The camera focuses on a coffee table where two bottles of water sit, the camera moves up towards the face of Pussy Willow.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an exclusive for you today on SCWrestling.net." Pussy says with a slightly awkward smile "I didn't expect to be sitting here like this after last night, but I'm sitting here with a very changed man, Ben Jordan."
The camera pans out to see Ben Jordan sitting opposite her, dressed in blue jeans, a white T-shirt and short leather jacket.
"After last night Ben." Pussy continues "I'm surprised that you would be willing to talk in front of an SCW camera again."
He casually shrugs his shoulders.
"I guess I got some things to say, to get off my chest." Ben starts "And where better place to tell it than here, on the site of a place mismanaged."
"Mismanaged?" She asks curiously.
"Mismanaged." Ben states again
"All this because of a tweet?" Pussy asks with disbelief.
"That tweet was very eye opening" Ben states. "Very eye opening. It showed me just who people really are. Let me go back to that. Let me fill you all in. You see, I said a line at Climax Control 201, an ironic line, yet Jamie Dean decided to remind the world of. Let's be honest, people on the roster only browse the show to rewatch their stuff. You ask most of the roster how the show started last night, or who returned, they wouldn't have a scooby, because they're for want of a better word, selfish."
Pussy leans back in her seat, a little surprised.
"But dear god, do people love to live their life on Twitter." Ben states. "They'd rather sit there and learn about people two hundred and eighty digits at a time than watch a whole show. So when Jamie reminded the world of my ironic line, the Twitter world came alive and my line was ripped apart. Wanna know the worst thing about it Pussy?"
"What Ben?" She asks.
"I was asleep at the time." Ben says "I couldn't sit there and remind people of the sarcastic tone I used, but they didn't give a monkeys, cause they never saw the show, they just jumped on my back. Now I'm meant to be popular, the guy that helps out everyone, but no one thought of helping out me, did they? No one leapt to my defence, I just got example after example of how SCW isn't a family show."
Ben breathes deep.
"Well no shit Sherlock." He says firmly.
Pussy sits further back in her seat, shocked by Bens outburst.
"Maybe these idiots should have watched the show before jumping on my case about it and heard the tone, but nah, see a toneless tweet and jump all on me while I couldn't defend myself." He says through gritted teeth. "Be that kinda dick who sees it's got no response from me and chuck another example in my direction."
"Opinions of fans...." Pussy starts.
"These wasn't fans." Ben says cutting her off. "This was people I used to work with, people who supposedly respected me, people who know me well enough to know the tone. Showed me that wrestlers are the most unprofessional professionals out there. They're snakes who would rip in to you to further their career and it hit me like a train when not one of the bosses jumped in and asked if they saw the show, if they heard the tone of it."
Ben reaches to the table and picks up the bottle of water.
"It showed me that SCW bosses are in this for the money and don't give a rats arse about the talents that work with no complaints." Ben states firmly. "And that just cost them Ben Jordan."
Pussy's eyes widen as she leans in.
"You're leaving?" She asks.
"I'm doing what us Brits do when people at work treat us unfairly." Ben states "I'm going on strike and I won't be back unless there's someone around that needs their head kicked or the staff really see they're keeping the hard working people down. It's not worth my time."
"What do you mean?" Pussy asks.
"What I mean..." Ben starts "Is it seems you don't earn a bloody thing around here, you just ask for it. I've worked my bollocks off for SCW, four years I've worked hard here, and I've got one, just one solo title shot, yet James Tuscini comes in and mentions a damn title every promo like his left depended on a belt and got more shots in 2 months than I got in a year. Jessie Salco begged for shot after shot, got them, and we've been back 2 weeks and 2 promos have been recorded by her, each mentioning a belt. Steve Ramone pretty much got a title shot every week. I watched Dmitri lose supercard after supercard to J2H, yet constantly getting put in line for a shot. Damn, O Malley mentioned the World title last night, he'll probably get a shot at the belt in a few weeks without winning a match. No offence to O'Malley there, but stating fact."
Ben holds up his hand.
"For the record, this is not a demand for a title shot, or a heel turn." Ben says honestly. "It's just the way things seem to work."
Ben lifts the water bottle to his mouth, taking a sip as Pussy asks the next question.
"So what is it about?" She asks.
Ben puts the water bottle down.
"It's about respect." Ben says firmly "It's about working hard for no reason, but people beg for title shots and they get them. It's bollocks. Watch Jessie get another shot cause she mentioned it, watch someone else mention it and be handed a shot, legends return, and they get bumped up the card like they never left, and where does that leave poor bastards like me who slave for this company all the time and yet someone who no one hears of for a while come back acting like Bertie big bollocks, feeling entitled to top title shots. Every legend has done it and just jumped the line. Look back at me."
He pauses for a second.
"Look back at what I've done." Ben starts. "When I first came to SCW, did you know I worked for free?"
"I did." Pussy says. "Tommy Knocks praised you for it on The Hotwire."
"And where'd it get me?" Ben asks "It got me no respect at all. My money was off to charities. While people were begging for extra money and title shots and money for travel, I did it all on my own, I did it to earn respect, I did it for the love of wrestling, but over the years, my love for it has packed up and pissed off. In ACW, they knew how to treat me, they gave me more respect than anything. They knew they had something decent there. I went through fighting everyone for years to be noticed, I've lost like six times or so in four years, something along those lines, I'm sure Mercedes Vargas would know, she's like Siri, but only like one or two have been single matches and I get nothing."
"You got tag title runs." Pussy reminds him.
"Whoopee." He says with a hint of sarcasm. "And when were any of them about me? Look back at every promo ever done in a team, tell me once where I was the focus point of it? I wasn't at all and accepted that so I worked my bollocks off to be noticed in the ring, got me nowhere at all. I didn't wanna be in the Blast From The Past tournaments, but I did it to just try and be noticed."
"Would this strike not have happened if you went through?" She asks.
"I was already pissed off before the match last night." He admits. "If it wasn't for Evie Baang turning up to make peace with me, and talking me in to even being in the ring last night, I wouldn't have even bothered."
"So things are ok with you two now?" Pussy probes.
"Not really any of your business." Ben says bluntly "But if it wasn't for her telling me to use this aggression, this would be a pretty crappy interview right now. Things would have gone unsaid that needed to be said to wake up SCW."
"Do you blame last night's defeat on your partner?" Pussy asks.
"Well it's not like I was on the flat of me back looking at the lights." Ben says "I shoulda known teaming with an entitled seventeen year old wouldn't get me far, but it wouldn't have mattered. Right now, I still wouldn't have been part of the SCW roster."
"I'm pretty sure this news will rock the wrestling world." Pussy says, the left side of her lip lowered.
"Same wrestling world that stood up for me while I was getting slaughtered, right?" He says looking directly at Pussy.
Pussy shifts uncomfortably in her chair.
"Same wrestling world that come to me when they need something, and hide when they don't need anything anymore?" Ben says with a raised eyebrow. "The wrestling world is a fickle place, very fickle. Same people that once were your friend forget who you are when they stop working with ya for the most part. No one takes notice unless you beg, and I'm not a beggar, I'm a man who works his bollocks off for nothing, that stops now, I don't care if SCW sue me."
"Sue you?" Pussy repeats.
"Yep, because as of now, SCW is in the back of my mind. They can sue me for breach of contract but I'd happily stand up and tell the world that hard work means nothing around here." Ben says firmly. "Just be a Salco/Ramone/Dmitri/Tuscini/Insert name of eighty percent of the SCW roster and ask for your title shots and you shall receive."
Ben stares at Pussy.
"Look at the card this week, people who have been here for two weeks, people who don't deserve a shot at any gold, any big match instantly get it." he says seriously. "And here's me, the living proof that it's not what you know, it's who you know. Hard work doesn't pay off in SCW, being the teachers pet does. I mean I like Gabriel, do you think all his students was that talented to warrant instant pushes or just because his name carries weight? I've never had a fancy trainer and I ain't lost a lot, but when ya don't even get considered for non title matches against champions, it kinda proves that no matter how hard you work to get notice, doesn't matter if ya not in the in crowd. Four years of my life, not many loses, watching legends sneak back in and piss on my hard work, watching new people who don't win matches grab the shots, having anyone who don't wanna work for it and mentioning a belt getting a shot at whatever they want. It's not worth the effort anymore."
Ben stands up.
"Well this has been fun and I hope it's opened the worlds eyes on thing. Don't expect to see me around until SCW change their ways and reward hard work and leave the beggars on the streets." Ben says firmly "I deserve better than that. In fact, for them in to change. hashtag #BenDeservesBetter."
Ben walks past Pussy and off camera.
"Good talk." He can be heard saying off camera.
Pussy looks in to the camera.
"Well that was one way to start your Monday Morning." Pussy says biting her lip. "Ben Jordan is officially on strike, I hope to speak to one of the staff here a little later to get their views on this. Until then, have a great day."
The camera fades out.
