"Can you have Matt call me? I've tried to get in touch with him for a couple of days now and nothing. I need someone at the school who can, you know, actually managed things. We've had guest coaches in all week. I told Matt I had corporate stuff to deal with. I'm already late for my meeting with the new boss. He isn't making things easier."
The voice of Grandpa was on the other end of the phone.
"I'll try, but he hasn't been himself lately."
"Thanks Grandpa. I gotta go, I'm at my meeting."
We said our byes and I rushed inside after thanking my driver. This was not a good day at this point.
I was nervous. I hadn't been in the same room as the boss for a long time. I hadn't worn a suit in a long time either, but I had to keep a professional appearance. WZCW was entering a new era, the old guard were almost gone and the company was waiting on new stars to step up. It was understood as one of the veterans I had to take a leadership role. Not only as a veteran, but as a dual champion and Hall of Famer. It wasn't exactly a role that I was used to, but WZCW was my lifeblood so I intended to make it work.
I got to the receptionist's desk.
"I'm here for a meeting with the boss man. I'm a little late."
"Go on the elevator, 4th floor, room 401. He is expecting you Mr. Stormrage."
I nodded my head at her and adjusted my title belts and made my way to the elevator. I hated elevators. Just being in them made me uneasy. It was an irrational fear because even if the cable system were to snap, there are brakes built in to stop you from plummeting to your death. Why did I always think about useless info when I was nervous? The door opened and I made my way down the hall. I swallowed hard before I walked in.
"Ah, Mikey, good to see you. Hope I didn't keep you waiting long."
"Oh not at all Mr. Bateman, I was worried I was going to keep you waiting. My Uber got stuck in traffic."
We shook hands and he offered me a seat before he took his place behind his desk.
"No need to worry. Las Vegas traffic can be a pain."
"Indeed. Las Vegas traffic is something else."
"Yup, good old Las Vegas, home to WZCW Headquarters."
I nodded my head.
"Let's get down to business. I'm sure you have an idea of why I called you here."
"I figured it might have something to do with me being one of the more tenured guys on the roster."
"Precisely. Titus, Matt Tastic, Xander, and Garth Black are the only ones who have been here longer than you. We are losing stars. Titus is still Titus and could sell ice to Eskimos, but Xander has gone off the deep end in terms of his behavior. Black seems to have turned a corner in his attitude, but he isn't getting the fan support we need. I'm looking at you to really step up."
"What about Matt?"
Vance look a bit uncomfortable.
"I'm going to be honest with you Mikey, I'm not so sure about him. The fact is, Matt Tastic has really fallen off in recent months. Ever since your return from injury, you have been the hot ticket between the two of you. Matt has a few decent wins, but you have been hot. You rarely lose, you had the big Kingdom Come moment, you have endorsements and charity work, you are the first dual champion. That type of stuff doesn't go unnoticed."
I cracked a bit of a smile, I couldn't help it.
"I really appreciate that. It means a lot that the work I put in hasn't gone unnoticed."
"I'll be one hundred percent honest with you, I never thought you would be here. When I stepped down from my role, you were barely keeping your head above water. You couldn't find footing as a singles wrestler. Constantly failing to live up to the expectations placed upon you during your tag team career. You stuck with it though. I know you sacrificed a lot to get where you are, and now look at you. Record setting tag team champion. Two time World Champion. Grand Slam Champion. Hall of Famer. First ever dual champion. You have surpassed all expectations. Because of that, you were one of the superstars I wanted to focus on and meet with when I came back. Shame what happened with Banks, but it was for the best. He was too unpredictable. Really all over the map. You can't be a good boss that way and its my intent to be the opposite. Not to say I never made mistakes in my first run, but I fully intend to be as impartial as possible."
"So what did you have in mind? I'm extremely open to suggestion."
I regretted that choice of words.
"So I've been told. I'll cut right to the chase. Our midcard titles have been overlooked for some time. It seems as soon as we start to elevate one, such as the EurAvison reign, the other falls off. Callie Clark did a worthy job as Elite Champion, but during that time the EurAsian Title was non existent. Now that we have a fresh champion the fans want to get behind, the EurAsian has taken center stage due to the tournament. Chuck Myles came to me with a suggestion over the weekend to get his title and his show back on even ground with Meltdown and the EurAsian Title. He wants you to hold an open challenge at the Gold Rush pay per view. Anyone is eligible, save those already booked into a match that night. Obviously this puts you at a disadvantage as you have no idea who your challenger will be, but it gives the fans a bit of mystery and intrigue. Who knows who could show up? I told him I thought it was a great idea, but I won't sign off on it if you are uncomfortable with it."
"Imma keep it real with you chief, that isn't my favorite idea."
"Truth be told, I didn't think you would go for it."
"If I have to do this, can I not defend the Mayhem Title at Gold Rush?"
"There is no guarantee you will be Mayhem Champion at Gold Rush. You have to defend against Keith Kole this week."
"Yeah I know, and I'm not saying its a gimmie. I will say that I know how his shtick is gonna go down. He and Flex are gonna call me fat. Keith is gonna make fun of Taco Bell."
"You seen confident."
"It comes with experience. I've seen how every hot headed rookie and every angry vet trying to make their name off of my success plays it. I already said the fat jokes. Probably someone telling me to go back to the Nintendo. Wrap themselves in fast food puns. You know Kole will do it because of his background, and I don't blame him. I'm an easy target, I mean look at me. When I step into that ring though, you are looking at a man who has held eight different title belts. A man who has survived wars with Ty Burna, Constantine, Matt Tastic. A man who did a moonsault off the top of a steel cage through a table to win gold. A man undefeated in Mayhem matches. So let them come with petty insults and puns. Let Kole buy up Taco Bell. Hell let Flex burn the place down. Just know when you step into the ring with me, its Game Over!"
Vance Bateman looked at me with a concerned look on his face.
"Did you just cut a promo in my office?"
"I'm that dedicated. I know being a dual champion, being a man you want to position as a face of the company, being a Hall of Famer; those are big responsibilities. These shoulders can carry a lot though."
Vance nodded and smiled.
"I'm impressed Mikey. I've gotten constant warnings from Chuck that you are a handful, and honestly he isn't wrong. I admire the oassion that you bring though."
"So yeah, bring Keith Kole, bring Callie Clark, bring Showtime, bring Godzilla, bring Thanos, bring anyone you want to D.C. to challenge me, but I am keeping this Elite Overweight Title. And I will be keeping this Mayhem Title, even if I have to wrestle twice that night."
Vance stood and extended his hand.
"I'm glad you feel that way. I knew I could count on you to step up. I'll speak with Chuck and Becky about trying to give you a more concrete answer on who your Mayhem opponent will be. It is the least I can do."
I stood and shook the boss man's hand to seal the deal. I knew that wrestling twice in one night would be tough, but I was confident I could get past Kole and keep my title. That would give me all the momentum I needed to carry into Gold Rush. I was so amped up I was singing my theme song all the way to the lobby.
When I pulled out my phone to call an Uber back to the hotel, I saw I had missed calls from Matt and Katherine. I knew I needed to speak with Matt, but the time difference between Vegas and Puerto Rico was killing me. I missed her. I wanted nothing more than to be with her, but for now her voice would have to do. Besides, Matt could handle being blown off.