Ben, you're bonkers, Ben, what are you playing at? Ben, what's wrong with you? I've heard that a lot since Sunday just gone when it comes to my little appearance at Climax Control. I mean if you're watching this, you musta seen that too, right? I mean if not, why the bloody hell are you watching this? Well, listening to my voice at least for the time being.
For those living under a rock, to the shock of the wrestling world, the legend that is Chris Page appeared on the screens of millions of homes around the world, not unusual for a bloke who works like Chris Page does, or bounces around as much as Chris Page does, but he did it on an SCW show, a show that is fast becoming a place you can see legends such as Chris. It wasn't so much he's appearance that go me star struck in a way, it was what he said. He put out an open challenge to everyone on the roster.
That could be a dangerous thing as so many have found out in the past and walked away with their tail between their legs and not holding gold anymore.
But this wasn't about gold, it was about facing the best, trying to show no matter who stepped up to him, he could handle it. Now I'm no Superman.... What? I'm not, even though there's pictures of me out there dressed like Superman, I'm really not, but I did have some momentum going for me. T'was not long ago I defeated this years dominant male champion, Mac Bane, so there was something about me. I couldn't be called the best out there, because let's face it, I work a lot less then most people in front of the camera, but I did have some name value. I've been knocking around these halls for donkeys years, I've sat at the top and looked down as the people scrambling up the mountain. I felt I was the perfect name to be in the ring with Chris Page.
I mean could you imagine what it would have been like if someone like The Troll had stepped up and took the open challenge? Chris Page deserved better then that, much better then someone like The Troll stepping in to something like that.
As soon as I heard that open challenge, I knew I had to step up and take it, take it with both hands or open arms, it just felt right, it just felt like this was it, this was the dream match, this is what people will be talking about in years to come. This was a match Chris deserved and I felt that I had earned.
There I was minutes before my segment was to go live on the show, squeezed in thanks to me asking Christian what the plans were for Chris Page and he told me to accept the challenge, and the nerves kicked in a little bit. This is Chris Page I'm responding to, this is why I've been told I was bonkers. I was set to accept a challenge from this guy and the nerves hit me. I don't know how I got through it, but I did.
Also, before you lovely lot remind me I've faced him and beat him in a tag match, completely different. I had someone with me to make sure I never screwed it all up, nerves were a bit easier. This is different, on my own, no safety net. That's cool, I think, I can do that... I hope.
So the challenge was accepted, the people in the truck quickly chucked together a graphic to throw up there on the screen to make it official. My mind instantly started to think about this one on one match. I knew it was three weeks away, but that was my focus.
I never expected that one week away, I'd be teaming with Chris Page! This is the stuff dreams are made of! Not only can I tick off the list that I will be going one on one with Chris Page, but I get to team with him! I didn't accept his challenge out of spite, anger, revenge or a million other good old reasons, I did it because I rate the man so highly. I didn't dream I'd ever get to team with him. That's two things off the bucket list.
Seeing that card go up people, I was blown away. Couldn't knocked me down with a feather and I ain't meaning that in the figurative way, I mean proper coulda popped me with a feather and I'd have had a bruise on me jacksy. Trust me, no one likes a bruise on their jacksy.
Either way, the next three weeks of my life was gonna be the best in my wrestling career, the absolute best. If you remember years ago when I was going on with the hashtag #BenDeservesBetter when it came to matches? I'm sure someone out there remembers, well it's matches like this that I was talking about, big, big matches with some of the best opponents in the world. This is it for me, this is my wrestling dream, big matches, big opponents, big crowds. Now all I need is some big performances to go alongside those big matches.
This week, I know it's gonna be a big performance, because I don't like letting people down and I ain't gonna be letting my partner down in any way, shape or form, that's just not cricket. It's time to proper work and get things kicked off just right, but first, I had to get to the destination of that good old match, which I knew would be another amazing place to be in. I knew that this was gonna be a spot on week and I couldn't wait to be there. I didn't was any time. By Monday after, I was in Chandigarh!
For some reason, I'd woken up with a bit of a spring in my step at about four in the morning. Not planned of course but at times, India was a hot old place. Singing in the shower might have woken me up a little more, or at least woke up my hotel neighbours, but I knew what was coming when the clock struck five, I knew there would be a knock on the door from an Icelander who has no concept of sleeping in. For the most part when we're wrestling state side, I could avoid these 5am runs. Show ends and I go home, but I decided to embrace the whole tour ethic and actually stay in the country, which means avoiding those runs was seriously difficult - even getting him wasted the night before didn't seem to work. Today I was ready for him as I had my hand on the door handle, ready to go.
"Three, two... one!" I said to myself as I pulled the handle down on the hotel room door.
Fenris stood the other side with Aron, his hand up high about to knock. Opening the door before he could knock seemed to have thrown him a little as he stood there with his mouth open.
"I know, I know." I said with a grin. "Get your cockney arse out of bed, we need to go running, yada yada ya."
He looked at me with surprise in his eyes.
"I..." was all Fenris could get out of his mouth, much to the delight of his brother watching the scene unfold.
"You're burning up daylight there with ya gob open." I said with a grin. "Keeping that mouth open that long, it's like you're trying to trap a fly. Come on, let's go do the running thing, cause this afternoon, I got plans for us."
"Not another elephant outing..." Fenris managed to say.
"Nah." I replied. "Think smaller. Anyway, shall we?"
My arm pointed past him as I stepped out of the room and in to the hallway, shutting the door behind me and pointing down the hallway.
It wasn't long before we were in a nearby park, my trainers hitting the floor as I tried to keep up with the long legged Icelander as he made running look easy, leaving both Aron and I further back.
"Someone woke up in cyborg mode today." I said to Aron as he and I shared the same pace.
"He's been going a mile a minute since he got up. I think someone made his coffee with Red Bull today." Aron said to me with a nod.
"Oi!" I shouted out. "Slow down, you're gonna wear ya shoes out."
Fenris turned his head just long enough to smirk in our direction, probably proud of being ahead of us both. Eventually, he starts to slow down as he comes to a bench, lifting his leg up on a bench to stretch it out as we catch up.
"Someone give you new batteries today or something?" I asked as I breathed heavy and plonked myself down on the bench.
"I'm going slower then usual just so you can keep up." Fenris replied with a smirk.
"I got big matches coming up." I explained. "I don't wanna knacker myself before those. Boxers don't spar on fight week, Ben don't try and kill himself on fight week."
"Yeah, yeah." Fenris replied as he stretched out some more.
My eyes quickly turned towards a group of curious peacocks moving towards us. It wasn't uncommon for these wonderful birds to be freely roaming around the parks of India, but these seemed to take a slight fancy to us as we sat on the bench. I felt my phone shake in my pocket and I quickly reached in to see a message from an anonymous number which simply read "The keyword is goat". Just seeing that made me roll my eyes.
"Coulda picked an easier to fit in the conversation kinda keyword." I said under my breath.
"What was that?" Aron enquired
"Oh nothing." I lied, but smiled at the same time.
"Are we gonna sit around here all day talking like old women?" Fenris asked.
"You got the hair of an old woman." I quickly fired back "But no."
As I stand up, I felt Aron's arm on my shoulder.
"Ben..." He said nodding in the direction of the gathering peacocks. "I got a bad feeling..."
I pointed past Fenris and Aron nods and the two of us take off running much to the surprise of Fenris.
"Hey!" He shouted out before looking at the birds moving towards him faster. "Ah fuck!"
Fenris started to back away from the birds as they gathered before turning and running in the same direction Aron and I had taken off in, quickly followed by the peacocks running in the same direction as us.
Needless to say, Fenris wasn't very happy when we got out of that park, but it was early yet, I still had afternoon plans for us, so let's jump forward to the afternoon, shall we?
Sometime that afternoon.
"The Parrot Bird Sanctuary!" Fenris said in a loud, bold tone. "You've brought us to The Parrot Bird Sanctuary!"
That I did, I brought them to see flying things.
"Yeah, because you can't fall off these things and nearly land in a pile of elephant you know what." I said with a smile.
We stood inside a caged area, surrounded by trees and parrots of many colours and sizes flying around freely. Other people looked at these beautiful creatures, taking pictures and smiling, unfortunately, Fenris wasn't smiling.
"Why?" Fenris asked. "Just why?"
"Because they bring joy to the world." I said. "Why Aron, just why is he such a misery guts?"
Aron smiled as he looked towards me.
"Gypsy curse." Aron said with a grin, causing Fenris to turn his head and growl.
"Oh stop being a moany old goat." I said as I looked around.
As if on cue or by magic, an African Grey parrot swoops from a tree, landing next to Fenris on a branch nearby.
"Ben Jordan is king!" The parrot squawks. "Future world champion!"
Fenris snapped his head towards the parrot.
"The fuck?" He said surprised. "Two things, one, how does he know who you are? And secondly, we're in India, why is he speaking English."
A thought bubble appeared above my head with Despayre and I in it.
"Hey Despy." Thought bubble Ben said. "Wanna do a little job for me?"
"I dunno." Thought bubble Despy replied. "I'm pretty busy."
"It involves parrots and pranking Fenris." Thought bubble Ben said with a grin.
"I'm in!" Despayre replied.
The bubble dispersed and I looked at Fenris with a feigned innocence.
"Probably saw me on TV." I said with a casual shrug.
"And where did a parrot get a TV from?" Fenris questioned.
"Probably online like the rest of us." Aron replied, trying to not smile.
I could tell just by looking at Aron that he knew I'd somehow set this up, but I don't think he really knew how I managed to do it.
"Fenris sucks!" The parrot said with another squawk.
I watched an angry look cross the face of Fenris as Aron turned his back on his brother, trying not to laugh.
"Aron's a better a wrestler." The bird said as Fenris took a step towards him.
It was hard not to burst out laughing as I say the vein in Fenris' forehead start to pulsate as he glared angrily at the bird.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Fenris said to the parrot in a dangerous tone as he spoke through his teeth.
"A better wrestler then you!" The parrot said back, mocking Fenris' tone.
Fenris looked towards Aron and I with a flash of anger on his face.
"Where do these little fellas pick these things up from?" I said innocently. "I mean one minute we're walking through here having a lovely time and the next, you're getting verbally abused by a Ben Jordan fan."
"Selfie!" The parrot screeched out.
"For a lovely bird like you, of course." I said with a grin.
Before I knew it, the parrot was on my shoulder and my phone was in my hand and I reached out to take a picture on myself with the bird on my shoulder. Just seconds after the picture was taken, the bird was back on the branch as close to Fenris as it could get.
"I've seen a lot of things, but never a parrot ask for a selfie." Aron said with a laugh.
"This country is fucking bat shit crazy." Fenris muttered to himself.
"You're jealous." The parrot informed him.
"Am not!" Fenris barked back.
"Am too" The parrot replied.
"Am not!" Fenris quickly snapped back.
"This is a battle of wits." I whispered to Aron.
"Yeah, and I think I know who's gonna win this one." Aron replied with a chuckle.
"One more word from you and I'll turn you in to chicken wings." Fenris said as he waved a finger at the bird.
"I'm a parrot you idiot!" The parrot fired back.
That was it, I couldn't hold in the laughter anymore and neither could Aron, but Fenris didn't notice, he was involved in a war of word with this parrot.
"I hate parrots!" Fenris said through gritted teeth.
"I don't like you much either fish lips." The parrot retorted.
That too got the tears of laughter flowing down my face as the parrot took off flying with Fenris in hot pursuit of the bird. Felt like I was laughing for hours.
"How did you do that?" Aron asked eventually after the laughing stopped.
"Despy." I said with a wide grin.
"I should have guessed." Aron replied. "But say no more. He does like getting under K's skin."
Aron and I started to look towards the direction Fenris had run off towards, but Fenris was being marched back towards us, surrounded by three burly looking security guards.
"I didn't wanna be here in the first place!" He stated as the guards marched him past Aron and I towards the exit.
I shook my head.
"Must be the only bloke ever to get kicked out of a bird sanctuary for trying to beat up a bird." I said with a chuckle.
Aron and I turned to follow him, as the scene faded to black.
It was like the week had flown by for me, every day passing, the more I loved this country. The people, the scenery, the culture, the respect. We were treated like royalty from the minute we stepped in to this country and it grew on me quicker. At times it was hard to remember I was actually here to work and not be a tourist, which was an absolute shame to be honest with you good people, because India was an absolute treasure. I'd tried to be as calm as I could while being in Chandigarh, even using the five in the morning runs with Fenris became more and more relaxing rather then hard work and I felt my mind was as focused as it possibly could be leading in to what was gonna happen on Sunday. I knew this match was a match that sold itself and got everyone involved actually excited for it. I have heard from some corners of the locker room that Goth himself was seriously excited for this one and if you've seen Goth on the screens, yeah, he's that serious too off the camera. For him to be excited about something meant we were on to something, we just needed to push things over the edge.
That's what I was about to do as I sat on a patch of grass in the Garden of Springs, looking around at the amazingly beautiful scenery around me. Tall trees and bright flowers entered my line of vision as the afternoon moved closer to evening time. The cameras were focused on me, but I kept staring in to the distance.
"Alright people." I say with a smile.
Look, you all knew I was gonna open that way, I erm, do it all the time.
"There's something about this place that's calming, peaceful, really gets your mind, body and soul acting as one." I say with a nod. "And it's a perfect analogy in a way for how everything right now is proper coming together for me when it comes to wrestling. All the stars are lining up a little bit and it's more then clear when you think about it and you think about Sunday."
I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the thought of Sunday.
"It's a day that will be remembered for a long time." I say with complete sincerity. "It's a match that if it wasn't for a title match being on the show, this would main event all over the world, in any company, it's gonna be that good. It's a bit of a weird one though, ain't it? Crazy booking of a couple of fellas who have been on screen together for a while, up against a pair of guys that have only been in the ring with each other on opposite teams and are facing each other in a couple of weeks. Whoever came up with that idea is either a mad man or a genius, but they went one step further by adding Mac Bane in to the mix as a referee..."
That's some good supercard build people!
"There's a lot of stories in that ring right there." I say with a tap on my chin. "So many questions, will Goth and Godly Ken Davison actually work out as a team or will they see they've been all talk and no chemistry? Will Chris Page try and get in my head and turn on me to get an advantage over me? Will I shock the world and turn on him to get the advantage?"
Of course not people, but you know, drama and all.
"And where does Mac Bane stand in all of this?" I ask "Chris Page on one side, Ken Davison on the other, where does he actually stand? Does he hold a grudge against me for beating him a little while ago?"
So many questions
"I can't answer most of them." I admit. "But I would think that Mac is gonna do whatever the hell Mac Bane wants to do, but do I think he'll call it down the line? Of course he will. My focus ain't on Mac Bane in the slightest, my focus is on the two across the ring from me and that's Godly Ken Davison and Goth. Those two are in my mind."
I take a calming breath as I work out who to talk about first.
"Let's have a rabbit about you Goth." I say having decided who to talk about as I got halfway through that sentence. "I hear you're a little bit excited to be in the ring with me. I actually get it. We've been in this company for years and rarely crossed paths. We've been pulling the company in the same direction from the moment I got here and yet me and you, there is not a lot of history. For two guys that have been here that long, we do not have much of a history, well Sunday mate, that changes."
I look in the camera and nod slowly.
"Oh yes my old mucker, it changes and it changes fast." I say firmly as I smile. "What a way to start adding pages to the history books of us two around each other. This is no doubt gonna be something overly special too. I know you've been watching me from the subs bench since I've been here and you've seen me do some cracking things, things that I never thought I'd do being here. You've seen me win everything, you've seen me beat so many people and now it's time to come and see it up close and personal with me in the ring. Believe me when I say this mate, looking at me from the outside is nothing compared to being in the ring with me. Being in the ring with me is a different level when my heart is in it and my mind is focused and right now, it couldn't be more focused. Everything is falling in to place Goth and this is the perfect match at the perfect time for me so believe me, it's gonna be one of the best Ben Jordan performances of all time."
I was feeling confident the more I spoke.
"I will not be the guy who takes away anything from you." I say in a softer tone. "I mean, you've been here a long time, you've worked as hard as a lot of people have, you've won more then most people have in their careers, you've done pretty much all there is to do and more, so there's no way I'll be taking you lightly. Anyone who takes you lightly need their brains tested because the people that have, you've beaten because they didn't see what I see. The fact is, I can see you're dangerous, I can see you can beat anyone on your day, I can see that you are one of the most dangerous people to ever have the crazy idea of putting ya body through hell to become a wrestler. It doesn't matter who I'm facing, I make sure to take everyone as serious as I can and I do mean everyone, but I'll be taking you a little more seriously then everyone else because I know what you can do. I know you've got a point to prove in that ring, I know you'll be coming at me with all you have but I and gonna back away because as much as you see me as a big name scalp, I see you the exact same way."
Believe me, anyone who can say they've defeated Goth, can feel proud.
"You're a champion for a reason." I say with respect. "You are the fighting pride of Holland right now, so it would be barmy of me to think I'm gonna show up and just walk right through you because I got the dogs goolies of a partner, but I beat champions in non title matches a lot. I don't wanna keep harping on about it, but I beat Mac, I beat your partner and I know I can do the same to you without that belt being on the line. It's becoming a bit of a trend of mine to do just that. Beat the champs without walking away with the belts."
It was becoming standard for me.
"At some point though Goth, I will stop turning down those title shots, I will feel like I've earned the right to be a champion and you could help tip me over in to that mindset." I say wagging my finger at the camera. "Beating you, a third champion without a belt on the line just might make me think I actually deserve to be a champion again. Collecting big names is getting me over that mental health battle hill where I feel that I ain't good enough to be a champion, so beating you just might make me believe again, beating you just might be good for my mental well being, beating you just might be the eye opener that I need where I can sit there and say bloody hell, I've actually earned this. I've not sat on reputation to get the good spots, I've earned it and after Sunday, that's where my mind is gonna be. There's respect on your name Goth, but it's not gonna stop me from doing all I can to win."
I took a deep breath to switch my thoughts up.
"And to you Godly Ken Davison." I say thoughtfully. "We've walked this road before, haven't we? We've been down that road and I stood up straight after it with my arms in the air after a tough battle, so I ain't expecting anything but a vengeful God coming at me on Sunday. I know you don't want to be two down to me, I know you're gonna push the boundaries to stop this from happening. To coin the old phrase lighting doesn't strike the same place twice, well like everything there is an exception to the rule and that would be my shiny headed mate."
I run my fingers through my hair, unintentionally, just a habit when making a bald joke.
"Sorry, didn't mean to take the Mickey there." I say seriously. "But let's get back to talking about Sunday. I'm not expecting anything less from you then a proper punch up, like I said, I've already got one over on you in the past and expect you to come out swinging, like any good man would, but I am planning on doing the same. I'm planning on coming out and doing the exact same thing. I plan on coming out and going all guns blazing and showing everyone just what I can do. You're familiar with redemption, there's a story or two about it in your good book, passages like I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Yes, I know some bible verses.
"I'm on a redeeming mission of my own Ken." I say turning away from the camera. "See, I was sinning when it came to my SCW career, I was phoning it in, I was letting demons sneak in my head, I was not the Ben Jordan the fans wanted to see. I was selling myself short on my career and I was selling the fans short on who they were actually paying to see but this is my redemption, I've been saying it for a while, putting in the effort and giving the people the Ben Jordan they want to see is my redemption, giving them the best matches I possibly can is my redemption, beating the people who would their rears off, just like you Ken, that is my redemption for these good people who pay good money in a global cost of living crisis, being the best I can be is my redemption."
I could feel the passion grow in me.
"I'm not saying this because it's tailored to you Ken, I'm saying it because I mean every single word coming out of my mouth." I say passionately. "It's driving me Ken, it's driving me to push myself because only through being the best I can be, will the path to redemption be clearer and you need to ask yourself one question. Are you good enough to beat the best Ben Jordan there can be? Can you do what many others in the past have tried and failed to do?"
I tap my chin.
"I guess we will find out on Sunday." I say with a smile. "But deep down, I think you know as well as I do, when I'm on the top of my game, I'm bloody hard to stop."
I tilt my head towards the camera and smile.
"Right." I say as I put my palms out flat in front of me. "It's time to end it there, time constraints and all that, but I'll see you there on Sunday when me and my legendary partner Chris Page will be victorious"
I wink at the camera.
"Laters people!"
And with that, the camera fades to black.
