Dalton Posted December 7, 2021 Share Posted December 7, 2021 MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019 Winter in Toronto is brutal. Just constant bitter cold until May. Feet of snow fall in December, then the sun comes out to melt it all away, just for the cycle to repeat three or four more times until a month into Spring. I'll still take it over those Vancouver winters, though. I'm not sure why, maybe the humidity is different, maybe it's psychological, I don't know. Since I moved to Toronto in 2017, winters go by quicker. The whole year does really. Living on the 15th floor of Dudley Square is a hell of a lot different than Broadbent Boulevard in Vancouver. No need to shovel my driveway or tend to a fireplace. There's not a lot of responsibility for me here. Days go by, the planet spins, and Alex DeColt just exists. I ripped a hole in my left glove yesterday, I'm not sure how. It used to happen monthly back in Vancouver, but I never did any work outside here so I must have caught a nail somewhere. It's the only pair I've bought in my two years here. I had a box of miscellaneous clothes from my move so I figured I'd check it before I headed out to grab a bite to eat down the street. The storage room was tucked away on the second floor of my apartment. I guess it's more of a second bedroom, but I'm the only one whose stepped foot in this place since 2017. Not many loft apartments have two floors, but I knew I'd be here for a while, and I could afford it after selling my six bedroom house back home. "Home," I sighed. A former lifetime it feels like. A time I try not to think about. I entered the storage room, filled with old boxes floor to ceiling. I try to avoid this room as much as I can. I only set myself for disappointment each time I come in here. I moved around some boxes, one labeled "PHOTOS," another labeled "DANNY." Danny, my son. My only remaining connection to Vancouver. The only person with the last name DeColt who doesn't make me anxious. He's got a good head on his shoulders, thankfully. His mother, despite our philosophical differences, has done a damn good job as his primary caretaker since we divorced in 2013. Danny and I have a great relationship. He is a hell of a hockey player, so much so that he got a full ride on an athletic scholarship to a college in Buffalo. I went to most of his home games, and some of his away ones if I could. He wanted to join a wrestling school right out of high school to get into the "family business." He would have joined the DeColt Power House, but after the….trouble with the family, everything changed. He didn't want to join the House of Stone because of what has transpired. I told him I'd help him get into the Supreme Wrestling University, but only if he went to college. He agreed, and now he is in his sophomore year and is a star. I continued ruffling through the boxes, and finally found the "WINTER CLOTHES" box. I pulled out a couple winter jackets and found some gloves. "CGC" was embroided across them. Great. Seeing those three letters when I wasn't expecting to, it made me so uneasy. Just a blast of nostalgia right across my face. My debut in 1992 when I helped save Steve from a beatdown by the Warlords. The sound of the crowd when a blonde-headed 18 year old stormed the ring. Years of teaming with my brothers... The DeColts ruled Western Canada. We were untouchable. I was even the one selected by Dad to head to America for a few months to help out HGC in their beginnings: Captain HGC. It was a fun time in LA. I met the cowboy, Ricky Dale Johnson, there. I roomed with Bryan Vessey because my family helped him land that spot when Sam Strong asked us if we had any men we didn't have any creative for. It was only a few months, but I loved it. I was working under a mask, and even though the diehards knew who I was, they didn’t treat me like they did up north. There was no pressure. Being a DeColt meant nothing. I could just cut my promos and wrestle my matches. And then it was back to Canada. I tasted my first world title in 1998 when I pinned Eric Tyler clean in the middle of the ring at Battle Beyond. I remember it clear as day, one DeColt Driver, then another. I thanked Eric before the ref even dropped to his knees to count. "You're welcome kid, the future is yours." "The future is yours." I snapped out of my trance. That's why I avoid this damn room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blonde Bomber Posted December 7, 2021 Share Posted December 7, 2021 Is this CWA, maybe a new company, Danny’s journey. I wonder what’s gonna happen from here. Where will the nostalgia take him? Try to start a local promotion in Canada go back west? Interesting <span class="ipsEmoji">🤔</span> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"></p><img alt="0Y9lmmQ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/0Y9lmmQ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:left;"><p><strong>MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> I took the elevator to the first floor of the Dudley. I walked out the front door and onto the busy Toronto street, filled with loud noises and clear air. I made eye contact with one man, probably about the same age as me. I know that look, the one they give when they realize they're looking at a guy they used to see on television. No smile, just squinting eyes and a deep stare. </p><p> </p><p> "Wait, are you Alex DeColt?"</p><p> </p><p> "No," I responded.</p><p> </p><p> It doesn’t matter, he knew who I was and will tell his buddies about it. It doesn’t matter if I claim to not be me anymore, all it does it fit the narrative that I'm a bitter man who forced out of his own company. Every newspaper in Canada for two years has pushed it. </p><p> </p><p> "The Mad King" they call me. Real creative, right? A young, blond-haired man who was given the keys to the kingdom, only for everything to come crashing down, ending in a betrayal by his most trusted confidants. </p><p> </p><p> Yeah, I guess it fits.</p><p> </p><p> I went to the pizzeria, the only one I've found here that makes the New York style that I used to love when touring with HGC back in the late 90s. If it didn’t exist, I would've opened my own. But then again, if the public knew I owned it…</p><p> </p><p> I grabbed two slices from the nice lady and sat in the booth to watch whatever sports network was on the TV. Hockey, CFL, some NFL, and then…</p><p> </p><p> "CWA Big City Brawl coming to the Toronto Garden, LIVE this Saturday!"</p><p> </p><p> It's just not my day. I asked for a to-go box and left. I put my hood up, zipped my jacket to the max and started for home. CWA, what a joke.</p><p> </p><p> Am I the reason for its existence, or was it inevitable and I was the scapegoat? The question I ask myself every time I think of it. CGC had been going downhill for a decade. When Dad gave me the reigns in 2009, attendance was already trending down. No matter what Vibert tells you, what I did is no worse than he, or Steve, would have done. </p><p> </p><p> Phil Vibert was a contrarian. He always was and always will be a "if they had just listened to me" type of guy. Phil took a hot new promotion and drove it into the ground because he tried to change it into something it wasn’t. Phil was going to turn us into some stupid hybrid of DAVE and NOTBPW. Imagine how that would have went. NOTBPW is what Steve wanted, too. That's why Dad gave me the company and not his oldest. He knew Steve would've turned us into our soulless rival out east. What he didn’t realize was that the Stones were failing just as miserably as we were. Our families had two different philosophies that helped us market to different audiences. If we changed ourselves to be more like them, we each would have failed faster, splitting the audience and all that. </p><p> </p><p> I was glad Steve left. He wanted to be NOTBPW so bad I told him to go join them instead of disrespecting Dad like that. That was when they first called me the "Mad King." I still stand by my theory that Vibert fed it to Wrestling Star Weekly in Montreal. He used to bring those books into his office and spend more time reading those then he would working. </p><p> </p><p> Regardless, it hurt to see Steve leave. He was my brother. We were the first two DeColt Sons to debut. He was always a bit jealous of me, and I never understood why. He had everything, he got the girls, he got paid more, he was the one showcased in every media appearance. But since he didn't get Dad's booking like I did, he resented me. He went east and got everything he could have imagined. A title run right out of the gate, main event after main event, all the money he asked for. Hell, he even got a wife. And little Xander… I can only imagine what Steve tells him about me.</p><p> </p><p> Steve's departure hurt, but it didn’t kill us. I stepped into the role alongside Jack and Ricky. But as the years went on, my body started to deteriorate even more. It came to a head in 2014. I had a torn rotator cuff, a bum knee, and was borderline collapsing from exhaustion at each show.</p><p> </p><p> The problem was, I was CGC World Champion.</p></div><p></p><p></div></p></div><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"></p><img alt="0Y9lmmQ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/0Y9lmmQ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:left;"><p><strong>MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> I walked through my front door and took off those godforsaken gloves. I should've thrown them off my balcony, but I think Dad would've caught them and thrown them back in my face for disrespecting his life's work. </p><p> </p><p> I couldn't stop thinking about it all. Here I am, alone in a Toronto apartment, a day's travel away from it all. But it's all that crossed my mind. It was five years ago but it felt like yesterday. The first DeColt Boy to retire. It should've been a big deal at Wrestle Festival that night, and it was to the fans, but backstage was a different story. It was all about the man I put over that night.</p><p> </p><p> It was just constant arguing. What Jack and Ricky wanted would have never worked.</p><p> </p><p> "Sean is the future, Alex. We did good business in his first reign. Why can't you see that," said Jack.</p><p> </p><p> "Deeley is a great worker, but he can't be the ace of this yet. I'm not sure he can be at all," I responded.</p><p> </p><p> Ricky chimed in, "Alex man, we can't wait any longer on this."</p><p> </p><p> Ricky had a point. We couldn’t wait. But the difference was, they wanted to hotshot a guy who couldn't hold a microphone without shaking. Sean Deeley, the Shooter, was a hell of a wrestler. He could work circles around everyone else in the company. You know where someone goes when they can wrestle a broom but can't get a crowd excited for it? With the Stones. Not here, not in Canadian Golden Combat. I was happy to have him here, mainly because I knew he'd be a megastar for NOTBPW. He was the type of guy who could turn around business for them, so I did everything I could to keep him away from there. </p><p> </p><p> Jack spoke up, "Sean is a great wrestler. The business is changing, it's not just about working a mic anymore, you know this."</p><p> </p><p> That comment pissed me off. "Who am I talking to, Jack or Steve?"</p><p> </p><p> "Goddammit Alex! Do you want us to succeed or not," screamed Jack.</p><p> </p><p> "We are not the Stones! We can't have our top guy, the guy who retires a DeColt, be a guy who every publication says would be the hottest act in Canada if he joined North of the Border! That's no better than me doing the honors of Dan freaking Stone himself!"</p><p> </p><p> Ricky chuckled to himself. "We should just call Dad and ask for his advice."</p><p> </p><p> Another comment that boiled my blood. "Rick, if Dad's opinion mattered, he would be in this room with us right now. He gave me the company because his decisions are my decisions. And both of you know Sean Deeley is the epitome of everything Dad stands against."</p><p> </p><p> Jack was angry at me now. "And who do you want to put over Alex? Dan f***ing DaLay? How is he any better?"</p><p> </p><p> "Like I said Jack, if I put over Sean, everyone will see that as a passing of the torch, and we can't have Deeley be that guy. If I put over Dan, that's not a passing of the torch. It's a temporary reign to get the heat on him so someone else can beat him and kickstart the new generation."</p><p> </p><p> "You're missing the point," said Jack. "We've already announced that this is it for you. The optics are that this will be a passing of the torch. And the only way a passing of the torch will work is if a DeColt puts over a young guy. There cannot be any transitional champ here. No one will ever see Dan DaLay putting someone over as the start of the new generation. It has got to be Alex DeColt, this year."</p><p> </p><p> I put over Dan DaLay and retired.</p></div><p></p><p></div></p></div><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dynamite Sid Posted December 7, 2021 Share Posted December 7, 2021 This is a fascinating start. I do enjoy a character driven diary. Alex still referring to "here" in the present tense was that? Is there a revival on the cards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Blonde Bomber" data-cite="The Blonde Bomber" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="53826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Is this CWA, maybe a new company, Danny’s journey. I wonder what’s gonna happen from here. Where will the nostalgia take him? Try to start a local promotion in Canada go back west? Interesting <span class="ipsEmoji">🤔</span></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Dynamite Sid" data-cite="The Dynamite Sid" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="53826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>This is a fascinating start. I do enjoy a character driven diary. Alex still referring to "here" in the present tense was that? Is there a revival on the cards?</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';">I'm keeping my cards close to my chest on how this will relate to the modern C-Verse. It won't be an entirely new concept or anything, I just wanted to give some backstory and flesh out the intriguing character of Alex DeColt. I have a couple writing projects I am starting soon, so I thought I'd get some practice in with a diary of a topic I find fascinating!</span></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> As for Alex referring to "here" in the present tense, that is partially because I struggle with how to handle tenses during flashbacks </span></div><img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> </span></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><span style="font-family:'Century Gothic';"> I have a couple more introduction posts, then it will start to become clear where I'm going with this!</span></div><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 7, 2021 Share Posted December 7, 2021 I’m very excited for this to come to fruition. I love the character work. You know I’m a sucker for some character work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"></p><img alt="0Y9lmmQ.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/0Y9lmmQ.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:left;"><p><strong>MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> I put those CGC gloves back in the box in the storage room. I'd rather my hands fell off my body than wear them again. I grabbed an energy drink and some hot sauce from the fridge and finally sat down on the couch with my pizza. I turned on NetStream and started scrolling to find something to cleanse my mind. I should have known better. The final season of Fire and Blood was airing at the time. And guess what character the final season focused on? I couldn't escape it.</p><p> </p><p> I stand by my decision. Sean Deeley was not the right man, not in 2014. He left for NOTBPW because of it. The guy didn’t get what he wanted and so he left. Coward. He still could have been a star here, just not THE star. He never got the treatment by the Stones that he so desperately wanted. He thought he could waltz in there like his last name was DeColt and get whatever he wanted. He's not a DeColt. He's a poor man's Stone.</p><p> </p><p> Of course, my brothers were pissed. If they would've listened to me, I could have gotten it to work. I'm a goddamn DeColt, I can write a storyline. But they wouldn't follow through. Phil was in their ear. They never liked him, but at that time they treated him and me as equals, as stupid as that was.</p><p> </p><p> Don't even get me started on Vibert. He is a garbage booker and an even worse person. Screw him. That backstabbing little rat. He had his connections with Greg Sluchinski, another piece of work, so every time he didn’t get his way, he ran to the dirtsheets and fed them exaggerations and outright lies to put himself over. Vibert wanted me to put over Gargantuan of all people. Bryan Marlin is a good man, and someone I respect. But he shouldn’t be sniffing the figurehead spot. He is a monster heel who the babyface overcomes. That is as simple as it gets. Can you imagine freaking Gargantuan headlining CGC shows for five plus years? Vibert has run his mouth in every shoot interview he can get, because no competent wrestling promoter will hire him, saying he would've had some elaborate story for Bryan if Dictator Alex just put him over. He quit after DaLay won the title. One of the few things my brothers and I agreed on at that time was that we were glad he was gone. He was a hanger-on from Dad's time and was a scumbag in every sense of the word. He's lucky I didn't knock his teeth down his throat like I did to that d*****bag Nate Johnson when we found out about him and Jack's wife. Screw Phil Vibert.</p><p> </p><p> Dan kept the belt until November, only to lose it to Ricky. Another DeColt on top. Running the same towns, running the same main events. I wanted Intrepid Ian Identity to beat Dan and move into his spot on top, complete with a heel turn into his current gimmick, Aaron Knight. But Jack and Ricky insisted it be a DeColt who put over the new generation. I relented and went along with it. Ricky would lose to Ian Identity in match that would see Ian turn into Aaron Knight and become the most hated man in wrestling since Dread. And that would have been fine, if Aaron didn't tear his ACL a week prior to the match. </p><p> </p><p> Chaos ensued. Ricky needed to lose the title because we promised him some much needed time off, but we had no one to put the title on. And then, and I swear to the gods above that Vibert was involved somehow, Gargantuan got the title. I told Jack he would be getting the title and putting over Aaron when he was healthy. The problem was, it took Aaron about nine months to come back, and once he did, Jack started politicking. </p><p> </p><p> Jack told me Aaron was not the right man. He wanted Christian Price. Christian was good, but I had already chosen Aaron. And so came more arguing with my brothers. Ricky always took Jack's side, no matter the circumstance. He and Jack were always close, probably because Steve and I were close, for the most part. I guess that's just how it works when you have four boys. </p><p> </p><p> Lucky for my brothers, Aaron's knee wasn't in good enough shape for a title run. So, they got what they wanted. Christian Price got the belt. I could make it work, easily in fact. But there was something happening around this time. Jack and Ricky were vetoing everything. Even though I was in charge, there was no way I could blatantly go against them, especially after how my retirement match went. I took feedback from them and implemented the changes they wanted to see. This was different though. Every idea I put on paper they tore apart, no matter how good or sensical it was. It made no sense to me. Why would they be doing this?</p><p> </p><p> As the year turned over into 2017, it started to become more clear.</p></div><p></p><p></div></p></div><p></p> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted December 7, 2021 Share Posted December 7, 2021 Liking this a lot. I can hear Alex DeColt recounting this in my ear like some kind of audio biography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnotover Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Always enjoy a good DeColt diary! Looking forward to seeing Alex find redemption Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falling_star Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Loving the narrative, Alex DeColt is such an interesting character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Trask Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 This is really good! I love that there's just this undercurrent where of course, everything that happened is justified... to Alex. Of course he'd think he was in the right and it's just that circumstances and/or his brothers conspired against him. I suspect that there's a lot of truth in what he's saying, but a good dose of unreliable narrator too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGN91 Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Loved your first try at Alex months ago, and I will love this, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 9, 2021 Author Share Posted December 9, 2021 <div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"> MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019 I read the books years ago. Back before I realized how much of a dirtbag Vibert was, he loaned me his copies of Fire and Blood. It took me about a week to read each of the seven books, way faster than any other series I've ever read. I talked to Vibert about them almost every day. The whole cast of characters was so intriguing to me, but no one grabbed my interest like the Mad King. A man who was birthed into the best family in the world. He was given the keys to the kingdom. All he had to do was continue the success of the previous generations. He didn't even need to do anything spectacular. Just be steady. He couldn't do it. He failed. His kingdom fell apart. Vibert and I talked about everything: his backstory, why he did what he did, why his most trusted allies betrayed him… and that is how I know Vibert is behind my name. That conniving, egotistical, heartless bastard. 2017 was when everything came to a head. Steve married Sarah in a private ceremony, or so they call it that. It's like they forgot media existed. I think they called it that to rub it in my face even more. My own brother didn't invite me to his wedding. Not even Danny was invited. Take it out on me, not my son. I saw the photographs in every news outlet in Canada. A DeColt marrying a Stone? Not just a Stone, but a daughter who stayed out of the spotlight. You'd be forgiven for not even knowing she existed before the photos came out. Over 100 people were there. Sure, a smaller wedding compared to what it could have been, but it was not a damn private ceremony. Jack and Ricky changed after the wedding. It was headed that way for a long time, but something happened at that wedding. They told me that they would definitely approve of an Aaron Knight title run, we just needed to get through the early summer because there was still legs on this Christian Price reign. The tours were doing alright, sure, but they could have been better. We were doing better than the Gargantuan title run, so they pushed the narrative that their pick, Price, was having the best non-DeColt reign in years. Nevermind the fact that they chose Gargantuan to be champion. They never mention that part. Jack and Ricky lobbied for a final Christian Price vs. Gargantuan match to headline CGC In the Company of Legends in June. I disagreed. I said we were beating a dead horse, but they insisted that this final match, followed by a Price vs. Knight program starting on the next episode of Title Bout Wrestling, was the way to pick business back up. I was tired of fighting with them over everything. It was always two-on-one here. At least scumbag Vibert could throw a wrench into things to bring them down off their high horse and present a third option, no matter how much it sucked. I agreed to do the third match. It was the lowest buyrate of the decade. I'm not sure we even made money on that show. All the papers had some variation of the headline "The Mad King Unleashing Mediocrity Across Canada," or some other poor pun or reference. It wasn't even my idea. My brothers chose the match. But they weren't the owners or bookers, those titles landed at my feet. I took the heat every time. I was used to it, it really didn’t bother me too much. That Sunday, two hours before TV, Jack and Ricky came into my office.</div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sco xY2Jx Posted December 9, 2021 Share Posted December 9, 2021 Alex DeColt. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood men in the business. I'm a sucker for anything DeColt and was once relevant to CGC. Tremendous start and characterisation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 <div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"> MONDAY WEEK 3, JANUARY 2019 It really was a good television show. One of the best ever, in fact. Not many series, especially fantasy, improved each season. Somehow someway, the writers of Fire and Blood nailed it. They took the author's ideas and presented it on NetStream the way everyone wanted. Unanimously a great show. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling whenever I heard the name. Mad King. Blistered into my brain. I turned off the TV and walked to my balcony. It was freezing, snow covered everything, but I needed the fresh air. I looked down at the Toronto street. There's a nifty screen that has advertisements, local events, stuff like that. I watched it flick from the upcoming football game this weekend, to a concert by some country musician. Who listens to country music in Canada? Then an advertisement for NetStream, and then CWA Big City Brawl at the end of the month. It brought me right back to that day. The look on my brothers faces when they walked into my office. I'll never forget it. Jack spoke first. "Alex, we need to talk." I knew what was happening. It was the look I saw when Steve left. "Don't tell me you're serious." "We are," responded Ricky. Jack spoke before I could. "It's what's best for business. You've seen the papers, I know you have." "Don't tell me what's best for business. That main event was your idea." "But you're the booker, Alex," said Ricky. Somewhere, deep inside that thick skull that sat on my shoulders, I knew all along. I was just in denial. They were forcing me out. This was the plan. This is why they were treating me like they were. I stood up and turned to Jack. "This is not what this family stands for. This is not what Dad wants." "Dad is home...not here," said one of them, I don't remember who. My own brothers. "You too, Ricky?" "We love you Alex, but you can't be here anymore." I don't remember much after that. I know there was screaming. I know I punched a hole in the wall. That really played into my nickname. Vibert must have loved it, that piece of ****. That was in June. I didn't see either of them until Dad's funeral. It came quick, the illness. I never found out what it was. But it was fast. I kept hoping I'd run into them during my visits to the hospital, but I also made sure to go on the same nights they were doing TV. I stayed in the back at the funeral. Hannah, my ex-wife, came to keep me company along with Danny. It was a rough night, one that I've blacked out of my head. I went back to the hotel afterwards where I ran into Steve and Sarah. We made small talk, Steve telling me he sincerely hoped I was doing okay. I gave him the typical response to something like that. Yeah, I'm doing okay. We probably would have kept talking, except that, in one of the strangest occurrences I've ever heard of, Sarah's dad, the legendary Dan Stone, died at the hotel. A hotel he was staying at as he visited his good friend and business rival, George DeColt. You can't make this stuff up. Dan's funeral was a week later, but I wasn't invited to that one. I can't say I blame them. My brothers went. I'm sure the Stone clan didn't want any more unnecessary drama after that whirlwind of a week. I sold my house at the end of November. I was ready to move here to Toronto and get away from it all. Danny was starting school in Buffalo anyway. My move in day was January 1st, 2018. Two weeks before the move, I got a call from a reporter whose name I can't recall. She was asking me about the upcoming merger between Canadian Golden Combat and North of the Border Pro Wrestling. I was dumbfounded. I told her that I'm not involved in CGC anymore, but she must be getting bad information from someone because that would never happen. Little did I know, that was the first time I had ever heard of the Canadian Wrestling Alliance.</div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Some very strong narrative work so far. I’m loving the slow build of the scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herrbear Posted December 10, 2021 Share Posted December 10, 2021 Great storyline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 11, 2021 Author Share Posted December 11, 2021 <div style="padding: 10px; border: 2px solid #000000; margin:10px;background: #FFFFFF; max-width:80%; ";"> TUESDAY WEEK 2, FEBRUARY 2019 I watched the pay-per-view. CWA Big City Brawl, January 2019. It was in Toronto, but I watched it from the comfort of my couch. I watched Aaron Knight defeat Cameron Vessey in the main event. That gave me a good feeling. The guy I vouched for from the beginning, Intrepid Ian Identity himself, beat the guy who was being pushed as the future of NOTBPW before the merger. CGC went over, or at least in my head they did. The match that stuck with me more was my brothers'. Jack and Ricky put over the Dynamite Express, two guys who got into NOTBPW shortly before the merger. Cam Jones & Syd Collier are real good, I would have loved to have had them in CGC. It was nice to see my brothers put over the future. I wondered if they would be branching out for a couple singles runs. Jack was getting up there in age, I retired before I hit 40, meanwhile he wrestled the best match of the night at this PPV. I thought about calling Ricky. He looked good, he looked healthy. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Why bother them when they had such a good night? They were probably out with the boys. I could have looked out my balcony and saw them. They knew I lived here. I wondered if they thought about me… Something about that show punched me in the gut. My brothers were out there killing it. David Stone was out there, green as grass but gold in his future. I even saw Dan's son Robin DaLay in the Big City Rumble. His dad and I trained him back at the Power House. Dan DaLay, another man I should call. The godfather and namesake of my son. We used to talk about Robin and Danny teaming in CGC. They'd have a good, long run as champions, then split and feud for a year or so, then reunite to a big reaction from the good people of Vancouver, just like we did all those years ago. Truth be told, we just wanted to live vicariously through our kids. But, of course, that would never happen. And it's all because of my brothers. I miss Dan. After Big City Brawl, I watched as much CWA as I could. I watched every major show from inception to present. I had nothing else to do, so I finished quick. After that, that itch hadn't been scratched, so I pulled up some old HGC tapes I had and popped them in. I relived my time under the mask as Captain HGC, teaming with Ricky Dale Johnson before he became one of the world's biggest stars. "The Cowboy and the Captain" versus the Vessey Brothers, the Black Serpent Cult, the Demons of Rage, the Nation of Filth. The HGC memories turned into CGC memories. My six CGC World title reigns, including two by beating Dan DaLay, my CGC World Tag Team reigns, one with Jack and one with Steve, and all the talent I built from the ground up… I just started getting into TCW, too. I had been loving everything on that show, save for that two-faced **** ******* ***** Nate Johnson. After I knocked his front teeth out with the hardest right hand I've ever thrown, he fled the country. Not like he was ever going to work for a DeColt or a Stone after what he did to Jack. Dirtbag. Ace, Wolf, Jay, Sammy, they're great. Total Wrestling turned into a highlight every week. It's all I thought about on Tuesdays. I was so proud of what they turned into. A much better spot under BriCo than they were under JK Stallings, well, Sam Strong, since he was the one truly running things. It was that Tuesday, the second one of February. I was watching an Ace Andrews promo, telling Shawn Doakes backstage how he was rearing to kick Wolf Hawkin's ass. My phone rang as soon as Ace finished talking. I almost missed the call; it was sitting on my kitchen counter and I was in no rush. My phone never rang unless it was reporter who somehow found my number. After I moved to Toronto I changed my number and only gave it to Danny and Hannah. But that area code was one I was familiar with. After a little hesitation, I answered the phone. "Hello?" "Alex, holy shit man how are you? Listen, I know you're out in Toronto now and probably don't follow the business anymore, but I want to talk to you about something."</div> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalton Posted December 11, 2021 Author Share Posted December 11, 2021 Thanks everyone for the feedback! Things are picking up now, so in the next few posts it'll become very clear where I am going with this, and how Alex will come back to wrestling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnotover Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 Who could it be? Nice build! Excited to see the next chapter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pteroid Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 Please be Dan please be Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Trask Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 The build is killing me, in a good way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 Excited to see what the project actually is. I want to think it's a 'spiritual successor' to CGC but I'm struggling to think of who would fit the roster in 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dynamite Sid Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 This is the kind of diary that pops up once per game where I think the actual shows are gonna be a necessary evil. If nothing ever got booked and it was just Alex's memoir I would be happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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