Adam Ellis
ReVival 32- Backstage
The usual chaos of the backstage area during PRIME Wrestling’s ReVival 32 show in Baltimore filled up the ears of one Adam Ellis as he leaned against the wall. Adam dressed in street clothes as he did not have a match that night but he and his wife Ginny Van Lear still took the opportunity to attend the show.
Speaking of his firecracker of a wife, Ginny fiddled with her phone nearby, her red hair stark against her pale skin. The scent of sweat and cheap deodorant clung to the air, making Adam’s nose wrinkle. But he wanted to be here to watch the big main event match between The Anglo Luchador and Brandon Youngblood for the Universal title.
He certainly didn’t show up for what was about to happen… a woman walking towards him with microphone in hand with brunette locks, well-coiffed locks and form-fitting designer dress with pumps to match.
“Hey there, Adam,” the woman purred, stepping into their personal space with an insincere smile plastered across her face. “Hi, Savannah Scandal here.”
Adam raised an eyebrow, trying to appear unaffected by her presence…
“How long after your wedding did you start doing butt stuff?”
…which lasted less than a second. Adam’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening but no sound coming out. The question had caught him completely off-guard with words that Adam Ellis never imagined he’d ever hear said to his face.
Then there was Ginny.
The anger boiled inside of her like a pressure cooker about to blow up, cheeks turning a deep crimson, matching her hair.
“Wha–” was all Ginny managed to get out of her mouth before she simply exploded.
“Ah, Ginny,” Adam said, realizing what was about to happen.
Ginny measured the distance between herself and Savannah, spun, and lifted her leg to deliver a vicious kick straight towards the scandal-monger’s head.
As noted on the ReVival 32 broadcast, had Ginny kicked her head off, a chorus of angels would have sung of the moment forever.
Fortunately for Ms. Scandal, Adam grabbed Ginny around the waist, hauling her away as her foot whizzed by Savannah’s head.
Ginny screamed her protest. “ADAM YEW PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW SO AH KIN KICK THAT DEVIL WOMAN INNA FACE!”
“Relax, baby,” Adam murmured, barely managing to restrain her flailing limbs. “She ain’t worth it. Let’s go.”
Ginny continued to struggle, but Adam held firm, guiding her… no… dragging her through the crowded corridors of the arena and out into the parking lot. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging through him even as he tried to remain calm.
“THAT BITCH! Ginny hissed, her fury barely contained as Adam managed to get her into their rental car. She immediately looked up at the ceiling “Sorry Lord.”
“Feel better?” Adam asked.
She pounded the dashboard with her fist. “Can yew believe that?! How kin people say such stuff?”
“Trust me, I know,” Adam replied, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as he guided the car out of the parking lot. “Last year, I got caught in a situation where I ended up in the scandal sheets.”
Ginny winced. “Victoria?”
Adam nodded side to side. “Yeah. Tori. There was an incident right before last year’s March to Glory show at High Octane Wrestling… John Sektor and I were gunning for the tag belts. There had been a lot of speculation that me and Tori McGill were dating. We weren’t. But we kept dancing around the issue until one of the dirt sheets produced pictures of Tori out with John at a March to Glory press conference. Let’s just say I didn’t handle it very well. I jumped over the table and decked Jason Whatley, the dirt sheet operator who published the pictures.”
“An’ yew didn’t let me kick her head off?”
“Ginny, if I had to do it over again, I woudn’t have jumped over the table. I would have just let it go. That’s what you need to do here.”
“Ah don’t understand what makes these people think they kin just ruin folks’ lives like that,” Ginny muttered, staring out the window as they drove towards the hotel.
“Neither do I,” Adam agreed, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness as Ginny… well, besides for all the reports of her escapades with Adam when they were ‘secretly’ dating last summer- including the shower in the dressing room thing… she hadn’t had to deal with this type of coverage before. “But we can’t let them win, Gin,” he said, trying to buck her up. “We need to be better than that.”
Ginny leaned against him, her body still trembling with rage. Adam knew it would take a while for her to calm down.
“Promise me you won’t let Savannah continue to get under your skin,” Adam said as he pulled the car into the parking lot of their hotel. .
“I promise,” Ginny replied. She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes, searching for assurance in his face.
Adam sighed, his jaw clenched. “It’s going to be okay, Gin.” He managed a weak smile, hoping to convince both Ginny and himself.
A good night’s sleep and then a plane ride back home to Dallas would erase the episode from their memory.
At least, that was the plan.
The next morning, Adam and Ginny walked to their car with their bags to head to the airport. The hotel’s neon sign cast a reflection on the windshield as Adam and Ginny loaded up the trunk and got into the car. The engine hummed softly, Ginny’s gaze lowered, and she took a deep breath. She was about to speak when Adam’s phone buzzed in the cup holder. He hesitated, then picked it up, scanning the notification that popped up.
Adam’s eyes suddenly widened and his mouth opened but no words came out.
“Wha’s that?” Ginny asked, curiosity momentarily pushing aside her agitation.
“Son of a bitch,” Adam exclaimed, his fists tightening around the phone.
“What is it?”
“It was another Scandal Sheet article by Savannah.”
“Wha’s it say?” Ginny persisted, craning her neck to see the screen.
“Nothing,” Adam said, quickly closing the article before Ginny could read further.
“WHA’S IT SAY?’ Ginny demanded.
“Nothing important. Just more lies,” Adam replied. The story referenced a number of PRIME wrestlers but the one that got Adam’s attention and subsequent ire read: ‘Adam Ellis and Ginny Van Lear have put a lot of effort into…making friends…backstage in PRIME. Word is that Ginny does most of the social networking, and Adam counts the money.’ He knew exactly what Savannah was implying – that Ginny was somehow using her body to get them ahead professionally.
His blood boiled at the thought.
“Yer lyin’,” Ginny accused him, her accent thickening with suspicion. “Ah know that look. Tell me wha’s goin’ on.”
“Trust me, Gin, you don’t want to know,” Adam said, attempting to keep his voice steady.
“Yew can’t protect me from everythin’, Adam,” Ginny spat right back, her fierce green eyes locking onto his. “Ah need ta know.”
Adam hesitated for a moment, then exhaled heavily. “Fine. She’s implyin’ that you’re…sleepin’ around backstage. That you’re helpin’ us make connections by…by doin’ things you shouldn’t.” The words tasted like bile in his mouth.
Ginny’s face turned a fiery red, and her hands clenched into fists. “That witch! Ah swear, if’n ah evah git mah hands on ‘er…”
“Hey, hey,” Adam interrupted, gripping her arm gently but firmly. “Remember what we talked about? We ain’t lettin’ her win. We know the truth, and that’s all that matters.”
“Yer right,” Ginny agreed, swallowing her anger with visible effort. “But it don’t mean ah won’t wanna teach ‘er a lesson someday.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a big line of people wanting to do the same thing to her.” Adam smiled. “Look, we’ve got each other, and that’s more than enough to handle any scandal or lie that comes our way.”
Ginny crossed her arms in front of her and stewed.
“Baby, you do realize our one-year wedding anniversary is coming up,” Adam reminded her.
That brightened Ginny’s disposition.
“I was thinkin’ we’d go out for a nice dinner at a really nice restaurant to celebrate,” he continued. “How does that sound?”
“As long as I’m with yew,” Ginny replied, a slight smile appearing on her face as they continued on towards the airport.
Training at the New Sportatorium- Downtown Dallas
The New Sportatorium sat in the same location where the former Sportatorium of days gone by stood and served as the focal point of a group of wrestlers getting ready for an upcoming show. A ‘Texas Championship Wrestling’ banner hung over the ring where a couple of men wrestled each other. The building had a seating capacity of two thousand people. Unlike its predecessor, the new building was a smaller, more intimate venue without a bad seat in the building.
Over by the corner, Ginny Van Lear, hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and dressed in her MMA garb, unleashed powerful jabs and kicks at a heavy punching bag. Sweat glistened on her face ae she moved around, keeping on the ball of her feet, bobbing and weaving, darting in and out and delivering strikes.
Charlie Blackwell sat in a chair watching a monitor at the side of the ring. Dressed in workout clothes and sporting a nifty five o’clock shadow, Blackwell towered over most people at six foot four. A former wrestler in his own right, Charlie retired from active wrestling to open up TCW.
“Adam!” he called out to him.
As Charlie spoke, Adam’s eyes shifted away from his wife to the TV screen showing footage from last year’s HOW Tag Title loss to Jeffrey James Roberts and Arthur Pleasant aka… The Devil’s Advocates.
Adam’s face recoiled when the fateful moment where JJR punted him square in the face, setting forth the events that led to the pinfall and the loss of the tag title belts.
“Look at this, Adam,” Charlie said, leaning toward the screen as he replayed the moment again… as if he was trying to get Adam’s attention. “You can’t let that happen again.”
Adam winced at the memory, his fingers unconsciously grazing his jaw.
‘Trust me, Charlie. I remember.” Adam remembered the searing pain, the disorientation, and the anger that had surged through him. Arthur Pleasant had helped JJR take advantage of the situation and as JJR rolled Adam up for the pinfall, John Sektor couldn’t get there in time to make the save.
“Arthur Pleasant is still a sadistic SOB who loves his deathmatches,” Charlie reminded him, pausing the video. “You need to be ready for anything he throws your way.”
“Deathmatch?” Ginny asked, leaving the punching bag to join them, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.
“Imagine a match where there are no rules, and anything goes,” Charlie explained, his voice low and serious. “Barbed wire, thumbtacks, even fire – it’s all fair game.”
Ginny’s eyes widened, and she instinctively reached for Adam’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“But… Arthur’s more than capable of wrestling straight technical matches as well,” Charlie went on. “I remember watching a couple of his matches in Defiance Wrestling… one with Lindsay Troy… another with Oscar Burns… where Pleasant showed he could wrestle a technical style.”
“You’re gonna beat him, Adam. I know you will,” Ginny said, trying to reassure him… and probably trying to reassure herself that Adam would somehow come through the match with Arthur Pleasant unscathed.
“Charlie’s right, though” Adam mused, his gaze locked onto the frozen image of Arthur Pleasant on the screen. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“Yeah, but you’re also not the same wrestler you were back then, either,” Charlie reminded him.
“I’m not the same wrestler I was back then,” Adam said. “I’ve learned a lot of things in the past few months and I won’t let him get away with the stuff he did last year in our match.”
“Good,” Charlie said, clapping Adam on the shoulder. “You’re steadily making your way up the PRIME rankings… you won a couple matches in a row. You can’t afford any let down here. You need to be fully focused on Arthur Pleasant – if you’re not, he’ll hurt you, and it’ll be a lot more than just your pride that gets bruised.”
Adam nodded and replayed the footage of his defeat one last time before turning off the screen. He knew what he had to do, and he wasn’t going to let anyone, especially Arthur Pleasant, stand in his way.
“Last year, when I faced Arthur Pleasant and Jeffrey James Roberts, I was just a green rookie who had an established veteran who helped me get through matches. I didn’t know half of what I do now,” Adam admitted, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. “But make no mistake – I am not that same wrestler anymore. I’ve grown, I’ve learned, and I’m slowly getting to where I want to be… a force to be reckoned with.”
Adam pushed himself off the ringpost and began pacing the ring. “I know all about Pleasant’s reputation, his sadistic nature, and his love for deathmatches. I know the kind of monster he can be.”
“I know you do,” Charlie replied.
“But I’m not afraid of him.”
“Good,” Charlie said, adding, “That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be on guard though. Wrestle your match. Use your technical ability and don’t let him sucker you into one of those damn deathmatches.”
Adam’s eyes gleamed and he clenched his fists at his sides. “Charlie, I know I can use my technical ability to counter his hardcore tactics. I won’t let myself be sucked into his twisted world, because that’s exactly what he wants.”
“Exactly,” Charlie concurred. “Outsmart him. Outwrestle him. If you can do that, you’ll be fine. You’ll stand tall in that ring with a big, big win, Adam.”
“Arthur Pleasant had better watch his back,” Adam said, his voice low and fierce. “Because I’m coming for him, and I won’t stop until I’ve proven to everyone – including myself – that I belong at the top.”
With that, he stepped out of the ring and headed to the back to shower.
Ginny glanced at Charlie… face full of concern. “Charlie, is he fixin’ to get himself bleeding like a stuck hog in this match?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Ginny,” Charlie replied. “Adam’s right. He’s not the same wrestler Arthur Pleasant faced sixteen months ago. He’s much better equipped to deal with the threat that being in the same ring with Arthur Pleasant presents.” Charlie pointed at Ginny. “But YOU… are not.”
“What?”
Charlie continued to make eye contact with Ginny, making his point clear. “I want you to promise me even if things go wrong, you’re not goin’ to impetuously get into the ring with Pleasant.”
“But-“
“No buts, Ginny.” Charlie’s voice was stern and matter-of-fact. “Arthur Pleasant isn’t Savannah Scandal nor is he Vickie Hall. He’s someone you don’t want to wade into a situation that you won’t be able to wade out of.”
Ginny glanced at the floor.
“Promise me,” Charlie insisted.
“I reckon I promise.”
Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse- North Dallas, Texas
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Adam made a right turn from the Dallas Parkway frontage road parallel to the Dallas Parkway and pulled his Volkswagen Jetta into the Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse parking lot. He found a parking space along the front of the lot bordering the frontage road. Adam turned the car off and both he and Ginny prepared to exit the vehicle for their big night out. The anticipation had built up as they carefully dressed up for to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, each glancing in the mirror back at the house to make sure they looked okay.
“Y’know, I ain’t never worn one of these fancy dresses before,” Ginny mused, admiring her reflection in the passenger car window of the new black dress that hugged her slender figure. A curious mix of excitement and unease danced in her green eyes. “Feels a bit like playin’ dress-up.”
“Darlin’, you look stunning,” Adam reassured her, his eyes softening with affection. He stood tall in his suit coat, slacks, and a shirt without a tie, the ensemble giving him an air of sophistication without betraying his small-town roots.
“Besides, it’s our anniversary; we deserve to treat ourselves.”
With final adjustments made and butterflies fluttering in their stomachs, they locked the door to the Jetta and Adam escorted Ginny inside, her arm linked through his.
“Wow,” Ginny said, mesmerized by the opulent dining room that sparkled with crystal chandeliers and fine china… an atmosphere far removed from their usual haunts.
“Evenin’, folks. My name’s Sarah, and I’ll be takin’ care of y’all tonight,” the waitress greeted them warmly, leading the couple to a cozy table by the window. She handed them menus before asking for their drink orders. “Can I start y’all off with somethin’ to sip on?”
“Uh, I reckon a glass of champagne for me, please,” Adam replied, looking to Ginny for her preference.
“Uh… I’ll have the same,” she stammered, trying to sound confident despite her inexperience, “ummm… non-alcoholic.”
“Of course,” Sarah nodded, scribbling down their orders and disappearing to fetch their drinks.
Ginny looked through the menu.
“Adam?”
“Yes, Ginny?”
“Have you seen how much this food costs?” she asked, a shocked expression on her face seeing some of the pricing on the entrees on the menu.
“it’s okay, Ginny. It’s our anniversary,” Adam reassured her. “It’s worth it.”
“Y’know, your birthday’s comin’ up at the end of the month, too,” Ginny remarked, fidgeting with a piece of silverware as she tried to not to look like a duck out of water in semi-formal surroundings.
“Hard to believe I’ll be 23 already,” Adam mused, scanning the menu. “Time flies when you’re chasin’ dreams, I guess. It’s been almost a year since I joined PRIME.”
“Feels like just yesterday when we got hitched,” Ginny sighed wistfully, her Appalachian accent bubbling up like a comforting cup of tea.
“Here are your drinks,” Sarah returned, placing a flute of champagne before Adam and a non-alcoholic version for Ginny. “Are y’all ready to order?”
As they placed their food orders, the couple exchanged tender glances that spoke volumes about their love. Despite the unfamiliar setting and the whirlwind journey that had led them there, one thing remained constant: their unbreakable bond, forged through adversity and strengthened by sacrifice. Tonight, they celebrated not just their first anniversary, but the promise of many more to come.
Adam lifted his champagne flute, catching Ginny’s eye as he smiled. “To my beautiful wife,” he began, the warmth in his voice making her heart skip a beat. “And to many more years together.”
“Aw honeys,” Ginny replied softly, her cheeks flushing a deep rose as she raised her non-alcoholic flute and clinked it with Adam’s. The bubbly liquid danced on their tongues as they savored the moment.
“Y’all make such a lovely couple,” Sarah, the waitress, observed, her eyes twinkling as she approached their table. “Must be somethin’ special goin’ on?”
“First wedding anniversary,” Adam answered, his gaze never leaving Ginny’s.
“Congratulations!” Sarah exclaimed, genuinely delighted for them. “All right, I’ll take to the back and we’ll get your meals out soon.”
As Sarah bustled away, Ginny reminisced about the journey that brought her together with Adam – from the first night she ran into him after she’d buck bombed the Kardoucheian’s custom-made Hollywood-style dressing trailer… all the clandestine meetings designed to keep their budding romance from her strict Baptist preacher father… to getting married in Hillsboro, Missouri… to all the way to the bright lights of PRIME Wrestling.
She marveled at how far they’d come.
Gazing at her across the table, Adam marveled at how far she’d come in just a year… a young, immature teenage bride who slowly transformed into a confident young woman before his eyes.
“Adam,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “I just want you to know… I’m so proud to be your wife. You’re the one who makes my heart a flutter and yew always will.”
Adam reached across the table to take her hand. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without you by my side, Gin. You’re my rock.”
Ginny squeezed his hand in return, feeling the callouses he’d accumulated from wrestling.
Soon Sarah returned with their perfectly cooked steaks and steaming sides. The aroma filled the air, making their mouths water in anticipation.
“Enjoy your meal, and happy anniversary!”
“Thank you,” they chimed in unison, their eyes still locked on one another.
And so they dug into their celebratory dinner – Ginny savoring each tender bite of her filet mignon while Adam relished his bone-in ribeye – it was clear that these two crazy kids would always be crazy in love with each other.