Post by King Richius on Oct 23, 2017 18:07:29 GMT -5
WFWF International Assault RP
Gold Rush
featuring Frank Lynn
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Framingham, MA : October 23, 2017
At Uprising I got everything I wanted.
I started the night with a convincing win over Danny Young. I left no doubt as to who was the better wrestler. I kicked his ass. Another door slammed in someone’s face. To the back of the line with you.
I ended the night with a little face time with my good buddy Trace Demon. I’d like to say I was satisfied with his match, a clean match with Lucas Crowe that he won fair and square. But Trace being Trace, he still found a way to make it less than satisfying. I had to let the smug bastard know I was watching and that I wasn’t buying his act. I don’t know what the son of a bitch is planning but I know he is planning something… and now he knows I know. I may not be as good at the mind games as he is but I’m trying. He didn’t take a swing at me with a baseball bat so I must be doing something right.
In the middle of all that was the real kicker. Lila cracked. I will get my chance to show everyone exactly what a post-revolution WFWF can be. I will get a chance to do her job for her providing I can win a match. Shouldn’t be too difficult given my recent track record.
In retrospect it came a little easier than I thought, which makes me wonder just how staunch Lila’s opposition to the revolution really is. Maybe I gave her the opportunity she has been waiting for but couldn’t make happen for herself without risking her job. She seems perfectly okay with me taking the risk and I’m okay with that.
Let her line up whoever she wants in the special match. I don’t care who it is. I’m not afraid of anybody on the current roster nor am I afraid of any skeleton she wants to drag out of the closet. I know that when push comes to shove, I will come out on top and then I get to be GM for a day.
If only all of my generals were on board with the plan. Scott made it quite clear he wasn’t entirely happy.
I wish you had run your idea by me first. You went way off script.
Relax. You did your part, and quite well I might add. I thought you would be happy that my plan worked. We got the suits to crack. The revolution is going to win.
How can you be so sure?
How can you not?
You made an ultimatum. AN ULTIMATUM!
Yes I did.
He shakes his head in either disbelief or frustration. I can’t tell which. I don’t care either. He works for me, not the the other way around. I’m the one standing between the sh*t and the fan. That means his input is welcome but in the end I make the decisions and it’s his job to spin doctor them as necessary.
Ultimatums are not good business. You’re going all in when you didn’t have to. If you win you smell like roses. If you lose you smell like sh*t. There’s no middle ground.
Is that what you object to, that I am willing to lay it all on the line in one match?
In a word, YES! We’ve all worked very hard to set up this movement. It was working. You didn’t need to make an ultimatum. All you had to do was give it time.
Now you sound like Joe Bishop. Haven’t you realized by now that I am not a patient man? When I see something I want, I do everything I can to get it as soon as f*cking possible.
*shrug* No point crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done. Win or lose the revolution is coming to an end. All I can do now is wait to see how it turns out so I can rebrand you for a new marketing campaign.
You can start planning now for a victorious revolution and a brand new WFWF. Trust me.
As Scott said, what’s done is done. I went all in for the revolution. I will either be a conquering hero or a bum with egg on his face. I’ve got plenty of time to make sure I bring my A-plus game for whichever opponent Lila selects so I can avoid egg on my face.
Well, I did have time. Then Lila pulled a fast one on me, David Brennan, and the entire WFWF.
An Open f*cking Invitational Gauntlet for the International Championship. Sweet Jesus what a drastic, desperate move. Obviously Lila set this gauntlet up as a cheap ratings pop. She couldn’t afford another PPV with all of two matches on the card.
Interesting timing though, as it comes just a few shows before I may get my chance to run the show. Is it one last stab at the revolution? One last hurrah for the old ways where the spectacle takes precedence over honorable combat? One last middle finger to the revolution before it puts her out of a job?
Everyone expects that David Brennan is pissed as hell about the gauntlet. He already had a target on his back and Kyzer is sniffing his ass like a dog in heat. Lila just announced open season on Brennan and handed out hunting licenses along with loaded rifles to every f*cking wrestler on the planet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Davey boy ran around his house punching holes in the walls when he first heard the news. He’s already paranoid that Lila is out to get him because he isn’t “championship” material. Lila just gave the most dangerous man in the WFWF something to prove, as if Brennan needed that chip on his shoulder to get any bigger. Hell, if he gets any angrier, he’ll turn green and smash buildings for fun. That is not good news for the rest of us.
I would be surprised if anyone expected me to be pissed off about the gauntlet but that is exactly what I am. Pissed off enough that I sent a sparring partner to the ER with a broken jaw. That led to a few extra anger management sessions last week.
This gauntlet is yet another example of what is wrong with the WFWF. The money first, quality of competition last philosophy rules the day… as usual. Are we ready for another Hugh Jass to try and shock the wrestling world?
I agree that is about time Brennan defend the International title. He’s done that what, one time, since he won the title at SuperBrawl? He’s overdue for a title defense.
But goddamnit why in an open invitational gauntlet match? What happened to earning title shots? What happened to rewarding the wrestler who has been winning matches week in and week out against the highest level of competition?
In other words, what happened to me, Frank Lynn?
I just got f*cked in the ass by Lila’s giant strap-on, that’s what happened. No lube either. Just bend over and take it, big boy.
I’m so pissed I’m tempted to say no thank you and sit this one out. Refuse to participate in the dog and pony show Lila wants to roll out in Puerto Rico. I could sit back and watch everyone else beat the crap out of each other, then swoop in later to pick up the pieces of whoever is left when its over.
It’s not like I don’t have other important business on my mind with my GM for a day match on the horizon. That’s as big a deal to me as winning any title.
Nor would it be very revolutionary of me to accept an open invitation when I have been preaching that title shots should be earned. I’ve said it before and will say it again: the revolution cannot be led by a hypocrite.
I think I’ve earned a one on one title shot. I shouldn’t have to jump through flaming hoops beating people I’ve already beaten to get my shot.
Do I stick to my guns and say no? Or do I admit to my own weakness, an undeniable lust for a championship opportunity regardless of how it comes about?
Not an easy proposition and one I go back and forth on at least dozen times before I talk it out with Abraham.
It’s quite the dilemma.
Damn right. I want a shot but I don’t want it handed to me. I want to earn it. If and when I become a champion I want people to look at me the way they look at Joe Bishop or David Brennan, men who earned it… not the way people look at someone like Dex, who had it handed to him and then dropped the ball in truly epic fashion.
I respect that but I don’t think it applies in this case.
How so?
You’re still thinking like an MMA fighter. You’re a professional wrestler now. The wrestling business runs a little differently because entertainment is a bigger part of the show.
I know that. It’s why I quit MMA to become a wrestler in the first place.
But you haven’t completely accepted it. The revolution is your way of trying to make the WFWF more like a MMA promotion.
I know you think the revolution is a good idea. I’m just trying to bring a little of how you run Legacy to the WFWF.
I think that’s a great idea. The WFWF could use a little cleaning up but don’t forget that it will never be exactly the same as an MMA or boxing promotion. Wrestling will always be its own unique form of combat sports. There will always be some spectacle to guarantee the fans are entertained. There is no room for a bad card where every fight is a dud. The unexpected like this open invitational gauntlet adds to the excitement. Accept it and use it to your advantage.
In other words, eat my pride and join the gauntlet.
Exactly. Go out there and win it all. Become the champion I knew you would always be.
Well, if I do participate you better believe I’m going to try to beat David f’n Brennan.
There is no try. There is only do or do not.
Don’t go quoting Star Wars at me, old man.
I’d quote Confucius or Sun Tzu but I’m not sure you would know who the hell they are.
I know some Confucius. “He who goes to bed with itchy ass wakes up with smelly finger.”
Ha ha. But seriously Frank, join the gauntlet and win it all. No try, just do. Get in that ring, beat everyone put in front of you including Brennan, and become the International Champion.
Abe made a lot of sense. So did Daphne when she said almost the same thing a day later, although she spiced it up with a few colorful Spanish curse words to express her pending disappointment if I sat the gauntlet out. She hit below the belt when she pointed out that she has a title belt and she was tired of waiting for me to match her achievement. Something about who wears the putos pantalones in our partnership. I tried not to let it get to me but it did. Daphne always knows which buttons of mine to push. It’s kinda’ scary.
Maybe I was riding a little high on my horse thinking it would make some kind of revolutionary statement to say no. I’m the only one who would be hurt by staying out of the gauntlet. The cynic in me is very clear that despite what I would like to believe, truth is nobody would stand up and applaud my moral stance in boycotting the gauntlet match. Most people would probably laugh at me for wasting an opportunity if I refused the open invitation.
I don’t see Lucas Crowe or Anna Ahriman turning it down because they didn’t do anything to deserve it. Lila dangled the brass ring in front of them and they jumped. I’m sure others will show up who have less of a claim to a title shot than those two.
It’s practically my duty to myself and the revolution to make sure that whoever comes out of the gauntlet truly deserves a title shot because so far I’m not seeing anybody who has a stronger claim than me. Certainly not two people I beat while talking about slamming the door of opportunity in their faces.
How hypocritical would it be of me to have said those things and then not participate, literally holding the door of opportunity open for them?
In the catch twenty two world of damned if I do, damned if I don’t I have to make a choice.
I’ll have to accept that there is a bit of hypocrisy whether I join in or sit out.
I think a higher power chose that moment to intervene as my random playlist shuffled to Sweat Loaf by the Butthole Surfers. Even as I was trying to choose the lesser of two evils, Gibby Haynes’ voice spoke with prophetic wisdom: It’s better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t.
That settled it. I’m in. It will leave a bad taste in my mouth but I’m sure winning the International Championship will make the pill less bitter to swallow.
With the decision made, the only thing that remains is to make sure that everyone else in the gauntlet has something to regret instead of me.
I’m in and I’m going to win!
When I shared the news with Sarah, she agreed wholeheartedly.
I’m happy for you. It’s the right decision.
An opportunity is an opportunity whether it is earned or handed out like Halloween candy. I can’t let it slip by. But I still feel dirty.
Stop feeling guilty about it. You’ve been over analyzing the decision because you think its some major moral dilemma.
It is. The revolution is important. Everything I do is a reflection of the revolution.
No, it isn’t. You can work to improve the business AND work to improve your individual position at the same time. Nobody.. and I mean NOBODY is going to hold it against you that you took your shot.
My inner cynic agrees. And for the time being, the inner cynic is telling the inner revolutionary to shut the hell up.
Good. Let the revolution take a back seat for once. You’ll get back to it when you find out who your special opponent is, right?
Yep. Lila should let me know who I’m fighting and when at International Assault. Until then I’m honor bound to not do any revolutionary activities. That was the deal. No flyers, rallies, anti-WFWF speeches, and such.
Well then. What was the damn problem? Go to San Juan and kick some ass for yourself and forget about your revolution for one day.
Yes ma’am!
There is a lull in the conversation at this point. In fact, it seemed like the conversation was over and I was ready to leave Sarah to her book while I got in some cardio. But Sarah still had something on her mind.
I almost hate to bring this up now but I have something to tell you. It could be nothing or it could be something really big.
Well, spit it out and let me decide, ‘kay?
I’m late.
For what?
I’m embarrassed by my clueless male response. To make matters worse, I actually dug in my pocket for my keys thinking she needed a ride somewhere.
My period. I’m two weeks late and counting.
That kind of late.
Oh wait.
THAT KIND OF LATE!
Sarah has a strange idea of “could be nothing”.
Are you pregnant?
It’s too soon to tell. I should know by the time you get back. I just wanted you to know that it is a possibility. Maybe the thought of wrestling for your unborn child will give you extra incentive.
Quite the bombshell announcement. I don’t even remember what happened next. I was stuck in my head alternating between dread and ecstasy, which seemed rather silly as we don’t know if she really is pregnant yet. If this is how I react to the possibility, how would I deal with it if it becomes reality?
The more I think about it, the more I want to find out.
Sarah was right about one thing. It did give me extra incentive to work harder, to push harder, and to start achieving some of my personal goals in professional wrestling like stamping my name on the International Championship. I could be building a legacy for two. I want it to be something we can both be proud of.
San Juan, Puerto Rico : October 28, 2017 : International Assault
Welcome to the WFWF International Championship Open Invitational.
I could start with a long diatribe on how wrong this gauntlet is for the sport and how insulting I find it but my hands are tied on that front. Lila is giving me my opportunity soon enough to make a revolutionary stand so for now I’ll keep my mouth shut and let you pass your own judgements.
Suffice it to say that I am offended at the thought of sharing a title opportunity with wrestlers I’ve already defeated and whoever else crawls out from under a rock to answer Lila’s call to arms.
If there is anybody who has earned a title shot, it would be the last wrestler to defeat the Golden Opportunity Champion Ante Whitner before his ill-fated date with Phillip Schneider. It would be the wrestler who choked out Trace Demon in a f*cking street fight. It would be the wrestler who has taken on and beaten the best the WFWF currently has to offer (not named David Brennan).
In short, it would be me. The Lethal Weapon. Frank Lynn.
I have spent the last six months building myself into a legitimate contender, patiently waiting for Lila to take notice of my growing résumé and give me a shot at one of David f’n Brennan’s precious gold belts.
Instead of getting a one on one match though, I find myself volunteering to run a gauntlet of pretenders who think they are contenders.
Lucas Crowe is in. Why? He lost to David Brennan at SuperBrawl followed by nine months off followed by two defeats. That doesn’t even qualify as a résumé. I thought I sent him to the back of the line.
Anna Ahriman is in. Why? She debuted in the Supreme Gauntlet to less than stellar results, then shot her mouth off a bunch before I sent her to the back of the line too.
Same could be said for Danny Young, the uncrowned champion who will remain uncrowned as long as I have anything to say about it.
And lord knows who else will show up to join in Lila’s gold rush. Maybe Trace Demon considers the International Title to be beneath someone of his “stature” but maybe not. Maybe Ante and Drakz aren’t as “retired” as we have been led to believe. Maybe Schneider isn’t as injured as reported. Maybe Joshua Dean or Joe Bishop is ready to make a triumphant return.
Not to mention the many retired WFWF stars of the past who could be drawn out by the lure of the International Championship.
I look at them all and I see a bunch of wrestlers who haven’t done half as much as me in the past six months. I’m not just blowing my own horn when say that I am the obvious choice for number one contender to the International Championship. The facts back me up.
The line forms behind me. Or should if not for Lila Sleater’s quest for PPV buys.
The velvet rope has been removed, the bouncer given the night off, and everyone is invited inside for the party. Do you have a pulse? Great, come on down and take your shot.
F*ck that. This is my spot and I’m going to defend it. You want David Brennan you have to go through me first. I’m looking forward to slamming the door of opportunity in a whole lot of faces in the gauntlet match.
And then it will Frank Lynn versus David f’n Brennan for the International Championship.
That’s the penultimate carrot on a stick. It’s been a goal of mine ever since coming up short at SuperBrawl and the Supreme Gauntlet.
I’ve watched David ever since I arrived in the WFWF, which just happened to be the same night he made his return. He has been a juggernaut rolling through every opponent until there was nobody left. He is the champ. Doesn’t matter which championship you are talking about, he holds it. Like I said last time around, welcome to the DB f’n WF.
I’d love to get the opportunity to have another pissing contest with him. First time around was in the Supreme Gauntlet and he put me down. Second time was the tag match where he came out on top again but I’m going to give Trace Demon and a pair of handcuffs more credit for that win than anything Brennan did.
Third times the charm.
Or it should have been.
If I was named the number one contender and facing Brennan in a normal match.
Third time may not be the charm if I have to wrestle one or more matches before I even get to him. The good news is that I know I can beat the likes of Crowe, Ahriman, Whitner, and Demon because I already have. The bad news is that I may have to do it all over again in one night. And then after tiring myself out and getting beat up by the other gauntlet participants I would have to face a fresh, rested, and prepared David f’n Brennan.
Sounds like a losing proposition. The proverbial deck is stacked against me.
So why put myself through it?
Because I deserve this opportunity. I’ve done all the right things to earn a title shot but apparently this is the only way I’m going to get it. So I’m going to hit San Juan like a f*cking hurricane and take what is mine. If I have to kick Anna Ahriman’s head off her shoulders again I will. If I have to choke out Lucas Crowe again I will. If I have to trade chair shots with Trace Demon until his face looks like ground beef I will.
I don’t care who I have to beat, I will get the job done because I am the one who should be facing David f’n Brennan.
And no matter what hell I am put through getting to the final match, if they give me a minute to recover and a bottle of Gatorade to chug, I will be ready for the International Champion.
I know I can outwrestle David Brennan. He admitted that his mat skills aren’t the best before his matches with Joe Bishop. My mat skills are just as good as Joe’s. David’s strength is, as he might put it, his ability to hit people really f*cking hard. Guess what Davey boy? Years and years of MMA training means I know all about the striking game. I can take a punch and hit back just as hard if not harder. Plus I have twenty pounds on Joe Bishop. I’m a bigger, badder version of Joe Bishop. That should scare David because he needed two tries to beat Joe once and he just barely got the job done.
It won’t scare David though because of his ego. He truly believes he is God’s gift to the fight game, that no one can beat him. Nothing has happened in the past eighteen months to change his own self-inflated opinion of himself. He sits on his throne atop the mountain surrounded by gold looking down his nose at the rest of us and thinking we’re a bunch of wannabes, has-beens, and never-weres. He sees no threats to end the David Brennan Era.
That’s about to change. He will become a victim of his own success. His ego will blind him to the coming storm. I am the immovable object to his irresistible force.
I’m a different, much better wrestler than I was when we last met in a singles match. He will be surprised by just how much better I am now. I know what it takes to beat David and I know I have it in me.
He can talk his usual tough guy “f*ck you you insignificant piece of sh*t not worthy of my time” line of crap.
He can ramble on in his own special way using a thousand words to tell us that the gauntlet guarantees he will be facing a weakened opponent.
He can even insult me because I came from the wrong side of the river to be considered a true Boston bad boy. He can say there is no way somebody who grew up surrounded by Harvard and MIT geeks could ever beat him in a fight.
I don’t care. I want this. I want to finally claim some WFWF gold of my own. I want to collect a receipt for my previous losses to Brennan, just like I did against Whitner and Demon. And most of all, I want to take some of the DB out of DB f’n WF.
Not because I think he is a bad guy. He’s not that bad compared to others like Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider now that he’s off the sauce.
Not because he isn’t “championship” material. He beat Crowe and Bishop in straight up fights which is the only criteria I measure a champion by.
Not because my mother hated him, which she did because she thought the Brennan name represented the worst of Boston and she would want me to kick any Brennan ass. Blaming the son for the sins of the father hits a little too close to home for me to touch that.
I just don’t like David f’n Brennan. His attitude rubs me the wrong way. Somebody needs to knock that chip off his shoulder. I’m up to the challenge.
It’s time for all the work I’ve put in to pay off. It’s time for Frank Lynn to be a champion.
You’re going to share the wealth Davey boy… whether you like it or not.
When International Assault is over, I will be the new International Champion.
Don’t let it get you down too much. You’ll still have the World Heavyweight Championship… for now.
Gold Rush
featuring Frank Lynn
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Framingham, MA : October 23, 2017
At Uprising I got everything I wanted.
I started the night with a convincing win over Danny Young. I left no doubt as to who was the better wrestler. I kicked his ass. Another door slammed in someone’s face. To the back of the line with you.
I ended the night with a little face time with my good buddy Trace Demon. I’d like to say I was satisfied with his match, a clean match with Lucas Crowe that he won fair and square. But Trace being Trace, he still found a way to make it less than satisfying. I had to let the smug bastard know I was watching and that I wasn’t buying his act. I don’t know what the son of a bitch is planning but I know he is planning something… and now he knows I know. I may not be as good at the mind games as he is but I’m trying. He didn’t take a swing at me with a baseball bat so I must be doing something right.
In the middle of all that was the real kicker. Lila cracked. I will get my chance to show everyone exactly what a post-revolution WFWF can be. I will get a chance to do her job for her providing I can win a match. Shouldn’t be too difficult given my recent track record.
In retrospect it came a little easier than I thought, which makes me wonder just how staunch Lila’s opposition to the revolution really is. Maybe I gave her the opportunity she has been waiting for but couldn’t make happen for herself without risking her job. She seems perfectly okay with me taking the risk and I’m okay with that.
Let her line up whoever she wants in the special match. I don’t care who it is. I’m not afraid of anybody on the current roster nor am I afraid of any skeleton she wants to drag out of the closet. I know that when push comes to shove, I will come out on top and then I get to be GM for a day.
If only all of my generals were on board with the plan. Scott made it quite clear he wasn’t entirely happy.
I wish you had run your idea by me first. You went way off script.
Relax. You did your part, and quite well I might add. I thought you would be happy that my plan worked. We got the suits to crack. The revolution is going to win.
How can you be so sure?
How can you not?
You made an ultimatum. AN ULTIMATUM!
Yes I did.
He shakes his head in either disbelief or frustration. I can’t tell which. I don’t care either. He works for me, not the the other way around. I’m the one standing between the sh*t and the fan. That means his input is welcome but in the end I make the decisions and it’s his job to spin doctor them as necessary.
Ultimatums are not good business. You’re going all in when you didn’t have to. If you win you smell like roses. If you lose you smell like sh*t. There’s no middle ground.
Is that what you object to, that I am willing to lay it all on the line in one match?
In a word, YES! We’ve all worked very hard to set up this movement. It was working. You didn’t need to make an ultimatum. All you had to do was give it time.
Now you sound like Joe Bishop. Haven’t you realized by now that I am not a patient man? When I see something I want, I do everything I can to get it as soon as f*cking possible.
*shrug* No point crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done. Win or lose the revolution is coming to an end. All I can do now is wait to see how it turns out so I can rebrand you for a new marketing campaign.
You can start planning now for a victorious revolution and a brand new WFWF. Trust me.
As Scott said, what’s done is done. I went all in for the revolution. I will either be a conquering hero or a bum with egg on his face. I’ve got plenty of time to make sure I bring my A-plus game for whichever opponent Lila selects so I can avoid egg on my face.
Well, I did have time. Then Lila pulled a fast one on me, David Brennan, and the entire WFWF.
An Open f*cking Invitational Gauntlet for the International Championship. Sweet Jesus what a drastic, desperate move. Obviously Lila set this gauntlet up as a cheap ratings pop. She couldn’t afford another PPV with all of two matches on the card.
Interesting timing though, as it comes just a few shows before I may get my chance to run the show. Is it one last stab at the revolution? One last hurrah for the old ways where the spectacle takes precedence over honorable combat? One last middle finger to the revolution before it puts her out of a job?
Everyone expects that David Brennan is pissed as hell about the gauntlet. He already had a target on his back and Kyzer is sniffing his ass like a dog in heat. Lila just announced open season on Brennan and handed out hunting licenses along with loaded rifles to every f*cking wrestler on the planet.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Davey boy ran around his house punching holes in the walls when he first heard the news. He’s already paranoid that Lila is out to get him because he isn’t “championship” material. Lila just gave the most dangerous man in the WFWF something to prove, as if Brennan needed that chip on his shoulder to get any bigger. Hell, if he gets any angrier, he’ll turn green and smash buildings for fun. That is not good news for the rest of us.
I would be surprised if anyone expected me to be pissed off about the gauntlet but that is exactly what I am. Pissed off enough that I sent a sparring partner to the ER with a broken jaw. That led to a few extra anger management sessions last week.
This gauntlet is yet another example of what is wrong with the WFWF. The money first, quality of competition last philosophy rules the day… as usual. Are we ready for another Hugh Jass to try and shock the wrestling world?
I agree that is about time Brennan defend the International title. He’s done that what, one time, since he won the title at SuperBrawl? He’s overdue for a title defense.
But goddamnit why in an open invitational gauntlet match? What happened to earning title shots? What happened to rewarding the wrestler who has been winning matches week in and week out against the highest level of competition?
In other words, what happened to me, Frank Lynn?
I just got f*cked in the ass by Lila’s giant strap-on, that’s what happened. No lube either. Just bend over and take it, big boy.
I’m so pissed I’m tempted to say no thank you and sit this one out. Refuse to participate in the dog and pony show Lila wants to roll out in Puerto Rico. I could sit back and watch everyone else beat the crap out of each other, then swoop in later to pick up the pieces of whoever is left when its over.
It’s not like I don’t have other important business on my mind with my GM for a day match on the horizon. That’s as big a deal to me as winning any title.
Nor would it be very revolutionary of me to accept an open invitation when I have been preaching that title shots should be earned. I’ve said it before and will say it again: the revolution cannot be led by a hypocrite.
I think I’ve earned a one on one title shot. I shouldn’t have to jump through flaming hoops beating people I’ve already beaten to get my shot.
Do I stick to my guns and say no? Or do I admit to my own weakness, an undeniable lust for a championship opportunity regardless of how it comes about?
Not an easy proposition and one I go back and forth on at least dozen times before I talk it out with Abraham.
It’s quite the dilemma.
Damn right. I want a shot but I don’t want it handed to me. I want to earn it. If and when I become a champion I want people to look at me the way they look at Joe Bishop or David Brennan, men who earned it… not the way people look at someone like Dex, who had it handed to him and then dropped the ball in truly epic fashion.
I respect that but I don’t think it applies in this case.
How so?
You’re still thinking like an MMA fighter. You’re a professional wrestler now. The wrestling business runs a little differently because entertainment is a bigger part of the show.
I know that. It’s why I quit MMA to become a wrestler in the first place.
But you haven’t completely accepted it. The revolution is your way of trying to make the WFWF more like a MMA promotion.
I know you think the revolution is a good idea. I’m just trying to bring a little of how you run Legacy to the WFWF.
I think that’s a great idea. The WFWF could use a little cleaning up but don’t forget that it will never be exactly the same as an MMA or boxing promotion. Wrestling will always be its own unique form of combat sports. There will always be some spectacle to guarantee the fans are entertained. There is no room for a bad card where every fight is a dud. The unexpected like this open invitational gauntlet adds to the excitement. Accept it and use it to your advantage.
In other words, eat my pride and join the gauntlet.
Exactly. Go out there and win it all. Become the champion I knew you would always be.
Well, if I do participate you better believe I’m going to try to beat David f’n Brennan.
There is no try. There is only do or do not.
Don’t go quoting Star Wars at me, old man.
I’d quote Confucius or Sun Tzu but I’m not sure you would know who the hell they are.
I know some Confucius. “He who goes to bed with itchy ass wakes up with smelly finger.”
Ha ha. But seriously Frank, join the gauntlet and win it all. No try, just do. Get in that ring, beat everyone put in front of you including Brennan, and become the International Champion.
Abe made a lot of sense. So did Daphne when she said almost the same thing a day later, although she spiced it up with a few colorful Spanish curse words to express her pending disappointment if I sat the gauntlet out. She hit below the belt when she pointed out that she has a title belt and she was tired of waiting for me to match her achievement. Something about who wears the putos pantalones in our partnership. I tried not to let it get to me but it did. Daphne always knows which buttons of mine to push. It’s kinda’ scary.
Maybe I was riding a little high on my horse thinking it would make some kind of revolutionary statement to say no. I’m the only one who would be hurt by staying out of the gauntlet. The cynic in me is very clear that despite what I would like to believe, truth is nobody would stand up and applaud my moral stance in boycotting the gauntlet match. Most people would probably laugh at me for wasting an opportunity if I refused the open invitation.
I don’t see Lucas Crowe or Anna Ahriman turning it down because they didn’t do anything to deserve it. Lila dangled the brass ring in front of them and they jumped. I’m sure others will show up who have less of a claim to a title shot than those two.
It’s practically my duty to myself and the revolution to make sure that whoever comes out of the gauntlet truly deserves a title shot because so far I’m not seeing anybody who has a stronger claim than me. Certainly not two people I beat while talking about slamming the door of opportunity in their faces.
How hypocritical would it be of me to have said those things and then not participate, literally holding the door of opportunity open for them?
In the catch twenty two world of damned if I do, damned if I don’t I have to make a choice.
I’ll have to accept that there is a bit of hypocrisy whether I join in or sit out.
I think a higher power chose that moment to intervene as my random playlist shuffled to Sweat Loaf by the Butthole Surfers. Even as I was trying to choose the lesser of two evils, Gibby Haynes’ voice spoke with prophetic wisdom: It’s better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t.
That settled it. I’m in. It will leave a bad taste in my mouth but I’m sure winning the International Championship will make the pill less bitter to swallow.
With the decision made, the only thing that remains is to make sure that everyone else in the gauntlet has something to regret instead of me.
I’m in and I’m going to win!
When I shared the news with Sarah, she agreed wholeheartedly.
I’m happy for you. It’s the right decision.
An opportunity is an opportunity whether it is earned or handed out like Halloween candy. I can’t let it slip by. But I still feel dirty.
Stop feeling guilty about it. You’ve been over analyzing the decision because you think its some major moral dilemma.
It is. The revolution is important. Everything I do is a reflection of the revolution.
No, it isn’t. You can work to improve the business AND work to improve your individual position at the same time. Nobody.. and I mean NOBODY is going to hold it against you that you took your shot.
My inner cynic agrees. And for the time being, the inner cynic is telling the inner revolutionary to shut the hell up.
Good. Let the revolution take a back seat for once. You’ll get back to it when you find out who your special opponent is, right?
Yep. Lila should let me know who I’m fighting and when at International Assault. Until then I’m honor bound to not do any revolutionary activities. That was the deal. No flyers, rallies, anti-WFWF speeches, and such.
Well then. What was the damn problem? Go to San Juan and kick some ass for yourself and forget about your revolution for one day.
Yes ma’am!
There is a lull in the conversation at this point. In fact, it seemed like the conversation was over and I was ready to leave Sarah to her book while I got in some cardio. But Sarah still had something on her mind.
I almost hate to bring this up now but I have something to tell you. It could be nothing or it could be something really big.
Well, spit it out and let me decide, ‘kay?
I’m late.
For what?
I’m embarrassed by my clueless male response. To make matters worse, I actually dug in my pocket for my keys thinking she needed a ride somewhere.
My period. I’m two weeks late and counting.
That kind of late.
Oh wait.
THAT KIND OF LATE!
Sarah has a strange idea of “could be nothing”.
Are you pregnant?
It’s too soon to tell. I should know by the time you get back. I just wanted you to know that it is a possibility. Maybe the thought of wrestling for your unborn child will give you extra incentive.
Quite the bombshell announcement. I don’t even remember what happened next. I was stuck in my head alternating between dread and ecstasy, which seemed rather silly as we don’t know if she really is pregnant yet. If this is how I react to the possibility, how would I deal with it if it becomes reality?
The more I think about it, the more I want to find out.
Sarah was right about one thing. It did give me extra incentive to work harder, to push harder, and to start achieving some of my personal goals in professional wrestling like stamping my name on the International Championship. I could be building a legacy for two. I want it to be something we can both be proud of.
San Juan, Puerto Rico : October 28, 2017 : International Assault
Welcome to the WFWF International Championship Open Invitational.
I could start with a long diatribe on how wrong this gauntlet is for the sport and how insulting I find it but my hands are tied on that front. Lila is giving me my opportunity soon enough to make a revolutionary stand so for now I’ll keep my mouth shut and let you pass your own judgements.
Suffice it to say that I am offended at the thought of sharing a title opportunity with wrestlers I’ve already defeated and whoever else crawls out from under a rock to answer Lila’s call to arms.
If there is anybody who has earned a title shot, it would be the last wrestler to defeat the Golden Opportunity Champion Ante Whitner before his ill-fated date with Phillip Schneider. It would be the wrestler who choked out Trace Demon in a f*cking street fight. It would be the wrestler who has taken on and beaten the best the WFWF currently has to offer (not named David Brennan).
In short, it would be me. The Lethal Weapon. Frank Lynn.
I have spent the last six months building myself into a legitimate contender, patiently waiting for Lila to take notice of my growing résumé and give me a shot at one of David f’n Brennan’s precious gold belts.
Instead of getting a one on one match though, I find myself volunteering to run a gauntlet of pretenders who think they are contenders.
Lucas Crowe is in. Why? He lost to David Brennan at SuperBrawl followed by nine months off followed by two defeats. That doesn’t even qualify as a résumé. I thought I sent him to the back of the line.
Anna Ahriman is in. Why? She debuted in the Supreme Gauntlet to less than stellar results, then shot her mouth off a bunch before I sent her to the back of the line too.
Same could be said for Danny Young, the uncrowned champion who will remain uncrowned as long as I have anything to say about it.
And lord knows who else will show up to join in Lila’s gold rush. Maybe Trace Demon considers the International Title to be beneath someone of his “stature” but maybe not. Maybe Ante and Drakz aren’t as “retired” as we have been led to believe. Maybe Schneider isn’t as injured as reported. Maybe Joshua Dean or Joe Bishop is ready to make a triumphant return.
Not to mention the many retired WFWF stars of the past who could be drawn out by the lure of the International Championship.
I look at them all and I see a bunch of wrestlers who haven’t done half as much as me in the past six months. I’m not just blowing my own horn when say that I am the obvious choice for number one contender to the International Championship. The facts back me up.
The line forms behind me. Or should if not for Lila Sleater’s quest for PPV buys.
The velvet rope has been removed, the bouncer given the night off, and everyone is invited inside for the party. Do you have a pulse? Great, come on down and take your shot.
F*ck that. This is my spot and I’m going to defend it. You want David Brennan you have to go through me first. I’m looking forward to slamming the door of opportunity in a whole lot of faces in the gauntlet match.
And then it will Frank Lynn versus David f’n Brennan for the International Championship.
That’s the penultimate carrot on a stick. It’s been a goal of mine ever since coming up short at SuperBrawl and the Supreme Gauntlet.
I’ve watched David ever since I arrived in the WFWF, which just happened to be the same night he made his return. He has been a juggernaut rolling through every opponent until there was nobody left. He is the champ. Doesn’t matter which championship you are talking about, he holds it. Like I said last time around, welcome to the DB f’n WF.
I’d love to get the opportunity to have another pissing contest with him. First time around was in the Supreme Gauntlet and he put me down. Second time was the tag match where he came out on top again but I’m going to give Trace Demon and a pair of handcuffs more credit for that win than anything Brennan did.
Third times the charm.
Or it should have been.
If I was named the number one contender and facing Brennan in a normal match.
Third time may not be the charm if I have to wrestle one or more matches before I even get to him. The good news is that I know I can beat the likes of Crowe, Ahriman, Whitner, and Demon because I already have. The bad news is that I may have to do it all over again in one night. And then after tiring myself out and getting beat up by the other gauntlet participants I would have to face a fresh, rested, and prepared David f’n Brennan.
Sounds like a losing proposition. The proverbial deck is stacked against me.
So why put myself through it?
Because I deserve this opportunity. I’ve done all the right things to earn a title shot but apparently this is the only way I’m going to get it. So I’m going to hit San Juan like a f*cking hurricane and take what is mine. If I have to kick Anna Ahriman’s head off her shoulders again I will. If I have to choke out Lucas Crowe again I will. If I have to trade chair shots with Trace Demon until his face looks like ground beef I will.
I don’t care who I have to beat, I will get the job done because I am the one who should be facing David f’n Brennan.
And no matter what hell I am put through getting to the final match, if they give me a minute to recover and a bottle of Gatorade to chug, I will be ready for the International Champion.
I know I can outwrestle David Brennan. He admitted that his mat skills aren’t the best before his matches with Joe Bishop. My mat skills are just as good as Joe’s. David’s strength is, as he might put it, his ability to hit people really f*cking hard. Guess what Davey boy? Years and years of MMA training means I know all about the striking game. I can take a punch and hit back just as hard if not harder. Plus I have twenty pounds on Joe Bishop. I’m a bigger, badder version of Joe Bishop. That should scare David because he needed two tries to beat Joe once and he just barely got the job done.
It won’t scare David though because of his ego. He truly believes he is God’s gift to the fight game, that no one can beat him. Nothing has happened in the past eighteen months to change his own self-inflated opinion of himself. He sits on his throne atop the mountain surrounded by gold looking down his nose at the rest of us and thinking we’re a bunch of wannabes, has-beens, and never-weres. He sees no threats to end the David Brennan Era.
That’s about to change. He will become a victim of his own success. His ego will blind him to the coming storm. I am the immovable object to his irresistible force.
I’m a different, much better wrestler than I was when we last met in a singles match. He will be surprised by just how much better I am now. I know what it takes to beat David and I know I have it in me.
He can talk his usual tough guy “f*ck you you insignificant piece of sh*t not worthy of my time” line of crap.
He can ramble on in his own special way using a thousand words to tell us that the gauntlet guarantees he will be facing a weakened opponent.
He can even insult me because I came from the wrong side of the river to be considered a true Boston bad boy. He can say there is no way somebody who grew up surrounded by Harvard and MIT geeks could ever beat him in a fight.
I don’t care. I want this. I want to finally claim some WFWF gold of my own. I want to collect a receipt for my previous losses to Brennan, just like I did against Whitner and Demon. And most of all, I want to take some of the DB out of DB f’n WF.
Not because I think he is a bad guy. He’s not that bad compared to others like Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider now that he’s off the sauce.
Not because he isn’t “championship” material. He beat Crowe and Bishop in straight up fights which is the only criteria I measure a champion by.
Not because my mother hated him, which she did because she thought the Brennan name represented the worst of Boston and she would want me to kick any Brennan ass. Blaming the son for the sins of the father hits a little too close to home for me to touch that.
I just don’t like David f’n Brennan. His attitude rubs me the wrong way. Somebody needs to knock that chip off his shoulder. I’m up to the challenge.
It’s time for all the work I’ve put in to pay off. It’s time for Frank Lynn to be a champion.
You’re going to share the wealth Davey boy… whether you like it or not.
When International Assault is over, I will be the new International Champion.
Don’t let it get you down too much. You’ll still have the World Heavyweight Championship… for now.