A Stone's Throw of Difference

The frosty cold morning on Gooch farm was met with the same fervor for work from Buckson Gooch. Frost or Heat wave, 110 or 10 below, Buckson Gooch had work to do. While the work was difficult, some of the wooden fence posts needed tending, so Gooch was out there working. His trusty overalls taking in the moist dew at the knee. It was obvious he was wearing “long johns” to stay warm, but the sleeve from the elbow was torn off. So much work involved his hands and arms, the last thing he needed was barbed wire to catch on his sleeves, that could cause larger problems. Today wasn’t unlike any other day. That idiot Josey Joffrion was doing everything in his power to try to get a foot in to Gooch’s farm. If that meant sending Buck to jail, he would try it. Josey had always been a coward and would try to use the law or sneaky tactics to get at Gooch, but for years, Gooch ignored him.

Regardless of the failed attempts of Josey to get Gooch riled up, the chores still needed to be done. Buck contemplated his life and knew that whatever happened to him, if he were to “punch his ticket today,” that the farm would still need tending. He felt pride in knowing his eldest son, J-Mac, would be able to do the work. James Macentyre Gootch was born some 16 years ago. His birth was almost a year to the date from Buck and Annabelle’s high school graduation. Buck is proud of all of his kids, but he knows that J-Mac is really becoming a man. Not just in age, but a man that understands responsibilities...as if thinking about it caused it to happen, J-Mac can be heard yelling as he crosses the field on his horse...

The thunderous sound of hooves caught up to Buckson Gooch as he was putting the final touches on the new fencepost. His son, J-Mac, was at a sprint.

J-Mac Gooch: Dad! Mama’s hit her head and we can’t wake her up!!!!! Uncle Mac sent me to get you!!!

In a flash Buck was on Simmons and was racing back to the house. J-Mac told him they had already called 911 and by the time they were back to the house, the ambulance was already there and loading Mama on a stretcher and that the Police were surveying the scene.

Buckson Gooch: J-Mac, what happened?

All he could do without bursting into tears was point to the obviously broken window. For the second time today, Sheriff Mclaren was at Gooch farm. John walked up to Gooch and started talking to him.

Sheriff John Mclaren: Buck, looks like someone threw a rock through your window. I don’t want to say it was Josey Joffrion, even though all evidence looks like it was. We’ve taken it into evidence and will try to get a print on it, but it doesn’t look good. Apparently the glass breaking caused Annabelle to jump and move out of the way, and when she did she lost her balance and hit her head on the corner of the supper table. I’m sorry, Buck. I give you my word that we’ll be on this. I’ve known you and Annabelle since we were kids. This breaks my heart...with her expecting and...

The last phrase had a break in Sheriff McClaren’s voice. He was obviously choked up about the situation. The officer walked off and Buck just stared into space. Annabelle? It was like once knew of an Annabelle...she sure wasn’t the woman that was being put in the ambulance. Annabelle was supportive and tended to be a worrier. Annabelle was the mother of his 5 children. Mac Bane had already dialed 911 and sent the eldest Gooch to get Buck and now has J-Mac Gooch tending to the younger children in the play room of the house. Bane follows Sheriff McClaren to talk to him about what’s going on. Gooch is in another world...his head seemingly underwater.

Buck felt as if his boots were trapped in concrete, he would painstakingly try to walk, but each step felt that it carried 1,000 lbs. of baggage. In all honesty, Gooch couldn’t tell you what happened next, but he snapped back to reality, sitting in the hospital in Little Rock. He was looking at Mama. Tears are welling up in his eyes...finally. The reality has set in that his sweet wife, the mother of his children, his high school sweetheart, and the queen of his life, may never wake up.

Buckson Gooch: We’re going to find who did this, Mama.

Buck reached out and held his sweet wife’s hand. The sound of boots hitting the tiles is heard from the end of the hallway...Buck knew who it was...and was going to be glad to see him.

Mac Bane, wearing dark wranglers, a clean, pressed, white button up shirt, and his trademark black Stetson walks into the room. Mac takes of his hat and covers his heart as he sees Annabelle laying there. It seems obvious that he wants to respond emotionally, as Annabelle had been like a sister to him for years, but he knew he’d have to be strong for Gooch. Years of military service and professional wrestling had helped Bane learn to mask his emotions...Gooch hasn’t learned that lesson yet. Bane’s heart broke as he saw a single tear stream down Buck’s face.

Mac Bane: You going to be able to compete this week?

Gooch wipes the tear from his eye and hesitates answering the question. Bane knows that only death would keep Gooch away from a commitment, Bane needs to get Gooch somewhere mentally and begins taking him on the journey.

Buckson Gooch: I have to, Mac.

The tear that was brushed was replaced by more. They made a stream down his face.

Buckson Gooch: That’s my sweet wife, my supportive wife, my rock. As of now, our sweet baby is okay...Some coward has potentially...potentially...taken...

Mac cuts Gooch off before he can finish “taken her away from me.”

Mac Bane: The brain is a funny thing, Buck. She could come out of this in ten minutes or in a week. The important thing right now is she is in good hands and the baby is okay.

Gooch wipes the tears away from his dirty face. To say that the newest addition to the Gooch family was a surprise would be an understatement...then this happens...

Buckson Gooch: What irritates me the most about this is that it was a cowardly act. If it had been an electrical fire...or even a meteor...no one is to blame. That stuff just happens. Someone did this on purpose. Their act of cowardice has hurt my sweet Annabelle.

Buck wipes his face and pulls his hands back through his dirty hair.

Buckson Gooch: There are two types of cowards in the world that I see. The coward that did this to my sweet wife...and cowards that wait in the dark, that want you to make the first move. This week the latter will pay for the sins of the former.

Bane knew exactly what Gooch was talking about, he just wanted Buck to get it out in the open.

Mac Bane: What do you mean?

Buckson Gooch: All this week, praise has been heaped upon Evan Envi. Some people may think I’m too dumb to use the internet, or that we don’t have internet in Arkansas...but we do...even if it is dial up. People have paraded around on the APW website praising Envi for his accolades. They’ve lifted him up on a pedestal. You would think he’d want to fire a promo out against the Sons of the South. To set that bar high, to the equivalent of his praise...yet we hear nothing. Boss Delikado is the same. I’ve done some research on him, he’s won titles everywhere he’s been. He truly is a modern day legend in this sport...yet he sits silent. Waiting to respond to us...That is cowardly.

The emotional switch from sadness to intense anger has been reached to the tilt.

Buckson Gooch: That’s the problem with APW, that I’m seeing. The guys who drink their own bathwater, can usually step up and be men and show the new guys what the real standard is...but instead, they sit back hiding in the shadows. That makes me angry.

Like poking a mad dog with a stick, Mac continues riling up Gooch.

Mac Bane: Does it now?

Buckson Gooch: Yeah it makes me angry. I’d tell those boys this. If they think that I’m worried about a fella with a rough upbringing who learned gymnastics and kickboxing who has a good reputation or a pseudo mob boss, they have another thing coming. These fists of mine are dangerous. No amount of bravado and backflips are going to change that. In all honesty, I don’t care what they do, Mac. All I care about is for them to show up, for which I have my doubts they will. I’m sure this will be played out as some sort of “strategy”...but all it’s doing is making them lose respect and is going to make their defeat that much more sweet for the Sons of the South.

The seething Gooch is ready to go off again, but Mac puts his hand on his shoulder.

Mac Bane: Let me teach you something Buck...You’re angry right now, right? You want to rip someone’s head off? You want to inflict as much damage on our opponents right?

Gooch, wild eyed nods his head yes.

Mac Bane: While in the real world, it would be good to release those emotions or pay thousands of dollars to a shrink to do that...professional wrestling is different. Take this pain that someone has inflicted on our family...take this aggravation from opponents who don’t respect us enough to make themselves known...put that in your heart...let that aggravation grow with each heartbeat. Shove it to the recesses of your mind. You’ll be able to release that aggression soon...right now, take care of Annabelle. You got it?

The wild eyed look on Gooch’s face starts to dissipate as he reaches over and holds his wife’s hand again. He’s already lost in his thoughts as Bane walks out of the room and out of the Intensive Care Unit. Gooch reaches up and with his strong, calloused hands, carefully pushes the hair out of Annabelle’s face. Her warm skin is refreshing to him. He prays she pulls out of it. He prays for his opponents after he is done with them...and he prays for the life of the man that did this...




"The world is not fair, and often fools, cowards, liars and the selfish hide in high places."
- Bryant H. McGill

You can tell the heart of a man, a competitive man, by the nature of their insults. In our line of work, a wrestlers must be able to accurately assess his opponents, almost like playing a game of chess, and drive words to the core of their opponents that could “shake them” or get them off of their game plan.

I doing research, I wonder about Boss Delikado. Making fun of people’s names? You are going to have a field day with me...just like the kids that were in my first grade class. I didn’t let insults hurt me then, and I don’t let them hurt me now.

Those insults can really say something about a man, too. A man of your esteem shouldn’t have to lower himself to such base insults. You should have clever things to say, clever anecdotes, and superior knowledge of wrestling, because let’s be honest, I’m nothing but a rookie. You should have a field day with me...but you aren’t going to. You realize that you are about to get the fight brought to you, not by someone who wields power. Not by someone of similar wrestling acumen. Surely not someone with your credentials...It’s obvious that you are wise.

Wise? Yeah, I’d be scared of an angry redneck, too.

You should be.

Evan Envi, the flavor the wrestling month. Seems like you and I have some things in common. Growing up is tough, huh? That doesn’t set you apart this week. We’ve all had a tough ride. You took nothing and turned it into something. That is commendable. People are heaping praises on you continually. You may very well be one of the best wrestlers in the world...I don’t take that from you. But fear can really effect the psyche of even a great wrestler like yourself. For someone to be at the level you are, I’d think you’d want to strike a chord with your opponents. Fire the first shot and set the the bar high for the week...but you weren’t there. You haven’t been here. While lesser men would say it’s strategy...be a man and admit you are scared. The Sons of the South have been on a tear, we’re big, we’re mean...and we get the job done. Admitting that you have something to be worried about will get you somewhere, but please, don’t patronize Mac, myself, and the fans into thinking this was part of a master plan. You wanted us to fire the first shot, as if you were the challengers. Big mistake.

Getting called up to Overdrive was great. It meant I would have more money for the family. The Sons of the South being brought into a match against the premier tag team of APW is quite the honor. Envi, Delikado, and Bane are three men who demand and deserve the respect that they’ve so diligently earned.

I’m the odd man out.

People may be overlooking us because of me. And that’s fine...Just like the work of my life, I’ll prove them and everyone wrong. People thought it was dumb to marry my high school sweetheart right out of school. I loved her then, I love her now, and I’m enraged at the recent turn of events. People thought the farm was going to fail when Daddy died...I made sure it didn’t. I provided for my family as best I could and kept the farm running, no matter the adversity. I’m a winner.

Wrestling will be no different. I’m not the most educated, I don’t have the background, but winning breeds winning.

I will not stop. I will not lose. My family comes first, my responsibilities come first. I may not be polished, but I will get the job done.

Blood will be shed. Bones will be broken. Unfortunately, boys. You’ll have to answer for the sins of another...and answer for your own mistakes. You should’ve spoken up sooner. You’re going to wish you would’ve been here in Possomgrape, Arkansas and stopped the man who vandalized my house...your health would’ve been better off for it.

With each beat of my heart, the time bomb ticks...when that bell rings...you’ll get my focused rage. The tag tournament is on hold in my mind. You’ll get the full brunt of my rage. I often talk of Southern Hospitality...you are going to get a dish of Southern Justice this week.

Being honorable men worthy of your spot would’ve worked for you this week...your true colors were shown by not doing so.

Expect the consequences.