As Aaron Helms sat in the locker room following his meeting with Mr. Drachewych before the start of Breakdown, the twenty year old wasn’t sure which of several emotions was more pressing on his mind. Was his anger the overriding emotion, angry that he had been duped into attending a show he was given leave from in order to spend time with his new-born child? Angry that somebody had taken it upon themselves to mess with him for reasons known only to themselves, taking him away from the people who needed him most in that moment, dragging him to another country in order to simply play games with his life? Or was it sadness… saddened by the fact that he wasn’t with the people he loved where he should have been, rather than sitting in a locker room of the Air Canada Center dwelling on what he was missing out on! It had been a horrid experience for Aaron, having to leave Scarlett and their little bundle of joy Elysia in order to fly to Toronto, especially when it meant having to leave California literally hours after their baby girl was allowed to leave the hospital; he’d expected it to feel horrible when he had to leave them, he admitted that. Aaron had expected it to be a gut-wrenching experience every time he kissed his future wife and their daughter goodbye before heading off to the next show on the schedule, but it wasn’t supposed to be so soon, that was what had truly thrown him. He had arranged with the board to take the week off, they’d sanctioned his request and he wasn’t due back on the road until August thirtieth and while that wouldn’t have been enough time in Aaron’s view – all the time in the world would not have been enough! – he was thankful that the Supreme Championship Wrestling board had given him the time off that he’d asked for… but someone wasn’t happy about that, somebody had taken it upon themselves to change that because they didn’t believe Aaron deserved that time away from the ring with his new family, and that resulted in a bitter and twisted New Jersey native sat in the Air Canada Center way before the show was meant to start!
He couldn’t understand why someone would do that to him, that was the thing; he had had his problems with various people over the last year and a half, he knew that. Was it the Fuck Up’s maybe? That wouldn’t surprise him, they were probably bitter about the events of Rise to Greatness weekend, that probably went without saying… but were those two really the type to meddle with Aaron’s life the way this person had? That didn’t seem like their style; if anything, Aaron would expect Beard and Juice to do thinks personally and in person, the face to face approach. Aaron was convinced that they were the type to attack someone physically instead of playing with them mentally… either because they thought that was a better message to send or simply because they weren’t quite smart enough to realise that mental torture could be more painful that anything that can be done physically to a person he wasn’t sure, but this definitely didn’t feel like a Fuck Up’s related issue…
But short of those two, Aaron wasn’t sure who it could be, that was what made it all the worse. The sting was not knowing what he’d done or why this was happening to him… if he had heat with someone, if he’d pissed someone off or cost someone an opportunity he’d perhaps understand, but as of late his life had simply been about trying to defend the World Tag Team championships to the best of his ability and if that was enough to anger someone so badly that they felt the need to screw with his life then that person clearly needed assessing by some sort of psychiatric professional because that wasn’t right in any way shape or form. And all he could think about was Scarlett and Elysia, looking at the lock screen of his phone which was a picture of the pair of them, Scarlett holding their bundle of joy wrapped tightly in a blanket so just her pink rosy face showed underneath a yellow knitted hat. Everything he did from this point on, it would all be for them, he knew that. Those two girls were his life, they were the motivation he needed and the reason for him to keep him going despite anything that was thrown at him… he could have done with that at times, when things were tough and he needed something to keep his head in the game when life seemed to be doing its best to force him to lose it, but now he had all the reason to fight for every scrap of success he could ever want. He had a beautiful baby girl that he was determined to make proud of him once she was old enough to know what daddy did, even if that was years away from being reality. And that was what he tried to concentrate on as he sat there in that locker room, the majority of the roster not even in the building yet.
He was obsessed with the photo on his phone, it helped keep his emotions from spilling over more than they otherwise might have. He wouldn’t give whoever it was the satisfaction of knowing that he was a mess… no, he would wait until D. came through with the info that he had promised Aaron he would get; the name of who was responsible for this!
Aaron was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door to the locker room open. It was the sound of Shaun Cruze’s voice that was the first thing to pull him out of his little solitary world of one and even then, 
it took him actually shouting the kids name to get his attention.“Aaron?!” Shaun asked when he first stepped into the room, Angyalka following closely behind and she gave Shaun a look when Aaron didn’t immediately react to Shaun saying his name. “Hey, earth to Aaron, you in there mate?” Shaun went on, walking a little closer to the twenty year old and waving a hand in front of Aaron’s face, which finally caused him to come around and he jumped back in fright, climbing out of his seat and backing up a little before looking up at Shaun and Angy, surprised to see them there. “Sorry chief, didn’t mean to make you jump… the fuck you doing here though bud? Thought you were supposed to have the week off this week?” Shaun asked and Aaron looked at him a little funnily at first, almost as if he was struggling to comprehend the question before he literally shook his head as if getting rid of cobwebs from inside of it. Locking his phone, Aaron slid it into the back pocket of his jeans as he stood up and nodded to Shaun. “I’m gonna be honest mate, you’re kind of freaking me out right now… seriously, are you okay? You don’t seem yourself… what the hell are you even doing here anyway?!” he asked, clearly a little worried. Shaun knew for a fact that Aaron wasn’t scheduled to be at the show that night or the rest of the week and walking into the Honour Code locker room to find him there had clearly unsettled him, especially when he saw the state Aaron was in…
“I, uh… no, not really,” Aaron replied, in relation to the question of whether he was okay. He couldn’t lie, even if he wanted to keep the whole thing bottled up, it was plainly obvious to see that something was wrong just from looking at him and what good would it do to try and hide it anyway? “And yeah, I thought so too… so did Mr. D when I turned up tonight…”
Shaun wasn’t exactly sure what to say at first and he stalled for time by exchanging a look with his wife, hoping she would know how to deal with this, but she could only shake her head, not understanding it either. “So uh… why did you come here then, if you’re not meant to be here?” Shaun asked, feeling like it was the most obvious next step. “I’d have thought you’d want to be home with Scarlett and Elysia right now…”
“You think?!” Aaron snapped back, his temper flaring again before he threw his hands up apologetically. “Sorry, sorry, just… I’m a little… don’t really know what to… sorry…” he finished lamely, dropping back down onto the empty bench he’d occupied before Shaun and Angy entered the room.
“Aaron, what’s going on?” Anygalka asked, deciding to go the more direct route instead of beating around the bush. Aaron buried his head in his hands and let out a growl of frustration and Shaun looked unsurely at Angy as she knelt down in front of the twenty year old, a hand on his knee as she tried to sooth his anger. “Aaron, what’s happened? Have you had a fight with Scarlett, or--” she asked but Aaron quickly looked up and Angy almost dropped back in fright but she managed to hold her ground, even if the look on Aaron’s face made her feel guilty for even suggesting the idea of arguing with Scarlett. “Okay, not an argument… sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest… what I mean is if there’s something that’s happened that we can help with then all you have to do is tell us and we’ll do whatever we can…” she said and Aaron looked at her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. How could they help, unless they were secretly running a private detective agency without anyone being aware of it other than the two of them, and Aaron didn’t see Shaun as the Dick Tracy type. Angyalka either. His head just fell back into his hands and he sighed again, frustrated about the fact that he wasn’t sure what his next step should be. Should he sit there waiting for the show to end, waiting to see if Mr. D found out anything useful? Should he be searching the net for flights out of town so that he could get back to California as soon as the show was over? He wasn’t sure how soon he could board, whether he’d be able to get one right after the show finished or whether he’d have to wait around… knowing his luck, he’d be stuck waiting for hours for a flight and would have another horrible night with little to no sleep. Then again, that was probably what he deserved anyway, when Scarlett was probably getting no sleep herself, looking after Elysia. “Aaron?” Angyalka asked, pulling the new-father out of his thoughts again and he looked up for a second time, his eyes glassy with tears.
“Some douche bag is fucking with me!” Aaron finally admitted, silently crying; it was obvious that he was emotional but he didn’t sob, splutter, tears simply ran down his face silently and if the tears weren’t present, you would be forgiven for assuming he was merely angry instead of in a sense of emotional distress. “So I got this call yesterday,” Aaron said, standing up and starting to pace as Angy pulled herself up into a seated position on the bench to listen. “From head office… the number was legit, the caller I.D actually came up on my phone… and this chick, claiming to be from head office tells me that the board have been in meetings all afternoon,” he started to explain, telling them all about the conversation with the woman who called herself Felicity, the story she sold to him about the board coming to the unfortunate decision that Aaron did indeed need to attend the show that night and that flights and accommodation had been booked for him. He told them about how badly he’d slept, or hadn’t slept was possibly more accurate. About arriving at the arena early and waiting around for D. to arrive, talking to him and demanding answers only to find out that the entire thing had been bullshit from the beginning, that there was no Felicity Shaw employed by the company and that while the board had been in meetings that day, the only time Aaron’s name was brought up was when they acknowledged in the minutes that he had was given leave for the week. “And then you guys turned up…” he finished lamely, turning and lashing out at an open locker door, denting it slightly as he attempted to punch it shut… and even the inanimate door defied him by swinging open again slowly with a creak that set Aaron’s teeth on edge.
“So some fucking dick actually organised this just to mess with you?!” Shaun said, half in disbelief and half in anger that someone would play with Aaron’s life like that. “That’s wrong on so many levels…”
“No shit,” Aaron replied as he walked to his bag and opened it to grab a bottle of water. “And D. was cool about it, promised to do some digging in an attempt to find out who it was, but I can’t see that happening… if you do something like that, you cover your damn tracks…”
“Why would somebody play that kind of trick on you though?” Angyalka asked, not understanding what could drive someone to do something so cruel.
“If I knew that, I’d be a step closer to figuring out which rat bastard it was that did it!” Aaron replied as he twisted the cap off of his water bottle in anger and threw it across the room, watching it ricochet off the wall and spin across the floor become coming to a stop by one of the lockers. “I shouldn’t be here right now, I should be at home with the girls…”
“I can’t believe someone would be so cruel…” Angyalka said, biting her lower lip. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you Aaron because I do, so please don’t get angry… I’m just saying that I can’t believe someone would get pleasure out of doing that…” she added defensively, trying to ensure that Aaron didn’t flip out again.
“And you have no idea who might have done it?” Shaun asked, trying to be a little more proactive.
Aaron shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not like I have a list of sworn enemies, is it?” the twenty year old asked with heavy sarcasm. “No Shaun, I don’t… sorry, I don’t mean to snap at you, at either of you… I’m just having trouble dealing with this. I know, the petulant child routine is a little overdone by now, right? But what fucking cunt does that, huh?! What complete fucking lowlife ass-hat actually screws with somebody like this?!” Aaron asked, placing the bottle down on one of the empty tables in the room. “I… I don’t even know if I’m coming or going right now, I’ve barely slept, and I don’t even want to know how difficult that first night was for Scar list night… I should have been there for her, I should have been at home to help… it was Elysia’s first night, dammit!”
“We know mate, we know,” Shaun said, trying his best to put his tag partner at ease while understanding that there wasn’t really anything that could be done to fix what had already happened. “Why haven’t you gone home? I mean, surely D. said you could leave as soon as he realised what had happened?”
“He did,” Aaron admitted with a nod. “He offered to get the company to pay for a flight right back to LAX… but he also promised to try and find out who was behind this bullshit. I know it probably won’t happen, but if they do find out who it is before the show ends tonight I can confront them while I’m still in the city… that’s the only reason I decided to stick around…”
Realisation dawned on Shaun and Angyalka as Aaron explained; of course an immediate reaction would be to go home, but if he did that and Oleksa did manage to turn up a name or number, then he would be powerless to do anything about it from thirty thousand feet… he’d already felt like a failure once having to leave his family at home when he was supposed to have secured some time away from the ring, they now understood that if he went home without being able to confront whoever did this to them, that would be two failures in one week. More than Aaron could stomach. “I think you made the correct decision,” Angyalka said with a weak smile and Aaron looked at her in surprise. “No, I do… I get the desire to be going straight home, to get back to Scarlett and Elysia… but if you can find out who is responsible for this, then you’ll be able to find out what the hell is their problem…”
“And if we can help in any way,” Shaun added quickly, spotting that Aaron was actually calming down and wanting to kiss his wife for having the answer to the problem without even realising it! “If you want us to do some digging or if you find out who it was and want us to help you confront them then you just have to say the word and we’ll help…”
“Thanks,” Aaron said, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm down. “I mean that guys, thanks… I know I’m acting like an irrational little prick right now, but I appreciate you listening to me bitch and moan without judging me…”
“Why the hell would we judge you mate?!” Shaun asked, incredulously. “Someone dragged you across the country, to another country in fact, away from your girlfriend and new born child… all because they have nothing better to do than to fuck with other people. At least that’s the way it seems anyway… if it was me, I’d be in pieces right now. I think you’re doing amazing just to be rational…”
“Yeah well, that may not be the case if I find out who did this…” Aaron admitted with another sigh. He was tired. His body ached from lack of sleep and his thoughts were hazy. He wanted to sleep so badly, but it could wait. Going to bed was pretty low down on his list of priorities and he willed to keep going with every second that passed, refusing to give into sleep’s creeping tendrils. “I uh, I think I need to get a coffee and maybe something to eat,” he went on, realising just how weak he felt. “I’m going to head to catering… it’s okay for me to leave my stuff here, right?”
“Of course it is,” Angyalka said to him, softly.
“What’re friends for, huh?” Shaun added, nodding. “We’ll keep an eye on everything. Go grab some grub… I take two sugars in my coffee, by the way,” he added with a smirk and Aaron managed to lighten up enough to flip Shaun the bird before he exited the locker room.
Aarin stepped out of the locker room and didn’t stop for the door to close behind him as he headed off. He suspected that Shaun and Angy would probably talk about him as soon as he was gone, not necessarily in a malicious way but the state he was in, it was difficult to imagine that he wouldn’t be the topic of discussion, at least for a couple of minutes at any rate, and he was in no rush to hear it. The show was underway now, he could hear the sounds from the main auditorium, though he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Aaron wasn’t too proud to admit that he knew very little about what was booked for the show; since Rise to Greatness, Aaron hadn’t been paying that much attention for obvious reasons and given that he expected to have the week off, he hasn’t looked at what matches were taking place on the show… it was probably stupid of him to do so, he knew that there was every chance that something relevant to his career could take place on the show, but SCW just wasn’t at the forefront of his mind as he worried about the health of his daughter and then with her coming home. Grabbing a strong black coffee and a couple sandwiches from catering, Aaron found a quiet spot by some empty crates and tried to distract himself with food and drink. He finished the sandwiches and was down to the dregs of his coffee thinking about another one when he heard footsteps approaching.
“Hey AJ, got a minute?” a voice asked and Aaron looked up to see SCW interviewer Spirit Dansby a few feet away, walking towards him. He placed his cup down and jumped down from the packing crate he sat on as she approached and gave him a weak smile. “So, I’ve been asked to come have a word with you by Olek,” she said and Aaron’s immediate thought was that she may have information on who it was that called him the day before to sell him the lie that he had to be there that night… but then he spotted the camera crew standing a little way’s away from where he and Spirit stood and he knew that probably wasn’t the case. “For whatever reason, he said I had to point out that if you don’t actually want to do this then that’s fine and if you do say no, I’m to make sure I accept it… no idea what that’s about but he said you’d understand his meaning,” she said with a shrug, giving him a searching look before realising that he wasn’t going to elaborate. “Anyway, my point is you don’t have to do it if you don’t want but D. asked me to see if you wanted to just give your thoughts on Greatness and the tag situation, a short interview… so are you up for it or was he right about saying you’d probably want to be left alone? You’re call sweetie,” she added, trying to reassure him that he really was under no obligation but Aaron, a little more awake now thanks to the caffeine in his system, simply shrugged his shoulders.
“Sure,” he said with a noncommittal shrug. He was surprised that D. had assumed he wouldn’t want to do it, but then again under the circumstances maybe that was him not thinking it through properly… and maybe the boss was right to think he wouldn’t want to, maybe he shouldn’t give his thoughts on anything when his mind wasn’t in the game. But then again; “Can’t disappoint the loyal fans, right?” he said with a weak smile and Spirit nodded her head.
“Awesome, we’ll get set up then!” she said enthusiastically before turning to the camera crew and they went about setting up the shot, Aaron leaving them to it until Spirit motioned for him to step over to them a couple of minutes later. He knew they were waiting for the show to cut back to them, he knew the drill by now thanks to a year and a half of doing this and he automatically stepped just out of view of the camera and waited for the light to flicker up on the camera, where Spirit – microphone in hand – started to address the fans. “Welcome back to Breakdown. Please welcome at this time, the SCW World Tag Team Champion, AJ Helms,” and Aaron stepped up next to Spirit, so that he was now in shot and Spirit turned to him as he smiled weakly at her. “It was an eventful Rise to Greatness weekend, but despite some hiccups, you did walk out of it victorious over Lexi von Aaron and ending, we hope, that situation and still holding the World Tag Team Championship.”
Tilting the microphone towards him, Spirit gave him the opportunity to respond and he thought for a brief moment just what he wanted to say before starting to reply. “That second part was a bit more troublesome thanks to the efforts of Blake Mason, Bree Lancaster, Lexi von Aaron and the F-Ups,” he said with a fairly humourless chuckle. “But I have to say, I’m glad that the boss realized the sham that took place and returned the title to me. At the same time, The F-Ups proved they’re more dangerous than we give them credit for and come Apocalypse, I get a second shot at a little bit of revenge,” he went on, almost as if he was savouring the notion of that. And why wouldn’t he? The Fuck Up’s tried to steal the tag titles with Blake Mason’s help at Rise to Greatness, and with how he was feeling that night, the idea of getting to kick someone’s ass was an enticing one! “They wanted to steal this title from me and after the last couple of months, I get to have it a bit more on my terms. I get to face the F-Ups with a partner I want to work with. No disrespect to Torsten. I know he doesn’t care for the F-Ups and he showed that he could be counted on. I was surprised by that, but I’m glad that he showed his integrity. But now…this is fully my fight and if I have my terms, we can make sure the F-Ups realize that if they want to be Tag Champs, they have to do it the right way.”
Aaron heard the crowd cheer at that as Spirit turned the microphone back to herself to ask the question he’d been expecting her to lead with. “Any idea of who you’re going to pick to stand alongside you as your co-Tag Champion.” She asked before tilting the microphone immeditately back towards him.
He could tell that she was hoping for a scoop and in fairness, Aaron had expected it to be hot on the list of things she was going to ask, so he actually appreciated the fact that she didn’t lead with it, because it at least showed some level of respect after a pretty successful pay per view for the twenty year old. “That….Oh I know the answer, but there are some other surprises as we head to Apocalypse involving the F-Ups….I think I’ll sit back and enjoy the ride tonight as I’ve not had much to enjoy in the last couple of months.”
She looked disappointed but Spirit nodded her head and leaned back into the microphone to end the segment. “Thank you for your time,” she told him sincerely. “And congratulations, both on the title, but also your bundle of joy”
With a genuine smile and a nod for the first time since he arrived at the arena, Aaron kept his response simple. “Thanks,” he said, and he genuinely meant it.
Returning the smile, Spirit turning her attention back to the camera and brought the microphone up as Aaron stepped out of shot. “Back to ringside,” she said calmly, still smiling until the camera man gave her a thumbs up to say that the show had cut away and she lowered the microphone before turning to Aaron. “Thanks for that AJ… I’ve got to head off, more work to do. But I mean it, congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I saw the photos on twitter, she’s adorable,” she told him, patting him on the arm and he thanked her before she headed away down the hallway with the camera crew in tow. Aaron shrugged and began to make his way back to catering to get another cup of coffee.
As the show went on, Aaron found himself more and more at a loose end. He loitered around backstage, trying to stay visible enough for anyone to find him without getting in the way, and spent a bit of time talking with production, getting a feel for what they did. It was never to early to think about the future, he knew that… maybe he could find work in the industry when his time in the ring came to an end? Though he hoped that, at the age of only twenty, that was still some time away! He was almost beginning to think that Mr. D wouldn’t come up with the good in fact, when a member of the crew came running up to him, slightly out of breath as they grabbed their knees trying to breath regularly again before handing him a slip of paper. It didn’t have much on it, it was a hand written note with just two sentences scrawled across the middle, along with a signature from the boss…
We have found ‘Felicity’ and her contract has been terminated with immediate effect. She refused to name who paid her to make the call, but we have managed to get the bank details from the airline and you won’t like it because I don’t: Blake Mason.
- Mr. D
A red mist seemed to descend across Aaron’s vision as he read and before he knew what he was doing, he was running through the hallways with the note scrunched tight inside of his fist as he searched for the locker room of Blake Mason! He should have known! Blake was the man responsible for the drama at the Rise to Greatness pre-show, the man who had bought the rights to the show and used that to abuse his power, it was him who had the match restarted that night which allowed The Fuck Up’s to steal the tag titles, even if the decision was overturned. And Aaron’s problems with Blake Mason went further back even than that, too… not to mention the issues Aaron’s father David had had with the Bostonian! Aaron skidded on sneaker-clad feet down hallway after hallway, trying to find the place where he knew the locker room would be, and he nearly slipped and fell in a hurry to stop when he finally found the door that had a sheet of paper with “B&B Experience” written across the front taped onto it. He grabbed the handle and threw the door open, not giving a damn what he would find inside… only the room was empty. The door had slammed shut again behind him as he stormed into the room, and looking around there wasn’t a sign of Blake or his bitch of a girlfriend Bree Lancaster anywhere! Their bags were there, but the two of them weren’t.
Aaron turned and grabbed the handle to exit the room again and if he’d pulled any harder the door may have been ripped from the hinges as he yanked it open to step back into the hallway. He looked left then right before spotting a member of the crew who was using a radio to communicate with the production team. Aaron raced towards them and span them around by the shoulder. “Hey!” the crew member yelled out in surprise and a hint of friend as Aaron grabbed a fist full of their t-shirt.
“Blake Mason!” Aaron yelled at the man, who cowered slightly. Aaron Helms was only six feet tall and barely weighed more than two hundred pounds but his tamper flared so badly that the staff member was clearly frightened at the near-assault by the young man from New Jersey and it was easy to see why with one glance into the twenty year old’s eyes. “Where is he?! Where’s Blake Mason?!” he demanded and the crew member stammered a bit before finding his voice.
“H-h-he… he’s already on his w-way to the r-ring,” he stammered, and Aaron let go before he could stutter another syllable, tearing ass for the gorilla position. He remembered hearing the production crew talking about how the tag match between the B&B Experience the The Fuck Up’s was going to be a lumberjack match! Well, that match was going to get another lumberjack alright, because Aaron was going out there and he was going to kick Blake Mason’s ass if he got the chance! Blake was the one responsible for him being there, it was because of him that he had missed his daughters first night at home and he wasn’t letting Blake Mason get away with that. He wasn’t sure how much he could do that night, he wasn’t sure if he’d even get the chance while at ringside as one of the lumberjacks, but as he hit the curtain – the last of the people to come out for the match – he knew one thing; sooner or later, he would get his hands on Blake Mason, and when he did… Blake would come to realise that money may be able to buy you most things, but it can’t buy you the ability to not feel pain. It can’t buy you the ability to avoid getting a foot kicked so far down your throat that your stomach acid starts to dissolve it. Blake may be rich, but that money wouldn’t help him this time. Aaron was sure of that…
[Rec]
AJ HELMS: “I thought long and hard about whether I should start my video this week with this or not, because I know how much of a touchy subject it is and it’s also something so fresh in the memories of everybody in the country that I didn’t want people thinking that I was using this for my own gains or anything like that… but I came to realise that by avoiding any mention the tragic events of Sunday night here in Vegas, I would be doing those people who lost their lives nothing but dishonour. I feel that this is something I have to be mention because to gloss over a tragedy the likes of which happened outside of the Mandalay Bay hotel on Sunday night would not only be disrespectful to those who died and the hundreds more that were injured but would also be naïve of me too, because this is the world we live in now and that same world gets scarier by the day. I wanted to start this video today with my deepest thoughts and prayers for those caught up in what happened, for the victims and their families, their friends and loved ones. I’m sorry. I really am sorry that something that was meant to be a source of joy and happiness turned to one of sorrow for all of those who attended that concert or simply happened to be on the strip when that disgusting excuse for a human being chose to do what he did… my thoughts are with you all right now and I know those thoughts don’t do anything to bring back those who have been lost or cure those who were injured, but I couldn’t ignore this guys, I just couldn’t…”
AJ suddenly looks away from the camera and he turns his back on the camera for a moment, his hands going to his face as he tries to pull himself together. After a moment, he turns back to the camera and appears determined to continue.
AJ HELMS: “Perhaps it’s the fact that I’m new to the world of parenting, that I’m a new father who finds himself seeing the world from a new perspective, but the world scares me right now… I’m probably just one of millions that is scared by the state of the world these days in all likelihood, but the thought of bringing up my daughter in a world like the one we now inhabit, that terrifies me guys, it really does. But I also know that as a people, us American’s have a resolve that is tough to break… we’re strong, stronger than people think, and we don’t back down to fear, I know that. And in a way, this upcoming show tomorrow night, it’s a demonstration of that will, that passion for life. American’s won’t give in to fear and this company wants to try and bring something to the fans in Las Vegas to raise their spirits… I think we can all agree that the world needs a little more happiness in it right now and that’s what I’d like to think this company brings to the world, it brings happiness to those who watch the product, it brings you entertainment. Love us or hate us, we do what we do because of the people that watching Supreme Championship Wrestling programming and to know that in some tiny way we can bring a piece of happiness back… that keeps me going bro, that’s what gives me hope. I’ve needed that hope a fair old amount over the last six months, too…”
AJ HELMS: “I remember saying when I spoke about my upcoming match at the End of Year Special, that I was going to try and make this year my year, that I was happy with my rookie year overall, but that I did have my regrets and I wanted to try and make sure my sophomore year would go better… while I’ve had my fair share of crap thrown at me, I’d like to think that I’ve managed to make this year one to be proud of in comparison. As I stand here filming this, I’ve been one half of the SCW World Tag Team champions for one hundred and seventy eight days… and I know that the story along the way has had plenty of up’s and down’s, the drama with Shaun and him being stripped of his belt, having people wanting to replace him and being forced to defend with other people instead of my actual partner, but Apocalypse brought that full circle and hopefully puts the B.S behind us now. Honour Code may have pretty big targets on our back, but we showed at Apocalypse that we have it in us to be one of the greatest tag teams in the company, and while the lofty heights of that Dark Fantasy tag reign isn’t even worth thinking about, it’s like Dave pointed out to me the other day… we have already held these titles longer than he ever held them with Tommy and that was two former SCW World Champions and main eventers working together, so if Shaun’s managed to carry me this far, I have high hopes that his back holds out a little longer so that he carries me to the end of the year and then we can see what happens after that!”
For the first time since the start of the video, AJ actually manages a smile, even if it is a weak one. He half-heartedly chuckles to himself for a moment before continuing to speak.
AJ HELMS: “I’ve learned though, to try not to have high expectations in this business… that’s not the same as not having dreams or hope, but to expect things to happen a certain way, that’s not the right route to go, you know? I realised that fairly early on, and despite falling into the trap a few times – like expecting to be able to actually defend tag titles with your own partner for example! – I’d like to think I’ve managed to keep myself on the right track. It’s not always easy, but the things in life that are most worthwhile tend not to be, like parenthood for example… I don’t think I can remember a time in my life when I was ever this tired, I really can’t… but seeing my daughter’s face as she looks at me, seeing her little smile or her gurgling laughs… I’d give up sleep for good if I thought it would benefit her in any way, without even having to think about it! Becoming a parent has given me a whole new perspective on life guys, it made me see things differently to how I did before… the minute I held her in my arms and realised that I’d contributed to bringing her into the world, into bringing life into this world… it changed me. I know I’m young, and I know I have a lot of my own life ahead of me still, but this isn’t about just me and Scar anymore, this is about our family, and I think there’s a huge difference in how I approach this business because of that… which is probably something that the guy I’m facing this week can appreciate because I know for a fact that he’s a huge family man who cares so freaking much about his wife, children and grandchildren, right Konnie?”
AJ HELMS: “I feel bad in a way, because this match has been one that Konrad has wanted for a while, and I can’t help but think that it’s been booked for the wrong reasons, you know? The crap Konrad’s had from my uncle Jason since he turned up at Taking Hold of the Flame hasn’t exactly filled me with hero-worship for the guy, and I wish he didn’t feel the need to be quite as much of a douche as he is, and it’s sad that this match was probably booked knowing that Konrad and Jason are still in the middle of this heated feud with one another… I mean, I get the thought behind that I do, it makes sense on a few levels, much like it made sense for Jason to face Craig Thomas last week. But that doesn’t mean I have to play up to that, either! I have a tonne of respect for Konrad Raab and everything he has done, not just in the business but in his life; the story he told about how he met his wife, that was an inspiration, and the lengths he goes to, to provide for her and his children is nothing short of beautiful, I don’t care if Jason says otherwise! I respect a man who knows how important his family is and will bend over backwards to be there for them, to provide for them and support them and if Jason wants to see that as a negative then that’s on him but I’m proud as hell to call Konrad Raab a friend and I’ll continue to do so regardless of what people think of that, because Konrad is a great freaking person!”
AJ stands there defiantly, as if he’s expecting Jason to magically appear and tell him he’s full of shit almost, before he continues to speak.
AJ HELMS: “I saw what you said on twitter last night bro, about not being sure you want to even wrestle tomorrow night, and believe me I get that man, I do… it’s difficult thinking about the stuff that happened in this very city on Sunday and knowing that we’ll be wrestling in a building that’s literally a ten minute drive away from where tragedy struck days before… but it’s like SCW said in the press release Konrad, even if it’s only temporary, the hope is that we can entertain these fans and take their minds off of what happened outside of the Mandalay Bay hotel, we have the ability to help these wonderful people move forward and heal… it’s all in the press release and I stand by that completely bro, and I know you will too when you get chance to think about it. Who knows, maybe you already realised that before I started filming this, I just… you know, I just couldn’t not point that out after I saw your tweet man, because this is our opportunity to give back in what’s probably a small and insignificant way in the grand scheme, but every little helps man, and I want use to give those fans a hell of a match once that bell rings, I really do! I don’t want this to be about your problems with my uncle, Konnie… Jason is a douche, I can happily admit that. In fact, I think Amy may say it best when she calls him a jackass, because that’s exactly what he is… but me and you, we don’t have to play up to those troubles the two of you are having, we can make this about nothing but having a fantastic match that entertains those amazing people at home and inside the Thomas and Mack center!”
AJ HELMS: “I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone that works as hard as you do bro… I’m not talking about working out, I know we all put the effort in where that’s concerned, we’ve all had those late night workouts at whatever gym we can find that’s still open while on the road because we have to get the hours in… but seriously man, while Jason may poke fun at the number of people you have helping you in various ways or the lengths you go to in order to improve yourself, I wish I was as dedicated as you are to being the best possible competitor and person I could be as you are, and I have mad respect for you for that Konrad, I really do! And I have to admit, it’s going to make a nice change getting to just walk out to that ring knowing I’m facing a friend, only having to worry about putting on a good match instead of knowing that there’s a hell of a lot that hangs in the balance before that bell even rings, you know? I’ve had my fair share of big matches recently, like at Rise to Greatness with Lexi or The F-Ups on the pre-show, then again at Apocalypse, with the tag defence again… I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow night just because it’s a nice change of freaking pace! But when all’s said and done Konrad, as much as I respect you and value our friendship bro, I’m not going out there looking to lose. I seem to been on a streak right now, I’m doing well where my matches are concerned and that taste of the main event that I had back at the End of Year Special last year, it made me hungry for success in this business and I also have to think about Elysia and Scarlett because I have a family to provide for now. And I’m not going to let sentimentality derail me bro, I’m not going to let our friendship stop me from fighting for that victory Konrad, because as much as I know you want to turn things around, I want to keep this run going! So tomorrow night, while it’ll be a fun spectacle dude and while I’m going to enjoy it… don’t think I’m going to rest on my laurels because I’m not. Tomorrow night, while this is what you called a ‘dream match’ for you on twitter, one that you’ve wanted for a long time, but you better believe me bro, I’m planning to make sure the ending of the match is less of a dream and more of a nightmare! Konrad Raab versus AJ Helms for the first time ever, one on one. It’s going to be fun dude, I don’t doubt it… but when the bell rings, the fun stops and the work begins. Just try to remember that. BANG!”
[/Rec]
