Creation of a Man, Pt. 1

[Tommy Knox]

//- Creation of a Man, Chapter 14, Pt. 1 -\\

Tuesday 7:31 AM [September 20th, 2011]
Long Beach, California

Behind the clouds, the sun aches to break through on this dark and grim morning. Downtown is normally quiet about this time, like always. The city rests in peace as the streets light up from dawn and life begins flowing through its veins. In the heart of the city is where find ourselves, well… the heart for some, but not many.

Outside of Slam’s, the street is empty as trash drifts down the sidewalk from the slight breeze coming from the north. An unfamiliar black sport utility vehicle is parked by the entrance with two unknown individuals in the front talking amongst each other without a care in the world. These two don’t fit the picture.

Damn, this doesn’t look good. Trouble seems to always find us when we least expect it. From the look of the two goons in the SUV, you can bet all in that this certain someone has traveled from across the country to track down the Ironman. Italian, the only people who would pop up unannounced looking for our friend fit this description.

Inside, we find Tommy sparring in the ring as Rodrigo coaches him from the apron. With Knoxville’s head locked with his legs, the unknown partner applies the pressure without restraint. Looking down as he fights for escape, Rodrigo leans in under the top rope and smacks Tommy across the forehead as he yells down his throat.

“You’re a fucking bum!! You think just because you win one match for the night that you can just duck out of the rumble. You don’t deserve the chance… Tommy.”

Starring back at Rodrigo, Knoxville fights his way out of the hold and jumps to his feet. The opposing partner quickly climbs to a knee just before getting knocked to his back with a spinning kick to the chest.

“What more do you want from me?! I told you once old man, it wasn’t my fault.”

“Here we go again with the lies. Panocha!!!”

“We can argue about this all day. My story isn’t goin’ to change, deal with it. I was ready to get my ass in that ring last week and earn my spot in the elimination chamber. I think I know who is behind this little mix up.”

“PANOCHA! When will it ever end with the excuses? Ser un hombre… asumir la responsabilidad…”

Before he can respond, Tommy gets taken to the mat as the sparring partner tackles him in a surprise rush. Tommy gets angry and fights for a moment to break loose but fails in his first attempt.

“Get the fuck off of me Cid!”

Looking down at Tommy, Cid cracks a grin as he applies the force with his hold. Not letting him break free, he looks into Tommy’s eyes and quietly replies. “Your time is just about over?” Releasing the hold, Cid rises to his feet as the two look at each other with disgust.

“Fuck you both. I’m out of here.”

Slowly climbing to his, Tommy swings at Cid with a sucker punch knocking him to the canvas as Rodrigo quickly steps in and separates the two. Cid holds his left eye for a moment as blood begins to slowly trickle from the outside corner.

“Get out of here! Go… VAMANOS!!!” Rodrigo yells as he looks Tommy in the eyes and points to the front entrance. Silence fills the gym for a moment as Tommy turns his back to both as he slowly walks towards the ropes, grabbing his shirt from the turnbuckle.

“I’m finished with this bullshit. Since gettin’ back with you Rodrigo, things haven’t changed. You’re still the same washed up never has been nor will be. You’ve done nothing but waste my time with these school girl theatrics. The only reason I have been getting’ back on track isn’t because of you… Oh no.”

Stopping in mid-sentence, Tommy slowly turns around with a look of cockiness painted across his face. He rubs his head for a brief moment before spitting on the mat.

“I’m busting my ass day in and day out, fighting to get back in the condition to be a top athlete in the sport. You’re just my warm up session old man. This place is a dump hombre. You can’t keep up in this sport training on antique shit like this. Times have changed.”

As if he were spit in the face, Rodrigo quickly confronts Tommy and steps face to face with him. Tommy looks slightly down without emotion, ice cold, as he rubs his teeth with his tongue waiting to hear what Rodrigo has to say.

“If you walk out of that door now, all you’re doing is throwing it all away. You can work out with all the high tech equipment in the world but that’s not going to give you heart. That’s not going to give you experience. That’s not going to pull you out of a jam when you’ve been overpowered in the ring. You need the smarts kid. Until you realize that, you’re never going to live up to your potential.”

Laughing to himself, he shakes his head as the eye contact with Rodrigo doesn’t break.

“You’re wrong old man. This isn’t the same game you grew up in. My smarts aren’t goin’ to kick the living shit out of whoever stands in front of me. What’s goin’ to happen is this though. Let’s take Manhattan White for example. The man apparently has the so called “smarts” that you get so butt moist over. Bein’ a smart businessman in this sport, in this day and age, doesn’t get you shit when you’re standing across the ring from a hungry, mean, son of a bitch lookin’ to break someone in half.”

“I’m hungry! These past few years have been like a roller coaster for me. I’ve tried bein’ the smarter man in the ring but at the end of the day I get the same results. This is a physical sport, brains fall to brawn. I push myself to the limit each and every day, either in the ring or out of it. Playing it safe doesn’t get you anywhere. It sure as fuck doesn’t get you in the elimination chamber. I was robbed of my opportunity last week, but this week will be completely different.”

“I’m tired of shit happening like this all the fuckin’ time. I’m not who you think I am old man. Each and every morning I wake up with one thing on my mind. The only thing that I can think of is climbing back in the ring and fighting my way to being the alpha male in this sport. Fuckin’ with you all day isn’t goin’ to make that happen any faster. Manhattan White can have all the smarts in the world but I’ll be more than happy to quench his thirst for violence. My whole perspective on this business has changed, influenced if you will.”

“The only resolution I see is cutting myself loose from your broken wing. Don’t take it personal ‘Rigo, it’s just business. I need a manager, not a parent. Amigo, I may in fact be the wasted potential everyone seems to think I am. Who said there’s anything wrong with that though? I’m tired of bein’ held back while other jerkoffs like Shane Borderland and Johnny Brown get the big pushes they don’t deserve. My mind set strays far from yours.”

“There’s no more of reliving the past to better myself bullshit that you preach. I finally got the kick start I needed in APW by putting Branden Harvey away for the three count. Now it’s time to deal with little bitches like Manhattan White who like to cut themselves just to see a little blood. The thought of spilling his blood all over the canvas has ran back and forth throughout my mind, driving me against my own sanity. Der Eiserne Mann has risen from the ashes. I’ve let my mouth write checks that my ass can’t cash numerous times before. All that ended when I let APW know I was back for business last week. Being the best in this business consumes my soul.”

“My time here is finished.”

“Your time as a wrestler…”

Cutting him off in mid-sentence, Tommy turns his back to him one last time as he slowly exits the ring. “I’m a lost cause old friend. Cid on the other hand, he has a chance. Forget about me…” Looking around one last time, Tommy slowly approaches the front entrance ignoring his belongings in the locker room. Again, silence fills the gym as Cid and Rodrigo watch him walk away, disappearing in the shadows.

The front doors open as Tommy’s silhouette stands in the entrance way looking back at the two before turning his back to them once and for all. “I’ll keep a lookout for you in The U Cid. The second you show your face in my backyard though is the second you get knocked the fuck out by yours truly.” Walking forward, he exits the building as the door closes behind him and his silhouette vanishes like a ghost.

Putting his shirt on, Tommy walks down the sidewalk towards the black SUV mentioned earlier. A man stands behind him, leaning against the wall unnoticed as he passes by. Knoxville goes to cross the street but before he gets to the curb the men from the SUV get out and approach him.

“Man… what the fuck now?”

Tommy closes his fists tightly as the two men move in closer. Tommy looks around the area but doesn’t see a soul in sight. He waits patiently as each and every second eats away at him like a chipmunk on crack. Slowly drawing his right hand back a familiar voice fills the air, catching his attention.

“Thomas… what a pleasant surprise.”

Turning around without hesitation, Knoxville locks eyes with an old friend… an old enemy. He shakes his head back and forth as he chuckles under his breath. “Mr. Salieri, I thought our business with each other was finished.” The old man laughs for a moment before responding to his comment.

“It is… but it doesn’t have to be. I’m under the impression that you’re looking for management. I couldn’t help but overhear the little temper tantrum you threw in the gym just a moment ago. I believe I’m the man you’ve been looking for.”

“You think you’re the person I want managing my career?”

“It’s not about what you want. It’s about what I can get you. That’s not what I was referring to though. I’m the person you can hold responsible for interrupting your little rumble match up last week.”

“You? What in the hell are you up to Tony?”

“Nothing. Just take a ride with me and listen to what I have to offer you, your career. I knew the ending to the rumble was going to be a rigged up lie. I can get you better.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t. Just take a little ride with me. Hear me out.”

Tommy pauses for a brief moment, seems like an eternity, just before responding with a little pitch of confidence in his tone. “I’ll hear what you have to say as you give me a ride back to mi casa.” The two shake hands just before turning for the SUV. One of the accompanying gentlemen open the back door for the two as they enter into yet another business deal gone to hell. We can never escape our past. All we can do is fight to better our future. The two men get in the respective front seats as the engine fires up and the scene slowly fades to black.

“He who makes a beast of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man.”
Samuel Johnson