- Event: Chaos 040
Sanctuary
Denver, Colorado
Monday, August 21st, 2023
It was the middle of the evening here in Denver, Colorado. The streets were quiet and most everyone had retired to their homes for the night. Most are happy that a long Monday ends while others sit back and think about what Tuesday morning will bring. We pan over to Sanctuary, the estate owned by HOW Hall of Famer Jace Parker Davidson. Fade into a dimly lit room where the so-called Manager of Champions Abdullah Choi is seated on the floor. His head and down and he looks like he got run over on the highway by an 18-wheeler.
A door opens and light pours into the space to show that Choi is inside a large garage. Abdullah raises his head and looks over as Jace walks into the garage holding what looks like a metal dog dish and a bottle of water. Davidson stops and towers over Choi with a look of disgust on his face.
“Dinner time, you maggot.” Jace sneers before dropping the metal dish down onto the floor beside Choi. “I don’t see the entire point of actually feeding you but if it keeps you alive for a bit then so be it.”
Choi turns his head and looks over at the contents of the dish. He groans loudly before looking up at Davidson.
“Seriously? Dry cereal again?!” Choi whines. “I get that you’re trying to punish me and all but at least spring for some McDonalds or Burger King at the very least. A greasy Whooper with cheese will do a good deal in making me regret the choices I’ve made.”
“Be happy that you’re getting anything at all.” Jace barks down at his former manager. “Besides, it’s not just dry cereal. That’s why I brought the bottle of water here for you.”
Jace throws the bottle of water and watches it smack up against Choi’s head before falling to the floor. Choi winces in pain as scoots on his butt away from Davidson.
“A bowl of cereal with water?! You didn’t even bring me a fucking spoon!” Choi shouts but then goes to plead with Jace. “At least give me something to keep me occupied. A phone, a set of dice, a dirty magazine, or something! My mind is my greatest weapon and it’s rotting away sitting here shackled up inside of this damn garage.”
“My heart truly breaks for you, Shelley,” Jace says sarcastically before turning to walk away but Choi reaches out and grabs his ankle.
“Wait a minute here, please.” Choi hisses under his breath. “You can beat me to death for what I’ve done. You can starve me until I’m nothing but skin and bones. At the end of the day, you still want something just like I want something. Just let me help you get what you want and then you can put me out of my misery.”
“Let go, Shelley.” Jace yanks his leg away.
“You’re not going to get it by keeping me locked in here!” Choi screams. “Holding me hostage means nothing to Lee Best. I’m pretty sure it means shit to that fancy British asshole too. The only person who cares is STRONK! We both know that he’s too stupid to truly do anything about helping you get what you want to get his hands on me. He’ll probably forget who I even am by the time he drops his sixth deuce of the day.”
“STRONK! won’t forget who killed MONGO,” Jace confirms. “You can try and sweet talk your way into an escape all you want but it’s not going to work. Godson might be naive as they come but Lee and MOB are smart enough to want to keep him happy. A happy STRONK! means that The Final Alliance stays on top.”
“Which is why you should let me help you,” Choi emphasizes. “I know STRONK! like the back of my hand. Let me make the formula I used to make him swole on you to even the odds. The last thing STRONK! can handle mentally is someone bigger, STRONKER!, than he is.”
Jace crouches down and looks Choi in the eyes.
“I’m not letting you inject me with anything ever again. If cause you can’t put two and two together. I don’t trust you, Shelley. I never truly trusted you from the start, you were just the guy who kept STRONK! happy.” Jace admits. “The fact is that I don’t need your help. I had STRONK! beat at 97RED. It took Narcotic, MOB, and Lee Best to make sure Godson left Australia as the HOW World Champion by the skin of his ass. You are bait, nothing more, nothing less.”
“Then just turn me over already!” Choi proclaims. “Tell Godson that he can have me and all he has to do is give you another shot at the HOW World Championship belt.”
“Who said I wanted another shot at the HOW World Championship belt?” Jace asked with a slight chuckle before straightening back up.
Choi tilts his head and cocks an eyebrow in confusion.
“Okay, maybe not the HOW World Championship belt but how about the LSD Championship?” Choi tries to bargain. “Or maybe the PWA World Tag Team Championship belts? Any title you want I can make happen for you. What better way to screw over the Best Family than by letting me help you beat Mike Best?”
Jace scoffs and then gives Choi a stiff kick to the ribs. Abdullah falls over to his side and begins coughing from the pain.
“If you want to continue to live for a few more days? I suggest that you shut the fuck up and stop trying to sell me your pathetic lies.” Jace says in a menacing tone. “There is no opponent in any company that would make me dumb enough to let you try and trust you enough to care about anyone other than yourself. I don’t need help with STRONK!, Mike Best, Lee Best, or anyone else. Are we clear?!”
Choi manages to pull himself upright and nods his head. Jace turns to walk away before Choi calls out to him one last time.
“Are least get me some drugs! I don’t even need the hard stuff, just a little weed! It’s fucking legal here in Colorado!” Choi begs. “And if you’re going to feed me dry cereal three times a day, why not splurge a little for some fucking Cookie Crisp?!?!”
Jace slams the garage door shut and locks it. Choi kicks the water bottle as hard as he can in frustration as the scene fades.
—–
The LSD Championship belt.
It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for this Championship belt in particular. I’ve done more with that Championship belt than anyone else in the history of this company. I have a legitimate right to call myself the Greatest LSD Champion in HOW history.
That is what I am.
It doesn’t matter that the belt is currently held by Mike Best. It doesn’t matter that people like Silent Witness, Max Kael, John Sektor, Jatt Starr, and others have held that title. My name will always be the one mentioned as the best LSD Champion ever.
It is a cornerstone of why I am one of the faces of the HOW’s Mt. Rushmore.
And now I have a chance to win the LSD Championship belt for a fifth time.
That would tie me for the only record with that belt that I don’t have and that’s most reigns. This should be the very kick in the pants to make a shitty last few months in HOW for me give way to clearer skies.
Only to accomplish that… I have to go through Mike Best with Lee Best as the special guest referee in the match.
Another week, another match in HOW where I’m faced with insurmountable odds. 97RED was one thing. Getting screwed out of winning the HOW World Championship belt is still fresh on my tongue but now? Well, Lee isn’t even trying to hide the bias anymore. I complained about the fact that he was not the referee at the PPV, so he made himself the referee for my match this week.
Petty ass motherfucker.
But I’m not surprised, Lee Best booking 101 at its finest.
I have to ask, though. Am I the only one that’s sick of the same old shit? The same bullshit booking year after year after year? Am I the only one who’s fed up with The Final Alliance or any version of The Alliance for that matter?
What is even the purpose of The Final Alliance?
Who are they fighting against? Me? Is that necessary? Am I such a threat to Lee and the way he runs things that he needs damn near half the roster behind him to keep me in line? Call me cocky, but who fucking else is there?
Townsend and Ward? Evan was JUST a member of The Final Alliance at War Games. Townsend can be brought and paid for with title shots, tacos, and an endless supply of marijuana.
Conor Fuse? There are only so many times that he can run into a brick wall that is Mike Best before he decides to go do something productive. The kid is talented as fuck and he doesn’t need to stick around HOW and deal with Lee’s bullshit to be happy.
Shane Reynolds might vanish into thin air at any moment for another decade. De Lacy seems to be someone that Lee is three seconds away from bringing into the fold. Carey can’t decide what to wear on a given week, much less form a plan of attack against The Final Alliance. After that, you’re left with Zion, Hollywood, Azula, Stevens, and baby Kostoff.
Hardly reason at all to stack the deck in your favor. The last five names would trip, fall, and take themselves out without so much as you needing to lift a finger.
I’m fighting a one-man war against every talented person on the roster. And because I said not nice things about Lee, I got placed against the so-called biggest and baddest of them all. There is no denying that Mike is the guy here in HOW over the years. Lee made it so. Call me whatever you want to call me but that’s the fact of the matter.
Lee hand-to-glanded a fat load into a cheap whore and now we have THE SON.
The living personification of self-gratification… remember we’re supposed to pretend Lee had NOTHING to do with it.
And really… I’m supposed to talk about how important this match is. I’m supposed to sell you on the fact that this is a PPV main event quality match. I’m meant to be all rage-filled and angry that Mike ‘embarrassed’ me in that HOFC match.
What I’m feeling can be summed up as such: Been there, done that.
This match was awesome… back in 2014 when it happened the first time.
Back when I beat Mike Best in a match for the LSD Championship belt for my second reign. And I’m sure Mike will go on about how that was then and this is now and yadda yadda a bunch of boring stats fucking yadda.
I don’t NEED a fifth reign as LSD Champion. I don’t NEED to prove that I can defeat Mike Best in 2023. I don’t NEED to play along with this glad-handing bullshit Lee Best does the moment someone complains that his shit does indeed stink.
However… Michael, you NEED this match. You NEED this win. You NEED that LSD Championship belt. Most importantly… You need to protect your father. For all the mouthing off, boasting, and bragging about how great you are. You are nothing more than a sack of bones in meat in a human Ziploc bag that Lee is using as a shield because he’s scared of ME.
He’s not scared of what might happen to you. If I were to walk down to the ring, pull out a gun, and put one right between your eyes? Lee would grieve for about a week. He’d have a memorial show for you and then he’d just wave his hand dismissively about it. He’d move on very quickly since of course he still has STRONK! The name Godson would turn into Best and Lee would truly become Papa Best.
And you’d be remembered as the guy that couldn’t win the Universal Championship in PRIME.
That knee better be good enough to put me down and keep me down. If it’s not, you’re going to find yourself catching a lot of bullets for the sake of the man who only feeds your ego because it benefits him.
You can’t fight your father’s battles forever.
—–
El Dorado Casino
Reno, Nevada
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023
Wednesday afternoon was hopping inside the El Dorado Casino here in Reno. Later tonight inside of the Silver State Ballroom the UPRISING company would be having their Revolution 9 event. People were lined up to place bets on the matches for tonight’s card but others were trying to luck at scoring big enough to live their best life in one of the fabulous places in the country. One section of the Casino where the slot machines were placed seemed a bit empty. Outside of a little old lady or two, most people had decided to gamble on something with a much bigger payout.
Everyone except Jace Parker Davidson. He was sat in front of one of the slot machines mindlessly feeding it coins before pulling the lever. There was no excitement on his face, no expression of wanting to hit a jackpot. This was more or less a mundane task to kill time while his mind wandered off to different places. Nevada was one of the few places where being a well-known professional wrestler wasn’t a big deal. Sure, you’d get the occasional request for an autograph or picture but for the most part gambling, alcohol, and naked women are what kept people’s attention.
Jace pulls the lever once again on the machine and watches the wheels turn until someone takes a seat at the machine right next to the one he was toiling away at. The person turned and looked at Davidson before folding her arms across her chest.
“Revolution 9 airs in a matter of hours and I find you sitting here playing the slots like you were my grandmother?” Jace didn’t have to look to know the voice belonged to Madison Carter. “I didn’t think money was so tight that you need to spend all of your laundry money trying to win a small fortune.”
“I am fine financially, Madison. This is just something to keep me occupied until we can leave and go home.” Jace murmured as he put more coins into the machine. “Blinking lights, spinning wheels, and pretty girls who will bring you drinks all night long. What more could I possibly want?”
“Well…” Madison began. “You could get together with me, Jezebel, Samantha, and Trixie since again Revolution starts in a few hours.”
“I’m not even booked on the card tonight, you know that, Madison,” Jace replied before pulling the lever. “I am only here to support you and the other members of The Kingdom. I don’t think you all need me to place some added pressure on your shoulders before the show starts tonight.”
“So, we’re back to this again?” Madison questioned with a hint of anger in her voice. “You lost the match at 97RED against STRONK! and Lee Best screwed you yet again. That means you’re going to be all prickly and brooding about it until an act of God makes the dark cloud over your head fade away?”
Jace looks at Madison out of the corner of his eye as his facial expression sours.
“Call it whatever you want, but yes, I’m pissed off about getting screwed at 97RED,” Jace said confidently. “I’m actually pissed off about a lot of things, I’m not going to brood about 97RED since I’ve got another match to worry about this weekend.”
“Ah yes!” Madison exclaims. “The chance to regain the LSD Championship belt as you face Mike Best for what feels like the forty millionth time.”
“With Daddy Dearest as the special guest referee.” Jace’s nostrils flare. “This is Lee’s way of supposedly doing me a favor. He thinks he’s giving me what I want with this match but the truth is that this is nothing but a Christmas-wrapped middle finger to me as a person and as a wrestler.”
Madison nods her head up and down.
“That is typical Lee Best but it’s not like you can complain too much when you have the chance to win a title. Especially when it’s the LSD Championship belt.” Madison reaches out and nudges Davidson.
“Yeah, and then what?” Jace asked.
“What do you mean?” Madison was confused.
“Let’s say I beat Mike Best and then I become HOW LSD Champion yet again,” Jace explains. “Then what? I have a fifth reign with a belt that I held for the majority of this year already. Am I supposed to act like that fifth reign is going to be better than the one that I just had that lasted 301 days? Am I just supposed to smile and pose for pictures like everything Lee put me through is all forgiven because I got the LSD Championship back?”
“I guess not,” Madison answered in a somber tone. “I can only imagine that too many title reigns is a nice problem to have.”
“You’re just getting your feet wet in this business,” Jace adds. “Championship opportunities will come, you just have to keep fighting.”
“Well, then why don’t you do that too?” Madison recommends. “You’re facing Mike Best on Chaos and I know the last thing you want is to lose to him when Lee is the referee. Hell, listening to Mike run his mouth is torture enough.”
“Mike would run his mouth regardless if I won or lost.” Jace shook his head. “Ten years ago, I would be amped to get a chance to beat Mike and shut him up. That was a goal for who was I back then but now? I’m past the point where a win over Mike Best or another LSD Championship will be a defining moment in my career. As much as he’ll hate me saying this, this thing has nothing to do with Mike Best at all.”
“So, what are you saying exactly?” Madison tilts her head.
“I’m saying that I’m not fucking Darin Zion. I don’t need a win against Mike Best to slap at the top of my accomplishments to feel like I’m not a failure as a professional wrestler.” Jace yanks the lever on the machine hard. “I’m saying that I’m not Jatt Starr, Steve Solex, or Dan Ryan. I don’t need to throw my dignity out of the window and bow down to Lee because the money and title opportunities are better when you do his bidding.”
“Then why even show up?” Madison lets the question linger.
“I’m showing up because this is personal. It’s extremely personal between me and Lee, not me and Lee’s bastard child. This isn’t about moving up the rankings or begging for weekly bookings so I can win another Wrestler of the Year award.” Jace rises to his feet and hands his remaining coins to Madison. “I’ll show up in Indianapolis on Sunday night because GOD needs to look ME in the eye and finally pay for his sins.”
Jace turns and begins to walk away from the slot machines.
“Where are you going?!” Madison calls out.
“I need some air. I’ll be back before Revolution starts.” Jace answers before exiting the Casino.
Madison sighed and handed off the coins to a random person in the Casino before heading off to prepare for her match later tonight.