The backdrop of bright lights filling the air of Los Angeles, California at night can be seen from the window of a penthouse, the headlights and taillights move swiftly amongst the sea of lights advertising the many clubs around the downtown area. Off the camera, a whistling can be heard. The camera spins around to show a tidy penthouse, not one single thing out of place. Ben Jordan strolls on to the camera in just his boxer shorts. He walks directly past the camera, before stopping and taking three steps backwards, to a mid camera position and slowly turns his head towards the camera, slightly tilting it with a frown upon his face. He lifts his finger, giving it a slight wave towards the camera.
"You're here a little bit early, ain't ya?" he says slowly. "I reckon Jamie sent ya early to get ya to film me in me pants."
Ben turns around to face the camera completely to show his boxer shorts has Christmas lights printed on to them with the words 'Turn me on' written across them.
"Thing is..." Ben says trailing off "You lot have caught me a little bit early, I mean, no one wants to cut a promo for a match with me old frenemy while standing in their pants, so lemme give you a quick intro here and then ya gonna have to give me a minute, alright?"
The camera moves up and down as if to nod towards Ben.
"Blinding" He says before clearing his throat.
He attempts to straighten his shirt collar before realising he's not wearing a shirt and blankly looks in to the camera.
"Can happen to anyone" He comments with a smile "Right, ready?"
The camera moves up and down as if to nod again towards Ben.
"Brilliant" He quickly comments.
He takes a deep breath and smiles down the camera.
"People, people, people" He starts "Let me start off by wishing you a very happy new year and a prosperous 2017. I know 2016 was a rough year for many, even the ones you think got it golden, but it's a rough at times for people with the biggest smiles."
He smiles widely as if to prove a point.
"Now all you lot thought I was holed up in Cuba, but people, that's not been the case this week." He explains "I've been hiding away from the world right here in Los Angeles. All for good reason, you see tonight, I got me a little charity thing going on here in a certain club, and clearly, these lot filming this have turned up a bit early, so here's what we're gonna do."
He pauses for just a second.
"I'm gonna go in there, get ready for tonight." He starts firmly "And these lot are gonna splice in what happened with me over the new year time when I was in Cuba with some very special people that came a long way to see me. Then I'll come back here all dolled up with some place to go and do the promo thing where I get you lot interested in a match I have on Sunday with Travis Nathaniel Andrews."
Ben sticks two thumbs up and looks down the camera.
"So let's do that and I'll be back with you good people soon as I can, alright?" He quickly says with a nod and a wink.
Ben turns and walks away from the camera as the scene cuts in to a flashback.
*******
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
Ben Jordan fires himself straight up on the U shaped sofa in his Cuban home. his head looks around the room like a prairie dog popping out of a hole, searching for the sound that has just disturbed him. Ben shakes his head, thinking that the sound that has disturbed him was all in his head. He lays down on the sofa, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
Again, Ben's body shoots up as he looks around. He spins his legs off the sofa and plants his feet on the floor. He stands up showing himself in just shorts.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
Ben looks around for the sound and quickly determines it's fist to door. He moves towards the door, a yawn escaping his lungs.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
"Hang on." He yells out "I'm on me way"
Ben walks towards the door and reaches towards the handle, opening up the door and looking around. A wide smile crosses his face as a crowd of people greet him at the door..... Fifteen to be exact, ten adults, five children, all of various ages.
"Holy fuck." He exclaims as he looks around the group.
"Watch your mouth." An old lady tells Ben "No one wants to hear you fucking and blinding."
Ben smiles at the irony as he looks at her from his height a foot or so taller then her.
"Sorry Nan" He says as he wraps his arms around her. "I thought your flight didn't get in till tomorrow or I would have come and got ya."
"Didn't think you had a motor here son." An older man says.
"I don't dad." Ben replies "But coulda sent a few, or hired a lorry to throw you lot in."
He looks around the family, his grandmother, mum, dad, sister, aunt, uncles, cousins, and army of nieces and nephews.
"Well come on in to be gaff" He says stepping in to the room and pointing inside. "You might catch sunburn out there or something."
Ben steps out of the way as the horde move in to his house, each carrying bags and suitcases in to his home.
"Almost like Piccadilly Circus now around here." He says with a smile as he looks at his family moving in to the living room area.
His dad and Nan stand next to him as everyone else moves past.
"Someone else in the house boy?" His dad asks.
"What makes you say that?" Ben replies curiously.
"Either that or you've sprung a leak upstairs." His day says pointing upwards.
Ben smiles raising his eyebrows as he looks towards the stairs to the side.
"Oh that." Ben starts "Just a friend of mine, their showers knackered where they're staying, so I let 'em use mine."
"Thought you was hiding a bird up there" His dad says nudging his elbow in to his sons shoulder.
"Would be about time." His Nan comments "It is about time you found yourself a good woman."
"I reckon Ben likes the bad girls" his dad responds with a wink.
Ben looks directly down the camera and shakes his head and shrugs.
"What?" He exclaims "Telling me that when ya single around family, they don't ask when you're gonna get in a relationship?"
He smiles and turns back to the two. His arm towards the door where everyone else has walked in to.
"There's a bar in the room on the side" Ben says "That should take you back a few years dad."
His dad smiles and nods, walking in to the room, Ben puts his arm out to his Nan, his other arm points to the door.
"Shall we?" He asks.
His Nan wraps her arm around his and Ben looks down to her.
"I'm glad you're here Nan" Ben starts "Even glad these loonies made it too."
His Nan squeeze his arm and Ben slowly leads her towards the living room, walking in the room and moving her through the middle of the family towards the U shaped sofa and moving her towards one of the corners. He helps her sit down and looks around the room, only to be charged at by four younger children, three girls, one boy.
"Uncle Ben!" They yell out in unison.
They run towards him and tackle him down to the sofa. Ben looks to his left to a man roughly around his own age.
"Bar over there mate." He tells him "Get the drinks out for people and let's have a little party."
The man smiles back towards Ben and stands up and Ben turns his attention to the hugging kids and tries to wrap his arms around all of them at once.
"Cor bloody hell" he says as that hugs get tighter. "You lot start going to the gym or something cause you all getting strong."
"Uncle Ben..." The boy says softly "Mummy said you have a swimming pool. Can we go in it later?"
Ben ruffles his dark hair and smiles.
"You can." He says "I think we should throw a pool party with a lot of cake, whatcha think?"
The boy nods his head excitedly as he looks at Ben, before moving away from him and running towards his mother to give her the good news. Ben looks around the living room, full of life, a wide smile appears on his face as he looks around and waves his finger towards the camera, bringing it closer to his face.
"You see people." He starts "This is what it's all about. Family with ya travelling miles for just some time to be around you. Organizing this as a group, it ain't easy, we know this, but this is what life should be about, this is what it's all about. there's a lot of shit going on in the world."
"Oi!" Ben's Nan says while sitting next to him.
"Sorry Nan." Ben says with a smile.
"Who ya bloody talking to anyway?" She asks him.
"Doesn't matter love." He responds "Work thing"
She rolls her eyes at him as he looks back down the camera, addressing anyone who's listening out there in the SCW world.
"There's a lot of families at war." Ben says "Brothers that don't speak to sisters, parents that don't speak to their children and vice versa. This ain't the way the world is meant to be people. This is what the world is meant to be, unity, love. The only thing different about us all is the way we act. We all need the same things to live, we all have a heart that beats, it's about finding what makes your heart beats and this is what makes mine keep ticking on. My friends are the world, my family are my universe. Try adding that to your 2017 resolutions and make that phone call every day to home. 2016 has taught me and many others that some things can disappear before you know it. Nothing should be taken for granted here. I may not be here this time next year."
He curls the lower left hand side of his lip.
"I know it's bleak but let's be honest, it's true." He says slowly "Us people in the limelight have a way of positively effecting people, of influencing people, but a lot of what's said comes off as insincere. I'm not people. In 2017, take nothing for granted and just enjoy being around the people who mean the world to ya, cause we ain't gonna be here forever. We get one go at this, so enjoy it while you can. That's what I'm gonna do with these lot."
Ben taps his chin and looks down the camera.
"Now knowing me, I've said to release this as part of a promo." He says with a smile "And knowing me, I've done an intro where I've kicked it to this and I'm gonna go back to talking sometime in the future, so this is Ben Jordan, sending this back to Ben Jordan somewhere in the future. Happy new year people if future Ben hasn't already said that."
Ben winks towards the camera as we go back to the present.
*******
The scene returns to the penthouse from earlier as the camera points to the floor. A pair of black biker boots step in to the scene. The camera moves up his body to see faded blue jeans. As the camera gets halfway up his body, a shiny wooden acoustic guitar is seen. The camera moves higher to see a white T shirt covered by a leather. It moves up to the face of Ben Jordan with sunglasses covering his eyes, almost mirrored shades.
"Gone for the George Michael Faith video look." Ben says with a smile. "How'd I do?"
He smiles at the camera. His face changes to an ahhhh look as he bites his bottom lip and turns his head away from the camera. He turns his head back to the camera.
"Ahhhhhh" Ben says with a grin "I bet I know what you lot thought. I bet you thought when I was saying about a charity event, you thought it was gonna be a stuffy black tie thing where I had to dress like a penguin and drink champagne."
Ben shakes his head firmly.
"Behave." He says with a laugh "Actually a little while ago, Jamie Dean said if I would sing I Want Your Sex by George Michael in Club AKBAR, then he will donate five grand to charity. I woulda preferred Too Funky, but hell, as it's for a good cause so sod it, why not?"
He smiles widely down the camera.
"Speaking of you Jamie." Ben starts "It's amazing that you're in that battle royal son, and I got all the faith in you in the world. Just smack that Xander geezer hard enough that people can understand a bloody word he says. Not all of us are down with the old hip hop language."
Ben sighs slightly as he shakes his head.
"I remember when people spoke the Queens English and not like a mong." He says with a shrug "Anyway, moving on to matters in my hands and that would be that one man I've faced more than once."
He pauses for just a second
"Travis Nathaniel Andrews" He says in a firm tone "I knew after that disaster of a match with Despayre, I knew our paths would cross again, I knew you were waiting for me to spin back around and take you on. I knew you'd want one more try, but I won't lie, I'm a bit disappointed in it, just a touch."
He holds his thumb and forefinger apart slightly.
"I was hoping my next singles match would be a big one that would draw money but unfortunately it's against you Travis so if anybody falls asleep, completely understandable." Ben says with a sympathetic nod. "I'll probably do the same, so just wake me up before you go-go"
Ben winks down the camera.
"Seriously, I made a vow to myself in December." Ben says seriously "Round about last Christmas, I told myself that if I signed this contract to keep me here, I would take on everyone and anyone, it didn't matter, and I knew you'd be around at some point but I was hoping not too soon, and now this is even worse timing because from what I see, you're facing Synn and Inception II, which means you're going in to that with a loss."
Ben stays stony faced as he looks down the camera,
"I know you think 2017 is gonna be your year, but stepping in the ring with me isn't gonna be club Tropicana pal, you're not having it that easy. I know you think you're untouchable, flawless, the best that SCW can possibly have but mate, I don't see it that way. Didn't you ever have a father figure in your life to teach you your limits? To beat a little respect in to you?"
Ben pauses as if he waits for an answer from someone.
"This is your problem Travis." He says a little softer "You can't get anywhere in this business without having a little respect, and to not have that respect is foolish, you are foolish Travis, every time Ruby lays her lips on you, she's kissing a fool. You could be so much more than a fool Travis but you have zero respect for anyone and without that little bit of respect for what people can do, you will constantly get caught out. Your comfort zone is sitting there looking down on people, and that's what gets you bit on the arse all the time. You need to step out of that comfort zone of looking down on people with blind ignorance, step outside of that circle and see people for who they are and respect what they do. You might stand more of a chance there."
Ben takes a deep breath
"Obviously not against me Travis" Ben states "Because I have every intention of starting off my 2017 wrestling calendar with nothing less than a win. I know it's one of the few solo matches I've had in the last year, I know you'll probably mock that fact, but I'm showing how good I am gonna try and be by having the freedom to move between tag and singles wrestling and believe me when I say I plan to start it off in style."
He pauses for a second, tapping his fingers on the top of the guitar hanging from his neck.
"I've been waiting for that day to come to prove myself in both tag team and single wrestling in one year and Sunday is the day it begins." Ben starts "It starts a whole chapter in my career where I'll probably go around and pick up single titles before you do, but have no fear me old frenemy, like Jesus to a child, in this match, I will make you look relevant again, cause god knows monkey nuts, all your huffing and puffing you do doesn't work."
He rolls his shoulders back
"This might be a new year Travis" Ben starts "You might be older, but you sure ain't wiser. You still think you're Gods gift to the world but if that's the case, can we please return you for store credit so we can get something of equal value, like some china or something? Not the good kind, just like a tea cup or something."
Ben pauses for a few seconds to gather his thoughts.
"I know you talk about everyone like they're shit Travis, thinking we won't hear but those careless whispers mean nothing to me" Ben starts "It doesn't effect what I'm gonna do and how I'm gonna do it in the ring. Let's just get down to the facts, by the end of the night, you'll be praying for time to end. We've done this dance before Travis, you know how this one goes."
He flicks his fingers through his hair.
"It's still the strangest thing that you think you can win, but you know you can't, you know how this goes." Ben states firmly "You can waltz away dreaming all you want, but you know you're in for a hard day against me. You've been in the ring with me before and you know how wrong it's gone for ya and ya know it will do again. Nothing's changed Travis. In the time since we last met, I've been a champion for the best part of the year while you've done nothing but fall short of everything you've tried. I'm so far ahead, I'm around a different corner."
Ben smiles towards the camera.
"I'm my mother's pride, can you honestly say the same things?" Ben asks "Can ya wake up every day and have people be proud of what you've done? I mean when someone thinks about star people of SCW, you're not a name that gets mentioned or thought of. Being in the ring with me is not an easier affair than it was when we last met, nothing's changed around here."
Ben takes a moment to breath and look down the camera, just letting the thoughts run though his mind.
"If I told you that you stood a chance Travis, I'd only be lying." Ben firmly states "I'm a man who don't talk bollocks, I call it how I see it and the fact is me old mate, you're really out of your depth here. You go the thought of Synn on your mind who's gonna rip ya a new one at Inception II, you've got the weight of another failed attempt at another championship weighing you down and you're coming up against a geezer with a shitload to prove. There's only one way this is gonna go. You'll be knocked down countless times, you'll be looking up at that one white light above the ring wondering how you're gonna recover but the truth is, you can't. You'll be looking down the barrel of another defeat Travis. I just want this more than you."
Ben breathes deeply, looking towards his wrist and pulling up his jacket, looking towards his watch. He flicks his head up towards the camera.
"It's gonna take a long time to heel the pain Travis." Ben continues "I got true faith in myself to get the job done, but I think this is about as much as time will allow me to talk to you Travis, because I got something a little more challenging to do. Bring that new aggressive style mate, and let me show ya that without respecting ya opponent, you could become The Hulk and ya still wouldn't pick up a win."
Ben puts his hand on the guitar.
"Anyway you lovely lot, it's time for me to go." Ben starts "But I hope you enjoyed watching this. Thing is, it ain't done just yet because the cameras are gonna follow us to AKBAR, and you'll get to see what chaos ensues in Jamie Dean's promo a little bit later, so I'm gonna leave ya with two things."
He holds up one finger.
"First off, I hope you lot watch me beat Travis Nathaniel Andrews once more. We all know it's gonna happen, so hope you enjoy it, and second..." He says holding up a second finger. "I want you to rewind this promo and see how many George Michael singles song titles I actually managed to fit in to one promo."
A wide smile crosses Ben's face.
"I know some of them was obvious, I mean do you know how hard it is to fit in Wake Me Up Before You Go Go?" Ben says with a chuckle. "But there's a few decent hidden ones there. First person to get in contact and tell me how many I managed to fit in, I'll be dropping five grand to your favourite charity, extra five if you can name them all. Can't be fairer than that, can I?"
Ben winks down the camera.
"Anyway, you lot have a wonderful night, don't forget to look out for Jamie's work a little later and I will see you all soon." Ben says with a wink "Laters people."
Ben walks past the camera singing away.
"Oh I bet it would be nice, if I could tough your body, I know not every body, got a body like you."
The camera fades out.
