It's been more than a while since I sat here and had to record anything and I won't lie to you good people, it's been a hell of a couple of months. To sit where I was to where I am now is a bit of a fall to be honest, but there has been something in me yelling it was for the best. I mean I dunno if you're that interested but where gonna bounce back a few times over the last couple of months just so you can get in my mindset a little bit here, because the sparkle may have jumped out of me for a while, but that's cause there is a hell of a lot going through my dome at this point, we might as well get started.
Wednesday August 5th 2020.
It had very much sunk in that I was no longer SCW World Heavyweight champion. It was hard not to the way Griffin Hawkins had milked that cow on Twitter, waiting for all the boot licking congrats to make their way to him. There was not a mention of me and how I had been a great champion, just hey I'm now a World Champion in SCW. Not even a mention of how it's the ultimate prize in wrestling, a prize you had to work for. It was in my face everywhere I went on social media, Griffin excited like a dog with two di.... Erm, tails. I knew I did my job properly, I knew I had all but confirmed an Hall of Fame spot for the future. I had basically played my part in SCW history, so I wasn't bitter at all. I'd even played a part in the shock value, because no one expected me to lose that match, a message from a friend asking me how I lost that match drew a smile from me. I lost, I wasn't bitter but it did leave a big question mark over the future.
I was signed as always to SCW from year to year. Last day in December to the last day in December, I know, contracts at times come across as meaningless with people upping and walking away whenever they see fit, so I had a choice laid in front of me.
Option A, run away. Make up some rubbish about being burned out after my huge championship run and disappear.
Option B, I could take it easy, work when was needed. The bosses were always decent when it came to little breaks after working hard.
Option C, Go to Sin City Underground or GRIME as their biggest star, sorry Max and Vix, you can't see this but I'm winking.
Option D, Chase down Griffin Hawkins like a dog chasing a bone and get my title back.
I couldn't see in to the future, I didn't know Griffin Hawkins would lose my belt and eventually skip off without an expected fanfare, nor did I know O'Malley was gonna call me out to defend that Underground belt against me, also a belt I felt I should have had but my heart was always leaning towards option B.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Evie's voice said as she looked over the breakfast counter, her hands wrapped around a warm drink.
We headed back to Maine right after Summer XXXTreme, because we could and we missed home a little, even with restrictions.
"Sorry?" I said as I snapped from my dream world.
My mind had been thinking about the future since we came home. It was a big decision that didn't only effect myself, but my wife too. She is still a champion, she is still the woman leading the toughest division in the world. If she had lost, I know she'd have been thinking about her future too.
"You just seemed to drift away there." Evie said as she frowned at me.
I nodded my head, I wasn't sure why, subconsciously, I was probably agreeing with her.
"I'm just thinking about a lot of things sweetheart." I told her with a half hearted smile. "As they say, the world is my oyster right now and I'm just trying to figure it all out."
I felt her hand touch mine from across the counter, her skin still warm from the hot drink it was around just seconds before.
"You're not considering giving up cause that guy got lucky, are you?" she asked me with a general curious tone. "Because you know if you got a rematch, you'll smash him, right?"
I loved her faith in me even if at times it was unfounded. I know I was off my game a few days previous, I knew that wasn't the Ben Jordan people are used to seeing. When you get a message from someone you respect telling you they can't believe you lost that, asking me how I lost it, I knew it wasn't the best me. Not to take anything away from the new champion, but I knew I could have and should have done better. I guess it was best me sitting thinking about my future than Griffin. I didn't know at the time how that would turn out.
"Nah." I said unconvincingly, drawing a stare from Evie. "What I mean is I know I got a few options in front of me and I have a contract with SCW till the end of the year and I ain't gonna flake on that. SCW gave me a lot, probably more than I deserved so I ain't gonna bugger off and leave them in the lurch. That just ain't me."
I felt Evie's hard stare on me, I knew she could read me like a book.... Or one of those e fed roleplays. Maybe that's an option, my writing wasn't too bad, but Ben Jordan in an e fed? Nah!
"I'm just taking in a few things." I explained. "I could turn tail and run, the bosses will probably let me finish up a few months early. SCU might wanna book me again there. I mean they do things different from SCW. Booking multi people tag matches probably means I can take it easy."
"And get lost in the shuffle" Evie replied quickly.
"Plus side is while it airs, I'll be at home. No live stuff it seems right now." I quickly fired back. "Bloody networks or whatever"
"Or you can go and smash Griffin." Evie offered.
It had been in my head but there was another jarring thought in my head too. I didn't wanna be one of those people who constantly chased that title. The only people who don't seemed to see how bored people get watching the same people chasing, is the person doing those chasing. We've seen it so much in the past and I didn't want the moniker of the man who constantly chased after the one title. I mean I'm not a geezer that chases titles to be fair but that Internet one is decent, and there was fun to be had in the Roulette division, plus that Mixed Tag Team division is heating up.
"Thing is babe." I started slowly. "I've never been a title chaser. I've taken the opportunity when I could but that's it. Companies don't stick around long if it's the same old challenger. It's always seemed a little bit clear if you read in to it that Jack Washington will be stepping up. There's more than a few others stepping up now too, so it's time for me to ease down a little."
Evie frowned as she looked across the counter, her eyes narrowed. I could tell what she was thinking and I knew she was thinking about the what if. What if I had won, what if she had lost. It was not a thought I wanted to be in her head.
"Don't worry about it." I said as I put my hand on hers that was already on mine. "I'm thinking it's time to let the others play and I'll work when people want me to. I'm sure I can clear that was the bosses. They're alright with things like that. I'll still show up as much as I can, which barring doctors orders, should be every week, even if it is to just drink whiskey with Max on camera."
"Such a hardship." She replied with an accompanying roll of her eyes.
"Man brings good booze." I quickly replied with a wink and a smile. "I dunno, but I'm sure someone will fancy their chances against the ex champion. I'm now a route to the top."
I watched Evie's face turn to confusion as she looked towards me.
"Eh?" She asked.
"Beat the former champion with a long run under his belt." I started. "People then take you seriously. Anyone who wants a quick jump to the top will be calling my name. I'm basically a trampoline that can bounce ya to the top."
Evie slowly shook her head at me. I knew it wasn't the best way to put it but it was the easiest way. A win over me could do a hell of a lot. I didn't know the man who would yell my name would be Travis Nathaniel Andrews, but more on him later.
"Someone's bound to yell my name and call me out." I said thoughtfully. "So I won't have ya as my sugar mumma just yet."
I couldn't stop myself from looking at Evie with a smile and squeezing her hand.
"But I gotta come up with some stuff to say at the next show." I said to Evie as I tapped my free hand on the table, a thoughtful look crossing my face.
I know it was just a couple of days after losing the belt, but that how I work. I like things being fresh in my mind with I start throwing around an idea of two and that was no different. I thought about it for a bit, had a rough idea where I wanted to go but ultimately decided to go to the ring and speak from the heart a bit. That's exactly what I did.
An apparent wise man once said pain is just in the mind, it's all mental. No people, he was mental to even think that. Pain is pain, it's not more than that, pain bloody hurts and well, this bloody hurt.
On August 30th, a match was recorded for SCU Underground 70, O'Malley taking on me, last man standing - it didn't show till the 2nd September for some unknown reason but it was a match that would be one for the ages, but along with making a match that good, you're gonna hurt for a long time after. For days after that match was filmed, I couldn't say a thing about it, I couldn't talk about it till it aired, neither could O'Malley. I couldn't sell a thing about it but I was in absolute agony. That Sunday was a bad Sunday for me, really bad. Not only had my body crashed off the top of an ambulance, pretty much knocking me sparko, and thankfully, O'Malley too, meaning none of us was standing, no one won the match, I already had a headache from earlier getting called names by Travis Nathaniel Andrews on Climax Control.
Sticks and stones - and possibly falls from an ambulance - may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
That match with O'Malley left me broken, physically and a little mentally to the point I actually started to respect that stick swinging git, so the big fall must have effected me in a lot of ways and I dunno if I'm even good to go for this match with Travis, but back then where this next bit takes place, I was a whole less sure I would even make it out the house, let alone to a ring.
Friday September 4th 2020.
My body was an absolute mess and I was under doctors orders to do nothing but rest up and relax. It's not the first time I've been told that and spent time catching up on shows, re watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe or playing on the Playstation or even taking a team from obscurity to Champions League glory on Football Manager, so I wasn't concerned but there was a lady in my house that was more concerned than most and that was of course, Evie.
"Ben, I don't have to go to work, I can take the time off." Evie said in a stern voice.
I looked up at her from the most comfortable position I could get myself in on the sofa, my eyes trying to soften as much as they possible could to convince her to go.
"You're the Bombshell World Champion." I reminded her. "There's been bundles of Bombshell World champions who couldn't be arsed to turn up to work, hell, plenty of men too. Don't be one of those champions who sit there and thing the game is over now you have the gold. The game is never over and in this crazy world of ours, it's outta sight, outta mind for a lot of people."
I could tell instantly that my words were not having an impact on her. People see this bad ass Evie on the screen and thinks that's all there is to her but there's so much more than people can even imagine. Things have been tough away from the camera and she wanted to protect me, but life just can't stop.
"I'll probably be on the screen for a few minutes." She said back. "I could do that from here."
"And sit around watching me moan in pain for the night?" I asked quickly. "It's not worth it. I ain't gonna go nowhere, you'll only be gone a couple of days. I got enough around to keep me busy. I am moving better than I was a few days ago, and I got Bear here."
I could see Evie's mind processing all I said but I knew it made her uncomfortable to leave me. She knew I wasn't useless, and could look after myself but the thought of the pain running through my body doing the simplest things was messing with her a little.
"It's ten as it is, you'll be on a plane in an hour and I'll be in bed probably." I tried to reason with her. "There's no need for people to sit there and moan and groan about a champion not showing up for work. These nit picking sods will use anything against anyone so don't give them the ammo to do so."
Evie looked at me as a sigh couldn't stop itself from escaping her lungs, her eyes almost pleading as she stared.
"I can help to get you to bed if you want." She said with an offering tone.
"Don't be daft." I replied quickly. "No need to. You just get your things together, get on out to the airport, and I'll be up and ready to chat when you land and get to The Saxon Hotel and get that stick up ya nose."
I shuddered inside at the thought of test 38965205 since this virus started. Ok, maybe that's an inflated number but it felt like it. Part of me was glad I didn't have to have two tests in a few days, but it wasn't exactly anything to brag about.
"Are you sure?" She asked me one more time.
"Absolutely." I replied with a warm smile. "Me and Bear are just gonna hang out, watch a ton of films, watch you kick a little booty on the screen and sit eagerly by the door till you come home. We won't get in to any mischief. Well, I won't, can't speak for the furry one to be fair."
Evie looked me up and down, her eyes finally showing signs of giving up the cause.
"Choppy chop." I said with a smile. "You'll be back here in ya nurses uniform before you know it and me and fur ball will be right here waiting."
It was hard work convincing her to go and show the world why she is the SCW Bombshell World champion but she finally relented, kissing me goodbye and out the door and on her way to the airport. I was gonna miss her but I knew she had a lot to do in Las Vegas, it was the life of a champion, a life I was partly missing and partly not. I think I would have like it more if my run wasn't marred with COVID restrictions causing the fans to not be around me. I wasn't a champion anymore, just a guy sitting at home, at this point wondering myself how the hell I let Griffin Hawkins beat me. I heard by this point he didn't want to stick around after losing the belt, not only did my respect die for him then, I started questioning why I lost to him, what cosmic force did that.
I've gone off track here a little, sorry, it happens.
Evie had gone and was half way to the airport before I glanced at the time, figuring it was a good time to get myself ready for bed. Sadly, my legs decided they didn't wanna work as well. I forced myself to my feet, the pain shooting through my body in sharp sparks, like every nerve ending inside me was tingling, I just couldn't hold my weight as I crashed to the floor, rolling to my back instinctively as the pain shot through me.
"Oh bollocks." Was all I could muster as I looked up at the white ceiling.
My head turned to the right where I saw Bear just lift his head and look towards me before dropping his head back to the floor, his eyes closing.
"Fat load of use you are." I said with a smile. "Ah well, could be worse, could be laying here after just flying off an ambulance."
I didn't lay there for too long, maybe an hour or so but ain't gonna lie, felt a ton better just for laying there.
Well the days past and there was a little doubt from me that I should be working at Violent Conduct, my body wasn't healing as fast as it should have been but I felt I owed it to people. These people supported me for a long time and everyone loves a bit of nostalgia, even us wrestlers. We like revisiting our past to face our favourite opponents again. I'll be facing one of mine this coming Sunday.
And here we are, today, modern day. It's Thursday for you guys keeping track and here I am just sitting outside the house in Maine.
"Alright people!" I say with a huge smile on my face.
It's been a while since I've sat here and spoke to the fans, I admit, I may even be a little rusty doing so, but a deep breath should clear the thoughts.
"It's been a long time since I've been in a ring and I'm actually looking forward to it." I say with a nod. "Technically, I wasn't in the ring too much when it came to facing O'Malley, but I was there and that night there was a hell of a lot going through my mind. Earlier that night, I got called a lot of names by you Travis Nathaniel Andrews. I got accused of a hell of a lot. Ladies and gents we need to rewind a fair amount of time here, but think back. There was times Travis and me were rivals, there were times Travis and me were friends and I tried to help him out, tried to teach him how to step on up. The thing is, Travis has been wrestling for donkey's years, but never made it to the level I did and when you take all that history, that's the root of the issue here. All the way through the time I have know you Travis, I have always been a step ahead and I see why you're doing this."
I could see, most could see.
"It's all about the one thing you've had better than everyone else, and that's ego." I say firmly. "You see me go on to be SCW World Heavyweight champion, something you could never do and you thought you wanna end that career saying you beat me. Mate, you struggled back then, you're gonna struggle again now because surely you musta seen while sitting on ya jacksy that I've got so much better than I was when you last knew me. Surely you've seen that I am not the same guy I was back then. I mean I love the nostalgia and all and I ain't gonna fall in to the same trap I fell in with Griffin and think I got this because I know you're a sneaky sod and that ego won't let you quit, but I know where this one is going and this ain't gonna be your biggest win in SCW."
I wasn't trying to be cocky, just confident.
"I resent the fact that you implied I left you behind while I went on to have more success." I say with a serious tone. "That was never the case, the truth is you left, you upped and left and I was left standing there holding me Jacobs with not a lot to do. I had to go on and do something, did you really think I was gonna sit around and wait for you to come back for me to actually get some work done? Don't be daft, I knew with the chances that others were given every week, I'd have a shot at being something decent, I just wasn't like you Travis, I wasn't making demands for anything, trying to get people to give me shots at things I didn't earn. I sat here for years of my life working towards what I became and I know you, I bet you was sitting at home watching, letting jealousy fuelled by your ego, get the best of you and try to do all you can to come and rain on my parade, but you're not gonna do that. I've lost my belt but I haven't lost my head, I haven't lost my skills, I haven't lost what made me the champion in the first place, but we need to look at what you bring to the table now Travis."
That was a good question to me. No one has seen Travis in a ring for a long time, he could come back a whole new man for all we knew.
"It kinda doesn't overly matter." I continue. "I've always seemed to have your number pal, I've always been a step ahead of you, I've always seemed to have been a little ahead and the fact is that this ain't gonna be much different. I've got something to proper prove in this match. I lost my World Heavyweight championship at the last huge SCW show, I failed to capture back my SCU Underground championship the last time I stepped in to the ring. That puts a bit of fire in the gut if ya know what I mean. To be able to vanquish an old enemy is even better there."
I felt the fire burn in me, I felt like this was the perfect match to get back in the swing of things after the injury.
"I need this win Travis, I ain't like those other champions who lose and fade from existence." I say with a very firm tone. "That's not me. I needed the break for a bit but I'm ready to come back and show everyone there's life in this old dog yet. I'm ready to kick back on and see what I can do here, I'm ready to show everyone again that I've recovered and not lost a beat. A lot of people get disheartened when they lose, they go, they bugger off and work somewhere easier, get handed everything but that's not in my DNA, what is in there is the winning side of me and Travis, this is where I will excel on Sunday, this is where Violent Conduct VI is the perfect homecoming for me to an SCW ring, let alone you. I'm glad you was the one that called me out, I'm glad you out of everyone who could, said my name first cause mate, you're a ghost from the past I'm gonna get rid of once and for all."
He was my past, my eyes are looking on the future.
"I like to leave some stuff in the past and I'll be getting rid of you on Sunday." I say with a nod. "But welcome back anyway, I hope this was all you expected of me, I hope you expect a lot more from me in that ring."
It was time for a deep breath and finish this off.
"So thank you all for listening to me ramble for a bit, I've missed it." I start. "But Travis, on Sunday, Violent Conduct, you're gonna have a very strong reminder why I could last through the wrestling world and you had to pack up and go home. I'll see you soon."
I had to do my trademark wink.
"Laters people!" is, as always, my final words.
And with that, another Ben Jordan promo ends. I hope you all had fun watching, and I'll catch ya all on Sunday!
