PROMO: All I Want is a Shower...

[Ace309 0]

It's been a long, hard night for Tom Flesher. First, the aching drive from Chicago to Des Moines... and of course, riding with someone like Mak Francis doesn't make the drive go any quicker, with his thumping beats and his right thurrs. Then, there's the stay in that god-forsaken Motel 6 (money conservation is a joke)... about four hours of restless sleep. And now, of course, he's just come in from a long, hard-fought house show battle with Va'aiga, coming out the victor in a grueling twenty-three minute affair. The Des Moines crowd was on their feet, and a sweaty Flesher, towel around his neck, walked happily to the back...

 

Maybe the long hard night was worth it. After any win, one would think so, and the Superior One was looking forward to a nice, hot shower in his dressing room, a change of clothes, and a good night's sleep in a comfortable hotel.

 

Tom reached the locker room, and turned the handle on the doorknob, opening it up to find darkness. Not one to trust dark spaces, Flesher flipped the light switch...

 

"Surprise, Tom."

 

...to find Mike Van Siclen, casually brushing his hair with his fingers on the locker room's bench. Tom looked at him, obviously a bit uncomfortable, as he cautiously entered the room. As it became more and more apparent that Van Siclen had no desire to attack him, Flesher let his guard down, smirking at Van Siclen.

 

"You know, Mike, generally when you sneak attack someone there's some sort of attack involved."

 

Flesher snorts a quick laugh. Mike snickers too, the sound of the two men's chuckles in unison a bit unnerving. Van Siclen stops his short, however, looking at Tom with a cold, deadly serious look in his face.

 

"Who said anything about a sneak attack?"

 

Flesher cocks an eyebrow at Van Siclen. "Well, Mike, when I walk into my locker room and there's a lurker in the darkness, the first thought that comes into my mind is 'sneak attack'."

 

"You should know by now that I'm vastly different from anyone else," Van Siclen replies coolly. "You see, Tom, were I anyone else with a grudge, yeah, I'd probably attack you right now. But then, were I anyone else with a grudge, wouldn't I have attacked you two years ago, when my leg healed?"

 

Tom nods curtly. "Yeah, I suppose. Although, were you anyone else you'd probably be over it by now. We're both good guys, right?"

 

Mike nods as well, in agreement. "We are both good guys, Tom, but at the same time two good guys can't like each other just because they're both good guys. Hell, man, I think Dick Clark is a good guy, but every time I watch New Years' Rockin' Eve I want to throw him off a cliff."

 

Tom cringes. "Leave the humor to me, Mike. It's easier."

 

Mike shrugs. "Look, Tom, my point is this. I challenged you for tomorrow night for a reason. I want to be looked at as the guy who pinned Tom Flesher, one-two-three, dead center of the ring. I want to be looked at as the guy who took Tom Flesher on at full strength and beat him, not the guy who beat Flesher after Wildchild softened him up at Clusterfuck."

 

"Well aren't we Mr. Noble And Courageous."

 

Mike shoots Tom an icy glare. "Just because I'm not going to attack you doesn't give you a free ride, bub. I'm making it sound like we're friends here, Tom, but you and I both know that we're not. Maybe someday, after I feel like I can forgive you... maybe then we can be friends, Tom. But right now, there's only three things on my mind. Tom Flesher... SWF Storm... and victory."

 

"Good for you, boyo," Tom says wearily. "I'm happy for you, but let me remind you what you're up against. SWF World Champion... twice. SWF ICTV Champion... SWF United States Champion... SWF Tag Team Champion... SJL World Champion... SJL European Champion, which, by the way, I've beaten you for. See, Mike, I made a meteoric rise to the top after I beat you. I've gotten better. What have you gotten, exactly? A fluke win over Craven for a meaningless title?"

 

Mike chews Tom's words, obviously not wanting to agree with the Superior One, but at the same time realizing he has a valid point. Van Siclen nods slowly in agreement, looking at Flesher with a look of hard determination.

 

"You're right, Tom. I've accomplished very little since I lost to you... SJL World Champion... United States champion... but that's child's play to you, Tom, and I realize that. But at the same time, Tom, I'm a brand new person, different than I was last July when my contract ran out. Grand Slam saw it... that's why I came back on New Year's. Thugg, he saw it... that's why he lost to me two straight times. The fans, the commentators, the guys in the back... everybody can see that I'm on the comeback trail, Tom. You said you've grown since the JL days, but I haven't... and I say to you that I've done more growing than you think. I say to you, what makes you think that you can go out there on any given night and beat me? Precedent?" Mike smirks, still glaring daggers at Tom. "Well let me tell you, Tom... you can throw precedent out the goddamn window." Van Siclen jerks his head towards the shower. "Try to enjoy yourself now, Tom... because you won't be enjoying much tomorrow night."

 

Van Siclen puts his hands in his pocket and walks out the locker room door, his eyes never losing focus. Flesher stares after him, the determination Van Siclen feels making an obvious impact as he looks at the path Mike followed. Mike pauses and turns around, leaving Flesher with one final thought.

 

"I'm going to take you out tomorrow night, Tom, and in the end it's not because that's what I said... that's just the way it is."

[Hank Kingsley 0]

Excellent promo. I hope this isn't the only match between you two, because a feud could turn into something SPECTACULAR~

[Dace59 0]

Feel the wave of promos. All of which are kicking ass.

 

That was a really good one. Damn my lack of skills.

[Ace309 0]

I can't take credit for this. Mike wrote the whole thing and then sent it along to me. I cleaned up the grammar and phrasing and played with some of the characters' lines, but Mike deserves the props.

[Dace59 0]

In that case... Go Mikey. And Go Tom's Grammer Nazi skills.