章 7: Time Flies By
When the show came to an end, Rob was enveloped with mixed feelings. He couldn't help it. There was something that was intrinsically missing in the show and he couldn't put his finger on what it was.
Sure, there was an enormous amount of satisfaction present in him as he had been part of the show. The comments from other people around him saying that the show was a hit also gave him a prideful feeling to be part of such a show.
However, he couldn't help but feel confused as to why he didn't have the usual enjoyment he felt when he watched wrestling shows live on earth.
He knew clearly that the wrestling clinic that was put on by the wrestlers was really top-notch as they all had brought their A-game to work. There were hardly any botches and the matches were really good. While Rob wouldn't call them the best, he knew good stuff when he saw it.
Especially, when it came to pro-wrestling.
And if the audience's reactions were anything to go by, it made it clear that they liked what they saw. The crowd cheered whenever the wrestlers did a very complicated move and each ending received tremendous applause to indicate that the audience was happy.
Yet, despite all these things, there was just something missing from the show. It was vague, but he could still feel it. And this feeling was like a thorn in his side. He just couldn't figure out what it truly was.
Before Rob could really think about it, he was once more called upon to help others put away the equipment that had been used. While most set props were retained, some other sensitive equipments were put away to prevent damage.
Once more, Rob became busy as a bee as he went about his work in an orderly manner.
Rob was granted two days rest after the show. With his pay for the week in hand, Rob set about enhancing his living situation by buying the essentials. He used the two days to settle things comfortably in his home and rushed back to work after the two days.
Days rolled by as his work became a routine and he started helping out more and more whenever he was needed. Meanwhile, he absorbed the various tricks and knowledge that only pure experience could give someone and began to assimilate them with his prior knowledge about the business.
During that time, Rob also noticed that to most of his co-workers this was just another job where they can make money. Unlike him, they didn't take in more knowledge or responsibility. They were content with their own responsibilities and made sure that they did that, and only that, in the best way possible.
Rob's work ethic and his endless questions about how things were done earned him goodwill with Mr. Wolfe. After two months, Rob's proactive attitude and consistent performance improved Mr. Wolfe's impression of him. Mr. Wolfe began to give Rob more responsibilities and Rob took them on gamely.
Rob also began to spend most of his rest time in LWC. Even on rest days, he went to the LWC training center and helped out there. This way, he came into contact with more trainers and wrestlers and began to make an impression on them.
As the Head Trainer, Mr. Gibson was also a frequent visitor to the training center. Rob met Mr. Gibson many times during this time. However, Mr. Gibson didn't interact with Rob much. Their interaction usually amounted to greetings and work-related orders. Apart from that, Mr. Gibson didn't give any kind of special treatment to Rob.
Initially, Rob had been expecting some kind of acknowledgment from Mr. Gibson. But, as time passed, Rob put that thought away and began to truly concentrate on his work.
By the time five months rolled around, Rob's relationship with Mr. Wolfe had stabilized to a good degree. Mr. Wolfe would sometimes chat with Rob telling him some anecdotes about various events in the wrestling circle from a backstage perspective. He would also provide him with a few tips and tricks sometimes.
This immensely helped Rob in maintaining his new workload. As more time passed, Rob was given more responsibilities causing him to become overworked. But, Rob never complained as he took this as an opportunity to prove himself in the eyes of higher-ups in LWC.
Meanwhile, Rob's frequent appearance in the training center made sure that he also had a good rapport with several wrestlers. It paid dividends during the time show was put out as these wrestlers sought out Rob for their small needs that they were hesitant to talk to other workers about.
Rob also helped them as much as possible earning their goodwill. Knowing a wrestler's habits and ensuring that the needed things were present also ensured a good atmosphere backstage. This earned Rob some brownie points with Mr. Wolfe and other backstage personnel.
Rob also became an invaluable help to the new wrestlers who signed with LWC. He helped them get assimilate to the environment present in LWC in a short time. He provided them with useful information and let them know about the expectations of trainers that he had observed.
Rob also helped the new wrestlers integrate with the locker room in a smooth manner by telling them about the different personalities and quirks of the veterans. He even sometimes advised them on the right approach to take during training sessions and provided them with various tips he had learned from the veterans.
Several times new wrestlers avoided huge blunders due to Rob's timely advice. Rob didn't just advise them on what to do; he also explained to them why those things needed to be done. This ensured that Rob's interpersonal relationships with the wrestlers didn't suffer much.
Due to his young age, it was easier for Rob to connect with the younger talents and newcomers who come into LWC. Meanwhile, his mature mindset and attitude made sure that he didn't fall on the bad side of any veterans. Few veterans even became close to Rob and invited him for drinks in the evenings.
Thus, in the past five months, Rob's connections in the wrestling industry grew at an exponential pace. He accumulated contacts and maintained goodwill with a lot of industry insiders.
As for Rob's relationship with his higher-ups, it couldn't be called great, but it was sorta fine. Mr. Gibson rarely interacted with Rob. So, their relationship was on a normal level. Mr. Wolfe had a good impression of Rob and he was always there to clarify his doubts and offer proper advice. It could be said his relationship with Rob was pretty good.
However, Rob's relationship with Robin was somewhat strained.
While Mr. Gibson had overall control; Mr. Wolfe took care of show setup and backstage matters; Robin was the one who was in charge of LWC's external affairs like media relations and publicity.
No matter what Rob did, Robin seemed as if he had a bone to pick with Rob. While Rob rarely interacted with Robin, it was unavoidable when they are all present in the backstage area during the show.
Robin never made it obvious his dislike of Rob, but he would be unusually harsh on his demands from Rob and was quick to blow his temper when it was not to his unreasonable standards.
Everyone in backstage was aware of the problem, but no one voiced any complaints as they didn't want to get involved with it. The rumors that came to Rob's ears regarding Robin's animosity towards him were of various kinds.
Each one was more nonsensical than the other.
So, Rob ignored everything and went about his work in his usual manner. He gave proper respect to Robin despite the other party's dislike of him. He completed the tasks assigned to him to a reasonable standard and also helped out whenever possible.
Moreover, Rob limited his help when it came to Robin's department as he didn't want the other party to think that he was encroaching on their territory. He usually hung around with Mr. Wolfe and stayed out of Robin's way as much as possible.
During this time, Rob also figured out what that nagging feeling was in the back of his mind. The feeling became more and more apparent as months passed by. With one weekly show for five months and two special events already under his belt, Rob figured out the problem quickly.
It was like a bolt from the sky for Rob when he realized that the nagging feeling he felt when he watched the show was the lack of hotspots.
With four weekly shows a month and two special events, LWC has put out over 22 shows for the viewers and arena audience. All through this, there wasn't a single moment that made Rob's blood boil in excitement and anticipation.
Almost all the shows Rob had been part of were really good. They were technically sound and had great execution, but despite all this, there was one major flaw. After five months of being on-air, LWC has yet to create even one wrestler who was over.
In layman's terms, a wrestler can be called over when he has a genuine connection with the audience. People will be interested in watching him/her wrestle. They will want to hear what he says over the microphone. They will pay for his merchandise. They will want to see him win and will be disappointed to see his failures.
In general, such a wrestler is the backbone of any wrestling company as they are people who will bring people into the arena and sell out tickets. Their connection with the audience is the lifeblood of the show.
Hence it became very clear to Rob what was the problem with the shows. To put it bluntly, the shows have become monotonous and repetitive. There is hardly anything new to watch. If they have seen one show, then they have seen it all. There is no innovation or bright spots that hook people in.
If not for being in Longham City, Rob was sure that the attendance rate for daily shows would not be that good for LWC shows. LWC has survived until now due to the sheer fact that it was located in Longham City. Longham City was the pro-wrestling mecca. And there are always people who want to see wrestling matches here.
However, the same couldn't be said for TV audiences. Rob began to clearly understand that Longham City was the reason that LWC has survived until now. The same couldn't be said for TV though.
Because being on-air meant that LWC is not only facing people who are from Longham City or traveled to Longham City. They will be on display in front of people from other places too.
Outside of Longham City, LWC's shows didn't have enough attention due to the lack of any interesting elements like stars, intrigue, or any such stuff. While this had not been a problem to LWC until now due to their small status, being on-air changed the landscape entirely.
Due to repetitive content, there was a dearth in bringing back repeated viewers. Also, LWC didn't have the roster depth of AWF to diversify their wrestlers on the show. That meant that they only had a limited amount of wrestlers to feature on their weekly shows.
Bringing in wrestlers without enough training led to a decrease in the quality of the shows. This caused a vicious circle where LWC was in need to showcase something new, but also struggle to put out good quality shows.
Rob had already seen the pressure beginning to increase among his bosses. Mr. Gibson was always in a sour mood these days. Mr. Wolfe had a biting remark ready in store to chastise someone even for the smallest mistakes. Robin, on the other hand, had a grim countenance in general.
But there was also a kind of pleased air around Robin in addition to his grim countenance. It made Rob wonder what he was happy about. Rob had also seen Robin in discussion with Breeze TV executives occasionally. They had a solemn air around them indicating that it was something important.
By the end of the sixth month after his joining LWC, rumors began to float in the locker room and backstage that the Breeze TV executives were not happy with the viewership ratings of the show and were considering canceling the show.
This rumor was akin to a sinister blade inside the locker room, as everyone began to feel more and more pressure. Everyone was clear on what the loss of the TV deal meant. Especially the wrestlers.
While others were worried about it constantly, Rob acted calmly as the rumor spread like a wildfire throughout the backstage area bringing down the morale of the company.
Rob didn't worry about it much because he knew that situations like this demanded changes be made. And he was confident that this situation would only be advantageous to him.
Rob knew that if Mr. Gibson wanted to change something to keep the TV deal, there would be a high chance for him to test out Rob's idea. In that case, Rob's opportunity to rise would arrive. And when it does, he would be ready to grab it with both hands.
Then, it would be his time to shine…
Just as he expected, two weeks after the end of six months, Mr. Wolfe informed him to go to Mr. Gibson's office the next day as Mr. Gibson had something he wanted to discuss.
Rob calmly nodded his head in reply suppressing the excitement that he felt at the moment. Mr. Wolfe shot him a complicated look before walking away from him. Rob waited until Mr. Wolfe was out of his sight and let out a suppressed smile on his face, causing others to stare at him weirdly.
Rob knew that the moment he had been waiting for over seven months was here. He vowed that he would not waste this opportunity and would use this to change the pro-wrestling scene to a whole new level.
"My time is here. I am going to reshape the world of pro wrestling and etch my name into the annals of history. Tomorrow… tomorrow I will begin to take my first step towards glory," Rob whispered to himself in an excited manner causing others to look in his direction.
Rob didn't mind their looks. In fact, he welcomed them to increase his desire to elevate the world of pro wrestling.
After all, legends aren't born. They are made by reaching the peak by walking one step at a time. And now was time for him to take his first step.
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