Post by Anthony Jordan on Aug 19, 2023 19:06:01 GMT -5
INT. WATTS TRAINING FACILITY (BARN) IN TULSA, OK
The crown jewel of WUK sits proudly on a shelf on the interior wall that faces the ring. The owner of the belt is with his manager. KALMIN WATTS enters the ring as ANTHONY JORDAN follows him.
JORDAN
The hits keep on coming! You finally gave Wesley Crane the beating he deserved, then you led the team that ended the High Rollers’ Club! The High Rollers were a well-oiled machine, but you were able to forge bonds with a loose assortment of talent. You are truly the face of Wrestling: U.K.!
WATTS
I’d love to say we left the High Rollers Club behind, but I’m facing Preston Andre Reese at Legacy.
(chuckles)
But after Night of Champions, I think he’d rather be facing you!
Watts mimics Jordan roughing up Reese outside Hell in a Cell. Jordan gives his goofy grin.
JORDAN
You like that, huh? Brought back fond memories of beating his old man. You know I beat his dad to win the CWA World Heavyweight Title in his final match back in 2007? We had plenty of wars. Now you can keep the tradition alive.
WATTS
I’ll be happy to be on the winning side. Crane was grooming Reese to be the future, but that’s my time! If Reese is only willing to be Crane’s pawn, he’ll lose!
JORDAN
Love to hear it! Reese is inexperienced, so you should be able to out-wrestle him.
WATTS
Reese is pretty athletic, but I don’t know if he can mat wrestle. I’ll keep him grounded.
JORDAN
His dad never got on the mat, either. He played mind games. He was in jail for murdering his manager after poor Donovan Maxwell picked me up as a client.
WATTS
(shocked) What?!
JORDAN
I never told you that?
WATTS
No!
JORDAN
Yeah. He was found not guilty, but we all think he paid someone to plant the bomb in the car.
WATTS
And he was just let back into the company?
JORDAN
He was a high-grossing movie star! It was good exposure.
WATTS
Didn’t you team up with him later on?
JORDAN
Yeah.
WATTS
You teamed with a murderer!
JORDAN
(totally okay with that fact) The NAW guys were trying to run the company. We had to take them to school!
WATTS
And you teamed with Donzig for years! Damn, man, I’m starting to wonder if I’m a bad person for working with you.
JORDAN
Hey, I am “open-minded” and “inclusive”. Those are good for business in 2023!
WATTS
Not for murderers and psychopaths!
JORDAN
Agree to disagree on Reese. Donzig was different. Every day was an adrenaline rush as I woke up and asked “Is this the day he betrays me?”.
WATTS
That sounds traumatic.
JORDAN
Yeah, it pretty much was.
(beat)
But he adopted all my enemies as his own.
WATTS
I don’t want my career to be like that. I’d rather have real friends who stick with me through the good and the bad.
JORDAN
(laughs) And you went into professional wrestling?
WATTS
Not everyone’s an asshole. Well, 90% of the people who teamed with you were, but there are good people out there.
JORDAN
Well, we can agree that Preston Reese is not.
WATTS
For sure. He’s a little mini-Crane. He’s no leader like his dad, either. I’ve read up on Sheldon Reese. He led the Syndicate and was always in a position of power. Preston’s a follower, and he picked the worst guy to follow. Once I beat him, Crane will cast him out.
JORDAN
Or downgrade him to “fodder”.
WATTS
I hope he can learn something from this. He has talent. I could help him out, but only if he wants to leave the High Rollers and make an honest go of it.
JORDAN
I would settle for getting him to remove those awful tattoos.
WATTS
The neck one is kind of weird, but that doesn’t matter to me. In fact, I’m gonna put my money where my mouth is.
Watts takes out his phone and opens a livestream.
WATTS
Hey, everybody, it’s the WUK World Heavyweight Champion here in Tulsa getting ready for Legacy. I want to talk directly to Preston Andre Reese. Preston, I know you’re a legacy and that you want to prove yourself. I respect that. It’ll be an honor to wrestle you in Houston.
(beat)
But, before the match, I want to give you a chance to break free of the High Rollers Club and Wesley Crane. Think about it, Preston? What has Wesley Crane ever done for you? I know he has you interfere in his matches and keeps you out of the World Heavyweight Title division. That doesn’t sound like a friend to me. Take a good long look at where your career is. Are you really happy?
(beat)
That’s why I’m offering you the chance to shake my hand in the ring. Shake my hand and be done with the High Rollers! We’ll have a fair match, then we can re-shape WUK!
Watts ends the stream.
JORDAN
Think he will do it?
WATTS
I hope so.