We click play on the video and as we do, a small loading icon appears in the middle of the blank screen, turning slowly as the video buffers for a split second before it disappears and the video begins to play. And now that it's playing, the first thing we see is none other than returning Supreme Championship Wrestling star and Hall of Famer, David Helms, sitting there behind the desk of his home-office in the Hollywood Hills. He wears a ‘Handsome Devil’s Club’ shirt with the HDC logo on the front, and a bottle of Infamously Dangerous rum sits on his desk, uncorked with a tumbler full served beside it. With a smile on his face, David grabs the tumbler and raises it to the camera in a toast-like gesture, ice cubes clinking against the walls of the glass tumbler as he brings the glass to his lips to take a sip. With the tumbler back on the desk, Dave sits forward and his forearms on the desk, a timestamp reading [08.02.2020] appearing in the bottom left hand corner of the screen for a moment before fading out as he begins to speak. “So this is it, huh…” he says, smiling to himself with a little chuckle as he pauses ever so briefly. “A moment that’s officially more than four years in the making, a moment that many - including myself - didn’t believe would ever happen… David Helms is returning to the ring on a full time basis. And no, I’m not gonna start referring to myself in the third person or anything like that, I won’t be talking about The David Helms instead of singular personal pronouns, but the fact remains doesn’t it, that many people thought they were never see David Helms return to a wrestling ring for anything other than one off appearances or special events that held meaning to them… and yet, here I sit, in an all too familiar place, right behind this very desk that was the setting for many of my promo’s before I ‘retired’, about to talk about my first announced match since Day Of Infamy where Lucas, Jason and I removed those masks and shocked you all by revealing that we were the El Lucho Brothers…” he continues, shaking his head as he laughs to himself at the notion. “Yeah, hands up time,” he says, holding his hands up in guilt, “it was us all along, Lucas and me, then later Jason too. The El Lucho Brothers, making their debut at Rise to Greatness last year, making it all the way to Day of Infamy just two weeks ago before anyone found out the truth and even then, it only happened because we decided it was time to let it happen. And I know how that sounds guys, that it just looks like I’m covering for the fact that we got caught out, that Jason’s masked was pulled off and we had no choice… but ask yourself how tightly a mask has to be laced up to keep it on your head during a wrestling match and then ask how many matches we had between us as the Lucho’s before that night and I’m sure you’ll realise pretty quickly that we planned for things to happen as they did. Gotta make a statement, right? And Katie and her Brats wanted to unmask us so badly, so I guess you can say they get what they deserved in a way, right?”

David chuckles to himself again as he grabs his glass and takes another small sip of his rum before placing the tumbler back down on the desk to continue. “And I know, I know, there’s plenty of you out there that want to know why, right? Dunno why I’m asking, I know that’s the case, we’ve all been bombarded with questions on twitter, outside shows or just in the streets since Day of Infamy, since the day those little scamps Grande, Venti and Trenta unmasked in the middle of the ring to the shock of all and sundry, including a certain Trio of women that weren’t exactly pleased to see things unfold the way they did right there in front of them,” he continues, allowing himself another little chuckle at the memory, fresh as it still was in his mind. “You wanna know what the best part was, for me at least?” David asks, shooting the camera a questioning look as he picks up his tumbler and takes another sip of his rum before placing the glass back down on the desk. “My favourite part about that whole thing was that you guys in the building that night, some of you had it figured out before Katie did. When Jason unmasked, you went nuts, then Lucas did the same and you lost your shit… but that’s when it started, a certain word being thrown at the ring when “Venti” was in their with Katie, a certain catchphrase of sorts, a specific name carrying through the air towards where we stood in that ring, you guys knew. You had it figured out before my fingers went anywhere near those laces… but the look of shock on Katie’s face, bro? That’s something that I’m never going to forget! Even if this whole thing ends in failure and it serves nothing but to prove that I should have stayed retired in the first place, that one single moment will stick with me for the rest of my fucking life bro, it really will. And if I had to, I’d do it all again just to get to that moment, to have that moment in the ring with each and every one of you guys going nuts while Katie stood collecting flies across from me. Worth it man, so fucking worth it…”

Chuckling to himself again, David takes a moment to compose himself before turning his attention back to the camera, trying to look more serious. “And yeah, I’m aware of the fact that I didn’t actually explain a fucking thing just then, but come on guys, just give me this alright? I’ll explain at some point I swear. We all will. But there’s a time and a place for that stuff and you guys know exactly why I’m sat here right now, don’t you? Breakdown bro, wasn’t that fucking interesting?” he asks with a grin. “I hope you lot didn’t expect us to shitcan that Tuk Tuk when the Lucho’s Coffee company was brought to a sudden end in Chicago with their unmasking and sudden demise as a result of it… but dammit guys, the Rummobile is just way too fucking good an idea to pass up on, and Knots seemed more than appreciative of that idea before certain events happened later in the show. And as an aside, like I said on twitter bro, that’ll get dealt with, and there’s a case of the good stuff on its way to you to help with the healing process, if it hasn’t got there already. Rest up and enjoy the drink bro,” he says, lifting his glass again in a toast before placing the tumbler back down without taking a sip this time. “The reception you guys gave us Wednesday night though, damn dude, that sent chills up and down my spine, it really did. That was the first time I’ve stood in a ring as an actual employed superstar of this company since two thousand and fifteen. Not as an alumni, not as a member of the Hall of Fame, a husband, father or even a brother, but as a current member of the Supreme Championship Wrestling roster… and holy fuck, did it feel great to do it! Sure, I’ve jumped inside a ring once or twice since retirement…” he says, scoffing a little before making air quotes with his fingers. “Heh. “Retirement”, right?” He quips before shrugging it off. “But from the minute me and Lucas made a decision and cooked up this crazy idea, it’s never felt so real, I’ve never felt so aware of my career and what it meant until we donned those masks and made our ‘return’ as El Lucho Grande and El Lucho Venti… but now the truth is out and I sit here not as Venti but as David Helms. I’m not sending ‘love letters’ from the Pen Of El Lucho Venti, but cutting promo’s as David Helms… and because of Ace Marshall, I’m in the twenty twenty trio’s tournament as David Helms too!”

“I know, believe me, I was as taken back as you guys probably were,” David says, nodding his head. “Who wouldn’t be shocked; Ace Marshall coming out to interrupt our little bit of fun in the ring, grabbing himself a free sample of Infamously Dangerous in the process, only to declare that I was his choice for his trio’s team… kind of threw me for a loop, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Me and Ace, we’ve had our ups and downs over the years, to say the least. We’ve fought matches, we’ve had arguments, he’s been my student at one point in what was a seriously fucking strange set of circumstances… and now I guess I get to add partner to that list of things, huh? And it’s weird, because what ‘Venti’ and ‘Trenta’ said in the lead up to Day Of Infamy, about being upset that they weren’t going to be a trios team, that stuff was legit; me, Lucas and Jase were bummed out by the fact that we weren’t gonna get to enter as a team in this thing, so it feels kind of odd now to be a part of this thing, even if we probably wouldn’t have until those masks came off… and on a related note, shame on you guys for looking past one of the greatest wrestlers of our generation too! Seriously, Lucas Knight returns and nobody picks him? What the fuck is that about?!” he asks in amazement before shaking his head and taking another sip of his rum and continuing. “Happy now bro? Got your ego rub in there for you as requested,” he quickly ads with a wink. “Seriously though, I’m as confused as the rest of you right now why the hell Ace would pick me when his own wife was an option. Hell, there were plenty of options that he could pick from that would either be more fitting or simply give him a better shot at winning. Yeah, I can admit it, there’s people out there who’d probably give him a better chance, but can you blame me? I was retired for four years before donning the mask, and I haven’t wrestled weekly even under the mask, so while I’m probably not rusty, I’m not gonna be on top of my game yet either… but the thing with that is that after so many years in this business, I know one thing for sure: it never leaves you.”

Dave’s eyes are filled with passion now as he nods slightly for emphasis. “I get that it’s an old cliche to throw in the riding a bike analogy, and I’m not doing that specifically because of how cliched it is… but when you spend so many years at a certain level, that stuff doesn’t just disappear. Fuck, you can take our entire team as proof of that fact, right? How many times has Ace Marshall come and gone over his time in SCW, huh? But every time he returns, he’s right back up there again! And our partner for the tournament, Glory, love or hate her new attitude, she may have taken breaks in her career but every time she steps back in a ring it’s right back to business as fucking usual bro, and it shows with her seriously impressive list of accomplishments over her entire career. Fuck, between the three of us, I dunno how many World Title reigns we bring to the table, but it’s a few, I know that! But you know… that stuff isn’t really gonna count for jack in this tournament, is it? Because you’re only as strong as the teamwork you can show in this tournament, and I guess you can say we’re at something of a disadvantage in round one because while we might be three great fighters, were also booked again three greats fighters, only two of them happen to be a tag team and also… well, whatever the hell they label it right now!” he says with a shrug, really not sure what to call it yet. He doesn’t want to step on any toes or throw around any labels that aren’t public knowledge. “Tommy and Kandis are both fantastic talents in their own right, but they’re also a team and that makes them dangerous in this thing because it gives them an edge. Add Katie in there, who love her or hate her, is a member of the Hall of Fame and multi time former champ, and you’ve got a pretty lethal combination… and it’s our job to stop ‘em! Ace, Glory and me, it’s our job to not just stop Tommy, Kandis and Steward, but if we want to do the amazing and win, we have to stop six other people too, potentially including my own wife or my brother… welcome to the party Dave, have a few drinks, we’ll have a few laughs…” he says, though he does actually chuckle a little at the humorous irony of the situation. 

“But that’s what this business is all about, right? Beating the odds. Beating the best. The best of the best in some cases, though we won’t talk about that title huh Selena?” David says with a mischievous grin. “And you know, I’m looking forward to this, I really am. I’m looking at it as a baptism of fire, throwing myself in at the deep end right from the fucking start, because if you’re gonna go for something you’ve gotta go all in, right? There’s no half measures in pro wrestling, you go in half cocked and you get your ass kicked from pillar to post and beyond! And as you guys know, I’ve never gone into things half-assed, even during that period where my head was up my ass, I still gave everything between those ropes… and your dude didn’t return just to be a spectator here in SCW, and he didn’t come back just for the nostalgia trip either! Lucas and me, when we cooked this up, we didn’t do it for a bit of fun, but because we had reasons to want to climb back into that ring, things in the business that pissed us off and if we’re gonna do this then I’m doing it right, which is why I’m happy Ace Marshall picked me for his team because this tournament is exactly what I want to get the show back on the road!” he continues, sliding his chair forward now to lean on the edge of the desk again, giving the camera a serious look as he goes on. “Its an interesting dynamic though. Me and Tommy, I don’t even need to talk about our history given everything we’ve been through together over the years, we even faced one another in this tournament once upon a time, back when we were still the best tag time in the game in my opinion. And Katie… well, she probably has it in for me right now, doesn’t she? Day of Infamy didn’t go her way and she’s gonna be loving the idea of getting a modicum of revenge for our little bit of fun at her expense. Tommy and Kandis are a team and know each other inside out - metaphorically and literally - and that only leaves the question of what me, Ace and Glory can bring to the table, doesn’t it? And you know what bro? I’m not entirely sure of the answer to that myself in all honesty, but we’ll find out the answer to that next Sunday, won’t we? And while I figure so many are just going to be thinking about what they’ll do with their prize, thinking of the untapped potential of winning a Trio’s contract, I’m not gonna go there. I’m not glad I’m in this because of what it can give me… I may have felt that way before but not this time. This time, I’m walking into this thing not wanting to win simply because of what a contract will do for me, I’m walking into this thing to test myself against the best and prove that David Helms still has what it takes to be near the top of that list!”

“I turn forty later this year, and I’ve done a hell of a lot during my time in this business… but no matter how much you do, there is always something else to do, something else to achieve or a new goal to chase! And you know, with how good I’m feeling right now after the Venti run, even if there was nothing else in this business for me to do, I know that there’s probably a whole bunch of people who will be thinking that my time has come and gone, and that I should have stayed retired, so even just annoying those assholes would make them worth it, you know?” David says with a scoff. “And sure, those people are entitled to their opinions… they’re wrong, but they’re entitled to them nonetheless. But Trio’s is the perfect opportunity to prove how wrong they are, right? I get the opportunity to prove that I’m not past it, prove that there’s plenty of fight left in the old dog yet. Even if the old dog is twice as old as some of the youngest members of this fucking roster!” he concedes, even if it’s something he doesn’t particularly want to spend too much time thinking about. David wasn’t worried about getting older, he wasn’t insecure about his age. But that didn’t mean he had to dwell on it either. “When all’s said and done… the pressure is definitely on me on Sunday night though, isn’t it? Out of retirement, picked to compete in Trio’s right off the back of the big reveal at Day Of Infamy, by someone who has no reason to pick him, in a tournament I’ve never managed to be on the winning side in… so yeah, no pressure right? Heh. Seriously though, this is my fourth time in this tournament, and while I may have made it to the finals with Regan and that JT Cross guy in two thousand fourteen before losing to Syren, Skullkeeper and that douchehole Jake Starr - love you bro, seriously - but close doesn’t quite cut it, does it? And that was back when I was in my prime! Okay, maybe not my prime, because that was probably twenty ten into twenty eleven… which now I think about it was a looooong ass time ago, but shut up! Point is, the weight of expectation on me this time around, don’t I? And under normal circumstances maybe that’s not a good thing… but I fucking welcome it. I want this to be difficult, I want expectations on me, to have more to prove. Because nothing worth doing is fucking easy bro, and Trio’s is never easy, believe me on that! So Tommy can bring his a-game like I know he’s capable, Kandis can bring… well, you know what Kandis brings to the table, but she also brings a high level of training and skill thanks to her previous training and everything she’s picked up working with Tommy and the ‘gobshite’ too. And Katie… don’t really need to speak about her either do I, just like I don’t really need to remind you how great Tommy is. But the three of them should listen to me closely, because this is the important part. I want your best!” he says with a nod. “I want your very best on Sunday, because I used to be the best, or damn near close as possible, once upon a time. And right now, I don’t think I’ve really lost it, and it’s up to you to make me question that. You and whoever we face if we do get past you in the opening round, too! In fact, that’s a message to everyone on this roster; it’s up to you to make me question everything that led me to Day Of Infamy! And right now? I’m up for that fucking challenge!” he finishes, glaring confidently into the camera, pausing only long enough to let the moment build up to the inevitable. “BANG!” he shouts, with a grin. “Fuck, I’ve missed that.” slips from his lips as the video comes to an end, the final frame showing Helms still grinning as the replay button appears in the middle of the screen.