Promo: Breaking Kayfabe 2-18-03

[Guest Grand Slam]

Breaking Kayfabe - February 18, 2003

 

Well, it happened. I officially moved to Chicago last week. Lynn and Chris will follow in a week or two after she finished up some business for a client. This is a huge adjustment, and the first time I have moved out of my home state, but I think it will be for the best in the long run. Lynn has been great, very supportive and understanding as my career transitions yet again.

 

I tried the retired bit, but I think the saying is correct, "No one stays retired." I couldn't stay away. I remember before Stubby hired me as a road agent and announcer, I watched every single show with Lynn, and she couldn't stand it. I was sitting on the edge of the seat, wringing my hands and fidgeting. It drove her nuts. She's known me long enough to be able to see what I was going through. I was dying to get back in the business.

 

I remember her looking at me one night after Storm went off the air and smiling. "Call Stubby." It wasn't a suggestion, nor was it an order. She just understood that there was something I still needed to do. So here I am. I have an official title, a desk that travels around from arena to arena and a small office just around the corner from King's at the Chicago HQ. I remember talking to Fallout, Edwin, Sacred and Bo at dinner one night on the road when we all splitting a van that I had no desire to be "management". We all raised our glasses and offered a hearty "Hear, hear!" And here I am.

 

On the other hand, outside of my duties with the Fed, I've been training a couple of kids off and on while I was home in Nebraska. That's what made me decide to go formal and make it official, so to speak, with the new Bases Loaded Training Center in Aurora. Nice place actually. It's a converted factory, just the right atmosphere for the blood, sweat and tears that fall there. So far, there have been a ton of kids sending in apps, but I am trying to keep the class sizes small. Other than me, there might be a couple of former WFers bouncing around helping with the training (no names though, at least not yet) but nowhere near enough to run class sizes above maybe 10 or 15 kids at a time.

 

But believe it or not, I already have my first grad. Kid named Aaron Carpenter. He showed a lot of natural aptitude and the stamina to stay in the game and be patient enough to train with me when I had the time. He sent a videotape of himself working with some of the other students to Thoth and got a call. I was honored when he asked me to be his opponent for a tryout match. It took me a good long time to talk him into not doing the job though. Damn, I mean the kid wanted to lose his first match in front of the JL brass! Best I could talk him into was a draw. We busted our asses in the ring (felt good, but man am I out of ring shape, I was sucking wind long before I used to.) for thirty minutes in front of a very surprised JL House Show crowd last week. I am trying to keep out of it, I don't work for the JL, but I hear they were impressed with him. Hopefully, all of you reading this will be seeing him soon. I couldn't be more proud if the kid were my son. I think he has a chance to go pretty far in this business if injuries don't sideline him too often too early.

 

Well, I think that's about it for now.

 

Keep swinging for the fences,

 

- "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens

[Guest Ace309]

I love these, and I love the angle this is working into.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Splittin' a van with the boys is the bomb!

 

And I like the continuity with the Bases Loaded Training Center. Grand Slam is totally sweet.

[Guest Thoth]

I'm the JL Commissioner!

[Guest kelloggs]

Another nice promo... and that is a seriously great angle for someone to come in with. Being a Mark Stevens pupil would own.

[Guest Grand Slam]

Well Thoth, I figured they sent their matches to you in real life, why couldn't you be, like, the talent scout for the JL? You review the tapes to see who gets a tryout match. Makes sense to me.

 

And thanks for the commenst all. I love writing these little things, and I hope no one gets sick of them.

[Guest Perfect_Bo]

You see, me and Mark go way back...ANARCHY BABY!

 

Anyways, that was a nice promo, really good, and yes, we do split vans...times were tough back then.

 

Anyways, keep this shit going Mark...who knows where you'll end up next. I really hope you're not that Arron Character.

 

Chucky

[Guest Grand Slam]

About the van... one of my favorite parts of Foley's books is where he talks about even the most well-paid wrestlers being cheapskates on the road, just because they remember their days working for nothing in indy feds. I always imagined Grand Slam as your prototypical "every way to save a buck" guy on the road, thus the reason in these promos that I talk about splitting the cost of hotel rooms and rental cars (and vans). besides, can you imagine the conversation in that van?

 

Rental ... $125 a day

Snacks for the road ... $20

One decent meal on the way ... $100 split 5 ways

Conversation between Stevens, Edwin, Fallout, Sacred and Bo ... Priceless

 

And yes Bo, we do go way back. You were in my first match ever, after all. Sorry to see you go, man.

 

Oh, and were I to come back, it would be as Grand Slam. No way I'm starting over in the JL. So have no fear, this Aaron Carpenter is not me.