Brrrr Brrrrrr Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Enzo was on his bike, racing against time to deliver his order as fast as possible. This was his last delivery of the day in his job as a courier. He always tried to finish work early so he could get back to training, because professional wrestling was his passion, his hobby, and his favorite sport. He had loved it ever since he was a child, from the first time he ever watched a wrestling show.
After dropping off the order, Enzo rushed back to his rented apartment and then headed straight to the gym. It was Saturday, so he would only train lightly, since tomorrow sunday he had a wrestling match in the evening.
Enzo wrestled in a small local promotion for wrestling enthusiasts. He paid a yearly fee to compete there, because the ticket sales and merchandise revenue were barely enough to cover the costs of setting up the venue.
It had always been Enzo's dream, since childhood, to become a professional wrestler with a name recognized across the country. Now, at twenty years old, he still held onto that dream. But circumstances had slowed him down. His parents had never believed in his dream, so he left home at eighteen, started working, and has been training ever since. That became his daily routine. His ultimate goal was to join the biggest wrestling promotion "World Wrestling Ultra" WWU and become world champion.
After finishing his training, Enzo took a shower, got dressed, and went straight back home.
His small rented place was just one room with a kitchen in the same space and a tiny bathroom near the entrance. On the wall above his bed were several pictures of wrestlers, but the largest one was of his favorite masked wrestler, the country's most famous star, " Mil Punch." In the photo, he was holding a golden championship belt, smiling with joy. Enzo remembered that exact moment. He had been only 13 years old, watching Ultimate Wrestling, the biggest WWU show, when " Mil Punch " performed his signature sequence—landing punch after punch on his opponent to the roar of 60,000 fans. Then he ran into the ropes, bounced back with speed, and hit his finisher, the "CRYMORE", before pinning his opponent. The referee's hand struck the mat as the crowd counted along: "ONE, TWO, THREE!" The announcer shouted: "And the new World Champion… Mil Punch!"
Enzo still remembered that night vividly. It was the main reason he started training. He had decided then that he would become the greatest wrestler in history, the main event of Ultimate Wrestling, and win the world championship.
That night, he cooked dinner, ate, and went to bed.
---
The next morning, Enzo put on his work clothes and headed out for his morning shift. Since leaving home, he had learned that every penny mattered. Sundays were usually busier, with many more delivery orders, and his wrestling match wasn't scheduled until the evening.
He handled several deliveries and had a good morning. Around lunchtime, he received his last order in a neighborhood he had never worked in before. He picked up the food from the restaurant and biked for about ten minutes until he reached an area full of tall apartment buildings. Taking the elevator, he went up to the correct floor and knocked on the door. A tall man in his mid-fifties answered quietly, taking the order. But Enzo kept staring at him.
The man noticed and asked, "Excuse me, my friend?"
Enzo blurted out, "Gerard the Great… You're Gerard, the wrestler! You used to wrestle in World Wrestling Ultra, but a serious injury forced you to retire. You were one of the promotion's stars!"
Gerard smiled, as if a wave of memories washed over him. "Do you know the last time anyone called me Gerard the Great? How did you recognize me? I retired thirty years ago."
Enzo answered with excitement, "Sir, I'm also a wrestler well, an amateur. I wrestle in a small local promotion here in the city. I'm obsessed with wrestling. I know all the wrestlers who ever competed in WWU and their histories. I've watched many of your old matches, even though the quality was poor, but your performance was incredible."
Gerard sighed. "It's good that some of today's youth still care about the history and legacy of this sport. You said you wrestle locally where?"
Enzo replied, "In a small promotion in the Backlash district. I actually have a match tonight." He then bowed slightly and said, "Would you come watch my match? It would be such an honor."
Gerard looked at the young man bowing before him. "You're a good kid. Alright, I'll come watch, even though I usually don't attend local shows."
Enzo was overwhelmed with joy, thanking Gerard repeatedly before leaving.
He rushed straight home to prepare for his match that night. The first thing he did was turn on his computer to watch Gerard the Great's old matches, hoping to replicate some of his moves in the ring.
---
That evening, inside the small Backlash wrestling venue, Enzo Martinez was in the locker room with nine other wrestlers. It wasn't many, but it was enough to put on five matches every weekend.
Enzo's opponent was someone he had faced many times before; they both knew each other's moves well. But tonight, Enzo had decided to change his entire style, modeling himself after Gerard the Great.
The crowd inside the venue was modest but lively. Gerard sat among them, wearing a jacket and cap. No one recognized him people had forgotten him over the years. Since his retirement, he had rarely attended wrestling shows, and truthfully, he didn't mind being forgotten. His career had barely taken off before the injury cut it short.
Moments later, the announcer entered the ring to introduce the first match of the night: "Cardi Dave versus Enzo Martinez!"
Cardi Dave's entrance music hit first. He was about 5'9" tall, blonde, wearing short wrestling trunks, a knee brace, and boots. He interacted with the small crowd, climbing the ropes to greet them.
Then, Enzo Martinez's theme played. He entered wearing his own wrestling trunks, with pads on his knees and elbows, plus new wrestling shoes he had bought with his own money. While greeting the audience, he spotted Gerard in the crowd. Gerard waved back, and Enzo's heart soared.
The two wrestlers stood face-to-face in the ring. Enzo was taller, about 6'0". They both waited for the referee's signal, and the bell rang to start the match.