TRAIL TO THE LION'S DEN
EPISODE ONE
We open to Chris Van Vliet and Jenn Sterger standing in front a stack of monitors with a huge Wrestling Grand Prix banner in the middle.
Chris Van Vliet: We welcome you to “Trail To The Lion’s Den”. This is the Wrestling Grand Prix, a promotion featuring the absolute best wrestlers from around the globe. I am Chris Van Vliet.
Jenn Sterger: And I’m Jenn Sterger, and I’m really excited to be here at Wrestling Grand Prix.
Chris Van Vliet: I am, too, Jenn. We are just weeks away from the inaugural Lion’s Den. We have three Championship tournaments to determine who will be our men and women’s World Champions and Tag Team champions. One interesting wrinkle in the Women’s World Championship Tournament, we have Shazza McKenzie taking on a mystery opponent.
Jenn Sterger: I can only imagine what must be going through her mind when this tournament was announced. Everyone else has an idea on who they’re facing and how they can prepare their matches, but not her. “The HeartBREAKcore” isn’t a stranger to adversity though. Let’s take a look at Shazza McKenzie.
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A compilation of Shazza McKenzie entrances is shown, followed by some of her most notable offensive maneuver. Echoes of crowds chanting her name. A panning shot of Shazza McKenzie posing is shown with her own narration begins.
Shazza McKenzie: I’ve been in professional wrestling for over a decade. I’m from Sydney, Australia. At the beginning of last year, I moved to America. It was a lot of hard work. A lot of ups, a lot of downs. It’s was risky. Anything worth doing in this life is a risk.
Agony written all over the face of Shazza McKenzie. She’s on the receiving end of some devastating maneuvers.
Shazza McKenzie: If I want to make something of myself within the sport, if I’m going to prove to myself that I am as good as the other girls that I came up with, who are off in all the major tv promotions, I needed to bet on myself. I needed to take that leap. Now, I am here in Wrestling Grand Prix.
Shazza is high-fiving fans. She stops and takes notice of a young girl, giving her extra attention.
Shazza McKenzie: I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nerve wracking not knowing who I’m supposed to be facing in the tournament.
A silhouette with a question mark adorning the center of the image.
Shazza McKenzie: There’s a lot of talented and successful free agents out there. Maybe it’s someone who’s been to the top the mountain, who is a world renowned superstar with an obsession with money, who’s traveling all over the world. It could be someone from my past, who I have a history with. I don’t know.
Echoes of a bell ringing, signifying the end of a contest accompanied by Shazza McKenzie’s name announced in victory. Her hand is being raised high, she’s full of excitement
Shazza McKenzie: But I will fight until I have nothing left… and I can call myself the Women’s World champion.
The video package concludes with a final image of Shazza McKenzie staring into the camera with determination.
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Cut back to the control center with Chris Van Vliet and Jenn Sterger.
Jenn Sterger: Well, Chris, she sounds ready and determine to make it out of the first round of the Women’s World Championship Tournament. No matter who here opponent could be.
Chris Van Vliet: We’ll find out in just three weeks who her mystery opponent will be when we our live from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Tuesday night on Triller TV. From an underdog to a Warmaster, legendary mixed martial artist, former UFC Heavyweight champion Josh Barnett has signed his first ever professional wrestling contract. He’s in the World championship tournament against Alex Shelley. I sat down with him a few days ago, let’s see what he has to say heading into his first round match up.
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“The Warmaster” Josh Barnett sits across from Chris Van Vliet, dressed in a leather jacket.
Chris Van Vliet: I’d like to welcome Josh Barnett to the show. Josh, thank you for being here.
Josh Barnett: My pleasure, Chris. Thank you for having me.
Chris Van Vliet: Let’s take about your MMA career for a second. You’ve been everywhere.
Josh Barnett: Yup.
Chris Van Vliet: From Pancrase to PRIDE, UFC. You’ve been everywhere and seen it all. You’re the last Openweight King of Pancrase champion. You’ve been UFC Heavyweight champion, the youngest ever heavyweight champion at 24 years old. You’re a decorated submission grappling champion, Catch wrestling. I’m sure there are those uninitiated thinking,“Why professional wrestling?”
Josh Barnett: Cause I love it. I’m a professional wrestler. I’m not stranger to this sport. I’m The Warmaster, right? How can I call myself a master of war if I don’t compete in professional wrestling? Against some of the best professional wrestlers out there today? I was mentored by Antonio Inoki, I’ve trained under Billy Robinson, a man who perfected catch wrestling, and I have the privilege of passing on the knowledge he gave to me in that regard. Something I am tremendously proud of. Let’s look at some of the names I’ve been up against in the squared circle: Shinsuke Nakamura, Minor Suzuki, Masahiro Chono, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger, Claudio Castagnoli. I’ve wrestled against Yuji Negate for the IWGP Heavyweight championship, and I lost. That was my only shot at championship gold in professional wrestling, and it was my first pro wrestling match. Ever. I want to know what it’s like to hold professional wrestling gold, and test myself as a championship against championship caliber wrestlers.
Chris Van Vliet: You’re definitely getting a chance at that. You’ve been selected as one of the sixteen men who can potentially be the first ever Wrestling Grand Prix World champion. You’re opponent in the first round is Alex Shelley, he’s been in the sport near two decades, he’s a championship pedigree is impressive. He’s considered an innovator and someone a lot of young wrestlers today aspire to be. What are your thoughts on him?
Josh Barnett: You’ve said it yourself. He’s held titles in promotions all across the globe. He’s been in the ring against a who’s who of wrestlers. To some, they only see him as a high flyer, a guy from an “X-Division style tag team”. He’s a student of the game. He’s got a prolific ground game. He’s a a very good mat based wrestler when he chooses to be. I’ve studied the tape. I’m ready for it. He’s got a very European wrestling style for a guy from Detroit Michigan.
Chris Van Vliet: But do you think he’ll wrestle a more aerial style?
Josh Barnett: Possibly. I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s obviously a style he is much better at than me. I don’t leave the ground (laughs). But I’m sure he’ll sneak that World of Sport, Johnny Saint, European style at me. I hope he does. I welcome it. I want to see first hand how he good he is on the mat. I weight a lot more than him, but technique over strength any day. Technique wins the fight far more often than not. We’ll see, I’m prepared.
Chris Van Vliet: If you’re successful in your first round bout. You could potentially be facing either Alex Shelley’s Motor City Machine Guns partner Chris Sabin or Naomichi Marufuji from Pro Wrestling NOAH. Do you have a preference on who you may face, or does it matter to you?
Josh Barnett: It makes no difference to me. Whether it’s Sabin or Marufuji, they’re both former world champions, and two legendary performers in the last twenty years. Regardless of who I may face, I’ll be ready to compete. I’ll study the tape. I’ll have a battle plan ready to go for whoever I may possibly be in the ring against. Once the bell rings, it’s war.
Chris Van Vliet: Mr. Barnett, thank you for your time.
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The scene fades away from Josh Barnett to the control center. The host are about to start speaking, but are stopped when Richard Holliday, adored in a tailor made suit with air pods and a cup coffee in hand, wearing sunglasses steps into the frame.
Richard Holliday: Wow, seriously? I was told by Shane O’Mac to be here and be interviewed by you two basement rate day time talk show host. This coffee is cold. The green room was not prepped with the seared scallops and baby spinach spiced with pomegranate glaze that specifically was placed in the rider if you were going to conduct this interview with me. My father is a a lawyer, one of THEE best lawyers in this country. This will not stand. And I refuse. RE-FUSE to sit here and be disrespected. No interview. Good bye. Sorry, you won’t be in rarified air with “The Air Pod God” Richard Holliday. Bye bye now.
Richard Holliday throws his coffee at Jenn Sterger before leaving. Jenn’s shock turns into disgust. Chris Van Vliet is beside himself at Holliday’s abhorrent actions.
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B-roll of a lion roaming the jungle is shown. It’s hiding, ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Smash cut to “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown, hitting The Pounce on his opponents. All followed up by victories for The Alpha Male.
Back to an overhead shot of the desert. In the middle with dust blowing in the wind behind him, the man himself, Monty Brown.
Monty Brown: I may have been gone, but the Serengeti still belongs to the Alpha Male.
Various images of the wildly charismatic Monty Brown posing, doing hilariously expressive gestures in promos, and hitting moves on various legends of the sport.
Monty Brown: This is still my hunting grounds. I am the leader of the pack. You’re food for the king. Prey better pray. Bow down to the Alpha Male. And maybe I’ll show you mercy… by ending it quick with The POOOOOUNNNNCE—AHH…. PERIOD!!
Monty Brown crouches down, releasing a mighty animalistic growl.
FADE TO BLACK
