New Years Resolution

“Are you serious? This bitch has anime as her intro theme?” Chris damn near spit his drink out. Evian water, of course. He was sitting on the bed, Bruce was in the arm chair, Jenny was showering. They were watching a replay of the XWF Savage Saturday Night from Christmas Eve.

“I mean, fuck….first Robbie Bourbon lives his life as a walking comic book, now he have some anime type bitch walking around? What is this company coming to?” Bruce just shook his head. “I am not sure who is worse, her or Drezdin. I watched them both already but I needed to watch the replay to see the lunacy unfold again. It is borderline insulting to even be on the same card as these two jackoffs." Bruce shook his head in agreement, sipping on his malt scotch. 100 year old. Only the finest.

“Bruce, go easy on that scotch man. You might be the only person on planet earth that has out lived it.” Bruce flicked him off. “Hell, I should have compared you to that damn tree.”

“Brilliant promo by the way, champ.”

“I know it was. I mean, I am the best at what I do.”

“Is that like a new slogan, a catch phrase?”

“Could be. Oh hey, hey, here it is….Nami vs. Benito Angelo. Two losers. I mean, does XWF even give a shit about their booking anymore? If they give any less of a shit about booking than anyone does about this match their doors will be closed within a year and I’ll be the last ever Universal Champion in company history. Hell, I will be anyway.”

The match was as shitty as he had remembered. Maybe ever worse than he remembered. It was like two kids trying to play four-square. I mean, how do you have a draw in a submission match? He couldn’t wrap his mind around the asinine thing he had just witnessed for the second time. It made him sick to his stomach.

The next match featured his next opponent in this stupid ass match on New Years, and that is Drezdin. At least he has a good intro song. ACDC. Bout the only thing he does do right. Someone should take TNT to his wrestling career.

“I’ll give him this. He didn’t get pinned. He kicked out on a move I surely thought was the end. I was mildly, yes mildly, impressed at that. What I am not impressed about is his in ring ability. He is plain, boring, and simple. There is no ‘it factor’ with him. He’s just, blah. There is nothing there that makes me say, wow. And one look at him….holy hell, hide your children. It’s Halloween all year with this guy.”

Bruce laughed just as the water stopped. Jenny was obviously done with her shower. Chris and Bruce both grinned as Chris muted the TV.

“Chris, Bruce, guys?” she called out from the bathroom. “Guys?!” They didn’t answer. “They must have went to the lobby bar” they heard her say quietly, as the door opened. Both men sat up a bit as she walked up buck naked, her towel in a turban shape on her head.

Turning to see the two sitting there, she yelled out “ahhh!” and ripped the towel from her head and tried to cover up. Chris and Bruce laughed and high-fived. “Come on sugar tits, its nothing I haven’t seen before. But yeah, you might wanna cover up you might give the old man a heart attack.”

Bruce flipped him off again. Jenny looked mad, but then smiled. “Guys, go somewhere, would ya? I need to get changed.”

Chris sat up and slipped his sneakers on. “Come on, Brucie, there is nothing good on TV anyway. Same old bullshit”. Chris and Bruce left the room as Jenny smiled, shaking her head before closing the door.

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

Chris and Bruce decided to take a walk down one of NYC’s overly crowded streets. He always liked to take in the atmosphere of the place he was to do battle in. NYC was a dirty city. Everything looked dusty, and there was garbage on the streets. He guessed it was because it was so big. Cleaning up this place must have been a nightmare. It also had one of the highest rent costs in the country. Most of the people who were in here were working here. They live in the surrounding burrows. Living in Manhattan is for the ulta-rich. As Chris made his way down a few city blocks, he noticed there were quite a few bums on the streets. It was cold as tits out, part of him felt bad for these people. Part of him didn’t.

There was one bum, however, that was different. He really stood out to Chris. There was something about him. He didn’t have a sign like the other bums. He wasn’t begging for money or offering services for a quick buck. His sign, cardboard and sharpie, simply said “My New Years Resolution: To Be A Better Person”. Chris noticed this out of the corner of his eye. He back peddled, and stood in front of the man. Here was the XWF Universal Champion, in dress shoes and designer jeans with an expensive shirt on, standing in front of a man wearing literally rags. In any other society on the planet, these two wouldn’t even be coexisting. Ahh, the beauty of capitalism.

“You,” Chris said, “what is your name?” He hoped the man spoke English. He didn’t have time for any of that “our second language should be Spanish” nonsense. This was America, goddammit.

“My name….you want my name?” The man mumbled out his response. “Why, so you can call the police on me for being out here?” Chris shook his head. “I am not calling anyone, I asked you a simple question. Answer or don’t, but I might be able to help you.”

The man shook his head, “you can’t help me”. People walking by were giving weird looks. These two should not be talking to each other. If this were India, they would be members of different casts. But here, in America, ‘Land of the Free’, they are one in the same. All men are created equal right? Well, as much of a fallacy as that is, Chris was going to milk it as long as he could.

“So…..you don’t want money? Food? Shelter? All you want is for yourself to be a better man? May I ask why?”

The man looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“No friends, no family?”

“I have no family. Because of me. I disposed of the only family I ever knew.”

Suddenly all the images came racing back. The fire. Nicole’s house. Her parents. Her sister. That fateful night. That night could have gotten him down, it could have ruined him. But he didn’t let it. This man let it affect him, something Chris refused to do. But this man was a lot like him in that regard.

“You know….a cardboard sign is not going to help your demons. It won’t take away the pain. In fact, the more you wallow in it, the worse it will get. Trust me, I know. Look at me, do you think I got this fresh by accident? I have 800 dollars worth of clothes on. Do you think I just made that appear? I am from a background that even you can’t fathom. But I don’t let it get to me. Hey, look, are you a wrestling fan?”

The man nodded.

“I don’t know if you are up with current events in your city, but I have a show on New Years Eve. It is in time’s square.”

“They don’t allow us in Time’s Square. And with a wrestling event there, there will be police and security all around.”

“Well, here…...”

Chris pulls a ticket out of his pocket and hands it to the man. It was for the front row. “Now, they can’t say shit. I want you to come out to the show. I want you to watch me tear apart two people who are always happy….who have nothing ‘bad’ going on. I want you to watch me take them apart and realize that no matter what obstacles life throws at you, you can always fight your way out of them. Now, go create a little chaos. Throw a wrench in the established order of society. Go….”

The man got up.

“Come on….go….it will be fun……..he also gave the man $100. Go buy some meth, get fucked up. You only live once.”

Bruce and Chris walked away with Bruce grinning and shaking his head. “You know, he probably really will buy some meth you know.”

“Good. Maybe he will get arrested too…...it’s a New Year. Time to change the established order of things. Sure as hell beats sitting on a cold ass street…...”

_____________________+_____++__++

“So it looks like this little handicapped match is a go. Why not make it a bit more interesting, shall we? I am asking Vinnie now, and listen up because I will only say this once, to put a timer on it. If I can’t beat both of these scrubs in under 3 minutes, than they each get to hold my belt. Once. For ten seconds a piece. If they can last 3 minutes together they get to spend ten seconds holding up a belt they will NEVER otherwise get. 10 seconds of fame and glory that only a limited crowd will ever get. So I am not asking, I am demanding. Trust me, it will make for a good show. Give them a little incentive to try a little harder. You know and I know they will need it.

I mean, really? I am almost insulted to even be in this match. Is this honestly the best that the booking staff could come up with? I know that you all will say the same old shit…..all Chris does is bitch about better competition…..blah blah blah. But have I not proven that I can compete and win the biggest matches this business has to offer? Have I not proved that I can survive whatever obstacle is thrown my way? This is far from an obstacle. Nami and Drezdin are merely worn-down speed bump on a dead end road. They are going nowhere. They will never be anything. They are on this roster for the sole purpose of a good laugh. They aren’t expected to win matches or to hold titles. They are nothing but filler. Nothing but fluff. Now they have a chance to take on the best in the world. If they can last three minutes they can be, for ten seconds, famous. They can each hold the belt up, pose for a photo, and be happy. But if they lose----or rather, when they lose---they will NEVER and I mean NEVER be in the ring with anyone like me ever again. They will be reduced to what they truly are…...nothings, nobodies, pee-ons. Hell that bum on the street has more potential than these two. I don’t even have to try. This will be nothing more than a gym workout for me. Why? Well it is simple.

I am the best……...at what……..I…….do.

Write it down.

Prepare to be equalized.



XWF RECORD: 16-3-2
Universal Champion 1x (current)