Deer in the Headlights

VIDEO VIGNETTE: “A Clash of Styles”

Open to a montage of a professional wrestler, Adam Ellis, in workout attire in the middle of an intense training session upstairs. He is lifting weights, doing push-ups, and practicing wrestling moves with adrenaline in his eyes.

Adam Ellis (narrating): “Being a professional wrestler takes dedication, strength, and drive. I live and breathe this sport, giving it my all every day. It’s what defines me.”

Cut to Ginny Van Lear, Adam’s wife, sitting peacefully downstairs in a cozy living room in a nice sun dress. She is holding a Bible and a serene expression is on her face. The room is filled with music from the spiritual hymn “How Great Thou Art.”

Ginny Van Lear (narrating): ” Findin’ solace in my faith is important to me, offering a mommaent of tranquility in this world. It gives me strength tuh support my husband in his pursuits.”

Cut back to Adam’s intense workout session.

Adam (narrating): “In the ring, I’m fierce. I dominate my opponents. But when it comes to home, I try to find a balance. I’m as committed to my family as I am to my passion.”

Cut to Ginny continuing her reflections, but her face starts to show signs of frustration.

Ginny (narrating): “But sometimes, finding that balance can be challenging, especially when our interests collide.”

End video vignette.

Adam Ellis and Ginny Van Lear’s new house in the Dallas suburbs is a beautiful two-story house complete with a spacious front porch and a white picket fence around the yard In a housing development just west of Farmersville, Texas.

Pan inside the house and the first thing you see is Ginny Van Lear, Adam Ellis’s petite firecracker of a wife sitting on a cozy armchair in the living room with dimmed lighting and soft music playing in the background.

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Ginny’s eyes are closed, and she clasps her hands together in prayer to the serene melody of ‘How Great Thou Art’.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

As Ginny starts to close her eyes after the chorus, she hears…

…and If you got a problem with that, ha ha!
You can kiss my country ass…

…before the next verse of the hymn starts. Ginny’s eyes pop back open.

Ginny (incredibly annoyed): “Whut th’ hell…”

Ginny stops and corrects herself.

Ginny: “…I mean heck?”

Ginny looks up above… no no, not at Heaven or at God to apologize for cussing.  Her gaze is focused on the outrageously boisterous country music coming from upstairs seeping through the ceiling and disrupting her tranquility.

Ginny: “Adam.”

Ginny marches over to the steps leading to the second floor of the house and the song gets even louder.

Tearing down a dirt road
Rebel flag flying
Coon dog in the back
Truck bed loaded down with beer
And a cold one in my lap

The sound of heavy weights being lifted on a weight machine and slamming back down can barely be heard over the sonic wall of sound coming out of the workout room.

Ginny shakes her head, frustrated, and decides to take matters into her own hands. She gets up and stomps upstairs, following the sound of the music- apparently Rhett Akins’ ‘Kiss My Country Ass’ blaring at full volume on his stereo determined to resolve the situation.

Earnhardt sticker behind my head
And my woman by my side
Tail-pipe’s popping
The radio’s rocking “Country Boy Can Survive”
If you got a problem with that, ha ha!

Ginny enters the room.  The workout room contains various pictures of Adam starting from the very beginning of his professional career, his first-ever MVW match, and working out at Bergman’s Barn.  There’s also photos on the wall of Adam with John Sektor during their High Octane Wrestling Tag Team title run and one of him holding up the Missouri Valley Wrestling Men’s title belt after he won the title.

Ginny finds Adam in the middle of lifting weights…

Adam: “AND YOU CAN KISS… MY… COUNTRY ASS!”

…and singing, much to Ginny’s horror.

Adam’s been working out vigorously so his muscles glisten with sweat.

Ginny: “Adam!”

Much to her annoyance, he doesn’t hear her and continues to work on the weights.  So she tries again.

Ginny: “Adam!”

Nope.  Adam’s in a groove and he’s powering through his workout.

Ginny’s face turns nearly as red as her hair.  Thinking all kind of nasty thoughts that’ll she’ll apologize for later in prayer, she breathes in and lets it go.

Ginny (full shout): “ADAMMMMMMM!”

Adam thinks he hears something.  He peeks over and realizes he did hear something.  By the exasperated expression on his wife’s face and the speed her right foot is tapping up and down on the floor, he deduces that this is not going to be a ‘hey, how’s your workout going’ conversation they are about to have.

Ginny (scolding): “Adam, kin yew turn it down? Ah’m tryin’ tuh have a peaceful mommaent downstairs an’ I cain’t with all this doggone commotion up here.”

Adam: Huh? Oh, sorry, babe. I didn’t realize it was bothering you. I was just getting into the zone.

Ginny takes a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. She didn’t exactly care to be called ‘babe’ either.

Ginny: “Adam, ah know how passionate yer ’bout wrestlin’, an’ I  r’spect that. I know you’re happier than a dead pig in the sunshine an’ a plumb fool when yew work out but Ah need my time tuh be with th’ Lord. Ah promised Daddy I wouldn’ stray away an’ I’m going tuh keep that promise.”

Adam looks down sheeplishly.

Adam: “I know. I know you need your time to decompress after working out at the Sportatorium and you got a lot on your plate working with your cousins Cletus and Enos and getting ready to go back to Missouri Valley Wrestling.”

Ginny: “It ain’t just that, Adam.”

Adam: “You’re right, Ginny. We need to find a balance.  It’s just… just… well… it’s this upcoming match.  I came close against Cecilworth Farthington.  I came this…”

Adam holds two fingers really close together.

Adam: “…close against Hayes Hanlon.  I really want to win this match.”

Ginny puts her hand on Adam’s shoulder.

Ginny: Honey, Ah know how much winnin’ the match means tuh yew. You’ve worked so hard fer this here mommaent. But ‘member, champions ain’t defined by their victories alone.

She gives him a peck on the cheek.

Ginny: “You’ll always be muh champion.   We don’t hafta put on airs when it comes tuh us… we don’t need no Luv Convoy… an’ I ain’t no Vickie Hall, that’s fer shure.  Th’ truth will stand when the world’s on fire and yure the boy who sets my heart a’quiverin’…”

Ginny winks at him.

Ginny: “…and yew still do.”

***

Farmersville City Park- Farmersville, Texas- June 24^th
Adam Ellis is seated beneath a tree, his gaze fixed upon the railroad tracks. His mind is preoccupied with a momentous upcoming match against Tristin-Crispin Gladhappy of the Love Convoy faction. Adam and Ginny have been at odds with this group for several months now.

Adam stares out at the trees beyond the tracks, lost in thought.

This win is crucial for Adam. Following two close losses to Cecilworth Farthington and Hayes Hanlon last week, he’s feeling the weight of expectation of being an up-and-coming young wrestler with promise bearing down on him.

Gathering his resolve, Adam signals to the cameraman to begin filming.

“Tristin,” Adam begins. “Of everyone associated with the Love Convoy, believe it or not, I find you the least irritating. Jonathan-Christopher Hall is a whining doormat. Vickie Hall is a succubus from hell. Darin Zion… oh, don’t get me started on Darin Zion. But you, Tristin. You seem to be the most authentic person in the group.  You are who your are and I appreciate that.”

Adam lowers his head as a bicyclist rides by on the sidewalk adjacent to Hill Street that borders the park.

“Wrestling at the top level has been a struggle for me. The bumps, the bruises, the endless days of training. I’ve been battered, bruised, and broken, but I refuse to let these setbacks define me. I refuse to back down. I refuse to give up. At Tropical Turmoil, Adam Ellis will take his destiny into his own hands.”

He rocks and forth as if he’s thinking about what to say next and takes a deep breath before he continues, “I know you’re going to bring your best to the ring, Tristin. But let me tell you something, I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of the Love Convoy. I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of anything.”

Adam clenches his fists, “Give me your best shot, Tristin. I’ll take all the hits, all the punches, the kicks, and the slams. I’ll take it all and I’ll come back stronger. I’ll show you what it means to be a true wrestler. I’ll show you what it means to be a champion.”

He stands up and looks towards the railroad tracks, “I may not have the same level of charisma as some of the other wrestlers, but what I do have is heart. And that’s something that can’t be taught in a wrestling school. Joe Bergman couldn’t teach heart to me. John Sektor couldn’t teach heart and Charlie Blackwell can’t teach heart to me either. It’s something that comes from deep within.”

Adam turns to the camera, “When that bell rings and the crowd roars, there won’t be any room for doubt. There won’t be any room for despair. The only thing that will matter is the relentless pursuit of victory. And I can promise you, Tristin, that you will know exactly what it feels like to face a man with a heart that burns hotter than the sun. For me, it’s not just all about winning titles… it’s not just about fame, fortune, and all that comes with it. For Adam Ellis, it’s about proving his worth… it’s about proving that Adam Ellis belongs here… wrestling for one of the biggest companies in the world… and doing it one match at a time.”

The camera follows Adam walking toward the railroad tracks. His solace of reflection is only disturbed by the sound of a train in the distance. “And Love Convoy… you want to talk about…

Adam does the hand ‘quotes’ thing with his hands.

“…love. I don’t need a Love Convoy, I have the real thing.  I have real love.  I have a wife… who also just happens to be a crack shot with a shotgun… standing by my side. Ginny’s love and her unwavering belief in me have kept me going even on days where I openly questioned whether I belonged in PRIME.”

As the camera closely follows Adam walking along the tracks, he feels a sense of determination settling deep within him. He knows that he is on the right path and that the love he has been searching for is close at hand. Ginny joins him, and he feels a sudden rush of warmth as he takes her hand in his own, their fingers intertwining together. It is a small gesture, but one that fills him with a sense of hope and strength.

“We are a team,” Adam says.  “With Ginny by my side, I finally feel I’ve found what I have been looking for – a love that will help me through any obstacle or setback I may encounter on the road ahead.”   He squeezes her hand tightly, feeling her fingers pressing against his own. “Love doesn’t come from an army of friends,” he says softly. “It comes from one person who believes in you wholeheartedly – one person who never gives up on you even when everyone else has.”

Ginny nods in agreement, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips as she brushes her red hair from her eyes. “You don’t need no convoy tuh succeed,” she tells him. “You got me and we got each oth’r…” She takes her index finger and taps it gently against his chest, where his heart lies. “…and this is wut matters th’ most; your heart.”

Feeling a sudden surge of gratitude and affection for Ginny, Adam pulls her close and gets back to the business at hand. “But now, Tristin,” he says, his voice firm and resolute. “You’re standing in my way, and I won’t let you get in my way. I won’t let the Love Convoy get in my way. I won’t let anyone get in my way.”

“And if I see that snake in the grass… that battle-axe Vickie Hall, tryin’ to sneak up on us,” Ginny says. “I’ll take care o’ her the same way Ah took care uh that floatin’ balloon Ah shot down a few weeks ago.”

Adam and Ginny continue down the tracks, the camera pans up to show their silhouette against the horizon. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over everything in sight, just like a giant white light that seems to be getting bright and brighter… and closer and closer… a train.

“Oh shit,” Adam says, eyes widening and mouth wide open.

For real. It’s a train.

“ADAM!” Ginny’s been trying to get him to stop using those colorful adjectives.

But before Ginny can launch into another lecture about his loose language, Adam grabs her by the arm and yanks Ginny off the railroad tracks just in time before the oncoming train rumbles through. In the process of getting pulled to safety in a brusque manner by her husband, heart beating like a jackhammer after the near miss, words tumbled out of Ginny’s mouth…

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

…yeah, she said that word.

Of course, Ginny immediately covers her mouth, horrified at what she’s just said and her face turns beet red. While the railroad cars pass by making their clickety-clack sound traveling on the tracks, a contrite Ginny looks up at the sky.

“Sorry Lord.”

***

June 25^th-Adam Ellis vs ‘Redneck’ Bill Dickinson at the New Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas at a Texas Championship Wrestling show.
Since Adam had the weekend free and so did Missouri Valley Wrestling’s Men’s Champion ‘Redneck’ Bill Dickinson… MVW is off for the next four weeks… the owner of Texas Championship Wrestling Charlie Blackwell… also Adam’s trainer… called a couple of favors in and booked the two to meet on a Saturday night TCW show.

Ellis and Dickinson had history.  It was their feud at the end of 2021 in MVW that put both men on the map.  Dickinson was irritated that Adam had High Octane Wrestling’s John Sektor working with him and thought he was getting a free ride.  The feud cumulated in a cage match at MVW’s Evening of Champions where Dickinson won but Ellis put on quite a show in defeat.  Both men benefitted from their feud.  Dickinson got his showcase when he faced Sektor at HOW’s ICONIC pay-per-view show in December 2021.  Ellis went to HOW to tag team with John Sektor to win the HOW Tag Team title at March to Glory in 2022.

So here they were again for the first time since MVW’s Wrestling Night in America 2022- a match Adam won after he’d returned to MVW in May 2022 and won the Men’s Title.

Inside the ring, TCW’s ring announcer Wendy Willis stands in front of the Texas Championship Wrestling logo. Excitement fills the air inside the New Sportatorium as the packed crowd eagerly awaited tonight’s main event.

Wendy Willis: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our final match on tonight’s electrifying Texas Championship Wrestling show! Our main event tonight is a Special Attraction Match!

She pauses as the wild Texas crowd goes wild with anticipation.  Willis points to the Ellis corner.

Wendy Willis: In this corner, accompanied by his wife, the lovely Ginny Van Lear… weighing in at 220 pounds, standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall, and hailing from the heart of Missouri, a 22-year-old sensation who has taken the wrestling world by storm. Y’all, let’s give a warm Texas welcome to Adam Ellis!

The crowd erupts with cheers and applause as the camera focuses on Adam Ellis, standing confidently in the ring with his arm around Ginny.

Wendy Willis: Y’all his opponent is in the right corner, weighing in at 330 pounds, standing at 6 feet inch tall, he is the current Missouri Valley Wrestling Men’s Champion.  Hailing from Troy, Alabama and accompanied by Sunny O’Callahan in his corner.  Ladies and gentlemen, representing the Alabama Gang, “Redneck” Bill Dickinson!

Dickinson raises his arms in the air.

Charlie Blackwell also booked the match because he thinks that despite the recent losses to Cecilworth Farthington and Hayes Hanlon… two of the best wrestlers in PRIME… Adam has been able to take a lot from both matches. ‘Every match is a learning experience’ Charlie told Adam and even though Bill Dickinson… at age 38… is probably wrestling as well as he’s ever wrestled in his life, Adam can still win the match.

And for most of the match, that appears to be the way it’s playing out. Adam’s wrestling a crisp, technical match that serves to negate Dickinson’s strength and brawling tactics. There are a couple of instances where Dickinson corners Adam and pounds away on him. But Adam uses the tricks he’s learned over the past year to find a way to escape and not fall victim to Dickinson’s lethal Southern Fried Powerbomb. Dickinson tries to brawl but Adam manages to use his technical ability and quickness to stay at arm’s length from the 330 Pound Southern Brawler.

But then Dickinson shifts gears and his strategy changes. He starts targeting Adam’s leg, looking to wear him down so he can take control of the match. He drives his knee into Adams’ leg repeatedly before trapping him in a figure four leg lock. Adam grunts in pain as he struggles to break free but Dickinson isn’t relenting and it looks like the end is near for Adam.

But Adam finds a way to counter out of the hold and rolls up on top of Dickinson, catching him off guard with an O’ Connor roll that pins Dickinson in a surprise pinfall attempt. But Dickinson kicks out at two and three-quarters with authority, switching momentum back into his favor.

Adam gets back up to his feet quickly.  He ducks a powerful clothesline by Dickinson and takes him down with a drop toehold.  The momentum has clearly shifted now and it looks like Adam is going to win.

Adam sets up for his finisher. He brings his rear leg forward to feign a kick when suddenly he hears a voice.

Sunny O’Callahan: HEY! ADAM!

As Adam stood inside the ring, he suddenly noticed Sunny O’Callahan right in front of him on the ring apron. With a grin on her face, Sunny pulled her shirt up and flashed him.

Adam was taken aback and stood there in shock… a deer in the headlights… or is it a deer looking at the headlights… but whatever… the distraction gave Dickinson the perfect moment to strike.  He roared back to his feet and delivered a brutal clothesline, flattening Ellis on the mat.

Watching from the sidelines and outraged by Sunny’s indecent behavior, Ginny rushed into the ring to confront her. Sunny calmly put her shirt back down and raised her hands in surrender as Ginny approached her.

In the meantime, Dickinson seized the opportunity and charged forward, delivering another nasty clothesline to Adam, causing him to crash onto the mat. Dickinson then followed up with a Southern Fried Powerbomb, securing the three count for victory.

The Alabama Gang erupted in a wild celebration.  R.G. Jenkins and Mark Hendry climbed into the ring to join Dickinson.   Sunny glanced over and saw Ginny glaring at her.  She gave Ginny a quick wink and then joined in the festivities with the rest of the Alabama Gang.

Adam, on the other hand, was left shaking his head in disbelief at what just happened.  He’d lost focus in the middle of the match again and it cost him.

Adam Ellis: “Charlie’s going to kill me.”

He slowly made his way back toward Charlie who himself was speechless and amused by what had just happened. Charlie told Adam to chalk it down as another experience.

Charlie Blackwell (joking): “At least there’s a really good chance Vickie Hall won’t be flashing you at Tropical Trauma.”

Adam chuckled and sighed in relief.

Ginny, on the other hand, fumed all the way back home. ‘Colorful metaphors’ of all sorts directed towards Sunny cycled through her head.  she finally lifts her head towards the ceiling of the car.

“Sorry Lord.”

“What dear?”

“Nothing.”