[Ace Baldwin]

 

“Son, they told me once that it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog, you’ve got size and you’ve got fight. God help the dog you step into the ring with…”

-Mean Machine, owner of Mean Machine School of Wrestling, Las Vegas, Nevada

The cool breeze of a Las Vegas night, with the last dying breath of a warmer winter’s day pushed across the roof tops of the towering Casino’s on the Vegas strip. Lights flashed the city that never slept lay before us, indeed not dosing off this time of night as the sun disappeared behind the desert’s surface. The wind bounced off of the buildings and along the rooftops, it traveled all the way to a man that stood, on the top of a large resort or hotel building with his arms crossed.

He had on three piece suit, he didn’t really look ready for a wrestling match, but the three piece suit made him look like a man of importance. His eyes were focused on the lights before him, the neon flashed on and off on his face, the reflection could be noted in his unblinking eyes as he ran a tongue over his lips to wet them from the wind, his blazing blue tie which stuck out like a sore thumb against the crisp whiteness of his dress shirt and grayness of his jacket. His brown hair was short and neat, spiked up in spot places. A small, crooked smile at his lips as he turned his head to reveal just half to the viewer, it was Ace Baldwin, the newcomer to SCW.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
Last week I told the SCW and I told the world, I shouted it from the damn near rooftops that I was going to best Lucien Faustus. I told everyone that would listen, every ear I came across in the back that I was going to do what I do best and that is go into the ring and take care of business like I do night in and night out. It doesn’t matter if I’m in a backyard in Texas or Madison Square Garden, you’re going to get the same performance out of Ace Baldwin every night, and Lucien didn’t listen, he didn’t listen and I embarrassed him, I ripped him a new one verbally and then went out into the ring and showed him up, and now where is Lucien Faustus? Do you see him? Do you see him on the card anymore; do you see him poking his ugly, pale face around anymore? Maybe he went to the tanning bed, maybe he saw sunlight for the first time and melted, regardless I put Lucien out of action, I beat him clean and solidly right in the center of the SCW ring, and I didn’t flinch while doing it. I told everyone I was going to head to head with this so called, “monster” and I was going to dare him to hurt me, dare him to beat me. I did, and here I stand alone on top of this casino as an undefeated man in the SCW.

He let his arms extend out and lay out over the city that lay before him as his smile brightened as he thought about his win as he stepped up to the ledge, his jacket blew back in the wind, but he stood strong, perched like a statue on the ledge.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
So there is nowhere in the world where I belong, or that I deserve to be than looking over this city of lights, the city that never sleeps, Sin City, what happens here stays here. I’m destined to be here, destined for greatness here, and it all started with Lucien. I visited this company when I was being mishandled and having contract negotiations and problems with the GIW, the SCW made me feel welcome, they didn’t break their neck to try to sign me, I approached them, but from my visit I could tell one thing, I was destined to be the face of this company, to be the best wrestler in this company, and I am one win closer to prove it, you see Lucien was just the beginning, just a step.

He rubbed his clean shaven chin as he propped one leg up on the barrier in front of him while he stood on the lower one on the ledge. He nodded solemnly as he looked over the landscape, like a King overlooking his kingdom.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
A step on a road paved with gold, a red carpet laid out straight to the top, you see with me there is no fork in the road, and there is neither rough way nor easy way, there is only one: That is to win, win every single match I’m placed in, and spoiler alert, that’s going to happen. I don’t care if it’s a mixed tag match, a handicap match, a singles match, a cage match, a ladder match…None of that matters. Most ask if I’m such a big deal, why am I not already in the main event? Why am I not already up the rankings, why am I not on every show, on every banner, on every billboard from here to Las Vegas, it’s because I like to prove people wrong. I was trained with an old school mentality, I want to work my way from the bottom, from the cellar, dwelling and beating creeps like Lucien. Putting these wrestlers in their place, leaving no questions unanswered as I climb my way to the top.

He turned on his heel in his dress shoes and walked across the crunchy top on the roof, his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he spoke, the breeze lightly blowing again as he walked.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
It isn’t a notion of me being noble in the sense that I don’t want to just come in and take everyone’s spot, if you think that, or think anyone to be like that in this cutthroat industry then you are naïve, I just have the wherewithal to understand this business, and understand that if you want to take someone’s spot, then you leave no questions unanswered. So when I make my climb, and as I make my climb, nobody will ask if Ace Baldwin can get the job done, nobody will ask if Ace Baldwin can win the big one, they’ll know because of the wake of wrestlers I have defeated.

He walked to the other side, the darker side, away from the strip. It wasn’t like he was going from the city to complete darkness on the other side of the city, there was obviously more to Vegas than the strip, but this side wasn’t as lit up, wasn’t as flashy, it was more normal, compared to Vegas at least. He opened his arms toward it.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
They say when you fight monsters; you have to be weary not to become a monster yourself. They say if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. You see since the day I stepped into a wrestling ring, I’ve walked into the so called “abyss” with two middle fingers in the air. I’ve stared monsters in the face and slapped the taste from their mouths, because that’s the type of guy I am, why should I back down? Why should I back up, why should I be the one against the ropes? The one retreating on his heels? That isn’t me.  You see, I’m not just fighting monsters…I am a monster, in that ring, between those ropes. I’m a scary human being, and the fans love it, because what is not to love? I come in that ring like a house-a-fire, time to wreck shop, like gang-busters. The fact is not any wrestler in the SCW can handle it, or match my intensity I bring to the ring. You see I don’t have to worry about staring into the abyss, I don’t want to worry about turning into a monster, I am the monster, I am the abyss.

His jacket was blown open by another soft breeze that crossed over the top of the tall building with the strip of Las Vegas at his back. He looked down at himself.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
I know I don’t fit the personality of a “monster” I’m not 6’6” and weight over 300 pounds. I don’t come to the ring in a mask or flowing robes, nor do I claim to be from Hell or parts unknown or whatever the hell these people claim they are from. I don’t have to have a scary look, but when someone looks across the ring at me, when they lock eyes with me, that is when they see the monster within, that is when they are staring into the abyss, that is when they know they stand no chance because I’m going to eat them alive in that wrestling ring…Just like my next opponent will figure out…Goth…I’m not scared of anything.

He smirked and opened the door to the rooftop that led down a spiral staircase and seemed to lead to the bottom of the building he stood on, he walked as he talked.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
It’s sad really that all that has been offered up to me so far is two guys who’s IQ adds up to about six, but like I said earlier, I’ll take what I can get and I’ll not complain about it, because it’s win’s like these that make a man, it’s wins like these that people can look back on and say I really started at the bottom, grubbing on whatever bottom feeders are down here with me, and low and behold it looks like I’ve caught the biggest sucker at the bottom of the pond with this Goth fellow.

He buttoned the bottom button on his jacket on the suit he had on as he walked down a couple of flights of stairs and pressed the button as he spoke as the elevator gave a fancy noise to let Ace know the elevator was moving floors. Ace admired his reflection for a moment before the doors opened and he stepped in.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
You see, I’m only responsible for what I say, and not what you can understand, Goth or what your tiny pea-sized brain can comprehend. When I talk, people listen and so should you. I told Lucien to not even bother showing up, I told him to not step into my ring, that I would embarrass him to the point of no return and he wouldn’t show his face in the SCW again, do you see him on the card, Goth? Do you see him levitating out to the ring and eating the heads off of bats or whatever the hell his gimmick was? No. I think you may be smarter than him, I think you may have headed the warning and I think you’ll be smart enough to not show your face anywhere near my wrestling ring on Climax Control, if you don’t believe what I’m saying, this match is over before it begins. Just look at me, and look at you…

He gazed at himself in the mirror in the elevator as he popped the jacket of his suit and smirked his ever sardonic smirk at himself.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
What do you think of when you think of an Ace? You may think of a playing card, and you get excited when you have that card, no matter what the name. The term Ace in the hole, when you “Ace” a test, something you’ve probably never done in your poor, pathetic life, Goth. You can serve an “Ace” against an opponent, meaning you served a ball, whether it be volleyball, tennis, badminton or hell, even ping pong, I’m guessing you have played none of those because by watching your tapes you’re about as athletic as a slug, maybe that’s what you should change your name to. An “Ace” always means a “good” thing, that’s the first thing that pops into somebody’s head when they think of my name. What do they think of when “Goth” crosses their mind?

He pondered this for a moment as he stepped out of the elevator and pushed his hands into his pockets as he casually walked from the hotel and down the street, as he headed toward an unknown location.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
Probably think of suicidal wrist slitters, at least to the casual, ignorant mind. I’m not going to poke fun at that brand of “Goth” you may see in high school. I’m not even going to poke fun at the long, weird leather robes or gowns or whatever you wear to the ring are. I could sputter lines from Wikipedia telling you what the definition and where the name “Goth” got started, but it’s like watching an actual Goth promo, ain’t nobody got time for that. Your name is negative, the connotation of your name are those wrist slitting, emotional, chain smoking, dark clothes wearing senseless douche-bags who think if they don’t conform to what is going on around them in society then they are “different” but what makes them different makes them the same. I’m going to tell you what words come to mind when I think of “Goth”, it sounds something like, terrible wrestler, and going to lose come Climax Control.

He smirked as he walked up, finally around a corner, just off the strip to a small building that seemed to be smashed in-between two other buildings. The building had an old sign out front that read “Mean Machine School of Wrestling” on it that swung from the rusty hinges, the gym looked old, musty from the outside, but the inside was spotless and housed three different wrestling rings. Ace turned.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
Because you see, this city was meant to be mine. It’s a destiny for me to be in control and on top. I got my first career win, just right down the road in a National Guard gymnasium. I got my acting start just down the street at a small casino that was housing a high school play that went on the road, and last but not least, I got my wrestling start, trained, noticed, right here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just minutes away from where Goth and I will lock horns on Climax Control…I remember it like it was yesterday.

He crossed his arms, and he pictured a young Ace as he walked up the street...Time seem to lapse.

Flashback to years prior where a young Ace Baldwin walked down the streets of Las Vegas, his hands were thrust into the pocket of his jeans as he walked. He was in town for an act, a musical act he had taken on the road with his theater group from Hollywood, just a couple of young adults trying to make it in the big time in Vegas, and they were quite good, but Ace had other intentions while he was in Vegas, to visit the famed Mean Machine School of Wrestling, where legends like Jack Michaels, Venom and “Dynamic” Derek Daniels trained.

The baby faced Ace looked and peered around each corner in the big city, he walked down the backstreets, only a piece of paper in his hands that shook with anticipation. He had his duffle bag tossed around his shoulder.  He was nervous. He had wrestled locally, sure, but never on this level. He didn’t expect the legends to even be there. Hell, they probably had events to go to, wrestling posters to sign. All James Baldwin wanted though was a try out. He didn’t ask for nothing else, but because of his round, boyish face and childlike features, no wrestling school would take him seriously, and since he was down in Vegas for a few shoes at a small, obscure theatre off the strip, he figured in his down time he would try.

He finally found the place, a small building in another block of buildings with big glass windows out front, a cheap made sign above the one door entrance, but the wrestling inside wasn’t cheap that was for damn sure. The MMSW had produced wrestlers like Dutch Clark, Derek Daniels, Venom, Jack Michaels and countless others. James had followed them religiously; he saw their work and had used it in his own matches at backyard events. He was a sight to be seen, the “pretty boy” who showed up at these back yard events to be battered and maimed all for a win.

He took a deep breath and placed a hand on the door and pressed forward and was stunned. It must have been lunch, several smaller than normal wrestling rings sat in the rather large building, with a gym off to the side with dumbbells and punching bags. Nobody was using the building at the moment but an older man with a mustache and a younger man that sat next to him, Jack Michaels and Derek Daniels. They both turned to look at the baby faced boy who walked in. Derek nodded to him, he stood around 6’4” and Jack Michaels, the older man stood at around 6’3”. Derek wore a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
What can I help you with, kid?

Ace looked, gulped and dropped his bag.

-James Baldwin:-
I’m…I’m looking for a tryout for this school of wrestling, nothing more. Just a try out.

Derek looked over to Jack who shrugged and then chuckled and shook his head.

-“The Blast” Jack Michaels:-
Have at it, he’s like 13. I’m going to the back to make some calls.

Jack Michaels walked off, James was flat out distraught. His heart pounded against his rib cage, they couldn’t turn him down like so many others had before? Derek walked over, he was just barely taller than James by a couple of inches. He snorted.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
Trust me kid, you don’t want to mess that face up in the ring, stick to your day job, selling papers or whatever, this ring…It isn’t for the faint at heart.

He patted the kid on the shoulder and walked away, James narrowed his eyebrows, a flash of the Ace Baldwin we see today began to protrude from the naïve boy who walked into the wrestling school’s walls. James proudly puffed his chest out.

-James Baldwin:-
Just give me a shot, man. I’ve watched you before, you’re good. I want to learn. I want to be the best. I’ve never wanted something so bad in my entire life. I’m an actor, a poor one at that. I’m never going to make it in the big times, just give me a shot, which is all I’m asking.

Derek turned and looked to him, he raised an eyebrow curiously.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
An actor? And you want to try and get into this wrestling school? Kid we only produce the best, world champion material, if you aren’t that. You don’t get a shot. You just don’t have it, you’re  a kid. A kid with a dream, and sorry, this isn’t “make a wish”. I can’t grant your dreams. You’re welcome to hang around and look, but we can’t accept you.

He turned to go get some coffee from the kitchen but James balled up his fingers into a fist and lowered his head, he looked back up.

-James Baldwin:-
You have no idea what I can do in that ring….

He pointed to it as Derek slowly turned on his heel. He looked to the ring and then to Baldwin who stood there, determined. Maybe Jack missed something on the kid, maybe he could go. Derek turned and crossed his arms.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
Really? What’s your name kid?

James perked up now.

-James Baldwin:-
James…James Baldwin.

Derek smirked, he looked down at his watch, and then back to Jack who had made his way back out into the ring area but was filing paperwork silently at a bench.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
Well, Baldwin. You want a shot? Tell you what. You do a match with me with a five minute time limit, I’ll give you half a years tuition free. You lose? You walk out that door and find a wrestling school that will accept you…Deal?

James thought his heart was definitely going to come flying defiantly out of his rib case, but he slowly nodded as a cold chill hit his stomach. This was his shot, his one opportunity. He had to make the most of it and give Derek Daniels the match of his life….James nodded curtly.

-James Baldwin:-
If I don’t hang with you for five minutes, I don’t deserve to be in the Mean Machine School of Wrestling. Let me get my gear on.

James grabbed a pair of old, goodwill trunks, handmade boots and an old LA Lakers shirt and went and changed into it quickly as Derek climbed into the ring and looked to Jack who produced a stopwatch and made his way to ringside, although he didn’t see anything in the kid, it would be interesting to see how Derek would handle him as well. Ace rolled into the ring and tugged on the ropes and tested them. The ring was sturdy and especially harder than the make-shift backyard wrestling ring he was used to. He looked across the ring to the first ever Undisputed Champion in EWE history and gnashed his teeth…..

Derek growled and circled James like a caged animal and rushed at James who was quicker than he looked and nailed a long arm drag on Derek, Derek rushed again, another arm drag. James was the quicker to his feet this time and leapt into the air and drop kicked Derek in the shoulder sending him bouncing over the top rope and to the floor. Derek slapped the apron angrily as James peered down at him. A sound of clapping could be heard over the scene as Jack Michaels stood at the entrance to his office, a curt smile crossed his lips as he clapped. He walked up to Derek and placed a hand on his shoulder.

-“The Blast” Jack Michaels:-
What happened, Derek? I thought this kid was a rookie.

Ace had his fist clenched, ready to fight for his life, ready to earn his spot in the school that had put out so many quality wrestlers, he breathed hard and deep, even through the limited action just because his adrenaline coursed through his very veins. Derek looked up, slightly amazed at the young gun.

-“Dynamic” Derek Daniels:-
This kid isn’t a rookie, he’s an ace…

Jack smirked up to James in the ring and nodded.

-“The Blast” Jack Michaels:-
Well, I’m sure we have a place for this Ace in our school…What do you say?

Derek looked up and flashed a smirk and nodded.

…………………………….

Ace turned around from the building, as if he just got done telling a story as he smirked, the lights bounced off of his face again.

-“Amazing” Ace Baldwin:-
The difference between you and I, Goth. I’m powered by this city, energized by it and I am more fired up in my career than I have ever been before, and this should scare the living hell out of you, because you aren’t going to ‘pick me from your teeth’, I’m going to wipe your blood and whatever you leave behind on the apron as I walk out of the ring from whipping your ass from pillar to post, then, and only then will you understand, will you comprehend what it is like to be this good, what it is like to be this great and what it takes to be…This Amazing, something you, my friend…Will never have.

He turned his back on the Mean Machine School of Wrestling and walked away.