From scratching and climbing the ranks of the Independents to ICWA World’s Heavyweight Champion to perhaps the hardest working man on the Independents, Tommy Bennett had come full circle since his start in the business less than a decade ago. It was only five years ago Tommy was primarily recognized as a tag team wrestler in a prestigious Independent territory system (The American Wrestling Coalition) with The Last Cowboy Luke Hansen. It was rice and tuna fish and sharing hotel rooms and picking between paying the rent or investing in a much needed pair of new boots for the ring. Then the ICWA Called. Tommy was originally being brought in as a body to fill a stable but almost instantly the Playboy became a stand out performer. In roughly a year or so from his debut in the company, Tommy Bennett managed to become the top guy, securing their World’s Heavyweight championship and headlining Pay Per Views. Unfortunately for the Playboy, just as he was on the cusp of cementing his place in the annals of professional wrestling history, the ICWA Closed up shop and with PWT out of commission at the time as well, the mainstream wrestling scene as we’ve known it had gone extinct.

So it was back to the Independents. But this time things were different. This time “Playboy Tommy Bennett” was a marquee name. This time Playboy wasn’t chasing down bookings, promoters were chasing him down to book him. He wasn’t making mainstream money but he wasn’t eating Rice and Tuna fish either. He began traveling the world. Taking tours throughout Europe, Australia and a few select parts of Asia (primarily Japan). He began taking as many Indy dates in the US and Canada as he could muster. He went to the Carolinas and won the “remix” (if you will) of the Crockett Cup in Southern Pro Wrestling. He helped relaunch the American Wrestling Coalition by going seventy some minutes with David Van Dam on an internet Pay Per View in Miami. With his real life girlfriend and on camera valet “Centerfold” Bunny St. Claire by his side Tommy went wherever the money was, no matter how taxing the travel schedule.

Which brings us to, Memphis Tennessee on a hot and sticky Saturday Night. Ordinarily Memphis shows found themselves in a small television studio that was a throwback to the hay day of territorial wrestling. There’d be bleachers set up around three sides of the ring and then back not too far from the “entrance area” was a commentary station that more resembled an evening news desk then the commentary tables we’ve come to know today. But today’s event was one of AWC: MCWA’s biggest shows of the year. It was their Sizzling Summer Spectacular and the small TV studio had been traded for a large gymnasium. A gymnasium that had bleachers pulled out, chairs set up all about and piles of people flooding the doors. As the fans piled into one side of the building, the workers began to pile in at the rear of the building. The dressing room wasn’t anything special. Just a large open room with some tables and chairs. Guys tossed their bags wherever they could find some free table space and began chatting amongst themselves and changing. On a dry erase board in the front of the dressing room were the tentative matches along with how much time had been designated for each match…

Main Event
Championship
Bennett w/ Bunny + Nieman Vs Lawless
Ref: Charlie
40 Mins

Translated, that meant the Playboy Tommy Bennett would be coming in as a heel adversary recruited by the loud and slimy Nieman Thomas and escorted by the sensuous Bunny St. Claire. While Nieman Thomas was a manager rather than a wrestler, he was Larry Lawless’ arch nemesis and was always looking for a new charge to utilize in an effort to destroy his former charge turned major babyface attraction The Conqueror Larry Lawless. Tommy hadn’t physically spent much time in Memphis. However, Brooks had booked a feud between he and Lawless brilliantly. For months Nieman Thomas vowed to bring in the absolute best in the world today to dethrone Larry Lawless and bring the Southern Heavyweight Championship to the Thomas camp. Last month Nieman Thomas finally revealed that he’d ascertained the ICWA World’s Champion Tommy Bennett. Tommy wasn’t at that show but the reaction for the announcement got over big. Nieman revealed that at the biggest show of the summer, Tommy would come and eliminate Lawless for good. Of course tonight was that show and the building was sold out.

Finally the door to the dressing room pops open and in steps the Playboy, his long brown hair drawn back neatly in a pony tail and his beard groomed well. His baby blue short sleeved polo shirt accommodates his off white dress slacks as the lights bounce off his gold framed, black lensed Ray Bands. He drags his roller luggage behind him with one hand and uses the other hand to pull his shades off his face and tuck them into the unbuttoned V of his polo shirt as the olive skinned beauty Bunny St. Claire trails behind in a sparkling blue and silver low thigh/thin strapped dress.

“Ho! Look who it is.”

Tommy glances over and sees “Simply Flawless” Shane Vincent. Tommy instantly smiles and let’s go of his luggage, walking over to the near table where the curly haired blonde athlete was pulling up the straps on his two tone singlet. Tommy and Shane shake hands and give each other shoulder pats.

Tommy, “How the Hell ya been brother?”

Shane, “Ah, you know.”

Tommy nods as they break their hand shake and Bunny heads toward Shane.

Shane, “Oh, and look at you… You get more eloquent every time I see you.”

Bunny and Shane hug as Bunny exclaims, “And how about you?! You’re in the shape of your life!”

The two finish their hug as Shane shrugs, “Yeah, well, I’ve been in my groove lately.”

Tommy, “I heard you’re working primarily in Minnesota and that area now…”

Shane nods, “Yeah… I’m here on a talent trade. AWC: ACW Had an I-P-P-V last month and Brooks pulled some strings to get Javen on the show so Jack sent me over to work the semi-main with Javen here for this Brooks big show tonight.”

Tommy, “Cool deal.”

Shane, “You know, Jack asked me about you a couple weeks ago. Said he was thinking about bringing you in this Fall to work a program with Butch James for their big fall show.”

Tommy, “Have him give me a call. I’m booked up through the rest of the summer but from mid September forward I’m mostly free right now. But, I never know when the next bookings are gonna start pouring in so, it’s best to book in advance.”

Shane nods, “I’ll let him know.”

Tommy glances around.

Tommy, “I better start making the rounds but, I’ll come back after I get done. Bunny and I were gonna go clubbing after the show… You should come with us.”

Shane nods, “Sure.”

Tommy, “Cool deal. I’ll catch ya in a few.”

Tommy pulls his luggage over by the table and it leaves it there before beginning through the dressing room, introducing himself to a few people he hasn’t met before and exchanging pleasantries with those he’s worked with before. As he and Bunny finish making the rounds the lockeroom door opens again. This time in walks the short and portly Jonathan Brooks in his unmistakable black Stenson hat. Following behind him is a scrawny guy who resembles a prime Jimmy Hart and another fella who resembles an early 80s Jerry Lawler. As Tommy’s heading back in that direction, Brooks smiles.

Brooks, “Excellent! Tommy’s here!”

Tommy gives a nod and extends his hand, shaking hands with Brooks as he says, “Yeah, just got here a couple of minutes ago. Looks like you’ve got a Hell of a crowd piling in.”

Brooks nods, “We’re at capacity tonight.”

Tommy, “Very nice.”

Brooks, “Did you get a chance to look at the card?”

Tommy, “I did.”

Brooks, “Very good. You’ve met Larry and Neal, right?”

Tommy looks at the two men who came in with Brooks and nods before shaking their hands.

Tommy, “Yep. Last time I was here.”

Larry nods, “How ya been?”

Tommy, “Very well, thanks. Hope you have been as well.”

Larry nods.

Tommy, “And Neal… How’s it going?”

Neal, better known on air as “Nieman Thomas”, shrugs, “Pretty good.”

There was some twang in Neal’s voice but it didn’t come off overly southern so much as simply unique.

Brooks, “Here’s the deal fellas… I want you guys to go about forty. Take it nice and slow. For the finish, I Larry to get his hands on Nieman on the apron. Draw back for a big right hand… Tommy… You grab him and turn him around. You go for a big shot of your own… Larry’s gonna duck under and let you pop Nieman in the mouth and knock him off. Turn in for the Piledriver. Fist drop. One, Two, Three.”

Tommy nods, “Alright.”

Brooks nods back, “Good, Good. Now uh… Before you start getting ready, you got a minute? I want to talk to you about something unrelated.”

Tommy shrugs, “Yeah, sure.”

Brooks, “Great.”

Jonathan looks over at Larry and Nieman, “Excuse me just a moment fellas.”

Larry, “Sure. I need to get changed anyway.”

Larry and Nieman walk off as Jonathan puts a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and guides him to the back of the dressing room.

Jonathan, “So listen… I was gonna give ya call but I figured since I was gonna see ya tonight… I’ve got a new job.”

Tommy perks an eyebrow.

Jonathan, “Well, actually, I’ve got my old job back. I got a call from Becca Wip… Err… McCal… Stevenson? It get’s hard to keep track. Regardless… Becca called me… She’s reviving Professional Wrestling Today. You’re familiar with PWT, right?”

Tommy, “Yeah, sure.”

Jonathan Brooks, “Well, I’m the president of Talent Relations again and one of the first guys I thought about was you.”

Tommy, “How are you gonna run this place and work in the offices up there?”

Brooks, “I’m gonna let Larry and Neal run this place for a while. Larry and I have talked and I’m thinking of selling him part of the company and running the place in six month intervals with him. He can book and run things for six months, then I’ll run things for six months… Larry’s a smart guy with a great grasp on the business. I think it’ll work out.”

Tommy, “Fair enough.”

Brooks, “Anyway, if you’re interested we could have a more official meeting in Grand Rapids. I already started working on a contract, I just need a couple of days to wrap it up and then I can email ya a PDF and let ya look it over… Let your agent look over it… Whatever.”

Tommy, “I’ve got some dates I’ve already committed to do.”

Brooks, “As long as it doesn’t interfere with our TV Schedule I’m sure we could arrange to let you finish up your current bookings.”

Tommy, “You know Bunny and I are a package deal?”

Brooks nods, “Of course.”

Tommy shrugs, “Well then… I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t at least sit down formally and crunch some numbers.”

Brooks, “Great. We haven’t started booking shows yet but the offices in Grand Rapids are back up and functioning. If you’re free next week on Wednesday or Thursday I’ve got time to meet.”

Tommy, “I’m flying down to Mexico to start a fifteen day run down there for MLLS but, if PWT’ll pay the airfare to fly me up on the red eye Wednesday night and fly me back down Thursday morning by nine or ten I’d be happy to meet with you Thursday morning before that.”

Brooks, “It might be a hard sell to the boss lady but I think I can pull it off. I’ll give ya a call Monday or Tuesday to confirm but, for all intents and purposes let’s consider that the game plan.”

Tommy, “Excellent.”

“Excuse me…”

Brooks glances over at the blonde woman who approached. She was their ring announcer, Michelle.

“When you get a chance, I just need to ask you a couple of things before we start.”

Brooks nods, “Sure…”

Brooks looks back at Tommy, “Excuse me Tommy… “

Tommy nods, “Sure.”

Brooks and Michelle head off as Bunny wonders over toward her man.

Bunny, “What was that all about?”

Tommy half laughs, “I think we’re heading back to the big time.”

Bunny gave Tommy a confused look as Tommy gave a small grin… He knew it was only a matter of time and the time… the time was finally upon us.