1am and he walks through New York City. Possessed as if he was the only one a muted world. He thinks to himself........
"My father always knew I would follow in his footsteps"
It signifies the foresight and understanding my father had regarding my future trajectory. He recognized my passion, talents, and potential, which aligned with his own pursuits. This belief in me fueled his confidence that I would embrace and continue the path he had paved.
As I walk through the city, a time when the bustling streets are awake and filled with noise, a whirlwind of emotions engulfs me. The city's vibrant energy serves as a constant reminder of the bustling life that thrived around me, while I remained unaware of the truth hidden from me.
With each step I take, the city's lights flicker like stars guiding my way, illuminating the secrets that were kept from me. The rhythm of my pounding footsteps echoes the racing thoughts in my mind. The noise of the city mirrors the turmoil and confusion I feel as I come to terms with the concealed knowledge.
Every passing building, every anonymous face I encounter, becomes a symbol of the hidden truth that everyone seemed to be aware of except me. It's as if a veil has been lifted, exposing a reality that was shielded from my awareness.
The mixture of anger, betrayal, and curiosity consumes me. How could those closest to me, friends and family, have kept this truth hidden? Why was I left in the dark, oblivious to the world I was destined to enter? These questions replay in my mind, intensifying my determination to seek answers and make sense of the concealed past.
As I navigate the midnight streets, I feel a sense of urgency, a desire to reclaim what was rightfully mine—knowledge and the truth. The city, with all its commotion and noise, becomes both a backdrop and a catalyst for my introspection and relentless pursuit of understanding.
Ultimately, walking through the awakened city at midnight symbolizes my awakening to the hidden truths and my relentless drive to uncover the reasons behind the secrecy. It represents my determination to embrace my inherited path and carve out my own destiny, propelled by the knowledge that was once concealed from me."
(He arrives at the ICE BOX)
Davis: What took you so long, you know there's an uber in every corner.
Ash: I need the walk, need some introspection and I couldn't come here without airing out my grievances to the night.
Davis: What the hell does that mean.
Ash: Nothing, let' go
Davis: Talon left me the keys so we are here for as long as you need.
(BOTH MEN WALK INTO THE ICE BOX; What's usually a loud and energetic and lively place is now just......silent)
Ash: Man, the difference between this place being packed and empty is remarkable, almost eerie to hear a gym so quiet.
Davis: Well son, when the place is loud, those are the sounds of hopes and dreams. The yells of pain leaving the body, the grunts of weakness being pushed out the door. I love those sounds, The sounds out there, in the streets. Those sounds are the sounds of lost souls searching for direction. In here, these are the sounds of paths and futures being paved. Now let's stop Waxing Poetic and get you goddamn shorts and pads on.
Ash: How long will it be before I can really get in that ring and start having real matches
Davis: Son, you need to go through their training grounds. I'm getting you ready so you don't go blast yourself into concussion purgatory. Teach you how to land correctly and basic tie up and take down maneuvers. If you really want to get in that ring, you need to talk to Butch and Wisdom. They don't let anyone compete who doesn't go through their training.
Ash: That's bullshit,
Davis: Well, you are young. You reacted emotionally, went in that ring and showed how green you are. If you would have confronted Butch, went in his offices, filled out the proper paperwork, I'm sure the assumption, as Eddie Phoenix kid would have been that you were already trained and you may have been able to sign a 6 month deal to showcase your skills. But you are your father's son and said F'k everything. You did it your way and exposed yourself to be as green as the money Butch steals from those poor souls who have been training in his facilities and never receive a shot. So now we are here. Son, you need to control your emotions, it gonna get you killed.
Ash: I hate being lied to. I hate secrets, and in the last 6 weeks, that's all I have known. So forgive me if I don't care to hear bullshit like that.
Davis: Well this bullshit will save your life f#ck face, now stop your crying and finish up
Ash: I don't want to train in that shit box facility over in HWA.
Davis: It's actually pretty nice
Ash: No, I don't want to be trained by guys who are being told to train me to a pace that HWA gets to decide when they want to use me. I want to be trained according to my ability to learn, my ability to turn practice in actions. I want to be trained to my limits, not the limits of some company that will decide when I'm ready because they told my trainers to go slow so they can bring me a long nicely and in three years I finally get a half decent shot. you said it yourself, Butch steals money from guys he never intends to show case or put out on TV. That's not going to be me. With my name, he can keep trotting me out there for appearances and drawing eyes on the product. Just to mention Pheonix people will tune in. I will be a pawn in his chess board, a f'king cog in his machine and I don't want it. I want to go out there and break my limitations every week. I want to learn what my breaking point is so I can come back and work on my weaknesses. I don't want no HWA puppet telling me I shouldn't do a shooting star press or that I can't take a suplex from the top rope just yet.
Davis; Slow down son, first off, Shooting Star presses are scary as sh!t, relax, I've seen many men get folded and break their neck doing this wrong. Second, you ain't never take no suplex so I would be careful what you wish for. You don't even know how to properly land on your back yet and you talking inverted moonsaults from the top rope, Chill that out kid. First off, I def don't teach that shit. Neither does Anton so that is going to have to come from someone else.
Ash: Can Talon do shooting star presses?
Davis: I wouldn't bring up shooting star presses to Talon, kind of sore spot for him. If he never saw another Star press he would be ok with that
Ash: Why can't he just f'king train me
Davis: hey, am I not good enough
Ash: Sorry, didn't mean it that way. Just, I know he and my dad were very close in style and ability. you are a power guy, I can't do Alabama slams to every guy or jackhammers. I appreciate all this Davis, I do I apologize if I sound stupid right now.
Davis: It's ok, I get it. Listen. I'm gonna train you as much as I can and you are right, I have a style that is best for my abilities, I don't ever touch the top turnbuckle, so I get it. Just don't get it twisted, you don't need to live up on that turnbuckle to be successful or dawn your father's crown. We are going to find who you are in the ring and that is the most important thing to being successful.
(Both men finish getting ready and lacing up their workout boots, putting on their knee pads and elbow pads and are ready to spar as they enter the ring)
Ash: Wow, this ring doesn't feel like the ring I got my ass beat in
Davis: This is a boxing ring.
Ash: There's a difference
Davis: That's cute kid......Wait, you are serious?
Ash: I don't have time to play around with silly questions, so yes. Look, just consider everything I ask you, to be a serious question, just so we can avoid that look you are giving me.
Davis: Son, yes, this is a boxing ring. The nice bouncy ring you were in when you got your @$$ handed to you was a wrestling ring, hell one of the best one in the business.
Ash: So why are we here?.
Davis: Well, when I was training many years ago. I trained in Japan, their rings is what we call in the wrestling world "STIFF" pretty much means that sh!t does not give. But, it's where I started in order to train my body. My body hard. Right now, your body, though in good shape, it's been built to run and catch a ball and take an impact, one shot at a time with rest periods in between where you get to get up shake it off and take a breath. your body needs to be trained to take multiple blows and impact shots while not being able to breath and rest. You may have the endurance for the football field but the endurance you need in here is a lot different. It's why athletes don't do well when they fist start in this business. They think because they can hit a ball out the park, dunks a ball through a hoop or run 60 yards for a TD that they can take what this ring has to offer. It's why most company owners pay the opponents that these athletes are facing upon arrival to go easy on them and not make them look stupid while they train and even with that, Athletes always look stupid. You can tell how award they are because their body isn't ready for this type of punishment.
Ash: Ok, so why are we not training over there
Davis: Didn't you just fu#cking hear what I said. You have to earn training over there. You earn that by surviving over here.
Ash: You say you want me to avoid concussions, but you want to train me on what feels like a plywood floor.
Davis: Ok listen, this is what we are not going to do. Complain, B!tch, whine and be a f@cking little whiney B!tch. you ask me to train you and against everything Anton is telling me, I'm gonna train you.
Ash: Ok, Ok. Apologies.
Davis: Let's not get this twisted son, I'm doing this as much for me as I am doing it for you. Now, lsiten up buttercup, this is how you should land to avoid a concussion.
(Davis does a back bump)
Davis: If you do it any other way, you are going to hurt yourself. You need good form, arms out wide or tucked in and as you land make sure you brace yourself and tuck in your head at the sign of impact. this way your body absorbs the impact forward and doesn't jerk you into concussion boulevard. I've seen bigger men, better men and much more athletic men end their career right here in training because they thnk they can re invent the wheel.
(Ash does the first one and lands akwad but avoids slamming his head and Davis smirks)
Ash: What's so funny
Davis: Nothing, it just looks like you are having a baby.
Ash: Come on man, you want me to be serious then be serious. Stop with the comments and tell me how to do this. You want me to stop what you call complaining, then stop the jokes and let's work.
(They work on front and back bumps for about an hour)
Davis: You wanna quit, it's 2:30 in the morning
Ash: Never quit,
Davis: You look like shit and you already threw up
Ash: Had tacos...let's keep going
Davis: Take a breather kid, you are working myself back into wresting shape.
(Davis Tosses ash a water)
Ash: Why isn't Anton training with us
Davis; He doesn't want to be near this stuff. He keeps telling himself he doesn't want back in.
Ash: Why do you want in
Davis: This is my life man. After we left HWA i wanted to open up my own business or two. Open my own training facility and maybe a car wash out in Mid Hudson New York. maybe buy a small farmhouse, get some sheep, some horses and some goats and have my own little ranch.
Ash: So what happened?
Davis: That sh!t sounds boring as F@ck. Who am I kidding. I need to be in the city. I still have a lot of juice left in me.
Ash: Why did Anton really stop?.
Davis: Well, while wrestling in HWA, Anton had another life, much like your dad. He was dating a guy, Paul was his name. They were together for a while, even during our run in HWA. They were real serious. But Paul wanted Anton to stop pursuing wrestling. Paul was this bigtime bank executive. He was investor. You had some share stake in the Manhattan Moguls and he didn't feel Anton needed to wrestle anymore. He wanted to retire and see the world with Anton and do all that Corney sh!t I mentioned earlier with the ranch and all that and Anton couldn't stop. it was in him as much as it is in me right now. Paul couldn't take it and gave him an ultimatum. Anton f#cked around and he found out Paul was not joking and Paul left him. It broke Anton up and he went deeper into the business and when your dad died, Anton felt like the business had cost him too much and decided it was time. I supported him and left the game but I never intended to quit for good. He seems to believe he has. Tell you kid, this game takes a lot from you.
Ash: well, I am not going to get married, or have a girlfriend or anything that is going to stand in my way or tell me to stop. So I hope you got it in you old man
Daivs: (SMIRKS) OLD MAN! I'm gonan f#ck you up now. When I'm done with you you are going to wish you ahd a girlfriend to an ice pack on you and rub you down punk. Now, you are gonna drop down, do a push up, get up do a jumping jack then drop down and do a push up and keep going. I want 300, and you better not stop unless you have to vomit.
Ash: What, for real?
Davis; I'm gonna do it with you and let's see who stops first princess.
(Davis turns around and without Ash noticing presses a button on a remote for the gym camera to start recording)
Davis; Let's go
...........................................
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