The match was brief. Surprisingly so, if you were a fan. Less surprising, if you were Jessie Salco or Nicolas L. Blair. Their confidence was growing. As a team, they were showing dominance.
In his last match, Nicolas had broken the ankle of his opponent, sending out a message about his return. He may have been all smiles and jokes, but he was still a serious, dangerous competitor. This week, he had made Brother Grimm tap out. The message became even clearer – he wasn’t going to be intimidated.
After the match, Jessie and Nicolas had celebrated in the ring, sharing a perhaps-a-few-seconds-longer-than-appropriate hug, before Nicolas had parted the ropes for her and the two headed to the back. Jessie had headed to the interview area to send out a few words to the world, but Nicolas was blindsided before he could begin changing and packing up.
“Nicolas Blair, could we catch a few minutes with you for an interview?†One of SCW’s many women, all of whom seemed factory designed to remind you of more famous women celebrities, hovered near him with an iPhone at the ready to record. “We’d like to record and transcribe your first formal interview back for the SCW website.â€
Nicolas looked at the woman and wondered what ridiculously sexist name fate had saddled her with. Jennie Talia, maybe? Grande Titons? Cooter McGee? Regina Vagina? It probably didn’t matter.
“All right.†He agreed, grabbing a towel to dry off a bit. He’d worked up only a little bit of a sweat making Brother Grimm The Boogeyman Most Terrible Greater Than God Or Satan tap as frantically as if such things as a corroded artery or a hyperextended knee bothered his transcendent ethereal greatness. Funny how that worked. “But, the interview has to be outside. It’s stuffy as Hell’s Handbasket in here.â€
He grinned, wondering if the interviewer would reply ‘well, you would know’ or any other such clever bon mot, but no such comment came. Oh, well. Cooter McGee would have had a clever comeback.
The two stepped outside into the night, clear and cool. The sun had set but the Western sky was still painted with oranges and pinks that muted into the inky darkness of space above them. The skyline of the capitol was stark against the show of colors.
“Look at that. Nice.†Blair commented, cracking his neck a little bit.
“Ready?†The interviewer asked. Blair nodded.
***
The following article was posted up on Monday, April 24, 2017 on the SCW main website.
Nicolas L. Blair Speaks Out About His Past, Blast From The Past, Dance-offs and His Plans For the Future
Two in a row. Nicolas L. Blair and Jessie Salco defeated Brother Grimm and Misty at Climax Control, bringing them out of the second heat of the Blast From the Past Tournament. Yet, even after these two exemplary performances, newer fans of SCW and wrestling in general may not be familiar with Jessie’s tag team partner, the shockingly crimson-haired Nicolas L. Blair. This dynamic face from the past has been turning heads for the last couple of weeks with an unorthodox attitude and an unnerving smile. We sat down with Mr. Blair after his submission defeat of Brother Grimm to get a few words to introduce him to the SCW fans, and get his thoughts about the rest of the Blast from the Past Tournament.
SCW.com: Mr. Blair, first off, congratulations on both of your wins. Twice, you’ve taken the win while Jessie Salco has kept the female half of your opponents from interfering. How does it feel to make such a decided impact right away?
Blair: It was my goal from the beginning to show everyone a new side of the devil, and I think people are starting to understand just what that means.
SCW.com: For people who may not have been around the last time you graced SCW, here’s a little background. You and Mark Ward began a rivalry to end all rivalries back in the defunct Generation X Wrestling promotion. And when Sin City Wrestling came into being, that rivalry gained new life during Mark’s infamous ‘retirement tour’ a couple years ago.
Blair: Christian Underwood is the man who has been responsible, both then and now, in arranging for me to come to SCW. The last time I was here, though, things didn’t exactly go my way.
SCW.com: That’s right. Fans who have looked through the video archive saw a very different Nicolas L. Blair than the man they see today. You had black hair, wore a suit-
Blair: Smoked like a chimney. Even in the ring!
SCW.com: And you seemed to enjoy using some bizarre, sometimes frightening tactics back then to play mind games on your opponents. After all, you claim to be the devil-
Blair: POSSESSED by the devil. It’s a markedly different thing.
SCW.com: Of course. So it made sense that some of the tactics you used to try to get under Mark Ward’s skin almost seemed to border on the supernatural.
Blair: And that, quite frankly, was my biggest mistake. One I won’t repeat again. Some of the things did seem affecting to Mark, of course, but the overall effect was that he overcame his fears and his weakness, and he defeated me. I had to retreat for a while and come to understand what was wrong with my tactics.
SCW.com: And what did you discover?
Blair: I realized that in the world of today, in front of an audience that is growing cynical and weary of the same old trash, all I was presenting was parlour tricks they’d seen before. Jump scares and clichés. It was predictable and worse, it was dull. I was the Saw 4 of professional wrestlers. Let me give you this example. Let’s say that I’m facing someone in a wrestling match, and I promise, out loud, in a promo, that I’m going make them eat their own soul. That’s ridiculous! No wrestling match in all of history has featured the act of someone eating their own soul. It’s a baseless, empty threat. An opponent can – and should – laugh that off as stupid. Instead, look at what I did to Xander Bishop. I broke his ankle. I destroyed his ability to make a living in the wrestling ring. I ruined his chances at fame, money and glory. He’s a man who now has no choice but to face the things he’d been neglecting out of the ring…the life that was falling apart around him. I didn’t make him ‘eat his soul,’ but I did indelibly change his life for the worse.
Or what just happened with Brother Grimm. Now there’s an example of what I’m talking about. I made Brother Grimm tap out. How spooky are someone’s mind games going to be after you’ve seen them cry uncle? Did you hear the previous week when he threatened the lives of his opponent’s family? Did your eyes glaze over as much as mine did? The context of what we do in the ring is as important as the context of who I am, as a man possessed by the devil.
SCW.com: So, no soul stealing for you?
Blair: I already possess a soul. If anyone wants to try to take it from me, they’re welcome to try. Others have, and I’m still here.
SCW.com: There’s something our fans may be wondering about; how did you come to be, uh, possessed in the first place? Is that something you can talk about?
Blair: In this era of technology and the agonizing micro-management of the cataloging of the careers of even the most d-list of celebrity, I’m sure that information is out there to find. The fan-things may want to start at Wrestlepedia or whatever the information-gathering source for tidbits about wrestling promotions who don’t have major tv clearance is. To me, that just past isn’t very interesting. I am who I am…most of the time. And I live in the present moment.
SCW.com: As we are doing this interview, the next opponents for you and Jessie in Blast from the Past have been announced on Climax Control by Mark Ward. It is going to be Lord Raab and Evie Baang taking on the two of you. Both of them seem to be even matches for the two of you, though Lord Raab does outweigh you by about ten pounds. What is your strategy for Raab, the current Internet champion and notorious as one of SCW’s most violent fighters?
Blair: That poor, poor man.
SCW.com: What do you mean?
Blair: Lord Raab is a man who has been exploited, clearly. SCW is taking someone with a verified, diagnosed mental illness and putting him in an environment where not only is his illness stigmatized and exploited for profit, it is blatantly misrepresented and sends a message out to the masses that demonizes mental illness as a whole. Sitting out there in the audience is some poor child, who has internalized this and now it’s going to take that child that much longer to reach out for help with their own mental struggle.
SCW.com: Lord Raab actually brings his psychologist to the ring with him to monitor his actions and help him to embrace the violence.
Blair: Has anyone seen this alleged psychologist’s diploma? I’ve dealt with mental health professionals….believe me, I have, and if what this man is endorsing is some twisted version of the concept of confrontational counseling, doing it outside of the most strictly controlled laboratory setting isn’t just frowned on, it’s considered unethical. Lord Raab isn’t a man who needs to be forced to confront his issues in this way…he’s not an alcoholic who won’t take responsibility. That doctor shouldn’t just be stripped of his doctorate, he should be arrested and jailed. How am I supposed to feel, inflicting pain and violence on – or receiving from! – Raab, a man who has been so unduly exploited and forced into an unsafe working environment that takes such blatant advantage of his debilitating psychological condition! This is a disability we’re talking about. Next, should I have to wrestle a one-legged man or a cancer patient? Where is the compassion?! Should it really take a Devil to advocate for a disabled man?
SCW.com: Mr. Blair, are you pulling everyone’s leg? This level of concern seems more appropriate for a college campus ‘safe space’ than Sin City Wrestling.
Blair: FAR be it from me to engage in the sort of dog-whistling that alerts the young and protest-minded to come to SCW events and disrupt them with demonstrations against Lord Raab’s exploitation and in favor of a more woke and ethical treatment of mental illness, Ms. Interviewer. I’m simply clearly stating all of this outrage and advocating for Mr. Raab’s mental health because I am a concerned citizen of the world, who wants to see the best for every person, regardless of their race, creed, color, or pending match against me. I’m just giving a little sympathy from the devil.
SCW.com: Of course. So, given that this match is going to happen no matter what, do you have a strategy in mind that will take into account Lord Raab’s, er…mental state?
Blair: I feel that our match should be changed into something that is less likely to negatively impact his tragically degenerated mental facilities. The man can barely string two sentences together without creating a hanging participle or failing to remember the correct tense. More blows to the head would just make things worse. I believe – and I shall have my agent contact Christian Underwood and Mark Ward and strongly recommend – that our match should be turned into something much less exploitative… like, say, a dancing contest.
SCW.com: You think that you and Lord Raab should decide, in the ring, who should advance in Blast From the Past, by way of a dancing contest?!
Blair: Well, let’s be equal to all four parties in the ring, it should also involve Jessie Salco and Evie Baang having their own dance-off as well. Or, if they mutually agree and find it equitable, perhaps some other contest devoid of this distasteful exploitative violence against the mentally disabled…maybe an arm wrestling match, or a rousing game of musical chairs. There is precedent for all of these matches taking place instead of wrestling matches. Anything to prevent from exploiting this poor, infirm, mentally damaged Lord Raab. Yes, we punch in professional wrestling, but we must punch up, not down.
SCW.com: This seems like a very different approach than you had for your last two matches.
Blair: My last two matches were against men of sound mind and body. Lord Raab not being of sound mind, but being of acceptably fine body, I believe it would benefit both him and the fans if we were to shake our groove things to determine a winner.
SCW.com: To be honest, it’s not known how skilled of a dancer Lord Raab is.
Blair: A competent, truly prepared professional wrestler is ready for any challenge that may happen in the context of wrestling. For instance, not only am I devilishly good at delivering pain in the ring, I am an accomplished dancer, a Karaokee master, hold several victories in backwoods bar arm-wrestling, trained at the finest musical chairs academy in Georgia, and I play the fiddle at an acclaimed championship level. I've studied advanced physics at MIT to accurately determine the ideal trajectory with which to toss my opponent into any variety of object: dumpster, grave, mud pit, kiddie pool of gravy, what have you. AND I’ve even carefully studied textile and thread breakage elastomerics in the chance that I’m called on to compete in a tuxedo or evening gown match.
SCW.com: The mental image of you and Lord Raab in an evening gown match would definitely entertain some of SCW’s fan base.
Blair: Yes, that’s exactly what I’m here for. I’m a violent agent of change AND a creator of nigh-impossible-to-forget mental images.
SCW.com: Well, it will remain to be seen if anyone in SCW accepts your…proposal for the match. It seems unlikely, since historically the Blast From the Past tag event has been a very straightforward tournament.
Blair: A sunrise doesn’t last all morning, and a cloudburst doesn’t last all day. All things must pass away.
SCW.com: Suppose that Jessie and you do manage to go all the way and win the tournament. It was announced that Mark Ward has offered you a full-time SCW contract this very evening. So now, the question that has to be on every SCW fan’s minds: Will you remain in Sin City Wrestling? Do you have other goals in mind?
Blair: Well, I would point out that Jessie had to defend her title in our first match yet here Lord Raab isn’t defending his, which doesn’t seem exactly fair, but like I said, I didn’t come to the Blast From the Past Tournament with the intention to exploit mental illness and the title seems to be one of the few things that brings that poor downtrodden man a little joy in his sad, disquietly unnerving life. On the other hand...I really do feel that my holding one of SCW’s titles would bring a level of prestige to it, of course.
SCW.com: Is there anyone else in SCW you have an eye on facing someday?
Blair: If your goal isn’t to be THE champion, why are you even bothering to compete? The SCW world title has become a hot potato lately, and I know that I could take the heat. I chose to sign that offered contract, I might make it the object of my attention like I’ve made the victory in this tournament. Rage, Drake Green, Jeremiah Hardin, whoever’s holding the title, I truly would like to see how we measure up to each other.
SCW.com: Presumably in an actual wrestling match and not a dance contest.
Blair: Unless that’s what their heart truly desires. I’m very adaptable, and I love to have fun. Don’t you love it when announcers point out that a wrestler, usually one debasing themselves on live tv, loves to have fun?! Who doesn’t like to have fun?
SCW.com: That does lead us to another excellent question SCW fans would surely like to see an answer for. What does Nicolas L. Blair do for fun? What do you do when you’re not in a wrestling ring?
Blair: Well, why don’t you come with me tonight? We’re in DC! The capitol of the United States! And yes, it’s a Sunday night, but I assure you, I still know where to go to have a Hell of a good time.
Thanks to Mr. Blair’s invitation, SCW cameras were able to follow him as he left the arena and the night went on. The results of that adventure will be posted up tomorrow on SCW.com! Stay tuned!
This article has 6 comments.
BlairPunkFish
As the main editor of the NLB article on Wrestlepedia, I take great offense at this article claiming that NLB’s past is “boring.†Whichever office worker typed this so-called ‘interview’ up completely does not know Nicolas L. Blair even as well as the most clueless editor on Wrestlepedia. NLB’s past is a rich canopy of lies, deception, betrayal and violence that most plebian wrestling fans don’t have the capacity to properly appreciate, much less write about. This interview is so obviously fake it’s sad. For real facts about NLB, people should definitely check out the Wrestlepedia articles about him because the SCW site is so lazy it doesn’t even barely scratch the surface. Is there some law that articles on this site can’t go over 2,000 words or something? Why aren’t they getting the answers TRUE fans want to know?
BTW the Blair/Salco v Grimm/Misty match tonight was way too short and the show had way too many stupid segments on it of people just talking. If I wanted to hear wrestlers talk, I’d download a podcast. Give your paying customers what they deserve!!!
Jill Evansreplying to BlairPunkFish
Wrestlepedia is an okay source but I think the editors there go into business for themselves too often and kind of stretch the truth or make things up to fill gaps in wrestlers histories. Like, if you look at NLB’s entry it links to youtube videos that don’t exist anymore and it refers to the infamous Peachtree Bingo Hall riot in 2013 as an ‘exorcism’ which just isn’t true, it was drunken fans jumping the rail and getting arrested.
BlairPunkFish replying to Jill Evans
Um, actually, I had a chance to see the video before YouTube was intimidated into pulling it down back in 2014, and it was utterly a failed exorcism attempt, that to be fair, DID happen in the middle of a riot. But the riot was just a smokescreen conspiracy to hide what was really going on. There’s a whole radicalized “Christian†cult in Georgia called The Unbent Nail that’s out to get NLB and Sin City doesn’t even want to address that legal mess so they pretend like it never happened.
BlairPunkFish replying to Jill Evans
Also, I was the one who edited that section of NLB’s profile on Wrestlepedia to clear up several misconceptions that fans have about him and I did not ‘stretch the truth’ or ‘make things up’ and it’s really offensive that you would even imply that. I bet that Jill Evans isn’t even a real name and you’re just one of those people from my Sin City roleplay group that booted me out, following me around the internet trying to discredit me. Get some professional help, that’s just so sick. Isn’t it bad enough that you took away one of the tiny, escapist joys in my life by banning me from the roleplay? Do you have to take everything about this hobby away from me too? That level of obsession is just so sad
Jill Evans replying to BlairPunkFish
Uhhhhh….wtf?!!!! Who needs professional help here?!!!
BlairPunkFish replying to Jill Evans
I can’t believe SCW doesn’t have a report function for the comments on their articles. UGHHHHHH
***
When a cameraman and one of SCW.com’s interviewers agreed to tail Nicolas L. Blair after his match to see what he did for fun, they weren’t quite sure what to expect. A late Sunday Night in Washington D.C. doesn’t sound like fun just waiting to happen. But whatever possible expectations they had, the two SCW representatives hadn’t quite been ready for this.
They were seated in a red hot ’67 Chevy convertible, with the top down, going almost 80 miles an hour down the freeway, trying to keep up with Nicolas Blair, who was driving the car in front of them. He was easy to keep sight of, because his own once-classic Chevy was pimped-out with LED undercarriage glow lights, bright neon yellow and orange airbrushed flames, and a pair of devil horns sculpted onto the hood of the car.
The devil really WAS in the detailing.
Driving the second car was a black-haired woman with a cool demeanor, constantly-amused smile on her face, and a sharp green power suit covering her curvaceous frame. She had introduced herself as Eve Stiles, Nicolas Blair’s agent and handler.
“You’re not getting blown away back there, are you?†Ms. Stiles asked her two passengers. “Nicolas likes to drive fast and sometimes it’s hard to keep up.â€
“It’s all right!†The interviewer held back her own hair. Which one of SCW’s lady interviewers was it? It really wasn’t important, as they were clearly designed to be interchangeable and easily replaceable. “We do video shoots for wrestlers out on the town all the time, so we’ve seen pretty much everything.â€
“I bet you have.†Eve deftly switched lanes, keeping up with Nicolas’s driving. “I don’t think you’ll see any shootings or kidnappings or attempted assaults tonight, though. Nothing quite that dramatic.â€
“Really? You don’t think partying with Satan is going to be dramatic?†The interviewer asked. “How long have you worked for Mr. Blair?â€
“I’ve been his agent for about 3 years, but we’ve known each other our whole lives.†Eve replied, carefully signaling as she followed Blair to a highway exit. “I mean, the life of his host body, of course.â€
“So you believe that he’s actually…†The interviewer trailed off. She wished that the cameraman would turn his camera on, instead of looking concerned as hell about where they were going.
“Oh, I KNOW he’s the devil.†Eve replied matter-of-factly.
The interviewer wasn’t really sure what to do with this information. The opinions of Blair’s agent were outside of the scope of the story they were assigned to film, but it still seemed like such a strange detail, something that maybe the people who watched SCW should know.
“You can relax.†Eve assured the interviewer with a smile as they turned down a brightly-lit road. “We’re not taking you to an animal sacrifice or anything like that. That would be ridiculous and wildly inappropriate in a professional capacity.â€
“Oh…thanks…†The interviewer replied, not wanting to seem rude but still clearly a bit uncomfortable. “Working for SCW, you see…a lot of things.â€
“Listen, the truly evil people of today…they don’t identify themselves in klan robes or facepaint or masks to make it easy for you to pick them out of a crowd. Times have changed. They look the same as you and me. They use their ‘just like you’ looks to infiltrate places of power and to make the weak-minded listen to their ideas. Then, once they’re given power they abuse it against the ones who put them in power in the first place. Doesn’t that sound familiar?â€
The interviewer nodded.
“Compared to that, Satanists are actually some of the most reasonable, most pro-empowerment sects of people in the world. †Eve smiled as they parked next to Blair’s car in a nondescript parking lot, in front of a building that looked like it used to be a factory. “You could even call Nicolas a complete SJW…Satanic Justice Warrior.â€
“Is this an old canning factory?†The cameraman finally spoke up. SCW cameramen rarely spoke, being highly trained professionals who were there to record the action, not be a part of it. But for some reason, this entire situation filled him with an odd sense of unease. Why were they in the middle of the manufacturing district? Where was ‘a good time’ here?
“That’s what it used to be, yes.†Eve replied. Nicolas was ahead of them, giving them an enthusiastic wave with a manic smile on his face. Before they could catch up, he opened a door on the front of the decrepit factory and ran inside. “These days, that’s just a façade. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Are you ready to start filming?â€
Eve Stiles opened the door to the warehouse and invited the cameraman and the interviewer inside, stepping in behind them and closing the door.
They began to film.
***
The following video was posted on Sin City Wrestling’s free Youtube channel on Tuesday, April 25, 2017.
SCW Post Climax Control: Party with Nicolas L. Blair!
After pressing play, the first thing the viewer saw, of course, was the SCW logo superimposed on the black screen. An ad for the subscription service popped up in the corner, and links to other post-Climax Control videos cluttered up the screen as well. Soon, the SCW logo faded and it became clear that the background wasn’t black…it was just very, very dark. Standing in the middle of the darkness was one of SCW’s interviewers…it really didn’t matter which one as they were essentially interchangeable. The camerawork iris-ed in and out a few times, trying to take advantage of what little light was available in the scene, which to the viewer looked like the inside of a manufacturing plant…?!
“Hello, it’s *unintelligible* here for SCW and-“ The audio faded in and out a little bit thanks to the echo reverberating. The interviewer quickly ducked and then looked up above her. “Was that a BAT that just buzz-bombed me?!â€
“We’re going to get murdered in here, I just know it…†The cameraman muttered, breaking his professional code of being silent while filming.
“We’re here in, uh, what seems to be an abandoned aluminum can factory…†The interviewer picked up an old, rusty and dented can from a nearby ancient assembly line with her thumb and forefinger with an air of both caution and distaste. “I’m not quite sure why Mr. Blair led us here, unless he thought that giving me tetanus would serve as an allegory for having to wrestle Lord Raab…â€
“HEY!†A bright rectangle of light at the other end of the factory floor illuminated…a doorway with the silhouette of Nicolas Blair poking his head in. “What the sweet Hell are you two doing over there?! Didn’t you follow the arrows on the floor?â€
“Arrows…?†The interviewer asked as the camera zipped downward to look at the floor. The viewer of the video could now see, faintly illuminated, a series of arrows that would have led an observant person past the assembly floor and to the opened door where Nicolas Blair stood, tapping his toe impatiently.
“Come on, come on! The fan-things need to be shown around!â€
“Fan-things…he calls his fans ‘things’…†The interviewer said to herself under her breath as she carefully followed the glowing safety arrows towards the door. The camera trotted behind, causing the scene to look very shaky…annoying perhaps, to the viewer of the video as it was difficult to get a good look at Nicolas Blair. With the light pouring in behind him, it was hard to make out what shirt he was wearing but it definitely appeared to be covered in enough cartoon flames and tiny cartoon devils to make Guy Fieri think it was a little OTT.
“Come and join the celebraation.†Nicolas grinned as the camera peered up at him and then began to pan across the scene. This must have once been the packing and shipping part of the warehouse, a giant expanse of space clad in concrete walls. But now those walls were covered in neon paint, practically rattling from the sounds of live music being blasted across the warehouse. Each wall was a different, twisted bootlegged depiction of pop art…Porky Pig’s head on Wile E. Coyote’s body on one wall, being immolated in living flames. A painting of bright pink Star Wars Stormtroopers in sexually suggestive positions was on the opposite wall.
Bright lights swirled on a dance floor across from a bar where dozens of people, in various, colorful dress, were receiving drinks. Some of them were in full-bodied fur suits. Others were barely wearing speedos.
“Is…is that…†The interviewer gaped, at a loss for words. “A mini golf course?â€
“It is!†Blair grinned as a couple of putters dressed as sexy cartoon wolves walked by, handling their balls…golf balls, that was. “This is the Fourth Circle Wonderlaand. If you don’t know about it, you WON’T know about it. And now you know about it, thaanks to me. You’re welcome!â€
He grabbed the camera lightly and pointed it back at himself so that any person viewing would be sure to catch his indulgent wink.
“I hope Lord Raab and Evie Baang don’t mind me borrowing their extra’s a’s. I didn’t realize it was so fun to taalk like that! Very memoraable! An excellent way to distinguish your braand!â€
“So…†The interviewer, gathering herself and noticing that she suddenly had in her hand a fizzing drink with a blue liquid slowly drizzling around inside of another clear liquid. “This answers the question from the end of our interview? When the devil wants to have fun, he goes to…whatever this is?â€
“Pretty sure this may actually be hell…†The cameraman muttered as a couple of thrashdancing dancers wearing only the tiniest of speedos began grinding up to the camera, in high definition glory.
“Sometimes.†Blair replied, someone handing him a drink that looked like it had goldfish crackers swimming in it. “This place is pretty unique. It’s the deluxe package, the king of the crop. Part paarty, part disco, part mini golf, part rave. I guess, in honor of my future opponent, you could call it a LORD RAAVE.â€
A young woman wearing mostly glitter walked up to Nicolas. She pulled out a tube of blue lipstick and started drawing on his face intently.
“S’cuse me for a bit, won’t you? Why don’t you look around, amuse yourselves?â€
The viewer of the video was then treated to a musical montage, showing off the Fourth Circle Wonderland as stock music played, no doubt to avoid possibly having to pay licensing rights on any of the copyrighted music being played in the venue itself.
Artsy shots of the murals on the walls.
Manic, zooming in-and-out shots of people dancing on either side of the warehouse, where two bands seem to be playing opposite each other.
A table where people who wouldn’t look out of place in Mad Max: Fury Road were eating mini donuts and drinking something bright neon blue out of fishbowls with straws.
A group of enormous, muscled drag queens chatting and drinking elaborate, fruity drinks.
A shot of Nicolas Blair, his face now drawn on with blue lipstick, talking at the head of a circle of younger people, all listening to everything he has to say intently.
More dancing, two women in a deep embrace, swaying to music as their hands run through each others’ hair.
A quick scene of the SCW interviewer playing a round of mini golf with two men in full My Little Pony fursuits.
Now the drag queens were in the circle listening to Nicolas, who had a full blue lightning bolt drawn over one eye. Everyone in the group listening to him seemed to be nodding their heads intently. A viewer of the video may have become a little frustrated that the overlaid music meant that whatever Nicolas is talking about couldn’t quite be heard.
A group of people who seemed to be playing Pokemon Go on their phones, ignoring everything else.
More shots of neon miniature golf balls going through the course in the middle of the warehouse, bouncing down artificial turf greens, past grotesque sculptures of pink elephants and giant turtles.
The Pokemon Go players in a wider circle around Nicolas Blair, who was still talking, with everyone utterly engrossed in what he hae to say.
The stock music faded away, and finally the viewer would have been able to get an idea of what Blair has been talking to the people about, as his words become louder and clearer.
“And so I have asked, that our match be changed into a dance-off. This is a contest where the audience decides who the better dancer is, and whoever gets the most cheers wins the match. I think that this is fairer than simply asking that they cancel the match and award it to my team because of the exploitation of Raab’s mental illness, because that would be disruptive to his routine.â€
“It’s true,†One of the young people in the circle nodded. “My brother has schizophrenia and one of the things that helps him manage it is to have a very set routine every day, so that he knows his schedule. It helps keep him on track, keeps the voices from distracting him. This could be really inspiring for him to see!â€
All of the young people nod in agreement. Nicolas smiles.
“See, I knew everyone here would understand. Now, I wouldn’t say that people should PROTEST the way that Lord Raab’s alleged support system is exploiting him-“
“I would! It SHOULD be protested!†Someone piped up.
“Yeah! I don’t even watch pro wrestling but portraying mental illness this way is WAY offensive!†Another person agreed.
“At least in a dance-off this poor guy wouldn’t risk hurting himself or others.†A girl proffered, nodding sagely. “And maybe it could help show him that not everyone in the world is out to hurt him for his disability.â€
“Maybe you could offer a supportive hug before the two of you are forced into this conflict, I mean, if he is a consenting co-party to non-threatening person-on-person contact.†Another person in the circle suggested. “Just to show him that he isn’t alone in his daily struggle.â€
“A very good idea, I’ll float that by my partner Jessie.†Blair nodded with a broad, indulgent smile. “Maybe she and Evie Baang could share a mutually-consenting hug too, just for a show of solidarity.â€
“The event is in Boston, right? Some of us should drive there and buy tickets! Then, to protest the exploitation of mental illness, we could turn our backs to the match! Or make up some protest signs! OR…DANCE FLASH MOB Y’ALL!â€
“I love protesting things! And dancing! And especially protest dancing!†Another person, one of the guys in tiny speedos agreed. The buzz started to grow in the group. Nicolas sat back. He looked up at the camera.
“I love the youth of today.†He remarked. “They know a good cause when they see it.â€
“Hey, are you going to sing tonight?†One of the band members, his guitar still slung over his chest, asked Nicolas, as if it were a regular occurrence. “We’re almost done with our break if you want to.â€
“Hmmm, I don’t usually like being filmed showing off…†Nicolas looked right at the camera and winked. “But, sure. I think I have the perfect song in mind.â€
Nicolas stood up, walked right up to the camera and grabbed it, so that it looked close at his blue-lipstick-covered face. He smiled brightly.
“I wonder if Lord Raab will be allowed to see this.â€
He released the camera.
“Give me five minutes.â€
Another edit showed all of the people from Blair’s talking circle disperse as he departed. The scene restarted, focused on one of the performing stages. The camera focused on the SCW interviewer, standing behind the dance floor and tables and chairs that some expectant patrons were seated at.
“Well, a few minutes ago, Nicolas sort of vanished after agreeing to sing tonight, and everyone came over here. I’m not quite sure what to expect, but to be honest that’s been the case all night. This has been both an illuminating AND a confusing look into what Nicolas Blair does to have fun. While the mini golf was great, I don’t know if possibly inciting a protest or riot at the next Climax Control is quite as good…â€
The lights lowered and a single spotlight blazed into life on the stage. In the near-darkness around it, the members of the band who had been playing earlier walked onto stage and picked back up their instruments.
The crowd buzzed.
Amidst the rumbling and chatter of the crowd, a figure walked into the spotlight. The viewer of this video was treated to a rapid zoom-and-focus, quickly identifying the spotlight-illuminated man as Nicolas L. Blair. He was shirtless now, standing with his head down and a microphone in his hand. It was an image that easily evoked a professional wrestler about to begin a promo, to send a message to their opponent…except that most promos didn’t have musical accompaniment.
The music started up…a very familiar song. Nicolas looked up at the same time, the blue lipstick on his lips and a lightning bolt drawn over one of his eyes. With his starkly dyed, All Red Everything hair spiked up on end, his skin bleached white in the purity of the spotlight, it invoked a very specific homage of an image.
“This song goes out to a very special maan; you know who you are. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re anything but a perfect, beautiful snowflaake. I’ll see you on Sunday. And remember, we don’t have to fight-â€
Behind Blair, the musicians all leaned into their microphones, harmonizing a melodious ‘Aaaaaaaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaaaaaaah!’ as the music hit a crescendo.
“Let's dance!â€
Nicolas ran one hand down the side of his chest, seductively outlining his profile.
“Put on your red shoes and dance the blues,â€
Everyone in the audience threw their hands in the air and sang along.
“Let's dance!â€
Nicolas leaned forward, crooning into the microphone.
“To the song they're playin' on the radio…â€
The audience all swayed in unison to the left.
“Let's sway!â€
Nicolas looked up from the microphone and ran a hand down the other side of his profile.
“While color lights up your face,â€
He winked at the camera again.
“Let's sway!â€
He jumped down off the shallow stage into the crowd, who gave him space, keeping the spotlight only on him.
“Sway through the crowd to an empty space…â€
Stepping forward deliberately, Blair grabbed a random crowd member to twirl them. It was one of the enormous, muscled drag queens who had been listening to his speech earlier. Blair twirled the enormous-yet-fabulous lady, dipping her deeply with one arm, and pulling the microphone to his lips with the other.
“If you say run
I'll run with you
And if you say hide
We'll hide…â€
Blair gave the swooning queen a little kiss that nearly blew her giant bouffant wig off, before setting her upright and turning back to address that special someone this song was for to the camera.
“Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flooooooowerrrrr…â€
During the musical break, a line of men and women each danced with Nicolas as he slid his way through them on the floor, a smirk on his face that was captured every time he turned towards the camera. Soon, he regained the center of the floor and put up the microphone again.
“Let's dance!â€
Nicolas demonstrated just a hint of salsa dancing with one of the dancers before being lifted up on the stage again by two more of the drastically dashing drag queens.
“Let's dance!â€
Spin-and-thrust, Nicolas regained center stage flawlessly.
“For fear your grace should fall,â€
“Let's dance!â€
“For fear tonight is all…â€
Someone handed Nicolas an e-cig from the crowd.
“Let's sway!
“You could look into my eyes,â€
Nicolas inhaled a drag and blew out a perfect ring of e-liquid vapor.
“Let's sway!â€
“Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight!â€
The spotlight blared even brighter, turning Nicolas into a nearly blinding figure of light. He threw his hands in the air as everyone in the crowd screamed and cheered.
“And if you say run
I'll run with you…
And if you say hide
We'll hide…â€
The camera managed to catch a clear, close look at Nicolas’s face as he peered forward, and the viewer of this video could almost feel as if they were locking eyes directly with Nicolas L. Blair, as if he was singing directly to them. For that briefest of moment in the video, the viewer knew what it felt like to be Lord Raab in that very moment, with all of the intensity of Nicolas’s being directed at them, his words loaded and firing right at their face like a sultry shotgun of sex and madness.
Some viewers may have found themselves pausing the video at that moment, just to take a second to blink and clear their heads before hitting play again. There wasn’t much video left, according to the timer at the bottom of the screen.
“Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flooooooowerrrrr…â€
The video pulled away as Blair continued entertaining the people, opting to leave on a high note before the song was completely finished. The SCW interviewer, now well off to the side of the warehouse and back in the normal light, prepared to do the wrap-up.
“Wow, that was actually pretty impressive. If Nicolas’s request actually DOES go through despite all odds, and he and Lord Raab DO have a dance contest – again, I have NO IDEA if that would actually happen…well, I think Raab would have his work cut out for him. And if it’s an actual wrestling match still, I’m not really sure how Raab is going to react to the tactics Nicolas used to reach out to him tonight. Thanks for viewing, be sure to check out everything else on the Sin City Wrestling Youtube channel, and head to SCWrestling.net for information about subscriptions for our iPPVs and Climax Controlâ€
The video swayed a little bit as the cameraman reached for the switch. Just before the video went completely black, there was a single shot of a blurry man, holding up a sign. If the viewer chose to pause the video just a couple of seconds for the end, they would be able to make out what the sign said…
It read “REMEMBER THE UNBENT NAIL.â€
Strange. Probably not important. How totally random!
