Post by Kyle Kemp on Jan 15, 2017 14:58:48 GMT -5
Coming From All Sides
The sounds of WCF personnel packing up the backstage gear to head to the next city can be heard in the background as we pick up on Adam Burnett as he is leaning against the white walls of the arena. He is wearing dark Gap jeans, a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it and gray Nike high tops. His red duffel bag sits on the floor next to him as he holds a bottle of water that he picked up in catering a few minutes earlier. He takes a swig of water as he waits patiently for the interview that he was told he had to give before he left. As he waits the night’s events run through his head.
The Fatal Fourway went better than he could have imagined. Getting in the ring with those guys was a blast! Coming into it he knew that he was going to be in awe of John Gable but he was able to put those thoughts away. He was able to dodge the aerial assault of Jay West. He was able to make Anon. Y. Mous tap out. It was a success and he is still undefeated in the WCF. To some that might mean everything but to Burnett that doesn’t mean squat. Burnett cares about entertaining the fans and giving his absolute best and he can say that he gave his best that night.
The smile on his face gets bigger as he thinks of the past few weeks. He has been on a roll and the momentum feels good. It’s like things fall just right every time he gets in the ring and it’s a feeling that he hasn’t felt before. He has been on a roll before but against this type of competition? No way. Now this is awesome but he knows the match of his life still awaits him. That match will be with Jason O’Neal and the Alpha Title.
While others left before the show ended and started heading to the next town or home, Burnett stayed and watched O’Neal’s match with Singh from just behind the stage. The moves and different tactics of both men surprised him and from what he saw, O’Neal is going to be a different monster all together than anyone he has faced. However he did show tonight that he can be beaten. Watching him tap out was a highlight that he had not seen since his arrival and knowing that O’Neal will tap if you put enough pressure on him is a comforting. Burnett’s thoughts are validated that if he can get him in the AB then he could easily become the Alpha Champion.
His thoughts are interrupted by a WCF backstage worker coming up to him. She is one of the make up girls and Burnett straightens up. Her name is Emma if he remembers correctly and she is beautiful. She is around 5’6 and has straight brown hair. She has a girl next door look to her with a smile that makes your heart melt. The best way to put it is that she is adorable. She is wearing black pants and a red blouse. He has seen her before and they have exchanged pleasantries but nothing more than that. He looks at her with a smile and assumes that she is here to do his make up before he goes on for his interview. “Hey!”
“Hey Adam.” She has a small frown on her face and he tilts his head at her. Burnett doesn’t say anything as he can tell it’s bad news already. “I’m sorry to do this to you but they don’t have time to do that interview with you. I don’t know why they didn’t tell you but you got bumped.”
Burnett’s face falls but he quickly masks it with a small smile. “Oh….” His face turns a little red and Emma can tell that he’s upset which sucks. Burnett has been nice to everyone since he came in and this was going to be a live interview on the WCF Network. It was a chance for him to be presented to the fans that weren’t to familiar with him. It really sucks for him. Burnett can feel her pity and tries to liven things up. “Well that sucks.” He says with a sarcastic tone and both snicker.
Their eyes meet and then they quickly break eye contact. Emma wants to stay and talk with him but she needs to go do the make up for his replacement for the interview. “I’m sorry to do this but I have to go back and do Sebastian’s make up.”
Burnett’s eyes flash with rage. “Wait….I got bumped for Sebastian Knight?”
She drops her head. “Yeah...his title win changed everything on the show tonight.”
Burnett closes his eyes and tilts his head back in frustration. He takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh but then snaps back into being the good guy. “Well I guess a random title change on Slam will do that to you.”
“Are you going to be ok?”
“Oh yeah. I’m good. I’ve got to get my stuff together to get on the road anyway.”
Emma looks down at his bag that is already packed next to his feet and smiles. She knows what he is trying to do and he also realizes that his bag is their too. His face gets even redder, knowing how stupid he looks in front of her. She just smiles. “Ok well I’ve got to go but I’ll see you soon?”
“Yep. Next week for sure!”
“Perfect!” She gives him one more smile and walks back towards the make up area. Burnett watches her walk away until she is out of sight and he leans against the wall and slides down until he is sitting on the floor next to his bag. He was trying not to get to excited about this interview because it was going to be a chance for him to talk live in front of the WCF universe and it would be uninterrupted. That’s something that hasn’t happened for him since he got here. Sebastian Knight ruined his first interview by just barging into it and now he’s not just barging into his interview but he’s kicking him out of it! He’s really beginning to hate that guy.
Burnett takes a deep breath and stands back up. He picks up the bag and slides it onto his right shoulder. He starts to walk towards the exit when his phone goes off. He pulls his iPhone 7 out of his pocket and takes a quick glance. It’s an email with the card for next week. Maybe seeing who his opponent for next week will make him feel a little better. He presses the home button on the phone and types in his pin number and opens his email. He takes a look at the card and his mouth drops. He has a match with Ethan King. That’s huge!
Before he can think about that any further something catches his eye a couple match down. A Fatal Fourway between Jay West, Psychopomp, Jaice Wilds and Fuego Del Eterno Infierno Silencioso has been scheduled but the stipulations of the match are what shock him. The match is an Alpha Title Contendership match. That’s a little bit of a head scratcher since Burnett is already the number one contender for the Alpha Title. Did he lose that spot without him knowing? Are they trying to replace him as the number one contender? Or are they trying to make a second number one contender because Burnett’s just not good enough to carry a match against O’Neal himself?
Burnett’s blood begins to boil. He has not only been bumped from his live interview but he has now been put in a weird situation when it comes to the Alpha Title. He has been counting on having that title match between himself and O’Neal and now he might have to fight someone else too. This is ridiculous. Burnett has kept walking this entire time and is now a few feet from his rental car. He reaches in his pocket and presses the button to open the trunk. He tosses his bag in and slams the trunk door down as hard as he can. The feeling of pure disrespect washes over his body and he knows he just needs to get the hell out of here. Burnett opens the door, gets in a drives away.
A Huge Surprise
It is the following day and Burnett has been salty ever since he got up. He called the WCF offices earlier today and nobody really gave him a straight answer on what was happening with his number one contendership. At first he was put on hold as everyone tried to reach Seth and when that couldn’t happen they put Hank Brown on the phone who only told him that it was a management decision but he was still the number one contender at this time. At this time was the part of the sentence that stuck with him. That means he could easily be stripped of his number one contender spot after that Fatal Fourway on Sunday.
Right after he hung up the phone he had to get on the plane to head back to Omaha because while his spot in the WCF is in flux, there was someone that needed to learn about their spot. The flight was quick and Burnett took an Uber from the airport to the Spaces apartment complex in the Midtown neighborhood. He had to get to Stephen Anderson’s apartment asap because he has been sitting on this news for almost 24 hours now and it’s driving him nuts.
Yesterday Burnett met with Seth before Slam went on the air and talked with him about getting his friend and fellow competitor, Stephen Anderson, a chance to wrestle with the WCF. Burnett can remember the whole conversation and still wonders how this all happened, especially with how things have gone in the last 24 hours. You would think Burnett has no pull but it turns out Seth may have been in a giving mood….or just drunk. Burnett walked in and told Seth everything about Anderson.
Burnett described the wars that they had had with each other and the talent that Anderson possessed. He pulled out his phone and started showing him YouTube clips of his moves and some of his big moments. The moves looked straight out of something you would see on one of the OMG moments that companies put out on DVD but they were all in front of small crowds and in front of grainy cameras. The one thing that popped off the screen was Anderson and Seth seemed amused. He gasped at one but looking back on it, he may have just been opening up his mouth to yawn.
As Burnett sits in the Uber heading to the Anderson’s apartment he realizes that maybe he was wrong about the entire situation. Burnett hates feeling paranoid but with the number one contender situation, he can’t help but be paranoid. He starts to replay everything in his head and all of the moments where Seth seemed interested now could be construed as him not giving a damn. His nerves suddenly starts to run wild and Burnett realizes that he never looked at the contract that Seth gave him for Burnett to sign. He reaches over next to him and pulls his duffel bag onto his lap. He unzips it wildly and starts to look for the contract.
The musty smell of his soiled ring gear hits his nose and his nose wrinkles. He finally finds the folder of papers that is sitting under everything and he rips it open. He starts to leaf through the papers, skimming the words and it’s not till he gets to the end where he finally breathes a sigh of relief. It’s definitely a developmental contract with the WCF which is perfect.
They pull up in front of the apartment building and Burnett shoves the ring gear and other clothing back in the bag. He holds onto the folder, climbs out of the car and walks up the sidewalk to the building. Instead of going in he waits outside and pulls out his iPhone. He dials up Anderson to give him a quick call. Normally he would buzz him and go on up to his apartment but he knows that this is something where Anderson needs to come downstairs.
As much as this is his dream, Anderson has something that Burnett did not need to worry about when he made the decision to join the WCF and that is a family. Anderson has a wife and two twin girls who are 3 years old. While the WCF is something that they always talk about, it’s still something that Anderson hasn’t really discussed with his wife. The WCF would mean more traveling including going overseas and that’s a big commitment for his wife to take on when he’s gone. The last thing Burnett wants to do is bum rush upstairs and pressure Anderson into signing the contract in front of his wife before they can talk about it.
Anderson answers on the third ring. “Hey what’s up?”
“Not much man. I’m downstairs. Can you sneak out for a few minutes?”
There’s a pause on the other end before Anderson finally answers with “Yeah, let me have Kelly watch the girls for a few.”
They hang up and a few minutes later Anderson emerges out the front door. He is wearing ratty denim jeans and a red Nebraska football t-shirt. Both men exchange a quick bro hug before getting down to business. “Alright man, what’s up?’
“Well….ok so I talked to Seth yesterday about you and I’ve got some news.”
Anderson’s an observant guy and looks at the folder in Burnett’s hands. He motions to the folder while saying, “Please tell me that’s what I think it is.”
“What do you think it is?”
“Shut up! What’s in the folder?”
Burnett hands the folder over with a smile. “It’s your WCF contract.”
Anderson takes the folder and opens it. The WCF logo at the top is enough to make him tear up. Like Burnett he has worked hard to get to this point and this is his shot at the big time. “Oh my god.”
“Yep! Seth liked what he saw and he wants to see you more up close. It’s just a developmental contract so you’ll be doing a lot of dark matches to start but you and I both know that it’s only a matter of time till you’re on Slam regularly! That’s if you sign that contract.”
Anderson’s head peaks up as he looks at Burnett like he’s crazy. “Of course I’m signing it!”
“I wasn’t sure! I know you’ve got the girls and Kelly. I wasn’t sure if they would approve”
“You and I both know that this is what I’ve wanted my whole life and Kelly knows that too. I’m signing it!”
It is at this moment where all the frustrations of the past 24 hours disappear for Burnett and the only feeling he has left is pure joy. This is exactly what they have been working for. Both of them in the big time and now the moment that they never thought would get here is here. Burnett lets loose with a loud “Yes!” and both men hug. Not a bro hug this time but a giant real hug. “Let’s go up and tell the girls!” Anderson shouts and pulls Burnett towards the door. They both laugh and head inside.
A Promise
It is later that night and Burnett and the Anderson family are enjoying each other’s company in their apartment. Burnett and Anderson came upstairs with the contract and everyone was super excited. Emma smiled and the girls didn’t know what was going on but knew their dad was happy so they were laughing and running around. It was then that it was decided that Adam would stay for dinner which they had just finished. Stephen was clearing the table and Kelly moved to sit next to Adam. They both smiled at each other but then Kelly leaned in to speak more seriously with Adam. “I really appreciate everything that you did for Stephen. He has wanted this shot his entire life and I can’t explain how happy I am that you got it for him. You really are his best friend.”
“He’s earned it. He traveled and worked all of those small shows just like I did Kelly. He deserves this opportunity.”
“I know that and I know that means a lot more work for me but I love him and I’m excited.”
“I feel like there is a but coming….”
“But he has a family and he has responsibilities here. I’ve seen the WCF shows. There’s monsters, douchebags and even murderers that roam that locker room. I need you to do me one favor.” Burnett just looks at her and she continues. “I need you to take care of him. No matter what happens he still needs to come back here and take care of us.”
Burnett leans forward and takes Kelly’s hand. “I will. I always have in the past companies we’ve been in and I will now too. I promise.”
Kelly just nods to Adam as Stephen joins the table after cleaning up. “What are you two talking about so seriously?”
“How long it’s gonna take you to lose your first match!” Adam shouts with a smile and they all laugh. Adam leans back in his seat and knows that a whole new pressure has been added to his plate. Maybe Stephen being around is gonna make things harder than he originally thought.
What Is Happening?
Normally I would start this off and give a huge shout out to you….the WCF nation. Normally I would stand here and tell you all about how I am excited to be here and how much I love being in this company. Normally I would tell you all about how excited I am to perform in front of you on Sunday. Now that is still true. I am excited to show up on Sunday and give you all a show with Ethan King and I do enjoy being in the WCF. At least I was sure of that last part until Sunday night. It was on Sunday night that I learned that all of the previous wins and hard work that I have put in since I stepped into this company a month ago has been for nothing.
It was on Sunday night where I learned that beating an established wrestler in Psychopomp on the biggest stage of the year in a match that was for the number one contender to the Alpha Title means jack squat. I learned that beating every opponent that has been put in front of me doesn’t guarantee me what I have been promised. I learned that the management staff of this company are just as shady and underhanded as the small corrupt companies that I have performed for in the past. The types of companies that screw you out of money, your health and your dignity and it shocks me that the top company in the WCF will do just that to you if they feel like it. Then again maybe I should just accept the wrestling business that I love isn’t designed for guys like me to gain the upper hand. The American dream has always been that if you work hard and give it everything you’ve got, you can be anything you want and get anything you want. That’s not always true in pro wrestling.
For those of you that have not heard, there is a match on Sunday to determine a contender for the Alpha Title. While that normally would be great and the match itself should be gold, there is already a number one contender to that title. That number one contender is me! I earned that in the match that I have already mentioned and when I saw this I was a hurricane of emotions. I was angry, sad, in disbelief and confused all at the same time and if you look closer at this situation, you would feel the same way. Just look at the men that are up to be that new contender to the Alpha Title. There is Jay West who I beat last week. There is Jaice Wilds who, while impressive, lost his last match. There is Fuego Del Eterno Infierno Silencioso who has been barely seen lately. Last but not least is Psychopomp who is the most confusing of the men picked to compete in this match because he is the one that I beat at One to become the number one contender in the first place! Someone tell me how this makes any sense!
Now I understand needing a new contender if I had lost a few matches since beating Psychopomp but the truth of the matter is that I haven’t. Not only have I not lost a few matches, I haven’t lost a single match. You all know I am not one to toot my own horn and try to play myself up but I’m just stating facts. I have not lost since I started here and for some reason the management staff feels like they need another contender to go with me or to replace me. I’m not sure what the answer is to this question is. I know that some on my Twitter and Facebook feeds have said that it is because I’m easily to run over and that management is doing it because they think I’m to nice of a guy to be a legit contender to an athlete like Jason O’Neal. If that’s the case than fine….take the title shot away from me because I’m not changing.
Since I stepped into the gym to train to wrestle years ago I have been the same guy and that guy stands before you today. I’m a hard worker that has wanted nothing more than to be a professional wrestler and I achieved that dream long ago in the Ruff Ryder gym in Omaha. Now I was green and didn’t know the in's and outs of all of the backstage business but I knew that I wanted to wrestle. That’s all I have ever wanted. That’ something that I have held with me my entire career. Sure there have been other guys that others have been dubbed better than me or having more of an it factor than me. Guys like my opponent this week in Ethan King. I’ve heard multiple times how talented this guy is and how if he just dedicated himself to be at Slam week in and week out that he would be a top tier guy. Well if that’s the case than maybe we should put him in this contendership match as well. Hell let’s put all of these guys that show up whenever they want and take time off all the time in the contendership match because they all have some talent that management here doesn’t think I have and that is apparently more important than the guy who earned his spot.
Earned Ethan. That’s the key word. I earned my spot and I know that you are going to respond with your past accolades and tell me how I don’t stack up. You’re going to tell everyone that I am just some kid who has been on a lucky win streak but isn’t in your league. It’s the same sorry schtick we see from you and countless others. You take the spots of guys that work the road shows and go to all of the media appearances and you just show up to every other Slam at best and think that the world should be handed to you. Let’s get one thing straight Ethan. You don’t work as hard as me and you don’t have the same passion that I do. So what do you do? You attack my supposed lack of talent. It’s been the same my entire career. People have thought I am less talented than everyone else and I had to watch guys like you get called up to the big leagues before me and I hated it. I knew that the guys were gonna flame out and most of them have. There is one exception and that is the Alpha Champion himself. Jason O’Neal.
We were trained by the same man and that same guy that trained us, he still trains O’Neal. He didn’t think that I had the ability to get here and he dumped me on the streets but don’t worry, he conned me out of a ton of money first because he wanted to get some value out of me. Well look at me now! How is this for value!? I’m in the WCF and I’m the number one contender to O’Neal’s belt no matter what anyone else says and I plan on taking his title. I plan on taking that title and proving Greg Johnson wrong about me. Hell apparently I need to prove to WCF management that they are wrong about me to now. The only thing that isn’t wrong around here is my opinion of you Ethan.
I know that you used to be the United States Champion here King and I see you throw that accomplishment around a lot. Hell it’s still the main photo in that little montage of yourself that plays as you walk to the ring. That photo of you holding that title just makes me roll me eyes. You’re another guy that wants to push his accomplishments in our faces and thinks that that means something. What you don’t realize is that these fans don’t care about a championship that you used to hold that doesn’t even exist anymore. These fans care more about how your match looks in that ring. They care about effort and how much you are willing to give to entertain them and I’m willing to give my life to entertain the fans. Are you? I highly doubt that.
I’ve watched your matches and there’s no willingness to push yourself past your limitations. That was no more evident than in the New Year’s Bash a couple of weeks ago. It was in that match that I saw you show the weakest amount of heart I have ever seen. You had the opportunity to move on to the main event that night and what did you do when it mattered most? You let go of that top rope. I watched all four of you tumble over that rope and hold on. At that point it’s all about who wants it more and who has the most heart. You would have to saw my arm off with a dull spoon before I let go in that moment. You on the other hand let Sebastian Knight of all people give you a small push and you all fell to the ground and allowed him to win. Congratulations! You showed you have less heart than a gutless coward like Knight.
Was it worth it King? Was it worth throwing a potential World Title shot away because you “couldn’t” hold onto the top rope? There is nothing more that I hate than guys that give up during winning time. You’re like Jay Cutler King. You play well when you are out front but when it gets mucked up or a challenge is put in front of you, you disappear. With Cutler it is “injuries” that puts him on the sideline and with you it’s just the attitude that you aren’t going to show up. You’re going to take some time off and get your head on straight. Right. It’s not because you lost or looked bad. That’s why you didn’t show up on Slam last week. That is why you won’t show up on the next Slam if I beat you this week.
I hate that about you King but I can tell you this. You are good at what you do and you are solid in the ring. You may beat me from post to post on Sunday and I may take the first loss of my WCF career. However if you do, I’ll still show up at the following Slam and the one after that and the one after that. Adam Burnett doesn’t take weeks off and losses are going to happen in this business. No one goes undefeated and I don’t think that is going to change now. I don’t plan on bumps in the road ending this dream and I hope a small part of you can remember why you wanted to be a wrestler in the first place and why it’s fun to walk in that door each and every week.
I do have to give you this King. I appreciate your style change in recent weeks. I have seen a side of you that I never saw when I was watching WCF on the couch at home. You’ve gotten aggressive and you like to throw hands now. I’m sure you think that you can hit me a few times and I’m just gonna lay down. That I’m gonna curl up in a ball and just wait for it to be over. I’m not Ronda Rousey. I don’t just get in the fetal position when I get hit in the mouth. I’m a fighter and I’ll tell you now that if you hit me with one of those stiff shots, I’m popping right back up and getting in your face and asking you to do it again because I feel like I can take a few more shots than you can. I’ll trade hands all night.
With your striking combined with your past skills you make for a dangerous man Ethan. I’ll give you that. You have fewer holes in your game than before and when I watch you on tape I see a well rounded guy but there is one thing that you don’t have. You don’t have the AB and I know that when I put you in that calf crushing move, you’ll tap out. You won’t fight to get to the ropes. You’ll want to preserve your leg and you won’t want to endure any of the pain.
The worst thing that could have happened to you is this mess that the front office has made for me. I’m more motivated than ever before and I will do whatever it takes to keep fighting.
To some this Sunday is a regular old Slam and it’s just another appearance that is worked into their contract. To others it’s a chance to take the next step in their careers and in the case of some, win titles or get shots at titles. To me it’s about proving myself one more time. Ethan King is the perfect example of a guy that comes and goes as he pleases and is always treated better than the workhorses like me. Hell the guy didn’t even fight on One because he didn’t feel like it but suddenly he’s a top guy once again. It makes absolutely no sense but I plan on knocking some sense into Ethan. I plan on showing up and showing that good guys can overcome corruption and disrespect. WCF nation...be ready because I’m going to put on a show and remind all of you why you come to these events in the first place. To see guys who give a damn and put it all on the line. See you Sunday!