Saving the Bull Themed Title for Bodacious
Aug 4, 2019 11:47:25 GMT -5
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Post by Bryan "Buzz" Worthy on Aug 4, 2019 11:47:25 GMT -5
Bryan went straight to the showers after Alpha Showdown. Shucking his gear and leaving them in a mound on the tiled floor, APW’s new Number One Contender for the North American title went to stand in one of the stalls furthest from the door. His body tensed reflexively when the ice cold water struck him, but after a few moments it welcomed the relief it provided. The dousing numbed his aching muscles and joints. Buzz reached up to grab the shower nozzle and arched his back so that the stream hit his shoulders and rushed down his spine. The most serious injury of his career happened out of the ring, when his back had been broken during an interview gone wrong, and even years later it still troubled him. He held that pose a long time, letting the frigid water dull the pain.
Exiting the shower, he scooped up his pads and boots and shoved them in the duffel bag he took out of his locker. He didn’t dress yet; instead choosing to sit and check his messages. There were a few, from friends and family who either congratulated him on his performance or expressed sympathy at his failure. As he dutifully texted back to each of his well-wishers, a new missive entered his inbox.
Jessi: Got time for an interview?
Buzz knew Jessi Heenan from Wrestling Championship Federation. They both worked in the Media Department, and had even collaborated on a point-counterpoint style highlight show for the company. Despite getting along off camera, the two hadn’t really kept in touch once he left WCF. It was a surprise to learn she was still in the business. He typed back.
Buzz: Ok. When and where?
They exchanged texts to work out the logistics. Half an hour later the duo were reunited. Jessi worked for the wrestling-focused streaming service known as GrappleVision, who had enough sway in the industry that the company’s logo appeared alongside the ubiquitous MGM brand that adorned the wall behind them. Dressed casually but to impress, Buzz sported a salmon polo shirt and a pair of chinos. Jessi’s appearance could best be described as ‘provocatively professional’ in a mint off the shoulder bodycon with her long chestnut hair spilling past her shoulders.
Heenan: Bryan, this was Alpha Pro Wrestling’s first Pay Per View. What are your thoughts on how it went?
Worthy: Alpha Showdown was a great showcase for the company’s talent. We crowned our champions, and gave people a good idea of what they can expect from us going forward.
Heenan: Championships are important, but maybe the biggest message sent last night was from the odd man out of the title hunt. Odin Balfore defeated Roxe Xete. This is a match with major backstage ramifications, as it was hoped by some in management Xete would be able humble Balfore, and get him to tow the company line. What do you expect next from both sides in this growing conflict?
Worthy: It will escalate. Someone else will be picked or volunteer to fight Odin. Ultimately, he’ll get what he wants. Odin’s a legend. He can call his shot in APW. The company could fire him if they really don’t want him around, but that would be short term planning. It’s good to have Odin here. He’s a draw. The shadow he casts could stunt the rest of the roster’s growth, but it’s our responsibility to keep that from happening.
Heenan: Moving on to the tag title division, what did you think of the Canadian Coalition’s win over Sweet Annihilation?
Worthy: It was a great showcase of tag wrestling. I hope we see a rubber match. Doesn’t even have to be for the title. Maybe a “Ice’s Passport on a Pole” match. Probably shouldn’t be making light of her visa situation. No malice meant; just armchair booking here.
Heenan: Seems unlikely the House of Sweetness would agree to anything like that, given what we’ve seen of their leader.
Worthy: Maybe not. But to be blunt; if APW wants to grow as a promotion it needs to get more eyes on the product. It can’t rely on what its stars have done elsewhere. It needs to be willing to push boundaries. One Big Brawl was an example of something fresh and new Alpha Pro can offer the fans. We need to do the same with the tag division. Mercer Quinn and Rick Rage are great wrestlers with larger than life personalities, but they can’t do it alone.
Heenan: The Junior Heavyweight and North Amercian Title matches were very different in tone. Did you think they lived up to expectations?
Worthy: All five wrestlers were fantastic. I may not be a fan of Steven Osborne’s ‘grab ass’ fighting style, but he performed well, and it was very cathartic to see Lucy Sixx make him pay for his wandering hands and hold the Junior Heavyweight belt in her own after winning. The North American Championship match was a classic triple threat with lots of last minute saves. Congratulations to road dawg for getting the win despite serious injury. It’s a good way to start his reign. I hope he continues to uphold that high standard.
Heenan: You have a personal stake in the prestige of the North American Title.
Worthy: I do. Finishing runner up in the Alpha Showdown match means I should be road dawg’s next challenger. I certainly hope he does well as champion. It’ll mean more when we eventually face off.
Heenan: Thoughts on the other two title matches?
Worthy: I’m surprised and happy Spartan won the Hardcore Title. He did great; kept his focus on the true goal of the match and achieved it. You can’t say the same for Zombie and Dean Wolf. The Heavyweight Title match was fantastic. Masada Jubei talks a lot about how he is the one to lead this company forward. He proved tonight he has the ability to do so.
Heenan: Alpha Showdown was supposed to be your opportunity to prove you could do the same; but you failed in that regard. How upset are you you weren’t able to win the match, and instead Smith Jones will be the first wrestler to fight Jubei for the belt?
Worthy: I consider Alpha Showdown a loss. Being the next to the last man standing means I wasn’t good enough. Fortunately for me, the rules of the match indicate I have a chance to compete for the North American Title. Now, going forward I have to prove I deserve that opportunity. All of us who qualified for title shots do.
Heenan: You were uncharacteristically hard on your opponents before your match. Did they do anything to change your opinions of them?
Worthy: I was wrong to claim Allen Anderson, Big Bad Bodacious, and Lilliana Rose were filler. All of them acquitted themselves well. I expected a stronger showing from Jaice Wilds, but I suppose you could argue he made himself a target in Alpha Showdown and paid the price for it. Tsukiko showed great heart and ability. Smith Jones was the opponent I thought would give me the biggest challenge, and I was right. Tonight, he was better, and he beat me.
Heenan: Do you think he can beat Masada Jubei?
Worthy: Yes. It’ll be a great match, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out in the coming weeks between the two of them. APW is in a good spot right now. We just need to keep doing the work; build on what’s been done already and grow as a company.
Heenan: Bryan Worthy, thank you for your time.
When the cameras turned off Jessi gave a one word review her subject’s performance, “Boilerplate.”
“It was all true though.”
“That’s not good enough,” she smirked. They were rehashing an old argument, “You could have given me some real news.”
“I’ll save that for my own platform,” Buzz smiled back.
“But no one will hear about it then.”
Bryan chuckled, “I’m assuming after my performance tonight I’ll pick up a few subscribers.”
“Yeah. You were great, Buzz. Not used to seeing you kicking ass like that,” Jessi admitted, “You make it easy to forget you can cave in most peoples’ faces if you wanted to.”
Worthy nodded absently. He’d heard that argument before too; mostly used pejoratively. He changed the subject, “What are you doing later?”
“Nothing. I’m off the clock.”
“Want to hang out? I think I’m going to hit Level Up.”
Jessi didn’t reply right away. Worthy rightly assumed she was making the mental calculations all journalists did when fraternizing with a subject; determining what the opportunity cost would be. Apparently she decided it would be worth it- with certain qualifiers, “Can my crew tag along?”
“Sure,” Worthy had come alone to Las Vegas, so any company would be welcome.
“Then sure.”
As Buzz, Jessi, and Jessi’s production staff again went over logistics for a second meeting, Heenan’s phone sent her an alert. After reading the text plans changed.
“There’s been an incident backstage. Alan Anderson flipped out and beat the head referee,” Jessi announced. She gave Bryan an expectant look.
He understood completely, “Good luck,” her told them as they headed off to pursue the story.
Buzz understood, but he wasn’t happy about it, “Thanks, Alan,” he thought to himself before heading off
Posted to the ‘What’s the Buzz?” Youtube Channel Sunday, August 4, 2019:
Worthy stood in his gear and robe in front of a green screen bearing the APW logo.
“Allen Anderson is no joke,” he stated.
“No matter what social media tries to tell you. Ignore the stupid, bottom of the barell racist and homophobic tweets from the edgelords this company employs; Allen is a good wrestler and an excellent addition to this roster. Or rather, he will be if he can learn one simple lesson: and here it is:
“Walk down, and fuck them all.”
“You know THAT joke? The one about old bull, the young bull, and the herd of cows? It’s what Rober Duvall tells Sean Penn in the movie ‘Colors’. Google it, I’m sure it’s posted online somewhere*.”
“Alan’s Sean Penn in this analogy. He’s the rookie. I don’t care that he wrestled in college. I don’t care he competed in Japan. That’s incidental to what is happening now in APW, and what will happen if he doesn’t calm down.”
“He can’t make excuses as how he lost Alpha Showdown; even though, ultimately, he doesn’t buy those excuses himself. I mean, feeling persecuted makes for a great motivator sometimes. It gives you additional fuel to fight. It’s good billboard material. But the true greats know their strengths and weaknesses, and acknowledge when they themselves just weren’t good enough to get the job done.”
“You can’t run on rage forever. It hollows you out. Look at what Alan has been doing during Alpha’s hiatus; picking fights with half the roster, taking the bait every single time. How many names are on Alan’s hit list right now, besides me? At least three. Probably more, but I’ve been off Twitter these last few days. Sure, that spastic back and forth will make the booker happy; because it helps them fill out the card. ‘Alan’s got beef with Bodacious? There’s our opener!’ But he shouldn’t be wrestling for Irina, he should be wrestling for himself, and his career. He needs to find a focus beyond settling scores. And maybe he is; I saw online he may be forming a partnership with Jubei. That would be an excellent idea. The Champ might be a sociopath, but he knows this business, and he can certainly help Alan navigate his way through it.”
“Before that, though, he’s got to face me, and lose to me. Not that I think this match will be easy. Alan is good. He can go in the ring; his own constant harping about being pinned by a roll up has damaged his reputation more than any tweet from Zombie McMorris. And when he figures this out, when he learns to walk down that hill, not run, he’ll be a legit threat to anyone in APW.”
“But I’m already there. I’m in the pasture with the Holsteins getting their digits. I’m the Number One Contender for the North American Title and I need to prove I deserve the right to carry that belt. Losing to Alan, to anyone, between now and my shot at road dawg casts doubt on my claim. I’m not going to let that happen. The North American Championship was not my goal entering Alpha Showdown, but now that it’s the prize I’m eligible for I’m going to tear through every obstacle between me and it.”
He smiled broadly.
“At a leisurely pace, of course.”
*(And here it is! Starts at :40)
Exiting the shower, he scooped up his pads and boots and shoved them in the duffel bag he took out of his locker. He didn’t dress yet; instead choosing to sit and check his messages. There were a few, from friends and family who either congratulated him on his performance or expressed sympathy at his failure. As he dutifully texted back to each of his well-wishers, a new missive entered his inbox.
Jessi: Got time for an interview?
Buzz knew Jessi Heenan from Wrestling Championship Federation. They both worked in the Media Department, and had even collaborated on a point-counterpoint style highlight show for the company. Despite getting along off camera, the two hadn’t really kept in touch once he left WCF. It was a surprise to learn she was still in the business. He typed back.
Buzz: Ok. When and where?
They exchanged texts to work out the logistics. Half an hour later the duo were reunited. Jessi worked for the wrestling-focused streaming service known as GrappleVision, who had enough sway in the industry that the company’s logo appeared alongside the ubiquitous MGM brand that adorned the wall behind them. Dressed casually but to impress, Buzz sported a salmon polo shirt and a pair of chinos. Jessi’s appearance could best be described as ‘provocatively professional’ in a mint off the shoulder bodycon with her long chestnut hair spilling past her shoulders.
Heenan: Bryan, this was Alpha Pro Wrestling’s first Pay Per View. What are your thoughts on how it went?
Worthy: Alpha Showdown was a great showcase for the company’s talent. We crowned our champions, and gave people a good idea of what they can expect from us going forward.
Heenan: Championships are important, but maybe the biggest message sent last night was from the odd man out of the title hunt. Odin Balfore defeated Roxe Xete. This is a match with major backstage ramifications, as it was hoped by some in management Xete would be able humble Balfore, and get him to tow the company line. What do you expect next from both sides in this growing conflict?
Worthy: It will escalate. Someone else will be picked or volunteer to fight Odin. Ultimately, he’ll get what he wants. Odin’s a legend. He can call his shot in APW. The company could fire him if they really don’t want him around, but that would be short term planning. It’s good to have Odin here. He’s a draw. The shadow he casts could stunt the rest of the roster’s growth, but it’s our responsibility to keep that from happening.
Heenan: Moving on to the tag title division, what did you think of the Canadian Coalition’s win over Sweet Annihilation?
Worthy: It was a great showcase of tag wrestling. I hope we see a rubber match. Doesn’t even have to be for the title. Maybe a “Ice’s Passport on a Pole” match. Probably shouldn’t be making light of her visa situation. No malice meant; just armchair booking here.
Heenan: Seems unlikely the House of Sweetness would agree to anything like that, given what we’ve seen of their leader.
Worthy: Maybe not. But to be blunt; if APW wants to grow as a promotion it needs to get more eyes on the product. It can’t rely on what its stars have done elsewhere. It needs to be willing to push boundaries. One Big Brawl was an example of something fresh and new Alpha Pro can offer the fans. We need to do the same with the tag division. Mercer Quinn and Rick Rage are great wrestlers with larger than life personalities, but they can’t do it alone.
Heenan: The Junior Heavyweight and North Amercian Title matches were very different in tone. Did you think they lived up to expectations?
Worthy: All five wrestlers were fantastic. I may not be a fan of Steven Osborne’s ‘grab ass’ fighting style, but he performed well, and it was very cathartic to see Lucy Sixx make him pay for his wandering hands and hold the Junior Heavyweight belt in her own after winning. The North American Championship match was a classic triple threat with lots of last minute saves. Congratulations to road dawg for getting the win despite serious injury. It’s a good way to start his reign. I hope he continues to uphold that high standard.
Heenan: You have a personal stake in the prestige of the North American Title.
Worthy: I do. Finishing runner up in the Alpha Showdown match means I should be road dawg’s next challenger. I certainly hope he does well as champion. It’ll mean more when we eventually face off.
Heenan: Thoughts on the other two title matches?
Worthy: I’m surprised and happy Spartan won the Hardcore Title. He did great; kept his focus on the true goal of the match and achieved it. You can’t say the same for Zombie and Dean Wolf. The Heavyweight Title match was fantastic. Masada Jubei talks a lot about how he is the one to lead this company forward. He proved tonight he has the ability to do so.
Heenan: Alpha Showdown was supposed to be your opportunity to prove you could do the same; but you failed in that regard. How upset are you you weren’t able to win the match, and instead Smith Jones will be the first wrestler to fight Jubei for the belt?
Worthy: I consider Alpha Showdown a loss. Being the next to the last man standing means I wasn’t good enough. Fortunately for me, the rules of the match indicate I have a chance to compete for the North American Title. Now, going forward I have to prove I deserve that opportunity. All of us who qualified for title shots do.
Heenan: You were uncharacteristically hard on your opponents before your match. Did they do anything to change your opinions of them?
Worthy: I was wrong to claim Allen Anderson, Big Bad Bodacious, and Lilliana Rose were filler. All of them acquitted themselves well. I expected a stronger showing from Jaice Wilds, but I suppose you could argue he made himself a target in Alpha Showdown and paid the price for it. Tsukiko showed great heart and ability. Smith Jones was the opponent I thought would give me the biggest challenge, and I was right. Tonight, he was better, and he beat me.
Heenan: Do you think he can beat Masada Jubei?
Worthy: Yes. It’ll be a great match, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out in the coming weeks between the two of them. APW is in a good spot right now. We just need to keep doing the work; build on what’s been done already and grow as a company.
Heenan: Bryan Worthy, thank you for your time.
When the cameras turned off Jessi gave a one word review her subject’s performance, “Boilerplate.”
“It was all true though.”
“That’s not good enough,” she smirked. They were rehashing an old argument, “You could have given me some real news.”
“I’ll save that for my own platform,” Buzz smiled back.
“But no one will hear about it then.”
Bryan chuckled, “I’m assuming after my performance tonight I’ll pick up a few subscribers.”
“Yeah. You were great, Buzz. Not used to seeing you kicking ass like that,” Jessi admitted, “You make it easy to forget you can cave in most peoples’ faces if you wanted to.”
Worthy nodded absently. He’d heard that argument before too; mostly used pejoratively. He changed the subject, “What are you doing later?”
“Nothing. I’m off the clock.”
“Want to hang out? I think I’m going to hit Level Up.”
Jessi didn’t reply right away. Worthy rightly assumed she was making the mental calculations all journalists did when fraternizing with a subject; determining what the opportunity cost would be. Apparently she decided it would be worth it- with certain qualifiers, “Can my crew tag along?”
“Sure,” Worthy had come alone to Las Vegas, so any company would be welcome.
“Then sure.”
As Buzz, Jessi, and Jessi’s production staff again went over logistics for a second meeting, Heenan’s phone sent her an alert. After reading the text plans changed.
“There’s been an incident backstage. Alan Anderson flipped out and beat the head referee,” Jessi announced. She gave Bryan an expectant look.
He understood completely, “Good luck,” her told them as they headed off to pursue the story.
Buzz understood, but he wasn’t happy about it, “Thanks, Alan,” he thought to himself before heading off
Posted to the ‘What’s the Buzz?” Youtube Channel Sunday, August 4, 2019:
Worthy stood in his gear and robe in front of a green screen bearing the APW logo.
“Allen Anderson is no joke,” he stated.
“No matter what social media tries to tell you. Ignore the stupid, bottom of the barell racist and homophobic tweets from the edgelords this company employs; Allen is a good wrestler and an excellent addition to this roster. Or rather, he will be if he can learn one simple lesson: and here it is:
“Walk down, and fuck them all.”
“You know THAT joke? The one about old bull, the young bull, and the herd of cows? It’s what Rober Duvall tells Sean Penn in the movie ‘Colors’. Google it, I’m sure it’s posted online somewhere*.”
“Alan’s Sean Penn in this analogy. He’s the rookie. I don’t care that he wrestled in college. I don’t care he competed in Japan. That’s incidental to what is happening now in APW, and what will happen if he doesn’t calm down.”
“He can’t make excuses as how he lost Alpha Showdown; even though, ultimately, he doesn’t buy those excuses himself. I mean, feeling persecuted makes for a great motivator sometimes. It gives you additional fuel to fight. It’s good billboard material. But the true greats know their strengths and weaknesses, and acknowledge when they themselves just weren’t good enough to get the job done.”
“You can’t run on rage forever. It hollows you out. Look at what Alan has been doing during Alpha’s hiatus; picking fights with half the roster, taking the bait every single time. How many names are on Alan’s hit list right now, besides me? At least three. Probably more, but I’ve been off Twitter these last few days. Sure, that spastic back and forth will make the booker happy; because it helps them fill out the card. ‘Alan’s got beef with Bodacious? There’s our opener!’ But he shouldn’t be wrestling for Irina, he should be wrestling for himself, and his career. He needs to find a focus beyond settling scores. And maybe he is; I saw online he may be forming a partnership with Jubei. That would be an excellent idea. The Champ might be a sociopath, but he knows this business, and he can certainly help Alan navigate his way through it.”
“Before that, though, he’s got to face me, and lose to me. Not that I think this match will be easy. Alan is good. He can go in the ring; his own constant harping about being pinned by a roll up has damaged his reputation more than any tweet from Zombie McMorris. And when he figures this out, when he learns to walk down that hill, not run, he’ll be a legit threat to anyone in APW.”
“But I’m already there. I’m in the pasture with the Holsteins getting their digits. I’m the Number One Contender for the North American Title and I need to prove I deserve the right to carry that belt. Losing to Alan, to anyone, between now and my shot at road dawg casts doubt on my claim. I’m not going to let that happen. The North American Championship was not my goal entering Alpha Showdown, but now that it’s the prize I’m eligible for I’m going to tear through every obstacle between me and it.”
He smiled broadly.
“At a leisurely pace, of course.”
*(And here it is! Starts at :40)
