The camera fades into the inside of a cluttered but clean RV. The walls and counters are covered with wrestling memorabilia. There are posters from various PPV and Supercards. Signed programs are framed and put up on the walls. Action figures, some in their original boxes but most out and well used, little the counter and table that serves at the dining area. Sitting in the middle of all this is Aleksei Koji. He looks a tad bit hung over but otherwise no worse for wear. The camera is a little shaky.
Aleksei: Is that thing even on man?
We see the camera tilt and turn to face the man who is using it. He is a tall young man with a very well taken care of mullet and a gold cross necklace. He looks a little bewildered at first but then pleased with himself when he discovers the camera is in fact on. He speaks with a heavy Russian accent.
Cameraman: Oh yeah, its working. We are in big business now boy.
The camera turns back to Aleksei who looks skeptical. He looks around at all the wrestling items and picks up an action figure. He smirks a little bit at just how absurd all these things are and then sets it back down.
Aleksei: Nice camper you have here.
Cameraman: Yeah, yeah say something to fans!
Aleksei: I am not even sure I have fans, but ok. Hello to the fans. I am told some people took videos of me when I was getting into fights and now they are on the youtube. My cousin, Danny, thinks I will be a big star now that I joined Sin City Wrestling.
Danny (the cameraman): Big star!!
Aleksei pauses and holds his hand out, gesturing for his cousin to calm down.
Aleksei: I don’t know anything about that. Fans are nice, I like the lady ones the best, but really I am just happy to get paid to fight. But I went to the wrong place, and so now I have to go to London. Danny here is willing to take me but he wants to do this video. So here you go.
Danny: Cut a promo!!
Aleksei: What?
Danny: You got to cut promo, like trash talk the guy you are fighting.
Aleksei: I don’t even know the guy. How about I eat pancakes instead, turn that thing off it is enough for now. Let’s hit the road.
Fade out. Fade in to a shaky camera shot taken by Dany as he drives the camper. Loud punk music is blaring in the back. There is a big sign on the road welcoming the cars to Texas. Dany turns the camera around awkwardly to the back where Aleksei sits at the table with a half full body of Vodka. He is using two of the action figures as drumstiks as he tries to play the drums.
Dany: We are in Texas!
Aleksei: Fucking great, watch the road!
The camera swerves as the RV nearly crashes.
Fade out. Fade in to some Country bar that night. There is a crowd gathering around a mechanical bull. Aleksei has his arms around some young, red haired Texan. He takes a swig from his flash, gives her a kiss and then approaches the bull. Despite having no idea what he is doing he stays on the machine for a long time and laughs when he is thrown down hard.
Fade out. Fade in to the parking lot of that same bar. The camera rushes through the crowd to see Aleksei being yelled at by some big bellied gentleman with a cowboy hat. The arguement seems to be about the red head. Aleksei assures the man he wants no trouble but the Texan swings at him anyways. Aleksei takes the hit but swings his elbow around to connect with his attackers skull. The big man staggers back. Aleksei punches him in the gut and then tackles him to the ground.
Fade out, fade in to the camera sneaking up the front door of the RV the shakes slightly. We hear giggling from inside. Dany opens the door just a little bit and we see the red haired girl riding her own bull named Aleksei Koji. She curses when she spots the camera. Aleksei says something in Romanian and tosses an action figure at the camera.
Fade out, fade in to the inside of the RV. There are two nearly naked girls passed out in the back and Aleksei is driving. He has a big smile on his face.
Aleksei: I love the road Dany. I must say my friend, that the road has always been kind to me. And also I used Texas girl’s phone thing to watch some videos of this Johnny Brown guy. He is good and fucking tough. I must say, I am excited. This guy might give me a challenge, yeah?
Danny: You know him now, you cut the promo yes.
Aleksei: We get to London, find our people. Than I will do this promo thing.
Fade out. We then fade into several small moments right after another.
We see Aleksei and Dany leaving the RV in the airport parking lot.
Aleksei enjoying the skybar.
Aleksei sleeping through the entire flight to London.
Than we watch as Dany and Aleksei wander around London, until they stumble on a sports bar filled with Chelsea fans who are very into a game that is playing on the TV. Aleksei and Dany join in, and we see many glimpses of their night filled with drinking, small fights and acts of vandalism.
The next morning Aleksei and Dany stumble throught the streets of London, wearing Chelsea jerseys. They are walking the walk of shame that any man must do when they have drank thought the night and must face the morning light without sleep. By luck they turn a corner in a worn down neighborhood and spot campers in an abandoned lot. Aleksei laughs and starts to stride over to the RV’s with purpose.
********************************************************************
Fade in to a traveler’s camp somewhere on the outskirts of London. It is like its own village surrounded by the worn out tenements buildings of the neighborhood. Over a dozen campers gather together in a yard that is more weeds than grass. People have their grills going or small camp fires. Flocks of kids run around causing trouble and in the middle of it all is Aleksei Koji. He still has his Chelsea jersey on but he looks a good deal more sober. He has a group of young gypsies gathered around him. Aleksei looks at the camera.
Aleksei: After years of brawls, battles and throw downs. After traveling from my home in Romania, to every corner of Europe all the way to Asia and finally Vegas. After too many nights in jail because I knocked out the wrong person, or worked for a promotion that was less than legal. Even after a night of way too much drinking with the Chelsea Headhunters. Even after all that, I have arrived.
Soon enough, Sin City Wrestling will have their big supershow. All these fighters with titles and rivalries will do battle. There is even going to be a London street fight. Last time I had one of those I ended up in the lock up for two nights, but I guess it’s different when a ref is involved.
Aleksei shrugs and some of the other gypsy laugh.
Aleksei: And don’t get me wrong. Some of those matches look pretty damn good. I am going to be in the crowd ready to watch these main event fights, but I am more interested in one of the opening fights. See I joined up with Sin City and they are giving me my first match!!!
The crowd erupts with cheers and the travelers nearest to Aleksei pat him on the back or punch him in the arm.
Aleksei: Not only that, but they gave me a match with Johnny Brown. That boy has quite the reputation around here for being a brutal warrior. He is not one of those fancy high rope jumpers or kung fu jerks. He is, just a tough as nails fighter like me. The kind of guy that only quits when he can’t stand on his feet. And I know that nobody is coming to this show just for me, or Johnny, but they should. This is not going to be a little wrestling match to warm things up. This is going to be an epic fight between two warriors who are very good at what they do. He is going to bring his rage and his brutality down on me with full force and I will respond in kind. Nobody is going to be able to watch this match and forget it. Violence on this level gets carved into your mind and you can’t shake it. Come the next day, Johnny and I will be the ones everyone is talking about, and with any luck they will be talking about how I won.
The crowd cheers again and Aleksei is all smiles. He can feel the energy from the crowd. He puts his hands up to quiet them down.
Aleksei: You know what one match is just not enough. I know I can not help when I arrived to Sin City. In many ways I am lucky to have any kind of match at this event but I don’t want to fight Johnny only once. I am in London for two weeks, I might as well make it interesting. So you listen here Johnny boy. If you want to tussle before our big night, you just look for the travelers. Thats the nice thing about being Romani, I don’t need to be from this country to have friends. Us travelers are everywhere. So you mention my name and we will find a place to have ourselves a bare knuckle conflict. Consider it a preview to what is in store for you at London Brawling. You come find me! And you will find me swinging my fist!!
