Sword of Damacles
The funny thing about anxiety and depression is that it is universal. You can have something happen in your life that triggers it, or you can just have it pop up out of nowhere. They can be everything from different moments that break down your psyche to being a chemical imbalance that slowly destroys your brain from the inside out. But what happens with the one person on earth who was supposed to help you with that is the cause of it?
What happens when the woman you love is the one who brings you down and constantly tells you you shouldn’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t, or can’t do something? The feeling of abandonment, the feeling of anxiety and depression slowly rotting through your brain is too much to bear.
Alex closed his eyes and leaned forward. He placed his elbows on his knees and brought his hands together, resting his jaw on them as he stared ahead. Thoughts were racing through his brain. Unhappy ones, miserable ones, he could feel everything he ever loved slowly slipping through his fingers, and it was all because of the one person on earth that was supposed to understand. The one person on earth who was supposed to encourage him, embrace him, and understand him. But that wasn’t what was happening. He felt trapped, held down, forced to be somebody that he didn’t want to be.
He remembered the first day he saw her. Her hair wasn’t blonde back then. It was a mousy brown. Just passed her shoulders. But the confidence was there. She had a wonderful smile, bright blue eyes, and a voice of an angel. She was the kind of woman that many men dream about. She was there for him. Helping him secure a divorce from his ex-wife. She saw a broken man, and instead of turning away, she helped to lift him up and make him become the man. He was always meant to be. She helped purge the influence of sadness that had overtaken him.
But as always, these things go through vicious cycles, and now he was faced in a similar situation, but this time she was the cause of it, and in many ways even worse than the woman that he had been with before. A woman by the name of Ana Valentine. A woman that you can still find but don’t want to. But in many ways, Sonya Jones was 10 times worse.
And that is what Alex was faced with. The thought of his bride, the woman who saved him and the woman who loved him, was now slowly destroying him from the inside out. Gaslighting him and pushing him down and stopping him from doing what he wanted and living that dream once again. He felt caged, trapped, and there was nothing he could do. Nothing except to try and win his freedom. But with that came fear and anger and anxiety and frustration.
He remembered being in her office. Crying on the floor as he realised his marriage had broken apart and the woman he thought he loved had destroyed him. The difference between Sonya and Ana was that Alex knew that Anna was a horrible person. He didn’t know what kind of person Sonya could be until it was too late.
She was supportive at first, but the second Alex did something that she didn’t like or respect, it became a problem. And that is where he found himself. He was determined to fix it one way or another. And the time had come for a confrontation. The door clicked open, and she walked inside. She was still standing, he woman he married. But Sonya looked different. The shoulder-length brown hair was gone, replaced by blonde hair that went down to her lower back.
Make-up that was designed to make her look younger as she had become keenly aware of her ageing, she looked up and around, noticing the house was cast in darkness except for a small light coming from the side. Alex shook his head; he knew what he had to do, but he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. He was scared, something that was hard to admit.
”What’s going on?” It was an innocent question, but one that was a lot heavier than either of them had anticipated. Alex took a deep breath and shook his head before getting to his feet. Pushing off the recliner and moving across the room.
He stood in front of his wife and swallowed hard with a small knot. As if trying to tell himself that it was time to tell her the truth of how he felt. ”Sonya….we need to talk….” those words hung in the air for a moment, making the air thicker, and it seemed to weigh them both down. He took a deep breath, unsure of what to say next to Sonia tilted her head and reached out. Her finger is lightly caressing his arm, and Alex instinctively pulled back.
Sonya stepped back to unsure of what to make of all this ”What about?…”
Alex took a sharp inhale, unsure of what to say but knowing he had to say something. He looked Sonya dead in the eye and, without a second thought, pushed the words out of his chest and out of his mouth so they would hang in the ether. ”This…us…. it isn’t working anymore. I haven’t been happy in a long time. And I don’t think you have either. I can’t keep doing this. I think it’s time for it to be over.”
The reaction was fast but not unexpected. Sonya’s eyes welled up with tears as she started to shake. Whether it be from fear or frustration, or anger, it was a visceral reaction. ”What?…why?” before Alex could answer. She kept going straight away, launching into questions that she didn’t really want the answers to. ”Is this because of Aaron??…. is it her?”
Alex rolls his eyes. Not believing that Sonya would go there. He turned away, but she reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him backwards, her voice rising up to a higher pitched octave.
”Is it her? And don’t lie to me.”
Alex ground his teeth together and turned, throwing his arm in the air to get her hands off of him. ”No!” he shook his head, trying to calm himself down, but failing as he could feel his heart racing. The angle was rising mainly because she couldn’t see her own problems, instead choosing to blame someone else. ”She has nothing to do with it. Nothing. This is between you and it’s between me. I just can’t do this anymore.”
”Do what?”
”Be miserable…. I can’t be miserable anymore.”
His words hung in the air. The crushing pressure that had started to surround the making the air heavy, seemed almost unlivable now. They both felt like they were unable to breathe. Alex shook his head and looked away. He didn’t know what else to say to her. Sonya felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. She said nothing else, instead simply turning and walking and going up the stairs to the bedroom. It was all they both had now, the sound of silence. The deafening nature of it.
Unworthy
The sights and sounds of Paris were beautiful. It is one of the most romantic cities in the world. And while others were out enjoying the museums, cafes, and landmarks, Alex Jones was enjoying something else. Sitting back in a hot tub in a penthouse suite, he had Champagne in his hand, and sitting to his left with her head tied up was Aaron asphyxia.
”What a beautiful city. And such a wonderful time. You know, I heard that Kayla Richards is unhappy with us. Because when I beat Finn, I ended her chance of getting a romantic getaway in Paris. Seems like that’s just something else that you stole from her.”
”Oh no, so sad. Anyway….”
She turns and grabs a crab and cream cheese stuffed vol-au-vent, popping it into her mouth, enjoying it as she sits back in the warm bubbly water.
”You know, when I said I was going to end Finn‘s championship reign, a lot of people laughed. I heard the little whispers. I heard everyone saying that I was washed. That I was no longer the wrestler that I used to be. And that’s fine, very few of us are. You get to be my age, and physically, you are the same person that you were 20 years ago. Believe me, I know. I’m not the same person I was back then. Physically, I can’t do the things I could do when I was 20 2122 years old. But who can? So instead, I’ve become something else. Something more dangerous.”
“Finn should have listened. When I told him what I was prepared to do, he should have listened. When I told him that he was going to lose because he wasn’t prepared to do the one thing that he was afraid of, he should’ve listened. If Finn had broken that one rule that he had, if he had listened and used what I had tried to teach him, he would still be the champion. I would applaud him, I would go home, and I would’ve enjoyed the rest of my life. But he failed. He failed in the one thing that he was meant to do, and that was to do everything he could to stay the champion.”
“And now, he’s injured.”
“And I-“
Alex goes to continue, but Aaron can’t help but laugh. She puts her hand over her mouth and then takes another sip of champagne before sliding closer to Alex, finding herself with his arm wrapped around her.
”Sorry, it’s just….. so typical of him. He loses and loses big. You took his championship, you injured him, so now he has to wait to get any sort of revenge if he decides to. And now we are going to take everything else from him, we will take his notoriety, we will take his fame, his irrelevancy, and his gym. His role in your gym, and then when he has nothing, Kayla will leave him. Because I know girls like her, and she will not want to be with someone who isn’t relevant.”
Alex can’t help but chuckle to himself, placing his glass with champagne behind him before continuing.
”The whole point of this is simple. People don’t listen to me when they really should. Finn was too arrogant to. So coming out of that one, I knew I was going to be facing Carter. My main goal was to make sure he listened to me. But he hasn’t. Far from it. But before we get into that, I want to set some serious expectations. You see, Finn had a stranglehold on the championship. That was not good for this company. So, me doing what I did and taking that championship from him? It was an act of love. Love for the professional wrestling business. Love for everything that this company has accomplished and love for everything that it has allowed me to have.”
“It was for the betterment of SCW and the professional wrestling business. And now we get onto what I want. Before I talk about Carter, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I want someone, anyone, to step up and be worthy of the world championship. I want someone to step out of the shadows and come and take this from me. I want someone to earn it and to bring light and love to this championship again. The problem is I don’t think any of you have the heart. Least of all, Carter McKinney”
“I warned you. I warned you when you won the elimination chamber what you were getting into. After I beat Finn and you won that chamber, I walked out, and I said that I was going to go after everyone in your family, and you had to stop me. Everyone you cared about. Now, I may not have gotten to Miles physically, but you know I got to him emotionally. I got to him by destroying his brother. I got to him by destroying his family. I didn’t need to attack Miles, I didn’t need to have a match with him. Because what I did to LJ affects you and Miles. And I warned you what was going to happen, and you just didn’t listen, Carter.”
“You won a match that was growing. A match that had a few killers and a few clowns standing there ready to pounce. But you were somewhere in the middle. Not someone who is completely inept, but also not a killer. Not a Challenger. At least not a real one. Everything you did leading up to that elimination chamber match, and everything you wanted to do, is going to be for nothing. And as much as I like you, and I do, I don’t respect you. And that’s the problem, Carter. I like you and I like what you are trying to do, but I don’t respect you. And why should I?”
Alex slides away from the wall of the hot tub, moving closer to the other side where the camera is set up. Erin takes a sip of her champagne, smiling as she watches Alex get into one of those moods. The mood of a champion.
”Every single time you have had an opportunity to climb that ladder and get to the top, you failed. You have failed time and time again because you just don’t have that killer instinct. The elimination chamber was a moment in time that should have been a brutal, beautiful moment, but instead I was left feeling like you were the winner, not because of skill but because of luck. Because everyone else took each other out and left you alone. That’s what happened to Carter. Every single time it looks like you are going to blast through that glass ceiling and make a name for yourself, you bump your head and roll down the ladder all the way to the bottom. You should be used to that, shouldn’t you? Being a bottom.”
“Oh, too cheap? Well, I gave you an opportunity to run your mouth right before we were going to Paris for this show. You attacked me, and you had your moment in the sun. I was walking backstage. I had the championship, I was reeling from a surprise attack, and you could’ve said anything. You could have said anything. You could’ve looked at my past, and you could’ve pulled anything from there, and what was it you chose to focus on, Carter? This grand moment in the sun, what was it that you chose to focus on?”
“Was it that I was old? Broken down? Was it that I let people like Mac Bain and Jack Washington get under my skin? Did I let Mark Cross get under my skin? Was it the fact that I tried and failed time and time again to come back and reclaim my glory days? Was it the fact that I’m a hypocrite for calling out those older guys for coming back when I’ve just done it myself? Was it the fact I constantly say that people need to earn their stots while walking back in and literally taking one?”
“I have done so much that you could’ve focused on, but instead all you wanted to do is talk about Aaron.”
“And I understand why she is amazing to talk about. That’s what you decided to focus on. You decided to talk so positively about Finn and then so negatively about me because Aaron got involved. Did you miss the fact that I told everyone what I was willing to do to become the champion? You think that’s going to get onto my skin? Mentioning that I had Aaron come out and literally kick Finn Whalen in the nuts.?”
Alex shakes his head and slides backward into his original position, throwing his arms over the back of the hot tub.
”You just don’t get it? You don’t understand, and I don’t think you ever will. To be the champion, you need to have a killer instinct. You need to have this spark about you. You need to be prepared to do whatever it takes to become the champion and then keep the championship. You simply don’t have that. You are decent in the ring, you are, you are athletic, you are tough. I’m not going to sit here and say that you’re not because I know you can take a beating. I know that you can come back time and time again because you have a lot of heart. But, you don’t have the killer instinct.”
“When push comes to shove, I will always be the one who takes it far enough. And sometimes too far. And how are you going to stop me, Carter? How are you going to step forward and stop me from beating you and taking every little shortcut? You want to be able to beat me as some grand statement of intent. You want to show that you can blast through that glass ceiling and that you can win the title for your family and for your husband. It’s all very lovely.”
“But the problem is Carter. And I want you to listen to me when I say this. I will do everything possible to stop you from becoming a champion. Not just because I want someone to step up and beat me, who does have that killer instinct, but also because you simply aren’t good enough.”
“You keep trying over and over again, and we all appreciate it. Everyone loves a good underdog story. But say you do win. What then? If you can shock the world, you’ll go out there with that championship, and all the fans will cheer for you, and it will be a lovely, lovely moment. You’ll be able to hug your husband, then high-five your friends, but then reality will come crashing down because you will have to defend the championship, and you will have a target on your back, and people like you cannot handle that pressure. Like you, like Miles, like LJ, none of you can handle that pressure.”
“So, I’m going to do your favour and make sure you don’t have that pressure. I’m going to take the target away from you and off your back. Out of the goodness of my heart, I’m going to do what they should have done to your career years ago. I’m going to take it out back, aim between the eyes and pull the fucking trigger.”
Blackhole
She was gone. Gone from his life, gone from everyone’s lives. It was a less-than-clean break, but it was still a break. The morning after Alex had laid his entire heart bare, she had decided to leave. Nothing else needed to be said. Sonya didn’t even try to defend herself or her position. She didn’t try to listen to his point of view or apologise. She simply woke up, packed her things, and left. Leaving the house that she shared with him. Taking the children that she had with him. Leaving a phone number for a lawyer so they could get custody and everything else sorted out, because she didn’t want to talk or say anything else.
She didn’t even fight. Confirming what Alex felt. That he was right in their relationship had been over for some time. Dead and buried. Neither of them could bring themselves to admit it until Alex had found his voice.
He was going to fight, but not for her. Not for Sonya. But he was going to fight for his children. He was going to fight for his young daughter and young son. His six-year-old son Kyle and his 4-year-old daughter Emily. He was going to fight for them. He was going to make damn sure that he stayed in their lives. But now the house was empty. And Alex woke up in the morning knowing that he was not going to be able to hear anything. It was going to be silent.
And sometimes the loudest noise you can hear is silence.
Alex woke up, his eyes flooded open and focused. He picked up his phone, noticing the time before sitting up with a groan. Looking next to him, he shook his head. The other side of the bed was empty, something that he had really felt over the last eight years. But here we were. He took a deep breath, getting to his feet and going about his day, having a shower, getting dressed, making coffee, and something to eat. Doing his warm-up run around the block. All of it before heading to the gym. And this is where he knew the day was going to get more interesting but also painful.
This was going to be the first day that everyone was going to notice Sonya's absence. And he knew it. Alex set up the gym, throwing the roller door up, putting down the mats, and tightening the ring ropes. Opening the door into the weight room and into the locker rooms. He tossed the keys back and forth from one hand to the other before walking into the office. He walked over to his desk and stopped cold. Looking up across the floor to the other desk. Her desk. It was cleared out and clean. Alex bought his hand into a fist and lightly tapped his desk before shaking his head, unsure of what to do.
He heard voices. Members of the gym who were turning up ready to work out and get ready for the day. He let out a deep breath and sat down, going over all the paperwork that he now had to re-file and organise. His workload had gone up, but it was all for a reason that in his mind, at least, was justified.
He got to his feet and moved out to the main floor, looking around. Everyone was starting their usual daily routine. Cardio, work, weights, and grappling. The gym was alive and a buzz with movement and life. He smiled and looked down, everything would keep going. Life goes on.
Alex walked around the gym. Keeping an eye on a few things before catching the eye of Alicia Lukas. Alicia walked over and folded her arms over her chest. She took a deep breath and looked at the door leading into the office before looking back at Alex. ”Hey…I need to talk to Sonya, I have an idea that she might enjoy. Is she in?” Alex’s heart sank.
He took a deep breath and shook his head, looking at his longtime friend. ”No….”
Before he could elaborate, Alicia gave a small shrug and stepped back ”That’s cool. I’ll let her know whenever she gets back.”
”She isn’t coming back…”
Those words hung in the air. The air itself was thick with tension. Alicia swallowed hard and folded her arms over her chest, showing that she wasn’t fully comfortable with having this kind of conversation. She took a deep breath and tilted her head before asking the question that was the only one that seemed to matter. ”Why?”
Alex took a deep breath. He knew this was it. The moment when he was going to reveal that everything in his personal life had crumbled and broken down to nothing. But it also needed to happen. When you have a personal life that is so intertwined with your business one stuff like this is bound to happen ”Sonya and I” Alex paused for a moment trying to find the best words to break this news but also knowing that it was better to rip the Band-Aid off then to Finesse it in any way shape or form. ”We have decided that our personal life and professional life need to be separated. She and I are getting a divorce, and because of that, she is leaving Wolfslair. Effective immediately.”
Alicia stayed silent for a moment, taking in all of that information. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly before reaching out and putting her hand on Alex‘s shoulder, realising that this must be much harder for him than it would be for anyone else. She took a deep breath and stepped back, leaving Alex with his thoughts. But she also looked over and narrowed her eyes as she saw Aaron approaching Alex.
Alex swallowed and looked around before opening the office door, allowing her to walk in. The second they were alone, Alex moved toward his desk, moving around it and sitting down. Aaron sighed heavily, looking at the empty desk to the side. ”She left?” Alex nodded slowly. He kept his emotions hidden. He didn’t want to show anything too ostentatious when it came to all of this. But in taking a deep breath, he betrayed those emotional barriers.
Aaron moved through the office before turning and leaning on Sonya’s desk. Her long hair flowed down and framed her face for Alex to see. Aaron was beautiful. And dangerous. ”She signed away her stock in the company. And her rights to the name and business.” Alex sighed. Aaron. Odder as if she was taking in all the information.
Aaron tilted her head; her mind was working 1,000,000 miles a minute, and she looked at Alex. She took a deep breath, preparing to ask a question that she never thought she would have to. ”Was it…was it because of me?”
Alex took a deep breath. Standing up and moving around his desk, and stepped toward her. He shook his head and looked away, sliding his hands into the front pocket of his jeans before answering. His voice was calm, cool, and collected. Designed in a way that was deliberately going to take away her fears and her anxiety. ”No, she thought it did. But it wasn’t you. This was a long time coming. You are right in a way. But it was something that I needed to do. I haven’t been happy with her for a long, long time, Aaron.”
She sighed heavily. As if the weight of the world had lifted off her shoulders. She cleared her throat, sitting on the edge of Sonya’s desk as Alex stepped closer. ”I was right. You do deserve better. You deserve someone who is going to support you and is going to have your back. You deserve someone who is going to help you realise those dreams that you have locked away inside. And she didn’t. I’m glad that I’m not the reason she left, but I’m not going to apologise for anything that I’ve said to you. Because it isn’t wrong, Alex. What you’re feeling, what I’m feeling. It isn’t wrong.”
Alex stepped forward. He looked down into her eyes as she sat on the edge of the desk. He reached out, his thumb and forefinger gripping her chin as he brought her gaze to his. Alex nodded and leaned in, his lips crashing against hers, and after a few moments, he pulled back, their hands and fingers intertwining as Alex put his forehead against Aaron’s. They didn’t say anything else to each other. The truth is that they didn’t need to. They stood there, hands together, forehead to forehead. Enjoying the moment. And for the first time in a long time, Alex felt the cold, dark cloud that was hanging above him disappear.
Part 2: You’re wrong
It is so hard being the champion. Holding that world title and taking it everywhere you go while being recognised is the best in the world. It’s emotionally draining. But very few people are able to handle that level of pressure. Alex Jones is one of them, and he holds the world championship to his chest, sliding it over his shoulder as he moves about looking at different artwork in the world-famous art museum, The Lourve.
”I hope this isn’t being looked at as too cliché or predictable. The last thing I’d want to do is be cliché and predictable. Something that I don’t want to be, especially after my opponent decided to be exactly that. But I look at all this artwork, and I can’t help but wonder what the artists were thinking while they were painting, sculpting, and dreaming. And that’s the truth. Artists are dreamers. They will dream about what they want to create and what they want to convey before putting a brush to canvas or holding a chisel to a sculpture. It’s the truth and it’s the way of things. But what we do is also a form of art.”
“We destroy our bodies and abuse our bodies in the effort to create art. And we do it for all of the people who are fans of this sport. All of the people who pay to get into the building or pay their hard-earned money to watch our supercards. Everyone who decides to watch on television and waits with bated breath for the next instalment of climax control to go up. Everyone who pays their hard-earned money to see a supercar or to go on the cruise that we have every year. People are fans of the art that we create. Whether you hate the individual or love the individual, you are a fan of what we are able to do on that canvas.”
“But professional wrestling isn’t the same thing. Being predictable and cliché in art can still be looked at as charming or artistic. In professional wrestling, it is looked down upon. Frowned upon. And when I look at my opponent, all I can see is someone who has fallen into that trap of being cliché and predictable. And I’m sorry, Carter, I’m sorry because I haven’t been a very good teacher. I hope and pray that you will break out and do something convincing, something that would make everyone believe in you. Including Me.”
“But, when given a chance to step up and be an artist and to be different, all you’ve done is fail. And now I stand here as a failure myself. As a veteran in this business and as someone who has looked at it as a champion and someone who is in a position to teach people like you, I take your failures as my own. And now I’m faced with the pure disappointment of having someone like you fail to do the one thing that they should have done. Be relevant and present in the moment. You didn’t do it, Carter. I laid all these little breadcrumbs for you to follow, and instead of following them and doing everything that you needed to, you fell in a heap and all you did was go after the low-hanging fruit that you thought was going to deliver salvation. But in the end, your art is nothing. It’s boring. And you are undeserving of the world championship, and I’m going to prove it.”
Alex shrugs and keeps walking through the halls, looking at all the artwork. Aaron follows him, wearing a long black dress that makes her look like a piece of artwork as well.
”I laid down all of these little hints that you could’ve latched onto and said something. Instead, what happened was a complete disappointment. All you did was take what you said on climax control and push it out longer. Things that I already destroyed and talked about. You fell into a trap that I laid that I didn’t think you were going to fit into because I thought you were smarter, and in the end, all you did was disappoint me. But at the same time, it’s not your fault.”
“Being a champion, a real champion, is difficult. When I first looked at this company, do you know who the champion was? Think back to when Honor wrestling fell apart, think back to when that company dissolved into nothing. Who was the champion? Fenris. And I was holding off coming to SCW. But Austin just couldn’t wait. He joined the company and went after Fenris, and those two beat the hell out of each other. And when all was said and done, Austin was much kinder to Fenris than I would’ve been. He allowed Fenris to believe he was Austin‘s equal when in reality he wasn’t. And I vowed that I would never allow someone to live in that delusion.”
“You are not getting that from me.”
“You i’m not getting that delusion. I’m not going to stand here and talk about how great you are, Carter. I’m not going to give you a little paddle on the back and tell you that you deserve to be here because the truth is, you don’t. You don’t belong here. You don’t know the pressure that it takes to be a champion, and why would you? You’ve never been put in that position. If you haven’t been a world champion before, you have to fight for that. You have to fight for that respect, and you have to fight for that position, and when you have earned it, you have a weight that is lifted off your shoulders, and you are ready to be the face of the company. But you’re not ready for that. You’re not ready to be the face of the company, and I can’t just stand by and let you fail.”
“I can’t sit back and watch you drag the company down with you.”
“So, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that from happening. You might think of this is arrogance or some kind of bullshit powerplay from Me to divert the focus away from how I want the championship or however you want to frame it. But the truth is that I want someone to beat me who is going to earn it and be ready for that position, and that simply isn’t you. And as I said, it’s not your fault. You’ve never been in that position before, and you don’t know what it takes. You don’t know what needs to be sacrificed to be a champion. I have sacrificed so much to stand at the top of this business, you have no idea. Maybe one day you will, but that moment isn’t now because you simply haven’t got to that point yet.”
Alex stops and lays the championship down in the centre of the room on a black podium. All the other pieces of art are scattered around it, and the championship is sitting there with it all. Showing where Alex believes the SCW world heavyweight championship should be. A work of art.
”Watching you essentially say the same thing over and over again just allowed me to sit back and realise that I was right. There is so much that you could’ve said about me, Carter. So much that I’m sure you’re going to cover in your next little piece of promotional material as we barrel toward our main event. Our match is going to shape the future of this business. And I gave you a chance to show the world that you should be the world champion, and all you did was fumble the ball. All you did was fail. You took everything that you said when you had the ring on climax control and just pushed it out further. You chased me from the ring, and you had a chance to make a statement, and you failed in that moment, just like you failed in this one. You sat there playing guessing games like some kind of child and then went for the low-hanging fruit that was sitting in front of you instead of coming up with something important or something that was meaningful.”
“I am so disappointed in that it breaks my fucking heart.”
“And all you needed to do was be honest. All you needed to do was close your eyes and look inside yourself, and come up with something intelligent to say, and the best you could come up with was talking about how every single person you’ve been in that elimination chamber could’ve beaten me. Really? You think all the people in that chamber had a shot against me? None of them did. You won and came out the other side, and now you have a shot of becoming the world champion, and in your moment of greatness, all you had to say was that the people who you beat could have been in the same position as you and had the same shot? Are you serious?”
“At blaze of glory, you were presented with an opportunity to prove yourself inside that elimination chamber. And for the most part, you did. But to stand there and say that everyone else in there had close to a shot against me is an insult not only to me but also to this world championship. It is also an insult to you because you were supposed to be the best of the best. But you weren’t. You want the best of the best, were you? If you can stand there and admit that everyone else in that match also has a chance to beat me, then you are essentially saying that you weren’t the best, you just kind of stumbled into that position. I want someone who earned that shot, not someone who blindly stepped into it because they were the luckiest person at the time.”
Alex rolls his eyes and continues. Clearly annoyed at Carter‘s words.
”You think that Bill Barnhart stood a chance against me? Or Miles Kasey? Well, of course you think Miles did. What about Jayden Harris? Or how about Eddie Lyons? Miles, I understand because he’s your man. You want to believe that you’re better half still has a chance. But all the others? Eddie and the young Harris? Because they came from wrestling families? The only person in that match aside from you who would’ve stood a chance against me is J2H. He’s the only one in that match whom I would have stood back, thrown my hands in the air, and looked at as an equal. Not anyone else. Your theory about any of them being able to stand up and beat me is laughable. But you went out there on national television and you said that anyone in that match could’ve had a shot against me.”
“Why?”
“To pad your ego?”
“Because you want to feel better about your win? Is that what it is? If my words cut you so deep that you’re going to stand there and make excuses and say that some of those men in the elimination chamber could’ve beaten me, then you are even more weak-willed than I thought you were. If you’re gonna stand there and own your elimination chamber victory, then own it. Say that you are better than any of them. Say that you proved you are better than even J2H. Don’t print around it and dance around it. Own it. The fact that you would say that just goes to show how weak you are. None of them could’ve stood up to me. But you could have. But you fucked up. You fucked up by saying that they were in any way shape or form good enough to face me.”
“You are delusional, boy. Straight delusional, and how you view the professional wrestling landscape and world, and who you believe should have any type of shot against the champion. No matter what you think of me, turning around and saying that someone like Bill Barnhart had a snowball's chance in hell against me shows where your mindset is and shows how weak you are going to be when you step in the ring with a real champion.”
Alex chuckles and shakes his head, rubbing the back of his head.
”This is all part of your grand plan, isn’t it? It’s everything you want. You love playing the underdog. You love having everyone around you telling you that you can’t win because it seems to fuel you when you get to go and run your mouth about how everyone doubts you and how you’re going to overcome the odds. Being the underdog is a choice. But are you really? You stood there and called me a hypocrite. You stood there and talked about how I wouldn’t have beaten Finn if it wasn’t for my lovely other half's help. You are running down my championship rain every chance you get, focusing on everything that I said you shouldn’t. Focusing on me being a hypocrite when I have told you time and time again that I absolutely am and don’t give a shit what you say about it. You think that calling me a hypocrite and calling me out for kicking Finn in the nuts is going to somehow make me feel bad or make me look bad? I flat out told you I don’t give a shit. I told you that I will take every shortcut necessary to keep this championship.”
“But if I’m so bad and I’m so over the hill and not able to beat Finn fairly, then how exactly are you the underdog? If I’m not good enough to hold this championship and how are you the underdog in this story and how are you? The one that everyone needs to focus on? Well, it’s simple. You are the underdog because you need to be.”
“You don’t have anything else, Carter. You need to be the underdog. You need to be the victim. You need to be the one that everyone believes is going to lose. Because, God forbid, people stop believing in you and thinking that you can rise above all of that. God forbid people actually believe that you were going to be the champion because then, when you fail, it’s an even bigger disappointment. You need to be the victim because when you choke, as everyone knows, you are going to. It’s less of a problem. You have those lowered expectations, and when you fail, the expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you don’t feel as bad. It doesn’t hurt as much. You can go home to your husband and shrug and talk about how no one expected you to win anyway, but you gave it the best shot that you could. You are the underdog, and you are the victim because you need to be. Because you don’t have that champion mindset. You don’t have that killer instinct that will allow you to do everything you need to become champion. You would rather make excuses.”
“And that is what separates people like you from people like me.”
“You thrive on being the underdog and being the failure. You keep those expectations low because when you fail, it’s easier to explain them away. If you are allowed people to believe, if you are allowed people to stand there and know that you are going to be the champion and you are good enough to be, and you fail, then those expectations drag them down as far as they drag you down. But if you play the victim, if you talk about how I am such a hypocrite and how I am going to do everything in my power to stop you from becoming champion, and then it happens, well, you get plausible deniability. You get to play the victim all you want. And it’s all because you don’t have the confidence to actually be the champion people think you should be. And that is why you aren’t ready to be the champion.”
“That is why you’ll fail. And that is why what I’m about to do to you is going to be the most beautiful moment of art this company has ever seen.”