You Can't Always Get What You Want

[Johnny Karma]

6th July August 2013, Hartford
DVD taping

Having made his way to FWA a few months earlier, making an immediate splash with his combination of in-ring skill and the ability to go toe-to-toe with any opponent on the microphone and come out victorious, it wasn’t long before Johnny Karma was given his first opportunity to challenge for the Frontier Lions Cup.

At the Hartford DVD taping, J-K faced a debuting Serena Raine in her FWA debut, with the two opponents knowing that a victory for either would see them qualify for their first-ever Frontier Lions Cup. Although there were a few moments where Raine threatened to make the headlines in her debut match, in the end J-K persevered and claimed the victory that would see him qualify for the Frontier Lions Cup for the very first time…

12th August 2016, Coney Island

Sitting at the desk in the corner of her bedroom, Cherry Baum is wearing an expression of pure focus as she beavers away in front of her computer at whatever project she is working on – so focused, in fact, that even though it is almost the middle of the day her bed is unmade and the curtains remain drawn, save for the sliver of sunlight breaking through that shines directly on her cherished childhood toy, the cuddly lion she named Mr Snuggles, which sits on top of a chest of drawers overlooking the whole room

As she beavers away, she reaches a point where she needs to squint at whatever it is that is on her monitor, and sensing that leaning towards the monitor isn’t going to be enough she picks up a pair of glasses from the desk and slips them onto her face, giving some clarity to the situation

Impressed with her work, Cherry removes the glasses once more and slips the headphones around her neck – and at that moment she hears the intercom buzzing so incessantly that you get the feeling whoever is pressing the button is not a happy bunny, and at this point Cherry looks down to see half a dozen missed calls and a whole bunch of unopened text massages

Oh shit!

In that moment, Cherry transforms from the being of pure focus into an uncontrolled blur, tearing off the headphones before she leaps out of her chair and throwing open the curtains, before she bolts out of the room towards the intercom

Hi…yeah, I’m so sorry, I got really into…okay, the door’s open.

Once she buzzes in whoever has been waiting on the street for however long it takes to make six unanswered phone calls, Cherry rushes back into her room and quickly grabs a handful of casually discarded clothes from the floor and dumps them in a hamper before she hurls the duvet over her bed to give the impression that it’s been made. With her preparations complete, Cherry relaxes…and then realises she’s wearing a pair of sweat pants, so she quickly delves into the hamper once more to pick out a pair of jeans – and at that moment she dashes out of the room to put the door on the latch, and does so in the nick of time as we hear the door open

What the…?

Just a second!

Cherry unlatches the door to let Karma into her apartment

Sorry to keep you waiting so long, I was working on something extra-special for the next show, and I guess I lost track of time.

Extra-special, you say?

Yeah, you want to come see?

Sure.

Cherry re-enters her bedroom, this time wearing the pair of skinny-fit jeans she grabbed out of the hamper, and she directs Karma towards her computer – although the second Karma sets foot inside Cherry’s bedroom he pauses, just for a second, because even after all the time they’ve known each other and been on the road this is the first time he’s ever been inside Cherry’s bedroom…but then he tries to get his mind off of that particular subject, via the age-old technique of trying to pretend he was distracted by something else
 
I see Mr Snuggles is safe and sound.

Of course!

Cherry picks Mr Snuggles off of the chest of drawers and tickles him under the chin, before placing him next to her computer monitor – and once she does so, Karma notices what she’s been working on, namely a documentary of his history in the Frontier Lions Cup

Is this…what you’ve been working on?

It’s just a little work in progress, no biggie.

Can I watch it?

Well…I’ve only got about a third of it done, but you can watch that and tell me what you think.

Cherry offers her chair to Karma, and he sits down and picks the headphones off of the floor and places them around his head, at which point Cherry leans in and clicks on the play icon – but before she does, Karma remembers something…

You know there’s a pair of sweat pants on your couch, right?

For a second Cherry looks mildly mortified – but then she quickly clicks on the play icon

31st August 2013, Baltimore
Above & Beyond II

Having qualified for his first-ever Frontier Lions Cup, come the quarter finals Karma found himself coming face-to-face with Alexia Brandt, a competitor who had recently made a nuisance of herself when the pair faced each other at a DVD taping in White Plains a few weeks previously in a match that ended with both competitors being counted out. When the stakes were raised and a place in the semi-finals was at stake, however, Johnny Karma found another gear to overcome Brandt and move into the semi-finals.

However, he did not progress beyond the semi-finals, as Chaths capitalised on the one mistake that J-K made in the match to secure victory and take a place in the Frontier Lions Cup final…

6th August 2016, Las Vegas

The locker room door flies open with to reveal a distinctly PO’d Karma to be the one who shoved it open with excessive force, so much force that the only reason it doesn’t swing back on its hinges and closes itself again is Karma barging his way into the locker room, angrily tossing his ring jacket in the general direction of his bag, before he tears at his wrist tape so he can fashion it into a ball to hurl across the room

One mistake. One mistake, and because of that we both know that Captain Twitter already has his greasy fingers wrapped around his phone so he can rattle off a couple dozen more so-called words of so-called wisdom to lower IQs across cyberspace that little bit more.

Letting out a long, guttural growl of frustration, Karma wipes the sweat off of his face

I’m just so ffffffffffffffffffreakin’ pist avek that I came so close to not just shutting his damn mouth, something that I am sure would’ve seen the rest of the locker room gladly pay my bar tab for the next six months, but more than anything else placing a marker: there’s one guy and one guy only who is going to step up because this company needs someone to step up, and it’s not going to be the Kingmaker because he’s proved he can’t deal with one member of the New Kings let alone two, while we’ve got Chandler Scott walking back through the door expecting to be loved because of reasons just as he’s expecting to win the Frontier Lions Cup so he can take over at the top once again, because it was so much fin the last time he was hogging the limelight…

As karma continues to mutter under his breath, Cherry places a hand on Karma’s forearm to get him to pause for a moment, allowing her to get a word in – something which she hasn’t been able to do since Karma left ringside

Listen, J-K…listen, I get that you’re upset about what happened tonight, and I get that you’re upset about…to be honest I get that you’re upset about a whole lot of things right now, given you’d have to be made of stone not to be pissed off with half of what you’ve had to go through lately, but you can’t let it get inside your head, not when you’re one show away from throwing back some bombs at each and every one of those people who thinks they can beat you into submission.

Tonight sucked, of course it sucked, there’s a good few reasons to say why it sucked but you have to leave tonight where it is an move on, because people like Zero, Cannon and Carmine want you to retreat inside your shell and think you can’t get things done, they want you to think you’re not on their level, because that’s the only way they know how to operate: to run their mouth so often that people forget it doesn’t take much effort to shut them up, and if you want to shut them up the best way to do that isn’t to sink to their level and exchange barbs amongst the hashtags, it’s to rise above them – and then bring your foot down hard, because you can’t take half-measures when killing a cockroach.

13th July 2014, Spartanburg
DVD taping

Looking to build on the previous year’s performance, once again J-K was tasked with qualifying for the tournament, this time going up against Pierre J Harris during an FWA double header in the Carolinas. Despite the best efforts of Harris, Karma rose to see off the spirited challenger to qualify for his second Frontier Lions Cup...

9th August 2016, Queens NYC

Having flown back to NYC on the reddest of red eyes from Vegas, not only has Karma needed a couple of days to physically and mentally recover from the last show, but he’s also needed to recover from having his body clock dropped from a fifth storey window by having to make his way through LaGuardia Airport at 7am and then get back home against the flow of the entire New York rush hour

Yet although his eyes are not as bright as they could be, and his tail could certainly be bushier, as he meets with Cherry for a spot of lunch at Sal’s Deli his spirits appear to have been raised somewhat as he sips on an iced tea, and at that point Cherry takes a momentary break from demolishing her chili cheese fries to ask Karma a question

So what’re you thinking about right now?

Well for one thing, I’m wondering where that kale Caesar salad I orders is. I don’t suppose you saw anyone sneak out of the kitchen to go grocery shopping in the last ten minutes?

Cherry points an accusing fry in Karma’s direction

About the Frontier Lions Cup, I mean.

Karma takes a moment to consider his answer, alternately drumming his ring and index fingers on the table while he does so

Here’s the thing: it’s pretty much impossible to plan for anything beyond the quarter finals, because there’s a bunch of matches I have no control of taking place. For example, what’s the point of preparing to face Fuji in the semis if I wind up facing Savannah Taylor? And then there’s the final, which could be any of Chandler Scott, Dom Harter, Mark Storm or Yun Goen? The only match I can actually prepare for is the quarter final with Molly Reid, because once I start preparing for matches with six other opponents it gets to the point where I get burned out trying to cram every little thing I need to do into my head. I mean, sure, it would be great if I could scout seven opponents at once and make the most of it, but no matter how it pans out I will have wasted a bunch of time scouting four opponents I’ll never face.

On the other hand, however, I already know what it’s like to face Fuji when the stakes are high, I already know what it’s like to face Chandler when the stakes are high and he’s not pretending to be everyone’s friend, I know what it’s like to face Mark Storm and Yun Goen, so it’s not like I’ll be going into those matches blind.

What I do need to do is make sure I can actually go for three matches in one night, rather than go all-out in the first match before getting picked off in the second match because I’ve been tossing my cookies backstage and I’m in no state to compete – hence the kale Caesar instead of the usual chicken Caesar, and so on, and so on.

Karma looks up, seeing a complete lack of activity in the kitchen

Well that’s the plan, anyway…

28th August 2014, Miami
Above & Beyond III

Upon reaching the quarter finals, J-K was drawn against Cordy Stevenson in quarter finals and, unfortunately, he was not able to match the previous year’s result – nor could he take consolation from losing to the eventual winner…

11th August 2016, Queens NYC

Having spent the previous couple of hours jogging, a regimen that he has followed every single morning for the past few days in the hope that it gives him just that little bit of extra stamina to outlast each and every opponent who faces him in the Frontier Lions Cup, a sweaty and breathless Karma sits on his couch while he looks towards the handheld camera he has recording his thoughts

As you can see I’ve been working my tuches off to train for what lies ahead of me, namely the possibility of having to wrestle three matches in the space of one night, because even though you get a little downtime between the quarters, the semis and the final it’s not like you’ll be 100% when you step into the ring the second time let alone the third, so what I’m trying to do is raise my floor a little bit. For example, if you lose 20% between matches, that means you’ll be 80% for the second match – but if I do everything I can to raise my stamina and go into the second match at 85%, that’s 5% more I can take than my opponent.

Karma takes a long gulp of water before he returns his focus to the camera

Of course, talking about the possibility of having a semi-final or a final looks like I’m overlooking my quarter-final opponent Molly Reid, and that’s something I am not doing.

Here’s the thing, Molly: you and I have both had run-ins with the New Kings ever since they announced their intentions to dish out 3-on-1 beatdowns to every member of the FWA roster, and maybe challenge for some titles if they wanted to change up their MO for a week or two. We’ve both been jumped, we’ve both been subjected to a beating, and we’re both sick and tired of seeing the three of them throw their weight around as they live out their Biff Tannen fantasies on the rest of us. So obviously we’ve both got incentive to get back at them, and winning the Frontier Lions Cup offers the best chance to do that in as short a space of time as any. Similarly, the pair of us both know that a good showing in the FLC is the best way to take a massive step up and offers a springboard to bigger and better things, as has been proven so many times in the past.

Kamra takes another pause, wiping the sweat off of his face with his hand before he wipes his hand against his t-shirt

The thing is I am done with thinking of taking a step up here or cementing a position there, in fact I am so done with that right now that I’d trade in my place on the Power Rankings for one thing: vindication.

Look at all I’ve had to put up with for the past few months: working so hard to reclaim the Pride Championship but not even being allowed a moment to let it sink in before I had three momzers treat me like their personal kicking post, then I had them throw me all over the arena during the Gold Rush Rumble, and then I had to sit and watch as they somehow connived their way to the top of the mountain – and those are just the highlights, since I’ve had plenty of other people run their mouths and write me off, and I’ve had enough of it. So if I have to go through the Frontier Lions Cup and stand tall at the end of it, knowing full well that somebody who has been treating me like I don’t even matter will be in my sights so I can finally, finally start shutting some mouths that need to be shut, then I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.

…yet no matter what, no matter how I know that I need to win this tournament because I need to prove to myself just as much as those people who want to tell me how worthless that I am that they’re simply wrong, doing so means I’m also going to have to ruin the hopes of a few people. People like you, Molly, people like Mark Storm, Yun Goen, Savannah Taylor, all of you who have high hopes but haven’t realised them yet, and I’m going to have to stand in your way because I need to win this tournament just like I need to start taking FWA back from those who are bringing the company down. So I guess what I’m saying is that, even though I plan to beat you, you need to stay the course as you’ve got a ton of talent and you need to remember that it’ll take a little time, but talent will get you places so don’t give up and think you have to sink to the lowest of levels. There’s no need for it, really there isn’t

9th August 2015, Chicago Ridge
DVD taping

In a rematch from the previous year’s tournament, J-K once again found himself facing Cordy Stevenson, this time in the qualifying round.

Sadly, he was unable to gain retribution from the previous year, meaning he was not part of the 2015 Frontier Lions Cup…

12th August 2016, Coney Island

We’re back in the Casa del Cherry, where Karma has finished watching the rough cut of Cherry’s documentary, and we can see Cherry sat on her bed eagerly waiting for some feedback

So…what do you think J-K?

For a moment Karma is in that rarest of states: speechless
 
…J-K?

Karma shakes himself out of his speechless state

I…sorry, it’s just…yeah, I mean, I liked it. It was good, I mean, really good. it’s just…

The moment Karma tails off, you can almost see Cherry’s heart is on the verge of breaking at the thought that her labour of love might not be as well received as she had hoped, and there’s a subtle croak in her voice as she responds

…just?

It’s just I hope it has a happy ending.

Cherry attempts to not look relieved that Karma’s response wasn’t based on his hating it and more based on the results of Above & Beyond V, before she slides off of the bed and places a reassuring hand on Karma’s shoulder
 
It’s all up to you, J-K. Just remember that.

Hearing those words, Karma slides his hand on top of Cherry’s as he smiles a wry smile, more out of hope than expectation

All up to me…

9th July 2016, Amarillo
Vertigo

Having spent the previous year reflecting on missing the previous year’s tournament, J-K knew he had to prove himself ahead of the 2016 tournament, and he was given added incentive to do that when he was drawn against Danny Diamond, one of the men who had spent the previous few months making Karma’s life a living hell.

With the chance to finally gain a measure of revenge against the New Kings, no matter how small, he gladly accepted it to defeat Diamond and qualify for the 2016 tournament…