by Jayne Blue
Take that Preacher’s Son, Gustavo, whoever decided to get in his way. He was the meanest motherfucker in the valley.
The Brazilian made his entrance. Some fast music he had never heard of played and Gustavo walked the same walk. Craddock did not pay it any attention. He was playing his game in his head.
They stood toe to toe. Both a muscular 200 pounds. Both hungry. Both mean. Only one would emerge the champion, get the cash, get the contract, and get the endorsements.
Gustavo and he touched gloves and said nothing. Gustavo’s eyes darted around, seemed crazy almost, Craddock kept his calm.
The bell rang and Gustavo came out swinging. Craddock ducked, dodged, and sidestepped. While one blow just missed the mark on Craddock’s jaw Craddock unleashed a counter to Gustavo’s face that landed square on his nose. Craddock had drawn first blood. There were no points for that but it got in your head, seeing your own blood. The mental edge in the first minute was Craddock’s.
The first round was all boxing match. They stayed on their feet. Craddock landed a fair number of punches on Gustavo but Gustavo got him just as good. Craddock had a moment of terror when a punch that landed had him staggering back.
The man was strong, any more like that, and he would be in serious trouble. The round ended and Craddock was not sure which way the judges would go. Craddock landed more but the last one in their minds from this round might be the haymaker Gustavo landed before the bell.
Cassidy
“Whoa!” The entire Grand City Convention Center said, in unison, including Cassidy, when a blow to the face looked like it had Craddock seeing stars.
“Shake it off Flynn!” Someone in the convention center yelled at the jumbo screen as if Craddock could hear the yells in Michigan all the way to Vegas.
Craddock did seem like he shook it off and went to his corner before the next round started.
Meanwhile Zeke Powell was jumping rope in the locker room while Jessie wicked off the sweat. He was one pound over and had ten more minutes until the last chance weigh in.
Zeke had said yes, provided medical clearance, and somehow had one-hundred SRO tickets for his dad’s church. The place was packed with Craddock fans and Zeke fans. It was a powder keg of weird fandom, Cassidy decided.
Cassidy was moving between the locker room and the hallway and trying to keep tabs on what was happening with both. Bess and her son Henry had come and so had Dylan. Cassidy had arranged for Dylan to be there with special guest, G-Man! The 21C heavyweight was particularly good at keeping Dylan calm. Cassidy wondered if Craddock realized how many people cared for him and were rooting for him to pull this off. All of Grand City was in Craddock’s corner.
It did not look good. The blood on the big screen was larger than life and the look of murder in Gustavo’s eyes was terrifying. Cassidy thought Craddock looked a little sluggish coming out in the second round, but she was no expert.
“He made it!” Whitey was doing some sort of dance back in the locker room so she at least knew Zeke made weight. They would not have to tell the rough and tumble crowd there would be no fight. Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief. The Wolf Fight was on...
But not until Craddock’s was finished. She looked up at the screen and Craddock’s fight was again underway. Craddock shot in toward Gustavo’s legs; she knew that was his double leg. She had seen him do it with Jessie and vice versa a million times in the GWG. Jessie had the best wrestling moves on the ground Craddock always said.
“That’s my double!” Jessie was behind her now, looking up at the screen. The crowd went wild as Craddock seemed to dominate Gustavo on the mat. While Craddock had “good position” according to Jessie those blows Gustavo delivered from the bottom were punishing.
Cassidy forgot the anger and hurt that Craddock had brought to her life and just rooted for him. She thought of his mother, Dylan, the GWG people, all the work he had put in. This was his title. She yelled, “GO FLYNN!”
Jessie nudged her on the shoulder. She looked back and there was Zeke. He pulled the door closed to the locker room and gave her a look much like the look Gustavo had for Craddock.
Fucking men.
She looked up when the crowd gasped. “Get out of there. Gustavo’s got the Kimura,” Jessie said under his breath. The Kimura was dangerous as hell. She watched through half closed eyes. Craddock’s arm was tied up, and Gustavo was wrenching his arm behind Craddock’s back. At the same time, Gustavo was cranking it at the elbow. Cassidy put her fingers over her eyes and watched through the narrow slits. She did not want to see him get hurt.
Craddock gritted it out, moved, and fought. The time on round was ticking down but still his arm was in Gustavo’s vice grip.
“His arm is going to snap.” Jessie said. Shit, shit, shit. Five more seconds and Craddock slid out just enough to make it look like he might survive it.
“Time time time!” Jessie screamed at the big screen and the ref blew the whistle. Gustavo did not let go, he levered Craddock’s arm even farther.
The entire arena now screamed at the jumbo screen. “Get in there ref!”
“Illegal as fuck!”
The ref literally pushed Gustavo off Craddock to stop the round.
“Gustavo is going to get a warning but Craddock’s got to win this next round or it’s over for him.” Jessie warned.
“Why?”
“First round is a toss up; second round was Gustavo for sure.”
Cassidy looked over at Dylan, little Henry was holding one of his hands and G-Man the other. Dylan was keeping it together while she was very quickly falling to pieces.
Craddock
He had survived the Kimura but his arm felt like it was going to bust in to two pieces. He was sure his dreams were about to snap with it. Over in an instant. Somehow, he fought it off. He had held out and what’s more, his bone and sinew held together. Then the fucker got the warning for keeping the hold after the buzzer.
That was enough. He knew the third round he needed to take this out of the judges’ hands. He probably had the first round, Gustavo had the second, and it was up to him to make sure they did not decide. He would make this happen. Time to execute his plan, his pace, his fight.
They punched around each other, danced, Gustavo landed a strike on his arm that had withstood the Kimura. Fucker. Craddock arm was going to be useless soon.
There was less than a minute left in the round and that meant it was time. Nothing in this round tilted to Gustavo or Craddock. Craddock needed to be definitive. Craddock dove in and knocked Gustavo on his ass. The Brazilian fought like his ass was on fire and that is just what Craddock wanted.
Craddock got his legs deep around Gustavo during their scramble, he hitched his feet in and then locked his arms around Gustavo’s neck. Gustavo panicked, Craddock could feel it. The fighter grunted and twitched.
They both knew if Gustavo did not get out this could be deadly. Craddock was cutting off the air to Gustavo’s brain. Most fighters tapped out, most people would do anything to get air again. This hold made a person feel like they were dying. The color drained from Gustavo’s face and his struggles trailed off but he did not tap out. Craddock could hear the crowd scream, “HOLD! HOLD!!”
Craddock squeezed harder. He was leaving nothing to chance. If Gustavo wasn’t going to tap out Craddock was not going to give out any mercy. The ref slid over to them, got down low, and saw the distress Gustavo had to be in. “Tap out!” Craddock yelled to his opponent.
Gustavo would not do it. With a reserve built from thousands of miles run, millions of weights lifted and uncounted drills, Craddock found another gear.
He squeezed his legs and arms around Gustavo sinking the hold in deeper on a defiant Gustavo. But you cannot breathe defiance. You fucking need oxygen. Craddock was going to wring every last molecule from Gustavo to get his title.
Craddock snuffed the air out completely as he felt Gustavo finally go limp. The ref blew the whistle.
Unlike Gustavo, Craddock let go im
mediately and rolled over as the ref and the medics swarmed. He walked over to his corner. His coaches were all patting his shoulders. The crowd began chanting his name. This was it. He had done it.
Gustavo was up, standing, looking pissed and confused. The Brazilian was tough as shit, Craddock gave him that.
“Winner and new Tough to the Top Champion, by Knock Out, Craddock Flynn of the Great Wolf Gym!”
The ref lifted Craddock’s hand into the air. Craddock lifted the other and roared into the crowd. The crowd roared back. He had done it. He had done it!
Cassidy
He's done it! He's the champion! Cassidy jumped up and down as they saw Craddock roar, the sinew at his neck popping, his muscles straining, the crowd on screen and the crowd in the arena roared with him.
“Woohoo!!!” Jessie had picked her up and spun her around. She felt tears well in her eyes. Seeing someone you loved, once at least, achieve their dream was a powerful thing.
The door to the locker room swung open again and it was Sawyer.
“Come on Cassidy, we’ve got to get our own show on the road.
That fast she was snapped out of the celebration and into their reality. They had a fight to present. Live.
Cassidy knew her role, she grabbed a walkie-talkie they gave her and the live show began. “Get the lights and music going.”
Their own announcer stepped into the ring.
Now it was up to the professionals. Cassidy made her way over to Dylan and Bess. Dylan was sobbing as the announcer on the stage explained the night’s events.
“Dylan it’s good. It’s all good Craddock’s the champion!”
Bess’s son explained, “These are his happy tears.”
“Gotcha.” Cassidy hugged Dylan and he said something.
“I’m also way too hot in this sweat shirt.” He was wearing a Craddock Flynn sweatshirt and had not wanted to take it off.
“Do you have a t-shirt on underneath?”
“Yes, my Craddock Flynn t-shirt.” She laughed; of course it was a Craddock Flynn t-shirt.
They got him situated and cooled down and then they watched The Preacher’s Son reign down holy hell on the 21C fighter.
In two rounds, he had proven he was supposed to be there and by round three it was no doubt that Zeke Powell, was going to win this fight by decision. This was supposed to be 21C League’s victory but Zeke was relentless. He was a whir of fists and kicks.
The already hyped up crowd went nuts for The Preacher’s Son and when they raised his hand, Zeke grabbed the mic and delivered his sermon.
“I’m coming for you Craddock Flynn,” he pointed to the jumbo screen where post fight coverage was going on. The crowd went ballistic, they cheered for Zeke and Craddock. Was Zeke trying to start a brawl in here? What the heck?
“In front of every person here I swear I’m going to do everything it takes to show you who is the better man, how to play by the rules and who is going to get the girl!” He pointed to her and the light hit her. Cassidy was mortified. What the hell was he doing?
The crowd loved it and a chant for The Preacher’s Son broke out. She needed out of there. She needed out of the spotlight.
Zeke Powell was playing the crowd big time, and playing with her life.
He had set up a rivalry between light and dark, Flynn vs. Powell. Zeke had whetted the appetite of the fight fans and had dragged her into a drama that seemed more professional wrestling than the MMA.
She had opened the door to this opportunity for him and maybe he misinterpreted it or was he punishing her. He had to know his declaration had mortified her. All she knew was that she was not going to be a part of it.
Craddock
He had done it. They presented him with an amazing looking belt and he held it over his head with his good arm. The crowd loved it. In the ring, he had pictures with Meyer Thompson, and movie stars who were congratulating him. It was almost unreal the amount of cameras and congratulations.
Soon after the ringside interviews, they ushered him back in the locker room and the 21C doctor looked him over. No concussion, no open wounds, he was a little dehydrated, but when the doc asked him to move his arm around he could not hide the wince.
“This will need looked at tomorrow, x-ray, MRI.” The doctor was telling Meyer Thompson more than him. Thompson, who had been distant from the day to day of the show, was now right beside him.
“Can he meet the press?”
“Yep, I’m going to stabilize it though.”
“A cast.”
“No, a sling. Just as a precaution.”
“Do what he says, I have six emails already of people who want to fight you. That’s cash money. Your injuries cost us both money now.”
“You care, you really really care.”
“Look, you did great. I’m very happy with you don’t blow it with your charm.” Thompson talked to Sunny and gave her some instructions as he left the locker room.
“I’m your escort to the press room. How are you doing?”
“Doesn’t seem real.”
“You in pain?”
“Not really, a little.”
“That was an amazing fight, and hashtag #craddockflynnn is trending like a mother.”
“Such language.”
“You’re at the two-million follower mark big guy.”
“Oh quick, let me take a selfie.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“Too late, hold the belt, look happy and menacing.” Sunny snapped a pick and did whatever the heck she did on social media with it.
The press was lined up behind a table. Craddock was at the center, Meyer Thompson was there, Gustavo was not. He’d apparently been ordered to the hospital. Several other fighters from the show were there too. All of them saw the benefit of getting their names out.
He answered questions for about fifteen minutes and so did Meyer. When it started to get repetitive, Sunny actually stepped in and ended it.
“You’ve got one on ones now.”
“Jesus, I’m getting a little sick of it, same questions.”
“Wah, wah,” was Sunny’s cheeky reply. He would do it and like it until he got the money in his back account.
He did three one-on-one interviews and for the fourth one, a familiar face. It was the sports guy he recognized from Fox Sports, he thought, but the associated producer was Julie Walters.
He answered the sports guy’s questions and as the reporter packed up, Julie hung back.
“Well, I’m not sure what to say to you. We sort of hooked up. Did I like it? It looks like I did. Don’t remember it though.”
“I am so sorry. We didn’t have sex. But we did get sort of hot and heavy.”
“Yeah, I saw the episode.”
“Look, that’s why I’m here; I’m not this douche bag’s assistant or even an associate producer.”
“What? And where have you been, why did you leave?”
“I was let go after we made out because I made a big deal about it.”
“What do you mean? I could hardly be accused of harassing you. Or maybe I could, I have no idea how we wound up together.”
“Tracy hired me because I look like your girl Cassidy. I was a part of the temptation challenge all along. If you did not give in to the other temptations, Tracy was going to get you to give in to women. Me.”
“You look like her, but I’m not fucking stupid. I know the damn difference.”
“Exactly, Tracy got desperate, he had me use Cassidy’s same shampoo, same jeans she wears, everything. And then when it still wasn’t working, he drugged you.”
“What the fuck?”
“When you took the Tylenol for your stitches? Yeah, that was not Tylenol. It was Ambien, two of 'em. Tracy said you had a thing for protecting women, Cassidy especially, so I acted queasy, and that started it. Then you were getting zoned. Tracy helped you to bed. Then I crawled in.”
“This is sick. Completely sick. Cassidy saw it, my mom!”
/> “What Tracy did was illegal.”
“Why are you telling me this? What did you get out of it?”
“I was paid, well. But after I got to know you, it just felt wrong. It was wrong. I returned the money and threatened to tell.”
“Does Meyer Thompson know about it?”
“No idea, he never took my calls or talked to me. All I know is Tracy gets a bonus tied to the ratings for the show. They were through the roof. You will get the opposite because of the temptation. Meyer will knock money off your contract.”
A pounding at the door interrupted their conversation.
“It’s time to go!” Sunny was on the other side of the door. Urgent tweeting apparently needed to occur.
“I couldn’t live with myself and then they wouldn’t let me near you.”
“One thing.”
“What?”
“Proof, do you have proof?”
“What’s your cell number?” She typed it into her phone.
“Julie, thank you.”
“I’m sorry, really sorry, it was eating me up. You have to know what kind of person Tracy is, a lot of them are in show business. Snakes.” Julie was almost in tears. Craddock did not know if it was this incident or some other show business snake action that had her nearly crying.
“Julie, come here.” Craddock opened his good arm. She looked unsure for a second but she stepped in.
Craddock and Julie hugged. She was just doing a job, just as he was, and now she was out of a job and he was in the money. Hopefully.
“I’m sorry, you’re a good man Craddock Flynn and I don’t meet many.” Julie placed a kiss on his cheek and he gave her one more squeeze.
The door swung open and Sunny barged in. “Sweet, you’ve got time for that later. Get off him sweetie he’s at work.” Julie stepped away.
“See what I mean, snakes.” She said. Craddock stood and left.
Son of a bitch, they had set him up good, but maybe, just maybe, he would be able to use it to his advantage.
He looked down at his phone as Sunny led him out of the arena. Hopefully, whatever Julie had would come through fast. As he walked out of the arena, there were autograph seekers, selfie takers, and women who wanted him to sign their boobs. His life had taken a turn for the weird. As if Sunny had read his mind.