It comes down to me and Michael Carrington. Michael “Shorty Junior” Johnson taking on Michael “Silkk” Carrington for the interim United States title in a steel cage match. Who would have thought a year ago this would have happened? All things happen for a reason and I’m not quite sure why. Maybe this is my “it’s time once and for all to show you are finally ready to be your own man” moment. Hell it could even be the “someone needs to beat that cocky jackass senseless” thing that I seem to get a lot but all I know is that I plan to come in and give it my all. Any less than one hundred percent, in my mind, is not acceptable, not in a match this caliber…not against a wrestler of this caliber. Far too much was on the line. Forget the title. Gold comes and goes; rather the amount of pride and dignity is the power of course in this match. For Sikk, he feels as though he cannot afford to lose to me. For me, I have to beat him and prove that this transition from boy to man is complete. I have to be able to look after myself.

Location: A park, New York
Scenes open to a dilapidated run down court in a park. Leaned up against a black SUV with tinted windows is an older looking man. He has on black shades, black leather jacket, and black jeans with tan Timberland boots. He scratched his head as he surveyed the scene. Soon a familiar Chrysler 300 car pulls up behind the SUV. The man wearing black glimpses over and suddenly smirks. Out of the Chrysler 300 is MJ wearing a dark green muscle shirt with black aviator shades and blue ¾ jeans. He smiled back at his father and walked over to him. He, also, leaned up against the black SUV. Of course, the man in the leather jacket is Shorty. He told MJ to meet him here at the park for an unspecified reason. These two looked nearly nothing alike except a few noticeable things like nose or other genetics. MJ had gotten his shade of color from his very light skinned mother. MJ rubbed his head and pushed off of the car then turned around to his father.

MJ: So what’s the big surprise? Just looks like another dump to me.

Shorty: This dump, as you so put it, is where your grandfather died.

MJ: We’re on this again?

MJ’s father looked over at him, squinting his eyes in disbelief. MJ just realized what he had said. He had a bit of fear into his eyes. The last time these two matched up was a day or two before Rise to Greatness where Shorty, with one hand, held MJ firmly against the wall a feet or two in the air. He didn’t know what his father would do now. Make him a permanent windshield on the car or tie him to it and drag him through the street until he yelled he was sorry. MJ sighed.

MJ: Sorry, just I’ve been dealing with everyone else’s problems, not my own, as of late.

Shorty: This is your problem. This is your history. You want to beat Silkk and become a future solo star you need to learn your past. You need to learn where you came from to get where you want to go and that’s just the facts.

MJ: So what is standing up in some dingy ass park going to do for me?

Shorty: Come with me.

They began to walk through the park and after a few minutes of walking, Shorty stood near an old fountain no longer in use. He looked down next to it on the ground. MJ looked at the ground and looked back at him with confusion. The ground didn’t look any different from any of the other grounds. He wondered what his father was thinking, stopping at this place. Maybe he remembered something special about here?

Shorty: Do you know what is significant about this spot?

MJ: You’re first fall was here? I don’t know.

Shorty: This is the exact spot your grandfather laid on the ground after being shot to death in a drive by. You see that street? That’s where the Chevy speed down.

MJ: How the hell do you know all of this?

Shorty: I was with him when it happened.

MJ: …

He couldn’t believe his ears. It had almost hit him that over two to three decades ago his father or himself might had not been today. It almost hit like a punch to the chest. To know that you’re very life could have easily not existed from one bullet is enough to put anyone in a tail spin. He was in serious disbelief. As little as “well I was there when my dad was shot” was enough to hurt MJ’s head. What if the guys were sloppy and hit Shorty instead of his father or hit both of them? He couldn’t even imagine this idea. It was too much for him to bear. He rubbed his shoulder feeling a bit tense at the idea that he could have easily not existed; he looked over at his father. His father’s eyes were intense, a bit watery but intense nonetheless. You could still see the hurt after all these years. It was almost mind-numbing for MJ to see his father so hurt. His father had always been his pillar, had always been his support whether it be financial or emotionally. MJ patted his father on the back.

MJ: I know you’re still feeling it, dad, but trust me some things are fate.

Shorty: Fate? Someone taking the life of my innocent father is fate? That’s what God destined to happen to me?

MJ: Look, not everything is good but look at you. You are one of the most well respected, admired, and strongest family men to date. You command respect from street people like K-Nyne all the way to angry suburban boys like Glacier. You had a quality about you that no one can take from you and your father’s death might have been the reason you have such a quality personality such as yours. Dad, things happen for a reason whether you believe it or not. You hustled for a reason. You had a son for a reason. You hustled to keep me well and when I grew up you made sure I didn’t get into that. You’ve made me what I am today and that character of yours wouldn’t have been developed without you taking a few hard hits in life. A man has to suffer to truly appreciate what he has in life. I haven’t suffered anything worth noting but you have and it has made you a better man for it. You lost a father but you gained a loving wife and son as well as the admiration from some of the most talented on this side of the world.

Shorty: And to think you’re mother said you weren’t smart…

MJ: What?!

Shorty: Ha-ha. Calm down, you’ll survive. But on a serious note, when you go into your match I need to know you are mentally prepared for it. Silkk is a different man in a one-on-one than a four way. I want to know his mind games won’t affect you. How are you feeling about the match?

Shorty Junior: I honestly feel confident in myself. Silkk might have accomplishments that if put on a paper would be taller than me but the fact remains he has yet to accomplish things of importance in SCW. He wants me to feel worried about him but how can you feel worried about a man who has absolutely nothing to give concern about? Madison is with Shyne. The tag titles are with Glacier and Hudson. Silkk is a nobody with nothing to his name. He had his chance at Rise to Greatness. He had a chance to put me in my place and didn’t, once again throwing away another opportunity to become someone worth noting. The fact is this: I have outgrown him. I used to put this man on a pedestal. I would brag to others, “Hey I hang around with Silkk”. Now I look at him as everyone else does, as an incompetent foolish man who expects everyone to respect his street reputation. An amusement is what Carrington is. Talented or not, he has passed his prime a long time ago and needs to let go before he really drops.

Shorty: Say what you want Junior but don’t bring that attitude in the ring. Don’t even entertain the thought once you step foot into the arena. Silkk is well accomplished for a reason and give him a chance to get one move up on you and you might as well hand the man your belt. He might not be skilled but he is quite powerful and given you’re size, you are at a disadvantage so don’t act bigger than you really are. You might have outgrown him but you have yet to outwrestle him.

Shorty Jr.: Have yet? Every time I step into the ring I prove to be more talented and entertaining than him. I prove to be more intelligent than him. Why need a one on one steel cage match to prove superiority? Look at what I’ve done in the past year. Compare both Majestic and SCW careers to his. He might have been there longer but I have more accomplished. I can’t understand for the life of me why Carrington proceeds to hang onto me like the small annoying child in the family. He sees someone successful, he sees someone getting ahead in life, and he has to latch onto them like there is no tomorrow. Could the man be proud of how far I’ve gotten without assistance from Syndicate Inc.? Could he say to me, “you did a good job and I’m proud of you”. No, he has to play the bitter black man. He has to play the “I want what he has”, keeping up with the Jones. Then again this is the same man who only gives a damn about people if they are in a position to help him.

He used me. He used Shyne. He as well as his old arch nemesis, Chris Green, bails K-Nyne out of jail whenever they need help taking down someone. Silkk would sell his own mother crack if he felt it was needed. The man is nothing more than a user. He claims to be all powerful, all talented but when there is only him and another person in the ring…he falls short. Why? He is all mouth and no action. He will have a megaphone stuck to his mouth preaching his greatness while the people around him are proving it. It makes me sick. Hell, he makes me sick. I proved I can not only beat him but two other former stable members of his in a four way. I did it cleanly as well. Every obstacle from Konvict to steel chairs to the skull I have surpassed. This is my last and final test and I will show Michael Carrington what real hustling is about. Waking up early in the morning to work out, driving or flying at ridiculous times to go to shows to wrestle, going back to the hotel with bruises and pain after a night of wrestling. That’s hustling.

Any jackass with half common sense can stand on a corner and sell drugs to innocent kids and already hooked junkies. It takes a selfless, goal-orientated individual to wrestle. It takes a person who is almost a glutton for punishment to make this business the front and center of his life. What is SCW decided to release Silkk? Oh, that’s right they already did and what did we discover he had been doing when he returned back? He came out of jail. Jail, drugs, and ignorance are all Carrington knows. He doesn’t know an honest paycheck. He doesn’t know what it feels to be applauded after a show is taken off air. I’ve been there, I’ve done that. I’m proud to be a roster member of SCW. That’s a lot more than Silkk could say. He’s proud to be known as a thug or someone who is hard. Why anyone would want to be known as an unapproachable unproductive member of society is beyond me. When I was young, being a rebel is fun but how old is Silkk now? He’s getting up there in his late twenties alongside Glacier.

Shorty: Yes but with age comes experience, don’t forget that. Just because you had more accomplishments than he does, doesn’t make you the better wrestler either. Remember when you just came into SCW and you were beating people left to right and most of them were more accomplished than you. Don’t let accomplishments blind you from the facts. The fact is Silkk is still a very much competent wrestler even if he is heartless at times. So emotions aren’t his cup of tea, that doesn’t take away from the fact he is one of the more dominant wrestlers in SCW. You might not like Silkk or the way he goes about getting his way but he is still largely responsible for you being moved up to SCW so early. In fact, he is even responsible for you being in SCW in the first place. He was the one that gave me the heads up about SCW so I sent you there. At first I was abrasive about the idea as I didn’t want Silkk to influence you but I knew you needed the experience so bare that in mind when you insult the man.

Shorty Jr.: Dad, I was destined to shine. I was destined to become who I am today. It didn’t matter if it was in SCW with Silkk, OWF with Shyne, or DOP with you. I am the second generation all-star and no matter who says what, that will never change. Win or lose, my identity and my pride can’t be taken from me. I still walk out on that stage, I still get cheered, and from this day to my death I will always be known as Shorty Junior. It is my life and Silkk can’t take that from me. No one can take something that precious from me unless I let them do it. Dad, you let that happen to you. You let Silkk take your soul and the great wrestler who you were. You let him retire you but that was you and you’re path in life. Mine is different and I don’t plan to let Silkk control me or my emotions. I am my own man and I wish you could have felt the same way years ago but we can’t go back in time. Plus you are in no condition to return to the ring, let me do our family the justice it deserves and put this curse of the Carrington Fever to rest.

With those words uttered, MJ walked away from his father. Wind blew a little as MJ kept his head down and walked toward his car. Shorty could only look at his son. In his heart, he knew that he had let Carrington beat him in every way possible. Shorty could only hope his son would not allow Silkk to break his spirit like he did to him. Shorty sighed as MJ got into the Chrysler 300 and drove off. He watched MJ drive off as scenes fade away to black.