On the field at the Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane, Australia
Sunday 8th February 2009
We join August Joyce as he walks around the field of the Suncorp Stadium. MWA Ring crew are hard at work setting up the ring and arranging the seating for this weeks BattleZone show from right here in Brisbane. August is impressed at the size of the stadium, and at the size of the MWA set they have flown around the world with them. To one side the MillenniumScope has just been erected and the crew have set about testing it. They test it with footage from last weeks show, to the disdain of August that means he re-lives the moment he got pinned in last weeks match, only to have Rick Young land on him at the point of defeat, in beautiful 20 feet high full High-Definition!
August shakes his head and turns away from the screen, almost bumping into his agent in the process.
“August, babe.” Zhen says with a plastic smile that August had become immune to. “Good to see you, I hope your flight over was ok? Have you booked into the hotel ok? Have they told you about tomorrow?”
Zhen always had a knack for asking multiple questions without waiting for the answers. Fortunately August was used to this.
“Fine thank you, yes I have and no they haven’t.” He says with a smile. “Well, I know I’m facing Dyson Scott…”
“They tell you about the title…” Zhen says with a raised eyebrow.
August returns the raised eyebrow and throws in a brief look of confusion. “The Millennium Title? No… I guessed the match was non-title.”
Zhen smiles widely. “Guess again, babe.”
“What?” August says, evidently surprised. “Title match?” Zhen nods to confirm. ” What? Why? When? How?”
Zhen laughs at August, who has taken a leaf out of her book with the multiple questions. August takes a seat, still in a state of confusion, possibly shock. Zhen takes a seat in the row in front of August.
“Seriously, Zhen.” August starts. “I’ve hardly set the world alight since I came here. Every week I do ok, but just miss out. I’m starting to think that someone’s pulling strings for me somewhere!”
“Hey, you’re good. Get that into your head will you? People like you. The fans, the crew, the management, the locker room. Plus can I please remind you how good your agent is?” She smiles wickedly.
“You saying it was you that made this a title match?”
“I’m saying it’s a combination of factors, but yes I’d like to think I had a little part in it.” Zhen says, holding back nothing. “Plus, with me possibly bringing in another client, I could start to get a bit more sway with management, if things go well.”
August sighs. “You mean, if I win a title?”
“Well, I have to say, having a client with one of the most prestigious titles in wrestling would be a distinct advantage.”
August shakes his head. “Well, don’t rest all your hopes on that. I’m not sure I’m ready to be listed in the same breath as some people who’ve held that title.”
“You’re so damn negative.” Zhen says. “Man up, for christs sake!”
“You’re not at all re-assuring, you know that?” August chuckles before getting back to his point. “The Millennium Title has been held by some of the best. John Patrick, Jackie Sweets, Johnny Grrrrr, Merde, Kevin Rollins, Ran Smith, LJ Black, Logan Wolffe, Angelica Jones, Cuchulain, Mary-Jane Griggs, Kacy Knight, Lien…”
“Ok, ok.” Zhen interrupts. “You’ve made your point.”
“I’m not sure I have. All of those guys, right through to Dyson Scott, have a special something. The ability to win, even when they’re not at their best. The ability to turn a match in a heartbeat and put people away before they even realise their shoulders are on the mat. That’s what happened to me last week. One minute I’m doing well against Sweets, the next it’s all over and there’s another big L on my record sheet.”
August looks out at the arena. “Now, here in Australia, half the world away from my family and friends, I have the ability to become one of those people. Whether I deserve this opportunity or not is a discussion for other people. I’ve been given the shot, and I intend to make the most of it. I intend to give my all, to be at my best. And, hopefully, my best is good enough to defeat Dyson Scott and to become the new MWA Millennium Champion!”
Wrestling Event
Toronto, ON
November 2008
David Spikey is sat in the back row of a local wrestling event, watching some of the young men and women that he teaches every week. Sat besides him, looking totally out of place is a man in a very smart suit. The man in the suit looks around at the crowd, not watching the event itself.
“Hey, you’s not gonna watch or what?” Dave says as he notices the mans roving eye.
“I didn’t come all this way to watch these… kids attempt to wrestle.” The man says, still looking around. “I came here to discuss our deal with August Joyce.”
“What about it?” Dave says in surprise. “It’s worked out alright for you’s, like. Hasn’t it?”
The man nods. “He’s starting to win over the fans already. That’s something I suppose.”
“Well then… what’s the friggin’ problem?”
“You didn’t warn us about his… agent.” The man says, his disdain for Zhen Xu evident in his voice.
Dave laughs. “She causin’ you’s problems, like?”
“You could say she’s causing you problems.” The man says, finally turning to look at Dave. He has a smile, almost an evil smile, that spreads across his smarmy face.
“What you’s on about?”
“We’re going to have to go back on our agreement Mr Spikey.”
Dave looks surprised as well as upset. “You’s are giving August the boot?”
“Not at all.” The man shakes his head. “We’re giving you the boot, so to speak. We’ve signed a new deal. With Ms Xu.”
Dave looks stunned and is speechless. The man in the suit gets back to his feet and starts walking away.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr Spikey.”
Brisbane, Australia
Tuesday 3rd February 2009
Zhen Xu is sat in a lobby of a very plush hotel. Not the hotel she’s staying in, which is a whole two stars short of this place, this is the hotel that MWA management are staying in during their stay in Brisbane. They arrived late last night, making the move after BattleZone had finished on Monday. The rest of the MWA, crew and wrestlers, were due to arrive later in the week. Zhen has been sat, waiting, for most of the morning. She’s got a newspaper in her lap, but she’s not reading it. She occasionally turns the page, to make it look like she’s reading, but her eyes are firmly locked on the elevator. She’s waiting for someone.
Suddenly she spots the person she’s been waiting for. A high powered MWA official, someone with a lot of say in regards to the booking of their events. Zhen springs into action, leaving the newspaper on the chair as she dashes towards the elevator to meet the person as soon as she can. The man sees her coming and rolls her eyes, this is obviously not the first time the two have met and the official doesn’t look to pleased to see Zhen.
“Miss Xu, what a pleasant surprise.” Says the man, not meaning a word. “What is it you want today?”
“I want to talk to you about next Monday’s match.” She says quickly as the two of them walk through the lobby of the hotel.
“Next weeks?” The man says, surprised. “We only just got done with last nights show and you want to make arrangements for next week already?”
“I hear rumours of a match with Dyson Scott?” She says, ignoring the mans question.
The man nods. “Yes, we were toying with that idea. Strictly non-title you understand.”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to discuss.”
The man stops in his tracks. “You want us to make the match for the title?” Zhen simply nods and lets the man think about it for a second. “Why on earth would I want to do that?”
“Well, this business is all about Honours, at least for the wrestlers. For you it’s ratings, for me it’s money. August as the Millennium champion fills all three of those boxes.”
“I’m listening…” The man seems open to at least hearing Zhen’s plan.
“If Dyson Scott wins, he’s building momentum as champion, momentum which you can market.” Zhen starts as the man nods in agreement. “But, if August wins… he would be the greatest Underdog champion you could hope to find. The fans would eat it up. They’d tune in each week to see if he could hold onto the belt. They’d buy more merchandise. They see him as a cult figure, his merchandise figures are already good. With a belt around his waist they’d be even better.”
The man stays in silence a few moments. “You’re selling me your client as an underdog?” Zhen nods back at him. “That’s a highly… unusual selling point Ms Xu, if I were you I’d make sure Mr Joyce never found out this is how you do business for him.”
“But, do we have a deal?”
“Ok…” The man nods. “I’ll see what I can do to make the match for the title.” He begins to walk away and mutters under his breath. “I never thought I’d miss Dave Spikey…”