Post by Rick Majors on Oct 19, 2016 14:59:25 GMT -5
Rick Majors sat down on the bench in his locker room and he’s wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened. All he knew was that he had to get a picture frame.
In his old house, from his old life, he had a wall in his basement gym that was lined with photos of his greatest wrestling accomplishments. Winning the NLCW Cruiserweight Title was up there. So was a really great picture of him becoming the first NLCW Undisputed Champion. He had been quite vain and egotistical in his younger days and, while that side of his personality faded as he aged, he continued to add pictures to the wall whenever something important came up. They inspired him. Or at least they made him feel youthful.
When his marriage ended and they sold their home, he didn’t rebuild the wall of accomplishments in his new place. Not only was there much less space in this apartment, but he honestly assumed that his days of achieving things were in the past.
Now he needed to frame a picture of this night: The night he won the 2016 PCW Deadly Rumble.
That sentence barely even made sense to him. How did it happen? He hardly remembered most of it. He did remember falling over the ropes and hitting the floor the first time. He’d immediately knew that blown it again. Another loss. Another missed opportunity. Why does he keep doing this? But then he looked over and saw Dan Fierce there on the floor as well. The next thing he knew, he was back in the ring. The match was still on. He still had a shot.
Then both men flipped over the rope a second time. Fierce hit the floor. He held on. Somehow, some way, he held on. Both feet didn’t touch the floor until Fierce was officially eliminated. He had won. What?
The win still seemed unreal to him, but at least the way it happened made some sense.
Barely hanging on was how Rick Majors had been going through life for a while.
Even before Kelly’s accident, things weren’t 100% rosy. He liked to pretend that they were, but deep down he knew that wasn’t true. The accident had just accelerated the path that they were already on. But, before the drunk drive struck, true happiness somehow always felt like it was just within reach. So he held on.
While Kelly was in the hospital, he felt his grip loosening. He barely ate. He hardly slept. He went days, sometimes weeks, without showering. He sat in the hospital and cried. He sat at home and cried. He wandered around the hallways of the ICU for hours at a time. Nothing made sense to him. So he went back to wrestling. That was something he knew. That would keep him together.
But that wasn’t the same either.
He won a few more titles in the NLCW before it closed its doors for good, but he could feel sanity slipping through his fingers the entire time. It wasn't working. It would have all crumbled for him when the company shut down, but Kelly was released from the hospital around that same time. It looked like wrestling was in the past and happily ever after could once again be considered a possible future.
But he couldn’t hold onto it. He slipped.
He went back to wrestling, this time walking into PCW as an unknown with a history of injuries and time definitely not on his side. And he’d done as well as anyone could have expected. That is to say he failed. Miserably.
When his professional life suffered, so did his personal life. His grip on reality and sanity and any semblance of a normal life was again slipping through his fingers. And then, one day after yet another loss, he almost let go completely.
Murdoc hit him in the face with a fireball. Loki moved on to the Icemann Invitational Tournament Final. Rick Majors downed a bottle of pills, chased it with vodka and sliced his wrist open.
It all nearly ended that day.
But, for whatever reason, it didn't. He held on. The road back was long and painful and difficult. But he was almost there. Soon he would compete for the PCW World Title. Even if he lost (and he was almost certain that he would lose) it would be a great moment for him. But first, the ten-person tag match at Trauma 200. He's not even sure if he deserves this honour, but here we are.
He knew this night was a big deal. He hadn’t been in PCW as long as many of the others in the match, but he still knew that the 200th episode of Trauma was a monumental occasion. He would team up with Nathan Saniti, Kelli Starr, Dan Fierce and…. someone to take on Murdoc, Grimm, Seromine, Sadistic and Alexa Black.
Rick Majors had worked with Kelli Starr and Nathan Saniti in the past. He had battled it out with Dan Fierce in the Deadly Rumble. He knew and respected all of these individuals. Whoever the fifth person was would almost certainly be a good choice. But look at what they are up against.
The PCW World Champion
The PCW International Champion
The PCW North American Champion
The former PCW World Champion
And a man who held the PCW World Title for nearly a year
What had he gotten himself into? This is going to hurt.
Just as a rundown: Murdoc caused him to nearly kill himself, but Grimm had nearly killed him himself. Ditto for Alexa Black. Seromine and Sadistic? They haven’t caused him any particular harm yet, but they haven't had the chance yet. He was certain that they would. They’re about to join the list of PCW competitors who have nearly ended Rick Majors’ life.
And, if he somehow survives this, what’s next? One-on-one with Murdoc?
Perhaps winning the Deadly Rumble was a bad idea.
Well, more accurately, of course it was a bad idea. Every moment of Rick Majors’ life since mid-2009 had been a bad idea, a big mistake, a terrible thought or an ill-formed plan. And yet, somehow, the story up until this point could be written as either a tragedy or a triumph.
Rick Majors fell apart emotionally and has deteriorated physically in the seven years since his then-wife was in a serious accident. He currently clings to the past, desperate to accomplish something – anything – in the final days of his once proud wrestling career.
Rick Majors nearly lost his then-wife in a 2009 car accident. Despite serious injuries and emotional stress, he battles on, seemingly ignoring the fact that the hands of Father Time continue to tick. After years of setbacks and disappointments, Rick Majors has overcome all of these things to become the number one contender for the PCW World Championship.
Both of those statements were equally true. He tended to give more credence to the first one, but that doesn’t make the second one any less accurate. Maybe it's time to focus on that one for a bit.
How will history remember him? Will he go into the books as a man who tried to hold on for too long only to fall and fall again? Or will just one foot touch the floor? Will he stand up once again, look his opponent in the eyes, recognize that he’s in an uphill battle, and keep pushing?
Trauma 200 is going to be a landmark event, and not just for PCW. It will determine which direction Rick Majors will take. And the path of struggle, disappointment and failure is getting old. It’s time to win again.
Where can he find a picture frame at this hour?
In his old house, from his old life, he had a wall in his basement gym that was lined with photos of his greatest wrestling accomplishments. Winning the NLCW Cruiserweight Title was up there. So was a really great picture of him becoming the first NLCW Undisputed Champion. He had been quite vain and egotistical in his younger days and, while that side of his personality faded as he aged, he continued to add pictures to the wall whenever something important came up. They inspired him. Or at least they made him feel youthful.
When his marriage ended and they sold their home, he didn’t rebuild the wall of accomplishments in his new place. Not only was there much less space in this apartment, but he honestly assumed that his days of achieving things were in the past.
Now he needed to frame a picture of this night: The night he won the 2016 PCW Deadly Rumble.
That sentence barely even made sense to him. How did it happen? He hardly remembered most of it. He did remember falling over the ropes and hitting the floor the first time. He’d immediately knew that blown it again. Another loss. Another missed opportunity. Why does he keep doing this? But then he looked over and saw Dan Fierce there on the floor as well. The next thing he knew, he was back in the ring. The match was still on. He still had a shot.
Then both men flipped over the rope a second time. Fierce hit the floor. He held on. Somehow, some way, he held on. Both feet didn’t touch the floor until Fierce was officially eliminated. He had won. What?
The win still seemed unreal to him, but at least the way it happened made some sense.
Barely hanging on was how Rick Majors had been going through life for a while.
Even before Kelly’s accident, things weren’t 100% rosy. He liked to pretend that they were, but deep down he knew that wasn’t true. The accident had just accelerated the path that they were already on. But, before the drunk drive struck, true happiness somehow always felt like it was just within reach. So he held on.
While Kelly was in the hospital, he felt his grip loosening. He barely ate. He hardly slept. He went days, sometimes weeks, without showering. He sat in the hospital and cried. He sat at home and cried. He wandered around the hallways of the ICU for hours at a time. Nothing made sense to him. So he went back to wrestling. That was something he knew. That would keep him together.
But that wasn’t the same either.
He won a few more titles in the NLCW before it closed its doors for good, but he could feel sanity slipping through his fingers the entire time. It wasn't working. It would have all crumbled for him when the company shut down, but Kelly was released from the hospital around that same time. It looked like wrestling was in the past and happily ever after could once again be considered a possible future.
But he couldn’t hold onto it. He slipped.
He went back to wrestling, this time walking into PCW as an unknown with a history of injuries and time definitely not on his side. And he’d done as well as anyone could have expected. That is to say he failed. Miserably.
When his professional life suffered, so did his personal life. His grip on reality and sanity and any semblance of a normal life was again slipping through his fingers. And then, one day after yet another loss, he almost let go completely.
Murdoc hit him in the face with a fireball. Loki moved on to the Icemann Invitational Tournament Final. Rick Majors downed a bottle of pills, chased it with vodka and sliced his wrist open.
It all nearly ended that day.
But, for whatever reason, it didn't. He held on. The road back was long and painful and difficult. But he was almost there. Soon he would compete for the PCW World Title. Even if he lost (and he was almost certain that he would lose) it would be a great moment for him. But first, the ten-person tag match at Trauma 200. He's not even sure if he deserves this honour, but here we are.
He knew this night was a big deal. He hadn’t been in PCW as long as many of the others in the match, but he still knew that the 200th episode of Trauma was a monumental occasion. He would team up with Nathan Saniti, Kelli Starr, Dan Fierce and…. someone to take on Murdoc, Grimm, Seromine, Sadistic and Alexa Black.
Rick Majors had worked with Kelli Starr and Nathan Saniti in the past. He had battled it out with Dan Fierce in the Deadly Rumble. He knew and respected all of these individuals. Whoever the fifth person was would almost certainly be a good choice. But look at what they are up against.
The PCW World Champion
The PCW International Champion
The PCW North American Champion
The former PCW World Champion
And a man who held the PCW World Title for nearly a year
What had he gotten himself into? This is going to hurt.
Just as a rundown: Murdoc caused him to nearly kill himself, but Grimm had nearly killed him himself. Ditto for Alexa Black. Seromine and Sadistic? They haven’t caused him any particular harm yet, but they haven't had the chance yet. He was certain that they would. They’re about to join the list of PCW competitors who have nearly ended Rick Majors’ life.
And, if he somehow survives this, what’s next? One-on-one with Murdoc?
Perhaps winning the Deadly Rumble was a bad idea.
Well, more accurately, of course it was a bad idea. Every moment of Rick Majors’ life since mid-2009 had been a bad idea, a big mistake, a terrible thought or an ill-formed plan. And yet, somehow, the story up until this point could be written as either a tragedy or a triumph.
Rick Majors fell apart emotionally and has deteriorated physically in the seven years since his then-wife was in a serious accident. He currently clings to the past, desperate to accomplish something – anything – in the final days of his once proud wrestling career.
Rick Majors nearly lost his then-wife in a 2009 car accident. Despite serious injuries and emotional stress, he battles on, seemingly ignoring the fact that the hands of Father Time continue to tick. After years of setbacks and disappointments, Rick Majors has overcome all of these things to become the number one contender for the PCW World Championship.
Both of those statements were equally true. He tended to give more credence to the first one, but that doesn’t make the second one any less accurate. Maybe it's time to focus on that one for a bit.
How will history remember him? Will he go into the books as a man who tried to hold on for too long only to fall and fall again? Or will just one foot touch the floor? Will he stand up once again, look his opponent in the eyes, recognize that he’s in an uphill battle, and keep pushing?
Trauma 200 is going to be a landmark event, and not just for PCW. It will determine which direction Rick Majors will take. And the path of struggle, disappointment and failure is getting old. It’s time to win again.
Where can he find a picture frame at this hour?
