Sturgis

[Thomas Uriel Bates]

“Sturgis”
Full Throttle Saloon – Sturgis, South Dakota

Sturgis, South Dakota. Founded in 1878, this small little town was host to the largest motorcycle rally in the world. A town of around six-six hundred people explode to nearly eight hundred thousand. Sturgis wasn’t just a town in South Dakota, it was home to nearly everyone with an iron horse. Today, it was also home to WCF Television Champion, and soon to be Number One Contender for the WCF Championship; Thomas Uriel Bates.

He seemed to always find his way here year after year. It was a good place to go. Good music, good bikes, good drinks, and in most cases, good people. Like nearly everyone else, Bates wore his Colors; the Dark Riders Gang MC: Nomad Chapter. The fanged skull that once dominated the WCF now scattered Sturgis along with many others. AoD colors could even be seen from time to time, though Bates did not care to see who wore them.

Bates had other business to attend to. He was in the recently rebuilt Full Throttle Saloon listening to Ted Nugent playing live, a Scotch on the Rocks, a Romeo Y Julieta Churchill, and a beautiful leather clad blond with hair down to the small of her back, barely covering a beautiful tribal tattoo. She occasionally turned his way with a smile from her ruby lips and a wink in her big blue eyes. That’s enough to get Bates to stand up and walk her way. As he approached, he turned to the bartender briefly.

Thomas Uriel Bates: One more of whatever she’s having.

The bartender nods, and begins pouring another glass of Tennessee Whiskey. Bates turns his eyes back to the girl.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Enjoying the music?

The beautiful girl smiled, leaned in and whispered in the giant’s ear. He smiled as he grabbed her hand and began to stand. Unfortunately for Bates, the WCF Camera Crew is very nosy.

WCF Cameraman: Mr. Bates, we’re here for your shoot!

Bates does not even look towards the Cameraman, and instead tries to leave with the girl.

WCF Cameraman: Mr. Bates, will you please address your upcoming match against both Brent Alpine and Gemini Battle for a Number One Contendership for the WCF Championship?

Again, Bates is ignoring the pest and trying to walk away with the girl.

WCF Cameraman: Mr. Bates, how do you feel about Johnny Rabid attempting to jump ahead of you and get a WCF Championship match without even officially being on the roster?

Bates turns and stares down the cameraman.

Thomas Uriel Bates: I would love to sit down and talk of the many ways that I don’t care for Johny Rabbit one pinch of owl dung, but I have other… more pressing matters to attend to.

WCF Cameraman: Like what?

Bates simply shakes his head and turns back around to see the girl… has left. Bates closes his eyes and tries to contain his frustration.

WCF Cameraman: I must remind you that as WCF Television Champion you are expected to give regular interviews and/or shoots regarding your upcoming match.

Bates opens his eyes, and finds there is still no beautiful girl with long blond hair. He turns back around and faces the Cameraman with fire in his eyes.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Of course you want your video. Of course you want to continue to interrupt our lives, interfere with our private lives, just so you can get some kind of shot of us smack talking some other wrestlers. Why can’t you focus on our training regimen? But no, you have to hear some trash talking. You need to hear how Gemini Battle is some nutcase clown that’s going to get tossed thirty more feet in the air just like our first encounter. You need to hear how high Brent Alpine is going to fly in The Badge, or how one Bates’ Boot is going to take both of them to the Moon.

WCF Cameraman: Yea, that’ll do. Talk about that.

Bates closes his eyes and sighs. He sits down at a nearby table and takes another draw from his cigar. He blows the smoke into the camera as he reluctantly spoke.

Thomas Uriel Bates: Fine. I’ll talk about my upcoming opponents. I’ll talk about Thomas Uriel Bates facing off against Gemini Battle and Brent Alpine in a handicap match where if I win, I get my World Championship match at Revenge. If I lose, then Brent Alpine jumps to the head of the line as the first ever WCF Alpha Champion.

Of course, it figures that Seth Lerch would create a new championship to jump to front of the line just when I get the WCF Television title, the true secondary title of the WCF. Of course Seth Lerch wants to award Brent Alpine who finished fourth in the Ultimate Showdown, rather than see me go for the WCF Championship once again.

Last year, in spite of Seth’s wishes, I won the Ultimate Ninth Battle Royal and secured my spot in the Ultimate Showdown. I then went head to head with Dune and though I did not win the Showdown, I came in second and earned a rematch for the title. This year was not much different. I secured a place at the Showdown, and went head to head with the new World Campion. It was inevitable that I would be coming for Gemini Battle’s World title, even though I was proud of him for winning it.

Former Champion Stuart Slane and former Hardcore Champion Nathan Chambers walked away with the Tag Team Titles. The People’s Championship went to Kevin Bishop, and Teddy Blaze walked away with the Internet Championship. Zombie McMorris took home the Hardcore Championship, and Brent Alpine became the new United States Champion, now known as the Alpha Champion.

All others accepted their fate, even me. Gemini Battle won the match hands down, and he deserved it. Brent Alpine however whined and complained about some conspiracy to prevent him from taking home the World title. He thought for certain that he would win that belt, and when I took him out, he entered a state of shock that he has yet to snap out of.

Brent Alpine is not a bad wrestler. He does deserve is own place here in the WCF, but that boy’s not right in the head. He’s a bit like Nathan Chambers in a way. He thinks he’s perfect, that there’s no one else out there that can beat him. If he loses, it’s some conspiracy. It’s somebody pulling strings somewhere making sure he doesn’t get what he’s due.

So of course he complains. He whines. He does everything Johnny Rabbit does, but is at least backed by contract. He whines so much that Seth Lerch gives him a match, not realizing that it’s not Brent Alpine’s time, it’s my time.

Let us not forget our World Champion, Gemini Battle. My… friend. My… brother. He wins the Ultimate Showdown and walks away with the World Title, man I couldn’t be happier. It was a pleasure going head to head with Gemini in the Ultimate Showdown, and I was not just satisfied with the outcome, I was happy. My friend, my brother, becomes the World Champion. I’d get my match soon enough, so I was okay with it.

When I came out last week to give Gemini a present commemorating our friendship, our brotherhood, I had so much pride in my heart. I had so much love, so much respect. Gemini, Gonzo, and me all with our newly won WCF Trios Championship. It was a time in my life that I will never forget, that I will always cherish. I thought Gemini felt the same.

I understand him being upset that I was not around when his son died. I understand that I left to pursue other interests and left him here. I understand that I should have stayed in better touch with Gemini, but let me also say that a phone works both ways, Gemini.

Now yes, I know you were overcome with grief when your son died Gem, but I was never told. I would have cancelled any fundraiser, cancelled any debate, cancelled any convention, just to run to your side during this moment, but I never received a phone call.

Never once, Gem, did I hear from you. No phone call to see how things were going. No call to let me know how you were. No call even to see if I was alright after getting hit with the chair from Wade Moor when I came to support you during my campaign. No, Gemini, that phone works both ways and you never once even called. Yes, I’m to blame for this rift in our friendship, but so are you.

I put all that aside, Gem, because we were friends. I thought nothing of it, even though I sat with you during your withdrawals and through your issues against Henson last year. I thought nothing of the fact that you didn’t keep in touch. We were brothers after all, we’d catch up on everything the next time we saw each other. If it’s important, I’ll get a phone call. Right, brother? No, instead I get nothing. Your son died, and I don’t even get a call. I know you were overcome with grief, but damnit I wasn’t even given the chance to grieve.

But no, we don’t get to sit down and catch up on how things have been. We don’t sit back over a smoke and a drink and chat about how things were during my campaign, or how things were in the WCF while I was gone. I got nearly as much silence from you as when I was away.

Then we get a chance to work together with the WCF Tag Team Championship. We won the belts together, and immediately get into Ultimate Showdown. We had a chance to catch up then, we had a chance to go over how to make sure it would come down to one of us. How we would team together. No, you didn’t want to. The DRG was back at Ultimate Showdown, but we were not the DRG. There was no brotherhood, there was no friendship. That’s fine though, it still came down to you and me.

I was still putting everything to the side. I was still willing to work things out. Hell, Gem, I was still feeling guilty because of my part in our lack of communication. Yet ever since I’ve been back I’ve tried to make up for it. I’ve tried to reconnect. I tried to bring our brotherhood back.

Then you stepped on it. Literally, you stomp on the very symbol of our friendship. Gonzo, you, me, you stomp on that image and shattered the frame, shattered the glass, shattered what little was left of our friendship.

Now Gemini, you’re still my brother. We’re not seeing eye to eye, and we’re at odds right now. Hell Gemini, I’m going to stomp on your face as hard as you stomped on that picture, but we’re still brothers. There will always be a place for you in my heart.

But my brother, while you team up with our local conspiracy theorist at Slam, I’m not going to be seeing my good friend Gemini Battle. I’m not going to be seeing Grayson Pierce. I’m not going to be seeing my fellow DRG brother. I’m going to see a disrespectful spoilt brat that has truly abandoned his friends.

I’m going to be seeing my enemy.

Bates finally turns away from the cameraman and heads back to the bar. Satisfied, the annoying pest leaves Bates alone this time, allowing him to reach the bar and order another drink. He pulls out his butane lighter and relights his cigar. Ted Nugent begins playing “Stranglehold” as Bates draws from his cigar. Another beautiful women catches his eyes. With a twinkle from her pretty green eyes, Bates was soon gone.