Following Kenny Dykstra
It was the biggest singles match of 20-year old Kenny Dykstra’s WWE career. In the waning months that led to the demise of the Spirit Squad, Kenny emerged as the alpha male of the five-man ensemble. His voracious appetite for dominance and recognition propelled the cocky New England native into his first pay-per-view singles match against one of WWE’s most decorated Superstars: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. WWE.com followed Kenny all day to see how this rising, young Superstar prepared for his monumental match.
7:47 a.m.
“Anxious,” he replied. The question was whether or not he was nervous about his match with 16-time World Champion Ric Flair. It’s nearly eight o’clock as Dykstra rolls out of bed. “Tonight is about making a statement, and after I destroy Flair, I’m one step closer to proving I’m ready for my WWE Championship opportunity.”
8:34 a.m.
After showering to “wake up a bit,” Dykstra shaved and began gathering his belongings. His eyes were shifty as he applied the shaving cream and began to drag the razor down his face. Although he didn’t miss any spots, it was clear he was preoccupied and mentioned that if he could, he’d turn the clock forward to the start of the show.
9:24 a.m.
An admitted Rocky fan, Kenny said that lately he’s been training “old school” to take on the “old school” Flair. Somehow, he found this abandoned industrial mill. It’s gritty, shadowy and filled with old, rusty equipment. “This works for me,” he declared. “I’ve got a progression of things I do; just try to stay out of my way,” he said as he began to jog in between the train tracks. After a few warm-ups, he was engaged in all out 50-yard sprints.
9:48 a.m.
“Dips up next,” he shouted. He used one of the abandoned trains as his exercise equipment. It’s freezing in the shadows, and although he’s in shorts and a thin long-sleeved shirt, he doesn’t complain once.
10:15 a.m.
Still not finished with is workout, he paused for a moment and let the chilly Kansas City wind dry the sweat from his forehead. When asked for his thoughts, he flashed a disgusted look.
10:59 a.m.
With his pre-match workout complete, Dykstra took a few deep breaths and rolled his neck to loosen some of the kinks. Moments later, he strolled over to get a quick stretch before leaving. “I’m getting hungry,” he barked, “what are you guys buying me for lunch?”
12:15 p.m.
“Nothing greasy,” he said. The waitress looked at him as if he was familiar, but declined to act on her inclination. She most likely knew him because of the tone of voice he used. After he ordered, he said nothing else while he finished eating. He didn’t even thank anyone for his free meal.
12:55 p.m.
His phone rang off the hook. Sometimes he took it out of his pocket to see who was calling before he chose not to answer; other times he let it ring. Finally, after seven calls he turned the phone off. “If they want to talk to me that badly,” he said, “they’ll call back another time.”
1:30 p.m.
When he arrived at the arena, some WWE fans gathered to watch the Superstars and Divas file in. “Kenny, over here!” one person yelled. In an uncharacteristically kind gesture, Dykstra waived and smiled to the group of about six. Then, in an instant, he completely destroyed the warm image of himself. “So, this is Kansas City?” he asked. They cheered. Again he asked, “So, this is Kansas City?” As they clapped, he spit onto the ground. Immediately, the crowd hurled obscenities at him.
2:15 p.m.
With his phone still stowed away, Kenny was calm in the empty arena. Unfortunately, his attitude doesn’t match his nonchalant appearance. “Water? Just get me a bottle of water, would ya? I let you follow me all day long. Getting off your ass and grabbing me a bottle of water is literally the least you can do.”
3:35 p.m.
While he peered into his backpack, Dykstra had a devilish grin. The contents of the bag, however, will remain a mystery “until my match.” He would only say it was a surprise for Flair. When WWE.com attempted to get closer to whatever was in the bag, Kenny snapped. “Get lost! If you want to know what it is, buy a ticket like everyone else.”
5:56 p.m.
His match was rapidly approaching. Kenny stopped in with the trainer to have his wrist taped. “Make sure it’s tight,” he ordered the trainer. Afterwards, he clinched his fist a few times to loosen it up.
7:58 p.m.
Pre-match rituals for Kenny included 52 pushups and 21 squats. “No more, no less,” he revealed. “It’s always the same numbers. I picked the number 21 because that’s the age I'm going to become the youngest World Champion in WWE history.”
8:12 p.m.
Once his squats were complete, Dykstra stretched one last time before he headed into the locker room for some last minute preparation.
8:29 p.m.
Silence. There are people all around him; WWE.com reporters were scrambling for quotes from Superstars, photographers snapping photos, and trainers tending to post-match injuries. But Kenny looked past it all, as if there was only one thing that was important – destroying Flair.
8:48 p.m.
Just before his music hit, Kenny bowed his head and said a prayer. “I just hope I come out of the match without injury,” he said. “I know I’m going to win, but I hope I don’t break my hand bashing Flair’s head or something.”
8:51 p.m.
The surprise he kept hidden all day was the robe he had specially tailored to mock Ric Flair’s trademark look. Dykstra's disdain for Flair and anyone else who stands in his way of gaining the reputation as a singles WWE Superstar drives him to do whatever it takes to get to the top.
9:02 p.m.
In a back and forth match with Flair, Dykstra was able to emerge victorious after rolling the “Nature Boy” into a small package for the pinfall. Flair wanted nothing more than to defeat the arrogant Dykstra, but on this night, it wasn’t meant to be. In what will surely be a historic day in Kenny’s life, the 20-year-old young lion lived up to his vow to defeat the 16-time World Champion.
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