Chapter Five
Ryan
I woke up feeling good that day. I only realized later on that my mood was completely dependent on my headaches. Without a headache, I felt lighter and more in control of my life. I almost called Nick to tell him that he didn’t have to worry. If there was something seriously wrong with me, then I wouldn’t be feeling so good. But calling Nick would be like admitting that I worried about it myself.
I still had an hour to go until it was time for the dinner. I was starving so I wasn’t sure what I was looking forward to more: the food or the fights. Although, watching other people fight when I’d been told to still wait a few months to fight myself was not going to be easy. I put on the TV to distract me until it was time to go. I flipped between channels looking for something to watch, and then stopped at the sports channel when I saw Ron Matthew Prowl on the TV screen.
Ron Matthew Prowl, or “The Prowl” as he was better known, was smiling into the camera. I’d met him on a few occasions, and the two of us had just never gotten along. There was something about him that I didn’t like, and it annoyed me that he was so good at what he did. I had to admit that he was a good fighter, but that didn’t make him any more likable to me. He clearly had never liked me, either. We were just two very different personalities who were unfortunately in the same line of work. It made for good TV, of course, because everyone liked a bit of drama, but if I could avoid him for the rest of my life, I definitely would.
“A very big welcome to The Prowl, one of the most talked-about fighters in the world of MMA. It’s great to have you with us today, and we really appreciate you making the time to talk to us. We all know how busy you are,” said the reporter.
She was a small woman, and Ron towered over her. But she seemed to like having him there; she kept flicking her hair back and giggling at every word that he said. I groaned at the sight of her flirtation. What was so great about Ron? I couldn’t understand why women liked him. It probably had more to do with his fame than his looks, although it still baffled me.
“And it’s great to be here,” he said. He smiled at the woman, and if I wasn’t mistaken, I swore I saw him wink at her. It made me feel ill to my stomach. He loved having women hanging on his arm at all times, but he didn’t exactly treat them with any sort of respect. It bugged me that he was so often made to be the face of the MMA world.
“So, tell us all about your last fight. You walked off victorious. How did it feel?” she asked. What a stupid question. Of course it felt good to win a fight. I had a feeling this reporter didn’t know too much about the fights. She seemed far more interested in Ron than anything else.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. It was the only thing he would say that I would agree with. Nothing did beat that feeling.
“I’m sure,” the reporter said. “It was a quick one too. I don’t think that guy stood a chance with you.”
He laughed. “No, he certainly didn’t. The poor thing. I would’ve preferred fighting against someone that offered me a bit more of a challenge, to be honest. This was too easy.”
“So, is there anyone out there that you’re looking forward to fighting? Anyone that you’re perhaps scared of fighting against?”
He looked at her and then looked into the camera and smiled. I noticed that his teeth were slightly yellowed and crooked. He ran his hand through his hair as he spoke, and the reporter looked as if she were going to faint at the sight of him. What was wrong with her? Did she not notice his teeth?
“I’m not afraid of anyone. And I welcome anyone to join me in the ring. There’s nobody that could stand to beat me. Why be a fighter if you’re scared to fight? That doesn’t make any sense to me at all.”
“So, is it true that you claim to the best fighter in the world?”
“Claim? Oh, I am the best fighter in the world. There is absolutely no doubt about it. And if anyone dares to go against me, I’ll happily prove it to them,” he said smugly. Then he turned to the reporter and flashed her a smile. “It’s important to be confident in everything you do. I believe in myself. I have always believed in myself.”
Her face had gone all pink, and she quickly shuffled through her papers as if flustered by him. “Yes, confidence is important. And you seem to have it in leaps and bounds. It certainly shows through in your fighting.”
“I’m glad you noticed. As I’m sure you saw in the last fight, that guy had absolutely no confidence at all. No wonder I beat him.”
“What about Ryan Maxwell? How do you feel about him?” the reporter asked, and I groaned when I heard my name. I wasn’t surprised, though. I often heard my name being thrown around by the media these days, but the last thing I wanted was to hear Ron talking about me. There was no chance he was going to say anything good.
“Maxwell?” Ron said and pulled a face. “I feel nothing for him. He’s gone through a lucky streak lately, but it’s not going to last. You’ll see.”
“I’m assuming you’re not a fan of his?”
He laughed. “A fan? No, I’m definitely not a fan. Ryan Maxwell is nothing but trash. He’s not a good fighter. He just thinks he is. But it’s okay. Let him have his fun for a while. Sometimes I like it when another fighter seems to think that they’re better than everyone else. Then they come into the ring with me, and I show them what fighting is really all about.”
I switched off the TV before I could hear anything more. I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest. I stood up and paced the room, wishing that I could say something to Ron. I wasn’t surprised to hear him talk that way, but it annoyed me all the same. He had always been a trash talker. He was known for it. It was what the media wanted from him. A lot of the fighters were like this, but when I met them face to face, they were nothing like what they portrayed to the world. But Ron was different. The person he showed to everyone else was the person he was in real life. I couldn’t believe that he had the guts to call me trash. Did he not look in the mirror?
I was just about to turn the TV back on when I realized it was time to leave for dinner. I swore at the blank screen and then walked away. It was probably good that I had something to do because listening to him any longer would not have been good for me.
The moment I arrived, I saw Nick pulling up beside me.
“Ha! Out of all the places to park, you find a spot right next to me!” I said.
“Great minds and good timing,” Nick said and laughed. Then he frowned at me. “Hey, what’s wrong with you? You look angry.”
I sighed. “That’s because I am angry.”
“You saw that interview.”
“Yeah, you too?”
“Yep, I was watching it just before coming here. I actually switched it off before it finished, though. That guy’s an idiot. I couldn’t watch him anymore. I actually didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of watching anymore.”
“I switched it off too. Although if I were standing in front of him, I would’ve punched him in the face. Did he seriously say he’s the best fighter in the world? Man, that guy is so infuriating!”
“Yeah, but you know what he’s like. He’s always been like that. He always has something to say. He loves antagonizing people.”
“Well, it worked. And why did he have to drag my name into it?”
“Ah, seriously, Ryan, I wouldn’t worry. The fact that he said all those things about you means he’s probably scared shitless of you. He’s just trying to rile you up. You’re only working into his plan by getting upset.”
I sighed. “And did you see how that reporter was acting around him? Was it just me or was she flirting with him?”
“It wasn’t just you. I noticed it too. I honestly don’t understand what women see in him,” Nick said.
“I thought the same thing. He’s just a big oaf. You sure I can’t fight him sometime soon? I don’t need to wait a few months to do it. Come on, wouldn’t you like to see me beat him? That would be sweet justice.”
“Trust me, Ryan. I’d like nothing more than to see that. But you need to give your body a break. The last thing you want to do is go out there guns blazing and then lose. Don’t be that guy. Be smart about this. Remember, the key to the MMA game is patience.”
“Patience is a load of bullshit,” I said.
Nick laughed. “I know. Come on, let’s go eat. You need a beer.”
A beer sounded great. We went inside and found a table.
“So, how does it feel to be here?” Nick asked me.
I glanced around and smiled. When I first started in the MMA world, I used to fight in local venues in order to work my way up. It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of guys doing the same thing, and we were all desperate to get better.
“It’s strange,” I said. “I feel so nostalgic. Although back in my day they didn’t have a restaurant attached to the venue. It’s all about making money now. Have you noticed that the people here are not the same people that used to come to our fights? I mean, most of these guys are just here for the food. I guess it was a smart business move.”
Nick laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t even think of that. Well, I’m not complaining. I’m starving.”
“So am I, actually. Food and fighting go hand in hand for me.”
The waiter came by with our menus, and we both ordered a beer. “Did you know that this was where I did my very first fight?” I said when the waiter left.
He smiled. “Yeah, mine too. I think a lot of guys started off here. And now look where you are. I bet you never even dared to imagine that you would be in the position you are in now.”
“I wanted it so badly, but I didn’t ever want to admit it to anyone in case I failed. But trust me, I imagined it in my head all the time.”
“Well, here you are. You didn’t fail.”
“I didn’t. Mostly I just wanted to beat you,” I said and laughed. “I can’t believe it was only a few years ago. It feels like forever ago, don’t you think? I feel like a very different person from the guy that first started.”
“Yeah, I mean we knew nothing about the business back then. Do you think you would’ve still gone into it if you knew what you knew today? It’s not an easy career path to take. Someone asked me that question the other day.”
I nodded. “Not easy at all. But I have no doubt in my mind that I would’ve still gone for it. How about you? What was your answer?”
“Exactly the same as yours. I definitely would’ve still gone for it. Even though I busted my eye up and lost my vision. Even though I can’t compete anymore. I would’ve still done it. And I feel like most people don’t really understand that.”
“I understand it. I feel like it’s who I am. I didn’t realize how much I liked pushing myself until now. I didn’t know that I had it in me, to be honest.”
“I did. You’re one crazy guy. If anyone could do it, it would be you.”
“Ah, you’re so nice to me when we’re not in the ring. But in the ring, you’re a maniac,” I said.
“Hey, someone has to push you.”
We laughed and continued to think back to all the old fights we used to have when we were first starting out. There had been incredibly low moments and some beautifully high moments. And we’d been together for most of them. We were half way through a conversation about some fight we’d both had with one of our enemies when I saw a familiar figure walking into the room.
There were two women, but the one had long brown hair and a big happy smile. She immediately made me feel good, and the feeling reminded me of something that I couldn’t place. She was with another woman, short with blonde hair. They were across the room so I couldn’t make out their faces too clearly.
“What’s up?” Nick said and looked in the direction I was staring at.
I snapped out of my reverie and shook my head. “Sorry, that woman just looks so familiar. The one with the dark hair.”
“Where? Oh, that one? Oh, she’s very pretty,” Nick said.
“Yeah, she is. She’s gorgeous. Where on earth do I know her from?” I asked. “Do you know her?”
He shook his head. “I wish I did. But she doesn’t look at all familiar to me. Do you think she’s someone you knew long ago?”
I shook my head. It felt recent. As she got closer it hit me. “Oh, that’s the girl I was telling you about. Oh wow, that’s a small world.”
“Wait? Which girl?”
“The one from Wyoming. I told you about her the other day.”
“The movie star?” he asked.
“Yeah. She said she was into fighting. I wonder if that’s why she’s here.”
“Maybe she’s here because she thought she’d see you,” he teased.
“Nah, my name is not on the list. Hey, do you mind if I go and say hi real quick?”
“Did you ever call her back, by the way? You said you got her number.”
I shook my head. “Uh, no. I didn’t. But she didn’t call me, either, so it’s not like I need to feel guilty. Besides, I didn’t say exactly when I was going to call her.”
Nick laughed. “Good luck with that one. And yeah man, go and talk to her before I do. And see if her friend is available?”
I laughed. “I’ll be right back.