Post by “The Saint” Johnny Eden on May 21, 2024 13:05:48 GMT -5
-Luxor Resort -
Johnny and Tessa stand at a craps table and by the sound of those surrounding him, he’s on a hot streak.
Johnny shakes the dice in his hand before letting Tessa blow on them. “Eat it, Andre Jenson!”
The dice fly down the strip and bounces off the back wall, popping up 7s. The people around the table erupt and Johnny nods along taking it in. He swipes up the dice one more time, Tessa blows on’em and he gives them another roll. They bounce against the wall and come back with 7s again. Tessa gives Johnny a look and he simply nods, turning his attention to the Boxperson. “I guess it’s best to go out on top, eh bruv?”
Tessa scoops up Johnny’s earnings and the two leave the table behind to the disapproving rumblings of the craps horde. “Smart move, Johnny, to leave while you were up.”
Johnny smirks as the two walk through the casino, passing up the craps tables with the slot machines in sight. “I got you, luv, you know how to keep me on the straight and narrow. I mean, look around this place, so many are looking to bet on themselves to get an opportunity to make that big pay out. No wonder Action Wrestling calls this place home and we are competing in the biggest gamble in the entire sport.”
“Havoc?”
Johnny nods. “You got it. Look at it this way, we all are yanking on that arm hoping we hit jackpot at Havoc and if anyone says differently, then they’re just lying to themselves. The variables that play out in that match, can’t be simply controlled. Doc Holiday gets the pleasure of coming out last and he’s going to be on the outside looking in with too much time on his hands, in my opinion. He’s going to hype himself up with his mate Jens, but as the night goes on he’s going to be inching closer and closer to his number being called… That’s when he’s going to let that doubt seep in. He may be fresh, but he’s not going to be conditioned to what will be going on in that ring, like the rest of us who will be giving our blood, sweat, and tears to claw ourselves to the very end.”
“He’s a very gifted athlete, bruv, but you’re right, pure talent only takes you so far. He’s proven what he’s capable of when his back is against the wall and honestly it is the ‘war’ he finds himself in that allows him to step up. Coming in fresh is a good thing, but he’s also going to be unfamiliar with the actual battlefield in that ring.”
“It’s Havoc for a reason, right? We are going to have the Odin’s of the world doing what they do best, which is crush dreams of the less fortunate, until some miracle pulls through and a young upstart will show some sort of Herculean strength to eliminate him…” Johnny shows a sign of hope and Tessa chuckles.
“It’s fine to dream, bruv, but you and I know it’s going to take the entire ring of competitors to take out that monster of a man, so I say play your cards right in that ring and you will wind up on the right side of that ordeal.”
Johnny nods and he points at the first row of slot machines that is made up of a flurry of elderly women and men looking to get that one high that comes with those bright lights and bells and whistles that come with hitting it big. “Can you see the parallels here, Tess? These hard working folks have lived a good life, found their highs and found their lows, but they too are here at Vegas looking to find that jackpot. We have Odin STILL… Still taking part in Havoc looking to cash in on all of that experience over the years. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his love/hate partner Corey Black finding his way to Havoc as well to prove he’s still a relevant self proclaimed KING of everything the sun touches or whatever. A deep cut, what are we going to have, the inaugural AW World Champion, Roy Speede returning to show the world that ‘he’s still got it too’? Will the flash in the pan, Mickey X return to prove that the one time he won Havoc wasn’t some kind of fluke? Will that walking trainwreck TFK try once more to muster up the courage to revive his ‘Hall of Fame’ career to prove that he’s more than just a money vault for the likes of Doc Holiday and Jesse Lee?”
“That Jessie Lee, though, is one wicked witch. She proved that TFK did squat for her career and I for one would keep my eyes on her out there. She has a pretty big point to prove as well, since it looks like gold has done everything it can to stay away from her hands. Not to say she hadn’t held it before, but these opportunities she had since losing her TV title back in February hasn’t produced much of anything for her. She’s going to be looking to use this Havoc match as a true spotlight to show the entire Action Wrestling that she is in fact The Dommy Mommy and she doesn’t have to wait in lines to take what is her’s.”
Johnny snickers as he nudges Tessa to look at the giant gelatinous toothless woman in the red mobility scooter, obviously wasted, shaking her Australian Flag bandana wrapped head back and forth allowing her greasy blonde mullet to flop in unison. “Sorry, sorry, the Aussie Assault on my eyes just then. What were you saying about Jessie Lee?”
“Ha, that’s brilliant, but in all honesty, I’d keep your head on a swivel out there. Jessie Lee isn’t the only one looking to prove their name carries more weight than it does. You have the relentless Addy A who just returned and is looking to burn through this roster on her way to the top. To have the stage of Havoc to be the proving ground for her brand, I guarantee she’s going to do anything and everything to come out on top. She’s held gold and she’s proven herself the world over as well, but there’s still that shadow that hangs on her, that her old partner the infamous Lissie Hope won the AW World title and she hadn’t succeeded that feat as of yet. The girl has a fire burning bright inside of her, bruv and I just want to make sure you see her coming.”
“Nah, I got ya, luv. I’ve seen Addy A come back to Action Wrestling and she surely hasn’t lost a step. There’s something about her bullocks that seem to be bigger than most of the blokes in Action Wrestling. She makes the Jaice Wilds’s and TJ Alexander’s of the world look like bloody Ken Dolls.”
“Speaking of TJ Alexander, since Jaice is a flake who can’t get over having just his toe in this sport instead of his entire heart and soul… TJ claims he was the Brit-Wres scene, luv. He put you on blast before your debut match, taking offense that you thought he’d tear up the Brit-Wres scene… So sad, that he was probably the face of the Brit-Wres scene when the #MeToo movement was taking over the United Kingdom. He earned his flowers, but he’s the one who pissed off while you were tearing down the roof’s of England, battling your way through the Brit-Wres scene. The moment the two of you squared off with one another in the ring, the sound of the crowd was deafening, because just as I do, they believe in the money the two of you are going to make battling each other.”
Johnny stops in front of a black jack table and he notices it is composed of some of the most greasy rat looking individuals that you could only find in a casino in the Nevada desert. “TJ Alexander had the audacity to say I wanted to take his spot in Action Wrestling, Tess. I didn’t come to the States to take a piss with TJ Alexander of all people. He’s not the measuring stick in the UK, no matter how many times he spouts off about it. I give him his credit for what he’s been able to do, but my coming to the States is for me to prove that I’m not some guy sitting at a table looking for ONE more card, in hopes that one more hit will get me to the big pay out. TJ is going to be too busy trying to count cards, that he’s not going to even have a chance to put an end to my climb to the top. I mean, look at these people throwing everything they have to the dealer for just another hit, in hopes that they’re saving grace is coming next. It’s no different than the likes of Karlie Nash who has become the embodiment of the try and try and try and try again, until you realize your ceiling was 5 years ago. Or the likes of her fellow eNVy partner, Vespertine. She is in a team called eNVy and god, I feel the name is fitting. She is a Cruiserweight Tag Champion, yet she looks at the likes of the others around her who are climbing higher than a defunct show like Cruiserclash and she WANTS… No, she NEEDS what they have. Desperation is going to eat her alive at Havoc and I don’t even have to spend long telling her that fact. She’s not happy with holding gold with Karlie Nash and I believe that tells more about HER than any opponent in Havoc is going to say. But another wrestler who is a spitting image of these hopeful blackjack players is, Jonny Cedrone. He is a hell of a competitor and he has mastered the come behind story and cashing in when he needs to. I mean, he’s a 2 time US champion, Tess.”
“He really is, bruv.” Tessa twirls her hair with an index finger.
“But each reign is…” Johnny snaps his fingers looking for the right word.
“Lackluster, luv, that’s the word you’re looking for.”
“Exactly. The guy has IT, I mean he wouldn’t be in these big match discussions if he didn’t bring something to the ring, right? He wouldn’t have had the US title in his grasp long enough for the tea kettle to spout off. But, just like our good friends here, he too is looking for ONE MORE CARD. He needs it, because what he has done so far hasn’t lifted him out of the negative space that he has seeped down into. Pulling yourself up from your bootstraps has left him a long time ago and that’s probably why he’s going to get eaten alive entering at number 1 in Havoc.”
“If it is poor luck to get that 1st slot and getting the final slot for Doc Holiday wasn’t ideal in your eyes… How does that work out, bruv?” Tessa scratches her head.
“Here’s the thing, Havoc isn’t about luck like this casino causes the faithful to beg for… No, it’s about maximizing your minutes and being precise with your approach. You said it right earlier when it is all about playing your cards right. We know Odin is gonna smash and The Green is going to release his definition of destruction. Sara Pettis and Lexi Sparkles are going to do everything they can to sway Draugr to each of their sides to control the monster’s brute strength. You asked what spot do I find more likely to be the ‘sweet spot’ and I’ll honestly say it is somewhere in the middle. It’ll allow you to get a feel for what’s going on and it’ll allow you to come in fresh enough without living in your head the entire night. Again, Doc is screwed, ha and I wouldn’t want to be that car crash, Cedrone either.”
“It sounds crazy, but I think you’re right. I could see you coming in at slot 13-” Tessa throws the number out and Johnny stops her.
“Come on, luv, you can’t put that bad ju ju on me. Slap that number on Koenig, or Madrox, or Hale, or hell even Niobe Martin. Not a single one of them has an inch of life in this Havoc match and coming in at 13, would just be par for the course for them. They’re not taking part in Havoc to reach for that brass ring, they’re just going to go the way of Karlie Nash who has been hot and cold her entire career in Action Wrestling.”
Tessa shrugs and then nods to agree as the two begin to continue to walk through the casino. They stop as they noticed a couple of big time rollers being escorted toward a private suite, obviously standing out with the suited entourage guiding their way.
“Ah, the whales… The high rollers who most people would make a comfortable bet by siding with them. That’s how I see Draugr, Sicko, Tatiana, Teo, and that filthy unhonorable Zombie McMorris. Those wrestlers are the whales of Action Wrestling and it’s so easy to see. Slap any of their names next to Gerard Angelo’s for Evolution 6 for the World Championship and not a single person would be surprised. Draugr has been dominant, I mean the guy is the US Champion and he just took out a bonafide tag team in The New Brotherhood for the Tag Titles after they’ve had a firm iron grasp on the entire division. He’s a monster and he is a safe bet. Another monster is Sicko who has been a hell of a run and is the current Omega Champion.”
“Tatiana Jolee is a crafty chick too, bruv. She has had the entire company against her and she proved her going power in that ring by dethroning the Ill Jill Park who truly proved how to win with grace and determination.”
Johnny chuckles, “Grace and determination, eh? Another way of saying she had the boss in her pocket? Okay, but I give Tatiana her flowers because she navigated all of that bull shit to claim the grand prize of the company. It was for only a month, but still, she DID IT, right? But as I mentioned, she is indeed a whale in this scenario because who wouldn’t want to see her battling Angelo at Evolution? But Teo Blaze probably feels like this whole thing is HIS to win. He feels like he got duped by Angelo and this is his quick way to get his revenge to take back what is ‘HIS’. He has a better story to tell than Zombie McMorris, the rookie wrecker himself. He’s eaten the soul and hope of wet behind the ear newbies his entire career. He’d be called a gatekeeper, but he’s a walking shit show that the company has been burned by in the past when they’ve given him the ball to run. This isn’t the summer of ZMac, I’ll tell you that.”
Tessa nudges Johnny and points at an old man in a cowboy hat sitting in front of a slot machine with his O2 tank clutched in one hand and the slot machine arm in the other. They watch as he yanks with all the hope in the world and he hits nothing.
“Poor bastard, remind you of anyone, bruv?” Tessa snickers.
“The beers were good and the two of us proved to be efficient in that ring… But you and I both saw the truth in the seasoned veteran… Muru was out of place in the World title conversation and Havoc isn’t going to do him any favors when he tries to prove that it wasn’t a fluke that he got his last shot against Angelo and company. He has going power out there, but he’s been in the game long enough to know when it is HIS time and when it isn’t.”
The old cowboy practically leaps up off the stool and the two take a look at his screen, the oldman has used all of his credits. “Hmph, story of Muru’s life, eh?” Johnny and Tessa look to each other.
“You came to the States for a reason, luv, and this is your moment.”
“Action Wrestling is the top of the industry and I haven’t lost my focus on that fact. I’m new here and just as a ‘surprise’ entrant has an edge, I am right there in that same category. Not a soul may see me standing across from Gerard Angelo at Evolution 6, but I for one never count myself out. I am London’s Best Export and I came here to BET on myself. Unlike the rest of the people here and those lost souls taking a chance by calling their shot at Havoc. I believe without a shadow of a doubt that betting on myself will pay out for me.”
“Half the battle is having confidence to do this and you got that in spades.”
“I’m aces, bruv and there’s not a single person in Havoc that is going to steal the show and back up their own hype, like me. Before this, the Action Wrestling faithful may have known a bit about me from the UK, but after Havoc, I’m going to be the only name on their tongues. I’ll be the only name that makes the most sense to stand across from Gerard Angelo with his World title on the line at Evolution.”
“I’d bet on you, luv.” Tessa smiles with confidence in her client.
“Havoc is for me to win it all and the quicker the rest of them realize it, the more time they’ll have to plan out what they do after their inevitable crippling failure.”