Post by Stuart Slane on May 22, 2016 14:58:42 GMT -5
Dancing With the One Who Brung You
Posted to WCF.com Friday, May 20, 2016
“Hello. Welcome to ‘Facts and Figure’. I’m your host, Jesse Heenan,” the attractive redhead in the scoop necked peach blouse and open tan blazer introduced herself and the show that bears her well-earned nickname to the viewing audience, “With me today is Wrestling Championship Federation wrestler Stuart Slane.”
A second camera showed the tall, robust man sitting across from Heenan. His dress was surprisingly casual: a black tee shirt bearing the iconic neon green WCF logo and a pair of dungarees. Also, it appeared the usually clean cut former Scoutmaster was trying to grow a goatee. He smiled and nodded to those watching.
There was a transition to a wide shot so both participants in the interview segment were now visible.
“Stuart, you have been part of WCF on and off for nearly four years. You’ve seen a great deal during that time, no doubt, but have you ever witnessed anything like what happened in Mexico on May 8?” Jesse asked.
“No. What Seth did was beyond the pale.”
“In case anyone is unaware, the incident we are discussing is the random firings of over half the WCF roster by the federation’s owner Seth Lerch during a Slam broadcast,” Heenan said in clarification, “What were your first thoughts when you heard the news?”
Stuart gave a rueful grin, “That I had had another concussion. I actually competed that night, against Neforian, and he had beaten me soundly. When word got to me it sounded so insane I figured I was punch drunk. After I realized there was nothing wrong with my faculties, there was the concern I was one of the wrestlers who had been let go.”
“Did you ever consider leaving anyway to show solidarity with those who had been wrongfully terminated?”
“Briefly,” Slane admitted, “There is no denying Seth crossed the line when he pitched his little fit, and that the talent who left has every right to feel mistreated. But to go back to your original question, once I had calmed down and considered the events of May 8, I came to the conclusion that perhaps it was all the for the best.”
Jesse was surprised by Stu’s words, “It was for the best that over twenty wrestlers lost their jobs?! That’s a callous statement.”
“Miss Heenan, you are a journalist who covers WCF; you tell me, what’s the mood been like here in recent weeks? Not positive. There were a lot of people angry backstage about a multitude of issues; first and foremost being Seth’s loyalty to ‘The Family’. Things were ugly, and no doubt were about to get worse. We were bound for a blow up of some sorts,” Slane told the reporter.
“That hardly justifies the arbitrary firing of twenty WCF superstars, including many current title holders, in the middle of a tournament for the Trios Cup,” Heenan shot back.
“The timing was terrible, you’re right. But in life, sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation. Seth’s purging of the roster, which, as an aside, I don’t believe was at all random, reminds me of another stunt pulled by a fed owner: The Montreal Screw Job.”
There was a pause, as Jesse attempted to work out Stu’s reasoning. She eventually gave up, and demanded answers, “Explain to the audience what the Montreal Screw Job was and how it relates to the Mexico Incident?”
“Around twenty years ago a wrestling company was about to lose its world champion due to contract considerations. He was leaving to join the promotion’s major rival. The owner was worried about the possibility the wrestler would depart still holding the title, so he conceived a plan that made sure he would lose it beforehand. But it wouldn’t be just any loss; he connived for the champ to drop the belt in his home country to a challenger he absolutely despised. Now, all of that was terrible, but if you consider the consequences of this scheme, things turned out largely positive. The Screw Job got the entire wrestling world talking. It made both the challenger and the promoter two of the most hated men in the sport; and millions of people continued to follow the company in hopes both men would get what was coming to them; which they did. Even the victim of the Screw Job benefited in some way, as he gained enormous sympathy as he moved on with his career, which, sadly, was cut short by injury. In fact, the early effects of the Montreal Screw Job worked out so perfectly a significant number of people still believe it was a work, and all parties involved were in on the plan.”
Jesse held up her hand as if to restrain further exposition, “Hold up. There’s a lot to cover in what you said. Are you implying that what happened in Mexico was for the good of everyone, whether they left the fed or not, and that the talent that was let go were aware of what Seth was going to do? And that they let it happen?”
“I don’t know. That’s the point. Maybe some of them knew, and welcomed it. There doesn’t seem to be much acrimony coming from those who were fired, does there?” Stuart pointed out, “No one is in a rush to air their grievances to the media, or record a nasty podcast detailing how badly they were wronged. Really, the people who are the most upset about the treatment of the fired talent are those of us who stayed behind, and the fans of course. As divorces go, this one is surprisingly amicable, which not only makes me believe that there is more to The Mexico Incident than we are being told, but also gives me hope that the causes of it can be dealt with and that we will one day see those who departed return in some capacity.”
Jesse gave Stuart a smirk, “You do love your conspiracy theories, don’t you? I mean, that’s what you’re implying the Mexico Incident is.”
“I’m not accusing anyone of anything, Miss Heenan; just making an observation. WCF was nearing a tipping point, one which could have resulted in the promotion closing its doors. Now here we are, not even two weeks later, getting ready for the first Slam in what hopes to be a New Era.”
“True, true,” the interviewer was forced to admit. She then segued into her next topic; the one that was responsible for Stuart to be on the show in the first place, “But before we move on to this ‘New Era’, I want to discuss some Old Business with you: the HWO.”
Hearing the initials of the Hue World Order caused a frown to form on Stuart’s sun-bronzed face, “What about them?”
“What can you tell us about them?”
“They were a group of wrestlers who targeted me for not having enough ‘color’. I’m still not sure what that means.”
“It was about race?” Jesse inquired in a tone that to Stuart sounded rhetorical.
“I don’t know.”
“Were you the only wrestler they had an issue with?”
“As far as I know, yes. They claimed to have an Enemies List which included other WCF talent, but never acted on it,” Slane replied.
“You had physical altercations with the HWO during Slam and WCF Wednesday Night. At one point they kept you from defending your Television Title. They even attempted to blind you with a can of spray paint. For a group that caused you so much grief, they seem very much off your radar.”
Stuart was sure now he didn’t like where this conversation was going. His response to Jesse was strained in its tenor, “The HWO were jobbers looking to make a name for themselves by going after me. I demonstrated to them how bad an idea that was, and they stopped.”
Heenan turned away from Stuart to address the camera directly, “It’s at this time I would like to welcome the former leader of the Hue World Order, Andre Ganguly, to the broadcast. Mister Ganguly, who wrestles under the stage name as Andre the Pliant, will be joining us via satellite. Andre, can you hear me?”
The blue screen behind Jesse and Stuart transformed to a close up picture of Pliant’s hang dog facial features. When he spoke his voice was somber; almost penitent.
“Yes, hello. I can hear you. Thank you for providing me with this opportunity.”
Slane, sensing a fix was in, became rigid in his seat; his expression an implacable mask as he desperately tried to conceal his building rage.
“Andre, we’re here speaking with Stuart Slane, who you and several other former members of the WCF roster feuded with earlier this year under the banner of a movement called the Hue World Order. Can you tell the reason behind this dispute?”
“Yes,” Andre answered, “We did it because Stuart Slane hired us to.”
Stu’s right eyelid began to flutter involuntarily.
“That’s a very serious allegation to make, Andre,” Jesse rightly pointed out, “Why would Stuart want to do that?”
“For sympathy; Mister Slane was trying to win the audience over. Nothing else was working, so he wanted to create a mysterious group of enemies that would attack him for no good reason.”
“That… is… untrue…” Stuart said as he struggled to control a growing muscle spasm on the right side of his face.
“I have proof sir. Six eyewitnesses, all willing to swear the Hue World Order was your idea. I have dates and times of meetings between the two of us.”
“Lies!” Slane hissed.
“I have copies of checks, in your handwriting, as proof of payment,” Andre replied calmly.
This statement left Stuart flummoxed, “Impossible,” he breathed.
“I have faxed to Miss Heenan the documents.”
“He did. Take a look,” Jesse handed Slane the aforementioned fax while a display of the checks appeared on the split screen with Andre, “Is that your signature, Stuart?”
Slane, still staring at the paper in front of him, did not respond.
“What about the account? Do you recognize that?”
Again, Slane was silent; despite the answer to both questions being yes.
Jesse went in for the kill, “Stuart, Mister Ganguly has leveled a charge that you attempted to deceive the WCF Galaxy by staging a feud with an imaginary enemy. He has offered evidence to support his claim. We know in the past you have used this tactic to garner attention for yourself; most famously with the Gang of Fourteen. And it is undeniable you were having issues connecting with the fans while were Television Champion. Given all that, there seems to be a compelling case to be made that Andre is telling the truth. Surely, you must have some kind of response to these allegations?”
For a while Stuart did not speak. His complexion had turned from tan to a deep scarlet. With trembling fingers he folded up the paper Jesse had given him. Then he stood which caused the mic attached to his shirt to twist and fall free.
“I had nothing to do with this, and I’ll prove it. Scout’s Honor,” was his terse reply before walking off the set.
Posted to WCF.com Sunday, May 22, 2016
Stuart Slane paced back and forth in front of a bank of lockers. This detail combined with the date can lead one to infer Slane was at the Santander Arena where Slam is to be broadcast. Stuart was in his ring gear, a green compression shirt and tan carpenter shorts, and his nascent beard from earlier in the work has been shaved away. Clearly angry and out of sorts, he stalked like a caged tiger in front of the camera. Finally he spoke.
“Tonight is meant to be a new beginning for the Wrestling Championship Federation. Not coincidentally, it is also the start of the WCF Classic Tournament. I have been booked to compete in the Classic, and for the first round have drawn as an opponent Gemini Battle. I don’t know much about Gemini Battle or Grayson Pierce or Livewire beyond his acheivements. He has been competing in WCF for a couple of years, and can be considered a main event level talent. A former United States Champion, Mister Battle also held the Tag Team Titles with his Rebellution stablemate Andre Holmes prior to the Mexico Incident which lead to Mr. Holmes’s departure and put into question the fate of the company’s Tag Team Division altogether. He has been a two time Number One Contender for the World Championship, and a Trios Cup winner with the Dark Riders Gang. In a bit of historical irony, Mister Battle, or I suppose I should say Mister Pierce, had just been bounced from this year’s now cancelled Trios Cup tournament when Logan used the confusion to cash in his guaranteed World title shot earned in the Final Destination Match. The head of the Family had timed things perfectly, as the former champion Joey Flash, weakened by the Trios match and subsequent assault by Grayson Pierce’s partner Thomas Bates, was easy pickings. It must have been unsettling for Mister Pierce to have a front row seat to this spectacle; watching someone else win the belt that for so long eluded him, and doing so against his own personal bugaboo might even be the reason for this transformation back into the much more unhinged “Gemini Battle” persona in the first place. I don’t know this for sure, but it seems logical.”
“I could relate to any distress Mister… Pierce-Battle felt at that moment, to a degree. Like him, I too have unfinished business with a New York based Mafia-type who repeatedly made me his whipping boy. And also like Gemini Battle, it is highly improbable I will ever get my chance to settle the score in a WCF ring. For Mister Battle, however, there is at least a consolation prize: the WCF World Championship; a reward serendipitously within reach because of the Classic. If Fortune favors him Gemini Battle will even have the opportunity at Blast to face the man at least partially responsible for the company losing Joey Flash in the first place. This has to be extra motivation for him. I know it would be for me. If he can’t achieve his apotheosis by taking the belt from his greatest foe, doing so at the expense of the wrestler that did defeat him should assuage that sting we all feel when the story doesn’t end the way we planned. Sometimes in wrestling, payback by proxy is the best we can hope for.”
“I’ve given good reason why Gemini Battle should be considered a heavy favorite in the WCF Classic, but what about the man who in a few hours will be facing him for the right to move on to the next round: myself? Mister Battle should be clearly inspired to take this tournament; but what spurs me to succeed? In truth, during my time here I have only been involved in the World Title picture once: during the 2013 WCF Classic. Aspiring lickspittle that I was, I made more of the free helicopter ride with Seth Lerch than the true prize: becoming Number One Contender for wrestling’s most prestigious belt. That fact alone should provide some insight into the kind of man I was; one not worthy to be WCF Champion; a fact driven home quite forcefully in the second round by Benjamin Atreyu when he pinned me.”
“That was three years ago. I’ve changed since then. But is it enough? Am I World Champion material, or not?”
“If you believe Miss Jesse Heenan, the answer is no. Viewers are no doubt aware of the allegations made against me by the WCF media personality; that I myself am responsible for the creation of the “Hue World Order” stable, and that the multiple attacks made against me were done on my command in order to engender support from the WCF Galaxy. These charges have been corroborated by several former WCF wrestlers, including the presumed leader of the HWO Andre Ganguly aka ‘Andre the Pliant’.”
“I am here to tell you that Mister Ganguly is lying. I had no involvement in the creation of the HWO. Those who claim I did are being untruthful, and will be exposed as the frauds they are. Since returning to the WCF earlier this year I have worked hard to correct past mistakes. The efforts to repair my damaged reputation will not be rendered moot by anyone. I will prove my innocence, out the people plotting against me, and give all responsible parties the appropriate ‘receipt’. Conspirators, Be Prepared.”
“In the meantime, there is the tournament. The WCF Classic is my chance to remind the wrestling world I did not get to where I am because of gimmicks or schemes. My successes come from here.”
Slane held up both of his huge, heavily callused hands, displaying them to the viewer before balling them into fists.
“It will take some doing to convince people. My last two matches have been humbling experiences. Tiffany White outwrestled me when we fought for the Television Title back in March, and would have won the belt that night if the match hadn’t been stopped due to my concussion. And just two weeks ago the newcomer Nefarion made it clear that my attempt to return from injury came far too early, as he squashed me at Slam.”
“I’m ready now. Tonight I will show the WCF Galaxy exactly what I am capable of when I’m on my game. They are going to see the man who took Johnny Stylez to school when he became Internet Champion, who pinned one of WCF’s favorite sons, Steve Orbit, for the United States Title, and who shocked the sport when he beat Wrestling Wunderkind Dustin Beaver to win the Television Championship. I, though a series of unfortunate events, have been put on a path I believed just a week ago would not be open to me. I have a chance tonight to take that first step towards becoming WCF World Champion. It’s not going to be easy. Gemini Battle is an unpredictable opponent, who fights in a manner very different from my own. He’s the classic risk taker, the high flyer, the psychotic stunt man who is willing- no- who welcomes pain. That’s not my style. I’m no cruiserweight, and my game plan is always very straight forward. But the simplest of strategies are usually the best ones, especially if you have the power to implement them; which I do. In a few hours I am going to use that power to wear Mister Battle out. I’ll reward him the pain he seeks; I’ll feed him more than he can stomach. And after I beat the clown white off of him, and he’s so weak from the agony his legs won’t even let him stand, I’ll take those legs and Knot them Up. Then it will be over. Tonight, Gemini Battle, and everyone else watching, are going toget a refresher course on how dangerous I am, and, if Seth Lerch really is trying to protect his fellow Family member Logan, how big a mistake he made when he gave a chance of winning WCF Classic and taking the World Title from him.”
