Empty
It was so quiet now.
The gym, once bustling with more members and names that he could count or see. But now with the split into two locations, one in New York and the other in Orlando Florida, the large crowded bustle seemed to die out. As younger members travelled, as senior members left and relocated. The gym was more sparse. But, there were still so many names and stars.
Alex himself, Alicia, Johanna, Austin, Aiden, Kallie, Dickie. They were still here with many of the younger rookies and students. But, his sister being gone, Lachlan, Miles and Sierra being added but also relocating soon after.
Alex sighed heavily and looked over at the office, Sonja sat there, going through paperwork, it was just them in there now, Charlie’s desk gone. He shook his head and ran his hands through his long dark hair. Alicia coming up behind him, her arms folded over her chest. She sighed heavily trying to get Alexs’ attention, he stared away into the distance, distracted in his thoughts. Alicia sighed again and followed it up with a cough, clearing her throat. Alex raised an eyebrow and turned ”If you’re sick the gym is the last place you should be”
Alicia rolled her eyes and made a face, obviously done with Alexs’ shit. She moved around to his side looking left and right. ”A lot more room in here now.” Alex gave an agreeable nod as Austin James Mercer locked Aiden Reynolds in an ankle lock, Aiden kicked trying to get out of it, the young Australian unable to as his tag team partner and friend Dickie Watson laughed and cackled hysterically on the ring apron. ”I miss Charlie…”
Alex let out a groan and folded his own arms over his chest with a glance over to her. ”I know what you’re doing Alicia.”
”What do you mean?”
Alex turned towards Alicia, raising an eyebrow with a deadpan expression on his lips. Alicia smirked and gave a shrug. ”I miss her too, I also don’t like how the gym feels right now...you know? I mean, did I make a mistake here?” He turns away from the rings, the mats, the office, moving across to a bench slowly sitting down and holding his head in his hands. ”Opening a second gym, I get that we needed space to grow. But what if…”
”What if?”
He shook his head. ”What if, I have diluted Wolfslair?”
Alicia raises her eyebrows again and moves to sit down next to Alex, her hands gripping the bottom of the bench as she sits forward watching everyone work out together. Working on grappling, ropes, conditioning. Learning from each other, working together. All of it. ”I don’t think you did.” Alex looks up to see what Alicia does, she smiles to herself and leans back against the brick wall behind them. ”We needed more space but also new blood. Bringing in others just means that we will have new people to work with. It’s what you always wanted.”
”Yeah.”
He didn’t sound convinced. He just sounded like he was doubting himself, like he fucked up. And it’s what he felt to, Alexs’ heart dropped into his stomach. His mind raced and he felt like panicking. Then, he felt it. A hard slap across the back of the head. His eyes darting sideways to Alicia who shook her head. ”Don’t be a dumbass. Look around.”
He looked up, scanning the gym. A mixture of rookies, veterans and current stars worked together. Moving around the gym, smiling and laughing. Getting better and better. Alex took a deep breath in and slowly smiled. ”I get it...I still...I just hope Charlie ansd the others are going to do well.”
”Charlie is smart Alex...she’s a great athlete, a champion in wrestling and MMA. And...she’s smarter than you.” Alex laughed looking at Alicia, she just smiled and shrugged tapping him on the shoulder. ”I’m not wrong am I?” He shook his head and got to his feet. Alicia did too, moving across to in front of Alex. ”The Orlando gym will succeed, so will we. No one has done what we have, the amount of titles from all these different companies? It’s insane. But, let’s add some more..”
She gave him a wink and a smile moving towards where Johanna and Kallie were working out. Alex watched and gave a small nod and smile. He felt better about it. The brand needed to grow, and things would only get better. But, he still missed his sister, even as proud as he was. But now...he had a match to prepare for. A match where he would again go in blind to the stipulation and rules. As was the way with the Roulette title...and the division he was champion of.
Three Strikes
”Here we go again, eh?”
Alex Jones, the name alone should inspire feelings inside anyone who knows anything about this business. His long wavy hair, tied back away from his face A scowl on his lips, his beard looking a little longer as hey sneers.
”Every single hoop they put in front of me I jump through. Gladly. I have been resurrected. Brought back up from the streak of losses I was on. And don’t think I don’t remember how it felt and what I was doing. Don’t you think for one second those failures aren’t burned unto my mind. The memory if each one and the feeling after. Fenris, Ben Jordan, Jack Washington. All of them. Right here.” His finger raises to his temple. ”And I was still here, still fighting. Through every single challenge I wanted to get better. Even as I questioned my place and my future.”
Alex shakes his head and folds his arms back over his chest.
”Even as others questioned it. In face I want you all to cast your minds back to last year. Last year I beat Griffin Hawkins for the SCW world title. And he left. Now, I have since hashed out my issues with Griff and I wish him well and I’d love to see the rocker back in an SCW ring doing what he does best, but he still left. Then, I lost the title to Jack Washington, my slide began. I let the things people like him said get to me.”
“I let the doubt and self loathing sink in and with each match and each loss I felt my heart and love for this business slowly dwindle down further and further. I felt my future getting darker and my career coming to an end.”
“But then I saw everything I had said come true. I told you all that Jack Washington was great at the time but he would fade away because he didn’t have the stamina to reach the top and stay there. And sure enough, Jack Washington, after beating me lost to Kris Ryans, then after regaining it, lost to Mark Cross. And since then Jack Washington has disappeared, Kris Ryans went back into retirement and Mark Cross got overshadowed and beraten by Mac Bane.”
“As short as my reign was, atleast it mattered.”
“You can’t say that about Jack Washgintons, who held the title longer but made people switch off in mass. You can’t say that about Kris Ryans, who came back then walked away cause he didn’t have the heart. You can’t say that about Mark Cross, he won a tournament, held the title and then stopped caring. Now, Mac? Mac is a name I know, Mac is a guy I can see as a dominant champion to bring back glory to the SCW’s alleged biggest prize.”
He pauses for a moment and reaches over grabbing the SCW roulette championship up and over his shoulder.
“See, this right now means more than the Internet and the world titles. Maybe Mac can bring the title back to the prominence it had when guys like Fenris, Austin, Ben Jordan and myself fought for and held it. Or. Maybe Mac will be just like Cross, Washington and Ryans. Lackluster.”
He adjusts the belt and swallows before shaking his head.
”I am closing in on breaking records. And I said since I won this that it’s what I wanted to do. I wanted the roulette championship to matter. So I could show that it isn’t simply winning the title that makes you a champion it’s defending it. I wanted to show everyone that I was worthy or it, that I was truly ready to make up for the performances I had that let the company and myself down. And, I hold this title till the end of the month and I will have had a longer title reign than the last five combined. I keep defending it and I prove what it is to be a fighting champion, taking on anyone the company deems worthy.”
“With that being said. Caleb Storms. He isn’t worthy anymore.”
“See, a few months ago I was honestly proud of Caleb. I looked at someone who had fought back against criticism and had fought back against people to finally earn a little respect and keep coming back for me. A guy who was hungry to prove the doubters and haters wrong and I respected that. I respected what Caleb had done since that fateful day where Austin almost took his head clean off. And I told him and all of you that. I was honest and it was from the heart. But we fast forward a few months and where are we know hmm?”
He pauses again and shakes his head glancing at the roulette title.
”You’ve had two chances Caleb, two chances to take this championship from me. First time was with Miles Kasey there too, and I made Miles tap, giving you an out to talk about how I didn’t beat YOU. And, the SCW management team heard you, giving you another opportunity in yet another triple threat match. An ultimate X over the pool match, one that is a staple of the Summer XXXtreme cruise. And you again lost, but had the out that I never pinned you or made you submit.”
“How many times are you going to use excuses and come up with things to say as reasons to get title shots? How many more Caleb?”
“This is your third match against me for this, the third opportunity you have been gifted by SCW. Three strikes and you are out.”
“And what makes this worse Caleb, is the realisation that you have NEVER beaten me. Ever. Not here, not in Honor. You just cannot get the job done. And, hey I’m not saying it’ll never happen, you could get lucky, lightening could strike and I could get complacent. But right now? I have all the reasons in the world to beat you. I have title records to break, I have points to prove and I had an intense, burning desire to shut your mouth. Cause this plucky underdog spiel that you throw out there month after month, year after year is becoming tiresome.”
“After I beat you this time you need to take a step back, realise that the broken record in your brain that causes you to spit the same bullshit out time and time again needs to be changed and you need to look at life and professional wrestling in a different way. Show some respect, acknowledge when you lose, don’t just ignore it and act like it never happened, don’t make lame excuses. Own up to it Caleb. Be a fucking man.”
“Like I did...like I admitted. Cause, and this is free advice kid, you can’t get over your failures...until you admit they exist. So I am about to give you another lesson...and another failure…”
“You’re welcome
