AWL: The Adventures of Danny Chase 3

Am I a masochist? And if I am, is there anything wrong with that? I'm wondering about this as I stand in the shower, where I've been for almost 20 minutes. I'm a professional wrestler, using the ring name Daring Danny Chase. I'm trying to wash away the memories of the latest round of abuse, which involved some added humiliation in this very shower room.

I get beat up on a regular basis for the amusement of others. People like seeing me suffer. It's a weird thing to say, but I've come to realize that it's true. I'm cheered, praised and recognized for my talent. More importantly, I'm paid handsomely for it, too. My bills are up to date, I have a new car, my family has been paid back and I've even got money in the bank for the first time in my life.

I wrestle regularly for two organizations: the AWL and MWA. The American Wrestling League is a major national federation with weekly shows on cable and in syndication. In the AWL, I'm just a (reasonably) young face, a jobber trying to break through. I'm pretty low on the ladder, but I have been on television. I might make Pro Wrestling Report's Hot 500 of 1983 at like number 400 or something. The pay stinks, but it's my goal to be a famous, successful wrestler and the AWL seems like the best opportunity for the future.

Still, while that's my dream, I need to live in the real world. I'm 25-years old now, not a kid. That's where the Men's Wrestling Alliance comes in. It's pretty much the opposite of the AWL. It's definitely my best option for now, but it's not a path to fame or recognition. My work for them is never going to be featured on TV or in any pro wrestling magazine, at least I hope not. See, the MWA is an underground federation appealing to rich dudes who like to see good looking guys like me wrestle and like to interact with us. Nothing (too) sexual, just wrestling and some touching and talking. Sure, I've been stripped out of my trunks on multiple occasions, but nothing more than that. It's not like I'm embarrassed by my equipment, so who cares, right?

I've been wrestling in the MWA for a few months now. The pay is good, but I have to admit that it has slowed down from the thousands I was pulling in at first. Still, it is the best paying job I've ever had and I owe it all to my buddy Rex Taylor, who invited me into the MWA in the first place.

So, I finally finish my long shower after my latest humiliation. I dry off and toss the towel in the bin. I saunter to my locker room wearing nothing but my flip-flops and a smile. Everyone's long gone, except for the security guy at the front door way on the other side of the facility. My buddy Rex Taylor, who's also a wrestler with the AWL and MWA is waiting for me.



Rex' car is in the shop, so I'm playing chauffeur. We're heading out to a club to spend some of our earnings on the ladies. Geez, I forgot to mention that earlier. That's one of the best things about having some money - chicks are all of a sudden more interested when you've got some money and a hot new car.

When I round the corner to my locker, I'm surprised to see Rex pinned against my locker by a guy dressed in black trunks. Rex' hands are up, his pink dress shirt is torn wide open and his stomach is red. Rex is saying, "Dino, wait!" just as this guy punches him in the gut.



The guy must be a wrestler, because he's dressed in gear. Maybe I remember him from the lounge, but who knows? I mainly focus on the paying members, not the other wrestlers. Not that any of this matters, because he's driving another fist into Rex' abs. I can worry about identifying him after I save my best friend.

I react immediately and instinctively. I run up and push this Dino guy off Rex. I shout, "WHOA! LET HIM GO, ASSHOLE!"

Dino's surprised, but he recovers fast. He turns slowly, stares at me as I position myself between Rex and him. He starts to smirk. Why? I don't know. I'm pretty much the same size as him, maybe a little lighter. I'm strong, pumped and angry. He should be worried I'll kick his ass. Then I remember that I'm naked, bruised and, if they know MWA, my reputation is that I'm a total jobber. Okay, so I guess he's probably not too worried.

Rex even tries to wave me off. He says, "Dude, I've got this."

Dino replies, "Yeah, scram, jobber boy. Turn around, go take another long hot shower and forget you was here."

"Screw you, dude. Looks like it's two-on-one, so hit the road before I hit you." I don't know what this is, but I'm not leaving my best friend to get beaten up.

Dino laughs then says, "Anthony, c'mere." Around the corner appears a second guy in black wrestling gear. He's even bigger and beefier, probably 250-lbs. He's strong looking, with a shaved head and an intimidating scowl. Dino tells him, "Jobber boy says we better scram or else."


Okay, so it's two-on-two. But Rex and I are still trained wrestlers. We might be jobbers, but we can handle ourselves. Dino and Anthony laugh and again order me to get lost. When I don't back down, Anthony tries to push me, but I grab his wrist and twist. He spins and I wrench his arm up his back. He cries out in pain, so Dino releases Rex and comes towards us. I push Anthony into his buddy full force. As I do this, I slip my foot forward and trip him. They both topple down to the floor.

I move beside Rex defensively. He whispers, "Dude, thanks, but you shoulda stayed out of it." We're in this mess, so Rex is stripping off his torn shirt and raising his fists. The two guys are scrambling to their feet, crawling all over each other. It's actually kind of comical, if it wasn't a real fight.

I ask, "Who are they?"

Rex points, "Dino, Anthony." As we're talking, they're getting up and they're pissed.

I look at him like he's crazy. "I got their names, dummy. I mean, what are they? Why are they --"

As we’re talking, Dino and Anthony are charging. We get slammed into the lockers. I lose track of Rex as I’m tackled to the locker room's hardwood floor. We crash down hard, but I take the brunt of the impact. Dino climbs on top of me. He grabs my arm and bends it up my back. Damn. I struggle to rise, but Dino holds down my naked body. He cranks on my arm and I feel a couple of fists hit dead center in my back.

"You're gonna regret sticking your nose in our business, jobber boy." Dino pulls back and forces me to my feet by the chicken wing and my hair. He slams me face first into the locker. I look over and see Rex down, clutching the bench. I guess Anthony must have decked him. With both of us under control, Dino asks, "What do you wanna do with them?"

"Teach them both a lesson."

Uh oh.

The Lesson

Dino escorts me (and by escorts I mean forces using an arm lock and fist full of my hair) to one of the ring areas. It has already been cleaned and cleared. I know that no one is coming back here until next Saturday, probably. I look for ways to make a break for it, but there are only two doors – the one we came through and the one to the lounge. The lounge door is pretty far and probably locked.

With Dino between me and the only escape route, I calm down and wait. Whatever’s happening is happening. I'm naked, having lost my flip-flops in the scuffle and he's wearing his gear. We stand there, waiting, silently. I have a million questions, but I don’t bother asking them. Rex and Anthony follow a minute later. Rex doesn't seem to be resisting all this. I can't figure out his attitude, but with time to reflect, I realize there's a lot more to this story than just a guy getting mugged in the locker room.

Anthony pushes Rex beside me. My friend hands me a pair of my pink trunks and says, "I grabbed these from your bag."

I grab them and slip them on, never taking my eyes off Dino and Anthony. I'm glad for a little cover. And I do mean little. These are my skimpiest satin trunks, ones I haven’t had the nerve to wear in the ring yet. I adjust my package, still completely confused. To my surprise, Rex slips off his shoes and socks then his jeans. As usual, he's going commando, which is not the surprise. I watch as he pulls on a pair of his gold trunks. What the hell is going on?

Across from us, Dino and Anthony are just watching, standing there in their black trunks and boots.

I say to Rex, "So, I guess we're wrestling? Okay. We're getting a wrestling lesson? What the fuck is going on? Am I going to be killed or roughed up or what?"

Rex says, "Just go along. I've got this."

"Yeah, you're doing great so far, buddy. Hate to say this, but I'm not real confident that you know what you're doing."

Dino says, "Hey, lovebirds, shut up." Rex starts babbling at them, trying to get them to let me go and give him more time. For what, I can't make out, but it doesn't matter. They're not listening and I'm less worried than I was, if we're just wrestling. As long they're using fists, not chairs, how bad can it be? Maybe Rex screwed up a match and cost one of them some money.

WHAM! When Rex gets too close, Dino slams his fist into my buddy's stomach, full force. He punches Rex' head hard and my friend stumbles into me. I catch Rex and help him up. Dino and Anthony move in closer. They keep a few feet between them, herding Rex and I towards the ring.

Rex moves back, acting like it's no big deal, but I’m not just going to go along with whatever this is.

Resistance is Futile

I make a break for it, but I don’t make it around Anthony. He grabs me around the neck and shoulder, pulling me off my feet and down to the floor. I take the fall hard, still smarting as I feel him grab my long hair. The Italian stud pulls me up. I swing a fist into his abs, but he just grunts. Anthony grabs my trunks and throws me face first into the ring post. My head hits metal and I stumble back into a fist to my back. Rex moves to help me, but Dino locks him into a sleeper.

Rex sags in Dino’s arms as Anthony turns me around and pushes me hard into the ring apron. My back takes the brunt of the blow. As I arch to relieve the pain, Anthony steps in and starts punching my body. I can tell he’s done some boxing, because my attempted blocks don’t slow him down at all. Rex is reaching out to me in the sleeper, but his arms keep drooping lower and lower. Finally, he goes out and Dino tosses him to the concrete floor, unconscious.

I get a burst of energy, charging forward. I break past a surprised Anthony, knocking him to the floor. I run back to the locker room door. The two Italian studs let me go then follow me slowly, like villains in a horror movie. I reach the locker door. WHAM! It’s locked. I jiggle the handle and bang on it, but it’s too late. Dino and Anthony are there. Dino kicks me in the back, slamming me into the door. Anthony reaches up and grabs my hair from behind. He pulls me back and twists my head down so I’m staring at the floor. Beside me, Dino fires a fist into the side of my head, dazing me. I nearly drop to one knee before being forced back to my feet.

The two beefy goons walk me to the ring and force me in. Dino slides under the ring and stomps me hard. He kneels beside me and pounds fists into my torso. I try to fight back, but he pins my right arm to the mat with his knee then grabs my left wrist. He forces it behind my head, holding it there with his left hand. With his free right hand, my pecs are softened up by the power of his relentless punches. I squirm and try to knee his side, but I can’t manage it. Dino stops pounding me and slaps my face.

Dino says, “What’s the matter, tough guy? You wanted this!”

Um, no, I didn’t, but I guess he’s suggesting I should have taken their advice and gone back to the showers. I can’t really argue with him at this point. He delivers another few punches and I’m only able to grunt loudly.

Dino gets off me, but uses his grip on my wrist to pull me to my feet. He pushes me back, where I fly into the corner back first. Dino backs up and I see Anthony climbing up to the opposite corner behind him. I see Rex’ arm sticking out below my feet. While Dino was pummeling me, Anthony put Rex’ unconscious body up on the ring apron on the far corner from the doors, the same corner I’ve been pushed into.

Anthony is now perfectly positioned in the opposite corner, which is between the doors that go into the locker room and the lounge. If I try to run again, he’ll have the angle. I assume the lounge door is locked, too, so I don’t even try to make a move.

Dino says, “C’mon, jobber. All the fans tell us you and loverboy there make a hot tag team. Show us what you got.”

Fuck, are they serious? With Rex unconscious, this is going to be a two-on-one beating. I respond in my best tough guy voice, “I’m not doing this. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not playing. Let me out of here. I’m serious.”

Dino and Anthony laugh at me. Dino says, “You had your chance. We was nice guys. But you fucking attacked me. We’re just, you know, defending ourselves.”

“Yeah, self-defense. You came at Dino. If your boyfriend there was awake, he’d back us up.” Anthony has a smirk on his face, like he knows he’s not worried about anything.

I don’t know how to respond. I guess I did attack Dino, but he attacked Rex. Are they right that he’ll back them up? It doesn’t matter, because Dino tags Anthony in and he comes at me. I need to fight.

Against All Odds

I circle away from the corner. It’s not like Rex can help me anyway. Dino is actually positioned in the corner, like this is a real tag match. Anthony feints, herding me into position. I decide that if I can do some damage to big Anthony, maybe I can get out of this. He lifts his arms for a lockup, which I accept. We struggle against one another, but unlike Anthony, I'm taking this seriously.

I overpower the bigger muscleman, using my strength to power Anthony into the corner. I lift my knee up into his midsection twice. WHOOMP! WHOOMP! The big guy grunts, but I can tell he's more surprised than hurt. With abs as ripped and hard as his, I realize I need to focus elsewhere.

I grab Anthony's wrist then pull him out of the corner. I hurl him across the ring, but he counters. Anthony turns us again, sending me into the corner front first. I'm ready, though. I leap onto the middle rope and spring back. Anthony's surprised as I fly at him with an elbow. The big man is staggered as connect with his shaved head. CRACK! His skull is hard, but as his eyes blink rapidly, I know I had an impact.

I whip Anthony towards the corner again CLANG! This time, he hits hard, so hard that the ring ropes shake. The big Italian muscle is sagging a little, but I still come in cautiously. When I get close, Anthony lifts his foot to kick me. I’m ready. I grab his ankle and pull him from the corner. As he hops out, I quickly turn and spin, wrenching his leg as I execute a leg drag takedown. AHHH! He falls to the mat on his back, looking mildly annoyed.

I keep a hold of his ankle. I measure him up then drop an elbow across the inside of the big man's knee. BAM! AHHH! I lie there, between his legs and twist the joint hard, really applying the pressure. Anthony reaches up and grabs my long hair, pulling my head back. I manage to shake free. I roll out of reach, but keep hold of the leg.

I press Anthony's knee to the canvas then kneel beside it. I drive my knee onto the inside of his knee three times. POW! POW! POW! Anthony moans each time. After three, Anthony manages to use his other leg to push me off. I stumble back, but I'm up to my feet fast.

I move back in. Anthony's rolling to his side, clutching his leg. Good, he's starting to get immobilized. I kick his hands from his injured knee then stomp on it. STOMP! STOMP! I wish I had boots on, but I try to put as much behind these as I can. The big man rolls the other way, towards Dino, who surprises me by not interfering as I kick the shit out of his partner's leg.

Anthony's roll, though, has moved his injured left leg on top. I reach down and grab it, using it to drag him away from the tag. I lift his leg then kick the upper inside of his thigh with my bare foot. The muscle feels as tight and hard as his abs. I forget about that and re-focus on the knee.

Anthony tries to crawl away, towards the corner. I surprise both guys by releasing Anthony's leg and charging Dino in the corner, leveling him with a forearm and sending him to the floor below. THWACK! THUD! Dino doesn't take the fall that well, looking stunned. Unfortunately, he turns and falls between me and the lounge door, so I don’t bother making a run for it. I'm also 99% sure it's locked. I don't want to waste my advantage. I have to admit that, so far, the big guys have been playing by the rules.

With Dino out of the picture for a moment, I decide it's time to try and take out Anthony’s leg. When I turn back to the big Italian stud, he's rising with the help of the ropes. Anthony's made a mistake and come closer to me, so I’m in perfect position to start beating on him again.

I can tell his leg is really bothering him, so I dive for it, clipping him back to the mat. I grab his left leg and step over him. I flip him onto his stomach, as I bend his knee over my forearm. I lock his ankle under my arm, turning him into a single leg crab with a ton of added pressure on his knee.

Anthony rewards me with moans of pain as I crank on the hold. I know his back and knee must be feeling it. back. With my free hand, I punch the inside of his sore knee with my fist as I hold him. WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! I dig my knuckles into the flesh. Anthony's moaning is loud, but I just keep cranking. I don't ask for a submission and I'm not sure I'd accept one. Not that it matters.

I hear, “Hey jobber!”

Dino is back up on the ring apron. I turn my head to the sound and realize something too late. SLAP! Anthony didn’t make a mistake rolling towards me. He was rolling close to the corner. In the crab, he’s close enough to tag Dino, which he has just done. Crap, I made a rookie fucking mistake.

As they tag, I immediately start to drop Anthony’s foot, but it’s too late. I'm too tied up to let go quickly. Dino runs along the ring apron and clubs me across the back of my head. WHOOMP! I stagger forward, slightly dazed, falling to hands and knees beside the ropes. Dino leaps over the top rope and lands with his knee in the small of my back. AHHH! My turn to cry out, as Dino's weight drives me flat to the mat.

Dino moves back and grabs my ankle. He drags me away from the ropes where he follows up with an elbow drop across the back of my head. BOOM! UNH! Fuck. Dino rolls off me then to his feet. As I force my head up, bringing my elbows under my chest, I see a second pair of boots hobble into view.

Dino drops down again, slamming the back of my head. He pulls on my hair, wrenching my head back. I look up and see Anthony towering over me, favoring his leg. He says, “I got a five-count to get out of the ring, boy! And you better believe I'm gonna use it!"

Dino rolls back, opening me up to a series of big boots on my shoulder from Anthony's good leg. STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

Anthony says, "ONE!”

Dino grabs my wrist and ankle, planting his feet in my side as he falls to the mat. He says, "Make him pay, Tone!"

I struggle to pull free, but I'm stretched and trapped. Dino is really strong and I'm distracted, as my back is wide open for Anthony. He drops his good knee into the small of my back. “TWO!”

Big Anthony kneels down then drives his fists into the small of my back. Each blow softens me up a little more. At first, they're annoying, but after a dozen, I'm really feeling them.

POW! POW! POW! “THREE!"

POW! POW! POW! "FOUR!"

POW! POW! POW! "FIVE!”

Anthony backs out of the ring, still limping a little, but wearing a huge and evil grin on his face. He's got his arms spread wide, challenging me to come back against them. Dino lets go of my wrist and ankle. I try to roll away, but it’s no use, Dino moves faster. He jumps up, driving an elbow onto my upper back, flattening me. The fresh muscle extends my left arm, trapping it between his legs in a tight scissors. Before I can do anything, he puts his arm across my face and pulls up and back.

Dino wrenches my head up, pulling on me as he executes a combination crossface and armbar hold. My arm, shoulder and neck all feel the pain as he forces my head up higher and higher.

All I can do is moan in pain as he punishes me. I claw at Dino’s hands, but it’s no use, the hold is locked in. After the double teaming, I'm softened up and not at my best. The muscleman wrenches back. I've never felt a move like this before and I've no idea how to counter it. As if sensing my helplessness, Dino releases the hold. He's not ready for me to submit, apparently.

The stud pins my arm to the mat then drives his knee into my aching left shoulder. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!  He locks on a chicken wing then uses the hold to bring me to my feet. I reach for my left shoulder then try to elbow Dino's head, but he ducks the move. Dino runs me front first into their corner, where Anthony slams the side of my head with a forearm.

Dino forces my arms over the top rope and then under and up my back, trapping me. As the top rope digs into my sides and armpits, Dino pulls my hands higher and higher up my back. Anthony slaps my face, mocking me as I stand there, helpless against his partner's power. The bigger man kneels down. He throws a series of punches between the top and middle rope, relentlessly driving his fists into my wide open abs.

I thrash in the corner as I'm held tight and pummeled. As I expected, with Rex out of it, I'm being isolated and ruthlessly double-teamed. Once again, Anthony mocks me with a ridiculously slow five-count as he tortured my abs until their red and numb. My shoulders are aching as Dino keeps the pressure on the chicken wing, my wrists wrenched up almost to my shoulder blades.

When Anthony decides to reach five, he stands up and Dino releases me, grabbing my hair and throwing me out of the corner down to the mat. He saunters up and puts a boot on the star on the front of my trunks. He presses down, upping the pressure and emphasizing his dominance. I moan and try to roll out from under his boot, but Dino just pushes down harder.

When Dino lifts his foot, I roll onto my left side and curl into a ball, tears forming in my eyes from the pain. I get no relief, though. My right shoulder gets stomped. I try to roll away, but Dino leaps up and comes down with leg drop across my neck. He repositions himself with his knees in my back. I feel him grab my ankles, folding them together and bending my legs towards my ass.

Dino reaches under my chin. He rolls forward then back, rolling us over. I’m rolled off the mat, my back resting on his shins as he pulls down on my chin and ankles. I feel the stretch in my back, as my abs and hips are elevated, my back folded the wrong way. It’s a humiliating position and I feel helpless, unable to free myself. I don’t want to give, but I think I might have to.

I hold on for as long as I can, stretched out harder and harder. I finally moan submission, “Give!”

To my surprise, Dino releases the hold, toppling me off by lifting his knees. He gets up and I reach for my back, rolling away from him. Dino circles as I lie there recovering. I look over at my corner and see that Rex is finally stirring, but still pretty much out of it. A shadow washes over me and I roll onto my back. I’m not happy to see that Dino and Anthony are towering over me, hands on hips, looking mightier than ever. I’m filled with a sudden sense of fear as I realize this isn’t over.

Round Two

Boots rain down on my body, breaking me down even further. Anthony grabs my hair and forces me to hands and knees, as Dino exits the ring. The big stud locks my head between his thighs in a standing head scissor. I feel the squeeze as it crushes my head. I moan and try to pull my head free.

Anthony bends down and grabs my arms, which are resting on his thighs, trying to break the massive legs apart before they crush my head. He slides his arms under my elbows then locks his hands over my back, trapping me. He pulls up, forcing me to my feet, as I remain bent over in the head scissors. I have no idea what’s coming, but I know it can’t be good for me.

I try to lift my torso, thinking I might be able to flip Anthony over, but he weighs too much for me to do it easily. With more time, in fresher condition, maybe I could do it, but not now. The big man must feel me trying to lift him, because he counters by falling back. I feel myself being pulled forward then the top of my head slamming into the mat! This facebuster move hits me like a modified piledriver and knocks me senseless.

I go completely limp as Anthony releases my arms and the scissors. He rolls my carcass over and plants a knee on my chest. I feel him slapping my face, waking me up. He says, “Not time to sleep, yet, jobber boy.”

I wake up enough to look him in the eye then the pain hits! I wake up completely as Anthony locks on a front face claw! His huge mitt wraps over my face then the pressure starts as his thumb and middle finger dig into my temples. I grab his wrist and thrash on the mat. He bears down, using his weight to increase the pain I’m feeling. I’m crying out in pain as he crushes my head.

Suddenly, the pain stops. Phew, relief, but only for a moment. The big man moves down between my legs. I feel his hand come to rest over the white star on the front of my pink spandex trunks. Oh no. I look up at him and lift my hands, pleading for mercy. Dino has already used his boot to punish my manhood. I start trying to avoid the inevitable, but Anthony puts his right knee on my left thigh, holding me in place on the mat.

Anthony lets me writhe for a moment. I can hear him and Dino laughing at me. BAM! A fist connects with my pouch, sending shockwaves of pain through me then Anthony slaps on the claw. His hand engulfs my balls and soft dick, squeezing them more and more.

My balls are tortured as Anthony sits between my legs. I try to twist free, but it’s no use. The big stud keeps up the pressure. I can hear Dino egging him on as he applies the pressure. I’m thrashing like a fish on a boat deck, wildly bucking, but in the end, accomplishing nothing. I beg him to stop, but he isn’t letting up.

I finally muster the brain power to lift my right leg and kick him back. He loses the claw and topples backwards to a seated position between my legs. I can hear them still laughing. When I look at Anthony, he’s arrogantly sitting there, legs spread, resting on his knees.

I can see that Anthony’s trunks are actually tenting, like he’s getting off on this. I crawl a couple of feet away and Anthony doesn’t follow. I wonder if I’m going to get a chance to recover. Behind Anthony, I can see Rex. He’s up to a sitting position, shaking out his head.

Of course, these guys aren’t letting me recover. I’ve been crawling away from Rex right into the corner with Dino. He leans through the ropes and grabs a handful of my hair. He pulls me up then holds me in the corner while Anthony saunters up. The big stud adjusts his package and I get afraid. He wraps his hand around my throat, holding me as Dino releases his grip on my hair.

The two make a tag right in front of my face and Dino moves into the ring. They stand on either side of me, alternating knee lifts into my abs. The two pull me out and move beside me. We all see that Rex is watching now. The studs calmly grab an arm each then wrap their other arms around my neck. They each position a foot behind my ankle and pull back, slamming me back with a double Russian leg sweep.

With Rex watching, Dino and Anthony are being slower and more methodical. I’m destroyed, so they’re showing off for him, emphasizing their dominance. Anthony drags me to the corner. He holds my hand out for Rex, who, give him full credit, strains to make the tag.

Dino and Anthony aren’t done with me yet, though. Dino grabs my ankle and pulls me away. Anthony stares down Rex, daring him to try and save me. Behind Anthony, Dino kicks me in the head and I fall flat. He plants his ass on my face, pinning my shoulders down with his knees. I can’t see anything, but I feel Anthony’s feet slamming into my abs and Dino’s fists pummeling my pecs over and over again. STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The onslaught of kicks and punches are really taking their toll, wearing down any resistance I had left. STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! BAM! BAM! BAM! Every blow hurts more than the last, as my gym-built muscles are ravaged by the never-ending punishment. STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! BAM! BAM! BAM!

To my surprise, the punishment stops. I relax, but as soon as I think they might be done with me I feel hands wrap around my battered pecs and tighten into a killer claw. My pain is renewed as I feel my pecs being crushed by the cruel hands. Dino rolls off my face. I can see for the first time in minutes. I look directly into Anthony’s maniacal looking face as he’s bent over, pec claw locked on tight.

I look over to the corner and Rex is gone. Then I see his hand on the ring apron, clawing for the bottom rope. Obviously, they leveled him before clawing me. Fuck. Of course, I did that to Dino, so I guess I shouldn’t bitch about it now.

Left with no other choice, I say, “UNH! UNH! AH! Please stop!”

Anthony ignores my begging. I reach up, weakly pushing on his face and chest, trying to drive him off me. Instead, the big man drops to his knees, straddling my waist as he tears apart my pecs. Anthony leans forward, positioning his 250-lbs of muscle over my chest, increasing the force behind his all-mighty grip. I hold his wrists as I moan and beg for dear life.

I’m seriously worried my pecs won’t recover, as I’ve never felt such pain in it before this. Dino is back in their corner, just watching his partner crush my once-proud chest. Anthony leans back and lifts his knees, rolling back onto his feet and sitting on my package. He uses the claw to pull me into a seated position. The pain of my torso being lifted by my ruined pecs is intense, but once we’re sitting I feel some relief as the pressure decreases. In one fast move, Anthony stands. He doesn’t release the claw. I’m lifted up by my grip on his wrists, as I scramble my feet under me to avoid any more damage.

The big man tosses me into their corner, back first. I sag in the corner, as Dino moves in and fires away with chops across my battered chest. Normally, my muscles can withstand this, but not now. Each chop threatens to drop me to the mat, but after each one, he grabs my hair and forces me up and back. After the chops, he drives his knee into my softened abs then backs off. Anthony saunters over and resumes control, picking me up across his chest.

Anthony carries me out of the corner. I hang helplessly, unsure if this will be a body slam or something else. Either way, no good can come from being in this position. As we turn, I catch a glimpse of the corner. Rex is back on the apron, but he’s lying on his back, hand over his face. After the sleeper, whatever Anthony did to him obviously wiped him out again. Not that it helps me. I’m at this goon’s mercy and so far, there’s been none. Once he reaches the middle of the ring, he and Dino stand face to face, with me in between them. I feel Dino’s chest pressed against my back and wonder what’s about to happen. Suddenly, I’m dropping and twisting.

WHAM! I’m slammed down over both their knees, in an over-the-knee backbreaker! Dino lifts his hands to join Anthony’s on my knees and chin. Both push down, stretching me out over their knees with twice the force. I cry out as I’m folded in half. Anthony lifts his hand from my chin, leaving Dino to hold my head. With his free hand, Anthony starts punching my abs hard. Damn, these two are destroying me!

Anthony slides his hand down over my package. I start begging, “No, please! No, please!” They ignore my pleas. Anthony locks on another fucking claw over my cock and balls with his huge hand. He engulfs my spandex-wrapped balls and dick, easily collapsing them within his killer grip. I scream out, but once again, it does nothing. The two goons seems to get off on my pain, making sure I know how big a mistake it was to mess with them.

Suddenly, we’re toppling. The crotch claw stops and the pressure on me lets up. I land on top of Dino, who throws me off him. I look up and see Rex slamming forearms into Anthony. Rex obviously saved me, coming in and slamming into Anthony. Dino races to help his partner, but I trip him, delaying him for a moment.

I scramble up. Rex is holding his own with Anthony. I tackle Dino, climbing on top of him, relying more on my weight and being annoying than any skill. He tries to throw me, but I just grapple with him, tying him up. Dino connects with an elbow to my head and I lose focus. He manages to escape and charges at Rex.

When I next look up, Dino has Rex wrapped in a full nelson as Anthony punches his hairy torso.

I lie there, devastated, unable to help. I don’t stop struggling but by the time I get up and club Anthony across the back with a weak double axe handle, it’s too late. Dino drops Rex, who falls to his knees, gasping. Dino kicks me to the corner then throws me out of the ring.

I recover to look up to see Rex kneeling on the middle rope, staring at me. He says, “Sorry.” That’s all he can get out before he’s leveled by a kick to his head. He falls back into the ring and the two of them start stomping him. I summon my strength and start the slow climb back to the ring. I’ll try to help Rex, but for now, he’s on his own.

And for the record, I’m officially not a masochist, because this pain I’m in? It sucks.

Rex’ Turn

I don’t know how much punishment I missed, but when I’m back at the apron, Dino and Anthony are throwing Rex into the ropes. I can tell he’s woozy as he crosses the ring. Rex bounces off, only to be met with double elbows across his chest. He falls back onto his shoulders. I watch as the two goons give my buddy the same treatment they gave me, stomping him mercilessly. Rex tries to roll away as Anthony hops out of the ring.

Dino circles Rex, clearly trying to decide what to do to him. He grabs Rex by his long hair, forcing him up to his knees then his feet. He walks Rex around the ring with only the grip on my buddy’s silky mullet. Dino controls Rex like a marionette before forcing him into the ropes. He whips him across the ring. As Rex reaches the opposite ropes, Anthony kicks out, hitting Rex square in the back. Rex staggers out, only to be caught by a foot to his abs then a forearm to his head.

Dino grabs the dazed Rex around the back of the neck. He reaches forward and grabs the side of Rex’ trunks. The goon squats then thrusts, carrying Rex over and onto his back in a suplex. SLAM! Without resting, Dino rolls them over, forces Rex back to his feet and does it again. SLAM! He rolls Rex over a third time and over Rex goes once more. WHAM! The three suplexes have devastated my buddy’s back, leaving him whimpering on the mat.

Dino tags Anthony then they both come in and grab Rex around the neck. Anthony says, “Hey jobber, I think your boyfriend’s even more pathetic than you!” Together, they lift Rex up for another suplex, but they hold him up this time. The two of them just hold Rex aloft, letting the blood flow down to his brain. Finally they topple back, slamming him down so hard the ring shakes! Rex is almost crying as he lies there arching his hips into the air.

Anthony rolls over and straddles Rex’ waist. He slaps him across the face, asking, “You learned your lesson? You gonna give us what we want?”

I’m confused, but Rex understands, because he says, “Please. I don’t got it, but I’ll get it.” Oh shit, is this drugs? Is this a fucking drug deal? Are these assholes drug dealers? Wrestling drug dealers? Oh fuck. Panic time. Is this like those lucha movies where the wrestlers get involved in global conspiracies? Fuck. Suddenly, my body doesn’t hurt as much as I start thinking. My brain is moving too fast, though and I’m paralyzed.

In the ring, Anthony isn’t happy with Rex’ answer. He pummels him with fists. Once Rex’ body is red and bruised, Anthony rolls off him. He tags Dino and the two of them stomp the hell out of Rex. I count to twenty before Anthony moves off and out of the ring. Dino pulls Rex up and lifts him across his chest. He steps forward and delivers a huge bodyslam.

Dino grabs Rex’ ankles and flips him over into a Boston crab. Rex moans as he’s punished in the back hold. These two have really been working Rex over. I’m shocked he hasn’t submitted. Either he’s a hell of a lot tougher than me or he knows these guys won’t care. Dino walks the crab over towards their corner where Anthony slaps him on the chest. I’m amazed these two are still playing like this is a tag match, with their tags and their extra long five-counts.

Anthony moves to the side. He positions himself outside the ropes, beside Rex’ head. I wince at what I think is about to happen. Anthony vaults over the top rope and lands a leg drop across the back of Rex’ head. Dino lets go of my buddy’s legs then looks over at me. He gives me a wink as he chops the air in my direction. He’s laughing as he climbs out of the ring, leaving Rex to Anthony.

Anthony rolls off Rex’ neck and flexes in my direction. Son of a bitch. He drags Rex over to the middle of the ring. My friend’s body is limp, only the moans tell me he’s still conscious. The goon lifts Rex’ feet, folds the left over the right then pushes them down against Rex’ ass. He kneels behind Rex, holding my friend’s legs down with his hip. Instinctively, Rex reaches for his feet. Anthony grabs his wrists and bends his arms up his back. Rex moans as Anthony applies the pressure, straining his knees and shoulders.

Anthony looks at me and makes like Gene Simmons, sticking out his tongue and shaking it. It’s all I can do to stand, so there’s mot much I can do to save Rex at this point, but I keep thinking about how to get help. I have no idea how far these two are planning on going or even why all this is happening, Rex is moaning helplessly as he’s tortured.

Anthony releases the crab and drags Rex up. He wraps his huge arms around Rex’ waist, lifts and squeezes. The big man holds Rex in the bearhug, shaking him. My buddy is moaning as he’s crushed by this strong man. I know what that move can feel like and it doesn’t look like Anthony’s holding back. Rex is going limp in the hold.

Watching Rex get abused and the earlier exchange still has me energized. Whatever reserves I have are kicking in. I finally summon enough strength to do something. When I’m ready, I work out the best way to make a run for it. I must be too obvious, because Dino’s staring me down. He shakes his head and I try to look casual. Yeah, he’s not falling for it.

Dino says, “Looks like we got a runner, Tone.”

Anthony lets Rex go, letting him fall to the canvas. I’m watching both of them, trying to figure out what to do. Anthony charges at me, but I hop to the floor out of his reach. He hops over the top rope to the floor below. Dino is closing in from the other side. I decide it’s now or never.

I run between them at the ring. I slide under the bottom rope into the ring. If I can cross the ring, if I hop over the top rope and if I reach the door, maybe it’s unlocked. Unfortunately, it turns out it’s a few too many ‘ifs’ and I’m nowhere near my fastest. As I run, Dino runs sideways. I get into the ring and start running, but he slides under the bottom rope to my left. He reaches out a hand and trips me. I fall onto my face. As I scramble to rise, Anthony has closed the gap, entered the ring and leaps onto my back.

Anthony uses his body to hold me down as I struggle. Dino grabs one of my arms and my hair. He and Anthony force me up and against the ropes. The two of them tie me up in the ropes and then stomp my abs. Dino reaches down and pulls the waistband of my trunks, pulling my torso up. As he holds me up, Anthony throws fist after fist into my midsection.

After all the abuse, I'm in more pain than I think I've ever been in before, but I keep struggling to get out of the ropes. Dino lets go of my waistband and I sag down. I see Rex crawling towards us. I'm impressed and glad that he's still trying to help me.

Dino kneels beside me as I fight to free myself. He says, “You know, I’m getting real tired of you, jobber.”

I say, “Fuck you. I’d rather go down fighting to save a friend than ...” I never finish the thought as Dino clocks me with a fist right to my chin then everything goes black.

Truth and Deal

When I wake up, I see Dino and Anthony double teaming Rex. I've no idea how long I've been out, but he looks bruised and battered. I shake out the cobwebs and realize my arms are close to numb. I open and close my hands, trying to get the blood flowing again.

As I struggle in the ropes, Rex hangs over Anthony’s broad shoulders in the backbreaker. Rex is begging for release and more time. Dino and Anthony are talking to him. That's when I piece together the truth. These guys are wrestlers, but also amateur loan sharks. He's into these two for five grand and is way overdue. Rex' car isn't in the shop, it’s been repossessed. While I've been saving most of my MWA money, it sounds like Rex has been gambling his away. Since he's no longer new and fresh, his income has dropped significantly. It's still decent, but not to live like he's been living. These two want their money and we're in big trouble if they don't get it. Yeah, "we" are big trouble.

Damn. You know, I may have made a mistake getting involved in this. No, forget I said that. Rex has become my best friend lately, especially since he's the only person I know in both the MWA and AWL. I need to help him. Since Rex is getting nowhere, I think about what to do. These two are pissed and not going to just go away. I finally call over to them. They come over, Dino with fists ready to deliver another beating, Rex still moaning in Anthony's backbreaker. Can Anthony really keep him up there forever like he weighs nothing?

I say to them, "Guys, I swear that I have five grand in the bank. I can give you a check or get it and give it to you on Monday as soon as the bank opens. Please, it's Saturday night. Monday morning's not that far away."

Rex moans, but manages to get out, "Buddy ... UNH ... you'd ... UNH ... do that for ... UNH ... me?"

I ignore the moaning Rex. Dino grabs my hair and bends my head back. He looks me up and down, with disdain. Then he responds, "Monday ain't today."

I bite my lip. "I have a brand new Camaro, out in the parking lot. Only a couple of thousand miles on it. I could sign the title to you right now."

Dino says, "A car ain't cash."

I respond in a challenging tone, "Crippled wrestlers ain't cash either. And neither of us can make a dime if we're hurt. You wanted to send a message to Rex. He gets it. Now, do you want your money or your revenge?"

Dino slugs me across the face and kicks my abs, clearly voting for revenge, but Anthony says, "Dino, a word."

The two of them cross the ring. Rex is still hanging over Anthony's shoulders. I can't hear anything, but Rex' hand actually forms an 'OK' sign. His face is so red and his body so limp, but I'm sure that's what I saw. The two goons come back. Rex moans, so Anthony pulls down on the backbreaker, "Shut up, we're talking business here." Poor Rex, he's been up there for a really long time.

Dino says, "You know your buddy here got nothing to pay you back with, right?"

I sigh, "I know."

"Sure you wanna do this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Anthony says, "Okay. We respect you, Chase. You're loyal. You can take a beating. We're gonna give you a chance, because you got an honest face. You can pay us the five grand you got on Monday."

I eagerly say, "Deal. Thank you, guys."

Dino holds up a hand. He says, "To thank us for our generosity, your two matches next week? You're wrestling each of us. You're gonna job like you've never jobbed before. None of this crap you pulled today. We get the whole gate. Two weeks from now, you're gonna wrestle us tag with Rex here. We get the whole gate. Three weeks from now, you're gonna wrestle us in a handicap match, 2-on-1. We get the whole gate. It'll be like a series, you know?"

I do the math. I'm losing my savings, losing three weeks gate income, plus getting physically destroyed for free for up to two hours. But it's better than Rex and me being crippled or worse. Without Rex, I wouldn't even have the money in the first place. Maybe I can wrestle another couple of matches in there somehow. And Rex and I'll just have to really hustle in the lounge for donations - flirt like crazy, wear some smaller, tighter gear. Maybe he and I can work together somehow, get his donations back up.

Needless to say, I agree to it all on behalf of Rex and me. I'm in no position to decline. Anthony finally lets Rex down. The two men give us each a parting kick then head out of the ring. With the goons gone, I escape the ropes and crawl over to Rex.

The door to the lounge opens up and the security guard looks in. He says, “Hey, ring’s closed. You guys do … whatever it is you’re doing some place else.” I wave and smile, telling him we’ll be gone in a few. I burst out laughing and look at the ceiling shaking my head.

Rex looks at me and says, "You okay?” I nod and get control of myself. He continues, “Look, thanks, buddy. Don't worry, I swear I'll get your money back. I got a hot tip on a horse in the third race at Westmont tomorrow. If we leverage your car ..."

"Rex, just shut the fuck up."

The End