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The world witnessed another dream come true, at Supreme Saturday, when Jake Starr, Syren, and Skullkeeper were able to do the unthinkable, and win the Trios Tournament. For Jake Starr, it wasn't just another career-defining moment in his career, it was the moment where Jake would have his direct path to the one moment he has wanted since he joined the organization.
It was also a moment where two long-time rivals were legitimately able to move on from the past, and focus on the future. When the teams were finalized, many looked at the team of Jake Starr and Syren as a clusterfuck waiting to happen. The history between the the two had been nuclear for years, and the one time they teamed up, it was a moment where they didn't waste any time getting their licks in on one another. People assumed that this would be yet another moment where it would happen again, but surprisingly, they both realized that their feud was in the past, and for once, they both were on the "same side." They were able to put their differences behind them. It wasn't a moment where a friendship began to bud, but a foundation of respect was forged, which has never been there before. The Trios marked multiple storylines for Jake, and multiple victories. It was a night where he not only left happy he won, but happy about how things generally went down. It allowed him to close another chapter, and truly enjoy the fact that he gets to begin a new chapter in his SCW career, and with that new chapter comes an opportunity to simply relax. He has not had that luxury in some time, having been forced to shift his focus first to the United States Championship, and then to the Trios. With no "huge match" on his horizon right now, Jake can take matches as they come, and mentally take a break in between. As Jake relaxes, he is taking some time to simply get caught up on a lot of backed up paperwork and filing that has been sitting on his desk since he had to devote a lot of his time to SCW and his nephew Thören. He sifts through the bills that are still in envelopes, and tries to get them put in their right file. He stumbles across a couple of pieces of paper that just irritate them that he knows should have been put away, and haven't yet, and he shakes his head, and sighs. As he continues to sift and sort, his phone chirps at him with a text message alert. He looks down, and sees a message from Brandon waiting for him. He unlocks his phone, and reads what Brandon has to say to him... I think I got to him... Jake's eyelids raise, shocked to see that Brandon thinks he may have gotten his message through to Thören.
How'd you manage that? Basically I took him to the hospital I decided to die at. Figured he could see the vid, and decide what he thought for himself. Well I'm sure that'd get through to him... Yeah... When he left that room, his eyes were so not the same. I saw a different look behind his "tough guy" eyes. He saw reality. I'm glad... I hope you're right... Instead of continuing the conversation, Brandon is quick to put the kibosh on it.
I'll explain more when I come over next time... Jake sighs, annoyed. His antsy self is wanting to know more about what happened now, and wishes Brandon would have told him. He also realizes that the story could be one that is far too in-depth to be passed along via text message, and accepts the reality that he's going to have to wait. He puts his phone back to the side, and goes back to dealing with the paperwork.
Meanwhile, while Jake is doing all of this, Roeper goes through all of the normal routines of putting their daughter Mara to bed. In her eyes, anyone who looks at her would be able to see something is on her mind, and as she lies Mara down, she decides that with their daughter in bed, and nobody in the house, it may be the best time to discuss things with Jake. As she leaves she heads straight for Jake's office. As she reaches the door, she stops and takes a deep breath. Before she can knock on the door, however, Jake quickly speaks up. Jake Starr: Come on in, babe! Roeper jumps, completely startled that Jake knew she was there, without seeing her. She walks in, with a look of confusion on her face.
Roeper Hart: How did you know that I was there? Jake Starr: Oh... You know... I've been practicing my telepathic powers, and I could sense you. Roeper rolls her eyes.
Roeper Hart: Whatever... Jake shrugs.
Jake Starr: Well it's either that, or the fact your shadow was prominently displayed on the door, and I could tell you were getting ready to knock. Roeper looks back at the door, and notices that shadows from the hallway are, indeed, being projected onto the door. She shrugs, realizing this.
Roeper Hart: Well... Ok then... Jake Starr: So what's up, babe? Roeper Hart: Oh, I just put Mara to bed, and I was about to do the same thing. Figured I would see if you were coming to bed soon, or going to be up for a while. Jake Starr: Yeah... I am just trying to get a bunch of this extraneous paperwork in order. I let it pile up for so long that it makes me sometimes wonder if we've missed paying any bills. Roeper Hart: Well I'm 100% sure that we haven't missed paying anything... Jake Starr: Oh I am sure, too... That accountant that oo6 gave us to manage much of our finances would have been on my ass long ago, if we were. Speaking of... I need to remember to send Eric a thank you card for helping us out like that. Roeper chuckles, and then tries to focus the conversation back to what she came to see him about.
Roeper Hart: ... Do you think we can talk before bed? Jake Starr: Sure... I mean, aren't we talking now? Roeper Hart: Well... I actually want to talk about some more "serious shit" for once. Jake's eyes open wide.
Jake Starr: Well... Ok then! If we're going to talk like that, I need my "serious shit glasses!" Jake reaches into the drawer of his desk, and pulls out a pair of absurdly large, goofy, glasses, and puts them on. Roeper simply rolls her eyes, not impressed.
Roeper Hart: ... Jake, take those off. This is for real. Jake realizes that Roeper is serious about wanting to talk, and removes the glasses. He puts them on his desk, and looks at his wife with a far more serious look in his eyes.
Jake Starr: Ok... What's going on, hun? Roeper begins to look around at all of Jake's title belts that he has mounted on his wall, from the various organizations he's been involved in. After looking at them, she turns back to Jake.
Roeper Hart: Do you know if and when all of this is going to be done? Jake Starr: What? Roeper points at the belts.
Roeper Hart: All of this... How much longer is all of this going to continue? Jake begins to pick up what Roeper is referring to.
Jake Starr: It'll keep on going as long as I can compete. Things are finally looking up for me, and this year is turning into something extremely special. Roeper Hart: Well, I know that... Buthow long are you planning on sticking with it? Jake reiterates his point.
Jake Starr: Like I said... As long as I can truly compete with the best, I will. Roeper Hart: When will you be able to accept that you can't compete? I have known you for many years, and I know how much difficulty you had accepting the past, when the business got away from you. I know how hard it has been for you to understand that sometimes, there are those who are better. Hell, I remember when you were, basically, forced into retirement because you were blacklisted from everywhere. You weren't yourself then, either. When that happened, I had to deal with a depressed and mopey husband who didn't want to do ANYTHING. I had to be the strong one. And because I know you so well, I have a hard time believing that you will EVER be able to accept that the reality is that it's time to move on. Jake rolls his eyes.
Jake Starr: I'll be able to move on when the time is right... When I was forced out, I wasn't ready, and it wasn't the right time. When someone else decides what my career path is supposed to be, i"m not happy. When it's my decision to make, I'll make it. Roeper Hart: And see... I don't think that you'll ever be able to make that decision, unless you're absolutely forced to. Every time that you have to play "catch up" to the business and your opposition, you have this idea that it's just a matter of time before you do so, and are on top again. Every time you get into a slump, you say you just have to refocus and try hard. Each of those times, I slowly begin to worry more and more. I begin to look at it like this might be the time where you are not able to come home in one piece... Jake shakes his head.
Jake Starr: I promise you, you don't have to worry about any of that. I will ALWAYS be able to come home in one piece. Roeper Hart: How am I supposed to know that? Hell... How do you even know that? How do you know that you won't be coming home like some of your comrades, who have, in the past, been forced to come home like vegetables? How do you know that you won't be able to come home one day, and NOT be able to care for yourself? How do I know that you are going to always be safe, and not continue past your "prime," and ultimately come home hurt? I am sick and tired of waiting and worrying, and I think that it may be coming to a point where it's time for you to think about your family... Jake squints, and cocks and eyebrow.
Jake Starr: What do you mean? Roeper Hart: I mean that Mara is getting to the age where she is going to start wondering where Daddy is, and why he's never there. She is too young to understand why Jake is always coming and going, and is not there for her. She is too young to be always missing her father because he's not there. So I am NOT about to let my daughter be a complete stranger to her father or visa versa. Now... I am not saying this because I'm mad. I'm saying this because I think I'm ready for US to start thinking about being a real family. I'm not here to give you a deadline, but I wanted you to understand that I think it may be time to consider winding things down... Roeper sighs, seeing the uncertainty in Jake's eyes.
Roeper Hart: ... Babe... I know you have dreams. I want you to know that I want you to do everything you can to accomplish them. At the same time, I don't want you to grasp at false hope, wishing you could accomplish things that aren't going to happen. If you do that, it could ultimately cause our family greater pain in the future... I just hope you understand... Jake looks at Roeper with a very stoic look.
Jake Starr: Roeper, I'm not ready to call it quits. I am not ready to stop chasing my dreams because I know I can compete. But I will says I understand your concerns, and I promise that I am not going to let Mara be a stranger to me, or me be a stranger to her. This family of ours, it is what continues to motivate me to push forward. I want you both proud of me. And I want you both to understand that, yes, I am out there chasing my dreams, but ultimately it is to provide for you and Mara. It's the only thing I know to how to do, and do well. More importantly, I don't want to learn to do anything else. In the end, I am not going to let myself get to the point where I can't take care of myself or my family. You need to trust me on that. You need to trust that 2014 is going to be a special year for me, and who knows, this could be the year that makes me realize that I have done all that I can. I just feel, deep down, that this is my time to shine, and I need to attack it full throttle... Roeper sighs.
Roeper Hart: I hope you're right, Jake... Jake stands and walks over to Roeper, and looks deep into her eyes.
Jake Starr: I promise, babe... Roeper reluctantly believes Jake, but doesn't know, deep down, how serious he is about it. She knows how stubborn he can be, and she knows that when it comes to accepting the reality of the downside of his career, it may not be the easiest thing for him to come to grips with.
In her mind, she truly begins to hope that things begin to finally wind down for Jake. It's not because she fully believes he is "past his prime," but more because she is ready to have a family, and enjoy his company at home. More and more, she has been feeling the strain of Jake being gone, and she is ready for that feeling to go away. Will Jake be able to realize when things are truly done? Is 2014 really the year where Jake realizes every one of his dreams, and is able to really begin to decide whether there is more left, or he wants to leave on the high note? Or will his dreams be realized, and simply make room for more? If more dreams arise, will Roeper be able to handle Jake's desire to continue to press forward? These familial issues will be a test to Jake's life, outside of the ring, but still have a correlation to the business, the whole way. Jake Starr: For almost six years, I have been in SCW, wondeirng when it would be "my turn." I have sat back, and watched as person after person walked into SCW, and got to have a coveted position that I wanted. Now... Now I have the chance to FINALLY have my moment in the limelight. Finally, I get to put my name in the headlines, with a chance to truly define my SCW career, with the icing on the cake. When I walked into that match, with the Trios Tournament staring me in the face, I will be honest, I didn't think I would be on the victorious team. It wasn't because of the team. It wasn't because I didn't know if Skullkeeper could "bring it." It wasn't because I was afraid that Syren would do something to screw me over. It was because of what had happened to me recently. I had suffered defeats at the hands of the Watson cousins, and David Miller, and in my head, I was fearing that history had repeated itself. I was fearing that, yet again, I was going to fall into the slump that lead me to win a big match, and not be able to truly follow it up. It had become the "go to norm" for me. I would win a match, lose a few, and just act like I would magically recover. Each time, I would either win, and repeat the process, or I would actually continue the losing, and continue to look like I had lost my touch. So walking in, I didn't have this confidence that I would normally have. I had the desire. I had the want. I had the will. I just didn't know if I had the ability. Thankfully, I had a team that, not only believed in me, but I believed in. It was something that, honestly, we had over the other teams. The three of us were able to look at the situation as a TEAM, and not as three individuals who wanted to be greedy, and try and win a golden ticket to whatever match we wanted. We knew the rewards that would come, if we won, and we didn't need to constantly think about it. We didn't need to worry about what we would win because we could simply focus on the more important facet of the tournament... WINNING! It was something that I noticed early on. And after I got to avenge my loss to Miller by rolling his ass up, and putting his shoulders to the mat for three seconds, I began to realize we had a legit chance of shocking some people. I knew that of all the combinations out there, the team to beat would be David Helms, Regan Street, and whoever their third person was, which let's be honest, none of us remember. When we met in that final match, I was ready. And when we won that match, when the bell sounded, when I got that last pinfall, marked a moment in my career that cannot be changed. Regan and David were two people who I had never been able to best, in any match. I had never been able to say that I was better than either of them, until that moment. David Helms ALWAYS had my number. He ALWAYS watched himself walk out victorious, and each time, it was deserved. This time, the roles finally reversed. This time I was able to be on the winning in, and I was able to reap the rewards... Jake feels the emotion building inside of his body. He begins to fully come to terms with the fact that he has the open contract to have ANY MATCH, at ANY TIME, against ANYBODY. It's something that makes him just feel a sense of disbelief that the moment has finally come within his grip.
... And... Wow... It's really going to happen. For those of you who don't realize how bad I've wanted this moment, open your fucking eyes. I've always said that the main event of Rise to Greatness has been what I've wanted, and what I've strived to get to. My first year, I got it. I understood why I wasn't in that match, then, but every year sense, I've felt I could and should be there. I've seen people who didn't deserve it, and I've seen people who were GIFTED freebie opportunities, and now, it's my turn. But unlike those people who I believe were simply given a free pass... Jake holds up his Trios Tournament contract.
I FUCKING EARNED THIS! Now, nobody will stop me from achieving what I want, and putting another dream of mine in the reality column. Now, I don't have to put myself through the trials and tribulations of Taking Hold of the Flame. I don't have to try to go through 40,000 current roster members, 250 former members of the SCW roster, and Toe Jam and Earl, who're both trying to make a comeback in the world. Instead, I get to watch people simply grind it out, and put their bodies on the line. I get to watch others try and risk life and limb for the GOLDEN FUCKING TICKET that I now possess. Jake takes a breath, and smirks. He looks over his shoulder at the United States Championship.
Heh... I know what you all are thinking. You all are wondering about what I said about this championship. Everyone remembers when I said how much I was going to show respect to this title, and leave it at that. And I'm going to be honest, it very much is my top priority. It is what I want to continue running with, and setting milestones on. But with that being said, I'm not going to miss out on a dream opportunity, especially when I only have one calendar year to decide what I want. Rise to Greatness only comes once, and I'm not passing up on a dream. That being said, this is really all I'm going to talk about Rise to Greatness, until that match rolls around. Until it is time to focus on whoever my match will be with in that main event, I am the United States Champion, and I will do whatever I can to successfully defend this title time after time, and REMAIN the United States Champion... PERIOD! Jake cracks his neck to each side, and moves on to his next focus.
Now that we have that out of our system, and simply out in the open, we can finally move the fuck on. We can look ahead to the things that I have control over, now, are in play. We can look ahead to the things that are of immediate matter. Going forward, my focus is clear... I want to prove I don't just win specific matches, but I win whatever matches I decide I want to win. I want to clear the air, and let people see that I win big, and I win often. The Trios Tournament, it got people to open their eyes and see what Jake Starr is capable of on those big stages, and now, people are going to start looking at me more. They want to see if I can turn around, and do it all over again, and trust me... I will do it all over again. And I will do so at Breakdown! Coming out of the Trios, my first opponent is someone who, admittedly, I know very little about. Sure, he was in the Trios Tournament, getting in along with Miller, since apparently they magically had a draw, and sure he was one of those people who suffered because I rolled Miller's ass up, and returned the favor, but honestly, he's nothing I really have seen in SCW, doing anything worth a damn. What I have seen, however, is some pretty outlandish claims that he's made. These claims are something that, while I may not know much of his background, stood out in my mind. It was something that made me realize what I am up against. He is someone who doesn't have a track record in SCW. He doesn't have people talking about everything he's done, and yet, he has the audacity and the BALLS to actually claim he's going to be the SCW World Champion before Rise to Greatness? Really? Seriously? He's joking, right? It's my imagination that tells me that he has some fictional countdown going until his SCW World Championship PRIOR to the biggest event of the year, right? Yeah, I think I'm wrong, there. I think the fool is serious, and yet, while he had the chance to actually step up, he didn't do it. He had the chance to do something special at the Trios, and let's be honest, he faded into the background and did nothing of the sorts. He opted to not RISE to the occasion, and instead, allowed himself to be surpassed, and quite frankly, that tells me that he's not hungry. It tells me that Merrick Wiseman is nothing more than a sham. He is someone who, like everyone else who steps into that ring, has delusions of grandeur, but instead of pushing himself to do something spectacular, he simply does a little, and when he slips up, he says, "oh well," and moves on. That's not how I roll... That's not what I appreciate... For someone who wants to portray this bastion of goodness, and be "Johnny Law" of SCW by dressing up like some fictional cowboy, he doesn't seem to "live" the part very well. He seems to be able to talk it up, well, but following through is something he has a distinct difficulty doing. He can pride himself by living by the rules of not cheating, stealing, or interfering, but he needs to understand what reality is... Jake gives a cheesy smile.
... And I'm glad I'm here to help with that tidbit of realisim! Jake gives two thumbs up.
See, Jake Starr, and many of the rest of humanity, lives in the real world. We live in a world that is based in 2014. I know that is a crazy thing to imagine, especially when 1814 was such a fun year... Jake cocks an eyebrow, confused if 1814 really was a good year or not.
... Anyway, in 2014, we don't wait for Sherrif Andy Griffith to come out from Maybury, and try to straighten things up. Instead, we realize that sometimes, especially in Supreme Championship Wrestling, you don't get a clean-cut lawman to come and restore order, and you have to do it yourself. Sometimes you do have to cheat... Sometimes you do have to steal... Sometimes you do need to interfere... Sometimes you have to do those things, not just to win, but to protect yourself from damage. I can't be out there expecting that Sherrif Bart is going to come make a special save for me. I can't expect that someone else will be there for me, so I do it myself. If Merrick doesn't think that's necessary... He's a dumbass! See, when he comes into the ring, and faces off against me, he's going to see someone who is there on a mission. He's going to see the United States Champion staring at him, with a chair in hand... And trust me when I say that Chairee will stop the cap guns that his mommy let him leave the house with. When he sees that man standing across from him, he'll realize that his little fantasyland is just that, a fantasy. He'll realize that reality is far different than this world he thinks he is protecting. Now, once we tangle, and once he realizes what I am bringing to the table, he's going to understand why he is so far from even being CONSIDERED for an opportunity at the SCW World Championship. He's going to fully understand that he is so far out of the realm of "my league" and the "league of champions," that he has no opportunities going forward. He's going to fully comprehend that reality is NOT something he is familiar with, and his stupid countdown to Rise to Greatness is merely a reminder to those of us who WILL be there, that it is so many days out. Merrick... When you step into the ring with me, it won't be like stepping into the ring with Miller. It won't be like stepping into the Trios Tournament, like you did. It won't be like any match you've ever had in your career. I am going to go out there, and I am going to beat you down for multiple reasons. One... I don't like people just anointing themselves as the "next big thing," when they're NOBODIES. If they're not someone who didn't come from greatness, and has a reputation to let the world know that they're someone to be messed with, then they're simply blowing smoke. They're simply people who think that by making outstanding claims, they're magically for real. They're not. They're nothing like that. YOU are nothing like that! I am going to give you a fight, and a reality check. I am going to show you what CHAMPIONS are like, to fight inside that ring. I am going to beat you down, and show you that your utopian society that you're trying to portray, this no lying, cheating, stealing, interfering, et cetera bullshit, is not where you live, nor where anyone else lives. I am going out there to show you what it's like facing off with someone who has been to the top, and will soon be RISING to the occasion yet again. I'm going to show you, and the rest of the world, that after a big match, I am not suffering from any "hangover," but ready to begin drinking again. I'm going to show the world that the Trios was a moment where Jake Starr proved a point, and earned the RIGHT to do whatever the fuck he wants. I hope you're ready to duel, Quickdraw... Because I promise, my gun is bigger, my gun is stronger, and my gun will make sure you don't forget when she hits you! Enjoy reality, bitch! Fin |
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