It was a nice quiet evening in the home of Eddie Lyons, the Las Vegas desert air was cooling off, and Eddie sat cross-legged on the couch in and oversized feed me tacos t-shirt and some bright green T-Rex pajama pants, with his 3-month-old daughter safely propped in a little pillow nest next to him. He looked down at her with a smile like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.
“So what do you think Jordan?” he said looking down at her “Honest opinion. If daddy beats Liam Davis, Mommy's got to buy him two victory churros.”
Jordan looked at him with a blink and a little hiccup.
“Exactly!” he smiled “Somebody gets it at least.”
Sabrina looked up from her book on the nearby chair.
“Trying to get our daughter to validate your snack addiction?” she grinned.
“You called it an addiction.” he said "I call it road fuel. Besides, I'm not the one who withheld Reese's peanut butter cups from children on Halloween and claimed it was just leftover candy.”
“Yeah well they have to learn about tax sometime." she said “We'll call it a candy tax.”
“You're such a goofball.” Eddie smiled.
“Takes one to know one.” she quickly replied not missing a beat.
“That was a quick rebuttal.” said Eddie
“Because I'm right.” Sabrina said “And you know it.”
Eddie gave a sigh of defeat and leaned back into a couch cushion looking over at his daughter.
“Apparently your mom thinks she's the funny one.” he said.
Jordan let out some soft baby babble.
“See.” Eddie said “She thinks I'm funnier. Said it herself.”
“Did she now?” said Sabrina with a casual roll of her eyes.
“Yep." Eddie said “Clear as day baby babble for Daddy's hilarious.”
“You sure it wasn't Daddy's full of it?” grinned Sabrina.
Eddie gasped playfully.
“Hey you started it.“ said Sabrina.
“Okay okay.” Eddie said putting both hands up “We'll call it a draw.”
“Fine.” said Sabrina leaning back into her chair, "It's still me though.”
Eddie just sighed and shook his head with a smile. He honestly didn't mind losing this battle, he just enjoyed the playful banter with his wife. Deep down he knew she really was the funnier one. The battle he wasn't looking to lose however was the one upcoming against Liam Davis.
“You're making that face again.” Sabrina said, interrupting his train of thought.
“What face?” said Eddie
“The face you make when you're thinking too hard, and you chew on your bottom lip and try to act like you're not doing it.” she replied.
“No I don't…” said Eddie, popping his lip free.
“You absolutely do.” said Sabrina amused, but her tone quickly shifted to one of concern “What's going on?”
“I don't know…” Eddie said “It's stupid.”
“Try me." said Sabrina “I am your wife after all, you can tell me anything.”
Eddie exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck.
“It's just..” he said "I guess I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong in my career.”
“Eddie…” said Sabrina softly closing her book.
“I mean I'm happy with the win over Bill.” he said “I needed that, but I'm getting tired of getting so close to something bigger and letting it slip away and then meanwhile…”
He paused and let out another exhale.
“Meanwhile…" he continued “Vincent's a champion, Victoria's a champion and I'm still out here still chasing my big championship victory. I know I'm a former roulette champion, and Victoria and I were mixed tag champs for a short while. But I still feel like Eddie Lyons is still chasing his big moment, his big win. I just wonder if there's some piece of the puzzle I'm missing.”
“Eddie…" Sabrina said taking a seat next to him on the sofa laying her hand gently on his shoulder, "You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. You're climbing your own mountain, not anybody else's. Vincent and Victoria have their paths and you have yours.”
“Yeah but when do I get to reach my summit?” said Eddie “Because it feels like I'm just spinning my wheels.”
“You're not spinning your wheels.“ Sabrina said “You're refining your craft. Every time you step in that ring you get that much closer, and you do it the right way. Honorably, for yourself and for your family a lot of people never learn that.”
“I just want her to be proud of me.” said Eddie looking down at his daughter.
“She will be.” Sabrina reassured him “She'll see it everyday. She’ll see her dad as someone who never gives up and continues to fight to achieve his goals. She'll see you win that big match one day and it won't be because of luck, or because you took any shortcuts, or because someone helped you. It'll be because of the way you fight and the way you never quit.”
Eddie nodded.
“I know you're right…” he said “It's just stressful sometimes, you know I fight as hard as I can and I just feel like it's never enough.”
“It’s enough for us.” Sabrina said “You don't need to be a champion for us to be proud of you. I know how hard you work and she will grow up knowing that too. When the day comes and you do get your big championship win, we'll be there to celebrate with you.”
“And getting me victory churros?” Eddie grinned.
“Don't push it.” Sabrina replied with a smirk.
“Well you can't blame me for trying.” said Eddie.
“Point is.” Sabrina said “All we want is for you to not lose sight of who you really are. Sometimes what you represent can be more important than championships and trophies.”
She was right as she always was and Eddie knew that. At times that made it even harder because she was so supportive and made him want to bring home a championship for her and Jordan that much more.
He looked down at his daughter with a quiet smile and the quiet promise that no matter how long it took she would get to see her daddy as a champion.
__________
The camera opens with Eddie Lyons sitting on his back porch steps dressed in some mesh shorts and a Miyagi Do t-shirt. He gives a self aware smile before speaking.
“You ever have one of those moments where you sit back and start to ask yourself what am I missing?” Eddie said “Not because you're giving up, but because you want to be better and you know that you should be better.”
He nods slightly.
“That's been me lately.” he continued “When I got yet another victory over Bill Barnhart, it reminded me that I'm still in this. I'm still improving and staying in the fight, but every so often there's this little voice that keeps asking me, what's taking so long? Why does my summit feel like it's just out of reach?”
He pauses slightly reflecting on the weight of his own words.
“I look around at my family and I see Vincent holding a championship.” he said "I see Victoria celebrating as a champion, and despite our differences I am happy for them, both of them. But at the same time I'd be a liar if I didn't say I want to be standing on that level too.”
He shrugs.
“I train hard, and I fight hard.” he said “But every time I get close to that big moment, it slips through my fingers. Still, I never stop chasing and I never stop reaching for it and that's why this match matters, Liam Davis. It matters more than most people think.”
The camera moves in closer to Eddie.
“I know the intensity you bring into that ring.” said Eddie "You're going to make me walk through fire no doubt, but you know damn well as everyone else does that Eddie Lyons isn't backing down from anything and I certainly won't be backing down from you. You won't be the one to derail me from my championship goals. Right now what I need are some victories which will hopefully grab me a championship match or an opportunity to earn one, you are what stands in the way of me getting one step closer.”
He pauses again.
“I've been rewatching the show Cobra Kai lately.” he said with a cheeky grin. “I know it's a little cheesy, and it's totally just your classic high school drama hidden behind all the karate but hey I like it don't judge me.”
He shrugs.
“But somewhere between Johnny Lawrence getting drunk and all the training montages, it made me realize some things.” he said. “Vincent and Victoria would walk right into the Cobra Kai dojo and fit right in. They would live by that strike hard, no mercy mantra. I have no doubt both of them would quickly rise the ranks of Cobra Kai. That's just their style, they're intense and fierce and they go for blood. It's what's led them and many others to championships.”
He pauses.
“But that's not me.” he said gesturing down at his shirt “I'm Miyagi Do through and through, not that I'm out here trying to catch flies with chopsticks, although I did try that once and it went horribly.”
He laughs to himself.
“Patience.” he said “That's one of the key tenants of a Miyagi Do. Things don't happen overnight, true victory takes time. You should stay calm, let your opponent make the mistake and win with skill and not rage.”
He exhales.
“That's what makes us different isn't it Liam?” Eddie said “Because you give Cobra Kai energy all the way. You turn the intensity up to eleven, punch first and ask questions later.”
He pauses.
“But I'm not going to break because someone else is louder.” he said. “I'm not going to let people's words or doubts rattle me, or try to throw me off my game. I'm going to let them center me and remind me of what my style is and what my path looks like.”
He keeps eyes locked on the camera.
“Miyagi-Do isn't about winning with power.” he said “It's about winning with control and understanding who you are and not letting the opponent pull you into their fight.”
He pauses again.
“You fight with force and I fight with purpose.” Eddie said “You come with aggression, I come with clarity. The clarity of knowing that I have something to overcome and right now that's the almost moments.”
His tone grows more meaningful.
“I'll be honest I'm getting tired of them.” he said “I'm getting tired of getting right to the edge of something big, and coming up short and having to watch everybody else climb their mountain while I get knocked back down to the base of mine.”
He exhales, more heavily.
“But I'm not giving up, not even close.” he said “The only way forward is through the people standing in front of me, and right now that's you. I don't know where my journey takes me next, but I know I'm not looking to be derailed now. So I hope you bring every ounce of that Cobra Kai ferocity, Liam Davis.”
He grins.
“Because I'm ready for it.” Eddie continued “Whatever version you choose to bring to Climax Control, I'm ready for it.”
He stands up, walks down the steps and takes a few more steps toward the camera.
“I won't come at you with any sort of blind ferocity though.” said Eddie "I'll bring to life the teachings of Miyagi-Do and take you out with patience, precision and skill.”
He takes a few steps closer to the camera.
“You're going to try to drag me into some sort of wild chaos.” Eddie continued “Try to hit me as hard as you can before I even know what happened, but all it's going to take is one mistake from you, and I promise you Liam you will make it.”
He takes one more final precise step toward the camera.
“I'm not just fighting you at Climax Control Liam.” Eddie said “I'm fighting off every doubt that's been trying to creep into my head, you're just the next test I have to pass on my way to something bigger and this is not a test I'm going to fail.”
He keeps his eyes locked, almost staring through the camera.
“So go ahead and bring all the fire you can," he said “And I'll bring my focus, because when the smoke clears you'll understand why patience always wins in the end, and why you won't be the one to knock Eddie Lyons off his path.”
With a confident nod, he keeps eyes locked on the camera and everything fades to black.
