Part 1 - Old Flames
We’re taken backstage to Climax Control 250. Walking back to the locker room after his tag match win is the familiar face of Mark “The Dragon” Cross, a white towel draped over his shoulders which he uses to wipe away stray beads of sweat occasionally. The man walking beside him is less familiar. He is older, dark-skinned, with grey hair cut in a flat top fit for any military. He is shorter than Mark, but looks in remarkably good shape for his age.
McKane: Man that was a close one...
The Dragon: At least the right result came out of it.
McKane: Don't take it for granted, you were lucky.
The Dragon: Yeah I know, it's not like I make a habit of skipping prep work.
McKane: Like it or not you're back in the big time now man…
The Dragon: Yeah I get that - We don't need to go over old ground here.
McKane: You know Dragon? I think we do. Ever since you started doing the ‘put Faith first’ thing it’s like you’re a completely different guy sometimes. You need to call Devinee.
The Dragon: Ohhhh...so that's why you're here?
A quick pause for context - The second man is Leon "Octane" McKane. He was a legend in his heyday, a Hall of Famer, Mark's first wrestling coach, and the pair had worked together for over a decade. He and Mark were Faith Simpson's training team in the first Dragon's Lair gym in New Orleans. When Mark returned to Miami to be closer to home and set up a second gym there, closely followed by Faith, Leon remained to run the existing operation. With Mark reducing to part-time to focus on Faith's development, “Octane” found himself short of a full-time student and while running the New Orleans “Lair” kept him plenty busy, he missed it. Enter "Deadly" Devinee Delaney, Mark's friend, former teenage girlfriend, and a full-time wrestler who’d been at it for over half of her life.
Leon's sudden appearance in Hawaii, while welcomed, was also extremely surprising, since the pair mainly just spoke on the phone, since it was easier. Up until now, anyway.
McKane: Why'd you tell her about the girl in New York man!?! That was asking for trouble.
The Dragon: Trouble with wgo? We broke up over 15 years ago. I've been married and divorced since. I didn’t know she wanted to rekindle anything.
McKane: Then you're either blind or stupid my man.
The Dragon: We both know I’m not good with hints and signals...Look - We weren't good together. We couldn’t communicate with each other back then, and since you flew all the way out to Hawaii to speak to me instead of her, we clearly still can’t now. Did you really think coming here would make me see the error of my ways? That I’d go and sweep that little Irish firecracker right off of her feet and we’d live happily ever after?
McKane: Well...uhh…
The Dragon: She won't talk to me. And she hasn't given you the full story or you wouldn’t have come here. Faith did the smartest thing out of all of us when she decided not to get involved, and she's the teenager out of our little group of misfits.
McKane: That's real rough…I mean, would you ever...you know...
The Dragon: She was 18 when she first got on that plane out here and that was the moment I’d written ‘us’ off, but it’d be one of those fairytale endings right? She’s clearly had feelings pent up for the last 15 years, one phone call from me isn’t gonna change that.
McKane: Yeah sorry man I shoulda just called...you know I’m not good with this stuff…
The Dragon: It’s all good - Just ask Devinee to call me about it. The New York thing is third date level early anyway, nothing’s set in stone. Anyway enough of that, I've got a fluke win to celebrate, and you’ve come a long way, let's get some whiskey.
McKane: I need to tell you about this kid that's been showing up at the Lair man...real smooth operator...he probably would have given Faith a challenge a couple of years ago…
The Dragon: No way, another one!?! Got videos?
McKane: You know I don't know how to work this damn phone Dragon, but he'll have all the tools in a couple of years...not much of a talker though…
The voices begin to fade to nothing as the pair disappear off down the corridor, exchanging stories on the way to the nearest bar.
Part 2 - Game Time
The scene opens to the white walls of a wrestling gym. At a guess, we can assume we’re back in Miami, Florida, and the home of Mark “The Dragon” Cross who is strolling about purposely in a Fire Dragons t-shirt and sweatpants. Electronic music can be heard in the background from a small bluetooth speaker being manned by a teenager we haven’t met before. She’s sitting outside of the female locker room. Hearing something familiar, Mark saunters over.
The Dragon: What are you listening to?
Becky: Oh it’s the latest mix from Crossy...he’s this DJ from Miami…Faith told me about him...
The Dragon: He’s British. He just lives in Miami.
Becky: Do you guys hang out with many famous people here? Anyway I don’t know what he looks like ‘cause he always wears this mask…do you guys know him or something?
The Dragon: You could say that. I mean, Mark “The Dragon” Cross...Crossy…
Mark holds his arms above his head, crossed in an “X”
Becky: I don’t know what you me...oh...WHOAAAAAA OH MY GOD Faith didn’t say you were...I mean, she didn’t even let on you were cool let alone...That’s like…
The Dragon: Oh brilliant. Thanks.
Becky: FAAAAAAAITH!
The girl grabs up her speaker and disappears into the locker room, screaming her friend’s name at the top of her lungs. Thankfully as the door closes, the sound becomes muffled, and it presents a golden opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. The Dragon turns to address the camera.
The Dragon: So Climax Control, huh? Well that was a close one...he says after delivering the kind of ending that would normally be reserved for putting the rest of a company on notice. Or for putting someone down that just keeps wanting to get up…but I guess the fans only see the performance, they don’t know everything that took place leading up to it...
The Dragon: ...but I can’t lie. I was unprepared for that match-up last week. I didn’t know what I was walking into, and in those situations you have to rely on ability, experience, and instinct to get you through. Not much different to normal of course, when fists and suplexes start flying, you’re far from following a script out there, no matter how much you know about your opponents, but how many times do the phrases ‘competitive sport’ and ‘fine margins’ go together in a sentence? I wouldn’t want to make that a drinking game. I don’t scout on one performance. It takes a lot more than that to pick up patterns, tendencies, weaknesses...reactions to being backed into a corner, will that make them crumble, or are you poking a wounded bear in that situation. It's all part of the planning.
Mark looks around for a second for a bottle of water, which he finds and takes a long swig from. He replaces the cap and brings it along for the ride.
The Dragon: But anyway - Let me start right out of the gate here with Jake Raab. I mean...what’s worse than not having a scouting report on an opponent anyway? Oh - Having the wrong scouting report. That’ll do it. I think Jake might have the wrong file. This situation I find myself in? This match? I didn’t ask for it.
The Dragon: See, everyone needs a dose of tongue-in-cheek British humour once in a while, right? Walking around backstage, asking anyone with a pulse who I was on the card against at the Supershow, all part of the act. I didn’t expect my bluff to be called, honestly. I knew exactly what my double duty contract would entail, filling gaps, last-minute injury replacements, the guy you can call on when Climax Control needs someone who turns up and delivers the goods week in, week out. Am I worth more than that? Sure. One of the main men in the company has you down as a future World title contender? If priority number one was pure, unadulterated progression of my own career then hey, I’d be kicking someone’s door down about it and asking why I’m facing three scrubs on one of the pinnacle shows on the calendar, but that's not my angle here. With the greatest respect, flash back a couple of years and I wouldn’t have wound up in Underground whatsoever. Bigger crowds, TV ratings to worry about? It demands a much more family friendly product that we put out for SCU every week. Nothing to do with the talent walking around the place, and everything to do with my own safety and self-preservation. That’s less of a concern for me right now, and that’s an important point, so we’re going to come back to it in a second.
Mark takes another sip from his water bottle.
The Dragon: The biggest talking point since I made the step up, I think, is that I’m some bottom feeder from the budget brand coming up to the big show and trying to make a name for themselves...it’s all too easy to write me off automatically, or Valentina, or whoever else decides to follow in our footsteps. He wasn’t GOOD ENOUGH to get a deal anywhere else. His profile says PART-TIME wrestler on it, this guy doesn’t believe enough in himself to commit everything to it. That’s great copy isn’t it? Headlines a-plenty, trying to make guesstimations about me, my motivations, my talents. This is probably a good time to loop back to my previous point, and listen carefully to this Jake - What is this Underground experience all about? In part, for dealing with guys like you.
Letting that sink in for a second or two, Mark clears his throat.
The Dragon: My coach...he used to bring other guys in to teach me other disciplines, add to my repertoire as a fighter. It started off when he packed me off to Japan to learn Strong Style, wrestling a spring tour over there, and when he saw how much it transformed me, it was a trend he continued. Jiu jitsu guys...boxing guys...MMA guys…I respect MMA guys a lot more than I do a big percentage of wrestlers I come up against, honestly. Putting yourself in a ring where you can get knocked out cold, and the guy will get a couple of bonus smacks in before the referee decides to call it? Jeez, that’s hardcore. I mean, we’re all in combat sports, right? I’ve sat front row at boxing shows and been blown away at just how hard the shots are with weighted gloves on. Oh, then I go back to the gym and work on the same techniques as they’re using for my own game...but again I’m going off tangent...so let me just say I think I’ve got a pretty good understanding of you Jake.
The Dragon: I understand the need for a new challenge. I’ve been there. NFL? Completed that mate, played a Superbowl - How about wrestling? I understand the need to experience combat in some of its rawest forms. For you, it was MMA. For me, it was finding a product that was a little more hardcore than what’s available on mainstream TV and streaming platforms. The hard work and determination that captured you the MMA titles? Same thing that has helped put gold straps over my shoulder. WRESTLING gold straps, and this is what splits the difference between the two of us, unfortunately.
As he hears the opening and closing of a door behind him, Mark begins to move away from the ring at one end of the gym, knowing it'll be in use very shortly.
The Dragon: What often happens when you feel like you’ve achieved everything you can in a sport? You lose your hunger. You can’t train as hard as you used to, because that motivation is gone. You make the jump to something else, something where the wins don’t come anywhere as easily, where your record on the year is sub.500 and your name is some way short of any talk of a championship belt and you become Jake Raab. You go from guaranteed wins to nothing much to write home about, just to give yourself a reason to get up in the morning and don’t get me wrong - I believe you can be a champion again, Jake, here, in a wrestling ring...but your time isn’t yet.
As he gets far enough away from the ring, followed by the camera, Mark stops and turns to give the lens his full attention.
The Dragon: When my contract with the Raiders ended, I wasn’t done. I was still hungry, but my phone had stopped ringing. I was still training every morning, making sure I was ready for that call when it came...but it didn’t. I wasn’t at the pinnacle like maybe you were. I made a Superbowl, sure, but I was a British guy playing a skill position on a winning team. I know international athletes in football are becoming more prominent now, but back then it was unheard of...and the only position they ever filled was as a kicker or punter, generally. I woke up every morning with something to prove and a job I needed to excel at just to stay afloat and away from the practice squad. I didn’t belong. I was out of place, and it was only a matter of time before I’d get found out. So I was often told anyway.
The Dragon: I’m doing your life in reverse Jake. I found wrestling. I earned my stripes. I took my title shots, I put those belts around my waist and I defended them. I’m this match’s biggest underdog because of the brand I wrestle for, and it’s most dangerous combatant because of what I’ve achieved in the ring, and what I’m still achieving now. Throw me in against a 100+ clubber like Griffin Hawkins and I’ve got a grasp on the title while we’re throwing hands against each other. Drop me in against Senor Vinnie on zero notice and I’ll come out looking like a contender. I might even come to win. How?!? This guy couldn’t get a contract anywhere else, could he? He’s just a big fish in a small pond taking the easy life over in Underground surely?
The Dragon: Or maybe I’ve just decided I want to rule both ponds for a while instead?
Again he pauses for a drink of water.
The Dragon: Now that project is going to take some time, but how to set the wheels in motion? You have to get yourself on an upward curve...and as I look across to my partner I have to ask...what happened to Caleb Storms? I know better than to underestimate a former Roulette champion, and for the talent he clearly has but I can't help but feel like he's gone off the boil a little bit In recent months.
He shrugs at the camera.
The Dragon: In the Roulette title match, he felt like a non-feature, a bystander...a bit like Teddy-Diamond-Stone-Whatever...but without the presence of mind to snag the title after the champ and I had knocked seven bells out of each other on the cables. When it comes to hearing from him between matches, it's always short and sweet. Not necessarily a bad thing, I can think of many who'd wish I would keep it short and sweet...but maybe he doesn't have that much to say? Maybe there are other distractions.
The Dragon: I see it often - A young competitor gets some early success, their head gets turned, new opportunities present themselves, wrestling ends up on the backburner for a while. The win-loss record takes a bit of a nose dive but good things continue to happen away from the ring. Not bad huh? Happens to the best of us. Happened to me every time the phone didn't ring at the end of my NFL career to a point. I could buy a house. Outright. I could buy a car. I could think about where the future would lie if the call never came. Endorsement cheques were still coming in the mail too. Not a bad life, right?
The Dragon: ...but these things affect our performances. One day in the not too distant, you’re going to take a look at your win-loss record and it’s going to wind you up. It’s going to make you angry, you might take it out on your partner a little bit, and don’t worry, she’ll understand. You’ll get in the gym and you’ll hit things harder, work harder, block out the distractions, and career will become priority number one again. You’ll become a danger to us all, and the thought of having your name in a match would be a scary prospect. After all, we know you have championship pedigree. The thing is, that moment hasn’t come yet. Jake Raab? He has something to prove. Me? I’m really in the mood to spoil a few parties in the name of SCU right now. As for Stephen Callaway? Well he's next up. Honestly Caleb after your win against him, I feel like he's the only one to truly fear your presence at High Stakes, but potentially he's the most interesting case of all.
Mark pulls himself a chair and grabs a seat, the camera beginning to lower to compensate.
The Dragon: Now Stephen...you're maybe one step further along the line than both Jake AND Caleb - Surprisingly enough. You definitely need some better council though, write me off as a failed footballer? I wasn't a Hall of Famer, but how many British players do you know that made a Superbowl, out of interest? Plus...I'm not in wrestling to try something a little different because I was born...it's been over a decade...but I guess if you want to dismiss us all then you can stop watching now, right?
The Dragon: ...or maybe you want to stick around to find out why I think you're further ahead of the curve? Thought you might. Unlike Jake Raab, you have a list of WRESTLING titles to your name. Unlike Caleb Storms, you actively want to turn your bad form around. It's already eating you up a little inside, and that will get you right back on the path, eventually.
The Dragon: I say eventually because these things take time. They take time, tough decisions, cause friction with partners, involve soul searching and a lot of extra gym reps and it doesn't happen overnight, that's why it's so scary that Caleb hasn't even gotten himself on the path yet. Stephen I don't want to ruin your little comeback trail, but I am standing in your way and that unfortunately means you're going to be stuck in that cycle for just a little while longer. Stick at it. You'll get there eventually.
Cameraman: Hey Dragon...listen man I’ve got a flight to catch...any chance we can wrap this up soon? If I knew we were cutting a promo...
The Dragon: Yeah that’s fine - Don’t worry about it I’ve just got one more thing, as there’s something that’s been irritating me for a while now. I’ve let it slide for the most part, it’s advantage me if I’m underestimated by an opponent, right? The thing I’m wondering though is this - When it comes to singles competition, one on one? I’m undefeated in Sin City ANYTHING. The main show, Underground. Anything. Yet still I’m taking spots on cards from those more deserving, apparently, for no other reason, from what I can tell, is the last word at the top of their contract says “Wrestling” rather than “Underground” and it’s ridiculous. There’s an easy fix to this. Other than pipe down and earn your spot that is...I mean...nobody wants to open a show do they, the crowd aren’t warmed up yet, if they’re not still queuing for a hot dog. You’re so far away from those title matches and main events everyone wants to see, it’s basically wrestling’s equivalent to trash time. Let’s make it a proving ground. Anyone thinks I’m wasting their precious ring time? Step in there alone with me one night on Climax Control and then tell me I’m not worthy.
Cameraman: You good?
The Dragon: Yeah that’ll do - Have a good trip back! Appreciate you coming down.
The scene fades to black.
Part 3 - Jungle Jack & Jill
We’re treated to a trip to Miami for the second time, this time to the home of Mark “The Dragon” Cross, who is treating his muscles to a dip in the hot tub after another training session. A small speaker is playing music in the background. The camera pans out from him as two figures appear behind him.
Becky: Hi Crossy…
Mark almost jumps out of his skin, not expecting to hear voices from behind him, causing a great amount of splashing as he turns to find out who the intruders are.
The Dragon: AHHHHH! What the hell!?! Who are...oh, Becky…what are you doing here?
Becky: Faith told me where you lived.
The Dragon: Of course she did.
Becky: Yeah so umm...this is my boyfriend...he's a producer...can he play you one of his tracks?
The Dragon: You're kidding right? OK mate...fine...show me what you've got…
Without a word, the young lad reaches for his phone out of his pocket, and within a few seconds there’s a track playing. He turns the volume up to full, facing the speaker in Mark’s direction, who is already nodding his head along to it.
The Dragon: You know what, this is good stuff, you've really got something here. One problem though…
Becky: OH NO! What is it?
The girl instantly looks horrified, like she made a big mistake coming here after all.
The Dragon: Becky, you follow the Crossy Instagram, right?
She nods.
The Dragon: What does the first line of the biography say?
Becky: Umm something like 'House, Trance and EDM since 07' right?
The Dragon: Yeah it is. What does your boyfriend make?
Becky: Uhhhhhhm…
Confused, she looks across at her boyfriend. Mark had figured that she clearly wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed by now...but her heart was clearly in the right place.
Warren: It’s trap, babe.
The Dragon: Exactly...so what am I going to do with a trap beat in one of my sets?
Becky: Ohhhh...
The Dragon: Also I have to ask...how the hell did you guys even get in here? The fences here aren't exactly small.
Becky: Oh, we're freerunners.
The Dragon: Freerunners.
Warren: Yeah, you know, parkour? We have a YouTube channel…
The Dragon: You're freerunners. With a YouTube channel. So you bounced the fence into my place, and instead of telling me about that, you played me a track I can't use? That's WAY more interesting, what's the channel called!?!
Becky: Ummm...The Jungle Jack and Jill? It’s a silly name really but it stuck.
Warren: Besides we’ve made t-shirts and stuff now we can’t go back…
Mark pushes himself up and out of the hot tub, grabbing his towel from off the end of a sun lounger and draping it over himself.
The Dragon: I’m in a team called the Fire Dragons mate, I really can’t judge anyone’s name. By the way, about your track - I'll give you the names of some guys. Tell them you spoke to me and they'll give it a fair listen.
Warren: That's really cool, thank you...
Becky: Hey...is that Faith in there?
The pool area to Mark’s house is overlooked by the kitchen, with a large glass front. From within the kitchen area, a flash of blonde hair appears, notices the two unexpected guests, and very swiftly disappears again.
The Dragon: Noooooo Faith’s travelling to New Jersey. Don’t worry about her. So how many subscribers are you guys on…
The scene fades away.