Post by King Richius on Apr 24, 2017 16:35:12 GMT -5
What a strange place the WFWF is where I can look better in a defeat to Trace Demon or David Brennan than I did in a victory over Scarlett Quinn.
Not that looking good in defeat is doing any more for my career than looking bad in victory.
I thought the Supreme Gauntlet was a great opportunity for me to make a big splash. It didn’t work out that way. The tournament was a slap in my face, a lesson in humility if only I am smart enough to learn from it. Now I have a triple threat match with two men who make me very nervous. I have something to prove.
Ante Whitner lost his Gauntlet match to David Brennan and half the roster is foaming at the mouth over the chance to pry the Golden Opportunity from his white knuckle grip. He has something to prove.
Tyson Watts has to be holding a grudge after my controversial pin of Scarlett Quinn that extended his winless streak to three. Even though I’ve said publicly that I don’t consider it a win and welcome a rematch, I’m the bad guy here and Tyson should be out for my blood. He has something to prove.
Three men with something to prove in the ring at the same time. That’s a recipe for disaster.
I have to switch things up if I’m going to have a chance against two men who want a piece of me to hang on their wall.
I need the answer to the question: how does Frank Lynn become a winner?
I think I found it. At least, I hope I found it.
We will all find out together at Ultimate Supremacy.
Cause the times they are a-changing…
WFWF Ultimate Supremacy PPV RP
Tangibilem
featuring Frank Lynn
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, England
Boston, MA : April 10, 2017
It’s not your typical Spring morning in Boston. Sure, the weather is what you would expect, the commuters are doing their usual bit to make the streets undriveable, and the T is standing room only.
What makes it atypical is that I am not running five miles before hitting the gym at Legacy for my workout. Today, I am skipping all my normal routines for a different kind of preparation for my match against Ante Whitner and Tyson Watts.
Instead of running to Legacy I drove. Instead of heading to the locker room for a quick change into workout gear, I make my way to the offices where I find Sarah already hard at work.
I knock lightly on the door to get her attention.
Mornin’. How’s the head?
Surprisingly good considering how much tequila I drank last night.
That’s good. You said you didn’t want to celebrate your win but once you got started there was no stopping you.
Sometimes you drink to celebrate, sometimes you drink to forget. Last night I wanted to forget. It wasn’t much of a win.
I think any win is a good win but to each their own.
I’d love to explain the difference but I don’t have the time.
While answering her, I gently toss a set of keys onto her desk. Somebody needs to take care of the cat while I’m gone. I asked Daphne first but she has a match in Philadelphia so she politely declined. I asked Sarah next which led to a night of buying her drinks so she would agree to give Doctor Claw fresh food, water, and of course the worst part - clean his p*ss and sh*t out of the litter box. That is usually a deal breaker when trying to find a cat sitter.
Don’t want to miss your flight to London, right? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your cat.
Thanks.
Why you are taking this trip now? Shouldn’t you be training and studying film and whatever else it is you wrestlers do to get ready for a big match?
I’ll get my training and film study in but right now it’s more important that I speak to Joe Bishop.
I don’t get your fascination with him. What has he ever done for you?
He sees potential in me. I need to learn how to turn that potential into actual results in the ring.
Not a lie but not the entire truth either. I have something far more important to discuss with Joe Bishop than how to win a few matches.
If you’re looking for someone to help change your fortunes, why not Trace Demon? He was the one who helped you win your match.
Are you serious? Trace Demon is a cancer. He does all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. I don’t want to be anything like him.
That’s not what you said last night. You said, and I quote, “Trace wouldn’t want anything to do with me because I don’t wear guy-liner and have a silly goth name.”
I was drunk. I thought we were clear on that.
I still think you should talk to Trace instead of Joe. So what if he manipulates people and cheats to win? I may be new to the business but isn’t that what professional wrestling is all about, doing whatever it takes to win?
That’s how the WFWF works. Doesn’t mean I have to like it or join in the shenanigans. There has to be a better way. I’m going to find it.
Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for.
I have a good feeling. Thanks again for watching Doctor Claw.
Sure, no problem.
I’m halfway out the door before she adds a parting comment.
By the way, you don’t need an excuse to ask me out for a drink.
Did she just ask me to ask her out? Not what I wanted to hear. I finally reached a point where I see her as Sarah and not a reincarnation of Becky. I don’t need any drama right now.
I have enough to think about on my flight between preparing for two opponents and rehearsing what I will say to Joe when we are face to face. Better to file this away in the worry about it later… much later section of my brain.
London, England : April 11, 2017
This is my first time in London so I spent the day playing the part of tourist. I hit up Big Ben, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and a few other famous places before my last stop at the Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park.
The Memorial holds a special appeal for me. It commemorates the pilots of the RAF who flew missions during World War II. It makes me think of eleven weeks in particular when the RAF was all that stood between Nazi Germany and total victory. The Nazis had quickly and easily conquered most of Europe and set their eyes squarely on Great Britain. The odds were stacked against the British people. Hope was at a premium. If not for the inspirational words of Winston Churchill and the bravery of the Royal Air Force, World War II would have been lost. After three months of brutal air combat, the RAF held their ground and stalled the Nazi war machine. It didn’t win the war but it did provide much needed time for the allies. They gave hope to the free world.
I almost lost hope after the Supreme Gauntlet. There’s no denying it, I was terrible. I managed a single victory against Dex. In hindsight, even that win wasn’t very impressive because my match with Dex was a hard fought back and forth affair while Brennan and Whitner both dispatched him with ease. It showed just how far I have to go to be a serious competitor in the WFWF ring.
Joe Bishop and Daphne convinced me to give it one more try because they believe I do have what it takes. I busted my ass so that I could be at my best for an otherwise meaningless tag match with Reverend Shadow against Scarlett Quinn and Tyson Watts. It was the perfect proving ground for me and I delivered.
I pinned Scarlett Quinn!
For a second I thought I had really achieved something. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Little did I know that while I was recovering from one hell of a drive by kick from Scarlett two things happened. One: she almost pinned me. Two: Trace Demon came out and distracted her. I didn’t even know Trace was there when I regained enough of my senses to see Scarlett ripe for a quick attack. I would never have attacked her from behind if I knew why her back was turned. My moment was ripped away from me as I realized it was Trace Demon who served it to me on a silver platter.
Screw you Trace Demon!
I’m sure you want to take credit for the win so go right ahead. I would rather everyone forget the match ever happened.
I wanted a proving ground to see where my skills stand against the best of the WFWF. What I got was a lesson that I will never get a fair test of skills as long as Trace and others like him drag the WFWF down into a sh*t show of dirty tactics and cheap wins.
And that brings me back to the RAF. They saw a threat to their way of life and they fought back despite the overwhelming odds against them. I’m not saying that ending the bullsh*t in the WFWF is on par with saving the world from an evil fascist empire, but the WFWF is my world now and it is threatened by megalomaniacs. The comparison is somewhat inappropriate for which I apologize yet it is still accurate.
If I ever want the chance to prove I am one of the top wrestlers in the world, I first need to change the WFWF. The WFWF needs a reformation into something more like an MMA promotion. You earn your way to championships by winning fair fights and rising in the rankings. Winners and losers should be determined based on in ring skills. There is no place for manipulations, distractions, interference, blatant cheating, and over the top ultra-violence. There is no place for people like Trace Demon, Phillip Schneider, Drakz, and Michael Kyzer.
Sounds a lot like Joe Bishop’s vision, doesn’t it?
I’ve always agreed with Joe but doubted his chances of bringing about any real change. I felt it was pointless to get involved in a lost cause. Thanks to Trace Demon’s interference, I have come to the realization that my only chance of success in the WFWF is if Joe’s vision becomes a reality. I must put my doubts aside and try to make a difference.
Do you get why this memorial means so much to me now?
The RAF was fighting a battle few thought they could win. They ignored the odds, fought hard, and won. So, to extend my somewhat inappropriate comparison, I’m ready to fight for what I believe in. I’m ready to join the crusade not because I think it can be won but because I think it has to be fought. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, maybe the battle can be won.
Maybe we can make the WFWF a better place.
I hope you’re ready Joe Bishop. You’re about to get an allie whether you want it or not.
Boston, MA : April 17, 21017
It feels strange to think of this as Abraham’s office. While he was away it became my home away from home. I enjoyed sitting behind the big desk organizing a wrestling show that I am very proud of. As much as I like and respect Abraham Templeton, I am a little sad that he is back behind the big desk while I am reduced to silent partner once again. The chairs reserved for guests are comfortable but I got used to the plush leather chair behind the desk… and the power that came from sitting in it.
Finally, we’re on the same continent again.
Yep. I wanted to be here to welcome you back but I had important business to take care of in England.
Business, eh? Anything to do with Legacy?
Not really. It was personal business. I went to talk with Joe Bishop.
What was so important about Mr. Bishop that it couldn’t wait a day? I had a special event planned just for you that you missed.
Oh really?
Yes I did. I’ll tell you about it later but first I want to hear about your meeting.
It’s no secret. Joe has been going on for almost a year about a reformation of the WFWF into a meritocracy that showcases the true spirit of athletic competition. He’s spoken to me about it in the past but I kept my distance because I didn’t believe he or any wrestler could change the WFWF.
As you like to say, “Change has to come from the top.”
That’s what I said and thought right up to the moment I got a cheap win over Scarlett Quinn courtesy of Trace Demon. A switch flipped. I couldn’t be an innocent bystander anymore. I have to try to make a difference in the WFWF even if I don’t think it is possible.
So you went to Joe…
…and told him I wanted in on his revolution. I wanted to know the whole plan and what I could to do help make it a reality.
Abe leans over the desk propping his chin on his crossed hands, all attention clearly on my story. Whatever Legacy business he was working on has been completely forgotten.
I’m intrigued. What did Joe have to say? What is his plan?
He was relieved and happy to gain an allie.
As far as a plan, to be honest I don’t think he has thought that far ahead. His only solid idea is to lead by example. That’s easy for him because he has been winning and if he wins one more match he will be the World Champion. It isn’t enough for me because losing doesn’t set a good example. Young wrestlers want to be Joe Bishop; they don’t want to be Frank Lynn.
A point driven home by that Hickenbottom hack in his latest power rankings.
What other options do you have?
None at the moment. I will fight clean and do my damnedest to win. Along the way I will try to come up with some other ideas to further the cause. If the new owner ever comes out of hiding maybe I can do some lobbying. You know, speak to him owner to owner about making some changes for the betterment of the business.
What about your match at Ultimate Supremacy?
I can’t sit back while Joe does all the heavy lifting. I need to do my part by winning my match. I’ll have to rise above my own faults, specifically my grudge against Ante and my guilt towards Tyson. I need to lose the baggage so I can focus on the big picture - to win a fair fight.
Your anger issues are well known. Can you let it go and become a pure technical wrestling machine?
I’ve made progress with Dr. Nichols. I think I can. Funny how making the WFWF a better place starts with making me a better person.
Abe straightens up, then gets up and walks around the desk so he can grab my shoulders with his big meathook hands in a brief almost fatherly gesture.
Good for you!
He lets go and the moment lingers in silence while he returns to his chair.
I’ve been watching you struggle in the WFWF. Just my opinion, but I think many of your problems were due to you being a fish out of water. You were an MMA fighter trying to show that MMA fighters are better than pro wrestlers. I hated it when you said “I’m coming and you better get the f*ck out of my way.”
Abe had never mentioned that before. Its easy to see now that I let my early success go to my head and I was obnoxious about it. At the time I thought that was part of being a pro wrestler. Now I know better.
You’re finally embracing being a pro wrestler, going so far as to try improving the business. The truly great ones always leave a place better than when they found it.
It sounds very noble when you put it like that. I just want a fair chance to test my skills against the best in the business.
Don’t ever lose that humility. It’s the real difference between you and the Trace Demons of the world.
That won’t be hard given my recent string of crappy matches. Even when I win, I lose.
I’m sure that will change soon enough.
Everybody keeps saying that.
Take some advice from a wise old man. Wins are nice but they don’t make you a winner. Earning the respect of your peers is the real prize. Put in the work and wrestle to the best of your abilities in every match. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Do that and you can always hold your head high no matter what your record is.
That’s some good advice. I’ll try to remember it.
Abe leans back and stretches giving time for his advice to sink in. I get the feeling he had been holding back for a while until I was both ready and receptive.
I recall Joe saying something similar about winning, that he wouldn’t mind losing a championship if he lost it to someone who fought a hard, fair fight and proved to be the better man. It’s no wonder Abe approves of my association with Joe Bishop.
Okay, my turn. Ready to hear what you missed out on?
Lay it on me.
It’s short and sweet. I saw the iPPV and thought it was great. Top notch entertainment for our growing fanbase and helped me to sign several new wrestlers. It was also a financial success.
Abe hands me an envelope.
A BIG financial success. As co-owner and the man who put most of it together, that is all yours. You earned it for a job well done. I had a celebration planned so I could do this in front of everybody but you weren’t here so this will have to do.
I rip open the envelope to find a check. My eyes go wide.
That’s a lot of zeroes.
Yes it is. Any idea what you are going to do with it?
Put me on the spot, why don’t you? Actually, I do have an idea. It’s time to get out of my apartment and into a house.
I take another look at the check to be sure I read the amount correctly.
Holy crap, I never thought I’d be able to pay cash for a house but I can do that now.
Excellent! You’ve always been smart about your money. Buying a house is a good investment.
Thanks Abe… for everything.
Charlotte, NC : April 26, 2017
Frank Lynn is a man on a mission!
Ugh. I hate how that sounds no matter how true it is. It reminds of those holier than thou types who look down their noses at people smug in the knowledge that they are better. Too often, they have different confused with better. The idea that two things can be different yet equal never crosses their minds.
I’ve heard people use that argument when they criticize Joe Bishop and his crusade to fix the WFWF. Now that I have joined his cause, I’m subject to the same criticisms.
I’ll have to develop thick skin because I am on a mission now. I believe this is a case where different is better. The WFWF is a sh*t show in need of an overhaul. Those who don’t believe this are the ones who don’t want change to happen because deep down they know they will lose their spot at the top of the food chain.
I’ve been in the WFWF for almost a year. I’ve seen enough. I will never achieve my goals in the current environment. I can’t let go of my amateur and MMA roots to join in the bullsh*t that takes place here. The idea of fair competition is too embedded in me to let it go and become a manipulating, rule breaking, ultra violent ass clown.
I hope you’re paying close attention Tyson Watts. You’re still very new here. You are on a three match losing streak and I know from personal experience how that must be eating away at you. Don’t let the frustrations lead you down the wrong path. Don’t become one of them, the wrestlers who will do anything to win and to hell with the consequences.
You’re wrestling with giants now and it won’t be easy but you can make your mark without playing their game. Trust me, I know. The shortcuts are tempting but not worth the price you will have to pay. I didn’t intend to take one but I did and now I have to look over my shoulder for a vengeful Scarlett Quinn coming after me.
As for you, Ante Whitner, I’m tired of talking about you and to you. Last time I went on at length about your hypocrisy and lies. My opinion hasn’t changed but there’s no point in beating a dead horse. If you want to believe I jumped in line when in fact it was your actions that dragged me to the front, then so be it. It’s not the first time you were wrong about me and probably won’t be the last.
Suffice it to say that I am not impressed by your self-proclaimed redemption, your self-proclaimed status as the new Franchise, or your less than stellar reign as the rarely defending Golden Opportunity Champion. I don’t blame you. Hold on to that title as long as you can because after that loss to Brennan I think being Golden Opportunity champ is as good as it will get for you.
In looking back there is one thing you’ve said that piques my interest. You’ve made comments that you don’t like what you see in my exterior but think there may be something good underneath.
I don’t think you were talking about me. I think you were talking about yourself. You’ve been on this quest for redemption for a while now because you don’t like who you were. You’re jealous because you look at me and see what you wish you had been when you first came to the WFWF. You see all the lost years and missed opportunities. It makes you want to hold me down because if I do succeed then it only deepens the pain of your past and present failures.
You probably think you have done a good job of it since you hold two victories over me.
You’re wrong.
At SuperBrawl you didn’t beat me, LeeRoy Jenkins did. In our Gauntlet match you didn’t beat me, I beat myself.
That’s right. I lost that match before I even entered the ring. I was so consumed by a lust for revenge that I didn’t wrestle the match to win. I wrestled a match to hurt you. It put me off my game and I lost.
I’m over it now. I’ve accepted that there is only one person who has the right to mete out justice and vengeance on you and his name is Joshua Dean.
Looking for revenge brought me dangerously close to becoming part of the problem in the WFWF. Had I won and hurt you in the process, I would be following the examples of Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider or you.
Losing was the best thing that could have happened to me. It made me doubt my purpose. I took a long hard look at who I was and who I wanted to be. Trace’s interference was the final straw.
I now know exactly who I am and what I will be.
I am Frank Lynn. I am the man who will enter that ring prepared to wrestle a great match and push my opponent to his or her limits without resorting to bullsh*t tactics. Sometimes I will win. Sometimes I will lose. But I will ALWAYS put on the best match possible. My opponents may not like me, but they will respect me.
That bothers you Ante because it is exactly what you wish you had been years ago. You measure yourself against me and find yourself coming up short. It’s time for me to show that in the ring by beating you.
Losing to you made me a better man and a better wrestler. What will a loss to me do to you, ‘specially coming on the heels of your loss to David Brennan at the last show? Will you be un-redeemed? Or will you realize you were never redeemed in the first place? Whatever the case, that metaphorical chair you’ve been building will have one less leg to stand on.
It should bother you too Tyson because the man I am now is one who will roll right over you if you aren’t careful. A man fighting for a cause is far more dangerous than a man who is only fighting for himself. Don’t believe me? Watch the Joe Bishop versus Trace Demon match and get back to me.
From what I’ve seen so far, you have that angry young man schtick down pat. Hate to break it to you but I’ve been there and done that. It didn’t work out for me and it won’t work out for you either. Calmer heads prevail and mine is the calmest of all heads going into this match.
I’ll need to be calm to beat Ante Whitner and get that 0-2 monkey off my back, maybe even get my name back in the Golden Opportunity conversation. I’ll need to be calm to beat Tyson Watts fair and square to show him that our tag match would have ended exactly the same way without Trace Demon’s interruption.
I also need to be calm so I don’t get dragged down into the cesspool of drama and shenanigans that ruin so many WFWF matches. I want to win to show that a pure technical wrestler can get the job done in the WFWF without sacrificing their morals. I am fighting for something bigger than my own personal success. I am fighting for a cause. That gives me an extra push that will finally propel me over the top.
I can’t talk about this match without mentioning that it is exactly the type of match that the WFWF should get rid of. The bookers love their multi-man clusterf*cks but it is common knowledge that the better man doesn’t always win. There are too many variables involved and luck plays a much larger role than in a traditional one-on-one or tag match. This triple threat match is yet another example of lazy booking in the hopes that we make a spectacle of ourselves. They want a train wreck, not a wrestling match.
I have to rise above the nature of a triple threat match. I will enter that ring, wrestle to the best of my abilities, and show everyone that a good clean technical match is the best form of professional wrestling. If Ante and Tyson do the same, we have a very good chance of stealing the show. We don’t need chairs and tables and ladders and baseball bats and barb wire and buckets of blood to impress the locker room, management, and fans.
Look at the rest of the card. I have no doubts that wrestlers like David Brennan, Phillip Schneider, Trace Demon, and Mike Jette, my former partner and current embarrassment to the Thunderbird name, are going to stoop to new lows as they try to maim and mutilate their opponents. Four matches that should provide plenty of mayhem but little in the way of actual wrestling.
And then there is our match, gentlemen. I challenge you to join me in stealing the show.
I will do everything I can within the rules to win but I accept that I may lose.
I would rather lose with dignity than win without.
Let’s show everybody how it SHOULD be done. No bullsh*t, just pure wrestling.
I believe that I am the better wrestler and if the match is pure, I will have my arm raised in victory.
Ante… Tyson… Prove me wrong… If you can.
Not that looking good in defeat is doing any more for my career than looking bad in victory.
I thought the Supreme Gauntlet was a great opportunity for me to make a big splash. It didn’t work out that way. The tournament was a slap in my face, a lesson in humility if only I am smart enough to learn from it. Now I have a triple threat match with two men who make me very nervous. I have something to prove.
Ante Whitner lost his Gauntlet match to David Brennan and half the roster is foaming at the mouth over the chance to pry the Golden Opportunity from his white knuckle grip. He has something to prove.
Tyson Watts has to be holding a grudge after my controversial pin of Scarlett Quinn that extended his winless streak to three. Even though I’ve said publicly that I don’t consider it a win and welcome a rematch, I’m the bad guy here and Tyson should be out for my blood. He has something to prove.
Three men with something to prove in the ring at the same time. That’s a recipe for disaster.
I have to switch things up if I’m going to have a chance against two men who want a piece of me to hang on their wall.
I need the answer to the question: how does Frank Lynn become a winner?
I think I found it. At least, I hope I found it.
We will all find out together at Ultimate Supremacy.
Cause the times they are a-changing…
WFWF Ultimate Supremacy PPV RP
Tangibilem
featuring Frank Lynn
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, England
Boston, MA : April 10, 2017
It’s not your typical Spring morning in Boston. Sure, the weather is what you would expect, the commuters are doing their usual bit to make the streets undriveable, and the T is standing room only.
What makes it atypical is that I am not running five miles before hitting the gym at Legacy for my workout. Today, I am skipping all my normal routines for a different kind of preparation for my match against Ante Whitner and Tyson Watts.
Instead of running to Legacy I drove. Instead of heading to the locker room for a quick change into workout gear, I make my way to the offices where I find Sarah already hard at work.
I knock lightly on the door to get her attention.
Mornin’. How’s the head?
Surprisingly good considering how much tequila I drank last night.
That’s good. You said you didn’t want to celebrate your win but once you got started there was no stopping you.
Sometimes you drink to celebrate, sometimes you drink to forget. Last night I wanted to forget. It wasn’t much of a win.
I think any win is a good win but to each their own.
I’d love to explain the difference but I don’t have the time.
While answering her, I gently toss a set of keys onto her desk. Somebody needs to take care of the cat while I’m gone. I asked Daphne first but she has a match in Philadelphia so she politely declined. I asked Sarah next which led to a night of buying her drinks so she would agree to give Doctor Claw fresh food, water, and of course the worst part - clean his p*ss and sh*t out of the litter box. That is usually a deal breaker when trying to find a cat sitter.
Don’t want to miss your flight to London, right? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your cat.
Thanks.
Why you are taking this trip now? Shouldn’t you be training and studying film and whatever else it is you wrestlers do to get ready for a big match?
I’ll get my training and film study in but right now it’s more important that I speak to Joe Bishop.
I don’t get your fascination with him. What has he ever done for you?
He sees potential in me. I need to learn how to turn that potential into actual results in the ring.
Not a lie but not the entire truth either. I have something far more important to discuss with Joe Bishop than how to win a few matches.
If you’re looking for someone to help change your fortunes, why not Trace Demon? He was the one who helped you win your match.
Are you serious? Trace Demon is a cancer. He does all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons. I don’t want to be anything like him.
That’s not what you said last night. You said, and I quote, “Trace wouldn’t want anything to do with me because I don’t wear guy-liner and have a silly goth name.”
I was drunk. I thought we were clear on that.
I still think you should talk to Trace instead of Joe. So what if he manipulates people and cheats to win? I may be new to the business but isn’t that what professional wrestling is all about, doing whatever it takes to win?
That’s how the WFWF works. Doesn’t mean I have to like it or join in the shenanigans. There has to be a better way. I’m going to find it.
Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for.
I have a good feeling. Thanks again for watching Doctor Claw.
Sure, no problem.
I’m halfway out the door before she adds a parting comment.
By the way, you don’t need an excuse to ask me out for a drink.
Did she just ask me to ask her out? Not what I wanted to hear. I finally reached a point where I see her as Sarah and not a reincarnation of Becky. I don’t need any drama right now.
I have enough to think about on my flight between preparing for two opponents and rehearsing what I will say to Joe when we are face to face. Better to file this away in the worry about it later… much later section of my brain.
London, England : April 11, 2017
This is my first time in London so I spent the day playing the part of tourist. I hit up Big Ben, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and a few other famous places before my last stop at the Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park.
The Memorial holds a special appeal for me. It commemorates the pilots of the RAF who flew missions during World War II. It makes me think of eleven weeks in particular when the RAF was all that stood between Nazi Germany and total victory. The Nazis had quickly and easily conquered most of Europe and set their eyes squarely on Great Britain. The odds were stacked against the British people. Hope was at a premium. If not for the inspirational words of Winston Churchill and the bravery of the Royal Air Force, World War II would have been lost. After three months of brutal air combat, the RAF held their ground and stalled the Nazi war machine. It didn’t win the war but it did provide much needed time for the allies. They gave hope to the free world.
I almost lost hope after the Supreme Gauntlet. There’s no denying it, I was terrible. I managed a single victory against Dex. In hindsight, even that win wasn’t very impressive because my match with Dex was a hard fought back and forth affair while Brennan and Whitner both dispatched him with ease. It showed just how far I have to go to be a serious competitor in the WFWF ring.
Joe Bishop and Daphne convinced me to give it one more try because they believe I do have what it takes. I busted my ass so that I could be at my best for an otherwise meaningless tag match with Reverend Shadow against Scarlett Quinn and Tyson Watts. It was the perfect proving ground for me and I delivered.
I pinned Scarlett Quinn!
For a second I thought I had really achieved something. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Little did I know that while I was recovering from one hell of a drive by kick from Scarlett two things happened. One: she almost pinned me. Two: Trace Demon came out and distracted her. I didn’t even know Trace was there when I regained enough of my senses to see Scarlett ripe for a quick attack. I would never have attacked her from behind if I knew why her back was turned. My moment was ripped away from me as I realized it was Trace Demon who served it to me on a silver platter.
Screw you Trace Demon!
I’m sure you want to take credit for the win so go right ahead. I would rather everyone forget the match ever happened.
I wanted a proving ground to see where my skills stand against the best of the WFWF. What I got was a lesson that I will never get a fair test of skills as long as Trace and others like him drag the WFWF down into a sh*t show of dirty tactics and cheap wins.
And that brings me back to the RAF. They saw a threat to their way of life and they fought back despite the overwhelming odds against them. I’m not saying that ending the bullsh*t in the WFWF is on par with saving the world from an evil fascist empire, but the WFWF is my world now and it is threatened by megalomaniacs. The comparison is somewhat inappropriate for which I apologize yet it is still accurate.
If I ever want the chance to prove I am one of the top wrestlers in the world, I first need to change the WFWF. The WFWF needs a reformation into something more like an MMA promotion. You earn your way to championships by winning fair fights and rising in the rankings. Winners and losers should be determined based on in ring skills. There is no place for manipulations, distractions, interference, blatant cheating, and over the top ultra-violence. There is no place for people like Trace Demon, Phillip Schneider, Drakz, and Michael Kyzer.
Sounds a lot like Joe Bishop’s vision, doesn’t it?
I’ve always agreed with Joe but doubted his chances of bringing about any real change. I felt it was pointless to get involved in a lost cause. Thanks to Trace Demon’s interference, I have come to the realization that my only chance of success in the WFWF is if Joe’s vision becomes a reality. I must put my doubts aside and try to make a difference.
Do you get why this memorial means so much to me now?
The RAF was fighting a battle few thought they could win. They ignored the odds, fought hard, and won. So, to extend my somewhat inappropriate comparison, I’m ready to fight for what I believe in. I’m ready to join the crusade not because I think it can be won but because I think it has to be fought. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, maybe the battle can be won.
Maybe we can make the WFWF a better place.
I hope you’re ready Joe Bishop. You’re about to get an allie whether you want it or not.
Boston, MA : April 17, 21017
It feels strange to think of this as Abraham’s office. While he was away it became my home away from home. I enjoyed sitting behind the big desk organizing a wrestling show that I am very proud of. As much as I like and respect Abraham Templeton, I am a little sad that he is back behind the big desk while I am reduced to silent partner once again. The chairs reserved for guests are comfortable but I got used to the plush leather chair behind the desk… and the power that came from sitting in it.
Finally, we’re on the same continent again.
Yep. I wanted to be here to welcome you back but I had important business to take care of in England.
Business, eh? Anything to do with Legacy?
Not really. It was personal business. I went to talk with Joe Bishop.
What was so important about Mr. Bishop that it couldn’t wait a day? I had a special event planned just for you that you missed.
Oh really?
Yes I did. I’ll tell you about it later but first I want to hear about your meeting.
It’s no secret. Joe has been going on for almost a year about a reformation of the WFWF into a meritocracy that showcases the true spirit of athletic competition. He’s spoken to me about it in the past but I kept my distance because I didn’t believe he or any wrestler could change the WFWF.
As you like to say, “Change has to come from the top.”
That’s what I said and thought right up to the moment I got a cheap win over Scarlett Quinn courtesy of Trace Demon. A switch flipped. I couldn’t be an innocent bystander anymore. I have to try to make a difference in the WFWF even if I don’t think it is possible.
So you went to Joe…
…and told him I wanted in on his revolution. I wanted to know the whole plan and what I could to do help make it a reality.
Abe leans over the desk propping his chin on his crossed hands, all attention clearly on my story. Whatever Legacy business he was working on has been completely forgotten.
I’m intrigued. What did Joe have to say? What is his plan?
He was relieved and happy to gain an allie.
As far as a plan, to be honest I don’t think he has thought that far ahead. His only solid idea is to lead by example. That’s easy for him because he has been winning and if he wins one more match he will be the World Champion. It isn’t enough for me because losing doesn’t set a good example. Young wrestlers want to be Joe Bishop; they don’t want to be Frank Lynn.
A point driven home by that Hickenbottom hack in his latest power rankings.
What other options do you have?
None at the moment. I will fight clean and do my damnedest to win. Along the way I will try to come up with some other ideas to further the cause. If the new owner ever comes out of hiding maybe I can do some lobbying. You know, speak to him owner to owner about making some changes for the betterment of the business.
What about your match at Ultimate Supremacy?
I can’t sit back while Joe does all the heavy lifting. I need to do my part by winning my match. I’ll have to rise above my own faults, specifically my grudge against Ante and my guilt towards Tyson. I need to lose the baggage so I can focus on the big picture - to win a fair fight.
Your anger issues are well known. Can you let it go and become a pure technical wrestling machine?
I’ve made progress with Dr. Nichols. I think I can. Funny how making the WFWF a better place starts with making me a better person.
Abe straightens up, then gets up and walks around the desk so he can grab my shoulders with his big meathook hands in a brief almost fatherly gesture.
Good for you!
He lets go and the moment lingers in silence while he returns to his chair.
I’ve been watching you struggle in the WFWF. Just my opinion, but I think many of your problems were due to you being a fish out of water. You were an MMA fighter trying to show that MMA fighters are better than pro wrestlers. I hated it when you said “I’m coming and you better get the f*ck out of my way.”
Abe had never mentioned that before. Its easy to see now that I let my early success go to my head and I was obnoxious about it. At the time I thought that was part of being a pro wrestler. Now I know better.
You’re finally embracing being a pro wrestler, going so far as to try improving the business. The truly great ones always leave a place better than when they found it.
It sounds very noble when you put it like that. I just want a fair chance to test my skills against the best in the business.
Don’t ever lose that humility. It’s the real difference between you and the Trace Demons of the world.
That won’t be hard given my recent string of crappy matches. Even when I win, I lose.
I’m sure that will change soon enough.
Everybody keeps saying that.
Take some advice from a wise old man. Wins are nice but they don’t make you a winner. Earning the respect of your peers is the real prize. Put in the work and wrestle to the best of your abilities in every match. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Do that and you can always hold your head high no matter what your record is.
That’s some good advice. I’ll try to remember it.
Abe leans back and stretches giving time for his advice to sink in. I get the feeling he had been holding back for a while until I was both ready and receptive.
I recall Joe saying something similar about winning, that he wouldn’t mind losing a championship if he lost it to someone who fought a hard, fair fight and proved to be the better man. It’s no wonder Abe approves of my association with Joe Bishop.
Okay, my turn. Ready to hear what you missed out on?
Lay it on me.
It’s short and sweet. I saw the iPPV and thought it was great. Top notch entertainment for our growing fanbase and helped me to sign several new wrestlers. It was also a financial success.
Abe hands me an envelope.
A BIG financial success. As co-owner and the man who put most of it together, that is all yours. You earned it for a job well done. I had a celebration planned so I could do this in front of everybody but you weren’t here so this will have to do.
I rip open the envelope to find a check. My eyes go wide.
That’s a lot of zeroes.
Yes it is. Any idea what you are going to do with it?
Put me on the spot, why don’t you? Actually, I do have an idea. It’s time to get out of my apartment and into a house.
I take another look at the check to be sure I read the amount correctly.
Holy crap, I never thought I’d be able to pay cash for a house but I can do that now.
Excellent! You’ve always been smart about your money. Buying a house is a good investment.
Thanks Abe… for everything.
Charlotte, NC : April 26, 2017
Frank Lynn is a man on a mission!
Ugh. I hate how that sounds no matter how true it is. It reminds of those holier than thou types who look down their noses at people smug in the knowledge that they are better. Too often, they have different confused with better. The idea that two things can be different yet equal never crosses their minds.
I’ve heard people use that argument when they criticize Joe Bishop and his crusade to fix the WFWF. Now that I have joined his cause, I’m subject to the same criticisms.
I’ll have to develop thick skin because I am on a mission now. I believe this is a case where different is better. The WFWF is a sh*t show in need of an overhaul. Those who don’t believe this are the ones who don’t want change to happen because deep down they know they will lose their spot at the top of the food chain.
I’ve been in the WFWF for almost a year. I’ve seen enough. I will never achieve my goals in the current environment. I can’t let go of my amateur and MMA roots to join in the bullsh*t that takes place here. The idea of fair competition is too embedded in me to let it go and become a manipulating, rule breaking, ultra violent ass clown.
I hope you’re paying close attention Tyson Watts. You’re still very new here. You are on a three match losing streak and I know from personal experience how that must be eating away at you. Don’t let the frustrations lead you down the wrong path. Don’t become one of them, the wrestlers who will do anything to win and to hell with the consequences.
You’re wrestling with giants now and it won’t be easy but you can make your mark without playing their game. Trust me, I know. The shortcuts are tempting but not worth the price you will have to pay. I didn’t intend to take one but I did and now I have to look over my shoulder for a vengeful Scarlett Quinn coming after me.
As for you, Ante Whitner, I’m tired of talking about you and to you. Last time I went on at length about your hypocrisy and lies. My opinion hasn’t changed but there’s no point in beating a dead horse. If you want to believe I jumped in line when in fact it was your actions that dragged me to the front, then so be it. It’s not the first time you were wrong about me and probably won’t be the last.
Suffice it to say that I am not impressed by your self-proclaimed redemption, your self-proclaimed status as the new Franchise, or your less than stellar reign as the rarely defending Golden Opportunity Champion. I don’t blame you. Hold on to that title as long as you can because after that loss to Brennan I think being Golden Opportunity champ is as good as it will get for you.
In looking back there is one thing you’ve said that piques my interest. You’ve made comments that you don’t like what you see in my exterior but think there may be something good underneath.
I don’t think you were talking about me. I think you were talking about yourself. You’ve been on this quest for redemption for a while now because you don’t like who you were. You’re jealous because you look at me and see what you wish you had been when you first came to the WFWF. You see all the lost years and missed opportunities. It makes you want to hold me down because if I do succeed then it only deepens the pain of your past and present failures.
You probably think you have done a good job of it since you hold two victories over me.
You’re wrong.
At SuperBrawl you didn’t beat me, LeeRoy Jenkins did. In our Gauntlet match you didn’t beat me, I beat myself.
That’s right. I lost that match before I even entered the ring. I was so consumed by a lust for revenge that I didn’t wrestle the match to win. I wrestled a match to hurt you. It put me off my game and I lost.
I’m over it now. I’ve accepted that there is only one person who has the right to mete out justice and vengeance on you and his name is Joshua Dean.
Looking for revenge brought me dangerously close to becoming part of the problem in the WFWF. Had I won and hurt you in the process, I would be following the examples of Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider or you.
Losing was the best thing that could have happened to me. It made me doubt my purpose. I took a long hard look at who I was and who I wanted to be. Trace’s interference was the final straw.
I now know exactly who I am and what I will be.
I am Frank Lynn. I am the man who will enter that ring prepared to wrestle a great match and push my opponent to his or her limits without resorting to bullsh*t tactics. Sometimes I will win. Sometimes I will lose. But I will ALWAYS put on the best match possible. My opponents may not like me, but they will respect me.
That bothers you Ante because it is exactly what you wish you had been years ago. You measure yourself against me and find yourself coming up short. It’s time for me to show that in the ring by beating you.
Losing to you made me a better man and a better wrestler. What will a loss to me do to you, ‘specially coming on the heels of your loss to David Brennan at the last show? Will you be un-redeemed? Or will you realize you were never redeemed in the first place? Whatever the case, that metaphorical chair you’ve been building will have one less leg to stand on.
It should bother you too Tyson because the man I am now is one who will roll right over you if you aren’t careful. A man fighting for a cause is far more dangerous than a man who is only fighting for himself. Don’t believe me? Watch the Joe Bishop versus Trace Demon match and get back to me.
From what I’ve seen so far, you have that angry young man schtick down pat. Hate to break it to you but I’ve been there and done that. It didn’t work out for me and it won’t work out for you either. Calmer heads prevail and mine is the calmest of all heads going into this match.
I’ll need to be calm to beat Ante Whitner and get that 0-2 monkey off my back, maybe even get my name back in the Golden Opportunity conversation. I’ll need to be calm to beat Tyson Watts fair and square to show him that our tag match would have ended exactly the same way without Trace Demon’s interruption.
I also need to be calm so I don’t get dragged down into the cesspool of drama and shenanigans that ruin so many WFWF matches. I want to win to show that a pure technical wrestler can get the job done in the WFWF without sacrificing their morals. I am fighting for something bigger than my own personal success. I am fighting for a cause. That gives me an extra push that will finally propel me over the top.
I can’t talk about this match without mentioning that it is exactly the type of match that the WFWF should get rid of. The bookers love their multi-man clusterf*cks but it is common knowledge that the better man doesn’t always win. There are too many variables involved and luck plays a much larger role than in a traditional one-on-one or tag match. This triple threat match is yet another example of lazy booking in the hopes that we make a spectacle of ourselves. They want a train wreck, not a wrestling match.
I have to rise above the nature of a triple threat match. I will enter that ring, wrestle to the best of my abilities, and show everyone that a good clean technical match is the best form of professional wrestling. If Ante and Tyson do the same, we have a very good chance of stealing the show. We don’t need chairs and tables and ladders and baseball bats and barb wire and buckets of blood to impress the locker room, management, and fans.
Look at the rest of the card. I have no doubts that wrestlers like David Brennan, Phillip Schneider, Trace Demon, and Mike Jette, my former partner and current embarrassment to the Thunderbird name, are going to stoop to new lows as they try to maim and mutilate their opponents. Four matches that should provide plenty of mayhem but little in the way of actual wrestling.
And then there is our match, gentlemen. I challenge you to join me in stealing the show.
I will do everything I can within the rules to win but I accept that I may lose.
I would rather lose with dignity than win without.
Let’s show everybody how it SHOULD be done. No bullsh*t, just pure wrestling.
I believe that I am the better wrestler and if the match is pure, I will have my arm raised in victory.
Ante… Tyson… Prove me wrong… If you can.
I dont know good luck 
