NYCW: Where Old School Rules

[TCP1]

The Beginning

 

When I was a kid, I used to think life would be so simple.Work hard at school, go to a good University, get a good job, meet a good woman, have great kids and die content. I was wrong.

 

I worked hard, I got to University, I got a great job in marketing and I met a good woman. Things seemed to be too good to be true, and they were. I discovered that my wife was cheating on me with a man she’d met at my work Christmas party. I’m getting ahead of myself here, let me tell you what it is I do. As I mentioned I work in marketing, and part of my job involves dealing with foreign sports stars who are trying to make an impact in the United Kingdom. They come to my firm, and I sort them out with the best VIP tickets, tell them where to go and what to do. It’s more agency and PR than marketing, but whatever pays the bills, and it did pay the bills. Paid them very well in fact!

 

Anyway, during the frankly debaucherous Christmas party, my wife disappeared with a great big hulk of a man. Being the naturally untrustworthy man I am, I followed them and caught them in the act… on my desk no less. I squared up to the filthy swine (well my face was buried firmly in his chest) and gave him a piece of my mind. He responded by giving me a piece of his fist.

 

I woke up a week later in a hospital bed. Apparently, I’d been in a coma and according the letters on my bed, my company, God bless them, had released me after the giant man accused me of starting the fight. My wife, it appeared had run off back to the States with him and left me with keys to our penthouse and a picture of us from our wedding day. How sweet of her!

 

This brings me to 3 months ago. Now, having worked in the city for as long as I have, you meet people. People of note. People who know how to work the system. An old friend of mine, Lee Bambino had contacted me and told me how his wrestling career was going and how I’d taken the breakup. ‘How did you know?’ I asked, apparently it was all over the internet.

 

Noted SWF performer steals wife.

 

Upon hearing about this, Lee suggested having my legal representation contact SWF and explain that you were going to sue for assault. ‘They’ll definitely settle, they always do, it’s easier for them to do that!’ I was intrigued, and got straight on the phone with my lawyer.

 

I was informed that it seemed like I had a case, especially with the backwards American legal system, so me and my lawyer flew to America to fight and hopeful cash in on my own misfortunes...

[Irish Wolf]

Can't wait to see the rest of this.

[TCP1]

New York City was dirty, obnoxious and loud. Needless to say, I loved it.

 

I was holed up in the Chelsea International Hostel and had been preparing the case for weeks with my legal team. We were ready for the first round of hearings when I recieved the phone call.

 

"Hello, is this Tom Patrick?"

 

"Yes, who's this?"

 

"Hi, my name is Richard Eisen. I promote a wrestling business called Supreme Wrestling Federation..."

 

"So your the man I'm suing? I don't think we should be talking like this."

 

"Yes yes yes, shut up a second and let me speak... This will cause some untold damage to my company's reputation, and I'd like to avoid that if possible? I was wondering if you'd consider a settlement out of court?"

 

Bingo, this guy sounded rude and crass, but the fact of the matter is, he was looking to pay me off, which is exactly what I was after.

 

"I would consider an offer." I wanted to play it cool, and not snap at the first sign of trouble.

 

"Good, I'd like to invite you to my corporate headquarters to discuss the matter, it's 2614, 11th and Main. Are you free today, I'd like to get this debacle sorted before we go to court?"

 

"I'll be there at 4.00pm."

 

"Good, don't be late. I hate people who are late!"

 

This guy was clearly a rude *******, but it really didn't bother me. If you work in marketing, you meet bosses like him all the time. All I knew was there was a settlement awaiting me, all I had to do was take it...

[TCP1]

Eisen Towers

 

I walked through security into the frankly, enormous, hallways of SWF (apparently wrestling promotions always abbreviate their names) and I was flabbergasted that a company that provided a solely wrestling product could be so profitable. Some of these offices were bigger than mine.

 

I turned one of the elongated hallways and walked straight into an absolute monster of a man. "Oh I'm sorry" I wimpered looking up at this giant.

 

"Why are you sorry? Did you walk into me on purpose?"

 

His voice boomed so loudly, I swear my teeth trembled.

 

"I'm sorry, I just, I mean I..."

 

"Haha I'm only yanking ya. You must be new. What's your name? You probably recognise me from TV, so no need for an introduction is there?"

 

He beamed and tilted his head back to resemble a famous statue.

 

I looked at him blankly.

 

Slightly crestfallen, he continued "I'm Runaway Train, I'm a multi-time World Champion." He grinned unapologetically.

 

"Oh" I said "Well don... but if you don't mind me asking, isn't it all fake?"

 

Train's face went from grinning to what appeared to be rage.

 

"Wow, you must be champion because of your acting ability. You look like you're really annoyed..."

 

I remember thinking to myself as I was suspended by the neck, pinned up against a wall by an over 6'7" wrestler called 'The Runaway Train' that my life definately wasn't turning out the way I'd hoped.

 

"Let him down Train."

 

I fell crashing to the floor and landed in an unsightly heap. Train bent over me and threatened me one more time before leaving. I got to my feet and ran over and hugged the man who seemingly had control over the monster.

 

"Thank you, thank you, Goodness, I thought he was, I mean I, this place iks crazy and everybody is huge and I'm jsut trying to get to Mr. Eisen's and..."

 

"Calm down dude, you're going a mile a minute. What's your name?"

 

"Oh sorry, I'm Tom Patrick."

 

"Nice to meet you Tom Patrick, I'm Joey Minnesota."

[James Casey]

That's Joey "Frickin'" Minnesota to you, boy...

 

 

...and if this is going to lead to your investing in NYCW to try and catch SWF and get offices as big as them, then I'm all for it. Definitely a fun read so far.

[Hyde Hill]

having my legal representation contact TCW

 

ehm Eisen has bought out TCW? Say it ain't so!

[TCP1]

ehm Eisen has bought out TCW? Say it ain't so!

 

Cr*p! That should (and now does) read SWF. I'm new to the Cornellverse.

 

Glad to know some are reading it. I'm going for the idea that the 'me' character knows nothing about wrestling.

[foolinc]

Cr*p! That should (and now does) read SWF. I'm new to the Cornellverse.

 

Glad to know some are reading it. I'm going for the idea that the 'me' character knows nothing about wrestling.

 

Well, then allow me to welcome you to the Cornellverse and to NYCW! I'm liking the idea concept so far, but I am fearing what you are going to do to NYCW.

[TCP1]

I chatted with Joey Minnesota for about 10 minutes. He seemed like a cool guy actually. He told me how the 'boys' sweat and bleed for the business and gave me a little insight into his background.

 

Apparently he'd made a name for himself at a little company called New York City Wrestling (NYCW I figured out, using the initials rule of wrestling promotions, is it sad that I took great joy in that?). The company was run by a haggered old wrestler called 'The Stomper' who ran a promotion that 'harked back to the old school mentality of wrestlings past.' I didn't really know what that entailed, so I assumed it has to do with midgets and bearded women.

 

Joey informed me, that just like in any business there is politicing and manipulation, but it was mainly the business of the bookers and promoters, whereas, with a few exceptions, the boys' all stuck together. The way he talked about it made me slightly jealous that I'd never been part of something like that. You see I'd never really had that many friends or been part of something personal and rewarding.

 

Joey eventually pointed out Mr. Eisen's office and made his excuses and left.

 

I knocked on the door and a growling voice boomed back, "Who knocks in this business, getcha a** in here!"

 

I turned the doorknob and entered...

[TCP1]

The Proposal

 

I entered the office of Mr. Eisen and made sure to be very respectful and polite, although his course manner made me feel very uncomfortable.

 

Despite this, he has a fascinating man, and I really struggled to not get taken in by his story-telling and rough wordly ways. It was clear how he'd managed to build this entertainment empire, his natural charisma was astounding.

 

There was a brief bit of chit-chat before he dived into business.

 

"So, the way I see it, one of my boys has liberated a lonley housewife from the clutches of a dull husband, who henceworth will be known as... you. But in order to avoid a big trial, I'm willing to settle to make this go away. If it got out, my biggest babyface could be ruined."

 

I wondered what the hell a babyface was? Some kind of mask worn by a wrestler perhaps? I decided not to ask too many questions. Negotiations, you see, much like a game of poker are all about concealing your strength or weakness at the table. Currently I felt very weak.

 

" Well, Mr. Eisen..."

 

"Call me Dicky Mac."

 

"Well, Mr. Eisen" he forwned "My life has been utterly ruined by that jerk. I don't even know his name, and yet I've lost my wife, my job and now all my money is tied up in this case. It's going to have to be a very good offer, I'm sure you'll agree."

 

Mr. Eisen sat there for a minute and just stared at me. He absent-mindedly played with a coin in his hand, but his eyes never left me. I stared straight back, hoping not to show any kind of weakness, but the pressure was too much. The silence was deafening and I could feel myself blurting out that the case was a joke, and if I were him I wouldn't pay.

 

I. Couldn't. hold. It. In. Any. More...

 

Eisen slammed the coin on the table and stood up.

 

"OK kid, you clearly mean business so here's what I propose..."

 

Thank God he spoke, I was about to shoot myself in the proverbial foot.

 

"I'll pay you every penny on a years salary for you, plus I'll expense your trip over here and any legal fees spent up to this very second. That's monetary reimbursement for you. Now, as for your job, I'd normally just dump you in my marketing department and let you rot, but there's something about you, in your eyes, that says to me it'd be more fun to do this..."

 

This was quite a proposal so far, but what else could he possibly have in mind?

 

"According to your ex-wife, you have quite the knack for organisation and good old fashioned story-telling. Normally this wouldn't mean a thing, but you're determined too, I like that. It's rare to have someone willing to spend their last pennies to come to a foreign land and try and beat an invincible foe."

 

I knew that was hyperbole, but from I currently sat, he really did seem invincible.

 

"So, what then? I spot on my writing team perhaps? Well, I could never give you a job without seeing what you can do. I'd be ridiculed. So I have shares in a little company in New York."

 

"Is that New York City Wrestling? Owned by the Stamper, where Joey Minneanapolis used to work?"

 

Mr. Eisen stared at me in silence for a few seconds.

 

"Yeah" he said slowly "That's pretty much the one." He paused again for a few more seconds, before shaking his head and continuing "So as I said, I own a 40% stake in company. It's not worth much, but it allows me to take the top workers and send my youngsters there. Obviously I've kept it hush-hush, because the fans would turn on the promotion if they knew the 'Big Bad Wolf' from SWF had a stake in their precious promotion. What I suggest, is that you go down there and take the 'Book' and I'll see what you can do? You know what the book is dont you?"

 

"Of course I do." I lied.

 

"Excellent. Then it's settled then? We have a deal."

 

I looked at 'Tricky Dicky' Eisen (as I'd nicknamed him in my mind), he seemed too eager to palm this 'book,' whatever it was onto me. I felt it was a setup of sorts.

 

"No deal Tricky Dick... I mean, Mr Eisen. I want all 40% of your stake in the company. Owning that part of a company will give me something to put my creative and organisational skills to the test. then I'll write this 'book' and if you like my work after 4 months, you make me head of your writers?"

 

Mr. Eisen Scowled.

 

"I can't make you head writer on my..."

 

"What's wrong Tricky... chicken?" Was that a good idea? He looked like he was going to rip my arms off.

 

"Fine. 40%, but you pay for flights and legal help to set it up, this gravy train is closed. After 4 months, I won't the option to buy back that 40% from you at it's market value, and if you did well I'll give you a very well-paid job. Now, do we have a deal?"

 

I looked him in the eye and smirked.

 

"We certainly do!"

[TCP1]

This has now been moved to this page:

 

http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=587467#post587467Sorry for the messing around.

[James Casey]

What if we prefer this thread?

[angeldelayette]

What if we prefer this thread?

 

Then I think we should keep posting here and bump this one up.

[TCP1]

What if we prefer this thread?

 

Then we'd find ourselves in a bump war, were'd i'd be forced to keep writing new updates just to keep the proper thread in the right place. Can a mod delete this one perhaps?