February 19th
Florida
"Victoria The Champion" <-- Click

I wasn't sure who Victoria was to be honest. I just knew that every event this company had up until now has been named like an episode of some sitcom. Though, I highly doubt this would air on any streaming services. You likely wouldn't even find this on Tubi TV.

Looking around, there were no assigned seats and even if the place had been packed, it only seemed to have enough seats for roughly 100-150 people at best. The size of the crowd didn't really matter, I liked the personal connection that they can provide but this crowd seemed.. Empty.

Empty because they found free tickets on a poster in some local gas station promoting the event. Empty because there were only 6 to 10 people on the roster and that includes Staff. This was, without question, a shit show. None of that mattered. I wasn't here to check out some independent event. Although I do that from time to time, this was not one of those times.

I came because of one man.. Raion Kido.

“So much for him wanting to be one of the very best in wrestling’s landscape..” Sloane Taylor says, quoting what Kido had said earlier in the show. I turn to see her standing to my left with a bucket of popcorn, a soda and a smile. “Watch your legs.” She adds as she passes in front of me before taking the empty seat to my right. “Want some?” Offering me some popcorn, she had said she was going to the bathroom.

“No thanks.” Resting back in the chair, I return my attention to the ring. “So, hey, what works better?” Asking my wife, I turn to her as she takes a sip from the straw in her soda. Her eyebrows were raised as she awaits my follow up. “I could wait for him outside after the show or..”

“What?! No..” Shaking her head, she didn't like that idea. No worries, I had another.

“Okay then I’m jumping the guard rail and lighting him up!”

“I came to watch wrestling not to see you get arrested.”

“He’s right there though!” Reaching out towards the ring, I was being dramatic in my attempt to grab for him from where I was sitting. “He’s just asking for me to beat up my hands with his face!!”

“And I want you not arrested so it's settled. Not today!” She said with such adorable authority, I couldn't argue. Yet as we watched Kido hit his finisher, I stood up from my chair in a hurry.

“I… Umm.. Gotta use the bathroom!” Turning to leave, my Wife stopped me.

“Ohhh no you don't, mister!” Looking back at her, she was patting the seat of my chair. “Sit next to me and watch the rest of the show.. You don't even work here!”

“I’ll go fill out an application right now!” Another bright idea that has me turning to leave.

“Okay, I’ll go with you.”

I sat back down. Arms crossed, I was very close to being pouty. With buttered lips, Sloane leans over and kisses me on the cheek. It didn't help but awww it was nice.. It might as well have been a pat on the head as she told me ‘good boy’ for listening. What made it worse is that as the match came to a finish, Kido gets attacked by a buffoon named Kendrick Kross. A few others flooded the ring as well and it became this clusterfuck of damn near everyone on the roster. All 5 of them. I missed an opportunity of attack but it wouldn't be the last.

“Why?

Why have you been lingering in the kiddie pool of a wrestling promotion? Smith Family Wrestling.. Or is it Tenacity Wrestling? I saw Hawt Pro Wrestling as well so I’m not positive what that place is even called!

Yet there you are..

A lion that once roamed the open plains of a Universal hunting ground now lives comfortably in the confines of a petting zoo..

Why?

You want to be known, seen and called as one of the best but yet you are HIDING in the weeds of this profession.

For what reason?

You said you wanted to roar again and as I sat in that crowd, watching you talk backstage. Watching you polish your anime inspired, goddess blessed armor, I became inspired to help you find your roar again! The roaring of pain. The roaring of a shortcoming that IS coming to you in the form of a howling DiOGee!

I’m back bitch and I’m biting, what's up?

You want to play in petting zoos and be ankle deep in a pond so your meow echoes like a roar? Fine. I will help you find your way back to that. I will give you guidance back to the sorrow sack of shit life you have made for yourself in Smith Family-Tenacity-Hawt Pro Wrestling. Is it even still active? Has it died in 5 shows?

Sheeesh!

You were once THE Lion that stood at the peak of Pride Rock and we all watched you hold up the Universal Championship on multiple occasions! That was when your star was formed but now? Now we see a faded star losing the light it once had. You are but a hiccup in the timeline of the company you found success in and while I have never seen the heights in which you have achieved in XWF? I will be the outcome that tears your name out of the record books moving forward.”


February 24th
Florida
XWF Warfare

It's been a few days since I laid eyes on Kido. I kept telling myself that I wasn't here for him. Not tonight anyway. This night wasn't even about me. I was here to support my Wife in her XWF debut. She was in the Main Event and competing for the Television Title and I might be more excited than she is!

Yet.. I had to look. All I was going to do was look! See him competing as he did days before but this time? This time he was in there with Mark Cross and it wasn't going to be the same lack of challenge he found while looking for his roar back at the Indy show..

I shouldn't have looked.

After peeking through the tunnel at one of the fan exits, seeing the ring in all of its glory. I watched Kido lose. Initially laughter filled my lungs! I found myself ROARING with a giggle but then the laugh abruptly stopped. I was moving out of the tunnel, I was beelining down the aisle way, past fans who didn't notice me. Not until I reached the guard railing.. Not until I pulled a woman out of her chair like I was carjacking in GTA and I grabbed and folded her chair before doing what I wanted to do before. The stage was set, big or small, I was going to have my opportunity of attack.

I guess my wife was right. I ended up getting arrested..

“Why?

Why do I want to fight you, hurt you even? Why did I walk away when I did? You can say I was bitter and I was! I was in Trilogy with you and Ned Kaye. Nothing I was doing was good enough to be amongst those ranks at that time and really, I didn't ever fit the intended mold for that group.

We were supposed to be the ‘Good guys’ because CCPE was lingering around but no sooner than our group formed, we lost the inspiration to do anything with it!

You were doing your own thing. I ended up trying to find a Mascot because at the end of the day, that's what I thought about the whole ordeal. It needed a mascot because it was a joke from the jump..

None of that is why I walked away though. None of that is why I want to fight you, Kido.

See, you were THE guy! You were the new Star rising like you brought light to the horizon and you played that part perfectly for a time.. Yet no matter how much success you found, we, inside of the group, heard the whining..

The concern about your spot.

About your own success. It was never about us as a whole because you were always making it about you and we became therapists for your insecurities..

At one point you could have been as big of a star as you wanted to be. You have all the tools, you have the skill inside the ring and you have the face to be on ALL the posters.

Yet I can still hear the complaining..

Ask Theo, ask Ned how many times we had to cater to a whining bitch who just happened to be the Universal Champion! Whining about not being good enough to be untouchable.. It was fucking annoying.

You complained like it was YOU who hadn't touched a PPV victory in almost a year. Like it was YOU who came up short on Anarchy.. You whined like it was YOU who had bouts with misfortune or missteps.

YOU were supposed to lead that group. YOU were supposed to set the example and instead, I did. It's why when I left, the group died. When I stepped away, every plan for it was ended. I wasn't the one pulling the strings though so why is that? If you were good enough then why couldn't YOU have kept the group together instead of feeling wronged that I walked out on you? I know why.

Woe is You

You are a headache of self doubt. I held your hand the night you beat Alias.. Go back and watch, I was there with you. Talking to you through your own self insecurities like I had every piece of advice you needed. You were the successful one and yet I was giving you advice?

Trilogy should have been built differently and because it wasn't, it should have died. Instead of cutting our losses, Theo had a plan. I trust Theo not because he likes me but because he is harder on those he likes and that's honest. He wanted to expand.. Evolve the seed of Trilogy into something more because maybe then it would blossom.

Trilogy became The Saga.

The name change or additions to the group didn't do anything but add noise and make the core problems quieter for a short time. We essentially built on top of a gravesite but none of us wanted to accept the burial that we were already in the process of being a part of.

My biggest problem with my first run in this company is that I gave up too easily. When shit started falling apart early on, I gave up wanting to build anything or invest in much at all. I should have fought to remove what made the group weak. You. Yet, I was lingering, I was coasting along like you said you were doing back on that Smith Family Wrestling show.

So now, you find yourself with two people who left this company for different reasons. I went and applied myself in other places of worth. You found a pond and started fishing for bait. I always knew and made the claim that I would be back.. That I belonged here and the moment I saw you come out during the Last Blood Battle Royal? I knew I had to have my chance at beating you. Not just beat you, I aim to break you..”

Current Day
Chicago
Sloane's Apartment

I stared blankly down at my phone. There it was.. A new contract from XWF. I wasn't expecting a top dollar amount or any special deal. It was a standard contract in simple terms because Theo thought it would be funny to dumb it down for me.

Great guy.

“Did you sign it yet?” Sloane asks as she glides across the living room of her apartment and plops down next to me. Peeking over, she looks at the contract on my phone. “Nope. What are you waiting for?!” Nudging against me, she wore a smile. She knew I was waiting for this. She knew it was what I wanted. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” Saying as I used the tip of my finger to sign my first name on the contract. “Oooww! What the fuck?!” I snap towards her to find her biting me on my shoulder.

“Something is wrong and I’m just going to keep biting you until you tell me..” Her mouth wide, she goes to bite me again.

“Fine! I swear..” Letting my phone drop onto my lap. I was going to try and do this ‘talking’ thing with my wife. Wish me luck.. “I don't know if I can do this.” Probably could have said that better.

“Whaaa?!” She pushed back, having a trace of both shock and anger in her expression.

“No..” I let a grin form. “Not that!”

“Then what?” She lays back against the far side of the couch, her feet pick up and find their way onto my lap. “Tell me.”

“Last time I signed a contract with XWF.. I feel there were expectations that I didn't ever come close to fulfilling. I was trying to be someone I’m not. Surrounded by good people, honest people.. People I would rob if under different circumstances.”

Sloane giggles. It made me think that maybe that's the persona that everyone has come to know from me. A petty prankster who takes nothing seriously. To others a Pothead but never have you ever seen me wearing or promoting the sticky green. I just smoke the shit.

“Jason?” She catches me zoning off in thought.

“Yeah?” I shake away the spaced out thoughts.

“You are your own worst critic and you bury it to keep people from noticing. I notice and do you know what I think?”

“We're Married.. I don't think I have a choice in hearing what you think.. Do I?”

Tossing her feet off the couch, Sloane sits up and shoves into me before falling against me and wrapping her arms around my neck from the side.

“I think you are an annoying jerkface but people know that regardless of how you act on social media.” Pinching me, she added. “But that's part of your charm!”

“I am quite charming, aren't I?” She bit me again. “That's it!” I dove at her with teeth exposed and mouth open as she squeals and shoves at me.

Later That Night
Chicago
Sloane's Apartment

The night had started to creep into the early morning hours. I could feel my right eye closing as I tried not to make any noise opening the bedroom door. Glancing over my shoulder, Sloane was ASLEEP!

The blanket covered her except for her left leg that hung out over where I had been laying. I wasn't up to anything, I just didn't want to wake her. Making eye contact with Quill as I came into the living room, I found myself surprised I was able to tell the two Hedgehogs apart. Quickly, I turn on my phone and hold it in front of me to read a text. It says “I’m outside” so that's where I was heading.

Getting the door unlocked, I open it to find my protege, Elm standing on the porch. “Come in but be quiet..” Stepping aside, I let him inside. Rubbing his hands together, he was cold as he entered. Giving the place a look over, he turns back to me as I shut the door. “Did you get it?” I asked.

“Yup!” He responds with a smile but he doesn't add anything after that. He just stands there smiling.

“Man, it's 3 AM.. Give me what you got.” Rolling a hand in a circle to hurry him up. Digging his left hand into the left pocket of his jeans, he pulls out a piece of paper.

“Here ya go!”

I took the note that was no bigger than a rolling paper. Unfolding it, I knew what to expect. It was an address. “You sure this is legit?” Looking up from the address in Montana, I see Elm pondering the legitimacy of it.

“Oh it's as legit as can be!” Giving his hands a clap, he steps in closer to me. “I met a nice lady at the Post Office..”

“What did you do?”

“Me? Nothing. I took her out, and she paid for dinner.”

Nodding, that was about right. Elm is a broke homeless kid and preferred it that way. I wasn't sure he had a legit ID that wasn't falsified. “And she gave you this?”

“Yoooou know how I do! She had some needs and I took care of them thoroughly!”

Elm had a thing for the big girls. He had his ways and that's all that needed to be said.

“Okay, after Warfare this Saturday, we will head that way.”

“Sounds good to me.. Umm..” He gives himself pause. “So when are you going to get me signed on with XWF?”

“I haven't even officially signed yet.”

“Your boy hasn't sent you a contract yet?” He looked surprised. “You told him you parted ways with TPW, yeah?”

“He knows.. The contract is in my email. I just need to sign it.”

“Well…”

Waving him off, I moved to the table in the dining area. I had a few pre rolls and grabbed one before heading to the front door. Elm didn't smoke but he was being loud.

“Outside.”

“Oh my bad..” He knew he was loud but home life was something he had much experience with.

On the porch, I shut the door and it was cold. My dumbass is in some shorts, a t-shirt and house slippers, no socks. I sparked up but upon exhaling, you couldn't tell what was smoke and what was just hot breath mixing with the cold air.

“Have you been taking local gigs?” Asking Elm as he blows into his cupped hands. I knew he had taken a few, I’ve gone and watched a few even. Kid had something. “Working matches?”

“Yeah, yeah, a few. I have a booking in Minnesota down the road from where Warfare is being held. Earlier Saturday.”

“Yeah?” It was good he was keeping busy. I needed to work with him more but he had a good foundation.

“That's what I’m saying! Get me in with Anarchy or the next reboot of Madness even, I just want to get in the door!”

“You were in the door with TPW..” I reminded him.

“Come on!” Laughing. His role in TPW wasn't exactly ideal. “You had me working with a ‘King’ named King who could make more money as an Elvis impersonator!”

“That's work!” Trying not to laugh, it was a shit gig. That was the point. Giving him these bad experiences were learning curves that too many people don't get until later in their
career. “I’ll talk to Theo about it, alright?” Before we could get deeper into the conversation or his argument on why he should get a shot in XWF. I glance to the road and see a car sitting idle in the middle of the road, a bit down the street. “You see that? Is that your ride?”

Looking and taking a moment to determine, Elm answers. “Nope. I grabbed a cab. Not sure who that is..”

“Fuck.” I mutter as I pull the cone down from my lips. Looking down at the steps, I didn't want to have a misstep but I took a step down and jogged to the pathway leading to the street. “What's good?” Throwing my hands up at both sides, I let my voice raise in the direction of the car.

As Elm comes up behind me, the car moves forward. There wasn't a peel out, it was very calmly moving forward. To be honest? Part of me felt like this could turn into a drive by.. I threw my arm back as if to shield Elm but he wasn't a child. He could buy alcohol at the very least. The concern for danger was an overreaction as the vehicle, a blacked out Lincoln, just cruises by.

I didn't like that. I didn't like that it was too close to where my Wife was sleeping. Flicking more than half of my pre roll, I was irritated and that was the sign. I done wasted some weed..

“Get inside, you’re on the couch tonight.”

“Oohhh that doesn't really work for me?” He said it like a question but he wasn't really asking one. It didn't matter, I turned him around and shoved him towards the stairs. “I have a nice spot already picked out!”

“Yeah, the couch is comfortable.”

His sigh showed in the way he walked. Head and shoulders slumped down, he wasn't going to argue. Getting to the door, I opened it and stepped aside to let him go inside first. My eyes scan down the road at both ends.

“I’ll be gone before you wake up, you know..”

“Just be quiet. I don't want Sloane knowing about the car, got it?”

He motions that he understands with a zip of his lips. “She literally won't know I was here.” As we get inside, I lock the door and turn to see Elm leaping and landing long ways on the couch. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and reach to pull it free. I had a text message.

“... See you soon, Jason.”

Yeah. You sure will, I thought to myself. Tapping over into my email, I bring up the contract from XWF. I got to the part where I had signed my first name earlier. I added my last. I attached it and sent it back.

“Can I raid the fridge?” Elm asks and I almost forgot he was there.

“Clean up after yourself.. I’m going back to bed.”

Getting to the bedroom door. What if I hadn't been awake? What if I hadn't been outside to see the car? I couldn't be sure but my ‘Fan’ told me his infatuation started in XWF. I was moving in the right direction and it just so happened to align with where I wanted to be.

“Kido. Are you really here? I don't just want to be here, I need to be. I have gone and tried to find a home in other places. I have done my time in UGWC and found that their biggest stars are often the ones needing the most security in their safe spaces. I found that censoring myself in TPW was fun for a while but give me my space to say FUCK when I need too!

XWF is cutthroat where other companies fail to be. They have a history and while every new company has their time to shine, that time often fades while consistency remains here! Nobody is as publicly seen, felt, or heard like XWF..

I’m not kissing ass. Just stating facts.

Kissing ass gets you nowhere on this roster but kissing ass seems to be one of your bigger talents. You have so much ‘respect’ for people that it has always felt to me like you have something to hide..

This match is overdue.

This is where you have had your biggest success. This is also where I have seen my lowest of lows. So what I need and want from you is simply for you to show up.. Show up so I can lay you the fuck down.”