It’s been a while....
Actually....It has almost been TWO BLEEDIN’ MONTHS!
Two damn months since I last appeared in a SCW ring.
Yes, boys and girls you heard that right, I was not a part of Summer Xxxtreme, I was left off the show but since I am never the one to complain I took it as a working vacation. I had never even been on a cruise ship before and I wasn't about to miss out on one of the biggest events of the year, sitting at home, pouting like a petulant child. My face was seen wherever I could get time, I shook hands and signed autographs and interacted with fans whenever I could.
I also wasn’t disappointed in the whole being left off the show, mostly because I knew that despite all the praise, I was not the one to produce or secure the wins to even be considered. I’m not that asshole that demands things when I have not earned that chance. I can get praise for my work, and that is fine but if I am not producing or securing the wins to get there, then I will gladly take a backseat to whomever and have zero issue in waiting for another chance down the line.
And it wasn’t like the time was a complete waste from my last match with Kris Ryans all the way through the time on the Sun Princess and even to Tokyo.
I watched my brother get married, spent time with my sister during that. Hell, I even finally found a decent place to call home that doesn’t have the moniker of ‘Murder Inn’, that I have moved the majority of my belongings into...at least what I brought with me. ...I should probably take care of getting the rest of my belongings here from back in Manchester eventually but find me the time.
And there is of course her.
While I do believe that relationships should for the most part stay private, I know there are a few out there that want to jump in and try to analyze this but from at least my standpoint, we are both consenting adults who are intrigued by one another. Actually a better word to use would be fascinated. Because Alexandra Callaway is indeed a fascinating human who some would see as broken goods, but I see her as a beautiful...scratch that, an extremely exquisite woman. She, like the rest of us, is looking for the simple basic necessities in life: to find someone that makes her happy and then everything that comes after that.
It’s still very new but it is simply refreshing to see someone look at you like you are something far more important than you actually are.
I’m a nobody, I’m a stupid kid from England that has a brother...sorry, half-brother that managed to turn all the right heads, that thankfully has been welcoming to the likes of me.
Part of me feels like I could easily be forgotten about at any given moment.
But I don’t want to be. And I have a chance to make a major impact.
I just need a chance.
---
A Quiet Night in Bangkok
The vibrant city of Bangkok buzzed with life around them, but LJ and Alexandra Callaway found themselves in a quiet corner of the city. They had stumbled upon a small, tucked-away café that offered a beautiful view of the Chao Phraya River. The soft glow of lanterns reflected off the water, creating a serene and almost magical atmosphere.
LJ sat across from Ally, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of his coffee cup. His eyes, usually filled with confidence, seemed distant tonight. Ally noticed, her concern evident as she reached out to gently squeeze his hand.
“What’s on your mind, LJ?” she asked, her voice soft and inviting.
LJ hesitated for a moment before he finally spoke, his words laced with frustration and a hint of sadness. “I don’t know, Ally. Lately, it feels like I’m being forgotten in my wrestling career. I haven’t won a match in what feels like forever, and now I’m being thrown into this high-profile match with Alexander Raven. It’s like... they’re setting me up to fail.”
Ally’s expression softened as she leaned closer, her thumb brushing over the back of his hand. “You’re not being forgotten, LJ. You’re one of the most talented wrestlers I know. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for the world to catch up and recognize that.”
LJ looked into her eyes, searching for the reassurance he desperately needed. “But what if I’m not good enough? What if this is it, I am desperately forever scraping at the bottom of the barrel, and I never really make it?”
Ally smiled warmly, her eyes filled with unwavering belief. “You are good enough. You’ve worked too hard and come too far to doubt yourself now. This match with Raven? It’s not a setup to fail—it’s an opportunity to show everyone what you’re really made of. Win or lose, it’s your chance to remind them who LJ is.”
Her words seemed to lift some of the weight off LJ’s shoulders. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”
“That’s because I believe in you, Lyle,” Ally replied, using his real name with a tenderness that made his heart skip a beat. “And I’ll keep believing in you, even when you doubt yourself. You’ve got this.”
LJ leaned across the table, closing the distance between them, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “Thank you, Ally. I needed to hear that.”
As they sat together in the quiet of the night, with the city’s lights twinkling around them, LJ felt a renewed sense of purpose. With Ally by his side, he knew he could face whatever challenges lay ahead—starting with Alexander Raven.
---
LJ leans against the ropes in an empty gym, staring at his reflection in the mirror across the ring. His fists are clenched, the frustration boiling over as he tries to make sense of everything that's happened.
"Two months," he mutters to himself. "Two damn months of sitting on the sidelines instead of busting my ass, and what do I have to show for it? Not a fuckin’ thing. It has been loss after loss, and now they throw me into a match against Alexander Raven? The Roulette Champion? And to make the odds that much higher, they throw in an actual title shot at one of the craziest bastards in SCW. Are they trying to break me, or is this some twisted way of saying, 'Here’s your shot, kid, don’t blow it’?"
He pushes off the ropes, pacing back and forth. "Since the last time I was in an SCW ring, I watched Miles get married, and I've gotten closer to Alexandra. Those moments should have been enough to get my head straight, to refocus, but instead, it feels like everything's spinning out of control. I haven’t been able to get a win, and now they expect me to just walk in there and face Raven like it's nothing? Like I’m not coming off two months of hell?"
His voice rises, the frustration evident. "It's like I am being set up to fail. But I’m not about to let that happen, I refuse to be just another punching bag. I am a Kasey after all, sometimes it seems that is all we do. But I’ve worked too damn hard, sacrificed too much to let this slip away. This match... it’s not just another match. It’s my chance to prove that I belong here, that I can hang with the best of them in the main event of Climax Control and just to make it that much sweeter, I’m going to take that bloody championship and ram it down your fuckin’ throat Raven, just for good measure, that’s before I take that championship with me and wrap it around my waist."
LJ pauses, taking a deep breath, his tone shifting from frustration to determination. "Raven might be the Roulette Champion, but he’s going to find out real quick that I’m not some stepping stone. I’m not just here to make up the numbers. I’ve got something to prove to myself more than anyone else. I need this win. I need to have just one single solitary fucking moment to look crazy in the eyes and prove that I am not just another pretty face. I need to show everyone, and especially myself, that I’m not just fighting to stay afloat—I’m fighting to rise to the top."
He squares his shoulders, staring down at the canvas beneath his feet. "This is it. No more excuses, no more second-guessing. I’ve been thrown under the bus, sure, but I’m not about to get run over. And if this is my ‘One shot’ like you claim, Alexander, then I’m going to make it fucking count. I’m going to fight like hell and come out the other side stronger. And when that bell rings, when it’s all said and done, everyone’s going to remember my name."
LJ leans against the ropes, his thoughts now focused on his opponent. “Alexander Raven... the Roulette Champion,” he scoffs. “This guy isn’t just unpredictable; he’s like an escaped inmate from Arkham Asylum—totally unhinged, dangerous, and reveling in the chaos he creates. It’s like facing a man who’s got nothing left to lose, and that makes him even more dangerous.”
He shakes his head, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Raven, you’ve built this persona, this mythos around being the embodiment of insanity. But you know what? That doesn’t scare me. I’ve dealt with my own demons, fought my own battles in and out of the ring. You might think you’re the boogeyman of SCW, but I see through that. You’re just another man who bleeds like anyone else.”
LJ starts pacing again, his voice rising as his emotions surge. “You talk about chaos like it’s your best friend, like it’s something you can control. But chaos is a fickle bitch, Raven, and sooner or later, it’s going to turn on you. Maybe that’s why you’ve managed to hold onto that Roulette Championship for as long as you have—because you thrive in the madness. But guess what? I’m not afraid to step into the storm with you.”
He pauses, his eyes narrowing as he imagines the upcoming match. “You’ve got this reputation, Raven, this aura of unpredictability that makes people hesitate, makes them doubt themselves. But not me. You might think you’re the Joker in this deck, but when it comes down to it, you’re just another guy trying to play mind games. And I’m not here to play games—I’m here to fight, to win, and to take that title from you.”
LJ’s expression hardens as he leans forward, his voice dropping to a near-growl. “So bring your chaos, bring your madness, bring whatever twisted little tricks you’ve got up your sleeve. Because when that bell rings, all that’s going to matter is who wants it more. And I promise you, Raven, I want it more than you can possibly imagine. I’m not just fighting for a championship—I’m fighting to remind everyone, including myself, exactly who the hell I am.”
He takes a deep breath, the intensity of his words hanging in the air. “You’ve been the king of the crazy for too long, Raven. It’s time someone knocked you off your throne. And I’m just the guy to do it. You may be an escaped inmate from Arkham, but you’re about to find out what happens when you push someone like me too far. I’m not backing down, and I’m not going to let you walk out of Climax Control with that title. You’re not the only one who can embrace the chaos, Raven. And when it’s all over, you’ll remember that LJ Kasey is the name of the man who took you down.”
“Ta, bruv.”
