JUST AN OLD SCHOOL INTERVIEW
Cut to backstage at the MGM Grand, Matt Mills is standing by with a microphone.
Matt Mills: Well ladies and gentlemen I have with me a newcomer to the sport along with his manager, a man known worldwide for his grappling acumen, former OSW and FUSE legend, Dave Gibson.
Wrestling legend Dave Gibson walks into the frame followed shortly by an unknown wrestler. The younger man appears to be in his early twenties. He is taller than both of the other men, but doesn’t tower over them. Some might call him athletic, muscular or lean, but not skinny. Dave wrings his hands and rolls his shoulders as Matt introduces the pair.
Matt Mills: Dave Gibson, it is a pleasure to introduce you to PRIME.
Dave Gibson: Trust me, the pleasure is all yours.
Dave takes a dramatic pause to let that one sink in.
Dave Gibson: Matt Mills, fans, PRIME…You are all probably wondering what brought me back from the dead. You all are probably wondering what makes a man like Dave Gibson decide to step back into the spotlight. The truth is I never left, I just took a little vacation. I sat alone, biding my time, watching this new generation of so-called wrestlers.
He enunciates each sentence with two fingers pointed forward as he speaks looking into the camera and deep into hearts of the viewers tuned in to the show. Matt looks confused by this statement.
Matt Mills: Are you saying you’re not impressed with the talent level in PRIME?
Dave Gibson: PRIME, HOW, PWA, Britain, Mexico, Japan, the U.S.A, hell, the world. I am not impressed. I see a bunch of yoked up, low integrity clowns who care more about putting on a big show than wrestling. You have a guy pretending to be a real Luchador as the Intense Champ. You have two people claiming to be fruit as Tag Champs. You have a man who looks like an advertisement for Waste Management holding the 5-Star Title. You have a yolk spewing cartoon character for a Universal Champion. Matt, what happened?
Matt Mills: I think our Champions represent PRIME just fine…
Dave Gibson: There you go, thinking. Well, I’ve been doing some thinking too. I’ve been thinking it is time to introduce some class into this organization.
He pauses and takes two fingers, points them at Matt Mills’ eyes and then drags his gaze down to the patented “Shut Up and Wrestle!” tee shirt.
Dave Gibson: There was a time when this shirt meant something. There was a time when I could lock in The Silencer and shove my opponents’ words right back down into their yellow guts.
Matt opens his mouth to speak, but Gibson lifts his hand and cuts him off before a word can exit Matt’s mouth.
Dave Gibson: Matt, let me tell you something. The other day as I walked down The Strip, Mayor Carolyn Goodman came up to me and said “Dave, you gotta do something about PRIME. It’s a freakshow of blood and beatings. It’s putting a dark tinge on my good city.” I said “Carolyn, don’t you worry about that. I have an answer to your problems.”
Matt Mills: I assume you are talking about the young gentleman standing to your left.
Dave nods and looks at his protege. The young man is dressed much differently than his elder counterpart wearing crisp cut dull blue denim jeans. He wears a black as the Devil’s heart tee shirt with a fatigued skull and a futuristic punk style leather coat over the top. His posture, jawline, and features are quite striking with green eyes that cut right into a person’s soul hidden behind yellow tinted gaming glasses. He has a short cropped beard and undercut hair swept back over features somehow familiar to PRIME fans. Dave turns back to the interviewer and smiles rakishly.
Dave Gibson: You see this man, Matt? I’ve been working with this young man for over two years. I’ve been honing his skills, his awareness, his love of the sport. Once I had hold of it I was able to refine that skill, awareness, and love into what you see right here, and he’s ready to show everyone what wrestling is about!
Matt Mills: Maybe I should ask the young man what he thinks?
The student steps forward and looks down at Matt. He removes his yellow tinted glasses and delivers a blazing glare of intensity. Dave holds up a hand to his pupil and chuckles a little to Matt Mills.
Dave Gibson: No, no, no. He hasn’t earned the right yet, Matt. He still has dues to pay before he gets to talk.
The younger man nods to Gibson and steps back, allowing his mentor to speak.
Dave Gibson: But this is what I say; I say that PRIME is full of men and women who will tell you to your face they are brave, they are pious, they are the baddest on this roster. And it is all bullshit. Every last one of them wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror, and questions themselves.
Matt Mills: Are you suggesting your student is better than everyone on the roster?
Dave Gibson: I don’t have to suggest it, Matt, it’s just the truth of things. I saw it on the show. I see it all over the internet. I see it in their eyes. I wouldn’t trust my name to be attached to his if it wasn’t the truth.
Matt Mills seems to be in shock at the bravado of Dave Gibson.
Dave Gibson: In fact, I am so confident I’ll promise you right here, right now in Las Vegas, Nevada, that I will never interfere in this man’s matches. He’s going to earn every win the hard way.
Matt Mills: And what if he doesn’t win?
Gibson looks Mills dead in the eyes and makes him shrink back a step.
Dave Gibson: Are you hard of hearing son, or have you not been paying attention? This is my student. There won’t be wasted time. There won’t be flashy moves. There will just be him and his opponent. That opponent is going to have to stare into the eyes of a killer and know when the bell rings there is nowhere left to run and hide. All those flashy jumps and whoop dee doo the so-called wrestlers do today will be useless once they are locked into his grip.
Matt seems to believe Dave’s every word. The young man smirks and nods confidently as Dave speaks highly of him.
Matt Mills: But, don’t we even get to know his name?
Gibson shakes his head slowly, with absolute intent.
Dave Gibson: No Matt, you don’t.
Dave motions to his student and nods to leave. He fishes a crisp pair of hundred dollar bills out of his wallet and stuffs them in Matt Mills jacket pocket, then slaps his cheek lightly.
Dave Gibson: Do yourself a favor and buy a decent shirt.
Dave and Eddie walk away leaving Matt Mills looking down at his pocket sullenly.
Matt Mills: But I bought this shirt at JCPenney…