Post by Applesauce on Jul 28, 2022 23:05:19 GMT -5
OFF-CAM
THE AFTER SHOW
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!!
DING DING DING
The winner of the match… AND STIIIIIIIILLLL LEVEL UP WRESTLING WISDOM CHAMPION… BUUUUSTERRRR GLOOOOVESSSSS!!! Mr. Rad makes the announcement, but the crowd is already feeling it. The show that was originally booked to be nothing more than the first round of a tag-team tournament turned out to be an amazing success topped off with an excellent main event, the first of Buster’s career. He just defended the Wisdom Championship in the main event, and it was one of the best EXP matches all year.
Emily Simms is there to help celebrate. She accompanied Buster to the ring as his valet. After the bell rings, she ascends the ring steps squats through the ropes and helps Buster to his feet. He’s banged up from the match and still a little disoriented. So, Emily accepts the championship belt on his behalf. Looking Buster in the eyes, her smile sparkles like the sun off a California ocean. She holds the belt out to return it to it’s rightful owner. That’s when the lights in the arena go dark.
The absoluted blackness is exciting at first, but then concerning. The crowd stirs. Cell phone flashlights pop up like stars on a northern sky. Panic begins to set in.
When the light finally do come back on, the scene in the ring is the same, with one exception. But both Emily Simms and the Wisdom Championship are nowhere to be found!
The cameras cut off at that point as the live TV feed is cut. Those in attendance, confused about what they just witnessed, remain at their seats, waiting for an explanation that will never come. Buster searches the arena for traces of Emily Simms. He looks around the ring, in the crowd, under the ring. She isn’t there. And neither is the championship belt. That’s when he runs. He doesn’t walk or jog; he runs to the backstage area.
Those in gorilla position report that Buster was emotional at the time. Shouting obscenities. Kicking trashcans and flipping tables. There were tears. There was rage. According to an inside source close to the situation, Buster is known to be well liked backstage by talent and staff. Having a reputation for being upbeat and optimistic, willing to help out new hires, and always joking with the guys in the locker room. But on that night, he was a man possessed. He searched every room, closet, stall, and staircase in that building looking for Emily. But he never found them. In the end, security had to escort Buster out of the building.
Buster goes back to his hotel room. Alone. Without his girl or his championship. He is covered in bumps and bruises that haven’t started speaking to him yet. Once the adrenaline wears off, his injuries force him into his bed. He falls asleep crying to himself and still wearing his ring gear. Buster sleeps terribly that night. Waking to check his phone over an over to see if Emily has sent him any kind of message to let him know that she is ok.
It’s a little strange for Buster to care so much about someone he just started dating. They’ve only been together for a short time. She’s not his wife or the mother of his children. But losing her has affected him so severely for reasons he can’t understand. Maybe he has an unhealthy obsession with her. Maybe his PTSD is spilling over into his love life. It doesn’t matter why, but Buster is in a moment of weakness, and it won’t be long until malicious parties exacerbate the situation.
OFF-CAM
THE THREAT
Buster isn’t sure what he is supposed to do when he wakes up the next day. He can’t sleep. He can’t eat. Part of him wants to just pop a couple pills and chase them with brown liquor until the pain goes away. He is totally helpless in the situation. He has nowhere to go. Nobody to call for help. The police already filed a report and said they’d get back to him if they found anything, but there’s been nothing. So, Emily’s life is in the hands of other people. Buster is supposed to board a flight a few hours, but it’s clear that isn’t going to happen.
He feels paralyzed. Unable to do anything else other then sit in his hotel room watching crappy cable TV. The ice machine on his floor was steady supplying ice for his knee. Room service brings him lunch, Emily’s favorite meal, a bacon cheeseburger with a Pepsi. He sits there, eating it while scrolling through his phone searching for signs of life.
He wants to be positive, so, he logs into his Twitter account to applaud Chelsea Skye for an amazing main event match. At the risk of sounding like a braggard, Buster thanked Chelsea for the match and offered his respect.
The tweet is immediately ridiculed as heartless, hollow, and insincere. The comment strikes a nerve. Normally it wouldn’t have set Buster off, but the timing of it, at a time when Buster just needs any sign of encouragement, makes him snap. Buster posts a tweet to Larry Tact telling him to die in a fire. Furthermore, he accuses Larry of having something to do with Emily’s disappearance and threatens to “bust his head till the white meat shows.” He may have overreacted a bit.
The reaction is most likely exactly what Larry was looking for. It’s what he thrives on, sending dozens of shitty insults every day and immediately forgetting about them. To people like Buster, who bear their soul in all things they do, they take those comments literally. They are personal attacks on their character. It enraged Buster for a short time.
Not even an hour later, a message is received from Emily Simms. She is alright, and will explain later, but things will get worse for Buster before the day is over.
OFF-CAM
THE ARREST
Emily comes right to Buster’s hotel room as soon as she can. The reunion between the two of them is sincere and passionate. There are mutual tears. There is peace again. Over a couple more bacon cheeseburgers and Pepsi’s Emily reveals some details about her capture. She was detained in the ring during the blackout. A foul-smelling cloth had been placed over her mouth and nose and she woke up (fully clothed) much later inside a van without knowledge of how she got there. She knew for sure that Larry Tact wasn’t the guy that did it though. This guy had shorter hair and a smaller build. She remembers being bound and her mouth was covered with tape. But the van was hot and sweat caused the tape to slip. She was then able to untie her restraints using her teeth but was careful not to tip off the driver. The van pulled up in a parking lot and she made her move as soon as the back door was opened. It was dark outside, so she didn’t get a good look at her captor, but she knew it was a man, because he kicked him in the balls twice before running away and taking shelter in a Waffle House. She was all out of sorts. Barefoot, in a dirty white party dress, with no money or cellphone. She had left all of those in her locker at the arena. She convinced management to call 911 for her and was later picked up and questioned by law enforcement. They gave her a ride back to the arena where she was reunited with her things and able to text Buster.
The whole ordeal was harrowing, but it’s over, at least for Emily it is. Hours after arriving at Buster’s room, there is a knock on his door. It’s the police. Buster welcomes them in. He wants to find out how what they’ve learned about the kidnapping. The police reveal that the real reason for the visit. It seems that the state of Illinois has a zero-tolerance policy about threats of violence on social media. And Buster was on record threatening to kill Larry Tact. Within minutes, the police mirandized Buster, cuff him, and put him in a patrol car despite the objections of a traumatized Emily Simms. It’s hard to believe that the perpetrator of a violent crime is still running free while Buster is going to jail for reacting to that same felony crime. Buster can only vow to “never wrestle in this shithole state ever again” but ultimately cooperates
He spends a night in jail before being bonded out.
OFF-CAM
SITTING IN JAIL
Jail is a wake-up call. Not for the obvious reasons. Buster knows what he did was wrong, posting a mean tweet when he was in an emotional state. But this wasn’t a major crime. He will only get a slap on the wrist. He’d been arrested before for a much more serious charge.
Seven years ago, while drinking in downtown Baltimore, Buster was ejected from a bar after punching a frat boy in the neck. He then vomited on a homeless man in front of a police officer. The night would be capped off by resisting arrest and being tazed for his trouble. It was a humiliating experience, that resulted in a period of community service and a life-defining moment of shame.
This arrest is for Emily Simms. Their relationship status isn’t official on Facebook. They aren’t living together. They don’t even call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but they ARE dating. And Buster’s feelings must be a lot more serious than he realizes.
Buster isn’t the type to tell someone he loves them after 2 weeks. He’s not a cliché character in a Ben Stiller romantic comedy. But he knows that his connection with Emily is special. The decision to get together isn’t something they did on impulse. It’s the outcome of several months’ worth of interactions. They enjoy each other. They are attracted to each other. They have common interests and compatible personalities, but there is always something or some other person getting in the way. Those obstacles are no longer interfering, and the two of them don’t have any more reasons not to be together.
Sitting in jail, Buster is actually a happy man. Emily is safe. She knows he’s willing to go to great lengths for her. He made her proud in his championship match versus Chelsea Skye. He made her part of the experience. She came to him first when was released from danger. She needs him. And he wants to whatever she needs him to be.
There is no point in arguing with police officers. They are just doing their jobs and even when the charges won’t hold up in court. Buster will pay his debts and make things right with the law. He will make things right with Larry Tact after falsely accusing him of the kidnapping plot. Even though Larry is loud and abrasive, he is also a family man who has a wife and children. Buster should have known that even Larry wouldn’t stoop to that level.
The truth is that Buster just needed to slow down. He needed to look himself in the mirror and take a personal inventory of his life. He felt like he’s running his life at breakneck speeds but just can’t manage to actually do anything. It reminded him of thing his grandfather used to say, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get”. He’s eventually let out of jail and Emily is waiting for him at the station.
At no point does Buster ask the question that everybody wants to know… ‘Where’s the Wisdom Championship Belt?” Seriously. What happened to it? Why would somebody steal it? A championship belt isn’t comfortable. It’s not practical. It’s cumbersome and serves no function. You don’t need a belt to be a champion. No person is capable of taking that from Buster without putting his shoulders on the canvas for 3 seconds. The measure of a champion is in the heart, not around the waist.
ON CAM SHOOT PROMO
CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATION
Standing in an darkened MMA gym is the “The Bull of the North”. He is standing, hunched forward, head down, with his left forearm pressed against a concrete wall. The morning sunlight shines through a clerestory window high on the wall in the background. Eyes closed, he nods in agreement with the voices in his head. He begins to talk without making eye contact with the camera.
When you accept a job, you make a promise, to the owners, to your coworkers, to your customers. You promise to deliver on your potential. You show up on time. You stay consistent. You do whatever it takes to get the job done and you don’t complain about it. I’m not gonna complain about the distractions in my life. No excuses. I choose to stay positive. Because being positive in a negative situation is not naivete. It’s leadership.
I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this week. It’s true, I spent a night in jail. And it’s probably the best thing that’s happened to me in a while. When you’re cruising at 30,000 feet you don’t take a lot of time to look out the windows at the earth beneath you. You focus on the takeoff, the landing, but you just sleep through the rest of it. When things are going well, you remain calm, you stay on course, you keep the wheels up and your head down. But you can’t stay in the air forever. You eventually run out of gas. You run into bad weather. And that’s where I am right now. Storm clouds all around me.
Regardless of what you hear, everyone is beatable in this game. Most matches boil down to preparation, timing, and execution. At EXP 29, there’s a trios match featuring three of the ‘unbeatables’ in Level Up. Larry Tact, Peter Vaughn, Buster Gloves. We can’t all win the match.
Buster turns and begins to walk down the length of the wall while the camera kites with him. He makes eye contact with the lens and begins speaking with sincerity.
Before I can comment on my opponents, there’s something I need to say. Larry Tact, are you listening? I misjudged you. You’re a fierce competitor. A brilliant strategist. And I accused you of doing something terrible. I was wrong. I should have known better. You baited me into saying something stupid. That’s on me. Now that that’s out of the way. It’s time to move on. I’ll show up in Milwaukee, look you in the eyes, and offer a handshake to apologize. And then I’m gonna choke you out on live TV. I’m singularly focused on making you suffer in this match. And I promise that you gonna remember my name when you’re eating nothing but soft foods on Wednesday.
Buster stops walking turns his back to the concrete wall and leans against it as he returns his gaze to the floor.
Everyone is going to say that my strategy is a little short-sighted. I don’t care. ISAAC and Drake Wilcox are formidable opponents. I’ll concede that point. They’ve proved to be the most consistent and dominant tag team in the history of Level Up. I’m actually a big fan, but the three of them just can’t wrestle on the same level and me and the two men I have at my side.
Donny Mason is my heavy. He’s stronger than Drake and prettier than ISAAC. He’s the King of Thicc and much unlike the Game Changer Meaty Boyz, Donny has actually worn a championship belt at some point in his life. He’s the real deal. And the last time he was in the ring, he took the loss kind of tough. That just makes him more dangerous. He’s in this match and he’s gonna do everything he can to outshine and outclass me. There’s no hard feelings between us for the match we had together, but there IS a healthy rivalry. Like Ironman and Captain America. Don’t ask who is who.Anyway, Donny needs this W more than anybody else. Bet the house that he's coming in with heavy hands and nasty intentions.
Even if Larry and the boyz CAN find a way to hold me down and contain Donny, they still have to worry about the third member of our team. You may have heard of him. He’s only the best wrestler in the whole goddamn world. Superstar Peter Vaughn is smaller in stature, but there’s no bigger talent in the federation. The last time we partnered up, he was nice enough to let me get the pin. But you just kind of get the feeling that he could pin anybody, any time, if he was motivated enough.
It’s pretty clear that Vaughn, Mason, and I can win this match. We’re talented, we’re prepared, and our styles complement each other. We know each other well. We SHOULD win. The better question is, who’s motivated more to win the match?
We all know that I have unfinished business with Duncan Shepard. It’s unspoken, but it’s an elephant in the room. I’m dating his old squeeze. He’s saying all the right things, but it has to be burning him up. How could it not be? Emily and I didn’t do anything wrong by getting together, but it must still feel like a betrayal. I’ve done enough to him already. We don’t need to add a match on top of that, but there will be a point in the future where the streams cross. A win against the Game Changers would position me for that future match with Duncan.
Peter Vaughn is on a collision course with that same Final Boss Championship. But he’s smart, not impulsive. He’s willing to bid his time and wait for the right opportunity. He continues to gather strength, build his credentials, put together highlight reels. It appears that losing just isn’t in his nature. Pride will be his downfall one day, but Tuesday is not that day.
Donny needs a win more than any of us. A series of bad luck and unfavorable matchups have put him in the losing column way too often lately and he’s just too much of a talent to let that streak continue. Donny deserves a win and we’re going to help him get there.
But what about the Game Changers. How bad do they need this win? I don’t even think they want to wrestle anymore to be honest. EA Blizzard dropped the Courage Title and is teed up to eat another L at the hands of rising star, Stephen Stratford, this week. ISAAC and Drake dipped out of the Multiplayer tournament in round 1. And Larry? He’s getting leap-frogged by pothead-Pinocchio for a shot at the Final Boss Champion. That’s gotta hurt. The three Game Changers are like three massive turds in the punch bowl right now. Nobody wants to touch them, but it’s the truth. The Game Changer era is coming to an end. Even they know their days are numbered. I don’t care if they recruit cowboys and aliens and brick layers. There’s a fault in their stars, a horse out of their barn, and cracks in their foundation.
Working for the Game Changers hasn’t been working for the big boyz. Maybe it’s time one of them, or both of them, think about trying a different approach. There's great potential in Drake Wilcox. If he had the guidance of a real leader, he could achieve so much more. I can feel it deep down in my plums, if you know what I mean.
There’s a lot to unpack with this match. And regardless of how it turns out, it’ll be an honor to share the ring with these five men. I may not like them, but I respect each wrestler in this match for what they have accomplished. However, they are prideful men. Any one of them could turn on me at any second. Any one of them could elevate my career just as easily. It’s my hope that we let sleeping dogs lie, take the high road, and put on a show that earns match of the night.
Buster cocks his head, raises an eyebrow and makes eye contact with the camera one final time.
On the surface, this match doesn’t mean anything. There’s nothing at stake. Nothing changes. But the destinies of five top level talents hang in the balance. This match could be the catalyst for change. It could be the turning point. I’ll be there, in body and spirit, prepared to send it. And I know these men will do the same. If you happen to be in the great state of Wisconsin this Tuesday, buy a ticket. Level Up is in town for one night only, but WRESTLING… IS FOR EVER.
THE AFTER SHOW
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!!
DING DING DING
The winner of the match… AND STIIIIIIIILLLL LEVEL UP WRESTLING WISDOM CHAMPION… BUUUUSTERRRR GLOOOOVESSSSS!!! Mr. Rad makes the announcement, but the crowd is already feeling it. The show that was originally booked to be nothing more than the first round of a tag-team tournament turned out to be an amazing success topped off with an excellent main event, the first of Buster’s career. He just defended the Wisdom Championship in the main event, and it was one of the best EXP matches all year.
Emily Simms is there to help celebrate. She accompanied Buster to the ring as his valet. After the bell rings, she ascends the ring steps squats through the ropes and helps Buster to his feet. He’s banged up from the match and still a little disoriented. So, Emily accepts the championship belt on his behalf. Looking Buster in the eyes, her smile sparkles like the sun off a California ocean. She holds the belt out to return it to it’s rightful owner. That’s when the lights in the arena go dark.
The absoluted blackness is exciting at first, but then concerning. The crowd stirs. Cell phone flashlights pop up like stars on a northern sky. Panic begins to set in.
When the light finally do come back on, the scene in the ring is the same, with one exception. But both Emily Simms and the Wisdom Championship are nowhere to be found!
The cameras cut off at that point as the live TV feed is cut. Those in attendance, confused about what they just witnessed, remain at their seats, waiting for an explanation that will never come. Buster searches the arena for traces of Emily Simms. He looks around the ring, in the crowd, under the ring. She isn’t there. And neither is the championship belt. That’s when he runs. He doesn’t walk or jog; he runs to the backstage area.
Those in gorilla position report that Buster was emotional at the time. Shouting obscenities. Kicking trashcans and flipping tables. There were tears. There was rage. According to an inside source close to the situation, Buster is known to be well liked backstage by talent and staff. Having a reputation for being upbeat and optimistic, willing to help out new hires, and always joking with the guys in the locker room. But on that night, he was a man possessed. He searched every room, closet, stall, and staircase in that building looking for Emily. But he never found them. In the end, security had to escort Buster out of the building.
Buster goes back to his hotel room. Alone. Without his girl or his championship. He is covered in bumps and bruises that haven’t started speaking to him yet. Once the adrenaline wears off, his injuries force him into his bed. He falls asleep crying to himself and still wearing his ring gear. Buster sleeps terribly that night. Waking to check his phone over an over to see if Emily has sent him any kind of message to let him know that she is ok.
It’s a little strange for Buster to care so much about someone he just started dating. They’ve only been together for a short time. She’s not his wife or the mother of his children. But losing her has affected him so severely for reasons he can’t understand. Maybe he has an unhealthy obsession with her. Maybe his PTSD is spilling over into his love life. It doesn’t matter why, but Buster is in a moment of weakness, and it won’t be long until malicious parties exacerbate the situation.
OFF-CAM
THE THREAT
Buster isn’t sure what he is supposed to do when he wakes up the next day. He can’t sleep. He can’t eat. Part of him wants to just pop a couple pills and chase them with brown liquor until the pain goes away. He is totally helpless in the situation. He has nowhere to go. Nobody to call for help. The police already filed a report and said they’d get back to him if they found anything, but there’s been nothing. So, Emily’s life is in the hands of other people. Buster is supposed to board a flight a few hours, but it’s clear that isn’t going to happen.
He feels paralyzed. Unable to do anything else other then sit in his hotel room watching crappy cable TV. The ice machine on his floor was steady supplying ice for his knee. Room service brings him lunch, Emily’s favorite meal, a bacon cheeseburger with a Pepsi. He sits there, eating it while scrolling through his phone searching for signs of life.
He wants to be positive, so, he logs into his Twitter account to applaud Chelsea Skye for an amazing main event match. At the risk of sounding like a braggard, Buster thanked Chelsea for the match and offered his respect.
The tweet is immediately ridiculed as heartless, hollow, and insincere. The comment strikes a nerve. Normally it wouldn’t have set Buster off, but the timing of it, at a time when Buster just needs any sign of encouragement, makes him snap. Buster posts a tweet to Larry Tact telling him to die in a fire. Furthermore, he accuses Larry of having something to do with Emily’s disappearance and threatens to “bust his head till the white meat shows.” He may have overreacted a bit.
The reaction is most likely exactly what Larry was looking for. It’s what he thrives on, sending dozens of shitty insults every day and immediately forgetting about them. To people like Buster, who bear their soul in all things they do, they take those comments literally. They are personal attacks on their character. It enraged Buster for a short time.
Not even an hour later, a message is received from Emily Simms. She is alright, and will explain later, but things will get worse for Buster before the day is over.
OFF-CAM
THE ARREST
Emily comes right to Buster’s hotel room as soon as she can. The reunion between the two of them is sincere and passionate. There are mutual tears. There is peace again. Over a couple more bacon cheeseburgers and Pepsi’s Emily reveals some details about her capture. She was detained in the ring during the blackout. A foul-smelling cloth had been placed over her mouth and nose and she woke up (fully clothed) much later inside a van without knowledge of how she got there. She knew for sure that Larry Tact wasn’t the guy that did it though. This guy had shorter hair and a smaller build. She remembers being bound and her mouth was covered with tape. But the van was hot and sweat caused the tape to slip. She was then able to untie her restraints using her teeth but was careful not to tip off the driver. The van pulled up in a parking lot and she made her move as soon as the back door was opened. It was dark outside, so she didn’t get a good look at her captor, but she knew it was a man, because he kicked him in the balls twice before running away and taking shelter in a Waffle House. She was all out of sorts. Barefoot, in a dirty white party dress, with no money or cellphone. She had left all of those in her locker at the arena. She convinced management to call 911 for her and was later picked up and questioned by law enforcement. They gave her a ride back to the arena where she was reunited with her things and able to text Buster.
The whole ordeal was harrowing, but it’s over, at least for Emily it is. Hours after arriving at Buster’s room, there is a knock on his door. It’s the police. Buster welcomes them in. He wants to find out how what they’ve learned about the kidnapping. The police reveal that the real reason for the visit. It seems that the state of Illinois has a zero-tolerance policy about threats of violence on social media. And Buster was on record threatening to kill Larry Tact. Within minutes, the police mirandized Buster, cuff him, and put him in a patrol car despite the objections of a traumatized Emily Simms. It’s hard to believe that the perpetrator of a violent crime is still running free while Buster is going to jail for reacting to that same felony crime. Buster can only vow to “never wrestle in this shithole state ever again” but ultimately cooperates
He spends a night in jail before being bonded out.
OFF-CAM
SITTING IN JAIL
Jail is a wake-up call. Not for the obvious reasons. Buster knows what he did was wrong, posting a mean tweet when he was in an emotional state. But this wasn’t a major crime. He will only get a slap on the wrist. He’d been arrested before for a much more serious charge.
Seven years ago, while drinking in downtown Baltimore, Buster was ejected from a bar after punching a frat boy in the neck. He then vomited on a homeless man in front of a police officer. The night would be capped off by resisting arrest and being tazed for his trouble. It was a humiliating experience, that resulted in a period of community service and a life-defining moment of shame.
This arrest is for Emily Simms. Their relationship status isn’t official on Facebook. They aren’t living together. They don’t even call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but they ARE dating. And Buster’s feelings must be a lot more serious than he realizes.
Buster isn’t the type to tell someone he loves them after 2 weeks. He’s not a cliché character in a Ben Stiller romantic comedy. But he knows that his connection with Emily is special. The decision to get together isn’t something they did on impulse. It’s the outcome of several months’ worth of interactions. They enjoy each other. They are attracted to each other. They have common interests and compatible personalities, but there is always something or some other person getting in the way. Those obstacles are no longer interfering, and the two of them don’t have any more reasons not to be together.
Sitting in jail, Buster is actually a happy man. Emily is safe. She knows he’s willing to go to great lengths for her. He made her proud in his championship match versus Chelsea Skye. He made her part of the experience. She came to him first when was released from danger. She needs him. And he wants to whatever she needs him to be.
There is no point in arguing with police officers. They are just doing their jobs and even when the charges won’t hold up in court. Buster will pay his debts and make things right with the law. He will make things right with Larry Tact after falsely accusing him of the kidnapping plot. Even though Larry is loud and abrasive, he is also a family man who has a wife and children. Buster should have known that even Larry wouldn’t stoop to that level.
The truth is that Buster just needed to slow down. He needed to look himself in the mirror and take a personal inventory of his life. He felt like he’s running his life at breakneck speeds but just can’t manage to actually do anything. It reminded him of thing his grandfather used to say, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get”. He’s eventually let out of jail and Emily is waiting for him at the station.
At no point does Buster ask the question that everybody wants to know… ‘Where’s the Wisdom Championship Belt?” Seriously. What happened to it? Why would somebody steal it? A championship belt isn’t comfortable. It’s not practical. It’s cumbersome and serves no function. You don’t need a belt to be a champion. No person is capable of taking that from Buster without putting his shoulders on the canvas for 3 seconds. The measure of a champion is in the heart, not around the waist.
ON CAM SHOOT PROMO
CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATION
Standing in an darkened MMA gym is the “The Bull of the North”. He is standing, hunched forward, head down, with his left forearm pressed against a concrete wall. The morning sunlight shines through a clerestory window high on the wall in the background. Eyes closed, he nods in agreement with the voices in his head. He begins to talk without making eye contact with the camera.
When you accept a job, you make a promise, to the owners, to your coworkers, to your customers. You promise to deliver on your potential. You show up on time. You stay consistent. You do whatever it takes to get the job done and you don’t complain about it. I’m not gonna complain about the distractions in my life. No excuses. I choose to stay positive. Because being positive in a negative situation is not naivete. It’s leadership.
I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this week. It’s true, I spent a night in jail. And it’s probably the best thing that’s happened to me in a while. When you’re cruising at 30,000 feet you don’t take a lot of time to look out the windows at the earth beneath you. You focus on the takeoff, the landing, but you just sleep through the rest of it. When things are going well, you remain calm, you stay on course, you keep the wheels up and your head down. But you can’t stay in the air forever. You eventually run out of gas. You run into bad weather. And that’s where I am right now. Storm clouds all around me.
Regardless of what you hear, everyone is beatable in this game. Most matches boil down to preparation, timing, and execution. At EXP 29, there’s a trios match featuring three of the ‘unbeatables’ in Level Up. Larry Tact, Peter Vaughn, Buster Gloves. We can’t all win the match.
Buster turns and begins to walk down the length of the wall while the camera kites with him. He makes eye contact with the lens and begins speaking with sincerity.
Before I can comment on my opponents, there’s something I need to say. Larry Tact, are you listening? I misjudged you. You’re a fierce competitor. A brilliant strategist. And I accused you of doing something terrible. I was wrong. I should have known better. You baited me into saying something stupid. That’s on me. Now that that’s out of the way. It’s time to move on. I’ll show up in Milwaukee, look you in the eyes, and offer a handshake to apologize. And then I’m gonna choke you out on live TV. I’m singularly focused on making you suffer in this match. And I promise that you gonna remember my name when you’re eating nothing but soft foods on Wednesday.
Buster stops walking turns his back to the concrete wall and leans against it as he returns his gaze to the floor.
Everyone is going to say that my strategy is a little short-sighted. I don’t care. ISAAC and Drake Wilcox are formidable opponents. I’ll concede that point. They’ve proved to be the most consistent and dominant tag team in the history of Level Up. I’m actually a big fan, but the three of them just can’t wrestle on the same level and me and the two men I have at my side.
Donny Mason is my heavy. He’s stronger than Drake and prettier than ISAAC. He’s the King of Thicc and much unlike the Game Changer Meaty Boyz, Donny has actually worn a championship belt at some point in his life. He’s the real deal. And the last time he was in the ring, he took the loss kind of tough. That just makes him more dangerous. He’s in this match and he’s gonna do everything he can to outshine and outclass me. There’s no hard feelings between us for the match we had together, but there IS a healthy rivalry. Like Ironman and Captain America. Don’t ask who is who.Anyway, Donny needs this W more than anybody else. Bet the house that he's coming in with heavy hands and nasty intentions.
Even if Larry and the boyz CAN find a way to hold me down and contain Donny, they still have to worry about the third member of our team. You may have heard of him. He’s only the best wrestler in the whole goddamn world. Superstar Peter Vaughn is smaller in stature, but there’s no bigger talent in the federation. The last time we partnered up, he was nice enough to let me get the pin. But you just kind of get the feeling that he could pin anybody, any time, if he was motivated enough.
It’s pretty clear that Vaughn, Mason, and I can win this match. We’re talented, we’re prepared, and our styles complement each other. We know each other well. We SHOULD win. The better question is, who’s motivated more to win the match?
We all know that I have unfinished business with Duncan Shepard. It’s unspoken, but it’s an elephant in the room. I’m dating his old squeeze. He’s saying all the right things, but it has to be burning him up. How could it not be? Emily and I didn’t do anything wrong by getting together, but it must still feel like a betrayal. I’ve done enough to him already. We don’t need to add a match on top of that, but there will be a point in the future where the streams cross. A win against the Game Changers would position me for that future match with Duncan.
Peter Vaughn is on a collision course with that same Final Boss Championship. But he’s smart, not impulsive. He’s willing to bid his time and wait for the right opportunity. He continues to gather strength, build his credentials, put together highlight reels. It appears that losing just isn’t in his nature. Pride will be his downfall one day, but Tuesday is not that day.
Donny needs a win more than any of us. A series of bad luck and unfavorable matchups have put him in the losing column way too often lately and he’s just too much of a talent to let that streak continue. Donny deserves a win and we’re going to help him get there.
But what about the Game Changers. How bad do they need this win? I don’t even think they want to wrestle anymore to be honest. EA Blizzard dropped the Courage Title and is teed up to eat another L at the hands of rising star, Stephen Stratford, this week. ISAAC and Drake dipped out of the Multiplayer tournament in round 1. And Larry? He’s getting leap-frogged by pothead-Pinocchio for a shot at the Final Boss Champion. That’s gotta hurt. The three Game Changers are like three massive turds in the punch bowl right now. Nobody wants to touch them, but it’s the truth. The Game Changer era is coming to an end. Even they know their days are numbered. I don’t care if they recruit cowboys and aliens and brick layers. There’s a fault in their stars, a horse out of their barn, and cracks in their foundation.
Working for the Game Changers hasn’t been working for the big boyz. Maybe it’s time one of them, or both of them, think about trying a different approach. There's great potential in Drake Wilcox. If he had the guidance of a real leader, he could achieve so much more. I can feel it deep down in my plums, if you know what I mean.
There’s a lot to unpack with this match. And regardless of how it turns out, it’ll be an honor to share the ring with these five men. I may not like them, but I respect each wrestler in this match for what they have accomplished. However, they are prideful men. Any one of them could turn on me at any second. Any one of them could elevate my career just as easily. It’s my hope that we let sleeping dogs lie, take the high road, and put on a show that earns match of the night.
Buster cocks his head, raises an eyebrow and makes eye contact with the camera one final time.
On the surface, this match doesn’t mean anything. There’s nothing at stake. Nothing changes. But the destinies of five top level talents hang in the balance. This match could be the catalyst for change. It could be the turning point. I’ll be there, in body and spirit, prepared to send it. And I know these men will do the same. If you happen to be in the great state of Wisconsin this Tuesday, buy a ticket. Level Up is in town for one night only, but WRESTLING… IS FOR EVER.
