Post by cjphoenix on Mar 30, 2024 21:48:46 GMT -5
It’s easy to talk to the world when things are going well. The challenge is handling yourself well when they're not.
“You did really well out there tonight, but you didn't get the win unfortunately. How are you feeling right now, and what's your mindset moving forward?”
Of all the questions he was asked after failing to win the Intercontinental Title, that was the one still stuck in his memory.
“Not overjoyed for pretty obvious reasons.” CJ Phoenix said with a half smile and a sarcastic tone to try to slice through the tension. He's rewarded with a few quick laughs. It was just enough to get the ball rolling as his tone lowered to something more serious. “Planning gets you far, but sometimes that isn't enough. Especially in a match like that. I wasn't in the right place at the right time, and that's just how it is sometimes.” The despair and disappointment with himself was laced in his voice. It was a tough loss and there was no reason to hide that. However, he wasn't going to let that sorrow turn into bitterness. “Not to take anything away from Devlin Knight. He earned the win, and I'm sure he'll be a fine champion. It just wasn't my night tonight, but that's not gonna stop me from pushing forward. I still have goals to reach and nothing's gonna stop me from reaching them. Even if I stumble or fall, I'm getting back up every time.”
March 19th, 2024
7:15 PM
Las Vegas, Nevada
That post-match interview was fifteen days ago, yet it still felt like it was fifteen seconds ago. It didn't stop him from working and studying, but it was still a hurdle that he needed to get over. Last night was another Brawl, but it was one without CJ Phoenix being featured. Had the light faded already? Had he become an afterthought? He didn't believe those things, but that didn't stop the thoughts from trying to plague his mind. It was becoming a psychological issue. Normally, this is where a therapist would help. Sadly, since the last one he dealt with tried to kill him and left him even more fucked up, that option was out the window. Instead, he decided to call up one of his poker buddies for a conversation with a side of cards.
Cholo...at last we meet face to face. I get to do battle with the man that's been spoken about in high regard ever since I showed up and likely before then too. We get to have a showdown for the ages. One worthy of main eventing Pay-Per-Views as two warriors fight with everything they have. That's the match the world deserves, but I'm afraid it's not the one they're gonna get.
How could they when one of the competitors is sidetracked the whole match? You know who I mean, Cholo. That dark cloud that calls itself Mac Bane will be on commentary. So we both know your whole focus won't be on me, and I'm not mad at you for that. I get it. I put myself in your shoes and I see why you're distraught. You take your eyes off Bane too long and he'll sneak up on you. He could put you at a serious disadvantage heading into your championship match. The last thing you need is ANY type of injury. Even the slightest weakness would be exploited when the World Title is on the line. So with that presence and those risks factored in, you essentially have three choices heading into our match.
Option 1: You fight me with everything you've got and we put on the match of the year. It's the best option for me and the fans, but with nothing left in the tank, you'd be easy pickings for Bane and his lackeys.
Option 2: You dial it back a bit to conserve your energy. I'll kick the shit outta you for holding back. You'll kick yourself mentally for holding back. You'll still likely get jumped, but you'll at least have somewhat of a fighting chance of catching them off guard with whatever energy you manage to hold back.
Option 3: You get yourself disqualified early so that you can cut to the chase and go after Mac before WrestleWars. Theoretically, it's the smartest choice, but it can also be seen as the coward’s way out.
So which one will you choose? It won't be the third option because that goes against who you are and who you've built yourself up to be. It can't be the first one either because you won't have the focus to put all of your energy into fighting me. That leaves the middle option. And now that I know how you'll approach the situation regarding the match, lemme break down the match itself.
You're gonna try to speed run the match. The sooner you can get it over with, the better because every second the match goes on puts you in greater danger. You'll be frantic instead of smooth and methodical. Against lesser foes, you can get away with that. However, that shit won't work on me. That urge to win quickly will make you sloppy, and I'm gonna capitalize on every mistake you make. It sounds underhanded on the surface, but it's not. I have to take that approach. I HAVE to make you pay for not giving me your undivided attention because that's an insult to ME and NOT retaliating would be an insult to YOU!
I understand your dilemma, but you have to understand mine too. You're about to fight for the title that I WANT. The one I went out in front of the world and called MY target. If I even CONSIDER taking it easy on you, then I'm taking away my own worthiness of being World Champion! So yeah, I'm gonna beat the life out of you because YOU'RE my focus! And if Mac decides to interfere, THEN he's earned the right to get the life beat out of him as well!
A knock on the door of a suite at the Aria leads to he Luminary of Despair answering it. On the other side is legendary poker player “Kid Poker” Daniel Negranu. The guys shake hands as CJ invites Daniel inside the suite. There's a poker table with chips and cards already set up. “You're not gonna put me through the table if I slow roll you for your stack, are you?” Daniel asked jokingly with a silly grin on his face.
CJ’s eyebrows raise as he fakes a look of being shocked and appalled. “Wooooowwwwwww! As if you'd even get the chance.”
“As hot as I've been running, I'm getting more than a chance. It's guaranteed.” Negranu replied confidently. “You should've seen what I did during a cash game last night. I hit a two outer in BACK-TO-BACK hands! I'm unstoppable.” The cheerful tone in his voice emphasized how incredibly rare it is for that to happen.
“We'll see about that.” Phoenix responded after a bit of a chuckle. The cards were dealt and the action was on. Normally, in cash games and in tournaments, most people play around 15-20% of their cards due to there being several people to worry about in any given hand. However, in a heads-up game, that number jumps into the 60s because you only have one opponent to deal with. It's a one-on-one battle of strategy and psychology. CJ and Daniel have been at the same table several times, so they have an understanding of each other's game.
Negranu found himself ahead early on, but he looked more confused than confident. He noticed CJ was making mistakes that he normally wouldn't make, and it didn't seem to have anything to do with how Daniel was playing. “Something wrong? You're not playing like yourself. I don't have you THAT rattled, do I?” He flashed a smile to try to lighten the mood a bit.
“Don't worry, you don't.” CJ makes a pot sized bet and Daniel folds, winning CJ the pot. “I'm just overthinking I guess.” He had seen the final brawl card before WrestleWars and found out he has a HUGE match against Cholo. Clearly the light was still shining, but something else had his mind twisted. The Luminary of Despair lets out a sigh. “Kaiyah and I have been talking about moving to Vegas.”
This gets an eyebrow raise from Negranu. “Oh? That sounds good, but what's the issue?”
“It’s been my home forever. There's so much I've invested in here. The Mirai foundation. The Academy's only in its second year. When there's an issue, I can just drive up and fix it, or at least check up on things on my days off. If I'm all the way in Nevada, it feels like I'm abandoning them.”
“Are you?” Daniel questioned. “Think about it. You're in Vegas right now on a school day. Classes are still happening. Your foundation is still running strong. They'll be fine, and you can always just fly back if things get out of hand.” He gets dealt ace-king of diamonds and raises. “I think the issue is you're having trouble letting go. You've gotten so comfortable and entrenched in where you are that moving just doesn't seem right.”
Phoenix stares at his pocket tens a bit longer than usual. Danny's words cut him, but they're true. “Yeah. I guess you're right.” He makes the call and the flop shows queen-ten-nine rainbow with no diamonds, giving CJ 3 of a kind while also giving Daniel a Broadway straight draw. “It doesn't make sense. I'm supposed to be growing and glowing. I've been letting things go, but this just feels different. I should be fine with this. I travel all the time. For poker. For wrestling. For interviews. I'm used to not being home.” He calls Daniel’s continuation bet.
“You're used to not being home, but you're not used to your home being somewhere else.” The turn is a five of diamonds. Daniel bets again. “Those deep rooted ties are difficult to get rid of, but it's okay. It's like moving up in stakes in poker. If you have the skills and the bankroll to move up, but you stay at the low to micro stakes, yeah you're comfortable, but you're not pushing yourself. You're not maximizing your skills.”
The three of hearts on the river missed both players’ hands, but that statement cut Phoenix deep. Even with him trying to move forward, he was still finding excuses to hold himself back. The Academy would be fine. The Foundation would be fine. The only person with an issue was CJ himself. Instead of fully focusing on the future, he was still clinging on to the past while trying to move forward. A nod of the head and a pot sized bet was all it took for Negranu to toss his hand away. “I understand...” Both players showed their hands for the hell of it. “I can't build a foundation for the future with broken pieces of the past.”
“Exactly. You don't have to be hasty, but you don't have to be stagnant either.” Negranu grabs the cards and shuffles them. “Good to see you're finally starting to play better. Maybe I'll get a challenge after all.”
“You're about to get a lot more of a challenge than you bargained for.” The confidence had finally returned to CJ and he managed to show a smirk. There's a fade to black as the two continue their game.
I might get arrested Monday night. ¿Por qué razón? For what reason? Theft. I'm about to steal an entire show in front of the world, and they're gonna LOVE me for it!
Why? Think about it. We all KNOW who you are, Cholo. The people KNOW that you're a fighter. They’ve SEEN what you can do. I'VE seen what you can do. The Intercontinental Title, the Cannabis Cup, the World Title, and so many other things have earned you the respect and admiration of countless people. If I went out to the ring five minutes before our match and asked the crowd if they wanted to see you win back the World Title at WrestleWars, they'd blow the roof off the place with cheers. I'm not ignorant to the overwhelming support you get, Cholo, but you're not the only horse that the people back.
You're the present face of the company. You're the NOW, but I'm NEXT. I'm the future.
Yeah, I know, you hear those words a lot. “I'm the future.” And it's just some overconfident kid walking into their first serving of humble pie. I'm an outlier. An exception. It isn't my successes that make me built to be the flag bearer. It's my adversities and my ability to overcome them. I know what it's like to fail and fight just to get back up.
I showed up here, won two marquee matches that gave me a tidal wave of momentum. My eyes were set on the World Title, and I was on the fast track to it.....and then I got a main event match for the Intercontinental Title. YOUR old belt. And I LOST. I won't lie, it was painful. I know how it feels to be the last match of the night with a title on the line and leave empty-handed. I had to accept that and learn from it. I had to see it as a blessing instead of a curse, and it turns out I was right. Had I won that match, I wouldn't be in this one. I wouldn't get the chance to beat A SECOND former WGWF World Champion in a span of just four matches. I'm grateful for that, and I'm DAMN sure not about to let that go to waste.
I'm the one that's going into Denver with a chip on my shoulder bigger than every mountain our there combined. I set the bar higher than the elevation there. Now I have to clear it. I have to CONTINUE to back up my words. The Luminary of Despair isn't just another generic shit talker aiming for a goal he can't reach. I'm gonna outshine you, Cholo. I'm gonna out-wrestle you and defeat you right in front of the man holding the belt that will soon be MINE!
Right now, the talk is about you. The focus is on YOU and your health going into WrestleWars. It's on your momentum and your mentality. That's fair, but it won't be the case by the time the match is over. I'm gonna steal their focus and bring it to where it belongs, on the man who's next up. ME!
By the time I'm done stomping you out, there's gonna be some new questions being asked. It won't just be, “Who's gonna leave WrestleWars as World Champion?”. They'll be asking “Who's gonna have to deal with CJ Phoenix after WrestleWars?”. The man who has been calling his shot since day one and meticulously forging his path to the top. They're gonna wonder who will gain the honor of being the one I take the World Title from. Whether it's you or Bane, it doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that I end up being the one holding the gold, and the next step to that is me beating you. It will be the night Despair stole the show.
Oh, and one more thing, Cholo. I know that our match falls on April Fool's Day, but I swear if you treat me, or this match like a joke, I will make sure the punchline KILLS YOU!