Post by dukeandrews on Nov 17, 2021 15:17:49 GMT -6
November 12, 2021
Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro, North Carolina
There was something about this building that was home. Fifteen years ago was the first time Duke Andrews stepped foot inside this building. Then, it was nothing more than earning a check, following the vets around, and earning his keep. Little did he know what the next fifteen years would hold.
Inside the back entrance to the building, he opened the door and walked in. That same sweat-stench that has coated the back of the building hit him square in the nostrils. Sporting a white hooded sweatshirt, sleeves cut off, the infamous ICWA logo in black and outlined in neon green. His hair was pulled back under a green Michigan State hat. He carried the MWE World Heavyweight Championship in a small leather bag on the top of hard side suitcase as he wheeled it inside the door.
He knew the path to the locker rooms. He knew the path to gorilla. He had wrestled hundreds of matches in this building over the years. Stopping when he spotted the Rainbow Haired Warrior, and Teh Heartthrob standing there, almost waiting on the reunion.
Simon “Javen” McMillion: “Its been too long, hasn’t it brother? How long since the three of us were in this building?”
Christian “CM” McMillion: “Easy six years? Maybe seven at this point?”
Duke: “Back when Taylor was bankrolling our downsides because he had shitty negotiating skills. Fuck, that reminds me, Burt still fucking owes me five large.”
The three men stood for a moment, almost reminiscing of the old International Championship Wrestling Alliance days.
With a handshake between the three, it was then that CM took the lead and left, while Simon and Duke went down the hall. Stopping at a picture of the final aired episode of “ICWA Presents: “ the two just nodded before Duke ducked into the first locker room. Wheeling his bag over to the corner spot, his usual that he took with the boys. Unzipping the bag, he laid the sides down and grabbed a pair of black, white, and bright green Nike Dunk’s. Slipping off his current shoes and placing his feet in these before grabbing the title and walking back out.
He could hear the commotion as he ducked under a curtain and walked along the edge of the stage, where the folding chairs were placed to be set out. Watching the Academy students set up the ring. He shook his head before stepping up on the edge of the first bowl and over the railing and onto the first row before taking a seat.
Adjusting the title over his shoulder. His eyes focused on the ring being set up.
Duke: “It was late 2005 when I got the call. I remember thinking that I had hit the big leagues. Working for BUD out of Chicago and PWT in Grand Rapids. I was barely old enough to drink, just out of college and wetter behind the ears than these kids out here. Truth of the matter, I hardly knew the difference between a German and belly to back suplex. I just knew I was a powerhouse and would toss people around. I was chasing money. Had a house already that my downside in PWT barely covered. I got the call from Taylor “Wall$treet” McAllister to come down and try out. The head guy called my cell phone. Was interested in someone to do the lackey work, like this.”
He pointed with his hand out to the ring for a moment.
Duke: “Funny thing, you don’t realize how bad that shit actually hurts until the rope snaps and comes back at you.”
He rolled his arm over to show a six inch scar down his forearm.
Duke: “I think it was a solid year of curtain jerking and dark matches. To the point where I walked away. Christian actually stopped me from leaving. How did I go from headlining in Chicago to barely getting on the card for a regional territory? Funny how some of these stories from fifteen years ago rear their heads back now. That was covered when I split Christians head open a couple years ago. But I took a moment to swallow my pride and ended up at the VanDam Wrestling Academy. I walked away from the show for almost a solid year. Relearning what it was that got me to the dance. Something I’ve told these kids down there, just because you get to the dance, doesn’t mean the dance owes you dick. Things that I wish Olly would’ve learned last year. But we will save that for another day.”
A simple adjustment of the title over his shoulder.
Duke: “Once I made that move and came back, it was like the business made sense. I didn’t understand the etiquette in the back. And it’s not wha…let me pull the curtain back…it’s not like you’ve heard from the old school days, you don’t just fetch coffee. It’s about who drives when you’re going from Greensboro to Raleigh to Charleston and so on. You find that group and you learn. Riding with CM and Javen and Van Dam was an experience. Learning the ins and outs from guys that had a decade on me. Looking back, those are the days that I miss the most. I could care less about where I’m working. Here, PWT, ICWA, CCW, anywhere, it’s about that time. The time I spent in this building that led me to being the man today. I fought my ass off in this place. Fucking Van Dam and I won the tag titles three times in this building. Won the PWT Peoples championship in that spot right there.”
Again he held his hand out and pointed to the ring where one of the Academy students was taking bumps in the middle of the ring. Reaching into his pocket he slid his iPhone out. Thumbing down the list before hitting send. The FaceTime ring is heard before a man who looked like Triple H popped onto the screen.
Duke: “Sixty minutes of hell in that ring tomorrow night. All for the big gold one.”
Wall$treet: “Don’t show my face to anyone. I owe them the last bit of the rental! Get it brother. I got my money on you. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a little front row action tomorrow.”
Duke pressed his thumb on the red button.
Duke: “Went a full year undefeated as the ICWA Cyber Television Champion. A title that was defended on every show. Whether it was Collision, Demented, iPPV, PPV or even a house show. I wrestled over two hundred and fifty times that year. With every match happening in this arena. It holds a spot here.”
Duke’s hand held his iPhone as he placed it on his chest.
Duke: “And that’s not even taking in what happened when Grace was trying to sign me to an exclusive spot on this roster. In a match against Eric Donovan during his fair well tour, I ended him. Ended his run. Ended his career. In this fucking building. This is my home. This is the house that build The Epitome of Perfection. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a way of life. And that’s why I will walk out of On The Rise still the MWE Heavyweight Champion.”
At that point, the camera cut off the sound as Christian and Simon joined Duke sitting in the stands.
Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro, North Carolina
There was something about this building that was home. Fifteen years ago was the first time Duke Andrews stepped foot inside this building. Then, it was nothing more than earning a check, following the vets around, and earning his keep. Little did he know what the next fifteen years would hold.
Inside the back entrance to the building, he opened the door and walked in. That same sweat-stench that has coated the back of the building hit him square in the nostrils. Sporting a white hooded sweatshirt, sleeves cut off, the infamous ICWA logo in black and outlined in neon green. His hair was pulled back under a green Michigan State hat. He carried the MWE World Heavyweight Championship in a small leather bag on the top of hard side suitcase as he wheeled it inside the door.
He knew the path to the locker rooms. He knew the path to gorilla. He had wrestled hundreds of matches in this building over the years. Stopping when he spotted the Rainbow Haired Warrior, and Teh Heartthrob standing there, almost waiting on the reunion.
Simon “Javen” McMillion: “Its been too long, hasn’t it brother? How long since the three of us were in this building?”
Christian “CM” McMillion: “Easy six years? Maybe seven at this point?”
Duke: “Back when Taylor was bankrolling our downsides because he had shitty negotiating skills. Fuck, that reminds me, Burt still fucking owes me five large.”
The three men stood for a moment, almost reminiscing of the old International Championship Wrestling Alliance days.
With a handshake between the three, it was then that CM took the lead and left, while Simon and Duke went down the hall. Stopping at a picture of the final aired episode of “ICWA Presents: “ the two just nodded before Duke ducked into the first locker room. Wheeling his bag over to the corner spot, his usual that he took with the boys. Unzipping the bag, he laid the sides down and grabbed a pair of black, white, and bright green Nike Dunk’s. Slipping off his current shoes and placing his feet in these before grabbing the title and walking back out.
He could hear the commotion as he ducked under a curtain and walked along the edge of the stage, where the folding chairs were placed to be set out. Watching the Academy students set up the ring. He shook his head before stepping up on the edge of the first bowl and over the railing and onto the first row before taking a seat.
Adjusting the title over his shoulder. His eyes focused on the ring being set up.
Duke: “It was late 2005 when I got the call. I remember thinking that I had hit the big leagues. Working for BUD out of Chicago and PWT in Grand Rapids. I was barely old enough to drink, just out of college and wetter behind the ears than these kids out here. Truth of the matter, I hardly knew the difference between a German and belly to back suplex. I just knew I was a powerhouse and would toss people around. I was chasing money. Had a house already that my downside in PWT barely covered. I got the call from Taylor “Wall$treet” McAllister to come down and try out. The head guy called my cell phone. Was interested in someone to do the lackey work, like this.”
He pointed with his hand out to the ring for a moment.
Duke: “Funny thing, you don’t realize how bad that shit actually hurts until the rope snaps and comes back at you.”
He rolled his arm over to show a six inch scar down his forearm.
Duke: “I think it was a solid year of curtain jerking and dark matches. To the point where I walked away. Christian actually stopped me from leaving. How did I go from headlining in Chicago to barely getting on the card for a regional territory? Funny how some of these stories from fifteen years ago rear their heads back now. That was covered when I split Christians head open a couple years ago. But I took a moment to swallow my pride and ended up at the VanDam Wrestling Academy. I walked away from the show for almost a solid year. Relearning what it was that got me to the dance. Something I’ve told these kids down there, just because you get to the dance, doesn’t mean the dance owes you dick. Things that I wish Olly would’ve learned last year. But we will save that for another day.”
A simple adjustment of the title over his shoulder.
Duke: “Once I made that move and came back, it was like the business made sense. I didn’t understand the etiquette in the back. And it’s not wha…let me pull the curtain back…it’s not like you’ve heard from the old school days, you don’t just fetch coffee. It’s about who drives when you’re going from Greensboro to Raleigh to Charleston and so on. You find that group and you learn. Riding with CM and Javen and Van Dam was an experience. Learning the ins and outs from guys that had a decade on me. Looking back, those are the days that I miss the most. I could care less about where I’m working. Here, PWT, ICWA, CCW, anywhere, it’s about that time. The time I spent in this building that led me to being the man today. I fought my ass off in this place. Fucking Van Dam and I won the tag titles three times in this building. Won the PWT Peoples championship in that spot right there.”
Again he held his hand out and pointed to the ring where one of the Academy students was taking bumps in the middle of the ring. Reaching into his pocket he slid his iPhone out. Thumbing down the list before hitting send. The FaceTime ring is heard before a man who looked like Triple H popped onto the screen.
Duke: “Sixty minutes of hell in that ring tomorrow night. All for the big gold one.”
Wall$treet: “Don’t show my face to anyone. I owe them the last bit of the rental! Get it brother. I got my money on you. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a little front row action tomorrow.”
Duke pressed his thumb on the red button.
Duke: “Went a full year undefeated as the ICWA Cyber Television Champion. A title that was defended on every show. Whether it was Collision, Demented, iPPV, PPV or even a house show. I wrestled over two hundred and fifty times that year. With every match happening in this arena. It holds a spot here.”
Duke’s hand held his iPhone as he placed it on his chest.
Duke: “And that’s not even taking in what happened when Grace was trying to sign me to an exclusive spot on this roster. In a match against Eric Donovan during his fair well tour, I ended him. Ended his run. Ended his career. In this fucking building. This is my home. This is the house that build The Epitome of Perfection. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a way of life. And that’s why I will walk out of On The Rise still the MWE Heavyweight Champion.”
At that point, the camera cut off the sound as Christian and Simon joined Duke sitting in the stands.