Adam Ellis
(ReVival 21- Adam Ellis vs. Jonathan-Christopher Hall)
Ginny Van Lear lays the boots to Darin Zion desperately trying to cover up. Ellis chuckles at the beating his wife is putting on Zion. On the opposite side of the ring…
Tristan-Crispin Gladhappy, clad in a completely unconvincing wig and glasses with a fake nose and mustache, hops the barricade, reaches into his pocket, and slips Hall a pair of heart-shaped brass knuckles.
Adam Ellis turns his attention back to Jonathan-Christopher Hall and pulls the battered Hall to his feet. He lifts JCH for a big Back Suplex. Hall smacks him between the eyes with the Love Knux!
They crash to the canvas. Hall lands on top. The dazed Hall gets rid of the knux.
ONE
TWO
THREE!
DING DING DING
Learning Lessons
Sometimes when a wrestler loses a match due to letting himself be distracted by outside-the-ring shenanigans, instead of making a string of lame excuses the best course of action is to just admit your mistake and try to learn from it. In Adam Ellis’s case, he got caught ‘wife watching’ in the middle of his match with Jonathan-Christopher Hall.
Darin Zion- a man whom Adam already has a history with (it was the match Adam had against Zion at HOW’s Dead or Alive PPV that caught Lindsay Troy’s eye)- attempted to intervene on behalf of the Love Convoy only to have Adam’s wife Ginny Van Lear pull Zion off the apron and start to lay into him with a series of martial arts kick. While Adam’s attention was diverted toward her, a pair of brass knuckles mysteriously showed up on JCH’s fist and he knocked Ellis out to steal the win.
Adam chose to appear at last week’s ReVival 22 show and do his confession live before millions of people. He hoped that would be the end of it and he would move on.
But unfortunately for Adam, Charlie Blackwell had other plans…
(SCENE: The New Dallas Sportatorium – Dallas, Texas)
Adam Ellis is sparring with another wrestler in the ring and the action is swift and furious. However, every time his wife Ginny Van Lear comes into Adam’s line of sight, he finds his attention wandering away from the man in front of him in the ring.
Why?
Because Ginny Van Lear is at ringside dressed in a string bikini. She appears incredibly uncomfortable in the skimpy outfit but she soldiers on for her husband’s sake.
The distracted Ellis finds himself on his back looking up at the lights after his sparring partner shoots the leg.
Charlie Blackwell: GODDAMMIT ADAM, COME ON!
Watching from the side, Blackwell can tell the second Ellis’s eyes wander off task. He hops up onto the apron and points an aggravated finger at him.
Charlie Blackwell: FOCUS ON YOUR OPPONENT! NOT YOUR TROPHY WIFE!
Blackwell claps his hands three times.
Charlie Blackwell: ONE… TWO… THREE… YOU’RE DONE.
Ginny, on the other hand, gets a little indignant at Charlie’s ‘trophy wife’ comment.
Ginny Van Lear: You might think ahm dumber than a coal bucket but eye ain’t no trophy wife!
Charlie… who’s trying to be super-serious and make a super-serious point with the young Ellis… has to turn away so no one sees him chuckling at Ginny’s response.
Ginny Van Lear: Do Ah really hafta wear this outfit? Ima gonna ketch my death here!
She tries to cover herself up as much as possible.
Ginny Van Lear: This sure ain’t sump’m proper for a fo’ a God fearin’ daughter of a Baptist preacher t’be wearin…. Showin’ off my kit and kaboodle. Daddy’d be appalled thet ah’s dressed like this.
Blackwell can’t contain himself now. He bursts out into laughter.
Charlie Blackwell: This coming from the girl who was once caught making out with Adam in the shower… topless?
Yes. That happened and here’s the proof.
(PICTURE: May 9th, 2022- The Men’s Shower at the Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois)
The image is a little out of focus but yeah, Ginny is clearly shown making out with Adam under a running shower topless and wearing a pair of wet jeans. Adam still has his wrestling tights on.
Like wildfire, the picture made the rounds in all of the wrestling dirt sheets and came to the attention of Ginny’s father. He made her return home for a short time after he saw the picture.
Face registering shock and surprise, Ginny sputters a few incomprehensible sounds before she finally spits out what she wants to say.
Ginny Van Lear: How’dja find out about thet?
Charlie Blackwell: Honey, I was down in Texas and *I* knew about it. Lindsay Troy wasn’t the only one who had Adam on her radar. We were also scouting Adam for Texas Championship Wrestling and I knew all about you too. Fifteen-year-old mixed martial arts prodigy. Competed in MMA tournaments all over the country until a funny thing happened. You turned sixteen and discovered boys. Then in 2020 at an MMA showcase down in Nashville, Tennessee, you turned up one night missing at bed check and was found making out with a boy in a darkened banquet room. Your father brought you right home and that was it for your MMA career.
Ginny’s speechless.
Charlie Blackwell: Trust me, I knew all about what you and him were up to. Hell, EVERYONE knew.
For his part, Adam leans up against a turnbuckle and puts his head down as Charlie speaks.
Charlie Blackwell: The wrestlers knew. The backstage staff knew. Ray McAvay knew. Everyone inside MVW headquarters knew. All the dirt sheets knew. The front desk of twenty-one different hotels and motels throughout the Midwest all knew. The sheriff’s deputies who caught you two parking behind the Sandford Wesleyan Church outside of Terre Haute, Indiana… they knew.
Ginny’s face froze as Charlie recited the number of people who knew about her backstage affair with Adam. Mouth open. Eyes wide open. Her face turning bright red in embarrassment.
Charlie Blackwell: …you guys hooked up in the backstage area, showers, locker rooms, closets, hotel parking lots, the back seat of numerous rental vehicles, and that one time you two almost got caught by a security guard on the roof of the SIU Arena in Carbondale, Illinois.
Adam buries his head in his arms.
Charlie grins at her.
Ginny finally responds…
Ginny Van Lear: Oh.
…and then looks for a rock to crawl under.
Charlie Blackwell: Look, I understand being young, in love, and all that comes with raging hormones. But when Adam is in the ring, he has to be focused on one thing- defeating his opponent. Ginny, you did what you were supposed to do. You had Adam’s back. You made sure no one came in from behind and interfered in the match. You did your job.
Blackwell whirls around and shoots out an accusatory finger at Adam.
Charlie Blackwell: You’re the one who screwed up. You made a classic rookie mistake, Adam. A classic rookie mistake I don’t want you to EVER make ever again. If you’re going to make progress and become an elite wrestler, you can’t be making those types of mistakes.
Blackwell gestures towards Ginny.
Charlie Blackwell: THAT’S why she’s wearing…
Men’s Voice Off Screen: TIME!
Charlie Blackwell: …that.
Charlie glances at the clock.
Charlie Blackwell: Oh.
Blackwell’s demeanor becomes less intense and less confrontational.
In fact, the tone of voice becomes almost pleasant.
Charlie Blackwell: I guess we are done for the day so, Ginny, you can go change now.
Like a bullet shot out of a gun, Ginny races away toward the back to change into proper clothing.
***
Lessons Learned
“Charlie Blackwell drilled into me the concept that I should know as much about my opponent as possible.”
Adam Ellis relaxes on the couch inside the Ellis’s modest house trailer- a present from Ginny’s late father. Adam has ice on his knees and he leans back as far as possible to allow his legs to be propped up on a small coffee table in front of where the couch is located.
“So Tony Gamble, here’s what I know about you. You’re almost twenty years older than I am. I also know that you run with a group called the Gamble Adoration Society. Otherwise known as GAS.”
Adam holds up a picture of his wife.
“Coincidentally, my wife Ginny says she is the charter member- and only member- of the Adam Ellis Adoration Society… or AEAS… which isn’t nearly as catchy of an acronym as GAS but, oh well, what the hell.”
Cue a nervous smile from the youngster.
“Your overall record is worse than mine… and that takes some doing. Both of us are in the same predicament. We both need a win… badly. So I know you’ll be coming into this match with every intention of getting a win. And you know, I’ll be coming into the match doing everything I need to do to get a win. It ought to make for a good match. Two men in desperate need of a win.”
Adam cracks open a can of Lone Star beer and takes a quick drink.
“The difference will be this… I don’t think the pressure won’t be on me, Tony. Hell, I’m not supposed to be winning matches left and right at the start of your career. That’s exactly where I’m at right now. I mean, it would be nice to pick up a few more wins. But I also know there’s a long process I have to work through in order to build my career from the ground up and become the best wrestler I can be.”
He reaches over to an end table by the couch and puts the can of Lone Star on the tabletop.
“Sometimes Tony, I have to remind myself that even though my wrestling career has spanned four years, I am still a relative newbie when it comes to professional wrestling. I really did have it too easy when I tagged with John Sektor. And I had it easy when I went down to Missouri Valley Wrestling and won their top title. Now that I’m wrestling at a much higher level at a top company… truly on my own for the first time, I realize just how much I still have to learn.”
Ellis counts on his fingers as he recites the people who have helped him in his pro wrestling journey.
I’ve been blessed with teachers such as Joe Bergman, Dawn McGill, John Sektor, and now, Charlie Blackwell. I was blessed with starting my career on the fast track: winning the HOW tag belts with Sektor, winning the MVW Men’s title, and winning my first PRIME match. But now, here I am. Two losses. Both through nefarious means.”
Adam again uses his fingers to hammer home the point he’s making.
“Sage Pontiff used a ring hammer on me to ‘hammer’ home a win last year and Jonathan-Christopher Hall stole one from me with a pair of brass knuckles.”
He exhales.
“But that’s okay. This is all part of the learning process. Everyone told me from day one that there would be times when it seemed winning was out of my reach and I would need to dig deep and work even harder. That’s why Charlie is working my ass off. That’s why he is drilling the idea of staying focused on my opponent through my head. Because. that’s where we are right now. I guess what I’m saying Tony is after two bad losses, I’m coming to New Orleans intending to win our match. That means I’m going to heed what Charlie’s been saying. That means I will dig deeper, work harder, and keep my focus on one thing- winning this match next Fri-.”
The sound of something crashing down in an adjacent room stops Adam’s flow. Then the sound of a young woman screaming in frustration.
Then…
“ADAM!”
Sheepishly, Adam jumps up from the couch.
“Yeah, I gotta go.”
***
The HOTv Tag Team Champions Visit
After Adam takes a quick shower in the locker room and gets changed back into regular clothes… on this day jeans, tennis shoes, and a University of Missouri sweatshirt… he walks back out towards the ring and the first thing he notices is there are a couple of familiar faces talking to Charlie Blackwell.
Charlie sees him and motions Adam to join them.
Charlie Blackwell: Adam. There’s some people here to see you.
Adam recognizes the man with a black bandana covering his bald head and sporting a black sleeveless vest with jeans and boots.
Adam Ellis: I see. Hey R.G.
R.G. Jenkins: Adam Ellis. Long time, no see.
R.G. Jenkins is a 39-year-old veteran who’s bumped around the independent wrestling scene for over fifteen years. Jenkins primarily featured in a small wrestling company called Appalachian Mountain Championship Wrestling out of Boone, North Carolina where he had much success. He moved to Missouri Valley Wrestling in 2022 after Adam had left for HOW in the Spring of 2022 to tag with John Sektor. Their paths did cross later on when Adam returned to MVW in the summer of 2022 and won the Men’s Title.
Trivia note- Tyler Adrian Best wrestled in MVW briefly in 2022 and his first opponent was? R.G. Jenkins.
Adam also recognizes the man next to Jenkins.
Adam Ellis: Mark! Good to see you, man.
Mark Hendry: Adam!
The beefy twenty-five-year-old had a leather jacket on, a black t-shirt, and black and silver cowboy boots. Hendry showed up in MVW in late 2021 trying to get his pro wrestling career started. After working out at Bergman’s Barn, Hendry found himself in talent enhancement purgatory for the first few months of his MVW career. Then MVW Owner Ray McAvay paired Hendry and Jenkins together as a tag team and teamed them up with fellow Alabama native ‘Redneck’ Bill Dickinson to form the Alabama Gang.
Adam Ellis: Nice beard dude.
In fact, when Hendry found out about the new faction he was going to join, he grew a full beard to ‘look the part’ of the southern-based faction.
Mark Hendry: Thanks. Still getting used to it.
Hendry pats the title belts over his shoulder and grins.
Mark Hendry: Getting used to these too!
As the shiny title belts over both of their shoulder signify, R.G. Jenkins and Mark Hendry are the HOTv AND the MVW Men’s Tag Team champions.
Adam Ellis: I am so happy for you guys.
Jenkins and Hendry nod their appreciation.
R.G. Jenkins: Honestly Adam? I never thought we’d be in this spot right now. We’ve been truly blessed.
Mark Hendry: Truly.
Adam Ellis: So what brings you guys down here.
Charlie Blackwell: R.G. and Mark are doing a couple things with Texas Championship Wrestling inna couple weeks and I asked them to stop by and say hello.
Demure Female Voice (behind Hendry and Jenkins): Hi stranger.
And last but not least… a petite young lady with frizzed-out blonde hair, a black spaghetti strap top, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a bottle of Southern Comfort in one hand steps out from behind Hendry with and a smile on her face.
Adam Ellis: Sunny?
The twenty-four year old Sunny O’Callahan was a familiar face to MVW fans… AND HOW fans. These days, the lovely Irish blonde and the former ‘One True Queen of Professional Wrestling’ now dressed in the guise of a background singer from a 1970’s Southern rock band.
She had Adam’s undivided attention.
Adam Ellis: Sunny… wow… you look great.
Sunny lets out a giggle. She smiles appreciatively at Adam for the compliment.
Sunny O’Callahan: Why thank you Adam. Thank you for-
Ginny Van Lear’s voice: Adam!
Ginny’s voice interrupts and then she walks out after hastily changing back into what she considered to be decent attire… jeans, shirt, shoes… and disposing of the string bikini in a nearby trash receptacle.
Ginny Van Lear: Honey, you ‘bout ready to…
And then sees Sunny standing next to her husband.
Ginny Van Lear: …go?
Her blood beginning to boil, Ginny stares at Sunny.
Sunny stares back.
Soon, she feels the heat of Ginny’s piercing gaze so she awkwardly waves to her.
Sunny O’Callahan: Hi. I’m Sunny O’Callahan.
She holds out her hand to shake Ginny’s in an attempt to defuse the attention.
Ginny Van Lear: Hi, ah’s Adam’s wife.
The curt tone of Ginny’s voice was unmistakable… to everyone.
Suffice to say, the handshake did not happen.
R.G. Jenkins: Well, the other reason we’all stopped by was to check on you, Adam.
Jenkins’s well-timed interjection also served to suck some of the tension out of the air.
R.G. Jenkins: Charlie told me you’ve run into a few road bumps lately.
Adam Ellis: Yeah…
There wasn’t much more he could say. Adam turns his head slightly and cocks his ear to listen.
R.G. Jenkins: Kid. Like your good friend Bill Dickinson…
‘Redneck’ Bill Dickinson. MVW Men’s Champion. Adam knew Bill Dickinson real well. Adam and Dickinson were at odds at one point in his MVW career over the fact that HOW wrestler John Sektor took him under his wing. Dickinson once hit Ellis with three consecutive Southern Fried Powerbombs that left Adam in a hospital for overnight observation. That led to Dickinson’s one and only HOW appearance- at HOW’s 2020 ICONIC show where he challenged Sektor for the LSD title.
R.G. Jenkins: …I know all about how good the good times are and how bad the bad times can be. Sounds like you’ve had a run of shitty luck.
Adam Ellis: Well, I’ve only had three matches in PRIME so far.
R.G. Jenkins: I know you and your wife had personal stuff too and y’all had to take some time off.
Jenkins refers to the untimely death of Ginny’s father that resulted in Adam putting his career on hold for a few weeks to be with his wife.
Adam Ellis: Oh… yeah.
R.G. Jenkins: Kid. Just stick with it. There ain’t no shortcut on the road to success.
Jenkins put his arm around Blackwell.
R.G. Jenkins: You listen to this man. Charlie Blackwell is probably the best wrestler in the independents who never made the jump up to the big show.
Blackwell chuckles.
Color Ellis intrigued.
Adam Ellis: Why did you decide to stop wrestling?
Charlie Blackwell: Because I’m not a kid anymore. Taking bumps doesn’t have the same allure it did thirteen years ago when I showed up at a Dream Wrestling Federation pay-per-view show as an eighteen-year-old kid who didn’t know any better.
Charlie points to the ‘Texas Championship Wrestling’ banner over the ring.
Charlie Blackwell: I’d rather be on this side of the ropes now. Lot less wear and tear on my body.
R.G. Jenkins: Charlie’s smart.
Blackwell nods in the affirmative.
Charlie Blackwell: So is R.G. Do you know how he stays young? He gets to go home every night to a hot young wife who just happens to know the ins and outs of how to pole dance.
R.G. grins and points at Charlie.
R.G. Jenkins: Heed his words. He’ll take good care of you, Adam.
The youngster understands.
Adam Ellis: I will sir. Thank you.
***
Lessons Not Learned… too well
Back at the trailer, we find Ginny sitting in a recliner with a large bag of ice underneath her plus several bags of ice on her legs.
Adam Ellis: What were you doing? And where the heck did that stripper pole come from?
Ginny Van Lear: I figgered that since R.G.’s wife keeps him ennerested by dancing on a pole, I oughta try the same with yew. So eye went out en’ bought one home to try my’self.
Ginny grimaces in pain. She’s clearly in a state of discomfort…
Ginny Van Lear: But I ain’t very good at it.
…after she repeatedly fell off the pole while attempting to ‘dance’ on it… hence, the copious amount of ice on her body right now.
Adam Ellis: Ginny, there’s nothing to be worried about.
Ginny Van Lear: But eye saw that gosh darned, gussied up Sunny O’Callahan makin’ eyes and checkin’ you out th’ oth’r day.
Adam shakes his head.
Adam Ellis: I know Sunny from MVW and my time at HOW. That’s it.
Ginny Van Lear: She’s hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch and ahm got hit by an ugly stick at birth.
Check that, Ginny’s in full-blown pout mode now.
Adam Ellis: Ginny, there’s nothing to be worried about.
She crosses her arms and sighs.
Ginny Van Lear: No?
Adam Ellis: I’m not going anywhere. I love you.
Ginny Van Lear: You shure?
Adam Ellis: Positive. This isn’t some fake Hallmark journey we’re on, Gin.
Adam takes her by the hand.
Adam Ellis: It’s the real thing.