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 This redneck from Knoxville had cost him lots of money, and had ruined his wrestling promotion with his outdated train of thought.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.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9


About a decade or two later, Adam Montague passed away, he was the patriarch that turned the wrestling business into a success during its first generation. Gene was at the cemetery as he laid flowers at his grave. For Gene, it was a very hard time, his mother Eve was now very ill, the numbers for the TV shows were down, and the pay per view buy rates were at an all time low.

‘’I just don’t know what to do anymore Dad, it’s all goin’ down the tubes’‘, he said at his father’s grave as a tear rolled down his cheek.

He felt lost without his father’s guidance, he was the man who took wrestling from its origins under carnival tents to smoke filled arenas and on television sets. He learned the entire business from his father who broke him in as a booker for his promotion. He then bought out both his father and his uncle Tony Capulet, and took the business to new heights as a mainstream form of entertainment. But in recent years, the wrestling business has taken a very sharp downturn.

***

Gene was at his computer as his read some messages that were posted about the wrestling business on a bulletin board over The Internet. Gene read some of the messages, and wasn’t pleased to discover that a bunch of easy marks and fans had criticized his wrestling promotion, and called it ‘’too mainstream and cartoonish for its own good’‘, and he was also blamed for the fact that he wiped out all the old regional promoters to market wrestling as a brand of entertainment. They wanted the style they loved in the old days to be brought back or hoped some promoter out there would create an alternative to the style Gene offered.

‘’What in the hell?’‘ he exclaimed as opened another batch of messages that made him even more furious.

It turned out that some idiots on the bulletin boards had dished some behind the scenes dirt on the wrestling business which included the process of how matches were worked, a list of insider terms that had been used within the business since the days of the early carnival athletic shows. To make matters worse, the next storyline that Gene had booked for his promotion was explained in full detail on one of the messages. In the message was a short description of the storyline, results of every taped TV show that was apart of the storyline’s buildup before any of the shows were set to air, and a rundown of the next pay per view which included the planned finishes for each match on the card, even the big payoff for the storyline that was set to happen in the main event.

‘’What’s this?’‘ he asked himself as he checked some message that caught his eye.


Many fans seemed to be in love with a small independent promotion that held events in a bingo hall located in Philadelphia. The fans described it as ‘’hardcore’‘ and ‘’extreme’‘, and a promotion that displayed a blatant disregard for the way professional wrestling was promoted. An idea popped into Gene’s head, that this might be what the fans want.

***

Leslie visited a website on the World Wide Web that covered soap operas, and she read an article that ripped her apart for a serial killer storyline on one of her soaps that showcased the murder of several longtime veteran characters. It leaked out on the website that it was a way to cut costs in light of the vast decline in viewers that soaps now faced.

She then got an e-mail from what appeared to be a disturbed fan who was also angry with the serial killer storyline. This weird individual threatened to kill her because she ruined what that person felt was their show. She was frightened by what she read, she was afraid to even speak, but she had to notify everyone on the set.

‘’Listen, we have a problem. I got an e-mail from some weirdo who didn’t like our murder storyline, and this sick bastard sent me a death threat. All of you may also be in danger, so security guards will be posted all over this studio.’‘ she said as a way to break the news to the cast and crew.

They were all shocked that their lives could be in danger just because some obsessed fan didn’t like a storyline. Some people just didn’t know the line between fantasy and reality, and all the personnel at the studio were just horrified at the thought of it. Many of them had families at home, and they didn’t even wanna think about the possibility that the stalker could be after any of them!


***

It was now time for the main event at Gene’s next pay per view, and the new world heavyweight champion came out. He was a bald redneck who cussed out the fans, flipped his middle finger at them, and drank beer. As the bell rang, he and his opponent beat the crap out of each other rather than use traditional wrestling moves.

The match soon moved to the outside where the champ nailed his opponent with a steel chair, as blood gushed from his head before the champ smashed him through a table. The fans screamed, as they worshiped their reluctant hero. Almost as if they were a religious cult that was devoted to him as Gene watched backstage with an evil grin..

‘’This is what the fans want, I think I’ll keep promotin’ the style of wrestling’‘, he told the small time promoter from Philadelphia who was also backstage.


The champ and his opponent took their match into the crowd as thousands of rabid fans cheered them on. As the battled through the rows and rows of seats, they managed to get behind the curtain to the backstage area where they continued to pummel each other. They even took it outside the arena of all place. The camp climbed to the top of an 18 wheeler as his opponent was out cold on the hard concrete pavement on the ground. He then jumped from the vehicle all those feet as he landed on the ground to cover his lifeless opponent as the referee counted 1-2-3! The bell rang from inside the arena as the referee raised the champ’s hand.


***

Leslie supervised production on her soap as usual when a mysterious individual dressed in a long coat entered the studio. She felt nervous about that person’s presence on the set, and wondered if that person was authorized to even be on the set. But she just couldn’t halt production on one of her soaps, so she continued to focus on the scene that was taped.

This individual came toward her, and grabbed her from behind as he placed his hand over her mouth. She tried to kick and scream, but the attempt failed as he dragged her to a very dark corner of the studio where he pulled out a knife, and held it to her throat. She had too much to live for to be frightened, in a desperate move, she elbowed him in the stomach, and raced back to the set

‘’HELP!’‘ she screamed as she ran to one of the other producers.

‘’What’s wrong, you left the set, and I wondered where you were.’‘ he said in a concerned voice.

‘’That stalker who sent the death threat, he’s here!’‘ she exclaimed as she hoped he’d handle it.

‘’What? STOP THE TAPE! GET SECURITY!’‘ he motioned to the crew.

The stalker ran onto the set like crazy with the knife as production halted and security swarmed the studio. One guard grabbed the knife, and beat him to the ground. The stalker was then handcuffed and taken away. Leslie and the rest of the cast and crew were astonished by what happened and wondered if any more incidents like this would happen on the set in the future.

***


Just days after the incident, Leslie entered her brother Gene’s office, he heard about the stalker incident, and was very concerned. He want over and hugged her, she was still very shaken by the occurrence. She couldn’t bare the thought of it, and it still scared the hell out of her. To top it off, she didn’t whether to be glad it was over or whether to be afraid that it could happen again.

‘’Are you alright?’‘ he asked with concern.

‘’I guess’‘, she said as she tried to put on a good front.

‘’Your still upset about aren’t you?’‘ he questioned her.

‘’I wanna sell you my half of the company, I can’t bear to be on that set anymore after what happened.’‘ she said in an honest voice.

‘’I don’t know how to produce a god damn soap opera, and besides it was just one incident you’ll be fine.’‘

‘’That doesn’t mean it won’t happen again’‘, she responded.

‘’Alright, I’ll think about it’‘, he said to her as he walked her out the door.

He hoped for her safety, and also hoped that similar incident wouldn’t happen in his wrestling promotion. As he sat down at his computer, he read the figures on the Nielsen chart as well as the chart for the pay per view buy rates. After he took a more adult and graphic direction with his wrestling promotion, the numbers went right through the roof once again. He logged onto The Internet, and looked at the message boards to see what the smart marks online thought of the new direction.

He was annoyed to learn these idiots still weren’t satisfied, now they were upset because they thought he took the concept of wrestling too far with the more hardcore direction. Gene read messages where fans posted that they wanted a more traditional approach. He also read messages that mentioned another small independent promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee that focused on old fashioned southern style ‘’rasslin’‘ that featured storylines with babyfaces (good guys) and heels (bad guys). He thought to himself maybe if the hardcore direction worked, then maybe a return to the old methods would also work.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8


Leslie supervised a scene that was shot for the medical soap she took over, however this scene didn’t focus on doctors and nurses in a hospital, it focused on two young lovers in an action-adventure storyline. They were in the jungles of Africa as they searched for a rare diamond, the reason for the expensive location shoot was because of the fact that they needed somewhere to tape the show while the new and more lavish hospital set was under construction.

In the few weeks Leslie was brought on to produce the show, she had taken the show from a medical drama near cancellation that couldn’t even drama the typical housewife demographic to a top rated phenomenon that drew in a younger audience that consisted of both males and females, a feat unheard of in daytime television. In fact the couple on show was deemed a ‘’super couple’‘ , and the network spearheaded a promotional campaign built around the show entitled ‘’Love in The Afternoon’‘. As the scene wrapped up, she got a phone call from Gene.

‘’Congrats on bringin’ soaps to an all time high in the numbers, I’ve decided to accept the pay per view proposal, and I wondered if you’d let that star couple on your show would like in to be the corner of the world heavyweight champion in the main event?’‘ he asked her.

‘’Oh, I think they’d love it!’‘she shrieked.

‘’Great, just let me know’‘, he responded as he hung up the phone.

She was overcome with excitement, the soap already brought in 30 million viewers thanks to her changes on the show, but the idea of them in the corner of the world heavyweight champion in the main event of a big pay per view would be over the top! She couldn’t wait to tell them the big news! She rushed right over to them........

‘’You now how my brother is a wrestling promoter, right?’‘ she asked them.

‘’Yeah’‘, answered the lead actor.

‘’Well, he’s havin’ a great deal of success like we are, and he’s got this big event to cap it off! He wants you guys to be a feature attraction alongside the world champ in the main event!’‘

‘’That sounds great!’‘ shouted the actress that played his love interest.


There was a level of excitement on that location, the show was already very successful. In fact, it was now the most successful soap opera of all time. Now both soaps and wrestling could now have crossover appeal into the mainstream. It was about to become a great time for both forms of entertainment, no one knew just how great.


***

Gene and Leslie were at the arena the night of the pay per view, the first sold out crowd The Montagues had seen in 30 years. It was filled with big lights, and multiple video cameras for the pay per view broadcast as opposed to the one or two live cameras they had back in The Golden Age of Television.

The two of them looked on as the champ’s entrance music blared through the PA system, and the fans screamed as he came out with the lead actors from Leslie’s soap accompanied him to ringside. The champ was a blonde haired bodybuilder type who used steroids. He had movie star appeal, and always told kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins.

‘’I can’t believe we’ve come this far’‘, said Gene and Leslie’s mother Eve Capulet-Montague as tears streamed down her face.

‘’Me neither’‘, Adam responded.

They sat there as they watched the champ and the stars from Leslie’s soap battle his rival and the actors who played the villains in the soap. They shared their first kiss at a match at his father’s carnival 50 years earlier that her mother’s consumer goods company had sponsored. And to that they were able to help wrestling and soaps evolve from carnivals and radio into television not to mention the fact that they saw their own kids take over the businesses and thrive through a social upheaval, and have both become mainstream made them both teary eyed. Despite their ups and downs throughout the years, they always managed to keep it all together.

They looked at the two portraits that hung high up in the rafters of the arena, one was of Adam’s father, carnival promoter Marvelous Marvin Montague and the other of Eve’s mother Irna Capulet who once owned and operated Capulet Consumer Goods. Gene’s wife and kids also watched as well as Leslie’s husband and children, both sets of kids were almost old enough to be adults. Pete and Doug watched with their wives, and both couples had small children.

The number one contender for the world heavyweight title lied lifeless on the mat, and the champ pressed up against the ropes for leverage. The champ then delivered a leg drop to his face. He then got on top of him for the pin, and the referee counted 1-2-3! The bell rang, and the referee raised the champ’s hand as everyone cheered.

***

All The Montagues went out to a bar to celebrate the success of the pay per view, everyone toasted with drinks. Gene and Leslie both had surprises for all of them, but wasn’t able to tell them before the pay per view. They all wondered what is was, and anticipated their revelation. They didn’t think any announcement could top the pay per view.

‘’We got somethin’ to show ya’‘, Gene said.

They both pulled out a couple of magazines, and the world heavyweight champion was on the cover of Sports Illustrated while the super couple from Leslie’s soap opera were on the cover on Time Magazine in the scene from the show where they got married. Everyone was so happy they had gotten this much attention, and they all had another round of drinks.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7


A decade later, Gene prepared for a press conference where he was expected to make an announcement about the future of the wrestling business, and the state of the business. He now had a 50% share of Capulet Consumer Goods and Capulet Television which were located in big markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York to keep his two regional wrestling promotions afloat. He stepped up to the podium at the press conference as various reporters from print, radio, and television listened with open ears.

‘’I am here to answer the questions that many of you have had about our business for decades.’‘ he said as he took a deep breathe.

All of the media wanted to know what he was about to say, were the athletic show real or fake? It was indeed the ‘’big’‘ mystery about the business. If it was real, then fine, but if it was fake then what the big secrets of professional wrestling? What tricks did the magician have in his bag? A female reporter bit her nails as she wanted to hear more.

‘’It’s true that wrestling isn’t a legitimate sport, it’s more or less an entertainment spectacle that features performers rather than actual athletes.’‘ he continued as he awaited the media’s response.

For a second, the press was stunned and shocked at what they heard, but they soon jumped up and hounded Gene for questions. They wanted to know the hidden secrets behind the wrestling business, such as how a match was prepared or planned out. Gene’s revelation was bound to be a very big news story on a national scale.


***

Leslie was on the set of the lowest rated soap, which took place in a hospital. She had become the queen of contemporary daytime dramas, and this medical drama was slated to be canceled by the network. She had been brought in as executive producer to wrap up the last four weeks, but she had a better plan in mind.

‘’This week’s scripts are some of the shittiest scripts I’ve ever read, the lights are too dim, the sets are too small, and this show’s music just plain sucks!’‘ she said as the cast and crew’s jaws just dropped.

The cast and crew couldn’t believe that this daytime legend had insulted the work they had done for the past 15 years, and that they were about to end soon. They already thought this was gonna be the worst four weeks of their careers, since their show was gonna end, but now this loudmouthed hotshot was gonna make it even worse on them!

‘’This show needs a complete overhaul! New writers, a new look, and better production techniques!’‘ she exclaimed as the cast and crew groaned.


Leslie wasn’t about to let this show get cancelled, she saw so much potential for the greatest soap story of all time. A soap that rose from the ashes like a phoenix, one that went from the bottom of the barrel and near the brink of death to the top rated soap in history. She was a visionary that had a track record where each time she turned produced a soap opera, it turned to gold. This time would be no different.


***

Leslie visited Gene’s office at Montague-Capulet Television, on his desk were two piles of mail. One pile was made up of offers from various television networks from all over the United States that wanted to broadcast his wrestling events, and even received a proposal for a new concept in television that had emerged within the last decade called pay per view. The other pile consisted of death threats from many local and regional promoters as well as various state athletic commissioners who were angry that he had exposed the business.

‘’Remember in the days when Dad and all the other promoters said you needed to protect the business, and kayfabe it? But since I let the cat out of the bag, I’m getting all these offers from major networks, almost like it’s 30 years ago when we got national exposure on TV when I was bookin’ for Dad. It’s like the best we ever could’ve done!’‘ he told Leslie in an amazed voice.


‘’Yeah, but all these old buddies of Dad’s are wantin’ to cut your throat because of it’‘, she responded.


‘’Those old farts are just jealous because I exposed the business, and am about to get rich off of it. They’re bluffin’ and they’re all talk!’‘ he exclaimed in annoyance.

She had problems of her own to worry about, the medical soap she produced was supposed to end after four weeks, and she was just supposed to wrap up the show. However, she has ordered a complete overhaul of the show, and it has ran over budget. And in the eyes of the cast, the crew, and the network, she was a total nightmare to work with. Yet she managed to save the show from cancellation, and brought the show it’s biggest numbers in its entire 15 year history.

‘’I’m not havin’ it any easier, everyone on that medical soap hates my guts, and the network wants to fire me.’‘ she said in distress.

‘’Yeah, but wasn’t that a dyin’ show that you saved? It doesn’t matter what those shitheaded assoholes think, as long as you keep improvin’ the show, and keep deliverin’ the high numbers, you ain’t gettin’ fired.’‘ he responded.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6


Gene was at an arena in St. Louis where the main event was about to begin, and the bell rang that signaled the start of the world heavyweight title match. The champ did his usual flamboyant act, he was a hot property when television was in its golden age, but he was past his prime as his once masculine physique had deteriorated into a big beer gut. Years earlier, his blonde hair fallen out, and now had to wear a wig to cover his bald head. He just needed to learn when to call it quits.

The Masked Shooter was strong and silent, he and the camp began to come toward each other right in the middle of the mat. They locked up to the screams of the fans in attendance, arenas like that no longer had crowds that sold out, but the fans that did show up in the half filled seats wanted to see their favorite wrestlers no matter what. The screams got even louder as The Shooter got him in a headlock that soon became a variation of the sleeper hold within a matter of seconds.

‘’Hey, don’t squeeze so damn tight!’‘ exclaimed the champ, who was in legit pain from the hold.

The referee raised the champ’s arm, it went down. He raised it again, it went down. He raised it one last time as the champ went down to the mat. The referee called for the bell, and Gene looked on as he raised The Shooter’s arm which signaled that won the first fall. After a short rest period, the bell rang for the second fall to start.

As they came out of their corners, the champ gave The Masked Shooter a very hard kick in the stomach! He then dazzled him with a vast array of punches, and then backed him into a corner. Gene saw The Masked Shooter in the corn as the champ delivered a series of karate chops to his chest.

‘’Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!’‘ the champ yelled to the crowd.

He throttled The Shooter into another corner on the opposite corner. The champ then body slammed him onto the mat. He then executed a knee drop right in The Shooter’s face! The champ then got him in the figure four leg lock. As The Masked Shooter screamed for his life, the referee raised the champ’s hand, he had won the second fall.

After another short rest period, the bell rang once more, and both men tore each other apart. While the referee was distracted, the champ hit The Shooter with a pair of brass knuckles. After he went down, the champ stood over his limp body as he stuff the brass knuckles back in the trunks. The champ got on top of him, and propped his legs on the ropes.

‘’Get your god damn feet off the ropes!’‘ shouted the referee as he regained his attention toward the match.

As the champ got up, he tried to assure the referee that he didn’t try to cheat. The Shooter then nailed him from behind. The Shooter then grabbed the champ by the waist, and suplexed him to the mat! He then covered the champ, and the referee counted 1............2........3! The bell rang for the final time, and the referee handed the championship belt to The Masked Shooter as the fans began to scream.


***

After the match, The Masked Shooter was greeted in the locker room by Gene, his father Adam, as well as Gene’s wife and kids. It was like they had all known The Masked Shooter for years, they all hugged, and congratulated him for his victory. His identity was kept a close guarded secret from the fans. All the easy marks in town wanted to know who was behind the mask.

‘’So, how does it feel to be the new champ?’‘ he was asked by Adam.

‘’I could care less about bein’ the champ right now, I just wanna get this damn mask off, it’s so hot!’‘ he replied.

He unmasked to reveal himself to be Pete Montague who was none other than one of Adam’s younger sons as well as Gene’s little brother. They all bolted out of the arena before any of the marks or any of the fans could see Pete without the mask. They all jumped into the car, and drove off.

‘’You think we’ll make a lot of money off the idea of a masked champ?’‘ Pete asked Gene as he drove the car.

‘’Don’t know, wish it could be more like the old days’‘, he responded.

He looked at old wrestling magazines from a decade or two when the wrestling business had national exposure. When all of the wrestlers he booked for his father were household names all over America, and now he was the promoter, and he couldn’t draw a dime. He couldn’t understand why there had been a downtown in the business. He couldn’t decide whether it was because of his uncle Tony Capulet’s screw ups or what!


***

The first week of production began on Leslie’s new soap, and the commonplace organ lady had now been phased out in favor an orchestra to provide a more classical and more realistic soundtrack for the show. She looked on as the cast and crew brought her vision of the daytime drama to life in the studio. The stories presented on the show depicted families from rich and poor backgrounds with a great deal of racial diversity rather than the typical soap that featured middle class white people.

The actresses on the show didn’t play housewives, they worked, and went through real problems in everyday life. The characters also confronted social issues and debated over the war in Vietnam. Most of all, the cast and crew weren’t from the typical radio or television background soaps were know for in the past. They all came from the theater which included playwright Doug Montague, who was both Leslie’s younger brother and the show’s head writer. They both stood there off camera in amazement at the magic they had all created.

‘’Oh god, I never thought I’d say this, but I love workin’ on a soap’‘, Doug said to her in an almost breathless voice.

‘’It’s such a beautiful show’‘, she said as tears streamed down her face.

Every person on the set was emotional, some laughed, some cried. They had never had work like that before. The show’s director was a dictator, a negotiator, a creative artist, and a confrontationalist all rolled into one. Leslie believed that these guys from theater had such a depth and such a range that guys from radio and television couldn’t have in a million years.


***

Leslie, Doug, and her kids were all around Eve’s kitchen table, she had gotten a letter from the network about that week’s numbers from the show. She was so nervous that they would be low or that the show would be near cancellation after thirteen weeks. She was so afraid to open the envelope that her hands shook and sweat poured down her face.

‘’Aren’t you gonna open it, sweetie?’‘ Eve asked her daughter.

‘’Yeah, go ahead, let’s see it’‘, said Doug as he egged Leslie on.

‘’Alright, Alright, Alright!’‘ she uttered in an irritated voice.

She is stunned by what she saw, she couldn’t believe it, she felt like she was in a dreamworld, as if wasn’t even for real. She was shocked that her show, a new show that had just started was the #1 soap on daytime television. She even had beaten her mother who had been in the business for ever since soaps first started back in the radio days, not to mention that she had more experience and a bigger track record as a producer. In addition to that, Leslie’s soap was pretty much the one high rated soap that wasn’t produced Capulet Television. She started to scream at the top of her lungs.


‘’What?’‘ Eve asked in a curious voice.

‘’My show’s the top rated soap!’‘ she shrieked.

They all started to hug, everyone was so happy and overcome with joy. No one could believe an innovative soap at last broke through the barriers and conventions of the genre. Leslie came over to hug her mother, and Eve was so proud of her daughter that she started to cry. The love in that room was just so powerful that they both cried, and Eve held as if she were still the baby the she brought home from the hospital.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5


A decade or two had passed since the altercation between Adam and Tony, The Montagues sat around the table for a holiday feast. Adam and Eve sat at opposite ends of the table. In between them were Gene who now had a wife and kids, Leslie with her husband and children, and their two younger sons Pete and Doug, who were just old enough to be out on their own. In spite of their dislike for their parents’ choice of careers when they were younger, Pete became a professional athlete and Doug was now a playwright. Adam and Eve now got along better with their kids since they had gotten older.

Gene had gotten a promoter’s license, and had bought his father’s promotion. Another promoter had put his operation up for sale to cover bankruptcy debts, and he had thoughts that he should make an offer. However, he feared that his father wouldn’t approve for some reason.

‘’The ticket sales for the wrestling shows in St. Louis are in decline where that no good brother of Mama promotes, and he’s gonna sell the promotion. I thought I’d make an offer to purchase it.’‘ said Gene.

‘’Why in the hell would you wanna do that? Wrestling promoters have it tough as it is! Why risk your business even further by buyin’ some useless piece of shit from that loser?’‘


***

Leslie helped her mother prepare the rest of the food in the kitchen, she had an idea for a new soap that was about social issues that people face in real life with a diverse canvas of characters rather than the usual whitewash plots that involved housewives who whined and complained over their domestic problems. She then handed her mother a written pitch for the show.

‘’I love the idea honey, but it just isn’t the kind of soap that sells. ’‘ Eve mentioned to her.

‘’Those housewives that have turned into our stories for the past 30 years are now in the work force as they fight for the same rights as men do. Not to mention a similar situation is also takin’ place between whites and blacks, and above all, America is divided over a war in Vietnam!’‘ she exclaimed.

‘’I agree, but I think that material is too risky for a soap’‘, said Eve


***

Gene walked into his uncle Tony Capulet’s office in St. Louis, and handed him a humongous wad of cash to buy out his promotion. Tony soon burst into laughter at the fact that his little nephew had just made an offer to buy him out. But he didn’t a cent since wrestling wasn’t anywhere near the attraction it once was.

‘’Boy, you think because you took over your daddy’s promotion that you could play on my field? This ain’t that minor league outfit like the one you bought from him. My operation is a goldmine in this business’‘, Tony explained to him with a sarcastic grin.

He wanted to slap that smirk off Tony’s face in the worst way possible. His dad’s organization wasn’t a minor league until Tony swiped their TV deal and the world heavyweight champion from them. He thought Tony was a fine one to talk since his business hadn’t turned a profit in years. He hoped Tony would come to his senses so that he’d shut up and take the money. He sure needed it.

‘’Look, your not doin’ so hot yourself. You kinda owe us after all you’ve pulled. Be smart and take me up on the offer, so you can get out of debt.’‘ he replied.

Tony then shut his mouth in a rather quick fashion, at last Gene got him right were he wanted him. Both stood still for a second to see what move the other would make. They both wondered if the deal would go anywhere, one waited for the other’s response. A transaction had to be made, and it had to be made now!

‘’Alright, I’ll sell. But just because I love my sister, don’t forget to tell your mama that’‘, Tony said.

They shook hands, as Tony accepted the deal. Gene watched Tony count the money as he left the doorway, he wondered if he had made the right decision in the acquisition of Tony’s promotion, he already had his father’s promotion to contend with. How was he gonna handle another one? He couldn’t understand how his mother was able to produce all those damn soap operas!


***


Leslie received a telegram in the mail from a television network that wasn’t associated with Capulet Consumer Goods or Capulet Television. The few soaps on their network were low rated at best, and were often a distant third in a two network race. They needed someone to come and shake things up, and most of all, they needed a damn good soap.

‘’This network who isn’t havin’ much luck with soaps, wants me to come in, and pitch an idea. But I don’t know what I should pitch to them.’‘ she said to her husband.

He opened her desk drawer to reveal the pitch her mother had rejected. Leslie wondered why should she pitch that, the top soap opera producer in America had turned it down – her own mother for god’s sake! If it had been discarded by the gold standard of daytime dramas, then what use would it be to a network that wouldn’t know a good soap opera if bit ‘em on the ass!

‘’Why not pitch this?’‘ he asked.

She figured what the hell, it doesn’t hurt to pitch to a network. If it was rejected, she’d seek opportunities else, and if it was picked up, it might be cancelled after thirteen weeks. So what? She had a husband that loved her, and could support her and the kids with his Chrysler dealership. She also wouldn’t mind if she spent some time at home with the kids, if it all didn’t work out.


***

As Gene watched from behind the camera at the TV announcer as he ran down the lineup for that night’s wrestling show, he couldn’t help but think about how low the business had sunk. It went from a live arena broadcast on network television to some promotional tool for the arena shows that were taped in the studio of a local TV station, it just made him sick.

‘’In tonight’s main event, the world heavyweight champion will defend his title against a mysterious newcomer known as The Masked Shooter in the best two out of three falls! The bell time for the show is 8pm, we will return after these commercial breaks’‘, said the TV announcer before the video cameras stopped.

This was Gene’s first card after he bought out his uncle Tony Capulet’s promotion in St. Louis, he wondered if he’d be able to pull it off. He knew the operation of one regional promotion was difficult enough, but two promotions in two separate regions seemed almost impossible to him. It had been done by many promoters before him, but he didn’t see how they could keep up with all that work!


***

Leslie entered the offices of the low rated network where she was greeted by the executive who had sent her the telegram. She handed him the pitch for her show, she was so nervous at what his response would be. She hesitated to think that it would be yet another rejection. But a smile came over his face as if he liked what he read.


‘’This is just what this network needs! A show the breaks down the barriers of the typical soap opera, and takes it into the realm of the daytime drama’‘, he said as he went from excited to breathless in one sentence.

He handed her a contract for a thirteen week run, which she read over and signed. She had now managed to break the standards and conventions of the soap opera genre that had been set by her own mother. Now if she could just be successful at it. This wasn’t gonna be the typical soap, but she still had doubts about whether or not the viewers would accept it as the network had.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4


Tony and Eve were in the office of the network executive who green lighted most of her soaps. He looked over their pitch, and they saw his face looked very negative. He didn’t seem to like the pitch very much, in his opinion the spinoff they pitched was too much like the original show. The premise of the show just didn’t seem unique too him.

‘’We’re not pickin’ it up’‘, he said in a gruff voice.

Eves heart jumped up into her throat, despite the differences between Tony and Adam, she always did her best to help her brother out if she ever needed someone. And now that he led a straight clean life, she wanted to help him get a new start. She was now crushed for Tony because rejection had just halted that start.

‘’Why not?’‘ she asked.

Tony felt terrible, he wanted to become a successful soap writer and producer like his sister, she had made such a success out of Capulet Consumer Goods after their mother turned the company over to them while he had troubles with the law. However, he wanted to do this soap as a way to make up for the past.

‘’It’s the exact same concept as the previous show. We have no use for two shows that have the same type of story’‘, responded the network executive.

Tony knew that rejection was apart of the business, and if they couldn’t pitch it to this network, they could pitch it to another network. It wasn’t in Tony’s nature to give up, he needed to prove himself to everyone, and prove that he could do right.

***

Eve and Tony went to pitch the show to an executive at a rival network, the executive was interested the proposal, it showed promise. He felt that this was much better than the soaps on his network which had very low numbers. This show might perk up the network’s spirits in regards to daytime television.

‘’Alright, we’ll pick it up for thirteen weeks’‘, he said.

They surprised to hear that a network wanted to pick up the show, both were overjoyed that Tony had now gotten his foot in the door. Tony’s palms sweated, he was so nervous and excited that he got a gig.

‘’You’ll pick up the show?’‘ he exclaimed as his eyes bugged out.

‘’We’ll give it a run for thirteen weeks, if the numbers are good, we’ll renew it for another thirteen weeks. It the show’s still up there after that, we’ll keep it on for six months, and then we’ll talk about renewals for each year.’‘ said the executive from the rival network.

The executive handed them a contract and a pen, Tony read it over, and he signed on the dotted line. Eve read the document at a slower and more careful pace, and signed as well. The executive then put his signature down to make it official. Everyone in the room felt a little more relaxed after the deal was done.

‘’We’ll put it in the 2pm time slot’‘, said the executive.

They now felt that a bombshell had been dropped on them, that was the same slot that Eve’s top rated soap was slated for on the opposite network that just rejected the show. The show they had once planned to be a spinoff of her top rated show was now gonna be its competition instead.


***

While on the set of her soap, Eve watched Tony’s soap on the rival network via the TV monitor in the studio rather than pay attention to hers which had been shot live at that very moment on that very sound stage. She received the numbers for the daytime broadcasts, and Tony’s soap had now replaced hers as the top rated daytime drama.

‘’What the hell’s wrong with this show?’‘ she asked herself.

She was so proud of her brother Tony that he became successful, but this was a business. She needed to get the show’s priorities together or the network would be down her throat. She began to cry, the smallest drop in the numbers for any of her soaps gave her the impression that they would be cancelled. She then got up to make an announcement.

‘’Why aren’t you people givin’ your best efforts? The numbers for the show have slipped, what’s everyone problem?’‘ she commanded everyone in the studio in a frantic tone.

They all looked at her as if she was about to have another one of her mood swings, she always had constant battles on the set with the cast and crew of her soaps. They always debated over who had final say, her or the people who put her visions on the screen. She just couldn’t stand anyone else who screwed with her work. She was a total perfectionist!

‘’God dammit woman! The numbers just slipped a little because of the debut of your brother’s new show. He may be on another network, but this company still produces his show! Get a grip!’‘ shouted an annoyed producer from Capulet Television.


She saw red, and people in the studio gasped that someone had the guts to talk to her like that. They awaited to see what she’d say next. Every person on the set feared her, and feared for their jobs each day they came to work. They were scared to cross her or rub her the wrong way, her mental illness was so severe that they just didn’t wanna mess with her.

‘’How dare you speak to me that way, I’m the whole reason any of this even exists Get off my god damn set, and don’t you ever come back!’‘ she shouted.

As the producer left, everyone felt a sudden chill in the room. They just stood there afraid to move, they hoped to keep their employment. The signal was given that the show was about to go back on the air. Everyone rushed back to their places, and the cameras rolled again as if the incident between Eve and the producer had never happened.


***

Later that weekend, Tony was in St. Louis, he entered the office of the promoter Adam had screwed in the match for the world heavyweight title. He laid $5,000 in cash on the promoter’s table. The promoter had financial trouble ever since Adam screwed him out of the title. Without the world title the ticket sales and television numbers had dropped in St. Louis. So the promotion was now up for sale.

‘’Are you a licensed promoter?’‘ the St. Louis promoter asked him.

‘’Yes’‘, he answered with a grin.

Tony wasn’t a licensed promoter, he just lied to the promoter to further the deal. This was the first phase in his plan. Plans that he hadn’t announced to anyone back home at Capulet Consumer Goods or its television division. Could this have been the hidden agenda that Adam had suspected?

‘’I’ll need to see verification of that before we close the deal’‘, stated the promoter.

‘’And I’ll get you that as soon as possible’‘, he responded as he shook the promoter’s hand.

Tony left the promoter’s office as he smiled about what was up his sleeve. He knew if he could pull this without anyone’s knowledge back home, he’d be able to pull off the biggest coup, even bigger than what Adam had pulled with that promoter. He wanted to make sure that this was a big deal, and that he cold shove it in Adam’s face!


***

Tony traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri where the offices for the state athletic commission were located. He entered the office, and went to over to the section for sports promoters. He paid the $500 fee required for a promoter’s license. He was then given a liability waiver form to sign for insurance purposes. It stated that he would responsible for any athletic related injuries any wrestlers or boxers suffered under his promotion, not the athletic commission.

‘’Are there any arenas in the state of Missouri that your slated to promote athletic contests in?’‘ asked one of the commissioners.

‘’Yes, in St. Louis’‘, he responded as he signed the waiver.

He was then handed his promoter’s license, and an evil smile came over his face. He now had part of what he needed to get established as an wrestling promoter. But most back home would wonder why he should be a wrestling promoter when he had his hands full five days a week with a top rated soap opera. Tony was the one person who knew the answer to that question.

***

That Sunday night, Tony was in the office of a network executive who handled their sports broadcasts. He handed the executive a pitch for an wrestling show to replace an established wrestling show in it’s time slot. The executive nodded his head, and even smiled a little. Tony awaited his response as he laid back in his chair.

‘’What are you gonna give this network in exchange for air time?’‘, the executive questioned.

‘’I’m a shareholder in Capulet Consumer Goods, and I’ll be more than happy to sponsor the show myself.’‘ he responded.

He shook hands with the executive, and left the office. He knew had pulled off a great scheme, he felt it was gonna be huge. He had a smirk on his face, as if he knew if it was gonna as successful as his soap opera. All he needed to do now was hold his first live show that would be broadcast on television.


***

Adam was inside his office, preparation was underway for his next big wrestling show, but there were two main problems. Neither the television crew or the new world heavyweight champ had shown up yet. He managed to snag a last minute replacement for the main even in case the new champ didn’t show, and he had also made the decision to go on with the show as scheduled whether there was a TV crew to broadcast the show or not.

He turned on the television set in his office to see what the situation was with the network. He discovered that he had been replaced by another wrestling show, which made him furious! He then saw that the show’s location was in St. Louis. He was so upset that he threw a chair up against the wall! The show then went to a commercial break, and he was shocked as he saw his brother in law Tony Capulet advertise a product from Capulet Consumer Goods which prompted him to ram his fist through the TV screen!

‘’What the hell’s goin’ on?’‘ asked Gene as he rushed in with several guys from the locker room.

‘’That god damn uncle of yours got a promoter’s license, took over the St. Louis office, stole our champ, and stole our TV show!’‘ he screamed at the top of his lungs as his fist was covered in blood.

Everyone backstage just stood there as they wondered what the hell they were gonna do. They no longer had a national TV deal, and they no longer had the support of the world heavyweight champion. Aside from the crowd out there in the arena it was almost as if there was no wrestling show at all.


***

Tony drove a car with his wife and kids inside, and a rental truck hooked behind the car. Adam and the rest of The Montagues followed them in their car. As Adam’s car came near the rental truck, Tony pulled away, and drove very fast. He then pulled up to his new house, just before Adam pulled up. They both got out of their cars, and a fist fight ensued.

‘’You’ve almost ruined our lives you son of a bitch, do you even care about your sister at all?’‘ Adam asked as he delivered another punch.

‘’Not if she doesn’t put food on my table’‘, Tony responded under duress.

Their families pulled them apart, Adam was held back by The Montagues while Tony was held back by The Capulets. Eve just couldn’t bear to see her husband and her brother fight like that. They had fought like that since the day they got married, and when it was announced that she was pregnant with his child. Police came due to a call that came in about the disturbance, and were warned not to pull a stunt like that in public view again.