AS 41: Gordito vs. Steven Holmes

[Ty Burna]

Steven Holmes has united himself with Constantine in an effort to tear the Elite X Championship away from Sam Smith. Meanwhile Gordito faces a plethora of issues after being bloodied and beaten on the last Meltdown. Will Gordito refocus and defeat the elitist Holmes, or will Holmes take another step up and defeat the number one contender to the WZCW World Heavyweight Championship?

Deadline is Tuesday, December 6th at 11:59 PM EST.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I entered the hotel lobby at 12:13 PM. It was Sunday, lunchtime, but it was quiet. It was probably a sign that Holmes had asked for the upmost peace and quiet. He was a wealthy man and a powerful one too. He could make it happen. I scanned the room for a few moments until noting the man in an armchair across the lobby. He was reading a British newspaper, something that made it apparent almost immediately that this was Steven Holmes, the man I was looking to interview.

Maybe I should explain a little more. My name is Leon Kensworth. I work for WrestleZone Championship Wrestling as an interviewer and reporter. In April of this year, I conducted an interview with Steven Holmes for WZCW.com. He talked about the future and the past as well as what his hopes and desires were for the future. It is now December and some eight months on, things have changed dramatically for Holmes. He has severed his ties to Steven Kurtesy, fought long and hard for opportunities at the Elite X Championship and forged a new alliance with the returning John Constantine but perhaps more importantly, he has managed to get himself banned from WZCW.com.

I was hoping this follow-up interview would be recorded for the purposes of becoming a video interview, much like April piece. However, Holmes’s various tirades and verbal assaults landed him in deep trouble with those at the top of WZCW. This is now going to be a written piece. I find that a problem not because I can’t write (I can, believe me), but because Holmes has such a descriptive face. It’s one of those that tells a story in and of itself. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get that across in print. I approached “The Elite”, still calmly leafing through the paper. I was now casting a shadow over him when he slowly pulled his paper down. He peered over the top like a snake observing its prey. He continued to lower the paper and a grin that Jack Nicholson would envy stretched across his face. He stood up and offered his hand almost immediately. Say what you want about Holmes, he’s always polite; at first.

I took the hand and shook it. He indicated for me to sit next to him in a separate armchair. As I sat and took out some recording equipment as well as my notepad and pen, Holmes was his usual eerie quiet self. He’s a creepy man in many ways, sitting and smiling when inside you know he’s raging and sinister. He throws his paper to the side once and for all and brushes himself in his final preparations for the interview. With both of us ready to go, I had to first ask about what I would deem an obvious parallel between his new alliance with John Constantine and the Crashin Movement.

“There’s a big difference” the former tag team champion declares. “In the Movement I was most certainly a third wheel, especially with two narcissists such as Crashin and Kurtesy. Here I am an equal with Constantine. We accept that we are allies and that we have a common goal, so we work to achieve that. When I was stuck with tweedledee and tweedledum they believed I was their servant and ordered me around as such.”

I understood what Holmes was saying but I had to follow up something he himself had said pointed out that both he and Constantine wanted the Elite X Championship, and were fairly open to admitting that, but surely their paths would cross when the day came for the belt to be decided. Holmes chuckled and responded with “It is as I said; we have a common goal and we work towards that. We accept that only one of us will hold that gold at day’s end, and while we both desire to become champion, we can rest easy knowing that when it comes down to it, Holmes vs. Constantine will be the greatest battle mankind has ever seen and it will decide a prize few men can dream of.”

Holmes was confident that both he and Constantine were capable of dethroning Smith. I pointed out to him that the two of them had been unsuccessful before. His facial expression changed as he retorted. “I’ve already pointed out to several journalists, many of whom are probably better qualified than you my dear Leon, that was when we were both concerned with “saving” a federation, and its fanbase, that we knew was tipping into the abyss. We no longer have that burden weighing on us. We are free to bring what will be the end for Smith and the start for us. One era shall die by our hands, but another shall be born to take its place.”

A smile slowly returned to the Englishman’s face following his answer. I moved on from the goals of defeating Sam Smith and quizzed him on his “burden” being “lifted”. “I said at a press conference that this was not about Constantine and Holmes “saving” a company anymore,” Holmes replied. “This is about establishing a dynasty that is not concerned with what the fans feel about them. They are the unwashed masses. The deadbeats. The losers. We are the champions. The superstars. The elites. We have separated ourselves from their disgusting habits and live the life we were supposed to live. To complete that life, we shall capture the gold that has eluded us.”

Again I changed my line of questioning, this time onto the WZCW.com banning. Holmes’ face drops into an emotionless state. He scratches his chin and wonders how to answer my question. It takes a few moments, but Holmes formulates an answer. “It was a situation where I spoke the truth, or at least what I believed to be the truth, but WZCW management felt it was too damaging. Make no mistake; some of the stuff I spouted in those videos was complete nonsense and essentially I deluding myself to the point where I bought it. But at the same time, there is a lot of truth to what I said."

Holmes continues; “I may not have “led a revolution to get the mass viewing public to crusade for the right against the wrong”, but I most certainly proved that WZCW management doesn’t like anyone rocking their ivory tower and I did show that Sam Smith was a lucky coward whose only real sense of victory came from the fact that he was always in the right place at the right time.”

I wanted to move away from Sam Smith, which we’d already heard extensive facts, figures and points about, and move onto Holmes’ next opponent; Gordito. Holmes and Gordito had been in the company for the same amount of time. They both earned contracts at Meltdown 39. The battle royale they both wrestled in saw Rodney McClain, a potential prodigy whose life was ruined by much drug abuse, fall. It also featured a recent departure from WZCW that Holmes was particularly familiar with; Wasabi Toyota. He started with Toyota;

“Toyota was an interesting opponent,” he began. “He was a constant thorn in my side for nearly a good six months. He was large, smelly, and yet incredibly talented. He was dark and mysterious yet loved and embraced. That was in direct contrast to me. Someone who is open and honest but universally despised.”

Noticing that Holmes was steering the conversation away from Gordito, I tried to get it back on track by bringing Gordito and the battle royale back up. Holmes cut me off, pointing out that he was getting there. “I’m just about to get to him Leon. Alright?” I accepted that he would eventually get there and let him continue his point. “I knew Toyota was talented from the moment that I and Gordito had to join forces to eliminate him. He was so good that he could’ve continued to toss bodies over the top, and most likely would have if it were not for my cunning and Gordito’s ability to follow.”

Hold on a minute? Wasn’t Gordito in part responsible for his own team’s failure last week at Meltdown 65? “That’s not quite true. I was watching, and it was mostly Big Dave’s fault. He’s the World Heavyweight Champion and in an attempt to prove he was the bigger man going into his battle with Gordito, he derailed what was no doubt a game plan they had laid out prior to the contest. Gordito followed like he was supposed to. Dave did not. That is why they lost.”

He had a point and so I allowed him to resume. “Like I said, Gordito’s a follower. He followed my lead in the battle royale, he followed Baez for the longest time and he follows the fans wherever he goes. He’s so popular that he’s managed to find himself in the main event for the World Heavyweight Championship. And yes, before you point out that he got there with more than popularity, you are quite right, he has a boat load of talent too. I just hoped he wouldn’t use that talent to pander to the fools who are not capable of half the things he is.”

“If Gordito was aware that he was following the blind, he would stop, but unfortunately he seems to have doomed himself to fall into the abyss that I mentioned earlier. He will follow the fans right over the edge and into that pit of obscurity and oblivion whilst I stand upon high.”

Holmes sighed at this point. I won’t lie, I was hooked and wanted him to continue so the sigh was a great disappointment. To my delight though, he continued. “Gordito could be our next World Heavyweight Champion, but he won’t be a champion because he’s earned it. Not completely. That’ll cover maybe 25% of the win. The other 75% goes to the popular vote that secured him the title shot in the first place. I don’t buy that he’ll be the World champion following All or Nothing at all. He’s not ruthless enough. Dave is, but he isn’t.”

“I will show Gordito what it means to be ruthless, just as I’m sure Dave will. I will showcase my talents whilst schooling Gordito. This will be a valuable lesson and a learning curb. This is where Gordito stands at a forked road and has to decide which root he takes. Does he go down the path where he’s forever loved, but is a failure ultimately? Or does he go down the alternate route and stop pandering to idiots and morons, and captures Heavyweight Championship gold? I hope he chooses the latter because while I may not like or even respect Gordito, I can admire his talents.”

I was stunned that Holmes had been so complimentary of “The Dirty One”, but also realised that he may have had some truth to his statements. He was perhaps onto something that many others hadn’t seen or noticed. Maybe Holmes’ advice was something that Gordito would need to become a champion. I wasn’t sure. What I did know was that Holmes had to be somewhere else as it was now 13:00. I stopped recording and shook Holmes’ hand. I thanked him for the time and he s******ed, commenting that he hoped this interview would actually reach WZCW.com and not be intercepted by the secret wrestling regulation police. It wasn’t really a funny joke but I laughed anyway and bid him farewell.

 

[DirtyJosé]

Gordito: I think it's time for a re-evaluation of my position in the 'Z at the moment.

Two paramedics finish tending to the wounds on Gordito's face. They've managed to stop the bleeding, but the crimson stains remain on his face and arms. A few of the backstage agents stand around gawking as a cameraman has stepped in to record this moment for posterity.

Gordito: I thought Dave and I were capable of setting aside our differences and our egos long enough to put this match away. Clearly, I was wrong.

We cut to the back entrance to the arena where a cab waits for it's client. The double doors swing open wide as Gordito marches through, cigarette in one hand, bags in the others. He throws the bags into the backseat before taking a seat there himself. He rolls down the window as he begins to talk to the driver.

Gordito: To the hotel, please. Oh, actually, if we could stop at a liquor store along the way, that'd be awesome.

He hands the driver a ten dollar bill. The driver nods and punches in some information into his gps device. Gordito leans back and thinks to himself.

Gordito: If I want that championship, I'm going to have to start acting a little more like them. We'd have had that match if Dave hadn't let his attitude get in the way. But that's the point, isn't it?

He takes a long drag of his cigarette as the car speeds out of the parking structure.

Gordito: That match was never important. Winning it wasn't important to him. All that mattered was showing us all up...Ty...Barbosa...me...all he cared to do was show off that he's The Man. Well, look where that got us...

Gordito catches a glimpse of himself in the side-view mirror.

Gordito: I don't want to change who and what I am just to suit others, but it's clear that if I want that belt, I need to play things a little closer to my chest. I need to rely a little less on others and a lot more on myself.

The cab speeds off into the night as we are left watching the city skyline. Night becomes day quickly, and he next find Gordito in his hotel bed. His cell phone wakes him up with a small jingle. He rolls over slowly to check it; he has a new email. He puts it down and picks up his tablet computer from the nightstand. As he rolls back into bed, he unlocks the screen and checks his email. He reads it aloud to himself.

Gordito: mmm....mmm...da da da....new show....yadda yadda yadda....Aftershock...oh....neat...

He lays the tablet next to him as he starts to fall asleep again. This time the tablet chimes as he receives a new message. He goes to read it, again speaking out loud.

Gordito: Matches made for next week...Ascension episode 41...let's see here....Steven Holmes....?

He rubs his eyes for a second as he puts the tablet down again. There's a guy he hasn't danced with in a long long while. At least, not since the days of The Crashin Movement. He rolls to the other side of the bed, where another nightstand is covered in beer bottles. He knocks over a few of them looking for the remote control to the television. After finding it, he sits up in bed, turning on the television set. He scrolls through some options until he finds the "On Demand" streaming menu. After a few seconds, he opens the "WZCW On Demand" page. After even more searching, which takes a few minutes as he has to dig through many many pages of shows, he finds what he's looking for: Meltdown 39. He orders the show and fast forwards through it until his match starts. A younger Gordito is on the screen, as is Toyota, McClain, and Holmes. Gordito watches as he and Holmes manage to hang on to remain the last two competitors. Holmes had taken the lead and Gordito had gone along with it, mainly because he knew at that time that trying to eliminate Toyota on his own likely was not going to work. Once it was down to just the two of them, Gordito found himself on better ground to win the match. Gordito starts talking to himself.

Gordito: He's always been a "brain as a weapon" kind of guy. He's not stupid, even if he's hung around some stupid guys before. He had an attitude which wasn't helping him when he got here, but I've seen that change into something more ruthless, more aggressive than arrogant...totally much more suited to this line of work.

Gordito pauses the video just as his past self raises his arms in victory. He picks up the tablet computer again and does some searching as he continues to talk to himself.

Gordito: Am I reading this right? He's partnering up with Constantine? That guy is back? Oh jeez, that's a match right there. That's like two frustrated evil geniuses teaming up. Why though? Constantine, sure I get why he'd be down. I don't think I've ever seen him stand on his own two legs around here. I guess he didn't want to go back to Showtime after the way he was treated there and figures Holmes will be different. But Holmes is different. He didn't need this. He was pushing Smith to new limits. He finally just got rid of the stink of the Crashin Movement. Why saddle up with a sycophant? He doesn't need that.

Gordito's phone rings and it snaps his attention back to reality. He sees it's Jack calling and answers.

Gordito: Yo buddy. Yeah....yeah it was a little rough last night.

He reaches to touch his face.

Gordito: Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine. I'm still hoping to head out that way soon, stop in and see The Pit. Yeah, it's been a while. Me? Just healing up in my hotel bed, getting ready to move on to the next town and the next show. The next show? Actually, I just got the message about that. Remember Steven Holmes. No. No, not him. That's Kurtesy. The other one. No. No, that was Crashin. Yeah. Yeah, that's the guy. Tough as nails kinda guy who's never really caught a break. I think his moment of fame came as being the guy who stole the Mayhem Belt last year. Anyway, yeah...that's the guy I got this week.

He gets up out of bed and starts up the janky in-room coffee maker as he continues to chat with Jack.

Gordito: Gameplan? Ha. Well, ok, I should be serious about this. I can't keep losing going into All or Nothing. I gotta recover from how last night went. At least this time I'm not relying on anyone else but myself to see it through. So yeah...gameplan. Um, kick ass and take names and maybe chew bubble gum? Holmes is gonna bring it. Sam Smith going over him probably left a bad bad taste in his mouth...why else would he go to teaming with Constantine...no, not the prison guy, the politician. Yeah, him. Yeah, I know...total blowhard.

He turns off the television and opens the blinds to the room, letting in the morning sun.

Gordito: Anyway, so not only is he a little worked up and ready to make a big splash for himself, but now he's got a crony. And cronies like to interfere. Wouldn't be the first time Constantine's cost me a fight, you know? So I'm gonna have to have eyes in the back of my head out there. Good thing Ty practically just knocked mine back there last night. No, really, I'm fine...just some nasty cuts is all.

He opens the patio door and steps out, lighting up a cigarette as he does.

Gordito: The best I can do out there is bring my best to Holmes. Dave wants to show off? Well, it got us both beat to hell. Now it's my turn. It's my turn to show him how I do things, how I get things done, how I put away matches. It'll be a sneak peek at what he can expect at All or Nothing. And Holmes? Holmes is going to get a shot at 100% pure Dirty One in the ring. It's been a while since we've locked horns, so here's to hoping he can hang with it. I'm going to make this short and sweet, because the longer we're out there the more likely it is we get guests. Between his partner Constantine, Dave, Barbosa, and Ty, I don't really think any of them will be coming out to say "hi" to me.

The coffee maker bubbles as it finishes up the first pot. Gordito puts down his cigarette as he goes inside to prepare his cup.

Gordito: Yeah, well...just because I'm expecting a party doesn't mean that'll be the end of me. In case you forgot, I do rather well at the most chaotic of parties. If they wanna dance, we'll dance baby. This week on Ascension it's my turn to show WZCW that I'm the Number One Contender for a good damn reason.