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Supercard Archives / Didn't see this coming.
« on: November 11, 2024, 09:58:47 AM »
Sunday 3rd November 2024.
"Excuse me mate, you can't stay here." A female voice says.
"Huh?" A gruff slur replied.
Eyes started to open as the blur around the man tried to come in to focus, but just a shiny brown wood can be seen, before something clear and distorted came in to view.
"Ben mate, wake up." the female voice says once more in a soft tone.
His eyes flickered to realise that he was in a bar. The camera moves around to show the man as none other then Ben Jordan, well, a version of Ben Jordan at least. His hair was wild and overgrown, almost to the point of being matted. His beard, that when grown was usually very neatly trimmed, was long and unkempt.
"Ugh." He says in a rough tone. "I did it again didn't I?"
Ben lifts his head up to see he's in a bar, the voice belonging to the young female standing behind and looking at him with a frown on her face.
"Third time this week." She says with a half smile.
"I'm becoming as bad as that menace that comes in here and tries to chat you up, buying you drinks while his missus sits next to him." Ben says as he puts his arm on the bar, forcing himself upright. "The one that's loud and lairy and thinks he's untouchable, forget his name but he's got a really grating voice, like he's talking out his hooter all the time."
"Except he does that and you fall asleep." She says as she puts a glass away. "What happened to you? You never used to be like this."
Ben clears his throat, trying to focus on things around him, but blinks rapidly as he looks around, seeing no other customer in the pub on this cold Sunday night in London.
"Who bloody knows?" Ben says with a roll of his shoulder. "One minute you're the popular geezer, who everyone wanted to know cause you fought for belts while wearing no strides, the next, you become forgotten or a normal every day Joe and well, life changes and ya fall asleep on the bar."
She didn't really know how to respond to that but flashed Ben a sympathetic smile.
"I'm a normal geezer just having a tough time." He reassures her. "I'll bounce back soon, or bugger off to a remote island with no bars to have a kip on."
"Look, I'm closing up." She told Ben "It's only ten but there's no one else about right now. Why don't you get home and get some sleep? Might feel better in the morning."
Ben stands up in silence, not directly answering her, and stops for a second to balance.
"Yeah, good night." He says, trying not to slur another word.
He makes his way towards the door, acting as sober as he possibly could before taking a step down and on to the street. Silence moves around him, just the sound of a car passing by on the main road a few hundred yards behind him as he looked across the road to his home. He walks as best as he could across the little road and just a few seconds later, he was standing outside the apartment building on the River Thames that he lives in. He stumbles around in his pocket, eventually finding his keys and uses the fob to open the door. With a quick pull, Ben walks through and towards the elevator. He tries to hit the button and third time of asking, his thumb hits the mark and the door opens.
"Knew that button was there somewhere." He mutters to himself as he steps in.
It only take a few seconds before Ben reaches his front door, the sound of a key sliding in to the lock. Ben turns the key but nothing happens.
"Bollocks, wrong key." He says out loud to no one in particular.
Another few seconds pass before he finds the right key, moving it in to the lock and turning.
"Tada!" He says with a slight slur as he walks in to the apartment.
He shuts the door behind him and walks in, stepping through a pile of pizza boxes in the dirty apartment. Bear raises his head from where he laid, but instantly put it back down again, returning to his slumber.
"Blimey." Ben says looking at Bear. "Burglar would have no problems with you, would they?"
He walks towards the sofa and sits down, pushing away a half eaten kebab to make room for himself and reaches for the remote control, switching on the big screen television he had in the living room. SCW had not long started live and Ben watches for a few seconds before something flashes up on screen.
"Open invitational rumble." he says to himself.
Leaning back, his mind races back to his glory days, the good old days where he felt the rush. That rush was something he knew deep down has been missing from his life. He turns his head to a nearby mirror, looking at himself, the grey hairs in his beard reminding him that he isn't the man he used to be.
"Don't even think about it, Ben." He tells himself. "You're not that guy anymore, not any guy anymore. Your life has become depression again and falling asleep in boozers. Your life has become a shadow of what it used to be. You're Ben Jordan by name only these days, you're not Ben Jordan the wrestler anymore, you got what you wanted. You wanted to be a normal bloke and come home, you come home and now you are a normal bloke."
He sighs to himself.
"You're just a normal guy now." He repeats to himself. "The bloke down the pub."
He puts his head in his hands.
"You're just him now." He says to himself. "You never got the send off and you was ok with that, so why do I feel like I should? I mean it's High Stakes though, biggest show of the year."
He reaches out to the table, picking up a bottle of whiskey,
"I just can't do it." He says sadly. "I'm just a sad little man these days, dead inside, drinking myself to death with no way back, but what if that could make me feel alive, just one more time?"
He unscrews the cap from the whiskey and takes a long drink.
"What if..." He mutters with a huge slur.
He reaches in to his pocket, picking out his phone and narrows his eyes as he tries to focus through drunken eyes at his phone. He raises it to his ear.
"Great, voicemail." He says with a sigh. "Mate... I need your help."
Monday 4th November 2024
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"What the..."
Ben's eyes slowly open up and he finds himself on the sofa, hugging a less full whiskey bottle from the night before.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
He rolls off the sofa and on to the floor, lifting the whiskey bottle above his head to stop it from breaking. He looks towards the wall, seeing the time from a nearby clock.
"Seven in the morning?" He says with disbelief. "What the bloody hell?"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
He pulls himself to his feet as the fists continue to pound on the door to his apartment and he stumbles towards it, still wearing the old faded jeans he wore the night before. He reaches the handle to open the door to see none other then...
"Fenris?" Ben says as he tries to focus.
Fenris stood on the other side of the door, looking at Ben, up and down.
"You look like shit." Fenris says as he looks his friend up and down.
"Charming as ever." Ben says as he reaches out a hand to shake Fenris.
"And you stink like booze." Fenris says in a berating tone. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"Never mind that." Ben replies with a creaking voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Fenris pushes past Ben and in to the apartment, dragging a suitcase behind him.
"Come on in." Ben says sarcastically before shutting the door.
Fenris stops and looks at Ben, scratching his head.
"You called me last night, saying you needed help, talking shit about needing to wrestle in that Rumble thing for SCW." Fenris tells him.
A look of confusion crosses over Ben's face as he looks towards Fenris, his mind trying to drift back to the events of the night before. Alcohol was still in Ben's system from the night before, the alcohol still seeping through his brain.
"I did?" Ben questions. "I really don't remember that at all."
"Do you want me to play the voicemail?" Fenris asks firmly.
"Nah." Ben replies. "No geezer wants to hear about how he made a prat of himself the night before because of alcohol."
He looks as Fenris as Fenris takes a seat in a chair.
"Wait, you flew all the way here, based on a voicemail." Ben says confused. "How did you get here so quick?"
"No shit Sherlock." Fenris says with a roll of his eyes. "As soon as I heard the voicemail, I got on a plane and came here. I got here quick because of a little thing called a time difference. The fuck is wrong with you? You used to go all over the world, you know of time differences."
Ben slumps down on the sofa and looks across at Fenris.
"That was the old me." Ben tells him. "I haven't left the Isle of Dogs since I left SCW. I go as far as the pub, or to the park with Bear and that's it. I get everything I need delivered."
Fenris looks around, noticing the pile of pizza boxes and takeaway containers.
"So I see." Fenris remarks. "Seriously, what the fuck happened to you? You look like you're a homeless man squatting in a rich guys house."
Ben sighs as he turns away slightly ashamed.
"How long you got to listen to this one?" Ben asks.
"As long as it takes." Fenris replies as he leans back in his chair.
"The truth is mate." Ben stumbles out. "I ain't doing so good."
"Don't tell me, Evie came back and you turned in to shit again." Fenris says with a smirk.
Ben slowly shakes his head.
"Nah, no idea where she is in the world, dropped off the face of the earth, probably playing James Bond again." He replies with a shrug. "I came home to this place cause I thought it would be good for me, old friends, family, I just wanted to be Ben Jordan again. Just Ben from across the road, just Ben, the friendly geezer in the pub buying the odd pint. I didn't want to be the local celebrity, and I got what I wanted, but the problem with that is that you learn a lot about who you are and what you become when you do that. You become the real you because you see the real you and this me, he ain't so good."
"What are you talking about?" Fenris asks, as his face changes to concern.
"I don't add a thing to life anymore." He says seriously. "Every morning I get up without a purpose and it drags me down. Every morning I get up and I go on that balcony and wonder what would happen if I took a dive in to the river. I never do, so I drink myself in to stupidity because I am no one anymore. I've had my issues with depression and anxiety and I left SCW because I was gonna break, I thought coming back here would fix me, give me a connection but nah."
Fenris rubs his chin, not sure what to say.
"It's not like I don't get offers to do things, because I do, but it's all the celebrity rubbish that nearly broke me." Ben says with a slow shake of his head. "And there's no need for me to go get a real job, because I don't need the money, so I'll be taking work from some fella or lady with a family to feed."
"You could open your own business." Fenris offers. "I thought you wanted to buy pubs."
"I thought about buying the boozer." Ben says. "Probably have with the amount of dosh I've pissed away in there lately, but the government budget has made a lot of businesses struggle and the arse is falling out of the pub game. People can't afford to go out and owners can't afford to stay in business. I don't need the stress of that."
"What about charity work?" Fenris asks. "You did a shit ton of that before."
"I send money all over the place." Ben tells Fenris. "But it's the boots on the ground thing I can't do. I literally leave this house to walk the dog and to get pissed up. No other reason."
Fenris stands up and looks at Ben, his hands on his hips.
"Well, now you do." Fenris tells him. "That invitational Rumble."
Ben winces at the thought and shakes his head.
"Mate, that was the booze talking." Ben informs him. "Just beer bollocks. I wasn't serious. I was tanked up and everything sounds doable after a drink."
"I did not fly half way across the fucking world to help you out, only for you to change your mind." Fenris says through gritted teeth. "So get your ass in the shower because you stink like a fucking brewery, and get your running shoes on."
Ben tilts his head apprehensively.
"Honestly, I was just talking bollocks..." Ben says softly. "No need to worry, let's just go get some breakfast, couple of pints when the pub opens, and call this a holiday."
"GET! NOW!" Fenris barks.
Ben puts his hands up and moves towards the bathroom.
"Oh, and no more alcohol till after the match." Fenris orders.
"But..." Ben calls out from behind the door.
"Hurry the fuck up!" He yells back to Ben...
Thursday 14th November 2024.
"Five more!" Fenris demands.
Ben does another pull up in a nearby local gym, followed by a second, third.
"Can't we just make it three?" Ben asks
"Two more!" Fenris yells out.
Reluctantly, Ben struggles to do the forth, then finally the fifth before slumping to the floor, dropping to his knees before dropping back on his behind. The sweat dripped off the body of the Englishman, his long scruffy beard even more displaced, his hair matted with perspiration.
"Four days and you're already in better shape then you was." Fenris says with a touch of pride.
"Could have done without running in the poxy cold at five every morning." Ben tells him. "Why didn't I call Jamie or Max? They wouldn't have kicked my aris this much."
Fenris reaches out a hand and pulls Ben to his feet, offering Ben a bottle of water. Ben takes it and opens the lid, thirstily drinking down the clear liquid.
"You answered your own question." Fenris replies. "Somewhere in that thick skull of yours, you knew you needed this. I would bet that all this working out and shit has made you feel better. Max and Jamie wouldn't have pushed you this far."
Ben pulls the water bottle away from his mouth.
"You're probably right." Ben admits. "They won't push me that far and you're not wrong either. Sweating my knackers off eight hours plus a day has oddly brightened me up. I felt like I actually had something to do."
"We're not done yet, we have over two weeks for that match." Fenris reminds him.
"I don't know if I need the match." Ben says with a shrug. "I mean not now, I feel better, doing all this has given me a purpose and I haven't even called anyone about it yet."
"You think I came over here to waste my time?" Fenris says with a dangerous tone. "I left everything behind to be here. I got on a plane and came here, away from everyone and everything just because you needed this and here I am. You're doing that match or I'm gonna kick your ass myself and you know I can."
"Well, why don't you sign up?" Ben replies with a cheeky grin.
"Who says I haven't just so I can whoop your ass?" Fenris replies with a serious look.
"I um... uh." Ben stutters out.
"We need to do one more thing today and I might give you the rest of the day off." Fenris says with the serious look still plastered on his face.
"What?" Ben replies curiously.
A few hours later.
The camera starts on a pair of shiny black shoes, moving up the legs of a man, wearing an impeccable and expensive looking blue suit. It lands on his waist, showing the bottom of a black shirt, and jacket, matching the colour of the pants. A pair of hands straighten the jacket, before landing on the chest. The camera moves up a little more to see the face of Ben Jordan, his beard virtually gone, cut down to almost stubble, and his hair much shorter and neater. Fenris lays a hand on his shoulder.
"Now that's better." Fenris says with an approving nod. "You almost look human."
"I'm a handsome devil." Ben says admiring himself. "All dressed up so... Pub?"
Fenris snaps his head towards Ben, just looking at him. Ben shrugs his shoulders.
"Meh..." He says casually. "Worth a try."
Sunday 10th November.
Climax Control 410 was on the air and Ben and Fenris watch with all eyes focused on the screen. The show had some to an end in dramatic fashion with the gripping rivalry between Mark Ward, Christian Underwood and Michael Harris, going against J2H, Kevin Carter and Alexander Raven.
"Man, that's some story." Ben says with a nod.
"They've done alright." Fenris replies with a casual tone.
"Sets High Stakes up well." Ben adds.
"Speaking of High Stakes." Fenris says, picking up Ben's phone and handing it to him. "I think you have a call to make."
Ben closes his eyes and breathes deeply, lifting up the phone and unlocking it. He taps a few buttons and holds it to his ear,
"Hey Christian..." He starts. "It's Ben Jordan..."
Monday 11th November 2024
A cold chill ran through the air in Island Garden's park on the River Thames as Ben Jordan sat on a bench, overlooking the water. A thick grey coat that went down to his ankles, rests around his body as the camera moved in front of him.
"Alright people." He says with a smile. "I bet you didn't have this on your bingo card to happen before the end of the year, did ya?"
He couldn't help but flash his cheeky grin.
"In case ya forgot me, I'm Ben Jordan." He says with a shiver. "And it's a bit parky out here so I'm freezing my wotsits off but I needed to do this today, because I only think it's fair to the other people that they know as soon as possible, that I am entering the open Rumble at High Stakes in a couple of weeks."
Ben pulls the coat around him.
"I know it's a bit of a surprise, because I didn't know for sure I was gonna do it till the minute I called Christian last night and ya probably wondering why I just disappeared all that time ago." He says as he slightly lowers his head. "I did it for my own sanity people and I learned a lot of lessons on how things can snowball out of control, no matter how hard you try to stop it. I came home to get back to my roots and be the best version of the real Ben Jordan I could be and people, it's been a struggle, not because I'm a bad guy, because it doesn't matter what you did, what you do, how many pennies you have in the bank, everybody struggles and people, I've been fighting different demons every day of my life since I came home. I guess this will explain why I need to do this, why I need to put on my boots and get back for one match."
Ben looks down the camera.
"Because I need this." He says honestly. "I need to feel alive again, I need to feel that worth I used to feel, and I am very what will be, will be and I could get back in that ring and be a bloody disaster, but for however long I'm in that ring, minutes, or right till the end, I need to feel that rush once more with people I respect, people I should never have just walked away from. We all know when we step in that ring, we might not make it out and there's some crazy people in wrestling that we all wonder how they get through, but as much as that could happen, it makes us feel alive. This is gonna make me feel alive again."
He closes his eyes and breathes deep.
"I got told before I started filming this whole thing that four names have been announced." Ben continues. "I didn't know that till a few minutes ago so I had nothing planned for you all but holy crap there's some decent names there so I can only speak from my heart."
Ben takes a deep breath before he continues.
"Bulldog my old mucker." Ben says with a smile. "It's like old rivalries reuniting a bit there because mate, we've had some battles through the years. More then a few battles through the years. One on one, multi people matches, throw in Sammi and Bea and we had a hell of a lot. I'm not a stat person like the lovely Mercedes, but I do know I've walked out with my hand held high more times then not when I take on you. These things happen and worst things happen at sea as the saying goes, but I'm also aware that these kinda matches can be absolute madness and I ain't done this wrestling thing for a long time. I know it could go wrong, but it doesn't worry me at all, because I've had someone pushing me to my limits this week, kinda feel like I shouldn't let him down. I might not be the same Ben Jordan as before but my determination is still knocking around to try and get the win, but either way, be good to share that ring with ya once more my old friend."
Ben shivers as the breeze blows past him.
"Justin Smith." Ben says with a frown. "I know it's easy to make light of your record in SCW, and so many do, but we had a ton of fun shooting that parody some time ago on the pirate ship and stuff and I know you're a good egg, but I know given the right type of match, you could be a very dangerous man. People don't give you the credit you deserve for what you do for other people. Make 'em look a million bucks mate, give them one hell of a challenge and push yourself in every single match. Everyone knows when they come out of a match with Justin Smith, they feel it for days later and I know I will too. Nothing but respect for you, even if the rest of the world don't give ya that."
Ben rubs his hands together.
"Eddie Lyons." Ben says with a smile. "I don't think there's anyone out there that I've seen grow as much as you Eddie. Seriously, you get better and better every match, never make waves, just go out there and do whatever you can to get better and that's pretty rare in a business like ours. People moan all the time that they're not getting what they deserve, there's a fair few on the roster that do that now, but you Eddie, take life in your stride and get on with things. That is a rarity, that is what's going to get you to the top of this place, that is what's gonna make you stand out and I predict big things for you and I know this is gonna be the match you can see yourself spring boarding your way to another championship. Honestly, I think you're gonna be one of the faves here no matter who signs up for it and I know I'm not alone in that thought. I know there's gonna be a lot of people out there that will see you as a top guy for this one, so me personally, I'm gonna look forward to being in that ring with you and seeing first hand just how good you are."
Ben pauses for a few seconds.
"And something not on my bingo card for this year was being in the ring with wrestling royalty, Alex Jones." Ben says with wide eyes. "This fella is a legend, been around him for many years in that ring. He's a leader, he's someone people can look up to and in the ring, we all know just how good he can be. He's given me a wallop or two in my career, but he's very much in my top five of wrestlers I respect and wrestlers I love seeing work. Alex mate, I'm stunned, I'm stunned that when I made the call last night, I didn't know I'd be getting in the ring with someone like you. My messed up little mind has been blown right now, but I really and truly can not wait. I had the nerves and self doubt and all of that malarkey, but now I'm excited. I'm really excited to be in the same ring as you providing I don't get chucked out if I'm in there before you. It's more then an honour to be in there with you, more then an honour. I really can't wait."
An excited smile crosses Ben's face.
"I feel like a kid at Christmas with these names announced." Ben admits. "And all that hard work I'm getting put through is completely worth it. Anyone can sign up for this thing and we know what Mark and Christian are like, probably made calls to everyone who's ever held gold around here. Probably called up people we ain't seen in years to try and tempt them back and why wouldn't they come back? It's High Stakes, it's the biggest show of the year bar none. It's the Superbowl of wrestling and everyone and their dogs invited to this one, so yeah, I'm under no illusions that things are gonna get pretty mad in this one and it already makes me feel alive."
Ben rubs his hands together in excitement to match the excited smile.
"I seriously can not wait boys and girls, I really can't." He says fidgeting in his seat. "I was excited to film this, I was excited to announce I was gonna be in this match. I wanted that done sooner rather then later, because...."
Ben beckons the camera closer.
"We all know Mark and Christian don't like us to watch our opponents work when it airs in week one and reply to it in week one. We all know they get proper frowny faces cause they want us to be all creative and stuff but..." Ben looks around and speaks in a softer tone. "I don't care, I want you guys to talk about me being in this one."
Ben leans back from the camera and winks.
"I want you to talk like I was already announced before this surprise thing hitting scwrestling.net." Ben says with a firm nod. "Other might not want ya to talk about them till next week, but I got to talk about you four fellas, so by all means, get that chin wagging about me."
Ben fires a quick thumbs up.
"Right, I think I've spoken long enough to you all." Ben says. "And I'll level with you peeps, this might be the only time I will get to speak to you until High Stakes, my trainer might have killed me by then, but again, can't wait to be in the ring with you all and anyone else who wants to pop in."
A sincere look appears on his face.
"And to the fans." Ben says with a warm smile. "I've missed you all. I can not wait to get to Arizona and see you all again. Thank you for being the life blood of our sport and thank you for giving me a chance to do this again, even if it is just one more time."
Ben puts his hands together in a prayer pose.
"Until then..." He says with a salute. "Laters people."
Ben looks off camera.
"Now can we get a beer?" Ben asks.
"No!" Fenris' voice can be heard saying off screen.
Ben mouths one word to the camera before it fades.
"Wanker!"
"Excuse me mate, you can't stay here." A female voice says.
"Huh?" A gruff slur replied.
Eyes started to open as the blur around the man tried to come in to focus, but just a shiny brown wood can be seen, before something clear and distorted came in to view.
"Ben mate, wake up." the female voice says once more in a soft tone.
His eyes flickered to realise that he was in a bar. The camera moves around to show the man as none other then Ben Jordan, well, a version of Ben Jordan at least. His hair was wild and overgrown, almost to the point of being matted. His beard, that when grown was usually very neatly trimmed, was long and unkempt.
"Ugh." He says in a rough tone. "I did it again didn't I?"
Ben lifts his head up to see he's in a bar, the voice belonging to the young female standing behind and looking at him with a frown on her face.
"Third time this week." She says with a half smile.
"I'm becoming as bad as that menace that comes in here and tries to chat you up, buying you drinks while his missus sits next to him." Ben says as he puts his arm on the bar, forcing himself upright. "The one that's loud and lairy and thinks he's untouchable, forget his name but he's got a really grating voice, like he's talking out his hooter all the time."
"Except he does that and you fall asleep." She says as she puts a glass away. "What happened to you? You never used to be like this."
Ben clears his throat, trying to focus on things around him, but blinks rapidly as he looks around, seeing no other customer in the pub on this cold Sunday night in London.
"Who bloody knows?" Ben says with a roll of his shoulder. "One minute you're the popular geezer, who everyone wanted to know cause you fought for belts while wearing no strides, the next, you become forgotten or a normal every day Joe and well, life changes and ya fall asleep on the bar."
She didn't really know how to respond to that but flashed Ben a sympathetic smile.
"I'm a normal geezer just having a tough time." He reassures her. "I'll bounce back soon, or bugger off to a remote island with no bars to have a kip on."
"Look, I'm closing up." She told Ben "It's only ten but there's no one else about right now. Why don't you get home and get some sleep? Might feel better in the morning."
Ben stands up in silence, not directly answering her, and stops for a second to balance.
"Yeah, good night." He says, trying not to slur another word.
He makes his way towards the door, acting as sober as he possibly could before taking a step down and on to the street. Silence moves around him, just the sound of a car passing by on the main road a few hundred yards behind him as he looked across the road to his home. He walks as best as he could across the little road and just a few seconds later, he was standing outside the apartment building on the River Thames that he lives in. He stumbles around in his pocket, eventually finding his keys and uses the fob to open the door. With a quick pull, Ben walks through and towards the elevator. He tries to hit the button and third time of asking, his thumb hits the mark and the door opens.
"Knew that button was there somewhere." He mutters to himself as he steps in.
It only take a few seconds before Ben reaches his front door, the sound of a key sliding in to the lock. Ben turns the key but nothing happens.
"Bollocks, wrong key." He says out loud to no one in particular.
Another few seconds pass before he finds the right key, moving it in to the lock and turning.
"Tada!" He says with a slight slur as he walks in to the apartment.
He shuts the door behind him and walks in, stepping through a pile of pizza boxes in the dirty apartment. Bear raises his head from where he laid, but instantly put it back down again, returning to his slumber.
"Blimey." Ben says looking at Bear. "Burglar would have no problems with you, would they?"
He walks towards the sofa and sits down, pushing away a half eaten kebab to make room for himself and reaches for the remote control, switching on the big screen television he had in the living room. SCW had not long started live and Ben watches for a few seconds before something flashes up on screen.
"Open invitational rumble." he says to himself.
Leaning back, his mind races back to his glory days, the good old days where he felt the rush. That rush was something he knew deep down has been missing from his life. He turns his head to a nearby mirror, looking at himself, the grey hairs in his beard reminding him that he isn't the man he used to be.
"Don't even think about it, Ben." He tells himself. "You're not that guy anymore, not any guy anymore. Your life has become depression again and falling asleep in boozers. Your life has become a shadow of what it used to be. You're Ben Jordan by name only these days, you're not Ben Jordan the wrestler anymore, you got what you wanted. You wanted to be a normal bloke and come home, you come home and now you are a normal bloke."
He sighs to himself.
"You're just a normal guy now." He repeats to himself. "The bloke down the pub."
He puts his head in his hands.
"You're just him now." He says to himself. "You never got the send off and you was ok with that, so why do I feel like I should? I mean it's High Stakes though, biggest show of the year."
He reaches out to the table, picking up a bottle of whiskey,
"I just can't do it." He says sadly. "I'm just a sad little man these days, dead inside, drinking myself to death with no way back, but what if that could make me feel alive, just one more time?"
He unscrews the cap from the whiskey and takes a long drink.
"What if..." He mutters with a huge slur.
He reaches in to his pocket, picking out his phone and narrows his eyes as he tries to focus through drunken eyes at his phone. He raises it to his ear.
"Great, voicemail." He says with a sigh. "Mate... I need your help."
Monday 4th November 2024
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"What the..."
Ben's eyes slowly open up and he finds himself on the sofa, hugging a less full whiskey bottle from the night before.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
He rolls off the sofa and on to the floor, lifting the whiskey bottle above his head to stop it from breaking. He looks towards the wall, seeing the time from a nearby clock.
"Seven in the morning?" He says with disbelief. "What the bloody hell?"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
He pulls himself to his feet as the fists continue to pound on the door to his apartment and he stumbles towards it, still wearing the old faded jeans he wore the night before. He reaches the handle to open the door to see none other then...
"Fenris?" Ben says as he tries to focus.
Fenris stood on the other side of the door, looking at Ben, up and down.
"You look like shit." Fenris says as he looks his friend up and down.
"Charming as ever." Ben says as he reaches out a hand to shake Fenris.
"And you stink like booze." Fenris says in a berating tone. "What the fuck happened to you?"
"Never mind that." Ben replies with a creaking voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Fenris pushes past Ben and in to the apartment, dragging a suitcase behind him.
"Come on in." Ben says sarcastically before shutting the door.
Fenris stops and looks at Ben, scratching his head.
"You called me last night, saying you needed help, talking shit about needing to wrestle in that Rumble thing for SCW." Fenris tells him.
A look of confusion crosses over Ben's face as he looks towards Fenris, his mind trying to drift back to the events of the night before. Alcohol was still in Ben's system from the night before, the alcohol still seeping through his brain.
"I did?" Ben questions. "I really don't remember that at all."
"Do you want me to play the voicemail?" Fenris asks firmly.
"Nah." Ben replies. "No geezer wants to hear about how he made a prat of himself the night before because of alcohol."
He looks as Fenris as Fenris takes a seat in a chair.
"Wait, you flew all the way here, based on a voicemail." Ben says confused. "How did you get here so quick?"
"No shit Sherlock." Fenris says with a roll of his eyes. "As soon as I heard the voicemail, I got on a plane and came here. I got here quick because of a little thing called a time difference. The fuck is wrong with you? You used to go all over the world, you know of time differences."
Ben slumps down on the sofa and looks across at Fenris.
"That was the old me." Ben tells him. "I haven't left the Isle of Dogs since I left SCW. I go as far as the pub, or to the park with Bear and that's it. I get everything I need delivered."
Fenris looks around, noticing the pile of pizza boxes and takeaway containers.
"So I see." Fenris remarks. "Seriously, what the fuck happened to you? You look like you're a homeless man squatting in a rich guys house."
Ben sighs as he turns away slightly ashamed.
"How long you got to listen to this one?" Ben asks.
"As long as it takes." Fenris replies as he leans back in his chair.
"The truth is mate." Ben stumbles out. "I ain't doing so good."
"Don't tell me, Evie came back and you turned in to shit again." Fenris says with a smirk.
Ben slowly shakes his head.
"Nah, no idea where she is in the world, dropped off the face of the earth, probably playing James Bond again." He replies with a shrug. "I came home to this place cause I thought it would be good for me, old friends, family, I just wanted to be Ben Jordan again. Just Ben from across the road, just Ben, the friendly geezer in the pub buying the odd pint. I didn't want to be the local celebrity, and I got what I wanted, but the problem with that is that you learn a lot about who you are and what you become when you do that. You become the real you because you see the real you and this me, he ain't so good."
"What are you talking about?" Fenris asks, as his face changes to concern.
"I don't add a thing to life anymore." He says seriously. "Every morning I get up without a purpose and it drags me down. Every morning I get up and I go on that balcony and wonder what would happen if I took a dive in to the river. I never do, so I drink myself in to stupidity because I am no one anymore. I've had my issues with depression and anxiety and I left SCW because I was gonna break, I thought coming back here would fix me, give me a connection but nah."
Fenris rubs his chin, not sure what to say.
"It's not like I don't get offers to do things, because I do, but it's all the celebrity rubbish that nearly broke me." Ben says with a slow shake of his head. "And there's no need for me to go get a real job, because I don't need the money, so I'll be taking work from some fella or lady with a family to feed."
"You could open your own business." Fenris offers. "I thought you wanted to buy pubs."
"I thought about buying the boozer." Ben says. "Probably have with the amount of dosh I've pissed away in there lately, but the government budget has made a lot of businesses struggle and the arse is falling out of the pub game. People can't afford to go out and owners can't afford to stay in business. I don't need the stress of that."
"What about charity work?" Fenris asks. "You did a shit ton of that before."
"I send money all over the place." Ben tells Fenris. "But it's the boots on the ground thing I can't do. I literally leave this house to walk the dog and to get pissed up. No other reason."
Fenris stands up and looks at Ben, his hands on his hips.
"Well, now you do." Fenris tells him. "That invitational Rumble."
Ben winces at the thought and shakes his head.
"Mate, that was the booze talking." Ben informs him. "Just beer bollocks. I wasn't serious. I was tanked up and everything sounds doable after a drink."
"I did not fly half way across the fucking world to help you out, only for you to change your mind." Fenris says through gritted teeth. "So get your ass in the shower because you stink like a fucking brewery, and get your running shoes on."
Ben tilts his head apprehensively.
"Honestly, I was just talking bollocks..." Ben says softly. "No need to worry, let's just go get some breakfast, couple of pints when the pub opens, and call this a holiday."
"GET! NOW!" Fenris barks.
Ben puts his hands up and moves towards the bathroom.
"Oh, and no more alcohol till after the match." Fenris orders.
"But..." Ben calls out from behind the door.
"Hurry the fuck up!" He yells back to Ben...
Thursday 14th November 2024.
"Five more!" Fenris demands.
Ben does another pull up in a nearby local gym, followed by a second, third.
"Can't we just make it three?" Ben asks
"Two more!" Fenris yells out.
Reluctantly, Ben struggles to do the forth, then finally the fifth before slumping to the floor, dropping to his knees before dropping back on his behind. The sweat dripped off the body of the Englishman, his long scruffy beard even more displaced, his hair matted with perspiration.
"Four days and you're already in better shape then you was." Fenris says with a touch of pride.
"Could have done without running in the poxy cold at five every morning." Ben tells him. "Why didn't I call Jamie or Max? They wouldn't have kicked my aris this much."
Fenris reaches out a hand and pulls Ben to his feet, offering Ben a bottle of water. Ben takes it and opens the lid, thirstily drinking down the clear liquid.
"You answered your own question." Fenris replies. "Somewhere in that thick skull of yours, you knew you needed this. I would bet that all this working out and shit has made you feel better. Max and Jamie wouldn't have pushed you this far."
Ben pulls the water bottle away from his mouth.
"You're probably right." Ben admits. "They won't push me that far and you're not wrong either. Sweating my knackers off eight hours plus a day has oddly brightened me up. I felt like I actually had something to do."
"We're not done yet, we have over two weeks for that match." Fenris reminds him.
"I don't know if I need the match." Ben says with a shrug. "I mean not now, I feel better, doing all this has given me a purpose and I haven't even called anyone about it yet."
"You think I came over here to waste my time?" Fenris says with a dangerous tone. "I left everything behind to be here. I got on a plane and came here, away from everyone and everything just because you needed this and here I am. You're doing that match or I'm gonna kick your ass myself and you know I can."
"Well, why don't you sign up?" Ben replies with a cheeky grin.
"Who says I haven't just so I can whoop your ass?" Fenris replies with a serious look.
"I um... uh." Ben stutters out.
"We need to do one more thing today and I might give you the rest of the day off." Fenris says with the serious look still plastered on his face.
"What?" Ben replies curiously.
A few hours later.
The camera starts on a pair of shiny black shoes, moving up the legs of a man, wearing an impeccable and expensive looking blue suit. It lands on his waist, showing the bottom of a black shirt, and jacket, matching the colour of the pants. A pair of hands straighten the jacket, before landing on the chest. The camera moves up a little more to see the face of Ben Jordan, his beard virtually gone, cut down to almost stubble, and his hair much shorter and neater. Fenris lays a hand on his shoulder.
"Now that's better." Fenris says with an approving nod. "You almost look human."
"I'm a handsome devil." Ben says admiring himself. "All dressed up so... Pub?"
Fenris snaps his head towards Ben, just looking at him. Ben shrugs his shoulders.
"Meh..." He says casually. "Worth a try."
Sunday 10th November.
Climax Control 410 was on the air and Ben and Fenris watch with all eyes focused on the screen. The show had some to an end in dramatic fashion with the gripping rivalry between Mark Ward, Christian Underwood and Michael Harris, going against J2H, Kevin Carter and Alexander Raven.
"Man, that's some story." Ben says with a nod.
"They've done alright." Fenris replies with a casual tone.
"Sets High Stakes up well." Ben adds.
"Speaking of High Stakes." Fenris says, picking up Ben's phone and handing it to him. "I think you have a call to make."
Ben closes his eyes and breathes deeply, lifting up the phone and unlocking it. He taps a few buttons and holds it to his ear,
"Hey Christian..." He starts. "It's Ben Jordan..."
Monday 11th November 2024
A cold chill ran through the air in Island Garden's park on the River Thames as Ben Jordan sat on a bench, overlooking the water. A thick grey coat that went down to his ankles, rests around his body as the camera moved in front of him.
"Alright people." He says with a smile. "I bet you didn't have this on your bingo card to happen before the end of the year, did ya?"
He couldn't help but flash his cheeky grin.
"In case ya forgot me, I'm Ben Jordan." He says with a shiver. "And it's a bit parky out here so I'm freezing my wotsits off but I needed to do this today, because I only think it's fair to the other people that they know as soon as possible, that I am entering the open Rumble at High Stakes in a couple of weeks."
Ben pulls the coat around him.
"I know it's a bit of a surprise, because I didn't know for sure I was gonna do it till the minute I called Christian last night and ya probably wondering why I just disappeared all that time ago." He says as he slightly lowers his head. "I did it for my own sanity people and I learned a lot of lessons on how things can snowball out of control, no matter how hard you try to stop it. I came home to get back to my roots and be the best version of the real Ben Jordan I could be and people, it's been a struggle, not because I'm a bad guy, because it doesn't matter what you did, what you do, how many pennies you have in the bank, everybody struggles and people, I've been fighting different demons every day of my life since I came home. I guess this will explain why I need to do this, why I need to put on my boots and get back for one match."
Ben looks down the camera.
"Because I need this." He says honestly. "I need to feel alive again, I need to feel that worth I used to feel, and I am very what will be, will be and I could get back in that ring and be a bloody disaster, but for however long I'm in that ring, minutes, or right till the end, I need to feel that rush once more with people I respect, people I should never have just walked away from. We all know when we step in that ring, we might not make it out and there's some crazy people in wrestling that we all wonder how they get through, but as much as that could happen, it makes us feel alive. This is gonna make me feel alive again."
He closes his eyes and breathes deep.
"I got told before I started filming this whole thing that four names have been announced." Ben continues. "I didn't know that till a few minutes ago so I had nothing planned for you all but holy crap there's some decent names there so I can only speak from my heart."
Ben takes a deep breath before he continues.
"Bulldog my old mucker." Ben says with a smile. "It's like old rivalries reuniting a bit there because mate, we've had some battles through the years. More then a few battles through the years. One on one, multi people matches, throw in Sammi and Bea and we had a hell of a lot. I'm not a stat person like the lovely Mercedes, but I do know I've walked out with my hand held high more times then not when I take on you. These things happen and worst things happen at sea as the saying goes, but I'm also aware that these kinda matches can be absolute madness and I ain't done this wrestling thing for a long time. I know it could go wrong, but it doesn't worry me at all, because I've had someone pushing me to my limits this week, kinda feel like I shouldn't let him down. I might not be the same Ben Jordan as before but my determination is still knocking around to try and get the win, but either way, be good to share that ring with ya once more my old friend."
Ben shivers as the breeze blows past him.
"Justin Smith." Ben says with a frown. "I know it's easy to make light of your record in SCW, and so many do, but we had a ton of fun shooting that parody some time ago on the pirate ship and stuff and I know you're a good egg, but I know given the right type of match, you could be a very dangerous man. People don't give you the credit you deserve for what you do for other people. Make 'em look a million bucks mate, give them one hell of a challenge and push yourself in every single match. Everyone knows when they come out of a match with Justin Smith, they feel it for days later and I know I will too. Nothing but respect for you, even if the rest of the world don't give ya that."
Ben rubs his hands together.
"Eddie Lyons." Ben says with a smile. "I don't think there's anyone out there that I've seen grow as much as you Eddie. Seriously, you get better and better every match, never make waves, just go out there and do whatever you can to get better and that's pretty rare in a business like ours. People moan all the time that they're not getting what they deserve, there's a fair few on the roster that do that now, but you Eddie, take life in your stride and get on with things. That is a rarity, that is what's going to get you to the top of this place, that is what's gonna make you stand out and I predict big things for you and I know this is gonna be the match you can see yourself spring boarding your way to another championship. Honestly, I think you're gonna be one of the faves here no matter who signs up for it and I know I'm not alone in that thought. I know there's gonna be a lot of people out there that will see you as a top guy for this one, so me personally, I'm gonna look forward to being in that ring with you and seeing first hand just how good you are."
Ben pauses for a few seconds.
"And something not on my bingo card for this year was being in the ring with wrestling royalty, Alex Jones." Ben says with wide eyes. "This fella is a legend, been around him for many years in that ring. He's a leader, he's someone people can look up to and in the ring, we all know just how good he can be. He's given me a wallop or two in my career, but he's very much in my top five of wrestlers I respect and wrestlers I love seeing work. Alex mate, I'm stunned, I'm stunned that when I made the call last night, I didn't know I'd be getting in the ring with someone like you. My messed up little mind has been blown right now, but I really and truly can not wait. I had the nerves and self doubt and all of that malarkey, but now I'm excited. I'm really excited to be in the same ring as you providing I don't get chucked out if I'm in there before you. It's more then an honour to be in there with you, more then an honour. I really can't wait."
An excited smile crosses Ben's face.
"I feel like a kid at Christmas with these names announced." Ben admits. "And all that hard work I'm getting put through is completely worth it. Anyone can sign up for this thing and we know what Mark and Christian are like, probably made calls to everyone who's ever held gold around here. Probably called up people we ain't seen in years to try and tempt them back and why wouldn't they come back? It's High Stakes, it's the biggest show of the year bar none. It's the Superbowl of wrestling and everyone and their dogs invited to this one, so yeah, I'm under no illusions that things are gonna get pretty mad in this one and it already makes me feel alive."
Ben rubs his hands together in excitement to match the excited smile.
"I seriously can not wait boys and girls, I really can't." He says fidgeting in his seat. "I was excited to film this, I was excited to announce I was gonna be in this match. I wanted that done sooner rather then later, because...."
Ben beckons the camera closer.
"We all know Mark and Christian don't like us to watch our opponents work when it airs in week one and reply to it in week one. We all know they get proper frowny faces cause they want us to be all creative and stuff but..." Ben looks around and speaks in a softer tone. "I don't care, I want you guys to talk about me being in this one."
Ben leans back from the camera and winks.
"I want you to talk like I was already announced before this surprise thing hitting scwrestling.net." Ben says with a firm nod. "Other might not want ya to talk about them till next week, but I got to talk about you four fellas, so by all means, get that chin wagging about me."
Ben fires a quick thumbs up.
"Right, I think I've spoken long enough to you all." Ben says. "And I'll level with you peeps, this might be the only time I will get to speak to you until High Stakes, my trainer might have killed me by then, but again, can't wait to be in the ring with you all and anyone else who wants to pop in."
A sincere look appears on his face.
"And to the fans." Ben says with a warm smile. "I've missed you all. I can not wait to get to Arizona and see you all again. Thank you for being the life blood of our sport and thank you for giving me a chance to do this again, even if it is just one more time."
Ben puts his hands together in a prayer pose.
"Until then..." He says with a salute. "Laters people."
Ben looks off camera.
"Now can we get a beer?" Ben asks.
"No!" Fenris' voice can be heard saying off screen.
Ben mouths one word to the camera before it fades.
"Wanker!"