Monday 5th May
The scene opens inside the living room of the house that is owned by Simon and Jacqueline Jones, in Cardiff. Jacqueline is lying - seemingly asleep - on a black sofa, which is opposite to the camera; she is barefoot, wearing mauve pyjama bottoms, and a matching camisole. To the left of the sofa - by Jacqueline's head - is a wooden side table, on which is a baby monitor, and a television remote control; to the right of the sofa - in the corner of the room - is a door, and adjacent to that is a currently unoccupied, black armchair.
Aside from some background noise - which appears to be chatter emitted by a television - the room is quiet. Before long though, the sound of a door opening and closing can be heard; seconds later, the door to the living room is opened, and in walks Simon, who is wearing a pair of black trainers, navy blue jeans, and a zipped-up black coat. Simon looks over at Jacqueline, smiles at the sight of her, and closes the door behind him as quietly as he can; he then walks over to his wife, and bends down to kiss her on the forehead.
As Simon walks towards the armchair, Jacqueline slowly opens her eyes, and then yawns, before addressing her husband.
Jacqueline: 'You're back, then. What time is it?'
Simon unzips and takes off his coat, revealing the same sky blue DR Congo football jersey that he was seen wearing when he was stood in the ring in Kinshasa the night before, during Climax Control.
Simon: 'It's about quarter past nine.'
Simon places his coat on the armchair, and then turns back to face Jacqueline.
Jacqueline: 'And how was Kinshasa?'
Simon: 'It was alright, I suppose; things got a bit more physical than I had planned, but at least the altercation that I had with Sean Jackson ended with me being the one standing tall, in the ring.'
Jacqueline: 'So I saw; how's your head?'
Jacqueline covers her mouth with her right hand, attempting to stifle another yawn.
Simon: 'It's fine - nothing for you to worry about.'
Simon smiles at his wife, reassuringly.
Simon: 'How has Matty been while I've been away?'
Jacqueline: 'She was a nuisance for much of yesterday - and the day before. But today, thankfully, she has slept for most of the day - as have I.'
Simon smirks.
Simon: 'Sleeping off a hangover, were you?'
Jacqueline: 'I wasn't hungover - I just wasn't feeling well.'
Jacqueline sits up, as Simon laughs.
Simon: 'You so were hungover.'
Simon walks over to the sofa, and takes a seat, next to Jacqueline - who picks up the remote control for the television, and presses a button, causing the background noise to cease; after putting the remote control back on the side table, Jacqueline turns to face her husband.
Simon: 'So you had a good night out with the girls, then?'
Jacqueline: 'Oh, absolutely - there was no shortage of alcohol, and I got to hear about everything that I've missed out on while we've been away; it felt like forever since I had last seen them all - it had been so long that I had forgotten how much fun they are to be around.'
Simon smiles at Jacqueline again.
Simon: 'I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself - for putting up with my globetrotting, and having to look after Matty by yourself, you certainly deserve it.'
Simon leans forward, to kiss his wife.
Jacqueline: 'Well, I'm glad that I was able to join my friends, as they made the most of their bank holiday weekend.'
Simon: 'And so they should.'
Simon leans back, gazing upwards, as he rests his head against the sofa.
Simon: 'August two years ago - that was the last time I had a day off work because of a bank holiday; being a professional wrestler, only having to work one day each week - if that - you forget how much you appreciate little things like bank holidays, and the additional days off that they give you when you're doing a normal, Monday to Friday job.'
Jacqueline: 'It almost sounds as though you miss spending thirty-five or more hours in an office each week.'
Simon shakes his head.
Simon: 'I don't miss the grind - I don't miss the monotony. I don't envy all those people that will be back at work tomorrow, having been off today. The only thing that I miss about my old job, at times, is the camaraderie.'
Simon turns his head to look at Jacqueline.
Simon: 'Of the women that you were out with last night, how many of them, did where you worked, play a role in you becoming friends with them?'
Jacqueline takes a moment to consider the question, before answering.
Jacqueline: 'Most of them. If not all of them.'
Simon: 'So surely you can't deny that, at times, you miss going into work each day, and seeing the faces of those friends of yours. Now, I know that since you left at the start of last year, some of them have moved on too, having gotten jobs elsewhere. And obviously, if you were still in your old job, you would be on maternity leave now, anyway. But you understand, what I mean, right? In the past sixteen months, the only people that you have seen on a regular basis are myself and Jason - and since the start of this year, Matty.'
Jacqueline: 'You and Matilda are the two most important people in the world to me, so as long as I'm with the two of you, I'll be happy - wherever we are.'
Simon leans towards Jacqueline slightly, putting his right arm around her shoulders.
Simon: 'Well, wherever the next few years takes us, it will only be a matter of time until I end up working in an office again, somewhere.'
Jacqueline frowns.
Jacqueline: 'Why?'
Simon: 'Because I'm thirty-four years of age - a month away from turning thirty-five. I know that my body isn't as worn down as the bodies of most wrestlers my age - due to the near-decade that I spent away from the ring - but still, how much longer is my body going to allow me to be able to continue to wrestle?'
Simon shrugs his shoulders.
Simon: 'And I haven't made enough money during my wrestling career that, when I do call it quits, I'm just going to be able to sit back and watch the grass grow. I mean, I make more money from wrestling than I do from being sat at a desk - but not enough that you and I are going to be set for life. So once I'm finished with wrestling, I'll have to get another job doing something.'
Jacqueline leans into Simon, resting her head on his shoulder.
Simon: 'I see the size of the homes of some of the other wrestlers in SCW, I hear some of them - like Kain - boast about how much money they have raked in from fighting, and I wonder about some of the career choices that I've made; did I take a hiatus from wrestling at the wrong time? Was there a boom period that I missed? Or do I just need to get myself a better agent - or rather, a proper agent?'
Jacqueline: 'What, are you jealous of them?'
Simon shakes his head.
Simon: 'No; whatever money they have gotten, it's because they earned it - and I'm content with what I have to show for my hard work. But it would be nice, though, to not have to worry at all about the future - from a financial perspective. Still, it could be worse: we could be like some our friends, who live from payday to payday.'
Jacqueline: 'I highly doubt that we'll ever be in that bleak a situation.'
Simon: 'Thankfully not. But whatever the future does bring, we'll survive - just as we always do; whether it's me defying expectations in the ring, or you having to look after a young child on your own, we always manage to cope with whatever is thrust upon us.'
Jacqueline: 'Yeah. And besides, the best things in life are free.'
Simon chuckles.
Simon: 'I'm not sure about that - I would say that you are priceless.'
Simon kisses the hair on the top of Jacqueline's head.
Jacqueline: 'You know you just mentioned Kain...'
Jacqueline's voice trails off.
Simon: 'Yeah - what about him?'
Jacqueline: 'He's one of your opponents next weekend, isn't he?'
Simon: 'Yep; from having been partners eight days ago, we're back to being opponents - a scenario that, under normal circumstances, we would probably both be more comfortable with.'
Jacqueline: 'This match isn't going to be normal?'
Simon: 'Well, you said "opponents" - so you're obviously aware that the match I'll be involved in will be a tag team match. What makes the match anomalous is that Sean Jackson will be my partner, while Kain's partner for the night will be Andrew Garcia.'
Jacqueline: 'You're being forced to team with the man that will be your challenger a fortnight later - and likewise for Garcia, right?'
Simon nods his head.
Simon: 'That's true - but that's not the unusual part about the match, as tag team matches pairing future opponents together aren't exactly unheard of: as I pointed out two weeks ago, Casey Williams and I were once tag team partners - which brought about a temporary ceasefire between us, as we briefly refrained from attacking each other. And this particular match won't even be the only one of its type next Sunday, what with the match featuring the bombshell champions and their challengers set to follow, plus the main event that will be centred around the competitors in the tag team division.'
Simon sighs.
Simon: 'No, what makes this particular match peculiar is that Andrew Garcia and Sean Jackson are going to be opponents - two members of the same stable, will be on opposing sides. On paper they will be opponents, but I doubt that they will actually come to blows; I reckon that Kain and I will find ourselves doing the majority of the work for our respective teams, and that the match will bear more resemblance to a one-on-one match than a tag team match.'
Jacqueline: 'Does that prospect concern you, at all?'
Simon: 'Nope. However things play out - whether Garcia and Jackson do their share of the heavy lifting, or whether Kain and I have to go it alone - it will just be another challenge for me to overcome. And fortunately, in recent months, I've made a good fist of overcoming the various challenges that I've been presented with.'
Jacqueline: 'I believe in you.'
Simon puts his left arm around his wife, pulling Jacqueline closer to him, in a tight embrace.
Simon: 'That makes two of you, then.'
Jacqueline finds herself frowning again.
Jacqueline: 'What?'
Simon: 'You and Amy Marshall.'
Simon smiles, before glancing around his living room; he then looks back to Jacqueline.
Simon: 'You know when I mentioned the wealth of some of the other wrestlers in SCW, and you asked me if I was jealous of them...'
Jacqueline: 'Yes.'
Simon: '...well, I may not be jealous of them, but every other male on the SCW roster has a very good reason to be jealous of me.'
Jacqueline: 'Because you hold the heavyweight title?'
Simon: 'Exactly - and I don't plan on letting it slip from my grasp. It may not be an ideal situation, but if I have to team with Sean Jackson against Kain and Andrew Garcia, then so be it; I'll put in the effort, to try to make a success of my circumstances - as I invariably do. Then, it's on to Cape Town, to defend the title against Jackson - and I don't intend to return home without it.'
The couple then just sit, holding each other, relaxing in silence. The silence doesn't last long at all, though, as it is quickly broken by the sound - from the baby monitor - of their young daughter, crying; Jacqueline sighs.
Jacqueline: 'And we had just gotten comfortable.'
Simon: 'You stay here, love; you've had to do enough this weekend - I'll go up and see to Matty.'
Simon extricates himself from his wife, as he rises to his feet.
Jacqueline: 'Are you sure?'
Simon: 'Yeah; it's been around three days since I last laid my eyes on Matty, so I think it's about time I saw her again - before she starts to forget what I look like. Besides, I'm not the one that's recovering from a hangover.'
Jacqueline: 'I was not hungover!'
Simon holds up both of his hands, protesting his innocence.
Simon: 'Okay, whatever you say.'
Simon turns and walks towards the living room door; he pulls open the door, but then turns back to look at Jacqueline.
Simon: 'While I'm upstairs, would you please check what's happening in the football - see if Liverpool are giving themselves any chance of winning the Premier League.'
Jacqueline: 'Even if they do win this match, they still won't go on to win the title - a bit like Sean Jackson.'
Simon grins at his wife's quip.
Jacqueline: 'But I'll see what the score is, anyway.'
Simon: 'Thank you.'
As Jacqueline shuffles across the sofa, to reach for the remote control, and as Simon heads upstairs, to tend to Matilda, the scene fades to black.
Wednesday 7th May
The scene opens to show a grassy area, that is populated by several wooden picnic tables. The camera is focused on one table in particular - the only one of the tables at which anyone is sitting; sat alone at the table is Simon Jones, who is wearing a pair of silver trainers, dark blue jeans, and a black coat. Behind the table is a low wooden fence, beyond which a row of trees can be seen.
At present, Simon's eyes are drawn to a glass on the table, that contains a partially drunk pint of beer; he soon turns his head to look at the camera, and begins to speak.
Simon: 'Hello. And welcome back to Wales.'
Simon raises both of his arms, and stretches them out wide, in a welcoming gesture; after holding them in that position for a moment, Simon then lowers his arms, and continues.
Simon: 'After two weeks ago, when I recorded a video mere yards from my home, I pondered where would make a suitable setting this time round: I thought about filming from within the grounds of Cardiff Castle; I contemplated going back to the Millennium Stadium - the first venue that I ever visited in Cardiff, several years prior to me moving to the city; but with many of the men and women of SCW currently seeing the sights and wildlife that are on offer in Madagascar, I decided to come away from the hustle and bustle of Wales' capital, to here in Powys, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, so as to display some of the Welsh countryside.'
Simon glances around at his surroundings, before looking back at the camera.
Simon: 'And this place, which is called Llangynidr, couldn't be further removed from Cardiff - it's a settlement that is so small, it doesn't even have a page on Wikipedia. But, I did at least manage to find a pub here - so it's alright in my book.'
With his right hand, Simon picks his glass up, and has a sip of the beer; he then places the glass back on the table.
Simon: 'On Sunday, I will be over five thousand miles away from here, as SCW invades Madagascar, for a show at Batu Beach, in Antananarivo. This will the be first time that SCW has staged a show on a beach, since the tour of the Carribean came to an end, back in October. The Carribean tour was a bit of a mixed bag for me - it had more ups and downs than the Japanese stock market, including me becoming the only wrestler in SCW history to lose a match by forfeit, as well as the origins of my rivalry with Casey Williams; this Sunday one of my opponents will be Casey Williams' protégé, Andrew Garcia.'
Simon rubs his chin.
Simon: 'Garcia's debut in the six-sided ring may not have gone the way he wanted, but since then, he has had a promising start to his career in SCW, capped off by him winning the Roulette Championship two weeks ago - a result that also saw Lucian Frost replace Brother Grimm as the longest reigning current champion in SCW. And while Frost will be in action in the main event of Climax Control, Andrew Garcia will have his hands full, when he's up against the second longest reigning current champion in SCW: me.'
Simon grins.
Simon: 'When it comes to preparing for a match against me, Andrew Garcia probably couldn't have anyone better than Casey Williams to help him, as only Giani Di Luca has spent as much time with me in the ring as Casey has. Unfortunately for you though, Andrew, Casey lost three of our four matches. The first time that I defeated Casey was in a tag team match - a match took place on a beach; notice any similarities to the scenario this Sunday, Andrew? You've already followed in Casey's footsteps in one regard: by winning the roulette title; on Sunday, I intend to have you experience another moment or two from Casey's career - and they won't be moments that you'll enjoy.'
Simon shakes his head.
Simon: 'Before winning the roulette title, Casey also won the tag team titles. But crucially, the one title in SCW that he was never able to win, is also the only title that I've won during my time in SCW - and that, of course, is the most important title of all for the male members of the SCW roster: the heavyweight title. Judging by some of his antics, I think that somewhere along the line, "The Honourable Warrior" lost sight of what the various meanings of the word "honour" - but I haven't: I compete with honour, and integrity; I take honour, and pride, in being the SCW Heavyweight Champion. Right now, Andrew, having won the roulette title in your last match, you must be feeling great about yourself. Well, on Sunday, I'll give you a glimpse of what it takes to be the top champion in SCW - and I think it'll be more than you can handle. There is at least a silver lining for you, though: a loss on Sunday won't force you into retirement, with your mentor.'
Simon turns to gaze behind himself briefly, before looking back to the camera.
Simon: 'Down there, hidden from view, is the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. And walking somewhere along the canal towpath, are my wife and daughter. Well, my wife is walking - my daughter is in a pushchair; she's only four months old - she can barely crawl, never mind walk.'
Simon looks at the glass; wraps his hand around the glass, but then turns his attention back to the camera.
Simon: 'The UK has a network of canals unlike any other country in the world; at the heart of that network, is my hometown: Birmingham - which has more canals than Venice.'
Simon then takes a drink from the glass.
Simon: 'Until she met me, Jacqui had never been aboard a canal boat. It's funny how we influence the people that we love: I got her at least partly interested in football, and introduced her to canals; she gave me love, a family, and the motivation to be successful - I think I know who got the better end of that deal. I could give you all plenty of reasons, as to why I strive to remain at the top of the ladder in SCW. But the two most important reasons, are just over there.'
Simon quickly glances behind himself again.
Simon: 'Right having spoken about Andrew Garcia, it's time for me to talk about the man that will be his partner on Sunday: Kain. Now, from past experience, I know that Kain will dismiss whatever I have to say about him, regardless of how valid the points I make actually are. So I guess I'm doing this for the benefit of everyone else, rather than Kain.'
Simon smirks.
Simon: 'I assume Kain is frustrated that I chose Sean Jackson, and not him, to be my opponent at Chaos In Cape Town. I don't doubt that, had I selected Kain, he would have provided me with a tough challenge - but I don't think that he's as viable a contender for the heavyweight title as Sean Jackson is.'
Simon drinks some more of his beer.
Simon: 'The last time that Kain and I shared a ring, we may have gotten along well enough to be victorious as a tag team, but I know that he doesn't like me - and believe me, the feeling is mutual; Kain is not a like-able character. The man is so arrogant, that he is unwilling to accept even the slightest hint of criticism - or maybe he's just ignorant. Kain has definitely bought into the hype that surrounds him - the problem is, most of that hype is of his own creation.'
Simon puts the palms of both of his hands on the table, and pushes himself up, into a standing position.
Simon: 'Ahead of our first meeting, Kain said that he was going to crush me, and that he was going to bury me six feet under - and that's before it had even been revealed that the match would be contested in a graveyard. Yet here I am, still standing - the SCW Heavyweight Champion, no less.'
Simon sits back down.
Simon: 'See, that's another reason why I couldn't choose Kain to be my opponent at Chaos In Cape Town: he has made numerous threats about what he is going to do to me, but he hasn't been able to carry any of them out - the solitary occasion that Kain got the better of me, was due to me striking him with a chair. He claims that he is more deserving of being the SCW Heavyweight Champion than I am, but I am yet to see any evidence of that. Right now - and I know that he is going to hate this comparison - Kain just looks like Casey Williams: someone that is capable of winning the secondary titles in SCW, but who doesn't have what it takes to win the biggest prize.'
Simon finishes off the remaining contents of his glass of beer.
Simon: 'There's a part of me that wants to see Kain go on to actually back up his words - simply so that he doesn't look so foolish. But there's a much bigger part of me that wants to see him continue to fail - especially this Sunday. I like to think that I'm humble in defeat, and in victory. Kain, on the other hand, I'm sure already has all of his excuses lined up, for use in the event that his team loses on Sunday. If, however, his team is victorious, then we'll probably all never hear the end of it - that alone is reason enough for me to do everything I can to try to win on Sunday.'
Simon stands up again, but this time he steps to the side of the picnic table.
Simon: 'I won't go as far as to promise that I'll win - by now, you should all know that I rarely guarantee anything; the only promise I will make, Kain, is that I won't hit you with a chair this time.'
Simon takes a couple of steps towards the camera.
Simon: 'I'm aware that I've not said much about the man that will be my tag team partner this Sunday, other than to mention him in passing. Well, there will be plenty of time for me to discuss him, before we head to Cape Town, in eighteen days' time. But for now, it's off to Antananarivo - see you at Climax Control.'
Simon turns to his right, and walks off; shortly after he disappears from view, the scene fades to black.
