ESW: The Battle For New York (Cornellverse)

[Sons of Kohral]

[CENTER][b]Prologue[/b][/CENTER] [QUOTE][I]I can't really pinpoint when it started. It was more of a gradual thing, a snowball effect if you would, but we knew something was wrong. I think it really started after Nevada Nuclear left for the big time that Stomper's attitude started deteriorating. New York City Wrestling had so much potential, so many workers who were just waiting to explode, and it seemed that at the end, they always up and left. I can understand why something like this would dishearten a man like Stomper. He's a member of the old school. Where loyalty and respect were far more valuable than money. But times change, and we thought he understood that. People now didn't care about honor, (at least here in the States) they cared about money. How much richer could I get by doing this? His demeanor started to change. The normally cheerful man we all knew turned into an indifferent rock. He seemed to take no interest in anything. Not the company, not his friends, not even his family. We would often find him asleep in his office, not because he was working, but because he had lost the will to even leave the room. This occurred for a few months, which is why none of us were really surprised when we saw NYPD vehicles outside our office building in Midtown on that cold December morning.[/I][/QUOTE]

[Sons of Kohral]

[QUOTE][I]I had to show ID about four times just to step into the elevator. I pushed the number 38 and rode it up, a million thoughts going through my head. My fears were realized when I stepped out of the lift and a navy blue suited man with a gold badge in his hands walked over to me.[/I] [COLOR="Red"] Hello. I'm Detective Winters. May I see some ID?[/COLOR] [I]I pulled my wallet out, AGAIN.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Colt... Mitchell. What do you do here Mr. Mitchell?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]I'm a booker for the wrestling promotion New York City Wrestling.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Am I correct in assuming that Derek Bradford was your boss?[/COLOR] [I]Was...[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Yes. I work for Mr. Bradford[/COLOR]. [I]The detective brought me over to the chairs we have in the waiting room.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]There's no easy way to say this, but Derek Bradford was found dead in his office this morning.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Well, that explains the yellow tape on the door.[/COLOR] [I]My attempt on humor didn't even work for myself as I lost it in the waiting room. This was the man who gave me a job. He happened to have read one of my stories in periodical published in TriBeca and though I was creative. He took a chance on me and gave me every opportunity I needed. On December 4, 2006, Derek "Stomper" Bradford died at the age of 57. The cause of death? Based on his toxicology report, an overdose of his prescription anti-depressants.[/I][/QUOTE] ___

[Sons of Kohral]

[QUOTE][I]The ceremony was beautiful. Sam Strong gave a very emotional speech that had the entire church crying. After the funeral though, life went on, as we realized quickly. At the reception in Derek's home, I was ushered into the den, where around a large table sat Bobby Bailey (Black Hat), "Honest" Frank Vitone, Lee Wright and Stephen Urich, Derek's lawyer.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]As you all know, Mr. Bradford left provisions in his will for his company New York City Wrestling. I am here to read his will and divide up his property. In regard to NYCW, Bobby Bailey will remain Head Booker. Frank Vitone and Lee Wright are made assistant bookers and will be the creative team. And Colt Mitchell, you are now to take over Ownership of NYCW.[/COLOR] [I]I nearly choked on my cola when I heard that. Me? Owner of New York City Wrestling? I walked over to Mr. Urich. It was true. Derek had me down as his successor. I looked up. Frank and Lee were smiling at me nodding, but Bailey just glared at me. He never really liked me... and I don't think this made it better.[/I][/QUOTE] ...

[Sons of Kohral]

[QUOTE][I]I was hired by NYCW in April of 2005 as a writer for the company. It was I who wrote the Lee Wirght/Nevada Nuclear storyline which got the latter plucked by SWF and placed in their development territory. I was later singled out and in April of 2006, was made part of the booking team. A move Bobby Bailey didn't care for. He and I had very different views on the direction the company should take. I loved the old school flair of the company but felt that it should showcase the young talent. Help groom them to become the next superstars. Bailey disagreed and felt that he should be getting Main Event wins. After all, he would say, "me and the other veterans deserve it!" Then there was the "Brooklyn Incident". It was September 2006 and we were holding a benefit show for the Brooklyn Public Library in Keyspan Park, Coney Island. The main event of the night was a NYCW Empire Title match between the then champion Joey Minnesota against Black Hat Bailey. The original plan was to have Bailey win the match and become the new champion, since Joey had already informed us that once his contract ran out, he intended to pursue "more lucrative offers". The problem was, the crowd didn't really like Bailey, at all. Derek came to me and asked my advice. I told him honestly, that having Bailey win the title would be a bad move. We needed a champion who the crowd liked to see in the ring. Who the crowd liked to hear speak. That man, I said, was the current Tri-State Regional Champion, Grandmaster Phunk. We decided that Phunk would drop the belt to Steve Flash, a very reliable worker, and that he would later go and interfere in the main event, causing the ref to rule a no contest. We sent memos to everyone involved. The show went off better than we hoped. The undercard looked great, and Flash and Phunk worked great together as Flash won the belt. Everything seemed to be going great. Then the main event happened. Bailey was mounting his comeback, as was scripted. Then, Phunk ran into the ring and smashed a steel chair over Baileys head. Exactly how it was written in the memo. Except something was wrong. Bailey completely no sold it and instead looked at Phunk with shock. He pointed a finger at Phunk and started cursing at him. Whistler ran down to the ring in an attempt to defuse the situation but only seemed to exacerbate it with Bailey. Finally, Joey Minnesota "attacked" Phunk with the belt and the two started to brawl, drawing the ref ringing the bell for the no contest. Bailey stayed in the ring, yelling at Whistler. Apparently, Bailey decided not to check his email (something we all do on a daily basis) and never got the memo. He later found out that it was my idea and his distaste for me turned into hatred in that moment. And me being named the new owner of NYCW turned that hatred into seething rage. [/I][/QUOTE] ...

[Sons of Kohral]

[QUOTE][I]I was sitting in my apartment a few days later, looking over spreadsheets of storylines I was planning. It was going to be great. Phunk would feud with Whistler over the title in a storyline that has Phunk trying to set up a new country. It seems like it could work really cool. A Civil War type scenario. It was early afternoon when I heard the shrill ring of my phone. I picked up. It was my lawyer Gil Powers.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Colt, I'm here at 100 Centre Street.[/COLOR] [I]The courts?[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]What are you doing there?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]You've been served and I need you to be completely honest with what I'm about to ask you.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Of course.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Have you ever been arrested and served time in prison?[/COLOR] [I]Oh no...[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Ummm... yeah... When I was 20, I served three months in Rikers for mutual combat assault. But I was released and the conviction was exsponged.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Exsponged doesn't mean erased. They found your conviction, and apparently there is a clause in Mr. Bradford's will that voids you from becoming owner of NYCW if you have a criminal record.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Wait, what?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]You're no longer owner of NYCW.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Who served the investigation papers?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Bobby Bailey.[/COLOR] [I]I knew it. And as Head Booker, he now becomes the head booker of NYCW. Now, I was out and he was in for a stupid mistake I made five years ago.[/I] [/QUOTE] ...

[Sons of Kohral]

[QUOTE][I]For the next few days, I didn't leave my apartment. I lived like a shut in. Kind of like that guy in th TV show about nothing. I just sat at my desk, looking out the window, watching the world pass me by. I considered writing something... I mean, that's what I went to school for. I wasn't really sure, it'd probably be about a man who gets a job at a company and has to deal with the corporate greed and whatnot. It was the fifth morning when I woke up and found Lee Wright sitting on my couch, watching "Cold Pizza" on ESPN. Apparently, my door hadn't been locked the entire time.[/I] [COLOR="Red"] You know, it was messed up what happened to you.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]I see you helped yourself to my food.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Yeah, well, there wasn't much in there.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]I'm kind of out of work...[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]That's why I'm here.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"] I'm not going to sell my body for crack.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]No, no. Not that. Why did you get into wrestling?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Because I've liked it ever since I was young.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]How would you like to get back into the industry?[/COLOR] [I] I laughed.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Yeah. Where? Bailey owns NYCW. Chord owns MAW, and you gotta know someone to get a job there. And Rhode Island... might as well try to get into SWF for that.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]You're forgetting one promotion.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Which one?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Empire State Wrestling.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Huh?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]I'm doing it.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Are you insane?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]Maybe. Me and Frank know it was Bobby who dug up all that stuff to oust you as owner, so we walked out. In fact we even got Spike to walk out with us.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Well... Spike...[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]I know, but it's better than nothing. Hey, I joined NYCW because Derek knew how to treat his workers. Bailey... he's controlled by his greed, and I'd like nothing more than to run him into the ground.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]So... what's the plan?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]No plan. Frank and I have already set everything up. Empire State Wrestling will now be New York City Wrestling's worst enemy.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"] A takeover?[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"] Total annihilation.[/COLOR] [I]I liked the sound of that.[/I][/QUOTE] ...