“Godly” Ken Davison is standing inside of the old Carnage Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. After the company had shut down, he had purchased the building where he had won a World Championship, but more importantly, had proposed to his wife in the final televised moment of the company’s history. He couldn’t just let the building go and allow it to be turned in a warehouse or get renamed a dozen times like “The Most Famous Bingo Hall in the World” located on the corner of Swanson and Ritner up in Philadelphia had been. This place was too valuable to him. In terms of physical things, this was his most precious possession.
“Even though I had lost my Sin City World Championship just a week before, I think what happened to me on January 22nd may have been the greatest thing that has ever happened in my entire life. I will never forget that moment in time. I was preparing for a match in UGWC, in fact, I was sitting in my kitchen in the middle of cutting a promo. How typically cliche is that for a wrestler? So, anyway, I'm sitting there shooting on Travis Pierce, hell of an underrated talent, when I look over and I see my wife standing in the doorway. I'd gotten home late for my flight, I was on a deadline, so I was doing what I had to do before time ran out. The office wants a promo. You send a promo.”
“No shit,” chimes in Ken’s most experienced student, Chloe Hawkhurst, who now happens to be Ken’s adopted daughter. Far too happy to let one little interrupt disrupt things
“Anyway, I’m sitting there doing my thing when I see my wife over in the doorway. She’s giving me this look, and I’m like, she said she wanted to talk to me in person. She swore it wasn’t a bad thing, but, you know, I worry, so I’m like “What’s going on? Talk to me.” I’m nervous, man. I mean, I am REALLY frickin’ nervous. Who wouldn’t be. Pro tip: when a woman says “We need to talk,” it’s like the Ivory Soap of bad. There is a 99.44% chance that she’s gonna tell you something that you don’t want to hear.”
Ken takes a breath, considering how long he’s gone on without stopping, it is a minor miracle that he hadn’t passed out.
“She starts “Shit.. now that you’re here.. I don’t know how to word this…” Do you realize how scary that is? Like, why the hell is she pulling away? Why is she putting space between us? Me being me, I’m on the verge of losing it. I thought that I was just dead in the water for something I couldn’t imagine. Y’all watched when that mess with Masque went down. Right? She forgave me after that so why in the bluest of blue hells is she doing this now?” I don’t freakln’ know. So, I’m basically sitting sweating my balls off. I am trying to figure out exactly what in the bluest of blue hells is going on. I remind her, “you said it was a good thing. I’m lost. Just don’t tell me you’re leaving.” That’s got to be the worst case scenario. I mean, it has to be.”
“We aren’t going anywhere… But, Um… We might need a bit of an upgrade…” she tells me. So, I had just ordered this Disney Princess bed for Adina. It’s got Ariel and Elsa and… nevermind. That’s not important. We need an upgrade, so I’m thinking I need a full instead of a twin. Right? Wrong. Then she goes and tells me we need an upgrade to the house. We’ve got four bedrooms. What do we need to upgrade the house for? I don’t get why we’d need a bigger place. Nope. I was wrong there, too. Finally, she tells me that we’re adding to the head count.”
“And even then he doesn’t get it,” Chloe deadpans.
“Yeah, not really helpful there. So,I wanted to let you all know that Kyra and I are expecting. As such, there may end up being some changes around here, some guest instructors and maybe some changes to the hours we’re available to train. I hope this doesn’t cause any problems, but I will do my best to keep things as normal as possible here.”
Ken claps his hands together.
“Today, we’re going to focus on the lucha libre style. Chloe, since this is your forte, I’d like you to lead the class through warm ups. I’d like you to go over why luchadors roll instead of flatbacking.”
“Uh… what?” Chloe is quite obviously caught off guard. “You want me to run this show?”
“For now, yes. We’ve been talking about how you’d like to be more active and with your style, I can’t think of anyone here more qualified.”
“OOOOOOOOkay.”
Ken nods and begins walking over to his office where his UGWC Conquest Championship is sitting on his desk. He quietly moves it onto the shelf behind him, the very same shelf that the Sin City World Championship used to sit. He takes a deep breath before turning around to face the computer monitor in front of him. He looks at the clock on the wall which displays the time, 5:59 PM. As he turns to grab a can of Diet Dr. Pepper out of his minifridge, he sees the silhouette of a most unusual guest. There is not even a knock. The man simply opens the door and walks in like he owns the place. If this were anyone else, Ken would be angry. Given who has just entered the office, Ken actually expected nothing less.
The window shows the reflection of the most handsome man that you could ever meet. It is the face that women pant and whine for during a cold Canadian night. It is the face that all those people paying for plastic surgery wish they could aim to achieve. That might not be at all true, however, the man standing now standing inside of the office would tell you that all of this was true and do so with a straight face. Ken was face to face with the man who was perhaps his biggest rival throughout the entirety of his career, Steelside Wrestling legend, Mr. Popular.
“Goodly” Ken Davison,” he begins. He would never refer to Ken as “Godly” because he knew how much it would irk his nemesis. These days, it hardly registered with Ken. “Tell me, why is it that you’ve summoned me after all of these years? If you are looking for yet another rematch, I retired years ago. I am too good for you and too good for this.”
The disdain seems ingenuine to Ken, even as Popular waves his hand around to make his point. Popular had an image to maintain, even if it was only for his own self-edification. Both men knew full well that if Popular didn’t want to be there, he wouldn’t have traveled from his home in Salisbury, Canada.
“Listen, Pops. I’m not going to sugar coat this. I need your help.”
“The high and mighty “Goodly” Ken Davison needs my help? You would dare deign to ask myself? I understand that I am the single greatest wrestler, dare I say human being, that you have ever had the privilege of losing to. You are out of luck, however, because first of all, while I respect you, I don’t like you. Secondly, as I have already told you, I have retired and dare not sully my good name by wrestling here in a warehouse.”
“Are you done?” Ken pauses while Popular declines to answer. Ken motions to the chair on the other side of his desk, inviting his archenemy to sit down. “Please, hear me out.”
“Corinthian leather? It would seem you do have some taste.” Popular pulls the chair out and sits down. “Fine. I will hear you out. What do you want from me?”
“I want to offer you the one thing that you have always wanted.”
“What, pray tell, is that?”
“The way I figure it, I will need to step back into a role as a part time coach. My wife is pregnant and I need to be there for her.”
Popular goes to interrupt, but Ken puts his hand up.
“Let me finish. There are very few people that I would ask this of. The reason I have asked you is because I know you have no other commitments. What I need to be done must be done at an elite level. What I am offering you is the one thing you crave the most, even more so than gold and glory, and that is influence.”
Mr. Popular’s eyebrows raise as the words come out of Ken’s mouth.
“Now, you have my attention.”
Ken reaches down and pulls out a leather folder, inside of it is a contract.
“I had my lawyers draw up this contract. It’s for one year with the potential of a one year extension, provided we both agree to the terms. I believe that you will find the compensation generous for your services. I will give you the freedom to teach as you wish, so long as it does not harm or injure any of the students. I have also scanned this as a PDF file, which I can send to you and your lawyer. Read it over and I look forward to your counter offer.”
“You believe I will have a counter offer?”
“Look who I am talking to. You will make a counter offer just for the sake of trying to get a reaction out of me.”
“Let me ask you this. Why would you ask me? Not the cookie cutter, preplanned answer you gave me before. You have Sean. You also have your friends in the Saviors. You could ask any one of them. I’ve followed your career, “Goodly.” You could have asked anyone else in this world. If you want me to look at this contract, you will answer me honestly.”
Ken pops open his can of soda, more so to by himself some time to answer than to actually quench his thirst. He takes a couple of gulps before putting the can down on a beige stone coaster.
“Three reasons: availability, you will teach them the way I would, and because you are one of, if not, the best opponent I have ever faced. I don’t like you. You don’t like me. But, I’d like to believe the wars we’ve had against each have at least earned each other’s respect.”
Popular nods silently before standing up and replacing the chair where it was originally located.
“Send the PDF to [email protected]. I still maintain the domain name to make sure that no one tarnishes our legacy.”
Ken extends his hand, but Popular chooses to simply turn and leave, not bothering to close the door behind him. Ken sits back down, taking another gulp of soda. A moment later, the desk is covered in a Great Muta like mist of carbonated beverage.
“Holy shit! He said our legacy.”
Epilogue
noun
A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.
A final or concluding act or event.
“In literature, an epilogue is the end of a story. I suppose that's what most people expect my loss of the Sin City wrestling Heavyweight Championship to be. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I know that I've got some bridges to mend. That is a situation that will be handled in due time. I've had an epiphany. I've had a revelation. I am seeing the landscape clearly for the first time since I originally won that championship. This is what I must focus on in the immediate future.”
“This match against Señor Vinnie and Bulldog Billy Is about getting back on the right path. I'm not even talking about the path back to the World Championship. No, no, no, no. What this is about, what I am about, is making things right for the sake of my family. Not too long ago I sat in front of this very same camera with my wife and my daughter. I proclaimed that I was going to do everything I could to remain a champion because I wanted to make the best life for them. That is where I went wrong. While trying to do right by my family at home, I failed my extended family. I allowed myself to be manipulated by a puppeteer. I heeded the word of a false prophet. I forgot that the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. As much as I would like to get retribution, it is more important that I make restitution.”
Ken walks through the sanctuary, the red plush carpet underneath glitters and gleams when the lighting catches the gold trim. He makes his way up to the pulpit, made from a white painted wood and accented with mahogany.
“I'm sure that Vinnie and Billy probably aren't quite sure what to make of me. As the situation has dictated I have flip-flopped back and forth like a presidential candidate saying whatever you want to hear so I can secure your vote. At this juncture, what you see is what you get. I am done dealing with Masque. You will see the true vision of Ken Davison. I am like A-cups because I'm real whether you like me or not. Our opponents are both great wrestlers. However, even if we're not on the same page, Mac Bane and the GKD, “Godly” Ken Davison are two of the best in the world. we've got a history as long as our rap sheets. We have made a career walking side by side and when we do we target our opponents and then we victimize, brutalize, in ways that you can only fantasize. We don't need to be on the same page to have the same mission statement. So long as we're in the same Library we are far more dangerous than a Senior Bingo and a bulldog. We are beating, battered, and bruised. The reason for that is because I asked for a war and I was not disappointed. The way I look at it, as long as Jack Washington and Matt Knox didn't walk out with the championship, it was a win.”
Ken stops and looks down for a moment. His tone softens as he continues to speak.
“I lost sight of that. I became consumed with personal Glory. I was bitter and jealous. I was not a very good brother to Mac. There is no excuse for that behavior. I can only.. I honestly don't know what I can do. I know that I need to go into this match and I need to prove that I am trustworthy. After consorting with the enemy, I understand if it gives Mac Bane a reason not to trust me. After all, isn't that what this matches really all about for us? It's not like we have Tag Team Championships to chase. It's not like we gain anything by winning this match. As someone… who has…” Ken stops, taking a second to collect himself He’s fighting to hold back his emotions while he continues his diatribe. “I fucked up. That's all I can keep telling myself. I fucked up. The reality of the situation is that my home life and my work life are very much intertwined. Amber Ryan is my wife's best friend. Mac, I've said it time and time again, you are a brother to me. If I tried to pretend what I had going on at home didn't affect me at work I would be a liar.”
Ken stops to catch his breath, wiping away a tear but mostly holding it together.
“A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was going to become a father for the first time. That made me reevaluate everything I have done in this company. After the incident with the very unfortunate self-defense spine Buster on Amber, I was told that if I laid my hands on another female wrestler in this company, that I would be fired. rightfully so, might I add. After what Masque did what she did to Amber, I should have handled the situation and allowed myself to be fired. The fact that I did not stand up and protect the people that are important to me Is an embarrassment.”
“What that means for the two of you, Vinnie and Bulldog bill, is that I need to make a point in our match. like I said, it's not that I need to win. It's that I need to show my brother in arms that I am the man he brought into this company 15 months ago. For you, this is just a wrestling match. for me, this is my redemption arc. This is what I need to do for my own… Jesus.”
The tears start to run down Ken’s face. Try as he might, he’s lost this battle.
“I can't do this. I respect the two of you immensely. I honestly and truly do. I'm looking forward to this match. I'm looking forward to showing the world that I take accountability for the things I've done in the past few months. There's always a lot of conversation about what you've done in the past doesn't matter in the present, but in my case it does. I've made mistakes and I own those mistakes. I've been to the top of the mountain and I've been knocked off of it. I'm going to start at the bottom of the ladder and start climbing rung by damned rung by damned rung. We aren't the type of people that usually show this kind of emotion, but I'm not the type of people that most everyone else is. I know I'm rambling. I'm carrying on because I can't get my mind focused on anything other than that single, solitary focus. Make no mistake, I am coming for the victory. I am coming to set myself right. I'm sorry that the two of you have been selected as the sacrificial lambs, but we live in the Coliseum in the mob demands blood.”
Ken walks off leaving the empty sanctuary behind him.
