Post by Aiden Reynolds on Feb 9, 2021 0:23:50 GMT -5
Moving On
When you feel betrayed, it’s never easy to move past it. Everyone will tell you that you can’t change the past, that you just have to accept it. But putting them in the same place, the same time...I doubt they would take their own advice.
And when you feel like you have lost everything -- like it was not just gone but taken from you, ripped from your arms…how are you supposed to just “get over it”?.
Moving on is hard, that’s easy to say. It’s easy to lie to yourself and say you’re done. But the process of forgiving what happened is difficult. Forgiveness. But never forgetting. Remember it and use it as a lesson.
Learn from the betrayal. And never let it happen again.
Present Day
Aiden had been quiet. Which, for anyone who knows him, was strange. When he spent time in his apartment, hanging out with Dickie, he was quiet. When he was here at Wolfslair, he was quiet. It had not gone unnoticed. Dickie had asked him what was up, and Aiden shrugged it off. Even now, the last few days that Aiden would turn up to the gym, he’d put his gear on, stow his bag and go about working out. Strength and conditioning, rolling on the mats and submission training.
In the ring, he’d run the ropes and work on awareness. It was all so usual and routine...but in reality, it really wasn’t. All those actions, all those exercises would still happen but would be punctuated by Aiden’s loudmouth Australian charm. And without that one thing, everyone seemed to notice. Kallie, Johanna, Austin, Alicia, Charlie -- all the head coaches and senior members and friends he spent time with could see it and feel it. But only one could actually get through to him.
Alex Jones.
No, not THAT Alex Jones. He was not a fat loudmouth who screamed conspiracy theories into a microphone. This Alex Jones was a ten-time world champion. A man who had held titles everywhere he went. A former WWH, Honor Wrestling and SCW World Champion, and those were just the most recent ones. But, he was also the head coach and owner of Wolfslair, a New York-based gym that brought together some of the best professional wrestlers in the world and passed on the knowledge to a new generation.
The idea was simple. Iron sharpens iron.
You get together some of the best in the current day, they learn from each other, and you find and bring in some of the best younger stars and help mold them into something special. Alex stepped over and shook his head before sitting next to Aiden, who was undoing his boots and cooling off after one of his many workouts. Alex gave him a small smirk and leaned over. “Big match coming up eh, kid?”
Aiden stayed silent, the only acknowledgement being a small smirk and a nod of his head in Alex’s direction.
“Anything you want to talk about? Or anything you want help with?” His voice was soft; he was obviously trying to be a supportive mentor. Aiden swallowed hard and slid his boots in his gear bag.
He cleared his throat and looked around before leaning over. “Mate, I uh. Shit, this is hard.” Aiden's voice was low, but his Australian accent still shone through. Alex sat back and gave him some room before Aiden spoke again, still sounding unsure. “This is the biggest thing I’ve done, ya know? I just don’t wanna fuck it up.”
Alex gave him a small smile and a laugh, Aiden ran a hand through his short brown hair and looked around the gym. His eyes moved across the floor, to the mats, to the rings set up at the far end. There were only a few people here -- the hardest working ones. The ones who had found success. He wanted to be one of them. “So, this is why you’ve been quiet? Doubt.”
Aiden sighed heavily and looked away, the shame seemed to wash over him when it was said out in the open like that. “Gee mate, don’t go out of your way to make me feel better or nothin’.”
Alex couldn’t help but laugh before hitting Aiden on the shoulder. “Kid, you have been different and we can all see it. It’s not working for you.” Alex pushed up from the bench with a heavy sigh, his arms folded over his chest as he turned to stand in front of Aiden, who looked up at him with a shrug. “You know how most of us have been successful?”
It was a simple question, Aiden though threw his hands in the air with a smirk. “Hard work and skill?”
Alex raised an eyebrow and paused with a laugh before leaning down. “Being yourself.” Aiden made a scrunched up face as Alex turned and looked around the gym. Austin, the six foot six former SCW world champion was lifting weights, adding to his power and strength. Alicia Lukas was working with Kallie and Johanna on submissions and chain wrestling. He smiled and looked down at the Australian Wolf. “See what I mean?. If you lost that attitude you have, if you lose yourself you’ll fail.”
Alex paused for a moment as Aiden seemed to take it all in. He stood up and stood next to Alex with a small nod as if he was starting to get it. Alex continued and directed Aiden to all the replica titles on the walls, including Kallie’s brand new tag title from OATH. “You got to this position, to the chance for the Legacy title by just being you, so why are you changing, Kid?”
Aiden smiled and laughed to himself. “Yeah, I think I get what you’re saying...thanks mate, I needed that….” He looked around and then back at Alex. “I wouldn’t have a lot of these opportunities if it weren’t for you...we’ve come along away mate...thanks.” He held out his hand, Alex smiled warmly and took it, shaking it and tapping Aiden on the shoulder again as Aiden swallowed hard, remembering the first time he shook Alex’s hand.
January 2018. Aiden had just become back to the United States to work from Japan. He hadn’t been in the US for two years. It felt strange. He had gotten so used to the Japanese way of life that adjusting was taking more time than he thought it would. The fact he could walk through his apartment building and down onto the street and he could nod and smile at people with quiet respect was a game changer, and brought ease to his brain. In the United States, that wasn’t the same. People were loud, and they ignored everything around them. It was closer to where he grew up in Australia.
But, having lived that life in Japan for so long, this was strange.
It was an alien way of life. For the first few weeks, he would get strange looks as he went to bow as he walked into a public place, or take his shoes off in anyone's home, apartment or room. But, he had to work, and after what happened, he knew he couldn’t stay in Japan. He thought about going home, travelling back to Australia for a while. But in this business, if you go away for a time, your stock can drop, you get forgotten and thrown away.
Aiden had to strike while the iron was hot. He had to get back in the public eye, expand his reach from just the Japanese fanbase and the few around the world who kept up with him in the scene. So off to the US he went. He inked a deal with one of the biggest companies in the country, but until he could make his debut, he worked a few smaller shows. All over the country he travelled, East Coast, West Coast, South, North, anywhere he could get booked.
Then, it brought him to New York. He walked into the locker room, and it felt like any other place. Nameless faces he would nod and smile to, shake hands and show respect without actually getting to know them. No point, he told himself. He’d be moving on shortly. He went out, like any other show, and he worked the match. He got the W, walked backstage and nodded politely, thanked those who gave him advice. He smiled when said they liked what he could do. But he would go to the showers, get clean and throw a towel over his head and get ready to leave.
This time, though, it was different; a voice cut through the haze.
“Not bad, Kid, but I think you were holding back.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow and pulled the towel from his head, looking up. He saw a face he recognised, scoffed and shook his head. “I did enough to get the win, that’s what matters.” He paused and looked back down at his gym bag, finishing the remainder of his packing.
“Yeah you did, but I’d have loved to see you putting in one hundred percent.” He held his hand out with a smile, “Alex Jones.”
Aiden looked at his hand somewhat dirsively, and stood up, holding his bag in front of him. “I know who you are, and since you saw my match, I’m going to assume you know me. I got to go though.” Aiden moved past Alex and got close to the door to the hallway.
“You know…” Alex said loud enough to catch Aiden’s attention. “I have a gym not far from here. We have some of the best young talents there. We strive to make each other better.” Alex stepped closer as Aiden turned around to listen. “I’m sure you’d fit in.” Alex held out a card with the phone number and address on it. Aiden’s eyes ran over the name. “Wolfslair”. He gave a nod and Alex held out his hand again. “Come by sometime.”
Aiden sighed and put the card in his pocket before taking Alex by the hand giving it a stiff shake. “We’ll see….thanks though…”
A Man’s Legacy
“Man, it’s sad when you hit someone so hard they leave the company…”
Aiden Reynolds couldn’t help but scoff as he folds his arms over his chest. The cocky Australian turns his gaze forward with his upper lip curling upwards into a smirk.
“But see, that’s what happened. Me an’ Dickie just walked into another main event, faced a guy who in all honesty deserved better in Mark Hunter, and a bloke who really deserved to have his ass kicked. And honestly, I’m glad Ramesses is gone. He was dead weight and a bloody stain on Project: Honor. And even though I absolutely love to win, that win left me with a sour taste in me mouth, cause again, Mark Hunter deserved better. Now, don’t get it twisted. I ain’t friends with Captain Abs. In fact, I don’t even really know him, and the fact Matt Knox’s dumbass tried to get him into the Legacy Chamber made me almost spit out me beer. But, I can recognise when there’s injustice and if I was Mark Hunter, I’d be pissed at being saddled with a tag team partner who doesn’t know how or when to pull his weight…”
Aiden sneers and shakes his head with a small roll of his eyes. Suddenly, the familiar voice of Dickie Watson pipes in from off-camera.
“You don’t have that problem, mate.”
Aiden nods and turns his head, holding his fist out sideways as a skinny wrist and fist, tattooed from the wrist up, obviously belonging to one Dimitri Watson esq, pops across and bumps his hand affirmatively.
“Aye, mate, I know. I got someone to watch me back. But Mark didn’t. And instead he had Matt tryin’ to get him into this match. And hey I get it, Mark won that Purge Match and has that briefcase. But, what has he done to earn a spot in this? What has he done that would have justified adding him in the match for the top title in the company? It’s not like he was the top champ with another title and has been the best champion this company has had or anything.”
There is a small snicker from the side. Aiden laughs to himself and gives Dickie a little wink.
“Now, myself on the other hand. Well, I earned my place in this chamber by walking into this company and being an instant hit. I teamed with Dickie and we beat Contessa and Saint, and straight away the little birdies started their chirping. Talking about how apparently I was ridin’ on Dickie’s coattails and how I was just his, “bitch”. It’s something Contessa said, and then she challenged me to a one-on-one match. That was a woman who was the number one contender, someone who had been incredible in matches leading up to it. And she wanted me one-on-one--”
Snickering erupts off camera once more, and Aiden turns his head, his nose flaring slightly. “Not like that, you dolt.”
“You mean she wasn’t on Tinder?”
“Fuck off with the Tinder shit, mate!” Aiden snaps to a cackling response. He frowns, shakes his head, and continues on. “Nah, nah, yeah, nah, she wanted to get in the ring and prove that I was just Dickie’s hanger-on. His didgeridoo. His bosom buddy pal.”
“And what happened?”
“Contessa fell to me. One on one, she laid out the challenge, she failed. She fuckin’ fell to not a pin, not a countout, but she tapped. The lady who had a Death supposedly liked tapped to the Wolf. Then, she failed against Dickie and since? Slipped down into obscurity like the Grim Reaper himself. And because of those two matches, Project: Honor management decided to put me against Pyro in a match for the right to get in the Chamber. I have to admit, I was shocked. I was a little taken back, ya know?. This match was supposed to be for the biggest championship in the company, and here I was, one match away from being able to have a shot. And again, I won. Again, someone tried to say I was in Dickie’s shadow. And he was wrong.”
“Shit, even Mark Hunter tried to use that same thing against me, and I get that it’s low-hanging fruit and people love to say it. But, how many times do I have to beat someone who uses that against me until you all realise it makes you look a stupid dumb cunt?”
He pauses again to let the words sink in before shrugging and continuing, his Australian accent making everything he says, even the serious stuff, sound comical. It’s a gift and a curse.
“Now, if you are keepin’ score at home, that means little ol’ Aiden Reynolds is four and zero in Project: Honor. Four wins, zero losses. I know this because I can count.”
“Maybe you should start keepin’ records…”
“Nah, mate, I prefer makin’ and breakin’ ‘em. Not recordin’ them. But still, four wins and zero losses. And yeah, two of them were in tag team matches but, the other two? I didn’t happen to see you standing on the apron getting ready to tag in and save my ass. Hell, I beat Pyro so bad his wife left him…”
“Dude, not cool.”
“You’re right, you’re right, that’s very sad. Poor guy is out here taking L’s in his personal and professional life. I would give the hairy bugger a hug and a pat on the back but...well, those dreads still stink. Now they stink like burnt raccoons in Kentucky.”
Aiden shudders and clears his throat. “Seriously, Pyro, when you get it back, you should shampoo that shit, put on some argan oil, bitch….”
“Even after all this, even after the evidence I’ve just shown all of you the sad fact is, I’m being overlooked. I’m sure most of you realise I’m not the most serious person. I like to laugh, I like to joke and take the piss. Maybe that makes a lot of people not take me seriously. And shit, it might even work to me advantage, right? Who would think the goofy Aussie who likes to throw out four letter expletives and laugh at fart jokes could be a dangerous competitor in that ring, eh? But that’s the thing, I am dangerous. I’ve proved it by earning my way into this match to begin with. But still, I’m being overlooked. People throw out their opinions and predictions on social media, and it’s been Elena this and Matt Knox that. Hell, even the Dragon thingy has been talked about more than me.”
“Thingy?”
“Yes.”
“All right, all right.” Dickie concedes thoughtfully.
“Yet out of the four of us, I probably have the most momentum behind me. And I say that knowing full well that Elena DeDraca has a record in Project: Honor comparable to mine. In fact, Elena is the same as me. Four wins, zero losses. A few appearances to keep herself in everyone's mind. And the thing is, I like Elena. She’s Dickie’s sister, she’s someone who has worked hard and has a name in the wrestling world. In fact, you should respect what Elena can do in that ring. She is tough as nails, she punches like a bloody truck despite the fact she’s a tiny person...comparatively. Elena DeDraca would make a good Legacy champion.”
“She’s a family woman, and an entrepreneur. She has her cupcake shop and helps out behind the scenes with her husband Mark in the gym I currently train at. She took time off from wrestling and came back without missing a damn beat. She earned her way here and people need to stand up and recognise that and respect it.”
“I hold zero ill will to Elena.”
“But, with that being said, she does some things that really grind under my skin. See, Elena likes to put this whole facade out there that she is a badass. That she likes to get into it with anyone. Thing is, if you actually look at Elena, instead of confronting people she likes to make snide comments, subtweets and references in her promotional material. She likes to get pissy and post cryptic bullshit instead of coming at things head on. And she complains like some kind of Morticia Adams-Karen hybrid…”
Aiden raises an eyebrow as he looks sideways. We can hear laughter being held back, as if someone is holding their hands over their mouth while losing their shit. Aiden nods and smiles knowingly before continuing.
“Elena is a great athlete and I am sure she’ll get in that ring and put it all on the line. As will I. And afterwards, win or lose, I’ll shake her hand and buy one of her cupcakes. Cause as I said, Elena earned her spot here. Now, the other two in this match, they won matches to get in but I wonder, based on what they’ve done, why are people talking about them?. I mean look at the Dragon Lady -- cool name by the way. But what has she done? If we’re including outside Project: Honor, then what has she been known for? She came from Carnage Wrestling with Knox. And in that company, she was able to get gold right? Not bad, considering she had a three and four record there. But, as I said, Lil Miss Dragon won gold…”
He pauses, nodding with some form of respect in his expression. However, he stops, and then squints his eyes as he shakes his head.
“Then vacated it at the next show and quit without defending it…”
His eyes grow wider and his lips turn upwards in pursed expression as he shrugs his shoulders.
“Cause, ya know, that’s what champions do. And in Project: Honor? Well she’s won a match. A MATCH. One singular opportunity. Against Euan Hill, a bloke who has almost as many losses as I have wins. And this qualifies her to be in this fuckin’ match? Winning a title in Carnage only to drop it like Colton Saint drops personas? You’re a liability love, a liability to the championship and to the company. See, I win, I’ll be here on both shows workin’ my ass off; you win, and we’ll all be waiting for you to drop it and run off.”
He shakes his head once more, tutting morosely.
“Not a good look, darlin’.”
“You are trying to turn that into the company putting stock behind you and caring about you. Well, if Project: Honor has “hand-picked” you to be the Legacy Champion, I’m about to rain on their parade. Cause I refuse to let the company's top title fall into the hands of someone who clearly has no idea what it is to be a goddamn champion. Let alone the fact you got signed and spent a month sitting on your ass, all because you seem to be more interested in settling shit with Carnage instead of making Project: Honor better and bigger..”
Aiden seems to get heated now, see he can show more emotions than “LOL DICK JOKE”. He shakes his head and grinds his teeth together with a growl under his breath.
“What do I expect from someone who can’t even get her own life right then, eh? I mean what is it with you, Lady? You said you have worked hard and fought your whole life, but apparently you got scouted when you were 22? Which is it? Or how about the fact you ramble on and fuckin’ on about wanting to earn opportunities, yet when you did in Carnage, you dropped it after? You’re tryin’ to be a bloody enigma darl’, saying no one can figure you out because you haven’t figured yourself out yet. Sorry, but you’re not as interesting as you make yourself out to be….”
“Here’s the thing, right: DeDraca and I have great Project: Honor records. Dragon Lady has one win here and seems to be getting shoved into this position. I dislike her for it. But nowhere near as much as I want to kick Matt Knox’s teeth down his throat. See Matty-boy loves to talk like he’s God’s Gift to Wrestling, bringing up how awesome he is and his long career and all of his title wins in some sad, tortured manner. But, looking at him, he’s a bigger liability than fuckin’ Dragon Lady.”
“What is it with you and that word? I’ve never heard you use liability before”
“Word of the Day Calendar, mate…”
“Ah yes...carry on…”
Aiden clears his throat, acting as if he is irritated with the interruption. He’s not. For clarity’s sake.
“Part of me gets it; we all like to talk ourselves up and trust me, I already did it a little bit earlier and will probably keep on goin’. But Matt Knox does this like he’s trying to convince not just everyone else but himself. He came into Project: Honor, lost the Purge Match to Mark Hunter, then won a match against Dex and a fuckin’ Polar Bear to get into the Chamber. Again, one win. But, Matt is a big guy; he’s six foot six, two hundred and forty four pounds. He looks like he can go, right? Forty years of age and talks like a grizzled vet with experience at being the top dog…”
“But the thing is, he doesn’t.”
Aiden rolls his eyes and folds his arms.
“This dude has more padding on his record than an awkward teenager uses in her bra. He’s got this list of championships, right, most of which are from companies that no one can find or have closed down. Twelve years ago. Irrelevant championship names from a career we are meant to care about. So, if we move past that and just roll our eyes, what about recent history? Again, Matty-Boy comes to us from Carnage, right?. That is what we know him from.”
“But, those companies I talked about before, here’s a bloke who apparently tried to become their World Champion, got injured and instead of letting himself heal, he developed a bloody drug dependency issue. Congrats, mate, you’ve outed yourself as an unreliable addict who will bring shame on this company and its top title if you should somehow win. Your little redemption story isn’t really redemption. The only person you have let down in your life when it comes to wrestling is yourself and trust me, mate, you ain’t going to get any type of real redemption ‘till you look in the mirror and realise that it is nobody else's fault that you failed….but yours.”
“You claim to have changed, but really, what in your recent history of being an annoying fuck up has changed, eh?. You went over to Carnage for six months and had a roller coaster time, got pissed off at being “overlooked”, then attacked the president of the company and did a few things that should have got you arrested at the least - and jail time at the worst. You are a forty-year-old man acting like a fucking child, yet you have the gall - THE FUCKING GALL - to talk down to Dickie about feeling overlooked as champion and me being overlooked in this match?”
“So, you’re a hypocrite as well as liability and an asshole.”
“Why should we be impressed with you, Matt? Should we be impressed with your shitty record at Carnage? Your shitty record at UGWC before you bounced? Or your shitty attitude in Project: Honor where you decided to hand a title shot for a championship you haven’t won to someone who doesn’t even come close to being in contention? And, here’s the thing, dipshit, here’s a secret for you. No one can call their own shot. Dickie doesn’t get to say who he defends his title against, so why do you think you’ll be special there, Snowflake? You’re not. And I refuse to let the Legacy Championship end up in the hands of someone like you…”
Aiden leans forward and takes a long deep breath trying to calm himself down before opening his eyes and nodding to himself.
“Look, I ain’t saying I’m the best in Project: Honor. I know I have talent, I know I have been off to an excellent start here and honestly, I have a great win-loss record in my career. I don’t keep track of it, but since I exploded onto the bigger stage a couple years back, I have done everything I can do to be relevant and show how good I am. Through DIVISION, through Apex, even ICONIC for a cup of tea. Shit, I came back and went to [REDACTED] and was their inaugural Impulse champion...hell, I even beat Dickie for it…”
A crashing sound erupts as boots hit the tile floor abruptly.
“You wot, mate?”
“Yeah I did...hey wait…” Aiden turns his head excitedly and snickers, “Yeah, I did!”
“Aiden--”
“SEE I HAVE BEATEN THE BEST PROJECT: HONOR HAS TO OFFER!”
“......I forgot about that.”
“To be fair, mate it was [REDACTED]. We all wish we could forget.”
They both fall silent, Aiden looking a little disgusted remembering his time at [REDACTED].
“This match is bigger than all of us. Project: Honor, despite its success, is still a new company. The rosters split into two unique shows and we have a large roster filled with amazing stars who could really make this company great. But, a great company needs great champions. Dickie has been flying that flag as the Grand Champion and now, I want my chance to do that with the Legacy Championship. The company named that title as it’s big crown jewel and fitting the show's name is The Crowning. I will do all I can to win that title, not just for myself and my own legacy, but also for the company. I don’t know how Elena, Matt or the Dragon Lady will react or what they can do. But I know what I can do, what I will do, and how I will defend it with every bit of me.”
“If I win, you bet your asses I’m gonna defend that championship against anyone and everyone, while also appearing on both shows….It’s only fitting, right? The Fallout of Matt Knox. The lack of Proving that the Dragon Lady when she stepped foot on the Ground. The record player of Elena DeDraca skipping over and over...but...”
He holds up his finger, a singular one, pointing it at the camera.
“Aiden Reynolds. Legacy Champion. Sounds bloody brilliant.”
He can’t help but laugh to himself, reaching forward to cut the feed off.
When you feel betrayed, it’s never easy to move past it. Everyone will tell you that you can’t change the past, that you just have to accept it. But putting them in the same place, the same time...I doubt they would take their own advice.
And when you feel like you have lost everything -- like it was not just gone but taken from you, ripped from your arms…how are you supposed to just “get over it”?.
Moving on is hard, that’s easy to say. It’s easy to lie to yourself and say you’re done. But the process of forgiving what happened is difficult. Forgiveness. But never forgetting. Remember it and use it as a lesson.
Learn from the betrayal. And never let it happen again.
Present Day
Aiden had been quiet. Which, for anyone who knows him, was strange. When he spent time in his apartment, hanging out with Dickie, he was quiet. When he was here at Wolfslair, he was quiet. It had not gone unnoticed. Dickie had asked him what was up, and Aiden shrugged it off. Even now, the last few days that Aiden would turn up to the gym, he’d put his gear on, stow his bag and go about working out. Strength and conditioning, rolling on the mats and submission training.
In the ring, he’d run the ropes and work on awareness. It was all so usual and routine...but in reality, it really wasn’t. All those actions, all those exercises would still happen but would be punctuated by Aiden’s loudmouth Australian charm. And without that one thing, everyone seemed to notice. Kallie, Johanna, Austin, Alicia, Charlie -- all the head coaches and senior members and friends he spent time with could see it and feel it. But only one could actually get through to him.
Alex Jones.
No, not THAT Alex Jones. He was not a fat loudmouth who screamed conspiracy theories into a microphone. This Alex Jones was a ten-time world champion. A man who had held titles everywhere he went. A former WWH, Honor Wrestling and SCW World Champion, and those were just the most recent ones. But, he was also the head coach and owner of Wolfslair, a New York-based gym that brought together some of the best professional wrestlers in the world and passed on the knowledge to a new generation.
The idea was simple. Iron sharpens iron.
You get together some of the best in the current day, they learn from each other, and you find and bring in some of the best younger stars and help mold them into something special. Alex stepped over and shook his head before sitting next to Aiden, who was undoing his boots and cooling off after one of his many workouts. Alex gave him a small smirk and leaned over. “Big match coming up eh, kid?”
Aiden stayed silent, the only acknowledgement being a small smirk and a nod of his head in Alex’s direction.
“Anything you want to talk about? Or anything you want help with?” His voice was soft; he was obviously trying to be a supportive mentor. Aiden swallowed hard and slid his boots in his gear bag.
He cleared his throat and looked around before leaning over. “Mate, I uh. Shit, this is hard.” Aiden's voice was low, but his Australian accent still shone through. Alex sat back and gave him some room before Aiden spoke again, still sounding unsure. “This is the biggest thing I’ve done, ya know? I just don’t wanna fuck it up.”
Alex gave him a small smile and a laugh, Aiden ran a hand through his short brown hair and looked around the gym. His eyes moved across the floor, to the mats, to the rings set up at the far end. There were only a few people here -- the hardest working ones. The ones who had found success. He wanted to be one of them. “So, this is why you’ve been quiet? Doubt.”
Aiden sighed heavily and looked away, the shame seemed to wash over him when it was said out in the open like that. “Gee mate, don’t go out of your way to make me feel better or nothin’.”
Alex couldn’t help but laugh before hitting Aiden on the shoulder. “Kid, you have been different and we can all see it. It’s not working for you.” Alex pushed up from the bench with a heavy sigh, his arms folded over his chest as he turned to stand in front of Aiden, who looked up at him with a shrug. “You know how most of us have been successful?”
It was a simple question, Aiden though threw his hands in the air with a smirk. “Hard work and skill?”
Alex raised an eyebrow and paused with a laugh before leaning down. “Being yourself.” Aiden made a scrunched up face as Alex turned and looked around the gym. Austin, the six foot six former SCW world champion was lifting weights, adding to his power and strength. Alicia Lukas was working with Kallie and Johanna on submissions and chain wrestling. He smiled and looked down at the Australian Wolf. “See what I mean?. If you lost that attitude you have, if you lose yourself you’ll fail.”
Alex paused for a moment as Aiden seemed to take it all in. He stood up and stood next to Alex with a small nod as if he was starting to get it. Alex continued and directed Aiden to all the replica titles on the walls, including Kallie’s brand new tag title from OATH. “You got to this position, to the chance for the Legacy title by just being you, so why are you changing, Kid?”
Aiden smiled and laughed to himself. “Yeah, I think I get what you’re saying...thanks mate, I needed that….” He looked around and then back at Alex. “I wouldn’t have a lot of these opportunities if it weren’t for you...we’ve come along away mate...thanks.” He held out his hand, Alex smiled warmly and took it, shaking it and tapping Aiden on the shoulder again as Aiden swallowed hard, remembering the first time he shook Alex’s hand.
January 2018. Aiden had just become back to the United States to work from Japan. He hadn’t been in the US for two years. It felt strange. He had gotten so used to the Japanese way of life that adjusting was taking more time than he thought it would. The fact he could walk through his apartment building and down onto the street and he could nod and smile at people with quiet respect was a game changer, and brought ease to his brain. In the United States, that wasn’t the same. People were loud, and they ignored everything around them. It was closer to where he grew up in Australia.
But, having lived that life in Japan for so long, this was strange.
It was an alien way of life. For the first few weeks, he would get strange looks as he went to bow as he walked into a public place, or take his shoes off in anyone's home, apartment or room. But, he had to work, and after what happened, he knew he couldn’t stay in Japan. He thought about going home, travelling back to Australia for a while. But in this business, if you go away for a time, your stock can drop, you get forgotten and thrown away.
Aiden had to strike while the iron was hot. He had to get back in the public eye, expand his reach from just the Japanese fanbase and the few around the world who kept up with him in the scene. So off to the US he went. He inked a deal with one of the biggest companies in the country, but until he could make his debut, he worked a few smaller shows. All over the country he travelled, East Coast, West Coast, South, North, anywhere he could get booked.
Then, it brought him to New York. He walked into the locker room, and it felt like any other place. Nameless faces he would nod and smile to, shake hands and show respect without actually getting to know them. No point, he told himself. He’d be moving on shortly. He went out, like any other show, and he worked the match. He got the W, walked backstage and nodded politely, thanked those who gave him advice. He smiled when said they liked what he could do. But he would go to the showers, get clean and throw a towel over his head and get ready to leave.
This time, though, it was different; a voice cut through the haze.
“Not bad, Kid, but I think you were holding back.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow and pulled the towel from his head, looking up. He saw a face he recognised, scoffed and shook his head. “I did enough to get the win, that’s what matters.” He paused and looked back down at his gym bag, finishing the remainder of his packing.
“Yeah you did, but I’d have loved to see you putting in one hundred percent.” He held his hand out with a smile, “Alex Jones.”
Aiden looked at his hand somewhat dirsively, and stood up, holding his bag in front of him. “I know who you are, and since you saw my match, I’m going to assume you know me. I got to go though.” Aiden moved past Alex and got close to the door to the hallway.
“You know…” Alex said loud enough to catch Aiden’s attention. “I have a gym not far from here. We have some of the best young talents there. We strive to make each other better.” Alex stepped closer as Aiden turned around to listen. “I’m sure you’d fit in.” Alex held out a card with the phone number and address on it. Aiden’s eyes ran over the name. “Wolfslair”. He gave a nod and Alex held out his hand again. “Come by sometime.”
Aiden sighed and put the card in his pocket before taking Alex by the hand giving it a stiff shake. “We’ll see….thanks though…”
A Man’s Legacy
“Man, it’s sad when you hit someone so hard they leave the company…”
Aiden Reynolds couldn’t help but scoff as he folds his arms over his chest. The cocky Australian turns his gaze forward with his upper lip curling upwards into a smirk.
“But see, that’s what happened. Me an’ Dickie just walked into another main event, faced a guy who in all honesty deserved better in Mark Hunter, and a bloke who really deserved to have his ass kicked. And honestly, I’m glad Ramesses is gone. He was dead weight and a bloody stain on Project: Honor. And even though I absolutely love to win, that win left me with a sour taste in me mouth, cause again, Mark Hunter deserved better. Now, don’t get it twisted. I ain’t friends with Captain Abs. In fact, I don’t even really know him, and the fact Matt Knox’s dumbass tried to get him into the Legacy Chamber made me almost spit out me beer. But, I can recognise when there’s injustice and if I was Mark Hunter, I’d be pissed at being saddled with a tag team partner who doesn’t know how or when to pull his weight…”
Aiden sneers and shakes his head with a small roll of his eyes. Suddenly, the familiar voice of Dickie Watson pipes in from off-camera.
“You don’t have that problem, mate.”
Aiden nods and turns his head, holding his fist out sideways as a skinny wrist and fist, tattooed from the wrist up, obviously belonging to one Dimitri Watson esq, pops across and bumps his hand affirmatively.
“Aye, mate, I know. I got someone to watch me back. But Mark didn’t. And instead he had Matt tryin’ to get him into this match. And hey I get it, Mark won that Purge Match and has that briefcase. But, what has he done to earn a spot in this? What has he done that would have justified adding him in the match for the top title in the company? It’s not like he was the top champ with another title and has been the best champion this company has had or anything.”
There is a small snicker from the side. Aiden laughs to himself and gives Dickie a little wink.
“Now, myself on the other hand. Well, I earned my place in this chamber by walking into this company and being an instant hit. I teamed with Dickie and we beat Contessa and Saint, and straight away the little birdies started their chirping. Talking about how apparently I was ridin’ on Dickie’s coattails and how I was just his, “bitch”. It’s something Contessa said, and then she challenged me to a one-on-one match. That was a woman who was the number one contender, someone who had been incredible in matches leading up to it. And she wanted me one-on-one--”
Snickering erupts off camera once more, and Aiden turns his head, his nose flaring slightly. “Not like that, you dolt.”
“You mean she wasn’t on Tinder?”
“Fuck off with the Tinder shit, mate!” Aiden snaps to a cackling response. He frowns, shakes his head, and continues on. “Nah, nah, yeah, nah, she wanted to get in the ring and prove that I was just Dickie’s hanger-on. His didgeridoo. His bosom buddy pal.”
“And what happened?”
“Contessa fell to me. One on one, she laid out the challenge, she failed. She fuckin’ fell to not a pin, not a countout, but she tapped. The lady who had a Death supposedly liked tapped to the Wolf. Then, she failed against Dickie and since? Slipped down into obscurity like the Grim Reaper himself. And because of those two matches, Project: Honor management decided to put me against Pyro in a match for the right to get in the Chamber. I have to admit, I was shocked. I was a little taken back, ya know?. This match was supposed to be for the biggest championship in the company, and here I was, one match away from being able to have a shot. And again, I won. Again, someone tried to say I was in Dickie’s shadow. And he was wrong.”
“Shit, even Mark Hunter tried to use that same thing against me, and I get that it’s low-hanging fruit and people love to say it. But, how many times do I have to beat someone who uses that against me until you all realise it makes you look a stupid dumb cunt?”
He pauses again to let the words sink in before shrugging and continuing, his Australian accent making everything he says, even the serious stuff, sound comical. It’s a gift and a curse.
“Now, if you are keepin’ score at home, that means little ol’ Aiden Reynolds is four and zero in Project: Honor. Four wins, zero losses. I know this because I can count.”
“Maybe you should start keepin’ records…”
“Nah, mate, I prefer makin’ and breakin’ ‘em. Not recordin’ them. But still, four wins and zero losses. And yeah, two of them were in tag team matches but, the other two? I didn’t happen to see you standing on the apron getting ready to tag in and save my ass. Hell, I beat Pyro so bad his wife left him…”
“Dude, not cool.”
“You’re right, you’re right, that’s very sad. Poor guy is out here taking L’s in his personal and professional life. I would give the hairy bugger a hug and a pat on the back but...well, those dreads still stink. Now they stink like burnt raccoons in Kentucky.”
Aiden shudders and clears his throat. “Seriously, Pyro, when you get it back, you should shampoo that shit, put on some argan oil, bitch….”
“Even after all this, even after the evidence I’ve just shown all of you the sad fact is, I’m being overlooked. I’m sure most of you realise I’m not the most serious person. I like to laugh, I like to joke and take the piss. Maybe that makes a lot of people not take me seriously. And shit, it might even work to me advantage, right? Who would think the goofy Aussie who likes to throw out four letter expletives and laugh at fart jokes could be a dangerous competitor in that ring, eh? But that’s the thing, I am dangerous. I’ve proved it by earning my way into this match to begin with. But still, I’m being overlooked. People throw out their opinions and predictions on social media, and it’s been Elena this and Matt Knox that. Hell, even the Dragon thingy has been talked about more than me.”
“Thingy?”
“Yes.”
“All right, all right.” Dickie concedes thoughtfully.
“Yet out of the four of us, I probably have the most momentum behind me. And I say that knowing full well that Elena DeDraca has a record in Project: Honor comparable to mine. In fact, Elena is the same as me. Four wins, zero losses. A few appearances to keep herself in everyone's mind. And the thing is, I like Elena. She’s Dickie’s sister, she’s someone who has worked hard and has a name in the wrestling world. In fact, you should respect what Elena can do in that ring. She is tough as nails, she punches like a bloody truck despite the fact she’s a tiny person...comparatively. Elena DeDraca would make a good Legacy champion.”
“She’s a family woman, and an entrepreneur. She has her cupcake shop and helps out behind the scenes with her husband Mark in the gym I currently train at. She took time off from wrestling and came back without missing a damn beat. She earned her way here and people need to stand up and recognise that and respect it.”
“I hold zero ill will to Elena.”
“But, with that being said, she does some things that really grind under my skin. See, Elena likes to put this whole facade out there that she is a badass. That she likes to get into it with anyone. Thing is, if you actually look at Elena, instead of confronting people she likes to make snide comments, subtweets and references in her promotional material. She likes to get pissy and post cryptic bullshit instead of coming at things head on. And she complains like some kind of Morticia Adams-Karen hybrid…”
Aiden raises an eyebrow as he looks sideways. We can hear laughter being held back, as if someone is holding their hands over their mouth while losing their shit. Aiden nods and smiles knowingly before continuing.
“Elena is a great athlete and I am sure she’ll get in that ring and put it all on the line. As will I. And afterwards, win or lose, I’ll shake her hand and buy one of her cupcakes. Cause as I said, Elena earned her spot here. Now, the other two in this match, they won matches to get in but I wonder, based on what they’ve done, why are people talking about them?. I mean look at the Dragon Lady -- cool name by the way. But what has she done? If we’re including outside Project: Honor, then what has she been known for? She came from Carnage Wrestling with Knox. And in that company, she was able to get gold right? Not bad, considering she had a three and four record there. But, as I said, Lil Miss Dragon won gold…”
He pauses, nodding with some form of respect in his expression. However, he stops, and then squints his eyes as he shakes his head.
“Then vacated it at the next show and quit without defending it…”
His eyes grow wider and his lips turn upwards in pursed expression as he shrugs his shoulders.
“Cause, ya know, that’s what champions do. And in Project: Honor? Well she’s won a match. A MATCH. One singular opportunity. Against Euan Hill, a bloke who has almost as many losses as I have wins. And this qualifies her to be in this fuckin’ match? Winning a title in Carnage only to drop it like Colton Saint drops personas? You’re a liability love, a liability to the championship and to the company. See, I win, I’ll be here on both shows workin’ my ass off; you win, and we’ll all be waiting for you to drop it and run off.”
He shakes his head once more, tutting morosely.
“Not a good look, darlin’.”
“You are trying to turn that into the company putting stock behind you and caring about you. Well, if Project: Honor has “hand-picked” you to be the Legacy Champion, I’m about to rain on their parade. Cause I refuse to let the company's top title fall into the hands of someone who clearly has no idea what it is to be a goddamn champion. Let alone the fact you got signed and spent a month sitting on your ass, all because you seem to be more interested in settling shit with Carnage instead of making Project: Honor better and bigger..”
Aiden seems to get heated now, see he can show more emotions than “LOL DICK JOKE”. He shakes his head and grinds his teeth together with a growl under his breath.
“What do I expect from someone who can’t even get her own life right then, eh? I mean what is it with you, Lady? You said you have worked hard and fought your whole life, but apparently you got scouted when you were 22? Which is it? Or how about the fact you ramble on and fuckin’ on about wanting to earn opportunities, yet when you did in Carnage, you dropped it after? You’re tryin’ to be a bloody enigma darl’, saying no one can figure you out because you haven’t figured yourself out yet. Sorry, but you’re not as interesting as you make yourself out to be….”
“Here’s the thing, right: DeDraca and I have great Project: Honor records. Dragon Lady has one win here and seems to be getting shoved into this position. I dislike her for it. But nowhere near as much as I want to kick Matt Knox’s teeth down his throat. See Matty-boy loves to talk like he’s God’s Gift to Wrestling, bringing up how awesome he is and his long career and all of his title wins in some sad, tortured manner. But, looking at him, he’s a bigger liability than fuckin’ Dragon Lady.”
“What is it with you and that word? I’ve never heard you use liability before”
“Word of the Day Calendar, mate…”
“Ah yes...carry on…”
Aiden clears his throat, acting as if he is irritated with the interruption. He’s not. For clarity’s sake.
“Part of me gets it; we all like to talk ourselves up and trust me, I already did it a little bit earlier and will probably keep on goin’. But Matt Knox does this like he’s trying to convince not just everyone else but himself. He came into Project: Honor, lost the Purge Match to Mark Hunter, then won a match against Dex and a fuckin’ Polar Bear to get into the Chamber. Again, one win. But, Matt is a big guy; he’s six foot six, two hundred and forty four pounds. He looks like he can go, right? Forty years of age and talks like a grizzled vet with experience at being the top dog…”
“But the thing is, he doesn’t.”
Aiden rolls his eyes and folds his arms.
“This dude has more padding on his record than an awkward teenager uses in her bra. He’s got this list of championships, right, most of which are from companies that no one can find or have closed down. Twelve years ago. Irrelevant championship names from a career we are meant to care about. So, if we move past that and just roll our eyes, what about recent history? Again, Matty-Boy comes to us from Carnage, right?. That is what we know him from.”
“But, those companies I talked about before, here’s a bloke who apparently tried to become their World Champion, got injured and instead of letting himself heal, he developed a bloody drug dependency issue. Congrats, mate, you’ve outed yourself as an unreliable addict who will bring shame on this company and its top title if you should somehow win. Your little redemption story isn’t really redemption. The only person you have let down in your life when it comes to wrestling is yourself and trust me, mate, you ain’t going to get any type of real redemption ‘till you look in the mirror and realise that it is nobody else's fault that you failed….but yours.”
“You claim to have changed, but really, what in your recent history of being an annoying fuck up has changed, eh?. You went over to Carnage for six months and had a roller coaster time, got pissed off at being “overlooked”, then attacked the president of the company and did a few things that should have got you arrested at the least - and jail time at the worst. You are a forty-year-old man acting like a fucking child, yet you have the gall - THE FUCKING GALL - to talk down to Dickie about feeling overlooked as champion and me being overlooked in this match?”
“So, you’re a hypocrite as well as liability and an asshole.”
“Why should we be impressed with you, Matt? Should we be impressed with your shitty record at Carnage? Your shitty record at UGWC before you bounced? Or your shitty attitude in Project: Honor where you decided to hand a title shot for a championship you haven’t won to someone who doesn’t even come close to being in contention? And, here’s the thing, dipshit, here’s a secret for you. No one can call their own shot. Dickie doesn’t get to say who he defends his title against, so why do you think you’ll be special there, Snowflake? You’re not. And I refuse to let the Legacy Championship end up in the hands of someone like you…”
Aiden leans forward and takes a long deep breath trying to calm himself down before opening his eyes and nodding to himself.
“Look, I ain’t saying I’m the best in Project: Honor. I know I have talent, I know I have been off to an excellent start here and honestly, I have a great win-loss record in my career. I don’t keep track of it, but since I exploded onto the bigger stage a couple years back, I have done everything I can do to be relevant and show how good I am. Through DIVISION, through Apex, even ICONIC for a cup of tea. Shit, I came back and went to [REDACTED] and was their inaugural Impulse champion...hell, I even beat Dickie for it…”
A crashing sound erupts as boots hit the tile floor abruptly.
“You wot, mate?”
“Yeah I did...hey wait…” Aiden turns his head excitedly and snickers, “Yeah, I did!”
“Aiden--”
“SEE I HAVE BEATEN THE BEST PROJECT: HONOR HAS TO OFFER!”
“......I forgot about that.”
“To be fair, mate it was [REDACTED]. We all wish we could forget.”
They both fall silent, Aiden looking a little disgusted remembering his time at [REDACTED].
“This match is bigger than all of us. Project: Honor, despite its success, is still a new company. The rosters split into two unique shows and we have a large roster filled with amazing stars who could really make this company great. But, a great company needs great champions. Dickie has been flying that flag as the Grand Champion and now, I want my chance to do that with the Legacy Championship. The company named that title as it’s big crown jewel and fitting the show's name is The Crowning. I will do all I can to win that title, not just for myself and my own legacy, but also for the company. I don’t know how Elena, Matt or the Dragon Lady will react or what they can do. But I know what I can do, what I will do, and how I will defend it with every bit of me.”
“If I win, you bet your asses I’m gonna defend that championship against anyone and everyone, while also appearing on both shows….It’s only fitting, right? The Fallout of Matt Knox. The lack of Proving that the Dragon Lady when she stepped foot on the Ground. The record player of Elena DeDraca skipping over and over...but...”
He holds up his finger, a singular one, pointing it at the camera.
“Aiden Reynolds. Legacy Champion. Sounds bloody brilliant.”
He can’t help but laugh to himself, reaching forward to cut the feed off.
