We find Sin City Wrestling’s latest acquisition, “Godly” Ken Davison, standing in the center of a wrestling ring. He is surrounded by a small group of men and women sitting on the mat. Most noticeably a monster of a man, who towers well above all of the other students, as well as a teenage girl around the age of sixteen.
“Charles Darwin’s words still very much ring true, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is most adaptable to change.” Adaptability is one of the top “human skills” otherwise known as essential skills. Historically, little emphasis has been placed on these skills, but those who are viewed as the best, the elite, the apex, have realized that hard skills on their own are not enough. In the ring, we need to be able to communicate, negotiate, interact with fellow colleagues, be it friend or foe. We need to be able to adapt.”
“Let me ask you all something. What is adaptability and why is it important?” The large man raises his hand. Davison points him.
“Vinnie.”“In my second match, I lost to a woman because I made the mistake of treating her the same way I treated my first opponent. Because I had easily overpowered my first opponent, I thought I could do the same. She used her speed and experience to take me out.”Vinnie was one of the few of the students with actual match experience. In this case, it would be an experience that was valuable to all of his students.
“Which is why you need to learn to be able to adapt. Adaptability means one is able to quickly respond to change, be it in the ring or out. This ability to adjust or shift makes you nimble, which I do not mean in strictly the physical sense. For example, when I entered this business all the way back in 1996, you did not often see a man my size in the ring. More so, you did not often see a man my size being successful in the ring. Promoters believed that wrestlers should be superheroes, massive men with massive muscles capable of incredible feats of strength like Vinnie here. It is because I was able to not only recognize, but also analyze that information, that I was able to succeed. You see, I was the anomaly. Every time I was in the ring, I was the opponent that they weren’t prepared for. Instead of facing a man who was slow and plodding, which 95 percent of the men were at the time, they had to try to catch me. Which was the exact tactic that was used against Vinnie.”
Davison paces back and forth as he talks, making eye contact with as many of his students as possible.
“Are you adaptable?” Ken says as he pauses. He turns to Vinnie once again.
“I’m going to pick on you a bit, big man. What did you do after your loss?” “I started going to a bunch of different schools to train. Here, MMA, I even found a school that specializes in lucha.” “Good. Remember that in the future. Also, do not be afraid to realize that advice found in other areas can apply to us in our industry. In my career, I have learned four things that will serve you well, no matter where you are. That is experiment, see opportunity where others see failures, be resourceful, and think ahead. You do not whine and you do not blame others. What Vinnie did embodies all of those things. Can I ask you, Vinnie, have you had any matches since that loss or is this recent?”
“‘I’ve won my last two matches.”“Excellent,” Ken nods in approval.
“I know I sound like the proverbial ‘get off my porch guy,’ but in my day, you didn’t have all these wrestling schools. You had to know someone in the business in order to get trained. As luck would have it, my stepfather was friends with a guy in the business. When I was 15, I started working at his gym. I showed my dedication and even though I didn’t fit the mold, he trained me and now here I am, 28 years later, living the dream.”The teenage girl with brown curly hair raises her hand.
“Yes, Chloe.”“So, you said there weren’t any schools. How did you, like, adapt?”
A smile crosses Davison’s face, glad to see that his students were following his lead.
“I had to make it a point to look at things differently. I couldn’t do things the way everyone else did. I was different so I had to think differently. Yeah, change can be scary, but the world constantly changes and this sport is no different. I talked about how everyone when I started was close to six foot six and three hundred or so pounds. Look at the landscape now. Now, men like Vinnie are the exception, not the rule. You simply cannot cling to the “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality. You take change and you embrace it. Look at change as an opportunity to improve, learn, and grow. This also means, however, being open to the thoughts and opinions of others. What works for me may not work for you. That having been said, be willing to be flexible.”
“Which brings me to my second point, you have to take risks. You don’t have to be willing. You have to force yourself to do it. Precious little progress is made without risk. For some, the idea of risk is so adverse that they will run from it as fast as they can, but taking risks is a key part of being adaptable. You may have to start small and increase comfort. To directly answer Chloe’s question, I left the States and traveled down to Mexico and trained in lucha libre. The style there is different. Here, we teach you to try and fall on the flat of your back, which spreads the impact out over your whole body, decreasing the damage you take in one particular spot. But the walking colossi liked to throw me around. In Mexico, I learned to use the momentum to roll through the move, allowing me to get to my feet and take advantage of my speed advantage. While they were regaining their footing, I was already in position to attack.”Davison stops his pacing and turns to the class, placing his hand on his chest to emphasize the point he is about to make.
“The absolute most important thing I can impress upon you is that you need to be willing to embrace learning. Whether it is reading up about new technologies in their industry sectors, going to seminars on how to cut costs while maintaining efficiency and quality, learning about process improvements, the best of the best are constantly learning. For us, that means more training, more matches, watching as much of the product as we can. Doing that will allow us to learn what we do well, what our opponents do well, and where we can improve. The brain is the most important part of your body when wrestling.”
“This means you need to take some time to think about your adaptability skill level. If you are adaptable, then identify tangible ways to showcase it. If you find that you aren’t that adaptable, I want you to listen to the advice I’ve given you today. I also recommend you find an accountability partner to help you grow this important skill. Find someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Do these things and you may not succeed immediately, but over time, you will see a marked improvement in your skills. Class dismissed.”Davison rolls out of the ring as the students all make their different ways out of the ring towards the locker rooms. Ken walks over to his tag team partner and fiancée, Kyra Johnson. Her five year old daughter, Adina, rolls into the ring and begins bouncing around.
“So, when do you have to head to Sin City again”“It’s New York City, just up the road a couple of hours. Madison Square Garden.. I haven’t worked in that arena in about a decade. You wanna come?”“We’ll see. It would be good to see Amber and Mac.”“Yeah, that was a part of the allure.”“Just do me a favor and come back in one piece.”“Of course, mama.”The fact that Ken Davison was a family man greatly belied the fact of what he was truly capable of. Those who followed his career remember the Ken Davison that continually jabbed a screwdriver into the arm of an adversary, with such ferocity that his very own daughter threw in the towel. They remember the man who faced Amber Ryan in a Cage of Death and walked away victorious. They remember the man who once put Mac Bane through a flaming barbed wire table. Do not be fooled, for Davison is both a sinner and a saint. Something that he is prepared to show Sin City Wrestling as a company and Levi Russow personally.
“Godly” Ken Davison stands behind the pulpit of the nearly forgotten St. Anne’s Church. He had not been there in almost 10 months. Though he is not in his full priest’s regalia, he is wearing a pair of red tinted sunglasses, a shade that perfectly matches the ruby carpet underfoot. He is wearing a pair of black jeans and a t-shirt.
“Being from Boston, I was given the hero's welcome that I rightfully deserve. That was the first, last, and only time that I expect to receive that kind of adulation. I am not the kind of man who deserves praise. I am the type of man who is willing, and more importantly able, to do many great and terrible things.”
“Levi Russow, I guess you are the first sacrificial lamb within the Sin City Wrestling flock. There is a certain irony to the fact that I have come here to smite this company of its evil, and they send me someone good. Regardless, I was given exactly what I asked for. I wanted a challenge and I have been given a challenge.”Ken walks out from behind the pulpit. The sun shines through the stained glass window bearing his likeness, dousing him in a kaleidoscope of color. A particular shade of red comes down his forehead, almost resembling freshly drawn blood.
“To be honest, I’m hoping that you will surprise me. I am fully expecting the standard ‘I don’t care what you’ve done anywhere else. What I care about is what you’ve done here,’ spiel. I understand that I haven’t done anything here, at least not yet. Climax Control was not a bad debut. First match at High Stakes, biggest show of the year? Should I succeed, that will be another notch in my bedpost. What have you done lately? OOOOH! TOUGH LOSS THERE, kiddo.”Davison looks excited as he continues, an infectious smile on his face.
“I don’t want you to think that’s a bad thing. It’s not a bad thing at all. You will have yourself a nice little career winning a title or two. You’ll probably become one of those underdog darlings that the crowd cheers for that can’t quite grab that brass ring. Maybe, just maybe, I’m looking at things from the wrong perspective. You could go on to be one of those people who carves a nice little niche for yourself. Somehow, I don’t believe either of those statements to be true.”
“Despite all of this, I feel as though you were the real winner of that match against Agostino Romano. Think about it. What did he get? A Roulette Championship match against Bill Barndoor or whatever his name is. Yeah, championships are cool, however, you received the true prize. You received the gift of a match against “Godly” Ken Davison. You have the opportunity to prove that you are more than I believe you are. You have the chance to make your name at the expense of “The Living God of Professional Wrestling.” Do you want a title, or do you want a legacy?”Davison looks up at his stained-glass avatar.
“Remember, I came here for a very specific reason. You need to remember where I came from.I was one of the biggest bastards this company has ever seen. I made the decision that because I could not be a hero, that I would serve as a horrible warning. I am one of the standard-bearers of carnage. I have toppled legends not only within the companies I have worked for, but men in women who are legends within the industry. You need to recognize that the reason that Mac Bane, the reason that Amber Ryan both respect me is because we have a bond forged in blood. Even though you are only facing me in the physical sense, I fight for so much more than my own personal glory. I fight for the betterment of Sin City Wrestling.”
“Look around.” Ken motions around him, allowing the camera to take in a panoramic of the entire sanctuary.
“Look around and take in the grandeur. Throughout my career, I discovered that being a world champion gave me a chance to stand at the top of the mountain. My goal is to once again reach the top of that mountain. When I get there I am going to make sure I take the opportunity to enjoy the view.”Ken walks over to the cherry oak press pews, taking a moment to sit down on the plush red cushions.
“What I am telling you is that for better or for worse people will remember “Godly” Ken Davison. No matter what I do from this point forward I will be remembered. I will have a legacy, the same kind of legacy I mentioned to you before.”
“Back to my original point, if I may. It is my job as a wrestler to build up this match. As a representative for this company, I should be doing my best to let everyone know that this is a match that they want to watch. I am supposed to convince them that it is worth them spending their hard-earned dollars to pay to see High Stakes. However, I left that task to the Sin City locker room this time… and that is because I am a giver.”Davison smirks knowingly at the camera.
“That’s right. I am a giver. When I looked you up, Levi, I only did so because I didn’t know who the hell you were. I tried my damnedest to remember one specific thing you said or did. I went back and I watched your previous promos. I could not find a single discernible trait about you that I could tear apart or lift up. I want people to recognise your talent. Hell, I would be happy if I could even see your talent. Since I’m a giver, I have a gift for you. You can take it or you can leave it and that is your decision. At the end of the day, it does not affect me either way.”Ken gives that sly smile of his that you see when he’s concocted some kind of plan.
“I want to give you the opportunity to have your moment. I want to give you the gift of notoriety. I will allow you to choose any, and I mean any kind of match that you want. What you do with that gift is entirely up to you. I will be honest about the fact that my motives are not entirely selfless. I have messages that I need to send to each and every person in the locker room, in the office, in the stands. I am going to deliver my manifesto through the beating I give you at High Stakes. Your purpose is not to be the messenger, but rather the message.. Your job is to show me an actual act of defiance. Show me that I am wrong. Prove to me that you belong in the ring with me. If you don’t, I will pick you apart piece by piece and leave you in the middle of the ring as nothing more than a quivering mound of flesh waiting for your remains to be stripped bare by the vultures.”The smile disappears from Davison’s face.
“I’m hoping for a fight, but whether it is or not, I am going to tell you the future. When the dust settles and all is said and done, it’s going to be the GKD, “Godly” Ken Davison that stands in that ring victorious because when you’re God, you don’t have to break the rules. You make them!!!”The camera fades out as Davison stares intently into the camera.
