Everything You Have Got!

[J.T.Cash]

Ben Hampton
You ok kid?

The beads of sweat dripped off the brow of J.T.Cash, each breath came with a shooting pain, his ribs were bruised, his eyes were darkened and cut, his right knee had been strapped up all as a result of the battle earlier in the week with The Murder’s own Malcolm Drake. Cash lay there on the sofa of his penthouse suite in New York, in the background on loop was the match that had caused Cash so much pain, dressed in a pair of jogging pants and a plain white tee shirt it was obvious that the injuries sustained as a result of his match with Drake were taken their toll on the Las Vegas native. Hampton meanwhile had let himself in, dressed in a perfectly attired suite, a long black overcoat that nearly ran the length of the somewhat stocky physique of Ben Hampton, he looked down over his thick rimmed glasses and through the puff of smoke caused by his long Cuban cigar that rested in interchanging positions between his lips and his fingers. His voice was gruff and less than sympathetic, his words were delivered with more of a degree of expectation not concern

Ben Hampton
Seriously kid, that was one hell of a fight out there, that Malcolm Drake is a fucking animal and you stood toe to toe with him…

J.T.Cash
…up until he beat me!

Cash interrupted, delivered slowly and with a hushed tone he cut off a now surprised Ben Hampton, there was more than a tinge of regret about Cash

J.T.Cash
It’s ok Ben, you can say it… right up until Malcolm Drake beat J.T.Cash in the middle of the ring. Look at this Ben…

Cash moved off the sofa and sat up allowing Ben to take a seat next to him, together they watched the match through each man hitting eachother with moves more ferocious than the one before

Ben Hampton
I’m sure as shit glad he wasn’t around when I was fighting, Cash there’s no disgrace in losing to Malcolm Drake… he’s one of the best, and he’s certainly the most psychotic. You fought, it’s all we can ask!

Cash paused the footage right as the three count went down and the cameras zoomed in on to the face of one of the fans holding up a J.T.Cash sign, by now he was nearly in floods of tears, a father had brought his son to the FGA to watch his favourite wrestler, and his wrestler had lost. Cash leant back in to the sofa and rubbed his forehead

J.T.Cash
You know this business better than anyone else I know, what do we do it for?

Ben Hampton
Jesus that’s a big question, I mean it depends, in my days you had them all just like you do now. You had men who sold their soul to the powers that be just to get a bigger paycheque and endorsement deal, you had men who lost their families because they were living the life that they portrayed to the world, you had men like me who broke their bodies in half because they had the biggest chip on their shoulder and wanted to prove wrestling wasn’t the land of the giants, you had the men who wanted to be loved by everyone and those who enjoyed being hated. You can do it for the money, you can do it for the fame or you can do it because you love it. It aint no different now Cash, being a wrestling fan is very simple… you cheer the good guy you boo the asshole.

Cash nodded and then slowly looked over towards Hampton, a man he had respected since a child, a man who was for all intents and purposes the father figure in his life

J.T.Cash
And me, what do you think I do it for?

Hampton cocked an eyebrow confused as to where this was going, nevertheless never short of a word Hampton shot back

Ben Hampton
Well let me think, if you were doing it for fame you sure as shit wouldn’t be in FGA Wrestling where you’re lucky if you get watched by more than five thousand a week between live audience and DVD sales, you ain’t doing it for money because frankly the Cash estate which you own could buy FGA Wrestling with cheap change, and seemingly you’re more than happy to give your money to the people the way you go around buying and donating to people, I can’t believe you are doing it to get to the top because if I know the management in the big two… they aint visiting FGA too often… is this where you tell me you do it for the love of the game and throw me a few cheesy lines.

Hampton asked with a cheeky smile, he knew the answer but wanted to see what his reaction would be, Hampton smile turned to one of shock when Cash replied…

J.T.Cash
People like you…

Ben Hampton
Like me?

Hampton could only return a confused look and two words delivered with a sense of bewilderment

J.T.Cash
You busted your ass, you broke bones, torn limbs, cut flesh… you’ve bled in every state of this country and in every continent around the world, you have Ben blazed a trail of blood, sweat and tears for men like me, for all of us to do what we want to do, to do what we love, to do what we dreamt of doing as kids. I don’t care that I got beat by Malcolm Drake, there aint no shame in that… I do care about letting down kids like that, I do care about the dreams of the next generation, the people that watch me, pay their hard earned money to see me, I do care about every single man, woman and child who comes to any building we are in hoping to see J.T.Cash do what he does and then feel let down when what I do isn’t quite good enough. I was in awe of you Ben, I still watch tapes of you fighting the likes of Hogan in the seventies and am left wondering how such a talentless loser made his millions whilst one of the best natural wrestlers to ever grace the ring was left opening a wrestling school that saw my sorry ass walk through the door. You were the main event for me Ben, I know I take liberties, I know I joke about you but the fact is if it wasn’t for men like you, men like Flair, men like Scott Cash, Scarlett Willis, Jay Adams, Peter McCarthy… there would be no J.T.Cash. Throughout the years people have held the hopes of the fans in their hands, the guys who didn’t do it for ego, for money, for fame.. but for the fans, for the people… for people like….that.

Cash said pointed directly at the television, the younger child was dressed in a J.T.Cash tee shirt, wearing a pair of shades similar to that of the Cashman, Cash sighed, genuinely looking saddened. Hampton shrugged his shoulders

Ben Hampton
Listen Cash, seriously, that kid will be talking for weeks about your match, he’ll be going to whatever school he goes to telling them how he watched you and Drake go to war, hell you fell short, so what… he’ll come back because you’ll come back. And you know what you reeled off all those names, do you know what we all had in common, it wasn’t money, fame, fuck me it wasn’t even talent, it was heart and balls. We broke our balls week in week out, we fought each night and we gave our best, we gave it to the people because that’s the only thing they demand. You fought a hell of a fight and that is what they will remember, you’ve got a huge future ahead of you Cash all you need to do is believe it. Stop screwing around bringing up who you used to be, who you used to try to be… be who you are, be the man who walked through the doors of my wrestling school hungrier than anyone else I have ever seen, be the man who stayed behind for hours on end when more talented wrestlers pissed off to the bars, be the man who swore that he would one day be the champion and have the people get in to the ring with him to celebrate… You see what I am saying Cash, you’re not different to any man, woman or child who go to the FGA events, you love professional wrestling, I’ve known you for fifteen years and you’ve always loved this game, if you weren’t a wrestler then you’d be with them in the stands… I know you Cash, I know you feel like you have to live up to the Cash name, I know you feel like you have to somehow prove a point to your spoilt fucking father who hasn’t got a pair of balls, or to your mother who frankly is trying to live in the past… the name Cash in Las Vegas may mean one thing but there, in that building last Saturday night it meant something completely different, you’re not an asshole businessman, you’re not some spoilt brat who bought his way to the top, I tried to break you in wrestling school, I’ve been busting your ass ever since and still you’re doing this and you’re fucking doing it better than most people in the business. So don’t think for one second that you’re letting anyone down, don’t think that the kids, the men and women who go to the events think that you loosing is the end of the world, your fans will still love you if you give them everything you have got, they will still love you because if you keep get back up after every knock down it will prove to the world that J.T.Cash isn’t just good, he’s not just technically gifted in that ring but he has the balls to hang with some of the biggest, the craziest, the most evil sons of a bitches in the game.. and that gives them a priceless commodity, hope. That gives them hope that pricks like The Murder and Chandler Scott won’t have it all their own way. You give them that Cash, you got knocked down last Saturday night, no excuses, no blame… on the night you just fell short but you’ve only been back three weeks… you fell short against one of the best in that locker room… now give the people everything you’ve got, get your ass back up, get back in that ring and prove that you are their hero.

With his eyes narrowing with a determined look Cash sat up, Ben Hampton has spoken with so much passion that it was impossible not to be motivated. Nodding his head with a smile Cash looked back over towards the television and pressed play as he watched Malcolm Drake celebrate.

J.T.Cash
You’re right…

Ben Hampton
I’m always fucking right

The two men laughed as Cash stretched out, the pain running through his body as he did so. Sitting up he nodded towards his phone as Ben grabbed it for him. Cash dialled a number and brought it to his ear

J.T.Cash
Hey Kevin, you know we were talking about that interview, how about come the DVD taping you join me in the ring…. Yeah man of course, all on record, no holds barred, you ask… I’ll answer. Nah man, it’s all about the future… time to show just who I am…. Thanks my friend, I’ll see you soon……

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