The holidays had were rough for Eddie Lyons, the failure to capture a championship on his third opportunity had him feeling like he struck out, instead of the charm he had pushed himself to become.
The Unbreakable one went AWOL over the holidays, only making a few cryptic remarks on X. Coach Kaiser hd been unable to reach Eddie, and he hadn’t shown his face at The Lyons Den since his loss to Peter Vaughn.
That was until a few days after the new year when Coach Kaiser finally saw Eddie, sitting alone, with a hoodie up in one of the schools locker rooms, just staring off at the walls.
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2:00 PM on Monday
The Lyons Den Training Facility
Charlotte, North Carolina
Off Camera
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“Eddie?” said Coach Kaiser approaching his student, “I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks. I was getting worried, especially when those posts you made on X. You doing okay?”
No response, but there was a different aura radiating off Eddie, almost like he was….broken.
“You gotta talk to me man.” said Coach Kaiser.
“What’s even the point?” Eddie replied glumly, “I’m just going to let everyone down again. That’s what I do right, Eddie the choke artist. Always good, but never good enough.”
“You know that isn’t true.” said Coach Kaiser, taking a seat on the bench next Eddie “You can’t beat yourself up over this loss. You’re still very young into your career. You haven’t even completed your first year in SCW yet. You still have plenty of time to accomplish so many things.”
“But what if I never do?” said Eddie, looking down to the ground as he spoke “What if I never get the job done? What more do I need to do? I fight the honorable fight, stay true to myself and it keeps leading me to disappointment and failure.”
“With that attitude, of course it does.” replied Coach Kaiser, “You can’t give up on yourself already Eddie. I know I’m not giving up on you.”
“You will soon enough.” said Eddie, “I fail to win a championship a few more times, and you’ll look to replace my SCW contract with Cleo, or one of my cousins.”
“C’mon you know that isn’t true” said Coach Kaiser, “You know damn well I’ve already got them contracts elsewhere. SCW is about you. Am I with The Pride in OCW? No. Am I going to be retuning with Cleo when her time comes? No. I’m in SCW to support you."
“Or to babysit me.” Eddie grumbled.
“Look, if you want me gone. Just say it.” replied Coach Kaiser, “I’ll stay here at The Lyons Den, and let you figure things out on your own.”
Eddie remained silent, and only sighed heavily
“That’s what I thought.” Coach Kaiser said, “Now, let’s wake the fuck up and get over whatever this defeatist bullshit is. You;re above this crap and you know it. So you didn’t win a championship. So what? What you gained was respect. Isn’t that what you’re all about. Honor before glory right? You inspire people Eddie, because even when you are defeated you pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep pushing to make yourself better, even it’s just a little bit. You remind people that even when life gets you down, you can keep fighting. So tell me now Eddie, have you given up?”
Eddie looked up for the first time, and glared into his coaches eyes.
“I haven’t given up shit.” he says, teeth gritted.
“Then quit moping around, and get to it.” said Coach Kaiser, “Because you already have your first match of the new year booked.”
“Against whom?” asked Eddie
“The Troll.” Coach Kaiser told him.
Eddie exhaled heavily.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” said Eddie, “Now they got me facing a joke. Maybe that’s all I am after all, a god damn joke.”
Eddie stood up and stormed out of the room.
“Eddie!” Coach Kaiser called to no avail, Eddie was already gone.
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2:30 PM on Monday
Some Random Ass Bridge
Charlotte, North Carolina
On Camera
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“So are we trying to see how much of a loser I am?” Eddie remarked as the cameras opened on him sitting on a large stone, near one end of a bridge “Because if I can’t beat The Troll then I truly don’t deserve to be in SCW. If I can’t beat The Troll, then I really am a loser.”
He looked off into the distance, almost with a lost look. Not the one of his usual determination.
“Because you are a loser Troll.” Eddie continued, “You’re a joke and you’re not funny. You are an insult to a business I care about and because of that I’m going to have to hurt you. See I’m done playing nice. 2024 is going to see more ruthless Eddie Lyons. A more aggressive Eddie Lyons, and one that will become a champion by the end of the year. It all starts with the decimation of The Troll.”
Eddies eye start to lit up now, getting to the look the SCW universe is more familiar with.
“This isn’t going to go well for you Troll.” said Eddie, “I don’t know who thought it would be funny to put me against you, but I’m not laughing. I deserve a better opponent. So because of this, I’m going to have to embarrass you Troll. I’m going to show everyone that I am not fucking going anywhere, and when you don’t give me proper competition then I’ll humiliate your joke wrestlers.”
Eddie scowls slightly.
“I can’t get better if you make me face someone like The Troll.” said Eddie “Someone who’s lost every single match, except for one fluke victory over some guy nobody remembers. At least when I lose, I lose to people that matter. Proven champions like Peter Vaughn and Miles Kasey. Legit badasses like Austin James Mercer. When Troll loses it’s to…well just about everyone isn’t it?”
Eddie chuckles and smirks amused with himself and what seems to be a new, slightly cockier attitude.
“I’m going to trip trap right over your bridge Troll.” said Eddie “Peter Vaughn defeated me on a technicality, but he would have murdered you and put a stake through your putrid little troll heart. What’s going to happen to you will be nothing short of a mauling, an example of what’s to come for anyone who faces Eddie Lyons in 2024.”
Eddie stands up, and the cameras switch to a shot of him starting to walk across the bridge.
“It seems like the world wants to break me.” said Eddie, “But while some cracks may be forming, I can assure you I am still unbreakable and I will remain unbroken. You certainly won’t be one to even come close to breaking me Troll. Not even close. I am the future of this company and I will achieve the glory I desire, while you remain a sad pathetic lonely man. I can’t honorably respect a man who has no respect for this industry. Then maybe I’ll be given the proper competition I deserve,and Troll can continue his losing streak. Eddie Lyons is coming into 2024 with a new attitude, but it still is and always will be HONOR BEFORE GLORY.
Eddie steps off the other side, having crossed the bridge as he was talking, and gives a confident nod and smirk to the camera, as the scene fades away.
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4:09 PM on Monday
The Lyons Den Training Facility
Charlotte, North Carolina
Off Camera
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“Yo Eddie!” Cleo Phillips called out, as she saw her friend trying to slink out of the school undetected.
“...Oh hey Cleo.” he said as she quickly approached him.
“Yo, what’s good with you man?” she asked, “Coach Kaiser said he talked to you, and you were bein’ all glum and shit.”
“Look, it’s none of your business Cleo. I’m fine.” Eddie insisted.
“You sure about that? You don’t return my calls, and now you’re trying to sneak away without even saying hello?” Cleo said, “You know you can talk to me.”
“I’m fine.” said Eddie, “I can handle myself. Why don’t you go focus on your on return? All Coach Kaisers attention is going to shift to you now anyway.”
Cleo scowled, “Hey, you’re my homie and all. But if you’re gonna talk tough to me, you know you’re talkin’ to the wrong one.”
Eddie said nothing.
“Look Eddie, I know it sucks losing again. But you can’t beat yourself up over it.” said Cleo, “You know how many times life as kicked my ass and I was able to bounce back? All that time I had to spend behind bars, where I was on both the right and wrong end of an ass-kicking many times. Yet here I stand, strong. An Inspiration of how one can change themselves through hard work, effort and most importantly never giving up on themselves. Being a champion isn’t just about holding some belt around your waist. It’s about who you are, and what action you choose to take. I’ve gone down some dark paths in my life. I’ve done things to innocent people that are unforgivable. That’ MY burden to bear. But I don’t let it beat me down. I choose rise above and be better. That life is behind me now, but the damage I did to people has still been done.”
“Whats your point?” said Eddie
“My point is, all you have to be bitching about is a few championship losses.” said Cleo “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. You need to get out of your head Eddie, nobody thinks any less of you. You have friends, supporters who are behind you one hundred percent. So shake off whatever this woe is me bullshit is, and go kick ass like I know you can.”
Eddie looked at Cleo in her eyes.
“You think I’ve given up then?” Eddie asked “I haven’t given up at all…”
“Eddie I didn’t say…” Cleo started
“No. I can see it in your eyes, in Coach Kaisers eyes.” said Eddie “You’re all losing faith in me. Coach Kaiser needs me to succeed to feed his own ego, so his students aren’t seen as failures. That’s why he parades you around so much, the prized student. We all know you’re his favorite. Well when or if you do actually return, all the focus and time is going to be spent on you. I won’t let you take my spotlight."
“C’mon man, quit trippin” said Cleo, with a little more bass in her voice.
“I’m just calling it like I see it.” said Eddie, ‘“But I’ll show you all that the real prized student around here is Eddie Lyons."
Eddie walks past Cleo, puts his hood up and heads out the door, as Cleo watches looking disappointed, shaking her head. Whatever Eddie is going through she could only hope he found a way to pull through.
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