Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:09:45 -0500
From: ITSMonkeyWolfnOz@aol.com
Subject: Hangin with the Champ - Part 4

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to reflect the
true sexual preferences of any of the characters mentioned
herein. Truthfully, I don't know if any of the WWE superstars are gay,
including John Cena, and even if I did, I would respect them enough to not
go blurting it out in a public forum. Anyway, hope you enjoy this!


Last time, on 'Hangin' with the Champ'

Turning his attention back to Sean, Jeff whispered, "I think I'm ready."
Sean pleasantly smiled, conceding that he too felt Jeff was ready. Lifting
his hand, Sean gestured for Jeff to head over to the curtain. Hesitantly,
he did so, taking a few slow, forced steps over to the entrance, which was
marked by two white footprints painted on the floor.  Staring at the floor,
Jeff took a couple of deep breaths, shaking out his arms and hands while
rolling his neck around a few times. Looking up once again, he focused on
the curtain, as if studying how he would even walk through itÑhe felt the
need to be very meticulous, not wanting to screw up even the slightest of
mundane details. Before his mind could wander even further, however, he
heard the voice of one of the crewmen call out to him.

"Alright, kid. You're on!"


Hyped-up and ready, Jeff enthusiastically burst through the curtain, only
to be greeted by a stillness that could only come from a complete and utter
ignorance to the fact that he was there on-stage. Having no music or
entrance video to speak of, there was nothing to draw the crowd's
attention, leaving Jeff felling slightly dejected as he casually strolled
down the ramp toward the ring. Looking out into the sea of faces, he saw
people mostly carrying on conversations amongst themselves or leaving to
use the bathrooms or explore the concession stands. As odd as it felt, it
took away some of the pressure of being noticed, at least for the time
being.

Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Jeff was jerked out of these doldrums,
hearing his name being screamed. "We love you, Jeff!" Bewildered, Jeff
looked around, trying to figure out where the cheers were coming
from. Looking about 20 rows up to the right side of the ring, he saw
themÑthe trio with their salmon-colored sign. Wes, Ty, and Alex were going
nuts. Ty was in the middle, jumping up and down with the sign. Alex stood
to his left, camera in hand, taking picture after picture, while Wes hung
off Ty's right shoulder, pointing to the sign just in case Jeff might have
missed it. It was so awkward, yet so wonderfully hilarious at the same
time, having this crazed, unwarranted reaction come out of nowhereÑthe
people around them certainly looked like they had no clue what was going
on. Jeff let the excitement fuel him, causing him to hop up and down a
couple of times, pointing toward himself as if to say, "Can you believe
it?!"  Some of the people closer to the ring began to pick up on what was
going on, calling out to the unknown superstar in the orange tights; Jeff
even got to hi-five a couple of the little kids at ringside, who thought it
was great to get to interact with any wrestler, regardless of how popular
he or she might have been.  Ascending the stairs at the far corner of the
ring, Jeff quickly slipped between the ropes in one quick motion. He stood
upright now, pointing to his boys up in the stands, who were still making a
huge scene in his name.

"You're hot," came a scream from an attractive, blonde, 20something in the
second row.  Jeff smiled at her, giving a little point and wink, figuring
he'd take whatever adoration he could get. He secretly hoped that the guys
further back in the stands hadn't noticed that, as he would probably take
shit for it later, flirting with a female and all.  Turning his attention
back toward the stage area, he bounced back-and-forth in place, a-la Brock
Lesnar, to get his blood pumping and work out any nervous energy he was
feeling.

Helllloooo, ladies!

The arena burst to life. All of a sudden, there were lights, music, and a
rousing ovation from the crowd. Sean Morley, better known as Val Venis,
came strutting down to the ring, adorned in his signature white
towel. There was some hootin' and hollerin' from the ladies in the
audience, which Sean had become accustomed to receiving over the years
through his character. Jeff thought he played to it very well, admiring the
way he would flirtatiously touch the faces of some of the female fans at
ringside with his finger.  Character building was certainly an art, one
that Jeff could fully appreciate, having watched so many new wrestlers
ascend through the ranks and "grow" on television.  It was masterful the
way these guys had very distinct, unique entrances that they were able to
replicate perfectly night after night. He watched on as Sean entered the
ring and climbed the turnbuckle in the opposite corner, whipping off his
towel in trademark fashion.

Lillian began her introductions:

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Now entering the ring,
from Las Vegas, Nevada, weighing 260 pounds, Val Venis! ...And currently in
the ring, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, weighing-in tonight at 215
pounds, Jeff Johnson."

Jeff took a moment to throw up his right arm, turning once,
counter-clockwise, to take a look at the people. There was a little bit of
a reaction, but he could still clearly hear Wes, Ty, and Alex from the 20th
row. Lillian slipped past Jeff as he turned back around to face Sean, who
was now alone in the ring with him and the referee Chad Patton. The lights
were on brightÑJeff could already feel the beads of sweat beginning to
collect on his forehead. He was sucked into tunnel vision; the world around
him slowed. The ringing bell sounded as a dull dong in his ears. He could
see Sean approaching, but he could barely react fast enoughÑhe got his arms
up just in time to lock-up.

Having not met Sean halfway, it made sense that he immediately drove Jeff
into the corner behind him. The referee slipped between the two, looking
for the clean break, which didn't happen. Sean drove his knee into Jeff's
stomach, followed by a back elbow to his right ear. Jeff was not so
pleasantly surprised to discover that he didn't have to exaggerate the
absorption of the blows so muchÉthey hurt. He hunched over in pain,
clutching the middle rope to his left for support. Sean would not let him
go, however, snatching him up and beeling him to the center of the
ring. Jeff landed with a loud crash, screaming out and arching his back up
off the canvas. He rose, only to be charged by Sean with a running shoulder
tackle to the gut, charging him into the far corner. This was followed up
by two more shoulder thrusts, just for good measure. Giving Jeff a second,
Sean pushed up on his chest, draping his arms over the ropes. Immediately,
Sean began lighting him up with chops to the chest. There were five in all,
each one accentuated with a Ric Flair "woo" coming from the crowd.

Jeff could not begin to describe the feelings of pain he was experiencing
at that moment.  If there was one thing that could not be faked or
exaggerated in wrestling, it was a good old-fashioned chop to the
chest. The sound of the smacking flesh could be heard throughout the arena,
causing more than a few groans to come from the crowd.  Sean snatched the
arm Jeff was clutching to his chest, leading him away from the corner, only
to short-arm clothesline him with a thud. Sean went for the coverÑkick-out
at two.  Pissed, he jumped up so he could lay in a few stomps to his
chest. Afterward, he ran off the ropes, dropping a couple elbows to the
chest as well. Wasting little time, he scooted around behind Jeff's head
and locked in a reverse chin lock.

Sean was being absolutely brutal, abstaining from half-assing any of the
punishment he was dishing out. He was providing as realistic of an
initiation into the business as possible. Jeff was actually a little
upsetÑSean was such a nice guy backstage!  Now, here he was, being
completely vicious and kicking the crap out of him. After a minute or two
of head wrenching, Sean pulled Jeff off of the mat by his hair. Jeff
retaliated, throwing his arms up to break Sean's hold on him. With him
momentarily disoriented, Jeff laid in a couple of punches. Then, he bounced
off the ropes behind him, attempting a clothesline, of which Sean
ducked. This mistake lead to him being dumped on his head with a spin- out
powerbomb.

The crowd cheered at the move, and also as Sean ascended the turnbuckle,
since they all knew what was coming next. Perched on top, he extended his
arms out, calling for the Money Shot. Being he was to win the match, Jeff
knew he had to moveÑkicking out of his finishing maneuver just wouldn't
fly. As Sean flew through the air, he rolled in, causing him to overshoot
his target and crash onto the mat. This got a decent crowd reacion as
well. Jeff hoped up, scooping him off the mat and whipping him into the
turnbuckle he had just dove off of. He followed him in with a
clothesline. What Sean did next caught Jeff completely off-guard.

"Go for it," Sean whispered into his ear. Jeff attempted to whip him into
the opposite corner, to which Sean countered, whipping him into the corner
instead. He ran in, attempting a splash. Jeff slipped out at the last
second, causing Sean to crash face-first onto the rope support. Stunned, he
staggered back toward the middle of the ring, where Jeff was waiting for
him. He launched him into the air, where he seemed to hang for a few
moments, as if time had been suspended. Jeff stood, poised, untilÉ

"Ohh!" The crowd gasped in horror; the move executed flawlessly. After the
initial shock, there was a modest amount of applause. Some guys off to one
side of the ring had even started a small 'holy shit' chant. Jeff floated
over for the coverÑ1É2É3!  Even though he knew he was going to win, Jeff
was elated. He immediately climbed the ropes, throwing his arms up and
throwing his head back, allowing himself to take in he victory.  It was
absolute euphoria.

"And the winner of the match, Jeff Johnson!" Lillian's announcement made
the high even more potent. Coming down a bit, Jeff looked out into the
audience, again spotting his friends off in the distance. He was just so
happy to have them there with him, sharing in the moment. He decided right
then and there that they were all going out after the show to
celebrateÑthis night would not be forgotten. After a few moments, Jeff
kindly took his leave, rolling under the bottom rope and heading back up
the ramp.

Walking through the curtain, Jeff immediately saw Sean standing there, who
had left the ring sometime earlier.

"Sean, man, I can't thank you enoughÑthat was amazing," Jeff said, offering
his hand.

"No problem. Great job out there. You took that beating like a pro!" Sean
joked, returning the handshake.

"Yea, you certainly didn't take it easy on meÉ" Jeff replied. "I guess I
should thank you for that. I don't think I could've had a better teacher
for my first match."

"Ehh, think nothin' of itÑjust doin' my job," Sean smiled, coyly. "But
listen, I hate to run, but I gotta take off and finish up a few things. It
was definitely great to meet ya, and I hope to get to work with you again
soon!"

"Thanks, bud! I'll catch ya later!" Jeff was just so happy and excited, not
wanting it all to end there. He figured, though being there to work, he
should stay true to being the nerdy, hardcore fan that he was. Rather than
just go sit around the locker room, he thought it might be a fun idea to
chill-out around the entrance area, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of the
other superstars and watch the show from a totally different perspective.
He was beginning to detect a faint stink from himself, however, so Jeff
decided to head back for a quick shower, not wanting any of the guys' first
impressions of him to be that he was the smelly guy with massive BO.

To his surprise, Jeff returned to find the locker room empty. It was a
pleasant luxury, being able to shower in privacy. Seeing as he didn't grow
up playing sports, he hadn't exactly acquired the whole care-free mentality
required to prance around a locker room in all his glory for a team of guys
to see. Quickly grabbing a pair of boxer briefs, a towel, and a bottle of
Axe body wash out of his locker, Jeff headed over to the showers, hanging
the towel and underwear up on the hook just outside the shower at the end
of the row. He slipped past the curtain, electing to get undressed inside
the shower. Against all reason, he was feeling incredibly bashful about
showering in "public;" public, in this case, being an empty locker room. As
ridiculous as he felt, standing in a shower in boots, kneepads, and his
other wrestling gear, it was a necessary sacrifice in his mind to ensure no
one saw him in his birthday suit.

To the outside observer, the following scene must have been
hilarious. Tights and pads began flying over the top of the curtain,
landing on the floor in a disorganized heap.  Lastly, the white jock went
sailing over, topping off the pile of discarded gear. Jeff now stood,
completely naked, shivering slightly as the locker room had a certain chill
to it.  Quickly, he turned the water on, looking for salvation in a nice,
hot shower. He was met, however, with a stinging, cold blast of
water. Flailing about, he wound up slamming himself against the back wall
of the cramped shower with a thud, trying to escape the icy stream spraying
on his chest. The water continued to hit him as he tried to defend himself,
hoping that the water would eventually heat up a little bit.

"What the hell are you doing in there?!"

Even more startled, Jeff braced himself against the wall and snapped his
head to look at the curtain, where the silhouette of a man now stood. He
quickly turned off the water.  "John?" Jeff asked, wiping water off of his
face.

"Yup! It's me, ya goofy bastard," he replied from the other side of the
curtain.  "What the hell's goin' on in there?!"

"Christ! Is it always this hard for a man to get a shower around here?!
First this fuckin' thing sprays me with ice water, then you sneak in here
and scare the shit out of me!" Jeff exclaimed, attempting to compose
himself.

John just laughed. "My bad, man! I just wanted to find ya and say great job
out there with Sean. I don't think it could've gone any better."

Hearing this got Jeff really excited. "Hey, thanks bud," he said. "I'm glad
you think so.  But anyway, how did you know it was me in here?" Jeff asked,
feeling a little exposed, remembering that he was still standing there
naked, holding a conversation.

John answered, "WellÉI walked in and heard the shower goin', so I figured
I'd take a peek and see if it was youÑyou really can't miss these orange
tights you got layin' here on the floor, man."

Jeff started cracking up. "Nah, you really can't; I guess that's a dead
give- away."

"It's all good. You should've seen some of the shit I wore when I was
gettin' started," John said, reassuringly.

"Yup. And now, you've evolved into jean shorts and sweatbands," Jeff
quipped.

John retorted. "Hey! Keep fuckin' around! I'll yank all of your shit out of
here and let you walk around the halls buck-ass naked. See what kinda
impression you make then!"

"No, no, no, don't!" Jeff screamed. "I'm sorry! I take it back."

"Yea, that's right, bitch!" John joked. "Well listen, I better take off. I
was just wonderin', though, what you were doin' after the show."

Jeff was pleasantly surprised to hear John inquiring about his plans,
presumably to hang out. He responded. "I'm not sure, really. I was thinking
of callin' up the boys and seein' if they wanted to hit up the Red Robin
for some burgers and beers or something to celebrate. You should come."

"Sure, I'll go. You don't think they would mind?" John asked.

Jeff scoffed. "Hell no! I know they'd love to meet ya. Definitely not a
problem.  Besides, what if I never get to see ya again after tonight?"

"Man, I told you not to worry about that shit! You're gettin' a job
hereÉthat's all there is to it," he declared. "Anyway, I'll let you go get
your ice shower. Drop by my locker room after the show when you're ready to
head out."

"Sounds good, bud," Jeff said. "Have fun out there!"

"You know it! Catch up with ya later, kid." And with that, John left,
Jeff's underwear in hand, wearing a shit-eating grin on his face. Jeff just
stood in the shower for a moment, completely oblivious, basking in the
delight of knowing that he was going out with John.  It wasn't like a date
or anythingÑthe boys would be there, anywayÑbut it was still exciting
none-the-less. After about a minute, he looked back down at the shower
knob.  "Alright, you fucker. Let's try this again."

Wow, I'm not sure why that seemed so exhausting to write. I'd have to
apologize for it taking so long, too. More to come, hopefully more sooner
than later. It's so exciting to have John back surprisingly early from his
injury! Send your questions, comments, and concerns out to
ITSMonkeywolfnoz@aol.com. Have a nice day! :o)