Chapter 4:
Scotty grit his teeth in concentration as he pushed the heavy barbell high into the air, breathing rhythmically as every muscle in his arm and chest strained to maintain the tremendous weight in the air. Ignoring his protesting muscles, the young superstar lowered the weights just so he could lift them up once again with the same fervor.
As he counted the reps silently in his head, he kept reminding himself that proper training was essential in order to survive in this business. Such was a simple fact of life that every single superstar lived by; to remain complacent would severely compromise their overall health and preparedness. But for the US Champion, he had a little extra incentive to continue with his strict routine.
As his arms screamed for a break, the young man focused on his breathing and forced himself to lift the barbell three more times in an effort to push his limits as far as they could possibly go. With much effort, he managed to accomplish the task.
With a triumphant clank, the heavy weights slid into their appropriate slot as Scotty sat upright with a grunt. Grabbing a towel, the young superstar wiped off his sweaty brow as he made his way over to the water fountain and took a drink. Now that the strength training was done and over with, he could focus on the more important part of his routine: cardiovascular exercises. Some of the larger guys chose to spend their time making their muscles bigger and stronger, but Scotty, being a small guy naturally, focused more on his greatest attribute -- his speed and agility. After all, it was impossible to hurt someone when you couldn't catch them. Cardio was much more important, in his opinion.
As he stood upright from the fountain, he felt someone tap his shoulder. Scotty turned around to see Johnny Stamboli dabbing his sweaty forehead with a towel. He pointed a thumb back at the weight-lifting station which Scotty had just vacated and said, "You know you shouldn't be lifting wit'out a spotter. You want me to spot ya?"
He was right, of course. Scotty answered, "No, I just finished up, actually. Thanks anyway."
Johnny shrugged and filled up a cup from the water fountain. As he did so, he looked at the US Champion and said, "Hey man, you know that if you ever need any help dealing wit' Angle and his goons, the FBI has got your back. Just say the word and we'll take care of business Sicilian-style," he finished with a trace of innuendo.
Scotty smiled and responded, "Thanks, man. I appreciate the offer, but I'd rather not get anyone else involved with my affairs if I can avoid it."
Johnny stood up and looked at the young man up and down, "Yeah, I can respect dat. Okay then, good luck wit' dat," he said and prepared to walk off. He went a few steps, then stopped and turned back around slowly. When he spoke, it was in a hushed tone, "Look, it may seem like you're on your own here, but I just wanted to let you know dat a lot of the guys in the back are behind ya all the way. A whole lot of us. It takes guts to stand up to Angle, and da fact that you're standing up to him and his guys Reigns and Jindrak, well, it's impressive, man. A lot of the guys are beginning to really respect you for dat. Whatever happens, we've got your back, capisce?"
Touched, Scotty blinked and said, "Yeah, thanks. That means a lot to me."
"Eh, don't mention it," Johnny said in his trademark Italian accent, "We're all just one big happy family here, and family looks out for each udder. Remember dat."
"I will," Scotty nodded as Johnny Stamboli walked off to continue his own training exercises.
The US Champion situated himself on a Stairmaster, starting out slow at first. As he trained, his thoughts began to form all on their own. It was true that he had considered himself to be fighting -- more or less -- on his own before today. Aside from Shannon Moore, he was always left with the impression that he was trying to take on Angle and his henchmen all by himself. Johnny Stamboli's words were both surprising and appreciated at the same time. It was always just a perk of the business that those with belts were often targeted and shunned from the other wrestlers -- mostly because they brought trouble with them wherever they went -- and Scotty was no exception to this trend.
Scotty had gotten used to being alone quite well in the months since winning the US Title; ever since he had received the belt, everyone in the back had been trying to beat him to get a shot at the gold. Unlike the WWE Championship -- which was reserved for only the biggest names on Smackdown -- or the Cruiserweight Title -- which was restricted to the smaller guys -- the US Title could be held by just about anyone. As such, Scotty had to worry about practically the entire roster coming after him, which is what made him so shocked and humbled to know that he actually had friends and supporters who valued the bravery he exhibited towards Angle rather than the gold strap he wore.
With a confident smile firmly affixed to his face, the young superstar cranked up the settings on the Stairmaster and began to push his limits like they had never been pushed before. He trained much longer than usual that day, rejuvenated as he was by the respect granted to him by his peers.
By the time the US Champion left the gym, the sun had already begun to set, signifying that Scotty had spent the entire day training. Strangely enough, though, he hardly felt tired. In fact, he felt better than he had in months, years even. The young man decided to grab a quick bite to eat at a Subway down the street from the gym he had been training in.
As the young superstar took a window seat with his sandwich, he became aware of the curious glances that were shot his way. He smiled in between bites, knowing what was to follow.
After a few minutes, a teenage boy with red hair approached the table cautiously and asked, "Excuse me, um, I don't mean to bother you, but.....are you Scotty 2 Hotty? From the WWE?"
Scotty wiped his mouth off and fixed the young man with a good-natured smile, "The one and only," he said with a wink.
The fan blinked twice, then broke into a pleased grin and said excitedly, "Wow, I never thought I'd see you here! Can I have your autograph?"
"You bet," Scotty replied as he produced a black marker from his back pocket which he always carried around for moments such as this, "You want me to sign your forehead or something?"
The red-haired kid smiled, realizing that he didn't have paper with him. Then a thought struck him, "Um, could you sign my shirt?"
"Of course," Scotty said, noticing that the teen was wearing a wrestling T-shirt. After a quick autograph, it was only a matter of time before other people in the restaurant came up requesting his signature. Scotty didn't mind a bit as he continued to sign shirts, sandwich wrappers, and napkins while sneaking in bites of his sandwich when he could. After the fans had been satisfied, Scotty finished his dinner, waved at the satisfied wrestling fans still inside, and walked out into the warm night air.
As he left the restaurant, he spotted the red-haired fan standing off to one side of the building with a group of his friends, showing off his autographed shirt. As soon as he spotted the superstar leaving the restaurant, the youth smiled and pointed. Scotty walked over to the group and introduced himself.
The group was excited about meeting him, of course, and they all had many questions to ask the young superstar. Always one to please the fans, Scotty chatted with them for a good long time about many different things.
As the sun eventually set completely and the moon began to show itself, Scotty announced that he should probably head back to his hotel. The group of teenagers bid him farewell, and as Scotty prepared to part with his new friends, the red-headed young man caught his attention and said in a sincere voice, "Look, Mr. Garland, um......I'm not really sure how to say this, but I just wanted to say 'thank you' for everything that you do. I mean, I know you must have a really tough career, and we all really appreciate the job you're doing. Thanks," he finished as his friends all voiced their agreement.
Overcome with emotion, Scotty grinned slightly and said, "Think nothing of it. There's not a thing in the world I would rather be doing," and he meant it.
The US Champ reluctantly left the group and headed back to his hotel, a smile on his face the entire way.
As soon as he got back to his hotel room and showered up, Scotty dug out his laptop and went to check his e-mail. He had two new messages: one from Shannon Moore and one from Theodore Long. The young superstar opened up Moore's message first and read its contents:
Dear Scotty,
I just got off the phone with Teddy Long about what happened last night on Smackdown. I requested a match with Mark Jindrak for Survivor Series, and I got it! I wasn't really expecting Long to agree to it so readily, but I'm glad he did. After what Jindrak did to us in our match last night, I'm going to make sure to return the favor.
Long said he was going to start advertising our match next week on Smackdown. I don't know if Jindrak knows about it yet, but he will soon enough!
So how's your training going? Maybe when we get to St. Louis for the next show, we can train together. Heck, any routine that's good enough for the US Champion has got to work for me!
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that last night at the clubs was really fun. Maybe next time we can bring some more of the guys. I was talking with Nunzio today and he told me about how he and Johnny were supportive of what we were doing to oppose Angle. I think we can count on them, but you might want to talk to them yourself about it.
Alright, hope you have a nice night. Bye.
-Shannon
Scotty leaned back and smiled. Shannon Moore certainly had guts, that's for sure. He knew the eager young cruiserweight was brave, but challenging Mark Jindrak to a match at Survivor Series was brash even for him. Scotty himself didn't even have a choice to face Jindrak at No Mercy; Angle convinced Teddy Long to sign the match regardless of the US Champion's wishes.
Curious, Scotty opened up the letter from Theodore Long and read it:
Mr. Garland,
Despite your unfortunate loss on Smackdown, I still find myself impressed with your performance in the ring week in and week out. However, I have also found myself impressed with one Billy Kidman, the current Cruiserweight Champion.
Therefore, I have decided to sign a match for next week's Smackdown: Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Billy Kidman, Champion vs. Champion. Neither belt will be on the line, of course, but if the reaction from the fans is positive enough, I may just consider making a title vs. title match between you and Kidman at Survivor Series.
As always, your input on this idea is appreciated. Keep in mind that there is a good chance you will end up defending your title at Survivor Series, although I haven't quite decided who it will be against at this point in time.
I hope to see you in St. Louis on Monday. Enjoy your flight.
-Theodore R. Long
The US Champion sighed through his nose and put his hands behind his head. Kidman was a gifted athlete and a tough opponent, and he had been dominating the cruiserweight division for many months now. Scotty knew that this was not going to be a cakewalk by any means, but he was determined to meet the challenge head-on.
As the young superstar put away his laptop, a slow smile crept across his face as he reflected upon the day's activities. No matter what was thrown his way, he could overcome all of it as long as he had the support of his fellow wrestlers and the fans.
Before going to bed, Scotty crept over to a duffel bag sitting on the floor and drew forth the US Title. He sat on the end of his hotel bed with the precious title resting on his lap as he simply appreciated its presence for several minutes.
No matter what happens, I can persevere as long as I'm not alone, Scotty reflected as he ran a finger over the nameplate of the championship, This belt is just a material thing; I can live without it if need be. It's the title that matters. United States Champion. Regardless of whether I have this belt or not, the fact that I held onto this title at all will never change.
With a sense of pride the likes of which he had never felt before, Scotty 2 Hotty gently placed the title belt back into the duffel back and went to sleep with the enticing prospect of another day of training running through his mind.