[Simon Jones]

 Tuesday 22nd April

The scene opens with the camera focused on the below street sign:


A familiar voice is then heard - that of Simon Jones.

Simon: 'Bore da. Croeso i Caerdydd.'

The camera pans down, and into view - stood in front of the wall, facing towards the camera - comes Simon Jones, who is wearing a pair of black trainers, dark blue jeans, and a zipped-up black coat.

Simon: 'That's Welsh for, "Good morning. Welcome to Cardiff." It's also just about the limit of my knowledge of Welsh - what little Welsh that I have picked up during my time living in Wales. But then, never mind the English people that live here - most of the Welsh people that live in South East Wales don't speak Welsh; although Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, it's not until you go further west - or north, up the valleys - that you find many Welsh speakers.'

Simon takes a step forward.

Simon: 'For anyone that is not too familiar with major cities of the UK, Cardiff is ninety miles away from my hometown of Birmingham. It was during my hiatus from wrestling that I left Birmingham to come to this city - to work here, and consequently, to live here. A few years ago, having been made redundant by my then-employer - in Birmingham - I struggled to find work, and the only job that I managed to get an offer for was a job in Cardiff; putting me first, my wife gave up her job, in Birmingham, so that she could move here with me.'

Simon turns his head to look over his left shoulder, glancing up at the street sign on the wall behind him; he then turns back to look at the camera.

Simon: 'In retrospect, it's ironic that the house my wife and I bought in Cardiff is on Canada Road, as when we left Cardiff - so that I could resume my wrestling career - it was to Canada that we moved.'

Simon turns his head to look to his right; he pauses for a moment, before speaking again.

Simon: 'It was in November, two years ago, as I was sat in the living room of my home...'

Simon raises his right arm, and with his right index finger, he points towards the left of the shot.

Simon: '...which is just over there, a stone's throw from where I am...'

Simon lowers his arm, and continues.

Simon: '...that I was told by my friend, Jason O'Neil, that he had been approached by JJ Dixon, who was interested in having me join ACW.'

Simon turns his head back to face the camera.

Simon: 'I, of course, decided to accept that an offer - a decision that, together with other events, would eventually lead to me joining SCW.'

As Simon takes another step forward, the camera zooms out; into view - in the foreground of the shot, to the left of Simon - comes a black litter bin, and to the left of that is a wooden bench. Again Simon pauses for a moment, before he speaks.

Simon: 'Last week, when SCW was in Marrakech, Erik Staggs opened Climax Control by making a pair of announcements, regarding the rewards that myself and Brandi Shotze would receive for winning the Blast from the Past tournament - you know, in addition to the trophy that we had already gotten on our hands on. Staggs announced that, at the as-yet-unnamed supercard, Brandi Shotze will get a shot at the Bombshell Championship, currently held by Vixen; I hold no ill feeling towards Vixen, but I've got to give my backing to Brandi for that match.'

Simon steps forward once more, so that he is now stood next to the bin.

Simon: 'As for myself, it was announced that I would be allowed to select who will challenge me for the heavyweight title, at the yet-to-be-named supercard. Erik Staggs then suggested that anyone who wants a shot at the title, should plead their case. So I watched Climax Control this past weekend, keen to see whether anyone would seize the initiative - would anyone follow Staggs' suggestion? And do you know what I heard?'

Simon turns his head to his right, and then raises his left arm, to cup his ear, in the direction of the camera.

Simon: 'Nothing!'

Simon lowers his arm, and then turns back to face the camera.

Simon: 'Apart from silence, all I got was a feeling of déjà vu; three months ago, when Giani Di Luca was the SCW Heavyweight Champion, he challenged every man on the roster to tell him why they should be given a shot at the title.'

Simon tilts his head to the right, then to the left.

Simon: 'On second thoughts, it wasn't quite a repeat of what happened three months ago, as Di Luca did at least get one response - which came from me, telling him that I didn't want a match against him for the title, at that point in time; when I did get a shot at the title, a month and a half later, it was a much more suitable time for me, with me by then having brought an end to the in-ring career of Casey Williams - and I made the most of my opportunity.'

Simon unzips his coat, to reveal that the SCW heavyweight title is around his waist.

Simon: 'But I could be forgiven for thinking that there is no-one in SCW that wants the chance to try to take this title away from me. Only once was this title even mentioned during Climax Control, that being by JJ Dixon, as he named myself and some of the other champions in SCW - and I highly doubt that Dixon is going to put himself forward as a challenger for the title. So I ask the rest of the men in SCW, am I the only one that cares about this title?'

With his right hand, Simon taps the title.

Simon: 'Now, admittedly, Kain has tweeted that he will be a future SCW Heavyweight Champion. And in the aftermath of Blaze Of Glory III, Ethan Brody did state that he hopes to meet me again in singles competition. But at the time of recording this, the only male in SCW that has explicitly asked me to pick him, is Jason Adams. So again, I ask the men of SCW, do any of you actually want a shot at this title?'

Simon taps the title with his hand, again.

Simon: 'Shortly, I'll discuss the match that I'll be involved in next Sunday - a match that will see me team with Kain, against the duo of Max Burke and Sean Jackson. But before I do that, I just want to explain why I wasn't in Cairo this past weekend.'

Simon smirks.

Simon: 'Yes, despite there being a distinct lack of people clamouring for the opportunity to become the SCW Heavyweight Champion, it appears that the absence from Climax Control of the current champion, did not go unnoticed.'

Simon partially zips up his coat, far enough so that the heavyweight title is hidden from view.

Simon: 'On Sunday evening, while most of the men and women of SCW were at the Cairo Military Academy, I was at a venue in Cardiff Bay, around four miles away from where I'm stood now. You see, back in February, I was contacted by the majority owner of a promotion that is based here in the UK, who was interested in having me make a guest appearance on one or two of their shows. By then, I had already made the decision that I was going to base myself in the UK for the duration of the SCW tour of Africa. So when I discovered that this other promotion would be staging a show in my adopted hometown of Cardiff, during the period that I was going to be back in the UK, well, that seemed like as good a show as any on which for me to compete in my first match on British soil in eleven years.'

Simon walks around the litter bin, to stand in front of the bench.

Simon: 'So that's why I wasn't in Cairo: I was here in Cardiff, honouring a commitment that I made two months ago. Now, please bear in mind that, when I made the commitment, I had no idea whatsoever that I would be challenging Giani Di Luca for the SCW heavyweight title at the beginning of March, let alone that I would go on to regain the title; had I known that was about to happen - had I been able to see into the future - then I would have declined the invitation.'

Simon sighs.'

Simon: 'After I retained the title, at Blaze Of Glory, I did ponder whether I should tell the promoter that I was going to be unable to appear on his show - that, as the SCW Heavyweight Champion, my presence was required elsewhere. But, I had given him my word that I would be there - and as I have stated previously, I'm a man of my word. So, I kept my pledge, to participate in a one-off match - the outcome of which was the same as every other match that I have been involved in this year: I won.'

Simon takes a seat, on the bench.

Simon: 'Five days from now, I'll be aiming to extend my winning streak further, in the match that I mentioned just a few moments ago, when Kain and I do battle with two members of the newly-named Hot Stuff International: Max Burke and Sean Jackson.'

Simon rubs his chin.

Simon: 'Following on from the subject of the success that I've had so far this year, I suppose it's ironic that my partner for the match on Sunday will be Kain, the man that was my opponent four months ago today, in the last match that I lost - albeit by disqualification. Kain and I haven't always seen eye to eye - and me striking him with a steel chair won't have helped matters - but having previously been able to coexist with Casey Williams - a man that I have considerably greater animosity towards - when he and I were thrust together as partners for a tag team match, then I'm confident that myself and Kain will be able to function as a team.'

Simon leans back, against the bench.

Simon: 'Especially as, on the same night that Casey and I were beaten by Despayre and Rage - the then-champions - Kain teamed with his own bitter rival, Goth, to defeat Giani Di Luca and Nick Jones; that Kain was able to work successfully with Goth as his partner - a man that he despises - to defeat two wrestlers of the calibre of Giani Di Luca and Nick Jones, only adds to my belief that he and I will able to get along well enough to be able to overcome Max Burke and Sean Jackson.'

Simon moves both of his arms, hooking them behind the bench, causing him to lean back slightly further.

Simon: 'That episode of Climax Control, back in November - the one that saw me team with Casey Williams, and Kain team with Goth - was, coincidentally, the show where we all seemingly witnessed the demise of Max Burke: having lost the roulette title earlier in the evening, Burke was then placed in a grave, by the group that would come to be known as "The Saviours." But to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of Max Burke's demise were greatly exaggerated: while The Saviours are now long gone from SCW, Burke is still around, making a nuisance of himself.'

Simon glances to his right, briefly, before looking back to the camera.

Simon: 'Max Burke is the man that I would have defended the Heavyweight Championship against at Blaze Of Glory III, had Brandi Shotze and I not reached the final of the Blast from the Past tournament; I had half-expected Burke to interfere in our semi-final, to try to prevent Brandi and I from reaching the final, and thus leaving me having to face him at Blaze Of Glory - but thankfully, he didn't stick his nose into our business. It was only a matter of time until Burke and I would clash, though - if anything, he and I being opponents is overdue: of the men that remain on the roster from when I joined SCW last June, the only two that have not been opponents of mine - until now - are Lucian Frost, and Max Burke. And if things go according to plan, Burke will have as much success against me as he has had against Frost: none.'

Simon smirks again.

Simon: 'Max, when you were returned to SCW at the beginning of the year, you referred to yourself as, "the prodigal son" - but since then, it hasn't been much of a feast for the prodigal son, has it? You failed in the main event of My Bloody Valentine, you were knocked out of Blast from the Past in the second round, and nine days ago, you and "Duke" Ata Tupoi lost to Guns For Hire; you claimed that 2014 would be, "the year of Max Burke," but we're almost a third of the way through the year, and from where I'm sitting...'

Simon glances down.

Simon: '...I don't mean literally...'

Simon looks back up at the camera.

Simon: '...2014 is in danger of being a write-off for you. You may have aligned yourself with Mark Ward, but if you want to be taken seriously as a potential challenger for the SCW Heavyweight Championship, then you're going to need to turn your form around; a victory for you on Sunday would be a good start - but I'm confident of handing you another loss. I wasn't "born to wrestle," like you, Max - if anything, given how I ended up in this sport, it could be said that I'm an accidental wrestler - but I do make a habit of something that you say you were bred to do: winning. And next Sunday evening, I plan to earn another win - this time, against Pro Wrestling's Pedigree.'

Simon squints, as he glances up at the sky momentarily; he then looks back to the camera, and continues.

Simon: 'If Max Burke has yet to live up to his own hype so far in 2014, the same certainly cannot be said of the man that will be his partner next Sunday: Sean Jackson. Since arriving in SCW earlier this year, Jackson has justified his reputation, with his performances inside the six-sided ring. During my recent run of success, I've shown off my versatility, by finding different ways to continue to win. Similarly, by hook or by crook, Jackson always seems to find a way to get the job done - some people may question his methods, but I guess he would argue that the ends justify the means; whatever your thoughts on Sean Jackson, in six days he will come up against a man with whom he shares his initials, who I hope will provide him with his sternest test to date in SCW, in what I would like to believe is fitting of being a main event.'

Simon pauses, and then frowns.

Simon: 'I've just realised that I unintentionally referred to myself in the third person.'

Simon pretends to shudder.

Simon: 'Sean, as a former ACW wrestler, you might expect me to feel the same way as Ethan Brody feels, about seeing the ACW title in your possession - but I don't. That the ACW title is currently held by someone that wasn't a member of the ACW roster, doesn't bother me. Sure, I would prefer to see the ACW title laid to rest - just like the promotion whose name it bears - but if it has to be held by someone, then there are worse candidates to be the champion; if anything, Sean, judging by how eager Michael Hardy was was to challenge you for that title, you've helped raise its prestige. But what you need to remember is that this is SCW, not ACW - you need to remember who holds the most important title in this promotion.'

Simon removes his arms from behind the bench, and with his right hand, he taps the now-hidden heavyweight title once more.

Simon: 'Come to think of it, Sean, while you may not have been a member of the ACW roster, I do recall you competing in two matches in an ACW ring: firstly against "Nightbringer" Ryan Corey, and then against SCW's own, Spike Staggs. And I also seem to recall, that you suffered defeat in both of those matches; I know that in Drake Green, you have already beaten one former ACW wrestler in the six-sided ring of SCW, but come the match on Sunday, I'm aiming to have the outcome be less like your more match against Drake, and more like your matches against Corey and Staggs.'

Simon leans forward.

Simon: 'Perhaps I should be concerned about what mind games "The Mental Rapist" will try to play - but with me currently being in the best form of my career, my mental state is as strong as it's likely to get, so I say, give it your best shot, Jackson; just over five weeks ago, I had to deal with the mental hurdle of having to fight a close friend of mine, in Ben Jordan - I successfully overcame that hurdle, which had been put in place by my own emotions, so I can definitely overcome whatever attempts at one-upmanship you throw at me. I suggest that instead, you prepare for this match the old fashioned way. Because while you may have that vicious high knee, and inverted Death Valley driver at your disposable, I have several manoeuvres of my own that you need to beware of, each of which can bring a match to a conclusion - which move will be the decisive one next Sunday?'

Simon shrugs his shoulders; he then gets up from the bench, rising to his feet.

Simon: 'Who knows - I guess we'll find out in five days' time; as long as the match ends with myself and Kain standing victorious, and the two members of Hot Stuff International tasting defeat, that's all that matters.'

Simon turns to his right, and starts to walk off; as he disappears from view, the scene fades to black.