Las Vegas, Nevada
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit organization that brings together athletes in both the world of pro boxing as well as the ranks of professional wrestling. Although pro boxers are heralded in this club, the mainstream media has the most to do with the sport of wrestling. The CAC is seen by many as a way to honor where the men and women who make their dreams come true in their chosen livelihood have come from, and where they could one day be headed. It is a way to bring the past and present together in one place for the fans, as well as each other.
The Gold Coast Casino
The Gold Coast Casino has been the location of the Reunion hosted by the Cauliflower Alley Club for the past several years. The Grand Ballroom would be the location once again for the wrestling extravaganza known as the 'Casino Royale' where not one, not two, but five independent wrestling promotions would be represented with their stars headlining a multitude of matches, including championship contests and open invitational events, featuring the best of the male and female ranks of promotions such as Chick Fights, Vendetta Pro, and others.
And it was not just the bright new faces that would be gracing the squared circle during the program and attending booths and meeting fans during the convention and reunion across the hall, but some top names would be there as well with names such as Rob Van Dam, Ivory and Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, amongst many others.
The fans, both card carrying members of the CAC and otherwise, knew that they would be in for a special time during the three days of this annual tradition, and they have come from as far as Japan to be in attendance for this spectacular extravaganza.
One would think that Sin City Wrestling itself, a mainstay in Las Vegas, would have been one of the featured indy promotions taking part in the actual wrestling card. Given their hectic tour schedule, Christian and Mark were unable to secure spots for their athletes to compete. They were, however, able to arrange for a booth to sell some of their newest SCW merchandise, and thanks to the timely cause of Synn and his stable of wrestlers being in their hometown at the time, it was most convenient that they attend and represent SCW for all the fans, wrestlers and legends alike.
"Call me crazy," Synn started to say from where he stood opposite the large table where Gabriel and Odette Ryder were currently seated. "But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're not having a very good time."
Gabriel paused from flipping through a book, the self published autobiography of ring legend Paul "the Butcher" Vachon, and quirked a brow before he responded, "Am I being that transparent?"
"Just a dollop." Synn replied. A small group of Japanese youngsters approached the table and started to browse through the SCW merchandise, including t shirts, posters and the new Sinful Obsession "Best Of" DVD. He watched them for a brief moment before he turned back to Gabriel and Odette.
He said, "You normally don't mind meet and greets and the like. Why the down attitude?"
Gabriel held up a forefinger to stall the question as the young fans in front of him had selected several t shirts and 8x10 glossy photos of different SCW superstars.
"Hold that thought." Gabriel stated and he turned to the fans and his face lit up like it always did when the fans of Sin City Wrestling approached him.
It was a trait that Synn respected most about the SCW magician. No matter his frame of mind or mood, Gabriel could turn his mindset around like an on/off switch and be the most obliging to those that came to see him in person. Like most professional wrestlers, it was a personal thrill when a fan, even if it were just one fan, would approach you for something as simple as having your name scribbled on a sheet of paper.
Gabriel and Odette had started chatting up the Japanese fans as if it were second nature, and given their open and free personalities, it probably was.
"Really!" Odette smiled brightly. "You came all the way from Japan just for this event?"
The fans nodded eagerly with smiles on their faces, but given their shyness over their broken English, said little themselves. As money exchanged hands between the fans and the hired staff member who was handling the cash flow for the SCW merchandise, both Gabriel and Odette started to take the offered up merchandise to adorn it with their signatures.
Gabriel asked, "Did you guys come see us when we were in Japan awhile back?"
"Yes!" A teenage girl nodded. "We got front row!"
"Wow." Gabriel whistled through pursed lips. "Front row then and all the way here for this! I think that deserves something extra."
Without saying anything, Gabriel reached over and grabbed one of the "Best Of" DVD sets that featured the career he shared with Despayre over the years and signed it. He then held it over for Synn to add his own name to. It was then passed to the Japanese girl.
Gabriel said, "On the house for being such kick ass fans."
"Thank you!" The girl smiled brightly and as was the custom, turning excitedly to her friends.
Another of the young ones, this one a teenage boy, moved in and asked, "Can we take pictures?"
"Of course!" Gabriel nodded and he stood up, as did Odette, and the pair moved around the table to where the fans congregated and with Synn joining in, each one got their picture taken with the trio of Gabriel, Odette and Synn himself.
"Make sure you watch us on 'Hostile Takeover." Synn said in a cheap plug. (It's a promo for that very Supercard, what did you expect?) He then leaned in and whispered to them, "And I bet if you looked around, you might find Despayre and Angel to autograph those for you."
An excited hush fell on the Japanese fans and they started chattering to each other, the one name the Sins recognized being that of 'Angel' before they scurried away in search of the elusive but popular teddy bear.
Gabriel shook his head as he retook his seat and he said, "Maybe one day someone will be able to explain to me how a teddy bear managed to eclipse the entire SCW roster in popularity."
"Good luck with that." Odette mused as she took her own seat while Synn remained standing.
Once Synn saw that for the time being, the fans were directed elsewhere, he turned around and addressed Gabriel, "So, you were saying earlier?"
"Look man, it's not that I don't... that we don't get a total charge out of all this." Gabriel said, motioning toward Odette who nodded in agreement. "But I had thought since we'd be home, we'd get to be, you know ... home. A little break from all the traveling?"
"I hardly think driving in your own hometown constitutes as a break away from your time off, Gabriel." Synn observed. "It's just a few hours a day during this reunion, plus the banquet the last night."
"You really want us to go to that?" Odette asked with a frown of confusion.
Synn answered, "I want Gabriel and Joshua to go, Miss Ryder." He smiled. "I can't speak for you as I am not your business manager, but I can assure you that you'll be kicking yourself should you not attend."
"Why?" Gabriel said as the suspicion drew him in as well. He knew this man all too well by now and a smile formed on Gabriel's face. "What exactly are you up to?"
"I'm not at liberty to say." Synn smiled. "But suffice to say it's important enough that the others will be there with us, and I have invited Margaret and her mother as well."
"Desp.." Odette closed her eyes and sighed. "Joshua's mom and nan are coming?" She looked at her boyfriend and shrugged. "Sounds important."
Gabriel turned from her to look to Synn and he sighed, "You know how much I hate surprises."
"Well..." Synn smiled. "That just makes it more fun for me." he winked. "So try to take a lesson from Joshua and make the most out of this."
Synn looked off to the side and the eyes of both Odette and Gabriel followed his gaze to across the crowded ballroom where they managed to spot the figure of Despayre, huddled with his back turned toward wrestling superstar Rob Van Dam in the corner of the spacious hall. With a crowd as far as the eye could see, it was most surprising to see Despayre not in an emotional discomfort or trying to use either Synn or Gabriel as human shields against the press of the people around them as he was wont to do.
RVD was smiling as he signed the "Beware the Stare" t shirt he was wearing, then before he could put the cap back on the sharpie, Despayre called a halt and held up Angel who was wearing an oversized RVD shirt. RVD nodded and pointed at the bear, and they did not have to be able to hear him to know that "the Whole F'n Show" considered this to be 'cool'! RVD and his friend and former manager, Bill Alfonso, signed the Angel t, then Despayre happily presented another of the Angel t's to RVD himself, signed already with Angel's paw print.
RVD then held his hands out and perhaps surprisingly, Despayre passed Angel over to his hands where 'Fonzie' draped the old ECW Television belt around the teddy bear and RVD himself put Angel's 'Universal' championship belt over his own shoulder. Despayre stepped back and aimed the camera to take the picture when...
**flash**
Despayre staggered back a step, blinking from the flash going off in his own eyes. Seeing this, Gabriel snorted back a bark of laughter as Odette shielded her own eyes but her shoulders trembling told of her own mirth at witnessing this sight.
Fantasia appeared from the crowd and took the camera from Despayre's hands and, while he recovered and got his vision back, the "Sin of Lust" took the picture that he had sorely wanted. The others around them, RVD himself, were still chuckling at what the 'kid' had done while Shane meandered over to see if he was alright. Despayre nodded slowly as both Angel and the Universal title belt was handed back over to him. Shane then gripped him by his slim shoulders from behind and leaned in and whispered something to the young man, pointing across the room. Despayre blinked back he last of the lights in his eyes and he stood on his tip toes to see what Shane was pointing out. Upon doing so, he let out a woop of glee and started forward, ducking in between various tables and people with Fantasia trailing after him. Shane would have followed as well but had become accosted by a handful of fans wanting autographs.
While this was happening, more fans lined up in front of Gabriel and Odette's table for autographs and to make souvenir purchases. While he signed some glossy photos of himself and Despayre posed together, Gabriel said aloud,
"What has our boy so excited over there?"
Synn looked back from watching his son, to Gabriel with a wide smile and he answered, "The GLOW girls are across the room, promoting their documentary and reality show. Margaret told me that Joshua watched them on reruns and video when he was little and he loved them. He had a bit of a crush on Roxy Astor and she happens to be over there right now."
"What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall over there right now." Gabriel smiled as he signed another autograph and for the next few moments, he and Odette, as well as Synn, took the time to stand alongside each fan that approached for a pose photograph and indulging the fans with a chat to let them know how much they were appreciated.
Too often some professional athletes would ignore the fans and treat them as an inconvenience, forgetting to understand that were it not for the fans, then the athletes themselves would not have a career.
"Hey." Shane walked up and got their attention. "Check it out."
They all looked over to where he was pointing and smiles broke out on all of their faces when they saw that Despayre was actually posing for a picture himself, alongside the aforementioned Roxy Astor. She had him in a playful side headlock with one arm while holding Angel on her shoulder with the other. By the expression on Despayre's face, he was loving every moment of it.
"I don't think I'll ever understand that kid." Shane turned back to them with a quirked brow and a smile. "He'll avoid most people like the plague but meeting Rob Van Dam and that chick has loosened him up."
"For the time being, at least." Synn admitted. "I'm sure he'll be back to normal the moment we head home. At least until the banquet tomorrow night."
"What's so special about us being there anyway?" Gabriel casually asked.
"Nice try." Synn stated without so much as turning his eyes away from Despayre who was now being approached by the same group of Japanese fans that the others had been earlier.
"Can't blame a guy for trying." Gabriel said. "Still, one thing should make it worth the trouble."
Odette asked, "Which would be?"
Synn answered before Gabriel was able and said, "It's a formal occasion. And someone has to get the boy ready."
All eyes turned toward Shane who felt their gaze on him. He exhaled and shook his head. "Aw fuc..."
"Joshy, stop fidgeting with that." Despayre's mother, Margaret said firmly as they sat inside of the Gold Coast banquet hall on the casino's second floor.
Despayre pried his fingers away from his tie and whimpered, clearly uncomfortable with his formal state of dress but not willing to go against his mother's wishes. So like any 'child', he whined and made his discomfort clear for everyone else around him obvious.
"Alright, fess up." Shane leaned back in his chair at the table right next to the one that Despayre shared with his parents, grandmother, Gabriel and Odette (and Angel!). "How did you manage to get him in that without so much as a scratch?"
Margaret had surprised Shane by reliving him of the dreaded duty by simply handing the suit to her son and she ushered him toward his room to dress himself. Once finished, he emerged where she herself finished the look by tying his tie for him, much to his displeasure.
"Simple." Margaret answered. "I'm his mother."
"Touche'." Shane nodded and turned back to his own table, taking a sip of wine from the goblet in his hand and he returned to the conversation he was having with Fantasia and Rage who was coerced into attending despite his suspension from the SCW.
During the evening's events, many awards had been handed out thus far while dinner was being enjoyed; among them the female of the year in former WWE diva, Molly Holly, and a tribute award to the late Paul Bearer.
"How many awards are there?" Odette asked curiously as she picked up her glass of cider.
"Just a few." Synn answered. "Besides, it's the next one that we're hear for, really."
"Oh yeah?" Gabriel mused. "And why is that?"
Synn held up a forefinger as the chatter around the banquet hall slowly subsided as male wrestler, Kyle Matthews, stepped up to the podium at the head of the banquet hall and smiled as he spoke into the microphone.
Kyle said, "The Future Legend of the Year award recognizes the achievements made by a professional wrestler in their first years of their career. It recognizes their career achievements and tell us that not only are these men and women on the fast track to success with championship gold and victories to be proud of, but that the members of the Cauliflower Alley Club believe their place in the annals of professional wrestling will be secured and they will be known as legends of the ring, one day. Last year, I was the recipient of the 2012 Future Legend of the Year. This year, in 2013, for the first time in CAC history, this award is not going to a ingle individual, but to a tag team."
This statement immediately caught the attention of the people in attendance, mostly in the vicinity of the tables occupied by the Seven Deadly Sins. Gabriel looked up from his plate in bewilderment and Odette gripped his bicep excitedly. Despayre, on the other hand, was fidgeting with something beneath the table.
Kyle Matthews stated, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the 2013 Future Legends of the Year ... Despayre and Gabriel, collectively known as Sinful Obsession!"
Kyle applauded and the entire room immediately followed suit. Gabriel sat there, stunned, and it took Synn as well as Odette to get him to stand up to head for the podium to accept the award. They then turned to Despayre who had seemingly not heard anything as his attention was diverted by whatever it was he was doing beneath the table.
"Joshua..." Synn stated.
"Hm?"
"Go on Joshy." Margaret prodded.
"What?" Despayre finally looked up, not at all aware of what had just been announced.
"Get up there sweety." His grandmother said, pointing toward the podium. "They want you up there."
"Ugh, fine!" Despayre said and he stood up and proceeded to empty his pockets of the place setting that had been on the table in front of him. The entire table watched in amusement as he tossed the knives and forks and even a glass to the table before he sat back down in a huff.
"I didn't want it anyway."
Synn looked up at Gabriel and said, "He's been hanging around you a bit too much."
Gabriel just smiled in something akin to pride as he started reluctantly for the podium while Synn and Despayre's mom tried in vain to get him to head to the stage.
"Come on Joshy!"
"They have something for you...!"
"No no no!" Despayre wailed. "I don't wanna!"
"Joshua...!"
Gabriel stepped up onto the stage and shook Kyle Matthew's hand and he then turned around to find that Despayre wasn't beside him as was expected. Gabriel then leaned over to the microphone and spoke into it,
"Despy, Angel said if you don't come up here and say 'thank you' to everyone, then you're a chicken."
"He WHAT!?"
Gabriel then darted back a step as Despayre practically ran up the steps to the podium and in a single, fluid move, swept the award from Kyle's hand and shouted, "Thank you! as he ran right off the other side of the stage, amidst much laughter from everyone in attendance.
Gabriel just shook his head and turned to the microphone and shrugged, "Well, he got me there!"
"And so we come to it again; another encounter in this seemingly never ending war for control of Sin City Wrestling. Sometimes I have to ask myself why I allowed the Sins to get drawn into a conflict that has seemingly no end in sight, and no immediate benefits for either Despayre nor Gabriel. If I were the Mark Ward or Christian Underwood, I would come to a single realization;"
"If you want to eliminate the weeds in a garden, you don't attack the heads. You attack the single root of the problem and that would be Erik Staggs himself. Get rid of him, and the problem is ended. If they had simply fired this waste of air, then this war for supremacy would be over and we could all get back to our lives and the paths we have chosen to aim our own careers on."
"Unfortunately, that is not the case and I am beginning to understand why. Should they have simply fired Staggs, they would have made a martyr out of him for all these foolish men and women he had deceived into following him. He would have been gone but his former presence would have become like a festering wound and it would have spread like a disease, reaching epidemic proportions. No, sadly the only way this will be able to come to a convincing end is to cauterize that single wound and end the virus known as Team Staggs in as slow and painful a strike as possible."
"That little game of Operation started a mere two weeks ago, when the Sins were teamed with the Roulette champion Thatcher Rex to oppose Giani Di Luca and his little shadow, James Huntington-Hawkes III and Casey Williams, a man that both Despayre and Gabriel are so very intimately familiar with from over the years. And what happened, might I ask? The Sins and one Thatcher Rex were the ones who emerged victorious. Not the opposing team."
"Such will be the case once the Sins set foot inside of the ring again in yet another six man tag team match. This time with a new partner, and new opposition. Derek Thorne has been nothing short of impressive since his debut here in Sin City Wrestling. Undefeated, if I am not mistaken. A record that will carry over once this match is finished, and the opposition bows down in defeat."
"Joshua Acquin? You could not have drawn a more unfortunate card in this little game of chance when you discovered you would be on the opposite side of the ring from a man with an unbeaten streak, and a tag team that holds the same credentials, the reigning NWA World Tag team Champions. You, a mere rookie in this industry, thrown to the proverbial sharks in a war that should not have been your own. You thought you were signing your livelihood when you put your name on the dotted line, but no. You signed away so much more than that. You signed away your very soul to the devil incarnate."
"But don't worry. Your partners are no better off than you, save for the fact they were nearly signed to a straight up tag team match against a team that stands to remain their superiors in every way imaginable. David Xavier Christensen and Johnny Sykes, affectionately known as the Forgotten. Oh gentlemen, never before has a team moniker been so ironic or appropriate as it stands for the two of you. This was bound to be a path you found yourselves on, but for your own sake, it should have been later rather than sooner. To have just arrived and to find yourselves in the ring against the best tag team in the entirety of Sin City Wrestling? How unfortunate for you that your record is already under such dire threats. You, like so many others before you, will fall in accordance to Sin."
"And Team Erik will rue the day that they found themselves within the dark graces of Sin itself. Zero for two, Team Erik. That will be your record against the Seven Deadly Sins and their new partner, Derek Thorne."
