Regret
It’s funny how regret can follow you. Like other memories and emotions, regret is something that can follow you throughout your entire life and morph and change. Regret turns to sadness, sadness to anger, and anger to hate, and before you know it, your entire existence becomes all about that one moment you wish you could change. A moment you wish you could go back in time and alter so that the future could be what you wanted it to be.
For Alex, regret had become something as natural as breathing. For the last 20 years, one regret had ruled his life above all others—his younger brother’s death. It was a moment in his life that touched him so deeply that his firstborn son was named after his younger brother. Dylan was born a year after his uncle had died. Alex had tried to be a good father. He was involved in Dylan’s life, even as the relationship with Dylan’s mother disintegrated to the point of breaking.
Alex never let his feelings about Dylan’s mother stop him from wanting to be there as a father.
But as the boy got older, the inevitable happened. He became a teenager and pulled away from both of his parents. Struggling to find common ground with his son, Alex pushed back and became more of a disciplinarian. And as Dylan’s mother pulled away to the point of not even contacting him, Alex instead made sure that he was the one to help forge Dylan into a man. But he wasn’t alone. His wife Sonya had been there for the boy too, becoming a real mother to him as his birth mother faded into memory. But now she was gone too, and the boy was struggling with it—and Alex had no idea how to help him.
”That’s enough for today. Come on.” Alex stood outside the main ring inside the gym. Dylan was inside it, drenched in sweat as a few of the other trainees leaned against the ropes and looked on. Dylan raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he should do. ”Come on kid…”
”But we aren’t done. I still have a few other drills to run and I have some submission classes.”
Alex put his hand up and shook his head. It silenced his son for a moment, the other trainees backing away as they understood the seriousness of the situation. Dylan took a deep breath and exhaled before nodding in acceptance, sliding from the ring and following his father. The two made their way out of the gym and down the street to a small burger place. They walked in, and Alex ordered before sitting down at a table. Dylan looked down and simply waited.
”Mushroom Swiss with caramelised onions and barbecue sauce, right? And a chocolate fudge milkshake?”
Dylan nodded, and a small smile escaped his lips before he forced himself back to his solemn expression. ”Yeah… you remembered….”
Alex sat back and clasped his hands together, tilting his head as he studied his son’s expression. ”Of course. I’m not going to forget something like that…” The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Their drinks arrived and Alex grabbed his milkshake, taking a sip before Dylan followed.
”So… what are we doing here? I’ve got a lot of training to do. You know that more than anyone.”
”I just thought you could use a break.”
”Why? Do you think that I’m falling behind? Am I not keeping up with the other guys physically? A lot of them have been training a lot longer than me, and I think I’ve done really well at being able to keep up with them. But if I need to work harder, then why have we come out here for a burger and a milkshake when I should be back at the gym?”
”D, would you stop?” Alex shook his head. His son took a deep breath and blinked a few times. Alex sighed heavily and sat forward. ”I just… I know you’ve been going through a lot. I mean everything. Over the last couple of years, not even just what happened between myself and Sonya. I just thought you could use a break. To decompress. Maybe just to let us both know that everything is gonna be okay.”
The burgers arrived. Dylan stayed silent for a moment and seemed to be deep in thought. Alex let his son continue thinking, not wanting to interrupt him. If there’s anything Alex had learned over the years, it was that letting someone work through their emotions was usually the best way of getting through to them. After a little bit more time, Dylan finally spoke. ”I know why she left… I know why you and her couldn’t be together….”
”And you know it didn’t have anything to do with you, right? Like, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
He nodded and shrugged before taking a bite of his burger. ”I know. It sucks, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that no matter who else comes and goes from my life, I know that you’re gonna be there, Dad.”
Alex smiled, slowly taking a bite of his own burger before drinking the rest of his shake. They sat there for a moment just enjoying each other’s company. Dylan was right—Alex would never abandon any of his children. But Dylan, being the oldest, was the only one who understood. He was the only one who understood the gravity of the situation. The only one who understood that there would be regret. Anger. The raw emotions that come from losing someone and having a family broken up. Dylan understood. The others wouldn’t. And that was something Alex would definitely regret.
King of the Internet
”Maybe I’ve been looking at this the wrong way. See, the last few weeks I’ve been feeling like I’ve been demoted. Kicked out from the main event scene. Stopped from getting a rematch for the world championship that I so surely earned. You see, people tend to forget that I was the one who ended Finn Whelan’s reign. I was the one who took the championship from him and stopped the mediocrity that it had become.”
Alex paced back and forth, breathing deep as he refocused and tried to push down all the anger he was currently feeling.
”Then in one moment of weakness Carter was able to take that championship from me. And instead of getting a rematch I had to sit back and watch as he defended it against J2H. Everyone applauded, everyone loved it, he was viewed as a hero because he had vanquished someone whose ego was writing checks his actual ability could not cash. And now J2H is gone. Something we should all celebrate. There are only so many egos that can fit in this company and his ego was rivalling the size of mine—and I just couldn’t have that. So if Carter wasn’t going to get rid of him, it was going to fall to me.”
“But I didn’t have to. What I did do was beat Carter while he was the champion. I want you all to think about that. Think about the fact that in this business, if you beat the champion, you should become the number one contender. But that didn’t happen with me, did it? I beat the champion and then promptly got forgotten about. Forced to stand to the side while someone who is one of my trainees gets a shot ahead of me, and I am put in a match with three idiots fighting over a championship that is beneath me.”
“And it is beneath me.”
“That might seem arrogant to so many of you, but it’s true. Hell, it’s even beneath Eddie Lyons. Eddie should be going for that world championship. I should be going for that world championship. Bill Barnhart is the type of person who should be going for the Internet championship. Along with Miles, because he has had infinite chances to become world champion and just keeps falling on his ass. And as personally entertaining as it is for me to watch Miles fail constantly, again and again, it is getting a little bit tiring when I haven’t even had my rematch for that world championship after beating his fucking husband.”
Alex growled and threw his hands in the air.
”But I am going to take all of this chicken shit and turn it into chicken salad. I am going to go into this Tables, Ladders and Chairs match and walk out with the Internet championship. Because I can. And because I need to prove a point. Eddie Lyons thinks he’s better than me. He thinks he is the next big thing, that he deserves to be a champion and I don’t. The other three men in this match all deserve to have me beating the crap out of them for various reasons. Eddie is standing in front of me due to his own hubris. A man who believes he is worthy of standing as an equal to someone like me when in reality he is nowhere close. As much as he wishes he was one of the best of the best, the truth is that Eddie Lyons is a bridesmaid who will never be a bride.”
“But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you Eddie? You stood there and told me that legends don’t have to remind people of their legend. Listen to yourself. Do you know the kind of people we deal with? You may think I’m an arrogant, smug piece of shit, and you might think that I treat you like an afterthought, but I want you to look at everyone else in this company. See, while you are smart enough to acknowledge everything I’ve done and everything I’ve been through, the majority of people we face on a weekly basis don’t. Do you think Bill Barnhart has the same level of respect for my career as you do?”
“He doesn’t… many don’t.”
“You want to look down on me because I’m willing to take shortcuts? Really, you should be looking up to me because I’m the only one honest enough to admit it. How many have lied to your face? Really Eddie, how many have lied to your face and made you look like a fool because you believed them out of the goodness of your heart, only for them to betray you? You are a patsy to people who eat you up and destroy you because they are willing to pull the trigger when you aren’t. You don’t have a killer instinct. You don’t have what it takes to become a real champion, so you constantly come back to the Roulette or the Internet championship, knowing that they are attainable. World championships will always elude you until you can pull your head out of your ass and become unbreakable…”
He couldn’t help but laugh at himself, using Eddie’s own nickname against him.
”But there is still hope for Eddie Lyons. Something I cannot say for Miles Kasey. A kid who had all the talent in the world, talent that I saw and wanted to nourish. Talent that everyone in this company and in this business has been willing and wanting to explode. We have all been waiting, Miles. All of us. We’ve been wanting you to live up to that potential. To lead us into a new era. To become a world champion. In the end, we were wrong about you. Your husband is the world champion and he’s the one who broke through that glass ceiling before you. And if I’m being completely honest, you are the last member of your family that deserves that spot.”
“Shit, at this point LJ should be going for the world championship. LJ should be in this match instead of you. You are boring and uninteresting, and every single time I look at you, I wonder why I wasted so much of my time trying to teach you how to be a real professional wrestler. All of that time, all of that effort, everything I ever did for you, and all you have done is piss it away with stupid decisions. You wanted a world championship match? You should have gone up to Finn and asked for it. And then if he said no, you should’ve punched him in the mouth face-to-face. But you didn’t. And now you wanna come up with some kind of lame excuse as to why you fail, while also telling me that I’m a hypocrite for doing what I did to Finn.”
“But there is a difference between you and me, Miles. You were friends with him. Finn cared about you. He and I? We’ve always hated each other. And yes, his ex-wife fell for me, his ex ex-wife wanted me to make his life a living hell and to take that world championship from him—but he and I were never friends. You were. And you took that friendship and pissed it down the toilet all for a shot at something you could never win, because you simply do not have that level of talent. And you do not have the talent to beat me. And that’s what you’re going to have to do to become the Internet champion.”
“Beat me…”
“And I have to tell you, kid, I don’t see you being able to do it. You’ll try. You’ll make grand statements about how you are going to overcome being an underdog, and how you are going to rise up and break through that glass ceiling—but in the end, you just won’t be good enough. This is the cycle you’ve gotten yourself into and unlike others, you do not have the will or the way to pull yourself out of it. You are spiralling right down the toilet bowl. And you can’t pull yourself away. I hope that I’m wrong about you. I really do. I hope that I fail to become the Internet champion and that I look up to see you holding that title over your head—but I just can’t see it.”
He chuckled and rolled his eyes before folding his arms over his chest, shifting his focus to the final man in this match.
”But at least Eddie and Miles have something about them that can be considered a redeemable quality. Bill, on the other hand, has nothing like that. It’s been said many times that this company would be better off if Bill and his wife just left and took Felix with them—and I stand by that statement. But do you know why I stand by that statement, Bill? Do you know why every single time I have been put into a match with you, all I do is roll my eyes and feel sick to my stomach that I have to deal with you? Because it has nothing to do with the type of man you are. You are a professional wrestler, you are a fat, tough human being who can take a beating. You love your wife, you love your dog. You have your friends. There is nothing inherently wrong with you as a man.”
“You simply live your life, try hard, and want to do what you love as a profession. The reason I despise you so much, Bill, is because you are taking up opportunities for others. Here we are in this four-way match for the Internet championship and you did nothing to earn it. You got placed in this match as a warm body because we needed an extra. You are not going to win this match. You are not going to be the Internet champion. You are not going to get anywhere close to that championship, and every single person in that arena knows it. Miles knows it. Eddie knows it. I know it.”
“Shit… deep down, you know it.”
“But you are still going to fumble-fuck your way through a promo, you are still going to turn up to this match, you are still going to attempt to win it and get in all of our ways. You are still going to be involved in all of this and at the end of the day, all you are doing is making a nuisance of yourself because you cannot be a real challenge. So the four of us are going to do everything we can to win this title. We are going to do everything we can to grab a hold of it and give it a better life than it had around Kevin fucking Carter’s waist. And while part of me thought of it as a demotion, I’m now seeing that the Internet title needs me. It needs my experience. It needs my name. It needs everything that I am so the Internet championship can thrive and become a prize. That is something the three of you simply cannot do. So I’m going to save it, and I’m going to become the King of the Internet.”
Sabrina had pushed for this night. Eddie wasn't fully sold on the idea of being away from Jordan for a night. Sabrina argued that she needed this. Something about being pregnant for nine months and just needing a night out. Something else about Eddie needing to clear his mind and stop focusing so hard on his Internet Championship match. She wanted a night for just the two of them, in Miami Beach was definitely a solid choice for a young married couple to have a night on the town.
But he was still a parent, and concerned about his child.
They had a nice dinner earlier, and then Sabrina wanted to come to this little ice cream shop because it “looked cute.” and then she said something about salsa dancing.
“Jordan will be fine.” said Sabrina “I left Cleo with everything she needs, diapers, wipes, freshly pumped milk. We made Cleo her Godparent for a reason. Our daughter is in good hands.”
“I know.” said Eddie as he looked across the table at his wife. “Maybe I should just check in….make sure.”
“No.” said Sabrina stopping Eddie as he reached for his phone “This night is for us. Cleo will call us if she needs anything or if there's any problems.”
“Okay okay I get it.” said Eddie sheepishly
“Good.” said Sabrina “Now finish your boring chocolate ice cream.”
"Excuse me, it's Double Chocolate Mocha Fudge Chunk.” Eddie corrected her with a grin.
“Well it can't be as good as my strawberry cheesecake bliss.” she said
“Is that right?” said Eddie as he grabbed a spoon, reached across the table and stole a bite of her ice cream.
“Hey that's mine!” she protested as he swallowed the bite.
“You're right. Yours is better.” he said
Without warning she reached across the table, grabbed a spoonful of his ice cream and swallowed it down in one bite.
“Yep mine's better.” she said “Yours is just… too much going on."
“Hey it's still pretty good.” Eddie said.
“Just not as good as mine.” Sabrina grinned.
Eddie leaned forward with his spoon once more and felt a hand swat it away.
“Don't even think about it.” Sabrina said looking him in the eye.
Defeated, Eddie pulled his spoon back to his own cup with a cheeky grin.
They sat there enjoying their time together play fighting over the ice cream like a couple of kids. Eventually the cups emptied and there was no more ice cream to play fight over.
“You feel that Eddie Lyons?” Sabrina said.
“Feel what?” Eddie asked.
“La Pasión.” Sabrina smiled.
He felt her hand grab him and pull him away out the ice cream shop. He could already feel the nerves tensing up. He didn't know how to dance, but he had agreed to go salsa dancing because Sabrina really wanted to, and he wanted to be a good husband so he just hoped he didn't embarrass himself too much.
____________
The sound of Latin percussion instruments hit Eddie in the chest like a stiff chop. The place was alive with music and couples dancing along to the trumpets and congas on the dance floor.
“You sure you don't want to just walk along the beach instead?” Eddie said trying to move back to the door
“Don't even try it.” said Sabrina grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the floor, as the live band started playing “Me Liberé”
“I'm going to trip over myself…” Eddie said.
“Just try..” said Sabrina, “All you need to do is feel la pasión. Free your mind and let the music guide you.”
Eddie began to move, immediately stumbling over the music, stiff shoulders and clumsy feet almost colliding with a nearby couple he looked over at Sabrina, who was snickering at him.
“You're thinking too much Eddie Lyons.” Sabrina said “Just follow me.”
He exhaled heavily and took her hand, letting her take the lead as the music began to guide him, the horns grew louder and the congas rolled on. The next thing he knew he was twirling Sabrina under his arm and she looked back at him with a smile when he dipped her.
“My Lion.” she said fanning herself with a smile.
He smiled back and pulled her back up and the two moved in rhythm together.
"You're doing it." Sabrina said.
“It's la pasión” Eddie said back to her with a smile.
“See I told you it was easy.” she said
“I'm not even sure what I'm doing.” he said back to her twirling her under his arm
“That's the point.” she said “You just feel la pasión and go with it.”
Before he realized it they had been dancing to about three different songs. He didn't even understand the lyrics but it didn't matter he was moving with more confidence and his mind felt free of worry. He was just feeling la pasión the music was letting off.
“See how it works when you don't overthink?” said Sabrina
The music was intoxicating and watching Sabrina move was even more so, as the tempo changed he effortlessly pulled Sabrina into a spin.
As the song came to an end they both moved off the dance floor to grab some water from the bar.
“You know I've been in a lot of grueling matches.” that he said “But that was pretty damn exhausting.”
“Well you did pretty good out there.” said Sabrina
“Just pretty good?” said Eddie, eyebrow raised.
“Don't push it.” she grinned back.
“This is actually pretty fun. I'm enjoying myself.” said Eddie.
“See, what did I tell you?” said Sabrina “You just need to stop worrying about everything else.”
"Yeah I really needed this, thanks babe." said Eddie.
“We needed this.” she said smiling back at him “A night for just us, free of everything else. Been kind of a busy year for us, with the wedding and Jordan and everything. It's nice just to have a free night.”
“Wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else.” said Eddie softly kissing his wife.
“Real quick, before the next song I need to run to the girls room.” she said.
“Don't keep me waiting too long.” said Eddie, smiling.
He watched her walk off toward the restroom area and just sat there enjoying the music for a couple minutes before he felt the strange tug at his chest.
He wasn't sure why but it pulled them in the same direction she had waited over toward the restroom area and that's when he saw her, just outside the ladies room with her phone.
“She's already asleep?”
“Did she eat?”
“Okay that's good.. thank you Cleo, and just text me if you need anything.”
Sabrina turned and froze when she saw him.
“A night without worry eh?” he said with a grin
“I…uh..” Sabrina stammered.
“It's okay.” said Eddie. “You could have just said so, you know I'm worried about her too. So is she okay?
“Yeah she's fine, she ate and now she's asleep.” said Sabrina “Her and Cleo watched something called Hip Hop Harry.”
“What the hell is Hip Hop Harry?” asked Eddie.
Sabrina shrugged.
“Beats me.” she said
He could hear another song starting and took Sabrina's hand.
“May I have this dance, mi amor?” he smiled.
She smiled back and took his hand, and they were back on the floor dancing the night away. Now both their minds free of any worry their daughter was fine tonight was for them and this is just what Eddie needed before facing what lay ahead of him next. I was just giving into the night and feeling la pasión.
__________
The camera cuts open on Eddie Lyons sitting on a wooden bench inside a locker room. Nothing flashy just him with his hands taped and a gym bag beside him. He leans forward with his elbows on his knees keeping his steady gaze on the camera.
“Here I am with another opportunity for another championship.” said Eddie “With so many wondering if I'll fail to reach up and grab it like I have so many times before. The honest answer is, maybe. But just like every time before I'm not going to sit around and let that happen. I'm going to go in and do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen because I'm tired of reaching it's time Eddie Lyons finally grabs his glory.”
He pauses.
“So who do we have this time?” he said “Well we have Bill Barnhart scuttling in once again. The cockroach of Sin City Wrestling. That's really the best way to describe you isn't it Bill? Because however many times you get stomped out and thrown to the side you keep crawling back into opportunities you don't deserve and matches you don't belong in. You might survive long enough to make some noise but eventually somebody squashes you.”
He exhales slowly.
“You're never the guy people worry about when you're in the room.” Eddie said “You're not the threat people worry about when they see your name on the lineup, you're just an annoyance and a pest that everyone knows is going to get stepped on but is never going to go away.”
Eddie straightens up his posture slightly.
“You didn't even make it into this match because you earned it “ said Eddie “You're here because that fourth slot needed to be filled, and Miles Kasey felt bad for you and suggested it. That's the truth. You're a charity case Bill. You're in this match because Miles Kasey decided ‘hey we need a fourth, why not throw Bill Barnhart in there?.’ He might disguise it as respect, but to me it sounds like Miles is just letting the cockroach crawl across the floor because it's easier than reaching for the shoe.”
His tone begins to harden as he speaks.
“I'm not here because of pity Bill.” said Eddie “I'm here because I fought and earned every opportunity I've ever been given. I'm not going to walk into this TLC match like another night of survival. I'm going to walk in with something you wouldn't understand if you made it through ten lifetimes. I'm coming in with la pasión.”
He lets his words hang in the air has he slightly leaned forward again
“You spend most of your time just trying to exist Bill “ said Eddie “You try not to get squashed too fast. You survive, but you never live. But that's not me. I'm letting la pasión guide me. That's what's going to guide me to the Internet Championship, because I'm not just going to scrape by and hang on. I'm not looking to merely survive though I'm looking to live.”
He keeps his gaze intently on the camera.
“In a match like this, living means I don't stop moving forward.” said Eddie "I don't stop fighting until that Internet Championship is in my hands. I'm chasing Legacy and you will continue to be the cockroach scuttling around underneath while the rest of us fight for the light.”
He chuckles to himself, bitterly.
“You are a durable guy Bill. I'll give you that.” he said “You always find a way to stick around and maybe that makes you dangerous to some. But I don't see you as dangerous, I see you as wasted time. I see you as a man who's been given more chances and he deserves and hasn't made anybody really believe he belongs. At TLC you're just going to be another obstacle, another bug under my boot and I'll squash you like so many others have done before me.”
He exhales again.
"You wouldn't even be in this conversation if it wasn't for Miles throwing your name out there." said Eddie "When they look back on the match they're still not going to talk about you. They will talk about me, they will talk about Miles Kasey and they'll even talk about Alex Jones. But you'll just be forgotten again because cockroaches don't leave legacies, they just keep coming back until one day they're finally crushed for good.”
Another short pause.
“You can hang on as long as you want Bill." Eddie said, "When it's all said and done, I will be the one standing with la pasión burning in my chest and the Internet Championship raised high above my head, because I don't just survive, I conquer.”
He gives a confident smirk into the camera.
“And then we have Miles Kasey.” he said “You're the exact opposite of Bill Barnhart. You don't sneak into opportunities, you earn them. You thrive because you have something inside most don't. You have la pasión. That feeling that burns in your chest. I know what it feels like because I have the same feeling. It's that feeling you get when you're fighting for more than just yourself. It's for those of us that fight with heart and something bigger than just the spotlight.”
Eddie's words come through with a more respectful tone this time.
“I don't see a cockroach when I look at you.”:said Eddie “I see a warrior. Someone that loves doing this just as much as I do, and someone who clawed and scratched to get where they are. Someone who's bled to be in this position and I'll never disrespect you for that. I know you're dangerous Miles and anybody who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.”
He pauses, keeping his eyes locked on the camera.
“That's where the problem lies Miles.” Eddie said “Respect. My respect for guys like you has cost me before. Too many times I've stepped into the match with guys I respected and it held me back. I didn't hit as hard, I didn't push as far as I should have because in the back of my mind I had that lingering thought that this guy deserves my respect. So I held back and they pushed forward, guys like Aiden Reynolds your husband Helluva Bottom Carter have gone on to get everything I wanted forcing me to sit wondering why I let my respect for them hold me back.”
He clenches a fist tightly.
“Not this time Miles.” said Eddie “I'm not going to let that respect stop me from doing whatever the hell I need to climb that ladder and take that Internet Championship for myself. I'm not going to hold back and I won't hesitate, because in this kind of match respect doesn't matter. The chairs don't care about respect. The tables don't care about respect. The ladders don't care about respect. All that matters is who survives the carnage and who climbs the fastest and grabs the title making it theirs, and this time it's going to be me."
He pauses.
“You have la pasión Miles.” said Eddie “That can't be denied. But mine has been resharpened and refocused. I've let go of the overthinking, stopped worrying about the steps and I'm just letting la pasión guide me. I was out dancing with my wife when I realized that that's what I needed to do the entire time, just let go and get it done and I don't care if it's you that stands across from me, this time I'm going to get it done. “
He exhales behind a self comforting smile.
“You're a real fighter with a heart that won't quit.” said Eddie “I realize how dangerous that makes this match but if I have to shove you off a ladder and drop you through a table to realize my dreams, then so be it because respect isn't going to win me a championship. La pasión is, and right now mine's burning hotter than it ever has. “
He nods confidently.
“I'm not hesitating anymore Miles.” said Eddie “If you want that Championship then you better fight like hell and give me everything you got. I'm not pulling any punches and I'm not stepping lightly. I'm not concerned about your feelings, or Carter's feelings or any of the respect I have for the two of you. I'm worried about one thing and that's climbing each and every rung of that ladder and taking that championship home to show my girls.”
He exhales again.
“When the smoke settles and you see me standing tall with that title in my hands.” said Eddie “It won't be because I disrespected you, but it's because I didn't let respect stop me. You have la pasión Miles but mine is brighter and in the end it's going to allow me to leave violent conduct as SCW internet Champion.”
He pauses shortly, keeping his eyes ever locked on the camera.
“And of course that brings us to Alex Jones.” Eddie said “Now you're not just trying to survive like Bill, but you don't exactly have the honor that someone like Miles has. You've been in the main event and have had a career most can only dream of. But you did it by slithering through the cracks and bending the rules. You may not be a cockroach but you're definitely a snake.”
He shakes his head.
“And there's people like you that will point out that it's worked for you.” said Eddie “They'll point to all your accomplishments as proof that your shortcuts pay off, but I don't buy it. All I see when I look at you Alex is the corners you cut to get there and that's not something I respect one bit.”
Another short pause.
“But that doesn't mean I'm underestimating you.” said Eddie. "I know how dangerous you are. You want that grand slam and you're one win away from getting it. The. SCW Internet Championship is that one piece missing from your collection. I've been around people like you. I've got them in my family and when people like you set their eyes on history, they'll do whatever it takes to grab it. And in a match like this, you become even more dangerous with the rules thrown out the window. But as dangerous as it makes you, it also makes you predictable.”
He grins.
“You learned that the last time we faced off didn't you?” said Eddie “You tried to bring that chair into play and set me up. But you didn't catch me, you caught yourself and were the victim of your own doing. I broke you up for the victory proving that you can't always sneak your way to a win. Sometimes you end up biting your own tail.”
He shrugs.
“I guess that's the difference between us Alex.” said Eddie “You've had the world titles and all your accolades, but I don't stoop to shortcuts to get what I want. I don't play dirty because I have something you can't buy and can't cheat your way into. I have la pasión. The fire that burns in my chest that pushes me past all the pain and doubt and makes me unbreakable. It's a fire that doesn't fade and in a chaotic match like TLC that's what's going to carry me through not tricks or desperation just la pasión.”
He pounds a fist against his chest, firmly.
“You've been here long enough to know how these matches go Alex.” Eddie said “Bodies get broken and careers are going to get shortened. Everybody walks in ready to handle it, but they always walk out changed. You can walk in with your bag of tricks, looking at this as another opportunity to add another accolade to your collection but I'm telling you now, your shortcuts won't save you. The only thing that matters is who really wants it more and who's willing to climb higher and that someone is Eddie Lyons because he's the one that is going to let la pasión guide him all the way to the Internet Championship.”
He takes another short pause to get some air.
“You want your grand slam?” said Eddie “You're not getting it at my expense. Not this time. I've already proven I can beat you, and that your tricks aren't going to be enough to stop me and I'll prove it again at Violent Conduct. It won't be with a roll up this time either, it'll be with la pasión leading me up that ladder to etch my name into the history books while you come to realize that your shortcuts just weren't enough to stop Eddie Lyons.”
He rises to his feet, his aura and eyes full of determination.
“Four men with four different stories.” said Eddie “We're all going to make our statements but only one of us is going to climb that ladder and take that vacant championship for ourselves and begin a new era here in SCW. It's going to be me, it's my time. It's time Eddie Lyons sits at the top and you all finally understand what I mean when I say that la pasión burns the brightest in me.”
With that he gives a nod to the camera and walks off has everything fades to black