Post by Anthony Jordan on May 25, 2024 16:43:47 GMT -5
It’s time for the final war between Kalmin Watts and “The High Roller” Wesley Crane. There was a sense of finality in the air. Crane thought it was over when he helped Spike Kane take Watts out last fall. Watts thought it was over when he won the WUK World Title from Crane in Hell in a Cell back in July.
This time is different. It needed to be different. The war had become toxic to both men. Crane, whether he admitted it or not, was unable to fully enjoy his Extreme Title win over Gavin Drake with Watts waiting for him. Watts had nothing but focus on Crane. He couldn’t care less about titles or matches that didn’t get him Crane. The Watts/Crane feud with the gangrenous limb of old WUK that needed to be amputated. There was no better way to do that than in a submission match with the High Roller’s Club banned from interfering.
With the ring constructed in Las Vegas, Watts was giving it his customary once over. He frowned as he inspected some of the damage that the mat suffered in Australia. The wear in the canvas could lead to a mistake unless you knew to avoid it. Wesley Crane often paid a high-end analytic service to evaluate the condition of the ring as well as how other wrestlers performed in it. If the speed of wrestlers decreased or the amount of slips increased, Crane would know all about it. Watts just couldn’t bring himself to trust a service. A report doesn’t provide the same tactile feedback as personally inspecting the ring.
While Watts was doing his work, Warren Webber slithered from the back. He was going a-stoogin’. Knowing nothing about the ring, Webber still tried to contribute. He knocked on the ring post.
“Call me ‘crazy’, but I like a metal ring post! I don’t care for those plastic or wood posts.”
“Where have you seen plastic or wood ring posts?”
Watts knew Webber was full of shit, but wasn’t going to let him off the hook. Without fail, Webber was prepared to dig the hole deeper.
“You ever wrestled in Japan?”
“No.”
“Well, if you had, plastic and wood ring posts are all the rage in Japan! Japan has low metal reserves, so they get creative in building their rings. Those Japanese are an industrious people. With their land ravaged by atomic bombs and nuclear meltdowns, they have to.”
“So atomic bombs and nuclear meltdowns led to plastic and wood ring posts?”
“History’s wild.”
“Right…What do you want?”
Watts let Webber have his empty victory. First and foremost on his mind was getting Webber the hell away from him.
“You have a big match coming up. Sure, it’s not the main event or penultimate match, but it’s big to you! You’re fighting Wesley Crane. WESLEY CRANE! The World Heavyweight Extreme Champion…of the World!”
“It’s been my only goal since coming back. All I’ve wanted is to get my hands on Wesley Crane after he tried to end my career! I had to fight through the top wrestlers in WUK, then through the whole High Roller’s Club in a gauntlet match. I’ve run through at least ten people on the way to Crane. I’m tired of waiting! I’m going to Vegas to get my revenge!”
“You’ll definitely have the chance! It’s a submission match, and the High Rollers are banned! You are definitely the betting favorite. They’re all saying ‘Boy, Crane is going to meet a world of hurt!’”
“I’ve heard Wesley Crane talk about his Dragon Sleeper, and I’m not worried about the Dragon Sleeper or the Golden Dragon! Go back and watch the tape from a year ago. Wesley Crane put the Dragon Sleeper on me, and I fought my way out. He had a chance to beat me with it, and he couldn’t pull it off! He always had to use interference and weapons.
Let me tell you about the Dragon Sleeper, Warren. It’s a deadly hold if you have the muscular arms to pull it off. Have you looked at Wesley Crane? He has noodles sticking out of his torso. There’s no way he can use the Dragon Sleeper to knock me out, and there’s no damn way he can make me submit. If he’s betting the whole match on that hold, then he’s already lost!”
Watts resumes looking at the ring. He knew he was the favorite for the match, but he knew Crane was going to have a few dirty tricks. Even without the High Rollers, Crane could use his title belt, a chair, cheap shots, or even “fire” someone from the High Rollers and have him interfere. Wesley Crane was the finest cheater in WUK, and he wasn’t going to lose against his biggest rival without throwing everything at the fan.
Webber wasn’t through trying to stooge.
“Did you know that Wesley Crane has been getting appreciation and respect from some of the fans?”
“Yeah, I heard. The Aussies had to pick between him and Gavin Drake. Getting cheered against Drake and MXG is a low bar. I don’t believe it’s real.”
“They cheered him at his casino, too.”
“I’ve been to that casino. They always cheer for him. He’s a local celebrity. It doesn’t matter.”
“So it wouldn’t bother you, if the fans in Vegas were split or even favoring Crane?”
“I’m only focusing on what I can control. Whether everyone loves it or hates, I’m making Crane tap out at Legacy!”
With a huff, Watts lets Webber know to leave him alone.
“Good talk, bud! I’ll get back to you about an interview!”
Webber scurries off.
This time is different. It needed to be different. The war had become toxic to both men. Crane, whether he admitted it or not, was unable to fully enjoy his Extreme Title win over Gavin Drake with Watts waiting for him. Watts had nothing but focus on Crane. He couldn’t care less about titles or matches that didn’t get him Crane. The Watts/Crane feud with the gangrenous limb of old WUK that needed to be amputated. There was no better way to do that than in a submission match with the High Roller’s Club banned from interfering.
With the ring constructed in Las Vegas, Watts was giving it his customary once over. He frowned as he inspected some of the damage that the mat suffered in Australia. The wear in the canvas could lead to a mistake unless you knew to avoid it. Wesley Crane often paid a high-end analytic service to evaluate the condition of the ring as well as how other wrestlers performed in it. If the speed of wrestlers decreased or the amount of slips increased, Crane would know all about it. Watts just couldn’t bring himself to trust a service. A report doesn’t provide the same tactile feedback as personally inspecting the ring.
While Watts was doing his work, Warren Webber slithered from the back. He was going a-stoogin’. Knowing nothing about the ring, Webber still tried to contribute. He knocked on the ring post.
“Call me ‘crazy’, but I like a metal ring post! I don’t care for those plastic or wood posts.”
“Where have you seen plastic or wood ring posts?”
Watts knew Webber was full of shit, but wasn’t going to let him off the hook. Without fail, Webber was prepared to dig the hole deeper.
“You ever wrestled in Japan?”
“No.”
“Well, if you had, plastic and wood ring posts are all the rage in Japan! Japan has low metal reserves, so they get creative in building their rings. Those Japanese are an industrious people. With their land ravaged by atomic bombs and nuclear meltdowns, they have to.”
“So atomic bombs and nuclear meltdowns led to plastic and wood ring posts?”
“History’s wild.”
“Right…What do you want?”
Watts let Webber have his empty victory. First and foremost on his mind was getting Webber the hell away from him.
“You have a big match coming up. Sure, it’s not the main event or penultimate match, but it’s big to you! You’re fighting Wesley Crane. WESLEY CRANE! The World Heavyweight Extreme Champion…of the World!”
“It’s been my only goal since coming back. All I’ve wanted is to get my hands on Wesley Crane after he tried to end my career! I had to fight through the top wrestlers in WUK, then through the whole High Roller’s Club in a gauntlet match. I’ve run through at least ten people on the way to Crane. I’m tired of waiting! I’m going to Vegas to get my revenge!”
“You’ll definitely have the chance! It’s a submission match, and the High Rollers are banned! You are definitely the betting favorite. They’re all saying ‘Boy, Crane is going to meet a world of hurt!’”
“I’ve heard Wesley Crane talk about his Dragon Sleeper, and I’m not worried about the Dragon Sleeper or the Golden Dragon! Go back and watch the tape from a year ago. Wesley Crane put the Dragon Sleeper on me, and I fought my way out. He had a chance to beat me with it, and he couldn’t pull it off! He always had to use interference and weapons.
Let me tell you about the Dragon Sleeper, Warren. It’s a deadly hold if you have the muscular arms to pull it off. Have you looked at Wesley Crane? He has noodles sticking out of his torso. There’s no way he can use the Dragon Sleeper to knock me out, and there’s no damn way he can make me submit. If he’s betting the whole match on that hold, then he’s already lost!”
Watts resumes looking at the ring. He knew he was the favorite for the match, but he knew Crane was going to have a few dirty tricks. Even without the High Rollers, Crane could use his title belt, a chair, cheap shots, or even “fire” someone from the High Rollers and have him interfere. Wesley Crane was the finest cheater in WUK, and he wasn’t going to lose against his biggest rival without throwing everything at the fan.
Webber wasn’t through trying to stooge.
“Did you know that Wesley Crane has been getting appreciation and respect from some of the fans?”
“Yeah, I heard. The Aussies had to pick between him and Gavin Drake. Getting cheered against Drake and MXG is a low bar. I don’t believe it’s real.”
“They cheered him at his casino, too.”
“I’ve been to that casino. They always cheer for him. He’s a local celebrity. It doesn’t matter.”
“So it wouldn’t bother you, if the fans in Vegas were split or even favoring Crane?”
“I’m only focusing on what I can control. Whether everyone loves it or hates, I’m making Crane tap out at Legacy!”
With a huff, Watts lets Webber know to leave him alone.
“Good talk, bud! I’ll get back to you about an interview!”
Webber scurries off.