Standing in front of a large curtain, Harvey Lohman places a hand on the shoulder of Isaiah Elliott. Isaiah, notably bruised from the Guerrilla Warfare match, furrows his brow.
“I still don’t understand why you set this up. I’m just… I’m just…”
“You’re just you,” Harvey noted with a grin. “Since you’ve gotten into this business, I don’t feel like people have gotten to know you all that well. Sure, you had the sitdown interview for a magazine but, c’mon, that deck was stacked in your favor. She was feeding you like you were a baby bird. This? This isn’t going to be the same slow-pitch shots that she gave you. You’re about to meet the media and they aren’t as concerned about this being breezy. Matter of fact, if they can rattle you, that’ll create stories.”
“How exactly would they rattle me?”
“They’ll dig in deep, really go for the guts. Listen, kid. This is where you’ll find out if you really belong. We’ve seen you in the ring and you’ve got that down. You need to feel the out-of-ring pressure to see if this is truly for you.”
Isaiah peers at him skeptically but he just smiles reassuringly.
“You be you and I’m sure this will be simple enough. Remember though, simple and easy are two very different things.”
“I got it.”
Isaiah nods firmly, then turns and walks through the curtain. Flashes light up the room as a small crowd of people have gathered. The lights cause Isaiah to flinch as he lifts a hand to block it. He finds his way to the podium at the center and removes his hand in an attempt to allow his vision to adjust.
“Good evening.”
“Mr. Elliott, James Verner from the Wrestling Post. You showed a lot of guts out there in that Guerrilla Warfare match. Do you feel like things would’ve turned out differently if you didn’t start the match?”
“To be honest, I don’t really focus on that. Truth be told, I was glad I drew number two. To have the honor of kicking it off with someone of Emery Layton’s caliber like that? It was a great feeling. She’s a great competitor and an even better champion.”
“Veronica Stern, Performer’s Weekly. You seem to have this demeanor that you’re just happy to be here, like you’re a fan getting the chance to wrestle. What do you say to those who discredit your passion and dedication to this business?”
“Huh? I… I don’t understand. People say I’m not passionate and dedicated?”
“Some have called you a wrestling tourist,” Veronica says in response.
“A tour… Ok, look. Sure, I don’t turn on a camera just to spend ten to fifteen telling everyone how great I am or how terrible my upcoming opponent is. That’s not what this business is about. Or rather, that’s not what it should be about. The in-ring competition is the meat and potatoes of this, right? You have some guys who wear facepaint, some girls who dress in provocative ring gear, some who give themselves interesting nicknames and from what I gather, that adds spice to the mix but nobody wants to just pound some curry powder as an after-work snack, right? I’m very serious about my opportunity to compete here. Being respectful and thankful for what I have doesn’t change that. I’m here to fight and to win as often as possible. If I lose, I go over the tapes and see where I was sloppy, see what I can improve. Wins are fantastic but losses give you an opportunity to learn. Everyone who steps in here and brags about being the greatest has lost a few times in the past. Nobody stays unbeaten in this business or in life. I count my wins and use losses as an opportunity to better myself. That’s not a lack of passion or dedication. That’s a matter of perspective.”
“Tim Stevens, American Wrestling Magazine. Your upcoming opponent, Kimitsu Zombie, was the one to eliminate you from that match just before she herself was eliminated. Would you say that was a result of you starting the match and her entering ninth or is that a sight we can expect to see again at Lights Out?”
“Why are those the only two possible answers? No, I wouldn’t blame her beating me on how long we’d been in the match. Did it give her some kind of advantage? Sure. Maybe. But how I did and where I ended up isn’t as simple as numbers as you imply. She’s a phenomenal competitor and we get another opportunity to face one another at Lights Out. I would never cheapen what she was able to accomplish in that match based on that simple an observation. She made it a little further than I did and she deserves credit for that. As for our upcoming match, it’s yet another opportunity for both of us. She’s looking for a win coming off of a one-on-one loss and the Guerrilla Warfare match and I’m looking to win or learn. That seem simple enough?”
“Was there anything you learned from your fight with her that you plan to take into your upcoming match?”
“She’s a very dangerous striker. I learned that the hard way in the end, didn’t I? You absolutely cannot hang out just inside reach of her arms or legs if you want to take the advantage. From what I’ve seen, my biggest advantages could come from using my power in the clinch or striking and moving. She’s not just some thuggish brawler that you trade punches with. If you make the mistake of thinking you’ll win a punching match with her, you’ll pay for it. You don’t have to be a mountain of muscle to pack a punch. Force equals mass times acceleration, right? Too many people seem to put too much stock in the mass part of that equation. Her shots are lightning fast and she more than makes up for a lack of pure power with speed. With Crowbar, I could see him winding up to strike. With Kimitsu, there was a point there where I saw stars and wasn’t sure what she’d done. I’ll have to make sure to account for her speed and keep her either in the clinch or keep her having to readjust so that she can’t land those vicious pinpoint strikes.”
“But do you think that maybe she was faster because you’d been in the match for so long? Maybe you were just tired and slowed.”
“I’d be outright lying if I said I wasn’t tired at that point in the match but most everyone else was tired too. I’m not here to make excuses for what happened. I’m here to learn and improve. I’m fortunate enough that I get the opportunity to come right back against the woman that beat me at the next show. I applaud the striking exhibition she put on against me there but that doesn’t mean I believe that to be her only strength. She spun me around in the air to finish me off, right? Trust me, I’ve studied enough film of hers that I’ll be prepared to adapt with her as the match progresses.”
“Frank Vance from the Monthly Beatdown. Word on the street is that your wife isn’t very happy with how your career is going. Care to comment?”
Isaiah scowls, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Isn’t that a bit much?”
“It was just a question,” he quickly responds.
“My family is very happy for me, and I’m grateful for all of the support they give me. Yes, my wife has sacrificed for me to live my dream. I’ve also sacrificed for her. It’s called compromise, something any lasting relationship is built upon. Anything beyond that is no business of yours.”
Isaiah Elliott looks around as the questions have died down.
“That it? Alright, thanks.”
He turns and stalks off of the stage and back through the curtain to a waiting Harvey Lohman. Harvey’s grin is much wider now than it was before.
“See? I knew you could handle--”
“My family? Seriously?”
“I told you they weren’t going to take it easy on you.”
Isaiah sighs as he gathers himself.
“You’re right. I should’ve expected that. Thank you, Harvey. Really. For everything.”
“Of course, Isaiah. Remember: next big thing.”
Isaiah grimaces as he turns and walks away from Harvey, his shoulders much more relaxed now. Harvey smiles as he watches him walk away.
Post by Kimitsu Zombie on Jun 20, 2017 23:00:06 GMT -5
Kimitsu Zombie sits in an empty pool in front of a projector. Behind her and superimposed on top of her are images of predators eating their prey. A lioness holds a monkey in her jaws. A cheetah with an antelope, etc. She sits backwards on a chair and nods.
“Bloodlust. That is what was getting me through this. No matter what our bodies tell us as they pump us full of barbs of warnings and pain. Shit I woke up this morning with my back and legs crying for murder. That was from the exercise and training. It keeps me sharp in the long run but my head had me reeling from drinking afterwards. All the events recently and the matches should have me running on fumes but my mind keeps me going. Like the wanderlust I felt after leaving Japan and coming to America, the fighter’s dream I’m living in keeps me moving. Now I know what it is that keeps Uncle Aoki alive. Fighting is fun. There’s also more to it than that. It is fighting for a reason. “Everyone they put in front of me, win or lose, has gotten the fight of their lives. I always go into battle with the intent to demoralize the opponent until one of us breaks. Once someone has hit a low like this, they can take it upon themselves to build up again. For better or worse. I had a long think about Harvey Lohman’s boy Jove Belane. I didn’t get my goal and Jove learned nothing. I failed him but I am not going to cry about it ‘cause I damn sure didn’t fail myself. I was so close. Same can be said about the clusterfuck that was Union Battleground.”
She stands up and sits back down with excitement.
“Those drums in the beginning… wow. I can still feel them pounding in my heart. I was clawing my way through everyone and, sure I got hit a lot, but I was holding my own until Jove got me again. I didn’t get to the end but I did accomplish something. I introduced myself to another of Lohman’s boy’s Isaiah Elliot. In a few days time we are going to have a match proper at Lights Out 13. No that we’ve met properly you might think you have an edge on me. I hope you look back on Guerilla Warfare and remember every little detail and everything you felt when I was putting you away with a Trip to the Grave. I want you to get mad.
“Don’t you dare try to rationalize or make me out to be like just another challenge. I am not Crowbar. I need you to know that you got taken out by a fighter that was trying to take off your head. I wasn’t competing to win the whole thing, I was just looking to finish whatever was in front of me and I took my advantage over you to eliminate you. See you remind me of myself. When I was 12. You are a wide eyed little dove just entering a field you’ve never been in before but you are sure that you can feed your family here. You’re sure that there’s enough food here for your little pigeon chicks and your dumb pigeon wife but that field, The Union Battleground, is the eagle’s hunting ground. It is my hunting ground and I will kill anything that comes near.
“I grew up in this and I’m not talking about a few fights in the playground. I’m talking about fighting for your life and then taking this raw talent to make money off of it. I am not a grizzled vet by any means but I see you, Isaiah, and I see a rival trying to undermine my rise. At the same time I see someone going through the same thing I did. Our paths are similar but they contradict each other. There’s only room for one predator here and I am going to be that one in Union Battleground. My dream is much more important to me than you.
“Don’t worry Isaiah. It is not a bad thing. You’re still going to be able to eat. After this match you’ll know what it takes to survive in this game. I will show you that example. When I take you out again and pin you in the middle of that ring, you will know greatness. It won’t matter what Lohman puts into your brain but you are not good enough. Yet. I’ll give you something to strive for and it will be following the Zombie way. That is the path to true greatness."
She sits back and ruffles her hair to partially cover her face. She is a bit ashamed of what she’s going to say next but fuck it. She’s being honest.
“Even though I don’t follow it at all times. This match is going to be dangerous, Isaiah. It’s not going to be for who you are or because your dreams are in conflict with mines. I’m not just going to try to hurt your soul in this match. I know right now that I won’t be able to control myself… I am going to hurt you. This is for the simple, petty reason that you belong to the same camp that Jove Belane belongs to. I would say it isn’t personal shit but every fight kind of is. I want to hurt you because you belong to Lohman and you associate with Belane. I want to make you see the mistake of being with them and of letting him bring you into this fight game. Belane has caused me to see where I really stack up in this company and I will do the same to you. The only thing is that I do not think you belong at the very bottom, but that is where I am going to try to put you. I want to believe that I am a better person than that but right now… I just don’t know. Fuck it. I don’t want to be.”
Last Edit: Jun 20, 2017 23:01:46 GMT -5 by Kimitsu Zombie: spacing
