Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to reflect the true sexual preferences of any of the characters mentioned herein. Truthfully, I don't know if any of the WWE superstars are gay, including John Cena, and even if I did, I would respect them enough to not go blurting it out in a public forum. Anyway, hope you enjoy this!
Last time, on 'Hangin' with the Champ'
Turning his attention back to Sean, Jeff whispered, "I think I'm ready." Sean pleasantly smiled, conceding that he too felt Jeff was ready. Lifting his hand, Sean gestured for Jeff to head over to the curtain. Hesitantly, he did so, taking a few slow, forced steps over to the entrance, which was marked by two white footprints painted on the floor. Staring at the floor, Jeff took a couple of deep breaths, shaking out his arms and hands while rolling his neck around a few times. Looking up once again, he focused on the curtain, as if studying how he would even walk through itÑhe felt the need to be very meticulous, not wanting to screw up even the slightest of mundane details. Before his mind could wander even further, however, he heard the voice of one of the crewmen call out to him.
"Alright, kid. You're on!"
Hyped-up and ready, Jeff enthusiastically burst through the curtain, only to be greeted by a stillness that could only come from a complete and utter ignorance to the fact that he was there on-stage. Having no music or entrance video to speak of, there was nothing to draw the crowd's attention, leaving Jeff felling slightly dejected as he casually strolled down the ramp toward the ring. Looking out into the sea of faces, he saw people mostly carrying on conversations amongst themselves or leaving to use the bathrooms or explore the concession stands. As odd as it felt, it took away some of the pressure of being noticed, at least for the time being.
Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Jeff was jerked out of these doldrums, hearing his name being screamed. "We love you, Jeff!" Bewildered, Jeff looked around, trying to figure out where the cheers were coming from. Looking about 20 rows up to the right side of the ring, he saw themÑthe trio with their salmon-colored sign. Wes, Ty, and Alex were going nuts. Ty was in the middle, jumping up and down with the sign. Alex stood to his left, camera in hand, taking picture after picture, while Wes hung off Ty's right shoulder, pointing to the sign just in case Jeff might have missed it. It was so awkward, yet so wonderfully hilarious at the same time, having this crazed, unwarranted reaction come out of nowhereÑthe people around them certainly looked like they had no clue what was going on. Jeff let the excitement fuel him, causing him to hop up and down a couple of times, pointing toward himself as if to say, "Can you believe it?!" Some of the people closer to the ring began to pick up on what was going on, calling out to the unknown superstar in the orange tights; Jeff even got to hi-five a couple of the little kids at ringside, who thought it was great to get to interact with any wrestler, regardless of how popular he or she might have been. Ascending the stairs at the far corner of the ring, Jeff quickly slipped between the ropes in one quick motion. He stood upright now, pointing to his boys up in the stands, who were still making a huge scene in his name.
"You're hot," came a scream from an attractive, blonde, 20something in the second row. Jeff smiled at her, giving a little point and wink, figuring he'd take whatever adoration he could get. He secretly hoped that the guys further back in the stands hadn't noticed that, as he would probably take shit for it later, flirting with a female and all. Turning his attention back toward the stage area, he bounced back-and-forth in place, a-la Brock Lesnar, to get his blood pumping and work out any nervous energy he was feeling.
Helllloooo, ladies!
The arena burst to life. All of a sudden, there were lights, music, and a rousing ovation from the crowd. Sean Morley, better known as Val Venis, came strutting down to the ring, adorned in his signature white towel. There was some hootin' and hollerin' from the ladies in the audience, which Sean had become accustomed to receiving over the years through his character. Jeff thought he played to it very well, admiring the way he would flirtatiously touch the faces of some of the female fans at ringside with his finger. Character building was certainly an art, one that Jeff could fully appreciate, having watched so many new wrestlers ascend through the ranks and "grow" on television. It was masterful the way these guys had very distinct, unique entrances that they were able to replicate perfectly night after night. He watched on as Sean entered the ring and climbed the turnbuckle in the opposite corner, whipping off his towel in trademark fashion.
Lillian began her introductions:
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Now entering the ring, from Las Vegas, Nevada, weighing 260 pounds, Val Venis! ...And currently in the ring, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, weighing-in tonight at 215 pounds, Jeff Johnson."
Jeff took a moment to throw up his right arm, turning once, counter-clockwise, to take a look at the people. There was a little bit of a reaction, but he could still clearly hear Wes, Ty, and Alex from the 20th row. Lillian slipped past Jeff as he turned back around to face Sean, who was now alone in the ring with him and the referee Chad Patton. The lights were on brightÑJeff could already feel the beads of sweat beginning to collect on his forehead. He was sucked into tunnel vision; the world around him slowed. The ringing bell sounded as a dull dong in his ears. He could see Sean approaching, but he could barely react fast enoughÑhe got his arms up just in time to lock-up.
Having not met Sean halfway, it made sense that he immediately drove Jeff into the corner behind him. The referee slipped between the two, looking for the clean break, which didn't happen. Sean drove his knee into Jeff's stomach, followed by a back elbow to his right ear. Jeff was not so pleasantly surprised to discover that he didn't have to exaggerate the absorption of the blows so muchÉthey hurt. He hunched over in pain, clutching the middle rope to his left for support. Sean would not let him go, however, snatching him up and beeling him to the center of the ring. Jeff landed with a loud crash, screaming out and arching his back up off the canvas. He rose, only to be charged by Sean with a running shoulder tackle to the gut, charging him into the far corner. This was followed up by two more shoulder thrusts, just for good measure. Giving Jeff a second, Sean pushed up on his chest, draping his arms over the ropes. Immediately, Sean began lighting him up with chops to the chest. There were five in all, each one accentuated with a Ric Flair "woo" coming from the crowd.
Jeff could not begin to describe the feelings of pain he was experiencing at that moment. If there was one thing that could not be faked or exaggerated in wrestling, it was a good old-fashioned chop to the chest. The sound of the smacking flesh could be heard throughout the arena, causing more than a few groans to come from the crowd. Sean snatched the arm Jeff was clutching to his chest, leading him away from the corner, only to short-arm clothesline him with a thud. Sean went for the coverÑkick-out at two. Pissed, he jumped up so he could lay in a few stomps to his chest. Afterward, he ran off the ropes, dropping a couple elbows to the chest as well. Wasting little time, he scooted around behind Jeff's head and locked in a reverse chin lock.
Sean was being absolutely brutal, abstaining from half-assing any of the punishment he was dishing out. He was providing as realistic of an initiation into the business as possible. Jeff was actually a little upsetÑSean was such a nice guy backstage! Now, here he was, being completely vicious and kicking the crap out of him. After a minute or two of head wrenching, Sean pulled Jeff off of the mat by his hair. Jeff retaliated, throwing his arms up to break Sean's hold on him. With him momentarily disoriented, Jeff laid in a couple of punches. Then, he bounced off the ropes behind him, attempting a clothesline, of which Sean ducked. This mistake lead to him being dumped on his head with a spin- out powerbomb.
The crowd cheered at the move, and also as Sean ascended the turnbuckle, since they all knew what was coming next. Perched on top, he extended his arms out, calling for the Money Shot. Being he was to win the match, Jeff knew he had to moveÑkicking out of his finishing maneuver just wouldn't fly. As Sean flew through the air, he rolled in, causing him to overshoot his target and crash onto the mat. This got a decent crowd reacion as well. Jeff hoped up, scooping him off the mat and whipping him into the turnbuckle he had just dove off of. He followed him in with a clothesline. What Sean did next caught Jeff completely off-guard.
"Go for it," Sean whispered into his ear. Jeff attempted to whip him into the opposite corner, to which Sean countered, whipping him into the corner instead. He ran in, attempting a splash. Jeff slipped out at the last second, causing Sean to crash face-first onto the rope support. Stunned, he staggered back toward the middle of the ring, where Jeff was waiting for him. He launched him into the air, where he seemed to hang for a few moments, as if time had been suspended. Jeff stood, poised, untilÉ
"Ohh!" The crowd gasped in horror; the move executed flawlessly. After the initial shock, there was a modest amount of applause. Some guys off to one side of the ring had even started a small 'holy shit' chant. Jeff floated over for the coverÑ1É2É3! Even though he knew he was going to win, Jeff was elated. He immediately climbed the ropes, throwing his arms up and throwing his head back, allowing himself to take in he victory. It was absolute euphoria.
"And the winner of the match, Jeff Johnson!" Lillian's announcement made the high even more potent. Coming down a bit, Jeff looked out into the audience, again spotting his friends off in the distance. He was just so happy to have them there with him, sharing in the moment. He decided right then and there that they were all going out after the show to celebrateÑthis night would not be forgotten. After a few moments, Jeff kindly took his leave, rolling under the bottom rope and heading back up the ramp.
Walking through the curtain, Jeff immediately saw Sean standing there, who had left the ring sometime earlier.
"Sean, man, I can't thank you enoughÑthat was amazing," Jeff said, offering his hand.
"No problem. Great job out there. You took that beating like a pro!" Sean joked, returning the handshake.
"Yea, you certainly didn't take it easy on meÉ" Jeff replied. "I guess I should thank you for that. I don't think I could've had a better teacher for my first match."
"Ehh, think nothin' of itÑjust doin' my job," Sean smiled, coyly. "But listen, I hate to run, but I gotta take off and finish up a few things. It was definitely great to meet ya, and I hope to get to work with you again soon!"
"Thanks, bud! I'll catch ya later!" Jeff was just so happy and excited, not wanting it all to end there. He figured, though being there to work, he should stay true to being the nerdy, hardcore fan that he was. Rather than just go sit around the locker room, he thought it might be a fun idea to chill-out around the entrance area, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of the other superstars and watch the show from a totally different perspective. He was beginning to detect a faint stink from himself, however, so Jeff decided to head back for a quick shower, not wanting any of the guys' first impressions of him to be that he was the smelly guy with massive BO.
To his surprise, Jeff returned to find the locker room empty. It was a pleasant luxury, being able to shower in privacy. Seeing as he didn't grow up playing sports, he hadn't exactly acquired the whole care-free mentality required to prance around a locker room in all his glory for a team of guys to see. Quickly grabbing a pair of boxer briefs, a towel, and a bottle of Axe body wash out of his locker, Jeff headed over to the showers, hanging the towel and underwear up on the hook just outside the shower at the end of the row. He slipped past the curtain, electing to get undressed inside the shower. Against all reason, he was feeling incredibly bashful about showering in "public;" public, in this case, being an empty locker room. As ridiculous as he felt, standing in a shower in boots, kneepads, and his other wrestling gear, it was a necessary sacrifice in his mind to ensure no one saw him in his birthday suit.
To the outside observer, the following scene must have been hilarious. Tights and pads began flying over the top of the curtain, landing on the floor in a disorganized heap. Lastly, the white jock went sailing over, topping off the pile of discarded gear. Jeff now stood, completely naked, shivering slightly as the locker room had a certain chill to it. Quickly, he turned the water on, looking for salvation in a nice, hot shower. He was met, however, with a stinging, cold blast of water. Flailing about, he wound up slamming himself against the back wall of the cramped shower with a thud, trying to escape the icy stream spraying on his chest. The water continued to hit him as he tried to defend himself, hoping that the water would eventually heat up a little bit.
"What the hell are you doing in there?!"
Even more startled, Jeff braced himself against the wall and snapped his head to look at the curtain, where the silhouette of a man now stood. He quickly turned off the water. "John?" Jeff asked, wiping water off of his face.
"Yup! It's me, ya goofy bastard," he replied from the other side of the curtain. "What the hell's goin' on in there?!"
"Christ! Is it always this hard for a man to get a shower around here?! First this fuckin' thing sprays me with ice water, then you sneak in here and scare the shit out of me!" Jeff exclaimed, attempting to compose himself.
John just laughed. "My bad, man! I just wanted to find ya and say great job out there with Sean. I don't think it could've gone any better."
Hearing this got Jeff really excited. "Hey, thanks bud," he said. "I'm glad you think so. But anyway, how did you know it was me in here?" Jeff asked, feeling a little exposed, remembering that he was still standing there naked, holding a conversation.
John answered, "WellÉI walked in and heard the shower goin', so I figured I'd take a peek and see if it was youÑyou really can't miss these orange tights you got layin' here on the floor, man."
Jeff started cracking up. "Nah, you really can't; I guess that's a dead give- away."
"It's all good. You should've seen some of the shit I wore when I was gettin' started," John said, reassuringly.
"Yup. And now, you've evolved into jean shorts and sweatbands," Jeff quipped.
John retorted. "Hey! Keep fuckin' around! I'll yank all of your shit out of here and let you walk around the halls buck-ass naked. See what kinda impression you make then!"
"No, no, no, don't!" Jeff screamed. "I'm sorry! I take it back."
"Yea, that's right, bitch!" John joked. "Well listen, I better take off. I was just wonderin', though, what you were doin' after the show."
Jeff was pleasantly surprised to hear John inquiring about his plans, presumably to hang out. He responded. "I'm not sure, really. I was thinking of callin' up the boys and seein' if they wanted to hit up the Red Robin for some burgers and beers or something to celebrate. You should come."
"Sure, I'll go. You don't think they would mind?" John asked.
Jeff scoffed. "Hell no! I know they'd love to meet ya. Definitely not a problem. Besides, what if I never get to see ya again after tonight?"
"Man, I told you not to worry about that shit! You're gettin' a job hereÉthat's all there is to it," he declared. "Anyway, I'll let you go get your ice shower. Drop by my locker room after the show when you're ready to head out."
"Sounds good, bud," Jeff said. "Have fun out there!"
"You know it! Catch up with ya later, kid." And with that, John left, Jeff's underwear in hand, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face. Jeff just stood in the shower for a moment, completely oblivious, basking in the delight of knowing that he was going out with John. It wasn't like a date or anythingÑthe boys would be there, anywayÑbut it was still exciting none-the-less. After about a minute, he looked back down at the shower knob. "Alright, you fucker. Let's try this again."
Wow, I'm not sure why that seemed so exhausting to write. I'd have to apologize for it taking so long, too. More to come, hopefully more sooner than later. It's so exciting to have John back surprisingly early from his injury! Send your questions, comments, and concerns out to ITSMonkeywolfnoz@aol.com. Have a nice day! :o)