Post by Ghost Spike on Jun 23, 2013 11:02:00 GMT
Man, I can’t begin to tell you what a roller coaster of emotions I’ve been through in the last week. The build up to Bloody Assizes was so intense, and trust me when I tell you this, there is no way in hell you can prepare for a tables, ladders and chairs match, let alone one with TEN people in it. Yet, at the end of the day.....every single thing that has gone through my mind in the last seven days, was totally worth it.
Here I am, one half of the tag team champions, and I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder to hold a tag team championship. Not even with Trent Helms, hell, not even with my brother Brad Kane. I came here with a purpose, and that was to conquer the tag team championships and rule this division with an iron boot. Needless to say, we’re already well on our way towards that goal. We’re the only undefeated tag team in the company and if you look at the power rankings the nearest team is fifty......that’s right.....FIFTY points away.
I’m pretty sure you’re sick and tired of Rob and I always being right. Not once have we said that we would collectively beat someone, and not backed those words up. Infact I’ve suffered a loss since I’ve been here, and it was to Jake Keeton, and hell by my opponent this weeks standards, I didn’t suffer the pinfall so I didn’t lose, right?
Right, Mikey?
Keep tellin’ yourself that kid. We’re going to have one hell of a meeting of the minds come Sacrifice, and I swear this to you Michael, I will not let you leave that ring with the attitude you have towards me now, you can trust me on this.....when you leave that ring, either by your own power, or in an ambulance.....you’ll remember one of the God of Xtreme’s commandments...
Thou shalt not f**k, with The Spiked One.
~~~
I can’t even begin to contemplate the rage bubbling inside me, the urge to reach out and totally destroy something. Alysson didn’t tell me, of course she didn’t tell me, she knew how I would react. Yet some smarmy little stage hand douchebag decides to show me what happened merely hours before Rob and I have our tag team championship match. Oh God....I’m going to do something stupid I just know it.
“Mike! Snap the hell out of it man!”
The friendly voice isn’t Rob, it’s an older friend, and I feel him shake me and then slap me in my face. Hard. I blink a couple of times and then the scene comes into focus for me. I see my locker room in bit of a state, I see some of the green guys looking a might terrified, and I see Jake Conway standing in front of me holding my shoulders and looking square into my eyes. Not many people have the guts to do that, but Jake and I, we’ve been through the ringer.
“Mike....seriously. If you don’t chill out, they’re going to kick you out of the arena”
I struggle to form words, my mind is just fuelled by rage right now, so much so that everything else just pales into comparison. I bring my right arm up and rub my forehead, just trying to think, trying to calm myself. Remembering the work I did with Doctor Riley Griffiths, trying to keep myself in control.
“Jake.....she tried to take my son. Christ.....if Ally wasn’t there, what might have-”
Jake cuts me off, getting right to the point.
“Well she was there. So don’t go thinking about the coulda, woulda, shoulda. It happened, and it’s over. You need to deal with it after tonight, because Mike, you’ve got a job to do and don’t you dare throw this opportunity away.”
Again, the words seem hard to find. Like I have to go on an epic quest just to find one word at a time. I can feel my mouth moving, as if trying to form the words, but nothing comes out. It’s about that time that Rob comes bursting into the room, out of breath and flustered. He’s never seen me snap so quickly before.
“I got here....she.....she’s right behind me....whoo..”
Rob bends over onto his knees to catch his breath, and I hear the patter of feet behind him, and then the most glorious sight of my life as my wife Alysson comes rushing in with Xander in her arms. I struggle to fight back the tears, and I feel Jakes grip on me released as Alysson rushes over to me and I embrace her and Xander tighter than ever before.
“My god....I’m so sorry....I love you so much!”
I mumble into the part of her neck closest to her shoulder. I can feel her shaking, but Xander doesn’t seem to notice. He seems happy to be seeing Daddy and Daddies friends. I can’t believe I nearly lost him again......I could kill that bitch.
“Don’t do anything stupid Michael.”
Alysson whispers into my ear, and for the briefest of seconds I panic wondering if she can hear my thoughts, but I quickly push that thought to the side. A flash in my head reminds me of what Alysson did to protect our son, and I feel a strange kind of warmth inside me, knowing that my wife would go above and beyond to protect Xander is just another thing that makes me realise I made the right choice when I found her, she is the love of my life, and the second most important person in my life, right after Xander.
“I won’t.....I’ll...christ....I’ll let the lawyers handle it, she isn’t supposed to be within five hundred feet of either us, Xander, or our home. God Ally.....I’m so sorry.”
I feel her hand on my face just after I lower my head in shame. Her touch is so soft, so precise, she knows exactly how to cool me down, how to keep me in the moment and here with her. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about Allyson, and I know that she knows it. I have enough wits about me to look up and just give Jake and Rob a nod. I’m grateful to have friends I can rely on for support, and I watch them usher the rookies out of the room to give me and my family some alone time.
“I love you Michael. It’s not your fault, it never was, but I’m here, with you and I always will be.”
I squeeze them both as we share a rare moment out on the road together, it’s only because it’s a pay per view, but it’s a heartwarming moment all the matter. Xander wriggles, and begins to giggle as he feels us both holding on to him as if for dear life. I understand what it’s like to lose one of your children, it’s why I’ve been trying to help Rob so much, I wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy, and I will give anything to never have to go through that again.
Anything.
~~~
It’s been built up more than the Imperial Championship, talked about more than the Heir to the Throne tournament, and we’re finally here. Finally after all the bravado, after all the insults, after all the ignorant remarks we come down to the fight everyone has wanted to see since IWF opened it’s doors. Mike Laszlo versus Spike Kane. I have to say Mike, I’ve been looking forward to this ever since I heard you had the balls to actually accept the challenge that Rob and I laid out for you at Bloody Assizes.
It’s ok, you can pretend you made the match if it makes you feel better.
Anyway, we challenged you....one on one, with The Spiked One, and then next week you get Rob, well....I’m sorry, but I kind of lied to Rob, and I feel bad for it, because truth be told Mikey? I’m not leaving anything for Rob at all. You picked a fight with me, out of nowhere, because you honest to God think you’re far superior than what you really are, but the thing is Mike....you picked a fight with the wrong Legend. You could have had any nCw Alumni, but you chose me instead. What in the blue hell were you thinking? You were upset because I shrugged you off? Do you not realise that you are totally insignificant to me? Rob, I am the motherlovin’ God of Xtreme (It’s an X by the way, moron) I get about fifty challenges to a fight when I walk from my car to my hotel room. I’m a global celebrity Mike, I’ve been in this game for closing in on two decades now. Let that sink in, I’m not making this up...
Two decades!
I debuted way back in October 1996, and I’ve had one hell of a ride since then. I earned my way to the top Mike. I scraped, clawed, low blowed, stabbed in the back....I did everything to rise to the top of this world that we live in, and to be brutally honest with you Mike? I f**king hated it, I hated having to give people who were not as good as me their dues, I hated having to sit there and listen to some halfwit lecture me about how this business works, only for me to rise above them all years later. Look at me Mike, I’m a relic from a lost age.....where is Triple D? Where is MGK? Where is Venom? Where is Lance Ryan? …..exactly. They couldn’t cut it at the top, they fizzled and burned away, but I’m still here Mike. Still lighting up that ring whenever I enter it, still capturing gold around the world, still putting my body on the line just to capture that victory.
So please tell me how you are better than me.
Please Mike, tell me what makes you so different. Tell me what makes you stand out from the multitude of idiots that I face around the world year, after year. I’m begging you to make it different Mike, I’m begging you to break the monotony and deliver what your words have promised. I’m a big enough man, I will shake your hand if you beat me. I will hold it up and declare you the victor, the better man on the night, and I’ll wait till the day I can get a rematch and try and beat you again, but to be honest with you Mikey? We both know that it won’t happen, we both know that you have this twisted fascination with having to measure up to Spike Kane. You have put me and my career on a pedestal and nothing I can do or say will impact that. I don’t need to beat you Mike, you’ve already beaten yourself. You don’t even realise it, but you hold me in such a high regard that you’re desperate to prove yourself, desperate to be able to say “I measure up to Spike Kane!” but in the act of doing so, you have already doomed yourself to failure. You will have that constant thought throughout the week, and throughout the match....you can never measure up.......you’ve never beaten Spike Kane.....you never will.
You never will.
I know what it is like to have a bogey opponent Mike. I’ve had a few, in the likes of Angel, Steve Awesome, Xander Famularo....all people that I couldn’t beat, all people that I desperately longed to defeat. Not because my career needed it, but because my ego wanted it. Guess what happend within the last year Mike? I defeated them all. I fought everyone I never had a victory against but who had a victory over me, and I defeated them all. Not because it was for a championship, not because it was live or die.....but because I wanted it. I wanted it, for my own bragging rights. Much how you long to beat me....and to be quite honest with you mike...
I want to beat you.
~~~
Euphoria. Right? That’s what you’d be expecting me to be feeling right now. Rob and I have just become the first ever IWF Tag Team Champions, but holy freakin’ crap am I in pain right now. Everything hurts, just everything, it’s like a mind numbing pain.
“Woooo! Yeaaaaaaah! Tag Champs BAY-BAY!!!”
Rob’s jumping around, going absolutely nuts, crotch chopping at everyone. Even the janitor. It’s fun to watch and gives me a momentary lapse from the pain. It’s good to see him happy, lord knows he needs it right now. He’s running around showing his belt to anyone and everyone, so I use this time to go take my meds, along with some pain meds.
‘Ow....ow.....ow....ow!’
I stumble into the lockeroom and almost collapse when I get there. It’s times like these when I wonder if it’s time to give up the “God of Xtreme” moniker, and just become an ordinary wrestler. Then I realise that it is what I would become, ordinary, and I’m pretty much anything but ordinary. Even though that’s what the pills are meant for.
“InFamous....YEAAAAAAAH!”
I chuckle to myself, Rob’s still going nuts, and it’s a pretty awesome sight to behold. I haven’t seem him so happy or pumped up in a while. I open my bag and am just about to pull out my pills when Rob bursts through the door and pops a bottle of champagne, the cork narrowly misses my head and the bubbly starts flowing everywhere.
“Quick Spike, grab a glass. We’ve got a wild night of partying tonight!”
I can’t deny it, I want to celebrate so much, so I give in and grab a glass as he fills it up, giving one for himself too. I manage to grab my phone and send a message to Alysson, explaining what is happening and that I’ll be back later, probably with Rob too.
“Ok Rob. You’ve got a wild night ahead of you, because you’ve never celebrated with the god of xtreme before!”
We flash our shiny grins at each other, championship belts flung over our shoulders, glasses of champagne in our hands, and we raise them clinking them loudly.
“INFAMOUS!”
Hell yeah, we are infamous, and we’re now the tag team champions. Time to go out on the town and tear Chicago a new one. It’s going to be a long night, and I’m already pushing the pain away from my mind. Good thing I took those pills.....I did take those pills.....didn’t I?
“Come on then Spikey Mike, let’s blow this joint!”
And that is that. Time for InFamous to split this arena, and go and show the world what the IWF tag team champions celebrate like. It’s going to be one hell of a night, and one hell of a morning after. Good thing I have a pretty cool hangover cure, and pretty good that Alysson doesn’t mind making it for me either. God I love that woman. Well.....PARTY TIME!
~~~
The thing of it is Mike. I’ve wanted to smash your face in ever since you attacked me way back in nCw. Ever since you tried to make a statement at my expense when I had explicitly been told I could not wrestle, you took advantage, and failed to make that name. You failed to reach the big time, I mean how many times did you lose to Verona? Oh yeah, I know you beat him.....but one victory over how many world title shots that you lost? Christ dude....I was in nCw for it’s first pay per view and you know how many title shots I got? Two. One I won, one was a four way match that Trent won. So.....in essence, we’ve come full circle haven’t we?
Here we are, with you trying to use my name to catapult you into the limelight.....again.
But it didn’t work last time did it Laszlo? So what makes you think it will work this time? Especially when I can hit back! Don’t get me wrong, I’m an advocate of people trying to break the mold, trying to make a name for themselves in any way they can. Hell, I’ve been used that way before, Xavier Cross used me as a platform when I retired, Falcon used me as a platform for the Age of the Revolution, I’m no stranger to it, but the difference between you and them? Is that they succeeded. Xavier Cross is a champion, Falcon is a legend, and you? You’re greatest accolade to date is your Honor Title reign - which, to be honest with you buddy, is pretty impressive, and I never said it wasn’t. You owned that belt dude, more power to you, but that is where you peaked, and we both know it. I know some people might not be happy with me bringing up nCw, but this thing between you and I, it stems from there, so it kind of needed to be brought up. Everyone is talking about new beginnings and almost trying to ignore the past, but IWF comes from the ashes of nCw, it is nCw’s legacy and with that comes the fighting, the feuds, the glory, and the hatred.
I owe you Laszlo, big time.
I’ve tried to give you the chance to back down, to bow out without having to be embarrassed, but you’ve dodged everything, you’ve ignored my comments, ignored the fact that I’ve already beaten you - oh, but that’s your thing right? You were not pinned so you didn’t lose? Does that make you undefeated? Because by your own logic I am undefeated in both singles and tag team matches, so it’s looking pretty good for me. It’s not true though is it Mike? I have a loss, I lost to one of the greatest men I’ve ever shared a ring with, and I’m ok with that. That is the main difference between you and I, is that I’m happy to accept when i have lost, I can be a bigger man.
Winning and losing isn’t everything.
Eventually you’ll grow up enough to realise that, but it takes time, trust me it took me long enough and some people I’ve kind of “grown up” with in this business still don’t get it, but hey.....they’re doomed to be mid card wonders, and I’m a larger than life living legend. I’m the measuring stick, as you put it Mike, and I’m happy to fulful that role to ensure that this business continues to grow and that the competition is always getting better. I adapt Mike. I evolve. I become greater, and you’ve picked a fight with the alpha......you’ve crossed the God of Xtreme, and it’s about time you paid the price.
Despite winning the tag gold, I’ve still got some pent up rage that I need to get out of my system, couple that with the need to smash your face in to shut you up for five minutes, and of course the desire for revenge for when you so carelessly attacked me backstage many moons ago, and I’d say you are in for a rude awakening......you my friend.....are going to suffer, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.
You asked for it Mike.
Time to nut up or shut up.
Well howdy there pardner.