Babyfaces and Heels

By Aaron Goff

College Football Player Rex Ruppert always wanted to be a professional wrestler. When he was unsuccessful, he invested his way into becoming a promoter. After forcing a buyout of his partners and taking control of the New York Market, he transformed his promotion into a national business. With larger-than-life outlandish and cartoonish characters, his Wild Wrestling Federation became an international phenomenon and TV ratings hit. Rex's college classmate, Harley Harrison, started off as a ringside photographer and manager. He worked his way up to Vice President of the WWF's rival promotion, World Champions of Wrestling in Atlanta.

Both men become bitter business rivals who fight over big-name talent, TV ratings, arena exclusivity, and the majority share of the Pay-Per-View market.

This book is a satirical look at the surreal, bizarre, intense, humorous, and complex world of the Professional Wrestling Industry. The characters and incidents are inspired and loosely based on actual individuals and events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aaron Goff
• Release date: Jun 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393240990

Aaron Goff

Aaron Goff is a fun-loving individual who loves to write, read, watch movies, coach sports, travel, and support innovation. A 1987 graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Aaron has coached youth and high school sports for over 15 years.  Family is very important to him. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather.

Book preview

Chapter 1 -Atlanta 2001

In his corner office at the headquarters for the Worldwide Champions of Wrestling Association in Atlanta, President Harley Harrison ponders his future as an imminent buyout of his company looms near.

A bigger blow to his ego is that fact that the company is being purchased by his business rival and former best friend Rex Ruppert, owner of the Wild Wrestling Federation. His attempts to get investors together so he could buy the company himself were unsuccessful.  The owner, Tyler Thompson, who owned one of the largest cable stations in the country, TBN, based in downtown Atlanta featured old movies, Major League Baseball, NBA Basketball, NASCAR, and Tuesday Night Titans, the flagship wrestling show of the WCW.

Rex Ruppert was by far the most successful wrestling promoter in the world. For years, his syndicated shows ruled cable TV ratings and dominated the pay-per-view market, which resulted in a lot of small wrestling promotions going out of business. 

Before Ruppert became ruthless, professional wrestling was a very territorial business. Owners and promoters of wrestling promotions ran their businesses in their part of the country and did not impede upon the other promoters’ territories and would often exchange talent as a show of goodwill.

Ruppert noticed that while this was the way they ran the business, these laws were unwritten and not bound by any governing body or were never any written contracts. He figured if a promoter could run a successful business in his part of the country, then a great promoter with the right talent and resources could run a promotion that could go national and run shows all over the country. He went to other promoters’ territories, raided their talent, and took over their prime TV slots.

Harley worked his way up the ranks of the WCW and finally became president. He gave Ruppert a run for this money.

Harley was responsible for TNT becoming a ratings bonanza. He convinced the suits at TBN to spend money on the wresting promotion. Once he had access to the bosses’ checkbook, he went after the top wrestling talent in the country by offering big money guaranteed contracts.

Harley also let his talent have too much control over the product which turned out to be a mistake.  With fat, guaranteed deals, the wrestlers got lazy and had little incentive to work hard. Like their checkbooks, their egos were inflated and self-serving.

Friends and co-workers constantly warned Harley that he was overspending and letting the inmates run the asylum.  Harley felt the only way to compete was to offer the stars of the industry huge money and a more attractive working environment. However, Harley overestimated his spending and losses in the last year resulted in a $30 million-dollar loss. TBN no longer felt that WCW was worth losing revenue for and put the company up for sale.

It shocked the industry when Ruppert announced he was interested in buying the company that was his business rival for years.  A few sports marketing companies showed minor interest, but none of them had the financial leverage that Ruppert had.

Harley spent six months working with an entertainment company out of Miami with the purpose of fronting him the money to buy WCW and keep Harley as president. Thompson would have preferred to sell to Harley, as he knew Harley would keep the company running.  However, the Florida-based Company backed out when it was announced that upon the sale, the TNT would be canceled, and the station would not guarantee a TV time slot.

Thompson, a hardcore fan of wrestling, would have loved to have kept TNT on the air. He loved wrestling because 20 years earlier when he bought the small TV station from a local businessman, all he offered was old movies, some baseball and local news. Wrestling was the first thing that generated ratings for his station, so he remained loyal to keeping it on the air for the next 20 years. He eventually started syndicating the station throughout the South and once he opened his movie studio and got a deal to televise the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks games, he went national.

Thompson’s loyalty to pro wrestling ended when he successfully completed a merger of his station with a major national Internet Browser and Media Company out of Los Angeles called Showbiz Media. The merger guaranteed Thompson with an annual seven-figure salary for 10 years and a position on the Board of Directors.  Showbiz would take over the programming for TBN and did not want wrestling in their future.  With the merger, any departments that lost money would be dropped, especially a wrestling show with the bad stigma that the sport carried.

If Ruppert bought the company, Harley knew he would be the first one fired.  The top stars of the industry would no longer have any negotiating power as only one company would have control of the pro wrestling industry in North America.  While these men and women could go to Japan or Europe, the guarantees and money would not be consistent.

There was the chance that Harley could just simply talk to Ruppert and remind him of their old friendship, and maybe he would keep him on as president and still run the company. He knew better than that.  It felt like the friendship was centuries ago.

Chapter 2- Memphis 1983

Get the fuck out of my way! the Beast yelled at Harley.

The Beast was a large, hairy man with long, shaggy hair and a bushy beard. He stood 6-6 and weighed 270 lbs. He was the number-one heel (bad guy) in the promotion known as Roughhouse Championship Wrestling (RCW), based out of Memphis.

The Beast was yelling at a ringside fan in the nearly full Memphis Auditorium. He was brutalizing the local hero Jeff Lolly.  Lolly was a long-time favorite and a Memphis resident. He was short, stocky, and muscular.  He won fans over by playing the tough little guy.

The formula for his matches was usually the same.  He always battled a bad guy who was a lot larger than him, get brutalized by the bully for most of the bout and then mount a huge comeback that usually would cause the loyal Memphis Fans to go into a frenzy.

Lolly was just thrown out of the ring by the Beast. Harley was at ringside snapping photographs.  The local promoter paid Harley $10 per photo. Harley, a 22-year-old Communications Major at Memphis University, found taking pictures a good way to help pay for tuition and he also was a huge wrestling fan.  There was plenty of space for him at ringside since the local or regular media stopped covering wrestling matches for more legitimate sports.  The RCW usually traveled throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri.  They had a local weekly TV show at the Memphis Auditorium.  Now and then, a photographer from a national wrestling magazine like Mat Monsters would come and snap photos.

After throwing Lolly back into the ring, the Beast continued to yell and argue with ringside fans. Tonight he kept arguing with an elderly lady who responded by throwing beer in his face.

As the Beast got back into the ring, Lolly surprised him with a huge punch to the head which the Beast sold like he was hit with a cannon and he took an exaggerated prat fall. Lolly then went into his tough man act as he kept throwing haymakers.  With each punch, the crowd grew louder and louder.  Lolly then lifted the Beast off the ground and slammed him, which caused the crowd to go insane.  With the Beast prone on the mat, Lolly climbed the ropes in preparation of his finishing maneuver, an elbow drop.  Lolly slowly climbed the ropes, letting the crowd’s anticipation grow.  Just when the audience seemed ready to explode, he leaped off the ropes and smashed his elbow into the Beast’s torso. However, before the referee could count out the Beast, his evil manager, Jack Sharp, ran into the ring and hit Lolly with a wooden chair which nearly caused the first 10 rows of the crowd to start a riot. Once again, Lolly mounted a comeback and chased the Beast and Sharp back to the dressing room.

As the crowd was cheering, Lolly grabs the house microphone and promises the crowd that in two weeks, he will come back and thrash the Beast in a rematch.  They just ate up every word he threw at them.

In the front row sits 21-year-old Rex Ruppert.  Ruppert is a Business Major at the University.  While his grades are average, he is an athlete and played second-string linebacker on the college football team.  He was also into weightlifting and was a big fan of professional wrestling and had aspirations of training to become a pro wrestler.  Harley and Rex shared a Physics class.  Harley had pulled what few strings he had to get Rex a front-row seat.

After the show, Harley brought Rex backstage where all the wrestlers, who a few hours ago were beating on one another with seething hatred, were now laughing, joking and planning a night on the town.  They came upon bitter rivals Lolly and the Beast discussing their match in the locker room.

Jeff, you need to pull those punches, the Beast said. You caught me with that last punch and split my lip.

Sorry Barry, Lolly said as he addressed the Beast by his Christian name.  I get so hyped up out there. Anyway, good match. I liked the finish.  I want to do that same finish in Lexington and Columbus before coming back here.

Did you see that bitch throw her beer on me? the Beast said. She had that cheap 3/2 crap that they sell here.

Hey Puffy, the Beast yelled at the promoter Jim Puffman, a short, chubby, balding man.  Why don’t you sell real beer here instead of that cheap shit?

Maybe if you lose that gut and then tighten up your work in the ring, we might draw some more money Barry! Puffman yelled back.

The Beast laughed and looked at Harley.  Hey kid, did you get a picture of that wench throwing beer on me?

Yes sir, I did, Harley answered. The old lady offered me $10 for it once I get my film developed.

Screw that. I will give you $15!

You got it! Harley said.  Mr. Lolly, I would like you to meet my friend Rex. He is looking to become a pro wrestler.  Lolly shook Rex’s hand.

So, you want to wrestle, eh? Lolly asked. See you spend a lot of time in the weight room. How much do you weigh?

About 195, Rex said.

You will need to bulk up, Lolly said. Anyway, this is difficult and not everyone can do this. I will give you the number to a guy who runs a wrestling school in Nashville.  Probably will charge you about $2,000, but he is good.  If you last through it, come back here and then we will talk.  Get your feet wet jerking the curtain.

Jerking the curtain? Rex asked, puzzled.

Basically, being in the opening match and taking your lumps.

I will try it. Thank you. Rex said as Lolly walked away.

Well, you got your opening. The rest is up to you, Harley said.

Say, how much do you get for your pictures? Rex asked.

Well, Puffman and Lolly usually get first dibs since they let me at ringside and they pay $5-10 a pop. I figured I should clear $70 tonight.

Five bucks? That’s it?  Rex laughed. I have seen your photos. They are top notch. You can easily sell them for $20 a pop. What about the wrestling magazines?

I had a few of my snapshots end up in Mat Monsters, Harley said.

Yeah, how much did they pay?

They didn’t. I sent them and they printed them and gave me a byline, Harley said.  Good way to build a reputation.

For free? Are you kidding me? Rex asked. If you don’t value your work, then who will?

I do all right. I am getting experience, Harley said.

Do you have any photos that Puffman did not buy?

I have about 3 or 4 in here, Harley said. Have a look.

Rex sifted through the photos, not finding anything extraordinary through the first three pictures, and then he came across a fourth picture that struck his eye.  The picture was of two wrestlers in the ring. One of them Rex recognized as a local good guy who usually filled worked the middle of the cards, usually beating the mid-level bad guys for the crowd’s entertainment. However, it was his opponent that struck Rex. He was huge and looked to be about 6-5, 280 lbs. He had long flowing blond hair and a huge physique that revealed that he spent more time in the gym than any other place in his life. "

Harley, who the hell is this blond giant in this picture? Rex asked.

That is some guy from Florida. He did some work for a promoter in Pensacola.  The promoter sent him up here for a few shots.  Mainly worked the lower card against local good guys putting them over. Big son-of-a-bitch.

He looks great. How did the crowd react to him? Rex asked.

They were in awe of his size and look and when the local good guys would beat him, it raised their stock, Harley said.

They had a guy with this size and look and they are jobbing him in the opening match? Rex asked, puzzled.

I think the original idea was to build him up as this unstoppable monster and then have Lolly destroy him in the end, but the guy was so inexperienced and clumsy, Puffy and Lolly felt it was best to keep him low on the card. Harley said. The guy was in a rock band before some big-name wrestler saw him in a Florida nightclub and convinced him to try wrestling.  Guy usually slept in his Chevy instead of going to a hotel. He would either spend time at the gym or the local diner. After a few weeks, he drove down to Baton Rouge looking for work and we have not seen him since.

This guy has ‘Star’ written all over him. You will see him again. Mind if I have this picture? Rex asked.

Sure, I have a bunch more in my dorm, at least five more of this guy, Harley said.

Good, I want those, Rex said.

Okay, what for?

They will be valuable one day, Rex said.

Maybe one day, Harley said. Come on, it’s getting late. Let’s go grab a beer somewhere.

As they were walking out of the arena, there was a crowd of people milling around the back of the place. Some were girls who were groupies, commonly called Ring Rats, were looking to hook up with a wrestler.  Some were just fans looking for a glimpse of their favorite wrestler and maybe an autograph or a photo. Harley checks out the Ring Rats while Rex notices a teenager with a camera and a notepad.

The group of on-lookers all stop and check out who is coming out and see Harley and Rex as no one they recognized and went back to their individual meetings and conversations.  Rex called out to the teenager.

Hey kid, you a reporter or something?

The skinny kid, dressed in an oversized striped shirt and high-watered pants, answered.

Yes, I run a fan newsletter.

Well kid. Here is a photo that will be of value and that no one else in the world has, Rex said as he flashed the photo of the blond giant.

Yes, this is Mike Markis, the kid said. He was here for a few weeks, but he lost all of his matches.

That is what happens when you win tournaments in Japan and Europe.  The man was exhausted by all the travel.  He is about to embark on a successful tour of India soon, Rex said as he turned to wink at Harley. Rex continued to lie.

I never heard of this guy doing that, the kid said confused.

This guy will be world champion soon and this picture I have in my hands will be worth millions.

How much do you want for it? the kid asked.

Mat Monsters wanted $50 for it, but they never called me back, Rex said as he winked at Harley who was having trouble keeping a straight face.

The kid dug in his pocket and pulled out $24.

This is all I have.

Ok, I will sell it to you, but only because I have 100 more like it. I figure I can sell one cheap, but make sure you hang onto it. It will be valuable one day, Rex said.

The kid grabbed the picture as he and his friends gathered to look at his recent acquisition. Harley was amazed.

Man, you really laid the shit on that kid, Harley said. You are going to make a great salesman.

Harley don’t sell for $5 what you can sell for $30.  It is marketing baby, Rex said. Puffy or Lolly can’t even dig deep enough to pay you $10, but this skinny kid probably gave up a month’s worth of allowance for a picture of a guy he does not even know. Know your audience.

Chapter 3-Nashville 1983

Rex was bored to tears on his drive to Nashville in his used Ford Taurus.  The temperature was a boiling 92 degrees.  He finally found the local gym at the corner of town.  It was a medium-sized wooden building that had a wooden sign dangling from a few nails. The sign read, Hickerson’s Camp Combat.

Rex walked into the building and his nose was hit with the pungent odor of sweat, leather, and piss.  The place was empty.  He walked past the worn, discolored mats. The punching bags were so taped up that you could barely see any of the original leather material.  In the center of the small gym stood a small wrestling ring. It was much smaller than what Ruppert saw in the Memphis Auditorium or anything he saw on TV.  The ropes were sagging, and the mat seems to sink in.  Ruppert wondered how many students or potential wannabees worked on that dirty mat.  It was apparent that the owner never cleaned or bothered keeping up the maintenance on the ring.

Rex noticed an open door that led to a small office.  He could hear the static of a small TV.  In the office, sleeping at a metal desk full of empty fast food containers, various papers, and bills was a heavy-set man who had to be in his fifties. He was bald on top with bushy hair on the sides.  The gray took over his entire beard and his belly hung over the top of the desk.  Rex figured the behemoth had to be over 350 pounds.

What do you want? the old man asked.

I was sent here by Jeff Lolly down in Memphis. I am looking for some training, Rex said.

The old, chubby man grabbed a beer that looked like it had been sitting in the same spot on his desk for two days and drunk it down.

Lolly sent you? Why do you want to wrestle? the old man asked.

I love the sport. I love the contact. I love the way the fans react. Rex said.

So you spend a year in the weight room getting muscular and want to become a wrestler and have fans scream for your autograph, ring rats wanting to get into your pants, and wrestling in front of 3,000 people in the Memphis Auditorium? the old man asked.

Yeah, that would be nice, Rex answered.

Well, dream on kid! laughed the old man. I usually get 10 guys walking through the door every month.  Here is the usual breakdown: five quit after one week, two last a couple of months, two will complete training and do 30 matches before they realize that the road to stardom and big money is a long one that they may never see the end, and there is that one who actually keeps going after match 30.  He may make it, or he may not. He might become a star, or he might work for pennies for the rest of his life, the old man said. Now which one are you?

I am the one who chased off the other nine guys, Rex said.

Is that so? the man asked as he stood up and his pudgy frame stretched up to 6-6. You can call me Bill, Bill Hickerson.

Farmer Bill Bulldog!!! Holy shit!  I used to watch you back on Southeast Championship Wrestling when I was a kid, Rex said as he recognized this old man who had way more gray hair and more girth than he remembered.

That only aired in the Carolinas, Big Bill said.

I am from Raleigh, Rex said.

What the hell brings you up here, boy?

I had all the small-town living I could stand. I grew up in three different trailer parks, and my stepdad was a real prick. Most guys ended up working in the local factory and most of the women ended up pregnant.  The only real life was away from there.  So, I busted my ass in football and worked really hard on my grades and when Memphis offered a full scholarship to play football, I hopped on the first train, found work in Memphis and never went back, Rex said.

Cute story, Bill said. Let me give it to you straight.  I do not care how much time you spend in the weight room; the work here is hard. This will cost you $2000, which buys you two months of me teaching you everything I know. I will then book you in a couple small indy shows and then you are on your own. You pay the money, you wrestle. You quit; the money is mine.

For the next three months, Big Bill taught Rex how to fall, how to apply holds, how to run into the ropes, how to sell emotion and pain.  Rex worked with various students. He could not secure any long-term friendships as most of the aspiring students would quit within a week. On a couple of occasions, Hickerson did some real wrestling on Rex and twisted him up like a pretzel.

After a lengthy session of being stretched, Rex felt pain in his neck.

For an older guy, you can really handle yourself, Rex said.

I started in this business back when I was 16, Bill said. I dropped out of high school. I begged a local promoter in Louisville for a job.  I spent most of my first year putting up and taking down the rings and working concessions. Money was not great, but I loved wrestling and in between shows, a couple of the vets would work with me and teach me the ropes. I also loved the travel.  For a 16-year-old, it was the best job in the world.  The promoter finally gave me a chance to wrestle a match in 1943. Rosters were already thin because of the war. In Cleveland, he matched me against some local guy. The guy was a real prick.  Instead of trying to work, he shot on me and was roughing me up for real.  He clawed at my eyes and put his knee on my head and whispered to me to lie down for the pin. I didn’t get no offense in.   The guy was some local loser who never amounted to anything in the business. He was a curtain jerker and jobbing to anyone who came through Cleveland.  I guess his regular opponent didn’t make it and he felt it was his chance to win a match for once in his life and why not pick on some green rookie?  So, after that, I made sure I learned how to really wrestle in the ring.  I had no problem being booked to lose, but I would not put up with some dick taking cheap shots on me in the ring.

Did you ever see that guy again? Rex asked.

Yeah, a year later, they booked me against him again, Bill laughed. He was not really a bad guy.  He chatted with me beforehand, but in the ring, he tried the same bullshit. Now I was booked to lose to him again, and I never had a problem with that. I spent the year working with vets who taught me how to protect myself, and I was going to teach this fuck a lesson. I started shooting on him and out-wrestled him.  I made him look like shit out there. I had him squealing like a pig when I had him in a full nelson. Turns out the guy was not really that tough.  He could push me around at 16 when I did not know shit, but now that I learned something, he was helpless. The ref kept telling me to lighten up. I whispered in the prick’s ear that I would lie down for him, but if he ever tried any funny shit with me again, I would meet him back in the dressing room. I laid down, and he won, but it humiliated him. I guess he retired for good five years later when he saw that no one with any sense would book him outside of Cleveland.

Anyone else ever test you? Rex asked.

All the time, but I would do enough to let them know that I could handle myself and then they would back off. I once even wrestled the great Louie Tezz, Bill said.

No shit? Rex asked.

I was probably in my seventh year and got to work on the Dumont Network TV in Chicago. His regular opponent had travel problems, and he saw me and said, ‘What about that kid?’ It thrilled me that he even noticed me.  Now this guy was a great shooter and if he shot on me for real, there would be little I could even do because he was that good.  Tezz was too much of a pro for that.  He would test you to see how much you know.  He hated guys who were just showmen who couldn’t wrestle. He loved real wrestlers, so he would get rough. Once he saw I could handle myself, he smiled and whispered to me to put on a good show.  I will never forget that.

Come on, Bill, Rex said. That may have been that way in the old days, but it is not even like that now. It is all about money.

Learn how to protect yourself, kid.  If your opponent is not trying to screw you, then there is a shitload of promoters who will, Bill said. At 195 pounds, you do not have a big future out there.  Look at the kid over there hitting the punching bag.

Bill pointed to another new student that was jabbing at a heavy bag in the corner.  The guy had long, jet black hair, and was muscular with the look of a serious bodybuilder.

That guy is only 5-9, but he weighs 235. He will get more work than you.  Maybe you might want to think about copying some of his training. Just a thought. Bill said.

Rex had been working with the kid in the ring. He was clumsy and could not seem to grasp the concept of pro wrestling, but he was muscular and thick.  Rex knew he spent just as much time in the weight room as this kid. He also knew that the kid was doing what a lot of young men in wrestling were starting to do. He had to be taking steroids. At only 5-9, the kid was probably 70 pounds over his natural weight. Rex walked over to the kid.

Hey Phil, Rex said. How can I get bigger?

A slight smile came on Phil’s lips.

Try more curls with heavier weights, Phil said.

No, I want to get bigger, Rex said.

Have you tried squats? Phil asked.

No, I want to get bigger, Rex asked.

Phil stopped punching the bag and grabbed his gym bag and looked around the empty gym. Bill had gone back into his office to finish a six pack. Phil pulled out a vial of some clear liquid and a hypodermic needle.

Merry Christmas, Rex, Phil said. Fill the needle with about half of this and jam into your ass about an hour before you work out. That should solve your problem. You ever need more, it will cost you, but you will get bigger.

In three weeks, Rex went from 195 to 230 lbs.

After three months of training, Rex had his first match in a high school gym against another one of Bill’s students and lost the match after losing after his opponent power slammed him.  He loved the thrill of the action and even though the paying audience that night in Nashville was only about 72 people. He loved the fact that people came to see him and were either yelling at him or cheering for him. After a few independent shows in Nashville, Bill arranged for Rex to go back to Memphis to work some dates for Lolly.

Chapter 4-Memphis 1983

The older man known as the Wolfman did not pull back on his elbow thrust, which resulted in a bloody nose for Rex.  The Wolfman was Gary Soll, an older veteran who had used this Wildman gimmick for 20 years.  He was overweight, old, and slow, but the fans recognized the name.  Rex felt silly in front of 7,000 fans selling for this man with wild, unwashed, mangy hair who was only 5-7. He looked so huge from photographs in the wrestling magazines that Rex used to collect when he was younger.  After 10 minutes of dealing with the Wolfman, who was drunk from the three beers he had before this match, Rex was beaten by the Wolfman’s clawhold. The Wolfman was so drunk that his hand kept falling off Rex’s head and Rex had to hold the guy’s hand on his face until the referee stopped the match. A member of the audience yelled out to Rex.

Hey Schwarzenegger, go back to the weight room!

It flattered Rex that at least one fan reacted to his physique.  As he got back to the dressing room, he saw his buddy Harley loading film into his camera.

Rex, how long have you been on the juice? Harley asked. You seem like you gained 20 pounds in the last couple of weeks.

Just a little. Being big is the only way I can get noticed in this business, Rex said.

Just watch it. They are big on steroids on the West Coast, but Lolly isn’t too keen on it here.

Did you get any shots of me, Rex asked.

Yes, I did.  I will give you copies for $10 a pop, Harley said.

Ten bucks? You charging me? Rex asked.

Why not? You are my friend.  I charge everyone else $20, Harley said.

If it was not for me, you would have still been only getting $5 a pop, Rex said. You seem nervous tonight. What is up?

Lolly wants me to be part of the main event tonight and I am nervous as hell, Harley said.

What the hell are you talking about? Rex asked. why would you be part of the main event?

Well, tonight Lolly and Prince Valiant are going to wrestle the Beast and the big blond kid whose picture you sold months back.  His name is Mike Markis, goes by the name the Golden Rock. There is he over there. Harley said.

Rex looked over in the corner and saw the big blond man who stood about 6-5 and 280 lbs. He had long blonde hair, a long handlebar mustache, and a short beard. He was extremely muscular. Rex noticed the small pimples on his back and the fact that his hairline was receding and concluded that he was on the juice.

That manager Sharp could not get a flight out of Miami and he was supposed to act as the Beast and Rock’s manager tonight. Lolly feels he is too much of a hero for him to lie down without a manager’s interference, so he asked me to jump up on the apron just as he is about to put the Beast away and snap a picture with a gimmicked camera that will explode to a ball of fire and go into Lolly’s face and cause them to lose the match. Harley said.

The Golden Rock? That is the best fucking name they could come up with? That son of a bitch should be in the main event, Rex said. And what is going to happen after you cause Lolly to lose tonight? Will you go back to snapping pictures every week?"

No, actually Lolly has been so pleased with my work for the last year, he said he would make me part of the show and if the whole thing goes like he plans, then he will make me a heel manager for the Beast.  He was tired of paying for Sharp to fly up here every month, anyway.

Rex tried to appear happy for his friend, but on the inside, he was furious. He had spent many hours in the gym, spent months busting his ass learning the business at Hickerson’s gym and was injecting himself with steroids just to keep a job and all Lolly did for him was give him opening matches where he always lost.  Now his friend, who is only 160-pound photographer, gets to be part of the main event just like that.

Hey Mike, Harley yelled at the Golden Rock. Come over here.

The large man walked over. He was wearing white trunks and white boots.  Harley introduced him to Rex.

Who gave you the name Golden Rock, Rex asked.

Lolly. He didn’t like the name I used in Florida, which was Golden Thunder, Rock said.

That sounds better, Rex said. Well, at least you’re in your main event.

Lolly is not paying me main-event money. He wants me to team with his old buddy, the Beast, who he pays well. I am the one that the ladies scream for.  Last time I was up here, he paid me so cheap that I had to sleep in my car, he said.

"Man, you need to learn how to market yourself better and if I had your size and look, I would make sure I would get a bigger take of the gate. Get yourself a gimmick and stick with it. You will never establish a rep when everyone wants to change your gimmick.

Well, a buddy of mine who has been wrestling in Japan got me on a tour over there in a month and told me the Japanese love big, tall Americans and I could make nice money over there. So that is where I am headed after I fly this coop.

Megaman! Rex yelled at the behemoth.

What did you say? Mike asked.

You should use the name Megaman, Rex said.

I like that dude, mind if I use it? Mike asked.

It is all yours, but make sure you use it no matter where you go.

If the Japan deal works, maybe I can get you some work over there, the newly named Megaman said.

Pal, one day I will run my own promotion and I will show everyone how to do it right. When that happens, I will bring you in as my top guy, Rex said.

Sure thing. Someone needs to make me the top guy, Megaman said.

Later in the evening, Rex got into his street clothes and snuck out into the stands, unnoticed by the crowd who only seem to care about the big-name guys.  He noticed that while the crowd gave the Beast the usual verbal insults and swear words, he noticed Megaman got a very mixed reaction as half the crowd cheered him and the other half booed him and others who in awe of his look and size.

Lolly was teaming with fellow good guy Cowboy Bart Lance, a tall, skinny man with a long mustache and beard who entertained his fans with his skill with a bull rope.  As the match was going, the Beast was brutalizing Lance and whenever Megaman came into the ring, the crowd would cheer. Rex noticed the look of excitement on Lolly’s face and could tell Lolly was probably thinking months ahead of doing a program with the blond Adonis and thinking what kind of money they could pull in. Once the Cowboy finally escaped the heel corner and tagged in Lolly, he went into his frenzy and was throwing roundhouse punches that caused the Beast and his young partner to fall all over the ring like they had been shot with cannons.  As the crowd was really getting into Lolly’s usual comeback, Rex kept watching Harley, who was snapping pictures and seemed tentative as he kept looking at Lolly for a signal. Rex thought he was being a big obvious, but the fans were to into the match to care.

After Lolly brutalized his foes, he turns to Harley and gives him a wink.  Harley damn near dropped his camera and nearly fell on his ass as he struggled to get up on the ring apron while still holding the camera.  He took longer than expected as Lolly stood there.  The Beast, noticing the delay, improvised and grabbed Lolly from behind. Lolly hit him and tossed him out of the ring.  As the Beast was floundering around on the pavement. He floundered over by Harley and pushed him on the ring apron.  Harley got up on the apron and pressed the shutter on the camera and like expected, a flame shot out of it. Even though the flame distinguished before it got close to Lolly, he fell down and sold it like it hit him with a flame thrower as he covered his face and screamed in pain which caused many of the fans at ringside to scream in response.  Megaman saw that the Beast was outside, so it was up to him to improvise a finish. He grabbed Lolly and lifted him over his head and held him there to show off this strength and slammed him.  He covered him for the pin as the ringside crowd was nearly about to erupt in a riot.  Harley was awed by the crowd reaction and then noticed that the fans started yelling and cussing at him.  When he felt a mushy hot dog hits his forehead, he took off for the dressing room.

As he started a full sprint down the pathway to the dressing room, the normal 50-yard distance seemed like a couple of blocks as the crowd used Harley for target practice.  The little security that the auditorium provided could not stop a large, overzealous fan from hopping the gate and running down Harley and tackling him.  Rex, who was watching from the stands, instinctively ran down the steps and up the aisle. Before he could get there, he saw the large fan throwing wild punches at his fallen friend.  The man, who was intoxicated, was missing 99% of his punches.  Cowboy Lance got to him and pulled the man off, allowing Harley to escape to the dressing room.

Rex ran back to the dressing area to find Harley sitting on a stool shaking and with all types of soft drinks, chips and mashed hot dogs covering his body.  The other wrestlers backstage walked by him and went about their business.

You okay? Rex asked.

Yeah, said Harley, still quivering.  It was a hell of a rush! Scared the shit out of me, but I liked it!

The Beast came back there.

Kid, that was good! the Beast said. It went off great. You look like shit!

A group of wrestlers carried Lolly backstage on a stretcher. He had a towel over his face. As soon as they were out of view of the crowd, Lolly jumped off it. His face was red from exposure to the flame, but he was no worse for wear.

That was great. Did you see the crowd reaction? They were ready to tear the place down! Lolly said. Harley, you did a great job. They pelted the shit out of you!

I was nervous as hell, but I enjoyed it, Harley said.

Just one thing, kid, Lolly said.  The fans think of us pro wrestlers as being tough and even though you going to be playing a wimpy manager, we still want fans to think of us as being tough.  The next time some mark lays his hands on you, hit him with your first, your camera or whatever is next to you.  Never let some fan get the best of you. Once any schmuck thinks he can take one of us in real life, then we lose our aura.

Jeff the guy had to be 6-5 and nearly 300 lbs. I don’t care how much training I could get, I cannot take a guy like that, Harley said.

Then you better learn. You let one mark smack you around and then they all wait for you after the show. Give one of them bastards a black eye or bloody nose and then they hesitate the next time they think about hitting you. So, learn now because you will be managing the Beast.

You giving me a job? Harley asked.

Yeah why not? Lolly said. I want you to learn how to wrestle. I will get a couple of the boys to work with you during the week at my gym and show you a few things.

Rex got angry when