Post by Gerard Angelo on Mar 11, 2019 22:46:46 GMT -5
Gerard lets out a groan as he hit the mat on his back. He stares up at the harsh fluorescent lighting, lying on his back on the worn mat. Gerry pants a little bit, trying to catch his breath as sweat drips down his face. The Hollywood Hero had been at this for nearly a month, working with his former trainer Jonathan Starsmore. He had flown straight to San Diego after his meeting with Tom Parker, the man his father’s company had named his new agent. Parker, after his futile attempts to sign Gerry to silly movie deals, tried to convince him to try working with analytics for his match against Kyle Shane. While Gerard had stormed out of the office in a rage, he would be lying if he didn’t think about it. At this point, after everything he had been through with the company and Kyle Shane, there was nothing Gerard wanted more than to become PCW World Champion. It wasn’t just about the title validating everything he’s done to get back to the top of the business. It wasn’t about proving PCW wrong for trying to screw him at Collision Course. Hell, it wasn’t even about being the World Champion again.
Gerard wanted to be the one to beat Kyle Shane. He wanted to humble the cocky champion. He wanted to be the one to end his historic, albeit tainted, title reign. To shut his mouth. Gerry has thought about it every day since December. It was bordering on obsession for The Hollywood Hero. He was open to almost anything to give him the edge over the God of Game. When Gerry arrived at the Academy, he told Jonathan about the analytics. Starsmore had just scoffed and went off on a story about how in his day he didn’t need a computer to tell him how to out wrestle someone. Jonathan proceeded to tell him how he would’ve been the champ going into Mass Destruction if it wasn’t for a gimmicked turnbuckle. Gerard had smiled back and agreed with him, but the thoughts still lingered in the back of his mind. Why shouldn’t he use every means at his disposal to win at Mass Destruction? It was the biggest match in his short time in Pure Class Wrestling. He was in the main event of the flagship Pay-Per-View of the company, facing the most dominant champion in the decade-plus history of the company. If Gerard lost, he would be done. After everything he’s said about PCW and Kyle, he would be lucky to even find himself relevant again. The only reason he was getting another chance at glory was because of the screw job. Gerry was sure if Loki didn’t mind a scandal, he would’ve just swept The Hollywood Hero under the rug and would be done with it.
“Gerry, get your ass up!” Jonathan Starsmore yelled at him from his position out of the ring, both hands on the apron, seemingly holding his overweight form upright. “Champions don’t lay on the mat from bump drills, you prick.”
Gerry groaned and peeled himself off the mat. His grey shirt was soaked with sweat, making it cling to his muscular frame as he ran the ropes back and forth before somersaulting over into another bump. This was the part of Jonathan’s training program that absolutely drove Angelo nuts. They would do the rope running and bumping drill for seemingly hours until his mind went numb. Jonathan said that was the point. One of Jon’s most important lessons was an emphasis on keeping yourself safe in the ring. He always said the other guy was already trying got hurt you, so don’t help him. It made sense to Gerard to make the trainees do it, but not him. He was looking for an edge to beat maybe the best professional wrestler in the business right now, not to relearn how to protect himself.
“Jesus Christ Gerard,” Starsmore’s gruff voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Am I working your pretty boy ass too hard today? Get out of the ring and take five.”
Gerard eagerly rolled out of the ring while Jonathan spat more expletives his way. Gerard leaned his hand on the ring post, hunched over slightly as he caught his breath. Jonathan, when he was done questioning the Hollywood Hero’s manhood, sent two of his trainees to run the ropes. Gerard watched the two, a girl and boy start to got through the bump drill. They both couldn’t be much older than eighteen. Gerry smirked slightly as he remembered being here at that age, the memory flooding back to him.
—————
A much younger Gerard Angelo stands in the same ring, the mat looking slightly newer. The ring ropes are less worn and the building itself seems to be more vibrant and full of life. About six trainees stand in the ring around the future movie star. Gerard himself is lean against the turnbuckle a cocky smirk plastered on his face that many would have said they thought was his permanent look at this point. Gerry had been training to become a pro six months ago and he had taken to it like a fish to water. Every trainer in the Academy knew he was a natural, a few had even called him a prodigy. He was already miles ahead of his class. Gerry was itching to wrestle his first match but Starsmore Academy had a strict no match before a full year of training policy. This agitated Angelo to the point he was being stiff his classmates in practice. Just being an all-around big, cocky, dick. Larry, the assistant head trainer, walked in. His windbreaker was zipped to just above his beer gut as if it was holding it in place.
“Listen up kids. We got a fresh batch of trainees coming in,” Larry said, looking out over the class in the ring. “Y’all better be on your best behavior, because you’re school veterans. You need to lead by example. Conduct yourselves accordingly”
He stares at Gerard as he says the last part as if it was just for him. Gerry just smirks cockily back at him. Larry scowls and crosses his arms.
“Alright. Get in here rookies!” He yells out and in walks the new class. None of them look like they have the chops to be professional wrestlers. There were four guys who looked like they should be managers and ring crew, Gerard figured they would all be washed out in a month or less. The one to really catch his eye was the gorgeous blonde walking in behind them. She was about five foot four and stunning, too pretty to seemingly be involved in wrestling willingly. Gerard figured she was probably an actress trying to get a quick fifteen minutes in the biz and then go on to Hollywood. Anyone who did that would be a piece of shit according to Gerard.
“Hey look, they finally got us some eye candy around here,” Gerry said nudging one of the guys next to him with his elbow, bringing a few chuckles from the class. The girl shoots a glare at Gerard to which he smirks the same stupid smirk that makes people wanna smack him today.
“She’s gonna look really good as the ring announcer when she realizes this shit is hard.” Gerard laughs as a few of the ones he's friendly with a laugh along.
“Knock it the fuck off, Gerry,” Jonathan says as he exits his office. This Jon is much thinner and has almost all his hair. He crosses his arms over his barrel chest as Gerard goes silent, albeit with his smirk still plastered on his face. The blonde continues to stare daggers at Gerard as Starsmore gives his welcoming address to the new students. Angelo gives the blonde a wink, which incenses her even more.
“I know a few of you have had a little bit of training,” Starsmore said as he looked out at the young faces before him, “So we’re gonna have you do some moves with one of our more experienced students. So all of you out of the ring, except you Gerry.” They all pile out of the ring and Gerard gives his neck a crack and hits the ropes bouncing off.
“So which one of you is first?” He asks looking out over the newbies as he leans on the top rope. The four guys look at each other, while the blonde still glares at Gerry. He chuckles to himself. “Don’t be shy boys, I won’t be too stiff with ya.”
“I’ll do it.”
Gerry turns and looks, laughing since it came from the blonde.
“I don’t think you want to do that, sweetheart. The men get a lil rough in this business.”
“Funny. Are you this big of a dick out here, because you’re compensating for something?”
The whole class goes ‘oooooh’ and laughs. Gerry scowls at the girl and she smirks evilly. Jonathan chuckles.
“The girl has moxy! Whadda you know. Alright, get on in there girl.”
Gerard sits on the ropes, opening them to invite her in mockingly. she goes around to the other side and slides into the ring. Gerard still sits on the rope, eyeing her over, but not fully in the way of a competitor. Angelo slides off the ropes gracefully and looks over at Jonathan with a raised eyebrow. Jonathan just gives him a look and Gerry rolls his eyes and walks over to the girl.
“You know how to lock up, blondie?” he asked condescendingly. The beautiful girl surprises him by grabbing him in a collar/elbow, shocking him a bit. Gerry recovers quickly though and turns it into a side headlock. He really wrenches on it, looking out at the students and trainers gathered around the ring, before making eye contact with Larry and Jonathan in turn. The blonde suddenly slips out of Gerry’s grip and kicks his legs out from under him. He hits the ground hard before she dropped an elbow across his throat. He rolls away coughing as the rest of the class claps and laughs a bit. She gets up and takes a bow, even getting a nod from Starsmore. The moment is cut short when she’s spun around and eats a nasty short arm clothesline from a recovered Gerard, which completely takes her out. The room gets hushed as Angelo steps over the fallen body of the girl, staring out at Jonathan wide-eyed and angry.
“I’m the best damn student to come out of this school since ever, and this is what you have me doing? Wrestling girls!” Gerry is red in the face as he yells as Jonathan walks closer to the ring, yelling back at his pupil.
“This is why you don’t get opportunities because you’re a fucking asshole!”
They keep up the screaming match, getting to the point where the students and trainers are preparing to separate them. Larry even starts to get involved when a pair of shapely thighs suddenly appear wrapped around Gerry’s head. His emotions go from anger to shock as he’s suddenly flipped backward and spiked right on the top of his head with a reverse frankenstiener. A stunned silence goes over the room as Angelo crumples in a heap on the mat. The recovered blonde stands up with the help of the ropes, rubbing her chest from the clothesline. The silence is cut when Jonathan breaks out in laughter.
“Holy shit. Girl, you are dangerous! What’s your name?”
She smiles. “Kara.”
“Welcome to the Academy.” He laughs again before pointing at two of the bigger students. “You two. Go peel Angelo off the mat and throw some water in his face.” They both give a ‘yes sir’ proceed to try and drag Gerry, seemingly with no regard to a potential neck injury. Jonathan turns back and looks at Kara. He just laughs and heads back to his office.
——————
“Okay, so what do ya think Shane’s biggest strength is?”
Gerard leans back in his chair thinking about the question Jonathan just asked him. They were crammed into Jon’s tiny office, watching a replay of Gerard vs Kyle Shane at Collision Course on Jonathan’s laptop (Power of the PCW Network, only 9.99 a month!). Gerry was thankful they had both at least showered and changed before this because the smell of sweaty body odor would’ve been too much for the small room. He peered over a massive stack of papers on the desk at his former teacher.
“That’s a tough one. Damn, for me it would probably be how he can just take a massive beating and just hang around until he finds an opening.”
“Exactly,” Jonathan nods eyes still on the computer screen. “He’s a tough little bastard, and if he gets one opening and gets you with that heel kick, it’s over.” Gerry nods in agreement, rubbing his jaw where he was shocked he didn’t have Kyle’s boot print permanently embedded in his skin. They’ve been at it for hours, watching nearly every single Kyle Shane match again, looking for a weakness. The frustrating thing was Gerard couldn’t find one. Jonathan was adamant that everyone had a weakness, and enough film study would reveal it. Gerard knew that physically, Kyle didn’t have a weakness. He didn’t have a bad wheel, like Gerard, or any glaring injury history. The one weakness that Gerard could see was his insecurities. That’s why Gerard had been trying to play mind games with the champ since December. He knew Kyle would lose his cool over him saying that there was a conspiracy to keep him as the champion. He knew that the mere mention that Kyle didn’t do it all on his own would drive him crazy. All of it had worked, Gerry had his rematch Sunday at Mass Destruction, inside a steel cage no less.
“I think what ya need to do is pick a body part, and just work it over. It seems like ya best bet.” Jonathan says between sips of black coffee.
Gerard shrugs. “I was thinking about bull rushing him and trying to end it early.”
“Don’t do that!” Jonathan shakes his head vehemently. “You’re gonna wind up getting kicked in the face and when you wake up you’re gonna be curtain jerking with Razor Blade!”
Gerard rolls his eyes as Jonathan goes off on a tangent about game plans and ring awareness.
———————
A Gerard Angelo in his twenties stands backstage at an independent wrestling show. He has sunglasses on and is dressed down in street clothes. He waits by the gorilla position as the song “Dangerous” fades out and Kara walks back behind the curtain, sweaty with a championship over her shoulder, it glinting in the light like her red ring gear. Gerard smiles at her and he eyes light up. She runs over to him and they embrace, sharing a kiss.
“My, my, Kara Dangerous is still the SCW Champion. I’m proud of you, babe.”
“Thanks,” Kara says, blushing slightly, “But it’s nothing. You’re the one who gets to be on TV every week with the GWO.” Gerard slides his arm around her waist, not minding touching her sweat shined skin as they start walking to the locker room.
“Can you ever let me compliment you?” He asked with a laugh. She just smiled back up at him.
“I’m sorry. You know I’m not used to compliments that don’t have an ulterior motive. But I am proud of you. You’re part of this global wrestling company, part of one of the hottest stables in wrestling, and you’re the Television Champion. It’s amazing.” Gerry smiles down at his girlfriend and kisses her sweaty head. She giggles. He suddenly looks down at her more serious.
“Let me put in a word to the Skanes’. You would thrive in the GWO. There’s no need for you to be working twenty independent bookings a month. You need to start making real money, and you’re better than half the people we have on TV as it is!”
“Only half huh?” She asked, pouting in mock sadness. Gerard rolls his eyes.
“You know what I mean. You need to let the whole world show how good I know you are.”
Kara rolls her eyes. “Gerard, we’ve been through this what seems like a thousand times. If I’m going to get signed, I want it to be on my own merits. Not because my boyfriend put in a good word for me. How would all the rest of the wrestlers feel about that?”
“Babe, it happens all the time. Half the people in wrestling have jobs because they fucked someone or are the result of someone fucking someone.”
“Still, I want to be recognized for me. All this booking I earned on my own. This,” She holds up the title belt to him, “I earned on my own. And that’s how I want to be remembered.”
“Kara, trust me, I know the feeling all too well. But I worry about you working these shows. You’ve already had a bunch of concussions. And God forbid if something happened to you while I’m overseas or something.”
“That’s really sweet,” She grabs his hand and smiles. “But, I have plenty of people here to look out for me. There’s Joan, Lisa, and even Vic. I’ll be fine.”
Gerry’s brow furrows when he hears the name, Vic.
“You still hang out with that scumbag?” He looks at his girlfriend, his face showing emotions of anger and hurt. “I thought we talked about this, Kara. I didn’t want you….”
“You didn’t want me to what?” Kara snaps at him, cutting Gerard off. He pretty faces lit up with anger, those gorgeous blue eyes seemed like a raging ocean. “He’s been my friend for years, Gerard. And yes we kissed, one time. I’ve apologized to you over and over.” Gerard looks down at his feet, his face still hot.
“Listen, I just don’t trust him around you.”
“You don’t trust him? Or you don’t trust me?”
Gerard doesn’t say anything, letting the silence answer for him. Kara gives a frustrated ‘ugh’ and goes to walk away before she turns suddenly on her heel and pokes a small pointer finger into Gerry’s chest.
“You’re one to talk about trust! I messed up one time. It washouts a kiss, and I felt awful about it. But you! It seems like every six months I find out about you sticking your dick in some ring rat. But like an idiot, I think I think it’s my fault and I take you back!”
She’s on the verge of tears now as Gerard just stands there, at loss for words. He knows she’s right but for the life of him, he just couldn’t admit when he was wrong.
“Kara, listen, I lov-“
“No, shut up Gerard.” She says cutting him off again. “Someone who loves someone doesn' let them feel like this. I don’t even wanna see you right now.”
He faces is just of anger and disgust as she takes off, power walking down the rest of the corridor. Gerard just stands there, rubbing his face. He reaches into his pocket and squeezes the small, black, velvet, box in his pocket before looking around at the crowd of people who stopped to watch the argument between the two wrestlers. Gerard gathers himself and gives the best cocky Angelo smirk he can. He turns towards the guy closest to him, a small tech with glasses.
“This probably wouldn’t be the best time to ask her to marry me, huh?” The future Hollywood Hero asks before walking away.
——————
It’s late afternoon as Gerard exits the Starsmore Wrestling Academy. He pulls his classic Yankee cap down on his head as he walks over to the Jaguar. Gerry pops the trunk and throws his gear bag into it, shutting it before getting into the driver's side. Before he can start the car, his iPhone rings, the voice of Siri declaring it an unknown caller. Gerard pulls it out of his sweatpants pocket, looks at it quizzically, before answering it.
“Hello?” He asks before he is bombarded with terrible news. “Wait, what? Canceled? Why?”
Gerard sits there for a moment before hanging up the phone. He sits in silence before he punches the roof of his car multiple times, letting out a frustrated yell. They had canceled Miami PD. That was;t the frustrating part. He knew that the show had run its course, but he figured they had at least two more seasons to squeeze out of the characters. It was getting canceled because the network was under new management. This was something that Gerard really didn’t need on his mind before facing Kyle. He continued to sit in silence before he went on his phone, caking to schedule a flight to New York City.
A few hours from then, across the country, a woman is sitting in her apartment texting back and forth his her assistant to make sure new fashion designs are on the desk in the morning. The beautiful blonde is dressed to kill in a red dress that reaches just below mid-thigh and a pair of Louboutins. She sets her phone down and runs her well-manicured fingers through her blonde hair. Sometimes Kara De Marco felt that her new life was more stressful than her old one. Sometimes, the deadlines of the fashion industry were more stressful than someone trying to choke her out. Sometimes, she wanted to lace up the boots and be Kara Dangerous again. She sighed. That life was behind her now. She was moving on. New life, new career, new-
KNOCK KNOCK
Kara is pulled from her thoughts by the banging on the door of her apartment. Who could it be at this hour? She muses to herself as she gets up from the kitchen high top to go answer the door.
KNOCK KNOCK
“I’m coming! Jesus Christ…” She says as she walks to the door, peering through the peephole. She gasps and covers her mouth, undoing the chain lock on her door before the deadbolt and swings it open.
“What on Earth are you doing here!?”
“Surprise?” Says Gerard Angelo as he holds up a bouquet of a dozen red roses to his ex-wife. She stares at him crosses her arms over her chest. Gerry stands there for a few more moments, his arm outstretched, offering up the flowers to Kara. He shrugs and puts the flowers down at his side.
“Did I get the wrong flowers? I was pretty sure you liked red roses…”
“Huh? No, the flowers are fine. How did you find out where I was living?” She purses her lips together as she looks at her ex.
“It’s amazing the things Jonathan will tell you after a few Irish coffees.” He smirks at her and she rolls her eyes, something that seems all too familiar between them. Gerry looks over her shoulder into the apartment.
“Nice place. How come I’ve never seen it before? You don’t call, you don’t write…”
“Because you’re my ex-husband. Emphasis on the ex.”
Gerry grips his chest, his face full of faux pain.
“You wound me, madame. But listen, I came here because I have a match this Sunday with-“
“Kyle Shane.” She says interrupting the Hollywood Hero. “I know, Gerard. Just because we don’t talk doesn’t mean I don’t follow what happens to you. Which is easy because there seems to be a story about you or your familiar nearly every week.” Gerard just shrugs. Between his acting career and his father in politics, it was true.
Well, listen,” Gerard continues, “I was wondering if you wanted to come cheer me on in person. You know my record is amazing with you in the house.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She says shaking her head.
“Why not?”
“Well, for one, I’m gonna be leaving for the Caribbean on Saturday.”
“Perfect. Just push it back a bit and we can both go when I’m the World Champion. You. Me. Private beach. No tan lines. A few bottles of rum. It’ll be like two thousand ten all over again.”
“I can’t, Gerard,” Kara says, shaking her head again. Gerard sighs.
“Listen, Kara, I’m not that same guy anymore. I’ve changed. I’m ready to be the guy-“
“I’m engaged.” She blurts out, stopping Gerard dead. He feels all the color drain from his face and he gets quiet, creating an awkward silence.
“Um, well, congrats, I guess.”
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” She says putting a small hand on his bicep. Gerard looks down and sees the massive diamond ring sparkling on her finger. Gerard gathers himself and gives her his best Gerard Angelo smile.
“It’s okay. Someone was gonna lock you up eventually. You’re great.” He fights to keep smiling as he feels his stomach turn over like his plane just dropped a few thousand feet. He’s almost light headed as the wave of nausea sweeps over him.
“Are you okay?” Kara asks him, knowing Gerard well enough to know he’s not taking this well. He hates the way she’s looking at him. He’s seen that look before. He hates pity.
“I’m fine. I gotta go. I-I have a match to get ready for. See ya.” Gerard turns and just walks back down the hallway to the elevator like a zombie. Gerard gets it awaits for the doors to close before he smashes the roses to just petals and stem bits against the walls of the elevator. Whether he was pretending it was Kyle Shane, Kara’s fiancee, or a mixture of both, is a mystery.
—————
THE FOLLOWING VIDEO WAS POSTED GERARD ANGELO’S TWITTER ACCOUNT
“You know what the difference is between us, Kyle?”
The video shows Gerard Angelo sitting in a hotel room somewhere. the light of the small lamp gives the smoke from Gerard cigarette an eerie red tinge. Gerard stares at his phone camera with bloodshot eyes, obviously, he had a few drinks before this.
“The difference isn’t that obvious. It’s not the money. It’s not fame. It’s not even the fact that you are the champ and you’ve been successful here, and I haven’t done anything to this point. No the difference between you and I is I have nothing left to lose.”
Gerard brings a bottle of Jack Daniel’s up to his lips, taking a gulp, confirming the suspicions from before.
“I have to win, Sunday, Kyle. Not because of my ego. But because if I lose, all of my credibility goes out the window. Hell, this entire match has been based on the idea that Kyle Shane can’t beat Gerard Angelo. I’ve been screaming from the mountain tops that I haven’t gotten a fair deal. And now it is set up for me to be the hero. For me to be the one to finally remove the World title from the death grip you have on it. In the main event of the biggest, some the company puts on. I could become legendary in one night.”
Gerard laughs and ashes his cigarette.
“ ‘Could’ is the right word. Because knowing myself, I’ll probably drop the ball. Knowing myself, you’ve probably been right about me all along. Knowing me, I’ll probably come within an inch of fulling my destiny, just to watch it snatched from me. And then I’ll have nothing.”
Gerry puts the cigarette out in an ashtray, his bloodshot eyes staring at the phone.
“I’m desperate, Kyle. You’re not facing The Hollywood Hero. You’re facing a desperate man at Mass Destruction. Desperate men do desperate things. You like to say that you win because you want it more than everyone else. Another difference is that I need to win. My need to win Sunday is going to far outweigh you want to win. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to become the PCW World Champion. Are you?”
Gerry picks up the phone and brings it super close to his face.
“I’m either walking out with the title, or neither of us is walking out at all.”
The video ends.