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With the chaos and "anarchy" surrounding Supreme Championship Wrestling, as it leads up to Rise to Greatness, many wonder how much more strain some of the superstars of SCW can take before reaching a breaking point. For some, like Shawn Winters, his return to SCW has culminated in a chance to vie for the biggest prize in the industry, a stresser that anyone who has been in that position knows is one that takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. For others, like David Helms, its a chance to finally put an end and a finality to the, seemingly never-ending battle, between The Brotherhood/Next Level and Infamous, by facing off against Ravyn Taylor.
Outside of Rise to Greatness, there are other sources of chaos and stress surrounding members of the SCW roster. Since making his surprising return with an attack on Shawn Winters, questions have surrounded Jake Starr. Many have wondered what his motives are for attacking Winters now, with some feelings he believes Winters will win the World Championship from Shilo, and is merely lining up his chance to get, as some would say, "another" shot at the World Title Belt. Others heard his reasoning, and understand why he did what he did. Another question surrounded his relationship with the Next Level (nee Brotherhood). Nobody is quite sure how "tight" they remain after the difficulties they faced before Jake's injury. Some have reported some minor interactions between Jake and David via Twitter, suggesting that they may have been able to patch things up, but nobody still is quite certain. Unlike with Helms, though, there has been no rumored interaction between Jake Starr and Tommy "Thorn" Valentine. Jake and Thorn shared a friendship from, what seemed like Thorn's first day in SCW. The two showed mutual respect for one another, even when Thorn and Helms briefly went and sided with Brian Kinney, early in their respective SCW careers. Many felt it was just a matter of time before Jake and Tommy formed an alliance, and a friendship, that would transcend the wrestling business. With that common knowledge, their lack of interaction has proved to be quite a surprise to many within the SCW locker room. Rumors have circulated that Jake and Tommy had some form of falling out that nobody knew about, or that maybe, just maybe, Jake was ultimately jealous of the friendship Tommy had with David, and was hoping they'd have the same bond, and when it became evident that the friendship between Helms and Valentine was one that wouldn't ever be equalled, Jake felt left out, and is trying to "get back" at him, and display his displeasure with the seemingly lack of importance to their friendship. Or, quite honestly, it could be something completely different. The reasoning, though, isn't quite as important as the fact that neither have seen one another in months, nor communicated with one another for that matter. It's been an uncomfortable silence they've both lived in for longer than they'd probably like to have. As Anarchy in the UK ended and went off of the air, Tommy and David both began their typical "post-event wind-down" routine. David was sidetracked by some fans who had been lucky enough to win backstage passes, and Tommy was able to sneak away after signing a few autographs, to hopefully clean up, and head back to his hotel. As he walks down the corridor toward his dressing room, he stopped by a member of a production staff, who wanted to ask him a couple meaningless questions regarding some possible ideas they had been tossing around regarding his intro, as well as the Next Level intro. After finally getting the issues somewhat ironed out, Thorn returns to making a b-line for his dressing room. After finally reaching his dressing room, another production member yells out at him, telling him good job out there, and Tommy acknowledges the praise with a smile and a nod. He finally realizes he's going to be able to clean up, and get out of the arena, and turns the knob to his dressing room, and walks in. Upon entering his dressing room, his head is down in veritable exhaustion, and begins heading for the bathroom/shower area. Out of the corner of his eye, and through his stringy hair, he notices some movement. He jumps back startled, realizing someone is in his dressing room with him. With the jump and his heart and adrenaline pumping, his head turns toward the stranger, and sees Jake Starr sitting there staring at him. Realizing that it's just Jake, and not someone truly unwanted around him, his adrenaline and heartbeat slowly begin to slow. Even with the seemingly calming from initially assuming a stranger, his anxiety level is still quite high. This is the first time he's seen Jake since February. Jake, too, feels anxious, knowing the same thing. Neither man is quite sure about what to think/expect from the other, or how the other feels about the severe lack of communication between them during this period of time. Jake Starr: Hey... Jake knows someone has to break the silence, and with his initial greeting, hoped to show Tommy that he wasn't there in an adversarial manner, but in a manner to hopefully clear the air between the two of them.
Thorn: Hey... Tommy realizes that Jake isn't here for some form of full-on, physical, confrontation, but still can't tell if Jake is "hostile" toward him or not.
Jake Starr: How's it going? Thorn: Fine... Jake bites his lip, realizing that Tommy is very unsure of things. The one-word replies aren't giving him much of a read on his friend.
Jake Starr: You had a hell of a performance out there tonight. Thorn: Thanks... Jake Starr: Was the crowd into it? Tommy thinks about replying with a simple "yes," but opts to move on from the singled-worded responses.
Thorn: They seemed to have a good amount of energy tonight. The fans here are always pretty strong, since they don't get a whole bunch of shows a year... After Tommy's response regarding the crowd, both men simply run out of mindless and meaningless "filler" to try and break the ice with, and the room begins to have an eerie silence to it. Both men kind of nod, neither realizing what to say, or how to say it.
Simultaneously, and almost "perfectly," they both try to break the silence, and defend their actions of the recent past, and talk at the same time. Both men stop, and then start again, assuming the other will wait for them to talk first, but again step all over one another. Jake Starr: Go ahead man... Thorn: Nah, you go ahead... Jake Starr: Seriously man, go for it... Thorn: Nah, really, you go, you probably need to go first. Realizing this would probably degrade into the two of them yelling at one another to go first, Jake decides to bite the bullet, and officially break the ice, speak his mind, and address the massive elephant in the room.
Jake Starr: Alright, here's the deal, Tommy... I honestly thought about trying to surprise everyone, including both you and David. I really thought about making it something where only I knew what was going on, and just do something my way. But then, out of nowhere, David shows up on my stoop, and honestly that's when I felt it was probably best to be straight up with him. I pledged my never-ending loyalty to you guys long ago, and I realized that it was time to truly honor it. Thorn: I... As Tommy begins to reply, Jake quickly cuts him off, and continues his explanation.
Jake Starr: ... At that point, I realized that David would relay things to you. That's why I didn't come seek you out sooner. If I had things would have begun to make things painfully obvious that OSMR was, in fact, me. I couldn't risk letting people like Winters, Shilo, and Infamous in on it. Thorn: Ok well... As Tommy tries to react again, Jake, again, cuts him off, and continues on his personal diatribe.
Jake Starr: ... If I could have somehow made contact with you, I would have. Seriously, I would have. Now, with the cat out of the bag, and everything out in the open, I figured it was finally a good time to do so. Jake takes a deep breath, having been trying to get all of the information out to Tommy in one breath, and signals to his friend he's done with his diatribe.
Thorn: You done? Jake is still breathing heavily.
Jake Starr: Ye... Yeah... Thorn slowly begins to nod.
Thorn: Well let me preface this saying, hear me out all the way before you try and respond, alright? Jake, still winded, replies with a quick nod.
Thorn: Alright... Firstly, let me start off by saying I'm not angry. I rarely get angry at people I care about, and people I consider as close to family as can be, without being related by blood. But I will be honest, I am irked. I am irked because, I'll be honest, I wasn't too keen on hearing the whole OSMR story through Dave... Jake nods, signaling he is following Tommy's train of thought.
Thorn: ... It ultimately made me feel like I wasn't trusted. Jake Starr: But, I... In a reversal of roles, Thorn cuts Jake off.
Thorn: Hear me out, ok? Jake nods again, realizing he tried to jump in before it was his turn.
Thorn: When all of the garbage was going down with The Brotherhood late last year, and early this year, I was turning into the only glue holding the remnants of our group together. Think about it Jake, when you were going through your phase of just being an ass, when Helms was going through his relationship with Syren, when Helms was doubting the direction you were going in, as far as revenge went, I was the one trying to defend all sides to one another. I was there trying to make people realize that we had differences, but we could still function. I was the first person to defend you and your actions regarding any dispute that arose from your bad calls, your controversial decisions, and even during all of the post-Helms/Starr turmoil. Jake slowly nods, realizing what Tommy is saying carries a lot of truth to it.
Thorn: It honestly feels like a slap in the face, man. Jake lets out a deep breath, and slumps his head down. His emotions show a definite bit of sadness and remorse for some of his actions in the recent past.
Thorn: It really just hurt man. The two allow yet another period of seriously uncomfortable silence to fall upon the room. Jake funs his hands through his hair, and lets out another deep breath. He seemingly purposely is avoiding eye contact with Tommy, looking around the room, and at anything he hopes will make him feel less nervous. Thorn's gaze, however, is fixed firmly on the Social Misfit.
After several moments of avoiding eye contact, and hoping to calm himself down, he finally decides to respond to Tommy's comments. Jake Starr: Listen Tommy, I didn't know who I could trust at that time. Even you, I didn't know how trustworthy you were when David was out hanging with Zoe. I didn't know how you were feeling, or even how you saw things in regards to the whole ordeal. Thorn wastes no time in responding.
Thorn: I defended you, man! Jake stands up, and increases the volume of his voice.
Jake Starr: Dude, I never saw it, or even heard about it. I just knew I was feeling alienated during the whole ordeal. I know you and Dave are as close to family as they come. Ultimately, knowing that, I figured you probably sided with Dave on the matter anyway! Thorn: Why didn't you just come ask me yourself? Jake Starr: When you began acting strange, you know, right before you, Greg, and I got the chance to face-off for the World Title, I felt that was the beginning of the end of our friendship. You vanished, barely spoke to me before, during, or after that, so all I could think is that you weren't going to side with me. Thorn: Yeah, well at that time, I had my own demons I was dealing with. Jake Starr: Those demons caused The Brotherhood to have demons of their own. There was a ton of mistrust there, man, and not to mention a ton of animosity between us all. It culminated with Dave running off with Zoe, and The Brotherhood just began to unravel from there. Thorn takes a step toward Jake, taking a definite confrontational stance toward him.
Thorn: Are you seriously trying to blame this all on me? Jake slowly shakes his head.
Jake Starr: No, I'm not. We all deserve blame in this. You had your demons making you distant to me, Dave had his relationship, friendship, whatever it was, with Syren, and I had my anger and mistrust of people I should have known were friends of mine. We were all to blame... Tommy steps back from his confrontational position.
Jake Starr: ... When I came back, I came back to fulfill my promise to you guys. I promised to remain loyal to you and David. I don't have to agree with your viewpoints on things, or even how you decide to handle things, nor do I expect you both to fully agree with my methods of handling things, but I do expect you both to believe in my commitment to you two. Thorn just continues to stare at Jake.
Jake Starr: I'm sorry for my actions. I know Dave is sorry for his, and had he not come to see me himself, he'd be having this same conversation with the both of them at once. It's time for the three of us to move on from the turmoil from our recent past. It's time the three of us face the future as the friends and brothers that we know we can be to one another. Thorn: I agree, and I agree it's time to move forward, but the truth is, my feelings toward the matter are as they are. Jake slowly nods again and sighs.
Jake Starr: All I know to say is I'm sorry... Thorn: I know... And all I can think to say is one thing in response... Jake feels a serious sense of reluctance in asking what that might be, but decides to do so anyway.
Jake Starr: ... I'm afraid to ask, but that is? Tommy walks up to within just under an arm-length away from Jake, reaches out, and puts one hand on the shoulder of the Social Misfit.
Thorn: It's good to have you back bro... Jake slowly begins to nod, realizing that those words carried more weight than anything else Tommy could have said to him. After sharing a brief moment, where they both understand things are slowly on the mend, Thorn removes his hand from Jake's shoulder, and walks off toward the showers.
With Thorn going to tend to getting ready to leave, Jake realizes his presence is no longer necessary, and the goals of the whole confrontation had been met, and the laundry had been aired out. Both men feel that this confrontation, and this exchange of feelings, was what was ultimately needed for the two of them to move on from the past, and begin to focus on the future, back in the mentality they initially joined forces with. Knowing that The Brotherhood is seemingly on the mend with one another, the world wonders if it's a moniker they will want to continue to have as their banner, or if it is one they'll decide to put with the past, and find a new name that better symbolizes who they are, what they want to do, and how they plan on doing it. Regardless, the entire SCW organization should be put on notice that, as the saying goes, the "band is getting back together," and if their words are true, this time, there will be no internal combustion that destroys them. Jake Starr: Wow, talk about an eventful last few days for me, wouldn't you say? I mean, I show up on Breakdown, throw a few "miss me" punches in the way of Greaternity, subsequently get my chance to make amends with Tommy, and then next thing you know Ammo rolls around. That was my chance to really get to dish on what was going on, as far as my goals, plans, and really get my first chance to really interact with the fans for the first time in quite a long time. It was an opportunity I was looking forward to. I got to really have that special bond with the fans again, only to have a bit of an interruption. You see, I fully anticipated Greaternity to get in my face, and try to make up for the fact that I embarrassed them, showed them up, and made them look like the bumbling bunch of twats that they are. But I never expected both Ace and Shawn to be the complete and utter chicken shits that they are, and send the one member who they know might be able to get into my mind... Adam Allocco... Talk about a name that I didn't think would cross my path again! Many people don't remember the history that Allocco and I have, but believe me, I have never once forgotten what he did to me early in my SCW career. See, just to give everyone that brief history lesson, Adam was the man responsible for ending Jake Starr's undefeated streak... That's right... Allocco was Jake Starr's first loss after returning from a long, long, hiatus. It's a memory that I haven't forgotten, and always wanted to avenge. I mean, think about it... When have I ever allowed a loss to go by, without trying to avenge it? I haven't, period! Dave beat me, I wanted my chance to remedy it, and he beat me again. You know what that told me, on those days, he was supreme. He beat me, fair and square, and if we ever cross paths again, I'll have to go out and be better than I was, because I got my shot to avenge that loss, and I failed. With Allocco, though, I think it's a little more motivating because he was the reason I didn't continue on my winning streak, and ultimately break the record that, low and behold, he holds, for the longest opening winning streak in SCW history. He did the same thing to me, that the SCW Dancing Machine did to me, when it came to almost breaking his precious streak of "longest reigning champion." He coveted his one claim to fame so badly that he was willing to go that extra mile for it. Now though, times are different. Allocco is returning to a time where, in his mind, Jake Starr is still the same guy he was back in 2009. I'm now a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Grand Slam Champion within SCW, and someone who, as well, is building that momentum through a return. So if Adam wants a fight, he can have a fight. But if he thinks he's going to be Greaternity's saving grace, then he's sorely mistaken. If Shawn Winters, as the supreme party animal of Greaternity, wants to try and hide behind each of his precious buddies, with the hopes it keeps me from nipping at his heels, then he's got another thing coming. He's sent the biggest motivation to protect him first? Big mistake, indeed. But I'll be honest, Allocco can't be my primary focus right now. He can't even be a blip on my radar, and neither can his cohorts. That is something that has plagued me in the past. I've looked past opponents, figuring that they were so far beneath me and my abilities that they required no attention of my own. You know what happened then, that opponent jumped up, and bit me square in the ass. That doesn't mean had I focused solely on them I would have won, but it does mean they wouldn't have been able to surprise me. So for that reason, I have to tell Allocco and Greaternity that, while they definitely picked the wrong person to wage war against, I am putting the kibosh on the war until, well, it's their turn in my queue! For now, however, they're merely a figment of my imagination. See, Breakdown is right around the corner. It's my day to walk out to that ring as a competitor for SCW once again, and like I said, feel that energy that the crowd gives me every time I compete. Whether they're cheering me on, or giving me a little heat because I might have said some things about their other beloved hero, it's an energy that makes me want to continue in this business, and continue to suffer concussions, broken bones, bruises, or bumps. The fact is, it's an emotional moment I'm craving, and getting more and more nervous about. The reason I say nervous is because I know how poor I was performing when I was knocked out of competition. I know how bad I was succumbing to the pressures that surrounded being a champion, and being a championship contender. With that being said, the thought of coming back, having all of this energy, having all of this excitement and hype surrounding me, and not being able to back it up, is a fear that, I know, is a real possibility. It has nothing to do with faith in my abilities, or the belief that I can contend with the best, it's just a harsh reality of this industry. So with all that being said, my focus is very tunnel visioned. I'm looking at one man, and one man only, when it comes to what's in front of me, and what's ahead of me. It's none other than Clark Griswald... As has become a, seemingly, staple of Jake Starr's shoots, the arm from stage left zings out into the frame, slip of paper in hand. Jake looks at it, and a dejected look crosses his face.
Again? Really? The hand moves up and down, as if nodding. Jake snatches the paper out of the outstretched hand, and the hand zings back out of frame. He unfolds it, and reads it.
Ok apparently I have mistaken my opponent's name yet again, and Thing, here, has graciously decided to remind me, yet again, of that very fact. Apparently his name, and I'm sorry for having to do this again, since I already mistook him for Turd Ferguson, which is a funny name by the way, his name is Chevy Chase Cameron... Thing reappears, with another paper in hand. Jake's head slumps, yet again, and without looking up, just lifts his hand up, and after trying to figure out where Thing was positioned, grabs the piece of paper. Forgetting to read it this time, he just looks up and corrects himself.
Ok sorry... Chase is a guy I know nothing about, so I am simply picking on his name. Jake then begins looking around the room, apparently at the crew filming him.
What more can I really do, huh? I mean, nobody knows where he is, what he's thinking, how he's planning on beating me, etc., and yet I'm supposed to RYNO his ass? Jake pauses, realizing some people may not understand that acronym.
Sorry guys... For you all playing the "Jake Starr Acronym Bingo Home Edition," RYNO means "Rip You a New One." You can thank Ratchet & Clank for that one. Anyway, I'm back, and he's got the biggest opportunity in his professional wrestling career, and yet I'm pretty sure he's either in jail, or continually wetting his Depends while thinking about, and having TSA force him to constantly change. Either way, I know deep down, he's definitely scared. He's finally looked over this whole situation and realized the shear magnitude of the match, and the chance he has. It's something I know that, while I admit I'm walking in with nerves openly, he wouldn't even have to do that much. The stench and stains off of his tidy whiteys would take care of that for him. Look at the facts everyone... What SHOULD happen at Breakdown is pretty obvious. You could even say it's basically written in the stars, a million miles away. But with the uncertainty in this business, you can't go in just assuming that I've already beaten this comedic wannabe, and I should look ahead to what may be next. I'm just not playing that way. I'm out to make an example of anyone and everyone who crosses my path. It begins with Chase. He is number one on my personal hit list, that will carry me back to that ELITE level, that I so desire to be at. Every match I get booked in, I look at as that same type of match. It could be Shawn Winters, one of the 800 personas of Phantom the Wonder Zero, Ted the Janitor, or the corpse of Tiny Tim, they'd each carry equal weight in, what I see, as my goal. I'm not going to rise to that elite level merely by title shots. I'm not going to earn that right to say I'm the BIGGEST and most LEGENDARY superstar to ever walk the halls of SCW by mere accolades. No, instead I'm going to earn it by simply doing what I did when I first walked into SCW. Many people forget how that went down. I came in, and nobody gave me the time of day. I was in the communal dressing room with a bunch of other guys who lasted MAYBE 3 matches in SCW, and I was winning. There were names I can't even remember who would be in the locker room changing, staring me down, knowing we were about to clash, and when it'd all be over, and he'd be the one hurting, while I was celebrating, guess what, we were the only two who even knew that match existed on the card. It wasn't until I took the Adrenaline Championship, a belt people had cast aside as the "no-name" championship, the "extra" title, the belt that people win, only when they realize they can't fight for the "big boy" titles, and I turned it into the most sought after title outside of the SCW World Championship. People were clamoring for the chance to fight Jake Starr, and try and remove the Adrenaline Title from his shoulder. Each time I defended it, whether I felt the opponent truly was worth the toilet paper I wiped my ass with, I still looked at them the same way. They were out to dethrone me, and end the legacy I wanted to create. One by one they fell. Sure, I ultimately got caught napping against Gregorio, the Miscolored Pikachu, but still I made a statement. I became someone who, when I walked down the hallways, people didn't guffaw over, but merely looked at and respected. I look at this as history repeating itself. When I revealed myself on Breakdown, and walked to the back, sure, some people gave me the same respect I had back before I was gone. But there was this little group of pecker-wads who were off to the side, talking about me like 8th grade girls, giggling thinking they said something cute and funny about me, and trying their damnedest to avoid eye contact with me. They wanted me to feel like I was just a little person in a big world again. Believe me, they don't want that. Those girls don't want me feeling like I'm just a blade of grass on a football field. Because when I feel like I'm just one of many, and one of countless others identical to me, I begin to fight to stand out. I begin to grow faster, I avoid being just another evenly trimmed blade amongst the rest, I stand out like a sore thumb. Believe me, that's what I want. Those GIRLS who love to think that I only feel success is around titles and title shots, don't realize HOW I became so big, and HOW I became the FACE of Supreme Championship Wrestling. I didn't do it by simply winning titles, I did it by standing out, and FORCING the likes of them, to realize that, no matter how much they try and act like I don't exist, I will grow to a point where even they have to acknowledge me, and painfully admit, all along, I was and am the best of the best. So I hope Chase realizes what lies ahead. I really do. I hope he realizes that I'm out to treat him as I would anyone else, and to be quite honest, I'm out to make just as much an example out of him, as I eventually will with each and every member of Greaternity. This time around, whoever crosses my path will not walk away smiling for any reason. They'll walk away hurt physically, and more importantly, their spirit will be broken. And to put it in even more "close to home" terms, that Chevy may comprehend... "There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball." Fin |
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