Following the conclusion of PW: NEO’s Volume VI, the Arizona crowd, slowly beginning to disperse, were still electric having just witnessed a fabulous, near 20 minute match between Silas Romero and Lyza Reyes. With the former and the latter having now vacated the ringside area, it was safe to assume that Volume VI had drawn to a close...and it did. For the viewers at home.




Pink flamingo strobe lights began to flash and pan across the Tucson Convention Center in the downtown area, Bon Jovi’s timeless classic providing the perfect soundtrack to the light show until eventually, HENNY made his way through the curtain. The reaction from the crowd was odd to say the least, by no means was it positive, but certainly not as negative as one would have thought before quite possibly the worst run of the Canadian’s career. Indifferent might be too harsh, but apprehensive may capture the mood better. Unsure of what to think of HENNY during the last few seconds he stood before them, Heartache eventually gave a dismissive shake of the head, making his way down to the ring as the fans then began to ramp up their jeers several of them now flooding back into their seats from the concourse.

Handed a microphone on his way up the steps, HENNY took a short stroll down the apron, hand gliding along the top rope ever so gently as he scanned the crowd - their increase in jeers having etched the slightest hint of a smile on his face. It was at this time he made his way into the ring, the very same one that sealed his fate in exile mere weeks ago. After staring down at the middle of the ring for a few introspective (one would assume) seconds, HENNY looked back up, the microphone raised to his lips as he did so.

HENNY: “It’s been an interesting few weeks.”

Heartache nodded to himself before continuing.

HENNY: “Only a few months before I signed on with Pro Wrestling NEO I was a double World Champion. After years of being looked down on. After such a long World Championship drought - seven years between my second and third. It was a renaissance, a much welcomed one. So you can imagine my surprise, as this tournament progressed, that I kept losing. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to curb it...I kept losing. I guess there are some slides you just can’t arrest. Eventually, I lost it all. I lost the big one, or, the small one. However you wanna look at this upside down tournament. Exile.”

A large, mocking cheer went up at this point, celebrating HENNY’s loss to Hagen Lecktor in the ‘Hell Final’, prompting HENNY to prolong his pause, running his tongue along the inside of his bottom lip before he spoke once more.

HENNY: “I know what it means to have lost. The gravity of that match isn’t lost on me, and some idiot kid gloating about it on Twitter really has no bearing on my future. Because the difference between me and Hagen, is resourcefulness. I’m not going to walk away with my tail between my legs. I’m going to claw my way out of exile, whilst someone like him would end his career before it even got started. Because for people like that, this isn’t their life yet. They’re blessed with the ability to get out before they’re infected by this putrid fucking business. But people like me are trapped. I’m wrapped up in this business like you wouldn’t believe and I can’t just walk away. I have to scrap, and fight, and do whatever is in my power to rip off this fucking dunce cap and I’ll burn this whole place down to fucking ashes to do it.”

He ran a steady, assured hand over his tied back dirty blonde hair, his brow furrowed.

HENNY: “Life has a funny way of keeping in perfect symmetry, doesn’t it? So I know what I’ve gotta do. Because if I can’t challenge for a title, I’ll go after something bigger than leather and gold.”

Another pause, and knowing he had the crowd waiting on bated breath, he lowered the microphone slowly, waiting. Eventually, in one swift motion HENNY swung his arm, microphone and all, back up to his face, uttering one telling sentence.

HENNY: “Bateman, it’s time for Heartache.”

The crowd roared in approval, likely wanting nothing more than seeing two super egos ripping each other shreds, meanwhile at the very same moment HENNY dropped the mic, the static thud as it hit the canvas a perfect period to his statement before he exited the ring.