Post by Bryan "Buzz" Worthy on Jul 12, 2019 21:37:15 GMT -5
“ ‘Worthy of Discussion’ is brought to you in part by ‘Stumpf Padding’. For over fifty years the Stumpf family has provided the wrestling industry with the highest quality turnbuckle covers, ringpost cushions, and floor mats. Studies show that federations using ‘Stumpf Padding’ products see a 17% decrease in bludgeon-related injuries among its competitors, and a 24% decrease in reports of concussion when compared to companies using other brands . You can’t bubble wrap your talent, so do the next best thing: Swaddle them in Stumpf.”
Bryan Worthy closed the tab with the ad read script on his laptop and offered an extemporaneous rejoner to the other person in the makeshift studio, “Wish I had some Stumpf the other night.”
The man took his cue, “Does Stumpf make full body suits?”
“If they did they’d have to abolish hardcore wrestling. It would be an exercise in futility, unless you were just in it for the exercise,” Worthy opined.
“There’s got to be a better way to work out then throwing yourself off a twenty foot ladder.”
Buzz chuckled softly into the mic and, deciding it was a good time to end the introductory banter, began the show properly, “Welcome to a special episode of ‘Worthy of Discussion’. For those of you waiting to hear my interview with Dr. Fabian Kaye about the evolution of the hillbilly persona in professional wrestling, we will be running that this coming Friday. This broadcast is devoted to a more personal topic; those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram likely already know this is in regards to my return to the ring. Again.”
The other man in the studio, Buzz’s producer, clicked a link on his computer, playing the relevant audio for the broadcast’s listeners:
alphaprowrestling.boards.net/post/1062
“I’d like to thank the people of Alpha Pro Wrestling for granting permission to air that clip,” Bryan credited his new employer for the use of their intellectual property.
“Congratulations, Buzz,” his producer said, “Great showing. You might not have won the match, but you were in it until the end.”
“Thanks. I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to win. But given the level of talent involved, and my own surfeit of ring rust, I’m pleased with my performance. I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to congratulate Dean Wolf for winning the match becoming Alpha Pro Wrestling’s Hardcore Champion.”
“Plan on taking another run at the belt?”
Bryan had thought about this, “Perhaps. The Hardcore Battle Royal was a great way to return to wrestling. My body and will were tested in ways a more conventional match wouldn’t have done. It was diving into the deep end right from Jump street. Despite those pressures; I had fun. There was a certain freedom to being part of a match where you didn’t have to worry about rules, and could play against type. So we’ll see.”
“I guess we should back up a bit, talk about why you decided to return to wrestling after all this time before looking ahead,” Buzz’s producer did what he was paid for; steer the show in the correct direction.
“I wish I had a profound reason to offer,” Worthy said apologetically, “But there is none. I saw a new fed was opening, did some research into them, liked what I learned, and signed a contract. Nothing more complicated than that.”
The producer was skeptical, and Buzz was observant enough to pick up on it.
“I know that response isn’t what you’re looking for. It goes against the point of this show. We usually spend hours analyzing every small detail and trope of wrestling; sometimes to the point of neurosis. But sometimes, a wrestler unretires just because they miss the life.”
“Ok then. So next question: why would APW want you?”
“I didn’t ask and they didn’t offer a reason when they hired me. My guess is because they’re hoping my time in WCF makes me a bit more marketable than a rookie. APW has money, and clearly wants to be a player in the industry. Odin Balfore doesn’t work cheap. But wrestling is an oversaturated market. You need bodies to fill out the roster , and mine comes attached to a name some people remember back when I was working for Seth Lerch.”
“But you’re not going to pull double duty,” it was as a backstage personality at Wrestling Championship Federation that “Buzz” Worthy was most known for.
“No,” on this Buzz was resolute, No more half measures, “If I’m going to succeed as a wrestler at Alpha Pro, that’s what I need to focus on. I should make clear to the audience, though, ‘Worthy of Discussion’ will continue, though this will be the only episode where I devote any time talking about my return to the ring and APW. I want to compartmentalize these two parts of my career, because doing so should make me better at both.”
Buzz’s producer wasn’t happy about the decision to have a ban on talking about Alpha Pro. ‘Worthy of Discussion’ barely cracked the top twenty of downloaded wrestling-related podcasts. If Bryan was willing to discuss what was going on ‘behind the scenes’ at APW it could have lead to an increase in subscribers. Instead after today’s taping they would be going back to interviewing marks from MIT about the physics of the Irish whip and being the median of the medium. He repeated a point he had made to Buzz off-air:
“Alpha Pro might like the additional publicity.”
“Dani Applegate does that for them, and has a much larger audience than we do,” Bryan pointed out. Correctly, and again.
There was a lull in the conversation, almost long enough of dead air to require a post production edit. Bryan, ever the professional, filled the void.
“We will be discussing Alpha Pro on Youtube, however. So if you do want to hear my thoughts on my progress tune in to me there. The Channel is called “What’s the Buzz?” There will be a new video soon on this very topic."
It might seem a little harsh of Buzz to restrict the one topic of conversation most of the wrestling world is most interested in to his own YouTube channel. Excluding his loyal -but only so because Scoops Callahan won’t return his texts (does Scoops even text? He was as old school a journalist one could get. Forget print, he broke his stories on French cave walls)- employee from what was the only significant news he had to talk about seemed rather dickish; until one realized he helped put together ‘What’s the Buzz?’ as well. It was he (he’ll get a name someday) filming Worthy as he worked out in his local gym; getting multiple takes of him trying to get the botch out of his signature move. Again and again we see Bryan deadlift an MMA grappling dummy to his shoulders, spin several times, and then shift it from a firearm’s carry position to one shoulder where he would execute a running powerslam (this was the part that was giving him trouble). Some attempts were better than others. They made sure the final try was the one that had Bryan crashing and burning to the mat, because who doesn’t love a protagonist with flaws?
After the training montage we see Bryan sitting at the ring apron, legs dangling outside, arms resting across the middle rope. He looks to the camera:
“Been trying to perfect that move for a while. The Arizona Bull Ride was originally an airplane spin followed up by a bionic elbow. Holdover from my time as ‘Cowboy’ Bryan Brand. I tried to freshen it up a little, make it less of a comedy spot, but never could do it crisp. I mean, it works, but it’s sloppy. Someday, though, I’ll figure it out.”
He runs a hand through his sweat soaked hair.
“That’s what my wrestling career has been. Trying to figure things out. That’s what all the interviews were for. All the questions. Trying to piece together what this business means to everyone, and hopefully get them to appreciate it, and the people who are part of it more. Sometimes I succeeded. I think I get wrestling is more than most. I get that this match I have at Metal Five is about giving the six of us something to do on the card. It’s about seeing if any of the three pairings Irina Ivanova threw together click and add some depth to Alpha’s tag team division. Will her plan pay off? Good question. I know it’s going to be a battle. My partner Smith Jones has to be looking to get off the schneid. Lucy Sixx should want to keep her undefeated streak intact, or at least free from any asterix. Johnny Blaze and Alex Scott are newcomers to wrestling in general and APW in particular, and everyone wants their debut to be a memorable one. And Sandy Coconutz seems to be in search of some recognition, or at least understanding, from the fans. She, uh, is a bit harder to profile, but that’s true for most Beach Krew alumni. They may have put up a front of degenerate, shallow partybois and gurls; but they had their layers.”
“Which leaves me. What do I get out of this match? I’ve got no record to protect, and I’m not interested in changing anyone’s opinion of me, so it’s not about salvaging my reputation. It is what it is. Listen to my entrance music if you need a hint.”
Reaching up to the top rope, Buzz pulls himself to his feet
“What I’m here to do is work. To feel that satisfaction of a job well done. That’ll be my reward Monday Night at Metal. Tune in and watch it happen.”
He goes back to the ring, puts the waiting dummy across his shoulders, and starts to spin.
Bryan Worthy closed the tab with the ad read script on his laptop and offered an extemporaneous rejoner to the other person in the makeshift studio, “Wish I had some Stumpf the other night.”
The man took his cue, “Does Stumpf make full body suits?”
“If they did they’d have to abolish hardcore wrestling. It would be an exercise in futility, unless you were just in it for the exercise,” Worthy opined.
“There’s got to be a better way to work out then throwing yourself off a twenty foot ladder.”
Buzz chuckled softly into the mic and, deciding it was a good time to end the introductory banter, began the show properly, “Welcome to a special episode of ‘Worthy of Discussion’. For those of you waiting to hear my interview with Dr. Fabian Kaye about the evolution of the hillbilly persona in professional wrestling, we will be running that this coming Friday. This broadcast is devoted to a more personal topic; those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram likely already know this is in regards to my return to the ring. Again.”
The other man in the studio, Buzz’s producer, clicked a link on his computer, playing the relevant audio for the broadcast’s listeners:
alphaprowrestling.boards.net/post/1062
“I’d like to thank the people of Alpha Pro Wrestling for granting permission to air that clip,” Bryan credited his new employer for the use of their intellectual property.
“Congratulations, Buzz,” his producer said, “Great showing. You might not have won the match, but you were in it until the end.”
“Thanks. I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to win. But given the level of talent involved, and my own surfeit of ring rust, I’m pleased with my performance. I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to congratulate Dean Wolf for winning the match becoming Alpha Pro Wrestling’s Hardcore Champion.”
“Plan on taking another run at the belt?”
Bryan had thought about this, “Perhaps. The Hardcore Battle Royal was a great way to return to wrestling. My body and will were tested in ways a more conventional match wouldn’t have done. It was diving into the deep end right from Jump street. Despite those pressures; I had fun. There was a certain freedom to being part of a match where you didn’t have to worry about rules, and could play against type. So we’ll see.”
“I guess we should back up a bit, talk about why you decided to return to wrestling after all this time before looking ahead,” Buzz’s producer did what he was paid for; steer the show in the correct direction.
“I wish I had a profound reason to offer,” Worthy said apologetically, “But there is none. I saw a new fed was opening, did some research into them, liked what I learned, and signed a contract. Nothing more complicated than that.”
The producer was skeptical, and Buzz was observant enough to pick up on it.
“I know that response isn’t what you’re looking for. It goes against the point of this show. We usually spend hours analyzing every small detail and trope of wrestling; sometimes to the point of neurosis. But sometimes, a wrestler unretires just because they miss the life.”
“Ok then. So next question: why would APW want you?”
“I didn’t ask and they didn’t offer a reason when they hired me. My guess is because they’re hoping my time in WCF makes me a bit more marketable than a rookie. APW has money, and clearly wants to be a player in the industry. Odin Balfore doesn’t work cheap. But wrestling is an oversaturated market. You need bodies to fill out the roster , and mine comes attached to a name some people remember back when I was working for Seth Lerch.”
“But you’re not going to pull double duty,” it was as a backstage personality at Wrestling Championship Federation that “Buzz” Worthy was most known for.
“No,” on this Buzz was resolute, No more half measures, “If I’m going to succeed as a wrestler at Alpha Pro, that’s what I need to focus on. I should make clear to the audience, though, ‘Worthy of Discussion’ will continue, though this will be the only episode where I devote any time talking about my return to the ring and APW. I want to compartmentalize these two parts of my career, because doing so should make me better at both.”
Buzz’s producer wasn’t happy about the decision to have a ban on talking about Alpha Pro. ‘Worthy of Discussion’ barely cracked the top twenty of downloaded wrestling-related podcasts. If Bryan was willing to discuss what was going on ‘behind the scenes’ at APW it could have lead to an increase in subscribers. Instead after today’s taping they would be going back to interviewing marks from MIT about the physics of the Irish whip and being the median of the medium. He repeated a point he had made to Buzz off-air:
“Alpha Pro might like the additional publicity.”
“Dani Applegate does that for them, and has a much larger audience than we do,” Bryan pointed out. Correctly, and again.
There was a lull in the conversation, almost long enough of dead air to require a post production edit. Bryan, ever the professional, filled the void.
“We will be discussing Alpha Pro on Youtube, however. So if you do want to hear my thoughts on my progress tune in to me there. The Channel is called “What’s the Buzz?” There will be a new video soon on this very topic."
It might seem a little harsh of Buzz to restrict the one topic of conversation most of the wrestling world is most interested in to his own YouTube channel. Excluding his loyal -but only so because Scoops Callahan won’t return his texts (does Scoops even text? He was as old school a journalist one could get. Forget print, he broke his stories on French cave walls)- employee from what was the only significant news he had to talk about seemed rather dickish; until one realized he helped put together ‘What’s the Buzz?’ as well. It was he (he’ll get a name someday) filming Worthy as he worked out in his local gym; getting multiple takes of him trying to get the botch out of his signature move. Again and again we see Bryan deadlift an MMA grappling dummy to his shoulders, spin several times, and then shift it from a firearm’s carry position to one shoulder where he would execute a running powerslam (this was the part that was giving him trouble). Some attempts were better than others. They made sure the final try was the one that had Bryan crashing and burning to the mat, because who doesn’t love a protagonist with flaws?
After the training montage we see Bryan sitting at the ring apron, legs dangling outside, arms resting across the middle rope. He looks to the camera:
“Been trying to perfect that move for a while. The Arizona Bull Ride was originally an airplane spin followed up by a bionic elbow. Holdover from my time as ‘Cowboy’ Bryan Brand. I tried to freshen it up a little, make it less of a comedy spot, but never could do it crisp. I mean, it works, but it’s sloppy. Someday, though, I’ll figure it out.”
He runs a hand through his sweat soaked hair.
“That’s what my wrestling career has been. Trying to figure things out. That’s what all the interviews were for. All the questions. Trying to piece together what this business means to everyone, and hopefully get them to appreciate it, and the people who are part of it more. Sometimes I succeeded. I think I get wrestling is more than most. I get that this match I have at Metal Five is about giving the six of us something to do on the card. It’s about seeing if any of the three pairings Irina Ivanova threw together click and add some depth to Alpha’s tag team division. Will her plan pay off? Good question. I know it’s going to be a battle. My partner Smith Jones has to be looking to get off the schneid. Lucy Sixx should want to keep her undefeated streak intact, or at least free from any asterix. Johnny Blaze and Alex Scott are newcomers to wrestling in general and APW in particular, and everyone wants their debut to be a memorable one. And Sandy Coconutz seems to be in search of some recognition, or at least understanding, from the fans. She, uh, is a bit harder to profile, but that’s true for most Beach Krew alumni. They may have put up a front of degenerate, shallow partybois and gurls; but they had their layers.”
“Which leaves me. What do I get out of this match? I’ve got no record to protect, and I’m not interested in changing anyone’s opinion of me, so it’s not about salvaging my reputation. It is what it is. Listen to my entrance music if you need a hint.”
Reaching up to the top rope, Buzz pulls himself to his feet
“What I’m here to do is work. To feel that satisfaction of a job well done. That’ll be my reward Monday Night at Metal. Tune in and watch it happen.”
He goes back to the ring, puts the waiting dummy across his shoulders, and starts to spin.
