Post by Steve Sinclair on Feb 15, 2017 21:58:49 GMT
Sutton steps over the railroad tracks with the NAW Horizon championship over his shoulder. On the other side of the tracks are some stumps. Sutton slides the belt off of his shoulder and tosses it on the stump.
“Every man does have a fear, make no mistake about that Mike. Everyone has at least one fear that will strike them stiff. I’m sure yours is anal leakage in public and not getting old cuz, we’re all getting older every day Mike. Since the day we’re born, we begin to die, some of us at slower rates than others and gettin’ old is just a fact of life that no one can escape from. Being afraid of getting old…”
Sutton takes a seat on another stump next to the belt. Tucked away in the weeds is a can of Great Value coke.
“Is just a cop out and a lie Mike. That’s not a fear, nah. You’re fear is that you could barely beat Nemesis and he dropped out of this match from what I reckon is, he knew he couldn’t beat me so why get his ass beat and you were just too slow, too old to realize it until it was too late. You’re at the end of the career and this could be your last shot at glory and standing in your way from one last run in this sport is me. That is what you fear.”
Sutton pops open the can.
“Fear of losing. Fear of just fading away into obscurity.”
Sutton takes a sip of the soda….
“All that other crap you talked about, how you’re not in the Power Trip no more, how Nemesis pushed you to your limit, all of that nonsense is just white noise. All of that doesn’t even matter at this point Mike and do you know why? It’s because much like your career, much how your life will be after this match when I force you into retirement, It all will be after thought. No one is going to demand that Mike Smith has that one last match. No one is going to be chanting that you still got it. There will be no outcry for your return and when you’re kicked back in the back yard with a long neck in your hand staring into the fire pit while your grandkids run about just happy to get away from you and your “crazy grandpa stories about wrestling” as you pop a pill to take care of the ulcer in your stomach as you worry yourself to death because you’re getting older and older, not even your kids are going to care about what you did in your career, if whatever you have done can even be considered a career. I hope you banked some money so you don’t have to get a day job and bore your coworkers at lunch with your wrestling stories and I hope you have your health and you can walk away while you can because that is all you're going to have.”
Sutton takes another sip.
“There will not be a “I was going to retire but I put my nose to grinder and what do you know, I won myself a championship as I was halfway out the door” story. You will however be able to tell people that one of your final matches, was against one one of the toughest son of bitches you have ever stepped into the ring against. A man with no equal in the NAW. A man who will go down as the greatest Horizon champion of all time, a man who called out anyone and everyone and backed down from no one. A man who defeated everyone who stood in his way. And for the record Mike, I didn’t ask for the competition. I demanded it. I want the best of the best in the NAW to want to face me, I want them to try and defeat me. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet and if you are considered the best of the best in the NAW…”
Sutton takes another sip and crushes the can in his hand. He eyes the mason jars on the railroad tracks.
“You should have done your homework a little more Mike. If you did you would have learned that in my brief career this right here.”
Taps the Horizon championship.
“Is my first and only singles championship of my career, a career of 3 years and almost 90 matches, of which I have lost 40 times. 40 times Mike, I did not win and some of that was just being raw in the ring. I had to take my bumps, had what some might consider to be on the job training and trust me, trust me Mike, It has taken a long time for me to get to this point. To be able to stand on my own two feet and finally make a name for myself. Everything is coming together for me here in the NAW and while I haven’t lost a match, I know that day will come and that day will come when someone stands up and knocks me down. But that day Mike, isn’t this weekend and that guy who’s going to knock me down a peg isn’t named Mike Smith. You are at best, another notch in my belt and a mere stepping stone towards the Legacy championship. But for now….This right here.”
Sutton stands up and picks up the Horizon championship. He holds it up.
“Will remain…”
Looks at the title.
“Mine!”
Sutton slings it over his shoulder and starts to walk away, as he does he walks past the mason jars of Shine. His brand of shine. He stops and glances down at them.
“For the record, that is what I fear.”
Fade out.