T-Mobile Center
Camera Status: Off
The crew had already set up the ring inside the T-Mobile Center and Blaine looked it over for some reason only thinking about how messy it would be later. The young man was standing in the center of the ring in a pair of wrestling boots, with long basketball shorts and knee pads. He wore a black a-line tank, and looked over his shoulder for a moment. He was looking for his dad, but quickly redirected his glance to the Christmas Eve of Destruction set being erected on the stage. Whole Christmas trees, fake snow, lights, huge boxes wrapped as gifts. Someone was probably going to fly through that later.
Natalie Neidhart: Ready?
Blaine looked across where Natalie was propped up against the ropes. His uncle, Randy Orton, was standing at ringside behind her.
Blaine Ikeda: Yeah, Mom. I’m ready.
Natalie was not Blaine’s birth mom. In fact, Natalie was Blaine’s third step-mom. Blaine’s mom had died just after he’d turned five. And his dad had two more failed marriages, to Amy Dumas (Lita) and Christy Hemme respectively, all by the time Blaine was 11. Now, 22, Blaine knew that Nattie and Wes dated for a while before he brought her around his kids. They’d been serious for almost 10 years. Married for 6. Basically, Natalie and Wes had been together longer than all three of Wes’ other marriages combined. Blaine was 14 when Nattie had his brother CJ, and as he came into toddlerdom it was just less confusing for him if Blaine called Nattie “Mom”. It only took a few months before Blaine meant it. Nattie was his mom. She wasn’t quite old enough to be his mom, but if some old lady that had never seen wrestling before struck up a conversation in the grocery store and asked Nattie if she had any children, she would always say, “I have five.” She was theirs and they were hers. And maybe that’s why he was looking for his dad, and thinking about his older sister, Bella, so much. Creative had asked Styles to please stop mentioning Isabella. Her death was no longer raw, but it shouldn’t be for entertainment. Particularly against Blaine. He wondered if Bella would like what he was doing. He wondered if he could trust AJ not to bring her up anymore. He wondered if his mom and dad trusted AJ not to do it. He wondered…
Natalie Neidhart: Hey.
Her hand was suddenly on his shoulder and she was right in front of him.
Natalie Neidhart: You okay?
She knew a thing or two about an Ikeda who had let their mind drift off somewhere else. In fact, Blaine looked quite a lot like his dad when his dad was on the front end of a bad panic attack.
Blaine Ikeda: Yeah… yeah. Sorry. I’m ready.
A louder, firmer voice came from the floor.
Randy Orton: Are you?
Blaine Ikeda: Yes.
Randy Orton: No. Is your head out of your ass?
Blaine Ikeda: Yes.
Randy Orton: Because if you mess this up, you will hurt her. Do you understand me?
Blaine Ikeda: Yes.
Randy Orton: Run it. And THINK, kid.
Blaine nodded while glancing down at Nattie. He could tell she’d wanted to call Randy off. But Randy probably had a point. Plus, he’d called Blaine “kid” and not by his name so he probably wasn’t in too much trouble yet.
Natalie Neidhart: Alright, Randy, you call it. Blaine you do what I do after I do it…
Blaine Ikeda: In the opposite direction.
Natalie Neidhart: Yes, like a dance.
Randy Orton: Lock up.
Natalie did not hold back. They locked up, and Blaine felt his back leg wobble.
Randy Orton: Show your mom your stance, and then go again. That leg shouldn’t move.
Blaine knew that. Nattie backed up and Blaine showed her how he stood square before a lock up.
Randy Orton: He stands on the toe of his right foot. You gotta try to keep it flat.
Blaine Ikeda: My dad’s stance is like this.
Randy Orton: Your dad doesn’t rock back and almost bring his opponent down with him when he locks up. Do it again.
Now that Nattie had seen it she came at him again, a little less aggressively so he was able to keep his balance. They held the pose for a moment.
Blaine Ikeda: You are. so. short.
Randy Orton: 90% of the guys you face will be shorter than you.
Blaine Ikeda: Not this short!
Randy Orton: That’s the point. If you can chain wrestle her, you can chain wrestle anybody. Nattie, sit out to turn out.
And they were off. Nattie executed the move with relative ease, and Blaine mirrored her. Randy called out loudly before Blaine could complete his move.
Randy Orton: Quickly. Quickly. Quickly. Sit out to turn in. Switch. Reswitch! Side-roll. Re side-roll. Nattie Granby Roll. Blaine Grany Roll, but roll through. Good! Nattie up! Blaine! Back heel trip.
Blaine heard Randy chuckle as Nattie sold the back heel trip like a champ.
Randy Orton: Sharpshooter. Sharpshooter. She’s short so sit into it to make it huuuuurt! Yes. Good. Good.
Blaine let Nattie go and looked up when he heard applauding. Wes was seated just behind the camera well, about ten rows back. Nattie turned to sit cross legged in the ring.
Wes Ikeda: Pretty good. Whad’ya think, Coach?
He motioned toward Randy.
Randy Orton: It was good. Got to be a little faster. Got to be a little tighter.
Blaine nodded. Engrossed.
Randy Orton: There are a lot of men in the back that can do a big move, backout and retreat. People who get talked about for years? People who are good at this? They can chain wrestle. One move right after the other after the other, fast, tight.
Natalie Neidhart: You’re getting there. Randy was calling the moves before you could complete the last one because that’s how fast your brain should be working. Next one, always.
Blaine nodded. His was a tall learning tree, but he was grateful for it.
Randy Orton: Keep working on your cardio. That’ll make you faster. Watch those tapes I sent you.
The “tapes” were links to Youtube videos, but wrestling vernacular was a hard habit to break.
Wes Ikeda: Nat, can I talk to you for a minute?
Randy saw Natalie’s brow crease for just a moment, but she nodded and slid under the ropes.
Randy Orton: Blaine, you want to check out catering and talk about your match.
Blaine turned his back to his dad to answer Randy, and Randy saw Wes give him a subtle nod of appreciation. Blaine rolled out of the ring and headed up the ramp with his uncle.
December 24, 2021
T-Mobile Center
Camera Status: On
Two cozy leather chairs were in front of an EBWF logo. Blaine Ikeda sat with Renee Young. His right leg was casually propped up on his left knee, and he looked relaxed as the scene went live and Renee began to speak.
Renee Young: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this YouTube exclusive. I’m Renee Young, and my guest this afternoon is Blaine Ikeda. Merry Christmas, Blaine.
Blaine Ikeda: Merry Christmas, Renee. Thanks for being here.
Renee Young: We’re excited to have you on. Tonight, you’re taking on AJ Styles in only your second wrestling match in EBWF. Your first match was over a year ago at Fanniversary 2020. What has kept you away from the ring so long?
Blaine Ikeda: I think that’s a fair question, Renee. I don’t know that I have a good answer for you. Really, I think I might have been disenchanted with the whole idea of the business?
Renee looked surprised by that.
Blaine Ikeda: It’s one thing to be a wrestler. It’s a different thing to be from the pedigree I’m from. The expectations are high, and honestly, that can make the best of us rethink some things. Cause some anxiety.
Renee Young: I think it’s common for a lot of people your age to feel anxious about their futures.
Blaine Ikeda: A lot of people my age aren’t the son of a third generation wrestler and an icon. The Godson of the Greatest of All Time. The nephew of the most flawless wrestler of his generation, etcetera, etcetera.
Renee Young: Your mother, Katrina Ikeda, she was a pretty incredible competitor in her own right.
Blaine Ikeda: How many championships did my Uncle Tony have before he died? The family tree is pretty remarkable, Renee. I know. It’s a legacy I have to live with. And it’s exhausting. Probably why I’ve avoided the ring for so long.
Renee Young: So why now?
Blaine Ikeda: Because the way I was raised requires it. There’s two things that matter in our house. Wrestling and Family. And AJ Styles is blurring the lines between both. In a way that makes me feel like I have to protect both.
Renee Young: Blaine, it’s clear your father thinks you’re making a mistake. You went to great lengths to make this match happen…
Blaine Ikeda: I did. I spoke to my mother and asked her to have a talk with my dad, but nothing changed. I spoke with decision makers on the production team, and they couldn’t help me. I talked to my Uncle Chris, and I know he talked to my dad too, but that didn’t help either.
Renee Young: So you put up this car.
Blaine Ikeda: Honestly, Renee. It’s just money. I can come up with money. It’s fine. It’s whatever. I’m not emotionally attached to the car. What I am emotionally attached to is the thought of AJ Styles continuing to drag my family through the mud. He comes for my dad. He comes for my mom. He comes for my dead sister. Who the hell does that?
Renee Young: Do you feel that’s the catalyst for you finally having enough?
Blaine Ikeda: That and my dad not fighting him.
Renee Young: Why do you think your dad won't fight him?
Blaine Ikeda: I’m not going to sit here and speak for my dad. I don’t know what my dad’s exact reasons are, but I know he shared some wisdom with me that probably pertains to this situation. He told me that revenge is a younger man’s game. He told me that bitterness and hatred will eat a man alive and that’s why he can’t concern himself with revenge. Especially against AJ Styles.
Renee, AJ Styles is just a bitter man who gets more discontented with age. He says even more outrageous things to get a reaction. He does even more uncharacteristic things to stay relevant. He’s not phenomenal anymore. He’s average. And he’s desperate. That’s how I’ll beat him.
Renee Young: Blaine, desperate men do desperate things.
Blaine Ikeda: I think the despicable things AJ has said about my family more than proves that.
Renee Young: But an unsanctioned parking lot brawl…
Blaine Ikeda: That’s because I want to hurt him, Renee. And I don’t want a referee or match rules holding my back. This man can only disrespect my family for so long. Everything he has is because of my family. His money. His success. His fame. My dad took him out of a bullshit little promotion in Orlando and turned him into a star and he wants to pretend that there isn’t an Ikeda walking this earth that deserves a thank you for that.
Renee Young: You think AJ should be a little more grateful to your family?
Blaine Ikeda: AJ doesn’t have to like my dad, but the fact that he can’t even muster an ounce of respect for him shows you exactly who he is. And if Dad won’t knock some sense into him. I will.
Renee Young: Your dad says that he won’t face AJ again because he’s already beaten him.
Blaine Ikeda: Yep, that’s what he says.
Renee Young: And you don’t believe him?
Blaine Ikeda: I think that’s the easy answer. I think the longer answer is he has nothing to prove. He doesn’t have anything to prove to the fans. He doesn’t have anything to prove to himself. I don’t think Dad has wrestled his last match, but AJ Styles isn’t someone that makes him want to lace up his boots. That bothers AJ so much. It bothers AJ to think that he isn't worthy. He’s not. It bothers AJ to think that we don’t want him here. We don’t. It bothers AJ to think that his whole schtick is played out. It is. AJ has been begging to face my dad for years, and he tried to dodge me for this match.
Renee Young: Dodge you?
Blaine Ikeda: Oh come on. He’s been here long enough. He’s been barking up the Ikeda tree long enough. He knew my Dad wasn’t going to approve this match. He knew it wouldn’t get sanctioned. He knew he wasn’t going to get paid traditionally. He was hoping I’d give him a reason to be able to say no. But I cornered him. I did what I had to do. And he’s here for the money he was promised, because he doesn’t give a shit about EBWF, or our fans, or putting on a good match. I’m half his age. And I’m more of an adult than he is. I’m more of a professional than he is. Is this really how a 44 year old man behaves? Listen, Renee, I know he wants to destroy me. I know he wants to make an example out of me to lure my Dad into a match. I know all these things.
Renee Young: Then why, if you know all these things, did you get yourself into this match?
Blaine Ikeda: Because, Renee, I want to see if I can beat AJ Styles.
Renee Young: And if you can’t…
Blaine Ikeda: I think we’ll all find out on Christmas Eve. Thanks Renee.
Blaine reached up for the lapel mic, tearing it off before leaving the set. Renee stared after him as the scene faded to black.
