25 May 2025
He felt relieved as he walked backstage at Into The Void, walking down the hallway after a huge win against Alexander Raven and Eddie Lyons. He had done what he had set out to do and win Blast From The Past, going through competitor after competitor just to be the first man to win the solo Blast From The Past Tournament. It was a goal he had been working towards for month, trying to get back to the top of the mountain where he knew he belonged. He had long been considered a great but this was the way he say himself as stepping further away from the crowd. He knew that he could beat anyone on the roster at half speed but for months, he had pushed himself to become better then the person he once was. He did everything he could to drag himself in front of every wrestler on the roster, often outshining champions and main eventers as he went along, but his body started to feel the wear and tear of always pushing himself through. He felt that relief not only that he had won, but to know he could go home for three weeks and not have to push himself. Three weeks off was a rarity in wrestling and he had been looking forward to it for a long time.
The adrenaline still running through his body masked the pain of the hard thought match he'd just been through as he made his way to the locker room to pick up his stuff and get out of Paris. His hand wrapped itself around the door handle and he paused to take in the moment, looking for that peace and quiet on the other side of the door. Congratulations had already worn thin from crew members, whose name's he didn't know or care to even learn, he just wanted to go and hide himself away.
After a few seconds, he pushed the handle down, walking in to a room he presumed to be empty, and at first glance, it was. He shut the door behind him, and breathed a sigh of relief, but his thoughts of being alone in the room quickly change as liquid started to cover his head. His face was unimpressed as he turned around.
J2H: What the fuck?
His anger turned to a smile as he looked at one of the very few friends he has in the wrestling business, Kevin Carter, pouring champagne over his head in celebration. He didn't have many people in the locker room that he would call a friend or even want to be near. He had always stepped away from people, not because of a shy personality, but he simply didn't like people enough to want to be around them, but he was drawn to Kevin because his attitude had often mirrored J2H's own attitude when it came to things inside and outside of the ring.
Kevin: Congratulations man!
That congratulations meant more to J2H then any of the faceless people that had wished him well in the hallway on the way back to the locker room. Only the words of warmness from Kevin, Austin Parker, Melody and James Jr would hit home with him, others would fall on deaf ears.
J2H: Thanks man, that was tougher then I thought out there.
The Champagne ran down his face, forcing J2H to wipe it from his eyes. He was proud of that moment and Kevin had played a big part in putting his friend on top.
Kevin: You killed it out there.
J2H appreciated the encouragement. The two men had become good friends over the years, always having each others back, always helping keeping the other on top. Both knew that it was their way forward to keep each other in the spotlight, it made the group stronger.
J2H: Thanks for the assist. There was something different about Alexander, a hunger that he lost back then might have returned.
He didn't overly dislike Alexander, but J2H felt he'd become the one thing SCW didn't need, the one thing that J2H not only hated but voiced his opinion on many times, and that is lazy wrestlers. He hated them, because they were dragging the company down. He felt it was like a tug of war, with him pulling the company up, and others pulling it down.
Kevin: Fuck him man. If he was still any good, he would still be in this dressing room. He wouldn't have lost the belt or his edge, so yeah, fuck him.
That was the attitude J2H had shown people his own career, so couldn't help but smile at Kevin's words.
J2H: Yeah, you're not wrong, but he seems different and he might not let that shit slide.
J2H grabbed a nearby towel, wiping the alcohol from his face and hair, looking at Kevin's not giving a damn face when it came to Alexander Raven. He respected that and the come what may attitude.
Kevin: If he does, we know how to handle that shit. Just like we did with Michael Harris.
J2H very much disliked Michael Harris to this day, but had fond memories of the punishment handed out to him over the years.
J2H: Yeah, show them all who is still on top, eh champ?
J2H looked at the Internet championship, still held by Kevin and currently sitting around his waist. Kevin looked down proudly at the belt he was elevating more then any other Internet champion there has been in SCW.
Kevin: Fucking right! Internet champion, future World champion.
He watched Kevin's hand point towards him and inside J2H was proud. He worked long and hard to get himself in this position, even dealing with a few setbacks on the way to get him there and it was finally in his hands. Two months away could be his crowning moment, the biggest moment in the last couple of years and he refused to let it slip through his fingers. He already knew the elimination chamber defeat was a chance and he let that go. He wasn't doing it again.
J2H: Oh, I will be future World Heavyweight champion, I have no doubt about it. All that shit I've put myself through to get back to the top, it's worth it. I don't fuck this up again and when I get round to facing whoever wins later, they're gonna know their days are numbered. I'm not putting myself through all that shit to sit there and go home with nothing. I'm going there to make sure I walk out as champion.
He was determined in his words, because he could feel that his vision was coming true, he could feel that his destiny was now in his hands.
Kevin: You want to watch the main event? We could go out there and fuck them both up.
Kevin had a look in his eye that J2H knew he was serious. The thought of ruining a huge match was a statement maker, but J2H shook his head.
J2H: Nah, fuck them, let them kill each other. I ain't even sticking around to watch it. I'm gonna get ready and get out of this place.
Kevin nodded as the two men high fived and went in for the hug. It was all over in seconds as they broke apart.
Kevin: See ya on the other side.
Kevin nodded firmly at J2H as he stepped out of the room, leaving J2H to sit on a nearby bench, his mind racing a mile a minute, trying to take in everything that had happened tonight. Eventually, a smile started to form on his face. He'd done it, he made good on his word, he was the Blast From The Past winner and he knew he would be champion again.
1st June 2025
The aches and pains of a hard fought match had started to leave his body after almost a week at home, Paris being six days behind he and he had loved every minute of those six days. Mostly locked away in his big mansion, far from the outside world. It's what he did when he was home, not a man about town person, but he would take James Jr to school, or to the park, but if he could avoid being out, he would avoid it like the plague. This given Sunday, he had no reason to be out of the house and the sun was shining over Beverly Hills, which meant pool day for the Huntington-Hawkes family. He'd always had a big pool on his grounds, and he sat with Melody, he wearing just swimming shorts, and Melody in denim shorts and a bikini top. They both watched as James Jr splashed around in the shallow end of the pool, both keeping a watchful eye on him. J2H couldn't help but smile at what was around him and Melody noticed out of the corner of her eye.
Melody: Someone's in a happy mood.
He glanced at her and she was right. He liked being home, he liked being out of the spotlight. He thought constantly being in the spotlight, making a scene wherever he went would water down his impact on the world.
J2H: Damn right. I have been home for a week, I don't need to go to work next week, because I never work the week after the supercard, the sun is shining, it's a beautiful day and I don't have a care in the world.
She loved it when he was in this mood. She saw it more when he was home, then when he was travelling on some tour half way around the world. It was a pet peeve for him to be away from his family so much.
Melody: That's good.
She smiled as she watched her son in the pool splashing around. Her world was much brighter in moments like these.
J2H: I gotta admit, I'm glad that tour is over. I mean some of those places were alright, but cold, miserable, and I don't know how they stay alive eating the shit they do. That stuff is nasty. Could be worse though, when I was in that tour in Scotland on tour, they deep fried everything, it was like a heart attack waiting to happen there. One meal in Scotland needed four hours in the gym to work it off.
She didn't know if he was being serious, but he knew he was. British people had a terrible diet, but some of the food in Scandinavia was just worse.
Melody: Still no need to worry now, but you sure you don't have to work next week?
He shook his head and smiled.
J2H: I never work the show after the supercard, I put my body through hell, and they don't want me to be out injured or something so I always get the extra time off.
Melody: But they might need you because you are the number one contender now.
That was like music to his ears, every time he heard the number one contender thing, he knew all the crazy matches was worth it. He knew it wasn't a time to slow down and was a time to lift up his work rate, gain momentum towards who he now knew who was champion, HB Carter. He knew Carter was no easy task.
J2H: If they do, it will probably just be interrupting him or something, which I can do from here. Wonders of technology and all of that. If they need me to talk, I can record it tomorrow and not give a damn about it.
He couldn't remember the last time he worked a show after a supercard, he was always pretty banged up and given time to recover like a lot of people in SCW. Some people would demand to be booked, throw their names in the hat to the staff because they needed to stay on television to be relevant but J2H knew he didn't need that. He knew he could just show up to the big shows and everyone will pay attention.
Melody: Alright, maybe we could do a couple of things next Sunday, take James Jr out somewhere nice.
As much as he hated leaving the house when he didn't have to, he would do so for his son. so it didn't take him too long to agree.
J2H: Yeah, we'll find something to do.
He leaned back in his chair.
J2H: What a perfect day.
He smiled to himself, not knowing that a storm was brewing in Sin City Wrestling headquarters in Las Vegas. His perfect day was about to take a turn for the worst as his phone started to shake on the table next to him.
J2H: Damn it, it's Christian. Probably wants me on some stupid ass talk show or something.
He hated doing things like that but knew it was part of the job, so he opened the video call from his boss.
J2H: Can I help you?
His tone was dry, his perfect day was slipping away. No one wants a call from the boss, especially when you have a day off.
Christian: And hello to you too Mr. Sunshine.
He wasn't impressed with Christian's call, even less impressed with the impromptu nickname bestowed on him.
J2H: I'm a little bit busy, so you know...
Christian: Oh I can tell by the fact you have your shirt off, sitting on a sun lounger, must be working hard there.
J2H rolled his eyes at Christian, waving him to get on with it.
J2H: Ok, let's try this again, or we'll be here forever. What can I do for you on this fine day?
Christian: Much better. Calling you about next Sunday.
J2H: Let me guess, you want me to do something. I'm way ahead of you, I'll record something and send it in to you by tomorrow night. Is that all? Great! Bye!
Christian: Actually...
Christian got in his word before J2H could hang up, much to his frustration.
J2H: Well?
Christian looked slightly uneasy at what he was about to say, but took the time to call J2H, rather then let him find out the usual way.
Christian: I need you in Prescott Valley, Arizona next Sunday for the show.
J2H: You want me to go all that way, just to talk for like five minutes when I can do that from here?
Another uneasy look appeared from Christian.
Christian: Actually, you're wrestling Vincent Lyons Jr.
J2H looked at the screen, then across to Melody who had one eye on the conversation, one eye on her son. He took a few seconds to let the words sink in to his head, but a slight smile crossed his face.
J2H: Very funny boss, but it's not the first of April, it's the first of June, there is no June's fools day jokes. I don't wrestle the first show after a supercard, you know this, I know this so that joke, swing and a miss.
Christian: I'm not joking. Queen for the Day booking and Alexandra has requested you face Vincent.
His mind turned to slight confusion and the look on his face matched that.
J2H: First off, I don't know who Alexandra is, don't care. Secondly, the match makes absolutely no sense, I don't give a shit about Vincent, thirdly, I don't work the show after the supercard.
Christian smiled down the phone, he knew he had gotten J2H's back up with this, and knew he wasn't responsible for the booking.
Christian: Well, that's something you need to take up with The Queen. You know how it works, the winners actually get to book and I guess she wanted you on the show. I just wanted to let you know before the card goes out in ten minutes, just so you didn't drop from the shock. Anyway, toodles!
Before J2H could get a word back, Christian's faster finger ended the call. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked at Melody with a mix of surprise and anger.
J2H: Can you actually believe that? He's making me work a match that makes zero sense.
She put her arm on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him.
Melody: He did say the Queen for the Day winner booked it so it's out of his hands.
J2H: Well, I need to find out who this Queen is and make her see that she made a big mistake. Why do they keep making me face these Lyons? Like seriously...
His perfect day was ruined, but he tried to put it out of his mind as he went back to family time and the camera faded out.
5th June 2025
The night had taken over from the daytime, a thick cloud settling in as the moon shone brightly on to hallowed, sacred ground. A freshly dug grave sat in the fore shot, the bright tombstone unable to be read at this point as the moon lights it up from behind. A single, lone figure stands looking in to the open earth, a black suit on, and just the slight sight of a white shirt and black tie underneath as the camera settles on the man's chest. The camera raises to show the face of the man as J2H. He stares silently in to the hole created, his eyes just looking in as the camera focuses on his face.
J2H: I should be here every week, because every single week, someone has a dream, someone has hope to be better then they are and every single week, I bury it six feet under.
His eyes never left the burial site as he continued.
J2H: It was just a couple of weeks ago that I buried one member of the Lyons family right here, and it was magical, it was beautiful, it was something that meant a lot to me, that whole night meant a lot to me. I did what I set out to do, I did what I said I was going to do for months after I didn't win that chamber match. I told the world what I was gonna do and the world being as fucking stupid as it is, didn't believe a word I said, the world thought it was better then me, when I make this world what it is. Everyone in the back thought I was on a downward slide, trying to recapture the glory years of times long gone, but no, I said I was gonna fucking do it and I did. I stepped over those bumps in the road and I stepped through. Everything was planned in my head on what I was going to do. I was going to win, and I was going to go home and let the champion have his spotlight, let the streamers flow down and the fireworks go off, and sit at home and watch it on television. I knew I didn't need to be at the first show back because I knew I busted my as at the supercard like I always do.
For the first time, his eyes moved back towards the camera.
J2H: Until a royal pain in the arse decided to fuck that right up for me.
His eyes dropped back to the open grave.
J2H: It didn't take Alexandra to get drunk on power, wave her sceptre and push me in to the ring again. I get that she needed to go hard, that she needed to put the biggest star in the world on the show, to give herself some credit, but Alexandra, you didn't really think of the consequences to your actions, did you? Anyone with any sense knows I don't work the show after supercards, because I'm the one who puts in more effort then anyone else at these things. I'm the one who pushes the boundaries at these shows to keep you in a fucking job. That's just what I have to do to keep you employed, because God knows your little love story bullshit you have going on, isn't keeping anyone interested at all, in fact we all can't wait for the vicious little break up so we can all move on, but yes, your actions have consequences. Now they might not be for you, but the will be for good old Vincent Lyons, because he gets to deal with a very pissed off J2H. That's on your head.
He still doesn't take his eyes away from the hole in the ground.
J2H: It's not lost on me the importance of every match leading up to Carter. It's not lost on me that I need to keep this momentum going, that I need to win every fucking match and I have every intention of doing that, lifting my level beyond humanly possible, but when you throw in me being very pissed off, then you've got a whole different animal. Let me ask you Alexandra, what did poor little Vincent ever do to you to be put in this position where he's in real danger? What did he do to deserve a pissed off J2H coming for his blood? Maybe this is meant to be punishment for me for threatening dear little Miles, and believe me, his time will come, or maybe you're just trying to send someone at me to protect good old HB Carter because you know he's gonna need all the help he can get. However you justify it in your head, you kind of fucked up, because you have made Vincent a target. I mean hasn't he been embarrassed enough lately? I mean he got his ass handed to him by Jayden Harris, that is seriously embarrassing, you should have protected Vincent from another loss, another beating but you put him in harms way.
He put his hands together, proud of his shot at Jayden Harris, but recollected his thoughts and focus.
J2H: Did you think of that Vincent? You probably didn't considering how dense you are and the fact you need to be lead around by your nose by Victoria, but Alexandra is punishing you. She's punishing you for something that you did. You should be punished for losing to Jayden, but she's the one doing that to you when you probably needed more time to put your thoughts together or do something that might help you in the future, like learn the alphabet or something. She did this to you and when this match is done and you've lost another match, that will be on her.
He knew Vincent wasn't the most stable man in the world and knew maybe some of his words might just get in his head.
J2H: You're not smart Vincent, you're mentally challenged, you're more then a bit slow. How the fuck do you think you're gonna outsmart, or out wrestle someone like me? You just fucking can't, it's impossible. Gonna go full pelt crazy on me? It's been done and it didn't work. Gonna throw some chairs? Gonna act like you're bat shit crazy. You're not even close to the kind of crazy, unstable bastard I've been in the ring with. You think you're fucking mental? No, you're not, you wanna see crazy, this is fucking crazy...
He lifted his hand to point a thumb behind him, the camera moving past J2H's shoulder to see Despayre standing behind him, blowing a huge bubble with bubblegum, and waving vacantly at the camera.
J2H: That man is fucking crazy, compared to him, you're sane as fuck.
A pop could be heard behind J2H, and Despayre stepped forward, bubblegum around his face from the burst gum. He tapped J2H on the shoulder, but J2H kept his eyes on the hole.
J2H: Busy...
Despayre: Twenty dollars please.
J2H still kept his eyes looking down.
J2H: For what?
Despayre: Swear jar.
J2H's face didn't change as he reached in to his pocket, pulling out a fifty dollar note and lifting it to shoulder height.
J2H: Here's fifty, I got a lot more to go.
Despayre jumped up and down on the stop before pulling the money from J2H's fingers and waving it around his own head with joyous glee, before waving at the camera as he walked backwards and out of the camera view.
J2H: When you've been in the ring with Despayre levels of bat shit crazy, people like you don't scare me Vincent. You're all huff and you're all puff and you think that's intimidating. You think that will give you an edge, but I've been in the ring with that, I've been in the ring with a guy with anger management issues with a head like a bowling ball, I've been in the ring with a guy who claims to be in his thirties but is clearly in his sixties, fuck, I've been in the ring with an idiot who talks to a fucking cactus. I've been in there with all kinds of people who are not all there in the head, and they did absolutely nothing to me, so what the fuck are you gonna do that's anywhere near different then that?
He sighed. He had been in the ring with more then a few unstable men in his time, but none had really bothered him.
J2H: You can be as crazy as you want. You can throw things around, you can growl, you can do all that bullshit, but when you strip it all back, you're just a man, a very, very stupid man, with a very low intelligence quotient, that means IQ to you Vincent, maybe Victoria will sit there and explain to you what that means after she reads you your next bedtime story and tucks you in. You're very stupid,
but you're a man none the less. Men bleed, men feel pain, men die, which means, and I'll slow down a little if you like so you can understand me, it means you're not invincible, it means you're not immortal, your own stupidity is likely to get you hurt more then someone smarter like me, but you can be beaten. On Sunday, in whatever shit box town we're in, that's exactly what will happen. You will be beaten and very easily there Looney Toons. You will suffer the same fate as Eddie.
He smiled as he thought back to just a couple of weeks ago.
J2H: I don't like Eddie, I probably never will like Eddie, but he is much smarter then you, much more controlled then you and he couldn't get the job done. You're reckless, you rule with fear, and the thing about a reckless man, is they're much easier to beat then someone who can think straight, who can think fucking calculated. People like you Vincent, all that unstableness makes you very easy to pick off, makes you very easy to get around. People like you never make it to the top, because you're just too easy to get around. People like me use people like you to make ourselves look good and that is what is gonna happen Vincent. Alexandra put you in a no win situation, she put you in a place you can't get anything from. She made you become a man who is backed in to a corner, but don't have it in you to come out fighting. She basically executed you and there's nothing you can do about it.
He solemnly shook his head.
J2H: This is why we're here. This is why there is graveyard dirt on my very expensive shoes, this is why we're standing here, because she killed you by putting you in the hands of me, a very pissed off executioner, taking out the Lyons clan one at a time. She put you in the dirt, by giving me the axe to start using people like you to push on and get my hands on that World Heavyweight championship belt. She made me that guy after I took out Eddie. She sharpened the blade that is going to end another member of the Lyons. She is the one that did this to you, because I'm not coming here to lose momentum. I'm not one of those lazy, no good fucks in the back who become number one contender to something, only to give up at that point because my shot is guaranteed. That just wouldn't be me and anyone who is like that just shouldn't be a wrestler. People have fallen in to that trap before but I refuse to be one of those people who do just that.
He thought back to all the people that had happened to. Many big names have become contenders over the years, only to lose their next match because they didn't seem to care. He refused to become one of those people.
J2H: So this Vincent is where the Queen wants you to be. She wants you to be buried, she wants you to be finished. She could have gave you a fighting chance to get back some of the momentum you lost when you lost to that joke of a wrestler Jayden, but no, she wanted you here. She wanted me to end you and it's what I'm going to do. The blood may be on her hands, but I'm going to have fun doing it. Your crazy shit act is old, and it's time for me to do the world a favour and end it for them. It's time for the next Lyons member to be buried. I will be a curse on your family for many years to come because there's not one member in your inbred family that can beat me. Sunday, I prove that by putting you in the ground, and that's real talk bitch!
J2H turned around, walking away from the open grave as the camera moves in on the tombstone, simply reading "The Lyons Family, R.I.P" >
