The Beresford Apartments
Vancouver, BC
Wednesday 25th February 2009
August Joyce defends his MWA Millennium Championship in a Millennium X match against Nathan Hart, Sean Atwood and Angela Jameson. Sunday 8th March at Revelations, live on pay-per-view from Atlanta, GA.’
August is sat at his computer, reading the above statement from an MWA fan-site. He’s not long been in the MWA, and this is his first taste of the Millennium X match. He’d googled the term in the hope of finding out a little more about the match, maybe even watch a few older matches on MWA Online, in the hopes of picking up some ideas.
‘The Millennium Title is placed on two criss-crossing cables above the ring. Four contestants will battle for 10 minutes using any means they require. At the ten minute point a bell will ring to signify they may attempt to end the match by retrieving the belt and landing on the mat.’
“Oh, crap.” August says as he finishes reading all about the match.
Xanthe, his wife, appears behind him and begins to read over his shoulder. “This what you have to do next week?”
“Yea, Millennium X.” August says, intrepidation evident in his tone of voice. ”I hate these kind of matches, climbing stuff to get the belt, weapons…”
“Like you did back in Ontario a few years ago?” Xanthe starts, recalling a story August had told her back when they were first dating. “When that madman almost killed you?”
August shudders at the memory. “Yea, that’s probably why I don’t like these matches. Thankfully that crazy bastard has been blackballed from every major promotion in North America.”
“Ooh, there a video there?” Xanthe points at the screen.
August nods. “Yea, looks like it. From Revelations last year, when Sweets won the belt.”
August clicks on ‘play’ and the video begins on screen.
Jackie Sweets struggles to his feet and goes to the top and leaps up onto the cables. Heartless McMeanypants does the same on the other side. They race to the center of the cables and both are ready to make a move. Heartless kicks at Sweets to knock him off but Sweets wraps his legs around the cables. Heartless is losing his grip so he makes one more effort and leaps out to Sweets’ body and grabs him around the abdomen. Sweets is holding the weight of Heartless who is swinging from him. Legend gets to his feet and sees Heartless hanging from Sweets who is clinging to the cables. He leaps up and wraps his arms around the torso of Heartless. Sweets is clinging to the cables when his legs can no longer hold. Heartless has his arms wrapped around Sweets’ torso and Legend is clinging to Heartless’ back. CJ Osborne gets to his feet and grabs the legs of Legend and tears with all his might. What results is a chain reaction as CJ lands an Electric Chair Drop on Legend who pancakes Heartless who powerbombs Sweets and the ring mat gives way as over 1,000 lbs of humanity hits the ring all at once.
Xanthe is trying not to laugh. She pats August on the shoulder. “Good luck with that.”
“What?” August says, surprised. “You think this is funny? This is a serious match, honey. And it could cause me some serious harm!”
“Oh, come on. I know you, I know you can handle yourself in the ring. It’s the jumping on to the cables bit you’ll have trouble with!” She says with a smile.
August begins to smile too. “Yea, you’re right.”
“The tribulations of being a champion, eh babe?”
“Yeah, something like that.” August nods. “I guess to be a stand out champion you have to get through matches like these. Gimmick matches. Matches with more than one person gunning for your title.”
“Well you already survived one match with Atwood. Reckon he’ll be more fired up than Monday?” Xanthe refers to Augusts match with Atwood at this past weeks BattleZone.
Joyce thinks about it for a moment and begins to nod. “I expect so. As much as he said the title wasn’t his main focus, he’ll be disappointed not to have won. And that will make him all the more determined to get it right second time around.”
Joyce looks back at the monitor in front of him again, full of promotional material for Revelations.
“What I can’t afford to do, though, is concentrate too much on Atwood. Because there are two other people in this match, and all three of them are after what I have. I know first hand what I’m up against with Atwood. But Hart and Jameson are tough competitors too, I can’t forget that.”
“And how much do you actually know about them?” Xanthe asks.
August sighs and leans back in his chair. “Very little.” He points at the screen. “But at least I can watch a few matches on here, research them a little.”
“Well, have fun with that!” Xanthe says as she backs away. “I’m off to catch up with Yana and Verity.”
Xanthe leaves the room and August turns his attentions back to the computer, continuing to research his next opponents.
London Ontario Wrestling (LOW)
London, Ontario
5th May 2004
August Joyce is stood on the turnbuckle, a mix of blood and sweat trickling down his face. He is holding on to a pole which extends up from the turnbuckle itself. There are poles like this in all four corners of the ring, with a box hanging from each one. There were originally four people in the match, and four boxes. The idea of the match was to grab a box and open it. One box contains a briefcase with $5,000 and a guaranteed shot at the LOW Title. The other three contain a weapon. If you open a box with a weapon, you’re out of the match and forced to watch the rest from ringside. But you must leave the weapon in the ring for the remaining combatants to make use of.
Right now we’re down to two people and the two remaining boxes. August is starting the climb for one of them, while his opponent is downed on the mat. The poles are big, so big they have footholds to help the wrestlers climb them. The climb is relatively short, but dangerous. The poles wobble, and one attack while you’re climbing could be enough to send you flying off the pole to the arena floor.
Joyce steadies himself on the first foothold, looking back over his shoulder to see that his opponent is starting to stir.
“You can do this…” August thinks to himself as he takes another step up the pole.
His opponent, an hispanic man with long dark hair and a multitude of tattoos, staggers back to his feet.
“Ramirez is up, folks.” The local cable television commentator says from the desk at ringside. “Took a while after taking that Canadian Backbreaker, but he’s headed right for Joyce now!”
The man starts to walk towards the corner where August is climbing. But before he gets there he stops, looking down at the mat and the weapons that the other two men had left after being eliminated. One is a chair, the other a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. The man smirks as he picks up the bat. He spins it round in his hands, eyes locked firmly on August.
“This does not look good for August Joyce.” The other commentator says, loud enough for August to hear.
August looks back over his shoulder again and sees the man charging in for him. He swings wildly, connecting right behind the knee of Augusts’ left leg. August yells in pain and brings his leg up as a reflex reaction. This causes him to lose his balance a little. He is close enough to grab the box, so he does so in an attempt to steady himself.
The man swings again, this time connecting right on the small of the back. August falls backwards, still holding the box. His opponent jumps to the side as August falls and lands hard on the chair that was laying there. The box falls on top of August, smashing him in the face.
“Ramirez has a choice now, Bob. Does he open the box that just fell down with Joyce? Or does he go for the other one?” The commentator highlights the dilemma the man now faces.
“That’s right, Lenny, remember if he opens one with a weapon then he’s eliminated and pretty much gifts the match to August Joyce!”
The man looks down at August, who is writhing around and holding his back. It’s just taken a barbed wire shot and then landed on a chair, and August is really struggling with the pain. The man then picks up the box that fell and steps away from August. He puts the box down, looking out to the crowd, as if to ask them what he should do. He looks over to the other pole, with the last remaining box. After a short while of running it through in his head he decides to open the box he has.
He slowly opens it up, looking inside. He begins to laugh manically.
“Looks like he has the briefcase!” Commentator Bob says in an excited high pitch voice.
“This one is over!” Commentator Lenny says in an equally excitable voice.
The man reaches into the box, and pulls out a fire extinguisher, holding it up high above his head.
“WHAT!?” The two commentators squeal collectively.
The man steps towards August, who is still feeling his back and his leg. He looks down at him, then looks at the fire extinguisher. He laughs again as he raises the extinguisher up, and then brings it crashing down onto the forehead of August Joyce.
“MY GOD!” Bob just gets more and more high pitched. “HE NAILS AUGUST WITH A FRICKIN’ FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!”
“BUT HE’S BEEN ELIMINATED!” Lenny barks.
August Joyce is out cold, but the man continues his assault, smashing the fire extinguisher on his head again and again. Eventually he stops, leaving August laying in a pool of his own blood. He steps away into the furthest away corner and leans on the turnbuckle.
The referee checks on August, then begins to count….
“The rules of this match state that if three men are eliminated, the remaining person has to a count of 20 to get the last remaining box and claim his prize which is held within it.” Commentator Dave begins to explain. “If they fail to get the box within this time, the three eliminated men are allowed to try and get it.”
The referee counts as the first two men eliminated hop up onto the ring apron, looking up at the box which hangs in the far corner. The very same corner where Augusts’ assaulter is stood with the fire extinguisher.
“Twenty!” The referee proclaims loudly.
The two men on the ring apron jump into the ring and head towards the corner, but they are soon met with the spray of powder from the fire extinguisher.
“Ramirez is keeping them at bay with that weapon, and now neither of them can see a god damned thing, Lenny!” Bob exclaims.
The two men stagger around, trying to wipe the powder from their eyes. They soon get taken down by a swift shot to the gut, then back, with a fire extinguisher. The man known as Ramirez then tosses his fire fighting equipment to one side as he climbs the turnbuckle. He makes swift work of the pole, and pulls down the box. He opens it quickly and pulls out the briefcase.
“He’s done it, Bob!” Lenny can’t believe it. “Ramirez went and won the title shot and the $5000!”
Ramirez opens the briefcase to look at the money, and the contract. He smiles wickedly. He takes some money from the case and then shuts it. He walks over to August, who is barely conscious. He places the money on Augusts’ chest.
”Cab fare.” He says. “Get as far away from me as possible. If I see you again, I’ll fuck you up properly.”
The ZX Agency
Begbie Street, Vancouver
Tuesday 24th February 2009
8th March 2009. The day of Revelations. Not just the MWA Pay-Per-View but the day that Zhen Xu announces to a not very interested world who her new client is. To Zhen this is the biggest night of her career as an agent. Her main client, August Joyce, defends his Millennium Title. Another client, Benjamin Doi, takes further steps towards his recovery and a brand new client will be unveiled.
Zhen is scurrying around her office, wading through piles of papers on her desk and frantically searching for something.
“YANA!” She calls out, muttering something in Cantonese under her breath afterwards.
Yana Gradlienko, Zhen’s young Russian assistant, pops her head round the door. “Da?”
“Have you seen that press release I was working on?”
Zhen continues to rifle through her desk, not turning to look at Yana. She really should, because Yana steps into the room, a piece of paper in her hands.
“You mean this?” She says, holding up the press release.
Zhen spins around. “Yes, I mean that.” She sighs with relief. “Where the hell was it?”
“You left on my desk, to send out.” Yana responds.
“Oh, I did?” Zhen’s been so busy lately she totally forgot. “And did you?”
“Not yet.” Yana looks down at the press release. “I have bone to pick with it.”
Zhen perches on the end of her desk as she looks at her assistant with a mixed look of confusion and disdain.
“These things you wrote, they not true. Not accurate.” Yana points at the page. “There quote from me on here, but I never say those things.”
Zhen motions for Yana to come in and sit down. Yana does, and hands the press release to her boss. Zhen pushes her glasses back on top of her head and rubs the top of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She breaths deeply for a moment before talking to Yana.
“I just put down what you would have said if I actually asked you.” Zhen says with a smile. “It’s not a big deal, really.”
“But it say announcement will be biggest part of show!” Yana is confused by that statement. “You realise there is two Worlds title match on show?”
Zhen nods. “I am aware of this, Yana, yes. And I know no-one will think my announcement is the biggest part of the show. But I have to publicise it, make people interested. The client deserves that much. His arrival has to be hyped as much as possible.”
“And what you think August say to this?” Yana seems concerned for her friend and sometime tag-team partner. “He know who client is even?”
“August is fine with it, he understands the necessity of publicity.” Zhen begins. “But, no, I’ve not told him who it is.”
“You don’t think world will be disappointed with the announcement? If you build up and then is not so important after all? And you think August will be ok with them?”
Zhen remains quiet for a moment, knowing full well there is a possibility that the earth shattering announcement she has been publicising won’t be seen as that by a majority of people, especially August. But she has faith in herself and her work, and she’s not going to back down on this.
“No-one’s going to be disappointed, Yana. This could be the start of something big for this agency!”
Yana suddenly remembers something. “By way, this came through e-mail for you.” She darts out of the room for a brief moment and comes back with her notepad. “Final match details for Revelations, change to show.”
She passes the notepad to Zhen, who brings her glasses down from the top of her head and reads the note. “Revelations… blah blah… March 8th… yadda yadda.” Zhen says as she reads. “Ok then, make sure this gets passed on to August.”
Yana takes the notepad back and starts to leave the room. But she is soon stopped as Zhen continues talking to her.
“And tell Ben we’ve had a complaint from Mitch Weinberg, about the names he called him last night.”
Yana nods and turns on her heels, again starting to walk away before Zhen carries on.
“And get me a coffee… with milk… and two sugars… and some chocolate… milk chocolate… and the newspapers… and get me what’s-his-name on the phone…”
Yana keeps trying to walk away as Zhen adds to her list of demands. Finally Yana stops listening and walks away to get Zhen the same things she always asks for.
Vancouver, BC
7th May 2004
“So, you going back there?”
Benjamin Doi is on a running machine, in the residents gym of Augusts’ building. August Joyce is on the machine next to him, also running. Doi refers to the match that August had just two days ago in London, Ontario.
“I’m not sure, that Ramirez guy was pretty crazy.” August says, shaking his head. “And his threat… I think he meant it.”
“Oh, yous’ idiot. Don’t be so bloody stupid, like.”
August and Ben both look to their right. On a third machine is Dave Spikey, Augusts’ Liverpudlian manager.
“He was just tryin’ to scare yous’. An’ it looks like it worked, eh?” Dave says with a smile.
“You weren’t there, Spike.” August begins. “You didn’t see the look in his eyes.”
The three men remain silent for a few moments, concentrating on their exercise.
“Can you please do me a favour?” August is the first to break the silence. “Don’t allow me to get booked in a match like that again! I don’t do well in gimmick matches, I don’t do well against brawlers and pure fighters. I’m a wrestler, a technician. I work best with others like me.”
Dave laughs. “There aren’t many like yous’ left, like. People want to see these types of blokes. They want to see gimmick matches. Yous’ can’t hide away from them, yous’ got to adapt to them.”
“Spike’s right, August. You need to learn to roll with the punches, or chair shots as the case may be.” Benjamin looks up at the television on the wall in front of them and points towards it. “Like these guys, you got to learn to face guys like this!”
August looks up at the television set. Two men are in an octagon shaped ring, cages rising up on every side keeping them in. They circle each other for a few moments before one makes a move. He grabs his opponent, sweeps the leg and takes him down. He mounts his opponent, who struggles to hold him off. The man on the offensive is a short yet stocky black man, with shaven head and tattoos all over. The look of aggression in his eyes reminds August of Ramirez and his fight two days previously.
The man reigns down a series of massive punches to the face of his opponent, who is soon bleeding profusely. The man spots an opportunity and manages to grab the arm of his opponent and quickly moves into a cross arm breaker position, yanking back hard on the arm. There’s a yell from the opponent who quickly slaps the mat with his other hand. This one is over.
“Jeez…” August is wincing, feeling the pain of the loser. “Who the hell is that guy?”
“That is De… something. I forget his name.” Ben says. “But he’s one of the best MMA fighters around today. He can do to you with his fists what Ramirez did to you with that fire extinguisher.”
August presses a button on the machine in front of him and steps off, picking up a towel from the bench behind. He wipes the sweat from his head and stops as he spots himself in a mirror. He has several stitches on his forehead and a black eye.
“The less said about that fire extinguisher the better.” He says, still looking at himself in the mirror.
“Yous’ can’t block out what happened, August.” Dave says as he too gets off the machine. “Yous’ will have to face another match like this someday. Yous’ will face another bloke like Ramirez. An’ when that day comes, kid, yous’ gonna have to be ready.”
Benjamin is the last to step down from his running machine, joining August and Dave as he too grabs a towel.
“And someday you’re gonna face someone with the skills of an MMA fighter. You need to be prepared.” Ben breaks out into a smile. “But, hey, that’s what me and Dave are for. Between the three of us we have an extensive knowledge of different styles. And we’re gonna help each other… right?” Ben looks over at Dave.
Dave is nodding. “Right!”
Atlanta, GA
Sunday 1st March 2009
August Joyce is stood outside the arena which is set to host the upcoming MWA Revelations pay-per-view. He has a long brown coat on, and his hands are dug deeply into his pockets as he looks around for the person that just called out to him. That person is an MWA interviewer, Mitch Weinberg, along with a camera crew.
“Hey Mitch.” August says with a smile.
Mitch smiles back. “Good to see there’s one member of your group that says my name right!”
“Ben likes to think he’s being funny sometimes, it’s nothing personal.”
“If you say so.” Mitch shrugs a little. “Anyway, you good to go?”
August nods. “Sure.”
The cameraman gets in position and Mitch stands beside August, looking directly into the camera.
“I’m here in Atlanta alongside August Joyce, the Peoples Choice. Next weekend he puts the Millennium Title on the line in a big match at Revelations.” He turns to August. “August, can we get your thoughts, first of all, on Sean Atwood and his words directed at you earlier this week…”
“Looks like I hit a little nerve with Sean Atwood, huh?” August smiles slightly, but it soon passes. “Now, I have to be honest. I wasn’t attempting to enter a ‘whose pain is worse contest’ when I mentioned my parents last week. I was simply trying to point out that I know what pain is, and I’ve grown to use that pain in a way that benefits me.”
“I was merely trying to say that what I went through, and what he went through too, is worse than anything that can happen inside, outside or above the squared circle.”
“It’s obvious that Sean went through a great deal when he lost his girl and his unborn child. That’s a horror that no man should have to go through. I get how bad that is; I’m not a cold hearted bastard. And I was well aware of what he went through; I’m not an idiot. But I chose not to bring it up. I chose to respect his personal life.”
August then turns to face the camera, looking directly into the lens as to address Sean Atwood personally.
“But Atwood… Nightmare… to belittle the death of my parents? To say that I don’t understand pain? That’s just plain stupid. And, if I get the chance, I’m going to make you pay for the disrespect you have shown me.”
Joyce turns back to Mitch, who is ready with another question.
“How about your other opponents in this match?” Mitch changes the subject. “Nathan Hart… do you respect him?”
August thinks about the question for a moment. “Nathan Hart? You know what? I’m going to be honest, I knew very little about him before this match was announced. But that’s not to say that I’m not taking him seriously, that I don’t respect him. I have respect for all… well, most of the men and women of the MWA.”
“I’ve been learning about Nathan this week, getting to know my opponents. He’s a smart man. Anyone who gets into Harvard to study law, irrespective of whether they complete the degree or not, has got to have a certain amount of intellect.”
“But he’s still a rookie in this business; he’s not got the ring smarts that come with wrestling for the best part of two decades. I’ve been wrestling for 18 years and I’ve learned how to survive inside the squared circle. Nathan Hart is only three matches into his wrestling career, and now he gets thrown the bone of being in the Millennium X match. He’s going to have to learn quickly…. very quickly, if he wants any chance of leaving me out cold!”
Mitch moves the interview along. “And how about Angela Jameson? Is she a threat to your title reign?”
“Well Angela Jameson is another person I knew little about. I know she’s good, because you have to be to be a part of the MWA. Her credentials back that up too, a host of titles in different companies. A cousin in the business too, obviously a talented family.” August thinks back to the question and begins to nod. “So, yes, I think she’s a threat. I think anyone in the MWA is a threat. There are no easy matches in this company. I’ve just got to be on top form, on my A game. If I do that then I have a great chance of retaining the title.”
Mitch suddenly thinks of something else he wanted to ask. “Now, there’s something else I want to talk about. This announcement that your agent, Zhen Xu, says she’s going to make at Revelations. What can you tell us about it?”
“Nothing.” August says plainly, before realising he should probably elaborate a little. “Really, I know nothing about this. What I can say is that because I know nothing about it, it’s not going to be a new member of the Children of Xu. It’s more likely that she has taken on an entirely new client. But she’s not told me who it is.”
“What if it is a new member of the Children?”
August takes a moment to respond. “Like I said, I’d know if that were the case.”
“Do you think it could be someone within the MWA? Or a newcomer?” Mitch continues to push August, hoping for some big scoop.
August shrugs. “Beats me. I hear the rumours. Kacy Knight, Jason Talbot, Anarchy Associated… they all seem to have been linked. Knowing Zhen, I wouldn’t count anyone out.”
“And how has this furore affected your preparations?”
“Honestly? Not a jot. I’m 100% focused on the Millennium X match. 100% focused on retaining the belt. All of this talk, and at this stage it’s just talk, hasn’t affected my preparation at all. Despite Zhens’ best efforts, Mitch, you seem to be the only one who gives a damn.”