A Face in the Crowd

The crowd erupted as the bell rang to signify the end of what had been an excellent match. It was a worthy main event and the fans were on their feet cheering and shouting in appreciation. In truth the result was irrelevant, as the West Coast faithful began applauding both competitors for their efforts. Jack Wagner Jr was no different, slapping his right leg in a gesture of admiration for what he had just seen. Had it not been for the fact he was recording on his phone with the other hand, he would have clapped them both together too. He turned the device around and pointed it at his face, as the celebrations continued and Julianna Di Maria’s music began to play.

“West Coast Genesis, I don’t know if you can hear me over this crowd right now but my name is Jack Wagner Jr, and I am the newest superstar to sign on the dotted line with this brand, and boy am I excited about it!”

A few nearby fans spotted him filming, and dived into the shot. Jack laughed, politely shrugging them off with his broad shoulders.

“But why am I filming this? Why am I capturing this very moment? Because I’ve just received news that my first opponent in this company is right down there, in that very ring.”

He flipped the phone around to show Julianna and Melina Garrison both clambering to their feet after their epic bout.

“Now I didn’t know for sure until the bell rang, but that result right there means two weeks from now I’m gonna be one on one with Melina Garrison, the number one contender for the West Coast Genesis Championship. And on the back of that performance, I can see why she is too. That right there was a title-winning-worthy performance. What I just saw is justification that I made the right choice in coming to this company. Why? Because THAT was a great match. That’s what wrestling is all about. I know I loved it, and these guys..”

He panned around the nearby fans still buoyed by the evenings entertainment.

“..they loved it too. Now Melina, I saw what you had to say in the run up to tonight. All that business about not caring whether you win or lose. But I don’t buy that crap. Any wrestler worth their salt doesn’t like the taste of defeat, and you’re no different. Hell I saw how much you put into that match and you didn’t hold anything back. My guess is you WANTED to step up to the big leagues, and you wanted that opportunity to go to NGW. And why wouldn’t you? That’s my ambition one day and it should be yours too. But you’re right what you say, losing that match tonight doesn’t exactly leave you in a bad position now. You still have a contract, and you’ve still got your title shot.”

He paused for a moment as the crowd grew a little louder at the sight of the women on their feet.

“Now I’ve been around the block a few times, I know how these things work. When I beat you, in my debut match, that doesn’t automatically push me to the front of the queue. I will have to do a hell of a lot more to earn that right. And rightly so. I’ve worked hard my entire life to become the wrestler I am today, and I’m prepared to work just as hard to get somewhere in West Coast Genesis. But I intend to hit the ground running here, and I intend to have everybody talking about the new guy, the one that beat the next WCG Champion! Because in a few months time, if that belt’s around your waist Melina I’ll be one of the many people knocking on your door for a shot. That you can guarantee!

So maybe tonight wasn’t your night, I know you’ll be kicking yourself for losing to a woman you’ve beaten twice already, but NGW’s loss could be WCG’s gain. Because I didn’t come here for an easy ride, I came to prove to myself and everybody that watches this..”

He surveyed the screaming fans once more, panning around the arena.

“..that I am the great wrestler I believe I am. So brush this off your shoulders and get yourself ready, because I’ve come here to set this place alight, and have THIS crowd cheering for ME, just like they did for you tonight.”

He wrapped his big arms around a couple of nearby drunken fans and joined in the celebrations before winking at the camera, and ending the recording.