What a rush! Back in front of an SCW crowd. It's been a while due to all that NWA stuff Despayre and I have been involved in, bouncing all over country, then getting back on the SCW tour was always gonna be tough, but we chose to go for the NWA titles, it's now down to us to keep the pace up and not let the people down who put us in the position we're in now. Thankfully SCW has given us a lighter schedule to work to, enough to keep us in NWA, but not enough to burn the hell out of us, we thank them because we put everything in to our work. You will no find a slacking piece of work from us.
It's a rush though, being in front of an SCW crowd, a rush that's hard to be matched by anything in life. The fans love to see us, we love to see them, we're proud of what we do.
Sunday night - right after SCW Climax Control two weeks ago.
The crowd were hot as hell as Despayre, Thatcher Rex and I over came the force of Giani Di Luca, James Huntington-Hawkes and the returning Casey Williams. We all worked hard for this one to win a battle in the raging war between Team SCW and Team Erik Staggs. For those of you not familiar, and hiding from SCW, here's what happened. Erik Staggs decided to make a power move, moving behind Mark Ward and Christian Underwood's backs, getting superstars on his side. Team SCW was formed, and for whatever reasons, superstars picked sides, I chose Team SCW because I appreciate all that got done for me. Others, like Thatcher was dragged in to this war, because attacks from the other side when rejecting their offer. Everyone has their own reasons, mine are down to loyalty. Loyalty because SCW put me in a position to go after the bigger prizes, long before Erik Staggs was hired. Tonight, Sinful Obsession and Thatcher Rex fired a huge shot towards Team Erik with the message "you'll never take us alive." Overused? Maybe but the philosophy is the same - we will not bow down and piss on the people who have given us a chance, we will NEVER be that ungrateful, and being out in front of the SCW crowd, shows me I picked the right side.
Sitting in the dressing room, after the match. I take a towel, wiping the sweat off my head, my heart rate returning to normal as I watch Despayre run around the dressing room, lifting the NWA Tag Team title above his head. I look towards the door, as it partly opens, and Synn walks in to the room. Despayre stops in his tracks as Synn walks in to the room. I look to my right to see Angel perched on the arm of the chair and quickly cast my eye back to Synn. A slight smile crosses his face.
"Well don't you look like the cat who got the cream?" I comment towards Synn.
Despayre snaps his head towards me.
"He's not a cat." Despayre says "I think you need to get your eyes tested Gabriel. He doesn't even have a tail."
I sit back in my seat, looking up at the much bigger Synn.
"So what, or who has tickled your fancy?" I ask.
"Just a rumor that you will be defending your titles against shortly." Synn tells me.
I fire a quick thumbs up towards Synn.
"Lovely" I reply "Any details?"
"Not yet." Synn say casually "All in good time."
"Any idea where?" I ask
"New York I believe." Synn replies.
"Isn't that where King Kong lives?" Despayre chimes in.
I smile at Despayre with a nod.
"It's ok, Angel will protect us." Despayre says with a his thumb up.
Odette Ryder walks in to the room, looking at me. I quickly spring to my feet.
"Hey baby." I say, wrapping my arms around Odette ""Fancy a trip to New York?"
Odette looks at me, with an arched eyebrow....
So a lot of time has passed since then and now, but I couldn't let this one go without mentioning what a great time it was to be on SCW TV again. This whole touring thing for NWA, people doesn't see how much time it takes you away from your home fed. That show I mentioned was back on the seventh. I was around on the show on the fourteenth and know I get to be at Hostile Takeover, days before I show up to defend the tag titles, but I do miss proper SCW matches. Not taking anything away from the NWA, but the teams are a little lax at times. The challenge doesn't seem like it's in the teams, but in the actual travel, fitting things in and still keeping a relatively simple normal home life. I'm lucky in terms that I travel with my family in the Seven Deadly Sins, and my amazing future missus, Odette Ryder. It's still tough, but it has it's advantages.
New York - Stepping in to unfamiliar territories.
"It's beautiful." Odette says as she moves her body closer to mine.
We stand in Central Park, looking around at the scene before us. People walk through, bundled up on this chilly day. The bite in the air grips hold of my cheeks as Odette moves her body in closer to mine, my arm around her shoulder.
"I've never been here before." Odette tells me.
"Me neither baby." I tell Odette. "It's nice to be able to be here with you, first time together."
Odette turns to face me, her arms on my shoulder.
"We've been to worst places lately." She says with a tilt of her head.
"Are we just gonna stand here all day?" Synn's voice behind us, huffs.
I turn around to look at Synn.
Should back up here to tell you why we're having a romantic moment and Synn is lurking behind us. A while ago, Odette and I played a little trick on Jordan Williams. Jordan was drooling over Odette, so we set him up, by making it look like Odette and I were in a bit of a breakdown, allowing Jordan to make his move, only for us to make him look stupid at the end of it. We played it so well, no one knew at all. This upset people close to us, knowing that we lied to them all, none more than my little brother, Despayre. To prove our trust, and that Odette and I are meant to be, we had to be willing to show it. Despy gave us some rules. One was chaperoned dates, with a chaperone of his choice, today, his choice is Synn. Now Synn understands why Odette and I did what we did, but to please his flesh and blood, he is here for Despayre. Odette and I got past the second rule, which was to host a build a bear party for orphans. Rule three, we covered without trying, rule four, we have to introduce Odette's parents to my family, that being the Seven Deadly Sins.... that one, I'm dreading, I was really hoping it wasn't gonna come up, but it did and to say I was pissed seeing that one, is an understatement, but cest la vie. Odette also has to fill in a girlfriend application.... I kid you not. We never did rule one, now we are and here's why Synn is here. Still with me? Good, good.
"Sure." I reply to Synn "Despy said you had to be here, he didn't say we had to do what you want."
Synn sighs, shaking his head towards me.
"Why couldn't he pick Shane?" Synn mumbles.
"Cheer up Synn" Odette says "We're going shopping soon."
Synn fires a look at me, but I smile back towards the clearly unhappy man.
"Your choice?" Synn asks.
"Oh yes." I reply "But if you go back to Despy and give us a good report, I'll let you out of it and Despy will never have to know."
"Nice try." Synn says "Lies got you here in the first place."
"Got you here." I reply with a wink.
"That too." Synn says "See how your games effected us all?"
I nod solemnly
"Yep." I reply "Who would have thought it would be this much fun afterwards?"
Synn looks at me, his eyes burning a hole through me. I smile at Synn, but Synn reaches in to his pocket, pulling out a note and handing it to me.
"What's this?" I ask
"Joshua told me to give this to you." Synn says with a smile.
I look at Odette curiously and unfold the paper, looking at the words written across it. I look up at Odette.
"No smooching in front of children." I read out loud "There might not be a sick bucket handy, signed Despayre and Angel."
I look back at Synn, who smiles at me.
"You're enjoying this, aren't ya?" I say with a shake of my head.
"Oh yes." Synn replies to me with a smile and slightly bowed head.
"Oh good." I reply "Cause you're going to enjoy what I have lined up."
Synn looks at me with a raised eyebrow....
Horse drawn carriages are synonymous around New York, more so in Central Park. It has been the scene setting for many movies in romantic scenes.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Synn's voice says over the sounds of the crowds around him.
Odette looks excited as she stares at a horse drawn carriage, wrapping both her arms around mine.
"This is a mistake." Synn informs me.
"Why?" I ask.
"Cause Odette will probably want to take the horses home." Synn replies.
Odette looks at Synn with a shake of her head, but quickly fires her eyes at me.
"Can we?" She asks.
I kiss Odette on her head
"Let's talk about this one a little later." I reply as I point to the carriage.
The carriage has two seats either side, allowing four people to fit in and face each other. I put my hand out to Odette, helping her in to the horse drawn carriage. Odette sits down and Synn jumps up, sitting on the opposite side to Odette and puts his hand down to me. I grab Synn's arm and pull myself up, sitting next to Odette.
"Just imagine I'm not here." Synn says as the horse starts to trot.
"No." I reply "Cause less clothes and all..."
Odette punches me in the arm.
"Baby!" She says a little surprised.
Odette puts her head on my shoulder as I wrap my arm around her, looking in her eyes, moving closer, my lips pursed towards hers. Synn clears his throat, taking my attention.
"Ahem..." Synn says out loud.
"Yeah, yeah, Despy rule." I say over the sound of hooves on solid floor. "Thought you wasn't meant to be here."
Synn smiles.
"Ok, you're not here." I say "Take some pics for Despy or something, I need to talk to Odette."
Synn places out his hands, an indication to get on with it. Odette looks at me curiously.
Ok Gabriel, are you ready for this? Because this is a big move. This is one of the biggest things you've done, so be calm and ready. Time to reveal this secret, bare my soul and hope I don't get slated for this one.
I take Odette's hand in mine, as the young Aussie looks at me curiously.
"Ok..." I start, taking a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot lately. Ever since I saw you, I knew that there was no one else I wanted to be with. I looked at your smile, your eyes, heard you say hello, and I had feelings I've never felt before."
Synn looks across at me curiously.
"My feelings for you, are way above anything I've felt for anyone before, way beyond what I through I could feel. I know you've had hell in the past and I know that you wasn't looking for a thing when we met, but I knew the second we met, there was no one else I ever wanted to be with. Now Synn here has known me for years, and I know he can confirm that relationships wasn't for me, and you changed that. You made me see life in a new light to the point where I want to know everything about you, I want to spend every day making you smile, because it hurts me when you're sad. I want you to know everything about me, even the things I have hid so well for years from The Sins, from the people close to me."
Odette grips my hand tighter, while Synn continues to listen intently
"There's part of my life you don't know, and the thing is, I want you to know these things, I want you to know everything about me, I want you as close to me as I can get because when I'm with you, I'm happy, when I'm not, I'm thinking of you all the time, so it's time to bring you in to the places of me you haven't seen before."
"Baby." Odette says, the slight hint of concern in her Australian accent. "What are you trying to say?"
I sigh deeply
"I'm trying to say I want you to meet my family, my related by blood family."
Synn's face turns to shock, as does Odette's face.
"Wait." Synn says firmly "You have a family? In the years I've known you, you have NEVER mentioned a family."
Synn looks very surprised.
"Yes Synn." I start "I do have a family and I would love Odette to meet them as a sign of my commitment to her."
I turn to Odette
"I've never spoke about them, because I didn't need them, I needed you, I needed The Sins." I start "But a lot of recent events have opened my eyes. I want everyone closer, I want you to meet them, hell, I want The Sins to meet them."
"I'm shocked baby." Odette says "I would love to… it would be… it would mean everything to me to meet your family. I want to know everything about you to Gabriel, like everything… where you used to live, how you grew up, what it was like. I’ve just never asked because I assumed it was taboo."
Odette leans towards me about to kiss me, but looks at Synn.
"After that." Synn starts "If you don't kiss him, I will."
I shake my head at Synn, but Odette showers me with kisses, kissing me all over my face. She takes my hands in her and plants a firm kiss on my lips. Odette pulls away, looking in my eyes and smiling as the scene switches to later in the day....
Inside the Jimmy Choo boutique, in Manhattan, New York. Synn and I sit, looking at the changing room door.
"I thought you was joking about shoe shopping?" Synn huffs "Who goes on a date to a shoe store?"
"Who said dates had to be conventional?" I retort.
Synn puts his hands out, unable to come up with a response.
"So family, Gabriel?" Synn says
I nod slowly
"Yes." I start "Like Odette, you didn't ask, I didn't really wanna talk about them. I'm not overly close to them, I miss my grandmother, but the rest of them used to be a horrible bunch."
"Yet you're willing to put Odette in front of them?" Synn says
"Odette and I are one Synn. If they don't accept us, they can go back to being out of my life." I reply casually. "It will be their loss if they don't accept us in to their lives. I've found the love of my life and that's not gonna change."
Synn puts his hand on my shoulder with a nod.
"So when do we get to meet them?" Synn asks.
"When Shane and Fantasia stop humping in public bathrooms." I reply with a smile.
Synn laughs loudly.
"That could take a while." He comments
Odette appears out of the changing room, looking at me, with a smile.
"What do you think?" She says pointing at her feet.
I look down at Odette's feet, seeing a pair of light green, Suede Platform heels with Swarovski Crystal detailing. I look at Odette with a smile.
She loves Swarovski Crystal. First thing I ever gave to her was Swarovski Crystal. If you look around the house, they're everywhere.
"Beautiful sweetheart." I tell her.
"I think I might get them." She says "I love them."
"So we'll get them." I say with a smile.
Odette blows a kiss at me, turning around and looking at other items located nearby.
"You have this boyfriend thing down well today." Synn tells me, in a hushed whisper.
"I just love that smile, it's addictive." I tell Synn.
Odette's face changes as she turns back to Synn and I.
"What if they don't like me?" Odette says.
"The shoes?" Synn says quietly.
"No." Odette replies "Gabriel's family."
I stand up, walking towards Odette, putting my arms around her.
"They're gonna love you as much as I do." I say quickly. "If they don't, fuck them, us against the world."
Odette hugs me tightly.
"Now let's get those shoes, and I'll go sign that contract and being as Synn's shift is ending soon, maybe me and you can spend some time together." I whisper in her ear.
Odette buries her head in to my shoulder.
"Ok?" I ask.
"Ok" she repeats.
The scene fades out as Odette and I hug.
New York is a beautiful city, it's actually gonna be fun to wrestle here. BACW contract signed and it's time to focus. Synn has long gone, happy to be away from his chaperone duties, no doubt exploring the light and wondrous sights with Despayre, and hopefully giving Odette and I a glowing report.
Sitting in a penthouse, overlooking Manhattan, the famous skyline in my new to my right. I sit and stare at a television screen, my eyes darting around the side screen, watching the promo put before me, from our opponents, Los Locos. I shake my head slowly at what I see, slightly confused at the site of a random match, instead of promoting what could be the biggest match in their careers.
Does showing a random match actually count towards promoting a current match? With BACW only running like a show a month, it's not like we could appear on their shows to build it up, and they haven't bothered to come to SCW and promote anything, so is showing a match really the way to get fans interested? No, just takes up time. Maybe I should just match them by splicing in a copy of my match from a couple of weeks ago. Not that it will add anything towards promoting things.
I stand up from the comfortable looking sofa that I'm sitting on, walking towards a balcony. As my hand reaches down, taking the handle, Odette's arms reach around me. I reach my arm back and place it on her shoulder, reaching my head down and kissing her on the forehead, her beautiful eyes staring up at me. I run my thumb down her cheek, kissing her once more on the head.
"You're gonna go out there and do the whole promo thing, right?" She says to me, her Australian accent cutting through the air.
I nod as I pick her off her feet. Odette wraps her legs around me. My hands move down her body, while she wraps her arms around my neck, kissing my cheek as she pulls herself closer to me. She moves her lips closer to my ears and whispers.
"Don't be long baby." She says softly "I have something for you."
Odette pulls her head away from my ears and kisses me passionately on the lips. Her hands move towards behind my head as she pulls away, looking at me in the eyes.
"How about we skip the promo stuff, and go right to what you have for me?" I say with a wink.
Odette shakes her head as she bites her lip. She moves her hands down to my chest.
"Go do what you have to baby and I'll be waiting." Odette says, her voice oozing sexiness.
I put her down and run my fingers through her hair, looking at her.
"I'll be quick." I say.
I move down and kiss Odette on the cheek and turn away, putting my hand on the door handle and sliding it open. I step out in to the cool, Manhattan air. The slight breeze catches my hair, blowing it backwards as I move towards the rail of the balcony. I lean down, placing my elbows on the rail, looking in to the night sky.
"Hello NWA, time to do something that my opponents have failed to do and actually promote the match they're in. Clearly, they're pretty damn lazy to not do any work on us, but still. Bad Ass Championship Wrestling, thank you for inviting Despayre and I in to your domain. We've worked for PRA, we've gone to Canada for ACW, and it's a pleasure to be stepping in to your ring and ticking off another territory. Always said to Synn if we can defend in each, than we'll call our run as NWA Tag Team Champions, a great success, two already down, and BACW to get the hat trick, so thank you for laying another team in front of us."
I look around the skyline.
"Coming from Vegas, this is a very different environment, but having done a few of these matches around the NWA, going on all three SCW tours, I'm pretty used to adapting to everything around me, including random opponents thrown in my direction. I do this for the challenge I think, the thrill of hitting other federations and proving no matter what, I can be the best. I take opponents seriously, I took our ACW opponents seriously, and somehow, we looked like a joke. Some guy with nothing to do with the NWA tag division turns up and talks shit, like he's a big name player and it makes us look stupid. At the time, I won't lie, it got to me, it made me wonder what the point is, but I'm all about taking the bad, and turning it to my advantage. Looking back on that match, watching how piss poor we looked, when we wasn't, it made me want to step up and prove that we have more to give. We didn't get lucky at all, we should have looked better, but all that means now is BACW get to see us push things more. Will we ever work for ACW again after that shambles? Well, yeah, cause we plan on keeping these belts long enough to get back there again. That ACW match has put us in a much better position to lift our game for our next match, our match against you Los Locos."
I look thoughtfully at the floor below the balcony, cars and people moving around.
"Hello Los Locos, as you two clearly haven't done any kind of research at what you're up against, maybe I should introduce you to some things, open your eyes a little. My name is Gabriel, I am one half of Sinful Obsession, a very successful team, multi time champion, and the man making a big time name for himself in this alliance. I'm also one half of the team that's gonna kick your arse in your home fed."
A confident look crosses my face as I look up.
"Yeah, you heard me right, half of the team that's gonna kick your arse. Let me ask you a serious question. Did you really think showing us how a wrestler gets ready for a match, really gonna help you promote a match for the future? Come on geniuses, it's not difficult to sit there and work out that we're already wrestlers, we know how these things work. Do you think the fans care how it works? NO, because fans are not stupid these days, fans KNOW how the wrestling business works. They know the terms and everything. All you've given us for your first little promo is dead air. Dead air would have been more informative if I'm honest. I pretty much learned that no one actually knows who El Locon actually is."
I shrug my shoulders
"You're on a card, and a student promoting the event gives you a flyer, cause he doesn't know who you are? That's absolutely priceless, it proves that you are actually a nobody. People don't know who you are and don't care about you. You're main eventing for Christ's sake! You're the one people are meant to pay to see, and they don't even know who you are! That is really priceless. Almost as bad as your fellow workers not liking you. The fans don't know who you are, your fellow workers don't like you or care about you, not got a whole lot going for you at the moment. I'm gonna add another disappointment for ya, because the NWA tag titles will not be staying here in New York. They will be heading back to Las Vegas with us. You sit and claim you're giving a show publicity by working for free.... hello, no one know who you are Locon, your name gets mentioned and people ask who you are."
I flick the hair out of my face as the wind blows it across my forehead.
"To make matters worse, you had to get your daddy to bail you out of getting a title belt to your face? You're meant to be a wrestler! You're meant to be able to defend yourself, but you need to turn to daddy. You're not doing a great job of making yourself look good here, making yourself look like a nobody who can not defend themselves in a ring, out of a ring, hell, even at a five year olds kids party. Tell me, does daddy tuck you in at night too?"
A smirk crosses my face.
"This is a strong point of my game Locon, and a weak point of yours, it's called focus, talking about your opponents, making people interested in seeing a fight, all you've done is made yourself look like a bitch. Your whole promo man, I'll be honest, it stunk, I mean seriously stunk, one of the worst I've seen in a long time. You're meant to try and make yourself look good, instead, you sit there an edit the bits in of people slamming a champ of a promotion. Yeah, the guy might be a dick, but as you're meant to be the experienced head here, you should guide, instead of making your fellow workers look like arseholes. End of the day, you give the ok for the final cut of your work, no one else, you. You allowed a federations champion to look stupid. That could effect business of a smaller place that needed the money, you sir, could have set them on a downward slide. Great job you did there."
I put my thumbs up, with a sarcastic roll of my eyes.
"And all this boring crap turns out to be a way to end up in the ring with your protector, your daddy. Tell me, was you proud of that promo? If I put out that level of crap, I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror again. Do you and your deluded father seriously think that joke of a match is gonna get you ready to face Despayre and I? How stupid are you two. You freaking idiots didn't even mention our names, and expect that is gonna be good enough to get people interested in a match against us. All this is gonna cost you. No one is gonna be interested in you, no one is gonna get behind you, people will once again be cheering on Sinful Obsession. If there's one thing I can not stand, it's uncreative crap like that promo you put out. In the last ten minutes, I have restored peoples interest in this match because you are piss poor at it. You couldn't create a buzz with a buzzer. I sincerely hope your partner has a lot more to offer than you Locon, cause you got a long way to fall big fella."
I put my thumb folded on my lip, thoughts rushing though my mind.
"Now to the slightly silent partner."
I look up and smile in to the camera.
"Angel The Malignant. I have no doubt words will fall from your mouth over the coming week, you don't seem to be a silent one, but I am a busy man. I came to New York to wrap this one up, sign the contract, that is now done and dusted. I have to get back tomorrow morning to go get back on the SCW tour, so I've had to record this probably days before it will air, so you'll have to forgive me if I don't scrutinize each and every detail of whatever promo you tend to air, but I hope it's not as poor as your partners. At least mention our names and tell people you're in a fight with us. At least let people know we're gonna be in the same ring. Oh, and feel free to nudge your partner and remind him he has a match against us. Must be embarrassing for you to have a partner who seems to have the mind of an airhead."
I shake my head disappointingly.
"I'm curious to see what you can come up with Angel because right now, that embarrassing display that your partner found air worthy, has put you at a disadvantage. Any fan that was interested in seeing you in the ring, has turned their backs after that work, they've turned their backs on you because of him. They've shook their heads at that embarrassment, and you are now tarred with the same brush. I really hope you have something better lined up, for no other reason, but to stop your partner turning this in to a farce."
I turn around, catching Odette standing and smiling at me, out of the corner of my eye. I turn back to face the camera.
"Be under no illusions, the title belts will be coming back to Vegas, with Despayre and I."
A smile crosses my face.
"Believe that!"
I turn to walk back inside the penthouse. I take Odette in my arms as I move near, as the scene fades out
