Ben Jordan's face appears on the screen as he leans back in a reclining chair, his head still covering the scared skin from the battle at My Bloody Valentine. He smiles down the camera and gives a thumb up.
"Morning people." He says with a slight wince. "Or evening, afternoon or night, where ever you're watching this from. It is indeed intro time. We know how this works, it's tried, it's tested, it's familiar and you can skip past it if ya want to get to the meat of things."
Ben winks and smiles.
"I'm sorry for having to lay back like this but I ain't one hundred percent still not only from my Bloody Valentine, but from last week, so please forgive this old aching sod."
Ben points down.
"Getting a whack in the chaps is no fun, lemme tell ya." He says with a chuckle. "But getting whacked in the gentlemen parts has left me conflicted a little bit. I came out of My Bloody Valentine a bloody mess but feeling like I can do this again, that I could be a proper wrestler again and not be like past it, spot filling, all that stuff and then I heard Alexander Raven's words about the luck of the draw and well, geezer might be right there, I did get a decent draw and I came out of it."
Ben frowns slightly.
"Makes me wonder if I did get away with it a bit, but can not doubt I went through hell in something I wasn't comfortable with, just to win." He says softly. "But what it did do is put a little doubt I thought I got over, it made me wonder if I deserve this spot I'm in."
Ben can not help but sigh.
"Well I guess now I gotta prove it over and over again and I got a top match coming up with Aiden Reynolds." He says with a smile. "He's a top wrestler so I guess I will have to prove it again and again I'm where I belong and that you Alexander, you're a bitter old man."
Ben tries to lean forward but winces.
"Anyway. What do we have to show you from this week?" Ben says to the camera. "Well what we have in some behind the scenes footage of directly after getting hit in the wotsits, because ya know, gotta keep pushing that thing along and we got some stuff from yesterday where I had a conversation with an old familiar face."
The camera switches to the side of Ben as he continues to the side of Ben's face.
"Why?" He asks himself. "Because I thought it might be fun to watch."
The camera switches back to the front of Ben.
"So enjoy this." He says with a smile.
He never expected Sunday to go the way it did, as Ben returned through the curtain after an unexpected attack. Reaching down to his... well, low blow target area for men, he winced as he leaned over the rail at the top of the staging area. He looked around at the eyes upon him, many with surprise and caution burning a hole in him as he turned to walk down a few steps and to the nearest chair he could find.
"Bloody hell." he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and breathed deep. "Not the first time I've been hit in the crackers but that woman has a vicious streak on her."
Another deep breath filled his lungs.
"Seriously, right in the gooleys." He said with a shake of his head. "Not cool."
"Ben!" Sam Marlowe's voice is heard saying.
Ben opened his eyes to see the concerned redhead standing in front of him.
"I'm so sorry." She said as she rested her hand on his shoulder.
Ben looked up and shook his head at her.
"You didn't whack me in the onion bag." Ben said as he mustered up half a smile. "So you ain't gotta be sorry about anything."
Sam took a seat next to Ben, her eyes full of sympathy.
"But I should have expected it as soon as he appeared that she might be around somewhere." Sam said softly.
"I wouldn't worry." Ben reassured her. "When I went out there, I went out there to move on, to admit that I was offered a prize for that match and turned it down so it didn't look dodgy with Bella winning the same match and getting offered something. Then the plan was to move on a bit, step away a bit, fill my time with something that don't give me panic attacks and now I'm pulled back in."
He sighed.
"Guess all it took was a whack down low." Ben said sadly before looking at Sam. "But as me Nan used to say, worse things happen at sea."
He looked at Sam with a frown.
"I'll make sure she won't get away with it." Sam said fiercely.
Ben couldn't help but smile at Sam with more conviction then his previous attempts at smiling since he came back through the curtain.
"You're funny when you're angry." Ben said with a slight laugh. "Your face also turns a shade of ginge."
Sam narrowed her eyes at Ben as she looked at him, balling up her fist.
"Can I interest ya in another shot below the belt?" She asked in a joking manner.
Ben put his hand on his chin, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.
"Well, to be fair." He started. "I didn't really like the first one so an action replay of it all is not really on my mind right now, so as generous as the offer is, I think I'm gonna have to thank you and pass. Thoughtful offer though."
Sam smiled at Ben.
"Well, no little Ben Jordan's will be running around the world." She said, lightening the mood.
"World has enough trouble handling this one." Ben fired back quickly. "Hate to think what would happen if there was more of me running round saying alright people to everyone they see."
He tried to stand up, but pain shot through his body and he slouched back down to his seat. Sam's face turned back to a concerned look as she looked at her tag team partner.
"Are you ok?" She asked seriously.
"I'm alright." Ben said. "But my meat and two veg and feeling so chipper."
She looked at him with sadness in her eyes, but Ben smiled back, easing the tension with them both.
"I'm thinking we should bugger off out." Ben said as he successfully made it to his feet.
"Pub?" Sam asked him.
Ben surprisingly shook his head at Sam, taking her back slightly.
"I want a pint of something." He stated. "But not beer."
"Oh?" Sam quickly responded.
"Yeah, a pint of ice cream would be wicked." Ben told her.
Sam looked at him curiously, but smiled.
"Well after the night you've been through, I think you deserve any flavour you want." She said with a bright smile.
"Flavour don't matter love." Ben replied as he limped along with her.
"It doesn't?" She asked.
"No, it's not for me." Ben said looking at her. "It's for me nuts."
He pointed down as Sam suppressed a smile and the two wandered off as we cut to another scene
It was a brisk afternoon in the East End of London as Ben Jordan walked through Millwall Park on the Isle of Dogs. Spring was on it's way in London, even if the weather didn't completely match. Sunshine barely broke through the cloud line as he wandered through with Bear at his side.
"Bit nippy today boy." Ben said as he looked down at him. "Still, that fur coat must keep ya warm."
Ben shivered as he pulled his hood over his top, covering a leather baseball cap that sat on his crown, but slightly winced at the movement.
"I think I need a sit down mate." Ben said to his dog as he spied a bench in the distance. "Seems like a good a place as any. No matter where we sit out here, still gonna be cold enough to chill the nuts off a brass monkey."
Bear looked up at Ben, walking by his side in a nonchalant, casual manner, as relaxed as relaxed can be. It was only a few seconds before Ben had made it to the bench and turned slowly to sit, taking the weight off his aching feet. Bear sat down in front of him, looking around at the fairly empty park.
"Could be worse I suppose." He said to himself softly as he looked around at the scene.
Ben breathed deeply as he tried to find some peace in his own mind, but it wasn't to long before his peace was distracted by a ringing phone in his jeans pocket. He looked around himself for a second, deciding if he wanted to answer it but shrugged and reached in to his pocket and pulled it out, looking at the caller ID. A smile broke out on his face as he saw the name Jamie Dean. He wasted little time in answering a video call.
"JD." Ben said as the face of his friend and former tag team partner, Jamie Dean appeared on the screen. "You're up early over there, everything alright?"
Jamie smiled at Ben.
"Always been an early riser in more ways then one." Jamie said with a wink.
"King of innuendos." Ben replied with a nod. "What's up?"
"I'm just calling to check in on you." Jamie said with a serious face. "I've caught your stuff lately and I know when you're not completely happy. Plus I wanted to check on how you were after the nut shot."
Ben looked down towards his legs before looking up at the camera.
"Well, I didn't expect to ever use the line The Cockney King got hit in the crown jewels." Ben replied with a shrug. "But they're alright I guess."
"And you?" Jamie asked.
"I don't know if I'm honest." Ben said to him.
"Well, you know I trained in helping people after I stopped wrestling, so you can talk to me." Jamie offered sincerely.
"You know what, it's bloody hard to talk about." Ben admitted. "I guess what it boils down to is I wanted to step away and I couldn't, I'm dragged back in when I don't really want to be. The truth is what I should have done is did what Jonesy did all those years ago. Step out at my prime, go and get an nine to five office job like a normal fella."
Jamie scrunched up his face as he looked at Ben.
"You'd get so bored so quickly, you'd run back to the ring." Jamie said to him. "You're at your best when your busy and not in your own head. That could be your problem."
"What could be?" Ben asked.
"You're not busy enough so you're in your own head." Jamie told him. "This never used to be you. When you was married to the devil woman, you always had something to do because you got dragged all over the place. You was constantly on vacation doing something, now what do you do?"
Ben shrugged his shoulders.
"I get up around noon, maybe later, walk about with Bear for a bit, then we hunt down some bacon, head out for the occasional pint." Ben tells him. "Run in to the same drunk in the same pub, arguing with his missus about him being in the same pub every night, while she stands there with him most nights."
"Wait, is this the same freeloading bird that never pays for a round but always wants one bought for her because she's a lady?" Jamie offered in response.
"The one and same. Setting equality back a few years." Ben replied. "She questions where his money is coming from, while never turning down a drink. Bizarre couple."
Ben shrugged his left shoulder.
"Then we head home, pick a takeaway and stick the tele on." Ben told him. "I thought this was the life I wanted, but maybe you're right, maybe it is a bit of boredom. I never had this issue years ago when I run a boozer around here."
"You didn't?" Jamie questioned.
"Nah." Ben replied with a smile as he thought back through that time. "Days were proper long too. I was up at like six every morning. I was in the bar stocking the fridges, emptying the machines for the cash in there, waiting for deliveries. I'd clean the place completely and it wasn't a small boozer, but I did all that on my own. I was out the door picking up the morning newspapers, down the bakers for the fresh rolls, making the fresh rolls and opening the place at eleven and taking the first shift till three."
"At least you got a break then." Jamie said.
"Not exactly." Ben replied. "At that point, I'd be in the stock room, seeing what we were short off, then I'll be on the phone ordering what we needed. After that, I'll be in the office sorting out staff wages, doing a ton of paperwork and whatever was left, be off down the bank. Then I'd be back in the bar by seven to see the night out. I wasn't getting to bed until midnight most nights and up by six, but you know what the weird thing was?"
"What?" Jamie asked.
"I absolutely loved it mate." Ben admitted. "I loved every second of those long days, every day of the week. I never had time to reflect or worry about what was in my head. I did what us cockneys do. I got up and I did that, got on with it cause every day was different. Sure we got the people in that seemed to look like scruffs but had seemingly endless funds, but they'll always be something different going on. They'll always be a face I haven't seen before. I needed that."
Jamie tapped his chin as he looked down the camera at Ben.
"Well, you either need to buy another pub..." He started. "Or fill your time with something else."
Ben frowned at Jamie.
"I wouldn't mind another boozer." He admitted "But I couldn't do all that again properly till I hang up the boots."
"Well, I might have another idea." Jamie said with a smile.
"I'm all ears." Ben replied.
"Why don't you come over here to help out at Oasis for a couple of days a week? I could use the help and the kids would be happy to see you." Jamie told Ben. "It will help you feel busier."
Ben thought about it for a few seconds.
"I could do." He said. "Maybe fly in Friday morning, go to work on Sunday, back Sunday night, come back home on Monday."
"Even a day around them would be appreciated."Jamie told Ben.
Ben nodded slowly at the phone.
"Tell ya what." Ben said. "I got a match in Cali on Sunday, so how about I swing by and we'll sort something out?"
"That sounds great." Jamie replied with a wide smile. "But I gotta go, call me with details when you're getting here."
"Can do mate." Ben says with a salute."Have a good un!"
Ben turns off the phone and looks down at Bear.
"Is it me or did he seem very, very keen on getting me there?" He asked Bear. "I think something's going on."
Bear seemed to nod in agreement.
"Alright, lets get down the cafe, shall we?" Ben said to Bear.
Bear wasted no time getting back to his feet and moving away. Ben started to follow with the thought of Jamie's keenness weighing on his mind.
The camera fades back in to current day Ben as he sits in his recliner.
"Still don't have a clue what Jamie is going on about, but he is in California so think I'll do a little swing by." Ben says. "And speaking of California, I'll be wrestling there on Sunday."
Ben winks.
"See what I did there?" He says with a smile. "And not only can we get back to the wrestling basics that I love, it's against a fella who reminds me so much of me, it's not even funny. Seriously, I love it, because he seems a lot like me before the spark went out of my eyes and the spring out of my step. Absolute stud in the form of Aiden Reynolds."
Ben nods and smiles.
"Now I've only been in the ring with Reyno once and that was in that hell of a match neither of us was overly confident in." Ben says with a slight shrug. "But trust me people, you only need to be in a ring with this guy once to know he was once like me. Working hard, pushing himself, wanting him to be the proper version of himself where he can put himself ahead of the rest. Mate, I built a career on being like that, being something different and it didn't do me any harm, it got the people behind me and pushed me on to do more. Ladies and gents, this is Aiden Reynolds and I ain't pulling your plonker on that one. Charisma for days, stamina, energy, can put on a show, willing to have a laugh at his own expense, just generally a decent guy. A bloke who can put bums on seats, get the cheers and the love of the fans."
Ben pauses.
"That describes both of us." Ben says with a short nod. "And I have the ultimate, top notch respect for anyone who can be like that. People think this game is easy, get out there, wrestle, try and get a crowd reaction, that part yeah, no worries mate, but to really be something, you need to catch fire and that is what Reyno can do. He ain't been here long and he's already done that, he's already caught and about to burst in to flames and this match could be the one that does that for him. I had the same against an established SCW wrestler back in the day and here I am all those years later so I know how important this match can be for him. This could be your break out match Aiden and it will be your breakout match."
Ben raises a finger.
"It doesn't mean you're gonna win it but it is without a doubt gonna be a breakout match for you one way or the other cause I'm gonna make it happen." Ben says seriously. "However it goes down in that ring, and I'm not a plonker enough to think my experience is gonna walk all over ya, you're gonna look amazing mate."
Ben tries to sit forward in the recliner but grits his teeth and lays back.
"It's obvious I ain't at my best but I ain't using that as an excuse." Ben says as he looks down the camera. "I'm gonna leave everything in the ring regardless because that's what I always do. I mean if we could survive that hell at My Bloody Valentine, then we can give the fans something decent here. I'm pretty sure that you're not feeling bloody fantastic after that one but I'm expecting the England Aussie rivalry to proper show up."
Ben holds his hands up.
"Let me make it clear people, it's just a sporting thing." Ben explains. "Always a rivalry with us Brits and the Aussies but its not really personal and neither will this be. It will be a couple of top stars from two top sporting nations putting on another thing to be remembered for donkeys years to come."
Ben nods seriously.
"Don't get me wrong at all people, this one is gonna be a cracker of a match." Ben says confidently. "I know what the fella is like in the ring and even through the blood running down my mush and in to my minces, I could see what a proper talent he is and I respect it massively. It is gonna be a proper cheeky fight this one and we're gonna give you it all, but I can't help but fancy me chances in this one. I dunno why but I think even though I ended up feeling as rough as a dogs tongue after that supercard match and getting hit in the crackers last week, I feel like there's been a bit of a turning point in my career. I can't help but feel like it was the oddest kick in the jacksy I needed to get myself going again and that is something that I just might do."
Ben glances down at his watch.
"I don't wanna bore you with much more, and I got a flight to go jump on, but mate, I am seriously looking forward to this match, I'm looking forward to getting in the ring with a fella I proper respect and kicking on." Ben says honestly. "So I will see you all in the Californian sun on Sunday and Aiden, respect mate, I'll catch ya soon."
Ben winks down the camera.
"Laters people!"
And with that the scene fades to black.
