Standing in the old Carnage Wrestling Arena in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, “Godly” Ken Davison oversees a group of five prospective students. They are certainly a mixed lot, that is for certain. Positioned in the center of the line of students is Ken’s adoptive daughter, Chloe Hawkhurst. Incorporating Chloe in the mix with new students helps by giving him a second set of eyes. Since the group sees her as one of them, she is able to gain certain perspectives that the prospects might not show the man that they hoped to train with. Ken looks up and down the line, sizing each of the candidates over.

Ken marches to the start of the line and holds his gaze on the first recruit. Short and stout, this cream skinned man has a powerful feel about him. One particularly notable feature is his perfectly manicured nails, which belies that rather large scar on his upper back. It appears to be from a stab wound, but that is purely speculative. The man is naturally bald, but seemingly compensating for it with impressively long, messy sideburns. He has deep, deep set, hazel eyes, a big nose and a cleft chin. The tattoos fully covering his right ankle and back give him a rugged look. He is carrying a small animal.

‘What the hell is that? Is that some kind of ferret?’ Ken thinks to himself. He simply nods while moving on to the second man.

Diminutive and lanky, this pale skinned man has an intelligent feel about him. As Ken pauses, he thinks about how some oral hygiene would help to avert this man’s halitosis. His shoulder-length, straight, dark brown hair is tied back, making no attempt that his hairline is receding. He has knowing, wide, dark gray eyes, ears that stick out, a monobrow and a softly shaped jaw. It’s striking how oddly shaped this man is, with his toned arms, a thick torso with no chest muscle tone and a narrow waist. He has pierced both upper ears.

‘Perhaps a manager, but I don’t see any other way this would work out for him.’

Standing just a shade taller than Ken himself, this man’s spray on tan, peroxide blonde locks, exude an unsettling feel about him. He has small, beady, blue eyes, small ears, a square jaw and a pointed nose. It’s as though the man is trying too hard and comes across as a cliche, right down to the ripped jeans and flannel tied around his waist.

‘I shouldn’t be so judgmental,’ Ken reminds himself as he steps to the next person in line. ‘When I broke in, I was the proverbial vanilla midget so many big men talk shit about.’

Standing 6′ 2″ tall, this pine skinned woman has an intimidating feel about her. Even with her long eyelashes, her entire look just screams superstar. Her short, wavy, black hair is spiky. She has sparkling hazel eyes, fine eyebrows and angled lips. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, round hips, long legs… she checks all the boxes.

“Holy shit! If she picks this up, she’ll be able to print her own money.’

The fifth “rookie” in the line is, of course, Chloe. She nudges her hide towards the woman standing next to her to signal to Ken that she seems to share his assessment.

“Thank you all for coming. This is going to be your official tryout here at the Carnage Wrestling Academy. Should you pass this audition, than you will be a part of the next class to learn until the tutelage of myself, Chloe Hawkhurst and Mr. Popular. We all have had varying levels of experience, and you may even see my wife stop in for some of the non-physical exercises.”

Ken motions up to a banner hanging on the wall of himself and his wife standing shoulder to shoulder, back to back, with the UGWC Cooperative Championships.

“First, I would like to ask you a question. I don’t want you to answer it yet. In fact, I am going to give you options to consider. Why do you want to become a professional wrestler? What drives you to put your bodies, your health, on the line? For some, they chase the money. As someone who has managed to handle his finances wisely, I can tell you that is definitely a perk.” 

“For others, they seek the personal validation of the crowd. Whether they are cheering you or booing you, you get that rush of adrenaline, you get that hit of dopamine. You get that personal validation as a result of that reaction. If you are successful, you can rub shoulders with celebrities, you can get paid to travel the world. Somewhere around Pittsburgh, there are fans who were just kids when I performed there, that have “Godly” Ken Davison bobbleheads. But, as cool as that all is, that isn’t why I do this.”

Ken takes a step back and leans nonchalantly on the top rope.

“However, this is where you show me what you’re made of. The first thing, the most important thing, is that you have to be able to keep up. From a physical standpoint, cardio is the most important thing. Now, I want you to run twenty laps around the ring. Jog, don’t run. A great wrestling match is a marathon, not a sprint.”

The crowd all step through the ropes, with the exception of Chloe who rolls under the bottom rope. As they begin with their first lap, Ken continues speaking to them, raising his voice allowing him to be heard no matter which side of the ring they are on.

“If you look at the largest wrestling company in the world, they make it sound like the road you will walk is going to be smooth, flat and freshly paved. Submit application. Step one: click the APPLY NOW button at the bottom of the page to fill out a questionnaire. Step 2: Accept an invitation. Step 3: Attend Tryout. Step 4: Begin your superstar journey. This will be the biggest lie you will ever hear. In order to be successful in this business, you must be fit. You must stand out. Most importantly, you have to know how to capture people’s imagination. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!” they respond, mostly in unison.

“In my school, I expect you to listen to me as your teacher, but do not call me ‘sir’. I am no better than any of you. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” “Yes,” and of course, that one, awkward “Yes, si…” from the small, lanky applicant.

“This week, at UGWC Synergy, I have a match for the Conquest Championship with Holden Orson and Konrad Raab. Why should you care? You should care because it is my job, it is Orson’s job, it is Raab’s job, to make people care. It is not only our job, it is our responsibility. Now, how can I make people care about this match?”

“Talk shit about him.”

“Tell him you’re better than he is.”

“Build him up!” Chloe chimes in.

“Give that woman a prize. That is exactly what you want to do. Now, tell me, why would you want to build your opponent up? And you,” Ken points to Chloe on the outside. “You don’t give away the answer.”

Chloe gives a knowing smile while the other joggers struggle to come up with an answer. The group completes a full lap before Ken once again speaks up.

“The reason you want to build your opponent up is you will come out looking better when you tear them down in the ring. There have been a lot of men who have failed to realize this. You want a prime example, look at Jack Washington. The man is a master at ripping an opponent to shreds verbally, but when he wins, he doesn’t come out looking any stronger. He makes it sound like there is no challenge and while that might be great for his ego, it does nothing for his reputation. When I defeated Travis Pierce for the UGWC Conquest Championship, I gave him the credit that he was due and because of it, I ended up in a better position. If you want to succeed in this industry, you have to make certain that your star shines brighter than your opponents. If you can do that, even in a loss, you can and will sometimes come out in better standing than when you went in.”

“Alright,” Ken says, clapping his hands. “Everyone, back in here. I want to do something. Chloe, run and get the camera.”

Chloe breaks stride and immediately heads towards the office to get the recording equipment.

“While she does that, I am going to let you in on a little secret, the three most cliche backdrops for a wrestling promo are in the backstage area, in the ring and where else?”

“In front of a brick wall,” comes a voice that is an interesting juxtaposition of soft spokenness and confidence. Ken nods in acknowledgement.

“If I might ask, what’s your name?”

“Yvette Boyd.”

“What’s your background, Yvette? What made you want to become a wrestler?”

Ken’s tone is calm and even. Since he’s stepped back from instructor mode for a moment, there is no need to be as terse as he has been.

“I used to watch wrestling with my grandmother when I was kid. I want to do this so she can see me fulfill our dream.”

“That’s relatable. It’s a good story, but those kinds of stories only get you so far. But using that as motivation will get you a lot darther. Hold onto that.”

“Yo, Mr. Clean,” Chloe’s voice echoes throughout the warehouse. “I just tried to kill a roach with your Axe body spray and now his name is Chad, he’s got a man bun, and won’t shut up about CrossFit.”

“We don’t have any roaches,” Ken assures his students. “I know it’s a bit cold, but we’re going to head outside and I’m going to show you how you cut a good promo. Grab your coats if you need them.”

He begins marching towards the door with the group in tow behind him.

“I’m doing things a little bit out of order, but I think the best way to show you what will be expected of you is to lead by example. If you become my students, what you do will be a reflection of who I am and if I invest my reputation in you, promoters will give you opportunities. Outside of the ring, you need to carry yourself with humility and respect, but also know your worth. We risk our health doing what we do. I will say it again. Know your worth. Don’t take a match for a hot dog and a handshake. You are paying your dues in time and money, make sure that you treat yourselves as the commodities that you are.”

Ken grabs his leather jacket and the UGWC Conquest Championship, which are hanging by the door and puts them on before opening the door and holding it for his makeshift entourage. He steps out the door, stopping and spinning on his heel, getting his foot in the door at the last moment, giving him the chance to check for the keys in his pocket. While the hopefuls gather underneath an outdoor heater next to the door. Ken himself walks past them, taking his position in front of the brick. He cracks his neck to relieve some of the pressure as Chloe finishes adjusting the tripod, making certain that Ken is the center of attention. She signals to Ken that she’s ready and Ken faces the camera, but begins with his head down, gazing upon the pavement.

“This is a bit overwhelming. It’s not that I thought that I wasn’t capable of what I have been doing. It’s more so that I was left wondering if time had passed me by.”

Ken lifts his head, shaking it slowly up and down in recognition of that statement’s gravity.

“I think following the events of the year so far, I need to stand a little bit taller. I need to show a bit more pride. I have remembered that losses like the one I had against Zane Scott are not failures, but opportunities. Now, I stand in front of you today on the verge of the next opportunity. But, I think that following the events of the Global Challenge, maybe a little explanation is in order. Every day since that day, I’ve heard one comment over and over: ‘You fell short once again. Why can’t you win when the spotlight shines the brightest?’ I think I have finally come to a place where I can answer that question as best as I can, but I think to understand ‘why’ you need to understand where I’ve been, or maybe, more accurately, what it is that got me there.”

“When I think about my career, when fans refer to my career, they come up with a lot of really nice accolades. They talk a lot about the moments in my career that stand out. They talk about my heart, my guts, my courage, my love for the business. The truth is, yes, some of that came into play, but the main benefit I had was hatred. Anyone who knows my career knows the story: my fiance was killed, and I became a bitter bastard, blah, blah, blah. What I did was I showed that I had the ability to take something in my life, to hate it very much, and then channel it in a very useful way. To go into a deep part in my heart and produce things inside this ring that were thought to be humanly impossible. That’s really good, as long as I was an active wrestler. I know where I am at in my career, and when it’s all over, I don’t want to be a guy like Michael Jordan. Easily the most competitive player of his era, who, when I was a kid, played the game as he was angry at the world. To see Jordan drop 63 on Boston, even as a Celtics fan, was pretty cool. To see Michael Jordan dunk on Dikembe Mutumbo or perform that switch between hands layup on the Lakers, that was really cool. But to see that same guy, ultracompetitive, still angry at the world at age sixty, still being an asshole is disappointing. I don’t want to be that guy. I don’t want that to be my legacy.”

Davison folds his hands in front of his mouth, taking a moment to choose his words.

“I don’t want to be the sad guy. I don’t want to be the bitter guy. So when I retire from wrestling, I have to be able to let go of all that anger. The last few years, I’ve been working on that. I’ve heard ‘Ken Davison is a hell of a guy’. I am a hell of a guy because I still have that avenue to channel all the hatred toward. I have gotten to a place where I am truly for the first time happy with myself and my life. So I’ll admit to making a big, big mistake on February 13th at Infinity.”

He puts his hand up, only stopping long enough to take a quick breath.

“No. It’s true. The mistake was not walking out for the match with the right mindset because as I walked down that ramp to face Zane Scott, who is a hell of a wrestler, I realized I wasn’t willing and maybe not able to go inside that place in my heart to do what was necessary to get the job done. Now, credit where it’s due, he seized that opportunity, and I think he took advantage of it a little bit.  He said something about it on Twitter ahead of our match and I think he was looking into a crystal ball. So even though I know he has his title shot and he has his key he can use, with one more victory, I’ve got a way to pick the lock.”

“Which brings me to the two of you. Konrad… Holden… I worked too hard and I suffered too long to have my reputation torn up by you. I’ve seen myself crucified in Los Angeles! I’ve seen my skin hanging off the barbed wires in Japan! And I’ve won titles in India. I know that what Zane Scott told me is true. Now that I am on the precipice of earning my first World Championship opportunity, I no longer have to wonder whether I have a place in my heart where darkness dwells. I’m going to tell Adina to go to bed early. I am going to tell Kyra to leave the television off. If I have to descend into the darkest recesses of my heart, then so be it. I won’t have to deny the hatred anymore. It will welcome it home, like a long lost lover whose ghost has haunted my dreams and I will say ‘Welcome home. Where have you been?’ Because there is a time and a place for hatred, as both of you are about to find out. The place is Chicago, Illinois. The time is Monday night. So take the time you need and count down the moments until I do what I have to do to get what I want.”

A sly smile crosses Davison’s visage as he holds his hand out.

“Five victories.”
“Four down.”
“Three days.”
“Two opponents.”
“One result.”

Ken then extends his arm, mimicking the position of the cross and Chloe stops the recording and yells “Cut!”

Ken puts his arms down and looks over to the observers.

“That’s just part of what you need to do. You get yourself over. Remember what I said, make sure your star shines brighter than your opponents. Now, let’s get inside before we freeze our asses off.”