Roller Coaster Ride

[Thomas Uriel Bates]

Scene I “A Cold One”
Prudential Center – Newark, New Jersey

It was a hard fought match. “The Plague” Kevin Bishop really proved himself in the fight, even though he had to team up with Zombie McMorris, and had to wrestle against his newfound ally; Thomas Uriel Bates.

Bates didn’t do too bad either, but the match was fair, and Kevin Bishop won. It had been a long time since Bates fought in a fair match, and it was more than welcome.

Now the cold Bud Light beer showed unity even after such a harsh fight. Bates didn’t care for the beer, but this was Bishop’s show for now.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Good job tonight.

“The Plague” Kevin Bishop: Thank you. You too.

The two allies drink to their hard fought contest, the one they just finished, and the ones to come.

Scene II “BoneKrushers”
BoneKrushers Pro Wrestling School – Columbus, Ohio

From Cologne, Germany, currently residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; standing at six foot four inches and weighing in at two hundred and fifty-two pounds, “The Baron” Henker von Massaker.

The German soldier stands in the ring with his black short-sleeve “4-18-7” DRG shirt, his left arm covered with black wrap, and black gloves on both hands. His boots a tall black with chrome bat-wing tip. A very intimidating figure in his own right.

Standing before him, another intimidating figure.

From Huntsville, Alabama, weighing in at four hundred and thirty pounds and standing at six foot nine inches, The Mountain of WCF, Thomas Uriel Bates.

The giant stands before “The Baron” Henker von Massaker. He wears black jeans, black boots, and no shirt, revealing his muscular physique.

The two lock up, and Bates whips him to the ropes. Upon The Baron’s return, Bates whips him into the ropes again. Then again, and again, until The Baron catches the ropes and holds tight, stopping the momentum. Bates laughs.

Thomas Uriel Bates: You’ve got to be prepared to fight even while the whole arena is spinning around you.

The Baron simply nods.

Thomas Uriel Bates: We’ve put in a good solid hour; we can take a short break.

The two climb out of the ring, and find a bench nearby where they sit down and pour bottled water down their throats.

Thomas Uriel Bates: We’ll do good this week. Spencer and Teddy won’t know what hit them. They’ll expect you to just be a rookie to how we do things here. They’ll expect you to be unsure of your new partnership with the DRG, and they’ll expect you to fall apart out there in that ring.

Bates laughs and pats The Baron on the back.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Won’t they be surprised when they see how good we work together? Spencer might have an idea though.

Bates takes another swig from the water bottle.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Spencer used to be one of us. He could have even been real big in the DRG, but in the end he just couldn’t play with others. That’s a big problem with tag teams, and Teddy Blaze is going to have to worry about that this weekend.

“The Baron” Henker von Massaker: DRG the MC, or DRG the stable?

Thomas Uriel Bates: That’s something that people really didn’t understand, nor do they understand now. The Dark Riders Gang MC is not a wrestling stable. We never have been. We’re a Motorcycle Club, plain and simple. We ride together, and we fight together if we need to. We’ll have each other’s back if we ever need it, and last year, we needed it. We needed it to beat Seth’s mercenaries. Aside from occasionally coming together in our time of need, the DRG is made up of independent wrestlers that happen to be in the same MC. Now that most of us are in the Nomad Chapter, that independence is even stronger.

“The Baron” Henker von Massaker: I see.

Bates smiles and stands up.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Good. Now, on to weight lifting. How much can you carry?

“The Baron” Henker von Massaker: A respectable amount, I’m certain. And you?

Thomas Uriel Bates: Almost fifteen hundred. Ready to push it further?

The Baron’s eyes widen as the two men head to the weights.

Scene III “Et Tu?”
Ohio Theatre – Cleveland, Ohio

In Roman togas stand actors portraying the characters of Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare. One stands in the spotlight and speaks.

Brutus: Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my ause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say, that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: --Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All Actors on Stage: None, Brutus, none.

High in the balcony a giant stands up. He attempts to lower his head, as to be discreet, but his large frame fails him. He seemingly apologizes as he makes his way out of the balcony and into the hallway.

The giant is not pleased. Standing before him is a very impatient WCF Cameraman, nearly shoving the camera in his face.

Thomas Uriel Bates: I know it’s late in the week, but can’t you at least give me to the end of the show?

The cameraman seems to push the camera even more in his face. Bates has two options, and he is considering it deeply.

Thomas Uriel Bates: I could make you eat that camera.

As if dumb, or brave, the cameraman remains where he is, insistent.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Fine. Which one do you want to hear about? Teddy Blaze who I teamed up with, or Spencer Adams who betrayed me and his other DRG brothers?

The cameraman shrugs.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Fine, since you’re interrupting Julius Caesar, perhaps we shall talk about the traitor? Should we talk about how he’s got to worry about me ripping his head clean off for the way he left the group, and how he stabbed me in the back? Should we talk about the ways that I’m going to tear him limb from limb, and destroy his very soul?

No, because I’m not going to. Spencer Adams is a former member of my Motorcycle Club. He asked to leave, and we let him. There was no hunting him down, no burning or cutting off tattoos, no threatening his family, nothing. I’ve said time and time again that the DRG is a legitimate motorcycle club, and not an outlaw gang. Maybe Spencer got confused on that, but we never did.

See, Spencer left and for some reason started going after us. I guess in a way he was trying to prove he could have a career without us. Of course he can, there was no reason to try to prove it by trying to destroy us.

You see, that was his true betrayal. It wasn’t that he left the DRG, it’s that he made it his mission to destroy us. The same happened with Jackson. For some reason they wanted us gone. Perhaps we were a bad memory for them. Perhaps seeing the brotherhood that the members displayed showed them what they now lacked. Perhaps this is why they left in the first place. Maybe they just didn’t feel the same way as we did.

But that’s over with. I left for my political campaign, and Spencer was left alone to, as predicted, thrive in the WCF. Even with his betrayal, I was happy for him. I was pleased of his success, same as I was for every member and even former member of the DRG. Spencer had success, and I was happy for him.

When I came back, I expected to run across him in the ring again. I even told myself that maybe Spencer won’t be as angry anymore. That maybe now he didn’t feel he had something to prove. Maybe now, we could simply have a friendly match. I thought that was gone, when the WCF split. Seth Lerch in all his stupidity shut down the WCF, and Spencer Adams left for some other promotion. To be fair, it also looked as if Spencer and his friends were going to leave anyway, but no matter.

I have taken out Seth Lerch’s Family, and now Spencer comes back to the WCF. Interesting, but welcomed as well. Maybe now we can have that friendly match, just so long as Spencer wants it. There’s no need for any grudges, and now we can move forward. Forward perhaps, to the WCF World Championship even?

That’s right, if Spencer Adams and Teddy Blaze are successful in match against me and The Baron, then Spencer gets a shot at Teddy’s People’s Championship. Any other time and this would simply be for the People’s Championship, but this is the road to Ultimate Showdown, this could be Spencer’s path to the WCF World Championship.

That’s good. I’m happy he has this shot. If he wins, he gets to go into the Showdown. Who knows? Maybe he’ll win, or maybe he’ll lose. Maybe he’ll even face me there. We still have a little time, so we’ll see.

Spencer knows that he has a fight on his hands though. He knows that I’m going to give it my all. He knows that I’m going to put up a fight. He knows that he has his hands full this weekend. He may doubt my tag team partner this week, but Spencer knows me well enough to not doubt me.

Bates smiles.

Thomas Uriel Bates: And I know Spencer Adams.

Bates turns, reenters the balcony, and shuts the door in the face of the insistent cameraman.

Scene IV “Roller Coaster Ride”
Big Dipper – Geauga Lake - Bainbridge Township, Ohio

People used to come here all the time. Now the only living things that usually come through this Amusement Park are wild animals. Rats, maybe coyotes, maybe even stray domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Even this roller coaster, The Big Dipper, was now just rusting away as nature began to reclaim this place.

Today though, seemed an exception. WCF Superstar Thomas Uriel Bates leans against a guardrail leading up to the ride. He has a look of thought, and determination. He has, at least in his mind for now, beaten the biggest threat to the WCF, and now he focuses on his first real matches.

He now focuses on his tag team partner from last week, a man he had to go out and find. A man he had to help in some bar in New Jersey. Now it was time to talk, especially as a WCF Camera Drone flew just feet from his face.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Life is like a roller coaster ride. It has its ups, and its downs. A few loop de loops, a few kids throwing up on you. Times of complete and utter fear, and times of sweet reliefs. A person’s career can be much the same. Teddy Blaze is a prime example.

Teddy Blaze entered the world of WCF as Teo Del Sol. He did good, he did amazing. He was a fan favorite, and he was a great People’s Champion. The split did something to him though, and all of that positivity turned quickly into despair. Teo Del Sol couldn’t handle it, and so an alter ego had to come out.

Enter Teddy Blaze. An interesting figure, but interesting not for good reasons. He’s a man that has given up. He’s a man that quit. Teddy Blaze is the dark side of Teo Del Sol. Teddy Blaze is the guy that comes out when Teo Del Sol is pissing in the corner of his own mind.

Teddy Blaze just doesn’t give a… well, he’s like a Honey Badger now. Maybe he could face Zombie McMorris and unite the People’s and Internet Championship. Maybe he just doesn’t care. That is Teddy Blaze’s downfall. That is why Teddy Blaze, is not the man to have in your corner.

A man that doesn’t care, a man that has given up on life itself, is unpredictable. Maybe Teddy will be useful in this match, or maybe he’ll take too much of a risk and take both himself and his partner out. Maybe, just maybe Teddy will be too drunk to even come out to the ring.

As I said, life is a roller coaster, and Teddy Blaze’s life is making a downward run. It’s going to come back up, I’m certain, but is that today? Will that be now? Or will he wake up when he loses that belt he holds?

I know something about losing belts, and I know something about holding a belt for a good amount of time. I won the United States Championship, and quickly lost it. I won the Trios Championship with Gonzo and Gemini, and then lost it. I’ve held my Television Championship through the entire Trios Tournament facing not just good wrestlers, but legends in this company.

Will losing that belt be a wakeup call for Teddy? Or will it just send him spiraling down even more? Will he wake up and become Teo Del Sol once more, or will he continue to drown his sorrows? Teddy is on that downward spiral right now, he can only see it falling even more. Because of that, he has to be looking at Spencer Adams.

Spencer Adams could very well be the man that faces him for that People’s Championship. If Teddy and Spencer win, then Spencer gets a shot, and Teddy could lose his chance to the World Championship. That one possible thing that could bring him back, that could bring back Teo Del Sol.

That’s got to be in the back of his mind. If Teddy sees Spencer in that ring, nearing success, who’s to say he won’t tank the match? Unheard of, right? Yes, it would be unheard of, for Teo Del Sol. Teddy Blaze is unpredictable. Teddy Blaze could see Spencer Adams as just another threat.

Teddy Blaze is the big question mark in this match. Spencer we know is fighting to advance his own name, Teddy could very well be doing the same thing, and to do that, he may need to take out Spencer Adams.

Of course, Teo Del Sol would never do something like that. People know this, Spencer Adams knows this. Teo Del Sol would never do this., but then again, Teddy Blaze is no Teo Del Sol, right?

Bates doesn’t smile, he simply looks up to The Big Dipper, and then turns away from the camera. He starts walking across the park as the WCF Camera Drone lifts off.