I know that will be easier said than done; two months ago, Mark Ward wanted to end his career with a win over Austin Parker - unfortunately for Ward, Parker didn't read the script.'
Simon takes another deep breath, before continuing.
Simon: 'During my time in SCW, only once have I lost a match at a supercard; I've also only suffered one defeat since the beginning of this year - and on Sunday, I don't intend to add a second loss to either of those statistics. Again, that will be easier said than done - but I have complete confidence in Ben Jordan and myself, to be able to overcome Jeremiah Hardin, and whomever his tag team partner is.'
Pussy: 'Before I let you go, I have two more questions that I would like to ask you: firstly, do you have any regrets, from your time in SCW?'
Simon shakes his head.
Simon: 'Aside from the match that I lost by forfeit, no - none. Of course, I would have liked to have kept hold of the heavyweight title, until I left SCW - but Gene Banton Junior prevented that from happening. And there's a handful of potential opponents that I would have liked to have had one-on-one matches with, given the opportunity - Drake Green, for example, or a rematch with Jordan Williams. But as far as things that I have control over are concerned, no - no regrets; I'm just glad that I came to SCW when I did - if I hadn't entered that open invitational gauntlet battle royal, then I would have reason to ponder what might have been.'
Pussy: 'Okay, and to finish, I would like to ask, what is your proudest moment, from your time in SCW?'
Simon replies almost instantly.
Simon: 'Winning the SCW heavyweight title for the first time, at Into The Void II; nobody expected me to be the number one contender, and certainly nobody expected me to actually defeat Jordan Williams, to claim the title - but that's just what I did. Winning the Blast from the Past tournament was great, as was winning the heavyweight title for a second time - but winning the title for the first time, that's the one that was really special.'
Simon smiles, as he casts his mind back.
Simon: 'You know, Pussy, about fifteen months ago, Misty stated that, until she set foot in ACW, she hadn't heard a single mention of me. But now, as I prepare to leave SCW, I would hazard a guess that Misty, and everyone else around these parts, is well aware of who I am. And with me having first made my mark on SCW at Into The Void II, it's probably fitting that my time in SCW will come to an end at Into The Void III.'
Pussy: 'Okay, Simon, well, thank you for...'
Pussy finds herself being interrupted by Simon for a second time.
Simon: 'Actually, Pussy, before the cameras stop rolling, there's something else that I would like to address, if I may.'
Pussy: 'Go ahead.'
Simon turns to face the camera.
Simon: 'In the preview for the most recent episode of Climax Control, and again in the preview for Into The Void, I read that my wrestling career is coming to a close - but if I'm supposed to be retiring after Into The Void, well, someone forgot to tell me; as I tried to point out four weeks ago, I'm not retiring, I'm simply taking what may best be described as, "an extended leave of absence."'
Simon then stands up; he reaches into one of his pockets, and pulls out a pair of black sunglasses.
Simon: 'As I mentioned earlier, the last time that I took a break from wrestling, it was over nine years before I set foot in a ring again; after Into The Void, I don't know when you'll next see me inside a ring - although I doubt that this hiatus will be anywhere close to nine years in length - but one thing I can promise you, SCW, is that like the Terminator...'
Simon pauses to put on the sunglasses; he then attempts to mimic the accent of a certain Austrian.
Simon: 'I'll be back.'
And as Simon stands staring at the camera, the scene fades to black, for the final time - well, for now, at least.
