Post by maddog on Oct 21, 2019 18:57:10 GMT -6
Route 3
Southern, WV
July 12th, 2019
It's 5am and Mad Dog is driving down the back roads of Southern WV to his job at Alpha Coal. Hostess Powdered donuts, black coffee, and a Black & Mild is breakfast today, and almost every day of the week. Mad Dog rubs his eyes, trying to wake up. To help himself wake up, Mad Dog turns the volume up on the radio, and the sweet sounds of Dolly Parton come through the speakers.
Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
Coal mining is dark, dirty, and dangerous work. It's not for everyone , it's for the few who love to descend into the bowels of the Earth to extract "black gold." Even as they face the risk of mines collapsing, or catching fire, or the long term health threats like black lung.
Mad Dog was a third generation Coal Miner. He had seen his grandfather and father break their backs in the mine. Then, he saw his grandfather die of black lung, and his father get laid off, the mine go bankrupt, and his father lose his pension. Mad Dog didn't want to be a coal miner but in this part of the state it was the mines, Walmart, Dollar General, or Welfare.
Mad Dog began coughing, a heavy and deep cough. He covers his mouth with his hand, and when he finishes coughing he notices his hand as he moves it away from his mouth. His palm is covered with a fresh, wet, black powder, straight from his lungs.
They let you dream just to watch 'em shatter
You're just a step on the boss-man's ladder
But you got dreams he'll never take away
Mad Dog stares at his hand, thoughts of his grandfather and father running through his head. Is this what he wanted out of life? He knew the answer was "no", so why not chase his dream of professional wrestling. Mad Dog had grown up around the sport, and had been a "weekend warrior" for years now, but he had been afraid to go all in and throw away his steady income, benefits, and 401k...he has mouths to feed.
The sound of a blaring car horn snaps Mad Dog out of his day dream. He looks up and sees he has drifted into the other lane. Mad Dog whips the F-150 back into his lane, narrowly avoiding a collision. The passing vehicle continues the blow the horn and stops only to give Mad Dog the middle finger.
Mad Dog pulls off to the side of the road, his leg burning from the coffee that spilled onto his thigh from swerving the truck. "Ah, f**k", Mad Dog mumbles as he reaches into his glove box to grab some McDonald's napkins to dry off with. There, in the glovebox, buried behind the napkins is a flyer from a previous event, "Crusher Charly Wright Memorial Cup", it reads at the top. The annual memorial show for his grandfather.
"F**k it, just do it, Mad Dog" Wright says outloud, but to himself. Mad Dog grabs his phone, and scrolls to a name, "Sunny Jim", and hits dial.
Yeager Airport
Charleston, WV
October 23rd, 2019
Mad Dogs knee bounces up and down from nerves. He has never flown before, and now that he is setting at the gate for his first flight his nerves are really kicking in. The heel of his Cowboy boots bounce off the floor, Wrangler Jeans tucked into his boots and his Tyler Childers t-shirt tucked into his Jean's, trying to look professional as he bought a new denim jacket to match his Wranglers and even splurged on a new Cowboy hat.
MD: Why can't we just drive, like last time?
SJ: Mark, it's an eighteen hour drive, the only reason we drove last time was to hit those independent shots I already had booked for you. You are a GCWA employee now, no more long drives like that, travel reimbursement is part of the deal.
MD: Sh*t Jim, I'm nervous I've never flown before. I mean, I even been to Japan and didn't fly.
SJ: How on Earth did you go to Japan and not fly?
MD: We drove. We'll the old lady drove, I was pretty drunk, it was my birthday after all. Hell, don't you remember? You were there.
Sunny pushes his wire frame glasses up and pinches his nose. Unlike Mad Dog, Sunny is dressed in khakis with a red polo, business casual for travel.
SJ: Mark, that wasn't Japan, it was just a hibachi restaurant.
MD: Well shoot, guess that explains why they didn't give me a Ribera jacket.
SJ: How about we go ahead and talk about the match, get you a promo in, that'll help take your mind off of it.
"Excuse me miss, can I get you to video tape the two of us?" Sunny asks a woman, interrupting her Netflix streaming on her phone. "Eww, gross. You creep" she replies, as she grabs her carry on and moves away.
MD: HAHAHA! Oh, Jimbo, I tell you what buddy, I'm gonna go get a drink while you find someone to hold that there phone for you.
SJ: Now, don't take too long. Our flight is in forty five minutes.
MD: You find a camera man, I'm gonna go get some liquid charisma.
Mad Dog heads for the small Airport bar, and Sunny just hopes he makes it back in time. Nearly a half hour passes before Mad Dog returns, and while he is not drunk, he is lit. Sunny is pacing back and forth waiting on Mark, and when he sees him he lets into him right away.
SJ: Where have you been? I tried texting and calling you... no answer.
Mad Dog shrugs.
MD: Uh, my phones on Airplane mode.
Sunny sighs.
SJ: Mark, you don't put it on airplane mode, until you are actually on the airplane, that is why it's called airplane mode. But look, I found someone to record for us, come on.
Mad Dog tips his hat back, and straightens out his shirt, getting himself presentable for television. "Here you go" Sunny says to some morbidly obese man in sweats, as Sunny hands him his phone. Sunny and Mad Dog move in front of a wall that is painted with a backdrop of the city of Charleston, WV where the airport is located.
SJ: Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, and since it's 2019, Gender neutral, my name is Sunny Jim, the man who has managed more successful warriors than General Patton. The man you see standing here beside me is the Appilachin Animal, the Beast from Big Ugly, the Mountain Mad Man, he is the Mad Dog Mark Wright. Friday night we come into Dallas Texas to the GCWA Arena, and I can promise you this, GCWA and the state of Texas has never seen anything like the Mad Dog before.
This Friday Mad Dog takes on a man named Tony Savage, and I'll bet you dollars to donuts his real last name isn't Savage. If it really is then your parents dropped the ball with the name Tony. Imagine having the luck of having such a badass last name of Savage, and when the doctor asks your parents what his name is they say the first lame ass name that comes to mind. I'm surprised it isn't John, or Bob. Well, Mr. Savage, I see you have military experience, a former Army Ranger.
Well, I guess shooting little middle eastern kids just wasn't your gig, so you want to step into the ring. Frankly, I think you're full of bologna and a good case for stolen valor. Anything for that military discount at Starbucka huh?
"Hold on, hold on Sunny" Mad Dog says, placing a hand on Sunny's shoulder.
MD: Hey, Tony Savage, first and foremost thank you for your service. The brave men and women of the military is one of the things that makes this country so great. I tell you what, old Mad Dog has mad respect for anyone that serves. Don't mistake that respect though, that bell rings and old Mad Dog is coming at you like he would anyone else brutha.
Red, white, and blue, them colors don't run from a fight and neither does old Mad Dog. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better first opponent in the Gee Cee Dub Ah, sh*t na, I want someone I can bang with. You that man Tony Savage?
"AHHH CHOO" Sunny sneezes loudly. "Bless you" Mad Dog instantly replies.
SJ: Sorry, I have allergies. I'm allergic to bullshit and the wind is blowing Tony Savages scent this way. You may thank Tony for his service Mad Dog, but I'm not buying it, even at close out prices. Quite frankly, I don't think he is some G.I. Joe, he's more like a G.I. Jabroni.
Besides stolen valor, Tony also wants to brag about how great of a legacy he has. Tony wants to brag about all the championships he has held, but quite frankly you've lost all those titles too. Wait a second, how were you able to win the Boardwalk championship while you were single handedly taking down Gaddafi? What about the championship you won in EWC, did that not interfere with your killing of Bin Laden?
I could stand here and call bullshit on all of Tony Savage's lies, but that in itself is a fulltime job. Tony, your lies are going to catch up to you come Friday night. You've big talked your way into GCWA, but you painted yourself into a corner now that you are facing Mad Dog Mark Wright.
Sunny places his arm around Mad Dogs shoulder.
SJ: This man will not be intemidated by your military bullshit stories, nor does he give a damn about your past accomplishments in this sport. It isn't about what you HAVE DONE, it's about what you WILL DO, and what you will do Tony Savage, is get chewed up and spit out by the Mad Dog.
Mad Dog steps forward until he is the only thing in focus of the camera. Mad Dog takes his hat off and hands it back to Sunny. It becomes noticeable that Mad Dogs head is covered with scars, from a lifetime of fighting.
MD: Hey, Savage, I don't know if what old Jimbo is saying is true or not, frankly it don't matter to old Mad Dog. Old Mad Dog is coming for that win, if I'm taking it from some bullshit artist, so be it, but Old Mad Dog hopes he's taking that dub from a legit badass.
See, I'm here to make a living. I'm sick, and damn tired of breaking my back in the mines. I'm sick and damn tired of my kids wanting, and I'll be damned if I'm going to take an L straight out of the box, go home, look my little babies in the eye and tell um, "sorry kids, Daddy just ain't have it Friday night".
HELL NAW! Not going to happen, my little boys birthday is coming up and I'm trying to get him a Nintinder Switch, I can't afford that with a loss. You ain't taken that from my little boy, and you damn sure ain't taken my moment away from me.
I watched my pappy break his back in the mines, and wrestle ever weekend, destroying his body with nothing to show for it. Same thing happened with my grand pappy, but I tell you right here and right now, that ain't happening to old Mad Dog. My kids are gonna eat, my kids are going to have them new shoes, MY KIDS ain't gonna watch their daddy break himself for peanuts.
So Tony, I don't care if you're a real war hero like, Michael Murphy, and I don't care if you are a bullshitter like Brian Williams. We gonna get in that ring Friday night and this Mad Dog with three generations of badass motherf**ker flowing through his veins is gonna be let out of his cage.
When this dog is unleashed, brother he goes mad, and Friday night in Dallas Texas, Tony, you, me, the whole whole arena, and all of Gee Cee Dub Ah, IS GONNA GO MAD!!!
AAAAROOOOFFF!
Mad Dog walks out of the shot, and Sunny puts Mad Dogs hat on. Sunny smirks at the camera as the scene fades out.