Promo: Beginnings and Endings

[Guest Grand Slam]

1-27-2003

 

I used to look forward to Pay-Per-View weeks. There was a nice break between shows, and it was a good time to get home for a few days, recharge the batteries and then hit the road. Then the PPV itself... hyped crowds, long matches... just the spectacle of it was a rush. Then there was another long week between shows. I loved PPV Weeks.

 

Things change though... nowadays I spend more time on the road than I did when I was active, particularly since the Board ousted Stubby. That was a fun week.

 

King called me late that night, or very early the next morning, depending on where you were. I, unfortunately, was using my long holiday break to spend some quality time with Lynn in Hawaii. King had been home for a visit with his family when the Board called him and flew him right to Chicago. In the corporate jet. At 2 in the morning. King went right into the meeting and they told him about Stubbs. Then they offered him the job and the ability to put together his staff.

 

I think he called TBS first. Then he called me. It was 9:30 am by his watch. My cell phone rang at 4:30 am Hawaii time. Urg... 4:30 is early normally, but on vacation after a midnight luau, 4:30 am is ungodly early. So, King asked me to help him out, and I was thrilled to do it.

 

Flash forward a few weeks, and here we are. I accepted the Director of Talent Relations gig again (mostly because there wasn't anyone else who wanted the job), I'm on the booking committee along with King and Strangler and I keep busy with some Road Agent duties too. Add in the Training Center I've been thinking about starting up and my life has suddenly become very busy indeed.

 

So, as I was saying, PPV Weeks used to be great, but now they are worse than a normal week. There the meetings in Chicago. There the trip to the arena. There the endless meetings with talent laying out the show. Then there are my announcing duties to attend to. And this PPV in specific was, well, a Clusterf*ck. This is a tough show to book in the first place but add in that this is the first PPV of the Post-Stubby era and it has been mighty stressful around here. But the show is shaping up to be a good one, and if it holds up to that promise it might just be our first "The whole card nominated for MOTY". That's the kind of potential we're looking at here.

 

Some of the boys are really picking up their game. My favorite these past few weeks has been Tod. Damn, that kid is a machine. He shows up way early for almost every show and shows a willingness to get in the ring that reminds me of a certain former student of mine a few years ago. And his mike work has been superb as of late in addition. Ash seems to be thrilled with his new gimmick. Silent is starting to pick up steam as he settles into his new role as a babyface. I think Tom and ELM are going to tear down the house Sunday. Z has been doing some nice promowork as of late. And the Annie / Judge angle looks to me like it could totally revitalize the Hardcore division.

 

Watching these atheletes busting their collective asses really makes me want to get back in the ring, but how could I ever top my retirement match? Well, I'll tell you how. Watching a student, someone I trained from the ground up, win the SWF title someday. Thus, the "Bases Loaded Training Center". I've got an option on an old machine shop in Aurora and if some things work out, Lynn, Chris and I might move to the Windy City. I've always liked training new kids, teaching them the basics and watching them learn the business I love. And it would cut down on the travel time during the week. I could drive to work!! King is being pretty supportive. He said if I get it up and running and one of my kids looks good, there might be a spot in the JL for him. Now that's motivation. Besides, he has a 15% interest in the place... they don;t call him the Gambling Man for nothing.

 

Take it Easy...

 

"Grand Slam" Mark Stevens

[Guest 5_moves_of_doom]

If this ends up with you creating a ringer, I'm marking like a bitch.

If this ends up with you putting "TNT's DYN-O-MITE Training Facilities" our of business, then I'm not.

 

Good read, either way.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Heh heh. Kayfabe is overrated.

 

I love seeing one of these now and then. So...fun. They just make our little game seem like one hell of an organization. Rawk.

[Guest Ace309]

Well, Mark, what more can I say? These are always a pleasure to read.

[Guest Grand Slam]

Thanks for the comments. I enjoy writing this sort of thing because right now, this is all Grand Slam would be involved in. And don't worry, this isn't some elaborate setup for me bringing in a ringer. If I had time to write, I'd be writing Grand Slam. If anything, I thought it might be a good background thing to establish. Maybe someone looking for a background for a new JLer will see this and think... "Cool, Grand Slam could train me." That would be neato.

 

As it is though, I am wondering if it is worth continuing these "Breaking Kayfabe" promos as they really do not add anything to the storytelling aspect of the SWF and could be seen as "clutter" on the boards, another example of an old timer who just won't go away...

 

or am I overreacting...

[Guest realitycheck]

Bah, nonsense, Mark. Little things like this are what make us the best e-fed on the net. I'll venture a guess you think it's 'clutter' because it didn't get a lot of responses, but I figure that's because the majority of us are terribly lazy bastards who wait 4 days before getting around to responding. Like me.

 

Besides, we like our old timers who won't go away. The SWF doesn't resent it's Kliq.

 

At least, not until they come back and start winning stuff again, anyway.

 

-Z

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Clutter mah ass!

 

Just don't do one every day or call it "MARKY MARK FUN TIME SHOW!!!" and you'll be fine, my man.

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

Nice. I like it. Sure, mainly because I was involved in it. But still, it was kinda fun. I'd like Grand Slam to write more of these types of things every few weeks or so.

 

Note: In case I come back some day, this will be ignored....since Strangler is still rehabbing in Boston somewhere.

[Guest Ace309]

I don't see them as clutter. They always seem to pop up during slow times (what a coincidence, eh?), and like I said, think they're very entertaining.

 

Plus, they're keeping you sharp.