Chương 11: World Champion

Gunner and I dropped the belts at the end of September and we were told not to expect a rematch anytime soon if ever. Gunner was being sent to Boulder Colorado to compete in a local federation down there for two months. I was pretty jealous of him, wanting to go as well. But Travis had something planned for me at our Halloween show. Something I couldn’t believe would ever happen to me. However he told me to not say anything, that he wanted to surprise everyone with what he had planned.

I found myself in the locker room once more putting on my ring gear except this night felt different. I had been wrestling for over a year now. In any fed what was about to happen to me was considered too much too soon. But Travis seemed convinced I was ready for this and he was a legend in the business, surely he knew what he was doing. I took a deep breath and leaned my head against the lockers, wanting to savor each second of this night. I had already discussed the match details with my opponent, now all there was left to do was ring the bell.

I waited in nervous anticipation as the show went on, listening to the roar of the fans. That only served to make me feel more on edge. I felt even more nervous than the night I had my first match in Travis’ barn. Vala was texting me throughout the night, demanding to know why I wouldn’t tell her anything about my match. I would just text her that it’s a secret and I’m awesome so deal with it. She just sent me a bunch of annoyed emojis in response.

Finally, it was time for my match. I paced behind the curtain as the ring announcer spoke in the microphone.

“ Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is anything goes and is the main event of the evening and is for the TSW World Heavyweight Championship!”

Ultranumb by Blue Stahli began to play and I burst through the curtain. The Shrine erupted into cheers as I appeared on stage. I took a deep breath and started down the ramp, giving fans high fives. Vala was in her usual spot in the front row. She frantically waved me over, the tattoo she got for her seventeenth birthday clearly visible and after making a big show of pretending to think about it before smiling and walked over.

“ You jerk!” She said when I got within earshot, a big smile on her face. “ Why didn’t you tell me it was for the title?!”

I gave her a wink and smirked “ I wanted to surprise you.”

“ Well you most certainly did,” Vala said, leaving over the railing.

“ Hey I gotta go but after the match, what do you say we go hang out by South Pond?”

“Only if you win,” she said with a teasing tone in her voice.

“ Fair enough,” I replied, and then before I could stop myself added “ Don’t I get a kiss for luck? Isn’t that tradition or something?” Vala leaned in until she was only mere inches away from me.

“ Come back with championship gold first. Then we’ll see,” Vala said with a wink. I backed away from the railing and rolled in the ring. My theme music died down and I paced in the ring waiting for my opponent. Can You Feel My Heart started to play, signaling the world champion was about to make his entrance. Trent Evans, the TSW world champion came on the stage, he was black with short black hair and red highlights. He had several tribal tattoos all over his body. He wore black and red tights, black elbow pads, red knee pads, and black boots.

The fans were loudly chanting for Trent who didn’t break his gaze away from mine. He slid in the ring and held the world title right in front of me. The two of us got in each other’s face to build hype for the match. To the fans it looked like we were trash talking to each other but in fact we were doing the opposite. This was Trent’s very last match in TSW before he left for another federation

“ This is it buddy, I’m going to give you a TSW send-off,” I said. “ Just remember the rules for leaving. Although it is time for you to go, you must swear to live the best life you can possibly imagine. That means, living your life to its fullest. May God keep you always. May you always have a strong foundation. May you get everything out of this life you have ever wanted. Never forget your TSW family. Treasure them as long as you live. Finally, may you stay forever young.” We fist-bumped each other and backed up so the ring announcer could introduce us.”

“ Introducing first, the challenger! Standing at 6ft2, weighing in at 165 pounds, from Glever Montana, Jason Ryan!” I sank in the corner and let the cheers of the crowd wash over me.

“ And, standing at 6ft 5, weighing in at 185 pounds, from Lewistown Montana, he is the TSW World Heavyweight champion, Trent Evans!”

Trent held the world championship up high as the fans cheered even louder. He handed the title to the referee who held it up for the crowd to see. The strap was black with a red outline. The center plate was round and gold with a globe. Above the globe was a crown adjourned with red gemstones. Below the globe were the words “ TSW World Heavyweight Champion.”

The side plate to the left and right of the center plate was oval-shaped and gold as well. The side plates had a small globe and crown on top. In the center of the globe was the Montana state flag. I took a deep breath as the referee handed the title to the ring announcer. This was it. My first hardcore match and it was for the title. Sweat appeared on my forehead, the crowd roared with anticipation. I never felt more alive. After what seemed to be an eternity, the bell rang.

Me and Trent circled each other for a few moments to build even more anticipation for the match. The fans started to chant loudly.

“ Let’s go Trent!

”Let’s go Jason!

“Let’s go Trent “

“Let’s go Jason! “

“Let’s go Trent”

“Let’s go Jason!”

We locked up and Trent drove me to the corner. The referee didn’t start his five-count because due to the nature of the match Trent couldn’t be disqualified. All the referee could do was to try and get Trent to let me out of the corner. Which he did after a few moments, followed by a slap to the face. He backed away and started showboating for the crowd but when he turned around, he was repaid in the form of a Bicycle kick.

I slid out of the ring and grabbed a steel chair. I slid back in the ring and waited for Trent to stand. Once he did I swung the steel chair, catching him in the ribs. He doubled over and I swung the chair into his back. Trent collapsed on his belly writing in pain. I waited for him to sit up so I could crack him again but I missed. Trent rolled out of the way and hit me between the legs.

I dropped the steel chair and collapsed on my knees. Now it was Trent’s turn to have his fun with the steel chair. He battered me with the steel chair until it was bent in two. I rolled out of the ring and looked under the ring for a new weapon. I could feel the sting of each of the shots from the steel chair and they did not feel good. Trent slid out of the ring and grabbed me by the back of the neck. He dragged me to the barricade and slammed my head down. Head met steel over and over again until I elbowed him in the stomach a few times.

He went to Irish whip me into the steel barricade across from us but I reversed it at the lost possible second, sending him crashing into the barricade. I took a deep breath and ran at him as fast as I could, spearing Trent and sending both of us crashing through the barricade. The crowd popped as I got to my feet and hauled Trent up. We then started brawling throughout the small crowd. We fought in every part of the crowd before heading back to the ring. I went for the Perculator but Trent shoved me away and hit me with a Singapore Cane for my troubles.

I stumbled away from Trent, heading to a part of the barricade we hadn’t broken yet. Trent came towards me but I grabbed a fan’s drink, sipped from the straw, and spat a mouthful of Mountain Dew in Trent’s face. As he stumbled back blindly, I leveled him with a clothesline. I picked up the steel barricade and bridged it from the apron to the ring floor. I picked Trent up and went for the Perculator but he reversed it into his finishing move, a Rolling cutter he calls the Black Diamond Cutter. The fans cheered loudly at that, seeing my unmoving body lying amongst the bent in barricade.

Trent hauled me to my feet and threw me back in the ring, only for me to roll out on the other side. Trent walked over to my direction while I looked for a weapon to use. As he came in sight I grabbed a speed limit sign and smashed it over his head. Trent stood for a few moments before falling down. I picked him right back up and DDT’d him on the speed limit sign. I threw Trent back in the ring and slid in after him. I hit the Desti-Knee and went for the cover.

“1,2,” Trent kicked out right at two.

I got out of the ring and pulled out a wood table. I bridged it from the apron to the floor then dragged Trent out of the ring. I dragged him over to the table but Trent kneed me in the stomach. He then put me through the table via a German Suplex.

“ This is awesome! This is awesome! This is awesome!”

The fans yelled in response to our match. Trent picked me up and went for the Black Diamond Cutter but I pushed him away. I kicked Trent in the gut and curb-stomped him to the ring floor. I then put Trent in a Liontamer, trying to get him to tap out. Trent yelled in agony, trying to fight out. I let him go, seeing as Trent wasn’t going to submit. I hauled him to his feet for Trent to land a Black Diamond Cutter. He then went for a cover.

“One, two-” I kicked out at two and a half.

Trent hauled me to my feet and we started brawling again. This time we went through the curtain to the backstage area. A cameraman hurried after us to show the action. Trent and I made our way to catering and started throwing food at each other. I picked up a tray and smashed it across his chest. Trent countered by throwing me over a table full of food.

We brawled throughout the rest of the backstage area, heading back to the ring. I threw Trent over the barricade and hopped over it after him. I peeled back the protective padding, waited for Trent to stand shakily to his feet, and hit the Perculator on the exposed concrete. I went for the cover but only got a two count. I argued with the referee for a few moments as Trent crawled away. Giving up I followed Trent who hit me with the steel steps.

I went down like a sack of potatoes and Trent leaned against the apron. He then threw the steel steps in the ring, picked me up, and threw me in the ring. Trent slowly got back in the ring and advanced towards me but I popped up and hit him with the Perculator on the steel steps. The referee counted alongside the referee’s count.

“One, two, three!”

The fans exploded as the referee’s count reached three. Fans threw whatever they had in the ring. Popcorn, hotdogs, snow cones, etc while chanting “ TSW! TSW! TSW!”

“ Here is your winner and new TSW World Heavyweight Championship, Jason Ryan!”

I slowly got to my feet, shaking from a hurricane of emotions. Disbelief, shock, and gratitude filled my body. The referee handed me the World Heavyweight Championship which I took from his hands and raised it in the air, yelling. Streamers were thrown on the ring, the fans were on their feet, showing their support. The TSW locker room all came to the ring to congratulate me, Brooklyn being the first. She marched to the ring and gave me the biggest hug of my life once she entered through the ropes.

“ You did it. You did it,” was all she could say.

“ Thank you so much for everything,” I whispered, overcome with emotion. Once she backed away, Trent and I embraced.

“ You’ll be a great champion J,” he said. “ You go and make me proud.”

“ I will. Thank you so much for working with me. Go become a big star, I look forward to paying you back for this someday,” I said.

Travis came over and hugged us both, not saying anything. I couldn’t stop thanking him as tears of joy rolled down my face. Travis pulled away and handed me a microphone.

“ Address your people, champ,” he said.

I gratefully took it and looked at the crowds, at first too overwhelmed to speak. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself. TSW wasn’t a federation that cut a lot of promos so I was rather unsure of myself but I decided to just wing it.

“ This… this doesn’t seem real. If you had told me two years ago, I’d be standing here with all of you holding the TSW World Heavyweight Championship, I would’ve said you were crazy. I never would’ve thought I’d get to this level. But I want to say this. This title victory, it isn’t just mine. It’s for everyone who has ever been told that you can’t do something. For everyone who has had to hear you’ll never make it or you’re not good enough, this is for you!

The next time someone tells you that you can’t be who you want to be, that you can’t be who you aspire to be, you give them the middle finger and you keep going! Don’t let anything or anyone stop you or get in your way. Any roadblock that appears on your road, you go straight through!”

The fans’ response was a loud roar of support. I draped my title over my shoulder and closed my eyes as I listened to their chants.

“ Jason Ryan! Jason Ryan! Jason Ryan! Jason Ryan!”

“ I still can’t believe it,” I told Vala later that night as we laid on the grass, looking at the stars at South Pond.

“ You deserve it,” She told me smiling, holding my newly won championship title over her left shoulder. Her smile faltered a little as she continued “ I was scared when I was watching the match. I thought you were going to get hurt.”

“ I’ve been hurt before, it’s no big deal,” I said shrugging.

“ To me it is,” Vala insisted, looking into my eyes.

She truly cares! I thought to myself stunned. I gave her a reassuring smile “ You don’t need to worry about me. I’m going to have a lot of welts and bruises to deal with but it’s not like it was a deathmatch.

“ I worry about you whenever you’re not in my sight,” Vala confessed, her hand reaching for mine. “ I really like you, Josh.”

“ I like you too Vala,” I breathed.

She scooted closer to me as her hand connected with my own, shooting a million tiny bolts of electricity throughout my body.

“ I don’t know what our futures hold, but I do know that I want to be apart of yours,” she said “ and I can only hope you feel the same,”

“ I do. So does this mean we are official now?” I asked.

Vala’s lips then met mine” what do you think?” She responded teasingly. I smirked as my left hand slowly went towards my championship title.

“ There’s just one thing. I’m going to need my belt back,” I said attempting to grab it.

“ No!” Vala shrilled, laughing and trying to get away. We wrestled in the grass for a few moments before I overpowered her and pinned her down. We stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments in a moment of pure bliss until I heard my phone ding.

“ Seriously?” I asked letting Vala go and moving back a few feet. “ Why do we always get interrupted when we come here? It’s literally every time!”

“ I’m starting to think we have spies following us,” Vala said shaking her head.

“ You may actually be right. This is ridiculous,” I said grabbing my phone out of my pocket to see I had a text from an unlikely source. It was from my sister.

“ Congratulations little brother,”

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