The Cruiserweight (7 page)

“How’d you get to be host?” Hale asked. “You
been sucking on a new kind of pipe, Kerrigan, or has that always
been your thing?”

“From what the other boys in the locker room
tell me, it’s more
your
preference.”

“You’re as much an ass hosting as you are
wrestling.”

“Yeah, I notice you stare at my ass a lot.
Sorry, Hale, you aren’t my type.”

Brett turned to the six foot eight, two hundred
and ninety-five pound former bodybuilder, Road Rage. “Now that the
junior high mentality is done, let’s talk more about the discussion
you and I had earlier on how to deal with these two
clowns.”

“I love a man who talks business,” Road Rage
said. “Carry on.”

“
I have great respect for you and
it’s time the fans had a champion who’d bring credibility to the
title. I see a lot of you in me, even with the obvious differences
in our sizes. Rage, it should be clear that of everyone on the
roster, you and I are the quickest, best trained, and smartest
wrestlers in this company.”

Road Rage looked down at him with an evil grin,
nodding as more boos filled the arena. “Keep talking, my man. Is my
request gonna be honored or not?”

“Yeah. Tonight’s main event will be Big Mac vs.
Jack Hale in a No Holds Barred Match inside a steel cage. And since
I’m feeling generous, I’m putting Mac’s title on the line. The
winner of tonight’s match will be World Champion.”

More loud boos washed through the crowd as Big
Mac and Hale stared at each other. Two fan favorites would face
off, along with a hated grappler. Only one of the three combatants
would emerge victorious.

“Glad you approve, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy
tonight’s show.“ The in-character Brett knew he had just both
intrigued and infuriated the fans, and the planned main event was
sure to draw additional ratings.

*****

“Ladies and gentleman, guest host Brett
Kerrigan has been wreaking mayhem tonight,” commentator Ed Carson
said as a women‘s match was about to begin. We’ve learned that in
the main event, he pitted three dangerous men against each other
for a championship opportunity. That isn’t going to be an average
match, but
no holds barred inside a steel
cage!
Linc, it
’
s going to be brutal!
”

“Sure is, Ed,
”
Lincoln
“
Linc
”
Battle
agreed.
“
Kerrigan didn
’
t
stop there. We have the beautiful Baby Belle in the ring waiting
for her mystery oppenent.
”

“Who can it be,
Linc?
”

“No idea. I
didn
’
t think Brett Kerrigan had many friends
among the ladies backstage to arrange a match.
”

“Ladies and gentlemen,
”
ring announcer Tara Chisholm began,
“
As arranged by our guest host, Brett Kerrigan, Baby
Belle
’
s opponent tonight will
be—
”

The music of
“
Crazy Train
”
blared
loudly, interrupting Tara
‘
s announcement.
A solid-built woman of five feet, ten inches and two hundred pounds
made her way to the ring. She never took her eyes off a fearful
Baby Belle.

Crazy Train Leavenworth was the
roster
’
s strongest and most feared woman,
a seven-time Lovely Ladies
’
champion. She
was being considered to wrestle male opponents once her current
title reign ended.

“Oh no, he can
’
t do this! Crazy Train is a killer!
” Carson
exclaimed.

“Kerrigan can and did,
Ed.
”

Crazy Train pinned Baby Belle in less
than five minutes. No one had time to flinch before the match was
over.

“Here is your winner, Crazy Train
Leavenworth!
”
Tara
announced.

Crazy Train stood on the ropes and
posed, doing her famous, psychotic-sounding
‘
Choo Choo!
’
catch phrase
and gesture. She exited with a smug look on her face. Baby Belle
lay limp in the ring before she was able to get up and was helped
to the back by two staff members.

Brett appeared on the titantron.
“
Don
’
t worry,
kids, that
’
s Crazy being
gentle.
Your favorite little bikini bimbo will be just fine.
Baby wouldn
’
t be walking if I
’
d told Crazy to make it rough.
”

Ear-splitting boos were heard as the
show broke to a commercial. Brett received major heat, and the
producers loved it.

*****

Trisha “Crazy Train” Leavenworth came backstage
after her match with Bella “Baby Belle” Jacobs. She and Brett
spotted each other and the two real-life close friends smiled in
greeting. He gave her a quick hug. “Great match,
Trisha.”

“Yeah, too bad more time isn’t given to us
women. I’m going to check on Bella. I hope I didn’t rough her up
too bad.”

“She was smiling when she came out of the
trainers’ room. I think the women need more matches like the one
you two had tonight and less pillow fights or bikini
crap.”

“Brett, you’re right. Besides, no one wants to
see Crazy Train in a bikini. I’m a psychotic killer type,
remember?”

“If they only knew what the
real
Crazy
Train was like. Up for coffee later?”

“I’d love to, honey, but my husband is with me.
Maybe next time. You may want to ask Bella or Carolyn. I don’t
think they have any plans.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Nice ladies, but not my
type.”

Crazy Train chuckled. ”Can’t say I didn‘t try.
I would’ve suggested Kyra too, but she isn‘t here
tonight.”

“We’re back in two minutes,” an announcement
came over the PA system, “Ready, Kerrigan?”

“As always. Let’s get more ratings!”

*****

A backstage scene showed Brett talking on the
phone. “But I was told I wasn’t going to be in a match tonight!” he
shouted. After a slight pause, his expression changed. “What? I can
make my own match? Well, I guess I can’t complain after
all!”

He snapped the phone shut with a smug look on
his face. At that moment, one of the show’s newest members, Jason
Evans, appeared.

“Did you need something, pretty
boy?”

“Yes. I was supposed to have a match tonight.
But when I arrived at the arena, I was informed it had been nixed
from the show. Did you by any chance have something to do with that
when you were planning on putting Big Mac, Road Rage, and Jack Hale
against each other?”

“That’s one point of being the new guy, Evans.
But since I’m a good sport, I can place you somewhere.” Brett moved
closer. “You and I will be in a match following the tag team one.
Go get dressed and prepare to be mopped up in the ring, pretty
boy.”

The camera zoomed in on the two glaring at each
other.

The scene cut to a tag team match, Ed Carson
and Linc Battle commentating through the entire event. The match
lasted under fifteen minutes, with the current champions retaining
their titles. It was a night for the heels to reign
supreme.

Tara Chisholm announced the next contest. A big
pop echoed through the arena for Jason Evans as he made his way to
the ring. Brett followed to substantial heat
—
and a few girls screaming
—
as he
worked the crowd and drew even more jeers and boos.

Loud “You suck!” chants began as Brett mixed it
up with many different people near ringside, including making snide
comments at Linc Battle.

The match was underway. Evans began working
Brett’s arm. He escaped to ringside and played the coward heel. He
tried to avoid Evans, who caught up to him, threw Brett back into
the ring, and was caught in an arm bar.

Brett screamed, “Now who sucks, you
fool?”

A lot of mat work between the two opponents was
followed by Evans coming back strong with some of his aerial moves.
Evans finished with a Shooting Star Press before pinning Brett for
the victory. It was a crowd pleaser and later slated by critics as
one of the night’s best matches.

Backstage, the two men laughed and gave each
other a high five.

“Great bout, man,” Brett said. “I don’t tell
everyone this, but you got a strong future with this
company.”

“Thanks, bro; you’re kind of tough for a small
guy.”

“I get told that a lot, but only one man does a
fantastic Shooting Star Press and that’s
you.
There used to
be two that did, but Patrick isn’t here anymore.”

“How could we forget Sanchez-Garcia? As much as
I didn’t care for him, I miss Pat just the same. Who would have
thought you would outlast the dude? I guess a good work attitude
does get a person everywhere.”

“Take some lessons from a few of the locker
room’s old timers and you’ll see how far one can go.”

*****

The time arrived for the main event, the moment
which both fans in attendance and television viewers
awaited.

Jack Hale entered first, working the crowd that
popped for him. He appeared confident outwardly, but inside, his
heart broke. Despite both knowing the outcome as outlined in the
script, Hale still worried Mac would get hurt.

Big Mac followed Road Rage. Even though his
entrance was longer than the other two contenders, the crowd
cheered as loud.

The cage was lowered. Inside that unforgiving
structure, the match became brutal between the three competitors.
Right away, Hale started climbing out the cage, but Mac pulled him
down. Punches, hits, and some kicks were traded. Hale hit a
snapmare and a kick to the back, and once again went to climb out
of the cage. Road Rage grabbed him by the ankle, but Hale escaped
and tried to climb once more; Mac grabbed his opposite
leg.

Two men stood on the top rope. Rage tried to
smash Mac’s face off, but Mac blocked the move, reversing to
hitting Hale‘s face off the cage instead. Hale fell to the mat and
Mac covered for the near fall.

Hale managed to get out of the pin, but Rage
grabbed him by the ankles. Hale kicked him and then going up the
ropes, hit a cross-body block off the top rope, almost getting a
near fall on Mac. Both men went down. Hale made his way to the door
before Road Rage dragged him back to the center of the ring. Mac
catapulted Rage into the cage, but he held on and attempted to
climb to the top.

Mac made a slow climb and traded punches with
Rage before being grabbed from behind by Hale. He came out on top
and attempted his Five Finger Finish. Mac shoved him off and
attempted the Big Flush, but Rage countered with attempting his
finisher, Hit and Run, and a near fall. Mac came back with another
complex move and almost had a near fall.

All three men were battered. Hale kicked and
punched Mac before he went up and dangled over the top. Rage caught
up and pulled him back, hitting Hale with a suplerplex off the top
of the cage. Just as he was about to make his way out the door,
which Hale opened while the other two were sprawled on the mat,
Brett made a sudden appearance from under the ring. He whacked Hale
on the skull with a steel chair.

Three bruised and beaten large men lay in the
ring as the match ended in a no contest. The camera closed in on
Brett’s demented facial expression. “What? I changed my mind. The
champion should be decided at the next pay per view.”

The show went dark.

CHAPTER 9

Brett was exhausted, an unusual occurrence. “I
guess being a host is tougher than I thought. A fun night, but I’m
glad it’s over.”

He flopped on the bed and booted his laptop.
“Let’s see what the websites say.”

He found a few good reviews posted by fans
about his hosting duties and glowing reports on the bout with Jason
Evans, billed as “match of the night” by even the toughest
critics.

Glancing at the bedside clock, Brett noted it
was two AM. “Damn, no wonder I’m tired. I better sleep so I can
catch my flight on time tomorrow. Three days of freedom, here I
come!”

*****

“Are the ratings for last night’s show online?”
Karen asked the next day. “I’m curious how well it did with Brett
hosting.”

“It’s interesting you mentioned that. I was
just reading the show did a 3.95. Add in running over by ten
minutes, the entire rating went to an overall 4.0.”

She wasn’t sure if Phoebe was making some kind
of joke or was looking at numbers for something different. “Are you
serious? Let me look!”

“I had to read it twice to make sure it was the
right one.”