SPITFIRE! A Journey to Wrestling Stardom CHAPTER 1 EPISODE 8: BTW Sanitarium I studied for a couple of weeks. Like a good boy. Then Mum said I couldn't do the BTW show tonight. What the hell? I spent so ma ny hours boring myself to sleep over the French Revolution... I made it here anyway. She doesn't know. Thinks I'm at my mate Adam's house studying until late. I'm not expected back until tomorrow afternoon, so I can skip morning class and pretend I was there all the time. I did a little show last week, too. Beat a guy called Myles Cross in a little club in Reading. He was crap. Not that I'm the gre atest, but this guy could barely run the ropes. Still, it's all money. Tonight I've got a singles match against Liam Lutz to open the show. I'm going out first - opening the show on my own. That's pr etty big! I put on my trunks - full leg, black with red and orange flames. I'm thinking of getting some of those cool fighter pilot goggle s from the war. My Great Grandad fought in the Battle of Britain and I've always thought that's the coolest thing in the world. A bomber jacket would be cool, too. Lutz appears in the doorway of the locker room and tells me to head out. I walk my way to Gorilla and look at the apron. It's the first time I've gone out on my own. I can't hide behind anyone. I can't pretend the reaction is theirs and not mine. My blood thumps around my ears. My stomach wobbles. Wade Orson puts a hand on my shoulder. I flinch. Then I realise it's him and look at him. He smiles. Orson: You're gonna kill it, kid. My music plays and he pushes me through the curtain. I jog out, pump my fists and high five the fans all the way around the ring. There's a lot of hands! A few people start to chant my name and make a clapping rhythm: Spitfire! CLAP CLAP CLAP Spitfire! CLAP CLAP CLAP I fling myself over the top rope then climb up to the top turnbuckle and spread my arms like wings. A good dozen people do th e s ame. It feels great! Lutz's music hits and the crowd turn sour. He trudges to the ring, sneers at the crowd and slaps me in the face. I go after h im, but the referee holds me back. The bell rings. Wade Orson That slap enraged Billy Spitfire! He wants to get his hands on Liam Lutz! But Lutz slides under the bottom rope and out! The referee stops Spitfire from following him, and Lutz laughs. Mistake! Spitfire breaks free of the ref, runs the ropes, then hits a massive tope suicida onto Lutz on the outside! The crash into the guard rail, but Spitfire gets up and roars! The crowd love it! His moment is ruined, though, as Lutz shoves him from behind, stomach first into the apron. Now in control, Lutz drags Spitfire into the ring and starts grinding him down on the mat. Billy Spitfire vs. Liam Lutz Big Top Wrestling: Sanitarium Tuesday W2 May 2018 Crescent Crown Pub Attendance: 91 Liam Lutz Billy Spitfire He lays in stomps and knee drops, kicks to the gut and elbow strikes to the head. Spitfire tries to break free, but Lutz applies the Lutz Lock - an STF! Young Billy Spitfire is in big trouble here - he's right in the middle of the ring... he raises his hand as if to tap... His hand comes down - but not to tap! He uses it to drag himself towards the bottom rope! The crowd love to see it - they're cha nting for Billy Spitfire! Inch by inch, he edges closer to the bottom rope until his fingers scrape it and the referee tells Lutz to break th e h old. Lutz is angry. He gets up and stomps on Spitfire's back. Spitfire rolls over, but eats a boot to the face. And another. And a th ird. But after the third one, Spitfire bares his teeth! He won't give up that easily! Lutz goes for a running knee strike, but Spitfire dodges to the side and lands a high knee! Then he gets Lutz up on his shouldlers ... Ushigorashi ! Boom! Lutz tries to get to his feet... Missile drop kick! Great stuff from Spitfire! Now he's climbing the top rope, looking for the Take to the Skies! Can he hit it? What's this? Lutz shoves the referee! The referee is down! Lutz runs up to Spitfire and punches him square in the balls! But the ref didn't see it! Spitfire flops to the mat. Lutz gets him up. Lutz Bomb! He grabs the referee and pulls him over to count the pin! One... Two... Three!! Liam Lutz wins! But what a disgusting way to do it - Billy Spitfire was robbed! Liam Lutz def. Billy Spitfire RATING: 35 Spitfire: 35 Lutz: 25 I enjoy the ovation as I head up the entrance ramp. Despite taking another loss, I know I'm getting over with the fans, and s oon I'll get that big singles win. There's lots of praise from the guys in the back, including Stardust Phil Cox, again. I head to the locker room and find my phone ringing. Mum. Five missed calls. I stare at the phone, hoping her name might disappear. It doesn't. It's fine, I'm at Adam's house studying. I take a deep breath and answer. Mum: Oh, so he finally answers his phone. Where are you, then? Billy: I'm over at Adam's. Studying. Mum: Oh, really? Then why did I just see Adam and his mates at the pub? Billy: Huh? I dunno ... Mum: You're wrestling, aren't you. Billy: Mum... Mum: I told you NOT to go to that show! I said the London show last week was enough, but you need to knuckle down and do some work fo r once! Billy: I've done like two weeks! Mum: That's not enough! These exams aren't like last year or your GCSEs. These ones MATTER. And what matters more is that you LIED to me, Billy. Billy: Mum, I... Mum: You lied to me. And you know what I've always said about lying. Billy: Mum -- Mum: It's the worst of all evils. It hurts, Billy, to know you lied to me. Billy: I'm sorry, Mum, but it's such a good opportunity. Mum: It's not nearly as good an opportunity as if you passed all your exams! Right. From now until the end of your exams, there i s t o be no more wrestling. No more going to London, or Cardiff, or Dublin. None of it. No watching wrestling, no playing those stupid wrestling computer games. You wi ll study. Nothing else. You won't go to Adam's house, or Ryan's house, or even cousin Alice's house. Billy: Mum, that's not -- Mum: Fair? I don't think you're in a position to talk about fair. When I'm the one who pays for you to go on these expensive trips to Ireland and drives you to London every month and you lie to me. I don't think that's fair at all. Billy: Mum, please, you don't understand. Mum: I understand very well. And that's the end of it. You get the next flight back here, or there'll be hell to pay. She hangs up. I try to hold back my anger. I squeeze my phone in my fist, watching the edge of the screen turn purple and gre en. I tear off my trunks and slam them into my bag. When I'm changed, I sit and stare at the floor, fuming. Orson: What's up? There he is, next to me. I can't look at him. Can't let him see the redness and tears around my eyes. I tell him the situatio n t hrough clenched teeth. Orson: She's right, you know. She knows wrestling is what you love, but it might not work out. Spitfire: It will work out. Orson: That's what we all hope. But life has a way of throwing things at you that don't make sense. I thought I was going to be 21CW Wo rld Champion. I thought I was going to be as famous as Tommy. It was all going to plan, then I mess up a couple of spots and a few guys get concussed, and there I a m, out on my ass. Spitfire: You've still got a great career. Orson: I wouldn't call it great. For you, maybe it seems like it, but when you've been within touching distance of the peak of Briti sh wrestling, hell, pretty much at the top of world wrestling, it's a big comedown. And I got lucky. Spitfire: Lucky? Orson: Yeah. I'd already built up enough of a name to be hot property all over the country. Everyone wants to book Wade Orson, even if he has got fat. Spitfire: You're not -- Orson: I can hardly say I have a six pack anymore. But it doesn't matter. There's a lot of guys... countless guys who don't make it. T hey won't make it even as far as you have. And most don't make it to a point where they can live off what they earn. Spitfire: I know, but... Orson: And what happens to them? Well. It's not pretty. I've seen friends from the indies drop onto the streets. Homeless. Jobless. Or stuck in a minimum wage job they hate, just trying to scrape by. Talented guys, too. They just didn't get the right breaks. Wade Orson Spitfire: I... Orson: Just do the exams, kid. With luck, you'll never need them. But if this wrestling doesn't work out, I'd hate to see you end up at the bottom of the pile. I have no answer. He's totally right, and Mum's right. Sometimes I feel like I have to work every show, every moment trying t o c reate something. Give up everything else, school, friends, girls... all to be the best and be there for the opportunities when they arise. I nod my head. For the next month, there'll be no wrestling for Billy Spitfire. Big Top Wrestling: Sanitarium Liam Lutz def. Billy Spitfire 35 An interview with Hirobumi Takimoto 30 An interview with Stardust Phil Cox & The Assassins’ Guild 25 Lenny Mochin def. Dan Bull 38 An interview with Wade Orson 59 Davey’s Henchmen def. Taypen & Buzzard 39 The Dublin Destroyer def. Hirobumi Takimoto for the BTW Ring Master title 42 An interview with BW Eddie 38 Mister King, Dark Angel & Welsh Dragon def. Stardust Phil Cox & The Assassins’ Guild 48 Wade Orson def. Jeremy Allen & Matthew Macks 59 BW Eddie def. Merle O’Curle to retain the BTW King Of The Big Top title 67 OVERALL RATING: 62 ATTENDANCE: 91