Lessons From History

I had two goals heading into this World Title Contender Series.  The first goal, the primary goal, was to become number one contender for the SCW World Championship.  The second goal was simply to prove to the SCW universe that I have arrived.  The second goal was to earn the respect of each and every individual who wrestles for Supreme Championship Wrestling.

No, I didn’t become the number one contender for the SCW World Championship, but based upon my performance throughout this series, I believe it’s safe to say that I have earned the respect of the SCW locker room.  It is safe to say that I have proven to the athletes who compete in this company that I am a threat, that I am a force to be reckoned with, and that someday I will be SCW World Champion.

In other words, I have silenced my critics.

Well, maybe there is still one critic, but that critic is an individual whose opinion I don’t really value.  Christy Matthews has already proven to me through the actions she’s taken throughout this series that her opinions are not to be taken seriously, because she clearly doesn’t take any of this seriously.

If she’s the final critic I have to silence then so be it, but truth be told, I don’t need to prove myself to her.  All I want to do is shut her mouth and send her self-entitled ass packing to the back of the line. And that’s exactly what I intend to do at Learning From History.

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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The World Championship Contender Series didn’t turn out the way Marie Annabelle Jones had hoped.  At the end of the day it was Bree Lancaster, not Marie Jones, who won the title shot.  But Marie is grateful for one thing at least; she proved that she is a major league player in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  She defeated two former world champions in the form of Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews to get as close as she did to earning that world championship match.  She may not have a title shot, but she earned the respect of nearly everyone in the SCW locker room.

Nearly everyone; there is still one person left to deal with, one critic left to silence and that individual is Christy Matthews, a person whom Marie still takes great issue with due to her approach to this entire contenders series.  But Marie will get the opportunity to deal with Christy at a later date; specifically at the Learning From History pay per view.

Dealing with Christy isn’t the only thing on the mind of Marie Jones at this moment.  She still worries about her mother, the matriarch of the Jones family Angelica Jones, who has recently showed signs of mental instability.

Up until this point, Marie has been told not to worry too much about her mother.  Her husband Arthur, her aunt Kayla, even her parish priest seems to suggest that others can take care of Angelica and that diverting all of her time and attention onto her mother could be detrimental to other aspects of her life; namely, her wrestling career.

Marie understands the gravity of the situation and what that would mean.  She only just recently took the steps necessary to get closer to a future world title shot.  She earned the respect of the SCW locker room.  To lose that now could mean she never gets it back.  And yet, she has always believed that family comes first.  She had always believed that she should look out for family before anything and everything else in her own life.

“I can’t believe my mother!  I just can’t believe her!”

And based on the upset voice of Marie Annabelle Jones, it seems as if this situation has taken yet another strange turn.  The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling is pacing the carpeted floor of her living room.  She has no shoes on but does wear a knee length black skirt and a long sleeve red sweater. Her husband, Arthur Pond, sits in a comfy chair directly across from his pacing wife.  A smirk is on his face.

“You seem upset.”  Arthur answers back.

“Of course I’m upset!” Marie exclaims as she stops momentarily to stare down her husband. “My mother is on the verge of snapping.  She is on the verge of a mental and emotional breakdown.  And I want to help her,” she points a finger at Arthur “but you and my Aunt Kayla and even my own priest and so many others think I should just leave well enough alone.  Each and every one of you think I should stay out of it and let her descend into madness!”

“Now Marie,” Arthur sighs and shakes his head “that’s not what we suggested.  We merely suggested that you find a happy medium, a balance between your family life and your professional life.”

“Or in other words, ignore my mother’s problem.” Marie sneers as she resumes her pacing.

“No, what we…or at least what I mean…is that you should find a balance and not to ignore either one.  Consider this, Marie, people are really starting to sit up and take notice of you since you beat the likes of Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews, two former world champions, in that triple threat match.”

“It didn’t do me any good.” Marie snaps back as she continues to pace the floor. “I still lost the series to Bree.”

“True, but you proved yourself a worthy contender.  You proved that you a threat to be taken seriously.  And to any other doubters out there, those few individuals, you will silence them by beating Christy Matthews one on one at Learning From History.”

Marie lets out a big sigh of exasperation.  She stops pacing and again turns to face her loving husband, whom she knows only cares about her and only wants to see the best for her, but she feels he just cannot understand the conflict that she is going through right now.

“All of that is true, I get that, and believe me, I look forward to teaching Christy a lesson, but I’ve always put loyalty to family above anything else.  The Jones family as a whole has always had each other’s back and I want to do what I can to help my mother in her own time of crisis.  But I was told not to worry about it, not let it get to me.  I was told to focus on the contender series and that my mom would be fine.  And then what did I learn?”

“I know…” Arthur remarks; nodding his head with a frown, almost as if he anticipates the worst and is bracing himself for it.

“My mother spoke with Kimberly…” she throws her arms up into the air out of frustration “…KIMBERLY of all people!”

Kimberly Williams is the identical twin sister of Marie Annabelle Jones.  On top of that, Kimberly had also just been through her own mental crisis.  It was for that reason that Angelica chose to open up to Kimberly first as opposed to anyone else in the family.  That knowledge doesn’t make it any better for Marie, who flipped out when she learned of the meeting between the two.

“And what is it about Kimberly that disqualifies her from talking to Angelica?”

“Seriously?” Marie blinks furiously, seemingly stunned that Arthur would pose such a question. “You are seriously asking me that?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” Marie sighs deeply. “How about I start out with the fact that she, herself, only recently got medically cleared by a psychiatrist?”

“That should make her immensely qualified to speak to someone who is questioning their own mental instability, I would think.” Arthur retorts.

“Ok, how about the fact that I’m her daughter?”

“So is Kim.”

“But I’ve been there for mom far longer than Kimberly has.  They only recently discovered one another, Arthur.  Why go to her?  Why go to Kimberly instead of me?!”

“You’re not going to like my answer.” Arthur stands up out of his chair and places both of his strong hands upon his wife’s shoulders. “But your mother, as strong as she tries to appear, has gone through hell throughout her life.  She hides it well but I’m sure she’s hurting a great deal for many reasons.  And with you, while it is true that you and her have a greater history together, maybe even a stronger relationship together, Angelica made sure to protect you, some would argue that she tried to shelter you from certain problems of the real world, because she didn’t want you to endure the same kinds of problems that she had to endure.  She wanted you to have a better life than she had.”

Arthur smiles and nods his head. “And she should be commended for that, but Kimberly went through hell her life as well, and that makes her more qualified to help your mother than you are.  Besides, you’re right about the fact that Kimberly hasn’t had a chance to bond with Angelica in the same way you have.” He leans over and kisses Marie on the cheek. “So wouldn’t this be a great opportunity for Angelica to bond with the daughter she never got a chance to know?”

“I guess…” Marie’s voice trails off, pausing to think about things for a moment; finally, she nods her head “…I guess you’re right.  I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right.  I just hate the fact that…” Her voice trails off again as she shakes her head “…I hate the fact that I wasn’t there for mom.  It makes me feel guilty, you know?”

“I know but you can’t be the hero all of the time, Marie.  Sometimes you have to stand back and let others be the hero.  Sometimes you have to let others save you.”

“That’s hard to do, Arthur.” Marie says with a playful half-grin and a wink. “And you should know, because we’ve been together long enough that you should know me and know how I am.  I have that infamous Jones stubborn streak running right through me.  I won’t just let go that easily.”

“I do know, but you also need to know that it’s healthier for you if you just let go.  I really think this is one situation you don’t need to involve yourself in.  Your mother will get the help she needs.  Believe me.”

“I’m sure she will, but I just…” Marie shakes her head with exasperation written across her face.

“But what?” Arthur asks. “What else do you need, Marie?”

“I just need to know if my mom is ok.  That’s all.”

“That’s easy.” Arthur says with a knowing grin of his own. “Just ask Kim.”

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Scene 2

Off Camera

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It’s been a few hours since Marie and Arthur had their talk about Marie’s mother, Angelica Jones.  Marie’s primary concern was the fact that Angelica went to Kimberly first instead of Marie.  It shook Marie up to think that Angelica trusted Kimberly more on this issue than Marie herself.  And while Arthur seemed to explain the situation well enough, The Phoenix still wants to hear it for herself.  She wants to hear it straight from the source.  And while Angelica Jones may not be here, the next best thing still does live with Marie and Arthur…

…Kimberly Williams.

The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling ascends the stairs to the stairs to the second level of her home in Boston, Massachusetts.  When she reaches the second level it isn’t a long walk down the hall until she reaches the bedroom door of her identical twin sister.  Marie knocks on the door hoping to get Kimberly’s attention.

“Kim…are you awake?”

“Yeah, I’m awake.  Seriously, it’s just seven at night.”

“Oh, right…” Marie sighs “…uh, may I come in?”

“Sure.”

Marie pushes the door open and steps inside.  She finds Kimberly sitting on the end of her bed with her back turned towards Marie.  She walks up to the bed and sits down on the other side of the bed, with her back turned towards Kim.

“Arthur and I are thinking of going out somewhere tonight.  Do you want to come?”

“Nah, you and your boy toy have fun by yourselves.  I may find some rotten food and throw it at old people.”

“Be serious, Kim.” Marie says, rolling her eyes.

“I am being serious.” Kimberly remarks with a nasty snicker. “Throwing things at old people is fun!”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Marie responds.

“So much frustration in your voice, sis.” Kimberly swings her feet back onto the bed and turns around to face Marie.  Kimberly slowly crawls over so that she is side by side with her identical twin. “Are you upset about something?”

“No.” Marie snaps back quickly. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll give you credit for one thing, babe.  You are a spectacularly BAD liar.” Kimberly says, winking at Marie.

“I’m not lying!”

“Another spectacularly bad lie!”

“No, I’m not lying.” Marie insists, shaking her head.

“Look, we’re not just sisters, but we’re twins.  I think I know you better than anyone else.  Hell, I WAS you for a few months during that stage when I was kinda crazy and sorta, kinda kidnapped you and stuff.”

“You did kidnap me, Kim.” Marie says, frowning. “There is no ‘sorta’ or ‘kinda’ about it.”

“Whatever.” Kimberly says, rolling her eyes. “Point is, I know you.  And I know when you’re lying.  So just give it up already and tell me what’s up.  I’ll keep bothering the hell out of you until you tell me.  So you may as well just get it over with and tell me.”

Normally the Jones stubborn streak would kick in and cause Marie to fight back but logic tells her that Kimberly is right.  Her twin sister may act like she’s crazy but she’s very shrewd and very smart.  She knows what she’s doing and she can figure out someone rather quickly.  Kimberly, no doubt, already knows for a fact that Marie is lying.

“You saw mom…”

“Yeah, I did.” Kimberly remarks with a confused look on her face. “What’s your point?”

“How is she?”

“She’s fine, all things considered.” Kimberly says, shrugging her shoulders, as she isn’t quite sure what Marie wants to know. “More than anything else she’s scared.”

“What is she scared of?”

“The mental hospital.  She was locked up once before, as you know, and she’s afraid of being locked up again if she were to go get professional help.”

“Yeah, that’d make sense.” Marie says, nodding her head.

“I think she’ll do the right thing, though.”

“You mean she’ll get the help she needs?”

“If that’s what’s best for her, then yes.”

“Of course it’s what’s best for her, Kim!” Marie exclaims.

“Who am I to be the judge of that?” Kimberly asks with a wink.

“It’s just that…” Marie sighs and shakes her head “…look, just so long as mom is fine, I’m ok.”

Marie hops up off of the bed and starts to walk out but Kimberly, sensing that her twin sister is still hiding something, rolls off the bed and follows her.

“Marie, wait!” Kimberly rushes to the door and shuts the door before Marie can even open it. “We need to talk.”

“We’ve talked, Kim.” Marie responds calmly. “There’s nothing else to talk about.”

“Oh sure there is.” Kim responds with a sly grin. “We could talk about what is really bothering you.”

“There’s nothing bothering me.”

“Sure there is.” Kim grins knowingly. “In fact, I bet I can guess what it is.”

“No you can’t!”

“Ah-ha!” Kimberly starts jumping up and down excitedly. “You admit something else is bothering you!”

“I admit nothing!” Marie vehemently shakes her head.

“Oh there you go lying again.” Kimberly playfully touches Marie on the nose. “Lying isn’t good, sweetie.  Didn’t mommy ever teach you that?”

“Why don’t you tell me?!” Marie exclaims loudly and angrily. “You seem to talk to her more than me lately!”

“And there we go.” Kimberly says confidently. “Therein lies our problem.”

“Huh?  What are you…?” Then it hits Marie and her look of confusion contorts as she realizes what just happened. “Oh, right…yeah…”

“So, would ya mind filling in the details before I embarrass you further?”

Kimberly takes Marie by her hand and guides her back over to the bed.  The twin siblings sit back down on the edge of the bed.  Marie sighs and nods her head.

“I admit, Kim…it bothered me when I learned that mom asked you to talk to her about her problems and not me.”

“Why would that bother you?”

“I’ve been around her more than you, Kim.  She’s always been there for me and whenever she’s needed me I was there for her.  I guess I was jealous of you.”

“Jealous?” Kimberly is stunned and yet also apparently pleased just so slightly. “You were jealous of me?”

“Yeah.”

“All this time I wanted to be you, I was jealous of the relationship you had with our mom, and now this one time you are jealous of me.” Kimberly chuckles. “I hate it for you, but it does kinda feel sweet.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Sorry,” Kimberly quickly states “but seriously, there’s no need to feel jealous.  Trust me, as someone who felt that very same feeling for the longest time, there is no need to feel that way.  Mom probably still loves you more than me, anyway.  It’s just that my unique experience when it comes to mental instability made me more suitable to help her, you know?”

“I know, and I also know that you needed this time to bond with our mother; so I am happy for you, Kim.  It ‘s just difficult to accept that I have to share her.”

“What do you mean?  You always had to share her.  There’s Jessica, our half-sister, remember her?”

“Yes,” Marie nods her head “but she’s always been a bit of a loner.  Plus she still has a biological father who is very much active in her life.  I only had mom so I kinda hogged her to myself.” Marie grins sheepishly. “I guess I’ll have to learn to share her.”

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On Camera

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This contender series has come and gone and while it did not go my way, I still am damn proud of what I did.  I fought with the best of them in the battle royal at The Future Is Now to earn my spot in the series.  And unlike SOME PEOPLE I actually tried in the battle royal.  I fought my ass off in that battle royal.  And while SOME PEOPLE took shortcuts throughout the series and lost, I fought my ass off each and every step of the way, and while there were some instances that I lost, there was one big match I won and that was the time I defeated not one but TWO former world champions in the same damn match.

No, I did not become number one contender to the world championship, but I am a former United States Champion and in the process of this contender series I proved that I can hang in the main event scene and that someday soon I will be SCW World Champion.  Even in defeat I still earned the respect of the SCW locker room because of what I managed to do in this contender series.

While we’re talking respect, Christy Matthews, I can honestly say that I have lost all respect for you.  I will tell you why in a moment but first let me just state for the record that I think the name of this upcoming pay per view, Learning From History, is an appropriate name.  I am a student of the game, Christy.  I have studied the past, I have studied the illustrious history of Supreme Championship Wrestling, and more specifically, I have looked at those who have held its top prize, the World Championship, and what I noticed that each and every one of them have in common is a drive and determination to be the best.

You used to have that drive and determination.  The fact that you once held that championship is proof positive of that.  But either you forgot the lessons of history or you’ve just stubbornly chosen to ignore them, either way you are no longer that person you used to be.  You no longer have that same drive and determination that made you a world champion, that made you one of the best.

This has nothing to do with taking shortcuts, by the way.  You mentioned taking shortcuts and how that’s “no big deal”…you mentioned that the Jones family does it all the time…and you know what, I won’t deny that.  The Jones family knows every dirty trick in the book.  Hell, we invented some of them.  So yeah, we have taken shortcuts before, but what you did during the contender series is not just merely taking a shortcut.

You were choosing not to compete at all until it suited you.  That’s something less than “a shortcut”; it’s something worse.  Because not competing shows me and it shows everyone else that you don’t give a damn whether you win or not.

All you did throughout this series was prove that you no longer have the heart to keep you going in this business.  All you proved was that you did not have that same drive and determination that made you great.  And because of that you have lost the respect I had for you and I’m sure there are others in the locker room who no longer respect you either.

You clearly have not learned from history, because if you had learned from history then you would have known that you need to fight like hell each and every night in order to get that golden ticket to greatness.  If you want to be champion, you need to show that you still have the drive and determination to do what’s necessary to get things done.

But hell, you weren’t doing a damn thing in the contender series.  In fact, looking back at things, I made a mistake in choosing to eliminate you.  I should have eliminated Ace instead and let you be a part of the triple threat against Bree and myself.  Then I know it would’ve just been one on one me against Bree because you damn sure would’ve sat on your fat dumpy ass and did nothing while Bree and I fought to see who was the best.

You can’t be bothered to actually DO anything, can you?

There’s an old saying, Christy.  And I hope you listen to this and listen well.  But that old saying goes, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

I have been an active wrestler since 2007 and I have damn sure learned the lessons of history.  I know how cutthroat this business is and I know what it takes to get ahead.  I also know that each company is its own distinct animal and I have just about figured out how to get along in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  You could say I’m evolving my game.

But you, you’re regressing.  You have not learned a damn thing since the last time you were a title holder in SCW.  You’re getting worse.  Instead of earning your opportunities by fighting, by busting your ass, and earning it the hard way, you expect sit idly by and have the opportunity fall into your lap.  Seriously, how else did you think you would earn a title shot if you were just going to not do anything throughout this contender series?  Were you seriously expecting Mr. D to just hand you a title shot because your name is Christy Matthews?

It doesn’t work that way you self-entitled bitch.  You earn your way in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  You once believed that but now you’ve forgotten it.  Perhaps it’s time for a refresher course and I’m just the teacher to drill those lessons into your skull.

And the best way I know how to drill those lessons into your skull is by driving your head into the mat with an Ave Maria.  Or maybe you’ll figure out that something’s wrong with your approach if I humble you and make you tap out in front of the entire world at Lessons From History?

However this ends, whether by a pin fall after the Ave Maria or a tap out from the Angel’s Arch, either way you will learn to respect me and you will learn to respect this industry because I will beat that respect into you.