I know you want more of the best wrestling analysis on the ‘net. I know you want to bookmark like this, as always and ctrl F your way through in multiple sittings. I know this. Just be careful. There have been Lariatooooooooooooooooooooooo’s spotted in the column below. Read at your own risk. Oh, and JBL? You still aren’t Stan Hansen.
1) WWE Raw Thoughts – Ranking the Nexus
2) WWE Smackdown Thoughts – Kane shouldn’t be Champion
3) TNA Impact Thoughts – How to Book Hard Justice: One Last Stand
4) WWE NXT/Superstars/Misc – Money in the Bank Review
5) ROH Thoughts
6) Guest Spot – Kyle Sparks in Defense of Michael Cole
7) A Modest Response to David Ditch’s Review of the Last Three Years of Puroresu
8) History Time – More of the Best Promos Ever
9) Match Review – Brad Garoon on Shingo Takagi vs. BxB Hulk Hair vs. Hair
10) Short Story – About Us, The Final Chapter
1) WWE Raw Thoughts: Ranking the Nexus thus Far
With Nexus being the admitted overlords of Raw to the point where John Cena has to put together a super-team, including allying with long-term enemies like Chris Jericho and Edge, now is a good time to look at and rank the first season NXT Rookies, now known as the Nexus.
N/a: Daniel Bryan Danielson – Sure, he got fired, but his workaholic nature has surely reinvigorated the independent scene, which is awesome, and he’ll come back as a big deal. This is the best of a bad situation.
7. Darren Young – Darren Young, of the Nexus group, has had the least development in character, which is strange, because on the initial show, thanks to his role as CM Punk’s rookie, he was really developing. He’s the one, in story and in ring, who seems most lost by what the group is doing, as seen by him being caught alone and beat up so often.
6. David Otunga – Otunga had more personality on NXT, but how many arrogant, self-centered heel stars can WWE really have? In Nexus he has seemingly been out to hurt people who showed him a lack of respect before, which works for the character, but besides his spinebuster, he’s rather overlooked within the group.
5. Heath Slater – Slater is a natural heel. While he’ll never be a top card guy, he just seems like a cocky jerk who enjoys being above his station in life. He’d be perfect in a tag team, but for now is a guy who can work within Nexus in ring and a guy fans really want to see get his smug face punched off.
4. Justin Gabriel – Gabriel has used this foray into the stable as a way to become a cold killer. His brooding ways and cruel hesitation before the 450 have showed he’s more than just another plucky Matt Hardy type and call to mind that he might be more along the lines of Matt’s more successful brother, Jeff, if given time to develop. Still, as a small guy without mic skills, odds are against him.
3. Skip Sheffield – And as a huge, intense, muscle-ebound maniac who loves hurting people, odds are for Sheffield. He’s being brought along slowly and protected for now, so I’d assume big things are in store.
2. Michael Tarver – I’m not sure what’s in store for Tarver, but he has been the revelation of the Nexus. We knew Barrett was good, but Tarver was voted off NXT first. He is, at this point, extremely dangerous seeming, given as much mic time as anyone but Barrett, he’s competent in the ring. He almost carries himself like Bad News Allen used to and, if he can keep that up, can be a dangerous upper-midcard heel for a long, long time. What makes stuff better for Tarver is that with his tough family situation, having been homeless and all, he really does have a gripe with the WWE Universe and his actions are defensible.
1. Wade Barrett – Barrett has shown he is the rarest of the rare: a guy who came in from WWE developmental and was fully ready in every way. Size, mic work and ring work are all top notch for Barrett, who absolutely has the presence to make fans despise him and pay to see him lose. He should be a main event guy for a long, long time, though after Nexus, it will probably have to come on Smackdown.
2) WWE Smackdown Thoughts: Why Kane Shouldn’t have the Belt
Kane is the World Champion for the second time in his career (the first was a one day title reign) and the outcry from the internet has been mostly positive. This is pretty ridiculous and there is a litany of reasons why.
The first claim the fans of the Kane win have leveled is that he’s very over. That is, pretty much, nonsense. He’s booked mostly like a killer whenever he faces anyone on the undercard, he has had the same basic music forever, and has a cool entrance. Fans aren’t popping because they like the guy, but rather out of recognition for an act that’s been the same for a long time. He’s no different than Matt Hardy in this respect and no one in their right mind still wants him to get the title.
In the ring, the best that could ever be said of Kane is that he’s competent and mobile. He’s really neither. Kane has had probably under five good matches in his whole career. The only really great match of his I can recall that didn’t involve more than four men was with Kurt Angle who could really do no wrong at that point. Even Chris Benoit (who?) and Shawn Michaels were rarely, if ever, able to get him above decent.
And mobile? Come on. He has a flying clothesline that’s really cool, but it’s one spot. The entire rest of his offense is straight out of the Kevin Nash “how-to-be-a-wrestler†handbook. His matches with wrestlers big and small are the definition of plodding. Don’t be fooled by one move.
Loyalty is a suckers bet, as well. What was Kane going to do? Quit the WWE and go to TNA? Come on. He wasn’t loyal. He wasn’t a big deal when WCW was around and relevant and has nowhere else to go. It’s not like the guy’s acting career took off after See No Evil (MAY 19!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r-9f9mfvlk
Finally, there’s the Abyss corollary. Fans have utterly turned on Abyss in TNA due to their utter failure to book him in anything but atrocious angles despite the fact that’s been in far better angles than Kane’s best and in far superior matches consistently, while being able to do more for the company in terms of moving around the card. Kane has been angles just as bad as the “Hulk Hogan’s Ring†nonsense, from Katie Vick to a million wacky mismatched tag partners (Hungry Hungry Hippoes with RVD) to terrible feud after terrible feud with The Undertaker, with each making less and less sense. Kane should not get a free pass, while Abyss does not. Kane should not be WWE Champion.
3) TNA Impact Thoughts – The Best Possible Hard Justice: One Last Stand Card
Since TNA is doing the ill advised and giving ECW yet another one night stand, apparently never having heard of the law of diminishing returns, here is the best possible card they can put together utilizing almost all former ECW talent not currently contracted with the WWE.
Segment 1: Simon Diamond should come out talking trash, just being a complete tool and getting heat until Balls Mahoney came out and clobbered him with a chair. This should probably lead to a short squash-match.
Match 1: Here you have two options: you either do Little Guido vs. Tajiri vs. Super Crazy OR Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke vs. Super Crazy and Tajiri. The first is truer to the original ECW, but with a bigger 3-way dance later, you might want to save the gimmick. Tajiri should win after a misting, at any rate, since he’s the most recognizable and over of the group.
Match 2: Steve Corno vs. Rhino. Allies from the old ECW would here go head-to-head. This would be an easy brawl to book and Corino could bleed buckets for old times’ sake. He’d likely get really over with any mic time and a good performance, but since Rhino is contracted, he should go over.
Match 3: The Pope and D-Vonn vs. Bubba Ray and Mike Knox. Putting Ray with the fake ECW’s Mike Knox would get great heat and Pope trying to earn the ECW name with D-Vonn is just too easy. This would be tag formula until a run in by Spike Dudley to be a heel with Ray leads to New Jack coming out with his shopping cart and wreaking havoc. Pope gets the pin on Knox and earns his stripes.
Match 4: Abyss vs. a Mystery Original. This one can go two ways. If you want to keep Abyss strong in a big win, you bring out Sandman with a huge entrance, paying for “Enter Sandman†for the night, and let Abyss end up beating him half to death. If not, then you have Abyss crush a few ECW jobber types like Julio Dinero and Justin Credible, before Sandman emerges and wins in a bloody brawl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE7GTc8p-1A&feature=PlayList&p=70472AEE5FA0D4E6&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=5
Match 5: Tommy Dreamer and Mick Foley vs. Raven and Stevie Richards. Tommy Dreamer’s torn MCL means this has to be kept short, or put Taz in Dreamer’s place. This is here mostly as a showcase to get the crowd back with a big Foley win since Abyss really should kill Sandman to set up the next PPV.
Match 6: Shane Douglass vs. Sabu vs. Terry Funk. Sure, it won’t measure up to their “The Night the Line was Crossed†hour-long classic, but for ECW fanatics, it’s one that kind of has to be on the card. Shane and Funk really understand psychology, while all three are really willing to hurt themselves, so this should at least be worth seeing.
Match 7: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn. Again, I’m not expecting a return to classic form, but neither of these guys is entirely done and their feud was a classic, so they can go through all the old spots, add a few modern twists and send the crowd home quite pleased.
You know, diminishing returns or not, if Dreamer, Bubba and RVD book this one, it might not be so bad.
4) WWE Money in the Bank Thoughts
On our podcast, I gave this a thumbs in the middle. I want a re-do. This is a thumbs down PPV if ever there was one. Let’s go through match by match.
Smackdown Money in the Bank – Smackdown’s Money in the Bank was a highlight of the show. A majority of the match was Big Show dominating, which makes sense as he’s been booked since his return as a clear step above the midcard. The way they got rid of him, with the chair pile, was funny and pretty creative. The big spot of the match was Kofi Kingston’s huge leg drop off the top of the ladder through the announce table and Drew McIntyre. That set up the tease of Drew winning really well and got it great heat. Overall, everyone got their chance to shine except Christian and Matt Hardy who just kind of wandered around together and occasionally fell off of things. The match would have been better sans both men and I called the Kane win, so that was nice. (*** ½)
Eve Torres vs. Alicia Fox. This wasn’t terrible, which is all you can really ask given they had to follow a stunt show. The ladies had a solid outing and, while it was forgettable, it wasn’t offensive. (**).
The Hart Dynasty vs. Rikishi’s Kids. The young Samoans are terrible and really need to get back to developmental or get released. They were so bad here you just knew there was no way the WWE was going to put the tag titles on them. The Harts are bland as can be, and I blame DH Smith. Tag formula should have saved this and didn’t. That says something bad. (*).
Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger. If Swagger is going to ape everything Kurt Angle does, he’d better have matches a whole hell of a lot better with a guy like Mysterio or he’s going to go away as a fake who isn’t anywhere near the original. I liked Rey as champion, but his run didn’t feel about him and I’m happy it’s over… I just wish it wasn’t over for Kane (see above). Honestly, Smackdown is so dismal, it’s either Punk with the title, or I’m displeased given the way everyone’s been handled of late. This was perfectly acceptable, but given it was the only real wrestling match on the show, should have aimed so much higher. (***).
Kelly Kelly vs. Layla. Layla has looked good in the ring of late, but was a botch a minute here, as was Kelly. Layla and Michelle McCool are over, so this wasn’t a heat sink, but it was still atrocious. (dud).
WWE Raw Money in the Bank.. Speaking of atrocious… this. They mimicked a ton of spots from the first, worse in every case, had a terrible pace, kept everyone out of the ring far, far too much, and lacked a really memorable spot (although Bourne’s SSP on Orton after the Orton RKO was close). The finish is the only thing that managed to get heat and when that’s true in a ladder spotfest, well, you’re doing it wrong. I’m fine with the Miz win since it got heat, but Orton winning and facing Sheamus then a more organic Miz push would have worked better for me and the crowd by all appearances. I’m convinced Miz is going to lose his MITB cash in and this entire match will have been a waste of time. (*).
John Cena vs. Sheamus. When the best that can be said is that at least it wasn’t as bad as the TNA Main Event the week before, you have a problem. Sheamus might be ready in persona for this top spot, but I’ve yet to see anything in his ring work to make me think he can do anything more than fill time before the finishing sequence in a top match. Cena, meanwhile, seemed disinterested and I think my real problem with him is his inconsistency. We all know he can have great matches in PPV main events, so why doesn’t it happen more than four or so times a year? This was an exercise in filler until the Nexus came out… and failed to further their storyline in any meaningful way. (Dud).
This is a bad PPV and while it may do a buy-rate success thanks to Nexus and MITB being a cool concept, it should not be repeated unless they only do one ladder match featuring both brands like they do at Wrestlemania. If this did well, given how poor the card turned out, I’d expect it to do far worse next year.
5) Independent Wrestling Thoughts
Taking a week away from this one.
6) Guest Spot: Kyle Sparks in Defense of Michael Cole
This week, I want to discuss an idea that’s been bouncing around my head for a little while. Having watched pretty much all of NXT since it’s inception, as well as being a dedicated Monday Night Raw viewer, I have definitely agreed with the vast majority of criticism directed at longtime WWE announcer, Michael Cole. That said, I came to a realization a week or two ago, that I’ve been mulling around trying to mold into a viable column. The conclusion? Michael Cole, despite all his problems, is a great benefit to WWE.
Don’t get me wrong, dear readers. Michael Cole is a trainwreck as an announcer. Despite being a journalist–as most people know, he worked for CBS Radio and covered several Presidential campaigns, as well as several major stories–he seems to rely on the same tired phrases and wordplay over and over again, he sometimes struggles with facts and figures, and just doesn’t always seem ready for a live show. That is likely why, he has management in his headset feeding lines as the net all knew and Daniel Bryan Danielson helpfully pointed out for the rest of the crowd. Given all this, it seems peculiar for me to say that Michael Cole is a boon to the company. I thought the same way, but as I said, a light went on for me a couple weeks ago, when Michael Cole’s general awfulness coupled with his feud with Daniel Bryan Danielson and his man-crush on The Miz has done an amazing thing.
Michael Cole can unify the fanbase.
For a long time, since the advent of the IWC, WWE has had an issue–though it’s size can be debated–regarding the Internet fans. They didn’t always seem to want what the so-called “marks” wanted, and in many cases, wanted the opposite thing. However, with the developments in Michael Cole over the last year or so, WWE has the perfect heel. The marks don’t like him because he sucks up to The Miz, is a little annoying (and isn’t JR) and because he was picking on poor Daniel Bryan Danielson, who the crowd generally really liked. The IWC doesn’t like him because he’s a terrible announcer who is wholly symptomatic of everything wrong with the WWE machine (this despite the IWC’s growing love affair with Miz).
WWE hasn’t really used this to the extent that they could. If the obvious answer comes true and Cole is, in fact, the mystery GM of Raw, one would imagine it would come with a full-on heel turn, and they could more fully take advantage of this reverse Midas touch concept. Even if they choose to go in a different direction with Cole, the company needs to stop pussyfooting around with it and just turn him into a full-on heel play by play man. There’s a clear lean there, none of your fanbase care for him, and it would provide a dynamic that we haven’t seen in quite some time with a heel PBP man and a face color man (as Lawler’s support of heels always comes across halfhearted at best anymore). Having two milquetoast announcers who don’t really seem to care about faces or heels hurts the product in terms of putting over the justification of the heels which is a critical aspect to the story. Despite these shortcomings and issues, WWE has something rare and unexpected in Cole. WWE has a man who EVERYONE can hate.
7) A Modest Response – To David Ditch’s Puroresu Pulse: A Look Back at the Last Three Years
David Ditch knows more about wrestling than I ever will. Let’s get that out of the way right off the bat. He’s the best and, in all likelihood, the king of puro on the ‘net. Still, he has, this past week (here’s that link again) taken a look back at the past three years of wrestling in Japan and managed to overlook the single biggest issue with any company: the dearth of talent that can feasibly headline.
With touring the manner in which promotions book shows, having and building viable challengers who can then grow in the audience’s eyes, win or lose, to be viable to challenge again is an absolute necessity. The problem is, however, that Japan’s main promotions, NOAH, All Japan and New Japan, have utterly failed at doing this. Sure, they push new guys, but, seriously, the new guys absolutely pale in both number and talent to the generations past. Where before each promotion had 10-ish real guys who could conceivably beat one another (the Ace excluded) now, there isn’t really an Ace anywhere but maybe New Japan and there are only 2-3 top contenders per company.
The companies themselves generally take the blame for this in Ditch’s column, but that’s inaccurate. Where the hell is all the talent? Before there were 30-years of top talent still competing, along with any number of top gaijin (foreign) talent floating around. Why exactly is there only the last generation still hanging around and no one of the current generation to take the ball? Talents like Go Shiozaki and Tanahashi would main event in any era, but are woefully devoid of opponents, only being able to face the same opponents so many times. This isn’t the WWE refusing to push new talent either- the new talent simply isn’t that good in Japan for some reason.
To make matters worse, since the 1990s, the golden era of storytelling in the ring in Japan, the match quality has taken an atrocious dive. Gone are the days of multi-layered matches, let alone matches building in a meaningful way throughout years of re-matches and tag encounters (Tanahashi/Nakamura and Tanahashi/Goto excepted). With so few challengers and so little depth in the top of the match cards, there’s really just not much reason left to care.
The exception to the malaise in wrestling in Japan is Dragon Gate. Ditch seems to attribute their success to their poppy nature, but instead I submit that they are, despite their fast paced style, the closest thing to New Japan and All Japan in the 90s. Nearly anyone on the card can slide up or down into any spot, even though there are a clear top few wrestlers, meaning there’s always a fresh matchup. The spots in matches and factions shifting take the place, after a fashion, to the deep in-ring storytelling, giving the fans a different kind of story to latch on and care for. Ultimately, this rotating cast of stars and evolved storytelling are why Dragon Gate thrives, while the other companies, at best, meander.
8) History Time: More of the Best Promos Ever
1. Freddie Blassie and Stan Hansen (beware of flying LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOS).
2. Jessie Ventura
3. Rick Rude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6itpq6C8Vo
4. Cactus Jack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nazrJ5qe3VE&feature=player_embedded
5. Bad News Allen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS6mMfTrOWU&feature=player_embedded
6. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLcm6Tz9_F8&feature=PlayList&p=1747FC3F5670F15B&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=2
7. JBL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVaqfZFSt0E
8. Eddie Kingston
9. Buzz Sawyer
10. Bryan Danielson and Paul London
9. Match Review: Brad Garoon on Shingo Takagi vs. BxB Hulk, Hair vs. Hair
BxB Hulk {W1} vs. Shingo Takagi {K} [Hair vs. Hair Match]
Hulk and Takagi debuted around the same time and have been enemies as well as partners. Together they started New Hazard and won the GHC Junior Tag Team Championships. As rivals they’ve battled countless times. Takagi has always been more successful, winning all but one of their singles encounters, having more title reigns to his name (including being the youngest Open the Dream Gate Champion ever) and winning both of Dragon Gate’s huge annual tournaments in one calendar year. Hulk has only defeated Takagi in one singles match, over four years ago in April of 2006. Takagi spent the months leading up to this match taunting Hulk, using his finishers and telling him he didn’t stand a chance. In response Hulk decided to get more serious, ditching his dance routine permanently. That turned out to be a big gamble, because if Hulk is unable to beat Takagi tonight he’ll lose another huge part of his identity.
Takagi attacks at the bell. He wins a shoulder tackle exchange. Hulk gets a crucifix pin for 2. Takagi misses a fistdrop and a kneedrop. Hulk hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick. He hits a missile dropkick to the back. He hits a senton. Takagi hits a back bodydrop. He hits a Cactus Clothesline. Takagi rams Hulk into the post. He hits a powerbomb on the floor. He hits a double stomp. He puts on his evil face and stands on Hulk’s head. He hits a gutbuster and a DDT. He hits a senton. He puts on the body scissors. He hits a kneedrop. He goes for MADE IN JAPAN on the apron but Hulk avoids it and hits the apron EVO. He dropkicks Takagi to the floor. He hits a topé con hilo. He hits the Mouse and the uranage. He hits the standing SSP. He sweeps the leg but his senton hits Takagi’s knees. He comes back with a leg lariat.
Takagi goes for the STAY DREAM but Hulk blocks it. Takagi hits a diving lariat. He clotheslines Hulk over the top to the floor. He drags Hulk to the apron and hits a back suplex to the floor!!! Hulk lands awkwardly on his ankle, but I’m just glad he didn’t take the back bump. Back in the ring Takagi hits a turnbuckle powerbomb. He hits the Gallon Throw. He ducks a kick and hits a back suplex. Hulk hits a German suplex. Takagi pops up and hits another back suplex. Hulk hits another German suplex. Takagi hits a clothesline to the back. Hulk hits an enziguiri, Takagi hits a Koppo kick. Hulk hits a roundhouse kick. Takagi slugs him. Hulk hits an ax kick. Takagi lays into Hulk with stiff elbows. He hits a lariat. Hulk hits the First Flash. Takagi turns him inside out with a lariat. Hulk blocks MADE IN JAPAN and hits the FTX for 1. Takagi is an animal! So much of an animal that he comes back with the DVD. They fight over the EVO until Hulk hits the avalanche version for 2. Takagi goes for the Blood Fall but Hulk blocks it and kills Takagi with kicks and the First Flash for 2. That was awesome! This match is unreal!!! Hulk hits the H Thunder. He misses the phoenix splash. Takagi hits a lariat in the corner. He hits a superplex and holds on to hit the EVO for 2.
I love bastard Takagi! He hits MADE IN JAPAN for 2. He hits a lariat. He hits the Pumping Bomber for 2. Knowing he has the match in the bag he poses for a while before dusting off the Last Falconry for the win at 25:56. If there was ever a more epic feeling match in Dragon Gate’s short history, I can’t think of it right now. Down the stretch I was rooting for Hulk just because I didn’t want the match to end! Takagi wrestled like the biggest son of a bitch on Earth, and Hulk’s desperate attempts to survive had me praying he might squeak in a victory. I have no idea how the main event will top this.
Rating: ****¾
Immediately after the match Hulk has a short freak out before the reality of the situation sets in. He sits in a chair to take his punishment, but Takagi kicks the chair away and demands Hulk sit on the floor. He wears the biggest smile on his face as he shaves Hulk’s head. Hulk cries of course. Takagi reminds him that he’s been stripped of his BxB Hulk identity, and tells him to go back to the bottom of the card and work his way back up, because he’s not worthy to be at the top. Heel Kamikaze was working for me in DGUSA, but douche Takagi in Japan is even better!
10. Short Story: About Us, The Final Chapter
Next week, a post-script, but the story itself is finally done. In Section 10 of each article, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4.
“I’ll always love you, but I’m not in love with you.†He was incredulous, nearly unable to believe that she had (or that she was able to have) said that to him. The sound of those words made the year alone, time spent in misery, seem a mere paper cut to a beheading. He stared down into his own eyes, into his own tragedy in the cup below.
He attempted to hang on to a happy memory, not to let the pain engulf him. “She looked amazing. I left her a girl and she came back a woman. So beautiful, so happy.†And then it all fell apart: “Of course she was happy, she was with someone else. She doesn’t really love me anymore,†and he sulked back into his own tragedy, scalding his mouth with the hot coffee. “How could I have thought she would wait for me? A woman like her finds a guy with no problem. She replaced me. Shit, she probably never even looked back for me.†He sat there a long while.
The bitterness was clouding his mind as the tears clouded his vision. “I guess I’m wrong. She did look back at least once; she was here today. But she left. She left me again. She replaced me and I can’t replace her, the memory of her face, all those days and nights spent in each other’s embrace.â€
He felt a fool. He couldn’t imagine having said what he had to her, all those words that they couldn’t take back. “But then that’s always been the problem. We both always said too many of the wrong words to each other. And what’s been spoken can’t be unspoken, even for us. I guess we weren’t so special after all.†Knowing he had to go on with his life, get out of the diner and his past, he began to sip on the coffee, which seemed a black depression, as he considered how to get out of the pool in which he was drowning.
“I guess the problem was that we always spoke things that would need to be unspoken. Things that would cause us pain. I have to go on with my life. I need to be strong. Don’t feel strong though. Feel scared. Scared of what’s left, scared I have nothing left. All I had to hold onto for all those months was my love and my hope; all I have now is my pain.†A renewed pang of agony and the tears reformed. “I needed her and she did this to me. I need her and I love her,†he thought as he attempted to swallow the coffee around the lump in his throat. He drained the cold coffee cup empty.
“I loved her because I needed her. That isn’t right. I wasn’t right. Love should be about finding happiness for the one you love, not about what you want. But then why does it hurt so much?†Staring at his reflection at the bottom of the cup and finding no answers, he wiped away the last of the tears and placed his money on the table. “She rejected me, not us. She didn’t want to be with me. She has a new us. I was wrong, but I never expected it to be easy. Nothing is ever easy. I guess I should get out of here. There’s no more life for me in the past, only the death of a different me, with different hopes. I guess it’s time to try and make something of what’s left for me, time to make something of life. I guess I’ll go. Go on.†He rose and walked, steadily this time, knowing that the road would be hard, but that it was the correct road, he left the diner and the ghosts of old memories.
——————————————————————————————-
When Sara went to collect the money for the coffees, she noticed something different from all the other times she had seen this scene: left behind under the money, laid a tiny gray jewelry box.
