TRAINER: "Tell me if you feel any pain at the end of the rotation..."
***Fury grimaces as his neck reaches the limit of its rotation. The trainer nods and makes a note in a spiral notebook.***
TRAINER: "Brian, from what I can tell, this isn't likely to be too serious... but you were complaining about numbness... so I'm not going to clear you for competition until you check in with your standard practitioner. We're going to schedule an x-ray and make sure there isn't something more dangerous here than I can see."
***Fury doesn't say anything but looks down at the floor and nods. Just then, Damion Black enters the room. He has a concerned look on his face.***
BLACK: "Doc, how is our heavyweight champion? I was told he might have suffered a stinger out there?"
***The trainer hands Black his notes.***
TRAINER: "Not completely sure. He was mentioning numbness in his extremities, but that seems to have subsided. I'm seeing a low-grade ligament strain at the very least, but not likely anything that will require significant time off."
***Black nods and looks over the paperwork.***
BLACK: "We certainly dodged a bullet there."
***Black pops his cell phone out of his pocket and dials. A moment later the screen lights up.***
BLACK: (to the phone) "Janice, take Brian Fury off the touring schedule for the next two weeks. Put Lassiter into house show commitments."
***Fury stands from the trainer's table.***
FURY: "Hey wait a minute! You don't need to bench me, I'm fine!"
***Black puts up his hands in a calming gesture.***
BLACK: "Take it easy, this is just a precaution. We have a lot riding on you, Brian. You are the face of PWA and I can't risk you going down to serious injury."
FURY: "That's bull! I'm a fighting champion, Black! I got no problem fighting hurt! The day I can't lace these boots and fight for what's mine, you can strip me of this title and give it to whoever the hell you please."
BLACK: "Now now... our stocks would take a hell of a hit if we had to strip you of that title. Besides... you're too important to our fanbase to risk. And don't worry about being on the shelf. You'll be more than busy with this promotional itinerary I've set up for you."
FURY: "Promotional... what?"
***Black hands Fury an tablet with a PowerPoint displayed on it, featuring a packed media junket travel schedule. Fury takes the tablet and frowns.***
FURY: "Media tour? Man, this really isn't my style man. You want someone to make nice in front of a camera get Gold or Pennyworth. Hell, you need someone to run his mouth on the radio get Ecks. That guy never shuts up. But me... man, I'm a fighter. What I do, I do in the ring."
***Black nods and puts a hand on Fury's shoulder. Fury glares at Damion's hand.***
BLACK: "Brian, this is the part of being a champion that no one ever talks about. As the PWA Heavyweight title holder, you are one of the biggest influences we have. Brian Fury is a household name, now. You earned that title by being a warrior and that is without question, but with the title comes responsibility. Part of that responsibility is to promote PWA to the general public and give access to our fans who pay their hard-earned money to watch us perform. Just imagine the lives you can touch with one interview, or some child’s life-affirming experience of getting to meet his hero, the larger-than-life Brian Fury! How can you deny those little kids who look up to you, Brian?"
***Brian looks as if he's about to say something... but he closes his mouth and sighs.***
BLACK: "Come with me to my office. You have a morning show radio slot scheduled for Friday. We can go over talking points."
***Black ushers a reluctant Fury out of the trainer's room and down the hall.***Statistics: Posted by Gary Bloomfield — Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:41 pm
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