[Matt Ward]

 

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“Being sober is more depressing then drowning all my pain into a bottle of Jack.”

Ryan King is seen standing in his rundown apartment although this time, his presence and attire has changed.  Instead of work boots, jeans and a t-shirt he has on a nice Armani black suit with a royal blue button up shirt on.  The top two buttons are undone and he is clean shaven and his hair freshly cut and spiked up.  

“Every day I look around at what this world has established as a standard for what needs to be looked up to and what should be looked down upon, and when I look at myself, I see a complexed mix of both of those.  I have the body of a god, I bust my ass in the ring, but I drink more alcohol in a week, then most people drink in their life.”

Ryan lights up a cigarette and takes a drag as he sits down on the counter and looks around.

“I might chain smoke like a chimney, but you know what, I’m in better shape than most of the wrestlers that step into a wrestling ring.  I have more talent than ninety-five percent of the wrestlers that have ever stepped into a wrestling ring.”

Pausing and taking a drag from the cigarette he reaches into the suit jacket with his free hand and pulls out a flask as he lets a smile spread across his face.

“The one down side that Casey and I have in this upcoming tag team match is the simple fact that he and I haven’t been tag team partners nearly as long as Despayre and Gabriel.  Sure they have wrestled dozen’s of matches with each other as their partner.  Casey and I still know each other better than anybody else could ever imagine.”

Opening the flask he brings it to his lips and takes a swig before placing it down on the counter next to him and taking a deep drag off the cigarette, inhaling before letting the smoke slowly escape from his lungs.

“Whether it is smoking or drinking, I am who I am.  I am not putting up a façade for anybody.  Half of these wrestlers here don’t know who they are.  They are rookies, and just barely breaking out in the business.”

Hoping off the counter, Ryan starts walking around the living room that is completely empty.  No TV, no recliner not even his bed in the corner where it was just a few weeks ago.

“Gabriel keep performing your little magic tricks.  Keep wowing people over with your illusions and keep thinking to yourself that you and Gabriel are going to be the most dominant tag team in SCW.  Keep talking to Synn about that Heavyweight title.  Keep taking your mind away from the reason you came back to wrestling.  Keep letting that greed to be the top person in here, instead of finding a better meaning in life and helping a friend realize a dream.  A dream to be tag team champions.”

Taking another drag from his cigarette Ryan walks towards the bathroom and flicks it into the toilet, before returning back to the counter and grabbing his flask.

“Granted Gabriel, that dream won’t happen as long as I am in SCW, wrestling in the tag team division and blocking you all the way to the top.  I’m going to be a thorn in your side Gabe.  I’m going to be the one person that stops you at every turn and prevents you from getting everything you want in Sin City.”

Taking a long sip from the flask Ryan smiles as it slides down his throat.

“Now moving on to Despayre.  The young kid trapped inside an old mans body.  You are teaming up with somebody that cares more about himself then making sure he keeps his promises to his friend.  No wonder Casey has a problem with him.  However, I’m trying to figure out what his beef with you is.  I’m trying to figure out why Casey is stooping so low to want to pick a fight with a simple minded fellow like Despayre.  I mean, picking on Gabriel and beating his ass is understandable.  The guy is a Chris Angel rip off that thinks just because he can do ‘magic’ we actually care.”

Ryan sits down again on the counter top and grabs another cigarette from his pack resting on the counter and places it between his lips as he starts spinning his Zippo around in his hand.

“So I am sitting here asking myself what Casey could have against Desparye when I actually saw why he wants to pick a fight with these two guys.  Because unfortunately the two best talented members of the tag division are the team of Sinful Obsession.”

Lighting the cigarette he placed between his lips he takes a deep drag from it before continuing to talk.

“Watching the two of them wrestle at the first Climax Control was nothing short of amazing.  A great duo no doubt, however not great enough.  Bring everything that you have, because Casey and I aren’t going to be a easy pushover like Team Viagra was.  Apparently they didn’t take their little blue pill when you guys faced them, or when the Surf Boys faced them.”

Drinking from the flask once again, Ryan looks down at it and you can tell that the wrestler is deep in thought as he takes another drag off the cigarette.

“Since Gabriel is considering it as well, and since Mr. Ward and Mr. Underwood booked all the males in the gauntlet for the Heavyweight Championship later that evening, I might as well mention my interest in that as well.  So moving on from Sinful Obsession we got the Canadian Bruce Evans.  The guy that looks like a joke, and is from a country that is just as much of a joke as he is.  Then there is Virgil.  The wrestler that has lost two tag team matches in as many shows, need I say more? I think not.”

Ryan stands up and leans against the counter as he takes another drag off the cigarette, a small laugh escaping from between his lips, as the smoke pushes forth from his lungs.

“Moving on we got the hillbilly Wyatt Peterson.  I’ve got a tag team victory over him already.  I wouldn’t mind getting a chance to help eliminate the big oaf.  Then there is the disrespectful Kid Karma.  I’m just hoping you haven’t been eliminated by the time I get into the ring cause I want to beat the cocky out of you and toss you over the top rope myself.  Then we have Blade Alexander and DJ Williams.  A second generation wrestler and a former footballer from the Canadian league.  Blade, one of the few talented wrestlers that Mark and Christian brought into SCW, but sadly one of the cockiest arrogant assholes I’ve ever seen.  As far as DJ, I just hope you get over this interested and thought that you can be a wrestler and just go back to playing football.”

Ryan starts walking around the apartment again stopping at the window looking out it as he flicks the cigarette out the window.

“JT Underwood, unlike Blade, I actually listen to what you said.  I get that you aren’t related to anybody in the front office.  But doesn’t change the fact that you still are going into the biggest match of your life, and I am not referring to your tag match.  I mean the Gauntlet match.  You are going to be facing some of the most talented wrestlers that this business has ever seen.  Luckily though, you are also one of those few.  “Maoi, I honestly don’t know where to start with you, so I just want to wish you the best of luck.  You and everybody else is going to need it.  I don’t care if I walk away with the championship.  I just want to prove to all the doubters that I am still one of the talented wrestlers that steps in the ring and not just some alcoholic has been.

Reaching back into his inside jacket pocket, Ryan pulls out a pair of Bollé Lexington gunmetal and grey sunglasses and slips them onto his face, covering his dark eyes.

“This is a notice for all on SCW’s roster.  Come High Stakes, we are going to get to see what everybody is truly made of.  We are going to see which ones are what they say they are, and which ones are just blowing smoke.  So bring everything you can and leave it all out on the line in the gauntlet.  I know I’m going to prove myself.  I’m not going to be the bar owner that drinks and wallows in his misery anymore.  I came from money.  I have made a shit load of money.  It is time I started living like it.”

Walking over to the counter Ryan grabs the flask, his cigarettes, the keys to his car and his cell phone and smiles as he walks out of the apartment and the scene fades out.