[Christian Underwood]

Post your roleplays here by deadline. Good luck and have fun!

[GKD]

The two week break was exactly what Ken Davison needed to get his head on straight. Still, there were things he needed to take care of to be able to move on from his loss to Goth at the last Climax Control, but he and his wife had once again successfully defended the UGWC Cooperative Championships, so things were trending upward. Still, there were things that he needed to address that he wasn’t able to a month ago because he was planning for his wedding. He wasn’t in the right headspace to deal with them, but more so, the things that had happened since that day. At this moment he is sitting across from his friend and former student Alexi Madej.

They are situated inside of an Applebee’s, food and drinks already on the table. Alexi Madej is a mountain of a man. At six foot two, he was taller than average. However, it was his sheer muscle mass that makes him seem intimidating, Truth be told, his image belied his actual demeanor. Alexi was a giant teddy bear to those people who had earned his trust. Through years of training together, Ken had earned that trust.

“Dare are dings going on?” Alexi speaks with his thick Polish accent. “Dees dings, why day bodder you?”

“People don’t listen. They don’t understand me. I’ve leaned on my family because I haven’t had anyone else to talk to. I mean, I’ve got Kyra, sure. But who was I supposed to talk to when it was about Kyra?”

“Dat may be da case. But dare are not people who are dare for you? I was here. Always, brudder.”

Ken looks at Alexi with a look that tells you that he knows the “Polish Predator” was not in a position to be argued with.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie. You’re right.”

“Dat is right.”

“You’re not helping, big guy,” Ken says with a sigh. “The fact is I was so hyper focused on winning the world championship. More than that, I was so focused on shutting up my doubters by any means necessary that I really thought the world was against me.”

“Bzdura! I am dare. Sean is dare. Da Saviors are dare. You have udder people dat are dare dis whole…”

“You’re right. Sean has been there, I’ve apparently leaned on him far too much. He’d never tell me that, but he’s got a wife and kids. I can’t be up his ass all the time. As for Kyra…”

“Yes, Kyra. Dis woman of yours. She is good for you?”

“Too good.”

“Den what is da problem?”

“I’m afraid I’m going to fuck it up.”

“Bałwan.”

“Did you just call me a moron?”

“Idiot. Same ding.”

“ARSCHGEIGE!”

“Dat is German!” Alexi bellows as both men break out into laughter.

“I needed that.”

“So, enough small talk. Dare is someding on your mind. What is it?”

“Well, it’s like I’m walking a fine line. I know where I want to be and to be honest, the urge to do things the old way is always there.”

“Is it dat hard to not kick someone in balls?”

“Depends… is the ref looking?”

Alexi can only give Ken a look.

“Here’s the thing. I’ve got a daughter at home, two now, in a manner of speaking. Remember Dorian?”

“Da.”

“His kid.”

“I heard about dat. Sad news.”

Ken emphatically taps on the table.

“He said something that really resonated with me, one of the last things he told me. He said ‘Maybe I deserve to be happy!’ I feel that. For the first time in what seems like forever, I feel that. Then, I have to go back on my word. That doesn’t make me happy. I give it my best and lose. That most certainly does not make me happy. I know what I have to do, but I don’t feel like I deserve it.”

“Why is dat?”

“If I’m being blunt, it’s because every time I am given an opportunity, I drop the ball. I’m gunning for the World Champion. I stand up for what is right. I show through my words and my actions that I am a man of my word. I fight until I can’t do that any further. Do you know what I mean?”

“Dat I do, brudder,” Alexi nods solemnly. “Dat I do.”

“Matt Knox and I are two trains heading in different directions. Matt Knox is a liar, a cheat and a coward, yet somehow, he gets rewarded for it. I know I am supposed to let Mac have his shot at Knox, but…”

“But what?”

“But he got a shot and didn’t even make it to the match. I get that’s he’s my brother, but for fuck’s sakes he blew it. Now I have to wait longer? I said I would stand by Mac’s side, no matter what. His side Alexii. I didn’t agree to stand back and watch.”

“Do you dink you lost perspective? My brudder, dis is chrzanić. You have to dink, if dis was your woman, dat be different. Dis is his baddle. Do nudding. Dat is right. Your biddness wit Knox is dat, biddness. Mac’s biddness wit Knox, personal.”

“I guess.”

“NO! You cannot dink like dat. I may not have dings like you do, but I know dat nudding good comes from being like dat. If I was negative, I would not win da Strongman. I would not come to dis great country. I would not have met you. For all da problems dat you have, you always took care of me. Now, I take care of you. Do not go after da Raven. Not yet.”

“You’re a good kid, Alexi. You know what? You’re right. I could have just as easily stayed in the same place Mac is at now. I tell her all the time, but Kyra saved me. She says we saved each other.” Ken smiles as he gushes about Kyra. “I remember back in Carnage, Knox, the idiot that he is, thought he was clever and had the nerve to tell her that I must be a ‘hell of a climber’ because her walls were so high. Thing is, mine were just as high. I didn’t have to climb. I just jumped.”

“So, your balls. Day are in her purse?”

“Dick.”

“Dat, too.”

“It’s a good thing I like you.”

“I want to ask you someding. Mac, he is friend, da?”

“You know the answer to that.”

“Den let him do what he needs to do.”

Ken pauses as Alexi nods his head in approval.

“Alexi, I know I have to let him handle it. I really do. I know things are trending in the right direction for me. That’s not going to stop. Losing one match is a set back, but not the end of the world. My business needs to be handling what’s in front of me, which means taking on Tamagachi or whatever the fuck his name is. If I want to get be World Champion here, like I have been in other places, if I want to be at that level again, I am going to have to scratch and claw even harder than I did before/ I’m going to do what’s best for myself and my family. Which, yes, means letting my brother handle his business.”

Alexi stands up and Ken stands to meet him, Both men push their chairs in and Alexi walks around and clasps his giant hand on Ken’s shoulder.

“You got a good ding, man. Just remember, grass is not greener on da udder side. Grass is greener where you water it.”

“You know fortune cookies aren’t Polish.”

“Dis one is.”

Ken and Alexi say their goodbyes as the two pay their respective bills and leave the restaurant. Alexi was right, Ken had to focus on one thing and that was Hitamashii.

“Godly” Ken Davison stands in front of the camera wearing a black suit, white shirt and an orange tie. In front of him, there are few scattered children sitting at the desk, very little care of their faces, as you would expect for a student in summer school. He looks every bit the part of the teacher he is currently posing to be. Behind him, is a whiteboard, currently blank. He takes a sip of water from a bottle on the podium before turning his attention to the camera.

“Henry Ford once said “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when we take your eyes off your goals.” Everyone is different, but we all have obstacles. We need to never give up, but instead stay focused on the journey and direction to keep on going. A variety of general early childhood texts reveal nothing is impossible, obstacles are just opportunities.”

“From the book, Where The Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein’s short poem, “Listen to the Mustn’ts,” majority of the text is about limitation, but at the end of the poem with an empathetic whisper it expresses how possibilities are endless. In the beginning of the poem, “Listen to the Mustn’ts,” Silverstein explores the restrictions that are depicted in our world:”

Davison turns around and spins the whiteboard over, revealing the poem on it.

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES

“The uppercase words are vitally important at the beginning of this poem, conveying the idea of how numerous limitations are expressed throughout everyday life. As the poem continues, Silverstein finishes the poem by writing, “Then listen close to me- / Anything can happen, child, / ANYTHING can be”. The ending of the poem overpowers the beginning by the confident whisper. The speaker of this poem is someone who speaks from experience. The significance of the speaker and the words used suggest how to see opportunity where others see obstacles. This poem, “Listen to the Mustn’ts,” supports the idea that anything can happen; obstacles are not a reason to give up just a chance for something else. So, Tamagotchi, there is hope for you.”

Davison takes another sip of his water then turns and back to the whiteboard, pushing it over to reveal the cover of a children’s book with a pink owl and unusually large eyes.

“Furthermore, in the children’s book, in the early childhood chapter book, Owl Diaries: Eva’s Treetop Festival, by Rebecca Elliot Eva is about an owl who just wants to throw a successful Bloomtastic Festival for her class. Tamagotchi, I know this is a chapter book, but I’m fairly certain it’s on your reading level.”

Davison smirks, knowing he is repeating himself while talking down to Hitamashii. Admittedly, he felt confident going into the match, but he had also felt confident going into his matches against Jack Washington, Ben Jordan, and most recently, Goth. He needs to leave little doubt as to who was the superior in this match. Winning the mental match prior to the physical one always makes life easier.

“So, students, the point here is that Eva has different hurdles she has to overcome throughout the story, but in the end all of her hard work pays off. After Eva’s teacher, Miss Featherbottom, liked her idea about the festival. Eva goes to tell her best friend, Lucy, about her excitement and worries. Eva is at a loss for where she will start and how to get everything done in time. Lucy tells her to, “Make a to-do list. Then you’ll know what you need to get done”. Instead of looking at this as a problem, the author is showing how there are solutions because nothing is impossible. Throughout the story, Eva has challenges with one of her classmates, Sue. As Eva is presenting her idea to the class, Sue chimes in, “What are YOU in charge, Eva? Who made you festival queen?” Still most of us are more composed than a small child.”

“As a result of this, Eva finishes up her thoughts, nervously, with her class. She just wishes Sue would mind her own business. Now that is something we all feel when you speak, Tamagotchi. We all wish you would shut up and mind your own business. We also know that you are simply incapable of doing so. But that’s not the point. No. No. No.” Davison says as he wags his finger. “As the story continues on, Eva realizes all of this work is entirely a lot to take on alone; she is not sure how she will get it done until the next day. So Eva is thinking of what to do and then she remembers what Miss Featherbottom had said. Share the work!” Eva did just what Miss Featherbottom had suggested. What I’d like you to do is realize that you are more than likely going to have to call in some reinforcements at some point if you truly desire to defeat me."

Davison wipes all of the information off the whiteboard.

“I apologize. I keep getting sidetracked. The message that I am trying to convey here is when obstacles arise, you need to find a way to solve it, and sometimes solving the issue does not mean doing it alone. Eva asking her classmates for help meant she needed Sue’s help on the fashion runway, At the end of the festival, all of Eva’s determined work was a success. Not everything in life will be easy, but in the end the focus with be worth it. The Bloomtastic Festival symbolizes achievement is possible. Rebecca Elliot uses the story to demonstrate that focus is essential in achieving goals, since nothing is impossible. However, like I’ve said you cannot do this alone. That is what I did when I was set to face Goth. That is what I did when I questioned every morale fiber in my body.  That is what I did when I lost my Internet Championship to Jack Washington. Look in the mirror Tamagotchi. You lack the skills. You lack the ability. You do not have the fortitude to do what must be done to defeat me because you are not the man that I am.”

Davison pauses, taking a moment to compose himself as he had slowly worked himself up, even managing to pull the attention of a few of the students from their phones.

“Looking into the fairytale, “Snow White,” by Brothers Grimm, it’s about the beautiful Snow White herself. Snow White is on a continual run from her stepmother, the Queen, who is full of hatred towards Snow White. The Queen envied Snow White for her beauty; so it became her mission to do everything she could to kill Snow White. Unlike you, I have toiled against the most prolific wrestlers that this company has to offer, former World Champions, future Hall of Famers, promising young talents… II have been placed against the company’s top stars:.. and yourself.”

Davison calmly reaches over and takes his water bottle and finishes it off. He nonchalantly throws the bottle which makes an audible clang as it lands inside an empty trash can.

“Yet again, I digress. Now, in the fairy tale, when the Evil Queen could not vanquish Snow White on her own, she ordered the huntsman to bring her Snow White’s heart. The huntsman obeyed orders from the Queen to go kill Snow White… but Snow White, she began weeping and pleading with him. ‘Alas, dear huntsman, spare my life. I promise to run into the woods and never return’.” Snow White knew she was about to die, so she chose to try to beg the huntsman to keep her alive. Now, obviously I’m not Snow White, and I am not going to grovel to anyone. However, Snow White did something that I would do. She took this horrible situation and found a solution. Each and every set back I have had in my career, I have used to motivate myself, to make myself better, to put myself in a position that I am better off than I was before.”

“The point I am making here is that there is always a way. These early childhood texts all portray messages that nothing is impossible, obstacles appear to be opportunities. This theme is consistently demonstrated in these stories. It is apparent how these readings suggest that even young children can see opportunities. Unfortunately, as adults we may only see the obstacles without the view or perspective. Children they have yet to be poisoned, to be tainted by the sting of cynicism. They have a determination and outlook of persevering, nothing appears impossible in their perspective. Though it pains me to admit it, Matt Knoxi found a way. If nothing else, he is the most stubborn man on our roster. I respect that. There is no greater proof than that example. However, Matt Knox will have his day and come Summer eXXXtreme, Tamagotchi, you will, too.”

Davison looks towards the camera with a smoldering intensity as the scene fades to black.

[JustinSmith]

The scene opens up with Hitamashii at his hotel room talking with his friends in Dying Breed Andrew Garcia and Ivan Darrell. They are talking about Hitamashii’s victory over Mark Cross.

Andrew-Hey, now that you got a win under your belt in SCW, and not just a win, but a win over Mark Cross, former SCW World Champion, we can use that as momentum and continue to win.

Hitamashii-You are damn right! I don’t know much about my next opponent, but I won’t let that stop me.

The trio drink from their water bottles before talking what is next for Hitamashii.

Ivan-Are you worried about not being in a high profile match at Summer XXXTreme X?

Hitamashii-Of course I’m not worried. I mean, its one of the funnest SCW events of the colander year, competing on a boat. I am going to do whatever it takes to get myself on that ship and booked, even if its not the marquee match, seeing I am at least booked on the cruise, which means a lot to me.

The scene ends with them talking about other non wrestling things while Hitamashii gets ready for the day.

Later that very same night, you see Hitamashii sitting on the bed in his hotel room, alone, and looking very fierce and intense.  He decides to call out “Godly” Ken Davison.

Ken, you think you are worthy of being world champion?  I have been world champion before, and I stand a better chance of getting a title shot than you, given my track record.  Yes, I know my record in SCW is less than stellar, but I have proved that I get back up and continue to fight, like a true champion.  I have shattered the glass ceiling in SCU and will do so in SCW.   I will show that I am more hungry to get back in contention for the world championship than you and I have no problems using you as a stepping stone along the way.  There is NOTHING I won’t do to defeat you and make a name for myself here in SCW. You will just be the smoke in the wind when I get done with you.

The scene ends with Hitamashii cackling.

[JustinSmith]

The scene opens up with Hitamashii at his room on the Sun Princess talking with his friends in Dying Breed Andrew Garcia and Ivan Darrell. They are talking about Hitamashii’s chances on winning on the ship.

Andrew-Hey, how do you feel about competing on the ship vs competing in a regular building?

Hitamashii-I am excited because the ship provides an added unique element that most don’t get the chance to do. Also, with a move set that I possess, I am ready for anything, if you guys recall from our training.

The trio drink from their water bottles before talking what is next for Hitamashii.

Ivan-What do you hope to do after Summer XXXTreme X?

Hitamashii-I hope to be in a decent feud, but at the same time, I am getting tired from being on the road all the time. Part of me is ready to settle down somewhere and start a family.

The scene ends with them talking about other non wrestling things while Hitamashii gets ready for the day.

Later that very same night, you see Hitamashii sitting on the bed in his room on the ship, alone, and looking very fierce and intense.  He decides to call out “Godly” Ken Davison.

Ken, for someone who has won nothing here in SCW, or SCU, you have a lot of guts thinking you are main event caliber talent.  You haven’t done anything yet to warrant a shot at the world title. I, unlike you, am a former world champion, which means I have a better chance of getting SCW’s top championship before you. You are nothing but a false god and I will expose you as the fraud you are, making you the laughingstock in SCW.  You will end up crying to your mommy like a baby when I get done with you.

The scene ends with Hitamashii cackling.

[GKD]

I have traveled around the world, going for a couple of weeks at a time without seeing my girlfriend. When I did talk to her, nothing was ever said about my time out on the road, which was surprising. Yeah, we’re both pro wrestlers. She understands. Because of the actions of other people in her past, I knew that she hated when I was gone. Now that we are married, it’s somehow different. It feels as if it really didn’t happen, like I had a very wonderful dream. I love that dream, I feel close to someone again. Someone really loves me. I am not alone. Now, here I am, on a cruise ship with the love of my life taking every step possible to never be without her again.

I had been given a cruise aboard the Sun Princess Cruises as a gift from her company for “Outstanding Achievement.” ‘Some reward’, so I had thought. ’A beautiful cruise without my wife.’ Okay, that didn’t really happen. All kidding aside, when I got pulled aside and was told I was booked for Summer XXXtreme, I was excited, but then I was apprehensive. Then it occurred to me that something had to be done. I called my daughter’s biological father and made the necessary changes. Somehow, the cruise fell between our last UGWC commitment, which allowed us to take the cruise, and return ashore in time to honor our commitments at UGWC WrestleStock. It all worked out perfectly.

It is an odd feeling, knowing my wife is back in our cabin getting ready. She had told me to go down to the dining deck and order breakfast, so that’s what I did. Unlike my meeting with Goth and Lady Melissa, there is no eating healthy on the menu today. Four of everything; four eggs, four pieces of bacon, four sausage patties, four slices of ham and four waffles and half of that for her breakfast. After all, cruise or not, this isn’t a vacation and training doesn’t take a day off.

I see her before she sees me and the vision of her burns immediately into my mind and will be the last thing to ever leave it. It will be a vision that I will cherish until the day that I die and I hope that that day is a long way off. But if it happens today, I will have an angel to guide me to heaven. Kyra was, is, and will always be, in a word, beautiful. She is an angelic vision that takes my breath away; from her long brown hair that she uncharacteristically is wearing in a ponytail, to her fair, perfect complexion, her knock dead body, and her makeup. Hot damn, I love the way her eyes sparkle, especially when she smiles, and the way she wore her makeup today has me simply enthralled. She has the complete package. I stand there with my mouth agape, staring at her until she slowly turns and sees me and before she makes a mad dash into my waiting arms.

“Hey, Gramps,” she yells as she jumps into my arms and kisses me. She knows that I hate when she calls me that, but she also knows she can get away with it.

“I didn’t think you were ever coming down from the cabin,” I tell her playfully, taking a step back. She is wearing a peach colored dress that is synched just below the bustline and flows out down to about her knees. When the breeze comes off of the ocean just right, I am certain to get a bit of a show. 

She leans back in, giving me a big hug around the neck and rather seductively whispers in my ear, “Ken, I don’t care if we never leave the room all weekend long,” and raises her head to give me the warmest, most passionate kiss imaginable. It was going to be a great weekend.

“You know,” I say as I pull out Kyra’s chair for her, “It’s nice to have some peace and quiet for a change.”

“Who says you're going to get any peace?” Kyra says with a devilish grin. “Or that I’m going to be quiet?”

A surprised “Oh,” is all I can get out. I don’t know what it is about this trip, but we were certainly going to enjoy ourselves.

“Good ‘Oh’, or bad ‘Oh’?” Kyra asks, still grinning.

“I think that depends on if anyone calls security on us or not,” I reply. I have to admit, my game is on today. Then again, it’s not really a game. I’m just happy. “What I am trying to figure out is what we’re going to do today, after the gym, of course.”

“What’s security gonna do, make us walk the plank?  As for what we’re going to do… I guess that depends on how you’re feeling afterwards.”

“Not to ruin the moment here, but you do realize that we’re in international waters and maritime law applies. They can actually put you in jail and have you arrested at the next port and I don’t expect they’re going to let us have conjugal visits.”

I can’t help but smile. She makes me feel like I’m a teenager all over again. She reminds me of the only other time in my life I was ever truly happy.

“Seriously though, what do you want to do? We’ll have some time before dinner tonight, so we can hit the casino, the spa, the pool, we can catch a show, we can do some shopping, we can hit the bar. We have options here.”

She sits back, a thoughtful expression on her face.  “The pool.  You never did get a chance to get the full experience of my new bikini at the beach the other day…”

“You tease,” I say, sticking out my tongue at her. “I think it’s a great idea, though.”

We finish our breakfast and hit the gym before returning to our cabin to take a shower and get changed for the pool. At least, that’s what we’re telling anyone who might ask. What we really do is our business. We enjoy the afternoon with each other, laughing and playing in the water, splashing each other like overgrown children. The hours feel like minutes and soon it is time for us to once again return to our cabin for another shower, this time to get the chlorine from the pool off.

After a few moments, Kyra makes her appearance from the bedroom wearing a full length casual dress or cover-up or something like that; all I know is that it ties around her neck loosely, it shows off enough skin to get a rise out of me without looking too scandalous. She looks like a million bucks in it. She smiles as the ship's horn blows indicating that we were about to leave. She takes my hand and we head for the door to go topside and to join in on the bon voyage party. I guess this was something they did leaving the major ports.

We walk out onto the pool deck to the sound of reggae music blaring from the band and I accept a tall glass of something from a waiter. I take a sniff to make sure there’s no rum before taking a sip for myself. I look at my smiling wife, who is cuddling up on my arm and offer her a sip. She looks almost embarrassed, but giggles and takes a long slurp on the straw and kind of chokes on the alcohol as she seems to be expecting something slightly less sweet.

“I had better be careful because someone might think that I am luring my date with alcohol so I can take advantage of her,” I say jokingly.

“You don’t need to get me drunk to take me to bed; I’d go with you anytime.”

“Anytime?” I ask while raising an eyebrow.

“You heard me…” she replies with a smirk.

We leave our cabin and head outside. There are more than a couple of looks as we make our way around the pool deck. I just smile and go about my business. I walk with Kyra, hand in hand, up to the bow as the ship breaks out of the harbor and into the open sea. We stand there watching each other and the ocean as the sun sets behind us. I wrap my hands around her waist, half expecting her to spread her arms like that woman in ‘Titanic.’ Unfortunately, that moment didn’t last as long as I would have liked thanks to the alarm on my phone vibrating in my pocket.

We make our way down to the dining room and are shown to our table. We were the last ones to be seated as I made our introductions. Everyone commented on what a beauty Kyra is. She blushed and I beamed because little did they know just how beautiful I think she is. Since this wasn’t an official part of the cruise, we somehow ended up at a table full of people from all walks of life.

My favorite is an older couple named Randy and Lynn. Randy had been involved in professional sports, but had never managed to make it to the big leagues. Lynn had been his high school sweetheart who had lost touch because Randy’s career took him all across the country, leaving little time for a wife. Well after Randy had retired, they two found each other on social media after forty something years. It was something that could have been ripped out of the pages of a Nicolas Sparks novel.

After enjoying a wonderful meal, we decide to attend the evening show. We sit through almost two hours of over the top costumes designed to match the over the top music of the time. Kyra seems to enjoy it, but that could just be her being nice to me. We take one last stroll around the deck and then head back up to our cabin for the evening. It is only 10:30 and neither of us are tired, but we have things we want to do.

She goes into the bedroom to change but she comes right back out with a grin on her face. “They made up the bed,” she says. “But they just made up the one bed, not the sleeper sofa. Does that mean that we have the steward’s permission to sleep together?”

I laugh. “I guess we do. We are married after all,” I tell her as she returns to the room. I am only left to wait a few moments before she comes out wearing a full length, white obtuse nightgown. ‘My God, I can’t help but think to myself. She is beautiful and she is all mine.

She slowly, seductively, strolls to where I am sitting, swishing the skirt of the night gown around as she slinked over. Her hair is down now, cascading over her white shoulders framing her soft facial features better than any piece of art I have ever seen.
 
She smiles at me, while I can’t help but stare as she asks, “Do you like it?”

There are a million things I want to say, but the words just won’t come out.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

I pull Kyra onto my lap and lean my head into her shoulder.

“My beautiful Kyra,” I managed to get out, “How do I deserve this? My gracious, woman, you’re going to be the death of me. Dressing like that, you’re going to give me another heart attack.”

“Well, if you’re going to die then it might as well be with a smile on your face,” she says as she pushes me away so she can look at me. Before she can say anything else I pull her in and kiss her deeply. She is my love. She is my life. She is my world. She is my everything. She is why I fight.

I stand once again at the bow of the boat, this time alone. One of the biggest perks to being married to a fellow wrestler is that she understands the need to go random places and talk shit about other people. Besides, someone’s got to hold the camera. Right? Kyra stands still in front of me, while I admire the way the setting sun glistens on her…

“Hey, numbnuts. You gonna say anything?” she yells, bringing me back to the task at hand.

“Uh…” I stammer. “Nice ti-”

“About your opponent! Did you forget why we’re out here instead of back in our cabin?” Kyra says, sticking out her tongue playfully.

“All work and no play makes Ken a dull boy.”

“All play and no work makes Ken unemployed!” It still amazes me how quickly she can come back at me.

I take a moment to re-center myself figuring I can edit the first part of this out.

“Tamagotchi! How have you been doing? We are here live on the Sin City Wrestling Summer XXXtreme Cruise and let me tell you, I think we need to change the name of this thing. Went for the XXX part of it and someone yelled at my wife and I to go back in our cabin. Needless to say, I have been doing some extra training while aboard the cruise ship, but never you worry Tamagotchi! I will still have plenty of energy left when it’s time for me to put you down.”

I can’t help myself as I feel the smile crossing my face. It’s not even that I’m trying to be cocky, although that is admittedly a positive side effect.

“I know that I don’t have the resume you have, not here in Sin City Wrestling, at least. You might have been a big deal in the Underground, but up here in the light, you haven’t done a Kendamned thing yet. I mean, you beat Mark Cross, good on you. Been there, done that, got the shirt… like go back and watch my promo for that match, I literally got the t-shirt. Now, I want you to recognize that I’m not diminishing your win, I’m just letting you know that I’m not impressed by someone doing the same things I’ve done.”

I need to bring it down a bit. Hitamashii is a threat, even though I know I can take him. I need to treat him seriously. I also need to make sure I remind him exactly who the fuck he’s dealing with.

“I aspire to become a World Champion here in Sin City Wrestling. I don’t even know what your purpose for moving up from the Underground even was. You were a champion. You were Kendamned royalty there. However, there is a saying, heavy is the head that wears the crown and carrying the weight of an entire division, an entire promotion is difficult. Heavy head and a heavy crown. I’ve had that burden once since I came to town. I wouldn’t say my title reign was a rousing success. What is was, what it still is, is one hell of a motivator.”

“Did you ever think that when you got everything, that things would change? Of course you haven’t because you don’t have everything you want. Let me tell you, those old records sound different. They don’t play the same. I know this because I’ve gotten everything I want in life. Everything sounds sweeter, tastes sweeter, and quite frankly is sweeter. There is one teensy, tiny little thing I haven’t done since then. That is to win a World Championship. I imagine now that would be even sweeter.”

‘Of course it would be sweeter,’ I think to myself. ‘I’d get to share it with Kyra, Adina and Chloe.’

“Yes, I know that I lost my last match coming into the show. Goth is a hell of an athlete and he was the better man that night. For some people, this might be a setback. For some people, defeat can completely halt their momentum. Then, there are wrestlers who can taste defeat and still not lose their momentum at a time when other wrestlers would simply wilt and lose all of their confidence over one mistake. Guess what, Tamagotchi? I am not some people. I am not you. I am “Godly” Ken Davison. Why am I so different from so many other wrestlers? It comes down to one word: fear.”

She holds the camera steady, but I see the questioning look on Kyra’s face. She knows me as a man who is afraid of very little, sometimes to my own detriment. I look at her and wink, assuring her that everything is okay.

“You see, most people are afraid of failure. Back at the Davison Elite Wrestling Academy is that as an elite athlete, you should always want to win, but don’t fear losing. You should hate losing, but you should never fear it. I mean, there is a subtle difference between fear and hate. Essentially, there are really only two kinds of fear. The first of which is a fear of physical harm. I feel like most people in this business very rarely take this into account because we are so used to being punched, slammed, dropped and suplexed all over the place on a nightly basis. What gets most of us is the second fear. That is the fear of our emotions.”

I pause, knowing that people are going to take a moment to question where I am coming from. Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. NOW!

“You heard me, emotions. There is no other fear. I teach my students not to be afraid. You have to embrace your emotions, even fear, as they are nothing more than chemical releases into your brain. The other thing I teach them is feelings will linger, but like physical pain, can and will go away.  When you aren’t afraid of emotions and you learn to master them instead of running or hiding from them, then you truly become fearless. Nobody can touch you.”

“That is why I so easily bounce back from defeat. I am not afraid of my difficult emotions. I have been through the emotional wringer in my life and have achieved a mental toughness that has allowed me to control my emotions and use those emotions to turn a loss into a catalyst. Where I am different from each and every other opponent you have ever faced, is that my losses  actually DO define who I am. Think about those times I have lost here in Sin City Wrestling. When I lost to Jack Washington, I came back and defeated Austin James Mercer. When Mark Cross won the King for a Day contract, I knocked off my next two opponents, including Cross himself. Now that I’ve lost my last match to Goth, well, let’s see what the Magic 8-Ball says.”

For effect, I put my hands in front of me and shake them vigorously. Giving the imagination the image of there being an actual 8 Ball.

“I can see you sitting, asking “Will I beat “Godly” Ken Davison?” I pause, looking down at the non-existent 8-ball. “Outlook not so good.” Let’s try phrasing that a little differently. “Is “Godly” Ken Davison a better wrestler than me?” I shake my hands again, looking at the camera with a look of feigned shock. “As I see it, yes.” This is fun, let's ask it one more question. Shall we? “Am I going to submit to the Hands of God?”

I inhale sharply, making a point to wince in as exaggerated a manner as possible.

“Outlook not so good.” That’s rough, bud. That’s really, really, rough.”

I ‘throw’ the imaginary 8-ball over my shoulder, destroying the little bit of an illusion I had hopefully created.

“The point is that athletes who are afraid to fail are ultimately afraid to feel such emotions as embarrassment or inadequacy. I was that guy. I was that guy for a quarter of a century. I was afraid to feel But what are those emotions anyway? They are something that you may struggle with, but you can control them and learn to use them the way I have. You see, the difference between myself and the wrestler who gets crushed by it is nothing more than a story in our heads. We are all story-tellers. We create the narrative and the story we make up about any event is what determines the emotion we are going to feel. After all, perception is reality.”

“That is why I will excel while you will fail. You seem to be just happy to have gotten booked for this cruise. I am not just happy to be here, though I will admit to enjoying the benefits that come with it. I won’t be happy until I put you down. It is as simple as that. You stand between myself and my goal and I know how much harder I will have to fight to get what I want if I allow  you to win.”

For some reason, I decided to make a motion like I am cleaning dirt from the beach off of my hands. Maybe it’s because I just want to be rid of him. Then, I remember. I have one last point to make.

“I guess I should explain to you why I call you Tamagotchi when I know full damned well your name is Hitamashii. It’s because I am going to play with you, get bored after about five minutes, and throw you away.”

Kyra cuts the feed and walks over to Ken.

“I gotta say… I love watching you work.”

“And busting my balls,” I say with a smile. Everything she says makes me smile. Sunday night, Mama’s going to get to watch me work and poor Hitamashii is going to be the unfortunate lamb to the slaughter. Again, I can’t help but repeat my thoughts from earlier. She is my love. She is my life. She is my world. She is my everything. She is why I fight.