Always Stubborn (Bonus Wicked 9 DVD Scene)
Apr 30, 2016 5:30:08 GMT
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Post by Tapioca Joe on Apr 30, 2016 5:30:08 GMT
The cheers of the crowd for Alexander Kelly echoed it's way all the way to the backstage area of the El Paso Colosseum. It was clear that Wicked Nine was still in full swing. But in a room sectioned off as the medical area, Tapioca Joe was laying prone on a gurney. The aged wrestler's face was black and bruised from the beating he received only about fifteen minutes ago from the GroundZero Wrestling 2K1 Globalstars, John Champa and Joshua Dane.
He was ready to face his ally, William Saint, in a wrestling match but instead he had to take on the full force of The Takeover by himself. He remembered holding his own for awhile until the chairshots came about. From there things were very vague. So vague he wasn't sure if some one had come down to put a stop to the attack or The Takeover was satisfied with making their point.
Tap: Shit!
He tried to push himself up too quickly from the gurney and immediately feel back down to his back.
"Easy killer you took a hell of a beating. I don't think you'll be taking it to anyone anytime soon."
Leaned against the door frame dressed in black slacks and an untucked pale blue button down was Jonathan Alexander. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he looked down at his old friend.
Jonathan: Doctor should be back in a minute he had to run and grab something.
That voice. There was no way "the Boy" was here.
Opening his eyes as he turned his head to look toward the direction of the voice, it seemed to take hours for the image to process in Tap's mind.
Tap: No fucking way…
He tried to push himself up again, but again fell back down to his back.
Jonathan: Typical Joe, always stubborn. Has to do things his way or no way. I figured by now you'd have learned a thing or two. Hell at your age maybe three or four.
Tap: Jonathan Alexander? Is that really you, Jonboy?
Jonathan: The one and only. Who else that looks this good would be stupid enough to run down and help you?
Ever so slowly, Tap maneuvered his upper torso up while allowing his legs to swing to hang off the side of the gurney. Even doing that seemed like was a task from Hell.
Tap: You came out, Jonboy? I thought your back...paralyzed…
His voice trailed off as the words hit a harsh spot in his mind's eye. Jonathan walked over and helped steady the older wrestler.
Jonathan: Miracles of modern science bud. They finally were able to do something a couple of years ago. It gave me my legs and my career back. Though I'll admit seeing you here was not what I expected when I signed on the dotted line.
Tap: It's been years, Jonboy.
Tap looked fondly upon the younger man.
Jonathan: It has been. I haven't been inside a ring in over six years. After that night back in two thousand ten I've done my best to stay clear of this business but you know better than anyone that's impossible.
Tap: Yeah…
He looked down to the floor.
Tap: Why didn't you…
He looks back at Jonathan.
Tap: ...just listen to me that night?
Jonathan: The same reason you don't listen when someone says you're about to do something stupid. Stubbornness. I figured it would go off without a hitch but I missed hitting that table flush by half an inch taking that barb right into my spine. That was all she wrote for me after that night. I figured I could bounce back like every other time but that just wasn't the case this time. Should I have listened? Of course but would I do it differently if it were now? Probably not.
Tap returns to looking at the floor.
Tap: And now you're back wrestling?
Jonathan: Yes sir. I opened up a wrestling academy a few years back when I started getting the itch thinking maybe it would sway me from doing anything stupid. Yet here I stand with a new contract in hand.
Tap: That's fucking stupid, Jonboy. Just fucking stupid.
Jonathan: I got a clean bill of health. I saw a doctor two days before I signed that contract and he said he saw no reason I couldn't climb back into the ring. After my last surgery a couple of years ago the pressure let up and the pain was gone. I've got two years without any pain so why should I stay away? I'm still young Tap I'm only in my thirties.
Angered expression plastered on his face, Tap glared at Jonathan.
Tap: You need a reason to stay away from this sport, Jonboy?! You were almost fucking killed! The last time I laid eyes on you, you were in the hospital unable to move a goddamn inch! Fucking stupid!
Jonathan: You think that's how I want to be remembered Tap? You think I want my legacy remembered as the guy who got carted out of a World Title match on a stretcher? I lost six years of my career because of that night and you don't think that pisses me off? Not a day goes by I don't think about that moment or those months that pasted when I couldn't even move thinking I was a fucking paralyzed for life.
No one remembers the World Title reigns before that or the hall of fame inductions. They don't remember the classics you and I put on all over Japan. All they remember is me crashing through that table.
He laughed uneasily.
Jonathan: I've got a wife now Tap and I don't want her to only know about the Jonathan that failed.
Tap: You have your life back...your health back. This is your second chance to do it right. Go home to your ol' lady, have some pups. and grow fucking old, Jonboy. There is nothing left in this sport. You're going to fuck around and be an old coot like me trying to still grab the golden prize.
Tap shook his head, which causes him to wince in pain.
Jonathan: Tap you know better than anyone that people like us don't get that kind of life. We live and we die in the middle of that ring. It's all we know. All that money I made when I stepped away didn't mean shit because it wasn't earned in that ring, it was earned with a suit and tie. My old lady chose this life, she chose to become a wrestler like me. Tap it's in our blood, it's who we are.
He laughed again this time more genuine.
Jonathan: Besides, had I not made the choice to come back you might not be sitting here bitching at me like you are. Instead it might be you sitting in that hospital bed wondering if you'll ever walk again. So for that I say you're welcome.
Tap: You're fucking stupid…
He allows himself to slide off the gurney, supporting himself by holding onto the gurney.
Tap: I appreciate the save. I really do but this ain't for you. You're a fucking stupid fool if you think otherwise.
He slowly starts to walk toward the door. Each step was a death march but as stubborn as his former protégé, friend, and partner is, so was he.
Tap: It's not too late, Jonboy. Not too late.
Jonathan: It was too late the first time I climbed into that ring. Nothings changed for me Tap and never will. This is who I am.
Not turning back to look at Jonathan, Tap just shakes his head before walking out the door.
Jonathan: Always stubborn.
He was ready to face his ally, William Saint, in a wrestling match but instead he had to take on the full force of The Takeover by himself. He remembered holding his own for awhile until the chairshots came about. From there things were very vague. So vague he wasn't sure if some one had come down to put a stop to the attack or The Takeover was satisfied with making their point.
Tap: Shit!
He tried to push himself up too quickly from the gurney and immediately feel back down to his back.
"Easy killer you took a hell of a beating. I don't think you'll be taking it to anyone anytime soon."
Leaned against the door frame dressed in black slacks and an untucked pale blue button down was Jonathan Alexander. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he looked down at his old friend.
Jonathan: Doctor should be back in a minute he had to run and grab something.
That voice. There was no way "the Boy" was here.
Opening his eyes as he turned his head to look toward the direction of the voice, it seemed to take hours for the image to process in Tap's mind.
Tap: No fucking way…
He tried to push himself up again, but again fell back down to his back.
Jonathan: Typical Joe, always stubborn. Has to do things his way or no way. I figured by now you'd have learned a thing or two. Hell at your age maybe three or four.
Tap: Jonathan Alexander? Is that really you, Jonboy?
Jonathan: The one and only. Who else that looks this good would be stupid enough to run down and help you?
Ever so slowly, Tap maneuvered his upper torso up while allowing his legs to swing to hang off the side of the gurney. Even doing that seemed like was a task from Hell.
Tap: You came out, Jonboy? I thought your back...paralyzed…
His voice trailed off as the words hit a harsh spot in his mind's eye. Jonathan walked over and helped steady the older wrestler.
Jonathan: Miracles of modern science bud. They finally were able to do something a couple of years ago. It gave me my legs and my career back. Though I'll admit seeing you here was not what I expected when I signed on the dotted line.
Tap: It's been years, Jonboy.
Tap looked fondly upon the younger man.
Jonathan: It has been. I haven't been inside a ring in over six years. After that night back in two thousand ten I've done my best to stay clear of this business but you know better than anyone that's impossible.
Tap: Yeah…
He looked down to the floor.
Tap: Why didn't you…
He looks back at Jonathan.
Tap: ...just listen to me that night?
Jonathan: The same reason you don't listen when someone says you're about to do something stupid. Stubbornness. I figured it would go off without a hitch but I missed hitting that table flush by half an inch taking that barb right into my spine. That was all she wrote for me after that night. I figured I could bounce back like every other time but that just wasn't the case this time. Should I have listened? Of course but would I do it differently if it were now? Probably not.
Tap returns to looking at the floor.
Tap: And now you're back wrestling?
Jonathan: Yes sir. I opened up a wrestling academy a few years back when I started getting the itch thinking maybe it would sway me from doing anything stupid. Yet here I stand with a new contract in hand.
Tap: That's fucking stupid, Jonboy. Just fucking stupid.
Jonathan: I got a clean bill of health. I saw a doctor two days before I signed that contract and he said he saw no reason I couldn't climb back into the ring. After my last surgery a couple of years ago the pressure let up and the pain was gone. I've got two years without any pain so why should I stay away? I'm still young Tap I'm only in my thirties.
Angered expression plastered on his face, Tap glared at Jonathan.
Tap: You need a reason to stay away from this sport, Jonboy?! You were almost fucking killed! The last time I laid eyes on you, you were in the hospital unable to move a goddamn inch! Fucking stupid!
Jonathan: You think that's how I want to be remembered Tap? You think I want my legacy remembered as the guy who got carted out of a World Title match on a stretcher? I lost six years of my career because of that night and you don't think that pisses me off? Not a day goes by I don't think about that moment or those months that pasted when I couldn't even move thinking I was a fucking paralyzed for life.
No one remembers the World Title reigns before that or the hall of fame inductions. They don't remember the classics you and I put on all over Japan. All they remember is me crashing through that table.
He laughed uneasily.
Jonathan: I've got a wife now Tap and I don't want her to only know about the Jonathan that failed.
Tap: You have your life back...your health back. This is your second chance to do it right. Go home to your ol' lady, have some pups. and grow fucking old, Jonboy. There is nothing left in this sport. You're going to fuck around and be an old coot like me trying to still grab the golden prize.
Tap shook his head, which causes him to wince in pain.
Jonathan: Tap you know better than anyone that people like us don't get that kind of life. We live and we die in the middle of that ring. It's all we know. All that money I made when I stepped away didn't mean shit because it wasn't earned in that ring, it was earned with a suit and tie. My old lady chose this life, she chose to become a wrestler like me. Tap it's in our blood, it's who we are.
He laughed again this time more genuine.
Jonathan: Besides, had I not made the choice to come back you might not be sitting here bitching at me like you are. Instead it might be you sitting in that hospital bed wondering if you'll ever walk again. So for that I say you're welcome.
Tap: You're fucking stupid…
He allows himself to slide off the gurney, supporting himself by holding onto the gurney.
Tap: I appreciate the save. I really do but this ain't for you. You're a fucking stupid fool if you think otherwise.
He slowly starts to walk toward the door. Each step was a death march but as stubborn as his former protégé, friend, and partner is, so was he.
Tap: It's not too late, Jonboy. Not too late.
Jonathan: It was too late the first time I climbed into that ring. Nothings changed for me Tap and never will. This is who I am.
Not turning back to look at Jonathan, Tap just shakes his head before walking out the door.
Jonathan: Always stubborn.
