Scoreboard watching [HOTv Tag RP]

Saint Raymond’s Cemetery
Bronx, New York City, New York
Friday, December 16th, 2022

It was a sunny but cold day here in New York City. People make their way throughout the city in an excited manner. They know that once the workday is over that the weekend officially begins. We focus on Saint Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx. There weren’t many people walking throughout the cemetery, given the time of morning and the lack of services on this particular day. One person is making his way through the cemetery to make a long overdue visit to a lost loved one. That person is the Triple Champion of HOW Jace Parker Davidson. Jace is wearing a pair of blue jeans and a Boulder Creek fleece-lined Parka overtop of a black Iron Man t-shirt. He is carrying a dozen Sunflowers with him.

Jace makes his way through the grounds until he finds the headstone that he’s looking for. The name on the headstone reads Charles L. Davidson. Jace lowers himself down onto his knees on the grass in front of the headstone. He places the Sunflowers down next to the headstone and just admires it for a moment in silence.

“I know this visit is long overdue and since your birthday is next week, I figured I would remedy the lack of time spent here with you. I brought some Sunflowers with me to put here for you. I know you’d make fun of me for doing that if you were still here, but the lady at the flower shop suggested them. She said Sunflowers represent adoration and loyalty.”

Jace pauses for a moment and looks around the cemetery a bit before focusing back on the headstone in front of him.

“I know I visited you and caught you up to speed around the time that I made my return to professional wrestling. That girl Madison I met and was living with? Things got pretty messy with her. She’s still staying in my place in Miami and Bailey has moved in there also. Madison wanted more out of me than I was willing to give and now she’s on this rage fueled revenge mission. She went from being my manager to a professional wrestler in her own right. She’s signed with 5BW and MVW of all places. I feel like that one was meant to spite me, seeing as how everyone knows how I feel about that place and the people in charge of it.”

Jace’s facial expression sours at the simple mention of MVW.

“Professional wrestling wise I held the HOTv Championship belt, and I made that title into something special. It was supposed to be a lesser belt for lesser talent to fight over. But after my reign with it people have been climbing all over themselves to get their hands on it. The current Champion is an interesting guy, I consider him a good friend of mine. Speaking of friends, I made a really good friend. His name was STRONK Godson. He was a bit on the slow side and on a massive number of steroids. Everyone said I really wasn’t his friend, that I was just using him. And at first I was but the more I got to know the guy the more I liked him. We worked well together and just him being who he is helped me a lot as far as stress and just tunnel vision on every little detail. Problem is that he’s gone now, and I miss him.”

Jace lowers his head for a moment but then speaks up once again.

“Not as much as I miss you. But yeah, I miss the big muscle head. I don’t know if he’s alive or dead. More than likely dead but I refuse to believe it. I guess I’m dumb like that.”

Jace reached out and placed his hand on the headstone.

“We had started a company together. It’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. Sliced frozen D grade camel meat. That was slathered in steroids but as insane as it was the things flew off of the shelves. We bought a factory and started to produce everything from meat flavor energy drinks laced with cocaine to alcohol and even hot dogs or rather STRONKdawgs. I call them that because I utterly refuse to refer to a hot dog as a ‘glizzy’ like most of the idiots do now. I’m the head of the company and I made enough money to buy a new place in Denver. It’s spectacular and I wish you could see it. I also met someone along the way too.”

Jace pulls his hand away from the headstone before running it through his hair.

“She’s a wrestler too and yeah, I know what you’re thinking. After the whole Tara debacle, I should be careful. We haven’t put a label on what we are but we’re living together. I didn’t think I’d click with her, and I wasn’t even looking for anything at all to be honest. It just sort of happened, and between you and me. I can see myself settling down with her. Not just one of those wrestling relationships. I’m talking about a lifelong kind of thing. I wanted to bring her with me here today, but she had another commitment. She’s absolutely beautiful and doesn’t let me get away with too much crap. You would definitely like her. Terrence has shown up in my life after all these years. I don’t like him, and I don’t think I ever will. He’s up to something but I have no idea what it is just yet.”

Jace reaches into his pocket of his parka and pulls out a silver flask filled with whiskey. He takes the top off of it and takes a drink without a care. Who was going to walk up on him of all people in a cemetery about drinking while he was talking to the man responsible for raising him?

“Personally? I’ve had my ups and downs this year. I almost came and met you in the afterlife, but I survived. I got inducted in the HOW Hall of Fame. I’m also a Triple Champion right now. I won the LSD Championship belt. Had a Champion vs. Champion match where I became the last ever ICON Champion. And then became one half of the HOTv World Tag Team Champions. ICONIC is coming up and I’ve got quite the uphill climb in front of me. Two matches in one night with two of the titles on the line.”

Jace raises the flask again and takes another drink before wiping his mouth with sleeve.

“The first match is a Falls Count Anywhere match for the LSD Champion against four different opponents. I’ve been thinking about our training in the past for such a situation. I hope you’ll be watching over me during that match and giving me some last bits of wisdom and knowledge to help me retain the LSD Championship belt. It’s the match right afterwards that I am worried about. It’s something that even you didn’t think to train me to handle. Right afterwards I have to defend the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts.”

Jace chuckles a little bit while shaking his head.

“The fucked-up part is that my partner is one of the people in the LSD Championship match. The referee for the match is also one of the people in the LSD Championship match. And our opponents are the last two opponents in the LSD Championship match. So, no matter what happens in the prior match I’m going to have opponents, a partner, and a referee potentially mad at me if they don’t win the LSD Championship. Or worse yet I’ll be pissed off if one of them takes the belt from me. On top of that I have to somehow not waste all of my energy in a match with no rules that could end up going anywhere inside or outside of the arena. It’s a dilemma on how I’m going to accomplish that.”

Jace lets out an audible sigh before taking a drink from the flask.

“I can imagine you’d say something like don’t worry about the things I cannot control and focus on the things that I can control. If me or my partner are mad about the LSD Championship? Get over it. If we’re both far too spent to defend the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts? Suck it up and rest when the show is over. If the referee is against us? Destroy our opponents to the point where he doesn’t have a choice but to declare us the winners.”

Jace tilts his head up to the sky and stares off into the clouds before returning his gaze back to the headstone.

“One man is a military veteran who isn’t much to worry about as far as being a professional wrestler. He’s unpredictable however and underestimating a man like him in the chaos that this entire thing will end up being would be a mistake. His partner is a disgruntled ring veteran who claims to be a man of the people but seems ready to leave his morals behind. The problem I see is that these men are walking into this match with nothing to lose. And even if we walk out victorious at ICONIC, I have a feeling it won’t be the last time we see them inside of the ring. But fuck it, right? Whining about it isn’t going to solve the problem. The only solution is to go in there, be smarter, work harder, and kick a lot of asses.”

Jace turns over the flask and pours some whiskey down onto the ground in front of the headstone. He places the top back on the flask and places it into his pocket.

“Thanks for the pep talk, Uncle Chuck. You always know what to say to keep me focused on the task at hand. Happy early birthday, I miss you every day.”

Jace touches the headstone again as he pulls himself up to his feet. He becomes a bit annoyed as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He looks down at the vibrating phone that he had placed on silent and sees the name Choi. He groans then answers the call.

“Fucking Christ, Shelley, you’ve called me at least a dozen times already. What the fuck do you want?!” Jace begins to walk out of the cemetery.

“It’s STRONK. Not only is he alive and well, but rumor has it that he’s re-signing with HOW next year.” Choi states in a panicked voice.

“STRONK is alive and he’s coming back?! That’s great news!!!” Jace exclaims.

“Are you serious right now?! He survived what Fuse did to him at Rumble at the Rock and if he ever finds out that he went through all of that because I killed MONGO. Oh fuck, I’m a dead man walking. I killed that stupid bull and we lied to him about it. I need to leave the country immediately.” Fumbling sounds are heard from the other end of the phone.

“Calm down. STRONK doesn’t know anything yet and he has no idea you’re in Miami right now. Don’t jump to conclusions and just play it cool. Meet me in Chicago when you can, we have some planning to do.” Jace ends the call.

He continues to make his way out of the cemetery as off in the distance a sedan is seen parked on the street. The window on the back door of the vehicle is rolled down and inside Terrence Miles Davidson can be seen glaring at his son.

—–

I have one question that no one has been able to answer yet.

What have The Highwaymen ever done for the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts?

I know that Steve Harrison and Joe Bergman won the match at Dead or Alive to become the first ever HOTv World Tag Team Champions. Congratulations on that feat, although, I’m not sure how many more matches we’re going to have in HOW where you have to climb to the top of a Saloon to win a set of belts.

All hail The Highwaymen: Champions of scaling buildings.

I would not be a Hall of Famer if this was the Building Climbing Federation and not High Octane Wrestling. The Highwaymen would never lose those belts in this lifetime if this was BCF. It’s only when it’s a wrestling match for a title… that The Highwaymen lose more often than they win.

Steve Harrison lost the LSD Championship belt to STRONK. Clay Byrd lost the HOTv Championship belt to GREAT SCOTT.

Steve Solex, Steve Harrison, and Clay Byrd have failed to win the HOW World Championship belt multiple times. And last but not least, Solex has lost the HOTv and HOTV World Tag Team Championship belts to me.

You guys choke in the biggest opportunities worse than Greg Norman at Augusta. Professional Wrestling is a mixed bag, boys, but you’re undefeated in building climbing!

Instead of canoodling with Lindsay Troy and throwing mild threats of going to PRIME, you should head over to OCW, Joe. I’m sure they’ll come up with some kind of Double Dare-like physical challenge match that would be more fitting of The Highwaymen’s skill set.

But we all know you’re not going any fucking where, and why would you?

HOW is where you’ll find me and we all know Joe Bergman and the whole MVW loves them some me. Fucking hell, Joe. You counted how many words I said in a backstage segment? The thought of you sitting back in your barn with an abacus just angrily calculating my every word. Quite amusing, honestly.

Oh my God, JPD said more stuff than anyone else!

Motherfucker, hello? Have you met me before? I’ve been in HOW since 2010 or 2011. This shit isn’t new that I’m vocal about what I think and know. Back then in HOW, you had to come up with enough things to say to cover ten promotional pieces. Lord knows you squishy soft bitches nowadays will complain if you can’t fit everything you have to say in under 3 minutes.

Oh, Joe, you’re so fucking predictable.

Bring up the fact you’re a two-time HOW World Champion? Check.
Bring up the fact that I haven’t won an HOW World Championship in the Refueled era? Check.
Bring up how I set Ray McAvay on fire? Check.
Bring up that Ray McAvay “beat” me at War Games 2016? Check.
Bring up that I left HOW while I was World Champion? Check.
Bring up a loss of mine like it’s somehow his own flex but just look stupid? Check.

I could go on but Jesus. Do you have a stack of index cards with these outdated and overused trash talk pieces against me that you just dust off any time you or another MVW talent steps into the ring against me?

I expect a thank you card after ICONIC for giving you a platform to once again scream from the rooftops that you’re a former two-time HOW World Champion. Another seven billion times of screaming and maybe someone outside of The Highwaymen and MVW will give a shit about it. I left HOW in 2016 yes and guess what, Joe? So did everyone else. You, Zion, Scottywood, Hollywood, and Stevens all stayed until the wheels fell completely off. Where did it get you?

You’re all considered the lowest tiered wrestlers in HOW.

The greats of HOW? The ones you think of when you think of the best in HOW. Mike, Sektor, Townsend, Max, America, Farthington, and yours truly. We all left, and you know what? We all came back at some point. We’re all this the best thing to ever happen to HOW. Let go of it already bitter Bill, it’s not 2016 anymore.

You can tell Ray that he never beat me at War Games. Lee Best paid Jason Cashe to turn on me and his team which allowed McAvay to be the last one conscious. Wait a minute… Lee Best cheated and did something unfair but Joe Bergman doesn’t cry foul when it benefits him or his buddies. Funny that.

As far as my sense of entitlement goes.

You have your two piss poor reigns as HOW World Champion but what do I have? I was Wrestler of the Year in 2021 during the Refueled era. How many times did you do that? How many times did you win Wrestler of the Month? How many times did you take a belt and set the fucking standard for it? How many times in your HOW career have you held three titles at once, Joe?

Scoreboard? Scoreboard this dick, ya cunt.

I call the ICON Championship mine because I beat someone who won War Games and had never been pinned in HOW before for it. I am the forever ICON. I call the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts mine because unlike The Highwaymen I don’t plan on losing it in my first defense and I also plan on taking these belts to all different federations to defend them. I call the LSD Championship mine because again no one has held this title as many days as I have in HOW history. I am the GREATEST LSD Champion of all time.

It isn’t fucking entitlement, its fucking facts.

Entitlement is threatening to leave because someone doesn’t live up to your standard of fairness. Entitlement is demanding rematches for Championship belts you lost in a federation that rematches are something just handed out regularly.

Entitlement is standing only your fucking soapbox and talk down to someone that clearly heads and shoulders more talented and successful than you could ever dream of being.

But I noticed you got happy when I called you the biggest threat to my titles at ICONIC.

Is that what this is all about? Your incessant need for validation? Here, I’ll say it one more time and count each letter this time as the words leave my mouth.

Joe Bergman is the biggest threat to my Championship belts at ICONIC.

Is that what you’ve been looking for, Joe? Did that give you the full chub you’ve been thriving to achieve since 93?

Let’s get down to the real nitty gritty of this situation.

Joe, you have a shitty partner heading into ICONIC and I have a shitty partner that I share the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts with.

Everyone already knows this entire thing is going to come down to Joe Bergman vs. Jace Parker Davidson. That’ll be more of a thing in the LSD Championship match but for the tag title match?

I have more faith in my shitty partner than you should have in yours.

Solex himself admitted that he’s the weak link in The Highwaymen. The dumb bastard doesn’t even know what order the matches are going to take place. You’d fucking think in all your time together training for ICONIC together and training up Clay Byrd that you might have… I don’t know. Fucking talked about ICONIC. Gone over some strategy or something?

Oh, I forgot…

Your #1 priority is making sure that Clay Byrd is focused.

Not you, not Solex, but Clay Byrd… Fuck me sideways and you all wonder WHY I say the shit that I do. Your #1 priority isn’t even the LSD or HOTv Championship belts. THIS is exactly why I am overconfident as you put it because YOU guys can’t pull your heads out of your asses.

A lot of angry words from you, Joe. However, if you think Solex is just going to help you prevent me, Stevens, or Jatt from walking away with the LSD Championship belt, then you’re dumber than you look.

Solex barely knows if he’s coming or fucking going most of the time. The man thinks that popping a few happy pills in a week or two before ICONIC is going to get him back into shape? Does he think that he’s STRONK Daddy? STRONK had been on the juice for a majority of his life to get that swole.

But I guess that Stevens, and I should be shaking in our boots. Or maybe not Stevens since you went out of your way to try and talk “sense” into him. You’re not the best recruiter in the world, Joe. Stevens might be an idiot and might be useless at times. But even he knows better than to turn away from where his bread is buttered. Lee signs his check, Lee puts food on his table. You think a strict single income from MVW would keep his family out of the poor house?

Speaking of which, I look forward to you bringing up Madison being in MVW. You uncreative sack of shit.

Worry more about being better in the ring instead of just talking a big game, Joe. Worry about somehow fixing the fact that Steve Solex continues to suck dick with his butthole as a professional wrestler.

Will I throw Scott Stevens under the bus?

Fuck yes, I will. And he’d do the same thing to me also.

That’s the understanding we both have. We don’t need to be a Highwaymen like circle jerk to function together. But wait… it isn’t Mr. Nice Guy that is showing up to ICONIC. Joe Bergman isn’t playing anymore.

Hahahahahahaha. Who the fuck are you fooling?

You and The Highwaymen have been doing shady shit since day one. This is the worst kept secret in HOW. Everyone outside of you, Solex, and Harrison, all know it. The Highwaymen are going to do some underhanded shit at ICONIC. Thank you for the information, Mr. Weatherman. I did not realize that the sky was fucking blue.

Bring all the fireballs you can muster, Super Mario. Bring whatever it is that in your feeble mind shows that you’re super serious now.

All of this posturing isn’t winning you either one of these matches.

The only thing more guaranteed in life than The Highwaymen being loud before matches then being wrong after them is…

The Highwaymen claiming unfair advantages and making excuses faster than Mike Best drops HOFC burials.

—–

TEN-X Wrestling Facility
Chicago, Illinois
Saturday, December 17th, 2022

Being back in Chicago was business as usual for everyone in the TEN-X Wrestling facility. Most importantly the HOW Hall of Famer and Triple Champion was locked in and back in his office discussing strategy. Jace had convinced Abdullah Choi to settle down and kept his mind off of STRONK murdering him by talking about ways for him to walk out of ICONIC with all of his Championship belts.

The conversation was heated until the door to the office was kicked open. Both Jace and Choi turned around to see Jace’s biological father Terrence Miles Davidson step inside. Behind him is fellow Hall of Famer and Jace’s opponent/tag team partner Scott Stevens.

“I’m getting real sick and tired of being dragged here by your Daddy. I should be focused on my match in MVW tonight. If you have something to say to me then why not do it yourself, Jace?” Stevens bellows.

“I got something to say to you alright, it’s fuck MVW and go fuck yourself.” Jace fires back.

Stevens starts to get angry, but Terrence holds his hand up into the air to keep Scott from doing something he may or may not regret.

“I brought him here because once again you both need my help if you plan on retaining those HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts. You’re both just too stupid to realize that fact just yet. There is one day left before ICONIC, and we have a lot of work to do.” Terrence verbalizes his own self-importance.

“FUCK OFF!” Both Jace and Stevens shout at the exact same time.

“Excuse me?!” Terrence takes a step back in disbelief.

“We did not stutter. You’re not the reason we won those Championship belts, and you certainly won’t be the reason why we retain them.” Jace narrows his eyes towards his father.

“I will not stand for this disrespect.” Terrance taps his cane down onto the floor with authority.

“You can stand, sit, shit for all I care. Either way you need to get out of my office and out of my business before I decide to take out years of frustration and hate on you physically.” Jace threatens.

“And if he doesn’t do it, much like retaining our titles, I’ll do it myself.” Stevens adds.

“Absolutely prosperous. I am the only one smart enough to–” Terrence is interrupted by both men again.

“LEAVE. NOW!!!” Jace and Stevens yell and point towards the office door at the same time.

Terrence’s eyes widen as Choi walks over and grabs Jace’s father by the arm.

“I wouldn’t make them tell you a second time, sir. Let me show you outside while these two men work out their issues.” Choi leads Terrence out of the office then closes the door behind him.

Stevens turns his focus back towards Jace as the two men stand there, face to face.

“Don’t get it confused. I only agreed to come down here with him to tell you I want you to have that LSD Championship cleaned and sterilized before I take it from you tomorrow night at ICONIC.” Stevens boasts confidently.

“Take my LSD Championship belt? You mean like you tried and failed to do back when you faced me for it one on one? Your delusions of grandeur will be your downfall just like it’s always been. Just don’t be a bitch about losing yet again when it comes time to defend the HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts.” Jace pokes Stevens in the chest with his finger.

“You need to tell yourself that. No one cares about what happened in the past when I have a perfectly good chance here in the present to walk out a Double Champion.” Stevens slaps Jace’s finger away.

“Bitch, you’re going to walk out of ICONIC empty handed. You’re not winning my LSD Championship belt and once I pin Bergman or Solex to retain the tag titles I’m giving your belt to STRONK.” Jace hisses.

“Why? So that Conor Fuse can kill him all over again then he leaves you high and dry?” Stevens responds with a bit of a smirk on his face.

The tension in the room is so thick that it’s damn near suffocating. Both men stare at each other with hatred burning in their eyes. They could come to blows at any second now, but Jace takes a slight step back.

“Please tell me, Scott. No bullshit, why are you like this? I beat you like a redheaded stepchild from the moment you stepped foot into HOW until it closed in 2016. The only thing you managed to do in return was toss me off of some shitty gimmick match steel structure and break my neck. And then after five goddamn years away I’ve come all the way back and I’m still beating your ass like I’ve never missed a beat. But no matter what the reality of the situation happens to be, you manage to walk around with this air of unwarranted superiority. What makes a broken down, soon to be 50-year-old man who was eating out of dumpsters not that long ago so fucking out of touch and stubborn about every fucking thing in the world?” Jace crosses his arms over his chest.

The comments and questions asked by the Triple Champion linger in the room before Stevens decides to answer.

“Maybe because no matter what gets done to me. No matter what form of disrespect is shown to me on any given day. I take it on the chin and still lace up my boots then step inside of those ropes. I might win, I might lose, but it’s never from a lack of effort. I’ve endured more bullshit than anyone ever has in HOW. Yet, if I’m banned, fired, or abused for the amusement of the masses. I still stand and wave my HOW flag proudly. I become the HOW World Champion and I get told it’s only a technicality. I beat some of the best wrestlers in this company and get told it’s just a fluke. I get inducted into the Hall of Fame, and do I get praise for my hard work? No, I get laughed at and told I should be voted out of it. So, you tell me, Jace. Would you not act the exact same way, if not worse, if you were in my shoes?” This time Stevens pokes Jace in the chest with his finger.

Stevens moves his finger from Jace’s chest then holds both his hands in the air.

“Wait, don’t answer that. I already know what you’d do. You’d quit and go work for the next company that decided to kiss your ass. You did that in 2016 just because you were ‘bored’ of being the HOW World Champion. If you had to step into my boots for just one year, you’d never step foot in HOW ever again. That is the difference between me and you.” Stevens points to himself then back at Jace.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Jace rears back and punches Stevens in the face as hard as he possibly can. Stevens staggers backwards into the display case of Championship belts against the wall. Stevens holds the side of his face briefly before leaping into the air and hits Jace with a Superman punch that sends him sprawling over his own desk.

Both men are back up then once again stand face to face, nose to nose.

“I cannot wait to take you out of the equation of being my tag team partner. Life will be so much easier when I don’t have to carry you to a main event status every other week.” Jace snarls.

“Just wait until I take that LSD Championship belt, retain my HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts, then break your neck permanently this time. I’ll do HOW and the entire female race. I’ll consider it a favor to the world for making sure you’re never seen again.” Stevens growls back.

“What makes you think you got the balls to pull that off?!” Both men by this point are using their foreheads to try and force the other one backwards.

“Because I made a promise to my son!” Stevens screams.

Suddenly, the tension is broken as Jace takes a couple of steps back and looks confused at Stevens.

“He finally came back home and told me all about what Steve Solex did to him. I don’t care about you or your fucking ego. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about me or my ranking in this company. What I care about is making Steve Solex regret the day he thought he could lay hand on or point a gun in my child’s face.” Stevens is trembling with anger.

Jace just glares at Stevens for a moment before shaking his head side to side.

“I don’t care about you or your fucking dysfunctional family. Lord knows, I have enough bullshit from my own fucked up little circus of relatives. However, you finally said something that we both can goddamn agree on. You want to hurt Solex, I want to break Bergman.” Jace rubs his hand over his chin.

“So, what are you suggesting?” Stevens raises his eyebrow.

“We’re both stubborn, egotistical, hot heads. But since we both have a common goal then why don’t we stop having this pissing contest with each other. We put all this ‘who is better’ bullshit to the side for one night, one match only. And we go out there and take our aggression out on The Highwaymen instead of each other for a change.” Jace says in a sinister but sincere tone.

“I’m still taking the LSD Championship belt, but if it means getting to beat the shit out of those two frauds. I’m all for putting our differences aside to retain our HOTv World Tag Team Championship belts.” Stevens nods his head.

“Fair enough, you’re going to fail, quite miserably I might add but that’s normal when it comes to you. Two matches back-to-back aren’t going to be easy even if our opponents are Steve Solex and Joe Bergman.” Jace heads to the office door and holds it open.

Stevens walks through the door and both men head towards the nearest ring to get some work in together as a team for the first time.