Blast from the past tournament round two…yours truly, Connor Murphy, is going to have to face a friendly while beating on someone that I know I will enjoy slapping around like the little b*tch I think Steve Ramone is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not too happy having to face Alexis across the ring but Alexis really isn’t my problem in that match, Steve is.
Which means that this is going to be fun…
Scene: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa Ontario, Tuesday March 15th
Connor slouched in his seat at the Canadian Tire Centre as he waited for his friend to climb down the stairs towards the seats. Devlin Lefebvre moved gingerly down the stairs balancing a small cardboard box holding a pair of red boxes that were admitting a slightly meaty scent of gravy and fries. On either end of the box, two open cans of beer sloshed and wobbles with each bouncing step he takes.
Devlin Lefebvre: Thanks for all the help there Con. What happened to you?
Connor looks up at his friend and offers him a cocky half smile and waves his phone at his friend. The screen was blanked out and just made Devlin quirk an eyebrow.
Connor Murphy: I had to take a call.
Devlin sits down and holds out one can of beer in Connor’s direction. Taking it, Connor leans forward to set it on the concrete then straightens back up to take the box of poutine from Devlin. Inhaling deeply, Connor takes the small plastic fork and stabs at a few fries swimming in gravy that has melted the cheese curd over the fries. Sliding it into his mouth, his eyes close in delight at the taste of the concoction. His small orgasmic moan of pleasure is barely heard over the general hubbub of the fans as they are settling in for the warm up.
Connor Murphy: Now THAT’s what I’m talking about!
Devlin laughs as he digs into his own box of poutine.
Devlin Lefebvre: Don’t they have poutine in the states? I am sure that if you went to Vix’s she could fix you up with some.
Connor barely acknowledges the comment as he shovels the hot food into his mouth. Finally coming up for air, he shakes his head slowly.
Connor Murphy: Right now ain’t a good time at the Staggs house for me. I got Tim thinking that I abandoned the team because we lost the titles and Vix is well, she’s torn between the fact that she has Spike and Tim and Alexis and me all in the tournament and it could be a real rumble if we got together. Listen I know that I ain’t gonna put myself in the position of making her pissed that I hurt her hubby or her stepson or Lex for that matter.
Devlin Lefebvre: I don’t think she would get mad if you hurt Lex. From what I heard, that girl is nothing but bad news. If you look at her twitter, the little wretch needs to understand that there are people that care what happens to her and there are people that don’t care at all. Vix says she trained her and that the girl is angry. And you know Vixen, trying to mother someone is in her blood so she’s not happy that Alexis acts the way she does. Hell, Vix says Alexis is just like she was before the army and Vix wants to help her in the biggest way. If you ask me, I don’t know if Vix will be able to if Alexis doesn’t want it.
Connor can only look at his friend as he takes a long pull on the king can of beer.
Connor Murphy: Holy hell Dev, when did you get philosophical? Besides, Lex is of the opinion that nobody cares about her and that she doesn’t need anyone. Least of all her partner in the Blast from the Past Tournament. And you know what, I have to agree with her that she doesn’t need Steve Ramone pulling her down to the gutter like he does. Hell if you ask me, the only thing she could do is throw the match because she doesn’t like Steve. But that ain’t Lex’s style. She’s more balls to the wall.
Devlin Lefebvre: Then it is a good thing that you don’t have to worry about facing her.
Connor wipes at a tendril of melted cheese as he chokes slightly on his latest bite.
Connor Murphy: About that…
Devlin Lefebvre: You are facing her aren’t you?
Connor nods slowly as he brings his own can up to sip at the beer. Devlin can only laugh as Connor’s mouth drops in a bit of a sneer.
Connor Murphy: It ain’t funny Dev. Everyone’s talking about the Nobodies breaking up with all of us in the tournament and Tim being eliminated and me and Alexis across the ring from each other. Besides I know the girl is ready to go all the way and trust me, I ain’t going down without a fight either. Truth be told, I only have to worry about beating Steve Ramone in the match, I can’t lay this…
Connor wiggles his fingers on his right hand as he holds the fork up.
Connor Murphy: Any of the bombshells so I am going to have to worry about Melanie beating Lex. Me, I got Stevie beaten already.
Connor again starts to eat his poutine, the last few bites colder and staler as he grimaces then slides the fork into the remaining poutine and closes up the lid. Tucking it under his seat, he straightens up once more and takes another long sip of the beer. Beside him, Devlin gives him a look of surprise.
Devlin Lefebvre: How have you beaten Steve?
Connor Murphy: Knowing that bag of hot air, he’s already talked about how great he is and how the Nobodies are nothing and how great he is…
Devlin Lefebvre: You already said that…
Connor Murphy: I know I did but listening to Stevie, he keeps repeating it over and over again. Kinda like a nervous tic or some kind of motivational speech to add to his Stewart Smalley mentality. You know the kind…”I am that darn good and dang it, people like me” speech that those lacking the testicular ego boost that most naturally confident men have.
The pair is interrupted by the start of the Senators entrance into the arena. For the next few minutes, all talk is impossible as the starting lineup is announced and the anthems are sung. As the Wild and the Senators line up for the opening faceoff, Connor and Devlin begin their conversation right from the spot they were interrupted.
Devlin Lefebvre: Are you telling me that Ramone has no balls?
Connor Murphy: You said it, not me. But if you want to know the truth, all I can think when I listen to him talk is about he thinks he is all that but really isn’t. Granted he is the Roulette champion but if you seriously ask me, that was more than a fluke. Someone must have shoved a horseshoe up his arse. Because if I was in that match, the outcome would have been a helluva lot different.
Devlin Lefebvre: Yeah but you weren’t and you aren’t able to say that you would have won.
Connor Murphy: Fine, thank you captain obvious. So I wasn’t in the roulette title match and I don’t know IF I would have beaten him in that match. But I do know one thing…come Climax Control, I will be beating him in the tournament and getting one step closer to the finals. And when I do, I am going to fight tooth and nail to win this blasted thing and then take what I have wanted all along.
Devlin leans closer to Connor as he is shushed from behind by two fans who proceed to begin to yell “GO SENS GO!!!”
Devlin Lefebvre: And what have you wanted all along? Like I don’t know.
Connor Murphy: It ain’t the title if you are thinking that. I want to be somebody that makes people worry when they face me. Like Steve should be this week.
The fans begin to get rowdy as the referees make a bad call. Connor sits forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he begins to fall under the spell of the game. Devlin can see that he has lost his friend’s attention so he brings the can of beer to his lips as the referee blows the whistle to end the play. The pair lean forward as the play comes down ice, Connor joining in with the rest of the screaming fans in condemning the referees for their bad calls.
Scene: MacDonald Cartier Airport, Ottawa Ontario, Friday March 18th
A rather laidback Connor Murphy stands outside the lobby of the airport as his friend waves goodbye before pulling away in a rather beat up truck. Moving into the airport, Connor shoulders the beat up duffle bag and moves towards security. Taking the few minutes to walk through and be approached by a CBSA officer, Connor jokes his way through security and then down into the airport proper to the gate where his flight would be leaving from. As he does, he reaches into a pocket to pull out a cell phone before looking around him and finding a quiet seat.
Sitting on the plastic seat, he takes his duffle and sets it on the seat beside him before beginning to talk into the small screen and camera.
Connor Murphy: Okay, listen I saw the card for Sunday’s CC and let me tell you that I wasn’t really impressed with the fact that I have to face my teammate in Alexis. Seriously that girl got skills but then again, I don’t have to worry about that. My partner Melanie Gabrielle will have to and I am fine with that. Considering that she was challenging for the title that Alexis held this past Sunday should tell you that she is one helluva a wrestler. So before I go any further, Lex, as much as I respect the hell out of you, I ain’t going to let my partner down and let you move on in the tournament.
Connor offers an apologetic look at the camera and then lets the slightest smirk cross his features.
Connor Murphy: Tell ya what. When I beat ya, I’ll buy ya a Shirley temple to make up for it. It will be bring your own booze though if you want to spike it up. I ain’t gonna break the law for ya…I’m too pretty to go to jail.
Connor laughs at that as does a person sitting nearby. Connor winks at her then goes back to talking into the smartphone.
Connor Murphy: So now that I got my apology to Lex over and done with, I have a couple of things that I want to say to Steve Ramone and someone very special.
Connor Murphy: Stevie, I don’t really care what you think or do in this match. I mean that you could try your darnedest to be the big man and win it for your team but we both know that when it comes to me, I am so unorthodox that as much as you think you know what is going on and have a good handle on me, I will come from left field with something so unexpected and painful to you that you won’t know what to do with me.
Noticing that he is beginning to draw a crowd, Connor sits straighter and holds the camera out more.
Connor Murphy: And if you ask me which I know you didn’t but I am going to say it anyways, this match up with you and me is going to end badly for you. Come to think of it, when I beat you I think that would give me a really big push to take your title. After all, this will be the main event and I remember correctly that management did say that Champions could face losing their titles in these matches. Maybe we can convince Christian or Hot Stuff to make this match a match for your title and if not, when I punch my ticket to the next round by punching you out, I think the way I beat you should prove to the higher ups that I maybe deserve a shot at your title.
Connor leans back in the seat he is in, slouching a little like a smoldering James Dean from the fifties as a smirk crosses his face.
Connor Murphy: Speaking of titles I have to address something that has been bothering me about our heavyweight champion. I don’t dispute he’s champ because I watched that gauntlet match and saw him pull it out in the end but the problem I have with that snot nosed baby champion who thinks he is god’s gift to the company and the heavyweight title is that he thinks that he is king shit of turd island because he quote unquote beat the entire roster to win the title.
Connor thumbs his nose and sniff in distain.
Connor Murphy: Listen Jimmy…you beat some of the roster to win that title. But there is no way in hell you beat the entire roster. See, there were wrestlers that didn’t choose to wrestle in that gauntlet and why do you think that is. Because at the time there were other things on their mind. Like defending their own titles.
Connor Murphy: That’s right Jimmy, I was the one that decided to stay out of the gauntlet because I wanted to keep my focus. And before you say it, yeah, I lost the titles that night but do you know what that did? It freed me up to focus on you and your title. And we both know the last time we faced each other, it wasn’t you that won the match. And one on one, you can’t beat me when I am focused directly on you. So Jimmy, whatever shall we do about that huh?
Connor scratches at his stubble covered chin with a smirk that lights up his eyes.
Connor Murphy: We have two options in my opinion. I can win this tournament and then take that win and grab my shot or…
Connor’s smile widens.
Connor Murphy: I can take you up on your foolish little boast about you being a fighting champion. So the choice is mine unless of course you decide that you don’t need to face someone who beat you before and will beat you again.
Over the speaker, the call to board his flight is heard by Connor. Getting to his feet, he shoulders the duffle bag again and turning to the gate begins to walk towards it still talking.
Connor Murphy: So tell me Jimmy, are you up for losing your title to a nobody? Because I am ready to come and get it.
Connor gets to the desk and hands over his boarding pass as he moves his finger over the phone to stop recording. Smiling at the gate tender, he moves past her and onto the skywalk to board the plane, disappearing into the plane.
