It was meant to be the night dreams were made, was meant to be where the cream rose to the top and I was that cream, or so I thought. Into The Void was meant to be a whole lot of special for either Mark Cross or me. We were at the top, we busted our bollocks on coming up with entertaining promotional work to get people interested and I think we did that. We even gave you a match you was expecting, something special, something out of the ordinary, we showed you what two champions can do. We showed you why we were both champions. Win or lose, I thought I was coming out of there proud as punch, instead, the whole thing got pissed on by a little Irish leprechaun and his wicked witch of Dublin.
Can you tell I'm still a little cheesed off?
It was meant to be a night to celebrate a double champion, didn't matter if it was me or Mark Cross. One of us shoulda been buzzing at that point. If it was Crossy than I woulda been happy for him, cause he beat me and I've been on a roll lately, but the fact that neither of us got that moment in the sun left a very bitter taste in my mouth.
A bitter taste and a sore head.
I walked through the curtain at Into The Void and instantly looked around the backstage area for O'Malley, and those goons he had. My eyes were blurry, I could barely see a thing, whatever the hell he hit me with was not fun. My vision was drifting in and out, everything was a going from black to blurry within seconds, but my eyes searched for a member of SCU staff.
I've always been a go with the flow kinda guy, I never wanted to know too much, I always believed the natural reaction was a better seller than standing there practicing a shocked face in the mirror. I thought that winning would give me a chance to go to SCU a week later as their champion. I thought I'd have the chance to stand in front of the SCU guys and say I did it and offered them the same chances as I've offered every SCW person since I've become champion. Take on everyone and anyone really, wrestle for both companies on the same day to defend both belts but I knew as soon as I saw that woman walk out on the ramp that it wasn't to be. I expected that it was all or nothing when it came to SCU and I ended up with nothing. I thought that maybe O'Malley would walk out and face me man to man, and then I felt it, I felt that crash against my skull. I didn't know what it was but I knew whatever it was, it wasn't meant to hurt like that. It was an unprotected shot, it felt like a shoot, like a screw job.
"Either he screwed that up or it was a legit shot to put me out." I remember commenting as I looked around. "Are easier ways to do things."
I knew when I hit the ground I wasn't gonna hear finish him in my sense of the words. SCU had pulled a fast one on me there and then I thought at the time as my knees hit the canvas and another shot rained in on me. Then here I was, in the backstage area, not recognising anyone, barely seeing past my own nose, until Evie stood in front of me, her hands on my shoulders.
"Ben?" Her Australian accent felt thicker than usual. "Are you alright?"
I remembered that she had her match coming up next, as soon as she was told to leave, she had to. I knew there was a break, a promo, maybe two and she had to be gone. I couldn't let her worry about me, but the words just fell out of my mouth, like I had no control over them.
"I think he and SCU actually tried to end me there." I said without control. "Whatever that was, was a real shot, there was no holding back."
Through my blurry eyes, I could see Evie's eye narrow, her teeth grit, I could literally feel the anger pulsate from her body to mine.
"I'll fucking kill him, and that woman, and whoever came up with this fucking idea in the SCU office!" She said through gritted teeth.
I had to get her focused on what she had doing.
"I'm alright." I lied. "As we say back home, it'll all come out in the wash. When my head stops wobbling, I'll get to the bottom of this whole mess. Right now, I need you to focus on you, cause you need to go out there and win that Bombshell World title. I got my one, time to be the non power, power couple. It's your time to bring that title home where it belongs."
I could see through blurry eyes that she was standing with her hands on her hips, not overly impressed with my words. I think at that point, she'd turned from the Evie you see on television to the Evie I see at home all the time.
"Honestly babe." I started "I'm fine, just a little rattled and unexpected. Thought I'd be sitting here with two belt without using stupid phrases that seem to be popular on Twitter, something like Benny Two Belts, cause that's just cheesy as hell. Get out there and bring back that belt."
I knew she wasn't happy, but at least I knew she was listening to me. She looked past me as she saw someone wave her towards the curtain. She leaned forward just to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Good luck." I said, barely seeing her.
I barely caught her nod as she walked past me and I turned to look in roughly the direction she would have walked to. I listened for her music to play and walk through those curtains before I stepped to the nearest wall, leaning my left arm on to it and my head leaning towards it. My mind had officially turned to goo at that point, everything feels like I'm missing so much. I heard Andrea's music and had to turn to the big screen, I had to watch my wife eventually go on and win the SCW Bombshell World championship. My head wasn't in it but I needed to.... sit down.
My body slid down the wall and I landed firmly on my arse, not gonna lie, it was a bit of a heavy bump that left a bruise in an awkward place. The championship slumped from my shoulder to my lap as people walked across me. I just remember a few minutes in to the match, someone sat next to me.
"Hey prat." The southern tone of Sam Marlowe said to me.
My head turned to look at her, seeing her for the first time in a while.
Sam had opted to step away from the ring for a little while. I don't blame her, we all need a little break from time to time.
"Hey Ginge." I replied. "How's life?"
"Meh." Was her surprising reply. "How about you?"
"Well I got a thumping headache." I replied. "Not sure what the hell is going on, my eyes don't like to work properly at the moment and did I mention my head hurts?"
"You did." Sam replied. "Maybe you should go and see a doctor, you could have gotten y'all a concussion or something."
I pointed at the screen to show Evie and Andrea wrestling.
"Can't." I said. "Promised Eves I'll be there after the match if she wins. Don't wanna let her down."
Sam nodded with understanding and we ended up watching the rest of the match with me slumped against the wall, looking like I'd had a heavy night out on the town. We watched as Evie once again became The Bombshell World Champion, my face lighting up with pride as Sam helped me to my feet so I could keep my promise to her.
I might not have been all there in the head but kept my promise to Evie and joined her in the ring and for a few moments everything was rosey for a few days. Then I learned of the SCU card and I was apprehensive but still rosey. I got up on Sunday morning thinking about that battle royal at Underground. I was fully focused on that, then that changed quite quickly.
Things became a lot less rosey just like that.
It was about seven in the morning on Sunday just gone when I sat in the living room area of the hotel room in the Saxon Hotel, usually this would be a Sunday off, but I was working for SCU actually in the hotel itself. There was no travelling, just wander down to the convention center of the hotel and do your thing. Gianni Di Luca was on the ball this week, getting in touch with us all early in the week to let us know what to expect from the day. Taping starting at eleven, so be there by ten to be told the running order. I knew I was in the headline match, so there wasn't much to do for a lot of the day, other than sitting in the crowd and watching the other matches. Being at the convention center helped, SCW wrestlers would wander in through the day to watch the matches. There was a lot of SCW wrestlers on the show, all the male champions - No women allowed and Evie knew all she could do was enjoy a Ben-less day, but I had hours till I had to arrive.
Evie was still asleep but I had been up for about two hours, sleep hadn't been my friend over the last month or so, things were starting to drag me down. I was tired of going to sleep thinking about promos I had to do, matches I had to be in. Even at seven in the morning, hours before I needed to show up in SCU, my mind was already thinking forward. Jack Washington had made it more than clear that he was gonna go for my championship, my mind was already thinking about how to get rid of that little issue when it was his turn to book a show.
I wasn't stupid enough to rule out the fact that he, like Mark Cross, has probably been planning his promo to sell the match for weeks, and honestly, my mind was focused on him till I got the alert on my phone about this weeks card. Jack, whenever his show is booked, would have to wait.
My hand gripped around my phone as I looked down at it, seeing the group message sent out to all SCW wrestlers to announce the card with a link. I quickly clicked on the link and wasn't expecting to see my name at the top of the card.
"Ben Jordan and Kate Steele Vs Evie Jordan and Teddy Warren?" I questioned with a tone of disbelief in my tone. "In the opener?"
My eyes fell on the word opener in bold in brackets. I don't think my eyes could believe what they were seeing if I'm honest with myself. There was no talk with the new champion Evie to open the show as tradition, just instantly sticking the two top champions in the opener.
"Christina's lost her marbles." I said with a shake of my head. "And if this card continues like this, probably lost a lot of people's respect."
My eyes continued to look down the card to see that she'd booked us in a segment AFTER our match. No one does that but this little fake monarch had let the power go to her head.
"Unbelievable Jeff." I muttered to myself. "Seriously unbelievable."
I ran my fingers through my hair, I was numb, I seriously couldn't believe it as I scrolled down the card more to see the four way match.
"Now she's booking contender matches?" I said in shock. "She's actually offering up shots at my belt to either Bill Barnhart, Kris Ryans, Griffin Hawkins and O'Malley? Woman's gone bonkers."
I wasn't mad at the people in the match but I couldn't help but wonder if this was cleared or if she actually thinks she's running this company. It got worse as I saw the tag match she booked herself.
"Oh this woman is taking the piss!" I said to myself. "To get herself a future shot at Evie's belt, she's gone in a tag team match. The selfish, egotistical mother fuc..."
I was too disappointed to even finish that word. She had been trying so hard to show people she's a good person, but a leopard don't change it spots and a zebra don't change their stripes. This was the real Christina and I lost every ounce of respect I had for that woman. She's made a right pigs ear of this card, her true colours started bleeding through, and that was confirmed by the main event.
"Oh what a shocker, her missus is in a title match against three with poor win loss records, while she spins the wheel." I said disappointed. "Lemme guess, rigged wheel with rubbish like You need a ten count pin for Seleana to lose, if you pin one of the others, Seleana gets the title. This is so bent, might as well just give Seleana the belt now cause this is fixed, all in her favour."
I shook my head with disappointment.
"Absolutely no respect for the woman anymore." I said with a disappointed look. "This company is going to hell at this point. What with SCU able to get involved in an SCW match and this rubbish, throw in Jack Washington about to hand himself something after a few matches. I think this has finished me off."
I knew I needed to get out of the room, so I looked in on Evie, who was still fast asleep. Bear laid at the bottom of the bed on the floor, so I took the chance to go for a walk. I stepped out of the room and man was I peeved, so I did the English thing, I went to the nearest boozer, which happened to be a few flights of stairs up and in to the rooftop pool bar. I walked directly to the bar and quickly sat down.
"Pint of..." I trailed off, it was just after seven in the morning and I was working later. "You know what? Make it a cup of coffee."
The server nodded at me before moving towards the coffee station, but a voice behind me caught my attention.
"Spoken like a man who got out the bed the wrong side." The voice said to me.
I turned around to see Max Burke standing behind me. Max and I had known each other for years, going all the way back to Canada when I was training. He came from a legendary wrestling family and I honestly had no idea he had been near me for a long time under a GRIME mask.
"Got out the wrong side and walk smack bang in to a wall it feels like." I said as a pointed to a seat next to me.
Max nodded his head and took the seat next to me as the coffee was placed in front of me.
"Actually, I think I got out of bed the wrong side weeks ago and never got back in." I explained. "Everything seems to be going a bit Pete Tong."
I looked at Max's reaction and knew he must have been a little rusty with the Cockney conversation.
"A bit wrong." I explained.
Max nodded, he knew the strains of being a wrestler and more so being a champion. I was talking to GRIME's Nightmare champion after all. He knew the stresses that comes with being a long term champion.
"In a professional sense?" He asked.
It was a tough one to answer, but I liked Max, he had a way of being sincere, yet somewhat spooky at the same time. I don't mean like he's gonna pop up out the closet or something when ya asleep. He just always had a calm measured demeanour
"Both." I admitted. "Personal level, everyone's bugged off and left just me and Eves here. Sammi isn't about anymore, Amy's not about anymore, Jamie's not about anymore, even Fenris and Aron and buggered off back to the motherland or fatherland, whatever it is, plus a family pet died. We've been in here for months."
"That my friend is the thing about people." Max started. "Some people come, some people go, as long as they stay in contact, they will always be about. Once you get out of here, things will become a lot better."
Max was probably right. Once I got back to some kind of normality, maybe things would be different.
"You're right." I said reassured. "I think being around everyone has finally started to get to me a bit."
"And what troubles you on a professional level?" Max asked.
"What happened at Into The Void got on my tits if I'm honest. I didn't know what was going on. I mean O'Malley claimed after I wasn't an SCU wrestler, but how did he win the bloody belt without me being signed there? He shouldn't have even got a crack at me, briefcase or not, till I was signed down. Just a bloody loophole."
"He's a weak champion." Max said with a tinge of disappointment to his tone. "He won't hold it too long, he can not connect with a crowd."
"Then there's the card this week." I said with a nod. "Christina's stacked it in her favour so much, friends and family. I'm not a mug, I know why Christina's pals are against the champions in a mixed tag match, one of them pick up the win, they'll be bleating about pinning the champ and demanding title shots. I didn't come over on a banana boat. The main is stacked for her missus to win. This show is disappointing, and we've still got Jack Washington's card to come."
"She probably slipped in to one of her hundred personalities." Max commented on Christina's state of mind. "How do you know Jack Washington will do that?"
"Mentioned it in a promo." I told Max. "And he's egotistical enough to do and deluded enough to believe he really did earn it. Like an O'Malley syndrome. I'll happily go for an open challenge thing, but something ain't sitting right with this."
"You won't lose to him." Max said with confidence.
"I know, but something just ain't sitting right with these matches." I said with a shrug. "I've actually reached the end of my rope at this point."
"Meaning?" Max asked.
"Meaning I'm ready to jack this all in." I replied. "If Evie didn't win that belt, I would have honestly showed up next week and given the title back, thanked everyone and gone home to Maine. Honestly, this company is starting to fade with things like this. The whole thing is mad. It's like everyone here feels the need to have a title belt. I got Griffin Hawkins failing against me, but it's all about the titles for him, same with Wolfslair. Alicia pops back in and instantly, I want the title, Keira Fisher spends her life begging for a Bombshell title shot. You've got Christina stacking odds so she and Roxi can try and get a title shot. Even Kate Steele has been hinting at it while she's a champion."
"Times have changed Ben." Max said confidently. "People feel they need a championship to brush over their talent. We are old school, we have the talent to work as they did way back when. We're the people who enhance a championship, rather than a title belt enhancing a talent. All these people need the attention on a championship, because they have little talent to fall back on. For people like us, we take these championship belts and make them mean something. Can you honestly see Jack Washington taking the belt off you and people giving a damn?"
Max was right, and I couldn't deny it, people rarely react well to people with a handful of matches leading a company.
"Should he book himself against you and somehow get lucky, who will take a man with no history, seriously?" Max asked. "He is young, he doesn't see how this will damage his career rather than make it better, but first, you need to focus your mind of the tasks at hand. Tonight, we battle, that's your main focus. When that is said and done, focus on Teddy Warren. Don't worry about your wife, she will not be focusing on you, she will only have eyes for Kate. When that is done, focus on Jack Washington. Muddling thoughts will not help and will make your urge to leave stronger."
I couldn't help but sigh, Max was talking sense but it was hard to let the words sink in.
"You're in the ring with me tonight Ben." Max reminded me. "And I won't be playing nice. Get your focus in to tonight. Everything else will fall in to place."
Wise advice from a man who had done so much in wrestling, having lived and breathed it as a child, watching his family enter the ring.
"Thanks Max." I said as I stood up. "I appreciate the advice. I'll see you tonight in that ring. First, I better go find those tight trunks. Just only thinking slightly ahead there."
Alas, Evie was on to me. She knew my game before I could even switch it on. She'd seen the card and by the time I got back to the room, those tight shorts were hidden. The rest of the day went well, I didn't exactly get the results I desired, but still, it was good being in the ring with some real champions.... Not you O'Malley.... but taking Max's advice, it was time to focus on the first roadblock in the way, that roadblock being Teddy Warren, and of course, my wife Evie.
A short wander around the rose garden at the base of The Saxon Hotel was needed. I've done promos from the bar, the pool, those kinda places, but I thought I'd have a stroll through the rose garden, rest me aris on a bench, with the belt over my shoulder and have a little chat with you all. Don't wanna babble on here too much because honestly, these tag promos are limiting and think I chatted too much a bit earlier. Ah well.
"Alright people." I say as I lean back on a bench.
Limited time here Ben, don't prat about.
"I never thought for a second I'd have to sit here and talk about a match like this. I didn't think there was a muppet on earth who would book such a thing, but apparently there is." I say with a shake of my head. "You Christina..."
I wave my finger.
"You are indeed a muppet if you think I couldn't see though you like a window." I say still waving my finger. "Kate and Teddy are your friends now, although it wasn't too long ago they were trying to rip you off to the point you also have a side job in a casino, but they're now your mates. Now you think I wouldn't work it out but I wasn't born last night, I know what this is about. This is all about getting your friends future title shots and before you sit there and say no, stop, because the lie detector in my nut is already going off. You book me and Eves on either side so if one of your friends score a pin over us, they can claim they beat a champion and should get a title shot."
I put my hands on the side of my head.
"Why do you think people won't see that bollocks a mile off?" I say as I shake my head. "It's obvious you wanna give your missus a title, give yourself a Bombshell title shot, and one of these two a claim to a title shot, plus someone else a shot at me. Lady, two things, one, you're worse than Oprah with these giveaways."
I hold up two fingers.
"And two." I start seriously. "This has to be the worst card I've ever been on. No thought behind it, just help ya friends and try and throw a title on your wife and make it all about you. I have no respect for you at all anymore Christina. Not a slight on your Roxi, but I seriously bloody hope Alicia and Andrea smack Christina to bits."
At this point, I don't even feel guilty for saying that, hell, I had to stop myself short of saying a trained chimp coulda put out a better card.
"I might be opening SCW's worst card in history, but your plan Christina ain't gonna work." I say firmly. "Your friends can only claim they should get a shot if they pin me or Eves."
I shake my head.
"It ain't happening." I say honestly. "Here's the thin point of things. I ain't giving a monkeys about teaming with Kate Steele, but I sure as hell hope Evie lays claim to Kate's belt if Evie pins her, oh yes, loophole Christina, works both ways. I honestly have no desire to team with Kate, I never have, never wanted to, really don't wanna right about now either. To me Kate, you're not in the match, you're just there, my only thoughts is Teddy Warren."
Realistically, my only thoughts were getting this rubbish over with, and that segment booked that I needed to do on the show and wait for the predictable announcement that Jack Washington is jumping the line.
"I don't really care if I beat you or not Teddy." I say seriously. "I couldn't give a rat's arse about the fact I haven't lost this year, ten on the spin or whatever it is. I mean in real matches, SCW matches, not that bollocks O'Malley pulled off, I mean face to face."
Got the belt but he's no champion.
"I don't care about what records I have, I don't have, I don't even mind about this right." I say as I look at the SCW World Heavyweight championship over my shoulder. "I'm frustrated Teddy, I'm wound up with so much dodgy stuff going on around here, so much dodgy stuff, not even hidden, just dodgy. I'm wound up with all the cry babies who must have title shots, I'm wound up with people showing up and talking belts. Wrestling is winding me up to the point on Sunday, I don't even feel like wrestling. I'm at the point where wrestling doesn't matter anymore. No longer is working with people outside people with a titles a thing, no longer is helping our business grow a thing, it's all about greed and titles and I'm sick of it. I'm actually at the point I don't wanna call myself a wrestler."
It was true. I started to feel like being a wrestler for SCW was watered down by title hungry, selfish people.
"But I am a fighter and fight I will do come Sunday." I say with a serious look on my face. "I'm a champion, not a thirsty for gold person like we have in SCW. I'm a champion so I'll act like it and I'll give the fans my time. Personally, I don't give a damn at the result, but you're not putting me down, and I can tell you this for free, Kate's not putting my wife down. If I'm gonna win this match, I'll be making sure I'm putting you down."
I honestly didn't care less about this, but Evie or I will be getting the pin, even if it means the other losing.
"Now Evie." I start with a smile. "I had this big old speech and stuff about how I was gonna win cause you know, it's what we're gotta do. I had this big speech about all the bad, bad things I was gonna do, be all manly about it and everything, but I came across a little problem with saying all that, and you'd have loved it, was a big speech and everything. It was as long as ya arm, this arm in fact."
I point to my left arm and look at my watch.
"But I'm out of time. I got my timing's wrong and yeah, don't have the time to talk about that, so yeah, bad Evie! I will beat you, I am the boss, I am the man, I will win! Blah, blah, blah." I say with a smile. "Anyway you lovely lot, really am out of time. Again, Christina, really bad card, but you've certainly made me appreciate Mark Ward and Christian Underwood's booking, I mean really appreciate it. Anyway, almost on borrowed time so I'll see you all Sunday."
I wink.
"Laters people."
The camera fades
