I have a little confession to make.
I hate flying. I admit it was never something that I confided in to either Mister Parker or Mister Ward, but it's just not an altogether pleasant experience for me. Oh don't get me wrong. I'm not afraid of flying, or have some fear of heights. If the flight is smooth, everything is fine on my end. But when we go through a storm or that turbulence hits and the plane starts shaking, that is when I start to get uncomfortable. It's why I prefer to drive everywhere when I am booked for matches. unfortunately, when I'm booked internationally, it's just not an option.
I imagine that if I were willing to spend the money and go first class like Mister Ward and a few of the others in SCW do, then the experience might be altogether different. Who knows? It might even be, dare I suggest it, pleasant? I may not be the biggest man on the roster but at over six feet and two hundred pounds, I'm also not the smallest person on the plane either. So when I find myself cramped between two other bodies, trying to focus on my book or if I'm lucky enough to have my portable DVD player, well either becomes difficult when you have someone breathing down your neck or (not to sound rude) with considerable body odor.
This flight had both.
I walked as fast as I could without trying to appear too obvious in wanting to disembark from the lovely United Airways, but that man who would not let me read in peace without jumping in every few minutes to try and chat me up about my match coming up in two promotions over an equal period of two weeks -- gah!
I walked into the seating area of the airport and almost sighed in relief. My trip throughout Europe has been nothing short of awe inspiring, but I had hoped I wouldn't be back in the air until I saw the tour through to the end. Now before I even had a chance to defend my Roulette Championship against a very worthy challenger in Primetime Matthew Kennedy, I get a call from Mister Parker. He informs he that I have a flight scheduled to bring me back to the States -- Cleveland, Ohio to be more specific -- for a special NWA sanctioned match.
As it turned out, I had cracked the NWA Top 15 rankings, and there was someone out there who wanted my spot. A man by the name of Jackson Blaze issued a challenge to me. I could have said no. I could have passed on the challenge so that he could go after someone else, but I guess a bit of Mister Parker's pride rubbed off on me because I found myself accepting and heading onto a plane.
Perhaps I should have turned it down as things played out. Primetime Matthew Kennedy is a worthy challenger to any title in Sin City Wrestling. He's dangerous enough in a regular match. When neither of us knows what's going to happen until the spin of the wheel, it makes it all the more difficult. I want to beat Jackson Blaze, but I have to beat Primetime.
I felt the familiar buzz in my jacket pocket and fished out my cell phone. Looking at the caller ID, I could only say aloud as I answered, "Speak of the devil, I was just thinking about you."
Mister Parker's voice on the other end answered in his twang of an accent, "Ah's not sure if ah should be flattered or scared, but ah's afraid ah have a bit of bad news for ya."
"What is it?" I asked, hating the times conversations like this would start. "Is it...?"
"No, it's not yer gramma. Your sister or ah would have found a way to contact you in the air if that's what it took. No, this is bad in the form it might piss ya off."
"What is it?"
"Ah'm gonna need you to turn around and hop on the next flight back to London."
I don't mind admitting, I stopped walking as I was approaching the Burger King in the airport and my carry on slipped from my hand.
"What?"
Mister Parker said, "Ah just got a call from the boss man over in ICW. Your match has been canceled. That Jackson Blaze fella can't make the match so they had no alternative but to take the bout offa the card."
"You're kidding."
"Ah wish ah was, Bo. I know you just had a, what, fourteen hour flight. But Mark and Christian got you off the next couple of days schedule of promo work so you could relax if you get back as soon as possible. Find the first flight, call them and let them know so they can get it changed over."
I sighed and had nothing else that I could say but, "Alright. I'll call you when I get back into London."
"Fly safe boy." Mister Parker said and the call ended. I shoved the phone back into my pocket and kept heading straight for the Burger king so I could at least get a bite to eat before I went through another fifteen plus hours of hell.
