Steven Caldera:  From Pupil to President

 

 

 

            I shook hands with the hulking man beside me, and his music hit.  He stepped through the curtain, and the fans began to boo the hell out of him.  I peeked through the curtain, and began to get anxious about my first match.  Finally, Sanitarium by Metallica hit, and the crowd exploded with cheers.  I stepped through the curtain, and the cheers grew in volume.  I stepped into the ring, staring out at twenty thousand screaming fans.  The bell rang, and what followed was twenty minutes of the greatest wrestling ever seen.

            Well, okay. . . Maybe that’s not how it happened.  In fact, the twenty thousand was twenty, the cheers were non-existent, and the match itself was. . . well, it sucked.

            I had trained with Bobby Badali for the past few months, and had finally landed a booking with TCW, Texas Championship Wrestling.  Luckily, I lived about twenty minutes from the small rec center where they held their matches.  I had seen one of their events a few years earlier with a friend, and had a lot of fun.  Now I was there, in the ring.  It had long been my dream to actually wrestle. . . Now I was getting the chance.

            Bobby Badali was a good man.  We had hit it off instantly, and he took me under his wing as his pet project.  Bobby had looked at me rather cynically the first time he saw this eighteen year old pipsqueak step into his ring. . . Then, ten minutes later, I became his hottest student.

            He taught me well, and now, three months after my first try out with Bobby, I was in a TCW ring, fighting my first ever opponent. . . A man named Big Johnson.

            Big Johnson was six foot eight, and was about forty-five years old.  The guy looked old and decrepit, but he was pretty decent in the ring.  At this point I was about six feet tall, and weighed maybe a hundred and sixty pounds.  Not good odds.

            Johnson was a nice guy, but I got the feeling that he really wanted to make himself look good that night.  I later found out his ex-wife was in the audience with his kids, and so he wanted to make damn sure daddy came off like a superstar.  All this at my expense.  We locked up, and five minutes later he guerrilla pressed me to the floor.  After I crawled back in, he hit a powerbomb on the little rookie for the win.  He left to some decent heat. . . I left to the quiet hush of the now bored crowd.

            I had done well in the match, though.  I had managed to take the big man off his feet with a headscissors takeover at one point, which got an incredible pop from the twenty people watching.  I got to the back, and was surprised to find Bobby Badali waiting.

            “Kid, that was great!” he shouted as he ran to me.  He gave me a big hug, overjoyed that his student had done so well.  I didn’t think the match was anything special. . . But apparently someone else did.  Ryan Overstreet owned TCW, and had a contract waiting for me.

            Without hesitation, I signed the thing and became a full time employee.  Bobby had made a verbal agreement to come in as my manager, and so began my stay at TCW.  Of course, I was only making twenty bucks a night. . . But I loved wrestling, I was a natural, and, as far as my friends were concerned, I was a star.

            Bobby was a great technical and aerial wrestler.  When I first came in, he was impressed with my knowledge of the sport, and helped me to develop my technical ability.  He tossed in some high flying moves to boot, and I had a good package to offer.  I trained hard while in TCW.  I finished high school rather easily, and began to devote a lot of time to wrestling.  Then Bobby came up to me one day with some good advice, and some bad news.

 

“Kid, how old are you?”

“I’m 18.”

“Do you expect to make a living off this shit?”

“Maybe some day. . .”

“Ben, you’re the smartest kid I’ve met in a while in this business.  You need to go to college.”

This was not what I wanted to hear.  I talked to Ryan Overstreet a day later, and we arranged my last match.  My best friend Jhubin was in attendance for my last match with TCW, where I tore the house down with the cruiserweight champion, Kid Kronic.  He beat me with a super frankensteiner, and I was gone.  But as I left, I got a standing ovation from the regular TCW crowd.  I had a new confidence as I stepped through the curtain, and saw Bobby waiting for me.

“Ben, I have an idea.”

Hmm… This could be good.

“You said you wanted to go to Ohio State, right?  And that’s in Columbus?”

“Yeah,” I said, hoping to hear some good news.

“Well, I’ve been on the phone, and I’ve got word that there’s a guy wanting to open up a territory in that area.  He can’t promise you much money, but it would keep you active while you don’t have classes.”

Jackpot!  A contract for college.  Bobby gave me the guy’s phone number, and I gave him a ring that night from the TCW locker room.  Jhubin watched on with great interest as I made the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Ben Teater, my agent Bobby Badali called you a while ago. . .”

“Oh, Ben, it’s good to hear from you!  I’m Kyle Fisher, and I’m looking to open up a promotion here in Columbus.  I hear you’re wanting to go to school here?”
            “I’ve been accepted, so that looks like the case.”

“Great.  Tell you what.  I’ll give you my address, and when you get up here in a few weeks, you come see me.  I’ve got a contract waiting for you.  My scouts say you’re damn good, so I think you have a bright future.  Talk to you soon.”

YESSSSS!!!

I was picked up by my uncle in Columbus, and we drove to his place.  Leaving home for the last time wasn’t easy, as most of my friends were staying on for college.  But I loved this sport so much, I just had to go.  My uncle took me to his place, where we shared a meal with my aunt and little cousins.  He then lent me a car, and I headed to Fisher’s place.  When I arrived, I realized he hadn’t given me the address to his home. . . But to a giant gym.

I walked in, impressed by the size.  This place beat the hell out of TCW.  I spotted a sparring ring, where a few guys were doing drills.  I watched for a few moments, before someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Mr. Teater?”

“That’s me.”

“I’m Kyle Fisher.  Good to meet you.  Right this way, please.”

I followed Kyle to an office, where he handed me a contract.  I skimmed it over, finding that I had guaranteed money for the next four years. . . My whole stay through college.  And I would be making eight hundred bucks a week.  I was rich.

            “It’s not much money, but that’s just for starters.  If you impress us, which I think you will, that number could double.”

I didn’t even hear him.  I was signing the contract.

College was easy for me.  In fact, most school was.  Every spare minute I had, I was training and practicing.  The guys of Fisher’s promotion, the ACWF, were a lot of fun, and he had some good talent.  We were regional at first. . . For about three years.  During those three years, I went from the twenty fans of TCW to the few thousand of the ACWF.  Fisher even managed to land a local TV deal.  My exposure grew so much that I started getting offers from other promotions.  But my guaranteed money in Ohio was plenty for me.

A night that stands out in my memory came on a Tuesday, when the ACWF had their big shows each week.  Fans had piled into Fisher’s gym, which seated about three thousand.  I was slated to take on a guy named Khan, who I had spoken with very little.  But I realized this guy had talent, and we had the potential for a great match.  I walked up to him before the match, and we talked for over an hour.  He wasn’t a very social guy, but after that night, we were friends.  I think it proves Terry Funk’s theory. .  The more damage you do to each other, the closer you are.

Khan and I locked up that night, and I threw him into the ropes.  He came back with a flying forearm that took me off my feet.  He lifted me back up, and sent me for the ride.  I bounced back, and he sent me flying with a back body drop.  We had a good tempo going, as Khan took to the turnbuckle.  Things were about to go awry.

I got to my feet, and threw my weight into the rope.  Khan, instead of landing seated on the turnbuckle, as is customary, wasn’t expecting this, and fell over the top rope, and landed on the floor below.  The thud of his body hitting the thin pads below sickened me, as I slid out to the floor.

“Are you okay?” I asked worriedly, slowly crawling to him.

“Give me some time,” he whispered back.  I got to my feet, and threw back the ring apron.  I began searching underneath for something of interest. . . And pulled out a table.  This wasn’t a no DQ match, but we made it one by necessity.

I bought Khan some time by setting the table up in the ring.  Khan began to slide back in, and I bent down to pick him up.

“You okay?”

“Let’s give it to them.”

I lifted Khan up, and sent him hard into the turnbuckle.  We went at it for a few minutes, with me in firm control.  My offense culminated with an elbow drop from the top rope, resulting in a close two count.  The crowd by now was really into us.  I looked to finish Khan off, and moved the table to the center of the ring.  I placed Khan on the top turnbuckle, and began climbing in front of him.  But halfway up he connected with four strong forearms to my skull, and placed my head between his legs.  Then, in a moment of sheer genius and excruciating pain, Khan hits me with a Tiger Driver from the top through the table.  The ref made the elementary three count, and Khan won the match. 

We got to the back, both lucky to be in good shape.  Fisher and a few of the boys came running to us, bathing us in praise.  Khan and I shook hands and hit the showers.  It was the pinnacle of my career.

Soon after, I received my degree in Psychology from Ohio State, and considered getting a job on the side using my newfound knowledge.  But my desire to kill brain cells overwhelmed my desire to examine them, and I talked to Fisher about a more regular position.  I wasn’t making much at this job, and I was living with my grandparents in Columbus. . . But hell, I loved it!

Fisher, on camera, had become known as Mr. Danger.  The name had become more known with his television coverage, and he called a big meeting of the ACWF one day shortly after my graduation.  This day changed my life forever.

“Gentlemen. . . I want ACWF to go national.”

Wow!  I had a guaranteed contract with a national company!  I don’t know how Fisher had the money, but life was good. . . For about three seconds.

“We may have to renegotiate some contracts, and we may have to cut a few corners.  But I think we can do it.”

Ah, crap.  So much for my contract.  I didn’t see myself as being one of the top guys in his new national company.  At only twenty two years old, I didn’t have much experience.  Of course, most people couldn’t tell that in watching me, but Fisher knew better.  A few hours later, he called me and Khan into his office together.

“Gentlemen, I’m afraid I’m going to have to tear up your contracts. . .”

With that, my heart did a swan dive into my small intestine as Fisher tore up my now expired contract.  There would be no extension. . . We were through.

“. . . And ask you to sign these.”

Fisher handed each of us new contracts. . . I skimmed them, to find a two year deal with the national ACWF. . . for about forty thousand a month! 

We signed the contracts with great zeal, and for the next few minutes Fisher explained the new company.  Now that I’d graduated, I was free to move around.  Fisher had negotiated a TV deal with USA, which was hurting after dropping the WWF’s Raw.  He already had a few bookings at arenas around the country, and we started in one month.  Until then, he told us we’d run the local shows to keep in shape. 

Khan and I wrestled a few more times in Ohio, and my last indy match there had my grandparents in attendance.  They weren’t big fans of what I did, but seemed proud at the great crowd reaction I was getting against the heel Khan.  That night I packed my things into my aging Jeep Cherokee that I still had from years past, and with Khan in tow we headed to our first ACWF national event.  A night that would change my life.

We arrived in the arena, shocked at the size.  Neither Khan nor I had seen anything like it before, used to wrestling in front of three or four thousand people.  This arena held about twenty thousand, and somehow the event was sold out.  We walked to the back to check our assignments.  It seemed that Khan was not booked for action that night. . . But I was to be in a battle royal for the Hard*core title.  I had good feelings about my chances in that one, until Fisher called me over.

“Ben, first of all, you need a gimmick name.  I understand you’ve already had one trademarked?”

I had thought long and hard about a gimmick name years ago.  One night, as I was reading an astronomy magazine, my search for a name culminated with an article on the moons of Jupiter.  I saw the word caldera, which was a bubbling pool of molten lava.  Put Steven in front of it, and bingo, we’ve got a name.

“Yep. . . My name is Steven Caldera.”

“I like that.  Well, you won’t be winning your match tonight. . .”

I was disappointed, but Hard*core wasn’t my strong suit.

“But you will be involved in the main event.”

Wow!  The main event that night was to be Big Daddy Dero against the Heckler, two guys that Fisher had worked with in the past.  They were to be his leaders. . . And I was to attack one of them.  Fisher then asked me to choose to be a heel or a face. . . And I chose heel.  I liked the idea of being a bad guy, and so it was with great anxiety that I introduced myself to the guy I’d be assaulting later that night, Big Daddy Dero.

Dero was a huge man, about six foot nine or so.  At this point, I’d made my way to six foot four, having grown in college like my dad.  I was up to two hundred and fifty six pounds, so I wasn’t that small.  But Dero dwarfed me.  But he shook my hand with a smile, and though he didn’t give me much of his time, he did seem polite and said he looked forward to tonight.  So the show began, and I watched on as Dero and Heckler shouted at each other in the ring.  Commissioner Danger ran out, booked them in the main event, and the show was set.

I fought hard in the battle royal, which was pretty good for everyone’s first match.  I was eliminated by the Wolverine, the guy who won the thing.  Then, with great excitement, I watched from backstage as the main event went on.  Suddenly, I saw my spot, and I ran to the ring.

I clobbered the referee with a chair, then turned to Dero.  I laid the big man clean out, and headed to the back.  Heckler continued the beating, as the show closed.  It was a good debut for the ACWF.  Fisher (herein referred to as Danger) was happy.  Khan wasn’t too thrilled about not being booked, but seemed happy for my newfound glory.  Dero and Heckler came up to me and shook my hand, and seemed very gracious.  Heckler struck me as being a bit egotistical, but he was nice enough anyway. 

Danger announced a world title tournament for the first Pay-Per-View, Deadly Decisions.  I was impressed that he had landed a spot on Pay-Per-View, and looked forward to finding out what my spot would be on the show.  Danger then booked a Caldera vs. Dero cage match, in which the winner would qualify for the tournament.  I knew I didn’t have a chance against Danger’s golden boy.  Until that night he informed me of the outcome.

Caldera and Dero went at it that night with lots of intensity.  We started things off with Dero giving me a few quick rights, and sending me down with a boot to the face.  I managed a brief comeback by sending his face into the cage, but the big man seemed so disappointed about his immanent loss that he wouldn’t let me get back on the offense.  Dero pounded on me for a while, until the Heckler exploded from under the ring and assaulted Dero.  As Dero caught a beating, I climbed out of the cage for the win.  The boos were louder than anything I’d heard in my career.  But I was in the world title tournament. . . Dero wasn’t.

Dero knew all along he’d get another shot at it.  And he did.  Danger and I, meanwhile, had become the company’s biggest feud.  He and I had torn into each other several times as the weeks went on, and I became the company’s biggest heel, overtaking Heckler.  I was thrilled about my success.  Backstage, morale was good.  Khan, however, was a bit disappointed with Danger, and I have to admit, Danger did overlook Khan a bit.  But I was too focused on my spot to worry about Khan.  Khan was good, and could handle himself.  And he did quite well.

The weeks went on, and Caldera remained an undefeated super-heel.  As we grew closer to Deadly Decisions, the crowd actually warmed up to my intensity, and I began getting more cheers than boos.  Danger, a really good promoter, played off of this, as we headed into the Kemper Arena for Deadly Decisions.

In the first round, I was slated to face a mystery opponent.  Then I’d face the winner of the Heckler-Mangler match.  My mystery opponent that night went down as one of my all-time favorite matches.  Not so much because it was a good match. . . But because of who I fought.

Much to my surprise, my friend Jhubin had been so inspired by my wrestling that he, too, began training.  He was a good technical wrestler himself, and he and I had legitimately gone at it several times, neither of us with a distinct advantage.  He was about twice my size for a while, but we had some good fights.  Now, a few days before the PPV, I was shocked as Jhubin walked into my locker room.  He had been scouted by Danger, and got a contract.  Less money than me, perhaps.  But a contract nonetheless.

So the Jhub was booked to be my opponent.  Speculation was that Danger would bring out Dero to take me down in the first round, as Danger didn’t want to see Caldera as champion.  But the Jhub made his way to the ring, and he and I tore into each other like old times.  In the end, the Jhub took my big suplex, the Caldera Drop, and I advanced to fight Heckler in the second round.

Heckler and I had the best match of the night.  Heckler was a big guy, not very moveable.  But he was talented, and we really went at it.  The crowd was behind me at this point, and I took the win with another Caldera Drop on Heckler.  I was in the finals, set to face a big babyface, the Lord of Illusions.

Now, Illusions was a nice enough guy, but I found him to be quite lazy when it came to work ethic.  And I resented his rise to the top, based only on his past with Danger.  But apparently Danger had a plan for this all along.  After Illusions won his match to make it to the finals, Caldera ambushed him in the back, and a mysterious cinder block fell on his head.  Caldera walked to the ring a big heel once again, and demanded that Danger give him the belt.

Danger came to the ring, and lectured me for a moment.  Then he announced Illusions’ replacement for the match. . . You guessed it, Big Daddy Dero!  Dero ran to the ring, and he and I went at it in an incredible match.  Some high spots included me flying off the turnbuckle on top of Dero with an elbow drop through the announce table.  That elbow actually gave me a big bruise on my chest from where I hit a monitor.  But there was too much adrenaline going to feel pain that night.  I rolled Dero in the ring for a close two count.

Somewhere in the match, the referee went down.  So out came Mr. Danger, referee’s shirt and all.  He took the ref’s spot, and came running down to the ring as Dero had me covered after a painful powerbomb.  But I kicked out of the move, and we continued.  After a few minutes more, Dero miscalculated a bit, and ended up clobbering Danger with a clothesline.  While Danger was down, Caldera laid Dero out with a chair shot.  Danger awoke to make the count. . . But Dero got a shoulder up.

Then Danger spotted the chair.  He began accusing me of using it, as Dero arose behind me.  Then, in a shocking turn of events, Danger swung the chair and took Dero’s head off.  The crowd was shocked as I lifted Dero up, hit the Caldera Drop, and heard the sweetest three count of my life.  The bell rang, and Danger, with a smile too big to be fake, handed me the world title belt.  He and I hugged over Dero’s broken body as the show ended.

            Dero and I shook hands after the match.  I think he was a little let down about having to job twice to this young guy, but he was happy with the angle we had going.  The Jhub (Jhubin), Khan and I went out for a celebratory dinner that night.  Khan had been in a cage match for the US title that night, and he too had finally won gold.  The three of us had a great dinner that night, and then retreated to our hotels.  When I got to my room, I noticed my message light was on.  I listened with great interest as I heard my life change.

            “Mr. Caldera, my name is Nathan Krotzer.  I’ve been watching with great interest at some of your stuff on television.  One of my guys, 8-Ball, has put in the good word.  I think you might make a good addition to the Cyber Wrestling Union.  We’re really making headway here, so give me a call.”

            I knew I’d never take the offer, as I’d just had the biggest break of my life with Danger’s big new company.  The next day, however, changed everything.

            We arrived back at Danger’s gym for a big meeting he’s called.  Speculation ran rampant, most of us hoping for pay raises.  Danger then came in with a sad face, and we feared the worst.  And the worst is what we got.

            “Gentlemen, I regret to inform you that my financial supporter just backed out of our deal.  I’ve searched for alternatives, but we can’t keep up our deal with USA, and we can’t afford Pay-Per-View bookings any more.  And I would have to give everyone ninety percent pay cuts.  Sadly, I feel that the best route to go is to close the company.”

            I was speechless.  Every show we’d had had sold out, and I thought things were fine.  But apparently Danger was not the guy funding it all, and my luck had run out.  Khan, the Jhub, and I had yet another dinner together, this time with a much more depressed mood to the whole thing.  Khan and I still had our belts, but they were worthless at this point.  We had to find new options.

            Man, I’d gone from being the number one guy in front of millions of people to looking for a job in one night.  Danger made the official announcement the next day, and I was officially out of work.  I never did get to say goodbye to Dero or Heckler, but if they read this, thanks for your help.  My career could have been nothing if Dero had refused to lay down.  He was a good man, and I profited from it.

            I got back to my grandparent’s house, and they’d already heard the bad news.  They consoled me, but I assured them that the stock in my name was big enough to make good money on the indys.  The my grandfather informed me of a message left for me earlier that day.  It was from Nathan Krotzer.  He had searched me out.

            So I called him up.  A spot in the CWU was not too shabby, but they weren’t in good shape at the time.  Nathan, it was rumored, was not able to run the place by himself, and was having a tough time holding the place together.  But either way, it would be a job.

            “Mr. Krotzer?  Steven Caldera here.  I’m sorry I didn’t return your call earlier, but I’ve had a rather hectic week.”

            He seemed pleased.  “I’ll bet!  Well, it’s good to hear from you.  Well, I guess I’ll get right to the point.  I have a contract here for you, and I believe we’ve worked out two hundred grand for three years. . .”

            Wow!

            “But I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know that we’ll last that long.  People are constantly breathing down my neck here, and I’m really fearing a mutiny here.”

            My mind went to work.  He told me of the CWU’s recent troubles, as I thought of a way to help.  Then it hit me.

            “Nathan. . . What if I didn’t come on as a wrestler?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, if you need help running the show. . . What if I came on in a managerial type position?  I could help with bookings and creative control.  I think I have a good mind for the business, and I could really help.  I could still have an on-air role, maybe even feud with you for power.”

            He was silent for a few moments.  I was worried that he wouldn’t give this new kid much power, but he was ecstatic.  “That’s just what I need!  I’ve been begging people for just something like that, but nobody seems too happy about it.  I’ll have legal draw up a new contract.  Tell you what.  If you can get out here to San Diego for a day or two, we’ll work it out.”

            And so I was off the CWU headquarters in San Diego.  I hadn’t followed the CWU much on television, but I recognized a few people as I walked through the halls towards Nathan’s office.  In fact, a man by the name of Toxic even introduced himself to me.  I was thrilled that I was recognized.  But everyone there assumed I was there to be a wrestler.  Nobody had any clue of what was to come.

            I signed a contract that day, and ended up taking lots of stock in the company.  And so I began booking and writing for the CWU.  I made my way to my first show, which would be a big Pay-Per-View for CWU.  Uprise would make or break CWU’s future.  I would be there to help.

            That night, in an iron man match, Rich ‘The Renegade’ Rollins defeated Vincent Reed for the World title.  It was a good angle that Nathan had thought up before my arrival, and I enjoyed it.  But soon after that, Nathan left the road. . . And remained off the road for some time.  I was informed that Nathan was at home solving some personal problems, and I was to take control until his return.  I was thrilled.  I essentially owned my own company now!

            The first thing I did with my new control was call up a few old friends.  I called up most of the guys from the ACWF, and offered them jobs.  The only two people that accepted, however, were Khan and the Jhub.

            Steven Caldera in the CWU became Commissioner Caldera, a name I still like.  He was instantly hated by the fans, as my heel abilities had flourished in the ACWF.  Caldera introduced Khan and the Jhub to the world at Christmas Chaos, and then later that night vacated the world title after Rollins and Vincent Reed fought once more.

            I then assembled the troops, so to speak.  I told everyone of my newfound leadership position, and everyone seemed happy about it.  I had become quite liked backstage, I believe, and Khan and the Jhub had fit right in.  We then came up with the idea of the Jhub turning face, and he soon won the US title.  From there, he was slated to face Khan, who was my bodyguard at this point, and really becoming an amazing star, at the next Pay-Per-View, Annihilation.  I was making Annihilation out to be my biggest show, and I wanted it to reflect my abilities as promoter.  And I had a great group of talent to help me with that. 

            Included in that talent was a young man named Octavian.  He’d had a small role in the ACWF under a different name, but I recruited him as Octavian, and his new persona led him to become a great athlete.  I always felt that my greatest ability as a promoter was to see and develop guys like Octavian.  Bobby Badali and Mr. Danger had worked on me. . . Now I would work on Octavian.  He worked hard at it, and became great.

The only real backstage problem I had was with Vince Reed.  For a long time he respected me, but when he saw that I was becoming bigger than Nathan, who was a close friend of his, he started to resent me.  These problems continued to build up until I gave him his release just before Annihilation.

I had also become friends with a talented young man backstage named Badger Benandanti.  Badger was a good guy, and he was an extraordinary talent.  Nathan had picked him up before he left, but didn’t seem to pay him much mind.  So at Christmas Chaos, I booked Badger to win part of a battle royal, and get a world title shot.  A Badger-Caldera feud ensued. 

            One of the best matches I’ve ever had was an empty arena match with Badger.  We really tore into each other, and it ended with Badger attempting to run his boss down with a hijacked semi.  It was one of the highest rated shows we’d done in a while.  Badger gave me the beating of my life in that match.  And I knew I had a star.

            At Annihilation, Khan and the Jhub had an ACWF match- Asphault, Chains, Wrenches, and Forklifts.  This match lead to one of my favorite Khan vignettes ever.  The ever-serious Khan, sitting in his dark lair, reading a book entitled “So you want to drive a forklift.”  Khan’s subtle humor was some of the best.  Khan and the Jhub had a great give-and-take match, with Khan giving punishment and the Jhub taking it.  Khan won the US title, and never did lose it.  I loved the match, but it was soon my turn to fight.

And so Badger, Rich Rollins, Vince Reed, and I stepped into a triple-tiered cage to fight for the World Title.  I tossed myself into the match to allow Badger someone to fight with, as Rollins and Reed would continue their feud at the same time.  It was a hellacious match, and was quite interesting.  But it was also the beginning of the end for the CWU.

            About halfway through the match, a the lights dimmed in the arena.  Badger and I had ended up getting to the top of the cage, and climbed into the rafters.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared shitless at the time.  I placed a loose submission hold on Badger as we both rested in the rafters, and watched with interest and concern as the next spot took place.  The lights came up, and a masked man stood next to Reed and Rollins.  The masked man went for Rollins, and ended up back dropping the Renegade through the cage roof and into the mat below.

            “Holy shit!” I heard Badger exclaim, as we had a bird’s eye view of the fall.  I cringed as Rollins hit the mat.  He hit a bit too high on his back, and ended up with a major concussion as a result.  Luckily, Rollins was a fighter, and wouldn’t let anything keep him down.  He was helped out, and half of my plan was complete.  Then John Reed entered the scene.  John was, by storyline, Vince’s brother, a notion I never liked, since John was twice Vince’s size.  John had a story going where Vince didn’t want John around, but John kept trying to help him.  In this match, though, John turned on his brother, tossed him off the cage, and through a few tables below.  Vince’s fall was easier than the Renegade’s, as those tables took most of the impact.  Vince was a bit hurt, but he was okay.  Of course, as far as the fans were concerned, the fall had ended Vince’s career.  This left Badger and Caldera to go at it for the title.

            We went at it for a while more, with Badger kicking my ass from pillar to post.  I ended up clutching the title belt the whole time, until Badger whipped me so hard into the cage that I broke through with the title.  Badger had accidentally allowed Commissioner Caldera to become CWU champion.

            The masked man in the match was a man that had given the CWU a call when Nathan left.  And a man who had had some great feuds with Rich Rollins.  He was Kurt Richards, former CWU champion.  I had let him in, with the understanding that he could help out backstage a bit.  He would also lead into a great feud with Rollins.  We used the fall to give Rich some much-deserved time off.  Vince was a different story.

            Vince had been Nathan’s number one guy.  He was good, I’d give him that.  But Vince became a bit jealous of Khan.  Khan was my number one guy, and as a result, Vince got bumped from the spotlight.  I never did see Vince Reed as a world champion any time soon, and he hated the idea of not being on top.  Vince left the company, and we used the fall to say his career was over.

            So with Vince gone, and Rollins on leave, this left Badger and Richards.  The night after the Pay-Per-View, I named myself President of CWU, as Nathan had not been heard from in months.  Badger then challenged me to one last title match, and we tore the house down.  It was a great match. . . And Badger pinned me clean to win the World Title.  It was a great end to a great story.

            And so Kurt Richards against Badger Benandanti became the main event for the next Pay-Per-View, NC-17.  Locker room morale was better than it had ever been, and my wallet was filling like crazy as a result of the ratings boom.  Every event we had sold out in minutes.  Times were good.  And then Nathan came back.

            I should perhaps address Nathan Krotzer a bit.  The guy was a good writer.  He had some good ideas.  And some of his matches were very highly rated in the dirt sheets.  But when it came to responsibility, Nathan just didn’t have the work ethic to run a big company.  He was a nice guy and all. . . But something changed.

            I was in my office one day when I got a phone call.  I was surprised to hear Nathan’s voice.

            “Steven. . .”

            “Holy shit, Nathan, how are you?”

            “I just wanted to apologize for my disappearance.  I mean, I did kinda desert you.  I haven’t even had time to watch the show.  But I was just briefed by legal, and they say you’re doing a hell of a job.”

            “Well, CWU is booming.  We’re outrating Vince right now.”

            “You’re kidding me!  I never thought that was possible.  Well, hey, I want to be back for NC-17.  What’s your main event?”

            “It’s looking to be Badger against Kurt.”

            “Badger’s the champ, I like that. . . But who’s Kurt?”

            “Kurt Richards.”

            Those two words brought the CWU to an end.  Nathan went from being apologetic to livid in a span on two seconds.

            “Kurt Richards?!  Kurt Richards is on our roster?!  There is no way I am letting him back into my company!”

            I sat in shock.  Nobody had warned me that Kurt Richards and Nathan had problems.  I had no idea to expect this.  I laughed, hoping it was a joke.  It wasn’t.

            “Absolutely not.  You had no right to sign him, Steven!”

            “Come on, Nathan, he’s been one of the main reasons our ratings are so high.”

            “You don’t understand!  He's just using you!  He’s using the company!”

            Nathan went on a ten minute tirade over Richards, as I sat wondering what Nathan had been smoking.  As I soon found out, when Nathan arrived at TV the next day, there were very serious problems between Richards and Nathan.  And I was about to be dragged into it.

            Nathan showed up unannounced, which wasn’t my problem.  Technically, he still owned the company, even though I had carried it for three months.  Nathan went right for Richards, and told him to pack his bags.  I confronted Nathan, telling him he couldn’t do this to me.  Richards seemed civil about it all, but I did get the feeling that he knew what would happen when Nathan came back.

            NC-17 was a great show.  Richards and Badger went at it, and in the end, Netheradege cost Richards the match.  Netheradege turned out to be Sexual Inferno, and while Richards was busy with him, Rich Rollins assaulted him from behind.  Khan dominated three other men in a four way US title match, and then vacated the title.  My plan was for Khan to be Badger’s next challenger.  Sadly, the company would not last that long.

            Soon after the Pay-Per-View, Kurt Richards left the company.  He couldn’t take Nathan’s constant assault, and his departure left CWU in disarray.  Nathan’s presence somehow brought locker room morale to a new low, and I simply couldn’t watch as the company was torn apart.  I had the same look on my face that Mr. Danger had so many months ago as I called everyone together.

            “I like to think that I have made a positive impact on the CWU.  I think my hard work, and your hard work, has really made the CWU into a world-class promotion.  But I simply refuse to allow it all to be brought down by the petty arguments between two men that can’t get along.  Nathan has requested his trademark back, and I have officially resigned from the CWU.”

            Everyone was in shock.  I was touched by their concern.

            “It is my intention to begin my own promotion.  I have plenty of money, and I have the connections to do so.  Any of you who would like a position will have a contract ready in two weeks.  Is there anyone who would like to come with me?”

            What happened next truly touched me.  Every single man in that room raised his hand.  Not a single person had any desire to remain in the CWU.  With a great smile, I stepped down, and proceeded to shake everyone’s hands.  Everyone began chatting away with ideas for the future, until Rich Rollins pulled me aside.

            “Steven,” he began with concern, “are you sure there is no way you can make this work?  I mean, I’ve been here longer than anyone, and I hate to see the CWU die like this.”

            I thought about it for a moment, and realized how hard it must have been for Rich.  But Rich and I had grown close, and I felt I could be blunt.  “Rich, I simply refuse to work with Nathan any more.  All the work I’ve done is for nothing.  I feel I’ve come far enough to start my own company.  You’d be welcome to come. . . But I understand if you want to stick with Nathan.”

            Rich looked at the ground, then at me.  With a smile, he shook my hand.  Rich agreed to come with me.  Rich was a true class act, and it was a pleasure to have him in my regime.

            And so, in a matter of weeks, I had TV deals signed, two Pay-Per-View dates contracted, and a full roster of well known talent.  There was no way I could lose.

            GCW was our new home.  And it was the first place where I felt I was truly in charge.  Everyone respected my name, and I respected everyone for their loyalty and hard work.  These guys were good.  On the first day of TV, the Toad pulled me aside.

            “Steve, I just wanted to say that this is all going to work.  I saw everything in CWU, and I just wanted to say thank you for all you did.”

            Toad shook my hand, and went to prepare to win the Hard*core title.  Toad was a truly good guy, and is one of my personal favorites.

            That night, Octavian and Rollins went at it, with Gigas, the Jhub, Khan, and myself all getting involved.  It was a fun night.  But after that, Rich Rollins gave me a call.

            “Steven, I hate to do this to you. . . But I’m gonna need some time off.”

            This was a big let down.  Badger Benandanti had not been able to follow us to GCW due to contractual obligations to the CWU, and I saw Rollins and Khan leading the way in the company.  Khan had suffered a concussion that night in his match, and would be out for a month.  I hated to let Rollins go, but I couldn’t ask him to stay.  I quickly scanned the roster for a plan b.  And, with a smile, I highlighted two names. . . The Jhub, and Octavian.

            My friend from high-school and my pet project would finally get their much deserved time in the spotlight.  So, at our first PPV, Warpath, Octavian and the Jhub hooked up in the tournament finals, and Octavian, who went from bottom to top, took home the gold.  It was a great show.

            The United States title went home with a new recruit I picked up named Thirteen.  This kid had come uncanny talent in the ring, and I saw a potential feud between him and Khan when Khan was healthy.  But he was apparently not content with the way I had handled his character.  So he lit my belt on fire, and I let the guy go.  Thirteen was a classic case of a talented guy letting his ego get in his way.  Thirteen’s talent will be missed.  But Thirteen won’t be.

            And so, with Octavian the World Champion and our biggest ratings draw, we moved on to our next Pay-Per-View, Shockwave.  Now, in the main event at Warpath, both Rollins and Khan had returned.  Khan ended up helping Octavian win, only to assault him and become a big babyface.  This allowed me to give Khan and Rollins their turn in the spotlight. . .But Octavian was still the champ.

            So I began brainstorming for a good main event.  It was in a conversation with Rich Rollins that an idea dawned on me.

            “You know, I’d really like an iron man match with Khan.  Give Jhub a title shot, and me and Khan will go at it for a shot at the winner.  I really think the two of us can make this Pay-Per-View the best ever, Ben,” he said to me at TV one day.

            I thought about this for a few moments.  I had this thing against any match coming after a world title match.  But I wasn’t about to book a Rollins vs. Khan iron man match to be anything but the main event.  Then it hit me.

            “What about a triple threat iron man match?  You, Khan, and Octavian?”

            Rollins thought about it for a moment.  “Has that ever been done before?”

            “No.”

            “Let’s do it.”

            So it was decided.  The only flaw in the plan was that this left the Jhub without a match on the card that night.  But I got him in anyway.  The match was extraordinary.  As the clock was about to run out, my plan went into effect.  Out I ran, followed by the Jhub.  After a few minutes of chaos, I tossed a chair to the Jhub.  The Jhub nailed Octavian, and I tossed another chair to Khan.  Khan hit an Arabian facebuster on the champ, as the crowd watched in confusion.  But Rollins managed to dispatch the three of us, and snuck in the last fall for the win.  Rollins won the title for the first time in GCW, and it was a proud day for me.

            Octavian left a week later for his hometown of Rome.  Shockwave itself had come from Rome, and the guys really enjoyed our European stay.  Now with Rollins the champ, and Khan and the Jhub both in my camp, it was time for another plan.

            I now, finally, saw my chance to have a Khan vs. Rollins match.  But I got a knock on my office door one day, and was surprised to see Khan at GCW Headquarters.

            “Ben, we need to talk.  I really don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.”

            I was worried about this.  Khan’s quality had been dropping as of late, and though he was still main event quality, he wasn’t what he used to be.

            “I was hoping to see you and Rollins go at it next month,” I informed him.

            “Give the shot to the Jhub.  He deserves it.  I just need some rest.”

            So Khan was out of the spot, and it was with great reluctance that I called the Jhub in.  I was near tears as I said the words I’d dreaded for years.  “Jhubin, you’re in the main event against Rollins.”

            Of course, I’m giving the Jhub a hard time.  Dangerous Games was very highly rated.  It also began my plan to push some new talent.  John Reed had come into his own, and I had picked up some talent when the re-opened CWU failed again.  Also, two young men named Shane Lane and Luke Hanson were moving up the ranks.  Hanson even defeated Toxic for the United States title, and had a good title match with Lane that night.  There was a double main event that night.  The title match with Rollins and Jhub, and a thirty man Battle Royal for the number one contendership.

            I narrowed the big battle royal winner’s spot down to four guys; Trash, John Reed, Hanson, and Lane.  They were the final four in the match.  Hanson had retained his US title that night, so I decided against him winning twice.  Trash and Reed were still working out some kinks in the ring.  So the crowd erupted in boos as the young man Shane Lane won the battle royal, and got a title shot.

            Then the title itself was to be decided.  The main event was lower in quality than the last ones, but still exciting.  I got involved for most of it, but in the end, the Jhub pinned Rollins to become World Champion.  It was a good night ratings-wise; but I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed watching the Jhub hold my title belt.

            Don’t get me wrong, I think the Jhub’s title reign could have been huge.  But then, the next week, I booked Shane Lane to fight the Jhub.  People were worried about this.  Lane, backstage, was a bit disruptive, and was obviously very high on himself.  When he took down the Jhub to win the world title. . . The you-know-what hit the fan.

            I got phone call after phone call, with everyone demanding to know what the hell I was thinking.  Lane had risen to the top in about a month and a half, but I was determined to defend my position.  Lane tried to defend himself, but was ragged on daily by everyone.  He threatened to quit the company, which I couldn’t allow, as he was my world champion.  Eventually, I managed to cool things down.  I had a long talk with Lane, and he agreed to stop pushing buttons.  Since that talk, he has been much improved backstage.  His title reign has really helped the company.

Soon we brought Octavian back.  He fought Lane that night for the title, but they both ended up siding with me.  I named Octavian the new Commissioner that night, as Danger had wanted to return to wrestling.  It was an interesting angle, and the show did great ratings as usual.

            Then  I left for a week to visit with some family in Ohio.  I left John Reed in charge of creative control and TV.  Reed had wanted this opportunity for a long time, and I figured it wouldn’t do any harm.  I gave him a detailed list of things I wanted done, and asked Danger and the Jhub to keep an eye on things.  When I called the Jhub a few days later, I learned of what happened.

            Apparently, Reed and Danger went at it, and both men fought for power.  Finally, the Jhub took control, using our friendship and his respect backstage to keep things in control.  When I returned, I had long talks with Danger and Reed.  I was livid at the two of them, as they had caused ratings to go from in the sixes to in the threes.  They picked back up again, but I still had lost a week of big shows.

            They made amends, and things went back to normal.  To me, this is GCW’s biggest strength.  Backstage, people are respectful, and we’re all friends.  With the exception of the Danger/Reed incident, and Lane’s title win, things have always run smoothly.  This is why I left the CWU. . .And this is why we’ve become one of the greatest companies there is.

            So we continue to move on to bigger things.  I look forward to each show with great anticipation, to see what great things we can do next.  And as much as I like to look to the future, I can’t help but look back at when I used to wrestle in backyards with the Jhub and wonder. . . What the hell kind of name is the Jhub, anyway?

 

The End