Don't mind me, just having fun.

[CJ Phoenix]

July 10th

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The scene opens up inside Phoenix's bedroom. The light is on. A low breeze is trickling from the ceiling fan. Phoenix is staring at the aforementioned fan as the theme of SportsCenter provides a moment of background music. As ESPN's flagship show plays, Kaiyah walks into the room and sits on the bed next to him. With a justifiably tired look on her face as it's just after three in the morning, she rubs the top of his head with her hand. A yawn escapes her body while he looks like he has lost the ability to sleep.


Kaiyah: Hey. You feeling any better?

Phoenix: Not really.

He reaches under his pillow and pulls out a Desert Eagle with a modified scope.

Phoenix: Oops. Not that one.

He puts it back and this time pulls out a thin folder which he opens. The folder contains printed out articles from the internet.

Phoenix: Five weeks. It's been five long, painful, demoralizing weeks since the last time I stepped in a WCF ring. Thirty-five days of watching guys like Stuart Slane, Nate Chambers, Freezer Burn, Night Rider, etc. rise through the ranks. It's a bittersweet feeling. It's great to see guys like that step up and keep the company entertaining, but deep down I KNOW my name should be up there with theirs in any "current best in the WCF" talks. Instead, I get these talks.

He begins reading some of the articles he printed out.

Personal life sidelines CJ Phoenix once more.

It's a story we are starting to see all too often. In the ring, WCF's CJ Phoenix has shown the potential and prowess to become one of their fastest and furthest rising stars. He has the makings of a champion, and some could argue that his life outside of the ring has been his greatest adversary, costing him multiple chances at taking home gold. Phoenix had taken some time off to be with an ill family member whom we recently learned passed away a few days ago. This likely means that he will be out of action for even longer. No knows when of if he'll come back. However, what we do know is that the longer he's off the air and not competing, the more he gets lost in the shuffle.

Phoenix's ashes running out?

It's been over a month since CJ Phoenix has been in a WCF ring, and in wrestling time, that might as well be over a year. There's no doubt that the guy can wow the crowd. Unfortunately, he's spent half of his career thus far out of action. Missing time kills a career just as quickly as a running back fumbling, a pitcher giving up home runs, and basketball player turning the ball over. Remember Bob Sanders? That guy that played for the Indianapolis Colts? Didn't think so. Despite the fact that it's been less than a decade since he played, most people don't remember him. He was phenomenal when he was on the field, but injuries kept him off too often for him to truly shine. Want a more recent example? Robert Griffin the third. In 2012, RG3 gave the Redskins life and hope for the future. Then, the Wildcard round happens and that cringe-worthy knee injury he suffered was the beginning of a downward spiral that has landed him in Cleveland. Wonder what those fans that were rooting for RG3 in Washington are saying now? "You like that!" I know CJ doesn't like that when it comes to his career thus far, but unless he can turn things around, he'll be another talent killed by absence.

How much longer can CJ Phoenix stay in the WCF?

With CJ Phoenix out for an unknown amount of time, people are starting to wonder if WCF will even keep him around once his contract is up. He's been in the company for about seven months now, but much of that has seen him not in the ring. Now, though that has mainly been due to things outside of his control, the fact still remains that he just hasn't been there often enough to really stick with all of the fans. There isn't any word of him not returning, so if and when he does come back, hopefully he can bounce back from the rough 2016 he's had so far. If not, don't expect WCF to renew his contract when it's up unless he signs a jobber deal.

CJ sighs before he closes the folder and flings it off of the bed. Kaiyah lays her head on his chest and he reaches his arm around her waist.


Phoenix: I remember when competing in the WCF was fun for me. How I would enjoy running down that ramp and touring the country's casinos. Getting to know the guys and gals outside of the ring. Burning banners and making shoot promos. Dropping a bowling ball from atop an NFL stadium. I don't know what happened. It just started to not be fun for me anymore. I lost who I was. I drove you into a relapse. I lost control of who I was.

Kaiyah: But now you have control again. You may have suggested my drinking back then, but I was the one who made the choice to pick up the glass. You don't have to be so hard on yourself. I drove us into a ditch...twice, and we got up and pulled ourselves out of that ditch and kept on rolling. Sure that may be easier said than done, but it can be done. Remember what you said you wanted to do just before you signed that contract?

Phoenix: Yeah. I said I wanted to be able to live my character because it would be fun. I get to be me, and that's what makes me dangerous to them. I'm great at being me because I'm the only one who can be.

Kaiyah: Right. Soooo what are you great at doing?

Phoenix: You?

Kaiyah pauses and blushes slightly before responding.

Kaiyah: Sh...shut up. Besides that, what are you great at doing?

Phoenix: Eating!

Kaiyah: I'm gonna fight you.

Phoenix: I love you too.


And Chase knew Kaiyah and she bore many loud noises and blah blah blah. Just know that they were doing stuff...thaaaannnnnngs. MOVING ON NOW! Mind out of the gutters people!

July 21st

Biloxi, Mississippi

The following takes place in the fitness center of the IP Casino&Hotel in Biloxi. Phoenix is on the treadmill when a guy walks in with a WCF shirt on. Immediately, the guy notices him and makes his way over to the treadmill.

Fan: Dude! You're CJ Phoenix! I can't believe you're gonna coming back at Ultimate Showdown! My wife and I are going there on the 31st.

Phoenix: That's wasup. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

Fan: Yes it will be. So what brings you all the way over here? I thought you'd be touring along and doing house shows up until Ultimate Showdown.

Phoenix: Hahaha. Not quite. My first day back in the ring won't be until then. I didn't know I was gonna be in a 3 on 3 elimination tag match. I don't even think I've been in the ring with the other five people in the match before. First time for everything I guess.

Fan: True. So are you looking forward to facing them?

Phoenix: Absolutely! Especially Tom-O-Hawk! He brings back so many memories. I play as him a lot in Killer Instinct. I used to laugh when he does the uppercut combo and he's like "Follow me! Tomahawk!". It was great man. Good ole Chief Tom-O-Hawk.

Fan: You mean Chief Thunder?

Phoenix: There's a difference!? Hahahaaaaa. But seriously, the guy's a good competitor. They all are, but they can't hold a candle to me. You know why they can't?

Fan: Why can't they?

Phoenix: Because if they tried to, I'd burn them and their candles. It'll be uglier than Danny Anderson trying to spell "Anarchy". It'll be a worse burial than the TV title ever since Stuart lost it. Damn, I need to just go ahead and take that title so I can save you and all of those poor fans from this desecration of that poor, defenseless title. Speaking of desecration, Severan King desecrates the prestige of this match. Kid's greener than a freshly cut lawn.

The fan chuckles, trying to keep from bursting out into laughter.

Phoenix: Again, I'm looking forward to the match and all, but damn. Though I can't be too upset about this match, because Seth did team me with a pair of potential, and possibly soon to be, champions in Lester Parish and Spencer Adams. As long as they hold up their ends of the match, me might very well shut them out. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if we won 3-0, but I have to factor in luck. Because of that, I might be the only man standing. Regardless, it won't be an anarchy in the match, just a mutiny resulting in us tomahawking Tom-O-Hawk, demoting Severan down to a Princess, and then removing the aforementioned tomahawk and Talon Kicking it right through Danny's jaw and out the back of his skull. The way I see it, this is more than just a "Seth Lerch Presents: Clusterfuck match!" production. It's what I'd call an "on the bubble" match. On paper, you have six guys who seem to be ready to take that next step forward. It's a golden opportunity for all of us. Plus, it's even better considering that instead of their being one winner, they'll be three. This match is one of those that decides who gets what title shot next. I can't wait to get into that ring for the first time in over a month, knock off the ring rust, and march my crazy ass to a title. That of course, starts after my win on Sunday.

Fan: I know that's right! Gotta have that confidence!

Phoenix: Precisely. I'll tell you a little something else before I go. Even though it's a tag match, it's really a free for all. It's a fight to decide who's the best of each side. I respect my opponents. I respect my teammates. However, MVP only goes to one person, and the MVP of that match will be me. I will scratch and claw my way into the minds of everyone watching to the point that when people talk about Ultimate Showdown, they'll be saying "Did you see CJ Phoenix's match! That dude is amazing!". You see, I'm a team player, but I'm not pursuing the tag titles. I go for singles titles because I want people to know that when I hold a title in the air, it was because of me. I didn't ride any coattails. I didn't carry any dead weight. I just went out there, Speared people, Talon Kicked people, picked up wins, and left. The card may say that it's an elimination tag match, but it's really just a bunch of singles matches tied together.

Phoenix hops of the treadmill and cleans it off. Before he leaves, he signs the fan's shirt, writing his name in cursive and "Have fun!" under his name.