Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2014 17:11:47 GMT -5
Full Circle in the Squared Circle
The Penn State Wrestling Federation was one of WCF’s many developmental leagues. Headquartered in Oley, Pennsylvania, it was less than a half hour drive from the company’s main office in Reading. Its proximity was no accident: PSWF was meant to be the last stop for aspiring talent before being called up to the main roster. Its facilities were state of the art, and its staff top notch. The Epitome of Hardcore himself, Gravedigger, was the man most responsible for setting PSWF up, and he was never known as one to do something halfway.
Bryan Worthy had chosen to use the facility for his own training. He had rented an apartment in town and gone through the rigmarole of scheduling time when he could have use of one of the gym’s regulation sized wrestling rings, as well as the services of a trainer and sparring partner. Right now he was in the process of warming up for his practice session, a ritual that existed of him running the ropes exactly seventy times before laying down on the mat and executing twenty rising handsprings.
There was a problem, though.
This was Bryan’s first time on canvass in well over a year, and while he was still a fit young man in the prime of his life, his body wasn’t close to ring ready. By the thirty sixth circuit from rope to rope he was sweating buckets, by his forty fifth his breath was labored. The pain in his sides was excruciating. It felt as though someone had gone to work on his ribs with a sledgehammer. Bryan didn’t dare look down to inspect his torso, fearful the sight of blossoming purple bruises along his obliques would compel him to stop. When he reached fifty one trips it became a chore to see, so much perspiration had dripped down into his eyes, stinging them with its salty acridness. At sixty Bryan was making high pitched yipping sounds each time his torso struck and caromed off the coarse, unyielding cables. Ten more circuits. That was all that was left. The soon to be returning wrestler counted down the last trips internally as he lurched his body from one side of the ring to the other. Finally, when he reached seventy, Bryan let momentum carry him to its middle where he collapsed to a supine position. His well sculpted chest rose and fell rapidly as his straining lungs worked to give his suffering body the air it needed.
Bryan was debating whether or not he should attempt the kip ups when a familiar, fortuitous catchphrase intervened.
“Whoa.”
Freddy Whoa was standing at the ring apron, a concerned look on his face.
“Heyyyyy, Freddy,” Bryan gave his fellow member of the Fourth Estate a weak smile, “What’s going on?”
The host of WCF Wednesday Night shrugged, “Doing some stuff for the Communications Class,” PSWF had special seminars for their students on how to deliver promos and respond to interviews, “What’s up with you?”
“Just, shaking off the ring rust,” Worthy wheezed out. He inhaled deeply, tensed his body, and sprang up a standing position. One would be enough for now.
“Right. Your match at Timebomb. Well, I don’t want to keep you-“
“No, no, it’s fine,” Bryan half-assured, half-pleaded to Freddy as he walked over to the ropes, “In fact, uh, I think I have a few minutes to spare, if you want to ask me a few questions.”
Freddy had the time, and more importantly, the sympathy, for his colleague, “Sure,” he got out his mini-recorder while Bryan sat on the apron and grabbed a nearby towel and a bottle of water, “You ready?”
Bryan nodded, and the interview began.
FW: So, why’d you bail on hosting “WCF Round Up?”
BW: I didn’t like the format change. “Round Up” was originally meant to be a highlight show. It was going to recap the events of Slam and the Pay Per Views, and allow the wrestlers time to give their own opinions on what was happening in the WCF Universe. But I guess that wasn’t working out ratings wise, so they decided to mix things up a little by hiring Jessie Heenan. She added a new dynamic to the show, an edge that wasn’t there before. And it worked to a degree. Jessie’s very good at what she does. But it wasn’t a direction I was happy with.
FW: And why’s that?
BW: It was too snarky, too smug. Time was spent running down the talent, at least some of it, instead of working on helping them get over. I wound up playing defense to Jessie’s offense. Wrestling’s a sport, and at the end of the day what goes on here doesn’t have a real impact on the world at large, but I wanted to try and present things as fairly and as seriously as possible, and allow the fans to make their own call. But it was decided “Round Up” should be more about the conflict between me and Jessie, and that wasn’t something I was interested in. I didn’t want to be part of the story.
FW: So you quit?
BW: Not exactly. I went to my-our-bosses and told them my concerns. They sympathized, but basically said nothing was going to change. So I asked if it were possible to do an online interview show. I wanted to bring back “What’s the Buzz?” as a regular feature. Talking to the wrestlers was my favorite part of my job, and it was something I felt everyone in the WCF Universe could benefit from. But the powers that be made it clear that the only way they’d allow another interview program was if an active wrestler was hosting. So I signed a supplemental contract and rejoined the roster.
FW: Whoa.
BW: Yeah, well, it isn’t as crazy a decision as it sounds. Truth to tell, I’ve thought about returning to the ring for a while now. There really was no reason for me to retire in the first place. No nagging injuries or health concerns. In fact, despite current evidence to the contrary, I might be in the best shape of my life.
FW: There’s more to wrestling than physical fitness, though. You have to be prepared mentally as well.
BW: You’re right, Freddy. And, two months ago, I didn’t have the right mindset to wrestle. It takes a lot of will to step into the ring, to be okay with dropping some guy on his head, and vice versa. But being back here, in WCF, talking with the other wrestlers, I guess stoked the fires of competition. All it took was some additional fuel to be added to those flames and returning became an easy decision to make.
FW: I want to go back to something you said earlier, about how you left “WCF Round Up” because you didn’t want to be part of the story. But now, as an active competitor, you are exactly that. You’re not a bystander anymore.
BW: The irony isn’t lost on me. But I think I’m professional enough to keep both roles separate. I can be the interviewer that lets the others in the locker room talk outside the ring while also being the wrestler who tries to shut them up inside it. Ultimately, what I want to do is serve as a proxy for the fan. I’m going to ask questions they’d want answered, and compete the way they would if they could.
FW: That explains the decision to return to wrestling, but what was the reason behind accepting Natural ICE Berkman’s open challenge?
BW: There’s a couple, Freddy. First, I thought it would be a good way to finagle a singles match at the Timebomb Pay Per View. The WCF Booking Committee is always in search of a hook for the matches they make, and answering an open challenge is one of the most basic. It didn’t quite work out this time.
FW: True. Berkman’s going to be facing Charles “The Ice Cream Man” Grey this coming Sunday, while you’re in the opening four way match.
BW: Yeah, but that’s fine. I’m sure I’ll have the chance to fight ICE sometime in the coming weeks. We’re going to be sitting down to tape an interview for your show, actually, so something might come out of that. Berkman’s got a lot of enthusiasm, and he’s eager to make a name for himself here. I respect that, and I’m happy to serve as an opportunity for him to prove how good he is, even if my overall goal is to pin him.
FW: Moving on to your actual match at Timebomb. You are kicking off the night as one part of a fatal four way. Your opponents are all newcomers to the WCF: Khaos, Roscoe Shane, and Endorphin. What are your thoughts about the upcoming contest?
BW: I’m happy with it. Some wrestlers consider “jerking the curtain” a slight, but I see it as a sign of confidence from the bookers. You want to start your show with something that will energize the crowd. To prime that proverbial pump. The four of us have been given the responsibility to set the tone for the entire night. So, even if the only physical reward to the match is the winner’s share of the purse, opening Timebomb is still a big deal.
FW: What do you think about your chances of winning?
BW: I don’t know, Freddy. The drawback to these multi-man matches is that you can still lose even if you aren’t the one taking the pin. There’s an element of luck to it. You have to make sure you’re positioned to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. You got to keep your head on a swivel.
FW: What do you know about the three men you’ll be facing in Dallas Sunday?
BW: I’ve been tracking down whatever information I can about them. Like you said earlier, they’re all making their WCF debuts-assuming Enorphin isn’t a returning superstar under that mask. But I’ve caught some of their matches on YouTube and pieced together some other details through my sources. Roscoe Shame is a big guy, a powerhouse. He wrestled for a promotion in Las Vegas, and had some success there. From what I have gathered he let it get to his head. Shame made some bad decisions professionally and personally, things he is trying to put behind him. Coming to WCF is his chance to redeem himself. Combine that motivation with his size and strength, and Roscoe Shame is going to be a formidable opponent. Then there’s Endorphin. He’s got a rep as a troublemaker. He gets in people’s faces. One of the ways he tries to antagonize his opponents is by using his own finisher against him. I guess its his way of saying he can do whatever you do, and do it better. Endorphin is very quick and acrobatic, and takes a lot of risks. Khaos is the last guy. Like Endorphin, he’s very unpredictable in and out of the ring. And he uses this to his advantage, as his wrestling style is a hybrid of martial arts, submission, and the classic high flyer. With such a versatile offense, Khaos is a tough wrestler to pin down. Literally.
FW: And what about you? What do you bring to the match?
BW: I’m not really going to know the answer to that until after the match ends, Freddy. It’s been a while since I competed, and when I did, I fought in a much different style. I had twenty extra pounds of muscle on me the last time I fought in the WCF. Now, I’m going to have to rely less on raw power to win. But I’ve adapted. My offense is more varied, though I still use the Buzz Bomb as my finisher. What I’m going to have to do now more than before, when I could just muscle an opponent up on my shoulder and dropping the Bomb on them, is wear them out. Weaken them to the point where when I lift them up they can’t fight out of it. That’s going to take patience on my part, and stamina, and those are two things I’ve been working on.
FW: In the ring at least.
BW: Heh. Fair point. But in my defense, working with Jessie Heenan would test the limits of anyone.
FW: Ha. Any final thoughts on Timebomb?
BW: It should be an amazing night. The card is stacked. I have a feeling the people in Dallas are going to see history made, Freddy. Timebomb is the start of one of WCF’s signature competitions: The Trilogy Cup, in which the ultimate winner gets a guaranteed shot at the World Championship. After months of being vacant, the Tag Team Titles will be awarded to one of four deserving teams. And in the main event, the World Title match will be up for grabs among six wrestlers who have all held the belt previously. That’s going to be a classic. And while our match doesn’t have anything close to the high stakes of the ones I previously mentioned, it’s a chance for all of us to prove we belong here in the company. Me, Rosco Shame, Endorphin, and Khaos will be fighting for respect and recognition at Timebomb. And while I think we’re all going to impress the WCF Universe, I’m confident I’ll be the one with my hand raised at the end of the match.
The interview ends, so we’re back to standard prose. Bryan slips down off the apron and shakes Freddy’s hand. The two make plans to hang out sometime in the future, most likely when I need a character to serve as a proxy for the reader during a character development RP. You know how these things go. After some semi-awkward fist bumping, Whoa and Worthy go their separate ways, the former leaving the gym, the latter rolling under the ropes back into the ring. He positions himself in its center, flat on his back. He draws both legs to his chest, rolls back onto his shoulders, and lays his palms flat on the mat equidistant from either side of his head. Bryan then thrusts his legs away from his body pushing off from the canvass with his shoulders and hands, allowing him to kip to his feet.
“That’s two,” he tells himself, as he sinks back down to the ground again.
