Post by David Troy on Apr 16, 2023 3:29:01 GMT
A gruff, tortured groan filled the bedroom as David Troy sat on his side of the bed and sank his head into his hands.
“MEZA again?” she said, looking behind her and seeing her husband in distress. Saori Troy (née Kazama) had always been attentive to her husband’s worries as he continued his pro wrestling career on the wrong side of forty, but this particular incident from last month haunted him more than anything she could remember.
“I can’t get the image out of my head,” David said with a nod as he reached a hand behind him to meet hers, “how he dropped after that one kick, the look on his face… it’s burned into my eyes.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself, David,” Saori replied as she rolled over and put his hand in hers, “you always say it yourself; you’re professionals, and despite everything you do to not get injured, sometimes these things happen.”
“I know that, I’m not torturing myself because of what happened.”
Before he stepped into the upper rungs of the wrestling business, David Troy was a reputable kickboxer who competed in every style from light-touch to Muay Thai, fighting everywhere from cheap gym mats at the YMCA to world-famous Lumpinee Stadium, and he knew as well as anybody the kind of injuries that can happen in a sport like that.
“But hearing him scream like that, both me and Lynx losing our cool and going at it… that isn’t the kind of person I am. Not anymore.”
Saori sat up and reached over, wrapping her arms around David’s waist.
“You never were that kind of person,” she said as she kissed his cheek, “and you say that like I didn’t see you and Lynx hug it out while you rode to the hospital to check on MEZA. Or are you worried about how it made you look?”
David looked at his wife with a slightly shocked look; he had times where he was a bit self-centered and worried about how things made him look in the past, but he was trying not to be that way anymore.
“Nah, that’s not really my worry anymore,” he said, looking back out the bedroom door, “good guy, bad guy… in the end I’m just a guy. A guy who everyone knows will leave it all in the ring, and will make sure people get their money’s worth seeing him. What happened in that ring to MEZA… all that was, was bad luck in a fight between two professionals. No malice, no ill will. Just something that happened.”
He sighed deeply, and his shoulders started to loosen up.
“I just hope that the fight with Dorado doesn’t have that bad luck, on either side.”
“That sigh, your body letting go of the tension,” Saori said as she placed a hand on one of David’s broad shoulders, “is that you letting go of a burden?”
A pause, as David looked to his wife and smiled.
“I suppose so,” he replied, “I want to step in that ring in Buffalo unencumbered. No burdens. Just that fighting spirit, and leaving it all in that ring. That’s the only way I’ll beat Dorado.”
Another pause.
“And if he’s going to beat me, that’s the only way he’ll do it too. He’s a young kid with his whole career ahead of him. If he beats me, that’s a feather in his cap he can wear forever. If he loses, he got a lesson from a guy who’s been in the game as long as I have. And he’ll take that experience wherever he goes.”
Saori pulled herself closer, resting her chin on his other shoulder.
“Are you nervous at all?”
“Of course I am,” David said as he shook his head, “he’s quicker than me, more skilled on the mat than me, he even looks COOLER than me! But if I can keep him on his feet I’ll have the advantage. Plus, I know that ring like the back of my hand. If I can keep him closer to the ropes and force breaks, he won’t get me sleeping. I just have to keep him from wearing me down. And then, get a lucky kick or two in, and there I am, champion again.”
“Either way,” she said with a kiss, “you’ll always be my champion, David.”
He turned his head to her as she playfully smiled ear to ear. He responded with a kiss, before she curled into his chest, sighing happily.
“MEZA again?” she said, looking behind her and seeing her husband in distress. Saori Troy (née Kazama) had always been attentive to her husband’s worries as he continued his pro wrestling career on the wrong side of forty, but this particular incident from last month haunted him more than anything she could remember.
“I can’t get the image out of my head,” David said with a nod as he reached a hand behind him to meet hers, “how he dropped after that one kick, the look on his face… it’s burned into my eyes.”
“You can’t keep blaming yourself, David,” Saori replied as she rolled over and put his hand in hers, “you always say it yourself; you’re professionals, and despite everything you do to not get injured, sometimes these things happen.”
“I know that, I’m not torturing myself because of what happened.”
Before he stepped into the upper rungs of the wrestling business, David Troy was a reputable kickboxer who competed in every style from light-touch to Muay Thai, fighting everywhere from cheap gym mats at the YMCA to world-famous Lumpinee Stadium, and he knew as well as anybody the kind of injuries that can happen in a sport like that.
“But hearing him scream like that, both me and Lynx losing our cool and going at it… that isn’t the kind of person I am. Not anymore.”
Saori sat up and reached over, wrapping her arms around David’s waist.
“You never were that kind of person,” she said as she kissed his cheek, “and you say that like I didn’t see you and Lynx hug it out while you rode to the hospital to check on MEZA. Or are you worried about how it made you look?”
David looked at his wife with a slightly shocked look; he had times where he was a bit self-centered and worried about how things made him look in the past, but he was trying not to be that way anymore.
“Nah, that’s not really my worry anymore,” he said, looking back out the bedroom door, “good guy, bad guy… in the end I’m just a guy. A guy who everyone knows will leave it all in the ring, and will make sure people get their money’s worth seeing him. What happened in that ring to MEZA… all that was, was bad luck in a fight between two professionals. No malice, no ill will. Just something that happened.”
He sighed deeply, and his shoulders started to loosen up.
“I just hope that the fight with Dorado doesn’t have that bad luck, on either side.”
“That sigh, your body letting go of the tension,” Saori said as she placed a hand on one of David’s broad shoulders, “is that you letting go of a burden?”
A pause, as David looked to his wife and smiled.
“I suppose so,” he replied, “I want to step in that ring in Buffalo unencumbered. No burdens. Just that fighting spirit, and leaving it all in that ring. That’s the only way I’ll beat Dorado.”
Another pause.
“And if he’s going to beat me, that’s the only way he’ll do it too. He’s a young kid with his whole career ahead of him. If he beats me, that’s a feather in his cap he can wear forever. If he loses, he got a lesson from a guy who’s been in the game as long as I have. And he’ll take that experience wherever he goes.”
Saori pulled herself closer, resting her chin on his other shoulder.
“Are you nervous at all?”
“Of course I am,” David said as he shook his head, “he’s quicker than me, more skilled on the mat than me, he even looks COOLER than me! But if I can keep him on his feet I’ll have the advantage. Plus, I know that ring like the back of my hand. If I can keep him closer to the ropes and force breaks, he won’t get me sleeping. I just have to keep him from wearing me down. And then, get a lucky kick or two in, and there I am, champion again.”
“Either way,” she said with a kiss, “you’ll always be my champion, David.”
He turned his head to her as she playfully smiled ear to ear. He responded with a kiss, before she curled into his chest, sighing happily.