CZCW: To Infinity and Beyond

[Casper]

PROLOGUE

 

 

The Departure

 

Eisen, you Son of a Bitch!

He didn't even have the balls to tell me face to face. I was sat at my desk working out the travel plans for the next PPV when 2 security guards arrived and told me to pack my things as I was fired. To Jerry's credit he came running over as soon as he could. The decision had just been made to can me and he wanted to break the news to me gently, but his Father had just buzzed security and sent them in.

 

 

I had given SWF everything. I had managed Bowen and taken him to the top. People think it is easy being a manager; it isn't. To be honest, it was clear that my role had to change. Runaway Train no longer needed me and, at 45, his best years were long past. That and I'd taught him too well. Heck, he could almost string a sentence together by now. But, I had ideas. The SWF was crying out for a new heel stable. TCW had shown what they could with the Syndicate, but that sort of angle was tailor made for the SWF. With me at their head, it could have been ratings dynamite. I pitched the idea to Eisen and he told me he loved the idea. Looking back, that was probably what caused my demise.

 

 

Perhaps I should have realised what was coming. That fat hack Peter Michaels had brought in the likes of Hannah Potter to manager. All tits and ass and useless on the mic. Shortly after my meeting with Eisen, Michaels had sacked me from the booking team and left me managing travelling arrangements and hotels. I was a threat to him and he wanted me out.

 

 

When I was walking out with my boxes I could see Richard, Peter and Eric all sat around in their opulent boardroom laughing as I left. At least Jerry was one decent man amongst a pit of snakes. I shook Jerry by the hand, accepted his large pay off cheque and walked out.

 

 

The Offer

 

 

I didn't have to wait for long before Cornell contacted me. His agent contacted me the day I left SWF. Apparently Tommy wanted to speak to me himself, but he was busy negotiating a new PPV contract. They offered me the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> announce seat alongside Azaria and Rhodes. It would have been a great gig. Rhodes was solid, but dull and with me playing the colourful heal role, it would have taken off. In fact, Cornell had just emailed me the draft contract; a 3 year written deal. It was less money than I was on before, but still a good offer and great exposure for me. I went to the hotel bar to have a drink and give it one last look over before signing.

 

 

… Is this seat free?

Why is it that people in hotel bars feel the need to try and make conversation? Of course the seat was free, heck, I was just about the only person here, although the fact that I had sat at a booth at the far end of the bar would indicate to most people that I was not in the mood for the company of strangers.

 

 

… Looks as if you are considering an attractive offer there. You'd be silly not to sign it...

I was about to make a snappy response, when it dawned on me that the pestering voice was familiar. I tore myself away from the paperwork to look up and see that it was Cliff Anderson, owner, announcer and sometimes booker of Coastal Zone Championship Wrestling. I had met Cliff a couple of times on the road when the SWF was down in the South West. I didn't know him well, but he was a good guy.

 

 

CZCW was a strange contradiction of a promotion. On the one hand they had a cutting edge modern product, with young and exciting workers. On the other hand, Cliff seemed like an owner from the Territorial Era. He had steadfastly stuck to his power base in the South West and, beyond a brief Mexican tour, which had died a death when Ultimate Phoenix jumped ship, he seemed content with this.

 

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q266/teakle/diary/TheGuru2.jpg & http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q266/teakle/diary/CliffAnderson.jpg

 

 

Cliff, you should have said it was you. Sit down, please.

 

You're a long way from home, Cliff. Of all the gin-joints... well, you just happened to walk into mine?

 

Oh, I'm not going to pretend it is a coincidence, I heard about you being released and was was waiting for you to have your meeting with Tommy before I came over to speak to you myself. I guess that's the contract for you to sign right now.

 

Well, you're almost right. As you seem to already know the deal, this is Tommy's contract, although I've never actually met with him.

 

Well, running a fed. like TCW and Main Eventing, can't leave him much spare time. Personally, I've always run at a more relaxed pace. I can run CZCW and then go home at the end of the night to my family. You don't have a family do you?

 

No. I've never had time.

 

And apparently you've never had time to move out of this hotel. It must have been difficult travelling all over the country, week in and week out.

 

Indeed. Now did you have a reason for coming here other than to remind me what I've been missing out on?

 

Ok. To business then. What you no doubt have in front of you is a lucrative offer of work from one of the leading companies on the planet, worth a hundred grand or so. It is safe work, which will have you in the announce booth or managing a monster heel again. Work you know you can do. Work that will have you travelling the country until Tommy decides that you've become stale and you move on again. It is undoubtedly the safe and sensible option. You should sign it.

 

But, I sense you are going to offer me an alternative...

 

Ah yes, that was why I travelled all this way, wasn't it. Answer me this. Why does Our matches are first rate, but the public don't come to watch us?

 

Because it's not about what goes on in the matches, well not all about that anyway. If it were, the fans would be watching college wrestling. To be successful you need to be able to tell stories. Your matches are great, but no-one cares about the wrestlers because you do not tell stories.

 

You're right. Of course you are. To cut to the chase, I want you to take the book at CZCW. No, that's not correct really. What I want you to do is take the book and control of the direction of the company entirely. I know what people say about me; I'm a dinosaur. I've been running a regional promotion over a decade after the death of the territorial system. I'm almost 50 and I want to see this promotion become a big deal whilst I am still able to enjoy it.

 

So why don't you do it yourself? You're a good booker and you know how to run a business.

 

Because we need to change. I know how to book good modern wrestling matches, which will remain the core of the promotion. You know how to talk the fans and make them care.

 

And why should I accept your offer when, as you say the offer from TCW is the sensible option?

 

Because you need a home...

That was the last I saw of the TCW contract and the beginning of the next chapter in my wrestling career.