My World Slipped Away

[Tony S]

Smoke filled the small, dimly lit, musty, hole in the wall dive bar, deep in the outskirts of Atlantic City. It was afternoon, the bar was empty with the only bright light coming with the opening of the front door. On the jukebox, "Today My World Slipped Away" by George Strait played, over and over again. The bartender shook his head as he wiped a glass with a dry towel. He looked annoyed to be hearing this song as it begun again. He put the glass down on the counter and slapped the towel down next to it. He walked up to the only man at the bar top.

Bartender: Look, I'm sorry you lost a lady, but if I have to listen to this song one more time, I'm gonna throw you out that front door.

The man sat there, his head hung low. His hands wrapped tightly around the glass of beer that sat in front of him. The condensation of the glass ran down over his knuckles as the warm air warmer the glass of ice cold beer.

Bar Hound: I let her just slip through my hands...

The bartender looked at the man as he spoke for the first time since ordering his first beer, hours ago. By the accent in the voice, the bar hound at he bar top was none other than the now former EBWF World Champion, PJ Black.

PJ Black: I had it all. We were on the path to making history together. We went everywhere together. Did everything together...

His voice cracked as he gripped the glass tighter. His head never rose as he spoke.

Bartender: I've heard thousands of stories, but no one, especially a man, has ever played the same sad, sorry song, 20 times.

PJ Black: This song speaks to my loss.

Bartender: And my boot is about speak to your ass as I kick you out of my bar if I have to hear that song again. Got it?

Black grunted under his breath as the bartender walked away back to the sink that was tucked up under the bar. He picked up another glass out of the water and started to dry it off with the same towel as before. Black tilted his head as he looked down at the bartender. He raised his head and leaned up off the bar.

PJ Black: You don't get it!!

Black raised his voice as he threw his hands in the air. The bartender stopped and looked at him. The few other patrons in the bar all looked up from their own world as Black spoke aloud.

PJ Black: You don't know what I lost!! You don't know the pain that I feel!! My whole world!! It's gone! It's over!!

Bar Patron 1: We've all lost a girl, but you don't hear us crying about it!

Bar Patron 2: Shut up and get over it!

Black looked over his shoulder at the guest shouting back at him. He shook his head slowly at first, but then his pace quickened.

PJ Black: No.. No... No!! You haven't!! I had it all. I had everything. I was on top of the world. Soaring on cloud nine... I had it all...

Black looked back down at his beer glass. He voice softened at he continued.

PJ Black: He took her away from me... He just walked back in from out of nowhere and just snatched her out of the air and took her. Stole her. He stole her from me.

Bar Patron 2: Women aren't possessions.

Black shook his head.

PJ Black: Who said anything about a woman? My EBWF World Championship was stolen from me.. Right from my grasp.

The bartender slammed down the glass he was drying and walked up to PJ at the bar. He leaned down on the bar and looked PJ right in the eyes.

Bartender: You lost a championship?

PJ Black: My World Championship.

Bartender: So this song that I've been listening to all morning... It's about a belt, not a woman.

PJ Black: My World Championship.

The bartender stood up straight and threw the drying towel over his right shoulder. He shook his head and then grabbed PJ by his collar and lifted him off the stool.

Bartender: Get your sorry ass out of my bar, and if I ever catch you trying to get in here again, I'll personally kick your ass out the door, belt or not belt.

Black stumbled backwards as the bartender pushed back on his chest as he released PJ. The stool that PJ sat on crashed onto the floor. Black looked around at all the angry patrons of the bar as he reached into his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet and dropped some money onto the bar top. He then walked towards the front door. Blinded by the bright light of the sun, Black walked out into the afternoon.

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PJ walked into the arena through the garage, his look was disheveled. He kept his sunglasses on his face as the doors shut behind him. His unkempt hair swung back and forth in his face as he walked down the hallway. He tried to walk past Renee Young quickly without being spotted, but that was pointless. Renee spoke up as he passed.

Renee Young: PJ!! Let me get a word with you.

Black stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn to face her as she walked up behind him. Already with the microphone in her hand, she walked by him and stood in front of him.

Renee Young: PJ, no one has seen you since Destiny where you lost the EBWF World Championship. You were even scheduled last week for a segment with The Miz, but you never showed.

He turned his head to look at Renee through his sunglasses.

Renee Young: Do you have anything to say to Edge? Or you actions last week?

PJ Black: Last week, who cares. The Miz only wanted me on his show to gloat that I'm not the EBWF World Champion, right now. But that won't last long, I promise you that. If Edge really thinks that I'm going to take this laying down, then he's got another thing coming to him. See Edge, Destiny, it was your night. You won. That's a fact, but everyone gets lucky once in a while. You got lucky at Destiny and honestly, I let the hype get to my head. I let all the numbers cloud what I was really doing as EBWF World Champion. But believe me Edge, when I get my rematch, I won't make the same mistakes. I won't have my head clouded by numbers and records and lengthy reigns. No. When I get my rematch Edge, it's only going to be about two things. Getting my title back. And making you suffer for taking it away in the first place. Now that's, a fact.

Renee Young: Speaking of facts...

Renee smiled as she steered the conversation.

Renee Young: Tonight, you take on the man with all the facts, Eli Drake. What's your take on him?

PJ Black: What's my take?

Black questioned her as he took off his sunglasses and stared at her.

PJ Black: Eli Drake, he likes to talk about how long he's been in this business. He also states the facts that he's accomplished nothing in all those years in this business. So what does that prove to you Renee? It proves that Eli Drake. He should get another profession. He should pack up his bags and give up. I mean if the man hasn't accomplished anything meaningful in 14 years, then obviously he's not meant to be here.

Black lifted the sunglasses and slid them on the top of his head. He shook his head as he continued.

PJ Black: I've been in and around this business my entire life, and I've gone through the ringer multiple times. I've been put to the test over and over again and what happened? I accomplished feats everywhere I've gone. I've been a champion everywhere I've been, including here in EBWF. I'm not going to list off everything that I've done, if you want to know that, check out my profile, it's all right there. The only thing that you have to know Eli is this. I should still be EBWF World Champion. Fact. I've worked my way up from the bottom of this company to being the face of this company. Fact. I do everything that I say I'm going to do, and I make it look damn good while I'm doing it. Fact.

He paused for a moment and as Renee looked as those she was going to speak up, PJ cut her off.

PJ Black: You can list all the facts that you want about me or about yourself, but the only fact that really matters is this. Tonight, it's not going to be your night. Tonight, you're going up against a man that has nothing to lose anymore. A man that has had everything stolen from him. And a man that will do anything to get back what is rightfully mine, which includes anything that may happen tonight to you. See, tonight, you're in a whole mess of trouble Eli because tonight, there's no rules. There's no disqualifications. The only way we can end this match tonight is by one of us going through a table. So do you know what that really means Eli? It means that all the anger and frustrations that I'm feeling right now. All the pain and torment that I have been feeling since Destiny. I can take it all out on you. Legally. I take a baseball bat and smash your kneecaps. I can take some chairs and cripple your back. I can grab a camera of the cameraman's shoulder and cave in your face. Anything and everything I think of, I can do to you. And then, I'll put you through a table and end the suffering, whenever. I don't have a championship anymore so I don't have anywhere to be, so I have all night to literally beat your ass all over this arena tonight before finally putting you through a table.

Renee Young: Sounds like you're going to take everything out on Eli Drake tonight? Shouldn't you save some for Edge?

PJ Black: Believe me Renee.. I can torture Eli Drake tonight for hours and hours, and I will still have enough in me to destroy Edge and take back what's mine. That will never be a question that you can doubt. Edge and I, we will meet again, and if I have it my way. I will get my championship back at Fanniversary. And that's a fact.

Black took his sunglasses in his grasp again and pulled them down over his eyes again. He pushed pass Renee as he continued to walk through the arena.