BREAKING NEWS!!!
MASSIVE news about the future of New Alberta Pro today! Early this morning a press conference was called, and a group of reporters were invited to the NAIT gymnasium for an mystery announcement. The important details of this press conference can be found after the jump!
Thursday afternoon. It is grey and rainy outside, but inside the NAIT gym a small group of sports and entertainment reporters have gathered around a small podium. In the midst of a dozen or so local and provincial reporters are a couple familiar to the local wrestling fan: Sun reporter Megan Adams and NAPW-Online correspondent Ryan Stevens. The reporters stand around, making small talk, some of them checking their watches. Then, from behind the main doors, walk two men. One of them is a tall young twentysomething man with curly hair, a trimmed goatee, and wearing a black buttoned-up sports coat overtop a red t-shirt, jeans, and some very nice patent leather shoes. The other is an older man, about thirty-five years old, in a very nice business suit. His is also a face that is familiar to the local wrestling fan.
RYAN KINGSTON: Good afternoon everyone. Thank you very much for coming. My name is Ryan Kingston, and I am here as the legal representative of Mr. Arthur Graham. Mr. Graham has prepared a short statement he would like to read to you. He will not be taking questions at the conclusion of his statement. Thank you.
Kingston steps back from the podium, and the young man takes center stage. He looks a little shy and nervous, and he smiles as he adjusts the microphone. He has a familiar face, and the people in the crowd are trying to figure out who he is.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Hi everyone.
He waves, and a couple people crowd chuckle.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Thanks for coming today. Uh, some of you might have heard of me before. I’ve been in the news lately.
He smiles at his little joke, and the wheels keep turning.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: I’ve been extremely lucky. I’ve come out from some hard times and been blessed far beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
And then it clicks why his face is familiar. The last time you probably saw it, he was grinning from ear to ear. Standing in front of a giant novelty cheque. That had a twenty-five at the front, and a LOT of zeros following it.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Four months ago I was unemployed and living in my brother’s basement. But then…things changed. My lucky number came up, and I split a $50 million dollar lottery ticket with someone on the other side of the country. I went a little crazy at first, like you probably would have in my shoes. But then, I got responsible. I paid off all my debts. I started a savings account for, like, the first time in my life. I donated to charity. I bought myself a house. I bought my mom a house. Hell, I bought my brother a house, because after the amount of time I spent in his basement he deserves it.
He laughs, and the crowd laughs with him.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: But even when I was at my lowest, there were things that made life bearable. There was my family. There were my friends. And then there was New Alberta Pro Wrestling.
He smiles a little wistfully.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Four years ago, I bought a ticket to the first ever Monday Night Fights. I sat in the front row and saw a show that was put on by people I’d pretty much never heard of before. The Plague, The Calgary Connection, Static, The New & Improved D-X, D!, Ravager, and more. All of them came to the ring and put on one of the greatest shows I’d ever seen. And as the years went on, things changed for me and the wrestlers came and went, but the NAPW kept on putting on great shows month after month. Through the highs and lows, I watched: live, on Pay-Per-View, and lately on The Fight Network. It was something that brought joy into my life, like I know it brought joy into hundreds, maybe thousands, of other people’s lives.
At this, he pauses.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: And then, last night, it all came to an end. The NAPW had been bleeding for months, and last night, they called it. That was the end. Game over. The NAPW was done. And I felt sad. Not just because it was over, but because of why it was over.
He swallows.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Now I know that things fall apart, things come to an end, and pretending that the things you love are going to last forever isn’t realistic. But the whole time I was watching, I thought, “The NAPW shouldn’t end like this. It deserves to go out with a bang.” And I have a little spare cash. So I figured, why not make sure that everyone who ever loved the NAPW gets to have what they want? Why not make sure that, at least once in my life, things get to end on a GOOD note?
He smiles broadly, and the reporters lean in with their microphones and audio recorders.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: So I made a few phone calls. I got a hold of Mr. Kingston here, and he helped me get a hold of Mr. Wahoo Bobby Winchell. And we had a long conversation about how he felt about the company. And then I made him a proposal.
And the big smile comes back to his face.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: So I would like to announce that, effective immediately, I am the owner of New Alberta Pro Wrestling. Yes folks, the NAPW is back in business. Not forever: I can afford to put on a few shows, but both Mr. Winchell and I feel that the NAPW is ruined as a business venture, and no amount of money will change that. The NAPW is dead. It was buried last night. But for the next three months or so, we’re going to throw a HELL of a wake.
He starts unbuttoning his sport coat.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: So, for seven shows only, people right here in Edmonton and all over the world will see just how good the wrestlers in this company are. For seven shows the people who turned away from the company because it wasn’t theirs any more can come back home. For seven shows, the NAPW will live.
He removes his sport coat, and hangs it over his shoulder. And now we can see, written in black writing on the red t-shirt, the words “NAPW LIVES”.
ARTHUR GRAHAM: Now I’ll admit, I don’t know the first thing about running a wrestling company. So I hired a guy who I think is the best commissioner in professional wrestling: Terry Brandon. Him and I are going to get as many of the old staff back as we can, and as many alumni as want to come back for one last hoorah. We’re going to make the NAPW something to be proud of again. The NAPW’s legacy isn’t going to be tarnished by someone who drags its name through the dirt. It’s going to be a party. A long, fun, wicked party!
He throws his fist up into the air, smiles, and steps back from the podium. The crowd crushes the podium, asking questions, but Ryan Kingston pushes forward.
RYAN KINGSTON: Ladies and gentlemen, there will be no questions at this time. Any questions and interview requests can be sent to my office, and I will pass them on. Thank you again for coming; we will be in touch with you soon.
The two men quickly walk out of the gym, and the crowd of reporters follow behind them quickly. Except for two. Megan Adams and Ryan Stevens look at each other, smile, and then walk out together.
September 9, 2010 9:54 PM 1 Comment
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
By M.J., September 10, 2010 @ 6:09 AM
What I want to know is… WHAT IS GOING ON WITH RYAN AND MEGAN,hmm????