Poppin' Molly
Mar 3, 2016 17:04:40 GMT -5
Post by Lou on Mar 3, 2016 17:04:40 GMT -5
La Casa de Mayu Ito
New York City
Feb. 16, 2016
9:47 p.m.
A nervous and confused Ricky Valero stands outside the heavy steel door to his girlfriend Mayu Ito’s Manhattan apartment. Just two days prior, they had an amazing Valentine’s Day together. Everything went perfectly. But Ricky wasn’t so certain about tonight. He could sense the frustration in her voice when they spoke earlier in the evening using that always-concerning phrase, “We need to talk!”
Ricky obliged, and he got to Mayu’s as quickly as he could not knowing what to expect. As far as he had known, everything between them was perfect. Sure, he’d been a bit distant lately, battling internal demons that were eating away at him day by day. However, he didn’t notice anything wrong with his and Mayu’s relationship. In fact, he thought things were better than ever before.
Having been at the gym, he was wearing a black workout shirt and grey basketball shorts. A pink rubber bracelet adorned his left wrist for breast cancer, slightly covering the tattoo for his late cousin on his forearm. He takes a deep breath and stares at the door for a moment more before knocking. The sound echoes throughout the hallway and Ricky lets out an audible sigh.
“Here goes,” he muttered to himself.
Within the threshold, a nervous wreck paces across the floor with hands twisting with one another. Dressed in plain black leggings and an oversize floral sweater, Mayu paused when a knock echoes from the door. She lifted up her thumb gnawing at her nail, before opening up the door. Seeing him made her insides knot in horror trying to swallow down intense sadness and sudden rage.
“H-hey, Ricky…” Mayu stammered
Holding his iPhone in his hand, he fiddled with it nervously in his hands. “Can I come in?” He’s hesitant to motion inside, sensing exactly what he had feared the most: things are not okay.
Shuffling to the side, Mayu waved her hand out to invite him inside the extremely clean apartment. It was obvious the model wasn’t home much. Once Ricky moves past further inside, the door is shut behind him. Raven locks are combed back with nervousness. It was difficult to start this conversation because Mayu knew it couldn’t end well…
“Ricky... “ She exhaled. “I don’t want to beat around the bush with small talk…I-if we don’t start then I might just avoid this all together... Remember when we first started dating? I told you that mistakes are only beyond repair when they become secrets… Is there anything you want to tell me?”
He looked at her uncertain. His heartbeat was pounding like rapid fire now. Was there anything he wanted to tell her? He’d been flirtatious with women lately, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, and even she knew that. What could he possibly need to tell her...what could she possibly be looking for from him in this moment, right now?
And then the lightbulb went off. The attitude Luke Jackson had been giving him the past couple days suddenly made sense. The awkward looks Luke’s wife Jules gave him when he saw her before the last episode of Vertigo. He remembered Luke and Mayu had lunch the day before, and realized just then that his own tag partner dimed him out to his girlfriend. That's right, Luke Jackson tattled on Ricky for banging his sister.
Ricky was kicking himself. More importantly, he was visualizing himself kicking Luke right now. Repeatedly. Over and over again. Tag Titles be damned.
“No,” he managed to whisper. “I don’t think so…”
“You don’t think so.” Mayu repeated, breathlessly. A cold chill thundered down her spine as her chest grew hollow from his obvious lie. She already knew all about it in more detail than ever desired. Teeth bit into her lower lip and her palm smacked harshly against his cheek.
“You don’t think so!” She snapped loudly trying to hold onto anger instead of the overwhelming sadness right on its heels. “Who’s Larissa then? Explain to me in great detail your relationship with Luke’s sister. D-don’t lie to me… T-that’s all I asked, Ricky.” Mayu gasped clasping her hand firmly over her lips to calm down. Her eyes blurred with tears.
“Mayu…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t want to admit it even though she had already called him out on him. He could see the pain in her eyes and the heartbreak he was causing her this very instant by lying to her face. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away immediately. “I-I don’t know what you want me to say, Mayu.”
It felt like he had a lump of coal in his throat and it suddenly got difficult to breathe. He couldn’t look his girlfriend in the eye, instead focusing on a speck of lint on the carpet beneath his feet.
Observing Ricky, her lover, through a mist of water as if the two had been submerged into ice water. She despised the part of her that wanted to wrap her arms around him, forgive him, and attempt to move past it all. Yet, a larger part felt emptied out like a balloon quickly losing air from a sharp stab. Mayu lowered her hand from her mouth just in time for hot tears to spill down her cheeks. A lingering question tipped on her tongue, ‘Do you really love me?’ But she allowed it to fade away.
“I…” She began in a strangled voice, “Are you even sorry? You can’t apologize to me? You can’t even admit what you’ve done? Nothing? Y-you can’t even look at me...” Mayu furiously wiped her eyes.
The tears began to well up in his own eyes and rested stagnant on his eyelids as he resisted the urge to break down in full-blown panic mode in front of her. Months of stress and internal hell had pushed him to the brink, but even now, in this moment, he was unwilling to be weak and reveal his true self to her when she really needed him to just be honest. He gasped for air and wobbled on his feet slightly, but just enough to go unnoticed. Ricky was undoubtedly having an anxiety attack, but now was not the time to give in.
“I’m…” He stammered, stumbling over his words and struggling to find what he thought was the right thing to say in this moment. Someone usually so smooth with his words suddenly couldn’t muster even a single comprehensible sentence. “It wasn’t right.”
Finally, he’s able to force his eyes to meet her, and the utter sadness expressed across her face twisted his stomach into knots. He couldn’t deal with the reality that he did this to her. She was crying because of him, and he still couldn’t even utter two simple words: I’m sorry.
“Should this even really be a big deal?” he spewed out of nowhere. “I mean it was how many months ago already?!”
Mayu’s expression morphed from concern to shock: lips parting, eyes widened, and body ridged. She had saw those brief glimpses of weakness, but he had never truly leaned on her as she did him. It was never equal. Had she let him down on that term? Mayu wanted to be his support but now it didn’t feel like it mattered much. Her mind worked a mile a minute to sift through many horrid things that could pop from her lips in response to him. Mayu wanted to scream at him, hit him, shove him-- anything to get all the anger from her body.
“What if I told you I had sex with someone earlier on?! Would that stop being a problem even if it happened months ago?! H-how can you stand there and say that to me?!” Mayu stepped backwards enough to brace herself against the wall. “I asked you-- I asked you, if you wanted to be with me! Damn it, Ricky-- why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to sleep with someone else?! I--” Mayu choked from a sob that caught in her throat. “I just wanted you to be honest with me…”
She would not melt down completely. Not in front of him. “I love you… but I can’t… I can’t…” Mayu breathed and softly, “Get out.”
Ricky was finally ready to fight back, but it was too late. He had crushed her. He said the wrong thing and everything seemed to be in shambles now. How could they possibly recover from this? Ricky was a liar. A downright, dirty liar, just like everyone has always said he was. Just like people have surely told Mayu a million times over. But she put her faith in him. She trusted him, and he made her regret every ounce of trust she had in him. It was a stone cold slap to the face, and so far, Ricky acted like he didn’t even care.
He could feel Mayu slipping from his grasps. Everything they had worked for was disappearing because he was a stubborn, megalomaniacal asshole. So he figured he would respond the only way he knew how…
“Mayu, I’m sorry,” he muttered. And he meant it. For cheating on her. For lying to her. “I know I messed up when I slept with Larissa. My reasoning behind it in itself was despicable enough. But to do that...that’s just unforgivable and I have no clue how you can sit across from me right now without jumping at me and ripping my jugular out clean.”
He paused for a moment, reconsidering his thoughts before continuing. Across from him, Mayu just stared at him in stunned silence.
“I don’t deserve you, Mayu. I never did. You want me to leave? Maybe it’s time we just pack it in and call it a day. It’s probably the smartest thing we could ever do before we ruin both our lives and waste more time.”
Poof. Gone. Done. No fighting for her. Nothing. ‘Goodbye’ with a pat on the head. Mayu wanted to tell him he deserved far more than he believed he did. Even with this mess all around them, he hadn’t ruined her life. She saw something most people refused to, maybe even Ricky himself strayed from, a good man. That alone fueled her incredible trust in him, or rather, had. However, it didn’t matter anymore as Mayu’s knees trembled threatening to send her to the ground. All the energy vanished from her body. How was she suppose to respond to that?
Instead, with all of her might, the raven haired beauty pushed from the wall. Like a zombie shambling, she headed towards the door which felt like slow motion, when it actually was in real time. Mayu stopped halfway towards the door with thoughts of begging him to please not to this. Regardless of his brutal mistake and bland reaction. She continued forward and grabbed the door handle to tug it open. All her weight leaned against the wooden frame to keep up right.
“If that’s what you want.” Mayu’s voice was frail.
Another opportunity to fight and make things okay again. Mayu had given him countless opportunities in just the last few minutes. He didn’t take a single one, and he wasn’t going to take this one either. For a man who spent literally every waking moment of his life fighting whether it was at home, on the streets or in the ring, he just didn’t seem to have it in him. He quit. He gave up. And walked right out the door.
.
.
.
(rec)
“Champion...”
Our scene fades in on the smirking, confident face of one half of the FGA World Tag Team Champions, the self-proclaimed “Franchise” Ricky Valero.
“It’s a title I’ve received more times than I care to count today, but every time is like the first time all over again. This championship belt is the mark of hard work and dedication. It’s awarded for resiliency, a refusal on the part of myself and my amazing tag partner, Luke Jackson, to surrender, to give in to the tribulations, and just pack it in. We worked our asses off to carve through the Joker’s Wild Tag Tournament, and despite all the doubts, despite all the uncertainty...we achieved exactly what we set out to accomplish.”
He holds the title belt up alongside his face.
“But this title is only the beginning. Not because I don’t think Luke and I can last as a tag team. Make no mistake about it: we plan on running roughshod through every challenger who sets foot in our path. No, this is only the beginning because both Luke and myself have greater goals, bigger plans, and they start and end with the FGA World Championship. The Tag Team Championships are a stepping stone to the mountaintop, and just like everyone else on this roster...I want to be king.
Unfortunately, there’s an extensive list of folks standing in my way who are the next in line. You know some of their names...Zero McHannon, of course, Sunshine Scandalous Tony Carmine, Fujiko Mine, Noelle Smith, Izzy Anders...the list goes on and on before we ever get to the name ‘Ricky Valero’. And I get it. I’m still the new kid on the block. I still have a lot to prove if I’m going to place myself among the best here in FGA. But this…”
He flashes the FGA World Tag Team Championship belt around his waist once again.
“...this is a step in the right direction. Another rung up the ladder, and before we know it, I’ll be standing toe to toe with the FGA World Champion, basking in the glory, seizing the opportunity, and I guarantee you this: winning the FGA World Championship and firmly entrenching myself as the best wrestler this company has ever seen. That reality upsets some folks watching this right now. They scoff at the idea of Ricky Valero catapulting himself to the top, surpassing so many of the ‘stars’ considered superior to him as far as the rankings go, but you can’t deny the inevitable. I’ve always been a firm believer in destiny, and my destiny is unmistakable.
So here we go again. Another show, another match, and an opportunity to move another step forward. But just like every match I’ve had since debuting here in FGA just a short time ago, this next opponent presents me with a serious challenge at the next Vertigo. Molly Reid, you know I have respect for you. We’ve hung out, we’re cool, there isn’t really an ounce of bad blood between us. And why would there be? To date, our professional paths have yet to cross, and, as a result, we haven’t been forced to butt heads quite like we will when we finally do square off inside the Agganis Arena in Boston.”
He smirks.
“I’m ready for a fight, and I have no issues getting down and dirty, doing whatever it takes to leave that arena with another victory to my name, Molly. I know you know this. I know you’ve been sitting there at home, watching every piece of film you can find on me, doing whatever you can to prepare for me, and you see it. You see the lengths I will go for the sake of one win. One meaningless win in so many other people’s minds means the world to me. I don’t roll out of bed and go to the arena feeling okay with myself if I’m only at 75 or 85 percent. I have to give it my all every single night, regardless of the circumstances and stipulations surrounding the match I’m involved with and the opponent I’m slated to compete with. I don’t take nights off. I don’t rest on my laurels. My opponent is ALWAYS going to get 110 percent from me, and I have no doubt you know that, Molly.
For a lesser opponent, I’d assume you’d be shitting yourself right now just thinking about having to go up against me. You’d be biting your nails, tapping your foot, scanning Twitter, doing anything you could to take your mind off the reality that you would be stepping toe to toe with me in a few short days. But you’re not like so many of these hacks in this sport anymore. You’re going to put up a fight, too. Because just like me, you have something to prove. And just like me, you NEED a W. I know better than to sleep on Molly Reid, and that’s why I’ve been doing everything in MY power to prepare for this match. That’s why I’ve been staying up late watching all the film, taking notes, and doing everything I can to ensure that no matter what you bring for me at Vertigo, Molly, and no matter what you have to offer, I’ll see it coming from a mile away.
And then I remembered something...this Molly Reid isn’t the same Molly Reid I’ve been thinking I’m going into this match against. The one who in 2012 looked like a surefire icon in IWF, made waves on the regular, and left the people wanting more. No, this Molly Reid I’m slated to face in Boston is hardly a shell of her former self inside the ring, and I say that with the utmost respect…”
He chuckles to himself.
“...the fire just isn’t there anymore, Molly. And it’s not just you. The sport passed all those IWF stars by a long time ago. Zack Lifer, Chuck Matthews, Dexter Jacobs...I’ve beaten them all. Parker, Beth Keaton, Cynthia Cross...no one ever remembers what they look like. I literally ended Jason Hawk’s career. These are your contemporaries and, with the exception of Dexter, every single one of them is irrelevant today.
Including you. So what business you have joining me inside the squared circle is beyond me. All I know is, the odds are not in your favor. Come hell or high water though, I do know you’re going to bring the fight. That’s what you do. That’s who you are. You’re a fighter who relishes the opportunity to throw down. The unfortunately reality for you, however, is that you simply cannot match up. No matter how much fight you have in you. No matter how much firepower you bring to this war, you’re outgunned.
By all means, please prove me wrong. I know somewhere deep down inside is the same Molly Reid we all thought could be the future of this industry, I just don’t believe she’s capable of revealing herself anymore. But I relish the challenge if you can offer me it. I want an all-out brawl. Beat down, drag ‘em out, pulling hair, busting teeth brawl. Just know that while we may be friends outside the ring, we are the greatest enemies within the confines of those ropes, Molly. I will not be holding anything back, because while you may simply love participating in the sport of wrestling, NOTHING is more important to me than VICTORY. I love competing under those bright lights and basking in the fans’ cheers, but it’s all for naught if the end result is not triumph.
Molly, you’re perfectly comfortable with being part of the action…”
He raises a blue participation ribbon to the camera.
“...So I got you this. Me, I’m here to leave my mark and be something special. I’m here to win gold like this…”
He holds the FGA World Tag Team Title to the camera now.
“...And you’re just another stepping stone along my journey to the top.”
“Are you ready?”
With a wink and a kiss blown mockingly to the camera, we fade to black...
New York City
Feb. 16, 2016
9:47 p.m.
A nervous and confused Ricky Valero stands outside the heavy steel door to his girlfriend Mayu Ito’s Manhattan apartment. Just two days prior, they had an amazing Valentine’s Day together. Everything went perfectly. But Ricky wasn’t so certain about tonight. He could sense the frustration in her voice when they spoke earlier in the evening using that always-concerning phrase, “We need to talk!”
Ricky obliged, and he got to Mayu’s as quickly as he could not knowing what to expect. As far as he had known, everything between them was perfect. Sure, he’d been a bit distant lately, battling internal demons that were eating away at him day by day. However, he didn’t notice anything wrong with his and Mayu’s relationship. In fact, he thought things were better than ever before.
Having been at the gym, he was wearing a black workout shirt and grey basketball shorts. A pink rubber bracelet adorned his left wrist for breast cancer, slightly covering the tattoo for his late cousin on his forearm. He takes a deep breath and stares at the door for a moment more before knocking. The sound echoes throughout the hallway and Ricky lets out an audible sigh.
“Here goes,” he muttered to himself.
Within the threshold, a nervous wreck paces across the floor with hands twisting with one another. Dressed in plain black leggings and an oversize floral sweater, Mayu paused when a knock echoes from the door. She lifted up her thumb gnawing at her nail, before opening up the door. Seeing him made her insides knot in horror trying to swallow down intense sadness and sudden rage.
“H-hey, Ricky…” Mayu stammered
Holding his iPhone in his hand, he fiddled with it nervously in his hands. “Can I come in?” He’s hesitant to motion inside, sensing exactly what he had feared the most: things are not okay.
Shuffling to the side, Mayu waved her hand out to invite him inside the extremely clean apartment. It was obvious the model wasn’t home much. Once Ricky moves past further inside, the door is shut behind him. Raven locks are combed back with nervousness. It was difficult to start this conversation because Mayu knew it couldn’t end well…
“Ricky... “ She exhaled. “I don’t want to beat around the bush with small talk…I-if we don’t start then I might just avoid this all together... Remember when we first started dating? I told you that mistakes are only beyond repair when they become secrets… Is there anything you want to tell me?”
He looked at her uncertain. His heartbeat was pounding like rapid fire now. Was there anything he wanted to tell her? He’d been flirtatious with women lately, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, and even she knew that. What could he possibly need to tell her...what could she possibly be looking for from him in this moment, right now?
And then the lightbulb went off. The attitude Luke Jackson had been giving him the past couple days suddenly made sense. The awkward looks Luke’s wife Jules gave him when he saw her before the last episode of Vertigo. He remembered Luke and Mayu had lunch the day before, and realized just then that his own tag partner dimed him out to his girlfriend. That's right, Luke Jackson tattled on Ricky for banging his sister.
Ricky was kicking himself. More importantly, he was visualizing himself kicking Luke right now. Repeatedly. Over and over again. Tag Titles be damned.
“No,” he managed to whisper. “I don’t think so…”
“You don’t think so.” Mayu repeated, breathlessly. A cold chill thundered down her spine as her chest grew hollow from his obvious lie. She already knew all about it in more detail than ever desired. Teeth bit into her lower lip and her palm smacked harshly against his cheek.
“You don’t think so!” She snapped loudly trying to hold onto anger instead of the overwhelming sadness right on its heels. “Who’s Larissa then? Explain to me in great detail your relationship with Luke’s sister. D-don’t lie to me… T-that’s all I asked, Ricky.” Mayu gasped clasping her hand firmly over her lips to calm down. Her eyes blurred with tears.
“Mayu…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t want to admit it even though she had already called him out on him. He could see the pain in her eyes and the heartbreak he was causing her this very instant by lying to her face. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away immediately. “I-I don’t know what you want me to say, Mayu.”
It felt like he had a lump of coal in his throat and it suddenly got difficult to breathe. He couldn’t look his girlfriend in the eye, instead focusing on a speck of lint on the carpet beneath his feet.
Observing Ricky, her lover, through a mist of water as if the two had been submerged into ice water. She despised the part of her that wanted to wrap her arms around him, forgive him, and attempt to move past it all. Yet, a larger part felt emptied out like a balloon quickly losing air from a sharp stab. Mayu lowered her hand from her mouth just in time for hot tears to spill down her cheeks. A lingering question tipped on her tongue, ‘Do you really love me?’ But she allowed it to fade away.
“I…” She began in a strangled voice, “Are you even sorry? You can’t apologize to me? You can’t even admit what you’ve done? Nothing? Y-you can’t even look at me...” Mayu furiously wiped her eyes.
The tears began to well up in his own eyes and rested stagnant on his eyelids as he resisted the urge to break down in full-blown panic mode in front of her. Months of stress and internal hell had pushed him to the brink, but even now, in this moment, he was unwilling to be weak and reveal his true self to her when she really needed him to just be honest. He gasped for air and wobbled on his feet slightly, but just enough to go unnoticed. Ricky was undoubtedly having an anxiety attack, but now was not the time to give in.
“I’m…” He stammered, stumbling over his words and struggling to find what he thought was the right thing to say in this moment. Someone usually so smooth with his words suddenly couldn’t muster even a single comprehensible sentence. “It wasn’t right.”
Finally, he’s able to force his eyes to meet her, and the utter sadness expressed across her face twisted his stomach into knots. He couldn’t deal with the reality that he did this to her. She was crying because of him, and he still couldn’t even utter two simple words: I’m sorry.
“Should this even really be a big deal?” he spewed out of nowhere. “I mean it was how many months ago already?!”
Mayu’s expression morphed from concern to shock: lips parting, eyes widened, and body ridged. She had saw those brief glimpses of weakness, but he had never truly leaned on her as she did him. It was never equal. Had she let him down on that term? Mayu wanted to be his support but now it didn’t feel like it mattered much. Her mind worked a mile a minute to sift through many horrid things that could pop from her lips in response to him. Mayu wanted to scream at him, hit him, shove him-- anything to get all the anger from her body.
“What if I told you I had sex with someone earlier on?! Would that stop being a problem even if it happened months ago?! H-how can you stand there and say that to me?!” Mayu stepped backwards enough to brace herself against the wall. “I asked you-- I asked you, if you wanted to be with me! Damn it, Ricky-- why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to sleep with someone else?! I--” Mayu choked from a sob that caught in her throat. “I just wanted you to be honest with me…”
She would not melt down completely. Not in front of him. “I love you… but I can’t… I can’t…” Mayu breathed and softly, “Get out.”
Ricky was finally ready to fight back, but it was too late. He had crushed her. He said the wrong thing and everything seemed to be in shambles now. How could they possibly recover from this? Ricky was a liar. A downright, dirty liar, just like everyone has always said he was. Just like people have surely told Mayu a million times over. But she put her faith in him. She trusted him, and he made her regret every ounce of trust she had in him. It was a stone cold slap to the face, and so far, Ricky acted like he didn’t even care.
He could feel Mayu slipping from his grasps. Everything they had worked for was disappearing because he was a stubborn, megalomaniacal asshole. So he figured he would respond the only way he knew how…
“Mayu, I’m sorry,” he muttered. And he meant it. For cheating on her. For lying to her. “I know I messed up when I slept with Larissa. My reasoning behind it in itself was despicable enough. But to do that...that’s just unforgivable and I have no clue how you can sit across from me right now without jumping at me and ripping my jugular out clean.”
He paused for a moment, reconsidering his thoughts before continuing. Across from him, Mayu just stared at him in stunned silence.
“I don’t deserve you, Mayu. I never did. You want me to leave? Maybe it’s time we just pack it in and call it a day. It’s probably the smartest thing we could ever do before we ruin both our lives and waste more time.”
Poof. Gone. Done. No fighting for her. Nothing. ‘Goodbye’ with a pat on the head. Mayu wanted to tell him he deserved far more than he believed he did. Even with this mess all around them, he hadn’t ruined her life. She saw something most people refused to, maybe even Ricky himself strayed from, a good man. That alone fueled her incredible trust in him, or rather, had. However, it didn’t matter anymore as Mayu’s knees trembled threatening to send her to the ground. All the energy vanished from her body. How was she suppose to respond to that?
Instead, with all of her might, the raven haired beauty pushed from the wall. Like a zombie shambling, she headed towards the door which felt like slow motion, when it actually was in real time. Mayu stopped halfway towards the door with thoughts of begging him to please not to this. Regardless of his brutal mistake and bland reaction. She continued forward and grabbed the door handle to tug it open. All her weight leaned against the wooden frame to keep up right.
“If that’s what you want.” Mayu’s voice was frail.
Another opportunity to fight and make things okay again. Mayu had given him countless opportunities in just the last few minutes. He didn’t take a single one, and he wasn’t going to take this one either. For a man who spent literally every waking moment of his life fighting whether it was at home, on the streets or in the ring, he just didn’t seem to have it in him. He quit. He gave up. And walked right out the door.
.
.
.
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”
-Vince Lombardi
-Vince Lombardi
(rec)
“Champion...”
Our scene fades in on the smirking, confident face of one half of the FGA World Tag Team Champions, the self-proclaimed “Franchise” Ricky Valero.
“It’s a title I’ve received more times than I care to count today, but every time is like the first time all over again. This championship belt is the mark of hard work and dedication. It’s awarded for resiliency, a refusal on the part of myself and my amazing tag partner, Luke Jackson, to surrender, to give in to the tribulations, and just pack it in. We worked our asses off to carve through the Joker’s Wild Tag Tournament, and despite all the doubts, despite all the uncertainty...we achieved exactly what we set out to accomplish.”
He holds the title belt up alongside his face.
“But this title is only the beginning. Not because I don’t think Luke and I can last as a tag team. Make no mistake about it: we plan on running roughshod through every challenger who sets foot in our path. No, this is only the beginning because both Luke and myself have greater goals, bigger plans, and they start and end with the FGA World Championship. The Tag Team Championships are a stepping stone to the mountaintop, and just like everyone else on this roster...I want to be king.
Unfortunately, there’s an extensive list of folks standing in my way who are the next in line. You know some of their names...Zero McHannon, of course, Sunshine Scandalous Tony Carmine, Fujiko Mine, Noelle Smith, Izzy Anders...the list goes on and on before we ever get to the name ‘Ricky Valero’. And I get it. I’m still the new kid on the block. I still have a lot to prove if I’m going to place myself among the best here in FGA. But this…”
He flashes the FGA World Tag Team Championship belt around his waist once again.
“...this is a step in the right direction. Another rung up the ladder, and before we know it, I’ll be standing toe to toe with the FGA World Champion, basking in the glory, seizing the opportunity, and I guarantee you this: winning the FGA World Championship and firmly entrenching myself as the best wrestler this company has ever seen. That reality upsets some folks watching this right now. They scoff at the idea of Ricky Valero catapulting himself to the top, surpassing so many of the ‘stars’ considered superior to him as far as the rankings go, but you can’t deny the inevitable. I’ve always been a firm believer in destiny, and my destiny is unmistakable.
So here we go again. Another show, another match, and an opportunity to move another step forward. But just like every match I’ve had since debuting here in FGA just a short time ago, this next opponent presents me with a serious challenge at the next Vertigo. Molly Reid, you know I have respect for you. We’ve hung out, we’re cool, there isn’t really an ounce of bad blood between us. And why would there be? To date, our professional paths have yet to cross, and, as a result, we haven’t been forced to butt heads quite like we will when we finally do square off inside the Agganis Arena in Boston.”
He smirks.
“I’m ready for a fight, and I have no issues getting down and dirty, doing whatever it takes to leave that arena with another victory to my name, Molly. I know you know this. I know you’ve been sitting there at home, watching every piece of film you can find on me, doing whatever you can to prepare for me, and you see it. You see the lengths I will go for the sake of one win. One meaningless win in so many other people’s minds means the world to me. I don’t roll out of bed and go to the arena feeling okay with myself if I’m only at 75 or 85 percent. I have to give it my all every single night, regardless of the circumstances and stipulations surrounding the match I’m involved with and the opponent I’m slated to compete with. I don’t take nights off. I don’t rest on my laurels. My opponent is ALWAYS going to get 110 percent from me, and I have no doubt you know that, Molly.
For a lesser opponent, I’d assume you’d be shitting yourself right now just thinking about having to go up against me. You’d be biting your nails, tapping your foot, scanning Twitter, doing anything you could to take your mind off the reality that you would be stepping toe to toe with me in a few short days. But you’re not like so many of these hacks in this sport anymore. You’re going to put up a fight, too. Because just like me, you have something to prove. And just like me, you NEED a W. I know better than to sleep on Molly Reid, and that’s why I’ve been doing everything in MY power to prepare for this match. That’s why I’ve been staying up late watching all the film, taking notes, and doing everything I can to ensure that no matter what you bring for me at Vertigo, Molly, and no matter what you have to offer, I’ll see it coming from a mile away.
And then I remembered something...this Molly Reid isn’t the same Molly Reid I’ve been thinking I’m going into this match against. The one who in 2012 looked like a surefire icon in IWF, made waves on the regular, and left the people wanting more. No, this Molly Reid I’m slated to face in Boston is hardly a shell of her former self inside the ring, and I say that with the utmost respect…”
He chuckles to himself.
“...the fire just isn’t there anymore, Molly. And it’s not just you. The sport passed all those IWF stars by a long time ago. Zack Lifer, Chuck Matthews, Dexter Jacobs...I’ve beaten them all. Parker, Beth Keaton, Cynthia Cross...no one ever remembers what they look like. I literally ended Jason Hawk’s career. These are your contemporaries and, with the exception of Dexter, every single one of them is irrelevant today.
Including you. So what business you have joining me inside the squared circle is beyond me. All I know is, the odds are not in your favor. Come hell or high water though, I do know you’re going to bring the fight. That’s what you do. That’s who you are. You’re a fighter who relishes the opportunity to throw down. The unfortunately reality for you, however, is that you simply cannot match up. No matter how much fight you have in you. No matter how much firepower you bring to this war, you’re outgunned.
By all means, please prove me wrong. I know somewhere deep down inside is the same Molly Reid we all thought could be the future of this industry, I just don’t believe she’s capable of revealing herself anymore. But I relish the challenge if you can offer me it. I want an all-out brawl. Beat down, drag ‘em out, pulling hair, busting teeth brawl. Just know that while we may be friends outside the ring, we are the greatest enemies within the confines of those ropes, Molly. I will not be holding anything back, because while you may simply love participating in the sport of wrestling, NOTHING is more important to me than VICTORY. I love competing under those bright lights and basking in the fans’ cheers, but it’s all for naught if the end result is not triumph.
Molly, you’re perfectly comfortable with being part of the action…”
He raises a blue participation ribbon to the camera.
“...So I got you this. Me, I’m here to leave my mark and be something special. I’m here to win gold like this…”
He holds the FGA World Tag Team Title to the camera now.
“...And you’re just another stepping stone along my journey to the top.”
IT’S GAME TIME BABY!
“Are you ready?”
With a wink and a kiss blown mockingly to the camera, we fade to black...