AlGalpin
League Member
The scene opens on complete blackness; a brief moment later there is a sound, that of a busy city. Cars making their way through a city, sirens in the distance, the sound of people walking and talking and the underlying sound of a steam clock ticking which is barely audible behind the noise of rainfall. As the picture fades up we see a man in front of us, his back to the camera. His long grey coat is keeping him dry as he looks down the street towards the harbour. There are boats galore out there, somewhere, not that he can see anything through the rain and mist.
“It’s been a while since I was home. Travelling with the MWA and Peach State limits my chances of getting back here to Vancouver. Damn if I picked a ****ty day to come back and catch up with my friends.”
The man turns to face the camera, revealing himself as “The Peoples Choice” August Joyce. Trickles of rain run down his unshaven face and he pulls his trademark grey coat tightly closed to keep out the elements.
“I felt the need to come back here and… collect my thoughts. My career was supposed to take off after I teamed up with Tim Worthington but instead we’ve both been on a losing run the likes of which neither of us have ever seen. I’ve been *****ing and moaning about it and promising to turn the corner, only to meet another defeat head on. I’ve failed to live up to my moniker for too long now.”
Joyce and Worthington, collectively known as the Rising Sons, began their allegiance in January of this year. August, fresh out of some personal issues and Tim, fresh out of retirement, thought that teaming together would be the career boost they both needed. Instead they’ve appeared for several top wrestling promotions around the world and don’t have a win between them.
“It was coming home that made me realise; I’ve been going about this all wrong. I need to throw myself in at the deep end and learn from the best this business has to offer. I need to get on the biggest stage I can find and show what I can do. I need to earn my name back; I need to become The Peoples Choice again.”
He looks away briefly, thinking about his predicament. He then looks back into the camera with a smile.
“And what better way of doing that than entering the Ultratitle Tournament?”
He nods to himself at the thought.
“This is the biggest tournament I’ve ever been a part of during my decade long career and offers me the single biggest opportunity of my life. Going from nobody to somebody in the blink of an eye, that’s the ultimate goal here.”
He pauses and his face changes. The smile fades and a frown forms, his face altogether more somber.
“When my father was my age he killed my mother; then himself. I was just eight years old and the first one to discover their bodies. After that my life was a never ending stream of mediocrity; bouncing from one small wrestling promotion to another, bouncing from one girl to another and bouncing from one job to another. But then a few years back things turned a corner. I met Xanthe, my wife. I met Ben, my best friend. I got a contract with the Millennium Wrestling Alliance. Things were all on the up.”
He huffs and shakes his head, raising his eyebrows as his wipes the rain from his forehead.
“I should have known that a downturn in fortunes wasn’t far away. I lost the MWA Millennium Championship, I was kidnapped and held hostage for nearly two years. Two LONG years, being forced to work against the very company who gave me my big break. And when I was finally freed I couldn’t shake the stigma, I had lost my mantle as the choice of the people.”
“So it was time for a fresh start, a move to Peach State Wrestling in Georgia. About as far away from the glitz and glamour of the MWA as I could get. It was my chance to start again, an opportunity to get back to basics. And it’s been good for me. I consider myself a better wrestler, a better person, for my time in Fayetteville.”
August is smiling once more as he thinks about the better times in his career.
“But even though I’m a much happier person now, even though I have a beautiful son and I’m working alongside one of my heroes, I still clamor for that career defining moment. I still yearn to be held in as high regard as the likes of Nova, Michael Manson and Joey Melton. Each has beaten off all comers to be declared the Ultimate Champion and I’m about to make it my number one goal for my name to be added to that list!”
Joyce smiles at the camera once more, glances up to the skies as the rain begins to ease and turns, walking off into the distance.
“It’s been a while since I was home. Travelling with the MWA and Peach State limits my chances of getting back here to Vancouver. Damn if I picked a ****ty day to come back and catch up with my friends.”
The man turns to face the camera, revealing himself as “The Peoples Choice” August Joyce. Trickles of rain run down his unshaven face and he pulls his trademark grey coat tightly closed to keep out the elements.
“I felt the need to come back here and… collect my thoughts. My career was supposed to take off after I teamed up with Tim Worthington but instead we’ve both been on a losing run the likes of which neither of us have ever seen. I’ve been *****ing and moaning about it and promising to turn the corner, only to meet another defeat head on. I’ve failed to live up to my moniker for too long now.”
Joyce and Worthington, collectively known as the Rising Sons, began their allegiance in January of this year. August, fresh out of some personal issues and Tim, fresh out of retirement, thought that teaming together would be the career boost they both needed. Instead they’ve appeared for several top wrestling promotions around the world and don’t have a win between them.
“It was coming home that made me realise; I’ve been going about this all wrong. I need to throw myself in at the deep end and learn from the best this business has to offer. I need to get on the biggest stage I can find and show what I can do. I need to earn my name back; I need to become The Peoples Choice again.”
He looks away briefly, thinking about his predicament. He then looks back into the camera with a smile.
“And what better way of doing that than entering the Ultratitle Tournament?”
He nods to himself at the thought.
“This is the biggest tournament I’ve ever been a part of during my decade long career and offers me the single biggest opportunity of my life. Going from nobody to somebody in the blink of an eye, that’s the ultimate goal here.”
He pauses and his face changes. The smile fades and a frown forms, his face altogether more somber.
“When my father was my age he killed my mother; then himself. I was just eight years old and the first one to discover their bodies. After that my life was a never ending stream of mediocrity; bouncing from one small wrestling promotion to another, bouncing from one girl to another and bouncing from one job to another. But then a few years back things turned a corner. I met Xanthe, my wife. I met Ben, my best friend. I got a contract with the Millennium Wrestling Alliance. Things were all on the up.”
He huffs and shakes his head, raising his eyebrows as his wipes the rain from his forehead.
“I should have known that a downturn in fortunes wasn’t far away. I lost the MWA Millennium Championship, I was kidnapped and held hostage for nearly two years. Two LONG years, being forced to work against the very company who gave me my big break. And when I was finally freed I couldn’t shake the stigma, I had lost my mantle as the choice of the people.”
“So it was time for a fresh start, a move to Peach State Wrestling in Georgia. About as far away from the glitz and glamour of the MWA as I could get. It was my chance to start again, an opportunity to get back to basics. And it’s been good for me. I consider myself a better wrestler, a better person, for my time in Fayetteville.”
August is smiling once more as he thinks about the better times in his career.
“But even though I’m a much happier person now, even though I have a beautiful son and I’m working alongside one of my heroes, I still clamor for that career defining moment. I still yearn to be held in as high regard as the likes of Nova, Michael Manson and Joey Melton. Each has beaten off all comers to be declared the Ultimate Champion and I’m about to make it my number one goal for my name to be added to that list!”
Joyce smiles at the camera once more, glances up to the skies as the rain begins to ease and turns, walking off into the distance.