Lausanne, Switzerland. Saturday 9th September (Off-Camera)
Rodrigo didn't celebrate his win against Troll because he already had to focus on qualifying for the Olympics next year. Despite being a professional wrestler who could have wrestling matches while competing in the Olympics, his goals will never distract him from doing so. It was to qualify for the street Olympics competition, and Rodrigo reached the finals and won the whole thing.
But the one thing he had yet to do during his time in Switzerland was meet his skateboarding friends, whom he never had to meet on Twitter or any social media platform, more meeting them while skating in the streets of America. He was really close to Jerald Overton, who was a white skin guy with long blonde hair, wearing a backwards cap with trousers and a shirt he always wears while skating and another guy named Darius Brown, who had dark skin with black dreadlocks and also wearing a backwards cap with trousers and shirt.
They sat on a park bench opposite the street skateboarding park where they'd just finished qualifying for the Olympics. While his friends also made it through, Rodrigo won the entire competition. He sat to think while surrounding himself with his skateboarding buddies, who wanted to talk to Rodrigo about another sport he does.
Jerald Overton: "Seems like our advice from the past has paid off."
Rodrigo Afonso: "Oh, you mean wrestling when I fought against Troll?"
Darius Brown: "I told you avoiding social media platforms was a good idea. Although it would make you friends easier, it is still smart to only want to meet new people in person."
Rodrigo Afonso: "It is. I prefer it because I know who I'm connecting with rather than talking to someone behind a computer screen, not knowing what they'd be like in person. Just because someone's nice/nasty behind a computer screen doesn't mean they are/aren't offline. That's what I believe in."
Of course, Darius, in a way, didn't agree because Rodrigo still hadn't attempted to make any wrestler friends. Still, it will come in due time as he only had two matches so far, and he was focused more on winning a spot to qualify, which he did. However, he still was going to skate the next one in Rome, Italy, to qualify, only it was a park, although he still had to prepare in others to retain his spot.
Jerald Overton: "To think you're wrestling and qualifying for the Olympics with skateboarding is amazing. How many wrestlers would do two jobs while representing the world?"
Rodrigo Afonso: "They don't look like they would care for skateboarding. They are somewhat older than me. I think I'm the youngest on the roster. But there are a few things wrestling and skateboarding have in common. You feel pain, you can break bones and have blood and scars. You can do stunts. Everything I wanted to do."
Darius Brown: "It shows Rodrigo how much being a part of two sports means to you. After this, you got to go back to America and wrestle. Who will you face next on Sin City Wrestling Climax Control?"
Rodrigo Afonso: "I honestly don't know. It's way too early to face title holders; I haven't even specifically stated the champions as such because, honestly, right now, I'm not a threat to them. It would be ridiculous if I was given a title shot next week because there is no way one win would earn me a title shot."
Of course, Rodrigo forgot that Troll was a champion, but it wasn't a legit title he was holding. He disregarded that, especially when Troll named Rodrigo after a famous actor to whom there was no relation or even come close to relating to him. He smiles with the gold medal around his neck and drinks some Gatorade to hydrate himself, as do his skateboarding buddies.
Jerald Overton: "You really brought everything out of the bag, haven't you out there on the street today. Nailed some pretty gnarly tricks out there today and the entire week."
Rodrigo Afonso: "Oh, for sure. I've been developing new skateboarding moves like I have with wrestling moves, too. I just wish I could nail a move that I do in the wrestling ring that I can with a skateboard."
Darius Brown: "Maybe you could, with the moonsault you do, make that with a kickflip, and you'd get people talking, more so with a twist variation."
Rodrigo Afonso: "That would be one heck of an idea, and I will work on that when I get home."
It was an idea Darius said that got Rodrigo thinking; both sports were sort of alike, without the skateboard involved when it comes to wrestling, but at the same time, if he was put in Roulette matches, he would be able to use a skateboard as well as a weapon. But he'd need a lot of hardcore wrestling training for that.
Rodrigo Afonso: "Getting back to wrestling. I reckon I'll face someone like Bill Barnhart, Jaycee MacDonald or Miles Kasey. Because they are more on my level, to be honest."
Jerald Overton: "What if you get a title shot next week? Would you take it?"
Rodrigo Afonso: "It would be ridiculous because one win against Troll doesn't classify me as earning a title shot. Eddie Lyons was different because he was given a title contenders match in his second match and won that, but lost to Peter Vaughn. But I would because I have to."
Darius Brown: "You would have to because you need to take every opportunity you can get, even if it was undeserved; in Sin City Wrestling's eyes, they feel you have, even if you've only had two matches in your entire career. For you to win the title in your third match while everyone else has failed to defeat him is ridiculous in a good way."
Jerald Overton: "Besides, every champion doesn't know anything about you apart from the two videos you cut, and they were short. Honestly, I don't know what there is to say to hate about you since you're a rookie to wrestling, so they can't hate on you for making mistakes; you expect that."
Rodrigo nodded. He did own up to his mistakes in the ring against Eddie, and he didn't show a single bit of whining or crying like most wrestlers would; that wasn't Rodrigo primarily. He had grown up to learn to take losses thanks to skateboarding, especially two years ago in the X-Games, where he lost the gold medal by two points.
Rodrigo Afonso: "I know you guys are hyping me too much for a title shot, but I need to face the names I said I reckon I'll be facing first before getting into focusing on champions. Although I came close to getting one, according to my wrestling trainer at the last Super Show via voting on the Internet title, I had the fewest votes."
Jerald Overton: "Then they see potential, but yeah, you said you need to prove yourself, and I do agree, you do, but at the same time, you got respect from Eddie and usually, wrestlers like skateboarders don't give respect like that right away."
Rodrigo Afonso: "I will never forget Eddie because he made me a better wrestler despite the loss. I only lost because I had done showboating, which my trainer got angry at me for, but I corrected my mistake with Troll.
Darius Brown: "Regardless, you're doing great in the ring and street skateboarding world. You're having more fun than I've seen from you in a while. Anyway, we better get going; let's go out for food before we go for a drink tonight since we can technically go for drinks here, unlike in America, to celebrate your wrestling and skateboarding win."
Rodrigo Afonso: "I'd like that."
Darius, Jerald and Rodrigo stood up from the park bench and went to a swizz restaurant where they had regular drinks along with having the same meal and then went to a nightclub to have some drinks to the point that a lady approached Rodrigo and wanted to be with him for the night. They encountered something Rodrigo had never had: sexual contact while drunk, as he had seven beers to drink. He and a swizz girl slept together after that.
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London, England. Wednesday 13th September (Off-Camera)
It's been hard for Rodrigo to digest since he was told like his friends predicted, that he would face a champion, but he didn't know it would be this soon. Because of the announcement and Switzerland being nearer to England than the United States, he had to return to Bulldog Wrestling Academy school, where he trained all his career since Rodrigo was twelve. He still hadn't found a wrestling school, nor a wrestler in America that could teach him the ropes, especially in hardcore wrestling, which is usually what the Roulette title provides.
Rodrigo had no experience with weapons and hardcore wrestling, so all week long, Rodrigo, since Sunday, did nothing but hardcore wrestling every single day until today, which was the last day he'd do hardcore wrestling because he had to travel to America tomorrow. He learned all the weapons of knowing what to do and how to use them. It was intense training the last three days. Rodrigo was training with another wrestler who also had to learn how to do hardcore wrestling for a local indie show in England over the previous three days.
Rodrigo's trainer, Lee Baker, called for time, and he and another young kid who's the same age as Rodrigo stopped. The young kid shook Rodrigo's hand, and both left the ring. Lee told the bigger, younger wrestler he wanted to chat tomorrow. Lee said for Rodrigo to go into the office to talk. Rodrigo went into the locker room to grab a towel and a bottle of water to bring back and went into the office and closed the door, wiping sweat from his face, even if lots of face paint came off. He sat down opposite Lee Baker.
Rodrigo Afonso: "I got to be honest. I don't feel I earned this opportunity."
Lee Baker: "I do agree, to be honest, but you can't walk away from this shot. Sure, you've only had one win, but I think SCW want to see what people have got. It seems anybody joining SCW after a couple of matches gives wrestlers opportunities."
Rodrigo Afonso: "It seems like it. Maybe because they want rookies or new wrestlers to SCW to prove themselves."
Lee Baker: "After all, you're proving to be very underrated; you know what you wanted to be because nobody should be overrated wrestlers. So Peter may have more experience than you, but SCW staff feel you'd give him a hard time, even with your lack of hardcore wrestling experience, in case you get put into a hardcore match."
Rodrigo scratched his head a bit, even if he was more of a mystery than any other wrestler Peter Vaughn may have faced. In a way, the nerves were kicking in with Rodrigo due to the pressure of being in a wrestling title match he'd never been to in his life.
Lee Baker: "I see your nerves, kid, but you can't let Peter see that because the second he does, he will expose you and pray on it. Competing to win a wrestling championship is no different from competing in X-Games or Olympic gold medals with your skateboarding stunts. Just remember what you learnt in the loss two years ago in the X-Games and how you overreacted to the loss, but it was just by two points."
Rodrigo Afonso: "I did, yeah, and it still sucks to this day I did. But while I overreacted there, it still made me grow up a little faster; when I lost again a year later in X Games, I barely reacted. If I can do that then, I can do it now."
Lee Baker: "I know, but don't show any signs of doubt. You may think, and everyone will say you don't deserve it, but the SCW staff see something in you, and you're still a mystery people have yet to discover. With all the tools you have after the three days of training you've done with a fellow kid and me in the same shoes as you, I think you're more than ready for the title match."
Rodrigo Afonso: "Maybe I can get a little more creative with what I can do in the ring instead of just high-flying moves. I know Eddie brought the sledgehammer into the match because he wanted to win so badly, but Peter used it and I pretty much want to beat him for that since I have high amount of respect for Eddie.”
It wasn't anger, but the feeling because Rodrigo will never forget about his match with Eddie. He wanted to be friends with him at some point but be a bit later on; incredibly, he didn't know how to be friends with wrestlers without knowing they'd fight each other again at some point.
Lee Baker: "Sadly, it was part of the rules; there are no disqualifications in Roulette title matches; you can use weapons if you're randomly picked to do something like that in matches as they select matches on the wheel, and you do them in the match with Peter. If you win this match, you'll be the fastest rookie ever to win a title, and that's a major achievement, especially when Peter hasn't been beaten for the title yet."
Rodrigo Afonso: "I wonder why Peter Vaughn hasn't gone for the SCW title yet?"
Lee Baker: "Because he can't simultaneously hold the Roulette and the SCW title. He wants to break Alex Jones and Griffin Hawkins's records, former legends of SCW that aren't around anymore. The guy wrestles the same style as you, and he might be slightly bigger than you, but you always got technical wrestling tools to use on your hands, too."
Rodrigo Afonso: "It's been super handy to learn the technical and submission moves on big guys. It helped me against Troll. At the same time, he and Peter are two different wrestlers. Peter won't view me as a threat, and I'll understand because I've done nothing impressive to be on his radar."
Of course, it was the one thing Rodrigo had not to say about his unimpressive wrestling run. Still, there were only so many companies out there, apart from Sin City Wrestling, that would give him a realistic chance of starting his career compared to other big companies. Rodrigo wiped more sweat from his face and drank some more water.
Lee Baker: "But you must prove him and everyone else wrong. Prove yourself that you're on his level. Don't say you deserve it, no matter how much the truth is. You need to believe in yourself as always you'll win the match. I believe in you that you can do it. Go and give him everything you have. I also suggest you do extra gym work when you arrive in San Diego, California, to prepare for the biggest wrestling match of your life."
Rodrigo Afonso: "I got everything you're saying. Despite wanting to be an underrated wrestler, I won't let some fool ignore me. If he overlooks me, so be it; it's not my fault I'll become champion because he overlooked me. I hope to bring home the gold to be the best Roulette all forms of wrestling chosen champion."
Lee Baker: "I think I geared you up to be ready. That's more like it from where we were five minutes ago. Anyway, since you're ready to go to San Diego to do your first-ever title match in a very short time, you need to get packing to fly before you're not able to. You want to get rid of jet lag as soon as possible."
Rodrigo Afonso: "Believe me, I'll do just that. I give Peter everything I have, and if I spot anything he makes a mistake with or slips up somewhere, I will expose it and use it to my advantage to win. He's not going to pull the sledgehammer trick on me. Alright, I will see you next week, most likely."
Lee Baker: "Good luck, kid. You will need it against one of the toughest wrestlers in Sin City Wrestling. Take the opportunity and do your best."
Rodrigo drank more water before he finished it all and placed it in the bin as he shook Lee's hand and grabbed his towel to get in the shower and change to his regular clothes before he headed straight to the airport to fly to San Diego via Heathrow Airport.
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Rodrigo's shoot about a shocking and unexpected opportunity.
“I got to admit, I'm really shocked about this unexpected title opportunity. I haven't even spoken about champions or titles at all since I got here because it was far too soon to consider anything like this. Anyway, I got that out of the way and address to Peter Vaughn. I know it's within the rules to use a sledgehammer, but you seem to be pretty proud how you almost ended a guy I have huge amount of respect for, Eddie Lyons in the head. Now granted, he brought the weapon into the match, but you still shouldn't have used it.
You've done a solid job as a Roulette Champion here with defending the belt everywhere you go, I'd even say you're a threat for the SCW World title because you're damn good in the ring and defeated every opponent that has been put in front of you so it means you're a great champion, but I got to be honest here. As much as you want to break records, I'm the only person that can break your run as the Roulette champion for you.
You won't do anything because sure, I have no experience, nor do I have any experience anything involving weapons or different match scenarios like you're other opponents have, but I want you to overestimate me because unlike others, that is what I prefer actually. I don't like to be known as an overrated wrestler with full of an massive ego, I prefer to be underrated and the underdog of wrestling and many wrestlers don't want to be in that position. I never appreciated the words you said about Eddie Lyons either. Because that dude is a guy I respect for giving it my all and a guy I will forever remember having my first ever wrestling match with. Sure I lost, but I gained a lot of experience from it.
Just like I will with you as well because if I see you slip up for a single second in the match, I will expose it and beat you down for it. I respect who you've gone against and won, but I wasn't apart of any of those matches. I never thought I'd be talking about winning a Roulette title in my third match, but I am and I will because despite what people say of me not earning it, I'm going to earn to win the title tomorrow night in San Diego, upsetting the odds and making people crazy.
Especially it would do huge for me both in a wrestling and skateboarding community. You may think you have all the tools and know everything about me. Well you don't because you're extremely limited apart from what I've said on camera via this shoot I'm doing. I've done three whole days training for hardcore and weapons part non fucking stop because I was never trained in that area, until Wednesday. Three whole days and I still think I could've done more training.
I never understood why you're called The Mechanic, considering I don't recall you fixing any form of transport of any kind. Maybe has something to do with wrestling skills, but why not call yourself The Technician or something to that extent? We might be on equal terms, but you're time as champion is past your expiry date and life goes on without Peter being champion.
I respect all your accomplishments of what you've done in other companies, but I will take the massive fight to you. I will do everything possible to get you beaten down because nobody has been able to do that yet. You aren't going to pull tricks on me because I've been used to bumps, bruises, broken bones my entire career so that's no different to wrestling.
Do everything you can to hurt me, but I always get back up and continue to wrestle as I continued to skateboard. Maybe I'll use my skateboard to bash you over the head with, maybe I use a steel chair or anything to get the win regardless. Because I will take every short cut and advantage to win the match, just like you will. I love this sport too much to think I let this opportunity slip.
You are the biggest threat I've ever fought, but I know at the same time, I must win the Roulette title from you. I will learn and gain a lot of experience from this match alone so I have more to gain than you do with me. I'll bring everything to my arsenal and pounding your face until I'm done with you to walk away from Sin City Wrestling Climax Control San Diego show as the new Roulette champion because this title is for up and comers and I'm that guy.
You're not and belong in the SCW World title division and that's me being honest Peter because I view you as the top guy here, but not the top Roulette champion. It doesn't matter what you'll say to me, I will do everything to get that win and get that title in my hands and do a lot more with this title like defending the belt every single Climax Control and Super Show whether I'm broken and battered or not.
The era of Afonso is going to start after Sunday when I pin you for the win because you underestimated me and being the underrated and underdog wrestler, I will put you into dust, whelther you're bleeding or bruised or not, you better not be hiding and cowering away when I face you for that title you hold so much to as your treasure since nobody else has been able to beat you. You all will see that Peter's famous legacy of the Roulette title will end by me.”
