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[The Last Real Man]

May 14th, 2016
Johnson City, Tennessee

”Now that's what I'm fucking talking about,” Goodrich yells, slapping me on the shoulder. He had reason to be excited. It was clean sweep for the Kings, and we put the two-time transitional World Champion through the announce table. Cherry on top of the cake.

“That was beautiful to watch. Do you see the look on his face when the two of you walked from behind those curtains,” he followed up. It really was a sight to behold. McHannon pretends to be untouchable, but the fragile nature of his mental frame is well documented. The man's a ticking time bomb, “that was priceless.”

“Excuse me, Johnny-” but the celebrations cut short. Can't even get two feet into my dressing room before I'm intercepted by another one of those slimy journalists looking for a scoop - Spencer Burke in this case.

“Hey,” Goodrich says, poking a finger into Burke’s chest, “you better start addressing my client as Mr. FGA, because that's what he’ll be after he knocks off Zero at Above and Beyond. You're looking at the next FGA World Champion.” He boasted, grabbing me by the back of the neck to psyche me up, but I was too tired and fatigued to be drawn into his shenanigans.

“He very well could be, but he’d have to get past Sunshine Scandalous Tony Carmine. I don't think he’ll allow that, which is why I’m here right now to ask you what's going to happen to the New Kings.”

It was a good fucking question, but when you've been in the spotlight as I have my entire life, you know you never answer good questions. Luckily, I had someone to do that for me.

“Absolutely nothing,” Goodrich spat, stepping in front of me to get right into Burke’s grill. “We're you watching tonight's Vertigo, or were you too busy sulking over the fact that you can only watch the stars, and never actually become one.”

“I wasn't doing either-” Burke tries to explain, only for m rabid dog to continue the attack.

“No, you're just out here looking for something that isn't there. There's no chink in the armor. The New Kings have taken over FGA in the blink of an eye. I've managed two men into the Main Event at Above and Beyond. You wanna know what's going to happen to us? I'll tell you what. We’re going to keep winning because that's what winners do, while losers beg to interview them.” He chastised, while Burke rolled his eyes. “Now run along and waste someone else's time, you won't be getting that editorial piece from us.”

As Burke disappeared into the night, we stepped into the locker room - and predictably Quinn’s mood changed.

“You know he’s right,” he started. “The way Carmine looked at you tonight when you were holding that belt - he was looking through you. He doesn't think you belong in the match, Johnny. Doesn't think you have a chance of winning. He almost stole the Rumble from you, do not let him steal the World Title.”

Good ass point.

Tony is like me in many regards. He's an opportunist. He's a man who moves with a sense of urgency, knowing the world is fleeting, and that doors only present themselves ever so often.

The problem is we’re standing before the same door, but only one of can walk through it.

*************************************************************************

The scene begins with footage of Vertigo from two weeks ago - the lasting image to be specific, a shot of Johnny Cannon and Sunshine Scandalous Tony Carmine holding the FGA World Championship. After a few moments the scene fades out, and in comes the next - as the viewers see a man on his knees, buffing up a pair of alligator shoes. The shoes of course belong to the British Mamba, as Johnny Cannon looks right into the camera, dawning the usual lavish suit and tie.

“There's nothing quite like a good shoe shine,” says Cannon, as he shoots a glance down at the man performing said service. “Especially after you’ve been walking through dirt and grime as I have. To know after all that, that you can still get them restored? It's invigorating.”

“It sort of applies to myself, how I've been down and out so many times in the past, only to come out looking golden - or so I will in about a month's time when I defeat Zero McHannon to capture the most prestigious title in our sport.”

“That should do it Mr. Cannon,” says the shoe shiner, as he gives the gators one last wipe. Cannon leans down, giving his kicks I long once over, visibly impressed.

“They look good as new,” he says with a wide smile. “Here,” the Brit opens up his fat wallet, pulling out a few big faced hundreds. “You’ve earned it.”

“No no, Mr. Cannon. You've done enough for me and my family already, it was my pleasure. You've kept me in business all these years. The least I can do,” says the shoe shiner, humbly refusing the Brits stipend. “You're my best customer after all.”

“You give my regards to Liz and the kids, Johnson.” He replies, as the two men shake hands before the shoe shiner departs. “You see, that's a working man right there. A real man who doesn't look for handouts, he simply goes after the things he wants in life. That's a man who doesn't make excuses. And he's a hell of a shoe buffer. Look at these boys.” Cannon says, showing off his shiny shoes.

“You can learn something from him, Fujiko,” he claims. “You can learn how to be accountable for your mistakes. That's something you've yet to develop, a sense of accountability and a willingness to take ownership for your actions - or lack thereof,” he says rather matter-of-factly. “Because you talked a big game two weeks ago, but didn't back it up. Your ego had grown to gigantic proportions after your near dream like run at Gold Rush - which I cannot understand still to this day, considering the fact that you were eliminated -by me of course,” he brag. “And yet after all that verbal shuckin’ and jivin’, you still ended up in the wrong end of the win or loss column - just like I said you would.”

“And how did you respond to your most recent crushing defeat,” he asks rhetorically. “You blamed it on Quinn Goodrich, as if he had anything to do with it.” He suggests. “As if he was the one who rearranged your plastic face with The Birmingham Screwdriver. As if he was the one who made you chase him around the ring when you had me dead to rights, and within range for the coup de gras. But as usual, you shift blame to everyone but Fujiko, because Fujiko Mine is so perfect and so talented, and all that jazz, and anytime she can't succeed it's because she’s been set up to fail. Right?”

“Wrong.” He says rather emphatically. “You can blame Goodrich for distracting you from focusing on a match you set your heart out on winning, but that's a cheap way out. Though it makes sense considering your social status, right now I'm inviting you to have richer thoughts. And the richest of them is this - why does Fujiko Mine constantly get in the way of Fujiko Mine?” He inquires.

“Unlike just about everyone else in that FGA locker room I don't bullshit or say things to shake branches. I don't talk because I have the option. My words are precise. I say things for a reason. And whatever I say, I mean it. Two weeks ago I said you changed my mind and I went as far as to say you possessed enough talent to one day be great - so what's stopping you? Why don't you have the touch.”

“Looking back at your biggest matches in FGA. Two against myself, a few against Tony, once for the Pride Title, Gold Rush and a few other far less notable bouts, and I'm just left wondering how? How did you lose when you had victory within your grasp each and every time,” he asks, looking up to the sky contemplatively. “And I think I've gotten down to the root of your problem.”

“You're afraid of success.”

“You fear greatness. You’ve come dangerously close to the pinnacle in the past, and each time you peered up at the glass ceiling you saw what you needed to become, and the reflection scared the bloody hell out of you. Gave you the heebie Jeebies, you’d need Padalecki and Ackles to exorcise those demons. It gives you nightmares because you know the things required for you to be better than you've ever been means you've gotta go against everything you've ever done, and everything you've ever believed in.”

“You're afraid of breaking bad,” he scoffs. “However, it's a necessary evil to turn your fortune around. Like I've said in the past, you've gotta see the devil before you can see God. All that righteousness, all that sense of duty and nobility is holding you back. If you cared more about Fujiko Mine, and less about what people think about Fujiko Mine - well Fujiko Mine might be competing for the FGA World Title at Above and Beyond V.”

“But you're not.” He reminds her.

“That's a privilege reserved only for those willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top. For those who get their hands dirty,” he says, brandishing his hands before the camera. “You're very familiar with these hands, Fuji. You caught them two weeks ago, and this Saturday they’ll be washed of you for good, along with another try hard underachiever who just won't quit.”

“Boy life comes at you fast, doesn't it Johnny,” he laughs. “To think after you defeated me a few months back, how the critics wrote tales about my demise, and tales of your redemption, and triumphant return to personal glory. Our careers looked to be heading in opposite directions. Your arrow skyrocketing upward as mine plummeted like a stock, yet look where we are now.”

“I'm a member of the most dominant faction in FGA, one of the most polarizing figures in the company, sitting on the cusp of capturing our company’s biggest prize while you - well all you've managed to do since our last fateful encounter is become irrelevant despite recapturing the Pride Championship.”

“How does something like that happen? Well it's quite simple. Life always balances itself out.” He says rather assuredly. “The cream always rises to the crop when it's said done. That's why I found it amusing how the world so casually dragged that rug over my name during my losing streak - as if they had forgotten who I was, and everything I was capable of doing.”

“But you know full well what I’m capable of, don't you?” He asks with a wry smile. “I'm capable of bringing life into inanimate objects. Case and point you - and how your career was suddenly resurrected due to a disagreement with wrestling's most dapper - that being me,” he says arrogantly. “Your career was going nowhere, you were losing match after match. - you challenged Chandler for the strap, and damn near upset the juggernaut before he brought you back down to Earth. And when you came down, you came down hard.”

“You came down so hard that it broke you. And how did you put the pieces back together? You picked a fight with one of the biggest stars in the company. Goaded me into a shoving match, ending with me accidentally clicking Cherry, giving you justification for being a thorn in my side - thus keeping your name in the spotlight.” He says, shaking his head.

“You're nothing but a leach, Karma,” he says, getting his teeth. “You’ve stayed afloat simply because your name's been attached to mine, been attached to Tony’s. You've deliberately gone out of your way just to get in ours, because you know we’re must see television. We’re the breadwinners, the front runners. Being in the ring with one of the Kings is bigger than being in the ring against the current World Champion.” He claims.

“It's because we’re bigger and better than the rest of you. We sell out of the arenas, and get all the press time - and you, knowing you could never create such a buzz for yourself on your own, constantly poke your nose in our business, hoping you can provoke us into a match so that you can bathe in some of our everlasting light.”

“Tony Carmine main events Vertigo after Vertigo because he's worth the price of admission.” He claims.

“I main event Vertigo after Vertigo because I put on the best show.” He boasts.

“We’re about to main event another one Saturday, and we’re closing the show because we’re supposed to. We’re the two hottest acts in wrestling - because we don't act like the rest of you. We don't portray characters, this isn't a variety show for us. This is our life, and we take our livelihoods seriously, and we want the most out of it.” He says with a cold hard glare. “We belong at the top of the card. The two of you don’t, and the only reason you find your name there is because it's next to ours.”

“We've done so much for your pathetic careers that we deserve to be compensated. We’ve single handedly kept both of you employed. You owe us everything you have, but I guess a little gratitude is too much to ask for.”

“Instead you continue to run our names through the mud, as if you're even worthy to utter them in the first place. The two of you are simply not on our level,” he says gravely, “you're good enough to collect checks, but you're not good enough to cash in - while we’re so good that we’re cashing out. We’re so good that the entire company is hoping for our combined success to cause a rift between the two of us because that's the only way any of you can survive.”

“You're betting on our dreams, and desires to become World Champion to get in the way of our mission - to rule FGA with an Iron Fist. And that's pathetic - it's pathetic because instead of wishing for something like that to happen, you should all take up the challenge of trying to stop us. But you can't, and deep down you know it. You've just got too much pride to admit it and head for the hills like Yun Goeun.” He jokes.

“Pride is a terrible thing sometimes. Too much of it can be blinding - and your collective pride has blinded you because you wholeheartedly believe you can hold a candle to the both us - when in reality you're not quite up to par - you could be if you put in the amount of work we’ve put in to get to where we are, but instead you hold onto delusions of grandeur while we’re both holding onto the mantle, refusing to let go.”

“That was the lasting image two weeks ago; Tony Carmine and Johnny Cannon standing on top of the world, on top of Frontier Grappling Arts. And it's an image that you better get used to because we’re not going anywhere.”

“We’re only going where we want to.”

End.