Chapter 10

Chapter 10


Gene watched as the main event was held for a show that was taped for television. He sat there with the Knoxville promoter who he hired to book the show. As the bell rang, the champ locked up with his opponent the traditional way, and got him in a headlock that led to a takedown. The fans weren’t at all thrilled with the old school approach to wrestling, they just couldn’t get into the match. They started to boo since they were bored with how the match went. The arena wasn’t even sold out, there were just about a few hundred to a few thousand people in attendance, not much of a crowd for a promotion that had nationwide exposure through television, pay per view, and live events. The Knoxville promotion booked the show like it was one of the old regional territories that existed when pay per view wasn’t even developed yet, and television was used as a promotional tool or live events.

‘’Your killin’ my business, what the hell were you thinkin’?’‘ he asked the promoter from Knoxville.

‘’I’m tryin’ to get them to tell stories in the matches, not do a match that’s full of high spot maneuvers that’ll put them in wheelchairs by the time they’re 30!’‘ the Knoxville promoter responded.

‘’I didn’t tell you ensure the safety of my workers! I told you to give me what sells, and hardcore is what sells!’‘ Gene shot back at him in anger.

As the champ gained another victory, Gene noticed how the crowd didn’t respond. This redneck from Knoxville had cost him lots of money, and had ruined his wrestling promotion with his outdated train of thought. The hardcore style may have went too far, but it also made money. Despite the fact that the old fashioned way was safer, more practical, and more realistic, it hadn’t made any money in 20 years. Gene’s wrestling promotion was now in financial trouble after a short resurgence in popularity, and he now had to figure a way out of it – the best way was to sell it before he lost any more money.


***

Gene and Leslie were in the office, ready to sell The Montague-Capulet Company to a group of investors. They stared at the paperwork as they thought about all the company had meant to them. It was that very company that taught them the concept of creativity and gave them the product of business. Their parents established that legacy, raised them to take over the reigns, and take it to new heights. They had both seen a great deal of ups and downs, but then they remembered why they had te sell in the first place. The exposure of professional wrestling and soap operas to The Internet had killed them both.

‘’Are you gonna sign or what?’‘ asked one of the investors.

‘’We’re just a little nostalgic, that’s all.’‘ she said.



‘’My partners and I aren’t in this deal to be nostalgic, we want this company and we want it now!’‘ exclaimed the investor as he wanted to get deal done as soon as possible.

‘’Lay off you necktie wearin’ piece of shit! Let’s get down to business!’‘ shouted Gene as he jumped up and pounded his fist on the table.

He signed the written agreement, before they ink dried he realized that he had just signed away the Montague wrestling legacy to a bunch of corporate stiffs. Leslie also signed as tears ran down her face, and that was it for the entire soap opera genre in which almost all of the great daytime dramas were produced under the old Capulet banner for 60-70 years.

As the investors signed the agreement, Gene held Leslie as she cried. They wondered how this all would’ve went down if their father had been alive to witness the sale or if their mother wasn’t so ill. They also wondered if they had made the right decision to sell the company, and if it had been possible that they could’ve saved the business. But it was all too late now...............


***

Eve Capulet-Montague was on her deathbed surrounded by her four middle aged children, Gene, Leslie, Pete, and Doug. They were there with each of their spouses, and the bedroom was littered with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Also in the room were everyone that her late husband Adam Montague, Gene, and Pete had ever worked with in the wrestling business as well as the people she, Leslie, and Doug had worked with in soaps. All the individuals in the room did their best to hold back tears.

‘’Adam’s callin’ for me, he wants me to join him! I must go! I must go! I must go to him! He awaits me, he waits for me at the gates of,’‘before she could finish her sentence, her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and Eve Capulet-Montague, the mother of the soap opera genre, passed away.

They all cried as they realized that the Montague-Capulet legacy had at last come to an end both on a professional and now a personal level as well. In addition to Gene and Leslie’s recent sale of The Montague-Capulet Company, Adam and Eve were now gone, the two who started it all for wrestling and soaps. Tears were everywhere as the bedsheet was pulled over Eve’s face.