Post by King Richius on Dec 17, 2016 13:06:01 GMT -5
2016 End of Year Show RP - Aftermath
featuring Frank Lynn
I lost.
At SuperBrawl IX I had to watch Ante Whitner climb the ladder and retrieve the Golden Opportunity briefcase while I was stuck tied up in the ropes helpless to stop him. Hell of a way to end the biggest match of my career. You can insert your own preferred cliche about dreams shattering into a thousand broken shards or turning into a nightmare you can’t wake up from or whatever.
I am not a happy camper.
Humor me for a moment as I give the expected Frank Lynn response to my loss. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my detractors. I am an immature, ignorant, petulant child after all. I have an image to maintain so here goes:
LeeRoy Jenkins you goddamned sheep f*cking redneck son of bitch! I didn’t lose the damn match. You f*cking stole it from me! If you thought I was pissed at you before, you ain’t seen sh*t yet. The things I’m going to do when I get my hands on you will get the WFWF banned from television in half the states for broadcasting murder porn. Pay up your life insurance, make a will, and prepay for a cemetery plot and casket. Your next of kin is going to appreciate it.
You’re next Ante f*cking Whitner, just as soon as I finish off LeeRoy. You shouldn’t be the Golden Opportunity Champion. That is MY TITLE. I strongly suggest you cash in now and take your shot at David Brennan because you have a better chance of beating him than you do of beating me. Your ass is grass and I’m coming to mow you down!
Everybody happy now? Did the lunatic psycho deliver the Lynn-sanity? You have your soundbite. Go run off to troll me on Twitter and ignore the rest of the story.
There is a nugget of truth in my over-the-top rant. I did not lose because of LeeRoy Jenkins. I lost because of my rivalry with LeeRoy Jenkins. LeeRoy could have tipped the ladder over and taken both Ante and I out of contention. LeeRoy chose to remove just me and let Ante Whitner win. That is as much on me as it is on LeeRoy because I gave him every reason to want me to fail and no reason to fear the repercussions.
There will be repercussions for both Ante and LeeRoy. I am not afraid of either man. In a one on one singles match I have no doubts that I can beat either one of them. I know I can take the Golden Opportunity championship from Ante. I know I can break not only LeeRoy’s body, but his spirit as well so that he thinks twice before crossing my path again.
Unfortunately, there will also be repercussions for me, the biggest being that I AM afraid of Lila Sleater. Before SuperBrawl we had a verbal altercation that ended with her promising me NOTHING if I lost. Now that I have lost, the ball is in Lila’s court. I expect to be booked in a series of dark matches against midgets in clown suits (or Dr. Mantis Toboggan which is pretty much the same thing). Going into SuperBrawl I was in control of my career. Coming out of SuperBrawl Lila is in control.
I am well and truly f*cked.
———
Cambridge, MA : Oct. 10, 2016
A Homecoming
Frank had just finished his meeting with Joshua Dean. The deal was done and Frank was now a client of Josh's agency. It left a bitter taste in his mouth but it was for the best. The agency had the experience necessary to keep Frank’s career on an upward path. That was most important and if Frank had to associate with Joshua Dean to make it happen, well you take the bad with the good.
He filed his copy of the contract in his bag with his other Legacy paperwork and made his way downstairs to the gym. He saw Abraham talking to some of the new talent and walked in that direction only to find himself suddenly locked in a bear hug from a whirling dervish of blonde hair.
TIGER!
PANTHER?!?
Daphne Velasquez was squeezing the breath out of him. Frank let the hug linger, enjoying the warmth of his one time mixed tag partner and “big sister” La Pantera Negra. Once Daphne had gotten her fill, she released Frank and stepped back to look him over head to foot. She nodded approvingly at Frank.
I missed you so much!
When Frank had first come to Abraham with the idea of transitioning from MMA to pro wrestling, Abe decided to pair Frank with Daphne. She was the daughter of a Mexican father and Swedish mother who inherited all the best from both sides of her gene pool. The result: a beautiful woman who looked Jessica Alba and wrestled like an insane luchador. Daphne was Frank’s “training wheels” as he adapted his MMA skills to the wrestling ring. They got along very well, becoming as close as siblings.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Daphne reached a point where she was tired of eating Ramen every night. She left Legacy to go work for a Mexican luchador promotion for better pay and more advanced training. Frank left Legacy a few months later for the greener pastures of the WFWF. They had lost touch despite the best of intentions.
I missed you too.
They looked at each other with a slight sadness in their eyes. How could they have drifted apart?
Well, I’m back now and you better get used to me.
Really? You’re back to stay?
Yes I am. Abraham signed me to a big contract. I think I have you to thank for that.
I did invest in Legacy but Abe makes all the decisions. I definitely approve of this one.
Legacy had been floundering after the departure of Daphne/La Pantera Negra, Frank/El Tigre Blanco, and several other top stars. Frank’s investment had bailed out the company and allowed Abe to bring Daphne back. It was a good business decision but Abe also knew it would be good for Frank. Daphne was a good friend he needed to get over the losses he had been through.
I met a friend of yours earlier today… Joshua Dean.
I wouldn’t call him a friend. He is a business associate.
Daphne can hear the frostiness in Frank’s voice. Frank left nothing to doubt, he did not like Josh. This surprised Daphne because she saw a lot of similarities in them. And she knew from what Josh had said in the cab that Josh did not feel the same way about Frank. Josh had spoken quite highly of Frank.
I got a good vibe from him. I think he wants the best for you.
More like the best for himself, in this case more money. I’ll take it though. I don’t really care why he is helping me as long as it gets me closer to the top.
Wow, you got cynical. What happened to happy-go-lucky let’s-go-jump-out-of-a-plane Frank?
It’s a long story. Why don’t we head out for some food and I’ll tell you all about it.
I don’t know if I can bail out on Abe’s orientation.
I can pull some strings. I have a little stroke around here.
It’s a date. Let’s go.
Frank and Daphne would spend the next three hours in a diner telling each other every detail of the past year. By the time Daphne was completely caught up she knew this had been a good time to come home. Frank needed her and she was happy to be there for him.
———
Many people including Daphne have asked me why I hate Joshua Dean. I have a hard time understanding why they don’t hate Joshua Dean. Just look at him. He is the WFWF golden boy. The good guy that almost everybody likes and even his enemies respect. He represents the best this business has to offer. That’s why he is called the Franchise. So how does the Franchise treat a rookie who is just trying to get his foot in the door?
The Franchise Joshua Dean comes out with a barbwire baseball bat and threatens the rookie. Josh makes the rookie look like a fool and a coward even though Josh is the one with a deadly weapon and the rookie is unarmed. Josh says things that imply the rookie doesn’t respect southerners, which sabotages his rising status. Then, Josh beats that rookie so he is now a coward, a fool, and a loser with rapidly fading fan support and questions from management as to his potential star power (as measured by the almighty dollar in the form of merchandise sales).
After all of that, Josh then asks the rookie to sign with his agency, to take the help of the man who just set his career back years. Perfect timing for the hero to come in and save the day. “I know I just threw you off a cliff but here’s a rope. I’ll help you climb back up.” How noble of the Franchise.
I ask you, shouldn’t that rookie hate Joshua Dean. I say yes. I hated Joshua Dean. I looked at him and saw an arrogant douchebag who had everything and didn’t want to share. I saw a false idol I wanted to topple from his throne of lies.
I was an idiot. No, that’s too harsh. I wasn’t thinking straight. Excuse me but I was going through some difficult times professionally and personally. I lost the tag title match, I lost my friends and family, I lost my tag partner to injury… it was as if life itself had a vendetta against me. So I took a short trip on the crazy train. Part of that trip was me taking all my frustrations and transferring them to the most convenient target: Joshua Dean.
Give me some credit, I did eventually accept Josh’s offer. I saw the benefits of having an experienced agency overseeing my career so I could concentrate on winning matches.
That doesn’t mean I like Josh but I can at least tolerate him. That was all the opening Daphne needed to work her magic.
———
Pasadena, CA: Nov. 25, 2016 : After SuperBrawl IX
The Accord
Frank Lynn, Daphne Velasquez, and Joshua Dean are in a surfer bar a short distance from the Rose Bowl a few hours after SuperBrawl IX getting drunk on their second bottle of top shelf tequila making toasts to the new champion. How did this unlikely trio of drinking partners come about?
It started in the parking lot outside the Rose Bowl. Daphne greeted a gloomy brooding Frank as he was making his way to his car. She knew Frank would need some cheering up. She intended to take him out for a whole lot of tequila and some sisterly TLC. Frank knew better than to say no to a determined Daphne so he had a full night of drinking ahead of him.
As they were about to leave, Daphne spotted an equally dour Joshua Dean. She had to say hello. She was very intrigued by the scruffy southern gentleman after their shared cab ride and wanted to get to know him better, how much better being entirely up to Josh. Using every last bit of her feminine charms and wiles, she convinced Josh to join her and Frank for a drink. Frank was less than excited by Josh’s company but Daphne gets what Daphne wants.
They left to find a bar so they could celebrate. Celebrate what? Daphne’s brand new LPW Women’s Championship, which she won the night before at a combined indy feds super show. It took a lot of Daphne’s bubbly personality and a lot of tequila, but Frank and Josh eventually cheered up. Drunken bonding over the shared experience of losing gave way to other conversations until it reached a point when Josh decided it was time to strike. Frank would never be more open minded and receptive than now.
I know you are worried about Lila. I can talk to her for you. I don’t think things are as bad with her as you think they are. I mean, at least you aren’t David Brennan. Lila truly hates that man.
Anything has to work better than my attempts. Good luck!
I’m happy to do it for you. And that’s not all.
What else do you have in mind for my “little brother”?
Josh pauses to take a deep breath as he prepares to hit Frank with a prepared speech, something he had been thinking about for quite some time. He hoped his inebriated state wouldn’t stop him from getting it right. This felt like the right time to make an emotional sales pitch to Frank because he wanted him to be more than a client.
You aren’t the best right now but you could be in a year or two if you do the right things. You remind me of myself when I got started. I was just as full of myself then as you are now. If I could only talk to my younger self… the things I would tell me… I could have done so much more if I had only known then what I know now. That is why I want to help you get better. You can be one of the great ones. And the greater you are, the more money we both make. Put your ego aside and listen to the voice of experience. There is so much I could teach you if you just let me.
Yesterday I would have told you to go f*ck yourself. Then again, yesterday I was sure that I would be the Golden Opportunity Champion.
You still can be. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Let me help you.
Daphne watched them intently as they went back and forth, reading their faces to measure every reaction. Josh was extending a very powerful hand of friendship to Frank. She can see the sincerity in Josh even if Frank can’t, or worse won’t because he can be a stubborn fool. She reaches out and takes Frank’s hand, drawing his attention so that he looks in her eyes. Maybe she can tip the scales in Josh’s favor.
Remember the good vibes Frank. Josh has them. Trust him.
Come on Frank. I’m offering you all of my wisdom and experience. Work with me. You will get everything you want and more. Let me help you. Please.
The tequila takes charge and Frank starts thinking out loud while Josh and Daphne listen. They’ve said all they can and it is up to pigheaded Frank to work it out for himself. Frank puts a hand on Daphne’s championship belt and looks at it longingly while he thinks.
I need to do something different thats for damn sure. I can’t stand losing or seeing someone else with what should be my title. Frank’s fingers trace the word “champion” on Daphne’s belt. Daphne is already convinced. Your agency is already managing my career. Frank takes another long look at Josh’s eyes, looking for any sign of deception. He doesn't
find any. F*ck it! Okay Josh, I’ll be your padawan. Teach me your ways.
Thats what I wanted to hear! You won’t regret this! We will do great things together!
Josh’s enthusiastic reaction shocks Frank. That was not what he expected. In fact, nothing about the way Josh behaved tonight was matching up to Frank’s image of Josh as an arrogant douchebag.
You know something? You aren’t the evil dick I thought you were. Drakz is. You not so much. Could be the tequila speaking but I don’t think so.
Aw shucks Frank, does that mean you like me?
Let’s not get carried away. You are growing on me but that doesn’t make you my ride or die. Let’s just see if you can help me become the Golden Opportunity Champion. And if you want my help in getting the World Heavyweight Championship, I’ll be there.
Frank and Dean extend their arms across the table and shake hands. They don’t even notice the flash from Daphne’s cell phone as she captures the handshake. She has a feeling that this is a moment both men will want to remember. Of course, this night is supposed to be about celebrating her championship win so she can’t let the moment go on for too long.
Yoohoo, I’m still here. Remember me? Or would you rather I left so you two can get a room?
* laughter *
She’s cool Frank. You should keep her.
I’m not some lost puppy mister. I’m Daphne Velasquez, the LPW Women’s Champion! They drink a toast to Daphne and her championship. I’ll be watching. Frank is like a brother to me so take good care of him. Make him a champion. And try to do it in less time than it took the Cubs.
At the end of the night when they go their separate ways, Daphne was pleased to see the change in their moods from depressed over losing to happy about the prospects of a brighter future. Frank already meant a lot to her so it hurt her to see him hurting. As for Joshua Dean, well there was something about him that made her want the best for him too. Josh and Frank were more alike than not and she knew tonight was the start of something special. It also meant more chances for her to see her new favorite scruffy southern gentleman.
———
Joshua Dean is not the evil dick I thought he was. I said it. Out loud. In front of a witness. There is no taking it back now.
This is a big step for me. I’m not going it alone anymore. I’m not trying to learn on the job and making stupid mistakes that I have to pay for later, sometimes literally like paying for Brick Harrison to attend the Bison Wrestling Academy. Perhaps some of what Joe Bishop said to me a while back really did sink in. The petulant child is growing up.
Only time will tell what this “partnership” with Joshua Dean will lead to. I can’t be certain but it is possible that I am already reaping some benefits. I am referring to my match against Trace Demon at the End of Year show in Madison Square Garden. I have a few theories on how I ended up in what may as well be a co-main event match at MSG against the owner of the WFWF (no disrespect intended towards Joe Bishop and Cameron Stone who are facing each other in the official main event match).
My first theory is that Josh or his agency talked to Lila and worked a minor miracle. Somehow Josh convinced Lila to give me another chance to prove myself in a match against a top tier WFWF wrestler in Trace Demon. That puts a quite a bit of weight on my shoulders to deliver on the potential Josh sees in me, to prove he was right to have faith in me.
My second theory is that Lila really doesn’t like me and has a very different idea of NOTHING than I do. Instead of dark matches against midgets in clown suits, she could be setting me up in a punishment match. What better way to teach me a lesson than send me into the ring to get my ass kicked by a pissed off Trace Demon and sent home a loser yet again with my tail tucked between my legs? What better way to regain some control over my career than take Lila’s punishment and shove it right back in her face by winning?
My last theory is that Trace Demon himself made this match looking for someone to victimize after his loss in the chamber match. If that is the case it would be the first time he even noticed me since I debuted. He has been so focused on winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SuperBrawl that I doubt he even knows my name. That actually works to my advantage because he may not realize there are easier targets to victimize than Frank Lynn. I would love to make Trace Demon remember my name as the wrestler who pinned his shoulders to the mat for the 1-2-3 or made him tap out.
Regardless of how I ended up in this match, I have to make the most of it and win. I can’t let my loss at SuperBrawl turn into a downward spiral. Since arriving in the WFWF I have won every non-title match I have been in. I have yet to be pinned or submitted. I have been a winner more often than not. I need to tap into that Frank Lynn, the warrior who refuses to lose. I have to learn everything Joshua Dean can teach me about Trace Demon in a very short time. I have to be better than I was at SuperBrawl. If I do all of that I can stand eye to eye with Trace Demon in the center of the ring ready to give him the match of his life.
Without a doubt, this will be my toughest match in the WFWF. Trace Demon is no joke. He is a great wrestler. He is a master manipulator. Most importantly, he is the owner of the WFWF! One wrong step and I could find myself in the unemployment line. (Not really because Trace can’t take the LPW away from me. Sue me for being overly dramatic to make a point.)
F*ck it! I’m not very good at walking on eggshells so let’s poke the bear.
Trace Demon the wrestler is the most self-absorbed, self-entitled, arrogant, condescending prick in the WFWF which is reason enough to teach him lesson in humility. He believes the entire WFWF exists solely so he can be the champion even though nobody remembers the last time he actually was a champion. Even without a title, he is a top star and beating him would be quite the notch in my belt.
Trace Demon the owner is a J.R. Ewing wannabe who thinks the entire roster are chess pieces for him to play with in his quest to become World Heavyweight Champion. If he spent more time in the gym working on cardio, weight training, and sparring sessions then he wouldn’t have to spend so much time manipulating situations to his advantage. Some might say that shows weakness, that he doubts his ability to win without a little help. I don’t need any help because I am confident in my abilities.
I’ve watched the way Trace played with Cameron Stone, Drakz, Joshua Dean, and so many others. It won’t work on me because I am the new guy. (When do I stop being the “new guy” anyway? Six months? A year? When I win my first title? It is getting old being thought of as the “new guy”. I nominate Austin Hayes or Anna Ahriman to take on the mantle of the “new guy”.) As the new guy I don’t have all those loose threads for Trace to tug on like some evil puppet master. My closet is empty of skeletons. There is no carrot Trace can dangle in front of me that I can’t get on my own by winning this match. If Trace wants to beat me, he will have to come to the ring and do it old school in a straight up fight.
I don’t think Trace has it in him to beat me. As a fellow wrestler who lost a title match at SuperBrawl and as a fellow owner of a wrestling company, I have a good idea what Trace is going through right now.
The wrestler Trace needs a win to get back in the title picture and I’m sure he believes he can do it at my expense. No advantage there as I am thinking the same thing. In fact, I may have a slight edge because Trace has a long and illustrious career while I don’t. I need a big win on my resumé much more than Trace Demon.
WFWF owner Trace just watched three dead guys show up at SuperBrawl: one winning a match against a legend, one putting a damper on the Golden Opportunity champions’ celebration, and one turning the main event into a massacre while deciding who would win the World Heavyweight Championship. Quick reminder: it wasn’t Trace Demon! To say that things did not go according to Trace’s plans would be the understatement of the decade. The events at SuperBrawl have to be majorly f*cking with Trace’s head.
I know if some dead guys with possible grudges against me showed up at an LPW show I would be looking for someone to buy me out so I could start prepping for the zombie apocalypse at my new survivalist camp on a small Caribbean island. Trace has to be going crazy trying to deal with it. I half expect him to come to the ring in a straight jacket drooling like an idiot and babbling about how he sees dead people. Advantage to Frank Lynn.
My head is clear going into this match, clearer than it has been since my debut. Just like David Brennan overcame his demons, got sober, and won the International Championship, I have overcome my demons and am ready to go after my first title. I have control of my anger and can channel it into a constructive force to help me win matches. I have Joshua Dean in my ear keeping me focused and on track. Who is whispering words of wisdom and encouragement in your ear, Trace? Five dollar crack whores don’t count so my money is on nobody.
Enough poking the bear. If Trace is half as pissed as I am about losing at SuperBrawl then he is twice as pissed as I want him going into our match. Odds are I’m still beneath his notice so none of this will get back to him but if it does I don’t want to piss him off so much that he forgets all his other problems and focuses 100% on me. I would prefer to face a drooling idiot wondering when Malakai is going to appear or a distracted man who is more concerned over whether he owes dead wrestlers back pay than face a focused former champion whose only goal is to brutally murder me on live television.
Speaking of other problems Trace has, there are many bona fide white hat wearing would be heroes in the WFWF who want to beat him as an opportunity to bring about change. Defeat the Demon King and save the kingdom. I say they are idealistic fools. Nothing that happens inside a WFWF ring will change the fact that Trace Demon is the owner. The only way to change the WFWF is to meet Trace Demon in the board room and make him an offer he cannot refuse. How many of you idealistic white hats have a billion dollars in your pocket?
I am not an idealist, not anymore - life kicked that particular naiveté out of me. I am a realist. I know exactly what this match is and what I can get out of it. It is my opportunity to get a big win on a big stage and wash away the stink of my loss at SuperBrawl.
The stage is as big as it gets. New York City! Madison Square Garden! “If you can make it there you can make it anywhere!” There are many wrestlers, boxers, and MMA fighters who go a lifetime never getting to perform at Madison Square Garden. I have the chance and I’m going to make the most of it.
The opponent is my biggest yet for a singles match. I don’t want to call Trace Demon a stepping stone because he is more like a quarry full of stepping boulders. That makes this match as important as any non-title match can be for me. Say it with me: Frank Lynn defeats Trace Demon at Madison Square Garden! That’s a tag line you can put on the cover of a future DVD release. A win in this match will be a major building block to my career.
Defeating Trace Demon could get me into the Supreme Gauntlet 17 tournament. I know how to win tournaments from my amateur wrestling and MMA days. I could win my way into a World Heavyweight Championship match against Drakz, whom I still owe for what he did to me in the tag title match at Horizon. F*ck Ante Whitner and his Golden Opportunity title. F*ck LeeRoy Jenkins and his butthurt feelings. I can still get to the finish line ahead of them if I can get into and win the Supreme Gauntlet 17 tournament.
That’s a sh*tload of motivation for me to win this match. I’m ready for you Trace Demon! Are you ready for me? I don’t think so. I will prove it at Madison Square Garden! I will beat the King of Demons and make you bow down to me!
Watch closely WFWF! 2017 will be a very good year for me. With Joshua Dean’s help I will keep getting better. I will be a lean mean fighting machine with one purpose: to defeat any and all opponents who get in my way. I’m putting every self-proclaimed King, God, or Godslayer in the WFWF on notice. Now more than ever, you should get the f*ck out of my way!
———
featuring Frank Lynn
I lost.
At SuperBrawl IX I had to watch Ante Whitner climb the ladder and retrieve the Golden Opportunity briefcase while I was stuck tied up in the ropes helpless to stop him. Hell of a way to end the biggest match of my career. You can insert your own preferred cliche about dreams shattering into a thousand broken shards or turning into a nightmare you can’t wake up from or whatever.
I am not a happy camper.
Humor me for a moment as I give the expected Frank Lynn response to my loss. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my detractors. I am an immature, ignorant, petulant child after all. I have an image to maintain so here goes:
LeeRoy Jenkins you goddamned sheep f*cking redneck son of bitch! I didn’t lose the damn match. You f*cking stole it from me! If you thought I was pissed at you before, you ain’t seen sh*t yet. The things I’m going to do when I get my hands on you will get the WFWF banned from television in half the states for broadcasting murder porn. Pay up your life insurance, make a will, and prepay for a cemetery plot and casket. Your next of kin is going to appreciate it.
You’re next Ante f*cking Whitner, just as soon as I finish off LeeRoy. You shouldn’t be the Golden Opportunity Champion. That is MY TITLE. I strongly suggest you cash in now and take your shot at David Brennan because you have a better chance of beating him than you do of beating me. Your ass is grass and I’m coming to mow you down!
Everybody happy now? Did the lunatic psycho deliver the Lynn-sanity? You have your soundbite. Go run off to troll me on Twitter and ignore the rest of the story.
There is a nugget of truth in my over-the-top rant. I did not lose because of LeeRoy Jenkins. I lost because of my rivalry with LeeRoy Jenkins. LeeRoy could have tipped the ladder over and taken both Ante and I out of contention. LeeRoy chose to remove just me and let Ante Whitner win. That is as much on me as it is on LeeRoy because I gave him every reason to want me to fail and no reason to fear the repercussions.
There will be repercussions for both Ante and LeeRoy. I am not afraid of either man. In a one on one singles match I have no doubts that I can beat either one of them. I know I can take the Golden Opportunity championship from Ante. I know I can break not only LeeRoy’s body, but his spirit as well so that he thinks twice before crossing my path again.
Unfortunately, there will also be repercussions for me, the biggest being that I AM afraid of Lila Sleater. Before SuperBrawl we had a verbal altercation that ended with her promising me NOTHING if I lost. Now that I have lost, the ball is in Lila’s court. I expect to be booked in a series of dark matches against midgets in clown suits (or Dr. Mantis Toboggan which is pretty much the same thing). Going into SuperBrawl I was in control of my career. Coming out of SuperBrawl Lila is in control.
I am well and truly f*cked.
———
Cambridge, MA : Oct. 10, 2016
A Homecoming
Frank had just finished his meeting with Joshua Dean. The deal was done and Frank was now a client of Josh's agency. It left a bitter taste in his mouth but it was for the best. The agency had the experience necessary to keep Frank’s career on an upward path. That was most important and if Frank had to associate with Joshua Dean to make it happen, well you take the bad with the good.
He filed his copy of the contract in his bag with his other Legacy paperwork and made his way downstairs to the gym. He saw Abraham talking to some of the new talent and walked in that direction only to find himself suddenly locked in a bear hug from a whirling dervish of blonde hair.
TIGER!
PANTHER?!?
Daphne Velasquez was squeezing the breath out of him. Frank let the hug linger, enjoying the warmth of his one time mixed tag partner and “big sister” La Pantera Negra. Once Daphne had gotten her fill, she released Frank and stepped back to look him over head to foot. She nodded approvingly at Frank.
I missed you so much!
When Frank had first come to Abraham with the idea of transitioning from MMA to pro wrestling, Abe decided to pair Frank with Daphne. She was the daughter of a Mexican father and Swedish mother who inherited all the best from both sides of her gene pool. The result: a beautiful woman who looked Jessica Alba and wrestled like an insane luchador. Daphne was Frank’s “training wheels” as he adapted his MMA skills to the wrestling ring. They got along very well, becoming as close as siblings.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Daphne reached a point where she was tired of eating Ramen every night. She left Legacy to go work for a Mexican luchador promotion for better pay and more advanced training. Frank left Legacy a few months later for the greener pastures of the WFWF. They had lost touch despite the best of intentions.
I missed you too.
They looked at each other with a slight sadness in their eyes. How could they have drifted apart?
Well, I’m back now and you better get used to me.
Really? You’re back to stay?
Yes I am. Abraham signed me to a big contract. I think I have you to thank for that.
I did invest in Legacy but Abe makes all the decisions. I definitely approve of this one.
Legacy had been floundering after the departure of Daphne/La Pantera Negra, Frank/El Tigre Blanco, and several other top stars. Frank’s investment had bailed out the company and allowed Abe to bring Daphne back. It was a good business decision but Abe also knew it would be good for Frank. Daphne was a good friend he needed to get over the losses he had been through.
I met a friend of yours earlier today… Joshua Dean.
I wouldn’t call him a friend. He is a business associate.
Daphne can hear the frostiness in Frank’s voice. Frank left nothing to doubt, he did not like Josh. This surprised Daphne because she saw a lot of similarities in them. And she knew from what Josh had said in the cab that Josh did not feel the same way about Frank. Josh had spoken quite highly of Frank.
I got a good vibe from him. I think he wants the best for you.
More like the best for himself, in this case more money. I’ll take it though. I don’t really care why he is helping me as long as it gets me closer to the top.
Wow, you got cynical. What happened to happy-go-lucky let’s-go-jump-out-of-a-plane Frank?
It’s a long story. Why don’t we head out for some food and I’ll tell you all about it.
I don’t know if I can bail out on Abe’s orientation.
I can pull some strings. I have a little stroke around here.
It’s a date. Let’s go.
Frank and Daphne would spend the next three hours in a diner telling each other every detail of the past year. By the time Daphne was completely caught up she knew this had been a good time to come home. Frank needed her and she was happy to be there for him.
———
Many people including Daphne have asked me why I hate Joshua Dean. I have a hard time understanding why they don’t hate Joshua Dean. Just look at him. He is the WFWF golden boy. The good guy that almost everybody likes and even his enemies respect. He represents the best this business has to offer. That’s why he is called the Franchise. So how does the Franchise treat a rookie who is just trying to get his foot in the door?
The Franchise Joshua Dean comes out with a barbwire baseball bat and threatens the rookie. Josh makes the rookie look like a fool and a coward even though Josh is the one with a deadly weapon and the rookie is unarmed. Josh says things that imply the rookie doesn’t respect southerners, which sabotages his rising status. Then, Josh beats that rookie so he is now a coward, a fool, and a loser with rapidly fading fan support and questions from management as to his potential star power (as measured by the almighty dollar in the form of merchandise sales).
After all of that, Josh then asks the rookie to sign with his agency, to take the help of the man who just set his career back years. Perfect timing for the hero to come in and save the day. “I know I just threw you off a cliff but here’s a rope. I’ll help you climb back up.” How noble of the Franchise.
I ask you, shouldn’t that rookie hate Joshua Dean. I say yes. I hated Joshua Dean. I looked at him and saw an arrogant douchebag who had everything and didn’t want to share. I saw a false idol I wanted to topple from his throne of lies.
I was an idiot. No, that’s too harsh. I wasn’t thinking straight. Excuse me but I was going through some difficult times professionally and personally. I lost the tag title match, I lost my friends and family, I lost my tag partner to injury… it was as if life itself had a vendetta against me. So I took a short trip on the crazy train. Part of that trip was me taking all my frustrations and transferring them to the most convenient target: Joshua Dean.
Give me some credit, I did eventually accept Josh’s offer. I saw the benefits of having an experienced agency overseeing my career so I could concentrate on winning matches.
That doesn’t mean I like Josh but I can at least tolerate him. That was all the opening Daphne needed to work her magic.
———
Pasadena, CA: Nov. 25, 2016 : After SuperBrawl IX
The Accord
Frank Lynn, Daphne Velasquez, and Joshua Dean are in a surfer bar a short distance from the Rose Bowl a few hours after SuperBrawl IX getting drunk on their second bottle of top shelf tequila making toasts to the new champion. How did this unlikely trio of drinking partners come about?
It started in the parking lot outside the Rose Bowl. Daphne greeted a gloomy brooding Frank as he was making his way to his car. She knew Frank would need some cheering up. She intended to take him out for a whole lot of tequila and some sisterly TLC. Frank knew better than to say no to a determined Daphne so he had a full night of drinking ahead of him.
As they were about to leave, Daphne spotted an equally dour Joshua Dean. She had to say hello. She was very intrigued by the scruffy southern gentleman after their shared cab ride and wanted to get to know him better, how much better being entirely up to Josh. Using every last bit of her feminine charms and wiles, she convinced Josh to join her and Frank for a drink. Frank was less than excited by Josh’s company but Daphne gets what Daphne wants.
They left to find a bar so they could celebrate. Celebrate what? Daphne’s brand new LPW Women’s Championship, which she won the night before at a combined indy feds super show. It took a lot of Daphne’s bubbly personality and a lot of tequila, but Frank and Josh eventually cheered up. Drunken bonding over the shared experience of losing gave way to other conversations until it reached a point when Josh decided it was time to strike. Frank would never be more open minded and receptive than now.
I know you are worried about Lila. I can talk to her for you. I don’t think things are as bad with her as you think they are. I mean, at least you aren’t David Brennan. Lila truly hates that man.
Anything has to work better than my attempts. Good luck!
I’m happy to do it for you. And that’s not all.
What else do you have in mind for my “little brother”?
Josh pauses to take a deep breath as he prepares to hit Frank with a prepared speech, something he had been thinking about for quite some time. He hoped his inebriated state wouldn’t stop him from getting it right. This felt like the right time to make an emotional sales pitch to Frank because he wanted him to be more than a client.
You aren’t the best right now but you could be in a year or two if you do the right things. You remind me of myself when I got started. I was just as full of myself then as you are now. If I could only talk to my younger self… the things I would tell me… I could have done so much more if I had only known then what I know now. That is why I want to help you get better. You can be one of the great ones. And the greater you are, the more money we both make. Put your ego aside and listen to the voice of experience. There is so much I could teach you if you just let me.
Yesterday I would have told you to go f*ck yourself. Then again, yesterday I was sure that I would be the Golden Opportunity Champion.
You still can be. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Let me help you.
Daphne watched them intently as they went back and forth, reading their faces to measure every reaction. Josh was extending a very powerful hand of friendship to Frank. She can see the sincerity in Josh even if Frank can’t, or worse won’t because he can be a stubborn fool. She reaches out and takes Frank’s hand, drawing his attention so that he looks in her eyes. Maybe she can tip the scales in Josh’s favor.
Remember the good vibes Frank. Josh has them. Trust him.
Come on Frank. I’m offering you all of my wisdom and experience. Work with me. You will get everything you want and more. Let me help you. Please.
The tequila takes charge and Frank starts thinking out loud while Josh and Daphne listen. They’ve said all they can and it is up to pigheaded Frank to work it out for himself. Frank puts a hand on Daphne’s championship belt and looks at it longingly while he thinks.
I need to do something different thats for damn sure. I can’t stand losing or seeing someone else with what should be my title. Frank’s fingers trace the word “champion” on Daphne’s belt. Daphne is already convinced. Your agency is already managing my career. Frank takes another long look at Josh’s eyes, looking for any sign of deception. He doesn't
find any. F*ck it! Okay Josh, I’ll be your padawan. Teach me your ways.
Thats what I wanted to hear! You won’t regret this! We will do great things together!
Josh’s enthusiastic reaction shocks Frank. That was not what he expected. In fact, nothing about the way Josh behaved tonight was matching up to Frank’s image of Josh as an arrogant douchebag.
You know something? You aren’t the evil dick I thought you were. Drakz is. You not so much. Could be the tequila speaking but I don’t think so.
Aw shucks Frank, does that mean you like me?
Let’s not get carried away. You are growing on me but that doesn’t make you my ride or die. Let’s just see if you can help me become the Golden Opportunity Champion. And if you want my help in getting the World Heavyweight Championship, I’ll be there.
Frank and Dean extend their arms across the table and shake hands. They don’t even notice the flash from Daphne’s cell phone as she captures the handshake. She has a feeling that this is a moment both men will want to remember. Of course, this night is supposed to be about celebrating her championship win so she can’t let the moment go on for too long.
Yoohoo, I’m still here. Remember me? Or would you rather I left so you two can get a room?
* laughter *
She’s cool Frank. You should keep her.
I’m not some lost puppy mister. I’m Daphne Velasquez, the LPW Women’s Champion! They drink a toast to Daphne and her championship. I’ll be watching. Frank is like a brother to me so take good care of him. Make him a champion. And try to do it in less time than it took the Cubs.
At the end of the night when they go their separate ways, Daphne was pleased to see the change in their moods from depressed over losing to happy about the prospects of a brighter future. Frank already meant a lot to her so it hurt her to see him hurting. As for Joshua Dean, well there was something about him that made her want the best for him too. Josh and Frank were more alike than not and she knew tonight was the start of something special. It also meant more chances for her to see her new favorite scruffy southern gentleman.
———
Joshua Dean is not the evil dick I thought he was. I said it. Out loud. In front of a witness. There is no taking it back now.
This is a big step for me. I’m not going it alone anymore. I’m not trying to learn on the job and making stupid mistakes that I have to pay for later, sometimes literally like paying for Brick Harrison to attend the Bison Wrestling Academy. Perhaps some of what Joe Bishop said to me a while back really did sink in. The petulant child is growing up.
Only time will tell what this “partnership” with Joshua Dean will lead to. I can’t be certain but it is possible that I am already reaping some benefits. I am referring to my match against Trace Demon at the End of Year show in Madison Square Garden. I have a few theories on how I ended up in what may as well be a co-main event match at MSG against the owner of the WFWF (no disrespect intended towards Joe Bishop and Cameron Stone who are facing each other in the official main event match).
My first theory is that Josh or his agency talked to Lila and worked a minor miracle. Somehow Josh convinced Lila to give me another chance to prove myself in a match against a top tier WFWF wrestler in Trace Demon. That puts a quite a bit of weight on my shoulders to deliver on the potential Josh sees in me, to prove he was right to have faith in me.
My second theory is that Lila really doesn’t like me and has a very different idea of NOTHING than I do. Instead of dark matches against midgets in clown suits, she could be setting me up in a punishment match. What better way to teach me a lesson than send me into the ring to get my ass kicked by a pissed off Trace Demon and sent home a loser yet again with my tail tucked between my legs? What better way to regain some control over my career than take Lila’s punishment and shove it right back in her face by winning?
My last theory is that Trace Demon himself made this match looking for someone to victimize after his loss in the chamber match. If that is the case it would be the first time he even noticed me since I debuted. He has been so focused on winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SuperBrawl that I doubt he even knows my name. That actually works to my advantage because he may not realize there are easier targets to victimize than Frank Lynn. I would love to make Trace Demon remember my name as the wrestler who pinned his shoulders to the mat for the 1-2-3 or made him tap out.
Regardless of how I ended up in this match, I have to make the most of it and win. I can’t let my loss at SuperBrawl turn into a downward spiral. Since arriving in the WFWF I have won every non-title match I have been in. I have yet to be pinned or submitted. I have been a winner more often than not. I need to tap into that Frank Lynn, the warrior who refuses to lose. I have to learn everything Joshua Dean can teach me about Trace Demon in a very short time. I have to be better than I was at SuperBrawl. If I do all of that I can stand eye to eye with Trace Demon in the center of the ring ready to give him the match of his life.
Without a doubt, this will be my toughest match in the WFWF. Trace Demon is no joke. He is a great wrestler. He is a master manipulator. Most importantly, he is the owner of the WFWF! One wrong step and I could find myself in the unemployment line. (Not really because Trace can’t take the LPW away from me. Sue me for being overly dramatic to make a point.)
F*ck it! I’m not very good at walking on eggshells so let’s poke the bear.
Trace Demon the wrestler is the most self-absorbed, self-entitled, arrogant, condescending prick in the WFWF which is reason enough to teach him lesson in humility. He believes the entire WFWF exists solely so he can be the champion even though nobody remembers the last time he actually was a champion. Even without a title, he is a top star and beating him would be quite the notch in my belt.
Trace Demon the owner is a J.R. Ewing wannabe who thinks the entire roster are chess pieces for him to play with in his quest to become World Heavyweight Champion. If he spent more time in the gym working on cardio, weight training, and sparring sessions then he wouldn’t have to spend so much time manipulating situations to his advantage. Some might say that shows weakness, that he doubts his ability to win without a little help. I don’t need any help because I am confident in my abilities.
I’ve watched the way Trace played with Cameron Stone, Drakz, Joshua Dean, and so many others. It won’t work on me because I am the new guy. (When do I stop being the “new guy” anyway? Six months? A year? When I win my first title? It is getting old being thought of as the “new guy”. I nominate Austin Hayes or Anna Ahriman to take on the mantle of the “new guy”.) As the new guy I don’t have all those loose threads for Trace to tug on like some evil puppet master. My closet is empty of skeletons. There is no carrot Trace can dangle in front of me that I can’t get on my own by winning this match. If Trace wants to beat me, he will have to come to the ring and do it old school in a straight up fight.
I don’t think Trace has it in him to beat me. As a fellow wrestler who lost a title match at SuperBrawl and as a fellow owner of a wrestling company, I have a good idea what Trace is going through right now.
The wrestler Trace needs a win to get back in the title picture and I’m sure he believes he can do it at my expense. No advantage there as I am thinking the same thing. In fact, I may have a slight edge because Trace has a long and illustrious career while I don’t. I need a big win on my resumé much more than Trace Demon.
WFWF owner Trace just watched three dead guys show up at SuperBrawl: one winning a match against a legend, one putting a damper on the Golden Opportunity champions’ celebration, and one turning the main event into a massacre while deciding who would win the World Heavyweight Championship. Quick reminder: it wasn’t Trace Demon! To say that things did not go according to Trace’s plans would be the understatement of the decade. The events at SuperBrawl have to be majorly f*cking with Trace’s head.
I know if some dead guys with possible grudges against me showed up at an LPW show I would be looking for someone to buy me out so I could start prepping for the zombie apocalypse at my new survivalist camp on a small Caribbean island. Trace has to be going crazy trying to deal with it. I half expect him to come to the ring in a straight jacket drooling like an idiot and babbling about how he sees dead people. Advantage to Frank Lynn.
My head is clear going into this match, clearer than it has been since my debut. Just like David Brennan overcame his demons, got sober, and won the International Championship, I have overcome my demons and am ready to go after my first title. I have control of my anger and can channel it into a constructive force to help me win matches. I have Joshua Dean in my ear keeping me focused and on track. Who is whispering words of wisdom and encouragement in your ear, Trace? Five dollar crack whores don’t count so my money is on nobody.
Enough poking the bear. If Trace is half as pissed as I am about losing at SuperBrawl then he is twice as pissed as I want him going into our match. Odds are I’m still beneath his notice so none of this will get back to him but if it does I don’t want to piss him off so much that he forgets all his other problems and focuses 100% on me. I would prefer to face a drooling idiot wondering when Malakai is going to appear or a distracted man who is more concerned over whether he owes dead wrestlers back pay than face a focused former champion whose only goal is to brutally murder me on live television.
Speaking of other problems Trace has, there are many bona fide white hat wearing would be heroes in the WFWF who want to beat him as an opportunity to bring about change. Defeat the Demon King and save the kingdom. I say they are idealistic fools. Nothing that happens inside a WFWF ring will change the fact that Trace Demon is the owner. The only way to change the WFWF is to meet Trace Demon in the board room and make him an offer he cannot refuse. How many of you idealistic white hats have a billion dollars in your pocket?
I am not an idealist, not anymore - life kicked that particular naiveté out of me. I am a realist. I know exactly what this match is and what I can get out of it. It is my opportunity to get a big win on a big stage and wash away the stink of my loss at SuperBrawl.
The stage is as big as it gets. New York City! Madison Square Garden! “If you can make it there you can make it anywhere!” There are many wrestlers, boxers, and MMA fighters who go a lifetime never getting to perform at Madison Square Garden. I have the chance and I’m going to make the most of it.
The opponent is my biggest yet for a singles match. I don’t want to call Trace Demon a stepping stone because he is more like a quarry full of stepping boulders. That makes this match as important as any non-title match can be for me. Say it with me: Frank Lynn defeats Trace Demon at Madison Square Garden! That’s a tag line you can put on the cover of a future DVD release. A win in this match will be a major building block to my career.
Defeating Trace Demon could get me into the Supreme Gauntlet 17 tournament. I know how to win tournaments from my amateur wrestling and MMA days. I could win my way into a World Heavyweight Championship match against Drakz, whom I still owe for what he did to me in the tag title match at Horizon. F*ck Ante Whitner and his Golden Opportunity title. F*ck LeeRoy Jenkins and his butthurt feelings. I can still get to the finish line ahead of them if I can get into and win the Supreme Gauntlet 17 tournament.
That’s a sh*tload of motivation for me to win this match. I’m ready for you Trace Demon! Are you ready for me? I don’t think so. I will prove it at Madison Square Garden! I will beat the King of Demons and make you bow down to me!
Watch closely WFWF! 2017 will be a very good year for me. With Joshua Dean’s help I will keep getting better. I will be a lean mean fighting machine with one purpose: to defeat any and all opponents who get in my way. I’m putting every self-proclaimed King, God, or Godslayer in the WFWF on notice. Now more than ever, you should get the f*ck out of my way!
———
Notes:
Thank you jdfranchise for the (continued) use of Joshua Dean.
Last time I said that the father story could be a love it or hate it thing. Well, I hate it. I had some ideas that sounded great in my head but when I tried to put them on paper they turned into a steaming pile of crap. I’m putting it on the back burner until I can write it in a way that doesn’t suck.