The West-Ward Blogicles
Season 4, Entry #9 -- “All The Marbles”
This one is for all the marbles folks and by marbles I mean bragging rights, but to be honest I don't seem to be the one who needs them in this situation.
Ben went out of his way to comment about an interview I had where I was asked my opinion on the interaction between Fen and Ben.
He smirks at the rhyme.
To him, that was "getting involved" and honestly I think he was overly sensitive and jumping to conclusions. As I told him, more or less. And his claims that I always get involved and ruin things? He should either pay attention all the time or not at all. In no way did I ever say I was getting involved. Miss Willow asked my opinion and I gave it and I still believe what I said is true. Ben said a lot of things that I don't exactly think are all that intimidating based on the fact that until now, he's been avoiding getting into the main title race.
But on another note, I have found in my almost eighteen months here in SCW that some people go looking for a fight just to fight. Maybe it was all the pent up energy he had after that... whatever that was with Kedron. Maybe he was just on edge and I was the best scapegoat at the time. Or maybe, he sees me as just another name on some checklist in order for him to get to the spot I now hold. I really can't say for sure, all I can do is guess and speculate on that front. Ben is a pretty private guy and as much as he tried to make this some sort of feud, it's not and it never will be. Despite his attempts to trigger me at every opportunity.
I had said in my last promo against him that I believed that Ben was holding back. That he had more than enough of the right stuff to be a World Title contender but yet always seemed to wade through the men in the Roulette and Internet divisions. At that time, I was pretty sure he was looking for an excuse to bow out of the limelight. Whatever that reason was for holding back has obviously faded and now it looks like he's actually thrown his hat into the main ring.
He addresses Ben directly by looking earnestly into the camera.
Awesome. Finally you realize your potential and are going to step it up. I am so happy that those thoughts of retirement never fully came to fruition because now I get the match we should have had, all those months ago. One on one. No other contenders. No gimmick matches. Just you and I and the roar of a crowd that probably likes us both equally.
I have no idea what your true opinion of me is Ben and to be perfectly frank I don't care. Whatever you think is not going to change how I am in the ring and I will give you exactly the same pure heart and determination I have given every single opponent, even Jake Raab whose focus has been questionable for some time.
He wiggles his fingers at the camera and blows a kiss.
Hi Jakey-poo, how ya doing?
He laughs, going back to his generalization of everything.
But in all seriousness, I know that this match will actually mean more to Ben than I. Regardless of the outcome, I am still going on to face Vinnie at High Stakes, but for him, if he doesn't beat me he will probably question whether or not he can go up against Fenris, and that is where his thinking is flawed. Comparing Fen and I professionally is like comparing Apples and Oranges. Although they are both round and have seeds, that is where the similarities end. You see for some reason, I am always seen as #2 in the rankings because I was never able to beat Fen. Believe me, that is still something on my own 'list' as well. The difference between then and now and honestly it's the same difference between Ben and I when we last faced too, is that deep down I considered myself inferior to them both, I just wouldn't openly admit it but it affected the way I did everything. Even though I had myself believing I was going to be the better wrestler it really was only skin deep. The difference now is that I fully believe that I am a better wrestler and it makes a huge improvement in how I am in that ring.
So while I should be supposedly flattered that Ben thinks I am someone to beat to prove he is good enough to beat Fen, he's going to find that I have come a very long way, and no, I don't consider that a compliment.
I know I am not someone that has trained and fought for decades in this business but I am not just a name on a list of people to beat, I am on my own damn list. All on my own, incomparable to any one else. And although I may not have won that title yet, it doesn't diminish everything I have done to get here. Despite never having won the world title, I am still someone that people talk about as being a face of SCW.
I don't expect anyone to believe that I am a changed man professionally, especially Ben. It's clear he has already made up his mind about the sort of person I am. And that's just the way it is. He doesn't actually know me at all, he only knows what he sees and how he interprets that. I figured out a while ago that I can't hold myself up to others to measure my own worth. I know that sounds rather silly in a business built around 'being better' than your opponent. On any one given day the guy considered the underdog could get his day, but in the next match be horribly beaten by that guy he beat before. Just look at my matches against Austin. He beat me twice. Once in a four way battle and then again one-on-one yet when I faced him again recently I was the victor. There are so many variables here. Was I more determined? Was he not as confident? Or was it just that I happened to be better that particular day. Either way I would never stand here and say I am better than Austin in general and I would never put myself down and say I wasn't good enough either. Just like when I win against Ben, I'm not going to brag like I did the impossible either. It will just be a day when I had the advantage. And Ben having some chip on his shoulder over something so mundane is in my opinion, rather childish. There have been way worse things said about him but if he's going to go this route, that's up to him. I wasn't looking for a fight but I guess I got one.
He shrugs his shoulders.
Am I annoyed or irritated at having this match? Nope. And do I believe his explanation of his words calling me Fen's "lover boy" or whatever words he used? Not entirely but just like he doesn't actually know me, he can say the same of me. We are not friends outside a ring. In fact we barely say boo to each other at all. All either of us can go on is what we see that is public knowledge. But at least he's not victimizing himself as being bullied like some other people we shall not name.
Did I think our disagreement should be some grudge match? No. I don't. I believe that Christian is just exploiting what he thinks is 'heat' and that's fine. I never turn down a challenge. I just hope that Ben isn't expecting some grand gesture of kissing his feet either. I respect what he's done, I respect his tenure but in order to get my personal respect there are far more aspects that have to be met. I am not holding my breath that they will be.
I have worked really damn hard to get to this match against Vinnie at High Stakes. It is two things I wanted rolled into one. A re-match with Vinnie and a world title match. Only the difference here is that I am not walking out of there empty handed. I have been fighting for this and I am not going to let the outcome be the same as last time. It's just unfortunate that I will have to be Vinnie's downer and possibly cause a bit of grief from my Aunt. All that being said though, don't for one second think that I am going into this match against Ben with someone else on my mind.
To be honest, I have made it a priority to study up and develop counters for all the male opposition in SCW. I made sure that I was ready should any of them be named my next opponent and time after time I have been either making them tap or pinning them down. If I am going to be the next champion SCW crowns then I have to be a representation of what the best of SCW looks like and so far, everyone who has held that title has shown it. It is my time to shine.
So for Ben, he may think this is just a warm-up for Fenris, but he is not a warm up match for me. I don't see him as Evie's 'lover boy' because as good of an athlete as she is, he is not an extension of her skills just like I am not an extension of Fenris'. I am Tyler West and I will be the next SCW World Heavyweight Champion.
No matter what I do, how much I prove how I belong here there is always going to be people thinking they know me. People discrediting and underestimating me. Ben can't seem to make up his mind about whether he respects me or thinks I'm overly sensitive. What difference does it make what I say or do? To that note, I am not here to prove anything to Ben. A man that never can seem to stick to one line of thinking, or one resolve. For years he avoided this kind of high profile attention and now suddenly here he is...
He gives a slow clap.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he finally listened to his wife and put on his big boy pants but I feel like I actually said this months ago. But what do I know, I'm just a nobody riding on the coattails of someone else or meddling in the affairs of others. Of course I didn't actually win any of my matches either right? That was just some illusion. No of course, anything I say will be twisted to suit whatever agenda of whoever I face and frankly, I'm sick of it. Anyone that can't see past the idiosyncrecies of my personality or see that I worked from the bottom to re-earn this opportunity can screw off. I do this for me. I got here on my own steam.
Anyone that sees me as just a name to cross off, the partner of someone else or just the 'pretty' boy B actor that walked in eighteen months ago on a prayer and a promise will be in for a very rude awakening. A West Revolution. Either get on board or stand clear of my march.
***
The Fan meet & greet in Abacos was like most of all the other meet and greets that Ty had done since he had joined SCW, although the difference now was at least three times the length of a line at his table. His popularity had significantly grown, despite not having won the Heavyweight title in any of his attempts, although now, he could see that a lot of these people still wore the lines of stress and horror after Hurricane Dorian had swept through almost a month ago. He was pretty good at reading a crowd and this one was trying to put aside their heartbreak despite everything and enjoy the event that was still taking place even after the recent tragedy. Ty had seen the devastating effects that the storm had left in its wake through the window of the plane and again after landing. His heart was heavy, here he was changing money and these people most likely were still living in shelters.
"Are you okay?"
He looks beside him at the young, spirited face of Emmie Ward, the woman that had told him off weeks ago but also ended up being his Greeting buddy today.
"No. I can't do this. I can't sit here and ask these people for money when most of them probably still don't have a house to live in."
Emmie then looks at the lines and then back to Ty.
"I want to help them too, but we can't just go out and start picking through the rubble, there's a protocol..."
Ty stands. "Call your partner. Tell him that if he really wants to make a difference he'll call in some of those favors and get some more supplies or something out here..."
Emmie shakes her head. "I..."
"I know that you and I can do the work of getting supplies to these people, but Jack has the funds. He doesn't even have to help if it will ruin that tough guy exterior. If I am going to spend time with the fans then I'm not going to sit here and pretend that nothing happened and then ask for money."
Emmie nodded, her eyes lighting up as she picks up her phone.
Two hours later, Ty and Emmie stroll into the nearest shelter with a truck full of freshwater and other supplies. Emmie gets right to work, organizing the people into lines while Ty started handing out the jugs of water and supplies. Soon Emmie is back beside him helping.
"You really are a boy scout huh?" She quips and Ty smirks.
"Maybe a little bit but this feels like a much better use of our time, doesn't it?"
She nods and he catches a whiff of something. It's a stale smell but it's still distinct. It was booze, possible something harder than beer. It wasn't his place to judge her and he certainly didn't have any room to talk to her about it, since he hardly knew her. He wanted to do more but Ben's words floated into his head about involving himself in things that weren't his business. He wondered if he was implying his recently helping Bobbie. He then promptly told that voice where to go. Sometimes when it came to people you care about, you had to get involved.
While Emmie was busy, he took a few minutes to text Bobbie about her friend. Bobbie still didn't believe that Emmie had a problem but maybe if someone not involved saw something it would make a difference. Last thing he wanted was to see this promising talent succumb to something preventable.
Once the last bottle was handed out, the pair headed toward the truck that had brought them here.
"Thanks. I mean I guess I never would have thought to use this time to do something that made a real difference. It really put things into perspective."
Ty nods his head, basically biting his tongue. She was too young to be headed down this particular path but given what he had learned of Jack and what Bobbie had hinted at recently, he suspected that her tag partner was way ahead of anyone else in regards to getting this taken care of.
"When you have never experienced any sort of disaster like this one it's definitely harder to know what it's like. And myself is included in that. I've never had anything like this happen to me or my family, but coming here and seeing it first hand..."
He looks around. This particular place was not hit as bad but near the airport there were still signs of the flood. Still houses that were unlivable.
"Look, I didn't do this to get any brownie points or to brag about my charitable work. I did it because I couldn't sit around in some hotel lobby pretending that a month ago these people weren't scared for their lives and most lost everything. Maybe Ben thinks I meddle but I'd rather meddle that sit by idly watching things happen. Someone who sits on the sidelines, staying silent is how our whole country ended up in trouble. Too many people that argued from their armchairs but didn't actually do anything about the problems. I am not that guy."
Emmie smirks, "No, you most definitely are not but you know, Ben's the only one I've seen that's actually had a real problem with it. I know you have been in Bobbie's face about this thing with Artie. Might seem like meddling to people who don't know Bobs, but we both do know her and if we don't give her a kick in the arse then she won't do nothing about it. Haven't really been around long enough to see anything else."
Ty laughs, "More than likely he's talking about the J2H garbage from months ago. It doesn't matter though. No matter what Ben chooses to bring up, this match was going to happen regardless. He mentioned me as someone he wanted to beat to prove his worth. I can sympathize with that, but regardless of how the match ends, I'm still the #1 Contender. A place I worked hard to get. One loss against a damn good opponent is not going to have anyone thinking less of me."
Em leans back against the truck, "I keep telling myself something similar but I can't seem to listen. I put so much bloody pressure on myself to be the best..." she trails off as if she's revealed too much to a near stranger.
"You and Jack beat the odds. You beat London Underground and are the Mixed Tag Champs. That is something to be proud of. Sure, there's pressure to keep representing those titles, but you knew that was what was involved when you started that journey. You both have proven your worth in my eyes. But what do I know, I'm just a meddling pretty boy..."
He winks at her and she laughs. She sighs, "Why are all the good ones gay..."
Ty pretends to be insulted, "I'm not gay, that's K. I'm technically Bi. But yes, I am taken. Don't be in a rush to settle Emmie. You are just starting to live your life. Enjoy it but not too much, overindulgence is the ultimate sin..."
He squeezes her shoulder and climbs into the driver's side of the truck. Em takes a minute before going to the other side. "Still weird being a passenger on this side."
Ty rolls his eyes as he pulls the empty truck out onto the road, back to the hotel.
***
When he arrived back at the hotel, he was relieved to see that Kristjan had finally arrived after his visit to the SCW development show. He's lounging on their shared bed in nothing but very short shorts, his hands behind his head.
"Did you enjoy your adoring fans?" He quips as Ty puts his satchel containing his merchandise on the floor.
"It was very rewarding." Was all he offers before coming to place a kiss on his boyfriend's lips. K tries to get more but Ty pulls back, wagging a finger.
"I gotta shower first."
He pulls off his t-shirt and it's so congealed with his sweat that it peels off like a second skin.
"Sweaty? From a meet and greet?" K is surprised.
"It was hot and there was a lot of people."
He slips into the bathroom. He wasn't hiding the fact that he had helped the survivors of Dorian, he just didn't want it to feel like he only did it to get praise. It wasn't about that. It was so easy for everybody to misjudge his intentions and jump to conclusions. Ben had been a prime example of that. The satisfaction was all in the way the people had been so gracious and appreciative. That was what was important here. No matter what Ben thought, he wasn't going to let that bother him to the point of underestimating Ben. Yes, he didn't take his harsher words seriously but that didn't in any way mean he didn't think Ben wasn't a talented athlete. In fact he had never said otherwise. In fact he had been saying Ben was World title material since the Roulette title match. A match that Ty won. Ty believed that Ben's name should be among those men when talking about who was the best of SCW. He was often overlooked because he never spoke out, never 'meddled'.
Come to think of it, Ty's ability to not stay silent is precisely why he had as much respect as he did. He was known for putting his money where his mouth was. What Ben saw,as annoying or troublesome, Ty saw as advantageous. He got 'shit' done. He made waves. He wasn't one to back down. That's why nobody let his losses speak for him because he had proved over and over again that he always got back up. And even in the chance that Ben got one over on him this weekend, he was still going to do what he always did, get right back up and keep moving toward his goal. A goal he could almost taste.
The bathroom mirror is foggy when he steps out. He wipes it off so he can look at his own face in the mirror. He had managed to get everything he needed for his life to be complete. The love of his life, a daughter, a home and a career he both lived and was successful in. Getting the world title was just another piece of this puzzle. He was patient and it would come, because he worked for it.
He looked into his own eyes and smiled.
"If the worst thing that can be said about me is that I meddle then I think I'm doing alright." He says in a low voice so Fen wouldn't hear and think he was crazy.
He exits the bathroom with only a towel, forgetting that his phone is still on the counter. It lights up but it's on silent and Ty is too busy saying hello to his guy. The number on the screen is peculiar to see, as the number belongs to a man that's been dead for months.
