Promo: game called...

[Guest Grand Slam]

PROMO: by "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens

 

Game Called. Across the field of play

the dusk has come, the hour is late.

The fight is done and lost or won,

the player files out through the gate.

The tumult dies, the cheer is hushed,

the stands are bare, the park is still.

But through the night there shines the light,

home beyond the silent hill.

 

--------------------------------

 

Just after Defiance...

 

Inside the Midnight Carnival locker room, things are again quiet.  It is dark and mostly empty, but near the center of the room there is still one light.  It shines from overhead, clear and white, on the bent form of a man.  He is sitting on a bench, in front of an open locker.  At his feet sits a duffel bag, packed to the brim with elbow and kneepads, pictures and CDs, wrestling gear and jackets, memories and dust.  The man is wearing beat-up gym shoes and faded blue jeans.  Over his shirt he wears a black and gray suede varsity jacket printed in large letters on the back "Stevens" and "25".  The man looks into the locker, notices something and reaches in, retrieves it.  He stares at it for a second, and the camera moves over his shoulder just enough to see what he is seeing.

 

It is a picture, taken by a ringside reporter, of a group of men in the ring celebrating.  The faces are easily recognized: Chris Raynor, Spark, Edwin MacPhisto and in the center, shaking hands, are "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens and the King of Hearts.

 

GSMS: God, how much things have changed.  I remember... all of it.  The good times, the bad, the pain, the joy, everything.  I... I can't believe it's over.

 

A tear falls on the photo, and is quickly wiped away.  Stevens takes the picture and slides it into a pouch on the bag, with a handful of others.  Zipping the side pocket closed, he reaches into the bag itself and pulls out four wrapped packages.  He stands and walks to every other locker in the room, depositing them in the chairs that wait for the rest of the Carnival to use.   As he sets them down, he speaks, quietly to himself...

 

GSMS: For Rotten, a leather vest to go with that Deputy Star and a bottle of Scotch.  For Magnifico, a bottle of Tequila and "Big Hits of the 80's" on CD.  For Raynor... for Raynor, "Captain Caveman" on DVD and a bottle of the best Rum I could buy, and for Edwin... (he pauses as he sets down the gift) for Edwin, one of my replica World Title Belts and a bottle of the finest pre-mixed Strawberry Daiquiri in existence. Keep the faith guys... keep the faith.

 

Mark Stevens walks over to his locker and checks it one more time for anything he might have left, then zips his bag shut.  He takes one last look around the empty locker room, wipes his eyes, takes a deep breath and turns to the door...

 

GSMS: Well, I came into this place alone, and I guess I'll leave it that way.  Farewell, my friends...

 

He reaches over and flips off the light, then opens the door and steps out of the Midnight Carnival locker room, his home away from home, forever.

 

-----------------------------------

 

Game Called. Where in the golden light

the bugle rolled the reveille.

The shadows creep where night falls deep,

and taps has called the end of play.

The game is done, the score is in,

the final cheer and jeer have passed.

But in the night, beyond the fight,

the player finds his rest at last.

 

---------------------------------------

 

Stevens steps into the hallway and is greeted by something he never thought he would see.  It is draped in bright colors and signs, most made by fans, wishing him farewell.  On either side of the hallway stands the entire SWF roster.  He smiles at them and starts to walk between them, not knowing whether to expect a punch in the nose or a pat on the back.  As he passes Perfect Bo, the second person on the right, the big man says "Thanks Mark."  Then he starts to clap.  Soon everyone in the hallway starts to clap his or her hands together.  Slowly, soaking in every moment and trying desperately not to shed tears in front of the boys, Mark Stevens makes his way through the gauntlet.  He passes them all: Thugg, Fallout, Sacred, Thoth, Mistress Sarah, Lady Red, Stryke, Munich, Curry, NTD, Ben Hardy, LDP, Jay Dawg, The Prophet, Spider Nekura and Erek Taylor.  At the end of the line stands the Midnight Carnival.  All of them are smiling, though there is sadness in their eyes.  Edwin steps forward and hands Grand Slam a small package.

 

Edwin: Just a little going away gift.  We're going to miss you buddy.  Open it.

 

Mark drops his bag to the ground and unwraps the small package.  He chuckles, then looks at his friends.  In his hand is a plastic cube, and inside that is a baseball, signed by everyone in front of or behind the cameras in the SWF.  Stevens looks back at the hallway full of SWF Superstars, the back to Edwin.

 

GSMS: Thanks.  This means a lot to me.  How did you pull this off?

 

Edwin: It wasn't me.  I just bought the decorations.  Magnifico was the one who got everybody here to say goodbye and sign the ball.  Raynor went out and bought it, and Rotten lent him the money!

 

Stevens looks at Raynor and smiles.

 

Raynor: Hey, cut me some slack big man, I just came back!  You think our checks come out that fast?

 

Stevens laughs and shakes all of their hands.  He is smiling now, barely holding back the tears.

 

GSMS: But who's idea was it Edwin?  This is the best thing anybody could have done for me.  I'll never forget.

 

Edwin: (laughs) Wasn't anybody here.  Are you kidding?  But, uh, if you are interested in the, shall we say, prime motivator, just turn around.

 

Stevens turns slowly, expecting anything.  Anything except what he sees.  His wife Lynn, wearing jeans and a "Grand Slam" baseball jersey, stands just behind him, holding their infant son Chris.  He is wearing a "Midnight Carnival" t-shirt and  baseball cap, both of which are far too large for him, and holding one of the stuffed pandas that was dropped on Stubby what seemed like years ago.  The Panda too, has been signed by everyone.

 

Lynn: C'mon Slugger, let's go home.

 

Mark Stevens strides forward and embraces his wife in a massive hug to cheers and catcalls from the assembled wrestlers.  Then, with his smile firmly etched on his face, Mark Stevens takes his son in his arms and kisses him, lightly, on the forehead.  Then he turns back to the assembled superstars and waves.

 

GSMS: Thanks everyone.  I'll never forget any of you.  And that, my good friends, is a damn promise...

 

All of them return the wave and laugh at the catchphrase, some of them letting a tear slip, but I'm not saying who...  Happy, but with tears in his eyes, "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens, the Heavy Hitter, picks up his bag and walks out with his wife, into the dark night and into his new life.

 

----------------------------------

 

Game Called. Upon the field of life

the darkness gathers far and wide,

the dream is done, the score is spun

that stands forever in the guide.

Nor victory, nor yet defeat

is chalked against the players name.

But down the roll, the final scroll,

shows only how he played the game.

 

"Game Called" by Grantland Rice, 1956

 

-------------------------------

 

END PROMO--

 

This is where I want to say thank you.  And I have a ton of people to thank, so if I miss anybody, don't feel left out.  I'll come back and edit this as often as I have to so I can thank everyone who needs it.

 

Edwin - Thanks for working the last angle with me.  Writing the retirement match was hard for me, but your help made it so much easier.  Thanks for putting up with two months of PMs about the angle and for keeping it a secret.  You are a class act Edwin MacPhisto.  Good Luck my friend, and thank you.

 

King - Thanks for everything.  For not letting me quit when I lost the title to Wilson, for making me write better, and for being a good friend.

 

Thugg - Even after all of our disagreements and behind the scenes wars, you still wrote what you did on the comment thread.  You have no idea how much that meant to me.  Thank you.

 

Raynor, Magnifico, Rotten, all Carnies past and present... you guys are what made it fun to write.  Whoever it got to be too much, I could pull up an old promo (POOFNAR) or a Stables Title defense and remember that this is fun.  Thank You.

 

Sacred - I have gone on record as saying I am a Sacred mark, so not thanking you for entertaining me for the last year or so would be bad.  Thanks Sacred.

 

Perfect Bo - Ah Bo, we never got to work the angle we wanted for a million reasons, and that is too bad.  You got me into Anarchy and made me up my game to keep up with you.  Everything I became in the WF is built on a foundation you help me lay back in the JL.  Thanks Bo.

 

Drew - My first commissioner back in the JL.  I was suddenly doing poorly in my matches, and he took the time to go through one with me and make suggestions.  Those suggestions destined me for the WF and, eventually, the World Title.  Thank you.

 

Stubby - Man, I despised you back in the day.  But since becoming Commish, you have steered the SWF in directions I didn't know it could take.  Also, thanks for working with me on the retirement angle.

 

Fallout - You are one of my favorite guys to write against, and every time we hooked up I could count on looking good if your match won.  For that, I thank you.

 

Axis - Waaayyy back in the JL, you were the first person I beat for a title.  You were magnanimous and kind to a noob, and I haven't forgotten.  I wish we could have worked together more, but it was not to be.  Thanks.

 

Xero - Again, waayyy back, you let me join my first stable and let me run with any plot I wanted, including breaking up with the group.  Thanks, man.

 

Xstacy - Man, we worked a hell of a lot of matches against each other didn't we?  And despite some disagreements, you were always friendly to me.  I appreciate that, thank you.  Oh yeah... CLANG!!!

 

Mistress Sarah - One of my Tag Partners, we were a hell of a team.  It is too bad that we never really got to finish the angle we started, but I think we did enough to liven up the place for a little while.  Then you turned heel on me... oh well, thanks for the memories.

 

Outcast - We had a good time, and I won the Triple Crown with you as my partner, so there is no way I could leave you off this list.  Thanks.

 

Grunge and Suicide - I doubt either of you will see this, but I wanted to say thanks anyways for being good stablemates.  It was a pleasure.

 

JD and NTD - Believe it or not, these were my stablemates as well.  JD even gave me my trademark knee brace.  I haven't forgotten FTW and it is too bad it didn't go farther than it did.

 

Thoth - You have always been friendly and ready to chat, and when we did I found out you are a good guy.  Good Luck to you, and thanks.

 

Boston Strangler - The man has compared me to Bret Hart twice, you think he is getting left off the list?  Think again.  Too bad we never got to work together, one way or another.  Thank you.

 

Chris Storm - another guy who may not see this, but I need to thank him for one of the most enjoyable feuds I have ever had.  We warred over the ICTV strap for months, and it was a blast.

 

The Entire SWF - Everybody I have met here have been some of the coolest people I know on line.  You have given me over a year of fun and enjoyment pretending to be a professional wrestler.  I'm not going anywhere, I'll still be around, maybe grading matches someday, but I am not leaving.  I am just retired.  Thanks to everybody for the memories...

 

Yours in friendship...

Chris Hicks aka "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens

[Guest TheBostonStrangler]

Well Mark/Chris/Bret ( ), it sucks to see you go. I figure I might as well ask the question: Any particular reason that you decided to retire, and what are the chances of seeing you return to action someday?

[Guest Renegade]

wow...that promo was great, it was truly truly great. Mark I dont really know you, but I have always enjoyed your matches and promos, and its promos like this that reminds me what a great writer the WF is missing. Sad to see you retiered

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

A better exit could not be conceived.  Sniffle!  We'll miss you, you big lug.

[Guest HVilleThugg]

Dammit Mark!!  You nearly brought a tear to my eye!  Thugg doesn't cry!

 

Bro, I said it before, and I'll say it again, you will truly be missed.  

 

The promo was another great one, as expected, and will be a lasting memory in my SWF memory bank.  After I read it, I was going to do a continuation off of it, but I decided against it because it would have been way too sappy, and we all know that HVT has to keep his hard demeanor.

 

Oh, and I meant every single word that I said on the comments thread...every word!  You are a class act and a good man.  You changed the fed for the better, and it won't be the same without you.

 

Goodbye Mark Stevens...and good luck.

 

God Bless.

 

Da "forever a Mark Stevens mark..." H

[Guest Beingz0wningj00]

Oh maloyven...

 

I know I pissed you off at times in FTW... but you leaving was only better for you anyway.

 

I've seen you rise, to the tope alot dude, do some amazing shit... hell I was shocked when you both beat Stubby and won back that ICTV title off of Storm. While I related more to the King opposed to you, I always did feel a sign of respect for you. Later Big Guy.

[Guest chirs3]

Damn you Edwin and Thugg...

 

... you've pretty much taken what I wanted to say.

 

There are a few writers in this fed who, when I see something by them, I drop whatever I'm doing and read it. It's not a very large group (and I hope no one takes offense to that - I read everything I can), but it's there.

 

Mark, you are one of those writers - and, more importantly, you're on top of the list.

 

I'm not real good at this sort of thing, so I'll just say...

 

Goodbye.

 

 

 

 

 

And come back soon, you bad baseball punner you!

[Guest Ash Ketchum]

Mark, my firend, I owe you so much... really.

 

After the Genesis II Tournanemt loss to you, it made me work harder so one day, I could beat you.

 

But it sucks to see you go. I will deeply miss you. the SWF will not be the same without you.

 

Good luck, and godspeed, Mark Stevens...

 

Hoping that the Legend Returns One Day,

 

Ash Ketchum, SJL Superstar and Hopeful Future SWF Superstar

[Guest Insanityman]

Damn dude... later man. Awesome promo, and thanks for the conversation on AIM.

[Guest El Luchadore Magnifico]

*sniff*

 

Great stuff man. It was an honor working with you, and I'd like to congratulate you on having such an excellent career and one of the best send-offs I've ever seen.

[Guest Perfect_Bo]

Mark, you are the person that I give the most respect to.  After all the problems in your life, the hard work you put into this fed is undescribable.  You are, with out of a doubt one of a kind.  

 

Thank you for saying thanks to me even though you did it on your own.  I noticed how good you were and that's why I had to get you.  You werent champion just becuase, you were champion because you are that damn good.

 

It's sad to see you go, because you always make me feel better about my writing.  I know I'm not the best and could be one of the worst in the fed, but you always said that I was good and that you always put your everything against me.  

 

Mark, I know this isnt goodbye, I know you will return, people always return.  I for one return and you know how hard my life was and still is.  

 

Mark, you thank me...  Now I thank you.  I thank you for your distribution to this fed.  For Joining Anarchy and making us be what we were.  For always respecting me not only as Bo but as me as a real human being and never getting too egotistical.  I thank you for the memories, the writings, and the angle that we had planned and the angle that we did.  I thank you for the history of us.  You are my friend and I respect you to death.

 

Good luck with everything...

 

Chucky..

 

B "Getting sentimental up in this peice." O

[Guest crusen86]

Hmm...

 

Thank you for thanking me. I still remember that match to this day, and having baseballs thrown at me hurts Yes, it's a pity I didn't get to work with the IGNWF class act anymore than that Euro title match, and the tag match at some stage. But me nice to a noob? NEVER!

 

We'll miss you. Perhaps a return may happen one day...

[Guest Suicide King]

Truly, this day there is no joy in Mudville.  Mighty Stevens has walked out.

[Guest redbaron51]

 

What a great promo

[Guest Grand Slam]

Well TBS, that is a good question and it deserves a good answer.

 

Why did I leave?  I would like to say that I lost my touch or that it just wasn't fun anymore, but that would be a lie.  It's pretty simple actually, I just do not have the time today that I did a year and a half ago when I signed up.  And I didn't want to start dropping down the card just because I couldn't get my matches up to the standards I require of myself.

 

Will I ever come back?  Not unless things change dramatically.  I just don't have the time right now, and I don't forsee having the time.  I'll never say never, but this is pretty close...

 

Thanks for all of your comments on the promo.  It took me quite a while to write and I hoped no one would mind being used in the last part.

 

Oh, BTW, King's post made me think back... last sping I had a match against Fallout right before baseball season started and he wrote an amazing promo "Mark Stevens at the Bat".  If anyone could find this and post it or send me a copy, I would be eternally grateful.

[Guest thebleakaffinity]

My reply's a week late, but oh well.

 

Even though I'm gone, it's really sad that you're leaving. You are the best writer this fed has ever had.

 

I'm not joking.

 

I still remember, that match we had back in the JL. It was me and you, fighting like all hell. Bo came out, and Drew joined in, and, well, the rest is history. It was an honor to be in the same stable as you, and even after the fact. I was always a little disappointed in myself after the rest of you got bumped up without me, even though I tried to hide it. I want to thank you for keeping me motivated enough to keep going, become the JL World Champ, and eventually reach the WF.

 

Thanks for all the good times. Keep in touch.