Time to Separate the Men from the Boys

Location: Chicago, Illinois: Stevens Apartment
July 12, 2020: Time: 1:30 am

THUMP!

The sound of what appears to be running is heard as the scene comes into view. The illumination of the moon on this beautiful Windy City night shines into the upper apartment and we see Scott Stevens running on a treadmill. As we get closer we notice that Stevens is looking rather jacked as he appears to have bulked up some since the last time he was in the ring. Not actively competing since March will put flab on just about anyone.

BEEP.

Red lights begin to flash as the beeping alerts the Texan that the treadmill is about to go into cool down. As the conveyor belt starts to slow, Scott reaches for a towel that hangs over the right hand rail and begins to wipe the sweat from his face

BEEP.

The conveyor belt comes to a halt and when it does the perspiration from Stevens’ body begins to fall onto the belt leaving a puddle before Scott can stop the waterfall of sweat as he wipes down his upper torso with his towel. Stevens throws the towel around his neck as he gets off of the treadmill and heads to the living room to watch the movie that was playing on the television, “Bloodsport.” We notice that Scott has been using his time off besides getting back in shape to get some ink done as he has a massive dragon that covers the majority of his back. Stevens takes a seat on the sofa and reaches for his strawberry and banana shake. As he begins to enjoy his delicious drink his iPhone begins to buzz. Scott looks annoyed as he places his shake on the glass table in front of him and grabs his phone to see he has three text messages from Lee Best. Scott clicks on his phone to read the messages.

“Got the results back from the doc saying you’re cleared to compete.”

“Booked you for the next Refueled against Andy Murray, and it’s for the ICON title.”

“Good luck Dickhead.”

Stevens’ eyes grow wide knowing this is a massive opportunity he has been given on his long awaited return to the HOW ring. As he continues to process the information his attention is drawn to the television we he hears the familiar line……

“Time to separate the men from the boys” uttered by Ray Jackson before he went up to face Chong Li.

“Indeed it is. Indeed it is”

Scott mutters to himself as he places the phone on the table and contemplates his next move.

__________________________________________________________

Andy Murray.

The King of Wrestling.

The ICON Champion.

At March to Glory, everything changed for the both of us. Two illustrious wrestling careers that have been intertwined in some shape or form over the last decade took to very different and distinctive paths at the end of the night. My path lead me into obscurity for four months after my defeat at the hands of Brian Hollywood and your path proved you as advertised as the hype surrounding why you call yourself the King of Wrestling was on full display. What a performance it was as you started and finished the match and walked out with championship gold on your very first pay-per-view in HOW. Even though the Lethal Lottery threw a slight monkey wrench into the plans of 24K it didn’t stop you from conquering everyone that tried to dethrone you whether it was in singles or tag matches. Andy Murray proved why he is considered one of, if not the greatest professional wrestler of all-time.

One of the reasons that make Andy Murray such as great wrestler is that once he puts his mind to something he doesn’t stop until he finishes that goal. When he became tag champions with Joe Bergman he made it known he didn’t like the arrangement and despite Mario Maurako’s best efforts to solidify them as an official team Murray wasn’t having it. However, despite the gripes he was going to defend that championship until it was taken from him because that was his title and he was going to go out there and prove why he and Bergman were the best tag team in HOW regardless if he liked his partner or not because Andy Murray wants to show why he is the best there is.

Just take a look at what happened at War Games as he competed in not one, but both War Games matches. He wasn’t going to let his knee issues stop him from reaching immortal status within HOW as he tried to break Christopher America’s War Games record of two back to back victories by doing it within the same night. He got a reinforced knee brace and competed in two brutal matches and even though he lost both matches he came out shining brighter than ever in HOW because even in defeat his performance was still on everyone’s mind.

However, the very next Refueled you said some things I haven’t heard you say in years and that was my name. Naturally I was curious because why would you mention my name multiple times when i haven’t been given the all clear by Lee Best to actively compete again. When you mentioned my name the first time I thought nothing of it really because you mentioned my name and others saying we would have to earn the right to face you for the ICON title.

No big deal, right?

But when you said those three magic words……

FUCK. SCOTT. STEVENS.

You had my full attention Andy.

My question to you is why say it in the first place knowing I can’t compete or appear on television to compete against you or reply back?

Is it because saying that is the catchphrase of the week?

Was it to get a chuckle out of the Bruvs?

Was it because you’re still butt-hurt from losing to me all those years ago?

Honestly, what was it?

Since you’ve come into HOW, I haven’t bragged about beating you. I mentioned we had history and left it at that because I didn’t want the same thing that happened to me once happen to me again. For five years I bragged about something you haven’t done and that is beat Mike Best for the World championship. It was like a bad song put on repeat with the volume turned up as high as it will go. I was constantly reminding everyone that would listen and I tried that same old song and dance in this era of HOW and you know what it got me? A knee to the fucking skull is what. The Mike Best from five years ago isn’t the same one that pinned you at War Games, now is it? Just like you aren’t the same Andy Murray I faced in New Orleans all those years ago.

As I tried to wrap my head around why you were mentioning my name I became focused when I re-watched your interview with Blaire and your future going forward with the ICON title would entail and as I listened to the things spewing from your mouth I became pissed off.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, and that is what doesn’t piss Scott Stevens off? It may be true that I have a rather short temper, but how you called the ICON championship a symbol of your failure and how you try to justify calling it that by saying that you won’t be a fighting champion but a prestigious one. Then you contradict yourself when you told the world that fighting champions undermine the prestige of the championship when moments before you said you elevate the standards set by the previous title holders. Last time I checked the Stevenspedia, Cecilworth Farthington, Mike Best, and your old buddy, Dan Ryan were fighting champions.

Now if you want to call Farthington handing out titles shot like candy during his reign is fine, but the goobers he faced were mostly members of the now ill fated Industry and former World champion, Joe Bergman.

You know that guy you didn’t give a fuck about?

However, I’m sure you’ll say Perfection deserved his title shot right?

Even though he was on a losing streak heading into that match.

I mean if Lee Best booked you in a match against Chris Kostoff you are going to sit there and tell me he doesn’t deserve a shot at that championship? The man is a fucking Hall of Famer I think that supersedes your opinion. What about Max Kael? He lost his LSD championship at War Games and he was the number one ranked wrestler in HOW for who knows how long, but I’m sure you don’t think he deserves a shot, right?

Regardless if you think I have earned the right to meet The King is irrelevant because the fact is you haven’t earned shit. You didn’t earn that title you carry around your waist. You were awarded it after being pinned in a match and that was after you lost your tag title earlier in the same day. You talk about handing out undeserving title shots, but you were handed a title you didn’t earn. You may be the ICON champion, but you didn’t earn it Andy. Lee Best threw you a fucking bone and how your acting is proof enough you aren’t worthy of that championship. A championship I hold near and dear to my heart as much as Mike Best does because unlike you, I have earned all my championships in HOW.

I’m sure you’re bitching to whomever that will listen, but if Lee Best made the match I have been deemed worthy and maybe his reasons are because of my past accomplishments or maybe he knows how much the ICON championship means to me and throwing me in the fucking deep end with one of the Great Whites of HOW will get me back on track. Who knows?

What I do know is that we were supposed to dance last Refueled, but the match was cancelled after I wasn’t medically cleared, but that has all changed as I’m fully cleared and ready to go.

You can continue to say FUCK. SCOTT. STEVENS. However, you’ll have my fist colliding into your face this time knocking out the Just for Men you’ve been using recently. Arrogance and confidence are two different things my friend and you seem pretty smug for an individual who hasn’t had a match much less a victory since the War Games pay-per-view.

See you Saturday.