A ROYAL WELCOME
Before the cameras cut away from ringside, all the lights in the arena go out, which sends a buzz through the crowd. The buzz swells louder. Cheers and screams begin to mix in, and before long a very familiar clavinet intro to long-time PRIMEates blasts through the MGM Grand Garden Arena’s speakers.
TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT
LED ZEPPELIN
Every fan in attendance who wasn’t already on their feet leaps from their seat. Cell phone screens and camera flashes start illuminating the blackness as Silver and GOLD~! pyro explodes like cannon fire from the stage.
Greasy, slicked down fine
Groovy leather trim
I like the way you hold the road
Mama, it ain’t no sin
Talkin’ ‘bout love
Talkin’ ‘bout love
Talkin’ ‘bout…
Lindsay Troy, in a black and blue leather jacket, black tank top, black skinny pants and heeled boots, throws the curtain aside and strides out onto the platform with a roar. She paces back and forth across the stage, hyping the crowd up as she does, this appearance in front of her people long overdue but oh so needed.
Nick Stuart: Here she is! The Lady of the Hour herself! Many of the PRIME Faithful, former employees, and former wrestlers always wondered if this company would have a resurgence and we’re here tonight because of that woman right there….the Queen of the Ring herself, Lindsay Troy.
Richard Parker: I’ve had a lot of things to say about Troy over the years, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone as tough, as accomplished, and as respected as her.
Nick Stuart: And we wouldn’t be sitting here right now without her, Rich. Don’t forget that.
Richard grumbles a bit, but you can tell it’s good-natured.
Troy begins making her way down the ramp, stopping along the way to greet some of the more die-hard fans she remembers from past PRIME shows. She makes her way around the ring, stopping at the announcers booth to say her hellos and well-wishes to Nick and Richard before walking up the steps and entering the ring between the top and middle ropes. Vince Howard hands her his custom blue PRIME microphone, and she gives him a hug in thanks.
“Trampled Underfoot” eventually fades out and the Queen stands amongst her subjects. She looks out amongst the crowd and smiles.
Lindsay Troy: WELCOME….TO CUL….
She stops her welcome as a chant has risen and taken hold through the crowd.
THANK YOU LIND-SAY! *clap clap clapclapclap*
THANK YOU LIND-SAY! *clap clap clapclapclap*
THANK YOU LIND-SAY! *clap clap clapclapclap*
As the appreciation grows in volume, the Queen appears genuinely touched. She looks down at the mat, smirking, shaking her head almost imperceptibly, trying to will the flush from her cheeks.
Lindsay Troy: No, thank you.
Troy looks back up again, that famous smirk of hers still present.
Lindsay Troy: You all wanted this to happen. I’ve said it already, I heard the asks and I saw your pleas. But with a lot of things in my life, it needed to happen at the right time, and there was no more perfect time than last summer to start these plans. I thank you for your patience. I know you wanted to see me out here on ReVival 1, but I wanted these first few shows to be about the talent and not about the person who employs them all. I thank you for your trust and your loyalty, not only to me but to this place … even when it was gone. Even when the times were tough and we had other companies nipping at our heels, trying to knock us from our place at the top of the mountain. We made it through. We made it back. Who else from the old days can say that?
Richard Parker: Nobody, that’s who.
Nick Stuart: Hard to argue with you there, partner.
Lindsay Troy: Tonight we’re bringing the Almasy Invitational to a close. And I could say a lot about the man known professionally as Seymour Almasy, but we’ve got a stacked card and I’d probably be here awhile. So here’s what I’ll say: Seymour…Jason…was the best of us and someone I always strove to be thought of in the same class as. He was as tough in the ring as he was kind, thoughtful and intelligent outside of it. He’s thought about and missed every single day, and it’s my intention to have this tournament become a yearly tradition with the new era of PRIME.
A wave of applause reverberates throughout the Grand Garden Arena at the news.
Lindsay Troy: Now, like I said…we’ve got a stacked card tonight and I think we need to get right to it. I do want to leave you all with two more things: one, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me once this show is over…
Richard Parker: Hoo boy.
Nick Stuart: Not necessarily a bad thing, Richard.
Richard Parker: Who are you kidding, Nick? Playtime’s about to be over for a lot of these hooligans.
Lindsay Troy: And two….it was nice to hear Zeppelin again tonight, but as you all know we’re in the ReVival era. And with the change in the times comes a change in the music. So play me out, Johnny….and WELCOME….TO CULTURE SHOCK!
Lindsay tosses the microphone back to Vince as “Put ‘Em in the Grave” by the Jedi Mind Tricks cues up. She stands center ring for a couple moments more before the scene moves elsewhere.