- Event: Chaos 033
Location: Mexico City, Mexico: Hotel
Date: June 12, 2023
The scene opens up to Scott Stevens at the front desk trying to checkout when there seems to be a problem.
“Are you sure?”
Stevens asks embarrassed.
“Yes sir, I’ve tried the card three times and every time I tried it, it said it was declined.”
The cute, Mexican girl behind the desk informs the Texan who can only sigh and shake his head as he reaches into his back pocket and produces his brown leather wallet. Stevens opens it up and thumbs through it and produces five hundred American dollars and places it on the desk.
“Looks like my PWA win bonus is evaporating quickly.”
Scott says to himself.
“What was that?”
The lady asks as she collects the money.
“Nothing.”
Scott informs her as the lady finalizes the process to check the Hall of Famer out.
Location: Quito, Ecuador: Hotel
Date: June 15, 2023
The scene opens up to an amazing and clear blue sky with a glowing sun highlighting the mountainous terrain in the background of beautiful Quito. You have the active volcano, Pichincha, to the east of the city. There is a lot of fun and exciting things to do in this city. You can take a gondola lift called the TeleferiQo to get an up-close view of the volcano. You can visit the ruins of the Inca Empire. You can travel to the historic center and gaze at the amazing architecture of the Basilica of San Francisco, Basilica del Voto Nacional, and the Church of La Campania de Jesus to name a few. You can also check out a soccer match as Quito is home to six prominent clubs. Did you know that all Quito soccer stadium are all over nine thousand feet above sea level which gives them an advantage over foreign teams they play? If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying, am I right?
It has been over twenty years since I last stepped foot in South America for a wrestling match and over fifteen years since I went there for vacation and I am excited to be back. Despite the perception that Lee Best and High Octane Wrestling has made you belief that no one gives a fuck about Scott Stevens and the Stevens family we happen to be beloved in South America. My wife’s family is from Brazil and my father and hers have fought, broke bones, and bleed over two continents. I am excited for this tour because I get to wrestle in front of a fanbase I haven’t performed for in over two decades. I know they are excited for this tour and the return of Scott Stevens.
Don’t believe me.
Check out the hotel I’m staying at.
As we cut to the hotel, we see a long line of people of all ages lined up outside of it. We fade to the inside and we follow the line towards a small banquet hall and inside that room is none other than everyone’s favorite Texan taking a picture with a kid with a replica of 97 Red.
“Gracias. Gracias.”
The little kid says to Scott as he nods.
“De nada.”
Stevens replies as he motions for the next person in line to approach. An older gentleman approaches the table where a sign shows that autographs are $5, photos are $10 or both for $12 and the man shows a black and white photo and Scott leans back in his chair with a stunned expression.
“Oh wow.”
Scott looks at the photo of his father-in-law, Anderson Barbosa, standing over his father, Cary Stevens, with a very young Scott Stevens crying on the outside. The photo already has the signatures of the victor and the loser, but is only missing one for it to be complete and the Texan is happy to sign it.
“No es uno de mis recuerdos favoritos.”
Scott says to that man with a chuckle and the man replies with a chuckle himself and thanks him for the photo as the next family comes up and Stevens signs toy versions of the ICON, LSD, Tag, and World titles before taking a couple of pictures with them. Scott thanks the family for coming and motions for the next person in line to come. The person is a gentleman in his thirties and presents Scott with a championship belt. The belt is old, the material for the strap is unraveling a little and the pictures to represent past champions on the sides are faded. Think the Ring Boxing Magazine championship but the strap is the colors of the Ecuadorian flag and the main plate is the Ecuador Coat of Arms.
“Esto es para ti.”
The man informs Scott who looks shocked as he recognizes the championship right away. It was the Incan Empire Wrestling National Championship. A championship held by his father and father-in-law.
“Estas Seguro?”
Stevens asks as he admires the championship.
“Si.”
The man responds proudly.
“Gracias.”
Stevens replies with a huge smile as he watches the man walk off.
“Wow. A blast from the past.”
Stevens continues to admire the championship he hadn’t seen in over thirty years when two police officers make their way towards the table. As they push their way through the line, they get the Texan’s attention as he puts his gift onto the table and the officers go to the cash box and open it up and begin to take out the money and put it into their pockets.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!?!?!?!?”
The Texan shouts as he rises from his seat and one of the officers produces a baton.
“Easy gringo. You don’t have a permit to be selling anything so this is the penalty for it.”
The officer places the baton on Scott’s chest.
“Permit? The hell are you talking about? The hotel gave me permission to do this…..”
Scott is immediately interrupted by the officer.
“Hey pendejo!”
The officer shouts as he begins to tap the baton on Scott’s chest.
“Gringo, we can do this the easy way where we collect our fee for not having a permit or we can do it the hard way where you end in a cell. Your choice.”
The officer informs Stevens who doesn’t look happy, but does the smart thing and takes a step back.
“Smart choice gringo. Smart choice.”
The officer says to Stevens as he collapses his baton and places it back into his belt as his partner finishes collecting the money before turning to the people standing in line.
“Estamos cerrando esto. Vete a casa.”
The officer informs the people in line and everyone lets out a massive groan. The officers motion for the people to leave and once everyone is out of the banquet hall, the officers begin to leave but stop and collect all of the Hall of Famer’s autograph memorabilia he was signing and tossing it into a nearby trash can.
“Hey! What are you doing now?”
Stevens shouts and the officer who collected chuckles.
“Picking up your trash. I’m sure you don’t want a citation for littering gringo because I don’t think you can afford it.”
The officer informs Stevens before laughing obnoxiously as he leaves the room and Scott stands there seething before hitting the table with all of his might cracking it as the image fades.
———-
Welcome home, old friend.
Long time no see.
How have you been?
By looking at you, you have been doing well for yourself.
You compiled a successful business for yourself with your taco truck franchise and by the looks of things it looks like your wallet isn’t the only thing that has gotten fatter.
Come on man, just ribbing ya.
Hey, that’s a good idea Rhys, tacos with rib meat.
Write that down.
Honestly man, I’m glad you’ve found success since you last stepped inside of a wrestling.
Can’t say that for most of us.
Hell, I’m mostly speaking for myself.
I mean you would think that emerging victorious at PWA 2 would give me high aspirations and a great victory over a rival competitor to add to my accolades, but the truth is, it wasn’t. My match at PWA 2 was a fucking embarrassment. Abe Dipshitz came to the ring drunk, high, or possibly both and embarrassed his already joke of a wrestling company with his stupidity. So much for being a “PRIME slayer” when your joke of an opponent does the work for you.
Shit.
What the fuck am I complaining for?
It was a payday and that’s all I’m good for nowadays.
You see my friend, while you’ve been living the high life, I’ve been scraping rock bottom as I’ve made bad business decisions. Thankfully you didn’t take me on as a business partner or your taco franchise would be non-existent like my kids’ college funds. Hell, you’d probably want to have nothing to do with me either if you were my wife and family.
I don’t blame them.
However, I caught your little promo about you not wanting to reform Ground Zero or anything like that, but you’re here just for the nostalgia tour and to redo your greatest hits.
Can I give you some advice?
Yes, I know. Texas wisdom, right?
You wanting to perform your greatest hits, forget it.
If you are trying to live off of past glories or try to win twenty-seven matches in a single year out of thirty-seven matches is not going to happen. I know better than anyone that living off of past accolades gets you absolutely nowhere. This roster is one of the best all around rosters any era has ever seen and you probably won’t believe me, but peak level Rhys Townsend would struggle against this roster. You see, some of the names may be the same, but they have evolved for the better. This era isn’t about winning five world titles in two years because as impressive as that was this era is all about length and domination. Since the reboot, all championships from the HOTv to 97 Red herself has had lengthy and dominant runs. Hell, Christopher America went on a generational title reign that will probably be never seen again. It would’ve been a Hall of Fame worthy reign in itself if he would’ve won his fourth War Games while maintaining possession of his world title.
Maybe you should listen to Joey Numbers and focus on trying to win your sixth world title because eating tacos and getting high isn’t going to get the job done my friend. Shit, you don’t even have to put the tacos or the drugs down, but you need to take your opponents seriously. Sure, you beat Kostoff’s son, but the kid is greener than grass and still learning. You looked rusty as fuck and sloppy against a fucking rookie. Sure, the fans cheered you because they haven’t seen you in almost a decade. When was your last match in HOW? I believe it was 2014, before having one final match in UTAH in the beginning of 2015. Both losses to me, by the way. You didn’t look like a former five-time world champion or Hall of Famer in that ring. You looked like a slightly better version of Abe Dipshitz on Chaos against Kostoff. The point is, you consider yourself the brains of Ground Zero, but yet you aren’t using them when you’re ignoring your competition. You claim to be a technician of the ring, a ring general even, but what you’re a doing is soiling the sacred mat that you worship as hallowed ground.
Everyone may be expecting you to run over everyone on this roster and especially me on Chaos, but unless you start to focus on the important things you are going to end up the same way when we always face one another, defeated.
Looking forward to tearing down the house with you in Ecuador my friend.
See you Sunday.