April 25, 2021 - Vin Halsted vs JT Maverick

FCPW – Vin Halsted – Prodigy, Protégé, or Simply Failure

::Scene 1 – Monday, April 9, 2021 at 9 AM. As Halsted walks out of the Halsted Fieldhouse after another intense morning session with his trainer, Margot, he crosses paths with Scarlett. She’s wearing a beautiful floral embroidered Marchesa Notte Midi dress with marine blue Cole Haan Original Grand stitch lite sneakers while Halsted is wearing a pair of Nike gym shorts, a football camp shirt from his time as a high school Varsity player, and pair of grey Nike Metcon shoes.::

Halsted: Hey, Scar, were you able to reserve that lecture hall at Northwestern University, this week?

Scarlett: Oh… good morning to you, Vin.

::Halsted sighs heavily and addresses her properly.::

Halsted: Good morning, Scar. What beautiful weather we’re having today?

::Just then, a massive thunderstorm darkens the skylight above their heads.::

Scarlett: Umm… sure.

Halsted: So, were you able to reserve the lecture hall at Northwestern University?

Scarlett: Yes, you’re reservation for the Ryan Family Auditorium is set for Thursday. I don’t understand why you need it, but the university wanted to thank you for that donation of five-hun…

::Halsted quickly interrupts Scarlett by shushing her.::

Halsted: Shhh… Scar… Don’t say that out loud! The Penn State Alumni Association may hear you and I don’t need them to find out that I gave another Big Ten school that kind of money!

::Scarlett looks at Halsted in bewilderment, then over her right and left shoulders.::

Scarlet: Umm… K.

::Scarlett starts to back away from Halsted slowly.::

Halsted: So, we’re set, right?

Scarlett: That we are.

Halsted: Oh… and can you check with Mr. Han to make sure my Professor Indiana Jones tweed three-piece suit is back from the drycleaner.

::Scarlett looks at Halsted as if he’s a lunatic. He just smirks back with a glimmer in his eye.::

Scarlett: Will do.

Halsted: Oh c’mon, Scar… this is gonna be an adventure!!

Scarlett: I’m excited for you, Vin.

Halsted: Awesome… thank you!!

::They part ways as Halsted walks down the hall towards the kitchen for his post-training protein shake. Scene fades to black. END SCENE.::

::Part 2 – FLASHBACK: The following takes place at the HHW Office of President Joe Cranston in June 2004. Halsted walked into Joe’s office for their weekly meeting and sat in front of Joe’s desk. Joe didn’t acknowledge Vin’s entrance, as his attention was fully emerged in his latest purchased game on his Nintendo DDS.::

Halsted: Hey, boss, you wanted to see me?

Cranston: Huh?

::Cranston looked up from his game to see Vin sitting in front of him, much to his surprise. He paused his game, shuffled some papers around, smiled awkwardly.::

Cranston: Yeah, uh… Hi Vin… We need to address the impact of your recent debut here in HHW.

Halsted: Well, what’s going on?

Cranston: See… you’re the new toy in the box.

Halsted: What does that mean?

Cranston: Well, a good number of times when someone debuts, the crowd loses their minds and want to jump on that talent’s bandwagon. They start blowing up their forums, fan-booking, buying their merchandise, sending fan mail, and so forth. Some of the more hardcore fans push for the new talent to be the face of the company. You, my friend, are on fire right now. In fact, I’ve never seen such a huge response to a talent’s debut like this before.

Halsted: What do you mean?

Cranston: The HHW fans love you, Vin. That means money for you and me. I want to book you against some of the guys who are higher on the card and see how it plays out, but you need to come up with a way to justify why you’re taking them on.

Halsted: Thanks, Joe… I don’t know what to say.

Cranston: Just find a way to stir the pot, Vin. Take in consideration that you just started out here and don’t have anyone to join you. The top guys are in a group called, The Underground Alliance, so you’re going to need some people to back you up because that group is strong and will deal a good amount of punishment on you if you try to take them on by yourself.

Halsted: I see… I’ll try to come up with something for you, Joe.

Cranston: I’m sure you will. Oh… and you need to handle your new fan club because we can’t keep receiving the fan mail requests or keep up with your merch sales here at the HHW Office. Grab those two black bags on your way out.

::Cranston pointed to the two black five-gallon garbage bags located next to his office door. He waved Halsted off and went back to playing his game. Halsted looked surprised at the two bags, lifted both up and carried them out to his black 2002 Chevy Camaro SS. He lifted the bags and placed them into his trunk. He drove back to his apartment above Mr. Han’s new restaurant located in Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Han and Halsted relocated to be closer to HHW Headquarters after he graduated from Penn State University. Halsted carried the two bags into the restaurant and sat in an empty booth. Mr. walked over to Halsted with a plate of hot food and took a seat with him.::

Mr. Han: What’s all this?

Halsted: Fan mail.

Mr. Han: Wow… Already?

Halsted: Yeah… I guess I can stop bouncing at The Quarter, now.

Mr. Han: Looks like it, but you can’t have all of that sent here.

Halsted: No… plus, Joe just told me his plans for me and things are gonna get even more crazy.

Mr. Han: That’s a good thing, kid. I’m happy to see that things are picking up in the new foray into wrestling.

Halsted: It’s a little overwhelming…

Female patron: Maybe I can help.

::Halsted looked around to see who interrupted his conversation with Mr. Han when a young, blonde woman approached them. She’s a statuesque beauty who stood at five foot, three inches. She has a slight New York accent.::

Female patron: Hi… sorry, I couldn’t help but to overhear your conversation. What kind of business are you in?

Halsted: I’m a wrestler.

Female patron: Like the Olympics?

Halsted: No… professional wrestling.

Female patron: Um… Ok.

::She looked unimpressed and then asked him what was in the two garbage bags.::

Female patron: So, what’s in those bags?

Halsted: Fan mail.

Female patron: Wait… All of that is for you?

Halsted: Well, I’m kind of a big deal.

::She looked at Halsted blankly.::

Female patron: Right… well, then what’s the problem?

Halsted: I don’t know where to begin. My boss wants me to work on some material, handle this issue with the mail, and apparently I have to develop more merchandise.

Female patron: It sounds like you need a personal assistant.

Halsted: Now, that’s an idea. Hey, Han, can you get me the latest edition of the Patriot News?

Female patron: Why do you need that?

Halsted: Well, I have to check the ads for anyone who’s looking to do that kind of work.

Female patron: Well, I think I’d be interested in that job.

Halsted: Oh, really? What makes you qualified?

Female patron: I’m the only one here.

Halsted: Ok… that’s fair but what types of qualifications do you have besides that?

Female patron: Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scarlett and I’m about to start my third years as a student at Penn State while double-majoring in communications and business. I, also, have some experience as a model and in fashion design, web design, and merchandising. Does that sound like what you’d be looking for in a personal assistant?

::Halsted looked dumb-founded at Scarlett.::

Scarlett: I’ll take that as a yes. So, let’s take a look at those bags, shall we?

::Scarlett began to dig through the bags while she took an account of all of the requests in one of her new notebooks. She had been taking summer courses at Penn State Harrisburg at this time and frequented Mr. Han’s restaurant. Scene fades to black… END SCENE.::

:::Part 3 – Present day. The following takes place inside of the massive 250+ seat Ryan Family Auditorium on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. As Halsted smiles and waves to the empty seats of the auditorium, he takes his place at the podium in front of the lecture hall. He is wearing a custom-made replica Professor Indiana Jones tweed three-piece suit made by the famous Magnoli Clothiers, with a pair of Savile Row Beaufort Panto distributed by Berkshire Chase manufactured by the Algha Group LTD of London glasses, and a custom made Fedora replica Indiana Jones fur felt hat. The projector’s screen rolls down behind him as he settles in at the podium and clears his throat. He drinks water from the glass that was placed on the podium’s inner shelf. He places it down, looks out into the sea of empty chairs, and then begins his lecture.::

Halsted: Good morning, class.

::Halsted pauses for a response but he’s met with dead silence. A second passes and then a cricket chirping somewhere in the massive room. Halsted looks a little annoyed while covering the microphone. He turns to Scarlett who is off-stage and whispers.::

Halsted: I thought you said that we would have an audience.

::Scarlett shrugs and shakes her head no. Halsted rolls his eyes and groans. He turns back the “audience” and smiles awkwardly.::

Halsted: Good morning, class. Thank you and welcome to Foundational Studies 101: How Not to Suck at Life. I would like to start by saying that you made the greatest decision of your life by signing up and attending this class. I highly recommend that someone contact that no good, piece of human garbage, “The Black King” Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club, and have him sign his young boy, Goose, up for this class!!

::Halsted smirks and looks at the empty seats. The cricket chirps again.::

Halsted: Anyway, I want to start by focusing on the word “prodigy”.

::Mr. Han opens the PowerPoint presentation on the screen behind Halsted and the word “prodigy” is on the screen with the following definitions in a list:
1. A person, especially a child or a young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.
2. A marvelous example.
3. Something wonderful or marvelous.
4. Something abnormal or monstrous.
5. Something extraordinary regarded as of prophetic significance.

Halsted looks behind him to make sure he’s in the right slide before addressing the lecture hall.::

Halsted: See, this young boy came into FCPW thinking he was some sort of badass. He made all sorts of prophecies and claims that he was the greatest thing to ever step foot into the squared circle. He claimed to be a prodigy but after his little debut I saw nothing special in him. I mean, I’ve met thousands of guys just like him. They all walk around like they are the greatest gift from God but then they get a rude awakening, turn tail, and run away. Never to be heard from, again. That’s exactly the case here because where is this all mighty warrior, now? In fact, I see nothing extraordinary, marvelous, wonderful, or monstrous about Goose. He is actually quite normal, indeed a “young boy”, and just another lowly wanna-be wrestler who can’t speak for himself so he hooked up with a door-to-door salesman to hype him up.

::Halsted nods to Mr. Han to click the next slide. It reads “protégé” with the following definition: “A person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his, or her, career, or welfare.” Halsted smirks.::

Halsted: Ah… Now, this is a little bit more fitting for our friend, Goose, because he certainly is under the care of the Black King. I think Goose would be better suited if he continued sitting under the learning tree of the Hellfire Club a while longer. He proved that he is absolutely not ready to make the transition from MMA to wrestler in his debut. I think the Black King should be wise to continue protecting his investment rather than setting him up for another utter failure when he faces me this weekend at April Annihilation because it’s gonna be just that. Instead of being in the main event vying for The Canadian Title at Cavanaugh, I’m stuck at the bottom of the card with the greenest piece of shit I’ve ever seen. I would like to point out to both of you chumps that because Goose claims to be the “Main Event” but here we are. I would be remised if I didn’t remind you two that we are in First Class Pro Wrestling because I noticed that you didn’t know that this isn’t Full City PW, let alone Kansas. Let me ask you this, Goose… did your debut haunt you that badly that neither of you could come out here to say anything about our scheduled dance this weekend? I mean, you obviously didn’t live up to your potential at the last Sunday Delight. I guess that bath of confidence wasn’t available these last two weeks, but don’t worry, Goose, you’ll be bathing in your own piss and shit after I give you a master class in the ring.

::Halsted nods to signal Mr. Han to click the next slide. The word “FAILURE” in big bold letters are laid across a photo of JT Maverick’s face. Halsted smirks.::

Halsted: Look, it’s ok to be a failure, Goose. That’s why you bombed against someone you claimed to be a journyman. A guy who loses and runs away from it, but look at what you did as soon as you lost. You vanished from First Class, didn’t you? Now, I happen to be a journeyman, too, but I’m the most successful one of all time, because I was a champion in every single fed I joined. Not only that, I was the world champion of fourteen feds, twenty-four times. I would take what I wanted when I wanted, then leave when I had no use for that place any more so that I could find new challenges and feds to conquer. You fell for the most devastating move in all of wrestling, the surprise roll up!! I mean, for a guy who was an undefeated NCAA champion, I’m shocked that you even stuck around for the next card. Now, if your Black King thought better of you, then he would have asked to put you in tune up matches from then on, but now you have to face an even bigger embarrassment when you and I square off. I almost feel sorry for you… ALMOST!! However, just like Jobu, you will fall at my feet and I’ll keep moving towards taking that Canadian Title and won’t give another thought to you. Honestly, I was hoping to see another training video from you because that seems like the trend in FCPW. For some reason everyone that I’ve faced seems to think that I don’t believe that they can do anything in the ring so they have to do a boring ass training video. Was GSP not available this week? He has such a light schedule these days with filming Marvel shows, doing public appearances, and promotions that he has plenty of time to train a no-namer like you, right?

::Halsted points at the screen and laughs.::

Halsted: C’mon, man… the main event scene changed when you showed up, or did the catering crew just add another sorry-ass loud-mouth? See, the fed will change once I take their precious Canadian Title into my possession because I am the inevitable, here, not you, Goose. When I talk the talk, I walk the walk all over every single insignificant bug that dares cross paths with me. You made yourself the fool two weeks ago and now I’m gonna expose you for the fallacy you really are. A bull shit fight clubber who screamed and beat his chest that he was a fifteen-and-one fighter who talked down to a former champion. Where’s your MMA championship? Why did you leave after that one loss? Was it because you got your ass handed to you on the school playground by a kid three grades lower than you? I think that’s a more appropriate scenario than the one you tried to claim to be true. You, Goose, will be stepping foot in the ring with one of the best in the world, in me. If you want that moniker, then come and get it because I’m the man to beat around here in FCPW, and you couldn’t even live up to your threats of murdering that champion, let alone find a way to pin him. So, let’s see what you have to say for yourself, young boy. You don’t have much time!!

::Halsted nods to Mr. Han to turn the PowerPoint presentation off.::

Halsted: Let that be a lesson for everyone in the FCPW locker room, because when you sign a contract to face Vin Halsted, then you’re signing up for the master class in humiliation, defeat, and then being cast off into Midcard Hell, if not a lifetime in catering. I’m gunning for the Canadian Title and I won’t have any mercy on anyone stupid enough to get in my way. CLASS DISMISSED!!

::Halsted walks off staged and sees a gentleman from the university.::

Halsted: Hey, you might want to do something about that cricket. Maybe like what I’m gonna do to Goose at April Annihilation.

::The gentleman looks at Halsted like he’s a lunatic, then shrugs his shoulders as he goes about setting up the lecture hall for the next program. Scene fades to black. END SCENE.::