Free Rides and Handouts

AND PAUSE…

The two fat bars, that signify that the video is paused and that to unpause it  you’d have to click the icon, appear on the plasma television screen. The recorded playback of VOW’s Breakthrough #6 is what the viewer was watching and currently has it paused on the face of a man on the rise. A man moving up in the ranks...None other than Brett Carson of course. 

“Now that’s what I’m talking about! That’s a god damn win if I’ve ever seen one…” The gruff, grouchy voice of the Next Level Manager to the Next Level Athlete bellows throughout the Minneapolis home of Brett Carson. 

The shear cockiness in the win sent disgust down the throats of true wrestling fans. He “stole the kill” that Mr. E for a moment thought was his but of course the ever smart and shifty Carson snuck in and outright stole the win from right under Mr. E...A true dirty kid tactic that’s quite literally put a smile on the face of Bronx Goldie himself. The man of the moment himself walks in, naked par the pair of jeans he has on and the towel that sits neatly on his neck and shoulders. He’s fresh out of a shower and he has a fresh grin on his face at the sight of what his mentor and advisor is watching. 

“Aw shucks, you’re too kind, BG…” He sarcastically exclaims, waving off the compliment as Goldie turns around at the sound of his client, “...It was you after all who set that change in and really worked me into becoming the better, smarter professional wrestler that I always could be. You saw the potential I still had and you squeezed it out of me.” Brett waltzes up to the couch and places his hand on the shoulder of his manager. 

Goldie gingerly smiles, “I knew you could do it, kid. You foiled the plans of the wicked and you did it with pride and confidence. I simply pushed you along, kicked the motor if you will.”

“And now that motor is roaring and has his eyes firmly set on that Xcel Championship...Bald bastard announced an 8 man tournament to crown the Xcel Champion. And if he knows what’s good for his company and his ratings then he’ll make that smart decision to throw my name in the mix.” Brett simply sneers at the thought of the man he despises the most. 

The sneer stays put as Goldie gets up off the couch, “Well he’s making that announcement this upcoming show. And as much as I’m sure your name will be apart of that...We really can’t take any chances with him, he’s trying to screw you over and he isn’t stopping. Like this week...He’s put you against...Vanessa and they’ve labelled it as the homophobic versus the bisexual all over Twitter! Just to damn well hype it up and back you into a corner…” He spits at the mention of the match announced. 

Carson sighs and scratches his head before kicking the couch, “Are you kidding me? You’re joking, right? Vanessa?”

Goldie scoffs as he walks past Brett and picks up a set of keys from the near-by kitchen countertop, “Unfortunately I’m not kidding...I don’t see the problem though, you’ve got an opportunity to settle this doubt in the minds of all your peers and the higher ups. You’ll show them what you and I already know, that you are THE best professional wrestler in the state of Minnesota and damn sure one of the best professional wrestlers in the continent of North fucking America! Vanessa won’t  be able to touch you in that ring my boy.” Goldie tosses the keys in the air as he slaps the back of his client in a supportive manner. 

Brett shakes his head, a bothersome look written all over his face, “Oh no...That isn’t the problem. You see...I’ve seen Vanessa’s work. I’ve seen her matches, her title wins and her successes. I’ve seen them all, BG...But the thing with her is that she’s everything I despise in this business.” Brett scowls as he glares down at the glossy flooring in his home, a glazed look in his eye. 

Goldie raises an eyebrow, “You despise her? I mean I get that you aren’t a big fan on many people but even I didn’t mind her. Got a nice booty and a brilliant set of ti-” Bronx stopped himself mid sentence as his client simply looked back and glared at him. 

“I despise her because she reminds me of the foul crap I had to sit through during my childhood...My brother, Simon...He wasn’t the best at school. He was good but he was far from my talents in sports and his academic results were never really all the close to mine. But what always got him through was his popularity and strangely flamboyant personality.” Brett smirks a little, not in comedic sense but rather bitter sense. It’s funny to him that he still feels bitter about the story he’s telling even after all these years. 

“He was gay but never did he ever admit it. He would always joke about it and for the longest time my family and me always took it as that...a joke. He started to get picked on and I would defend him and hold him in high regard even though he wasn’t doing as well as some of the others. The bastard was pushed to the brink of coming out and he did. Pathetic...the way he sobbed in front of my mother and father...and then sobbed in front of the school principal and deans. He was tired of being the laughing stock and the one to be picked on. The only way out was to change the way he was known completely and accept it. My brother was one of the few openly gay men in my school and it scared the fuck outta me at times, he would use his sexuality and fake flirt with other people to get him at the front of lines or get him the better food in the cafeteria...That didn’t bother me much. It was small stuff at the time.” 

Brett sighs before taking off the towel around his neck and slinging it over his shoulder as they both make their way back to the couch to sit. This was all news to Goldie so he was deep in listening. 

“He used his relationships that were crushed and the amounts of times he ‘accidentally’ slept around to get by in life...they gave him free passes and the whole fucking sympathy act. He was sour about it for a long time but the more awards he got for being courageous and brave or most improved in a classroom he started to use the fact that he was homo as a crutch...soon it came to the point where he would use his status to get high degrees and start getting special tutoring to do better in sports while the rest of us….while I had to battle it out the proper way….He got all the handouts and he put on the act of being bitter about it when really...that bastard loved the attention and the success that shit got him. He’s as successful in terms of school as I was because he was given the free ride...and I mean that in more ways than one.” Brett scoffs at his small crack...the serious tension in the room could be sliced perfectly with a butter knife. 

Goldie just remains silent...He was always the first to say that during significant conversations and moments like these...silence is truly golden. Pun always made the saying more attractive and cool but it also is very true. The whole aura of the topic and the story would be ruined if Bronx would blabber on. 

“I despised him because of it, just like I despised Bobby because of it. Bobby got handed things because his sexuality and past famegot him there….not his ability or his damn hard work. And just like Backdoor and just like my brother...Vanessa is all in the same. I don’t  resent her just because she’s bisexual and I don’t completely resent her because she was once upon a time the Queen of Extreme, those are just parts as to why my dislike for that blonde haired bimbo is so strong. I resent her because she was spoon fed opportunities that I’ve yearned for...she’s been given opportunities I would kill for...and she flushed it all away for what? A little caffeine kick? Some pleasure from another god damn woman?” Carson spits in disgust as Goldie slowly nods his head, a look of hatred and disgust on his face too.

“BG, I’ve learned to live with the handouts my brother was and still is given...In the end he’s still family and I’ve learned to settle with it but I can’t...I refuse to sit idle and watch as someone who for years has been doing wrestling wrong in the first place, gets handed opportunity after opportunity...and throws them away or doesn’t capitalise fully on them. I’ll make her pay come Breakthrough...And once I do I’ll prove why I’m the best damn technical wrestler in Minnesota and win that 8 man tournament and become the first Xcel Champion. And trust me when I say Frei is just as much in fault as anyone else...He’s the one giving out the handouts to someone like Vanessa who throws it all away in the end.” The bitterness and feeling of anger that was bottled up inside of him is released...He’s pure again. Pure, focused and has a completely new driving force against anyone and everyone who’s in his way. 

He sighs one last breath of relief before leaning back and staring at the television with his face plastered on it. Goldie notices it and smiles. 

“See that face? I have a strong feeling that it’ll be the face of the perfect poster boy of technical wrestling. Frei can try and stack the odds against you...or back you in a corner, pitting you against a bisexual but in the end...in the end, it won’t be good enough…they won’t be good enough. And the only way they’ll ever be good enough is if they…” Goldie pauses and looks over to his client to finish  the tagline that they’ve been using. 

Brett looks up, sheer determination and drive on his face as he smirks, “...get...on...my level.” 

“Atta boy...C’mon, there’s a nice sauna place a few blocks down that I’ve crossed on the way to bingo. We’ll head over there and cool you off a little.” Bronx stands up and goes to make his way to the door. 

“No.” Brett looks over to the TV and unpauses the video before fast forwarding it, “I’m gonna start doing some match observations, specifically Vanessa matches. I’ll walk into that arena knowing every damn counter to every damn move of hers if I have to…” He monotonously mutters.

Goldie sighs and turns back around before crashing down on the couch next to his client, “Alright then. We’ll do it together. Then we go to the sauna and meditate, get you in that focused zone. First match, Scott Knight versus Vanessa….” Goldie proclaims, confirming that he’s on Brett’s side and that they’ll do things as a cohesive unit. 

Brett pushes stop just as the aforementioned match rolls on by. He’s got his eyes firmly set on Vanessa this Tuesday. Question is will he walk out and beat Vanessa and once again stand victorious over a member of the LGBT community? Or will Vanessa prove that she’s more than earned her stripes and beat Brett, thus putting a dent in his journey to the Xcel Championship? Stay tuned to find out.