The Next Step Part 1
Youth versus experience
In-Studio - The Bane Home - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[on-camera]
Once again, I was in the studio, prepping for my match with O’Malley. The smell of acoustic foam always made me smile, and the sound of silence was a real thing. Unless you’ve been in a recording studio you simply wouldn’t understand. It’s a satisfying sense of nothingness, when it’s something you’ve designed with your own hands. Much like my career, it’s something I take pride in because it was of my own design. I smile at the camera, this match is my focus, my opponent has my undivided attention.
When you look at Sin City from a thirty thousand foot view, what do you see? To me, what I see is a company that has a great mix of young and veteran wrestlers. I see a company that is thriving while many other places are closing their doors. There are a number of things I attribute to. I always tip my cap to the leadership team that runs this place. Mark and Christian are top shelf in my opinion. They not only asked me to come back to Sin City but they welcomed me back. To someone like me who’s been in the business for longer than a cup of coffee, that kind of attitude is always appreciated.
I walk towards the camera, smile still in place but allow my eyes to narrow to reveal my intensity and my seriousness about this match. I unconsciously clench my fists so tight that the camera captures the white knuckles.
The next thing I attribute the success to is the level of competition in Sin City. Some of the most talented competitors in our business today, call Sin City Wrestling home. Not our world champion, Washington’s trash. I’m hoping that Cross takes that strap off him and sends him on his way.
Unclenching my fists so that my fingers regain some of the blood flow I continue.
Our Internet Champion; whether you like O’Malley or not, he worked his ass off to accomplish one of his goals. He beat a very game champion to capture that title. Augustino is a challenge, no doubt about that, he can push you to your limits. O’Malley bested him in a very competitive match. Hats off for the both of them, that was a fun match to watch. I could literally go down the line and talk about each champion and how they got there and how tough the obstacles were for them to get there. My focus is on this match, this opponent and the title we’ll be fighting for at Into The Void.
I set my jaw, not so hard that my teeth are clamped, just enough to allow my seriousness to creep through.
The first notable thing that comes to my mind, thinking about this from an objective point of view is the difference in our time in this business. It’s well known about my history and my past in the business, so why bother you with that tired old diatribe about the obvious. I have two things in my corner, experience and cunning.
My brows furrow as my intensity grows.
Youth versus experience. The age old question, will younger and faster win the day or will experience and cunning win out. Now, O’Malley is not young perse. He was late arriving to this business and it shows to be quite frank about it. For a man that’s pushing forty years old, at times he reacts like a much younger person. I’m not judging here, I’m simply pointing out the obvious. See, I know you’re proud of capturing the Internet Title as well you should be. Holding the number two belt in this company should be all it takes for you to gain the respect that you feel like you deserve. I agree, I think you deserve respect for the things you’ve accomplished in your short time in this business. As you’re finding out, respect is hard to garner from peers in this business. Holding a title is not a guarantee of respect given to a person.
My facial features relax and a more friendly smile plays across my lips.
I’ve heard you say it a lot, the wanting to be better and wanting to do better. Then in a match that could have been a showcase when you teamed with Kris, what did you do? You got laid out for being a disrespectful fool. You chose to show up your partner instead of being a professional and trying to work with him. From the time the bell rang you tried to be a showboat. From a personal view, I was looking forward to facing Kris to start that match, but you charged across the ring thinking you were going to submit me in the opening moments of the match? I’ve been doing this for twenty years chief, did you really think that I don’t know how to wrestle? That I wouldn’t know how to counter every move you’ve got in your arsenal? Don’t be daft. You simply have to be smarter than that O’Malley. I hope you learned something from our brief time in the ring. I hope you picked something up to help you to defend your title.
My next statements are said with a crispness and a slightly sarcastic tone.
You’re going to need all the advantages that you can get. There are a few things you can depend on when we face each other.
First and foremost, I don’t cheat to win matches.
Regardless of what I think of my opponent, I always try to do things the right way.
I hope you’ll do the same.
I’m not holding my breath on that one.
Keeping it going
unnamed medical facility - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[off-camera]
I sat in the waiting room at the clinic, this had become a part of my routine over the years. I learned that with all the abuse I had put my body through it was necessary to now get these treatments that elongate the muscles. I had so many damn knots in my body it was ridiculously painful just to get moving in the mornings on most days. My guy Todd McFarlane was really good at this and he smiled as he entered the waiting room.
“Hey Mac, I’m ready for you.” He said as he extended his hand, I shook his hand and stood up. I smirked as I clapped him on the shoulder, “That’s because you aren’t on the receiving end of this torture my friend.” He chuckled a bit and then said, “Worth it though right?”. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. “It’s worth every excruciating moment T.” We headed towards the back, and into his torture chamber as I liked to call it. I was already in shorts and a sleeveless shirt for meeting up with Amber later in order to work out and work through a few things she was going through.
Todd began as we always do, range of motion for my knees. “Not bad progress for your age Mac, your range of motion is better than when we first started this.” In response I grunted as he pushed my range farther, “It’s not the age, T, it’s the mileage.” With this done, he takes a piece of segmented bamboo from a nearby filing cabinet. I roll onto my stomach as he begins to begin working the back of my legs. “You know Mac, it’s all part of the lifestyle you lead. After so many years of doing what you do, tendinosis begins to set in. It becomes harder and harder to stay in shape to maintain what you’ve already built.” I grunt in pain as he finds and breaks up a knot in my upper calf. “That’s why I trust you to help me. You were spot on when you talked about elongating the muscles.” I say through clenched teeth as he finds another knot and grinds it out, this time with the point of his elbow.
“Jesus, that hurts!” I swear to him, in a way that comes out more of a growel. “Yeah, I’m sure it does.” he quips to me. “That is what you pay me for, to break that shit up.” A nod and grunt from me as he continues to work. “It is, and your damn good at this.” I say again as he pauses. He then begins working on my back. “Definitely progress, do you remember the amount of knots in your lower back when we first started these treatments?”. I nod my head and grunt as he finds a small knot in my lower back. “Yeah….there were far too many….Damn!” I grunt out as he destroys another one. “Only two this time” he says, obviously surprised that I’ve kept up with what he told me to do. He continues with stretching me and then he starts with the deep tissue massage and working on the knots in my upper back near my shoulders.
“Most guys my age have retired”, I say as he continues. “They’ve either been satisfied with what they’ve accomplished in this business or they’ve given up on their dreams. I’m never satisfied and I never give up.”
Fade.
”Bonnie”
The Bane Garage - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[off-camera]
The man that called himself Sam, an older white haired gentleman, had shown up on time to pick up his motorcycle. I greeted him with a smile and a handshake. “Mac, how the hell are ya?” He asked in the form of a greeting. “I’m good Sam, how’s things?”, I asked in return. He stopped and thought a moment, scratching the stubble on his chin, “Could be better, could be worse...so same shit, different day?” He said to me and chuckled a bit. He nodded towards the bike, “She ready?”. I smiled, “Yes sir, she’s good to go.”, I said as I motioned him to follow me deeper into the garage. He followed me and he sighed as he ran his left hand down the length of the bike. “Glad you didn’t do anything with the scratches, Mac, Thank you.” I nodded solemnly before replying, “I wouldn’t dare, not without your consent.”. He smiled, “You’re a man of character, Mac, I like that about you. You get it.”.
I did, “get it”, you don’t mess with another man's ride no matter what your personal feelings are, some people consider those scratches as giving the machine additional character. “Yes sir, I do, get it. You wanna take her for a test to make sure she meets your expectations?” I asked him in a very earnest way. He held out his left hand for the keys, and I gave them to him as he started the old bike up. I stepped out of the way as he engaged the clutch and drove off into the night. I felt good about the work we had done on his machine. Amber and I were a damn good team at everything we put our hands to. I had actually wanted to touch up the pain on that bike but Amber had insisted on not doing that. She was right of course, and I knew it was the right thing to do, or in this case the right thing not to do.
“He seemed pretty happy”, she said from my left. There was that smell of cinnamon again, it always seemed to make me smile. “I think he was, time will tell though.”, I said in return. We had returned home with just enough time to get ourselves together after some gym time. Amber was still dealing with some shit from her title defense. I know that frustration well, no matter how hard you prepare or how much of yourself you throw into this. There always seemed to be something that happens to try and taint what you’ve done. In this case it was the referee not catching that her opponent had put their foot on the bottom rope. It’s unfortunate but not her fault. “What do you mean, time will tell?”, She replied casually. I smiled as I turned and gave her a kiss. I draped my left arm across her shoulders. “Happy customers don’t leave reviews.”, I said and we laughed about that as we headed towards the office to lock up. “Fair”, she stated in agreement, “But fuck those poeple.”, more laughter as we headed down the hall.
Fade.
More thoughts...
In-Studio - The Bane Home - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[on-camera]
continued from earlier trash talk segment
If you want to show the world that you are serious about being better and doing better. Shake my hand before and after the match. Make amends with Kris for the bullshit you started in that tag match. I’d be willing to bet your wife, Darcy, would agree with me.
I hold up my hands in mock surrender, because I know things like that are frowned upon.
No offense, I’m just saying she seems like a reasonable sort. I mean, I’m sure that all of this is not new to you. What I’m saying is likely what many have said to you and about you over the months since you first made that declaration. If I’m wrong about that, I feel certain you will call me out for it. Just as I am going to call you out for a few things.
I set my jaw before continuing, this time though, my teeth are clenched.
I’ve said throughout my career that things said to me have consequences. I’ve not only said it, but I’ve backed it up every fucking time. It’s not that I care what people say, your opinion doesn’t mean shit to me. I get it, you’re trying to play head games to help you defend your title and your spot. We’ve all done that in this business.
I allow my jaw to loosen as I continue a smile blooms across my face but not the friendly kind.
You’ve got something in your possession that you are going to be defending. I know you’ll defend it with the energy and strength you can muster. Just like when I came back here, you had a lot to say about someone who won a title and left. You said it without knowing why I left. I know you’ll bring it up again, it’s nothing new man. Every single person I’ve faced since coming back except for Fenris has tried to use that against me. I’ve put them down, one by one, not just because I want to win. Not because I have to win. I did it to prove a point.
I spread my arms out and then slammed my left fist into my right hand for punctuation.
I did it because I can.
I did it to prove to them that the shit they say doesn’t matter and that try as they might they are not going to get under my skin or in my head. They wouldn’t like it in my head anyway, it’s a very dark and dangerous place to be.
Fade.
Unnamed Gym
Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[off-camera]
My wife had stormed away and I had watched and let her go. Sometimes you had to do that so they could have their space and in time see reason. I sat on the bench and began wrapping my hands. I had been working on footwork prior, and my shorts and sleeveless t-shirt were already drenched. I had watched her work the bag, and wanted to incorporate a little of that style into my own. Not everything fits, mostly due to the size difference. That dirty boxing style worked really well for smaller competitors but there were elements that made a lot of sense to me. For me it was mostly about the foot work, but some of the fighting elements were gold. The foot work would help with agility and evasion. The hooking punches to the kidneys would help immobilize smaller opponents.
I had been watching Amber fight, literally for years. Even knowing what she was going to do wouldn’t save you from the ass beating you were about to endure.
Jab
Jab
Duck right
Cross
Duck right
Elbow strike to the temple
Give them a pattern, then make them pay for it.
I continued the pattern but this time instead of an elbow strike, I would incorporate a knee in the gut followed by a clubbing forearm to the back of the head.
“I’ve never seen anyone try to emulate my style before. I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.” She said to me as she approached. I smirked at her, “Unless I’m doing it wrong, I don’t think I’d feel insulted.”. Catching my smirk she returns one of her own. “Not wrong, different. How did you pick up on my style anyway?”She looked genuinely curious as I continued through the routine and alternated it with something of my own each time. I panted as I replied, “I was once told that I have a photographic memory.” I finally stop and look at her, “Once I’ve seen something, I don’t forget it and with some study on the technique, can generally incorporate it into my own arsenal.” She nodded at me, seeming to understand and shook her head in dismay. “That’s freaky and fucked up, Mr. Bane.” I barked a laugh, “Would you have me any other way, love?”. She doesn’t say anything but gives me a kiss in response.
She began walking towards the locker room and said over her shoulder, “You’re not doing it wrong, your technique needs work but that could be devastating.”
Fade.
[color=#ff4444My final thoughts[/color]
In-Studio - The Bane Home - Las Vegas, NV
/Scene Opens\
[on-camera]
Third and final part…
There are many places in the world that are dark and dangerous. Inside that ring with me is one of them. Unlike a lot of people, I don’t hate you. Quite the opposite, I think you have potential to be great. That would require something from you that I don’t think you’re really quite ready for.
I cross my arms in front of me, I momentarily look down at the ground, allowing the smile to become even more broad.
It would require you to be willing to learn from your mistakes. You would have to commit yourself to learning to not react to the things that people say. It would require you to learn to get out of your own way. I’ve been watching you fight for quite a long while O’Malley, you have excellent technique and you execute it well. The problem has always been decision making.
I look back up at the camera, the smile is gone. My look is serious but genuine.
The recent tag match is simply the most recent example of your poor decision making inside the ring. There are countless other examples of a man who’s so very desperate to impress others that he takes risks that should be left alone. You’re better than that, anyone who has taken time to watch your matches would say the same thing. You are so much better than what you’ve shown. You could be earning your own place on the Mount Rushmore of Sin City but you keep doing stupid shit. I’m not going to pursue tearing you down, that’s one of the big differences between myself and others. I don’t have to do that to get the best out of you.
The other difference between me and most of the other long time veterans is that I’m willing to teach. I’m willing to help in circumstances that most people won’t. Should you decide that you truly want to be better and get better, let me know. It won’t protect or save you from this match. It’s really about the best I can do for you.
I don’t really need to tear you down going into this match, I don’t want you to feel as though you have no hope. I don’t want you to feel less than confident going into your first title defense. I want you to be you, how else can you learn? How else can I teach you what you need to understand?
At into the void, you’ll get the opportunity to experience oblivion and what it truly means first hand. This is not a threat, veiled or otherwise. It’s simply the way it has to be. I look forward to hearing what you have to say. I’m sure that you’ll once again mention how I won the Roulette Title and left. You’ll point out that my wife is a world champion and I am not. I look forward to all of these tired old tactics. If you can’t surprise me with your promo at least try to in the ring. Beat me if you can.
Prove me wrong O’Malley
