#Bowling Professional Wrestling

[bigredsweetiepie]

If you haven't seen the promo for the raw bowl 1996 please go and find it ! On the dec 16 1995 ep of superstars it is featured , but there’s probably later eps with it.

It's so cute bc Isaac Yankem is there and he has eye black on.

[haikyu-mp4]

boxer – drabble

you’re a professional boxer who frequents Onigiri Miya, getting familiar with Osamu as you always came alone. it was an escape from everything else, the calm conversations you had.

one day, he seemed agitated and you gave him the space to rant about it, which led you to learn more about his brother.

“if only someone could beat some sense into him.”

“I probably could.”

that’s when the plan started developing. get his brother into a simple arm wrestle and watch him lose tragically. nothing could cheer Osamu up quite like that.

Atsumu was bruised.

his poor muscles and huge ego, all bruised.

but it didn’t stop his mind from wandering, because who exactly are you? looking that good and beating him in pure strength.

Osamu deflated, almost dropping the bowl he was drying off with a kitchen towel as he watched how his brother looked at you. maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all…

here they go again, liking the same girl…

masterlist

[msbigredmachine]

New To This - Chapter 5

MASTERLIST

“Sup, trick,” a soft voice chuckled next to Delilah, and she turned to see Tiwa, her co-worker at the supermarket, presenting her a can of Mountain Dew and a bowl of jollof rice and stewed chicken as she joined her to sit on the staircase outside on their lunch break. “Want some?”

Delilah grimaced and bit into her carrot stick for emphasis. “You know I can’t have that. I’m workin’ out and shit.”

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about your wrestling. Shoulda brought you a salad or somethin’,” Tiwa joked, causing Delilah to roll her eyes good-naturedly. The two women had known each other since high school and had run in different social circles back then, but working together for the past four years had closed that gap between them.

“So, how’s wedding planning going? You still got time for that with your wrestling and all?” Tiwa asked as she threw her braids behind her shoulder.

“It’s going,” Delilah shrugged, staring out into the empty backlot of the supermarket. “My Mama’s making sure it’s going, anyway. We’ve put a deposit on the reception hall, but haven’t decided on the catering. I haven’t even thought about a dress yet. Luckily I got my mom’s wedding dress to fall back on if everything else goes to shit.”

“You sound bored outta your fuckin’ mind,” Tiwa pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard any woman sound this uninterested about planning her own wedding.”

“It’s not boredom. I’m just…tired,” Delilah insisted, shuffling her feet on the step she sat on. “Training and working two jobs hasn’t given me much time to think of anything else.”

“What about your man? Is he going to Panama City with you for the show? I mean, that’s gotta be exciting, right?”

“For me? Absolutely,” she responded, turning her face toward the sun. “The networking opportunities are beyond my wildest dreams. For him? Not really. He’s never been a wrestling fan. And he still thinks I’m outta my mind,” she added with a roll of her eyes. In reality, she knew that half the town thought the same way, but she never let it deter her. What she wanted to do with her life was no one’s fucking business.

Tiwa nodded in what seemed like understanding and chewed her food slowly. “That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, that bad. He’s not cooperating at all.” Delilah huffed, feeling her blood begin to boil already. “First off, he refused to come to my first match. My very first match! He bitches about my training schedule all the fuckin’ time now. What is scaring him so much?”

“Gee, where do I start?” Tiwa snorted.

Delilah looked back at her co-worker, startled by her response. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Come on, girl. Look at it. Y’all supposed to be getting married soon and then your wrestling picks up. I saw your match on YouTube and it’s already at like a hundred thousand views. That’s a fuckin’ big deal, ya know? Not to mention you’re spending time with that steaming hot Jey guy that just might end up being your co-worker. And from all the buzz you’re getting, it’s only gonna be a matter of time before that happens. That’s gotta make Andre uncomfortable.”

She didn’t know her match had made it onto YouTube, but she would get back to that later. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am. And I’m happy for you. This town is boring as fuck. Someone needs to get outta this dump and do something interesting with their lives.” Tiwa took a swig of her Mountain Dew. “So back to you and this Jey dude. He seems to be giving you a lot of attention.”

“Y’all making it sound like me and him are seeing each other every day or somethin’,” said Delilah, her tone a little gruffer than she wanted. “That ain’t the case. Jey’s been like a second coach, like Tank. I want to make it to the big time, and if Jey can help me get there, I’ll take it.”

“You sure he hasn’t hinted at something more? Like, you know…”

Delilah shook her head. “Nope. We only talk about wrestling, that’s it. He’s been very professional.”

“Or he’s just waiting to get you alone,” Tiwa cut in. “Maybe that’s why he invited you to Panama City.”

“He invited both Dre and me. I won’t be alone. Tank’s coming along with me since Dre can’t make it.” She wasn’t sure what Tiwa was trying to insinuate, and though she didn’t like it, she tried not to show it. “Girl you trippin’. Relax. I’m getting married to the man I love. Jey’s already married, I think.”

“You think?” Tiwa repeated, and only then did it dawn on Delilah that she’d never seen a ring on his finger. Still… “He knows better and so do I. I got only one goal in mind, and that’s all I care about.” It had been two weeks since her first match, and she was just getting started with building a reputation for herself within the independent circuit. She was working hard and earning every bit of respect she was gaining, and she really didn’t want to throw all of that away.

“Okay,” said Tiwa. “I’m just looking out for you, girl. Do you, and make sure you’re happy while you’re doing it.”

“I know.” Delilah smiled and looked at her watch. Their break was almost over. “You coulda come with me to Panama City too, ya know.”

“Ha, if I do, who’s gonna cover your shift?” Tiwa said, getting to her feet. “Besides…I got a date on Monday night.”

“Oh. So you’ve finally gotten over your crush on Tank, then?” Delilah smirked as they walked back into the supermarket.

Tiwa gasped and avoided her friend’s teasing stare. “How many times am I gonna tell you, Parrish, it ain’t like that with Tank! It never was.”

“And yet, you’re blushing.”

“…..Bitch, bye.”

—------------------

From her place on the ring apron, Delilah watched in complete awe as Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch practiced in the ring for their match, still a good three hours before Monday Night Raw was set to air. The women were opening the show tonight, and she was very excited to see how it all played out. But watching them rehearse was so much better than anything she could have imagined.

The only thing that would have made her day better was Andre being with her. Of course, they had argued about the trip, in which Tank had tried to step in. He was being completely asinine and paranoid. She would never have stopped him if he had the chance to meet LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes, his favorite athletes. This was a once in a lifetime chance for her, and she really couldn’t understand why he was taking all of this so poorly.

“Now that’s a finisher right there,” Tank interrupted her thoughts as Liv Morgan hit Becky backwards in her signature Oblivion to get the pinfall.

Delilah turned back to look up at the huge Titantron as Liv’s theme song rang out in victory. “This is so cool,” she whispered. How amazing would it be to see her own name in lights that bright?

“Ayyy, look who showed up, uce,” a familiar deep voice sounded from the shadows behind her, and she looked over to see Josh making his way down the ramp. 

Without thinking through it, she rushed towards him and leapt into his arms. “This is so amazing! Thank you so much, oh my god,” she squealed happily, not caring if she sounded like a total fan girl at the moment. Never did she imagine she could ever experience all she had since coming down to Panama City; the backstage access, getting to meet the amazing wrestlers she watched on TV every single week; it was sensory overload for her as a fan.

Josh laughed as her legs tightened around him, supporting the woman in his arms with her round backside in his hands. “You welcome, baby girl. You enjoyin’ yourself?”

It was then, as he set her back on her feet, that Delilah noticed how good he looked in his Nike tech fleece outfit. At the same time, Tank appeared from the corner of her eye, and she quickly took a step back from Josh. “Yes! Everyone’s been so nice. The wrestlers, the officials, it’s been awesome.”

“Good to hear. Wanna go talk to the girls?” Without waiting for an answer, Josh grabbed her by the hand and tugged her toward the ring where Becky and Liv now sat on the apron. They looked over at the approaching trio and waved. “Hey, Jey, hey Tank,” greeted Liv, her eyes skating over Delilah’s form. “Wanna introduce us to your friend?”

Sneaking behind her, Josh shoved the shy woman closer to his colleagues. “This is Delilah Parrish. She’s an indie wrestler in the Pensacola region,” he introduced.

“Oh, fellow hometown girl, huh?” Becky’s friendly nature was infectious as she extended a hand toward the new woman. “Nice to meet you, Delilah. I’m Becky.”

“Delilah. Like Samson, right?” Liv inquired. When Delilah nodded, her smile widened. “Such a cute name. I like it. You stickin’ around for the show tonight?”

“Yeah.” Delilah muttered shyly. It was the exact same tone she had taken with pretty much everyone she had met so far. It was all so overwhelming, she felt like she was in a dream.

“Ay Livvy Liv, you busy?” Josh asked. When she shook her head, he nodded toward Delilah. “How ‘bout you show our guest here how it’s done in the big leagues?”

Liv set her towel aside with a shrug. “Sure, why not?” she answered, turning her gaze to Delilah. “You up for it?”

Shocked, the trainee looked back and forth between them. “Wait, you want me to wrestle her? Right now?” 

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Josh shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “Unless you think you can’t do it.”

Offended, her eyes darkened right away. “Hell yeah, I can do it.”

He stepped closer to her, staring her right down, “Then show me,” he whispered.

Liv leapt back into the ring and backed up, beckoning for Delilah to join her. “Come on, show me what’cha got,” she challenged.

Before she knew what was happening, Delilah was locking up with Liv freaking Morgan in the middle of the ring, listening for her rushed verbal cues as they sparred like old partners. So immersed was she in the match they were constructing, Delilah didn’t notice that Josh and Tank had been joined by a few other men.

“Who’s the girl?”

Turning his head slightly, Josh took his boss’s hand in a handshake and then returned his attention to the action in the ring. “She’s one of Tank’s,” the Samoan spoke of the trainer who was now shouting instructions to his pupil from outside the ring, while Becky cheered on Liv on the other side.

Triple H watched with a critical eye as the new woman launched herself off of the ropes and knocked Liv to the mat with an impressive, albeit stiff clothesline. “She’s unpolished,” he deduced.

Josh shrugged. “She’ll get better,” he assured the older man. “Her very first match was just two weeks ago and she killed that shit, man. Two hundred thousand views on YouTube already,” he added, a hint of admiration creeping into his voice.

“I see.” The multi-time World Champion nodded his head, his gaze still fixed on the story the women were trying to tell in the ring.

As Liv wedged her horizontally between the ropes by the turnbuckle, Delilah glanced to her left, her heart nearly jumping into her throat when she saw Triple H of all people, watching intently a few feet away, as though waiting for her to do something special. She was so distracted that she didn’t hear Liv’s reminder to brace herself for the impact of her double-knee attack. Liv’s knees and shins colliding with her sternum knocked the air right out of her, causing her to collapse hard in the corner, limbs twisting everywhere as she hit the canvas.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” Liv screeched, as Delilah rolled to her side and slowly made her way to her knees with a moan. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It was my fault,” she puffed, taking the other woman’s extended hand to pull her up.

“Yeah, Triple H has that kind of effect,” Liv said, winking at her. “I was the exact same way the first time I saw him.”

Risking another glance at the base of the ramp, Delilah breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Hunter had left them alone, but dread quickly filled her insides as she wondered what he’d thought of her performance.

“What the hell was that?” Josh’s laughing voice interrupted the ladies’ conversation. Delilah blushed wildly and ducked under the bottom rope. “I panicked,” she admitted softly. “So tell me the truth,” she said. “How bad did I fuck up my only chance to impress that man?”

Josh helped her out of the ring and set her down on her feet. “You tried. Let’s just leave it at that.” Her nervous expression caused him to wrap an arm around her waist for a quick hug. “But ay, you went for it, and Hunter appreciates that,” he whispered.

The feel of his breath on her ear sent shivers down Delilah’s spine. She shook it off quickly, deciding that she was still being a fangirl, that it was just his breathtaking presence that still affected her. She would have felt the exact same way if it had been Andre holding her like this.

Mistaking her inner turmoil for something else, Tank nudged her from her other side. “You did good, kid. I could tell Hunter liked it,” he said.

The uncharacteristic compliment from her usually no-nonsense teacher caused Delilah to blush, but before she could respond, a stage hand called for Tank to follow him up the ramp, leaving her all alone with Josh. She felt very self-conscious as she walked next to him towards the backstage area.

Somewhere along the way, Josh had invaded Delilah’s thoughts and fantasies on more than a few occasions. Never, since getting with Andre, had she ever thought about another man while making love to her fiancé, until lately. She wanted to blame it on seeing him every week on TV, recalling his deep, seductive voice on the phone, all of which left her imagining things she never dreamed of. Yeah, he seemed to be a bit touchy feely, but he had never made an outright pass at her, and had done nothing beyond a few flirty words and gestures. Maybe she was overthinking it too much and just needed to relax.

Josh looked down at her, trying not to stare into her tank top from his considerable vantage point. She was engaged to be married, but he couldn’t seem able to tell himself that it meant she was off limits. He was drawn to how unaware she was of her beauty and her sexiness, and it made her that much more attractive in his eyes. “You quiet. What’s on your mind?” he asked her, forcing himself out of his wayward thoughts.

Delilah followed him into a huge locker room. “Just thinkin’ about how surreal all of this is. It’s one thing to see it on TV. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to see it all up close…” she trailed off, shaking her head in awe.

Grabbing two bottles of water, Josh directed her to a table and sat across from her, opening her bottle before sliding it to her. “Yeah. Wait until you become an actual employee.”

Scoffing, she drank from the bottle and leaned back in her chair. “Right. Like that’s gonna happen.”

“What makes you think that?”

With a sigh, she looked around the empty room. “I don’t know. For all intents and purposes, I’m still a rookie,” she reasoned. “I got so much more to learn. I don’t even look like the typical WWE Superstar. My hair’s too damn big and curly. I haven’t put on enough muscle yet.” Casting a glance over her own body, she sighed again. “And I’m gonna need implants, which I definitely can’t afford,” she added.

Josh looked her over, zeroing in on her chest. After seeing her in her wrestling outfit a couple of weeks ago, he was convinced there was nothing wrong with her hot body. “You don’t need no implants,” he assured her.

Shock washed over Delilah at his blatant assessment. “Okay, um, so where else are we going after this?” she asked nervously, hoping to break the suffocating tension building between them.

“Whatchu doin’, Delilah?” Josh ignored her question, watching her brush her hair out of her face for the hundredth time, the glint of the rock on her engagement ring seemingly taunting him every time she did so. “What exactly are you puttin’ in all the hours training and wrestling for? To achieve your dream? Or to get away from your fiancé?”

Recoiling a little, Delilah narrowed her eyes at what he had asked. Why was he being so intrusive? “Dude…” she stammered, her defenses going right up. "I’m not…I’m not sure how that’s any of your business.”

“Baby girl, this business is everything to me,” Josh said to her, his tone strangely serious. “It’s my whole life. And I get a kick out of seeing other people who love it too and get immersed in it for all the right reasons.” Shaking his head, he crossed his massive arms over his broad chest. “I need to know which side you’re on, so I’ll know whether I’m wasting my time with you or not.”

“Wasting your time? What the fuck…I never asked for your attention, Josh!” she shot defensively, staggered by this sudden change to their conversation. "To be honest, I don’t even know why you are showing any interest in me.” Behind her, she heard the door open, and she forced herself to lower her voice, even though she was seething at his audacity. “Maybe I should ask you. What’s in this for you, huh? Why me? There are a million other new wrestlers that you could be focusing on.“

Shrugging a shoulder in agreement, Josh leaned back in his chair and let his dark gaze scan her from head to toe. "Maybe,” he conceded, a smirk playing on his lips. “But it’s not them I wanna fuck.”

The words struck her like a blow to the gut. Did she hear him right? Was he suggesting that he wanted to sleep with her? That he was as attracted to her as she was to him? Did he fantasize about her too? Did he forget she was engaged? Wasn’t he married? How could he make such an open confession?

Before she could say something, the room began to fill up with members of the Raw roster, Josh stood up and gestured for her to do the same. “Come on. Let’s go find Tank,”  he said to her.

--------------

Thoughts?

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[warball-boyz]

All right, let's go!

This is my blog where I will attempt to create a fanfic. I'm not sure what it's a fanfic of, but it'll combine elements of the Games Workshop franchise Blood Bowl, as well as the fantasy series Discworld, and a passing familiarity with modern professional sports such as football (both kinds), ice hockey, rugby, Australian rules football, professional wrestling, and all the chaos and politicking at goes on behind these major profesionnal sports.

I'll try to post regularly, and promote as much engagement as I can, so we'll see how this goes?

[banannabethchase]

I'm Sure I Can Pretend to Be a Gentleman - also on AO3

~

Matt decides he wants to try the roleplay thing, and Adam's willing to give it a shot.

~

Title from Inside of You by Hoobastank. Note: The roleplay concept in this fic is that they are two wrestlers trying to get the same new position in the company. Everything is consensual and there are no power dynamics at play.

~

“I think it’s time for the role play idea,” Matt says, putting the dishes away. They’re in the wrong place, but Adam will let that slide because he’s got a decent view of Matt’s butt like this.

“What role play?” Adam asks. He hangs up the mop. “Also, I like how putting away dishes is what reminds you of that. Are you ever not thinking of sex?”

“Occasionally,” Matt says. He slides the mixing bowl into the shelf on his tiptoes, and, truly, it’s an even better view. “But we have that Dynamite coming up in a new venue, and I think we’ll have to find an empty, unused conference room.” He turns around an blows hair out of his eyes. “What?”

“You’re out of your mind,” Adam sighs. “Get over here. I love you so much.”

Matt grins into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Adam’s waist. “But,” he pulls back, like they haven’t stopped talking, “the idea is, basically, we’re two wrestlers who both want the job and we’re waiting in the conference room to get the interview.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “We’re competition. We’re not supposed to like each other, but we do.”

“Isn’t that just how, like, half of how wrestling relationships start?”

Matt shrugs. “Maybe. Hey, can you help me with that box of plates?” He nods over to the living room, which is still doubling as storage for an obscene amount of kitchenware shipped from Matt’s. The new couch looks nice in the living room, but Matt’s been antsy about the extra clutter. “Maybe bend over a little and wiggle your butt while you do it?”

“You,” Adam says, sure to yank his shirt up a little before leaning over and making a show of it, “are fucking shameless.”

“Sorry,” Matt calls, “can’t hear you over the sound of your butt looking great in those jeans.”

~

“Thank you again for going early to the venue.” Adam can hear Tony on the phone from where he’s pulling on his street clothes. It’s still sunrise orange outside as they get ready, hours before they usually dress to go to the venue, but the anticipation is better than caffeine. “All you have to do is scope it out, guide the staff to set up the locker rooms. Maybe mingle with some of the venue-specific crew to see if there’s anything we can do to make things go more smoothly, since it’s a new place.”

“Of course, Tony,” Matt says, his annoying professional voice turned up to eleven, “you can always count on us to make good use of our extra time at the venue.” He winks at Adam, and Adam thinks there has never been anyone less subtle.

“You’re lucky that was a call and not a FaceTime,” Adam says once Matt’s hung up. He slings his gym bag over his shoulder, heavier than usual. “You were so obvious.”

“Was not!” Matt says. “I was professional. A dedicated EVP, you could say.”

“Dedicated to getting railed, maybe.”

Matt rolls his eyes and leans in to kiss Adam, his hair still damp. “Let’s get coffee and then head over. They’ll let us in when we get there, if we ask for Maritza, and then we have the whole place to ourselves.”

“And we have to make sure we do what Tony asked us to do,” Adam says. He adjusts his bag on his shoulder. Hopefully the suit doesn’t get to wrinkled in there.

Matt rolls his eyes. “Yeah, well, we have plenty of time to do everything we want to do.” He looks Adam up and down. “It’s so annoying you look that good with a mustache.”

“I could say the same about your dumb goatee,” Adam says. “And yet here I am, still planning to fuck you stupid.” Sighing, he wraps an arm around Matt’s waist and hauls him in to kiss him, blazing and fierce.

The venue is unique, smaller than others but a maze of rooms to navigate. Maritza is a delightful woman with the personality of a lightning bolt, speaking at speeds Adam can hardly keep up with. Matt’s firing back with equal pace though as they sip their identical coffees, and Adam wonders if they’ll stop talking long enough for Adam and Matt to pull off the reason they’re actually here.

He’s mid yawn, halfway through his coffee, when Maritza sighs. “Well, I’ll have to be at the box office the rest of the morning.” She claps her hands together and sends her electric smile to both of them. “You two call me if you need anything.”

“We will,” Matt says, and he’s so sugar-sweet it’s ridiculous. “Thank you so much for the opportunity to come in early, Maritza. We really appreciate it.”

She beams. “We appreciate the help.” She waves as she walks away, and Matt’s excitement is hard to place.

“Are you all pink because you’re excited to do corporate stuff, or because of our plan?”

Matt shrugs and glances up and down the hallway, then pulls Adam in for the kind of kiss that makes him understand poetry a little better. When Matt leans back, Adam’s brain has flown south for the winter along with all the blood in his body.

“I’m good to start,” Adam says. “If, uh, you still want to.”

Matt scoffs. “If. Sure. Like there’s ever anything but a yes in that.” He raises an eyebrow. “But, also, because, like, that whole thing where you get to –”

“Focus on one new thing at a time, baby,” Adam murmurs. He pulls Matt in and kisses his forehead. “Looks like the rest of the place is empty. We start now, we got, like, hours before anybody else gets here.”

Matt nods, burying his face in Adam’s chest. “Okay,” he mumbles. “I start in the room.”

Adam nods. “But first we have to get all dressed up.”

He’d gotten a brand new suit for this whole thing, dark grey and bespoke, and he can feel Matt’s eyes on him the whole time.

“You like it?” Adam asks, spinning. “Got it new and tailored for this.”

Matt nods, looking delectable in his own navy suit. “I – okay. Go wait outside and count to four.”

“To four?”

“Ten. Five. Whatever. My brain isn’t working right now.” Matt shakes his head and Adam wants to do nothing more but pull him in and screw the roleplay, but he knows Matt really wants it.

He steps out the door and counts to four, then to ten, then to five, and knocks. “This where we go to wait for the interviews?” he asks. He nods to Matt. “I think I know you. You’re Matt Jackson, right?”

Matt nods. “And you are?”

Adam grins. “Adam Page.” He sticks out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Matt shakes his hand. “Likewise.” His eyes flicker down to Adam’s mouth, and what happens next cannot be considered Adam’s fault. He pulls Matt in by the hand and kisses him, slow and soft, hands on his hips. Matt sighs into it, hands on Adam’s lapel, before he pushes back rather suddenly.

Adam smiles at him, feeling kind of dopey. “Hi.”

“No, no,” Matt says, shaking his head furiously. “No being cute. Get out. We’re starting over. You can’t kiss me at the beginning of the whole thing. You’re supposed to wait until I say I’m unfamiliar with your talent, and then you say you’ll show me your talent.”

“That’s still the cheesiest line,” Adam says, letting Matt shove him out the door. “You know that, right?”

“It doesn’t have to be poetry, Adam,” Matt says, and Adam’s honestly impressed with how snippy he looks. “It’s a means to an end.”

“It’s a means to get into your end,” Adam quips.

“Watch it or I won’t let you eff me,” Matt says, deadpan. And he slams the door in Adam’s face.

With a glance up and down the hallway, still kind of expecting somebody to walk into this wing and make this incredibly awkward, Adam adjusts.

“Okay,” he mutters. “I can do this. Acting. I’m trying to get the job and Matt’s the competition for the position.” He bounces a little, like right before he gets in the ring.

And he knocks.

The door pulls open, and Matt’s back in character. “Hi. Are you here for the job opening too?”

"Mr. Jackson,” Adam says, trying to get back into the character. He can start over. He can do this. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Matt adjusts his jacket and, fuck, that mustache really is unforgivable. “Mr. Page, is it?”

Adam fights his grin as Matt steps aside to let him into the room. “Yeah man,” he confirms. “Seen your work before. Heard you’re going for the opening in the company.”

He can see the second Matt snaps out of the persona. “Opening?” Matt giggles. “You’re making a sex joke during this?”

“You are completely ruining the moment,” Adam says. “I’m trying to be the hot young upstart trying to throw you off your game for your interview, and you're talking about openings!”

“You’re the one who made the sex joke!” Matt says. His pout looks even more ridiculous with the mustache. “You’re terrible at roleplay.”

“I am not!” Adam says. “You can’t hold it together when you make a sex joke in your head. That’s not my fault.”

Matt grins at him. “It sort of is,” he says. “You’re the one who made the sex joke.”

“I did not make a sex joke!”

“Get in here,” Matt says, wrapping one hand around Adam’s tie and the other around his collar.

“Okay, Mr. Jackson,” Adam murmurs. “How do you know you’d be better for the position than I would be?”

“Oh, now you get it,” Matt grumbles, but he still lets Adam shove the jacket off his shoulders.

“Maybe from now on leave the experiments to me,” Adam suggests. He bites at Matt’s neck, earning a sweet little mewl.

“You – oh – you seem to have liked my other experiments.” Matt bares his throat a little more, letting Adam work a bruise or two into his skin. When Adam pulls away, Matt hops up on the conference table. It’s the exact right height. Adam’s brain short circuits for a second before snapping back into it. “You didn’t complain when you and Mox were fucking me at the same time.”

“Fuck, baby,” Adam murmurs. He gets his hands on Matt’s belt, one of the fancy ones Nick had gotten him for Christmas a few years back, and yanks it out. He grins as he tosses it across the room, Matt’s eyes wide. “I didn’t complain. And I sure as hell won’t complain now.” He cups Matt’s hard dick through the dress pants. “You gonna complain?”

Matt shakes his head rapidly. “No,” he says, breathy. “No, I – please?”

“Please what?” Adam asks. Matt’s eyes follow every movement of his fingers, and Adam decides to tease a little. He doesn’t go for his own belt, instead slides his hands into his pockets. “I’m sure you got everything you could want.”

Matt’s eyes go dark. “Not everything,” he breathes.

“You gotta tell me.” He gets it now. This part of the roleplay is kind of fun. “I’m new to this, you know. I need help getting the lay of the land.” He winks at lay. 

Matt’s breathing is shaky. “You need – you’re acting like you did when we first met.” He presses his lips together and looks at Adam with blown-black eyes. “Back when you were all shy and scruffy and were scared around me.”

“Yeah,” Adam chuckles, “because I thought all y’all were hot and I got nervous about it.”

Matt nods, licking his lips. “Remember when we first got together.”

“I do,” Adam says. He steps closer, in between Matt’s legs. His hands go to the waistband of Matt’s pants, slowly tapping toward the zipper. “Couldn’t help but embarrass myself, could I? Curse of being in my mid-twenties.”

“Curse?” Matt laughs. “You had the biggest dick on the roster and none of us knew because you’d always change by yourself!”

“Yeah, because I was, like, constantly horny around you.” Adam slides his hands up Matt’s shirt, starts unbuttoning slowly. “That one night, after the pay per view – I can’t remember which one.”

Matt’s cheeks are pink as his shirt flutters open. “Neither can I,” he murmurs. He links his legs around the small of Adam’s back and yanks him in closer. “All I remember is walking into the showers and seeing – seeing you with…” Matt trails off as he watches Adam shove his pants down his hips. Adam wraps his hand around his dick. “Well, seeing you like that.”

“You remember what I said?” Adam asks. He couldn’t forget. It was the beginning of the best part of his life: being with Matt.

Matt nods, eyes locked. “You said,” he says, breathy, “You asked, ‘You trying to get in on this, baby?’ with this voice…” He trails off. “Okay, you need to get inside me. I’m done. Screw the roleplay, it’s hotter to remember how long we’ve been together.”

“Yeah?” Adam pauses before he grabs the lube. “You thinking about us when we were younger?” He grabs Matt’s legs and hauls him close, grinning at his yelp. “Remembering how we used to pull off quickies in the shitty bathrooms.” He leans down, kissing the life out of Matt for just long enough to get him whimpering. “How you used to beg me to fuck you when both of us knew we didn’t have the time or the privacy?”

“Now you’re doing it on purpose.” Matt flops back on the conference table. “The whole point of this is for you to rail me in a suit. This is purely for my own benefit and you’re making me think.”

“You made me come up with a whole character!” Adam yanks down Matt’s dress pants and throws them somewhere in the room. Adam pulls Matt’s legs around his waist so he’s at the right angle to dribble lube down from the tip of his dick, down his balls, down into his crease. Matt shivers so hard the table wobbles.

“Okay,” Matt says. “I – don’t care. Just like when we were younger. I’m begging now.”

“Except,” Adam says, and he leans down to kiss Matt slowly, languidly, unrelentingly. Matt squirms against his face. “Except this time, we have plenty of time for me to wreck you.”

Matt whines. “I really – Adam, I hate that mustache.”

“Sucks for you,” Adam murmurs. "Also, I think you're lying."

Adam opens Matt up as quickly as he can, with how whimpery and insistent he is.

“I love you,” Matt says. “I – I don’t think I like role plays. I like you. I want you. But I like it when you call me Mr. Jackson, if that makes any sense.”

“I don’t think anything we do makes sense, but if it gets you going I'm about it,” Adam says, and with the way Matt is gripping at the edge of the conference table, it tells Adam he’s ready. “You good?”

Matt nods, eyes screwed shut. “I just really want to get laid on a conference room table.”

“You are so weird,” Adam sighs, and he gets himself situated. “I ever tell you I’m madly in love with you?”

Matt props himself up on his elbows so he can watch Adam, eyes dark. “You do,” he whispers. He pulls his eyes up to meet Adam’s. “Have I ever told you?”

“Always,” Adam says. “God, I – are you ready? Is it –”

“Yes,” Matt hisses. “Please. I want – please.”

Adam guides his dick into Matt, carefully as he can. The wood on Matt’s lower back can’t be comfortable, so he adjusts so Matt is laying down, hair fanned out. “Jesus,” he whispers.

It’s slower than usual. Adam is gentle, and careful, and soft. Part of him worries that the wooden table won't hold, that it'll be too stiff for Matt's bad back, that he'll get overenthusiastic and slam his hips into the edge of the table. Matt’s eyes are locked in on him, a little smile on his face, as he rolls to meet Adam’s thrusts. It feels perfect. It feels like Adam doesn’t deserve to have this forever. He takes a shaky breath.

“Hey,” Matt says. “Come back. I don’t know where you went, but come back here.”

Adam shakes his head and snaps back into the moment. “Sorry, baby,” he murmurs. “Got a little stuck in my head.”

“I know,” Matt says, and he digs his heels into the small of Adam’s back to draw him in. His soft smile and warm eyes anchor him to the present and Adam feels so goddamned lucky to be here he almost falls over. He leans in and kisses Matt, trying to say with his lips what he can’t with words. Matt kisses him back and slides a hand between the two of them to touch himself. It's the best thing Adam's ever seen. Adam adjusts his grip on Matt’s thighs and his angle so Matt is making high pitched, desperate little noises.

“I know,” Adam murmurs, “I know, baby, you’re close. Come whenever you want, okay?” He pulls back to kiss Matt’s forehead. “We fucked up this role play thing so hard, didn’t we.”

Matt laughs, music. “We did, but I’m okay with it. I – please don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” Adam promises. “I won’t. Never.”

The world dissolves until it’s just the two of them, pretense and worry and reality gone, until Adam’s whispering Matt’s name and they come just about at the same time. Adam feels changed with it, shifted, and he wonders how many times he can fuck Matt before it stops rearranging his atoms.

“Matty,” Adam murmurs, peppering kisses across his face. “I don’t think I like roleplay. I think – I think I only like it when it’s you.”

Matt sighs and smiles up at Adam. “I think I know that now.” He tucks a curl behind Adam’s ear. “I always knew you were a big softie."

Adam laughs. “Yeah, fair.” He pulls out of Matt gently and grabs a towel from the bag they’d dropped in the corner. “You okay?”

“It’s weird you ask me that every time you get all gooey and romantic about me,” Matt says. He takes the towel and cleans himself. “What, like you expect me to be stressed or freaked out because you’re in love with me and get all sappy?” He shoots Adam a grin. “I’m always feeling great after.”

Adam shrugs. “I like to check.”

“We didn’t even do anything that merits checking,” Matt says. He wrinkles his nose as he wraps the towel up tightly and shoves it in a plastic bag.

Adam resists the urge to tell Matt, once again, anything could merit checking which is why he does it. “Still gonna do it.” Adam leans in and kisses Matt’s forehead. “Let’s go find the EVP locker room and showers. My boxers are all sticky.”

“Oh, your boxers,” Matt says, rolling his eyes with a smile. “What a shame for you.”

Adam licks his lips. “What,” he says, “you want me to mention you’re gonna feel my come leaking out of you all night?”

Matt flames red. “Effing – oh my god, Adam.” He pulls the jacket on. “You can’t just say things like that without warning.”

“Sure I can,” Adam says. He grabs the pack of Clorox wipes they’d picked up at Target and wipes down the conference table as best he can. “I can say it all night, if you want me to.”

“Now you’re understanding the whole any-time-you-want-me thing,” Matt says. “I like it.” He leans in and kisses Adam on the cheek. “Let’s go get the place ready for everybody else so maybe we get extra time and I can blow you behind the commentary table.”

“Yeah, if nobody gets thrown on it tonight.” Adam tosses Matt his bag. “Would hate for, like, Joe to chuck Trent or somebody on top of the desk and have you squished underneath it.”

“Okay, fair. That would suck.”

They check each other’s hair and clothes to make sure nothing is out of place and make their way out of the conference room. They run into a kind looking woman frowning at signs.

“Oh, hello!” she says, smile bright. “You must be Mr. Jackson and Mr. Page.”

It takes everything in Adam’s body to keep from laughing.

~

Mini Playlist: Ms. Jackson - Panic! at the Disco Inside of You - Hoobastank Whatever You Like - Anya Marina Numbers - The Cab

[blowflyfag]

WRESTLING EYE: APRIL 1993

AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF THE WWF-USWA MERGE

BY STEVE MUELLER

On August 9, 1992, the wrestling world changed. It changed not with a bang, but with a challenge. It changed in a manner that may, one day, restructure the entire way professional wrestling is promoted in America. In some ways, the change was as significant as the national Football League agreeing to face the American Football League in a Super Bowl. 

On that date, the World Wrestling Federation officially recognized the existence of a wrestling promotion other than itself. Oh, during the past couple of years, there head been some cracks in the WWF rigid policy of not recognizing the existence of other pro wrestling organizations. For example, Ric Flair came into the promotion with the NWA world title belt in tow and calling himself the “real World Champion.” But the official beginning of the new WWF philosophy did indeed begin on August 9.

That date saw Jeff Jarret, son of USWA promoter Jerry Jarret and one of that promotion’s top attractions, leap a barricade at a WWF event to challenge then WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart to a title match. Hart accepted the challenge and a new era dawned. 

Allegedly because Hart would lose the Intercontinental strap to the British Bulldog at SummerSlam in ‘92, the match never took place. But that fact is inconsequential because the WWF and USWA entered into an historic “working agreement.” For the first time since the Vince McMahon, Jr., era began in 1984, the WWF promoted cards on which non-WWF wrestlers appeared. Additionally, some WWF wrestlers and personalities began appearing on USWA cards. 

What does this all mean? How will it effect the future of wrestling in America? Is this a trend, the start of things to come, or just an aberration. Good questions that need answers. WRESTLING EYE will try to supply them. 

What follows is an attempt by the crack WRESTLING EYE editorial staff to analyze these dramatic events. The entire development will be broken down into its component parts. Opinions of experts will be reviewed. Logical conclusions and suppositions will be formulated. 

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan was one of the WWF wrestlers chosen to compete in the USWA.]

THE PLAYERS

VINCE McMAHON

World Wrestling Federation head honcho, alleged marketing genius, and supreme commander of the universe, at least the WWF slice of it, Vince McMahon is the prime mover in this story. Vince was the first promoter to successfully take a wrestling promotion national, and, love him or hate him, he remains the world champion of wrestling promoters with no serious challengers for his crown in sight. 

McMahon has been called by some a serpentine, cut-throat businessman with an ego the size of Montana, by others a genius with his own code of honor and a great love for the wrestling business. Whatever the reality may be, he is one of the most influential and complex men ever to be involved with the mat sport. 

JERRY JARRET

Owner/operator of the United States Wrestling Association, based in Tennessee. His longtime top attraction is Jerry “the King” Lawler, perhaps the greatest all-around star in the history of southern wrestling. (Lawler has a significant role in this growing saga. That role will be discussed later.)

[Many feel that the Rock ‘n Roll Express would be an excellent addition to the WWF –Photo by Cohen.]

According to Jim Cornette, wrestling greatest living manager, in an interview in the “Pro Wrestling Torch” newsletter, “Jerry Jarret is one the shrewdest businessman in wrestling. I have never known him to come up on the short end of a business deal.” 

[Jeff Gaylord could be a competent replacement for the Ultimate Warrior. –Photo by Wilson]

Earlier this year, Jarret was trying to set-up a working relationship with World Championship Wrestling. That deal fell through. It appears this one will not. 

OVERVIEW

The exact nature of this “working relationship” has yet to be revealed or determined. It seems to be a work in progress. Rumors have claimed everything from the USWA becoming a kind of minor league for the WWF to the whole deal being an elaborate scheme by Vince McMahon to take over Memphis wrestling. However, why Vince McMahon would want to do that is not clear at this time. Especially in view of the wrestling depression that is currently gripping America. One thing Vince does not need is more empty arenas. 

This “working agreement” has advantages for both promotions. The USWA gets WWF stars to appear on its shows. The WWF saves travel money by using USWA wrestlers to fill up spots on cards run in the South. And then, on December 7, the WWF got a lot more. It got Jerry Lawler. 

[Jeff Jarrett has challenged Bret Hart.]

WRESTLERS AND PERSONALITIES

Jerry Lawler’s move to the WWF is significant on many levels. Lawler, called the Hulk Hogan of the South, debuted on the December 7 edition of “Prime Time” on the USA network. Lawler is a great ring worker, but even more importantly, he is one of the best communicators in the history of the sport. His great all-around ability is reflected in his amazing accomplishments. Without working for a major promotion for any length of time, Lawler has over the last 15 years been one of the most influential men in the sport. He even parlayed a feud with late comic Andy Kaufman into appearances on the David Letterman Show and sold out houses in the Mid-South Coliseum.

[Can you imagine the havoc the Moondogs would wreak in the WWF?]

Jeff Jarret has also been wrestling successfully in opening matches on WWF cards not only in the south, but across America. Additionally, many WWF stars have appeared at USWA events including Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart, southern wrestling managerial legend, Sergeant Slaughter, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and the Bushwackers. 

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

Experts say the huge egos of McMahon and Jarret can’t co-exist very long. Others say that the McMahon/Jarret alliance is the first stage of a new way to promote wrestling in America. These experts say that it is alliance born out of necessity. The WWF needs a developing ground for new talent and USWA needs nationally known personalities on its cards to foster credibility in the minds of casual fans. And more importantly, it needs these recognizable stars to get those casual fans to buy tickets for USWA events.

[The WWF-USWA merge could produce some interesting match ups.]

The editorial staff at WRESTLING EYE,, after careful evaluation and extensive study, believe that this alliance is indeed the start of a new era in professional wrestling. As proof, we point to the recently announced alliance between World Championship Wrestling and Smokey Mountain Wrestling. We further believe that these alliances will help pro wrestling overcome its current popularity slump. New faces and developing talent are exactly what the majors need to rekindle interest in the sport. 

[narrans]

57). "I'm not letting you leave."

for the writing prompts. enjoy november's writing!

PROMPT

57). "I'm not letting you leave."

It was a perfect night to stay in and do absolutely nothing. Flurries of snow were drifting from the sky, starting to stick to the rapidly freezing ground and form beautiful patterns of ice on the blades of grass and windowpanes of the Lowe household.

Marissa couldn’t remember the last time she had a night off from work; or, rather, the last time she had given herself a night off from work. She was a freelance writer, specializing in astrology. She fancied herself a professional astrologer, but writing was a better guaranteed income than having her own personal blog on the matter.

Cup of coffee by the window along with a mountain of blankets and a forensic based crime novel she was dying to read, Marissa had everything in place for her perfect night in. The dark brown liquid swirled, ribbons of steam dancing on the surface as Marissa settled into her chair.

It had been a long time since it had snowed in autumn like this, and she wasn’t going to miss this first snowfall. Besides, her astrological chart said that there would be unexpected things happening his night, and she was ready to embrace them by taking a calm night to herself. If something was going to happen, she didn’t want to interrupt her work schedule to do it.

Fingers curled around her Pisces styled mug, she inhaled the fragrance of her coffee and stared out at her back yard. For nearly an hour, she watched the flurrying snow as it drifted peacefully through the sky and onto the patches of grass in her yard.

Marissa moved onto her book, but had barely cracked the spine when she saw the motion sensor by the back of the fence line trip, sending a blinding light across the lawn. Instantly, she felt a spurt of guilt fill her chest. Here she was enjoying her evening and she completely forgot to put out a cup of food for the local stray cat that she insisted to herself “wasn’t hers.”

“Hang on, Kitty,” she muttered as she wrestled the blankets off of her and shuffled off to the pantry for the cat food cup. Wrapping a blanket over her shoulders, she braced herself for the blistering cold and threw open the door.

Her breath turned into a poofy white cloud in front of her lips and nose as she exhaled and scurried across the porch to the plastic bowl, which was quickly filling with snow.

“Kitty!” she called as she tipped the bowl of snow out and replaced the frozen flakes with kibble. “Here Kitty! Dinner’s out!” Marissa stared out at the fence line, but saw no feline companion trudging its way through the yard to the straw filled box next to the food dish.

Weird, Marissa thought. Usually one call was enough to summon the cat to her side.

“Kitty!” Marissa called again. Still, no response. Now meow. No snow crunch under its soft, black-tipped paws. What did catch her ear, however, was a low moan. Marissa stopped dead in her tracks back to her warm couch, not daring to breathe, as she strained her ears to hear it again.

A knot seized her insides. What was that sound? Was the cat hurt? Was something else out there hurt? It didn’t sound like a feline noise, but it did sound distressed.

Naturally, she walked out into the yard and followed the noise all the way to the fence line when it stopped.

Am I hearing things? I’m sure I heard something over here, wondered Marissa. She held her breath and, hearing nothing again, turned to leave when she heard it again. It was a low, agonizing moan coming from the base of the fence by her garden.

Marissa, driven by curiosity, crouched by the beams of wood near some upturned flowerpots where the sound was the loudest.

Then, to her astonishment, she saw the source of the sound.

Two pets were crouched in the flowerpot huddled against the back away from the wind. Their wide eyes stared back at her in wild panic like that of cornered, helpless animals.

Marissa had always been curious about these human-like biological constructions society fawned over so much, but had rarely interacted directly with one herself on a regular basis. She had friends who had pets when she was growing up, but they were usually unsociable and hiding in their sleep spot in their cages when she was over.

Taking her childhood experiences and straining to remember how to handle these hand-sized humanoid creatures, she snapped a few times and made kissy sounds like how she did for Kitty.

“Come on. It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you,” she said gently as she began reaching her hand through the opening of the flowerpot.

“Stay back!” the one spat, obviously male by the sound of it. Marissa couldn’t see either of them well, but she did know the one who spoke swung something at her outstretched fingers.

“No, no. Shhh… it’s okay. Come here now. That’s a good boy,” coaxed Marissa as she reached in slower this time. The one stepped back to take a swing, obviously guarding the other, when Marissa heard a low moan come from the other, who she now knew to be female. The more violent one was obviously torn between acting in self-defense or helping the other, ultimately choosing to help.

“Shhh… Tsu… it’s okay. Breathe,” he coaxed. “Remember. Low tones.”

Low tones? What on earth… wondered Marissa. She squinted at the two pets inside and, with her eyes adjusting slightly, saw the one was hunkered over, stomach protruding in a round, pregnant belly.

“Oh… oh you poor babies. Your owners left you outside in this weather? And in this condition? Shameful,” said Marissa, more to herself than to anyone in particular. The male pet, however, heard and snapped as the female continued to moan.

“Don’t talk about us like we were some common mutt off of the street, woman,” he snarled. Marissa felt taken aback. She didn’t expect a pet to be so unfriendly.

Maybe it’s just stressed, she thought.

Now faced with a dilemma, Marissa had to debate on her next action. She could leave the two pets alone while they were distressed in the quickly declining weather or she could try to bring them inside and risk personal injury while securing their survival.

She made her decision.

The one was hurt and needed help. So, moving slowly, she instead picked up the flowerpot the two of them were in as carefully as she could and tilted it upright so they wouldn’t fall out. She was instantly met with two sharp shouts of surprise as the pets’ footing was shifted beneath them.

“Woah! Stop! What are you doing? Just leave us alo-…” The male was cut short by the female’s voice.

“George! Help me… please…” she whimpered.

Marissa, now in better light, saw the pale, narrow features of the blonde haired, blue-eyed male scowl at her before tending to the female beside him, crouching and letting her clutch the color out of his hand.

She stepped quickly back across the yard and slipped into her home. The warmth was sweltering after being in the cold for such a brief time, but Marissa knew it would pass soon.

Marissa looked down into the flowerpot, which was now filled with her warm kitchen lighting. The two pets, in a word, looked rough. Obviously exhausted and hungry, they stayed huddled together at the bottom of the flowerpot, the male clearly trying to shield the female with his thin frame.

“Aww… you two are so cute,” Marissa cooed. “Come on. Let’s get you out of there. Marissa, once again, reached carefully into the flowerpot, now able to see the object the male, called George, was only a twig. With one fluid motion, she plucked him out of the pot and held him pinched between her thumb and index finger. The female cried in panic as Marissa held George. He squirmed and thrashed, trying desperately to pry Marissa’s fingers off of his body.

“Shh… it’s okay. I know you’re scared. I’m just moving you to a better spot, okay? That’s a good boy,” Marissa cooed gently, trying to calm him down. All the while, she wondered why he was so uneasy. She was just moving him to a cleaner container.

Shouldn’t he be used to being handled? Didn’t pets get obedience training? What had him so on edge? Was it because of the female? Were they mates? Did they even allow that sort of thing? He was probably distraught because he felt a sense of duty to protect her, right?

She pulled out a clear plastic Tupperware piece and placed him inside. Now that they were separated, she could see the female was in worse condition than she thought before.

The female pet slumped against the edge of the flowerpot and howled in pain as she clutched her stomach, her flowing dark hair hiding her features.

“Yikes… that’s not good,” muttered Marissa. “You know… I’m playing this safe. To the vet it is. I’ll be right back.”

She barely made it two steps away, however, when she heard to two pets talking.

“George! Please! Don’t let her take me. I-I-I I can’t do this without you,” the female, Tsu, sobbed.

“Hang on! I’m getting out of here. Just breathe, Tsu!”

Marissa wasn’t sure what made her pause and really listen to the two pets as Tsu howled again through a set of what Marissa guessed were contractions and George walked her through it. Marissa felt wave after wave of confliction overwhelming her, mostly by the way the two of them sounded and acted so… human….

Marissa walked back to the two containers to see that George had managed to slip ou of the hard plastic container Marissa placed him in and was now pressing himself against the flowerpot, trying to figure out how to get back to Tsu.

The moment he spotted Marissa, however, he physically shrunk back but stayed close to the flowerpot. In a valiant spark of bravery, he then stepped forward and between Marissa and the flowerpot, standing between them. His chest heaved in breath after breath, but his resolve was obvious.

“Please,” he shouted. “Listen to me.” George looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

“Hey, buddy, I… I’m sorry, but I need to take her,” said Marissa as she towered over him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, Marissa wondered if changing position would help. She crouched so she was now at eye-level with George, a gesture which obviously surprised him.

“I’m not letting you leave!” challenged George.

“She needs a vet,” argued Marissa gently, now talking to the five-and-a-half-inch pet.

“I know what to do. I’ve been studying for months and that monster we were with was a vet. Just leave it to me. Please,” pleaded George. “I can even direct you. Just… don’t take her from me… please… don’t take us to a vet…”

Marissa’s heart clenched as she stared into the pale blue eyes of the small man. Slowly, she nodded.

“Okay. Tell me what to do.”

Under George’s instruction, Marissa ran her kitchen sink full of warm water and lowered both pets into the bath. She then retrieved fresh washcloths, scissors, a paper clip, and a few other odds and ends as the two of them breathed through each contraction.

Tsu’s screams got louder until, at long last, another set of cries filled the air – the small cries of a newborn infant.

“It’s a girl!” Tsu sobbed as she clutched the child to her chest. “Our baby girl!”

Marissa couldn’t stop herself from wiping away a few tears of her own. The three of them floated together in the warm water of her sink until George reluctantly broke the barrier and began asking for the objected he had Marissa obtain.

Eventually, after more tearful sobs, Tsu let Marissa pick her and the new baby up into her palm and place them in the washcloths she had placed on a heating pad by the sink. George was next and frantically scrambled into Marissa’s hands to join Tsu and the baby. They huddled together under the washcloth wordlessly as Marissa tidied up her sink.

For the next hour, they kept themselves hidden away until resurfacing. The baby and woman, Tsu, were laying down, curled together in a cradling huddle. George, on the other hand, stayed awake and upright despite obviously on the verge of falling asleep with every blink of his eyes.

Marissa noticed, and cautiously began to address him.

“You’re tired. Why don’t you sleep?” suggested Marissa. The pet shook the sleep from his eyes in an instant and looked up at her, instinctively shifting to block Tsu and the child from her view. In response, he merely nodded once.

“I won’t sleep. I… can’t sleep…. You’ll separate us if I do,” said the male pet.

“George, is it?” asked Marissa. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I won’t separate you.”

At this statement, he scoffed.

“That’s rich,” he muttered. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“I won’t though,” argued Marissa. “I… want to help.”

“Help? You could help by leaving us alone, but that’s a pipe dream at this point. You found us. You’ll try and find our so-called owner to return us, interfering with my family. But what could I expect? You’re human. Interfering is what you do,” spat George. He stared up bitterly at Marissa, but his intense glare died down after a few moments as his eyes drooped with sleep again.

“Was your… owner… cruel? Did he hurt you?” asked Marissa.

“Yes,” muttered George. “And it’s owners. Plural. She was kept by one and I was kept by another. They put us together because we are supposed to be compatible and make for good breeding. We fell in love and… now…”

George’s jaw clenched as he looked down at Tsu and the new child.

“Now this child – our child – is promised to some company because we’re supposed to produce intelligent offspring,” shuddered George. “Our child… our baby… she’s supposed to be taken away to start conditioning immediately. We’re supposed to supply the next generation of pets. Sickening…”

Marissa was absolutely mortified.

“What? But… couldn’t they just… I don’t know… engineer them?” asked Marissa. “I always thought pets were created, not bred.”

At this, George laughed sorrowfully.

“Poor, uneducated public. You don’t know the half of what really happens to us pets, do you?” he asked, looking up into Marissa’s eyes. “Do you know the cost per ‘pet’ the artificially manufacture versus the cost of hiring a good breeding line? The difference is astronomical, and that’s not including conditioning. Do you even know how we were constructed in the first place? I doubt it. It’s not something you find on the internet.”

“I… had not idea…”

“Of course not! You’re not meant to. If you knew a fraction of what was going on – what was really going on – you’d have nightmares for the rest of your life. I know we do. Instead, humans ignore the obvious, distracting themselves with playing dress-up with us and using us to inflate your sense of superiority,” spat George.

Marissa felt sick to her stomach and choked back the bile rising in her throat. She suddenly realized what she had actually come across in her back yard.

“You two were running away? Escaping to try and start a new life with your baby?” asked Marissa. George nodded and brushed away a few strands of hair away from Tsu’s face. There was a loving tenderness Marissa hadn’t seen as he gazed at his sleeping companion.

“We wanted a life worth living,” he said softly. “Is that so wrong? To want to live as the sentient, small humans we are?”

Marissa felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. These two pets… no… these two people just wanted to live their lives. More importantly, they wanted to be free – and that was exactly what she was going to help them do.

“So, it’s settled then,” she said. “Astraea. That’s what you should name your baby.” George winced and glared up at her.

“Nothing is settled without our permission. And we are her parents. We will be naming her. I’m not letting another human decide…”

“It’s just a suggestion,” interrupted Marissa. “Astraea is a mythological Greek goddess of the stars and justice, and that’s what we will be doing from now on – all of us.”

George looked at her curiously, but was still bristled and defensive.

“Us?”

“Yes, us,” replied Marissa. “You’ve only known an unjust world, but you two and myself are going to change that. You are welcome to stay here in my home for as long as you want. I won’t stop you from leaving or from living your lives while you’re here. I have a spare bedroom we can convert or, if you want, we can find something a little more suitable for your size and we can keep that somewhere you won’t be bothered. Sound fair?”

George stared suspiciously at Marissa.

“And what do you want in exchange?” he asked. “The right to name our daughter? Do you want her for yourself?” Marissa didn’t like the accusatory tone, but didn’t blame him for keeping himself guarded.

“Information. If we are going to change how things are, you have to tell me everything that you’ve gone through. I’m a writer… well… astrologer by trade… but I think this story will definitely sell. At the very least, it’ll turn some heads and get some attention,” Marissa encouraged.

George thought about it for a moment before looking back up at her.

“And if I choose to be uncooperative and not provide this information?” he asked.

“Then nothing. You can still stay here for as long as you want – you and your whole family. I just thought you might want to tell your side of the story,” stated Marissa.

George thought silently for a time, looking pensively from Marissa to Tsu and the baby.

“We’ll need to discuss it,” he said sharply. “But it is a tempting offer. Thank you. I didn’t catch your name.”

“Marissa Lowe. It’s nice to meet you George,” Marissa reached forward with a single finger and shook George’s hand, which he extended after shying away from her approaching hand and evaluating Marissa’s intentions.

“Astraea, you say? It does have quite a regal tone,” George muttered as he leaned back and rested his weight onto his elbow, curling his body around Tsu and the baby. “Please… prove your one of the decent ones.”

Giving into the exhaustion plaguing his body, Marissa watched George slip into sleep, protectively wrapped around his family.

Well… what an interesting night. I guess something interesting did happen, thought Marissa. She began combing through her house for different things that the new forged family of three could use as clothes, bedding, and lodgings until they had a suitable home to live in.

What an interesting night this was… and what an interesting story this would make for her readers.

[whatiwillsay]

Watching people essentially accuse Travis of being a domestic violence the perpetrator because of what he did to Andy Reid is the wildest thing that came out of the super bowl. Was what he did messed up? Absolutely there's no denying that. However you have to take it in context of the game. Emotions were extremely high and the people who won't accept that clearly do not watch sports on a regular basis. They would have a heart attack watching hockey because they're literally paid at least in part to get in fights on the ice. Hell sometimes even the coaches get kicked out of their own games for getting too upset. Getting overly emotional is a normal part of sports. Just because he did that in a game does not mean that he'll ever put his hands on Taylor in a way that she doesn't want privately. Professional and personal lives are vastly different.

These people should just say that they hate Travis it would be easier than trying to paint him as an abuser

just wrote a long answer ab this topic but now yours has come in. i will say imo it’s fair for people who have experience with violent men to see the violence in some of travis’s on field behavior. football is extremely violent.

i think we should hope that this type of emotion would be managed better by men in sports but ofc we all know changes will take a long time if they come at all.

i do wonder what people who are like extremely freaked out about think of boxing or martial arts or wrestling or high school girl’s soccer (DONT GET ME STARTED ON HOW VICIOUS THOSE BITCHES THAT CRISS CROSSED THEIR TAPE WERE)

at the end of the day some people are genuinely concerned and i don’t blame them but i am rolling my eyes extremely hard at the people that seem to be virtue signaling around this and jumping to conclusions.

travis should do better and i hope he will! but im not worried for anyone’s safety.

[lunamidnight]

November 7th

Fanfiction/Original Fiction

First created: Jan 2021

Last updated: Oct 2023

General Premise: Post-game story after the 4th game, next generation and sorta fix it at some point, not too far in it, but I will be continuing it.

Other notes: I do take some dialogue from the game at the beginning so credit to the game.

Bentley

It's been a while since that night, but there was still no sign of Sly or that cursed blimp. The skunk could barely tread water. So by the time the cops picked him up, he was happy to see them. Word is, he earned a special cell in solitary confinement where the only thing he'll be collecting from now on is grey hair.

Both Paris and the Thievius Raccoonus were back to normal, but that hardly made us feel any better. At first, we just waited assuming Sly would show up the way he always did. But as the days stretched into weeks, we had to face the fact that he was truly lost. We've stopped talking about it all the time, but I know it's all we're thinking about. Even if we show it in different ways. Murray seems like his usual cheery self, but I can tell there's a new level of seriousness underneath it all. He's on the professional wrestling circuit now and he's really been pushing himself. I know he's doing it to keep his fighting skills sharp. Like all of us, he wants to be ready for action the minute we locate Sly. 

Carmelita returned to Interpol where she threw herself into her work, busting criminals at a record pace. She's been so busy, I haven't seen her for a while now. My sources tell me, she's conducting her own investigation into Sly's whereabouts. Out of everyone, I think she took his disappearance the hardest. Even if she never shows it. At least not in public.

As for myself, I continue to search. Even using all my technology, I haven't found a clue. The time machine is no help since we need to know where Sly was for that to work. I get discouraged sometimes, but I'll never give up. Because I know Sly's still out there and I know that wherever he is, we will find him.

---

Carmelita

It was a night of passion then and admittedly some desperation on his part. I should have known then. He was so adamant for me to feel everything that night, more than he ever did before. It was like he knew he’d be gone, at least he knew he was leaving. I should have noticed and kept him with me, but that’s too selfish, his entire family legacy was disappearing right before his eyes, I couldn’t stop him, even if it meant we were back where we started. Back to playing cops and robbers. Looking at the old photo of us that I found only a few days ago made me frown as I thought back to how we were since his supposed amnesia. Deep down I think I knew he was faking it, but I also knew he did it to be with me. I’m sure he didn’t leave intending to never return, He probably hoped that despite all the lies I’d welcome him back, and sure I was angry at first, livid even, but...I think I would.

Unfortunately, he was lost in time, and none of us know where or when he is. It’s been about 6 weeks since our last night together, since our last adventure together, and since he was lost. I know ringtail is fine wherever and whenever he is, but…I miss him, we all do. I’ll find you, Sly Cooper...I always do…

---

Carmelita sat up in her bed grabbing the old worn photo of her and Sly from her nightstand, brushing a thumb over it as she reminisced. She actually cried when she found the photo in the river, and she ended up taking the following day off just to look at it. Her boss was quite thankful since she has been working so hard, almost too hard. Of course, she’s since been back to work and busting heads all the more. She sighed as she replaced the photo, before getting up to go get a drink of water, but instead, her body said otherwise and she went barreling into her bathroom and to the toilet to let out the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl.

After a while, she went on to dry heaving before finally settling down. She sat on the floor for a bit trying to figure out why she got sick all of a sudden, she rarely got sick, and it was even rarer for her to throw up. She frowned when she couldn’t think of anything that she had eaten recently that could have done it, then she looked up at the calendar where she wrote down her cycle, and that’s when she realized she hadn’t been visited by mother nature this last month, she figured it was stress at first but the timing of when her and Sly… she shook her head and got up enough to get a small box from one of the small drawers under her bathroom sink. She kept it for emergencies ever since she and Sly got together, but they were always careful and used protection, except for that night.

She pulled out the test and sat on the toilet to start it and soon she sat there waiting for the advanced stick of fate to beep its finality. While she waited she started to think of what she was going to do. At first, she actually scared herself for thinking too far ahead into the future, but after a moment of calming down, she started to compartmentalize the steps she was going to take. first, wait for the test, secondly decide if your...no...if yes, you accept that and won’t get rid of them...they are his and that’s all you have left of him. Then third...contact Bentley. For now, those steps would get her by, Bentley could hopefully help her sort out the rest. She couldn’t do this alone, Taking down criminals was one thing but taking care of a child was something completely different. She wasn’t even sure how she’d be a good mom and that scared her too. 

Before Carmelita could delve into that thought process any further the test finally beeped at her and she shakily picked it up. Upon inspection, it was indeed positive. She sighed as a plethora of emotions hit her all at once, she was scared, upset, happy, and admittedly a little excited. She almost couldn’t wait to tell Bentley and by extension Murray that they were going to be uncles. She’d have to be careful of course because of her job but, it wasn’t the first time she saw them since Sly’s disappearance. She got up and headed to her closet and got dressed into some old gray jogger sweats and a black pullover sweater. She grabbed her keys and headed out into Paris at 330 in the morning. She walked a few blocks and took a few shortcuts through a few alleyways before reaching her destination, one of the only Cooper hideouts she was allowed to know about that was located in Paris.

It was agreed for her to know about this one just in case she needed Bentley for something. If he wasn’t there, there was a way to contact him inside the hideout. She carefully and quietly steps inside and closes the door behind her. She was greeted by two distinct sets of snores. One from Murray who most likely fell asleep on the couch while watching t.v. and the other from Bentley who Carmelita could see passed out at his desk while working on some project of his. She smiled a little at the sight wondering how many times they have been found like this by Sly after one of his midnight runs.

She walked over and lightly shook the turtle from his slumber. Bentley startled awake, drool hanging from his mouth a little bit before he wiped it away and adjusted his glasses before looking up at her. “Miss Fox? What are you doing here? And…” Bentley asked, looking at his watch. “at almost 4 in the morning?” Bentley was confused but also concerned automatically, but he could say he was hopeful for any information about Sly. “I came to tell you and Murray something, I know it could have waited but it’s less of a hassle for me and work if I come now.” Carmelita replied. “Oh sure I understand, Is it about Sly?” Bentley asked hopefully. “Not exactly, but I’d like Murray to know too.” Carmelita explained doing her best to keep her excitement down. “Oh sure, why not wake him up and I’ll go clean myself off.” He said before wheeling himself into the next room.

By the time Carmelita got Murray up and lucid, Bentley was back in the main room, now the two thieves were looking at Carmelita expectantly. “Well, What is it, Miss Fox?” Murray asked, sounding excited, even though he had no idea what it could be. Carmelita took a deep breath before answering. “Bentley, Murray, you both are going to be uncles.” She announced quickly with a small smile. Both boys gasped. “You're pregnant?” Bentley asked for confirmation in his shock. She nodded and smiled more “and it is Sly’s.” She assured them. Murray was pretty much in tears with how happy he was, congratulating Carmelita profusely. Soon He jumped up and bounded to the kitchen saying something about making a cake. This left Bentley and Carmelita alone to talk.

“So...what are you going to do now?” Bentley asked carefully as he watched her reaction. “I...I was hopeing you’d help me figure out that, I only planned enough to the point of telling you two.” Carmelita replied honestly and a little sheepishly. Bentley nodded in understanding before tapping his chin in thought. Murray poked his head out and asked what flavor of cake while Bentley thought and Carmelita decided on Strawberry. By the time they could hear Murray messing around in the kitchen again Bentley spoke up. “I assume you haven’t told anyone else yet, yes?” He asked. “Correct.” Carmelita replied. 

“All of our friends and allies will be easy to notify, but….your boss maybe a little more difficult.” Bentley replied obviously thinking of a way to fix that issue. Carmelita groaned in realization. “Oh right I have to tell Barkley…” she replied, laying her face in her hands as her mind went through different results, losing her job was the most occurring until Bentley spoke again. “I do have one contact that could help ease that situation.” He commented thoughtfully. “Really? You do?” Carmelita asked looking up at him. “Yes, when do you go back to work?” Bentley asked as he pulled out his phone. “Day after tomorrow...er….rather tomorrow.” Carmelita replied. 

Bentley nodded.“So Monday alright, I can get ahold of my contact and they can go in to help you tell Barkley.” Bentley replied. “Oh? Who is it?” Carmelita replied curiously. “The director of Interpol of course.” Bentley replied with a sly smile. Carmelita’s eyes went wide. “How did you...how on earth did you get in contact with her?” She asked, shocked. “Been helping with keeping Penelope off of Interpol’s system as of late, but I also helped her with a few other hackers over the time Sly was with you.” Bentley replied a hint of malice was heard when he mentioned his ex, but otherwise that subject was not touched on.

“Wow, well then I can’t wait for Monday then.” Carmelita replied excitedly, due to the relationship between Barkley and the director it was sure to be an entertaining conversation. “Yes, I’m sure it will be an eventful morning.” Bentley replied knowingly. After that, the two went on to discuss things Carmelita would need for the baby and when she could come over to tell their friends the news. By the time they could smell the cake, it was cooling from being in the oven, and Murray who had been giving his ideas from time to time during the conversation asked what kind of frosting she wanted. After getting a few choices Carmelita settled on Strawberry buttercream frosting. Soon a cake that said congrats was brought out, and it was nearing 5 in the morning. “Well I sure am spoiling myself, I haven't had cake for breakfast since I was 8 years old.” Carmelita commented as she started eating a slice.

-----

Over the next 24 hours, between resting and shopping for Carmelita, the three of them contacted all of their friends and told them the news. Dimitri, the only one located in Paris was super excited and competitive, stating that he’d be their best uncle no matter what. Bentley and Murray begged to differ but said nothing out loud to the boisterous lizard. Guru who had to be contacted through Murray and the Dreamtime was happy to hear the news even offering to bless them with the Dreamtime when they are born, Carmelita accepted easily. Panda King and his daughter Jing were ecstatic, well Panda King was more reserved about his reaction while his daughter was happy to be a part of the family and offered to make some pregnancy-friendly clothing for Carmelita as well as clothes and things for the baby. Carmelita accepted her offer as well and also asked Panda king if he didn’t mind being a grand-uncle of sorts. He was deeply honored and accepted the title. It was best to leave out the title of grandfather due to the past. By the time Monday morning rolled around, Carmelita was ready to tell her boss.

The Director, an older lady badger, waited for Carmelita at the front doors to Interpol’s headquarters. “Inspector Fox, so good to see you, congrats on the news.” She greeted Carmelita with a warm smile. “Good to see you too Director, thank you so much for helping me tell Chief about it.” Carmelita replied with a smile, slightly nervous now that she was there. “Of course, when our turtle friend contacted me I was elated to hear the news, and if anyone can handle Barkley, it’s me.” The Director replied leading Carmelita inside and Chief Barkley’s office. 

After knocking The Director let Carmelita in first before following close behind. “Ah Inspector Fox What do you…..Mother?” Chief Barkley asked in surprise at seeing the other badger. That’s right, the Director of Interpol was in fact Chief Barkley's own Mother, Director Veronica Barkley. “Hello son, I’m here to keep you from doing anything drastic in response to the Inspectors news.” She explained simply, which only confused her son more. “Okay….and what news would garner your presence?” He asked, looking at Carmelita in question.

Carmelita took a deep breath and let the news come forth. “I’m pregnant with Cooper’s child.” She replied bluntly. Chief Barkley’s eyes widened and his expression went through many changes as he looked between the two females trying to figure out the best way to proceed. After several silent moments, he asked in a tight voice when the deed happened, and Carmelita answered honestly, that it was the night before he left, before everything went down. 

He sighed in response, closing his eyes in thought with the presence of his mother in the room he wasn’t able to just react, which was a good thing, and he’d have to thank his mother later. With her there, he wasn’t going to fly off the handle and fire Carmelita for all of this. For all, they knew Sly still had amnesia when they were together. So this wasn’t her fault, obviously, though, she was keeping the child, so eventually, maternity leave would have to be put in for her to have and take care of the baby. 

Chief Barkley didn’t speak for some time but he eventually opened his eyes and looked at Carmelita and nodded. “Congratulations Inspector Fox, your welcome to tell your colleagues the news, and we will begin transitioning you to office work as time goes, and we will discuss your leave later on, for now, that is all, you may get to work.” Chief Barkley replied gruffly but genuinely. Carmelita thanked him and thanked Director Barkley before leaving the office and heading for her own. Chief James Barkley looked to his mother and sighed. “Thank you, I would have hated myself for firing my best pupil.” James admitted simply. Veronica nodded in understanding. “Yes you would have, but you would have called her back after calming down, I just figured it would be less paperwork if we avoided that.” She replied with a smile. “Indeed.” James replied before frowning. 

“They’ll be a thief just like him…” He replied in a statement, not criticizing or accepting it. “True and theft is bad, but think about it, Cooper and his gang have helped Interpol more times than we can count with their thievery, that it is bound to translate into the Inspector’s child. “I agree but he's also wreaked havoc too.” James argued simply ready to point out a few cases that the Cooper gang had impeded Interpol, but as he went to continue his mother pulled out a large folder from her coat and placed it on the table followed by a much smaller folder, both of which were labeled Cooper Gang. James went to speak but shut his mouth at his mother’s gesture to the folders. He had a feeling that he knew which folder was which and opened the small one first.

Inside the small folder were the dozen or so cases that the Cooper gang stole and was not much help to Interpol, the museum from when Carmelita became inspector, the chocolate incident, and so on. James sighed closing it and opening the larger folder, which held every single case that the Cooper Gang helped solve in one way or another, including some cases done by individual members like Sly’s time on the force, and Bentley’s help against Hackers including the notorious Penelope. James groaned as he closed the folder and looked up at his mother waiting for her to speak. “They will most definitely be a thief but, they can be one that will help us rather than impede us, don’t you agree?” She asked. “Yes...I do.” James replied with a sigh.

-----

After a celebratory party at her work from her colleagues and a few months of morning sickness and preparations, Carmelita was at the doctors to see the baby. With her was Bentley and Murray in disguise, Uncle Benard and Aunt Mira respectfully. Carmelita yelped in surprise when the cold gel went on her belly but it was quick to warm up when the doctor placed the wand on top of the gel.  The baby’s heartbeat echoed through the room and brought tears to Carmelita’s eyes.  The Doctor carefully moved the screen to show them the baby’s face. “Beautiful and healthy, would you like to know the gender?” She asked with a smile. “Oh. Can we do the gender reveal thing? Aunt Mira, would you do the honors of making the cake?” Carmelita asked looking up at the currently blonde hippo who started to tear up at the question. Not trusting his voice Murray simply nodded excitedly. “Course I’ll put it in an envelope.” The doctor replied by turning the screen away for a moment and getting the results down on a paper and placing it in an envelope and handing it to “Mira”. 

The doctor then turned the screen back and started the process of taking pictures periodically, careful not to reveal the gender. The three of them watched as the child started to stir at the feeling of their wand looking quite irritated by being bothered. “You know, that reminds me of when I used to wake up their father, and he didn’t want to get up.” Bentley said with a chuckle. Carmelita chuckled too. “Yes, I know how that is.” She replied with a smile. “I do hope you don’t mind me asking,” the doctor began as she took the last photo and sent it to the nearby printer. “But, where is the father now?” She asked carefully. 

Carmelita and Bentley looked at each other for a split second before “Benard'' spoke up first. “He’s helping a few tribes in South Africa, not sure when he’ll be back, but he calls every day, we just couldn’t plan around his allotted internet time for this appointment.” Bentley explained simply. The doctor nodded in understanding. “Oh yes, I have a brother who did that last year, only got so much time in town, and it was often at the oddest hours for us. That’s fine, Hopefully, he gets back before they are born.” The doctor said before getting the photos and placing them in an envelope before giving them to Carmelita and helping her clean off the gel. “Yes, here’s hopeing…” Carmelita replied, trying her best not to frown. 

She pulled it off well up until they got into the van behind the hospital. “You alright Carmelita?” Bentley asked as the two thieves took off their disguises once they were in the safety of the van. Carmelita swallowed back the beginnings of a sob. “Yes, I just need to go home and lay down.” Murray and Bentley exchanged a knowing look not believing her one bit. Murray nodded before starting the drive through Paris while Bentley patted Carmelita on her back, then he asked to see the pictures, which brightened up Carmelita’s mood even though it was only slightly. 

The baby looked to be more racoon than fox, but had more fox like features in the face. A perfect blend of Carmelita and Sly of course. The color of the baby’s fur became the subject for the rest of the ride to Carmelita’s apartment. Once they arrived, the two boys walked her all the way to her door, before heading home themselves. Once Carmelita was alone she went to her room to get ready for a relaxing bath. She sighed with relief when she finally got in, then she looked over at her calendar, she’ll be 5 months in a couple days, and she has been on 90% office work as of last week. Only time she gets to go out on the field now is if it's something specific, and with Sly gone, it was rare for her to be called. Thinking about it only made her sad, but that would go away when she looked down at her growing belly.

---

A few months later at almost 8 months pregnant, Carmelita was at her gender reveal party, that was only “close family and friends” as she described to her co-workers who wait at home to get the gender for the baby shower they will throw her at work in the next week. Currently however, Carmelita was seated on the couch at the Hideout, with Murray and Bentley nearby. Demitri, the Kings, and the guru were around too, mingling and talking to one another. Soon Murray went to finish the cake and came back with a decorated cake with a huge question mark on it.

Carmelita smilesmiled at the sight and got giddy when she got handed the cake knife. “Carmelita looked ecstatic as she set the knife into the cake, then took it out to repeat the process for a complete slice, no debris stuck to the knife either time so she slide the knife under the recently cut piece and took a deep breath. “Everyone ready?” She asked aloud. “Are you?” Bentley asked with a smile getting a chuckle from the inspector. “Alright then, 1….2….3!” She said pulling out the cake causing a wave of pink sprinkles to fall out, fortunately it was set on a high sided platter to help catch the sprinkles. “It’s a girl!” Everyone cheered happily. Carmelita let loose a few tears before getting hugged by Murray.

After that they cut and ate the cake before presents got brought out. Before anyone could hand Carmelita ay of the present the front door bell rang. Bentley smiled as he rolled over to the door. “Ah the last guest is here, figured he would be a little late.” He said aloud. Everyone watched confused as Bentley opened the door to reveal Jim McSweeney. “Welcome, glad to see you out free my friend. “Glad to be out, too bad the kid couldn’t be here too, did I miss much, where’s the lassie that's carrying the next Cooper.” The walrus asked as he was ushered inside. “Yes over here, Carmelita this is Jim McSweeney he worked with Sly’s father in the original cooper gang.” Bentley explained while also explaining who she was to the walrus.

“Oh goodness I have heard of you, congrats on finally being released.” carmelita replied a little sheepish. Jim laughed heartily. “ Thanks there sweety I see why Sly liked you already, kept him out of trouble more often than not right?” He said taking a seat on an adjacent couch. “More or less, If not me it was Bentley and Murray.” She responded with a laugh of her own. It was nice to meet an older family esk member of her soon to be child. “Same with his father and me, anyways sorry i’m late but release processes and all, plus i had to pick up the newest Cooper’s present up.” He said while taking out a long but skinny present out from his large fisherman’s jacket.

[ringthedamnbell]

Remembering Titan Towers

A look back at the building once known as Titan Towers aka WWE Headquarters.

Brian Damage We have often talked glowingly of older arenas and venues that no longer exist in the world of professional wrestling. With that said, what about an office building? Not just an office building, but THE ultimate office building that has been the site of pay per views, segments for Raw and Smackdown, even a Super Bowl commercial. The building I speak of, was known for years simply as…

[biographygen]

Dwayne Johnson: Biography, Early Life, Net Worth, Carrer and Relationship

Full NameDwayne Douglas JohnsonNet Worth$800 MillionDate Of BirthMay 2, 1972Age52 yearsHeight and WeightHeight  6 feet 5 inches , Weight 118 kgWifeLauren Hashian

Dwayne Johnson Biography

Born on May 2, 1972, Dwayne Douglas Johnson, better known by his ring name, the Rock, is an American businessman, actor, and professional wrestler. He is a former member of The Bloodline and is signed to the WWE, where he does part-time work. Johnson played a crucial role in the growth and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE). He spent eight years as a full-time WWF wrestler before turning to acting. Having made over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion globally from his films, he is among the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors in the world. Although he was on the 1991 national championship squad, Johnson mostly served as a backup. Despite his desire to play professional football, he was not selected in the 1995 NFL Draft. He signed a short-term contract with the Calgary Stampeders but was released after his rookie season. Johnson's use of a charming trash talker shtick helped him gain international notoriety very quickly. Following his 2004 departure from the WWE, Johnson made a few appearances until 2013 when he departed the company again. Johnson retired from the WWE in 2019. ten-time global champion, the first African one in the promotion's history Johnson made his screen debut in 2001's The Mummy Returns. He portrayed his first major role in the action fantasy movie The Scorpion King the following year. Since then, he has starred in the action films Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Hercules (2014), Skyscraper (2018), San Andreas (2015), Rampage (2018), and the family films The Game Plan (2007), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Tooth Fairy (2010), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and Jungle Cruise (2021). In addition, he acted in the action comedies Red Notice (2021), Baywatch (2017), Get Smart (2008), and Central Intelligence (2016). His portrayal of Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious movies, starting with Fast Five (2011), contributed to the success of the franchise.

Dwayne Johnson’s Early Life

The son of Mataniufeagaimaleata "Ata" Fitisemanu (née Maivia) and former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), Johnson was born in Hayward, California, on May 2, 1972. Before moving back to the United States, he spent a brief period of time growing up with his mother's family in Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand, where he played rugby and went to Richmond Road Primary School. Johnson's mother is Samoan, while his father was a Black Nova Scotian. In 1983, Tony Atlas and his father became the first-ever black tag team champions in WWE history. His mother is the adopted daughter of professional wrestler Peter Maivia. Following her husband's death in 1982, Johnson's maternal grandmother Lia took over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling and ran it until 1988, making her one of the first female pro wrestler promoters.Johnson is the Anoaʻi wrestling family's non-blood related through his maternal grandpa Maivia.He was the one who admitted his grandfather and father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. Following his move to Hamden, Connecticut, Johnson attended Shepherd Glen Elementary School before transferring to Hamden Middle School. Johnson had previously attended Montclaire Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to attending Glencliff High School and McGavock High School in Nashville, Tennessee, and Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley, he attended President William McKinley High School in Honolulu.

Dwayne Johnson’s Net Worth

Net Worth: From acting, endorsements, and business endeavors, more than $1.6 billion. Acting career: more than 45 films, including popular series such as Fast & Furious. Teremana Tequila: With a $1 billion market value, owns 30–40% of the company. Charity: Started the Dwayne Johnson Foundation and made donations to many charities. Real estate: has assets valued at more than $28.7 million. Three Amusing "The Rock" Facts Football Origins: Prior to wrestling, he was a University of Miami football player. Wrestling Legacy: A ten-time heavyweight champion in the WWE, also known as "The Rock" Earnings from Social Media: Up to $1.7 million for each Instagram post. A breakdown of Dwayne Johnson's net worth "The Rock," better known as Dwayne Johnson, has a long career that includes more than 45 motion pictures, television series, and TV shows. The majority of his profits from commercial endeavors and endorsements, in addition to his numerous jobs, are made public. An summary of the main assets that make up his net worth is provided here.

Dwayne Johnson Career

Image Credit- Kevin Winter/Getty Images Acting Career - Following a prosperous career in professional wrestling, Johnson made the decision to make the move to the big screen, and he achieved remarkable success very quickly. As soon as he began shooting, he rose to prominence as one of the world's highest-paid performers. In 2020, Forbes listed him as the highest-paid actor. The Rock made $124 million from acting alone in just 2018 alone. Following his mention on Forbes, Johnson shared on social media, saying, "I work incredibly hard but never anticipated (in my wildest dreams) I'd become the highest-paid actor in Forbes's history." "My business attitude and acumen have been developed over time and via failure; I do not hold a Harvard MBA. When I started wrestling for forty dollars a match at flea fairs, my aim was to The well-known actor has acted in fifteen television series and more than forty-five films to date. Here are a some of his most well-known film roles: In 2001, "The Mummy Returns" (as The Scorpion King) "The Rundown" as Beck in 2003 2005's "Be Cool" as Elliot Wilhelm 2010's "The Other Guys" with Christopher Danson Hank Parsons in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" (2012) Detective James Ransome in "Empire State" (2013) 2014's "Hercules" as Hercules Ray Gaines in "San Andreas" (2015) "Moana" in 2016 as maui The Jungle" (2017) and Dr. Smolder Bravestone in "Jumanji: The Next Level" (2019) 2018's "Skyscraper" starring Will Sawyer Rusty in "Red Notice" in 2021 "Black Adam" as Black Adam in 2022 "Red One" as Callum Drift in 2023 Although the exact amount he has made from each film in which he has starred is unknown, enough information about some of his acting endeavors is available to the public to make a reliable estimate. Johnson received $5.5 million to act in the 2001 film "The Scorpion King." In 2003, he was paid $12.5 million for his part in "The Rundown." He received an incredible $15 million for his performance in "Walking Tall" in 2004 Business Career - RedBird Capital Partners was one of the partners and investors who Johnson bought the XFL from in August 2020 for a total of $15 million. Johnson revealed plans to restart the league in the spring of 2022 within months. Even though the debut was a year behind schedule, the 2023 season began on schedule. The United States Football League and the XFL declared their intention to combine into one league following a prosperous 2023 season. The United Football League (UFL) was the new name of the combined league announced on December 31, 2023. The league would launch on March 30, 2024, with eight clubs. Under XFL Properties LLC, Red Bird Capital Partners, Johnson, and Dany Garcia jointly hold 50% of the UFL.

Dwayne Johnson Relationship

Early in the 1990s, Johnson and Dany Garcia were both University of Miami students when they first crossed paths. They tied the knot on May 3, 1997. She is a producer, businesswoman, and professional bodybuilder with the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation. Simone, a daughter, was their only child and was born in Davie, Florida on August 14, 2001. Johnson's left side was partially tattooed with a Samoan Peʻa in 2003. During his visit to Samoa in August 2004, Malietoa Tanumafili II bestowed upon Johnson the noble title Seiuli, which translates to "the son of Malietoa" (Alo o Malietoa), in appreciation for his service to the Samoan people and his lineage from Samoan chiefs. Johnson started dating Lauren Hashian in 2007. Lauren is the daughter of Boston percussionist Sib Hashian. Johnson was filming The Game Plan when they first got together in 2006. Johnson and Hashian got married in Hawaii on August 18, 2019. Jasmine and Tiana, their two daughters, are and Los Angeles residents. In addition, they keep up a house in Southwest Ranches, Florida, and a farm in Virginia. Simone Johnson, the first-ever fourth-generation WWE wrestler, began training at the WWE Performance Center in February 2020, according to an announcement made by WWE. Johnson made her WWE contract announcement on May 16 and she later revealed that Ava Raine will be her ring name in May 2022.

Dwayne Johnson Full Biography

Full NameDwayne Douglas JohnsonNick NameDJ, The Rock, Rocky, The Great One and People ChampionBornMay 2, 1972ProfessionActor, producer, businessman,  professional wrestler, footballerPhysical & More Height Weight Height  6 feet 5 inches Weight 118 kgBody MeasurementsChest - 50 Inches Waist - 35 InchesEye ColourBrownBirthplaceHayward, California. United StatesNationalityAmericanHometownCaliforniaEducation School1. Montclaire Elementary School  2. Hamden High School 3. High school in Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaCollegeUniversity Of MiamiEducation QualifcationBachelor of General Studies and a dual major in criminology and physiology. ReligionChristianityHobbiesWorking out, Music, Fishing and MoviesFavourite FoodDonuts, Pizza & cream of rice or oatmeal with buffalo and eggs.Favourite ColorBlackFavourite MovieThe GodfatherSpouse/Wife 1. Dany Garcia  (d. 1997; div. 2007) 2. Lauren Hashian (m. 2019)Children3 Read the full article

[fangirlmary]

"Short Phone Call"

Summary: Second installment of Two Brothers, One Friend, Many Stories series. Ashley's first phone conversation with her old childhood friend the Undertaker happens two days after her children go off to summer camp for two weeks. Kayfabe details used only.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Undertaker. I only own my original characters.

While it was lonely without her children at home, Ashley felt that the temporary peace and quiet was nice at times. Especially when she got home from work two days after they had left for camp and 5 days after she had encountered her childhood friend Mark, who was now the Undertaker and working for the World Wrestling Federation. Because she had been busy, she was not aware of what had occurred in this week's broadcast of Monday Night Raw nor had she seen the Summer Slam PPV. The single mom was not thinking about the latter yet though as she heated up Chef Boyardee pasta for herself on the stove and put the last bit of salad that she had in the fridge on a salad plate. After the ravioli was done, she put it into a bowl, buttered a slice of white bread after putting that on a different plate, and then poured some milk into a glass. She sat down at the dining room table to have her meal, glad that she could take a little bit of time to relax.

It was at the moment that Ashley had finished her meal that the phone rang. She immediately went to the living room and sat on the light brown sofa in front of the window as the phone was on the end table to the left next to a small lamp. Then she picked up the phone receiver. "Hello."

"Good evening, Ashley. I had some news that I wanted to share with you." The Undertaker said; he was in a hotel room by himself, having opted to call from there rather than using a pay phone to save some money.

"What would that be, Mark?" Ashley asked, not sure what to think. She had heard about Paul Bearer betraying him as one of her high school friends had been at Summer Slam and told her about it. She had a feeling that he would not want to talk about that yet.

"I found out that Alexander's soul is in the same place as my parents' souls. He also told me that as much as he liked me as a professional wrestler, he would kick my ass if he found out that I was not being a good friend to you." The Deadman replied. He knew that he hadn't needed to find out that information, but he still felt obligated to help his old friend.

Tears of relief ran down Ashley's face. "Thank you for letting me know. You didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it all the same." It might not have been enough to give her closure at this point, but it was a good step in that direction.

"You're welcome. You did so much for me when we were younger and I thought it was time that I paid you back in some form." The Undertaker paused for a second and then changed the subject. "What else have you been up to?"

"Lucas, Colin, and Meredith are at summer camp; they left on Sunday for two weeks. While I have been a bit lonely, the peace and quiet have been welcome and work is going well. I love baking for a living although some have joked about my married name being the same as a spice manufacturer and that gets annoying. Overall, things are slowly getting better for me." Ashley replied, wiping her tears away with a tissue from the blue box of them that was on the tan coffee table in front of her. "I know the same can't really be said for you after what happened on Sunday at Summer Slam. I didn't see it but I did hear about it on Monday. I understand if you don't want to talk about that though."

The Undertaker was not surprised by his old friend briefly mentioning Paul Bearer betraying him. He had heard some of the hotel staff discussing it in hushed voices out of pity for him earlier today when he had checked in. Ashley was expressing sympathy rather than pity though and as talkative as she was, he remembered that she had known when to stop and listen instead when they were children and still remembered it. Nonetheless, he didn't want to say a lot regarding that subject. "I would rather not talk about Paul's betrayal other than to say it hurts more than what was shown on television."

"I won't push it then. I just want to remind you, Mark, that you don't have to deal with your issues alone; I'm in your corner metaphorically speaking and I promise that I would never do what he did." Ashley assured him in a comforting tone of voice, hoping that he would believe her. As much as she had disagreed with some of the things he had been doing as a professional wrestler, such as locking the Ultimate Warrior in a casket a few years ago, she couldn't find it in her to dislike her childhood friend at all.

"You are a better friend than I deserve, Ashley." The Undertaker seemed relieved that he had one person he could trust to have his back. "That's why I have started to worry that someone might try to use you to get to me if anyone else in the World Wrestling Federation finds out about our childhood friendship. I tore up the note that had your address and phone number on it and flushed the pieces down a toilet to keep anyone else from getting that information."

"Thanks for doing that and I can understand that worry. If an opponent of yours does find out about my existence and tries to do something awful to me, I have no doubt that you would kick their ass six ways to Sunday." Ashley had taken self defense classes though; her parents had insisted on it. "Still, I do hope things get better for you and that you win your next match. For now, I've got to hang up; I get thrown off if my evening routine gets disrupted for too long."

"I will talk to you on Saturday evening then. Stay safe, Ashley. I hope things get better for you as well. Good night." The Undertaker replied.

"Good night, Mark." Ashley hung up the phone and went to wash the dishes she had used. After that, she made sure that the garbage can and recycling bins were by the road to be picked up on Wednesday morning and then turned on the TV to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. When those shows were over, she turned off the TV, packed her lunch for the next day and put it in the fridge, and then went to brush her teeth. After that, Ashley changed into her light pink pajamas and turned off the lights in the house once she had double checked the locks on the outside doors. She then got into bed, falling asleep quickly.

Ashley had no idea what would happen next to either her or the Undertaker. She did know that she would have to do back to school shopping for her children on Saturday since she dreamt about doing so. The single mother of three also knew that it was anyone's guess as to how long it would take for the rest of the WWF roster to find out about her friendship with the Undertaker as she awoke after her dream had turned into one about her being interviewed by Jerry Lawler. Still, she decided to focus on the present as she had breakfast, got dressed for work, brushed her teeth, and grabbed her brown paper bag of lunch out of the refrigerator. By the time she had left the house after having made sure that the doors were locked once more, she was solely focused on what she would be doing at work.

[banannabethchase]

Somebody placed mistletoe all over the arena. It is a tradition, after all.

~

Thank you to @sarahcakes613 for the prompt! This is fun and fluffy and my favorite parts of fanfiction. I wish you a relaxing and soft Sunday, and I hope you enjoy and have restful and meaningful holidays if you celebrate :)

Mini playlist (we're going with some of my favorite weird as hell holiday songs): Mixtape for Christmas - Hey Monday Christmas Past, Present, and Future - Ashlee Simpson All I Want for Christmas Is You - Bowling for Soup Merry Merry Merry Frickin' Christmas - Frickin' A

~

They sneak in at five in the morning, bribing a security guard to let them in. They have devious, hilarious plans in store for the AEW roster. Something that will provide them with blackmail and, maybe, just enough holiday spirit to pick up the energy of the place.

~

Wheeler is somewhere in the hallway of a San Antonio arena, too distracted by the pain in his neck to think straight.

He blinks as best he can, glancing around, trying to focus his gaze. He just has to get to the trainer’s room. He thinks that, maybe, he should have listened to Mox and waited for him.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Wheeler turns around to see Daniel Garcia, standing in the hallway. He’s pretty sure he’s standing still, but he can’t be positive about it. Either way, one of them is swaying back and forth.

“Hi, Danny,” Wheeler says, trying to seem normal. “I’m trying to-to find the trainer’s room. Know where it is?”

Danny looks behind himself, then back at Wheeler, rolling his eyes. “Come with me.”

“That promo you did with Sammy,” Wheeler says, because he can’t remember how to shut his mouth, “he called you a tightass,” Wheeler laughs. He trips over his boot. He only manages not to collapse on the floor because Danny grabs his arm and hauls him back up normal.

“Shut up,” Danny says, shoving him halfway across the hallway. Wheeler stumbles and bumps into the wall, but it’s enough of a jolt to get his head on a little straighter.

“You can’t push an injured guy,” Wheeler says, shooting him a grin.

Danny rolls his eyes, “You’re fine.” He pauses, eyeing Wheeler. “Right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Wheeler replies. “Rush got me good.” He winces as he rolls his neck, feeling Danny’s eyes on him the whole time. “He hits hard.”

Danny laughs. “Please.”

“Not as hard as you do,” Wheeler offers. “But hard.”

Danny straightens up, and Wheeler can tell he’s preening, just a little bit. “I mean, my specialty is submissions and his is just, like, wailing on somebody until they crumple. Like you did.” He grins at Wheeler, a little mean.

“Oh, bite me,” Wheeler says.

“Gladly, you little shit,” Danny says. “The trainer’s here.” He pauses in the doorway. And Wheeler notices something.

“Um, am I concussed, or is that mistletoe up there?” He nods upward, the action making his entire body ache.

Danny burns bright pink. Wheeler thinks its cuter than he probably should. “Oh.” He laughs, a little low, rubbing his neck. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Wheeler makes a decision, and slides in next to Danny in the doorway. “I mean, it’s there, right?”

Danny licks his lips. “I – I guess so.”

“Plus, you told me to bite me in that match, and I haven’t followed up on that, and then I just told you to, so…”

Danny grins. “Oh, that’s how it is?”

Wheeler would respond, but instead, he’s leaning in, lips pressed to Danny’s, and the aching is replaced with something fresher, newer, brighter.

“Quit making out and get checked out!” shouts somebody in the trainer’s room.

“You’re the one who put up the mistletoe!” Danny snaps back. He shoves Wheeler in through the doorway. “This dumbass got lost in the hallway. He probably needs ice.” He leaves his hand on Wheeler’s lower back, though, for just a few moments longer than he has to.

“Talk to you later?” Wheeler asks, and he won’t let himself cringe at the hopefulness in his voice.

Danny nods, though. “Yeah. I’ll text you.”

~

“Hangman, the handsome cowboy,” Adam sings along with the video. He grins at the way the Dark Order used to be, the joy, the comradery. The absolute confusion in his eyes at the idea that these people loved him.

He misses it.

He sings along with the bastardized lyrics, leaning up against the wall of the arena, letting the nostalgia settle over him like a blanket.

“Hey,” comes a quiet voice from behind his screen.

Adam looks up to see Matt Jackson in front of him, with a smile on his face. He hasn’t seen that smile directed toward him in, god, years. “Matt.” His voice is too gentle, too soft, too fond. “Hi.”

“It’s the, uh, season of giving,” Matt says, fidgeting with the end of his hair. “And love or whatever. And I wanted to say, um, I wanted to say I’ve got your back.”

Adam blinks at him. “You do?”

“Yeah,” Matt says. “I mean, Mox is being a big ol’ bitch out there.” He grins, like he’s proud of himself for swearing. “I, uh. When you have the match, I wanted to tell you, I’ll be your second.”

Adam pushes off the wall, walking toward him. He always forgets, until these moments, how much bigger, taller he is than Matt. How much of Matt’s height is ego and attitude. How much smaller he becomes when he lets it go and allows himself to just be Matt. “Really?”

Matt nods, looking up at him, those big brown eyes honest. “Yes.”

Adam feels some of the ice in his heart crumble at that, some of the loneliness melt out of him. “Want to grab lunch?” he thumbs to the door. “Unless, I mean, unless you’ve eaten.”

“No, yeah, sure,” Matt says. “Catering’s got a really good salad bar today.” He lights up. “They have pickled beets!”

“Ew,” Adam says automatically, but he’s lucky. Matt’s face doesn’t fall, his demeanor doesn’t shift back to cold distance. “I hate beets.”

“That’s because you’re boring,” Matt says. He shuffles the two of them into catering, where he pauses. “After you.”

Adam tilts his head back to shake the hair out of his face, when he notices something hanging from the sprinkler. His first thought is it must be a major fire hazard. The next is that it’s mistletoe. He makes a strange, strangled little noise.

“What – oh.” Matt’s followed Adam’s gaze up. “That’s mistletoe.”

“Yep.” Adam looks down at Matt, expecting him to be spooked.

“Well,” Matt says, steadying himself. “Kiss me.”

“What?!”

“It’s a tradition!” Matt exclaims. “Oh, come on, you can’t not know about mistletoe, Hangman.”

“I know what mistletoe is, obviously,” Adam replies, flustered. “I just – I’m surprised you want me to kiss you, is all.”

“You don’t have to,” Matt says, brown eyes looking so miserable that, even if he didn’t want to, Adam would probably kiss him just to make it stop.

But he does want to. He glances around, checking to make sure nobody is watching, then rests his hand on the side of Matt’s neck. Matt looks up at him through his eyelashes. It doesn’t feel fair.

“You gonna kiss me?” Matt asks, voice breathy and soft.

His answer is a gentle press of the lips, something they’ve done once or twice before, and it feels like friendship renewed.

~

“Moxie!” Eddie yells down the hallway. “You got your ass beat by the cowboy again!”

“Get in here,” Mox snaps, grabbing Eddie’s arm and dragging him into his locker room. Eddie’s still grinning, though, and Mox is halfway to throwing him back out in the hallway if he could trust Eddie could shut up for a second.

“Aw, Mox, gonna be like old times?” Eddie crowds into Mox’s space. Mox lets him, getting pressed up against the wall, fingers threaded with Eddie’s.

“Not if you’re gonna be a dick,” Mox says back, and Eddie laughs against his neck, pressing kisses. “Come on, you don’t get to give me a hickey after making fun of me. Quit it.”

Eddie pulls away, eyes sparkling. “What, you don’t think it’s funny?”

“I don’t,” Mox says, but he doesn’t shove Eddie off. “Hangman’s got a chip on his shoulder. That’s not my fault.”

“You knocked him out.”

“Again, glass jaw, not my fault!” Mox throws his hands in the air. “Look, man, why the hell is everybody all mad at me for? Ooh, sweet baby Cowboy got hurt. Mox is a bad, evil man for being good at his job and winning his match.” He slumps back against the wall. “Everybody is a big fuckin’ whiner.”

Eddie studies him. “You had a smoke recently?”

Mox thinks about it. “Uh. No.”

“That’s why you’re being bitchy,” Eddie says, more to himself than to Mox. “Come on. We’re going outside.” He grabs Mox’s arm, and he goes along without much of a fight. Because Eddie’s right – it’s been a while since his last cigarette.

Unfortunately, this day is destined to piss him off.

“Hangman,” Mox says, steeling himself for a fight.

Adam Page rolls his fucking eyes at him. “God damn it, Moxley, can’t I go take a piss without you in my face?”

“You’re the one who can’t keep his hands off me,” Mox says. He puts his hands behind his back, grinning. “Take a swing, baby. I’ll even let you try to knock me out, yeah?”

“While this is fun,” Eddie says, “I think you two should look up.”

He looks at Page, then looks up, and looks back at Page, who looks, surprisingly, fatigued. “Oh, god,” Page says, “not another one.”

“Another one?” Mox says. “Aw, Cowboy, you been puttin’ your lips on somebody else? I thought you were all about me right now.”

Page stares at him, blue-green eyes unblinking for a moment. Then he strides toward him, grabs Mox’s face in his hands, and gives Mox the kind of kiss that makes him go a bit weak in the knees. Mox finds his footing, though, and gives back just as hard, clacking teeth with it. Page pushes him away as fast as he came at him. “I’ll kick your ass later,” Page says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, which definitely should not have given Mox a boner. “I gotta get back to my hotel before somebody else does some more stupid shit to make me stay here.” He nods to Eddie, like this isn’t weird at all, and walks past the two of them without another look back.

“I like him,” Eddie decides. “I know he’s your arch enemy right now or whatever, but I like him. The man’s got balls.”

“I…” Mox finds his fingers touching his lips, his brain a little dizzy. “Did that just happen?”

Eddie studies his face, then his eyes drop down to Mox’s crotch. “Oh. Of course. Your horny bastard. Alright, go back to the locker room. Fuck first, then cigarette.”

Mox shrugs. He can work with that order of events.

“First, though,” Eddie grabs Mox by the neck and hauls him in for a kiss, less angry than Page’s, but more possessive, more demanding. Mox loves this kind of kiss from Eddie. “Alright. Better.”

“Better?” Mox asks. “What the fuck was wrong with me?”

“Uh, I can’t put my dick in your mouth with you having Hangman spit all up in there.” He pats Mox’s cheek. “Now you’re better. Let’s go.”

~

Kenny Omega is fucking tired.

“You gotta do this bit, Omega-man,” Matt says, practically vibrating. “If you don’t start now, we’re missing a whole storyline detail, and then new people won’t know who the eff Ibushi is when he shows up at Revolution, and then we’ve lost the audience.” He perches on the side of the table, hops off, does a little jump on his toes, and goes right back on the table. “Come on. Please?”

Kenny exhales and turns to Matt. “Okay. Fine. But you and Cutler are out of here once we’re done.”

Matt nods. “Totally. Definitely.”

“You had another one of those Death coffees again, didn’t you?”

Matt shrugs. “Gets the job done. Don’t judge me.”

They run the bit, something practically invisible unless you know who Ibushi is, know that he’s Kenny’s favorite person and the biggest heartbreak he’s ever had. He wishes he knew how to tell Matt that this, the ex, is off limits. But he can’t.

“We good?” Kenny asks, curling up on the couch. “I need a nap.”

“We have EVP duties,” Matt says, frowning.

He might scream, later, when he’s back in his hotel room. “Can’t you and Nick take care of it?”

“It’s a three man job, and Tony’s on the phone yapping at somebody to stay for interviews,” Matt says. “So it’s the Elite taking over.”

Kenny follows him and, too late, realizes he forgot his phone in his locker room.

“I swear, I’ll be there,” Kenny promises Matt. “Seriously. Just give me five minutes.”

“Five minutes,” Matt repeats.

Kenny nods, because he knows what this is. “Five minutes.” He turns on his heel and makes his way back to his locker room, one closest to the exit. On the final turn to the room, he sees him.

Hangman.

Adam.

He’s on the phone, by the exit, talking frenetically and fidgeting with his belt buckle. He looks no different than before, when they were whatever they were. Champions, he guesses, but there was always so much more. Most unfortunately, though, he’s leaning up against the door of Kenny’s room.

He promised Matt five minutes. If he breaks that promise…

Kenny straightens his back, girds his loins, as they say, and walks toward the door like everything is normal. “Hey,” he says. “My locker room. Can I get in?”

Adam’s eyes are a little panicked, a little wild. He looks upwards, looks at Kenny, looks up again, and relaxes. “Sorry. Yeah. Uh.” He slides to the side. “Go right ahead.” He turns back to the phone. “Yeah, I’ll think about it. Give me a minute.”

“Nah, you’re good,” Kenny says, waving it off. He feels too hot all of a sudden. Before he thinks about it, he pulls his shirt off over his head as he pushes into the locker room, then comes out with his phone. “You can, uh, go back there.”

Adam stares at him. “In front of a door? I, uh, I’m good here.” He wiggles his phone. “Tony’s trying to convince me to do some sort of interview later, but I’m exhausted.”

“You should,” Kenny says automatically. Adam raises his eyebrows. “Stay, I mean. I think people are really going to want to hear your plan for Moxley.”

Adam lets a small smile escape. “What, like, other than me wanting to drag him to hell?”

Kenny shrugs. “There could be more to it. I’m not in your head.”

Adam flinches like he got slapped, and Kenny wonders why he constantly fucks up with this man. “Yeah, you, uh, you’re not.” He pushes his hair out of his face. “You know where Tony is?”

“Yeah, I think he’s in the office. I’ll take you there.” It feels like an olive branch, at least to Kenny. Adam asking for help, allowing Kenny to give it. It feels like healing.

It’s devastatingly boring small talk on the short walk to the EVP office, talking about the weather and the traffic, but it’s more words between them without rage than they’ve exchanged since 2020.

“There’s a hallway between here and his office, but, uh, I’m sure he’ll let you in.” Kenny offers a smile to Adam, doing his best to be okay, be calm. To not spook him.

Adam nods. “Thanks, Kenny.” His eyes are locked onto Kenny’s. “I mean it.”

Kenny makes a strange little gesture toward the door, and his hand brushes against something hanging on the doorknob. He looks down, confused. “Oh.”

Adam follows his gaze, then groans. “Again?”

Kenny snaps up to look at him. “What, you’re just finding mistletoe all over the place?”

“Actually, yeah,” Adam says, looking a bit frazzled. “Like, this is the third one in the venue. It’s getting weird.”

Kenny laughs, but it’s too high pitched to be normal. “Weird. I didn’t put them up.”

Adam studies his face. “Why would you say that unless you’re the one who hung them?”

“I didn’t!” Kenny says. “Dude, I swear. I have nothing to do with the mistletoe.”

Adam’s fighting a smile, Kenny can tell. It’s one of the best looks for Adam. “You swear?”

“I swear,” Kenny says automatically.

Adam sighs. “Well, I’ve done the other two. Come here.”

“What?”

“Kissed somebody,” Adam explains, “with the mistletoe. It’s a tradition.”

“I know the tradition,” Kenny says. “I just – I’m surprised you’re – with me.” He swallows.

Adam’s smile turns kind. “It’s just a kiss, Kenny. If you don’t want to, we don’t.”

Kenny thinks about it for a minute. It’s a horrible decision. They’ve been through too much, hurt each other in too many ways, been away for too much time. This could be enough to shatter them both again.

He steps into Adam’s space, leaning in where Adam does, and their lips meet. It feels like warm honey in a cup of tea at home, like a heavy blanket on a snowy night when you know you’ll get a snow day the next morning. Kenny leans into it, resting a hand on Adam’s arm, drinking in the moment. If this is the last moment he shares with this man, a moment he never imagined possible, he wants it to echo.

They pull apart, and Kenny watches as Adam’s eyes flutter open.

“Okay,” Adam says, quiet. “Um. I’ll – I’ll be. Um.” He smiles, and it tattoos itself into Kenny’s soul, just like the rest of Adam.

“Yeah,” Kenny says. He hope his smile echoes his thoughts. “I gotta get to Matt and Nick. EVP shit, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adam says. He reaches out to Kenny’s hand, though, and squeezes. “Talk later?”

Kenny feels the weight of the world float away. “Of course.”

When he gets back to Matt and Nick, Matt’s sitting there with a timer on his phone. Seven minutes and thirty-six seconds.

“Okay,” Kenny says, “I can explain.”

~

“You see Wheeler?” Willow asks, hopping up to sit next to Ruby. “He got absolutely flattened by Rush. I hope he’s okay.”

“He’s Blackpool,” Ruby says, waving the concern away. “He’ll be fine.”

“I hope so,” Willow says. She bounces her legs against the edge of the table. “So, this tag match. Got any ideas?”

“Kill them,” Ruby deadpans. Willow waits. “Okay, like, don’t give me that look. I’m thinking submissions – just make them cry about it.”

“That feels mean.”

“Sweetheart, you beat people up for a living,” Ruby says, purple-painted lips in a mildly condescending smile, “mean is literally your job.”

Willow huffs. “I’m not mean!” she argues. “I’m – firm! Decisive! I tell stories.”

“Through hitting people.”

“Okay, yeah, fine. By hitting people.” She bumps Ruby. “I am a little excited about punching Anna and Tay. They could use a good fist to the face.”

“Okay, see, while I like the tenacity, if you closed fist them, we get disqualified. And that’s the opposite of the goal.”

“Fair,” Willow concedes. “Elbows?”

Ruby grins, patting her own elbow. “All of ‘em.”

They plan out the match together, tag methods Willow’s never thought of before, moves Ruby’s sure she can pull off that Willow was always hesitant about.

Ruby says something, and Willow laughs so hard she falls backward. When she opens her eyes, she sees something on the ceiling. “Hey,” she says, forcing the words through giggles. “What’s that?”

Ruby looks up. “I think – oh.” She grins down at Willow. “Mistletoe.”

Willow shrugs. “I mean. Why not?”

Ruby leans down and kisses her, soft and sweet and quick. She pulls away, smiling. “You’ve got my lipstick all over your face.”

Willow grins back at her. “Tag team shit?”

“Tag team shit.”

~

“Absolutely not.”

“Come on, just a kiss on the cheek!” Kenny says, grabbing at Nick’s arm. “EVP cheek smooches.” He pouts. “You used to do cheek smooches for Adam Cole.”

“Oh, shut up,” Nick says, but he makes the mistake of smiling. Kenny smells blood in the water, and Matt jumps in.

“Nick,” Matt says, “it’s a tradition. It’s either kiss him on the cheek or on the lips.”

Nick wrinkles his nose. “Ew. Okay, fine. Get over here. I hate both of you.”

“You love us,” Matt retorts, and Nick kind of wants to strangle him.

He and Matt kiss Kenny on the cheek underneath the mistletoe, and Brandon films it for BTE, with Kenny giving a rambling diatribe about how he’s going to find the person who posted all the mistletoe and destroy them.

“Okay, well, that’s a little much,” Matt laughs. “We’re not going to destroy anybody.”

“I might destroy you,” Nick mutters. “God, I just wanna go home. When’s our flight?”

“Not until later, baby brother,” Matt says, and he gives Nick the worst noogie since high school.

“Get off me!”

“Today was fun,” Matt says, throwing an arm around Nick’s shoulders. “Where’d you get the idea for mistletoe?”

Nick pauses, and Matt half stumbles over himself. “What?”

“The mistletoe,” Matt repeats. “That was you, right? Putting it all over the arena.”

Nick shakes his head slowly. “No. I thought it was you.”

They turn to Kenny in tandem. “Was it you?” Matt asks.

“No, I thought it was Matt, actually.” He stares Matt down, and Nick joins in.

“I didn’t do it!” Matt insists. “Why would I ask you about the idea if it was me?!”

“Because that’s how you would bring it up,” Nick says. “It’s annoying. You’re annoying. That’s how you’d bring it up.”

“You’re more annoying,” Matt grumbles.

“You two are missing the point,” Kenny interrupts. “If it wasn’t one of us putting the mistletoe everywhere, who the hell was it?”

~

Max giggles and jumps like a toddler. “This was so good!” he laughs, spinning in his seat.

“Shh!” Anthony says, yanking his arm to sit down. “They still don’t know who it was. Do you want to ruin it?”

Max gets himself under control. “Did you have any idea Mox and Eddie were, like, together?”

“Um, duh,” Anthony says. “Jesus, for somebody this gay, you sure are oblivious.”

“You’re gay,” Max retorts.

“Yeah,” Anthony says. “Focus. We now have blackmail on the entire company. What do you want to do with it?”

Max goes quiet for a minute, stewing. “Actually, you know what I want to do?”

“What?”

He grins at Anthony. “I want to go flirt with MJF.”

Anthony collapses backward onto the floor, groaning like somebody just hit him. “Stop flirting with the devil. He’s never going to love you back.”

“It could be a Christmas miracle!” Max says, leaping to his feet. “We could It’s A Wonderful Life this shit.”

“You did not understand the themes of that movie,” Anthony grumbles, but he follows Max anyway, and that’s enough of a Christmas gift for him.

He looks up. “Anthony,” he singsongs, “look what I found hanging from the ceiling!”

Max does not get kissed under the mistletoe. He gets tackled.

[lboogie1906]

Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an athlete and actor. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first African American players in the NFL in the postwar era. He went on to become a film actor, and he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Spartacus. He served in the Army Air Corps during WWII.

He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in South East Los Angeles and UCLA, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity via the Alpha Delta Chapter. His world-class decathlon capabilities were spearheaded by a 50 ft plus shot put and a 6 ft 5 in the high jump.

“I got a cultural education—majored in history and education,” he said in a 1971 interview. “Never used it, but I could walk into the White House with it now.”

He, Kenny Washington, and Jackie Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. They became famous nationally as “the Gold Dust gang”.

Along with Ray Bartlett, four African Americans were playing for the Bruins, when only a few dozen at all played on other college football teams. They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a 0–0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. It was the first UCLA–USC rivalry football game with national implications.

He dabbled for several months in professional wrestling. He wrestled almost every week from August 12, 1952, to December 10, 1952, in different cities in California. He was billed as the Pacific Coast Heavyweight Wrestling Champion and the Pacific Coast Negro Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in 1962.

Sheriff Woody of Toy Story is named after him, as was the recurring character of the Santa Barbara Coroner in Psych. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

[frontproofmedia]

Defining Moments: 5 of WrestleMania's Finest Matches of All Time

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By Hector Franco

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Published: April 05, 2024

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. They do not necessarily represent those of Frontproof Media, the Frontproofmedia.com staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Defining Moments: 5 of WrestleMania's Finest Matches of All Time

We are a few days away from the 40th annual WrestleMania, the biggest event in professional wrestling. This year, the WWE is garnering an amount of mainstream attention that it hasn't seen since the late 1990s during the Attitude Era.

WrestleMania is known for being a spectacle. If it were a movie, it would be Star Wars, Jurassic Park, or The Avengers; it's a show that brings together casual and hardcore fans alike. In comparison to professional sports, the event is equal to the Super Bowl or the World Cup Finals in soccer.

At the first WrestleMania in 1985, celebrity involvement was featured in the matches and storylines. This tradition has been sustained over time. Almost every WrestleMania features some participation from actors, professional athletes, or political figures.

Since its inception, most WrestleMania shows have been a culmination or blow-off for most WWE (WWF) storylines. It's where a feud would come to its conclusion, or a new star was made. Over time, possibly starting with the classic Intercontinental match between Macho Man Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat, Wrestlemania became a stage for performers to put out their best effort. The goal was to steal the show and have the best match of the night.

To paraphrase a future Hall-of-Famer and current all-time great, Chris Jericho, it may last for a day when you have a great match on a house show. When you have a great match on a show like Monday Night Raw or Smackdown, it lasts about a week or more. A great match on a PPV could last a few months, a year, or a couple of years. But a great match on WrestleMania can have a lasting impact that stays forever. It's a stage where its effect can be felt by those in attendance and generations to come.

Needless to say, while the entertainment and grandeur of WrestleMania make it special, the wrestling inside the squared circle has kept people coming back for more. WrestleMania is the ultimate extravaganza in sports entertainment, but the wrestling at WrestleMania is just as vital as the spectacle.

In the same vein as music and film, what makes a great wrestling match is subjective. Some may like a fast pace with plenty of high spots, and others prefer a story that has as much drama as it does action.

Frontproof Media will unveil some of the finest WrestleMania matches in the event's nearly 40-year history. These matches are personal favorites that hold the veil of nostalgia, propelling them upward in some cases. This should not be taken as a definitive list. These are the matches that resonated with us the most in 2024. There will be lots of Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, and Shawn Michaels, and no Iron Man match.

Honorable Mentions: 

Macho Man Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - WM 3

Daniel Bryan vs Triple H - WM 30 

Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle vs Randy Orton WM 22

Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle - WM 20

Money in the Bank Ladder Match - WM 21

Mick Foley vs. Edge - WM 22

Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart - WM 12

Bret Hart vs Steve Austin - WM 13

Hulk Hogan vs Ultimate Warrior - WM 6

Triple H vs. The Undertaker - WM 28

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock - WM 17

THE TOP 5

5. ‘Rowdy Roddy’ Piper vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart

WrestleMania VIII

April 05, 1992

WWF Intercontinental Championship

As you’ll see through most of this list, the in-ring work will hold the largest chunk regarding its placement. However, the aesthetics of the match will be significant. The little details, from the crowd to the entrances, will all be taken into account.

The Intercontinental championship is a favorite for fans who started watching wrestling in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It’s undoubtedly one of the best-looking titles, but it’s the matches associated with the championship by those who held it that truly endeared it to fans.

Rowdy Roddy Piper was one of the most famous professional wrestlers ever. He was the foil to Hulk Hogan during the height of the first WrestleMania and is remembered as one of the greatest talkers in the history of the wrestling business. He excelled outside the ring and exceeded Hogan in Hollywood by appearing in cult classics such as John Carpenter’s They Live.

Heading into WrestleMania VIII, Piper and Bret Hart were at two different stages in their careers. Piper was the veteran who held a title but never needed one, while Hart was the former champion who was still trying to prove himself as one of the company’s next top stars.

Everything about Piper vs. Hart works on all levels. From the interview segment right before the match to the stellar commentary of the late Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan. It’s the rare all-babyface match that kept the crowd cheering for both competitors.

Looking back at Hart’s work, one of the aspects that stands out is the little unique nuances he would add to the story of his matches. This was especially true during his first run in the early 1990s.

The match starts slow, but after Hart gets the better of Piper during some exchanges, a slap to the face changes the mood in the ring. In several instances, Hart plays possum, pretending to be more hurt than he is to get a pinfall on Piper. This only infuriates Piper and leads him to brawl.

So much was packed into a match that was less than 15 minutes. Piper almost turned to the dark to wallop Hart with the bell to the blood, which added to the drama. Hart would defeat Piper by reversing a sleeper hold for his second Intercontinental Championship. For this writer, his run from SummerSlam 1991-1992 is the best run of any champion to hold the title.

For years, Hart was embroiled in controversy and personal feuds with Hogan. But getting put over by Piper may have been even better. Piper-Hart remains one of the most underrated championship matches in the history of WrestleMania.

4. Macho King Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior

WrestleMania VII

March 24, 1991

Retirement Match

Although recognized as one of the greatest performers in the history of professional wrestling, Randy Savage still feels underrated. Bret Hart and Shawn Michales get most of the credit for ushering in relatively smaller performers at the world championship level. But Savage, who may have been smaller in stature than both, was the first to hold the WWF (WWE) world title multiple times before either was on the world title scene.

The Ultimate Warrior would never be considered a great worker who can have an excellent match with anyone. But, in the right circumstances and story, he managed to pull his weight to deliver.

A unique entrant on this list, Savage-Warrior is all about the story and drama. Savage met the Warrior in a retirement match after costing him the world title against Sgt. Slaughter at that year’s Royal Rumble event. Savage, at the time, was aligned with Queen Sherri, and during the match, the camera constantly cut toward Miss Elizabeth, who was in attendance.

The action inside the ring was kept simple, with Savage doing the majority of the work and pulling out all the stops to make the Warrior look as strong as possible. Savage would land five of his famous diving elbow drops to no avail, as the Warrior defeated him after three shoulder blocks. However, the victory almost didn’t matter, as the drama was all on Savage.

After the match and now forced into retirement, Savage was attacked by Sherri, who drew Miss Elizabeth from the crowd. In a scene out a movie, Elizabeth and Savage embraced to the roar of the audience. It is still one of the most memorable WrestleMania moments in history.

For delivering the best match of the Ultimate Warrior’s career and doing so in one of the most emotional matches in WrestleMania history, Savage deserves tons of praise. It’s a match with infinite replay value and highlights the magic behind what makes professional wrestling so enticing for fans.

Certainly, Savage’s classic match with Ricky Steamboat could have easily been on this list. The match with Warrior is here because it was a more difficult endeavor and an example of why Randy Savage should be mentioned more frequently in any discussion of the best of all time.

3. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels 

WrestleMania 21

April 03, 2005

Dream Match

I am fully willing to admit that I am in the minority and on an island by myself regarding my opinion on some of Shawn Michaels' WrestleMania matches. You'll find Michaels' match with The Undertaker from WrestleMania 25 on most lists. It's considered one of the best matches in the event's history and has been given rare status with few peers. However, as far as I'm concerned, that level of adoration belongs to Michael's match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21.

Seldom do dream matches live up to the expectations in the minds of fans. And yet Angle-Michaels was a perfect style clash that told a story that could only be weaved through professional wrestling.

Whenever Kurt Angle stepped into the ring, everything he did was with purpose. There was a matter of logic and intent to his work combined with small details that made him a veteran in less than a decade. The level of intensity in his work made you forget you were watching professional wrestling. He crossed back and forth between the lines of reality and entertainment.

Michaels and Angle took their time, starting with the former Olympic gold medalist mat wrestling his opponent. The match slowly built into a crescendo, gradually increasing the intensity, leading to one of the most momentous endings to any WrestleMania match.

The second half of Michael's career, when he returned in 2002, allowed him to be part of one of the greatest rosters of any wrestling company in history. He took advantage of his surroundings and arguably surpassed his accomplishments of the 1990s in his prime.

With numerous stellar matches on his resume, this match firmly anointed Michaels with the crown of Mr. WrestleMania. No matter the expectation or circumstance, Michaels always delivered on the biggest stages. Angle-Michaels was special and is the benchmark that fans will hold as the gold standard whenever dream matches are brought up.

2. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit

WrestleMania XX

March 14, 2004

World Heavyweight Championship

This is the most controversial pick on this list. It isn't easy at times to separate fandom from reality. And because of that, this main event has been largely forgotten and buried due to Chris Benoit's involvement. This focuses simply on the match itself.

For years, the triple-threat match between Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chris Benoit was arguably the best main event in WrestleMania history. The match was near perfect. It took its time to tell a story and was action-packed and bloody. It also gave the then-underdog a moment of glory that felt cathartic to most hardcore wrestling fans. Unfortunately, that moment has been ruined for most.

But on its own, in a vacuum where nothing exists after, this match has countless memorable spots. Madison Square Garden was fully invested in the match and behind Benoit, cheering almost every move. From Michaels and Triple H deciding to work together to get rid of Benoit, Michaels's crimson bloody mask of a face, and the dramatic ending with Benoit putting Triple H in the cross-face submission. The match works on all levels as the perfect main event.

WrestleMania hasn't been in an arena setting since 2006, with WrestleMania 22 in Chicago. The event in 2020 took place in an empty arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Going back to watch WrestleMania 20 and 22, one yearns for that crowd setting, especially in the case of 22, as every match felt like a smaller version of Hulk Hogan's match with The Rock from WrestleMania 18.

The ending with Benoit celebrating, then seeing Eddie Guerrero in the ring applauding him and then embracing was genuinely remarkable. Guerrero had a stellar match with Kurt Angle earlier that same night, which could have also made this list.

It's contentious and concealed in hiding, meant to be forgotten due to the winner's actions a few years later. However, the triple threat match from WrestleMania 20 encompasses everything that makes the event historic. It provides moments you'll never forget, even if you want to.

1A. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart

WrestleMania X

March 20, 1994

Brother vs. Brother

1B. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon

WrestleMania X

March 20, 1994

Ladder Match for the Undisputed Intercontinental Championship

WrestleMania X isn't usually considered one of the top-tier WrestleMania events. Primarily, it's in the middle of the pack. But when I think of the event, words like flawless and revolutionary come to mind. It's a show that has two perfect matches.

The Brother vs. Brother match between real-life brothers Bret Hart and Owen Hart is often relegated to being labeled as the best opening match in WrestleMania history. However, it deserves to be mentioned as one of the best in the company's history and professional wrestling in general.

The story of the bratty younger brother trying to prove himself at the expense of his older brother is relatable to anyone with a sibling.

This opening match at WrestleMania 10 is a showcase for Owen Hart. He does some of the high-flying moves that made him famous but is purposely restrained, instead choosing to wrestle on even terms with his brother. The pace of the match had a high intensity with every move done with purpose to further the story being told. 

Amazingly, the way the match was constructed wasn't the original plan. Changes were made at the last minute to ensure that the story of Owen as the heel brother was kept intact. This proved to be the correct strategy. 

"There's a funny story about that match," Bret Hart told Sports Illustrated in 2020. "Owen and I had a match worked out that we worked on for three or four weeks. We were all set to do the match; we had it all locked in. Then, I called him the night before we left to fly to New York. I said, 'Meet me up at Dad's house; we need to change the whole match.' So we met in 'The Dungeon' and changed everything.

"Owen was too babyface," Hart continued. "He had too many nice moves. I remember I said to Owen, 'You're a heel now. You've got to stay that way.' If Owen did a bunch of dropkicks off the top, they're going to go, 'Why are we booing this guy?' We needed him more mean, more nasty, more cheap shots, doing anything to win—the ball shot, biting and bending my finger. If you watch that match, he really got heat."

The match has the advantage of having two endings. The ending with the obnoxious Owen coming out on top by using one of Bret's proven moves, the victory roll against him, was brilliant. 

But what puts the match over the top is at the end of the show. Later that night, after triumphantly winning back the WWF (WWE) World Championship, Bret Hart is held on the shoulder of the company's babyfaces. Then there's Owen standing in the aisle, staring at his brother while seething. He proved he was on his brother's level with a victory earlier that night, and now Bret stands as the world champion. It was the perfect ending that continued a feud that defined 1994.

The ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon might be tame compared to some of its successors. However, much like the match between the Hart brothers, Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels executed a story while managing to be innovative. This wasn't a match just filled with high spots; it was a battle for who could claim to be the true Intercontinental champion. That bit of reality was felt throughout the match, and the details of both performers brought the match to another level.

The entrances with Michaels moving around the ladder and Ramon going under the ladder are the little moments that can add so much to a match. The impact this match would have on future generations is comprehensive and has yet to be done better. There have been bigger spots and falls from greater heights, but none were better matches.

It didn't quite steal the show from Bret and Owen. However, I won't debate anyone who has the Ladder match as the best of the show.

Photo credit: WWE

[rrs1188]

Don't Let a Toilet Tantrum Disrupt Your Home: Why Calling a Pro for Toilet Repair is Essential

Imagine this: you wake up in the morning, ready to conquer the day, only to discover your trusty toilet has decided to stage a rebellion. A clogged bowl, a pesky leak, or a mysterious refusal to flush – toilet trouble can throw a wrench into your entire day. But fear not, homeowners in Edmonton and surrounding areas! Here's why calling in a professional for residential toilet repair is the smartest move:

Restore Peace and Quiet: A malfunctioning toilet can be noisy, disruptive, and downright embarrassing, especially for guests. Professional plumbers diagnose and fix the problem quickly, restoring peace and quiet to your bathroom.

Protect Your Wallet: Ignoring a minor toilet issue can lead to bigger problems down the line. A leaky toilet can waste gallons of water, driving up your utility bills. Professionals address the issue promptly, saving you money in the long run.

Avoid DIY Disaster: Toilet repairs can be tricky. Attempting a DIY fix without the proper knowledge and tools can worsen the problem, leading to a bigger mess and potentially causing damage to your bathroom. Professionals have the expertise and equipment to handle any toilet woe efficiently.

Ensure Sanitary Conditions: A malfunctioning toilet poses a sanitation hazard. Trained plumbers ensure your toilet is repaired or installed correctly, preventing leaks and overflows that could lead to mold growth and bacteria build-up.

Looking for Reliable Residential Toilet Repair in Edmonton and Surrounding Areas?

Whether you're a homeowner in Edmonton, Leduc, Beaumont, Sherwood Park, or St. Albert, having a reputable handyman service on speed dial is a lifesaver. At Rapid Repair Services, we offer comprehensive plumbing services, including rapid response toilet repair for residential properties.

Our team of licensed and insured technicians is experienced in handling all sorts of toilet troubles, from simple clogs to complex replacements. We understand the urgency of a non-functioning toilet, and that's why we prioritize fast and effective solutions to get your bathroom back in top shape.

Don't wrestle with a stubborn toilet! Contact Rapid Repair Services today for professional residential toilet repair services in Edmonton and surrounding areas. We'll get your throne functioning flawlessly in no time!

We also offer a variety of handyman services to keep your home running smoothly. Call us today for a free quote!