Post by David Gage on Sept 11, 2018 13:26:49 GMT -5
Fade in:
David Gage, eyes sunken and lips dry, stumbles to a grand stage carrying a big gold belt. The production lights shine on him and he shields his bloodshot eyes from the penetrating glare.
A POLLO PRODUCTION
Each labored step is dragged along the ramp. Gage stops at a cameraman and stares at the lens, tilting his head as if analyzing artwork. He hawks up some saliva and it splats on the screen.
HARD TO GAGE
Gage slides into the ring, chucks the belt aside, and goes face to face with his opponent. His trash talk is barely lucid and slurred. The opponent hesitates to engage this madman and steps back. Gage tries to follow his opponent, but a referee gets between the competitors. Gage’s right hand snatches the unsuspecting referee’s throat. Gage’s opponent and several officials rush to the scuffle in an attempt to pry Gage’s clutch as the referee’s face turns blue. And then:
Static.
“David Gage, a professional wrestler, was officially released from his contract this morning...”
“We are going live to federal court where David Gage will appear in regard to the lawsuit brought against him by his former company.”
“In other news, David Gage, the wrestler who has now become known for his behind-the-scenes drug use, has now reached a settlement in his lawsuit. Although the general terms of the settlement are not being disclosed, a statement from Gage’s representative has revealed that rehab was agreed to.” And then:
Static.
Crude cell phone footage shows Gage in the fetal position on a bed. He clutches his sweat-drenched sheets in pain before he emits a tortured moan. A gurgle erupts from his throat just as he heaves a mess of medication and lunch on the ground below his bed.
“Just fucking kill me, man. God. Please just kill me n—.”
He upchucks more.
Fade out.
Two men sitting across from each other. A table littered with podcast equipment separates them. A dazzling sign illuminates the words, “Wrasstling with Pete and Lou.”
“...Before I get to the Lion’s Road hype, we gotta talk about David Gage.”
“Oh, man. That was heavy.”
“We sit through three hours of that show in anticipation of the main-event and it DOESN’T. EVEN. HAPPEN. I can’t even give the match zero stars because we didn’t get a match.”
“I feel like... I don’t know... I feel like there is something wrong with Gage.”
“Without a doubt. The guy ends up getting the belt vacated and he’s escorted out of the building.”
“Drugs?”
“Probably. He’s just a fucking loser.”
Current Day. July 16, 2018.
David Gage stares aimlessly into the ground while the production crew sets up for the interview. Camera—check. Lights—check. Showtime. Gage, no longer attempting to escape the penetrating light, looks into the camera.
David Gage
Pro Wrestler
“My name is David Gage and I am an addict.”
As Gage discusses his past, a slideshow of his childhood and young adulthood is shown. Pictures and film footage of a quirky young kid with glasses and long hair. A teen in a high school wrestling competition. Prom pictures of Gage wearing a maroon satin tuxedo.
“And then it all went to shit.”
A photo of Gage passed out face first on the ground.
“When I was twenty, I discovered two loves: wrestling and heroin.”
Gage runs the ropes in a dinky, run-down warehouse. Next, he’s being backdropped on the apron. The hand-held camera zooms in on Gage clutching his neck on the floor.
“It became a cycle. Wrestle. Shoot-up. Wrestle. Shoot-up. One fueled the other. Eventually, it all caught up to me.”
More recent footage is shown of Gage on a grand stage with thirty-thousand fans at his disposal. Several scenes of him kneeing his opponents conclude with a clip of him collapsing on the ramp.
“The road schedule, the boozing, the hard hits. My life became spitting out teeth and rubbing cocaine on my gums where my teeth once were. And then the incident happened.”
A quick snippet of the clip shown before flashes. Gage growls as the victimized referee grasps at air. We rapidly switch back to current-day Gage.
“So here I am. Forced to start anew in a country I’ve never been, against competitors I’m too good for. Two years ago, I walked out to an audience and now I’m debuting in a fucking gymnasium. I’ve hit rock bottom before, but Maximum Japan Pro-Wresting... this is worse...”
David Gage, eyes sunken and lips dry, stumbles to a grand stage carrying a big gold belt. The production lights shine on him and he shields his bloodshot eyes from the penetrating glare.
A POLLO PRODUCTION
Each labored step is dragged along the ramp. Gage stops at a cameraman and stares at the lens, tilting his head as if analyzing artwork. He hawks up some saliva and it splats on the screen.
HARD TO GAGE
Gage slides into the ring, chucks the belt aside, and goes face to face with his opponent. His trash talk is barely lucid and slurred. The opponent hesitates to engage this madman and steps back. Gage tries to follow his opponent, but a referee gets between the competitors. Gage’s right hand snatches the unsuspecting referee’s throat. Gage’s opponent and several officials rush to the scuffle in an attempt to pry Gage’s clutch as the referee’s face turns blue. And then:
Static.
“David Gage, a professional wrestler, was officially released from his contract this morning...”
“We are going live to federal court where David Gage will appear in regard to the lawsuit brought against him by his former company.”
“In other news, David Gage, the wrestler who has now become known for his behind-the-scenes drug use, has now reached a settlement in his lawsuit. Although the general terms of the settlement are not being disclosed, a statement from Gage’s representative has revealed that rehab was agreed to.” And then:
Static.
Crude cell phone footage shows Gage in the fetal position on a bed. He clutches his sweat-drenched sheets in pain before he emits a tortured moan. A gurgle erupts from his throat just as he heaves a mess of medication and lunch on the ground below his bed.
“Just fucking kill me, man. God. Please just kill me n—.”
He upchucks more.
Fade out.
Two men sitting across from each other. A table littered with podcast equipment separates them. A dazzling sign illuminates the words, “Wrasstling with Pete and Lou.”
“...Before I get to the Lion’s Road hype, we gotta talk about David Gage.”
“Oh, man. That was heavy.”
“We sit through three hours of that show in anticipation of the main-event and it DOESN’T. EVEN. HAPPEN. I can’t even give the match zero stars because we didn’t get a match.”
“I feel like... I don’t know... I feel like there is something wrong with Gage.”
“Without a doubt. The guy ends up getting the belt vacated and he’s escorted out of the building.”
“Drugs?”
“Probably. He’s just a fucking loser.”
Current Day. July 16, 2018.
David Gage stares aimlessly into the ground while the production crew sets up for the interview. Camera—check. Lights—check. Showtime. Gage, no longer attempting to escape the penetrating light, looks into the camera.
David Gage
Pro Wrestler
“My name is David Gage and I am an addict.”
As Gage discusses his past, a slideshow of his childhood and young adulthood is shown. Pictures and film footage of a quirky young kid with glasses and long hair. A teen in a high school wrestling competition. Prom pictures of Gage wearing a maroon satin tuxedo.
“And then it all went to shit.”
A photo of Gage passed out face first on the ground.
“When I was twenty, I discovered two loves: wrestling and heroin.”
Gage runs the ropes in a dinky, run-down warehouse. Next, he’s being backdropped on the apron. The hand-held camera zooms in on Gage clutching his neck on the floor.
“It became a cycle. Wrestle. Shoot-up. Wrestle. Shoot-up. One fueled the other. Eventually, it all caught up to me.”
More recent footage is shown of Gage on a grand stage with thirty-thousand fans at his disposal. Several scenes of him kneeing his opponents conclude with a clip of him collapsing on the ramp.
“The road schedule, the boozing, the hard hits. My life became spitting out teeth and rubbing cocaine on my gums where my teeth once were. And then the incident happened.”
A quick snippet of the clip shown before flashes. Gage growls as the victimized referee grasps at air. We rapidly switch back to current-day Gage.
“So here I am. Forced to start anew in a country I’ve never been, against competitors I’m too good for. Two years ago, I walked out to an audience and now I’m debuting in a fucking gymnasium. I’ve hit rock bottom before, but Maximum Japan Pro-Wresting... this is worse...”