Creation of a Man, Pt. 3

[Tommy Knox]

//- Creation of a Man, Chapter 14, Pt. 3 -\\

Saturday 10:13 AM [October 1st, 2011]
Brooklyn, New York

The scene opens up in downtown Brooklyn, New York in a small neighborhood in the heart of the city. The streets are busy, full of cars and life going on in the surroundings. People walk along the sidewalks conversing with one another and just trying to get by to move along. It's a Saturday morning around two twelve or so. The sun is bright, illuminating the neighborhood and every back alley and street corner. In the distance down the street is a big sign in the air that reads; "Plex's Gym". A picture of Jon Plex is placed on the left side with him holding the TcW North American championship with various other titles he has won in the background.

The camera moves in towards the gym. A few cars are parked in front of it but most are parked on the side in the parking lot. Just down the street a strip club, "Fillies", is on the opposite side of the road. Yea it is, it's the same Fillies’ that Tony Salieri owns and operates except now it's under new management since he's currently back in the spotlight with charges pending on him by local authorities. Now it's under the watchful eye of his nephew, Michael Salieri, who isn't one you want to cross.

The camera moves towards the gym to the front doors. Looking through the glass it appears that the gym is very slow. Not many people are inside. The camera makes its way inside the gym. A few people are scattered throughout the gym, mostly women. A few men are in the back where the free weights are located and the women are around the aerobics equipment. As the camera moves to the back of the gym it becomes more apparent that an office is in the distant left corner of the building not too far from the rest rooms and water fountains.

As the camera moves through the gym and closer to the back office the activity going on in the gym becomes more distant. The door to the office is slightly cracked open and talking can barely be heard coming from within. Inside the office Jon Plex, former PCW North American champion and TcW North American champion and legend is sitting behind a desk holding a stress ball in his hand squeezing it slowly over and over again. Tony Salieri sits across the desk in a black suit with his arms crossed.

“I need your help Jon. I know we haven’t spoken much as of late, I’m sorry. As you know, the heat has been a bitch here recently. I need to get back in the wrestling business. I have big things planned. Jon, I want you involved.”

Thinking to himself for a brief moment, Plex nods his head just before speaking. “Whatever you need, T. How can I help?”

Tony ponders for a second as a smile comes to his face. “As I just told you, I’m getting back in the wrestling business. I’ve already made my first move.”

“And what was that?” Plex replies as he grabs a bottle of water and takes a drink.

Salieri pulls out a cigar from his jacket pocket and places it between his lips. Pulling his cutter from his other pocket he looks back at Plex with confidence in his tone.

“Action Packed Wrestling.”

As silence fills the room, Plex looks back in confusion. “Yea, I know ‘em. What about APW?”

Taking the cigar out of his mouth, he cuts the end looking down at the blade. As the tip falls to the floor he looks back up at Plex as he holds the cigar in hand.

“You remember Knoxville, from TcW? New kid to the business, fought along the side of Kash and Demon for a while towards the last days of the company. Tommy “The Ironman” Knoxville.”

Plex chuckles to himself for a split second as Salieri clears his throat, resulting in absolute silence. “The kid’s came a long way from his first days entering the business. He’s had his ups and downs throughout his career but the kid’s committed to the sport once again.”

“Committed to the sport or committed to the business?” Plex asks as he leans forward in his chair.

“The sport, the business tokes its toll on us all sooner or later. For him, it was sooner. He’s back for a second chance in this game and so am I. With his talent and my guidance…”

“Yea, yea, yea… he could go straight to the top. It ain’t that easy T.” Plex interrupts with.

“Who said anything about it being easy!? My time in this sport is nearly lost forever. I’m willing to take a gamble on the kid, along with the help of a few individuals.” Salieri replies as his voice softens. Leaning forward a shadow covers his face as a sinister look overcomes it. “I’m in for one last run. I’m jumping back into management.”

“Management, T? What resources do you have? You’ve been out of the game for quite a bit, as have I. We’re old school Tony. The world has passed us by.” Plex utters.

As the cigar rests between his lips, Tony pulls his lighter from his pocket and strikes it, igniting a flame. Taking a few puffs from the cigar, the embers burn brightly as smoke fill the air. Looking back at Plex, Salieri leans back in the chair and kicks his feet up on the desk.

“Look it, I need you to train him. The kid has talent; he’s just a little rough around the edges. I need you to kick the shit out of him day after day after day until he’s a killing machine. You’re a machine, turn him into one! Break him of all his bad habits, both physically and mentally. I need to reach out to an old friend in the meantime. Can you train him?”

Plex thinks to himself as silence fills the air. A minute or so pass as the two stare each other in the eyes without showing an ounce of emotion. Breaking the silence, Plex clears his throat as he replies.

“You bet your ass I can train him!”

“Good. He’ll be here at noon to work one on one with you. Keep your schedule clear Jon. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with Tommy. I need him in shape by the ninth, that’s next Sunday. He’s in a six man tag match, main event. I need him to stand out more than the others.” Salieri says as he looks across the desk.

Without hesitation, Plex responds with doubt in his tone. “What’s in it for me?”

Salieri thinks to himself for a moment as he slowly smokes on the cigar. He stands to his feet as Plex quickly does as well. Removing the cigar from his mouth with his left hand, he exhales as he leans forward and shakes Plex’ hand with his right as we slowly fade out.

“There’s going to be plenty… for all of us.”

Sunday 12:48 AM [October 2nd, 2011]
Brooklyn, New York

Darkness consumes the night as the moon above reflects it’s light below. The streets of Brooklyn are empty and quiet, nothing out of the ordinary. Inside the gym, Knoxville and Plex circle each other in the ring, the centerpiece of the entire gym. The two are covered in sweat as darkness consumes the inside as well except for the one light above the ring.

“Come on Knoxville! Is that all?”

As the words leave his mouth, Plex gets taken to the mat with a quick single leg takedown.

“Oh fuck no, I’m just getting’ started!”

The two beat the living hell out of one another as they fight for position. Slipping out of a headlock, Plex rolls across the ring creating space between him and Knoxville.

“You need to execute all the way through.”

Knoxville slowly climbs to his feet as he looks at Plex in humor.

“Seriously? We can do this same song and dance all night. I appreciate what you’re doin’, I really do. It’s fuckin’ almost one o’clock in the morning. I don’t have energy right now to put you on your ass old man. Next week though, when I’m in the ring with the others… I won’t have any trouble being the reason why my team walks out with a victory.”

“Don’t get cocky now, Tommy.”

“This isn’t just cockiness, this is for real. This is what’s goin’ to happen. The other night, Manhattan White barely escaped defeat as we beat the shit out of each other in that ring across the ocean. Hawaii was nothin’ more than an upset for me, not next week though. I’m not walkin’ out of that ring in Hong Kong with my head held low.”

“I’ve done nothing but push myself to the limit each and every day since I came back to the states. Mexico was a livin’ hell for me. I’m in the main event next week at Asylum. Can you seriously just sit there and tell me that I haven’t been pushing myself to execute? Open your eyes. Let me get you caught up to speed next week as I show Manhattan white just who is the better wrestler, competitor in the ring. Last week we gave it our all and ended up in a very controversial situation. Luckily, Branden Harvey is a douchebag fuck and White and I snuck ourselves into the main event at One Night in Hell. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I just have to give Manhattan a little credit though. He did last a lot longer in this fight than many expected him to. I didn’t take him seriously, nothing more than a tool in my eyes. I underestimated him, and it won’t happen again. From the moment I got back to the locker room last Sunday night, I’ve had this awful taste in my mouth. It’s pathetic if you ask me. How the fuck does a jerkoff like White stand up to yours truly in the competition of battle? It’s simple, he doesn’t. Last week was a fluke for the pretty boy. Sorry for him though, this week will be totally different. I have a score to settle with Manhattan, it’s time to settle up.”

“Then you have freaks like Mike Morrison. This isn’t my first time crossing paths with him since bein’ back, though. We’ve met a few times to say the least. I’ve taken him a lil’ too lightly in the past, all that bullshit is behind me now hombre’. It doesn’t matter if you’re Mike Morrison, Sally Talford, Rico Casteel, Manhattan White or Jason Kash himself. At the end of the day I’m goin’ to be the mother fucker standing in the middle of the ring with my hand raised above all others. This Sunday isn’t nothing more than a warm up for One Night in Hell. I’ve had my ups and downs but it all ends here. It’s been a long fuckin’ time since I’ve tasted gold.”

“I haven’t worked this hard just to slip up and lose it at the end like Kash’s little boyfriend, Borderland. I’ve been on my game from day one. A while back people knew me as an influence in this business, this sport. We’ve been down the same road a time or two. I’m here to stay. You, APW, Salieri, whoever, I’m here to give this every ounce of energy I have runnin’ through my body. I breathe for this. I sweat for this. I bleed for this. I’m back mother fucker. Whether you like it or not, you’re goin’ to have to deal with me sooner or later. Let’s meet face to face… finally.”

“Don’t let your mouth write checks that your ass can’t cash.”

Knoxville walks towards the corner and grabs a towel hanging over the turnbuckle. He wipes his forehead and catches his breath for a moment as the scene slowly fades.