<div style="padding: 15px; border: 3px solid #cccccc; margin:10px;background: #F5F5F5; max-width:50%;box-shadow: 0 6px 12px ";">
Chicago, Illinois
There was no venue quite like the House of Blues, one of the best musical venues in the entire city of Chicago, and that was saying something. Chicago was pretty famous for being a place where arts and music thrives, and Willy Sorken had spent much of his career coming back there, even owning a tea shop downtown where he would often go to relax or even play a few of his songs. He wasn’t touring with the Watermelons at the moment, but he had recently released a solo acoustic album and was hitting some of his favourite venues to promote it, which meant tonight he was in Chicago.
The show itself went well, no issues with the sound quality or the lights, the crowd was very into it and everything seemed to be quite smooth. Sorken liked doing pretty experimental music, and the particularly artsy crowd in Chicago seemed to especially appreciate his work. Nothing could compare to the rush of performing in front of a large crowd, and he was a true performer. He didn’t care if it was music, acting or any other medium, he fed off of the energy of a crowd and loved pleasing people. After the show Sorken was winding down and moved to his tea shop, ordering a Blue Dragon Oolong tea and walking up to the front of the room where there was a guitar and a microphone sitting there waiting for him. A young man stopped him on the way.
“Yo, you’re Willy Sorken! Dope show tonight man, your music is the shit!” The young man had a colourful mohawk, though he was wearing it down, and was wearing a sport coat overtop of a Crushing Watermelons t-shirt from their last tour. His facial hair was fairly well trimmed, and he presenting a look that surprised Sorken when he realized who this man was. The last time Sorken had seen him he was in Philadelphia being tossed through a pane of glass into a barbed wire board.
“Mikey Malice, hey thanks man. You’re pretty talented yourself. I saw that bump you took in Philly a few months back. It was pretty impressive.” Sorken reached out a hand to shake Malice’s, who returned the gesture before Sorken spoke once more. “You can call me Will, Willy is a stage name. I never got why they call us William’s ‘Bill’ or ‘Billy’ but I’ve always thought it was stupid...Anyway cool to meet you, I need to go play a few songs.”
“Oh hey, when you’re done come find me! I’ve got a business proposition for you.” Sorken raised an eyebrow at this as Malice nodded and took a seat in the much smaller and more intimate crowd. Sorken playing songs here was different from playing anywhere else in the world. This shop was basically his home. He had a tendency to play things nobody had ever heard when he was here, and it was something he truly loved to do. The twenty or so people inside of the building seemed to greatly appreciate the more intimate setting and they were quiet and respectful as he played, a complete change from playing the bigger venues, and Sorken enjoyed every second of it, showing off more of his technical prowess and playing a handful of songs before he put his guitar away, the crowd clapping and cheering. He would bow and thank everyone for coming, plugging his new solo album, and then made his way towards the colourful young man.
“Man, Will, you’re just awesome. It’s insane to go from the House of Blues to here and have you play two completely different shows one after another. Just insane talent and charisma.” Sorken would nod once more as the young man spoke, taking another sip of his tea before setting it down.
“It’s fun to be able to do that. But hey, enough about me. What did you want to talk to me about? You said you had a business proposition.”
“Oh hell yeah man. Check this shit out. I know you’re a big wrestling fan, and I’ve read in the sheets that you might be looking to get involved in a company. I’ve tried to get into New Horror and Leftcoast, but those pricks couldn’t see what I had to give them, but they can go f*** themselves. Philly isn’t the home of the hardcore, and San Fran in Cali is a joke. Everyone knows Chicago is hardcore, and I want to prove it to the world. I want to start an ultraviolent wrestling company right here in Chicago, and I’m hoping you’ll help me out.”
Sorken would sit and listen to the young man as he got excited about what he was talking about. He would go on to explain that they’d make Light tube matches their linchpin and. They’d keep the other stuff too of course, barbed wire, explosions, panes of glass, but their specialty would be a 666 light tube match. “Imagine the blood, the carnage, just the pure spectacle man! People will lose their shit over this man, it’s going to be so dope!”
“But Mikey, what do you need me for? Sounds like you’ve got this all figured out.” Malice would shake his head at Sorken’s comment.
“Nah man, I have ideas, I know what I want to do, but I don’t have the money or the name recognition to do something like this. You’re a famous musician man, and you’ve got the money. You wanted to get involved in the wrestling business, well this is the perfect way!” Sorken would think about it for a minute, weighing his options. Mikey was right, he had wanted to get into the wrestling business, but ultraviolence wasn’t exactly how he had intended to do it. The more he thought of it though, the more it made sense for him to agree...after all, his music was pretty alternative and unique, why shouldn’t his foray into wrestling be.
“Alright Mikey, I’m in. What do you need me to do? Sounds like you want me running the business end of the venture.”
“I want you to do promoting, obviously the financial side, but I want your input on creative and shit too man. I can’t be booking the whole show when I’m also the owner, people would hate me for that. They already think I’m an asshole, but I’m just passionate. You’re the big boss on TV, and as far as the world is concerned, but we split the place fifty-fifty.” Sorken would nod once more, reaching his hand out and gripping Mikey’s.
“Alright kid, you’ve got a deal. I’ll get a hold of some of my contacts and get us on TV and on the web. I’ve got a few friends in the business too who I can get a hold of and see if they can help out. Let’s see what we can do.”
</div>
STAFF <div style="padding: 15px; border: 3px solid #cccccc; margin:10px;background: #F5F5F5; max-width:50%;box-shadow: 0 6px 12px ";"> Mikey Malice | Willy Sorken | Ruth McClendon Owner/Wrestler | Booker/Authority Figure | Road Agent Calvin Kwick | Jerry Mount | Maximillian Weller Referee | Colour Commentator | Announcer </div> ROSTER <div style="padding: 15px; border: 3px solid #cccccc; margin:10px;background: #F5F5F5; max-width:50%;box-shadow: 0 6px 12px ";"> Andrew Boyd | Apocalypse | Bruiser Boyd | Chris Moxley | Crag Dark Shocker | El Chupacabra | Exterminator A | Exterminator B | Exterminator C Frankie Petruzzi | G-Forz | Golem | Gonzalez | Groot John Smith | K-Punk | Kurtis Payne | Lord Ginormus | Lord Shocker Lt. Gruder | Major Deitz | Mikey Malice | Orcus | Skullmageddon The Annihilator Skullsy The Skaterton | Sledgehammer | The Shocker! | Trooper Knittle | Wrecking Ball </div> Managers <div style="padding: 15px; border: 3px solid #cccccc; margin:10px;background: #F5F5F5; max-width:50%;box-shadow: 0 6px 12px ";"> Karen Mannis | Katya Stalin | Maria Mercado | Nayelli Cruz The Exterminators | The Original Sins | Apocalypse | Gonzalez & Ginormus Penelope Bernadette | Scarlett Church | Summer Whitley | Tiffany Poe The Shocker/El Chupacabra | The Bonechillers | The Cro-Mags | Übersoldaten </div>