Private Thoughts…Public Statements
It was great being back home in Los Angeles. He had gotten reasonably adept at dodging the reporters and the TMZ hounds stationed at airports and today had surprisingly managed to slip by undetected with minimal effort. Come to find out, it had little to do with any effort of his own, he had went unnoticed because there were a sley of far bigger celebrities leaving LA from last night’s Beyoncé concert. Their departure worked in favor of his arrival as the thirsty reporters and hungry TMZ hounds’ attention were directed at them. He was grateful nevertheless an in just under two hours later he was in his apartment, the first load of laundry already in the wash, and a cold bottle of Topo Chico sat before him on the coffee table as he played some relaxing music from Youtube. Sitting on the floor, his hands cupped in his lap…he took long inhales and exhales as he meditated. At the forefront of his thoughts was leaving Havoc in Salt Lake City and everything that followed with Matt. Their relationship had taken an unexpected, but welcome turn and a tornado of emotions twirled inside him that he needed to organize. He had bottled fears and doubts to give way to hope and possibilities. The weaknesses in the protective wall he had built inside had shown as Matt free climbed it with the same determination he climbed the steel cage at Art of War, and as he reached the top he leapt off into the unknown of their hearts. He didn’t know where things would go from here, but he…like Matt, was “All In” and there was no turning back now. Not after that touch, not after that kiss, not after sitting hours together talking and cuddling back in Matt’s hotel room. He generally lacked the skill, but if he had a pencil in his hand right now, he could probably draw Matt’s face with the precision of an artist. He had spent the night staring into his eyes, tracing every curve, every line, every tick and inflection…the whole time still in disbelief that the moments they were sharing were all real.
There were a lot of parts to being an HWA superstar, and the reality was he was still quite green in many of those areas. After all, it had only been 9 months since the big HWA return announcement, and 5 since they went back on the air. He was a man of solitude which meant he found all the public relation work a bit out of his comfort zone. His first autograph session, the most he could manage to say was “Thanks” to just about everyone.
“Good luck Jeremy”……Thanks!
“Oh man its so cool to meet you”…….Thanks!
“I’ve been watching on Youtube since you joined”………..Thanks!
“Your match with Greg Fischer…that shit was awesome”……..Thanks!
“You’re so freakin hot, can I get a selfie?”………..Thanks!
The ink hadn’t dried on the CBS contract and Butch and Wisdom had them in crash courses on how to be a wrestling superstar. They stressed the important of interacting with the fans, laid out their plans for marketing and public relations leading up to the Reunion and beyond, and had set expectations of all the crew, staff and talent. The recent AMA Reddit thing was his personal compromise to engage the fans on his own terms. It was challenging visiting sick kids in the hospital, but their moments of happiness were greater than his moments of feeling uncomfortable. Autograph signings were like speed dating on crack, just an endless line of fans. He had to get used to the fact that not everyone liked him either. One signing in particular stuck in his head and he recalled its significance meant more right now than ever before, and rather than hold the thought in his memory alone…the time was right to share it. So, he pulled out his laptop, logged into the HWA portal and began a recording. He had the most sincere look on his face he’s probably every had before an HWA camera.
(Jeremy): So Maniac, it’s you and me at Havoc. I suppose it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed one-on-one, and just so you know…I am looking forward to this match, but not for any of the reasons you may think. This match isn’t about you bringing out anything in me. Nine months ago if you asked me who I was or wanted to be, I wouldn’t have had an answer, but a lot has changed since then. In fact, let me tell you a little story
Jeremy picks up where his previous thoughts were heading as he tell the tale.
(Jeremy): I was at a meet and greet a few weeks after the Reunion show leading up to our first Havoc back on television. Two guys, around my age I guess had approached the table, they were all smiles, handshakes, wanted selfies, you know…the whole lot, and I happily obliged. I was just excited that they knew who I was and seemed to be eager fans of our brand. As they were walking away, I heard one tell the other…
“Dude…I thought you couldn’t stand that guy!”
“Fuk No his friend said, guys like Buff and Maniac are on their way back…they’re gonna run his ass out….he won’t last 6 months.”
Then I saw him holding up the signed photo I had just given him and he said…
“This was free, the next time we see him he’ll be a has-been at some Comic Con trying to get people to buy it for supplemental income.”
Jeremy smiles, vividly recalling the incident.
(Jeremy): They laughed heartily and kept walking, ignorant of the fact that I had heard every word. I remember being a little hurt by that, a little pissed off. Then that situation with Sean came along, I had been going around towns promoting a match that wasn’t even going to take place anymore…I was down in the dumps on my career and to be honest I thought about those two guys a lot and even figured they were right. Maniac had come back, and you were making bigger waved than ever before, and I thought…maybe I wouldn’t last 6 months. Hell, I was barely one month in being on broadcast tv for the first time and my match for Havoc was off the table at the big return show. Will Ospreay comes along and the rest as they say is history.
Fast forward to now and at Havoc its you and me Maniac, and guess what in just two weeks, one week after we faced off will be that 6 months deadline when those assholes thought they’d see the last of me. If you want to prove them right, here’s your chance, but you won’t succeed. I’m not intimidated by you veterans anymore because I’ve seen my share of what lies underneath all your pathetic bravado. Bryan Deas is just a coward, he thought he’d revitalize his career by trying to bash my skull in with a baseball bat, but here I am. William Draconis, just turned and walked away. Stu-E Price calls us all cookie cutter wrestlers from the HWA factory, and you…you’re just a lunatic who isn’t satisfied unless you’re stirring up some chaos for no reason other than your own amusement. Matt showed you at Art of War what he’s made of. You didn’t bring anything out in him that wasn’t already there, and you’ll do no different with me. You didn’t create jack shit, so don’t try and take credit for it.
I can’t tell you how much I’ve waited for this match. Not because you went out of your way to go and attack my dad, not because you’re old pals with Deas, not because you’ve terrorized Matt for months on end, but because you’re Maniac. Former champion ten times over, future Hall of Famer for sure, a veteran who has stood the test of time and has returned to recement his dominance. The problem is, as we’ve said before…this isn’t your HWA anymore. Just because you got your way and had that Asylum match doesn’t mean you’re in control. When we meet at Havoc, wherever those two guys are, I hope their watching. When they see me, I want them to see what the future of this business looks like, because looking at you is just a miserable look into the past. You call me a “walking gloryhole” for kicks, but its more metaphoric than the joke you intend. The squared circle is my hole, and at Havoc, you’ll come in at me all hard, but when I beat you in the center of that ring…you’ll be a flaccid old vet whose had the tables turned on him. It’s me who is going to show you who you really are…Nobody!
Jeremy has a serious look on his face before he pushes the transmission button and the scene fades to black.
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