PROLOGUE
When Jonathan Good signed the papers that would make him a part of the WWE developmental company Florida Championship Wrestling, he knew his life was going to be different. He would be starting a new chapter of his life in his wrestling career but saying goodbye to a bigger portion. When he thought about the friends he would be leaving, it was heart wrenching. The hardest part would be leaving Sami. Sam Johnston, who went by the professional name of Sami Callihan was Jon's best friend in the business. They had been part of a group called Switchblade Conspiracy and had always been there for each other. Although at times they had been on opposite sides of the ring, they remained best friends throughout it all.
The day he told Sami was the hardest day he could remember having. Going to Sami's house the day after he signed, he was let in by his wife and was told Sami was in the kitchen eating some lunch. When he was asked if he wanted something, he declined and went towards the kitchen to talk to Sami. He found Sami sitting at the dining table eating a sandwich and he came and sat down next to him. Sami looked at him and he could tell that there was something going on. He had never seen that look on Jon's face before.
"Hey man, what's going on?" Sami asked him. He titled his head at his best friend and was genuinely concerned about him.
Jon took a deep breath and said, "Sami, there's something that I have to tell you and I'm not really sure how you are going to take it. But it is a major step and I would like nothing more than your support. Which I know that you will give but I'm just scared."
Sami put down his sandwich and looked at his friend and was starting to get worried. Jon was an important person in his life and he had a feeling that what he was going to hear was going to change a lot of things between them. "What is it Jon?"
Jon just decided that it would be easier to just do it all at one time, without any hesitation. "I signed with WWE and will be starting in FCW in about a month." Jon looked at Sami to get his reaction and tried to ignore the ache in his heart that appeared there out of nowhere. He didn't know if he could do this. There was so much that he wanted to tell Sami, so much he thought he would never have a chance to say. But how do you tell your best friend about feelings that you are not supposed to have.
Sami was speechless. Jon was leaving? To the big house so to speak? While that is everyone's dream, he never thought that it would happen. Not that he didn't think Jon was good enough. He was but it was it was going to be strange to not have him there. "You're going to the 'E?" Sami asked him slowly.
Jon nodded and wished that Sami was coming with him. It would have made things so much easier if he was. Just then, Sami's wife came into the kitchen and Jon watched her with a mix of jealousy and curiosity. He still never saw what Sami had seen in her. He knew that Sami cheated on her on occasion but he never knew who with. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm excited about the move because it's something that I have always wanted to do but it's going to be hard leaving you and the other guys behind."
Sami smiled at Jon and said, "Don't worry about us Jon. You do what you need to do. This is your career you're talking about here. And definitely don't worry about me. We'll still keep in touch and you never know, I could be joining you soon."
Jon smiled and moved over to Sami and put his hand behind his head and touched his forehead with his own. "I know you will. You're too talented to not make it Sami. I'm going to miss you like crazy." Jon felt like tears were going to fall which was not like him at all. He needed to get out of there before he did something really stupid. "I gotta go man. I'll talk to you soon," Jon said as he kissed Sami on the top of his head and walked out of Sami's home.
Jon spent the next year or so in FCW/NXT as Dean Ambrose where he met the two men who would later become his partners in crime, Colby Lopez as Seth Rollins and Joe Anoa'i as Roman Reigns. They were known as The Shield and they made national debut for WWE in November 2012. Jon kept in contact with Sami as much as possible and continued to follow his career, hoping for a chance to maybe be able to show McMahon how talented Sami was. He would have loved nothing more than to have Sami by his side because as much as he loved and respected Colby and Joe, there was a special place in his heart for Sami.