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Ending 2017 with a bang was what Jake Starr had hoped to do. His goal was simple... Walk out of the End of the Year Special as the World Champion. When the dust settled he had done just that, defeating Ikiro Yoshida in the final World Title match of 2017, and capping of a rebound year for the man who had fallen so far from grace over the past few years. It was also a moment where Jake finally began to feel like he had worked hard, struggled, but achieved a goal that he had set for himself, successfully.
Privately, Jake had also been feeling more of an "up" lately. With the "intervention" of Tommy an apparent success, and his daughter's schooling entering a pretty "normal" phase, Jake feels things are going well, for once. Unfortunately there is someone who truly feels differently. Since speaking with, and meeting with, Pepper Robinson about Mara's schooling, Roeper has continued to have some uncomfortable feelings about the situation as a whole. Originally she had assumed that it was just a feeling of jealousy because she wasn't included in the initial meeting. She had spent so many years acting as Mara's main caretaker, she felt she was more entitled to it than Jake was. It was amplified after the incident at the PTA meeting, as well, plus Jake's on-air clash with the school district superintendent. But the feelings have continued to evolve, and progress. Roeper, now, feels like that there is actually more to be concerned about. As the days have progressed, Jake's communication with Pepper has grown to a daily occurrence. It has also morphed from being about one, very specific topic, to that of daily conversations around any topic imaginable. The conversations have even gotten to the point where Pepper will even comment on Jake's performances in SCW, including that of a congratulations after the End of the Year Special as well. It's something that makes Roeper feel inadequate. She feels that Jake is talking to Pepper more than anyone else in the world. This feeling, coupled with the fact Jake always seems to smile when he's engaged in a conversation with her has her worried. Jake, knowing Roeper like he does, has taken it upon himself to always keep Roeper in the loop, and not hide any of the conversations that he and Pepper have. He frequently tells Roeper what they are chatting about, trying to make sure she knows exactly what is going on. Roeper, while appreciative of this gesture, still feels that something just isn't right. And decides that it's time to try and talk to Jake about her feelings about the situation as it stands now. Knowing Jake is en route home, and the timeline he provided her when he left, Roeper has been expecting Jake home for some time. The one thing different is the fact that it is taking Jake, apparently, a little longer to get home than normal. She keeps clock watching, as she sits and watches TV. After, what felt like, many hours, Jake finally returns home. He walks in and immediately heads to the bedroom to begin to unpack and regroup. Roeper hears this, and quickly jumps up to follow him toward the bedroom and confront him. As she walks in, Jake is tossing everything out of his bag and into the laundry. Jake catches a glimpse of Roeper in the doorway, and looks up. He smiles and then addresses her, winded from lugging things in. Jake Starr: Hey... Roeper tries, in her mind, to figure out how she's going to get into the topic at hand.
Roeper Hart: Hey... How was the flight? Jake Starr: Oh, it was fine, I suppose. It's becoming so repetitive to me that I don't even really think about it. Hell, we're all around one another so much we kind of just know the system, know the plans, know what's happening, and just do it. So it was fine... But it was routine... Roeper Hart: Makes sense... Seemed to take a little longer to get home, tonight... Jake keeps unpacking but nods.
Jake Starr: Yeah... We had to make a pit stop over at Pepper's house for a bit... Roeper's eyes widen, in a bit of shock. She immediately is now open for her topic to be brought into the discussion without even having to shoehorn it in.
Roeper Hart: Oh? And why, might I ask? Jake Starr: Oh she had just mentioned the other day she wanted to move this piece of furniture out of her house, and into her outside store room. So we just stopped by on the way home, and got it knocked out for her. Roeper's eyes go wide again, surprised at Jake's casualness of just doing some work for her.
Roeper Hart: ... Wow... Ok... Roeper's aghast response seems to fly right over Jake's head, and he just continues on.
Jake Starr: ... Yeah, and it was a bitch, too. Like there were a couple doorways and corners we had to maneuver around, but we managed to wiggle it out. Roeper slowly nods.
Roeper Hart: Uh huh... Yeah... Ok well while we are on the subject, I would kind of like to talk about her, if that's OK? Jake simply keeps unpacking as he initially responds.
Jake Starr: Yeah.. Sure... What's up? She walks all the way into the bedroom as she speaks.
Roeper Hart: ... Honestly, I am beginning to think that the time you are spending constantly talking to her, and now apparently hanging out and doing whatever with her, is a bit inappropriate. Jake squints, as he looks up confused.
Jake Starr: Wait... What? Roeper continues, knowing this is her opportuntiy.
Roeper Hart: Yeah... I believe you're spending too much time engaging in time with this woman about things that aren't pertaining to the ONLY reason that you two should be conversing. But instead I'm just getting to watch this "friendship" of yours get a little too out of hand for my liking. Because of that, I would VERY MUCH appreciate it if you just kept your conversations with her to a minimum, and only about Mara's schooling... Jake is a little surprised and confused at what is going on.
Jake Starr: What in the hell brought all of this on? Roeper Hart: I have felt this way for a while. You know, at first, I simply thought I was jealous that they called you about meeting her, and not me. Then, after that, I started seeing you texting her right as you would wake up, and then texting her throughout the day, up until you would go to bed. So, you know, I assume that when you're on the road you're doing the same thing and it really bothers me because you're not talking to me NEARLY as much as you are her. I mean, seriously, Jake, something is wrong with a man talking to another woman more so than his own wife. Jake Starr: ... And in my case, I'm simply being me, and being friendly... Nothing nefarious or anything is going on. I mean, hell, who is the one telling YOU everything she says, anyway? That would be me! If something were going on, wouldn't I not be as transparent as I am being with you? Now... I hear you... I get it... But I think you're being a little insane about the whole situation, if you ask me. Jake's last comment pushes Roeper into a more defensive stance, and she yells back at Jake.
Roeper Hart: INSANE?! REALLY?! Why is it FUCKING insane, Jake, to want to protect our marriage, huh? Yeah, you've been good about being more transparent NOW than in the past, but the fact is, though, your little knack for getting "friendly" with people has come back to BITE you in the ass before. I mean, for fuck's sake, Jake, you ended up with a damn stalker because you were too nice. So how am I supposed to feel when some woman magically appears, then becomes the focal point of my husband's life? It's just NOT OK, Jake. You don't need to be out there befriending random women everywhere you go. Jake chuckles, completely missing the seriousness of the situation.
Jake Starr: And what about all the women I've befriended in the wrestling world? What about all of those women I get to know and talk to from the business that supports us? This sends Roeper into firing back, yet again.
Roeper Hart: Like who, Jake? Like Rachel FUCKING Foxx? Jake's eyes go wide. Roeper sees this, and pounces.
Roeper Hart: ... Oh yeah! I know ALL about the texts you two had back and forth, back in the day. I know ALL ABOUT the feelings that she had for you, Jake. I wasn't stupid then, and I'm not now. I saw her try and make a play for you back then... This makes Jake fire back.
Jake Starr: And fucking answer me this, Roeper, how did that all work out, huh? If you're so fucking sure something is going to happen, why DIDN'T it happen, back then, with Rachel? Also, why DIDN'T it happen with that crazy bitch, too? Maybe, just fucking MAYBE, it's because I am not fucking STUPID about this? Or maybe the truth is you just don't believe a word I say, or trust me at all? Again, Roeper shoots back at Jake.
Roeper Hart: I fucking trust you, Jake, I just don't trust other fucking women. Jake's emotions lash back in Roeper's direction.
Jake Starr: You know, I could give TWO FUCKING SHITS if you trust other women or not. You should be trusting ME to be the one who can handle a situation if someone else were to do or try something. I mean, I told you, Roeper, I get it. I get what you're saying. And yeah, the whole stalker chick situation, I fucked up on. THAT is one of the main reasons I'm trying to be more open this time around. Apparently, though, I don't do anything right in that regard. Apparently nothing I do to try and move forward is OK. I'm just not trustworthy enough to be friends with anyone who doesn't have a scrotum dangling between their legs. Roeper rolls her eyes.
Roeper Hart: Oh fuck off, Jake, you know I didn't say that! Jake Starr: You fucking implied it. You basically implied I can't be trusted. I mean, like I said, I have TRIED to do whatever I could to show you the common courtesy of keeping you in the loop, but that wasn't enough. But what you HAVE to understand is that I am going to go be friends eith WHOMEVER I feel comfortable befriending. YOU can do the same as well. I'm not going to try and pick your friends... Roeper Hart: Even if it was a guy? Jake Starr: If it's YOUR friend, MY job is to trust YOU, and that's what I do. But the fact is, this whole fucking situation... It fucking hurts... It fucking hurts to have you come in here and basically accuse me of cheating... Roeper Hart: Well I want to just say... Jake cuts her off.
Jake Starr: ... No... You have said enough, right now. I've heard you. Loud and FUCKING clear. You're issuing your little ultimatum, and I got ya, there... With those words, Jake turns away, and begins unpacking more. As far as he's concerned, the conversation is now over, and he has nothing left to say. Roeper realizes this as well, and instead of pursuing, sighs, and simply turns and leaves. The rest of the evening is spent at an ars length from one another. Neither tries to speak to the other, and the tension simply continues to grow exponentially as the night progresses. Both continue to replay the conversation in their minds, wondering what they could have said or done differently. Neither know what the "right next move" is, but they both know that at some point the situation will have to be revisited.
Jake Starr: For many, 2017 didn't end as anyone expected. For fuck's sake, walking into 2017, everyone saw me in a triple threat match with Brett Sinclaire and Rachel Foxx. It was a match that was there, that nobody remembered, including me. I'm not kidding... I didn't remember who I kicked 2017 off against. I had to go look at the SCW version of Wikipedia, which we all know is 100% accurate! The fact is, I wasn't even in the frame of reference as one of the "top guys." And that's completely OK. I walked into 2017 as a guy who nobody believed in, and didn't even DESERVE to be believed in. I didn't deserve to be looked at as anyone but a roster-filler, because I didn't earn that responsibility. I didn't earn the right to be considered anyone but a warm body to help get the crowd ready for the main event. But what a difference a fucking year makes! As 2017 came to a close, I heard a lot of grumblings that suggested that many believed that I would be walking into the new year as I did 2017. I heard people believing that 2017 would end just like 2010, and Jake Starr would begin to flounder. I get it, too. I truly do. I was a guy who had reached an all-time low in my actions. For years I had walked around claiming I was the best, but NEVER backing it up. I was a guy who had become complacent, and allowed the game to pass me by. I had become someone who didn't believe that I had to try. That's why when I walked into the End of the Year Special, when I walked into a match with Yoshida, I knew I ahd a lot of momentum against me. I knew nobody expected me to win... So when I walked into that match I knew I had the opportunity to change the course of history. Everyone believes history repeats itself, and I am one. But I also believe that EVEYRONE has the chance to change the course of history. I looked at Yoshida as my second chance at David Helms. I looked at Yoshida as a guy who everyone believed in, and believed that could be the next big thing in SCW. Had I lost, he would have been just that. Not just in the eyes of the masses, but in reality because Yoshida is a fucking beast. I don't care if you're a fan of me or not... That guy pushed me to the limit. He showed me that he wasn't just a "buddy" of people in the back, but a guy who truly is everything people anticipated he could be. Dude definitely is someone who deserved that opportunity. But there was a problem... There was a BIG problem, this year... Unlike in 2010, Jake Starr didn't leave empty handed. Jake Starr hadn't become complacent. Jake Starr hadn't just assumed he was going to win by default. Jake Starr, instead, realized that he is still EXTREMELY vulernable. Jake Starr is still that guy who had gotten fortunate to win ONE MATCH. Yeah, that match was one that got me an honor I had never won, but it was still one match. I could have been lucky. I could have just had one good night. Shit, Allocco could have just fucking felt bad for me and let me win. But I believed I had done something special, but NEEDED to prove that it wasn't just one night. And in Yoshida, I did just that... When the dust settled, reality began to sink in for me. I was GOING to end 2017 as World Champion. I was GOING to go into the New Year as the hunted. I was walking into 2018 as THE MAN in SCW. It's something that, walking into 2017, everyone would have laughed at, but the fact is, a REALITY. Hell, I would have laughed at it. See the difference between 2016 Jake Starr and the end of 2017 Jake Starr is I began to realize how much I had falled by the wayside. I realized how much everyone had passed me by. Ultimately... I HUMBLED myself at the reality of SCW's landscape, and that's OK! It really began to set things apart for me, and made me realize that if I truly thought I COULD compete, I would have to do so by starting from the bottom, as a relative nobody, and work my way up to the top. I knew that I would have to EARN my place in the main event scene. That's what I did... That's EXACTLY what I did... Now in 2018, people perceive me a lot differently. People realize that what happened inside that chamber wasn't a fluke, and Jake Starr IS the legitimate World Champion. I made it through their hand-picked successor, and it's now my job to do everything I can to continue to prove myself time after time, as the best of the best. And the thing is, while they may view me as "the guy, the top dog, the alpha, whatever," I can't do that. I can't allow myself to see myself in that light. THAT was my drawback, back in the day. THAT is why I began coming up short. So I have to ALWAYS look at myself like I don't belong. I have to believe I am still the 2014, 2015, 2016, and hell, bulk of 2017, Jake Starr. I have to believe that I am truly not worthy, yet. I have to believe I have EVERYTHING to prove... Jake takes a deep breath.
... And that's why Breakdown will be an important night for both myself and Tommy. Inside that Chamber, we won the Tag Team Championships. We went out there and we "completed" our "Resurgence" for the world to see. Everyone was in shock to see Thomas Valentine and Jake Starr hoisting Tag Team Championship gold in SCW in 2017. But we did it. We shocked the world. We went out there and we actually BECAME Tag Team Champions, and did so when nobody believed we could. It was a moment for us. It was a SPECIAL moment for us. But then there came the realization that The Resurgence was the hunted as well. Just like I am with the World Title, we were with the Tag Team Championships as well. We both began to realize that we were no longer just a fun "idea" in the tag team scene, we WERE the tag team scene. That meant we had to go out there and we had to fucking defend the honor of every tag team before us. We had to be the ones who PRIDED ourselves in putting the HONOR of the tag team division in front of us. And we ultimately failed... I say this because it's a fact. I also say it because it is the motivator that has driven us to being cast into the light of the number one contenders as well. SCW's brass was kind enough to give us our rematch. We didn't demand it... We didn't order it... But we were given it to kick off 2018, and honestly I will say thank you for that. Usually I'm the guy who demands rematches and wants title opportunities, but in this case, we get to kick 2018 off with a chance to reclaim gold. But the fact is it won't be easy. It's not a cake walk. We didn't lose on a technicality, a farce, or anything of the sorts. We simply were beat by one of the best teams in the industry in B. A. E. Kennedy Street and Amy Chastaine are two of the toughest women on the planet. Both are former World Champions, and I know I said that before, but it simply states how talented they are as individuals. Now, they're Tag Team Champions. For fuck's sake, Amy is the fastest Supreme Champion in SCW history. These two women are simply two of the baddest bitches on the planet, and I'm not afraid of saying that they took Tommy and I to the woodshed, and made sure we did NOT forget their names. So plain and simple... We have to bring EVERYTHING and HOPE for the fucking best! Now I say this because it's just the world in which I live. I don't live in a world where I say, "oh they simply suck, can't compare to The Resurgence, and will soon not be Tag Champions because of that reasoning." I just don't, anymore. Yeah, I'm still cocky. Yeah I KNOW we CAN win. But I also am a realist and say it's not a guarantee. You see, these two women are now in a position where, normally, I would talk about how they weren't prepared to defend, or weren't ready to be the hunted in the tag team division, but these are two women who have faced that adversity on the singles side already. These two have proven themselves to be two of the most dominant singles champions in SCW ANY TIME they get a belt, and you want me to come out here and throw the cliche that they won't know how to work it out? For fuck's sake... They did just fine winning the belts! That's why I know we have to bring everything if we even want to have the HOPE of winning the Tag Team Championships back. Jake begins to pace, feeling it hard to stand still as he talks.
You see... I've been in the ring with these two women. Hell, Kennedy and I once stood shoulder to shoulder in battle, as well. They have proven themselves as opponents worthy of respect from EVERYONE in this organization. They have PROVEN themselves to be fighters. And they have proven themselves to be people that Tommy and I can't seem to beat. So if we are going to win, and that is definitely our goal, we have to go out there with the plan to pull out all of the stops. We have to plan on being willing to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to beat these two. We have to be willing to do just like we were willing to do inside that hellacious structure, and be willing to barely be able to stand in the end. We simply have to be willing to fight. I will say this, though... They'll do the same. Hell, given the recent developments about Kennedy possibly becoming slightly homicidal, we should be worried that she's not going to back down. Whether any of that is true or not, I haven't a clue, but if that was her doing what they're saying she is a suspected of doing, then she's willing to go on murderous rampages against Tommy and I. So in a nutshell, we'll have to dig deep... For Tommy and I, it's completely doable. Both he and I know we have a mean streak that we can pull out. Hell, lately, have you seen how aggro Tommy's been in some situations? He's willing to go to a very deep and dark place to send a message. And if things get out of control, I won't try and stop him from doing that as well. The fact is, we're going in to try and reclaim what we rightfully lost. There wasn't shenanigans. There weren't any clouds of dust. There was just a situation where The Resurgence wasn't ready to take on two determined opponents. Now the roles are reversed. Now it's our turn to come in determined. Now it's our turn to hope that something has their attention, more so than us. Now it's our turn to see how determined they are to KEEP the belts. It's a role reversal that should prove interesting. Jake pauses, and turns back toward the camera.
Kennedy... Amy... This match is going to be war, and all four of us know it. Tommy and I don't know where y'alls head will be at walking in, but we expect you to come in at 100%. Why? Because you're both fucking champions and know how to focus when necessary. But if you don't... If you let this drama which you may or may not be involved cause you to have ANY mental lapse whatsoever, then you had better KNOW that Tommy and I will exploit those flaws, exploit your weaknesses, and TAKE the Tag Team Championships BACK. Make no mistake, you two... Tommy and I know you're the favorite again. We know everyone expects you two to win. But we aren't deterred and will NOT be scared off. We're coming in to win, coming into become Tag Team Champions once again, and to dethrone your Queendom before it even gets a chance to truly flex its muscle. We're coming in to, once again, RISE FROM THE FUCKING ASHES! Fin |
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