Post by Tommy Bartlett on Sept 3, 2012 1:17:36 GMT -4
How do you describe a creature like Tommy Bartlett? You could almost call him a man but I don't think that's an accurate representation of the guy who's earned the nickname, "Crippler". When you think of someone you'd call a man, you think about a human being who's ruled by his rational mind... or by his heart. Yet neither of these sources could really be said to influence the things that Tommy Bartlett does... [/b]
*The scene opens up in a hot, humid boiler room in the basement of a condemned building somewhere in a seedy section of Parts Unknown... a building currently inhabited by a medium sized group of human decay that slipped through the cracks. The two hundred or so spectators that filled what passes for an arena in this part of the world were people who were wealthy misfits of society that enjoyed paying hard-earned money to watch animals wearing human skin tear into each other for not much more compensation then enough to cover room and board and maybe a whore in a nearby motel.*
*One of these demons in human clothing stood sweating and wrapping his wrists in electrical tape. He slouched slightly because not many rooms in this building, save the main one that housed the makeshift steel caged structure that served as a ring for these self-styled gladiators to ply the only trade they really know how, were capable of accomodating all 6'10" of The Crippler. At 350 lbs, he'd been called Monster for most of his life.*
Most aspiring wrestlers like "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett can easily be placed in one of several styles. A High Flyer is a competitor that uses his own body as a weapon against his opponent. He takes his advanced knowledge of acrobatics and gravity mastery and punishes his adversary with a nonstop assault.
*The camera picks up Tommy Bartlett taking off his shirt and tossing it aside, sweat running down his face... down his chest... down his arms. He cracks his neck loudly and storms out of the room into the much cooler antechamber of this basement... gooseflesh rising up on his long, muscular legs... his eyes darting around the room at the faces of the drunken, stoned faces in the crowd around him. Catcalls and mixed cheers buffet him as the bright lights above the cage blind him momentarily. A much smaller man stands across from him as the door closes behind him with a clash of metal. Not waiting for any kind of bell, Bartlett's bloodthirsty, battle scarred opponent dropkicks the knees out from under him. The cruiserweight jumps up and kicks off the cage, parkour flipping at The Crippler but is caught by the throat by a massive hand at the end of a well defined arm. Tommy Bartlett spins around him with deceptive speed for a "Big Man". The Crippler's arms wrap around this soon-to-be-unconscious warrior and sends him head first into the cage with a Release German Suplex. As the dazed fighter bounces off accompanied by gasps and groans from the assembled fans, Bartlett catches him and bends him over while hooking the poor guy's arms behind his back. Lifted a good 9 feet in the air and flipped over into the Sitout Powerbomb that will come to be known in Action Packed Wrestling as The Buzzkill.*
The Hardcore Wrestler is adept at using everything in his environment that's not nailed down as a weapon... chairs... ring steps... turnbuckle posts... barbed wire... thumbtacks... And the amount of punishment these competitors take is nothing short of legendary.
*The camera changes to a clip of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett stopping at the end of another entrance aisle and looking up at the cage. He makes a big show of cracking his neck before climbing the first of the ringsteps before a thick bald man leaps through the door and sends him into the crowd with a Spear. The man turns and a Japanese businessman hopped up on Saki like a bad stereotype hops out of his chair and hands it to the Gaijin warrior, his hands folded in front of him and bowing like an extra in an old Charlie Chan movie. The angry skinhead turns and becomes quite intimate with the flavor of the gum on the bottom of the chair as Tommy Bartlett Big Boots the steel practically through this poor man's head. The moment the man hits the cold, hard concrete... blood flowing from the forehead of his chrome dome, The Crippler is on him like a hyena on a fallen gazelle. The long arms and legs that make a person 6'10" tall, wrap around this guy as he screams. Locking him in the sumbission hold that Bartlett will call The Traction Lock, Tommy smiles down at his victim, his foot holding the man's wrist at an angle that makes it impossible for him to tap out... all he can do is scream until there's nothing left in him.*
Then there's the Power Wrestler. A competitor who relies on his strength and size to get him through the fact that he has little or no actual wrestling ability. Historically, in the pro wrestling business, this is the zone that men the size of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett fall into by default. But to call Tommy a Power Wrestler wouldn't be fair. Sure, he takes advantage of the genetic gifts that God gave him by making him so massive. But with the kind of conditioning and flexibility that are rare in "Big Men" of the past, Bartlett brings along a savage and sadistic streak miles wide. And his knowlege of the way the human body works is truly frightening...
*The shot comes back in on a heavily bandaged "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett closing the steel mesh door behind him as ring crew scurry to secure the chain and Master Lock that will keep these beasts in their cage. The opponent across from Tommy is not quite as tall as him... maybe only 6'7" but far more muscularly defined. They lock arms in a traditional Collar and Elbow Tieup. The freak of nature slams Bartlett back into the unforgiving steel. Tommy Bartlett clutches his midsection for a split second as his newly healing ribcage sends nearly debilitating jolts of pain through his massive body. His opponent seizes the opportunity and hones in on Tommy's weakness like a vulture on a fresh carcass. He hammers Bartlett with a few lefts and rights that would knock out Paul Wite. The Crippler looks nearly well done as his adversary lifts him up over his head in a military press with a mighty roar. The assembled spectators cringe at what is sure to be the end of Tommy Bartlett's time as King of The Cage when Tommy suddenly wraps his long arms around one of the limbs holding him in the air and rides his body down to the mat before locking in the modified Kimura Lock that Bartlett has dubbed The Twisted Bastard. The man beneath him who had been dominating this matchup mere moments ago screams at the top of his lungs and taps the canvas furiously. The referee tries in vain to pry The Crippler off of this man before...
The camera zooms in on the glaze falling over Tommy Bartlett's eyes... a small smile spreading like a plague across his face... the scene fading out on the sound of a snapping bone.*
Now, Technical Wrestling... that might actually be a category you could pigeon hole this thing into. Tommy Bartlett... he was NCAA State Champion in Freestyle Wrestling... but he was stripped of the title a year later due to his refusal to let go of his opponent after the bell rang. That's what really seems to drive the splintered psyche of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett. He enjoys turning a man's body against him. Making his oponnent's own momentum and body into Tommy's weapon of choice. The gutteral scream of a human being in simple, desperate, single-minded, brutal agony... the sound of tendons tearing... the feeling of brutal tension as a bone is a fraction of an inch from breaking in two. He enjoys this sort of thing immensely. But beyond that, he is on a mission now. His mentor has given him true meaning to his life...
*The camera come in at a much larger building then we've seen thus far. This is a convention center in Parts Unknown. Outside, people with signs on pickets sing protest songs about the inhumane, bloodthirsty carnage that goes on within these walls. The arena is packed wall to wall with people on hand to witness the Finals of 2012's King of The Cage Tournament. "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett closes the door behind him as he sees his opponent charge. They exchange strikes and submission holds and slams until the two of them have nearly passed out from exhaustion. His opponent charges and Tommy wraps an arm around his neck before falling backwards and dropping him face first to a canvas with absolutely no give. Blood splatters from the competitor's broken nose as Bartlett swivels his hips until he wraps a leg under the man's jaw. His arms locking around his opponent's neck, The Crippler torques on the pressure, cutting off the bloodflow to his fellow finalist's brain by way of the carotid arterey. The move that the world will come to fear as The Healing Process forces his opponent into submission though Tommy Bartlett holds on anyway until the man is completely unconscious. He stands up and rolls out his wrists as the crowd surrounding him surges with applause. A man enters the cage and hesitantly approaches "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett with a check in one hand and a bronze painted over plastic trophy. Tommy takes them both and immediately walks out of the cage without a word of thanks. Pocketing the check and handing the trophy to a ring crew member, Tommy makes a beeline for the parking lot and his Gun Metal Gray Hummer. Not the H2... the military vehicle... a titanic coveyance to carry a Titan. He has an appointment to uphold...*
The appointment is with a man that Tommy Bartlett's mentor sent him to. Apparently the most arrogant and supremely talented wrestler in the world today though he most likely is his own biggest fan. Supposedly, he's The Hottest Shit Going. He's going to continue The Crippler's education and get his foot into the door of APW.... the very thought of being an APW Megastar fills Tommy Bartlett's soul with excitement and adrenaline.... APW... The empire that President Jeff built on the blood, sweat, and tears of legendary icons like Rocky Starr, Dr Matt, Alternativ, Andy McHeyman, Matt Metal, Twister, Trevor Blackwell, Kenny Lambardo, Dr Phate, and Level One... The perfect place... no, the ONLY place to make his statement... But we're getting ahead of ourselves... Tommy Bartlett is much more of a fan of letting the cards fall where they may and seeing where it takes him. The here and now is what matters.... Driving to Vancouver.
For now, he will do another man's bidding...
*The camera comes in on "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett's Hummer pulling up outside the site of the Labor Day edition of Monday Night Meltdown. Tommy folds himself out of the vehicle that is the closest thing he's ever experienced to comforable. He stretches, having driven for hours as he pulls down his duffel bag. Tommy arms the alarm with a "chirp" and walks into the building. The cold, emotionless walls really do make him feel like he's in another country. He stops at one of the gates and looks out over the seats and ring of the arena. This is the kind of place that APW Megastars make names for themselves. He knows that the fans that fill the arena at next week's show will be able to feel the power of being at such a historic event... the debut of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett... the night all the rules changed... For now though, he has an appointment to make.
The camera finishes our little trip into the insane mental wanderings of a madman stopping outside a locker room door that says APW North American Champion. Tommy Bartlett limbers up his wrists like he's going into a fight before knocking on the door... this is gonna be one unforgettable ride...
*The scene opens up in a hot, humid boiler room in the basement of a condemned building somewhere in a seedy section of Parts Unknown... a building currently inhabited by a medium sized group of human decay that slipped through the cracks. The two hundred or so spectators that filled what passes for an arena in this part of the world were people who were wealthy misfits of society that enjoyed paying hard-earned money to watch animals wearing human skin tear into each other for not much more compensation then enough to cover room and board and maybe a whore in a nearby motel.*
*One of these demons in human clothing stood sweating and wrapping his wrists in electrical tape. He slouched slightly because not many rooms in this building, save the main one that housed the makeshift steel caged structure that served as a ring for these self-styled gladiators to ply the only trade they really know how, were capable of accomodating all 6'10" of The Crippler. At 350 lbs, he'd been called Monster for most of his life.*
Most aspiring wrestlers like "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett can easily be placed in one of several styles. A High Flyer is a competitor that uses his own body as a weapon against his opponent. He takes his advanced knowledge of acrobatics and gravity mastery and punishes his adversary with a nonstop assault.
*The camera picks up Tommy Bartlett taking off his shirt and tossing it aside, sweat running down his face... down his chest... down his arms. He cracks his neck loudly and storms out of the room into the much cooler antechamber of this basement... gooseflesh rising up on his long, muscular legs... his eyes darting around the room at the faces of the drunken, stoned faces in the crowd around him. Catcalls and mixed cheers buffet him as the bright lights above the cage blind him momentarily. A much smaller man stands across from him as the door closes behind him with a clash of metal. Not waiting for any kind of bell, Bartlett's bloodthirsty, battle scarred opponent dropkicks the knees out from under him. The cruiserweight jumps up and kicks off the cage, parkour flipping at The Crippler but is caught by the throat by a massive hand at the end of a well defined arm. Tommy Bartlett spins around him with deceptive speed for a "Big Man". The Crippler's arms wrap around this soon-to-be-unconscious warrior and sends him head first into the cage with a Release German Suplex. As the dazed fighter bounces off accompanied by gasps and groans from the assembled fans, Bartlett catches him and bends him over while hooking the poor guy's arms behind his back. Lifted a good 9 feet in the air and flipped over into the Sitout Powerbomb that will come to be known in Action Packed Wrestling as The Buzzkill.*
The Hardcore Wrestler is adept at using everything in his environment that's not nailed down as a weapon... chairs... ring steps... turnbuckle posts... barbed wire... thumbtacks... And the amount of punishment these competitors take is nothing short of legendary.
*The camera changes to a clip of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett stopping at the end of another entrance aisle and looking up at the cage. He makes a big show of cracking his neck before climbing the first of the ringsteps before a thick bald man leaps through the door and sends him into the crowd with a Spear. The man turns and a Japanese businessman hopped up on Saki like a bad stereotype hops out of his chair and hands it to the Gaijin warrior, his hands folded in front of him and bowing like an extra in an old Charlie Chan movie. The angry skinhead turns and becomes quite intimate with the flavor of the gum on the bottom of the chair as Tommy Bartlett Big Boots the steel practically through this poor man's head. The moment the man hits the cold, hard concrete... blood flowing from the forehead of his chrome dome, The Crippler is on him like a hyena on a fallen gazelle. The long arms and legs that make a person 6'10" tall, wrap around this guy as he screams. Locking him in the sumbission hold that Bartlett will call The Traction Lock, Tommy smiles down at his victim, his foot holding the man's wrist at an angle that makes it impossible for him to tap out... all he can do is scream until there's nothing left in him.*
Then there's the Power Wrestler. A competitor who relies on his strength and size to get him through the fact that he has little or no actual wrestling ability. Historically, in the pro wrestling business, this is the zone that men the size of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett fall into by default. But to call Tommy a Power Wrestler wouldn't be fair. Sure, he takes advantage of the genetic gifts that God gave him by making him so massive. But with the kind of conditioning and flexibility that are rare in "Big Men" of the past, Bartlett brings along a savage and sadistic streak miles wide. And his knowlege of the way the human body works is truly frightening...
*The shot comes back in on a heavily bandaged "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett closing the steel mesh door behind him as ring crew scurry to secure the chain and Master Lock that will keep these beasts in their cage. The opponent across from Tommy is not quite as tall as him... maybe only 6'7" but far more muscularly defined. They lock arms in a traditional Collar and Elbow Tieup. The freak of nature slams Bartlett back into the unforgiving steel. Tommy Bartlett clutches his midsection for a split second as his newly healing ribcage sends nearly debilitating jolts of pain through his massive body. His opponent seizes the opportunity and hones in on Tommy's weakness like a vulture on a fresh carcass. He hammers Bartlett with a few lefts and rights that would knock out Paul Wite. The Crippler looks nearly well done as his adversary lifts him up over his head in a military press with a mighty roar. The assembled spectators cringe at what is sure to be the end of Tommy Bartlett's time as King of The Cage when Tommy suddenly wraps his long arms around one of the limbs holding him in the air and rides his body down to the mat before locking in the modified Kimura Lock that Bartlett has dubbed The Twisted Bastard. The man beneath him who had been dominating this matchup mere moments ago screams at the top of his lungs and taps the canvas furiously. The referee tries in vain to pry The Crippler off of this man before...
The camera zooms in on the glaze falling over Tommy Bartlett's eyes... a small smile spreading like a plague across his face... the scene fading out on the sound of a snapping bone.*
Now, Technical Wrestling... that might actually be a category you could pigeon hole this thing into. Tommy Bartlett... he was NCAA State Champion in Freestyle Wrestling... but he was stripped of the title a year later due to his refusal to let go of his opponent after the bell rang. That's what really seems to drive the splintered psyche of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett. He enjoys turning a man's body against him. Making his oponnent's own momentum and body into Tommy's weapon of choice. The gutteral scream of a human being in simple, desperate, single-minded, brutal agony... the sound of tendons tearing... the feeling of brutal tension as a bone is a fraction of an inch from breaking in two. He enjoys this sort of thing immensely. But beyond that, he is on a mission now. His mentor has given him true meaning to his life...
*The camera come in at a much larger building then we've seen thus far. This is a convention center in Parts Unknown. Outside, people with signs on pickets sing protest songs about the inhumane, bloodthirsty carnage that goes on within these walls. The arena is packed wall to wall with people on hand to witness the Finals of 2012's King of The Cage Tournament. "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett closes the door behind him as he sees his opponent charge. They exchange strikes and submission holds and slams until the two of them have nearly passed out from exhaustion. His opponent charges and Tommy wraps an arm around his neck before falling backwards and dropping him face first to a canvas with absolutely no give. Blood splatters from the competitor's broken nose as Bartlett swivels his hips until he wraps a leg under the man's jaw. His arms locking around his opponent's neck, The Crippler torques on the pressure, cutting off the bloodflow to his fellow finalist's brain by way of the carotid arterey. The move that the world will come to fear as The Healing Process forces his opponent into submission though Tommy Bartlett holds on anyway until the man is completely unconscious. He stands up and rolls out his wrists as the crowd surrounding him surges with applause. A man enters the cage and hesitantly approaches "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett with a check in one hand and a bronze painted over plastic trophy. Tommy takes them both and immediately walks out of the cage without a word of thanks. Pocketing the check and handing the trophy to a ring crew member, Tommy makes a beeline for the parking lot and his Gun Metal Gray Hummer. Not the H2... the military vehicle... a titanic coveyance to carry a Titan. He has an appointment to uphold...*
The appointment is with a man that Tommy Bartlett's mentor sent him to. Apparently the most arrogant and supremely talented wrestler in the world today though he most likely is his own biggest fan. Supposedly, he's The Hottest Shit Going. He's going to continue The Crippler's education and get his foot into the door of APW.... the very thought of being an APW Megastar fills Tommy Bartlett's soul with excitement and adrenaline.... APW... The empire that President Jeff built on the blood, sweat, and tears of legendary icons like Rocky Starr, Dr Matt, Alternativ, Andy McHeyman, Matt Metal, Twister, Trevor Blackwell, Kenny Lambardo, Dr Phate, and Level One... The perfect place... no, the ONLY place to make his statement... But we're getting ahead of ourselves... Tommy Bartlett is much more of a fan of letting the cards fall where they may and seeing where it takes him. The here and now is what matters.... Driving to Vancouver.
For now, he will do another man's bidding...
*The camera comes in on "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett's Hummer pulling up outside the site of the Labor Day edition of Monday Night Meltdown. Tommy folds himself out of the vehicle that is the closest thing he's ever experienced to comforable. He stretches, having driven for hours as he pulls down his duffel bag. Tommy arms the alarm with a "chirp" and walks into the building. The cold, emotionless walls really do make him feel like he's in another country. He stops at one of the gates and looks out over the seats and ring of the arena. This is the kind of place that APW Megastars make names for themselves. He knows that the fans that fill the arena at next week's show will be able to feel the power of being at such a historic event... the debut of "Crippler" Tommy Bartlett... the night all the rules changed... For now though, he has an appointment to make.
The camera finishes our little trip into the insane mental wanderings of a madman stopping outside a locker room door that says APW North American Champion. Tommy Bartlett limbers up his wrists like he's going into a fight before knocking on the door... this is gonna be one unforgettable ride...