Eddie had finally been able to find a few hours for himself with Sabrina and Jordan safely resting in one of the guest homes on the Lyons Family Estate, he took the time to make his way over to the Lyons Den itself to get some training done.
His upcoming match with Alex Jones meant more than some people may realize to him. It wasn't just about getting some payback for Alex's involvement in his match with World Champion Helluva Bottom Carter a few weeks ago, but it was also about gaining some momentum going into the Internet Championship match and getting that momentum by beating the former world champion.
He had just finished a round of some cardio exercises when he was approached by Coach Kaiser
“Oh hey Coach.” Eddie said “How's it going?”
“Just trying to keep it all together.” said Coach Kaiser has the two embraced in a friendly hug. “Vincent really put us in a bind.”
Eddie exhaled. He still loved his family including Vincent but what Vincent did to Logan Hunter was something Eddie couldn't condone.
“I just hope he's able to get the help he needs.” said Eddie
“So do I “ said Coach Kaiser. “But I have to admit I don't have a lot of confidence in that happening. He's not even talking to Victoria.”
“Yeah that doesn't sound good.” Eddie agreed, “But honestly I can't worry about any of that right now.”
“Nor should you.” said Coach Kaiser “Anyway, How are you? How are the girls?”
“Sabrina is becoming a fantastic mother and Jordan is getting bigger every day.” said Eddie with a smile, “She really is a blessing.”
“Yeah I remember that feeling when Erin was first born.” said Coach Kaiser
“Erin is getting better with her training everyday.” said Eddie. "I see her working hard when I'm here. She's gonna be a star.”
“Well she's still only sixteen.” said Coach Kaiser, “She's going to have to finish school first. I won't let her make the same mistakes I did when I was young.”
“Well, whatever she does I'm sure she'll be great at it.” said Eddie, “Erin's a good kid.”
“She is.” said Coach Kaiser “She's got a lot of sass to her though, takes after her aunt in that way I suppose.”
Eddie said nothing, only gave his coach a look.
“...Oh right you have to face Alex Jones this week.” said Coach Kaiser
“And he's dating your daughter's Aunt.” said Eddie
“Look Eddie.” Coach Kaiser “Yes, Aaron Asphyxia is one of my best friends but this thing you got going on with Alex Jones has nothing to do with that. That is all between the two of you.”
“Yeah I know I know.” said Eddie “I'm just saying…”
“And even then if she were to involve herself and try to screw you over, I would take your side." said Coach Kaiser, “She knows that too, she knows my students come first always. But I assure you she won't be a problem, this is just you and Alex.”
“No you're right.” said Eddie, "I just need to get myself out of this slump. I know I can be a champion and I know I deserve to be.”
“Just remember to stay true to yourself Eddie.” said Coach Kaiser
“I will.” said Eddie “You know I can't be anything else. But I have to wonder if it's enough because I've said it time and time again, I'm tired of almost. I'm tired of just being a good hand.”
“You will have your time.” said Coach Kaiser “Just never give up on yourself and keep fighting. When you finally get there you will know you have truly earned it. You won't know that it only took so long because you didn't take any shortcuts. I remember someone who once said that victory without honor is like an unseasoned dish, it can satisfy your hunger but it will never taste as good.”
"I said that.." Eddie replied.
“I know.” said Coach Kaiser “And don't you forget it because that's who you are, when you're knocked down you keep fighting never giving up on reaching your goals no matter how long it takes. You'll see some get there faster than you but most of them will have taken shortcuts. But when you get there it will be much sweeter because everything you worked for will have truly paid off.”
Eddie nodded, he knew his coach was right he just had to stay in the fight and do the best he could and when it finally paid off it would be the greatest feeling in the world.
He would get there and he would do it his way even if it took forever, because as the old saying goes, nice guys finish last.
“Come on let's go run some drills." said Coach Kaiser “Let's get you ready to take down Alex Jones.”
Eddie nodded and the two headed to a nearby ring where a new training session began with Eddie running the ropes.
If he could beat Alex Jones maybe that could give him not just momentum but the confidence or kick in the butt he needed to bring home the Internet Championship at Violent Conduct.
__________
Eddie sits on some ring steps with a towel around his neck, body glistening with sweat. The cameras focus on him for a bit before he lets out an exhale and begins speaking.
“You know I really don't like people like you Alex.” said Eddie, "You think you can do whatever you want, to whoever you want. You cheat and swindle your way to the top and even worse you're proud of all of it.”
Eddie shakes his head clearly disgusted.
“You're proud to be a cheater and a liar.” said Eddie “And you're a father too? That's the example you want to set for your child? I recently became a father myself and I would never want my daughter to see me as somebody who cheats and lies and uses other people for their own gain. She will see her father as someone who never gave up, always stayed in the fight and even when he was beaten down he got back up and continued to fight because that's what true winners do.”
Eddie lets out a heavy frustrated exhale.
“I want to be a champion as much as anybody." said Eddie but more importantly “I want to be a good example for my daughter. I want to be a Champion that the fans can respect and that means no shortcuts, that means doing it the right way.”
He pauses using part of the towel to wipe some sweat from his face.
“You're a coward Alex.” said Eddie “And you proved that a few weeks ago when you got involved in my match with Helluva Bottom Carter. Carter and I were having a perfectly fine match like real men, and then here you come hiding under a mask like the little bitch you are because you're all pissed off that Carter beat you for the championship.”
Eddie glares daggers at the camera as he speaks.
“That just reeks of a man who can't accept his own failures.” said Eddie “At least I can man up to my shortcomings and don't complain about them like a petulant child. I don't sneak attack the people that have defeated me to send a message. I stand up and face my problems like a real man.”
Eddie rises to his feet and takes a couple steps closer to the camera.
“And you've made yourself my problem now.” said Eddie “You may not have attacked me in that match but what you did was make me some sort of pawn or afterthought in whatever game you want to play with our world champion, whom I actually have respect for by the way.”
Eddie pauses for a moment.
“I'm nobody's pawn and I'm no afterthought.” said Eddie “You need to be the one on top and hold a championship so bad because it's all you have. You need that gold to make yourself feel like you're worth something. I however am capable of being important even if I never win championship gold because I'm real and people believe in me.”
He keeps his eyes deadlocked on the camera.
“I'm going to go out there I'm going to smack that smug look straight off your face.” said Eddie, “And you might pull some little trick and pull one over on me and get the victory but deep down you know how hollow that Victory will be and you know that you could never beat me legitimately. But I can beat you legitimately, and I will. So try all the little tricks you can think off because none of them are going to work.”
He pauses shortly.
“You'll turn around and blame everybody else.” said Eddie “You'll tell yourself whatever you need to to feel better about it. You might even bitch out and quit again because you can't accept the fact that you're just not as good as you think you are.”
Eddie laughs under his breath.
“I will be a world champion someday.” said Eddie “Maybe not this year, maybe not even next year but it will happen. When it does it will be the reward of all my hard work not just a prize I need to feel better about myself. I don't need to measure myself by championships won. I measure myself by my actions and I measure myself by getting people to believe in me even if I'm not always successful.”
He took a step closer to the camera leaning in slightly.
“At the end of the day we're cut from completely different cloths Alex.” said Eddie “You like your shortcuts, I like the long road. You stab people in the back, I show on my chest and say hit me with your best shot. You like to be slick and manipulative because you don't believe in yourself enough to do it the right way. You would rather steal glory than earn it."
Eddie shakes his head slightly, pacing back and forth in front of the ring steps.
“The truth is I haven't had all the wins I wanted and I've had more than my fair share of heartbreak.” said Eddie “It's something people love to remind me of, Eddie Lyons the guy who almost got there but just couldn't win the big one. I hear it every time. I even hear it when I look at my daughter and think about the man I want her to grow up seeing her father as. You think I don't feel that pressure? You think I don't just want to take the easy way out sometimes?”
He pauses shortly.
“But I don't.” said Eddie “I don't fold under the pressure I let it push me. I let the pressure build me like I'm a piece of coal and at the end it's going to make a diamond. All my failures, all my missed opportunities are shaping me into something stronger. So it might seem like it's all breaking me down but the truth is it's all building me up, and at Climax Control, you will find out exactly what that all looks like.”
He lets out a quick exhale.
“I'm sure you'll find me corny for saying that.” said Eddie “You will make jokes and brag about how you've done this for years and all the championships you've won we know the routine with you. You're going to puff your chest up and talk about how much of a legend you are and that you're the best of the best and everyone should worship the ground you walk on.”
Eddie shakes his head.
“But true legends don't need to remind people of their legends.” said Eddie “But you're the type that just doesn't shut up about it and that tells me that deep down you're insecure. You're afraid that someone like me who's younger and hungrier who has nothing to lose it's going to take everything from you and tear it away, and honestly? You’re goddamn right that's what's going to happen.”
His words come crisp and sharp.
“This isn't just about momentum or revenge for me.” said Eddie “I'm going to expose you, because people like you think you're untouchable and above it all. I'm going to drag you in the mud and show you that I'm not afraid to get dirty and scrap and claw with everything I have. I'm ready to show you that I don't run from the grind, I embrace every single second of it.”
He remains eyes locked almost looking through the camera.
“After Climax Control you're going to know me.” Eddie continued “You're going to know the name Eddie Lyons. Not as an afterthought, not has a background player in whatever issue you have with Carter. I'm going to be the guy who out worked you, and when you're lying on your back looking up at the lights you'll understand why the fans continue to believe in me. Why I believe in me, and why my daughter will grow up knowing her father never needed to cheat his way to the top or take the coward's way out to get what he wanted.”
He takes a step or two closer to the camera.
“So shine that ego up.” said Eddie “Because I'm ready for all of it. I'm ready for every trick you can bring, because when the dust settles the world will see you for the fraud you really are, and they will see me for what I am and that's the future of Sin City Wrestling and the one who will be the next Internet Champion.”
Eddie's words linger heavy in the air as he keeps his intense days on the camera while everything fades to black.
__________
The fan softly buzzed above in the Cancun hotel where Eddie and his family resided. He sat by the balcony door looking across the late Cancun night. A mix of warm air and some faint music drift up from some beach side bar.
Jordan lay in their travel crib asleep while, Sabrina lay in the bed in half asleep mode
“You should try to get some sleep.” Sabrina's voice came softly
“I will.” said Eddie “I'm just clearing my head a bit.”
“You've been clearing your head for an hour.” Sabrina replied "Your match isn't tonight.”
“No…” said Eddie “But it kind of feels like it is and I need to be sure I'm ready, because Alex Jones is the type of guy who will use whatever tricks he can to make me second guess myself and if I'm not ready mentally or physically he will use that against me.”
Sabrina sat up slightly glancing at Jordan to see she was still sleeping peacefully before her eyes shot back over to Eddie.
“You are ready.” she said “You always are, even when you don't believe it."
“Yeah but sometimes I wonder if being ready is enough.” he said “Alex Jones has been around the block, a former world champion he's a guy who knows how to survive. And he thrives on making people like me look like they'll never get past almost.”
“You're not almost. “ Sabrina said “You're exactly where you're supposed to be. You've been climbing and fighting and clawing your way up without taking any shortcuts that's not almost that's just being real.”
Eddie looked back at Sabrina with a smile, she always knew the right thing to say. Then they were interrupted by a soft cry from the crib.
“I got her.” said Eddie already moving over toward the crib he was getting more used to the rhythm of being a dad as the first month was coming to an end. He scooped Jordan up gently and pressed her against his chest, her cries softening almost immediately.
“It's okay sweetie. it's okay.” Eddie said softly as he carried her towards the balcony door, Sabrina watching them from the bed.
“I think somebody's going to be a daddy's girl.” she said smiling.
“Oh she's going to be spoiled rotten.” replied Eddie with a grin of his own
There was a short moment of warm comfort among Eddie's small family.
“She doesn't even know that she's the reason I'm going to push harder than I ever have.” he said “Everything I do now is for her and for the both of you, that's something Alex Jones doesn't understand. He will cheat, lie and manipulate because he doesn't believe he can do it the right way. But I won't raise her with that example, I want her to grow up knowing her dad didn't break and take shortcuts even when it would have been easier to do so “
Jordan let out a soft coo that brought a smile to his face.
“That's why this match at Climax Control is so important to me.” he said “Because it's not just about Alex, it's about proving to myself and everybody that I can take down someone like him. That I can be more than the guy that tries hard and comes up short. To show that I belong where everybody says I belong.”
“You fight like hell babe it's just who you are.” said Sabrina “That's why it's only a matter of time before you're holding gold you've already earned it ten times over.”
“Yeah, the Internet Championship that's the ultimate goal right now.” said Eddie “If I can make it happen at Violent Conduct….”
He paused cutting himself off.
“No. I shouldn't think like that.” he said “I need to shake all the doubt. It's going to be when I become Internet Champion at Violent Conduct. No if."
“I know you will.” Sabrina smiled back at him. “This is your moment Eddie Lyons.”
“You always know how to keep me grounded.” Eddie smiled back at her.
“That's my job.” said Sabrina “You wrestle, I keep you from going insane I have my part to play in this whole thing too.”
“And you're amazing at it.” Eddie said.
He smiled back at her carefully laying Jordan back in the crib has she drifted back to sleep before going to lay on the bed next to his wife.
“I'm going to do it.” said Eddie “Whatever I have to do, I will figure it out. I will defeat Alex Jones at Climax Control and I'll bring home the Internet Championship the right way. For you, for Jordan, and for everybody that's believed in me.”
A confidence filled the room has Sabrina and Eddie settled into bed together. Eddie felt his confident as he ever did, he was ready and it was time for him to become the champion he and everybody around him knew he could be.
