SAM HEWITTFrom the Gateway to the West - St. Louis, Missouri, this is All Star Wrestling! My name is Sam Hewitt and before we dive into the action, I'd like to introduce you to one of the two men that helped put this whole thing together... Duke Womack!
Womack comes out from the back, jeans and sports coat with his signature cowboy hat.
DUKE WOMACK
First of all, I'd like to shout out some of our greatest fans that we have watching the program today - friends of mine in the US Army, I thank you for your service. We've also got our friends in the Special Olympics tuning into the show, so hello to all of yo--
Riel Buck interrupts him, walking out alone.
RIEL BUCK
Ol' Duke Womack, buddy ol' pal... did you just get a ride in on the short bus?
Womack chuckles.
RIEL BUCK
I would ask why in hell you’ve booked my man, Kenji Hattori to face some generic jabroni named Jordan Smith, but we all know just how short sighted you really are. You might be one to give to charities, and that’s all good and fine by me, but if you think for a second that I’m willing to waste the the time of Japan’s greatest export on that charity case standing in the ring, you’ve got another thing coming.
Womack pushes Riel with his finger, Riel shoves it away saying "don't touch me!"
DUKE WOMACK
I see contracts don't mean a damn to you because a man's word means a lot, Bucko. Your word reminds me of the smells back home on the horse farm. To call you a man would be insulting to all the good men that Americ-
RIEL BUCK
I'm Canadian!
DUKE WOMACK
Canada's done produced a lot of good men, too, but Riel Buck ain't among 'em.
RIEL BUCK
I’ll have you know, Duke, that my family likes me & I have a hot American girlfriend waiting for me back at the hotel room. So I’m going to let you off easy, because I’m about three seconds from slapping that goofy grin off your face!
DUKE WOMACK
Having a woman don't make you a man, Bucko. You stepping up to me would be a welcome change from your prissy boy persona, so go on, hit me.
Womack points to his chin, Riel takes aim but thinks better of it.
RIEL BUCK
You would like that, wouldn’t you? I see what you’re trying to do here. You’re trying to bait me into striking you so you can suspend me like you did back in AWA!
Womack lets out a guffaw.
DUKE WOMACK
The AWA... of all the things I screwed up, or that I did wrong in the AWA, that damn rule wasn't one of 'em. That rule was in place to prevent the inmates from running the asylum and it ain't my problem if your "Red Army" was beyond your control.
RIEL BUCK
My only problem in AWA was that I aligned myself with a bunch of idiots & ingrates that couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
DUKE WOMACK
And their pip squeak manager tried to win their matches for 'em and wound up getting sent home without pay.
RIEL BUCK
I will promise you one thing, Duke! This “pip squeak manager” will not be making the same mistake again, and you want to know why? My man Kenji Hattori needs no man’s help to win matches. If I told him to, he’d get in that ring and break Jordan Smith in half within ten seconds flat.
DUKE WOMACK
So where is he?
RIEL BUCK
I will have you know that he is currently getting warmed out by the finest trainers money can by, and if you want to see him on this program again, you’re going to have to fork out a lot more money.
He bows, theatrically before departing.
DUKE WOMACK
Well, I reckon we'll have to get the legal department to take a look at this.
Hewitt nods.
SAM HEWITT
Thanks for your time, Duke.
Womack leaves and we head to commercial.
COMING UP NEXT ON ALL STAR WRESTLING...
"THE WRESTLING BEAR" JACK MACE MAKES HIS DEBUT!
MASON MARVELLE
Ladies and gentlemen, this bout is scheduled for one fall with a ten minute time limit. Introducing first from Parts Unknown, he weighs in at two hundred and sixty pounds... Payne Makar!
The masked man raises his arm and adjusts his mask.
MASON MARVELLE
His opponent from Grewelthorpe, England. He weighs in at two hundred and eighty eight pounds... Jack Mace!
Mace lets out a roar.
MASON MARVELLE
Your referee for this bout is Jerry Roberts!
Roberts quickly checks both men over.
SAM HEWITT
While referee Jerry Roberts is earning his keep, we had some words from newcomer Jack Mace...
Referee Jerry Roberts checks over both men and calls for the bell. Mace offers his hand to Makar, who responds by slapping him across the face! A fired up Jack Mace locks up with Payne Makar, the masked man from Parts Unknown. Mace pushes Makar back into the corner using his slight size advantage, but Makar slips out and backs Mace up against the turnbuckles. Makar slaps him again, then begins blasting Mace with forearm shivers, then rakes the eyes before setting him for an Irish whip - but it gets countered and Makar goes into the corner instead. Makar stumbles out and Mace sends him high into the air with a BIG back body drop! Makar hits the mat hard, but the Wrestling Bear gives him no time to grieve the state of his back after that landing as he yanks him to his feet and unleashes a headbutt. He rocks Makar with the blow, but the masked man stays standing... until a bear paw smacks him upside the head!
BRIAN SHELZI
Oof! He calls that a bear paw... and I think Payne Makar might've preferred a bear doing it.
Indeed, Makar is spun down to a knee... Mace grabs him and does it again! Makar flattens out and the big man, all 6'5" / 288lbs of him backs into the corner and climbs up onto the second rope... then up top. Makar turns...
FRONT DROPKICK!
The ring thuds! Mace is slow to get up, but Makar isn't any quicker. The Wrestling Bear stalks his prey... then lets out a roar, grabbing the masked man and slapping on the cobra twist!
SAM HEWITT
Jack Mace told me he calls this the Bear Trap... and it's an appropriate name because I don't see Payne Makar going anywhere.
He taps!
SAM HEWITT
...and he doesn't! Makar submits to the Bear Trap! A grounded cobra twist submission.
BRIAN SHELZI
And Makar is no small man. Mace tossed him around like a ragdoll and made him submit in seconds - this guy's got scary power.
Mace roars again, then smiles and waves to the camera before exiting the ring.
AFTER THE BREAK...
WE'LL HEAR FROM THE NEWEST MANAGER IN THE NWF!
A lone candle burns, sitting atop a table.
??
Thank you for joining me.
A figure takes a seat at the table and folds his hands before bringing his head into view. To longtime fans, he's recognized as Darnell Cane - disgraced Pollomania/Lion's Road referee, but his hair and beard have changed... but something tells me that his morals have not.
DARNELL CANE
It has been three years since I was ousted from this sport. In a business of shady dealings, politics and backdoor men... I am suspended because I might have taken a bribe? Do you think the powers that be could ever prove that? Of course not. Nobody in their right mind is going to pay a bribe with a check or credit card and thus, no paper trails. I will claim my innocence until the end of time, but you should trust none of what you hear and less of what you see.
He chuckles.
DARNELL CANE
Trust me.
He blows out the candle and leaves.
The scene opens with, Scott Sterling standing in front of a locker room backdrop. Scott is wearing a blue polo shirt, and blue jeans.
SCOTT STERLING
So we're here. The first show in NWF history is in the books and yours truly is at the top of the heap. The end of my match was 1..2..3.
Scott looks intense.
SCOTT STERLING
I hope I have the attention of everyone here in NWF because you're looking at the leader of the pack. In the future on the marquees all across all the arenas that NWF attends. You'll the top billing going to Scott Sterling.
Scott looks into the camera.
SCOTT STERLING
Take this as a fair warning, a one time warning. Anyone I don't care who it may be. Who ever gets in my way to the top of NWF will fall and crumble at my feet. You've all been warned.
The scene fades out.
UP NEXT...
YOUR ALL STAR WRESTLING MAIN EVENT!
MASON MARVELLE
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event of the evening! Set for one fall with television time remaining. Introducing first from Houston, Texas! He weighs in at two hundred and twelve pounds... Sean Saxon!
Saxon does some jumping jacks.
MASON MARVELLE
His opponent from Nashville, Tennessee! He weighs in at two hundred and forty five pounds... Sports Guy!
SG wags his finger at Saxon and does some jacks of his own.
MASON MARVELLE
Your referee for this bo-
Sports Guy cuts him off, yanking the microphone away.
SPORTS GUY
Ladies, gentlemen, everyone in between, I'd like to introduce you to...
Sports Guy nudges Sean Saxon, whispering for him to tell him his name.
SPORTS GUY
John...? Bon...? Oh, okay, I got it.
Sports Guy smiles.
SPORTS GUY
Ladies and gentlemen, this is DON Saxon. Don will be a part of history this evening as he is my very first opponent here in the NWF. I'm a very giving individual and it's not enough that we get to make just a little bit of history together tonight, I'd like to put you in the record books, Juan.
SEAN SAXON
Sean!
SPORTS GUY
I think I can beat you in exactly 45 seconds.
SEAN SAXON
Sure, whatever. Let's go.
SPORTS GUY
Now Quan, as part of the preparation of being a super athlete... you need to warm up, stretches are very important in keeping yourself limber. Before we begin, I will do some stretches with you!
Sports Guy begins stretching, then does a few squats before motioning for Sean to follow his lead. Saxon rolls his eyes, but does some squats. Sports Guy challenges him to do ten - first one to ten gets the first shot! The two begin doing squats as fast as they can, but Sports Guy is outpacing him. SG gets to nine and pretends to struggle, but pops up and cheap shots Saxon! Referee Cordell Garner backs Sports Guy up and calls for the bell, but the brief moment of peace for Saxon doesn't help much - Sports Guy grabs him and hip tosses him across the ring. Saxon lands hard on his ass, popping back up almost out of necessity and walks right into a belly to belly suplex. Sports Guy asks for the time and twenty second has elapsed, so he goes into the corner and fixes his hair before taking a three point stance... then tears into Sean Saxon! Sports Guy then returns to the corner and motions to his wrist, 30 seconds this time. He patiently waits, then pops Saxon with a technical foul! The superman punch puts Saxon down on the mat and SG places a single finger on his chest and gets the three count.
BRIAN SHELZI
What a performance! What's the time on that, Marv?
MASON MARVELLE
The winner of this match by pinfall in 44 seconds, SPORTS GUY!
Sports Guy puts his hand to his chest and feigns surprise, he tries to yank the microphone from Marvelle again to thank his mom but Marvelle doesn't let him anywhere near it. Sports Guy jogs around the ring, arms in the air and stomps Saxon after his first lap.
SAM HEWITT
The only thing bigger than this guy's celebration is his ego.
BRIAN SHELZI
This is monumental, Sambo. The man called his shot! Just like Babe Ruth, just like Owen Nolan - then beat it by a second! Unprecedented!
SAM HEWITT
In any event, fans, there's one more piece we're going to show you before we wrap up tonight's program so don't go away...
WE HEAR FROM DAVID TROY
AFTER THE BREAK
We begin in what appears to be a studio of some kind, two chairs surrounding a table in the middle, and each chair being sat on; the right by play-by-play man and interviewer Sam Hewitt, and the left by a familiar face that made his presence known with a video announcement earlier this week.
SAM HEWITT
Good evening, fans, Sam Hewitt here, and tonight I’m spending some time with the National Wrestling Federation’s most recent signing, former World’s Heavyweight Champion, “Dynamite” David Troy.
Troy smiles at Sam and nods.
DAVID TROY
Pleasure to be talkin’ with you again, Sambo. It’s been too long.
SAM HEWITT
David, this may be a bit blunt, but I need to ask; what brings you to the NWF as a former world champion?
David chuckles.
DAVID TROY
Couple reasons, actually, Sam. When I’d heard that Duke and Brian were announcing a brand new company from scratch, without the baggage of some of the enterprises we’d dealt with in the past, I joined up, yes, as a favor to Shelzi and the Duke, but also because I wanted to see the young up-and-comers who came here to start their own legacies… and to extend my own.
SAM HEWITT
Extend your legacy?
DAVID TROY
You know it as well as I do. I’ll be turning forty very soon. I’m not going to be doing this stuff forever, and I don’t know exactly what I’ll do afterwards. But I DO know I want to leave my impression on these kids as they move on in their careers… by fighting them, by showing them what it is to really, REALLY be the torchbearers that professional wrestling needs in the new decade.
SAM HEWITT
And what do you think wrestling needs?
DAVID TROY
Grit. Perseverance. And a willingness to throw down even when victory isn’t a guarantee. And I’m gonna teach these kids exactly that. You know how I always talked about carrying Lion’s Road on my back when I was champion, Sambo?
Sam nods silently.
DAVID TROY
Well, imagine that, but for a company just starting, from scratch, and without the historical imprint the old place had. I’ll build the NWF from the ground up, and everyone here in this company now?
Troy turns to the camera.
DAVID TROY
It’s up to YOU to come into that ring, look me in the eye, and show the world how you measure up.
A grin.
DAVID TROY
I’ll be waiting.
SAM HEWITT
And there you have it, folks, the NWF’s newest signing, David Troy, making a BOLD statement to the NWF roster...