I stood facing the wall-sized mirror in Craig’s basement/ring, shirtless and clad in my athletic shorts. I had to smile as I turned from side to side, admiring my pecs that had ballooned considerably in the past year. I pumped them up and down in a little dance, and then raised my hands behind my head, interlocking my fingers as I crunched into an ab/thigh pose. I grimaced and twisted from side to side as the faint outline of six blocks appeared. Getting there, I thought to myself. Not quite a full-blown six pack, but I predicted I’d get there in the next few months.
I heard the basement door open and close. Heavy footsteps followed, getting louder as they descended each step. I looked up into the mirror mid-crunch, staring my reflection straight in the eyes. You got this, I told myself. You’re ready this time. Still, I felt a gnawing fear in my gut.
It had been eight months since I’d met up with Craig from that wrestling site, the Long Island lumberjack who had manhandled me and then sleepered me out. I had underestimated him then, but wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I’d been training hard for this match, working double-time to get as big as I possibly could, and demolishing other guys from the site on a monthly basis. I’d packed on quite a bit of muscle and had learned some new moves from the other guys I’d met. In short, this time I was ready. I hoped.
Craig’s feet hit the basement floor and continued toward me. “Looking good, champ!” he called, whistling. “Those protein shakes are working wonders!”
I turned to face him. I’d been shocked to see that Craig, who was already solid as a giant oak tree the last time we met, had gotten even bigger in the past eight months. While not quite dwarfing me, he had at least five inches on me and I don’t even know how many pounds. He was clad in the familiar dark blue wrestling trunks he’d worn last time. I swallowed hard and grimaced to hide my fear.
“Thanks. Wish I could say the same about you--you’re looking a little smaller than last time, old man. They say you shrink as you get older, you know.”
Craig chuckled. “Wow, kid. You’re really coming out guns blazing, aren’t ya? That attitude’s gonna get you in trouble.”
I continued stretching my arms from side to side. “Why don’t you get in the ring and do something about it?”
Craig smiled and regarded me with a long pause. “I’m really gonna enjoy this,” he said. “I like taking guys like you apart one piece at a time. The cockier the better.” He sauntered up to the ring and stepped through the ropes.
I didn’t waste any time, sprinting forward to begin my assault. I knew Craig wasn’t an ordinary competitor--I had to give it all I had right from the get-go. Making like I was gonna launch myself into his torso, I ducked at the last moment and drove straight at his legs in an attempt to flip him onto his back.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened.
I ducked down, gripping a leg with each hand, and pulled forward with all my might. Craig, however, didn’t budge an inch. It was as though his legs were planted into the ground. I grunted and pulled again, futilely. Oh fuck, I thought. Fuck fuck fuck. I was still pulling and grunting when I felt Craig bending down, his massive arms gripping across my stomach and pulling my head between his meaty thighs.
“OOOOMPH!” I grunted.
Without a word, Craig suddenly dropped to his knees, bringing my face (and whole body) slamming hard into the mat in a devastating piledriver. SLAM!!!!! The sound reverberated through the room. I saw stars as my yelp of pain and surprise was muffled by craig’s thighs and the mat. Craig sat up and I rolled over, momentarily stunned. I lay there moaning as Craig addressed me.
“Nice try, champ. But not quite.” He then effortlessly rolled me over onto my back, yanking down my trunks to reveal my dark grey briefs. “Like I told you last time, I prefer trashing you in your skivvies. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a personal preference.” He tossed my shorts onto the couch next to the ring.
I slowly stood up, my vision improving as I shook out the cobwebs a bit. My face still felt like I’d gotten hit with a shovel, but I powered through the pain. I hopped up and down a bit, shaking my arms out. He’d gotten the drop on me, but I wouldn’t let it happen again. Lunging like I was gonna go for his legs again, I instead plowed straight into his midsection. Even though it felt like slamming straight into a wall, I managed to shove Craig’s big body back until he was wedged in the turnbuckle. With a grunt of triumph and determination, I draped his arms over the ropes and began hammering away at his thick, drum-tight midsection. I didn’t usually punch guys, preferring long holds and power slams, but I had to approach an opponent like Craig a little differently.
BAM! BAM! BAM! Left! Right Left! Dull thuds echoed through the otherwise silent gym. I crouched down, slamming fists right in the center of his gut to knock the wind out of him. I was giving it everything I had, huffing and puffing from the effort. Craig, on the other hand, was doing just fine apparently. Other than emitting light grunts once in a while, he seemed otherwise relaxed.
After a minute or two of relentless pounding, I was completely spent. I paused to collect myself, looking up at Craig’s smiling face. “You finished down there, champ?” he asked. My eyes bulged in disbelief--I hadn’t done an ounce of damage! Without warning, Craig’s hand suddenly shot out, wrapping around my throat.
“GLUGH!” I gurgled, grabbing his wrist with both of my hands, as Craig slowly moved away from the ring corner, keeping me at bay. He was so tall that my feet were nearly dragging across the floor as I gasped and sputtered. In one fluid motion, Craig then tossed my limp body into the ropes. I tumbled helplessly back-first into the ropes, ricocheting into Craig’s waiting clothesline. SLAM!!!! His big arm slammed into my chest as I landed flat on my back, the wind knocked out of me.
I lay there gasping as Craig paced around me. “You got heart, kid. I respect that.” With one lightning fast motion he scooped down and pulled me up by my hair. Understanding that I could barely stand on my own at this point, he held me standing upright with one hand gripping my hair, the other meaty hand gripping my waist around the elastic waistband of my underwear. He looked straight in my eyes as he continued. “What I DON’T respect, is you coming into my house talking a bunch of noise about me being an old man, KID.”
I eyed him groggily, my entire body aching dully. How could this be happening? We’d been wrestling for only a few minutes, and I was already spent. Was Craig just too strong for me? No, I told myself. He’s just a normal man, and vulnerable in the same places as an ordinary one.
Gathering my reserves, I placed my knee directly into his crotch, connecting with his groin. “OOOOOF!” The sound escaped from him as he let me go, cradling his balls. This was it, my chance! Taking advantage of this opportunity, I raced behind him and clamped my arm around his neck. Realizing that he was too much bigger than me to yank up into a standing position, I jumped onto his back, sleeper locked on tight.
Craig gurgled and gripped my forearm with both hands. My other hand snaked around the back of his head, pushing it forward so that his windpipe would be completely blocked off. I then wrapped my legs around his midsection, locking my ankles together (or trying too--he was too big!). Craig was too dangerous of an opponent to take any chances with.
He stood now, but I held on tight. Grinning and bringing my lips to my ear, I whispered hoarsely, “Guess your best wasn’t good enough, old man. Get ready to say good night!” I had never forgotten the helpless feeling of being put out in his sleeper, and was ready to exact my vengeance. Feeling his big body beginning to slump, I gritted my teeth and held on tight, clasping against his throat as hard as I could.
Much to my shock and disappointment, however, Craig managed to gather his strength and launch himself backward at the last second. “UGH!!” Pain shot through my lower back as I slammed into the turnstile and slumped against the ropes, arms draped over them to hold myself up. Craig moved to the center of the ring, bent over, coughing. I went to move, but the excruciating pain in my lower back caused me to spasm and fall back against the ropes
Craig slowly turned to face me, sneering and cracking his knuckles. “You wanna play rough, kid?” He began stomping toward me. “I’m good with that!” He then roughly placed his hand under my chin, tilted it back, and SLAMMED his fist into my midsection, right on the beltline. THUD!! So much air had been expelled from my lungs that I barely made a sound as I doubled over with a grunt. I would have collapsed onto the floor if Craig hadn’t been there to catch me as I slumped against his body, arms draped over his shoulders in an involuntary hug, my head coming to rest along his massive chest.
“Aw, that’s kinda cute, kid!” he said teasingly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had a little crush on me!”
I tried my best to clear out the cobwebs and push away, but I just couldn’t find the strength to stand. Groggy, I listened to him continue in a muffled voice.
“Well, since you showed me that you have a crush on ME, I’m just gonna have to show you that I also have a CRUSH...(he paused for emphasis)...on YOU.”
His arms instantly wrapped around my lower back, gripping me tight in a vice as he lifted me in the air with a grunt. “Grrrrrrrrrr UP we go!!” The air was immediately expelled from my lungs as he began pouring on the power, slowly constricting. I weakly attempted to push him away from me by shoving against his shoulders, but at this point, I had nothing left. I weakly reached behind me to pry his wrists apart, but he had it locked on way too tight.
“Just give it up, kid,” he growled. “It’s like I told you last time--it’s a lot easier on me and you when you stop fighting it, grrrrrr.”
I felt my face redden and my eyes bulge as he pumped his arms a few times, constricting against my ribcage even tighter. “Ughhhhhh,” I moaned. “I give, I give...”
Craig just chuckled. “Oh, didn’t I tell you upfront? Must have slipped my mind...there’s no submitting in this kind of match. The only way to win this one is to be the one who’s awake at the end.”
My mind raced in panic and my heart started pounding even harder at the thought of being knocked out again. As a last resort, with my last ounce of strength, I aimed another knee square at Craig’s balls. Unfortunately, he was far too fast, and thsi time caught my knee between his massive tree-trunk thighs.
“Tsk tsk,” he chided. “I didn’t peg you for a dirty fighter, kid.” My knee was still caught between his thighs as he continued with a calm voice. “I almost felt a little bad about trashing you...but now I’m REALLY gonna enjoy this!” Somehow, Craig was able to muster some last reserve of strength as he squeezed as hard as he could, growling away. “GRRRRRRRRRR!”
Within seconds, I could barely keep my head up, slumping against Glenn’s shoulder. My head was spinning and my vision went that all too familiar shade of grey. “I give...” I muttered. “I...give...” I was dimly away of Craig continuing to trash talk me, but I had basically checked out from consciousness at this point. All my training, all my hard work, and it just wasn’t enough...
I woke up at some point later on the couch next to the ring, a blanket laid over me. I was no longer clad no longer in my sweaty briefs but in a pair of too-big sweatpants, presumably Craig’s. I went to sit up but electric pain shot through my ribs, causing me to gasp and fall back. As I rubbed my hand over my aching chest and ribs, I discovered a sheet of paper had been taped to my bare chest. I slowly peeled it off and read the note Craig had jotted to me:
“Hey, sleeping beauty, went out for a bit to do some errands. Please make yourself at home--well, in the ring room anyway. I didn’t want you scampering away just, so I took the liberty of locking you in.”
I gulped in panic as I continued reading.
“I’ll be back in a bit, ready for our next round. For your sake, I hope you’re ready too.”
I set the note down on the blanket. Contemplating my options, I decided to lie back down and rest to save my strength. Lord knows I would need it.