To find an end to a means, one must first go back to the place it all startedHow Long? How long has it been old man? How long has it been since you step foot in this ring, when you actually put everything you had into a match. Put everything on the line. WrestleMania was a lackluster performance, a joke. Where was your passion then, where was your desire, where was your motivation. That same sparks that you had when you first stepped in this squared ring. That you went toe-to-toe with someone and fought tooth and nail. Fought with every ounce of energy down to the last drop to the point that there wasn’t anything left.
*Kenneth Walker was in an old empty abandoned gym with his son Michael Walker. He stood by an empty ring starring into the abyss of all the past memories that he held close to his heart and was still proud of. He visualized the last time that Austin Star and him trained in this very ring. Back before it all began, this was the place that it all began. Before Thy WWE, before SCW, before all the Indy feds that got him noticed. It was where he trained with Austin Starr; this was that foot in the door place that got him into those Indy federations. ******************************************************
Austin Star: Just put your hand here, and throw your weigh backwards like this.
*Austin Starr grabbed Ken’s leg and heaved he backwards into a suplex*
Austin Star: Then after you do that quickly twist your body and go for the cover and cradle them like this.
*Austin Star got him in the position of a cradle pin*
Austin Star: Remember those two moves kens, I’ll teach you more that I’ve learned as we go along, but when just remember when you face off against Andrew that you got to remember those moves and you’ll be good for your first training match.
Kenneth Walker: Got it, I’ll make sure that I’ll use those moves.
*Austin Starr pats Kenneth Walker on the back showing a display of congratulations and good luck. *
Austin Star: I believe in you Ken, I believe you can do it. Just have a little faith my friend…. just have a little faith.
*********************************************************
*Kenneth Walker reminisced about what his old friend had said on that day, but more importantly he remembered when it the moment came and he had his first training match against a guy Austin Starr had found by the name of Andrew Stahl. He remembered the look on his face after using the cradle on Andrew and getting victory, He remembered after third slap on that mat and after looking at the small gathered crowd in the gym and then looking at stare he saw that look on Austin Starr… and to this very day he wouldn’t forget that look on him.. The look of approval… the look that told him… I’m proud son… I’m so proud of you…but what was once a busy gym, what was once a clean and sturdy ring, what was once a place of nostalgia that held key moments of Ken’s life has changed.. It changed into an abandoned gym, into an old and dusty ring where even the metal that was build into this ring that held up the mat now rusted away… Ken could relate himself to this empty gym.
Just like this gym, ken was already past his prime. Just like the emptiness that filled this place with abandonment he too felt the emptiness creep underneath his skin ever since the absence of Lilly, and witnessing what he once thought was an unbreakable bond of friendship shatter before his very eyes. And just like the scattered dust that covered the ring, he too felt the dust collect into his aging bones, and just like the rust that devoured the metal structure beneath the ring, he too felt the rust borrowing deep within his marrow. He pondered if he truly had anything left to give. He wondered if he still would have it when it would come to Anarchy. Then a thought crossed his mind…. Maybe if this ring could still hold up, he could as well, maybe this old gym could still take a few bumps then he very might as well be able to do the same.
Kenneth Walker got inside the ring, feeling nostalgia again. Feeling hope begin to boil up, feeling the courage begin to muster from within. He ran towards the first rope and it held, then he ran towards the second rope and bounced back and it held as well. As he ran across the canvas of the old ring for one last time, that’s when it happened the ring collapsed, and Ken slipped and fell on the old battered ring. Ken cringed in pain as it happened and scared Michael looked up at his dad as he held his leg in pain from the fall. What the hell are you getting yourself into old man, Ken thought to himself. Who Am I kidding?. All the hope that boiled up simmered away… any courage he had left had vanished like rest of the fond memories he had in this place. Your not the same person anymore, things have changed old man.. Look at what you’ve become, Ken began thought to himself. Ken limped out the ring rubbing his leg until the pain went away. Gathering himself he made his way back to his son Michael that looked back at him with questioning eyes.* Michael Walker: What are you doing dad?
*Ken looked back at him wondering the same thing*Kenneth Walker: I don’t know son… I don’t know anymore…
*Ken pondered that question to himself…. What happened is you got old… you fool. What makes you think you can hang with the young talent of Thy WWE? What makes you think you can handle someone like Christian Knight…. What has happened to you? Look at yourself old man.. Ken continued to think as he held up has hands and they began to tremble, seeing the toll that his body as taken over the long career he has had in professional wrestling. Ken thoughts were interrupted as his son Michael tugged at his sleeve.*Michael Walker: Dad. Why did mom leave?
*It was as if he was just hit with a ton of bricks as he swallowed with an uncertainty. He felt his palms get sweaty and his eyes swell up. Kenneth Walker started pondering to himself how he could answer such a question. After all how do you tell a kid, you very own son what a despicable thing you did, what the influences of alcohol can do to a human being no matter how compassionate or loyal they are. Ken couldn’t stop thinking on what a damn fool he was.. Slipping into the poison that was alcohol. And the obsession that he had to wrestle, the need to compete and have that feeling of competition. *Kenneth Walker: maybe… she just deserved someone better then me son… She’s in better hands now….
*trailed off and started to think she really was in better hands. It worried Ken, watching Austin Starr and witnessing his own obsession… His obsession that he witnessed at WrestleMania that Involved Caitlyn Callahan. It worried him that Austin Starr was walking down the same path that he walked down. An obsession that destroyed his marriage ruined what was left of his career. The same obsession with having the longing to be in the ring, to not give it all up. That obsession with alcohol was like a poison that would kill you and Ken saw that same obsession in Austin Starr.. That obsession to have one last rematch, it was that need to know, if you could be that man that had accomplished it all, to accomplish that one last thing he was yet to still achieve. It was that need to beat that one person that he was never able to beat yet. Ken stared at the empty ring and started to think out loud as he started to shout at the empty ring. *Kenneth Walker: Don’t be a fool old friend, don’t make the same mistakes that I made, and don’t ruin what you have now. Not at the cost of friends … of family…
*A tear feel down his cheek as he shouted*Kenneth Walker Don’t be a fool… damn it… Don’t be……. A fool….
*All that Ken heard was the dead silence and a worried look on Michaels face wondering if his dad was ok. If only he could muster up the courage to talk to him. All he needed was 20 seconds of courage… 20 seconds and maybe he could save an old friend before it was too late, before he sunk on the thin ice that he walked upon and sank into that darkness… with no turning back.. He was worried for his old friend and with good reasons. *Michael Walker: Why are we here dad?
Kenneth Walker: This is where it all started son, where me and your Austin Starr trained, your mom used to wait over there and used to watch us as we trained son. You should have seen her face…. Her smile. God I miss that smile… She would witness two individuals with dreams that reached as high as the sky that would bear fruit in this very ring. It all started here son. This place brings your father a lot of fond memories.
Michael Walker: Is this where you wanted to do your… what is it again… dad?
Kenneth Walker: It’s a message. A message I want to deliver to Christian Knight son. It’s that same guy that scared you in that area son.
Michael Walker: Promise me daddy, you’ll protect me, and don’t let that bad man attack me or mommy, please promise me.. Ok.. Pinky Swear it.
Kenneth Walker: I’ll do more then just promise you son… I swear my life on it…
*Austin Starr had shown a tape to Kenneth Walker that Christian Knight had made out by a frozen lake. After reviewing the tape and listening to Knight verbally attack him and Austin Star and questioning their bonds of brotherhood. Ken decided that perhaps that it was time for him to make his own tape. Ken bent over and opened a black duffle bag and took out a camera and a tripod. He assembled the tripod the tripod and placed the camera so that way it could see the empty collapsed ring and the empty gym. He glanced at Michael, which looked back at him with curiosity. Ken then turned on the camera and made a few more adjustments until he got the perfect alignment, he then went in front and hit the record button*Kenneth Walker: It’s been a long time since I recorded a message or made a tape for an opponent. Take a look around Knight. Tell me what do you see. You might see a beaten down old ring. You might see a washed up old gym. You might see an empty arena that you could honestly care less for. Look around Knight. Go ahead take a good look at what you see here. Their aren’t any fans here Christian Knight. To cheer me on so right off the bat I’m not recording this to achieve any of my former glory. There is no audience no fancy lights, no cheap stunts, no broadcaster, and no reporters around here and you want to know why, because I want you to know Knight that this is just between you and me Christian. This … this is personal.
II didn’t’ ask for this Knight. WrestleMania to me Knight could have been the walk up call for me, It could have been the time I was able to just hang up the boots and let it be I could have been at my home relaxing. Enjoying what little bit I had left, what little bit I didn’t’ wreck. But you see that’s the difference between you and me. At least I’m able to admit my faults. At least I’ve been able to openly confess that I’ve made mistakes in my life. After all that’s what makes us human. We weren’t made to be perfect beings. So it kind of sickens me. Actually it makes me feel disappointed.. Utterly and totally disappointed Christian Knight I mean for a man that walks around and thinks he’s better then everyone. It ponders me what obsession you have with me. Take it from me; take it from a man who has everything because an obsession, it is the last thing that you want to have. One must have to ask why go after an old man who already was willing to put his glory days behind him. One must ask is it because you still have yet to prove yourself, are you still searching for the one big one you still have to achieve in professional wrestling?
Are you looking for that lottery ticket to catapult you up the ranks to claim some sort of shred of credibility? Because lets face it knight you track record isn’t much to brag about when the only win on your resume lasted for a mere two minutes. You had it all Knight… I applaud you, you came in this business, with such passion, such desire that reminded me much of myself, which I have openly said so myself. But you made it clear to me that you hate that idea. But by hating that idea you became obsessed with exploiting my faults, while you were hiding your own. What happen Christian Knight? What happened to that man that I first see come in here and made claim in his first match here in Thy you became the IC champion. You could have stopped their Knight…. Your brother that you talk about… he would have look down from the heavens above and he would have said that he would have been proud… then it happened.
The thing that came next surprised us all, you demanded your rematch… you weren’t satisfied with your victory… And in what was the shortest title reign in the history of thy… you lost your title, and let’s be honest ever since then it’s been a downward hill for you Christian Knight, you haven’t been able to get out of whatever you slump you got yourself into and you wont’ be able to until you find that same passion that same desire that is somewhere hidden deep within you and I know it’s there Knight and you just have to find it. I guess that’s what disappoints me the most that you still haven’t found it in yourself yet… you have so much potential and you just waste it all. One must ask if you just going to waste it all, and not get attain that same fire that you once had… one must ask why are you still here… What is your purpose here in Thy if all you want is to be one of those guys who comes in here to just collect a paycheck, with no heart… With no passion. You shouldn’t let you potential waste away Christian Knight.
When I seen your tape Christian, I seen a man, a man that went threw a lot, more then he should have went threw when he grew up as a boy. You went threw a tragic circumstance. Two brothers with a dream. That same kid that would grow up, that would have that desire… that never ending thirst to take himself to heights that he’s never been able to fathom. Even under all those circumstances you did it knight, you’re… and I’m sure the with a smiling face your brother would be looking down at you. But you’ve changed. What you’re becoming is a shadow of your former self, of what you can truly be capable of. Tell me something, would you… do you think you brother Samuel would still be smiling if he knew that you were verbally attacking women and children… do you think he would still have that feeling of pride or do you think that he would feel that same disappointment that I feel for you know. Maybe this match will be your wake up call… maybe I need to knock some sense in you, and hopefully when I do… we’ll starting seeing a new change… the way the Christian Knight was meant to be… Until then…. I’ll have the satisfaction that Anarchy is only a few days away.
*Kenneth Walker took a deep breath and then exhaled. He switched of the camera and took it off the tripod and put it back in the duffle bag. Michael Walker glanced back at him with a bit of impatience. Ken took the tripod and folded it up and put it back into the bag and zipped it up. He got up and turned around taking one last look at the old training gym, looking at the ring and the many fond memories that came with it. He was thinking about on how he told Christian Knight that he needed to start seeing a change, but perhaps he thought to himself that a lot has changed with himself with the passing of time. Ken took the bag and heaved it over his shoulder and put his arm around Michael and smiled. *Michael Walker: Are we going to go now daddy
*Ken continued to look at the gym and sighed, he took Michaels Hand and started walking towards the entrance of the gym doors and opened them letting the sunlight in that paved the way towards a new path… a new direction, Ken looked over his shoulder one last time and shook his head in a nod of approval. He then turned to his son and smiled and looked towards the blinding sunlight that gave him warmth*Kenneth Walker: Yes… yes son.. I guess it’s finally time to move on… I guess… it’s finally time to go
