Enzo Martinez stood tall in front of his opponent, Cardiff, inside the ring. The match was about to begin.
The referee gave his final instructions: "Alright, you both know the rules no low blows, no biting, no eye-gouging…"
Both wrestlers nodded before the referee signaled for the bell.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
"Normally, I'd lock up with Cardiff, trying to wear him down or have him wear me down. But that was never Gerard's style. He always started with a violent assault right from the beginning," Enzo muttered to himself.
Cardiff stood still for a moment, then moved forward slowly, extending his hands to grapple with Enzo in a test of strength. But instead, Enzo launched a direct kick to his face, sending him crashing to the mat.
Cardiff tried to get up quickly, but Enzo struck his legs with another kick, knocking him down again.
The crowd erupted at Enzo's aggressive start. Most of them had already seen the two face off multiple times, and they had watched Enzo fight different opponents. But this was the first time they had seen him unleash these kinds of moves.
Cardiff got back up, visibly surprised by Enzo's sudden change of style, and clearly angry. He charged forward, swinging for a crossline aimed at Enzo's neck. But Enzo dodged it swiftly, bounced off the ropes to build momentum, and smashed into Cardiff with a shoulder tackle, sending him to the ground.
As Cardiff got up again, Enzo rebounded off the ropes on the opposite side and hit him with another shoulder tackle. The sequence repeated three times, until on the fourth attempt Cardiff anticipated the move. But just as he prepared to counter, Enzo blasted him with a sudden kick to the face, knocking him down hard.
Enzo roared at the crowd, who had been silent in awe of his new style. The arena exploded with cheers, despite the modest attendance.
Backstage, organizers and even other wrestlers in the locker room, watching the match on screens, were stunned by Enzo's sudden transformation.
Gerard, however, was smiling. The performance brought back countless memories thirty years ago, he had been the one thrilling fans with his explosive style, winning their admiration, and building his fame. Enzo reminded him of his younger self, starting out in small local arenas before climbing up the ranks.
In the ring, while Enzo was hyping up the crowd, the referee checked on Cardiff, who was still down on the mat. Slowly, Cardiff began to rise, touching his mouth to see if he was bleeding.
Enzo retreated to a corner, preparing to deliver his finishing move his personal finisher. His style was to let his opponent get back to his feet, then charge at full speed and smash him with a running knee strike to the face.
He waited as Cardiff stood. The moment the referee stepped back, Enzo sprinted forward but at the last instant, Cardiff ducked and rolled out beneath the ropes.
The crowd booed Cardiff loudly as he circled outside the ring. The referee ordered him back immediately, and reluctantly, Cardiff climbed the steel steps and reentered the ring.
The referee signaled to continue, and this time Cardiff rushed straight at Enzo. He hammered him with quick punches, then drove a hard kick into Enzo's stomach. Grabbing Enzo's head, Cardiff hooked it under his arm and dropped down quickly, slamming Enzo's skull into the mat with a brutal DDT.
Cardiff quickly covered Enzo for the pin, hooking his shoulders. Then he climbed a corner turnbuckle, pointing to the crowd as if to say he would end the fight right there. The audience cheered as he stood tall on the ropes and leapt but Enzo rolled away at the last moment, sending Cardiff crashing hard onto the canvas chest-first.
Enzo shot to his feet, retreated to the corner, and waited for Cardiff to rise. As soon as he did, Enzo charged and smashed him with a devastating running knee to the face. Cardiff crumpled instantly. Enzo hooked his leg for the cover as the referee dropped to the mat and counted along with the fans:
"ONE! TWO! THREE!"
The bell rang, and the referee raised Enzo's hand high in victory.
In the stands, Gerard stood clapping, muttering to himself: "Not bad at all. With some strict training, he could become so much better. I think I've found the right one."
The crowd chanted Enzo's name as he celebrated on the ropes, arms raised high.
Later, Enzo watched the remaining matches from the locker room until the event ended, then left.
Outside, he found Gerard waiting for him.
"That was an incredible performance," Gerard said warmly. "I sincerely thank you."
Enzo grinned. "Really? I was just imitating you, sir. I studied some of your old matches just copied the simpler moves and your style in the ring."
"And it was fantastic," Gerard replied. "You have talent, but more importantly, you have passion and love for this sport. Remember this: anyone who truly loves wrestling will be rewarded by the ring. There are some promising wrestlers here, but I believe you surpass them. You have ambition. Just keep going, keep fighting, and you'll make it."
Enzo listened carefully and said, "Thank you, sir. This is my life's dream. I've sacrificed so much, and I'll keep pushing until my very last breath."
Gerard smiled, scratching the back of his head. "So… do you have some free time during the week? You could visit me at my home. We could talk more or if you ever need advice…"
Enzo's eyes lit up. "Really? Just tell me the time, and I'll be there, no doubt."
"What about Wednesday evening? Does that work?" Gerard asked.
"Absolutely," Enzo nodded.
"Then I'll be waiting for your visit."
With that, Gerard tucked his hands into his jacket and walked away. Enzo did the same, hopped on his motorcycle, and rode home.