CLAW 10: Jeff vs. 'Lethal' Lee Evans

Dusty Inn. A Bar and Motel West of Tucson AZ.

“Man, that was rough, Ben.”

Me. Jeff.

“I know, I know. Mostly terrible but I don’t have any clients in the Southwest. And Beau was right. The champ does have a ton of potential.” I shrug, not wanting' to disagree but letting' him know I don't agree. My best friend goes, “C’mon, Jeff, be fair. You’ve wrestled in places just like this. They just need some help.”

The "champ" that Ben
thinks has potential.

“It’s your time. If you think this trash is worth savin’, good luck.”

“Don’t tell me making the main roster at AWL has made you a wrestling snob.”

I laugh, “Me? A snob? That ain’t never gonna happen.”

Ben grins, “No, I don’t suppose it will.”

We touch bottles. CLINK! We’re drinkin” beer at the Dusty Inn. It’s a dive bar and motel, but it’s clean and simple. The owner is Dusty and he’s behind the bar. Nice guy. I grew up with nothin’. I still ain’t got a lot. Ben’s the one who had a rich dad. Now that he’s got all the money, you’d think he’d be the snob. But he ain’t. Still the same guy I grew up with. My best friend for life.

It’s wrestlin’ night at Dusty’s. AWE. Never heard of it. ‘Cause it sucks. Bunch of untrained wannabes in their underwear. Our buddy Beau told Ben about the champ, ‘Lethal Lee Evans’. See, Ben owns his own indie wrestlin' fed and promotes a bunch more. Even reps a few risin’ wrestlers at no charge. Guys he believes in who need a guy like him in their corner. They get his brain and connections. It’s all workin’ out for him and his customers.

And it’s workin’ out good for me, too. I’m kinda his first success story. Him promotin’ me got me noticed. Got me a job with AWL, the number two promotion in the country. He can do that. My buddy knows all the bloggers, podcasts and wrestlin' sites. With all his clients, he’s got more wrestlers, feds and insider info than anybody else ‘cause nobody else thought to do it. He’s like the go-to guy for ‘em all now and they promote what he sends them.

Ben and me been best friends since grade school. After his dad died, we spent most of a year drivin’ around the country. I got my AWL gig in Florida. He settled in DC for CLAW, his fed. We gotta work to hang out now. When he said he was headed out here, it lined up with a week of no tapings for me. Too bad we’re startin' our vacation watchin' bad pro wrestlin' in a dive bar.

Fuck, maybe I am a snob.

The champ comes to the bar. Orders a whiskey. He just closed out the show for this little group. Kept his belt. Ben’s right. He was pretty good. Only one who knows moves. Decent on the mic. Hot, too. I could roll ‘round with him. Just thinkin’ ‘bout wrestlin' a guy like ‘Lethal’ Lee Evans makes me horny. He’d look great on my cock.

Ben always knows exactly what I’m thinkin’. My buddy pats my shoulder. It’s a signal I gotta be patient. Gonna be tough. Lucky Ben’s always got my back, just like I always got his.

The bartender slides Lee the whiskey. Old ‘Lethal’ Lee (not old for real, guy’s like 22) stares at Ben and me. Like real obvious. Wants us to feel his eyes on us. I guess he figures he’s king of the joint so he can do what he wants. He swirls his whiskey and goes, “I know you.” Looks at Ben, tryin’ to figure him out. He can’t so he comes back to me. “You’re Jeff Case. AWL.”

I look him up and down, “Yeah, that’s me.” I wanna get the guy in the ring but I remember why we’re here. I tilt my head at Ben, “But he’s the guy you really need to know.”

“Why?”

“He’s the reason you know me. This guy? He’s the best fuckin’ marketin’ guy in wrestlin’.”

Lee ain’t impressed, “Yeah, okay.” The guy moves closer to me, “So, Jeff Case from the AWL, what the fuck brings you to town?”

Takes all my strength not to let my dick do the talkin’. I point at Ben with my thumb, “Him.”

Ben is just smirkin’. He’s a cool customer. With his brains, money and success, he doesn’t need to chase some local punk. He looks at the bartender, “Dusty, may I please use your blackboard?” The old guy (an actual old guy, like 60) hands him some chalk and an eraser. Ben wipes off the specials. He writes a bunch of letters down. They’re the IDs of indie feds.

My buddy asks, “You recognize these?”

Lee nods, “Sure. Indie feds.”

Ben writes a few wrestler names down, includin’ mine. “How ‘bout these?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen matches on YouTube. And Jeff here on TV.”

“Good. You wouldn’t have known any of these guys a year ago. I own CLAW and rep the rest of them.”

Now, Lee’s interested in Ben. He‘s like, “And you came here to check out AWE?” Dude puffs out his chest, “Or me?”

“Both. Heard good things. Felt like it was worth a trip.”

“Heard from who?”

Dusty chimes in, “You’ll never guess, kid.” We chatted up the bartender. Turns out Beau made a big impression when he was here. Long pause. “El Paso.”

Lee’s eyes go real wide. Bomb dropped. Boom.

“What? El fucking Paso? El Paso. That big cowboy sent you here?” His eyes go narrow, “El Paso. You boys looking for some revenge?”

Ben laughs, “Strictly business. Beau can fight his own battles.”

The local champ‘s like, “You sure about that? He couldn’t do shit against me. He didn’t tell you that I beat his ass?”

My buddy shrugs, “Good for you. You and Jeff have something in common beyond the stars on your gear.”

Me and Lee suddenly stare each other down a little. Ben’s a smart guy and a good friend. He knows what he’s doin’, bringin’ out our competitive spirit. Now we both know the other guy beat Beau. Question is, who’d beat who? I wanna know real bad. And I’m bettin’ Lee wants to know, too. I could just grab the guy right now but Ben’s runnin’ this show.

My buddy can tell I’m worked up. He pulls out his card. “You’re distracted. Let’s talk tomorrow about how AWE and ‘Lethal’ Lee Evans can join that list.”

Lee doesn’t take it, too focused on me. Doesn’t even reply. We’re just starin’ each other down hard. Some guys are noticin’. One guy recognizes me. Word spreads about a ‘big-time AWL star’ in the bar, challengin’ Lee. The guys are watchin’. I swig my beer. He downs his whiskey. Phone flashes pop. Some guys are holdin’ up their phones, recordin’ shit, expectin’ trouble.

Ben puts his card on the bar, “What time you open, Dusty?”

“11:30 for lunch.”

“I don’t think Lee can hear anything but his dick right now. Tell him I’ll be here at 12:00 for lunch if he wants to meet. My treat.” The bartender says he’ll make sure to tell him.

Ben pulls out his phone to move on with his life. Probably got a hundred emails while we watched the show. Good, that means he’s done so it’s my fuckin’ time to pick a fight.

I lift my chin, “That belt’s way too big for some local scrub.”

“What did you call me? I’m no fucking scrub.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Bet? Sure. I gotta belt. What’ve you got, big shot?”

“What do I got? I gotta room next door, champ.”

The crowd lets out a loud, “Ooooh.”

“Get fucking changed.”

Ring.

“OKAY, GUYS, IT’S A SURPRISE MATCH FOR THE ARIZONA WRESTLING ENTERPRISE TITLE. INTRODUCING FIRST, THE CHALLENGER ... HAILING FROM NEW JERSEY ...” Dudes all boo that, “WEIGHING IN AT 220-LBS ... THE AWL’S VERY OWN ... JEFF CASE.”

I jog to the ring. Wasn’t expectin' to wrestle, but I’m always ready. These guys might be small-time but that don’t mean shit in a fight. I’ve wrestled some real tough assholes in bars. Dude looks strong. He had some good moves in his match. I’m on enemy turf. The whole crowd, 'cept Ben, is against me. Dude knows the ring. And I don’t really know shit about his style. Well, I know a couple of things but still pretty blind. I could definitely go down to him.

Comin' out first gives me a chance to test the ropes, get a feel for things. I work the ring, feelin’ it out. I get boos with a couple of whistles. I’m in purple trunks with gold stars, pads and white boots. He was in kinda blue-green tights but maybe he changed. I guess I’ll find out. I bounce and try to cover the entire ring. Ropes are tight. I get like two passes then the guy announces dude.

“AND NOW, YOUR AWE CHAMPION … WEIGHING IN AT 210-LBS OF 100% GRADE-A PRIME ARIZONA BEEF … THE MAN WHO ALWAYS LEAVES THEM BEGGING … ‘LETHAL’ LEE EVANS!”

Dude comes runnin’ out in fresh yellow tights with black stars in front and barbed wire on the legs. His boots are shiny black. Looking damn sexy. My cock wants him so bad. Gotta ignore it until the job is done. Champ slaps hands with the fans, hands one of ‘em his belt and jumps into the ring. Dude jumps over the top rope. I just wait, lettin’ him do his thing.

I bounce to loosen up. Lee heads up the corner. He flexes for his buddies. They all cheer. Dude looks fuckin’ hot. When he turns and points at me, I just shrug it off. Stayin’ focused. The ref checks me out. Takes his tum, feelin’ me all over. Guy likes his job. He barely looks at the champ. It’s cool. I don’t think dude’s gonna cheat. At least not with foreign objects.

We meet in the middle of the ring. Ref goes over the rules. One fall. Standard pro rules. Ref acts real tough, sayin’ “I will DQ you for any shenanigans.” I gotta ask him what the fuck he’s sayin’. He’s like, “It means, no bullshit. Play it by the rule book.” I nod, understandin’ that. We bump fists then back up. Bell rings.

DING! DING! DING!

Me and Lee charge in right away. We lock up. Classic collar-and-elbow. A lot of pushin’. Twistin’ Workin’ it. I push dude back to the corner. Ref calls for the break. I back up, hands up in the air. Champ tries to kick me in the abs. Yeah, right. I see it comin’ a mile away. I grab dude by the boot. I twist and drop, flippin’ him over with a leg-drag takedown. CRASH!

Dude rolls with it. I charge in, tacklin’ him down. We grapple on the canvas. Uh oh. I made a big mistake. Muscle guy is good on the ground. Like real good. He takes control. I’m on total defense. I can’t keep up. He gets me on my back in a serious arm bar. My arm’s stretched out between his legs. He’s got my wrist. His boots are across my chest. I’m goin’ nowhere.

I fight to escape. Dude pulls on my arm, liftin’ his hips. He hyper-extends my arm. ARGH! I feel it in my elbow and shoulder. Fuck. If he’d done any kind of prep work, I might be submittin’ right ‘bout now. ‘Course this could be the prep work. I force myself over. I’m strong enough to roll towards him. Champ lifts his right boot and brings it down on my head. WHACK! The shot stuns me. Back onto my back.

Fuck. I try again. This time, I power through, movin’ fast. When he tries the boot thing again, I duck, slippin’ between his legs. Now, I’m over him and all he’s got is my wrist. I come in with a knee drop to his shoulder. THUD! It doesn’t really hurt him. Wasn’t expectin’ it to. It distracts him so I can pull free. I stagger backwards, shakin’ out my arm. Okay, no more grapplin’.

Dude is up, lookin’ cocky. “Who’s the scrub now, big shot?”

“Still you, if you think a little armbar means anything.”

We lock up again. I power him over into a side headlock. I walk him but I know he’s gonna counter fast. I hip toss him onto his back. SPLAT! I follw through with a big elbow drop to his pecs before he can roll away. WHOMP! I roll off. Dude rolls away from me, getting’ up to his feet. I’m back at him before he can set. My boot hits him square in the abs. THUD! OOF!

With dude bent over, I move in beside him. I grab Lee around the waist. I flip him over with a gutwrench suplex, drivin’ dude down hard. BOOM! I drag him up again. Muscle guy punches me in the abs. POW! OOF! Dude pulls me into a front facelock. I grab him ‘round the waist. Dude goes for my trunks to suplex me. I stick my leg between his, blockin’ him.

Lee slams his forearm across my back to soften me up. WHOMP! It bounces off. I tighten my grip on his waist. With a squat, I lift him up. Dude goes up, flippin’ over me in my northern lights suplex. BOOM! Dude lands on his back. I roll to the side. I come down with ‘nother elbow drop. WHOMP! All ‘bout softenin’ him up with some power moves at this point.

I drag dude up by his hair again. When he’s on one-knee, I throw my knee into his pecs. THUD! OOF! Dude flies backwards, landin’ flat on his back. Wasn’t expectin’ that. I grab his feet, liftin’ them up. I power him over into a Boston crab. I sit back. The crowd is booin’. Good, I love it. It pumps me up to hear how loud their getting’. Too bad I’m the enemy or I’d like these guys.

Dude won’t give. Not that I thought he would. I let go of his legs. I do a back flip, splashin’ down on him. SPLAT! OOF! My 220-lbs of muscle crushes him pretty good. I grab the champ around his waist. I pull him up to his feet. I throw him up and back with a belly-to-back suplex. He lands hard on his shoulders. BOOM! I’m feelin’ good, havin’ my way with muscle guy.

I roll to get up. Lee rolls to the ropes. Uses them to get to one-knee. Dude looks pissed. I would be, too. That armbar was a logn time ago. He needs to do somethin’. I move it, forgettin’ that an embarrassed muscle dude is a dangerous muscle dude. Soon as I’m in range, dude pushes up, spearin’ me in the abs. WHOMP! OOF! We go down to the canvas. Uh oh.

I use all I got to throw dude off me. I roll away and up, knowin’ better than to grapple with him. I reach my feet, turnin’ to lock up. Dude springs at me. His shoulder hits my abs. THUD! Muscle guy carries me all the way to the corner. We hit hard with me takin’ the impact. CLANG! Lee stands up, comin’ in with an elbow to the side of my head. WHACK! The shot stuns me.

Dude jumps up onto the middle ropes, straddlin’ me. My face is level with his bulge. The guy’s cocky now. He grabs my hair, wrenchin’ my head back. I gotta look up at him. His fist comes down onto my forehard. WHACK! The crowd yells, “ONE!” He punches me again. CRACK! “TWO!” I don’t hear the ref warnin’ him off. Guess he’s just as into this as the fans.

WHACK! “THREE!”

I’m seein’ stars, so I know I gotta save myself. I reach ‘round and grab his legs. I grab some tights.

CRACK! “FOUR!”

Shit, that one hurt. I pull to drag him back. Dude’s tights slide off his ass. He gets wobbly, forcin’ him to focus on balancin’ instead of punchin’. I lift his boots off the middle ropes. With a simple lean and pull, I power bomb dude down to the canvas. BOOM! The champ hits hard on the back of his shoulders and head. Impact stuns him and gives me a second to think.

I keep hold of his legs. I fall forward, pushing his knees towards his ears. Dude’s in a cradle, shoulders down. I yell, “COUNT IT!” The ref drops down and starts doin’ his job.

SLAP! “ONE!”

SLAP! “TWO”

Lee gets one shoulder up. Barely but I gotta go with the ref’s judgment. I ain’t gonna be stupid enough to argue shit with him. I flip over into a bridge, usin’ my weight to pin dude again.

SLAP! “ONE!”

SLAP! “TWO!”

Dude punches my sides. THUD! THUD! It’s enough to get me to lower the bridge. He throws himself to the left and my pin is broken. We roll up to our feet. Dude’s quicker than I expected. He gets the drop on me with a leapin’ dropkick. WHOMP! I fly backwards into the corner again. CLANG! I stay in the corner. Champ gets up. Dude comes at me, chargin’ in hard.

I gotta make a choice. I push up on the top ropes and jump up. I lift my boots high, doin’ the splits. I guess right, ‘cause dude is goin’ for a shoulder block. He goes under me, flyin’ all the way to the ringpost. BANG! I drop down, my butt landin’ on his back. I slide to the canvas behind him. PLOP! I turn to go on offense. Dude tries a donkey kick. Nope. I block it.

With dude still hangin’ there, ass out, I grab his legs. I back up. He slides outta the corner, landin’ face first on the canvas. SPLAT! I keep hold of his boots then bend him into a modified crab. Dude cries out in pain. I step between his legs, puttin’ my boots at his shaved armpits.I lock his boots under my arms and bend forward, really workin’ his back. ARGH!

The ref asks Lee if he’s gonna quit but muscleman says, “NO!” Dude slaps at my boots, tryin’ to knock me off-balance. I’m rock solid. I grab his wrists, holdin’ ‘em tight.With a grunt, I stand up tall, liftin’ dude into a tear drop. He hangs there, just above the canvas. All dude’s muscle is pullin’ on his shoulders. His back’s bent the wrong way. It’s pretty fuckin’ painful.

Dude’s too proud to quit. I start swingin’ him. We’re so close to the corner that I can slap his head into the bottom turnbuckle. I yell to the crowd, “COUNT THESE!” I start the swingin’ and Lee’s head hits perfect. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! No one counts, but I don’t give a shit. The ref starts countin’ for a break but I ask where he was when I was legit in the corner? WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

The ref doesn’t answer me. WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! so I’m like, “Dude’s not even in the corner ‘cept when his head hits.” WHACK!

After ten shots, I drop champ on my own. I drag dude to the middle of the ring by his boots. I go to his side, droppin’ my side on top of his back. THUD! I reach out to grab his boots. I fold one over the other. I grab under his chin. I rock. With a big pull, I manage to get dude up into a bow and arrow. ARGH! I got his stretched out over my shins. Looks hot like this.

Dude swings his arms. They don’t hit jack shit. I bounce him on my shins. Dude cries out. He’s feelin’ the pain. After the tear drop, champ’s back must be hurtin’. Still won’t give. I’ll give him credit. Dude is tough. Ref tells me he ain’t givin’. Like I can’t hear. Guess he’s really tellin’ the crowd. They’re cheerin’ real loud now. Encouragin’ their guy to hang on.

I kick muscle guy off. He surprises me by rollin’ with it. Rolls all the way to the ropes. Under the bottom rope. Droppin’ his feet to the mats outside the ring. Fucker is tryin’ to buy time. Dude tries to walk it off. Crowd is pattin’ him, tellin’ him to kick my ass. They’re surroundin’ him. Ref is startin’ the count out. I’m not gonna wait for that. I notice all the guys ‘round the champ are his wrestler buddies. Hope they know how to break a fall.

I push back on the far ropes, stretchin’ them way back. They shoot me forward. I start runnin’. I jump and clear the top rope. No one realizes I’m comin’ until I’m in midair. I crash down on top of dude and his buds. SPLAT! We all go down. They break my fall but no one breaks theirs. Hope they’re okay but my main deal is getting’ my hands on the champ.

The fans start gropin’ and findlin’ me. Fuck. Dude crawls between them, getting’ away. They block my path, figurin’ I won’t get too rough. Or maybe they just really want a feel. Either way, they shouldn’t count on me bein’ a nice guy. The ref starts a double countout from one. I push through the guys. They circle ‘round me, blockin’ me again. Guys are holdin’ my waist. Fuck.

Lee slides into the ring. Ref keeps countin’ me. I go, “Fan interference, ref! C’mon!” He tells the guys to move back but they’re not listenin’ to him. Finally, he threatens to DQ Lee and end the match. No one wants that. They step outta my way. I get the ring apron. I pull myself up. I’m ready to go through the top and middle rope when my ass gets slapped from behind. SMACK!

“Damn, that’s a fine ass.”

I turn my head to look back. Stupid. When I turn back to the ring, Lee’s comin’ at me from my blind side. Dude clocks me with a shin to the side of my head. CRACK! I fly sideways. I think I’m gonna fall back but the fans push me back ‘round over the middle rope. Dude steps over my head. He locks it between his thighs. I’m trapped. He squeezes and guys keep slappin’ my butt.

Lee jumps up. Uh oh. Dude drives my head into the canvas with a heat seeker. WHACK! I’m seein’ stars. I don’t think I black out. Somehow. I fall into the ring, crumplin’ in a heap beside the bottom rope. Dude kick me onto my back. He puts a shin on my pecs. The crowd cheers while he flexes over me. The ref checks my shoulders. They’re down. He counts the cocky pin.

SLAP! “ONE!”

SLAP! “TWO!”

I put my leg over the bottom rope. Ref stops the count. He pats the champ, pointin’ to my boot draped over the bottom rope. Dude’s like, “Fuck!” Muscle guy grabs my wrists and drags me to the middle of the ring. He does a lap ‘round me then drops down with a knee to my skull. CRACK! He slides in for ‘nother pin.

SLAP! “ONE!” No ropes to save me this time.

SLAP! “TWO!”

I give it all I got, managin’ to kick out at two. Lee slaps the mat. Yeah, dude, it sucks but I ain’t going down that easy. Dude grabs my hair. He drags me up. The ref tells him to let go. Yeah, right. Muscle guy doesn’t give a shit. He knows he ain’t getting’ DQ’ed for a hair grab.

I get forced up. Champ pulls me into a front facelock. Dude grabs the side of my trunks. He suplexes me over. BOOM! I bounce when I land. I sit up immediately. Fuck, that was a good suplex. Dude punches between my shoulder blades. My elbows go back. Dude grabs them. He pulls back on my arms. His hands slide along my sweaty forwarms until he’s got my wrists.

Dude buries his knee in my back. He pulls back on my wrists. I feel the stretch across my pecs. My shoulders strain. Fuck. I shake my head, still kinda dazed from the heat seeker. Lucky I don’t got much to damage up hear. I’m feelin’ the hold but I’d never give to this. I act like it hurts but it’s a rest hold for me. Dude realizes I’m doin’ fine, so he switches to a chinlock.

I plant my boots and push up. I force both of us to our feet. Dude tries to switch to a sleeper. I reach back, grabbin’ his head. I pull him forward. As soon as his chin is over my trap, I drop down. Dude’s jaw jams on my shoulder. CRACK! He flies backwards, floppin’ on the canvas, holdin’ his chin. I roll over. I push up to my feet and roll my neck. Okay, got this back on track.

I move in, lookin’ to take advantage. I reach down. Turns out, dude was playin’ possum. He grabs my wrist, pulls me down into him. Dude wraps his legs ‘round me, lockin’ me into a triangle choke. Oh shit. I fight him, knowin’ this is trouble. If he locks it on, I’ll be tappin’ or sleepin’. I pull back but dude’s strong and he’s got me too far forward.

Dude cinches in his legs. I feel the pressure start. I got like two seconds to escape or I’m done. Lucky, I got my right foot planted. I push up and forward, rollin’ dude onto his shoulders. He’s squeezin’ but the ref’s got no choice. Ref’s slappin’ the mat.

“ONE!” I’m moanin’ from the choke.

“TWO!”

I think I’m gonna –

WHAM! Hittin’ the canvas wakes me up. Oh fuck. Did I go out? I’m on my side. Dude’s legs still ‘round me. Dude is sayin’, “Check him ref!” Lee must’ve had to roll to escape the pin. I passed out at the same time and my weight dragged us down. The impact jarred things so he doesn’t have the triangle so good any more. I feel the ref grab my free arm, but I pull it free.

Dude’s like, “WHAT?”

I start fightin’ hard, managin’ to bend my arm. On our sides, this is just a leg scissors. I get my elbow into the soft part of his inner thigh. I dig it in. ARGH! Dude cries out, openin’ his legs. I pull my arm totally free. I push up into a headstand. I flip over, getting’ my head free. My butt lands on Lee’s chest. PLOP! I bounce off the solid pecs and get to my feet.

Dude rolls onto his stomach, still pissed, “What the fuck?” I come in with an elbow to the back of his head. It stuns him. I splash onto his back. SPLAT! I lock on a rear naked choke. The champ’s fightin’. I roll onto my back, pullin’ him with me. I wrap my legs ‘round his body to control him. He’s tryin’ to escape but I got him.

I squeeze on the choke. His legs are flyin’ but we’re in the middle of the ring. No ropes for you, dude. I tell him, “Dude, you wanna tap or go out?” Dude chooses fight. Same as go out in my book. I stretch him out, pullin’ up on the choke and down with my legs. I hear gurgles. His arms slow down. Muscle guy grabs my forearms. Hands slip right off.

“Check him, ref!”

The ref lifts Lee’s left arm. He drops it.

PLOP! “ONE!”

Ref does it again. PLOP! “TWO!”

Arm gets lifted up for the third time. Everyone’s yellin’ for dude to keep his arm up. Guys are bangin’ on the ring apron. One big guy is up on the apron, filmin’ with his phone, leanin’ in. He’s beggin’ for Lee to wake up. Ref lets go.

PLOP! “THREE!”

Ref stands up, “That’s it, match is over!” Ref taps my shoulder, tellin’ me to let go. I open up and roll dude off me. He lands on his stomach. I push him over onto his back. Yep, totally knocked out. I stay on my knees for a few seconds. I adjust my bulge then get up.

Fuck, that was a fuckin’ fight. Ref lifts my arm like he should. Crowd ain’t really cheerin’ but they ain’t really booin’ either. I think they’re in shock. Dude’s obviously the man ‘round here. When the ref drops my arm, he makes like he’s done. I cough real loud. He turns. I run my hands over my waist. He gets it. When he doesn’t move, I point at the guy holdin’ the belt.

“Bring it here, dude.” Belt guy hesitates. “You all heard the deal. Now, how we gonna do this?” I point at the former champ, “You know him better than me. This dude the type to skip out on a bet?” The crowd boos and says ‘no’. “Okay then bring me my fuckin’ belt.”

Guys push belt guy to the ring apron. Still looks like he doesn’t wanna give it up, but he’s got no choice. The ref takes it, tellin’ the guy he’ll explain to Lee. When dude tries to hand it to me, I open my arms. “Naw, put it on me.” The ref nods and moves ‘round back. I swear every phone’s takin’ pics now. The guys who filmed the whole thing keep rollin’.

I put my boot on the former’s champ’s pecs. I flex over him, wearin’ my new gold. Now the crowd boos. I hold it so everyone can get a good shot. I grab Lee by the wrists. He’s still out, so I gotta drag his carcass to the ropes. I hop out and pull him under the bottom rope. I get him up on my left shoulder. He hangs down. I flex my right arm. More pics. No boos now. Just lots of droolin’ and tentin’ shorts.

I carry dude right outta the bar.

Room.

I dump dude’s sweaty carcass on Ben’s bed. On the walk over, my buddy said he’d get another room. He grabs his shit, closin’ the door behind him. “Have fun.” Best friend for life. I grab my water bottle. The champ sure is hot. Oh, guess he’s not champ any more. Still hot, though. I know he knew what I meant when I said I gotta room. I could see it in his eyes. But he bet the belt. I bet my ass. Let’s see if he’s gonna still be into fuckin’ on the losin’ end.

I toss the rest of my water onto his face and body. SPLASH! He wakes up, arms swingin'. Dude looks around. It takes a second then he looks at me wearin’ his belt. Lee puts his face in his hands. He lets out a groan. Pounds the bed with his fists. “DAMN IT! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!” He falls back. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I wait for his tantrum to end. It takes a minute.

I’m like, “You okay? What, you never lost before?”

Dude sits up. He looks at me like I’m nuts, “Of course I’ve lost before.” Sigh. “It’s just - never mind. You wouldn’t understand. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You carried me here?” I nod. “So, I musta looked like a useless piece of crap? And, you won my fucking belt. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“You think I don’t get what? That you thought this was your big shot. Chance to be more than the only guy who gives a shit in your circle jerk club. Dude from the big leagues shows up. A dude you can’t afford but he’s gonna wrestle you for free. It’s your lucky break. You beat him. Your buddy shares it. People notice.”

Lee just stares at me.

I’m like, “And you know you coulda beat him. But you didn’t. You had him, but you lost him. Now, you think you fucked up. You think you look like chump. And you think you’ll never make it outta here, the dream is over and all this has been a big old waste of time.”

Long deep breath. “Okay. Maybe you do get it.”

“Dude, I don’t know much but I know that feelin’ of failure. I fuckin’ quit the business for a couple of years because of it. I’ve done some stupid shit and had some evil shit done to me. I’ve been fired more than once. I punched out a promoter. Been screwed over. Hustled. Tricked. Humiliated. Head shaved. Butt fucked. You name it.”

“You punched out a promoter?”

I make a fist. Can’t help smilin’ proud, “Knocked him out cold. This can be a fuckin’ crappy business. Nothin’ is easy. Backstage bullshit. Enemies everywhere. Even your friends are goin’ after what you want or what you got. But if you love it, you love it. And you keep fightin’. And lemme tell you. You need to keep fightin’ ‘cause you’re good.”

Long stare. A nod, “Thanks, man.” Dude stares at me. Finally goes, “You’re cool.”

“I’m honest. Now, you wanna go?” I rub my bulge. “Or you wanna stay?”

Lee shrugs, “Guess I gotta stay. You won.”

“And I got the belt. That was the deal. I put my ass on the line. You didn’t.”

Dude stands up. Rubs his pec and the front of his tights. “Gonna make me ask for it? Okay. You look in the mirror every fucking day. Don’t act like you don’t know that you’re the hottest fucking thing that’s ever walked into this town. From the minute I saw you, match or no match, win or lose, I was coming to this room with you. Wanted top but I’m not going anywhere.”

Music to my ears. I spread arms wide. Dude starts rubbin’ my muscles. Checkin’ me out. Keeps sayin’ how hot I am. Asks if he can take the belt off me. I let him. He folds it and puts it on the table. Comes up behind me. Rubs down my back. Grabs my ass. Leans in, kisses the back of my neck. Dude reaches under my arms, grabbin’ my pecs. Grinds against me.

“Sure you wanna be top?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Lee circles ‘round, lookin’ disappointed. Gives my front the same treatment. When he’s on his knees, dude kisses my cock head through my sweaty purple spandex. The stud pulls down my trunks, lettin’ my meat flop free. “Damn. Nice dick, big shot.” Dude puts his lips on it, starts suckin’ me. He’s pretty good and I’m plenty horny. I get rock hard right away.

I push dude back. We strip down naked. He’s goes back to work on me. I grab his thick black hair. Start tuggin’ on his head. Controllin’ him but not too much. Just enough so he knows who’s boss. Muscle guy moans. Yeah, he’s gettin’ into it. Dude might not have wanted to be on his knees but he’s not holdin’ back. Oh fuck. He deep throats me. Chokes and gags but does it. Damn, that’s great.

“Time for the main event, dude.”

Lee slides off my cock. He moves to the bed while I cover my wet rod. I take him from behind to start. He’s got one foot on the floor, his other knee on the bed. Leanin’ down onto his forearms. Awesome ass. I tap my dick on his butt. WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! Dude grunts. I finger his hole. He’s like, “Don’t open me up too much. Don’t be gentle. Make it hurt.”

Dude’s hot for this. Like I’m gonna say no? I drive in pretty fast. Dude loves it, lettin’ out a loud moan. I start plowin’ him. Buildin’ up steam. I’m like a fuckin’ jackhammer. I got him whimperin’ and cursin’. I’m sweatin’, my muscles tensed and tight. He’s still lovin’ it. I hammer him hard, but he just keeps askin’ for more. I slap his sides and he’s like, “Yeah, that’s the shit.”

I work him hard. I pull out then push him over onto his back. His legs go up automatically. Dude is rock hard and his cock is a monster. I lift his legs up. When I get him in position, I just slam back inside. We lock eyes. Lee’s lookin’ at me, mouth open, gaspin’ for air. I tell him to play with his cock. Dude’s all over that. Doesn’t take long before I feel like I’m gonna explode.

I pull out, freein’ my dick. I slide on the bed beside him. Dude’s lookin’ up at me. “Yeah, c’mon man, cover me in your fuckin’ cum.” Dude reaches out for my rod. I let go, lettin’ him finish me off. He pumps our cocks hard. I warn him I’m about to shoot. “Hold it. Hold it.” I fight not to give in. Lucky, dude goes, “NOW!”

We both let our loads go. We fire all over his pecs and abs, coverin’ him and the bed in cum. He’s pumpin’ me until it hurts, gettin’ every drop. Dude drains me dry. Looks like he’s the same. I collapse beside him. We lie there, pantin’ like dogs. Just starin’ at the ceilin’, not talkin’ or anything. Not sure I could talk. After a few minutes, my heart finally slows down. Woof.

“Damn, dude, you were takin’ all I got. You sure you’re a top?”

“Yeah, 99% of the time. But when one of those rare exceptions shows up, I’m all-in.” Dude breathes in deep then exhales. “And believe me, man, you are the best exception I’ve ever had.”

“Thanks, dude.”

Shower.

After a few more minutes, we head to the bathroom. I bend to turn the shower on. He sucks in air. I can feel him lookin’ at my ass. I turn back. Yep, I was right. He’s hard again. I go under the water. Get nice and wet. I step to the back. “Get in.” We just fit in the shower. Dude gets wet. I squirt 3-in-1 shampoo/soap in his hands then mine. We soap each other up. Feels real good.

We’re both hard now. Fuck. He rubs my pecs when I massage his scalp. The tight space just means our bodies are touchin' the whole time. We cover our top half in front with soap. I spend time on his pecs. He’s lovin’ my abs. I lift my arms. He leans in a smells ‘em. “Wanna remember that smell.” Dude rubs his big hands over my pits. Up my arms. Down my sides.

We keep goin'. My back’s to the spray. I push on his shoulders and he does the front of my legs. He starts at my feet then works up. Dude really feels me up. He adds soap to get me real slick. I swing my hips, hittin' him in the head with my dick. He looks up with a smirk. The guy plays with my junk, soaping me real good. Jerks me until I grunt for him to stop.

Lee turns me so he can do my back. Massages my shoulders. Feels damn good. I put my hands up to brace on the wall. He works my arms and pits again. Squirts more soap. I’m gonna have to buy more if this keeps up. Not that I’m gonna stop it. Dude soaps me until he reaches my waist. He stops and breathes in again. I’m leanin' forward, ass stickin' out.

Dude’s like, “Dangerous position, man. I’m gettin’ ideas.”

“Condom’s in my shower kit.”

“Seriously?”

“Told ya, sex wasn’t ‘cause I won. It’s ‘cause fightin’ and fuckin’ are a way of life. You’ve been cool, so go for it. Just be gentle with that thing. You’re packin’ a lotta heat there.”

Dude steps outta the shower and grabs a wrapper. He puts it on the soap dish. Lee adds soap to his hands while he thinks. He plays with my ass. Runs his fingers up and down my crack. Teasin’ me. Seein’ how I react. I stay cool. It’s like he keeps waitin’ for me to change my mind. Maybe some guys do. He’s got a big cock, a stacked 9”, but I’m ready. Dude’s made sure of it.

Lee spanks my ass. SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! First time I took cock was less than a year ago after I lost a match. Worst thing in my life but now, I kinda like it. With the right guy. Lee’s fingerin’ my hole. He’s got a big one so I ‘preciate the extra prep. I moan. Tell him how good it feels. He tells me how fuckin’ hot I am. This is fun but I’m ready for the main event.

“C’mon, dude. You gonna fuck me or what?”

Dude doesn’t need to be told again. He covers his cock. I put my head down. I feel his head. He pushes inside me. It hurts like fuck but I make sure to groan, “YES!” Lee pushes deeper. I’m gettin' used to it. I’m like, “Oh yeah, dude, fuck my ass. Fuck the champ.” His hands tighten on my hips and he starts plowin' me.

“Just had to say it, didn’t you? Just had to rub it in that you’re the champ?”

“UNH! Had to get you - UNH! - goin' somehow, right? UNH!” I let out a long, loud moan that the neighbors had to hear. “Oh fuck, yeah, you’re a fuckin' stud, dude.”

“Hell, yeah, man. Take my cock! Fuck, yeah. Your ass is so fucking tight.”

Dude keeps goin' harder and faster. He’s gaspin' real loud. The guy hammers me. My arms can barely hold me in place he’s goin' so rough. Dude reaches out, grabs my hair. Pulls my head up. I grunt, “Oh fuck, yeah. Shit, you’re a fuckin’ beast!” That gets him. He starts agreein’, callin’ himself a beast. He’s really ridin’ me. Now, I don’t know if I can take it. I whimper.

Dude slows down. He slides out. I hear the snap of the condom comin’ off. He fires his load up my back. I reach down and start jerkin’ my own cock while he drains his rod. Dude is finishin’ but I’m just lettin’ loose. I hit the wall with my first shot then fire it down low. I milk my cock dry, emptyin' my second load tonight. Feels so good. I turn around. We just stare at each other.

I go, “Guess we gotta start cleanin’ up again.”

“Guess so.”

Bedtime.

“You got somewhere to be?”

I jump on the clean bed and pat it. Dude stops gettin' dressed. He jumps on naked beside me. BOOF! Me and Lee slide to the middle. He runs his hands on my muscles. I grab the remote and turn on the TV. Some old sitcom comes on. I go, “You were good tonight.”

“You think I’m good after a loss, you should see me after a win. I get real dominant. The shower was fun but not even close to my best. I’d have you begging and calling me daddy.”

I laugh, “Maybe next time.” Dude sits up and looks at me, tryin’ to figure out if I mean it. I shrug, “Gotta be a rematch, right?”

“Fuck, yeah. Any time, big shot.”

“But I meant you were good in the ring.”

Lee’s like, “Not good enough.”

“Dude, don’t start that shit again. I’m tellin’ you, you were fuckin’ good.”

Lee just nods then lies back down. Dude rests his head on my chest. Rubs my abs. I wrap my arm around his neck. We watch a little TV, kinda cuddlin’. It’s weird. We’re not talkin’, just thinkin’. I turn it off. We slide under the covers. He rolls over, showin' me his backside. I spoon him. I think about fuckin’ him again but we fall asleep with my hard dick against his ass.

Lunch.

“It’s 12. We headin’ over? Just got a text from Lee. He’s there. Waitin’.”

“Good. Don’t reply, please.” Ben’s on his phone. In no rush. “I just need a minute.”

Since we’re killin’ time, I go, “Sorry you had to get another room and do breakfast alone. Me and Lee kinda hit it off, so we slept in. He’s a cool guy. Hope you can help him.”

“Actually, I’m happy the way it turned out. It was the best assessment I could have. You know how much I value your opinion. Besides, I wasn’t alone. There weren’t any other rooms here so I bunked with Dusty. I did some work then we ... got to know each other.”

“What? You and the bartender?”

My buddy just grins, “He makes a great breakfast.”

At 12:05, Ben and me finally head over to the bar. I’m surprised ‘cause he’s never late. And we’ve been ready for 30 minutes when he loaded the bags, checked out of this room and gave back the key. I don’t get why we sat around. It’s like he’s bein’ late on purpose.

I gotta ask what’s up. Ben shrugs, “Relax, Jeff. Just this last bit of business and we are on vacation.”

I stop, “Where’s the car?”

“I moved it around back. Put it in the shade. Out of the Arizona midday sun.”

“You’re up to something, buddy.”

Ben's like, “I am.” He doesn’t explain, just goes, “C’mon, let’s enjoy lunch. But first ...” He pulls the AWE belt outta his computer bag. My buddy puts it on my waist and adjusts it just right. He slaps my back, “Perfect, champ.”

When we walk in, there are a few customers. All look at me. And my belt. Dude’s at the bar. Waitin’. Lookin’ tense. Ben slowly takes off his sunglasses. Lee gets a relieved look on his face. Now, I get it. We’re late. Checked out. Car gone. Ben’s playin’ mind games. My buddy’s a nice guy but he’s tough in business. Lee might be a client after this but Ben’ll be the boss.

We march to the bar. Dusty and Ben share a smile. Bartender says, "Nice to see you, boys. Someone was getting a little antsy." Lee shoots him a dirty look, but we know it's true.

Ben nods at dude. Lee reaches out to shake hands. Good move, showin’ respect. My buddy accepts. When dude reaches out to shake my hand, I grab it tight. I don’t let go. “Think we’re past handshakes, dude.” I pull him into a bro hug. We slap backs and hold it. Feels good. The belt is crushed between us. He smells me, rubs my back. I whisper, “Relax, Ben’s cool.”

Dusty takes our drink orders. Ben heads to an empty table in the middle of the bar. We follow. I strip off the belt and rest it on the table. Lee looks at it then at us. He talks first. “Okay, Ben. I’m sold. I wanna make a deal, but what’s this gonna cost me? I don’t have a ton of cash. AWE doesn’t really make anything.”

My buddy nods. Actin’ calm and cool. He ignores dude’s question, “How was your morning?”

Lee breathes in, “My morning? Best in a long time."

"What was so great about it, Lee?"

"Let’s see. Woke up with this guy. We had breakfast. Went home. Finally checked my phone. All kinds of texts and messages.”

“Really. What about?”

“Like you don’t know. It blew up over night ‘cause you got a hold of Carlos’ footage of my match with Jeff. You posted it. Got guys to link to it. Somehow got a buncha blogs talking about the match. I figure you wrote the stories and they just posted them. Ton of views, likes, positive comments. GIFs on social. New followers. Podcast requests.” Lee pauses, “So, yeah, you proved your point.”

“What’s my point?”

“You did more in one night with one match than I’ve managed to do in four years. Pretty sure the point is that I need you more than you need me and that I'd be a fucking idiot not to do whatever you say."

Ben smiles, “Yes, that is my point.” He pulls out some papers, “Here’s my standard service agreement. One for you as a wrestler. One for AWE. Read them. Have a lawyer read them. Sign them. Return them. Do it soon. We’ll need to get on this fast. Seize the momentum. But don’t accept any interviews without talking to me first. Now, let’s get to know each other better.”

Dusty comes over with beers. On the house as a congratulations. We order food. The old man pats Lee on the shoulder, “Couldn’t help overhearing. Trust this one,” He points at Ben with his thumb, “He’s a good man. Worked real hard for you last night. And I’m proud of you, son. You deserve it.”

I go, “Wait, he’s your dad?” Dusty laughs and just walks away.

Dude shakes his head, “Naw, just a good friend. Okay, Ben, you want to get to know each other? Cool. You can know that I’m impressed. You two played me good. What I want to know is, is this how it always works? Not that I’m complaining. Just wanna know what was a hustle -” Lee’s eyes turn to me then back to Ben, “And what wasn’t.”

Ben smirks, “None of it was a hustle. What happened - or happens - between you two has nothing to do with me or me trying to represent AWE or you. It just presented a unique opportunity for me to show what I can do.”

I go, “Yeah, dude. You and me? All real.” Lee nods, happy to hear it. I lean forward at him, whisperin', "From the time I kicked your ass to the time I fucked it. All real."

Dude shakes his head, "You fucking asshole."

My buddy goes, “Cute. Let me say, I’m impressed with you, too. Starting your own fed. Your moves. Your charisma. Your look. Your obvious dedication. You’re good, Lee. You’ve got everything you need to be a star. Passion, drive, talent and looks. Together, we can make AWE better but you? There’s literally no limit for you.”

I shrug, “Told you, dude.”

“Wow. Waited a long time to hear something like that from a guy like you, Ben.” I think dude might cry. Nope, he holds it together. I get it. Feels like his dream is comin' true. Movin’ forward. Proof of his hard work payin’ off. Lee breathes in deep. He’s finally like, “Thanks, guys. This is … unbelievable. You have no idea.”

My buddy goes, “It’s a tremendous chance for you, Lee, but don’t get ahead of it. This is the beginning, not the end. It’s one really good match with a few hundred views. More than you had but not enough. No one is knocking down your door. Now, let’s talk about the rematch. It’s a huge opportunity. Jeff, how soon can you get back here?”

“I get one week off a month from AWL. Next one, I’ll be here. You gonna be ready?”

Dude pats the belt on the table, “Fuck yeah. The belt’s coming home to daddy.” He goes to me, “And don’t worry about a motel room, Jeff. You’re coming home with daddy, too.”

“Better gimme directions and your keys before the match, ‘cause you’re gettin’ knocked out again.”

“Fuck you. I can’t wait to carry your ass out that door. I’m gonna love getting my revenge.” Dude smirks, “You’re gonna love it, too.”

The heat’s on. We stand up fast, knockin’ our chairs over. Whole bar is starin’. We bump chests. Stare each other down. We push against each other. I push him back. Dude comes back hard at me. WHOMP! I can feel his breath we’re so close. My jeans are gettin' tighter. I could wrestle him down and fuck him right here, right now. I know he’s feelin’ the same.

Ben leans back in his chair, “Yeah, this’ll work. This will definitely work.”

The End.