Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 8 al 14 de abril 2 0 1 8
Sooner or later you knew they would be back. Sooner or later you wished that the rumors on social media and the teasing frown the owners wasn't just rumors, or an April Fool's joke. Sooner or later you knew, you hoped, hoped beyond hope that this wasn't the worst kept secret. As it turns out, all of it was true. SCW is back and open for business, and business is good. So, you're probably asking what I've been doing to pass the time in those three, long, months: Winning championships, rewriting history, polishing trophies, traveling the world. As much as I missed waking up on Sundays, the world didn't stop turning, my coffee didn't feel less richer, the sun wasn't a little less brighter. I knew I had to find work elsewhere. Luckily for me, I didn't have to call other companies to be on their roster. They called me to be on theirs.
But even though I had to get used to new rosters and learn new names and figure out where the fire exits were, things just wasn't the same. You know how you have that jigsaw puzzle and you're missing that one piece? And when you finally found it, it just doesn't fit? That's how I felt without SCW. It's been three long, grueling, unbelievable months, give or take, since Full Circle and yet somehow, some way, everything came back full circle. See a lot of old faces, a lot of new faces. But one thing that never gets old is the Blast From the Past Tournament. You get the feeling you've heard me talk about this before? Well that's because this is my fourth year participating and while I got as far as I did than any of my previous attempts, I'm going for broke. Last year, I made it to the final four. This year, I like my chances to win it all. Yeah, I see the other teams out there. I see former champions, current champions and future champions. I see Evie wanting to defend her crown. Roxi, Keira, Amanda, Casey, Raynin coming back, if only to try their luck at running the table and potentially win this thing. The Blast From the Past Tournament always promises to have a surprise or two in store, and this year is no different.
I've been fortunate to have some pretty good partners through the years: JT Midas, Derek Thorne, Max Burke. My partner this year, I like to think I have as good a chance as any team to pull off a few upsets along the way and crash the party, and it starts this weekend in Vegas against Jon Dough and Kira Phoenix.
Because who I'm paired with really doesn't need an introduction, but I'm going to do it anyway. He is the man they call Kain. A Grand Slam Champion, such as myself, a Hall of Famer, and probably the last person you would want to meet in a dark alley. Unfortunately for Jon, he is going to meet Kain inside of a wrestling ring. Like Daniel in the lion's den or a lamb going to slaughter, I don't think this is going to go over very well. I'm sure my partner will have a lot to say about Jon, so I'll focus more on Kira, who I'm getting to know very well. You would be too if you found out you were facing the same opponent for the third match in a row. I've never beaten Kira before but she has never beat me either so we're about even. Yes, the last two times we were thrown in some multi-person matches, but I don't have to worry about throwing someone over a top rope or trying to fight my way through a wave of people just to climb into a ring in a steel cage because this time there will be a decisive winner. Now, granted, Kira's probably before some big cauldron stirring up some eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog while waiting for what I'm about to say to her and I hope the suspense is killing her. I hope it lasts. Will it last as far as our match? Well, that's still to be determined but it does leave me intrigued.
I'm back in Sin City Wrestling and I’m not heading to Vegas this weekend just to lose. But somebody has to. Somebody has to lose at Climax Control 201 and unfortunately for Kira and Jon, it will be them. There's a reason why all eyes will be on Kain and yours truly. It's one thing when you have Kain's talent, look and all around badassery and my experience and international appeal. Now put us together with the amount of success we've had in SCW - multiple main events, historic moments, and the most championships out of every team in the tournament - 13 championships between us - the BFTP is ours to lose.
And any Cinderella team standing across from us in the ring? They're going to be out of luck and out of time before the clock strikes midnight.
Each BFTP, you hear it every year -- 'that's a team nobody wants to face.' I said it on social media and I'll say it again: Kain and I are going to be the that team nobody wants to face, and we're the team Kira and Jon doesn't want to face right now. They're not competition, they're just in our way. So whatever plans they have for the weekend, they better find new plans - vacation plans. Kain and I will be spoiling their tournament debuts and they shouldn't take that as a threat, they shouldn't take that as a promise or a warning. That's their immediate future.
Step up, step down, or step aside. The King of Kings and the Champion of Champions are moving on.
The question isn't who's going to let us - it's who's going to stop us?
~ ~ ~
Mercedes Vargas is frozen in place as all she can do is stare at the various championships sitting prominently displayed in a glass case across the living room of her Los Angeles residence. There's not much pressure there to win in that display case. From the world championships and other singles titles ranging from television to international to the few tag titles all resting on velvet cushions. Trophies are aligned at the base of the cabinet.
In SCW, she's practically done it all. A separate display case houses replicas of all the championships she's won in her six-plus year career, nine in all. And by the end of 2018 many more to come, given that she seems to be a a virtual magnet to winning them. With SCW's return after the long hiatus, there was no doubt that she will once again be a gold-carrying member once again. But for now, there was one thing missing from that SCW display. The only way she gets that is by winning the Blast From the Past Tournament.
? ? ?
if there's one thing about travel that Mercedes hated, it's being stood up. Her eastbound flight from San Diego to Boston started off well. Arriving in the afternoon she had to get ready for a wrestling match that night, which means she could only squeeze in enough time to take in a few sights: Downtown Crossing, brunch at North End, the Freedom Trail, feeding the ducks at Boston Common. Two hours later, Mercedes blends into the crowd who began filing into Boston University. At the courtyard, she stops and starts reading a bulletin board. A male student walks up beside her.
Student: Man, sure are a lot of postings here.
Mercedes: Uh huh.
Student: Looking for a place to live?
Mercedes: Maybe.
Student: Lots to choose from. Plenty for everybody.
Mercedes: Sure. Unless you're not great at making decisions.
Student: Good point. Hey, I think I've seen you before. Social Psych, Professor Lohrmann?
Mercedes: Yeah, yeah. Lohr's class.
Student: Right. You like the class?
Mercedes: It's, um, a lot different than I read in the brochure.
Student: He's a real slave master. If I fall behind, he doesn't even slow down in lecture.
Mercedes: Bummer. So I'll see you in class. And maybe at the Combat Wrestling show later?
Student: Um, actually, tonight's show was canceled.
A shocked expression crosses Mercedes's face.
Mercedes: You're kidding.
The male student takes out his cellphone and brings up a text message.
Student: Nope. I heard the promotion went belly up so no more shows at the Agganis. I feel bad for anyone who had to buy a ticket to that. They barely lasted three months.
Student leaves. Mercedes stands there in awe, knowing that her 12 hours in Boston has just went straight to hell.
? ? ?
Luggage sprawled out in the living room area, Mercedes wasn't sure if she was even alive. Crossing three time zones will do that to anyone. So with Boston crossed off her list, her sights were now set to Vegas. At least that trip was more manageable and something not a complete waste of her time.
She stares back at those display case. There's not much pressure there to win in that display case.
Just something to look forward to in Sin City.
~ ~ ~
Opening Statement
Present Day ? L A S V E G A S • N E V A D A
[REC•]
"Mercy's back, back again. Mercy's back, tell a friend."
Scene opens and Mercedes walks into the scene wearing an SCW t-shirt paired with low rise jeans. Like most days, it's a bit overcast, partly cloudy. In other words perfect weather for spring here in Las Vegas.
"So, here we are. Less than forty-eight hours away from Climax Control and the Blast From the Past Tournament. Are you excited? I'm excited. I know everyone in Las Vegas County are excited because SCW is back home.
"Sure, you've got the longest reigning World Bombshell Tag Team Champions in history, you have one half of the first-ever three-time World Bombshell Tag Team Champions in history, and sure you got whoever holds the World Bombshell Championship and touts the longest singles reign of all time, but none of them are yours truly, the Champion of Champions."
Mercedes nods her head, even going as far as opening her arms in challenge of her claim.
"Sunday night, first round of the Blast From the Past and Kain and I get to face Jon Dough and Kira Phoenix. And Kira, this message is for you."
Mercedes points at the camera.
"I feel sorry for you. If Mark and Christian had to do that lottery again, maybe we wouldn't have gotten the great painting of Amanda and Konrad Raab or Roxi and Evie or you probably would have got a team a little more at your level. You're just a newcomer to the wrestling business and only time will tell if you'll be any good. You've had a couple of matches under your belt since you signed with SCW, but this is one match that might be way over your head. You're going to have to grow up fast if you hope of even keeping up with me under the bright lights and on the biggest stage.
"Sunday won't be an exhibition. The gloves will be off, the war paint will be on, and I'm ready to kick ass and take names."
As she said this, Mercedes presents her clipboard. We see that it's a brand new edition of her checklist. And with it, the name of her first honoree. The names if Kira Phoenix and Jon Dough are written in cursive one under the another in red felt-tip marker. Mercedes makes it a point to point to said name with a manicured nail as she nods.
"Coldplay had it right. Nobody said it was easy. No one ever said it would be this hard."
Mercedes offers a nonchalant shrug .
"Then again, what did you expect it to be?"
]Mercedes now speaks in Spanish, with her translation being highlighted
"Estar preparado para lo peor, esperar lo mejor."
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."
]She pauses for effect, lowering her voice just above a whisper.
"Y que la suerte está siempre en su favor.”
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."
***Fade***
