Nothing but Time

In 2004, I sat on the sidelines as my greatest rival, CHBK was the last man standing in the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal. He’d go on and steal the show with Steve Griffin before beating beaten soundly in the main event of Rise to Greatness. He was handed the SCW World Championship after that, and the real feud between he and I would begin the following month. I hated sitting on the sidelines, watching a man who mocked me in JWF win the right to face the World Champion on the biggest stage of them all.

 In 2005, I watched as the Real Speed stole the number one contenders’ spot for Rise to Greatness. He provided us then with camping trips and promos filled with foul language, all before succumbing to a man I’d beat a few months later in Xander Valentine. Speed injured Xander, but in the end, he made a mockery of the Rise to Greatness main event. Watching that piece of shit headline a major event, when he was all talk and nothing more, left a bitter taste in my mouth.

 Not nearly as bitter as the taste I had when I watched Adam Riddick of all people throw Greg Cherry over the top rope in 2006. Adam would go on and headline Rise to Greatness, becoming one of the biggest jokes in the history of the SCW main event scene, right there next to Jay Gold. I was competing in the Revolution tandem with James Toreno while someone who could never lace up my fucking boots in Adam Riddick competed for the richest prize in our sport. Watching him fail, just as I knew he would, brought a smile to my face, but not enough to make me forget how sick it fucking made me.

 Damian Angel was another so called man who made me sick. He won captured the Flame then used his title shot to face CHBK. What a fucking joke! We had to watch Jason Zero face Xander Valentine for the umpteenth time in a main event no one gave a shit about. It could have been one hell of a match had Damian had his priorities straight, but no. He wanted to face the old gimp, a man who has had the Devil’s number in every encounter since. Just as I have, proving that I had what it took then to claim the Rise to Greatness main event spot as my own.

 Same as in 2008, when the Silver Lining of SCW, Matt Hodges outlasted everyone and earned the right to face Brian Kinney for the SCW World title. It pissed me off that I lost, but in the end, I was okay with it, as Hodges ruined Jay Gold’s attempt at having a successful Rise to Greatness, ending his title hopes and dreams. I respected Hodges after that, because fuck Jay Gold and the horse he thinks he rode in on. I didn’t participate in the battle royal for 2009 or 2010. I was okay with James Exeter winning in ’09, because I felt the kid grew during our war the previous war over the SCW Championship. In 2010, I was Champion at the event, but unfortunately, I didn’t make it to Rise to Greatness as champ, thanks to Glacier getting involved and Justin Davis sucking a lot more than normal. Losing the strap to Thorn left an empty pit in my stomach as I would have loved nothing more than to face Greg Cherry and embarrass him at Rise to Greatness, letting him know that no matter how many times he had beaten me in the past, all I would have needed was once, to educate him in the fact that I would always be more than he was.

 In 2011, Shawn Winters won, but I wasn’t there to win. I just wanted to fuck with Dillusion. I wanted to make sure he never received his Rise to Greatness main event, because he wasn’t worthy of it. I wanted him to feel failure once again and he did. I was more than fine with that. In 2012, I watched as Jason Zero came out of nowhere and won the damn thing. I was rather elated actually, because someone from the old guard managed to rise up from the ashes of the history we built, yet like Adam Riddick and the Real Speed, he made a mockery of his title shot. He pissed away every single fucking thing, but that was one of Zero’s biggest faults. He always felt he was a lot better than what he truly was. Same could be said of the 2013 Taking Hold of the Flame winner, Shilo Valiant.

 I didn’t fare as well as I had hoped that year. Shilo was the last man standing, taking out none other than my former rival Hurse in the process. Shilo is a good talent. I said the one time he and I were involved in a match together, but at the end of the day, all he was, was a title mark. If he didn’t have all of the championships to his resume then he wouldn’t be anything else. None of his matches were ever truly buzzworthy. No one really wrote home about them. If they did, it was more about his opponents than him, because he was just known for wearing face paint and shouting messages of Necrophilia and entertainment.

 I was once again on the sidelines in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Kelcey Wallace was a bore with her typical ‘perfection’ horse shit and she never made good on her stance, at the big event, losing to Syren. Rayvn Taylor proved that she, despite how I feel about her partner, had all of the talent in the world to win the top title on the biggest stage and she did, until Kelcey robbed her of that with her Trios Contract. In 2016, I smiled like a proud dad, just as I did with Hodges and Exeter years prior, when my top protégé, James Evans won Taking Hold of the Flame and soundly defeated Ace Marshall for the SCW World Championship at Rise to Greatness.

 I made my return last year, but I wasn’t truly looking to win. At the end of the day, I didn’t want Syren to win. It could have been myself or anyone else, other than Syren. I got the most eliminations and stopped her from headlining the biggest event of the SCW calendar year, so I was good with that. But that was last year. A lot has changed since then.

 You see, I know what it is like to be in this match. I have been in it quite often. I have been in there with friends, just as I will be this year. In 2006, I was shared the ring with James Toreno as part of Revolution. This year, I will share the ring with Regan and Sienna. In both cases, things are the same as it will be about the individual, not the team. That is how it is in these types of matches. I know this. I am not bothered by it. So, knowing that why have I placed myself in the match to begin with? Especially, when it could cause another ripple in my team? The answer is simple really. I entered because I like to keep myself interested in this business. I like to make sure that the sport aspect of it keeps alive and well. Plus, I like keeping the wrestling world tilted a little bit. I can’t have everything being so even kilt. Right now, everything is basic and everything is normal. I’d love nothing more than to shake things up a bit, but of course, the shake-up would be in my favor and mine alone.

 I have thoughts….many, many thoughts brewing in my mind. So many scenarios with various outcomes have been playing out before me like a 3-D movie, each of them bringing me sheer joy and immense amounts of pleasure. Why am I thinking the way I am thinking all of a sudden? Especially after all of these years, when I have been perceived as one way, when I have only wanted to be perceived one way…The answer to that is simple, too.

 When I look at things this day and age, wrestling isn’t as exciting as it used to be. So much of it is by the numbers, things we have seen before, on more than one occasion. I have always prided myself on being something different and if someone has done it before, I do it but I do it ten times better. I have always evolved at the right time, becoming what I needed to be in order to make a statement in this industry. And I have always done that. I have always succeeded. Looking at things nowadays, especially in terms of my career, I just feel the sudden need to evolve, to change things up, for the betterment of me. It has nothing to do with Past, Present, and Future, but with myself. These little changes have been coming out little by little in the last few weeks, especially leading up to my matches with Thirteen and Cunt Frost. Even the time I have been in the ring with Regan or in the office with she and David, talking business, as the world has seen.

 These changes, this evolution keeps me fresh, in my mind, as I could care less about the so called SCW Universe or most people in the locker room. I am sure that I have gone above and beyond to make that abundantly clear. Just like whatever statement I am plotting in my mind to make, it will be seen and heard in the clearest way possible. People won’t believe what they are seeing, and the sounds filtering throughout the wrestling industry, namely the SCW will be deafening.

 And it won’t be the most popular decision, but as everyone should know, I am not here to be popular. I am here to do my thing and my thing is being the best, no matter what it is that I do. If I cheat, I want to be the best. If I am a champion, I want to be the best. If I cripple someone, I want to be the best at that. And this Sunday, if I am the last man standing at the end of Taking Hold of the Flame, then I want to be the best there, just as I will go on and show that I am the best in the main event of Rise to Greatness.

_____________________________________ 

May 18th, 2018

Bringing the truck to a stop, I look over at my sleeping wife. The drive with Rachel has been a fairly quiet one, as she is still not the happiest camper when it comes to me. I know that I’ve brought it upon myself, as I have reminded myself many times before, especially throughout this drive. That is why I brought her here, to a cabin I have in the Rocky Mountains. I have come here several times in my life to get away from all the bullshit going on in the world. Now, I am here to tell my wife the truth.

I reach over and shake her gently. Rachel snaps her head toward me, looking at me like she wants to rip my arm completely off before beating me black and blue with it. I know that I wouldn’t put it past her. I have seen her violent side, in both good and bad ways. I’ve enjoyed them, but I have also been on the wrong end of her wrath. It is not something that I would enjoy going through again. Last time it happened, I ended up being found near death in a fucking dumpster.

I crack a grin, “I’ve seen that look before. It is the look that shrivels me testes.”

Rachel glares, “Husband is found dead in a cabin in the Rockies, due to keeping things from his wife. Now,” Rachel speaks, sitting up in the seat, keeping her eyes locked in on me, “Are ya still feeling cute?”

I shoot back, “I’m always cute, babe and you know this. That’s why you married me in the first place. My looks are a big part of my charm.”

Rachel turns her head, staring straight ahead, still glaring, still fuming, “Ya need to go ahead and tell me every fuckin’ thing that is goin’ on before we get out of this truck. No sense in getting’ settled if I want to end up killin’ ya.”

I grin before realizing just how serious she is. I let out a sigh, “Fine. I will tell you,” I say, drawing in a deep breath and quickly exhaling, “You know, this whole situation with that fucktard Davis?” I turn, looking at her as Rachel nods her head, still not making eye contact, “Well, some of the shit he is saying…it is the actual truth,” I say, almost feeling instant relief as the words exit my mouth.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rachel turn to me, looking upset and appalled, but very curious, “Which part?”

“I didn’t take his woman. She came after me, talking about old feelings coming back. That was some time ago…I’m talking years back…”

Rachel cuts me off, “Get to the fuckin’ point, Josh! Which part was the truth?”

Looking down and closing my eyes, I can see my bastard child, my accident, my mistake, resting in his hospital bed. The image makes me want to run back to the hospital and put a pillow over his face, just to end the misery we are both in. I open my eyes, letting out another sigh, “The woman got pregnant. For so long Justin claimed the boy to his son, but the mother knew differently. She knew the truth, but never said anything…until recently…”

“Are ya the fuckin’ father, Josh?!?! Is that what yer tellin’ me?” Rachel asks, demanding an answer. I say nothing, feeling like a goddamn coward. She slams her fist into the dash, repeating her question.

“Yes! Yes! That is what I am telling you! I am the father of a goddamn bastard that I never knew about or would have ever wanted!” I shout. We look at each other in a state of disbelief, before I look away and climb out of the truck. I begin pacing back and forth until I find myself bumping into Rachel. She stands there, with her arms crossed, “Don’t look at me like that, Rachel. I have a lot of shit going on right now and I can’t deal with that.”

“I don’t give a fuck about what ya can’t deal with! This shit is fuckin’ insane, Josh! Do ya know that? Do ya get that? Yer in a mess and since I’m yer wife, I am in this mess with ya!”

I reply, as calmly as I possibly can, “I am taking care of it, Rachel. There is no mess. I am in the process of cleaning it up.”

“And how are ya doin’ that? Lyin’ to me hasn’t worked out for the best as I am sure ya know by now,” my wife states, pure fire in her voice.

Another sigh exits my lungs, “I know lying to you has obviously not been the best choice, but at the time, I didn’t think I had any other options. The night the bitch laid that shit on me, I lost it and things didn’t end well.”

Rachel stares at me, slightly confused, “What do ya mean? What happened?”

The memories begin to flood my brain. The yelling and the screaming between Amber and I. Hands going around a throat. The kid trying to intervene before I see him falling down the stairs, hitting his head on the floor below.

I reply, trying to mask any worry in my words, “The kid is in the hospital. He’s in a coma…”

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Josh!”

I nod, “I know, I know. And the mother, this Amber bitch…she’s in a mental health facility in New York. I had her committed after all of this happened.”

Looking down and kicking a rock, Rachel asks, “Did she knock the kid down the stairs?” Silence grows in between us as I say nothing. Not knowing what to say. Afraid of the words that could come out of my mouth due to the possibility of losing my wife, but she doesn’t let the silence linger for long, “Did she knock the kid down the fuckin’ stairs, Josh?” Still nothing, “Answer me!”

Finally, the words explode, “No goddamnit! I did it! I knocked him down the stairs. The little bastard jumped on my back because Amber and I were fighting after she attacked me. He wanted to help his mother. I got lost in the moment, not knowing what was going on. I just…” I say, lifting my hands, “I just…fuck…I don’t know…I just reacted.”

“Oh my God!” Rachel exclaims, pressing her face into her hands and shaking her head from side to side, “What have you done?”

I take a few steps closer, trying to reach out and touch her, going to rub Rachel’s arms in an effort to calm her but she jerks away, “Rachel, I said that I am taking care of it. I have told the cops and the doctors that Amber attacked me and ended up knocking the boy down, causing him to hit his head. And she hasn’t done herself any fucking favors with her behavior. She makes herself seem crazier and crazier by the goddamn minute,” I say, feeling myself growing agitated the longer the conversation continues.

Rachel finally looks at me, slowly nodding, “Alright. I am yer wife and I am supposed to support ya…this is too fuckin’ much to process, Josh. How did ya get yerself into this mess?”

I throw my arms up in surrender, “I have had a problem with keeping my dick in my pants in the past. I can’t help that shit comes back to haunt me sometimes. I fuck up. We all do, but I really need you to be on my side with this. As long as that cunt keeps going crazy and her son stays in a coma, or if he doesn’t remember shit when he wakes up then we will be good.”

Rachel pauses for a few moments, before finally speaking, “And what if he wakes up…and he does remember shit?”

I sigh and nod, “Then, I will have to take care of it the only way that I know how.”

“And what way is that?” Rachel asks and I can sense the uncertainty in her voice.

I bite my bottom lip and shake my head, “Just know that I have my ways. I can take care of things if need be.”

Rachel takes a step forward, “No, ya tell me what ya mean.”

“Fine,” I say, grinding my teeth together, “I’ve never told you this but I guess since I am coming clean about things, I might as well come clean about this, too. Do you remember when your uncle was killed in prison?”

I watch as Rachel’s eyes grow wide, “What…what are ya sayin’?”

Looking into my wife’s say, I boldly state, “You should already know what I’m saying. I had that piece of shit killed. I made a couple of calls and I made sure that he paid. He paid dearly and it was beautiful. He deserved to die. I would have rather killed his sorry ass myself, but I decided he didn’t deserve to die by my hand.”

Rachel takes a few steps back now, running her hands slowly over her face and through her hair, her eyes focused as if she is truly contemplating everything I am telling her. A few moments pass before she finally looks back at me, “Were ya ever going to tell me? And ya best answer honestly.”

I shrug, “Honestly?” She nods before I continue, “I don’t know. I did what I did because I care about you. I have done terrible things in my time when it comes to protecting those I love and care for. And…” I say, taking a few steps closer, Rachel looking at me as if she is unsure of how to act. I place my hands on her arms, maintaining eye contact, “You’re my wife. I would do all that I could to protect you. And when it comes to protecting myself…if you see what lengths I go to for those I care for…just imagine what I would do to keep my name safe.”

Rachel says nothing.

I speak once more, “I need to know that I can trust you. I had good reason to keep things from you, because I didn’t want us to be out here like this, but here we are. And now that you know, I need to know that I can trust you. That you are on my side,” I pause for a few moments, realizing just menacing I am beginning to sound. It makes me feel good actually, “Are you…on my side?”

Rachel says nothing. She just nods her head.

“Can I…trust you?”

She frowns at me and brushes the hair out of her eyes before replying, “Whatever happens, whatever ya have done and whatever ya end up doing…I will take everything to my grave. Take that however ya want.”

I nod, “As long as I know that I can trust you then all is good. I’d go to bat for you and I expect the same out of this relationship.”

Rachel smirks, “Ya know that I’ve done terrible things too, so we are in the same boat. Just we are in the same boat together. We’re married and ya shouldn’t keep things from me.”

I shrug, “I have to be sure. I have to protect myself if need be. And I will do the same for as long as we are together. Whatever happens while we are together stays between us.”

She replies, “Fine.”

“Now,” I say, my eyes looking away from her and towards the cabin, “Can we please put all of this shit behind us so we can fucking enjoy ourselves while we are out here? I don’t want to worry about that bullshit back home. So can we?”

Rachel nods, “Why of course we can, sugar. Now that we got all of that shit out of the way, what’s stoppin’ us from havin’ some fun?” She flashes a smile in my direction. I can’t tell if it is real or masking something else. Watching my wife walk away, I tell myself that I don’t think Rachel has ever known just how dangerous I am.

And it’s not like I know how dangerous I am either.

When it comes to what I am capable of, I have never really pushed my limits. The shit with Amber and the bastard may change that. And as I told Rachel, I will do what I have to in order to protect myself.

_____________________________________ 

The camera cuts on, and it displays a scene for those who will surely see this once all is said and done. It pans around, showcasing several bookshelves, littered with countless books. It also puts awards and trophies, as well as wrestling championship replicas on display for the viewing public to see, before the camera finally settles. When it does settle, it shows me, SCW wrestling superstar, Hall of Fame legend, Josh Hudson. I am tailored in a black blazer, as well as a black T shirt underneath, with Hudson written in the color white and in cursive. My hair has gotten longer, just as my beard has. If you were to place me in for a movie role, sign me up for Jesus based on appearance alone. That would have nothing to do with the God of all things professional wrestling moniker I have surely earned during my time spent in between the ropes of any ring I’ve graced my presence with. Before me sits a piece of paper, but my attention isn’t on it or the camera. Right now, I am staring out of the window to my study, looking out over the Big Apple for a few moments, focused in on nothing in particular as my mind begins to work, cranking out thoughts, gathering information. These moments pass and I turn to the camera, placing my hands on the desk as I begin to speak, “Hello world,” Staring at my face and into my eyes, I am sure those who watch this will try to get a read on me, trying to pick up hints in my tone of voice, yet they should know that nothing is for sure with me, “The last time you saw me in the ring, I was viciously attacked by the Coward Queen, Selena Frost. She attacked me with a chair and left me lying, while trying to use me as bait to lure Regan Helms into the ring. I wouldn’t want Regan to do that, because I don’t think I would have done it either if the roles were reversed. You know, Regan and I…we are smart in that regard. Every member of Past, Present, and Future is resilient. We can take a loss. We can take punishment because at the end of the day, we know that we will get back up and fight another day. Sorry, if I am coming very motivational because I know that is Selena’s thing. She will spend ten minutes trying to come off like a hero and as motivational as possible. So I will leave that to her. What I do want to talk about is how I know that for most of my time back in the SCW, it seems that I have been seen face down or my back pressed against the canvas. And for that, I cannot help but have the sudden desire to apologize. So, I want to take the time to apologize, but not to anyone in the locker room, or to any of the fans who spend their hard earned money to see pieces of shit like Selena Frost perform in a ring for a promotion that I built and bled before she even knew what wrestling was. No, I won’t apologize to any of them. I will apologize, however, to…” I stop speaking as I slowly lift my hands up off of my desk, my eyes shooting back and forth before continuing to speak, “My skills.”

A grin forms on my face as I keep my hands lifted in my line of sight, “Why am I apologizing to my skills? The reason is simple really. I haven’t won most of my matches since my return. Hell, I lost my first three matches back and that isn’t like me. Now, I know that winning and losing are things that I typically say do not matter to me, and they don’t, but losing as much as I have, when I have the sort of skills that I do, it just…it just flat out fucking disgusts me. I know that I don’t come out and get in front of a camera so I can whine, bitch, and moan about a result of a match. I am not really going to cry over the fact that I picked up a disqualification win over Selena. I won’t talk about how she robbed me as well as her idiotic fan base of a top notch main event. I already know Selena talked about it for twenty minutes and I know she painted a different picture, trying to make herself out to be the hero, when she truly is the villain that she claimed everyone was calling her, yet nobody really was. That bitch is all about herself yet she condemns someone like who is all about me. The hypocrisy never ends, and neither should my skills. My skills developed over many years, fighting in Japan, working the death-match circuit over there, competing in what is now known as the ‘strong style’ method. I helped develop that, just as I helped perfect the hardcore craze of the 1990’s. My skills continued to grow, generating a legacy of serious submissions and a never ending knowledge of suplexes. Those skills lead me to nine World Championships in various companies all over the world. My skills led me to the main event on the Super-Bowl shows of many of those promotions, competing in matches that lasted longer than sixty minutes. I am talking best two out of three matches with no time limit. I have wrestled damn near two hours before, and not just once, but many times because I have had the skills to do it. I can still do it, as it isn’t my skills that have let me down. No, it is I who has let down my skills. Now, I am not going to be the guy trying to justify why I have lost, or any of that bullshit. I know that my name can draw fear as well as hesitation when it comes to getting into the ring with me. I’m not stupid. The same could be said like a former opponent of mine, Thirteen but when our paths crossed, I embarrassed him in the middle of the ring.”

“I know that opponents, even that stupid bitch Selena who believes that she is all high and mighty even though she isn’t all she is cracked up to be, know that I bring it each and every time I step into the ring, commanding that ring and owning it, generating the best possible match out of my opponents, because I have the skills to elevate them. I was elevating Selena until she introduced a chair into the fold. So, why haven’t I been winning? Well, I know that I got disqualified against Syren. I was getting tired of kicking her ass and I just wanted to end her career. She had to hire CHBK to help her beat me. CHBK got handed a win over me, but I made him my bitch so I was satisfied enough. I know that I lost to Quinne and that one sort of sucked because most of the time, she is a low-rent garbage wrestler who rarely decides to give a fuck about this business, despite what she says on social media. I should have been better on that night. It was a night of where I let my skills down, just as I let my skills down at the end of my match against Thirteen. I didn’t want to go any longer against him. I was embarrassing his sorry ass, but he didn’t have enough common sense to just stop. I didn’t use my skills to just put him down like everyone knows that I am more than fully capable of. So, why didn’t I? Is it because I am spiraling further and further from the man I used to be, Mr. Silent but Violent? Is it because I am getting older and I am basically biding my time until I decide to retire? Am I getting ready to announce my retirement, right here, right now? Sorry, true believers, that won’t be happening and for those of you who want it to…please…get cancer. Like right now. It would mean a lot to me,” I say with a slight sneer, knowing that there are many people in the crowd, as well as in the back, who would love to see me just disappear, ignoring the fact that if it wasn’t for me always sticking around while fuck faces like Xander Valentine, CHBK, and Jason Zero all came and went as they fucking pleased. While names like Matt Hodges and James Exeter were merely flashes in the pan, “Did that hurt any of you? I sure hope so, but kindly fuck off. I am not here to play kiddie games and pander to anyone. I will leave that to Frost, or Amy, or even Kayl and Kennedy. No, I just tell you exactly how I feel. My thoughts and feelings used to always speak through my skills, and as of lately, it doesn’t seem like they are talking as much as they used to, my skills aren’t speaking like they used to. It could be that I don’t have as much heart as I used to, but I don’t buy that. I built the business and reshaped it. It could be because I want to be competing for championship gold, but I have always felt that this business is much more than titles. To me, it is always about being the best, title or not, and I have always done that.”

“As I said, this isn’t me signaling my retirement. I’m not going anywhere. The SCW needs me. Past, Present, and Future…we are the best thing going on in SCW. The bullshit with Syren and her precious lot, no one really gives a fuck about. The whole El Angel thing is going to fall as flat as the shit with Amy Chastaine and Jason Helms. I got more out of scratching my left ass cheek than I did paying attention to that nonsense,” I say, smirking and shaking my head. I tell myself that whole ordeal is even more reason for me to hate TV segments on Breakdown. I know that I have been in quite a few in my time, but I don’t take up thirty minutes of air time, and I don’t produce a consistent stream of nonsense, which is why when I was watching that, the urge to find a trash can so I could spew my fucking guts out, crossed my mind more than once, “And you can all call that arrogance, or ignorance. Go for it. I won’t stop you. I stand by what I say. The SCW needs me. I am not one for drama or over exaggeration when it comes to this sport. I can’t stand when someone comes out and pours their fucking heart out. It is annoys me to no end. I want to slam a camera into their faces, or even my own, just as long as it makes it stop. When it comes to my cohorts, I know that I am the cooler head of the group. Regan is hot headed and quick tempered. God love her. Would I have nailed Mr. D with a pile-driver? Probably not. Besides, I have already kicked his ass once, which is probably why he won’t agree to another match with anyone. I know Sienna is quick to state that she deserves this and that. I do believe my teammates deserve a lot more than they get, but I don’t go about it the way that they do. But what about what I deserve? What I think I’ve earned. I think I have earned my shot at the Rise to Greatness main event. Like, I don’t even need to win Taking Hold of the Flame to get that shot. Why do I say that? I have been in the ring with several of the winners of the match and I have defeated them, one on one, and I have also made them look far more worthy of a Rise to Greatness main event than they did when they competed under those RtG lights. Adam Riddick, Real Speed, Matt Hodges, James Exeter…I elevated them and I have beaten them all. Greg Cherry…that piece of shit wouldn’t have been the caliber of wrestler or superstar he was if it wasn’t for me. I kept him relevant and pushed him to be a star, yet he gets handed a Rise to Greatness main event spot. Same with Jason Zero on more than one occasion, he was gifted a main event spot, despite the fact that I have made that man my bitch in this ring every single time our paths have crossed.”

The words exit my mouth and I shake my head, swallowing the disgust, “The fact that I am even competing in Taking Hold of the Flame makes my head hurt. The fact that I have to do that to get the Rise to Greatness main event I have been owed for many, many years astounds me. This company truly has no comprehension as to how this business works. In 2010, Thorn won the SCW World Championship because that cancer Glacier gifted him the title, gifting him the Rise to Greatness main event spot. Was I allowed my rematch for such an injustice? Nope. I mopped the floor with Tommy Valentine on more than one occasion and would have done it again, winning the SCW World Championship once again, but the suits made sure that didn’t happen. They wanted their real main event of Josh Hudson versus Jake Starr. It was shit like that made me not give two fucks about that match. I knew where I belonged. I knew what I was owed. And that…that is why I am sucking it up and competing in this match, chasing down the flame once again. My goals are important. What I want and what I am owed is important. My partners in crime, Regan and Sienna, can do what they do, going on Twitter, saying that they are going to come out and win the match, that they are going to do this and do that. I am going to win and if I have to take them out then so be it. I know they think the same and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but Sunday night, it isn’t about friends. It is about the individual and on that night, I won’t give a damn about them or what they want. I will only give a damn about what I want and if that means I have to crack their spines or their skulls to get it then so be it. That may come off a little harsh, but truth is truth. None of us will pull punches with the other. We tell it like it is.”

My hands touch the piece of paper before me, the Trios contract. I stare at it for a few moments, repeating in my head the meaning behind it and the power that it holds, before I look back into the camera, “This Trios contract, something that nearly broke Past, Present, and Future apart is something that I can use. It is indeed a tool and I can use to get my Rise to Greatness main event with ease. Just cash it in and get what I have earned and deserved. But, I am not going to do that. I am not Donovan Kayl. I am not grabbing for straws, trying to get that one last hurrah before I call it quits. Donovan is one hell of a competitor and we’ve had our words, but I know that he can go. He led our team to victory, resulting in he and I, along with Ice Bitch, being the Trios winners. I know that Donovan can go and I know that he is more than capable of defeating Kennedy Street for the SCW World Championship. I know that Kennedy has come a long way over the last few years to regain respect, as well as that SCW title, and I know that she can put Kayl away to get her main event spot. Just as I know that I can ruin all of that. I could go out to the ring and beat them within an inch of their lives with my hands, or the Selena Frost way using a steel chair. I could do all of that then cash in and pin either of them for the World title. I could do that. I could change the entire landscape of the Rise to Greatness main event. I know that many people, Kennedy and Kayl included, would call my actions cowardly and pathetic, but the fact remains this. I have more than earned that spot. I know I’ve repeated that quite a bit in the last few minutes, but I want to make sure that I drive the point home, stating fact and rubbing in everyone’s face.”

“I know that if I go that route, then my partners would be pissed off at me. I know that Kayl is basically seen as family and I know that Kennedy is family when it comes to Regan, but once again, this is about me and my goals, me getting what I deserve. I haven’t held the SCW World Championship in nearly a decade. I was never granted my rematch. I had to watch Greg Cherry and Jason Zero get title shots against Tommy Valentine. Greg at least won Taking Hold of the Flame, while Jason lost to everyone in sight. How ironic would it be, for me to cash in and win the belt back, at the same event I lost it so long ago? I think it would be extremely fitting, but that is just my opinion. The only that matters at this point. I know I would piss off my wrestling family, but I have never been one to really try and be friends with people when it comes to reaching my goals. If Regan and Sienna want to get pissed off at me then so be it. If we are truly friends then they would get over it, they would see things my way and respect my decision. I have no doubt that they would say the same of me. I mean, we all already know that Selena is more than likely going to cash in for Rise to Greatness, because she is under the impression that people want to see her in the main event. She already considers main eventing every single pay per view of 2017 as an accomplishment, but a lot of those buyrates went to shit, or did well due to her opponents. Selena only stays relevant due to who she is facing. I mean, do I need to repeat that Past, Present, and Future is her crutch, otherwise she would be lost in a sea of obscurity. How does that saying go? Sorry, not sorry…” I press the contract down onto my desk once more, taking a few more moments to look at it, considering my options, even allowing the image of me making my way into the ring, coming through the crowd, taking out both Kennedy and Kayl, leaving them lying on the mat. I even see myself grabbing a chair and using it to make sure that they do not get up, making sure that they do not ruin my moment before pinning either one and having the SCW World title given to me and graciously wrapped around my waist.

A smirk forms across my face once more as the image plays out. I then bring my hands together, locking my fingers around one another, “I could go that route, ladies and gents. I could make it easy on myself, because I have more than earned that right. I know people like Selena have brought up the fact that I wasn’t around to fight Blood Grove and New Eden. Why that is relevant is beyond me, but that is someone like Selena reaching for straws, because in the end, she truly has no dog in this fight. But yes, I could go that route. Will I? I don’t know, which is what makes this exciting to say the least. It is why when I have been quiet while Regan and Sienna do their rants, I have been plotting. I think quite a bit and so many ideas and thoughts cross these brain waves. I have never really been one to go the easy route, but that brings up the memory of Tactical Warfare 2010. Jake Starr was battling Hurse, and Starr ended up getting the better of my former rival. Starr thought he had it all wrapped up. I mean, I was in the back, stating that I wasn’t going to fight in that structure. What was I doing? I was thinking. I just said that I do a lot of that, remember? I was thinking and I was plotting, as I watched the action unfold. Then, I struck at the right moment, hitting Jake Starr with the Go to Sleep after I entered the cage. I dropped Hurse with the Go to Sleep as well, just for the hell of it and three seconds later, I was a two time SCW World Heavyweight Champion. The world was livid but I was smiling from ear to ear. Nobody expected me to come out. Nobody expected me to do what I did and in the end, I got what I deserved, what I had earned. I mean, winning every single match I was in for nearly a year more than warranted the fact that I deserved to be the SCW World Champion.  That I shouldn’t have had to wait so long to even get a World title shot. It could be that I wait a little longer, enough time to outlast thirty nine other superstars to get that shot, or it could be that I grow tired of waiting, and just take it whenever the hell I want. I wouldn’t announce my decision until I decided I wanted to do it. That builds excitement, not boredom which is the Kayl and Frost way.  I have always wanted to make this sport exciting and flat out better than the mundane shit that is typically on display when those cameras are rolling. It is why the world rejoiced when I defeated Jason Zero for my first SCW World title, because it was something different. It was why eyes were glued to the product even more when I pinned Hurse. You’re welcome SCW. Heh, this is exactly why the SCW needs me,” I say shaking my head, letting out a slight snicker.

“Everyone is talking about Syren and the spot she won. Everyone is wasting time in screaming until they are blue in the face about when they want to enter. Everyone is wasting their time talking about how they are going to win, claiming that they are going to win. Apparently everyone is going to win this fucking thing. They are going to come in at number one and they are going to last until the very end and they will be the last person standing. They just know it! Hell, I am sure people are interested in what will happen when I am in the same ring as Syren again, or Rayvn Taylor. Not to mention when Regan and I cross paths. Hell, people are probably thinking that Justin Davis and I are just going to kill each other, Taking Hold of the Flame and Rise to Greatness main event spot be damned!” I frown and release a deep breath through my nose, “But nobody is talking about the off chance that I could come in and change everything. I could get eliminated from the match before cashing in on the eventual winner, taking advantage of them being exhausted, barely able to stand or walk, barely about to even catch their breath before I lift them up onto my shoulders and then proceeding to send them face first on a crash course with my knee before I end their hopes and dreams with three seconds that will haunt them for their rest of their careers. I’ve got options unlike everyone else in this match. This is do or die for them. They have to win Taking Hold of the Flame to get their shot at the biggest prize on the biggest stage. I will be the most envied person when I enter the ring. I mean, I stopped Syren from getting her main event shot last year. I can change things once again with a snap of my fingers. I don’t even have to do any heavy lifting , really. I won’t have to exhaust myself or put forth any real effort. The more I talk about this, the more intriguing it becomes. While people like Blake Mason will be fighting to gain an ounce of redemption, as Amy Chastaine will try to show she still has it, and Bree Mason fighting her hardest to ensure she gets yet another championship shot only to fall short yet again, I will be biding my time, thinking and plotting, contemplating my next move, because when you really look at it…as the saying goes, I’ve got nothing but time…” I say with a smirk as I bring my diatribe to a conclusion. I lean forward and cut the feed. As I rest my back against the chair once more, my mind does begin thinking about what I am going to do and how I could do it. I’ve been the most hated man in SCW, but that was years ago. I know if I do what I talked about, being the most hated in SCW would be much more than a self-proclaimed moniker. I would be public enemy number one for many reasons with many people, friend and enemy, but in the end, it’s all about me.