”Dad, wake up! Wake up, you gotta see this!”The crisp, morning air in Vegas lightly wafts against the shutters outside of the bedroom window of Spike Staggs and his fiancé Misty. The sun just begins to peak through their curtains at this early hour. Misty slowly groans as she turns over to see Spike shoot up to a sitting position. He looks over to their bedroom door as the energetic thirteen year old Tim Staggs comes running through the open door. He covers his eyes at first, until seeing that they are decent.
Spike yawns and then looks over to his son with a sort of worry on his face, and ready to yell if it isn’t an emergency worthy of waking them before 7am on an “off day”. He wipes at his eyes as Tim stands at Spike’s side of the bed.
”Sorry to wake you up Misty, but dad’s gotta see this, like, now! Two things, actually. Do you want the good thing first, or the bad thing?”Spike thinks it over, still reeling from whatever dreamland had to offer him just mere seconds ago. He yawns again as he stretches his hands up to wipe at his eyes. Misty sits up as well when Tim fiddles around on his laptop.
”Why don’t you keep on surprising me, son?”He lets a faint smile appear on his face as he leans against the headboard of the bed, mostly to cover up a pair of handcuffs hanging down to block them from his son’s sight. However, he is too wrapped up in what he has to show Spike that he doesn’t notice them in the first place.
”Okay, well the good thing is, my friend Greg texted me a few minutes ago to tell me that the NWA rankings were posted, so I went and checked them out. You are number ten on the NWA World Heavyweight, and FUCKING number three on the NWA World TV Championship!””Hey, son, watch your… What the fuck did you just say? Really? Number three AND number ten for the Heavyweight? That’s… Really? I haven’t even debuted officially yet.”Tim sits down next to his dad, and he turns the laptop toward him the screen so he can see for himself. Misty snuggles up to Spike, looking over his shoulder at the screen as well.
”Yeah, you are the only SCW talent on any of the sublists, see? It’s awesome.”Spike scrolls through the list, seeing all of the names of the big guys in NeWA, and seeing his name on the list perks him up. Tim gives Spike a high five as he sits there, still a little stunned from the abrupt awakening, mixed with such news. Misty kisses his cheek, rubbing his shoulders as she whispers into his ear. Spike notices an open tab to the SCW site, and he clicks it open to see the Kain promo that he hasn’t had a chance to view. He immediately replays it, and Tim gasps.
”Well, that’s the bad news. You’re not gonna be so happy after this.”Spike watches on, soaking in every word with a smirk on his face. His mouth opens for a moment, but he doesn’t say a word for several seconds. He just chuckles. Misty steps out of the bed and walks to the dresser, gathering clothes for a shower as she disappears. Tim scoots closer, not to watch the video again, but to watch his father’s expression switch from serious to humorous in rapid succession.
”Aww, how cute. Is he trying to convince everyone else that he is so great, or is he trying to convince himself? This isn’t bad news at all. It just shows that he feels the need to receive validation from others instead of being truly confident in himself. Mansions and unknown training partners don’t scare me, and neither does that hideous beast he finds attractive enough to want to kiss.”Spike listens to more and more of the words spewing from Kain’s lips, and his finger hovers over the pause button.
”No, dad. Just listen a little longer. You’re not gonna believe it.”The mentioning of Casey Williams’ name comes up, and Spike simply yawns out of reflex. Not from the mentioning of Casey in particular, but the never ending monologue. Spike finds himself fidgeting with the blanket, wishing to himself that it were over already.
”Casey Williams… the poor kid. It is bad enough that the only person that takes him serious is himself. He doesn’t need this guy ripping him apart when that is his partner. Honestly, I feel bad for him after reading this. It makes me think that I am not taking my duties as an opponent serious enough. To tell Casey that he will defeat us all alone is a crock, and it shows that he underestimates me, and my team as a whole. He will be in for a rude awakening when he falls to my team, more specifically to me.” Spike Staggs. That’s a nice story you told to your little daughter…”This is the moment that Spike’s ears perk up just a bit. He turns to the screen with the slyest of smirks, gently stroking his chin. Tim might as well have popcorn in his hands with the interest he anticipates the reaction his father will give any moment. He hangs on each of Kain’s words as if he had memorized them for this very moment. As soon as the term “little boy” comes through the speakers, he practically has a heart attack when his father’s jaw clinches tightly.
”Motherfucker, please! Not to say that I doubt he is accomplished, where I have less accreditation in the wrestling world, but does he really think that insulting me, in the most lame manner possible, is going to have me rethinking what I said to him? Yes, it did, but not in the way he thinks. Hypocrite comes to mind now. Undeservedly arrogant also comes to mind.”Spike sets the computer down on the bed, ready to be done with it, until Eden’s name is brought up. Spike grabs the laptop and chucks it against the wall, causing it to shatter, falling in a rain of drywall, plastic, and silicon. Tim looks up in protest, but Spike has already risen from the bed in his grey fleece pajama bottoms decorated in black skull and crossbones.
”After I’m done showing that asshole just how typical the ass kicking I have in store for him really is, I will shove his lifeless corpse back into the worthless shrew’s flimsy vagina from whence he was shat from. That’s one broken shit head right there. Talk all the shit you want on me, but no body… NOBODY… mentions my family in a negative way and gets away with it.”As Spike storms out of the room, Tim looks at the remains of his computer and his eyes show the sense of urgency as he just sighs.
”But… my COMPUTER!!!”He walks over and falls to his knees, grabbing up the pieces, letting them slowly slip through his fingers as he watches on in disdain.
***************************************************
”The story of Cain and Abel has always struck me as interesting. A story about young men who is superior in every way, shape and form, is killed by his highly inferior and highly jealous brother. Is it not significant to note that everyone views Cain as a coward who only stands a chance of committing the first recorded murder in the history of mankind by striking his brother from behind with a rock? Nothing about Cain was remarkable other than the fact that he represents the first of the truly damned. His representation as evil is completely stricken by the fact that he had to commit the first evil in mankind while cowering.
“I mention this only to make the most obvious of points. A name says it all, even if you change a C to a K. You are a coward, and your moniker makes it very clear to me. See you in the ring on Sunday…”***************************************************
"Goooood Saturday morning to you, and welcome back to Mind Games radio show, your number one source for Sports Psychology talk. “Inside of the KFNS radio station in St. Louis, Missouri, host Tom Michler is seen sitting in the large radio booth, a pair of headphones on as his jovial voice breaks up the monotonous commercial representation surrounding the show. He pauses for the slightest of seconds to look over to his right where Spike Staggs is seen sitting down in another black leather office chair, and matching white headphones sporting the radio station’s logo on the earpiece. His face twists into a look of shock as his phone alerts him of a text. Spike is seen holding up his index finger with his phone in his left hand. He furiously types away at the touch screen and then slides it back into his pocket at lightening speed. He shares a quick laugh with the host before Tom resumes his introduction.
” If you are just joining us, we would like to welcome our guest today, Sin City Wrestling star and fellow St. Louisan, Spike Staggs. Welcome Spike.””Thanks for having me, Tom. It’s a real pleasure to be here today.”Spike and Tom Michler shake hands before Spike takes a sip from a nearby water bottle. He takes one more small swig before screwing the top back on. He settles down as Tom continues the introduction.
”Now, I’m a HUGE wrestling fan here, and being a fellow St. Louisan, I knew I had to get you on the show. Sports Psychology is the name of the game… Mind Games that is. Now, tell us. You call yourself a massive mind… umm.””… fuck? Yes, I have called myself such in the past, amongst other terms that I probably can’t say on the radio, but my fans know what I mean.”Spike shares another laugh with the host as he shrugs his shoulders.
”What can I say? I haven’t always been the nicest of guys in the ring, and I’m still not.””Well, that makes you a perfect candidate to discuss Sports Psychology, which is something that is very misunderstood, even scoffed at, by the general public. As an athlete, and a wrestler, that psychology plays a big part in your profession, does it not?””Yes it does, Tom. Outside of the ring, just as much as inside of the ring. Inside of the ring is all about overpowering your opponent, or opponents physically, as well as mentally. What a wrestler does outside of the ring always sets the tone for what will happen in that ring, in the same two aspects. I do my best to keep in shape, despite my absence from the ring. I never stopped training, so ring rust is non-existent here. I hit the gym daily, because if I didn’t, I would have gone crazy. I stayed sharp for the moment that I got to return to the ring.”Tom leans in energetically as he inspects Spike’s jet black hair gently. Spike eyes him with a bit of shock. Tom leans back in his seat, with a smirk on his face.
”You don’t look any different than the last time we had you on the show, except maybe a gray hair or two? Being a parent causes that, you know?”
*Chuckle* “I’m surprised I’m not as white as Frosty the Snowman by now with those two. I love them to death, and I thank God every day for them… And Just For Men…”
”You and me both, Spike! So, you say that you are in the same physical condition you were the last time you had stepped into the ring. From the naked eye, it would appear so. How about the most powerful muscle in the body?”
Spike pauses before another chuckle escapes his lips. He looks down to the crotch of his pants, then to Tom with a questioning raised eyebrow.
“Ask my fiancé, because that is the only way to get an honest opinion on that one.”
*Chuckle* “In your absence from the ring, it seems your brother has had some influence on your humor… I was referring to your mind. Have you kept the mental edge that you were always known for?”
”Most of my career, I wasn’t very sharp with the wits. I started off a hardcore wrestler who did anything I could to get a win. I didn’t strategize, because I didn’t know how to organize my thoughts. I was a real mess of a man. I had my fair share of other mental issues, as I’m sure you remember from my days in Global Championship Wrestling, and even in the beginning of Gen X Wrestling. Honestly, I got beat down a lot in the wrestling ring, and I went out there, willing to take a beating just so I could dish one out. It became an obsession, and what happened to me, happened. I held a very kamikaze attitude when it came to my career.”
”But, you went on to become GXW’s longest reigning World Champion before being taken out by…”
Spike slams his fist down on the table in front of them, almost knocking over his water bottle which isn’t entirely secured. He grabs it before it falls, and he completely removes the cap. Taking a quick swig, he then tightens the cap and sets it back down. As he swallows, he shakes a finger at Tom, a look of annoyance spread across his face.
”Don’t. I remember what happened, and anyone even remotely interested in this interview knows what happened. I let it be known in the ring, Mark commented on it a few times, that undeserved cocky asshole, Nick Jones has said it, I mentioned it again in my promo last week. I don’t want to bore people with repetition. I don’t care if people talk about it, because it happened. It honestly did, and I paid for placing my trust in the wrong people.”
”Is that because being reminded of it brings down your confidence level going into your big debut match in San Diego this coming Sunday at Climax Control?”
*Short pause* “No, Tom, that isn’t the reason. I could care less about what my competition thinks about that matter, because that was five years ago. If people want to misinterpret those events to mean I am weak, then that will be the biggest mistake of their lives. I still hold a bit of that kamikaze attitude, so I don’t want them to underestimate me. I want each and every one of them to come at me with all they’ve got, just so I can say that I beat them at one hundred and ten percent of their capabilities. I don’t want to hear that I beat them by chance. I don’t want to hear that their mother was in the hospital, so they were distracted. I don’t… want… to… hear… it! If they don’t want to heed my warning, then so be it. Don’t expect a sympathy card when you are sitting in a hospital bed, concussed, and broken down.”
Tom pushes his seat back, spinning around in a dramatic display before slapping his hands on the table top with his next go around. He points over to Spike, laughing.
”Yes, that confidence is not shaken one bit! You remind me of Nick Jones right there.”
After a pause, biting his tongue a bit, he ignores the last comment from the host. He folds his fingers in front of him for a moment as he speaks.
”No it has not, Tom. Not even a little. And to continue on with my point, I don’t want the incident brought up because it has been addressed plenty. Repetition in words just bothers me when it is overly done. When I watched Nick Jones’ promo, which is now available on SCW’s main site by the way, I felt like all he could bring up was my beginning in Generation X-Treme, for the one millionth time. Again, it’s alright. I understand that there is truth to what Nick said. HOWEVER… he failed to mention that I outshined his fairly impressive title reign on my first try. How convenient of him to forget that, right? Yeah, I thought so.”
Spike claps his hands together once, pointing at the host, clicking his jaw and winking to get his point across more forcibly. Once he is sure he has, he relaxes once more.
”Many of our fans voted for you to get this week’s spotlight. I suppose you have a lot of SCW fans in our audience, on a local and national level. Would you like to take a moment to address any of your opponents?”
”Actually, I was not done talking about Nick just yet. Once I am done, I will address each and every participant in the Six Man Tag Team Match, partners and all. It is very relevant to the topic at hand, I promise you.”
”Ohhhkay. This should be interesting. Sorry for interrupting.”
”Nick Jones wants to talk about how rough and how tough he is, week in and week out. That’s fine, it’s part of the business. But be a bit creative with it. Don’t bore your audience, captivate them with something out of the norm. Also, don’t manipulate the truth, Nick. Once I appeared in GXT, it was only a matter of time before you were shoved back, and made room for me at the top. Each member of GXT parted from the World Championship picture like it was the Red Sea, and it were the desert. Once I gained my reputation of being the mindfuck that I am, each of you knew you had better watch out for the new blood. Maybe it was a joke to you, but for six months solid, I held and defended that belt, longer than any man except the one who held it when the GXW closed down. The only thing that stopped me from having it to this day was the betrayal of a lifetime.”
”Not that I would like to admit it, but I deserved that, and more, for the awful things I’ve done in my career, and my life. To be honest, that was a nice way of getting paid back when I think of all the things I’ve done…”
Spike snaps back to reality, realizing he has stopped talking while in thought. Tom Michler looks over at him, waving his hand in front of Spike’s face to bring him back. Spike shakes it off, hoping it isn’t too late to go unnoticed by the audience listening in.
”I don’t find any reason to try hammering that fact into his thick skull, because he doesn’t, and will never get anything that doesn’t pertain to his fifteen minutes of fame. When the day comes where he faces JT Underwood, I will resume a seat in the audience, and I will enjoy watching him get put back in his rightful place at the bottom of the barrel, being the worthless suck he is.”
”Ouch, that’s a little harsh. It seems like you two will have a heated battle if you both get tagged in at the same time. Is Nick Jones your primary target going into this battle, Spike?”
”If you would have asked me last week when the card was booked, I would have said yes, without a shadow of a doubt, yes. He is simply a thorn stuck in my side right now. After the comments made by Kain, my anger totally eclipsed, switching to him.”
”Ah, yes. One of the big guys from AWA, also debuting this Sunday at Climax Control. Some of the things that he said reminded me of you, honestly. Do you feel he is an imitation Spike Staggs?”
”Now you are just trying to flatter me by saying I’m some big time wrestler, with people imitating me. Or, you are trying to flatter him by making him think that there is even a comparison. I have heard many things about Kain, and I had some respect for him when I heard his name being mentioned prior to his signing. I did see similarities between how I used to be, and how he is, when he attacked JC Bloodstone at December to Dismember. I had a respect for him, until my son came running into my room this morning, showing me his promo.”
Spike pauses for just the slightest of moments. His serious look deepens, and the darkness is seen flashing in his icy blue eyes. He clinches his jaw as he looks over to Tom. He clasps his hands in front of him, as he begins speaking once more.
”Tom, believe me when I say that I have said and done worse than he can dream of. His words… They struck me as…”
”Threatening?”
”… boring. They were uneducated. They were repetitive, just like Nick Jones. They were disrespectful to my family, which I will get to in a moment, by the way. His words made Nick Jones seem like the most humble of folks.”
*Chuckles* ”That is a tough feat to accomplish.”
“You know, I can put a camera in front of me, and I can showcase things that would blow your mind. I can spar with some unknown nobodies to make myself look good in front of that camera. I can go on a rant, making up a bunch of bullshit that sounds convincing to people who don’t know who I am.”
Spike leans in just a bit closer to the host, who slowly backs up inch by inch. Spike leans back in his seat now, and crosses his fingers behind his head, taking the hint.
“I really could if I wanted to. But the fact of the matter is, you have no idea who you are facing until you have faced them before. For all I know, Kain could make good on his promises to break me in half, but what he fails to realize is that I could do the same to him. He claims to have done his research, but he must have missed about ninety-nine percent of my career if he thinks that a few harsh words will have me running for the hills. I don’t give a shit what you say to those cameras. I don’t care what you do to those sparring partners of yours, because when they fade out into the blackness, and the camera stops rolling, you have to face the reality that you will be in that ring with me. Who cares about those jokes that are backing you up? Who cares about those that are backing ME up. The fact of the matter is that you are in my crosshairs, you dirty, slimy sonuvabitch. I’m gunning for you now.”
”Oohhh, hostile. If you aren’t intimidated, then why are you showing such aggression when addressing Kain?”
”For the simple fact that he brought my family into this. He brought my daughter into this. My son is a thirteen year old version of me, so he just laughed it off the way I did up until Eden was mentioned. This doesn’t just apply to Kain. This applies to any motherfucker who finds it at all necessary to bring a three and a half year old girl into this, my son, or my fiancé into our dispute. You are dead. I will come after you, whether it be at Climax Control in San Diego, or the Waffle House down the street from your house in the year 2020, or when you are lying on your death bed. Anyone who mentions my daughter with the slightest of negative connotations, you’re done for.”
Spike’s forehead sports the tiniest trickle of sweat that glistens as it falls down to his brow. His short, shallow breaths are interrupted by one massive, deeply calming breath. He returns to a normal position as the host prepares to comment, but is cut off once more.
”Kain gave me that drive that I was afraid I had lost when he said those things, so I should thank him for that. But, I won’t. The only mercy I will show him is the hospital he visits when he leaves the Aztec Aquaplex on a stretcher. . He disgusts me beyond any fathomable measure. He makes me want to do things in that ring that I swore I would never do again. I hope that is the reaction he wanted, because I am happy to oblige him with it.”
”And what about Casey Williams?”
”What about him? Am I worried or afraid of him? To put it simply, no I am not. He has no direction in this business. Not many people listen to a word he says, because no one has any regard for him. It’s sad, but it also helps to bring him down from seven feet to two feet in my eyes. His height and his build can’t make up for his lack of focus. My brother defeated him and a big name in Blade Alexander at December 2 Dismember, for fucks sake! He had star power on his side, much like he does this week. But people are still looking at other people because he is uninteresting. He is a big monster with anger issues. The roster is filled with those guys. Now, if this were the year 2000, maybe I would be a little put off by his size, but I have slain guys his size and bigger; not to mention smarter. He needs some solid influences to help hone his skills, but until then, I don’t care two shits about what he claims he can do in that ring. Sorry, but your own team laughs at you. What more can I say? I’m sorry you were butt hurt when I said that you weren’t ready for a Main Event, but it’s the truth.”
Spike pauses for another drink to finish off his water bottle. An assistant places another one in front of him before disappearing once more. Spike nods his head in thankful acknowledgement. He shrugs his shoulders as he looks over to Tom.
”Very interesting. What makes you ready for a Main Event when you are just now debuting?”
”Honestly, I have been in SCW since the beginning. I have been a part of every show, and I have been one that has been drawing in the crowds. I do things, and I produce results. Wrestling is only a part of what makes a Main Event so successful. A piledriver is more epic when it is being delivered to someone who pisses the crowd off. Your gimmick and your own build up makes your skill that much more undeniable. Besides, most of the men in this match, myself included, have been Main Eventing for a while now. Others have not done so. I don’t mean to say that strictly about Casey. Wyatt Peterson is another one who hasn’t earned his spot in such a match. Those two are the weak links for the teams.”
”Many people are saying that Jordan ‘PS’ Williams could also qualify as a ‘weak link’ in this bout, seeing as he has been out of the action for a very long time. How do you feel about that?”
Spike thinks it over for a moment, trying to think of a way to counter that statement. He waivers his hand, making the point that there is some validity to the statement, but not much.
”Yehhh, no. I wouldn’t say that he is a weak link. He has been training non stop since his departure from the wrestling world. He is an instructor of the art. That has to hold some sort of weight.”
”In some ways. They hold the knowledge, but that doesn’t mean that they hold the ability to carry it out.”
”That is true. I don’t know if I can count on him as my in-ring partner on Sunday, but I can count on him as a friend who will be there to help me sharpen my skills further. We will see, come Sunday, won’t we, Tom?”
”Yes we will. Well, folks. We are out of time. I thank you for joining us, Spike, and good luck in San Diego this week.”
”Thanks for having me, and thank you for tuning in to MIND GAMES!”
Tom joins in at the end, as they say it in unison. Spike waits for just a moment, and then he removes his headphones from his ears, and lays them down on the table. He picks up his water bottle and shakes hands with the host of the show before parting ways.
