SHAWN WARSTEIN: Day Dream Girl

“…… I’ll take it from here.”

Just like that I had taken the small crew that was following Lewis around and taken them as my own. The tattooed Lewis doesn’t say anything and just continues to walk out of the gym. I look around and see that everyone is fixated on me. I give them all half a wave and walk up to the ring. The trainer had already gotten another sparring partner. He was running him through the basics as I simply leaned on the apron to watch.

“Well yeah, it’s me.” I smiled as the action continued in the ring. “What else is there to say other than…” A quick pause followed by an over exaggerated wave. “Hello.”

“To those of you who don’t know who I am, where have you been living? Under a fucking boulder? My name is Shawn Warstein. Known around the world for being one of the best to ever lace up a pair of Jordan’s.” A slight shrug. “I know it’s usually boots, but you’ve gotta work with me. I’ve captured titles all across the world in this bustling and glorious industry. When people hear my name they associate it with just one thing.”

“Winning.”

“I know what you’re thinking already. ‘What an arrogant prick!’ And you’d be half right in that assumption. I am an arrogant prick, just one who knows that he’s better than 99% of the people that stand across from him in the middle of the ring at any given moment.” I suck in air through my teeth. “I am confident in my abilities. I’m not like most of you in this rumble. I’m good at what I do. It’s why I have come here to PWE. To show each and everyone of you what a real Legend looks like. Not someone parading around as if they were one.”

“Hello Damian!” I give the camera some quick finger guns. “Funny seeing you here! Well we won’t be seeing much of you after Vhodka takes that pretty little belt off of you. If there was ever an undeserving, over inflated sense of self, barely working champion in wrestling. I would’ve for sure thought it was anyone lambasting around in the XWF.” A quick fourth wall break with a wink directly at the camera. “Or even the dredges of [Redacted] or better yet why not one of the many places that have purged their roster because their homegrowns were outgrown. All places I’ve gone to, brought to prominence and when I left… their carcasses began to rot slowly.”

“Sorry, I got off on a tangent. Where was I?”

“Oh right. Fuck off Damian.”

“So you’re undoubtedly wondering what the hell am I doing here? Why would someone of my stature come here and join in a Rumble of all things. Someone with my gravitas should be able to walk right into Ophelia’s office and get whatever I demand.” I raise my eyebrows and nod slowly. “I could’ve done that, but that’s what everyone doesn’t understand about me. I don’t, and have never, gone to any company and demanded anything. I have always been willing to put in the work to make myself viable to their product. It's the people that walk into places and demand things that give people like me a bad name.”

“People like me who are willing to fight. Willing to put their bodies on the line. People like me who aren’t gifted anything and earn everything.”

“It’s literally the reason I can sit here and just watch. Observe everything that is going on regarding PWE and know that none of this really matters. It’s a Rumble. Everything is left up to chance. Whoever gets the unlucky draw of one or two, has a long way to climb to claim this as their prize. Hell even being the last person to enter is almost a kiss of death.” Slowly I lean off of the apron and begin to walk around the ring as the camera follows. “At that point everyone would be well versed to gang up on you and throw you out as quickly as possible. That’s not accounting for the slick ropes from all the muscle heads and their baby oil. Or the moron who thinks it would be a good idea to not enter the ring at all, and swoops in at the end to claim a false victory.”

“No. There is no such thing as strategy in a match like this. It doesn’t matter what you think you’re going to do. Eventually it all goes up in flames as you’re tossed over the top rope. And POOF! Your chances are gone in the blink of an eye. So quickly in fact that the camera crew wasn’t even able to capture it live, and the world is stuck watching you fall out of the ring on a delay.” I shake my head. “Shame really. I’m pretty sure you invited your entire family to the event. Got them great seats. Only for them to watch as you unceremoniously get dropped on your pebbles for brains, head.”

“Then you’ll walk back up the ramp, with your head down of course, and watch the monitor in the back. And you’ll see the same thing happen. Time and time again. Over and over as if it’s on repeat, but it’s not. Same outcome, different morons.” I stop after walking around the ring and lean up against the post. “There is one throughline in it all. Someone better than you has done it. Now I’m aware that statistically speaking someone that just plain sucks is going to get someone out. It’s just the way these matches work. However the odds of someone like… Jensen Kidd or a Landerson, making it all the way to the end on a fluke.”

I stop myself for a moment as my eyes get wide. “Hold on a minute. What if all the flukes team up and it’s like the rise of the losers in the middle of the ring. All of them with their braces and retainers, summon their combined power of virginity to take over the match. Forcing the odds in their favor?”

“Who am I kidding? Each and everyone of you are out for yourselves. That would last only until someone said they didn’t like Anime or that Bulbasaur is the best starter. Then the geeks would fight amongst themselves and there would be a full blown riot.” I scrunch my face slightly. “Riot might be the wrong word. A full blown tantrum in the ring, as the waft of body odor and failure fills the arena.”

“Step up in the middle of the ring and watch what happens when a real competitor shows up.” I pull my phone from my pocket and quickly begin scrolling. Tapping furiously at the screen.

“I tried and tried to find someone, anyone worth a damn in this match. Me thinks I’ve made a mistake. Like I see some people from AW. And while I’ve seen some of their work, it’s not really up to my level.” I continue scrolling. “Loser, loser, loser, dead weight.”

“I’m sorry. If you feel that, that describes you, then it most certainly does. Yet there are a few people that might.” I hold up a hand and use my index and thumb to signify a small amount. “Then there are a few who are close but still not worthy of my time. I’m talking about…”

“Ahhhh you thought I was going to sit here and rattle off each and every person in this match? Nah. That’s for the people who feel the need to mention and lambast everyone. That’s not my style. I would much rather sit back and listen to each and everyone of you drone on and on about people who don’t matter in the match. Who in the grand scheme of things don’t matter one iota.”

“I could sit here and talk about the man whose wife is going to emasculate him once she walks away with the big belt, while he is going to be dumped over the top rope. Without Hesitation. This ain’t your brother's company. None of that bullshit shenanigans this time around. Don’t think I forgot. When I see you it’s on sight.” I pause for a moment and slowly lower my phone. I tuck it away in my pocket. “Or I could talk about the guy who’s big win was against that string bean I stole this crew from. Who otherwise always comes up short in the big match. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”

“So while all of you are out there, surely talking about how I’m past my prime. Or how an outsider doesn’t have a shot in hell at winning this. Or how you’re going to go out there and give it your all.” I clasp my hands and place them in front of my mouth, lowering them into a prayer like motion. “I’m going to apologize to all of you right now. Sometimes your best just isn’t good enough. On my worst day I’m still looking down on all of you. That’s how far ahead of you I really am.”

“So I want each and everyone of you to go home tonight. Tuck yourself in tight, take some melatonin, smoke some weed, drink some booze, whatever you do to relax and have a nice comfortable sleeping experience.” Taking my hands I lay my head on them as if they were a pillow. “Drift off to sleep. Dream about winning the Rumble. Plan your victory speech, pick the champion you're going to fail against. Then wake up disappointed that you’re back to reality.”

“And that’s the difference between me and the rest of you. Your dreams stay exactly that. Figments of your imagination. Gone as soon as you wake up and only remembered by yourself. Me? I live my dreams everyday. It just sucks for the rest of you that it’s a walking nightmare.”

“I mean be honest with me for a second. Like really honest. What changes in the world if I walk out the winner of the Rumble? Not a damn thing. At this point a loss from me in this situation is like the one in fourteen million that Dr. Strange was talking about. However if one of you walks out the winner, and somehow becomes the luckiest person on the planet. Please, I beg of you. Go buy a lottery ticket. Yet in the end the world will continue to spin. You’ll eventually fail at capturing whatever title you decide to go after.”

“It’s a shame really. I once had high hopes for the roster here. Then… well then I actually started to watch. And then I got sad. I saw Betsy here and thought how bad could it be.” One rather large deep sigh and a throat clearing. “It’s so so bad. I’m here to do two things. Pay attention everyone, I'm only going to say it once.”

“I’m here to win the Rumble and put PWE on the map. These are things I can do and they are the types of things you only daydream about.”

Now I could’ve easily gotten into the ring and started to warm up or train for this match, but I didn’t. I didn’t feel it was necessary to do so, instead I allowed the gawkers to watch me walk around a ring a few times, drool over being in the presence of an actual Legend, and left.

Yeah that sounds about right, besides with everything else on my plate at the moment, I don’t think over exerting myself would be the right call. With Blood Money behind me already and PRIME directly in front of me, why would I tire myself out more than I already am?

It would be dumb to do so. Instead I texted my lovely girlfriend Kasey Winterborn to see if she was still close after dropping me off. I didn’t wait outside for long before she pulled up.

“Done already?” She smiled as I got into the car. “I was expecting you to be in there longer than that.”

“That’s what she…” I quickly stop myself. “I see my mistake there and immediately pull my statement out.”

Kasey laughs but quickly retorts. “Another thing you never do.”

“Good one. Truthful and extremely accurate.” I couldn’t help but laugh. That’s the thing about Kasey that not many people realize, she literally brings the best out of me. She effortlessly makes me want to be a better person, friend and partner. Since the two of us have been together, I’ve tried everything to be better for her because of her.

I like most men, I have made mistakes in my past. I’ve pushed too hard too fast. I’ve been prone to bouts of jealousy. Rage, oh the rage.

With her.

It’s just easy. I know that at the end of our days, no matter what happens during that day, she will be there. I will be there. Am I one to flirt on Twitter? I sure am. Does it bother her? I’m sure it does, but she doesn’t say anything to me about it. Why? Honestly I don’t know why, but I can venture a guess.

It’s probably because she’s aware of the fact that nothing will come from it. For as long as I’ve been in relationships, my loyalty has never once been questioned.

Kasey sighed as we were stuck in traffic, I reached a hand over and placed mine on top of hers. “Everything okay?”

“….yeah.” A slight hesitation.

“Are you sure about that? The pause in your voice tells me otherwise.” I do tend to pay attention when things are off, it’s the mundane that tends to go in one ear and out the other.

“It’s just…” Once again she pauses for a second before continuing. “It seems like we are drifting away from one another.”

I was caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“Come on Shawn. Don’t act like you don’t feel it too.” She’s strong. She’s composed. She continues. “With all the places you’re going to, and all the places I’m going to, we aren’t spending as much time together any more.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Honestly I feel like dirt even bringing it up.” She stops immediately, closing herself off and clamming up.

I gently squeeze her hand, holding it tightly. “You know that I love you. So just tell me what you need from me. You're worth whatever you need from me.”

“It’s not like that.” Kasey half smiles. “It would be unfair for me to ask you to stop doing anything. Especially if it’s just because I’m feeling a certain type of way. I don’t want to tell you not to join PRIME. Or to not jump in the Olla-Rumble. I want you to do all those things and then some.”

“But you feel like I’m…” I tried to finish the statement but was cut off.

“You’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just I want more time with you. More just you and me.” There it was. My fault. My own actions did this to her. I never wanted her to feel insecure or unwanted.

“I do too. So when all of this is over, just one place for me. Just one person for me. I mean that, I really do.”

“I know you do, Shawn.” The tension in her hand slowly lessened. “But when you win the Olla Rumble and the tournament in PRIME aren’t you going to be obligated to stick around?”

“You’ve known me for how long now? You should know that it doesn’t matter one bit. I have no problem walking away from places regardless of the titles or accolades I have.” I reached over and grabbed her hand and held it with both of mine. “Especially if that means I’m walking towards you.”

“Shawn….” A slightly somber tone from Kasey. “I know. So what I want you to do. No I take that back, what I need you to do is win everything. Win it all.”

“Well that’s surely the game plan.” I let out a slight chuckle. “It’s not like I’m going into all of these half cocked like Max, or Vincent or that comedian guy. I know that I’m going to win, while the others are just playing for second.”

“There’s that confidence I find oh so alluring.” She raises her eyebrows a few times.

“Stop it.” I give her a wink and we sit there in silence for a few moments. “Ahem, when I say that what I really mean is keep going.”

“Finally a phrase….”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence!” I said with a laugh. “Seriously, I want you to know that everything I’m doing. Everywhere I go. All the companies I compete at, none of them will ever take precedence over you. All you’ve got to do is say the word and I’m wherever you need me to be.”

“I know love. I know.”

“So you’re not breaking up with me?” I said with the puppiest of puppy dog eyes.

Kasey rolled her eyes deeper than I had ever seen. “Not today baby. Not today.”

“Oi!” I quickly tilt my head. “What the hell do you mean by that?!”

“Well if you don’t win at PRIME, and you come up short in the Rumble, I’m going to have to leave you. I can’t be seen with a loser. Someone who is all talk and no results!” Kasey snickered.

“Wait….” I hold out a hand to pause for a moment. “You’re not serious are you?”

“You’re an idiot.” She shook her head in utter disbelief.

“That’s evident, but also not an answer.” I can’t lie, I’m a little worried.

“Get out of the car Shawn.” She smiled and pointed towards the door. I didn’t turn, I just stared at her.

“No. I want an answer.” I’m struggling to keep my composure, but I was breaking.

“Shawn. Get out of the car.” She reached over the top of me and opened my door. “We are going to be late.”

“I don’t care if I’m lat—-” I stop myself. “Wait. You said We. Wait where are we?” I finally turned around and we had arrived at the airport parking garage. The entire time we were talking I wasn’t even paying attention to my surroundings, I’m going to need to change that before the rumble. However Kasey had already gotten out of the car and was digging inside the trunk when I finally got out of the car.

She was walking towards my side of the car. “No, we aren't breaking up. No, your wins and losses don’t affect how I feel about you.”

“I didn’t know you packed?” I said while I reached for her bags and slung one over my shoulder.

“I can’t have you going to Vegas by yourself. Not after the pictures you sent me from last week.” That was a serious tone that I hadn’t heard from her in a while. “So we are going to Vegas tonight, and then hopping directly on a flight for Mexico.”

“You have everything planned out already don’t you?” I said while placing my free arm over her shoulder.

“I do, and you’d be lost without me.” She laughed because she knew it was true. I would be lost without her. I’d be a completely different person with different aspirations and goals.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Donovan.” Said matter of factly. “He’s pretty great. Good dude. Blogger. Australian.”

“How many Aussie’s do you know?” She said confusedly. “Are you trying to make Noah and Aiden jealous?“

“No, I’m not. I just think their accents are funny. Plus Donovan found me not the other way around.”

From there Kasey and I made our way to the gate, boarded the plane and set off for Las Vegas. Where a victory was all but certain. The real prize was making it to the Olla-Rumble in one piece.

So as much as I wanted to scream it from the mountain tops, I couldn’t. This secret had to stay with me and I had to prepare myself for this weekend. I had to go over every little detail. I had to sit there and do my homework on 28 and a half wrestlers that are in this match.

Half? Yeah I’m not counting the string bean who went to town with a sharpie as a full wrestler. It’s the others that I have to focus on. I know that I said none of them are in my class. I know that I have also said it’s all but predestined that I was going to win.

But the fact remains. It all comes down to chance. What if I draw number one? Can I win? Of course but that’s no guarantee. What if I slip and break an ankle? Can I win? Of course but the odds dip dramatically.

No instead I’m going to take this flight and use it as my chance to get to know each and everyone of you. Inside and out. Really dig deep into what each of you are setting out to accomplish. Some of you want the free opportunity at a title. Fucking millennials. All the rewards without any of the hard work. Some of you just want to add clout to your name and while that was perfectly reasonable, the second my name popped up your clout took a deep dive off a fucking cliff.

So those are the two main motivations everyone has upon entering this match. Funny isn’t it? How out of everyone in this match, neither of those are what I’m here for. Ask yourselves this….

Why would Shawn Warstein be here? What does he have to prove to anyone, anywhere?

Nothing. I don’t have to prove a damn thing to anyone. I have to prove it to myself no matter where I go. No matter how many different companies I am in. No matter how many different opponents that stand across from me…

I will always prevail.

Even in losses. That’s where all of you fail. Even if I lose, I learn something from it. I adapt to it. I change. While all of you stay stagnant, content to wade in waters that you’re used to, I strive to prove that I am the best. That despite what you think of me. Even if you don’t like me.

You will fucking respect me.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. One day, everyone pays the toll. It just so happens that here and now, it’s time to pay the ferryman. I fully expect myself to win. While you all hope to win, for me anything less would be a sham, a mockery to my Legacy.

So bring on everyone. I want the best of the best, I guess I’ll have to settle for what is put before me. This is me standing right where I belong. A spot destined for someone of greatness. A spot for the most well known commodity in the industry. A man willing to do whatever it takes, to whomever stands in his path. I have booted the head off of loved ones. Sacrificed family to get ahead. I’ve done everything and anything this business has allowed me to do. This isn’t a spoiler.

‘LOL Shawn Wins’

It’s a goddamn formality.

When the bell rings and my music hits. Watch as I stroll down to the ring. Unbothered. Unencumbered. Watch as I stroll towards victory, then everything will unfold just as I had planned. So when I’m in that ring and my back is inevitably against the wall, while you are grasping for your motivation, watching as your time slowly comes to an end. All I’ll have to do is look in the front row and see her there cheering me on.

I don’t do this for her.

I do this because of her.

She is my walking, talking, living, breathing, sensual…

Day Dream Girl.